2 December 2025

Writer had intended to wrap up November a few days ago, however, life has a way of becoming a team of runaway horses and we all just went with it. Writer will randomly give a play-by-play of sorts and go from there. Suffice to say everyone has been MORE than busy.

First off, let it be known that as of 2PM Movie Buff is on report! We aren’t sure what she was thinking, OR IF she even was thinking! She knows we all enjoy having something in the background as we go about our various tasks. At 1PM she put on The Sound of Music. IF you haven’t seen it, which we are fairly sure everyone and their brother has, it is an amazing movie. Queen first saw it when it came out in 1965 when she was 10. We have watched it at least twice a year or more since then, and know all of the parts and songs. Nevertheless, we were unprepared for what happened after the intermission. Yes, movies had intermissions. We were having a scanty, late lunch and it was at the part where the children are distressed over Maria going back to the abbey without saying good-bye. They were singing “My Favorite Things” to cheer themselves up. When they heard her singing they were ALL EXCITED! Those of us in The Hermitage had water works and began weeping! DANG…IT…ALL!!! Some of us have been overly emotional for several months, and the dam broke, and that was it. Movie Buff is on report.

Our morning was a leftover from the past few days. A few weeks ago Employee received a form from social security about “Windfall Elimination Provision.” Most of us hate communicating the “new” way, and finally Correspondent decided to call. That was yesterday. She never got to talk to a real person, and after about 10 minutes heard, “Your wait time is 120 minutes. Thank you for calling,” and the line went dead. Frustration doesn’t even go far enough to cover her thoughts. We decided to call and make an appointment at the local social security office. Nope, that didn’t work either. SO this morning, Chauffeur took several of us to the office in the southern area of town about 7 miles from The Hermitage. Low and behold there were already about 20 others in a line waiting when we arrived at 8:30. Those in line around us obviously had similar experiences with the phone and online. This was confirmed as we stood there. At 9:45 security came out and said, “All of you without appointments move over here to the left.” THE WHOLE LINE moved over! HAHAHAHA!!! Comic relief. Eventually we all went our way. Employee and Financier worked on the issue with our form online. At the bottom was an area to write comments and additional information, up to 1000 characters. When we hit the enter button, an error message came up that we used characters we weren’t supposed to. Little do they know we filtered out a LOT of things. Nevertheless, we regrouped. AND the form was finally accepted.

Timekeeper was on the ball this time. She set the clocks the correct way, but several of us still woke up at the “usual” time, so we didn’t get to sleep in. Maybe next time, unless those higher up do away with this silliness. 

Athelete decided to participate in water aerobics with a couple of friends. HOLY COW! She was told it would just be an hour, but we were in the pool for at least two hours and later that night could FEEL exactly where those aerobics worked. Sitting turned into a gentle activity.

Secretary tried to make yet another medical appointment for a CT scan. She abhors these robot calls. Twenty-five minutes later she finally had an appointment at a place we’ve gone to six times in the last four months! WHY do they not keep the information from all of the other appointments??? She just doesn’t understand these things AT ALL! It sure doesn’t seem efficient. 

Grandmomma went downtown and watched the Veterans parade. Then to a Harvest Festival. Both were fun.

There was a BYU game here the first part of November that brought a LOT of extra visitors to Church. Disciple always finds this fun. She is also thankful the Temple opened back up after the cleaning and minor remodeling; new couches, chairs, rugs, flower arrangements, etc. It is absolutely beautiful! She loves being out of the world and into a celestial setting. It is SO peaceful and full of love. She sees old friends frequently, like Nita and Ruth, and one week saw a young man she hadn’t seen in about 17 years. He is now 24 and doing well.

As we sit out in The Doors in the morning, Weather Girl and Ornithologist are always excited by the activity. The weather out there in the mornings has dropped from upper 50’s to upper 40’s. It IS getting a little nippy. Several times it rained as we all sat out there, and a couple of times there were major thunderstorms! It is wonderful to sit out there and watch it rain, and the bird activity continues on in the rain. One morning two robin’s showed up on the birdbath! Photographer actually got a picture of them. AND the dove another morning. The hummingbirds are a little more difficult to get, but she succeeded. Gardener thinks of things she wants to do as she sits out there. First to get rid of ALL of the rocks back there. Then she thinks she wants to plant a huge garden. Well, huge for the backyard. Time will tell. Everyone is thrilled with the smells in the front yard. Many people have stopped to smell the roses, etc. The paper whites and alyssum are blooming too. She did mow the lawn for the last time this year last week. Then Decorator got out the Christmas lights and put them up. More aerobics…more pain. But the lights are lovely.

Inside The Hermitage and Carriage House there has been a lot of activity. Organizer brought in dozens of boxes of fabric and yarn. Seamstress, Quilter, Crocheter, Knitter and Crafter were VERY LEERY as to what might happen. To say they were ALL frustrated, overwhelmed, and heartbroken are understatements. They have had some of this fabric and yarn for over 50 years! Organizers voiced thoughts were, “IF YOU HAVEN’T USED IT IN 50 YEARS, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO USE IT!” Then she said, “Pick ONLY what you really know you are going to do something with, and the rest goes. IF you don’t use it in a year, then what is left goes.” YIKES! She is one tough cookie. They ALL have been learning patience, sacrifice and the law of consecration. It is rough. Nevertheless, they pressed on and are almost done. One can actually get around in the Carriage House and almost all of the boxes are gone in the Scullery area. Focus has been a difficult thing for many of us. Chef went to make lunch one day and Scullery Maid decided to clean out the icebox, and lunch was forgotten. We go from room to room with projects, ideas and thoughts, only to forget everything we are doing. Then a walk is suggested to regroup and we are gone. Scullery Maid DID get the island cleaned off, AND ALL of the counters. It is impressive. AND she tells everyone, “Don’t dare put anything on them!!!” So far it is holding. Seamstress was able to stitch up 25 burp cloths and a Halloween quilt top for the Sisters in Service projects. 

