= Sunday was Mother's Day. Talks emphasized motherhood; snippets: Eve showed courage when she took a step into the unknown so that we might have a life. She and Adam had to leave the garden for their children to grow. Mothers are a reflection of God. Motherhood is not by biology but by service, love, and compassion.
= Someone had donated gifts for the women who were present. Men (including me) took over the Primary classes to free women teachers to be with Relief Society today. Half of the Primary time is Singing Time; songs teach and reinforce doctrine; missionaries in their 20s often sing these songs when they gather.
= Steph tried to do her Sunday Snippets outdoors, but her phone didn't record sound for the complete run-through; another day. We reached out for Mother's Day. I worked on the format for a PowerPoint presentation about our mission, a layout that works with photo dimensions by putting titles on the side instead of across the top.
= Monday, Steph had spent the night on the recliner instead of moving to the bed after a long nap. On break, I joined Steph on her walk around the circle the office sits on. AI was making almost random errors; I copied its transcripts and kept working with it until I pegged Copilots fun meter for the day.
= Home, a vase of roses from Quinton waited for Steph at the driveway door. Steph interviewed her first guest that she's not related do. Then we went to Zumba. Our oldest daughter and her husband, Michael, have been married since 1990. Mary-Lorraine let us know that Michael’s father, who has been in poor health at 86, died today [heavy sigh]. Michael’s sister says there will be no funeral, but they can toast his life together when they come to Virginia to visit this summer as originally planned.
= Tuesday after Toastmasters, when Steph picked up her glasses, she could not see clearly with them. The prescription was checked; it was correct as of her recent exam. The eye doctor spent some time outside of the exam room with her, having her look around the room and out of the window. Verdict: Steph’s cataracts are interfering with her vision; it’s time to seek surgery.
= Before the night was done, we had coordinated with the committee for the young single adult conference, had sent three episodes of the journal, and posted three episodes of the blog, and had caught up this week’s journal.
= Wednesday, we were deep into work; I added units by therapist by month to the key performance indicators. After work, we coordinated with supporters for the young single adult conference, then hit Costco, then reached out to the conference committee.
= Thursday, I finished charging chainsaw batteries for anticipated work at Jim Garner's Saturday. When I switched our landlord policy to a homeowner's policy, I learned that we hadn't cut off the renters' policy for our RV park lot when we left on our mission; automatic payments require manual follow-up.
= I fashioned a kitty litter container into a large-mouthed scoop and used it to mix garden soil from equal parts manure, peat moss, and vermiculite.
= I bought canola oil for the chainsaws and blackout shades for the bedroom. Then I thoroughly cleaned the saws. They had been sitting in normal storage for two years but when I got done were ready for use again.
= Friday I pulled new data and updated indicators as usual. After work, we drove to the doctor I had suggested for Steph, but her office closes Fridays at noon. Steph discovered that our minivan has a CD player, hidden behind the display. Her interviewee needs to reschedule. So, Steph will unexpectedly have to build a talk tomorrow for her podcast.
= We talked about themes to brief about our mission. Scrolling names of Chinese dramas and Korean dramas, Steph reviewed many of the dramas with me. Then we had snacks while we watched an episode of the Closer. And 0130 snuck up on us.
= Saturday morning at the Garners, a friend who lives nearby and friends from church worked to clear the back yard of fallen trees. My chainsaw was one of only two at this event. In about three hours, we had cleared the yard except for one portion of a tree wider than our chainsaw bars.
= Home, Steph and I replanted the flowers into our garden mix. We did the same for the small tomato plants. We moved the tomatoes and peppers from the porch to the back fence.
= Steph wasn't feeling good. I took this opportunity to install the blackout shades in the bedroom and fix a problem with one bedroom window. I poked at conference issues, then went to bed at 11, Steph now in her studio to record a podcast.
The tulips opened up.
Someone sat on the wet grass to fish, not far from the turn for church. There's mist in the air.
The mist obscures items in the distance.
Church
Men taught Primary classes today so the women who usually taught them could be in Relief Society for Mother's Day. A student in Primary class drew this in conjunction with our lesson.
I added the Savior, who was lifted up to heal us all. As Tyler Oborn (co-teacher) pointed out, we have all been bitten by sin.
Nice day
Too brilliant to be real, only they *are* real.
BTS trivia; Steph is a big BTS fan..
Mother's Day candy
A flower to be constructed from small plastic blocks
Gouache paint and brushes for us to use together; we have many stretched canvases in storage.
Stretchy divers you can fling!
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Chips and dip for lunch
Steph tried to do her Sunday Snippets outdoors..
to get a different background from the podcast studio. [Unfortunately, the sound went out on the version she completed; she'll try again next Sunday.]
We use vinegar as fabric softener.
The Dollar Tree sheets we bought on arrival have pilled. We replaced them with sheets from storage. This bed frame came in a box from Walmart and is high enough that we can fit four suitcases under it.
Ta Da!
Rice for dumplings.
The lentils with ham hocks overcooked; we drizzled some over the rice; the rest, we'll use in other meals.
