Looking Upward and Outward

Recently someone, who lives in Farmington, New Mexico and went to church with my mother, reached out to me with this sweet story.  My own comments are in [].

"About four years ago our second son, Will, had routine surgery to remove his tonsils.  He had some somewhat serious complications and had to be admitted to the hospital. It was a hard and scary few days to say the least.  


Unbekownst to us at the time, Ruth was in the hospital at the same time due to continued complications with her feet and was having another portion removed. [She had been battling another infection and had another toe removed.]

In a time when we as a family were looking inward and downward we were strengthened by your mother who was looking upward and outward. 


How easy would it have been to stay up in her room and sulk, or at the least rest from what she had been through. But no, she wheeled herself down to the gift shop and picked out a book and some treats for a little boy she knew might be hurting.  


It took me a few days to truly take in what she did for our family that day. It is now a story that is written in our family journal to help us remember how to be Christlike in all times, in all places, and in all circumstances.  


She had a gift for looking upward and outward."

This post features:

RUTH RASMUSSEN BUCHANAN (1946-2015)

My mother 

me --> Ruth Rasmussen Buchanan

Hallelujah

In Mom's later years, most saw her riding around in a scooter.

What many don't know is why.



In 1999, at my brother's wedding reception, she didn't have a place to keep a single key so she put it in her shoe.  That began a series of events that would ultimately result in her early departure from this earth.

The key caused a blister in the bottom of her foot, which led to an infection, which led to the amputation of some toes, which led to a condition called Charcot foot.

The condition spread to both her feet and for 15 years she had broken feet that would never heal.

Through it all she didn't complain, in fact she rarely even talked about her condition.  She had an extremely high tolerance for pain.  She also had an extremely high desire to live life to the fullest.

The last weekend I spent with her (just weeks before she died) was no exception.  We went shopping and ate Vietnamese food.  We ran to Dairy Queen and got in trouble with Dad for talking too loud.  We ate a simple pot roast dinner on her china and silver.  The other thing we did was listen to her latest favorite album whenever we were in the car.

She had been able to hear Jason Deere perform the songs from this album live.  She loved it so much that she bought a copy for my two missionaries.

As we listened to the songs, she gave me the lyrics so that I could follow along.  We got to a song titled "Blind" sung by Alex Boye.  

She told me that Alex sang the song in the studio on his knees with his eyes closed.  As a big fan of Alex Boye, I was impressed that he would sing it so humbly. 

After my mom passed away, I bought my own copy of Redeemer.  

Tonight I was listening to the album and the song "Blind" came on.  This time the words had a new meaning for me. She had faith in Jesus Christ and knew that one day her feet would be completely healed. 

Like Alex, she had a beautiful singing voice and I can imagine it joining his when he sings:

"And I feel hands on me now

And I feel His fingers lift from off my face

He says, 'Thy faith hath made thee whole'

As blackness turns to grey

Behold, I see the light

Behold I see the miracle

Behold I hear the prophets of old echo in my ears

And I feel my warm face wet from all my tears

As I behold the Messiah, Emmanuel

He who's come into this world to change us all

Hallelujah!"

It's so easy to look back and say "If only she hadn't put that key in her shoe." But that single act would lead to over a decade of miracles, drawing her and her family closer to our Savior.

A Savior who has healed my mom

  and will one day heal me

Hallelujah.

This post features:

Ruth Rasmussen Buchanan (1946-2015)

My mother and me

me --> Ruth Rasmussen Buchanan

Mom, I have something to tell you...

On February 21, 2015 our family gathered around my mother one last time.

As we stood there with our arms wrapped around one another, I spoke up.

"Mom, I have something to tell you..."

1976

My first brother was born in October of 1976.  My sister, Kristi, and I were excited to finally have a sibling.  It had just been the two of us for quite a while.  We were 7 and almost 6 and eager to take care of him.

