Sunday, March 4, 2018

 

This has been such a bitter-sweet day.  We have ended another chapter in our lives, one that has left us with precious experiences, and forever friends.  Sacrament Meeting was our only meeting today, and I finally gathered enough courage to get on my feet and walk, cane in hand, to the pulpit and bear my testimony.  It took the whole meeting to gather that courage—I was the last one.  But it was short and sweet, if a little teary.  Everyone gathered afterward for a group photo and more goodbyes.  Most of the missionaries will be leaving tomorrow although some are sight-seeing with family for a few days, and a half dozen will be leaving during the week for other assignments to finish out the last six months of their missions.

It has been an incredible blessing to serve in this temple and to be in the Lord’s house every day learning how to discern the promptings of the Spirit and see others as Heavenly Father sees His children.  When you come from Idaho, a person doesn’t have the opportunity to learn to appreciate the great diversity that exists in our country.  This city is such a melting pot of cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds, experiences, and length of time spent as members of the Church.  Our hearts have been opened and expanded with greater love and understanding.

We have been packing, weighing luggage, repacking, re-weighing, and still my bags are a little over the weight limit.  I’ll just have to have the most disposable items on the very top and toss them one by one until the scale meets it’s allowed poundage!  Glade’s things all fit just fine in one large bag and one carry-on size, but I have way too much “good stuff” to stuff in mine, even with an extra bag.

Last night I worked side by side with Sister Martinez on the Spanish veils and loved every minute of the experience.  I invited her to come to our apartment today to see if she could use or would want any of the things we have collected and have to leave behind.   She came today at noon with her daughter Joselyn—the young girl I tutored on the organ and who just turned 13 on the week-end.  The first bag I showed her was filled with the Christmas garland, poinsettias, and lights that decorated our china hutch, and she was ecstatic!  She had seen them when she stopped by with food when I first broke my ankle.  I was so happy that she was so happy! 

She also took an array of other things in half a dozen bags including my little Begonia plant, a new lap quilt and pillow, a few groceries, and left only a small can of pumpkin and a package of white chocolate chips.  Latin Americans must not eat much pumpkin.  We looked for it in Honduras and had to explain to the grocer exactly what it was and that it came in a can as well as fresh on the stem!  😊  They special-ordered it for us and actually stocked it during the holidays the second year we were there.

I was so happy to share with her and her family.  Her husband is the one who fell on the job and is now disabled enough that he can’t work.  But he has finally started coming back to Sacrament Meeting after a long absence from church and Sister Martinez feels her prayers for him are being answered.

Our flight out of DC is scheduled to leave at 4:40 p.m. tomorrow, and we are already checked in with the flight status showing “on time” for which we are grateful after all the closures on Friday and Saturday.  We arrive in SLC about 7:40-ish and hope the snow has melted enough for a safe landing!  Would love your prayers for a safe flight!

Good Night, Everyone!  Love you all so much!  😊

Here's one last photo of our beautiful temple.  It's the one on your puzzles.

Saturday, March 3, 2018

Wow!  It is so hard to believe that this mission has ended.  Our last night in the temple was awesome and had such an element of closeness with both the patrons and the temple workers.  Glade served as Initiatory Director all evening and I worked at the veil doing several Spanish veils and loved it all.  We double-teamed at the end so that each worker had a chance to help at least one patron at the very last veil of the day.  Tears flowed as workers who have worked together for years said their good-byes.  I spent a little time in the beautiful Celestial Room just before leaving and tried to soak in the beauty and sacredness of the room which was filled with patrons and workers.  It was a perfect ending to a very wonderful and rewarding experience here.

We worked on packing this morning and are worried that we still have more things to take home than our suitcases can accommodate—especially since we cleaned out our temple lockers tonight and have all those clothes to add to the mix.  We’ll worry about it tomorrow. 

We have great neighbors next door to us who actually live in St. George.  They have been chauffeuring us to and from the temple and will take us to church tomorrow.  It's hard to not have a car and Glade keeps wondering how the trek across the country is going and if it is safe.

We felt bad to have missed Louisa’s baptism but hope it was a wonderful day.

