Good Things come to Those Who Wait, Right?

 Well, our Quench-It building is still not quite done, but we are SO close! I have 8 applicants today ready to be interviewed to work for us. The post has been private and sent only to kids who have reached out to me so far. Tomorrow I will make it public and hopefully we will get enough applicants to fill the roster of employees.

The waiting has been SO frustrating though. I know that I haven't ever been a very patient person, but this forced situation was completely out of my hands. I like to think I am in control of my life, but in reality it isn't at all. Like so many things I worry about, my worries are recreational so far as I cannot control them. Patience is a virtue I desperately need to develop but I have not wanted to ask God for patience because He will only send me more things to develop that attribute and I don't want anymore situation that need me to be patient about them.

On the upside, all this time--waiting and being frustrated--has helped me get my health in check as well as chip away at my weight. I'm still 10-15 pounds from where I'd like to be ideally but I am closer and I feel so much better. My thyroid is well in hand now and my other hormone issues--thanks, menopause!--are coming back to normal too. But that has been along and rather expensive process. I guess that is the gist of this whole year for us: a long and expensive process!

I am happy to report that I have made several good friend sin this ward and have loved to feel a part of a ward family again. I made the mistake of praying for friends--only to be called to be the Relief Society president in the ward. That is one way to make friends. Just wasn't what I had in mind--but the Lord has a wicked sense of humor. But I am grateful, regardless. I have come to love the sisters int eh ward and my testimony of the Savior and His atonement is only deepened as I serve Him. I also have come to learn how important my personal conversion and commitment is to my relationship with God. I am certainly blessed as I remain committed and converted. But my place with conversion and commitment is reaffirmed with acceptance of prophetic guidance and local direction. We do not have time to be worried about "how things were always done" if the prophet directs us differently, we need to get on that bus with him and forget the old ways. Goodness comes as we do that too.

One unexpected thing that has come of all the hurry up and wait along with the accompanying frustration and worry is that my relationship with Genius golfer has been strengthened too. He really is amazing and I cannot praise him enough for all he has done to not only support us financially while I have waited to open our business, btu all his dedication to see our building done right and correct and as close to budget and time frame as we hoped. He has figured out SO many problems--many that weren't really his problem to begin with--and has straightened them out himself. He is the real superhero in this experience.

Time for self reflection and growth isn't what I planned on when I started this year. But it is exactly what I have been given. I just hope I am progressing in my personal development as the Lord would have me--otherwise I have missed the purpose of my journey this year.

Time Flies...And So It Has! Let's Play Catch-Up

This past 18 months or so have been cRaZy! In April last year we purchased a squat of dirt and began the process of building a soda shop for the Quench-It franchise we bought into. Well, weeks shy of 18 months later and we are not quite done....

In that same time frame, I worked a ta office building with 44 individual suites where I managed the building for those tenants, ran the phones and mail, and basically covered whatever the issue was--from printed connections, to toilet clogs to a construction caused fire sprinkler emergency that left the basement flooded TWICE! Of and 20 more office suites were being added as I finished my reign there.

I learned a GREAT deal, made many new friends with the tenants and discovered there really wasn't much I couldn't do if I thought hard enough about it. But I haven't been sad to be away. That said, since our building WASN'T finished like we thought--or at least in the time frame we were hoping for--I will be subbing for the girl I trained to take my place the day after tomorrow. I think I can face that as I know it is for one day only.

Genius Golfer has been a ROCKSTAR as far as figuring out what, how, and where to adjust things for the building. He has done more manual labor than many of the subcontractors, I am sure!  He is such a stud!! I certainly wouldn't be doing this with out his incredible support and help and knowledge PLUS his willingness to just figure it out himself. Once we are open and it is passed to me, I hope I can do it as well as he has been these past many months!

The other BIG deal that has happened it that my dad died at the end of January. He got Covid and suddenly couldn't breathe on January 14th--just a day after fixing the neighbor's driveway gate for her and that day after their 58th wedding anniversary. Because of his kidney transplant 10 years ago now, he fell into that immunocompromised group. Seeing as he and mom didn't really seem to believe Covid was real (thanks, Fox News!), they refused to be vaccinated and therefore had no extra protection. He was in the hospital about 2 weeks with a steady and foreseeable decline--and died on Sunday, January 30th. I spoke with him Friday, the 28th for exactly 8 minutes and said all the things that mattered. I could tell he knew it was the last time he'd speak with me on earth. That was a harder day actually that the call that he was gone.

My sisters was there with my mom--but because of Covid restrictions neither could go in with him at the hospital. Mom and Sister had planned the funeral while I had taken the role of spokesman for the family as I shared each day of his illness and passing with the friends he had on Facebook. The daily updates were answered with SO MUCH love and concern for him and for each of us. Dad and mom agreed they felt prayers holding them up and the comfort from those prayers and love was tactile.

The Girl and I spoke at the funeral on Feb. 8th. The Gilroy chapel was full and the cultural hall was nearly 3/4th the way full too. So many people came to say goodbye to dad and to share the impact he made in their lives. It was astounding to hear some of the things I hadn't even a clue about from the people that felt Dad's influence. It was the most exhausting day since our wedding--but it was so filled with love. I wouldn't have been anywhere else.

It has been an adjustment without him though. Every once in a while I still have a question or thought pop into my mind and think "I should call Dad and tell him..." before I remember that I can't. But the memories are comforting and I'll always have those.

And today, Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest after dying 10 days ago at the age of 96. While I realize that I have no connection to her--I'm not a Brit, I am not a royalist or a monarchist, I certainly have LOVED the UK and quite rightly, I believe, think of the Queen as one of the last true public servants. She committed herself to serve her country for the whole of her life--at the cost of quite a bit of "normal" life--and did just that without ever giving her view as policy or demand her way as her ancestors might have in previous reigns. 

I've thought a lot about how in America we cannot even get elected officials to serve faithfully and dutifully without seeking personal gain and power mongering. Yet, this little lady was never in the original line to be a monarch and yet, when things played out that she ended up Queen, she really did the best she know how and kept doing it to the very end.

She was a calm, even, steady presence who knew she was the "face" of England, the UK, and the Commonwealth and just kept on keeping on. Our political leaders and elected officials could learn many things from her life of dutiful service and sacrifice. Here's hoping they do.