This is it. FALL has fallen. It dropped to the 40's overnight. We should have expected it. We only lasted an hour in the garden yesterday with the clouds and wind. And last night we watched the debate (?) with the fireplace on.
I woke up cold. The quilt is back up on the bed. It's time to use the 9 pairs of pajamas Dad got me for Christmas again.
The exercise room was freezing. I had to wear socks and it took forever to break a sweat.
We had HOT cereal for breakfast and HOT chocolate and HOT cinnamon toast. The cold milk kind is put away for the next several months.
I switched the A/C off and the HEATER on when I saw the thermostat shivering at 64 in the living room. It is time for the warm fuzzy sweatshirts and slippers -- good-bye to the flip-flops and roll-up jeans until next year.
I believe it will be soup for lunch and stew for dinner. I am ready to snuggle down and hibernate for a while. Maybe I am pushing the hibernation a tad, but even the groundhogs are out munching faster and plumping up. A good dash of Indian summer in a week or so would be nice, but I moved here to thoroughly revel in the seasons, and this is a good time to start :)
Friday, October 3, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
"Today is the first day of the rest of your life." -- song lyric
So, yesterday I was sustained as the President of the Relief Society of the Gettysburg Ward of the York Pennsylvania Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Whew!
Two weeks of preparation was ended. Dad gave me a beautiful blessing before we left for meetings. Bishop invited the former RS President and me to bear our testimonies, and I taught the fast Sunday Presidency lesson. (We have Stake Conference the weekend following General Conference, so this is how we scheduled things.) My lesson was on "Why do we come to Church?" (answer: to learn to live like Christ) with a few references to Sis. Julie B. Beck's reminders of the purpose of Relief Society from Saturday's broadcast.
After our new presidency was set apart, Dad and I went to lunch at one family's home and to dinner at another's. It felt like racing between in-laws on Thanksgiving Day!! We were stuffed!
I had handed over all the seminary materials to a very dear and capable friend on Friday, so there was no week of reading to do last night from the New Testament, no props to scurry around gathering, no hot chocolate mix to shake up, no alarm to set. We stayed up until 10 pm!!
This morning I woke to birds singing outside. The rain clouds are breaking up. The trees are beginning to turn color. The garden is starting to yawn in preparation for a long well-earned rest. I am ready to begin this new phase with the Lord's help.
I love this new calling already.
Two weeks of preparation was ended. Dad gave me a beautiful blessing before we left for meetings. Bishop invited the former RS President and me to bear our testimonies, and I taught the fast Sunday Presidency lesson. (We have Stake Conference the weekend following General Conference, so this is how we scheduled things.) My lesson was on "Why do we come to Church?" (answer: to learn to live like Christ) with a few references to Sis. Julie B. Beck's reminders of the purpose of Relief Society from Saturday's broadcast.
After our new presidency was set apart, Dad and I went to lunch at one family's home and to dinner at another's. It felt like racing between in-laws on Thanksgiving Day!! We were stuffed!
I had handed over all the seminary materials to a very dear and capable friend on Friday, so there was no week of reading to do last night from the New Testament, no props to scurry around gathering, no hot chocolate mix to shake up, no alarm to set. We stayed up until 10 pm!!
This morning I woke to birds singing outside. The rain clouds are breaking up. The trees are beginning to turn color. The garden is starting to yawn in preparation for a long well-earned rest. I am ready to begin this new phase with the Lord's help.
I love this new calling already.
Friday, September 26, 2008
If you see one, there's bound to be more
I should have posted this when it happened, but it's been a hectic week.
Anyway, every morning before I go to seminary, I pray that my students would have safety in their drive to and from the church. It is dark and the roads are curvy, so I worry about them. Tuesday morning I heard myself ask for their safety and mine, which I never do. As I was driving along the shortcut through the wooded area and over the ridge, a deer suddenly darted across the road about a car's length in front of me.
Just last weekend I had heard a TV broadcaster talk about the fact that deer mating season has begun, and he advised everyone to be especially cautious driving. He specifically said that if one deer crosses your path, you should look to where it came from because there would likely be more. Consequently, I slowed way down and looked to the left and sure enough here came two yearlings crashing out of the brush across immediately in front of me. Had I not slowed down I would have hit them both.
It is always a joy to me to see prayers answered and I took a deep breath and said, "Thank you."
Anyway, every morning before I go to seminary, I pray that my students would have safety in their drive to and from the church. It is dark and the roads are curvy, so I worry about them. Tuesday morning I heard myself ask for their safety and mine, which I never do. As I was driving along the shortcut through the wooded area and over the ridge, a deer suddenly darted across the road about a car's length in front of me.
