Sue and Steve were here on Monday and left Tuesday morning. I thought they'd have a relaxing time here, but we managed to find all kinds of things to keep us busy. We organized housing for the reunion and also talked about food and activities. We went thought old newspaper clippings to find Donop activities and then she scanned all the old pictures and documents we had. I was sorry to see them go. It sure would be nice to live close by them.
As I wrote the title, I realized that for Steve English, every good week is filled with funerals. But Tom says it's a little odd that every funeral director in town knows him on a first name basis...or as Bishop.
Monday Norma Robertson died. She had been mostly bedridden for years. Her husband died of cancer a few years ago. I was her visiting teacher at the time. Both her and her husband, Joel's, beds were in the living room. Their faithful son David took care of both of them. Tom helped out and officiated at the funeral on Thursday.
On Wednesday Elmore Salsbury died. He had been semi-active and Tom was his home teacher. He'd recently married a much younger woman and I was assigned to visit teach her as she investigated the church. He had been ill off and on. I think he was in his 80's. And he seemed to be doing well... except suddenly his wife found him sitting on the toilet dead. So again, Tom visited with funeral directors as his children were all out west. And now his widow needs to figure out how to move forward in her life.
We had thought about trying to visit Andy and family-- especially Nathan who we have not seen since he got back home-- early next week. But Elmore's funeral is Monday with burial on Tuesday. Someone else will handle the burial. We'll be off to Miranda's then then off to Mom's Birthday Bash.
I was hired to write some testimonials. I find the hardest part on this is getting the information from the other people, then getting them to check what I've written and approve it. I got the information, got the three written... and am now awaiting their approval. I connected with a guy on LinkedIn that may have work for me and then again someone on Upwork. Sometimes it seems like I will be booked up for a while... but there's many a slip 'tween the cup and the lip. The job's not a go until there's money in hand.
I had a fairly reputable source recommend investing in some cryptocurrency. So I've been investigating how to buy bitcoin or Ethereum or even Dogecoin. Did you know there are a dozen or more different kinds of cryptocoins? I suppose it's all a gamble. But I've been reading that banks and even the government is interested in blockchain kinds of transactions as a faster and more secure way to move money.
We are still working to get a septic fixed at the Whiteville property. This week we FINALLY got the written waver that allows us to have the septic tank within 100 feet of our well if we put in a chlorination system... which we already did. Now we need to wait for the plans to be approved and the work can begin. The tenant complained about slow sink drainage and we thought... uh oh... the septic is totally failing. Nope. Hairball. What does it say about the state of our lives when a hairball is GOOD news?
Between funeral planning, Tom spent some time at another house taking out a dead air conditioner and patching that hole in preparation for a snazzy new mini-split to go in. The patching of the hole involved drywall and mud on the inside, insulation, and siding on the outside.
The chickens are finally understanding where they belong. They are also spending more time outside the house fencing. That means less time in my flower gardens or scratching the mulch away from fruit trees. This makes me happy.
As a result of a funeral earlier in the year, we finally got permission to dispose of furniture that had been stored in the barn for over a year. A single mom moving into a small house was the beneficiary and Tom had the privilege of loading it up and delivering it to her. Kind of dusty. If you ever have a chance to store stuff in the barn, if you value it.... don't. Just sayin.
Today the Mission President and his wife spoke at our ward. They are such lovely people! They left before the end of church to arrive in Ava in time to see the last of 31 baptisms this week! What an exciting time we live in. I think it gives people the opportunity to choose what really matters most to them. Now Tom is off to West Plains for seminary graduation. We have one student graduating this year.
We are looking forward to seeing Mom and siblings and family!
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Sue and Steve Visit
This has been a great week.
The chickens are adapting to their new homes. The first couple of night, the hens didn't know how to get out of or go back into their part of the run. One evening when I forgot to usher them back in, I found only the three brown hens inside roosting. Where could the two black hens be?
I found one squatted down on the the corner of the porch. The other was roosting on some bricks under the porch. The good thing for owners (and predators) is that once they settle in they are pretty docile and easy to pick up. So I just moved them to a nesting box.
The chicklets are growing and will now wander outside into the small part of the coop. They are not quite so skiddish.
