Bathroom!!

Ah!  The bathroom is completed.  The last towel rack up-- the one that had to be sunk into the concrete block.

 We figured out how to put up the mirror without gluing it to the wall.

  The tile is very variegated and I love it.  Notice the niches Tom put in the wall  for soap and shampoo?

 Tom took the cupboard doors off everywhere and painted them all white. All the trim got painted white.  He put tile on the window sill so even if wet stuff gets put there, it will be okay.

The walls might have been better a bit more green, but we had this paint.  Lots of it.

I love my Handy Man!

Yup. Another week went by.

When I look at my weekly calendar, a lot happened.  Not all of it is that exciting.

We had a great stake conference last week and a seminary and institute in-service meeting.  When I came home, I ended up sending out letters to teachers recapping what we went over for those who didn’t attend.  I sent letters to bishops about graduation and the upcoming CES fireside.  And I sent more letters to teachers about the same thing.

The phone man came and fixed our phone line.  It wasn’t until Tuesday we realized that we could call out, but people couldn’t call in.  It was kind of nice and quiet. Turns out it fried one phone and zapped the surge protector the modem plugged into.  So it’s time to order new phones.

One of my friends is struggling to get out of a difficult marriage.  One spouse is intense and dynamic.  The other has brain damage and needs peace to think and focus.  This person, I’ll call Pat, needed an advocate.  I had been watching from the sidelines for a while and was quite concerned about Pat.  So I stepped in and became Pat’s advocate.  Phone calls. Guidance.  Suggestions. Mostly a cheering section: You can do it!  Takes time.   Some ugliness, but I hope we can all be kind and loving and move forward.

Tom and I listened to a book on tape going and coming from Kansas City.  We didn’t get it finished.   So Tom listened to it on his way to Springfield for a meeting.  I listened to the same part when I went up on Wednesday for a meeting.  Alas!  We’ve advanced the protagonists from almost being eaten by a wild animal to prisoners of pirates!  Where can we drive to next??  It’s due back at the library this Thursday.

I went to Springfield for Stake council. It’s always interesting to see what’s happening in the stake.  More than 85,000 people went through the Kansas City Temple open house. The cultural celebration that will happen just before the dedication is exhilarating and exhausting.  Sometimes it’s hard for the youth to put forth effort taking on faith it will be worth it.  The dedication of the temple will be on Sunday and our chapel will have a broadcast of that dedication.  I got to talk about promoting seminary and institute and having more institute classes offered.  Also spoke about improving student learning.

It’s April and we have 6 months more of gardening… but for now, I’m on top of the weeds!  Most of the savory asparagus came on while I was away.  Tom froze some and we are enjoying that.  The potatoes are growing.  I’m able to harvest a little lettuce, some spinach and green onions.  Saturday I got my whole salad from the garden.  I earned it. I weeded. I planted beans, cucumbers, cantaloupe, and carrots.  Clearly it was the C-son for planting.  Oh, I also planted a small herb garden with basil, parsley and cilantro. I transplanted some enthusiastic oregano there already.

Tom built the fabulous arch for our climbing rose to climb on.  This spring, however, since we kept pruning it back because the old arch keeled over—it’s mostly big bush shaped.  So I tethered some branches to the arch.  I hope they will grow as I envision it.

I kind of sloughed off on the copywriting this week.  I didn’t do much with my blogs—except spend some time looking at other modest blogs.  I did get feedback from my IRA client.  He loved my work.  Thought it was fabulous and that I should be making a 6 figure income from my copywriting.  So I have more work from him.  I don’t want all my eggs in one basket, so I do need to go out looking for more work.  I still ponder which niche I want to work in.  What do I know enough about?  What would I like writing about for a long time?

Tom got the bathroom finished. We just need to put up a shower rod.  That’s ordered.  So I’ll put pictures up.

