The blessings continue...

Somebody must have been praying with great sincerity here, because Groveland continues to receive blessed snow and rain, interspersed with glorious blue skies.

This was the road out of our area in Pine Mountain Lake on Saturday morning.  By the time we returned from 'shelving books' at our library's weekly Book Nook sale, the trees were all totally bare again. 

It reminded me of the answer we received when we first asked, "What do you do when it snows in Groveland?"  The reply was, "Nothing.  You just stay home, and the next day it's gone." 


Well, here's the funny thing about it.  I was suppose to go to read at the Elementary Friday morning for the National "America Reads" day.  But the two inches of snow closed the school!  I'm rescheduled for next Friday, so we'll see! 

Here was a wonderful new friend we met last Sunday.  Yvonne (right) and her husband are up here on the weekends while they build a home.  She said a family member recently had a frightening experience at her elementary school that made Yvonne turn to prayer and ask, "What can I do to help these children feel more safe?"  She had a strong direction from the Holy Ghost  to "go back to church and be an example of belief and stability."  So she said they are now planning to come regularly to our branch. 

I have had similar impressions lately about the influence parents and grandparents have in a child's life just by being a stable, loving force.  Every layer of testimony and support we can add builds a defense for our young people. 

Okay, here is one of my favorite groups I meet with weekly.  It is our Core and Balance class, held at the Little House.  This isn't the whole group, but it's a good number of them.  I love so much talking and laughing with this group every Tuesday morning.

We exercise with our bands while  seated in a circle and then do several standing and walking exercises to improve our balance.  But here's why I took this photo today:





On Thursday, Josie (on the right of Jo) will turn 90 years old! 

If she looks a bit short, you're right.  She stands 4' 6", which makes her even shorter than Jo!  She's got a wonderful, outgoing personality and moves about with little effort.  Life style or gene pool?  Whichever, she wins!

Someone in the class asked, "When did you retire?"  She replied, "Last month."  She had a position cleaning the little museum next to our library.  She'd taken a couple of little falls lately while dusting up on a step stool, and the director suggested it might be time for her to think about retiring.  He said it would be foolish for her to chance injuring herself when she was in such good health.  Amen!   And she is just delightful to be with in class. 

We are continuing to rehearse with the Pine Cone Singers for May's concert.  It is one of the things I enjoy most each week, although I come home mentally exhausted just from accompanying.  Several of the eighteen pieces have such demanding rhythms that it takes all the focus I've got to stay on top of them!  We're doing one from "Hamilton", another from "Dear Evan", and a Hindi piece ('Jai Ho') that I thought would be impossible!  (But they're getting it!) 

Here's a shot I caught of Fred warming up with two fellow basses.  Dennis really works all of us for those 2 1/2 hours! 

By the way, with the snow and cold snap around here, I have sure been grateful for Fred stoking up our little pellet stove in the evening!  We do have electric heat, but this little gem in our living room makes a big difference! 

Two more things we continue to enjoy here:  one is our weekly 'lunch with friends' where I've mentioned we take turns bringing lunch in for the group that comes in after Core and Balance class. 

We have some wonderful discussions during our lunch time together.  Today was our turn.  We did a potato bar (the first time some had heard of it!) and we had eleven people stay!  We were really happy it went so well! 

The other thing we're continuing to do weekly is the 'Life Long Learning' courses that Fred hosts.  The Little House buys the six week courses; our last one on 'America - founding a country of virtue' was fantastic.  

This time we're into 'Sustainable Living' ideas (a little too tree hugger for me, but...).  Fred does a great job leading the discussions with these.  

And so, that's it for this post.  We are still so grateful for our time here and love these people and our wonderful little cabin in the pines.  Here's to more snow, here and at home!  And a parting shot from a while ago, just to show we do dress in formal missionary attire SOMEtimes!   We love you all!