Sunday Afternoon - June 23rd 2019 - How Frail We Really Are!

Glenn’s Mom fell last week.

She’s been in hospital the week.

We’ve visited each afternoon.

She is busy with physio right now to maybe strengthen her.

She desperately wants to go home!

That will be possible when she is more mobile…

We are looking into other resources available if she is unable to help herself.

Sigh…

Hard decisions sometimes!

As you know!

Doug and Nadia, Ethan, Daena and Cabryn have been here the week.

It’s been lovely!

And also, we’ve not been able to be with them too much –

Our priority is Glenn’s Mom!

And on we go!

Into this week!

The Temple dedication dates have been announced!

The Temple will be finished before that, we will go home.

Finishing date uncertain still at this stage.

At the moment, the plan is for us to come back for the dedication…

That may change.

And – on we go!

Sunday Afternoon - June 16th 2019 - Home-Sick Prickle

Whew!

144 Weeks!

Sometimes I get a little “home-sick prickle” inside me…

Most days I am delighted and grateful to be here and

adding my little bit to the project.

Thank you Douglas for being at home and managing things there.

That is a great comfort to me.

Angela, your birthday on Wednesday!

I remember increasingly longing for months for you to ‘come…’

And then, there you were!

The start of a journey together we could not possibly have foreseen.

I am blessed to have you as my daughter.

I learn from you regularly, as well as learning along with you.

I appreciate the bits of news, occasional contacts and visits from all of you.

Thank you for remembering us.

Have a good week…

Love Mom/Judy

In our new “office” – one of the missionary apartments.

And – my view of the temple from my desk…

 

Saturday Afternoon 15th June 2019 - Waiting...

My two sties in my left eye turned out to be four!

Not painful after I started the homeopathic eye drops…

Perhaps the homeopathic treatment made the other two evident?

All four are now all but settled.

Hopefully the root cause is now attended to…

Otherwise I will see what my next step is.

When I went for my spectacles, the optometrist there asked

“How did you decide to come here?”

I said “I live my life guided by how I feel.  I felt to come here.”

Afterwards, as many times when I answer immediately!…

I thought “That’s a part-explanation…”

I think things out, consider the consequences short and long-term,

wait a few days (whenever I can) go ‘inside’ and look around,

see who the people there are,  ask some opinions sometimes,

read up about “it” sometimes, pray sometimes, specifically,

or just pondering, and wait some more…

One day, or one minute, I know “There you are… go ahead…”

How do I know that moment?  I’m not sure I can put words to it…

It’s as though the “wait” in me is lifted, released,

and the way forward is opened up.  I see my ‘way’ forward.

Sometimes I ‘recognise’ the people I was waiting for are now here…

Or the money, or the time, or… whatever I was waiting for to be there.

I suppose, thinking about it, that I wait to use both sides of my brain

and also feel for the confirmation of the Holy Ghost.

Sometimes I realise “the moment is here” and act. 

Then, thinking about it afterwards I realise I had been waiting…

not knowing what I was waiting for, not even conscious I was waiting!

Most interesting experiences.

Sunday Afternoon - 9th June 2019 - Juicing

This is the week!
Glenn has decided to do a juice fast.

He borrows a book from millworker Sam Reddy on the site and decided
"Now is the time..."

He is on day 3 today.

Almost half way...
Some blends are more tasty than others.
The carrot and apple ones are good Glenn says.

When I was gathering and preparing the ingredients for lunch the first day,
I came to 1"cm of ginger..."
I thought "One centimetre of which part?  Some of this root is thick and some is thin..."
Anyway, I made what I thought was a sensible choice, and cut it up in the mix to juice.

When Glenn took the first sip of the juice at the office he (like gasped)
"Whew! this ginger is strong!"

I laughed and said - "It said one cm of ginger... I wondered about that..."

When we got home we saw that in all the other cases of ginger he had written 'cubed.'
He added (cubed) in afterwards!
Now the ginger component of the mix is... almost imperceptible.

Important... Taking Care Of Myself

Every now and again...
To the top of my daily priority list rises...
"You HAVE to take the time you need NOW to pay more attention to YOU!"

I had the first sty in my left eye in about February,
Then one after the other about a month apart in my right eye,
and now two simultaneously in my left eye again.

It seems the initial cortizone drops and now ointment from the opthalmologist
are not sufficient to deal with this seeming vulnerability?
I haven't had sties for many years - twenty?  thirty?.

