Multi-Directional Busyness

I'm going every which way but loose today.  Wasn't that a Clint Eastwood movie, back int he day?  I think that was the the one with the orangutan.  But I might be wrong.

This morning I am teaching a (hopefully) group--because it might be that no one shows up--of Boy Scouts what they need to know to pass their Photography Merit Badge.  I signed on this this gig before The Boy did it, and I figured I could teach his group.  Nope.  They got someone else.  I've only taught one other group, and they were all the 16 and 17 year olds. And only one young man actually finished his requirements to earn the actual badge.  It was the last one he did before getting his Eagle.  This morning I am faced with 11-18 year olds, potentially.  But I am expecting more of the 11-12 year old group.  Not because it is too hard, but because it is Homecoming weekend, and "day dates" consume the entire day before the dance date.  Yes.  It is a local tradition.  I still don't get it.

Then The Boy's football team has a game in a nearby town.  With his strep this week, he hasn't really practiced so he might not play.  And the field they are playing on today is only an 80 yard field, with no upright goal posts, so no field goals are allowed.  And he's the field goal kicker.  So, he might not play.  But he is on the starting line for kick offs.  Go figure.  And I'm going to watch the game, regardless.

Then this afternoon I get to go to lunch with some friends I haven't seen for a while.  One has a daughter getting married next week, and we thought this was a good pre-wedding-stress-reliever idea for her.  The MOB (mother of the Bride) can get pretty stresses out too.  I'm hoping she has some good stories to share.  Or just a lot of pent up irritation she could vent to us and make the afternoon worthwhile for her.

And tonight is the Holy War.  You know, the BYU vs. Utah football game.  MY trek son, the Professor, will probably play--he is a freshman for BYU, and it is always exciting to see him on TV.  ESPN even.  That is national TV.  Plus, his mom told us last night at the HS game that his mission call was sent  yesterday.  He should get it on Wednesday.  VERY exciting!

But the BIG game is complicated a bit due to it being Stake Conference weekend too.  And our Adult Session of conference begins at 7 PM.  The game kicks at 7:15.  Hmmmm.  Another reason I love DVRs.  Now if I can just keep some bozo from announcing the score during the meeting because he is secretly watching the game on his iPhone or something like that.

Unfocused, multi-directional, and a little bit scattered.  That is my day today.  But on the flip-side, at my doctor's check up yesterday, the Doc told me that my worry about loosing my mind was simply due to this same kind of busyness and suggested I slow down a bit.  Doesn't he know?!  I don't have time to slow down.

Maybe It Was Psychosomatic

Yesterday I tried to take sick day.  Moms don't get sick days.  Did you know that?  I got a sick two hours.  I got The Girl and Genius Golfer off, and kept The Boy home one more day due to the actively contagious Strep required a little more quarantine.  Then I went back to bed.  For only two hours.

That is highly disappointing.

How often do you get to sleep in, much less, feel luxurious enough to lounge for the day.  For the record I was feeling a little tickle in my throat, and since The boy's strep was not foreseen, I was worried.  I didn't really have time this week to be sick, so I thought the extra rest would help hold off whatever it is that I was feeling coming on.

And then it was over.  Just like that.  Back to work. Plus, not I had guilt and the slightly back-logged list of things to do. 

Maybe the extra sleeping in isn't all it is cracked up to be for me. Figures.

Could Be Worse

I drove The Boy to school today.  See, he had to take a proctored test at the High School  at 7:15 this morning, meaning he would miss the other neighborhood walkers he usually goes with each morning.  I sat in the office waiting for him to take the test...after he once came out, simply frustrated that he couldn't get his log in to work. I called the house and The Girl looked it up for me, so The Boy went back to try again with the other log in info.  Voila!  He got logged in successfully, but then bombed the test. 

So I drove him to school.  And he complained all the way there about not feeling very good.  Thinking this was a ploy to excuse his test score, I made him go to first period.  Mean mom.

For the last few days he has been complaining of a sore neck, not inside--like his throat, but outside--like he got hit wrong at football.  Monday night he threw up and has had headaches every day since. 

My "worst case scenario" thoughts poked me and thought "meningitis" and I got scared.  So after dropping the mopey little man off to school, I called the doctor and got an appointment for 9:15 but at the alternative clinic, meaning two towns away.  I took it, as the afternoon classes he has are harder to make up work in, so we headed back out in the car at 9 AM.

Since he plays football, I always worry about concussions, neck injuries, and assorted mayhem.  Thinking meningitis might get thrown into that mix, I was glad to get him in to have it checked out.

Turns out, it is strep.

So, a slow, thick shot in his nether region and two days (doctor's ordered) home from school and resting and he should be back to normal.

Whatever that is.

Answered Prayers

I got a call about a week ago from my Stake President.  He asked if I would be willing to speak in Stake Conference next week.  Willing?  Yes.  Want to?  Well, that is another story. And he didn't want to hear it.

So for a week now I have fretted and worried and wondered about my talk.  The assigned topic was open to interpretation. But I have thought about it.  I have prayed about it.  And today I sat at the computer and tried to "free-write" all that I had thought and prayed about.

In the course of about 45 minutes, I got on paper the gist of what I want to say.  I got somethings I don't recall thinking or praying about too.  That is usually a good sign for me. I figure if I can't remember thinking of something, yet it ends up in the talk (or lesson, or whatever) I give the credit to the Spirit and go with that.

Now I have a few more days to ponder and practice and tweak it so it will be just right.  But the initial draft is always my worst fear.  Well, that and actually speaking at stake conference.  But too late for that now, isn't it?

Healing Field

In a nearby city a field of over three thousand American flags were staked in a simple formation for the weekend.  It is put up every year for the September 11th Remembrance.  They call it the "Healing Field".  Each flag has a small note card attached with the name and description of personality of a victim of that terrible day.  The sheer number of flags, each representing a lost life, is quite astonishing.

This year, there was an added, permanent bronze:

Based on the famously unforgettable photograph, the bronze is larger than life with the firefighters raising the flag.  It is located on the street edge of the city buildings.  The title of the piece is "Hope Rising".  And in the morning light today, it was quite lovely.

Video Sunday