Welcome autumn! We at McMurtry Creative Media welcome you to our family! Its been a whirlwind year with lots of events and we will catch you up and give the best info for your health and entertainment.
We are finishing our beginners’ cookbook for men and will keep you updated on the progress.
We attended a Chief’s game at Arrowhead Stadium for Papa McMurtry’s birthday.
They tied the Seahawks.
Even the moon and stadium scoreboard were Chiefs’ colors!
We are also getting ready to serve American servicemembers and their families as missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In the beginning of October, we welcomed our writer’s group for an Oktoberfest feast and lesson on the business of writing. In addition to our traditional autumn decor, I added a layer of German-themed color and icons like a German flag, nutcrackers and other familiar images.
What a year! Here’s a quick recap of the 2026 whirlwind: Last post St. Patrick’s Day.
Easter
General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was held on Easter this year. We celebrated the sacrifice, atonement and love of our Savior Jesus Christ, listened to living prophets and enjoyed Easter dinner with family and friends.
And we waited for a special letter from President Oaks.
Nothing says Spring like a beautiful bunch of sunny yellow tulips!
We’ve been working on our cookbook for men. This Vegetarian Chili is amazing – and wait until you try our Sour Cream Cornbread.
Before we knew it, Mother’s Day arrived! We savored a trip to Outback for a special dinner the night before. In the morning there were my favorite special treats from Tim and Hannah. How did I get so lucky?
THE BIG EVENT in the United States this year is our 250th birthday! What a blessing it is to live in the United States in the 21st Century! Here at McMurtry Manor, we celebrated our nation’s special milestone all summer long. This is the backdrop for some of our festivities:
God bless the U.S.A.! We are so grateful for the sacrifice of men and women who built and defended this great country.
Americana is the theme all through the house. Our son Karl correctly surmised that the painting on the fireplace, called “American Kitchen” was inspired by Cezanne.
For Gene’s birthday, our friend Linda’s adventure gave us the idea to drive 3 1/2 hours to Nauvoo, Illinois to revisit the history of early LDS family members and enjoy the Nauvoo and British pageants. Great message, enjoyably presented by talented acting and singing volunteers.
Chauncey Gilbert Webb, with his brothers who were blacksmiths, built many of the wagons that would take the exiled LDS pioneers across the plains to the safety of the Mountain West. He is my 3rd great grandfather.
Back at home, a week later, we finally received the letter we had been waiting for. Our call to serve as senior missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!
When Newell and I were married in the Los Angeles LDS temple in 1993, President Von Packard, who performed the wedding, counseled me to learn German.
Today, following his advice paid off. We received a call to serve in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Frankfurt Germany Mission in military support – this is Newell’s dream! We report in December, just before Christmas .
Thank you President Von
We will be serving as Military Relations missionaries assisting American soldiers and families and spreading the good word of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the fine people of Southern Germany.
We are now focused on finishing our cookbook and preparing to live in Germany; getting necessary shots, visas, official documents, clothes, vitamins and other essentials fill our days as the clock ticks closer to our departure. Alles gute.
Next, an Autumn and a U.S.- style Halloween, a Lord of the Rings-themed evening with our writer’s group, getting the house ready for company and packing several very large suitcases then we depart.
If you want to know more about Christ’s restored church and get a free copy of the Book of Mormon to help you navigate these challenging times, drop me a message in the comments and we’ll help you out.
After a trip to Ireland one fall, we fell in love with the Irish people and the stories of St. Patrick even more if that were possible.
During our visit to the Emerald Isle, there was some Blarney Stone-kissing involved. A small piece of bark made it back from the grounds and was placed in our leprechaun cottage centerpiece.
So on St. Patrick’s Day we celebrate the great missionary and our Irish heritage with a meal we make every year. This year we were fortunate to share with our friend Linda and the LDS missionaries in our ward. With traditional Irish music playing in the background we dined on our favorite mustard-glazed corned beef, potatoes, cabbage and scones, with other favorites.