Love to everyone!  😊    

 

Friday, March 2, 2018

Mother Nature raged on many fronts today as high winds closed schools all across the DC area, and all Government offices were closed.  That usually means the temple is closed as well, but since it was the next to the last day before the closure, it remained open for patrons and district workers who felt it was save to travel from their long commutes.  The missionaries are required to be at the temple unless conditions are extreme.  Hundreds of thousands of people were without power and the temple ran on generator power in the morning start-up.  Workers used flashlights in some areas with only dim lighting in others.  There were trees down everywhere snarling traffic and both Regan and Dulles airports were closed.  Dulles reported winds above 70 mph and had to clear the tower.  Our power blinked off during the night, but was up and running all day.  Traffic back-ups lasted for hours on the freeways.    

Storms were not limited to our area only as we watched the severe weather warnings from the West Coast to the East.  Many of you may have experienced blizzards, high winds, rain and flooding as well.  Hope you Westerners are up for more snowman building 😊

We worried that the transport company would cancel or delay picking up our car this morning, but the semi-driver arrived at the mall near us right on time and loaded up our precious cargo and the car was soon on its way home.  We can only pray now that the inclement weather won’t cause problems.  It should arrive in SLC in six to seven days.

It was so awesome to sleep without the boot last night!  Walking today was okay, but the gait and pressure points are different so the leg and ankle are stiff and sore.  With a little Advil and a different pair of shoes, the pain abated and tonight’s shift was awesome.  I was name issue director and worked with the Spanish session.  Then I was able to help at the veil for the same session and loved being able to do that.  Who knows if it will ever happen again!!!

Love to All.  😊  Good Night and stay warm in the storms!

 

Thursday, March 1, 2018

This morning’s x-ray resulted in the Dr.’s exclamation that the bone "looks fantastic."  It has healed so well and I am a very happy camper.  The appointment included the last physical therapy session, the last of the boot, replacement of the crutches with a cane, and a new ankle support called an air cast that is light and can be worn with a shoe!  Hooray!!  I can’t wait to sleep without that big old boot.  Actually, I should be grateful for how well it has worked!

My temple shift, thankfully, was light and I spent it in the office recording the finished ordinances.  It was busy enough that the sessions were running every 30 minutes with six endowment rooms filled nearly to capacity.  Every area of the temple was busy and I was happy to have a safe seat from which to work and stay out of the way.  It was the first day with the cane and there was a learning curve.

Glade didn’t go again today.  The typical residual cough hangs on and although he feels better, still isn’t up to par.  He is bored and feels guilty about not being in the temple to do his share, but there isn’t much choice.    

Glade talked to the broker who arranges the car transport and we have a tentative pick-up time for Friday morning.  The truck is coming from Baltimore which is about 45 minutes away.  However, a storm system is predicted to bring in 60 mile-per-hour winds tomorrow, so the schedule is pending as per the weather.  We are going to be a little lost without our car and will have to get rides to and from the temple, to church on Sunday, and to the airport on Monday.  It is all packed with our 100-pound allowance and ready to roll!

We are so grateful for our blessings and for this great experience.  It has gone by way too fast.  However, it is always great to go home.

Love, hugs, and prayers to all of you.  😊

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

It was back to the early shift this morning and Glade dropped me off at the temple about 6:30 a.m.  I managed to get through the whole shift and felt fortunate to help with a Spanish veil.  I just love doing that!  I also helped out with two sisters receiving their own endowments today.  By the end of the shift, fatigue was setting in and my limit reached.  But it was so great to be back working in the temple.  It is busy, busy, busy and working closer to capacity than we have ever seen it before.  I had agreed to do part of an extra shift Friday morning, but cancelled today.  Being on my feet that long and steady is still to taxing.  But I will do the evening shift as scheduled.

Glade got all ready and returned to the temple a little later.  The Hostess Sister told me mid-morning that she had seen Glade come into the temple; and then about 30 minutes later saw him leave the temple.  So that didn’t go so well!  I found out later that it was dizziness from the inner ear issue that sent him home.  He feels much better tonight and might try again tomorrow—and then maybe not.

