Sunday, July 19, 2009

People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like.

Abraham Lincoln, in a book review
16th president of US (1809 - 1865)


The Lord has invited us to come to His house often. I am really good about going to my Sunday meetings, but somehow temple attendance is a little more challenging. Isn't that a laugh? No, it's really rather sorry. When I consider the many faithful who save for years, perhaps sell all they have, and travel for days by rickety bus on wretched tracks we would never call roads here. Oh, what a slacker I am! With a beautiful temple only minutes down the highway "I don't have time to go to the temple. "

While praying for my and my family's safety - financial among other things, it occurred to me that 1) the Lord and the governor have given me extra time and 2) if I want things from the Lord perhaps I should try a little harder to do the things He asks. "Come visit my house." Is that so much to ask?

Friday morning I reminded myself a bit of a character in a movie who somehow had been half taken over by someone else's spirit. He lurched about with half his body trying to go in one direction and do things a certain way and the other half trying to go and do things another way. Part of me was getting ready to go to the temple and part of me was causing delays. Somehow I made it.

Who is surprised to learn that as soon as I entered the temple, I felt peaceful and glad? When I read the name of the sister for whom I was acting I felt happy. I hope I was feeling some of her emotion to finally have her work done. Before the session began, they asked, as usual, if anyone wished to stay and help with sealings after the endowment. When no one else raised their hand except one brother, I did. As I knelt at the altar for each sister, I thought how happy she must be to be sealed to her husband - to be a bride again! and receive the blessings of Abraham. Or to be have her child sealed to her. Even though it is quickly done - a reverent assembly line, one after another - I felt a special joy for each one of them. I knelt in for half a dozen or so couple sealings and, I think 3 sealings of sons to parents. Then I left and others continued the work.

Friday evening, the boys went with a group of family and friends of family to see Harry Potter 6 while I babysat. Esther 1) didn't want her mom to go, and 2) was really upset that her kindergarten teacher was going and her parents got to see her but she, Esther, was missing out. She had a pretty good crying fit for quite a while, including kicking and pounding her fists on the floor. Pretty impressive, but I chose not to be impressed. I told her she could not cry like that in the family room, so she stayed on the landing. After a bit, I asked her what she thought she was going to accomplish by this. That gave her pause for thought. She tried crying again, but it lacked punch. After a little while, she joined Jared and me in playing board games. The rest of the evening was quite pleasant. When they tired of board games and returned to a movie they had started earlier, I got to look at some of Ruth's exciting Stampin'Up demonstrator previews. I also caught snatches of premier previews and interviews with the stars of HP6 so I had some idea of what the guys were talking about when they returned.

Saturday morning - no alarm clock Saturday! - (On Furlough Fridays I have to get up to do my weekday walk with Cyndi (human friend) and Anna (Lab partner) although my alarm is set for 6am, not 5ish. ) Even though I don't actually sleep in, I do lie in bed a bit and get little morning nap snatches. I so like no alarm clock days.

The boys and I went to City Bicycle Works for a (free) class on cleaning and lubing your bicycle. You just wash your bike like your car pretty much, except it is nice to use a brush to get into the gears and chain. They sell a nifty brush for that, but I forgot to buy one. He said you can use an old toothbrush, too, but it won't really fit in between the gears well. Then you let it dry in the sun and lube the chain and gears. He also showed us how to do the cable casings. It was helpful, but I didn't rush home and wash my bike. Too hot! I am sure it's not THAT dirty, right?

I lounged about a bit before succumbing to our, especially Joseph's, desire to support The Squeeze Inn. The 2 of us biked over. Pleasant surprise! the line was the shortest I had seen in all the times I have passed it (any time near opening hours) in the last couple of weeks - Only past a storefront or two and no winding through the parking lot. And the line was almost all in the shade! We read a few chapters of our "Reading Club" book, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, before getting inside. (Inside, the chalkboard asks for customers to support them by writing our representatives. I have, but ought to again.) After ordering, we were fortunate to find a small table out back where we continued reading - and chatting with some other customers about the book - until our order came. This time Ben and I had regular burgers instead of the 1/3lb Squeeze Inn Burgers. I had cheese on mine - the famous cheese skirt. Joseph had a veggie burger. He, a better man than I am, is seriously cutting back on his meat consumption, working towards vegetarianism. Partly for health, the Word of Wisdom, but mostly for the sake of the animals.

Part of me would like to move towards vegetarianism, maybe just a little, but I really like meat and I am convinced that meat makes me feel good. I need to learn to cook good non-meat meals. If you know really good tasting recipes (that aren't too much work) and that have good protein, do share.

Later, we went to the church building to enjoy the Pioneer Day Commemoration Broadcast. We had the place entirely to ourselves. Even the AV guy was not there with us. The broadcast was as much a Mormon Tabernacle Choir 80th Anniversary Celebration as Pioneer Commemoration. Even more, the message I got was about faith and hope in difficult times. The presentation touched on many challenges from pioneer difficulties, to the Great Depression, WWII, 9-1-1 and more. Trials come. Despite them we can have peace, faith and hope. Music and the word of God help.

Books are bad for you, you know. They grab on to you and try to take over your life. Even such books as (for goodness sake!) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. We read some more after the broadcast until time for family prayer and scriptures. I wanted to read again afterwards, but forbore and went to bed. Where it was too hot to sleep for far too long.

So many things to do! I keep promising my self stamping time. I think I will go get ready for church and see if I can do some stamping before time to go to church. After church, we have Scout committee meeting and Youth Fireside. Then the weekend is over.

Too short even with 3 days!!

4 comments:

  1. Can you share what you are doing for your Christmas card?? I'd sure love to see it! There are some very nice Christmas sets coming out in the Holiday mini.

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  2. I'm glad you got to the temple. I wish I had the money to buy a home on the same street as a temple and go nearly every morning. Wouldn't that be something?

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  3. Kristine, I keep meaning to email you with the plan. No pictures though, my old computer has no disk space so I cannot do anything with my pictures.

    Eva Aurora, you live in UTAH! One can hardly throw a stone without hitting a temple or at least a chapel. How far are you from your temple??? It would be nice to be able to walk there, wouldn't it? If you could see the temple from your house, do you think you would be constantly reminded or do you think you would stop really seeing it?

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  4. Kristine, oh, another reason I haven't emailed you is apparently I don't have your e-address. Time for a quick Facebook visit.

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