Friendshipping

What can I do with all these garden vegetables?  We are buried in tomatoes, zucchini and other squash. It's a blessing and we have enjoyed eating squash every day for the past few months.  Layne is one of those rare people that thrives on repeats of the same thing over and over again.  I tease him that this taste for lack of variety is a quality that is good for our marriage since he has the same girl every day, over and over again, and seems to like it.

But I long for a bit of cuisine variety.  So I took to looking for recipes for squash.  I found an amazing variety of things that can be done just with zucchini.  So, in spite of my lazy tendency to stick to what I know, I'm going to experiment.  First on the menu is zucchini bread and zucchini chocolate cake.  I've done them before and they are pretty safe.  Then I'll advance into riskier territory.

I forgot to get a picture of friend Pat Green so all I have to show
for this past week is this representative sample of garden
vegetables that are currently keeping me busy finding uses for them.
Note the jar of pomegranate jam.  I made a batch from
pomegranates from our neighbor's tree.

"I love your red," my friend Pat Green said to me upon arriving for a visit with us on Sunday.  She was referring to the red walls that fill our living spaces, if you haven't seen them.  That is just the beginning of the things that Pat and I love in common.  She is from Boise.  Now.  She used to be a Fremont girl, which is where we met, worked together and bonded.  She is another of my few kindred spirits.  Like me, she is a lover of wild things, bling and philosophical talking into the night.  We spent three days talking and barely covered the surface of thoughts to share.  People come in various categories of intimacy, it seem to me; there are those that tell me all I want to know of them in a few minutes; those who could connect with me on many levels but do not communicate enough to discover them; those who hold a very different view of life but are interesting to connect with; then there are those who seem to ride on the same mental and spiritual roads that I have carved in my own mind.  With those special ones, the ride can go on indefinitely.  Pat is one of those for me.

Pat is from Boise.  Layne and I have decided that Boise is where we will go once our home is sold.  It seems to be a good compromise between leaving family (which still brings me sorrow) and leaving California (which Layne feels we MUST do).  It is a days drive from here, but closer to daughter Jessica and hub Chris, closer to my sister Maryanne and Layne's brother Lynn.  It seems to be a place that could attract our children eventually, should they decided to resettle sometime in the future.  How convenient it was for Pat to be from the very place we seem to be headed to.  She filled us with information about life in Idaho and which areas around Boise are most desirable.  Her presence seemed to confirm our decision to go there.  With a potential sale in the wings, we may be headed there sooner rather than later.  Or not.  Nothing is for sure, it seems.   

An Increase of Peace

Why does it often feel easier to stress over things than to just let things run their course as God would have them.  I have been so worried, stressed and troubled over our impending move.  But I'm beginning to feel a sense of peace about it.  Boise appears to be our new landing spot.  At least both of us now feel inclined in that direction.  As I was contemplating going there I felt a sweet warmth and a growing lack of worry about leaving our California family.  It seems right.  I'm also more inclined to let the house sell when it sells instead of conjuring up in my mind the "ideal" time to let it go.  Now I'm more willing to let things flow.  It is in the hands of the Lord and I think I'm finally prepared to let it unfold as God would have it.  This increase of peace is so much more pleasant than my often stressful state.

We had our usual monthly get-together with our local family last Sunday.  It was sweet, as usual, and wild and chaotic.  I love it.  Later in the week I took my daughter-in-law Dorothy out to lunch for her birthday.  We talked for quite awhile, just the two of us.  As much as I enjoy the family gang, there is lots to be said for one-on-one conversation.  I love the feeling of soul to soul connecting that I felt with my Dorothy.  I think I will try harder to set up more one-on-one time with the rest of the family.  I often feel at a loss as to how to instigate communication that is meaningful with others.  When it happens it seems to be out of my control; almost accidental.  I'd love to know how to influence it to happen more often.

Ben and Jessica's youngest, Jonathan, taken last Sunday.

Sunday get-together with family celebrated Dorothy's birthday.
Here she is with her youngest, Bruce.

Cliff and Audrey froze a collection of ice cream stuffed
cupcakes for Layne at our family Sunday celebration.
They wrapped each cupcake separately for freezer
storage so he can stretch them out as he desires.  He
loved it!

Some of our  Sunday gang, witnessing the birthday
kids, Layne and Dorothy, opening their gifts.

Our honored birthday duo, Layne and Dorothy.

I had several more deep conversations this week.  One was with a lady that I visit teach for the Church. Ellen is a non-member married to a member for several years.  Every time I talk to her about a gospel subject there is a rush of tenderness and sweetness that emerges between us.  She is meant for the gospel.  I can feel that.  I had the very same experience with my old Fremont neighbor, Jeanne, on Tuesday.  I told them both that they needed to learn more about the gospel; that it was meant for them; that the Lord was calling them; that it was the Spirit of God that sang between us when we spoke of spiritual things.  Doing this was a bold step for me.  But it felt good.  I think I'll try it more often.

The Birthday Boy

I'm not very good at gift giving.  I try to be observant but it isn't one of my gifts.  So you'll understand when I explain that I struggled with what to get for my sister.  Her birthday is just three days earlier than Layne's, on October 2.  My sister Maryanne, perhaps like me, has most of what she wants in terms of stuff.  I struggled this year with what I could possibly give her that would be meaningful.  Then I had an inspiration.  I collected all the photos I had of her and put them together in a little book.  It seems to me that sentimental things are more cherished at this time of life.  There is so much of life to look back on now.  I hope she thinks so too.

The cover to Maryanne's book

A picture of Maryanne from the book.

October 4th was the anniversary of my baptism into the LDS Church.  It has been 54 years since my spiritual journey began in the Church.  I was baptized with my sister and my mother, and friend Lyn Large Hooker.  What a happy journey it has been for me since then.

Last Friday (October 5th) was Layne's birthday.  He turned 72.  Wow.  I did my best to make his day special and fun.  He is strong, bright and healthy even if a bit set in his ways.  I love this man who has demonstrated an unselfish, energetic, caring love for life and people throughout our marriage.  He has a flair for making friends and nurturing them.  He's good at fixing things too.  I call him a lover of hearts and parts.  It is pretty wonderful having him in my life.

Layne having breakfast on his birthday.

Friday night with neighbors and friends, Ernie and Bev Trutner.
We are playing dominos, our traditional after dinner activity.

Layne, winning at dominos.

We have been struggling with where to move, as I have expressed before.  Lately I have taken to praying over this and asking the Lord to incline our hearts in the right direction.  Layne has voted for Texas.  That seems so far away to me.  I'm inclined to Idaho.  It's closer to family and there is something about it that seems to call to me.  Out of the blue Layne said to me several days ago, "I'm thinking more and more about Idaho."  I was shocked.  No Texas?  Hum.  Is that an answer to my prayers?  We are going to visit Idaho to find out.  And maybe to Texas just to be sure.