Ready to relay: Remembering Garth Childs

Ready to relay: Remembering Garth Childs

Owen Olsen and his antique fire truck Jasper carry Garth Childs fire district chief to his final resting place at the Huntington Cemetery.

By By Diane Tadehara

Whether its fall, winter, spring, or summer, hunting season, fishing season or your favorite holiday season, having even one more season to share with those you love is a reason to fight cancer. It's Relay Season in Emery County. Join us as we celebrate Seasons of Hope on July 15-16 at Emery High School.  From the opening celebration of survivors, through the fun and entertainment of the evening that leads to the touching Luminaria ceremony where we can remember seasons share with loved ones who have passed and plan for future seasons with the survivors we love, Relay For Life has something for everybody.

We relay for a cure. We relay to show our resolve. We relay so anyone who hears the words, "You have cancer" can have a season of hope. We relay because we believe in a future where no one will have to hear, "you have cancer".

If anyone in your life has been affected by cancer, Relay For Life is for you. It's not too late to join us. For information go to www.relayforlife.org/castledaleut. It's the season to fight back against cancer.Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.

This celebration begins about 12 years ago when a 47 year-old, wife and mother of four was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. Her youngest, a son, was in his final year - expected to be the best - of high school. Her husband was deeply involved in the community on his local fire department, as an EMT, as a member of the County Jeep Posse, and very active in his faith. During her consequent surgery, chemo, and radiation, her husband stepped-up without question to see her through. The next five years would be years of Celebration for Alyce Childs and her family. She fought valiantly for the announcement that the cancer was gone. At her five year check-up and screening she was given a thumbs-up for a clean bill of health. Being aware of a niggling feeling, Alyce requested a pap smear be done six months later. The results returned abnormal prompting further testing. The diagnoses of stage III ovarian cancer was dropped on her. So again, Alyce's life was turned upside down with more surgery, more chemo, and more radiation. And again, Alyce's husband, Garth, was diligent in his care for her. She refers to him and his ability to take care of her along with all of his other obligations and responsibilities as, "amazing." Alyce continues to attend her screenings, but she does it without Garth.

Here we remember... just six short weeks ago another cancer story had a different ending. Garth's battle with cancer began six years ago about a year after Alyce won for the second time. He was 61 when diagnosed with prostate cancer. There was a biopsy and surgery that should have eliminated the cancer. They felt so let down and disappointed when they were told the surgery "didn't get it all." But it wasn't in Garth's nature to hold a grudge. His reaction was, "We are all human." By the time he was 62 the cancer had spread to the bone. Garth's oncologist told the Childs' that this was the "cancer from hell." It was very aggressive and rapidly growing. They were warned that it would be hard to fight. Garth started treatments that eventually included chemo, hormone replacement therapy, and five rounds of radiation that would last five years. Despite this overwhelming obstacle, Garth continued to work until he was 65.

Every position Garth held throughout his entire working career were centered on people. From the School District to Fire Chief to EMT and Chairman of the Board of Emery County Fire Chief's Association, his passion was to improve the lives of those around him. This shined through in his callings within his religion and his dedication to the acquisition of seven new fire engines for the county. His focus was honed over the last two years of his life as he helped design the fire trucks with the goal that "they would last 20 years!" The thing he hated in life was fire because it is so destructive. He had been known to say, "What fire didn't destroy, smoke would." Alyce watched as Garth took each fire personally. Always wishing he could have done more.

Doing more became a priority with his family. For two weeks during each of the last two years of his life, Garth shared a beach house in Depot Bay on the Oregon coast with his family. He simply adored his grandchildren. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather whose family all knew he wasn't afraid to do absolutely anything for them.

The only fear Garth had was that the cancer would render him incapacitated. He was at peace with his disease and aware of his mortality. He was not afraid of dying. His motto became to "do the best he could with what he had." Garth was a very humble man who loved people. He loved serving others and exchanging stories with people. "If you care about people it's what you do." Garth not only talked the talk, but he walked the walk. We remember the honor and dignity Garth lived.

We all have an opportunity to join the Fight Back. Relay for life and American Cancer Society lead the fight. Come join us in a fight against "cancers from hell." July 15, 2011 at 6 p.m. at Emery High School track. 

Emery County Progress

Radio When I Was a Kid

How we used to love radio programs. I still think that, in some ways, they were better than television programs of today. But perhaps not because they left a lot to the imagination and, at times, my imagination was too vivid.

