November 30, 2022

 I missed the previous week, so this blog post will cover the last two weeks.

 I have gotten all my outdoor and indoor Christmas decorations up during the last two weeks and I received the children’s Christmas gifts from Hawaii and mailed the USA gifts on to them. The Hardy family got my outdoor lights up and I did the little trees by the front door. I have made my first batch of spiced almonds but need more Costco nuts to make some more. The tree and I almost toppled over as I was moving it, but I made it and it looks beautiful, even Sayde complimented me.

Liza and Sayde made a quick trip down last weekend  in order for Liza to attend the Temple and both Liza and Sayde to attend a play on Saturday afternoon with the Hardy Family. Liza was not feeling well on Sunday but drove home over snow covered mountain roads. I gave her vitamin C, Tylenol and lemon, honey tea before they left and then I prayed.

We received ice pellets Sunday evening which melted enough to stick together and form a sheet of ice. Yesterday afternoon and thru the night we had a snowfall of about 7 inches. My neighbor Marie had put salt on my ice and tried to get it off my driveway. Cindy and Paul came to shovel and salt a little later and my neighbor Kirk did one more shovel in the evening. Jean and a friend shovelled the worst of the snowfall off my driveway and sidewalks early this morning. I am very blessed and people are so kind. I shovelled a patch for Kona on the back turf as she has been struggling to go to the bathroom in the deep snow that now comes up to her tummy and as a result of that, having accidents in the house.

Our dear little Deborah Acor came to visit me this week and we had a lovely visit and a good cry. She misses Tom too. Jane Komm came for lunch the last Wednesday while Ron served in the Temple and brought me lovely flowers. We have people coming and going and dear Kona tries to keep up. Jean has recovered from covid and is back to her activities and shovelling my driveway and walks.

My furnace started to sound funny the beginning of last week. David Bigler diagnosed it and I called the repair people. It completely broke down two days before the repair man came on Friday but it is up and running now, thank goodness, with the change in seasons and temperatures.

I drove Sam to work one day last week and Trish came to cut my hair. I continue with my YW calling and my Temple calling. I have been asked to replace Sandy Anvik as coordinator for the female LOWs in the new year when Sandy moves to Lethbridge to be near some of her children. I am excited to fill that responsibility but will be busy.

We are still looking for someone to care for Kona and Buddy while we are in Australia for Christmas. Cindy wants someone to come to her house and care for both dogs. We need to get that settled soon.

I am still getting all our business affairs transferred to me and Cindy and Paul came over one day to help me work on my church donations and reimbursements. My utilities are pretty well under control now and Phil and Eric have been helping me with other things. Tom did so much and he is missed in every way and on every level.

November 16, 2022

 Kona did well in the winter weather of Kelowna. We enjoyed being with the family and I really appreciated Brendon checking my teeth. I have been concerned about having them taken care of. November 11th was a school holiday and Brendon doesn’t work on Fridays so I flew out early Friday morning. Liza arrived home on Saturday.  It was a smaller plane and Kona seemed a little more concerned. I thought perhaps her ears were bothering her more. She has done well though, both flying and being at the Burgess home. 

We arrived home in time for us all to get to my parents’ cemetery  before 11 o’clock. The Hardy family then took me home, raked my leaves, put my Christmas lights up and took me to WhiteSpot for a late lunch. I am a lucky grandmother. Kona was happy in Kelowna but she was excited to be home.

I did my Temple Shift on Saturday. I helped a young girl from Bellingham go through the Temple for the first time. The Hardy family checked in on Kona. I did my tithing declaration with the Bishop before church on Sunday. Brother Chan contacted Salt Lake for me to determine how much Tom had paid in Fast Offerings and when he had stopped paying. He had remarkably paid the first four months of the year and been even more generous than I had expected. He kept doing everything he could until he just could not. He was and is remarkable. My neighbor Jean came down with covid and I made her some turkey burger soup and dropped it off at her door. Jane Komm came to visit me today while Ron served as sealer in the Temple. I made her lunch and we had a nice visit. She brought me some lovely flowers. I attended my own session at the Temple yesterday and Cory Wanner told me he felt Tom was watching over our Temple and that he felt Tom there, just for moment, yesterday. It made me cry and he apologized but no one should apologize for causing me to cry. It is part of almost every one of my days.

I am grateful for the kindness, love and support of family and friends. When difficult times come in life suddenly there is a multitude on both sides of the veil holding you up and you realize how blessed you are.

I am just praying for assistance with my pre authorized payment of some of my bills. I think they are in limbo between Tom and myself. I have faith that things will get settled. Being late with bills has not been part of our life and my faithful husband saw to that. I made sure bills were paid at the office. I am not good with online things but I am trying and trying to get my life in some kind of order but it will never totally be right until I am with Tom again.

