Quirky No Question

September Writing Challenge - Prompt # 19:

Quirky

We’re all a little quirky, right? Some quirks can be frustrating but some are endearing. I think it's important to be able to recognize and laugh at some of our own quirks and embrace the quirkiness in others. Here are some of the ways we are quirky at the Brittish household:

My fly is not down, despite how it looks

(Just one of my quirks)

Scotty:

1. Is obsessed with maps. He looks at maps all day long, and I don’t think an hour goes by where he doesn’t open some kind of map app on his phone unless he’s asleep. But even then, I bet he wakes up in the middle of the night and looks at maps a few times a week.

2. Wiggles his feet when he’s tired.

3. Whistles all the time. The alternative to whistling is making a “Tsh, tsh, tsh” noise, and if we are somewhere he absolutely can’t make noise, he wiggles. 

4. Likes to stick a frayed shoelace in his ear and twist it around. For our entire marriage he has kept an old shoelace near his bed for ear tickling, and if he can’t find it, he gets quite distressed. 

5. Clips his toenails outside. Usually on the front porch. I hope the Amazon folks don’t find the clippings.

Nicky: 

1. Finds stuff everywhere he goes. This was true in childhood and now as a developing grown up. One time our friend Chad lost his wedding ring in a lake. We joked that Nicky could find it, and it took him less than ten seconds to surface with the ring in hand. 

2. Has sideways toes. 

3. Is really good at holding still because he was cast as a character in a play that turned into a statue, and he had to hold still for a really long time. Sometimes on our video chats, he will act like he’s frozen, and we honestly can’t tell if he’s faking or if he truly lost cell service. 

4. Doesn't like new stuff. He will wear a pit-stained shirt he found on the side of the road any day over a new shirt from the store. I have to remind him to replace things like toothbrushes once in a while. 

Daisy:

1. Used to use a sleeping mask every night but insisted on having a night light.

2. Has psychosomatic symptoms as soon as she is asked to do any kind of chore.  

3. Has a a creepy sounding pop in her shoulder. 

Zoe: 

1. Doesn’t like to touch wood. She has a hard time with picnic tables, wooden playsets, etc. 

2. Doesn’t like cheese. 

3. Can spread her toes apart like jazz hands. 

4. Does a really accurate (and annoying) impersonation of a turkey. 

5. Cries when we get new things - like a couch or a car. She doesn't like change. 

Eva: 

1. Has a crush on Jack Black. 

2. Loves to roll her eyes back in her head and pull a creepy face. It's rare to get a nice photo of her. 

3. Likes getting shots at the doctor’s office and often asks if she can get "another one.”

And then there’s me. I:

1. Need to stretch my nostrils sometimes. 

2. Do not like sea creatures. I find starfish repulsive. Touch pools are my worst nightmare. 

3. Hate cornhole and BINGO (and many other activities, but I'll keep the list short so I don't sound like a terrible person). 

4. Love the smell of Cabbage Patch dolls and would love to just hold a fresh one to my nose and sniff it all day. 

5. Like to chew on the plastic part of clothing tags and even broke my front tooth from it. 

Sunday Sentiments - Messages of Love

September Writing Challenge - Prompt #9:

On That Topic

For the past year or so, I’ve been hoping that Daisy will want to get her patriarchal blessing. It’s up to her, and when she feels the time is right, I’m ready to support her. Since I have children who are in the phase of life where they might want to receive their patriarchal blessings, it’s a topic that I have studied a lot lately. Patriarchal blessings are a passionate subject for me because my great-grandpa and my grandpa were both patriarchs. 

In aiming to teach my kids about patriarchal blessings, I made a Q&A sheet a while ago where I compiled some of what I thought was the most useful information about patriarchal blessings. I realize that it’s something AI could have done, but I still like to use my brain and reap the benefits of personal study. Also, I know that it’s correct because I know exactly where everything came from (I’m going to add that information at the end of this post). 

So for the past year or so, I’ve thoroughly studied the topic of patriarchal blessings, but I haven’t studied my patriarchal blessing. It’s been a while since I read mine (maybe even a few years), and I think that’s okay. Sometimes you need to let it “get cold.”

Last week, a line from my blessing came to mind, and I knew it was time to review it, particularly that part. Yesterday I read through my blessing, and it was the perfect time. Most of my blessing I pretty much know by heart, but every now and then I come across a part I’ve forgotten or a part that has new meaning now that I’ve had more life experience. My blessing is pretty cool, and the person the words talk about is pretty cool, which means I have the potential to be pretty cool, but I’m not quite there yet.