One of our favorite things to do was feed him his bottle.  Was it because we loved to hold him?  No.  Was it because we wanted to give Mom a break?  No.  It was because of what was in the bottle. 

http://www.tvacres.com/candies_jello.htm

That's right.  Lime-flavored Jell-O.  She would mix some of the gelatin powder in warm water for Ryan to drink.  

Kristi and I would fight to take turns feeding him.  As we watched him guzzle that sugary goodness, sometimes the temptation was just too great and we would quickly pull the bottle out of Ryan's mouth, and put the nipple in our mouth and drink.

That's right.  

We would drink out of the bottle!

Then we would quickly put it back in Ryan's mouth hoping we wouldn't get caught. 

You know what they say about keeping secrets?  

Two people can keep a secret as long as one of them is dead.

In our case, 

Two sisters can keep a secret as long as both of them have the same secret.

Somehow we both decided that drinking out of the bottle was the worst sin that could be committed.  It trumped all other sins.  

"I'm going to tell Mom you just hit me."

"Then, I'm going to tell Mom you drank out of the bottle."

Silence.

For years we held onto the secret that we had drunk green Jell-O water.  Until...

2015

"Mom, I have something to tell you... Kristi drank out of the bottle."

I feel so much better.

This post features:

RUTH RASMUSSEN BUCHANAN (1946-2015)

My mother 

me --> Ruth Rasmussen Buchanan

The Daisy

Before the closing of Mom's casket, I read a story I had written about Mom's love for daisies.

The Daisy

In a garden are many flowers. 

Some bloom in the early spring; 

others appear when the leaves turn gold.

But one flower blooms during the long summer days—in the driest of soil, 

under the hottest of the sun’s rays, 

and among the peskiest of insects

—the daisy.

Because of their bright centers and open petals, bees are especially attracted to daisies. 

This allows their pollen to spread throughout the entire garden.

Mimi was like a daisy.  She was able to bloom no matter how hard her life became. All who knew her were attracted to her, which allowed her to touch lives in places she could not go.

Even though she is no longer with us, her laughter, love, and joy still remains.  Whenever we see a daisy, we can remember our dear Mimi and our Savior who has made it possible for us to see her again. 

This post features:

RUTH RASMUSSEN BUCHANAN (1946-2015)

My mother 

me --> Ruth Rasmussen Buchanan

The Time to Be Happy Is Now

The time to be kind is now.

The place to be kind is here.

We needn't be told the way to be kind

For the way to be kind is clear.

But it's good to pause and remember

In the heat of our stress and drive,

The very best time to live

Is while we are still alive.

The time to be happy is now.

The place to be happy is here.

The way to be happy is to make others happy

Simple enough, I fear.

But the simple things we are apt to miss

As we struggle and fret and strive,

Forgetting the very best time to live

Is while we are still alive.

~Anonymous

This poem was read by her Stake President, President Palmer, at her funeral.

This post features:

RUTH RASMUSSEN BUCHANAN (1946-2015)

My mother 

me --> Ruth Rasmussen Buchanan

Robbing Hermits, Watching Lava Dirt Sunsets, Shooting Antelope, and Other Labor Day Misadventures

Alice Houston Rasmussen (1913-2001)

My grandmother

me-->Ruth Rasmussen Buchanan-->Alice Houston Rasmussen

I found this story written by my grandmother in a box of papers.  My mother read it to me and we laughed so hard that I knew I couldn't change a single word*.

"To the majority of people in our community Labor Day means congregating in Price or Helper and watching a band and assorted sizes of members of United Mine Workers of America parade down Main Street.

To the eccentric group of people known as rockhounds this two-day holiday gives them an excuse to beg and bribe their wives and kids out on one more overnight rock trip before school starts.

The Castle Valley club had made detailed plans to go to the Henry Mts. to get some more of "that wonderful wood" that they have so much of already that they have to pile it on rose bushes in the back yard.  I begged out of it four years ago and haven't heard the last of it.  Maybe it might be fun to camp down on Hansen Creek (goodness knows there had never been a creek before on a rock hunt) and it might be fun to see Bullfrog and Eggnog so I resolved that "come hell or high water" I would be a dutiful wife and go.

