PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN !

I don't care what side of the fence you were on during this last election, but today was occasion to be a proud American.  It was the Inauguration of Donald Trump as 45th  President of the United States.

I'm not a TV junkie who sits and watches stuff like this for the minute by minute detailed coverage of the event.  I usually find it boring and would rather read about it in the paper.  I've got better things to do than experience something second hand.  And since I would never be there in person, it would definitely be a second hand experience.

But.... Call it curiosity.  Call it sentimentality.  Heck, you can call it old age.   I watched this historic culmination of one man's journey to Washington.  Here was a man  NEVER  having held any kind of public office accept the responsibility of the HIGHEST OFFICE of the land to govern over 300 million people in this country.

I'm not saying I like or approve of some of the things Donald Trump has done and said.  I prefer conservatism, personal integrity, and public courtesy myself.  But, I am willing to give the guy his opportunity to lead the country.  And, it didn't hurt, for me, that he THREE times referenced God in his inaugural speech to our country: 1) God as our protector, 2) when God's people live in unity,      3) that we all have life by the same Creator.  And then he closed with "God bless you and God bless America." 

I am hoping that wasn't just penned into his address by his speech writer to make things sound good.  However, if we as Americans accept the challenge each of us has personally to make America great again, I believe we will certainly invoke the blessings of heaven as we repent of past transgressions as a nation.

Truthfully, it was the ceremony and the pomp relative to respect for the Presidential Office that made me feel patriotic today.   I loved seeing the historic traditions, some of which began when George Washington went to New York to be sworn in as the first president of the United States.  Washington used a Bible for his swearing in.  President Trump used TWO Bibles, the one Abraham Lincoln used and the one his mother gave him in 1955.  The Continental Army followed George Washington to New York.  Hence, representatives of the military were on display today.  My favorite was the fife and drum corps dressed as Revolutionary War soldiers.  President Trump is the Commander in Chief.  I liked to see him salute the military as they saluted him.  All that sent a thrill through me.

I wasn't happy to see so many in the crowd still protesting and raising angry voices against what they feel was a stolen victory from the popular vote.  Or, the many agendas brandished about on posters that huge pockets of people feel are not being addressed to their satisfaction.  Then I remembered.  Oh, yeah!  We're STILL a free country.  People can protest with vigor and malice without fear of reprisal or punishment.  That's a good thing!  We are definitely a very blessed people!

And the flags....!    Red, white and blue hanging on the front of the Capitol Building.  Bouquets of them springing out of windows and lining the streets as the Presidential Cavalcade slowly made its way to the White House. .We do have a beautiful flag! 

Just seeing all of them and the various branches of the military in their dress uniforms brought tears to my eyes. Even the solemnity of the Secret Service men walking alongside the limousine for the President's safety added to the ceremony.  I am glad I have this occasion now in my memory.

Yes, God bless America!  And help me to make America great again!

PS  I was totally impressed with the modest and simple powder blue coat/suit Melania Trump wore for the ceremonies.  With matching gloves, even!  Very tasteful.  No sleeveless....yet!

WALTZING DOWN THE BEAUTIFUL BLUE DANUBE

                   

                              VIENNA                                                            

A brochure for Viking River Cruises came in the mail the other day.  But instead of wishing that we could do something like that--but can't because it is too cost prohibitive--we really went out on a limb and booked a cruise.  After all, it is BOGO--but only until the end of January.  That spells big money savings         when it comes to this kind of a vacation.

My vacation award with United is the last two weeks of May.  That is not changeable.  I chose that because Mackson is graduating from high school at 2 pm on Thursday, May 25th.    Louis gets about four weeks for anything he wants--sick, vacation, personal time.  However, his time isn't set in stone a whole year in advance like mine is .  But we did want to make sure we are around                   for Mackson's new beginning.

