Walmart People-Watching Alert - Green Bowler Dude made a short appearance. Amazing lady in a dress with super-high heels mincing behind her cart. It's so bad of me...what if someone described me in Walmart? "Fat Scruffy lady in weird capris and a stained t-shirt (I rarely have one without a hole or a stain). It would serve me right!
Analiese was in on my shopping excursion today for her Personal Progress goal. She got to "check off" the items in my grocery list on Evernote (new favorite app. The app's not new, it's just my new favorite). We even managed to get done in time so she could go to PE.
Tonight was a ward FHE going-away thingy (eloquent) for Elder Davis, one of the missionaries returning home this week. There were goodies and games, but my favorite part was baby tending! I got to hold a 6-week-old little sweetheart-of-a-girl. She is so responsive to people, cooing, laughing, smiling - what a doll! I had to take her out of the gym because the game was getting so loud, so I walked the church halls, rocking a sweet angel to sleep. I guess you could call it a baby fix. I offered to let Analiese or Jonathan hold her. Analiese was afraid she'd drop her; and Jonathan said he'd have plenty of time in the future (he said five years - does he have a timetable I don't know about?) to hold babies - his own! I told them both that they need to practice!
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
My morning was a fog today. I'd woken at 3 a.m. with my allergies at full-force, so much so that I had to take a shower, take some medication, and dump some honey with essential oils in it to calm my itchy throat! I did sleep a little bit after that, but I had to be up by 5:25 for Seminary. Agh!
It was a great start, because I soon found that I didn't have everything need in my folder when I got to the church and I had need to make copies. We did the best we could, but I was a little bummed. Sure enough, when I got home, they were in the folder for tomorrow. Argh!
So...after starting Analiese on her lessons, Ken said he'd work with her (he's off today) and I went back to bed where I slept like a rock for three hours. I hate it when I have to take a chunk out of my day like that just to function!
Ken took me to dinner tonight - an early birthday present. We went to La Plaza, a fairly good Mexican restaurant in town. I like their chicken flautas...that's what I always get! They do serve some "American" food, so Ken doesn't have to fret about onions. He had chicken fried steak (gross), which - along with catfish - seems to be an Oklahoma staple. He also had fried ice cream for dessert, but I didn't have anything else because I was stuffed!
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
It was a good thing I looked on Facebook last night before going to bed. The city of Altus posted there
that San Ann Drive would be closed for roadwork today from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The church is on - you guessed it - San Ann Drive. So last night I called my kids' families and told them Seminary would be held in my livingroom so we didn't get stuck at the church if by chance the road crews started when they said they would.
Seminary in my livingroom is both a blessing and a bother. A bother, because I have to make sure everything is straightened up, a whiteboard brought in from the other room, and I have a place to put my lesson stuff. I had a video to show, too, so I had to search YouTube to see if it was there to watch (it was). But it's a blessing, too, because our lesson was filled with the Spirit and I love to have the Spirit in my home. And, my children heard bits and pieces, so they got part of it as well. That makes me happy!
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Time to get everything squared away before heading out of town tomorrow morning! Seminary was great again (back at church), plus two of my students brought me presents. How can a day be bad when you get presents?
Laundry had to happen today. I needed a pedicure today. Last minute shopping today. Packing today. Seminary planning. Lots of stuff.
The mailman was kind to me, though. I got a birthday card from my parents, including the check to cover the pretty-purse I ordered for myself (yay!), and a package from my BFF Michele in California. I went around the house singing (to the tune of Happy Birthday) "Birthday presents for me!" This is going to be a terrific weekend!
Friday, September 18, 2015
No Seminary today because of Parent-teacher conferences at the High School. So, as Ken and Jonathan headed out for the airport, Analiese and I got on the road headed south for Texas. Altus is only about fourteen miles north of the Texas border. You cross the Red River and...tah-dah! You're in Texas.
We took the Honda rather than the van, for the gas mileage. However, I missed the van's cruise control. Three and a half hours with my leg in one position was killer. When we stopped for a break, my leg was so stiff!