As I read my blessing, I was reminded of a talk from a BYU devotional titled, “A Patriarchal Blessing: A Message of Identity, Promise, and Love” by Robert S. Patterson. When I first read that talk, I decided to go through my patriarchal blessing and look for:

1. Messages of love

2. Messages of promise

3. Messages of identity

I wrote it all down… somewhere… and I know I found some really good gems. I’d like to do it again, though. Forty-two year old Britt could use a refresher. 

Here’s something I’ve never really latched on to regarding patriarchal blessings, that I’m just now starting to pick up on. If you were to ask me what the purpose of a patriarchal blessing is, I would probably say to receive revelation pertaining to your life and your purpose and to learn your lineage in the House of Israel. 

My emphasis would mostly be on the blessing’s role in offering you personalized guidance and caution and helping you understand who you are. Those things are all true, however, what I’ve never focused on is the role of a patriarchal blessing in showing us that God loves us. I’ve acknowledged that patriarchal blessings show us that God knows us, but I haven’t really focused on the love part. 

Brother Patterson stated, “Patriarchal blessings are communications given to us as personal revelations from God. These few words, recorded on perhaps a page or more, are remarkable. Their prophetic utterances have great power. They speak to our uncertainties, our abilities, our gifts, our life’s experiences—all in the interest of assuring us of God’s love and of His willingness to help us face the challenges and trials of our lives and to sustain us safely through what we must face.

…these blessings are a testament of God’s love for each of His children. They reveal the uniqueness of each of us, and they highlight the fact that God sees in us what we do not see in one another or in ourselves.”

Additionally, Gospel Topics states that, “A patriarchal blessing is an expression of Heavenly Father’s love for each of His children. It is evidence that He knows us personally.”

This gives me a new lens through which to look at my blessing, so when I read it next, I will look for those three messages mentioned by Brother Patterson, but I will pay particular attention to messages of love. 

——

More information about patriarchal blessings:

What is a patriarchal blessing?

• A patriarchal blessing is an individualized priesthood blessing received from an ordained and authorized patriarch by the laying on of hands.

What are the purposes of a patriarchal blessing?

• To declare your lineage in the House of Israel

• Israel is the special name that the Lord gave to Jacob. Jacob is the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham. The name Israel can refer specifically to Jacob, to his descendants, or to the kingdom of those descendants. The twelve tribes of Israel are descended from Jacob’s sons and grandsons.

• A patriarchal blessing is an expression of Heavenly Father’s love for each of His children. It is evidence that He knows us personally.

• A patriarchal blessing may contain cautions, counsel, and promises unique to you. This inspired blessing can be considered personal scripture for the recipient and can help you understand your potential and possibilities. It can also provide peace and hope in times of difficulty and uncertainty.

What is the declaration of lineage?

• Your blessings will state which tribe of Israel you will inherit the promises to Abraham through 

• This may be a literal line of lineage or a line of spiritual adoption 

• Abraham made covenants with God when he received the gospel, when he was ordained a high priest, and when he entered into celestial marriage. In these covenants, God promised great blessings to Abraham and his family. These blessings, which extend to all of Abraham’s seed, are called the Abrahamic covenant.

• Promises God made to Abraham (the “Abrahamic Covenant”):

• His posterity would be numerous.

• His seed, or descendants, would receive the gospel and bear the priesthood.

• Through the ministry of his seed, “all the families of the earth [would] be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal.”

• “In the great majority of cases, Latter-day Saints are of the tribe of Ephraim, the tribe to which has been committed the leadership of the Latter-day work. Whether this lineage is of blood or adoption does not matter” (Boyd K. Packer).

• “Since there are many bloodlines running in each of us, two members of one family might be declared as being of different tribes in Israel” (Boyd K. Packer).

When am I ready to receive a patriarchal blessing?

• Prayerfully seek to know when you are ready 

• There is no minimum or maximum age to receive a patriarchal blessing

• When you are spiritually prepared and mature enough to understand its significance, you may be ready to receive your blessing

What is the process of receiving a patriarchal blessing?

• You will need to meet with your bishop or an assigned counselor in the bishopric

• They will help you decide if you’re ready and worthy to receive the blessing 

• They will prepare a Patriarchal Blessing Recommend 

• Make the appointment with the stake patriarch

• Wear Sunday dress to your blessing appointment 

• You may fast prior to receiving your blessing, but this is not required 

• Patriarchal blessings are personal. You may invite a few close loved ones (parents are a common choice) to attend your blessing

• The patriarch may counsel with you before he gives you your blessing

• The blessing is recorded and transcribed (typed)

• You will be given a copy of your blessing and it will be be preserved in the Church records 

What do I do with my blessing once I’ve had it?

