Lessons Learned the Hard Way

In no particular order, these are the latest life lessons that have come my way:

Be really, really careful when you are using your brand new Cutco knives.

I will spare you the gory details, but at least I can say I still have all my digits.





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The blue screen of death really is a blue screen of death

The lesson I learned: if my computer shuts itself down do not turn it back on at all. No matter what. I probably should have already known this. I was in the middle of something I thought too important to delay, so restarted it several times. And then again the next day. And the next. Keven did too, at least once or twice. Which is why we were able to recover only a portion of our files :(

What was lost: biggest ouch - several journals and personal history stories, and a number of years of talks and presentations;  the only concise record of my passwords and account information; recipes, really yummy ones that I couldn't wait to try but can't remember the sources; several in-the-works projects: Grins & Giggles editions for each year of grandparenting and a special Christmas card booklet; Seminary files for a year of Old Testament lessons, activities, etc.; outlines for family history projects that I was just waiting for time to get completed. I remember something new almost daily.

Upside -a pretty snazzy new computer with Windows7
Downside - the pretty snazzy new computer is not compatible with my printers
Upside - I now will work with an external drive, automatically saving everything on a regular basis. Duh.


Carpe Diem

Walter and Stumpy

Appreciate those who are around you while they are around you. The loss of our rather ordinary cat, Walter, reminded me of this. After he was gone I realized that he was really quite a remarkable cat who was very lucky to live as long as he did. He was a feral kitten destined for the pound when Sonja rescued him. When he was 6 months old he disappeared. For 2 weeks. Sonja had lost hope when he showed up - battered and broken and chewed up. The vet's determination was that he had been hit by a car, which broke a hind leg and caused other damage. And then he was probably chewed up by a tom cat because one ear was half-bitten off. Part of his tail was gone. He was a sorry sight for quite a while, and never the cute, playful kitten he had been but a rather schizophrenic feline. Nevertheless, he was loved and a part of the family for almost 12 years, and after he was gone I realized I really could have spent more time scratching his neck and ears and giving him more attention.

Upside - I've been kinder to Chia...
Downside - Stumpy is still missing him (so am I)


Sleep may be highly overrated, but at some point one must give it up and get some.  Sacrifice doesn't always bring the blessings of heaven (reference President Uchtdorf's second "Forget-me-Not"). I think I am getting a little bit better at figuring out what will be most meaningful in preparing my Seminary lessons (translation: let the Spirit speak to me), but I am still staying up too late reading one more talk, one more scripture passage, trying to make something better, attempting to create a more dazzling visual aid or handout, or making a special treat - all in the hopes that these extraordinary young people (who, by the way, are getting up at dark-thirty every school morning after they've spent the afternoon/evening/night/wee hours involved in sports activities, Mutual, music lessons, service projects, homework, chores, jobs, tending siblings,  chauffeuring siblings, more homework, reading scriptures and working on scripture mastery. Oh, and maybe hanging out with friends and stuff like that) will find it worth their while to come to Seminary, and that they will feel uplifted and fortified for all that the world will throw at them that day.

Don't run on a bum knee. Walking is OK. Riding a bike is OK. Swimming is also OK. Running is not OK. Time is the great healer.....Patience is a virtue.....All good things come to those who wait....I keep telling myself.