Weekly update

Apparently now that I've started this I'll be updating it weekly unless I get a flash of brilliance sometime in between! Actually, I seem to have trouble remembering what I've done in the past week, so maybe waiting 7 days is too long! Maybe if I work backwards from yesterday it would help!

Yesterday was a fun day with Andy's kids. They came over and helped me weed and clip dead flowers in the back. We wanted to do the front, too, but there were too many wasps on the daisies out there. I should have taken some photos of them working. Abe used a little watering can (requiring many refills!) to dribble water on plants while Joel and Maddy did the clipping. Afterwards we went to McDonalds where the kids enjoyed the playland and had Happy Meals.





Then we came back to my house and the kids helped me put out the fall and Halloween decorations. Then it was time for them to go home.

On Thursday my cousin Debbie (Halterman) and I went to Southern Utah to see several relatives. We went primarily to see our uncle Daryl Halterman, whom I had not seen since he left my Heywood grandparents' home in S. California to join the Air Corps in 1943. It was wonderful to get a little acquainted with him and his new wife, who is from Parowan. Uncle Daryl, who was a career Air Firce Officer, lived in Florida and hadn't been out west since he left home. He and his wife were sweethearts who parted when he left, married others, and now are back together. He is 84 and a newlywed. That beats my David! We visited our Uncle Bud Halterman, who was a police officer in San Bernardino for many years, now retired to Parowan, and our Aunt Lois, who is in a care center in Cedar City. I didn't take any photos of them, but here is one of Daryl and Katy and Debbie and me each with Uncle Daryl





LeeAnn's two little boys were here for awhile on Monday morning while she and George went to an appointment. And on Sunday I went to the homecoming sacrament meeting for my friend Judy Needham, returning from the Riverside California Mission.

On Friday Sandra took me to lunch for my birthday, since I'll be gone next week. We planned on going to a new place called Spark in downtown Provo, had some difficulty find it, but when we did they had a 25 minute wait. So we went a few doors down to a new Italian restaurant, which was wonderful! Yummy, yummy! The highlight was the "birthday" dessert of a fabulous layered chocolate cake with vanilla creme, chocolate, and nutella, with cream, crumbled phylo, and chopped almonts icing. They have a whole display case of gorgeous cakes and desserts as well as a gelato bar. I'm sure we'll be going there again.

Today is my turn to teach Sunday School--"Faith in Every Footstep." This is a really great calling for me. I don't know why I get so nervous every time.

Tomorrow morning I'll be taking Sandra to the airport at 5:30 a.m. and then on Tuesday I have a flight to Long Beach at 11 a.m., so Kevin will take me about 9 on his way to work. I'll be home in the evening on September 30.

I received a very good financial surprise on Friday. Once again Heavenly Father has provided for me in a miraculous way. So for right now, I'm not immediately considering a mission. I think there is other work for me to do here.

Another quilt finished (Lily)

Last night I stayed up late finishing Lily's quilt and watching the first episodes of the BBC "As Time Goes By" which I have seen occasionally but never from the beginning or consistently. I know I posted just the top before, but now it is ready to send to her. Wahoo!! Since her birthday is the 25th I have managed just in time. Now I will start quilting the one for Magdalena. I'm also cutting pieces for the new baby's quilt. (Did I mention that already?) I want to work on the piecing when I'm at Bonnie's in a couple of weeks, so I won't do much on it here. I am doing it in the Pinwheel design. I had planned to do a double pinwheel but my fabric choices didn't seem to work as well for that so I'll do just a pinwheel. It will go together quite quickly, I think. The piecing is simple, but it will no doubt take me longer to quilt properly.

This has been a good week. On Monday everybody came over and Kevin barbecued hot dogs and hamburgers for us. I had hoped the little kids would want to watch something on Netflix but when they get together they mostly want to run around and be active, so I guess I'll mostly use it when they come over to spend the night from time to time.

Friday was Grandparents Day in Echo's first grade class, so I went over for an hour and did some activities with her class in small groups. It was very fun, and just enough to let me know I really don't want to substitute in the elementary schools. It's not that I wouldn't enjoy the kids, but as I looked around the classroom, I remembered how much multi-tasking and energy it takes to manage a classroom, and I don't think I could do it very well any more. I no longer have eyes in the back of my head, either, like I used to!

Last night I took Busbyberkly to Texas Roadhouse for steak for her birthday present. I hadn't been there ever and it was very good. We got there around 5 and it was already crowded! I think she really liked her dinner and they did a birthday thing and gave her a little ice cream sundae. She got to sit on a saddle while they did a "Yee-haw" (she wasn't quite sure what that was about!) but anyway, I think she had fun.

I'm not sure how I'm going to spend my Saturday. I do much better on Sunday if I haven't run around all day on Saturday. Remember, kids, when I could do that with you and we would go from morning to night on Saturday? I actually was usually pretty tired when I plopped into bed on Saturday night in Tucson when the kids were young. I had a couple of days of not feeling well this week and didn't get some of my chores done, and am tempted to make up for it today, but I'm thinking I'll have time next week to get them done.