Just last weekend I had heard a TV broadcaster talk about the fact that deer mating season has begun, and he advised everyone to be especially cautious driving. He specifically said that if one deer crosses your path, you should look to where it came from because there would likely be more. Consequently, I slowed way down and looked to the left and sure enough here came two yearlings crashing out of the brush across immediately in front of me. Had I not slowed down I would have hit them both.
It is always a joy to me to see prayers answered and I took a deep breath and said, "Thank you."
The last time I plan to see 4:10 am
Today was the last seminary class I will teach for a long time. It was time to say goodbye and not nearly as hard as I had expected.
Yesterday I taught Matthew 5 and discovered the theme for my new calling--truly living the "Be-attitudes". The perfect timing of this lesson and my needs was a gift of the Spirit to help me right now.
Today when I shared my testimony with my students, I felt impressed to tell them that they needed to build their testimonies a block at a time (I handed out a bag of Lego-shaped candies) in order to weather the things that will be coming. I think that is true for all of us. I know we must prepare to live like Christ, to know Him, not just about Him. I hope to share that with the 150 sisters in my ward.
Thanks again for your suggestions and prayers. I love you all.
Yesterday I taught Matthew 5 and discovered the theme for my new calling--truly living the "Be-attitudes". The perfect timing of this lesson and my needs was a gift of the Spirit to help me right now.
Today when I shared my testimony with my students, I felt impressed to tell them that they needed to build their testimonies a block at a time (I handed out a bag of Lego-shaped candies) in order to weather the things that will be coming. I think that is true for all of us. I know we must prepare to live like Christ, to know Him, not just about Him. I hope to share that with the 150 sisters in my ward.
Thanks again for your suggestions and prayers. I love you all.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Be careful when you bargain with the Lord
This has been an interesting week.
As all of you know, Dad will be making a change in January, and we have been seeking this blessing in prayer for over 9 months. All of you have had a part in this, and we appreciate your efforts and prayers as well.
As part of our prayers, we frequently asked for this blessing as a means for Dad to serve more effectively in this area because he would be home more often. We repeatedly offered to serve in any capacity that the Lord had need of us. (Of course, we both meant wherever He had need of Dad.)
Well, on our way home from Courtney's baptismal service I got a call on my cell from our bishop. He didn't remember we were out of town, but asked to meet with us when we were both home. I told him we would be getting in late Sunday evening, but that Dad would be here for much of the week. We set a time for Monday evening at our house, and didn't think anything more of it until the next day when we were actually driving home.
Since we were making really good time, we called Bishop Long from Frederick and said we could see him Sunday evening if he wanted to move things along. He said 6:30, and Dad and I speculated about what ways he could serve for much of the rest of the trip home.
When Bishop came over, he had some papers for Dad to sign and then looked at me and said, "I really came here to talk to you." Dad still thought the bishop meant him, and was confused because he wasn't looking at him.
Bishop Long then said, "No, I am talking to you. I have come to call you to be the Relief Society President."
My shocked response was, "You're kidding!!" because I really thought he was joking around. He answered, "I most certainly am not."
So-o-o-o, after a trip to the temple yesterday, Dad told me he had a clear confirmation that his change in employment was to support me. I will be sustained on Sunday the 28th.
Prayers are welcome.
As all of you know, Dad will be making a change in January, and we have been seeking this blessing in prayer for over 9 months. All of you have had a part in this, and we appreciate your efforts and prayers as well.
As part of our prayers, we frequently asked for this blessing as a means for Dad to serve more effectively in this area because he would be home more often. We repeatedly offered to serve in any capacity that the Lord had need of us. (Of course, we both meant wherever He had need of Dad.)
Well, on our way home from Courtney's baptismal service I got a call on my cell from our bishop. He didn't remember we were out of town, but asked to meet with us when we were both home. I told him we would be getting in late Sunday evening, but that Dad would be here for much of the week. We set a time for Monday evening at our house, and didn't think anything more of it until the next day when we were actually driving home.
Since we were making really good time, we called Bishop Long from Frederick and said we could see him Sunday evening if he wanted to move things along. He said 6:30, and Dad and I speculated about what ways he could serve for much of the rest of the trip home.
When Bishop came over, he had some papers for Dad to sign and then looked at me and said, "I really came here to talk to you." Dad still thought the bishop meant him, and was confused because he wasn't looking at him.
Bishop Long then said, "No, I am talking to you. I have come to call you to be the Relief Society President."
My shocked response was, "You're kidding!!" because I really thought he was joking around. He answered, "I most certainly am not."
So-o-o-o, after a trip to the temple yesterday, Dad told me he had a clear confirmation that his change in employment was to support me. I will be sustained on Sunday the 28th.
Prayers are welcome.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
3PD celebrating Courtney's baptism
If you are a United flier, you will recognize the title as the abbreviation for their travel series "Three Perfect Days". Well, we just spent a "3PD" weekend in North Carolina.
