While working as volunteers in Palmyra, we stayed in Victor. Ty's brother used to live there. The world is small, especially in the church. A woman asked me if I knew any
Conlins in Soda Springs. She knew Bart, Ruby and family. A guy asked Reed if he was related to Max
Conlin in Texas. When Reed said that Max was his cousin, the guy said he was serving in a bishopric with Max. He wanted a picture with Reed and him together to show Max. (Bart and Max are brothers) We visited with President and Sister Kerr of the Logan Temple. One day I was telling about the cooper shop when an old woman came by. She had a lanyard with a card from an
LDS tour group around her neck. I took one look at her and said, "Maxine?" She said, "Yes." I told her we used to work together at Steffen's Drug when I was a teenager. She was with her oldest daughter, who took pictures of us together. After I told Maxine who I was, she remembered Kent and me, but had most memories of Marilyn. There were many other people who asked where I was from. When I told them, invariably they would ask if I knew someone. Most of the time we knew people in common.
I've got a summer cold. Many times I come down with a cold a few days after I have been away on vacation. I wonder if it is related to the airplane's germ-filled, re-circulated air that I breathe for so many hours. Maybe it's because my toothbrush doesn't get a chance to air-dry, but is put in a plastic container after use when I'm in a motel.
Each day on our calendar is filling up. The only day we have free together this week is Wednesday. We are planning on fishing at the dam. We hope the weather cooperates. Also, the water levels are dropping dramatically. From our view of the
Wellsville mountains, the remaining patches of snow were finally gone by the first of August.
Reed's garden is doing very well. We are already tired of squash. The cucumbers are on and we expect some corn to be ready later this week. We were giving
Ashlyn a bad time about not being able to eat corn on the cob with her missing front teeth. She reminded us that it could be cut off the cob for her. Kim and Bryan always have a nice garden. Jill and Robin have also planted gardens and are learning what works and what doesn't. Our summer apples were given to Kim to use for making applesauce. We edge and mow the lawn and water it and irrigate the garden twice a week. We enjoy the profusion of color from our flowers.
I was set apart as an ordinance worker at the Logan Temple on July 27
th. I am on group 2 and will be working two days per week. A trainer spent two shifts with me to assure I remembered everything. I leave home a little before 10 a.m. and return home a little after 4 p.m. Over the summer maintenance closing the temple had many new drapes, carpets, wallpapers and lockers installed. The Brigham City Temple groundbreaking took place last Saturday.
Since the USU students will soon be back, many activities are being planned for USU 8
th Ward, in which Reed serves as 1st counselor in the bishopric. We will be heavily involved with the students, Reed very directly, and 'behind the scenes' for me. Our calendar is full. I hope we are up to the challenge. I've got to get my creative juices flowing along with learning to be patient and understanding. Reed has been attending many meetings. We will not be in our home ward after another week or two.
Jory is still looking and applying for full-time jobs. Bryan is glad to have this be his last week at
Schrieber's. I'm not sure what he is going to be doing, but he passed all the tests and has been accepted by ? the Utah corrections department ? and will be either staying in Sandy while training or commuting to Ogden. We wish them the best! Reed is also in training as a Cache County School District Substitute Bus Driver. His
home teaching partner does that and enjoys keeping busy and earning some extra money. As a sub, one can decline a route if it isn't wanted. Taking care of all the
pre-requisites before officially being hired will keep him hopping.
Back-To-School. Those are three dreaded words for most kids. To this day, Reed cringes when he reads them. When back-to-school signs and sales started appearing, he knew it meant the summer break was about over. Being on a year-round schedule, Mason, Tanner and Landon have been back in school for a week. The rest of our school-age
grandkids will be joining them within a couple more weeks. At least five of our
grandkids will be attending a different school than they did last year. Wow, our oldest grandchild, Courtney, will enter Mountain Crest High School! Time flies!
When
Burkhardts were here over the 4
th of July, Katelyn fell in our backyard. She cried and complained about her arm. The next morning when I was getting her breakfast, she was still hurting. Katelyn was taken to the hospital when she got home. She had a buckle fracture of the two bones in her arm just above the wrist. She picked a
camouflage cast for her arm.
After fast and testimony meeting on Sunday we drove down to see the
VanWagenens in West Jordan and the
Burkhardts in American Fork. We enjoyed visiting with them all. Candace is the primary chorister. She showed us the creative way she used to capture the children's attention and teach them the words to a song that day. She gave us some chocolate/
carmel brownies. Yum! Robin and Andrew have really worked hard in their yard and have transformed it. They have a new patio, trampoline area, place for a garden, sprinkling system, sod, rock wall, and vinyl fencing. Their flowers are pretty. Next year they will add more trees and shrubs.
Ashley headed for
Heber Valley Camp this morning. Our ward's young women went to
HVC in July. They all had a great time.
Mt. Logan Peak, northeast of our home
This is from the church parking lot just west of our house after the sun had been out a while and most of the snow had melted. This is August, folks! We are in charge of an outdoor pizza party for our YSA ward this evening. It has poured most of the day and patchy frost is forecast tonight in the valley.
