Relief Society General Conference

Karen, Summer and I went to the Stake presentation of the RS General Conference. The Madison Stake had a nice dinner prepared and program and then we went into the chapel and watched the conference. The Relief Society General Presidency spoke plus President Irying. It was a very spiritual meeting. There were about 120 plus sisters there.

Summer had called Karen for a ride earlier in the day. I tried to call her, but got a busy signal, but we stopped by her house since it's on the way and picked her up. It was nice for all three of us to be together again.

The choir sings tomorrow. It'll be my first time to play for the choir in a church meeting. I know the music but I get very nervous at the thought of playing. I've lost my self-confidence and hope it will come back the more I play and practice.

Thursday

Carrielee was 30 minutes late for her piano lesson and we didn't have time for it since I had to leave the house at 10:45 AM to get to Karen's at 11:00. It takes us about an hour to feed and water all the animals. We had a temple trip that afternoon and Summer was able to go. We had a great trip and a nice evening in the temple. Got home at 12:05 AM and got up at 6:30 AM too feed Danny Boy and the cat one last time. Then over to feed Ken's animals.

Now, it's Friday. I got up at 6:45 and fed the horse and cat, then got ready to go to the senior center. I helped Karen feed the animals and got home in time for lunch. I took a short nap after lunch and didn't do anything much after that. I should have practiced the piano. I will get up tomorrow and practice in the morning. There is a General Relief Society meeting broadcast tomorrow evening at the Madison Ward building. I think there is a dinner too. Will be going to that.

Wednesday

Led the exercises at the senior center and then stopped by the pharmacy to pick up an Rx and went to the Fitness park and walked three times around the track or trail. Sometime, I will increase it to four times around. Right now, three times around is enough.

Saw Janet today and she had a young woman with her that was going to be a personal trainer and she watched my work-out. I went on to Walmart afterwards. It wasn't too busy but I still like to go in the mornings.

We watched a Glen Beck program called The Project tonight. It was all about Muslim infiltration of our government. I wasn't surprised because I've felt something was going on, but couldn't put my finger on it. They are trying to destroy the United States from within. It's the secrete combinations mentioned in the Book of Mormon. It will destroy our nation if it is not stopped. Glen Beck is doing a good job of warning people of what's going on in our society.

Beautiful Fall Weather

The weather is so nice. It's not too hot and just cool enough in the morning to need a wrap but warming up by mid morning where the wrap is not needed.

Went to feed the animals and we cleaned out the pen where the 2 month old chickens are kept. I got the food ready and Karen got the water. She caught each chicken and put them in a pen before she cleaned out the pen. We put fresh shavings in and hooked the light in another place and they were set. It's fun to watch the horses and goats and ducks and chickens eat the feed. We get through in an hour.

I'll go food shopping tomorrow after exercise. We need some meat to eat. I thought about getting some chicken and maybe pork chops. This NG diet without wheat bread, leaves one hungry and wanting for something else. But it'll keep me from eating cakes and cookies, etc. We do still have some ice cream in the freezer and it is chock full of calories but it is so good! That's one of the reasons I've gained weight. That and pancakes I ate at when the neighbors got together and all ate out together. Mary Kate said she might buy the non gluten flour I bought but haven't used.

The Usual

I did the usual Monday things plus helping Karen with the animals. I enjoy feeding them. The miniature horses and goats are hungry and crowd around me as I walk to the different bowls to put feed in. Two of the goats are friendly and will come up to you and let you pet them. The ducks are brown colored for they swim in muddy water. Ken is too kind- hearted to kill any of the ducks or chickens to eat. He needs to get someone else to do it so he can have lots of meat in the freezer. Maybe they are all pets to him.

The weather is really nice now. It's in the 80's and not too hot. The grass will stop growing in a while and we won't have to worry about that.

I ordered three pull overs from Land's End but they were too long for me. They fit otherwise but I didn't like the way they looked on me. I'll take them back to Sears tomorrow when I go to town to get some groceries. I ordered a white shirt from them and it was okay. A bit thin but acceptable.

