Six Weeks Remembered

I have been home now for almost three weeks but wanted to share some wonderful memories. Thank you so much for letting me come and be with you and making me feel so welcome.

The New Look

Thanks to my wonderful wife my office has a new look. She let me pick out the colors - a major act of faith given that when it comes to colors I just don't get it. Then she painted the room and I picked out, stained, and installed the chair rail. I think it turned out pretty nicely, and I got to use my new table saw to cut the pieces. I made some mistakes, but they aren't noticeable at this range. I may get brave and put up some close ups of the parts that didn't go so well. For example, I ended up with a 1/4 inch gap right by the door. I went around and around with myself looking for ways to fix it, and decided that given my batting average with the rest of the project, I'd better leave it for now as all of my ideas had more potential for making it worse than making it better.

Looking SW from my computer desk to my "real desk".

The one bookcase that I decided to keep in my office is on the wall opposite this desk.

Looking at the north wall & the gap by the door.

Looking toward the door & the little piece (1.25") that fits on the right side of the door that I made with my new toy - and that fit perfectly - I am so proud of myself.

There Was Something Wrong With His Feet

Yesterday I received an email from the president of our Spanish-speaking unit here in the stake, Ron Williford. I have included most of it here as a reminder of the legacy left by a truly amazing man - literally hundreds will "never forget ole whatshisname" & I have no doubt that literally thousands and more have been, and will be, the beneficiaries of his good life.

"Last week I went to meet with a sister who joined the church quite a few years ago and recently resurfaced. The missionaries have been working with her and her nonmember husband. When I went to their house to meet them, they were in the yard trying to get a washing machine to work. I helped them figure out the problem, then we went in and had a nice visit. Toward the end, she said I reminded her of another man who used to come and help get her and her kids to church, and in fact had seen that her washing machine was broken and brought her a new one. Couldn't figure out who it might have been until she mentioned he didn't speak much Spanish and there was something wrong with his feet. Good man, that Howard whatsisname."

We Have a New Granddaughter

Kate Laney Comeau arrived on June 17th at 11:07 am. She weighed 7lbs 13 oz and was 20.5 inches long. We are so grateful and excited she is here and look forward to meeting her in person in August.

Brooke with her new little sister

Giving Thanks In June

"Inasmuch as ye do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances, . . . the fulness of the earth is yours, . . . Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards; Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart; Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul. And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment . . ." [Doctrine & Covenants 59:16-20]

Here are the latest photos of our garden and the ongoing harvest. We have already eaten & given away a prodigious harvest of peas and took out the plants to make room for the beans that we planted yesterday. Yesterday also saw the initiation of our third attempt of the season to grow carrots as well as of our pumpkin patch - consisting of one plant.

We also dug up some of our potato plants because they appeared to be dead. Instead, we found some nice spuds which will become a part of a father's day dinner after Church. On some of the plants we dug up we found more, smaller potatoes that appeared to still be growing. So does anyone out there have any advice on growing spuds? Is it time to get them out of the ground so they don't just sit down there and rot? Or do we need to leave the plants there so they can continue to produce? It is odd because some of the plants look really sick and dying, while others look very healthy.
In other garden news, our squash and zucchini plants (one apiece) are kicking into production - and how! The leaves on the zucchini plant are about 2 feet across! We have peppers coming on, lots of onions (so peppers & onions are also on the menu tonight), and corn coming on. The tomato plant is healthy, but devoid of fruit at this point. And we have eaten almost all of the lettuce we planted. It turned out very good.

And moving to the less edible portion of our garden, here are a couple of photos of the portion meant to please the eye. It never ceases to amaze me that for all the work I can do, things just don't seem to look very good without the good looking one of us shows up and puts her touch on things.