Runny and sneezy have been my mornings yesterday and today. Green potatoes are the culprit. White clusters of roots and stems the size of dandelion flowers and larger were in multiples on almost every potato of the 8 lbs I had left. I was generous in removing them but here I am two days later and still having allergy attacks. Luckily after one meal, I was smart enough to fry them up with a cottage cheese container of beef tallow (compliments of Roger Eves), give them a little salt and let Molly, Lily and Izy take their turns. Just think if I had ignored the earthy flavor and finished them all. Yikes!
I wrote Elder Stephen Chipman in Argentina my first letter last night. His email address was posted right at the top right so it was convenient. His sister Sister Megan Chipman came home from NY, NY Spanish speaking in December. She was wonderful to read. He isn't. So jerky in his paragraphs. No flow. I read some of Sister Rachel Formica's blog from Saint Albans, England after I had caught up on E. Stephen's and hers flowed as well. The pain we put the boys through to be able to write home every week! I loved my letter to Stephen. I sent a copy to Lisa and Dave(parents/bishops). I am going to include a copy here:
Good Saturday Morning World,
Runny and sneezy have been my mornings yesterday and today. Green potatoes are the culprit. White clusters of roots and stems the size of dandelion flowers and larger were in multiples on almost every potato of the 8 lbs I had left. I was generous in removing them but here I am two days later and still
For real (the first one was a test)!
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3:01 AM (8 hours ago)
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Hello Elder Stephen Chipman,
This is your Uncle Skunkle. I like rhymes.
I just looked Budge and San Francisco, Argentina up on the map. Google Earth is great. San Francisco is just southeast of Budge and really not that far. I notice Argentina is covered with roads!
You are living at sea level and so the atmosphere is more dense. Also your humidity is probably high because the ocean is so close. Our sweat doesn't dry in the humidity. So no wonder you felt like you had a waterfall dripping off your nose/forehead/temples etc.
I served in Guatemala, '74-76. My mission president served in Chile which only opened as a mission in '54. Which was just 20 years before I served!
There were some areas when I was a zone leader we did not like to have to visit down along the coast because it was so hot and humid there. Mazatenango comes to mind. When we went there it wasn't as bad as I had heard.
I just looked it up on GoogleEarth and saw that no one lives on the west coast of Guatemala. There is only one small port and no missionaries worked there as I remember. So chances are the people needed altitude to avoid the heat! How interesting.
I just knew that Guatemala would not have any pine trees. Boy was I surprised. When you have mountains you have pine trees!
There was a 4 week turn around time for mail back then. Los Correos were so valuable in each town. (the post office) I wrote every week and my parents kept all of my letters so it is like I have two journals: the one I kept and the letters I sent home.
When Louis was on his mission 2000, he was in spanish speaking Iowa. I wrote him every week. He was my oldest of 6 kids and the house was way too noisy. I would go sit in the car to find a quiet place to write him and the kids would sometimes come out and bug me because they knew where I was. I wrote on colors of paper for months so since I was writing him I did not worry much about my journal. When he came back he was able to give me all my letters, colorcoded, back to me as I had requested. So now I have two sets of missionary letters.
I can't believe that here you are and there are no more letters and mail is immediate. Strange times!
Molly and Lily and Izy are my three 8 year old labrador retrievers. We go for an hour hike every day. During that time I leave vmails for my sisters and kids with my cell phone.
I went and tried to work on the Italian project at the family history center this afternoon. I have been learning and trying for the last 5 months. I might have just completed my first batch. My sister Gayelinn'72 says that is what Joseph Smith had to do before he could translate the plates. He had to study and practice writing the symbols for months before he finally really got into the translation.
