States I've Visited

Here is a map of all of the states I've visited in my 60+ years. Alabama sticks out like a sore thumb, doesn't it?

Thankful

In my patriarchal blessing I was urged to be thankful, and for the most part I feel that I've done that. I didn't always show that thankfulness, but I felt it. Now as it gets to be late afternoon and the sun starts its relentless march behind the mountains of my life, I feel the urge to be even more thankful. And so, with that feeling thoroughly entrenched in my breast, I sit to list the myriad blessings I've received through this extraordinary life. I feel that thinking about my blessings and contemplating each one will only help me be more thankful for them. I hope you will indulge me for a bit.

These are in no particular order. They are written here as they are retrieved from my brain's Roladex. There may be no ryhme or reason to it, but that seems to be the way my brain works. Though this has been published, this list will grow every day. Please forgive me if it seems a bit self-indulgent. I really just want my Heavenly Father to know how much I appreciate His efforts on my behalf. And I want to be sure I count my blessings every day, and "name them one by one".

November 3, 2020

• I am grateful for my family. This, and the next two entries, are the only items on this list that are in their correct position. Far and away, I am thankful for my family. When I say that, I mean I'm thankful for my parents, who sacrificed so much to bring me into this world and then taught me how to live my life. I'm grateful for three siblings whom I love to this very day. I'm grateful for my beautiful wife and wonderful children. One day, I hope to add to this list that I'm thankful for my grandchildren, but I can wait for that one.
• I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. This could actually be listed as number one or number one-A. It is and has been pretty important in my life. It's not just a nice way to look at things or a good philosophy. It's something that will change your life for the better...if you let it. Like Shakespeare wrote in Act 3, Scene 1 of Hamlet, "Aye, there's the rub!" It's really up to you. He won't force it on you. You have to let it change you.
• I am grateful for the Book of Mormon. I've read this book close to 50 times, and every time I read it I learn something new. In fact, I learn MANY new things. It's scripture, plain and simple. And if it weren't, and if the gospel of Jesus Christ weren't true, I'd still be happy I lived my life according to their precepts because I think they've helped me live a much better, cleaner, and happier life. I believe it's scripture. If you don't, that's fine. But I'm telling you, it will help you live closer to the Savior whether you think it is or not. And doing so, you'll be much happier.

November 4, 2020

• I am grateful that I live in the greatest country in the history of the world. Yes, we have MANY problems. But on this day, the day after the 2020 election day, I am grateful that I could go and cast my ballot for the man or woman of my choice. My candidate doesn't always win. In fact, my candidates very seldom win. But I still have that right and that privilege. I can live where I want to live. I can worship the way I want to worship. I can take control of my destiny. Problems? Sure, maybe more than any other country on the planet. But I have the freedom to help solve those problems.

November 5, 2020

• I am grateful for my friends. I have three or four friends who have stuck with me for 35 years or more. One of them I met when I was 15. That's a long time ago. My friends are some of the best people I've ever met, and they make my life so much better. I could not have lived such a wonderful and wonder-filled life had it not been for them. Unfortunately, I'm not the best at reciprocating sometimes, but they've endured my miopia more than once. My heart swells with gratitude for these good people.
• I am grateful that I served a mission. I got called to serve in the Argentina Buenos Aires South Mission, and when I opened my call and read those words I was disappointed. I wanted to go to Holland. Well, I'm not glad I didn't go there, but I AM glad and eternally thankful that I went to Argentina. I met some of the most wonderful people there, some of whom I still communicate with on a regular basis. I learned some life lessons that I still reflect on today. And I gained an extremely enlightening and comfortable education, with the Spanish language, with the gospel, with the way a person should treat others, and with my relationship with the Savior.
• I guess this one should really have come at the beginning, but I am grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I love my Savior. I don't understand why He would suffer so much for someone like me, but the older I get the more thankful and awed I am. I am really endeavoring to know Him better and to strengthen that relationship. I don't always succeed at that, but I am trying hard. Through it all, He is patient with me, because He loves me.

November 6, 2020

• I am grateful for this beautiful world. I love my life. I really do. I have problems just like the next guy, but honestly, it's been a wonderful life. Part of the reason for that is that I have been blessed with an ability to see the beauty in this world. The sunsets, the sunrises, the beautiful autumn leaves, the green grass, the clouds, the blue, blue sky. I love it all. I've tried for some years to capture that beauty in photographs. I don't know that I've done it justice. I really don't think any photo can capture the true beauty of what the Lord has created. I love it here.

November 7, 2020

• I am grateful for my health. While I've had some heart problems over the years, it was never anything that couldn't be taken care of with a one-night stay in the hospital. Stent, ablation, done. And for the most part I've felt pretty good since. But on a broader spectrum, I've been healthy my whole life, and I couldn't be more thankful. I've had the common stuff..flu, cold, food poisoning, etc...but by and large Heavenly Father gave me a healthy body and it's stayed that way. I've been able to run and jump and play my whole life. I am SO thankful for this wonderful blessing. It's made my life so much brighter.
• I am grateful for books. I LOVE to read. I LOVE to learn new things. I'm a curious person. I think I've read somewhere near about 500 books, and I'm always reading two or three at the same time. I love to lose myself in adventures, such as Treasure Island, Tom Sawyer, or The Last of the Mohicans. I love to learn and think about church doctrine while reading gospel-oriented books. I love to know history, as I read such books as 1776, John Adams, or Gettysburg. I didn't read much growing up. But one day, when I was about 23 or 24, I heard someone describe another man as well-read. It hit me hard, and I wanted that for myself. Whether people thought of me as well-read or not, I wanted to BE well-read. So I started with classics and church books and soon added in history and self-help and all sorts of other genres. I ALWAYS have a book close. They've become VERY good friends to me.

November 9, 2020

• I am grateful for a Prophet of God who speaks to the Almighty and brings down revelation for the world. Just like with Moses and Abraham and Isaiah, God speaks to man in these days. As of this writing, his name is President Russell M. Nelson, and he's a very good and decent man who I believe really is a Prophet. I will write more about personal revelation later, but as Amos said in the Old Testament, God has always spoken through His prophets. He is the same yesterday, today and forever, a God who never changes. So why would He not speak through a Prophet today? Why must everyone think that God is dead, that He doesn't care about me as much as He cared about the Israelites? He loves us just as much as He did them, so why not speak to us? I testify that He does.
• I am grateful for continuing revelation on a personal level. God DOES speak to man in our day. He speaks to me regarding my own family. When I read the scriptures He speaks to my heart and tells me that what I am reading is true. He gives me additional insight into what I am reading and thinking about. He has spoken to me, He has spoken to my wife. I am so grateful that He is a loving Father, not a vengeful God who only wants to punish His children. He loves His children, like we love ours, except He loves us infinitely more. I love hearing His voice and feeling His Spirit.

November 10, 2020

• I am grateful for this body I have. No, it's not tall nor slender nor strong nor all that attractive, but it's given me so very happy times. I've been able to play and run and jump my whole life. I've tried to keep it healthy throughout the years by not smoking, drinking or taking drugs. I've never been particularly good at any sports, but I have had a ball playing with the guys. Most important, though, is that this body allows me to be more like my Heavenly Father. He has a body a lot like mine, though glorified and immortal. He still has a body, parts, and passions, and that's one of the reasons I came here to this earth...I wanted to be like my Father. I'm am so grateful for this particular body. It's allowed me a very nice life.
• I am grateful for humor. I love to laugh. My family doesn't understand my sense of humor, and that's ok. When something is funny to me, that's enough. I love to tell jokes, even the dumb dad kinds. My dad told me a joke shortly before he died and I still laugh about it twenty-plus years later. There are some people who are just funny. To me, Tim Conway was like that. I loved watching him on tv. There are others who are not funny, but who get the joke and appreciate the humor. I'm that person. I could never be a standup comedian, but I love listening to them tell jokes. I also appreciate humor in every day situations. And I especially love it when I'm the butt of the joke. I don't know why, but to me that's comedy!
• I am grateful for my dear friend Doug. I spoke about my friends earlier and how grateful I am for them. And I know if I mention one I'm going to leave someone out and someone is going to be offended. Well, I'm sorry, but Doug has been my friend since June 15, 1978. We met on the first day of our missions and we came home on the same plane. I love Doug and his wife Brenda like I've known them for an eternity...and maybe I have. He just gets me. We've been friends a long time and still communicate on a regular basis. How thankful I am that we didn't lose touch permanently. We've traveled to LA to see the penultimate Rush concert. We traveled to Virginia Beach to see the final KISS tour. Who knows what will be next, but I know it will be fun. Good friends are the best, and Doug is the best friend.

November 11, 2020

• I am grateful for those who have fought for my freedom, some having given their all. Today is Veteran's Day in the United States. I have never served in the military, as the draft was eliminated before I was old enough to serve, and I never felt the need or desire to join. But that doesn't mean I am oblivious to the sacrifices many people have made so that I can have many of the blessings I have today. I served my mission in Argentina and saw some restrictions of freedom and heard of others. That experience helped me appreciate the wonderful country in which I was born and the liberties and freedom I have. When I find out someone is a veteran I have made it a practice to thank them. If anyone is reading this and is a veteran, thank you, too. Your sacrifices were not in vain.

November 12, 2020

• I am grateful for music. I love music. I've wondered over the years which sense I'd pick if I had to lose one. I still don't have the answer to that, but right now, listening to my tunes, I'd have to say NOT my hearing. I was listening to "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" this morning and I just LOVE that hymn. I LOVE some of the classical music, such as Mozart, Beethoven (my two favorites), Barber and Wagner. I love rock and roll, I love some country, I love some opera. I've got some very eclectic tastes when it comes to music. I DO NOT like rap or hip hop and think a lot of that is no-talent excuses for noise. However, I appreciate the fact that a lot of people like it, and that's their right. My folks probably thought the same about my tastes. My tastes, as they stand today, have changed DRAMATICALLY over the years. I'll even listen to some jazz, and I absolutely LOVE the old standards. My folks listened to that all the time and now I love it, too.

November 16, 2020

• I am grateful for my callings. Currently, I am serving as the Sunday School Teacher for the 17-year old class. I have had that calling since 2011. I am also serving as the Sunday School President (since January of 2020) and the Priests Quorum Advisor (since October 2020). Yes, that is a lot of callings, but I told the Bishop when he called me to be the SS Prez that I didn't want to do it if he had to release me from teaching my class. I've loved teaching those kids, and have had developed some very close relationships with some of them. I love them. He assured me I wouldn't have to give that up, so I started with that calling, too. Then he asked me to be with the Priests in our ward, and since they are some of the same youth in my SS class, I saw a great opportunity to develop some more great relationships. Each of these callings has taught me a lot about myself, and hopefully gotten me closer to my Heavenly Father.

November 17, 2020

• I am grateful for the opportunity I have every day to repent. I don't think I'm a wicked man, but I have my shortcomings just like everyone else. Without the Atonement and the opportunity to repent, I would be a lost soul living in outer darkness. I don't want that. I want to be able to live in the light with the Savior. So, to be able to do that, I need the chance to repent, to try and make things right. I try to take the opportunity each day, and multiple times each day, to tell Heavenly Father that I'm sorry, to try and change my heart so there is no more disposition to do evil. That's the only way I'll get back to Him. And I do want that so much.
• I am grateful for fingers. I love throwing a baseball. I love being able to write. I love being able to cup a young child's cheek. I love playing the piano and the guitar. Without my fingers these things would be fairly impossible. I'm grateful for an opposable that allows me to grip things. I love my fingers, and thank Heavenly Father for blessing me with them.

November 18, 2020

• I am grateful for prayer. I have never been a great prayer. My mom and dad taught me all about prayer when I was very young, but for some reason I've never really been one for praying. Kind of dumb, huh? Now, as I have gotten a little older, I have gotten better at it and have come to see a lot more clearly how it benefits me. I'm grateful that I can communicate with my Heavenly Father. And though I still don't hear His voice all that much, I can now see a lot more clearly His hand in my life. If nothing else, I am grateful for the opportunity I have each day to tell Him how thankful I am. Sure, I ask Him for way more than I probably should. But I always start out with thanks. I have had a wonderful life. I've loved it. How thankful I am that I can tell Him that.

November 19, 2020

• I am grateful for sports. I've loved sports my entire life. I've participated in quite a few of them, including baseball, softball, football, soccer, and basketball, and have loved every minute. Some of the best memories I have from my life were created on a diamond or a gridiron or on a wooden floor. I've won 13 or 14 championships with my buddies from basketball, have won championships as a manager with my son's teams, and have lost a lot of games over the years. But it's not the championships or wins or losses. To me, the best times were because I was out there with my teammates. When pros retire, one of the things they say is that they miss the guys. I can relate to that. I miss the guys when I'm not out there, too.

November 20, 2020

• I am grateful for my ancestors. I've been looking into my genealogy lately and have found some pretty interesting people in my line. But what's important about my ancestors is that they all did so much so that I could be where I am today. I have found out that a lot of my forebears were in this country 400 years ago. I had no idea. I thought everyone came over on boats around 1900 or so, but I now know that there was at least one guy on the Mayflower who actually signed the Mayflower Compact. He died shortly after arriving here, but that's kind of what I'm talking about. He followed his dream and came to this continent. I'd say the vast majority of them followed dreams, and now I'm the beneficiary of those dreams today. They sacrificed so much and lived very hard lives, all so I could have the blessings of freedom and the liberty to worship how I desire. I am so grateful for them and their sacrifices.

November 23, 2020

• I am grateful for fingernails. I know that sounds lame, but I really am thankful. Can you imagine how much pain you'd be in if you smacked the back of your fingers on something without fingernails? Plus, you couldn't open certain boxes, you couldn't scratch an itch, and you couldn't flick someone in the head. Fingernails are very useful things to have. They protect us, they allow us to wash our hair and heads effectively, and they allow us to give pleasure to someone who has an itch on their back. And don't even get me started on toenails! They protect our little piggies every day. Sure, they're a pain to keep short sometimes, but what a wonderful thing to have!
• I am grateful for my eyes. They're a little dimmer than they were 20 years ago, but they still allow me to see such beauty in this world. I love the beauty of this earth, and my eyes allow me to see it. They also allow me to read books, which is one of my favorite things to do. They allow me to see my wife's beautiful face, watch a baseball game, and read music so I can play it on the piano. Mine aren't the prettiest eyes every created, but they do provide me with a lot of pleasure.

November 24, 2020

• I am grateful for my thumbs. I was working with some bathroom tile last night and my tile cutters bit my right thumb. It bled for quite a while, but I was finally able to control it. However, this morning that little injury made it very hard to button my shirt and to tie my shoes. It also made it more difficult to brush my teeth and even put the key in the ignition in my car. Without opposable thumbs life would be MUCH more difficult, and not nearly as enjoyable.

November 30, 2020

• I am grateful for rainy days. Today is a rainy day, and as I sit and look out my window I am thankful that the grass, trees, and flowers are getting watered by our Heavenly Father. Oversimplification? Maybe. But I'm simple like that, too. I like these days when the sun doesn't blind me. Perhaps they remind me of snowy days from my youth. I don't know. I did so love those snowy days, whether we went to school or not. I love snow. I guess that's what I'm thankful for tomorrow...or later today.
• I am grateful for snow. I'm not quite sure what it is, but I LOVE snow. It's a love affair that started when I was young and living in New Jersey. We lived across from a really nice snow sledding hill on Hillside Avenue. We used to go over there all the time. It seemed SO steep and long. In all reality, it was a small hill. But for 10-year old kids, it was mammoth. We built jumps and at the bottom of the hill sometimes you had to roll off your sled to avoid sliding out into the street. It was a great place to grow up...with snow every winter. I also remember going out in the backyard and taking my little transistor radio with me. I'd listen to the NY Giants football games and pretend I was a running back jumping over the line. I'd land in the snow and get up and do it all over. I loved those days.

December 1, 2020

• I am grateful for clouds. Watching them float by is one of my favorite things to do. I don't often look for animals and other objects in them, but I do see faces from time to time. I love them not only because they are beautiful, but because they tell me there is still water on the earth. They tell me that God still loves us and is providing for His children. They illustrate to me how much God loves us to create this earth, to send us here and help us get back to Him. Sure, clouds are beautiful. But they're deeper than that.

December 2, 2020

• I am grateful for clouds. Yes, I know I wrote about clouds just yesterday, but on the way to work this morning I saw a beautiful sunrise. And why was it so beautiful? Because the rising sun was shining off of the clouds with oranges and reds and yellows. It was gorgeous. The thought hit me that it would not have been so beautiful if it had been a cloudless morning. So there's another reason to love them and be more like clouds. We can make other's lives much brighter if we take the Son that is shining on us and reflect that to the eyes of those around us.

December 3, 2020

• I am grateful for my home. It's a nice home. It's a comfortable home. By US standards it's a middle-class, working man and woman's home. But it's ours, and it's a place of refuge. This particular house we live in now is about 25 years old and is starting to fall apart in places. There are all kinds of DIY projects that need to be done, but it's been very good to us so far, and we've been very happy there. I am SO thankful we've had the resources to purchase it and stay there lo these many years. I love our home.

December 4, 2020

• I am grateful for locomotion. I was going to say cars, but there are so many other means of transportation, and I love the word locomotion anyway. I love to ride my bicycle, I love to walk, I love to drive a car, I love to ride on a train, I love to fly. I guess I just love to get from place to place and see new things. Since I graduated from college I've always been very curious, so I like to discover new things, see new things, hear them, taste them, feel them. Locomotion is how I get from A to B, and it doesn't really matter specifically what it is that gets me there.

December 7, 2020

• I am grateful for my job. I can't believe I waited this long to mention my job, but I LOVE my job. There are days, just like at any place of employment. But for the most part, this is one of the best jobs I've ever had. I LOVE doing my job. I had one job a while back which I worked for nearly 20 years. They laid me off and I realized how much I hated that job and that company. Awful place to work. I was out of work for 8 solid months, but it gave me an appreciation for the job I'm doing now. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

December 8, 2020

• I am grateful for the air I breathe. I've never really been in a situation where I couldn't breathe or catch my breath for a long period of time, so I've never really wanted for air. I've been to the tops of mountains where the air is thinner, and I've exercised and been short of breath that way. But to be honest, I've never wanted for that, and I'm thankful for that fact. Even with the masks we have to wear right now I still don't lack much for oxygen. I've kind of gotten used to it and even forget I'm wearing one from time to time. God has been very good to me in this regard.

December 9, 2020

• I am grateful for flowers. I took a picture a couple of years ago of Hannah standing in a field of flowers at Yellowstone. That picture has been the wallpaper on my laptop since then because, well, I love my daughter, but also because I love the flowers in it. I've always loved flowers. Their beauty and delicate nature are so intriguing to me. How they multiply and how they reach toward the sun is an amazing thing. But I mostly like them because they smell good (most of them) and because of their beauty. They brighten the world and make everything more beautiful.

December 10, 2020

• I am grateful for my sweet daughter. Today is her 20th birthday. I took the day off of work to be with her, and we're going to go out and get some breakfast at the Waffle House. She started out in this world a little rough, contracting RSV when she was a week old, but she's really shown the world what she's made of since then. She's a year ahead in her college career because she graduated high school a year early. She is already a member of a couple big societies for psyche, and she's getting really good grades every semester...even during the pandemic. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father sent her to my family. I love her very much.

December 11, 2020

• I am grateful for patience, which is something I do not have much of, unfortunately. There are some days when I think I've got enough to fill the world. Then there are others when I don't have enough to fill a thimble. I don't know what it is, but it's been that way my entire life, and is something I've had to work on every single day. I am not anxious to ask Heavenly Father to help me develop more because that's exactly what He will do...give me opportunities to work on it. And I would fein be glad if I did not have to work on it that way. But continue to work on it I will, obviously until the day I die...and maybe thereafter, too.

December 14, 2020

• I am grateful for the ability to communicate. I think this is one blessing we tend to overlook sometimes and take for granted. How would we have families or friends or even acquaintances if we couldn't communicate? It's one of the most basic yet important skills we have, and it comes to us so early. I have never had much trouble communicating. Communicating efficiently is another question. But I can see, I can hear, I can talk. I am most grateful for all of these skills

December 15, 2020

• I am grateful for the temple. I have the privilege of going to the temple this evening to assist with traffic as people drive through to look at the Christmas lights. I won't be able to go into the temple as it's still closed because of the virus. But I will still be able to feel the Spirit that's always there. The temple binds families together forever. Read that again. Forever. How thankful I am that I can be with my parents and siblings forever. Hopefully one day my own family will see that this is true, too. I love them and want to be with them even after I die.

December 16, 2020

• I am grateful for mercy. I've been reading Moroni chapter 10 this week and it talks a lot about mercy. Moroni exhorts us to remember how merciful God has been throughout the ages, and then to ponder that in our hearts. He has been so merciful to me. I can't say definitively that I've EVER deserved one of His blessings, but I am SO grateful that He's a loving Father looking down with a smile on His face, aching to bless me and forgive me. How grateful I am that He's extended that mercy to me, the richest man I know.

December 17, 2020

• I am grateful for snow. It snowed yesterday, and I sat in my window seat and watched it for a while, loving every minute of it. It's not as pretty today, though, as it rained after the snow and everything is now a big sheet of ice and a sloppy mess. But snow is actually one of my favorite things. I love to ski on it, I love to sled on it, and I love to build snowmen out of it. But it doesn't seem like it snows as much as it used to. When I was growing up it snowed all the time. Last year we got a total of about a quarter inch. Yesterday was the first storm we've had this year, and it was about a half inch. Will it snow more this winter? I hope so. I love it!

December 18, 2020

• I am grateful for heated seats in my car. It's a cold day today and it was very nice to be able to get in, after scraping my windshield, and feel a little bit of heat on my tushy. We haven't always had that, as I guess engineers didn't figure we needed that particular thing. I've read that they were invented before I was born, but weren't seen until about 1966. I didn't get my first car with heated seats until about five years ago in the car I drive now. It's a nice feature to have on a cold day.

December 21, 2020

• I am grateful for hot chocolate. It's a chilly day today. I'm thankful that I can come into the office and go over and get a nice cup of hot chocolate to warm me up. My seat here is next to the window and it seems colder than the rest of the building. I'm not complaining one bit, though, because I'm thankful for my job, too. But a nice cup of hot helps to warm the soul. And besides, it tastes good, too.

December 22, 2020

• I am grateful for email. Email makes it so much easier to communicate. As you may have already read, I'm very thankful for the ability to communicate. Email makes it easier, though I'm not sure that it makes it better. Sometimes I think we rely on that sort of form of communciation a little too much and we don't get face-to-face. THAT is the best way to do it, but email sure makes it easier. Plus, you can hide your temper a little better in an email. :)

December 23, 2020

• I am grateful for cell phones. I went out on some errands the other day with Kelly and I forgot my cell phone at the house. I have to admit that I felt somewhat disconnected the whole time we were gone. I usually have that thing right next to me or in my back pocket. It's so nice to be able to find out a score, or look up the definition of a word, see an email from a friend, or have the scriptures right there all the time. I love being connected in that way, but I also realize that it can become a distraction from living life. I try not to have my nose in it too much, but it really is a modern day miracle.

December 24, 2020

• I am grateful for days off. Today is Christmas Eve Day, and I have the day off from work. I love it when I get paid to stay home and enjoy my time with the family. But more than that, I'm grateful that I can recharge. I guess it wasn't too long ago that people didn't get much time off from work. I am grateful that I live in a time when they realize that time off can make you more productive. I enjoy my time off, but usually, when it's time to go back to work, I'm ready.

