Tuesday (Oct. 8): Bird Alarms and Bird Thieves

Tuesday morning Kayli and I woke up to my alarm first.  Sigh.  I forgot to turn it off.  Then there was  CAW!!! CAW!!!! (Loud crows) Bang! Bang Bang! (Builders a couple houses down) CAW! CAW!  Bang! Bang! Bang!  Woof! Woof!(Dogs) Waaaa! (Neighbor child) CAW!!  We pretended for a while that it wasn't happening and that we could still sleep, and then we chuckled at the hopelessness of sleeping more and got up to eat and get ready to go to the beach.

We intelligently decided to walk down to the beach the first day.  It was only a mile.  Down.  Down. Down.  Naturally that meant that later we got to walk up, up, up.  We never walked to the beach again.

Kayli at the windy beach just soaking in the beauty and the sun.

This is the hat I got so I could read on the beach without squinting.  Did I mention the beach was windy?  I had to hold the hat on or it would blow away.  I needed an attractive giant bow to tie under my chin.

Kayli, the apples, and the bird thieves.

Kayli and I left our stuff in our bags on our towels and went down closer to the beach to make lovely pictures in the sand.  I glanced up a couple of times and mentioned that I thought the birds were close to our stuff.  Finally I stood up and could see that the birds were getting into our stuff.  They took Kayli's bag of dried apples out of her purse and were dragging it around trying to get them out.  Kayli shooed them away.  I laughed because we had birds in a circle all around us looking hopeful.  I asked if some apples were still edible and she handed the bag to me.  I looked and said, "I can't tell because of the cinnamon".  Kayli just said, "There's no cinnamon".  

After walking home in the afternoon we got in the car and drove to a used book store.  With no Netflix we just had evening reading.  When our host asked if the internet had started working we checked -- and it hadn't.  I told her we were okay because we had gotten books from a used bookstore.  She said, "I love that you went to a bookstore and got books.  Nobody does that!"

At bedtime Kayli realized that we did have a bathroom fan over by the shower and so that became our white noise every night.  It took me a while to be able to ignore the bang, bang, bang, clank pattern of the fan, but I did get used to it and it did make it so we could sleep through crows and banging and dogs and kids.  Yay for a comfortable bed and good sleep!

The Beginning Of An Adventure

On Monday morning cousin Tyler kindly came and picked up Kayli and me and drove us to the Provo airport.  This is us walking backwards so I could get a picture of us and the plane we were getting ready to board.  We got on the plane and sat across the aisle from one another while we flew to LAX.  Then, for the first time in my life, I rented a car!  Usually Derek does that and bravely drives around on unfamiliar roads.  This time, it was my turn to be brave.  We had a little red car we called the "cranberry" and driving didn't end up being a problem.  Hallelujah!!

We went to Rodondo Beach Pier and walked around while our little studio apartment (a converted garage) was being readied for us.  We also went to a two story Target where we bought me a beach hat and us some food.  It was fun to get to send our cart down a cool cart elevator!  Then we headed to our apartment where some complementary wine was waiting for us because the room wasn't ready on time.  Ha!  It's still there waiting for someone else.  We explained that we didn't drink, and the nice lady explained that she didn't either.  The wine had been a gift to her.

Our "apartment" was an old converted garage behind someone's house.  We went under a spider web with a creepy spider in it and through a creaky gate beside a house and then down a little path to the door.  The spider is likely still there.  The inside was pretty cute.  You'd think I would have taken a picture!  The bathroom was interesting.  I have never seen such a little toilet in my life.  I've seen slightly shorter ones in the nursery at church, but never such a little one!  There was a matching tiny little sink.  The shower was not in the room with the toilet and sink.  It was a shower with a glass door hiding behind a wall so that it was semi private.  There was plenty of hot water, but the shower leaked at the very top, and would make the paint beside the shower bubble up.  I'm thinking they'd better fix that ASAP!

