The Holidays are starting . . .

General Conference was wonderful, as usual. The General Authorities that speak always say just what we need to hear. Pres. Boyd K. Packer’s talk (where he mentioned homosexuality) had turned out to be quite controversial for a week or so, but I guess that’s part of the signs of the times. The news release by the Church about our stand on all of this was great.

We finally took Heidi out for her birthday dinner – 2 months late. We went to Tepanyaki Japanese Steak House where they cook the food in front of you and it was great as usual. Heidi had a headache, so I’m not sure how much she was able to enjoy it, though. She gave us a tour through her new place – it looks like it is just perfect for her. She was in an Honor Guard recently – that’s what this picture is from.

They have been reseeding the hillside where the fire took place. I guess these first seeds sprout and grow quickly to help stop mudslides. Then the regular vegetation can take over in the next few years. Helicopters have dropped a lot of seeds near the top, but they have used volunteers to spread them on the lower parts. I was signed up to help on a Thursday and Friday morning. However, I had had a sore throat for a week that got a little worse each day although I was gargling and doing everything I knew to do for it. So, I went to the doctor on Wednesday and found out that I had strep. He gave me an antibiotic and I figured I would be better (and not contagious) within 24 hours, so I told them I wouldn’t make it Thursday but probably could on Friday. However, this particular antibiotic (V pak) did NOTHING for me. My throat got sorer and my Eustachian tube hurt all the way into my ear. I couldn’t even swallow. I had to take Lortab every 4-5 hours just so I could function and I didn’t get much sleep at night. I talked to the doctor Friday morning and got a different antibiotic and some steroid to reduce the swelling. I obviously missed the reseeding on Friday, also. I slept all afternoon and some of the evening on Friday. By Friday night the swelling had gone down a lot so I was actually able to swallow some ice cream to soothe my throat. Another thing I noticed – I usually put my head down and shake it up and down or swing it sideways in circles to get my hair dry – but on Saturday after all this throat stuff when I did that, I could feel major tingling in my hands and forearms! I figure the swelling in my throat, ear and neck must have pressed against a nerve. Pretty weird. I lost several pounds since I couldn’t eat (and then regained them back, of course), but this is not a diet that I would recommend to anyone! And one more interesting side note: The doctor I saw was Dr. Daynes – nephew to Bro. Daynes that my brother Derek and his wife Rita worked for at his jewelry store in San Diego. Small world.

Well, since Dylan turned 19 years old and is not a full-time student, he is no longer covered under Randy’s health insurance. Luckily he’d already seen the dentist, but he still has to get 4 wisdom teeth pulled and have his check-up and shots from a regular doctor. I am NOT looking forward to paying full price for any of that! He is on a list to be in a trial for a new procedure where they pull your wisdom teeth (you have to be watched for 2 days in a hospital?)and they actually pay YOU, but there’s no telling when his name will come up. He is working 40+ hours a week setting up displays for a flooring supply company now, but I’m not sure if they offer health insurance or not. We’ll have to check into that.

We went to see “Arsenic and Old Lace” in Lehi one night. Our friend Dave Wayt had a small part as the minister and Glen Meigs (he plays drums in Randy’s blues band) also had a small part as the head of a retirement home – the last guy the two old women poison. Dave’s daughter, Krystal, and her husband Ryan had more substantial parts, and Glen’s son, Jeff, also had a small part. It was enjoyable to watch. Dave’s dad died on a Friday and the funeral was the following week – the same week as the play, but he proved that ‘the show must go on!”

We finished the vinyl fence around the backyard (see before and after pictures). The neighbors actually had a chain link fence between the yards on the west side, but their two little yappy dogs would always bark at us when we were in our own backyard – which was kind of annoying. And we needed to have something between the shed and the back deck – the neighbor’s cat would come through there and poop on my grass and hide behind the pond/waterfall and wait for birds to land. Randy put some steps going down to the backyard from that deck so that we can get to the front from that side also. But most of all, I just wanted a private backyard – and now I have it! I can die happy.

I got a new calling last month. I got released as a ward missionary and also as the chorister for Sacrament Meeting (Ward Music Chairman). My new calling is as the Primary Chorister. This actually will be a lot like teaching seminary in that I have to keep the kids attention while trying to teach them about gospel principles. The main differences are that this is only once a week, there are a lot more kids, they are much younger, and it is all done through music. Plus – I’m a lot older than last time I had this calling! I hope I have the energy for this!! Randy also got released as 1^st Assistant in the High Priest group. He doesn’t have a new calling yet. (Nursery??!!)

I have started another class – this one is International Business. There is no Final for this class, but I will have three papers to write. At least they don’t have to be very long.

