The Unknown

Wouldn't you just rather know what to expect than to wonder what is going to happen? In Dennis' finance class at church one of the principles he teaches is that "if you keep doing what you're doing, you're going to keep getting what you are now getting"... so operating on that theory, I don't want to keep getting what I've been getting so I'm going to do something different !
In just a few hours I will be undergoing my first chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. The oncologist put his arm around me as I left there last Thursday and took me to the chemo nurses saying... "now look, Laurie is my friend. You'd better treat her well." It was a nice gesture but completely unnecessary. I've never seen a staff so attentive and compassionate and never had so many hugs from people I do not know... nevertheless, I am suffering some trepedition this morning as we head into the unknown. Lots of people have done it before, I'm telling myself, and they are all around me at church, in the stores, everywhere I go ... and my mind understands that but my mother's heart just wants to know what will happen from here. Will I be able to finish sorting out the Visiting Teaching routes to pass along to the new R.S. Pres or will my brain be mush and not able to concentrate on anyting --- oh, wait, --- too late on that one~! Will I be able to still hold Hadley and Kameron and have a tickle party with Kyle? How can I explain things to Brianna so she won't worry ? Will I be enough of myself when our granddaughters come from Michigan that they will think I am the same Grandma? Will our "Pocatello kids" have a wonderful experience in Moscow like we are praying theyand feel that they will ? Do all of our children and their spouses and our grandchildren know how much we treasure them and love them with all of our hearts? Do they know our most fervent wish for them is to live the gospel, to be sweet and patient with one another ? Do they know that I KNOW THE GOSPEL IS TRUE and THAT I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THE OUTPOURING OF BLESSINGS WE ARE RECEIVING IN OUR LIVES? Do they know that I KNOW GOD IS OUR FATHER AND HE IS IN CHARGE OF THINGS AND GAVE US HIS GREATEST GIFT IN HIS SON JESUS CHRIST TO ATONE FOR US...NOT JUST FOR OUR SINS (which is a HUGE gift in itself) BUT ALSO FOR OUR MALADIES AND SUFFERING IN THIS WORLD. I love our Savior, Jesus Christ, and know that He is watching over all of us. Do they know? Maybe I'm not going too far into the unknown after all.

Ramblings

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day in the neighborhood, will you be mine, will you be mine, won't you be my neighbor ? Good old Mr. Rogers... I couldn't help thinking about that song with the bright sunlight streaming through the office window and the iris blooming outside -- it is, indeed, a beautiful day in the neighborhood ! (Even if Mean Melanie lives across the street!) What makes it even better is that I pulled out the Cougar Fight Song and played that CD several times and I'm up ready to go! I love motivational music!
Someone emailed earlier to "watch Dennis" so that's what I've done -- I've watched him go right out the door to work at the bank. We wouldn't want him to change too much, we couldn't take the surprise of it all !
You are all so articulate I probably should just put these ramblings on a journal entry for myself. Surely enjoy reading what you post!

Just Thinking

As I was returning to Rigby last night after being with Dad at the hospital, I stopped at the ATM outside Zions Bank to get some funds. No one was around so I pulled in horizontally across the parking spots to be as close as possible. Of course, as soon as I got to the machine, two or three others pulled up to use the ATM. As I proceeded back to the van, a lady on the sidewalk kind of shouted at me "Don't you know how to park?" Taken aback, I said "no" with a smile and got into the car and left. I wanted to say "look, my husband is in the hospital, I have cancer and am starting chemo tomorrow." I didn't and I am glad I didn't, because it was my fault in the first place. Just because no one else was around when I arrived, I didn't have any right to take up three parking spots making it inconvient for others. We need to be aware of people around us and use consideration and kindness no matter what we are thinking or feeling ourselves. I think that's what President Hinckley did and look how much good he accomplished. So, today, June 19, let's set out to speak kindly to those we meet and give others around us the benefit of the doubt. We truly don't know what is going on in their life either. I have a wall plaque which says "Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a difficult battle." I think it's true. We are all struggling with difficult things in our own lives but those around us are doing the same. I choose today to be a blessing to others.

Okay, okay, being the senior member of this blogspot, I'll do some follow up on the first blog --even though it will illicit [more] unwelcome comments regarding my age.

I remember when Dwight Eisenhower was President.
Home phones used to have party lines where neighbors could listen to everyone's business
New in this day and age is the highest speed on a car speedometer --used to be 80
Disposable diapers --- I think Dan was the only one which got to use them and I was so glad to have them but now cloth diapers are coming back in the LDS culture as part of preparedness.
Digital cameras
Cell phone cameras
Dehydrated food and mixes -- everything used to be cooked from scratch
I remember the day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated. I was in gym class in high school.
Lots of medical advances -- we're grateful Hadley wasn't born a generation ago. Amazing -- successful heart surgery on an 8 month old; and many other advances in other areas.
Temples are dotting the earth and the gospel is rolling forth
There are so many more but duty calls. I'll try to be more original in the next post.

Progress

I was thinking the other day about the lists which had been posted previously and thought we should have one about the things we've seen transpire in our lifetime. Dennis and I were around to watch man land on the moon but most of you had the computer and microwave invented since you came to earth. What about it? What progress has been made or technology developed, etc?