Queen visited her oldest daughter and got her hair done! Apparently she looked like some sort of Fraggle. Everything is under control now and her hair is lovely. This is always an enjoyable thing for her, being with one of her children and visiting. Also, being pampered is wonderful.

Shopper made several trips to the marketplace. One day she made three trips! She was getting everything requested by Chef and Baker for a potluck BBQ at the Church, a Linger Longer, also at the Church, AND the BIG day! AND it was a BIG day! ALL of Queen’s children were there and THAT is the absolute MOST incredible thing. Chef made many things for the BIG day, and several trips back and forth to where the BIG dinner was to be. ALL of the fixings everyone made were wonderful. Queens youngest accepted an Oreo Pie at the door from Baker and he said, “I’ll just put that in my room.” HAHAHA!!! We think most of the 30+ guests were gone when he brought it out! 

One of the biggest deals going on was with Building Maintenance! With the work Organizer has done, the fireplace is now accessible and ready to be used. So far there have been three fires in it last week. Wonderful, peaceful, crackling, lovely fires. We just sit here in the dark watching the wood burn thinking and enjoying the warmth. There is something about a crackling fire that we love. AND no, there is no pyromaniac in The Hermitage. But we do love a fire in the fireplace and campfire. The heat hadn’t been turned on either. Building Maintenance thought she would see how long we could go without turning it on. Sunday, November 30^th, when we went to go to bed it was 58 degrees in the house. She tried to wait until December 1^st but it didn’t happen. Such is life in The Hermitage. Her next focus is the sinkhole out front. She phoned the Clark County Sewer, and they came out in 15 minutes. He determined it was not the sewer or water, but there is definitely a sinkhole under the sidewalk. He said to call Public Works. She did. They can’t do anything…HOA has to. Hmmm…Board Member is on this and we are all anxiously waiting to see what happens.

As we near the end of this year we have had a LOT of time to reflect on many things. We have thought of how incredibly blessed we are and the things we are thankful for, and not in any order they are: time, health, family, friends, home and the comforts within and without, multiple talents and gifts, knowledge, direction, love, abundance, joy, challenges, trials, patience, sacrifice, and so much more. And as we have crept into this next season, we are always SO thankful for the Savior. For His creations that we enjoy so much, for His incredible love, and for His ultimate sacrifice for us. Live and enjoy each day fully. Don’t wish them away. Don’t wait to use the good china. Don’t save things for another day. Be kind. Smile. Love and give hugs!  

 2 November 2025

In three days it will be the two-month mark since Chauffeur and Disciple were in the accident. Writer finds it interesting that we measure things from “events” or remember certain “events” to mark time. Worldly events, national events, space events such as the full moon, family events, personal events, seasonal events, catastrophic or disaster events, sports events, etc. Why do we do this? Does everyone do this? AND some people mark future events. “X” many days until Christmas, or a birthday, or? Some say, especially here, “I can’t wait until it gets colder!” or “This winter is SO cold! I can’t wait for summer!” Why are we not content to enjoy and live each day as if it were a special day? Those of us in The Hermitage have pondered life for the last two months in great detail. We listen to what others say, and work hard to keep our mouths shut. Each of us is incredibly special and every day is special. 

So, what’s been going on? Well…

Most of us have found ourselves out under The DOORS most mornings. The weather has been beautiful and between 56º and 65º. Disciple reads her scriptures and has a morning prayer, some play daily “brain” activity games, Organizer sees projects to be done, Gardener and Landscaper discuss things they are planning to do, and Ornithologist watches all of the birds and makes sure the feeders have something for them. The usual are hummingbirds, finches and doves. However, there were some new ones this morning. A few other types of finches and sparrows visited. No pigeons. The hawks and falcons must be taking those out. The DOORS have been quite a comfort. Just to sit and rock out in the cool of the morning to collect our thoughts and be at peace have been helpful. We absolutely love it. We even sat out there with a friend who moved several years ago and was in town. Candles were lit and it was wonderful to sit and visit. One morning produced an incredible thunderstorm. The entertainment was absolutely electrifying! We all enjoyed the phenomena. It was spectacular!

None of us are really sleeping well, not to mention the most vivid and sometimes disturbing dreams. Time Keeper DID set the clocks back, AND NOT forward this time, but most of us woke up at 5:45 this morning. While we tried to go back to sleep, most of us weren’t successful, and headed to The DOORS. We are still dealing with a few issues from September 5^th, a couple are physical, and then there is the mental part. Chauffeur makes sure everyone has their act together BEFORE venturing out. She doesn’t want to go unless there are several places to go for one outing. She isn’t about to go bounding about willy-nilly just because. She is looking for purpose, and it had better be good. 

Gardener has “tried” to be busy, but is cautious. She reseeded the front grass area and is excited that the new grass is already over an inch tall. She has pulled some weeds, and just sat, taking in the creations about her. She LOVES all of the plants and this time of year when it is cool and the smell of her roses greets her when she comes outside. She also noticed that several of the orchids are forming flower spikes already. She will be keeping an eye on them. AND all of the Naked Lady bulbs she transplanted ALL have leaves growing, preparing the bulbs for future blooming in the spring. 

After a two month closure for deep cleaning, a remodeling project, etc. The Temple is open again. Disciple was able to work there both Thursday and Friday this week. She has missed this opportunity greatly and was SO excited to be back with her Temple Sisters! The Sister Missionaries also invited her to go with them a couple of times to teach those with a desire to know more. This is always something she enjoys, as she has been blessed with a great testimony and a willingness to share it. She also enjoyed the Primary Program the children put on each year. They knew the songs exceptionally well and Disciples' eyes were wet through most of the program. 

