Is It Really October?

 We're all talking a lot these days about how the calendar says October but the weather says summer.  We broke an all-time record for high heat last week.  Haven't had any precipitation for a very long time.  And the temps are predicted to be in the mid - upper 80's for the foreseeable future.  We're still bringing in tomatoes from the garden (the rest of the plants were kind of done so The Husband wisely pulled them from the beds) and even a few strawberries.  I took a picture of our neighbor's asters - they're a September flower but are now fully purple.  Maybe they're a favorite of mine because they're my birth month flower. But it's late for them to be totally flowered.  It feels odd to not be in full fall.

Pretty purple asters.

Our mums in the front that I wait anxiously for every year haven't even begun to bloom.  The buds are still so tiny I wonder if I'll see even a speck of yellow this year.  Often when we go to the beach late September - early October we miss them entirely.  They often bloom for a few days and then the freezing overnight temps get them.  This is their last year.  They are too tall and lanky and woody.  When we planted them and I decided to overwinter them that first year it was an experiment.  It turned out ok so we continued.  But they're obviously pretty well done now.  Don't have a clue what we'll plant there instead.  

Salt Lake and Utah counties now have lots of temples.  We often go to a different one - just because we can.  They are all the same in what happens there, but different in their looks and layout.  Last week we headed to Utah county to a temple we haven't been before.  After our recommends were scanned in, we stood there for a second and I finally leaned over and asked where to go since this was our first time in this temple.  Her face lit up and she exclaimed:  Oh, I love when I get to welcome new people!  I felt seen.  And not only seen, but welcomed.  Both times in the last couple years we've been to Utah county to a temple we've been treated as though they were just waiting for us to come.  That's a rarity for us, especially since we're now obviously old. In any event, it was a lovely afternoon, a (in my opinion) stunningly beautiful temple and not too awfully hard to get to. I am so glad we went.

I've been pretty diligent in following the doctor's "orders" to help my feet.  It's really mostly the right foot now.  Haven't seen much progress.  I've greatly curtailed my morning walks - distance, time and pace.  Hasn't made much difference.  Ice packs, diclofenac and elevation are very temporary in their effect.  I admit, I'm struggling.  All those years I sort of patted myself on my back for being mostly healthy and avoiding doctors and prescriptions, etc. - they're all coming back to haunt me and tell me not to feel cocky. 

General Conference this last weekend was superb.  I don't know if it was what I needed to hear or just that it was excellent, but it truly felt like the best conference I've heard in many years.  Last night, after having spent nearly 10 hours in front of the tv (over the course of maybe 36 hours) I was restless and needed to move.  So we went for a walk.  I have always loved my morning walks that begin in the dark and end in a risen sun.  Last night it was the exact opposite - full dark when we got home.  And I still loved it.  Even though I'm truly scared of the dark, it felt good to move a bit (walking slower and less far) after so much inactivity through the weekend.  I always feel safe when I'm with The Husband.

I'm grateful today for conference.  For our ability to stay in our comfy (though also aging, just like us) home and hear the words meant to inspire and encourage us.  I'm grateful to have a good podiatrist and hope for some encouragement from him today. And I'm grateful for decent shoes that don't make my feet hurt worse.  It'll be lunch out after the appointment and I'm grateful for that opportunity.  I love any meal that I don't have to prepare.  I'm grateful for a new day and the chance to try once again to be a better disciple of our Savior.  I'll keep trying throughout my earthly days.