This week in Burley, IDAHO - April 27 to May 3, 2015

This week in Burley, IDAHO - April 27 to May 3, 2015.
April 27, 2015 - Monday
We stopped to see the Mellings to take the heart monitor to the post office to mail. Ruth was to send it back to the UofU Rehab after Don had worn it for 1 month.
Jeff Gibbons was there doing the physical therapy which he comes three times a week to do for Don.  He had Don on his feet walking with Jeff's help.
Don did take some steps with that left leg on his own.

Then he had to sit and rest after a few steps, but he made it from his recliner in the family room to the front door by the living room.

Walt said they gave him another good workout today at physical therapy. He may only be eligible for this P.T. for a couple more weeks.  Here he's doing the machine that he pushes his legs up and down for ten minutes.

This evening Darrell and MaryAnn Roskelley hosted the monthly FHE for the empty nesters in our neighborhood.  As soon as everyone had brought their pot-luck item, MaryAnn dished up two plates to take to Don & Ruth.
   Scott and George walked over to Mellings' home to deliver the dinner to them.  We miss having Don & Ruth come and be with us.

When they returned Darrell welcomed everyone. We enjoy talking and being together.

It's fun catching up with each one's comings and goings.

Darrell & MaryAnn are always gracious hosts.  They baked three delicious pans full of chicken breasts with a yummy topping.

There is always a great variety at these monthly dinners.

And the tables are always exquisitely set. Here's the table in the dining room.  Sitting here were Scott, Gary & Colleen, Bonnie & Ken, Darrell (not seated yet), Eileen (taking the photo) and Walt.

At this table set up in the living room are George & Jacquelyn, Dan, Elaine, David & Marilyn, Ken & Bonnie, MaryAnn (not seated yet).

This shows the delicious food everyone brought: the chicken, baked potato, squash, tossed salad, a salad of fruits in a lemon/whipped cream sauce, and a fresh fruit salad of blackberries, blueberries, grapes, and other fruits with a light dressing over them, and rolls.

Two desserts topped off the dinner: a cherry-filled pastry, a brownie with chocolate sauce over strawberries on top, and ice cream.   Oh, rats, I forgot to take a photo of it.  You can most likely imagine it in your mind's eye.

Then we gathered in the living room for a lesson about "Real Intent."  Darrell gave the "Story of the Oranges."  Then he had us discuss in groups of two what real intent means.  

Real Intent is...
"Taking the sacrament with real intent."
"Reading the scriptures with real intent and serving with our might, mind, heart, and soul."
"Don't do anything half-way but with real intent."
"Do the spirit of the law, not just the letter of the law, with real intent."
"Don't just give 100%, give 110%."
"Live the Gospel with real intent. sometimes we lost sight of the big picture. Personal salvation is the 'big picture.' "
"Do the right thing for the right reason."

We look forward to each monthly gathering of the empty nesters in our neighborhood.
First row: Darrell and MaryAnn Roskelley, Walt Petersen, Marilyn Gibbons, Ken and Bonnie Fronk, Elaine Anderson, Dan Black.
Second row: Dave Gibbons, Scott Bloxham, Bonnie and Ken Hansen, Jacquelyn and George Gorton, Gary and Colleen McCall.

Bonnie Fronk took this second photo.  So the only change is that I am sitting by Walt.  We thank the Roskelleys for hosting in April.

April 28, 2015 - Tuesday
next I think Walt is getting cabin fever. He is wanting to get out and go somewhere.   Here he is reading the morning paper.  Then he went outside to work in the backyard.

When he came in for breakfast he was wearing his carpenter apron.

It is great to see him with a hammer in his hand again.

He is repairing the barn wood fence.

A lot of the boards have fallen down.  It's getting to be like us: "Older than dirt."

Then I noticed that the bees are pollinating our fruit trees.

The backyard apple tree is in bloom.

Remember the song that the Andrew Sisters made popular in World War II? I just found out it was also popular in the 1920s.