Today we had fast and testimony as next Sunday is the temple dedication so there is no other church. This evening we had a missionary farewell for Artie and Bill Rice.  I’m so excited for them.  They will be great missionaries!

Travels with Tommie

We seem to find it hard to stay home.  Monday I spent time weeding, and planting a tiny herb garden.  I awaited a response to the copy I’d sent off.  Would he like it?  Was it what he wanted?  It took a while to hear back, but the answer was yes.  He loved it!  Wants me to do more stuff.  The upfront payment is lower, but I get a percentage on the gross sales, so potentially, I could have income coming in long after I finish writing.  His praise was good for the ego.  It gives me confidence I can approach others and do well.

Tuesday we went to see The Hunger Games movie.  I’d read the books and liked them, although I would have wished for more character development in the heroine.  I thought the movie was pretty true to the book, but of course, much had to be left out.  You couldn’t get the whole book into two hours.  Tom hadn’t read the book, but liked the movie.

We came home to discover the power had gone out. When it came back on… our phone lines didn’t.  Tom was able to determine that the line to the house worked.  So it must be something internal.  Wednesday I called and added the inside line insurance fee to the bill.  Then I filed a request for service.  Since we were going to be gone the rest of the week, it’s scheduled for tomorrow.  I also asked about what their best deal was, and got a new “bundle” of services for about $15 less than our old one.  A nice deal!

Brother and Sister Rice are going on a mission, so I set them up with a blog so we (and family and other friends) can hear about what’s happening with them.  Also did some family history.

Thursday we got up and left early to go to Branson.  We met the O’Brian’s there and went to Silver Dollar City.  This was their International Festival so we heard an Irish harpist and drummer and flutist.  We watched the 12 Divas play mariachi music, listened to a Russian band, watched Italian flag throwers, and Peruvian scissor dancers.  All in all it was an interesting day.

Friday we  checked out the water park the kids want to go to in June.  Looked fun.  We did a little shopping.  I got a suitcase for my trip to Switzerland. Hurray!  The one I used to go to Utah took another hit on the way home. And this one has the swivel wheels. We had to munch on a little Harry and David.  Then we drove to Kansas City.

We drove into the Temple parking lot just about the time Jonathan and Kristy arrived.  We took a tour of the Kansas City temple.  It is lovely.  The grandchildren enjoyed it: On the way to the temple.

 After the temple tour:

After the tour, we went to dinner, then hotel.  The kids went swimming.

Saturday we went to visit Liberty jail.  As we were leaving the hotel, I had a flurry of phone calls.  A roofer had been on one of our duplexes in St. Louis.  He thought there was hail damage. So the adjustor was called in.  He arrived on Saturday… but they needed the property manager to get inside.  They couldn’t get a hold of him.  I called and connected the two.  But the roofer who was supposed to advocate for me was rude to my manager.  Called the roofer back.  He was a bit brusque with me, but I got the phone # of the adjustor.  Then the adjustor called back.  He was most offended that the roofer had called him an #$%% idiot for not seeing the hail damage.  The claims adjustor said there was no hail damage, just an old roof.  All these calls are taking place as we’re trying to load up and leave the hotel.  I wasn’t much help.  And worst of all, our favorite property manager in St. Louis is leaving and taking a new job in Chicago.  We may just bail out of the houses there and move on to other investments.

After viewing the church historical site at Liberty Jail, we headed south to Springfield.  Got there in time to have a quick dinner, then Tom and I both had meetings, then the evening session of Stake Conference.  I had my seminary and institute training meeting. I think it went well.  One of the quotes from the evening session was from a woman who had been on the tour when an area 70 led it.  He said President Packer had said something like: “Some people discount the Kansas City temple because it’s not built on the Independence temple site. I think that’s a mistake. I don’t think the Lord or his prophets need to be held to one verse in the Doctrine and Covenants.”  Very interesting.