Chef and Baker have started to do things again. At least more “involved” things than pb&j’s. We don’t mind those, and they are quick and easy, but they have been making favorites; chili dogs like those at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor, Caramelized Onions with hamburgers and mac and cheese, Tomato Basil soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. Chef has been experimenting with the outside grilling process. And she made grilled egg salad sandwiches and salads. Baker did something she hasn’t done in a LONG time! She made chocolate chip cookies! OH MY GOSH! They were/are amazing. Chef is preparing Italian Chicken for dinner tonight and we can’t wait. It has been SO long since she has made this, she’s forgotten just how to do it, BUT whatever she is cooking up will be great. All of us know that.

Board Member has been busy with H.O.A. trees, plans, etc. Not to mention the trials of board meetings. Well, executive board meetings that go awry. And Writer will just leave it alone, suffice to say, Board Member was LIVID when she arrived back at The Hermitage, but has since calmed down. Thankfully. She doesn’t get angry often, but… Then there was the 14 year old she and another Board Member tried to help. We tried, until he was dishonest. Then we were done. 

Grandmomma and Princess dressed up for the ward Trunk or Treat festivities, AND their Prince Charming showed up. They had a fun time and enjoyed the time together. 

JustServe Specialist and Seamstress made two quilt tops, and will be finishing a dozen or so burp cloths this week. 

Correspondent received calls from Queen’s brother’s… One in Texas and one in Oregon. She also wrote to her 90 year-old pen pal in England. She has been writing to her for about eight years. The letter came back marked insufficient address. Chauffeur took her to the main post office on Sunset WHERE she mailed the letter five days earlier. She asked when she mailed it IF it was okay and told yes. However, when it got back east, someone out there obviously didn't know their geography. BUT the teller took the yellow sticker off, stamped it in red and off it went. This has happened twice, BUT Correspondent writes out the United Kingdom instead of the UK after the first time. Sometimes we just shake our heads and move on. 

Organizer was put on alert a week ago. As we were all having breakfast in the kitchen, we heard a GREAT noise out in the carriage house! We pondered whether or not to check it out. After a few minutes passed, some of us decided to check it out with her. A WHOLE stack of boxes, etc. about 7’+, fell over! Thankfully the open box with all of the mason jars got stuck and none of them broke! Whew! While the boxes were accessible, she went through them, put things away or tossed things, AND the boxes. An odd accidental bonus. 

Volcano Seismologist is still watching with fascination the things that are going on in the Pacific Ring of Fire. Weather Girl has joined them, as well as Disciple. All of them are intrigued by how the planet is “healing” itself, and are pondering, as they sit and discuss things in The DOORS, as to what may be next?! Time will tell. 

Most of us haven’t been very productive in the last two months. While we know we are supposed to be resting, we felt it would be nice to have at least one productive day, so asked Disciple to pray for us to do just that. And yesterday we felt pretty productive. Gardener watered, Maid did dishes, Laundress washed and dried a load of white, a load of colors, AND folded and put it all away, Chamber Maid tidied the master bath and changed the sheets, Chef made macaroni salad, deviled eggs and her special salad dressing, Ornithologist filled feeders, Organizer dealt with the downed boxes, took a few things out to the carriage house and changed the calendar, Baker put the extra Halloween candy out of sight, and Correspondent and Mommy talked with the youngest and his lovely wife for a bit. Considering the last two months, we DID accomplish a LOT, but none of it was difficult. It was a boost mentally, and we ALL needed that boost to let us know we are healing AND doing better.

We have had MRI’s, CT scans, ultrasounds, and x-rays. The ultrasound was A.B. normal, so we are having another CT scan. At least we think that is what Scheduler has to do tomorrow. We aren’t sure. Too much is going on. 

 

What we DO know is this:

God and Jesus Christ LOVE each of us

Prayer WORKS; they are heard, and answered

Priesthood Blessings WORK

Family is important

Family and friends are still checking on us and we appreciate it

Healing takes time

A LOT is going on in the world; read, study, watch and prepare

Time and health are THE MOST valuable things

We are SO blessed, grateful, and loved

 14 October 2025

Hello from All of us in The Hermitage. We are all surviving and have hope. Not many of us have been doing anything. This is the second day in a row we have decided not to get dressed. Why? We aren’t going anywhere. The activity level is low to nonexistent for most of us.

Chef makes things that can be consumed over a few days. It’s that or sandwiches.

Gardener makes sure things are watered when they are supposed to be, and glad things are doing well again. Especially the Hibiscus! In July and August it was suffering with whiteflies and going downhill fast. Leaves were turning brown, etc. She clipped many of the branches back, and sprayed it with vinegar. While that helped a little, Oldest Son and Queen’s brother suggested Neem oil. She was able to spray that on, and NOW the new growth is exceptional! She is VERY excited by the outcome! It is even blooming again.

Chauffeur has taken Shopper to the market a few times and Disciple to Church twice. Chauffeur is having issues, especially at intersections. The mental issues from the accident are taking a toll on her. The property issues with the insurance are done, but as of yet, The Hermitage does not have a permanent carriage. At the moment we are borrowing Queen’s Oldest Daughter’s extra carriage, but not really going anywhere. It IS good that IF we do need to go somewhere, we can.

For the most part we are getting through this ordeal and thankful. We still have some physical issues, but they are slowly healing. Vitamin E oil is doing wonders for the scars from the staples, etc. What is life without battle scars? Scars on the heart are the worst. Do they heal?

At the moment Pluviophile is watching a storm blow in from the mountains in the west towards us. The wind picks up and blows dirt and leaves everywhere, and the sky is dark, but so far not much else. She can only hope.

