Today is Monday, April 9, 2012. The sun was shining this morning but now it has gone behind a cloud.
When we came home from Nauvoo, Illinois, in November 2011, my plan was to write a blog at least once a week. How have I done? Well, not so well. This is my fourth one since the beginning of the year. That is 13 weeks of 2012. As you may guess, consistency and living up to my goals are not always what I do. Even though I mean well, and have writing ideas nearly every day.
Yesterday was Easter. Such a wonderful day! Our Church Sacrament Meeting was very inspiring and made me appreciate my Savior, Jesus Christ, even more so than I did on Saturday. I am grateful to know that He lives, that He was resurrected and that He gave His life for me. The music yesterday was especially beautiful. I had asked a certain young mother to sing a solo. She chose a thought provoking new song entitled "For Me Alone." The choir sang "A Redeemer For All," words and music written by a husband and wife (talented friends of ours). The other musical number was a duet - husband and wife - strong singers and a beautiful couple. Their song was "I Know That My Redeemer Lives." There were 4 speakers - a sweet young teenage girl, and three fine men - each sharing a part of the Savior's life from the Scriptures and then their personal testimony of Jesus Christ. An awesome worship service.
The day continued to be uplifting and special in many ways. We treated our three grown up daughters who came to dinner with surprise Easter baskets. They haven't had an Easter basket for years andthey were just as excited as they could be. Dinner was ham, escalloped potatoes, fresh broccoli, and deviled eggs. (We wondered why they are called deviled eggs and joked - Is it okay to eat deviled eggs on Easter? Maybe we should call them de-deviled eggs.) And to top off that menu, we had strawberry shortcake. What is there that beats Strawberry Shortcake? And it tastes the best with the rich red sweetened strawberries in plenty of juice over a rich bisquit shortcake. Rich bisquit shortcake is better than sponge cake or angel food cake or white cake. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream and you have food fit for a King (or Queen).
Visiting with family finished off the evening and we all rejoiced in our personal Easter Celebration. When it was time for evening prayer we expressed our gratitude for many, many rich blessings of the day. Thank you, Lord, for thy rich bounteous blessings.
Will I be more consistent is my writing of a blog each week? All I can say is I plan to try.
That's all for today.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Goals
Today is Friday, February 24, 2012. It is 5 minutes after my last post. The sun is still bright and beautiful.
I've been thinking a lot about this new year and goals I had set for myself. They are not really resolutions - just some goals.
While we were in Nauvoo for the last year and a half, each day was pretty well scheduled for us. As it came time for us to be released as Temple Missionaries and return home, I bagan to wonder what I would do with all of those hours. I decided I would practice the piano everyday, write in my journal every day, spend time identifying photos, and do some sewing and write a blog at least once a week.
Here it is nearly the end of February. How have I done with those goals I set for myself? Well, I've written in my journal at least once a week (sometimes I play catch up on Sunday). I've done some sewing (made 6 or 7 hot pads from quilt blocks my mother cut out years ago). The;re have been days when I have not even touched the piano - other days when I have spent more than an hour playing it. Blogs - well, I have done ONE so far this year. This is my second one for 2012. (Well, actually my third.)
I've been sorting through possessions. We have many possessions. And I am such a saver. I have school programs and certificates for each of our children. I have a file folder for each one with all the things I find. I need to ship them off to each one now that they have their own homes. That would make a lot of room in my filing cabinet.
I am trying to be very selective in what I keep in the way of paper stuff. In 1991 Christo, a world renowned artist, had an unmbrella display through the Lebec and Grapevine area of Hwy 99. The Bakersfield Californian did a whole section about it. Should I keep that thing any longer? And I have a large calendar from the Californian where I wrote our activities for each day. It is packed with family history. And pages and pages of Valentines from when I was in the second grade and the third grade. I decided to pick out one or two that looked special and sent the rest to recycling.
Fabric - oh my gosh! My grandma loved fabric, my mother loved fabric and I love fabric. I am trying to be relentless is sending fabric to DI. We only have so much space and when will I ever use it? Most of it was given to Mother or me by someone else who collected fabric and had to clear out their supply.
And costumes I've kept over the years - I have been involved in many plays and productions and used many of them. I am narrowing down from 7 boxes to only two and considering just saving one. Nowadays, unless the costumes are vintage or wonderful looking, no one would wear them. I used to think our grandchildren would like to play dress up but not so. Our grandchildren have too many electronic devices to play with. Dress up only happens once a year, at Christmas for the Nativity Scene.
