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.

A week in heaven

Gosh, I'm bad about my blog lately. But we just spent a wonderful week with my daughter Amy and her family and it seems a shame not to blog about it and post a few pictures. Amy already posted the Leatherby's pictures on her blog, so I'll just skip to a few of the things that tickle me particularly.

First of all, the entire family on their last morning here.

Second of all, the main reason I so enjoyed their visit.

And third, the museum trip: Ben, creating a masterpiece.


Joshie, doing the mad scientist thing he does so well;

and Joseph as a shepherd with his lamb.

It's been a wonderful week for us all. I'll for sure have to blog after next weekend as well, because we're actually going home to McKinney for a couple of days, so we can be there for Jake's ordaination. I'm beginning to get terribly excited about it! When we get back, we work 2 days and then have a 4-day weekend, and then July will be practically over and we'll be on our last 2-month sprint to the finish line. It's been a fabulous year and we will miss this a great deal, but I have to admit we're beginning to get "trunky." Just wish we could take all our friends, this experience, and this weather back to Texas with us. However, we will be taking back the spiritual growth we've acquired and hopefully some new skills and abilities. Are we glad we did this? You bet!!

Did I have a happy Mothers Day?!

You be the judge!!

In addition to this wonderful day-long visit (which will extend through Wednesday!) I received books, ollallieberry jam, peruvian lilies, phone calls, homemade cards from my granddaughters, and much-appreciated phone calls, messages, and facebook posts. My heart runneth over. And in addition, my choir, helped out by Greg, sang beautifully today and I was thrilled. It's been a fabulous day. Tomorrow we will meet the kids for lunch and decide how to spend the rest of their time here. Such fun!

Happy Mothers Day to all my favorite mothers and potential mothers. If you had half as good a day as I had you were greatly blessed.

I Repent!!

I take back all the bad things I said about Salt Lake City weather. Any city that provides this kind of beauty can be forgiven everything. Bob needed exercise today, so after conference we took a walk through Temple Square and the Plaza (Zornes version: he hobbles, I scoot on the scooter). It made me feel bad that we've had to drive to work so many days this spring because we have missed a lot of the beauty around here. We'll take another walk during lunch tomorrow, this time with Bob's camera, and get some even better pictures. In the meantime -- Happy Spring!!

I'm speechless . . .

. . .and delighted, and sad, all at the same time. We got to visit with our Frisco stake president and his lovely wife and absolutely delightful mother yesterday afternoon, and today we find out that we were soundly hugged and kissed by a General Authority!! Jonathan C. Roberts, Frisco, Texas was announced today as a new Area Seventy. Quite a few months ago, I posted a picture of his mother, Sister Tessie Roberts, who serves with us in this mission. I'll post it again, and we're both shaking our heads that we didn't have the presence of mind to take his picture yesterday when he was here -- and Bob is the photographer! But we were so happy to see him -- we love him very much and are so extremely proud to know him. He's a lovely man. But we wanted him to be there as stake president when we returned, and now he won't be. (In the photo, his mother is the one standing next to me. The other lady is also serving in this mission, Arvilla Finlayson, formerly of Frisco, Texas, whom I used to visit teach.)

Why I'll never be a snow bunny . . .

I will forever after equate snow storms with trips down I-15 to the hospital, or back again. There was a snowstorm the day we drove Bob in for his procedure; there was a snowstorm the day I drove Bob in to the Emergency Room (on Sunday); and there was a storm Wednesday morning, when I drove to the hospital to pick him up (I thought!) and bring him home. The snow cleared during the day and there was some discussion about whether he should be released or not, because they wanted to do a CT scan and make sure there wasn't a bleed somewhere. But during the afternoon some snow began falling again and I took it as a positive sign that we would be going out in it later on. Sure enough -- he got to come home. Not to a comfortable, restful night, but to more pain and misery from bowel impaction due to the pain meds he'd been taking. It took about 24 hours for that situation to get corrected, but he's feeling pretty good now, and even worked a full day today, for the first time in two weeks.

Utah natives have assured me that once General Conference weekend is past, winter will be over for good, and I can only hope this is so but it has snowed the last 2 days, so I'm not holding my breath. My son Cameron is coming for a visit next week and I would love for the weather to be good. I believe the outlook is favorable, although temps will stay in the 50's all week. Still -- if family is here and if Bob feels better my sun will be shining regardless. We have missed essentially 2 weeks of work and by this time should have had the book at the printer's, but it will be very delayed this issue. Too bad -- Bob's health is more important. As regards his procedure, it was very successful and his heart is as steady as a rock now. We didn't expect the pain, swelling, and bruising, which were extensive and which is what sent him back to the hospital for re-admission, but by now the bruising is significantly better and the pain is at least bearable. He doesn't want to take any more pain medication after last night's ordeal. The swelling will just take a long time to go down. His right thigh is twice the size of his left.Bob took a picture of the two of us with my little camera, and I took a video of the snow because it seemed so unreasonable to me. (I see that the snow doesn't show up on the blog video. It shows up clearly on my computer. You would have been impressed!) Needless to say, Bob is back to his old handsome self by now.

The sun did shine for us today, however. Bob went back to work, but the nicest thing about the day was a visit from our beloved Frisco stake president, Jonathan Roberts and his wife Beverly. They were here for General Conference, staying with his mother, Tessie Roberts, a fellow missionary here. We do love those people so dearly and it was so wonderful to see them.

Hmmph!

We had a few days of spring last week. The gardeners were busy planting color in the flower beds; we see buds on the trees; the tulips are beginning to bloom; we had shirt sleeve weather in the afternoons; we even had the official first day of Spring.

Today it's SNOWING! What is it with Utah weather? Will I ever be able to send my boots and mufflers home? It just can't be right to have daffodils with snow perched on top.

And today Bob goes in to the hospital for his procedure, but we're feeling very calm about it. We got up early like always for choir practice and to sing for the devotional, and went up to the office afterwards so Bob could get a blessing, and he got a lovely one. I'll post again when it's all over with, but rest assured that all will be well and he'll be home tomorrow feeling fine.