My Simple Woman's Day Book

FOR TODAY Monday, August 17, 2009...
Outside my window...The sun is shining and the trees are providing shade on the newly mowed grass. It is a lovely summer day with the beautiful summer flowers strutting their stuff, in a full array of colors and in full bloom. I see the light feathery branches of our beautiful Japanese maple as it's graceful limbs brush the outside of my window.
I am thinking...what a wonderful time we had last night as we held our first monthly ‘Family Home Evening’ together as a family since our children grew up... (FHE is an evening spent together having fun, learning about Heavenly Father, and the importance of living a good moral life, plus much more!)
Last night we were all able to all be together, from our own different homes, in four different states, using a computer webcam and a program called Oovoo.
(The kids loved seeing their cousins who lived so far away!
First we sang, ‘I am a child of God’ and a little granddaughter in Va said an opening prayer.
(These are our little ones in Utah watching their cousins. ) Our son who is pilot and attending school in Virginia taught us a lesson about our spiritual GPS system. He showed us a video from the small plane he had been piloting in a nasty storm near Salmon, Idaho. He spoke with deep emotion from his heart as he described the extreme dire circumstances they had found themselves in.
They couldn’t see anything outside their windows, do to the severe inclement weather they were flying in. Their engine and wings started to ice over. They started to lose their lift, with a drop of about 500 feet per minute.
They had multiple system failures on the plane. He told us how he turned to his Spiritual GPS system of prayer and how he was able to navigate the plane and save the lives of all four men aboard by following the promptings of the spirit.
He did exactly as the still small voice advised him to do, which was a totally erratic maneuver to do while flying an aircraft. Quickly though they found themselves in blue skies and when they looked just down to their right, they saw the face of a mountain top. If he hadn’t listened and obeyed the still small voice...they would have crashed into that mountain top within about 30 seconds! It was a great lesson for our family. (This was a very short synopsis! )
We then we all talked how we could all improve our own spiritual GPS systems and sang, "Families can be together for Forever’ and ended with a closing prayer, by a granddaughter in Idaho.
It was AWESOME! I loved all the laughter as the cousins as they stood in front of computer screens making faces each other!
I am thankful for... this amazing technology that allows our family who is scattered over 2700 miles, to be able to see one another and enjoy a great evening together. All of our children and grandchildren participated.
From the learning rooms... I am learning a different computer program in order to do a small job. I also learning about new medical technology and terms to use in getting the necessary care for my father in law. :-)
From the kitchen...Yesterday I needed to make something fast and easy because we had lots of church meetings to attend... I put chicken breasts and BBQ sauce in the crockpot and we enjoyed pulled chicken sandwiches last night. Later this week I will be making a large pot of Hawaiian Baked Beans to serve at a mountain retreat for about 50 people.
I am wearing...khaki colored capris with a brown v-necked summer sweater and a brown bracelet. As usual I am bare foot!
I am creating... A surprise! Can you guess what it is? This morning, I bought this fabric at one of my favorite fabric stores, ‘The Material Girls’ on the way to see my father in law. He is doing alright and was happy to see some small visitors.

( sorry the picture is so fuzzy!)
I just finished reading... a new book, ‘Pursued’ written by a wonderful author, Lynn Gardner.

I am hoping... For a healthy new baby grandson and pray all will go well for him and his mommy during his birth. I am getting on a plane soon so I can be there for the wonderful event.

I am also hoping for a quick recovery for my father in law, whom I call dad.
He is doing alright and was happy to see some small visitors.
( sorry the picture is so fuzzy!)

I hope we can move him soon to a more comfortable situation, closer to our home. He is about 20-25 minutes away right now depending on traffic. I go almost everyday. I have missed one.

I might add a wish here. I wish I was stronger physically that I could just bring him home and take care of him! I can't lift him.
Around the house... I am listening to soft music. It is wonderful to have my niece, Miss P. McCall back home. She spent most of the summer visiting her dad and going to two different girls camps.
She always brings so much joy and sunshine to our home as most 13 year olds do. She and her mom are preparing to start school again soon.

One of my favorite things... is going to outdoor theater and concerts in the summer. We recently attended a wonderful program where Jason Hewlett performed. He was hilarious! (Google him and enjoy a big smile!!!) We also attended a concert where a talented pianist Jon Schmidt performed. Both were great.
Here is picture I want to share!

May there be Sunshine in your life this week!
Beth