November 9, 2022

 I am in Kelowna at the moment helping Brendon with the children while Liza is taking a course in Colorado. She has been trying to get to this particular course since covid and has finally made it there, although I am not sure if she is enjoying the whole process and the trip down was a nightmare with flight delays. The children all have busy schedules and for the most part Brendon is driving to and from their activities with them. I “hold down the Fort” as we describe my role. I get Sayde ready and off in the morning and I am here for her when she returns home on the bus, I do laundry, dishes, make lunches and cook meals. I have to drive Sayde to her tennis lesson tonight with Keaton coming along as my helper. Brendon kindly allowed me to have a dental checkup and I drove their big handicap van down to his office for that on icy roads. I took Kona in her little travel crate. I think I am getting old. I help Sayde shower and do other things. She has hit puberty early and we have discussed the need to restrain ourselves from adolescent outbursts because she has been such a sweet little girl in the past. All territory of a grandmother. I arrived last Sunday afternoon with Kona flying with me in cabin. She did well, not happy but well. She has been doing well here too and the children enjoy her except for her loud barking when they return home or come down the stairs in the morning.  We fly home early on Friday, November 11th as I have my Temple shift on Saturday and I hope to get to the cemeteries that day. Coming from Vancouver to Kelowna was like coming from fall to winter and I now feel like Christmas and even did my online Christmas shopping while here.

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We had our Stake Leadership Meeting last Wednesday evening. Sam came to stay with Kona and Paul drove me early while Cindy came later as part of the YW leadership in the Ward. I discussed “Resources” and tried to simplify the program and resources that are available as I think people are busy and have trouble dealing with all the material they have access too. I made the apple cider as my part of the refreshments. I had a zoom meeting last night with Marcy and Cathy which worked out well for me.

Once LeadershIp was over, I spent last week getting things done and preparing for my trip here. I managed to find a small pharmacy that was willing and able to give me both my 5th covid shot and my annual flu shot. The big pharmacies were out of stock or needing advanced booking for appointments. I got Kona’s flea and tick pill too. We had a big wind storm last Friday that left me without power from Friday evening until mid Saturday. I had to open the garage manually to get to my Temple shift. Cindy and Paul came to check on the dog. The time change was on the weekend too. I try hard to manage all these challenges but mis Tom and his capable know how and physical strength. Women are not meant to be alone and I just miss him, pray for him and love him. 

November 2, 2022

 I am preparing for my first Stake YW leadership meeting this evening. Cindy and Paul have to go too so I will be with them and Sam may puppy sit for me as little Missy doesn’t like to be left in her crate and she is not ready to be left alone out of her crate. I am discussing Resources available for the YW’s  Program. I probably received this assignment so I could become acquainted with the resources myself. My first inclination when I am dealing with such things is to simplify.  Everyone deals with assignments or anything in life best when things are kept simple. 

We had our Halloween TriStake Activity last Friday evening at the Christensen’s property and barn. Liza and Brendon’s ward were coming for baptisms and asked to join too. I bought the food and manned the food table all night outside by the fire. I was very cold and tired by the end of the night but I think the youth had a good time. I am just  old.  Breya couldn’t come because of work but Brendon brought Keaton and some youth down Friday for the activity and Liza and Sayde drove down Saturday morning and Bryson flew in from Edmonton to be with his family and attend a YSA conference. Brendon drove some youth back to Kelowna later on Saturday and Liza, Bryson, Keaton and Sayde left Sunday evening. I hated to have Liza driving back so late in the evening and I just prayed bfor their safety as the weather is changing with snow in the mountains. It was a busy weekend and I also worked my Saturday Temple shift. I as tired and I tend to be more emotional and miss Tom even more.

Although it is nice today, we have had some bad winds and rain and our power went out on Thursday while I was at Costco and I couldn’t get back into the garage when I got home. My car was full of food for the youth activity and I hated to leave the car with food inside out on the driveway. Power returned in a few hours and I got the car inside and plugged it in to charge. That is the one problem you have with an electric car, no power for the house - no power for the car. The power did not, however,  return to my bedroom outlets but Scott helped me correct that with pictures of and FaceTime with my breaker box. Brendon trimmed my cedar hedge and Liza helped me with some other things. Grateful for my children and for light and heat. I am trying my best to deal with things but I miss Tom on all levels.

Halloween went better than I thought it might. Kona did bark when the children came to the door (over 100 children) but she stayed back and if I held her, she didn’t bark at all. The children loved her and some wanted to pet her. By the time the fireworks were popping outside, she was exhausted and asleep on my lap so they didn’t bother her.

