Into each life some pain must fall

1-19-13
This past week was quite a struggle.  The first struggle was back pain that followed a nerve all the way down to my left foot after wrapping around my knee.  It wasn't constant, though, it would spasm and I could never figure out what started it.  Finally went to the dr. on Thurs. and got some relief.  I have high hopes that it will get all better very soon.  My sister also sent me some exercises she does for her back and I've been doing the exercises.  Here's hoping (and praying)!

The next struggle was the annual training to do taxes voluntarily for AARP Tax Aide.  I love doing this each year, but hate, hate, hate taking tests.  We lucked out this year, though, because the test was the same as last year, so we could use last year's test as a double check once the problem was figured out, we could check to ensure it was correct and if not could figure out where we went wrong.  The questions were worded a little differently for 2012 taxes so you had to keep alert.  Did the test online and got 90 for basic, 95 for intermediate, and 100 for advanced!!  I was so excited.  Now to practice some more and get ready for the first clients on the 28th.

For some reason I've really felt the 1700+ miles between NJ and TX - it's wrenching to be so far away from Malissa, the grandkids, Alice, and friends!  I know I would desperately miss everyone here if I were there, but it's so hard sometimes.

Books - Finished reading "Window Maker" by Charles Allen who made the windows for the Nauvoo Temple!  Wow it was so inspiring.  I loved reading how the Spirit directed him at the time he needed direction.  It's so reassuring to know that Heavenly Father will assist us when we need Him to be there for us.
     Decided to not finish reading our book club selection for January.  It was "The Happiness Project" by Gertrude Rubin.  I just got tired of it. . . February book club selection is "Warriors Don't Cry" by Melba Pattillo Beals and it's about the battle to integrate Little Rock's Central High School.  March is "Ella Minnow Pea" by Mark Dunn.  It's a story about a fictional island off the coast of SC named for the author who wrote "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."  When the letter "Z" falls off the statue of this quote, the town offiials make a law that the letter "Z" can no longer be used!  Sounds like a fun book.  Can't wait to get into it!!

Many years ago our good friends Brad & Anita Colwell lived in Big Spring with their two children Chris and Valerie who were like grandchildren to us.  While Chris was on his mission, it was fun to write to him and now he just got engaged today!  I'm very excited for him.  Also, this past week Valerie left for her mission to Knoxville, TN.  I'm so proud of these kids and how they've grown up!

I'm planning to make next week better by organizing my time better - yeah, right!  :)

No Pain - No Gain

Today I began training to do taxes for AARP Tax Aide Program along with about six others.  I think this is my 10th year doing taxes.  We were thinking back and I said I began doing paper returns because computerized tax returns were still in the future.  The next year a few of us had computers and the rest did paper returns.  For the past couple of years all the returns have been completed on the computer in spite of the fact that due to individual needs some were filed via paper rather than transmitted.  This year Suddenlink has offered to install Wi-Fi for just our program so we can be online live with IRS.  The major advantage is that if we're doing a return for 2012 for an individual who's return we completed for 2011, we'll have access to the previous tax return and not have so much information to type into the return.  It's amazing how much I've forgotten just since April!  But that's what this training is to do for us.  A few of us are actually practicing the test questions, but once we're online with IRS, we'll need to complete the test online which will be slightly different from the test book we've been using.

I studied all afternoon and into the evening, then said, "I quit!"  I was just tired of studying and clueless how to figure out the tax return I was working on.  So, I'll tackle it tomorrow when we get together and compare notes.

Brother John comes back to Texas tomorrow!  I've truly missed him being here.  I'm not sure if hubby will go with me to the airport since he has a meeting at noon at a facility which is on the way to the airport.  He probably will be too tired to go back to that same area.  My chores tomorrow include going to tax training in the morning, finding a source for my Kirby vacuum cleaner bags, getting butter and OJ at Sam's, taking John to dinner, etc.  Oh, and I've got to call the other members of the Nominating Committee for board members for the Big Spring Community FCU, and call the potential board members.

And for the past two weeks I've been fighting intermittant pain in my lower back and down my left leg.  Sometimes it spasms while I'm walking, sometimes while sitting, etc.  Sister Alice promised to send me exercises she was assigned when her back hurt in a similar way.  The last time I went through this trial I was diagnosed with stenosis/arthritis in the lower spine which is probably causing the discomfort.  I had run out of my GS-500 (Glucosomine Sulphate) tablets which I take three times daily and blamed the problem on that.  But I got a supply of GS-500 last week and no improvement yet.  Here's hoping.

Sweet dreams!

