Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Farewell Fabulous February


Until Next Year!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

New York

   
     When Sister Curtis was a young woman and lived back east, she became a Catholic Nun.  Sometime years later, while she was visiting family, she found out her brother was taking lessons from the Mormon missionaries.  When she went back to the convent, she prayed all night long that her brother would see the light.  Later her brother gave her a Book of Mormon, but at first she didn't want to have anything to do with it.  She finally started reading the book and that's when she wanted to meet the missionaries at her parent's house.  Needless to say, they were very excited to teach her and later she was baptized.
     Sister Curits moved to Salt Lake City, Utah where she was lined up with Marvin Curtis a widower.  He had seven grown children and one teenage foster son.  They got married and were later called to preside over the Rochester, New York mission.
     While serving as a missionary, I looked forward to Zone Conferences every month.  President Curtis always had braces on his legs and walked with special elbow crutches.  As a boy he contracted polio but went on to be a successful businessman and loving husband and father. He even lined me up after my mission, but I wasn't very interested in the young man from Texas.
I always felt loved by President and Sister Curtis.  They were a wonderful couple.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Journey to the Gym


     It's been one month since I signed up at the gym.  I didn't realize it has turned out to be quite the journey.  I guess if you want something bad enough you'll find a way.  Ask my neighbor, I've tried all the diets out there except for a few.
     Last year my other neighbor suggested I sign up at the gym that he went to across from Utah Valley Hospital.  The fee was reasonable, and it was the closest exercise facility to our house.  I kept fighting joining because I thought my walks in the morning every other day would some day kick start my slow metabolism.  My real problem is sugar addiction.  My doctor says my cholesterol is too high, I have health problems, so I need to stop eating sugar.
     I'm finding out if I get my heart rate up for at least thirty-five minutes, a day I come home feeling great with no cravings!!  At the gym I can run for ten minutes on the treadmill, walk fast at a 12.0 incline for fifteen minutes, and then ride the bike for ten minutes.  It's my secret formula that has helped me get into a groove.  Before, my walks outside were two miles but not enough aerobic movement.  I wish I had discovered that ten years ago!  Having an exercise buddy has also been nice.  J#3 has been going with me and I really like the company. Even though we like to listen to our Ipod music.
     Another thing that is helping is lifting weights every other day for about fifteen minutes.  I lift heavy boxes at work and I don't want to injure myself.  Trudy the aid at the gym put me on a light weight regiment so I can build up a little at a time.  The HARD part about the gym is the running.  I hate to run!  But tonight, instead of merely running ten minutes, I felt like running for fifteen minutes and I felt pretty good.  My knees didn't hurt as bad, and my lungs weren't killing me.  I still feel  stiff every day, but if I eat right the exercise is easier. 
  Food has been a challenge as well.  Since I work where there is an unlimited supply of fresh veggies and fruit, I went from sandwiches to salads.  Breakfast is my favorite with an egg or oatmeal.  I know, one of the cooks at work told me to stop eating eggs but that's one of the food items I love eating, so we'll see how it goes.  At night I have cottage cheese or Greek yogurt with all kinds of yummy fruit.  Jenny Craig taught me to have at least three dairy products every day for my bones.
     Weekends are a little different.  I just eat what I'm in the mood for as long as it's not much sugar or too many carbs.
     I'm so grateful for a supportive family and great neighbors!  I'll keep moving and update you on my journeys to the gym next month.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Sister Whitney


     When I was getting ready to leave the MTC back in 1980, I was approached by a senior sister missionary. Her name was Sister Dangerfield.  She was from West Bountiful and was going to the same mission as I was, Rochester New York,  known as The Cradle of the Restoration mission.  Back then, the church let the "senior" missionaries take their own car to the mission field and since Sister Dangerfield was a widow, she asked if I would drive to New York with her.  As much as I liked flying I thought it would be an adventure to drive across the United States.



     We drove through Iowa, where I was born and lived until the age of seven.  I have fond memories of the white house on the hill with huge pine trees and all kinds of other trees.




Our white house was older with a big screen porch in the front.  My brothers and I had a great time playing outside.



There was even an old cemetery above our house where we played on cannons probably from the civil war. We also played around an angel statue.  It took Sister Dangerfield and I a while to find it, but when we did I was very excited.




 After Iowa we drove to Kirkland, Ohio.  Even though I'm not related to Newel K. Whitney, I had to see his store.  We also went to the Kirkland Temple, which is owned by a different church, but it was still in pretty good condition.



              Finally, we made it to New York and we were happy to begin our missionary service.
                               Here is Sister Dangerfield and I at the top of the Hill Cumorah.
                                 Kind of blurry, I  wasn't the best camera person.





     One of the first things I learned was that our Mission President's wife had been a Catholic Nun for over twenty-five years.  Her name was Sister Curtis and she was so kind and warm when we first met that I have never forgotten her. 
To be continued.