My boy cousins and I liked to listen to a variety of programs. 

In those days, one of the most listened to children's programs on radio was Bobby Benson and the “B-Bar-B Riders.” The show was heard on network radio for many years. Eventually, my cousins and I outgrew it and moved on to other things, like television. They got a set long, long before we did. In fact, my grandmother would not buy a television until I graduated from high school and she retired from teaching. She thought it was too distracting.

The Bobby Benson show began in 1932 long before my birth in 1940. It ended in 1936 and a second version began in 1949 (when I was age 8) and lasted until 1955 (when I was 14). Benson was on radio longer than any other kids' dramatic show including “Superman,” “Green Hornet,” “Captain Midnight,” “Sky King,” and “Straight Arrow.”

The B-Bar-B ranch featured: Bobby Benson as “The Cowboy Kid.”

The show that caused me to have nightmares, however, was “The Shadow,”  a radio drama which officially premiered the fall of 1937 (three years before I premiered). The main character had the power to cloud men's minds so they couldn’t see him. 

Even now, the thought of the opening by actor Frank Readick Jr., can send shivers up my spine. “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!” The introduction was accompanied by an eerie, ominous laugh and a musical theme, “Camille Saint-Saëns' Le Rouet d'Omphale.” A moral statement was made at the end of each program: “The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay! The Shadow knows!”

The nice thing about the radio was that you could carry on life and listen at the same time. The programs came on after school and in the mornings on Saturdays. We usually had a rest time to play or listen to the radio after school before we did homework. There wasn’t as much homework in those days. We sometimes had reading, or arithmetic or had to write a paper, but we mostly had evenings when we could unwind before we ate and got ready for bed.

We kids could lay on the floor and listen to the radio or we could color or help with housework and still keep up. I could, and usually did, take my time dusting the living room, my Saturday job, waiting for a favorite program to end.

During World War II, I remember that we all gathered around the radio each evening for the latest report on the war. The different war theaters were covered as much as was allowed. Some information was kept quiet because no one wanted Hitler to know what was happening until after it happened.

After the war one popular show was “Queen for a Day” which ran from 1945–1957 and then moved to television. I remember visiting Aunt Jessie (my grandmother’s sister), her husband, Uncle Gilbert Brighton, and Great-Grandmother Mina Pritchett in California. We watched the show on their television set. 

The show opened with host Jack Bailey asking the audience: “Would you like to be Queen for a day?” Contestants were then introduced and interviewed with each one talking about the difficulties she had endured. Bailey asked each contestant what she needed most. The audience then selected the winner via the applause meter. The winner was draped in a sable-trimmed red velvet robe, was crowned and sat on a throne and given a dozen long-stemmed roses. Her prizes were announced and always included what the woman had requested. After that, a variety of extras were given, such kitchen appliances, fashion clothing and vacations. The losing contestants were also given important gifts so that no one left empty-handed.

Once a lady from Price that we knew became the Queen for a Day.

We also listened to “The Adventures of Superman,”  “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century,” “Sergeant Preston of the Yukon,” “The Cisco Kid,” “The Green Hornet,” “Tom Mix,” “Roy Rodgers and Dale Evans,” “The Lone Ranger,” and “Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy.” 

Favorites of the adults were: “ The Guy Lombardo Show,” “The Kate Smith Hour,” “The Metropolitan Opera,” and “Truth or Consequences.” 

The Golden Age of Radio in the United States lasted from the early 1920s until television took its place in the 1950s. According to a 1947 C. E. Hooper survey, 82 out of 100 Americans were regular radio listeners. After all, there was adventure, comedy, drama, horror, mystery, musical variety, romance, thrillers, classical music concerts, big bands, popular music, farm reports, news and commentary, panel discussions, quiz shows, sidewalk interviews, broadcasts, talent shows and weather forecasts.

Sometimes we could get the adults in the family to buy the right cold cereal so that we could cut off the box tops and order our own badges, rings, decoding devices and other radio premiums.

Then, like now, Grandma and I would turn on the radio and listen to music as she checked papers and I did homework, colored, or in my teen years, actually helped her out with correcting papers. That only happened a bit, however. By the time I had arrived at high school age, I had lots of homework.

