JOY is an Acronym

 Jesus,  Others,  Yourself          

         -         in that order

Palm Sunday on Temple Square

 

Last night watched the most beautiful service spotlighting Palm Sunday.  An integration of faiths.

 I remember having gone to the tabernacle on Temple Square.  I didn’t visualize that I would have ever witnessed anything like this.  Pretty cool.

Conference Memories

                I think before the last two conferences (at least the October ones) Jaime has created Bingo cards that we might pay closer attention.  One year she picked a specific General Authority would wear a red tie.  I just had “red tie” on my Bingo card – no one specific.  I would not have even thought about the Bingo card except Dieter Uchtdorf was wearing a bright green tie which I liked.  I would have never guessed that a green tie would be worn.  Nor a lilac/orchid colored one with a circle/sun type pattern (that was worn by Gary E. Stevenson) followed by Amy Wright wearing a colorful orange suit.  I actually lost track after that – not that it’s important.  I didn’t lose sight of the message each had to convey.  It has been a really good conference thus far.

            Dale G. Renlund talked about being prepared and how the topic of the “last days” often make people uncomfortable.  I am one of those people.  Never have enjoyed of hearing about events that will take place.  But in my mind’s eye, I really thought I’d be on the other side.  I don’t like what Trump is doing to our nation.  Sign of the times.  But there are things he can’t control.  No matter how much he and his followers may want to deny evidence of global warming – he cannot control the weather. 

            I took comfort in his talk as I related in my own mind the events of resurrection – how the stone had rolled away.  It didn’t matter how many soldiers were placed to guard the tomb – the resurrection was going to take place.  The stone rolled away.  Those who were supposedly in charge could not change the elements or the events that occurred.  Same with the last days.  If we are prepared things will work out – maybe not the way we expect, but they will work out.

            Jaime is currently at a lake house with a group of her friends.  The nerds who graduated South Umpqua High in 2022.  I think it’s cool that they continue to make arrangements to hang out together.  It has been nearly three years since they left high school.  I enjoy watching conference with Jaime.  I miss having her here – but at the same time I understand.  She’s celebrating her 21^st birthday.  I hope she has an awesome weekend.

 

Preparing for Easter

 

Richard signed up for cookies for a refreshment after our Easter service.  Of course we had to trial run:

No More Dolls!

          Before Richard and I went on our Las Vegas/Gilbert excursion, his brother had mentioned that a package was on its way.  It hadn’t occurred to me what he was sending.  Richard had asked for the return of a doll that he had sent his mom.  We didn’t know that Robert was going to send half of her doll collection.  

We did find homes for the first two,
possibly the one in the middle.  

Richard wanted just one specific doll – but all of these came in addition to a boxed set of Lucy and Desi dolls as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo (which Richard had also sent his mom – in addition to a Raggedy Ann doll that did not find its way back to us.  Shame.  It is the only doll that I liked.

 

         Actually I do like the Ricky and Lucy dolls as they remind me of Richard and me.  She is pregnant with Little Ricky.  I was once pregnant with Jaime.  Richard said I might use it as a door price but I said I wanted to keep it.  I didn’t know that would lead to the purchase of more Lucy dolls (Lucy, by the way, was the name of his mother who had passed last October) and would have benefited more from the collection than I.  Don’t get me wrong.  I do love Lucy.  But I am not a doll collector.

 

my favorite Lucy doll would
be the first one pictured

         Both my Aunt Eloise and Aunt Kristie had collected dolls which they displayed in doll cases.  I don’t have room for doll cases.  I have a doll collection.  Just a small one.  But they are buried on a shelf. Most are worthless but I keep them for sentimental reasons.  There is no sentiment in the Lucy dolls or this one 

which Richard had picked up in addition.  I like that it comes with all these accessories – including binoculars and canteen (not pictured because they fell to the bottom of the box.  They were part of a clearance/clean out due to the floods that took place last Sunday.  Business owner is through.

The Rains Came Down and the Floods Came Up

             Not only was yesterday St. Patrick’s Day but the 183^rd anniversary of the Relief Society.  Leaders received notification of this event as early as January. 

 

On Sunday we were supposed to congregate together and watch the broadcast. At first it was going to be on a stake level and then it was changed to wards.  So in addition to the broadcast meeting, Diane had called a last minute meeting for the presidency as there were some things that couldn’t wait for our next scheduled meeting (which honestly I don’t believe was scheduled with a specific date).

         Diane and Angie had each brought their lunch as it didn’t seem convenient for each of them to drive all the way back to their homes and back again.  Melanie had made a large pan of brownies (which could be cut into 48 if we had the turnout) and we had started presidency meeting 20 – 30 minutes after church ended.   

            The weekend provided severe weather for much of the nation.  Douglas County was no exception.  Roseburg was slammed much harder than Myrtle Creek.  The water was high – higher and faster than I’ve ever seen it. Our meeting was interrupted by individuals who had concern about the weather, by Douglas County emergency, and the stake strongly suggesting we cancel the meeting. 

 

By that time we figured it would only be the four of us who showed up anyway.  I told Jaime I would bring her home at least one brownie but ended up with almost half the pan (Melanie had cut about 32 quite large pieces for everybody to take home).  Each of us used our phones to text sisters in the ward to let them know the meeting had been cancelled.  We put a note on the door just in case – but honestly I don’t think anyone showed.  Some of the roads had actually closed due to spillage which I had never seen here in Oregon.

Almost everybody in South Umpqua lives near water – if not the river itself than a creek or a stream or an accidental water fall (see this post) or pond.  though yesterday they all appeared like rapid flowing rivers.  My daughter received a bunch of videos from one of her friends.  I have screenshot a few.

forks into main street and riverside

taken from Riverside

entrance to Evergreen Park March 16, 2025

Evergreen Park July 2016

Evergreen Park March 16, 2025

when the creek was at a normal level in 2017

Evergreen Park October 2017

Before our meeting the rain had turned to snow.  

Jaime did not have to go into work on Sunday. 

 It all seemed to vanish by yesterday morning.  At least from my perspective.  Jaime did end up going into work yesterday. The waters are still high but no spillage.

The Naughty Leprechaun

                Richard is always in a cooking or baking mood. On Saturday night he pulled 24 cupcakes out of the oven and decided that the three of us would decorate them.  I was planning on posting this yesterday but my pictures did not come through until this morning

 

Our frosting, you guessed it, banana.