Sandra and I tried a new Mexican/Italian restaurant on Thursday, which was very good. What an odd combination, but the chef is Mexican and he used to work at Ottavio's in Provo (which has closed) and developed some of their recipes, so for him it was a logical thing to do. Anyway, it was very good and I'm sure we'll go back, but there are so many new restaurants here, especially Mexican, that something goes out of business literally every month. I don't know how people think they can succeed, but then I suppose they think they are different enough to do it.

My latest idea on how to deal with my financial crisis is to rent my house to support a mission, and maybe when I come back the market will have recovered enough that I can sell my house and realize some small profit. But then my house payments will be less than rent for several more years under my loan modification and I would miss all that time of living here. Could I go on a mission after I sell my house, instead? I would be into my early 70's. Hmmm. And regardless of that, I am still in a financial crisis. Well, I have had plenty of time to learn that Heavenly Father has a plan for me, and just because I can't figure it out doesn't mean there isn't a truly wonderful solution! I have yet to move from one stage of my life into something worse. My life has continually gotten better with every change of circumstances. I'm not sure why I think this will be any different. Something will come. I have been in a "but there's no way to solve this problem" situation many times before and somehow it has been taken care of.

OK. I think that's the essentials from my week. Sandra and I have gone out and run errands together a few times. I am so grateful to have her here. I am really enjoying our companionship.

Magdalena's quilt on the frame

Here are some photos of the latest quilt that I will be quilting in the next week or so. You can't see it very well because it's on the frame but you can at least see the colors and pattern.

The Gramster's Horrendously Busy Schedule

Having just read about Libby's busy schedule, I thought I should share my own. I am so busy all the time I have a hard time getting things done and just wish there were another 2 or 3 hours in a day.

Monday through Friday:
about 9 or 9:30 (a.m.):wake up
about 10:30 (a.m.) Have breakfast
Make a to-do list,
do something quick and easy so I can feel like I've accomplished something and can sit and quilt without guilt.
Around 2 p.m. I might have a snack,
4 p.m. I take a nap.
7 p.m. Dinner so I can watch "Wheel" while I eat.
7:30 or 8 p.m. Sandra comes to finish watching Jeopardy and What Not to Wear
8 p.m. Watch Netflix or PBS shows and do hand-piecing on a quilt
10 p.m. Sandra leaves. I check my email on the computer and surf the internet. Or quilt and watch something else on TV.
11:30p.m. I remember I haven't taken my pills, so I do
11:32 I must sit up at least 30 min. after taking my pills so I either surf the internet some more or read a cozy mystery for half an hour.
Midnight: I do my bedtime routine
12:30 I get to bed

I do try to sneak in scripture reading somewhere and watering the tomatoes. (Actually I try to do that right after I get up.) As you can see, I am busy from morning to night and find it simply impossible to fit in any exercise. But my fingers are getting sore from quilting...

Busbyberkly's Baptism Day

Today was a special day in our family. Busbyberkly chose the right and was baptized! She was very beautiful in her lovely white dress. Tomorrow she will be confirmed and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Marina played the piano for the service, and Sabrina led the singing and sang a solo during the meeting. My photos of them all turned out blurry so I didn't post them.

Kevin and Carrie are teaching their children the gospel and giving them a good example of gentleness and obedience to the commandments. I am very impressed with how well they manage their little family and provide a rich environment for them.

Andy and Amanda and family came but didn't stay long enough for photos; ditto Ryan and Julie Bouche, who have been such good friends to Kevin (and in fact all of our family supporting us in our important life events.)

I am so grateful that my children are teaching my grandchildren to love the Lord and follow the prophet. We have a wonderful spiritual heritage, and it is a great blessing to me that they are continuing it on with their own families. I am a happy grandma! And very blessed! And of course have the most beautiful grandchildren on the planet! (And that includes Eli and Charlie!)

Thank you Marina

My sweet granddaughter Marina came over twice during her BYU break to help me. First we packed up everything in David's office and then Doug came a few days later to take everything. Now his office is cleaned out and I have to decide what to do with his computer and how best to use the space. I'm thinking I would like to make it a room for the older grandkids to play games in. I know the little ones would want to go in, but I'm sure they would get used to it if I have some fun things for them in the playroom. Right now there is too much stuff in there!

Then a couple of days later Marina came over and helped me clean the garage. There wasn't a ton of stuff that didn't belong, but it was messy. She helped organize and then swept the garage for me. It was a lot of fun for me. She did very well in her Japanese classes this summer, much to her surprise. She and I will be driving to Tucson in October to celebrate Jens's birthday (and she will be in a wedding party.)

What do you think of this idea?

I realized today that I need more than just a temporary part-time job. I will need to work for at least the next 5 years. So that brings me to the question of what, if anything, do I want to do with myself for the next 5 years? I don't actually want to work. I have enough personal interests that I wouldn't be bored for a hundred years, but it is a financial necessity if I want to do anything besides breathe!

