Oct 26th - Another Funeral - and then the Grandkids!

We attended another funeral/memorial service this morning.  In this case, we were attending because we knew the son of the woman who passed away.  We had never met her.  She was 85 and had been ill for a while.  After hearing the stories about her from her family, I know that I really missed out.  She was born in Mississippi and eventually ended up in Chicago, one of 12 children.  We have known her son and his wife for several years and I should have known she was remarkable, just judging from the child she raised.  They had a dinner after the service, which we stayed for.  The turnout was quite small, but we were so glad we had made the time to attend.  We do not have many black friends and this family was terrific.  I hate to say that we enjoyed a memorial service, but we really did.

When we got home, Lisa and the kids were at the house.  I had told her I would watch the kids for a while once we got home.  She had a few errands and the kids hate getting in and out of the car when they are doing errands.  Bill had a short while before he had to take off again for meetings, so he played with them a bit.  Then I enjoyed the next hour or so with them.  They were on high energy today and tons of fun.  (I wonder if the candy form trunk or treat last night was having an effect?????)

When Lisa got back, she had to take off quickly since she had ice cream for the primary social this evening.  It was a quick clean up and then they were off.  Even a short day with Ashby and Brooks is a wonderful day!

By then Bill had taken off for his meetings.  There was a multi-stake meeting for ward councils with Elder Dallin H Oaks and Elder Ulysses Soares at 3:00 and then separate firesides in the evening.  The young singles were with Elder Oaks and the youth with Elder Soares.  Bill attended with the youth, since that is his bishopric responsibility.  That was held in the Roswell building.  He said they were both good meetings and the youth absolutely loved Elder Soares.  Bill does, too.  His first assignment when called to the Seventy was in our stake conference and he has been a favorite ever since.

I spent my quiet evening getting a few things finished up and then watched a couple of episodes of Monarch of the Glen until Bill got home.  Very lazy!  And relaxing!

Oct 25th - On the Go Today

I had a lot to get done today, so I was on the go a good bit.  I had some cleaning to do in the house, along with routine stuff.  My big trip out was to the grocery store to get all the food for our NC trip.  I got all the linens and towels packed, as well as all the food, other than the cooler stuff, of course.  It all took a big hunk of time.

This evening was the ward Halloween party.  I would have stayed home, except that Lisa and family came, too.  The children were adorable - Tinkerbell and Peter Pan.

They had fun at the party, but it was a bit of a disappointment.  They called it a hoedown and had line dancing, but not much else.  Of course, the children wanted to do all the fun games and activities, of which there were none.  They did like the gold fish snacks.  And, of course, trunk or treat was a ton of fun.  They borrowed our popcorn maker and the popcorn was a big hit, too.

I no longer enjoy activities that are loud and chaotic.  This party qualified on all counts.  The music was loud, children were running wild because they had nothing to do, and I could hardly wait to get home!  At least once my Tinkerbell and Peter Pan left. 

Oct 24th - Another Quiet Day

Other than water aerobics this morning, I didn't really do much.  Well, I kept busy with this and that around the house, but I didn't accomplish anything worthy of blogging.  Among the little things I did finish the packing list for the trip to the mountains.  We don't usually take food, but are going to do so this time, so I had to get that all figured.  Tomorrow I will start packing it so I will know what I need to get at the store.  I also spent some time on family history, but mostly related to the class rather than deep research on my own.

I rested some in the afternoon and watched a little of Monarch of the Glen.  Bill ran the popcorn machine over to the church for them to use for the ward activity tomorrow night.  I had gotten it all cleaned up and instructions written out.  I have doubts as to whether we will get it back in working order, but whatever.......

The rest of my day was just "stuff."  I think I need to get a more interesting life.  Problem is - I am quite happy the way it is!

Oct 23rd - Babysitting

Lisa called this morning and asked if I could babysit the kids all afternoon.  She had a groupon for getting her hair done and since her only piano student for today had to cancel, this would be the perfect time to go.  Fortunately, I had no problem saying, "Yes."

That gave me the morning to get a few things done and then to go visit teach one of my sisters.  We had a fun visit.  Then it was back home to get some lunch before the kiddos showed up. 