Feed Day

I fed Danny Boy and the cat and went to Karen's at 11:00AM. It just took us 30 minutes today. It's fun to feed the animals. We took two goats  to be staked out and to feed on the green grass.

Today was Stake Conference but I didn't go. I had no one to ride with or ride with me. Karen's cold is better. Now, Frank has the sniffles and says I brought the cold home to him. I hope not. I hope he won't get as sick as she was.

Feed Day

I got up at 6:30 AM to feed the horse and got back home in about 20 minutes. I got ready too go to the senior center and got there and no one was there except two of the regulars. The center was having a picnic for the seniors at the park and I guess that's why there were no one there for the exercise. I left at 9:00 AM. I went to Karen's at 11:00 AM to help her with feeding their animals. She was still suffering with a cough and cold. We feed and watered the animals in about an hour. She said it took her two hours the day before. I killed a rat where the chickens were. It was the size of a tennis ball and was caught in a trap. It had it's front paw caught and I killed it with the broom handle and Karen finished it off with a shovel. I came home and started cooking.

We were out of beans and goulash and I ate a rice cake with peanut butter for my lunch. I cooked beans and goulash so now we are set for the next few days. Frank wants something solid to help him not be hungry so I'm going to get some chicken and pork chops. We don't eat much meat and meat would be good once in a while.

Tomorrow is the adult session of Stake conference. I hope Karen will feel like going. If she doesn't, I probably won't go. They said to be sure and car pool since there aren't enough parking spaces for everybody.

Appointment

We had a dental appointment at 2 PM in H'ville. We had missed an earlier  appointment because we forgot to medicate. Since we both have had joint replacements, we have to take an antibiotic before we get our teeth cleaned. We were sure to take our pills before we went today.

Tomorrow, I start feeding Maryleen's horse, Danny Boy. She and John and family are going to the beach-Gulf Shores, I think. I will get up at 6:30 AM and go down and feed the horse and cat and then come home and get ready to go to the senior center. I told Karen I would come over tomorrow and help her feed Ken's animals. I'll go at 11:00 AM. I don't know how long it takes to feed everyone but with both of us doing it, it shouldn't take too long.

I started writing down the things I eat during the day and adding the calories up. 1/2 cup of ice cream is 240 calories. This past month I have eaten ice cream several times and I'm sure it was more than 1/2 cup. No wonder I'm gaining weight. I have to figure out how many calories the goulash has because I eat it every day. 4 oz of hamburger is 300-something calories plus the beans and tomatoes that's in it. I will have to make an educated guess on the goulash.

I will try to walk after the senior center, but tomorrow or as long as I'm helping feed the animals, I don't guess I'll be able to do it.  

Cool Weather

A cold front that brought us all that rain, over 2", settled in today. I wore a jacket to exercise but didn't wear it again. After exercise, I stopped by the park by the Wellness Center and walked for 15-20 minutes. It was 9:30 AM. It was fun and different. I'll try to walk after each exercise class to make up from not going to Curves anymore.

Since we go to the dentist tomorrow, I had my workout with Janet today. Next week is the temple trip and I'll have to see her on Wednesday again.

Ken left town today and I told Karen I would help her with the animals while he was gone. She's had a cold but she should not be contagious by Friday. I have to start feeding Danny Boy Friday. I'll have to get up at 6:30 AM to feed the horse and get back home to get ready to go into town. Then, I can go over to her house and help feed the animals.

I got a hair cut today. It was starting to grow out, and probably looked good, but I knew I would have the shears out soon cutting away and decided to let Kari cut it. It's short, but it'll grow.

Shopping

I went out today shopping. I first went to Goody's. I found a black sweater-like wrap that is light weight and has long sleeves and will be good to wear to church when the weather gets cooler. I also found a pretty aqua pull- over that was on sale for $9.60 and I got it too. I got the old timers 20% discount and was pleased with the cost of my purchases.