And a few green decorations…
The Hoodie Bears from Christmas, got to stay on because they are wearing green 🙂
The shamrock was used by St. Patrick to teach about the Trinity.
Mom’s pencil tree is decked out every year with the symbols of St. Patrick, and royalty representing the King of Kings, Jesus Christ who St. Patrick represented. And the traditional Irish prayer, sending good cheer (drawn and framed almost 30 years ago.)
Did I mention how much I love Carolingian Uncial? The script used for for the prayer with “Celtic” letters. Actually developed in Germany for King Charlemagne, this standardized alphabet was designed to unify the multiple cultures, languages and alphabets of the people in his kingdom.
From the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee “The upper and lower case letters we are used to today, along with spaces between words, punctuation, and enlarged initial letters, were a development of the late 8th century known as the Carolingian Minuscule. This manuscript hand not only established a uniform book hand that would be used throughout Charlemagne’s sprawling empire, but it also established the kinds of letter forms that would serve as the models for every Western typographic design to our current day. Today, we essentially read and write in the Carolingian Minuscule.
The Carolingian Minuscule itself developed from the insular uncial scripts and partly from the Roman half uncial that were used at Irish and Anglo-Celtic monasteries that had been founded all over Europe by the late 6th century. The insular monks who founded these monasteries also brought the traditions of word spacing, punctuation, and initial letters with them to the continent. The uncial scripts themselves derived from the late imperial Rustic Capitals, which themselves seem to have been based on Roman epigraphic letter forms.” Family history.
However you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, remember that Jesus loves you and that His messengers carry wisdom and truth that can bless your life. Don’t pinch missionaries. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Valentine’s Day meant an early tea party as we had the opportunity to go to San Diego to babysit 3 of our grandchildren and then travel to Provo, Utah to attend the LTUE Writers’ Conference.
Grandkids! So much fun and because they are older, we could take them to do things like walk on the beach and visit the Mormon Battalion Visitor’s Center in Old Town San Diego.
We made lemon Chicken and Rice soup from lemons on their tree, valentines to hang over the table and we did art lessons. Good kiddos and good times.
When we left Missouri the temperatures were in the single digits – not so in San Diego! After a much-needed girl getaway with my BFF, a DIY spa and shopping, we were in good spirits. We even found a Beehive-themed cafe in San Diego. Too cute!
Then onto Utah for our anniversary, Valentine’s Day and LTUE Writer’s Conference.
Here we are 33 years later. My favorite sci fi author Gene McMurtry!
I’m such a fan girl – here with author Orson Scott Card, who wrote “Ender’s Game.” Our son Andrew has a little boy named Ender. (He autographed book for them.)
Here are a few Valentine’s Day crafts for you! If you think they look suspiciously like the Christmas wreath ornaments, only bent into heart shapes, you wouldn’t be wrong.
And from the craft archives, here’s a bit of history I just learned. I made this wooden heart many years ago to commemorate Newell and I being sealed in the Salt Lake City Temple in 1994. It was in 1853 on Valentine’s Day that Brigham young cancelled all his appointments, grabbed his tools and said if anyone wanted to talk to him, they should to bring a shovel and meet him on the temple lot.
We had the missionaries over for dinner on December 23, Joseph Smith’s birthday. We tried to imagine what people were eating in the early 1800s in New England and decided on fried chicken, baked beans, cornbread with a homemade dessert. Happy 221st birthday Brother Joseph!
This year plaid was in. At our house plaid is always in.
Son and daughter-in-law are here this year and our son is vegetarian. So much for our traditional roast beef dinner. We decided to try a Norwegian-inspired smorgasbord with smoked salmon and shrimp dishes, deviled eggs, sauerkraut, and yummy desserts. it was so good!
At our Relief Society Simple Saturday, we made Christmas planners with 70 names and titles of Christ. Inside were also 2 games and organizers.
These tiny Baby Jesus ornaments were simple to create and so charming. I couldn’t take them of the tree until after Valentine’s Day.
