A very busy weekend

We had such a busy week last week that we slept in.  I.E.  I got up at 6am instead of 4.30 am which is when our neighbor upstairs gets up and makes such a racket that I get woken up and then once awake, it is impossible to go back to sleep.  Why?  Well for one thing we do not have an alarm clock here - the one in the clock radio we have is next to impossible to set and is unreliable when we do.............and I do not think to set my cell phone........DUH!  I am afraid that if I went back to sleep, I would not get up in time to shower and get lunches made and out the door in time for work at the archives.  Guess I will have to take steps to rectify this situation.  one thing would be to get the neighbor a different job where he does not have to get up so early?  the other is to get him to stop smoking, because that is what he does at 4.45am - he goes out front of the apartment to have his "Good Morning" Cigarette.  He has another cigarette at about 6.15am and then another on the way off to work at 7.45am.  His girlfriend comes to visit each weekend and they are like clockwork - out having a cigarette about every 45 minutes.....and it does not make any difference whether it is raining, snowing, blowing a blizzard or sunshine...........they were even out there when it was 10degrees below zero in the dead of winter.  Their habit must cost then a fortune.
We went to lunch at The Great Wall of China restaurant with some friends from church and another couple from Marty's workplace.  We had a great time.  Sue and I left the group there to go walking together - something we had wanted to do for a long time but never got around to it - but on the way to the place to walk we decided to go to Hallowell and walk in and out of the shops there.  I did this myself around Thanksgiving last year (Bill hates to wander in and out of shops) and Sue and I had discussed the fact that it would be fun to do this together one day..............well Saturday turned out to be the Day.  The river is well below the decking of the boat landing at Hallowell and is becoming rather peaceful after the rain surge.
We wandered in and out of stores, looked at all the 'pretties' on sale and wandered into an 'antique' store.  I have seen this shop from the street many times but did not dream that it went back as far as it did.  Saw a Singer Featherweight sewing machine for sale for $350.  They go for $400- $450 in Arizona.  We spent the evening at home when I prepared for my Sunday School class and Bill was preparing for his presentation to the priesthood class.
In Sacrament meeting today there were three sisters who spoke.  The first one talked about the horrendous things that had happened to her during her life and how wonderful it is to have found the church and to know that she is of great worth to the Lord.  During the abuses she endured, she began to think that she was not worth much and even contemplated ending it all.  I am glad that she did not have success in this endeavor - we would be much the poorer with her not being present.  the second sister talked about why it is important to be in Church each Sunday.  She also had had a long journey to this point in her existence and we are very glad to have her with us.  The third sister talked about politics and how people have different opinions and that discussion of such can erupt in  very bad feelings on both sides.  She said that one day she thought about this and "could not understand why people did not think like her" this brought laughter.  She then said that the people she mingled with were good people and she came to the conclusion that it was ok to have differing opinions, and to take comfort in the Fact that Heavenly Father's will is paramount and that no matter what happens politically  in this election year, we should remember that Heavenly Father is in charge and he calls the shots and that each and every turn of events effected by the adversary, gets turned to the advantage of Heavenly Father because he knows the end from the beginning.
I had been asked to conduct the sisters in singing "Love at Home".  I am not a chorister nor am I a conductor, and the first practice there were only about 10 persons in attendance.  The second practice we had about 15 in attendance but today, we had all the sisters up there singing and I was amazed that we had so many women in the congregation.  I guess when they get mixed in with husbands, boyfriends, significant others, children and visitors, it is hard to imagine that we have so many women in this congregation.  The song went well and I was pleased with the effort.
I came home and ate and immediately fell asleep.  Bill had gone home teaching rught after church and he came home about 2.30pm and I dressed and we went to the Maine Veterans home to present a worship service.  As I walked through the door, bishop Dawbin asked me to give a talk.  I wondered how I could possibly give a coherent talk to these men who are veterans of various wars - who have seen death all round them and put their lives on the line so that we could live free here. What could I possibly say that would be of benefit for them?  Bishop Dawbin asked me to use the Atonement as the theme and so I borrowed his Book of Mormon and talked about 2 Nephi 9:25,26.  I also gave Boyd K. Packer's parable of the foolish young man and his creditor and how the mediator came between them to satisfy the demands of Justice and also satisfy the demands of Mercy.
the men sang with gusto and I really think that they gained a lot from the short worship service that we hosted for them.  these men are in this home for the remaining days of their mortal sojourn.   the meeting broke up with the men being taken back to their rooms.
Bill, Bishop Dawson and myself then went to see Sr. Rood, who cannot get out any more. While there they administered the sacrament to her and then we went to see Brother Smith who is in the DNR wing of the Togus Hospital (VA hospital).  Bill and Bishop Dawson administered the sacrament to him as well and then he gave a short talk from Moroni 10 citing the final admonition to us all to stay the course.  I was very sad during this meeting with Brother Smith.  He has congestive heart failure among other things and being DNR is the end of the line.  I wondered how close he was to leaving mortality and how sad to be in this situation but his faith is strong and he is at peace with the situation that he faces.  Many people face this life ending struggle kicking and screaming but he is facing it with faith in the Lord and comforted by the visits of the home teachers each week.  this was a very spiritual meeting to be with Brother Smith.
And so we face the beginning of another week at the Archives.  What a contrast this is - we are doing the court records - people in contention over possessions, deeds and money etc. and brother Smith facing the end of his mortal span.