Did you say GUN?

Amberlee called this morning and asked me, "What's going on in M.?"

My reply: Oh, I don't know, I haven't heard anything interesting, why do you ask.

Amberlee: Heard any sirens or anything?

Me: No.

Amberlee: I just read on facebook from someone who just moved back to M. that she always thought that M. was a safe place to live.

I suggested she asked her why she said that. Her reply came back that her mother had called and told her to lock the doors and stay inside. The elementary school is on lockdown, and there is some man going around trying to get into peoples' homes and he has a gun!

Amberlee's next words: Oh, Mom, lock your doors and go hide in your basement now!

With my mouth hanging open and my heart beating in my throat, I just sat stunned, unable to move!

Amberlee (thinking I was already in my basement): I am going to check on something right now and I will call you right back with my report.

I am still sitting in my chair, when she called to tell me that she called the N. sheriff's office and they told her that a 10 year old boy reported this morning that a man came to his door or someone's door and it looked like he had a gun, but the sheriff suggested that it could be a meter reader, but people could feel safe again when the school is no longer on lockdown and they are searching all over town, looking for some man. I quit worrying and went back to my sewing.

The phone rang a few minutes ago -

Amberlee: Have you heard anything yet?

Me: No, but there is sure a lot of traffic in town, probably out looking still. (secretly, I keep hoping that the meter man will stop here so I can tell him to please call the sheriff's office, admit that he is the culprit, so things can get back to normal in our "safe" little town).

Then Amberlee informs me that I can probably come up out of the basement now, and she would clear things with the school or sheriff's office and report back to me. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I never did go down the basement to hide - however, I have been keeping an eagle eye out my windows.

I am sure that the sheriff is having a genuine chuckle that the news traveled so quickly on facebook from M. to Oregon and who knows where else in such a short time.

Still chuckling myself, now that I have my composure back. Love Mom - still feeling safe.

P.S. Amberlee also ordered me not to answer my front door. I must admit that it took awhile to gather up the courage to open the front door to check and see if the Fed Ex man had picked up the package that Susie left there for him.

My greatest concern this morning is my four grandchildren and my daughter who are all at the school this morning, probably shivering in their boots, pretending to be very brave.

Here is a blip from KSL.

Got keys?

We have some lovely new doorknobs, oil-rubbed bronze, good quality. BUT - beware - they open from the inside, eventhough they are still locked. So far, the only time I go out the door is when I am leaving for somewhere in the car, and whenever I feed the cat, I never shut the door AND, the other day when I had to look in the garage for the tile saw, I unlocked the door before going out AND as added insurance, I took Dad's keys in my coat pocket. Pretty clever was I. Last night, I opened the back door, went out and shut the door, fed the cat with NO coat - did fortunately have shoes on, turned to go back in, only to find myself locked out. What to do, it was snowing and cold. I walked across the street, rang the doorbell - no one home; walked to the neighbors, rang the doorbell - no one home; did not look like LaRue was home either - thought I might have to walk clear to Doran's office, but just in case, I rang LaRue's doorbell. She answered the door, wondered what in the heck I was doing all covered in snow looking like the abominable snowwoman with no coat on, but invited me right in. I called Susan who always has a spare key for our house, (Doran answered the phone and would not have been at his office) but when she arrived at LaRue's, she informed me that the only spare key she had was for the old doorknobs. Now what are we going to do. I was feeling thankful that I had not started cooking my dinner yet when she asked me if I did not know where the spare key was Dad always hides. She made me feel for it after she informed me that she had already brushed away all of the cobwebs. What a relief. I have really not ever had a need for the spare key, but I was most grateful for your Dad's foresight, however he had neglected to give Susan a new key. I could have gone out barefoot to feed the cat, left food cooking on the stove - thank goodness some one was looking out for me.