I decided on Sunday it is now TIME to visit the Homeopath again
and have her look my whole body over.
I usually go once a year... Its eighteen months since I went last.

What is too much, or too little in my constitution?
Where might the imbalance be?
"Perhaps she will be able to identify what my physical body needs."

I went yesterday - Monday.
My left eye was almost closed it was so swollen.
I spent an hour with her.
My blood is good, numbers acceptable, eyes, ears, nose and throat good.
Heart and lungs OK.

I came away with some chewable minerals, some parasite capsules,
some eye drops and anti-bacterial pills.
And "Remember to use hot compresses on your eye..."
Here's hoping for steady improvement and No More Sties!...

Library books I am enjoying reading at present -
I am able to read in a page here and a page there...

I've just finished "The Dark Side of the Light Chasers."
I'm a Light Chaser.

Much food for thought.
Not really any concepts I am unfamiliar with.
A fresh perspective.  Fresh descriptions.
Useful questions to consider and record.

I'm busy with "The Three Promises" and "You Can Heal Your Life."
Also - not NEW to me so far, just a reminder, and... other ways
of describing constructive practices I have distilled over many years
to enjoy my every-day life, every day.

Gratitude,
prayer/meditation,
relishing nature,
cherishing being able to move,
and moving!
eating sensibly 19 out of 21 meals a week,
reducing... correlating... simplifying... enjoying... Every Day!

Glenn is reading the "Type 2 Diabetes."
He has type 2 diabetes.
I got it for myself to read...
He picked it up -
I will read the book when he is finished.

Maybe I was nudged to get it for him to read?
I didn't get it "hoping he would pick it up and read it..."
I thought if I read it I might be more understanding,
more supportive of his decisions to manage his diabetes...

I'm finding the questions in the "Come Follow Me" Individual and Family,
Sunday School and Primary curriculum deeply meaningful too.
I have to really pause and ponder them.
I write some of the questions and answers out and put them in my journal.
I love the media too...

This "Time and Space," the "Time Out Of Time" is soothing and healing.
I'm glad we accepted this "Call to Serve."

And - I am LOVING watching the Temple rise from the ground.
Many, many comforting and encouraging, and sobering, life-lessons for me...

This photo is Sunday, when my eye was less swollen...

Sunday afternoon 2nd June 2019 - Small World, Small Question

Good afternoon!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN AND LOGAN!  TODAY!
This outing looks like just the sort that I would love to share...
Thanks Laura for the photo of them I could copy and edit...

Small World - 

During the week I said to one of our suppliers of hardware for the Temple and Housing
"I've been wondering - are you related to Elisabeth van Heesch in Cape Town?"

She said "Yes!  She is my mother-in-law!  How do you know her?"

"She is my cousin - her mother and my mother are sisters..."

We had some interesting conversation!

AND Small Question - and Further Questions...

I gave a lift to someone to Church today.
(Glenn was not well so he stayed home.)

When I arrived back at her home, we chatted on...
I switched off the car.

At one point I said to her
"If I were your fairy godmother, what would you ask for?"
She replied right off.

On the way home I pondered that question...
"If someone asked me that, how would I answer?"

As we sat at lunch a little later I asked Glenn the same question...
More interesting and thoughtful discussion.

So -
How would you answer that small question if someone asked you?

Actually, I think it's a most interesting question to ponder.
I've appreciated the honest conversations with the two I talked with.

Maybe also... " Tomorrow's joy or tomorrow's despair
has its roots in the questions we ponder and learn from today..." ???
And maybe also... "the relationships we nurture today..."  ???
What else...

The time we spend BE-ing?
The books we read?
How we spend our time?
The food we eat?
The thoughts we think...
How and why we save/spend our resources today...
The formal and informal education we add to every day...
Those we watch and learn from...
The talents we develop...
The words we use - and don't use...
The explorations we make...
The media we use/consume/participate in...

I've also been thinking lately -
How do we become
"character-buildingly submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love,
and anxiously engaged in good causes?"

And also...
"How do we become wisely bold, brave, steadfast and immovable?"

And also...
It's good to share - time, talents, means...
What is the point at which sharing becomes over-sharing -
no longer helpful to me and the other?

It's good to be flexible.
At what point does flexibility become problem creating?

It's tough to be tough...
It's tough to be tender...
It's tough to know when each is appropriate and problem solving...

Hmm...