MILESTONES--or maybe Highlights?
GLASGOW, LANARKSHIRE, SCOTLAND
when we moved into our very own house (even a new one) in Drumchapel and I spied a friend outside
when I fell in love with a cylindrical satin-wood post-box, my favorite toy
when I played my first real song on the piano--what a thrill!
when I fell in love with Tchaikowsky at dance lessons
when I realized that our neighbors made mashed potatoes and custard in different, delicious ways and determined how (to tell Mum!)
dreamy Elie, Fife, Scotland, vacations with great friends and great games--and an accident
when I fell in love with fairies
when Uncle (Captain) David Jeavons brought me beaded moccasins and beautiful French doll
when my friend's dog bit me in the knee
when Mum bought me pink leather ballet shoes
when we visited the ballet and other concert dancing together, and pantomimes as a family at Christmas--what a thrill!
when I became able to draw and write "Hark! The herald angels sing!" on my favorite broad, sunny windowsill
when I learned to knit a lemon-colored cotton dishcloth at school
when Mother got me up in the night to experience the Salvation Army playing Christmas music in our cul-de-sac in the snow
when Mother and I walked down the road to buy our first Wall's molded ice cream "cone"
when I was able to wear my Panama hat and Australian flowered summer dress to school (sun in Glasgow!)
Oor Wullie and The Broons thick comic books from Dad's "Saturday Post," voraciously devoured at Christmas
GOLSPIE, SUTHERLAND, SCOTLAND
when we moved to Golspie and could walk to school under the trees, or along the sea wall
actually being in demand as a friend--Rita, Ann, Helen . . .
when we got ourselves into mischief after Brownie meetings
when our class chorus sang a host of Gaelic songs at mods
endless, timeless excursions into the countryside by bike as friends, with occasionally a fire and cooking!
when I got chased home at rapid pace by a white dog
timeless summer evening game of Rounders in the T-junction by our yard
1955 our magnificent acquisition--our Bedford Dormobile for the BIG TRIP through England
summer house exchange with a well-to-do family in Lenzie near Glasgow--gob stoppers & food poisoning
when a high school class (containing my favorite babysitters) got my composition read to them in class
being at home with teenage neighbor Louise and her friend while Mother and Dad did Scottish country dancing
Pipe Major McLeod's fantastic highland dancing class for a shilling a Saturday that I wanted to solo in . . .
amassing 100 penpals at age 8! Father helped me ditto letters. Still writing to one pal from New Zealand.
imaginative play around Dunrobin Castle, and roaming its woods finding cascades of snowdrops & daffodils
venturing up the chasm behind the Old Mill: flowering currant bushes above the little stream . . .
the thrill of learning Latin and discovering where so many of our words came from
having a superlative piano teacher--in Golspie!
entering piano competition
visiting Glasgow--excitement of first "love"
gaining a witness of Jesus Christ through Christian novels
ROGART, SUTHERLAND, SCOTLAND -- just 9 miles inland from Golspie
moving into a wonderful three-story granite house with all sorts of exciting features around it
becoming at 12 the youngest organist (harmonium) in the Church of Scotland
regular participantion in demo dancing for the school
"hir stockings wer of a scarlet reed"--description written of Alison Turner after we had read Geoffrey Chaucer
Crawford and I perfecting our game of lawn tennis (tailored to available space)
our acquiring a dozen chicks, with eggs in mind
knitting a suit (skirt and sweater) in luxurious chartreuse boucle wool
pineapples, a treat brought from Glasgow by Father
making walnut cake with cooked frosting, a la americaine, and discovering how to make cream puffs
dreaming up dresses to sew in the wood-paneled kitchen attic
Girl Guide camps at Dunrobin Castle--prize for dress-up competition ("Neptune's daughter")
--and at Edinburgh--shopping at Guide Camp?
participating in regional Girl Guide contests, e.g. bed-making and tent-erecting
joining Mother's Episcopal Church (why?)
joining the gang of youth being paid to cut tough bracken away from the newly-planted conifers on the hill
deliciously flirting with George Priest at the Rogart summer fair
the Priests' party with "Rock Around the Clock"
the grand social side of trips up and down the hills to get to Girl Guide meetings
home exchange with a family in Winchester, Hampshire--Chopin on their grand piano; butcher boy whistles
serving as runner-up to Rogart Queen
Elvis Presley singles bought from the Co-operative
being allowed to attend (a very few) local dances!
adoring the singer Sam Cook's records
staying overnight with Father's friends the Glaisters, who had a boy my age. A fiasco over a history test!