I'm not sure about the hell but the high water we got.  The summer drought came to an abrupt halt and it began to rain.  Friday night Wayne, the field trip chairman, decided it wasn't going to stop and the trip was cancelled.  Funny thing about that, too.  When he got us all talked out of it, he and Edith went down there anyway.

Oh, happy day!  Now we could stay home and watch Local 248 run three-legged races in the city park and take it easy before the busy days ahead canning and school routine.  My optimistic thoughts were shortlived and I should have known better than to think that Art Rasmussen, the village playboy, would ever stay home even if he had to go out in a storm and get stranded and get his wife, friends and any able-bodied citizen out of their warm beds to rescue him.  But that is another story.


It seems that this simple minded husband of mine had bought an antelope license while on a jade hunt in Wyoming.  If he couldn't impress me with the second jade hunt in September, he could always pull the punch that he had spent $25 on a license and couldn't let it go to waste. 

Now a nice piece of apple green jade I can see but anytime an antelope is worth two days of my life, the price of two motels and a $25 right to shoot him, we need our heads examined.  I'd rather stay home and eat one of Wayne's billy goats.  Art touched my gullible spot, however when he said he would take me up to South Pass City and see if the two old hermits with all the purple glass had died and maybe had left all those pretty lamps, vases, chandeliers etc. lying around just waiting for me to make off with them.



When I want to arise early to take me to Salt Lake, he is just too sleepy but the morning we left he got me up at 1:30 a.m.  It rained all the way to Vernal and I didn't utter a word until we got to the Flaming Gorge Dam turnoff.   The sign said 2 miles to Dutch John and the damn [I'm not sure if this is a typo or not. Ha! Ha!]  As Art gave no indication of turning, I observed that if he could go 500 miles for an antelope, he could take me 2 miles to see the dam.  He had to admit that it was worth the five minutes it took.

We met our friends Howard and Dora Hanks at Rock Springs and after drinking five cups of coffee apiece and arguing whether to look for Eden Valley wood, turritella agate or jade on the way to antelope area, we proceeded on our way.  We tried to follow some directions scratched on a scrap of paper by a fellow in Helper who knew "just where the prettiest wood you ever saw" was.  About noon we gave up when we came to the conclusion that the guy was mixed up 100% in his directions. 

It began to snow so hard we couldn't see to drive so Art said we would go over to South Pass and visit the burial grounds of our stingy hermits.  Smoke was poring out of the chimney of their little house and it was not ghosts but two very healthy hermits who greeted us and invited us in out of the weather.   When we inquired about the glass they pointed to an old shed outside and said, "There it is under the snow."  Our mutual thoughts of sneaking a piece or two were quickly spoiled when we observed barbed wire around the roof where the glass was.  They very cheerfully took us out to an old dugout and there we saw the most beautiful specimens of wood that we'd ever seen but like the glass, they refused to sell any.  The dumps of the old ghost town had been gleaned by many before us so we found not one piece of junk to take with us.  That ended our adventures that day.

The next day the mighty hunters were out bright and early.  The road we followed was the boundary line and all the does were on our side and the bucks on the other side.  At first it was sorta fun spotting a group of antelope and then driving the jeep like crazy only to have them disappear just as we were ready to shoot.  We were having the sport of hunting but at this rate we wouldn't have any of the distasteful stuff to take home.  I finally realized that it wasn't going to be that easy for Arthur had no intention of going home without his prize and we wouldn't settle for a doe.  By six that evening I was secretly praying that a big buck would stand still long enough for us to shoot him.  My prayers were answered finally and we dressed the critter about sundown.


As we travelled toward the main highway we saw dozens of antelope within shooting distance of the road.  I didn't help matters any by suggesting that we should have hunted jade all day and picked us off a four point buck that evening.

We were now homeward bound and I felt lighthearted so I looked for something congenial to say and commented on the beautiful Wyoming sunset.  Art had suffered all day from a head cold, but he replied that it looked pretty lava dirt to him.  I indignantly asked him what made him think that it was lava dirt.  Wasn't I the one who got the last A in geology?  Since when did a brilliant sunset indicate lava dirt?  Had Don Burge told us this and I was too stupid to remember it?  I demanded an answer and poor Art looked beside himself with bewilderment.

