I haven't added to my blog in about five weeks. I pondered what subjects I might write about but nothing seemed good enough, or interesting enough. I have not had any interesting or scary or lovely adventures. Life just keeps moving in an unending stream of things I need to do, or have to do, or that I should do (which usually don't get done anyway).
But life is wonderful, not boring. I bought eight light yellow pansies and eight bright pink primroses with dark yellow centers, and planted them every other color in the front yard planter. In the top tier there are pink hyacinths, which smell ever so good. The sun has been warm and lovely -- almost 70 degrees yesterday and today. We also bought two dozen strawberry plants and put them in the raised bed beside the driveway, and the good Lord was gracious enough to send a couple of showers to water them in (because my back was too stiff to do it without Him).
Last Sunday evening we went to our annual Venersborg cemetery meeting, and I took the minutes. You should see the hen scratched notes! The pen didn't work right either. I couldn't read much from them, but agan the good Lord helped me remember what I should write while just looking at the agenda. The notes didn't even need editing.
I completed sewing another fleece laprobe this week. I am perfecting an art with the color palates I sew. I give them to family members, the Veterans Hospital and plan to send some to a nursing home.
Two distant cousins sent me emails this week. One from each of my mother's lines. Ever since the new familysearch went on line in Utah, I've been getting about two new emails every week.
I went Visiting Teaching this week to two sisters. I am amazed at the way Barbara can be so organized in running her household. She actually gets her 4-year old son to put back a toy before he gets another one out. And she actually gives things away if they are cluttering her home! Carol is a busy lady. She is involved with the 6-stake dance festival to be held this coming July, and has now been called to lead our stake pioneering trek in 2011. I really enjoy these visits!
Yesterday and today we held our Spring garage sale. We did pretty well and actually sold some of the collectibles that have been taking up room in our house. It was perfect timing for goood weather too -- another tender mercy.
We just finished reading The Hidden Christ by James Farrell and learned a lot about the Old Testament prophets, and how parts of each of their lives paralleled parts of our Savior's life when he was on earth. Next week our stake will put on a huge exhibit called The Life of Christ to be shown to the public over three days. Besides the beautiful artwork, and a grest children's room (I helped put together storybooks for Elizabeth who is in charge of that room); we will also have live groups and individuals performing musical numbers.
So, I guess I've been kind of busy. Maybe that explains my writers block, but basically you just have to start writing anything that comes to mind, and it will build. I'll try to have a good subject for next time. I think I'll go out and buy some more flowers.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
A BOX OF APPLES
"Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof; if we pursue the path that leads to it; this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God." -Joseph Smith Jr.
Last Sunday our RS counselor, Jayna, taught a lesson about happiness, including ways to be happy. So, yesterday I awoke thinking, Am I Happy? What is Happiness?
My prayer that morning was for something interesting to do (not dangerous), and ways we could help others.
The day was about as gorgeous a day as you can find in early February. The sun shined all day and the temperature was in the low 50s. We drove our relatives to the Portland airport and set out to do some errands. We stopped at a fairly new liquidator-type store. After browsing through the aisles of sweatshirts, paper goods, grooming supplies, and groceries, on our way out to the car with our purchases, we noticed some boxes of apples stacked near the doorway. They smelled wonderful. They were choice Washington State Fuji apples, as crisp as the day they were picked. So, we purchased a box for the unbelievably low price of $3.99. The box was huge. We didn't need so many for ourselves so we started thinking of people we could give some to.
Merle took a half-dozen to his friend Ed. Ed gave him several old inner-tubes he needed for a Cub Scout snow adventure. Then we gave a sackfull to a woman and her grandmother whom he home teaches. We called our daughters-in-law who each got a dozen, and we called a sister-in-law who wants a half-a-dozen. We estimated that the box held about 88 normal-size apples when full, and at this point it was down to about 44. Seeing all those smiles made us feel great!
We decided to share some with our neighbors. One had picked up our mail while we were gone for a week, and another had loaned us a weed sprayer. Random thoughts of kindness seem to be catching. Our whole neighborhood could be made happy by a few apples. Next Sunday, Jayna will also be a recipient of some apples. I've heard the saying, "What goes around, comes around." This is her turn. In fact, maybe we'll go buy another box and spread some more happiness.
Last Sunday our RS counselor, Jayna, taught a lesson about happiness, including ways to be happy. So, yesterday I awoke thinking, Am I Happy? What is Happiness?
My prayer that morning was for something interesting to do (not dangerous), and ways we could help others.