Disciple has experienced several heart-wrenching situations since Writer’s last journal post. President Nelson died, and a meetinghouse in Michigan was left in ruins. But she got to go back to her own ward. The new General Presidency was organized today. The Michigan Chapel incident has been extraordinarily bitter-sweet. The talks and hymns during General Conference ALL pertained to things going on in The Hermitage, our country, and the world. General Conference put things back into perspective and helped remind us of what is most important. We ALL watched and we were ALL filled.

Queen was able to see the long-distance grandchildren and got to visit with two of them for quite a while. They seem to be doing well, and she was VERY thankful to see them.

The Neurologist looked at the results of the MRI we had in August, and told us EVERYTHING is great, but we have arthritis in our neck. That explains a LOT.

We have been gathering each morning in The DOORS. When we first started doing this two weeks ago it was 74º but this morning it was 58º. Fall is in the air, and winter is coming. Watching the birds is fun. A hummingbird flew about a foot away from our faces, hovered and looked at us, then flew off. The doves are larger, but are far more timid. We do a LOT of thinking about MANY things out there. The main thing is getting the backyard organized. Painter did paint the back gate as that was something easy to-do, AND something we thought should be done.

Seamstress has been busy. She went with Disciple to “Sisters in Service” and made close to two dozen burp cloths for Baby’s Bounty. She also brought home flannel to make NICU hearts. She has been working on those for four days. The hearts are traced onto the flannel, then sewn most of the way around, cut out, seams clipped and then turned right side out, pressed and sewn next to the edge. She made 128 hearts/64 pairs in this long, tedious process. Sewing is interesting. One’s mind wanders everywhere. In making quilts out of leftover fabric, Seamstress remembers all of the dresses, shirts, costumes, ETC., the fabric was originally used for. Those memories can be fun. But in sewing these hearts, Seamstresses mind was on mothers and babies. These “heart pairs” are given to mothers whose babies are in the NICU. The mother places one on her skin, then it goes in with the baby so the baby knows the mother’s scent. Seamstress thought about these mothers. Their worries over these fragile babies. Maybe they had a hard time conceiving and the baby was born early, too early. Maybe they’ve had miscarriages, and now this. She is sure the stories of these babies are endless, and her mind is everywhere thinking about each scenario. She calls Disciple in. “Please pray for each mother and baby who receives these hearts. Pray for them to be blessed and watched over,” she asks. Disciple is more than happy to do that and is touched by these thoughts. Queen had very BIG babies, and remembered the woman she shared a room with in 1981. Queen’s baby was 9 pounds 1 ounce and 22 ¾” long. The other woman’s baby was only a coupleof pounds if that and only about 9” long, if that. Babies are gifts from God. Each with a purpose and plan. Having babies can be easy, or difficult. Some come into the world with no problems, others with several. We hope each of these pairs of hearts help moms and babies bond.

Disciple, Reader and Investigator went to see author Lee Strobel the other night, who was going to speak about his new book, Seeing the Supernatural: InvestigatingAngels, Demons, Mystical Dreams, Near-Death Encounters, and Other Mysteries of the Unseen World. He is close to our age, so we could relate to the times he grew up in. He was an atheist turned Christian when he was 29 and his lifestyle and choices were far different from Disciple, Reader and Investigator. They were MOST interested in the “investigating angels, demons, mystical dreams and other mysteries of the unseen world.” They have heard and read countless stories about near-death encounters, so that wasn’t as captivating as the other parts of the book. Yes, each individual story has its value to the one who experiences it, but there are people who have also had these experiences who feel they are sacred, and don’t share them because they are just that, sacred. Sadly, these sacred experiences can become “entertainment” and it removes all of the sanctity and holiness. They were looking forward to hearing his first hand experiences with his investigations, and such.

Movie Buff has been THE MOST active of all of us. She has been busy looking, searching, finding and choosing shows for us to watch while we continue to mend. We test our knowledge with Jeopardy Monday through Friday. We all watched every session of General Conference. When not having to pay attention she puts on things we’ve watched countless times; Aurora Teagarden Mysteries, The Good Witch, and other Hallmark movies, Mamma Mia, and she found a NEW movie we’ve watched three times in the last four days, The Thursday Murders Club. We all like it. She also put on Ancient Aliens which we all find intriguing. BUT we have found that our FAVORITE are the Perry Mason shows from 1957 and 1958. At the beginning of each show there is a “warning” that the shows involve “smoking and violence.” This is humorous to us, and we wonder what scale they are using to judge the “violence” in each show. Certainly NOT the violence that happens in life on a regular basis in the world. We finished season one, and are still watching season 2. We love the show for many reasons; the clothes, the manners, the behaviors, the skills of writers, the stories, figuring out who did it, the actors… little known stars who became stars later, the locations, AND THE CARS. S1E7 was filmed at Malibou Lake where Queen lived for 4 years. Researcher found that Perry Mason liked to fish at the lake and several episodes were filmed there. They do a lot of filming at the beaches as well. BUT THE CARS!!! Perry drives a 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner Convertible where the hardtop goes into the trunk! Queen’s cousin had one of these. COOL car. Mechanic is fairly certain that the police cars in the 1958 episodes are Fords with the 352 police interceptors! There are a LOT of incredible old cars, and Mechanic has seen a few that we’ve actually owned. WELL, NOT the ones on the show, but ones we bought in the 70’s and 80’s. We continue to watch at night before lights out.