Our first stop was SMU (Southern Methodist University) in Dallas. Why? The George W. Bush Presidential Library. We were going to eat lunch first, but in college community, everything was busy and there was no place to park! We'd had snacks in the car, so we figured we were good for a while, so we just went straight to the library.
Snort! Straight! Finding a place to park was a joke! We found one area behind the library, but a security guy said that wasn't the parking. The parking was supposedly across the street from the library. Okay, drive around again, look...I don't see any parking. We drive down this road across the street and I see a parking structure...but it says it's for faculty and students...but the bar is up and I see empty spots. So I take it...and spend the rest of our time here worrying about ticketing and/or towing.
And we hoof it down the road (hot and muggy) toward the library, which turns out not to be the library, but the George W. Bush Institute (?). The library is around the back, so we walk around the building (still hot and muggy) to the library. We've been to two other presidential libraries, and this one looks smaller. We learn that parking is supposedly across from here...and costs $7! I worried if I should move the car (another hike in the heat), but decided against it.
It was a nice library, not as spectacular as say, the Reagan. The 9-11 section was very moving, but Analiese's favorite part was the oval office and the section that talked about the Bush pets. They also a cute film by the Bush twins about the fun times in the White House.
From the library (BTW, the car was fine), we drove to Arlington to the motel, which was quite close to the convention center. There wasn't much time for resting, though, so after checking in, we went to dinner (we were pretty hungry by then) at a Chinese buffet and then on to the convention center.
TOFW/TOFG (Time Out for Women and Time Out for Girls) is put on by Deseret Book and tours at several places across the country. Arlington was the closest to us, and was my birthday present to myself, with Analiese being my travel buddy. Lots of ladies and girls all over the place...plenty of noise...but also plenty of fun. As we were signing in Analiese at the TOFG table, Brad Wilcox, one of the speakers, came down the hall. I've heard him speak before (He has the best BYU talk on the Atonement), so I introduced him to Analiese. He hugged her and called her his newest fan! He was so sweet to her. Also, she met up with some girls she got to know at Girls' Camp from our Stake, so she had someone to hang with! Perfect!
I was, however, by myself Friday night. My friend, DeeAnn, who lives in Texas and who I was supposed to meet up with, was ill with allergies (I get it!) so she didn't make it Friday evening. Still, I talk with anyone who'll listen, so I didn't feel decidedly lonely. The two evening speakers were Tim Ballard from Operation Underground Railroad (freeing child sex slaves around the world) who spoke about being "Women Who Shine a Light in Darkness," and Mary Cook, wife of Elder Quentin L. Cook, who spoke about "Having a Perfect Brightness of Hope." They were both great! I have notes, if you want them! LOL
Our music that evening was supposed to be by Gentri, a men's trio, but they couldn't make it, so a gal named Calee Reed sang and spoke a little about being creative. I am writing down songs I like, to maybe get some off of iTunes later!
We got out of our presentations by 9:30 and headed back to the motel. Hank Smith, one of Analiese's presenters, made all the girls "pinkie swear" that they wouldn't stay up all night (Brad Wilcox on Saturday said there was no way those girls would do that!), so Analiese was firm on getting in the room and going to bed.
Not so easy, that. The convention center is near the Texas Ranger's ballpark (we could see it from our room) and they had a game that night. We're in bed, trying to sleep when...fireworks. Long and loud. Analiese gave up and went to the window to watch. I lay in bed, pretending I didn't hear. Ha-ha. But they were over eventually and we both slept uneventfully after that.
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Up and breakfasted and checked out, we reached the convention center around 8:00, an hour before things were supposed to start. And there was a line already! Like a speaker said yesterday, "You ladies defy Mormon Standard Time!" For a good seat, yes.
So Analiese headed confidently down the hallway to the Girls area, and I went into the line and then into the hall to save a seat for myself and DeeAnn. She got stuck in traffic and got there just as it started...good thing I saved her a spot!
Could it be any more marvelous than last night? Yep. Mercy River sang between the presentations. One of them is pregnant and it was so funny to watch the other two go over to her from time-to-time to rub her belly!
