OK, tonight I did Mailbox #14, first time ever. Of course it is right next to Mailbox #13, but still...
And I did it in 3 minutes less than Mailbox #13 yesterday. Three FULL minutes less...
So that's great! Except...
Juan went out and paced off the distance and Mailbox #14 is only 7200 feet - in 35 minutes. So I'm not doing a 20-minute mile yet. Phooey! (The calibration is crude so far...)
IF I end up doing the 30 mailboxes in 1 hr, that will be 3 20-minute miles. So I've got some improving to do, but it's not out of range!
It's nice I'm still seeing improvement. I'm heartened by cutting off the 3 minutes overnight. But there's a long way to go...
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Perspectives
If you knew you had one day or week or month or year to live, how would that knowledge change how you live?
This is not the first time this question has been asked. But aside from some breezy comments, I've never seen it cause a change in behavior, not really.
But it's a perfectly valid question: obviously for all of us we could have only 1 hour left to live, even. If so, and we knew it, what would we do with it?
That's a personal question. The answers probably range from sheer hysteria to sublime acts.
The point of asking it is not to encourage a sense of impending doom, it is to create perspective on what we value and what is trivial and of no worth.
As for us together, and myself, this move and mission preparation do cause a related set of questions to be asked. In some cases they pertain to belongings: can I live without this? In others its a matter of time management. And then there are the dreams: if not now, then when?
Belongings we can live without. I would be willing to give up several of them. But not all, not all by any stretch. (Though of course at that critical last breath, these have-t0-haves change their status, also. Even so, we hope one or another of our descendants will love a prized possession as much as we have and so we aren't entirely letting go.)
Use of time is more flexible, and requires in many ways tougher decisions. What do we do, by habit or self-indulgence or whim, that we could give up doing? TV is the usual first answer, not necessarily followed by action. We have in fact given up TV. Several times. Mostly, we don't like it so that's easy.
But the whole idea of giving up is not really what this is about: it's about shifting the use of time from one good thing to another better thing.
For example, I have given up BNI. It's non-useful, unimportant, a huge time-sink.
Other things are trickier: to do an errand now instead of doing without and combining it with others later. Driving when gas is expensive, or staying home just because it is expensive. OR because we are in a boycotting mood about the fact that oil companies are now making the largest profits in our economy.
So there's a question: would you stay home from something you wanted or needed to do to boycott the use of gas?
Another time-related choice has to do with the foods we eat: cooking takes time; growing things takes a lot of time. Is that time well-spent? Or is fast food, manufactured food, a viable alternative?
And then there's putting food on the table in the sense of making a living.
That question is really loaded: how much do we need, as in NEED? How much of what we use our time to create earnings to buy is actually a burden?
How much do we DARE to do without?
These questions begin to take instruction from our core values. In fact, if we aren't totally sure what those are, asking these questions will begin to clarify them.
And then there's the final question of dreams. Are we willing to change to move toward our Perfect Day, our ideal day? What are the principles to apply to such outrageous self-indulgence as to want to live our ideal day - or perhaps it is our birthright that should never have self-denial applied to it.
In actuality, I think that one's perfect day has to do with what is best for one's family (however defined) instead of simply one's self. But that is probably obvious and merely mentioned in passing.
How does one decide on how to spend these resources and consider moving toward these dreams?
I think there is one underlying principle that can determine the relative value of things, time use, and even dreams. It has to do with the increase in knowledge and personal growth, which is the increase in knowledge, perspective, and wisdom.
So as we enter this time of transition, it makes us more poignantly aware that we can't put off the dream - or of course we could. But at our peril and only through indifference and a failure to ask those honing questions.
This is not the first time this question has been asked. But aside from some breezy comments, I've never seen it cause a change in behavior, not really.
But it's a perfectly valid question: obviously for all of us we could have only 1 hour left to live, even. If so, and we knew it, what would we do with it?
That's a personal question. The answers probably range from sheer hysteria to sublime acts.
The point of asking it is not to encourage a sense of impending doom, it is to create perspective on what we value and what is trivial and of no worth.
As for us together, and myself, this move and mission preparation do cause a related set of questions to be asked. In some cases they pertain to belongings: can I live without this? In others its a matter of time management. And then there are the dreams: if not now, then when?
Belongings we can live without. I would be willing to give up several of them. But not all, not all by any stretch. (Though of course at that critical last breath, these have-t0-haves change their status, also. Even so, we hope one or another of our descendants will love a prized possession as much as we have and so we aren't entirely letting go.)
Use of time is more flexible, and requires in many ways tougher decisions. What do we do, by habit or self-indulgence or whim, that we could give up doing? TV is the usual first answer, not necessarily followed by action. We have in fact given up TV. Several times. Mostly, we don't like it so that's easy.
But the whole idea of giving up is not really what this is about: it's about shifting the use of time from one good thing to another better thing.
For example, I have given up BNI. It's non-useful, unimportant, a huge time-sink.
Other things are trickier: to do an errand now instead of doing without and combining it with others later. Driving when gas is expensive, or staying home just because it is expensive. OR because we are in a boycotting mood about the fact that oil companies are now making the largest profits in our economy.
So there's a question: would you stay home from something you wanted or needed to do to boycott the use of gas?
Another time-related choice has to do with the foods we eat: cooking takes time; growing things takes a lot of time. Is that time well-spent? Or is fast food, manufactured food, a viable alternative?
And then there's putting food on the table in the sense of making a living.
That question is really loaded: how much do we need, as in NEED? How much of what we use our time to create earnings to buy is actually a burden?
How much do we DARE to do without?
These questions begin to take instruction from our core values. In fact, if we aren't totally sure what those are, asking these questions will begin to clarify them.
And then there's the final question of dreams. Are we willing to change to move toward our Perfect Day, our ideal day? What are the principles to apply to such outrageous self-indulgence as to want to live our ideal day - or perhaps it is our birthright that should never have self-denial applied to it.
In actuality, I think that one's perfect day has to do with what is best for one's family (however defined) instead of simply one's self. But that is probably obvious and merely mentioned in passing.
How does one decide on how to spend these resources and consider moving toward these dreams?
I think there is one underlying principle that can determine the relative value of things, time use, and even dreams. It has to do with the increase in knowledge and personal growth, which is the increase in knowledge, perspective, and wisdom.
So as we enter this time of transition, it makes us more poignantly aware that we can't put off the dream - or of course we could. But at our peril and only through indifference and a failure to ask those honing questions.
I Want To Be Grand Central...
Picture this: A spacious but not fancy house sits at the end of a longish driveway in the midst of open land. Trees in the distance frame the horizon on each side. Fences run here and there, and an old barn pokes its head up behind the chimney.
Inside that house is a huge kitchen. The screen door bangs as two 6-year old boys dash through to the outdoors. They grab an apple each and run to their bikes, which they begin to ride in circles in the open space in front of the barn. The chickens squawk and take cover under the blackberry bushes.
Inside, a very large pot sits steaming on the stove. Something smells good, but what is it? A 10 year old girl and her 16 year old cousin lift the lid and peak inside. Then they see the loaf of bread, already cut, waiting next to the plate of butter, serve themselves thick slices, and sit at the table to talk about the doll clothes they want to make.
A pair of young men, probably in their late teens or early 20s, come in the door. They're sweating and grimy. They grab bowls, dish something out of the pot, make up their bread and butter, pour out glasses of milk, and sit down with the girls. They don't say a word, just dig into their stew and empty their glasses.
A woman of about 70 enters the room. She is carrying some knitting. She sits at the table, pokes her needle into a new row, and asks the young folks, what are you up to?
A young mom with a baby on her hip takes a look out at the cycling boys, giving one a 5 minute warning that they're going to be going home.
The sun is getting lower in the sky. The woman with the knitting sets it down and lifts bowls down from a shelf. One of the young men comes over to help her. They cover the table with bowls and spoons, cloth napkins of every shade of fabric, the bread and butter, and tall glasses. One of the girls brings the pitcher of milk from the fridge. A man of some years walks in...
Are you staying? says the woman to the girls. I don't know, I'll call mom, says the 16 year old. Ok, says the woman, because it's time to eat. Sit if you're sitting! Young lady, would you say the blessing?
This is Grammy's and Grampy's house, circa 2014. It is Grand Central Home Sweet Home.
Inside that house is a huge kitchen. The screen door bangs as two 6-year old boys dash through to the outdoors. They grab an apple each and run to their bikes, which they begin to ride in circles in the open space in front of the barn. The chickens squawk and take cover under the blackberry bushes.
Inside, a very large pot sits steaming on the stove. Something smells good, but what is it? A 10 year old girl and her 16 year old cousin lift the lid and peak inside. Then they see the loaf of bread, already cut, waiting next to the plate of butter, serve themselves thick slices, and sit at the table to talk about the doll clothes they want to make.
A pair of young men, probably in their late teens or early 20s, come in the door. They're sweating and grimy. They grab bowls, dish something out of the pot, make up their bread and butter, pour out glasses of milk, and sit down with the girls. They don't say a word, just dig into their stew and empty their glasses.
A woman of about 70 enters the room. She is carrying some knitting. She sits at the table, pokes her needle into a new row, and asks the young folks, what are you up to?
A young mom with a baby on her hip takes a look out at the cycling boys, giving one a 5 minute warning that they're going to be going home.
The sun is getting lower in the sky. The woman with the knitting sets it down and lifts bowls down from a shelf. One of the young men comes over to help her. They cover the table with bowls and spoons, cloth napkins of every shade of fabric, the bread and butter, and tall glasses. One of the girls brings the pitcher of milk from the fridge. A man of some years walks in...
Are you staying? says the woman to the girls. I don't know, I'll call mom, says the 16 year old. Ok, says the woman, because it's time to eat. Sit if you're sitting! Young lady, would you say the blessing?
This is Grammy's and Grampy's house, circa 2014. It is Grand Central Home Sweet Home.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Sighting #1!
I think it was a western kingbird. It could have been a Cassin's. I'll have to listen more closely tomorrow... YAY Sibley!
Success at Mailbox #13
Well, I did it. Now I own #13. YAY! Tomorrow the universe! I did #13 in 38 minutes, 19 minutes at the half-way point. The sun was up the whole time, so I need to move it back later than 5:10 - the sun is just setting now at 5:55 over our mountains. Going out at 5:30 would be ok - for now! What I'm trying to avoid is sunlight directly in my eyes from the setting sun.
