This week in Burley, I D A H O

Monday, January 12 to Sunday, January 18, 2 0 1 5

Monday, January 12, 2015
We woke up to snow...very white and pretty, but makes it scary to walk on our slick sidewalks and driveway.

Except our wonderful neighbor, Steve Ormond, comes across the street and shovels all the snow off our driveway and sidewalks after each snow storm.  We are so grateful for his doing this.
    Julie said that must be why he retired in September so he could have time to shovel the snow for us, after he gets his done.

Here's our backyard.

Here's our car and pickup covered with snow.

Later that evening, we watched the national collegiate football championship game.

We were cheering for the team from the Northwest--the Oregon Ducks, but when I found out Urban Meyer was the Ohio coach, I was happy his team won. 
  Lon Thompson sent me this correct information...I had said:
"Urban Meyer had coached at University of Utah before going to Ohio." That is wrong. 
"Urban Meyer went from Utah to Florida State and won a national championship there before going to Ohio State.  He is one of three other coaches that have won national titles at two different universities."
I would hope any who read our blog and see something I've put wrong would help me correct it. Thank you, Lon. You are a true friend. We missed being up on the world of sports after you finished your mission with us in El Salvador.  We can't believe you and Nancy have only 4 1/2 more months in your current calling in the Temple Presidency at the Guatemala Temple.  

I didn't know what "Buckeyes" were so I googled the info.
This mascot was chosen in 1965. The head is like the nut on the Ohio State Tree which is a Buckeye Nut Tree.

January 13 - Tuesday
We went to the hospital to get our bi-monthly blood tests.

Then we went to Angela's for lunch.  

It's a little Mexican Café that Ted and Josie Garcia have.  They were patients of Walt's.  Our favorite is the #1 Combo....Taco, Enchilada, Tosdado, with beans and rice.

Even though we couldn't eat all of our Combo, we shared a dish of fried ice cream.  The first time I heard about "fried ice cream" I thought it was not possible to fry ice cream.

There's still some snow on the ground.

January 14 - Wednesday.
My mother's birthday remembrance.  Verna Beth Huffaker Albertson was born January 14, 1920.  I did a face book post with these photos of her.

Her posterity: Two children - Eileen Marie and Janice Lynn; 11 grandchildren, and 48 great-grandchildren. We will always love you Mom/Grama A. 

This first photo is in early September 1937 Verna age 17, Arnold 24 at the Jerome County Fair just before they eloped on September 29, 1937 to Hailey, Idaho. 

 Second photo is age 26 in 1946. 

Third photo is in 2007 at age 87.

We had a quiet day.  We were just thinking about fixing something for supper at 5:30 when Walt's brother, Dale, called from Twin Falls to see if we'd like to go out to dinner with them.

So an hour later they pulled up in our driveway and we were off to the Burley Inn where we ate at Perkins Restaurant.

What a fun serendipity = "happy surprise."

We always love being with Dale and Connie.

January 15 - Thursday

LaRae Crane and I are visiting teaching companions.

We take turns each month driving and teaching.

Today was my turn to drive and teach.
Here is the handout I made on "Jesus Christ: Obedient Son"

January 2015

 One of the attributes of Jesus Christ:

Obedient Son

“Following Jesus Christ’s example

of obedience

increases our faith in Him.”

“Obedience is the first law of heaven.”

We love you…

Your Visiting Teachers,

LaRae Crane – 678-5904

Eileen Petersen – 670-7235

Please call us anytime you need us.

May you enjoy this year in obedience.

We visit four dear sisters:
Cindy Young
Bonnie Jean Rose
Debra Harrell
Karen Taylor
I'll have to get their photos next month.

Walt wanted to get out of the house for a little drive in the pick up, so we drove out Highway 30 toward Twin Falls for a few miles, then turned back onto 200 South to come back home on.  The wind turbins looked pretty against the winter afternoon sky.

      My book club I've been going to since 1969:
That evening was our monthly Serendipity Study Club at 
Susan Young's home. Bonnie Hansen gave "Whet Your Appetite" about that fun series written about a family in WWII.
Sorry I didn't get the author written down. She also showed us some of the DVD that Ken put together for their family for 2014.  Wish we could have seen more of it...so well done!
Linda Petersen filled in the book review for June Tilley who'd gone to Texas.
She told about Marian Rothchild, born in 1908, and just died in 2005, and how she became a naturalist by loving all things that were alive.   One thing she discovered is that there are 500 kinds of fleas. (Who knew?!)
  Linda also mentioned The Other Eminent Men, a book written 25 years ago by Vicki Anderson (I hope I got that name right).  Now it is out of print and going for a high price on Amazon.
She quoted a famous naturalist as saying something about the creation of man...how absurd it would be to think that God would have man evolved from a monkey.  (Can't remember the exact quote.  I'll have to get it from her before I can share it.)
   Those who were able to come:  Susan Young, Bonnie Hansen, Linda Petersen, Karma Lambert, Marilyn Gibbons, Pat Green, Ilene Mai, Carol Cheney,  Jenny Egbert, Terri Smith, Gladys Harrison, Karen Robins, Kathy Barrus, and me. 
  Kathy served a delicious pumpkin roll, accompanied by a luscious chocolate covered strawberry.     
 We always enjoy being together.

