Random thoughts from Iowa

• We have a young couple in our ward who just had their first baby.  Unfortunately, she's quite a bit early because Mom's blood pressure shot up very suddenly and they had to do an emergency C-section; they almost lost Mom in the process.  Baby is in NICU, although doing pretty well, and Mom is experiencing partial loss of vision and her blood pressure has remained high (on top of the surgery to recover from).  Dad has to go back to work tomorrow.  So if anyone has some extra prayers, this family could certainly use them.

• It was in the high 60s yesterday.  Today?  It's mid-afternoon right now, and only 27 degrees.  I don't care for these sudden extremes - no chance to adjust slowly.  Heck, I had capris in the laundry this weekend that I've worn in the past 2 weeks!

• Today was our primary program.  The music leader stood in the back to try to get them to sing louder.  Well, they did get loud - the singing part was a little doubtful, though.  I think they had some of the little ones who bought into the idea that they should be loud, but who didn't quite know the correct words.   And for possibly the first time in my entire life, the program ran way short.  So the counselor over the primary got put on the spot to speak for a while.  He's a very nice man, but extemporaneous speaking is not his strong point.  He started out with something about how their might be non-members present who didn't understand everything in the program - keep in mind this was primary, and the theme was choose the right, and we had just been treated to a whole lot of "I choose the right when I listen to Mommy" and "I choose the right by saying my prayers (incredibly cute, just not cutting edge doctrine if you know what I mean).  Then he realized that might have sounded unwelcoming or condescending, so tried to fix it by saying that he just meant because we came to church every week - then realized that also might not sound too nice, and finally settled on meaning that we sometimes use lingo that is familiar to us but might not be to someone visiting for the first time.  Only then he went on to say "When we say Choose the Right, we mean making right choices."  And at that point, he got totally flustered and spent the rest of the time talking about a little disabled girl in our ward who makes whistling sounds, and some people might get annoyed, but she just doesn't know any better.  I have heard him give very good talks and lessons when he's had a chance to prepare, so I think he was just completely surprised when the primary president said she was turning time over to him, instead of filling it herself.

• My fantasy football season has been a complete disaster.  While I refuse to be one of those owners that stops taking care of their team once they're out of it, I confess that I looking forward to fantasy playoffs starting in a few weeks.  I hate losing.

• I made mole for dinner today. I don't know why I don't make it more often because I absolutely LOVE it.  And it's so fun to eat food from my mission and remember all the different families I got to eat it with.  I've lost the ability to eat with a corn tortilla without staining my fingers, though.

• 

  Mo-lay

  

  Not mole