T minus 7 days

Today was a typical Sunday, except that there are not any more of those since we received our call to the Virgin Islands.  (We are really going to San Juan Puerto Rico, but there are six small islands of cruise ship fame in our mission and we are anticipating to be sent quickly to one of them to work with whatever Church unit is found there.)  We are not getting much sympathy.

You are called to Where!

We forgot to turn our clocks back.  Church doesn’t start until 1130 so there is really never any panic getting ready.  We have choir practice at 1030.  I decided to see how many of the hymns I can play on the piano (the answer is complicated--some I can play, some I will be able to work into shape, some I can simplify, and some will never be played by these hands), so I attacked the hymn book for about an hour.  Suddenly Gaye called out that she was ready to go and that we needed to hurry because choir practice is at 1030 and it was already 1027. It takes more than 5 minutes to drive to the chapel.  I hate being late.

We pulled into the first parking spot I saw instead of the usual parking in the farthest spot from the door so nobody will ding my car (and I need the exercise).  We walked quickly into the building and went straight for the chapel doors, which were closed.  In fact there was a meeting going on inside.  That is strange because the ward that meets before us should have been finished long before 1030.  Gaye had her hand on the door before we realized that we were an hour early.  That’s better than an hour late, but I have never done that before.  So we drove home, read and talked for a while, and returned for the regular choir rehearsal at the adjusted hour.  Don’t you just love Daylight Savings Time!  We lose one hour every day after it moves ahead in March but we only gain back one hour when it moves back in November.

We are getting ready.  By that I mean that we make a list and try to get it checked off, only to discover more things that were not on the list.  So a new list is made and on it goes.  The yard is put to sleep, but there are still things to do out there.  The house needs to be gone through and sorted.  Millions of things need to be put away so they will be findable and useable when we return.  Some of the grandkids love to get into closed doors and cabinets.  It will be interesting to see how this works out.  I keep telling myself it will be fine.

Next Sunday will be hectic.  Our kids are all coming home.  Even Juli and Shon and the 5 Robinson kids are coming for a brief but much anticipated visit from Anchorage Alaska.  That is sure closer than Brisbane Australia.  We have a family photo shoot lined up for Saturday afternoon.  Then Sunday will be finely choreographed as we practice a song for church with our kids joining our ward choir, are set apart by our stake president, and get to our sacrament meeting, all before the meeting starts at 1130.  Oh yea, Gaye and I are speaking at the meeting.  I have a talk to prepare.

Stay tuned.  The story is just beginning.