"What is a Week End"?

10/28 email to my granddaughter Acadia, serving in the Oregon Eugene Mission

Great news about your house, eh? Of course, bittersweet. I wish I had the money to buy it! I can’t move now, anyway. And you guys won’t be there. But, it is such a nice house and more especially a great location. I love the PNW and I love the park and nature area right outside the back gate. Sounds like a good family is buying it.

I’ll be praying for your folks to find a wonderful new home in Arizona.

I look at my calendar for last week and don’t see any big events. Yet, I felt like I was busy all week. 
 

Monday I attended the Elk Grove Historical Society again. Bethany’s mom, Roberts, gave a presentation on the transcontinental railroad. This makes attending two months in a row. Bethany’s dad is currently the society president. Now they are encouraging me to join. Probably not. Especially as Monday is usually when I read or have my phone read the new Come, Follow Me selection for the week to the family at dinner. Which didn’t happen because I left before the guys get home. And then Tuesday, I forgot about it because of Downton Abbey. I am a sinner.

Teresa has started coming over in the morning at least once a week – we are trying to get to more, maybe 3 – for us to exercise together for a few minutes. I have some fun exercise DVDs.

“Body Groove Dance Your Heart Out “with Misty Tripoli - dance inspired, low impact, low stress, a little crazy

“Chair Dancing Fitness Life’s a Celebration” which involves paper plates

and others which I don’t know yet if they are fun. Ha ha. Haven’t tried them

“Core Chapter One – Tighten Your Waistline from Your Chair”

“Older & Much Wiser Workout for Active Older Adults”

Not much excuse for me to be so out of shape!

Friday’s exercise was something different. Again I skipped temple. Andrew is the Building Cleaning Coordinator. He gets the volunteers and switches being the one on site every other month with his assistant. October was his off month. But this week he was only to get one volunteer – a 60+ woman. So he decided to go work at the building Friday morning instead of coming with us to the temple. He was stressing rather badly, so Teresa and I decided to help him – again serve this side of the veil. We cleaned the chapel while he cleaned the bathrooms. It was more exertion than we have been putting into our dancing exercise sessions.

Then we went to lunch at Wendy’s and to shop at Falling Prices. What a weird place. A jumble of all kinds of goods – it coulld be pretty much anything. On Tuesday everything costs $6 no matter what it is. The prices drop each day. On Friday, everything is a dollar no matter what it is. I think on Saturday they are 25cents. My favorite find Friday which I did not buy, but almost wish I did, but don’t know why was a bright yellow hood to toe body suit for a tall person. My first thought was a rainy day bicycle suit – after the feet were cut off to shorten the legs. It had a chemical company sticker, so I assume it was a low level hazmat suit.  It was too tall for Andrew, who gamely tried it on. Andrew said, “Who would wear it when?” I put it back but I am a little sorry. The other time we went, the first thing I saw was a black hoop skirt which I did buy. We joked about me wearing them together. Teresa said I should find something every time and wear them all together. Maybe at the Halloween Party. But I didn’t.

Despite doing most of the really important cleaning Friday, Andrew decided to go back and help Saturday, too. David offered to give him a ride and help clean. My guys are so good.

Saturday I made rice krispie pumpkins. I took some to a friend’s Housewarming Halloween Open House. I had kept her dog, Sadie, while she was between houses and by sheer luck – or minor miracles and tender mercies – helped her find this place to rent which she is delighted with and likes her landlord. 

Then we went to our Ward Taco Dinner and Trunk or Treat. took rice krispie pumpkins. When I dressed, I was thinking pirate – black top and skirt, red head band and red thing around my waist. What a lot of our ward friends saw was gypsy. During the Trunk or Treat, one sister asked me to read her palm. I handed her a chocolate and told her she would have a sweet life. She liked that. And said she already does. 

Finished the evening going to babysit at Hinds while Tom DJ’d and Ruth chaperoned the youth dance. The littles went right to bed. Miriam, Joseph, and Andrew watched “Spiderman Far From Home”. I sort of watched and sort of napped. The timing was perfect. The older Hinds came home soon after the movie ended. Esther had danced every dance. Jared hung out and talked with some guys.  Left rice krispie pumkins for them to have in the morning.