We were going to finish out our day with Netflix, but the internet didn't work.  We used some good old fashioned bunny ear antennas to put on Barney Fife in the background as we read books.  We then went to bed without the nice white noise of a fan because the black fan was broken.

The bed was comfy, as was the couch, but both were under cabinets so you had to remember not to stand up by your pillow without ducking a little.  Poor Kayli.  She always remembered, but she watched me almost bonk my head several times, and actually bonk it three times.  Luckily they were soft bonks.

We made it safely there, saw a beach, and got some sleep to prepare for the next day.
Success!

Fall Colors

Connor, Derek and I went up to Elk Ridge to enjoy the fall colors.  They were prettier in person.  This is the view off the back of our property.  We've owned it since Kayli was in 3rd grade.  She hasn't been in 3rd grade for a very long time!

Connor!

Derek!

Nobody!
The picture of Derek and me is on Connor's phone :-)

Sorrow Prepares Us For Joy

This picture is just what I have.  Sometimes joy comes from silly things!

Elder Budge gave this quote in General Conference, but it is from someone named Rumi.

“Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.”

I particularly like the last line.  "Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place."  When we are sorrowing, that might seem impossible, but with faith, as we move forward, that will be the result.

Where and When Do Our Thoughts Take Us?

Look forward to the light.

Have you ever gotten stuck looking back at a specific time and place and what was done and said to you, or what you did or said to someone else?  Have you felt the same misery over and over as you visit past memories?  I have done that way too many times, but the past is over and we can't get it back, and wishing for it to come back so we can fix it really isn't going to work. 

I am most successful at getting out of those mind traps when I get up and actively do something good.  I try to actively move forward -- doing something that requires my mind to pay attention to now.  I do like to look back and remember happy things, and be thankful for them again and again.  I do not think there is harm in that.  But going back to things that we can no longer change or make better drags our eyes into the dark, when we really need light to see clearly.

Squirrel!!!

Sometimes we laugh at how a dog can be distracted from following instructions by a squirrel.  It might move across its path, or just up a tree that can be seen out of the corner of the eye.  It's kind of like me when I start one chore, and then, while going to get a tool to perform that chore I get distracted doing a different job that I saw along the way, which can happen several times with none of the jobs getting done!

I think in life it is very easy to get distracted in that way.  I have sometimes gotten on Facebook or email to write someone a specific message only to find later that I had spent half hour looking at things, turned off the computer, and forgot the message entirely!  Is it any wonder that we are constantly being warned by church leaders to watch out for distractions!  They take our time and keep us from doing the important things.  Now, I just need to somehow keep myself from being distracted by every little "squirrel" that crosses my path, so that I can get more good things done!

**Photo by Shane Young on Unsplash

How Do You Connect With Heaven?

In General Conference we were told to deliberately take time to connect with heaven.  The thing is, we may deliberately take the time to TRY to connect with heaven and not succeed.  What then?  I have been thinking lately that when that happens, we often keep trying the same thing over and over without results.  So, we need to deliberately take the time to try to connect with heaven, and if it doesn't work, we might need to try something else.

For example, sometimes I connect with heaven well when I study the scriptures, but it often depends upon if I have the energy to actually study, or if I'm just going through the motions.  On low energy days, I probably would have a better chance of connecting with heaven by singing hymns.  Some people connect with heaven easiest by taking time in nature, and observing God's creations.  Praying out loud almost always helps me to connect with heaven better than praying in my head, because my mind has a tendency to wander a little too easily.

I think the most important thing is to deliberately take the time to try to connect with heaven, and don't give up if it doesn't seem to be working.  Maybe on days like that, we could see if there is a little change we could make that would help.

**Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash

Giving Our All

Elder Vinson in the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints spoke about being committed, and giving our all to keeping our promises and covenants.  I admit to not knowing sometimes what giving my all is exactly, but I do not believe that God leads us "into an intolerable scramble of panting feverishness." (Thomas Moore)

That being said, his talk does have me going over what I do to make sure I am being fully committed to the covenants I have made, and to being a disciple of my Savior Jesus Christ.  I know I am not perfect at it, so I also will remember that Christ is patient, and kind, and knows the intents of my heart and He knows that I love Him.

*Photo by Rachel Lynette French on Unsplash

Circling The Wagons

The pioneers used to circle the wagons as a means of defense.  To protect against attack.  I was thinking today about how as families and friends we sometimes "circle the wagons" in our own way.  When I had cancer I felt surrounded in love by friends and family who protected me from discouragement or doing too much.  I am thankful to have a family who loves each other well, and when someone is in distress, we "circle the wagons" and try to help each other feel loved and safe.

Birthday Dates

Derek has a knack for taking pictures of me while I'm making weird faces.  Sigh.  So here they are for your amusement, and as an illustration of what we did for my birthday dates (plural) I'm a lucky girl.

The pants I didn't buy.

Derek does not love clothes shopping, but I rather love new clothes and so on Friday he took me clothes shopping for my birthday after we ate at the Cracker Barrel.  I got regular blue jeans at this store.

At the Covey Center in Provo

On Monday Derek took me to a play called A Little Murder Never Hurt Anybody.  It was clever and funny though the idea of a husband making a new years resolution to kill his wife (which she knows) and the wife making a resolution to stay alive sounded a little dark.  Never fear!  Though we hear of multiple people dying, the stuff we see is funny and the ending, while perhaps a little on the ridiculous side, was happy and made me chuckle.

A million husband points for Derek!!! (Minus a few for the weird pictures -- though I suppose my face isn't his fault.  Just his timing!)

SNAKE!!!! and Chapstick

I get the funnest presents! 

Meet SNAKE puppet!

My friend Teresa got him for me.  She said he could eat Princess in Primary.  Hmmm.  What gospel lesson will we teach with that one? 

SNAKE opens his mouth.  With a little help.

Surprise!  It's me.  And SNAKE!  (He's big so he needs capital letters)

Teresa got me chapstick too.  She must have been around a few times when I forgot mine.  It's possible I whine a bit when that happens.  I do NOT like to be without chapstick!

I really do have great friends and family (and I don't need to get a present from you for you to be considered great -- in case you were wondering :-)

"What Do You Do?"

I sometimes have people ask me what I do, or what I have been doing.  My response?  My mind goes completely blank!  I feel like I am constantly doing things, but what are they?  And how important is what I do?

Once a cousin-in-law asked, "What do you do?" and I'm sure I looked blank for a minute or so and then I said, "Oh! I'm in orchestra!"  We all laughed at how happy I sounded to come up with something.  While at physical therapy yesterday someone asked what I've been doing.  Again with the blank mind.  I finally listed reunions, and trips, and we talked about those.

So what do I do?  And how important is it?  Well, I do like a lot of people and I get up in the morning.  I eat.  I read.  I clean.  I drive. I work. I talk.  I laugh.  I cry.  I organize.  I write.  I pay bills.  I shop.  I get gas in the car.  I water plants.  I cut grass.  I walk.  I see.  I listen.  And, I love.  I love things, and people, and ideas, and words, and activities, etc.

And how important is what I do?  Well, who gets to decide that?  What I do is important to me.  I have to deal with the consequences if I don't take care of myself.  I have to deal with the consequences if I am mean, or lazy, or kind, and helpful.  What I do is also important to those close to me because they care about me too.  So what am I busy doing?  Living and loving.

When Feeling Uninspired

I like to borrow inspiration from other people.  So here are some inspiring things I read today.

“I am fallen, flawed and imperfect. Yet drenched in the grace and mercy that is found in Jesus Christ, there is strength”
Adam Young

“Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.”  Psalms 34:14

I hope that you are feeling inspired today, but if not, I hope you find some good words from other people that inspire you.