Tuesday Tom and I drove to Silver Dollar City to meet up with Jonathan and Kristy and family. We all had a wonderful day at the park. The weather was warm enough that most of them (not me) went on the water rides. It was BBQ and Bluegrass festival. So we enjoyed some BBQ and listened to bluegrass music over lunch. Most of the rest of the time was spent going on rides or in kiddie play areas. Tom and I left about 3:30... but Jonathan and family stayed until about 7. A good time was had by all.
I've had some work come in-- bits and pieces to keep me busy. One job is writing testimonials for a Danish company that sells password organizing services. One of the tricks is to get the clients to both agree to the interview and schedule a time to talk. I have until the end of the month to get this done.
Tom spent his days fixing this and that on rental properties. He also spent a good part of one day helping people out. Getting someone tires, hauling off 1300 pounds of trash for another. He's a good guy. We've been enjoying lettuce and spinach from the garden.
Thursday Sue and Steve came to town. It's been 15 years since they were here last-- at Mom Fox's funeral. It's nice to see them and visit. We've had a lot of discussions about the reunion. Sue and Steve stopped at the Cottage Resort and looked at the cabins and the reunion hall. So we discussed lodging arrangements and food.
We also went through Mom Fox's boxes of mementos that have been sitting around for the past 15 years. It was a nice walk down memory lane.
Early Saturday morning Tom went to Cotter and ran a 5k. The scouts organized it as a fund raiser. Tom challenged the youth... then everyone in church to run. He said he'd reward anyone who beat him with an ice cream Sundae. There were 4 who came in ahead of him. But he had the best time he's run a 5k in recent history. 27.52
Saturday we went to look at the house that Sue and Steve and I own. It's been a good house. And it's been nice to share the expenses and the rental income. The tenants are moving out, but I think it will rent quickly. We are also are considering having the exterior painted. It's such a dark green, and will show better in a lighter color.
Today at church we had fast Sunday-- since we had ward conference the first Sunday and Mother's Day the second Sunday. One brother said this might be the only time in his life he would be able to bear his testimony on his birthday, the 15th of May. Sue and Steve spoke in the 3rd hour about missionary work and their mission. After church Tom had Bishops Youth Discussion. He also had pizzas for the teens and ice sundaes for for those who beat him at the race on Saturday.
Sue and Steve have practiced their alp horns each day. Our neighbor wondered if Gabriel's horns were blowing.
The chickens are adapting to their new homes. The first couple of night, the hens didn't know how to get out of or go back into their part of the run. One evening when I forgot to usher them back in, I found only the three brown hens inside roosting. Where could the two black hens be?
I found one squatted down on the the corner of the porch. The other was roosting on some bricks under the porch. The good thing for owners (and predators) is that once they settle in they are pretty docile and easy to pick up. So I just moved them to a nesting box.
Tuesday Tom and I drove to Silver Dollar City to meet up with Jonathan and Kristy and family. We all had a wonderful day at the park. The weather was warm enough that most of them (not me) went on the water rides. It was BBQ and Bluegrass festival. So we enjoyed some BBQ and listened to bluegrass music over lunch. Most of the rest of the time was spent going on rides or in kiddie play areas. Tom and I left about 3:30... but Jonathan and family stayed until about 7. A good time was had by all.
I've had some work come in-- bits and pieces to keep me busy. One job is writing testimonials for a Danish company that sells password organizing services. One of the tricks is to get the clients to both agree to the interview and schedule a time to talk. I have until the end of the month to get this done.
Tom spent his days fixing this and that on rental properties. He also spent a good part of one day helping people out. Getting someone tires, hauling off 1300 pounds of trash for another. He's a good guy. We've been enjoying lettuce and spinach from the garden.
Thursday Sue and Steve came to town. It's been 15 years since they were here last-- at Mom Fox's funeral. It's nice to see them and visit. We've had a lot of discussions about the reunion. Sue and Steve stopped at the Cottage Resort and looked at the cabins and the reunion hall. So we discussed lodging arrangements and food.
We also went through Mom Fox's boxes of mementos that have been sitting around for the past 15 years. It was a nice walk down memory lane.