Every possible evening, David and Teresa and I are watching Downton Abbey. Right now we are in season 4. I look forward to seeing the new movie. I hope the DVD comes out soon and shows up at Costco. 
 

I really, really, REALLY want to go on a Disney Alaska Cruise. Hoping, sort of planning, on 2021. I hope you can come. Your mom plans to. Teresa and I are working on David and he is showing signs of weakening. I think Miriam wants to go, too. David and Teresa are thinking of going to celebrate their anniversary which means a May cruise. I was thinking of September for my birthday, but I am willing to adjust. Your mom says less chance of rain. Her September cruise this year was perfect weather, but she says that’s pretty unusual.

I spend way too much time Disney dreaming. Then I have to remind myself that there is someplace else I want to go even more and I need to think on it and work towards it.

In RS one sister shared that when her daughter was born she died. She got up and walked around behind the doctor and saw herself and the baby. Then she went through this tunnel thing. She thought that she would go “Pop” and it would all be over. But she didn’t, of course, She realized that she was going HOME. She felt surrounded by love and so happy. But then she had to back. She was very sad. I think for a few days she mourned. Then she realized that she would go HOME someday and feel that love and happiness.

Blessings on you. Thank you for teaching people about their Heavenly Home and how to get there.

Love, Grandma Barbara

yowl

email letter to granddaughter Acadia serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Oregon Eugene Mission

The continuing cat tale. Felicity had another x-ray Tuesday. Wednesday I took the cockatiel to an avian vet 30 minutes away where we learned that I have been feeding him wrong, declined a $250.00 blood test (still reeling from the $800+ spent on the cat over the last two months), and invested in better food. When we returned, I took a call from the cat vet with the x-ray results. X-ray showed her colon very tapered at the end. As did last month’s. Suggested possibility of an ultrasound which really would not show much of the affected area. Most desirable choice, medically speaking, an colonoscopy – about $2-3000. !!! I just started crying. Not happening anytime soon, if ever. The good news is that the bladder stones are gone. We decided to keep her on the Royal Canin Urinary SO ($$) for now and keep sprinkling laxative on it hoping for the best. Her episodes are weeks and wees apart. I am supposed to contact the vet if she has another episode or in a month, whichever comes first. She seems ok most of the time. Plays once in awhile, purrs, asks to be petted, eats, drinks – acts like a cat.

I feel badly because I really, really want to go on an Disney Alaska Cruise in 2 years. Which, of course, will take some saving up. One of my first thoughts was there goes my cruise. Naturally, now I think about an Alaska cruise “all the time.” Mildly obsessing over Fish Extender Gift ideas.

A weird thing. I usually go to temple on Friday. Now, I admit that I often have a hard time making myself get going and go. But Thursday I was just feeling bad about going to the temple Friday. Then I thought about a sister in our ward who a couple of weeks ago had request help getting mulch for the large area her now disabled husband used to garden. I called her and found out nothing has happened. So I told her that I would meet her with my old, beat up utility trailer (and hopefully Andrew) at the SMUD free wood chips / mulch yard Friday morning. And I felt good. Andrew, Kathy, and I unloaded 4 trailer loads of mulch on her driveway. It was great. I was pretty impressed with us. We thought she would need another several loads of mulch. But that wonder woman sent me pictures Saturday of the entire garden area covered with mulch. She barrowed all that mulch – well, there was some left for work in the front yard – all by herself. I was really impressed!

Saturday I went to the HighWater Jamboree sponsored by safety and water agencies. Found out that I live in a Shaded X Zone which means that I have about a 2% chance of being flooded by an 100 year flood – unless the levees break, in which case I am under 4 feet of water. I am supposed to evacuate south. Which is good news because Ruth and Debi live south of me in an X zone which means they stay dry. UNLESS Folsom Dam goes. They did not have the information on a dam break, but I think we would not like it.

Speaking of not liking it. Your mom informed us yesterday, not to our surprise, that they are not likely to come down for Thanksgiving after all. Too much to do for the move. And this was the last year that she thought they would come down for Thanksgiving. AND IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT. In your after mission life, they will either go to you or have you go to them and that means not coming here.

It is not all that tragic. My children are all scattered this Thanksgiving except the ones who live with me. Everyone is going to “the other side.” It is better that they all scatter the same year and get together on the alternative year than that they scatter at different times and never get together. Of course, 2020 will be sad if it doesn’t work out for your family to come down.