And dishes and pots and pans. I remember my mother's kitchen when she lived all alone. She had a huge cupboard (it had been the storage place for the washing machine) FILLED with pots and pans. Some she hadn't used in 20 years. Guess what? I have some I haven't used for 3 years. And guess what got donated to DI. Dishes, too. We lived for a year and a half with 8 plates, 8 bowls, 8 sets of silverware, 4 pans, 2 skillets, 8 glasses, 2 mixing bowls, 2 cookie sheets, 2 or 3 serving bowls. And we got along just fine.
We have spent these first months sorting things in the house. Now we are working on the "keepsakes" in the garage. We are de-cluttering. It's a great feeling. Maybe we are helping someone else, too. But I want to do better at my first plan - play the piano every day, write in my journal every day and blog at least once a week. The other activities I can enjoy as well. My Grandma McG used to say you have 24 hours everyday and just as much time as the President.
That's all for this blog.
I've been thinking a lot about this new year and goals I had set for myself. They are not really resolutions - just some goals.
While we were in Nauvoo for the last year and a half, each day was pretty well scheduled for us. As it came time for us to be released as Temple Missionaries and return home, I bagan to wonder what I would do with all of those hours. I decided I would practice the piano everyday, write in my journal every day, spend time identifying photos, and do some sewing and write a blog at least once a week.
Here it is nearly the end of February. How have I done with those goals I set for myself? Well, I've written in my journal at least once a week (sometimes I play catch up on Sunday). I've done some sewing (made 6 or 7 hot pads from quilt blocks my mother cut out years ago). The;re have been days when I have not even touched the piano - other days when I have spent more than an hour playing it. Blogs - well, I have done ONE so far this year. This is my second one for 2012. (Well, actually my third.)
I've been sorting through possessions. We have many possessions. And I am such a saver. I have school programs and certificates for each of our children. I have a file folder for each one with all the things I find. I need to ship them off to each one now that they have their own homes. That would make a lot of room in my filing cabinet.
I am trying to be very selective in what I keep in the way of paper stuff. In 1991 Christo, a world renowned artist, had an unmbrella display through the Lebec and Grapevine area of Hwy 99. The Bakersfield Californian did a whole section about it. Should I keep that thing any longer? And I have a large calendar from the Californian where I wrote our activities for each day. It is packed with family history. And pages and pages of Valentines from when I was in the second grade and the third grade. I decided to pick out one or two that looked special and sent the rest to recycling.
Fabric - oh my gosh! My grandma loved fabric, my mother loved fabric and I love fabric. I am trying to be relentless is sending fabric to DI. We only have so much space and when will I ever use it? Most of it was given to Mother or me by someone else who collected fabric and had to clear out their supply.
And costumes I've kept over the years - I have been involved in many plays and productions and used many of them. I am narrowing down from 7 boxes to only two and considering just saving one. Nowadays, unless the costumes are vintage or wonderful looking, no one would wear them. I used to think our grandchildren would like to play dress up but not so. Our grandchildren have too many electronic devices to play with. Dress up only happens once a year, at Christmas for the Nativity Scene.
And dishes and pots and pans. I remember my mother's kitchen when she lived all alone. She had a huge cupboard (it had been the storage place for the washing machine) FILLED with pots and pans. Some she hadn't used in 20 years. Guess what? I have some I haven't used for 3 years. And guess what got donated to DI. Dishes, too. We lived for a year and a half with 8 plates, 8 bowls, 8 sets of silverware, 4 pans, 2 skillets, 8 glasses, 2 mixing bowls, 2 cookie sheets, 2 or 3 serving bowls. And we got along just fine.
We have spent these first months sorting things in the house. Now we are working on the "keepsakes" in the garage. We are de-cluttering. It's a great feeling. Maybe we are helping someone else, too. But I want to do better at my first plan - play the piano every day, write in my journal every day and blog at least once a week. The other activities I can enjoy as well. My Grandma McG used to say you have 24 hours everyday and just as much time as the President.
That's all for this blog.
Computer Frustration
Today is Friday, February 24, 2012. The sun is shining and it is a beautiful day outside.
And I am so so very frustrated with getting onto my blog. Yesterday I had 30 minutes to spare after getting showered and dressed to go to the Temple. "A great time to write a blog, " I said to myself. I sat down at the computer, clicked on Favorites, went down to my blog. Clicked on it. Everything came up just right but when I tried to sign in, I couldn't. I clicked on all the right places. Then I had to reenter everything again and add those crazy little words. Well, my eyes aren't what they used to be. I was sure I typed in the right letters but another crazy word just kept appearing. I typed it in - I can't remember how many times - but too many. Then I got the message that they would send me an e-mail with instructions for getting onto my blog.
Well, by this time my 30 minutes was all used up and we went off to spend our afternoon at the Sacramento Temple. And I tried to not think
about my computer frustration.
