From Mom again

Dear Children,

Yesterday was our wedding anniversary and we cannot believe that 33 years have passed since our marriage. Next year, I will have spent half of my life with Dad. Cool!

I remind you that it is Dad’s birthday on February 7th. I am sure that he would be glad to know that you remembered him.

Dad just went to the Netherlands once this week driving the President’s car back to him and coming back with the Assistants’ car. So, the week was not stressful and everything is just fine. In fact, it may have been too slow for Dad.

I was surprised by the amount of info that I had to write while making a booklet for my successor about the job of the Referral and Supply Secretary. It should be a big help for that missionary. We know that there is not a couple coming from the MTC to replace us. Now, we will see what happens. President has talked to Dad about moving a couple that is currently serving in the Netherlands and bringing it to the office. We shall see.

We received our train tickets to go to Paris to get the flight home. It was cheaper buying them early so we did. We are not trunky! We are trying to have things done.

In Brussels, we are having a cold spell again. The forecasters say that we will have more snow in the coming week. Other then that everything is fine.

I love going on the Blog and read your opinion on different subject. You rock.

Thanks Brian for the pictures.

I love you and pray for you.

With love, Mom

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to Mom and Dad! Congratulations for another year of being together!

Gorebal Warming

Al Gore bought a 100-ft houseboat. It runs on Bio Diesel and he plans to install solar panels. So he has named the boat "Bio Solar One" (or BS-1, for short) Could Gore be so clueless as to name his boat in a manner that is bound be a joke? Or is he subtly telling us that the joke is on us?

Inflation seems to be inevitable

This graph from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis is shocking. It shows the nation's money supply from the end of the First World War to the present. No matter what your political views may be, this should be a slap in the face. The Congress is spending in a manner that is sure to drive the nation head first into the ground. You should begin preparing your family finances right now. Inflation seems to be the inevitable result of such "money-printing" policies.
Click to enlarge:

I drew in the arrows to call your attention to the astounding increase in money supply, and in a recession at that. The nation's GNP does not justify this, so inflation seems to be inevitable outcome.

Have you ever just silently tried to pass a little gas and got away with it? If so be glad you were not a fish. This is a draw back about being a fish that I believe Don Knotts did not take into account in the movie "The Incredible Mr. Limpit".

Mom's Message

Dear Children,
An other week as gone by and we now have less than 2 months left here in Brussels.
This is our travel itinerary: We will leave Brussels on the afternoon of March 24 taking the TGV (bullet train) to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport (It will take 1h38). We will spend the night in a hotel and fly the next morning taking flight 0171 that arrives directly in SLC at 1:45PM. We then hope to get on flight 7774 that leaves at 2:55PM to arrive in St. George at 4:13PM.
Keep in mind that we are flying stand-by so anything can happen but we think that it will work that way.
It is a strange feeling I have thinking that I am in my last days in Belgium but it is not my home anymore. We will not miss the crazy driving in the narrow streets but the delicious food. Dad has really enjoyed the food. In fact, this noon it was saying that in 2 months he would not be able to eat the meat that we were eating and that he likes so much.

Dad has been resting better this last week and did not have to travel much. He took the President to the airport as he went to a Mission President's conference in Germany. Today, he will go pick him up.
The office Elders we have now are slower than anyone we have seen in the office. They may not stay for very long. In fact, the legal secretary told me that he was the last person that should have been called to that position because he is very unorganized. He added "I don't know what I am doing, Sister Wortham". I hope that he will tell that to President.

There is a bird in our backyard that has been singing all morning. Spring is coming and I love it.
Did you hear that Becky will have a baby boy in May? I love this kind of good news.

I will have to think of what to talk about in my next talk. I know that it will come and I hate speaking in public. I become so nervous that I forget everything, and I mean everything. I just have a big blank in my head and it is very frustrating and humiliating at the same time.
Tito is doing well in the Hong-Kong mission, and for those who may not know, Jonathan is Assistant to his Mission President. Lawrence has already returned from his mission in Thailand.
On February 7th, Dad's birthday, we have been invited to eat out with our Mission President. It will be nice.
We would love to hear from those who do not write.
Keep us informed. If you want me to continue writing let me know or I will stop.
I love you.
Mom
(Posted by Alan because Mom is having some technical difficulties. )

UFO Visits Inauguration

Many people are excited that a UFO visited the inauguration.
If you have time to waste, it is here.
I think it is a bird. You can see it flapping its wings.

Just news

Just thought I would post a note letting you all know that Becky and Russ are expecting in late May and they have found out that it is a boy.

Racists vs Bigots - Breakoff from Dad's post

Having lived in the south since 1998 I don't know that there are any more racists here than there are anywhere else in the world. I want to make sure we all know the difference between a racist and a bigot because I think people get them confused or think they are the same. A racist is someone who thinks his genetic race or make up is inherently superior to another, whereas a bigot is someone who prefers or wishes not to associate with those of another group, class or race. Hitler was a racist and a bigot. There are bigots that are not racist but simply prefer not to associate with others not of their class or race.

