It seems ODD to me to have just gone hiking MONDAY and been sweating in the heat (90 degrees) to WEDNESDAY (today) having 12 inches of snow at the same hike.
By the way, we hiked from 8500 feet to 11000 feet........It was a little hard for me to get a good breath in the thinner air up there.......But it was sure pretty. I'll post some pictures later today.
90 yesterday at our house, 50 today...........that is a 40 degree drop. I think that is weird.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Not in the plans!
Well, today was the day I had to go and exchange my Risco (realtor) key and lock boxes. I came to find my rear tire FLAT as a pancake. I (do you hear that) changed my tire, and then went to Big O to have my flat fixed. They brought out my tire and said, "The whole rim is rotted, both back tires are a huge candidate for a blowout or just to 'fall off'." Well, I can tell you one thing I didn't want, and that was to have to replace two tires today, but on the other hand, I have to drive to Bountiful tomorrow, and Seattle next week--And wouldn't that be TERRIBLE to have a blow out. So I feel frustrated and blessed at the same time..............:)
Fun!
There is a very cute blog that Annie found. It is called Gourmet Mom on the Go. (I just googled it and it came up on top). She has some really cute and really fun ideas! I liked the edible chandelier. I wish I would have thought of that when I had everyone at home. You all would have had such fun making it, and it would have been such a fun dinner treat!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Must be fall in Utah
Monday is supposed to be 88 degrees, Wednesday 58! Tuesday in-between, very windy!
Monday, September 21, 2009
My talk
I started out by reading the parable of the Good Samaritan. {Our subject was on being a good neighbor}Times change and circumstance vary, but Jesus' teaching to the lawyer applies to you and me just as surely as though we heard His voice speaking directly to us. The Savior is our example. His entire ministry exemplified pure love of neighbor. [Monson]
But what about us in our time? How do we love our neighbor?
As Steve and I left Provo, and it's plethora of like minded young marrieds, and moved to our first apartment in Beaverton, Oregon, we were excited for life's new adventures. We spent the day moving our few possessions into our apartment, and then I began fixing our evening meal. I discovered that the disposal didn't work, so I called the manager, and he came right over. Soon he was banging around on the pipes under the sink. Just then the doorbell rang. I opened the door in anticipation of a friendly neighbor welcoming us to Oregon and our new home. Instead I saw a wizened old man with scraggly hair and a three days growth of stubble, standing there in his thin and faded pajama bottoms, with a steel gaff hook in his hands, ready to strike. My smile faded and I took a step back. He hollered about all the noise we were making. The manager quickly calmed him down and sent him back across the hall. He was my new neighbor! I was not brave enough to ever knock on his door, but I did leave him a fresh loaf of bread or a plate of cookies with a cheery note attached on his doorstep on my baking day. It took about a year, but one day he invited us over to show us the genealogy work he was doing, and a beautiful rug that he was hooking and had about half complete. We told him about the church and the genealogy resources available there. We admired the rug and his handiwork. He taught Steve and I how to do it, and then insisted that we take it home with us and complete and use it. Steve and I worked on that rug one row a day for a year, and it was finally complete. It is still in use at my mother's home, looking as beautiful as the day it was finished, and a tribute to a friendship that developed from someone I would never have chosen for a neighbor.
Most of us profess to love God. We are all fairly in tune with the idea that we need to have faith, repent, be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. Most of us have done that. The challenge then is to forget ourselves and love our neighbors. Our neighbors include those we live with in our own homes, those that live next door, and any other person that crosses our path as we journey through life. Sometimes we can feel overwhelmed with where to begin.
First, we need to start at home. Steve is going to cover this.
Second, we need to reach out to those who live near. Be a courteous driver, a kind boss or coworker, a friendly patron as you shop, a good sport and team member. Use politeness on the phone and in person.
Some people are easy to love, like our across the street neighbor in Oregon. She was a sweet grandma that lived alone. Our family loved her and served her. For the five years we lived across from her, my children either took her a plate of dinner, or she came to our home to eat. My son mowed her lawn, even doing fun things like mowing a jack-o-lantern pattern into her grass to make life fun for her. My daughters loved to help her clean. She loved us, and we loved her.