December 30, 2020

• I am grateful for whales. Today, Kelly and I went on a "cruise" to look for whales down in Virginia Beach. And we found them. Well, at least one. We saw that whale close up and personal. We were standing in the front of the boat when that whale came up right in front of us, blew out his blow hole, and the mist came back and smacked us right in the face. it was the most fantastic thing! The guide told us that it was about 42 feet long, and until I saw it that close I thought there was no way it could be. But after seeing it that close, it was every inch of 42 feet. It was enormous. But so peaceful. I love that.

December 31, 2020

• I am grateful for whale poop. I know that sounds odd, but let me explain. A lot of the oxygen we breathe comes from trees and plants and such. But the other half comes from plankton and algea that grows in the oceans. All of those plants have to have nourishment to be able to produce so much oxygen, and what do you think the number one "food" for those plants is? It's whale poop. Personally, I love to breathe. And if it takes whales pooping in the ocean to get it done, then I'm ok with that.

January 1, 2021

• I am grateful for new beginnings. Twenty twenty was a hard year. I spent almost exactly four months on furlough this year. Millions of people got sick from the covid virus and hundreds of thousands of people died, if not more. Millions of poeple out of work because of the virus. Hostilities in the streets. Sure, I know all of this stuff is not just going to go away because today is the start of a new year. But the fact remains that today, like every day, is a good time for a new start. Repentance and forgiveness are two words we don't hear a lot of these days. Maybe we should hear about them a lot more.

January 4, 2021

• I am grateful for the color blue. I love blue. It's my favorite color. I like all shades of blue, except maybe Dodger blue :). I especially like Yankee blue, which is really dark, almost to navy. I like sky blue. I like blue eyes. I like BYU blue. I like blue. I like bluejays. I like blue whales. I like all kinds of blue. Not so much feeling THE blues, but I really like listening to THE blues. Blue is a great color.

January 5, 2021

• I am grateful for podcasts. These are something that are relatively new in the world, though I know they've been around for many years. I'm listening to one every morning and afternoon now that talks about the Doctrine and Covenants. Last year they talked about the Book of Mormon, and I learned SO much. I'm very hopeful for this year, too. I love podcasts because I can learn while I'm driving and can still pay attention. I've long thought that driving is a waste of time. Now, not so much.

January 6, 2021

• I am grateful for education. I went to school for a lot of years, and I didn't learn nearly as much as I should have. But I LOVE to learn new things. My patriarchal blessing advises me to continue to learn throughout my life, and I've really tried to do that. I read 44 books last year (all paper), and I learned immeasurable things from that. I just love education. History. Math. Science. Nature. Whatever it is, I want to learn. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father has allowed me to be educated and educate myself...and others.

January 7, 2021

• I am grateful for democracy. Yesterday a bunch of hoodlums stormed the capital building in DC and took it over for a short time. Why? Because they thought their will was more important than the will of the rest of the nation. Listen, I'm not a Democrat and I'm not a Republican. I vote for the person and the ideals they hold dear. Any way you look at this, in my opinion, this was wrong. Whether you agree with the way the election in November went, or not, THIS can't happen. Whether you think the election was stolen or not, THIS can't happen. President Oaks said in October, “We peacefully accept the results of elections. We will not participate in the violence threatened by those disappointed with the outcome. In a democratic society, we always have the opportunity and the duty to persist peacefully until the next election.” That's what I love about democracy. No, I don't like the results of the election, but if I just wait two years I have the chance to do something about it. Banana Republics and communist states do what was done yesterday. How thankful I am for the United States of America. I pray we can withstand these last days.

January 8, 2021

• I am grateful for my religion. I wholeheartedly believe that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the kingdom of God on earth. But you know what? The beauty of this gospel is that, even if it's not true, its teachings have helped me live a much more righteous life. It's teachings have helped me get closer to my Heavenly Father than I ever would have alone. It's teachings have kept me healthier and clean than I ever would have been alone. I know me. I know I would have been a drinker and a smoker and I probably would have tried weed. I'm a weak person. I admit it. But my religion has helped me see those weaknesses and have kept me clear of them. I have a firm testimony of the truthfulness of this Church and its gospel and I will die bearing that testimony. But that's really not the point. The point is that I'm closer to God because I live by its teachings.

January 11, 2021

• I am grateful for the Word of Wisdom. This is the Lord's law of health, and it's helped me immeasurably over the years. As I've said, I'm a particularly weak man. I know my weaknesses, or at least a lot of them, and I know to stay clear of them. The devil likes to pound me with temptations on all of them, so staying away is really my only recourse. If it weren't for the Word of Wisdom, I'd be an alcoholic, a smoker (probably cigars), and I may have taken a toke or two, and probably more. I'd be a mess. Thankfully, and eternally at that, I don't have any of those problems as I was taught from infancy that they were bad for me and to stay away.

January 12, 2021

• I am grateful for forgiveness. I'm not a patient man. I'm not a very strong man. The Lord gave me so much weakness that I'm finding it very hard to overcome. My temper has gotten me into so much trouble in my life. I'm not sure why I haven't learned how to control it by now. But I am trying. I'm just thankful that I can be forgiven if I make a mistake. I know that there are steps I have to take to obtain that forgiveness, but I'm thankful that as long as I try, and try my hardest, Heavenly Father will forgive me. He WANTS to forgive me. But I have to make the effort first.
  OK, let's cut to the chase. I had a little dust up with my daughter last night, and I am VERY sad about it. I guess I'm just hoping that she will forgive me. I'm a hard man, but this has hurt me. I pray for forgiveness every day. I hope one day I'll be worthy of it.

January 13, 2021

• I am grateful for technology. There is SO much of it in the world today that is making our lives so much easier. Cell phones, computers, doorbell cameras, rockets that go to Mars, self-driving cars. It's an amazing world right now. I think, however, that we REALLY need to watch out how we use it. All of that technology was inspired by our Heavenly Father to help us get closer to Him, to make scriptures and Conference talks and the like more accessible. But it can all be used for evil designs, too. In fact, it's that whole good, better and best thing. We can use it for good, but when it takes up too much of our time, like sitting in front of a tv for hours every day, it's not good and takes us away from Him, rather than take us toward Him. I do love the capability of being able to see my sister or brothers when I talk to them on the phone, though. That's pretty cool.

January 14, 2021

• I am grateful for opportunity. There is SO much opportunity in this world. You can literally be whatever you want to be, and do whatever you want to do. That's called agency. But doing what you want and being what you want are also related to opportunity. The opportunity to do better today. The opportunity to learn something new. The opportunity to repent, to develop new skills, to forgive and be forgiven. Sure, I realize there are a lot of people who haven't been afforded much opportunity as far as education and living standards are concerned. But I have had SO many opportunities, and for that I am truly humbled and thankful. I hope I can give that same opportunity to those around me.

January 15, 2021

• I am grateful for scientists. This COVID virus has wreaked havoc in our world. There are millions of people who are out of work, millions of people who have died, hundreds of thousands (if not more) who have had the virus and are struggling, businesses that have gone under, and frankly, people who are really struggling because they have to stay inside and not associate face-to-face with anyone. It's been a really hard time. But now we've got two vaccines that have been created in the last 8 to 10 months, faster than any ofher vaccined that have ever been created. I am grateful for these people and their dedication to the good of the world. And that's just the scientists who are/were working on the vaccines. I've always wished I were smart enough to be a real scientist because I respect them SO much!

January 18, 2021

• I am grateful for my knowledge of the hereafter. I had a VERY vivid dream this weekend in which my mom told me she loved me. I know it was only a dream, but sometimes ONLY a dream is not ONLY a dream. I miss my folks and look forward to seeing them again ONE DAY. I am grateful for the knowledge I have that I WILL see them again, and will again share that love we have for each other. This life would be so much harder if I didn't have that knowledge.

January 19, 2021

• I am grateful for my pocket knife. My brother Eric gave me a small Swiss Army knife many years ago, and I still have it. It's one of the few possessions I really cherish. Since that day I have always carried the same model of the Swiss Army knife in my right front pocket, whether it be that one or another. It's come in handy countless times, like last night when I needed a screwdriver and didn't want to go out into the garage to get one. It's cut onions, helped me get screws out, plucked gray hairs, and file down a rough spot on a fingernail. I love that little thing and would not go anywhere without it.

January 20, 2021

• I am grateful for democracy. No, I didn't vote for Joe Biden, and no, I don't like some of his ideas. But I am grateful that we live in a place where the people are represented, that we have a voice, and that we are the power. Well, we're supposed to be, anyway. If we don't like the person in office, we vote them out. There is so much unrest in this world, and specifically in this country, but I look out my window and see people going about their business. Why? Because there is a peaceful transfer of power, there is liberty, there is freedom. Yes, there are things we need to change. LOTS of things we need to change. But we live in a place where that's possible, and that's the greatest thing of all.

January 21, 2021

• I am grateful for warm coats. It's a chilly day outside today. It's currently sunny, and it's supposed to get into the 50s by lunchtime, but when I went out this morning to leave for work it was about 29 degres. Chilly. I'm grateful that I could put on a coat to keep me warm. So many people in this world do not have that luxury. I hope I will always be conscious of the myriad blessings I've been given, such as a warm coat.
• I am grateful for garbage men. Maybe I should say trash collectors, to be socially responsible. Anyway, they come and take my trash every Monday and every Thursday and I don't have to worry about it again. They come and get my recycling on Thursdays. I put the cans out on the curb when I leave in the mornings and they're empty when I come home. I watched a short show the other day about people living in Bangladesh. They don't have the luxury of trash collection that I do. They live amongst it. It was awful. How thankful I am.

January 22, 2021

• I am grateful for Joseph Smith. Because of him and the things he did while he was alive, I am who I am. We're studying the D&C this year and this morning I read Section 5. In it the Lord says that this generation will have His word through Joseph. It made me think of all the things I know because Joseph was a faithful man. I know I will see my parents again. I know I have the opportunity to live with my family forever. I know I can repent. I know what God is really like. I know what this life is really for. I know that prophets on this continent also kept a record of their communication with God. I know what and why Jesus did what He did. I know a lot of things because of Brother Joseph's faithful life. I'm so thankful.

January 25, 2021

• I am grateful for ears. Last night as I read in the living room, I turned on some Mozart. It was the most relaxing thing to hear that beautiful music while I was reading about the Atonement (I'm reading "Believing Christ"). I could do that every night. I love to hear the birds singing. I love to hear my sweet wife say that she loves me. I love hearing a baby coo. I love hearing my dog growl at my because I know he likes playing with me. I even like hearing a good guitar-driven rock and roll song. There are so many things I love about being able to hear. I'm grateful for that sense.

January 26, 2021

• I am grateful for colors. This world is so beautiful. It's got all kinds of colors in it...yellow, blue, red, green, purple. I love them all. I love yellow flowers, the blue sky, the red cardinal, the green grass and the purple finches. I love the diversity colors bring to the world. What a monotonous place it would be if everything and every one was the same. Color gives us understanding, depth, clarity. Color gives us beauty, no matter what color it is.

January 27, 2021

• I am grateful for my memories. Not all of them are good, that's for sure, but lately a lot of memories have been pressing themselves on my brain, and it's like yesterday that they occurred. I'm just remembering incidents in my life that I haven't thought of in years and years. Most of them are good and bring me a lot of pleasure. But not all. Some make me shake my head and wonder what the heck I was thinking about at the time. Literally.

January 28, 2021

• I am grateful for my affinity for numbers. I've always loved numbers. I remember looking at baseball cards when I was a kid and trying to keep track of the batting averages and home runs. I remember writing the Roanoke Times when I was a teenager asking why the boxscores weren't in the sports section the day after a game. Why? Because I loved the numbers. Now, I'm finally looking at numbers and getting paid for it. How could that be any better?

January 29, 2021

• I am grateful for my son, Jacob. It was 22 years ago today that he made me a genetic dad. It hasn't always been smooth sailing, but I'd never go back. Being a dad is the greatest thing in my life. We've been close over the years, and I would never trade any of those for anything. Jacob, if you ever stumble upon this and read it, I want you to know that being your dad has been an honor. You've given me some of the greatest times a father could ever have, and I am grateful. I know your life hasn't been exactly easy, but you'll figure it out. It's in there somewhere. I hope you know your dad thinks you're a great man. I love you.

February 1, 2021

• I am grateful for my friend Bob. He and I met around the fall of 1983, I guess, at BYU. He was living upstairs from our apartment, and he and I just kind of hit it off. The year after we moved in together (with four other guys) and we've been friends ever since. Bob's gone through a lot in his life, but he's always come out shining on the other side. There's not much I wouldn't do for that man. I love him very much.

February 2, 2021

• I am grateful for the hope of better days. We moved Hannah down to Roanoke today and left her in her own little apartment there. As a dad, I'm excited to see her grow and develop and get into her own stream. But also as a dad I'm very sorry to see her go. I guess deep down inside me I always want her to be my little girl. She always made me feel that she needed me. Ok, not always, but always when she was a little girl. So, today I'm sad because I've left her behind. But there is so much hope for better days ahead.

February 3, 2021

• I am grateful for clean water. There are so many people in this world who do not have the luxury I have of turning on a spout or a spiggot and getting clean water. I have enough to wash my clothes, I have enough to wash myself, I have enough to brush my teeth, to wash my car, to swim in and to drink all day long. I do not take this blessing for granted as I have lived in a country where clean water is not always the norm. I am VERY grateful for it.

February 4, 2021

• I am grateful for nerves. The nerve endings in my hands allow me to feel things. Nerves in my body allow me to know when I'm tired, when I'm in pain, when something needs to be done. Yes, nerves also cause me pain, but I'm grateful for them because they let me feel other things, too, such as the pocket knife in my pocket, my sweet wife's cheek, the cold of a snowball, and the warmth of the sun as it warms my face. Nerves, though sometimes painful, are such wonderful things.

February 5, 2021

• I am grateful for my legs. I've been able to run and jump and play my whole life, and none of that would have happened without my legs. They're short, they're bowed, and they're not as fast as they used to be, but my legs have afforded me a lot of happiness and pleasure in this life. I'm grateful that I can walk. I'm grateful that I can run, and ride a bike, and go for hikes. It doesn't matter to me if they're short or bowed or slow. They're my legs, and I love them.

February 8, 2021

• I am grateful for video phones. I was able to go home after work yesterday and talk to Hannah like she was sitting in the same room, and yet she was three hours away from here lying in her bed. I loved seeing her face, though it did make me a little sad to realize that she was so far away. I miss my kids when they're gone. But with technology like that I can enjoy their presence even when they're far away.

February 9, 2021

• I am grateful for ministering angels. I've not seen an angel, so don't get excited. I have experienced their influence, however. I think angels are amongst us all the time, both mortal and immortal. One of them consented to marry me many years ago, so I have firsthand experience with the mortal kind. I've also felt the influence of those not seen. I've felt their support and their guidance. Sometimes we all reside in dark places. But Heavenly Father sends those angels to guide us in those hard times. He sent one to His Son in the garden, He'll do it for you, too.

February 10, 2021

• I am grateful for birds. Kelly and I go out and look at birds all the time, and I LOVE it. My dad used to put bird seed on the back patio so the birds would come and he could watch them out the backdoor. I guess that's where I got my first exposure. But Kelly's loved it her whole life and really got me into it. Now I love to go out and look at them anytime she wants. I've seen 364 different birds so far, and 205 last year. We saw a painted bunting not too long ago, and it was beautiful. My favorite bird, though, I think is still the Belted Kingfisher. Such a cool looking bird!

February 11, 2021

• I am grateful for electricity. You really have no idea how important electricity is in today's world until you lose it. Just think of all it powers. Your house, for the most part, runs on electricity. All of your stuff...tv, microwave, stove, dishwasher, lights, etc...is run with electricity. And those things that aren't directly run with electricity...your cell phone, car, remotes, headphones, speakers...are charged wiht electricity in some manner. I'd lose thousands of dollars of food if the electricity went out for an extended amount of time because it's all frozen by electricity. We wouldn't be able to eat everything in our freezer because it needs to be cooked on our electric stove or in the microwave. Electricity has made this world SO much easier. It is VERY important.

February 12, 2021

• I am grateful for dinosaurs. Yes, I believe in dinosaurs. I believe they existed. And why wouldn't I? The evidence is all right there. But that's no why I'm grateful for them. That comes from the fact that I enjoy traveling around, whether by car or train or airplane or bus, traveling is fun. It's fun to see new things. Our trips to Costa Rica were magnificent. And we'd never have been able to do that without dinosaurs. Why? Because they are now what we put in those machines...petroleum by-products. Gasoline. I know that carbon emissions are destroying our world. But you have to admit that it's fun to see a howler monkey right outside your door. I'm all for electric machines instead. But that goes back to my entry for yesterday.

February 15, 2021

• I am grateful for being able to talk in church. A lot of people don't like to do it, but I do. I love it, in fact. And yesterday I was able to speak in church about temples. I told a very brief synopsis of the life of my 4th great grandmother, Tamar Washburn, how she knew the Prophet Joseph and how she accepted the gospel. I also told how she left the graves of her children in Nauvoo when it was time to leave because she knew the plan of happiness and what temples are really for. I love being able to speak in church. I guess I get that from my dad. He loved it, too. My sister and all of her children, and my brother Eric also tuned in. So fun.

February 16, 2021

• I am grateful for the water cycle. I know that every drop of water on the earth has probably been used many times already, and that it's gone through some sort of digestive tract more than once. But I'm grateful that Heavenly Father designed this world so that we can have clean water today just like they had back in the day. Evaporation and distillation are tremendous processes. We'd die without water. So I love how this world just kind of naturally cleans it for us.

February 17, 2021

• I am grateful for the sun. I may have written about this already, but I'm going to do it again. I'm sitting at the front desk at work taking my turn as the guy who asks the wellness check questions. The sun is shining in the front door right in my eyes, and I love it. The world is so beautiful because of the sun. It gives life to everything. It gives color to everything. Because of it we can survive in this world, even in the winter. It's rays warm me. Though I do love a cloudy day, I also love the sun.

February 18, 2021

• I am grateful for snow days. Remember how we used to love snow days when we were kids? Every winter we'd long for a day off from school. Today would have been a day like that. It's been snowing and icing all morning and all of the schools around here are closed, even though a lot of them are closed for the virus anyway. But I stayed home from work to work here today, so it's not really a snow day, but it's nice to be relaxed at home for once, even if I do still have to work.

February 19, 2021

• I am grateful for the ability to learn. Richard Feynman once said that "there's a pleasure in finding things out," and I really believe that. He also said that "if you're not having fun you're not learning." I may like that one even better. Anyway, I LOVE to learn new things. Maybe that's why I love Jeopardy. Kelly asked me last night why I love that show so bad. I think that's probably it. I love to learn, whether it's history or math or politics or religion or anything else. I just love to learn. I think that's why I love to read, too.

February 22, 2021

• I am grateful for spices. I'm not a guy who likes his food really spicy hot. I love spices because they give food a different taste. They don't have to burn my mouth. I like the peperoncinis that Papa Johns gives you with your pizza. They make my mouth water just smelling them. I like pepper a lot. I like paprica. I like celery and poppy. I like cayenne and vanilla. Horseradish and garlic are terrific. Parsley, chives, sesame, onion, peppermint, dill, chili powder and cinnamon. I love them all. They make food so much more interesting.

February 23, 2021

• I am grateful for heat. I had to come to work at 2am today to help with a safety blitz we had out in the truck yard. I stood out there until about 7:15, and I am only now getting a little warmed up. My toes ache, my fingers ache, and I have been shivering since I came back inside. I'm wearing a long sleeve t-shirt, a sweatshirt, and fleece and my coat, and I'm still wearing my tuque. And I'm still cold! I love the warmth. I wish I had a blanket and some thermal socks.

February 24, 2021

• I am grateful for our dogs. We've had Charlie now for nearly 10 years. While she is WAY too yappy for my tastes, she is a sweet little dog who only wants to make us happy. We've had Walbert for nearly four years now, I guess. He is such a good dog who, again, only wants to please. I've been very blessed in my life to have dogs who are that way. Though we still have to make sure we put all of the food out of reach all the time, I've grown to love them. They are very good dogs.

February 25, 2021

• I am grateful for Martin Harris. That may sound kind of odd, but I honestly don't think Brother Harris gets enough credit by members of the Church. Too many of us think he was a weak, wishy-washy person, because he caved in to his wife and then lost the 116 pages of transcript. He also left the church for a while, and when the 3 witnesses were trying to get their confirmation he, evidently, was the reason they weren't getting an answer. But listen. Just imagine what the world would be like if he hadn't had the guts to go against his wife and mortgage his farm. Just think of the debt of gratitude we all owe to this man. He came back to the Church later in life, which is really good, but I think it's more important to realize how important his foresight was. The Book of Mormon would not have been published without his sacrifice. I, for one, salute the man and realize that I owe him everything.

February 26, 2021

• I am grateful for long-lasting friendships. I have three friends I've stayed close to over the years I've known them. The first, Tony, I met when I was 14 or 15, and we've stayed friends ever since. We still talk every now and then, and we visit from time to time, as well. The second, Doug, I met on June 15, 1978 in Provo. He was my district leader while we were in the LTM, and we went to Argentina together. We lost communication for a few years after we got home, but we've reconnected and gone to several concerts together and we've been in each other's homes. I talk to him once or twice a week. The third, Bob, I met in my second year at BYU, probably around 1983 or 84. I was the best man at both of his weddings, and helped give his oldest daughter her name and blessing. I love these men with all my heart, and am very thankful for their friendship. My life would be SO very dull without them. There are other friends I've had for many, many years. If I name one I'd have to name them all, and I can't. But they know who they are. And hopefully they know how I feel about them.

March 1, 2021

• I am grateful for a very patient wife. I am a hothead. I am very impatient. I am very thick-headed. Through it all, she is patient and understanding and tries to comprehend the knucklehead that is me. I have been impatient with her lately, I admit. I don't think it's anything to do with her. I think it's because I feel my body is starting to let me down, and let me know that it's getting older. I don't like that, but I take it out on the most loving and devoted woman on the planet. I am very sorry, and I am also very thankful that she is who she is.

March 2, 2021

• I am grateful for wisdom. I obviously don't have an awful lot of this commodity, but I am grateful for those who do. I pray for it quite often, but so far the Lord has been slow to bless me with that particular blessing. Kelly asked me yesterday if I would go back, given the chance, 15 years to when my kids were young. After considering that question, I think the only way I'd go back is if I could use the small amount of wisdom I've gained in the last 15 years to help me then. Otherwise, what's the use? I'd still make the same mistakes. Hopefully, over the next 20 years, the Lord will help me gain more wisdom. It's one blessing I could really use. That and patience. Neither of which do I have in any great abundance.

March 3, 2021

• I am grateful for trucks. I never realized how much big rigs contribute to life as we know it until I got this job. I always saw those signs or stickers that said, "If you ate today, thank a truck driver." But I never paid much attention. But it is SO correct. Everything we eat and use for cosmetics or for cleaning or whatever made its way to the store via a truck or a train. It takes a special kind of person to drive for days with a load of diapers or lettuce. So, I'm thankful for trucks, yes, but also for truck drivers. Thank you!

March 4, 2021

• I am grateful for computers. I use computers all day long. They've made everyone's lives so much easier, though I must say they are VERY aggravating from time to time, too. They're only as smart as the people using them, but almost everything these days is tied into a computer somewhere. It's SO much easier these days to keep a thanks journal. It's easy to keep track of books that I've read. It's easy to just about anything. I do think, however, that it's also easier to spend your time on non-important things. Too much time is spent by way too many people with their noses in their phones. Look at it this way. The computing power that was necessary to land a man on the moon back in 1969, I now carry in my back pocket.

