The sweetest thing

Thursday at work we had the cutest little women, 92 yrs. old in a room close to the desk. Her husband looked to be the same age if not a little older. Both so cute and tiny and bent over, but at least still able to walk and get around. They live in an assisted living together, and I am sure they spend almost every waking moment together. He was with her most of the day and would go walking with her during her exercises, right by her side. Just that was a great sight, but 2 or 3 times during the day while she was up in the chair or in bed I would suddenly hear someone singing, and it was him. Just a sweet, soft, crackly voice. I couldn't really hear all the words or recognize the tunes, but he was singing, maybe to her, maybe to himself, but singing. We so often see very sad things, but this almost made me cry. Now my husband is great, but I can honestly say he has never sang to me, I'm not sure what I'd do or how I'd act, but I am sure I would laugh, and he even has a great voice

Depending on the events of your life, growing old may not be such a great blessing, in it's self, but what a blessing to have someone to grow old with. To still hold hands with and talk to and share the events of the day, or just hear a song or two.

Every couple have their own path to make. I am grateful for someone in my life that I can keep on the path with and hold hands.

It's up to you

That is what I kept hearing at the Dr.'s office. He explained what had happened to my knee and showed me on the tiny knee model, and then we talked and talked. Basically it doesn't heal it's self, but you do get used to the problem, and learn to live with the inconvenience of pain and popping, but if it is affecting my normal life, then it needs to be fixed, but it's up to me. I finally asked,"When would I stat to see some improvement?" "Well ,by now, so it's up to me what I what to do?" The scope and repair or just wait and see. He is so far booked out that it wouldn't be until Dec. 21st. Ya right I thought, so I'll schedule it after Christmas and if it's getting better then I'll cancel. That was easy, right?. So I guess I can make up my own mind. Does that sound right, what does everyone else think? (Just kidding).

Last night we had our recipe exchange for one of our little groups in RS, and we really had some great food. The theme was crock-pot cooking. It reminded me of a story many years back in the old ward. I was on the committee for the RS birthday and we all brought different soups for the food. At the end of the evening, we were cleaning up , and I realized my crock-pot insides were missing. My lid and electrical part were in the kitchen, but none of us could find the crock-pot. It never showed up, we announced it for 2 weeks in RS and still it never showed up. So either someone really needed it and it fit theirs or it went home by mistake and they were too embarrassed to bring it back, or they accidental broke it and never told any of us. But if you have a new and clever idea please share it. The best idea will win some great recipe ideas.

Today's thankful moment took some thought, but I and grateful for not having socialized medicine and truly being able to make my own decision, on my time frame.

Tis the season

It's not really winter yet, or Christmas, but on Monday two reminders of those things came to me.
1st. I leave for work at 4:30 a.m., and it was the first really hard frost at our house. All the outside cars had thick, frozen rain/frost on their windshields and my warm truck was cozy in the garage, and no scraping had to take place. I lived,(driving years) since I left home, but even there the garage wasn't mine, for 29 years without a garage. I am so grateful that I have a safe, weather proof garage and that even though it is a 2 car garage, and only one car can fit, that I am the one. Thank you family.

2nd. A number of years ago Kim and I were trying to come up with something different to help with the Christmas spirit. We decide to visit and to thank a few couples in our ward for the great example they were to us and our children. As a family we pick 4 couples. We bought a loaf of Great Harvest bread and honey for each and went out on our visits. I think we were all a little nervous to just knock, unannounced, and say why we were there, especially the kids, but they all went. Those were some of the nicest visits I can ever remember. The couples of-course were so sweet and invited us all in and we just visited. We really should have made that a yearly event but we didn't.

So many people come and go in our lives, many make an impact for the good and others do not. Somehow we need to thank those who do, not necessarily with gifts but at least with words.

This past week at work I had the opportunity to care for one of those men who we visited that season. He is now a widower and was very sick, but he has healed great. But I was grateful that once again I could visit with him and be reminded why he is so special.We are all blessed to have great influences in our lives and we need to let them know how we feel about them.

Motherhood

I was reading bloggs and after I read Annie's I was reminded of earlier days with younger children. I can't remember the ages of all the kids but I had all 4 home so it must of been summer, and I can only remember being at the "end of my motherhood rope". The exact situations with the kids does not even matter, but what I did I will never forget. I called Kim, who sometimes could come home in the middle of the day, and I said "If you ever want to see your kids alive again, you have to come home". Now no horrible act was in my mind, I am 110% sure I would have never harmed them or tried to drown them, but I also didn't have voices in my head telling me what to do. I only had 4 and possibly more voices all wanting and needing something from me and I couldn't give any more. With in 30 - 45 min. Kim came home, as happy as ever and gave me $100.00. Which then would be like $1,000 now and said " go do something nice for yourself. Get a good book, take your swim suit and go to a hotel for a couple of days, go shopping, or just go do something you want and I'll stay home with the kids today and tomorrow. Just let me know where you are.

