Travels with Tommie

We seem to find it hard to stay home.  Monday I spent time weeding, and planting a tiny herb garden.  I awaited a response to the copy I’d sent off.  Would he like it?  Was it what he wanted?  It took a while to hear back, but the answer was yes.  He loved it!  Wants me to do more stuff.  The upfront payment is lower, but I get a percentage on the gross sales, so potentially, I could have income coming in long after I finish writing.  His praise was good for the ego.  It gives me confidence I can approach others and do well.

Tuesday we went to see The Hunger Games movie.  I’d read the books and liked them, although I would have wished for more character development in the heroine.  I thought the movie was pretty true to the book, but of course, much had to be left out.  You couldn’t get the whole book into two hours.  Tom hadn’t read the book, but liked the movie.

We came home to discover the power had gone out. When it came back on… our phone lines didn’t.  Tom was able to determine that the line to the house worked.  So it must be something internal.  Wednesday I called and added the inside line insurance fee to the bill.  Then I filed a request for service.  Since we were going to be gone the rest of the week, it’s scheduled for tomorrow.  I also asked about what their best deal was, and got a new “bundle” of services for about $15 less than our old one.  A nice deal!

Brother and Sister Rice are going on a mission, so I set them up with a blog so we (and family and other friends) can hear about what’s happening with them.  Also did some family history.

Thursday we got up and left early to go to Branson.  We met the O’Brian’s there and went to Silver Dollar City.  This was their International Festival so we heard an Irish harpist and drummer and flutist.  We watched the 12 Divas play mariachi music, listened to a Russian band, watched Italian flag throwers, and Peruvian scissor dancers.  All in all it was an interesting day.

Friday we  checked out the water park the kids want to go to in June.  Looked fun.  We did a little shopping.  I got a suitcase for my trip to Switzerland. Hurray!  The one I used to go to Utah took another hit on the way home. And this one has the swivel wheels. We had to munch on a little Harry and David.  Then we drove to Kansas City.

We drove into the Temple parking lot just about the time Jonathan and Kristy arrived.  We took a tour of the Kansas City temple.  It is lovely.  The grandchildren enjoyed it: On the way to the temple.

 After the temple tour:

After the tour, we went to dinner, then hotel.  The kids went swimming.

Saturday we went to visit Liberty jail.  As we were leaving the hotel, I had a flurry of phone calls.  A roofer had been on one of our duplexes in St. Louis.  He thought there was hail damage. So the adjustor was called in.  He arrived on Saturday… but they needed the property manager to get inside.  They couldn’t get a hold of him.  I called and connected the two.  But the roofer who was supposed to advocate for me was rude to my manager.  Called the roofer back.  He was a bit brusque with me, but I got the phone # of the adjustor.  Then the adjustor called back.  He was most offended that the roofer had called him an #$%% idiot for not seeing the hail damage.  The claims adjustor said there was no hail damage, just an old roof.  All these calls are taking place as we’re trying to load up and leave the hotel.  I wasn’t much help.  And worst of all, our favorite property manager in St. Louis is leaving and taking a new job in Chicago.  We may just bail out of the houses there and move on to other investments.

After viewing the church historical site at Liberty Jail, we headed south to Springfield.  Got there in time to have a quick dinner, then Tom and I both had meetings, then the evening session of Stake Conference.  I had my seminary and institute training meeting. I think it went well.  One of the quotes from the evening session was from a woman who had been on the tour when an area 70 led it.  He said President Packer had said something like: “Some people discount the Kansas City temple because it’s not built on the Independence temple site. I think that’s a mistake. I don’t think the Lord or his prophets need to be held to one verse in the Doctrine and Covenants.”  Very interesting.

We spent the night with the Petersen’s.  Such fun people. Heard great stories about him growing up and his brothers making pipe bombs and black powder and shooting off a miniature cannon an uncle made for them and a host of other wild and wooly things boys can get into.   Stake conference was great and made me want to come home and draw closer to the Lord and learn more.  I know there is more the Lord wants me to know, believe, and do.

Came home to a cool house.  Seems the heat does not want to come on.  Grr.  However, the fireplace is doing a good job of heating.  And it’s not all that cold.  On a good note- all three chickens laid eggs for us today.

And that’s the news from Mountain Home.