Early Saturday morning Tom went to Cotter and ran a 5k. The scouts organized it as a fund raiser. Tom challenged the youth... then everyone in church to run. He said he'd reward anyone who beat him with an ice cream Sundae. There were 4 who came in ahead of him. But he had the best time he's run a 5k in recent history. 27.52
Saturday we went to look at the house that Sue and Steve and I own. It's been a good house. And it's been nice to share the expenses and the rental income. The tenants are moving out, but I think it will rent quickly. We are also are considering having the exterior painted. It's such a dark green, and will show better in a lighter color.
Today at church we had fast Sunday-- since we had ward conference the first Sunday and Mother's Day the second Sunday. One brother said this might be the only time in his life he would be able to bear his testimony on his birthday, the 15th of May. Sue and Steve spoke in the 3rd hour about missionary work and their mission. After church Tom had Bishops Youth Discussion. He also had pizzas for the teens and ice sundaes for for those who beat him at the race on Saturday.
Sue and Steve have practiced their alp horns each day. Our neighbor wondered if Gabriel's horns were blowing.
Sunday, May 8, 2016
The changing of the [chicken] guard
This week we had the changing of the chicken guard. The old hens got relegated to the chicken tractor, Tom power-washed the chicken coop, and then the medium sized chicks got moved to the Taj-Mah-Cluck. It was not a smooth transaction.
The old hens did not want to vacate their comfortable home for older cramped quarters. They are disgruntled having to jump into the nesting area and then out the door to wander. In fact, some of them refuse to do it. Then they wander, all confused, while the other hens are roaming free. Several figured out a way to get into a closed pen. Tom was a doubter until he found one inside.
They have decided it's okay to lay eggs there. But they continue to hover near the door to the Taj-Mah-Cluck in case it just happens to open up again.
In the mean time, the smaller chicks had their metal tank surroundings suddenly give way to a vast open space (relatively speaking) which required huddling in corners for a while... just to be safe. They aren't called chicken for nothing. We were a little concerned about greater fluctuation in temperature. We still have a heat lamp there. But it can only heat the small area under it. However, the chicks seem to draw near or far from the light as needed to be comfortable.
One afternoon when the weather was warm, I opened the door to the outer portion of the coop. They eyed it... but there were no takers. Perhaps tomorrow...
Monday evening we went to our Empty Nester's Family Home evening. It was a hotdog roast and pot luck salad, held outside. The day had been pleasant, but boy, in the evening, it got CHILLY! Still it was nice to be around friends.
Tom had a lovely list of things he planned to do for the week. Then on Monday he drove by one of the rental homes to find it was vacant. Suddenly his week took a different turn. He was over there mowing on Monday and Tuesday and cleaning up and helping the cleaning person get to work. I think he did finally get most everything done. The yard is neatly mowed, The fountain has been re-sealed and is bubbling nicely. We got the chickens moved and worked in the garden.
I got broccoli to plant. Tom bought some rhubarb and some more asparagus roots to plant. Some of our peppers are struggling, but our peas are looking luxurious. I've had a bumper crop of spinach this year. I wish I knew what the second kind of spinach I planted was. It didn't bolt nearly as quickly. I've been having spinach salad and giving it away. Today I tried a fruit smoothie with spinach and it was not bad. Yesterday I picked bunches and chopped and froze some. I still have a lot... and lettuce that is getting big.
My writing keeps going. I have an interview Monday about writing some testimonials. My video script man want the scripts identical to the way HE would write them... so that's continuing to be a learning curve. I think there will be a little break there as they move on to production of these videos.
Friday Tom took me out for a Mother's Day dinner. We went to Coltons and I ordered bbq ribs. We got a free appetizer of potato skins, and I enjoyed the rolls. So I was able to take home a good part of the dinner and enjoy it again on Saturday evening.
Saturday Tom went to the temple with some of the new converts. They were so excited and had a wonderful time doing baptisms. Today one of the spoke in church. She said she'd never been happy or liked herself. When she joined the church she had a hard time recognizing she was a daughter of God. Now she says she feels loved. She feels her divine potential. She has come to know she IS a daughter of God and for the first time, she's happy being who she is.
Happy Mother's Day to all the women. You are awesome!