She picked Ashby up from school at 1:00 and came straight over here.  The kids were both really excited to get to spend some time at Grandma's house.  They are so into the little cars right now, so they divided them up and they both played cars.  We had one little problem with Brooks destroying Ashby's cars, but a serious discussion, a short time-out, and several reminders took care of that. 

Eventually, the train track was out and set up, the wooden blocks and the flat-bed semi truck were put to good use, and more cars kept Brooks busy.  Ashby played with the cars and read some books.  In the middle of it all, we took a short break and watched a little Netflix - mighty machines, of course.  Then they played some more.  By then, they were ready to run, so they ran around the house being very silly.

As it got towards dinner time, they announced they were hungry, so we got some spaghetti cooking.  Once we got that started, they went outside to run and play for a while.  They were just eating when Lisa got back.  Shortly after that, Grandpa got home.  They went back outside and played with him for a while.

What a fun day!  They really were good.  I do love this grandmother business!

Oct 22nd - Not So Much Excitement Today

I started my day with water aerobics, which was a good workout.  From there, I didn't do all that much! 

I did a minimal amount of routine stuff - and remember that I still had things that didn't get done yesterday.  Well, they didn't really get done today either.  Oh, well.

I spent some computer time and did several odds and ends that had been piling up.  It is always nice to see a "to-do" pile get smaller.  Unfortunately, it didn't completely disappear.  Oh, well.

It seemed like I was busy all day, but I can't really come up with much that I actually accomplished.  Kind of like every day life, I guess.  Oh, well.

So, I am not exactly sure what happened to the day.  How does one manage to stay busy all day and not accomplish much?  Well, I did watch a couple of episodes of Monarch of the Glen this evening, after fixing a frozen pizza for dinner.  I didn't even take a nap, so I was busy.  I know that a lot of it was at the computer, so those things must have taken much longer than I had thought.  Oh, well!

Oct 21st - Happy Birthday, Jason!

After dropping Ashby off at school, Lisa and Brooks came by to pick me up.  It was Jason's birthday and we wanted to do something special.  We went by Hobby Lobby and bought some new flowers and took them to the cemetery.  It was nice to have Lisa help pick them out and to help get them arranged. 

From there, we went to lunch at Duluth Diner.  We spent a nice leisurely time there.  Brooks was so good.  He was watching home videos on her Iphone and was thoroughly entertained.  He also ate a mountain of spaghetti! 

By the time we finished lunch, it was time to pick Ashby up from school.  She was surprised and very excited to see me in the car.  She said that was the best thing today.  We then headed back to the house and they were able to stay and play for a little while, before having to head home for Lisa's piano lessons.

It was a very good way to spend Jason's birthday.  We remembered him and I was able to enjoy the grandchildren. 

The rest of the day was much more quiet!  I never did get all my usual Monday routine done, but there is always another day for those kinds of things.

I am grateful for being a mother - the best thing I have ever done.  I enjoyed having my daughter help me celebrate Jason.  I enjoyed my other son texting about what day it was.  I enjoyed laughing and hugging my grandchildren.  I am very blessed!

Oct 20th - Another Wonderful Sabbath Day!

It was a nice day today - so glad to be back to "normal," whatever that is for us!  Church services this morning were all good - talks, music, lessons. 

Back home, I got dinner together:  oven fried chicken breasts, green beans, yams, boiled potatoes, and dinner rolls.  I wasn't thinking clearly, though, as the chicken breasts were so lean that they didn't really produce enough fat to crisp up the chicken.  They tasted good, though, even if they got a little too dry.  I should have just fried them! 

We had a lot of fun with the kids, too.  It was such a beautiful day that the backyard was a fun place to be.  Brooks especially ran all over the place and had a ball.  A little later, we were watching some ice skating and then Ashby had to put on her show, pretending to ice skate.  She finally talked her dad into doing lifts with her.  She is so funny, but she has the best lines I have ever seen - every leg, arm, finger and toe is pointed perfectly.

After they left, our home teachers came by for a visit.  This is the second month for our new home teachers and we are enjoying them.  We had a nice visit and a good message.

