A year in review……nah… random events as I think of them….Yes, that’s what it will be.

I’m thoroughly enjoying my prison Toastmasters club. I’m at the men’s prison on Thursdays and I occasionally substitute at a women’s prison. One thing I’ve learned about those wearing prison blues: The men miss women and the women miss clothes. I told this to my men prisoners and they responded that women don’t need clothes!

I taught a Boy Scout the merit badge “Service in the Community” to a number of 12 year olds. I also helped get volunteers to ‘adopt a landscape’ and plant daffodils along 2.5 miles of newly improved road. Guess who I got to remove ivy and haul mulch? …..Anyone need a merit badge signed off?

I submitted my DNA to a Genetic data base so I can connect my family line to others. I asked my brother to do it too. It seems that I don't have the "Y" chromosome needed to track my father's line. Interesting isn't it? I was sure I’d have something of my father tucked in me somewhere. I mean, I LOOK like him… but that’s not good enough. The “Y” chromosome is needed to trace male lineage.

According to the tests, I seem to have some Jewish blood. A Norwegian, related 67 generations back, with the same markers contacted me. Since I have my father’s side traced back only 5 generations, and he had only a few more than that, we didn’t find much more in common ~ except maybe a smattering knowledge of Scandinavia on my part. As for the DNA, there aren’t enough people in the pool yet to find anyone closely related to me. I want to make family search and history writing more of a priority this coming year.

Disasters have turned to successes. I was to care for a neighbor’s dog during the Thanksgiving vacation. I knew the dog barked when she was left alone. I knew the surrounding neighbors were angry about the dog’s noise and with the family too. When I checked on her, she was quiet so I didn’t bring her home with me. I couldn't hear her from inside my house so I didn’t know that she barked all night long. (Oops!)

The neighbors didn’t know that I was the one ‘taking care’ of the dog but they sent me emails about the constant barking. (That's what I get for organizing the neighborhood). They said the family was abusing the animal and threatened to call the authorities (a $500 fine). I talked with several and calmed them down. When K returned, I confessed that the neighbors were now madder than ever. K assured me that it wasn't my fault. We both knew that the dog needed more attention than she was getting. Even when the family was home, the dog was always outside ~ alone and barking.

Often K had thought about giving the dog away. She just didn’t know how to find a good home. She was afraid that someone would use the dog for medical experiments or, the new owners wouldn’t buy the medicine the dog needed for her ears or get her the necessary shots. And the children would miss her. She knew that her husband wouldn’t!

It was also difficult for her because of a childhood experience. Back in Russia, when the family moved, her father shot and killed their family dog. K felt terrible and wanted to make it up to another dog. She picked a very sick puppy from a shelter and nursed her to full health. She would never let anything bad happen to a dog of hers. This dog always had the best of everything – except time. It wasn’t because K didn’t try. She walked her daily. Rain or gloom of night didn’t stop her. A year after the pup came into the home, K had a baby. The dog went outside and with two growing children, K’s time and attention was more severely divided.

I put the dog's name on the prayer roll in the temple (God loves His animals too, right?) and then I sent out an ad by email.

As President of the women’s group at church, I send out an email every week. It has little newsy items such as things people have to give away or announcements about events. Members who don’t regularly attend church receive it too. People contact each other directly, so I don’t hear anything unless someone happens to mention it later. That’s how I found out that one sister got the 5 ft dining table (plus 2 leaves) right after she had to sell hers to pay a lawyer bill. Someone else got some free wood to burn. Personally, I now have a clothes dryer! It's been really a great way to connect people and take care of needs.

I announced that my neighbor’s dog needed a home with lots of attention and room to run. I wrote it up with detail about how the dog was good with children and cats and was so smart that she understood both English and Russian.

The best response was from a couple who live a few streets away from me. They were perfect!! He used to breed Labradors. They have a farm in Washington with lots of room. He's retired and needs a dog to follow him around. When K warned them that the dog liked to dig holes in the yard, they responded, “That’s only normal”. It didn't bother them a bit. They like keeping their dogs inside the house with them, not outside, in the back, such as where K’s dog had been assigned.

They spent thousands of dollars into trying to save one of their dogs. They would not neglect any health issues. Their grown children have Labs too. For vacations, family members take turns with each other's dogs. That avoids problems with kennel borne diseases AND provides more socialization. They know how to obedience train through praise and reward. What a blessing!! I'm just so thrilled that there wasn't any question that this was the perfect home for her. So easy!

It was hard for K to see her dog go, but the home and the timing was just right. If I hadn't messed up over Thanksgiving by pushing the neighbors over the edge, it wouldn't have pushed K into finally doing what she knew needed to be done. This brought about a good answer for everyone. Happy new owners, happier dog, much happier neighbors, and a relieved husband for Katy - Praise Heavenly Father!! Mistakes can turn into good things!! I love life!!

Everything else is going really well - I have absolutely nothing to complain about. I love being Relief Society President more than I ever, ever thought I would. I'm not the best organized one they've ever had, but I have a couple of wonderful counselors who patiently remind me of things. I love them!! And Heavenly Father too. He is too good to me!! I pray that He is blessing your life with great happiness and will continue to do so through out the New Year. Happy 2008!
Love,
Sherry