"I'll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time"

(originally by Artie Shaw)

I'll be with you in apple blossom time
I'll be with you to change your name to mine
One day in May, I'll come and say
Happy the bride that the sun shines on today
What a wonderful wedding there will be
What a wonderful day for you and me
Church bells will chime
You will be mine
In apple blossom time

I'll be with you
(When?)
In apple blossom time
(Then what will you do?)
Oh, I'll be with you to change your name to mine
(When will that be?)
One day maybe in May
(Then what will you do?)
Oh I'll come to you and say dear
Happy the bride that the sun shines on today

Then what a wonderful wedding there will be
(One day in May)
What a very, very wonderful day for you and me dear
Church bells will chime
You will be mine
(When?)
In apple, in apple blossom time

Here is a photo of LaVern (30), Maxene (25), and Patty (23), ages in 1941 when World War II started for the U.S.A.
When they began performing as a trio in 1925, LaVern was 14, Maxene, 9, and Patty 7.  They were already popular when WWII began. 
Their father, Peter Andreos was from Greece, their mother Olga was from Norway.  When they immigrated to Minnesota where all three girls were born, Peter changed his name to "Andrews."  They died at ages 55, 79, and 95.
Now you know more than you ever wanted to about this famous singing group.

This afternoon Walt came in from fixing the fence and slumped down in his computer chair.
"Walt, I don't want you over doing it," I worryingly said.
"It's too late to tell me that, I have already over done it today," he answered, adding "I think I need to go lie down."
He napped for 45 minutes.

"Let's go over to see the Mellings," he said when he got up.
After we'd been there a while, Don said he'd like to go outside for that wheelchair ride around the neighborhood.  
So off we went.

Don, Ruth, Walt, and I.
The sidewalk was broken up and uneven in a lot of places. Walt kept turning the wheelchair backwards to get Don over the rough spots.

We walked for 30 minutes. It was a warm day with just a slight breeze.  Don enjoyed being outside.
Here is Walt ready to take Don back inside.

For supper we had the delicious food they sent home with everyone from last night. Then we went home teaching to David & Alice Hansen.
I loved the graphic they had with President Monson's message about "Courage" they had in the April Ensign.  
It reminds me of the saying: 
"Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.
  Right is right no matter if no one is doing it."
The fish in the middle is standing up for what is right. He has courage.

April 29, 2015 - Wednesday

Wednesday morning Walt said: "Look out front and see what our kind neighbor is doing for us now.  Spraying our yard.  "Thank you, Steve, for helping us so much!"

Then Walt counted the number of Grama A's boxes we have in our basement: 25.  They are mostly her scrapbooks and files, but a few are her dishes, but we don't see any with antiques.
My sister, Janice, is coming over Memorial Day weekend to go through and sort them.

Walt did some more work on our backyard fence that needs mending in many places.

He took a photo of me.

Then I got a photo of him taking a short break as he sat in his walker.

We got away a little late for Twin Falls, but we pulled into the parking lot just as Dale & Connie were walking up to the temple.

We have started a tradition of rendezvousing with Walt's brother, Dale and his wife, Connie, and doing the 3:00 afternoon session each Wednesday.

Today Dale felt like having Italian food so we went to Tomato's on Blue Lakes Drive.

So far we've eaten at Jaker's, then I chose Norm's Family Diner last week, and today we all ordered lasagna--actually they shared one, and Walt and I shared one...which portion was just right.  It was one of the more delicious lasagnas I have had.
The best lasagne I ever had was in San Salvador at the Bistro next to the National Museum.

We got home an hour or so before sunset.  Tom, our great neighbor to the north of us, came over to talk to Walt as he was getting the mail.  It started to sprinkle and Tom said: "I was just going out to irrigate so I better get going."  He has an acreage west of town with horses.  Tom is a retired veterinarian.

April 30, 2015 - Thursday
Today finished the 2-times-a-week physical therapy.  Next week Walt will just have p.t. once a week.  
Here are two of the excellent physical therapists who have helped Walt at the Cassia Medical Center - LaDean and Sarah.  There are several physical therapists who have worked with Walt since he started going there on March 6, which was post-op week #2.
Today is one day before post op week #10.

The physical therapists I can name: Brent, Troy, Tom, Evan, Alicia, LaDean, Ann, and Sarah.
As we were leaving the hospital, this little boy was fascinated with Walt's walker, however, when Walt asked him a question, he was too shy to respond.

This afternoon Walt went to a podiatrist who comes to Burley once a week from Twin Falls. Walt needed his toenails cut because they are so thick from onicomicosis.  We were impressed with Dr. Wickern.

Now Walt will go every two months to have his toenails trimmed.  Dr. Wickern asked me to help observe the bottom of Walt's feet for bruises or cuts.

The doctor's office gals took a photo of us before we left the "Advanced Foot and Ankle Clinic."

We stopped at Mellings on our way home. Kirt was there and said he was about to come over to ask Dr. Petersen some questions about his Dad.  Darrell and MaryAnn were also visiting.

