.....ramblings.........

Wow!! A whole week! I knew I wasn't writing anything, but........... well, here I am. Let's see. I told you about our wonderful Primary program and Monday. I'll start with Tuesday. You know, I better just tell you the things I remember and not try to put them to a specific day. Can you tell we had a pretty uneventful week? We have five cars lined up in the parking lot for sale. We got the last two from the detailing place and then "inspected" them and Roger posted them "for sale". No takers yet.

We've had very few referrals this past week......two days I know we had only one. Very unusual!

The Newmans were out of the office on Thursday.......it was a very quiet day. I have done a lot of embroidery this week.......and today...........

Roger has not been feeling really well this week.......sinus infection, I think. He finally got some antibiotic for it and is on the upswing! RAH!!! RAH!!! We walked around Star Lake (a pond about four blocks from the office--one of those places we found to walk) It's lovely.......ducks and geese aplenty and one beautiful pair of swans. I keep wondering if, and hoping we will, see babies come spring! Tonight I wondered where they would nest. There really is no place right by the "lake" (I'll take some pictures one of these times so you will have a visual). They have crossing signs on the roads all around it, so maybe they cross the road to someone's yard or the golf course to nest. It will be fun to find out! The trees are dropping their leaves.........and I'm thinking some of the trees might be bald cypress because they are dropping their feathery-fine leaves as well and their trunks look "right". I'm going to research that........... We walked three times around tonight........1.2 miles!!! Do I hear cheers?!?!!?? It's been rainy today. Not the torrents, just a nice, constant, gentle rain.......lovely.........except while we were walking. Well, that was lovely too, but no rain........ the clouds scudding across the sky south-east to north-west, which seems exactly opposite of what it should be with Patricia having pushed south-west to north-east across Texas. We talked to Scott and Meg Saturday morning and they were fine--plenty of rain though.

On Saturday we went to explore Aldredge Gardens. Thirty acres of forest, pond and "meadows" right here in the middle of Hoover!!!! It was solace to this soul........... It was so good to smell the pines!! And yes. I forgot my camera. Well, really I didn't know we were going there when we left. And can you believe.........I did not pick up one (or sixty) pine cones!!!! It was just a tad of a struggle, but I didn't know if they would throw me out if I did. So I was a good girl!

I jumped over Friday--not intentionally. We had District Meeting on Friday. It was really, really good! I don't know how to say it better than that. Elder Opare--from Africa--is the district leader and has a very quiet voice. I kept imagining him as a dad......... Anyway, he asked us all to come prepared to share how we gained our testimonies. Such an outpouring of the Spirit.......how could there not be??? A few tears and tender emotions........it was so neat!!!! And then we ate! I made six quarts of soup and a pan of corn bread with honey butter. We also had carrots and ice cream.......... We didn't have a crumb of anything left!!! So fun!!!!!

From left: Elder Lott, zone leader; Elder Jenkins, going home to Mesa in two weeks (so fun to get to know him better); Elder Brandt, zone leader; Elder Fanos, from Evanston--kind of; Elder Opare, district leader; Elder Briscoe, been here not quite three months; Elder Newman, finance secretary; Elder.........well, Roger. Such a wonderful time!!! I wish everyone could have a similar experience!!