18 February 2026

 

Writer has had a LOT of things on her mind, not to mention many post-it notes in various places with notes from several in The Hermitage. She has collected them all and feels she had better get with it before another one shows up.

 

Chauffeur took several over to the local physician for the results from the tests. The physician had wonderful things to say! B/P was 100/80. Nice! Glucose, cholesterol, kidneys, heart, and everything else they tested came back perfect, and we were ALL excited and happy. To say the least! They questioned IF some of us should lose a few pounds? She said “NO! You have a BMI of 28. Your weight is considered good, and often optimal, weight for a 70-year-old woman.” So when Chauffeur brought us home, we checked it out and also found this, “While standard charts label 25–29.9 as "overweight," research indicates that seniors in this range have lower mortality rates, better functional capacity, and more energy reserves against illness compared to those in the "normal" (18.5–24.9) range.” Physician said IF we wanted to lose 10 that was fine, BUT not necessary. We will continue to do what we are doing and that’s our final answer and we are sticking to it. 

Board Member has had some slight irritations! It seems that we have some teens who have decided to terrorize the HOA. They throw rocks at cars, jump walls and fences they are not supposed to, kick in gates, bully little kids, damaging bricks, breaking the new lights we just had put all over the HOA, etc. AND when they are politely asked to not do that, OR are questioned WHY they are doing these things, they say they are bored, and cuss you out. Hmmm…the skills of some parents are showing. She isn’t sure what to do. Then a woman drove her car into a wall on the west side of the HOA, so we have been dealing with that information.

 

Gardener is happy with things going on in her care. The wild violets are blooming. THOSE are probably her favorite, or next to it. The narcissus are blooming too. The yellow and purple look lovely together. Some of the purple iris are blooming too. Tulips are coming up as well as other bulbs. The African Daisies are also blooming. Everything smells lovely. Inside The Hermitage the orchids are blooming and they are pretty. We were gifted a new plant for Valentine’s Day. She isn’t sure where that will go yet, but it has beautiful variegated purple/yellow flowers. It is a Cineraria. It thrives in “cool” weather, so, this will be interesting. 

 

Chauffeur has made notes about some things that were puzzling, BUT now that she has seen things in real life, in the daylight and evening, she is no longer puzzled. Now and then in The Hermitage she hears about deaths from those riding e-bikes and scooters, among other motorized modes of transportation. The other day, driving Disciple home from the Temple, about 11 miles, she was next to, off and on, something with a seat, small wheels, and it goes FAST! The speed limit was 35, but this person, dressed in black, at night, was going at least 50. NO lights, no helmet, nothing. Just racing along in and out of traffic! Chauffeur was mildly horrified! She has also seen kids, as well as some adults, on scooters and e-bikes going just as fast, if not faster, and not even watching what the other traffic is doing. THEY are IN the traffic, but not obeying the traffic laws. She now understands why so many are getting hit, and the outcome isn’t good for them. AND then there are the pedestrians who just walk across MAJOR streets, in the dark, wearing black, and you can’t even see them. Chauffeur may not go out at night any more. OR the daytime! They’ve started putting up cones again on many of the streets she travels. 

 

Seamstress has had a busy time the last week or so. She sewed up two quilt tops for Disciple’s JustServe. She also did a bit of sewing at the Sister’s in Service. She put pockets in a skirt for a lovely sister Disciple works with at the Temple. AND she finished another Christmas stocking and is preparing to start the next one! She is ON A ROLL and loving it!

 