In those few moments between Halloween and Thanksgiving before the Christmas avalanche of joy engulfed us, I created a Simple Saturday activity for our ladies’ Relief Society at church.
Small handmade crafts focusing on the Savior and Christmas traditions were the projects offered.
This Baby Jesus in a manger bed was an ornament or a gift tie-on. The Jenga-style blocks from Dollar tree were glued together to create a bed, padded with raffia, with a bead baby glued in place. The button on the back hid the glue attaching the ribbon hanger.
We also created Christmas planners that included 70 names and titles for Jesus. Inside were also a calendar, sections for lists, and 2 Christmas-themed games.
We also had felt hearts similar to these that could be used for jewelry, an ornament or gift tie-on. And these adorable bead wreaths for Christmas tree ornaments, and gift ties.
There were gift tags similar to these, English toffee and holiday menu-planning classes.
And a cute socks lunch, think boxed lunch served in a Christmas stocking. And one special one for our secret helper.
All in all it was a fun day with love and the Christmas spirit in abundance.
We have been so busy the past few months, that I need to catch up. Here are some of the highlights of our Halloween fun.
Friend trip to the Happiest Place on Earth. Since we moved to Missouri getting to Disneyland is a little harder (and farther.) But I was lucky this fall to talk my BFF into having a Disney adventure! She’s a good sport. We So Cal natives grew up enjoying the imagination here.
Then back in the Midwest for some fall fun and frolic.
Fall comes to Missouri, and however beautiful; what grows up must fall down (and be raked up…)
And a few new decorations, or old favorites dressed up differently…
We hope everyone had a happy and fun Halloween!
And made a November run to HL to restock pumpkins for next year at 90% off!
Did you see the Northern Lights in November? My first time, it was mesmerizing.
Did you know that there are scholars that believe the American Pilgrims’ Thanksgiving was based on Israel’s Sukkot or Feast of the Tabernacles? Because many American and European traditions are based on Judeo-Christian customs, you might enjoy knowing more about the roots of this autumn celebration.
Sukkot was a joyous holiday celebrating the harvest, it started around 1300 to 1400 B.C., when the Israelites left Egypt to return to their promised land of Canaan. This was long before the Catholic Hallomas or pagan Samhain. In modern days, Sukkot is celebrated between mid-September and late October. Sukkot is a celebration of life, of the blessings of the harvest and all that is good. Autumn also marked the beginning of Israel’s new year with Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Atonement. This national day of fasting culminated in the sacrifice of animals and a symbolic cleansing of the High Priest and Israel, teaching about the sacrifice of the Son of God for the cleansing of His people and reconciliation through Him, to God the Father.
God sent prophets to instruct and guide his children. He covenanted with the Patriarch Abraham that through his family all the world would be blessed. He gave them the land of Canaan as an inheritance. God gives His children the rain, seasons, bountiful crops, music, laughter and happiness. He commanded Abraham’s descendants in Moses’ time to celebrate and have great joy. The Feast of the Tabernacles was instituted over three thousand years ago to give God’s children a festive fall holiday wherein they could enjoy the bounty of the harvest. “Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruits of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days. “And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees … and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.” (Lev. 23:39–40.) Adam, Abraham, Moses and others.
Abraham’s family (Israel) was called to administer the priesthood – the power of God to bless the earth. Prophets counseled societies of God-fearing (respecting) men and women and gave commandments to live by: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, love thy neighbor as thyself, do not commit adultery or murder or worship idols. Do not steal or bear false witness. They were to care for the poor and live in peace and harmony. Faith, repentance and baptism were the initiation into Christ’s church. As Israel kept the commandments, they prospered. When they didn’t they fell into bondage and suffered.
