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.