Disciple has been VERY busy. She has gone out with the Sister Missionaries twice, went to a baptism for three new members, and has been with Chauffeur as she picks up another person who will be getting baptized later this month. Since the Temple will be closed from the 23^rd of February until March 9^th, she has had Chauffeur take her up to the Temple MANY times in the last two weeks spending about 35 hours there doing work. She will spend another 12 hours there tomorrow. She went to lunch at The Brio with her Temple Sisters and had a lot of fun. Last night she was at the Regional JustServe meeting not quite 10 miles from The Hermitage. She found out some amazing information and was excited and moved by ALL that is happening with various non-profit organizations as well as interfaith networking. JustServe was started by the Church as a means for non-profit organizations to reach out for help, ways to serve, etc. No money is involved, and it is amazing. (See photos) She also learned how the Light the World with the Giving Machines did in Las Vegas for the month they were up and running. (See photos).  The Giving Machines were in 126 cities in 21 countries on 6 continents. Items range from $2.00 and up. There is a 777 option that allows you to purchase one of each item! Depending on the machine, it is anywhere from $1400.00 to $2100.00 and 43 people did that here in Vegas! Each customized machine is stocked with tangible items and services to help people in need — nearby or across the world — providing a meaningful and memorable way to show love and extend hope to individuals and families.

This year, more than 4,000 items will be available worldwide from over 500 local nonprofit organizations, including these twelve global participants:

1. American Red Cross
2. Care
3. Church World Service
4. Days for Girls International
5. Lifting Hands International
6. Mentors International
7. Right to Play
8. Special Olympics
9. Splash
10. USA for UNHCR
11. UNICEF
12. Water for Good

Movie Buff was beyond excited the other night! The “old” Perry Mason shows are back on! She has tuned those in for us to watch as well as Hogan’s Heroes. We think of Queen’s dad when we watch those as she used to watch them with him. We are also watching several religious videos associated with the Old Testament, Hebrew, and finding Christ in our daily reading, as well as quite a few Come Follow Me videos relating to the Old Testament curriculum. We all made a list of movies we like for Valentine’s Day. That follows:

Pride and Prejudice (Colin Firth ), the one with Keira Knightly is a second favorite, EverAfter, While You Were Sleeping, Love Story, Pretty Woman, The Sound of Music, Father Goose, Love on the Sidelines, The Holiday, Sense and Sensibility, The Princess Diaries (1&2), Sleepless in Seattle, Runaway Bride, The Shop Around the Corner, You've Got Mail, The Quiet Man, Sabrina (I like the new one, but the old one is good too), Houseboat, Tammy and the Bachelor, Barefoot in the Park, What's Up Doc?, Grease, Green Card, Doc Holiday, Fools Rush In, French Kiss, One Fine Day, The Parent Trap (1961), 10 Things I Hate About You, Serendipity, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Mamma Mia, Must Love Dogs, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and dozens of Hallmark Movies. Movie Buff, as well as several others are just a bunch of hopeless romantics! 

We picked a couple to watch and Chef decided Panda Express was in order as we all deserved it. So Chauffeur took her there and she gathered up everything we ALL enjoy. 

Building Super has built a fire in the fireplace and will be lighting it as soon as Chef prepares what we are going to have tonight. After the HUGE rain storm we had last night, Weather Girl told us it isn’t over. In fact, it is supposed to get to the mid 30’s tonight with rain for two days. So, tonight it is a cozy fire and good food. Maybe Chef will serve up some of the Taco Soup or White Chili she made last week! Both of those are GREAT. Time will tell.

Have a GREAT one. We are grateful for all of you. We are also grateful to be SO blessed! 

 8 February 2026

Here we are a week into February. Much has been going on here in The Hermitage. 

We had a “wellness” check-up this week with the nearby physician. Everything was proclaimed wonderful just before we left, however other results will be available tomorrow. Correspondent will have to check on that. 

Weathergirl has noticed that we are not in our “normal” (IF there is one!) winter weather here. We have had highs in the mid to upper 70’s with lows in the high 40’s to low 50’s. All sorts of things are happening because of this. Now she’s heard that a winter storm is on the way. Dare she say anything to Gardener???

Gardener noticed this afternoon that the iris are starting to bloom! Also the strawberries are starting to turn red. They may be ready to eat in a week or so. The orchids are blooming also! AND the snake plant she has been nursing for several years, trying desperately to keep an “easy-to-grow” plant alive, is FINALLY starting to look alive and growing. She thanks Disciple for her part in this as well.

Seamstress has been diligent in working on the next Christmas stocking. It is coming along nicely and she is more than three-quarters of the way done!