All the trees and bushes are starting to change colors down here in the valley. They have already changed up in the mountains, although we haven’t had time to drive up there together. Randy was in Park City for inspections a couple of weeks ago, and said the colors were amazing. We had been having nice, dry, warm weather for a long time. Finally this last week we had rain, cold, and snow in the valleys (briefly) and the mountains. I am not looking forward to any of this, but I do love the holiday seasons. I have found that I don’t mind Halloween too much now that I don’t have to come up with costumes for my kids! I just have to make sure that I have candy to hand out and I’m good!

Slowly Sliding Into Fall

Well, I have to say that I am LOVING this weather! It’s the first day of October and it’s been in the high 80’s – low 90’s all last week and is supposed to last a few more days. I’m OK with Fall holding off a while longer!

On Labor Day Randy and I took a long walk around the lake at a housing development and community near here called Daybreak. There are a lot of areas that still need to be developed (I think the problems with the economy really slowed things down there), but it is still very peaceful and lovely.The Oquirrh Mountain Temple that we attend is near there.

We celebrated Dylan’s 19^th birthday one night early so that Heidi and Tyler could both join us. It’s hard to believe that my youngest child is that old. One more year and I won’t have any more kids in their teens! He got to go with some friends down to Lake Powell for 5 days and stayed on a houseboat. He had a lot of fun waterskiing, surfing behind the boat, and cliff jumping. The weather was perfect and so was the water temperature. He especially liked the fact that he had 3 meals a day prepared for him – plus snacks! (back to the real world now of Mom making only dinner!) He came back really tan. He got a full-time job setting up displays of floor products (carpeting, linoleum, wood, etc) all over the state and into Idaho and Colorado. He says it’s the best job he has ever had!

Randy’s band played at a park again – this time the audience was only half as big as last time, but he said they did well and he still had fun.

Heidi moved out of her apartment and into the upper level of a house (another woman lives in the basement). It is only 5 minutes from the campus where she works, so already she has really enjoyed that. She said it is so much nicer to get off work at 2am and NOT have to drive for a half hour just to get home. It has 2 bedrooms and a lot of cupboard space.

My mother turned 92 on the 15^th. We celebrated her birthday on the following Sunday evening so that more people could come, and that’s typically a better day for me to host something like that. We had over 30 people here for it. I had taken her to get her temple recommend renewed earlier in the afternoon and we had noticed there was a fire on the far side of the hill behind us. Someone said it was just a brush fire. We found out later that it had been started by a machine-gun training exercise of the Utah National Guard and they tried, but couldn’t put it out. They should never have been doing that when conditions were so dry and it was so windy, and they have since apologized for it and are taking full responsibility. By the time we were having my mother’s birthday party it was obvious the fire was getting bigger, and before long the flames were coming over the top of the hill. By that evening there were over 1,400 houses that were being evacuated. The evacuation area ended only a few blocks from us. The fire continued to burn all that night and fire crews concentrated on keeping houses safe. There was an article in the local newspaper about a man that used his bulldozer to plow a fire line that was directly responsible for saving 32 homes. By the next morning we discovered that only 3 houses had burned down and 1 was partially burnt – it was a miracle that no other homes were damaged. They hoped to have the last of the fire and hot spots put out by Tuesday morning, but the wind kicked up again. (photo by Mike Day) On Wednesday morning I rode my bike on my usual route and I could still see smoke rising from the ashes. We had rain, hail, and thunder storms that day, and the rain helped put out the fire – but then they were worried about mudslides! (The city has already started planting seedlings to help prevent that next year.) The last of the people that had been evacuated were finally let back into their homes by Wednesday night. My heart really goes out to those that lost their homes, but this awful situation showed that miracles DO happen and caused a lot of people to focus on what is really important.

Speaking of bike riding – My left hip had been hurting, with pain going down my leg sometimes. So, I went a week without any treadmill or biking. When I got back on the treadmill I was OK, but I only went 6.5 miles (instead of 10.5) on the bike and it was hurting again. I guess I’ll have to work at strengthening that joint muscle with weights this fall and winter. I hate getting old….

One Saturday late in the month, Randy and I went to the Hogle Zoo. Heidi works there sometimes as a security guard, so she was able to get us in for free. We were able to see just about everything in 2 ½ hours – just about the right amount of time for us and it felt good to be in the sun all afternoon. We didn’t quite time it right to see the bird show, but we caught the end of the elephant show. They have a big area that they are working on that will have all kinds of water exhibits – large mammals, otters, sea lions, etc – that will open in 1 ½ years.

I have finished everything for my class on Organizations and just have to wait for my grade. I am SO glad to be done with it! From reading comments from the other students in class, it sounds like most of them have also had negative feelings about it. I know I will have more research papers to write in other classes, but I’m glad to be done for now.