And there are other days in the year.

No big spiritual insights to share, except maybe sometimes serving on this side of the veil is as important as serving the other side.

there is beauty everywhere

letter to granddaughter Acadia serving in the Oregon Eugene mission:

there is beauty all around Barbara Robarts <motherof8robarts@gmail.com> 11:05 AM (6 minutes ago) to Acadia You already know the big news from this week. Your mother called me just as we were leaving the temple Friday and told me that your family is moving to Arizona the first of the year. Wow oh wow!  Then she emailed our family.  I never expected to see her leave the Pacific Northwest and I loved being able to visit there now and then. But I love how she says she loves the Pacific Northwest but she loves your dad more. I know your whole family has prayed and received confirmations, so I know this is a good thing for your family.  We had a great Relief Society & Young Women Activity Wednesday. Except the YW didn’t come. A couple of YW leaders did and they say they had not seen any information. (How did they know to be there then?) We had a potluck dinner in the Foell’s backyard. This house is a great party house and has a nice big backyard that Greg has really made beautiful.  The potluck was nice, but the speed friending was great. We only had a minute or two with each person, but connections were made. Who knew it could be so easy to get to know someone better?! I grew in knowledge, appreciation, and affection for the sisters I was able to speed friend. I hope to better develop my friendshipping skills to enrich my own life and learn to better minister. Our Relief Society lesson was taken from Dallin H. Oaks talk in April conference “Cleansed by Repentance”. We had a pretty good standard lesson until two comments/questions. One sister asked about abusive people in her life. She keeps forgiving and they keep hurting her. Other sisters shared teachings bu Elder Holland and personal experience that forgiving does not mean allowing yourself to be hurt or damaged. I told about doing child care for a sister in my ward who didn’t pay me. She owed me hundreds. After trying to work it out a number of ways, I realized that she was never going to pay me. What was I going to do about it? I decided to forgive her the debt. I told her. For a time I knew to the penney what she owed me, but then I realized that I didn’t any more. I felt that I had truly forgiven then, but I was still troubled. I spoke to my Bishop. “Does forgiving the debt mean I must do child care for her again? “ He said, “Forgiveness does not mean you have to be stupid.” We urged the abused sister to cut the abusers out of her life as much as possible and not put herself in their power.  The other discussion came from Oaks : ‘Just last evening President Nelson challenged us, “Brethren, we all need to repent.” ‘ That got me. What do apostles have to repent of?! How much do I need to repent of to get to where they are? IF THEY need to repent, I must be pretty much hopeless. The sisters responded: They said repentance is not just about stop doing wrong things, it is about starting to do or improving doing good things. Also, the more righteous we become, the smaller things we learn to repent of. On the home front. Nothing. No work in the kitchen. Just when I told the vet that the cat had not had any “episodes” since before I took her it, she did. Sigh. Tomorrow she goes to the vet again for another x-ray. Expen$ive. $igh And the bird goes to a different vet Wednesday with a severely overgrown beak.  My grandfather used to get Arizona Highways. I don’t know why. Except he had been a Highway Engineer, but for California. Beautiful pictures. Every place has its own beauty. Some we appreciate more than others But we can learn. Wishing you much beauty and joy. much love, Grandma Barbara

Opa!

 letter to Granddaughter Sister Acadia Roser serving in the Oregon Eugene Mission

 

Most of my focus this last week was on preparing for General Conference, perhaps more physically than spiritually, but some of both. 

  Monday I tried to clean out the fridge a bit to make a little room for the huge amount of food I would get for conference lunch.  Threw out some "science experiments"

  Tuesday I reviewed what I needed and what I had on hand.  Pulled some food out of food storage that needed to be rotated.

   Wednesday I shopped.  Spent hundreds of dollars without replacing the food storage.  Trying to figure out what to do about it ,really.  We used to eat chili rather often, but now we seldom do. Some of our eating habits changed when Miriam moved in.  While she  has switched to her special diet, we have not switched back as much.   Do I get more chili or not?  Probably.

