A few bullet points from our last two weeks . . . to keep Kim happy.  She badgers me if I don't post regularly enough for her liking.

•  Jim cut down the cherry tree this weekend, and this is all that remains.  (The shards of green used to be tulips.)  The cherries are notoriously wormy if they don’t get sprayed, so you either have to eat chemicals or eat worms.  Since Jim doesn’t like chemicals, worms, or cherries, the tree is now gone to make way for the only tree he believes is worth having:  a peach tree!

•    We had a slight little argument about whether digging out the root ball would damage the power lines that lay impossibly close to the tree.  I thought we should leave the roots alone.  Jim thought they should come out.  I was not willing to risk losing power to my house.  The roots stayed.

•    Two years ago, I planted a square foot garden.  I followed the guidelines in the book religiously.  They said you only needed soil 6” deep to grow all vegetables except carrots and potatoes.  Jim said that was ridiculous.  I told him the book said it would work.  It didn’t.  I tried again last year.  Again, nothing.  This year, we’re adding a foot and a half of soil and trying again.

•    I’m seriously contemplating turning the office into a food storage room.  I figure I could hang French doors and build shelves – well, “I” couldn’t do it, but I could find someone to do it.  I’ve always wanted a food storage room and none of my other ideas have panned out.  Seriously thinking about this one.

•    Jeff was home from school with the flu for an entire week.  I got really good at 6th grade math.  I can now find the surface area and volume of every shape container conceivable to man.

•    I got Jeff all recovered and back to school, and then Brett was home with the flu for another week.  We picked up his math assignments.  Guess what he had to do?  Surface area and volume!  Sadly, he didn’t require my help despite the volume whiz I’ve become.  (I can even tell you how many cubic feet of top soil we’ll need to fill those 2 foot garden boxes.  It’s a useful skill after all!)

•    I got a new calling yesterday.  It was a bit of a surprise since I’ve only had my current calling for five months.  The executive secretary called and said the bishop would like to meet with me and could I please come to his office at 11:00.  I thought it was a ridiculous request, and said, “He wants me to come to his office? Are you serious?”  Apparently that’s not the way people generally respond when asked to meet with the bishop.  I’m mending my ways.

•    The new calling . . . Cub Scout Den Leader!  Whoo-hoo!! That’s a pretty fun calling.  The Primary president said they’ve been without a leader for four months, and they need someone who is loving and kind and patient.  Mmm Hmmm.  I know what that’s code for.  It’s all good, though.  I can lovingly, kindly, patiently whip unruly 8-year-olds into shape without them ever knowing they’ve been whipped into shape.

•    Here’s Jeff with his latest acquisition – a new chair and ottoman.  The other ward that meets in our building had a SWAP.  It’s like a 200-family garage sale where everything is free.  Jeff hauled home new furniture for his room.  It’s reminiscent of the other chair in his room, seen in the background of this photo, that Bryce hauled home from the same event two years ago.

•    Speaking of Bryce, he survived the wisdom teeth ordeal and did just fine without me.  His papers are now submitted, so this is the part where we try to wait patiently for his call.  I’m betting on state-side.  Any guesses?