In Praise of PA

I noticed something on TREK (more to come) that made me think of my own children in regards to their Dad. We had been asked to make sure the carts were clean before we turned them in, take a stick and clean the mud off the wheels, take the knots out of the rope etc. One of the boys mentioned that we didn't have mud on the wheels and I said that that was because Pa Pinette cleaned them every time we stopped for a break. They looked at me in surprise, none of them had even noticed. They hadn't noticed him cleaning up the campground after them, that he did most of the set up of camp, that he subtley checked with the kids to see that they were doing ok, and monitored the weather and encouraged them to eat right and put on sunscreen and drink lots of water, etc, etc.
My husband has always worked so hard to provide for the family, and did so many things quietly in the background for our comfort and safety. He works so ingeniously sometimes to serve us that I think they missed a lot of what he did while they were home. I wonder if they have any clue how much he worries about them now, how he pleads with the Lord for them. Doesn't help that mom is so outspoken either. He works constantly to take care of us all! I just want to say that my husband is an incredible man who serves daily all people that he comes in contact with, feels responsible for. His primary class, his employees, his wife and kids. . . . He is a wonderful man who happens to be a little on the shy side. And I love him dearly!!!

Young Women Secretary

I have a calling!!! I am so excited! I was beginning to feel like the red-headed step-daughter: unwanted, unloved and useless.
It's my own fault I've been without for so long. Sweet C and I had a calling together, and when they called him to something else I panicked. I complained and somebody listened and passed my complaints on to the bishopric. I always panic at something new or different, and I complain until I get used to something. I fussed to the person who formerly had the calling, because I was afraid I couldn't do it as well as she had, worried to a mom,and complained to a friend. I think it was the friend, but she is the one I depend on to tell me to suck it up when I complain too much!
The bishop seemed to think I didn't want any calling. I'm not sure where he got that idea. I've only turned down a calling once. I still think I was right about that one, (long story - essentially I felt the spirit was telling me something else) but I have felt so guilty over it for years that I wouldn't say no again. I just felt scared that I would be too hard on the little boys without C to temper my strictness. We all know how I ruin little boys.
Anyway, I have had this calling before, for 2 weeks some 25 years ago. Then they called me back to the nursery. I have actually had a small number of other callings, but most of them I only held for a week, or two, or a month, not long enough to actually get into it, before I was called back to the nursery (19 times, through all the years my children were little and I was babysitting to earn extra money and I never saw another adult for more than two minutes at a time! I so needed to be with adults.) I loved the nursery, I just would have liked to do something else sometimes. Now would be a good time to put me in the nursery, I miss having babies.
I thought bishops had lists of who was allowed to do what, since the primary president would get released only to become the relief society president and the young women president would become the primary president and I would be called to the nursery in every ward we moved to and the only difference was whether I was ward nursery leader or stake, or both.
I was so terribly excited to be called to the library! But I was librarian, ward, building and stake for 15 years. When we moved to Reno I had no calling for 8 months then was called to be librarian! Actually, while I was librarian I got to teach sunday school too, and that is what I really loved. I taught the end of the New Testament and then the Book of Mormon - course 17. I so wanted to do the rest of the scriptures before I had to give it up. That would only have been 4 years, nothing like 15. Doesn't seem too much to ask. But it wasn't to be. I was called to teach Gospel Doctrine in Las Vegas just before we were to come home. And then because of the foreclosure had to leave that even earlier than I thought. I only taught 3 weeks, but I sure loved it. Sigh.
Anyway, enough of the old.
I get to be with the young women!!! I was already going on trek. Now I get to go to class with them! I get to get to know them! I get to have a calling that isn't nursery or library. I really want to do something new. Yeah!