I sometimes wonder if I have a little bigotry in me because when I have to go to south Atlanta, a large difference in ethnic group from the north side, I get upset at the laziness, lack of service at restaurants, stores and other places of business. I prefer not to associate with those of south Atlanta, does this make me a bit of a bigot or just someone who hates incompetence?

Obama to lift ban on federal funds aiding abortion.

And the fun begins. Yes...I am aware that it is normal for incoming president to reverse bills that the out going President had in place. This bill has reversed every time a new party president has come into office. I don't just don't agree with tax payer money going to fund abortions. Especially to international agencies who probably won't be held accountable for how they use the money we give them.

Kim's Military Retirement Date

I have an official date for my retirement ceremony at Fort Myer. 28 May 2009 with the actual ceremony in the afternoon. All are welcome to attend. I will be flying Amy and all the kids out. Airfare is big time cheap right now. As I mentioned before, it looks as if once I retire, the Army will be putting me back on Active Duty on the Retiree Recall Program. Sounds crazy but its a good thing!

A Special Day in Time

I hope that you were all able to watch the Inauguration today.  Our school watched it in a general assembly and it was very exciting.  Our lone African American teacher came to stage to apologize for not having believed.  "I shall eat crow and I shall eat it for a long time." he said. He had told his classes last spring that he would not see an African American elected president in his lifetime.  I think it is easy to underestimate what this means to the African American community, I know that I have.  

As for me, I thought President Obama's speech was not at all his best, but I was impressed with his call to the Muslim world, his defiance of terrorists, his inclusion of non-believers and his quoting of Washington.  The crowd on the mall with the visibly electric excitement throughout the throngs was infectious.   Now to work, to work all. 

What did you think?  

National Do Not Call Registry

You can avoid telemarketing calls by signing up on the "Do Not Call Registry." By law, telemarketers for profit (apparently does not affect charity calls) cannot call numbers on the registry.
I signed up many years ago and got almost immediate relief from about three or four telemarketing calls per day. Just recently, I started getting telemarketing calls again. The first "Do-Not-Call Act" limited registration to five years. After that, phone numbers become available to telemarketers again. I registered my home phone again today. Thanks to the "Do-Not-Call Improvement Act of 2007," registered numbers are on the list permanently. So you will need to re-register to make it permanent. It's very easy to do. Just visit the link noted above.

Post Script: These are the useful things that politicians can do for the citizenry.

Super Bowl

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizonal Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl.
Pittsburgh will be favored, but I will cheer for Arizona.
I always cheer for the teams out west and teams closest to Utah
The exception is that I always cheer against the Cowboys and against any Chicago team in any sport (it has nothing to do with Obama).

Family Reunion

When is it so that we can see about asking off work? Where is it at and doesn't anyone need to start planning it?

Car

Some time after we get home, we will purchase a car. We enjoyed the Odyssey but it is not an economical car. What do you think about the Hybrids? We do not want to spend over $20,000. So, Dad says that a good used car about 1 or 2 years old would be fine too. What are your thoughts? M

How old is old?

Yesterday, I was discussing some things with one of my young (male) teaching assistant.
During the discussion, he referred to me as an elderly person using a very polite Japanese term "nenpai no kata" (lit. an honorable person advanced in years). I think he meant no insult, but I was taken aback.

When I was younger, I used to think that 40-years old was old.
When I reached 30, 50-years old was old.
I will be 50-years old this year. My body is beginning to show signs of aging, but in my mind I am still twenty years old. Old always seems to be 20 years beyond where I am right now.
So, how old is old to you?

Mom's little message

Dear Children,
As I am starting this, I am wondering what is going on in your lives. It does not seem that you are very willing to email us often except for a couple of you.
This week has not had anything very special for me except for what happened in the office elevator that I have already explained on the Blog. Dad has been to Calais to pick up the Elders to go on to Boulogne-sur-Mer,France where they finished cleaning the apartment that we are closing for good. The next day, he went to Antwerp to build a bookcase and install a desk. He then continued and went to Turnhout where he build also a bookcase and rebuild the cupboard under their sink, then he bold out those missionaries for living like pigs. They promised that they would clean everything and send him a picture to prove it. He also went to Charleroi to bring a new stove and install it. Each time, he comes home really tired. Last night, he went to bed at 9PM and slept until 6:30AM. I don’t like when I see him so tired. He will need a good vacation after we go home.
The sunshine just came back after several cloudy days. We just watched some green parrots on the pine tree just outside of our window. It is always amazing to see that kind of bird in this environment. That’s all for this week.
Know that you are always in our prayers.
We love you and care.
With love, Mom

How come the plane didn't sink?

