I finally got to interact with my new church group this weekend. We've been here less than a year, and were just getting to know the old one when the apple cart rolled over and all the boundaries changed - so, here we go again.
Saturday, the women's auxiliary (Relief Society) had a "Soup-er Saturday" where they made crafts, did service projects, taught classes and had a soup cook off. It was all kinds of fun - this new ward has lots of good energy and were so friendly and welcoming to all of us "oldsters" from the senior community. Does the heart good...
I hadn't signed up for any of the crafts, so my friend and I went to do the service project - which was making pillowcases for a center for families in crisis. They used a really interesting technique (the "hot dog roll") and it was kind of amazing - wish I'd known about this when I made those pillowcases for the girls this past summer! No seams showing anywhere. Brilliant!
After that, we went to some of the classes - one lady taught one on organization and time management. This would have been so relevant about 40 years ago - but I had a hard time making it apply to me at this stage of my life. I have no schedules, no deadlines - I don't even have anyone who cares if I do anything or not, so I'm afraid this was wasted on me...
The next class was on bread making. I watched and listened so carefully, because I have always loved home made bread, but have never been able to master this art. The teacher used ingredients I have never heard of, and one of those high-end machines that cost about as much as one of my children, so I probably won't be doing hers... Waiting for the email with the other recipes, and hope they are a bit more basic.
Sunday was great too - they actually had us introduce ourselves this time (never did do that in the other place,) and I was volunteered to conduct the music in RS. It's just so nice to feel included for a change... My friend is moving to a different part of town, so I had to venture on without her, but I guess I will survive.
I've been pretty homesick this month - it's just so weird not having any seasons like what I'm used to. No bright colors in the fall - no beautiful snow in the winter. (Although I do not miss the cold or having to drive in the stuff!) But, I'm starting to realize that there are things that I do like about this place, and if we were to go home tomorrow, there would be things (and people) that I would miss from here too.
.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Monday, November 04, 2013
My Own Personal Haunting...
I have my own story to tell here in my lovely home...
This house has some unconventional wiring or something, because we have a light that comes on randomly, whenever it feels like it. The other day, I lay down on the couch to have a nap, and when I woke up, it was on - stuff like that.
No sooner had my hubby left for his trip to AZ, when I heard a big CRASH. I went to all the windows and looked out to see what had happened, but didn't see anything unusual. Then, later, I went into the garage to go somewhere (he did leave me the car while he was gone,) and there were boxes scattered all over the floor. I had to clean up a bunch of stuff before I could even pull out.
One whole stack of boxes had come crashing down for some unknown reason.
Then, I got up one morning, and went to have breakfast - while I was sitting there, I heard another big crash. I went back to the bedroom to see what the heck this time - and my rack of dvd's had fallen over and were all over the floor. This time I yelled at Mr. Spooky - "Very Funny Mr Ghost - knock it off!"
Mind you, this stuff has only happened when I'm home alone, and I lock up tight all day long, so it's just me here...
Then, we had a light in the bathroom that went out. Not just a bulb - the room lost power completely. Wayland had a super busy week, and he didn't get a chance to look at it right away, so it was a few days before he checked all the breakers etc.
He's not a whiz at electricity, but he finally just changed the plug, and that did the trick - however, he went to get something for lunch out of the freezer the next morning on the way to work, and found that the freezer was on the same circuit as the bathroom was, and that it had been off the whole time the light was off.
We lost everything. Plus, I had a icky sloppy mess to clean up. Luckily, it was trash day, so I didn't have that stuff rotting in the garbage can all week. I was worried that the neighbors would see all the blood, and call the authorities on me.
Lastly, we bought this cute little Halloween decoration at the grocery store one night, a little ghost (appropriately enough,) the thing was supposed to light up or something, and when we got home, we both played with it to try to turn it on - but the thing never did work.
Then, one night, Wayland woke up at 3 am because he saw bright red and blue lights flashing in the other room - he got up and went out there, because he thought there was a police car in the back yard or something. It was the dang ghost. It had finally come on, ...all by itself.
Now you tell me - coincidence? ...I don't think so. Ha ha
This Halloween - for the first time in 40 years, we had NO trick or treaters.
Back in Utah, we live in a subdivision that is really concentrated - lots of houses packed close together, so of course, it's the prime place for people to go "dump" their kids for tricks and treats.
They start on our street, then snake their way down through the whole thing, and by the time they get to the end, they have made a killing for the night. There usually isn't even time to go back upstairs before the next hoard of treaters knocks on the door.
