MUSINGS FROM HOME

What a good week!  Beautiful weather!  Bounty from the garden!  Healthy enough to do what needs doing and a little more.  Loving companion that makes living so much fun and makes my life very comfortable.  Opportunities for being of service are plentiful.  Life is GOOD!

Went to the fair this morning to see Mikayla show her pig.  She looked good!  Saw Andrea there with Rex and Michelle and Michelle's Dad and wife.  Fun to seem them again too.  Michelle had Parker with her.  Andi said Brayden was coming down tomorrow.

He was a little fiesty at first but she got him under control

Relaxing after working in the ring.

We watched Mikayla in her showmanship round, walked through the pig barn, the steer barn, visited with the Freemans in the dairy barn, checked out all the 4H stuff, looked at the beautiful quilts, had a huge and mouth watering scone with raspberries on it and decided that was enough fair for us.  Started getting hot and we had some shopping to do in Roseburg.

From that 5 1/2 pounds of raw garlic, (last weeks blog) we got just over 2 pounds of dried garlic.  I blended it into garlic powder and got about 4 cups.  Should be enough to last till next year I hope. Need to get next years garlic planted.  Also going to plant fall crop of beets tomorrow.  Have canned a few jars of pickled beets but need to do a few more.  Dad and I both like them.

Dinner Plate Dahlia

Fennel

Tomatoes not ready yet but soon we hope.  Did buy some at the Farmers Market that were so yummy.  I love this time of year!  Corn, green beans, tomatoes, summer squash--doesn't get any better than that! Picked the rest of the garlic and all the onions.  Good crop.

Dad on his new mower

Dad now has a new John Deere riding mower with grass catcher.  Kyle helped me find a good one on Craigs list.  Hopefully it will make his work a little easier to do.

African Impatien

Chrsanthymum

Some fall flowers blooming.  Kristen the African impatien you left has almost florescent flowers right now.  So beautiful, especially in the evening when it seems to glow from within.


Great testimony meeting this morning.  Youth temple trip yesterday that was attended by a large group. Gail Baird also went and was baptized for her daughter, Valerie, who died a few years ago.  Also her husband Ken was baptized.

Dad has been sending out short histories on some of our relatives, to help us learn a little about them and know that they were real people, just like us, with real lives that were sometimes very difficult.  I think sometimes we forget that they had to make choices too, just like we do.  Whether to do it or not, whether to go or to stay, whether to serve those around them or not, and a miriad of other decisions.   Choices, choices, choices--we make them minute by minute and those choices eventually shape our lives, our character, and our destiny. We look back to our ancestors to understand our roots and to benefit from the legacy of family values, strength, hard work, integrity and courage they left.  We should also be looking forward.  Forward to our own descendants.  What will our legacy be to them? Will they see in us the same strength of character that we value so highly in our ancestors?  That is something I ask myself on a daily basis.

Dad with onions and garlic

The thing above all else I want for my posterity to know is that I have a firm committment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I know that through the atonement of Christ I will be able to return to my Heavenly Father, if I am true to the covenants I have made and endure to the end.  I know that this church is the Christ of Jesus Christ, restored in these last days, that He stands at the head and directs the work of the church throughout the world.  I know the church has always been led by prophets and that we have prophets leading and guiding us today if we will just listen and follow their counsel. I know the Book of Mormon is a testament of Jesus Christ and tells the true history of God's and Christ's dealings with  the ancient people on this continent and that it was translated by Joseph Smith.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is contained in the pages of the Book of Mormon, in all its beauty and simplicity.  If you want to draw close to Christ, immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon. I know that God loves me, loves all his children, and only wants the best for them. He says "this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man".  If you really want to be happy, if you really want true freedom, then follow the Savior and His gospel. It has brought me happiness and joy throughout my life!  It is the mesuring stick by which I try to measure and make my choices.  I'm not always successful, but I am really trying to be a better disciple of Christ.

Mom/Lynn/G'ma