Here's the evidence -

This is what we were looking at today from the lobby of the Joseph Smith Memorial building. I was out there resting between Relief Society and Sacrament meeting as I had to conduct the choir and was still feeling awful from this bug I've had. I must say that it looked beautiful coming down, but I was extremely grateful that it stopped before we had to leave for home.

We decided not to go to Gerry and Marilyn's as I not only don't want to expose them to a bug, but tomorow I have to get up extremely early and play the organ for the Devotional tomorrow morning. It will be nice, though, because the Women's Choir is singing one of my arrangements. So I'd better be good!

I admit it, I'm a wimp

Okay, so for the first time we have voluntarily made the decision not to go to the Tab Choir broadcast this morning (the other 2 times we missed were involuntary). Any why did we so choose, you ask? Because it's SNOWING! Urgh! October 12, 2008, still the hot season in California and Texas, we have snow falling. We have to go out once to go to church and that seems like about enough outings for me in my scooter. I think the wind chill puts about minus 79 degrees on my knees, or so it seems. Maybe I'll send my hunter-gatherer out to go kill a buffalo for me and then I'll be nice and warm. Actually, I don't know why I'm whining -- we're going to have a high of 43 today, not even freezing.

On a nicer note, the books will be shipped to our department tomorrow. I'll take a picture and post it. You won't be thrilled by it, but I will.

Speaking of books, I don't know if I've ever shared this nugget with my family: my darling cousin-by-marriage, who lives here in Utah, has written a book which has been accepted and is in the editing process. It's a novel, and she asked me if it was okay if she based her male romantic lead on . . . Deane! I tried to picture his reaction to news like that and could barely stop laughing long enough to give her my permission. I can't wait to read that book! While my family pulls themselves together I will explain to non-family readers that Deane, while I loved him dearly, was NOT a romantic character. 'Nuff said!

Sorry for the delay

I've been having password problems, although I think it was mostly my fault. Plus, I've been too busy and too tired to blog much. We just had a lovely weekend; not only was my daughter Debby here for a visit, but we attended our first live General Conference, and it was really wonderful. Bob, Deb, and I went to both of the morning sessions and Bob attended the Saturday priesthood session. We all tried valiantly to stay awake through the afternoon broadcasts, but didn't have much luck with that. During the evening priesthood session Debby and I went to the Joseph Smith building and looked at a beautiful exhibit of photographs depicting the life of Christ. They were stunning, and I am anxious to obtain a DVD of the making thereof, assuming one is even available. There is a web site about the display, called reflectionsofchrist.org.

I feel so amazed sometimes at the twists and turns my life has taken. I would never have predicted that I would willingly spend a whole year in Salt Lake City, nor would I have chosen to have the things happen in my life that led up to this situation. If the choices had been mine to make I'm sure I would have taken the easy road, and I shudder to think about what I would have missed out on. This has been a wonderful 4 months and the time has flown by. Literally, before we are ready for it we will have to be thinking about re-locating back home and while we really miss our home, our family, and our friends, it will be terribly difficult to leave behind the friends we've made here, whom we love dearly, and the work, which is so satisfying and -- let's be honest -- fun! There is a lot of laughter occuring constantly in the Admin. Zone, but I believe we are light-hearted rather than light-minded (there is a difference!), for we all take this work very seriously. But no one here takes him-or-herself seriously, which makes them all delightful to be around.

I haven't been doing much picture-taking lately, so I only have one to show you. We took this at Leatherby's, where Bob, Deb, and I went on Friday night with some friends from the mission. It illustrates my point perfectly:

Let the record show --

That today, the 24th of September, we approved the final proof copy of the Mission Memories book and left it with the printer. It's done! Out of our hands! In print! When we get the first bound copy I'll take a photo of it and post it so our adoring public can see what we've been up to in the Publications Department. No wonder we're so tired tonight. We went to a temple devotional after work and slept through the entire thing, like a couple of senior citizens. Sheesh.

Awww...

I opened my e-mail tonight and saw the following from a Flute List member:

Dear List: My flute choir is playing Nancy W. Wood's "Pedazitos" in concert this weekend, and in preparing the program I can't find her birthdate anywhere. I'm assuming she's currently amongst the living, and if anyone can help out I'd be grateful - perhaps she's even a List member? If we solve the mystery, perhaps Larry can add her to his composer page. Thanks, Rebecca Quigley

So, of course, I had to answer it, and now the entire flute world knows my real age. Of course, I have several different ages, so maybe they could average them out and arrive at something a little more kind: parts of my brain are very mature, around 45 I'd say, but parts are spiraling into senility, which is scary. But average in my gullibility factor, say around 10, and things look much nicer. My back and knees are around 110, but my elbows are easily 16 or 17, as long as you don't factor in the upper arm stuff sloshing around. Let's just stick to the elbows for this exercise (if Katisha can do it in the Mikado, so can I). My right eye is about 87, but my left eye is only about 45 or so. My hands look like the wicked witch in Snow White but my feet are in great shape! So that makes the average . . . mumble, mumble. . .
75 and 25 divided by . . . I'm just guessing about 30. In fact, that's an age I'd be happy to stick with. I wonder if I can convince anyone else.

In the real world, Bob came in for some lovely compliments on his camera work yesterday. We had our 4-month interview with our mission president, a very intimidating gentleman, and he said that there was a marked improvement in the photos since Bob has been taking them. He appreciates the way Bob understands light and uses it effectively. He's been taking such lovely exit shots of departing missionaries that he's gotten a lot of requests for copies from people who have said they've never liked any of the photos before now. It's very gratifying, needless to say! There's no doubt in my mind that he was called to be here. He's setting an awfully high standard for whoever follows.

Addendum to the addendum

I see that I never did post about my recordings. I guess I was thinking about my journal. Suffice it to say that I thought I had lost my recordings forever, including the one of Cameron singing "So Many Voices," and I was a little bummed about it. Okay . . . a LOT bummed. But now I am NOT bummed, and besides my husband just handed me a dish of ice cream. Life is good.

Happy Addendum!!

I found my recordings! They tried to outfox me, but I persevered and won. Ha! Now I have them safe and sound where I can always get at them -- not that I do, very often. But it's like looking at baby pictures -- you don't do it all the time, but you'd sure hate to lose any of them. I am aware that you were not all dying to hear that, but I needed to crow. Cock-a-doodle, etc. Have a happy day!