The Sinners' Club

This is from the history of Kermit Poulson. He belonged to this sinner's club along with his brother Tennis. Another brother Mont was actually in the Bishopric at this same time and this account was written by the other counselor in the bishopric., Porter Merrell who lived to over 100 years of age and was a very special person in my personal life. (Mont was the oldest and then Tennis and then dad.)

Letter to Kermit from Ilean after his passing

This has always been special to me after it's discovery the day mother passed away in March of 2001. 

Jan 29, 1978

In place of Mom and Dad’s courtship I would like to send this as it was written the day after Dad had passed away.  We found it in Mother’s Diary the day she passed away 23 years later.

“Darling, today as I rode to Fast Meeting a bluebird streaked across the street in front of me – suddenly I realized that this miracle of spring enjoyed by both of us would be seen only by me this year. Then tears started as they do too easily now. So many things have had meaning in the sharing, and now I must see and hear alone, but you are in my thoughts and I feel our love is so strong that it makes the experience so dear to my heart.

If only you could know how many people have expressed their love for you and your family. Friends are so precious and ours have been just wonderful. Your love of life and fun and that irrepressible sense of humor have made our lives happy. Tonight we miss you terribly but we have been happy thinking and talking about those wonderful shining memories. You’ll always be so close to us – guiding us, keeping the family close through the binding ties of love and caring that have been your special gift to all of us always. Goodnight dear.”

Temple Experience of Ilean H Poulson

This was written by Ilean and is her account of a very special blessing in  the ST George Temple.

3 March 1987                          Tuesday     St. George, Utah

“Norene and I walked to the temple. We left home about 6:20 A.M. and the air was crisp but it was a beautiful morning. It was a lovely session each time.  First I did initiatory session, then a sealing session as a child with Bro. Snowball, as the Sealer. A strange thing puzzles me when I was so terribly sick after doing two sealing sessions consistently two years or so ago. I distinctly remember being unable to go to the usual restroom some distance away although on the same floor. I had never noticed a small restroom set back and up a step or two from the hall and near the sealing room. I was too dizzy to move well but finally made it into the little restroom where I vomited so hard & clung to the walls to keep from falling. I finally was able to sit on the step and it was back enough no one could see me from the hall unless they passed there. I couldn’t fold my temple robe etc. and had to sort of wad it into the bag. I lay there so sick and so worried about how I’d get home especially how I could get out of the temple without being trouble to someone. I prayed earnestly for help and within minutes felt much better and was able to join the group and go down to dress and walk home. Perhaps today is the first time I have been in the area since then. At least it is the first time I thought of that tiny restroom so close to the sealing rooms, so I looked for it. There’s no restroom there, only the ones on the far side of the building. I was so puzzled, I walked back to the area again but there is only the elevator. Inside the east room were double doors. I didn’t open them. If the room is in there then it was open and I found it without looking for it that day but today I didn’t try those doors. At any rate I was blessed that day in a marvelous way to be so ill and overcome so quickly and the restroom was there when I needed it when I did whether I’ll ever find it again or not.”

8 March 1987

“ I awakened very early this morning and found in my July 9, 1985 entry in my journal a very detailed description of what happened the day that I was so very ill after doing two sealing sessions in the temple. In part I said ”I was getting dizzy and feeling awful. I experienced during the next two minutes or there abouts such dizziness that I tried to walk and at times couldn’t without danger of toppling over. I finally got into the bathroom – it was only a few feet from the room but it seemed farther.  Dry heaves and dysentery came and went leaving me unable to do anything but sit there and pray for strength. I removed my temple clothes and was totally unable to fold them, even when I sat on the steps. I had to put them in my bag sort of wadded – something I didn’t want to do. I got back to the steps and with my feet hanging down the steps I lay on the landing until I heard them finish in the sealing room. My prayer was answered although I was still shaky I was able to go with the others to the dressing room and get dressed. All day I felt a little weak and shaky but a thousand times better than I did for that brief but very difficult time in the temple. I was so glad no one was around to see me staggering, crawling almost and clinging desperately to whatever I could find – wall, railing, whatever. It was not a good experience but I’m so grateful that my prayer for help was answered. I didn’t want to create problems for anyone in the temple.” 