Don isn't progressing from when he was walking 15 steps at times when he was at the UofU Rehab Center, which is somewhat because he is so tired and sleeps most of the day.
Kirt and his siblings are really concerned and talked over some options with Walt.
Also, their kids, and we in the neighborhood are concerned about Ruth's well being.
Ruth says she can "do it a day at a time." And she is doing a wonderful job taking care of her eternal sweetheart, but we can all see that she is exhausted, also.
    We are all praying for both Don and Ruth and have put their names in the temple.
   I didn't take a photo today.  So I'll go back 54 years...

Early evening our home teachers - Eric Pierce and Tate Garrard came over to do some service.  Walt showed them the backyard and all the little branches that need to be picked up.  Tate is the son of Kody and Emily Garrard.

Brother Pierce said the deacons quorum needs a service project and they will come Saturday afternoon to do this, plus carry up some of the boxes from the basement that we need upstairs.
Tate replaced the burnt-out light bulbs in our master bedroom.  We really appreciate their help.
I said to them: "You just don't realize when you are young that some day you won't be able to climb on ladders or hope chests to reach up and change light bulbs."

May 1, 2015 - Friday
Happy May Day...
During our three years in El Salvador, I made "May Day" baskets filled with goodies and put at the doors of Walt's two counselors and our four temple missionaries.
However, today, I didn't get one done, although I had thought about doing it.  And the chance only comes once a year.
We hope you all had a "Happy May Day."

Walt's working in the backyard again--moving the sprinklers around and also working some more on the fence.

He's also doing some more work on the fence.

He looks like a carpenter in this carpenter's apron.   He keeps overdoing it and comes in so tired he sinks down in his chair as he says: "I think I need a nap."

Walt brought me in a lilac.
"Oh, the lilacs are blooming!" I exclaimed.
As we drove to the post office this afternoon, Walt took a photo of them out the window.
  Walt and Dave & Marilyn took Don for a walk early evening.  I did some grocery shopping while they were doing this.
Then Walt took me out to supper for a chicken sandwich at Burger King.  It reminded us of San Miguel, El Salvador where the stake president served us chicken sandwiches after stake conference there.

Walt tried to photograph the lilac bushes but I wasn't far enough south.  So I backed up.  They are just barely blooming so in a few days they will be spectacular..

Walt was tuckered out and went to bed at 10:00.  
"I think you overdid it today," I told him.
"You are right," he agreed, adding "but it didn't seem like I did that much."
I suggested: "From now on you should only do half as much as you did today."

Now I'm going to bed at 10:20, after posting today's happenings.

May 2, 2015 - Saturday
In the morning I went to the funeral of Kathy Marker's step-mother, Virginia Seek Loveless. When I got home Walt took my photo by the lilac bushes.

This afternoon the Deacon-age Scouts from Troop 19 came and did a service project for us.  Jeremy, Koby, and Bryce tossed down some big branches from the top of our wood pile in the back yard.  

Tate pruned some of the low-hanging branches from the big elm tree.

In the middle of all this Betty Rasmussen brought her granddaughter, Bailey, whom she was teaching about sharing, to share with us the cinnamon rolls they had just baked.  And they were delicious! How kind of them.
Walt came over and shook Bailey's hand and told her how nice that was of her and her grandmother to share.

Eric Pierce, a member of the bishopric who is our home teacher, his brother Todd, Dalen White and Evan Carnahan loaded them into a pickup and hauled them off for us.  Evan had also sawed down our nectarine tree that had died.

A couple of the leaders had to leave before the work in the basement, so I got a photo of everyone in the family room. Left to right: Walt, Jeremy Tolman, Bryce Hale, Tate Garrard, Eric Pierce, Evan Carnahan, and Todd Pierce. 
(Eric and Todd had lived with their family in our home 1995-1998 when Walt was the mission president of the Mexico Merida Mission and we were gone those three years.  They had not seen this second basement under the storage room on the north because that's where all our things were stored.)

The boys carried up a lot of boxes from the basement of Grama A's things which we will sort over Memorial Day weekend when Janice, my only sister comes the end of May.  

They were good sports and made many trips up and down the stairs.  They also carried up some boxes of our genealogy that I wanted to go through.

After the work was finished, I asked them if they'd like to jump on the trampoline while I finished baking some chocolate chip cookies for them.

other photo

Emily, Walt, and Koby watched the trampoline jumpers. Tate's mom, Emily, had driven the boys to and from their service project. Tate is the youth leader for the deacons.