After the exodus from Egypt in about 1446 B.C., during Israel’s forty years in the wilderness, the God Jehovah, commanded His prophet Moses to set up a tabernacle, a portable temple, in which the Spirit of God could dwell as Israel worshipped God and received revelations. This tabernacle was to be the House of the Lord until they were settled in the Promised Land and could build a permanent temple. The Feast of the Tabernacles was a remembrance of God’s protection of the children of Israel during their forty years in the wilderness after escaping centuries of bondage in Egypt. It also was a celebration of the freedom to worship their God. Sukkot also commemorated the harvest or in-gathering of the fruits of the year. This feast, considered the most joyful of all holidays, was celebrated for eight days.
The power of positive energy flowed; Israelites were under commandment to be grateful, happy, hospitable and set aside their worries. They set up, decorated and lived in booths or tents as a reminder of their time in the wilderness. They hung bough from trees adorned with fruits of the harvest that were a reminder of the kindly protection given by their God. The spirits of ancestors and patriarchs were invited to be present. Israel gave thanks, enjoyed worship, feasts, sporting events and other merry-making activities. From that time until the present, Israel looks forward to a day when “the King, the Lord of hosts” will reign on the earth and all men will live in peace and brotherhood. It was at this momentous time that Moses addressed Israel, Solomon dedicated the temple at Jerusalem and Jesus Christ declared, “I am the Light of the World.” The biblical prophet Zechariah, in the Old Testament, foretold of a future day when the Feast of the Tabernacles would be celebrated by all men, or those that didn’t would be cursed. This may be a reference to the Millennial Era, a thousand years when God will reign personally on the earth and there will be peace and a united brotherhood of man.
Sukkahs in modern times in America may be decorated with squash, dried corn and autumn bounty. As celebrants share and enjoy the temperate days of autumn in the beautiful outdoors, they are grateful for the many blessings they enjoy.
This year for Easter we are focusing more on learning more about the Savior and His atonement. During Holy Week we have been watching a series called Messiah on BYUtv. Having finished viewing the published episodes of The Chosen , we are learning from a scholarly 7-part study about the identity and role of Jesus Christ. We invite you to come and share the information about the Messiah, as the world prepares for His Second Coming that will usher in a millennium of peace on earth. The more we learn about Him, the more we love Him.
In addition to studying about Jesus, we will be participating in the activities and traditions that our family has shared over the years in celebration of Easter.
One of our neighbors from Africa, recently gave birth to a baby boy. To celebrate with them, we made sets of Easter Miracle Eggs for their 4-year-old daughter and one for another family with children.
Tucked into each of the dozen eggs are scriptures and small items that represent the events of Holy Week, and the great sacrifice Jesus made for each of us.
This time of year is tender for us, our beloved Mom finished her work on the earth 3 years ago today. We lovingly remember her and all she did for her family.
It is fitting that the Lord who provided resurrection for each, of us took Mama home at the time we remember His great love and sacrifice. He granted priesthood authority to His followers on the earth to bind and seal us together forever as families. It will be a joyous day when we are reunited with our loved ones who have passed before us.
Even though the snow is still falling here in Missouri, spring green is starting to arrive at our house in our St. Patrick’s Day decorations. The first is the adorable leprechaun cottage pictured above. Originally an unfinished wood birdhouse, I painted and decorated it to look like an old Irish cottage with moss on the roof and stones around the door and base. Inside there is a secret: a few little bits of sticks and moss from the Blarney Castle in Ireland, that’s right that Blarney Castle.
Look at the quaint tree sweaters at the Blarney Castle, but I digress…
This charming hurricane lamp gets dressed for the season.
St. Patrick was a Christian missionary who taught and converted the inhabitants of Ireland, setting the tone for the hospitality and faith for which the Irish have been known for centuries. Here is an article I wrote for Family Today.
St. Patrick overcame tragedy and served so faithfully that Ireland still celebrates his great life.
By Pamela Layton McMurtry
Did you know that St. Patrick wasn’t Irish?
Patrick was born Maewyn Succat, around 385 A.D in Britain. His father belonged to a Roman family of high rank and was a government official in Gaul or Britain. His mother was a near relative of the patron of Gaul, St. Martin of Tours.