Our first presenter was one of my favorites, Mary Ellen Edmunds. She was my Relief Society "teacher" in the MTC and is the funniest, happiest, up beat person I know. Her talk, "The Stuff Miracles are made of" was about how we can be a blessing to others. After the first break, Lisa Valentine Clark of "Pretty Darn Funny" spoke about how we don't need to compare or compete, but just enjoy each other and our gifts...and not be afraid to offer them! She showed a clip from her show, and I just roared - it was hilarious! Brad Wilcox followed her and he is always awesome. I've heard him speak at other TOFW, and of course, that BYU talk. His talk, "A Great Wonder in Heaven," was a continuation of the theme of the Atonement, which never tires because we keep learning and understanding more. The Spirit was so strong then, testifying about how much God loves us that He's provided everything we need to get home.
DeeAnn and I searched out Analiese to go to lunch. We could have stayed at the convention center, but the food was more expensive and most of the other ladies there stayed. We went to Taco Bueno, which is kind of like Taco Bell. We could have gone to TB, I'm sure there's one around, but then there's the Altus Rule. If we have a place in Altus, we cannot eat at that place anywhere else...go somewhere different. We don't have many options in Altus, so they get tiring quickly. It was great to catch up with DeeAnn and hear how her family is doing. She has a son near Jonathan's age so it was nice to compare notes on these new young adults!
Back to TOFW...Hank Smith had tried to do the pinkie swear on us ladies (like he did the girls) to come back from lunch on time since he spoke right after lunch, and we mostly did pretty well, but life happens and a woman on break at lunch with friends is not to be rushed!
After some more music and fun with Mercy River, Hank spoke on "Experiencing Your Plan of Happiness." He usually only speaks to the girls, but this year he got to speak to the women. He was such a crack-up; I know he was Analiese's favorite (he talked to them about dating) and I couldn't blame her. He talked about accentuating the positive and quoted one of the funniest things Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has ever said, "No misfortune is so bad that whining won't make it worse!"
Our last speaker - after Mercy River gave us a couple of previews from their coming Christmas album - was Meg Johnson...someone I knew nothing about. She spoke about "Letting the Savior be your Pilot." She is a quadrapeligic (sp?) from jumping off a cliff (literally, but not purposefully) when she was 22 years old. And she was so funny! She focused on "enjoying" trials with her uplifting experiences and amazing attitude. Those kind of speakers always make me feel a bit guilty for complaining about my trials because - comparatively - mine are nothing! And yet she's smiling and cracking jokes! Talk about enduring it well!
So, after all that, the drive home was pretty anticlimactic. We stopped at a half-price bookstore just to check it out (because there's nothing like that in Altus!), and got on the road an hour later than originally anticipated. I figured we'd need to stop somewhere for dinner, but that was easier said than done. By the time we were hungry, there wasn't many places to be found, Well, I did see a place called the Armadillo Grill, but having seen lots of those critters smooshed on the road, I wasn't willing to chance it. Or chicken-fried steak. Or catfish. No, something normal. We finally found a KFC around 7:30 and trust me, it wasn't a good one. It was a clean place, with friendly staff, but I just wasn't impressed with the food. Jonathan says I'm picky.
But another hour later, having played "Frogger" in the dark on the road (we hit at least one), we made it home. Jonathan was glad to see us, mainly because he was bored. He'd texted Analiese back and forth for a good portion of our return trip and had nearly drained my phone battery. A little talk, a little clean up and put away, and we went to BED!
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Still tired and sore (legs and feet) from the trip and, I had to play for sacrament meeting today. Ken liked it because I could sit with him on the stand. We should take our two-man show on the road...not! Staying awake and cognizant in Sunday School and Relief Society took real effort.
Then, we had a Linger Longer meal after church. Ken was supposed to get salad for me, but forgot. Luckily, the salad in my special Tupperware keeper was still really good, so with a couple bottles of dressing and that, we were good. They had a baked potato bar, but I just had salad, some mac and cheese (they always make a big pan for the kids, but the adult like it too, and I love it), and a small piece of angel food cake. Ken and I were ready to go home right after...we're tired!
The rest of my day was working on Seminary that got left to the very end. Play time is over. Time to get back to work!
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