When Disciple went to Seminary from 1969-1973 she studied and learned a lot about these times. At the time, she found it difficult to believe that she would EVER see the world the way these times were talked about in the scriptures. Yet, here we are, living those prophecies. Every day something we’ve read about. Every day, she sees the things she learned about all those years ago. She is SO thankful for the restoration of the Savior’s Church here upon the earth. Thankful that God has provided a way for us to return. We are truly blessed and thankful every day. We ponder about many things and count our blessings. We have “felt” things happening, changes going on, and know we live in the times the scriptures prophecy of. In the last few weeks we have been reminded of The10 Virgins many times. They all “knew” the same things, they just made different choices.

Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, text messages, posts, calls, etc.

26 September 2025

Hello to those of you who read these writings from TheHermitage. Writer has been collecting thoughts and information from everyone inThe Hermitage, and finally feels somewhat able to share.

We ALL spent about two and a half weeks at the oldest son’s, Mike’s, home also with Queen’s daughter-in-law, Katie, and youngest grandson, and the grand dog, working on the recovery process from the accident of September 5th. This became our “care facility.”

Jenny brought us home Monday the 10th, after the staple removal (OH MY GOSH!!!), but after much consideration on all parties involved, and for many sensible reasons, we reconsidered, and were transported to the “care facility” again. We received much attention, great care, and love from ALL the family. Here and elsewhere. The grand dog slept near our side most of the time, and would lick our feet regularly. He is fun. We are SO grateful for ALL of those who cared for us, transported us, helped us, and continue to work towards an end to this accident. We tried very hard not to be whiners, complainers, or a nuisance. The future outcomes of all of this remains to be seen, but Disciple knows all things happen for a reason, that good things come from not-so-good things, and she witnessed many miracles, tender mercies, felt the presence of angels from the other side, AND this side, as well as felt the hand of God frequently. We areALL SO BLESSED and are VERY GRATEFUL! We are also VERY grateful for the incredibly beautiful priesthood blessing we received! (Janna please tell your husband thank you!) We have seen much of that fulfilled in many ways. We are also thankful for trust and faith. We are also VERY thankful for thoughts and prayers on our behalf, for phone calls and text messages, as well as cards. Thank you ALL! We have felt the love. We share our love with you.

We are ALL thankful that bodily damages were limited to bumps, bruises, aches and pains. We are still dealing with many of those things, while some have diminished, not all of them are gone. Chauffeur is dealing with much. Loss of the Carriage is one thing, but can be dealt with. The mental and emotional issues persist. Driving a rental Carriage a couple of times this week was traumatic. Especially when approaching an intersection where Chauffeur, and the truck coming towards us, didn’t have stop signs, but the woman who would be crossing the intersection DID, but she didn’t stop. We are NOT worried about Chauffeur’s driving, but everyone around us. Needless to say,we don’t venture out often.

On the 10th we had a visit with our doctor. She looked things over, suggested some referrals, prescribed R.I.C.E for swollen legs, and said she usually removes staples 7 to 10 days after they have been put in. That would be the 12th or 15th. She said to come in on the 15th. So we went back to our “care facility, ”Relaxed, Iced, Compressed, and Elevated the legs. Everyone we talked to about the staples said they “pop” right out and it’s SO easy. Hmmm… Well, Jenny transported us to the doctor at the prescribed time on the 15th. After at least 15 minutes of working to get the staples out, WHICH are supposed to just “pop” right out, she said we were going to have to go to Urgent Care. Dang. Double Dang. The receptionist at Urgent Care wasn’t even sure they removed staples! Hmmm… A doctor was summoned to the reception area. “Yes, they could remove them.” No kidding!? Dr. Danny came in. He asked why we were there and the arm with staples was shown. “OH! No problem. Those “should” just “pop” right out.” Again, hmmm… He could see, and was told that our regular doctor had tried and wasn’t able to get them to “pop” right out. We are guessing he tried for at least half an hour. Also using numbing spray, which stings. Jenny, being very supportive, kept saying, “Just breathe.” Hard to do with bruised ribs. Nevertheless, we tried. The arm was getting a little torn up, bleeding, etc. He says, “99.9% of the time they just “pop” right out!” I explained that my life has been spent in the .01% of most all things. He did get one of the three staples out, before he went to get another doctor. Together they spent at least another 15 minutes digging to get the other two staples out. Two actually did come out like they were supposed to, in an “M,” but they did NOT just “pop”right out. The third staple resembled a cork screw. We are SO glad THAT fiasco is over with. A trip to In-N-Out followed as a reward.

Math Nerd was reminded on 9.16.25 that it was 3² + 4²= 5² SHE was delighted by this! Thanks Jessica!

Pirate did NOT have her hat for Pirate Day on the 19th, but voiced a few Arrr’s.

The only one in The Hermitage who is basically “normal” is Movie Buff. Her “normal” M.O. is to sit, or recline, and watch the telly, which she has been doing daily for the last three weeks. Not that she hasn’t done that for decades, or doesn’t do that most evenings. She is okay and doing well. She has picked different things to watch, and we were ALL delighted when she picked the original Perry Mason episodes from 1957. One of them, S1E7 “The Case of the Angry Mourner” intrigued Queen the most. She immediately recognized Malibou Lake, where she lived from 1971-1975. Upon further reading about the Perry Mason show, Reader found out that Raymond Burr LOVED the lake so much that several of the episodes were filmed there over the years. We will probablybe looking for these episodes as we continue to binge watch this show.

Reader has been somewhat busy with a few books. And Artist has created a couple of things.

Gardner and Landscaper have worried about plants, etc.at The Hermitage. Angelo came and watered, and Gardner and Landscaper were thankful for that attention. Thankfully we are having an odd summer, (NOT a complaint), here in Vegas. We have only had a few days over 110º, and we’ve had several lows in the 70’s. This has been a bonus for the plants. Yesterday the lightning cracked, the thunder boomed and we had an absolutely incredible down pour in all of a minute and a half! Maybe two minutes. But it was exciting nonetheless. We look at anything as exciting now, no matter how long it lasts. Or doesn’t.

