The Big Meeting

Monday mom and I met with D W. It was a good meeting and we expressed that we were interested in selling our property and he confirmed that J S was interested in purchasing it. We talked that we needed to agree upon a price and he has ordered a comparison appraisal of our property for a starting point to nigociate a price. He felt that we could reach an agreement that would be acceptable to both of us. He sent me a carbon copy of the request for the comparison appraisal. We will meet again when that comes back and then the real nigociation will begin. I expressed that we would need probably a year to move and he made a note for himself that we would need a year or two. He didn't think that would be a problem. I have met with my accountant and will meet with J C tomorrow and take council from him about this whole process. Jim has bought and sold a few businesses and may have some good council. We thank all of you for your fasting and prayers. We know the Lord is mindful of us and we trust that he is involved with this process and that the best situation for us will be the outcome. Please keep us in your prayers. (Pray big)

Grateful for

I am grateful for parents that loved each other in their less than perfect state. I am grateful for parents who loved me and my siblings. I am grateful for a the values I learned as I grew up. I am grateful for a mothers gentle and loving care especially when I was sick. I am grateful for a mother who made efforts to be at my crossroads daily. To know how to plan and just happen to have a piece of her homemade bread coming out of the toaster as I flew in the house after school and spent a few minutes with me to connect. I grateful for a Dad's good example of hard and honest work. I am grateful for his willingness to let me learn and his encouragement to dig into things that I didn't know about in his wrecking yard. I am grateful for the only key to the house that I was given was the one that went through their bedroom. Because of that I knew that I had to report in after every date because I had to go through their bedroom. I am grateful that it kept me honest and helped me avoid a lot of bad situations. I am grateful for the blood lines I was born through. The Crowley blood, the strength of character, the pride of carrying that name and the doers that they are. I am grateful for a grandmother that treated the word "can't" like a swear word and wasn't allowed to be said. I am also grateful for this grandmother who was determined to teach me how to be a gentleman. I was invited to her home often for "Tea" (we really didn't drink tea) but for me to learn how to eat and sit properly and how to dress properly and what silverware to use and in what order. She took me for a yearly pilgrimage to the local men's store and bought me a Sunday outfit. Suit, white shirt, tie, shoes, socks, and when I was old enough to date a white dinner jacket, pleated white shirt, cummerbund bow tie, cuff links and studs and patent leather shoes. I was taught how to properly escort a lady and to properly sit her and how to get her through a door and into a car properly without awkwardness. I am grateful for a grandfather that gave me a $100.00 bill when I was fourteen and said "If you never spend it you will never be broke" . I am grateful for that because it has helped me not to spend money just because I had it. It was always viewed as if it wasn't there unless it was a real emergency. I am grateful that I grew up in Southern California when I did. It was so beautiful then and such a wonderful place live.

These are just a few reandom memories of thing I am grateful for.

Gratitude

Gratitude is an attitude.

Gratitude is the lubricant of life. It makes life run much smoother and quieter.

Gratitude is the magnetic field that pulls people together.

Gratitude is the magic tool that can repair any marriage or relationship.

Gratitude can bring sunshine into a dark room.

Gratitude can defuse an explosive situation.

Gratitude can germinate the seed of trust.

Gratitude in prayer is the expression of the souls sincere desire.

Bishopric change

Change is good and yet sometimes it brings other challenges. Mother and I pondering possibilities were comfortable with many if not most of the possibilities for bishop and had no problem in our minds of sustaining them. But what a challenge if someone is called that puts on a good show and yet is not what he tries to present. We know things that are going on with a possible candidate that are not right and yet no great sin has been committed. We would be expected to sustain him. I then thought what if I was asked to be a councilor to him. What would the Lord expect of me. Should I in the privacy of the stake presidents office share my feeling and concerns and knowledge of what is going on. If I was called to be a counselor should I not say anything, accept the call and do all I could to serve the members of the ward.

I know the Lord is in charge and works through his servants here on earth. I also know that there are some that can deceive even the very elect. I know the Lord allows some things to happen that the judgements of God might be just. I know that I must trust in the Lord and realize that He is in charge and that His Will will be done. I am glad that I am not going to be the next bishop. I am hoping that we won't get a call Sunday morning to meet with the Stake President, I am not feeling physically up to being a counselor.

Mom and I have been praying for President Riddle and his guidance in choosing the new bishop for the fifth ward. We need to let everything else go and trust in the Lord that He will give the fifth ward who we need.