Then he answered, "No one had to tell me.  I have always called a purplish color like that lavender."

Well, we laughed until we were weak and decided that the day hadn't been so bad after all.

The next day was Labor Day and we took our time coming home.  When we got back to Rock Springs we had just missed their parade but we saw plenty of United Mine Workers and felt right
 at home.  Howard drove up to a gas station that didn't use credit cards and we followed suit and when we paid for the gas we had exactly $1 to get home on. It brought back memories of the depression days when we did things on the skin of our teeth.

We rationed ourselves to a plain hamburger and water in Roosevelt and clung tightly to the 50 cents we had left.

The kids were waiting up for their wayward parents and wondered at our sanity when we came in smelling of antelope and told them that we had had a great time.


* Although my grandmother was an amazing writer, she didn't have word processors like we enjoy today so I have fixed her typos and other minor grammatical and spelling errors. 

Remember Me Is All I Ask: Janie Olsen's Autograph Book

Mary Jane Olsen Rasmussen (1888-1965)

My great grandmother

me-->Ruth Rasmussen Buchanan-->Arthur Price Rasmussen-->Mary Jane Olsen Rasmussen

As another school year closes, many students across the country will get their yearbook.   They will go to each of their friends and say, "Will you sign my yearbook?"

Despite promises to the contrary, in many cases this will be the final words they will ever read from this friend.

Today I found my great grandmother's Mary Jane Olsen's autograph book that is well over 100 years old.  The following are words that I have transcribed from that book.

Cover Page: A present to Janie Olsen.  from Mamma

Stephen Smith Barton, Grandfather to Janie Olsen, born at Lebanon, St. Clair Co., State of Illinois Jan 3, 1839.

Jane Evans Barton, Her Grandmother, born Feb. 9, 1841 in South Wales.

Price Utah Dec. 18, 1904

Miss Janie Olsen

Dear Friend

When school days here are ended

And happyness to grow is given;

May you journey through the school of life

And graduate in heaven.

Your true friend, Susan

Price, Utah,

Jan. 8, 1902

Dear friend Janie,

"Beauty is the mark God puts on virtue."
That you are truly beautiful is the wish of

Your teacher,

Carl R. Marcusen

Spanish Fork, Utah

Paragonah, Utah,

Oct. 19, 1909,

Dear Cousin Janie,

When rocks and hills divide us and you no more I see first take a pen and paper and write a line to me.

Your cousin,

Fern McBride

Price, Utah

Jan. 8, 1902

Dear Friend Janie,

Love many, trust few,

And always paddle your own canoe

Your Friend

Vera Fausett

Price Utah

Feb. 16 1903

Dear Janie: -

Blue is a flower called the forget-me-not

Wear it upon thy heart

and think of me.

Your friend

Irene Brunch

Price Utah

Feb. 18 1903

Dear friend Janie._

A form more fair a face more sweet

never has been my lot to meet

Flowers may fade and leaves may wither

But friendship between us shall never die

Your friend and Schoolmate

Maud Wilson,

Price, Utah

Feb. 18, 1903

Dear Friend Janie.

Leaves may wither and roses may die,

Friends may forget you but never shall I.

Your friend

Vesta Robb

Price Utah

June, 8, 1903

Miss Janie Olson

Dear Friend:-

Remember me when far away you are carried,

and to some little fellow married.

Remember me for friendship's sake

And send me a piece of your wedding cake

Your Friend Ione

April 4, 1955
Dear Grandmother:
Best wishes and love and may you be lucky.
With love,
Richard Holdaway



Price Utah
Dec. 26, 1902.
Miss Janie Olsen.
The last in your album, the last in your thought.  The first to be remembered and the last to be forgot.
Your loving Cousin
Mary Olsen.


