Monday, November 28, 2016

"Messiah"











Oak and I joined the local Ars Nova choir for the rehearsals and performance of Handel's "Messiah." I hope I never forget how I felt.  I loved sharing the moment with Oak.   It made it all the better that he met me at the performance venue covered in mud after just running the Pouakai Circuit.  (I wonder how long it's been since someone actually used the shower in the Green Room...?)


I thought this program was a perfect chance to highlight the English names that I have enjoyed since moving here.  Names like Bryony (soprano),  Linden (alto).  

Here are some other names that I regularly enjoy here:
Raewyn, Poppy, Robyn, Imogen, Kianh, Niamh, 
Callum, Graeme, George, Geoff, Lachlan (Lachie), Flynn, Angus, Dominic
(Mom and Dad, is it the same in England?)

Islander names are pretty cool, too:
Paora, Maihi, Kaihiki, Tofa, Nimei, Kahana, Awanui, Rani, Suni, Tubare, Wiremu, Hemi, Tui, Ariki, Sione, Silote, Tuni
(These happen to be names of people in our branch.)

I sometimes feel that our "Jones" surname receives more appreciation as a solid, interesting name here than it has in other places I've lived.  For example, Danny's basketball team played at the nationals and it was televised.  When Danny first went on, the announcer paused to speculate on Danny's Welsh name and possible heritage, like Danny's name was actually quite fascinating...






Monday, November 21, 2016

Big Bang


Mercy's first adventure race - the 6-hour Big Bang!
Mercy and her team.  Mike raced along with them as a minder.  I really like these girls - Mercy, Bree, Julia, Taylor.
Notice that Mercy is the same height as the other girls - I can't remember ever having this experience at her age!?

Oak's team and a few photo-bombers.  They're fun kids, too. 
camera tricks

The earthquake...
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/nz-earthquake/86460020/whats-happened-to-the-cows-stranded-on-a-quake-island

koru time again

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Pumpkins



I can't believe that it's taken me 3 years to make friends with the local pumpkins.
I have been MISSING OUT!

You can buy pumpkin whole or split.  


Pumpkin makes a delicious and filling stir-fry.  For example, I ate this for breakfast with my eggs: 


...but PUMPKIN SOUP is New Zealand's favorite way to eat pumpkin.



Improvising, we cut local pumpkins into jack-o-lantern's at Halloween.
 (I've never seen anyone else do this.)  






Books: 







Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Mormon Women and the Priesthood

Mercy and I have been listening to a Great Courses class on American History on her way to school every morning. (Thanks, Nana and Gramps!)  The class this morning was about the 19th amendment, ratified in 1920, which made it legal for women to vote.

The idea of women's suffrage was a radical and completely unpopular notion among most Americans, including women, until the late 19th century.

Why was women's suffrage so radical and unpopular? According to the Great Courses history class, most Americans initially opposed women's suffrage for these 3 reasons:

  • Giving women the vote would destroy the traditional family.  (Having two voters in the family would loosen the family cohesion.  In addition, women's suffrage would bring women into unseemly contact with other men and possibly even lead to women being elected to public office.  Nothing should be allowed to distract women from their vital role: creating a home, raising children, and exerting a civilizing influence on their husbands.)
  • Women didn't need the vote because they already had power to influence society through their husbands' votes.  They already had access to power through their husbands.
  • Giving women the vote would emasculate males and leave a vacuum in society.  Men would lose desire and impetus for being engaged in creating a better society.
Do these arguments sound familiar to anyone else but me?   

My opinion is that we, Mormons, should avoid using these reasons to explain to ourselves - or others - why women don't hold the priesthood in our church.  Unless we believe them?!