I am trying to get rid of all my big furniture now so I will have time to do that. Jenny and her daughter came over last week and took a lot of my things and they are advertising some of them on Marketplace. Molly is getting my desk this next week and Norma and Brian are getting my Ethan Allen bookcases and TV and table and probably TV. Norma was especially excited to find my hummingbird feeder as hers just broke and I have it in the thrift store pile, they also took some others items so have less in that pile to go.
They came today for all the things I am sending up to the cabin with Carole's ok. She is the last sister still using the cabin. I sent 4 bear lamps, Brians picture of Dad fishing in a stream, Richard's picture he bought to remind me of Montana of the horse, and pix of James while hiking with John, John as surfer who also had a love for and spent a lot of time at the cabin, and pix book of the cabin pictures on Montana years book. Also send my red winter jacket and pea coat for cold days up there.
"Now I bless you that as you travel up and down in the earth that you may go in safety and that the hand of the Lord shall be outstretched to save you from accident and harm and sickness."..."I bless you with lengthened days and say unto you that it will be your privilege to live until you have fulfilled the full measure of your creation."
These are two blessings in my Patriarchal Blessing which I was given in my freshman year at BYU. When I prayed for help from the Lord as my only resource and He inched my 49 Plymouth up the slippery hill in Wyoming (on my way back to BYU from Marilyn's wedding in Glendive) I knew that the Lord kept his promises and he would always be there and I trusted in that promise.
I am 89 years old and I need to leave a record of the many times the Lord has outstretched his hand and saved me even when I did not know I was in danger.
The first one was actually in high school. We had been at a high school dance in downtown Glendive. I was probably a freshman and did not have a special boyfriend but my friend Sieve had this big crush on Dean and she wanted me to go with her and have Dean give us a ride home. I do not know if she asked him or what but there was another boy in the front seat and Deloris and I were in the back. No seat belts in those days. We did not know that Dean (and whoever the other boy was) had been drinking and as we left the bright lights of the town and entered the darker area Dean began to speed and soon had the police chasing us. He lost control and we were weaving back and forth and rolling all over and it appeared we were going to crash on one side or the other and then suddenly he took a quick turn into the stockyards and drove into the interior and doused his lights. The other boy had been throwing their cans of beer out of the car in case they got caught. I was praying all along and promising I would never drive with anyone who had been drinking if the Lord would just save us. He did and I never drove with anyone who had been drinking again.
The next event happened as Marilyn and I were driving home from BYU and I am not sure where we were but she was driving and it was very dark, probably in the mountains. Just as we rolled around a corner too fast she accidently knocked the lights out and there was a bridge ahead and we were in the gravel on the right side. Just before we would have hit the side of the bridge or gone into the river below the lights came on and Marilyn quickly swerved onto the bridge. Marilyn really was an excellent driver. Anyway I thanked the Lord for saving us and acknowledged his hand outstretched.
Then there was the miracle in the mountains I mentioned above. Marilyn got married at Thanksgiving my junior year at college. I was to now have the 49 Plymouth at college. Driving back I was to stay ahead of Jeanne and Stan and their children in case I should have a problem they would see me and be able to help me, was the plan. We had no telephones in those days. I was driving alone. We were in 'South Pass in Wyoming which is up and down hills and not a lot of traffic in the winter. I saw a station where I could go to the bathroom and quickly dashed in and out but unfortunately I was not fast enough and just as I was to enter the highway I saw them zoom by. So now I just hoped I could catch up to them. I was almost to the top of a high hill when a car zoomed up on my left and because it was near the top he cut in front of me and I braked and slid down the hill. I did all the right things, backing up and trying to get a run, etc but I could not get that car to go up the hill. No chains, no snow tires, etc. As I sat there at the bottom I talked to the Lord and told him I had tried and tried and I could not do it but I know that He could and I really needed his help. And it was not long before I was trying to go again and we inched all the way to the top. I never forgot the way I felt when that prayer was answered. He did keep his promises and I trusted Him that He is always there. I don't know how, but He is.