It has been a busy week as most weeks are but I have managed pretty well. Tears are still part of my days but that may never change, not in this life anyway. I love him and miss him so.

October 26, 2022

 Kona has had an interesting week as she has not only healed from her spay surgery but dealt with a significant change in the weather. We have had a very dry warm summer that has continued into the fall months. Kona is used to having the back door open and it being pleasant when she ventures outdoors. Not so much this week. The rain has returned, the temperature dropped and the puppy is in shock. Not only has she not been feeling well but she was having to deal with this further weather shock to her system. It has affected her inclination to do her potty business outdoors. I have kept her little shirt on most to the week to prevent her from licking her wound and Sam kindly came to be with her on Saturday while I served in the Temple as I didn’t want her too distressed with my being gone. She loves Sam and was happy to be with him. She is healing well and I have left her on her own in recent days.

I have been on the phone correcting some Telus concerns and adjusting the home insurance to my name. We have been also working on my flights to Kelowna in November and getting Kona on as an in cabin pet. I am still working on getting her set up on the return flight. Liza has a course to take in Colorado and I am going to assist with Sayde coming and going to school. Getting things taken care of on the phone can be a long and tedious process with extended waits on hold.

Nora Jensen, from the London Temple, contacted me to help a sister who recently relocated here with her husband. The sister tried to meet me at the Temple on Tuesday but misjudged the bus times and arrived after I had left. I have made contact with three individuals from the Vancouver Stake that I think can help her get settled and I am hoping that is beneficial. I will follow up. It must be so daunting coming to a new country without family, friends or a plan in place for employment and housing.

Joanne and Dave came over on Monday to visit Camille and her two little girls who are staying at Ronald McDonald House while her toddler Presley is receiving treatment for her leukaemia. She is responding well but will be here for several more months. Joanne and Dave came to spend the night with me afterward and we went to the Temple on Tuesday morning before they headed for the ferry and home. It was nice to have their visit.

I have been watching and reading YW material to try to get oriented myself and be prepared to inform others. It is daunting, excellent but daunting. There is so much online information and I need to try to simplify it for my simple brain. 

Liza and family are coming this weekend to do baptisms and for the kids to attend a Stake Halloween dance and activity at the Christensen farm. I will be there with Sam, Breya and Keaton. I hope they are happy with Gramma being part of their activity.

October 19, 2022

 Kona has had a busy week. I took her for grooming on Monday and in her eyes that should be enough for the entire week but Tuesday, which was yesterday, she went to the vet for her spay surgery. She was shaking before she left home. I think she knew this was not going to be a joy trip. She doesn’t like riding in the car period but she doesn’t usually shake before we even get going. Things went well. I took her in about 8:30 am and picked up a very groggy puppy about 2:30 pm. I went to the Temple while she was in her surgery and picked up a few groceries. I took care of some business as well. When she was being groomed I picked up a lab test at the lab and went to the notary for some business. I have planned on being home for most of the week to keep her settled and healing. Her favorite place is on my lap and I tucked a shirt in my pants last night and put her down my shirt while I made dinner. She was acting a little drunk and trying to walk so I thought it best to confine her. She is on pain meds and has a little red “cat” onesie on to keep her incision safe generally and her from licking it. She woke up once fussing last night and I took her out to bathroom and get a drink but she is eating and was even wanting to eat yesterday.

My new calling is daunting and Cathy asked me to take her place at the Tri-Stake YMYW leaders’ zoom meeting on Sunday evening. I knew many of the people in the meeting. Kona was upset and barking and they put me on mute for awhile, probably where I should always be. I have been reading the YW manual and other material connected with the calling. The current program and recent changes are all good. Navigating the digital aspect of everything is new for me and proves a challenge. I keep wanting paper copies of things, something I can hold in my hands.

The Temple opened again last week and I attended a session on Friday morning and my shift on Saturday. I am still dealing with my cold and Shauna Humphreys gave me a short assignment list on Saturday. Kona can stay in her crate while I do a session but a shift is too long and Cindy and family came over to take her for a walk and wash their new car at the same time. They got a hybrid. It was nice to attend the Temple yesterday with my usual Tuesday morning workers and patrons. The gold leafing on the ceilings of the sealing rooms that Tom had worked so hard to have completed while we were in, has been done. Brother Smith, our FM fellow from Seattle. had promised Tom that one day he would look up and it would be there. That day has arrived and I am sure Tom and other angels were rejoicing in Heaven. He worked to get approval for the perimeter fence and that gold leafing and received approval for both before our release in November 2018, as well as approval to have a local FM fellow called (Sean Sugden). Now finally all are in place. I see the Savior everywhere in the Temple. It is all about Him but He has allowed Tom’s fingerprints to be there too, blessing me and others too.

