OUCHIE, OUCHIE

Time will heal the body, this I know but for right now it's still a matter of "ouchie, ouchie."

Time also heals the spirit but repentance has to precede the healing.

I think the repentance of the body would be to quit eating "crap." I work on repentance of the spirit daily. If only I were so diligent with the body. Once I am well will I adopt a healthy diet or will I bombard my body with more Cadbury Mini Eggs?

I don't bombard my spirit with "R" rated movies and a lot--sometimes it seems like most--"PG 13" ones. I don't read slutty books, swear--most of the time--, I try to live a life I feel I should. I say my prayers morning and night--and often during the day too. Phil and I have family prayer every night before bed. We hold Family Home Evening most Monday nights--okay, we usually just read a church book or a talk out of the Ensign but we do that, at least--which I have to admit is more than we did when the kids were little. I read my scriptures, do my church calling--maybe inadequately but I try. Temple attendance is becoming more important to me and I wouldn't miss church unless I were sick--like this week.

I know the law of health, it's right there, in Doctrine and Covenants: 89. So, the question is: Will I be better about safeguarding my health like I am about safeguarding my spiritual health? About one more day of this and I'll be willing to do anything.

ARE THESE THE CULPRITS?

For two days I have been spending many hours in the bathroom. There isn't much I dislike more than throwing up--only a trip to the gynecologist and dentist come to mind and, as I think of it, probably not even those. After barfing you are thirsty and so you drink a tiny bit of water, you sip it slowly so it won't come back up, but it does. If you don't drink any water your stomach just tries to throw itself up.

The only thing I ate differently than Phil was four strawberries and a tablespoon of sour cream. Brand new strawberries, never opened, brand new sour cream, the "pull date" way in the future. Strawberries are the one thing I feel like eating but I couldn't survive another barf-a-rama session. So help me I couldn't. It's been 40 hours since this whole nonsense started and I still feel awful.

Look how fresh and wonderful the strawberries look.

But out they go.

So, that's why I haven't blogged nor have I checked blogs. Thanks, my dear blogging friends, for the phone calls and the emails. It's so nice to have concerned family and friends.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY--PRAYER

"Finally, having exhausted all his human resources, Dantes turned to God. He remembered the prayers his mother had taught him and found meaning in them of which he had formerly been unaware.

"For the happy man, prayer is only a jumble of words, until the day when sorrow comes to explain to him the sublime language--by means of which--he speaks to God."

(The Count of Monte Cristo--Alexandre Dumas, pg. 41)

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE

Before the great tonsil-removing surgery--and the doctor did mean "great"--as in great big. The adenoids had to come out too.

After surgery. And I hear it just got worse. Gilmore Girl said she looked over at Curly Sue tonight and the tears were dripping off her face. So she gave her some of the $157.00 liquid pain medication and she felt better. Poor little lamb.
The price of the medicine had Mom's tears dripping off her face too, I think.

Get better, Curly Sue. I'm working on a new story. We will sit in the lawn swings, you can lie with your head in my lap and I will tickle your back and tell you all about it. It has a secret cave in it.

That is, we'll do this if spring ever does actually come. But look, a robin. Surely that is a good sign.

And his friend. Yes, surely spring is on it's way and you will feel better soon. And we will tell stories and maybe by then you can even handle a piece of rhubarb. I know you're trying so hard to like it. Get better soon.

Much love,

Grandma and Grandpa, too

SNOW ON THE LAWNSWINGS

This is the scene in a friend's back yard. The stream is full of icy water, the ground is covered with snow. Isn't spring here? Maybe not.

Last week we sat on the lawn swings in the sun. Yesterday we sat in the lawn swings. Okay, we wore coats but we sat there. Not today.

But you can't fool the Mother Nature. She knows the date. Spring was officially five days ago. And in another few days I will go forth and harvest the first bounties of spring. I will peel and salt the first tender morsels. I will share with any grandchild that comes. Mmm. Rhubarb! Springs first gift.

CABBAGE FOR DINNER--A STORY FROM MY PERSONAL HISTORY GROUP TODAY

I must have been five or six years old at the time this happened.

CABBAGE FOR DINNER

I walked into the kitchen and smelled the most hated food on the planet. Cabbage. The smell made me sick to my stomach. I couldn’t eat it; I couldn’t eat dinner at all. My sister thought I was faking and told Mom—and anyone else who would listen—that I should be made to eat cabbage. She said that just the smell of something couldn’t make me sick.