I went to Walmart for groceries and on to CVS pharmacy to get a new product for cuts and scrapes but they had sold out of it. I went to Publix to get some 15 bean soup. I got 9 packages of it. We're getting low on our milk supply but Walmart only had one package and I didn't think about the milk when I was in Publix.

We had Relief Society tonight and I went. It was about preparing for conference. Stake conference is this Sunday and General Conference is October 6-7th. There weren't many sisters there but I was glad I went. I got something out of the meeting. I will look for a theme in the conference messages now. In General Conference, none of the talks have been assigned. Each speaker prays and is inspired on what to talk about. Sometimes I forget about that. We are actually hearing the mind and will of the Lord during conference. Sometimes I take notes, but I can listen better if I'm not trying to take notes.

Rainy Day

I went out to the senior center and then came home. I rode the bike for 20 minutes and worked out with weights and tubes. Even got the ball out and used it. I then practiced the piano for about an hour. I need to practice more today but I don't think I will.

It started raining about 3:00 PM and has been raining almost 2 hours. We've looked a the several streams that flow on our property when it really rains hard. The woods will be a marsh by now.

I'll go out tomorrow grocery shopping and may go to Goody's to look around. I ordered 3 pull overs from Land's End today for I've gotten too big for my old ones. I hope the regular L's will be big enough.

Karen called this morning and said not to come over today for she was sick with a cold. She was fine yesterday at church. Ken is going out of town Wed for 2 months and I told her I could help her with the animals if she wanted me too.

Another Friday

Led the exercises and then went to Curves and resigned my membership. I hadn't been in two or three weeks and I didn't look forward to going back, so I resigned. I dropped some things by the Salvation Army and then went home. After I got home, I realized I needed to go back to Walmart and get a wedding card for Kirsten Hughes. I got a card and a desk file to put my receipts in when I order things online and a matching cup holder. My computer desk looks pretty organized since we got the old PC off of it.

A Privet plant that I was pruning to be a tree in the front yard will need to be cut down. I have one the the lower orchard that I groomed like that and it is a very large and tall "tree". I need to do some pruning on it because some of the branches are hanging down too far. Maybe when the cool weather comes in. If I don't cut the one in the front yard down now, it will outgrow it's place and probably take over the road. It seemed like a good thing to do at the time...

Mr. Sims is here cutting the yard. After the tree leaves fall, we'll have to get him to come rake them up by the road and clean out the drain pipe that runs under our drive way. I didn't rake them up last year and they have almost clogged up the pipe. It's bad to get old. It's hard to admit that there are many things that one can't do anymore. Yard work is on my list. 

Work Out

I got up early to see if my piano student was coming. She didn't come but I practiced the choir music during that time. Then I cooked a large pot of goulash. I waited around until it was time to go to Janet's to work out. I enjoy working out with her.

I called a tree service that said they trimmed shrubs, too. I have some big evergreen shrubs that I think need trimming. Frank likes the way they look but I'm afraid they will overgrow where they are planted. They've already overgrown the Rose of Sharon that I planted near them. I've seen some plants in a field off of Hy 72 that look like them and they are huge! They might be like the arborvitae plant that grew into a tree that ate the south side of the house. We had it cut down.

Don't Know What Happened

Yep, just don't know why I didn't write for two days. Being Wednesday, I led the exercises at the senior center and then came home and met Ann to go VT. We saw Mary Lou and Karen. Ann said she would go see Glenda and then we will have to see Joy. Being the Relief Society, she really needs her VT. We have to see her in the evening.

Linda Harris called today to say that Becky Harris had died. She had Alzheimer's disease. It was a shock to hear. She was just 65 years old.

I finally took the dead Zinnias to the burn pile. I still have Marigolds blooming and another plant clinging to life. I think I'll transplant the butterfly bush that's growing in the big pot with the Maple trees to the place out front where the other butterfly plant died. Maybe I'll wait until everything goes dormant so I won't have to water it so much. I don't really have any desire to do yard work. I guess I've just gotten too fat and lazy! Hardy-har-har as Mary Kate would say. 