In the years to come I did not share that story very much, but I never doubted. And then one Sunday I felt inspired to share it in my testimony when I was living in Lake Almanor and I said I was not sure why I was sharing it that day. It was very evident that a little boy in the audience did not believe it could be and he said quite loudly that it was not possible. The following testimony meeting the mother got up and said. "Last month Sister Hardy did not know why she was sharing her "miracle in the mountain" but it was for us. We had a great teaching moment with our son talking about how God answers our prayers and was always there to help us. Later in the month my husband was late coming home from his snow trip and she and her son had the opportunity to pray for his return while a couple of the men searched for him and he was found." She thanked me for sharing the story as it was a faith promoting experience for her son.
Then there was the time when Melissa and I were driving up the hill out of Susanville. A camper top flew off a truck not too far in front of us. We did not know how to react but just before it could hit us it flew off to our right and out of our path. I thanked the Lord.
When I was working in the Fashion Valley area I had gone to lunch and as I was entering the intersection as the light turned green and suddenly my foot went up and pressed on the brakes and I stopped suddenly and just then a car drove right in front of me. I had not seen it coming at all. I thanked the Lord.
One other time as I was leaving Myrna's house in Manhattan Beach on my way down to San Diego and I had entered the freeway and I saw two cars collide far on the right side of the freeway. I did not react at all but one of the cars whizzed in front of me and hit the center cement and whizzed back again just before I then whizzed by. I thanked the Lord.
One time when I was leaving Susanville some highway patrol were directing us to take Highway 44 because of forest fire. This would take me north to Redding and a long way back. When I had gone a ways a car I was following stopped me and told me he knew how to get back to Westwood on the dirt forest roads and follow him. I did but he was going so fast I soon lost him and was out there in all these forest roads where I did not know where they went and I was needing gas. I was planning on filling up in Westwood. Here again I prayed to find my way out of there and came out just at the gas station in Westwood. Just in time. I did not do that by myself. I thanked the Lord.
The same kind of thing happened on my first day in East Texas after driving from where we were staying in Houston. I ended up on dirt roads again with signs like T34 and did not know where I was. Here again I prayed my way out. When I saw my supervisor the next morning in Houston I asked her what she was doing sending gray hair old ladies out to the boondocks. And she said, "We are the only ones that have any common sense." Well, there was truth to that but I surely did not like it. But I thanked the Lord.
Then there was the time I was at the office in Mission Valley when we were setting up things and I had been filing things in a high four drawer file that had been damaged. I had too much heavy drawers on top but did not realize this was a problem. All of a sudden I noticed a paper on the far right of the table and I walked around the table to get it. Just then the file fell just where I had been standing. I thanked the Lord.
I was in Guam in 2002 working for SBA and we worked in the end area of this huge mall where we would meet victims and process our loans. The mall was on the high part of the island and when we went home to our hotel on the beach we had to go down this very long steep hill. One evening as we sat there at the stop light at the bottom of the hill with other cars in front of us, the driver noticed this runaway car coming down the hill very fast and he had nowhere to get out of the way. I looked behind me and said, "Don't worry, it won't hit us! " When the car got down to where we were it suddenly veered to the right side just behind us and did not hit any part of us. The two guys in the front seat turned around and said. "How did you know that and I told them.though I am sure they doubted what I said. But I thanked the Lord.
There may be "miracles" in our life we are totally unaware of. The Lord keeps his promises. I am not sure why I was being protected but maybe I needed to live a long time for some reason. And I have lived alone for more than 25 years and needed all the help I could get. Plus I was driving alone so much for so many years and surely needed that protection. It was a very good blessing for me in my work and home life. When I got pretty old I stopped letting any grandchildren, great grandchildren, etc ride with me. I was not putting their life at risk when I was not as able as I once was. Common sense or loss of faith. Common sense, I believe. Thinking correctly.
For some reason I have been plagued with skin eruptions and eczema the last several years but at least seem to have it under control and no more itching. My routine for a itch free life.
