About Jewel

The Proverbs Chapter 31 Verses 10-31

 10 ¶Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
 11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
 12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
 13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
 14 She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
 15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
 16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
 17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
 18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
 19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
 20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
 21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
 22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
 23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
 24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
 25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
 26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
 27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
 28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
 29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
 30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

 Neurological Clinic

Under any circumstance returned missionaries have adjustments to make. When Jewel and I returned from London we were no exception––new home, more grown up grandchildren, new ward, speaking obligation at the University of Colorado, consulting at Oklahoma University, new church jobs, etc. The biggest adjustment was that we had changed.

Jewel’s memory problems were more pronounced. My diabetes was controlled. We went to our Doctor, Bruce Hathaway. Dr. Hathaway is an internist specializing in infectious deceases. He studies prescription drugs and all other medications that are in the medical literature. He loaded us down with pills. We spend a fortune on pills. His two favorites are Cerefolin and Deplin. He claimed they protected our hearts, stopped or slowed memory loss and made you more energetic. He said that he believed that if you start taking Cerefolin early enough you can ward off Alzheimer’s Disease. He thought he had prevented Alzheimer’s Disease in this mother this way. You can google Cerefolin and see what clinical tests say.

After some subtle prodding from several sources I made an appointment with the Neurological Clinic at the University of Utah.  It is a 45 minute drive from Provo. The Clinic is located southeast of the main campus, next to the Research Park. Several diagnostic imaging facilities are in the same building. The receptionist gave us the requisite papers to fill out etc. After filling out the papers we waited about an hour reading magazines and watching TV. Finally we were invited  back to a treatment room after they checked Jewel’s blood pressure etc. Soon Dr. Zambrini appeared.
Dr. Zambrini is short, dark complexioned guy from Lebanon.

Hello, I’m Doctor Zambrini.

We are Jewel and Larry Knight.

What is the problem?
Jewel seems to have some memory problems. Are children are concerned  and suggested we consult someone who specializes in Alzheimer’s Disease.  I looked you up on the internet.

Let me ask Jewel a few questions?

Who is the president?  ....I don’t remember.

What floor are we on? ...The third (We were on the first floor. Jewel was nervous.)

I am going to mention three objects. Listen carefully and try to remember them. I will ask you about them later––a white bird, a Christmas tree and a black rock.

Then he went through a number of exercises that required Jewel to follow complicated directions. She started to focus and for about half an hour she performed every task he gave her. She performed better than I could have. She was amazing. Periodically He would stop and ask her to name the three objects he told her to memorize. She could remember one or two and at first and then none. It was clear that she failed the memory portion of his test, but he was clearly impressed with her performance on the cognitive portion.

Jewel has some memory problems but I don’t think she has Alzheimer’s Disease. We will schedule a CAT scan and an extensive test and evaluation by Dr. Jones and his assistant. The test will take about three hours.

OK

We met with the lady who scheduled the tests. Then we found a good restaurant, had lunch and drove home

Lessons from Jewel

I have three strikes against me. I am an only child, I missed kindergarten and I didn’t earn an Eagle Badge. This made me self-centered, selfish, and insecure. I didn’t have leadership skills or camping, hunting and fishing skills. I wasn’t prepared.

My father died when I was a baby so I was raised by a single mother. When I was six I moved to Provo and lived in a small house on fifth north and about 4th east with my mother, my grandmother Madson, my aunt Amelia who was in the 7th grade, my uncle Orlin who was in the 9th grade and my uncle Park who was a Senior in High School. My mother had to work and go to school, my grandmother let me do what ever I wanted as long I didn’t do any housework. She told I would break the dishes. I think she just thought I was cute. So I was self-centered and selfish.

When I was five years old my mother decided that she wanted to finish her bachelors degree. She had only a two-year teaching credential from Idaho State and some extra classes from Idaho State and summer school at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. My mother discovered that she had enough credits to get her degree if she spent two semesters full time at a University. She decided to go to Brigham Young University and leave me with her mother on the Ranch in Elkhorn, Idaho for the year. I have no idea why she picked BYU. BYU was a small—about 2,000 students—liberal arts college that emphasized teacher training. Maybe she thought it would be easier.

To get to the ranch from Malad, Idaho you drive west onthe Elkhorn road through St. Johns past the LDS Chapel and turn right onto Madsen Lane when you see the red brick one room schoolhouse. My mother taught her brothers and sisters in that school during her first year out of school. She said it was “hell.” The ranch is about one mile from the school on a dirt road. The road continues on a couple miles until it reaches the foot of the mountains. The Madson ranch is the only ranch on Madsen Lane. I don’t know why there is a discrepancy in the spelling. All I know is may great grandfather spelled his name Madsen. I don’t know if their was a falling out in the family or if they the “o” made it more American.

