Happy, happy, Joy, joy

Oh, it's been such a beautiful week! This is not like our usual Novembers, for by now we would have had much colder weather. It was just about a year ago when Kerry and I returned from taking Betty and Callie-dog down to Florida. We landed in Akron with all kinds of snow to clean off our car, plus several white-outs to drive in all the way home.

I'll take this weather anyday!

I had a wonderful lunch with my friend Pat on Monday. It was a great way to begin the week. She brought me a wonderful gift of pumpkin spice cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting - plus the recipe! She's always been a good friend.

Tuesday brought Jean to my door to take me for my second set of injections into my back. They really do not hurt, and may even prevent me from having back surgery sooner than I had expected. That evening I was a bit queasy and rubber-legged, so I could not go to church to help with the pie-baking. They baked 90 pies to help with the various food pantries here in town.

The next day was Veteran's Day, so I planned on another great day with Mr. Kerry. We almost always have a glorious breakfast together. I was in the process of scrambling eggs, frying bacon, and making toast from my homemade bread with the fire alarm going off and Mr. Eddie going nuts when the phone rang. It was Kerry's sister, Joy! She was in Cleveland on business and wanted to know if it were possible to get together for dinner.

Of course! When family is close by, we make every effort to clear our schedule and see our family...

I called both Jordan and Erik to see if they would like join us, too. They both said yes, even though it would be a three-hour drive for Jordan and Melissa, with him having to get up at 4:30 am for work. They all rode together in Jordan's van and met us in Cleveland for dinner. We decided to eat at Applebee's, for all veterans could eat free. And what an honor to walk in with two of my three veteran children!
Joy and Kerry
Peggy, Joy and Kerry
Kerry, Joy, Jayden, Jordan, Justin, Erik, JJ (Melissa and I are taking pictures)

It was especially eventful for us, for we got to see Joy's new engagement ring!!! After 19 years of being single, she has met a wonderful man who adores her, and she adores him. Her face lit up each time she talked about him. We are so happy for her. Kerry and Joy and Gay (sister who died in 2000) were always especially close, being the middle children. He fondly refers to all of the times they played together.

Kerry worked at the temple Thursday night. After he left, I ran a couple of errands, returning after dark. I haven't been out after dark by myself in a long time - and I decided I just didn't like it. Who knows what is out there - especially playing pole position with the deer that are out there going wild at this time of the year.

Friday was an especially busy day at the temple for me. I'm going to call it Mother's Day, for many people were there in honor of their mothers. Without going into great detail, I will say that there were a lot of tender hearts that day.

Saturday found me running a lot of errands. It was beautiful - almost too warm for my jacket! I was on my way to a craft show (where jewelry dominated) when I saw a church rummage sale. I LOVE rummage sales! I had been to one at this church before, where they lay everything out on the pews. But this day was different. The most beautiful music met me at the doors. Inside was a young boy that looked to be about 15 years old playing the pipe organ. I was mesmerized at his music! I had to sit down and listen for a bit, and almost begged him not to stop. It truly stopped me in my tracks. I look at those things as small blessings in my life.

It was a good day at church today, but I was a bit disheartened when I came home to discover that my stove has died. I have only had one small burner working on it for awhile. Last week, the heating element in the oven caught on fire. I guess it has now bit the dust. So, I will probably be stove shopping this week.

And, when I was resting this afternoon, my leg and back began to hurt worse than ever - in spite of the injections! I yelped so loud Kerry came running up from the basement. It was some of the worst pain I have ever experienced, and it lasted nearly 20 minutes. Oh, my...

Kerry is off the whole week of Thanksgiving - yippee! We had originally planned to go to Orlando to spend just about a day and a half with Peter, but we have now decided not go to at this time.

Have a good week!

Love to y'all...
Miss P

As we approach the Thanksgiving Holiday the Lord has stated through our prophet Thomas S Monson: “If you have children who are grown and gone, in all likelihood you have occasionally felt pangs of loss and the recognition that you didn’t appreciate that time of life as much as you should have. Of course, there is no going back, but only forward. Rather than dwelling on the past, we should make the most of today, of the here and now, doing all we can to provide pleasant memories for the future.
If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly.
Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, “They do not love that do not show their love.” We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.
Send that note to the friend you’ve been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say “I love you” more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It’s so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they’re gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of “what if” and “if only.” Said author Harriet Beecher Stowe, “The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”

“Ask yourself these questions: Am I an example of respect in my home by the way I treat those I love the most? What is my demeanor during a sports event? If my child has a disagreement with a teacher, coach, or peer, do I listen to both sides of the issue? Do I show respect for the property of others as well as take care of my own? How do I respond to others with whom I disagree in matters of religion, lifestyle, or politics? “As parents and leaders exemplify and teach respect for others, we confirm in the hearts of our children that each of us is truly a child of God and all are brothers and sisters through eternity. We will focus on the things we have in common—on the qualities of heart that bind the family of God together, rather than on our differences.”
Margaret S. Lifferth, “Respect and Reverence,” Ensign, May 2009, 11