I think I should talk with my contacts for the BYU school of management and also see about teaching something at UVU. I also have the option of applying to be a substitute for Alpine school districts, which I'm not particularly thrilled about, but it's something.

I don't know that I want to do anything in training or consulting unless it fell into my lap. I have been out of it too long and am past my most productive time. So I am asking myself what I would like to do that could earn a little money (enough to help, not enough to have to pay the IRS any extra) and frankly, most things that I have any passion around are not income-producing. But I did get an idea this afternoon that I want to get your feedback on. Yesterday in the previously described meeting someone mentioned that I have computer skills (and yes, compared to everyone else in my branch I am a real whiz!) and I said I have taught internet basics in RS activities before. There was a lot of interest in my doing that. Almost everybody I talk to in my branch, certainly the older 90%, do not know how to use the internet. So I got thinking this afternoon, what about a service called something like "Grandma to Grandma" in which I would give people a lesson in basic internet for a fee. Then I started thinking of other things that older people might need or want to learn that they might pay to be tutored in to gain basic information. Perhaps there are some that are still able to travel and would like a companion who has been a lot of places and could go with them (if the way were paid.) In previous eras, elderly women had "companions" who wrote letters, made calls, helped with various tasks, etc. that the older woman had difficulty managing. Even reading to someone or just spending an hour visiting. For a fee, of course.

What do you think of this idea? I'm guessing there are financially comfortable kids who would pay for someone to do such things for an elderly parent. No physical care or support. Simply a "helper" to organize photos, go through boxes of stuff, whatever. I would have to see what insurance and legalities would be required. What do you think? I wouldn't be a "mother's helper" I'd be a "Grandma's helper" and work just the hours I want and when I want. At say $20-25 an hour.

Musings

I have been watching "All Creatures Great and Small" which I haven't seen before. Also, I have enjoyed three multi-episode shows based on Dorothy Sayers' books about Harriet Vane and Lord Peter Wimsey. Sandra and I finished the third one tonight. We have quite a nice little system worked out of sharing my Netflix discs. It gives us an excuse to get together and I am quite enjoying the fact that we are actually enjoying the same things! Our taste in movies and books is quite different, but we seem to have found a common denominator, which I want to fully exploit!

Today I met with several other sisters to plan the October Enrichment Meeting. I am happy with what we decided to do and don't think I said too much, but I did express a couple of strong opinions that I have worried about a bit. Why do I have to be so blunt??? I guess maybe I just view it as a "public service" as long as I don't argue or become contentious. I just put my opinion out there but I don't think I get pushy about it. At least I really try to just let it be something on the table and if it isn't picked up by anyone else, I let it go and move on. I really do think I do it in a constructive way, but it could be a little too blunt for some people. Especially since in Church groups women tend to be pretty passive except for the few aggressive ones (like me? Oh, no, I hope I am just straightforward but cooperative!) Anyway, I know my children have already noted this quality in me and some of them have carried on this fine Heywood tradition themselves.

A Birthday Surprise from my sweet David

I've been really busy the last couple of weeks, but tonight I'll catch up a little. First news is that my sweet husband David gave me an early birthday present of 2 dozen red roses. Apparently sometime before he died he arranged with his granddaughter Jenny that she was to buy me flowers on my birthday to let me know that he loves me and is thinking of me, and gave her $20 to buy them. (That in itself is somewhat of a surprise! As you may know, he was not quick to part with $$.) He frequently insisted on getting flowers, usually red roses, for me at Costco and was so sweet about expressing his love and affection for me. I miss him so much!

Jenny and I had lunch at Paradise Bakery and spent the afternoon together. I really enjoy and appreciate our relationship.

The last few days of last week were really quite fun. Leah came on Thursday afternoon. I picked her up at the airport and then we went to a place that had been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (or something like that) for lunch--Ruth's, which is an old restaurant up Emigration Canyon. We had yummy sandwiches and tried their trademark mac and cheese, which was very good, (but Amanda and Carrie both make it better!) and a chocolate malt pudding with whipped cream on top, served in a parfait glass, for dessert. It was great! That night Leah and Sandra and I went to a play "Over the River and Through the Woods" at the Hale theatre in Orem. I had seen it before but knew they would really enjoy it, which they did. Friday night I went to the Open House for Merilee's daughter Michelle, which was nice. It is always such a pleasure to be with the Peterson side of my family.

Saturday night I went with the Lusvardis and a group of other Petersons to see "Julie and Julia" again. It was just as delightful the second time!! It seems that there were some other fun things over the weekend, but I can't remember. On Monday, LeeAnn and I met Julianne, Merilee, and Leah at a little teahouse in South Draper for a wonderful lunch, and again a yummy dessert. Then Leah and Merilee came home with me and we worked on the quilt I'm doing for Lily. It is almost finished. I just need to do some places at each of the corners which got missed because of the way the frame fits. Then I'll start quilting the smaller one I made for Ina's baby, Magdalena. I'm having such a good time!

Kevin installed my Roku a couple of weeks ago and I am making good use of it downstairs where I can sit at the frame and quilt.