Another One Bites the Dust (so to speak)

I was awakened at about 3:45 AM by a strange sound that took me a moment to process. I looked out the window and could tell that a tree had fallen. And by the position of the tree I figured it was the one that we planned on taking out anyway. I think the leaves weighted with moisture from the falling rain proved too much for the hollow trunk to sustain.

View from front porch. Thank you God for your tender mercy in sparing our utility trailer.

View from the center of the front yard.

A closer view of the fallen behemoth.

Looking up the driveway toward the house.

Yep, that's a hollow trunk.

A closer view of the hollow trunk.

We are so grateful it didn't hit anything! There is another section of the tree that needs to come down and will be part of our tree-felling work party on Monday of the Family Reunion coming up.

The Prince of Peace

Have you felt the healing power of the Savior?

Finally! A Picture

Graduation Day 30 May 2014

This is my family! L to R: JET, PW (Lt. Lehi), Dr. Hair (or Mr. Movie), TopDad, Dandylion, Noble, PFCMom, Grandpa (my dad)

Photo taken in Heritage Park, Old Town, San Diego on the occasion of PW's graduation from Marine Corps Recruit Training. We were all together for the first time in over four years. It was a glorious day!

After graduation we went to lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Old Town, had a delicious meal and lots of fun jabbering away with each other. When it was time to get the bill, TopDad was informed that the bill had been paid in full. We asked who, but were told that he wanted to remain anonymous. All the waitress would tell us was that he was in the Navy, had worked with Marines and thought Paul looked like an especially good Marine and he was proud and honored to pay for our meal. We teared up with gratitude and humility at being so honored by this good man.

We enjoyed a quiet Fourth this year, attending the local parade to see our boys play in the band and then relaxing at home. We had steak, potato salad, corn on the cob, and fruit to eat, and then just some more relaxing. The boys went to a nearby town to watch fireworks in the late evening.

I plan to post more pictures of our vacation, soon. A huge thank-you to my niece for taking the family photos.

Timing is Everything

When I moved to Iowa I left behind my washer and dryer. TopDad had purchased a used pair when he bought our house here. The whole time I've lived here I've missed mine. Yesterday, exactly a week before we leave on vacation, the dryer died. I think prayer had kept it going this long, as it has always made a horrible screeching noise and was less than efficient in its work. But I didn't want to spend money on a new one or even a newer one until we were further out of debt.

After I discovered it had died, in the midst of drying a load of bath towels, I put my thinking cap on and pondered alternatives. I did hang the towels on a clothes rack in front of an open window with a slight breeze. I applaud all of you who have clothes lines and hang your clothes out in the sunshine and fresh air. I'd love to do that too, but don't have a clothes line, and my husband hasn't consented to put one up yet. So. I looked online for wooden or metal drying racks that I could make do with. The little wimpy ones are $20, and the big metal ones are over $100, and none are the shape and kind I had in mind. I got up from the computer sort of discouraged and wondering what to do.

Then a prompting came to look on Craigslist. I searched "electric dryers" and came up with a whole bunch. The first one that caught my eye was a newer version of the one I left in Utah, for, get this, $50!! I called and told the guy I wanted it, had cash in hand, and would be there in less than an hour. Just that day they had gotten a new washer and dryer installed and they didn't want to just send the old dryer to the landfill. So they put it on Craigslist hoping someone could get further use out of it.

Thank you Lord, for perfect timing!

At times like this I really miss homeschooling

Today was another big shopping day. First off to WallyWorld (Walmart) for some underwear, gym clothes and jeans. Dr. Hair is now in adult sizes which means more expensive. Dandylion had grown more than I thought he had by his birthday so he needed new boxers.  Both found two pair of jeans they liked and that fit; add to that all the right underwear and socks, plus a new zippered hoodie for Dandylion, plus gym clothes for Dr. Hair and it added up to about $141.00.

Now on to the shoe store. Dandy was the first to be measured. He'd grown TWO sizes. When he grows into his paws he is gonna be a big dog!! So instead of getting just one pair and using his old ones for gym, I bought him two new pair AND Sunday shoes as I just couldn't expect him to squeeze into his two sizes too small ones. The dress shoes are $120 Florsheim leather soled black loafers blessedly on sale for $35. I talked Dr. Hair into getting two pair also, one for school and one for gym. He is the most cost conscious of our children and is self-sacrificing to a fault. Anyway, five pair of shoes totaled $259. Guess who won't be getting new shoes this month.

