Friday I finished up scrubbing the walls in the dining room. I spent the rest of the day driving down to Kent and spending the afternoon and Evening with Erin Durham, Barb Huff, and Erin’s mom Gretchen. Erin was participating in the Kent/Blossom music festival all summer and Tom and I had really wanted to go hear her play. Tom ended up needing to shadow a doctor that day so I went alone. She played in a Brahms Clarinet quartet with her chamber group, which made me think of Adalee and her clarinet. (Adee you have to hear this piece it’s gorgeous, someday you’ll have to play it!) We then spent an hour chatting with Barb before we headed off for a picnic and concert by the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra at the outdoor Blossom Amphitheater. It is a gorgeous venue with fabulous acoustics. The symphony was exquisite and usual, and the open air atmosphere only added to the effect. They played a Schubert piece, then played a Messiaen piece about the Resurrection. They played Dvorák symphony no. 9 “From the New World” and finished with a Strauss waltz. It was a lovely concert and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was so great to see Erin and her Mom, and I realized around the end of the evening that i had been talking almost constantly- which is a sure sign that I have been too cooped up lately. I apologized about my ramblings explaining that I had been working alone most of the week. They both smiled, laughed and assured me that they were enjoying my (certainly over dramatized) conversation.
Saturday the neighborhood west of ours was having a huge combined garage sale. There were reportedly 50 garage sales. I arose early, eager to not miss out on any gems. Our loot: a lawnmower for $45, an Iron for $8, a kitchenette table for $15, a grill for free, four white outdoor chairs for $10, and the best a Bissell vacuum for $5! Tom asked if it had any problems and she sort of shrugged and said there were a few things wrong with it, but she wasn’t sure what. As we drove home Tom said that he had seen, he thought, the same vacuum and Costco for 170 dollars. As soon as we arrived home we turned it on and found it puffing dust and hardly picking up anything. Tom proceeded to take it apart and within two minutes had identified the problem the tube running from the suction to the bagless tray was completely clogged with stuff. He emptied that out, cleaned all the filters, and washed it up and now it looks brand new, and works like a charm. It has all the attached hoses, a 4 filter system, is bagless, and we’re thrilled!
We attended the Temple yesterday evening, which was wonderful. I hadn’t been in far too long, and felt renewed and uplifted. The temple is such a beautiful and peaceful place, and I feel so blessed to be able to take advantage of its rich blessings. Every time I leave the temple I feel my priorities are back in line, that I am more excited about serving and living virtously, and I always feel a greater love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I feel a greater kinship with my fellow brothers and sisters of this world, those alive and those passed on, and this kinship helps me want to share the goodness of the gosple. I am so grateful for Temples, and I am so grateful that Tom and I can go together. It strengthens our marriage and unites our desires.