Happy Thanksgiving

It has been delightful being at Jonathan’s and Kristy’s for Thanksgiving!

Monday we tried to catch up on all the loose ends.  My friend Dorothy is not doing all that well.  I agreed to be her Power of Attorney for health Care and so have tried to keep up with how she is  doing—long distance.  She seems to be deteriorating rapidly and I hope to put her into hospice this coming Monday.

Early Monday morning we went out to Jennifer (Steinman’s) house for breakfast.  She and her new husband had promised us a special breakfast and this was the only time that we’d be together.  It was a delicious breakfast—rich French toast—and a special syrup plus bacon, juice and altogether tasty.  We had an unusual treat on the way out—two rainbows that arched completely across the sky.  It was lovely!

We left there to go and check out a house.  We had our contractor with us this time looking at everything.  It was great, and I was planning on putting in an offer, until he crawled under the house to look at the foundation.   Ummm.  There WAS NO foundation!  Little piers all over.  Some had settled…. And in some places there was about 8” of space between the dirt and the floor.  You just can’t buy a house with no foundation.  I went to look at choice #2, and it did look much better the second time… but they want more than I could pay.  I thought to lowball it, but there are other offers coming in… so I guess we wait.

Tuesday we left early and drove to Kansas City in time to go to a session at the temple.  Then we continued to Jonathan’s house and arrived about 5:30.  It was a good drive and so fun to be welcomed by all the children.

Wednesday Tom and Kristy dove headlong into the pigeon loft project.  They’d been emailing plans back and forth for the last week or so.  They shopped and bought loads of materials then constructed the floor that afternoon.  Thursday, even amidst Thanksgiving day preparations, they built some of the sides. 

We had a great Thanksgiving.  Lots of food.  The neighbors—the Cooks—came to dinner with their 5 kids.  For me, most of the day seemed to center around eating and visiting.  What can be better than that?  Tom used some of the Cook boy labor to get more work done in the afternoon. 

Friday the temperature dropped.  It was 17 degrees in the morning and warmed up to a chilly thirty four.  And the wind!!! It was dang chilly!  But they pressed on.   I worked on some of my spec assignments.  And I entertained a book.

Saturday was mostly more of the same.  We went in the afternoon to go visit a farm with dexter cows and a possible bull for sale.  It was fun to chat with them.  In the late afternoon and evening, I went out and helped Tom for an hour or so as he finished shingles on one side of the roof.  Again, it was very chilly.  I was impressed with Tom’s endurance.   We rested in the evening with a movie (Spiderman) and then Tom soaked in the tub for a while.

Today was special. Just before stake conference last week,  Jonathan and Kristy were released from their callings in the ward and stake.  They were part of the ward that was realigned and now attached to the Indianola Branch. So this was their first Sunday there.  It’s a bit longer of a drive, but the building is very pretty and the branch members very welcoming.

Since it was Miriam's Baptismal day, we spent time doing hair.  For Miri it was braids so she didn't have to dry her hair after the baptism.

 Then we had a sandwich brigade making a pre-baptism snack so people wouldn't starve.Kristy and I had made a few dozen sandwiches, cut in quarters, and some chips, to take for a tide-over snack for those attending the baptism. Some friends brought a few other snacks that were well appreciated.

After church Miriam was baptized by Tom.  Jonathan gave a great talk on covenants and covenant keeping.  

 Great family photo.  I might have gotten into one picture, but I was hiding in a quiet room, talking to the hospital on the phone about Dorothy's care. They did not qualify her for hospice.  Sigh.  So Monday they will move her to a nursing home.

This evening we dined on left-overs.

Sneak peek for next week:  Monday we celebrated Kristy's Birthday.