Chef has been on light duty and has been creating light meals since returning to The Hermitage. ALL others have also been on VERY light duty, doing very little to nothing.

On the 4th Organizer had such GREAT plans of getting things ready for a garage sale, to donate, to pass on to others, etc. She just wants The Hermitage in order. Now it seems like a dream away. But continues to be somewhat hopeful.

Emotions are high with everyone in The Hermitage. There have been a few days when we just start crying. This is perhaps “normal” in the situation we are in. Disciple believes it is because we are SO blessed and grateful; that things weren’t worse, that we are alive, that we have family who have watched over us, and love and care for us, for countless blessings, for ministering angels here and on the other side, for friends who have called or sent text messages, for life, for “helpers,” for doctors, and those who help with laws. All these and other blessings bring tears to our eyes and a full and overflowing heart.

But the dark side of our brain sometimes slips in, no matter what we do. We can TELL ourselves “I’m OKAY!” “Everything is fine.” “Everything will work out.” But past things resurface. Experiences. Hopes. Dreams. Plans. Life. We have had a LOT of time roaming around in our brains, and while some of it is good, some of it isn’t. We work hard to focus on the GOOD, and try to deflect the not so good. Most of the time it is working. When it isn’t, we ask Discipleto pray, or give us some advice. Something she is VERY good at doing. AND it helps. She has us focus on our MANY blessings, of which there are MANY. Again, we DO feel the love, thoughts and prayers from you. We are thankful for those watching over us and caring for us. We do feel VERY blessed, are grateful and love you! Thank you!

 7 September 2025

Those of us in The Hermitage have been busy, busy, busy. However, Writer and the rest of us who reside in The Hermitage aren't quite up to writing and telling about everything.

Friday at noonish, everything changed in The Hermitage. Chauffeur was taking Disciple to a meeting and they were hit by a woman who ran a red light.

After being taken to a familiar medical facility by "new friends" they met more "new friends!" An ER/Trauma team who took care of them for several hours. Nothing is broken. They are very banged up, bruised, stapled, and medicated. Among other things. 

EVERYONE in The Hermitage feel blessed, thankful, and loved. We thank ALL who have prayed, called, sent text messages, visited, etc. We thank you. 

 16 August 2025

Just rereading this post from 9 years ago made many of us in The Hermitage cry.

We did get our things from the storage here in Vegas, AND almost a year ago, retrieved everything from the HUGE storage in Payson. While we haven't gone through EVERYTHING, we have gone through at least 80%. Maybe more. We have rehomed a LOT of it and there are things by the front door waiting for their next destination. Some things were easy to relinquish. Then there are those we haven't even tried to decide on. BUT we have been surprised at how Organizer has thrown some things away. Some that surprised us. Yes, it has been an interesting journey this past year of sorting. AND the ways in which The Hermitage has changed since we moved into it. When we first moved in, it felt like it was someone else's "home" and we were just visiting. But as our things were added, as Painter painted, Decorator decorated, Gardner and Landscaper planned and planted, Builder built things, one Brother came to remodel the Galley, Angelo helped with a cabinet in the Master Chambers, and we began to "live" here, this "home" was transformed into "The Hermitage" and we FINALLY feel at "HOME" for the first time in our lives.

Painter still has three rooms to paint. Floors need to be done. The backyard is mid-projects but Landscaper and Gardener are waiting for cooler weather. Organizer needs to work on The Carriage House. Was this what we dreamed of? No. At least at first we didn't think so. BUT after reviewing our list of what we wanted in a home, IT IS EXACTLY what we needed. We are "perfectly positioned" where we are needed. We are SO thankful. While several of our treasures have left the pond, Disciple has reminded us that it is for a reason. We still don't like it, but she is the one with the faith and trust. We are where we need to be.

This week has been SO full.

In May, Employee was told she could have a piano for free! All of us have had our ears on alert to find one, as the oldest Prince mentioned they wanted one. After everyone involved traveled several times, schedules being as they are, etc., we FINALLY were able to get the piano! THAT was a big deal. Now to have it tuned. But it is where it is in its new home and hopefully will bring surprises. And Employee was told how much she is missed and why. THAT was special.

JustServe Specialist has had MANY meetings this week! A Zoom meeting and several in-person meetings. A big one was Thursday. She was only able to attend the Sisters in Service from 6-8 as Disciple has her Temple schedule that day. Much was accomplished, and thankfully many showed up. At least more than before. SO things are being made for the several organizations we serve.

Organizer started working in one of the bedrooms and hauled quite a bit out of there. We are hoping that by the end of the year, she has that room turned into a guest room, OR the craft/library. Time will tell.

Disciple is in the Ward and Stake Choir. With the Stake Conference this weekend she has had extra practice time. She will be singing this Sunday in the regular session. She also had the opportunity to go to a special session with one of her special primary girls. Lainey received her mission call to Santiago, Chili. So she is preparing for that. In May Disciple went to a special session with Kaylynn as she was preparing for her mission in Bucharest,Romania. She is excited for these girls and knows they will do well, as they are wonderful.

Momma C took Daughter-in-law to lunch this week for her birthday. We had a nice time and got to know each other far more than before. It was nice and we are thankful for the time spent together.

Thursday night when we arrived home Disciple found that We had received 6 tubs and two boxes of fabric. Most of it will be used for our JustServe projects. Seamstress will keep a little of it for her projects. This was received with great gratitude. We know that it was given in the same way we are giving things.