Would some one please explain to me why U.S. Air flight that landed in the Hudson river didn't sink right away? It just seems impossible that it would stay a float long enough for every one to get out.

SLC stands out again

Looks like SLC stands out again. Not only fittest in the US but on the planet Earth!

Gaza in Belgium

I sure hope our family in Belgium is able to stay away from the violence spilling over from the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict. News report here.

Delta's Newest B747-400

This is a time elapsed video of a Northwest Airline B747 being repainted in Delta livery.

The Reason for the Poll

The reason I put up the IM poll was to see if we could easily decide on a common IM client, assuming people want to use one. I use Skype in my work, but I am willing to use another IM client if necessary. Just as a side note, an IM client is a chat program that lets you chat online with other family members. You can see when someone is online and send them a brief message. It's very convenient if you have a short question. A phone call or email is better for a longer conversation. Are you interested and which client would you like to use?
(Brian, Deric, and I used to use Yahoo! Messenger, which worked well.)

Mom's weekly message

Dear children,
I really don’t know what to tell you this time. I am still under the weather but improving a little. Dad came down with a cold day before yesterday but he is already well. I envy his health. He is so strong.

We have had a big transfer that gave a new assistant to the President. So, we will have a new face in the office. That Elder is very nice. He stopped his studies at the Air Force Academy to serve a mission.

Also, among the new missionary, we have one that joined the Church during the Summer 2007. His family was very upset by it and his father kicked him out of the house. He saved his own money to be able to serve a mission. He will not receive much mail if any but he certainly needs support. I really feel bad for him and hope that his parents will realize that the Church is true.

Our very cold weather continues. We still have snow on the ground and the sky is clear. At night we have has as low as -5F. We know that St. George has had a cold snap but not as bad as what we have here. People are skating on the city pounds and kids are sliding on the snow where ever they can. In fact, we can see kids sliding on their sleigh in our backyard.

Dad is happy that everything went fine with the Amsterdam apartment. He will not have to go back too soon.

Tomorrow after Church we will have a Linger-longer that will help members to know each other better. Last Sunday, our first meetings went fine and everyone enjoyed them.

We love to hear from you.
With love,
Mom

Results of the 2008 Bowl Pick'em Competition

Devan's Second Son

Our second oldest son, Devan and his wife Brittney, had a baby boy today. No name as of yet. He was 7 lbs and 14 oz. All are doing fine. This new arrival is their second son.

Snow in Brussels.

Finally it snowed snow that is sticking in Brussels! Here is is in my neighborhood and my house at 9:50 a.m. our time today.

Happy Winter! Teresa

2009 Mom's first message

Dear Children,

I had planned to call everyone on New Year’s Day but I have a big cold and could not talk.
2009! When one is young one wants to be older, and when one is older one wants the time to slow down. We are always amazed to see how fast the time goes by. We wonder if it is the same for everyone.

We hope that each of you started this New Year with a positive attitude and thinking of all the good things that can happen to you during the year. If you had a bad year, it cannot get worse, and if you had a good year, continue on the trend.

Our Mission President is very concerned because to this day, he doesn’t have a couple to replace us in the office. Replacing me is Ok but replacing Dad is going to be very hard because he can do so much. For example: some missionaries had lost the poles that are needed to connect bunk beds when the beds were not used as such. Now, the Mission needs bunk beds. Yesterday, Dad went to the store, bought some tubes that would fit, made holes at the right places and voila. We have bunk beds again. The Elders that have seen him say that they want to become like him when they get old.

We spend the evening of 1 January with my sisters and it was very nice to be together for maybe the last time or at least for many years. My maternal great-grandmother had the tradition to have all her children and their families together the first of the year. It continued on with my grandmother and my mother. My sisters told me that they had it this year because I was there, but it was the last time. I wish that we could do this in our own family but distances are way too large.

Dad is very happy that Utah beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl!!! He is a BYU fan but he was for Utah in this case.

It really makes a difference that couple missionaries can keep in touch with the family and the News at home.

This Sunday, we invited to dinner by Teresa. It will be wonderful.

Keep us posted on your news. Some of you are very good and some …….well, not so good.

Kim, do you have Finn’s pictures yet? We need to see that he really exists

Have a great week.

With my love,
Mom

PS: Thank you, Fabienne, for your Christmas gifts. We love them.

Please Obama, Please Change the BCS!!!

Change! Change! We football fans need Obama's change!
"Basic Fairness" was one of his motto's throughout the campaign.
The basic unfairness of the BCS was laid bare for all to see tonight with Utah's absolute thumping of Alabama. I picked against Utah in our Pick'em competition, but I was cheering for them throughout the whole game. Can any football fan deny the sham that the BCS is! I say that it is downright un-American!