I also started noticing birds tonight. There's a chirpy yellow-bellied, bouncy one out there. I need to look it up in my new Sibley. Thanks Mandamommy and Trogonpete!
I also started noticing birds tonight. There's a chirpy yellow-bellied, bouncy one out there. I need to look it up in my new Sibley. Thanks Mandamommy and Trogonpete!
Vision Expanded
Somehow there are doors that we step through that open new worlds, and we don't really see the doors but the new worlds are completely THERE and REAL.
One of these doors was in Switzerland, where I sat in a hotel room by myself, meditating and doing asanas, and while I did the asanas I watched a lady over at her house outside the hotel walls making a garden. She cleared a space, a load of soil was brought in to cover the bare mountainside earth, she measured it meticulously with a meter stick, laid in her plants and seeds, and watched it grow. So did I. It struck me deep in my heart and lodged there and that was the beginning of the concept of our farm in Natick, which we owned 6 months later.
Another door just opened, but maybe it was only ajar. I peeked through it yesterday and saw our move to Anacortes. And I casually mentioned, as if it weren't important, that maybe other family members would end up moving there too.
Now, after a great conversation with Bonnie, I have shoved the door fully open and taken a deep and satisfying breath and ...
[If I counted the ways that all the themes of my life converged on this vision, it would take all day to write, so, knowing that for the most part you know what they are, I will just plunge on...]
Here it is: We move from Tucson to the Skagit Valley area.
[We have noticed that in Anacortes itself one can have a view of the islands, or one can have a decent place to grow things, but not both...]
So I think, we move to the Skagit Valley, where farmland is abundant and inexpensive.
We invite anyone in the family, who wants to, to join us, either seasonally or full-time. Work in Seattle and come for weekends! Work at home. Work the farm. Have animals. Weave, knit, create. Plant an orchard. Have eggs and chickens and eggs and eggs and ducks and eggs. Milk? Cheese? Alpacas? Any of it...
Build a second home there for your family, or take the main house and we'll build us a little place...
The view is of Padilla Bay. The growing season is 11 months. The frosts are infrequent, as are the heat waves (anything over 70).
Forever I have been dreaming of the family vacation/reunion place. Now it will be home. Who would not want to visit this area in the summer? Who would not want to use it to launch a trip to Alaska, or out fishing, or out orca-watching, or camping on nearby islands whose campsites can be reached only by boat?
Who would not want to eat local every day of the year? Who would not want neighbors who are doing the same thing - willing to work hard in order to live right?
Who would not want to have a little farm stand where they could sell their crafts and their kids could sell their produce and eggs?
What vision!?! No, the door is open. This is now! We're going to do it, and we invite you to be a big or small part of it.
And we will go on missions and trips when we want to and ...
... get out of this insane bloated economy and into a more wholesome realistic life.
I can't wait to tell Dongy!
One of these doors was in Switzerland, where I sat in a hotel room by myself, meditating and doing asanas, and while I did the asanas I watched a lady over at her house outside the hotel walls making a garden. She cleared a space, a load of soil was brought in to cover the bare mountainside earth, she measured it meticulously with a meter stick, laid in her plants and seeds, and watched it grow. So did I. It struck me deep in my heart and lodged there and that was the beginning of the concept of our farm in Natick, which we owned 6 months later.
Another door just opened, but maybe it was only ajar. I peeked through it yesterday and saw our move to Anacortes. And I casually mentioned, as if it weren't important, that maybe other family members would end up moving there too.
Now, after a great conversation with Bonnie, I have shoved the door fully open and taken a deep and satisfying breath and ...
[If I counted the ways that all the themes of my life converged on this vision, it would take all day to write, so, knowing that for the most part you know what they are, I will just plunge on...]
Here it is: We move from Tucson to the Skagit Valley area.
[We have noticed that in Anacortes itself one can have a view of the islands, or one can have a decent place to grow things, but not both...]
So I think, we move to the Skagit Valley, where farmland is abundant and inexpensive.
We invite anyone in the family, who wants to, to join us, either seasonally or full-time. Work in Seattle and come for weekends! Work at home. Work the farm. Have animals. Weave, knit, create. Plant an orchard. Have eggs and chickens and eggs and eggs and ducks and eggs. Milk? Cheese? Alpacas? Any of it...
Build a second home there for your family, or take the main house and we'll build us a little place...
The view is of Padilla Bay. The growing season is 11 months. The frosts are infrequent, as are the heat waves (anything over 70).
Forever I have been dreaming of the family vacation/reunion place. Now it will be home. Who would not want to visit this area in the summer? Who would not want to use it to launch a trip to Alaska, or out fishing, or out orca-watching, or camping on nearby islands whose campsites can be reached only by boat?
Who would not want to eat local every day of the year? Who would not want neighbors who are doing the same thing - willing to work hard in order to live right?
Who would not want to have a little farm stand where they could sell their crafts and their kids could sell their produce and eggs?
What vision!?! No, the door is open. This is now! We're going to do it, and we invite you to be a big or small part of it.
And we will go on missions and trips when we want to and ...
... get out of this insane bloated economy and into a more wholesome realistic life.
I can't wait to tell Dongy!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Ode to the Family Functional!
OK, so once upon a time, a young woman (Hannah) married a young man (Alfred). Hannah came from a decent family. We don't know about Alfred...
They had a son (Augustus) and a daughter (Mary Jane) and another son (Chauncey) and another son (Charles) and when Charles was a week old Hannah died. Charles died a month later.
Alfred remarried and had two more children. His new wife was about 18 and was the stepmother to 3 children (possibly, at first, but then it was 2 - Chauncey died a year after his mother).
Augustus grew up and when he was barely 20 he married an Irish lass named Alice. She was 17 and had come to the US when she was 10 to live with her sister, leaving her parents behind (or perhaps they had died).
Augustus and Alice, two somewhat motherless kids, had William, then Charles, then Lorenzo, then Lucretia. William never married, but died of syphilis when he was 50. Charles married late and never had kids. Lucretia married late and never had kids.
Lorenzo, when he was about 20, married a 19 year old daughter of Irish immigrants named Margaret. They had 4 children: Minnie, Gus, Christopher J, and Ella.
Margaret died when CJ was 12 of chronic alcoholism and heart failure. She was 37.
Ella lived with an aunt, Christopher J lived with his grandparents out of town, Gus joined the Spanish American War quite young, and Minnie? We think she got married, on the young side.
Everyone got married within the next several years, all on the young side, except Gus, who was a merchant seaman and didn't marry till later.
Christopher J married Ida. Her mother ran a boarding house. Her father was here and there, rarely home, living mostly in a hut in a rural part of town.
Really, that was to be expected: His father brought him to the US when he was a baby, no more than 3, without his mother or brothers we think. His father was 15 years younger than his mother, and when he married her at around age 20 he became a stepdad to her 5 other children. Then they had 3 together...
The baby was named Charles, and he became Ida's father.
Ida's father, who was called Foxy because of the way he flitted through the woods, wasn't a big part of her life.
When she married CJ, they had Christopher A, then CJ was killed in an automobile accident (when CA was 12).
CA grew up and married Ruth. They had 3 kids, Peggy, Debby, and Topher.
Finally the family became normal! After all those generations of early departures and parentless children on the CA side, all was well.
:)
PL
They had a son (Augustus) and a daughter (Mary Jane) and another son (Chauncey) and another son (Charles) and when Charles was a week old Hannah died. Charles died a month later.
Alfred remarried and had two more children. His new wife was about 18 and was the stepmother to 3 children (possibly, at first, but then it was 2 - Chauncey died a year after his mother).
Augustus grew up and when he was barely 20 he married an Irish lass named Alice. She was 17 and had come to the US when she was 10 to live with her sister, leaving her parents behind (or perhaps they had died).
Augustus and Alice, two somewhat motherless kids, had William, then Charles, then Lorenzo, then Lucretia. William never married, but died of syphilis when he was 50. Charles married late and never had kids. Lucretia married late and never had kids.
Lorenzo, when he was about 20, married a 19 year old daughter of Irish immigrants named Margaret. They had 4 children: Minnie, Gus, Christopher J, and Ella.
Margaret died when CJ was 12 of chronic alcoholism and heart failure. She was 37.
Ella lived with an aunt, Christopher J lived with his grandparents out of town, Gus joined the Spanish American War quite young, and Minnie? We think she got married, on the young side.
Everyone got married within the next several years, all on the young side, except Gus, who was a merchant seaman and didn't marry till later.
Christopher J married Ida. Her mother ran a boarding house. Her father was here and there, rarely home, living mostly in a hut in a rural part of town.
Really, that was to be expected: His father brought him to the US when he was a baby, no more than 3, without his mother or brothers we think. His father was 15 years younger than his mother, and when he married her at around age 20 he became a stepdad to her 5 other children. Then they had 3 together...
The baby was named Charles, and he became Ida's father.
Ida's father, who was called Foxy because of the way he flitted through the woods, wasn't a big part of her life.
When she married CJ, they had Christopher A, then CJ was killed in an automobile accident (when CA was 12).
CA grew up and married Ruth. They had 3 kids, Peggy, Debby, and Topher.
Finally the family became normal! After all those generations of early departures and parentless children on the CA side, all was well.
:)
PL
RCAF Exercise Update
I am now on Level 4, 4 days into it. I do 8 days at each level. Each level is an increase in repetitions over the previous one. It's going very nicely - I love the way I feel after. I do those first thing after meditation in the morning, and the walking around 5 pm. The RCAF exercises take about 10 min, but are pretty intense for that time.
This should prepare us well for walking the steppes or mountain passes or rocky shores or downtown streets of wherever.
This should prepare us well for walking the steppes or mountain passes or rocky shores or downtown streets of wherever.
Mailbox #12 - I 'Own' It
You own a mailbox when you have been there 3 times. That means you don't go below it even if you stop for an extended period, like 3 months.
I own Mailbox #12. It's a good distance from #1 - takes maybe 20 minutes to get to. I went to it 3 times last week.
Then I took a 3-day break. My broken rib was flaring up on Friday and Saturday. And then on Sunday, because we are ward missionaries we have a meeting after church (till 6 pm) and then it's pretty late to do the walk and the meditation and then supper. So, 3 days...
So I dropped back from #13 to #12, and did my best.
And it turned out to be an all-time record (even though I thought I was being a slug).