The old hens did not want to vacate their comfortable home for older cramped quarters. They are disgruntled having to jump into the nesting area and then out the door to wander. In fact, some of them refuse to do it. Then they wander, all confused, while the other hens are roaming free. Several figured out a way to get into a closed pen. Tom was a doubter until he found one inside.
They have decided it's okay to lay eggs there. But they continue to hover near the door to the Taj-Mah-Cluck in case it just happens to open up again.
In the mean time, the smaller chicks had their metal tank surroundings suddenly give way to a vast open space (relatively speaking) which required huddling in corners for a while... just to be safe. They aren't called chicken for nothing. We were a little concerned about greater fluctuation in temperature. We still have a heat lamp there. But it can only heat the small area under it. However, the chicks seem to draw near or far from the light as needed to be comfortable.
One afternoon when the weather was warm, I opened the door to the outer portion of the coop. They eyed it... but there were no takers. Perhaps tomorrow...
Monday evening we went to our Empty Nester's Family Home evening. It was a hotdog roast and pot luck salad, held outside. The day had been pleasant, but boy, in the evening, it got CHILLY! Still it was nice to be around friends.
Tom had a lovely list of things he planned to do for the week. Then on Monday he drove by one of the rental homes to find it was vacant. Suddenly his week took a different turn. He was over there mowing on Monday and Tuesday and cleaning up and helping the cleaning person get to work. I think he did finally get most everything done. The yard is neatly mowed, The fountain has been re-sealed and is bubbling nicely. We got the chickens moved and worked in the garden.
I got broccoli to plant. Tom bought some rhubarb and some more asparagus roots to plant. Some of our peppers are struggling, but our peas are looking luxurious. I've had a bumper crop of spinach this year. I wish I knew what the second kind of spinach I planted was. It didn't bolt nearly as quickly. I've been having spinach salad and giving it away. Today I tried a fruit smoothie with spinach and it was not bad. Yesterday I picked bunches and chopped and froze some. I still have a lot... and lettuce that is getting big.
My writing keeps going. I have an interview Monday about writing some testimonials. My video script man want the scripts identical to the way HE would write them... so that's continuing to be a learning curve. I think there will be a little break there as they move on to production of these videos.
Friday Tom took me out for a Mother's Day dinner. We went to Coltons and I ordered bbq ribs. We got a free appetizer of potato skins, and I enjoyed the rolls. So I was able to take home a good part of the dinner and enjoy it again on Saturday evening.
Saturday Tom went to the temple with some of the new converts. They were so excited and had a wonderful time doing baptisms. Today one of the spoke in church. She said she'd never been happy or liked herself. When she joined the church she had a hard time recognizing she was a daughter of God. Now she says she feels loved. She feels her divine potential. She has come to know she IS a daughter of God and for the first time, she's happy being who she is.
Happy Mother's Day to all the women. You are awesome!
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Happy May Day
When I was a little girl and we lived in San Diego, we would celebrate May Day. We'd weave little baskets of paper... or maybe it was that we'd weave paper through strawberry baskets and then put flowers into them and take them to neighbor's houses.
There was a little old lady who lived across the street. She was always so nice to us. We'd put the basket on the doorstep and ring the bell and run away. So today I send you virtual flowers! Enjoy.
It's amazing how events LOOM when they are approaching and then... after they are finished, in just a few days they seem so far away. Like it happened such a long time ago. That's the way it feels with our Women's Retreat. Yes, we need to evaluate and assess, see what went well and what needs to be improved upon. And we will start planning the next event. But with worry and stress gone, the retreat suddenly doesn't seem so big after all.
This week I tried to get into a more relaxing routine with my writing. I had a project to do each day and managed to pretty well get it done. Video script, Tech website, business articles and reaching out for new jobs. I had a 3 day course on LinkedIn and got some good tips. And I made my hotel arrangements for the AWAI Bootcamp in Delray Beach and found a roommate to share expenses. It was a sad day that brother Steve fell from grace and no longer has Marriott Elite status. No concierge lounge and free breakfast for me this year. Sigh.
Tuesday we heard that Nathan would be returning from his mission on Friday. He is receiving a medical release. He had been struggling with anxiety and depression. After he receives treatment, he may choose to continue his mission stateside, or move on to new challenges. We are pleased with the hard work he has put into serving the Lord and wish him well as he moves forward in life.