However, some are not so easy, like our two next door neighbors at the same house. The one on the right was just an angry abusive man. He was vindictive and unkind. He even got angry when our tree dropped any leaves in his yard...and would get out his leaf blower and blow the leaves back where they belonged! Bread and cookies would calm him down for a little while. If a ball happened to venture over the fence, he would shred it and send it back over with a nasty note attached. Once he shot at our children with a BB gun when they were in the backyard playing. I was worried 'today a BB gun, tomorrow a shotgun', so we asked the police to come to our home to ask his opinion as to our options. He said, "Let me go talk to him." He came back and said, "Put up a tall fence, he is one mean man." We did put up a 10 foot fence, but we also always treated him with kindness, saying a friendly hello when he was out working in the yard, and shared treats his way. Eventually he invited us in to see his birds, showed us his beautiful back yard, and we could visit in a somewhat neighborly fashion. Sometimes fences make good neighbors.
An alcoholic man and his elderly mother lived on our other side. He was a terrible alcoholic, with all the bizarre behaviors that go with that condition. Still, we were friendly. He would come over to borrow things or visit for a while. I would go to his home to visit his mother. We were the only people in the neighborhood that ever spoke to him, and I don't think anyone else even knew his mother lived there. One evening his mother began choking. He ran to us for help, but it was too late, and she passed away. He didn't know what to do. He was alone, unemployed, no friends, no family. With the help of our bishop, we prepared and held a funeral for his mother at our ward building. There were four of us in attendance. Sometimes a neighbor can't reciprocate a kindness, but still their burdens can be made lighter.
Some neighbors become easy. Shortly after moving into our neighborhood, the Relief Society President called me and said, "You have an inaccessible family in your neighborhood, who have asked for no contact from the church." I told her that no one in our neighborhood was inaccessible to me, so I went and knocked on her door. Come to find our we both had two year olds. She was expecting again and terribly ill. I said, "Wow, it seems to me like you could use some visiting teachers--they could help babysit, bring in meals, clean your house, really help you out. In her desperate state, she agreed. As soon as her baby was born, the entire family came back to church in full fellowship. That two year old is now a Junior at BYU.
We need to reach out to the world. Maybe I can't go to Afghanistan to help in an orphanage, but I can make a doll, or some colorful blocks and donate them to the Humanitarian Service Center. Maybe I can't accompany my brother in law as he travels to Peru to do dental work, but I can make newborn kits and hygiene kits to send with him.
For two years in Oregon, I invited the eight- seven and eight year old girls that lived in our neighborhood and formed what I called "The Kindness Club". I made them vests, and they earned badges by doing kind deeds in their homes, school and community. On club days they were supposed to wear their vests to school. On the back, the vests said, "Kindness beings with me." I did this as a reminder to all who saw the girls. Those girls have now all grown and live throughout the world. Hopefully they are still spreading kindness.
Remember that not every person that crosses your path will be kind, nor even seem worthy of love, but no matter how hardened by sin and poor choices, they are still sons and daughters of Heavenly Father and He loves us all.
Maybe we in this ward can join together in our own Kindness Club and spread God's love to the neighbors who share our world.
Amen!
But what about us in our time? How do we love our neighbor?
As Steve and I left Provo, and it's plethora of like minded young marrieds, and moved to our first apartment in Beaverton, Oregon, we were excited for life's new adventures. We spent the day moving our few possessions into our apartment, and then I began fixing our evening meal. I discovered that the disposal didn't work, so I called the manager, and he came right over. Soon he was banging around on the pipes under the sink. Just then the doorbell rang. I opened the door in anticipation of a friendly neighbor welcoming us to Oregon and our new home. Instead I saw a wizened old man with scraggly hair and a three days growth of stubble, standing there in his thin and faded pajama bottoms, with a steel gaff hook in his hands, ready to strike. My smile faded and I took a step back. He hollered about all the noise we were making. The manager quickly calmed him down and sent him back across the hall. He was my new neighbor! I was not brave enough to ever knock on his door, but I did leave him a fresh loaf of bread or a plate of cookies with a cheery note attached on his doorstep on my baking day. It took about a year, but one day he invited us over to show us the genealogy work he was doing, and a beautiful rug that he was hooking and had about half complete. We told him about the church and the genealogy resources available there. We admired the rug and his handiwork. He taught Steve and I how to do it, and then insisted that we take it home with us and complete and use it. Steve and I worked on that rug one row a day for a year, and it was finally complete. It is still in use at my mother's home, looking as beautiful as the day it was finished, and a tribute to a friendship that developed from someone I would never have chosen for a neighbor.
Most of us profess to love God. We are all fairly in tune with the idea that we need to have faith, repent, be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. Most of us have done that. The challenge then is to forget ourselves and love our neighbors. Our neighbors include those we live with in our own homes, those that live next door, and any other person that crosses our path as we journey through life. Sometimes we can feel overwhelmed with where to begin.
First, we need to start at home. Steve is going to cover this.
Second, we need to reach out to those who live near. Be a courteous driver, a kind boss or coworker, a friendly patron as you shop, a good sport and team member. Use politeness on the phone and in person.