Cousin Richard

I was 11-years old when my cousin, Richard Childs, was born. I thought he was the most perfect and beautiful baby I had ever seen. I loved holding him, singing to him and, in general, just admiring him. When he was born the family still lived in Price. So it was easy to be with him every day.

Aunt Renee nursed him and I liked to just be there when he ate. He had light blond hair, but not much of it,  more like peach fuzz and blue eyes the color of sky. I learned to change diapers and to cuddle him so that he would relax and be happy.

As he grew, he became even more perfect in my eyes. He had such a cute personality right from the start. When he started laughing, Garth, David, and I (especially me) would do whatever we could to make him laugh. Then he started crawling and we became aware that nothing much was safe. The doll I loved was dragged around the floor by one leg. But I could never be upset with him. I think I rather fancied that I was his other mother.

As he got old enough, I liked to feed him baby food and then mashed potatoes and eggs that had been mashed with a fork until they were just tiny, tiny bits. Only Aunt Renee could do that to eggs. I actually liked her to do it to mine when I was little. I honestly think that Richard never could eat and keep his face clean. But I did try.

I was broken-hearted when I learned that Aunt Renee and Uncle Max were moving to Huntington. I really thought that my life was ending. I didn't understand how my "brothers" could be taken so far away from me. However, though I didn't always see them every day, I did see them often. Aunt Renee was sympathetic to my sorrow and so was Grandma so there were lots of trips back and forth.

One nice thing about Huntington, was that the boys could have a dog. He was a hound, I thought a Dalmatian, but he was white with black spots whatever he was. Richard was his special pride. He would not let him get far away. That was a good thing because they lived on Main Street in a big old white house on the corner. (There is a grocery store there now.) They had a lot of property and even had a steer they raised for beef. However, if Richard would start toddling toward the sidewalk and danger, the dog would grab him by the back of his diaper or his pants and drag him back to safe territory. I carry around a picture in my mind of that dog dragging Richard and Richard giggling while he was being pulled.

How fun it was in the summer to sleep in sleeping bags on the big old porch. There were pillars that held up the roof and a wide expanse of porch to enjoy. All four of us could sleep there though, at first, I know that Richard was kept inside. I always felt sad about that but, I suppose, he could not have been trusted to me, even though I thought I was his mother. I slept very soundly and, in those days, I had not learned to rouse myself at the sound of a waking or wandering child.

Another fun vision of Richard is of him playing ball. Even when he was still a baby he could manage a ball quite well. That was one thing that the dog and he had difficulty over. The ball was a temptation for the dog to grab and gnaw and it was a toy that Richard really didn't want to share.

For me those were such happy days. I look back at them now, through the angle of my age, and it seemed as if everyone was always happy and the sun was always shining. There had to be rain. There had to be crying but I thought my little world was perfect and I don't remember anything that was tarnish. It was all gilt.

Tribute to Garth

At the conclusion of the funeral for Garth L Childs, in Huntington on Thursday, May 19, I was grateful for many the many comments made from the pulpit and from those who came to his viewing and funeral as they shared their thoughts as we gathered to celebrate his life.

I for one, was particularly grateful that I had grown up thinking of him as brother and that he allowed me to be "Big sister" though we were only first cousins. I was happy to have been a small part of his earthly life and to have the happy memories that I do. He was so beloved by me, my husband and my children. He was greatly loved by his family and his community. A large group of people who were family and friends gathered and others, who could not be in attendance, sent messages of love and condolence.

I am grateful for his example. He has been a loving husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle, cousin and friend.

I am grateful for his service to his God, his country, and to his fellowmen. He is a man who knew how to love. He has always been willing to volunteer his time and efforts to help others. I am grateful for his example of what it means to be a dedicated servant and of what it means to live a Christ-like life.

As pain became his physical companion, his spirit became ever stronger. I appreciate his example of enduring faithful to the end. He was always a kind and gentle soul and he became more so.

We are grateful for the lessons he taught us. He lived life and his personal relationships and taught us to do the same. He never asked, "What can others do for me?" but, "What can I do for others?" He loved the beauty of the world and, through his eyes, we saw that beauty.

He taught us what it means to be happily married and what it means to cherish and be cherished by a companion.

He was a father to be grateful for and a grandfather to cuddle.

Thought we will miss him, we would not have him suffer more pain. He has been through the refiner's fire.

