remember that banana

Today is the Great American Grump Out Day when one is supposed to try
to go for 24 hours without being grumpy, crabby, or rude. Of course,
missionaries are supposed to go 24 MONTHS,eh? And frankly, disciples
are supposed to go for LIFE. According to the Grump Out website I
visited (and I believe them), choosing to be un-grumpy can strengthen
your immune system, diminish tension in your central nervous system,
relax your body, improve circulation, reduce stress hormones, and
possibly help in making new friends. For help surviving those 24
Un-grumpy Hours (Months, years – yikes!) they suggest Number 1, wear
a smile. Secondly, carry a banana around with you. (If going for
Months, Years, etc, I would suggest frequent changing of the banana –
DO NOT carry the same banana around with you your whole mission!!!)
The banana is the Grump – Out's official fruit. It provides good
nutrition. And if you hold it up correctly, it is a smile. In the
event that one experiences discomfort with this Grump – Out business,
one can turn that smiley banana upside down and stare at it for a
moment when no one is looking.

One can get a lot of free games on an iPod. Kent put some on and I
found a couple more. I spent most of the week last week during my
commute catapulting penguins. The back story - shown in a little
cartoon at the beginning – is that the polar bears bowled down some
penguins with a snowball, captured them and have them in a cage. Our
heroic penguins are trying to rescue their friends by being catapulted
at the bears and knocking them out of the picture. It takes several
missions to rescue the penguins. For each mission you have a set
number of penguins, who – wearing their cute little but useless as far
as I can tell hard hats, - lower themselves down to swing from a rope
over the catapult. You tap the screen to launch the catapult. If you
time it right, the penguin flies out the tunnel. If not, it's penguin
on the rocks. After a certain level, you earn an upgrade and try to
launch your penguins through a flaming ring in the tunnel so that you
get flaming penguins who can melt ice. Once all your penguins have
been catapulted, you switch to where some polar bears are - some
standing under rock ledges or ice bridges. You signal your
(surviving) penguins when to dive to hit a bear or break through the
ice or push a button. If you whack out enough bears, you move on to
the next, more difficult level. Like I said, it took me a week of
commuting to save my penguins. (Don't think about the casualty rate!)
While waiting in line at Costco Saturday, I showed it to Joseph. In
line, walking through the parking lot, and in the car, he solved it in
little over an hour. We showed Ben who solved it in less than an
hour. Sunday, Debi breezed through it in minutes. Plus a few other
games. Boy, do I feel old and lame.

The house is almost straightened up enough that I should sign up to
feed the missionaries. Must find time and energy. And then there is
this thing about missionaries always wanting to challenge you to do
missionary work. Hate that part. Not that I am theoretically opposed
to doing missionary work, the gospel is true and all , but I am not
such a great person that people are falling all over themselves to
find out why I am special and all that. It is not always easy to find
openings for a missionary moment.

the plea of a desperate woman

Today's Dear Elder letter to Andrew:

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Dear Elder Robarts,

You cannot imagine with what eager hope I open my email several times
a day or how sadly I turn away without word from you.

Tomorrow it will have been 2 weeks since I left you at the MTC. What
happened to 30 minutes a week at the computer to email home?

RMs tell me that some missionaries even sneak in a little letter
writing (snail mail) during meetings.

I am sure that you said that you started a letter at Adairs. Where?
Where? Where? (is the letter?)

I know you had stamps and envelope (and that they are to be had at
the MTC. I am reasonably confident that you know the address of your
nativity and youth.

Why is there no word?

Why the long torturous silence????

Are you going to tell me that the problem is that you have received so
many letters you barely have time to read - leaving no time to write?

Perhaps I will slightly relieve that problem by writing no more until
I hear from you. (But what do I do about Sariah and Kelsey?? Can I
persuade them to stop writing as well? I don't think it would be
easy. What??! Are you writing to them and not to me?!)

Surely I have not been so poor a mother as to deserve such heartache
and neglect!

