My Dear Family,
Oct! What a month! Things were pretty crazy here with Hurricane Sandy coming through this neck of the woods. Actually my particular neck came off pretty well as we didn't even lose power. Many in our ward did because of downed lines from wind in the trees but for once we fared rather well. We were heartsick as we read about the Connecticut coast and all the damage that occurred. Austin and Taylor had much damage in their stake boundaries. They cancelled church after sacrament meeting the Sunday after the hurricane for people to go home, change and go down to the shore line to help others who had lost everything. Halloween got cancelled for many towns again this year because of the hurricane. Last year we had a very wet snow fall that rested heavy on the trees that had not lost their leaves. There were numerous lines down from fallen branches. We were out of power for a week. God bless all those who have lost it all. My heart goes out to them. This past Saturday the men in our stake were asked to go down and help. The men in our ward had already committed to putting on a roof for a widow in our ward. She had a leaky roof last year that ruined her living room ceiling and some of her walls. That project was also needful.
Emma now has two jobs. She works at the auto auction on Wednesday mornings in the office helping with the sales receipts. Her other job that we thought was going to start after Thanksgiving is still there but we are having trouble transferring the lifeguard certification she earned at Six Flags to a Red Cross certified program. She is working at Star Hill Sports and hopefully will start opening the facility at 5:45 am most mornings. So far she can only go to in-service for the lifeguards and prove that she knows how to do all that lifesaving stuff. She does know her stuff and her employer can see it but since the facility is insured through Red Cross we have to get her transferred. She and I are also still plugging away at our online classes with BYUI Pathways program. I have learned stuff in my life skills class that I thought I knew all ready. Trouble is I forgot how to use them in our everyday life. Hello, day time planner! And have you ever written down what you do hour by hour? We say we don’t have enough time but you may be surprised how much leisure you do have. Why you might even have time to eat lunch!
I am so grateful to my friend who let me go riding a few days ago. She has a 22 year old gelding she lets me ride. He is great in the arena but when we get out in the woods he freaks out looking for and imagining predators. Most of my ride is spent side passing with him panting hot and heavy and his coat dripping with sweat. My friend also makes me ride English which makes me crazy. Where’s the saddle horn to hold on to as he’s crow hopping? I still refused to wash my hands for an hour when I got home. I wanted to smell deeply of that horse hair smell that is hard to explain. It just smells so earthy and warm and comforting.
I finally called a couple of guys who do landscaping to help me with my lawn, a drainage hole and a wall for my hill. I am so exited! Bob only rolled his eyes twice as I was explaining to him my plan, and it will look beautiful. Did I say I am so excited? No more falling into the drainage hole and scalping the grass as we mow! No more perfect outline on the front lawn where the septic tank is! Bob is working on the stairs to the basement and as soon as it is done we can get some flooring down there and a vanity for the bathroom and we will be ready to go! We will only have a family room down there and a ¾ bath but I am excited.
Bob is still the invisible man coming home who knows when (actually I do know when last night – 4:00 am). I know he works hard but he also admitted that he kind of likes the work. What’s not to like? Some new disaster every day, his own golf cart and all the machines he could ever hope to use. He has taken off a few days here and a few days there and has made headway on the basement that way, but it has been pretty slow going. I am hoping we will finish the basement and the outside projects and then JCPenney will transfer us again. It seems like that is what usually happens. (But I doubt it this go around).
We did get to go to Austin and Taylor’s ward trunk-r-treat. I got to see He-Man (Dallin) in his naked glory. He wasn’t really naked. He just looked like it with his flesh colored muscle shirt and leggings. Austin made him an awesome sword that was about as big as Dallin is and was very light. Addie was great to be” Raputzel” (Rapunzel) again this year and Paisley came as a little giraffe. The trunk or treat part was pretty mild. As you know the kids keep going around and around until you tell them that the candy is gone. I got in the mood to decorate my trunk this year by putting my huge carved pumpkin in the trunk with a battery powered candle positioned to look like it had fallen on a witch with orange and black striped hose and great pointed shoes. We also had a friendly ghost and a huge friendly spider. It wasn’t stellar but it was better than nothing. I haven’t wanted to do anything like that for a while. For Halloween – our town still had it- we got only a handful of trick- or- treaters. I need to remember to get just one bag of candy next year. The repercussions of left over candy are disastrous.
Now that I have thoroughly bored you I will sign off. It is late for me and I’m starting to see double. Bob is still not home but I will get our bed all toasty for when he does find his way. We send our love to all. May the Lord bless and keep you.
Love,
Aunt Ruth, Uncle Bob and Emma Jane-Jane
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