Price Utah Nov. 10, 1903
Miss Janie Olsen.
Dear Friend.
Friend-Ship now and For ever.
From Your friend
Leana McIntire

Price, Ut.
July 31, 1908
Miss Janie Olsen
Dear Friend,
May roses of good deeds hedge your daily walks in life.
Your friend,
Levi N. Varmon





Miss Janie Olsen~
Dear Friend,
May your life be like a snowdrop that leaves a mark;
But not a stain.
Ever Your Friend,
Ida Pace




Price, July 27, 08.
Dear Janie
Live for those who love you
For those who deem you true
As the heaven that is above you
And the good you can do.
Your friend,
Alice Grames


Price Utah. Dec. 4.03.
Dear Friend Janie:
This world is full of beauty, as other worlds above and if we do our duty it might be full of love.
Your Friend forever
Margaret Horsley


Parowan Utah
August 3, 1915
Dear Janie
Remember me is all I ask
And if remembrance be a task
Forget me.
Your Sincere Friend
Emma Morris.

Price, Utah, Dec. 4th 03
Dear friend Janie:
When o'er this page look:
Remember it was Dora -
That wrote this in our book.
Your friend Dora Powell

Price Utah
Mar. 9 - 1930
Dear Friend Janie :
Cultivate a pleasant, sunny disposition, and remember that "an ounce of cheerfulness is worth a pound of saddness."
Always your Friend.
Marie H. Gunderson


Price, Utah.
Sept. 9th 1904

Dear friend Janie,
May your cheeks retain their beauty.
And your spirits be ever gay.
Until some manly voice may whisper
"Dearest will you name the day"
Your loving friend,
Florence Horsley
Price, Utah



Your ever friend
Mrs. McIntosh



Price, Carbon Co Utah
July, 9, 1905.

Miss Janie Olsen
Dear friend
When on this page you chance to look
Just think of me and close the book.
Your friend
Alonzo E. Wall
Castle Dale

Price, Utah,
Apr. 12, 1906
Dear Janie,
Make your life as an arithmetic,
Love added, kindness multiplied,
Joy divided and sorrow subtracted.
Your cousin
Stephen Olsen


Price, Utah,
Apr. 12, 1906,
Dear Janie,
Of all the dearest bonds you prove
Thou countest sons and mothers' love;
Remember I worth them you class-
And remember mine with others' love.
Ever your friend,
Emily Bunce.


Price, Utah
July 31, 1908
Miss Janie Olsen
Dear little Janie
May your life always be a happy one, your aim high, your thoughts pure.
Not failure but low aim, is crime"
Your ever true friend
Sarah Potter




Price, Utah, Oct. 16, 1906,
Friend Janie
Sentiments are easily expressed, but the spirit in which they are given only makes them everlasting.
Your friend
John H. Llewellyn
Fountain Green, Utah



Price UT Apr 20-
1909

Just my autograph will you see,
This day as above
Roy A Rankin
I hope a friend.


Paragonah, Ut.
Set. 23-1909.
Miss Janie Olsen.
Dear Cousin
When rocks and hills divide us, and you no more I see, just take a pen and paper and write a few lines to me.
Your Cousin,
Clara Topham.


Paragonah Utah.,
Oct. 1909
Miss Olsen.
Dear friend Janie
When you are old and cannot see put on your specks and think of me.
Marion Robb


Friend Janie:-
"Dream land will never be exhausted,
until we enter the land of dreams,
then thought will become fact,
and all facts will be only thought."
Let your dreams be of the noblest and highest nature.
March 23, 1904
Anna Leiter


Price Utah 4,4,55
love many, trust few
But, always paddle your canoe.
your grandson
Jon R. H.


Price Utah Apr. 12,1906.
Dear Friend Janie,
Some may wish you riches,
While others may wish you wealth,
My wish for you is happiness,
Contentment blessed with health.
Your friend,
Mary Mathis


Paragonah, Utah,
Oct. 20th, '09
Dear Janie:-
May all your days be spent in bliss,
May all your hopes succeed!
Be but as happy as I wish,
and you'll be blest indeed.
Your cousin
Jesse Topham


My dear Janie,-
"There is no such thing as blank, in the world of thought.  Every action and emotion have their development growing and gaining on the soul.  Every affection has its tears and smiles.  Nay, the very material world is full of meaning, and by suggesting thought, is making us what we are, and what we will be." ~ Marvel.