We ask only that we remember and cherish all the happy days we spent together. We ask, in particular, that our Father in Heaven will help us to live our lives in such a way that we may be with him when our lives end. We ask that we may be helped to follow his example and to be worthy to live with him in eternity.

How thankful I am for the plan of salvation that sent our Savior to this earth to die for each of us that we may be forgiven of our sins and once again to live with our Father, our Savior and our loved ones for all eternity.

Garth L Childs Obituary

Garth L. Childs

Garth L. Childs

HUNTINGTON-Garth L. Childs, age 67, returned to Heavenly Father on May 15, 2011 in Price, Utah. He was born March 10, 1944 in Price, Utah to Max L. and Vivian Renee Smith Childs. He was sealed to Alyce Grace Geary on June 18, 1971 in the Manti Temple.

Garth graduated from North Emery High School and also attended two years at College of Eastern Utah. He served an honorable mission in the Hill Cumorah Mission in New York and Pennsylvania. He also served his country in the US Army during the Vietnam War from 1964-1968 and served with the Utah National Guard during Desert Storm from Jan. 24, 1991-June 18, 1991. He was an EMT for more than 20 years with the Huntington Volunteer Fire Dept. where he worked for more than 35 years and became Fire Chief before retirement. He was a member of the Emery County Jeep Posse and the Utah Army National Guard. He served in the church as a Boy Scout Leader, a Stake Mission President, Elders Quorum President, Counselor in the Bishopric, Young Men's President and on the Stake High Council. Garth had worked for the Emery County School District, and also was a member of the American Legion and the Mine Rescue Team. He was named as Emery County "Person of the Year" in 1998, and Tri State Rocky Mtn. "Man of the Year" in 2002. Most importantly he was a good husband, father, grandfather, and servant of the Lord who endured to the end.

Garth is survived by his beloved wife Alyce Childs of Huntington, his four children: Kimberly Anne and Shayne Monson of Kingman, Ariz., Kristine Kate and David Bird of Huntington, Utah, Kevin Jeremiah M. Childs of Gresham, Ore., Kalvin David and April Childs of Washington, Utah, three grandsons, Kameron Monson, Derek Childs, and Connor Childs and four granddaughters, Kaira Monson, Grace Childs, Desiree Childs, and Kadrianne Bird. Garth is also survived by his brother, David and Kim Childs of Tacoma, Wash., his sister Myrna and Leonard Trauntvein of Nephi, Utah, and a sister-in-law Denise Allen of Emery, Utah. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother Richard Childs, and an infant sister.

Friends may call for a visitation at the Heritage Funeral Home at 620 N. Main St. in Huntington on Wednesday May 18, 2011 from 6-8 pm. Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 11 a.m. at the Huntington Stake Center on 100 North Main Street in Huntington. Burial with military honors from the Huntington American Legion will follow in the Huntington City Cemetery under the trusted care of the Heritage Funeral Home.

Friends may sign the guest book for the family on line at www.heritagefuneralhomeut.com. 

Brother has gone home!

My beloved cousin/brother died this morning. I call him brother because, as children, we were together as one family. After my mother's death, when I was 11-months old, I went to stay with my grandmother, a full-time elementary school teacher. My Aunt Renee, my mother Elaine's only sibling, and her husband shared their two-bedroom apartment with us. Therefore, we lived as a family. Garth was born when I was three--my birthday in December and his in March. My great-grandmother was going to be my caregiver while my grandmother was teaching, however, she fell and broke her hip. My grandmother was the principal of the Wattis school at the time of my mother's death but gave up that position to teach in Price. Aunt Renee and Uncle Max lived in Price. World War II had started. My father went to war. 

Aunt Renee was the one who potty-trained me and provided daytime care. Garth was born when I was three and I thought he was the best thing since the creation of the world. I held him and patted him and, probably, drove Aunt Renee crazy. He was always my prince. After a time, my great grandmother came back to be with us. There was no room in a three-bedroom house for all of us. We moved to a small rented house nearby and Garth, later David, and when I was age 11, Richard, continued to spend countless hours together. I was "Big Sister" to all of them and I took my responsibility seriously. I bossed them around and they, mostly, complied. We played like brothers and sister and, we thought, we were. How I love those boys (now men) who have always been there for me. 

I cannot help but be sad that they are leaving and I am the one left--the oldest. Just David and I remain because cancer has claimed Richard and, now Garth. I cannot cry too much because it was time. Daily pain is a terrible thing.