I do love Sundays and today did not disappoint!

Oct 19th - Memorial Service

There was a lot on the agenda today, but most important was the memorial service for Tom.  It was a late afternoon service, meaning we left home around 2:30 or so.  There was a big turnout, as expected, and the service was very nice.  Each of the children spoke about their dad, sharing both funny stories and very emotional ones.  The bishop made a few remarks and the stake president was the final speaker.  We were very impressed with him. 

We moved into the ward 20 years ago and were there for three years.  We saw a lot of people that we had known and enjoyed catching up.  It is too bad that we never make it over there except for funerals. 

On the way home, we stopped for dinner at the Red Lobster in Roswell.  That was always the go-to place when the kids were young.  They always chose it for any special occasion.

Earlier in the day, Bill had to attend a stake scout training called Little Philmont and give a presentation.  He was the presenter by default since the bishop had a wedding to perform.  Attendance was slight and he thought it was not really worth the time.  Nonetheless, he was there and the presentations went well.

Meanwhile at home, I was finishing the laundry, dusting, straightening, ironing (Yes!) and all the other odds and ends of a Saturday morning. 

We have made it through this difficult day.  It is very difficult to accept that Tom is gone.  He was so young (only 61), active, and apparently healthy.  He had had a physical within the last month.  He and Caroline had prepared mission papers and they were just a send button away from going to Salt Lake.  It appears that his mission is different than expected. 

I have been reminded of Jason a lot the last two days.  These were the people who really knew him during his last years of high school.  These guys were his best friends, including one of Tom's sons.  I have just been reminded again that there are only some things about life that are in our control.  We can choose to be obedient and strive to live like Christ.  Everything else is up to the Lord.

Oct 18th - Viewing

This evening we went over to east Marietta to attend the viewing for Tom Mildenhall.  It still is such a shock that he is gone.  We first met the Mildenhalls in 1993, when we moved to Shallowford Ward.  We were there for three years and during that time became good friends.  Tom was scout master and he and Bill did several activities together, including the trip with the boys to Cumberland Island.  That is a trip Bill still talks about with some frequency.  By the time we moved, Tom was serving as bishop. 

The upside of a viewing is getting to see so many people we know from those years.  The line to go through to greet the family was about an hour long, so we had a lot of visiting time while we were in line.  We saw so many that we knew, even though we left that ward in 1996.  Tomorrow we will go to the funeral.

Earlier in the day, I got three loads of laundry done, stopped by the library, got a haircut, and picked up a few things at the grocery.  I did manage to get a short rest in the late afternoon, as I was pretty tired.  Again, I chose to watch another episode or two of Monarch of the Glen.  I do like those British shows - this one actually set in Scotland.

It was a busy day and it is a long drive over to Marietta and back.  But, we were really glad that we made the effort to go.  There are always a few people that touch your life in such a way that they will always hold an extra special spot.  This is certainly true of Tom and Caroline Mildenhall. 

Oct 17th - Almost Back to Normal

I started the day with water aerobics, so things are finally more or less back to normal.  I came home, showered and got dressed, and then headed out to pick up one of the sisters I visit teach.  We went to Pandora Bread for lunch.  We had a great visit and spent a couple of hours together.

Back home, I did some things on the computer until I started feeling very tired!  I was hoping to avoid a nap, so I compromised by resting on the couch and watching a couple of episodes of Monarch of the Glen.  I felt refreshed when I finished with that.

This evening, I worked at the Family History Center.  Of course, no one came in.  We are hopeful that once the center gets moved to its new spot in the building and enough staff is in place, we will get better attendance.  I know a lot of people are hoping that they will go back to day time hours.  Anyway, I did a little reading and some indexing, so my evening was busy.

I am glad I am feeling better.  The sinus stuff is still there, but not as bad.  Here's hoping that it will be completely gone soon.  Of course, having a rainy day like today doesn't help. 

Oct 16th - Feeling Some Better!

I am feeling quite a bit better today.  The sore throat and headache and stuffiness are not gone, but I think they are on their way.  I decided that I would be up more today, so after showering, I did a few things around the house - not much, but a little.

