Grace at Schlotzkes

 We love Branson.  There are so many good Christian people in that town.  One day we went to Schlotzky's for lunch.  I ordered a sandwich to go.  They had a condiment cart.  I opened my hot sandwich to put some vinegar on the sandwich and the sandwich fell off the paper all over the floor.  I was so embarrassed.  I went and told them and a young girl immediately came out and started cleaning it up.  One of the owners came out and talked to me and said they would make me a new sandwich.  I thanked her profusely.  Her reply, "We receive so much grace every day, we need to give grace to each other."  Tears sprang to my eyes.  When she brought out the fresh sandwich, I thanked her again and asked if I could give her hug.  She said, "You sure can."  She then gave me, a long, tight hug.  When I started to pull away, she pulled me in again.  It was the sweetest exchange.  Though still embarrassed, we left with a delicious sandwich and a feeling of joy.

Branson, Missouri

 Ken and I had a fun getaway in Branson, Missouri while our temple was closed.  We flew to Dallas, then Springfield, Missouri, then drove an hour to Branson where we stayed in a nice hotel.

We enjoyed eight shows while there.  Here is the list in order of what we enjoyed the most to least.  

1. Queen Esther- a huge, beautiful production of the story of Queen Esther in the bible.  The sets, costuming, actors and singers were all Broadway quality and absolutely breathtaking.

2. The Duttons- a beautiful family show.  A wholesome. joyful show full of great talent all from one family.  Incidentally, the family originates from Hurricane- Ken's hometown.

3.  John Denver tribute show -

 We felt we were in John Denver's living room and he was singing to us.

4. The Carpenters tribute show.  The lady that sang Karen was really good and sounded just like her.

5. Neil Diamond tribute show

6.  The Haygoods- a family show.  Amazing effects.  Big and loud.

 7. Six- 6 brothers that sing acapella.  Too loud.

8. Abba tribute show.  Though we enjoy Abba music, these performers really weren't as high quality.

Following are some random pictures from our week in Branson:

Neil Diamond show

Photos taken at intermission at Queen Esther, showing the marvelous sets

These lanterns were hung from the ceiling all around the huge auditorium

This was one of my favorite scenes in Queen Esther- a parade across stage with a very realistic looking elephant.

We thought it was funny that there were so many handicapped parking stalls and others labeled for senior citizens only.

Shaking hands with the Neil Diamond actor

My Pet Peeve: Acronyms

 Is it just me or have you noticed a marked increase in the use of acronyms in our society.  Whether I'm listening to someone talk or reading something, I am constantly googling acronyms.  I have to admit it has become one of my pet peeves.

Will the Circle Be Unbroken?

 

Will the Circle Be Unbroken?: A Memoir of Learning to Believe You’re Gonna Be Okay by Sean Dietrich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really like this author. This is his poignant and most memorable autobiography. It is story of love, loss, and forgiveness. It is read in the audio version by the author- Sean of the South. It is his story and you feel his emotion. 5 stars from me.



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A Night to Remember

 

A Night to Remember by Walter Lord
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is an accounting of the night the Titanic sank. It was published in 1955 and contains first person interviews of over 60 people that were involved in that tragedy. The author takes us through that fateful night in a minute-by-minute account, using quotes from those survivors. It is a sad story, but for some reason, I am so interested in it. I have been to Titanic museums in Belfast, Ireland and Halifax, Nova Scotia and read, I think, three books about it. This one tells about the rescue of the survivors and the aftermath of the tragedy, which I hadn’t learned much about before. It is a terrible tragedy in the world’s history.

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Ken and Friends Hike Pine Valley Mountain

 Ken and these friends (Kurtis and Dave) have hiked together for years.  They recently decided to tackle Pine Valley Mountain, Mill Canyon Trail.

The fall colors were beautiful

Other than Kurtis taking a tumble and cracking a rib, they had a wonderful day together doing what they love.  

Happy Birthday Miss Jones

 Saturday Evening Post cover March 17, 1956.

Rockwell intended this painting to be a tribute to his own eighth-grade teacher who had encouraged him to draw. Gathering a local model and students, Rockwell used a real grammar school classroom in Stockbridge as his reference.

Stake Presidency Farewell

 This stake presidency served together nine years and were released in 2013. How we all love each other!  It was such a great, congenial group.  We recently went out to dinner together as a farewell to the Snyders who are moving out of state. How we will miss them. We have frequently enjoyed dinners together since their release.

Lymans (stake president), Stromness (stake clerk), Snyders (2nd counselor), and Hintons (1st counselor.) Missing are the Bagleys who served as the executive secretary.  Brother Bagley passed away a couple of years ago.  
Friendships are strong when we serve together.  How we love these dear people!

Such an Exciting Game

 September 21st BYU vs Kansas State Football game at Lavell Edwards Stadium was So exciting.  I don't intend to post about all of the games, but this one was truly one of the best games we have ever watched.  Just before the half we started scoring and then continued the trend as the half-time ended.  We just couldn't believe what was happening.  It is so fun to watch with Ken as he is jumping and running right along with the players.

Our beautiful granddaughter was part of the ROC (Roar of Cougars) that made such a difference in this game.  They were so loud.

With her cute roommate.

Go Cougars!

Visit from an Owl

 Our next-door neighbor posted on Facebook that an owl was perched in our backyard tree all day.  They sleep in the day, choosing a different perch each day.  We were happy this Great-Horned Owl chose our tree this day.