Our weekend actually began on Thursday afternoon when I drove down to Dulles to pick Dad up from a trip to California. I was significantly delayed from my planned departure by several random (and a couple planned) stops. Instead of getting him at 4:50, I didn't arrive until around 6:30. When I pulled up to the loading zone, there he was standing with ED!! They had bumped into each other in a hallway outside a restroom! What an amazing "coincidence"!! We went over to the hotel, checked in, and went to dinner together. It was fun to talk about our trip to LeRoy and the stories we gathered there. Jen and the kids arrived much later that night, and we hooked up the next morning. Everyone had breakfast, and we took the kids and left for NC while Ed and Jen went to the temple before coming down. The drive was calm and comfortable with great conversations and laughter. Dan called and warned us about gas shortages, so we followed his advice and filled up about 85 miles before Charlotte.
Our second "day" began with our arrival at Dan and Tricia's in time for great taco salad for dinner. Debbie and Doug were there, and we enjoyed conversation and friendships renewed. The first night's rest was wonderful, and we all got up excited for Courtney's special event at 10 am. The service was beautiful. Courtney's dress made by Debbie was so pretty. (You probably have seen Dad's emailed pictures by now.) Thank you to Courtney for her beautiful testimony, and to Doug's and Tricia's inspired talks. We all went back to the house for a yummy lunch spread with some of their friends, and ultimately everybody but Ed, Bella, and Dad (all napping) and I (reading up for seminary) went to the pool to enjoy the gorgeous warm weather and sunshine.
The third "day" began with a Perfect Storm football game (as Dad called it). BYU played and won an exciting game as UCLA (and I) melted down. Tricia and Dan live in a beautiful neighborhood with walking trails that I took the opportunity to explore. I really enjoyed a few minutes just talking with Debbie while the game went on upstairs. Dan and Dad got terrific fried chicken for dinner, and many of us played the game "Imagine if..." which I had never seen before. It seems we always get around to playing games with the family together and that is lots of fun. Bedtime came fairly early as the travelers planned to leave early Sunday morning. It is always sad to say good-bye knowing it will be a while before we are together again.
The next big time together will be next summer at Cami's baptism. We are looking forward to that.
Our weekend actually began on Thursday afternoon when I drove down to Dulles to pick Dad up from a trip to California. I was significantly delayed from my planned departure by several random (and a couple planned) stops. Instead of getting him at 4:50, I didn't arrive until around 6:30. When I pulled up to the loading zone, there he was standing with ED!! They had bumped into each other in a hallway outside a restroom! What an amazing "coincidence"!! We went over to the hotel, checked in, and went to dinner together. It was fun to talk about our trip to LeRoy and the stories we gathered there. Jen and the kids arrived much later that night, and we hooked up the next morning. Everyone had breakfast, and we took the kids and left for NC while Ed and Jen went to the temple before coming down. The drive was calm and comfortable with great conversations and laughter. Dan called and warned us about gas shortages, so we followed his advice and filled up about 85 miles before Charlotte.
Our second "day" began with our arrival at Dan and Tricia's in time for great taco salad for dinner. Debbie and Doug were there, and we enjoyed conversation and friendships renewed. The first night's rest was wonderful, and we all got up excited for Courtney's special event at 10 am. The service was beautiful. Courtney's dress made by Debbie was so pretty. (You probably have seen Dad's emailed pictures by now.) Thank you to Courtney for her beautiful testimony, and to Doug's and Tricia's inspired talks. We all went back to the house for a yummy lunch spread with some of their friends, and ultimately everybody but Ed, Bella, and Dad (all napping) and I (reading up for seminary) went to the pool to enjoy the gorgeous warm weather and sunshine.
The third "day" began with a Perfect Storm football game (as Dad called it). BYU played and won an exciting game as UCLA (and I) melted down. Tricia and Dan live in a beautiful neighborhood with walking trails that I took the opportunity to explore. I really enjoyed a few minutes just talking with Debbie while the game went on upstairs. Dan and Dad got terrific fried chicken for dinner, and many of us played the game "Imagine if..." which I had never seen before. It seems we always get around to playing games with the family together and that is lots of fun. Bedtime came fairly early as the travelers planned to leave early Sunday morning. It is always sad to say good-bye knowing it will be a while before we are together again.
The next big time together will be next summer at Cami's baptism. We are looking forward to that.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
COLEUS !!!!
Aren't they spectacular? And the ones at the front of the house all came up from seed from last year's planting. They are supposed to be too fragile to winter over, and with my broken leg I was unable to clear out the old plants until this spring. The surprise was a ground covered with babies who grew up tall and beautiful. I plan to let them all go to seed again this year. I love the variety.Well, I am closing down and heading for the airport to get Dad and then cruise (float?) on down to Dan and Tricia's. Have a beautiful week.
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