SO LONG JANUARY

Ok, when Becky came to dinner today I told her I was going to scold her for not posting on the family blog.  Thanks, Becky, for rallying to the cause.  I have just sent texts to the other slackers who have not showed up on this blog.  Actually, the invitations expired that you got several weeks ago when Bonnie set it up.  SO the invitations have been issued again, and I am hoping for some results!
It's amazing to me how quickly we lose track of each other.  Some of us see each other regularly, others seem more distant, but these family posts help with information and insight no matter where we are geographically!

Ok, scolding done.  It's been a busy month for me, but now things have slowed down quite a bit.  I've reported to most of you about my trip to Dominican Republic.  It was ever so good....in many ways:
enjoying friendships, humanitarian opportunities, a break from the same-o same-o, perfect weather, and good old fashioned pampering...all combined to make it good.  But just as I enjoy going, I enjoy coming home.  So good to see everyone again, and be back in my home...my sanctuary.

 Events this month included:
JANUARY
3-A funeral dinner for a Sister in our Ward
3- Wilson's wedding reception at Reeta's house (helped with that!)
5-Taking down Christmas (ugh!)
6-Seeing Greg in a hilarious play at Hale THeatre in SL...."Is He Dead?"
13-Taking my van into be repaired because the Honda dealer told me it had a heating and cooling problem that could be a big deal.  I took it to EP Auto, the little repair shop that Poppa always liked, and they told me it just needed coolant or antifreeze or something like that....charged me $8! This is where I'd put a smiley face if I could figure out how to.
16-24 Trip to Dominican Republic.  It was ever so good....in many ways:
enjoying friendships, humanitarian opportunities, a break from the same-o same-o, perfect weather, and good old fashioned pampering...all combined to make it good.  But just as I enjoy going, I enjoy coming home.  So good to see everyone again, and be back in my home...my sanctuary.  Had a great conversation with a journalist from Germany on the flight home from JFK airport.  We talked politics...she was very liberal and very astute...I felt like I held my own, tho it took all I had. Even got a plug in for the church.  

26-Spent 4 hours this Monday afternoon helping to clean a basement apartment that should have been

condemned.  I don't know where to start, except to say I've never seen anything so bad.  As I cleaned and scrubbed, I was absolved of all feelings of guilt for being spoiled in DR.
27-Lunch with a friend of a friend who lost her husband a year ago December.  He was hit by an impaired driver (prescription drugs) on a Sunday morning on his way to hear his son speak in church.
The woman was BITTER.
28-Book Club with neighborhood ladies.  Always amazed (and a little appalled) at the challenges these women have.  Memorable (and awful) quote: "If I had it to do over again, I would never have married and never had children."
30-Another fun play with Bonnie..."Barefoot in the Park," while Dennis and Reed and families watched the Jazz game at my house.
29-30-Stake Conference.  Very good.  Our stake has 103 full time missionaries in the mission field.  Way to build the kingdom,
30-Piano recital for Davy, Eli.  Bravo!
Feb 1  Overblown Super Bowl.  Beck and family and Mary & Trent came over for dinner.  We had the tv on part of the time...tried to keep it low key.  Most interest for me was generated by the half time show.  Not bad.

Throw into that mix some Temple shifts, RS meetings, Emery tending, Zumba, etc etc, and the month is done.  Now for a few pictures:

Wild Welcome Party at the resort...a bit decadent

DR classroom taken through the window...these kids were Haitian refugee children...throw away chidlren in the DR.  The DR is already poor.,..Haiti is many times worse.  They are often abandoned or orphaned (parents with AIDS, etc) and DR does not take care of them.  This school was opened by a 23 year old girl from the states who wanted to do something about it.  She schools only Haitian children..no govt funds, just donations.  She also houses several of them at the school.  Amazing

Delivered shoes to a village school.  I helped this boy find these...he was so excited.  Hoping to do something like this in Mexico in June!

Back at our villa...the contrast was stark.

    Maid came in and made us breakfast each morning.  Shameful, I know; but I loved it!

                    Yep.....spoiled rotten (for a little while)

                             

                                   
                                                       Boys at a piano recital

                                       
                                      Oh, and yes, one more boy at a private recital    
                                                         The tradition lives on.....

                      That oughta do it....love you all!