Not so here - in my little oldster's village, there wasn't a spook in sight. I hate to sound like an old poop, but I found it rather refreshing...
Believe me, we are counting the days until my husband's 2 year commitment here is up. (As of next month, we are halfway there - yay!)
He has already sent his resume out to his old job (they sent all the work to his department back East - that's why he got laid off, but they are going to bring it back now.) And he has put his name in for a couple of the stores in Utah.
This city has been a growing experience, but one of the things that has grown is the knowledge that it is not for us!
So much red tape in anything and everything we try to do. Hubby spent the whole day on his birthday at the DMV trying to get his license renewed. Still hasn't got it.
Yesterday was our stake conference - it was so good. They are so gung-ho on missionary work here. It's really quite contagious. The stake's theme for this whole next year is: Invite, invite, invite.
...And temple work - our stake leads the area in that, and in providing names.
I've been doing some indexing while I sit here day after day, and the last few times I try to download a batch, it tells me that "there are no more batches to do at this time." At conference they said that our stake did a million names last year.
The church is the one good thing here.
.
This house has some unconventional wiring or something, because we have a light that comes on randomly, whenever it feels like it. The other day, I lay down on the couch to have a nap, and when I woke up, it was on - stuff like that.
No sooner had my hubby left for his trip to AZ, when I heard a big CRASH. I went to all the windows and looked out to see what had happened, but didn't see anything unusual. Then, later, I went into the garage to go somewhere (he did leave me the car while he was gone,) and there were boxes scattered all over the floor. I had to clean up a bunch of stuff before I could even pull out.
One whole stack of boxes had come crashing down for some unknown reason.
Then, I got up one morning, and went to have breakfast - while I was sitting there, I heard another big crash. I went back to the bedroom to see what the heck this time - and my rack of dvd's had fallen over and were all over the floor. This time I yelled at Mr. Spooky - "Very Funny Mr Ghost - knock it off!"
Mind you, this stuff has only happened when I'm home alone, and I lock up tight all day long, so it's just me here...
Then, we had a light in the bathroom that went out. Not just a bulb - the room lost power completely. Wayland had a super busy week, and he didn't get a chance to look at it right away, so it was a few days before he checked all the breakers etc.
He's not a whiz at electricity, but he finally just changed the plug, and that did the trick - however, he went to get something for lunch out of the freezer the next morning on the way to work, and found that the freezer was on the same circuit as the bathroom was, and that it had been off the whole time the light was off.
We lost everything. Plus, I had a icky sloppy mess to clean up. Luckily, it was trash day, so I didn't have that stuff rotting in the garbage can all week. I was worried that the neighbors would see all the blood, and call the authorities on me.
Lastly, we bought this cute little Halloween decoration at the grocery store one night, a little ghost (appropriately enough,) the thing was supposed to light up or something, and when we got home, we both played with it to try to turn it on - but the thing never did work.
Then, one night, Wayland woke up at 3 am because he saw bright red and blue lights flashing in the other room - he got up and went out there, because he thought there was a police car in the back yard or something. It was the dang ghost. It had finally come on, ...all by itself.
Now you tell me - coincidence? ...I don't think so. Ha ha
This Halloween - for the first time in 40 years, we had NO trick or treaters.
Back in Utah, we live in a subdivision that is really concentrated - lots of houses packed close together, so of course, it's the prime place for people to go "dump" their kids for tricks and treats.
They start on our street, then snake their way down through the whole thing, and by the time they get to the end, they have made a killing for the night. There usually isn't even time to go back upstairs before the next hoard of treaters knocks on the door.
Not so here - in my little oldster's village, there wasn't a spook in sight. I hate to sound like an old poop, but I found it rather refreshing...
Believe me, we are counting the days until my husband's 2 year commitment here is up. (As of next month, we are halfway there - yay!)
He has already sent his resume out to his old job (they sent all the work to his department back East - that's why he got laid off, but they are going to bring it back now.) And he has put his name in for a couple of the stores in Utah.
This city has been a growing experience, but one of the things that has grown is the knowledge that it is not for us!
So much red tape in anything and everything we try to do. Hubby spent the whole day on his birthday at the DMV trying to get his license renewed. Still hasn't got it.
Yesterday was our stake conference - it was so good. They are so gung-ho on missionary work here. It's really quite contagious. The stake's theme for this whole next year is: Invite, invite, invite.
...And temple work - our stake leads the area in that, and in providing names.
I've been doing some indexing while I sit here day after day, and the last few times I try to download a batch, it tells me that "there are no more batches to do at this time." At conference they said that our stake did a million names last year.
The church is the one good thing here.
.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)