Home about 5:30. I decided to eat supper before I checked on the crazy blog problem. Sure enough, there was an e-mail.. I followed everything it said. LOL that anything worked. Same old process as in the morning. Finally I gave up and went to my iPad to send a text.
Wouldn't you know it? Even that "computer" caused me problems. I put a new contact in the other day. (I read all the info in textplus, my texting program, followed the instruction and got this new "contact.") I pulled up the new number, typed my message and pushed send. Within two minutes I had two answers - but not from the person I sent the message to. What's up with that?
I totally understand better the Biblical description of "the great and terrible day of the Lord. " I love all the things computers can do and I consider them great. But some days nothing seems to work right and they are "TERRIBLE."
My biggest challenge is I can't figure out why they are frequently inconsistent. I am not a stupid person, I know that. And it seems to me if I do the same action, the computer ought to behave in the same way. But it doesn't. And "help" doesn't HELP very much either.
Okay, that was yesterday. Wednesday wasn't much better. We were working on Family History. I went to the PAF program to find my files. Guess what? I couldn't bring up my records. We went through a box of disks, found the last back up disk, put it in and got them on. Finally!! For some reason we had more than one back up disk. (I will take the blame for that.) And we did throw away 4 disks that seemed to bring up nothing on the computer. (Was that all we accomplished on Wednesday?) And the big problem is - we don't know that we learned anything. And for some reason I have dozens and dozens of duplicate names. Did I have more than one back-up on the same disk? Who knows? Anyway it has been two days of computer frustrations.
Now the big question is - Why, why, do the games all work right all of the time? It has to be a conspiracy of some sort. When I want to be productive - work on family history, or my blog, or e-mail, or something really constructive I am faced with challenge after challenge. Yet if I click on a game, it comes right up, everything works just right and I could play it forever without a hitch. Talk about temptation!!! Thankfully, I can resist spending hours with some silly game - leave the computer and go play the piano or sew or do dishes or sort pictures or write in my journal.
I am going to do more than one blog today - that is to make up for what happened to me yesterday. Yesterday I was planning to write a blog about my goals. I am going to do it today.
That is all I have to say about computer frustrations for the time being. It's going to be a great day.
And I am so so very frustrated with getting onto my blog. Yesterday I had 30 minutes to spare after getting showered and dressed to go to the Temple. "A great time to write a blog, " I said to myself. I sat down at the computer, clicked on Favorites, went down to my blog. Clicked on it. Everything came up just right but when I tried to sign in, I couldn't. I clicked on all the right places. Then I had to reenter everything again and add those crazy little words. Well, my eyes aren't what they used to be. I was sure I typed in the right letters but another crazy word just kept appearing. I typed it in - I can't remember how many times - but too many. Then I got the message that they would send me an e-mail with instructions for getting onto my blog.
Well, by this time my 30 minutes was all used up and we went off to spend our afternoon at the Sacramento Temple. And I tried to not think
about my computer frustration.
Home about 5:30. I decided to eat supper before I checked on the crazy blog problem. Sure enough, there was an e-mail.. I followed everything it said. LOL that anything worked. Same old process as in the morning. Finally I gave up and went to my iPad to send a text.
Wouldn't you know it? Even that "computer" caused me problems. I put a new contact in the other day. (I read all the info in textplus, my texting program, followed the instruction and got this new "contact.") I pulled up the new number, typed my message and pushed send. Within two minutes I had two answers - but not from the person I sent the message to. What's up with that?
I totally understand better the Biblical description of "the great and terrible day of the Lord. " I love all the things computers can do and I consider them great. But some days nothing seems to work right and they are "TERRIBLE."
My biggest challenge is I can't figure out why they are frequently inconsistent. I am not a stupid person, I know that. And it seems to me if I do the same action, the computer ought to behave in the same way. But it doesn't. And "help" doesn't HELP very much either.
Okay, that was yesterday. Wednesday wasn't much better. We were working on Family History. I went to the PAF program to find my files. Guess what? I couldn't bring up my records. We went through a box of disks, found the last back up disk, put it in and got them on. Finally!! For some reason we had more than one back up disk. (I will take the blame for that.) And we did throw away 4 disks that seemed to bring up nothing on the computer. (Was that all we accomplished on Wednesday?) And the big problem is - we don't know that we learned anything. And for some reason I have dozens and dozens of duplicate names. Did I have more than one back-up on the same disk? Who knows? Anyway it has been two days of computer frustrations.
Now the big question is - Why, why, do the games all work right all of the time? It has to be a conspiracy of some sort. When I want to be productive - work on family history, or my blog, or e-mail, or something really constructive I am faced with challenge after challenge. Yet if I click on a game, it comes right up, everything works just right and I could play it forever without a hitch. Talk about temptation!!! Thankfully, I can resist spending hours with some silly game - leave the computer and go play the piano or sew or do dishes or sort pictures or write in my journal.