Some people are easy to love, like our across the street neighbor in Oregon. She was a sweet grandma that lived alone. Our family loved her and served her. For the five years we lived across from her, my children either took her a plate of dinner, or she came to our home to eat. My son mowed her lawn, even doing fun things like mowing a jack-o-lantern pattern into her grass to make life fun for her. My daughters loved to help her clean. She loved us, and we loved her.
However, some are not so easy, like our two next door neighbors at the same house. The one on the right was just an angry abusive man. He was vindictive and unkind. He even got angry when our tree dropped any leaves in his yard...and would get out his leaf blower and blow the leaves back where they belonged! Bread and cookies would calm him down for a little while. If a ball happened to venture over the fence, he would shred it and send it back over with a nasty note attached. Once he shot at our children with a BB gun when they were in the backyard playing. I was worried 'today a BB gun, tomorrow a shotgun', so we asked the police to come to our home to ask his opinion as to our options. He said, "Let me go talk to him." He came back and said, "Put up a tall fence, he is one mean man." We did put up a 10 foot fence, but we also always treated him with kindness, saying a friendly hello when he was out working in the yard, and shared treats his way. Eventually he invited us in to see his birds, showed us his beautiful back yard, and we could visit in a somewhat neighborly fashion. Sometimes fences make good neighbors.
An alcoholic man and his elderly mother lived on our other side. He was a terrible alcoholic, with all the bizarre behaviors that go with that condition. Still, we were friendly. He would come over to borrow things or visit for a while. I would go to his home to visit his mother. We were the only people in the neighborhood that ever spoke to him, and I don't think anyone else even knew his mother lived there. One evening his mother began choking. He ran to us for help, but it was too late, and she passed away. He didn't know what to do. He was alone, unemployed, no friends, no family. With the help of our bishop, we prepared and held a funeral for his mother at our ward building. There were four of us in attendance. Sometimes a neighbor can't reciprocate a kindness, but still their burdens can be made lighter.
Some neighbors become easy. Shortly after moving into our neighborhood, the Relief Society President called me and said, "You have an inaccessible family in your neighborhood, who have asked for no contact from the church." I told her that no one in our neighborhood was inaccessible to me, so I went and knocked on her door. Come to find our we both had two year olds. She was expecting again and terribly ill. I said, "Wow, it seems to me like you could use some visiting teachers--they could help babysit, bring in meals, clean your house, really help you out. In her desperate state, she agreed. As soon as her baby was born, the entire family came back to church in full fellowship. That two year old is now a Junior at BYU.
We need to reach out to the world. Maybe I can't go to Afghanistan to help in an orphanage, but I can make a doll, or some colorful blocks and donate them to the Humanitarian Service Center. Maybe I can't accompany my brother in law as he travels to Peru to do dental work, but I can make newborn kits and hygiene kits to send with him.
For two years in Oregon, I invited the eight- seven and eight year old girls that lived in our neighborhood and formed what I called "The Kindness Club". I made them vests, and they earned badges by doing kind deeds in their homes, school and community. On club days they were supposed to wear their vests to school. On the back, the vests said, "Kindness beings with me." I did this as a reminder to all who saw the girls. Those girls have now all grown and live throughout the world. Hopefully they are still spreading kindness.
Remember that not every person that crosses your path will be kind, nor even seem worthy of love, but no matter how hardened by sin and poor choices, they are still sons and daughters of Heavenly Father and He loves us all.
Maybe we in this ward can join together in our own Kindness Club and spread God's love to the neighbors who share our world.
Amen!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Self portrait
It is very strange to take a picture of yourself, and I avoid pictures of me anyway, as I am horribly unphotogenic, but, here is the haircut-----nice and easy!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Oh, no!
Wednesday night there was a car that had WAY too bright of headlights. I just can't look at bright light with my right eye. Yesterday I had a headache all day long, and by this morning it is back to the migraine in my eye. I have SO much to do: work, plus sacrament meeting talk and RS lesson on Sunday, plus just the work of living. However, I think my bed is going to win this battle......
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Cute readers and Cute Ray!
Ray with her grilled cheese sandwich and her cheesy smile. (Got to love the dimples)
Cade and Brennan reading stories to each other.
Quick Cure!
It is too inconvenient to heat up water on the stove........so I am now 'cured' of my nightly hot chocolate, since the microwave is kaput!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
I love you all!
Just wanted everyone to know that I love you all so much. Praying for you in all of your needs. {And wants..........at least a few.......}
Hugs and kisses and love all around.
Hugs and kisses and love all around.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Either very ugly or so normal it's invisible!