2013 Goals

Our local book club is reading "The Happiness Project."  I've decided that setting 12+ goals for one year is too ambitious and I know I wouldn't be able to keep up with all the improvements.  I'm not saying I can't use 12 - or more - improvements to my personality and how I treat others, it's just I'd do much better with just a few goals.  So, here goes:

1.  Do yoga 5-6 times a week.
2.  Learn and do indexing.
3.  Be a better friend by listening to the needs of others.

In addition, there are the usual:  having prayer at least morning and evening, read scriptures daily, attend Church and fulfill my responsibilities, and go to the temple monthly.  Oh, and maybe I should set a goal to update my blog weekly.  That would be a good idea, huh.

So, to update what's happening in my corner of the world.  The end of December brother John flew to NJ to be with big sis Alice and her hubby Rudy.  He expects to return on 1/15, but will return to NJ when the weather is warmer so he and Rudy and finish their project.

I'm getting ready to re-train to assist others in doing their income taxes.  I've been volunteering for nine or ten years.  The training runs from 1/14-1/30 or so.  I love it and love helping others in this way.  It's something I can do.

I'm still transcribing notes from our Sunday meetings and mailing a copy to the inmates at FCI as well as a few sisters I visit teach when they are absent from church.

Today I spent from 9:40 AM until 3:50 PM at Lithia Toyota in Odessa for them to fix the two recall items on my 2007 Toyota Camry!!  I can't believe it took that long and I've decided that the next recall letter I get will be shredded, mutilated, and burned!!  What a waste of time . . . except I finished my book, got work done on my sister's gift, and met a friend who wants to buy one of my purses.  So not really wasted at all! 

Pictures of Brother John, R.A., & G.A.

Catch Up

Hi Y'all - I haven't updated in more than a year and it's time I took keyboard in hand and share photos, etc. Today was Capt. Ray Wallace's funeral. We've known his family since we moved to Big Spring in 1987. They moved away from Big Spring when Ray was about 14. The funeral was a wonderful testimony of Jesus Christ and the Resurrection. I'm so thankful we can be together forever!
I also wanted to include a few recent photos just so you remember what we look like!
We're looking forward to going to NJ for our grandson Gibson's birthday and baptism! What a wonderful weekend that will be.

Too hot!

OK, In my opinion 108 is too hot! It's ok for an oven to heat up, but not my car and certainly not the exterior air! It's stifling, nauseatingly hot! I'm not sure the air conditioner has shut off since I came home about 4 p.m. That's not good for our electric bill, not good at all.
Yesterday I got my nails done and a new perm, so today I have hair that looks like I've stuck my finger in a light socket or something. It will calm down, but tomorrow we're having our pictures taken - yikes!
Are you as sick of Michael Jackson as I am? Yesterday on the news there was 20 minutes of MJ funeral and etc. and 10 minutes of news - oh, and commercials thrown in there somewhere. We switched to BBC news and found out all sorts of things that were going on in the world, not mentioned on our national news. Since when is a strange person more important than national and international news? OK, so he was a great singer, actor, dancer, etc., but let's face it, a year ago people were ready to string him up as a pervert, etc.
I'll stop my gripe session now. Along the lines of gratitude - I'm thankful for big shade trees around our house. I'm so thankful to have been born in a free country. I'm grateful for my family here and there and everywhere. I'm grateful for modern communication - today I had calls on my cell phone from my sister and my daughter both checking about books I might want to read. That's so thoughtful and I do appreciate them thinking of me. I am thankful to have air conditioning. I can't believe the first pioneer wife who settled in this area without air conditioning (of course they hadn't been exposed to it) and it was still really hot and more dusty then than now I understand.
I just thought back to when we were kids living in Browns Mills, NJ. When we got hot in the summer we'd beg our dad to take us to the lake a couple of miles away. We'd take our dog along and a bar of soap. We'd all jump in the lake, soap up the dog and have a blast! Fun times.
Stay cool!

Temples

Good Evening! I'm excited because we're planning to go to the temple on Saturday. I love going there because I feel so close to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. My goal is to be worthy to be in their presence and I can't think of a better place to assist me in reaching my goal.
I recently read an article in Church News about the Guatemala Temple ground breaking. The Central America Area President Don R. Clarke told the Guatemalan saints that the temple is being built because of their faith and challenged them to make their homes a temple that all who enter might feel the peace of the temple in their homes. Another great goal!
I've been having some blood pressure issues. In spite of being on medication, my BP is still dangerously high in my opinion. Tonight it was 166/85 with a pulse of 75. That's scary. I do see the dr. on Friday for follow up.
Well, off to bed to get ready for another great day!