Remember that the mailboxes are visited once out, and once again on the way back.
And Mailbox #10 is down on the property line in the big wash, so when I do #12, I have to walk down there, back up to #12, back to #11, then #10 in the wash, then back up ... etc.
So I was really surprised when I got back to the house. The other day I did it in about 40 minutes. Today I did it in 38! YAYAYAYAYAYAY!
I also figured out what to do when I run out of mailboxes on Sallee Road. I will start over. So #16 is the same as #1, our own mailbox, and so on.
My target is to get to '#30', which is twice to #15, and about 4 miles, in my allotted 1 hour. That would be a big improvement!
Also I will walk 5 days a week because I believe the break actually gave me a chance to build muscles. How else could I have gone faster?
Just FYI, Mailboxes #11-14 are all clumped together.
Comments?
I own Mailbox #12. It's a good distance from #1 - takes maybe 20 minutes to get to. I went to it 3 times last week.
Then I took a 3-day break. My broken rib was flaring up on Friday and Saturday. And then on Sunday, because we are ward missionaries we have a meeting after church (till 6 pm) and then it's pretty late to do the walk and the meditation and then supper. So, 3 days...
So I dropped back from #13 to #12, and did my best.
And it turned out to be an all-time record (even though I thought I was being a slug).
Remember that the mailboxes are visited once out, and once again on the way back.
And Mailbox #10 is down on the property line in the big wash, so when I do #12, I have to walk down there, back up to #12, back to #11, then #10 in the wash, then back up ... etc.
So I was really surprised when I got back to the house. The other day I did it in about 40 minutes. Today I did it in 38! YAYAYAYAYAYAY!
I also figured out what to do when I run out of mailboxes on Sallee Road. I will start over. So #16 is the same as #1, our own mailbox, and so on.
My target is to get to '#30', which is twice to #15, and about 4 miles, in my allotted 1 hour. That would be a big improvement!
Also I will walk 5 days a week because I believe the break actually gave me a chance to build muscles. How else could I have gone faster?
Just FYI, Mailboxes #11-14 are all clumped together.
Comments?
Mission Timing
The availability date we have decided on is Nov 1 2008.
Yes, 2008! Why wait?
That allows us to:
1. Move out of Sallee Pl and occupy it w/ a renter or buyer. Target: Leave Tucson mid-May 2008.
2. Move out of Rye Ct and occupy it w/ a renter or buyer. Target: Leave Anacortes Nov 1, but if the house sells or rents sooner, we can live in the trailer until our report date.
3. Sell one or two other properties.
Build stamina, health, strength, endurance, and the blessings of our ancestors for several more months and improve our financial simplicity.
Yes, 2008! Why wait?
That allows us to:
1. Move out of Sallee Pl and occupy it w/ a renter or buyer. Target: Leave Tucson mid-May 2008.
2. Move out of Rye Ct and occupy it w/ a renter or buyer. Target: Leave Anacortes Nov 1, but if the house sells or rents sooner, we can live in the trailer until our report date.
3. Sell one or two other properties.
Build stamina, health, strength, endurance, and the blessings of our ancestors for several more months and improve our financial simplicity.
Turbulence and the Calm
Since the day we realized we don't like acting retired, we have faced turbulence that has kept our environment upturned and over-stirred. Even leaving out the many family upheavals and needs, and the more sacred preparations for our mission, we have come up with varying answers to the same issues, over and over: nothing has been settling down. And with this we have had to figure out how to transition to retirement at a time when both our houses and our retirement funds have lost value.
It's not only about finances, it's about what we want and where we want to be.
Tucson is lovely in the winter, once you get to appreciate the desert. I learned to love it years ago. Reading Collapse by Jared Diamond interferes greatly with the appreciation, though - without those cottonwoods in the washes, and with the washes permanently altered so they can never grow there again, one cannot look at Tucson the same way.
Then there is the current dialog about local foods. Actually we stumbled on this concept in Anacortes, where we do eat local food, though not religiously. But then reading The Omnivore's Dilemma and Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, we know we're on the right track and can do even more: we're neophytes in that we still look to spend as little as possible on food, and that's not always going to be the local, truly organic stuff that we want to put in our mouths - are committed to putting into our mouths - these days. And you can't grow your own or eat local in Tucson!
Other considerations landed hard: we nearly hibernated in Anacortes when late fall set in, even to the point of finding that getting out for a walk required an enormous act of will.
Well, this turbulence has been going on now for 3 months, and getting to calm is being forced on us by filling out our mission papers: we have to think about things in a 3-year time frame, not just live day to day, and we have to put some of these things in writing.
Of course, this is also our choice, all the mission-related time-squeezes. And even though we've second-guessed our mission decision, it is intact: we want to go next Nov 1.
The squeeze has mostly to do with what to do with our homes, furniture, valuables (journals, for example).
And just today, we have found that calm.
We are moving to Anacortes. We are moving out of Tucson. We don't need two home bases. They are expensive and inflexible. If we don't like the weather someplace, we travel.
For example, if November is gloomy in Anacortes one year (we've been there twice in November, and once it was and once it wasn't), we go on a walking tour of Tuscany.
We love Tucson. Sort of. I think I could get my Tucson fix in 2-3 weeks of visiting. Which we plan to do - when we miss it.
We'd love to have as much of the family as possible in the Northwest, because it's a realistic, honest place to live: you can feed yourself year 'round. But we know how it goes - families can't be together when careers are at stake.
But what we will do in the Northwest is find a place where we can grow our own, just to extend the farmer's market season, and we'll find a place big enough for visiting families to be comfy, and we'll be able to afford doing that because we'll have just one house.
This is a lovely breakthrough, also a bit daunting: we have to move out of here now, then try to sell it, or rent it out. No compromises! We load everything into a van in May, and we take it to a storage area in Anacortes. Then we do the same thing w/ the Anacortes house during the summer, and if the timing is bad, we live in the trailer our last couple of months. Then we go on our mission in November, and come back in May 2010, to Anacortes, where we will buy our house and move in. And contemplate our next adventure.
We are thinking seriously of doing this mission in Salt Lake. Our transitional affairs are such that we can't easily be in Mongolia - yet. Salt Lake can be our hub, for now, just this once.
So there it is. It will be a busy time here, moving out. But it's highly clarifying, too.
Your comments are welcome, as always!
It's not only about finances, it's about what we want and where we want to be.
Tucson is lovely in the winter, once you get to appreciate the desert. I learned to love it years ago. Reading Collapse by Jared Diamond interferes greatly with the appreciation, though - without those cottonwoods in the washes, and with the washes permanently altered so they can never grow there again, one cannot look at Tucson the same way.
Then there is the current dialog about local foods. Actually we stumbled on this concept in Anacortes, where we do eat local food, though not religiously. But then reading The Omnivore's Dilemma and Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, we know we're on the right track and can do even more: we're neophytes in that we still look to spend as little as possible on food, and that's not always going to be the local, truly organic stuff that we want to put in our mouths - are committed to putting into our mouths - these days. And you can't grow your own or eat local in Tucson!
Other considerations landed hard: we nearly hibernated in Anacortes when late fall set in, even to the point of finding that getting out for a walk required an enormous act of will.
Well, this turbulence has been going on now for 3 months, and getting to calm is being forced on us by filling out our mission papers: we have to think about things in a 3-year time frame, not just live day to day, and we have to put some of these things in writing.
Of course, this is also our choice, all the mission-related time-squeezes. And even though we've second-guessed our mission decision, it is intact: we want to go next Nov 1.
The squeeze has mostly to do with what to do with our homes, furniture, valuables (journals, for example).
And just today, we have found that calm.
We are moving to Anacortes. We are moving out of Tucson. We don't need two home bases. They are expensive and inflexible. If we don't like the weather someplace, we travel.
For example, if November is gloomy in Anacortes one year (we've been there twice in November, and once it was and once it wasn't), we go on a walking tour of Tuscany.
We love Tucson. Sort of. I think I could get my Tucson fix in 2-3 weeks of visiting. Which we plan to do - when we miss it.
We'd love to have as much of the family as possible in the Northwest, because it's a realistic, honest place to live: you can feed yourself year 'round. But we know how it goes - families can't be together when careers are at stake.
But what we will do in the Northwest is find a place where we can grow our own, just to extend the farmer's market season, and we'll find a place big enough for visiting families to be comfy, and we'll be able to afford doing that because we'll have just one house.
This is a lovely breakthrough, also a bit daunting: we have to move out of here now, then try to sell it, or rent it out. No compromises! We load everything into a van in May, and we take it to a storage area in Anacortes. Then we do the same thing w/ the Anacortes house during the summer, and if the timing is bad, we live in the trailer our last couple of months. Then we go on our mission in November, and come back in May 2010, to Anacortes, where we will buy our house and move in. And contemplate our next adventure.
We are thinking seriously of doing this mission in Salt Lake. Our transitional affairs are such that we can't easily be in Mongolia - yet. Salt Lake can be our hub, for now, just this once.
So there it is. It will be a busy time here, moving out. But it's highly clarifying, too.
Your comments are welcome, as always!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
'It Won't Make Any Difference'
This important phrase has proven its worth over and over as we meet challenges that could become mountain ranges instead of speedbumps.
We've had a few challenges since our declaration that we are going on our mission asap.
Some include the terrible real estate market when it would be helpful to sell some properties.
Then there were some strange delays in getting our file open so we could work on our papers.
One of the four areas of effort concerns health. I have been diligent in doing my Air Force exercises daily, and walking if not the mailboxes, then some distance, also daily.
In fact I am 29 days into doing the AF exercises. But it's not without its challenges, because:
On Tuesday I fell, cracking a rib. On Wednesday it wasn't so bad. On Thurs and Fri, worse. Now I have spasms in my chest from it.
But It Won't Make Any Difference!
I can still do the AF exercises, though it starts out being a little painful. And walking is a bit slower, but I'm still doing it.
I'm not happy with having broken another bone, and I know I have weeks ahead before it's out of the constant pain category. (The pain isn't excruciating, but sneezing is so unpleasant that my body basically won't follow through with a complete achoo.)
But It Won't Make Any Difference!
We are going. We may go to Mongolia, or we may go to SLC. We may sell properties or rent them out. Whatever! We're going. PL
We've had a few challenges since our declaration that we are going on our mission asap.
Some include the terrible real estate market when it would be helpful to sell some properties.
