Movin' Along

I'm not sure why I start out with extremely productive days, and then throw in some where I don't think I get anything done at all.

The weather continues to be unseasonably warm. The trees, daffodils, hyacinth, and now the grass all think it's spring.  The grass has greened up.  The phlox is ready to burst into a blanket of color.  Some of the peach trees are in full bloom.  The Bradford pears are all a frothy white.  And we still have a month until the last frost free date. We had forecasts of tons of rain this week.  Some places in the state were awash with water.  We just got a steady drizzle for most of the week.  It's good for the plants and the ground as it just soaked in.

Monday evening we went to empty nesters.  We had not had one in January or February.  No one volunteered to host it.  So it was nice to get together. We had a potluck and played a game and caught up on happenings.

Tuesday I worked on websites in the morning. I met up with another sister and we drove to Ava for their evening conference for Relief Society.  The rain was brutal on the way up!  Some real downpours.  President Chandler, our former stake president and a psychologist spoke at the Ava conference.  He was very good. I think I'll post some of the notes I took.  The lady I road with took her harp and sang.  It was lovely too.

We had a great dinner and the Ava sister were working on the service project A Time for Girls, just like Rebecca's group in Hong Kong was.  The teens there thought the project would be good to make for their 72 hour kits. Fortunately the rain quit and we had a dry drive home.

I've been trying to exercise more.  So both Tom and I have used the treadmill-- especially when the weather is not good. I found time goes pretty quickly when you're watching TV.  I even jogged a little.  I also want to try to play the piano better, so I sat down and practiced a bit about 3 times this week.

Wednesday night I worked on some family history and got the Jacob Joseph Seelbach family ready to take to the temple. I also finished the Stake RS newsletter and sent it to my counselors for review.

Thursday I don't remember what I did.  Some writing.  Some looking for work on Upwork. Exercise. Piano.

My first counselor and her husband had been taking care of his father for several years now-- 3 or 4, maybe more. He was a WWII vet and last week he decided to stop dialysis.  He passed away on Tuesday morning.  We went to his funeral in Ava on Friday.  Tom went with me.  It was a nice service. After, we went shopping at their bulk store and then went to lunch.  We were on the Missouri side of the border and the place that was recommended was a bar/restaurant.  The food was good... but they allowed smoking in there.  It's been a while since I've been around cigarette smoke. It hasn't improved with age.

The rain slowed the process of our septic repairs. Tom went out and marked a 100' arc from the neighbor's well and then 100' from our well.  That doesn't leave much room for the tanks and leech lines.Now the contractor needs to decide how to fit the field in the space.  It looks like it will end up with an expensive solution.  Tom  also worked at Rebecca's house fixing the roof. And next week he will replace a door that a dog chewed/scratched through.

Saturday I went to lunch with Barb.  We talked about how to help her necklace business grow. Do any of you know of some fashionable boutiques that would like to carry lovely necklaces? Both of us would be very grateful. In celebration of Pi day, I made crusts and Tom made an apple, pumpkin, and Toll House chocolate chip pie.  He served them Sunday to the youth for the Bishop's Youth Discussion.  They were a hit.

Today I actually stayed home and didn't travel... except to the Mountain Home ward.  It was nice to see friends and reconnect.  I'd been gone for the past 3 weeks, at least.  The Stake President came to visit and make a change in the Elders Quorum. He came over to the house afterwards and spent 1.5 hours visiting with Barb and answering questions.  Since he'd flown in late, late last night and gotten home about 3am... I thought he was very generous with his time.

I hope I can quickly get used to daylight savings.