One of my blogger friends tells me that she got NO mail in the MTC
despite writing several letters herself. Do you envy her?

Poor Ben, seeing my distress (and wishing to hear of you himself) is
pledging that he, at least, will write to me when his turn comes.

Soon I shall contact the MTC to find out if you died and they forgot
to tell me.

I languish.

A word, please! A word.

Your lonely, loving Mother.

~~~~~~~~~

And do you know? It worked! I got home and found A LETTER FROM
ANDREW in the mailbox! I am going to post it on his blog now.

this and that over the weekend

Friday, May 1 10pm.

Benjamin must really miss Andrew. He has become something of a
chatter-box. Brother Paine, I think it was, after activity Wednesday,
mentioned Ben talking alot on the phone. He sometimes calls me at work
and talks more than he used to. I put on my Bluetooth and I can still
work pretty well. When I come home, it seems like he just cannot stop
talking for a good bit. And sometimes again at bedtime. It's not a bad
thing. Kind of fun. Just he's much more talkative now that he is alone
all day. I asked him if he wanted to try going to public school, but
that didn't interest him. He might take a couple of classes at City
College next year.

Rain! We are getting some really good rain tonight. Which means they
canceled the Light Rail Clean-up tomorrow. OK by me, I have too much
to do and I am tired.

Speaking of tired, I am the last man standing tonight. Waiting for a
load of hang-ups in the laundry.

It is really pouring out there! Water, of course, leaking in the back
garage door and also into the old "wood box." Not good. I need to
figure out how to seal off the wood box. Need to clean up in the
garage - who knows what is on the floor getting wet. There is a bad
smell growing in the garage. Sigh. So far the roof seems good. ; )

Sign in one of the Larson bathrooms:

"May the light always find you on a dreary day.
When you need to be home, may you find your way.
May you always have courage to take a chance,
And never find frogs in your underpants."

I am going to go brush my teeth and do my scripture reading. I am so
glad to be out of dreary Jeremiah, Lamentations & Ezekiel! Daniel is a
much easier read. Whether or not I am getting the message, I can at
least follow the story. ; )

... OH, NO! I brushed my teeth, then went out to check the dryer.
Done! good. Pulled out my clothes and found....my Bluetooth. This
cannot be good.

Sunday, May 3 10:40 am

The Bluetooth, not surprisingly, died.

Yesterday, I read "Daddy
Long Legs" on Winnie, took Joseph to his ham radio class because
he overslept and it was raining, did an errand at the Post Office ; )
- busy place! took a long time!, chatted with Miriam (instead of
going to Radio Shack), picked up Joseph, conferred with Tom about
Sunday dinner (his bday choice), to Radio Shack where I got a USB
adapter and car charger for Winnie the Peg (the iPod Touch. I actually
prefer Peg, but Kent helped name her - in honor of getting her the day
Andrew entered the MTC preparatory to serving in the Canada Winnipeg
Mission), took Joseph to lunch at Subway (we split a BLT), gassed the
car, bought a birthday present for Tom at REI (safety multi tool -
compass, whistle, 2x magnifier (oh wow), led light, temperature,
safety mirror), went to Costco (replaced my Bluetooth), got home in
time to watch the Kentucky Derby (missed the pre-race stuff so I
didn't know the horses and their stories - incredible race - a 50 to1
long shot came from the back of the pack to win by 7 lengths going
away! amazing!) and worked on the front room. (The front room is
almost presentable!!! Still need to work on the mantel and the stuff
by the dining room. And of course, the walls and floors need