I was growing out my hair.......The hair was growing, but when my hair starts getting long there is NO body......I have these long unruly, FLAT hairs that don't look pretty. I could get my hair to look nice about once every two weeks. So, one day I got fed up and cut it. Steve LOVES it and spent the next entire week RAVING about it. No one else has said a word--not church, not family, not neighbors, not anyone. I thought, "Well, it either looks so 'normally me' that nobody noticed a change, or it looks SO AWFUL that nobody says anything out of politeness!" The one that surprised me the most was not even Cade said anything, and he notices EVERYTHING. So, I'm assuming I just look like grandma......!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
I didn't take my camera, but......
Yesterday we went to Mill Hollow with the Rigby's. It was a beautiful day, and we had a perfect time. We ate breakfast (Compliments of Annie) in and amongst the trees, with a beautiful gray bird [Called a Gray Jay] eating up the crumbs. Dad took Cade and Brennan out on the Pontoon boat, and they had a marvelous time. We hiked around the lake twice........once before and once after a yummy burnt roasted hot dog (compliments of dad) and s'more lunch! It was such a beautiful, beautiful day. If you only get one day of vacation in the summer, that was a good one.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Our simple garden
The only place I had for a garden was between my cherry trees.....it worked!
That is one BIG zucchini plant! *The fence is 6 feet tall, the plant close to 3!
The zucchini and yellow squash plants dwarf our little evergreen tree!
I pick between 6 and 10 squash every day from this plant. I picked them 'all' this morning. Now it is afternoon!
Dad, listening for the score (BYU/Oklahoma) between mowing the front and back yards. Such a cute picture of dad. I love it!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Liars, I mean Lawyers.......
Dad went to mediation today over the lawyer fees that were charged when we were told (and had a contract that it was a flat fee of $2000 for the case TO summary judgment--which was as far as our case went). One thing, dad said it hardly seemed fair that the mediator was a lawyer........And the second thing, dad said our lawyer--a Mormon--stood there and absolutely lied UNDER OATH. He spouted one lie after another. After all of the lies from our Mormon tenants in the last few weeks---and then these outright lies from our lawyer......are there honest people in the world? I hope so!!! Dad doesn't know how mediation went......he said his piece, the lawyer said his piece, and the mediator (lawyer) makes the judgment. Sleeping pills tonight are in order, I think!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
One more growl.
So, I waited for Bill (old tenant) for 3 hours yesterday afternoon. He finally called and said, "I'll be there in ONE hour". So, I left, came back in one hour. He had driven by and saw I wasn't there and left. I said, "Why didn't you CALL me, or wait five minutes you KNEW I was going to be back there at 7:00". (He drove by at 6:55, I wasn't there, so he left). I told him that I had waited for him for 3 hours yesterday and 11 hours the day before, he surely could have waited for me for 10 minutes. He said, "Well, I couldn't get in....." I said, "Bill, you have the garage door opener." " Oh, yeah, I forgot." So, we were going to meet up at 8:00 this morning. He just called, "I don't have a truck." We said, "It HAS to be gone this morning." He said, "Yeah, I know, because we are leaving this afternoon for Texas, but it is so much stuff." To that I replied, "Both Steve and I have been there to help you....and you don't come." Growl, growl and double growl. Well, if they don't come this morning, then we are going to haul it to the dump.......and they can sue us. They owe us more than their junk is worth anyway. [Query: Where are they getting the money to drive to Texas, when they don't have ANY MONEY to pay the WATER BILL. Also, how have the spend the last several nights at the Marriott??????] The 'worry' of all of this renders me sleepless, so I am a bit GRUMPY this morning. Well, I'm not really grumpy, just frustrated! Still frustrated this afternoon.
One funny thing: I stopped by where Teisa worked to have her sign a form that gave us permission to throw their 'junk' away. Just in case she was hostile, I had a legal form ready as their 'last' option before court. She saw me, started screaming, "You have no right to come to a public place, this is where I work, you can not come here to a public place and give this to me. I am going to call my lawyer." Well, I do know one thing, I CAN go to any public place----so I handed her the legal paper and left. And now they are on their way to Texas to watch a football game...............
One funny thing: I stopped by where Teisa worked to have her sign a form that gave us permission to throw their 'junk' away. Just in case she was hostile, I had a legal form ready as their 'last' option before court. She saw me, started screaming, "You have no right to come to a public place, this is where I work, you can not come here to a public place and give this to me. I am going to call my lawyer." Well, I do know one thing, I CAN go to any public place----so I handed her the legal paper and left. And now they are on their way to Texas to watch a football game...............
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)