We spent the night with the Petersen’s.  Such fun people. Heard great stories about him growing up and his brothers making pipe bombs and black powder and shooting off a miniature cannon an uncle made for them and a host of other wild and wooly things boys can get into.   Stake conference was great and made me want to come home and draw closer to the Lord and learn more.  I know there is more the Lord wants me to know, believe, and do.

Came home to a cool house.  Seems the heat does not want to come on.  Grr.  However, the fireplace is doing a good job of heating.  And it’s not all that cold.  On a good note- all three chickens laid eggs for us today.

And that’s the news from Mountain Home.

Four states this week!

I can tell how much has happened, as I've counted up the states I've visited this week.

I started out in Utah.  Monday Christopher had his well baby check up.  Here's the cute boy.

 He had gained 20 ounces or so in two weeks.  Deborah must give good milk.  We went to DI and found some plastic plates for the kids.  After we picked up the kids from school, we went down to Lehi and picked up my Young Living order.

I'd gotten a bunch of stuff from DI the week before and Ian had picked up 5# of cheese for me that was on sale.  I wondered if my suitcase would fit everything in.  I was a good packer and it all fit.  The airlines were not necessarily good shippers... or our suitcase is inherently weak.   It arrived off the plane with unscrewed wheels and a missing support.  This was the same brand-new suitcase that got snagged between South African and Dallas.  So it was not pristine to begin with.  But I'm thinking I need a new one before we go to Switzerland.

Tuesday Ian took me to the airport bright and early.  Had nice, uneventful flights and arrived in Little Rock about 2 pm.  It was nice to see my sweetie again!!  Arrived home before dark.

Tom had taken good care of the garden.  We spend the next few mornings getting more of the weeds out.  We bought tomato, pepper, zucchini and cantaloupe plants and put them in.  We got another two trees and  planted them (plum and peach).

We got our taxes signed and sent off.  Tom did Adam's trust and got that sent off as well.  It's nice to have those all done.

I dug into my copywriting stuff and finished some of that up.  Now I need to go out and find more work.

Friday we went to the Home Show and the fairgrounds.  It seems smaller than in past years, but it's always fun to go and connect with people we don't see all that often.  Herbie who was one of Adam's coaches who owns Culligan.  The folks we see at North Arkansas Electric Cooperative and First Security Bank.  We looked at geothermal heating, storm rooms, building techniques and deck refinishing.  We also picked up assorted pens, note pads, and literature.

Saturday we got up early and left for the Kansas City Temple by 5:30.  Five hours or so later, we arrived at the temple.  We worked at the open house assisting the tours in and out of rooms.  Tom was at the beginning of the ordinance rooms.  And I was at the door going out of... and then going into the Celestial room.  It was fun to see the open mouthed astonishment of children and the quiet reverence of adults as they entered the room.  When it was time to signal them to move on... they didn't want to.  And some, as the left the room, looked back like Adam and Eve looking back at the Garden of Eden.

The whole temple open house runs like a Swiss watch.  Every movement is planned and timed.  Yes, there are glitches- little kids who need to go pottie in the middle of the tour or three tour buses that arrive unannounced and without tickets... all within 15 minutes of each other.  But they are just incorporated into the flow.

They had predicted severe storms when we were there.  They didn't materialize, but there was some rain.  And there were dozens of white umbrellas there to keep people dry between the visitor's area and the temple.

They even had lint pickers assigned.  Every dozen tours or so, a couple came through with tissues.  They wiped down the banisters.  They picked up any piece of fuzz or lint on the carpet.  They kept every place looking perfect.

When there was a break in tours, I got to sit in the celestial room for a minute or two.  It is lovely!  It's designed to elevate the thoughts and the eyes.  The eyes are just drawn upward-- by the flowers, the mirrors, and the chandeliers, and the arched, decorated ceiling.

Part way through the afternoon, someone left some smudges on the pale cream carpet.   They weren't bad.  Just two smears of gray.  But in the perfect room, they stood out and looked out of place.  I wanted to wipe them away, but I was afraid I'd make them worse.

