Emergency Training

With all the natural disasters this past year, our bishop contacted emergency personnel in our county to set up some training for ward members; training in all kinds of emergencies like tornadoes, lost children, and so on.

Our Young Women (and some others) got to volunteer one night to be victims in the graduation exercise--simulating a tornado disaster.

We were placed in different rooms around the church, with sheets of paper explaining what our injury was.

Then all the lights were turned out.

I hadn't thought about it before, but a lot of disaster searching is done by flashlight--no electricity available!
The search teams came around and used their new skills in locating, then categorizing victims according to the urgency of their wounds and transporting them to a triage location.

As each room was searched and cleared of victims, a taped X was put on the door.

Elizabeth had a broken arm.

Brother Rogers had a head wound. He played his part extremely well, looking rather dazed the whole time.

Winky Boody had a broken shoulder, but didn't seem to mind being carried by Joe Fagersten and Scott Frodsham (in their green CERT uniforms).
Another YW had neck injuries.

And now we know another use for those long tables at church! (As long as you have lots of duct tape.)
But one Young Woman was able to get the message out on what was really important.


Indeed.

Send chocolate.

Was I ever surprised!

Tuesday evening, I helped out at the church with childcare for couples taking the parenting course. (I haven't helped teach that course since I was called into Young Women which carries a fairly heavy time commitment). As I walked in the door, Kevin was putting the finishing touches on the frosting of a birthday cake for me!

It was fun to look forward to the next day, to be able to taste his workmanship. (It was yummy!)

And what did I get for my birthday? Exactly what I asked for--an electric hedge-trimmer !

I felt like a very loved person. Especially since Kevin had already said that Walmart had no gardening things anymore; everything was changed over to Christmas stuff. So I thought I would have to wait till next spring for my trimmer.

Good thing there are other home maintenance stores in the area. And a lunch hour for Kevin to run over and find what he needed.

And that all makes for a very happy wife!

Happy 89th Birthday, Mom!!

Woo hoo!

Today is the 89th anniversary of the birth of my mom. She was a child in the Roarin' Twenties; and became a teenager during the Great Depression (she is standing, in back).
During World War II, she wrote letters to servicemen, and married one shortly after the war ended. All of us children were part of the baby boom generation.
In the 1970's, her mom turned 80, and her children started getting married.
Then, about the beginning of the new millenium, her grandchildren started getting married,

and great-grandchildren came to the family.

She still goes camping. She still takes care of a large vegetable garden and numerous flower beds. She's amazing!

She's my mom.

Garbanzo Bean Soup

Sorry, no picture, because we ate the soup before I thought to grab the camera.

This recipe has been shared on WHO radio every fall for the past 20 years.

This year, I decided to try it.

2 cans garbanzo beans

1 16 oz can stewed tomatoes (or, 6 tomatoes)

6-8 potatoes, diced (no peeling necessary)

1 green pepper, diced

1 bermuda onion, diced (I used another sweet onion)

1 lb bacon, diced (cut with scissors)

2 C chopped ham, diced

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp sweet basil

3/4 tbsp chili powder (to taste)

2 bay leaves

salt & pepper to taste

Simmer in a large pot 4-5 hours. If it gets too thick, water can be added.

I cooked the soup in the crockpot. I put it on high for 4 hours, then low on 4 hours.

***

It smelled wonderful as it was cooking, but eating it was Yummmmmmy!

PS. The recipe said it would serve 4-6, but in our family, it would be more like 12. The crockpot was FULL.

At least there was an apple harvest...

As opposed to our garden which didn't do very well this year. And the apples taste so good!
There were a few wormholes, despite spraying a few times this summer. Still those apples made good applesauce. Some were dried, some have been enjoyed with cream cheese apple dip.

Ymmmm....