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.

There is Beauty All Around

This morning I biked my regular loop listening to the most inspirational podcast with Communications expert, Matt Townsend, diving into the Savior coming to the Americas in 3rd Ne. 17 and how we can follow his example by reading signals to care for the people we love.

(One example: The Savior is teaching from Isaiah and then perceives the people are weak.

Think tired and overwhelmed from all the information and unable to take in more.

He's on his father's errand and has more he needs to teach.

But he doesn't force it on them. Instead he sees their exhaustion and says he'll come back the next day.

But they don't want him to leave. 

What does he do? He doesn't continue preaching, he starts ministering.

Healing their sick, allowing him to come to him one-by-one.

He makes time to love.)

Jenny, Carol and I went to the Taylorsville temple this afternoon

and I'm so loving the shorter endowment session.

Also, attending with friends that I love is the best.

A meeting with our designer, Jason,

and then finally a moment to breathe.

(And coordinate details for the carpenters and painters to finish repairing our sunroom ceiling.)

I got a surprise visit from Sheree this evening

when she came over to exchange a beautiful bouquet of flowers from her amazing cutting garden

for a fistful of a flowering plant she wanted from my yard that she can't find anywhere else.

I took her next door to visit the neighbor's cutting garden,

and it was so fun to be with Sheree because she knows all the color names and varieties,

how to care for them and really gets excited about it all.

We talked until after dark and I had to hold my flashlight so she could

shovel up her cutting that had such strong roots she had to manhandle 

the bush to get it to let go. She's so strong, I wasn't worried at all that she'd give up.

And the Dodgers won, taking the series to Game 5!

I'm pretty sure it's because I wore my Dodgers shirt today.

Desolation Overlook

Still needing time in the mountains immersed in fall colors

and happy that my friend, Kelly H. could join me on a hike to Desolation Overlook.

We had a good talks about our missionaries, remembering learning our own life lessons,

patience and grace and tithing.

Plus catching up on our grown kids.

I love how fast time goes when you're hiking up a mountain with a friend.

The colors followed us home. 

Can't wait to watch the changes in our yard over the coming weeks.

I spent time glorious time outside proofreading,

until these military jets started doing fly-bys. 

Which was exciting the first two circles and then got reeeeeally annoying

after thirty minutes because they're sooooo loud.

I was glad Dan made it home in time to hear them though. 

I had a baby shower tonight and loved visiting with Steph B. and Steph R., 

Mimi and Natalie.

I road the Vespa over so no one can accuse me of never using it.