I love listening to conference. I started with '71 last summer and now I am up to '83. I have never had a habit of posting things on Facebook. I have 3 daughters that use it weekly and sometimes daily. If I want to know what is going on in their lives that is a convenient way. So after asking myself, if I were going to post something what would I post? I realized conference quotes would be my forte. I posted one today and here it is:
*** ***
Facebook:
Joseph, the Seer
Neal A. Maxwell, October 1983 General Conference
"Likewise, Paul wrote that since Jesus was tempted, he understood how to succor us when we are tempted. (See Heb. 2:18; Heb. 4:15.) Yet it was through Joseph Smith that these confirming and clarifying words of Alma were given:
“And [Jesus] shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; … he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people … that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” ( Alma 7:11–12.)"
I went and tried to work on the Italian project at the family history center this afternoon. I have been learning and trying for the last 5 months. I might have just completed my first batch. My sister Gayelinn'72 says that is what Joseph Smith had to do before he could translate the plates. He had to study and practice writing the symbols for months before he finally really got into the translation.
I love listening to conference. I started with '71 last summer and now I am up to '83. I have never had a habit of posting things on Facebook. I have 3 daughters that use it weekly and sometimes daily. If I want to know what is going on in their lives that is a convenient way. So after asking myself, if I were going to post something what would I post? I realized conference quotes would be my forte. I posted one today and here it is:
*** ***
Facebook:
Joseph, the Seer
Neal A. Maxwell, October 1983 General Conference
"Likewise, Paul wrote that since Jesus was tempted, he understood how to succor us when we are tempted. (See Heb. 2:18; Heb. 4:15.) Yet it was through Joseph Smith that these confirming and clarifying words of Alma were given:
“And [Jesus] shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; … he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people … that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” ( Alma 7:11–12.)"
Vern has had issues with the prophets and apostles referring to this scripture in Alma so many times. I know these days are tough and we need to be aware that Christ has descended below all things, but isn't there a better place to show that in the scriptures?
Answer: No. I listened to this talk by Neal A Maxwell today and the second time through I realized that if it were not for those 90 days Joseph spent translating the whole Book of Mormon we wouldn't have jewels like this one. (When I hit 50 I realized I could not write a book like Joseph did at 23, of course he was writing the wisdom of Nephi, Mormon and Moroni at the end of their lives)
The rest of his talk was just as potent. He did not wax as poetic in this one, but doctrinally it is as beautiful as ever.
*** ***
So I use Lds.org everyday Elder Chipman. Do you have access to it ever?
Well, at least I wrote you once while you were out. That is better than I did for Sister Megan Chipman. And once again the times have changed!
Thank you for writing your blog each week. I love reading and remembering and relating to you.
Uncle ab
PS. I so admire and love your parents. I know Dave from before his mission and I attended Dave and Lisa's wedding and helped decorate their car. Kathy loves Dave and especially his sense of humor. I was amazed he made the BB team in High School. Lisa took care of her family like a mother for years. One awesome lady as well.
*** ***
As you can tell by the title of this post: March/golden crocus/miniature daffodils /plum n almond blossoms; it is springtime in Saint George.
I transplanted 3 volunteer bearing mulberry trees this week. Really just 2 more. I am so excited to see how they do. There is a suspense and hope and faith that come with planting. I must have worked in the yard for 5-6 hours Wednesday afternoon. I had felt so lethargic/depressed the first 3 mornings of the week. Then Thursday morning I felt bright and capable and clear, not cloudy. I suspect all those hours of productivity in the sunlight the day before lifted my depression! Nice trick. I am going to have to remember that!
I have not contributed much to HtH this week. I have already used up my splurge day for this month. While I was at the Family History Center yesterday my stomach felt too big again. My addiction to food is so deep seated! I have not settled in to that addiction recovery yet, but I am working on it.
Things I am proud of this week:
1 Almost finishing my first Italian Project batch!
2 Returning my queen size mattress cover to JCPenny when the CA king size cover came in from Overstock.com.
3 Limiting my pestering of Louis for a motel in Park City for the first week of April to one day: Saturday. 5, 7, 9 pm calls to Mareea reporting no results.