completely redoing. But basically, not too bad. For us. In fact, I
believe we are having Sunday dinner here. ) After dinner I played
Tennis and Bowling on the Wii with Benjamin.

Right now, Benjamin is watching Esther and Jared - actually getting
them ready to come here because Joseph is not ready to go there.
Benjamin and I have to go out collecting Fast Offerings. Here they are! Bye!

Monday, May 4 8:15am

Many ward members are (naturally) heart-broken at the news that Hinds
are leaving.

Have I blogged about this? Tom and Ruth got caught in one of those
nasty adjustable mortgage schemes. How is it, with housing prices and
interest rates crashing, pre-existing adjustables are soaring to
impossible heights???!!! They have tried for months to work with
their bank or find some other solution, but the upshot is, they lost
their house. Pretty sad for me! There go my favorite neighbors ever!
Actually working out nicely for them - they found a lovely house to
rent out near Elk Grove - in an entirely different Stake (geographic
division of the church, a collection of wards - congregations). They
will rent it until the economic situation straightens itself out and
then start again as first time buyers. I think we all enjoyed the
time they spent in the house they are leaving, so we don't count it as
a loss. Just a change. The new house is light and airy and bigger.
Now they can start thinking about adding to their family, something
they felt too crowded to consider heretofore.

Ruth was released yesterday with Erika Swenson replacing her and Sue
Altop joining the presidency to replace Erika as counselor. Sister
Swenson kept Sister Adair. Secretaries are not automatically released
with Presidencies. I didn't know that. Tom, whom Bishop had
previously said would be easier to replace, was not released. Next
Sunday is their last in our ward. : (

We did have Sunday dinner at our house. Our guests were much
impressed with our progress!

If I do not hear from Andrew by Wednesday, his 2 week anniversary, I
think I shall ask the MTC why.

On the way to work today, I started listening to another audio book
that Kent put on Winnie the Peg, "Pride and Prejudice". Much better
than "Twilight" and a better reader! This one changes her voice when a
different character speaks. The "Twilight" reader made you guess.

Weekends (especiallly Saturdays) and breaks are MUCH too short!

to wait is often harder than to work

Learn the art of patience. Apply discipline to your thoughts when they become anxious over the outcome of a goal. Impatience breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure. Patience creates confidence, decisiveness, and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success. - Brian Adams

Teach us, O Lord, the disciplines of patience, for to wait is often harder than to work. - Peter Marshall

It was easy to be patient the first week. The first few days, I was visiting my friends. Back home Sunday, I laughed to myself at people asking if I had news from Andrew yet. Of course not! I only left him Wednesday.

I was fine until Wednesday. The 1 week anniversary. 1 Week! Missionaries get P-day (Preparation Day) once a week and they WRITE LETTERS HOME.

I started checking my email every chance I got - that is to say at break, lunch and upon arriving home. Nothing. Nothing in the snail mail box, either.

Chatting after the youth activity Wednesday night, I learned from a RM (returned missionary) that they don't get P-day the first week in the MTC. I hoped he had clean clothes. RM said they got a little time for laundry, but that's all.

I resolved to wait patiently.

It's not that easy!

I keep checking email and snail mail, but ..... the wait goes on. Let us with patience bear our afflictions.

