Calling?

My wife was called into the Primary Presidency about 2 months ago. I was released from teaching the Sunbeams at that time, but not given a new calling*. I still don't have one, but that's ok. I'm kinda the "spare dude" the Primary Presidency turns to when they need something done. I have been the Primary Chorister now for every week except once when I substituted for Sunbeams.

I've really liked the not-calling quite a bit. I was daunted at the realization that these kids had to know:
I am a Child of God (3 vs)
Called to Serve (2 vs)
We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet (3 vs)
Home (3 vs)
Tell Me the Stories of Jesus
I Love to See the Temple (2 vs)

and probably some others that I can't think of right now. I had been in the Jr Primary for the whole year, and I knew how weak we were at most of these songs. Luckily with a lot of help from my wife, a whole lot of sweat (it's hot in the Primary room when you are up there trying to encourage and direct a bunch of kids), and an internet search engine connected to a lot of clip art the primary children are doing much better at all the songs.

Woodine had a great idea of using signs that had opposites on them:
mouse = sing quietly / Lion = sing loud
rabbit = sing fast / turtle = sing slow
Smiling face mouth open = sing / smiling face mouth closed = hum
The kids really like the signs and love it even more when they hold them.

I pinned the pictures up to a bulletin board that I could wheel around so the kids could see. But this week I got wise and taped them to some brown butcher paper so that I don't have to furiously pin pictures up during sharing time. I also made this giant pointer ~ 4 ft long out of a dowel that works great to point at pictures while not obscuring any child's view. I probably won't be doing this very much longer, and I am really going to miss it.

Here are a couple of my favorite pictures:
Seriously, how many times can you legitimately paste a picture of 2 ninjas fighting in front of Primary kids in church?


- I couldn't think of anything else for smitten, but the kids sure loved this one!


Anyway, I have had a lot of fun, I look forward to actually getting a calling*, but I'm not in any hurry. Until then . . .


*(besides home teaching)

A Year? Already?

So MaryP has now traveled a complete revolution around the sun. I don't know what to say really.

She still regularly gets comments about her big blue eyes when we are out at the grocery store or the mall or wherever. She seems to always put her best foot forward out in public. She says hi to Woodine or me when we greet her - she is a little more reserved with strangers. She is learning and mimicking so quickly. One of our friends in church today said "MaryP is growing up too fast." I agree. I think she cut 3 more teeth this week . . . no wonder she hates brushing her teeth. She is at the point where getting a present is great. MaryP didn't want to open up her birthday presents from her grandparents because we had already given her a ball and she wanted to play with that!

She loves talking to people. She loves making noise (including high pitched screams). MaryP especially loves bouncing. MaryP likes to wake up early and play hard. She loves to run, loves to dance, loves Don McLean's Vincent, loves Mahna Mahna, loves pears and pasta and even loves peanut butter - though she is allergic to it.

I love her.

When I was out to sea and hadn't seen her for several weeks, Woodine sent me a collage of pictures of her when we were resupplied. She had learned to stand up in her crib and really crawl while I was gone. The change in that short amount of time amazed me and made me miss her so much. I cried in my rack (navy term for bed) and later fell asleep looking at it. I slept on the collage (ruining one of my favorite pictures of her).

I have really enjoyed the time I have had to reconnect with MaryP and Woodine.

I really look forward to seeing many of you at reunion. It's been 4 years since I was up at Reid Ranch. Back then my family was a third the size it is now - and a lot less cute and pretty. See you on Tuesday/Wednesday!

Garden Update

I just wanted to let you know that our garden is doing pretty well. We had a few casualties (our basil, and yellow pepper plants died) but all in all I am very happy with it.

Here are our Oregon tomato and 5 cherry tomatoes.












And this is a tour. We have already eaten some spinach, But we need to eat more. I look forward to the carrots and tomatoes!


