January 19, Saturday
  Another Saturday posting as we have a Fireside again Sunday in Elma, about an hour away.  Yes, it's the choir for me again.  I guess no one heard me sing last time.  We'll see south tomorrow and today we saw west.  Jerry had to check out two apartments in Sequim - about 2 hours NW from here on the Olympic Penninsula.  A beautiful drive to a unique small town that John Wayne thought was the best place for salt water fishing.  Yes, the bays here are salty.  Not as salty as the ocean, but salty.  We got to visit the tribal center for the S'Klallum American Indians.  There is a casino there too, but we just went to the museum and art gallery.  I need to read some of their forktales as they are all about animals and overcoming nature.  All the nature elements live in the Olympic Mountains and the wolf, bear, raven, etc. fight the wind and water to control them.  Everything has a story.  We saw lots of totem poles and hopefully the girls can post our pictures.  Then we went to Port Angles, just another half hour to the north, but big ships there and many take the ferry to Seattle from there.  They call this area - "Where the mountains meet the Sea."  We saw them both. 

  There were Zone Conferences three days this week.  It made for quiet days.  Time to organize.  Yet, I made a big booboo.  I ordered 10 cases of Book of Mormons and we waited eagerly because we were almost out.  Well, one box with 10 Book of Mormons came.  I checked the wrong box.  So I got right on the computer to order more and thought the first one didn't go through so I hit it again.  Now we will be getting 20 cases of Book of Mormons with 40 in each case.  Good thing they are free and the missionaries will go through them so I'm not in too much trouble - just dumb looking.  What's new? 
  Did two things with the Ward this week - my Sign Language class.  Learned 2 1/2 pages of phrases.  I've been practicing on Jerry.  Then the RS had a service auction.  I took an Abelskiver pan with the recipe and a bag of frozen ones that they sell at Trader Joes.  I came home with a promised girl's baby blanket and seasonal hand towels - one coming every month.  We had to answer questions about the history of the RS.  I guess my years in the Stake helped me out - even though I only answered 14 out of 30.
  The missionaries continue to delight us.  They are a spark of light to a hard day.  Had a stolen bike and lost medicine to deal with, but those are nice things to try to help them through and I get to call their parents and add to the call the special message that they love their parents and their parents love them.  I even cry then too. 
  Wish me luck singing tomorrow.  Jerry doesn't need luck.  He has a great voice and it's getting stronger.  He is being blessed.