Baptism

We had a baptism at the church today. A lady who had been coming to church with the missionaries was baptized. It was a sweet service. Her husband is a Buddhist and he was happy she had found what she was looking for. He dressed like everyone else so he didn't stand out being a Buddhist. There was a nice crowd there and refreshments were served. I'm glad I went. It's good to mingle with the members.

After I got home from church, I started the laundry and practiced the piano while the clothes were washing and drying. Frank did his weekly pills and I started vacuuming the floors. We had to vacuum the air filters too. It had been about two weeks since we had done them. It's good to have clean floors. I didn't mop.

I was looking out the window of my bedroom while I was closing the blinds and saw a Privet plant that I'm trying to train up to be a tree. I pruned it in the Spring but it needs pruning again and I thought how I didn't want to do any yard work. Maybe as the weather cools off, I'll have the desire to do the pruning. I guess my days of yard work are over. After the leaves fall out by the road, we'll have to pay someone to rake them up so the drain that runs under the road won't get clogged up like it did last year.

New People

A couple from the church came to exercise today. Annie and Buford came and joined in. They are moving into town and said that they would coming to exercise regularly. They did live on Shaw Rd out here. It was good too get some new people in to exercise. They are also Ward missionaries.

There's a baptism tomorrow at 10:00 AM. An adult lady the missionaries have been bringing to church is being baptized. I will go. I hate to miss my Saturday sleep in, but it's for a good cause. I'll still have my Saturday laundry to do when I get home plus my piano practice.

Trudy and Sadie came over for lunch. I made the chicken salad with the grapes and pineapple chunks mixed with vanilla yogurt, plus fresh broccoli and cauliflower. I had some Ritz crackers for them to eat the chicken salad chunks with. They didn't stay long for Sadie and her Dad had a father/daughter camp out at the church campgrounds tonight.

No Curves

I drove Frank to H'ville for a Dr appointment in the morning and had a workout with Janet at 2:30 PM.

My Zinnias are dead and their pots got blown over in the wind storm we had last night. I need to take the pots to the burn pile and pull the plants out of the pots and then clean them up for next year. I don't know if I'll have any outside plants next year or not. They were pretty, but I didn't enjoy caring for them.

The Dr poked around on Frank's hip joints today and made them more sore. This was supposed to be a "good" day but he's ached a lot in his hips and legs.

Things

Went to exercise but didn't go to Curves. I had some cooking to do and got that done by lunch time. I didn't have much to do today. I did practice the piano for an hour. If I can keep this up, I'll be able to play all of the choir music when it comes time.

Mr. Sims is here cutting the grass. We had the old Honda's battery on charge all day. Seems like the dome light was on and drained the battery again. When it gets charged enough to start, I'll go straight to Walmart and get a new battery.

It was hot and humid today with temps in the 90's, but the weather is getting somewhat cooler. I have some dead flowers I need to clean up and put on the burn pile. They're almost all dead now and it's a chore I need to do.

Tuesday

I went to town to the bank and by Walmart for some groceries then came home. I stopped by Lou's place with one of my new bra's that was coming unraveled. This is the second bra that has done this. They cost about $40.00 each and should be good enough to not unravel.

I cooked a pot of beans and a cabbage. I usually cook the cabbage in the pot that I had the beans in but this time I cooked the cabbage in the microwave. It didn't get cooked enough the first time I cooked it, so I had to cook it again. I won't use the microwave again for cabbage. Broccoli cooks just fine and so does cauliflower. I guess the cabbage is too tough and needs a longer cooking time.

I've given up on being an indexer. It must be my fear of the computer that puts me off on doing it. I really don't have a good feeling about doing it.

Labor Day

We didn't do anything for Labor Day. I had scripture study with Karen and I practiced the piano for an hour. We were to vacuum the filters today and dust Frank's room but we haven't done that yet. I worked out downstairs. Did 20 minutes on the bike and lifted some weights and used the bands. It would be nice if I did this every day but I am lazy. The thing I like best is to lie in my bed and read. Not much effort exerted that way.