   Thursday was food prep day.  Washing and cutting veggies.  Making egg salad and tuna salad.  Teresa and David did the breakfast croissants and Miriam and Andrew did the layered bean dip.  I still felt like I did a lot of work and wondered how in the world I managed during my working outside the home years.

   I did so well early in the week that I  took Friday off for the first time in ages. I went to the temple to do a few initiatories, briefly visited Deseret Books, visited a ministering sister in nursing home, and went to the Greek Festival with Teresa where we listened to Greek music and sampled Greek food.  It was expensive, but the proceeds go to charity, including Mustard Seed, a school for homeless children that our Relief Society sisters often do contributions for.   I have wanted to go to the Greek Festival for ages, but it is always conference weekend.

    We fed 16 missionaries both days.  I had them take pictures with my camera and then Sunday, Tom set up a photo box (a photo booth without a booth - open) and did a bunch more pictures.  I posted them to Facebook and emailed all the addresses that the missionaries gave me.  I have some bounce backs to go back and check, but I know some families have seen the pictures. 

     I had two big frustration disappointments this week.  After Time Out for Women, I ordered a couple of books online to pick up at our Deseret Bookstore across town.  Nothing to tell when the order would be available, but they said 8-10 days.  So Friday after temple, I went to the bookstore where the gal said I would get an email when the order was ready.  The email was sent less than two hours later about the time I was meeting up with Teresa for the Greek Festival although I didn't see it until later.  The very next day I get a warning email that if I don't pick up the order withing 7 days, it will be cancelled.  Hopefully, I will make it to the temple next week and my temple buddies Andrew and Teresa (who did not come with me this week) won't mind a detour.

     The other disappointment was more upsetting, although I am letting it bother me more than I should.  Let me preface by telling you that I am gift-giving challenged.  I have this lovely, large set of people that I love and cherish, but I have the most awful time figuring out what to give.  Of course, expense is an issue, and I lack talent and creativity and have time management problems.  Well, I learned that Arnie Zimbelman beloved co-founder of the Strauss Festival and former history teacher has written 3 books.  Brilliant Idea!  I ordered the books.  At the Festival, I actually approached Arnie (which was hard for me because  I am socially backward), told him that I planned to give his books to Ruth and Tom for Christmas, and asked if I couild bring them to him when I got them so he could autograph them.  He graciously agreed.  And because life is uncertain, I asked him to autograph a pieced of paper then and there.  So, I get the books, make an appointment and spend almost an hour - a delightful hour - with Arnie.  He signs the books.  We talk about Tom and Ruth.  He clearly knows them and their family.  Score!  This is going to be the best Christmas present I have ever given!  They will love it!  Yesterday, I saw one of the books in Ruth's possession and my heart sank.  "Did you borrow it from the library?"  I ask hopefully.  NO!  Arnie gave them all three books personally.  Autographed, of course.  In dismay, I told her that my Christmas gift was ruined.  She reminded me that he is a rather old gentleman and forgets things.  I wonder if he forgot me and how excited I was to have these Christmas presents and then got the idea to give them himself.  I admit I cried not a few disappointed and bitter tears.  No more trying to plan ahead for me!  How does your mother manage ?!  Will I or will I not give the to Ruth and Tom for Christmas anyway?

    Wasn't conference wonderful!  I can remember that there was a time when I thought it was long and boring - long, long ago - but I can hardly remember or believe I did.  What especially tickles me is that Ruth's kids except the very youngest eagerly look forward to conference and are sad when it is over.  When President Nelson talked about the Bicentennial Conference next April, Naomi exclaimed ""I am already anxious! And it's in SIX MONTHS!"

     Elder Anderson's fruit was delightful.  We speculate that he may be receiving a lot of fruit baskets in the next few weeks.  And how many people will be calling Grandpa Nelson?! 

    We had some great parables.  The Cheetahs and the Topis.  I sure need to remember that one.  Not in sessions but between, the Parable of the 2 Backyard Trees.  Examples of faith.  New insights on old scriptures and stories.

    I was both comforted and discomforted that a General Officer gets distracted by texts.  I guess I am not so hopelessly bad, but this is a long term challenge not easily out grown.

     I can hardly wait for the talks to be available on my library app!

    Well this is too long for a busy missionary and I have a lot of conference recovery work to do.

    Love you lots!

    Give them Heaven!

    Love, Grandma Barbara