All about the ambience

I thought this was a nice, airy gag!

The DNC

That's the trouble with dating people who know you...

The wall

One of our favorite Family Home Evening lessons was about Joshua and the Battle of Jericho. We had foam blocks that we stacked into a big wall, and had the kids circle it just like the Children of Israel. After the last time, they shouted, yelled, and knocked down the wall.

The best part of the lesson was that they were all worn out and ready for bed afterward! 

She's making a list

Technology can be so beneficial!

Cute technology

Ever fall in love with old technology?

Monday Sketchbook: Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! If you're not able to visit the graves of your ancestors, visit them at FamilySearch.org and share some stories or photographs there!

Size doesn't always matter

I was struggling to come up with a Memorial Day themed cartoon for today, but then I got some sad news. One of my former missionary companions passed away yesterday. We started out in the MTC together, and we finished our missions out of the mission home together.

Unlike the missionary in today's cartoon, he was not only a spiritual giant, he was a physical giant as well (he played a season of college football before he came out).  I'm sure he was needed on the other side, but he will be missed on this one.

Electronic pioneers

The missionaries in our area have started to use social media in their work. It's fun to see how the work evolves with the tools that are available!

Odd is the work

If you haven't checked in on Sis. Kerry Jo for a while, you might notice a small change in her appearance. She had a bit of a problem with her hair color...and her companion. Both issues are somewhat resolved... for the moment. 

Right down the middle

One of our coaches in Little League had the philosophy that every kid on the team should have the chance to pitch at least one inning during the season. It made for some agonizingly interesting pitching rotations! Luckily we had some good hitters, so our offense was usually able to keep us in the game.

A word about the cartoon: This is one that I feel probably would have fared better if it had stayed in the sketchbook. Not that it's a bad gag, but the finished cartoon doesn't have the same vitality and energy as the original sketch. Still, I like it — it's so much like our experience with youth baseball!

It's an eye contact sport

Good advice.

Here comes the rain again

I don't often do reruns, but my friend and mission mom Sis. Klein says that the rainy season has hit their mission in Honduras. She has before and after photos from a zone activity that shows the missionaries in sunshine and then soaked to the bone!

With that in mind, I thought it was worth revisiting this gag from a couple of years ago.

Monday Sketchbook: A cold day in sharing time

I almost wrote "Let It Be" rather than "Let It Go" for the song title, neither of which are likely to show up in the Primary Songbook any time soon!

I had a dream

This was Friday's Zarahemla Times. I think I came up with the initial sketch for this one day...during priesthood meeting...

Racy humor

I threw this one in as a favor to my young padawan, who came up with the gag. They just finished up with track season, and today is an all-day fundraising marathon race at the school. I guess racy jokes are just on my mind!

Tick-tock

They feel longer, too!

Leaky windows

The same thing happens to me at work.

Technology doesn't help

Push every worthy work along

I wonder if his coach is Elder Holland?

Monday Sketchbook: Wicked good

There are several reasons why this stayed in the sketchbook.

• One, Alma's quote, "wickedness never was happiness" came as he was chastising his son about pursuing carnal pleasures — and bacon could easily fall into that category;
• Two, during this time frame they were still living under the Mosaic law, which classifies pigs — and therefore bacon — as unclean; and
• Three, developing this idea past the sketchbook stage would involve too much time involving me thinking about bacon. Mmm! Bacon...

Learn wisdom

I hope you were wise today. Remember and acknowledge your mom — and the other women in your life — for Mother's Day!

Mother's Day ideas...

In case you're looking for ideas for your mom tomorrow...

Going out on a limb...

Sometimes even as a missionary it was tempting to succumb to the lure of a lovely spring day!

Paying it forward

Maybe this would work...?

Gives a totally new meaning to "family search!"

Thanks, I'll stay away

Yes, this week is Teacher Appreciation Week.

I've had so many teachers who were huge influences on my life, starting of course with Mr. Beckstrom and Mrs. Beckstrom (my parents were both teachers). Through every level of my education, I've had outstanding teachers who believed in me...and helped me believe in myself.

Here's a big thank you to all of you who are in the teaching profession, and a double serving of thanks to those who were brave enough to be my teachers!

Take a teacher to lunch — somewhere besides the cafeteria!

The promised land

Liken the scriptures unto yourself, they say...

Monday Sketchbook: Teacher's Dilemma

Some Old Testament lessons just aren't conducive to the holidays that surround them.

And now, something completely different...

One of my dad's favorite scriptures is from Numbers, when the children of Israel were complaining about having nothing but manna to eat. The Lord promises to send quail, so they can eat "until it come out at your nostrils."

Lesson learned: Never complain about manna.

The last shall be last

I was one of two, so my waits weren't really that long.

It's what's for dinner. And lunch.

It's great to have a companion who knows how to cook. One who doesn't, not so much...

Mormon Cartoonist Arie Van de Graaff has be running a series of cartoons about missionaries and peanut butter if you want more. You know you can't read just one!

Snakes on the plain

Have you guessed by now that we're studying Moses in Sunday School this week?