President Nelson, his wife and the Renlunds were to come to Lethbridge this past Sunday and do a devotional for Alberta and BC. They were unable get here but broadcast instead from Salt Lake. We shortened our meetings on Sunday and then either stayed at the church to watch or went home to watch online. I came home. It was very good. Both the wives have Alberta connections. Wendy Nelson is from Raymond and Sister Renlund has family from Alberta - Cahoons and Lybberts. Sister Nelson said the leaders had experienced extreme opposition before October Conference and she would tell us all about it in the next world. Satan is working hard as he knows his time is short.

I work at trying to get business items completed that I need to keep a handle on. When you live together for 52 years you develop a life dance and when your partner steps away, you tend to stumble, falter and misstep. I never have wanted to be a soloist. I don’t operate at my best but I am trying and I miss my partner on every level.

October 12, 2022

 I am late writing this on Friday but am still dating it as this past Wednesday. 

Liza’s race was last Thursday and Brendon and I got up in the early hours to drive into Kona with her. There was a steady stream of cars going in at that time and I am certain most cars were filled with athletes and the entourages. The highway shut down shortly after we got to town as the race itself took place largely on that Queen K highway - the biking and running. We dropped her off, got parked and made our way thru the crowds to get a view of the bay where they would do the swim. It was electric with excitement. The Hawaiian drums were going and so was my heart. We ended up standing by Liza’s age group. I moved my way down so she could see we were there and when she looked up to see me, she got a little emotional. They swam out, then lined up treading water until the starting horn blew. They swam into the oncoming ocean swells and out in front of our beautiful hotel where Tom and I started our honeymoon. Who would have guessed we would have our baby girl out on that ocean doing this swim 52 years later. So glad Tom could experience this with her. He loves Hawaii, he loves adventure and most of all he loves Liza and I am certain he didn’t miss a minute of the excitement. 

We moved to another location so we could see her start the bike portion of the race. Her swim was ten minutes longer than usual which they said to expect. We were able to see her go passed us twice as she moved thru town and headed for the highway. She had done a short swim in the bay, a short bike on the highway and a short run on the route. She and I had driven up to Hawi on the mountain where the bikes turned to come back. She was acquainted with what was to come and I knew the highway and area well so somehow that calmed me a little. It was the heat and sunburn potential that I feared. We picked up Ted and Alyssa’s boys and brought them back to our place and kids and all the children played at the pool and the pool area. I made them lunch and we drove down to the highway to see her pass by on her return bike ride to the town.

We packed everyone up and taking the back roads, due to the highway closure, made our way closer to town and another location to see her on the run. She passed us and the kids ran along beside her for a bit and then she was off out onto a flat hot area. When she returned she was walking but got running again as we cheered her on. We took Ted and the kids home and made our way back into the middle of town and the finish.

We parked again and walked thru streets and then thru crowds to reach the finish line. It was not long before we saw her coming, still running, and we cheered her in. So exciting and well done. She had thrown up near the finish which dehydrated her but she made it to the end, requiring IV to get fluids back into her before she could get to us. She was burned and she was dehydrated. The Hawaiian sun and heat had done their thing but she was in good spirits and finished in the 50 percentile of her group. A great feat at the world level. We were all exhausted.

Liza’s sunburn was the main thing bothering her the next day but we went shopping for the children to get the things they had hoped for on their trip. Liza and Brendon took Breya and Keaton to swim with the manta rays later that night. You have to wait until dark and they take you out in the ocean.

Liza and Brendon were up early again to see Alyssa’s Patrick off on the men’s race Saturday morning and the kids and I stared packing up and trying to eat up all the food. We got to the airport, again on back roads and following a lineup of cars. We checked in separately as we are on different flights. I stayed with them after checkin until they left and I then went to my gate to wait for a few hours. I had to help a confused little lady who had missed her flight and was now taking mine. I sat by two young adult girls to Denver, one from Toronto and one from Salt Lake. I changed to my Vancouver plane in Denver and sat by another young adult girl. I felt like the Lord blessed because I was feeling lonely and those three girls were alone as well.

Cindy was there to pick me up in Vancouver. I didn’t go to church as I had only a half hour to get ready. I unpacked and showered and Ross and Sarah brought my puppy on their way to Sarah’s father’s. Kona was so excited to see me so that made me happy. Cindy, Paul, Sam and Bryson brought Thanksgiving dinner over to my house later which was so lovely. Bryson is here for Thanksgiving. Paul set me apart for my new calling.

I have been trying to get business and other things done this week. I had my first meeting with with the Stake YW Presidency on Wednesday. I have so much to get up to speed on - all the changes in the program, all the digital information available etc. I will do my best. Breya and I both have colds this week. I guess it came from sharing a room and bathroom.  What a week!