Uneventful But Nice

I was sitting on our couch with Layne a few minutes ago.  As we looked out our front window, we had a great view of one of our rose bushes.  One branch was poking out above the rest, protruding several feet beyond the nice round shape of the rose bush.  I told Layne that I'd prune it back as soon as time permitted. After all, the bush branches look best when they are all the same size.  "But it is reaching for the sky," said Layne.  "What a shame that it should be cut back when it is trying so hard to reach greater heights."  That gave me pause.  In fact I think I will use it as an example of reaching beyond the crowd to my Addiction Women.  Then I'll cut it back.

Here's the energetic rose branch!

We've had a rather ordinary week.  But I am giving most of my attention to preparing for Christmas.  I believe I have a plan for being fully ready by October.  I'm so excited about it!  Imagine having all the gift giving all figured out already.  I'm so proud of myself.

I'm also giving lots of time to beefing up our emergency storage.  There is lots of interest in this both in the Church and in the community here.  It seems to be in the air, this need to be ready for whatever situation may develop in the future.  There are certainly many things one can acquire to be prepared for virtually anything.  I'm trying to find the right balance.  What potential hardships should we anticipate?  Prepare for?

When I was in Utah, Layne went to dinner with a couple of men friends to a little restaurant in the countryside specializing in steaks.  Layne loved it.  We've returned several times, including this week.  Layne  has a passion for steak dinners these days.  I'm trying to hold him down to no more than two beef meals a week.  He keeps coming up with new people to invite to his little restaurant.  I suppose I should just enjoy it.  So OK.  I will.

Our friends the Wintersteens will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary next year.  So will we.  So we've been talking about what fun it would be to celebrate in some way together.  Yesterday Larry came over with a fist full of possible cruises to all sorts of places.  "Pick your place," he said to me.  We've never been on a cruise.  Well, I haven't ever been.  Layne tends to equate a vacation cruise with his experiences on Navy ships.  Not the same I keep telling him.  He resists any kind of traveling, but Larry and Carol keep pushing us with these sweet offers.  So, perhaps, we will wind up going to some magical place on a cruise ship next year.  If Layne will go for it,

In the meantime, I love just being home.  It is Autumn and the outside is sweet with a coming coolness as the leaves think about changing and dropping for winter.  I love this time of year.

As I arrived at our ward building yesterday for Super Saturday I was surprised to see this balloon, landing in our parking lot!  It generated lots of attention from the Church bunch, who gathered around it soon after I snapped this photo.