Maewyn grew up without faith even though his parents tried to teach him the gospel of Christ. When he was 16 years old, he was working on his family’s estate when he was kidnapped by fierce Irish pirates who took him to Ireland and sold him to a wealthy Druid. For six years as he labored as a slave, tending sheep and living outdoors, he learned the language and ways of the Celtic pagans. Living in lonely solitude, he began to pray and repent of his youthful follies and his faith in God and love for Him grew.
One night he had a dream in which he was told to fast and prepare to escape, a ship was waiting for him; he fled and secretly journeyed 200 miles to the coast. A runaway slave, he would have been killed if he was discovered. He said later that God directed his journey, showing him the way to go. When he arrived at the coast and prepared to board the ship, the captain refused to take him. He went a short distance away and prayed that the captain would change his mind. The sailors called after him, telling him to hurry back.
During the voyage, the ship wrecked and the crew and passengers were stranded in a deserted place. After four weeks, they were starving and began to be ill. The captain asked him why he did not pray to his God to help them. Maewyn asked the Lord for help; a herd of pigs appeared, providing the men with much-needed food. The captain kept Maewyn as a slave for several more years. One night he heard a voice that told him he would be free in two months, and he was. He now knew what he wanted to do with his life. He went to France to study Christianity at Tours, the monastery of his relative, St. Martin. He was ordained a bishop and given the Latin name “Patricus,” meaning “Noble” or “Father.” He finally arrived home and his family was overjoyed to see him, but Patrick had a strong prompting that he should travel to Ireland and teach the message of Christ to the pagan people there.
Returning to Ireland, he began to teach the people in their own tongue. As he served the people in meekness and love, they began to love him and listen to his message. He traveled among the pagans, converting the chieftains and tribes. He built churches and Christian schools. One story tells how he met the Druids as they gathered at Tara for a demonic conference one Easter. He withstood their magic and curses and held off an attack by the Arch-Druid leader who was killed. He taught the convened Druids twice. At first, the Irish chiefs resisted him and opposed his work, but because of his love for God and kindness toward all men and persistence, they began to believe in him and his faith. He served for more than 30 years in Ireland. Almost all the Druid chiefs and their followers became Christians.
When Patrick died on March 17th, in the fifth century, there was great mourning throughout the land. The Irish people made the day a commemoration of the great Christian missionary, Patrick. And even today, 15 centuries later, his life and work are celebrated throughout many nations around the world.
DID YOU KNOW?
That you can read St. Patrick’s own autobiography and testimony? “The Confessio of Saint Patrick” was written in Latin and later translated into English.
That St. Patrick’s color was blue?
That the authentic Irish meal for St. Patrick’s Day was boiled bacon and potatoes? Corned beef was a dish that Irish immigrants from the Potato Famine era in the 1840s started eating after they settled in New York. They were very poor and could only afford inexpensive cuts of beef. After saving money for several days they would, maybe once a week, purchase a piece of meat. Because there were no refrigerators yet, they learned to brine the beef in a salted liquid and spices to make it last for a few meals, which is where corned beef came from.
ST. PATRICK’S DAY IDEAS FOR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS
SHAMROCK SERVICE
Before St. Patrick’s Day, talk to your family about service. Explain that St. Patrick used the symbol of the shamrock to teach about the Godhead. It also is said to represent faith, hope and charity – if there is a fourth leaf it represents luck. To honor the tradition, pass out paper shamrocks or stickers and invite your family to do secret acts of service for each other. When a kind deed is done, leave a shamrock to mark the spot. The recipient can write a brief description of the service. Place the shamrocks on the table for decorations for your holiday dinner.
LILTING MUSIC
Nothing brings the Emerald Isles feeling like Irish music. Download music or CDs can be purchased at music, party or craft stores, or checked out from the library. Can you dance a jig?
MAGIC AT THE MOVIES
For Irish-style entertainment, these movies can’t be beat! Disney’s “Darby O’Gill and the Little People;” Sayle’s “The Secret of Roan Inish;” and “Riverdance.” Don’t forget the TV travel shows featuring tours of Ireland.
IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN
Tint everything green with food coloring: green milk, green eggs, cookies, even green bread for sandwiches. Yes, it’s gross, but the kids get a kick out of it! A not-so-bad treat… green sherbet in lemon-lime soda.
WEARIN’ O THE GREEN
Yes, St. Patrick’s color was blue, but today’s celebration calls for the green of Catholic Northern Ireland, or orange of Protestant Southern Ireland. Invite everyone to wear something green or orange to dinner. Decorate the house with pots of flowers, tied bunches of dried herbs, flowers or wheat with green ribbons to create a festive air.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
For a fun and enlightening time, read books with your children about leprechauns, St. Patrick and Ireland. Teaching them about other cultures helps them learn to appreciate and love people who are different from themselves.
MYSTERIOUS TREASURES
Leave a plate of green treats on the doorstep of a neighbor or friend; with a note from an anonymous friendly leprechaun. Ding-dong-ditch if you are fast enough!
AN IRISH BLESSING FOR YOUR HOME
May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face
May rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again,
May God keep you in the hollow of His hand.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day and Erin go Braugh (Ireland Forever!)
Additional Old Irish Legends
One fascinating old story/legend goes back to Israel in about 600 B.C. Zedekiah’s kingdom was about to fall to a Babylonian invasion. The legend says that the Prophet Jeremiah was the grandfather of Zedekiah’s wife. To save their lives, he smuggled the two Israeli princesses, the Ark of the Covenant and other important religious artifacts including Jacob’s stone pillow out of the country. They first escaped to Egypt, to the place Joseph and Mary would go to protect the Christ child from Herod, a place called Tephanes, “the palace of the Jew’s daughter” or “the house of the old prophet”. When Babylon invaded Egypt, they sailed with members of the tribe of Dan on ships to Spain for refuge, where the younger daughter married into the family of the reigning house.
Jeremiah and the remaining princess eventually settled in Ireland, where he is still remembered in songs and traditions as Ollamh Fodhia “The Old Prophet.” In Ireland, the high king Eochaidh fell in love with the princess Tamar Tephi “Beautiful Palm”. After accepting the religion of Ollamh Fodhia, service to God under the Law of Moses, the king married her, bringing the blood of the House of Israel to royal families that would rule Europe; the Tudors, Stewarts and King George. Eochaidh went on to conquer southern Scotland and when he and his queen died, they were buried at Tara in Ireland, where legends abound. One of the many stories about the disposition of the Ark of the Covenant is that it was supposedly buried at Tara in Ireland.
How Irish Monks Saved Civilization
An entertaining book by Thomas Cahill describes how literate Irish Catholic monks spent years transcribing the tomes that contained the history of Europe, the writings of Plato and the philosophers then hid the books in monasteries, keeping them safe from invasions and book burnings through the Dark Ages.
The Stone of Destiny (The Stone of Scone)
The Stone of Scone, was taken by the English from a Scottish castle and placed in their coronation throne where it remained for centuries, unfortunately representing English domination. The legend is that this stone was the one that the Patriarch Father Jacob was resting on when he had his marvelous dream of angels ascending and descending from heaven on a ladder. It was recently returned to Scotland as a sign of good will.
Mustard-glazed Corned Beef Brisket
This our annual must-have entree for St. Patrick’s Day and although corned beef was an Irish immigrants in America dish, we still love it.
Glazed Corned Beef
This is so tasty, you won’t recognize the corned beef!
Preheat oven to 350°. Place fat side up in a baking pan
1 corned beef brisket, rinsed.
Cover with foil, bake for 2 1/2 hours or until fork-tender. Drain, score meat with a knife,
stud with
whole cloves
Baste with
ginger ale
Brush on glaze, return to oven and bake for 30 – 40 minutes uncovered.
remove, let cool for 15 minutes, slice across the grain
Glaze
1/2 C prepared mustard
1/2 C + 2 TBSP brown sugar
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Spring holidays collide! And yes, that is snow outside.
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