Friday, October 26, 2007

I've Taken the Bait...Six Things Hunh?

I've certainly found out that the first shall be last in a blog. If you don't post your writing backwards, your reader will be reading your punch line before he's read the body of your work.
I have had a hard time coming up with six things that my daughters don't know about me, since they're the only ones who have blogs. I can't follow through with the second part of the assignment, since I know only two bloggers. Here goes:

1. My daughters are certainly their mother's daughters. I too hate chain letters. I also don't really care for forwards which are in poor taste or which put down or criticize others. I do enjoy a good forward that is tasteful and creative.

2. I also am never organized. I know why--I HATE HOUSEWORK. I've never found much satisfaction in dusting, vacuuming, etc. other than the gratitude of having a clean house when visitors come to call. Perhaps if such tasks had an end, but they don't. You see the results of your labor for a short while until the dust comes sneaking in once more or the bath tub ring reappears. One lady who'd been a janitor all her life said she loves doing the bathroom because in 20 minutes you have instant gratification.
I've now come to realize that I keep my house cleaner and don't have to bother as much when I take the time to pick up after myself!! My husband almost always picks up after himself.

3. I also don't like to cook very well for the reasons Susan mentions; I tend to leave an ingredient out or overcook the food or something. My meals never seem to be "just right" as I imagine they should be. I've found much more success now in fixing meals, but we have less desire to have a six course meal!

4. Secretly, I hate having my picture taken. This is not a phenomenon which has occurred since I've become overweight. I've always hated looking at pictures of myself. Low self-esteem??? Now that we're older, and there are just the two of us, Dad urges me often to "go stand in front of this or that." Ugh!!

5. I have found since the return from our mission that I feel an urgency about my life that I've never felt before. I think it's an acceptance of age. In fifteen years, I'll be 80 years old. Who knows what my health will be like. So, I'm on a campaign to complete some very ambitious projects--like quilts for all of my grandchildren and great-grandchildren; organizing all of my pictures; publishing one or two more editions of "My Turn," the little book I compiled of some of my writings a few years ago; completing my life history. The mission taught me that "things" are of little consequence; many of the "things" in my home that I thought were so important, I haven't even looked at since I've been home. Many, many "things" that I thought I couldn't live without have been discarded--donated to one worthy cause or another, and I have no regrets about that. The recent fires in California reminded me that all "things" can be taken in a heart beat. One lady took only her phone book out of her burning mansion, so she would be able to check up on her friends and see that they were okay.

6. Until just a few days ago, I hadn't really "enjoyed" this new mission. A part-time service mission is not the same as a full-time mission. We began the second mission a little too soon, I felt. I was tired. Also, because of the nature of this second mission, not only teaching classes but establishing a new LDSSA program, working on PR stuff, I felt rather superfluous to the activities. Much of the work of establishing class curriculum and organization is priesthood. In this Institute, the secretary is very efficient and struggles sometimes to have enough to do let alone find something for me to do. However, as the weeks have passed, I've felt the slow change of becoming rested from the first mission and becoming acquainted with the ins and outs of the second. The old warmth of companionship, camraderie, and purpose is coming back...Hooray.
For What It's Worth...Mom

1 comment:

Susan said...

I liked reading your 6 things, Mom. Even though I already know a lot about you, I always enjoy learning more :)