We Got Abbie

Today is the last day of Spring Break, and I took care of Abbie, sweetest grand baby ever.

She played with Scamp

She read books











She check out Grandma's garden












She watched TV












And she ate strawberries

It was a great day!

Today was also G-tew's birthday, so we went to Joe's BBQ. After the girls stood in line and bought his dinner, they found out that on your birthday you get a free dinner. So G-tew went through the line with me and got a free meal that he will enjoy for lunch tomorrow.
He was going to stay home from work today and visit his favorite thrift stores, but since he was at home sick the first of the week he went to work. Which made him miss his favorite birthday wish. Our former Stake President, Pres. Huber always called all the adults in the stake on their birthday, (an absolutely amazing man), anyway he still calls and it always such a treat. I took the message for G-tew and visited with Pres. Huber for a few minutes. It made my day.

Now for the insantity going on in Washington, I found a few quotes that I think fit the occasion. Funny how they are relevant today.

Mark Twain -
Suppose you were an idiot.
And suppose you were a member of Congress....
But I repeat myself.

Robert Frost -
A liberal is a man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel.

Abraham Lincoln -
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

Theodore Roosevelt -
Every immigrant that comes here should be required within five years to learn English or leave the country.

Benjamin Franklin -
We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.

Our congress sure is working hard. We should require that all legislators pass a reading exam before be sworn into office, and take occasional pop quizzes on the Constitution.

Happy Birthday Dad

Today is my Dad's 88th birthday. I have been thinking of some of the things I learned from him.

1. Be on time. We were never late for anything, and it really bugs me to wait for other people or be sitting in church and the same people always come in late. Now I am an attendance clerk at the grade school down the street and have little patience for late students.

2. Make do with what you have. Dad was always taking old things and making something new out of it. Like our old TV cabinet, he made a chest of drawer out of it. In Wellton, he took some old poles and made a beautiful grape-stake fence. Our patio was made from some old brick he found. Now I am making jean quilts out of old blue jeans and finding great satisfaction in making do with what I have.

3. Take care of your animals and treat them like a member of the family. Dad loved his dogs and they loved him. There is nothing like having your dog curl up at your feet on a cold night.

4. If your are lost out in the desert, look for power lines and they will lead you to civilization. That may seem to be not really important, but I think Dad was telling me to always look for the source of the power in everything and I would find my way, in my schoolwork, in my everyday problems and in finding my testimony. I have always remembered riding in his gas truck and looking for the power lines.

5. To be charitable. Dad was always helping someone who was less fortunate than we were. He brought some home to sleep in the room out back. If someone ran out of gas out on the highway he would stop and give them a couple gallons of gas off of his truck. If someone came to the plant and ask for money, he would go to the store and buy him some groceries. Now as I watch what is going on in this country I realize I need to be more charitable to those that are less fortunate than I.

6. Here are a few JT'isms
If your feet smell and nose runs, you were built upside down.
If you were standing in the way of him trying to watch TV, you have been drinking muddy water.
One finger means pass the milk, two fingers means pass the bread.

7. Forgiveness is possible. He finally forgave Jan for shaking the french dressing without a cap and throwing it all over his freshly painted kitchen wall.

8. Work until the job is done. Dad worked long hours providing for his family. We always waited until Dad got home to eat dinner, but we always ate together as a family even late some times. But we knew that there was a farmer who could not do his work unless he had the gas to do it, and that was Dad's responsibility.

9. If you accept a calling from the Lord magnify your calling. If it includes going to meetings you better be there, even if the meetings are 30 miles away. Dad and Mom always gave 100%+ to their callings.

10. Love the Lord. I know that my Dad has a testimony and it has never wavered from the day that he was baptized. He has an amazing ability to remember scriptures and a knowledge of gospel principles that I have relied on many times. I am now trying to fill my own lantern with oil.

Happy Birthday Dad, thank you for the lessons.