• Read your blessing regularly. Treasure the words, ponder them, and try to live worthy of the promises within

• Patriarchal blessings are sacred

• The blessing should not be shared publicly or compared to others’

• You may share your blessing with close family members if you desire to do so

• “A patriarchal blessing is not going to map out your life or answer all your questions. If it doesn’t mention an important life event, do not take that to mean you won’t have that opportunity. Likewise, there is no guarantee everything in your blessing will come to pass in this life. A patriarchal blessing is eternal, and if you live worthy, promises that are not fulfilled in this life will be granted in the next” (Elder Kazuhiko Yamashita).

• President Dallin H. Oaks declared that a patriarchal blessing “is given under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and should be read and interpreted under the influence of that same Spirit. The meaning and significance of a patriarchal blessing will be taught line upon line in the course of time by the power of the same Spirit that inspired [it].”

• “Your patriarchal blessing is yours and yours alone. It may be brief or lengthy, simple or profound. Length and language do not a patriarchal blessing make. It is the Spirit that conveys the true meaning. Your blessing is not to be folded neatly and tucked away. It is not to be framed or published. Rather, it is to be read. It is to be loved. It is to be followed. Your patriarchal blessing will see you through the darkest night. It will guide you through life’s dangers” (Thomas S. Monson). 

Sources:

General Handbook 18.17 18. Performing Priesthood Ordinances and Blessings

Topics & Questions: Patriarchal Blessings

Gospel Study Guide: Patriarchal Blessings

The Stake Patriarch by Boyd K. Packer

When to Receive Your Patriarchal Blessing by Elder Kazuhiko Yamashita

Your Patriarchal Blessing: A Liahona of Light by Thomas S. Monson

Winds of Change

September Writing Challenge  - Prompt #2:

Different

After writing about COVID the other day, I’ve been thinking about some of the things that have changed for my family and me over the past six years. Here are some things that are different now:

We’re done with elementary school.

This is one of the most recent milestones. I’m glad for it! Junior high can be brutal, but I was ready to move on. I don't have little kids anymore, and that’s okay. 

Should she be scared of junior high, 

or should junior high be scared of her?

Nicky has graduated and left home.

I have an adult child, and he’s living on a tiny island in the Caribbean. He speaks a foreign language that he didn’t learn from me! I’m in awe of this. 

Um... Elder?

I work.

After being a stay at home mom for 17 years, I got a part-time job. It’s been almost three years since I started working. I have to say, though, that I have a pretty cozy work life. I really have the best of both worlds because my work doesn't interfere with my family life. 

Daisy can drive.

It’s so nice when kids can drive themselves. Daisy is a bit slow to tackle the freeway and long distances, but for now it’s helpful enough that she can get herself to school and back. I need to work with her on getting more comfortable with some of the more challenging drives.

We’re in a different ward (church congregation).

Three years ago our congregation was dissolved, and we were divided between two other wards. It was a good change but also a hard one. I felt like I had gone stagnant in our ward - there was no more growth for me there, so I needed a change, but it hasn’t been the greatest for our children.

Most of our parents have moved.

We have four sets of parents, and three of them have moved since 2020.

Visiting my dad - two hours away

(the goat is not my dad)

I’ve lost my marbles.

I turned 40, and my body betrayed me, and I became (more) emotionally unstable.

I have sleep apnea and neuropathy.

You can read more about that here and here if you’re that kind of bored.

Some of our favorite restaurants have closed. 

Two of my favorite Chinese restaurants and Scotty's favorite Mexican restaurant closed. 

Our last visit to New Dragon Diner

My last fortune cookie

We’ve had four significant deaths in our family.

Doug

James

Amber

and my brother-in-law Aaron.

All four passed away tragically early. 

We lost the last of our grandparents.

My grandma and Scotty's grandma were the last to pass, and with that...

Our grandparents houses have been sold off and torn down (almost). 

Both our maternal grandparents owned a good chunk of land in our city. Scotty's grandpa's property was purchased for development, and the house sat empty for years before they finally tore it down. The land still sits empty. My grandparents' property was sold for a new hospital campus. Their home has been sitting vacant for over a year and will be torn down as will my great-grandpa's home. 