So, we decided to do a river cruise on the Danube.  I will have to finagle days off, though,  from the 12th-16th in order to make everything work.  We will begin May 13th and spend three days in Prague before the cruise, then we will begin the cruise on May 17th in Passau, Germany, and spend eight days going east from there through five countries, including stops in Vienna and Bratislava before ending in Budapest and coming home on the 24th from there. Just BARELY in time for Mackson's graduation on the 25th.  Whew!

I decided to take the money out of my 401K.  I could have spent the same amount to pay half of the loan I financed for my new car.  But....I looked at all the pros and cons of VACATION vs. PAYING OFF MY CAR.  The vacation won.                     For better or worse.

And it is MY kind of vacation.  No beaches.  No sand.  No hot, humid weather. No tropical sun.  No bathing suit.  Since it is May, it could be cool.  Cold even.  And rainy.  But I know how to deal with those kinds of contingencies.  Another layer.  A warmer sweater.  Hot chocolate. Dry shoes.                                      Hey!  I can do this!

You may think it irresponsible.  And probably it is.  Just wanted to see how the rest of the world did their vacation time.  I think it's going to be fun.           Interesting, at the very least.

Dancing school, here we come!

TWO DOLLAR TREATS...

I was at WalMart today.  The place is cleared out and aleady showing major signs of Valentine's Day pressure to buy chocolates, stuffed animals, fancy pants pajamas and anything else that can have a heart stamped on it.

Not interested in that--yet.  Just wanted to get the soap, eye drops and mundane items I needed.  But, I thought it wouldn't hurt to walk all the way to the opposite end of the store and check out what they had in the garden department. This is the time of year when green house plants start showing up.  I need some replacements

 Black thumb that I have, some of my favorite little friends didn't make it to a new year.  We had a lot of warmer weather for way longer than usual.  That kind of screwed up the temperature in the house.  One trip I would come back and my plants would be drooping because I hadn't watered them enough before I left  in order for them to survive in the still warm days of October and November.   Then I would monitor the plants and make sure I watered them especially well before going on another trip--only to come home and find out that I had actually drowned them.  It was a see-saw like that for several weeks.  Finally, most of them succumbed to the "black thumb death".  I cannot win!

So, there went the delicate ferns, some of the really unusual cacti, the miniature poinsettia plants I got last Christmas--those two were doing soooo well after I had pruned them, nurtured them, and let them begin all over again.  Gone.  Gone.  Gone.  It was like I had lost some of my best friends.

But there, just inside the glass doors to the garden department at WalMart--and almost all alone in that now empty and cavernous area of the store--a whole display of cacti.  I'm not interested in those bigger yukky desert blobs that look like barrels or stumps or paddles all with gaudy singular blossoms poking out from  needle-like things that prick fingers, toes, and dog feet if you get too close.  We had those in the backyard at the Secrest Court house.  D.R. could tell you a thing or two about needling.

                                                

However, on the bottom of that display was a huge tray, maybe 48, tiny little cactus plants in pots barely 1.5 inches across and maybe 2 inches deep.  Nothing fancier than the basic Mother Hen and Chicks, and the other standards--no "String of Pearls" or the wonderful one that looked like a stalagmite which I managed to drown.  No, these were mini miniatures, each complete with a cellophane sheaf encasing it just like a bouquet of flowers comes from the florist.  Rainbow Mix from Rocket Farms in Half Moon Bay, California, they cost just two dollars each.  I bought five and a small clay saucer to showcase three of them in my kitchen window.

It might have been all of 5 frigid degrees outside, but I walked out of WalMart with a smile on my face that would melt an iceberg. 

It's the little things.....

TEMPLE VOLUNTEER...AGAIN

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

I was set apart today by President Max E. Lehman, 1st Counselor in the Fort Collins Temple presidency, to be a volunteer service person.  My first responsibility will be as chapel organist prior to the Endowment sessions, and second, to assist in the temple office with any clerical work such as recording ordinances and transcribing the Prayer Roll recording.