March 5, 2021

• I am grateful for mustard. I love mustard. I love the brown kind, I love the yellow kind. I love the spicy stuff we get with our Chinese food. It gives a different taste to everything with which you eat it. It enhances the taste of whatever you're eating. I'm so impressed that it comes from a tiny little seed, but it packs a mighty taste.

March 8, 2021

• I am grateful for jelly beans. I bought a 10-pound box of Jelly Belly jelly beans today at work. It cost me $20. I'm sitting here eating them right now. SOOOO dangerous. But they're so delicious and they put a smile on my face. I'm not sure how the family will enjoy them, because I know Hannah won't eat them because of the gelatin, Jacob probably won't eat them because he doesn't eat "crap", and Kelly won't eat many because she's not as big of a fan as I am. But that's ok. I'll eat them. It may take me several years. :)

March 9, 2021

• I am grateful for a sense of humor. Man, oh man, do I love to laugh. And I'll admit...I laugh at almost ALL of my own jokes. I think they're funny. As I sit here and type this I am laughing at myself. Maybe that's what it is. I like to laugh at myself because I know what a goof I am. Who knows? But I am SO grateful that I don't take myself too seriously.

March 10, 2021

• I am grateful for my heart. I've had some troubles with it over the years. I've had two heart operations in which the doctors put a camera and some other stuff into my leg and up into my heart. Amazing stuff. They put a stent into my RCA and did an ablation several years ago. But for the most part, my heart has allowed me to do just about whatever I wanted to do or had to do. I'm currently trying to get it back into some semblance of shape (not round) so that I can play ball and ride and run when the time comes.

March 11, 2021

• I am grateful for joints. No, not that kind. The kind in your body. :) Can you imagine your life without joints? How many does one person have in their body? I don't know (360). But what if you didn't have a joint in your knee? What if you didn't have joints in your fingers. How awful life would be! Joints allow us to do everything we do. Run, play, hop, skip, walk, type, drive. It's amazing. How grateful I am that mine have always worked!

March 12, 2021

• I am grateful for this COVID vaccine. I MAY be able to drive down to Richmond this afternoon to get mine. If I do or do not, however, I'm grateful that so many scientists have do so much good work to get these vaccines to us so quickly. It really is a miracle. Whether they'll come back and cause cancer in 20 years, who knows? Right now, we're on a fast track to get back to life as we knew it...until the next thing comes long.

March 15, 2021

• I am grateful for lists. I create a list of things to do every afternoon, things I'll need to get done the day after. They help me get things done, and I love to cross stuff off. It's one of the joys of my day to watch a list get smaller and smaller. I'm not quite sure why, but I work much better from lists. I make honey-do lists at home, too. To me, crossing off things on THAT list is a real kick in the pants.

March 16, 2021

• I am grateful for talents. I'm not really sure that I've got a whole lot of talents, but I'm sure grateful for those of other people. I love to listen to talented people speak, play music, watch them play games and read their books. That right there is one of the passions of my life. As far as my own talents are concerned, like I said, I don't have many. But I'm looking for more so that I can improve them. I'd LOVE to be an expert at something, that's for sure.

March 17, 2021

• I am grateful for the ability to beat the devil. Like everyone, I think, I get these little whispers in my head that say do this, do that, say this, say that, think about this. Sometimes it's so relentless that it seems I can never win. However, I know there is a way to win every single time, if I will. I think that's the thing. Changing our will to match that of our Heavenly Father. We're all corporeal people here. We all have things our body likes. But we've been sent here to overcome that. And the best news is is that there IS a way to do it. I LOVE that!!

March 18, 2021

• I am grateful for my guitars. The oldest one I have is an old Yamaha six-string that my parents bought me when I was about 17 or 18. I used to play the heck out of that one. It's the one I learned to play on. It's probably pushing 50 years old now. The second one I have is another Yamaha, but it's a 12-string and the one I like to play the most. My folks also bought that one for me after I got home from my mission. It's the one I used to play when I played with my roommates. Then I also have an electric guitar which is fun to play, but not like the 12-string. Easier, maybe, but not more fun. How I love to sit and play, though I'm not very good.

March 19, 2021

• I am grateful for my ears. I LOVE music. I LOVE to hear the birds sing. I LOVE to hear my sweetie's voice. I love hearing so many things in this world. Hearing the wind blow or the rain hit the roof are two of my favorite things. I have had so many problems with my hearing the last few years with this ringing going on. I hear it all the time. But it's not loud enough to where I can't hear the beautiful things of this world, too. If I were forced to choose which sense I'd rather lose I don't think I could choose. I am so thankful for all of them.

March 22, 2021

• I am grateful for antibiotics. I have a tooth that I think is infected right now, and it's killing me. Tylenol does diminish the ache, but not as much as I'd like. I wish I had some antibiotics right now to take care of that infection, because I know it would feel much better. I am too much of a dope to go to the dentist, but I'm afraid that's something I'm going to have to do in the next few days. Thank goodness and thank heaven for antibiotics that will kill infections. I'm so thankful.

March 23, 2021

• I am grateful for commandments. I was reading in D&C section 29 this morning about how all commandments that God gives are spiritual, and at no time has He given any commandments to anyone that are temporal. It got me thinking how blessed we are to have commandments because they get us closer to our Heavenly Father. It doesn't matter if we're the most athletic person in the world, or someone who has physical problem after physical problem. All of us can get closer to our Heavenly Father and be more like Him IF we keep the commandments. And that's the only way. Isn't that a thrilling reality?

March 24, 2021

• I am grateful for dentists. Don't get me wrong. I HATE going to the dentist. I boldly and confidently tell you that I am a coward when it comes to the dentist. I don't know if that comes from experiences in my childhood or what, but I don't like it. But this pain in my mouth has gotten so bad that ibuprofen and Tylenol aren't doing much for me. So, I called Hannah's dentist and got right in for this afternoon. I am very hopeful that they can make this feel better. So, I don't like the dentist (in general, no specifics), but I'm VERY grateful for the knowledge they have and what they can do.

March 25, 2021

• I am grateful for a college education. I graduated from BYU with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast News. I used that knowledge for about two year, maybe three, and quit the news game altogether. I just didn't enjoy it anymore. So, I went to Radford and got a Master's degree in Corporate Communication. I use that knowledge now probably every day. But there's more to the college education than just the knowledge. Just the fact that you graduated opens so many doors that otherwise would have remained closed forever. That's what I love about my education.

March 26, 2021

• I am grateful to know about the Plan of Salvation. There are several people who have passed on from this life whom I love very much and look forward to seeing again one day. Without my knowledge of the Plan of Happiness/Salvation that hope would not be possible. How lonely and miserable would life be without the knowledge that death is not the end? What good would a life be if we came to this earth and learned to love so many people only to see them go and never see them again? I am SOOOOO grateful for this blessing.

March 29. 2021

• I am grateful for soap. I read a lot about history. One of the things I read quite a lot is that folks back 100 years ago or so took FAR fewer showers than we do today. And they stank. Body odor is one of the things I like the least about our human existence. I guess I would have gotten used to it if I'd lived back then because I wouldn't know what I didn't know. But how grateful I am that I have the opoprtunity and privilege to take a shower each day. Yikes!

March 30, 2021

• I am grateful for all my bounteous blessings. I may have said it before in here, I know I have elsewhere. I am the most blessed man I know. I've been listening to a song by Phil Collins called "Another Day In Paradise." It's brought to the front of my mind how enormously blessed I have been. I have a home, I have a family, I have a job, I have everything I need, and most of the things I want. I have a healthy body, I have a healthy mind. I was brought up in a home where my parents loved me. I have siblings who love me and pray for my well-being. I have a calling in the Lord's church. I have knowledge many people do not. I know my Heavenly Father loves me. My life is SO wonderful. I do not say any of these things to brag or boast. I say them ONLY because my heart breaks for people who are not as blessed as I am. Helping them should be my ONLY desire in life. The Lord has blessed me with means to help. I have to give back.

March 31, 2021

• I am grateful for social media. I have an odd relationship with social media. I get on to Facebook and I troll around to see what people are up to, maybe wish some a happy birthday, but I don't share things about myself very often. And I don't spend hours looking at it, either, like some people. I have a Twitter account, but I never use it. I have a SnapChat account, too, but I never use that. But I am grateful for it because it helps me stay in touch with people I haven't seen for a very long time. For instance, Duane Pannell wrote me today using Facebook's message service, and it was one of the greatest things I've received in a long time. I haven't seen him in 20+ years. Grant Redden, an old BYU roommate, has a solo exhibition in an LA gallery, and I was able to wish him congratulations. I'm grateful for it, though I don't use it very often. I guess I'm more of a private person that way.

April 1, 2021

• I am grateful for practical jokes. I don't pull these very often anymore, but I really love doing it. I was a practical joker back in college. I did it a lot. One time, I remember, Suzie Smith and I loosened the pressure valves on a bunch of cars in the parking lot of our apartment complex. I finished the job after she went in. She warned me not to do it to her car. And I really meant to not do it to her car. Only bad thing was that I didn't know which one was hers. And I did it to her car. She awoke me the next morning with a cup of cold water in the face. She wasn't MAD at me. But I can look at that now and laugh. I used to laugh so hard at some of those jokes. I guess I've mellowed a little bit in my older age.

April 2, 2021

• I am grateful for stories. I LOVE stories. When my dad was very sick, just before he passed away, I stood in church and told the congregation that I wanted to tell them what my dad would say if he were standing there. When I got home he asked if I had told them a story, and that if I hadn't I hadn't said what he would say. I'm like that. I LOVE a good story. That's one reason I love to read so much. I love to read them, I love to hear them, I love to tell them, I love to think about them, and I love to write them. Stories are such GREAT teaching tools. They are the BEST!!

April 5, 2021

• I am grateful for flavor. I guess it's not a surprise to anyone who knows me that I like to eat. But it's more than that. I like to have taste in my mouth. That's why I flavor my water whenever I can. I put pepper on some of my food. I like sugar. But flavor is a wonderful thing. How boring would life be without it, whether in our food or in our associations with other people? Variation is a wonderful thing.

April 6, 2021

• I am grateful for this date in history. On this date in 1830 the Church of Christ was restored to the earth never to be taken from it again. I have received countless blessings because of its existence. I know where my parents are. I know what happens after this life. I know the true nature of God. I know why Jesus came to the earth. I know that families can be together forever. There is so much I'm thankful for in regards to the Church. It's who I am and how I act. I hope I am always a good example of what I hold dear.

April 7, 2021

• I am grateful for MY education. I know I've talked about education in here already, but MY education has offered me so many opportunities. I am thankful that I took up the opportunity of education, both in college and afterwards, because I've learned so much. Look at it this way, and this is just one example. Without my Lean Six Sigma education at Verizon I wouldn't have the job I have today. I wouldn't know anything about Lean or Six Sigma or Continuous Improvement. I'd probably still be looking for a Project Manager job.

April 8, 2021

• I am grateful for the lessons I learn from great athletes. Take for instance this picture of Jim Thorpe.

  He was one of, if not the, greatest athletes of the 20th century. In this picture, notice that he is wearing one shoe from two different pairs. The story behind that picture is that he was going to run in the Olympics, but awoke to find that his shoes had been stolen. Thankfully he found two shoes in a garbage can, but they were from different pairs. He put them on, ran the race, and won a gold medal. The lesson? Life's going to deal you lemons. Get over it. Deal with it. Don't let it stop you from achieving greatness. There is a way to conquer. You just have to go out there and find it. There are a lot of great examples like this in the sporting world, such as Jim Abbott, Pete Grey, Kieran Behan, Bethany Hamilton. The world of sports is replete with them.

April 9, 2021

• I am grateful for leaves. I love leaves. They're SO pretty in the Autumn and when they come back in the Spring they really beautify everything. I'm not really a green fan, but I love leaves very much. Where else can you see the pattern of the older tree? Where else can you see the fantastic beauty of nature in all its regal splendor? How they grow and how they nourish the tree and how they changes colors is just so fascinating.

April 12, 2021

• I am grateful for root canals. I've had three now, and I don't plan on having any more. The first one was miserable. I'll say it to the day I die that that man was a butcher. The second and third ones were done by women (not that that matters) and were just terrific. Hardly any pain, no big deal. How grateful I am that the oral surgeons know how to relieve pain the way they do. I don't know how they do it, but I'm grateful that they do. My mouth feels MUCH better today.

April 13, 2021

• I am grateful for hospitals. I won't go into any detail, but I am so grateful for the good men and women who work so tirelessly to make sure everyone who goes to the hospital goes home better than when they came in. Some of them stay all night long. Some split shifts, which is exceedingly difficult. During these days of the pandemic it's been particularly important to have them. They are angels of mercy.

April 14, 2021

• I am grateful for journals. I don't know if you'd consider this a journal or not, but I have written a few in my life, especially on my mission and since I had kids, and I LOVE to look back and read about the trials I was going through at that moment. I've written two journals about the lives of my kids, too, starting when they were just detected in Kelly's stomach to pretty close to current day. I hope those mean something to them once they get a little older. I also love the journals of my forebears and the leaders of the Church. There is so much heart in journals.

April 15, 2021

• I am grateful for mockingbirds. I lie in my bed most spring/summer/fall mornings and listen to the mockingbirds sing before I get up. I love them for several reasons. First, I LOVE their songs. They can mimic just about any other song, and when you combine all of those calls it's a cacophony of sound. I love that. Second, they remind me of my dad. He loved mockingbirds, too. Probably still does. They may be a little bit on the grumpy side, but mockingbirds are one of my favorite birds just for their songs. What a way to wake up in the morning! My own personal bird-conducted orchestra...played by one bird!

April 16, 2021

• I am grateful for my bed. It's actually a very comfortable bed, and I love lying in it. I have started to wake up at 4:30 or 5am every day, and I don't get back to the deep sleep I love so much. But that's ok. I lie there and think and sometimes fall back into dreaming. But the bed itself allows me to be very comfortable, and honestly, I've never fallen asleep so quickly at night. I'm deep in sleep before I even know I've fallen asleep. So many people don't have a good bed. I am so grateful for mine.

April 19, 2021

• I am grateful for the miracle of forgiveness. I've probably offended God more than any other man I know. I continuously make bad choices, but I know He loves me anyway. I know He WANTS to forgive me. I feel His love when I honestly make an effort to repent and be a better man. That's now one of my all-enveloping goals for my life...be a better man. My heart has changed so much over the years, though I sometimes let my mortality get in the way. I LOVE the fact that He wants to forgive me and wants me to succeed. I am trying.

April 20, 2021

• I am grateful for my genetics. I had the second COVID vaccination yesterday, and despite my fears that I would be laid up today, I feel fine. I have a bit of a sore shoulder from where they injected me, but other than that, I'm good to go. I honestly think it's genetics. Hannah had the same shot I had and didn't feel much of anything. Neither do I. It hit Kelly like a half-ton of bricks. Different genetics. I have been given so many advantages in this life because of my genes. How thankful I am that my parents and those before them handed down such wonderful building blocks to me. I'm not the tallest, most handsome, most athletic, or smartest guy I know, but I am the genetically richest.

April 21, 2021

• I am grateful for my siblings. I should have written about them long, long ago, because they are three of the most important people in my life. I could not have grown up with three more supportive, loving and kinder people. Despite my obvious limitations, they love me and pray for me. They are such great examples of good parenting and Christlike people. I wish I had followed that example a lot more closely. My patriarchal blessing says I would grow up with wonderful siblings, and it was right.

April 22, 2021

• I am grateful for the the lessons of older age. The older I get the more lessons I learn. The one I'm learning now is how much heartache I caused my parents. It's a VERY painful lesson to learn. VERY painful. I wish I had known or realized or had learned that lesson a lot earlier. But I didn't, so I live with it and try to let it teach me things I should do and not do in the future. Trying to be like Jesus is VERY hard. And very painful sometimes. But oh, the rewards.

April 23, 2021

• I am grateful for the knowledge I have of the afterlife. Today marks 22 years since my dad passed to the other side. In many ways it's been a very fast 22 years, as I've focused a lot on my family and jobs, and less on the fact that I think of my dad every day. But in other ways it's been a tough 22 years. Like I said, I think of him every day, but know that he's alive, well, and doing Heavenly Father's work. I try to honor my dad (and mom) in the way I live. And though I don't do a very good job sometimes, I also know that they know I'm trying. How awful this life would be when loved ones pass not knowing where they are and that we'll see them again. That is my GREATEST hope.

April 26, 2021

• I am grateful for photos. I have a photo on my desk of Doug Zaugg and I in River Stadium (maybe Boca?) about two weeks before we came home from our mission. I believe it's the stadium where Argentina won the World Cup in 1978. Anyway, I love sitting here and looking at it because it brings back such great memories. The vast majority of photos are like that for me. They bring back wonderful days that I can live all over again.

April 27, 2021

• I am grateful for all my parents did for me while they were alive. I have been thinking quite a bit about that lately. I had no idea what a financial burden I must have been on them. And they never said one word about it. I went skiiing at school whenever I wanted to. I bought a laptop computer on a work trip to California. I went and bought groceries at Ream's grocery store all the time (and saw the giant pair of pants). Not only did they bankroll everything I wanted to do (go to school, go on a mission, etc), they taught me the right way to live my life. They taught me to be fair, to be kind, to be loving, and to be gentle. I don't always live by those teachings, but I'm grateful that they gave me those lessons.

April 28, 2021

• I am grateful for agency. I might have said this before, but I'm so grateful that I can choose. I have thought a lot about what it might have been like had I listened to satan in the herebefore. All he wanted to do was take away my agency, and that's STILL what he wants to do. Such a sneaky chump. He's so much smarter than me, but only because he's had thousands of years more to perfect his craft. Ask yourself this question. What do you want out of your life? When it's all over, what do you want to have? That's what you're working for here. I want to know my Savior. I really, really do.

April 29, 2021

• I am grateful for water. I know I've written about clean water before, but I'm actually very grateful for water itself. I love drinking water, though I must say that I don't like it as much if it's not cold or if it's not flavored. Water is just about all I drink, though I will drink milk and I will drink some sodas. When I go to a restaurant I almost always ask for water. A nice little slice of lemon or lime in it is good, too. The elixer of life. I love it.

April 30, 2021

• I am grateful for history. Man, I love history. I think it's SO fascinating. I love to read about it or watch movies that deal with history. i love watching tv shows that are related to history. I love most the Civil War period and the Revolutionary War period. Someone (George Santayana) said that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. I think that's probably true, but that's not why I love it so much. I just think it's awfully interesting to read about people who actually lived on this same earth. Most of the books I read are about history...or religion...which also has an element of history.

May 3, 2021

• I am grateful for belief. Through my reading and studying of the D&C this year, I've come to appreciate much more that belief is enough. Nowhere in the scriptures does it say that a prerequisite to getting into heaven is a KNOWLEDGE that Jesus is the Christ and that He was slain for the sins of the world. In many places is DOES say that we should believe. And I do. I believe it wholeheartedly, and I want to improve that to a knowledge. There are some things about the gospel that I KNOW. But I've not seen an angel, nor heard the voice of God. I HAVE, on occasion, felt His Spirit, and so He helps my unbelief. I am grateful for belief because sometimes that's all I've got, coupled with a very strong hope that what I believe is true.

May 4, 2021

• I am grateful for corn. Such a versatile commodity is corn. You can eat it on the cob, creamed, niblitized, as grits or lot of other foods. You can extract ethynol from it and drive your car. Plus, it tastes great. I had an ear of corn in Iowa at my sister's house one time that was as sweet as anything I've ever tasted. I remember that to this day. It was delicious. Besides watermelon, there's no better taste of summer that I know of.

May 5, 2021

• I am grateful for good words. What I mean by that is that I'm thankful that some people have a way with expressing what I feel. I just heard a song I've liked for many years called "Keep Me In Your Heart." It's being sung by a guy who's obviously dying. He seems worried that his sweetheart will forget him after he's gone, or maybe he's trying to assure her that he'll always be there. He says words that make me weep. "Sometimes when you're doin' simple things around the house, maybe you'll think of me and smile. You know I'm tied to you like the buttons on your blouse." Such GREAT words. There are other songs and poems and stories and SCRIPTURES that do that to me. I love good words.

May 6, 2021

• I am grateful for potatoes. Quite possibly the best, most versatile food there is. Fried, boiled, mashed, roasted, barbecued, steamed, baked, twice baked. Fries, mashed, au gratin, spudnuts, potato pancakes, hash browns, gnocchis, wedges, potato bread, tater tots, potato salad (mmmmm), soup, potato skins, chips, hasselback, omelets. I mean, come on! I LOVE potatoes!!

May 7, 2021

• I am grateful for our AC system. It gets MIGHTY hot in our bedroom in the summertime. The sun beats on the side of that room all afternoon, and by the time it's time to go to bed it's almost uninhabitable sometimes. Jacob says it's even worse in his room. I'm SO grateful that we have figured out how to use that AC unit, and can now sleep in cool comfort. How terrible it would have been to grow up without it. Yikes!

May 10, 2021

• I am grateful for spiritual insight. It's very interesting how much of this insight I've had in the last few weeks. I wouldn't say that the space station has landed on me or anything like that, but some questions I've had for a while have been answered. Maybe that's because I've put the Prophet's words to the test. He said that the moment we start a real study of the scriptures we'll get more insight. And that's true. Just some small things, but they made a world of difference to me.

May 11, 2021

• I am grateful for math. If you'd have told me in high school that I'd be thankful for math, I would have said you were crazy. But with my job I use math every single day, and I love it. It's an exact science, and you can use it to prove or disprove so many things. You just have to watch that you read your numbers the right way, because they can tell you anything. But if you learn the principles of math you can do just about any calculation and find out where you root trouble is. I don't understand it all, but I do love it.

May 12, 2021

• I am grateful for classical music. I'm listening to a compilation of classical music this morning. Mozart's "The Enchanted Flute" overture is playing right now. I've listened to some Wagner, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov this morning, with some Chopin, Pachelbel, and more Mozart coming up. Such soul-stirring music. I even like the Opera pieces!

May 13, 2021

• I am grateful for my interpersonal skills. The Lord has blessed me with an easy manner of talking with people. I'm genuinely interested in what they have to say, so it's easier for me to deal with problems and situations that might make some people a little nervous. For instance, it's easy for me to give a talk in church because I've been doing it all of my life. I feel comfortable and even thrive in front of people. I have an interview for a new job today. I hope those interpersonal skills come into play well.

May 14, 2021

• I am grateful for not having contracted COVID-19. I thank Heavenly Father every day that I have another day to live in paradise. COVID has killed so many people, and made so many people so very sick, I am so thankful that I never got it, at least that I know of. God has blessed me with a healthy body, and it's served me well for 62+ years. I am so thankful for that.

May 17, 2021

• I am grateful for shade. Kelly and I went out hiking again on Saturday and it was a physically stressful hike. In places it seemed like it was straight up. It was a gorgeous day, but I got hot. I had to take off my fleece, and I still sweated quite a bit. How grateful I was to be in the woods and in the shade and not out in the open. With the shade it was SO much nicer. I appreciate the shade A LOT these days. It's so beautiful.

