Health and Exercise

I am doing well with eliminating some of my medicine that I have been on for years. By the end of September I hope to be off of the prednisone. We have reduced my sulindac to 1 1/2 200 mg tablets per day. The Rheumatologist did increase my Remicade infusions to 600 mlg every 5 weeks because it has started running out before time for the next infusion.

Friday and Saturday of last week and Monday of this week I have walked a mile each day. This is very unusual for me. Except for the muscles being tired and me too, I am beginning to feel better. My PT assures me that if I continue that I will be able to loose 30 pounds by Spring. Usually I stop walking after the first day but I'm determined to keep it up this time. The PT told me I was over the worst today; keep it up and be consistent.

I'll keep you posted.

Busy Weeks in Our Garden

To offset the dry and hot winds during August and early September, Frank has kept a constant hand on the hose to besure the flowers and the grass had enough. Usually, he was out early in the moring before breakfast. Then, about mid morning he would move the hoses around and stay with it until lunch time. His system has really paid off. Our grass is pretty, lush and green.

Our tomatoes are another story. We have had days of very cool temperatures and nights in the mid forties, neither of which the tomatoes are fond of. All spring and summer have been very hard on the tomatotes. Now, they are about the size of a tennis ball and somewhere between light green, white or a blush tinge. When they finally do ripen they are okay but not the good tasting ones that we are accustomed to having each summer.

Frank and I have begun cuting back the perrenials and day lilies getting them ready for Fall and Winter. He dugged, divided and re-planted the daffodils so they are busy getting ready for next Spring. We do have some tulips coming the middle of October to plant for Spring also. Frank is also preparing the bed for our vegetables for next year with compost and manuer so the bed will be ready for planting next year. The work is never done. But, we enjoy the results.

We both love are year and enjoy having the flowers in all the different colors from early Spring to late Fall.

Training for Family & Church History Support Missionaries

It has been over 30 days since I drafted my first entries. Finding enough hours in the days is very difficult. Here is what I have been doing in the month of August.

Support Missionary Training

Most of my free time has been spent in Training for Family & Church History Support Missionaries. The lessons are 1 1/2 to 2 hours long 4 nights a week. Also, there are several lab sessions during the daytime, interactive videos to view 2 times per week, and slide presentations of lessons to view and study. I have learned so much in these weeks about serving as support missionary by answering telephone and e-mail inquiries; finding an answer to the questions or problems submitted and then conveying the information to the patron along with the documentation to goes with the solution. Frank has been concerned about how difficult this would be for me to handle health wise. But so far, I have done okay.

I thoroughly enjoy family history research and the compilation of the information into a family history genealogical program. It has been amazing what I have discovered these past 12 years about my ancestors.

Our Church has devoted a tremendous amount of resources in persons, technology, training and money to be able to offer this service world wide to any who call with no charge to them. I've been fascinated learning skills in the advanced technology that we will use to help us in this service. Our supervisor taught the first several lessons from New Zealand. Now our Trainer is teaching from North Carolina. There are 21 persons in the August Group which includes the two mentioned trainers and their 4 assistant trainers. The rest of us are divided in to four team for each of the trainer assistants.

These past two weeks we have been practicing replying to e-mail inquiries. These next two weeks we will practice answering telephone calls. Then, sometime after October first we will begin our live trainer under a new Mission Leader and the assistant Team Leader.

But first, Frank and I will stop and go on our fall cruise from Los Angeles, California to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Mazatlan, Mexico, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and return to Los Angeles. We are looking forward to the 7 nights aboard ship.

It is a wonderful like Frank and I are living right now. I send my love to all.