I’m hoping for good news tomorrow morning when I see the doctor and have the last physical therapy session.  The boot is like a part of my leg now, but there will be no tears shed to give it “the boot”!  Wish me luck!

Good bye to February and Welcome to March and the hope of spring!!

Love to everyone—Good Night!  😊 

i

We're going to miss our little friends.  Wish I could get a photo of the bushy brown.  It's gorgeous but scampers up the tree with lightning speed!

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Our kind neighbor next door didn’t realize Glade had been sick.  Once he found out, he made a special trip to a popular restaurant not too far from here and brought back some delicious chicken noodle soup for our lunch yesterday—hot and ready to eat.  More kindness at every turn.  What lessons we are learning.  It will be nice to soon be on the giving end!!

Things improve every day and Glade is feeling better—mostly.  He still has a cough that will keep him out of the temple tomorrow, but he is so much better!  This flu he had was nasty and hit him hard.  I’m still following him around spraying Lysol in his wake and Clorox-ing all the surfaces—doorknobs, handles, cupboards, etc. 

We managed to pack our big suitcases today and Glade made it to the store to buy another suitcase so we can fit all of our things in.  We shouldn’t have to check it as an extra bag, however, because we each get two free bags and can put one of our small carry-ons in the overhead bin.  So that’s one more hurdle jumped and one step closer to being ready.  I’m going to the temple tomorrow and will be there for the next four days!  Glade probably won’t try to go until Thursday, depending on his cough, etc. 

The sun is shining, the grass is greening fast, and the grounds keepers are busy spraying, trimming, and digging up plants that will need to be transplanted during the renovation.  It definitely feels like spring.  I wake up every morning to a sweet birdsong right outside the window just before dawn.  And then the train rumbles by and I have come to love its familiar sound and feeling of comfortable familiarity.

Squirrels are on the prowl and this black one and his bushy-tailed brown friend chase food trails right outside our window.  I'm going to miss these sassy little creatures!

Love, good health, success, and happiness are always in our prayers for each of you!  Love you  😊  (Wish I knew how to do a heart or something else here!)      

Monday, February 26, 2018

Physical therapy went great again and I’m ready for the changes coming at Thursday’s appointment—mostly to get rid of this big heavy boot.  The nights will be so much nicer not having to sleep with such bulk, and getting around in general will be so pleasant. 

Glade is slowly recovering and after my appointment we stopped to pick up a couple of storage bins for the back of the car and more Lysol, etc.  When we ship the car, we are allowed 100 pounds of cargo and we needed something to put that 100 pounds into.  We did some packing and planning and way too much moving around for me, and my ankle is hurting tonight—not where the break is but where the boot rubbed and bruised it.  It’s getting harder to remember not to walk on it so much. 

We missed the last big party tonight with all the missionaries in our ward and we were so sad about that.  But one nice couple next door brought us plates from the meal afterward and another couple stopped by with our little gifts.  They are such dear friends. 

We learned today that one of the sister missionaries broke her arm today playing pickleball!  It was a bad break and she has to have surgery in the morning.  It is so sad and must be so painful.  Her service just ended a week early.  I can’t believe how many broken bones have occurred here and how many have happened outside of this service.  Everyone who sees me on crutches has a story to tell about their own broken bones.  It’s almost epidemic! 

Time for sleep.  I woke just before 3:00 a.m. last night and didn’t sleep a wink after that, so I’m ready for some good solid shut-eye tonight.

Love you all!  A week from tonight—if all goes well—we will be sleeping in Utah!  See you soon.  😊    

Sunday, February 25, 2018

Neither of us went to church today.  Glade is doing a little better but is far from well.  It has been rainy and I didn’t want to deal with imposing on others to help on slippery sidewalks and just didn’t feel well enough to deal with it all.  We have had the windows open all afternoon and ran a fan for a while to air out all the “bugs” and hope they are gone—at least for a few hours. 😊  We both need to feel better tomorrow since we need to start some serious packing.  We are down to one week left unless we have to extend to get well!!!  