Let your thoughts be such that they will continue to make you what you are: a pure, sweet, lovable woman.

Your friend,
Winnie E. Coleman
Price, Mar. 31, 1904


Price Utah.
April 1, 1904.
Miss Janie Olsen
Remember me in friendship
Remember me in love
Remember me dear Janie
Until we meet above
Your loving friend
Lulu Anderson


Dear Janie,
"Mens' evil manners live in brass; their virtues we write in water." Shakespeare, in Henry VIII.
May it always please you, Janie, to think and speak well of me, as I shall do of you, no matter what you may hear.
With pleasure I sign,
Your friend,
Chas R. Johnson.
Price, Utah, May 14, 04


Dear Janie,
Hope you spend lots of happy days
Is the word of your friend
Nellie Hunter


Price, Ut.
Dear Janie,-
When the grass is green above us,
And they who know us and who love us
Are sleeping by our side
Will it avail us aught that men
Tell the world with lip or pen
That we have lived and died? ~J. G. Whittier.
What we are will then be more important than what we have done or said or what people think of us.  May you then be what God designed you should be.  A true virtuous noble woman.
Your true friend
Desy Johnson.

Price Utah

Sept. 17th, 1904.
Dear Janie:
Count that day lost, whose low descending sun
Views from thy hand no worthy action done.
Your friend,
Caroline Rasmussen
Mt. Pleasant Utah





Price
Utah.
Dear Friend Janie,
Guard your thoughts,
For they are heard in heaven.
Your Friend
Lella Smith


Price Utah
Dear Friend Janie
While I sit by your bedside as providence has sent me.
I hope you always will have friends that will love you plenty.
T. F. Ray

Price Jan. 29th 08.
Dearest Janie:-
Gather the rose buds while ye may.
Old time is still a flying and
this same flower that be smiles today.
Tomorrow will be dying.
Your live friend
Edna.






Price, Ut. May 22nd, 1904.
Dear Janie -
May wisdom, virtue, and godliness ever characterize your life, is the wish of
Your friend
Lizzie Yergensen
Monroe, Ut


Paragonah
Oct 18th 1909
Dear Janie
May thy life be blessed with joys thou lovest best.  Friendship, virtue, pleasure, truth, hover round they happy youth.
Your loving Aunt Jane


Price Utah.
7/27 - 08
Dear Janie.
"In memory's golden chain, consider me as a link."
Your Friend
Eldora Groesbeck.

Dear Miss Olsen!
Remember me always, as I shall ever remember you with great pleasure
Your sincere friend
Therese L. Hesselberg
Price Jan 25th - 1910

Dear Jannie-
The best preparation for happiness in the other world is a faithful discharge of our duty in all the relations of this world.  And may you so like to gain them all are the wishes of your friend.
Erma Frandsen
Price Carbon Co. Utah
Sept. 18th 1904

"Rosemary is for Remembrance"
"May the good quality which you now posess
remain with you hereafter for we shall meet again."
"Life is a flower. Love its perfume."

Dear Friend Jannie -
A long life and a happy one,
with good health and Prosperity,
and when your life's work is done,
May God reward you for your good deeds.
Are the best wishes of your
True Friend,
Verne H. Carey
Price, Utah. July 31st 1908

There are things God can give us through the sweet and lovely experiences of life.  But there are things He can give us only when some wound has made an opening for his love and care.  There are things He can say to us through a sunset, and there are things He can say to us through a sorrow.

It May be Said of Our Lives -
It was not always sunshine
Nor was it always rain
It was not always pleasure
Nor was it always pain,
The cup has had its bitter
Its portion too, of sweet
For thorns as well as roses
Were laid before my feet
God plans it all
God plans it all.