~~~~

Good article about LDS missions/missionaries with a link from there to the life of a missionary including, at the end, a typical daily schedule.

Good Bad Dog

Ben told me that last night Anna was pressed against the door gagging. He let her out and she "booked it" out into the yard where she hurled. (Wish the hairball cats would learn that trick).

Apparently, there is a delayed reaction to too much chocolate. This morning there were wrappers in our morning walk "pick-up."

I wish her feeble doggie brain would connect the throwing up to the eating the chocolate, but I have little hope for that. Besides, vengeance was definitely as much motive as gluttony.

Strike Two

We returned from helping at Ruth's soon-to-be new home - priming cupboards -after work Monday to find that Anna had another little surprise for us.

She had gone into the boys' room to conduct a raid on Joseph's food supplies.

Unlike the day before, when she made a mess of her little party in my bedroom, this time she painstackingly brought her loot out to the front room before opening it. There was a good bit of unidentifiable wrappers scattered about, an unopened bag of potato soup on her dog bed, and expensive Belgium cocoa mix opened and spread all over the floor.

While we were at Ruth's, Debi told me that Anna was punishing me for being gone last week. I think this may be so. I think it is interesting that she didn't make the mess in the boys' room. She certainly seems to have known what she was doing.

What a naughty dog!

Chocolate Lab?

Entering my room after church, I faced devastation. (worse than usual) The remains of the wrappers of at least 2 cup of soups, a new large bag of peanut M&Ms & a new bag of Ghiradelli Mint Chocolates (!!) scattered all over the floor. A very guilty looking black lab watching me warily from the front room. I was not happy.

She came to apologize while I was cleaning up, but I wouldn't let her in the room and after a few words of rebuke, I wouldn't talk to her either. I doubt that her apology was sincere. Oh, she was sorry enough that I was unhappy with her, but I doubt that she was truly repentant of eating all that chocolate except that now there was no more to eat. I gave her the cold shoulder until sometime after dinner and I kept the door to my room closed.

When I went to bed, I shut her out, not the usual thing. She whined and scratched at the door for over two hours. Finally, I let her in. However, the door stays closed while I am at work.

One reads that chocolate can be deadly for dogs, but she appears unscathed. Lots of darker than usual poop on our morning walk, but I didn't see any wrappers. Certainly no sign of stomach upset, either.

I shouldn't be too angry. We seem to share the same weaknesses. I have SLIGHTLY more self control. She is much better about wanting to exercise, however.

Part two of my Utah trip

Part two of my Utah trip was visiting dear friends (whose family were already providing my accommodations).

My hosts were Tim & Erin, a young couple who recently purchased their own home. As yet, they have plenty of room for house guests ; ). Andrew and I each had our own room by each other. (As we were officially companions which usually means always being in the same room or in sight of each other, we slept with our doors open.) They had prepared the rooms nicely for us - including, in my room at least, a carafe of water on the bedside table (which I appreciated), and postcards, stationary & pens in the bedside table (some which I also used). They were gracious and hospitable (and so cute).

After leaving Andrew at the MTC, I spent a very short quiet time alone and then went to the Larsons' to visit with Melanie who was in semi-isolation, having fallen ill early in the week with an undiagnosed ailment and wanting to safe guard her newborn granddaughter. (AJ, Stephanie, and now little Maddie live with Kent and Melanie, AJ & Erin's parents. There are also seldom seen 16 year old Sean and Steven)

As the new father AJ (Erin's twin) had to return to work and Melanie was in isolation, Erin spent most of the days helping Stephanie who is still recovering from complications of the pregnancy. I mostly hung out with Melanie in her room.

Lots of comfortable happy old friend visiting - not much earth shaking to report.

Thursday, Melanie was doing particularly poorly and rested all day. Erin, Stephanie and I went to a mall and had "Japanese" food at the food court. oh, Erin and I had Japanese, Steph had Arby's. We had Teriyaki Chicken over vegetables and noodles. Probably not authentic. I liked it better than other teriyaki I have had and better than the authentic Japanese restaurant my office likes.

Friday, while Erin & Steph took Maddie for her 2 week appointment, I went with Melanie for her appointment where we found out that in addition to whatever else has been going on - still not identified, she now has pneumonia.

As has happened almost every day since the theft, Wednesday I lamented the loss of my Palm and that I still didn't know with what to replace it. Melanie waxed enthusiastic about her iPod Touch which Kent got her because she didn't want to hear about how much he loved the one he got through work anymore. At least the two young husbands in the family have one as well. And this is what my son David told me he uses much as I used my Palm. I was getting sold. By this time Kent was home, and my next lament was that I wished I had gotten my new techno-tool before coming to see them, because I knew that he would help me set things up. (Or rather he would set it up for me.) He said he would be happy to take me to Sam's Club where they got theirs. I was so excited I didn't even think to ask if there was a Costco nearby (where I could have gotten points on my cards). (Of course, you never know if an item will still be there.)

Anyway, Wednesday I got an iPod Touch! I am hoping that Joseph will be able to figure out how to get my Palm information from the computer to the iPod Touch, affectionately known as Winnie the Peg in honor of entering the family the day Andrew entered the MTC. Do you think the emotions of experiencing the latter influenced my actions? Probably.

