Last Day of Seminary

This has been the best year of seminary teaching yet. I haved loved each person in each class I have taught and this year the class was extra fun with 13 girls and 13 boys. They each brought their own spirit into the class. They got up early, and were steadfast. Amazing people!

We ended with an auction and light breakfast. It was great and the kids were so sweet and appreciative to me. The only thing bad: I was exhausted, because I went with Nancy downtown and to a concert the night before. I got home at midnight. We went to Powell's bookstore, to Whole Foods for limeade (my favorite thing) , and to dinner at Rose's deli near Lloyd Center. Then we went to see Il Divo. Once again, they were unbelievably good. Their show is so well produced. The stage design, and the blocking (where they were to be physically each moment on the stage) made it so that everyone got to see each of them sing up close. The attention to detail was outtanding. It made it that much easier to enjoy the fantastic singing. I hear they are referring to their sound, which is unique, as "Ropera". A combination of rock and opera. You have to be there, as at the opera, to fully appreciate it.

Truck and Tractor Pulls

Did I mention that we went to a benefit Truck Pull in Republic, Missouri near Alice's? We had a great time. It was a benefit for a farmer who has cancer. It started at 6 p.m. and ended about 10 p.m.. Alice was waiting up for us and asked us if we had a good time. She was cute.

Since they were playing the song about ticks that I'd never heard before over the loudspeakers, and since Jerry spent the entire trip picking ticks off of himself, you get to enjoy the song, racy as it is. It reminds me of the now extinct human flea of which people used to write about when they wanted to be racy or intimate--"A flea between thee and me". I read all about it in Smithsonian magazine.

Missouri in the Spring

We just returned from Marionville, Missouri. It was quiet, things haven't changed there much in the past 100 years. We enjoyed it, except for the storm that blew down a huge walnut tree and the ticks. We love seeing Alice and love the history of the Swertfeger Family that is there. We feel their spirits in the home that they built, which hasn't changed much since they passed on. Alice is 89 this year.

Perfectly Studying

It's windy and rainy outside and it has been the right day to be inside reading. I am getting ahead in my seminary studying. In two weeks I will be teaching the book of the Revelation of John. It has so much detail and is very cool.

Jerry is sleeping on the sofa, having spent the morning phoning about boy scout donations and going around to collect a few more. This has not been a good year for getting the needed donations. It has taken him 3 times longer that last years, and it took a long time those years. The economy is catching up with the scouts.

We will be visiting Alice in Missouri soon. She has a long list of chores for Jerry. Hope we can do them all. Going there is a step back in time, for sure. I love the quiet there. The house hasn't changed since the early 1960s and some things not since earlier than that. There is not one LED light in the place. Well, maybe on the newer TV she had to get when you turn it on. Most of Missouri hasn't changed much over the years, I guess.

Today I've been thinking about Grant, Mindy and Josie who will be moving to Washington D.C. next week. They have their hands full, I'm sure.

Our Garden Revisited

This year Jerry finished the garden boxes. Yesterday we finished planting them. You can't really see down the hillside in these pictures, but we planted 4 blueberry bushes there. I am going to plant watermelons and pumpkins on the ground there, too. I want to plant a few rows of corn, I just need to decide where is the best place. To the left of the boxes we have two rhubarb plants from last year's planting. The miracle rhubarb. Two of four survived after the dump truck driver accidentally dumped an entire load of dirt on them. It took us a few days to dig them out. My favorite thing is that in front of the fence we planted 4 lavender bushes, which will get to be nice and big. I love lavender and all it's uses. I like to weave lavender wands, too. Maybe next year we will have enough to do some of that.

Track Meets

Today I went to Veronica's second track meet. Last week I went to her first one, but had to leave before her event started. Today she did the long jump and ran the 100 meter. She was giving it her all, and was adorable out there with the other 8th graders. Heidi and I tried not to freeze since the wind was blowing directly into the stands. In Oregon, all the sports events are over by the time school is out, when it is just finally getting warmer and the rain is stopping (hopefully). I guess this is so that people can have their whole summer free. In Illinois, where I grew up and where my sister raised her children, when school ends the baseball season is just getting started and they enjoy ballgames well into August. I miss that. Here even the little league baseball is over by the time school is out in June. So that leaves kids open to summer camp, I guess. Well, since it is the way it is, Heidi and I will just have to wear our winter coats and bring blankets, as many others did.

Seminary Thoughts

It's 4:45 a.m. and I am finished with my morning routine which ends by checking the email and looking at the news on the internet. I still have 15 or 20 minutes before I need to leave. Yesterday we had our monthly inservice meeting and, once again, I was teased about coming 5 minutes earlier each year I teach. I guess this is a sign that I've completely adjusted to this early schedule. I love these morning hours of just sitting in the quiet and contemplating. I like the feeling of being ready to stand before my 26 students and hopefully lift them a bit and teach them something new. Teaching seminary is a great calling. I think of all I've had I like it the best. The love I feel for the students is deep, and the concern when they seem to be struggling in life is also deep. They are all so great and have no idea that they are. Today is Friday, and we will do some easier, fun stuff. I am going to show them a video of Gene Kelly dancing on roller skates. It always makes me happy and amazed at his ability. We all have talents, I guess we need to find them.