Thinking here instead of thinking to myself, wondering how to put a wrap on this month of April.
Cool (not the warm spring weather I hoped for)
Calm (life for some who don’t watch bad news)
Collected (impressions from General Conference, Easter, nature walks, and sweet memories of Kay)
Let the last word be love.
Like one big happy family, our community of seniors “living independently” celebrated Easter today. Our “care center” branch (small congregation) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held sacrament meeting and Sunday School here this morning with special music and talks about the Savior.
Our manager had placed colorful eggs with candy all around the building to be found and placed in little baskets provided. I enjoyed watching some visiting grandchildren run around to discover Easter eggs. A generous resident set up egg dyeing on a dining room table, reminding us of a fun family tradition.
After all the celebration, this senior finds the greatest joy in knowing our Savior made possible resurrection and life everlasting for all God’s children who are born on the earth. Because of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness, my sweetheart Kay & I continue life as wife & husband, and families can be together forever ... with love.
So far this year, I've taken a break from Facebook while moving from Bountiful to Ogden. Having just enjoyed two days of General Conference, I visited Facebook for related posts by family and friends. ( I recalled it’s a valuable tool often used by my older generation.)
In my two-minute visit, I loved a powerful post by my niece’s return-missionary son (handsome in his suit) who attended Conference in SLC yesterday. Then I reconnected with an old friend my age I’ve known since young boyhood, who loves General Conference as I do. (The talks give me positive momentum.) A sweet group photo of Kay’s teacher friends was like icing on the cake. I felt satisfied despite missing many wonderful posts.
I wrote the following four years ago on April 4, 2018:
“Some leaders of our ward (congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) wisely use Facebook here in Roseville, Michigan. As full-time missionaries, my wife Kay and I recently started using it [more] frequently to keep in touch with a few family members, friends, and Detroit mission associates. Facebook is one of many ways we share the gospel of Jesus Christ. ... Now every week ... I see at a glance what's happening in the ward, the Church worldwide, our society, and the marketplace ... And not to be forgotten: extended family and old friends – like what they think, share, and do.”
Independent living here in our Ogden apartments includes a variety of community activities designed for physical and mental health ... and fun! For example, today I learned how to play Wii Golf. Yesterday our young activities director asked me to help with her new series called Tech Tuesday, a weekly workshop to share technical solutions with residents. (Tuesday April 5th, she moved it to Monday for a better fit; so we changed the name — OK by me, as I go with the flow.)
This should be interesting ... and fun, not frustrating. Our lively, 91-year-young neighbor Norma agreed to help me teach email using a PC laptop; she’s a power walker and talker whom everyone admires. (The same may be said of my companion Kay, who continues sharing on the other side ... with love.)
Since 2011, every year around this time, we participate in RootsTech, the worldwide family history and technology conference organized by FamilySearch International. March 3-5 this year was the second all-virtual, free conference. (February 26-29, 2020 was the last one held in the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City. I returned to Ogden by train that Saturday afternoon for my wife Kay’s 17th birthday celebration, where we connected with family and friends. Two grand events in one day!)
The theme for RootsTech this year was Choose Connection, introduced by an amazing music video that made me smile every time I watched it. We also saw videos of projects conducted by FamilySearch in countries around the world. A fascinating session was led by the head of the International Council on Archives (ICA), about “making humanity’s memory accessible.” Several innovative organizations taught the importance of storytelling and preservation. Conference content is archived and available for reviewing later.
I was instructed and inspired to work on our family projects ... and choose connection.
Here at our Ogden apartments, we celebrated this Tuesday of two’s: 2/22/22. The new activity director, a fun-loving young woman, showed up in a light-blue, romantic-style tutu skirt with colorful paper 2’s all over it — so charming! She kept up the whirling pace of serving round tables in the dining room and directing brain games in the activity room, confident as a ballerina.
This “Two-sday” reminded me of a couple — my sweetheart Kay & me. The Q&A game I played tonight with neighbors asked the question, “What would you consider as a most romantic gift?” That one was easy for me — “a vacation at Cannon Beach, Oregon” ... just the two of us.
What does “two” mean to you?
Reflections prompted by the hyphenated word, frustration-breaker, found in Desert Companion 2/2022 issue:
After slow progress scanning and discarding historical material yesterday, I was frustrated. Barely scratched the surface of all I need to do. So, I joined the happy, Friday-night crowd skating at Bountiful Ice Ribbon — pocket change compared to the cost of night skiing I’ve done. It broke my work frustration alright, and I didn’t fall.
Last fall, my kick-scooter rides to our Bountiful Veterans Park were a frustration breaker (an open compound word like dinner table, for example). I often went out around 9 or 10 at night to see the park features lit up and flags flying in mountain breeze. The awesome scene and veterans’ names inspired me.
Throughout the last 24 months, nurturing love for my wife Kay and keeping an attitude of gratitude were great ways to break frustration. Friendships and slowing down in my old age helped me as well. I find value and relief in reflections.