summer exchange with Sabine from Darmstadt, Germany--beer, brown beads and a boyfriend
bicycle tour around southern England after paid stay at Common Colds Research Centre--with friend Rosemary
then stay in Bethune, northern France with Father's war-time friend's family
ST. ANDREWS, FIFE, SCOTLAND
first kiss at St. Andrews--Nigel the violinist
balls and boyfriends--walks along the sand in the sunset
the Chapel Choir and chrysanthemums
best friend Marilyn Miller
news, while dining at Chattan hall, that John F. Kennedy had been shot
sewing one of the new shift dresses by hand
making two more shaped dresses for the summer at home
trip to Italy--sun, sand, turquoise sea and jewelry--and new friend Ronald
first St. Andrews girl got married!
on vacation at home got lovely deep turquoise fabric from Tain and made a suit
GLASGOW, LANARKSHIRE, SCOTLAND
postgrad course at University of Strathclyde, Glasgow--fell in love with study of architecture
getting re-acquainted with Father's sister Lucy and Uncle Bobby, who lived in the family flat in Shettleston, Glasgow, with Grandma Lucy--about whom I wrote a had-to-be-inspired poem that helped me deal with the fact that she was non-communicative
Glasgow Art Museum--the beginning!
special promise received at the big church in the overspill town ?Cumbernauld (see prior story)
trip across the Atlantic with Rosemary to sample life in the New Country
Greyhound bus tour by myself--all around the U.S. and across Southern Canada--99 days for 99 dollars!
LONDON, ENGLAND
Foreign Office job interview in London by lady with vase of beautiful flowers on her desk
Art in London!!
Music in London!!
Everything in London!!
Sharing first one, then another flat with 2+ friends
VIENNA, AUSTRIA
finding the Church !!! Amazing experiences . . .(story)
strong testimony of the Book of Mormon
falling in love with Austrian folk-dance and the Enenkels
being called to be youth dance leader in MIA--and sharing Scottish folk dance
attending Strauss balls in grand halls--the ultimate Vienna experience
"finding" my husband-to-be, Melvin Deloy Pack, on a snowy hike up a mountain
--and at MIA and the Carnival dance
joying over exquisite Mozart, especially operas, in Viennese halls
motor scootering together over the Alps--Christmas Rose flowers
meeting the parents, at the old Norgate-Jeavons family homestead in Bighton, Hampshire, England
visit to the London Temple, and Paris
New York and Utah--fielded by our mission president's family
OREM, UTAH
culture shock, and realization that Zion was not ready to be translated, yet
registering for BYU teaching certificate in sawdust-carpeted athletic hall
instruction re visiting teaching becomes a miracle for me
marriage in Salt Lake Temple
first Thanksgiving meal experience: can a pumpkin pie really taste good?
cycling from BYU home up diagonal
proudest moment of BYU course: having the teacher play and laud my composed nursery songs
marriage in the Salt Lake Temple, with "my" two missionaries as witnesses
first taste of family history research when Bishop Brown takes van up to Salt Lake: hooked
working for the BYU Language Training MIssion as French secretary: new friend Angela
pregnancy: it's a ??
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
Scottish friend Sandy Luce overwhelms me with the loveliest quilted liner for my new baby's seat
Nikkala is born 1972 at the U of P teaching hospital. Pretty scary but the glimmerings of motherhood are detected.
Nikkala suffers from acute colic, and Deloy has to be away in Utah for a time.
moving from Pine Street to Bartram Village "alone." Pistol fight outside the building (apt. hankfully on 3rd floor).
still attending Phila. ward downtown, in building made with the hands of early members
very special experience regarding the delivery of pulpit talks the way God desires
taking visiting teaching very seriously in this city of "lost" members
delight in raising our little girl
Benjamin joining Nikkala 1974 in a wonderful birth, and
my calling to be Relief Society president (I had experience as counselor) Amazing experiences.
truck window getting busted after I leave a "Note to Daddy" in the window
take the plunge by transporting both 3-year-old Nikkala and 1-year-old Benjie over to Scotland for Jonathan's wedding. First and only time of such!
BENJAMIN, UTAH
Move into a real house with 2 1/2 acres that Deloy can farm in! Acquire animals and birds, bees and garden.
Idyllic time for our little family, which swells to 5 with the addition of Jonathan 1976.
With the Lord's help. loving being Relief Society Cultural Refinement teacher
Twice singer entertainer with Scottish folk-songs for Relief Society functions. Very satisfying.
Nikkala starts school
Deloy's dad, Wesley, visits us alone one time and we all enjoy his fresh-caught fish and our wild greens
Wesley and Helen visit together also, as well as my own cousin from Wales, Peter Jeavons, and family, in the RV he remodeled himself--on Nikkala's fifth birthday
Calling to Deloy to return to Philadelphia to complete his PhD at U of P
PHILADELPHIA (II), PENNSYLVANIA
Living at Bartram again (near the place of the famous botanist John Bartram) but on outskirts of project
Purse snatched on our way home from library
Held up at gunpoint in our home--but with magnificent protection for our family
Nikkala finally arriving at a wonderful, enlightened and welcoming school, fantastic teacher Miss Shapiro
Church at Broomall suburb this time, and Nikkala makes a firm young friend in musician Valerie Hoiness
Here is where I receive a timeless lesson, myself, in Teaching in the Lord's Way
We get pregnant with 4th child, again care being at Salvation Army birthing center, a great place
Roger is born at the Booth--sublime spiritual experience
We find a gorgeous baby quilt with $50 nestling inside it; also food supplies; and baby shoes--what wonderful Church members did this?