It made me think that when I get to heaven, I want to be clean.  I don't want smudges or stains on my heart or my character.  I want the beauty of heaven to be unmarred by anything I bring there so it can be pure and enjoyable for all who are there.

We ran into some rain going up, and some returning, but it wasn't bad.  We got home about 11:20 pm.  A long day!

It was good to be back in my own ward and connect with the people there.  The weathermen forecasted storms today, but they held off through Tom's Bishop's youth discussion and finally hit at about 5 pm.  They came with a rumble and a Whoosh!  And then were gone.

I love how the rain creates this misty world.  It shrouds everything in and obscures the distance.  It makes the world seem small.

Easter Egg Hunt

The kids had a great time hunting for Easter eggs.  Not that they found them all right away.

 You see the two hidden in the fence knot holes?

 The men were quite artistic in their egg hiding.

 Steven shows off his basket of eggs.

 Samantha wasn't all that sure of what was going on...but if the other kids were doing it, by golly, she was too!

Sarah and her cousin with their baskets.  At the end, they had to count all the eggs.  And the men had to go back and look for one last egg.  It was hard boiled. It needed to be found.

All in all, a good time was had by everyone.

Happy Easter

 We had some days where it was hair day.  The girls liked putting just a "few" bows in their hair.

 It’s been a fun week here with Deborah and Ian.  The kids are really cute and for the most part, very good.  They love little Christopher.  Kind of brings new meaning to the words “smothered with love.”

Typically the children come down to my room in the morning.  Ian gets up and goes to college.  Deborah, who has been up with baby is sleeping.   So I get the kids dressed and we have breakfast.  Sometimes Ian makes breakfast for us before he goes to classes.  We hang out—playing games, reading scriptures, putting coats and shoes on and off as they got outside to play. Sarah would go and visit friends in the afternoon. Sometimes she rode her bike. 

One day was a sad time for her.  The training wheels ate a kite she was bringing home.

The weather has been a mixture of sun, clouds, rain and snow.  We got it all this week.  Usually it gets warmer in the afternoon.  I have a heater in my room and have managed to stay comfortable at night.

The carpet under the table at Deborah’s had gotten discolored and we discussed removing it and seeing what the hardwood floor looked like under it.  In the small places we could see around the heater vents, it looked nice.  So Tuesday we removed the carpet.  Alas, the only places it looked good were around the header vents.

I’d checked out some on-sale engineered wood flooring as a backup choice.   If the floor was refinished, it would look like a distressed wood floor.  Balancing cost with dust, we decided to check out flooring.  After evaluating the pros and cons, Deborah decided to go with laminate flooring.  Between deciding on kind of floor, getting Ian’s input, choosing the color and texture, getting a saw, and filling in a dip in the floor—it was Friday before we started.

We’d moved everything into the kitchen on Thursday so we could get started (before we realized how long the fill in putty would take to dry).  So of course we had to go out to eat for dinner.  Dad razzed us about choosing Denney’s.  But Samantha enjoyed the jam while we waited for our meal.

I think there should be a timeline for a job with --and without children. It seemed to take a lot of time to lay out the underlayment and get the first boards in. Once Samantha and Christopher went down for naps, Sara went to visit a friend, and we invited Steven to play video games, things seemed to go much faster.  It was satisfying to see it come together.  We finished about dinner time. 

It looks great!   But we were tired puppies!  Even on Saturday we took it easier.  Only house cleaning and 3-4 loads of laundry.  We stayed up late, filling Easter baskets and watching Rango on Netflix.

Today was a good day.  Easter Sunday was good at church.  Good talks on the resurrection and hope.  Deborah and baby came for Sacrament.  Yaknow, it’s easy when you just live across the street from the church.  A three minute walk there… with toddlers.

Several of Ian’s siblings and family are coming over for Easter dinner.  Tulips are up. Trees are blossoming.  It is a the season of rebirth.