Then there were some strange delays in getting our file open so we could work on our papers.
One of the four areas of effort concerns health. I have been diligent in doing my Air Force exercises daily, and walking if not the mailboxes, then some distance, also daily.
In fact I am 29 days into doing the AF exercises. But it's not without its challenges, because:
On Tuesday I fell, cracking a rib. On Wednesday it wasn't so bad. On Thurs and Fri, worse. Now I have spasms in my chest from it.
But It Won't Make Any Difference!
I can still do the AF exercises, though it starts out being a little painful. And walking is a bit slower, but I'm still doing it.
I'm not happy with having broken another bone, and I know I have weeks ahead before it's out of the constant pain category. (The pain isn't excruciating, but sneezing is so unpleasant that my body basically won't follow through with a complete achoo.)
But It Won't Make Any Difference!
We are going. We may go to Mongolia, or we may go to SLC. We may sell properties or rent them out. Whatever! We're going. PL
Friday, February 22, 2008
A Lovely Quote on Faith
"We are safe on the rock which is the Savior when we have yielded in faith in Him, have responded to the Holy Spirit's direction to keep the commandments long enough and faithfully enough that the power of the Atonement has changed our hearts. When we have, by that experience, become as a child in our capacity to love and obey, we are on the sure foundation."
Henry B. Eyring, "As a Child," Ensign, May 2006, 15-16
Henry B. Eyring, "As a Child," Ensign, May 2006, 15-16
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Mailboxes 2/20 and 2/21
I didn't walk the mailboxes on 2/20, though I did walk around at San Xavier del Bac where I took Judy, our guest from Banff, and around the neighborhood. The reason was because I was peculiarly tired, I think from falling on Tuesday and possibly cracking a rib. My body just wanted to rest rest rest. Today, Thurs 2/21, I walked to Mailbox #13 again, 40 min and fairly tired the whole way. Not a great speed but better than two days before, also a sluggish day.
I think skipping the one day was perfectly reasonable, though I am a little disappointed at being sluggish today.
I have kept up daily w/ the Canadian Air Force exercises, and tomorrow begin Level 4.
I think skipping the one day was perfectly reasonable, though I am a little disappointed at being sluggish today.
I have kept up daily w/ the Canadian Air Force exercises, and tomorrow begin Level 4.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Exercises for the Most Resistant - Published first on Qassia
Practical Exercises For The Most Resistant
I have rediscovered the Royal Canadian Air Force exercises!
These are the exercises for me! They take less than 12 minutes a day, give an aerobic workout, and are done before you know you've begun.
The exercises are built into levels, and the level one aspires to is based on age, as is the ultimate level one should strive to attain.
Each level requires an increase in many of the 10 exercises that make up the day's set.
For example, a person of age 21 would add one new level per day in the first block, and strive to attain level 34, while a person of age 65 would stay for 8 days at each level and aspire ultimately to level 11.
The booklet that describes all this, including what exercises are involved, is now available online in several locations.
The exercises are different for men and women, and are based on research done by the Canadian Air Force in the late 1950s.
A great deal of exercise lore has been printed and broadcast since the 1950s, so I was curious how well these would fare in today's world.
I decided to try them again!
I was looking for a way to build up my aerobic stamina and general fitness level that would supplement my daily walk, and I needed something I could be sure to comply with.
This is not an easy issue for many of us. I need something that does not require a daily decision, because I will often decide against exercise if given half an excuse.
But I did want the results, and my old RCAF Exercise booklet suddenly resurfaced as we were cleaning out old boxes in our home.
I decided to give it a shot.
The first time I did these was in 1964, when my weight goal was to move from my then 'heavy' 125 pounds down to 120. I had this figure duly recorded in the booklet. I also aspired to reduce my waist from a hefty 25 inches down to 23 1/2.
(The irony of these goals is further underscored by the memory that in those days I rode my bike back and forth to work.)
The year 2008 found me contemplating those figures with a rueful shake of the head. I decided just to get started on the exercises and not worry about the number of inches (more than 1 1/2) or pounds (many multiples of 5) I would like to remove.
So I began, 26 days ago.
The booklet dictates 8 days per level. Here's what happened:
Day 1 - Did the exercises ok, in the time allowed. Couldn't complete the running in place.
Days 2 and 3 - Ditto
Day 4 - Completed the whole set! YAY!
Thereafter I was able to keep up the pace. I did 8 days at Level 1, then added the extra repetitions and steps for Level 2. I could feel the difference, but I could also do it. Eight more days and I was ready for Level 3...and Friday I begin Level 4!
You will note that I have complied every day.
This is a totally big deal to me. I have never done that before with such perfect compliance. And I know the secret of it.
First, I always do the exercises when my husband is in the shower. This eliminates any possibility of commentary on his part, which might interfere.
Second, the exercises start innocently, with some innocuous warmups: Reach over and touch the floor 3 times, raise the legs to the chest 4 times, bend to the side 5 times, swing the arms around backward and forward 6 times.
I can do that! It's not big deal. My husband shuts the bathroom door and I start touching the floor.
And before I know it, I am a third of the way through.
The next part is easy too, repetitions of motions that work various muscle groups, all from lying on the floor.
Then comes the running in place. And then I'm done!
It gets my heart pumping and my legs feeling like they've done some work, and I've doubled the running in place I can do in less than a month.
And then comes the real payoffs: I feel proud of myself because I did it once again (and this was true even when I had a bad cold) AND after about 10 minutes my body feels fantastic!
Plus it sets me up for getting going on my day's work with a clear head and a sense that I can do anything.
I suppose I may reach a plateau at some point. Each exercise is timed, and so far that is not a strain, but maybe when I'm running in place at the Level 11 standard, I'll need to build up to it. I don't know.
But I'm determined to find out! It's fun, I'm progressing, and I am eager to get up and get started.
You can find the booklet for the exercises on Amazon, but the one I saw listed was for nearly $55 - must be considered a collector's item. I'd go with the online version, either men's or women's: good exercises for the most resistant (like me).
I have rediscovered the Royal Canadian Air Force exercises!
These are the exercises for me! They take less than 12 minutes a day, give an aerobic workout, and are done before you know you've begun.
The exercises are built into levels, and the level one aspires to is based on age, as is the ultimate level one should strive to attain.
Each level requires an increase in many of the 10 exercises that make up the day's set.
For example, a person of age 21 would add one new level per day in the first block, and strive to attain level 34, while a person of age 65 would stay for 8 days at each level and aspire ultimately to level 11.
The booklet that describes all this, including what exercises are involved, is now available online in several locations.
The exercises are different for men and women, and are based on research done by the Canadian Air Force in the late 1950s.
A great deal of exercise lore has been printed and broadcast since the 1950s, so I was curious how well these would fare in today's world.
I decided to try them again!
I was looking for a way to build up my aerobic stamina and general fitness level that would supplement my daily walk, and I needed something I could be sure to comply with.
This is not an easy issue for many of us. I need something that does not require a daily decision, because I will often decide against exercise if given half an excuse.
But I did want the results, and my old RCAF Exercise booklet suddenly resurfaced as we were cleaning out old boxes in our home.
I decided to give it a shot.
The first time I did these was in 1964, when my weight goal was to move from my then 'heavy' 125 pounds down to 120. I had this figure duly recorded in the booklet. I also aspired to reduce my waist from a hefty 25 inches down to 23 1/2.
(The irony of these goals is further underscored by the memory that in those days I rode my bike back and forth to work.)
The year 2008 found me contemplating those figures with a rueful shake of the head. I decided just to get started on the exercises and not worry about the number of inches (more than 1 1/2) or pounds (many multiples of 5) I would like to remove.
So I began, 26 days ago.
The booklet dictates 8 days per level. Here's what happened:
Day 1 - Did the exercises ok, in the time allowed. Couldn't complete the running in place.
Days 2 and 3 - Ditto
Day 4 - Completed the whole set! YAY!
Thereafter I was able to keep up the pace. I did 8 days at Level 1, then added the extra repetitions and steps for Level 2. I could feel the difference, but I could also do it. Eight more days and I was ready for Level 3...and Friday I begin Level 4!
You will note that I have complied every day.
This is a totally big deal to me. I have never done that before with such perfect compliance. And I know the secret of it.
First, I always do the exercises when my husband is in the shower. This eliminates any possibility of commentary on his part, which might interfere.
Second, the exercises start innocently, with some innocuous warmups: Reach over and touch the floor 3 times, raise the legs to the chest 4 times, bend to the side 5 times, swing the arms around backward and forward 6 times.
I can do that! It's not big deal. My husband shuts the bathroom door and I start touching the floor.
And before I know it, I am a third of the way through.
The next part is easy too, repetitions of motions that work various muscle groups, all from lying on the floor.
Then comes the running in place. And then I'm done!
It gets my heart pumping and my legs feeling like they've done some work, and I've doubled the running in place I can do in less than a month.
And then comes the real payoffs: I feel proud of myself because I did it once again (and this was true even when I had a bad cold) AND after about 10 minutes my body feels fantastic!
Plus it sets me up for getting going on my day's work with a clear head and a sense that I can do anything.
I suppose I may reach a plateau at some point. Each exercise is timed, and so far that is not a strain, but maybe when I'm running in place at the Level 11 standard, I'll need to build up to it. I don't know.
But I'm determined to find out! It's fun, I'm progressing, and I am eager to get up and get started.
You can find the booklet for the exercises on Amazon, but the one I saw listed was for nearly $55 - must be considered a collector's item. I'd go with the online version, either men's or women's: good exercises for the most resistant (like me).
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Mailboxes #12 and #13
I accomplished #12 yesterday in 34 min, a slight amount off the pace of the spectacular #11. Today, in more heat and following an uncomfortable fall a few hours earlier, I managed #13 (right next to #12) in 41 minutes. I suppose I should add that I was talking to our houseguest the whole way, which could have made some difference.
The heat was due to going out before 5 pm. The sun was in our eyes for a good part of it, low as it was in the sky, and while there was a pleasant breeze, I felt hot for a good part of it. I'll try to arrange the evening schedule so we can go out a bit later now that the season is progressing. PL
The heat was due to going out before 5 pm. The sun was in our eyes for a good part of it, low as it was in the sky, and while there was a pleasant breeze, I felt hot for a good part of it. I'll try to arrange the evening schedule so we can go out a bit later now that the season is progressing. PL
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Mailbox #11: Wow!