1-No dairy
2-After shower Eczema Therapy on legs, arms, neck
3-Triamcinolene Acetonide on "active" eczema morning and evening--sides of face, nose crease, front of wrists. Jeanette Walker explained to me that this heals the eczema and to use it on all active areas. I had had it for something but no one explained to me that this gets rid of the eczema. I just have these few spots left.
4-Aveeno moisturizer under my makeup on the face in am
5-Ponds cleanser on face at night followed by salicylic acid medication followed by aveeno restorative night cream (and #3)
6-I do have a applicator with a long arm if want to put on my back any lotion, etc.
Anyway so far it is working and looking good or better at least!!!!
In the last several years my face has been more sensitive to cancer, keratosis, dermatitis, eczema, etc. Dealing with it all has been a nightmare and I have had more than one dermatologist depending on where I was living at the moment.
A couple of months ago I was dealing with possible cancer which turned out to be acitinic keratosis and I met a new dermatologist in Rancho Bernardo. It cleared up.
A couple weeks ago eczema flared up after eating about 5 of Costco Cream Cheese Danish (they are so wonderful but never again) over a two week period. I figured it was all the dairy and wheat that I have a problem with.
This week it flared up even more and the itch is driving me crazy.
Since I have been doing Keto this last week I have now resolved that it is probably the heavy cream usage. I at first blamed it on the Aussie Mousse I was trying but now I am realizing I just cannot have any dairy. I switched to almond milk a couple years or so ago. I probably should switch to coconut oil for my butter, too. It is always a time consuming challenge chasing down what it is that is causing my problem at the time. And, of course, you always suspect stress...
I have always had bad allergies but finding out just what it is has always been a challenge...so I will go to coconut milk, etc. and see if my eczema goes away!! UGH!
Yes, the brown spots are from all the sun, heard that before. There was all the sun sitting around the Glendive pool but the most sun was crewing on a sailboat for about three years when I came to San Diego to teach school in 56!!!!
What are the positives of living alone?
The biggest positive is that I can have my tablet blasting out a book or the tv blasting out music without any concern as to how it might bother anyone else. Sadie can always go find a quiet spot, if she wants one.
You can get up when you can't sleep and watch tv or turn on all the lights and do anything you want like go to my office etc. anytime of the day or night.
You can also sleep as long as you want without anyone disturbing you. I usually get up in the night for awhile and then sleep longer in the morning.
You can eat anytime you want, anything you want without feeling you need to make a real meal if you are not in the mood. Sadie does not care. Peanut butter sandwiches, why not?
When we lived in a big house, it did not matter because you could usually shut your door and be as noisy as you want and not bother anyone, but these little open houses are not really sound proof.
And if you do not feel like talking you don't have to and you don't have to listen to anyone if you are not in the mood. And you do not have to listen to someone else's tv or music.
Of course, the biggest negative is you do get lonely!!!
I have been alone more than I have been with family in my life...not sure why that is and people say you could get married if you wanted to, well, not that easy.
I went to work for SBA four years after Richard passed away. When I was at work, I was surrounded by men, all of them very friendly, nice, mostly younger than me and mostly married. The ones who are running around single are not necessarily marriage material...most of them thought I was younger than I was. In fact, when one of our team and I both came in late one morning the teasing began. I said, "Hey, I am old enough to be his mother!" And I guess I was a little loud, the guys in the next cubical were having fun listening, I heard. Funny thing is we did enjoy running around together later, but there was still that age factor.
And one time on the bus, I was on the way to the mall, and some of the guys were behind me. It was early evening but the driver from the hotel would pick me up at a certain time so I often went. There was not always someone to run around with. One of the guys said, "Hey, who are you meeting at the mall? Why don't you give us a chance?" Funny, what went through my mind is that it is strange how an old man who you knew as a teenager always looks young to you, but an old man you never knew when he was young, he just looks like an old man!!
I love the romantic story about James Coburn I think, or one of those old guys. He had a high school sweetheart who he left and made it big in the movies, but one day when they were older and had both had their other life, he came back, walked in her front door with an empty suitcase and skooted it across the floor and said, "Pack and come with me!" Or something like that. Somehow you never forget those early crushes...they never grow old.
