It's been a particularly trying week. I accepted too many playing jobs and really wore myself out. No time available for the usual homemaking tasks. This morning was a welcome relief. Today was to be my catch-up day -- today I planned to attack the mess that had accumulated and the mounds of laundry that have filled my laundry room. Today I will take care of erasing Audrey's name that she so sweetly wrote in the dust in the computer room and I will finally fill the fridge with much needed staple foods -- all before tonight's Symphony concert.
But with my first load of laundry, the washer motor quit. I turned the knob and pulled it off and on numerous times. After all these years and countless batches of laundry, it gave up the ghost. I think MY MOTOR quit too. I sighed... rather beaten, I might add, and sat down to do.... nothing. Then a thought came to me: If faith can move mountains, maybe it can start a washing machine. I said a simple prayer and with a smile on my face I walked up to the washer and pulled the knob. The washer gave me its very familiar and welcomed spinning sound!
Just then from my IPOD I heard, "Don't give up. It's just the weight of the world. You are loved." This morning I KNOW that I am loved.
This is CUPID. He's about 26 years old. (We had another one before him, but he, unfortunately, was chewed up by the dog.) 
Randy to find! Cupid is a little reminder of our love for each other. He has been found in the oddest locations, shoes, luggage, glove compartments... On Saturday, I found him tied into the back tie of the dress I was wearing. He makes me smile. It is nice to be reassured that I am still loved after all these years! 
I so wanted to take back those few seconds! Randy is supposed to work in a trade show in Vegas next week! We raced home and made an emergency call to Dr. Bigelow who was good enough to spend three hours of his Valentine's Day fixing Randy's front teeth -- a temporary fix, but they actually look quite nice! I am SO relieved.
Our new Draper Temple is holding its open house. It is expected that one million individuals will tour this new temple before it is dedicated in March. 
On Wednesday of that week, my pianist friend, Jan Clayton, and I were scheduled to play from 4:30 to 6:30. We were asked to stay and play for an extra hour or so; Elder Perry was expected to come through the reception area. He did...and stayed for about an hour. He attentively watched and listened, then ventured over to tell us how perfect our music was for the occasion. Such a kind and gracious man.
I was looking through my journal and found an entry about Emily written on her birthday when she turned TWELVE-YEARS OLD.
Want to know her friends nicknames? They're Sugar, Foxy, and Babe... but just for the month of February. Whenever she uses barbecue sauce or ketchup, WATCH OUT! More often than not it ends up all over her plate, her front, and her fingers. She still isn't too crazy about the dark. Often she can be found sleeping with Audrey... in the same small twin-sized bed. She likes to be casual... VERY casual; she doesn't mind being grubby or having mussed-up hair... until she dresses up for fancy events, that is. Then wow, is she ever a knock out. She knows her scripture stories, has already read the Book of Mormon on her own. She really is a Honey."
