Happy Birthday Scott. I cringe when I think how old we are. It seems like yesterday we got married. No maybe that was last year and in the intervening days of that year we have been together for almost 35 years. We were talking this morning and determined that if the next 35 years goes as quickly or quicker than the last ones we will be gone before this year is up.
I hate getting older, but love birthdays. They are a time for reflection, evaluation and planning. We have so much we want to do and so little time to do it in. And although I do not feel we have wasted the last 35 years, I wish we (really I) had worked smarter and consistently.
We had another animal episode in church today. The most beautiful butterfly flew in the window and out the door. Later during one testimony it flew back in, around the pulpit for awhile and then out the window. There must be some significance to it being in church, or perhaps a lesson to learn from its being there, but I have not thought of one yet.
Ate Scott's birthday dinner at 3:00 and then sat and visited until after 7:00 p.m. The Hogges and Wellses brought little gifts (chocolate bars) to celebrate. I made mud pie instead of a birthday cake at Scott's request. Everyone loves mud pie.
All in all a great day.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
June 1, 2013
It has rained most every day this week; the rain has been especially hard at night waking us up with its noise. Today the wind and the rain were so hard it reminded me of the weather we had when Cyclone Evan came through--lots of noisy wind and torrents of rain. I actually did not get to the institute until ll:00 as I was not willing to be soaked all day. In this kind of weather umbrellas are useless.
It is so interesting to me that two weeks ago it was 26 degrees Celsius and we had the air conditioner on all night. This entire week it has been 26--all day and all night and we, well I, are cold. I have slept with a blanket two nights, and have worn my heavier sweater everyday. Scott says he is not cold, but I noticed this morning that he had pulled the blanket over himself some time during the night. Men! The Fijians are wearing hoodies, winter coats (did you realize there is no word for winter in Fijian?), and knit ski caps. One would think from looking at them that it was Utah in November.
I wish I had studied so many things when I was at university. Since I have been here in Fiji I have wanted to know botany so I could identify all the wonderful trees and plants, to know meteorology so I could understand why the temperature gets cooler at night all over the USA and it does not here in Fiji, to know oceanography so I could name the sea creatures we have seen, and while I am wishing I would also like to know cultures and customs of the world. My master's degree stands for very little from the seat in which I find myself sitting. SIGH!
I have not had time to shop for Scott's birthday. To be truthful I remembered his birthday about three weeks ago, but forgot it until last night. We shopped for his present and then did the food shopping.
I called the Hogges and the Wellses and invited them to dinner tomorrow to help us celebrate his birthday. It is so nice to have close friends here.
Showed a movie tonight which was attended by 35 YSAs mostly people we have never seen before or who seldom come. We are always excited for new faces, and to see old faces back. Because I sit outside the movie to greet late comers, I worked on this blog. I only got did two posts in over two hours. Ugh!
May 30
Strange day. Scott taught his lesson, we had one YSA in institute to do family history, we had the usual crew to the temple. We got everything we needed to do done, but it just felt strange. I think this week has been a weird one. All week Scott and I have been putting one foot in front of the other doing what needs to be done, but not enjoying it or even feeling good about what we are doing.
Had the cutest experience today. On Thursday morning Annie (aka Marian the librarian) and I opened the institute library doors so that Dad's Mission Prep Class could check in and check out books. Peni Davuke came into the kitchen/library, turned in his library book, and then walked over to the closet where the books are stored. Generally Peni takes forever to pick out a book. I love watching him pick up a book, peruse it, and then put it back--over and over. Well not today. He stood there for about 60 seconds, grabbed a book, turned around to face us, hugged the book and then said, "I did not pick this book. It picked me!"
Had the cutest experience today. On Thursday morning Annie (aka Marian the librarian) and I opened the institute library doors so that Dad's Mission Prep Class could check in and check out books. Peni Davuke came into the kitchen/library, turned in his library book, and then walked over to the closet where the books are stored. Generally Peni takes forever to pick out a book. I love watching him pick up a book, peruse it, and then put it back--over and over. Well not today. He stood there for about 60 seconds, grabbed a book, turned around to face us, hugged the book and then said, "I did not pick this book. It picked me!"
What a great thing it is for these young single adults to have the opportunity to read these books and become better, more knowledgeable sons and daughters of God.
May 29
Feeling in the class tonight was much better. The Spirit was really there. I try to remind myself that the students have to come prepared as well as the teacher if the Spirit is to attend, but I always feel that I have been a failure when the Spirit is not in class. It must come from being a mother and thinking that all things are my responsibility.
Practiced with the choir after class. We sang "Families Can Be Together Forever" and "Love at Home". Both Scott and I were in tears. It is tough leading, singing, and crying at the same time. I just quit singing. I know that those in the choir felt the Spirit, but I am not sure they understand the power that good music has to change hearts and bring the Holy Spirit.
Practiced with the choir after class. We sang "Families Can Be Together Forever" and "Love at Home". Both Scott and I were in tears. It is tough leading, singing, and crying at the same time. I just quit singing. I know that those in the choir felt the Spirit, but I am not sure they understand the power that good music has to change hearts and bring the Holy Spirit.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
May 27
We had a lovely time tonight at our senior's monthly FHE. It was our turn to host and I have been thinking about it for months. I wanted to do a Fijian night with good Fijian food, and a speaker that would teach us the history of Fiji.