Well after I picked myself up off the floor and tried to convince him I couldn't just leave. I did just that. I didn't go to a hotel, I would have been scared to do that alone, but I did go to Mom's for 2 days, I went to a movie, out to dinner, visited a friend and most important I had a much needed brake.

I have never believed in the "Super Mom" syndrome, but I am often haunted by the fact that I have never been one. Kim has said that women have a quilt gene that men do not have. But if you need a brake try and take one and when you come back things always look better and you are better.

I am so grateful for my kids, for the Lord blessing me with 4 wonderful and many times challenging kids. But despite my shortcomings they have done pretty good for themselves.

HIGH on the Lords Work

And I mean HIGH. The other RS councilor and I went and did some visiting tonight to new sisters. Our 1st visit was with a sweet widow women new to Utah after serving a mission here a few years ago and wanted to come back and live, She is a convert and so sweet and active with such a strong testimony. After we left I said I don’t think our next visit will be quite the same.

We knocked and shouted we were from the RS and had come to visit. We entered a smoke filled room and were told right off that the guy there was smoking marijuana, just so we knew. But this was her apartment. We were then told that the room over there, as she pointed, was the one she needed help cleaning, because it was full of fruit flies. Confused yet, well we were. We tried to just ask nice friendly questions and she said this wasn’t her husband but she was getting a divorce. We just asked if we could get her full legal name and birthday so we could get her records sent to the ward and then maybe the bishop could help her. She doesn’t know her real name. because I think her mom is dead or gone and that her grandma just put some random name on her birth certificate, but did I want her DNA? When she finally gave us a name and date we had forgotten a pencil and she asked the boy to get one and he said no because he didn’t have any pants on, so I told him to stay put and we’d remember the info. I thought that maybe they were both HI. I then noticed a highchair and asked if she had a child, NO but I am 8 months preg. Now this whole thing isn’t so funny. And my eyes are staring to itch and we really need to get out of there. A few more very strange things are said and we finally leave. This young women had called our bishop earlier in the week asking for $$$ help. She wouldn’t or couldn’t give him any personal information and didn’t want any one to visit, so guess who gets the job, the RS presidency.

How do people get so messed up? She is only 24 yrs. old. What happens in their lives that this is how they want to live? Why are others so blessed with the desire and will to be the best they can, and want to improve their lives? I may not be the smartest person, or the wealthiest, but I am so grateful and blessed to have the love of good parents, a wonderful husband, loving and supportive children, and most of all the gospel in my life. Life is hard for a lot of people, but as we all know from personal and observation of others, that you can still be a good person with good values if you keep the Lord in your life.

Risks

I found this poem in a sketch book of Bevan’s, in his own hand writing, with a few changes and fixed words. I don’t know if he wrote it or not but I thought it was good.

Risks
To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep it to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk exploring your true self.
To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd it to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying’
To hope is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.

But risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing and is nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love or live.
Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave, he has fortified freedom.
Only a person who risks is free.

Slow to blogg

I'm note just slow to blogg, but I am slow a everything else too.
Wed. the MRI results showed I have torn my meniscus in at least 4 places. They gave me a hinged brace which is SOOOOO much better than the immoblizer brace. I can get around better and in and out of the car. I am working what they call "modified", but I think my regular job is easier on the knee. I just won't be running to any CODEs. I have discovered a few things about the medical feild. If you don't know even little and have a say,or a brain of your own, no one will tell you anything. I had to leave messages and messages for our empolyee health nurse to finially get back with me last week. And at work med. the MD and NP just said, after I got the results, so be careful and try and stay off it. The End. I had to ask for the new brace, the Ortho. MD appt. ask the questions about poss. surgery or rehab. I was just very frustrated because we give our pt's, probaby too much information, and they gave none. So if any of you need a voice give me a call.

Other life. I really like good music, going to the symphony is usually a fun thing to do. Kim and I were given tickets because Mel and Justin couldn't use theirs Fri. night. But I sware my attention span was that of a 5 yr. old. I couldn't sit still, I was constanly looking around, I couldn't get comfortable, my mind was everywhere but on the music. I thought I might have to fake a seizure when the last number wouldn't end. Kim was so into it, I felt bad I was a bad date. I am not ruling out ever going again, but not anytime too soon.

Friday and Sat. Sally and I participated in the Washington Height Babtist Church craft fair again. I don't think we did very well, but it's kind of fun and keeps my creative juices flowing. I'm not sure I'll do it again, but I said that last yr.

I am grateful I have a bit of a creative side. Maybe it's a small talent but it keeps me dusting at least monthly when I change out the decorations.