January 16 - Friday
We did some grocery shopping when we picked up some prescriptions at Smith's Pharmacy.
We actually do our main grocery shopping at Stoke's because they close on Sundays.
Then I cooked 20 cups of rice for our Burley 3rd Ward January dinner-- a Hawaiian Luau with Hawaiian Haystacks being served.  

We had an amazing turnout--someone said the count was 180.

The committee did a great job. I don't know who all was on this committee, but I know Ruth Melling and Alice Hansen were.  The head of the committee was Mac...Gumerson(?) not sure of his last name.  

Alice and Ruth did a fantastic job of decorating and seeing that the food was well assigned.

It really had us feeling like we were in Hawaii for a couple of hours.

We enjoyed lots of good conversation at our table.

It helped take away the January dismal and cold feeling.
Everything was delicious!
Dan Murri took photos of each couple/family.

Then printed the photos for everyone.  Here are Don and Ruth Melling.

Thanks to all involved for making it such a delightful night.

January 17 - Saturday
Walt and I both had a slow day.  After Walt biked and I walked on the treadmill we were tuckered out and didn't get much accomplished all day.
Ruth Melling got through to us on the phone just about sundown and invited us to go out to dinner with them.
(She'd called earlier but we didn't hear the phone nor did we
see she'd left a message.)

We went to Guadalajara.  

Their plates of food are so big, we couldn't finish them all!

January 18 - Sunday
We went to our Priesthood, Relief Society, and Sunday Schools classes in our Burley 3rd Ward, then we went to Sacrament Meeting at the Burley 1st Ward where Camille Rasmussen, daughter of Jeff and Amy Beck Rasmussen was speaking before leaving for her North Carolina Charlotte Mission on Feb. 4.  She gave an excellent talk!
We didn't realize that Terry Jeppson was the bishop of that ward.
     We didn't get any photos there, so when we got home we
set  up the tripod and took one of us.

We pray you have had a peaceful and restful Sabbath Day.
We are thankful for our Heavenly Father who loves each one of us.
We are thankful for our Savior Jesus Christ who also loves each one of us.
We are thankful for the guidance of the Holy Ghost who loves each one of us.
   Together as Three Separate Individuals, They are the Godhead who want what is best for us for the eternities.
Despite hardships and trials we go through, They are there to guide and comfort us.   It is not always immediately but in the time They know is right.
Of this we testify. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Walter and Eileen Petersen - Burley, Idaho

This week in Burley, Boise, and Wendell, Idaho - January 5-11, 2015

We had a quiet week.
January 5, 2015 - Monday
We were home most of the day, except having lunch at Burger King.

In the evening we went to the viewing of our friend, Marie Wood.

December 6, 2015 - Tuesday
We went to Marie Wood's funeral at the Burley Stake Center.
She had worked in Walt's medical office for a while.  Her well-written obituary said she had worked for several doctors in the area--the first being Dr. Terhune.  She retired from Dr. Wells office at age 80.
Scott Wood, flew in from Texas for his Grandmother's funeral.
Scott is a good friend of Brian.  Scott came with Brian, Julie, and Jen for our last Christmas in the México Merida Mission--1997.

Bishop Larry Kloepfer started his remarks at the Pleasant View Cemetery with: "What a beautiful winter day." It was warmer than normal.  

January 7, 2015 - Wednesday
We took down the Christmas tree and other Christmas decorations.

Walt did most of it, I helped a little.

In late afternoon, Walt wanted to go for a ride. We drove to Rupert by way of Paul. On the way back Walt took me to supper at the Wayside Café.  
He knows I don't like him to do this.  I think he's getting cabin fever.

When we finished supper, it was dark.

January 8, 2014 - Thursday
It was foggy today, but seemed to be lifting in mid-afternoon. Walt wanted to go see his old '74 orange Chevy pickup.  It is parked behind the shed by Don Melling's horse corrals about 3 miles south of town.
     Sorry to say, I had forgotten to put my camera in my purse. It would have been a nostalgic photo of Walt peering in the windows.
Then he discovered the driver's side was unlocked, so he got in.  When he came back to the "new" pickup we were in (our recently purchased 2002 Chevy Silverado) he said there was about an inch of dust inside the relic.
The fog had thickened so much it was hard to see coming back.
    Here's a photo of what it kinds looked like....but we never had motorcycles like in this googled photo.

That evening we watched some of the 1945 movie "Rhapsody in Blue" Life Story of George Gershwin, now noted as the most influential composer of music in the Twentieth Century.  Twenty of his songs are in the movie.  He died of a brain tumor at age 38.