Forty eight years ago, while sitting on the floor at Granny's house in Glendale, CA, playing with a brand new baby, Musician heard that the King of Rock and Roll had died at the age of 42. We still remember this. We grew up with his music and have some favorites. While living in Hawaii, he was there filming Blue Hawaii. That movie has at least two of our favorite songs. Then, on this day, seven years ago, Aretha Franklin died. The choir above is growing a lot lately. Many we grew up listening to are joining that great choir.

Much is going on; as Weather Girl and Geologist continue to watch the activity within the Pacific Ring of Fire, as Correspondent hears of things going on in the world, as Disciple hears about things going on with The Church, at the Temple, in The Hermitage, etc. we know things are going in a certain direction. We know things are happening. Today we were reminded of something from a video. A quote from Elder Holland. “We are witnessing an ever greater movement toward polarity. The middle-ground options will be removed from us as Latter-day Saints. The middle of the road will be withdrawn.“If you are treading water in the current of a river, you will go somewhere. You simply will go wherever the current takes you. Going with the stream, following the tide, drifting in the current will not do.“Choices have to be made. Not making a choice is a choice. Learn to choose now.”

And Writer will just leave it all right there. Have an amazing weekend. Weather Girl has noticed the wind is picking up. Maybe rain will come.

 16 August 2016

I moved a lot growing up...something no one has tried to explain or make excuses for; fourteen schools and as many, if not more, homes. While I learned a lot about many cultures and people, I grew to hate it more and more each time it happened.

Seems that I am destined to move again; I knew it was coming, I've known for a long time. I've lived out of boxes for the last few years. Yes, it's a drag, but someone has to do it. HAH! Anyway...time seems to be closing in on this move. Last week a friend told me about a home two streets over from where I am now. We all have dreams, hopes, desires, etc. While this isn't any of those, it IS something I can handle for the most part. For the last few nights I haven't slept much; and when I wake up, I am anxious and sick to my stomach. I haven't been sure what it was, but one morning I realized it had to do with "moving" and everything involved with it...and I pondered all the moves in my life, and hated them all over again. At least most all of my things are already in boxes...makes things easier. However, I'm going to have to open those boxes. I'm going to have to face life, the past, the present and the future. I'm going to have to sort through the past. I have boxes here, I have boxes in storage here and I have the rest of my things in storage in Utah…about 5 hours from here.

The last home I owned had six bedrooms and five bathrooms; a big Victorian home built in the 1880’s, there were three stories above the ground and a basement…which the kids wouldn’t go in. HAHAHA! Whatever. It was wonderful for the most part…but far from my treasures. Now I am close to my treasures and have been without a home for 8 years.

The inevitable will come, the sorting through “things” which I’ve had in my possession…some for a relatively short time, and then there are the things which will be hard to deal with. I had to deal with some of those a few years ago. The kids asked, “Mom! What the heck are you doing with this?!?!?” As tears welled up in my eyes, I said, “I kept hoping things would change…I didn’t want to get rid of them just in case.”

Well, this “new” home will be a third of the size of my last home. Much will have to go. I’ve pondered the things in storage and in my mind it has been easy to say…THAT is going…but then there are things that I can’t seem to part with…I will probably need some impartial help…those old Beatle cards…maybe they are worth something. They are like baseball cards; they came in a package with gum, but I always threw the gum away. I have a stack of those cards. Most of them are black and white, but there are a few that are color. There might be 75 of them. A bassinet I’ve had since I was about 8…not sure where it came from, but I have 1960 Eloise Vogue “Baby Dear” doll which fits perfectly in it. She belonged to my Great Aunt Cora…she and her husband…my Uncle Gundy, never had any children. They wanted children, but never did. Sixty years of random things…and it will be interesting to say the least.

Moving makes me melancholy, hurts my heart and tears at my mind. The thoughts, the memories all come rushing past my eyes…and lately have been leaking all over. But, there are things I know I will find and be surprised. Things I’ve forgotten and will either bring a smile or a tear. Who knows? It will be an adventure for sure.

So, when I saw this a bit ago, about the past, present and future, this is what came to mind. Just thought I would share something different.

 9 August 2025

What a week...

ALL of us in The Hermitage are SO thankful that the weather has been "mild" at under 110 degrees! Last year we had 80 days straight of between 115 and 120+. So, yes, we are enjoying, for the most part, the 110 during the day and 70's-80's at night. 

Disciple has had choir practices in the Ward and Stake, JustServe meetings both Regional and Stake, and then she has her wonderful day at the Temple. She is SO thankful for Temple day as it fills and lifts her. 

Gardener is watering and praying for the plants. She has a LOT of transplanting to do, when it gets a little cooler. She will be digging up iris and looking for homes for some of them. The Naked Ladies have been blooming for a few weeks and we are in LOVE with them. They are beautiful! 

Weather Girl and Geologist are still intrigued with ALL that is happening in the Pacific Ring of Fire. Seems there is constant activity going on AND there are predictions which MAY happen soon. While none of us have felt anything happening, they assure us that things CAN and WILL happen. Disciple is backing up their theories. They know the earth is "healing" itself, and drastic things will happen to fix what is going on.

Many of us have been in a "mood" that we can't seem to shake. Chauffeur took several of us on a L O N G drive yesterday, hoping that would help. It did NOT. AND Chauffeur wants to know why no one told her that Windmill turns into Blue Diamond?!?!? How she missed that is BEYOND any of us. There are SO many streets here that share SEVERAL different names depending on where you are in the Valley. WE know this. SHE knows this. AND we really think that deep down she knew, but just wanted to travel on several more roads under construction and FILLED with cones. Nevertheless, when we finally got out to Bonnie Springs, we never saw ANY donkeys. We knew it was too hot, but thought it would help. 