The day was about as gorgeous a day as you can find in early February. The sun shined all day and the temperature was in the low 50s. We drove our relatives to the Portland airport and set out to do some errands. We stopped at a fairly new liquidator-type store. After browsing through the aisles of sweatshirts, paper goods, grooming supplies, and groceries, on our way out to the car with our purchases, we noticed some boxes of apples stacked near the doorway. They smelled wonderful. They were choice Washington State Fuji apples, as crisp as the day they were picked. So, we purchased a box for the unbelievably low price of $3.99. The box was huge. We didn't need so many for ourselves so we started thinking of people we could give some to.
Merle took a half-dozen to his friend Ed. Ed gave him several old inner-tubes he needed for a Cub Scout snow adventure. Then we gave a sackfull to a woman and her grandmother whom he home teaches. We called our daughters-in-law who each got a dozen, and we called a sister-in-law who wants a half-a-dozen. We estimated that the box held about 88 normal-size apples when full, and at this point it was down to about 44. Seeing all those smiles made us feel great!
We decided to share some with our neighbors. One had picked up our mail while we were gone for a week, and another had loaned us a weed sprayer. Random thoughts of kindness seem to be catching. Our whole neighborhood could be made happy by a few apples. Next Sunday, Jayna will also be a recipient of some apples. I've heard the saying, "What goes around, comes around." This is her turn. In fact, maybe we'll go buy another box and spread some more happiness.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Our Winter Trip
Well we went to the land of sunshine last week. I'm sure the person who wrote that phrase must have been thinking of the liquid variety. We were in the Phoenix-Mesa-Goodyear-Buckeye Arizona area during what must have been the monsoon of the century! I had packed only warm weather clothes and a thin jacket, so I froze most of the time. It was actually warmer up home, and of course I didn't bring an umbrella!
Our purpose for the trip was to look at possible winter-escape our Pacific Northwest cold, rainy season home. A real estate salesman had six homes in Buckeye (west valley) for us to look at. There were some great buys but we didn't get any of them. Some needed appliances replaced, or they were missing all together. After counting the costs of maintaining two homes we decided to look at other options.
The rain poured down all day and all night--about seven inches over two days. The desert ground doesn't soak up rain like a thirsty sponge, it either sits there on top and forms BIG PUDDLES, or it runs to the nearest low point in the terrain. I was expecting to see a Noah's Ark type boat in one of the yards. Behind Mike's home there is a park carved out of a bowl shaped depression which was now an outdoor swimming pool. In the accompanying pictures which we took on our visit there last year, imagine the water level up past the top line of bushes and you will see where the water line extended. The TV weather man remarked that he had watched his pool fill up, overflow and was heading towards his patio.
When we stopped to look at the 5th house, I looked out the side windows on both sides of the house to see a 6-inch swiftly running stream headed for the street. It was like living on an island. Several major highways were closed up north from Sedona to Flagstaff, where they got nine feet of snow! Buildings with flat roofs had to be shoveled off to keep them from collapsing.
The next day it had stopped raining (except for one quick hailstorm we were caught outdoors in) so we drove Mike's van over to Mesa (east valley) to visit Merle's brother and wife. We all went to a great restauranr--but I forgot the name of it. They live in a manufactured home park. It is a gated community with a pool, recreation building and activities for seniors. We got a list of homes for sale in the park and drove around looking at them. They were all 14-feet (single) wide models with attached Arizona Rooms built on. I had one serious objection to them. The rooms were so small you could barely turn around in them, especially the bedrooms. The park had other perks such as paying for the utilities with the lot rent, and most of the sale homes were fully furnished, but having once lived in a small single-wide trailer at Fort Devens, I could not down-size that far from our 4-bedroom house.
The next day we located a fairly new park near Buckeye called Buena Vista. It had double-wide manufactured homes, so we got the list of those for sale, and a nice saleswoman showed us several. The size was much more to my liking, all were quite new, and all were unfurnished. This park was still being developed. There was a pool but no community organization or activities. At either park we would have to pay the taxes. The costs are different at every park. This park landscaped every lot. The first park let the residents do their own landscaping.
So we put our plans on hold for a couple of months. Merle thinks he wants to drive down there about the end of March (because this is the best time to bargain for homes on sale). We want a double wide in a gated community, as it will provide security while we are up north. There are about 110 parks in the Phoenix-Mesa area, and Merle is a pretty good wheeler-dealer. Stay tuned for further developments.
P.S. My knees didn't hurt while I was in Arizona, but Merle's sciatic nerve still bothered him.
Our purpose for the trip was to look at possible winter-escape our Pacific Northwest cold, rainy season home. A real estate salesman had six homes in Buckeye (west valley) for us to look at. There were some great buys but we didn't get any of them. Some needed appliances replaced, or they were missing all together. After counting the costs of maintaining two homes we decided to look at other options.