We had the food catered. We used the caterer, Sister Sikivou, who caters for the Service Center. She and I decided on ika vaka lolo (raw fish in coconut milk--delicious!), apricot chicken (not so Fijian as one can not get fresh apricots here--still delicious), cabbage salad, seafood salad, rourou balls (coconut, meat in cooked dalo leaves) in lolo, and lote with cream (pumpkin pudding--my favorite).
It took me about an hour and a half to get the tables and chairs in the cafeteria into a pleasing arrangement. I used sulus for tablecloths, and had purchased small Fijian flags for the tables.
Sister Sikivou really went the extra mile as she brought a fruit punch which was so good, and a fresh fruit platter neither of which we had agreed that she would make and the price stayed the same. Amazing. Everyone ate and ate. Many commented that it was the first time they had eaten good Fijian food. The pudding I had had made was just another choice for dessert. Seniors are crazy. Some of them were putting the lote over the puddings. One senior put pudding in his bowl and then added lote, custard, and cream which made me cringe some.
After dinner which we held in the Service Center's cafeteria, we went into the conference room and Brother and Sister Lowery who are members of the church gave us a presentation on Fiji. Brother Lowery is a professor and used to teach at USU in Logan but now teaches at USP. We had a great time. Their presentation was direct, accurate, and interesting with lots of opportunities for questions and comments. I really enjoyed it.
Clean up was easy as we ate on paper plates, and I had a lot of help. Both Scott and I had a great time. We hope everyone else did also.
We had the food catered. We used the caterer, Sister Sikivou, who caters for the Service Center. She and I decided on ika vaka lolo (raw fish in coconut milk--delicious!), apricot chicken (not so Fijian as one can not get fresh apricots here--still delicious), cabbage salad, seafood salad, rourou balls (coconut, meat in cooked dalo leaves) in lolo, and lote with cream (pumpkin pudding--my favorite).
It took me about an hour and a half to get the tables and chairs in the cafeteria into a pleasing arrangement. I used sulus for tablecloths, and had purchased small Fijian flags for the tables.
Sister Sikivou really went the extra mile as she brought a fruit punch which was so good, and a fresh fruit platter neither of which we had agreed that she would make and the price stayed the same. Amazing. Everyone ate and ate. Many commented that it was the first time they had eaten good Fijian food. The pudding I had had made was just another choice for dessert. Seniors are crazy. Some of them were putting the lote over the puddings. One senior put pudding in his bowl and then added lote, custard, and cream which made me cringe some.
After dinner which we held in the Service Center's cafeteria, we went into the conference room and Brother and Sister Lowery who are members of the church gave us a presentation on Fiji. Brother Lowery is a professor and used to teach at USU in Logan but now teaches at USP. We had a great time. Their presentation was direct, accurate, and interesting with lots of opportunities for questions and comments. I really enjoyed it.
Clean up was easy as we ate on paper plates, and I had a lot of help. Both Scott and I had a great time. We hope everyone else did also.
May 26
This is the first Sunday in weeks that we have been to all church meetings in our own ward. It was so nice. The nicest thing, however, was that the three less active families that Scott and Elder Wells have been assigned to home teach were in Sacrament Meeting. It has been a long hard process. Months ago the Stake President came and was quite clear that the High Priest Group were not active enough in working with the less active High Priests. Scott talked to the High Priest Group Leader after the meeting and offered to help him visit. That did not go well, so then he offered to home teach (which most seniors do not do) some of the less actives. He was given one man, and then weeks later he was paired with Elder Wells and given two more. They have had a tough time getting appointments to visit, have appointments honored. One of the men has yet to agree to a time that they have proposed, and only once has agreed to let them come visit. Tough going; so seeing two of the three families in church on Sunday was so wonderful. I am proud of Scott for sticking with it. He is determined to help these families come into full activity.
Went home after church, ate, studied, had a nap and then took a ride and then I practiced making the custard for tomorrow's FHE. The first batch was too runny for me, but Scott liked it. The second batch was too thick for both our tastes. Tomorrow I will make it in between. It is interesting that the custard is just vanilla flavored, but is really a bright yellow. It is lovely to have a Sunday that is so relaxing.
May 25
The very best way to start a Saturday in is the temple. Attending with one of our YSA women as she goes through the temple for the first time is even better. Watching Maria during the session was like watching someone who has just gotten baptized. Her face just shown--radiated.
It was a good thing the morning was so peaceful and spiritual because the rest of the day was hectic.
We had shopping to do for Monday's FHE and only a short time to get everything which is really not easy in Suva. A shop will have had an item one needs for months and then not have it for months. Makes speedy shopping tough. We ate lunch with the senior missionaries at one o'clock. We got home just after 3:30 and had to be at a baptism at 4:30 which, of course, did not start on time, so we were really racing to get to the institute in time to open it by 6:00 p.m. Home and in bed by 10:30 p.m. Whew!
It was a good thing the morning was so peaceful and spiritual because the rest of the day was hectic.
We had shopping to do for Monday's FHE and only a short time to get everything which is really not easy in Suva. A shop will have had an item one needs for months and then not have it for months. Makes speedy shopping tough. We ate lunch with the senior missionaries at one o'clock. We got home just after 3:30 and had to be at a baptism at 4:30 which, of course, did not start on time, so we were really racing to get to the institute in time to open it by 6:00 p.m. Home and in bed by 10:30 p.m. Whew!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)