Yesterday I spent copying some genealogy for a friend and holding den meeting plus organizing scout stuff. Calvin was home from school sick, so I took him to Community care...he is one sick boy - coughing and congested. I went to the Chiropractor today. I know he's done a lot of good for my back, but I sure don't like him adjusting my back. I hate the sound of popping knuckles, so hearing my back pop makes me nauseous! I'm glad I don't have to go on a regular basis!
I'm back to reading my scriptures on a daily basis. But this time it's for 20 minutes - not just one chapter at a time. After reading that long, I feel like I've been infused with a peace and calmness that I can't even describe.

I'm amazed at the lessons I can learn from my own children! Today Jenny called to tell me of an inspiration she received while she was fasting and praying for a totally different reason. We had talked earlier on the phone, and had shared some frustrations we had with other people in our lives. We weren't bashing them, but were genuinely concerned about how to handle different situations with other people.
I do this all the time - if I have an upset in my life, I try to instantly call someone so I can hopefully vent and cool down, or to get advice. But in doing so, I've never been comfortable that I'm sharing a negative about another person....to a person that really doesn't need to know about that negative. I just want someone to say "poor baby" to me. But in doing so, I'm most likely putting the "offender" in a bad light to those I confide in.
Anyway, her inspiration was that we should instantly turn to the Lord, for comfort and for advice. In doing that, we're not besmurching someone else. AND we're getting the RIGHT comfort and RIGHT counsel from someone who really knows what's going on.
Thanks Jenny -for receiving that inspiration and for sharing it with me! I'm really going to work on this one!!!

Hoo-wee! I got a lot done today.....so why is my kitchen still as messy as ever?!?! I cleaned it first thing this morning, then upon cleaning other rooms, I ended up with piles on my counter and kitchen table of things that need to go somewhere else!
Luckily, Patti's kids came over for the night, so they dug in and helped me clean. The family room looks pretty darn good, and the back bedroom, which is a catch-all, looks pretty good, too.
I got the winter clothes put away, some stuff put in the garage, the food storage room somewhat organized again, the painting supplies sorted and organized, ready to be put in the garage. I even did some computer work - scanning slides and putting 3 records onto CDs.
Then to top it off, Jude REALLY wanted to do a 1000 piece puzzle. So the two of us got it ready to go on the little table in the family room.....then Jude decided he didn't want to do it anymore. So I worked on it for about an hour and had to force myself to quit to go to bed. I hate puzzles for that reason....I don't get anything else done because I want to keep working on them!
Time for some Ibuprofen for my back and to bed I go! No more puzzle tonight!

The coo-coo clock is up and running. This was sent to my mom and dad by Grandma and Grandpa Grob in 1950 when I was born. I had it cleaned and fixed and it runs like a charm. Even the coo-coo sounds wonderful! It brings back many memories of my childhood! It hung in our living room in our home in Ashton, now it hangs in my living room.

It's terribly windy today. I want so much to get outside and rake the lawn (which looks like a quagmire of dog poo), but it's either raining, snowing or windy. Maybe it's a good thing I can't right now - so I can let my back get better. I go to the Chiropractor again today. My back feels a little better, except at night - it's pretty bad!

No Ibuprofen today, but still some pain in the back.
I had a good day at the Family History Center - helping others with their genealogy, plus recruiting two more people for my Staff! I'm trying to get more people trained, so that when we are made a Regional Center later this summer, I'll have some top notch people on board.
I also went Visiting Teaching today. I love the women I meet with - we have such good conversation.
I'm trying to simmer down on the Cub Scouting program in our ward. I'm way too opinionated and negative about how it's handled in the Church. I love being a Den Leader, but I'm way too intolerant about the way people are called to serve in Scouting, when their heart isn't in it. I know I need to be patient, but I hate seeing the boys suffer from the politics of the whole thing. (Don't get me started!) I'm really trying to "let it work" without getting too ruffled!
Mychelle and Nita finished painting the bathroom today - now it's up to me to get the rest of it done. I've got to get on the ball and find someone to do the flooring.
Patti's kids are spending the night tonight - just for the heck of it. I do love having them around.

I finally went to a chiropractor for the first time. The jury is still out on this one. I came back feeling worse, which some people say that is what happens. So I took some Ibuprofen and watched a movie while sitting with a heating pad on my back. I'm supposed to go back on friday - I guess time will tell.
It's snowing/raining today - my yard is dead grass, mud, and dog poop soup!!! The dogs like it, because I won't let them go out except for a quick potty break. So they're total house dogs now until things dry out.
I'm feeling a little melancholy today - combination of weather, achy back, and life in general. There's a lot of stress being felt over world events - countries in upheaval, Japan recovering from a tsunami, our country deep in debt with a dolt of a President.
I'm just grateful I know about God and his plan for us. I'm grateful to know that this earth life is a school of learning, so that we can grow and progress. I'm grateful to know that the bad things that happen to us, the bad decisions we make, the bad things in the world around us, are the classes we are taking, so that we can be stronger each day. I'm grateful to know that our strength comes from our relationship with God....our faith in God.....or trust in God. I'm grateful to know that through the Atonement of Christ, all will be well.
I'm grateful for my wonderful family. They all have trials, every one, yet they carry on, doing their best, learning from their experiences. I'm proud of every one of them!

Karen and her father, Bud.

Oh my aching back! About nine days ago, I took a good friend of mine to Boise so she could surprise her father on his 95th birthday. She hadn't been to see him for about 3 years because she is confined to a wheelchair with MS. We did very well on the trip - her meeting with her father was bitter-sweet. He woke enough to recognize her, but he was so sleepy he couldn't really focus on her being there. She was glad she was able to see him again. We had planned on going back to see him again the next day, before we left Boise, but that morning, while I was helping her into her wheelchair, her legs gave out and she started to fall, with twisted legs! I reached out to catch her, but bent the wrong way and I heard a snap in my back. The pain was intense at first, but settled down enough for me to function again. We had someone at the hotel help us get her back into her wheelchair, then someone helped get her into my car. We weren't able to go back to see her dad because I couldn't lift her anymore. We made it home safe and she was so appreciative of having been able to see her dad one last time.
But now it's over a week later, and something is definitely still wrong with my back. I've made an appointment with a chiropractor for the first time in my life. I've always been a skeptic...but I'm willing to try one now.