President Lehman called me the other night and said he had my name in front of him as consequence of information submitted by my bishop and stake president as recommendation to be an ordinance worker.  I told him I had left my name with the temple secretary in reference to any organ volunteer program the temple might be putting in place because I had played the organ at the Denver Temple.  However, since I still work full time, and have a very erratic and irregular schedule as a flight attendant with United Airlines, I am not in a position to have a regular calling as an ordinance worker until I retire.

President Lehman was okay with that. Told me to come in on my day off this week and he would set me apart as a volunteer.  He also told me he had only seen one woman ever play the organ--once--but that whenever I was available I could come in and play the organ. 

Today during my meeting with him, he told me that since I wouldn't be playing probably more than 30 minutes to an hour when patrons were in the chapel, he would put down on my information sheet that I would also be able to assist in the office for the other amount of time I was there. And...if the baptistery were especially busy, I would record ordinances there, as well. 

It was a very good visit.  The blessing President Lehman gave me underscored my willingness to serve and share my talent in building the Lord's Kingdom here...that it takes all kinds of different work to accomplish that.  Then he told me to become familiar with Chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel and study in depth--as the missionaries would, over time--how I can better develop Christlike Attributes. He said that temple work means a lot of scripture study.  That there are wonderful promises directly connected to temple service but the key is scripture study and becoming more like the Savior.

I'm beginning to feel more comfortable at the Fort Collins Temple now.  I have been every week except one since the opening after the dedication in October.  I have attended Endowment sessions.  And I have done a lot of Initiatory work.  There is a need for a LOT of people in Initiatory, and sometimes I am the only person so I am allowed to do far more names than the few we were allotted at the Denver Temple. 

The procedures are different in some ways than the Denver Temple.  Far more relaxed, like there is no set way to fill up the chapel or even leave to go to each of the instruction rooms once we are ready to begin.  My counselor, who is an ordinance worker on Wednesday nights with her husband, tells me they don't have to stand the whole time they are assigned to the Celestial Room or the Grand Hall or the entrance either.  They can sit even if there are people in there.  Plus, Jana's favorite, they can cross their legs at the knees instead of only being able to cross their ankles when they are sitting. 

Still a lot of new beginnings for a great many of the ordinance workers learning the blessings, etc.  There are a ton of nervous people!  And a lot of starting over to get it right.  So, that takes longer.  Also, each of the instruction rooms holds 76 people, so just dealing with that many more people takes longer, too.  That's why there aren't as many sessions during the day.  Last week I was in the very extreme corner of the very back row--the very LAST person to go through the veil.  It seemed weird to have all the workers standing in line waiting until the last patron (ME) left for the Celestial Room.

Anyway, I now have directions to visit with another temple matron--her husband  is the 2nd counselor in the temple presidency.  Sister Stock knows the temple organ and will show me how it works.  I'm sure it is way more sophisticated than our chapel organ, though probably the same kind. Allen.   But the Stocks live in Wyoming and weren't at the temple today.  (President Lehman explained how they rotate so only two of the presidency and matrons are there every day.)

I am looking forward to my new assignment.  In the beginning I will have to coordinate my days off so they align with the days the Stocks are at the temple so I can be instructed.  Maybe my opportunity will be the beginning of a modest volunteer program for other organists who would like to participate in the temple that way, too.  I always thought it such a special privilege to serve the Lord by playing prelude music in the temple.  It has a profound effect on setting the stage for a wonderful temple experience for those who are doing Family History work for their own family names as well as for those who are doing names in the temple file.

It had been snowing lightly for two days.  But because it had also been so cold, everything looked more like it was dusted with white.  However,when I came out of the temple it was snowing hard.  The ground was covered with a white blanket that literally covered everything and made the temple grounds and the surrounding fields look so pure and lovely! 

But I can assure you, there was NO blue sky today!  It was pure snowstorm!  And that was okay, too.  I knew I was in a safe place, and I would get home without incident.  And...I did!