May 18, 2021

• I am grateful for signs of the times. Let's just state the obvious. For those who watch this sort of thing, the signs of the times are everywhere. Right now, the Israelis and the Palestinians are bombing each other daily. Nature seems to be in upheaval all the time with earthquakes, typhoons, hurricanes, twisters, fires, volcanoes. You think of it and it's probably happened recently. People are angry and hate one another for no other reason but the color of one's skin or the idealogy they buy into. It's a hard world to live in sometimes. But for those who watch and those who know, this is not surprising. I look at them with the belief that my Heavenly Father loves me, and so He's telling me to get ready. I love that, and am SO grateful for it.

May 19, 2021

• I am grateful for hymns. There are so many I love. They stir my soul and help me feel the Spirit. Of course, I have my favorites. "The Spirit of God", "Count Your Blessings", "High on a Mountain Top", "There is a Green Field Far Away", "Come, Come Ye Saints". I look forward to singing those, and many others, in Church. I believe that the people who wrote those hymns were inspired by the Lord to write such beautiful words and music. Oh, and don't forget "Come Thou Fount." That one makes me weep whenever I hear it.

May 20, 2021

• I am grateful for the ability God has given me to learn. I'm a pretty quick study, even if I do say so myself. I don't have the greatest skills at anything. But I do know how to do a lot of things, many of them I've taught myself. I taught myself to play guitar. I pretty much taught myself how to be a CI. I've also been taught a lot of things, and I know how to do them. There is still PLENTY I want to learn, but I'm grateful that Heavenly Father gave me that advantage.

May 21, 2021

• I am grateful for sticky notes. I use sticky notes at work every day. I write all of my daily tasks on them. I write notes on them and stick them to my monitors. I write notes on them and stick them in my pocket. I have so many sticky note pads that they nearly take up an entire drawer. Whoever invented the little pad like that was a genius.

May 24, 2021

• I am grateful for my kid brother, Eric. His birthday was yesterday. He and I haven't always seen eye to eye, I must say. But our relationship, at least from my point of view, is better today than it has been in many, many years, if not ever. I love Eric, and I look up to him in more ways than stature. He's done it all, it seems. World Champion dancer, Editor in Chief of a magazine, member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (now called the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square). He's overcome countless adversity in his life, and he's one of my few role models. I'm SO grateful Heavenly Father sent him to our family.

May 25, 2021

• I am grateful for the recharging effects of sleep. It's a wonder to me that I can be SO tired that I fall asleep on the couch or in a chair and the next morning I am not tired anymore. It's more than the rest my body and mind get because I turn and dream all night long most nights. So there's something about actually sleeping that makes me feel recharged. I am so grateful for that because there are some nights I'm just exhausted.

May 26, 2021

• I am grateful for lucullan locution. I hesitate to believe that I could be additionally effusive regarding this topic. Locution is significantly imperative in this existence. Additionally, I particularly relish the erudition of innovative philology. Words like crapulous, egregious, indolent, lugubrious, rebarbative, and sesquipedalian are so cool. My brother Marc is WAY better at locution that am I, but I still enjoy it immensely.

May 27, 2021

• I am grateful for clean language. I have a job in which most of the people I associate with swear, and swear a lot. It's no big deal to hear every swear word in the book on any given day. I LOVE going home and hearing good, clean language. I LOVE going to church and hearing good, clean language. I'm tired of listening to people who use the Lord's name is vain or drop bombs like they're nothing. I guess it's my fault for not setting the bar when I arrived here, so maybe I need to do some more work on that. But it's so refreshing to hear clean language. Those places are kind of like my fortress of solitude.

May 28, 2021

• I am grateful for education. Yes, I know I've already said this several times, in one way or another. But I signed up to audit a creative writing class, and I must say, I'm pretty excited about it. A little apprehensive, maybe, but excited. I'm going to learn some good things, how to improve my writing so maybe some of my stories won't be as boring as they are now. I LOVE to write, and I'm grateful that I can take this class to improve myself a little bit.

May 31, 2021

• I am grateful for all those who have fought for freedom. To me, it doesn't matter where they fought. It could be on the battlefield, or the school playground, or the streets of Washinton, DC. I am grateful for the freedom I currently have, realizing that I would not have that freedom had not thousands and millions of people fought and died. I am grateful for those who served and didn't die, such as my own dad. I enjoy my liberty today solely because of their sacrifices.

June 1, 2021

• I am grateful for the fact that I don't care about my hair, or lack thereof. There must have been a time when it did bother me that I'm a baldy, but right now it does not. I actually like not having to mess with my hair all the time. I don't have to carry a comb, I don't have to worry about it getting all messed up, and I don't have to worry about the latest styles and all that. To me, it's a little like Steve Jobs and his shirts. He had many copies of the same shirt and always wore them. It was one more thing he didn't have to worry about. So it is with my hair. Who cares? I honestly couldn't care any less.

June 2, 2021

• I am grateful for my nieces and nephews. Let's see. Let me count. Julie has five kids. Marc has three. Eric has four. So, I guess I have 12 nieces and nephews, six of each. I got to see Marc's two youngest kids last weekend, and it was so fun. We had breakfast at Waffle House. I so want to see my other nieces and nephews because they are such great people, and we get along so well. I hope they all know they can turn to me for anything they need. I love them so much.

June 3, 2021

• I am grateful for so many advantages. My patriarchal blessing tells me that Heavenly Father has given me a lot of advantages in this life and that they will play out to be very special to me. I don't know all of them, but I know one of them was being able to learn Spanish quickly and well. It was not hard for me at all, as I remember. Another is that I have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. Is there a better blessing than that? I don't for one minute believe that He gave me these advantages because He loves me more than others. Not one bit. But I do believe that maybe it's because I needed them. I know I'm weak in many areas. Maybe those advantages were to help me overcome those weaknesses. Either way, I'm grateful for them.

June 4, 2021

• I am grateful for keys. I'm not talking about the kind of keys you carry around in your pocket. I'm talking about the kind of keys that the Priesthood gives you. These keys are so we can open the right kind of doors here in this life that will allow us to get back to our Heavenly Father. Without these Priesthood keys we would not have that capability. How grateful I am that we have these, as I REALLY want to get back.

June 7, 2021

• I am grateful for old companions. My old mission companion Laureano Guana passed away last week, and it's saddened me very much. He and I didn't get along all the time, but we became very good friends before I was transferred away to City Bell. We even spent a night in jail for the work. In later years we had communicated via Facebook, and it always made me very happy to hear from him. In fact, I got a message from him not two months ago. He is the second of my companions to pass away, that I know of. Walter Soloa, who was also with me in Zapala, passed many years ago. I miss them both.

June 8, 2021

• I am grateful for my wedding ring. It's really not very fancy. It's made of gold and has some small ridges around the outside, and it's a comfort-fit ring, which makes it very nice. But I have to say that it symbolizes MUCH more than that. This ring represents the promises I made to a certain young lady whom I love with all my heart. It represents promises I made to my Heavenly Father, too. And it represents promises I made to myself. I work very hard to not break those promises. It really isn't that hard. I love her.

June 9, 2021

• I am grateful for constructive feedback. I wrote a poem and read it to my writing group in the class I'm taking and they said they loved it. They gave me some considerate feedback, too, saying that it felt real, genuine, and that if you wanted to know me as a person all you had to do was read my poetry. That felt good. It gave me a nice little smile in my heart.

June 10, 2021

• I am grateful for choices. I made a choice long, long ago, that has made all of the difference of where I am and how I live my life. I made the choice to follow my Heavenly Father back before the world was created. I don't remember it, of course, but through the prophets who've lived down through the ages, I know that the very fact that I live on this earth means I made that choice. How grateful I am for anyone and everyone who worked with me then to convince me that that was the right decision. I'd hate to be where those who made the wrong choice are. And I wouldn't have a body, either.

June 11, 2021

• I am grateful for poetry. I have always been, and always will be, a Robert Frost fan. I love his poems. I love a good Robert Service poem, too. Poe's are good, and there are others. I've never been a fan of the modern poem that talks about stuff I can't understand. But I'm starting to see things in those poems that I never did before. Unfortunately, a lot of it has to do with pain, anguish and death. I don't like that. I'd rather read about the road not taken or the cremation of Sam McGee. Now THOSE are poems, baby!

June 14, 2021

• I am grateful for the sacrifices my mom and dad made. I may have talked about this before, but I want to write about it again. I'm only now realizing some of the things my mom and dad must have felt while I was growing up. Sure, I felt them when my kids were young, too, but I am now seeing much more clearly some of the pain I caused them. I am SO sorry for being such a knucklehead, and hope I've redeemed myself just a little bit. I was such a dope, but they were so patient and loving and never told me I was a dope. What fantastic parents. I wish I were half as good as them.

June 15, 2021

• I am grateful for old friends. Today is the 43rd anniversary of meeting my best friend, Doug. We met at the LTM in Provo, Utah at around 7 or 8am. He was my district leader for the time we were there, and we hit it off from the very first day. We've been friends ever since. I can't tell you how many things we've done together...fishing in Canada, Rush concert in LA, Elton John concert in Provo, Kiss concert in Virginia Beach. We've toured DC twice, gone to a Dodgers game, been in both oceans. I'm thankful I met him. One day maybe I'll get to live closer so we can see each other more than just once every three or four years.

June 16, 2021

• I am grateful for memories. Today is the fourth anniversary of the day my mom passed away. It's a sad day, there's no doubt about that. But it's not a SAD day. I have so many wonderful memories of her that they make me smile instead of weep. She missed dad so much and had been without him for 18 years that it was time for her to go, for her sake. If it had been for my sake she'd still be here, and so would dad. I miss them both very much and think about them every day. It's those memories, and the hope of a better day WITH them that keep me from being sad. What a wonderful blessing.

u>June 17, 2021

• I am grateful for warning signs. Years ago now I was sitting at my desk at Verizon and my heart started beating fast for no reason. I eventually went to a cardiologist who said there was something not right and that they need to look inside me. When they did, they found that my right coronary artery was 95% blocked. I had a stent put in and pretty much everything has been great since. Without that warning sign, however, Kelly may have awakened one day to find me dead next to her. I would not have known. Heavenly Father didn't have to give me that warning, but He did, and I'm forever grateful.

June 18, 2021

• I am grateful for optimism. I have tried my whole life to be an optimist. When I see a bad situation I really try to look for the good, the silver lining, the W. I just can't see the sense in always thinking that the sky is falling. Sure, bad things will happen. They happen to good people just like they happen to bad people. But things work out. They always do. And if we just hang on and breathe they probably will this time, too. It's a wonderful life. We shouldn't live it with pessimism. Enjoy it!

June 21, 2021

• I am grateful for a wonderful wife. It was 24 years ago today that we got married. There have been bumpy roads, days when we wondered what the heck we'd done. But the older I've gotten the more thankful I am for her. She's a wonderful, wonderful person, and I'm very blessed to have her as my companion, my best friend, my sweetheart. I look forward to many, many more years with her, as we grow older and closer.

June 22, 2021

• I am grateful for my love of writing. I have been able to audit a class this semester at the local community college, and it's been a real eye-opening and enjoyable experience to write a little more. I don't think the professor is very good, as she really hasn't taught us much at all. She mainly has us write and then talk about the writing in small groups. I was hoping I'd learn some good plot devices or how to make my writing more interesting. But I have enjoyed the writing. I love to write and test my brain. It feels good.

June 23, 2021

• I am grateful for the time I'm able to spend with my family. My patriarchal blessing says that I'd be able to spend time with my family, and it's turned out to be a very large blessing in my life. I've always been able to go to practices and games and such like that. I've even been able to coach many of the teams the kids have played on. That makes a world of difference to me, as not only did I enjoy it, but I think they appreciated it, too. I love to be with them, even now when they're so grown up.

June 24, 2021

• I am grateful for naps. My day started at 5am yesterday as I had to be at work for a 6am meeting with the warehouse gang. When I got home last night I took a 2 hour nap which helped me make it to the end of the day. Today my day started at 2am because I had to be here at 2:30 or so to talk to some of the drivers before they went out on their routes. Can you guess what will happen this afternoon when I get home? Um, yea. Nap time!!

June 25, 2021

• I am grateful for the grandeur of this world. Kelly and I went over to West Virginia today to celebrate our wedding anniversary 24 years ago. Today we went zip lining in Judy Gap. It was SO fun! But the thing that hit me the most was the absolute beauty of the places we traveled. I'd never been to this part of West Virginia, but it is SO beautiful. We saw the mountains and the trees and the rivers and everything else. It was and is just gorgeous. And realizing that Heavenly Father made it just for our appreciation and joy makes it even better. Thank you SO much!!

June 28, 2021

• I am grateful for the teachings of my parents. There are so many pitfalls in this life. Drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, lying, cheating, etc, etc, etc. The adversary works on us every second of every single day. He doesn't care who it hurts, and the more the merrier. My parents taught me about these things and how to avoid them. How grateful I am that they did so. I've TRIED to pass those teachings on to my own kids. Hopefully, one day they'll embrace them.

June 29, 2021

• I am grateful for birds I haven't seen before. Yesterday, Kelly and I drove down to Huntley Meadows and saw a Roseate Spoonbill. This is a bird that SHOULD be down on the Gulf Coast of the US, not here. But he/she decided to make this the summer home, at least for a little while. That makes 368 birds I've seen in my life. I am so grateful that I continue to see new ones every now and then. Not too long ago we saw a Sora that should only be in Europe, and a Painted Bunting that should be way down south, too. Maybe we're getting them here because it's so much hotter than it used to be. Global warming and all that.

June 30, 2021

• I am grateful for pictures. I keep a picture of my good parents on my desk at work. I have a picture of Hannah that I use as my wallpaper. I have a picture of Doug on my desk. I have a picture of Jacob with his baseball buddies on my desk. And I have a picture of Kelly here, too. They bring back such GREAT memories. These people are so important to me, and the pictures endear them to me even more.

July 1, 2021

• I am grateful for my sweet wife. I was looking at some pictures of her this morning, and she really is a beautiful young lady. I'm so thankful that she's been SO patient with me over the years. I'm not an easy guy to live with, but she seems to make it look that way. She's always loving, patient, and the most hard-working person I think I've ever met. Today is her birthday. I love you, baby! I could have waited another 38+ years (how old I was when we got married) and never found a better woman.

July 2, 2021

• I am grateful for modern medical technology. How in the world did they go up through an artery in my leg to look at valves and veins and arteries in my heart? How does that work? I don't know, but because they can do that I'm alive. Matthew Cowley might call it a miracle, and so would I. How did they burn a place in my heart to stop it from going into atrial fibrilation? I don't know, but I'm thankful for whoever thought that up. There are tons more inventions and innovations I'm thankful for, but I'll leave it at that.

July 5, 2021

• I am grateful for a country where I'm free. I'm grateful to so many thousands and hundreds of thousands of people, men and women, who have sacrificed so much so that liberty could prevail. I'm not specifically talking only about those who have been injured or killed in action, though that is the ultimate sacrifice. I'm also talking about those millions who have served, at home or abroad, and have made the world a safer place. I'm talking about my own dad who served in the Korean War but, as he was fond of saying, fought the battle of Lawrence, Kansas. How many are there like him who served, knowing they COULD see action and yet served anyway? And how many good women supported them while they were gone? Five hundred and five men died EVERY DAY during the Civil War, a war about slavery yes, but also a war about freedom. And freedom won. I'm grateful for our Founding Fathers, who were good and decent men, though normal people who rose to the occasion. They saw the possibilities of liberty, stepped up and took their lumps, and forged a Constitution that would see our good country through some VERY trying times, times that continue to this day.The United States has its problems. They're worse today than they've ever been, and that Constitution today seems to hang by a thread at times. But I believe it's an inspired document, and can still serve us well if we use it like the Fathers intended. This is a GREAT country, the best the world has ever seen, and I'm so thankful that I was born here, raised here, and will one day die here. Just hope that's not for another 20 or 30 years.

July 6, 2021

• I am grateful for nuts. I love nuts. Almonds, cashews (though I know they're not technically a nut), peanuts, filberts, Brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, macadamia, hazelnuts. You name it, man. I'm all about nuts. I always have a can of almonds in my car that I eat on my way home from work. Such great flavors. And so good for me. They have all kinds of Omega-3s in them, which I don't know what those are, but they are good for me. :)

July 7, 2021

• I am grateful for my son Justin. Today's not his birthday, but his birthday fell on a weekend this year, so I didn't write about him. I'm grateful for the relationship we now have. It was kind of rocky while he was growing up because I was a selfish snot. Now that I've grown up a little bit our relationship is a pleasure for me. I LOVE it when he comes home. I'm grateful for his good wife, too. She's a good gal. He chose very well...and for that matter, so did she.

July 8, 2021

• I am grateful for rain. It's been so hot and humid and dry around here the last little while, I've had to water my lawn much more than I would normally. Otherwise, we'd be talking about brown or dead grass, and I can't have that. I've spent too much on it to let it die. So, rain, which it's doing now, is a wonderful thing. It saves me SO much water and money. I love rain. It cools things down and greens everything up. How much better could that be?

July 9, 2021

• I am grateful for basketball. I try to go every Thursday night and play. Most of the friends I have are there, or were before Covid came along. It's been a little bumpy trying to get it going again, but we'll get there. Last night I went over and played some. Jacob came and played, too. I always love it when he comes. I love being involved with him in stuff like that. I guess you can tell that basketball, which is my favorite sport to play, is more of a social thing than it is anything else. I love playing with my friends.

July 19, 2021

• I am grateful for vacations. That's why I didn't write in here for 10 days. Kelly and I took the kids and her mom to Montana, Wyoming and Idaho to see the wildlife, the majestic mountains, and the unbelievable natural attractions Yellowstone has to offer. I feel very refreshed coming back to work today, and I'm grateful for the time I was able to spend with my family.

July 20, 2021

• I am grateful for the beauty of this earth. I'm still enthralled by the gorgeous scenery I was witness to last week. From the mud pots to the geysers to the animals to the...well, you get the idea. It's an amazing thing to see, especially when you realize that it was all created to give us joy. Yes, there are ugly things that go on in this world, but to be unplugged from all that and just concentrate on nature and it's beauty is a wonderful blessing.

July 21, 2021

• I am grateful for class. Last night the Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA championship 4 games to 2 over the Phoenix Suns. As hard as it is to lose a championship like that, the coach of the Suns, Monte Williams, went INTO the Bucks locker room to congratulate them. Does it get any classier than that? It makes me feel SO good that someone would take the time to do that. Most coaches or players would not do that. In their postgame interview they may say "Oh, the other team was so good and I congratulate them for their performance." But to go INTO the locker room? Man, that's just SO GREAT!!

July 22, 2021

• I am grateful for repentance. I have done a lot of very stupid things in my life. I've made some dumb choices. I've made some dumb mistakes. But you know what? I can be forgiven for these things if I will. That's the key right there. Remember when Jesus found the man at the Pool of Bethesda? Do you remember what His first words to him? He said, 'Wilt thou be made whole?" The desires of the individual are so very important and the very thing that will judge us harshly or otherwise. But that's where the repentance comes in. Will we stand inside our house with the windows, doors and curtains closed while the Father offers sunshine every day? So many mistakes. I'm glad I can repent.

July 23, 2021

• I am grateful for my teeth. I've had quite a few problems with my teeth over the years. I've now had three root canals done, one of which was like getting stabbed in the mouth repeatedly. The other two were no big deal. I've had a wisdom tooth extracted (in Argentina). I've had a whole bunch of cavities that had to be filled. And I've had teeth break and chip. No fun. But I still have most of them, and I'm grateful for what I have. They help me eat and smile, and that's all you need.

July 26, 2021

• I am grateful for the Olympics. I LOVE the Olympics. They started this past week and I've been watching quite a bit of them. They exemplify everything I love about sports. They're not there to earn millions of dollars. They're not there sponsor some cereal or something. They're there to win gold, overcome odds, and try to be the best in the world. So many times the networks give us these great background stories of the athletes. I LOVE those and I love when an athlete is standing there with a gold medal around his/her neck and they're playing the Star Spangled Banner. What a thrill that must be. If there were one or two things I would try to do in my life when I was young it's to hear that played for me. I would have wept like a little child.

July 27, 2021

• I am grateful for the cosmic order of things. God set everything in its space, and has let it spin for hundreds and thousands and maybe millions of years. If you take one thing out of its proper order, planets will be hotter or colder, spin out of their orbits, or have stronger or weaker gravity. It's an amazing thing, everything in its order, and everything right where it needs to be. Look at the earth itself. We have the perfect gravity, the temperatures are just right for life to exist, our sun is the perfect distance away, our moon helps with tides and the like, and we have enough and to spare, if we take care of what we've been given. I just love what the Lord has done.

July 28, 2021

• I am grateful for my beloved friends in Argentina. I made so many friends down there, but the most wonderful relationships I have are with the members of the Alarcon family. Oh, how I love them. I was only able to baptize Irma, but that is enough for anyone's lifetime. To have done that AND to have become a member of their family is a blessing I can't even begin to repay. Such wonderful people with whom I continue to communicate to this day.

July 29, 2021

• I am grateful for humility. I don't have a lot of this, unfortunately, and it's not something I really want to ask Heavenly Father to help me develop because I know He sends situations and people who will help me develop that. I don't like that heartache. However, I REALLY appreciate humility in other people. I look up to those people how are humble because they have lived through those situations and have come out better for it. One of these days I might have enough courage to ask for more humility, but I don't know when that will be.

July 30, 2021

• I am grateful for science. I love thinking about possibilities. For instance, we get new skin cells all the time, right? They are new, young cells. Old cells grow tired, fall off, blow around in the wind. What if there is a process whereby we could accelerate the growth of new tissue to keep our skin looking young? I mean, I don't know if that's even possible or the real process that goes into creating cells. But science is so fun to think about. The GREAT advances we've seen just in the last 20 years is all because of science. They make our lives so much easier. Just look at the microwave. That one invention helps us in so many way. I love science.

August 2, 2021

• I am grateful for time. I've still got time to mend my ways. I've still got time to help my family. This life is not the final outcome. I'm not going to say there's 'plenty of time' because I don't believe there is. But I've got to keep in mind that things that happen now, though they can have eternal consequences, can still be changed, mended, repented of. Remember, God loves you and loves your family. He will help if you give Him a chance. But sometimes the answer is YOU.

August 3, 2021

• I am grateful for old-time music. I've been listening to some good tunes this morning from Doris Day, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Glenn Miller, The Andrews Sisters and others. My mom and dad loved that kind of music, and consequently I've got an affinity for it, too. It's such wholesome music, not like the crap most "artists" put out today and call is "art". It reminds me of some of the stories and "poetry" I've been reading in my writing class. So pretentious, so unbelievably vapid. A return to old-time values would be a great thing to do.

August 4, 2021

• I am grateful for endings. I finished my creative writing class last night after reading part of my creative non-fiction story. I wrote it about meeting my first girlfriend and what a dope I was and how nervous I was when talking to her. But now the class is over and I feel a sense of accomplishment. That's a nice feeling. I wrote some good things for that class and got some very nice compliments about them. But now I can move on to something else. I relate that to everything else in this life. Nothing really lasts forever (except ordinances done in the temple). Things have a way of working out. And God knows what I can take and what I can't. All things must end, so just hang on and try to enjoy the ride.

August 5, 2021

• I am grateful for regeneration. What I mean by that is that I'm grateful that when I hurt myself my body figures out a way to heal itself. This has happened countless times and it always works like a champ. It's slowed down a little bit as I've grown older, but it still does what it was made to do. I'm grateful that my body was created the way it was. The only thing that hasn't regenerated is my hair, and frankly, I don't care much.

