Apr 9-10, 2007

April 9-10, 2007

April 9, Monday, Robert shot 84 at the Pinetop Country Club. I’m not sure our fellow missionary, Steve, is a good influence here. Robert’s score wasn’t quite as good as last week, but he didn’t have the temple president playing in front of them. Guess he needs that spiritual strength to improve his golf game.

As for me, golfing means I have a whole day to wallow in what Robert calls my “scrapbook frenzy.” I really enjoy having a day to myself, and when the truck is gone people think we’re not home, so it’s a very pleasant and relaxing day for me.

One person did call…Kit Cody. He lives in Whiteriver part of the time and part of the time here in a house down by the river. He said someone has broken into his home. So on Tuesday we went by and he asked Robert to bless the house. Whoever broke in wrote on the door and bathroom mirror, and took pillowcases, towels and all the food they had. Kit’s sister, Ernestine, was there waiting for the police to come so they could file a report. She said she wished if someone needed those things they would just ask. She would have been happy to give them what they needed, and we think that’s true. She would have. Kit was the best we’ve ever seen him, meaning, sober. He’s really a great person if he could get past the drinking. His family is very active in the church. Ernestine has been to the temple and Kit’s brother has been Branch President in Whiteriver.

I have to stop here for one moment. I can’t continue without making a confession. Kit wanted Robert to come by Monday night, but Robert got home too late and we didn’t want to go over there in the dark. So Tuesday he was our first priority, but he got bumped for a more important task. On our way to his house we went by the deli to fill our mugs. Their soda machine was working, which is a minor miracle all its own. But today they had no ice. So Robert came out mugless, although he had purchased a Snickers in an effort to pacify me. It didn’t work, but I certainly enjoyed the Snickers. I went into some sort of diatribe about not getting a mug yesterday because I was left all alone and mugless while he was having fun golfing, and he got a mug but I didn’t, and it was just more sacrifice than I’m prepared to make at this point…and…well, you get the picture. So we drove to Carrizzo, which is about 20 miles up the mountain, to fill my mug. I was just happy as a little Pollyanna the rest of the day.

After Kit we came home for some lunch. While we were here Bettina Begay from the clinic called. She said she had really good comments from the people who were at the training Robert did last Friday and wanted to know if he’ll do another one in May. When she called Robert was on the phone with the maintenance guys because our toilet is having some issues. So I told Bettina he would just be tickled to do another training. This perhaps is not real good for strengthening our marriage, but she was appreciative. Then she said she’s having difficulties at work and wanted to know if she could come by the house and have Robert give her a blessing. So that was blessing #2 today. She’s a delightful person and we happy to help her. We’re also doing a presentation at a conference on the family at the clinic next week.

Then we went to see Aflred and Thelma, just because we haven’t visited them for a while. They are also on our favorite people list. Their son, Jared, needs an operation on his wrist where a fracture has not healed correctly. We didn’t know until we got there that the surgery is scheduled in Flagstaff tomorrow. They said they had been thinking of coming over to see us and get a blessing for Jared. He was in school at the time, so we went back later and gave him and Alfred and Thelma all blessings. So that was blessing #3, 4 and 5 today. Alfred and Thelma were in our temple group, so Robert had Alfred help with the blessings for Thelma and Jared. What a priceless experience. He wasn’t polished. He could barely see the writing on the card Robert gave him so he’d know what to say, and he held the card with one hand and only put one hand on their heads. But the spirit was strong. We just know the Lord loves to see his people learn to perform the ordinances he’s given us. We think He was smiling the whole time we were there.

We also visited Ricky and Cheryl and saw his new big screen TV, the $136 a month TV, the $1000 TV that he’ll pay on for the next 24 months. Cheryl asked if we thought President Bonito would get her a sofa and some beds from Deseret Industries. We said she’ll just have to ask him, although we’ve got a pretty good idea what he’ll say. He won’t want to help them, because he’s as annoyed as we are about the whole TV thing. But we wonder if it’s fair to punish Cheryl and Naysha and the baby for Ricky’s behavior. We don’t think they could have talked him out of the TV, and maybe they even tried. So is it fair for them not to have beds and a sofa because he made a foolish decision?

We also took some more of Ashlin’s baby clothes to Dion, the manager of the apartments where Alma and Gilbert and Murphy live. We took him some a while ago, but we took size 0-3 months and the baby weighed 9 lbs., so we took a few bigger things today. We also talked for a few minutes with Gilbert and Alma and Murphy.

When we got home I made a couple of loaves of banana bread and took some over to Alfred and Thelma to eat on the way to Flagstaff tomorrow. Robert conducted the ARP meeting by himself, which wasn’t too much of a challenge since no one came again.

Verbena called and asked if we could get a table like the one we got her for her sister, who is a nonmember. Robert’s reputation as a home decorator seems to be spreading fast.