No News Is Stressful

Ten days ago, I had a great interview for the job I mentioned in my December 1st post, but haven't heard anything yet. When I think about it, my mind skitters away from dealing with the anxiety of it. It's hard to dwell on an unknown I cannot affect. There are other jobs I am applying for, one in DC that I am waiting for an interview to be scheduled. We keep praying, keep trying to be cheerful

So I focus on what I can affect.

Emma is home!



It snowed all day yesterday!You can see our front bushes slowly disappearing

No church this morning, but our Bishop gave us permission to conduct a short Sacrament service in our home. We were also asked to spend some time in service of our neighbors, and to consider it like the Elders Brigham Young directed to leave conference and go help bring home the stranded wagon trains. We agreed to go up the road to dig out one neighbor that Jennilyn is friends with (her husband is scheduled for hernia surgery). I sent Stewart ahead to get started while I finished our walk (just in case there was Seminary tomorrow).

Poor Stewart. He came back dejected about 30 minutes later. Apparently, he misunderstood the instruction, and went to the wrong house, and had finished about 2/3s of the driveway before the owner came out to ask him what he was doing. We tried to console him that service rendered is still valuable (the family has a severely handicapped son who travels in a wheelchair), but he was beside himself.

We all went back, to the right house this time. While there, our friend asked us if we could dig out the widow that lived across the street.

She has a son that cannot get up to see her very often. IT was a straight, short driveway, I knew we could do it in 20 minutes. As soon as we started on it, the husband/father in the house where Stewart had mistakenly shoveled came out and started up a snowblower. He came across the street and helped us clear out the hardest part, near the street where the plows had heaped snow in crusty chunks. I told Stewart that his help was the dividend we were receiving for his charitable (if mistaken) labor.

As we neared the front door of the widow's house, she came out and asked me how much she should pay us. I told her about our Bishop cancelling our church services, directing us instead to worship simply at home and look to our neighbors to see what help we could extend. She asked what our church was, and I told her.

"You are all fine Christians, and it is just a miracle you've come and dug me out!" I hope the kids remember that.

We are going to finish digging out from our house and walk to my parents' house to watch the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas special and have sacrament there. Probably some cinnamon rolls, too.

The kids have presents to wrap.

Max took Sam and Roxie sledding yesterday. I am sure they will be out playing again tomorrow. Today is a good day to sort through all the winter clothes and gear that we just put in a box and hid away last Spring. It is a good day.