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 26th Great Grandfather. Grand Prince Vladimir II Vsevolodovich Monomakh of Kievan Russia (1053-1125) is her 25th Great Grandfather. Jeannede Bourbon Reine de France (1338-1378) is her 16th Great Grandmother. King Edward IV of York (1442-1483) is her 14th Great Grandfather. King Philippe of Savoy-Carignano II (1438-1497) is her 13th 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!
