Rain

We are having a lot of spring rain.  It has interfered with my progress on my gated fence.  I had planned to put together my gate today but there have been thunderstorms and it is cooler than I care to work in.  On the other hand I don't have to worry about my newly planted vegetables drying up.  The year will progress and the rains will end and we will be back in the normal semi-drought of the Wasatch Front.  So for now I am grateful for rain.

Finding

Now and then I purchase something and misplace it.  I purchased several Christmas gifts that I never located but when I find them I will just use them.  With so many grandchildren there are always opportunities to gift small cars and other items.  On the other hand, now and then I purchase an item that is critical to a project I have in hand.  The other day I ran across a white painted lock and hinge set that should be just right for the gated fence I'm building.  I purchased the only one and brought it home, then misplaced it.  For several days I've looked for it, hoping it had not joined the Christmas toys in whatever limbo they linger.  This morning I found it in the backyard and felt a surge of happiness.  I am grateful for finding things that were lost.

Friends

I am in a dearth of friends outside my family at this time, but I have good memories of good friends and fun times spent with them.  I am very fortunate in my daughters, all of whom I feel are friends even when we don't share the same opinions on various matters.  I was happy to hear that one of my daughters has a good friend, a rare person who builds her up and supports her.  'Make friends with people who want the best for you.' is one of my favorite 'Rules for Life'.  It is easy to be taken down by people who resent you.  I am grateful for those friends who have made me better.

Calvin

Today I had ambitious plans but I doubted I could finish them.  Calvin arrived and followed my directions.  We were able to install the first section of the fence I am putting up on the front side of my chicken run.  The vinyl material for the fence is all on hand. 

Options

I am surrounded by options and choices.  I am grateful that because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ I am saved from following after specious and unproductive and even dangerous choices.  Being able to choose is a gift of God, the core of our mortal existence and we live in a time when so many have chosen the wrong path that it can lead to disgust and sorrow.  But I must be sorry for those who seem intent on using the precious gift of choice to choose death and hell.

Recovery

I have started exercising in the morning again.  I try to avoid favoring my left leg after more than a month of catering to the injury I suffered.  I seldom notice the effects of that injury any longer.  I am grateful for recovery

Progress

I have been pondering a project for a week or more but today I made real progress on several fronts.  The older Hancock boys restaked the corn maze into an E that takes up less room in the yard, leaving room for play.  Today Lelia and Ralph planted corn and Jared and Timothy planted pumpkins and weeded the onions.  Adam and Calvin brought down the folding tables and the miter saw and brought over the vinyl posts.  I finally put up the first post in my planned fence, cutting the vinyl posts and inserting 2" x 4" inner wooden supports.  In other words, progress.

Post that needs filling

I discovered that somehow I had accidentally published an empty post.  I decided that I should not leave it empty. 

Day's End

It has been a good day.  I took Calvin to seminary then went to Provo City Center Temple for a session.  Instead of staying on for sealings or initiatory I spent a half hour at Lucinda's house while they had their morning gospel study.  I then went to Naomi Udall's funeral.  Afterword I decided to do some shopping and purchased another leg of lamb.  The lamb is twice as expensive as a beef roast but it is an unusual treat with tzatziki.  I purchased a leg of lamb for the Easter feast I held with quite a few of my family members on Sunday but it was mostly consumed and lamb is not always available.  It is possible I purchased most of Day's Market supply of lamb roast.  I roasted the lamb and plan to slice and freeze it.  Now the day is over and the night has darkened.  It is time for me to stop using my computer screens.  I appreciate coming to day's end with some account of things I've done.

Daughters

I may have mentioned my daughters before.  I have a lot of lovely daughters.  They are all mothers, ranging from Nancy's one to Lucinda's ten and counting.  They are all interesting and interested.  They are some of my favorite people.

Cousins

When I was young we often visited my cousins.  My cousins on my father's side of the family were all nearly a decade older than me.  He married when he was thirty and he was among the youngest of his family and his younger brother had no children.  My mother, on the other hand, was in the middle of her immediate family and we were contemporary with most of the children of her brother and sisters.  There was also another layer of cousins from her mother's 'sister wives'.  I can remember many interesting and enjoyable times spent with my cousins on my mothers side but it took adulthood before I really got to know the cousins on my father's side.  I am grateful that this day was a day for cousins as several of my family members gathered for an Easter meal.

Kitchen Utensils

Over the years I have acquired a number of kitchen utensils.  Some of them have proved to be not as useful as I had hoped, but others have been standbys.  I have found some substitutes in terms of food that has been prepared for optimum convenience such as pregrated, frozen garlic in portions equal to what is contained in large clove of garlic.  We are having a nice family meal in honor of Easter tomorrow and I am happy that it will be made easier by virtue of my utensils.

Storage

I have a lot of things.  According to some experts I should sort, donate and discard.  My personal decision is to store.  I have been finding ways to store even more.

Good Design

I decided I needed to keep my shoes handy to my front door so I don't track dirt through my house.  I looked in several places for a slim cabinet like those my daughters used in their apartment in New York and I found what I wanted at Ikea.  I couldn't find a similar article, let alone for the great price, on either Amazon or Walmart websites.  I guess this is why Ikea continues in existence.  Visiting the store is not fun for a person who still has limited mobility, but it was productive.