Childhood Friends

One day, when I was a pre-schooler, my next-door neighbor friend, Frank Ruzzuto, who was near my age, was playing with the rest of the neighborhood gang and my boy cousins.

The cousins would, most likely have just been Garth and David. Cousin David was just a baby and Richard was not born until I was 11.

At any rate, Frank decided that he would pretend to be the father and would go to the store in the family car. The car was sitting in front of his house and, of course, was unlocked. (I don’t think people locked anything back then. At least, none of the people I knew did.)

I climbed into the front seat on the passenger side. I was always the gullible one. 

Frankie, whether on purpose or by accident, did something to the shifting column that allowed the car to move forward. 

We lived on the south side of Carbon Avenue in Price, Utah, at the time. The roadway sloped towards the end of town. Of course, we started rolling, gaining momentum as we went. 

I don’t know, to this day, whether Cousin Garth, a couple of years younger than I, just screamed or whether he actually ran to get Aunt Renee. Perhaps it was neither and the noise of the other neighborhood kids alerted her or, perhaps, knowing how children behave, she just looked out the window to check on us, 

Whatever caused her to know about the danger, she responded. She came running alongside the car, jerked the door open, slammed on the brake and slid behind the wheel of the car in what seemed one fluid motion.

Thankfully, the car stopped. She then moved it back to the side of the street and got the two of us out. 

Mrs. Ruzzuto claimed Frank and I was taken into my own house. I was scolded, told never to get in a car without an adult inside ever again and had to sit in the corner for what seemed like forever. 

Needless to say, I didn’t ever quite trust Frank again. I did, however, trust his sister, Mary, and his little brother. 

Still, with all that, Frank and Mary managed to cause trouble for all of us once again. 

We used to love to eat Jell-O powder. We would get a package from one of our parents and would open it and pour a bit into one hand. Then we would lick it off and repeat the process until the Jell-O was gone. It was easy to share a package. You just poured some into your friend’s hand and they licked it away.

One day, when we were all outside playing together, Mary and Frank came outside with orange-flavored Jell-O. It was a bit lighter in color than the usual orange we were used to but not enough to really attract special attention.

After we consumed the Jell-O, we all found out that what we had really eaten was permanent wave powder.

My goodness! We all had excited adults at that point. 

It seems that Frank and Mary climbed up into the cupboard and got what they thought was Jell-O. The lesson: always let an adult get the treat down. Don’t be sneaky.

Dr. John Frank Colombo, the family doctor of most of us, was called and each of us had to drink lots of milk. That was usually fine, we all liked milk, but in this case it was punishment and all of us were unhappy and unwilling. It must have worked, however, because we all lived.

Mother Mine

A word about mother not said before?

She’s been praised, berated, celebrated

And sometimes ushered out of the back door.

It’s true that If she weren’t always related

She would certainly be less of a boar.

Somehow, most days, we find that we love her.

Though she cries at church when her children speak

About her and would most often prefer

If the talk given was not a critique 

And had left some of her worst traits a blur.

Pity mother, we can’t live without her,

(To who else falls the mundane and diapers?)

And even though she is an amateur,

We wonder, if she were left to vipers,

Who would chauffeur, confer, or just concur?

Who’d pay the piper and be the dish wiper

If mother were missing, gone from our lives?

Who’d be the baker, the cookie maker,

Who’d keep the archives and give the high fives,

Buy ice cream and be birthday cake writer? 

We honor mom for prizing age thirteen,

That time when each new teen is always right.
Dear mom, who treats each burst with insight keen
And gently leads us 'til we see the light
While helping us to learn to be serene.

As we grow older we soon discover,
That she will leave soiled dishes in the sink
To babysit and to rediscover
That precious, intelligent, missing link
Who made her an angelic grandmother.

So one more praise for mother, this day’s queen,

Who loves her gifted children and their dad.

Who works to keep things clean and intervene

When all the world is sad and dark and bad
And never, no never, causes a scene.

Copyright by Myrna Trauntvein

Praise Mom

For her gift of human birth,

For her gift of loving heart,

For her love which here on earth

Fills our lives with gentle art.

Thanks we give and sweetly praise

Mother on this day of days.

For her days of precious hours,

For her nights of tender care,

For her kind thoughts, like flowers,

That fill home with beauty rare.

Thanks we give and sweetly praise

Mother on this day of days.