This one is a big stretch - it doubles the new big stretch of Mailbox #10. So we get to #9, do the big stretch, including a steep hill, to #10, then back up the hill to #11, then back down the hill retracing our steps. And I did that fun little increase in 32 minutes, with a record 9 minutes at Mailbox #9. The best one before was 10 min, with 11 min yesterday.
So good! More to come...1 hour is the limit, however far I get in 1 hour. But I'm still building up to that one mailbox at a time...
PL
So good! More to come...1 hour is the limit, however far I get in 1 hour. But I'm still building up to that one mailbox at a time...
PL
One Of Ours: Robert K Killian
Here is an article I found from the NY Times, 01/01/2006, in the Connecticut regional section, called Those Who Made A Difference.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/01ctintro.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
It is about our cousin Robert K Killian. I like what he is quoted as saying in here: I could hear myself doing and saying the same thing.
This brief article about CT Attorney Generals includes a photo: http://www.ct.gov/ag/cwp/view.asp?a=2132&q=295144#kil
He is the son of Edward Killian, who in turn is the son of James Killian, brother of my great grandmother Mary Killian of Shannonbridge, Athlone, C0. Offaly, Ireland. She was mother of William Aloysius Horan, my maternal grandfather. Mary immigrated in 1867, according to the 1900 census. PL
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/01ctintro.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
It is about our cousin Robert K Killian. I like what he is quoted as saying in here: I could hear myself doing and saying the same thing.
This brief article about CT Attorney Generals includes a photo: http://www.ct.gov/ag/cwp/view.asp?a=2132&q=295144#kil
He is the son of Edward Killian, who in turn is the son of James Killian, brother of my great grandmother Mary Killian of Shannonbridge, Athlone, C0. Offaly, Ireland. She was mother of William Aloysius Horan, my maternal grandfather. Mary immigrated in 1867, according to the 1900 census. PL
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Mailbox #10: Feb 16 2008
Well, I di d #10, and a little more. I forgot to stop at the mailbox. The whole thing seemed really slow, 32 min. Adding #10 is a challenge, anyway: it's a good 1000 steps beyond #9, and then there's the return. Plus, it's up and down a lot more...
But it's mine now! And tomorrow, #11, is another big increase. We'll see, we'll see. PL
But it's mine now! And tomorrow, #11, is another big increase. We'll see, we'll see. PL
Friday, February 15, 2008
No Walk Today: Feb 15, 2008
Rain! We love it when it rains here in Tucson. And this is a very cold rain, with snow down to about the 4500 foot level and a possibility of the snow on our level by morning.
After a couple of great days of walking, I just didn't feel like going out in the rain - especially since we don't heat our house and getting warmed up again might have been a challenge. But tomorrow I can still go for #10...
It's supposed to be sunny, high of 62, low of 39, all very walkable! PL
After a couple of great days of walking, I just didn't feel like going out in the rain - especially since we don't heat our house and getting warmed up again might have been a challenge. But tomorrow I can still go for #10...
It's supposed to be sunny, high of 62, low of 39, all very walkable! PL
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Mailbox #9: Feb 14 2008
Just completed the walk to M#9 in 20 min, fastest pace to date. (#9 is next to #8). #10 is a challenge - down into the wash, and of course return by the same course. Feelin' good! PL
Papers
We have an appt w/ the bsp on Sunday for our first interviews. Likely next step: he will open our files.
Progress! pl
Progress! pl
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
On A Practical Note - Our Tucson Home
We have decided, after much pondering, that with the housing market as it is, we will not sell our Tucson home but rent it out.
This means postponing an expensive paint job inside, and not having to move many of our belongings out in March, which would have been the time to put it on the market. All that can be done closer to the time when we leave for Anacortes as Tucson temps rise to 100 degrees.
This is hardly the time to sell if we don't have to, and renting will mean it will be possible to hold on. Since we made the decision we have felt over and over again that it is the right one. Now we need to talk to the rental agent.
This means postponing an expensive paint job inside, and not having to move many of our belongings out in March, which would have been the time to put it on the market. All that can be done closer to the time when we leave for Anacortes as Tucson temps rise to 100 degrees.
This is hardly the time to sell if we don't have to, and renting will mean it will be possible to hold on. Since we made the decision we have felt over and over again that it is the right one. Now we need to talk to the rental agent.
RCAF Exercise Milestone
Health and fitness are a huge part of this preparation, so in addition to the almost daily walks, I have been doing Royal Canadian Air Force exercises each morning. I love them! They come in levels, and someone my age is supposed to spend 8 days at each level. I have now completed Level 2, and move on to more challenges in Level 3 - though none that should prove daunting.
So 8 days at Level 3 coming right up! I couldn't do Level 1 when I started - it took me several days to get up to speed - so this is really a sign of progress! PL
So 8 days at Level 3 coming right up! I couldn't do Level 1 when I started - it took me several days to get up to speed - so this is really a sign of progress! PL
Temple Trip, Feb 13
We decided yesterday that we needed to get to the temple sooner rather than later so we could get our family history research converted to name cards and the ones that needed baptism sent to family in SLC.
We left at around 8:40 and got back just short of 7 hours later. Thank heavens for the Prius with its 45.2 mpg!
It was so satisfying to submit the 39 names. After we picked up the processed cards, we sorted them and will be sending them off tomorrow. All the work is lovely to see done, but what especially touches my heart is sealing families.
We have a great deal more to do, but this is a family project with many members pitching in, and the new.familysearch.org streamlines it to the point of making it possible to gather the loose ends and begin to move backward through time to those we don't know - but love anyway.
Anyone who wants to participate is welcome! It was a long day, but satisfying. PL
We left at around 8:40 and got back just short of 7 hours later. Thank heavens for the Prius with its 45.2 mpg!
It was so satisfying to submit the 39 names. After we picked up the processed cards, we sorted them and will be sending them off tomorrow. All the work is lovely to see done, but what especially touches my heart is sealing families.
We have a great deal more to do, but this is a family project with many members pitching in, and the new.familysearch.org streamlines it to the point of making it possible to gather the loose ends and begin to move backward through time to those we don't know - but love anyway.
Anyone who wants to participate is welcome! It was a long day, but satisfying. PL
Mailboxes, Feb 13, 2008
Yesterday I didn't make time to walk. Instead, we succumbed to temptation and went to dinner w/ a visiting author we know. Walking probably would have been a better choice!
So today, despite an impromptu trip to the temple that took nearly 7 hours, and other events, I was determined to fulfill my commitement to myself and walk the mailboxes.
We set out around 4 pm. The temperature was in the low 70s, very comfy. From the start my legs felt like they were made of mush and I despaired of matching my time from Feb 11. This is what I get for not walking every day, I figured - and for sitting in the car or elsewhere for much of the day.
My target was Mailbox #8 again (since I didn't walk yesterday, I had to repeat), and I was surprised to see I got there in good season despite the mushy-muscle feeling. When I walked back in the door, having made it to #8 and back, the time was - a big surprise! 21 minutes, 3 minutes faster than two days ago!
Wow! I'm impressed and happy! Target tomorrow: Mailbox #9 (right next to #8). PL
So today, despite an impromptu trip to the temple that took nearly 7 hours, and other events, I was determined to fulfill my commitement to myself and walk the mailboxes.
We set out around 4 pm. The temperature was in the low 70s, very comfy. From the start my legs felt like they were made of mush and I despaired of matching my time from Feb 11. This is what I get for not walking every day, I figured - and for sitting in the car or elsewhere for much of the day.
My target was Mailbox #8 again (since I didn't walk yesterday, I had to repeat), and I was surprised to see I got there in good season despite the mushy-muscle feeling. When I walked back in the door, having made it to #8 and back, the time was - a big surprise! 21 minutes, 3 minutes faster than two days ago!
Wow! I'm impressed and happy! Target tomorrow: Mailbox #9 (right next to #8). PL
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Ella Marie and Others
It turns out that my great grandmother Margaret Fagan named her youngest child after the person she was a housekeeper for prior to her marriage. That was Ella Marie Adams, my grandfather's sister. (My grandfather, Christopher Joseph Adams, was named after one of Margaret's brothers.)
Even though my grandfather died more than 20 years before I was born, I knew my Aunt Ella. She was my father's contact w/ his family, the only one I think.
When I met her, she had come to babysit while my parents went away. I was 7. She wore (as I recall now anyway) a black dress and black boxy tie shoes on stout heels. She had a matronly bosom and walk. When my parents got back, she said I was a very naughty girl, but never would say what I had done. I had no idea then what my crime was, and certainly haven't figured it out since.
My Aunt Ella was divorced. She had daughters of some sort, whom I never met. She called to talk to my father when someone in the family had died. He had a very hard time whenever he knew it was she on the phone.
She came again to babysit when I was about 11. I was not happy to see her.
How I would love to have an hour with her now! She died 30 years ago.
She had white hair, full cheeks, and a little nose. She was chunky and walked uncomfortably.
Last week when I was doing some family history, I went looking for her. I gradually pinned down more details of her life. Her mother died of chronic alcoholism when Ella was 13. She was sent to live with some relatives, which is where I found her in the 1900 census. She was married at 17 or 18 to someone who lived on the same street in Norwalk, Howard Hunt. They had two little girls, Grace and Dorothy. Ella and Howard were divorced sometime between 1920 and 1930.
We have our own Ella and Grace now.
This is just one of the families we are privileged to put together. I knew this woman and I want her to have her family with her forever, no matter what happened in this life.
We are working diligently on preparing for temple ordinances for our antecedents. The details are a different story. All of this is part of our preparation for our mission, with purposes and blessings that we only vaguely understand.
Ella and I would have great discussions today. I have so many questions for her. I feel so much compassion for her! I am so happy to be able to serve her...
Even though my grandfather died more than 20 years before I was born, I knew my Aunt Ella. She was my father's contact w/ his family, the only one I think.
When I met her, she had come to babysit while my parents went away. I was 7. She wore (as I recall now anyway) a black dress and black boxy tie shoes on stout heels. She had a matronly bosom and walk. When my parents got back, she said I was a very naughty girl, but never would say what I had done. I had no idea then what my crime was, and certainly haven't figured it out since.
My Aunt Ella was divorced. She had daughters of some sort, whom I never met. She called to talk to my father when someone in the family had died. He had a very hard time whenever he knew it was she on the phone.
