Counting my blessings

I am so blessed.
My husband is so good to me and is a good man.
I have four wonderful daughters who are serving the Lord and doing His will.
And I have beautiful grandchildren and good and kind sons-in-law.
We live in peace and comfort.
I am surrounded by the beauties of nature.
I know my Heavenly Father lives and loves me.  I know my Savior, Jesus Christ, lives-He atoned for my sins and He loves me.

Hip-hugger, bell-bottoms

When I was in fourth or fifth grade I got some hip-hugger, bell-bottoms.  They were royal blue with huge red and yellow flowers.  The flowers were probably 12 inches in diameter.  They had a  fabulous 3 inch wide shiny vinyl belt.   (I know!! You wish you had some.)
I hardly ever wore those pants.  In those days we were only allowed to wear dresses to school and since I have never been one to change clothes I would just wear the dress to play in after school.  I would pick out a dress to wear on Monday morning and I would wear it every day for the rest of the week.  Charming.
I actually remember that I didn't really like the way hip-huggers fit so that was another reason I seldom wore them.  Well hip-huggers were in for about another decade or so before people got sensible and waistlines went back up to the natural waist.
Then about 20 years ago someone decided that everything should be worn on the hips again.  My daughters grew up in a generation of girls who thought their natural waistline was their hip line.
Anyway, last week I needed a new pair of dress slacks.  I went into Macy's and tried on some dark blue denim dress slacks.  They came right up to my waist!!!  I was thrilled.  They fit perfectly and are so much more comfortable.  It is so nice to have pants that fit me again.

Popi and Molly

Yesterday, Popi and Grandma Doreen came to meet Molly.  In order to enter the nicu you have to scrub your hands and arms up to your elbows-just like for surgery.  Popi enjoyed
doing that.  Then he held his hands up like he was waiting for the nurse to glove them.
Grandma Doreen got to hold Molly for a few minutes.  Popi was content to look at her.  After a while he got curious about the nicu.  He left Molly's room to look around and ask questions.  He was fascinated.  He talked to the nurses for a long time, both telling stories and asking questions.  He talked a lot about when he did nursing during the polio epidemic and he said he never liked nursing in the equivelent of the nicu because he didn't like poking tiny babies.
It was a fun visit and it was so nice of them to come.

Don't worry about the future.

I spent some time yelling at the TV today.  I was watching the news and was annoyed at how willfully dishonest some of the leaders of our country are.
Tonight, I came across a quote in my notes.  Sister Deborah Christensen (wife of Elder Craig C. Christensen) said "Don't worry about the future.  The good guys win.  There is a Savior."

Happy Birthday Annie! and other thoughts

I am so thankful that Annemarie is my daughter.  She has brought joy to me and our family all of her life.
I hope you had a happy birthday, Annie.

Frank has been in Branch Presidencies at the MTC for almost three and a half years now.  It has been a great experience.  Recently, I began reviewing the notes I have taken at Devotionals at the MTC.  Tonight, I was reading my notes from a talk given by Elder Didier.  He made a suggestion about prayer that I really like.  He said to ask Heavenly Father to "help me to recognize the answer to my prayer."
I have great faith in the power of prayer and I know Heavenly Father answers my prayers.  I have faith that He will help me better recognize the answers if I ask Him for it.

I can wear pierced earrings again!!!

I got my ears pierced for the first time about 3 years ago.  I didn't do it sooner because I thought I wouldn't like pierced ears.  Well, I loved wearing pretty earrings.  But, I soon developed an allergy to the earrings.  I went to wearing gold earrings, but that started to bother me, too.   I went for months without wearing any earrings.  A couple of weeks ago I decided to see if my ears were still pierced.  I put one of the gold studs that was used to pierce my ears into the hole and immediately took it out.  My ears swelled up immediately and hurt for a few days.
I went to Claires to see if I could find a solution.  The sales girl showed my some tiny plastic sleeves that go over the post on the earring.  I bought some and tried them.  My holes were tiny and the plastic sleeve makes the post bigger, so it was hard putting the earrings in the first few times.  But, I can wear earrings with no swelling and no pain.
The little plastic sleeves are ridiculously expensive-$6:50 for four pair, but it is totally worth it to make my beautiful earrings wearable again.  I looked on Amazon.com but they don't have a similar product.  So I will keep buying them at Claires.
I think it is interesting that I looked on the internet to see what other people with metal allergies did and I found no reference to the plastic sleeves.

Happy Valentines Day, young lady.

I love living in the center of the city.  Today I walked to the grocery store, a block away.  On the way home I was reflecting on the wide variety of people you see.  People of all ages, from many different countries, from all different economic circumstances.  I usually try to make eye contact and smile and say hi.
Today, just before I reached my apartment a man with obvious health issues whose life cannot be easy smiled at me and said "Happy Valentines Day to you young lady."  It really made me happy.  It is amazing how a simple smile and greeting can make your day.
And Happy Valentines Day to all of you, too.