August 6, 2021

• I am grateful for gratitude. It swells my heart to think of what my Father has done for me. And that is a good feeling. I believe that Heavenly Father likes to know that we're thankful for what He's done. One of the scriptures I've memorized says that the wrath of the Lord is not kindled against anyone but those who "confess not His hand in all things and keep not His commandments." I think that "confess His hand in all things" means being grateful for His efforts. It hurts my feelings when I do something and the person doesn't say thank you or isn't grateful for the effort. I think God is like that, too. Thank you is a VERY powerful phrase, and I've tried to develop the ease at which I say it. I hope I have done a good job at that.

August 9, 2021

• I am grateful for weekends away. Kelly and I spent the weekend with our good friends, Tony and Julie Akers, down at their lake house on Claytor Lake. We didn't do a whole lot, but that was kind of the point. We sat on the porch, we paddled around their cove a little bit, went for a boat ride, and generally just decompressed. I'm very thankful that we can do that sometimes, and for the loving care those two gave the both of us. It was a VERY good time.

August 10,2021

• I am grateful for grandparents. I had four such WONDERFUL grandparents. Thankfully, I got to know all of them. We visited them every summer after we moved away from Utah, and those visits are now some of my favorite memories. Living all the way across the continent it was hard to get to know them as closely as I would have liked, but I still got to see what wonderful people they were, and how much they loved us and the Savior. They were such a powerful influence on me, and they continue to teach me in my old age. And they raised my wonderful parents, so that should just about say it all.

August 11, 2021

• I am grateful for competition. I've never considered myself a really competitive person, but when I'm in a game of some sort, I'm in it to win it every time. I think competition is a healthy thing, as long as it's governed. I believe it makes you stronger and it helps you excel in the tasks you're undertaking. I think we should implement more of it at work where some healthy competition could make everyone perform a lot better.

August 12, 2021

• I am grateful for fingerprints. This might seem a little odd, but I am thankful for them. You know why? Because they are just an outward evidence that I am an individual, that I'm different than anyone else. I am a child of a loving God who wants me to come home. Those fingerprints, though they look very similar to others, are individual and singular. He created me that way. Odd in some ways, unique in many ways, and deeply like Him. I LOVE that!

August 13, 2021

• I am grateful for aunts and uncles. I have some of the best relatives in the world. My mom and dad's siblings are so wonderful. I can't count how many times I've enjoyed their presence, their little jokes, and their advice. They have been so helpful in my life, and I love when I get to go out west and see them. Some of them are gone, but I will always carry with me the love they've shown me my entire life. Aunts and uncles are the best!

August 20, 2021

• I am grateful for air travel. I've been at the division in NYC for the last week, and it was made SO much easier by being able to fly there instead of drive. Flying in coach is not the most comfortable way to travel, but it gets you there quickly and most of the time I can endure a little discomfort. These two flights were made way better, though, because I had no one next to me in the next seat. I LOVE THAT!!

August 21, 2021

• I am grateful for a wonderful, loving mom. I don't think I truly appreciated my dear mom until I became a dad myself. All of the sacrifices she made for me never really occurred to me until I was making those sacrifices myself. That's just the way my sainted mom was. She did things because she loved the people she served, not so she could get accolades or thanks. Most of the time, in fact, no one ever found out it was her that was serving them. She was the best example I could have had of a righteous and loving mom. I miss her today on her 91st birthday. Hopefully I've been able to make her proud of the way I've lived my life.

August 23, 2021

• I am grateful for a worthy and righteous dad. I was raised by the best man I've ever known. Not everyone can say that. He was the best example I could ever have had of righteousness, humility, and just being a good man. Unfortunately, I have not always followed that example, but I really am trying. He had some pretty big shoes to fill, but I'm trying to get my feet to grow a little bit more. If nothing else, he gave me my love for beauty. He loved his children, his wife, his grandchildren. He loved this world. I do, too. He was my best friend growing up. I've REALLY tried to emulate him in that and many other ways.

August 24, 2021

• I am grateful for having learned Spanish on my mission. This has been an immense blessing in my life. Honestly, I lost a lot of vocabulary over the first few years of being home because I didn't study it as much as I should have. But I've started reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish and I'm reading it out loud, trying to get my accent back and some of those words I might have forgotten. I still know how to conjugate verbs and I could still communicate with a Spanish-speaking person. I just have to add vocabulary. I LOVE that language. I'm so grateful for the comfortable education I received in my blessed Argentina.

August 25, 2021

• I am grateful for the power of fasting. Let me get this down on paper right at the beginning. I do not like to fast. I like food too much, and I don't have good enough control of my body to just overlook the pangs of hunger I always get. But, I honestly and sincerely believe and am thankful for the power of fasting. I also wholly believe that by fasting we gain a better control of our bodies, and I think that's one of the main reasons we're here on this earth. We need gain a body and then win control over it. That doesn't come easily, but I think we can more readily hear the voice of the Lord when we fast faithfully.

August 26, 2021

• I am grateful for pets. I've been listening to this podcast in which they're talking about the domestication of animals and what a bad thing is was. I am thankful for pets. They bring such a wonderful aspect of love and devotion into everyone's lives. I have had pets over the years that were just amazingly smart and loving. Louis E. Berger, Jr. was one of those. I loved that dog. Charlie and Walbert are also very good pets and I love having them in our home. They love us unconditionally. It's a wonderful thing to be able to love a dog like that.

August 30, 2021

• I am grateful for the way hard feelings soften over time. Kelly and I took Hannah down to college yesterday and left her there. The first time we did that, about two years ago, it was very hard for me. She'd never been away from home like that, except for a week at camp, and even then I didn't like it much. I cried a little bit when I left her there that time. Yesterday was still hard, and I didn't like one bit, but it was a little easier than it was the first time. Feelings are like that. It was very hard to lose both my mom and my dad. But it's gotten easier to shoulder that load over the years. I'm grateful for the effect time has on our hearts.

August 31, 2021

• I am grateful for the fact that English is my mother tongue. English was hard enough for me learning it in my own home. I think it would be doubly tough if I had to learn it as a second language. I tell you what. I've been given many, many advantages in this life. I live in the greatest country this world has ever known, I speak its language, I am a member of the Lord's church, I was raised in a very loving home. How could I EVER be unthankful about any of that?

September 1, 2021

• I am grateful for great leaders. I have had plenty of great leaders in my life, from my parents, to teachers, to bosses, to church leaders, to family members, to who knows who else. Great leaders have made me who I am today, and I think I'm in a pretty good place right now. I've got WAY too many problems, but hopefully they're making me into an even better man. I am reading a book about Abraham Lincoln and what a great leader he was. I hope I can be that good one day. And I especially hope I can be as good as the Savior, one day in the eternities.

September 2, 2021

• I am grateful for glasses. My eyes are actually really good. I've always had good eyesight, and I think the best in my whole family. All of my siblings wear glasses or contacts, and my wife and kids all wear them, too. So, I'm thankful for that. But in recent years I've found it a little harder to read without readers. My arms aren't long enough anymore. So, now I try to keep a pair in my pocket so I can read whenever I need to, instead of saying, "Why do they have to make this printing so small?" Readers help clarify things, they make things bigger. I'm grateful that someone figured out how to make them and how to improve your eyes. They're very important to me.

September 7, 2021

• I am grateful for time off. This last four days went by SO quickly. It's nice to have time off from your job to be able to rekindle some of the enthusiasm you have for the task. Kelly and I didn't really do much. We went on a bird walk on Saturday and another walk on Saturday night. But other than that it was just a relaxing, get stuff done around the house type of weekend. But so nice to have that time off to rejuvinate.

September 8, 2021

• I am grateful for modern medicine. I got into a nest of chiggers or something a few days ago, and they got all over and bit my feet and ankles. It is one of the most excrutiating and maddening things in life, I think, to try to sleep and have your feet itch like they're on fire. With a little bit (a lot, actually) of cortizone and some steroids, I feel almost 100%. When I was a kid all we had was calomine lotion, and that never seemed to do anything. How thankful I am that we have medicines today that can limit the amount of pain or itching (same thing) we have to endure.

September 9, 2021

• I am grateful for all the people I met in Argentina. I love a lot of people down there. I love the entire Alarcon family. They're all pretty much spread out now, and not a lot of them still live in Zapala, though a few do. But I am grateful for how I am still able to keep in touch with them through social media. They're such wonderful people. I watched some of a River Plate soccer game last night and just basked in the feelings I have for Argentina and its people. I love them.

September 10, 2021

• I am grateful for all those people who died on September 11th. I remember exactly what I was doing on that terrible day. My mom was visiting and we were still in the townhouse on Filly Court. I was at work and went into the little kitchen there to heat something up for breakfast. I saw on the television how a plane had hit the first Trade Center. I watched for a little while and then the second plane hit. Then we heard reports about the Pentagon. I went home right away, and drove right past Dulles Airport. There were no planes in the sky. We hunkered down in the townhouse and watched the news the rest of the day. It was an awful day, way worse for those people who were killed. To me, they are patriots.

September 17, 2021

• I am grateful for homecomings. I've been in New York again for the last five days or so and it was VERY nice to be able to sit in my own house last night, talk to my own wife, and enjoy the company of a couple of good dogs while I ate my dinner. I love coming home. It's one of the best feelings in the world. I imagine it will feel SO much better to return to our heavenly home one day. Believe me, I'm not anxious for that day, but it will be wonderful to go home again, nonetheless.

September 20, 2021

• I am grateful for big rocks. Yesterday I was able to teach the 17-year old class in Sunday School. It was a delight to be able to teach them again. I taught them the object lesson about filling a glass bowl up with large rocks. The large rocks don't completely fill up the bowl, so you have to use increasingly smaller rocks until you get to sand and water. It's all about how you have to do the big things first in your life instead of the smaller ones because the large ones won't fit in there if the smaller go in first. It's all about how we should do the important things first because the less-important ones WILL fill up the space they're given. I'm grateful for the large, important things in life that give us so much happiness.

September 21, 2021

• I am grateful for old-time music. While I've been working this morning I've been listening to Nat King Cole. Man, I love the way that guy sang. I'm so grateful that my mom and dad listened to that kind of music while I was growing up. I don't know that I had an appreciation for it then, but I sure do now. I love the big band era. Music from Sinatra, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, the Andrews Sisters, etc, etc, etc. The list goes on. Such wonderful, CLEAN music that had a real soul. So much of the music of today doesn't have that.

September 22, 2021

• I am grateful for Autumn. Today is the first day of Autumn. I have been waiting for this time for months. I'm not a summer guy AT ALL. I dislike the humidity and the excessive heat. But I LOVE Autumn when the temperatures cool, the leaves turn gorgeous colors, and I know that winter is right around the corner. I LOVE to walk in the woods and hear the crunch of the leaves under my feet. I love the nip in the air that necessitates wearing a fleece. I LOVE Autumn. It is BY FAR my favorite season.

September 23, 2021

• I am grateful for respect. I am big on respect. I have respect for so many people. At church, I can't even call some people by their first names because I respect them so much. I call them Brother this or Sister that. Unfortunately, I don't demand respect, but I'm working on it. Hopefully I conduct my life in such a way that people WILL respect me. Some don't, and that's fine. I will continue to respect them.

September 24, 2021

• I am grateful for gentleness. I've been trying to be more gentle the last little while. Unfortunately, I'm not really very good at it. I havne't known that many people who were gentle, but when I've met them I've been very impressed with them. I have a friend right now who I think is a gentle man. His name is Chad. I don't know what it is about him, but he makes me want to be better. The way he treats his wife and family, the way he treats his friends and is ALWAYS ready to help. Even on the basketball court he tends to not shove and push, and he hardly ever fouls. I admire that.

September 27, 2021

• I am grateful for grace. Growing up I wasn't taught much about grace. The church didn't teach much about it and concentrated more on the faith and works aspect of life. But now that I'm older I can see that they really were teaching about grace, I just didn't know it. I'm grateful that Heavenly Father loves me and reaches out His hand to me no matter what I've done. THAT, I think, is what grace is all about. He loves me not matter what and is anxious to extend that forgiveness and help to me no matter how far away from the strait and narrow path I've strayed.

September 28, 2021

• I am grateful for challenges. I'm facing a few challenges right now, some at work, some at home. They're hard, to be honest. And some of them really hurt. But I also know that that's how I grow. That's how I learn to rely on the arm of Jehovah. To get to the top you have to climb the mountain, and it seems like that's what I'm doing right now. I don't LIKE challenges, but I'm grateful that they help me get where I want to be, and where I SHOULD be.

September 29, 2021

• I am grateful for gospel teachings. I feel a lot better today than I did yesterday. Part of that is because I read the Book of Mormon and it spoke to me about how God knows me and has known me for many thousands and millions of years. That's comforting. I also learned a nice little pneumonic for making decisions on one of my favorite podcasts today. It is HALT. Never make big decisions when you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired. Such great wisdom.

September 30, 2021

• I am grateful for air. Have you ever been in a situation where you couldn't breathe? Oh, man. It is NOT pleasant. I've not been in a dire situation like that, but there have been times when I couldn't get all of the oxygen I needed. I read the other day that your body uses oxygen WAY better when you breathe through your nose because it not only filters but it warms the air before it hits your lungs. I seem to do that more than not, so I'm glad of that. Being able to breathe is something we take for granted until we don't have it. I hope I can do better at that.

October 6, 2021

• I am grateful for fleeces. I'm in Perth Amboy, NJ today at the Metro NY division, and it is freezing in here. Last night I had to go to Wal-Mart to get something that would keep me a little warmer than I was yesterday, and I got a $15 fleece that's keeping me warm and toasty. I looked at other things like hoodies and sweaters, but this fleece was cheap and it does the job. I may keep it at the office when I return to Manassas.

October 8, 2021

• I am grateful for a good boss. Right now I have one of the best bosses I could hope for. His name is Mike, and he lets us all do our jobs. He doesn't get in our faces, and he doesn't micromanage our work. I LOVE that. I've had a few really great bosses in my life, and they all led in this same manner. I've always felt that he has my back, and he's very understanding when it comes to problems and challenges. I guess my time for potentially being a boss is over, but if I ever were, I'd like to be like that.

October 11, 2021

• I am grateful for weekends. Such a good time to recharge and do some of the things I WANT to do instead of some of the things I HAVE to do. This past weekend we really didn't do a whole lot that I WANTED to do, but I did get some things done around the house, like mow the lawn. Weekends are so nice because half of weekends are Sundays. Such a wonderful opportunity to recharge spiritually, too.

October 12, 2021

• I am grateful for cellphones. I know this is a thing, and I've been trying to list things that are not "things", but cellphones are like this world's Urim and Thummim. Of course, I don't know how the Urim and Thummim will work in the next world, nor do I know how powerful they will be. But cellphones give you all of the information you could want to know in this life, from scores of ballgames to Conference talks to podcasts to your TV Guide to what's for dinner. They're AMAZING. You can play just about any song you want to listen to. You can watch movies. They're amazing.

October 13, 2021

• I am grateful for peace. True peace is one of the hardest things we can attain to in this life, I think, but it's SO available IF WE WILL. God offers true peace to us IF we follow Him. Like I said, it's really up to us. We can search for it in a lot of different places, but it will only be found in Him. Praying to Him, following His commandments, reading and studying His scriptures. All will lead us to peace, but we have to put the work in first.

October 14, 2021

• I am grateful for the opportunity I had to learn Spanish. It has proven to be a very special blessing in my life. If for no other reason, I'm thankful for the Lord's efforts on my part because I got to meet so many wonderful people. I can also read the scriptures in Spanish, I can communicate with people in Spanish. You know, I haven't LIVED Spanish in nearly 42 years, but I'm still pretty good at it. It just goes to show how much the Lord worked with me and taught me. THAT'S what I'm thankful for.

October 15, 2021

• I am grateful for words. I love to communicate. I love to understand and listen. I love to hear. And the way we do that is through words. Words mean everything in this life. The scriptures are organizations of words. Prayers are words. Conversations are words. Books are words. And I LOVE all of these things. As the old Police song says, "Poets, priests and politicians have words to thank for their positions." I think we all do.

October 18, 2021

• I am grateful for a strong body. I've never been terribly sick. I've always had my health and have been able to do whatever I wanted to do physically. Sure, I've been sick like with the flu or with a cold or something, but I've never had major problems. And honestly, I don't consider my heart problems to be major problems. Yes, they could have killed me and I realize that. But I'm talking about laid up for weeks or months or years. No, the Lord has been VERY good to me in this regard. And I'm VERY thankful.

October 19, 2021

• I am grateful for my brother. Today is Marc's birthday, and I'm thankful that he and I have always had a good relationship. I love him. I think we're very much the same and yet have our healthy differences. He's got a wonderful family which I just love. I personally think he's got higher standards than me, and higher expectations of himself. I admire that, and aspire to be much more like that. In many ways he's a lot more like our parents than I am. They were like that, too (and still are).

October 20, 2021

• I am grateful for the time off I had when I was laid off and furloughed. I didn't handle it all very well while I was in the moment, but since I have seen what WONDERFUL blessings the Lord gave my family and me during those periods. Not only was I able to take Hannah to school every day but because I was not working my income was much lower. Consequently, when we had to pay for Hannah's college this year we were able to pay less. I suffered trying to find a job. What I should have done was trust in the Lord that blessings would come...and abundantly.

October 21

• I am grateful for deadlines. Interestingly enough, when I was working in the tv industry, I ALWAYS loved having a deadline. It helped me concentrate, it helped me focus. Consequently, I think I did some of my best work under the gun of a deadline. I believe the same is true nowadays, too. I like a good deadline. I'm more responsible than I was in my 20s (I hope) and I don't push those deadlines like I used to, but they still motivate me to get off my duff and start working.

October 22, 2021

• I am grateful for laughter. I think I have always been somewhat of a happy person. Those who know me may disagree, but at least inside I laugh a lot. I just read a book called "The Positive Dog" in which the author posits that laughter makes you more positive and improves your mood and outlook on life. I totally buy into that, and since I have been trying to laugh even more. It makes me feel good, probably because of all the seratonin and other hormones it releases, but more than that, I think it just makes my insides gooey. Or something. Ba ha ha ha ha!!

October 25, 2021

• I am grateful for small victories. I get these little victories all the time, and now I've started looking for them. When I submit my damage reports each morning I look for the wins. When I think life is getting me down a little too much, I look for wins. I try to look for silver linings and I try to think how life would be if something else had happened. Small victories come around all the time, if you just look for them.

October 26, 2021

• I am grateful for clouds. I know I've already talked about clouds in this thanks journal, but I want to mention them again. I'm am grateful for them today for two reasons. One - when I was walking to my desk this morning I saw how gorgeous they can be. The purples and the whites and the greys and pinks were all standing out vividly across the sky. It was beautiful, and I thanked Heavenly Father right there for such a beautiful world to live in. Two - I sit now at a window where the sun shines right in my eyes on clear days. How thankful I am that the clouds cover that sun up from time to time and allow me to see what I'm doing. It's the small things in life, you know?

October 27, 2021

• I am grateful for email. It is such an easy way to communicate. I think you have to be very careful with how you use it, though. The most solid foundation of human existence, I believe, is communication. Without communication we're worse of than any other animal species, which all communicate in some way. When we don't talk face to face it can be very detrimental to that back and forth. Email sometimes has the tendency to take the place of the face to face aspect and can help us become more impersonal. Not good. But for a communication tool, I wonder how we ever got along without it.

October 28, 2021

• I am grateful for thought. I love to think. I love to sit in a good chair (which I'm also thankful for) and just let my mind go. I ask myself so many questions and I come up with so many hypotheses about life and eternity. I love to think about my family and about my extended family, about my parents and friends. I love to think about the mysteries of God and of science and progress. The old commercial for the United Negro College Fund was right. The mind IS a terrible thing to waste.

October 29, 2021

• I am grateful for doctors. I think I've written before about the problems I had ten years ago with my heart. If not for doctors figuring out what the problem was I would probably be dead right now. While death doesn't scare me much, I don't want to do it yet. I went to the cardiologist this afternoon and I'm grateful for his expertise. He looked at my EKG and said I look good. I do need to lose about 20 pounds, though. I've got a year to do it, too. A pound and a half a month. I can do that.

November 1, 2021

• I am grateful for options. I made a big decision a very long time ago to follow Heavenly Father's plan. But I had another option. Since then I have had other options from which I could choose. Sometimes, many times, I've chosen the wrong option. Other times I've chosen wisely. But there are options. You will almost never have a decision to make in which there is but one option. I appreciate that and I love the fact that God allows me to choose how I will. Hopefully in the last (almost) 63 years I've learned to see good and bad options for what they are, and have developed the fortitude to choose the right.

November 2, 2021

• I am grateful for blueberries. MMMMM. I love blueberries. I could eat them on my cereal every day. I could take them to work and eat them plain every day. Not only are they a super food and so good for me, but they are delicious. I love everything about blueberries. I even love the little seeds they have inside that I can sit and crunch in my teeth long after I've swallowed the last one.

November 3, 2021

• I am grateful for lessons learned. Today is the first anniversary of starting this thanks journal, and I think I have learned A LOT since doing so. Hopefully I'm more thankful than I used to be, because I've had to search for things for which I am thankful. Hopefully I've learned a little more about life and eternity, too. I surely think about them both more often now. I love this life. I love my family. I love the gospel. I love the church. I love God and I love my Savior.

November 4, 2021

• I am grateful for my wedding ring. Before I got married I always wanted to have a ring like this. It's very much like my dad's wedding ring, which I also have and keep in a safe place. I don't know why I wanted a ring like this, but I did. Maybe it's because I wanted to make those promises to a good woman. Now that I've been wearing it for 24 years+ I am still grateful for it. I am grateful that I have made those promises, and that's what this ring represents to me.

November 5, 2021

• I am grateful for edumacation. I sat in a meeting today listen to guys saying that they had to get up at midnight and then 2am and then again an hour later just to find out what time they were supposed to be at work for that day. The thought hit me that my patriarchal blessing told me to get an education, and I did. Consequently, I have had a job for at least the last 30 years or so that allowed me to get to work whenever I wanted to. Most of the time I still come in around 8am, but I know I could get here at 8:30 or 10 or even noon, and nothing would be said about it. That sort of freedom comes because of education. I'm grateful that I listened and did what I could in that regard.

November 8, 2021

• I am grateful for the knowledge I have of the purpose of life. The wife of a friend died this past week. He and I served together in the Boy Scouts some years ago, and I always thought of him as a very nice, sweet man. I saw him at church yesterday and felt so much of his pain. How AWFUL would this life be without the knowledge of what happens to us when we pass through the veil? I can't even imagine how unhappy I would be, how uneasy. But knowing what I know allows me to have hope of a better day, a hope that I'll see my loved ones again. I could not bear it otherwise.

November 9, 2021

• I am grateful for people who keep their word. There was no episode in which someone didn't keep their word to me. I just appreciate it when people say they're going to do something and then they do it. To me, your word is your bond. I will let you slide if you fail me because we are all human and have weaknesses and foibles. But I think I will inevitably lose a little bit of respect for you that will last just a little while. Since adulting, I've tried to be a lot better about this. My word is my bond, too.

November 10, 2021

• I am grateful for laughter. Boy, I love to laugh. I love to tell a joke and laugh more than anyone else. I love my sense of humor, though hardly anyone else does. I think things are funny when no one else even gets the joke. I LOVE to hear a baby laugh. I think it's the coolest thing in the world. In fact, as I wrote that and listened to a baby's laugh in my head, I laughed and still have a smile on my face. I remember laughing at one of my dad's jokes until my sides hurt. And that's no joke. Ba ha ha ha ha ha!!