Wishing you all a happy day and sending you our love.  😊

Saturday, February 24, 2018

Wow, I thought there was a birthday wish for Dustin but it apparently got lost while the rest of the blog was being typed.  I haven’t done it for everyone in the past but recently started recognizing the birthdays and now it is obvious if one gets missed.  So Happy Birthday to Dustin yesterday.  My apologies to anyone whose birthday was missed in the recent past.

Glade is still very miserable and very contagious although there is a little improvement tonight.  I’m still sanitizing everything, but some times it’s hard to keep up with the meandering depositor of germs.  😊 

Alexis’s former roommate Abigail and her husband from North Carolina came to the temple today and called to see if they could stop by.  Of course, I couldn’t have them come with Glade being sick.  She offered to stop by the store for anything we might need, so I gave her a list of paper towels, Clorox Wipes, orange juice, chicken noodle soup, and a loaf of bread.  She threw in a couple of treats and they brought it by.  Before they arrived, Glade put a wedge into the upper door so they could get in, and I met them just outside our lower door.  The bags were left on the doorstep and I escorted them to the laundry room where there is a large chair made for two people and that’s where we visited.  Her husband had to stand while we talked, but he said he didn’t mind.  We had a great time, but I felt bad for not being able to be more hospitable.  Their trip to the temple took about six hours. 

I didn’t go to the temple for my shift tonight, but plan to go as much as possible next week.  I started sorting and organizing more things for the packing process which will have to start on Monday and move very fast!  Most of the day was spent secluded in the bedroom with the windows open so I’m a little stir-crazy tonight! 

Love to you all 😊

Friday, February 23, 2018

Glade was second in line at the “Patient First” facility at 7:45 this morning and, not surprisingly, was diagnosed with the flu.  He bundled with a blanket in the chair with fever and chills and has Tamiflu and an antibiotic to give him a boost.  The antibiotic is for his bad sinuses and ears that are a chronic problem for him.  The terrible cough he always gets is better this afternoon.  But he is apparently contagious for five to seven days. :( 

We are running out of paper towels and Clorox wipes, and we have changed up our responsibilities.  I’m back on kitchen duty and don’t want him to touch anything.  I did get a flu shot, but apparently that’s not going to be much help in warding this off.  Oh, well—“Come what may and love it” or at least be patient and know that it can’t last forever. 

Rain is in the forecast off and on for the next ten days and snowstorms have dotted the country.  At this point we are so happy to have plane tickets for going home.

Glade drove me to the temple for the shift tonight and I was able to find a ride home so he didn’t have to go out again.  It felt so great to get out of the apartment, to be in the temple, and to talk to people.  I was given fairly easy assignments and wasn’t nearly as tired at the end of the shift as I was last Friday.  Things, outside of having constant exposure to the flu, are looking up.

Have a wonderful week-end!  Look for a blessing in every single day and you will find at least one!  Lots of love and plenty of hugs to you all.  Good Night!  😊   

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Early morning physical therapy went great and I managed a whole mile on the bicycle.  Glade isn’t faring so well, however, and is pretty sick.  He was too tired to fight traffic this afternoon to go see a doctor, but plans to visit the Patient First facility first thing in the morning.  If it’s the flu, which it probably is, there may not be much to do but wait it out.  This apartment is so small that I can’t isolate myself from exposure and poor Glade has been coughing hard all day.  Do you think I’m doomed?    

I can’t think of anything even remotely interesting to post, so I’ll just say good night and ask for prayers for good health.  Thanks a million.

Love to Everyone!    😊

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

What a day.  I survived the whole shift this morning and served as veil director among other things and managed the crutches pretty well.  It felt wonderful to be back in the temple and helping out.  Tomorrow, however, may not see us in the temple since Glade came home feeling ill—achy, sinus headache, cough, etc., etc.  We have tried so hard to stay healthy, but our exposure to “bugs” is constant in the temple.  We hope it is short-lived and that he isn’t down for a week or two.  And I’m using Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer and making him cough in a shirt!  I’ll probably get it anyway.  Oh, well.

A district temple worker came by tonight and cut and colored my hair.  It was so nice to get it done, but it took her over two hours.  My foot screamed to be up off the floor by nightfall and Glade and I are both done in!  But life is good and we have been so greatly blessed. 