I also put more serious in some more serious computer time.  I finished studying the FamilySearch guide, so now I am an expert!  Ha! Ha!  At least I have read it and have been practicing some of the things, so I do have more confidence. I also did a little actually family history stuff, so that was fun. 

I was tired in the afternoon, so I took a break and watched a couple of episodes of Monarch of the Glen.  I didn't want to go to sleep, so watching something helped there.  I watched a couple more episodes this evening while Bill was at church.

By the end of the day, I was feeling even better than I had in the morning, so I think I have finally gotten the best of this sinus infection.  Tomorrow I plan to actually go out and do a long list of things.

Sad news of the day was learning that Bishop Mildenhall had passed away during the night.  It was expected, but very sad nonetheless.  The viewing is Friday evening and the funeral on Saturday.  We will probably go to the funeral.

Oct. 15th - Another Yucky Day!

Not much to tell today.  I am still in that "not quite sick, but definitely not well" state.  I spent most of the day resting, hoping to get rid of the stuffiness, sore throat, headache, etc.  Here's hoping that by tomorrow I see a difference.

That all meant that I did not go to water aerobics, I did not go to lunch with one of the visiting teaching sisters, I did not clean the house, I did not do all that much at all!  I did a few computer things.  I took a long nap.  I watched a couple of episodes of Monarch of the Glen in the evening while Bill was home teaching.

That was about it. 

I did get a bad phone call around dinner time.  The man who was our bishop part of the time we were in Shallowford Ward had a heart attack on Saturday and is on a respirator and not expected to get better.  Very sad news, indeed.  He is only 61.  He is a great person - spent tons of years working with scouts.  He and Bill took the boys on a trip to Antelope Island one year.  He also came up to one of the girls camps that I did and taught dutch oven cooking.  He was the bishop when we moved from that ward.  We are praying for him and for his family.

Oct 14th - Blah!

This was not the best day ever.  I hate feeling somewhere between sick and well - not sick enough to really be sick, but not well enough to feel like doing much.  I do think it is just a sinus infection, but the headache and sore throat wear me down.

Needless to say, I didn't accomplish much of value today.  Well, let's see - I worked on some family history stuff (for my classes coming up), did an email about family history, which I could do just sitting at the computer.  I took a nap, from which I was awakened by a phone call from Bill.  I can't figure out how he does it - I nap for less than an hour a day, if I nap at all, and he always manages to call right during that time!  Later, I lay on the couch and watched several episodes of Monarch of the Glen.  That is the big give-away about how I felt - I actually watched TV.

Bill worked late and didn't get home until 9:30ish and as soon as he got home, I was in bed.  I don't like being sick, but I don't like this "almost" sick thing even more. 

Oct 13th - Happy Birthday, Willie!

Today was my brother's birthday - not that he and I communicate much, but I did send a FB message to his wife. 

I woke up with a terrific headache and sore throat and by the time it was time to get ready to go to conference, I decided to head back to bed.  Bill went without me and I rested.  I actually fell asleep and awoke when he got home. 

Fortunately, I had put the crock pot dinner together yesterday and was able to plug it in and put a mix in the bread machine and set it on timer.  Easy, peasy cooking!  Lisa called when they got home from conference (their stake had theirs, too) and said that Brooks was not doing so well, so they were going to try to get him to nap before they came over.  I just turned the crockpot down.

Later, she called again and said that David and Ashby were coming, but she and Brooks would just stay home.  So, we had a nice dinner though our numbers were smaller that normal.  The dinner was pork loin, two different kinds of potatoes, carrots, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and at the very end when I put the temp on warm, I put some ears of corn on top.  Turned out very good!  I cut up a cantelope, had the homemade bread, and made some gravy. 

Then we just hung around.  Ashby enjoyed playing with the cars all by herself for a long time and then got everyone else to play with her at some point.  It was all very relaxing and fun.  We missed Brooks, but it was a lot more quiet and certainly less clean-up!  David also helped Bill get his mobile banking app downloaded and hopefully working.  They ended up being here until after 9:00.  There is no school tomorrow, so she didn't need to get to bed.

