Thankful Thursday: Temple Workers

Today I am especially thankful for dedicated Temple Workers.  This evening I was able to attend the temple for the first time in quite a long while, and was filled with gratitude for the hundreds of dedicated temple workers who volunteer their time each week so that patrons like me can enjoy the blessings of attending and serving in the temple.  My DF and DM were temple workers for many years, and now my DMIL and many of my dear neighbors, and even my DDIL volunteer on a regular basis.  What angels they all are!  I am grateful for their dedicated service.

Press Forward and Carry On

On the morning of January 1, 2014, I was the first one in the household up and about.  I sat down in the quiet of the living room with my journal and wrote a bit about my hopes and dreams, what I want to accomplish, to do, and to be in the year 2014.   Here are the things I want for the coming year:

                Temple – Attend more often, weekly if possible

                Quilting – Finish the quilts I have started

                Promptness -- Get to work and church meetings early and on time

                Order – Sort, organize, and dispose of our stuff and clutter

                Save and Prepare -- Money and food storage

                Service and Love -- Work, church, community, parents, and family

                Scriptures and Prayers – Keep on keeping on

                Family – Support them in being successful and healthy and happy

                Finish the draft of my book

I then set up a plan of when I would try to work on each of these areas each day or each week.  And then I remembered that I have signed up to take an evening class this semester.  I’m not sure how well my plan will work.   I know it’s a lot to do.  But these are things that I want to do this year.  So, I will set my mantra for the year to be Press Forward and Carry On.  Setbacks may come along, but I will try to regroup, and make some progress in these areas. 

And, just because I like to, I went back to my New Year’s post from last year to see how well I did at reaching my goals in 2013.  I had set some goals to be more balanced and creative in my life, and here’s what I found:             

·          Painting or Drawing . . . try a portrait.

This did not happen.  I may have thought about it again once or twice.  I really don’t think this one is on the list for 2014. 

·          Reading . . . . read 52 books during the year.

According to Goodreads, I only finished 48 books this past year.  I may have read a few others that didn’t get posted on Goodreads, but they weren’t worth mentioning.  I started quite a few others and never finished them.  At any rate, it was a much smaller number than the 74 books I read in 2012.  I have decided to keep my goal at 52 books in 2014.  I know I will read something, no matter what.

·         Quilting . . . . finish two quilts.

I didn’t work on either of them.  But I did start two more.  J  Think I can finish all four this year?  Oh, and I assisted DD4 in creating a quilt to take to college.  We did finish that one!

·         Writing . . . complete the draft of my book. 

Still haven’t finished it, but I did add 21,219 words to the manuscript during November’s  NaNoWriMo.  At different times throughout the year I did a bit more revising/editing/combining of the multitudes of drafts I have put together over the past four or five years, but it is still a project that needs time and attention.  It is still a goal.

Blogging is also still a goal, especially keeping a daily gratitude blog on Random Thoughts and Tender Mercies.  I did pretty well all through the year, until December when I totally lost my umph.  For sure.  But, I am determined to get back into the habit.  I know it is good for me.  I did participate in Blogging from A to Z back in April on Creation and Compassion, and was quite successful there.  I even pushed myself to sew some new quilt blocks in the process.  I don’t think I’ll have time for that this year.  If I do, they will be simple gratitude blogs. 

·          Lose some weight . . .  somewhere between 10 to 25 pounds.

Last year was the first time in my life that I ever have set a weight loss goal.  It is completely against my nature, and I probably would not have met it had it not been for the fact that I was without a car from May through December.  I have been walking almost every day, trying to eat reasonably, and I did lose at least 10 pounds.  I think it was actually closer to 15, but I can’t be sure since I lost the planner that I was using at the first of the year and can’t find a record of my weight at the beginning of 2013.  What can I say?  I know that I lost weight, I definitely do not want to gain the weight back, and I will try to lose another 5 or 10 during the coming year.