4 Transplanting the Mulberry trees. Figuring out where to put them.
5 Returning 4 books to the library on the day they were due.
6 Using the shop vac Rod owns to drain the flooded family room carpet from Saturday night. I watered the roses and forgot until I went to church to turn it off!
7 Contacting cousin Cristy and Vic on Facebook and inviting them to be friends. Cristy accepted my request. I wrote her some messages on her Facebook page after considering her 19 album pictures.
8 Being patient with Mareea's need to be on the phone with me last night. I tried to suggest reading aloud her email responses but she declined saying let's save email for email because I am getting mixed up. I felt she was meandering last night. She vented about her cell phone for a good while. 10-15 minutes.
9 Shared Mareea's impending visit/vacation/sleep over with Abe, Cille, Lot.
10 Discovering that Mareea has a shyness bone/characteristic.
Things I am worried about:
1 Getting Sindy my tax info.
2 Transferring the plates and stickers to the Aveo
3 Waiting to see how the State School Board handled my case/sentence Feb. 14
Things I am no longer worried about:
1 Printed copies of 1040 and sch A .
2 Bronco finished the transfer of registration. Amazing: Taxes were supposed to cost 142$. Transfer required no sales tax and only 150$ for new plates and everything! I found the Aveo license plates on my kitchen counter Wednesday. I called him.
Well, good enough for now.
ab
As you can tell by the title of this post: March/golden crocus/miniature daffodils /plum n almond blossoms; it is springtime in Saint George.
I transplanted 3 volunteer bearing mulberry trees this week. Really just 2 more. I am so excited to see how they do. There is a suspense and hope and faith that come with planting. I must have worked in the yard for 5-6 hours Wednesday afternoon. I had felt so lethargic/depressed the first 3 mornings of the week. Then Thursday morning I felt bright and capable and clear, not cloudy. I suspect all those hours of productivity in the sunlight the day before lifted my depression! Nice trick. I am going to have to remember that!
I have not contributed much to HtH this week. I have already used up my splurge day for this month. While I was at the Family History Center yesterday my stomach felt too big again. My addiction to food is so deep seated! I have not settled in to that addiction recovery yet, but I am working on it.
Things I am proud of this week:
1 Almost finishing my first Italian Project batch!
2 Returning my queen size mattress cover to JCPenny when the CA king size cover came in from Overstock.com.
3 Limiting my pestering of Louis for a motel in Park City for the first week of April to one day: Saturday. 5, 7, 9 pm calls to Mareea reporting no results.
4 Transplanting the Mulberry trees. Figuring out where to put them.
5 Returning 4 books to the library on the day they were due.
6 Using the shop vac Rod owns to drain the flooded family room carpet from Saturday night. I watered the roses and forgot until I went to church to turn it off!
7 Contacting cousin Cristy and Vic on Facebook and inviting them to be friends. Cristy accepted my request. I wrote her some messages on her Facebook page after considering her 19 album pictures.
8 Being patient with Mareea's need to be on the phone with me last night. I tried to suggest reading aloud her email responses but she declined saying let's save email for email because I am getting mixed up. I felt she was meandering last night. She vented about her cell phone for a good while. 10-15 minutes.
9 Shared Mareea's impending visit/vacation/sleep over with Abe, Cille, Lot.
10 Discovering that Mareea has a shyness bone/characteristic.
Things I am worried about:
1 Getting Sindy my tax info.
2 Transferring the plates and stickers to the Aveo
3 Waiting to see how the State School Board handled my case/sentence Feb. 14
Things I am no longer worried about:
1 Printed copies of 1040 and sch A .
2 Bronco finished the transfer of registration. Amazing: Taxes were supposed to cost 142$. Transfer required no sales tax and only 150$ for new plates and everything! I found the Aveo license plates on my kitchen counter Wednesday. I called him.
Well, good enough for now.
ab
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