After the boys came in had a glass of ice water and had a little paper bowl of cookies to take home, Walt thanked them by saying:

"Sister Petersen and I thank you for all your help today.  We appreciate you doing it for us, but you have also done it for the Savior."
Then he said to them: " '...Inasmuch as 

An hour after this I had just finished making hamburger gravy to put over baked potatoes and was getting the tossed green salad ready to put on while corn on the cob was boiling.

I heard a faint sound....either with my ears or my mind--couldn't tell at the time, so I headed for the backyard.  Out the kitchenette window I saw Walt lying on the lawn.
"Oh, no, Walt has fallen!" my panicked mind registered.

As I dashed out and knelt down by him, he immediately assured me: "I'm not hurt.  Back there by the back fence I was starting to sit down on my walker so I could adjust the sprinkler and the walker rolled away and I went down on my bottom--not on my hip.  I forgot to set the brake."

He said he had called my name, but when he realized I could not hear him, he had started to pull himself along the ground and had gotten half-way to the back patio door when I came out.

This is where he was adjusting the sprinkler by the back fence.

This photo shows that he had gotten to about as far as the tether ball pole.  (I took the photo later that evening.  He had fallen by the back fence behind the basketball standard.)

He didn't think I should try to get him up alone, in case his hip might sustain some damage, so he had me go call for someone to come help.  I knew Roskelleys were on their way from their mid-day shift at the temple.  I thought the Gibbons were gone.  When I called Ormonds, there was no answer.

I called Gibbons cell phone "on a wing and a prayer" and Dave answered: "Hello, President."
"Dave, are you home?
"Yes."
"Walt has fallen in the backyard."
"I'll be right there."

I went out and told Walt that Dave was on his way.
And here he came running into the backyard.

"I'm okay, I just can't get up," said Walt.

Dave said, out of breath with a laugh, "Then why did I run all the way?" 

We decided that Dave would take one arm, I the other, and we'd bring him up.  Walt got into a sitting position and then we were able to get him on his feet.    We so appreciate neighbors who literally RUN to our rescue.  

Thanks, President Gibbons.  They drove to Salmon the next day for the third time in May.  His calling in the Idaho Twin Falls Mission Presidency keeps them on the go.

Walt was medically okay, but emotionally he was drained.
We ate supper, but after, when we watched Lawrence Welk, Walt had a hard time settling down to enjoy it.

We are both thankful for the Lord's tender mercy of Walt not being injured or causing that hip replacement part to be pulled out.

Walt had brought me these lilacs earlier in the day. Don't you just love May with its fragrance of lilacs in the air.

Walt took a whole sleeping pill that night, which he rarely even takes a half one.  He did sleep well, and was not even stiff or sore the next morning.  Yes, tender mercy for sure!

May 3, 2015 - Sunday
We remembered to watch the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  They sang one of my favorite songs from Oliver--"Who Will Buy?"

I printed out a "Thank You" with some of the pictures of the scouts helping yesterday to take to them today.

The Relief Society presidency gave an inspiring lesson on the seven virtues listed in the identical scripture that appears twice in the Doctrine & Covenants--D&C 88:119 and D&C 109:8
"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God."

Ellen Petersen taught about prayer and fasting.  Cindy Young taught about faith and learning.  Liisa Craner taught about glory, order, and God.  Wish there had been more time.

Ken & Bonnie Fronk are in New York at Joshua's graduation so George Gorton taught the Gospel Doctrine lesson #15 "I Am the Light of the World."  
He hung a wall hanging with a lighthouse, explaining that "the purpose of a lighthouse is to warn ships of danger and guide them to safety...  this was one of the symbols Jesus used in teaching about his mission and his relationship to us.  Jesus is a light that shows us the way to spiritual safety."  
He did a great job.

Then, the highlight of Fast and Testimony meeting, was, of course, being able to partake of the Sacrament.  Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ knew that we needed to be able to renew our covenants each week to always remember our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. 

They announced that George and Jacquelyn have received their mission call yesterday. They enter the MTC on August 3 before flying to the Greece Athens Mission, where they will serve on the island of Cyprus.  They are so happy and excited and nervous.

We went to visit Don and Ruth Melling this afternoon. 

Don was more awake.  They told us the priests had brought the sacrament to them today.  We told them about the thirteen testimonies that were shared in Fast and Testimony meeting today.

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

We testify that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know each one of us by name and they love us individually.

May we each have a wonderful month of May.  
Con amor, Walt & Eileen Petersen - Burley, I D A H O