New look behind the scenes

Wow! There is a new look behind the scenes. I almost forgot what I was going to write about!!

Today I finally decided I needed to get the invitations for Don-Mike's wedding mailed out, there are only so many days left. Don-Mike & I went down this morning & picked up most of his temple clothing. He & Amber will be going to the temple on Friday.

Back in January one of the clerks at the post office told me there were new mother-in-law stamps this year. It's the Chinese year of the dragon. We laughed. Don-Mike & Amber had just got engaged & I said when it came time to send out the invitations, I'd come in & buy some.

Eldon (Wilcox) was not at the post office today. I told the 2 ladies behind the counter I wanted to buy some mother-in-law (MIL) stamps. One clerk picked right up on it & quietly explained to the other clerk as she got a sheet out. I was surprised when she told me $5.40 for the sheet of stamps because there are only 12 stamps on a sheet. Stamps are 45 cents now. I can remember when they cost just pennies.

I asked them to tell Eldon I had bought some mother-in-law stamps. They said it will be a long time before they see him again. He is out with some health problems. I said I'd send him a get well card & let him know I got the MIL stamps.

It is so hard to say anything without hurting feelings. I don't know what his problem is. If he is battling cancer or some form of debilitating disease, ... If he will soon recuperate & be back to work ... or not. I referred to the Scott Krippayne song about God sometimes calming the storm & sometimes calming His child.

Sunday was a day of those uncomfortable situations. A missionary is home from his mission early. What do you say? A hug, only to discover he is painfully thin. A couple in the ward just lost a baby, born way too early , not even 24 weeks, yet she lived an hour and a half. I tried expressing my sympathy to the father & felt like I should have kept my mouth shut. An interview with the Relief Society president sitting in the back of the chapel with one of my ladies sitting in the foyer, probably hearing everything I said.

We went to dinner at the Texas Road House on Sunday for Nick's birthday. Don-Mike said one of his co-workers passed judgement on him yesterday at work. "You went out to dinner on Sunday & you're getting married in the temple?" Don-Mike said he felt like telling him we had an ox in the mire. There is no other time we can go out to dinner as a family. I told him in the scriptures it is not an ox stuck in a mire, it is an ass in a pit (Luke 14:5).

So, I just googled the phrase, "ox in a mire," & found a blog entry that I really like titled When Is Your Ox in the Mire? Here are a couple of wonderful comebacks.

So, the next time you are caught in a questionable Sunday activity, just say, “Sorry, bishop.  My ass was in a pit.  This was just one of those “ass in a pit” situations.”

A tribute to autism

This is a powerful video I want to share:

Glimpse of autism

I found another blog to follow & added the button at the bottom of the side bar on the left right. I found the blog through an article shared on Facebook by my friend Terri.

The article, A heart shattered by a glimpse into autism by Rob Giorski, is a heart breaker. It's too late to check it out further, so ... true to the Scarlett O'Hara Syndrome ... here it is for another day.

Nick was a little concerned this morning when he read Tax Day was yesterday, April 15. He wanted to make sure I had sent his grocery credit off. I told him I had another day, which relieved him, but tomorrow I will have run out of time & I will not have another day.

Backgrounds

I had a hard time deciding what kind of background I wanted for my blog. Wedding? Don-Mike & Amber's wedding is coming up in 3 weeks. Birthday? Our April birthdays got jump started this year with Amber's birthday in March. Spring? After all, it is spring.

I chose spring. It was supposed to snow today, but so far, it is just rain. I can deal with rain. I live in a semi-arid climate, I know moisture is of paramount importance.

Yesterday was a glorious spring day. The sun was shining, it was warm & the sky was blue. I took Mother for a ride up Cub River Canyon. We only got as far as Albert Moser Campground before we turned around. The road hadn't been graded & the road was bumpy, much too bumpy for my poor, sore tummy. The road had some serious speed bumps too. I was driving sedately (Don's word), but the car was still kicking up dust. Dust & smoke is not good for Mother's asthma. Someone was burning at Deer Cliff Inn.

Now, I need to concentrate some effort on bills & my personal web site. The personal web site still has a snow scene as the background, as well as the Valentine's mailbox I mentioned the other day.

Don-Mike & Amber's wedding invitations came today. I probably should be addressing envelopes, now I have an invitation to make sure I get the right size of envelope.

A draft for all to see

I was ready to sit down & paper the kitchen in 15 minutes* & then the kids came over. Don-Mike played a favorite song for Amber, we sat & talked about life & death (90 Minutes in Heaven) & by the time I sat down again, I forgot what I had been going to write.

I started shutting down the many open tabs I always have on the computer & found what had led me to make my first entry. Yes, I forgot. I was interrupted & didn't paper the kitchen. Here is the passage. I want to be able to find it again.

"I would if I projected myself into the future like that." We were sitting in Sister Nancy's office. "Here we look for what God's doing right now, in each life this very day. That's where God is for all of us, you know — not in the goal but in the passing moments of the journey. Here we celebrate the little victories."

Guideposts.org from Elizabeth Sherrill Returns to Holy Angels

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*A phrase I gleaned from a Jessamyn West (I think) book many years ago.

Catching up

Here it is April 10 & I still have shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day on this blog; a Valentine's Day mailbox on my personal web site AND a picture of The Book of Mormon & the Bible with "Reading The Book of Mormon for Lent." Would you say I'm a little behind?? Ya, so would I. But tomorrow's another day, a la Scarlett O'Hara.

Today would have been Don's mother's 83rd birthday. We went for a ride out north of town today. He had remembered today was his mom's birthday. My brother Eldon was born March 12 & died March 24, 1949. He was 12 days old.

It's a work night

I have to work tomorrow, so why am I still up at 12:32??? The kids (DM/A) are here, I've got a kitchen full of dishes that need to be done & I don't sleep well at night. So... that's a reason to stay up??? Nah. I don't think so.

Last night I was up until 3:40. Shhhh. Don't tell anyone. I was reading a book & it wasn't the scriptures.

Don & I text each other every night. Sounds funny huh? Did you know we are separated? Not legally. Just that I live with Mother across town & Don lives at our house. He told someone that I went home to Momma.

They (Don-Mike & Don) have started tearing into the downstairs. It looks funny with no furniture, pieces of carpet pulled up & bare studs. Amber's been helping.

Remind me I need to get the money so they can start buying materials to finish it. Don said when they tore into the walls, the space between the walls went right down into the crawl space. Mother said it wasn't constructed very well. Don said no that wasn't what he was saying. Back in the early 1900s they weren't concerned about insulating the walls.