Steph had intended to use her phone but conked out for the night. (The recliners were also assembled from Walmart; we had given up most of our living room furniture when we left on our mission .)
Interesting use for a bungee cord. (The handles waggled even with the cord providing tension.)
Silk Moves
For serious applications, metal-clad poles such as these are used instead of wooden ones.
Zumba in a smaller, but cooler, space today. I got carried away with the follow-through.
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Tape meant to hold a sign formed a "Z" on the way to where we met today for Zumba.
We returned to find this very nice arrangement at our driveway door..
A Mother's Day gift from our son Quinton.
It's curious to me that the cat doesn't try to turn around in there anymore. She goes straight in and backs straight out.
Misting bonsai
When you get off at the third floor, signs lead you to our meeting (Tuesdays at noon).
A guest shared the elevator with us today.
Scott Burbank; Kenny Robinson looking on
Tammy Williams; Scott looking on. Both Scott and Tammy gave prepared speeches today.
Kenny Robinson, ready to lead a Table Topics (no-notice speaking) session
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Maxine (a guest) gives it a try..
:)
Liz Burgess
Beau Lore is being assigned his topic.
He responds to the previous two topics and then his own, all within the time limit for one topic.
Flamboyant was the "word of the day" we tried to use in our speaking opportunities today. He mentioned seeing the Flamboyant Tree when in the Peace Corps in Togo, and one of the online participants found and displayed a photo!
Ben McGhee evaluated Scott's project.
Dorcas Opendi was General Evaluator today.
Tammy and Steph
It was so good (and we were so hungry) that I didn't take a picture of my meal until I was well-into it (at Fatman's BBQ).
The BBQ sauce is especially good.
Just checking
Lava lamps are coming back.
CC from Dean Hochman from Overland Park, Kansas, U.S. - lava lamps, courtesy of Wikipedia
And then there are modern innovations.
You can twist a light into a word; Steph will try that with a white one first.
The person doing the mowing scraped the grass at one point (in the back yard), but in general, the lawn looks much better now.
Much of a neighbor's tree overhangs our yard.
Bonsai care
He worked until very late.
Yes, I have a transmission fluid funnel, but in storage, not handy this morning. The large piece of foil held a foil funnel in place while I bent down to get the bottle of fluid.
For this vehicle, it's the oil dipstick that's not immediately obvious: the yellow one. However, the manual doesn't mention the transmission at all!
Misting in the morning
A match to Steph's SUV
GBBLN [gobbling?].
Our BlendJets having died, we bought a different brand at Walmart, one that doesn't require the base to remain attached while you drink.
BRRRAATT
SURREY. Originally a horse-drawn four-wheeled carriage. (Remember the song, "Surrey with the Fringe on Top" from the play "Oklahoma"?)
Sororities take this stuff pretty seriously.
I would have lowered the camera a bit to see my face if I had realized how reflective the window was. "Stupid is as stupid does"
I don't think I've see the rural mail carrier sign on a tire cover before. (Rural carriers use their own vehicles.)
Steph thinks this might say: country cutie.
Chief Master Sergeant, the highest enlisted rank, in a tough environment
Too wise.
We have already started unloading from a trip to storage and Costco (for food and plants). The large items you seed are the mortar tub we added rope to for hauling storm debris and our chainsaw case (for two chainsaws and their supporting cast).
Late afternoon
We needed a large scoop to measure garden dirt components.
OK.
Cleaning the result
Even swabbing the inside of the handle
Charging chainsaw batteries
Outside the craft room window
Leftover spinach and ramen (not bad)
Time to get dirty.
Numbers 21:8-9 says that those who chose to look upon the brass serpent lifted up by Moses were healed.
Alma 33:20 -- But few understood the meaning of those things, and this because of the hardness of their hearts. But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them.
On our way out the door of the room to go to singing time, one of the students added an equal sign between the two.
(Primary singing time is serious business; Primary songs are often the ones sung by young missionaries in their 20s in group meetings! The songs teach and reinforce doctrine.)
(The Blantons gave us this mattress when they moved.)
(The nightstand and dresser have cloth drawers and were assembled from Walmart. The table in the background is from our storage; I often type next to the bed.
Great name
(Scott evaluated Tammy's.)
(Some models of this vehicle don't have a transmission dipstick and you have to open a port to add fluid: a modern nasty trend.)
Chappy's Deli provided "Serve with Love" magnets in the past and sponsored an annual fundraiser breakfast for charity.
Steph wonders how Porsche owners feel now about their vehicles looking pretty much like all the other vehicles on the road.
(a fraternity tag)
(I taped the edges of the scoop so they wouldn't be rough.)
(This is the mortar tub we use for storm cleanup. It has a rope on one end to drag it.)
Player controls
When our replacement arrived, the chip still worked, but the numbers on the back of the card weren't legible. It worked well when we needed it.
(I had spilled water on her when I helped with transplanting the bulbs.)
(The pipes are a hammock stand the Garners were throwing away.)
[In other words, I received help.]