It was a fun day, but unfortunately the sore throat is still here.  Here's hoping it will be gone tomorrow!

Oct 12th - Birthday Party for a Friend

We had a usual Saturday morning, which included a bunch of laundry, etc.  Then about 11, we picked up a friend who needed the ride and headed over to the church for a surprise birthday party for another friend who turned 80 today.  Her kids told her the bishop wanted to see her, so they brought her over, only to find a big crowd of people there for her birthday party.  It was well done and very fun.  I especially enjoyed seeing people that came from the temple.  Many I had not seen in quite a while.  It was a very nice party.

When we got back home, we were just beginning to relax when two of the sister missionaries stopped by.  They had been out on their bikes and needed a bite of something - we found some food bars in the pantry - and to rest a few minutes.  We had a nice chat with them.  Then Bill had to go for his priesthood leadership meetings, since it is stake conference weekend.

Later they called back saying they had just gotten a text saying they should also attend the adult session of conference this evening.  Missionaries have never attended that session before.  They needed a ride, so I picked them up, after I picked up Lauren.  So we had a lot of talking all the way to Lilburn!  The session was pretty good - all about missionary work.  The church has so many missionaries and they are putting a big push on getting members involved more.  The talks were good, and I did enjoy it, but I am just about "missionaried" out.  I hope that doesn't sound negative.  I just need to hear other things that will help me personally in my own life.  How else can I also be a missionary?

Anyway, it was a good way to spend the evening. 

Oct 11th - Babysitting Brooks - and then Ashby

My totally open Friday started with the usual stuff around here.  By the time I was sitting at the computer doing some things, Lisa called.  She had to go to Ashby's school and be the "mystery reader," and since Brooks was still not feeling well, she wanted to bring him over.  She had scheduled a play date for him, but didn't want to expose any other children.  Being such a devoted grandmother, I immediately said, "Bring him on!"

Today, he wanted the train, so we got Thomas and friends out and all set up and he played with that a while.  Then it was on to the art table, which entertained him for a long time.  Cars were added next.  He drew a race track on the chalk board portion of the table and had the cars driving around and around.  When he tired of all that play, he had a homesick moment and said he wanted to go home.  Poor guy, he was just not feeling well.  So, we cuddled up on the couch with his pillow and a blanket and got the Roku on.  I was thinking he could watch some Disney cartoons, but he saw the Netflix logo and suddenly wanted to watch "Mighty Machines."  He was then so happy as he watched a building being demolished and then the snowplows clearing all that snow.  He was even willing to eat some lunch while he watched.

That was about when Lisa and Ashby got back.  Lisa put him down for a nap and left Ashby while she ran a couple of quick errands.  Surprisingly, he actually went to sleep - his first nap in days.  Ashby, meanwhile, was playing with the cars and the train track and was totally happy.  Eventually, she wanted me to play with her, so we played with the cars on the coffee table. 

It wasn't much later that Lisa got back, and finally had to wake Brooks up so she could get home in time for her music lessons.  He wasn't too grouchy when he got woke up, which is good news.  It was fun having them here for a good part of the day.  I do love this grandmother business.

When they left and things got truly quiet again, I spent some time on family history - well, not on research but on working on some of my upcoming projects.  My student manuals arrived today, too.  I am close to ready to start the Sunday class - sure hope they have found a spot for me!

By the time Bill got home, it was getting a little late and I was really tired.  Those grandkids can certainly wear one out!  Still - loved my day.

Oct 10th - Busy, Busy, Busy!

Well, I enjoyed my quiet days earlier in the week, but that is not what I got today!  After water aerobics, I came home and got ready for my day.  I had the "normal" chores to get done.  Then I had the rest of my errands to run.  This time it was a trip to the library to return and pick up books, a stop at CVS to get the weekly specials, a stop to get gas for the car, and finally a quick run into the grocery store to get apples and a few other odds and ends.

By the time I finished all the running around, I relaxed at the computer for a few minutes.  Then I had to get the apple crunch made for RS this evening.  It takes a while to peal all those apples!  I made an extra small one, so Bill and I could have a little if the big pan got all eaten.  We were supposed to bring our favorite fall comfort food and apple crunch seemed to fit the description perfectly.