Strength

My grandsons are all wonderful and each has his particular talents but today I am grateful for the strength of two of them.  They moved a structure from one side of my yard to another so I can use it for my chickens as summer comes on.

Assorted tools

I have quite a few relatively ordinary tools but I have a large number of specialty tools. One I use quite a bit is a Dremel that takes various bits ranging from disk saws to polishing wheels.  They widen the range of crafts and repairs I can accomplish.

Spring

Spring is damp and cool this year but I had the happy surprise of discovering that the onions and root vegetables I planted last year are making an appearance.  I am grateful for the renewal spring represents.

Spontaneity and bargains

Tonight I hosted a number of my offspring and their offspring and various spouses to a roast beef dinner.  I got the idea to do so yesterday and after I got some positive responses I went shopping for potatoes and a large onion to add to the roasting pot along with the carrots and roast I had on hand.  I found three loaves of french bread on reduced price that added up to about $1.10, a super sized apple pie discounted to well under $4, and a coconut cream pie for $1.37.  I also impulsively purchased a plastic set of drawers that met my need for clothing organization.  A single drawer I had tried to purchase from Amazon was canceled from the seller's end and this set, which is three times the size, cost less by several dollars.  As I assembled the various ingredients for my roast beef dinner this morning I noticed I was lacking two roasts.  I located them in the trunk of my car.  It has been cool lately with a late spring, but I wondered if they were still usable.  They seemed okay, but if I had not so spontaneously scheduled a roast dinner I would not have noticed the error until they were beyond recall.  We had all of David's family eventually, all of Tisha's family but one, Nancy's family, Jared and his three oldest children, and Meg, Bryan and Beth.  The teen cousins pretty much took up all the space at a plastic banquet table seating 8.  So in all, including baby Layla, we had twenty three people.  That's a pretty good sum for a spontaneous meal. 

Funerals

Today I attended the funeral of my son-in-law's sister, Elizabeth.  Many people attended.  She was in her fifties.  Friends and family celebrated her life.  I am happy and humbled when I attend the funerals of good people.

Red

I am not a particular fan of bright red yet I have clothes and jewelry in various colors of red. I'm not really grateful for red itself, but I appreciate it.

Navy Blue

As I sort my clothing I find many colors.  I have often purchased clothing to match my jewelry but I have only one set of navy blue jewelry, a necklace, bracelet and earrings in cloisonne.  Yet I have dresses, blouses, shoes and shirts of navy.  My most extensive use of navy is in my studio/bedroom where floor length curtain and my bedspread as well as several walls and furnishings are navy.  It makes my room restful and is an excellent backdrop for several paintings and other objects.

Old Stuff

This is my second day of sorting out my summer clothing.  There are some items I should dispose of, but others that will do very well.  Either way I'm grateful I have what I need in my old stuff.

Repentance

I saw a movie today that I thought would be mostly about anger and disgust, which is why I initially didn't want to see it.  It turned out to be about repentance and love  It touched my heart, particularly in the context of the past several days of General Conference.  I am grateful for repentance.

Healing

I have been able to rest for the past few days and I believe my injury is healing.  I am grateful I can still heal.  I stopped exercising in order to put less strain on my hip.  I look forward in some ways to getting back to a state where I can get out of bed and hit the floor to do my stretching once again.  I look forward to walking in the twilight and going to the temple.  I am grateful for healing.

Prophets and others

Today was the first session of Conference.  The sturm and drang of a policy change was announced several days ago and fortunately that permitted the process of hand wringing and misguided rejoicing to get worked over and chewed on until it seems like very stale news.  The talks today were encouraging and loving.  I am grateful for those who have been chosen to talk to us.  I am grateful for the revelation and inspiration of our leaders.  I am grateful for prophets and others who remind us of the value of staying the course.

Granddaughters

Today Jacqueline,Diana and Lelia came over and helped make cupcakes for the Awards Reception at the Covey Center.  Later Jacqueline and Diana helped me deliver the cupcakes and stayed with me until we went home.  I was grateful for their help.

Technology

Sometimes technology gets in the way of doing things, but as I worked out my taxes today I was happy to have the various calculators and records I could access online.  I knew there would be a bite.  After all, I have been fortunate to make an income from the stretch of desert in Duschesne.  The new way of calculating taxes was a bit befuddling, but I was able to print out and prepare my 1040 for mailing and I was able to work out my Utah taxes online and make an echeck payment.  So now I can just relax and wait to see if the IRS takes objection to my payment.  Either way, I am grateful for the technology that slayed this particular dragon.

Oscar

Oscar was a good man.  I attended his funeral today.  A veteran of World War II, an industrial psychologist, father, husband, grandpa, neighbor, and saint.  In some ways he was very different.  He purchased a school bus and gave neighbor children rides to school.  He traveled the world as a sailor, a young missionary to New Zealand and an elder missionary to Fiji with his wife Bernice.  After their children were grown he purchased a series of campers in which he traveled America with Bernice.  I'm grateful I knew Oscar and I'm grateful I knew more about him because of his funeral.

Daughters

I am blessed with both sons and daughters in wonderful variety.  One thing all of us share is a witness of our Savior and his atonement.  Otherwise there are differences of opinion and world view.  Still, when tested, the strength comes through.