cc: file, Tony Hafen, Pauline Nelson via mail, Sara and Des Penny, Claude and Katherine Warner, Lloyd and Luana Warner, Diane Cluff, Maxine Shirts via mail.
"Last week I mentioned Andrea has been finishing up some sewing.
As part of this Thoughtlet are three small images of quilts Andrea has made as heirlooms (click on the image for a larger photo).
Two are of the quilt she just finished for Paul and Kate and one is
the quilt she made for Ethan, with him frolicking on it. I don't have
a photo of the quilt she made for Melanie and Jared. I still get upset
when I think about how Rob cut the quilt Andrea made for Melanie and
Jared while it was on the frame. Oh well! Nothing I can do about it.
Quilts are a labor of love, like being a parent. You hope that when they get older and worn they will not be put out to sleep with the dogs. It is impossible to know what someone will do with, or how they will react to a present like a quilt. I still have one of the quilts I had as a child, which we used for picnics. I think I also have one of the quilts that was on my bed when I was younger than Matt is. I watch Matt and Rachel hold and hug their baby quilts, and I see something long lasting in this bond between a person and a labor of love. I hope the quilts of experience and learning and teachings and devotionals and primary and Sunday School and Priesthood and scouts and Young Women and campouts and vacations and stories and stories and thoughtlets and songs and paintings and love weave together in your lives such that you have quilts that become a magic flying carpet bringing us all back together in the Celestial Kingdom of Heaven. I fear free agency and that there will be empty chairs at my table. I hope my fears are unfounded, and my example and teachings have not been in vain. Much like Andrea and her Mom hope their quilts will provide warmth and comfort, security and a knowledge of being loved, I hope mine provide the same across the time-space continuum of your individual lives.
I know I find strength and comfort in the quilts my parents made
for me, in the simple fact my mother taught me how to think and my
father taught me how to work. And since I put myself in positions
which some consider very risky, sometimes where I can not see
beyond the boundaries, it is nice to have the comfort of knowing
where I come from, why I am here, and where I am going after this
brief mortality we have the opportunity to experience. In Sunday
School today, the teacher asked of all of the times in the history
of the planet, which would we choose to live in, and I adjusted
my glasses and so he called on me for my answer. I said, I didn't
raise my hand, and I can give you my answer. He quickly repented
and said, I can imagine what you are going to say, and almost
buried his head in his hands. I simply said `Now.' What I didn't
say, was when else could I have been born and had the opportunity
to change something as big and as influencial on modern life as
the petroleum industry. And I anticipate there are other
mountains yet to climb, and hopefully I have learned enough
lessons I will be able to climb them.
However, I must admit, the tedium of the stitches I sew these days doesn't seem like it leads to much of a mountain, and I often wonder if my five minutes of fame has already past. If it has, so be it. Fine with me. If it hasn't, like wise. I hope time will confirm what I feel, namely that despite my weaknesses and my mistakes, my sins and my unintentional encouragement of entropy, my life has been worthwhile, and the world is better because I have lived. Most of this week was focused on packaging some Prospects and getting a packet sent to Swede Nelson and his investors. I worked very hard on it, and he said thank you. I told him thank you doesn't pay the bills. He laughed. Aunt Sara, despite my comments like that, be assured I'm not even anywhere close to declaring bankrupcy. We get $5,000+ per month for Landmark license rental at Continuum and Interactive Interpretation and Training, and $4,000 per month from Chroma for consulting work, and it adds up to about the same as my salary at Continuum. We aren't paying off the credit card bills as fast as Andrea (and I) would like, and other than that, things are quite stable.
There are some nice opportunities we are pursuing. I spent
a couple of hours with Merril Littlewood, my accountant, and
had breakfast at IHOP with Ed Rogers, my lawyer. I have a
really good support network, and they provide a nice quilt
for the types of startup things I find myself involved in.
Even thought the flooding ruined Jones Hall, the Mormon
Tabernacle Choir changed venue and there was more room than
the sold out Jones Hall at the Astro Arena. Andrea and I
went down to it and had a wonderful evening. One of Rick's
and her friends, who tried to talk Rick out of leaving her,
sings in the choir and I got to meet him. We went to La
Madaline's in the Village afterwards and talked about what
if's. I spent Monday, Friday, and Saturday at Chroma. I
missed Melanie and Jared when they came by Saturday on
their way to an Anniversary weekend at Galveston. As I was
writing this she called to wish me a happy Father's Day,
and we had a good conversation. She wants us to all go on
a family vacation together next summer. New York City and
a Broadway Play was the first thing that came to her mind.
Comments? Last night Andrea, Heather, Rachel, Matt, and
I went to see Atlantis. I really enjoyed it. Jules Verne
type of movie, and I've always enjoyed Jules Verne. No
singing, was a pleasent change for a Disney animation too.
Today started with Andrea telling me I had to stay in bed. Finally I got up and showered and shaved. Matt had made me pancakes, and Andrea made me German pancakes. There was a new extra long hedger for me to start using (the other two broke), new socks, and cologne. Roice called and said there is a book in the mail. We had a good conversation. Sara was here for lunch and she got to talk to him. Paul and Kate called tonight and went on and on with Andrea about their new quilt. And the stairs was a sign, one of those quilts of life:
I hope you each have a great week, and that the quilts you
are making always keep you warm and comfortable."