Facebook is fine, but . . .

Sometimes I want a more permanent record of a feeling or experience, and then I turn to my blog. This morning is a case in point -- everything has been just perfect. The weather is gorgeous, and the Choir broadcast was wonderful and inspiring. We were literally in heaven. And it struck us as we were walking home that we only have 7 more Sundays left to experience these things. Only a little more than 7 weeks to bask in the fun and loving companionship of our friends in the Administration Zone and throughout the mission. Only 7 more Sundays with my beloved Branch choir. Only 7 more weeks with the Elijah choirs. Only 7 more weeks to try to get some family history research done while we have access to these two wonderful libraries. Only 7 weeks to get our replacements trained (whoever they may be!) and get the next book ready to go to press.

On the other hand, we just returned from a weekend at home in Texas that was so wonderful it was beyond 10 -- off the scale, in fact. And then we think, only 7 more weeks and someone else has to worry about the book. Only 7 more weeks and we can sleep in as late as we want to. Only 7 more weeks and we get to see our families again. Only 7 more weeks and we'll be back in Texas, where the skies are always beautiful, and you can spread your elbows out a little bit and get some space around you. And then we think: Salt Lake Temple - 3 minutes away; Dallas Temple - 35 minutes on the 75 and the LBJ freeways; church book store in Salt Lake -- 1 across the street from where we work and another about 10 minutes away; church book store in Dallas - 2 block beyond the temple. And then we think: Barnes & Noble in SLC - 20 minutes away; Half-Price Books in McKinney (I LOVE that store!) - 10 minutes away. Harmons's Market in SLC (our favorite), 15 minutes away; Kroger in McKinney - 5 minutes away, when it finally opens.We're getting a little dizzy from the back-and-forth we're feeling. We miss our home so much, as well as our family and friends, but we know we will miss the friends we've made here and the things we have been experiencing. Also, I have collected quite a bit of music while I've been here (organ, piano, and choral), and yesterday we packed most of it up to send back home. I'm going through withdrawal, just seeing my empty shelves. Can't wait to get home where I have ready access to all my music, my books, and my PIANO! Nevertheless, am I glad we came? You bet!! Will I be glad to get home? You bet!! Would I do it again? Yes!

While I'm blogging, I'll mention some other news: we just had a lovely visit from Matt, Angela, and the 3 kids, Katie, Ben, & Sarah. It was lightning quick, but we still had time for a visit to Leatherby's and the museum. We haven't seen them for a terribly long time, so it was just wonderful to get caught up.

And a cautious bit of potential good news: I went to an audiologist last Saturday, because I was so fed up with being deaf and felt that perhaps I could finally afford a hearing aid. He went through the usual tests with me with predictable results -- profound loss in the left ear. But then he did an additional test, a bone conduction test. The first sound through the device about knocked me off my chair. That indicated a loss just slightly below normal. So he told me that he couldn't in all conscience sell me a hearing aid when the indications were that there was something that might be done to restore my loss. He recommended an MRI to see what was left in the middle ear, and whether a prosthetic remedy might be possible. That would put my hearing at just below normal, and I would be in heaven. I'll wait until I get back home and look up a good ENT guy and see if anything can be done. I'd rather do that than have my knee replaced, or at least I think I'd rather do that first. The knee will have to be done sometime. After Hawaii, and after Christmas, and then after . . .?

And one more fun thing -- I was rounding the corner of our building the other day at lunchtime and ran into a dear old friend from Simi Valley, Pam White. We've done a LOT together, musically and otherwise, and I love her dearly. She was Amy's advisor when she was president of the Lambda Delta Sigma sorority. We plan to get together some time, some how. It was wonderful. Salt Lake is a great place for running into old acquaintances.