And Another Few Days Later

And here I am.  Without pictures, though I've taken plenty.  I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out where the time goes.

I spent the week working on my Sunday School lesson (The Law Of Chastity was a tough one for me -not to live, but because it's a very tender subject and I wanted to do it justice - which I probably didn't quite), went to lunch with a couple friends, managed to make it through about 3/4 of the book Inferno in preparation for the movie this coming weekend, practiced the piano a bit and just generally enjoyed the weather.  We'd have the heat on at night and I'd bundle up when I went for a walk but by the afternoon we were flinging open the windows to catch the fresh scent of fall.

I also bought a few birthday cards and gifts, and put my lazy/dying brain cells to work trying to figure out what to get for people that we care about.  We ended up taking the Sister Missionaries to dinner when their host family had to back out (Corner Bakery to the rescue again.  The rescue?  It was me from having to cook!) And we actually went on a friday night date.  Just the two of us.  I can't actually remember when we last did that.  It was just lovely.

I've spent a lot of time reading words about the gospel from General Authorities of the church and having my soul warmed again by the presence of the Spirit testifying truth.  And have become convinced once again that one of the crucial keys to discipleship is being open and receptive to the Holy Ghost.  How grateful I am! I pray every day for my children.  And grandchildren and friends that are hoping for Heavenly help.  I hope for each of them all the best that life has to offer - which means that I hope they'll make wise choices and work hard to be close to the Spirit and remember those covenants we renew each Sunday during Sacrament meeting.

And yesterday I was so lucky to be able to play for the baptism of our little next-door neighbor.  It was one of the best ways to spend a Saturday morning.  The meeting was calming and reverent and I was so glad to be there.

All in all, it's been an interesting week because of the journey through the days that my thoughts and emotions made.

The Husband has been having cookie cravings.  Last night we indulged in a scoop of cookies at Corner Bakery - I so love those bite-sized chunks containing chocolate.  Today's dessert after our post-church snack-meal required more cookies.  Lucky for us I had a Ghirardelli cookie mix in the pantry (I remember when I'd think of a cookie mix with horror!) which took no time at all to bake and almost less time to devour.  I'm in a cookie/sugar induced haze.

I've been texting back & forth with a granddaughter.  How delightful it is to have someone reach out to me.  And there's only one more week of what feels like triple duty.  October is my turn for playing the organ in Sacrament after which I put on my teaching hat for Sunday School then back on piano duty for Relief Society.  And I've been quite vocal about the stress that it brings for me on Sundays to do all of that.  And yet, really? It's not hard to play the piano, I love the piano and the joy it brings into my life. I doubt the organ and I will ever be friends, but at least we're coming to some sort of uneasy truce though my hands still tremble every single time I have to put them on the organ keys.  And I'm still planning on finishing out the year and then being done teaching Sunday School every week.  So in all seriousness, church could be so very much more anxiety producing than it is.  I should be grateful for the opportunities to serve.  There are so many people that could serve in all these capacities much more competently than me.

I've been checking and re-checking my phone for a picture of some kind to share, it doesn't seem right to put something here on my blog without a picture or two.  But I think I deleted them all as unimportant.

I'm so grateful for a camera (phone) in my pocket to take pictures wherever I go!  I love looking for something specific and thumbing through all the memories those pictures cause. I'm grateful for friends that skip Sunday School to chat with us (on our way out of church because our block of meetings is over).  It was a delightful 40 minutes.  And because we were in the hall, there were several other friend-sightings that occurred.  (It was the most social interaction I've had all week long.)  I'm grateful for cookie mixes in the cupboard.  For something to look forward to:  Thursday! (That's when The Husband will be home from the mother-ship-office-trip.) I'm grateful that we could walk to and from church.  And for answers to prayer.