She came again to babysit when I was about 11. I was not happy to see her.
How I would love to have an hour with her now! She died 30 years ago.
She had white hair, full cheeks, and a little nose. She was chunky and walked uncomfortably.
Last week when I was doing some family history, I went looking for her. I gradually pinned down more details of her life. Her mother died of chronic alcoholism when Ella was 13. She was sent to live with some relatives, which is where I found her in the 1900 census. She was married at 17 or 18 to someone who lived on the same street in Norwalk, Howard Hunt. They had two little girls, Grace and Dorothy. Ella and Howard were divorced sometime between 1920 and 1930.
We have our own Ella and Grace now.
This is just one of the families we are privileged to put together. I knew this woman and I want her to have her family with her forever, no matter what happened in this life.
We are working diligently on preparing for temple ordinances for our antecedents. The details are a different story. All of this is part of our preparation for our mission, with purposes and blessings that we only vaguely understand.
Ella and I would have great discussions today. I have so many questions for her. I feel so much compassion for her! I am so happy to be able to serve her...
Mailboxes #8
Yesterday, Monday, I made it to Mailbox #8 - and back. This was a lovely vigorous walk of about a mile, at 6 pm, with the pink light of the setting sun fading off the Catalinas. Time: 24 min. YAY!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Mailboxes Report 2/10/08
I did not accomplish my Mailbox walk for this date! But I did walk for about 15 minutes.
Because of spending all morning preparing my talk, I did not go out until nearly 2 pm, just before we had to leave for church. I didn't have enough time to add the new mailbox, which turns out to be 515 feet from the previous one. I did go to it, but then I returned home without retracing my steps.
The other problem was that the sun was too intense. I can't say it was exactly hot - maybe 72 - but anyone who knows the Tucson sun knows it can really press those photons right through your skin.
So I have learned that I can't go out in midday. I also can't go early in the morning - that's when I do my RCAF exercises, and that's enough for right then. So I have decided to make 5 pm walk time. The next mailboxes are quite far apart, and by the time I add a few more, I'll need a lot more time than I've been allowing.
Fortunately 'the rules' mean I get to do Mailbox #8 again today without having to back down. PL
Because of spending all morning preparing my talk, I did not go out until nearly 2 pm, just before we had to leave for church. I didn't have enough time to add the new mailbox, which turns out to be 515 feet from the previous one. I did go to it, but then I returned home without retracing my steps.
The other problem was that the sun was too intense. I can't say it was exactly hot - maybe 72 - but anyone who knows the Tucson sun knows it can really press those photons right through your skin.
So I have learned that I can't go out in midday. I also can't go early in the morning - that's when I do my RCAF exercises, and that's enough for right then. So I have decided to make 5 pm walk time. The next mailboxes are quite far apart, and by the time I add a few more, I'll need a lot more time than I've been allowing.
Fortunately 'the rules' mean I get to do Mailbox #8 again today without having to back down. PL
Rpt on New Family Search #1: progress, challenges, excitement
I registered and took tutorials and found the system very nice. The biggest surprise was in learning that it was not a good idea to create a large GEDCOM file and submit it. Instead, there are two options: enter everything from PAF by hand, or make very small GEDCOM submissions after making sure there are no duplicates.
The latter, it turns out, is a better strategy. In the case of copying things, it is not possible in a lifetime to capture all the rich details that are contained in our family PAF.
Let's say that we were to go with minimalist submissions, and they were accepted for ordinances. Then anything we submitted later would be an addendum. And no one but the original submitter can add to a file unless it's considered a second opinion.
Further, it is the rich details that will probably end up resulting in connections being made to other submitters' work.
So the only solution is to pick a family, use NFS to find out if it exists in their records, and if not, to submit just that much via GEDCOM.
It will take time. But it is a glorious work! I had so much fun with the people I entered by hand, few as they were!
After entering whatever names time allows, one then checks for previously done ordinances, and moves on to submitting them for consideration for temple work. This process was very interesting! Every name I submitted was carefully screened, and I had the great joy of consolidating a half dozen or so records (in pairs) at this point (and rejecting other suggestions).
After about 3 hours of work, and the elimination of names that had been 'done', I found I had only 6 or so who needed all ordinances.
Unfortunately, right at that moment, as I submitted them to be printed out and bar-coded, a glitch happened on the NFS end - possibly because so many of us had been trying out this system last night and were all calling it a day.
So I 'lost' the submission. But it served a purpose: I noticed one more duplicate, and was able to remove it.
Tonight for Family Home Evening we will continue the process and get some more printouts done.
The biggest lesson is to have every bit of information possible in PAF (or somewhere) and then submit it all at once. This concept should not be taken to the extreme that nothing is ever done! If new facts come to light, the original submitter has the option of adding them seamlessly. But if a date, for example, is known but is not submitted at the time of submission for ordinances, the person will go through as (for example) 'birth unknown'. That just rubs me the wrong way, and I almost let it happen!
On a personal level, there is one other challenge: I would like the grandchildren to be able to participate in the temple work for our family members, and that means baptisms at this point. So I feel the need to gather a large number of 'complete' names very soon so this can be done in a practical manner. Only then can we move ahead and do the rest of it. And that is something we have taken on as part of our mission prep.
SOOO....I anticipate shoving aside other obligations to accomplish this.
That's the end of the first report. I trust I will have more understanding and accomplishment soon. Your input is welcome. PL
The latter, it turns out, is a better strategy. In the case of copying things, it is not possible in a lifetime to capture all the rich details that are contained in our family PAF.
Let's say that we were to go with minimalist submissions, and they were accepted for ordinances. Then anything we submitted later would be an addendum. And no one but the original submitter can add to a file unless it's considered a second opinion.
Further, it is the rich details that will probably end up resulting in connections being made to other submitters' work.
So the only solution is to pick a family, use NFS to find out if it exists in their records, and if not, to submit just that much via GEDCOM.
It will take time. But it is a glorious work! I had so much fun with the people I entered by hand, few as they were!
After entering whatever names time allows, one then checks for previously done ordinances, and moves on to submitting them for consideration for temple work. This process was very interesting! Every name I submitted was carefully screened, and I had the great joy of consolidating a half dozen or so records (in pairs) at this point (and rejecting other suggestions).
After about 3 hours of work, and the elimination of names that had been 'done', I found I had only 6 or so who needed all ordinances.
Unfortunately, right at that moment, as I submitted them to be printed out and bar-coded, a glitch happened on the NFS end - possibly because so many of us had been trying out this system last night and were all calling it a day.
So I 'lost' the submission. But it served a purpose: I noticed one more duplicate, and was able to remove it.
Tonight for Family Home Evening we will continue the process and get some more printouts done.
The biggest lesson is to have every bit of information possible in PAF (or somewhere) and then submit it all at once. This concept should not be taken to the extreme that nothing is ever done! If new facts come to light, the original submitter has the option of adding them seamlessly. But if a date, for example, is known but is not submitted at the time of submission for ordinances, the person will go through as (for example) 'birth unknown'. That just rubs me the wrong way, and I almost let it happen!
On a personal level, there is one other challenge: I would like the grandchildren to be able to participate in the temple work for our family members, and that means baptisms at this point. So I feel the need to gather a large number of 'complete' names very soon so this can be done in a practical manner. Only then can we move ahead and do the rest of it. And that is something we have taken on as part of our mission prep.
SOOO....I anticipate shoving aside other obligations to accomplish this.
That's the end of the first report. I trust I will have more understanding and accomplishment soon. Your input is welcome. PL
Sunday, February 10, 2008
What Elder Hales Said
Years ago Elder Hales gave a wonderful conference talk on senior missionary needs. He then wrote a sequel in the Liahona (May 2005). I have just been reading it as I prepare a talk on Sacrifice for church today.
"My brothers and sisters, if you have felt stirrings to engage in this work, however quiet those feelings may be, do not procrastinate the day of your service. Now is the time to prepare; now is the time to be called, the time to sacrifice. Now is the time to share your gifts and talents, and now is the time to receive God's blessings for you and your family."
"Only through our faith can we heed God's counsel to 'choose ye this day, whom ye will serve' - to serve the Lord God who made you. And only through a trial of our faith can we receive the miraculous blessings we see for ourselves and our families. 'For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them.'"
"If any man serve me, him will my Father honor." John 12:26. (quoted by Elder Hales).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sacrifice means to make holy, or to go back to the original Hebrew word korfan, it means to draw closer to God. There are many ways to do this, such as parenthood. But it is my testimony that one way that was prepared by the Lord for senior couples is to serve a mission - when called, where called, done with honor, service, and sacrifice.
It is sacrifice to leave family behind, to sell possessions, to learn new ways. It blesses those whom we serve, but it also blesses us abundantly because we literally draw closer to God.
"And whoso layeth down his life in my cause, for my name's sake, shall find it again, even life eternal."
So be it. PL
"My brothers and sisters, if you have felt stirrings to engage in this work, however quiet those feelings may be, do not procrastinate the day of your service. Now is the time to prepare; now is the time to be called, the time to sacrifice. Now is the time to share your gifts and talents, and now is the time to receive God's blessings for you and your family."
"Only through our faith can we heed God's counsel to 'choose ye this day, whom ye will serve' - to serve the Lord God who made you. And only through a trial of our faith can we receive the miraculous blessings we see for ourselves and our families. 'For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them.'"
"If any man serve me, him will my Father honor." John 12:26. (quoted by Elder Hales).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sacrifice means to make holy, or to go back to the original Hebrew word korfan, it means to draw closer to God. There are many ways to do this, such as parenthood. But it is my testimony that one way that was prepared by the Lord for senior couples is to serve a mission - when called, where called, done with honor, service, and sacrifice.
It is sacrifice to leave family behind, to sell possessions, to learn new ways. It blesses those whom we serve, but it also blesses us abundantly because we literally draw closer to God.
"And whoso layeth down his life in my cause, for my name's sake, shall find it again, even life eternal."
So be it. PL
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Mission: Where We Want To Go
You get to mention where you'd like to go, but it's not binding. Of course we want to go where we are most needed....
But beyond that, we do have certain preferences. Or let's say *I* do have certain preferences:
Mongolia - I've always wanted to serve in Mongolia! I don't know why. It's still true. Senior couples live in yurts, sleep on the floor, and have high-speed internet access. It gets very cold.