My friend Bonnie picked me up about 6:30 to go to the RS meeting.  It was fun chatting with her on the way over and back.  The evening was just a social and there was a good turnout.  The food was all good and all the time spent chatting with sisters was well spent.  They ended with a get acquainted activity that was cute.  Each person had a penny and had to tell something that happened in her life during the year that the penny was issued.  Fun.

Bill was the one who actually had a quiet evening at home alone tonight.  I guess he deserved that!  It was a good, and very busy, day. 

Oct 9th - A Little More on the Agenda Today

I started off my day with the usual stuff that always has to be done around the house and the things I always do on the computer.  I had finally gotten into doing some family history things when I realized that my day was going to get away from me again if I didn't get a move on!

So.....  I managed to get out and get a couple of errands done - a trip to the dollar store and a trip to Target.  I had a specific list for Target and was able to pick up some good bargains and got back $10 in gift cards to boot.  That all took a while.

And then it was back to the family history.  I am beginning to feel pretty comfortable with what I am doing on FamilySearch, so I guess it is time to go back to the training manual and move on to the next sections.  Maybe tomorrow.

This evening I had the assignment to work in the family history center.  As expected, no one came, so I just did some indexing for two hours.  I had brought my RootsMagic-to-Go and I did plug that in to see if it worked right and it did.  I wasn't in the mood for working with it anymore, though.

When I got home, Bill was at the church for bishopric meeting, so I relaxed a bit, had a snack, and then went to bed with my book.  It doesn't sound like much of a day, but I got a lot done and I enjoyed myself.

Oct 8th - Another Family History Day

I have come to the conclusion that I must be a little bit OCD.  Once I get into something, I can't seem to do anything else.  So after water aerobics today, and a few minimum routine things around the house, I was into family history.  And that pretty much took the rest of my day!

I was working in FamilySearch trying to get proficient at some of the things that I studied in the manual, particularly adding sources to individuals.  I understood it in my head, but sometimes it gets a little confusing when put into practice.  Since I am supposed to be the ward expert, I am trying to get to where I feel like it.  I did do some good things today, like unlinking some children that did not belong in my grandfather's family, finding an obscure census record for someone else, and using the source box better.  Eventually, I might actually be able to teach other people!

I thought I would take a nap this afternoon, so I read a bit, tried to sleep, and got up about five minutes later.  That is strange for me - I usually love the nap, but it didn't work today.  I am afraid it was a sign of my OCD again - I wanted to get back to the family history.

Well, at least I enjoyed my day!

Oct 7th - Slow Start to a New Week

Some Mondays are just frumpy - and this seems to be one.  I did a few things around the house what with things less than perfect after a Sunday with family.  I spent a good bit of time on the computer.  I had several things that I had been putting off that I got done.  Plus, of course, I spent time on studying the FamilySearch manual and just doing some of my family history, as well.

In between, I talked my friend on the phone for a while.  She had thyroid surgery a week ago and this was our first chance to get caught up.  I had planned to go by to visit, but she had a doctor's appointment because of a bad reaction to some ointment they had given her.  She seems to be doing quite well, but recovery from surgery is never fast.  The good news is that there is no sign of malignancy.

I did get out of the house long enough to make a trip to the library to return a book, pick up one that had come in, and get some books on CD for Bill to listen to in the van.  I find it really hard to pick out books for him, though, since we have such different tastes.  I am quite sure that he will not like some of them, so I got three, hoping at least one would do.  If not, he can go to the library on his own.

I also slipped in a very short nap this afternoon. 

So how did that little bit of stuff take all day?  Because it was just a frumpy day, I guess.  I was moving slow or something.  Here's hoping my least productive day of the week is finished.  I would hate to think that I could have a day with even less accomplished!

Oct 6th - Second Day of General Conference

General Conference Sunday is always a little different than normal.  This morning, I made sure plans were together for lunch - we are having the homemade soup I made yesterday, BLT sandwiches, deviled eggs, chips with guacamole, and lots of desserts!  That will be easy to get out between conference sessions. The rest of the morning, I was working on the computer, again mostly on family history stuff. 