Here it has taken me almost two years to realize how remarkably the Lord blessed me that day, not only with healing but providing the facilities needed so desperately in a way that until last Tuesday I didn’t even realize there is no bathroom of any kind near the sealing room. One goes to the other side of the temple on that floor. My “cup truly runneth over” as I contemplate the miracle of my experience in the temple that day. I didn’t deserve that blessing but I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father that the experience I described as being “not good” was a blessing beyond my ability to comprehend. And now I ask myself how many times in my life have I failed to recognize the blessing I have been given because I failed to recognize how greatly I was being blessed. “Dear Father in Heaven help me never to take for granted Thy blessings.”

Mother's record of our wedding day and others 1975

These are images of my mother's diary from the days surrounding our marriage (Marie and I). There are many things that I had forgotten about and have enjoyed reading her version of the event.

Another monkey in the family

Gabe was climbing in one of our pine trees the other day and it reminded me of my childhood. I told him that I climbed trees as a boy and so did his father and uncles. His two girl cousins, Kasia and Kinsey are also lovers of the sport. So I decided to put these images on my blog and again blog the story of my favorite tree to climb as a youth. (See below)

Climbing the Green Ash tree in the yard.

Boys just love to climb and trees were made just for boys who love to climb no matter how dangerous that might be to the boy. Well we had many trees around our yard because mom liked trees and Nana did earlier than that. There were two trees though that were my favorite ones, a green ash tree and a Red Delicious apple tree. The apple tree because I could climb up it’s trunk and into the top branches when they were loaded with apples and then slide down the top of the branches to the ground, a round trip sort of thing. I did that countless times and maybe that was why it seemed to have grown so old when I returned from my mission. The green ash tree however was a different sort of challenge. It had a trunk that went up for several feet before the first branch so I had to  shinny up that  distance before being able to climb onto the branch and rest. It seemed like that branch was 100 feet off the ground because my first two or three years attempting the climb always ended in failures due to the distance of that first limb. I did finally conquer the methods and talents and skills necessary and had many successful climbs. I returned a few years ago with these memories in my mind and I was shocked at how low that first branch was to the ground, well it must have dropped twenty feet through the years after I had stopped climbing, or else my perspective had changed as I grew taller. You can probably guess which was the real thing.

BSA and the Church

I post this statement from the church since I am excited that Scouting has made a good decision in their policy and am thankful that we will still be able to hold strong values for our children. I just hope that boys who join will not listen to adults who will try to make them pass poor values to others. The Christian Science group has already said that the Mormon church accepts the policy to allow gay boys to join. They missed the real intent of the policy already and are trying to make a spin on it that is contrary to the church's real stand.

Church Issues Statement on Boy Scouts of America

For 100 years, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has enjoyed a strong, rewarding relationship with BoyScouts of America (BSA).

Recently, BSA has been reviewing a possible policy change in its standards for membership and leadership. Now that BSAhas finished its review process and has proposed a resolution for consideration, the Church has issued the following statement:

“Over the past several weeks BSA has undertaken the difficult task of reviewing its membership standards policy. In their own words, this undertaking has been ‘the most comprehensive listening exercise in its history.’

“While the Church has not launched any campaign either to effect or prevent a policy change, we have followed the discussion and are satisfied that BSA has made a thoughtful, good-faith effort to address issues that, as they have said, remain ‘among the most complex and challenging issues facing the BSA and society today.’

“The current BSA proposal constructively addresses a number of important issues that have been part of the ongoing dialogue, including consistent standards for all BSA partners, recognition that Scouting exists to serve and benefit youth rather than Scout leaders, a single standard of moral purity for youth in the program, and a renewed emphasis for Scouts to honor their duty to God.

“We are grateful to BSA for their careful consideration of these issues. We appreciate the positive things contained in this current proposal that will help build and strengthen the moral character and leadership skills of youth as we work together in the future.

Official Web site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

© 2013 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Easter Fun

Marie in the Arrowhead Hospital

Marie in the Arrowhead hospital two weeks after my surgery.

Marie and I planned to go to Arizona to visit Hayden’s family during part of her Spring Break since we knew it would probably be the only time we could for several months. We decided to head as far as Las Vegas after I got off work on Friday night. We secured a hotel room in the Howard Johnson Inn Las Vegas Strip. We left home around 5 pm and drove fairly easily to Vegas arriving at about 10:30 pm. We went into the hotel and were given a room 141. We went for a walk, after getting our luggage into the room,  down and around the inside of the hotel. We then went right back up to the room and to bed. We woke up early and since there was no continental breakfast and the restaurant was not open until 10 am we just decided to leave. We got back onto I 515 and left going toward Hoover Dam. We traveled and finally stopped for gas in Kingman, AZ.