Samara - This part of the Russian Federation is somewhat related to the far west of China, which we visited. Like Urumqi (aka Wulumuchi), Samara has minarets. It also seems one would learn a great deal from being there. I'm not sure what they speak, but Russian is probably part of it.
Spain - A few years ago we visited Spain for a week. We were in Andalucia and saw the outside of the Alhambra, the top of a very tall tower within a church in Seville, and the inside of the small town of Antequera - fascinating, all white houses and brown churches and a castle. Spain has a complex history and many languages, and it would be fun to spend more time getting to know it.
Ireland - That's where I'm from! Not really - three quarters of my great grandparents were born in Ireland. I want to see it for myself. I want to hear and learn the language and the music, take long long walks in the inevitably cool and damp air, feel moody in the Irish way, and maybe find some kinfolk.
Peru - A person could learn a lot of different things by being in Peru: llamas, alpacas, and potatoes come to mind.
OK, that's enough. You will notice that nothing here mentions a good reason to go to any of them. A mission is not about travel. It is about service.
So, let me state that I would be happy serving in any of these locations. Wait and see... PL
But beyond that, we do have certain preferences. Or let's say *I* do have certain preferences:
Mongolia - I've always wanted to serve in Mongolia! I don't know why. It's still true. Senior couples live in yurts, sleep on the floor, and have high-speed internet access. It gets very cold.
Samara - This part of the Russian Federation is somewhat related to the far west of China, which we visited. Like Urumqi (aka Wulumuchi), Samara has minarets. It also seems one would learn a great deal from being there. I'm not sure what they speak, but Russian is probably part of it.
Spain - A few years ago we visited Spain for a week. We were in Andalucia and saw the outside of the Alhambra, the top of a very tall tower within a church in Seville, and the inside of the small town of Antequera - fascinating, all white houses and brown churches and a castle. Spain has a complex history and many languages, and it would be fun to spend more time getting to know it.
Ireland - That's where I'm from! Not really - three quarters of my great grandparents were born in Ireland. I want to see it for myself. I want to hear and learn the language and the music, take long long walks in the inevitably cool and damp air, feel moody in the Irish way, and maybe find some kinfolk.
Peru - A person could learn a lot of different things by being in Peru: llamas, alpacas, and potatoes come to mind.
OK, that's enough. You will notice that nothing here mentions a good reason to go to any of them. A mission is not about travel. It is about service.
So, let me state that I would be happy serving in any of these locations. Wait and see... PL
Mailboxes Feb 9 Report
2:45 pm. Just finished the Mailbox walk for today, to Mailbox #7. Did it in 18 min. Bright warm sun, coolish breeze.
This is the farthest mailbox I've walked this time around: I got to #7 before, before catching a mild case of flu, at which point I didn't walk for 3 days. Backed off to #5.
SO tomorrow I should be able to get to #8. That one is several hundred feet farther along the road.
Till then! PL
This is the farthest mailbox I've walked this time around: I got to #7 before, before catching a mild case of flu, at which point I didn't walk for 3 days. Backed off to #5.
SO tomorrow I should be able to get to #8. That one is several hundred feet farther along the road.
Till then! PL
Why A Mission: I Will Go And Do...
This scripture that I am about to quote is the only possible response to getting caught up in the logistics of a mission.
Setting: Nephi has been given a monumental task which others have failed to complete, and which seems impossible to accomplish. But he has FAITH! (We're creeping up on faith here in this blog - it's going to come out sooner or later.) He says:
I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. (1 Ne 3:7)
This is really quite powerful, based on the premise that it is a commandment to go on a mission when you are of a certain age and level of health and financial capacity. More on this later. PL
Setting: Nephi has been given a monumental task which others have failed to complete, and which seems impossible to accomplish. But he has FAITH! (We're creeping up on faith here in this blog - it's going to come out sooner or later.) He says:
I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. (1 Ne 3:7)
This is really quite powerful, based on the premise that it is a commandment to go on a mission when you are of a certain age and level of health and financial capacity. More on this later. PL
Everything In Order - That's All
The logistics of a mission is something other-worldly.
Where do we tuck our house to keep it safe from harm? How about our cars (many volunteers for these!). How about our comfortable old clothes that you don't want a stranger stumbling on (like in your house if you rent it out or lend it to someone) but that won't survive a storage unit. What about our journals? Our old tax returns? Our semi-precious items like this vase and that CD player?
That is one of the things (one family of things) on our minds right now. Especially when our dream of being 'homeless' when we go - selling our houses - is just about out of the question, with the housing market as it is.
It all comes down to TOO MUCH STUFF. It is easier to stay home. But ahhh....that would not be a good choice. See Why A Mission.... PL
Where do we tuck our house to keep it safe from harm? How about our cars (many volunteers for these!). How about our comfortable old clothes that you don't want a stranger stumbling on (like in your house if you rent it out or lend it to someone) but that won't survive a storage unit. What about our journals? Our old tax returns? Our semi-precious items like this vase and that CD player?
That is one of the things (one family of things) on our minds right now. Especially when our dream of being 'homeless' when we go - selling our houses - is just about out of the question, with the housing market as it is.
It all comes down to TOO MUCH STUFF. It is easier to stay home. But ahhh....that would not be a good choice. See Why A Mission.... PL
Friday, February 8, 2008
A Sacred Preparation: Our Loved Ones...
...but not our darling grandchildren. That is another issue entirely.
These loved ones that require our attention, our Sacred Preparation, are our ancestors.
Back when I was 11 or so I began to care passionately about my ancestors. No one around me was particularly interested, though I did gather some names and possible dates and locations.
When I reached a deadend, I turned to the Royal Family of Britain and read everything about their history, back to King George III of American Revolution fame, that I could find. This included hordes of cousins from throughout Europe.
I had only a few cousins of my own - that I knew of.
My father was an only child, and my mother had two sisters. One had two children, the other six. Those were the cousins we knew about. They lived about 80 miles away for most of my growing up.
But I wanted to know who had come before.
I still do. But now it's a sacred trust. Just as we were making a full commitment to get ready for our mission - only a month or two ago - it came to us that one of the preparations that was required of us was to get our ancestors' names in order and take them to the temple.
We have a son w/ two early-teen daughters who are willing to go do the baptisms. Now we just need to prepare the names.
As we were having these thoughts, it was announced that the church was changing its system, simplifying the submission of names. Perfect timing! Our task then became to make sure our records were as accurate and complete as possible. I began to spend most of Sunday working on this project.
The day came for the switch-over to the new system, Feb 5. We signed up. Turns out that because our records are for one area but we live temporarily in another, we knew about the switch-over but weren't eligible for it yet. Phooey!
So we have missed taking our ancestors' names to the temple when we expected to be able to. Still we learned a fair amount - and still we have huge gaps.
I still consider it one of our steps of preparing for our mission, a sacred trust and obligation. I hope the new system will be available here soon. Meanwhile, we'll keep searching... PL
These loved ones that require our attention, our Sacred Preparation, are our ancestors.
Back when I was 11 or so I began to care passionately about my ancestors. No one around me was particularly interested, though I did gather some names and possible dates and locations.
When I reached a deadend, I turned to the Royal Family of Britain and read everything about their history, back to King George III of American Revolution fame, that I could find. This included hordes of cousins from throughout Europe.
I had only a few cousins of my own - that I knew of.
My father was an only child, and my mother had two sisters. One had two children, the other six. Those were the cousins we knew about. They lived about 80 miles away for most of my growing up.
But I wanted to know who had come before.
I still do. But now it's a sacred trust. Just as we were making a full commitment to get ready for our mission - only a month or two ago - it came to us that one of the preparations that was required of us was to get our ancestors' names in order and take them to the temple.
We have a son w/ two early-teen daughters who are willing to go do the baptisms. Now we just need to prepare the names.
As we were having these thoughts, it was announced that the church was changing its system, simplifying the submission of names. Perfect timing! Our task then became to make sure our records were as accurate and complete as possible. I began to spend most of Sunday working on this project.
The day came for the switch-over to the new system, Feb 5. We signed up. Turns out that because our records are for one area but we live temporarily in another, we knew about the switch-over but weren't eligible for it yet. Phooey!
So we have missed taking our ancestors' names to the temple when we expected to be able to. Still we learned a fair amount - and still we have huge gaps.
I still consider it one of our steps of preparing for our mission, a sacred trust and obligation. I hope the new system will be available here soon. Meanwhile, we'll keep searching... PL
Why A Mission - Part 1
This is a hard question to answer. Ultimately it's about faith, and I'm not ready to tackle that subject.
But several factors have played into our decision to go. Some are maybe sublime, others are nearly profane. I hope to be honest in answering it, and this will end up being just Part 1, I'm sure.
When the idea of going to China was presented to us, we were already looking avidly at the 'blue bulletins' that listed missionary opportunities. We knew they'd be years in the future, so it was tantalizing to look, and dream, but it was also always safe.
China was something we could do almost immediately, and we did do that. Many remarkable blessings came our way that made it easy to go.
When we came home, we felt we had worked very hard.
It's important to note that our assignment in China was not a mission, even though it was related to the church. It was one of those things that can be done in China now, when it is closed to missionaries, and in no sense did we break the rules against proselyting. We just taught English.
We also met others who had chosen to teach, about 65 or so of them, mostly senior couples, some single sisters. Even though we were assigned in many different cities, we traveled widely with the whole group and we got to know them and love them.
We all returned around the same time, and most took a breather. But then some started to go out on true missions.
Meanwhile, Juan was offered an 'early' retirement pkg and we realized we could go too.
We kept our ears open, but weren't really sure we were mentally ready, with that hard year so recent.
We had friends who went to the Marshall Islands (which I had to look up) and were assigned to working in an office. We had friends who did temple duty on a full-time assignment. We heard of others getting ready...
Meanwhile we were getting used to retirement. We did gobs of paperwork for related practical issues, we tended the garden, we watched some TV and read some books. We toured and visited distant family and went on business trips. And then after 6 months we were done w/ all that and suddenly we felt it was time for a mission.
So that's Part 1. It's neither the sacred side nor the self-indulgent side - it's just the intro. Fwiw. PL
But several factors have played into our decision to go. Some are maybe sublime, others are nearly profane. I hope to be honest in answering it, and this will end up being just Part 1, I'm sure.
When the idea of going to China was presented to us, we were already looking avidly at the 'blue bulletins' that listed missionary opportunities. We knew they'd be years in the future, so it was tantalizing to look, and dream, but it was also always safe.
