Well, winter decided to make itself known in Kentucky this year. Some years can be fairly mild as winter goes. This January has really let us have it. The temperatures have been below freezing a lot and the snow and ice are still everywhere. Our poor front yard close to the house gets very little sunshine this time of year. Therefore, we will enjoy the snow that is there until probably summer. The 7+ inches of snow with layers of ice on top are dripping onto the front door area. That will have ice on it until probably summer. Poor Claude keeps chiseling it away. He even got up on a ladder one day and knocked some of that snow on to the ground. Yep, we are definitely experiencing a real winter this January.
Monday, January 13th, I only ventured out to go to PT. In a discussion with Tina (she usually stretches my arm after I do my exercises), we determined I would continue PT twice a week until Claude and I leave for our anniversary trip. When we return, I will go to once a week for office PT. I can see office PT coming close to an end for me. I hoped my arm would be stronger in the lifting things. I will keep working it. But I may need to begin to accept that the new way it is configured, I will only get this much motion.
I began the research for our Florida Keys Drive.
Tuesday, January 14th, our evening was spent with a drive to the Louisville Temple. I love going to the temple. I go with a prayer in my heart to help me learn and understand the purpose and plan of life. I go with a desire to feel the Spirit and to be uplifted. I go to provide the possibility for deceased ancestors who have not had the opportunity while living to have saving ordinances performed in the temple. I can be their proxy. So many good reasons to be in The House of the Lord. This night I saw Terry Fiet and Doreen Beaver. When I see friends who live in other areas of the state, it reminds of the wonderful reunion we will have with family and friends in the life after this one. It feels good to see current friends and know I will see others in the future.
Wednesday, January 15th, this day was a 'get things done' day as we would be home and inside all day long. I was able to gather more information for our Florida Keys drive, get a good first draft of the February Relief Society newsletter, and get the Trivial Pursuit questions updated in my cellphone for November and December. Yeah me! Claude made us stir-fry for dinner. Life can't get much better for two aging people.
Raelyn participated in her school talent show. She sang a solo. Her choice of music was "I Am a Child of God". Katelyn found the recording of the music and sent it to the music teacher to play as Raelyn sang. The music teacher found a different recording. Raelyn had practiced with the one Katelyn found, NOT the one the teacher found. While the music was different, Raelyn trudged on through and sang her heart out. She did great. We are so proud of her.
Thursday, January 16th, at office PT, Tina showed me a couple of new exercised I can do to strengthen my shoulder more. I will do these at home. They will not be part of my office PT exercises.
In the evening, we opted to go to Fat Katz for dinner. I was having an off day emotionally. Happens once and a while. This was only Thursday. Claude suggested we get out for our meal. What a great idea. I suggested we go to Fat Katz. They are often voted the best pizza in Georgetown. We each had an individual pizza and Claude ordered wings to go. In the evening, he enjoyed his wings while watching television. He pronounced these some the best wings ever. I am not a wing eater so I will trust his palette.
Friday, January 17th, I wanted to get a good draft of the lesson I would teach on January 26th. I spent my day inside reading, studying, and making a PowerPoint to use with my lesson.
Little did I know my hubby was outside, once again, to try and get some more of the ice out of the way. I really hate that he is having to do this on his own. I love working with him on this type of thing. He is a diligent soul.
Saturday, January 18th, Claude and I went of the possibilities for activities in the Florida Keys and decided when we would actually leave. Now I could begin my grid and make some hotel reservations, etc.
Our evening was spent going to Shelbyville. We stopped in Frankfort and had a very nice meal at Chili's.
Then on to Martha Layne Collins High School to watch Bailey perform with the KMEA (Kentucky Music Educators Association) District 5 High School All-Districr Band. This is a wonderful honor. One you must audition for. She would play in the Symphonic Band. The Concert Band played first. Then the Symphonic Band. They were excellent. We have come to expect this.
Sunday, January 19th, had a very exciting morning. We are now on the early schedule for church. This means we start Sacrament Meeting at 9am. We set our alarm for 8am and were out the door by 8:30am. Now, the church building is practically across the street from our home. We were all settled in for the meeting, Claude had posted the hymn numbers on the two boards at the front and was seated to lead the singing as both choristers could not make it. Someone came to me and said, "Will you be able to get in to your home?" What!! It seems there was a wreck in front of the church. I left me seat and went to a front door of the church. Sure enough, a car slid into the light pole at the corner and it was across Payne's Depot and in front of the entrance to Ward Hall. Oh My!! No one was hurt but there would need to be equipment to remove the pole and get the car out of the way. You see, the rain came down during the night, the temperature was in the single digits, the rain froze and we had an inch or two of snow on top of that little ice. So grateful we left so early to get to church.
At the end of Sacrament Meeting, Bishop Barber gave an announcement. It seems, because of this ice and then snow on top, all the other congregations in our stake had canceled their Sacrament Meeting. Bishop expressed his gratitude for our diligence and getting to church and told us we would not have our second hour and should all carefully make our way home. When we went outside, they had cleared the pole to the side of the road and we had no problem getting through the intersection and up the little hill to our home. Grateful we were able to get the sacrament this Sunday morning.
Monday, January 20th, This morning we awoke to really frigid temperatures. We had snow during the night a bit. Claude had an appointment with the dermatologist at 8:30am. I had office PT at 11:30am. Claude left and reported back that the roads were clear for him. I sent these to our family explaining the warmest place for us would be Muskegon, however, they were experiencing a snow shower. Grateful for a warm coat and a warm home and cars that warm up.
I had two life lessons in the things that happened around me.
Life Lesson #1 happened Sunday. The Garrett's sat in front of us in Sacrament meeting. They have a little girl, Lily, who is a little over 1 year old. She loved the hymnbook. She knew it was to sing from. She was standing on the floor facing the bench between her parents with the hymnal on the bench. She was singing in baby language. So very precious. As she started to get a little louder, her mother put her fingers to her lips and said, "Sh." and tried to explain Lily needed to whisper or be quieter. Lily looked sincerely at Whitney and said, "Mouth." Oh my goodness. What a revelation to me. Lily knew mouth. She understood that level in her learning. Now, Whitney was trying to teach her being quiet with her mouth. Suddenly, I thought how we are all like that in our learning. I was particularly thinking of gospel learning but it really applies to all learning. We learn line upon line, precept upon precept. Now Lily was ready to learn that next step in how to use her mouth. She could make it loud or quiet. I thought how we all need to be patient with each other as we are all at different place with our learning. Even when we have learned something and feel strong at it or in that principle, we still may have weak moments. Be patient with yourself and you remember that strength you had and that you can be that way again. "Out of the mouths of babe!"
Life Lesson #2 was at PT this morning. I looked over that room full of people, each doing the exercise that is particular to strengthening the particular area of weakness they have. Everyone of us needs the expertise of these people who have studied and know how we can improve that the steps to help us reach our goal. They start us with the smallest of baby steps and increase the difficulty, the weight, the direction until we are as good as we can possibly be. We NEED these people who have a better vision of our situation than we do. We need to trust them, listen to them, then obey the instruction they give us at the office and when we go home. Again, I saw this in the light of the Gospel. We need a Savior, we need our Heavenly Father. We need to listen, learn and obey to reach the potential they see in us and know we have. It is more that I can see even when I think I see a lot. I need them and am grateful I know to have faith and rely on them.
I love seeing Life Lessons in our everyday life.
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