Deloy and I prepare his 700++ page dissertation for publication. 6-hour sleep nights for some time. No computer preparation in those days.
WALLSBURG, UTAH
Huge house- and horse-sitting opportunity means we are closer to nature than ever, and can raise animals again and make friends in this village
We raise goats for milk, and produce broccoli heads the size of dinner plates
Miscarriage, and then 5th and final pregnancy "is" Carolyn, born at the time of the great melt-down (story) 1983
c.1985 Decide that for my sanity I must apply to Provo's Carden-Lee, a private school recommended by friend, to teach--either French, Latin or English--part-time. This is a spiritual as well as a psycho-social decision. The principal chooses French and English, high school level. This is a blessed experience from many points of view, and Deloy's niece's great new husband joins the staff too.
Decide to take some English classes at BYU, just to be on the safe side!
Can't resist Don Norton's class on Oral History Writing . . . and soon my employment by him to help with his multi-faceted work in the community. First job necessitates putting both feet in: full history of Grant Heiner including interviews with a large number of family members. After that, most work is transcribing Don's interviews. I was in my element.
Serve in Primary presidency in Wallsburg, and feel the Spirit as I teach.
PROVO, UTAH
Our own 1 1/2 acres with house and huge sheds awaited us here. Garden, fruit trees of every kind, grape cultivation, berries of all kinds . . . We keep a milking cow, sheep, rabbits, chickens, pig(s), steer and then milking goats, and Ben in particular learns a lot by choice about economics managing some of these. Later on, Deloy builds his aviary for larger, showy birds and develops his indoor aviary also.
I receive a manifestation that I will (against all expectations) serve in Young Women. This quickly comes to pass when they reckon they need my help especially with a young girl with needs.
I serve for a second time in the R.S. presidency, ending up as R.S. president again.
Serve several times in just about all slots in Cub Scouts, sometimes more than one at a time. A little boy called Damian proves a blessed project.
Conduct and play piano and organ for the ward.
Enjoy the theater immensely
In 1998 have to relinquish callings to go, rather unexpectedly, with Deloy and Roger and Carolyn to Israel, BYU Center, for 5 months. Miracles allow me to negotiate the Jerusalem roads and then leave to attend my mother's passing in England--during a rare serious snowstorm in that city. Visit the Holy Land, Jordan, Turkey and Egypt.
First Benjamin and Nikkala marry in joy; then Roger and Carolyn follow suit. West Jordan, Timpanogos, St. George, and Salt Lake Temples are the magnificent venues. Nikkala's reception turns out to be in the exquisite garden of what will be Carolyn's future parents-in-law; Carolyn's reception at the Beehive House.
Nikkala and Carolyn and I travel to England 1996 and go all the way up to northern Scotland to see my old haunts at Golspie. It is a wonderful time to see the ethereal wreaths of bluebells in the glen, etc. etc.
Deloy and I take over pilot program for teaching English to non-speakers in the stake.
2005 Deloy and I take off for Haiti on our humanitarian mission. Only 5 months into that interesting challenge (with a miracle happening for us deep in downtown Port-au-Prince) we are pulled out, serve 2 months in Orlando, Florida, with Employment Services, then are transferred to Guatemala City to head up the small humanitarian projects for the Central America region. We try our best to do our best, with mixed results--but the experiences relating to teaching the Gospel are absolutely riveting spiritually. Very grateful for this.
We become a fixture at the Guate. MTC on Sundays, helping in what ways we can (story).
Deloy and I visit England 2010 to tour the amazing villages that used to house my ancestors in Hampshire and Dorset. Crawford volunteers to drive us--what a dear!
2012, I am able to contribute my editing skills to the ambitious documented book project for Deloy's ancestor John Pack. Get to know Deloy's cousins David and Bert better.
I write my spiritual history as a Christmas present for the family
In 2013, Ben, Chris and Roger join me in re-visiting the haunts all up the eastern side of England/Scotland. This time we catch different , but equally breath-taking, views in Sutherland. Chris makes a wonderful record.
Calling as a family history consultant leads to much involvement, in 2013 especially, in helping ward members get going with Family Tree in all its aspects. Many rewards from specialty classes on Sundays.
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Well, this has turned out to be more of a chronology than I had anticipated. I tried indicating the more pivotal events, then gave up, because there were so many! Thanks for the patience of anyone who read to the end of this!