A Simple Woman's Daybook~August 22, 2011

Just For Today...

Monday, August 22, 2011

As my friend Marie's says about writing a daybook post or reading one," It is like sitting down together for a chat over tea."

Outside my window...it is dark, really dark outside. I have awakened earlier than usual as I am now use to Mountain Time. But it is good as Jim has gone into work at the Temple this morning and I am usually dragging getting up this early. But today...wide awake! And it is a good thing as I have a ton of things to get done today. I am such a morning person, an ounce of morning is worth a pound of afternoon for me.

I am thankful for..the incredible week Jim and I have just had in Utah visiting our kids and going to BYU Education week. I am thankful for the three visits we have had there this summer and for one more coming up this Thursday when I will be driving back with my very good friend, Barbara!

Barbara and I use to go to Education Week at the Y years ago and we'd take our teenagers. We raised our kids together on the words and counsel we received at Ed Week. All the kids rue the day we heard our child rearing motto, "Be where you are supposed to be, when you are supposed to be there, doing what you are supposed to be doing and all will be well for you!" And now we are going back for the wedding of the son of some our very good friends, Alan and Michelle. We are so excited to be able to see them as they have been living in Canada for the last few years. Their son, Jacob, is marrying a Utah girl and many of our friends will be meeting there for the wedding. All roads may lead to Mecca and Roma, but in our circles it is usually Utah when weddings occur.

We are driving so that will be fun as we can get caught up on quite bit. Since her husband, Bill, passed away in 2006, she has been working so much and has been so busy, we rarely see each other much anymore. So looking forward to going back. This time I will not be visiting kids~they need a break!

From the learning room...that it takes longer to drive to Utah than it use to. For once the problem is not our getting older...the problem is traffic on both ends that seems to be getting worse and worse. Yesterday we had stop and go traffic for over three hours at the end of the trip. Very exasperating. So Thursday may be a little too soon to do it again, but I am biting the bullet to have this time with my good buddy.

I am reading..."What The Scriptures Teach Us About Adversity" by S. Michael Wilcox, "Abraham Lincoln, God's Humble Servant" by Ron Anderson and "Rutka's Notebook" (The Polish Anne Frank.) The first two books we bought at Education Week after hearing the most amazing lectures by the authors and the last book was given to me, by Stephen when we had lunch together with our spouses at Ed Week. All three are excellent and should take a bit of time to read.

From the kitchen...Woefully, nothing going on there right now so I have to get on that in the next couple of days. Definitely need to get some food going before taking off again. Jim is staying home this time to fulfill other commitments and let me have this cherished time with Barbara.

I am wondering...how all of you are doing. I am coming over to visit while I am home. Just need to catch up on all your blogs! And I am wondering what Piper is feeling this morning as she makes her way to her first day of junior high. You don't have to wonder what I am feeling and thinking..heaven help her survive the craziness of this time in her life. May guardian angels attend her every single day of it!

All the other Utah grandies started school today except the pre-schoolers that go in a few weeks. I need to find out when our Rhode Islanders will start.

I am hearing...Your Song by Elton John, and some very happy little birds singing outside the window.

I am wearing...apricot and white flannel jammie bottoms and a white tee.

Today if I could change one thing...it would be that my brother, Steve, was having an easier time with his chemo. He barely got over the last session and has to start another intense week of it today. This is the third sessions of the four that are scheduled so he is half way through. He is such a trooper but this is no walk in the park. Bless his heart (and body.)

I am quoting...from the Book of Revelation, John speaks to the souls that shall come out of great tribulations, " They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore, neither shall the sun light on them nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Rev 7:14, 16-17.

Something that made me especially happy this week...Getting to have lunch with Steve and his wife Jeanine in the Skyroom AT BYU last week. And especially having Jim and Steve meet each other and us meeting Jeanine for the first time. Jim and Steve are 97% sure they have common ancestry from Italy and it was so cool to see them discussing it all. I am just positive they are related, they are so much alike in many ways. It is so much fun to meet new friends/relatives. They are just wonderful people.

I am going...to get organized today and started adding the clean clothes back into my suitcase. "Ugh" on the suitcase part, but "Yay" on the time with Barb.

I am missing...my computer time but it will come back soon, hopefully. I need to be writing but just haven't been able to. But I have been gathering some great information and fun topics to blog about soon, so that is good!

One of my guilty pleasures...writing, I just love it! And maybe I'm enjoying this discretionary time we have now just a little too much.

Pet Peeves...the cable connection on our camera is broken and now I have to take all my photos on my iPhone. It takes some great photos but I like the bigger range of options on the other camera. We have a new card reader which will solve the problems, just haven't had time to get it up and running.

One of my favorite things...revisiting things that have had a lot of meaning and brought great enrichment to our lives like, Education Week, spending time with old friends, etc. It is odd how time and life and busyness sometimes rob you of the things that are really important. You just need to stop and recapture them. Just walking around the campus and remembering all the things I have learned there and how it has shaped so many paradigms for me was exhilarating and fun. Doing it with Jim was really neat too. And now this one on one time with Barb...a trip down memory lane. So awesome.

An enjoyable movie I have watched lately...The Help! Oh my goodness, that is one exceptional movie. Poignant, funny, makes you angry and happy and sad...an emotional roller coaster ride. A great way to spend a few hours.

I am curious about...how we can possibly learn and do everything that is calling our names right now. Having this insatiable desire to learn so many things. How can anyone be bored?

A few plans for the rest of the week...today just regrouping and hopefully a nap, tomorrow going to work at the Genealogy library and studying some Italian baptismal documents from 1864 that Steve gave us. Sure wish I spoke more Italian than "ciao bella!" Wednesday last minute stuff and Thursday heading out again. Stopping part way for the night and then on to West Jordan the next day. Hopefully time Friday for TaiPan shopping, maybe Gardner's Mill, The Porch, Iron Works, Cherry Lane, Thanksgiving Point, a movie? Saturday wedding and luncheon in Salt Lake City. Sunday driving part way and Monday home again.

Here are some photos and some thoughts I am sharing with you...

Every morning during Education week Jim and I would arrive very early. The classes didn't start until 8:30 but most mornings we had already arrived by 7:00. We would park and then walk quite a distance up to our first classes in the conference center. It was always so beautiful out there when only the maintenance staff had arrived. We had the whole pavilion to ourselves which is the place behind where Jim is standing in the above photo. We would just talk and read and discuss our classes. It was nice and cool and pure heaven. These empty photos are quite unusual as the estimated attendance at Ed Week each year is 30,000 to 33,000 attendees. Over 1,000 classes are offered on every possible subject you can imagine. Many Spiritual Classes, History, Psychology, Marriage, Child Rearing, Gardening, Literature, Health, Family History, Genealogy, Writing, Current Events, like the classes we took on the Middle East, Finance, Classes for the Youth, retirement and everything in between. Tuition for the entire week is $60.00. Best deal in the nation!

The flowers on and around campus were so pretty!

Thought this was fun photo of angel hair clouds
reflected on this mirrored building.

This is the lawn in front of the conference center,
Mt. Timpanogos, and the beautiful sky just past dawn.

BYU is just such a joyous place to be and to learn.