November 11, 2021

• I am grateful for all those who fought for my beloved country. Today is Veteran's Day again, and I'm still thankful for what these brave men and women did, and are doing, so that I can live in freedom. We take this for granted, you know. We look at our freedom and take it for granted. I saw it in Argentina in the late 70s. Those people sometimes lived in fear of going missing or being taken to jail for no reason. Granted, Argentina was not like it must be in Russia or Venezuela or Nazi Germany. But I myself was taken to jail for no reason and threatened with the point of a gun. I love the United States. The more I learn of its history the more I love it and love those who have sacrificed so much for my liberty.

Note - From now on I'm going to write what I feel. If I've already written about that for which I'm thankful, well, get over it.

November 12, 2021

• I am grateful for the kindness of others. I had a former Sunday School student stop by the house the other day and leave me some apple fritter things that he and his wife made. So good. People have been so kind to me in my life. I think that helps me be more aware of being kind to others, too. I can be a pretty selfish person, so when I'm reminded of this by the kindness of others, it does a lot of good to my old heart and helps me see that I need to improve.

November 15, 2021

• I am grateful for church. I LOVE going to church. I love sitting in my accustomed seat and listening to the testimonies and talks. I love feeling the Spirit. I love hearing the whisperings of the Lord when He speaks to my heart. I love gaining insight into fundamentals of the gospel. I love my involvement in the church. How grateful I am that my mom and dad raised me this way. I need to get even more involved.

November 16, 2021

• I am grateful for teams. I actually like to work by myself because I'm a control freak, I guess. I like to do things the way I like to do them. But some of the most satisfying successes I've had in my life were because of teams. I've won championships in soccer and baseball, both team sports. I've won many championships in basketball...a team sport. I've had many successes in my jobs because of teaming up with someone else. No one should be an island in this life. Teams and the synergy they generate are essential for success. No one gets into heaven alone.

November 17, 2021

• I am grateful for another place to work. The last few days they have been repairing the roof at the office. As they pound and scrape and saw and hammer, it makes it very difficult to sit and work, especially while dust and who-knows-what-else drops from the ceiling onto my desk and into my lungs. This is now a very big building, so I've taken my laptop and moved to another spot until they are finished. Not where I want to be right now, but WAY better than at my assigned desk.

November 18, 2021

• I am grateful for sound. I love being able to hear. I love how I can hear the jackhammer on the street, but also hear the baby's laugh and the song of praise. I love hearing someone say, "I love you", and I love the sweet sound of my wife snoring because it tells me she's sleeping soundly. I feel so sorry for those people who can't hear and wish there were something I could do. But I know their resurrection will be all the greater for it.

November 19, 2021

• I am grateful for how muscles and joints recover. I played full court basketball last night for the first time in almost two years. My joints are stiff today, my muscles ache, and I feel great. Why? Because I know they will recover and it was fun to be able to play again. Sore muscles means you used them, and using your muscles is a very good thing. I need to use them more.

November 22, 2021

• I am grateful for doctors. I just made an appointment to see my doctor for a physical in a few weeks. I'm grateful for them because they do so much good. Their lives are made up of service. Yes, I know they make a pantload of money. But they also help people stay alive and give comfort to those who know they're not going to be alive much longer. I'm thankful for nurses, too, because they give even more service and do all of the grunt work when no one else wants to. I love me some nurse (Kelly).

November 23, 2021

• I am grateful for keys. I'm not talking about keys that open physical doors. I'm talking about keys that are given to those who hold the Priesthood of God. These keys, like the physical ones, unlock doors that God has designated on this earth that otherwise would be forever locked. Those doors, once opened, allow us to give blessings, perform ordinances, a preside over quorums and congregations. They are for the benefit of all God's children.

November 24, 2021

• Estoy agradecido por la habilidad de hablar en Espanol. Esta manana estaba pensando, despues de leer el Libro de Mormon en Espanol, cuan agradecido estoy por haber hecho la decision de servir una mision. Esa mision me dio tantas ventajas que he usado en el resto de mi vida. Una de esas ventajas es la habilidad de decir casi lo que quiera en otro idioma. He habido capaz de comunicar con muchas personas porque fui a la Argentina. Esa decision solitaria ha hecho toda la diferencia.

November 29, 2021

• I am grateful for gratitude. Being thankful makes me feel good. And I really believe and feel that my gratitude has been increased in the last year, partly because of writing this gratitude journal. It's forced me to really think about my blessings, ponder them and think about what I'm grateful for. Some of these have taken quite a bit of thought, but sometimes those have been the things I'm most thankful for. And honestly, I believe that most of these aren't "things" anyway. They're emotions or talents or senses instead of "things". I"m grateful for gratitude. It has helped me see more clearly what Heavenly Father has done for me.

November 30, 2021

• I am grateful for noise reduction. I remember the first time I heard about noise reducing headphones. I thought it was impossible, but a VERY cool thing to think about. About that same time I also heard about directional sound, which is also a really cool thing. Now, noise reduction is an every day deal, and I have some of the headphones myself. How nice they are to hear the highs and lows in music that I've never heard before. And how much better could you get to wear them on an airplane? Such great technology.

December 1, 2021

• I am grateful for wind. I didn't used to like wind. When I was running a lot, or cycling, running was not a very nice thing unless it was blowing at my back. I didn't like going against it. Nowadays, however, I'm a little older and appreciate a nice zephyr when I'm hot or the wind as it pushes me along. I also appreciate what wind is trying to do, and it's just one more in a long line of evidences that there really is a God.

December 2, 2021

• I am grateful for 1%. I've been reading a little bit lately about improving things by 1% each day. The aggregation of marginal gains. I am LOVING this thought. I can do 1%. Making small changes here and there adds up to significant gains over time. That's what I'm trying to accomplish in my life. Small changes for big changes.

December 3, 2021

• I am grateful for achy muscles. I don't particularly enjoy having achy muscles, but I'm grateful that I have a healthy enough body that I can go out and exercise and exert myself enough so that my muscles are sore the next day. It lets me know that I've still got a good body and can work it. It makes me so grateful that Heavenly Father has been so good to me. And He continues to be. I'm the richest man I've ever known.

December 6, 2021

• I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father. I've been reading Section 138 of the D&C the last few days, and it's really opened my eyes to how much care went into constructing the plan of salvation. There was risk for all of us to come here, but I think it was a calculated risk because He deeply wants us all to come back. I've felt a small portion of that love He has for us lately, and it's made me all the more determined to make it back to Him. Can I make it? Absolutely! Enduring to the end is what will help me. His grace, of course, is the only thing that makes it possible, but I've got to cross the bridge myself.

December 7, 2021

• I am grateful for all those who have served my country. Today is the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I am grateful for their sacrifice that day, and for the thousands, hundreds of thousands and millions who have served since. My dad served in the Korean War, and though he never saw battle, he still gave up two or three years of his life, when he could have been getting an education or working, serving the country he loved. There are SO many who have done the same. Thank you.

December 8, 2021

• I am grateful for a Savior who gave up His life for mine. I have been thinking about this for years. I still don't understand it. Sure, I would give up my life for those of my family. No questions asked. But for those people who hate me or lie to me or deceitfully use me? I don't know that I'd have that much courage and/or love. Of course, I don't have to. I'm not Him. But I hope to be a lot more like that one day.

December 9, 2021

• I am grateful for the Holy Ghost. He whispers to me all the time. I don't usually here Him, but I know He speaks to me. Sometimes I think I'm fond of saying that I've never received that BURNING testimony of the Book of Mormon or whatever, but I also know that that's not how all people get a testimony. I have a strong one, and that's because He testifies of it to me whenever I read or pray or study. He's gone to A LOT of trouble to help me. SO much work He's done with my life. I am VERY grateful.

December 10, 2021

• I am grateful for a beautiful daughter. Hannah turns 21 today, which is incredible to me since she was just born a few days ago. Since the first time I saw her I have loved her with a love that cannot be described. I'm sure every parent feels this way, and so do I. I LOVE her with every fiber, every cell, every molecule of my being, and love the person she's grown up to be. There are so many wonderful traits that she has that I wish I had in myself. Happy birthday, Peanut!

December 13, 2021

• I am grateful for the Sabbath. It is such a rejuvinating day for me. I love it when the Sabbath comes around because I can actually rest, not only from physical activity, but from the stresses of the world. I LOVE that! I feel so much better on Monday mornings, ready to head into the week and ready to tackle the challenges I will face. Thank you Sunday!

December 14, 2021

• I am grateful for trees. I'm looking out my window right now where a crew of about 15 guys is putting asphalt down near the guard shack (that number is another story altogether). They're putting A LOT of smoke into the air, which really dirties this place up. Trees and plants and flowers and all kinds of vegetation clean the air for me, and make it clean enough to breathe. Without those trees we'd be doomed. And it wouldn't take long, either. Not only do I love the way they clean my air, but I love the way they look, the way they climb, the way they give shade. I love trees.

December 15,2021

• I am grateful for doctors. I went to the doctor to get my annual physical today and he said I was very healthy, but that I should get another colonoscopy and should probably go through a sleep study to see why I'm always tired. Other than that, no cancers on my head, shoulders or back, joints, liver and all that look good. I'm happy that there is someone out there who knows more about the body than I do. They help so many people, including me.

December 16, 2021

• I am grateful for batteries. Whoever figured out that you can store power in a battery was a genius in my book. And then to figure out that you can recharge those batteries is even greater. Right now we have A LOT of fake candles in our windows and such helping us remember the Christmas season, and they all run on batteries. They lend a VERY nice spirit to our home, and I just love them being there. Without batteries we'd never be able to run them. So much else runs on batteries that we use EVERY day, like our phones, our cars, and the headphones I'm using RIGHT NOW. I love batteries.

December 17, 2021

• I am grateful for prayer. I've said before that I've never been a very good prayer, but I think I'm getting better. Reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish this year has been very good for me because it's forced me to pay attention, and then drop to my knees to ask for more understanding. I hope I'm becoming a better prayer. I need more sincerity, more concentraton. Brother Joseph said that prayer should be a very physical experience. I need more of that.

December 20, 2021

• I am grateful for faith. The older I've gotten the more I've depended on my faith to pull me through tough times. Maybe it's combined with my deep hope for a better day, but I also feel a profound faith in God. Everything I do seems to go back to this idea that there is a Supreme Being and that He loves me and wants me to come home. For me this world is lost without that faith. I try to keep the commandments because of my faith. I get up in the morning because of my faith. The way I speak, the things I do and don't do, the way I conduct my life is all because of faith.

December 21, 2021

• I am grateful for vision. I'm not only talking about the vision I get from my eyes (for which I'm profoundly thankful), but for the vision I am given of the future of my life after this, for the vision I get of the truth, of my goals, of ways I can change. Lehi said himself that he was a visionary man. I've never really been such, but I'm grateful for the vision I've been given to help change the world. I'm endeavoring to improve in this particular arena, but thankful for what I've already been given.

December 22, 2021

• I am grateful for good leaders who follow the rules. I got exposed to Covid yesterday when I was in a room with someone who later tested positive. We were all wearing masks at the time, so the probability of getting Covid from him is pretty low. However, today our VPO sent us home early to work from home so we wouldn't accidentally infect someone else. I think that's fine. One of our last VPOs skirted the rules and got fired for it. I'm glad to see this one does what is necessary, though it may not be popular.

December 23, 2021

• I am grateful for the Prophet Joseph. I've been reading a lot about him the last few weeks, and I wanted to say, on his 216th birthday, that I'm thankful for him and the myriad things he did that have made my life so much better. I don't have addictions nor problems with extra families throughout the world. I know where I'm going after I die and I know where those who have already gone are. I know why I'm on this earth, and I know that God is my loving Father who wants me to come home. Thank you, Brother Joseph, for living your life in such a way so that these things could be restored to the earth.

December 24, 2021

• I am grateful for deadlines. The schools these days are teaching these classes they call asynchronous. These classes, evidently, don't have any deadlines for assignments. So many people I've talked to have told me their kids are doing terribly in them because they're not forced to finish them by a certain date. I remember when I was working for the tv station. The stories I filed under the stress of a deadline were the best ones. I just think people work better with deadlines. I know I certainly do. It's just human nature to put things off until the very end.

December 25, 2021

• I am grateful for His mission. Imagine how Heavenly Father must have felt watching from heaven as His only begotten Son was born in a cave in a feeding trough. Imagine how He felt knowing the pain, suffering and anguish that were coming His Son's way in a little less than 33 years. Suffering no man had ever nor would ever again endure. Jesus knew all of this would happen, too, and yet, He volunteered to come to save us all from sin and death. I'm grateful for that today, the day we celebrate His birth. I love Him and endeavor to love Him more each day.

January 3, 2022

• I am grateful for a time to recharge. I just took the last 7 days off from work, and it was nice to be able to come back to work this morning recharged and ready to go. It's a little funny. Sometimes when I'm off I want to come back, and when I'm back I want to have off. But I am very thankful for being able to build up time in order to take it off. This place can be stressful, and though I love my job, it's nice to spend time at home, too.

January 4, 2022

• I am grateful for a wife who's always kept us solvent. I admit it. I don't know much about our family finances. Kelly takes care of all that, which is probably a pretty good indictment of me. That aside, we've gone through some tough economic times in our life together, but she's ALWAYS kept money in the bank, saved for a rainy day, and assured that we had enough money to do what we needed to do. Lately, I hope I've corrected my ways and done better at helping out, but how thankful I am that she is who she is. I love her so much.

January 5, 2022

• I am grateful for pie. Hannah made me an apple/cherry pie for my birthday, and it was absolutely delicious. Her crust is so good. I like pie WAY more than cake (though I love cake, too), and would choose it every single time. I love apple, cherry, pumpkin, chocolate, key lime, peach, blueberry, lemon meringue, rhubarb, strawberry, coconut cream, blackberry, and so many others. They taste so much better than cake or just about any other dessert. MMMM.

January 6, 2022

• I am grateful for time. Last year on this date we had an "insurrection" at the US capital building. Thousands of people stormed it, crashing in windows, waving weapons, and threatening the police. Five people died, and hundreds, if not more, were left in fear. It's a microcosm of the way I feel about life. Things blow over. Life evens out. Problems go away. Yes, there are sometimes lasting effects from things that happen, but if we let them, good times have a way of coming around. We all struggle to see the light. But time allows all of that hurt to go away. Not always. I understand that. But time does eventually heal all wounds.

January 7, 2022

• I am grateful for snow. It snowed on Monday night and last night, and there is now such a beauty to the earth. I love the way snow feels while it's falling, and I love the way it looks when it's on the ground. I'm not wild about having to scrape ice off my windshield, but snow is wonderful. I love to ski on it, I love to build snowmen, I love to build forts, I love to watch it blow.

January 10, 2022

• I am grateful for being able to stand on the shoulders of giants. ANYTHING I do, someone has already done it. If I write a story, if I get some good statistics for work, if I am kind or humble or understanding, someone has already shown me the way, and I owe everything to them. Hopefully one day I can be a giant that someone else looks at, but for now, I look at those giants and am grateful. Parents, authors, bosses, siblings. The list goes on and on. The greatest example, of course, is the Savior. I owe everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, to Him.

January 11, 2022

• I am grateful for my brain. My brain doesn't work like a lot of people's brains. But it learns pretty quickly and allows me amuse myself with how dopey I can be sometimes. I love how it retains information and how it processes things. It's slowed down a little since I turned 50 or so, but it still works pretty darned well. I'm happy about that. I want it to keep working well the rest of my life.

January 12, 2022

• I am grateful for Bible stories. I LOVE that we are studying the Old Testament in church this year. I love some of those old stories and what they teach me in today's world. I love hearing and learning about Noah and Adam and Abraham and Isaiah and all those wonderful men and women who lived back in those days. I love the fact that they sacrificed so much so that we could have the gospel of Jesus Christ today. We need it more than ever, I think.

January 13, 2022

• I am grateful for vaccines. Thankfully, I have not gotten Covid, two years into this. We've been wearing masks and social distancing and washing our hands. But I personally think the thing that has kept me healthy, besides the GREAT blessings of my Heavenly Father, is the face that I'm vaccinated and boosted. I know I could get it despite this fact, but I can't help but think it's helped immeasurably. The Prophet, for pete's sake, has said that it's a miracle that these vaccines were created in such a short time. There are those, even in my own family, who say that they're bogus. Be that as it may, I'm grateful for them.

January 14, 2022

• I am grateful for good stories. Stories from the scriptures, stories from talented authors, stories from the lips of a parent or grandparent or even child are so important to me. I love the oral tradition of handing down stories, but I also love a good book full of good stories. They transport me to a better place and help me learn about my own life. There's nothing like a good story. I've written a few, and hope to be able to write many more.

January 17, 2022

• I am grateful for fire. Kelly and I had a fire in our fireplace last night and it REALLY warmed up the house. The snow was falling all afternoon and having a fire was the perfect thing. Hearing the crackling and whooshing helped me relax after a hard week. I don't even mind going out to the side of the house and carrying the wood in. I love a good CONTROLLED fire. Makes the house smell good for a little while, too.

January 31, 2022

• I am grateful for time with my son. I was out in Utah for the last couple of weeks for work. Toward the end, Jacob came out and spent some time with me. Three days of skiing, talking, and generally just having a good time together. I love him and am grateful for his friendship and for being his dad. He was very patient with me, as I had to stop quite a bit to get up off the snow, to let the lactic acid drain out of my muscles, and to catch my breath. What a great sport he is. I can't say enough good about him.

February 1, 2022

• I am grateful for numbers. I've loved numbers since I was a kid, tracking the stats of my favorite baseball players. Numbers tell the truth...most of the time. They help us see a clear path for improvement. Of course, like just about anything else, they can be skewed. But if someone has a real desire to see the truth and see which path they should take, numbers will help them every time.

February 2, 2022

• I am grateful for doctors. I have an appointment to see the doctor this morning because I've not been feeling as good as usual. Ever since I got home from Utah I've felt a little under the weather. Kelly tested me for Covid the other night, and it was negative, so there is that. I'm thankful that we have physicians who take the time to learn about infections and viruses and diseases so we can all live healthier lives. I hope I can shortly.

February 3, 2022

• I am grateful for medicine. Went to the doctor yesterday, took one dose of my medicine, and I actually feel better today. Granted, I may have been starting to come out of the sickness anyway, but there have been so many wonderful improvements in medicine in my lifetime that it almost begs being thankful. Look at how long it took them to come up with a vaccine for Covid. Look at how many diseases have been completely eliminated. Look at how long people live now. it's an amazing world. I'm happy to be part of it.

February 4, 2022

• I am grateful for hot chocolate. It's cold and rainy out today. I sit at a window and watch the world spin, and on days like today it makes me a little chilly. So I go into the breakroom and get myself a small cup of hot chocolate, and it makes me feel a lot better. It's probably not all that good for my health, as it provides all kinds of calories, I'm sure. But it really does warm me up, and helps me enjoy the spin a little more.

February 7, 2022

• I am grateful for warm clothing. It's been so cold here lately, I'm thankful I have some clothes that will keep me a little warmer than otherwise. Flannel shirts (of which I'm wearing one today), long-sleeve t-shirts, sweatshirts, and my ubiquitous fleeces. I love them and even have to wear them during the summer months because it's so doggoned cold in this office. My hands are quite cold, but my body is warm. Yea, baby!

February 8, 2022

• I am grateful for missionaries. Some missionaries helped convert my Grandpa Schetselaar. Missionaries helped bring others of my family into the fold, too. On both sides. I've been a missionary. I've worked with missionaries. I've felt the wonderful stirrings that Ammon spoke about in Alma 26. I love the missionary work and am grateful that I've been a part of it, both on my mission and afterwards. And I'm grateful my life has been so affected by it.

February 9, 2022

• I am grateful for the experiences of others. I make a lot of mistakes, and some of them are rather egregious and either cause me or others pain. That is mainly because I sometimes refuse to learn from the experience of others and must learn from my own mistakes. Maybe most people are like that. I don't know. But I think a very wise person would be one who watches others and learns from their mistakes instead of his or her own. Seems like that would save a lot of heartache.

February 10, 2022

• I am grateful for blueberries. I just ate a handful of them, and oh, how I like them. I love the little seeds they have, I love the squirt they give in my mouth, I love their taste and their consistency. They are one of my favorite foods. And that's got nothing to say about how good they are for me. Plain, with cereal, or any other way. I just love them.

February 11, 2022

• I am grateful for a good night's sleep. This is something I don't always get. Many times my mind wakes up at about 4am and I lie there in and out for another two hours. But when I get a good night's sleep, I may get out of the bed a little slowly because my body wants to stay in that warm bed, but I can concentrate much better and I do better work throughout the day. The only problem with a good night's sleep is that most of the time I'm asleep.

February 14, 2022

• I am grateful for my Valentine. Kelly has been a part of my for more than 28 years or so. She and I have not always seen eye to eye, but she is my best friend and the one I'ee chosen to spend my life with. She is a wonerful mother and an even better wife, and I am eternally grateful that she overlooked my many liabilities and decided to say yes. Why she finally decided that I was large enough to not have to throw me back in the water, I'll never know. But I'm glad she did.

February 15, 2022

• I am grateful for every scrap of peace I can find. This world is hard. I never realized how hard until just recently. But when I can find some peace it is sheer ecstasy. I am ready to fight for it, to grasp it with both hands and both feet and all my teeth. I don't feel it often enough, no matter how often I feel it. And I know that peace ONLY comes from my Heavenly Father. Love, joy, happiness, excitement. They're all good. But none of them, nor all together, is as good as peace.

February 16, 2022

• I am grateful for common sense. Last night we were supposed to close on our refi. We did not. The account manager was not available for questions, and so we sent the poor lady away without signatures. Common sense would say that you are available for a call when your clients are signing their lives away, especially if they are a long-time client. But no. He was gone home. Come on, people! Use your heads. It's not that difficult!

February 17, 2022

• I am grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord. I have been pleading with Him to bless my family, and yesterday He did. It was a much better day than some of the last few have been, and it was all because of His tender mercies. I may not know Him like I want to know Him, but I do recognize His hand in the small details of my life. I am so thankful that He is mindful of our situations and blesses us with His bounty. I realize that some days are better than others and that that will continue. But I also know that He knows me and my wife and children, and He cares.

February 18, 2022

• I am grateful for the refiner's fire. No, I'm not a fan of going through it. I do NOT like having trials and I would never ask for them. But I am thankful for what trials do for me. They make me a better man. They help me be more patient. They give me more of an eternal outlook on things. I would never wish for them nor wish them on my most hated enemy (which I don't really have any of). But I am grateful that we don't just go through them for funnsies.

February 21, 2022

• I am grateful for the comforts of home. I am in Greensburg, PA for the next few days, living out of a suitcase. For me, there's a certain "fun" in it, but only so much. I am a homebody. I like my own bed. I like being able to go to the fridge and get something out. I like being able to look next to me and see my wife working on her diamond art or reading or whatever. I like having my own car and being able to feel at home. I never do on the road. I'm thankful that I can go home on Thursday and feel that again.

February 22, 2022

• I am grateful for the sacrifices of others. I drove by the Flight 93 Memorial yesterday on my way here. I didn't stop, but I will on the way home. Just seeing the signs got me to thinking about that day and the sacrifices those people made to protect others. Such selfless service for the benefit of others is what God's plan is all about. They suffered and died so that others might live. Does that sound familiar to anyone? Sure does to me.

February 23, 2022

• I am grateful for nature. I love nature. I love going out in it, I love walking around in it, I love the things it gives us in this life (oxygen, water, etc). I was not able to go on the salamander walk last night, but I LOVE the pictures that were taken. I love taking pictures of my own, and relish the opportunity whenever it presents itself. I love animals, rivers, streams, clouds, trees and flowers. I look forward to the day I can be in it a little bit more often.