Good Night, Everyone.  Love you!  😊 

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Great expectations are laid upon the senior missionaries serving here.  The last two days have been very taxing and it is only Tuesday.  There is little time to rest or take care of other things on weeks that have a holiday like President’s Day when the temple is open.  Glade is tired but has done great work and will persevere. 

My computer quit working last night and when it wouldn’t boot up this morning (do computers still “boot up”), I made an appointment for a check-up at Best Buy for this afternoon.  Glade dropped me off for my physical therapy appointment and then talked to the expert geek about the computer issue.  Apparently, it was not recovering from the “sleep mode” so he disabled it.  It was fixed on the spot and is working great now.  I’m so glad I didn’t have to leave it at Best Buy again!

Physical therapy went fine and I’m supposed to put more weight on my foot now.  It will get a good test since I’m going to the temple tomorrow to do another shift.  Keep your fingers crossed for me that I don’t trip anyone (including myself) with the crutches and that I can make it through!

It was 78 degrees here today!  Wow, what a turn around from a couple of days ago.  That temperature broke the record that was set in about 1930.  It might hit 80 in the next day or two!  Wow.  And then, of course, it will cool down.

Take care, Everyone!  Love you all so much.  

Choose to be happy and keep striving!  😊

Monday, February 19, 2018

Glade left for the temple this morning at 5:45 and didn’t get home until 2:30 p.m. The temple was overflowing with patrons and they did 800 endowments by just after noon. These holiday openings always bring crowds of people and this one was especially busy because of the closing that will happen in less than two weeks. I’m not going tomorrow but have assignments for Wednesday. Hope the physical therapy session tomorrow works wonders for me!

We contacted David and Andrea Cook about getting together for lunch and they invited us to their house today. They live less than ten minutes from us and we are so happy to have run into them while we were here. They cooked us a nice meal with Italian flare that David learned on his mission in Italy, and it tasted great. They have a darling little girl named Ada who is fourteen months old. She has dark hair and blue eyes and looks like Andrea. David is still involved in research and is involved in trials that give malaria, through mosquito bites, to participants and then give them the drugs designed to cure the disease. Andrea teaches organic chemistry at Trinity Washington University—one class and one lab per week. There are ten women in her class and it is an all-women campus. They have a nice little house here in Kensington and rent out the basement to another couple and their baby.

Here is a photo of this cute little family.

Good Night. Sending lots of love and warm hugs your way. 😊

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMILY ELLEN!

Sunday, February 18, 2018

By noon today the sun was shining and the roads were wet but bare of snow.  I decided to venture to church and was rewarded with great talks, lessons, and the sociality of our great friends.  It wasn’t as hard, of course, as being in the temple; so, recuperation should be quick.  The hardest part of being in the temple is the back ache that comes from the uneven height of the boot and the shoe.  Not sure how to fix that.

Two weeks from today our Rock Creek Ward will be dissolved and we will be all finished here!  Wow!  What a fast adventure this has been.  We are so glad we decided to do this.  We would have missed out on so many blessings, learning opportunities, and wonderful associations with incredible people.  I remember a quote that says something to the effect that we should never pass up an opportunity to be edified.  And we have been edified and blessed.

Here is yesterday’s picture of the snow that I forgot to add to the post. 

Love you all and hope you are ready for a great week ahead!   😊

Happy Birthday, Isaac!       

Saturday, February 17, 2018

It took me all morning to recuperate from yesterday’s time in the temple and needless to say, I did not go today.  It was an incredibly busy day in the temple and I probably would have just been in the way, but I missed being a part of the hustle and bustle of this great work.  The number of endowments today was nearly 1,500 with 36 receiving their own. 

It snowed for a couple of hours this afternoon—big beautiful flakes that added up to about a couple of inches.  It was snowing again later when Glade came back from the temple and added another inch that was sticking to the roads.  I played the keyboard for a while, which faces outside our big windows, and watched it blanket the trees and the lawn and it was gorgeous.  It is a good thing I went to the temple yesterday when it was warm and dry.

