Letter I wrote to Mike about getting him into college. the Lord sure takes care of those returning missionaries!

Hi Mike,

So melea is still trying to register you for school. So she calls and asks if I can get a transcript from Santana cuz Cuyamaca won't let her sign for classes without one. I go down there and two Counselors tell me I can't because you are over 18. You have to do it. As I leave I turn around and say "Isn't there someone else who might know how I can do this?" A lady walks by and hears it and just conversationally says to to the others. What's up?" They tell her and she looks at me and says "Aren't you Mormom?" I say "yes" and tell about you. She says she can figure something out. So I get the transcript!!! (How did he know I was Mormon?) Theres more!!!

Now Melea needs to register you TODAY. She needs the transcript to get to a 'Debbie' and Debbie needs to do her thing with it before Melea can get your classes. So.... I go down to Cuyamaca and there are three buildings that might be the right place. But there are lines at all three places and I have to get back to work. I call Robbie and let him decide which line I should get in. At the time I really need to leave there are still 3 people ahead of me. Just then all 3 of their cell phones ring and the gal at the window tells them to take them outside! I am in first place now! But I have to leave. SO..... an older lady is walking by on the other side of the windows and as she passes by she glances at me and says "Can I help you?" (Why me?) She goes to a window and does not even take down the 'window closed' sign, but asks me what I want. I look her in the eye and say "You must be Debbie". She is surprised but says "yes", she is, how did I know? So I told her she is an answer to prayer. She takes the transcript and instead of putting it with the others stuff to distribute to the people who do things, she walks away with it. I wasn't sure if I should leave,but I needed her to come back so I could ask her if she could do it right away. She does come back after a moment or two and tells me she just decided to take care of it right away and to tell my daughter (your sister, Melea) that she can sign you up right now!

Don't ya just love it??!!!!! I love you, Mom

Grateful

Once again I was hit today with how grateful I should be to fireman, first responders, police, EMT, etc. I am taking a 26 hour CERT course. It is a volunteer corps that goes into disaster areas and does the work that first responders shouldn't do so that they can do the work they are qualified to do. In other words, CERT personnel access areas, do triage, put out small fires, turn off electrical and gas sources, evacuate, do necessary medical aid to stabilize (different than first aid - we don't do CPR cuz if they need it, it is too late for us to help them). I hold the record for putting out a house fire in 6 seconds! We used a simulator on a video screen with a fire extinguisher; wearing the safety gear with buddy back-up! It was hard to understand what our first responders really see and experience. At one point I did. I had to declare a five year old girl dead while she still had a pulse. The tears came as I realized these guys do this every time there is a disaster. What they see and have to turn away from hurts. How much can the heart hold? My mother was an EMT. She was a woman of great compassion. I am grateful.

Thoughts Following Conference

Each time I listen to President Monson, I am impressed with his life commitment to service. He has such a sensitive feeling of tenderness towards, especially, the women. I am reminded of the tenderness the Savior felt towards them. They both understood something about the sacredness of a woman's Call that all great men come to understand and appreciate. I am drawn to the leaders who give credit to their wives for their success. It does not diminish their accomplishments but rather enhances their role as men and leaders in the business community, church, world and family. It is an eternal principle that places a woman at an elevated state both for her exemplary role in creation but also for her spiritual sensitivity that is vital in the nurturing of mankind. Her role in the plan of salvation was planned and vital. Have priesthood leaders been given special knowledge of the sacredness of a woman's Call, to counterbalance the role which has been relegated to a woman for the previous centuries? Is this part of the restoration in the last days? I have been impressed with the respect shown me as I work with Priesthood. I will always hold sacred the first time I reported in Stake High Council and every man rose and waited until I was seated before resuming their seats. They rose again when I left the room and held the door open for me. I felt respected, my work acknowledged and recognition for my unique importance to the Work. I pray my daughters and daughter-in laws will experience that from their husbands.

I got to love a dog!

I had forgotten how awesome it is to hug a dog who lets you hug her. Melea and Rob got the cutest, most adorable dog. Her name is Roxy. She is Corgi and Pug: short legs, body builder chest, trim hips, floppy ears, huge bedroom eyes and the cutest little snout. Her tail is long and does a curlie-que at the end. When she is excited she waggles it back and forth so fast. She is gentle and lets you sit and hug her and kiss her face. (Not as good as Jakob). hen she is excited, she springs up and runs. She reminds me of that mini goat we had. She could just jump straight up without bending her legs at all! i got to dog-sit today. She is really attached to Rob and Melea but she sat next to me most of the time and let me pet her. It was a nice day. OH, yes, it was also Conference, so I could sit around the whole day. Wow, what a day; petting a dog, listening to Prophets and the Mormon Tab singing hymns. I would say it was a very good day.

Rendezvous

On the way home from the Rendezvous....I stopped by the Albertsons in Ramona to buy brownies for my YW lesson on Sunday. As I was outside checking my pockets for cash, a dear man walks by and puts a $20 bill in my hand and says how sorry he is that a nice lady like me doesn't have family who will help her out. What a nice man!!! I couldn't figure out what he was talking about until I looked at myself in the big glass doors. Kinda dirty, crushed leaves at the bottom of my pants and old uggs, oversized shirt, hair:definitely windblown, sunburned nose. I repeat...what a nice man. I couldn't find him once I could close my mouth, so I gave the money to a nice young woman with four little kids. Yes, I had fun.

The Gospel Is True!

Yesterday was our assignment from the Stake to spend the day in the Temple. How tough is that? While I was driving home, the spirit was so sweet, I cranked up the hymns, opened all the windows and skylight and I'm singing. (Last time I did that, I got a ticket and it cost me $500! But gravy! Susan & I were driving by Mount Shasta in the early morn-we had to sing). Anyway...I get to a stop sign and I just couldn't help it...I lean out the window and yell "The Gospel is true!" - a few times. This guy is on the corner and asks me what I'm yelling. I tell him and he asks what does it mean. So I tell him! I think he was more than just polite, cuz he bows his head a little and gets real quiet. So I tell him he just felt the Spirit and if he ever wants to know more about it he should flag down those guys in the whites shirts who ride bikes all over Santee and they will explain it to him. It was a win-win! I get to get off my chest, someone gets to feel the Spirit and no one has to listen to me when I get home! (Sorry, Randy & Caitlin-you did have to hear the story-just not the testimony) What a deal!

Shooting Black Powder!

So this weekend I get to shoot black powder rifles at the Varsity Rendezvous! I love the smell of it...for a while at least. By the end of the day I get a little headache. Each year I go up and help at the range and in return I get to shoot when the youth are done. It is fun so see all the outfits and clothing. The boys have blast and the energy is so cool. I love getting to help with stuff and still get to have fun. Kinda of a good combination. I really, really hope some wonderful Priesthood leader steps up to the plate this year and tells La Mesa ward that Indians in those days (or any days!) did not run around with war paint and Speedos!!! Not a single one of those guys have the bod for that, yet. Sorry, Rose. Stick to Chris!