We have also harvested 3 strawberries (one perfect looking one that the birds got to and ate the morning before we were going to pick it, one that Woodine and I shared, and an itty-bitty one that MaryP cautiously ate and liked).

I'm glad it has turned out so well.

Desitin anyone?

Floor Hockey

My back aches, my arm is bruised, my ankle is swollen, and I plan on returning for more punishment - yes, I have begun playing floor hockey.

When we first moved here one of the questions I was asked most often was "Are you coming to floor hockey?" Apparently the sisters in our Stake got together weekly for a friendly match. We were new, Wood was busy with the boat, I was still adjusting, so I'd politely decline. The weeks went on, the invitations kept coming, and I would continue to decline. My two major inhibitions were that 1. Evenings are my time. MaryP is down for bed and I can spend the time with Wood when he is home (this is very important to me) or read, or get a few things done if it has been a particularly crazy day.

2. I have major sports-phobia. I get a big adrenaline rush before any athletic competition and have been this way since elementary school - it's true. I don't mind if the only person on the team is me - like in a running race. If I win, great. If I lose, no big deal. But team sports is another matter entirely (especially if I don't know my teammates). It's funny because if someone else on my team makes a mistake I think "Hey, no big deal, it's just a game!" and I forget about it. But if I make a mistake I feel like I've let the whole team down. Silly, I know, but silly or not, that's my struggle. Added to this is that I'm OK athletically, but nothing to write home about. So the idea of playing a sport I've never played in front of a bunch of women I barely knew was a terrifying prospect. *Wood, though very loving and supportive, found this difficult to understand as he enjoys getting to know people by playing sports with them - and he loves any form of hockey.

The months went by and although the stake season ended, some sisters in our ward enjoyed it so much that they continued to play. So continued the friendly invitations and so continued my polite refusals. I got to know sisters through activities, book groups, etc and was happy with that.

One evening Wood was the priesthood holder there (floor hockey takes place late in the evening) so I reluctantly went along. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed playing. I am no star athlete and the ball passes right by my stick more times then I care to admit, but it was so much fun to run around after the ball and learning to pass and shoot. And this sisters are so friendly (this is no surprise) that I felt more encouraged for my (few) good moves then I felt bad for all of my mistakes. That was two weeks ago. I went again this past week and enjoyed myself again - though I plan on investing in a set of shin-guards. Thank you Wood for encouraging me and thank you sisters for including me - I've enjoyed this step out of my comfort zone!

Robert Jordan's Heir

So, not to disappoint any of you, but this post is about fantasy fiction and GURPS. . . so if you don't care for either, consider yourself warned.

I'm sure that all of you who care already know, but Robert Jordan died of a rare blood disease prior to finishing his 12th and final book in the Wheel of Time series. I enjoyed the series, and would have preferred if he would have finished before passing on. I guess no one thought to ask me. Well, Robert Jordan's wife was left with the task of choosing someone to finish the series. She chose a BYU English professor named Brandon Sanderson.

I highly recommend Sanderson's writing. I have read Elantris, Mistborn, Well of Ascension, Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians, and Warbreaker. I just finished Warbreaker on Friday night (actually Saturday morning) and I really liked it.

Brandon Sanderson has a way of writing that is full of unexpected twists and turns that surprise the reader and make the story so interesting. He is an ideal choice for finishing the Wheel of Time series.

My favorite of his works are Elantris and Warbreaker. While I was reading the latter, I was reminded of when I played GURPS with my buddies and I as game master included some plot twists and misdirections for the party to deal with.

I loved it when Ashitaka, Dante, Louie Lebeaux, Martin Luther, the Maxwell, and Reginald Whitlock debated for the entire play session about whether they were fighting for the right side. I was glad that they chose well and came out on the side of good.

I also enjoyed when they (in a different campaign) blindly followed an evil priest to slaughter several pacifistic healer clerics. Oops.

I miss those times. I doubt we'll ever get together and play again, but it sure was fun.