Our final visit to my grandma's house before the University of Utah took over ownership

------

I didn't realize, until I started making this list, just how much change we've experienced in the last few years. We've had good changes, expected changes, and hard changes. I guess that's how life goes. Who knows how different things could be in five more years! Fingers crossed for good changes!

The Possibly Not True Doctrine of Cheetos

 September Writing Challenge  - Prompt #21:

And I Quote

"Cheetos are the food of God."

-The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman

This week I listened to the book The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko. Should you be interested, this is a middle-grade novel about an 11-year-old boy who is put in a position to care for himself and his younger sister after his mother doesn't return home one day. Part of that care includes living off Cheetos.

(Gennifer Choldenko is also the author of Al Capone Does My Shirts and the subsequent books in the Tales From Alcatraz series).  

This quote made me laugh out loud because I had an institute teacher in college who studied the Old Testament very thoroughly, and he came to the conclusion that manna is like Cheetos without the orange powder. I have a very distinct memory of him telling this to our class, holding his fingers to his mouth as if he were eating the manna, and pronouncing "Cheetos" with a very distinct emphasis on the "T" sound. 

Ever since that discussion from over twenty years ago, I have considered Cheetos to be manna. I think Brother Roberts would be pleased to know that someone out there agrees with his theory. 

"Cheetos are the food of God."

20 Tales from 2020

September Writing Challenge  - Prompt #25:

Back in the Day

Sometimes when I think back on COVID times, it seems like it didn't really happen. It feels like it's a lie we all agreed on - to tell this story of a pandemic and a quarantine - but it can't have been real! It's just too bizarre, yet, we lived it. COVID has become the biggest timeline marker of my lifetime. When I'm trying to figure out how long ago something happened, it' a matter of before, during, or after COVID.  

Here are some of the tales I tell that feel unreal:

1. The stores were out of food

I never knew if I would be able to get what we needed. We live next to an egg farm, and cars would line up for hours to wait for a delivery in hopes of being able to snag some eggs. We were so grateful we had chickens! There was a day when I went to Smith’s, and the shelves were mostly empty. There was no rice, but I happened to bend down to double check the bottom shelf, and there was one little bag tucked down there where no one could see. I felt like I’d hit the jackpot! That same day I tried to buy two gallons of milk, and the cashier confiscated one and said I could only buy one gallon. I wondered if I could have gotten away with buying two at self checkout. 

2. Social distancing

There were signs everywhere telling us to stay six feet away from each other and stickers telling us where to stand. We could only go one direction in the aisles of the stores. 

And with that came…

3. Plastic Partitions

There were partitions put up between tables at restaurants and in the lines at theme parks.

Which reminds me…

4. Disneyland Was Closed

For well over a year! We went there twice during that time (because you could still go to Downtown Disney) and stood outside the gates in a near-empty plaza. 

It.Was.Trippy.

Empty plaza between Disneyland and DCA

November 2020

Signs in Downtown Disney

Masks were strictly enforced

Our family in the empty plaza

5. Testing Sites

There were COVID testing sites all over the place and wait times would be hours long. For several weeks in a row, I had our whole family tested at a University of Utah research facility and got a $10 Amazon gift card for each person. 

6. I Basically Homeschooled My Kids

There was no school! 

They said no school for two weeks, and then we just… never went back that year. 

7. There Was No Church

That’s when I felt the most weirded out - when church got canceled. Prior to that, I wasn’t worried about COVID, but when they closed our temples and canceled church, that’s when I started to think, “Okay, what the heck is going on?” 

8. No School On Fridays

When the kids went back to school, they did remote learning in Fridays. For an entire school year, my kids only went to school four days a week.

And in addition to that…

9. Working From Home

Scotty worked from home for over a year! 

I honestly can’t remember him being home for that long or the kids not having school on Fridays. I know it happened, but I don’t remember what it was like. How did we have work and school going on simultaneously?

10. There Was a Trampoline Shortage

Everything you could do to keep kids busy became scarce. You couldn’t find a trampoline or an above ground pool to buy. Pretty much anything hobby related was hard to find. We drove two hours to buy Dutch ovens. 

11. Leaving the County was like Leaving the Country

Since every county had different mandates, it was really weird to cross county lines. Salt Lake County was strict, and going to Davis or Utah counties was like a whole other world. 

Signs from just across the border into Nevada

12. Masks Divided Families and Friends

It got really ugly with pro-mask and anti-mask. 

Zoe's baptism - we were only allowed to have our immediate family and one member of the bishopric there. Everyone else had to watch on Zoom. 

