You Just Never Know

You never know how people preceive you. You may come across as prickly to some people but sweet and gentle to others.

I have tried to be friendly to people but sometimes I am not sure.

Within the past three weeks, I have receive three communications from people at my old church. They were people I liked so I was pleased to find that they missed me. Two of the notes were from a family that I smiled at and they came and introduced themselves. The family was a mom and dad and two teens. They were really nice and I enjoyed their friendship.

The other communication was from a member of the "worship team". This is the group of people who provide the music for the service. I use to go early because I loved the music ( I also liked getting my favorite parking space). I got to know most of the musicians and some of the singers. The lady who sent the card played the electric keyboard and her husband played the drums. They also introduce themselves which was nice.

I don' t believe I will go back to that church but it is nice to know I made a good impression on some of the people.

What Would You Do With A Million Dollars?

Elinor asked me what I would do if I had a million dollars, tax free.

It was strange but at first I couldn't think of anything. I don't travel anymore; I am not taking that many pictures any more; I feel limited.

Then I looked at my sister and suddenly I knew what I would like to do. I wanted her to be able to see each of her kids. So I would buy her airline tickets to everywhere she has a kid.

Then I got REAL ambitious: Why not also bring all the family together for a BIG FAMILY REUNION? Wouldn't that be a hoot? Where? Well, in order to get everyone, I'd have to travel too because I know my Cousin Margaret ain't gonna budge out of Virginia and I want her there. Well, I can travel first class. After all, I have a million dollars. I could even have both seats if I wanted them. What the heck? Virginia is a nice place. We could even get Tops and Jackie, Fax and Joanne, and all the Texas Crew. Who knows, maybe even Barbara would come. What a gathering!!!!!!

It is a nice daydream................it could happen...............

There's A Knock On The Door......It's The Missionaries

They're Back................... Meet Our Missionaries: Elder Hopkins and Elder Camba. We invited them over for dinner which is always a joy. Elder Hopkins(on the left) is from Utah and Elder Camba(on the right) is from Gilbert, AZ which is near Phoenix. They are very nice and both have a good sense of humor and great appetites. It is the privelidge of the Ward to feed these young men to cut down on their expences. They, in turn, offer the grace, a lesson, and a prayer before they leave. We always have good discussions and it is not all about religion but eventually, religion does enter in.

I can remember when I was a kid and the Mormon missionaries would come by. Back in Scarsdale, we never let them in. We didn't slam the door on them but we weren't interested.

As I got older, I still wasn't interested but I had to be more polite because I had two nephews and one niece who serve on missions and I didn't want the Lord to hold any grudges.

It was when my brother in law, Gary, was told he had cancer that I first let the missionaries in. The family was holding a prayer fast and I said I would participate. I did fine until about 1pm and then I started inching towards the kitchen. Just as I was about to enter, there was a knock on the door: It was the missionaries. God has a delightful sense of humor. I did talk to them and they were kind enough to say a special prayer for Gary.

Since moving in with Elinor, we have entertained the missionaries often. The young men have changed regularly but it still has been a pleasant experience. They keep working on me but I just smile. I have come to admire these young people for their dedication and persistence.

They keep coming back, keep smiling, and they leave kind notes in the bathroom. I think I present a challenge but I don't mind. They are on the Lord's work.

The Blues

Boy, when it is gloomy in the Northwest, it is gloomy. The
problem is that it doesn't just last a day.....it goes on and on and on. We've had some wet weather lately and some heavy winds. Our backyard has branches all over it and our front isn't much better. You can't even see our front stoop.

I need some sunshine, big time. Today, I didn't feel like doing anything. I did manage to finish a book but it wasn't an uplifting book. It was good but murder mysteries are not uplifting. I didn't even feel like going to a movie. That is pitiful.

Luckily, Elinor and I don't usually have the "blues" at the same time. She is just getting over hers so mine felt safe in visiting.

They are not a welcome visitor, however. So I am going to ask them to leave and stay away. And I will begin right now:

BEGONE, BLUES! FARE THEE WELL! GOOD RIDENCE!

Nothing like a nice dragonfly to protect you when you need a pick-me-up

A Quilt To Roll Up In

This is my great nephew, John Fox. Now I ask you, isn't he sweet? My sister (His grandmother) made this quilt for him for Christmas. The Bailey family has a tradition of giving hope chests to children when they will be turning 16/17. It doesn't matter if it is a girl or a boy, they get a hope chest. Elinor made John pillowcases and this quilt. The material for the quilt was designed by David Butler whose wife is also a designer. How cool is that?

Needless to say, John loved his new quilt. He just wanted to curl up and enjoy the love that surrounded him.

I love this family.

If these pictures look familiar to some people, they originally appeared on Elinor's blog first.

Well, it is her handiwork and her grandson.

Inner Workings

I was looking thru my old pictures and found these three. I wondered why I took them. They

looked interesting at the time....they still do. I like the way the parts fit. I like the backgrounds, the textures, the coloring. It is kind of like relationships. Certain ones work, others don't. Some last a minute, some a lifetime.

My relationship with my siblings are two of those that works. The longer I spend with them,

the more I treasure them. The more I learn about them, the more I admire and respect them.

Maybe I am growing wiser in my old age or maybe it is because we share a heritage and a history together. Actually, I can include my cousin, Margaret, as well. I like these inner workings; even though they are rusty, they get better with age.

Just A Little Experiment

Looks a little weird doesn't it? I thought it looked kinda cool so I tried taking a picture.

A friend gave us some hyacinth for Spring. We are still about 50 days away from Spring but what the hey? Elinor and I are notorious for killing plants but I think maybe even we can keep these alive. All we have to do is keep the jars filled with water. We should be okay unless Cashew decides to play potty-pat. This is her new game. After 8 years, she has discovered the toilet. After she plays in the water, she likes to jump on the bed and shake her paw at me. YUCH!!!!!

How do they learn this?