Footnote:
That happened to me once in Sterling - I walked out the door to the garage in my stocking feet to get some water we kept out there in jugs, but forgot to unlock the door first. We had to walk up a couple of stairs to get into the garage. Of course, your dad was out for his hour long walk and all I could do was wait in the cold for an eternity. It wouldn't have done me any good to walk out into the sub zero weather (it was winter) in my stocking feet and take a change on frostbite because the front door was locked anyway. I looked everywhere in the garage, in the landlord's office area for some kind of key that might work, but no such luck. I was pretty cold by the time your dad got back. Your dad found the spare key outside, went downstairs, unlocked the basement door and let me in, then proceeded to show me where the key was kept. To my chagrin, I realized I had left a teakettle on the stove with water heating for some herb tea. I am sure you have heard of burning water, but also the landlady's tea kettle was ruined, scorched inside and out.

Bathroom

The bathroom looks so wonderful. I wish you could all see it in person. These pics do not do it justice. Mom wanted me to pass on her deepest gratitude for those who made this possible.

I got a kick out of this email I got from mom today. Sounds like she is having lots of fun...

I am so lonesome I can hardly stand it. I did finish tiling behind that toilet today but thought I would die in the process. I have been waiting for Doran to make one 3inch cut on some trim to use for the baseboard on the wall behind the toilet, but he is waiting for the weather to warm up more so he can use his saw and you know me - I am not a waiter - so I found another shorter piece of trim just to put against the wall so I could tile above it the other day and did the left side of the toilet by the outside of the shower. Today, I tried to finish the tile and found that it kept slipping down where the trim did not fit - kept moving the tile back up, only to have it slip more, gouged my knuckle, got into the worst sweat ever, bled all over the place, but kept struggling working from one side of the toilet to the other, with same results - lift the tile up the wall, run to the other side, lift that side up, to the other side to lift it up again - back and forth - finally got the farthest end up far enough to slip a small piece of trim under to hold that up, struggled some more - prayed a whole bunch without ceasing. What made it so extremely difficult was the part behind the toilet where I could not reach very effectively and the whole thing was just plain awkward. After 2 1/2 hours of blood sweat and tears, it is done - it should have taken me only 1/2 hour to complete the project. I sat for a long time afterwards before I could get up to eat something because I was in low bloodsugar, ate some lunch and am now taking it easy for the rest of the day. Eventually, I will clean up the mess I made in the bathroom.

By their size ye shall desire them

Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

We have been visiting a less active couple in our mostly military ward and really love them - the "Browns". She is a longtime member, he is a convert of just a few years. He quit coming when an overzealous member took the chew out of Brother Brown's pocket and threw it in the trash. He has been in the habit of chewing since he was 12 years old and of course he was offended by the member's action. Both Brother and Sister Brown are on the heavy side and are very self-conscious about it, but we love them and feel very comfortable around them, and we keep encouraging them to come to church and get the spirit back into their lives - after all, the church is not for perfect people, just a place for strengthening and healing.

Last week, in PEC meeting, the Elder's Quorum President, Brother "Smith", brought up the Browns and mentioned that they had commented to someone that they would be more comfortable with FAT home teachers. We all just kind of chuckled - kind of a strange request. After meetings, I approached Brother Smith, and said, "I have just figured out why we get along so well with the Browns." At first he acted puzzled, and then it dawned on him what I was inferring - it takes one to understand one, and we definitely fit that category.

Sunday evening, we were invited to another members home for Sunday dinner. I walked into the kitchen and caught the Elders Quorum President piling corn onto his plate. When I jokingly accused him of cleaning up all of the leftovers, he replied "I'm just trying to qualify myself for that 'hometeaching' position with the Browns."

Love, Mom and Dad Already Qualified

The two wolves

"Two wolves live inside each of us," the old Indian said to two young men who had come to hear his wise counsel.

"One wolf is evil and destructive and hurtful," he continued.

"The other wolf is good and kind and caring."

The two young men waited for the elder sage to speak further and when he didn't, one finally asked: "How do you know which of the two wolves inside us will grow to be the strongest?"

The old man was waiting for the question. He replied in a voice heavy with meaning: "Whichever one you feed the most."