One of my good friends came over tonight and we had a great visit and played a card game.  She was so sweet to come over and help fill my time.  She is a single sister and will be returning to Utah in a couple of weeks on the same flight as ours.

Have a great Sunday.  Hope you fill your spiritual tanks and gear up for another week!  Love to you all!  😊

Friday, February 16, 2018

My goal was to go back to the temple today.  Friday is our shortest shift and a good place to start except that the end of the day is the hardest time for me.  But I met my goal.  I sped up my system of getting ready and we arrived in plenty of time.  My assignments were light and I spent an hour and a half or so in the laundry and made it to the end of the shift.  It just about did me in, however.  Tonight my leg aches, and my body is tired from compensating uneven shoe heights.  No complaints, though.  I was so happy to be back and see such a busy night happening.  I think the total endowments for the day numbered 777 and the baptistry was packed.  Wonderful!

Good night, Everyone.  Love to you all and have a great week-end. 😊

Thursday, February 15, 2018

We had an appointment with Pres. and Sister Colton this morning which was our “leaving” interview.  It felt good to be in the temple, and had it been a short day rather than our longest assignment, I would have stayed to check out just what I might be able to help with.  Glade brought me home and then returned for the shift. 

My dear friend Michelle, from Gilbert, AZ, came by again this afternoon for a visit.  She and her husband arrived here shortly after we did.  We have so much in common and formed an instant bond.  She said if we lived in the same neighborhood, we would be best friends.  I love it that we have such a strong connection, like we have always known each other.  It will be a sad parting and we have promised to keep in touch.  She is tall and thin and funny, rather opposite of me!  But the differences don’t seem to matter. 

The foot and ankle are a little sore and swollen tonight, due to lots of use today and bearing more weight.  I guess that’s good. It had better start feeling great since it will soon be time to start sorting and preparing to leave.  It still seems like we just arrived! 

Well, we have made our travel plans and they are far different than anticipated. After struggling for a few days trying to figure out the best way to get home with this less-than-able leg of mine, Glade decided that both of us will fly and have the car shipped.  That was a pretty tough call for him to leave his car in someone else’s hands, but he did it!  I’m a happy camper tonight knowing that neither of us will have to make that long, long drive nor worry so much about the threat of bad weather.  And—we’re flying first-class!  😊

Keep working on your goals!  Like Elder Holland has said: “Don’t you quit.  You keep walking, you keep trying . . .”  Love you all!  Good Night!  😊 

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

My sweet husband is so awesome!  This morning at 5:00 a.m. he slipped out to the store to get a Valentine surprise.  When I got up at 6:30, I was greeted by these beautiful red roses and giant lilies that will keep blooming until we leave.  This cute little bear also holds live roses, and he said he just couldn’t pass it up.  Fresh raspberries, a frozen Marie Calendar lemon pie, and a beautiful card made the gift complete.  He’s my sweetheart!  And I love him.

The Dr. appointment and therapy went great and the x-rays indicate the bone is healing very well.  I am walking with weight on the foot now and it is feeling pretty good.  I’ll still have to walk with two crutches until we leave, but at least I’ll be walking.  We took the cane we bought Monday and had the therapist adjust it to the right height.  I may not be using it much until we get home, but at least it will be ready to go!  I get the feeling this Dr. Siekanowicz takes things slowly and surely and may be on the conservative side, but for me that is the best.  There is no way I want to go through injuring it or re-breaking it and having to start again.  I’m still sleeping with this brick of a boot and can’t wait to “lose it”—two more weeks! 

While we were visiting with the Dr., he noticed my missionary tag and asked about it. I told him we were missionaries working in the Mormon temple.  Of course, everyone around here is familiar with this landmark building.  He said he remembers when he was a young boy, the Mormon missionaries came to his home, and his mom invited them in.  They were at his house a lot and even went to church with the missionaries.  He and his family are Catholic and the good Elders reciprocated and went to a Catholic service with his family.  He said that they were so nice and such kind people and that it was a very positive experience for him and his family.  He never forgot them.  They are still Catholic, but positive seeds have been planted and he was gracious and complimentary to us.  Chance encounter?  Maybe, maybe not.