Mom listened politely but she had different ideas. She set a card table and chair for me on the back porch by the big chest freezer. She filled my plate with all the food everyone else was eating except for the cabbage and then she brought the plate of food out to me. I sat with my arms folded while I heard someone say the blessing in the kitchen.

"Amen," I said and as soon as everyone else said "amen" my sister started again. “You are spoiling her," she said.

Was I spoiled like food left too long in the fridge? I looked at my arms and hands and fingers. I wasn’t moldy. I shrugged and ate my dinner. Listening to the hum of the freezer was pleasant and I liked eating alone on the porch.

Every time Mom fixed cabbage she listened to my sister tell her she was spoiling me and every time she ignored my sister and let me eat on the back porch, where I knew I would have the freezer humming for company. I decided being spoiled meant that my mom believed me, loved me, and made things special for me. I was lucky to be spoiled.

PS I love cooked cabbage now and I love my sister, too, much, much more than cabbage.

GRANDMA'S SHOWER CAP

Or is it a food cover. It's a mystery.

THE NEWEST FAD IN NIGHT WEAR

Here is Elasta Girl in her creative night wear. A little of this and a little of that.

It's totally funny. Or else it's smelly, I'm not sure which.
Victoria Secret eat your heart out.

Your assignment: Go forth and designeth your own.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE MIGHTY HUNTER aka THE GREAT GARDNER

This is Gilmore Girl. She looks tan but she is of the paleface variety. She is married to The Mighty Hunter, who, magically, in the spring, turns into the Great Gardner. Here is Curly Sue, who has tonsils the size of golf balls and is going to have them removed next week. This is Tuesday, who charms everyone with her impish ways.
This is the birthday cake, made for the Great Gardener's birthday. Gilmore girl was talking on the phone when she was making the frosting and forgot the "stick-a-buttah" and no one could tell the difference. Tuesday thinks the Great Gardner is a great candle blower-outer.
All his gifts were of the gardening variety.He can do some serious lopping with those babies.He already has seeds, sprouting for his mini-greenhouse.
Happy Birthday to a wonderful son-in-law. He is a great husband to our Gilmore Girl, a great daddy to our grandchildren and a great guy all around. We love him.

NOW THIS IS LOVE

In an email from my daughter, "I love you more than skinny ankles."

A WEDNESDAY GIFT ON A THURSDAY

I got a Wednesday gift today. A Wednesday gift is a gift you give--or get, like me--for no reason other than the giver found something wonderful and wanted to share. My giver is Pam and the gift is this little bit of spring. It now sits in my kitchen window. I have wanted one of these little blooms for a long time. The photo doesn't do it justice, it looks real, even down to it's Iris beard.

Even the dirt looks real.

Why don't you start your own "Wednesday gift" tradition? It will brighten someone's life, I promise.

And thank you, Pam for being generous, not only with gifts but with your friendship, which I cherish.

ENRICHMENT NIGHT--A BIRTHDAY PARTY

Last night was our Relief Society Enrichment "Birthday Party." The Relief Society was founded 157 years ago and has provided service ever since. It is the oldest women's association in the United States.

We had ten cakes brought--one for each table--one table had two. After dinner the sisters could have whatever cake they wanted or a sliver of as many as they wanted.

This is what the leftovers of my cake looked like the next day. It is still tasty but oh my, it looks awful.

After dinner we had a musical number and then we had each Relief Society President honored, starting with Emma Smith, wife of the prophet, Joseph Smith.

It was a lovely evening, very inspirational, very good to get together with so many friends that we don't see often because so many of the sisters are serving in the Primary and Young Woman's, which meet on Sunday at the same time as Relief Society.

For our closing hymn we sang, "As sisters in Zion."

I have such great love for each of these sisters.

LAST NIGHT'S PHOTOS

Here's the photos Blogger refused to load last night. The kids all chose a bouncy ball when it was time to go home. Some put them on their heads.

Some just smiled a million dollar smile.

Some covered their faces so...

...I had to retake, but Butterfly had already flitted off.

Some had coats on their heads and some squinted. I retook that one too but the next one...

...wasn't any better.
The oldest of the group, she's getting tall and beautiful.

And now it's time for me to go on a bouncy ball buying expedition as the jar is getting empty. After dinner we hardly had any dessert eaters, they all trooped downstairs to play.

Here is Kraut--the daddy of all these great kids--with the baby of the group. He helps his dad read the comics.

And the momma--The Soap Queen--who loves all her children with an intensity that all mothers can understand.

Thanks, Kraut and Soap Queen for bringing seven of my favorite short people to dinner.