I am going to do more than one blog today - that is to make up for what happened to me yesterday. Yesterday I was planning to write a blog about my goals. I am going to do it today.
That is all I have to say about computer frustrations for the time being. It's going to be a great day.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
A Trip To The Dentist
Today is Wednesday, January 11, 2012. It is too early in the morning to tell whether it will be sunny or cloudy. Hopefully it will be sunny. That will make my trip to the dentist better.
Saturday night I was eating potato chips along with my yummy sandwich that one of our daughters had made and I crunched on something hard. When I pulled it our of my m0uth, lo and behold, it was a piece of my tooth. Great! Just what we needed! A costly trip to the dentist.
Now that we are senior citizens we have had no insurance coverage for dental work. No coverage for eye glasses either and none for hearing aids. How crazy is that? Just when you need the help the most. Oh, well!
Then I remembered that with our new enrollment in November we were able to choose dental insurance. YEAH! That makes it a bit softer. And thankfully, even though little pieces of my tooth kept breaking off on Sunday, I was in no pain. The filling is totally exposed and the edges are very jagged. And as always, I can hardly keep my tongue away from moving right over to that jagged edge.
I tried to remember to chew on the other side but how hard is that? Anyway, first thing Monday morning I called the dentist's office. Couldn't see me Monday. (If I had been in pain, I'm sure they would have seen to it. But I wasn't and so they wouldn't.) And Tuesday I was substituting in the Temple Office. It would be very hard to get a substitute for the substitute. AND I wasn't hurting. "How about Wednesday?" the receptionist asked. (She's probably not called a receptionist anymore. Everyone seems to have new titles and I am far behind the times.)
Today is Wednesday and at 10:45 AM I will be in the dentist's chair to take care of my broken tooth. I feel certain it will need a cap. Already I have a bunch of gold in my mouth. I told my family that when I die they should take all the gold and turn it in for money.
Oh, well! All that gold just makes me more valuable , right? That gices me a lot to live up to. I guess I ought to try being a better person.
I am glad I like the dentist. He's so kind and caring and reassuring. I had a horrible thought in the night that maybe he won't take my insurance. There are many variable nowadays. "Oh, please, God, help us not to have given up $72 a month for insurance that he won't accept. Why did we not call him first? "
Today will give me that answer about the insurance but whatever, at least I will not have a jagged sharp place in my mouth and I will be able to chew on both sides. That will be worth whatever it takes. And I still have no pain. That is a tender mercy from the Lord.
That's all for today and it will be a good day, I know.
Saturday night I was eating potato chips along with my yummy sandwich that one of our daughters had made and I crunched on something hard. When I pulled it our of my m0uth, lo and behold, it was a piece of my tooth. Great! Just what we needed! A costly trip to the dentist.
Now that we are senior citizens we have had no insurance coverage for dental work. No coverage for eye glasses either and none for hearing aids. How crazy is that? Just when you need the help the most. Oh, well!
Then I remembered that with our new enrollment in November we were able to choose dental insurance. YEAH! That makes it a bit softer. And thankfully, even though little pieces of my tooth kept breaking off on Sunday, I was in no pain. The filling is totally exposed and the edges are very jagged. And as always, I can hardly keep my tongue away from moving right over to that jagged edge.
I tried to remember to chew on the other side but how hard is that? Anyway, first thing Monday morning I called the dentist's office. Couldn't see me Monday. (If I had been in pain, I'm sure they would have seen to it. But I wasn't and so they wouldn't.) And Tuesday I was substituting in the Temple Office. It would be very hard to get a substitute for the substitute. AND I wasn't hurting. "How about Wednesday?" the receptionist asked. (She's probably not called a receptionist anymore. Everyone seems to have new titles and I am far behind the times.)
Today is Wednesday and at 10:45 AM I will be in the dentist's chair to take care of my broken tooth. I feel certain it will need a cap. Already I have a bunch of gold in my mouth. I told my family that when I die they should take all the gold and turn it in for money.
Oh, well! All that gold just makes me more valuable , right? That gices me a lot to live up to. I guess I ought to try being a better person.
I am glad I like the dentist. He's so kind and caring and reassuring. I had a horrible thought in the night that maybe he won't take my insurance. There are many variable nowadays. "Oh, please, God, help us not to have given up $72 a month for insurance that he won't accept. Why did we not call him first? "
Today will give me that answer about the insurance but whatever, at least I will not have a jagged sharp place in my mouth and I will be able to chew on both sides. That will be worth whatever it takes. And I still have no pain. That is a tender mercy from the Lord.
That's all for today and it will be a good day, I know.
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