ANTs

At this time of year after a long winter, short days and dark, gray skies, it is easy to fall into patterns of negative thinking and maybe even apathy.  Negative thoughts can have a profound effect on our physical, mental, and spiritual health.

I would like to share some thoughts from a talk given by Elder Dean L. Larsen at a BYU devotional in 1976 titled Thoughts about Thoughts.

"I would like to share with you this morning some thoughts about thoughts. While serving as a mission president, I was interested in the frequency with which missionaries in our personal interviews would ask me this question: "President, how do I control my thoughts?" In that intensive environment, where a keen level of spirituality was so essential to the success of the missionaries, it didn't take long for these young men and young women to realize that a high level of spiritual power was necessary for them in order to succeed and that thoughts were very instrumental in the acquisition of that power and influence.

I've been intrigued for many years about thoughts and the compelling power of thoughts. In the children's classic The Secret Garden by Frances Hodges Burnette, Mrs. Burnette gives us these observations in children's language:

One of the new things people began to find out in the last century was that thoughts, just mere thoughts, were as powerful as electric batteries, as good for one as sunlight is, or as bad for one as poison is. To let a sad thought or a bad thought get into your mind is as dangerous as letting a scarlet fever germ get into your body. If you let it stay there after it has got in, you may never get over it so long as you live.

Thoughts have a great deal to do with how we live, whether we're enthusiastic or depressed, whether we enjoy success or experience a degree of failure, whether we enjoy spirituality or suffer from a lack of it, and in many respects, I believe, whether we are obedient or disobedient to the laws of God. Some modern behaviorists have indicated that the human thought process is very much like the operation of a computer where the conscious and subconscious mind is concerned. The input which we take into that process has much to do with the output in terms of attitude, mood, and behavior.

The Lord has recognized the great power of thoughts, and he warned those whom he addressed in his Sermon on the Mount against the influence of evil or negative thoughts. Proverbs tells us that as a man "thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). To paraphrase that slightly, I think it would be very accurate to say that, as a man persists in his thinking, so he will become. There is that kind of power in thoughts.

I learned in the mission field, as many of you who have served missions will know, that an interesting phenomenon occurs with missionaries who are assigned to an area where immediate success may not be attached to their work. Occasionally missionaries would call me or write to me and say, "President, we have worked this area out. There is no one here we can baptize." I had to agree with what they said because, when they came to that conclusion, they indeed could not find anyone. Generally I made an immediate transfer of those missionaries from that area. It was always interesting and curious to note that those who replaced them, if their thoughts were right and if the data being fed into their computers were correct, would often go out and find great success where the others had failed.

I've learned that our moods, our attitudes toward daily living and toward each other, are in large measure regulated by our thoughts. I believe, to a large degree, I can control whether or not I am happy today or unhappy, whether I'm enthusiastic about my possibilities or depressed and negative. I've discovered, as perhaps you have, that if I allow myself to slip into a pattern of negative, depressed thinking-although my circumstances have not changed-I can make myself very unhappy and make my prospects seem extremely dim. I can reverse that almost as easily by replacing those thoughts with others that are constructive.

Let me relate another sentence or two from Mrs. Burnette's observations in this same children's classic I referred to above. She tells about a boy, Colin, who is one of the interesting characters in this story:

So long as Colin shut himself up in his room and thought only of his fears and weaknesses and his detestation of people who looked at him and reflected hourly on humps and early death, he was a hysterical, half-crazy little hypochondriac who knew nothing of the sunshine and the spring and also did not know that he could get well and stand upon his feet if he tried to do it. When new, beautiful thoughts began to push out the old, hideous ones, life began to come back and his blood ran healthfully through his veins and strength poured into him like a flood. His scientific experiment was quite practical and simple. There was nothing weird about it at all. Much more surprising things can happen to anyone who, when a disagreeable or discouraged thought comes into his mind, just has the sense to remember in time and push it out by putting in an agreeable, determinedly courageous one. Two things cannot be in one place. Where you tend a rose, my lad, a thistle cannot grow.