We drove further on US 93 and thought that we were on the right road until I noticed that the mountains ahead of us looked a lot like those near Flagstaff. Well they were and we had missed our turnoff 23 miles after Kingman. So we just continued toward Flagstaff and then went on I 70 to Phoenix. Well right about the time we were passing the outskirts of Flagstaff Marie mentioned to me that she had been bitten by something and the bites were itching a little bit. I asked if she wanted to stop and get some Benedryl but she said she could wait until we got to Hayden’s.

We arrived at Hayden’s and he was at another home studying while Cheyenne and the children were at her Aunt’s home for an Easter party.  We decided to eat our lunch so we took it into the backyard and then waited for about an hour until Cheyenne and the children came home. (During that wait Hayden had called and we told him about the bites and he and the other medical students he was studying with suggested that we get some topical cream to put on the bites so we went to a nearby Albertson’s and picked up some Benedryl cream which we applied to the five bites she had received.)We then had an Easter Egg hunt for Hallie and Leilah while Greyson napped. It was a lot of fun watching the girl’s look for the eggs and treats.
Later that night after supper we started to discuss the bites with Hayden since they seemed to be worse and we starting to swell and get red. I was worried because the one on her right arm near her shoulder was getting really red and looked as though it was going up her veins as well.  I gave her a blessing since Hayden had lefty to study again and we retired for the night. Well during the night they started to blister over the bite area and when she was getting up the one on her back popped.

We decided that we would need to get some medical help so just before breakfast was ready I took her to a local Emergency Care and the doctor there, Dr. Jeffers, told her he was going to send her to ER. She immediately said she wouldn’t go so he discussed the possibility of giving her some antibacterial pills to send home with her but finally she decided to go to the ER at Arrowhead hospital just a few miles away.

I took her to the ER and Dr Ronald K Sterrenberg there decided to have a second Doctor come in and look at her as well. They both decided that she would have to be admitted and given the medications directly into her blood stream if they were going to be able to stop the bacteria from spreading through her body. They decided that she had Cellulitus. She was not happy.

We were taken to a room on the third floor (303) and spent the rest of the day there and through the night until Monday afternoon. The Dr Vic also decided to have a second doctor look at her since it really puzzled them why she would have swelling on both arms not just one. They decided that it had to be bacteria from her skin that had gone into the body through the bites or that maybe she was just allergic to the bite venom. He also had an infectious disease specialist come look at her Monday. He saw the progress that she had made during the night and told her several, (many) times that she was going to be fine. It made me think that he was worried about it spreading to vital organs as well as I was and that they had been able to prevent that and he was not concerned about that anymore. SO we were able to leave that afternoon.

I had stayed the night with her in the hospital but the nurse couldn’t find and bed or recliner for me to sleep on so I pulled the three chairs in the room together and put some pillows on them and covered myself with a blanket she had given me. I did not sleep very well at all but did get some sleep before morning.

The bites had formed into blisters by Sunday morning but they would only release the liquid from one on her right arm. The others they told us not to touch. We wish we had now since the one where they removed the liquid has all but disappeared while the others are all large scabs that look like they will leave significant scars. Well for our four day visit with the children we ended up having them visit us in the hospital instead for the first two full days.

It was not really a lot of fun even though Hayden had brought the Hunger Games book over so I read it to her while she lay in the bed. That ended up being a little bit fun.

Well for the rest of the story about the oddities of this trip. We left Wednesday morning in plentu of time to get home by 8 pm but at Kingman I didn’t look at the map again and we ended up driving all of the way to Barstow CA before I figured out we were way off track. It didn’t help that we were listening to a book on tape so the time went very quickly. I kept thinking we were not on the right road but just figured I was off in my calculations. Next time, if there is a next time for that route which is supposed to be shorter, I will pay a lot more attention to the roads I travel. So we didn’t get home until 11:30 pm and I was back up at 3:45 am to go to work. It was a long day.

 

Note: Tuesday April 16, 2913 I called the Inn and the lady there assured me they had no bedbugs because they have Terminex come in every month and spray for them. There was no way, she said, that they could have bitten her there.  I am not so convinced myself. Any people coming in between the last application by Terminex could have brought them with them anyway and they could have still been there.