Bone-lazy cheapskate

My hands hurt, my feet ache, my back is sore and even my face aches. I have spent most of the last two days racing (hah!) up and down a three tier scaffolding re staining our house. We have actually been at it for two weeks, but since we are both working full time, well, you know. I had two days in a row off, and the rentals were due back. This started as a simple project of fixing some loose trim. However, as soon as we began to stain the trim it became obvious that the whole house was thirsty. Our house is entirely wood sided. We do a good job when we stain, so we haven't had to do it often, but it is a twenty year old house.
Sweet C says that not many women my age would take on a project that involved climbing scaffolding three stories high or putting a ladder on the top of the scaffolding to reach just that little bit higher. (I'm short) He is right. Most women are smarter than that. While I am, in reality, bone-deep lazy, I am also extremely cheap. I can never pay someone else to do a job that we are perfectly capable of doing ourselves, so I get myself, my husband and all the kids involved in these huge projects.
I am getting old though. Everything hurts more than it did when I was younger. The ground looks further away. Twisting myself around to reach something from the top of a ladder makes my back ache longer. I held a spray bottle in one hand and a brush in the other because the liquid is as thin as water and needs to be driven into the wood with a brush, so my hands hurt. And I was on my feet the whole time. Even in the house standing on a ladder makes my feet hurt. But why does my face hurt?

Sights and Smells of Spring

The lilacs have faded, but the snowball bush is loaded. The bleeding hearts are covered. Anybody want a bleeding heart start? They are quite expensive as they are perennial, but around here they are almost weeds. (too many babies). The Golden Rain tree is in full flower, as is the Purple Robe Locust. There are not enough English Daisies, but the regular daisies are coming on. The Johnny Jump-Ups are in bloom and the regular pansies too. I have put a few of each of these in between the pages of the phone book in the hopes that they will all dry nicely and I can make book-marks with them for the girls at the Children's Justice Center. We have been asked for bookmarks or homemade cards, and I am not a carder. I so wish I could send you all scents though. The locust is amazing!

Terrible, horrible, very bad, no good day

Yesterday I had one of those. I had an interview about something I had REALLY wanted to do, but the rules of engagement are very strict and I have simply made too many commitments in the near future, so, they don't want me. All of the commitments are good things, and things that I want to do, but I had so hoped we could work around them. I cannot go back on my word on any. Even if I did I would have to go back on my word on all. I may not have much, but I have a very strongly developed sense of duty. I cannot change my mind now and say, sorry, I'm not going to do that after all. In addition my employment future is so undecided that I can't really plan anything more after these commitments end mid-summer. I am trying to see the good in all of this, but in reality I am really down.

Tulip Festival

It's Tulip Festival Time at Thanksgiving Point Gardens. For those of you who cannot come, I thought I would give you a small virtual tour. Of course, this is only a taste. I took more than a hundred pictures, and didn't get nearly everything.

Some of the daffodils that are still out. I missed Daffodil Days, but really, I didn't miss many of the blooms.
I love this color mix.
This view is coming up the walk toward the top.

I love all views of the stream, but really like this one with the statue.
This is where the stream enters into the pond. There are usually lots of frogs here, but it is too early right now.
This is a view of the butterfly garden from the top of the hill.


I love the smell of hyacinths.
Isn't this a great daffodil!
This one is in the center of the secret garden. I couldn't show all views in there, but they are all lovely.



I wish I knew the name of the yellow drop flower.


This is the circle outside the gardens where you first come in.
And of course this is the gateway saying enter here and enjoy my blooms. I really would like to encourage anyone who lives nearby to go visit the gardens during tulip festival. It is so beautiful. They also have entertainment daily.

Welcome spring!!!

Last thursday it was a record low high of 43. We got 6 1/2 inches of snow. I took these in our yard on Wednesday.
My poor magnolia tree, where the first few flowers all froze as soon as they opened.

Some of the new bulbs I put in last fall.
I wish the color were more true to reality. Or maybe I wish reality had some blues in it. I have a blue garden that always seems to be purple or pink.

And these Hyacinths are really a very pretty pink with purple flowers around them.
One thing I have learned though. Even 20 dozen tulips don't look like much spread over the whole yard.
We went to Thanksgiving Point on Wednesday and I find that the best looking clumps of tulips are about 24 bulbs in 3-4 sqare feet. I planted them too far apart. I will take some pictures down there to show you the difference. On the other hand, I love my yard, and it is getting prettier every day. I love spring. I love the tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and other spring flowers. The fruit trees are in bloom too, and the lilacs will open soon. Smells so good out there. The grass is so green this time of year. May I suggest everyone who can take the time to go to a garden nearby.