Our shift coordinator gave each of the assistants a beautiful handmade gift today after the shift and one of the sisters brought mine over this evening.  Sister Brown and her husband worked together to make these beautiful keepsake boxes using natural, unstained wood.  It was a wonderfully thoughtful gift and memento of our experiences here.  It has this picture of the temple set into the top.

 

The sister who brought this gift tonight also brought two chocolate dipped strawberries on skewers to share with us, so we had a sweet bite added to our day.

Glade took advantage of the rainless afternoons and walked  yesterday and today.  Yesterday he encountered a deer on the sidewalk and tonight he saw two more of these beautiful creatures up by the temple.  No camera, tho'.

Happy Valentines Day!  Hope you all hugged the ones you love and told them how much they mean to you.   Love to all of you.  😊

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

My leg is sore and I hope it is just from the physical therapy.  Tomorrow there is another Dr. appointment, more physical therapy, and maybe the good news I was hoping for last week that I can be weight-bearing with the crutches.  It had better happen soon since time is quickly running out!

Sister Martinez and Joselyn texted today and said they wanted to bring us dinner again tonight.  That is the third time!  They are just so sweet and we had a nice visit.  My list of thank you notes for the second round is growing every day! 

A sweet sister stopped by tonight to visit and brought fancy cupcakes from the neighborhood bakery.  Her husband fell a couple of weeks ago when he slipped on a slick rug in the bathroom and has a concussion and cracked bones in his neck.  He is recovering and was at church Sunday with a neck brace.  The missionaries here are known for their health issues and accidents, and their kindness and generosity!

Good Night!  Love and miss you all!  😊   

Monday, February 12, 2018

Glade took me to physical therapy today and patiently read in the waiting room while I was put through an hour of exercises and electrical (or is it electronic?) stimulation.  I even rode a stationery bike for a half mile and he said I should post it to the Fat Blog!  The next stop was at a CVS Pharmacy where we purchased a cane.  It’s not my favorite, but there weren’t many options.  I had to do without the wheelchair which was probably good for me; but my arms, hands, and one good leg are showing wear and tear tonight.  The senior missionary from Jeff’s ward in Salem makes hand-carved canes and offered me one as we were getting home this afternoon.  It was so nice of him! 

Take care of your bodies; be healthy; and be fit so that when physical challenges come, you have a base of good health to sustain you and help you heal and recover.  We never know when it might be our turn for a physical challenge.

Love to everyone.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JUSTIN.  😊   

Sunday, February 11, 2018

A sweet friend (a single sister missionary) who has had her own set of physical problems recently, came over this morning and brought us breakfast.  It was all from Costco and she actually shared with a few others as well.  She also brought me a new book to read and stayed for a short visit.  She lost her husband to cancer about a year ago, and her she is on her own, serving another mission.  She has spikey grey hair and such a cute personality.  She is the sister who gets up at 4:00 a.m. to do her exercise walk outside near the apartments!

Our home teachers came about 11:00 a.m.  One brother, who was born in China, uses some of his extra time since retirement to do baking and came bearing large fresh cinnamon rolls.  It will be their last visit and who knows when we might ever have home teachers again!  It was a great visit and we have loved having them come.

Heavy rain poured down all night long but let up by the time we needed to go to church.  We could hear the rain water rushing down the canal that runs west of our apartments.  Because it was wet, I used the wheelchair again since crutches aren’t always reliable on wet ground.  The boot bothers and irritates my leg and by the time our hour-and-a-half Sacrament Meeting was finished, I was finished, too; and Glade brought me home.

Glade left to do his home teaching at 7:00 and my visiting teachers came by while he was gone.  One sister is very chatty and they were still here when Glade got back, so he joined us for another twenty minutes.  😊  It was the lady who lent me the wheelchair.  Since her prosthesis was recently damaged and she is using a temporary one, she borrowed the wheelchair back for an excursion tomorrow.  This will be a test to see how I do with only crutches.  They brought a Valentine treat. 

Good Night All.  Hope your Sunday was wonderful and that you have a great week!  Love and Hugs!  😊