Kent set me up with a lot of useful applications, some fun games, and audio books - among them Eragon, Pride & Prejudice, Holes, & Ender's Game. I downloaded more free games - and some Satellite Sisters podcasts!

I used Winnie the Peg to map my course to KFC to buy dinner for my gracious hosts on my last night. I listened to an audiobook all the way on my drive home today which made it much shorter-seeming and safer. I just hope I can use her for my contacts, memos & calendaring which made my dear Palm so indispensable.

Of all the books Kent put on Winnie, I decided to listen to Twilight as it is the only one I have not read. (The others, are definitely worth re-reading time and again) It certainly made the trip easier, but, sorry Sariah, it is not a book I would 'read' otherwise. Much like on one road trip, I checked out The Travels of Marco Polo from the library and listened to it. Good on a trip, but I don't think I would have ever ploughed through it on my own. I am not even sure that I am going to finish this one. Oh, probably on light rail on the way to work.

When I got home I saw that the (remaining) boys - mostly Ben!) had accomplished a lot of work. Massive amounts of weeds had been pulled in the front yard and another mystery pile of junk (on 'the bricks') decimated. And only 1 pet had died. - One of the cockatiels dropped dead Tuesday morning - too soon to be from neglect on the boys part! ;

Things to do; things to do! I need to record all my credit card purchases for the week (!!), pay bills, and maybe the boys - who just got back from helping Ruth & Tom work on prepping their 'new' house - and I should eat something - like I didn't also 'graze' all the way home from Utah!

The Big Day

The day was suddenly upon us.

We drove into Provo and found the MTC. He could have checked in early, but I wasn't ready, I don't know about him. We went to where I used to live at Brigham Young University during my brief time there, glanced at the Harris Fine Arts Center where I worked cleaning the "mud rooms". I couldn't remember where the mud rooms were and suddenly we realized that there were only 2 hours to check in and we wanted to have lunch first. The old grocery store where we shopped when I lived at Heritage Halls (I was in Apt 64 in Harris Hall) now has a grill and ice cream - The Creamery on Ninth. We each had a cheeseburger and fries (should have shared fries. As if that wasn't enough, and it probably was, we each ordered double scoop of ice cream - Earnestly Chocolate - somewhat similar to Moose Tracks but with caramel cups and not quite as chocolatey. Double scoops! Fortunately, they had no cones so we got it in cups. We were each able to only eat about half of ours. We walked with them back to the car, drove up past Provo Temple to the head of the canyon, ate a few more bites, then headed down the hill to the MTC. We had to leave the ice cream in the car.

Benjamin called us somewhere in that time so we were on the phone with him just before Andrew actually walked into the MTC. Benjamin and Andrew had a last little talk. Andrew was deeply moved. Later, when it was time to part, one of the last things Andrew said to me was "Take care of Ben". It didn't help that in the meeting just before we separate, we watched a video showing missionaries recieving their calls, going to the MTC with their families, and one younger brother just clinging to his missonary and sobbing. Andrew and I both just basically cried through the whole meeting.

But before that in the lobby, I got to put Andrew's Elder Robarts' name tag on him. I told him that it was even better than his Eagle. He looked great, a little teary, but great!

After the meeting, families say good bye and the missionaries exit on one side while the families exit on the other, not to see each other for two years. I joined the flow of crying families. I realized that we were walking along the end of the room we had just left. When we approached a cross hall, I looked down and saw Elder Robarts with his head high and his step confident, eagerly walking away to his new life. I hope he felt as good as he looked!

Back at the car, I found two bowls of "milkshakes" in place of our ice cream scoops and so drank a tribute to my missionary son.

A Nearly Perfect Day

Andrew and I drove from California Monday - enjoyed some good talk CDs (thank you Sariah! and Tom!) and some conference talks. Somewhat to my disappointment, we did almost no singing. If Benjamin had known that would be the case, would he have come? An uneventful drive. (hooray) We thought a little about the pioneers crossing that landscape. I am in awe of the courage and fortitude of those people!