February 24, 2022

• I am grateful for peace. Russia invaded Ukraine last night, or I guess very early this morning. This could be the beginning of the end. There has not been one day of peace on this earth for more than 100 years, and there won't be until the Savior comes again the second time. That is something I wish we could change, but as long as men's hearts are set upon the vain things of the world, like money and power and creating their vast legacy, there will be no changes. I'm grateful for the peace I experience in my own life, and am working toward achieving more of it. Goodness knows there is no other place to find it these days.

February 25, 2022

• I am grateful for safety. I drove back from Greensburg yesterday afternoon and got home safely. I found my family all safe. I pray for safety every day, and the Lord has been so gracious as to bless me with it. I know there are other things in this world that are probably more important, but safety is important to me. I don't like being hurt or being in a bad situation. And I like it even less for my loved ones.

February 28, 2022

• I am grateful for my personality. I am sure there are a lot of people in this world who don't like my personality, and that's ok. I love it. I laugh at my own jokes, I think I'm the biggest knucklehead ever created, I think I'm pretty friendly, I really try not to hold onto grudges, I talk but not too much, and I see humor in just about everything. I have some things I don't like, such as asking a question only to answer it myself (is this something everyone dislikes? i think so), or people who are rude. But for the most part, I love people. My personality isn't what it will be, but hopefully it's better than it was. Hey, I'm working on it!

March 1, 2022

• I am grateful for courage. This past week the Russians invaded Ukraine. Unprovoked. Unnecessarily. Basically running through this country doing whatever they wanted like a big bully who lives next door. Much of it was done under cover of night, just like the devil does. Cowardly. Skulking. The bravery I'm thankful for is that of the Ukrainian people. The people are talking trash to the Russian soldiers and telling them to go home before they die. In many towns they are making it very difficult for the Russians to advance. Their president, for goodness sake, is out on the front lines with a gun! THAT'S what I call bravery. Being in a situation where you could run, but you don't. You do what you think is right, no matter what. Heroes all, in my book.

March 2, 2022

• I am grateful for good parents who taught me the right way. My parents were the best. I could NEVER have asked for better. Not only were they great parents but as I grew older they were two of my best friends. I could go to them with anything. Unfortunately, I have not been as good. I hope my children believe they can come to me with anything, but I sometimes don't believe they do. All I want in this world is for my children and wife to be happy. Sorry for the downer entry. I'm not feeling it today.

March 3, 2022

• I am grateful for the passage of time. Sometimes time doesn't go by quickly enough, and at other times it flies by before you have a chance to take a breath. The childhoods my children went by way too quickly. I miss those little kids. But I'm thankful that time does go by. You learn. You grow. You try to make yourself better. None of that would be possible if time stood still.

March 4, 2022

• I am grateful for Abraham Lincoln. I've been preparing a short presentation on leadership principles that I think are important. He is the model of a great leader. Without Mr. Lincoln we might not have a country as we know it today. He preserved the Union, which in the vast scheme of things is really pretty important. Without him I might not be able to worship as I choose, or go where I want, or say the things I can say. He preserved my freedoms as the Founding Fathers intended. For that I am eternally in his debt.

March 7, 2022

• I am grateful for weekends. A nice time to recharge, so get some of the frustrations out, to get some rest. We all sat out by the fire on the deck on Saturday night and it was very nice. I sat and relaxed and let the week go. Weekends are great for that. Plus, I got to go to church yesterday and worship as I choose. I love weekends.

March 10, 2022

• I am grateful for responsibility. We had a CI conference here in Manassas this week where all of the CIs from the NE region came in. I was, of course, tasked with doing a lot of the arranging and reserving and etc. I LOVE that type of responsibility. I like being under pressure and being able to perform. It all turned out great, I thought, and everyone seemed to have a good time. But it makes me feel good that I did all that and everyone appreciated it. Responsibility is a very good thing.

March 11, 2022

• I am grateful for grapes. I'm sitting here eating some grapes for my breakfast. Yum. They're sweet, they're just the right size, and their taste is delicious. I can't tell you how many grapes I've eaten in my lifetime, but it's a lot, because I love them. And from what I hear, they're VERY good for me. How can you get any better than that?

March 14, 2022

• I am grateful for hard work. My mom and dad taught me pretty well about the importance of hard work. Unfortunately, I didn't do as well with my kids. On the plus side, however, they've started to learn, so maybe I'm not a total failure. Anyway, I love coming to work and working hard on the things that need to be done. I love working in the yard and making it look beautiful. I love helping pepole move and making my body do physical things. I love good, hard work.

March 15, 2022

• I am grateful for talents. I've probably talked about this before, but I'm grateful for whatever talents or skills the Lord has blessed me with. I'm not sure I've got a talent for public speaking, but some people tell me I do. I'm grateful for the ease I feel when doing so, but I think some of that comes from being exposed to it early on in the church. I remember giving a talk in sacrament meeting when I was no older than 7. And those opportunities came quite often. I'm thankful that I don't get nervous much in front of crowds because I spoke in front of a crowd this morning and will do so again this afternoon.

March 16, 2022

• I am grateful for my calling as a missionary. It was 44 years ago yesterday that I received my calling as a missionary. So many good things have happened to me because of that calling and my hopefully faithful acceptance of it. I know Spanish, I developed a hunger for learning, I met my best friend, I gained an invaluable education, I have stayed faithful in the Lord's Church. There are so many blessings. I can't even begin to count them all.

March 17, 2022

• I am grateful for my calling as a missionary, day 2. I was thinking about it during my morning prayers today. I am also thankful that I was called to Argentina, and place and a people I LOVE. There are so many people there I still think about quite often and so many I love with all my heart. They're a good people, a humble people, a people that will give you the last morsel of food they have in their home. And I know because that happened to me on more than one occasion. I am SO grateful I went where I did. Argentina is the BEST!!

March 18, 2022

• I am grateful for peace. I was reading chapter 50 of Alma this morning and realized that the good people of Nephi had peace and prosperity right in the middle of a war. In fact, the verse says that there never was a more happy people than they were at this time, a time of war against the Lamanites. How could this be? I think it's because they were industrious and kept the commandments. I truly believe that a people or a person can have joy and peace during some of the worst scenarios possible, but only through Christ and only by obedience.

March 21, 2022

• I am grateful for my body. I was thinking about it yesterday that this is the only body I'll ever get here in mortality. I've had to get a couple of things done to it, but for the most part it's served me very well in my 63 years. It's a little under the weather today. I feel stuffy and I'm sneezing some. But I rarely get sick. I have pretty much been able to do whatever I've wanted to do with it (play sports, etc). And it gets me around from here to there. I've tried to take pretty good care of it. I've never had ANY alcohol or bad drugs in my system. I've tried to get enough exercise. It's interesting that if you take care of what you are given it tends to give right back to you. Plus, it helps me be just a little bit more like my Heavenly Father, which is the ultimate goal.

March 22, 2022

• I am grateful for words. Look at this post. It's filled with words. Think about how different your life would be without words. Words to write. Words to say. Words to help you communicate. I love a good writer who can choose words carefully. I love to read a poem or a story that uses words effectively. Words in the scriptures, words in my mouth, words in books and flyers and pamphlets. I love words.

March 25, 2022

• I am grateful for a job that gives me sick time. I have been off the last two days because I had a very bad head cold. It wasn't Covid. I took a test. But I felt like death warmed over. So, I stayed home. And no one said one thing about it. I am so grateful that I got my education and I got my experience and I got my knowledge so I could have a good, salaried job in which I could take time off if needed. Thank you!

March 28, 2022

• I am grateful for safety. I had to drive up to Greensburg, PA today for work. There was a snow squall that caused 60+ cars to collide on Interstate 81, and I saw the snow coming down pretty hard on my trip. But I am safe and sound. Though I don't particularly like being away from home very much, I am grateful that in my life, so far, I've had safe travels. I am also grateful that my family has been protected and is safe, too. That means a lot.

March 29, 2022

• I am gratefual for a vocabulary that doesn't require me to use profanity. I hear it every weekday of my life now. I go in to work and the profanity just flies. Here I am in Greensburg sitting in an office and I can hear it floating down the hallway, even from the lips of so-called ladies. I am grateful that my parents taught me better, that I can and should control what I say, especially around women. Some would call it being a wimp. I call it being respectful, not only of myself but those arond me, be they male or female.

March 30, 2022

• I am grateful for tomatoes. I bought a Jersey Mike's sandwich for lunch today and it's got tomatoes on it. I LOVE tomatoes. They flavor up anything. I love growing them in my garden, walking out there and grabbing a couple grape tomatoes off the vine, plopping them in my mouth and enjoying how they taste. I especially like them on sandwiches, though. Hard to believe that people used to think they were poisonous.

March 31, 2022

• I am grateful for the ability to think. Just think of the places we've gone in the last 100 years or so. Just think of the new technologies that have been discovered. Just think of all the advances we've made. Why did they all come about? Well, at least partially, because man can think and analyze and process. I understand that really the only reason we've "discovered" any of these is because the Spirit has revealed them to man, but as always, man has to do his part. And thinking is part of that.

April 1, 2022

• I am grateful for practical jokes. I don't do many of these anymore, but I used to love to pull them while I was in college. The old penny-the-door trick, papering a door, blocking an entrance with a wall of snow, letting the air out of tires, pulling the labels off of canned food, switching cereal in the wrong boxes, and lighting smokebombs in the shower were all some of my favorites. I did the shaving cream in the toothpaste and putting food coloring in the showerhead, too. Lots of fun...for me. Not so much for the people who were on the other side.

April 4, 2022

• I am grateful for General Conference. This weekend was General Conference, in which the Prophet, the 12 Apostles, and other General Authorities speak to the world. I love listening to them. Of course, I've got my favorites. Elder Holland and Elder Uchtdorf are two of them. And President Nelson. I feel the Spirit when they speak. They always have great messages for the Church and the world. And I really believe that if everyone lived according to what they say the world would be a wonderful place to live again.

April 5, 2022

• I am grateful for my son. He and I don't always see eye to eye. In fact, we don't see eye to eye on a lot of things. But I love him more than anyone could ever know. He's not perfect, but I'm a lot further away from that standard than he is. I just want it down on paper for all to see. I love my son, and there's nothing that can change that. I waited 40 years to see him, and there's nothing that will change my feelings about him.

April 6, 2022

• I am grateful for the Savior. I know I've written about this on several occasions, but I wanted to express my feelings again. The Prophet Joseph, I think, said that April 6 was His real birthday, and it stands to reason. So that's why today. But I'm thankful for Him because without Him I'm damned. I might be anyway because of my own stupid choices, but at least He gave me the chance to live forever with Him and my Heavenly Father. Without Him, I would have come to this earth, sinned one time, and been hopeless. No one could have made it back. I want to go home. I want to live with Them in peace. I want that desperately. I'm so thankful He did what He did.

April 7, 2022

• I am grateful for strength. I think the only way to get strong is to sink. Picasso said once that creation is first destruction, and I believe that's so. To be able to be strong physically, you need to push your muscles. That fiber gets torn and builds itself back up. To be strong emotionally, spiritually, or just about any other way, I think you need to tear those muscles. A person who lives in relative ease doesn't get stronger. But that person who sinks further than they've been before has the potential to be stronger IF they will. But it's really up to them. I'm not a particulary strong man, but I'm learning.

April 8, 2022

• I am grateful for spring. Some of the trees are starting to get leaves on them. A lot of the flowers, even some in our yard, are sprouting and blooming. It's beautiful around here, and I love it. This and fall are my favorite times of the year. I like summer the least, just because it's so hot and humid around here. The humidity is the worst. But in the spring, for the most part, there is no humidity and it's lovely. I love the colors. I love this time of year.

April 11, 2022

• I am grateful for patience. I don't have a lot of this, let's get that right out in the open from the outset. And I'm sure I've already written about this on numerous occasions. But I'm grateful for those who have had patience with me over the years. I have not been a very Christlike person. My kids will probably tell you that I was a terrible father and VERY impatient. But I'm trying. I realize it's one of the weaknesses God has given me, and I'm honestly trying to make it a strength. But thank goodness for those to whom it is already a strength. Who knows where we'd be without them.

April 12, 2022

• I am grateful for a footstool. I built a wooden footstool when I was in Industrial Arts class in high school. That same footstool is currently sitting under my desk at work, and I use it every single day. I built that thing around 1976 or so, which as of today is some 46 years. It's got some scratches on it, and it's seen better days, but it's still strong and will endure many more years of me relaxing with it. It's been under my desks now since I started working with SoftMed in 1995 or so and I've used it every day. It doesn't ask for notoriety. It doesn't need the headlines. It just quietly does its job and lends me some comfort. I'm very grateful that it's lasted.

April 13, 2022

• I am grateful for time. As I've said countless times already, I could be a lot better at being a Christlike man. I'm impatient, I'm brash, I'm not understanding or gentle or meek or have many of those Christlike virtues. But time allows me to work on that. I HOPE I'm better than I was when I was 20. I hope I'm better at some of those than I was at 50. Time marches onward no matter what, but it also moves slowly enough (though nowadays I think it goes by in a blink) that I can make small incremental improvements that together make large improvements. I'm not saying I've made large improvements, but that's what time allows me to do...if I will.

April 14, 2022

• I am grateful for callouses. I like to play my guitar, but doing so at the beginning when I was just learning was hard because my fingers hurt so much. Now that I've been playing awhile and play quite a few days per week, I've got callouses and it doesn't hurt anymore. They protect my fingers, and I'm grateful for that. I have to watch out, though. Callouses can form on your heart and on your feelings, too. That is not something I want nor enjoy. I like to feel. It's one of the things that make me human.

April 15, 2022

• I am grateful for fruit. I have a little fruit cup for breakfast this morning. I already drank some cranberry juice (I know that's a berry). I have some apricot peach splash to drink today. I love fruit. I love oranges and apples and mangos and plums and peaches and all sorts of fruit. I don't know that I've ever met a fruit I didn't like. They're so good for me, and yet they taste so good, too. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father created them.

April 18, 2022

• I am grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Yesterday was Easter and I got to speak in church. It was a unique opportunity for me because it gave me pause to think about the Atonement for several weeks. I've come to appreciate it a little bit more than I did, and to better realize the enormous scope of it. Without it my soul is lost, inextricably trapped by death and sin. There would be no hope. I would never be able to escape. But because He gave His life, and suffered all of that agony, there IS hope. I WILL be resurrected one day. I will gain an eternal body. And I CAN escape sin...if I will. What a blessing! The greatest blessing I've EVER received.

April 19, 2022

• I am grateful for determination. I hearken back to the Book of Mormon and the story of the Nephite forces at the City of Judea who were "...determined to conquer in this place or die..." I LOVE that sentiment. I am determined to conquer, too, whether it's at my job, in my family, in my callings, or in my life. I have seen firsthand what determination can do and I want to employ it in my life. Yes, I know it's an uphill slog, but it is SO worth it. Nothing can conquer the human spirit unless it is allowed to. Nothing gets to its heaven without a fight.

April 20, 2022

• I am grateful for baseball. I love all sports, but I love baseball the most. I could sit and watch it every night. In fact, I think that would be my ideal and dream job. I started into that, but I didn't like the underbelly of news gathering. Anyway, I love the cat and mouse aspect of baseball. I love the strategy. I love the pace of the game. I love everything about it. I do NOT like some of the rules they've established in the last few years (starting in 1973 with the DH rule), but the core game is still there. For me, it's the perfect game. Perfect measurements. Perfect size of the ball. Everything.

April 21, 2022

• I am grateful for emotions. I tend to wear my feelings on my sleeve. Maybe I've become more closed in my older age, but I don't think my family or friends have a hard time knowing when I'm upset or happy or whatever. I believe Heavenly Father has emotions. I think those are God-given personality traits, and I believe they're good. Some might not be the most pleasant things to feel, but I think God has them and to be more like Him we need to learn how to control them.

April 22, 2022

• I am grateful for the small things. Everyone likes getting big presents for birthdays or Christmas. Everyone likes the big gesture from someone else. But I think life is actually fully lived in the small moments...the whispers, the gentle touch, the day-to-day gestures that show love. I love those moments when someone does something small for me, or I do something small for someone else, and we are both edified. Enjoy the passage of time in the small moments.

April 29, 2022

• I am grateful for coming home. I've been up near Pittsburgh the last week, and I got back last night. I'm grateful that I can go and try to help those folks up there, because they're just fantastic people. But I'm also very grateful that I can come home. I love my home. I love my family. I love the feeling I have when I'm there. I like being away and seeing new things and getting to do things I normall don't get to do. But I LOVE coming home.

May 2, 2022

• I am grateful for confidence. My dad had a lot of confidence. He always told me, "Walk into a place like you own it and no one will say anything to you." I've found that to be true in many cases. When I was umpiring or refereeing I would make a call and act like I knew what I was doing. I hardly ever got pushback. I've seen it when I give talks. Confidence makes you appear like you know what you're talking about. Confidence looks good on people, and I'm thankful I grew up in a family where it was engendered.

May 3, 2022

• I am grateful for wireless technology. Boy, has that made everything around us easier. It's amazing how much wireless technology, whether it's WIFI or Bluetooth or whatever, has expanded the Information Age. We can sit on our couch and find out just about whatever we want these days. I was sitting there last night and could see how some of my favorite baseball players had done during their games. I could see the scores of games I was interested in. And I could read emails that people had sent me. And all without being tethered to anything. What is next?

May 4, 2022

• I am grateful for His hands. I can see His hands in everything, from nature to the way things work out in my family. Don't get me wrong. We have our problems and not everything works out the way I want it to. But however things are, I can still see His hand in it. I look out my window RIGHT NOW and I can see things He's done. The beautiful trees, the windsock that blows because of His breeze, the birds that fly on top of the building, the clouds in the sky that portend rain. It's a God-made world. That's about all I can say.

May 5, 2022

• I am grateful for the arts. Wow, that's something I never would have written 30 years ago. I was a sports man. Baseball, football, hockey, basketball. Nothing much else mattered. Now I listen to classical music. Now I read great literature. Now I appreciate a drawing or a painting and will even go to galleries to see them. I love going to museums. I love a good opera. I would love to go see Swan Lake...again! I love the arts and think they lend so much to this life.

May 9, 2022

• I am grateful for graduation. Hannah graduated from college on Saturday, and I am so thankful that she's had the wherewithal to finish it up. Now she's on to other adventures and experiences that will help her become the person she wants to be. College isn't for everyone. I get that. But she did it, and I'm proud of her.

May 10, 2022

• I am grateful for hope. I know I've talked about this before, but sometimes hope is all you have. Things look black and don't appear to be getting any better. But hope can give you the glimmer of light you need to make it through a very dark time. I have a lot of hope...hope in my kids, hope in my marriage, hope in my job, hope in myself. Things look black sometimes. I have experienced that. But the hope of a new day will carry you through if you let it.

May 11, 2022

• I am grateful for gratitude. Being thankful isn't a weak thing. In fact, I think it makes you MUCH stronger because you realize that your hand didn't create all of the wonderful things in your life. You realize that a greater power exists and it helps you become more humble and understanding. I am also thankful for gratitude becuase it makes me feel good to say thank you.

May 12, 2022

• I am grateful for warmth. I sit at my desk at work and I am very cold. I won't say freezing, because there are a lot of worse things than that. Besides, it's made me all the more grateful for warmth when I am able to feel it. I sometimes get myself a good cup of hot chocolate, and that helps some. But I've lost some weight and it's now harder for me to stay warm. I use blankets a lot. Mmmm. Being warm is so good.

May 13, 2022

• I am grateful for rainy days. I don't know why, but I love rainy days. I don't like getting my head rained on, but I love sitting and watching it rain, like it is today. I can only remember little chips and snippets of a day or maybe two when I was VERY young. A pale yellow plays a roll in those days. I think it was the color of a house, but maybe not. But I remember it raining profusely that day and water splashing. Maybe that's where that appreciation for rainy days comes from. Don't know. I just know that I like them.

May 16, 2022

• I am grateful for sunny days. We haven't had one of those for a while. Yesterday was nice, but it rained hard in the evening and then kept at it for a few hours. Today it's rained, too, and it's still cloudy with more rain on the way. I like rainy days, but too many of them in a row is kind of a bummer.

May 17, 2022

• I am grateful for prophets, living and dead. I cherish the words of ancient prophets. They warm me. They help me live a better life. They are scripture and the word of God. I read them and ponder them every day and am trying to make them a part of my heart. But I cherish the words of latter-day prophets, too. We have a lot of problems in this modern world, and how grateful I am that we have a living prophet who talks with God, who knows how I feel and can help guide me through the perils of life.

May 18, 2022

• I am grateful for improvement. Improving in things is my central goal in this life. I want to improve in my parenting skills (which are admittedly very thin), my athletic skills (again), domestic, interpersonal, intelligence, religious, and writing skills. There are a ton more, of course, but suffice it to say that I want to improve in all of them. Bird identification, bird sounds, home repair, excel, etc, etc, etc. I think that's why I was sent here, at least in part.

May 20, 2022

• I am grateful for colonoscopies. That's where I was yesterday and why I didn't write. I was having my second colonoscopy. Findings are perfect. Pink, no polyps, no cancer. Everything is good. I'm glad I can rest easy about that part of my life. Now if I could get some good news about some of the other things I'm dealing with right now, I'd be sitting in high cotton.

May 23, 2022

• I am grateful for younger brothers. I have two. The youngest celebrates his last 50-years birthday today. He's 59. The other will celebrate in October. I'm so thankful that they were sent to our home lo these many years ago. I've had some hard times with the both of them, but I've also had exceedingly wonderful times with them, too. I love them both with all of my heart and am grateful every day for the love I have for them, and the love I hope they have for me.

May 27, 2022

• I am grateful for quiet. I've been trying to spend a little more time in the quiet lately. I'm not meditating or anything like that, but I do find it helpful and peaceful to sit in the quiet for just a little while each day without having to have music or tv or talking going on. On my drive back from Greensburg yesterday I was able to sit in the car for about 30 minutes or so without the phone going off, the radio blaring, or talking in any way. Quiet is a wonderful thing, if you can get it.

May 31, 2022

• I am grateful for readers. I read a lot. I am trying to read about one book every week. I'm falling short of that so far, but I'm endeavoring to persevere. What makes it so much easier is a crappy little pair of readers I bought at Wal-Mart for $5. I can read the words on the page without them, but readers make it so much easier. I can read more quickly with them, too, and I don't have to squint. Thank goodness.

June 1, 2022

• I am grateful for differences of opinion. Not that I like disagreeing with other people, but I believe that those differences make for an opportunity for growth. They also make for an increased opportunity for conflict, of course, but if people use their God-given sense of love and understanding, they SHOULD make for closer relationships and stronger bonds.

June 2, 2022

• I am grateful for athletes. I look up to a lot of the athletes you see on tv or read about in the paper. I looked up to Mickey Mantle when I was a kid, and I've had others I've liked through the years, such as Larry Bird, John Stockton, Don Mattingly, Derek Jeter, Wayne Gretzky, and Steph Curry. I don't know what they're like as people, and maybe some of the shine would rub off if I knew them personally. I don't know. But I am grateful that I have athletes I can look up to and try to emulate on the court or the field or the ice.

June 3, 2022

• I am grateful for heroes. Even more than the athletes I wrote about yesterday, I'm grateful for good men and women who live their lives in a God-like manner who give me such great examples. People like Captain Moroni, Alma, Peter, President Hinckley, Joseph and Emma Smith, and so many, many more. I love that I can look to these people to see how they handled adversity and how they got closer to the Lord.

