Happy February

In my attempts to get more organized, I first got a small notebook to write down my to-do list for the day.  I divided it into work related things and life related things to do.  But after a week or so of that, I realized I really needed a daily planner.  Some things I didn’t need to do TODAY, but I needed to remember to do them tomorrow or Wednesday. 

So now I can remember what I did all week.  And now I know why Cynthia doesn’t write letters.  It looks like the same thing every day.  BUT… you get to hear about it anyway!

Monday night we watched the DVD from the Kenya Nairobi Mission.  We saw some of “our” missionaries… and also how many of the senior couples that were new.  Ahhh.  Made us homesick!  We learned that Kisumu branch had 7 baptisms in December and that the little handful of members we’d nurtured in Nyabondo had 23 baptisms in December!  I’m sure it will shortly become an organized group.  It’s nice to know things are moving forward.  Some of the people we saw baptized are now preparing for missions.

I’ve been continuing to work on the websites.  I’ve solved some technical problems and banged my head against the wall… or the computer… over other, as yet unsolved problems.  I have connected with about 6 other people who are taking copywriting courses and we have decided to organize into a Mastermind Group.  Although we come from diverse backgrounds and locations all over the USA, I think we will be good for each other.  We have a nun who came out of the convent, a home-schooler from Oregon, a retired computer programmer, a videographer, a naturopathic practitioner.  It’s been fun!

Tuesday Miranda, Camden and Dan came to visit.  Dan went off to do work on Wednesday and we delivered Miranda and Camden to Dan in Harrison on Thursday. We did a little chatting, a little cooking, a little hair cutting.   Before...

 The first few snips:

 The last few snips.

The weather has been quite warm, so Camden delighted in going outside to play.  He liked watching the chickens… for a minute.  The play car was much more interesting.

Thursday morning was the second meeting of our Mastermind Group.  We meet on Skype. After that was done, I went and got some mulch.  I’d been wanting to mulch the front flower garden for months!  It has to be done in winter, because once the spring bulbs come up, it’s really hard to get the mulch in.  Well, those silly spring bulbs are poking their heads up!  So Camden, Miranda, Dad and I spread mulch, then we left for Harrison.

 The tulips poking their heads out.

After having lunch at an ok Mexican Restaurant, Tom and I went to Alde’s to shop.  Tom had carefully gotten out cash, as they don’t take a credit card and since our debit card acts like a credit card, the machine won’t take it.  Alas, the money got carefully put into a coat pocket that stayed home (since it was so warm.)  We discovered this as we were finishing up checking out.   They must have had other people do this before.  They suspended the transaction.  We found a local ATM (that would take our debit card) and were back in probably 5 minutes to pay and collect our groceries.

The Main street house continues to progress.  Some days, I don’t see a lot done—like when Ray is working on plumbing.  But this week doors got hung and trim got painted. The light went up in some of the rooms. Toilet got installed in the downstairs along with vanity, top and faucets.  Wow! It looks like a bathroom! Err… it will act like one, once the plumbing’s done and the water turned on.   We traded a local merchant the doors and the shower stall we didn’t need for the vanity tops.  It was a win-win situation.  Slowly, the amount of stuff around the house is diminishing and a nice looking house is emerging.

Mom and I have been chatting.  We’ve bought our tickets and gotten the travel insurance.  We’ve decided on the Swiss Rail passes we’ll get.  Deborah and Miranda are gestating nicely and I’ll go and visit them at baby time in late March and early April.  While Miranda was here, she researched places to see and things to do for the Family Reunion in Branson in June.  All… so exciting!!

Tom has been working on taxes.  Bless his heart!  He’s such a good man.  He’s kept busy raking leaves and doing all the odd jobs that need doing with rentals.  He goes visiting and has meetings.  It’s fun to see his love for the youth of the church.  After some really tough days, I think the drama of the ward is back on even keel.  Today was a good, spiritual fast Sunday.

Tonight I have an in-service training call for my Seminary and Institute teachers.