Shopper bought bananas to "help" with "the mood" and Chef is going to make banana splits for dinner. We can do that in The Hermitage. We are ALL adults here in The Hermitage. We do what we want, when we want, and eat whatever whenever. That's how we ALL roll. We like it that way. Don't judge us. 

Organizer has been in "slow" mode, but has decided she needs to ramp it up. The term "slacker" has been used more than once for several of us. That isn't helping "the mood" of The Hermitage. So, she is trying to have a plan. 

Photographer and Communicator went through photos on the communications device, deleting unnecessary memes taking up room, and photos of who knows what. Next will be the downloading of photos to some kind of "drive" for future use. We ponder if any of this is necessary? Probably not.

Board Member had a meeting last week. That didn't go as planned. Not that anything was horribly wrong, but things just are out of whack. 

The coming week will be busy, busy, busy for all of us. We are prepared as best as We can be. We ponder a lot. We ponder lost hopes, dreams, and wishes. We ponder the "why's" we can't answer. We ponder what is in the future. Perhaps we are doing far too much thinking. We all seem to have lost our "muchness," BUT We have ALL come through many things in the past. We are survivors. We carry on. We are SO thankful and We are SO blessed. We are grateful for the knowledge each of us has. We do have hopes. We do have dreams. We are loved.

 4 August 2025

Writer started this last week, and wrote one sentence. The following.

29 July 2025

Writer has been lax in her duties in The Hermitage.

Time to update this.

The Neurologist said that the tests ALL came back "normal" for us! We aren't sure exactly what all of that means, BUT we are carrying on as "normal" for us. For some it is FAR from "normal" and for others it doesn't even come close. But we're fine with everything. He said we could go in for an M.R.I. but we haven’t quite decided.

Chauffeur was happy that the priceof gas is down to almost $3.00. That’s a bonus. She doesn’t do much driving, BUT this is a good thing in her book.

Board Member has been busy returning shopping carts with another board member. That may be coming to an end.

Organizer, Recycler, Dumpster Diver AND Builder were busy. Years ago, about 25, Recycler “saved” some pickets and wood from going into the dumpster. IF something still has “life” in it, why throw it away? Anyway, Organizer got the supplies together, and Builder spent some time cutting and putting things together in a different way than it was to begin with. It was a rolling cart originally, with three fence pickets on each end, and 1x4’s for several shelves between them. Builder has repurposed all of the wood, with the addition of four other pickets from yet another project several years ago. Probably 30. Nevertheless, everything was used. Then Painter came in and painted it, and now we have a “masterpiece”of sorts! Organizer hasn’t finished doing her thing, but we ALL like it.

Grandmomma had a visitor and we spent time at the pool, then met Auntie for dinner, then watched videos while eating zebra popcorn, and drinking chocolate malts. We stayed up FAR too late. Our visitor always requests pancakes and sausage on Saturday morning, and Chef almost always complies. Visitor helps with the watering of the house plants, filling of bird feeders, etc.

Chauffeur took us on a field trip to the 9th and Clark Chapel downtown. It is a FamilyHistory center now, and Disciple’s friends, Bob and Carol were working. We found out about the “Escape Rooms” there and decided we wanted to do that. WHAT fun!!! We were given an hour to complete the “Escape” and finished in 40minutes. Visitor loved it and it was a nice experience…and free! IF you haven’t done them, go. You will enjoy it.

Chauffeur took us to the Disney store afterwards. OH MY GOSH! We spent more time in the parking garage than the store. AND they didn’t even have what we went there for. Hmm…

Musician told Visitor about the La Bamba song when it came on the radio. We hear it now and then when driving with Chauffeur. Musician is trying to educate Visitor on the “oldies!” She went on to tell him that not only was La Bamba Spanish, BUT there was also a Japanese “rock” song from the 60’s. He found that amusing. We rarely hear that one, and it has probably been over a decade since we’ve heard it.

We continued on our outing, spent some time at Costco trying everything at the tasting kiosks. That’s always fun. We liked most of them, and even purchased one. Then we headed back to The Hermitage several hours later, and don’t you know, BUT the Sukiyaki (Ue o Muite Arukou) song came on the radio!!! Call us ALL shocked! We couldn’t believe it! Still can’t. But it happened. Then we were off to the pool, and after that, we played darts.

When Visitors parents came to get him, he almost stayed another night, but in the end…Left.

Chef prepared meatloaf, just regular, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, fresh green beans with bacon and onion, and salad, for dinner for First Sunday FamilyDinner. Baker made “Brookies” with whipped cream. Those were WAY too sweet for most of us. She puts chocolate chip cookie dough on the bottom, then a layer of Reece’s peanut butter cups, then mixes up triple chocolate brownies and spreads that on top and bakes it. OH MY GOSH! Correspondent shared with the neighbors.

Queen, Disciple, Weather Girl, and Geologist have been watching The Ring of Fire. NOT Johnny Cash, the Pacific Ring of Fire. There has been more activity in the last month than ever recorded. IF you can believe the news. Which...We are skeptical, but whatever. Nevertheless, things are happening.

As Queen heard of the tidal wave alerts along the pacific coast, and Hawaii, she was reminded of her years living in Hawaii, and remembers well when she would sit on the window seat at night, and the sirens would sound, and the HUGE lights would pan the shore. For years she and her brother wore special bracelets in the event we ever needed to be identified. We are watching the activity with fascination, among other things happening in the world.

Everyone has had a full day today. Chauffeur had Shopper out and about. Scullery Maid was busy from yesterday’s event. Disciple and Correspondent went to visit a friend undergoing rehab. Writer has been busy. Manicurist is needed, but she has been missing. Disciple was preparing things for later this week.

All is well in The Hermitage. We are SO blessed. We hope ALL of you are doing well. Cherish time. It is valuable. Cherish health. It is something others don’talways have. Let’s do this.