Dear Sister Fanny, you are hereby called to serve......

Hi....my name is Fanny.

I was called to serve in the Steiner household over 21 years ago.

This is probably one of the earliest pictures of me on my mission, Yes, that little girl would put my hat in her mouth at any time - no warning! Sometimes, she would run with me in her mouth like that, chewing away, giggling through her teeth as we would play at the park, or at Jenny's house.

 I was her first real companion. Her trainer. Oh, there were other companions at times, but I was never transferred far, and when the time came I was the one she choose.

Our companionship chatting with Teacher Betty

You see, I went to preschool with her. I was even given my own place with my own name card. Teacher Val understood the importance of our companionship, I appreciate her for that. Teacher Betty and Teacher Jan and Teacher Mary all understood too, I was as much a part of preschool as any other student there. Because we were a pair, a team, best friends!

I was diligent in attending church as well, I was glad my companion was so eager to learn all she could in nursery. I loved going! We got to sing and have treats and color! Then we moved up to Primary! WOW! More singing and more coloring and we got to learn more wonderful things about Jesus and all he did for us. I loved her for taking me with her and letting me learn right along side her, she never left me.

We played. We learned to cook and clean and wash clothes and how to get dressed and pick up toys and make our bed and do our homework and how to drive and how to pray and how to read and how to make good decisions - and how to fix bad ones and what college we wanted to go to and what boys we wanted to date








We have some amazing family. This is a picture of us with our Grandpa Baumgart - he's pretty cool!  And the other picture is us with our Aunt Kelly at the Zoo. When we were little our family was sure that we were always together, they knew how important my mission was, they knew how important I was to her and that our companionship was vital to her happiness.

I'll never forget when it was time to go to first grade, she was so scared. I was so sad, because I knew I couldn't go. First grade teachers were not like preschool and kindergarten and primary and family, they thought it was time for her to be more grown up. But you know what? We figured it out -  and the first grade teacher never knew I was there! Neither did the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, middle school or high school teachers! I went to EVERY first day of school....EVERY ONE! Because I had to.

It was my mission!

Do you know why people on their everyday "missions" carry backpacks, or purses, or wallets?

I do.

It's to carry their companion in.

It's how I carried out my mission for her, I was in her backpack, every first day of school she had, right there, within touching distance, never out of sight.

And guess where I am now? That's right....in a suitcase, still her companion, still within touching distance, headed to Tennessee. Still on my mission.......

Here's to a great 18 months! 

Good luck Sister Steiner and Sister Fanny !

The Cafe

There is something incredibly comforting about walking into a home town cafe.

Whether it's Arshels in Beaver or Tangies in American Fork or The Prospector in Escalante.......they have some of the same traits and their own unique personality.

Everything smells the same:

The smell of stale coffee, the feel of vinyl chairs with a thin coat of grease from being wiped down with towels used to wipe down everything. The smell that was once cigarettes from a time when they were chic and accepted. 

Everything is accepted in a home town cafe:

The "regulars" at the counter who wish cigarettes were still in vogue, the business man in his suit and tie who is only there for the pie, the traveller who just wants to sit - even thought they've been sitting all day, the kids who don't understand why this place doesn't give you crayons and a coloring book while you wait, but do understand that dad is talking to a complete stranger (who has a full beard and tattoos) the next table over and are totally enrapt in the conversation.

Then there is the help:

I love the waitress who is a woman that has led a less than vogue life, with a raspy voice, being either over or under weight, in a pair of jeans, tshirt, apron, donned with the most genuine smile you'll ever come across. She makes the coffee, toast, ice cream sundaes, pours water herself, and carries the food without a fancy tray. She is the reason people come back.  You can hear her joke with the cook as they discuss the weather, kids, the latest video or if they're getting their hair done this weekend.

If you ask the right questions you can learn some great things. Like the owner of the neat hotel and drive in is a yutz because he won't open the drive in for the locals, or that the woman that is serving you IS the owner, or did you know that a famous actor actually sat right where you are sitting!?!? 

If you travel, you must eat at the local hometown cafe. It will not be perfect, the menus will be well worn, the silverware may have a spot or two; but you will be able to pour real sugar out of a glass container that is on your table, and the catsup will also come in a glass container that says "for restaurant use only, do not refill" and the label will nearly be worn off from being wiped down after refilling.

But, you will enjoy a quiet meal, made with real food by real people in a real place in a time that we wish could be real again.

Dinner, anyone?

If everyday were like a walk on the parkway

If everyday were like a walk on the parkway.....

• People would smile at each other when they passed (they might even say "hello")
• Kids on skateboards would be fun to watch
• Your dog would be with you, all of the time
• Sweats and sneakers would be acceptable everyday wear
• If you are moving more slowly than someone else it's not a sign of your incompetence, it is only a sign of the choice of your mode of mobility
• Silence
• Making a friendly comment to a stranger would not mean you were weird 
• Windblown hair would be a positive status symbol
• Color would be noticed
• The sound of running water would not mean something was broken and flooding
• Observing wildlife would be the norm, not a novelty
• "On your left" or "On your right" would never mean anything political
• The need to talk would be negated by a squeeze of the hand or a glance and grin
• Sitting to rest, and watch, and letting everything pass you by would not put you behind
• You would hear new sounds, pleasant sounds, sounds that did not mean your car was dying
• Kids could be kids
• Adults could be kids
• The shortest distance between two points may be a straight line, but the path would make you go the long way to appreciate the effort it takes to get there

If everyday were like a walk on the parkway......

   

Just Play

I know I shouldn't be writing, I should be in class, but this morning was fun - we just played.

There is something so satisfying about looking down at 35 high school students who are just making music for no particular reason, other than to just make music.

We work so hard and focus so much, sometimes we need to "just play", and a lot of the time we forget about that.

While I was up there swinging my arms for no particular reason (because they really didn't NEED a conductor), I watched - I watched eyes track across the page and fingers move and bows glide and smiles steal across lips, and everyone was where they needed to be and they knew it and they relaxed, and played; and I felt good inside, knowing they were just playing.