Autumn Again

Well, Autumn hit for real this week.  First sign was the flower beds all over temple square got dug up.  Where they had been lush and beautiful, there was just tilled soil.  Later the same day they were planted with (what else?) pansies and something that looks like a poppy, and tulip bulbs.  I now know that these flowers will survive the harsh weather ahead, and live to bloom like crazy in the spring.  The trees on temple square are being wrapped in lights preparatory to the beautiful Christmas light displays that will attract people from all over the world. The leaves on all trees deciduous are turning colors.  My favorites are yellow and pinkish orange.  They almost look florescent they are so bright.  The wilderness area where we ride is changing color too.  The oak covered hills have gone from green to red.  Higher up you can see large patches of bright yellow, I suspect aspen.  It has rained for two days and it is predicted to snow the next 3 days.  We are wearing jackets and using the heater in the car.

The happiest sign of Autumn is the arrival of my new grandson, Benjamin David Demke.  He was due on Halloween but decided to come early to the great joy of his parents and happy relatives.  Thanks to Andy and Jenny for blessing me another beautiful grandbaby.

I never faced a new or difficult situation in my childhood without my Mom reminding me, "The hard is the good." It sounded like hogwash to me. Hard was bad by definition! Easy was good. Familiar was good. Fun was good. Over the years I began to understand what she meant. The best things in life require effort. They often require leaving our comfort zones. The best things sometimes demand an extraordinary sacrifice from us.
Each day as I bask in the incredible Spirt that surrounds the Family History Library, I am reminded that this mission is indeed one of the best things. And yes, it is hard! My brain feels ready to explode with all the things I'm needing to learn. So Mom was right.

Saturday my 91 year old mom went riding with me through a lovely wilderness area. It wasn't easy for her. She hasn't really been a horsewoman for many, many years. But as if to reaffirm her testimony that the hard is often the good, she rode with me, enjoying nature, the rare sunshine and the beauty of God's Earth.