The Abkhasians

I think the Abkhasians have the right idea. Read the caption. This is me in 40 years.

Door Knobs

Here's something I may or may not have told you: when I was a little girl visiting Grandma and Grandpa Bybee (Granny's mother, AKA Gram), I accidentally locked myself in the guest bedroom. Grandpa Bybee had to get his tools out and pry the door knob off to liberate me. I cried all the time he worked because I knew I was in trouble.

I don't know, but I think the locking mechanism was destroyed during the operation. At any rate, a band aide was put across the lock's turny thing that locks the door. I never experimented to see if it worked or not.

Several years later, after Grandpa had died and Granny's divorce was final, we moved in with Gram. The deformed door nob was still there. No one ever tested its working capabilities that I know of.

Last week the door knob to the front door of our apartment failed. Steven advised me to just throw the bolt without engaging the door knob until the management replaced it. So I stuck a band aide on the lock's turny thing so that I wouldn't accidentally forget and lock the door. It works for me.

San Diego Trip

We went to San Diego the first week-end Steve was here. We went with every good intention of buying a Mexican Nativity Scene before leaving California. Would that it were that easy. We had a three-prong attack. First we would look in San Ysidro on the border to save us the grief of going into Tijuana. Then we would walk into TJ if necessary. If we couldn't find it there, we would go to Old Town, San Diego and hope to find it in a tourist shop there.

How it went: 1) San YeSkidrow is worse than ever. Not going back. 2) We seriously intended to enter TJ, but Steven advised me to leave my purse in the car, in a U.S. parking lot. When we were advised that we needed a driver's licence to get back into the U.S., I reminded Steve that my ID was in my purse, in the car, 1 ml. back across traffic. Never mind. 3) We did Old Town and had a GREAT time! We shopped, geeked, watched, and strolled. So much fun! We found the Creche and inadvertently found a mirror at a shop called The Tin Smith for our guest bath. You'll have to visit and see it.

Here are some pictures of Old Town and the Mariachis that serenaded us during dinner--the best dining experience we have had in 30 years. They were cute and sang on key for the most part.

This is the mirror I found in the gardening shop I admired. Conclusion: I can make one just like it. Notice that I still don't know to take a picture of a mirror from the side. Yes-- that IS the Harvand swetshirt that I wear whenever we travel. I find that we get better service and more conversation from shop-keepers when I wear it.

Next is the rack of genuine, authentic Mexican wrestling masks. I thought of my sons when we saw them and almost seriously considered buying one for Henri. But intelligence eventually won out. We are trying to raise a gentleman, not a masked maurader.

It is the funniest thing to make blog entries now. I used to make entries to show Mom what I had been doing. Now that she's gone, I still think, I hope Mom enjoys this one. I guess it just takes time.

Endangered Specie

Here is a picture of Taft's endangered specie. She is a healthy Valley Kit Fox. Her specie was originally labeled as endangered because there weren't very many of them. Now they are so common, you can't walk very far at night without seeing one. This particular fox hangs out around our apartment and gets fed by a neighbor. I am skeptical that feeding her is doing her specie any good.

Outline for a Talk

I'm giving a talk tonight at a baptismal service for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was asked to speak on the Holy Ghost. Here is my outline--such as it is.

The Holy Ghost

I. The Holy Ghost
A. 3rd member of Godhead
B. Personage of spirit

II. Gift of the Holy Ghost
A. The greatest gift a mortal can enjoy.

B. Purposes
1. Testator; the testifier of truth song: I Know My Father Lives
a. You received the Holy Ghost which was the convincing power of the truth of the Gospel.
b. That’s how you knew the Gospel was true and that you needed to be baptized.

C. The right to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost
1. You do not have it as a constant companion
2. When you receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost it will => continuing, renewed assurance of the truthfulness of the Gospel
3. It will leave you if you do not receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost or if you do not live worthy of it
4. based on worthiness and desire for it.
5. The Spirit will not live in an unclean tabernacle

D. Revelator:
1. Knows all things.
a. Story: Leah walking home
b. Story: Steven passing his Spanish test
c. Story: Where my car keys were

2. Guide and direct Story: Micah continuing his mission
3. Comforter Story: My brother Ron 's car accident
4. Voice of warning

III. How do you recognize it?
A. “One way I distinguish my own thoughts from the promptings of the Holy Ghost is by recalling how I feel when I think about my testimony of the Savior. If I feel the same about spiritual promptings as I do when I think of my testimony—warm and sure—then I know I need to obey.”

B. President Ezra Taft Benson suggested that we use the following six questions as a guide in decision making:
1. Could it retard or injure spiritual or moral progress?
2. Could it create unhappy or unpeaceful memories?
3. Is it contrary to the revealed will or commandments of God?
4. Could it harm any individual, family, or group?
5. Would the decision make [me] a better person?
6. Could a blessing be derived from this particular action? [See D&C 130:20–21]” (God, Family, Country, 151).

Before and After

I am the first to admit that I am not a great photographer. But you can get the idea. Here are the kitchen area before and after shots.

Notice the corner to the left of the stove. I am particularly please with the after shot despite the blurry nature of it.

Here we have a dark view of the kitchen counter to the right of the stove and an after shot of the same area.

This is my favorite magic trick. This is the Pierre Deux lamp that my friend was coveting. Because it cost $300 without the shipping fee, I offered to turn one of her lamps into a reasonable facsimile of it. I am quite pleased. Maybe I should take another picture of my lamp without the light on. But I couldn't wait to show it off.

Homesick

I miss my horse.