June 6, 2022I am grateful for God's desire to bless me. Let's get this written down right now. I don't deserve His kindness. I continue to make bad decisions. And yet, He blesses me anyway. Why? I don't know. Maybe because I'm His son. I can think of no other reason. But I know He loves me and desires to continue to send blessings my way. I see them all the time. But why is a different story altogether.

June 7, 2022

• I am grateful for empathy. I sometimes find this very hard. I can't feel how other people feel. I'm getting a little more insight into this as I grow older, but I'm so thankful that we have the ability to walk in other people's shoes. It's been hard for me to learn this lesson, for some reason.

June 8, 2022

• I am grateful for blue. It's always been my favorite color, and you'd be able to tell that if you walked into my closet. A lot of my shirts are blue. A lot of my ties are blue. So are a lot of my socks. It's not something I consciously do. I just do it because I like blue. I like a nice sky blue, a deep Yankee blue, and all sorts of the color. It gives me peace to see a nice blue. I don't know that I've ever owned a blue car, but I'd like to. :)

June 9, 2022

• I am grateful for humility. I LOVE this quality in other people. I'd love it in me, too, if I thought I was humble. But I feel too prideful sometimes, and I judge others based on the way I feel about things. I know that's not right and that I will be judged accordingly, but it's something I'm working on. I see others who have worked on it their whole lives and it's a wonderful trait. I knowing hoping and wishing aren't a plan, but I wish I had more of it in me. Dad would tell me to work on it. And so I will.

June 10, 2022

• I am grateful for intellect. I do not have a lot of this, let's just get that straight right from the get go. But I have enough to be able to grasp concepts and understand theories. And I love to learn more about those things. I LOVE to learn. A lot of people say they hate school, but I would go the rest of my life, if that were possible. As it is, I try to learn new things all the time and improve what little intellect I actually have. It's helped me figure out a few things in life, for which I'm very grateful.

June 23, 2022

• I am grateful for vacations. Kelly and I got back from Glacier NP early,early this morning. We went by ourselves to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, and it was the best trip I think I've ever had. Just to go and see the gorgeous monilithic giants there was worth the trip. Mountains upon mountains upon mountains. And more waterfalls than I think I've seen in the rest of my life combined. So wonderful, so relaxing, so beautiful. I'm grateful I could spend that time with her in such a gorgeous place.

June 24, 2022

• I am grateful for the opportunity to change. The Supreme Court today overturned Roe v Wade, the law that since the early 70's, I think, has made it legal and a constitutional right to have an abortion. Now it's not the law of the land anymore. Look, you can believe what you want, but allow me the same privilege. I think abortion is flat out murder. A living, "breathing" person is in there. You made your choice when you did what you did to put that person in there. Sure, there may be instances where the life of the mother is in jeopardy or whatever, but for a form of birth control it is just not right. The argument is that now couples don't have a choice on what they can do with the potential mother's body. Sure they do. They have every choice in the world. They now don't have a choice as to what they can do with that baby's body. No matter what anyone says, I will always believe that. And now, because of that opportunity to change, more unborn children will be saved...I hope.

June 27, 2022

• I am grateful for warmth. My hands are freezing. They always freeze when I'm sitting at my desk. They keep it SO cold in here. I love winter time. Don't get me wrong. But I love for my hands and body to be warm. I have to wear long-sleeve shirts every day so I don't have to go outside and warm up. Brrr, it's cold in here.

June 28, 2022

• I am grateful for time alone. Kelly is gone to visit Hannah the next couple of days, and I've got a lot of time in the house by myself. It gives me time to think, to ponder, to take my time. I feel I get closer to Heavenly Father when I do that. Contemplate. It also helps me realize how much I need her around. So don't get me wrong. I love my wife and I love when she's near me. But I also enjoy being alone and quiet once in a while. It helps me sort.

June 29, 2022

• I am grateful for prayer. Like I've said before, I've never been a great prayer. But I am taking it much more seriously these days, and I feel like I've made some great progress. I still don't feel like I'm communicating the way I could, but I know He listens to me and I'm grateful for the knowledge that He's always there whenever I need to talk. He wants me to talk to Him, and I know He wants to talk to me. I'm grateful that He's there whenever and wherever.

June 30, 2022

• I am grateful for hope. While reading the scriptures in Spanish this morning, it struck me that hope means waiting patiently. Hope in Spanish is esperanza. The root word for esperanza is esperar, which actaully means to wait. From what I can ascertain, the word hope comes from the Old English hopian that meant to trust in God's word. But as I've found out over the years, a big part of hoping is waiting on God to tell you the time is right. He and He alone knows when that time is. Until then, I will continue to hope for a better day.

July 1, 2022

• I am grateful for my sweet wife. Sometimes I sit here and wonder what I should write about. Not today. Today is her birthday, and I sit here with anticipation of getting home and helping her celebrate. I even came in at 5:30 this morning so I could get out of here early. Maybe we can go hiking or see a movie or something fun. I just want her to know how much I love her and appreciate what a great wife she has been to me. Heck, living with me for 25 years, she MUST be some kind of special!

July 8, 2022

• I am grateful for golf. I was able to play 18 holes this week, and I remembered how much I enjoy being out on the course. It still frustrates me to no end because I can't seem to keep my head down and I top so many shots. My short game was pretty good, putting was excellent. But I have to keep my head down on the drives and the iron play. So fun to listen to the birds and be out in nature. I'm rediscovering that, too.

July 11, 2022

• I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who is patient with me. I was reading in Mormon chapter 3 this morning. In that chapter it relates how the voice of the Lord came to Mormon and told him to go preach repentance to the people, and that if they repented of their sins and came to Him He would forgive them and they could enter into His kingdom. It amazes me that He is willing to forgive them after everything they've done, that He still wants them to come to Him though they have rejected Him on many instances. I LOVE the fact that He still wants me to return to Him after all I've done. I love that and am SO thankful.

July 12, 2022

• I am grateful for stories. I love a good story. I love how a good author tells a story and how they get me caught up on finding out what happened. I love to tell a story. I'm not sure if I do it very well, but I love to do it, nonetheless. I'm thankful for a good story because they make life interesting and they help me learn things about myself.

July 13, 2022

• I am grateful for a sturdy home. We had some very severe storms roll through yesterday. Lots of strong wind, torrential rain, a little bit of hail. But no damage to our home. It's been that way since we moved in going on 20 years ago. I love our home. I love most of the things that have gone on inside there. It's more than a shelter to me. It's a home.

July 14, 2022

• I am grateful for true friends. I have many friends, from the ones who call themselves my friends but never contact me and never have time when I contact them, to those who have stuck with me through good times and bad. THOSE are the true friends. There are only a handful of those, if that. And there have been several who have been true friends and then have fallen away. The good thing about them is that I know I could call or text and they'd have as much time as I needed. True friends are the ones who make life interesting and a pleasure. You know who you are.

July 15, 2022

• I am grateful for Mormon. I'm sure I've expressed my appreciation for this before, but I want to again. I finished Mormon chapter 7 this morning, and it's the end of the words of Mormon. From here on out his son Moroni takes over. I've appreciated his words this last year, and I have come to admire him and hold him in my higher regard for his character and his dogged obedience to the word of the Lord. He's a hero for me now. What a great man.

July 18, 2022

• I am grateful for last words. I wonder sometimes what my last words on this earth will be. I can tell you what I want them to be. I want them to be similar to the last words my dad and mom spoke to me. They were, "I love you." There are not many more comforting words I know of than to know your parents love you. I'd also like to throw in my testimony of the gospel. I hope I get that chance, though it would probably mean that I was dying slowly. I'd like to leave that impression on the world...or at least on those who know me.

July 19, 2022

• I am grateful for ice cream. They're throwing an "ice cream social" at work today, and I got myself a small dish of chocolate. MMM. Ice cream is so good. One of the guilty pleasures i enjoy in this life. I like all kinds of ice cream. Flavors, I guess I should say. I don't think I ever met a flavor I didn't like.

July 20, 2022

• I am grateful for ribs. I smoked some ribs this past weekend and man were they good. I burned the backside of them, the rib side, because I turned the temp up too high toward the end. But the meat side was so good. I didn't used to like ribs. Like chicken wings I thought they were too much trouble for not enough return. But I've really come to love ribs, and wings, in my older age. Especially if I can smoke them myself.

July 21, 2022

• I am grateful for good health. I know I've written about this before, but I'm especially thankful today. Kelly has tested positive for COVID and is home sick in the bed. I will most likely get sick because I've been in close contact with her, but so far so good. That's the way it's been most of my life. I've had a VERY healthy body that's really taken care of me. I'm so grateful for that. Many people don't have that blessing. My Heavenly Father has REALLY blessed me in that regard.

July 22, 2022

• I am grateful for flowers. I was watering the flowers we have on the deck at the back of the house yesterday, and I was just filled with their aroma and beauty. How beautiful flowers are, and how much beauty they lend to the world. I'm not sure what type of flowers we have back there besides pansies, but they are so beautiful. And they smell REALLY good, too.

July 25

• Eye am greatfull four uniformity. Wee spell werds inn a serten weigh. Sum werds r spelled won way and used four serten things and uther werds mean uther things and r spelled diffrently, even if they sownd the same. Such as won and one. I am greatfull that wee half that uniformity sew everywon duz it tha same weigh. It shore wood bee confusing if wee just spelled werds however wee wanted. Uniformity gives us sumthing two beeleve inn.

July 26, 2022

• I am grateful for cooler days. Be it known right now. I'm not a fan of humid summers. I've lived in them and through them for most of my life, whether in Virginia or New Jersey or Argentina or whatever. I am a MUCH bigger fan of the western dry heat. Therefore, I'm very grateful for days like today where it's cooler. It's still humid outside, but the temperatures are cooler and it's much easier to be outside, work outside, and just live outside, and I'm grateful for that.

July 27, 2022

• I am grateful for erasers. Have I already mentioned this one before? If so, I apologize, but it's something I've been thinking about quite a bit lately. I've made a lot of mistakes and downright stupid choices in my life. I thank my Heavenly Father every day for the eraser of His Son's Atonement. No, I don't apply that saving grace like I should. But I'm giving it a much better go than when I was younger and much dumber. Erasers are for mistakes, and I make them all the time.

July 28, 2022

• I am grateful for painkillers. I awoke with a headache and a stick neck this morning, probably from the fact that I awoke at 5am with an itchy ankle and then couldn't fall back asleep. But I went downstairs and I took a Tylenol and I actually feel pretty good right now. I'm still very tired and could fall asleep without effort, but my headache is gone and my neck feels good. I'm grateful that painkillers can help us so much, relieving the aches and pains this life brings.

July 29, 2022

• I am grateful for the Book of Esther. This is what we've been studying in the Come Follow Me this week. I guess I've never read Esther like I should have because I've found out some very good insights into myself. The one thing that hits me more than anything is that Esther realized that she couldn't do what she had to do by herself. She realized that she had to have help from the Lord, to strengthen her and inspire her. Such a short book with such a great lesson.

August 5, 2022

• I am grateful for a strong body. I've had Covid for the last 7 or 8 days, and honestly, it was no big deal. Maybe that headache and neck ache I had last week were part of it. I realize that could be because it just affected my body differently than it does others. But I also attribute it, at least partially, to the body God gave me. I am VERY thankful that throughout my life I have been historically healthy. I have had some problems with my heart, and I've been sick like with the flu and such, but it's never been for more than a few days. I am grateful for that. So many people have had MAJOR problems with their health, and I just haven't. Kelly gave me some good insight last night. She said, "You have to realize that you could have had it a lot worse. Some people are dying because of this, and you just had a slight cough. You should be thankful" I am.

August 8, 2022

• I am grateful for wonderful ancestors. Today is my Grandpa Peterson's 116th birthday. When he was very old, a year or so away from his passing, I went and saw him in the hospital in Provo. I think he may have had a heart attack or something. When he saw me he smiled and reached his hand out to me and shook it. I still don't think I've ever had a stronger handshake. Even then, he showed me what he was made of. All of my grandparents were like that..strong in some way or another. I inherited a lot from them. I'm grateful for their examples.

August 9, 2022

• I am grateful for pollinators. I guess I never realized what important work bees and butterflies and other insects do. I now realize that they help us grow almost everything we eat that comes from the plant world. Without pollinators we're in big trouble. That's what we're going to plant more native plants in our yard next year, including milk weed, which attracts and helps the monarch butterfly (near the danger list). We want to help all of our pollinating friends to exist and do their important work by doing whatever we can to make it easier for them.

August 10, 2022

• I am grateful for good friends, tried and true. Sometimes I complain to Kelly that I don't have any friends. Truth is, I've got plenty of friends, but only a handful who have been blasted by the white heat of my personality and remain true. They know who they are, and so do I. For them, I count my blessings every day. They add such color to my life. I am very grateful that I met them lo these many years ago.

August 11, 2022

• I am grateful for good managers. I have a good manager right now, whose name is Mike. He respects the work we do and allows us to do it without micromanaging us all the time. I LOVE that. I've been fortunate enough to have quite a few good managers in my life, but I've also had several that were not good. If I were ever a manager, I hope I would respect my employees enough to allow them to do the job I hired them to do. Like Mike.

August 12, 2022

• I am grateful for successes. I just finished up a template in Excel today that will allow me to complete a daily driver scorecard in about four minutes. It's a very complex scorecard with all kinds of numbers, but all I have to do is download two reports and plug them in and it builds the scorecard for me. I love it when a plan comes together!

August 15, 2022

• I am grateful for safety. I had to drive up to the Pittsburgh area today for work. I got here safely, and I'm very grateful for that. There was some terrible fog with rain, and it could have ended badly. But Heavenly Father protected me, as He has my entire life. How thankful I am for that.

August 16, 2022

• I am grateful for the beauty of this earth. As I look out of my hotel window I can see a bunch of very green trees along with some birds flying around. As I drove up here yesterday I noticed how gorgeous the mountains are around here, the flowers that bloom by the side of the road, and the animal life that abounds. I love this earth. I have loved it my whole life. I love being here and am also grateful that I chose to be here. It's so wonderful!

August 17, 2022

• I am grateful for the knowledge that God knows my name. Many years ago, Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi came to a conference in Roanoke. While he was there, he met my dad, who was the stake president at the time. Probably about 40 years later he saw my dad on Temple Square and CALLED HIM BY NAME!! How will it feel to hear the Father call me by name and have those feelings wash over me knowing He really is my Father. He loves me and wants me to come home. I LOVE THAT!!

August 18, 2022

• I am grateful for time. Everything looks different given a little bit of time. Yesterday, late, we (the CI group) was told us that all of the CIs in the company had been laid off. We have until September 19th to find another job or we will get a crappy little severence package that, for me, will be about one month's pay. I'm sick about it. I've given some really good years to this job, and I'm being treated like this. It stinks to high heaven. But I also know that, given some time, it will look different than it does now. I hope that time goes by quickly because I don't like this view much.

August 19, 2022

• I am grateful for a supporting woman to be my wife. Kelly is really deflated by this news, too. But she is there, and has been there throughout our marriage, every time something like this happens. I know I can count on her no matter what. I act like such a boob sometimes, and she's still there. I don't know how she does it, but she's a gigantic support for me. I don't know how I could ever do it without her.

August 22, 2022

• I am grateful for a loving mother who taught me right from wrong. I didn't always listen, but down deep in my heart I knew my mom was right...always. As I think back now, I realize what a soft and loving person she was. She put up with a lot from me. But she was always one of the most Christlike examples I've ever seen of patience and love. She loved me no matter what. As much pain as I'm sure I caused her, she would always wrap her arms around me and tell me she loved me. I love you, too, mom, and yesterday, your 92nd birthday. I miss you.

August 23, 2022

• I am grateful for a loving father who taught me right from wrong. As with mom, I didn't always listen. I was too stupid to appreciate dad while he was alive. Now I'd give anything to hear some counsel from him. However, he's gone, but his memory is still with me. And the lessons he taught me are still with me. I know that if I live according to them, everything will turn out well for me. I love you, pop. I hope you have a wonderful 92nd birthday up there. I love you, and I miss you.

August 24, 2022

• I am grateful for priesthood blessings. I went to the Bishop the other night and asked for a priesthood blessing. With all of the stressors hitting my life right now, I felt like I needed one. Of course, the Lord has seen fit to let me find my way a little more, which is fine. I don't feel 100% yet, but I didn't expect that. What I did expect was some comfort, and that's what I've felt. I remember my dad giving me those blessings. I long for the day when I can do that for my family.

August 25, 2022

• I am grateful for feelings. I feel a lot these days. I've been sad. I've been happy. I've felt anger and distrust and encouragement. I've felt the whole gamut of emotions, and I think that's probably good. It's far better to feel something you don't like than to feel nothing at all. Feeling nothing at all would be terrible, and I'd rather not do that. My emotions are right on the surface right now. I feel them all the time. Almost nothing can break me down. But I think that's ok. It will all work out.

August 26, 2022

• I am grateful for sleep. I love to sleep. I love to feel rested. I love to wake up in the middle of the night and then fall back asleep. The only word I can think of to describe it is sweet. Sleep, for me, is an escape, but also a chance to be rejuvenated. I don't get nearly as much as I should, but I do love it.

August 29, 2022

• I am grateful for the hand of the Lord. I have two interviews tomorrow for new jobs. My job here was eliminated, and now I've already got two appointments. One of them will be for the new jobs that were created. The other is for a job in Trans. I am just grateful for the hand of the Lord because I know that whatever happens it will be what He wants to happen. I'll be in a job He's prepared for me. And that brings me a lot of comfort.

August 30, 2022

• I am grateful for El Libro de Mormon. Hoy acabo de leer este libro, y ahora tengo un testimonio aun mas fuerte de su veracidad. Yo se que es un libro de Dios, que El hablo a estos profetas y ellos escribieron sus palabras. Amo a muchos de las personas que hay en ese libro, como Nefi, Jacob, Alma, el Capitan Moroni, Helaman, Abinadi, Mormon y Moroni. Se que eran profetas del Senor y que Jose Smith realmente vio al Padre y al Hijo, que el tradujo las planchas de oro que hoy son este libro. Es verdad, y prometo que si leas el libro con un mente libre, te revelara el Senor su veracidad.

August 31, 2022

• I am grateful for success. I don't know where my interviews from yesterday will land me, but I feel pretty good about one of them, and ok about the other. If I don't land any of these jobs, that's ok. I've got faith that the Lord will put me where He needs me. Whether that's here or somewhere else, I think and hope He knows that I'll try to be successful anywhere. And I know I can do that if He will help me...which I believe He will.

September 1, 2022

• I am grateful for the passage of time. James Taylor once wrote a song called "The Secret O'Life". In it he sings, "The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time." I believe that. Many people do not enjoy it, and I feel sorry for them. I love my life, hard though it may be at times. There are plenty of things I'd rather not have to endure, but I do, and I try to make the best of it. My life's not perfect, but I'm trying to make it thus.

September 2, 2022

• I am grateful for The Doctrine and Covenants. Since I finished El Libro de Mormon the other day, I have started to read El Doctrina y Convenios. It has already touched me, and I only finished section 5 this morning. Succinctly put, I love that the Lord never gave up on Martin Harris. Though Martin failed him a few times, the Lord gave him every opportunity to turn it around and repent...which he did. Wonderful insights into history and into the ways of the Lord in that book.

September 6, 2022

• I am grateful for time off. I like holidays. I can take time off of work, decompress just a little bit, and renew my desire for work. Admittedly, my desire for work doesn't go away very often, but this job right now is very stressful, and I do like getting away. So yesterday's holiday was a very nice break, though I really didn't do too much.

September 7, 2022

• I am grateful for gifts. I don't mean the gifts that people buy in the store. I'm talking about gifts that God gives us. The scriptures say that every was given a spiritual gift. Some people are very aware what their gifts are and what they should do with them. I'm not 100% sure what mine are, but it's something I'm now considering and trying to identify. I'd REALLY like to multiply my talents while I'm on this earth, and I think the gift or gifts that I've been given, whatever they are, will help me do that.

September 8, 2022

• I am grateful for home runs. Right now Aaron Judge is hitting home runs almost like no one else in history. So far he's got 55 this season, and will break the non-steroids record wiht 7 more. I love sports, especially baseball, so I love to see this. But more than that, I am thankful for home runs because they show me that even mistakes can turn into good things. Home runs are mistakes. You don't go out there to hit home runs. You swing, and if the round ball is hit just right by the round bat, it goes out. That's why you don't see home runs as often as singles or outs. They're mistakes that have turned into something special.

September 9, 2022

• I am grateful for humility. I, unfortunately, am not a very humble man. But I TRULY admire those who are humble. I love to talk with them. I love to work with them. I love to just be around them. Boisterous people annoy me. Humble people fascinate me and strengthen me. I'm working on more humility, but when you ask for humility the Lord doesn't give it to you. He gives you situations in which you can work on it. I don't like those moments much, but I'm working on it.

September 12, 2022

• I am grateful for time alone. I don't get nearly as much of this as I think I should get, but time alone helps me work out problems, calm my mind and refresh my body. Don't get me wrong. I love people. I love to around people. But I think some good, quiet time alone is important and healthy.

September 13, 2022

• I am grateful for job offers. I got one today to remain here at USF. I'm tempted to take it, but it's less than I've been making, so I may have to haggle a little bit. And I'm find with that. I am just grateful that the Lord has seen fit to answer some prayers. Whether this is the job He'd like me to have or where He'd like me to live, I don't know yet. This now calls for a lot of prayer. But I'm grateful that I don't have to worry about employment now.

September 14,2022

• I am grateful for outcomes. The job offer I got yesterday was way too low, so I don't know what I'm going to do. It's hard being caught in the middle like this, but you know what? I'm thankful that I know that this whole thing will be resolved eventually. So many people lose their faith when things turn hard. They pray and don't think they've received any answers. But I can't imagine a life without some hope that things will be resolved and the Lord will take care of me in that outcome. I just have to think that way.

September 15, 2022

• I am grateful for feedback. Feedback is how we grow. If you're not doing something well, feedback allows you to see your weak spots. If you are doing something well, feedback allows you to see what that thing is, examine it, and keep growing. Feedback sometimes hurts. The feedback I've gotten at work lately has not been pleasant. But it's helped me see me for who I really am and how I can improve. Growth sometimes hurts.

September 16, 2022

• I am grateful for salads. Jacob and I have been growing some gardens at the side of the yard this summer, and he picked all of the carrots and put them in some salads. He gave me two, and I have LOVED them. I've always been a salad fan, anyway, but this is extra special for me because Jacob gave them to me and because we grew some of this food together. So good. And so good for you.

September 19, 2022

• I am grateful for a sister. My sister is the absolute best. Not only is she a VERY huge support to me and an ear I can bend when I need it, but she is always thinking of everyone but herself. She would give you the shirt off her back, quite literally, if that's what you needed. She is one of the most Christlike people I have ever met. I love you, sis. I hope today is a very wonderful and happy birthday!

September 20, 2022

• I am grateful for a loving Father in Heaven. It's been a hard few months in my life. I have to admit I still don't feel up to the task. But the Lord has put a lot of people and knowledge in my way the last few days, and I have to say that it's helped. He knows the situations in which I find myself, and He knows my feelings about them. But He's told me many times just in the last couple of days that I should trust in Him, hang on, and be happy. My life has been tough lately. But I also have to think of how wonderful it is. I have been blessed beyond measure by a Father who knows everything about me, and wants to bless me even more.