18 January 2014 Photo Diary

At 4:15 a.m. NAW’s alarm went off. I felt cheated as according to my calculations we should be able to sleep until 4:45 and make it on time.

That extra 30 minutes wasn’t to be. By 5:15 WRW, NRW and I met up with other youth and leaders from church and headed to the LDS Oquirrh Mountain Temple.

The youth were going to spend the morning doing proxy baptism for individuals who did not have a chance to have that ordinance during their lifetime. You can read more about this temple ordinance at this link: mormon.org  One point that I think is important for all to understand is that the sanctity of moral agency is preserved when any of the Temple ordinances are performed. The person for whom the work is being undertaken always has the option to accept or reject the ordinance. Without those individuals spending time in service in the Temple doing this work for others there would be no opportunity to choose.   Today we had the great privilege to have the baptism and confirmation ordinances

R and J - 1985

completed for my father and my step-mom as well as a few relative from my family tree born in France in the 1700. It was a beautiful peaceful morning and I could feel the golden links connecting generations welded together.

After we got home I was able to work on one of my books for a while and more than doubled the word count I wrote yesterday.  My favorite lines from today were:

Hunter swung opened the door and looked back at Tommy. “Hey, Cait asked me to tell you she’d like you come down to her room. She wanted to talk to you or something.”

Tommy nodded.

“See ya, bro.” Hunter stepped into the hall.

“Yeah, later.” Tommy lay back down and twirled the pen a few more times. He sighed and stood. He’d already changed into his night clothes, a pair of gym shorts and a threadbare oversize t-shirt faded to a nondescript brownish-gray. He glanced at the mirror on the way to the door, his hair stood up every-which-way from the times he, in frustration, had pulled on it. He reached for the comb then shrugged opting to run his fingers through the tangles instead. He was done with trying to impress Cait. There was no way he would stack up to Mr. Brainiac, beach bod, Aussi accented, perfect nose Sam. Tommy fumed the whole way down to Cait’s room.

Poor Tommy, things weren't going so well for him.

A much needed nap was taken and then it was time to attack the apple tree. As you can see in the before picture it towered above the 8 ft. ladder.  I don’t think in the seven years it’s been planted in this spot it’s ever been pruned.

                                                            Here it is after its trim.

I know it looks sad now, no longer full and willowy, but that just the point- it’s not a

willow, it’s an apple tree. Because of the pruning will be --

Better than [it] was before

Better, Stronger, Faster [well maybe not faster, but healthier]

Sorry, for some reason I flashed back to my childhood and the Six Million Dollar Man. Admit it, what ten year old in the 1970's didn't love Steve Austin. I even had the doll, with the flap that lifted on his arm to expose his wiring. Yeah, so cool. (btw- not available on Nexflix- probably a good thing as rewatching it I'd see how bad it was and crush a happy childhood memory)

The tree fixed I tromped back inside, knocking the snow off my boots first, to make individual chicken pot pies for dinner. Here’s my supper easy pot pie recipe:

3-4 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

½ cup chopped onion

2 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup flour

1 10oz package frozen mixed vegetables, cook in microwave three minutes. Drain any water.

 Salt

Pepper

Italian seasoning

Crushed red pepper

  

Over medium heat warm a little oil in a stock pot. Cook the chicken and onion.

Remove the chicken and onion from the pot

Put in the flour and seasonings (season to your taste preference)

Slowly add the chicken broth stirring well with a whisk. Cook over medium heat until bubbly and thick.  

Add vegetables.

Add chicken and onion.

Remove from heat.

Mix well.

Make 1 ½ batches of your favorite pie/pastry dough. Roll out half into a big rectangle. Cut into 12 circles big enough to line large muffin tins (about 4 inches diameter). Line muffin tins. Fill with chicken mixture. Roll out rest of dough and make 12 3 inch circles. Place over top of pies. Cook in 400^o oven for 30 minutes. Cover tops before they brown too much. 

Other smaller things happened too- scripture study, chatting with the guy replacing the filters in our water system, tending to the bunny and chickens, cleaning up cat throw up, reading a bit of a Sarah Eden book, enjoying the sun and warmish (for January in Utah) 40 degree temperatures. 

Yep - so that's a typical day.

How did you spend the 18th of January 2014?