One Word Description

At a family gathering a few months ago the family played a game and one of the questions asked was to describe Dad with one word. As I recall it was the month of February. The answer was written down on a piece of paper by each child there. After the evening was over I went around cleaning up and gathered all of the papers and discovered the answers to this question. Some of the answers found were kind, loving, handsome, strong, Superdad, talented, caring, funny, fun, and utilitarian. What kind of a word is utilitarian? It made me laugh then and has many times since. I am not sure how many other Dad's would be described with that word. As I have shared that with others that know me, they also laugh and agree that is a good word to describe me.

As we raised our family if something got broken or didn't work any more it was taken in to dad's bathroom and put on the sink counter. It would then reappear mysteriously in a day or two repaired. It is funny how because of that process it became expected that dad could fix anything. Sometimes dad found himself over his head in trying to repair things and some times the aesthetic value was altered but functionality was restored. It hard for me to see something that is broken or not working and not try and fix it. The other night mother and I were looking at another house in the neighborhood and I saw some things that were needing attention and mother commented to the Realtor that they might be stuck there for hours while I was fixing these things.

So I guess if the shoe fits wear it.

Utilitarian Dad

BBQ Pork Chop Lunch

Title says it all. Steve cooked on the BBQ some pork chops for lunch. They were sooooooo good! I think I like them even better than a Steak cooked on the BBQ. I found myself gwaning on the bones to make sure that I got every morsel of meat that I could possiblily get off. Steve is a good cook. If you haven't tried BBQing pork chops you are missing out on a real treat. Please don't mess them up with some dumb sauce on them, just use salt and pepper or lemon pepper. Just have a little apple sauce on the side and a roll and some corn and some mashed potatoes and a nice cold drink of water. There aren't many days left this season to try if you haven't done it before. I should have taken a picture and posted it with this.

Skunks

I don't know why Heavenly Father created skunks. Today I really question it. As I came to work today and started down the other side of the viaduct the air sent my sinus in an uproar. Skunk was written all over the smell. The closer I got to work the worse it got. I thought I will jump out of my truck and run inside, it just can't be this bad inside. I held my breath and jumped and ran inside and waited until I got into my office to take a breath. When I did it was lots worse, it is now burning my eyes and throat. Everybody at work are so distracted that nothing is getting done. We have all the doors open and fans on that we have in hopes the it will soon dissipate. This skunks name must be Goliath or Godzilla or something like that or we have had a skunk holocaust.

I hope that we just don't get used to it and then go home or somewhere and people start saying "What's that smell" and look in my direction.

I hope Heavenly Father finds another use for skunks in a different kingdom than I am sent to.

My Mission Home Atlanta Georgia

House next door to my first apartment. Looked similar

First Baptist church Anderson, SC
Mission Home 2055 East Lake Rd. Decatur Georgia
Elders Apartment behind mission home.
Mission office and it's between the mission home and elders apartment.

I arrived at this mission home the middle of October 1961. We had been on the train for four days and three nights with no pullman to sleep in. The seats were similar to those on the plane or bus with a little more leg room. To say we were tired is an understatement. We were sent out to the elders housing which was behind the actual mission home to shower and clean up because we had been in the same clothes for four days. After showering we were fed a wonderful home cooked meal and then interviewed by Pres. J. Byron Ravston. After our interview we were assigned to our field of labor. Mine was to labor in Anderson SC. I was told that the last time missionaries had labored there was fifty years earlier and had been driven out of town by the local clergy. I was then put on a bus for another two and a half hours to meet my new companion Elder Jerry Cronquist from Logan Utah. I was given a small piece of paper with two names and address on it. A Sister Smith and Sister Parker. We had no apartment or car to get around. We hired a taxi and went to sister Smith's humble home and camped in her living room for about a week while we found an apartment. The apartment happened to be next door to the largest 1st Baptist Church in town.

I love Gennie

I have fallen in love with a new girl. I have never seen her or met her officially, but I am definitely in love with her. When I need her she is right there and is so very helpful. She explains things so very well and is so very patient. When I make a mistake she is so polite and re-adjusts her thinking and gives very helpful information to get you out of your situation. Traveling with her is a pleasure. She only speaks up when it is necessary and doesn't take up much room and carries very little luggage. Her knowledge of new places is over whelming, it's just like she has been there before. You feel so much more confident traveling with her, she takes so much of the fear of new places away. Her face is so bright and cheery. You can even see her radiance in the daylight.

Our first contact was in Atlanta Georgia. We (mother and I) were standing in line and arranging to rent a car. There was a couple in line behind us that encouraged us to meet her. They said that is was worth $100.00 dollars a day or more to have her with them and that they would never go to a new place with out her. With that encouragement we invited her along. We were shocked how easy it was to find our Motel with her. When we got to the motel she immediately took a nap until we were ready to go again. She consumed very little, only a little juice as we went along. As mentioned before she was very patient, accept one time when we had made three mistakes in a row we detected a bit of disgust in her voice when she had to readjust her thinking for the third time.