January 9, 2015 - Friday
We drove to do a session in the remodeled (Oct 2012) Boise Temple since our Twin Falls Temple is closed Jan 5-19 for it's semi-annual deep cleaning and maintenance.  
I told Walt I'm really slipping.  I had my camera but forgot to get a photo of us by the temple.  Here's a googled photo.

We drove through Wendell on our way back.  Our hometown that had 1,000 population when we grew up there now has 2,700 something.    We stopped at the cemetery and I took some photos of our family graves.

I like that on the back of my parents' headstone are the name of their children: Eileen Marie and Janice Lynn, with our birth dates.

They had put out Christmas wreaths for the "American Heroes" the tag on them said.  But for my Uncle David they had put his wreath by my Grampa Huffaker's headstone--he is Simpson David Huffaker, and his son is Simpson David Huffaker, Jr.

My parents' graves are just to the right side of my grandparents.  We own the two plots right next to my parents.

Here is the back of my grandparents head stone.

We put the wreath over by my Uncle David's grave.

Here is the back of my Uncle David's head stone.

Then we drove over to see Dale Bunn, Walt's brother-in-law.  We talked about how he still misses Phyllis so much and how hard it is to not have her there with him in their home--now 5 months since she passed away on August 3.

He had just had some cancer cells taken off is face up by his left eyebrow on Wednesday, and his face around his eye was black and blue so I didn't think he would want me taking a photo of him.

I should have gotten one from a distance when he was waving to us from his front porch with his big black lab standing by him.

Here is a great photo of them at Donny's birthday dinner party in August 2013.

Between Wendell and Burley we finished the 11th CD of the audio-book Unbroken. (Each CD was 45 minutes long, so it has taken us since the middle of December.)  The life of Louis Zamperini is hard to listen to about all the torture he went through as a prisoner of war during WWII and how he was able to come through it and then go back to Japan and forgive the prison guards who were so cruel to him.  After he forgave them is when his constant nightmares of reliving that time came to an end for him.

We were glad to get home to Burley just before dark.  We did have patches of fog driving up and driving back.

January 10, 2015 - Saturday  

Happy Birthday to Abbey.  She is the first of our four "Millennial Granddaughters" to turn 15.  Looks like you had a great day!

We were blessed on Saturday afternoon to have two of Bishop Gerratt's sons--McKay 17, and Tyler 15, come to help carry some heavy boxes to the basement, our heavy Christmas decoration boxes out to the storage room, and replace two burnt out light bulbs that we couldn't get to.  

They were life savers for us!  We so appreciate their help.  

When I gave them each a baggie of 10 freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies, McKay said: "I think we got the better deal."

We dashed out to J.C. Penney's to get Walt a white shirt at their "Super Saturday" sale, since most of his white shirts are thread bare.  Then picked up a few things at the old Stokes.  It was still foggy.

After some good old-fashioned home-cooked hamburgers, we settled down to watch the Lawrence Welk Show.

January 11, 2015 - Sunday

We went out to Star Second Ward where Leonard and Debra Beck spoke in Sacrament Meeting prior to leaving January 19 for the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission for two years.
We couldn't wait for them to leave the chapel to get a photo because Walt had been assigned to give the closing prayer in our Burley Third Ward Sacrament Meeting.
Here's a photo of them from face book when their family came for their speaking in Sacrament Meeting prior to their mission.

Jeff Rasmussen, the High Council speaker today in our Burley Third Ward, said some very nice things about Walt and me, and thanked us for our many years of service to the Church here in Burley, and for serving four missions. He also shared how his and Amy's family physician, Dr. Walt Petersen, had saved their first baby during a difficult birth.
   He gave a great message on Forgiveness and Repentance.
       "May we forgive and ask for forgiveness."

When we got home, the roast was just on the verge of being burnt, but we made it in the nick of time.
We hadn't gotten a photo of us, so we did a selfie.

We pray you have had a peaceful and restful Sabbath Day.

The Plan of Salvation is the Plan that Heavenly Father has designed for us to be able to live again with Him and our Heavenly Mother.

The Plan of Salvation was put into operation by our Savior, Jesus Christ, coming to earth to Atone for our sins.

The  Plan of Salvation is known about by us because of the Restoration of the Gospel by the Prophet Joseph Smith from instruction of our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

The Plan of Salvation is given in detail in the Book of Mormon.

The Plan of Salvation is taught to us by our current Prophet, Thomas S. Monson.

The Plan of Salvation gives us the hope of being able to live with our eternal sweetheart and children forever if we do our part.

The Plan of Salvation brings joy and gratitude to our hearts.

The Plan of Salvation is for everyone!

Of these truths we testify on this Sabbath Day - January 11, 2015!
Walt and Eileen Petersen - Burley, Idaho