Movie Buff is off of her detention and has had to find new things to watch. We were well into watching the old Perry Mason shows, then they disappeared! We were midway through season 8, and anxiously looking forward to season 9, and BOOM! It’s gone. So, she has gone out on a limb. We’ve watched Donovan’s Reef, Hatari!, Operation Petticoat and Father Goose countless times. And yet, every time we hear, “Married?! Goody Two-Shoes and the Filthy Beast?!?!” We laugh until we cry. Old movies are wonderful! Now she has found an old series, Hogan’s Heroes, which we all remember from our youth. We used to watch it with Queen’s father. He loved watching it. She also had us watching a documentary about Castles. In it an ancestor, or two, were mentioned. That was fun. Family Historian’s ears perked up at that! Then we were watching Ancient Aliens! Another fascinating show. We’ve also watched several religious videos.

Correspondent is busy with celebratory cards, and Artist has helped with the decorating of the envelopes. Correspondent has had a pen pal in England for several years. This pen pal will be turning 92 this month. When she doesn’t hear back right away, she worries. Thankfully it has been somewhat needless. The mail is sometimes slow and she is impatient. Many of us in The Hermitage have this slight imperfection. 

Speaking of Family Historian, she has been VERY busy and dove head first down another rabbit hole. We’ve decided she loves it down there, but we aren’t sure what’s going on. She was down in the 1000’s and checking on various ancestors. We are ALL fascinated by her “finds” as she digs around. Queen is especially fascinated. King Harold II Godwinson (1022-1066) of England is her 26^th Great Grandfather. Grand Prince Vladimir II Vsevolodovich Monomakh of Kievan Russia (1053-1125) is her 25^th Great Grandfather. Jeannede Bourbon Reine de France (1338-1378) is her 16^th Great Grandmother. King Edward IV of York (1442-1483) is her 14^th Great Grandfather. King Philippe of Savoy-Carignano II (1438-1497) is her 13^th Great Grandfather. What fun.  

Speaking of royalty, Queen was very melancholy yesterday. She is better today, but it took some time. Queen loved when ALL of her children lived within 10 miles of The Hermitage. Life was just lovely and she couldn’t have been happier about this. Then one moved about 3 and a half hours away. She still isn’t over this, but tries to be happy for them. They are doing well. That should be all that matters. Now another one told her yesterday that they will be staying in Florida. To say she lost it is an understatement. She tries to be happy for them, but reality steps in and takes over. So we are leaving her alone and trying not to say anything to her about ducks leaving the pond. 

Disciple has had an incredibly busy week. She spent a little over 12 hours at the Temple on Thursday, and another five on Friday. Family Historian has her busy. She is looking forward to serving with Seamstress at the “Sisters in Service” on Thursday evening. She won’t get to be at the Temple all day, but will be doing important service projects. She is also the “Spotlight” for February. That was kind of fun.

Today while listening to the talks in Church, Disciple went down a rabbit hole. She has a tendency to do this more often than she lets on. Yes, she was engrossed in the talks, which were wonderful, but something was said, which led to something in her thoughts, and that led to something else, and off she was to the races! Over the decades Disciple has been called out on her beliefs, and much more. She insists that there is ALWAYS MORE out there. When one thinks about the last 2000 years, IF people thought there was nothing more, we would be exactly where they were then. In EVERYTHING! Science, medicine, philosophy, geography, religion, everything. Just everything. BUT there were people who thought, “This can’t be all there is!” When one thinks of all of the inventions, explorations, discoveries, etc. Disciple is thankful that she is one of those who is outside of the box. She “knows” there is more. She is prepared for more to come. AND it will come because we don’t know everything. We don’t have everything. There is more to discover. More to explore. More to invent. The search is never over. She feels sorry for those who believe we already have everything and there is nothing else. And to Laione Eteaki, you gave an amazing talk! You will be an amazing missionary in Washington D.C. North Mission speaking Spanish. Yes, you wanted Tonga, but you are right. God is putting you where He needs you. Someone is there, just like those missionaries who taught you when you were nine years old. Disciple can’t WAIT to hear about all that happens on your mission.

From ALL of us here in The Hermitage, we wish you a wonderful week. We are blessed to have you as family and friends!