China was something we could do almost immediately, and we did do that. Many remarkable blessings came our way that made it easy to go.
When we came home, we felt we had worked very hard.
It's important to note that our assignment in China was not a mission, even though it was related to the church. It was one of those things that can be done in China now, when it is closed to missionaries, and in no sense did we break the rules against proselyting. We just taught English.
We also met others who had chosen to teach, about 65 or so of them, mostly senior couples, some single sisters. Even though we were assigned in many different cities, we traveled widely with the whole group and we got to know them and love them.
We all returned around the same time, and most took a breather. But then some started to go out on true missions.
Meanwhile, Juan was offered an 'early' retirement pkg and we realized we could go too.
We kept our ears open, but weren't really sure we were mentally ready, with that hard year so recent.
We had friends who went to the Marshall Islands (which I had to look up) and were assigned to working in an office. We had friends who did temple duty on a full-time assignment. We heard of others getting ready...
Meanwhile we were getting used to retirement. We did gobs of paperwork for related practical issues, we tended the garden, we watched some TV and read some books. We toured and visited distant family and went on business trips. And then after 6 months we were done w/ all that and suddenly we felt it was time for a mission.
So that's Part 1. It's neither the sacred side nor the self-indulgent side - it's just the intro. Fwiw. PL
The Mailboxes of My Neighborhood - Part 1
The application of Mailbox Walking Rules (q.v.) is a little tricky right here at home, but I am motivated by the progress I've made. Here's what the Neighborhood looks like wrt Mailboxes:
Go out the driveway (dirt; down-up) to the Home Mailbox (#1).
Turn right (paved; up) to the hammerhead-shaped cul-de-sac, lined not by houses and mailboxes but by empty lots for sale. Turn right, left, left, left, left, right - and you find yourself heading downhill on the opposite side of the street from the Home Mailbox. Here you find Mailbox #2.
(If you are on Day #2, you turn around, retrace your steps around the hammerhead, and eventually find yourself at the Home Mailbox, whence you go home. If this is a subsequent day, you keep going.)
To keep going, continue on the paved street (down) until it ends at another paved street. Turn right and continue (flat) to Mailbox #3. This is about 500 steps from #2. Return by retracing steps.
To keep going to #4, continue (flat) until you get to it. Retrace.
Now, #5 is the first of a cluster of 3, and it is on the opposite side of the street from #4. This requires going to the end of the street (where it meets a bigger street), crossing, coming back the other side as far as #5, then retracing. #6 and #7 are very similar, but cannot be done today...
Walking the mailboxes in this neighborhood requires crossing washes and the frontages of uneven large lots. But wait till you see what's next!
(Maybe I'll find my camera and take it along for this FASCINATING view of life here in 85745.)
PL
Go out the driveway (dirt; down-up) to the Home Mailbox (#1).
Turn right (paved; up) to the hammerhead-shaped cul-de-sac, lined not by houses and mailboxes but by empty lots for sale. Turn right, left, left, left, left, right - and you find yourself heading downhill on the opposite side of the street from the Home Mailbox. Here you find Mailbox #2.
(If you are on Day #2, you turn around, retrace your steps around the hammerhead, and eventually find yourself at the Home Mailbox, whence you go home. If this is a subsequent day, you keep going.)
To keep going, continue on the paved street (down) until it ends at another paved street. Turn right and continue (flat) to Mailbox #3. This is about 500 steps from #2. Return by retracing steps.
To keep going to #4, continue (flat) until you get to it. Retrace.
Now, #5 is the first of a cluster of 3, and it is on the opposite side of the street from #4. This requires going to the end of the street (where it meets a bigger street), crossing, coming back the other side as far as #5, then retracing. #6 and #7 are very similar, but cannot be done today...
Walking the mailboxes in this neighborhood requires crossing washes and the frontages of uneven large lots. But wait till you see what's next!
(Maybe I'll find my camera and take it along for this FASCINATING view of life here in 85745.)
PL
How To Walk Mailboxes - The Rules
A person could just head out and walk to different mailboxes but then it would be possible for them to make shortcuts - inadvertently of course - and not really get the full benefit. Since it is likely that I would be one of those people, my safe-at-home full-of-ambition alter-ego created this rule set:
1. Add one new mailbox each day.
2. Return home by the same route. (This one sounds simple till you begin to apply it...)
3. If you miss a day, make no change in applying Rule #1.
4. If you miss another day, back off one day (one mailbox).
5. If you miss because you are sick, back off one mailbox each subsequent day; if you miss because you are bad, back off one mailbox every two days.
6. Each mailbox counts as a mailbox. If several come together in clumps, count them separately.
7. If you don't have mailboxes at the street, maybe count driveways instead.
Try it, then report back here on how you're doing. And if you see me breaking any of the rules, please comment. PL
1. Add one new mailbox each day.
2. Return home by the same route. (This one sounds simple till you begin to apply it...)
3. If you miss a day, make no change in applying Rule #1.
4. If you miss another day, back off one day (one mailbox).
5. If you miss because you are sick, back off one mailbox each subsequent day; if you miss because you are bad, back off one mailbox every two days.
6. Each mailbox counts as a mailbox. If several come together in clumps, count them separately.
7. If you don't have mailboxes at the street, maybe count driveways instead.
Try it, then report back here on how you're doing. And if you see me breaking any of the rules, please comment. PL
Mailbox #6, Feb 8 2008
Around 5:20 pm. Walked to the 6th mailbox, 17 minutes.
(See mailbox details in the section called Mailboxes)
(See mailbox details in the section called Mailboxes)
Health and Fitness
When we were in China, we walked everywhere (and breathed in a lot of air that tasted awful and you couldn't see through). It was a mile to the classroom building (and another one back). It was a mile to a restaurant, and a little over a mile to one of the lecture halls. We thought nothing of walking everywhere but church, which was 18 miles away.
When we got back to the US, we walked a lot less.
A year later, I found that I had trouble walking. It was strange - it was just for the first 10 minutes, and especially after a meal. Then I found out I was seriously anemic.
So now I am working to build up my walking endurance again. I exercise using the Royal Canadian Air Force exercises (which I began in 1964, the instructions for which Juan just resurrected from somewhere) first thing in the morning. Then I go out and walk the mailboxes.
This is a particular way to build up endurance.
It all started when I read a true account of a couch potato who had to go get the mail from his mailbox at the end of the his driveway (30 feet away) when his wife went out of town. It took him considerable effort and he thought he was going to have a heart attack before he got back to the couch. But he bummed himself out - he realized he was no longer in good shape. (!). So he figured the next day he'd go to his mailbox and one more mailbox along the street. Which he did. The next day he added another. And then another and so on. He added one more a day, without fail. At the end of the year he celebrated by running a marathon.
I decided to do that several years ago. I put Gimli the dog on a leash and went to our mailbox and back. He looked at me like I was crazy. The next day, the neighbor's mailbox. And so on. The mailboxes can be fairly far apart around here, or jammed together, but we did it no matter what. We ended up walking over an hour a day before we left for summer vacation.
And that was the end of it. No marathon!
So I've started again. I am on Mailbox #5.
That doesn't mean it's Day #5. There are rules to this, and if you miss a couple of days, you regress. Rules to follow. Does anyone want to do this with me? PL
When we got back to the US, we walked a lot less.
A year later, I found that I had trouble walking. It was strange - it was just for the first 10 minutes, and especially after a meal. Then I found out I was seriously anemic.
So now I am working to build up my walking endurance again. I exercise using the Royal Canadian Air Force exercises (which I began in 1964, the instructions for which Juan just resurrected from somewhere) first thing in the morning. Then I go out and walk the mailboxes.
This is a particular way to build up endurance.
It all started when I read a true account of a couch potato who had to go get the mail from his mailbox at the end of the his driveway (30 feet away) when his wife went out of town. It took him considerable effort and he thought he was going to have a heart attack before he got back to the couch. But he bummed himself out - he realized he was no longer in good shape. (!). So he figured the next day he'd go to his mailbox and one more mailbox along the street. Which he did. The next day he added another. And then another and so on. He added one more a day, without fail. At the end of the year he celebrated by running a marathon.
I decided to do that several years ago. I put Gimli the dog on a leash and went to our mailbox and back. He looked at me like I was crazy. The next day, the neighbor's mailbox. And so on. The mailboxes can be fairly far apart around here, or jammed together, but we did it no matter what. We ended up walking over an hour a day before we left for summer vacation.
And that was the end of it. No marathon!
So I've started again. I am on Mailbox #5.
That doesn't mean it's Day #5. There are rules to this, and if you miss a couple of days, you regress. Rules to follow. Does anyone want to do this with me? PL
A Beginning
This is an accountability blog.
Preparation for a mission requires attention to a multitude of details related to FITNESS.
Like grandchildren, they fall into families. FITNESS families in this case. And readiness families:
Medical/Dental/Health
Financial
Emotional
Spiritual
These are the ones we know about so far.
We would like to go abroad for our mission. They won't let you go abroad if you have a hefty medical issue.
We would like to go anywhere they want us to go. They won't let you go someplace you can't afford.
We would like to go - but then we will miss everyone. 'If you love them, leave them,' the Prophet said.
And as for spiritual fitness and readiness, the whole process is a test of faith. Or else it's just work and travel.
We have work to do in each of these areas. So - just in case someone is out there listening - I will lay out here in this blog what I see as the important preparation steps to take and how I'm doing with them.
They'll be listed as they come up.
I hope you will encourage me and let me know you are there, and care. PL
Preparation for a mission requires attention to a multitude of details related to FITNESS.
Like grandchildren, they fall into families. FITNESS families in this case. And readiness families:
Medical/Dental/Health
Financial
Emotional
Spiritual
These are the ones we know about so far.
We would like to go abroad for our mission. They won't let you go abroad if you have a hefty medical issue.
We would like to go anywhere they want us to go. They won't let you go someplace you can't afford.
We would like to go - but then we will miss everyone. 'If you love them, leave them,' the Prophet said.
And as for spiritual fitness and readiness, the whole process is a test of faith. Or else it's just work and travel.
We have work to do in each of these areas. So - just in case someone is out there listening - I will lay out here in this blog what I see as the important preparation steps to take and how I'm doing with them.
They'll be listed as they come up.
I hope you will encourage me and let me know you are there, and care. PL
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