Monday was spent in Idaho Falls with my brother. It was a great chance to talk, which we haven't gotten much of a chance to do recently. There are some changes I need to make in my life. It's not going to be easy. Changing to become better never is.
I was planning on implementing those changes this week.
Instead, I woke up on Wednesday with the right half of my throat hurting.
How is that possible?
Well, it soon solved that and my whole throat hurt.
So I've spent the last couple days in bed, sleeping. Thrilling!
Good news, I voted in the primary election on Tuesday. That meant I went to my old school, Adams Elementary. It was interesting to be back. It was smaller somehow. Yet there were still paintings on the walls that I remember. The gym was the same too. It was strange to be someplace I had spent a lot of time in so long ago. Familiar like a remembered dream and as distant. I wish I could have wandered around a bit more.
I wasn't going to vote, but I kept thinking of the sacrifices women have made for me to have the privilege. As a woman I'm honored to be able to cast my vote.
The excellent news, though, is that I've applied to four degree programs in the UK! I kept working on my statement of purpose, but last night I finally tired of it. I wanted to be done and I just kept changing incremental bits. Maybe I shouldn't have done it, as out of it as I am, but I did. Now it's waiting time! I'm nervous.
Which reminds me of a diatribe. I'm using Fastweb to find scholarships for school. Usually there are $100 or $500 ones. Today I got notice of a $15,000 scholarship! And what do I have to do? Recreate the website logo and have friends vote on it. Then I get entered in a drawing. A drawing! Seriously. Complete chance. Augh!
Anyway, I'll keep trying for scholarships.
I've been posting pictures on Facebook of the British Literary Tour I was on in 2006. It's been fun remembering those times.
It rained today and made me think of Scotland. I don't want to become one of those annoying people who live in the past and refuse to enjoy the present, though.
My life here isn't great, but I'm content.
Elder Neal A Maxwell once said,
I recorded the substance of this speech about three months ago while driving to a stake conference in Elko, Nevada, across that rather barren, but beautiful in its own way, stretch of desert. Incidentally, as soon as most of this speech on patience was dictated, my car threw two fan belts!
During that drive it was brought forcibly to me that the seeming flat periods of life give us a blessed chance to reflect upon what is past as well as to be readied for some rather stirring climbs ahead. Instead of grumbling and murmuring, we should be consolidating and reflecting, which would not happen if life were an uninterrupted sequence of fantastic scenery, confrontive events, or exhilarating conversation.
Patience helps us to use, rather than protest, these seeming flat periods of life, becoming filled with quiet wonder over the past and with anticipation for that which may lie ahead, instead of demeaning the particular flatness through which we may be passing at the time.
We should savor even the seemingly ordinary times, for life cannot be made up of all kettledrums and crashing cymbals. There must be some flutes and violins. Living cannot be all crescendo; there must be some counterpoint.
I read this talk a while back, but keep remembering it. Especially now. So, I've just thrown my two fan belts. ha ha. I need to be using this time to consider and reflect. To make those changes the Spirit keeps hinting I need to make.
So we'll see what the next week brings. I do get to teach Relief Society on Sunday. It's nice to finally feel like I'm doing something useful.
It's hard to believe that May is almost over. Rain, rain and more rain in the forecast. I love it.
Go outside and enjoy the lovely rain or that beautiful full moon.
Ta luvs.
Stacey
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