When I was telling TopDad about the purchases I waxed nostalgic about the days of homeschooling when clothes didn't matter so much and we got ready for school with far less money. Actually this was the first year I bought brand new jeans for the boys, usually I look for nice ones at thrift stores throughout the summer. But this summer I didn't do that. I did lay down the law that as soon as they get home they must change out of their nice school clothes and shoes to keep them nice. That's a reasonable request, yes? Anyway, TopDad gave me a hug and complimented me for always managing to find things on sale and take good care of our needs. (I must give credit where it's due; I prayed before going shopping.)

Pictures, as promised

See the old color here.

See my pretty pink room, with a sparkling white ceiling!

The view from the window; such gorgeous pink walls!

Later this evening, with the help of Topdad and PW, we'll pull up the yucky carpet, scrape off the pad, (which has fused to the wood floor) wash the floor and voila! All finished. More pictures tomorrow.

By the way, I was very blessed to have just enough paint to put on two coats with no leftovers. I prayed mightily for that tender mercy and was granted my request. Thank you Heavenly Father.

Random Thoughts

Yesterday I went for a walk to buy eggs at the grocery store. The boys had requested cookies and I was out of eggs. The weather is WONDERFUL! The walk felt good and the persistent pain in my right knee is almost all gone. That means I've been sitting down too much!

I'm suffering from pile-itis at home. There are piles of paper all over. Little notes to myself (LOTS), handouts from church, newspaper articles to share, letters, bills, misc. stuff, all waiting for some action. I'm pondering how to deal with the ongoing inflow of paper to get it under control and help me take action, find things when needed and decide what to throw out. Please, inspiration, strike soon!

I have always loved being a mother; being a mother to adult children is the best! I feel successful to have three adults making good choices, doing what they're supposed to, and they're such fun friends! We have great conversations and good laughs together. Those years of training that seemed endless have paid off. Three raised, two more to go.

Tender Mercy! I rearranged some things in the freezer and uncovered three packages of ground beef that I didn't know I had. Hallelujah, I don't have to buy more until it goes on sale again.

I found, on-line, some fast growing willow trees to plant in the space between us and our noisy, nasty neighbors. Reportedly, these willows grow eight to fifteen feet per year. Fantastic!

For Family Home Evening on Monday we de-cluttered our movies, judging them by two criteria:
1) Is it virtuous, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy?
2) Do we want to watch it again?
We cleared out about sixty movies, which was enough that the rest fit nicely on the shelves, all alphabetized for easy access. We have lots of movies, mostly because we don't watch TV, and haven't for the past twenty years.

The boys (and TopDad) are going on a scout campout this Friday. It's girl's night! Anyone want to come over and enjoy a good chick flick with me? I miss my Noble!

Early Morning Beauty

Moonset at about 7:00 AM on Monday, January 9, 2012. A little tender mercy on an otherwise bleak midwinter morning.

Vanity Plates and Tender Mercies

Day Twelve of Count Your Blessings

A long time ago my husband gave me vanity license plates that said "A Lil Roz".  I loved them!  But they're not the vanity plates that I want to talk about.

Yesterday on my way home after a long day in Council Bluffs, I had a moment of loneliness and sadness. Tears welled up in my eyes and I was on the verge of having a pity party.  Suddenly I was passed on the left by a little white car with plates that read "B Joyfl".  First I laughed, then I said "Thank you!" to the man upstairs who coordinated things so that when I most needed it, a sign of his love would be in my sights.

I'm so thankful for a loving Father in Heaven who knows me by name and is mindful of my needs at all times.

Tender Mercies

Saturday morning Dandylion, Dr. Hair and I got up very early so we could drive almost two hours to Omaha for a meeting with Sister Elaine Dalton, Young Women's General President. She was in the area for regional leadership training and decided to make time for a meeting with all the young women of the region. The reason my two boys went is that at 10:30 that same morning there was a stake youth activity and we drive to Council Bluffs/Omaha only once a day! So we got to the church about 8:00 AM for the 8:30 meeting and the church was still locked. I stood on the porch with a few others chatting and waiting. The Stake President drove up, followed by another car out of which came Sister Dalton. By this time there were about eight of us on the porch. Sister Dalton called out "Good Morning," as she ascended the stairs, then walked across the porch to me and said "I'm so glad you're here, thank you for coming," and embraced me in her arms. At that time she didn't hug anyone else, but walked into the building and then began shaking hands and greeting the girls. Why she chose me to greet with an embrace, I don't know. But I'm so grateful for the recognition and blessing. It makes me feel important to my Heavenly Father, that he would inspire her to greet me as an affirmation of my worth. I'm not a nobody! I am known to God.

Think about the times in your life that you've been the recipient of a tender mercy; then give thanks to the giver of them.

Copy and paste this link to Elder Bednar's talk about Tender Mercies:

http://lds.org/general-conference/2005/04/the-tender-mercies-of-the-lord?lang=eng

(Sorry I don't know how to make this link "live" and Noble isn't here to help me!)