The Madsens were Danish and originally settled Salem when the got to Utah. My grandfather and four of his brothers ended up in southern Idaho or Northern Utah. They worked as sheepherders and freighted wheat to the railhead at Corinne, Utah near Brigham City. They took honey and other goods back to Idaho and sold them to the settlers. This is how my grandfather got hooked up with a pretty little Welch lady, Ann Amelia Clark. They had 11 children—Earl, Hattie, Elva, James, Jack, Orville, Rex, Grant, Parke, Orlin and Amelia Ann. Earl was killed in 1928 in a farm accident and my grandfather died of a heart attack in 1930 when he was 55 years old. When I came to live at the ranch in 1940 I was five years old and very excited to be living with my aunt and uncles. Amelia Ann was 11, Orlin was 13, Parke was 15 and in high school. Grant was 18 and we saw him quite often. James and Jack ran the farm and had since grandfather’s death. James was the oldest son. He was 18 at the time of Grandfather’s death. He gave up college to take over the ranch. He had just married Idonna Nuttal from Downey when I came to stay at the ranch. So he had a new wife and the responsibility to take care of her, his mother and three teen age siblings and me. He immediately started remodeling the house and by putting in indoor plumbing. That first year he and Idonna lived in a rented house in St. Johns. 

The first thing I remember about the ranch was how excited I was when James drove up with his new car and his new bride. It was a brand new 1940 Chevrolet deluxe. I guess I could read a little bit by then because I remember how impressed I was with the word deluxe. James was a quiet man. He didn’t say much. When he did speak it was to tell you what to do or correct you. I was in awe and intimidated by James.
                                           
I enjoyed the interaction of my aunt and uncles although I was mostly an observer. I was kind of young. The Madsons are not very talkative, but they did enjoy teasing me. Orlin convinced me that eating the crust of the bread would put hair on my chest. I ate a lot of homemade bread not entirely because it tasted so good. I do have quite a bit of hair on my chest. Shortly after seeing James’ new car we traveled to Malad to buy our winter supply of food. The store was across the street from Malad High School, just up the hill from the Malad Mill where the farmers bring their wheat each fall. It looks just like the Lehi Roller Mills. Grandma bought everything in the store. She bought by the case, and by the gunnysack. It had to last all winter. We would be snowed in much of the winter. I was delighted when the happy grocer gave me a candy bar after we settled up and loaded the car.

The next adventure was going to school. There wasn’t a question about it. The first day of school I got ready and started down the road with Amelia Ann and Orlin. I was really excited as we walked the mile to school. When we got to school Miss Jones, the young lady who was the teacher greeted us. She was pleasant and seemed interested in me. I told her I was going to stay with my grandmother for the year.

Miss Jones asked, “What grade are you in?”

I said, “First grade.”

Miss Jones, “How old are you?”

Me, “Five.”

Miss Jones, “You have to be six years old to take first grade.”

Amelia, “He is smart. He will do fine in first grade.”

Miss Jones, “I’m sorry, but I cannot allow you to attend school until next year. You will have to go back home and not return.”

So I turned around and walked home all by myself. I guess the teacher thought that eight grades were enough to teach in one room. It didn’t bother her that my grandmother was on the school board. That is why I missed kindergarten. When I started first grade the next year in Provo I was way behind. The first thing they asked me to do was write the alphabet. I made it to “e”. Immediately I realized that I was at the bottom of the class. I made me insecure and shy. I felt like I had to prove I was as good as anyone else.

I joined a Cub Scout Pack when I was 8. It was sponsored by the Community Church located at 2nd North and University Avenue in Provo. Our den mother was Mrs. Canfield who lived at about 250 North on 1st East. Her son Alan was one of my best friends. I completed the cub scout program with flying colors. In March 1947 I turned12 and became a Boy Scout. I became a first class scout in the minimum time. Thus I was encouraged attend a jamboree honoring the pioneers on the hundredth anniversary of their entrance into the Salt Lake Valley. I was the only scout from our ward who went. No leaders went. The main camp was at Camp Williams. I had no friends. No leaders took notice of me. I had nothing to do and it was hot. I felt like I was trapped at the end of the earth with a view of civilization across the ravine. I could see all of the traffic on highway 91 going between Utah County and Salt Lake County. I was miserable. Finally at the end of the week we went to Salt Lake City and attended the dedication of the This is The Place Monument at the mouth of Immigration Canyon. That was kind of cool. Then we marched in the Days of 47’ parade through downtown Salt Lake City. That day wasn’t to bad. That was the end scouting for me. This meant I missed the chance stick it out through adversity and complete a project. I didn’t learn the skills––camping, hunting and fishing, I didn’t learn leadership, or have chance to experience a variety of exciting vocations and hobbies by interacting with helpful adults.