Kera found a trampoline for us and this week Tom put it up. It's a pretty big size... at least it looks that way to me. On Thursday we had the missionaries and a new convert and her daughter over for dinner. Peyton enjoyed trying out the tire swing, zipline, and trampoline as her mom and I chatted.
Adam and Savannah put in an offer on a house and it was accepted. Now they are going through the inspection process. It's always a challenged to look at the inspection report and try to determine what is significant and important to fix and what is just "normal wear and tear" and is to be expected. We wish them well in making good decisions.
Saturday Tom and I went to a Family History event in West Plains. It was a good meeting with lots of information about how to do research. Tom learned how to index. I learned more about censuses and the un-indexed 70% of the church records online and how to search them to find my ancestors.
Saturday night an amazing storm rolled in. In the late afternoon we got nearly an inch of rain in an hour or so. We had wild winds, pouring rain and hail. You can see some on the deck that Tom recently re-stained.
The pictures don't do justice to the downpour. You'd need sound to go with it.
So we looked to the other side and saw a double rainbow. You can barely see one in this picture.
Then, after dark we heard more rumblings. Suddenly all the lights went out for a second... then came back on and we heard a clap of thunder and got more rain.
Today was the last of the Ward Conferences for the year. This one was at Mountain Home... so I had NO traveling to do. That was nice! It did feel a little awkward to be presenting the lesson as Stake Relief Society President Fox... as opposed to just Sister Fox. But I think it went okay.
There was a little old lady who lived across the street. She was always so nice to us. We'd put the basket on the doorstep and ring the bell and run away. So today I send you virtual flowers! Enjoy.
It's amazing how events LOOM when they are approaching and then... after they are finished, in just a few days they seem so far away. Like it happened such a long time ago. That's the way it feels with our Women's Retreat. Yes, we need to evaluate and assess, see what went well and what needs to be improved upon. And we will start planning the next event. But with worry and stress gone, the retreat suddenly doesn't seem so big after all.
This week I tried to get into a more relaxing routine with my writing. I had a project to do each day and managed to pretty well get it done. Video script, Tech website, business articles and reaching out for new jobs. I had a 3 day course on LinkedIn and got some good tips. And I made my hotel arrangements for the AWAI Bootcamp in Delray Beach and found a roommate to share expenses. It was a sad day that brother Steve fell from grace and no longer has Marriott Elite status. No concierge lounge and free breakfast for me this year. Sigh.
Tuesday we heard that Nathan would be returning from his mission on Friday. He is receiving a medical release. He had been struggling with anxiety and depression. After he receives treatment, he may choose to continue his mission stateside, or move on to new challenges. We are pleased with the hard work he has put into serving the Lord and wish him well as he moves forward in life.
Kera found a trampoline for us and this week Tom put it up. It's a pretty big size... at least it looks that way to me. On Thursday we had the missionaries and a new convert and her daughter over for dinner. Peyton enjoyed trying out the tire swing, zipline, and trampoline as her mom and I chatted.
Adam and Savannah put in an offer on a house and it was accepted. Now they are going through the inspection process. It's always a challenged to look at the inspection report and try to determine what is significant and important to fix and what is just "normal wear and tear" and is to be expected. We wish them well in making good decisions.
Saturday Tom and I went to a Family History event in West Plains. It was a good meeting with lots of information about how to do research. Tom learned how to index. I learned more about censuses and the un-indexed 70% of the church records online and how to search them to find my ancestors.
Saturday night an amazing storm rolled in. In the late afternoon we got nearly an inch of rain in an hour or so. We had wild winds, pouring rain and hail. You can see some on the deck that Tom recently re-stained.
The pictures don't do justice to the downpour. You'd need sound to go with it.
And here, the sun is coming out, and it's still raining!
So we looked to the other side and saw a double rainbow. You can barely see one in this picture.
Today was the last of the Ward Conferences for the year. This one was at Mountain Home... so I had NO traveling to do. That was nice! It did feel a little awkward to be presenting the lesson as Stake Relief Society President Fox... as opposed to just Sister Fox. But I think it went okay.
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