As the old Indian knew well, basic to our happiness is deciding which of our inner selves to nurture--the natural man of carnal, sensual and devilish appetite, or the spiritual self inclined toward abundant love of God. Food for either is readily available today. Certainly, the blessings of spiritual development are now as rich and filled with promise as at any time in the history of the world.
Church News week ending January 5, 2008

The viewpoint continues with some very pertinent counsel to wise parents on how to guide their children to good choices.

I love you all. Mom

This week has been kind of busy. We are setting up a baptism for a young Asian man named Chin Duble',who came here from the islands not long ago. He is golden.

I have noticed what appears to be a goiter protruding from the right side of his neck. I have mentioned this to him before and suggested that he cut out the gluten from his diet as this is surely causing it to get bigger by the day.

Sister Amazing

We met a sister last week who grew up in Walawa, Washington who told us some amazing stories of her childhood. At three months of age, her mother left her one day to go for water some distance away. When she left, her baby was tucked safely in her bed and the screen door was safely locked. When her mother returned a short time later, the screen door was torn open and there was her baby daughter in front of the door snuggled up to a cougar who was licking her. When the cougar left and the mother was able to pick up her baby, the baby's mouth was full of milk, cougar milk. The cougar was later tracked to her den where it was found that her kittens were all dead. She must have heard a crying baby and felt the need to mother her.

A few years later, Sister "Amazing" wandered out into the timbers and found a "big kitty" which she played with for a time until a stranger came and took her by the hand and took her safely home. It turned out that right up in a tree was a cougar mother, watching her play with her kitten. They presumed it was the same cougar that had nursed her when she was a three month old baby.

Her grandmother was a Cherokee Indian who was raised in the Souix nation by a couple missionary who took her grandmother and her siblings to the Mormon church on Sundays. When Sister A was 14 years old, she married someone who she thought loved her and had five children. It turns out that the scoundrel only married her because he thought her grandfather would leave them the ranch where they lived when he died. Her husband became an alcoholic, was abusive and often threatened to kill them all. She would have to take her children and go hide in the timbers. She finally took them all away for good to escape being murdered.

She often had strange Indians come to visit her to leave her strange messages which she did not understand for many years, not until she finally came to know of her Indian ancestry. She has some unusual gifts of touch and massage which people really value. She is also a gifted artist, but the one thing she really values, besides her family, is her relationship with her Heavenly Father, and her membership in the true church. As soon as she walked into the church two years ago, she knew she had found what she had been searching for and was baptized. She has such a cheerful, grateful attitude, even though she has had nothing but tribulation. She is so giving and kind.

When her oldest daughter was 14, she was kidnapped from school, taken and sold into white slavery. She was missing for 12 years, finally rescued by a policeman along with two of the four children she had given birth to. Eventually, her daughter married the policeman who rescued her and also managed to rescue her other children. She is a beautiful woman who has had to go through a major healing process and her husband has made it his mission in life to rescue other young girls who have also been kidnapped and sold into white slavery.

Sister A's oldest son is a Naval officer on a well known ship and not long after she joined the church, he was telling her about all the young sailors on his ship who were so young and he felt so badly for them and what they were going through being involved in war. She repeated his concerns in Sunday School one Sunday and wondered what she could tell her son to comfort him in his responsibilities. Someone left the Sunday School class and moments later, the bishop peeked his head into the class and motioned for her to follow him. In his office, he handed her a DVD and told her that it might help her son. He told her to open it and watch it in case there might be something she would not want her non-member son to see, but she reassured him that she would not open it. When she visited her son in Japan, she gave him a set of military scriptures, Bible, and triple combination, and the military DVD. He promised her that he would always keep those scriptures with him, but laid the unopened DVD next to his computer which he did not notice again till she was ready to come back to Alaska. When he did notice and asked her what it was, he sat right down and watched it with her before she left for home. It had such a profound effect on both of them, and they sat in emotional silence for a long time. After she returned home, he told her that he showed that DVD to everyone on his ship, then it was shared with the whole fleet, and was then being shared with the submarine fleet. It has had quite an impact. Cory knows about this DVD and shared it with us sometime ago.

What a privilege and honor it is to come to know such a beloved daughter of God. I wish you could all know her and listen to her amazing stories that she has shared with us.