Then I married Jewel.  Jewel saved my life.

She tricked me into having so many babies that I could no longer be self-centered and selfish.

With so many mouths to feed I got over being insecure and shy in order to make enough money to support our family.

She set me straight about scouting too. In her family all the boys got their Eagle including her father. New rules eliminated that possibility for me. My boys all got their Eagle one way or the other.

Through my church work I got involved with Scouting. I learned that scouting was an important resource for preparing a young man to deal with the adult world.

Jewel and Me

Jewel showed signs of memory loss in 2003.

    “What is your little boy’s name?”

    “We call him Aaron.”

    “That’s a cute name.”

    “How many children do you have?”

    “Three.”

    “How old is your little boy?”

    “Five.”

    “He is a cute five year old. What is his name?”

 Jewel started asking the same question repeatedly in the same conversation.
She broke down in the middle of teaching the gospel doctrine class in the American Fork 34th ward. She stopped talking and sobbed, “I can’t do this. I’m sorry.” She had to do a lot of soul searching when the bishop called her to teach the class. She was taught to never refuse a calling. She was terrified but she taught the class anyway and did a good job until the stress got to her. She couldn’t remember what to say under the stress. .

Even before Jewel was called to teach the gospel doctrine class a ‘still small voice” came to me.

    “You need to put your papers in and go on a real mission.”

We had recently served an unreal mission to the Washington D.C. Temple. I promptly submitted the papers because the ‘still small voice’ sound exactly like Jewel.

We were called to the Via Hermosa Temple in southern Mexico. We studied Spanish and learned the temple ordinance in Spanish. I studied harder but Jewel spoke the language better than me. However we never did understand Spanish in Via Hermosa. They talked to fast. We got along OK with Spanglish.

After six months they sent us to England to work in the London Temple. We did every job in the London Temple except sealing. Jewel was having trouble with her memory. When we ran the baptistry I helped with the records. When we were the shift leaders we ran the Temple. We made sure everybody was assigned to the right place at the right time. I helped Jewel remember who was where and when they needed to be somewhere else. It worked fine. Jewel learned all the ordinances and was admired and loved by everyone.

When we got home partly at the suggestion of our kids we went to the neurological clinic at the U of U. They diagnosed Jewel with pre alzheimer’s mild dementia. Dr. Hathaway prescribed some medication with some suggestions from Dr. Zamrini.


Jewel’s Pills:

• Cerefolin NAC 2
• Deplin
• Diovan
• Aricept
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin C
• Alprazolam
• L-thyroxxine

Jewel Update

I am going to try to keep up writing on this blog. I will send stuff that I have been accumulating for a memoir -- random stuff. I will also keep you up to date on Jewel. In that respect I talked with the President Sabins about respite stay for Jewel at Bel Aire Assisted Living in American Fork. They have an Alzheimer's unit. He said they would be happy to have Jewel as long as they had a bed for her. He said they two beds right now. He asked that we give the a few weeks of notice. I talked with a lady before reaching Steve Sabins. She said they define respite as two weeks or less. The charge is $150 a day. You probably all know that Jewel did the 5 K Aspen Senior Center race. She won in her age class. Amy cut and colored her hair. She is beautiful.

Father's Day 2005

Father's Day 2005 from Katy Knight on Vimeo.

Letter to Mom

I gave this letter to mom a coupe of weeks ago as part of my "step 9" ... I don't think she read it so I wanted to share it with all of by siblings:

Dear Mom,

I miss you. I really appreciate what a great mom you were to me and are now. You worked hard for your family. You lived the gospel and taught your children the gospel. You sacrificed your own wants and desires so your children would have opportunities in life.

I appreciate you having me learn to play the violin. The process of daily practice and precision has crossed over into other parts of my life, especially in relation to spiritual matters.

You always knew what I needed even when I didn’t. Your focus on scripture study, and prayer was a great example to me. Because of your example, I “know what source I should look to for a remission of my sins.” (2 Nephi 25:26) You were a great support to me in helping me resolve some of the physical hardships that a teenager faces such as braces, acne, and weight. I appreciate you letting me be who I wanted to be. I knew you were proud of me for being kind to my peers in junior high and high school and for the good grades and extra curricular activities I was involved in.

I’m proud of you for what you are doing now in your life. You are an example of enduring to the end and doing it well. I know it isn’t easy and you wish you could skip this part. I’m not sure why we have to go through the things we do but I do believe it is to make better as well as those around us better.

I love you. Thank you for encouraging me to not hide and to show the world and myself who I really am. I finally have figured out how to do that and I realize now that that was what you were trying to get me to do for so many years.

Mother's Day 2005

Mother's Day 2005 from Katy Knight on Vimeo.