May you have a happy Easter!

Utah

Thursday I flew to Salt Lake City.  When I got to Tulsa airport, I heard my name called.  Our friends, the Rice’s were flying out on the same flight.  They are going on a mission in May, and we sat and chatted about their mission while we waited for the flight.  It turned out we were even seated on the same row!

 I was a little concerned that I had less than an hour layover in Denver.  But everything went well.  We got in a little early and I walked to my gate with a few minutes to spare.  Ian picked me up from the airport and Sarah was along. 

It was so fun to see Sarah, Steven, and Samantha… and of course baby Christopher.  And, of course, Deborah and Ian.  The children are delighted with their new brother and smother him with hugs and kisses.  He is darling and charming and a sweet baby.  He’s usually pretty happy unless he’s hungry… although when he’s awake he wants to be held at times.  Here's the cute boy

Friday Deborah, Christopher and I went to my Georgia Atlanta Mission reunion in the Park City area.  It is always a delight to see the Lund’s.  They are so gracious and charming and so genuinely delighted to see each of their missionaries.

Saturday we watched General Conference in the morning and then Sister Jones—a service missionary assigned to Deborah’s ward took me to General Conference.  She is a delightful person and it was interesting to learn about their mission.  She had also been a Conference Center tour guide and so knew all the ways to navigate the center, the art on display, and other information.  She was so excited to see the Conference Center full of people. 

And there was such a fullness… and air of delight… in the crowds going to the conference.  It was great to be there.  We were high in the balcony, but still, it was a satisfying experience. After, we walked through the gardens in Temple Square.  It was quite warm and a lovely day.

Today we listened to General Conference in the morning and then went to Ian’s Aunt Cyndy’s for dinner between sessions.  It was snowing when we left.

 I helped with dinner and made gravy.   They have a lovely house and we got a tour.  We actually we started eating just about the beginning of the second session, but still, I got a chance to listen to most of it. Another of Ian’s aunts and his grandmother were also there.  Nice people.

I’ve enjoyed visiting with the Recks.  I have done more diaper changing in the past few days than in the past few years, I think.  Mostly I’ve done dishes and meals, some laundry, lots of reading and kid hugging.

On the plane I worked on a copywriting assignment. I’ll need to do some more work this week, but there are times, like when kids are napping or in bed, to get things done.

Happy Anniversary

I must be a guy; I overlook some of the grandchildren birthdays,but I certainly remember the day I bought my first car!  Yes, today is the 44th anniversary of the day I bought the Model A.  This is the car that transported me between LA and San Jose for three years of college; that got me to work in LA (50 miles round trip) for three summers; that your mother and I honeymooned with in 1970 because we didn't have any other car for another 6 months; that drove us to Sacramento as newlyweds and got Sandy to UCD and me to work for several months.  Then in March 1972 Mom and I (along withShadrack our dalmatian) drove it from LA to Pensacola to flight school; where I drove it to work at various bases for a year (it got towed back to CA in 1973).  Over the next several years I drove it to work at MCAS Tustin, to attend Safety school in Monterrey CA, to attend WTI training in Yuma, and places I have long since forgotten. 

 

For several years it sat on  blocks in the garage on our Grass Valley property, until 1994 when it saw the light of day again, and I drove it to LA and then to Mountain Home, AR.  Today, it gets occasional use in the local area.  It doesn't get the use it once did; early in our life together, I drove it 16,000 miles in one year; now it only sees a couple hundred miles a year.  But the memories are not dimmed by time or by lack of driving it (and there are a lot of fond memories that just seeing this car remind me of). 

 

Life is a lot similar to my relationship with this car; these experiences and memories shape us into who we are.  However we can't hang onto, or live in the past; we need to move forward, retaining those experiences that made us who we are today and using them for good. 

 

I plan to continue driving this car for a long time, continuing the memories.  Hope some of you will join me on the journey!

Dad