13. Masks Became Common Litter 

Speaking of masks, they were everywhere - every parking lot was littered with them, they went flying down the streets in the wind, and we had them all over the floors of our cars. 

Our masks hung on magnetic hooks on the fridge

14. Doctors Came Out to the Car

When I went to the doctor, I would wait in the parking lot for a video chat. I would then speak to the doctor on my phone, and she would come out and test me if needed. I had a couple of COVID tests this way as well as a strep test. 

15. There Was No Traffic

The busiest streets in our area were empty. It was eerie and beautiful! The air quality increased because of the lack of cars. 

16. Birthdays Became Drive-By Events

We had to get creative with celebrations, so a lot of people did drive-by birthday parties - including us! We had lots of friends and family drive by for Eva's birthday - one set of grandparents even drove by over and over in every vehicle they owned!

Grandma and Grandpa in one of their many vehicles

17. Library Appointments

For a while, we had to reserve books to be picked up curbside. A librarian would bring the books out and place them on a chair. Then after the librarian stepped away, I could get out of my vehicle and retrieve the books. When the library reopened, we had to make appointments to go in. There were a limited number of books we could browse through. When books were returned, they were quarantined for a set amount of time before they could be checked out by someone new. 

My first time getting to go inside the library after it had been closed for months

18. The Earth Shook

If a pandemic wasn't enough, we also had earthquakes. 

The first nine earthquakes of the day

My girls hiding under the table during the aftershocks

(note Eva's creative use of her sippy cup)

19. Protests

But also, there were all of the protests related to Black Lives Matter. Some demonstrated peacefully while others wreaked havoc. Businesses had to shut down for fear of vandalism. I remember news footage of people flipping over a police car downtown and then pooping on it!

20. It Ended

The Spanish Flu pandemic lasted two years, and so did the worst of COVID. It felt like it was never going to end, but it did. Slowly, it ended. And now we tell our tales, and it all feels like a weird dream we had. 

Never again, please and thank you. 

Friendship: What You Get

September Writing Challenge - Prompt #1:

Friendship

I've been very blessed in friendship throughout my life, which is a miracle because I haven't always been a good friend. I don't know why some of my friends have stuck around as long as they have. I still have several friends from childhood that I'm in regular contact with. I've also picked up a lot of new friends over the years. I've lost some, too - a few from difficult times and others from simply growing apart or changes in proximity. 

Some of my OG's

I don't know if I'm an easy person to be friends with or not (I don't know if I want to know), but here are twelve things you can expect from me as your friend: 

1. I'm almost always on time. You won't have to wait for me. 

2. Anything you need is in my car. If the straw in your gas station drink is too long, don't worry! I have scissors. Did you forget a straw to begin with? Relax, Babe. I have one in my glove box. 

3. I won’t know how to hug you. If you're aiming for a side hug, I'll get confused and go full body contact. If you try to put your head to the right of mine, I'll nearly kiss you. I'm not anti-hug (in most cases), but I will not understand the approach, and I will do it wrong. I might even think you're going to hug me when you're not, and it will get real weird. 

4. I am a safe poop friend. You never need to be embarrassed around me regarding your "situation." If you are constipated, I will roll around on the floor with you and do the recommended yoga poses to stimulate your bowels. I will then cheer for you when it works. 

Us doing poo yoga: LOTR Edition

5. Speaking of going to the bathroom, I will need to use the potty everywhere we go. I need to go before the movie, during the movie, and after the movie. I will also need to go in the store and the restaurant and possibly at the nearest Maverik. But I promise I can guide you to the "friendliest" bathrooms in all of the places I visit frequently. 

6. If you like food, I will take good care of you. I will bring you food you like, buy the treats you love to surprise you, and sneak awesome goodies into the movie theater for us. 

I'll bring a cooler of hotdogs to the high school auditorium

7. I will try my hardest to communicate with you via telepathy. 

8. I will send you weird gifts from Amazon and buy you crazy things from the thrift store. 

To: Friend

From: Britt

9. I will not know how to tell you when I need help or when I'm going though something hard. I also might not do the right things when you need help or when you are going through something hard, but I will try!

10. I will tell you way too many details before I get to the point. I also might talk your ear off about things you really aren't interested in (see a list of examples here).

11. I will twin with you. 

12. I will hide things in your house. 

So that's a small sample of what I bring to the friendship. I can't tell you everything because I still need an element of surprise, but you don't have to go into this completely ignorant now!