Good Friday 2013

Rich and I were married on Good Friday almost thirty-seven years ago. Although today isn't really our anniversary it still reminds me of that cold, wet, stormy day in April so many years ago that we were married. I haven't been sleeping very well because I have a mother dog who is a pain in the butt. She doesn't want to nurse her puppies anymore, but she thinks she's a house dog and whines at the door all night wanting to get in. Rich has been getting up and putting the fear of God in her, but that is just temporary. Yesterday Mindi and I decided we would move the eight puppies to the pen behind her house. The flies have been horrible since our neighbors moved in with four horses across the street last summer. As I was carrying two puppies I tripped on a rock and stumbled towards the fence. All I saw was Mindi's eyes get really big as she was yelling "MOM", she was holding a pair of scissors in her hand and before I toppled over my arm hit the fence. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, it must have been a comical but scary sight. After going to a wedding reception last night we had to walk a block to get back to the car. Between my almost deadly fall and my walk, I was so sore I was in tears when I went to bed. I wish I had the time to just relax and eat bon bons all day but life is so crazy right now with all that needs to be done around here. My Dad has been doing better but this week has felt lousy. He had his last chemo treatment yesterday but is meeting with a urologist today about a problem with his kidney. They think the cancer may have spread now to one of his kidneys and they may have to operate and take it out. I would have given up a long time ago. That is one thing about that generation of people who lived through the depression and were so poor, they are so tough. In my little book "The Power of Adversity" there is a quote from Spencer W. Kimball, who I love. He says, "Is there not wisdom in his giving us trials that we might rise above them, responsibilities that we might achieve, work to harden our muscles, sorrows to try our souls? Are we not exposed to temptations to test our strength, sickness that we might learn patience, death that we might be immortalized and glorified? In face of apparent tragedy we must put our trust in God, knowing that despite our limited view his purposes will not fail. With all its troubles life offers us the tremendous privilege to grow in knowledge and wisdom, faith and works, preparing to return and share God's glory."