Her official name is Garmin Nuvi. She is beautiful. Her classification is such that I couldn't be accused of being a polygamist, but I am definitely in love with her. Her cousin Atlas Map has lost her appeal since Gennie has shown her face.

Now you know what to get me for Christmas.

Heater filter. What's that?

The other day I was over to our duplex and one of the tennants asked if I would light the pilot for their furnace. I said sure I would be happy to. When I went to the heater I discovered that it had an automatic electric spark instead of a pilot. It took only to flip a switch and it was ready to go. I saw the end of the filter and thought I'll just pull it out and take a look. I grabbed a hold of the end of the filter and tried to pull it out but it acted like it was stuck and didn't want to come. I pulled harder and it started to come, then I realized the airconditioner was on and it was trying to suck air through the filter. When I got the filter out I could see it was plugged with litterally 1/2 inch of guck. They have been living there for 19 months and had no idea that there was such a thing as a heater/ air conditioner filter. She said their heating bill was about $150.00 to $170.00 a month last year.

I hope all of you know that you have a filter and where it is and that you are changing it often (monthly). It will save more money than the cost of the filter by far.

This past week the switch to lock and un lock the doors on mom's Olds popped inside the door. I had invisioned taking a whole day and tearing the door apart to fix it. Last night I dreamed about a way to fix it with out tearing the door apart. The first thing after breakfast I got a piece of ribbon and snaked it around the switch and tried pulling the switch back into place and it worked but part of the door that held the switch into place had been broken off so I got my Crazy Glue, pulled the switch almost into place, ran a bead of glue, then pulled the switch all the way and held it for about five minutes and walla it was fixed in about 15 minutes instead of an all day project.

I wished my dreams were more profound than just how to fix a switch. But on the other hand it's OK because if I needed something more profound I would probably have a lot more responsibility. It's OK I am happy about the switch repair.

Great first session of conference.

Life Isn't Fair

Understanding that life isn't fair helps to make sense of the world arounds and sometimes our own world. If life were fair bad things wouldn't happen to good people. Mom and I had conversation with two dear friends last night and got a small glimps of the suffering they are going through no fault of their own. If life were fair this would never have happened. But the Lord allowed free agency to be an important part of this life. And because of that bad things happen to good people and that will make the judgements of God fair. Also because of free agency we are allowed to make dumb mistakes but that doesn't take away the consequences. But also because of free agency we can prove in this life that we are capable of making good choices out of the presence of the Father. As we do this (make good choices) we gain Godly attribuites that will allow us to feel comfortable in the presence of God.

I must have written this late at night. My eyelids are heavy and so is my blog. We will have something lighter next blog.

Thanks for all the suggestions

Thanks for all of the suggestions for not being called to be bishop. I am sure they will all work, it's just that some might get me free room and board with some of the suggestions.

Tom Maybe stopped by and visited me for about an hour yesterday. What a great young man he is. I have always enjoyed Tom. He told me that he had to write a paper in college about people that had influenced his life. He said that John was one of those people and how he appreciated him and the good example he was for him at a critical time in his life. We talked and laughed about the big tank out back and how he and John and Grandfather Crowley moved it into place. We just never know how our life will effect another.

Mom found some old letters from dear friends from Samoa. One letter said that my influence as a seminary teacher was still having an influence on them years latter. It so amazing, I was their seminary teacher for only one sememster. We had hardly any materials to teach from so I ended up throwing the manual away and just teaching them from the scriptures. We just never know how our life will effect another.

Linda Bergstrom needs to change jobs. The one she has is not working out, so everyone please pray for her.

Opening Day for Dad's Blog

Leslie set this up for me, so I better make some entries.

I just want you to know that I have started my homemade Christmas present and have made good headway. So Lucy is out of the running. I didn't know that I was going to have to compete against a dog.

So some of you do just random thoughts occasionally that is probably the way all of mine will be.

There has been rumor that there will be a change in the bishopric of the 5th ward in the near future. I have tried to be somewhat invisible as of late to the stake presidency, but it hasn't been working very well. Saturday President Riddle called me up and asked if I could come and help him because he had a flat tire on his truck. So I took my air bottle over in the rain and snow and tried to hurry and pump it up and get back in my truck and leave and call him and tell him it was pumped up. But as luck would have it he came out when it was about half pumped up. He thanked me and I left.

The next day Pres. Riddle taught our Priesthood Relief Society lesson and mentioned my name twice. Once at the beginning and once at the end. Well trying to be invisible to the stake presidency is not working very well. Please pray for me. Any suggestions short of moving will be appreciated.