The ward choir sang today. Two-thirds of the choir were members of two families. There were only 18, 16 actual choir members, plus the chorister & the pianist, but still .... They sounded wonderful. Don-Mike sings in the ward choir. I wish his dad would also sing in the choir. He has a wonderful voice, but ... he doesn't sing in church.
Don & I went to church this morning. We don't usually go to Sacrament meeting but Don-Mike sings in the ward choir. Don-Mike had taken Mother to church. She sat with our neighbors, Balzers, Paula & Amber. Don noticed a lady with no hair & asked me if I knew of anyone in the ward going through chemo & pointed her out to me. I said I didn't know of anyone. Mother was sitting on the back row, then there is an aisle & another bench. This couple sat on the very back row of the chapel, right behind Mother. About half an hour into the meeting, Mother started coughing & got up & went out. So, I got up & went out into the foyer to see if Mother was ok. I noticed a very strong tobacco odor as I walked out. The lady with no hair was looking intently at me. I smiled & kept on walking. I think she was coveting my pretty pink hat. It's crocheted & very soft. It was made for me when I was having chemo & had no hair.
In the foyer, Mother was still coughing & couldn't seem to get her breath. Paula was sitting there with her 5-year-old grandson Javen. She told me to go back in & ask Adrian, her daughter & Javen's mother, for some hard candy.
I went back in & again noticed the strong odor of tobacco. I got the candy & took it back to Mother. It seemed to help. I went back in to the chapel for the choir's next number & then after they sang, I got up & left. Last week the Gospel Doctrine teacher had wanted a copy of the
Proclamation on the family for her Sunday School class this week. I know they are free at the Distribution Center, but I didn't know if I would get down to pick any up. I took a copy & copied them on parchment paper at
The Citizen. I had forgotten to take them to church this morning. I was on my way back into town to pick up those copies. I asked Mother if she wanted to go home with me. She said she did. She hadn't taken her morning meds & the coughing spell had tired her out. She had started wheezing too. I took her home, gave her an inhaler treatment, she took her meds & I turned her oxygen concentrator on for her.
I grabbed the copies of the Proclamation & went back to church. I took them up to the Sunday School class. They had just started class when I delivered them. I noticed the Relief Society presidency in the hall setting out next year's lesson manuals. One manual seemed to leap out at me. I looked at the name & it said "Carol Hill." The RS always gives each sister a manual & they put our names on stickers on the manuals. I asked Shannon Knapp, one of the counselors, who Carol Hill was. She didn't know, so she asked Angie, the president. Angie didn't know, so she asked me. I laughed & said I had asked Shannon. No one knew who she was.
I laughingly told Don about it when I went back to the library. A little while later, I walked back up to the foyer & picked up my manual & Mother's. I noticed Carol Hill's manual was still there.
This afternoon Don-Mike, Mother, Don & I had
tithing settlement. Don & I had the first appointment, but we let Mother & Don-Mike go first. While we were waiting, I noticed the bald lady standing at the top of the stairs. I took that opportunity to go up & talk to her. I asked her if she was going through chemo. She said no, she has alopecia & a lung disease. The smell of tobacco clung to her. I thought that if she had a lung disease, someone in her home had better stop smoking. But I didn't say so. I asked her if she were visiting, but then the bishop came out & handed something to her. She said no, she lived over on South State. That is part of our ward, so I asked where on South State. She said she lived in the trailer court but she doesn't get out to church very often. I had neglected to introduce myself, so I did & asked her name, "Carol Hill." I was both elated & astounded. I had never even heard the name Carol Hill, until I saw it on that manual. I had wanted to talk to her at church, but knew I wouldn't get a chance. They must have had an appointment a bit earlier. If Don & I had taken the time allotted to us, I would have missed the chance to talk to her.
I think the reason Mother had the choking spell at church is because of the cigarette odor. Tobacco smoke brings on her spells.
I called Angie & left a message on their answering machine to call me. She called me back & I told her I had found out who Carol Hill is. I told her & she said she thought they were visiting. I passed on the information I had learned from talking to Carol. Angie said she had never heard the name before. She felt bad that she hadn't talked to her. She thanked me & said she & her counselors would go visit her. I wonder how long they've lived here. Obviously long enough to have their records here.
After tithing settlement, I went to
The Citizen to work on my Christmas project. About 6 p.m., I was at the counter writing down the copies that I had made so I can pay for them this week, when I had the distinct feeling I needed to check the front door to see if it was locked. I thought that was odd. I started back to my desk to leave & it was like someone said to me, "I thought you were going to check the front door." I immediately turned & walked to the front door, all the time thinking it was my OCD kicking in. I have worked there for 12 years & been in & out of that building at all times of the day & night & NEVER had the thought that I needed to check to see if that door was locked. I walked up, pushed on the front door & it swung open. I almost fell on my face. Not from shock but because the door swung open so easily. I locked it & walked back to my desk.
The janitor had just left & she had turned out all the lights. It was dark outside & I needed to see to get out of the building. I walked back & turned on the mail room light & then there is one light that you have to pull a string to turn it on & off. The string popped off in my hand. Crud. There was no way I was getting on a chair & tying that string back on. I left it. Made sure the back door was locked & went to dinner.
Tithing settlement happens each December. Faithful members are supposed to go to their bishop & declare whether or not they have paid a full tithe that year.