After a few misturns (thanks to the "navigator" -me) we arrived at Tim and Erin Adair's home in time to interrupt their Family Home Evening lesson. Benjamin called us for family prayer, so we stepped out on the porch for a minute. Ah the wonders of mondern technology! Phones! Speaker phones!

Chateau Adair provides lovely accomadations, amenities and company, I must say!

Tuesday, Andrew and I enjoyed a practically perfect day. Tim drove us all in to Salt Lake City as he works in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building right next to Temple Square.OK, a couple of less than perfect things. Benjamin called to tell us that our little yellow cockatiel had died (but the grey one seems ok) and that there are concerns about our elderly next door neigbhor who is back at home again when she should be in assisted living. Also, alas, our fair companion and tour guide-to-be, Erin, was called back home to help her sister-in-law with her brand new baby. Our good friend and new grandma had fallen ill. That was the only damper. And, rudely perhaps, our spirits and experience was not much damped by our friends' difficulties.

We went first to Mr Mac's where we purchased a new wool suit, a pair of shoes, a sweater and a coat. We were surprised to learn that the shoes I had always heard were "the missionary shoes" are no longer carried there because apparently they do not give enough insole support and some missionaries were developing foot problems. We ended up with a second pair of the same brand that we got in Sacramento. I am really happy with the coat we got him. It will not be his serious winter coat, that he will get in Canada. This one, however, is a good multi-purpose coat. It has a warm under coat which can be worn alone or with the weather resisitant over coat which can also be worn alone should the weather be wet but not cold. We picked up a pair of gloves and a tie hanger as well. Shopping done, we left the suit to be hemmed and the rest of our purchases there as we set out to enjoy Temple Square.

On the way back to the Square itself we stopped to tour The Beehive House. All day long we were amazed again and again at the great and lasting beauty created by people in such difficult circumstances! We enjoyed a "second breakfast" at The Nauvoo Cafe - highly recommended by Ruth who has gone there repeatedly during Stampin'Up convention and conveniently located in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Quite good and reasonably priced. We took our food outside and enjoyed the beautiful spring weather and the view of the Salt Lake Temple.

Finally, we went on to Temple Square itself, beginning with the 30 minute over all tour. We quickly realized that one day is not really enough to spend on Temple Square. So much to see and take in! I was particularly interested in the model of Jerusalem at the time of Christ. To sit at the feet of the Christus Statue is a profound experience.

Soon it was time to meet Tim (who had not had a second breakfast) for lunch. Again, we went to the Nauvoo Cafe where Andrew and I shared a delious sandwich and Tim enjoyed turkey pot pie.

After lunch, Andrew and I did a session in the Salt Lake Temple. What a beautiful building constructed with such faith, love and sacrifice! In most temples, instruction is largely given through the use of modern recordings - beautifully and clearly. This session was live. The words were the same, but one had a slightly different perspective. How blessed we are to be able to recieve the benefits of both the old and the new!

I don't remember if we toured the Conference Center before or after lunch. It,too, of course, was amazing.

We had a little more time on Temple Square before meeting Tim to go "home." Every bit of it is beautiful. At every turn one is inspired. My enjoyment was greatly enhanced by Andrew's appreciation and spiritual sensitivity.

We picked up Andrew's things at Mr Mac's, enjoyed the grand lobby (complete with piano playing) in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, then went home with Tim.

The evening was spent at the home of the Larsons. AJ & Stephanie (and Maddie!) are living with AJ & Erin's folks. How convenient to be able to visit so many dear friends at one location! However, as I was visiting Melanie mostly and we are not entirely sure of the nature of her malady, I stayed clear of Maddie and company.

While Melanie and I were visiting, I think I heard Kent sharing missionary experiences and advice with Andrew.

Again, we were able to have Family Prayer with Joseph and Benjamin via speaker phone.