So, Marcy, it’s all there in black and white for the world to see and read.  Press Forward and Carry  On!

December Blessings

I seem to have taken quite the December hiatus from blogging.  I really didn't mean to.  I did have many random thoughts during the month of December, and most of them dealt with tender mercies and other blessings of the season.  Some days I would begin the draft for a post, or at least a title, but I just never got around to actually writing the posts.  December is always a very busy month, there were plenty of other things to do, lots of time with family, it was my vacation, for goodness sake, and I mostly just didn't feel like writing.  Hopefully that doesn't hurt any of my dear readers' tender feelings.  :)

Anywho, I do have a very huge list of blessings that came my way during December of 2013.  I may elaborate on some of these as I do have many thoughts on these topics, but then I may someday soon just hit the "publish" button and leave the list as is.  And then it will be done.  Or not, if I decide to come back and edit or add to in the future.  So, without further ado or adu  (now how do you spell that word?  Spell check was no help at all!)  here is the December Blessings list:

 Joseph Smith
Christmas Lights
DH Company Christmas Party
Christmas Music on Pandora
Family Party and White Elephant Gifts
Uncle's Memorial/Birthday Party
Children Safely Home for visits
Decorations
Treats for co-workers
Christmas Cards and Photos and Newsletters
Snow and Snow Shovelers
Pumpkin Bread and Seven Layer Bars
Shopping Trips
Christmas Eve with the Nativity Story and Family Singing and Bethlehem supper (with white Pizza)
Santa Claus and Christmas Stockings and Chocolate
Christmas Gifts
Croissants
Pizza Bread and Cheese Balls and Crackers
Cherry Chocolate Cookies
Many Treats from friends and Neighbors
Manheim Steamroller Concert
New Camera for DD4
Car repairs
Chocolate
Other gifts and remembrances
Visits with DM and DF
Board Games and Movies and Books
The Winter Solstice!!!!  This means longer days and shorter nights (periods of darkness without the light of the sun)

And, last but not least, one of my "most favoritest" facebook finds (borrows) and shares from December: 

found on Wishes and Dishes facebook page

"I don't want much for Christmas.  I just want the person reading this to be healthy, happy, and loved! Wishing you snowflakes, friendship, and Winter Cheer!

Ford Taurus



image source

We have a 1995 Ford Taurus that has been in our family for quite a few years now.  My DFIL bought the car used quite a number of years ago and drove it for quite some time.  When he bought a newer car several years back, the use of the car passed along to DH, since it was bought for the family business.   Over the years the car has seen much use for the business, quite a few road trips and vacations (including a trip to the northwest for DS2's wedding) several fender benders, several new windshields, a new rear bumper and many other repairs.  Along the way it has been a faithful and safe mode of transportation when our two Nissons have been out of service various times for months at a time awaiting repairs or an extra car was needed for children to have a way to work.  Our daughters have spent many hours learning to drive in this car, and have even taken driving exams in it.

 Our Taurus is no longer as bright and shiney as the car in the photo above, but it has been a great blessing to our family.   Most recently DD3 has been driving it while she has been away at school.  It has been nice for her to have transportation, and she has traveled safely home in it many times.  Unfortunately, during the past year it has required several trips to the shop for repairs, and when it stalled and stranded her once again several months ago, DD3 finally decided that she could no longer afford the repairs.  Since then it has been sitting idle in our driveway. 

Just before Christmas a generous, annoymous benefactor let us know that they were willing to pay for the repairs.  So, after several unsuccessful attempts to get the car started during the holidays, last weekend DH arranged to have the car towed to our local repair shop.  As of this morning the 1995 Ford Taurus has been repaired, inspected, and is now once again legally registered with the state.  Hooray!  It was a very joyous outing this evening when I took it for a drive to pick up some bread, and cereal, and orange juice and shampoo.  Yes, ya gotta love the Taurus!