The rain poured down all day and all night--about seven inches over two days. The desert ground doesn't soak up rain like a thirsty sponge, it either sits there on top and forms BIG PUDDLES, or it runs to the nearest low point in the terrain. I was expecting to see a Noah's Ark type boat in one of the yards. Behind Mike's home there is a park carved out of a bowl shaped depression which was now an outdoor swimming pool. In the accompanying pictures which we took on our visit there last year, imagine the water level up past the top line of bushes and you will see where the water line extended. The TV weather man remarked that he had watched his pool fill up, overflow and was heading towards his patio.
When we stopped to look at the 5th house, I looked out the side windows on both sides of the house to see a 6-inch swiftly running stream headed for the street. It was like living on an island. Several major highways were closed up north from Sedona to Flagstaff, where they got nine feet of snow! Buildings with flat roofs had to be shoveled off to keep them from collapsing.
The next day it had stopped raining (except for one quick hailstorm we were caught outdoors in) so we drove Mike's van over to Mesa (east valley) to visit Merle's brother and wife. We all went to a great restauranr--but I forgot the name of it. They live in a manufactured home park. It is a gated community with a pool, recreation building and activities for seniors. We got a list of homes for sale in the park and drove around looking at them. They were all 14-feet (single) wide models with attached Arizona Rooms built on. I had one serious objection to them. The rooms were so small you could barely turn around in them, especially the bedrooms. The park had other perks such as paying for the utilities with the lot rent, and most of the sale homes were fully furnished, but having once lived in a small single-wide trailer at Fort Devens, I could not down-size that far from our 4-bedroom house.
The next day we located a fairly new park near Buckeye called Buena Vista. It had double-wide manufactured homes, so we got the list of those for sale, and a nice saleswoman showed us several. The size was much more to my liking, all were quite new, and all were unfurnished. This park was still being developed. There was a pool but no community organization or activities. At either park we would have to pay the taxes. The costs are different at every park. This park landscaped every lot. The first park let the residents do their own landscaping.
So we put our plans on hold for a couple of months. Merle thinks he wants to drive down there about the end of March (because this is the best time to bargain for homes on sale). We want a double wide in a gated community, as it will provide security while we are up north. There are about 110 parks in the Phoenix-Mesa area, and Merle is a pretty good wheeler-dealer. Stay tuned for further developments.
P.S. My knees didn't hurt while I was in Arizona, but Merle's sciatic nerve still bothered him.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Ode to the Sun
This was originally written Jan 30, 1994 - by Lois Kullberg
Where have you been my absent friend?
Could you not come, my heart to mend?
Thick fog surrounded earth and sky,
Both day and night 'til I could cry.
But now I sing my morning song,
Your face is back as I walk along
The streets are bathed in warmth and light,
The birds sing songs of sheer delight.
I walk along the avenue,
Little blossoms peeping through,
The greenest grass, thr bluest sky,
The fairest day of all, says I.
An early morn in early Spring,
My joy is full, my soul does sing,
'Twas it not for feeling shades of gray,
I would not feel so grand today!
Where have you been my absent friend?
Could you not come, my heart to mend?
Thick fog surrounded earth and sky,
Both day and night 'til I could cry.
But now I sing my morning song,
Your face is back as I walk along
The streets are bathed in warmth and light,
The birds sing songs of sheer delight.
I walk along the avenue,
Little blossoms peeping through,
The greenest grass, thr bluest sky,
The fairest day of all, says I.
An early morn in early Spring,
My joy is full, my soul does sing,
'Twas it not for feeling shades of gray,
I would not feel so grand today!
THE LADIES' LUNCHEON
The topics of conversationat at our ladies' lunch today,
covered symptoms, signs and pills, plus woes of yesterday.
We talked of operations, and which doctor we should see,
For throats, or eyes, or age spots or gastroentology.
One had feet still aching, or was it a back or a head?
Who cares? Substitute your own complaint right here instead.
My joints are sore, my feet are cold, but I am not getting old.
My mind is clear, I feel so young; my mem-ries are full of fun.
Meeting challenges of life with Botox and surgery,
Can make me look more glam-rous, but do I want to be?
No regrets are in my way, I earned my wrinkles and locks of gray,
I'll wear them as a badge of pride, 'til I make it to the other side!
covered symptoms, signs and pills, plus woes of yesterday.
We talked of operations, and which doctor we should see,
For throats, or eyes, or age spots or gastroentology.
One had feet still aching, or was it a back or a head?
Who cares? Substitute your own complaint right here instead.
My joints are sore, my feet are cold, but I am not getting old.
My mind is clear, I feel so young; my mem-ries are full of fun.
Meeting challenges of life with Botox and surgery,
Can make me look more glam-rous, but do I want to be?
No regrets are in my way, I earned my wrinkles and locks of gray,
I'll wear them as a badge of pride, 'til I make it to the other side!
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