For her reverenced gift sublime,

For her genial warmth given,

For her life, a gift divine,

That leads us to eternal heaven.

Thanks we give and sweetly praise

Mother on this day of days.

For our pre and earthly home,

For the joy of all our lives,

For glory not ours alone

That follows as each child thrives.

Thanks we give to Thee above

For the gift of mothers’ love.

Copyright by Myrna Trauntvein, author.

Proverbs That Shaped My Life

My grandmother, Vivian Smith, mother to my mother, loved proverbs--those tiny sharp bites of pithy wisdom--and had one for almost any occasion. I thought, when I was a teen, that they were beneath her intellect. She was a bright woman with mostly A grades all through her early schooling and her college and university educations. Surely, she could come up with an original thought.

This from the girl who said: “See you later alligator,” and “After a while, crocodile.” “What’s life? Life is a magazine.”

Now I have adopted many of her succinct sayings: “A stitch in time saves nine.” “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” “A man’s home is his castle.” “Better late than never.” “A stitch in time saves nine.” “Discretion is the better part of valor.” “He/she also serves who only stands and waits.”

There really is a saying for every occasion. “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear,” was one of my favorites. Another, that covered the same subject was: “A goat dressed in silk is still a goat.” Perhaps there is a nuance of difference but to a little girl they carried the same impact. “A leopard cannot change his spots.”

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

Some of them, as I once pointed out to Grandma, conflict with each other. Such as: “All good things come to he who waits, Vs “All good things must come to an end.” Ask a silly question and you'll get a silly answer," Vs “There is no such thing as a silly question.” “A rolling stone gathers no moss,” Vs “Home is where the heart is.” Or: “A house is not a home.”

“You can’t judge a book by its cover” was one I heard whenever I found fault with someone else. Along with that went: “Birds of a feather flock together.” The last came into play when I was choosing friends who, according to Grandmother’s standards,  were not good for me. “A person is known by the company he keeps.” “Actions speak louder than words.”

“Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.” “Those who sleep with dogs will rise with fleas.”

“A word to the wise is enough.” “Still waters run deep.” “Don't cast your pearls before swine.”  “Don't count your chickens before they are hatched.”

Then there is: “Happy is the bride the sun shines on,” 

“Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.”

My father also had fun with proverbs. He had a bunch of ball caps made up for his business. He owned an auto salvage yard and vehicle repair shop (and had a trucking and construction business). The caps read, tongue-in-cheek: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” That one may be more true than was supposed. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

“Patience is a virtue,” was a proverb I heard often. So was: “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” 

Some of them, I think, were just family sayings. One of those was: “Ask your ma for ten cents to see and elephant dance on a fence.” To us, that meant do not follow the crowd and to, no matter what others did, dress appropriately, as the case may be.

One of my sons quotes: “A train leaves no tracks.” He claims it is a conversation-stopper because it doesn’t make sense but those pondering it often try to make it do so. They will nod wisely and wander away.

“A fool and his money are soon parted.” Now that is a saying we could all benefit from in today’s world what with internet scams and crooks trying to take advantage of the clueless. “All that glitters is not gold.” 

“A penny saved is a penny earned.” “Money doesn't grow on trees.” “Money is the root of all evil.” “Money isn't everything.” “Money makes the world go round.” “Money talks.” “You can’t get blood out of a stone.” “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” “Time is money.”

Then there is:  “A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for his client.” “The shoemaker's son always goes barefoot.”

“A chain is only as strong as its weakest link,” was meant to remind me that the family was counting on me to do my best. “Blood is thicker than water.” “Charity begins at home.”

“A change is as good as a rest.” Now that one may, or may not, be true. I have had some changes in my life that were truly restful and others, such as a 14-day stay in a hospital bed, that nearly drove me mad.

“A picture paints a thousand words.” “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.”

I was not a very tidy girl and I often heard: “A place for everything and everything in its place.” When I reached adulthood and was responsible for my own things, I learned that was true. “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” “Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” “The devil finds work for idle hands to do.”

“As you make your bed, so you must lie upon it.” “As you sow so shall you reap.”

 

“A prophet is not recognized in his own land.”

“Adversity makes strange bedfellows.” Contrast that with: “Politics makes strange bedfellows.” “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” “Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.” "The best-laid schemes of mice and men often go astray."

The proverb I needed most? “Brevity is the soul of wit.”