The kids showed up just before conference started at noon.  We settled in to watch the first session, which had its moments of chaos thrown in with Ashby and Brooks.  Then we had our dinner break.  Shortly before the second session started, Lisa and family took off for home.  Brooks had not napped and they wanted to be home to get him down early.  We then watched the second session in quiet.

The whole conference has been really good.  I know there are some things that will be talked about a lot in the coming months.

I spent the rest of the evening working on family history and then headed for bed and a book rather early, as I was exhausted!

Oct 5th - First Day of General Conference

I started my morning as a normal Saturday, doing the normal cleaning things, like dusting, striaghtening, more laundry, etc.  I also fixed a pot of soup from a mix that I had been given, confetti lentil soup.  I added the chicken and tomatoes and it turned out pretty good.  I had thought it would be an easy thing to eat whenever.

When I finally got to the computer, I kept busy most of the rest of the morning.  Big surprise - I was working on the training manual for FamilySearch.  I passed the mid-point, page 100, but the last part gets into the more complicated stuff. 

At noon, I switched to the TV to watch the first session of conference.  As usual, it was very good.  I am going to skip the summary of the talks, though.  After the session, I had a bowl of the soup and some toast and then went to take a short nap.  I woke up to discover that I had missed the first 40 minutes or so of the afternoon session.  I watched the rest of the session, though.

Then I was back on the computer, doing pretty much the same stuff.  I have such a pile of things to do that I keep putting off - always it is, maybe tomorrow!

For the first time, the Priesthood session of conference was carried on BYU-TV, so I watched that also.  Bill went to the church to watch.  I enjoyed that session, too.

By the time Bill got back home, I was curled up in bed with my book.  Tomorrow will be the rest of the conference.  I should have made better plans for dinner for tomorrow, but I didn't.  I think we will just have soup and BLT's and goodies.  I shall worry about it tomorrow!

Oct 4th - Family History Day, It Seems

Today was really a stay-at-home day - I didn't even leave at all.  Of course, I love days like this, so I am not complaining.  Actually, there were things I needed to go out to do - maybe tomorrow!

Other than a little straightening and 3 loads of laundry, I spent most of the day doing things related to family history.  The big accomplishment was going through the huge pile of filing and getting it all filed in the right places and making new files related to my calling.  Now I am a little more organized, but still not like it should be.  I worked some more on the training manual.  It is 200 pages, so it will take a while to get through.  I also had several emails to send out.  Then I printed out the first lesson for the Sunday class and watched a couple of the videos that go with the first lesson.  I am hoping we will be able to start that class by the first week in November.  There were other things, too, but those are the biggies, I guess.

I did reach an exhaustion point this afternoon and took a short nap.  I couldn't go back to sleep again this morning when Bill got up for seminary.  I am so glad this is the last day he has to do it.  The regular teacher will be back on Monday.

Bill got home early enough to get a nap and then he tackled the yard - mowing, trimming, etc.  It looks much better now.  Then it was shower and collapse in the chair to "watch" the baseball playoffs.  The truth is he was asleep within minutes!  I had some pop corn and then headed to bed to read a while.

What a great day.  I suppose I will have to some actual work around here tomorrow. 

Oct 3rd - Day at Home

Well, most of my day was home - after water aerobics.  I had not done a handout for my genealogy class, so I spent quite a bit of time putting one together so they could have it for their newsletter.  I also did other routine things around the house.

One of my friends dropped by to bring me several bottles of salad dressing.  It seems her hubbie found a great deal and bought a whole lot of Ranch and Italian, but it is about to expires, so she was giving some of it away.  Good deal for me - and I enjoyed chatting with her a bit.

I also managed to squeeze in a nap later in the afternoon.  When Bill got up early for seminary this morning, I couldn't get back to sleep, so my day started early, too.  I finally just ran out of steam!

