Beautiful Fall

I got straight to work this morning, saving my walk for later when I needed a break.

Then Michelle invited me to lunch with her and Jay.

I'd totally forgotten she was coming to town today!

It was another perfect work break.

I finally finished the second read tonight and am happy to say it flows a lot better.

Of course, I've said that about ten times, at least, in the past.

But it is what it is. A learning process.

And I took my evening walk and did my exercises just like I'd planned to do.

Which is amazing, because you know how easy it is to decide to just skip it for the day

if you don't exercise in the morning.

But I had a letter to take to the post office, so I checked two to-do's off my list,

and I'm pretty sure that was the motivating factor.

Also, its our last day of warm weather. From 80 today to 60 tomorrow and 50 the next day.

Seen on my walk:

And this note on my driveway when I got home!

I'm not sure what I'm being warned of, but dying because being a kid

taunting the neighbors is so deliciously scary and thrilling.

 

Spooky Season

I printed another copy of my book after last week's revisions and started reading through again.

Its a unique kind of torture to read through the book you wrote not once, but twice in the same week.

Out loud, so you are paying attention to every word and every sentence. 

I'll text my sisters from time to time to get their input on pages, phrases or scenes.

They have great ideas!

Jo Ellen and I had lunch today which was a much needed break from working.

She's taking Claire to New York, so I gave her the keys and we also 

talked about fun things to do and then just gabbed. 

We should get together for lunch more often.

In the evening, Dan agreed to help. me decorate for Halloween.

He's never been my decoration helper before, but he did a great job

at skeleton and spider placement!

Also, I was so grateful not to run up and down the stairs carrying up bins.

And to also have help loading pumpkins into the car!

 

Nick and Bolones

I might just post a pretty fall pic every day.

I wish I had a pic of me, Nick and Dan's facetime today

because Nick was at the church eating bolones--his new favorite Ecuadorian food.

I was at home eating my salad.

And Dan was at the Dodgers game. 

Isn't technology amazing?

I was too afraid that if I tried to capture a screenshot, I'd lose the call.

So I'll just remember it in my head.

Bolones is a fist sized meatball made of pork, green bananas and cheese.

(I think they're probably plantains, but Nick said, no, they're green bananas.)

We're praying that two of his friends Yeremy and Renon will be able to go to church with him.

He loves all the children around town. They love trying to speak to the gringos.

Nick and his companion got swindled by a biker who was in his kit and seemed legit 

trying to ask them for help to hold his phone while he did a trick.

Then offered to teach his companion the trick. And hold his phone.

And Nick, try putting your phone on the stack too.

Seconds later the biker was cruising down the hill with both of their phones.

It was a pretty safe lesson for these missionaries to learn to be a bit more wary.

Nick is happy and settling into his new life in Ecuador.

I told him I pray every day that he'll find joy in serving.

Now I'll also pray for his new friends AND his safety.

He Will Be On Our Right Hand and On Our Left

On this very ordinary Sunday,

I felt full full full of the spirit and so much love for 

the gospel, my Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the gift of this life.

It's been such a good week. I've felt so productive in organizing my home life

and also making progress on my book -- which I know Heavenly Father cares about because he cares about the things we care about.

I also am so grateful for the two weeks I've had at home and many more in front of me.

After church between the Cowboys game 

(well, when we turned off the game because they got a whoopin') 

and the Dodgers game,

we walked through the neighborhood then down the street behind us
and shortcutted home by crossing the river.

Fall is magical and shortcuts across the river make it even more so.

Our Relief Society lesson focused on President Nelson's conference talk and the temple.

He quoted the Bible saying, "Please listen to this promise of Jesus Christ to you: 

'I will be on your right hand and on your left, 

and my Spirit shall be in your hearts and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.'

There is no limit to the Savior's capacity to help you...

His infinite Atonement is for you!"

What struck me in this promise is that in heavenly/Godlike culture,

Christ sits on the right hand of God and no one on sits on the left. 

The left can sometimes have a negative connotation.

But sometimes we look away from God. We look left, so to speak.

And even then, Christ is there, on our left, keeping in our line of sight until

our eyes are opened and we see him guiding, comforting and loving us however we need.

 

 

Serape Treasured by Grandma Regan

Another ten hours at my kitchen table working on edits.

I took a little break to run this leather "plate" to the framing store

so they can continue working on Grandma Regan's serape I'm having framed.

My mom found it when cleaning out Marge's attic.

She said she and my Grandpa bought it on a trip to Mexico and it covered her hope chest with her prized possessions. My mom remembers moving it each time she opened the chest to look through her mom's treasures.

It's old and the framing is costing a fortune because the woman 

has to sew it to the mat with nearly invisible thread. And the serape is very fragile.

But I think it's worth it to preserve it. They're such beautiful colors!

Words and Pictures

We made the newest brochure!

I've been getting several texts about it. So funny.

Dan raced today and I'd planned to hike again.

But the painters wanted to come by in the morning

and I decided to have a pajama day and dedicate myself to book corrections.

I finished reading the printed version yesterday and made all my notes on the hard copy.

I made it through 200 pages finding better ways to say:

laughed. whispered. heart pounded. snorted. idiot. gazed. sweet. shrugged. 

colorful. glass. piece. adverbs like slowly and carefully. and many, many other filler words.

I can tell the chapters that I wrote for classes and those that weren't reviewed.

Because even though I've reviewed them and several beta readers.

they're still full of repeated words.

***

Gooooo Dodgers! On to the next round!

 

Taking Care of Business

I've had a very productive and busy week.

The best kind where you get lots done, but the schedule isn't overwhelming or stressful.

I love this stage of life!

I've loved all stages of life!

There's so much to love about each one. I would never choose one over the other.

I went back to the chiro and he was shocked over my bruising

and very apologetic. I'm just glad that we're making progress.

He said it was the most bruising and worst old injury he's seen

(and he's a chiro for the NBA). 

That made me feel so cool.

Fingers crossed we can fix my tennis elbow.