This evening, I had someone call with a FamilySearch problem and I spent some time working with her.  She is not even in my ward, but I guess she didn't have a family history consultant in her ward.  I will be doing more of this kind of thing anyway, so it was good practice for me.  The good news is we fixed her problem.

So, a rather boring day, but I enjoyed it. 

Oct 2nd - Genealogy Class Success!

I have been fretting for days over the class that I have to teach this morning for the Genealogy Study Group, a Gwinnett County genealogy group.  They had asked Kristi to teach a class, but she was too overwhelmed and asked me to do it instead.  So today I had to teach a genealogy class to a group outside of the church for the first time.

I am glad to say that it went well.  It was an easy topic - some of the research tools on FamilySearch, specifically the genealogies, catalog, books, and wiki options.  I went a little over my time.  I had 30 minutes and when I reached that point, and still had a little more I wanted to say, I just said my time was finished, but were they good for another few minutes.  I got a resounding "yes!', so I spent another 15 minutes before closing.

The nicest compliment is that they want me to come back and teach another class in January.  They will let me know exactly what they want then, although it will probably be about researching on FamilySeach.  I am excited, since this is exactly what I would like to do as part of my calling as Family History Consultant.  I am supposed to work with the ward members, but I am also supposed to be working with the community.  Yeah, success!

When I got home, I gave Lisa a call and she dropped the kids off.  They have both been sick this week and she was getting stir crazy and needing to get some groceries.  Brooks went straight to bed for his nap - and slept until almost 6:00!  Ashby and I read books and played quietly until she started feeling bad again.  Then she cuddled up on the couch and watched some Disney classic cartoons.  Lisa got back after she finished with the voice lesson she had to give.  It was fun having them here, but so sad to see Ashby feeling so sick.  Glad Brooks is feeling better and hoping Ashby gets better soon.

Bill had activity night at church tonight, so I had the evening alone.  I did some of the things that had been put off all day and then curled up with my book.  It has been a busy day, but I am pleased with my success!

Oct 1 - New Month!

Now that October is here, it really feels like fall has arrived.  I need to get the Halloween decorations out - maybe tomorrow.

I started my day with water aerobics and then spent the rest of the day at home.  After the usual routine stuff around the house, and two loads of laundry, I spent most of the rest of my time at the computer.  And most of that time was on family history.  I tried to put the finishing touches on my lesson for tomorrow - sure hope it all works!  I also spent quite a while working on the training manual for FamilySearch.  I will be such an expert soon!

I did break down in the afternoon and took a good nap.  This evening Bill and I were trying to get him a video downloaded on his tablet for seminary tomorrow.  Since I know nothing about how the tablet works, I was not much help.  He eventually had to figure it all out himself.

By 8:00, I climbed into bed with my book.  What a great day!

Sept 30th - Visiting Teaching on the Last Day of the Month!

My day started as a normal Monday, but since the kids didn't make it over yesterday, there was less straightening to do.  I did finally figure out a spot for the popcorn machine in the kitchen.  I moved the bakers rack into the dining room and put the popcorn machine in its place.  I will give it a while and see how I like it.  I also turned the table so it goes the other direction.  I don't know why I never thought of that before.  It makes much more room.  Again, we will see how we like it.

I had to visit tech the last of my sisters today.  I don't like "last day of the month" visits, but this was the day that worked best for her.  We had a great visit.  That means I was able to visit three of the four again this month.  I am not sure what I am going to do about my fourth one, but I haven't given up yet!

I spent most of the rest of the afternoon working on family history - some on my class for Wednesday and some on the training manual, trying to get more proficient in FamilySearch.  I did manage to squeeze in a short nap later in the afternoon.

This evening, I was having a bowl of popcorn (I have a popcorn machine now, you know!) and reading while Bill was watching a baseball game or something when a friend dropped by.  He was bringing us four grocery bags of day lily bulbs.  His wife had dug all theirs up to separate and she had a huge excess and offered them to me.  I took them, of course.  He came in for a few minutes and we had a fun chat with him.

Later, as I was about to hop into bed, Billy called.  He had called on his dad's birthday, but missed him, so had planned to call back and finally got to it.  We talked a few minutes and then I let him talk to Bill.  He sounded good.