I've heard counsel given with regard to devices that might be used to protect us temporarily from the effects of bad thoughts or evil thoughts. I've heard the suggestion that we might sing a song, a phrase from a Latter-day Saint hymn, or recite some poetry or some verses of scripture. But this, in reality, is a defensive stance. One cannot always be on defense against evil thoughts. One must assume the offense. The best way I've learned to achieve this is to practice sustained, constructive thinking. [Bold added]  That's an exercise, brothers and sisters, that requires as much training and as much conditioning as the physical endurance required to run a long-distance race. I commend to you this morning the "exercise" of sustained constructive thinking."

I shared this message with the missionaries in hopes that I might help them to recognize the importance of our thought processes.  My goal as the mission nurse is to help them to be healthy physically and mentally, happy and successful in their missions.  I hope that maybe some of these thoughts might help you as well.

I also sent information about ANTs.  I hope that if you have ANTs (You will have to find out for yourself what ANTs refers to.) you will use this information to rid yourself of these pests.  No one wants ANTs.  They are destructive and can ruin your life and the lives of those around you. 

AUTOMATIC NEGATIVE THINKING (ANTs)

Your thoughts matter. They can either help or hurt your deep limbic system. Left unchecked, ANTs will cause an infection in your whole body system. Whenever you notice ANTs, you need to crush them or they will affect your relationships, your work, and your life. If you can catch them at the moment they occur and correct them, you take away their power over you. When a negative thought goes unchallenged, your mind believes it and your body reacts to it.

By bringing them into the open and examining them on a conscious level, you can see for yourself how little sense it makes to think these kinds of thoughts. You can take back control of your own life instead of leaving your fate to a hyperactive limbic system…one conditioned with negative thought patterns.

To kill the ANTs or dysfunctional thinking, it is necessary to argue and challenge the thinking and choose another way of thinking. Rather than trying to change unchangeable circumstances; we must catch our negative thoughts and alter the thoughts and behaviors that are maintaining the depression, anxiety, or anger.

Three questions are helpful:

1.    What's the evidence that the thought is true? For example, consider the thought, "I'm a complete failure because I really messed up that teaching session, I will never be a good missionary! Can this be looked at objectively? What's the evidence for and against?

2.    What's another way of looking at it? For example, losing one investigator may teach you another way to teach next time and you will do a better job. We learn by our mistakes.

3.    The third question asks, so what? Even if it is true, how bad are the consequences? For example one might say, "Yes, I did mess up but I can be OK with it. I will do better next time." 

These ANTs are sometimes referred to as thinking errors or cognitive distortions. It is important to identify the thinking errors or distortions. Daniel G. Amen, M.D. coined the phrase or title ANTs to identify specific errors in thinking and has listed them. There are others, but the following errors cover most of the thinking problems we face. It helps to identify them and write them down as we notice them and begin to argue with them. Like in a court room, what is the evidence for and against the thought, and what is another more positive way to look at the situation. They are as follows:

ANT #1     "ALWAYS" thinking

These ANTs occur when you over generalize a situation and think something that happened once will "always" repeat itself. For example, if your companion snaps at you, you may think, "She/he's always irritable." It activates your limbic system. Whenever you are thinking absolutes such as "always," "never," "everyone," "every time," "everything," you are engaging in negative thinking that seems to make a temporary situation a permanent reality. Here are some examples of "always" thinking:

    "He/she's always angry."
    "No one is concerned about my ideas."
    ""Everyone takes advantage of me."
    "My companions disrespect me."

ANT #2     Focusing On the Negative

These ANTs occur when you focus only on what's going wrong in a situation and ignore everything that could be construed as positive. This ANT can take a positive experience, relationship, or work interaction and taint it with negativity. In the movie Pollyanna, she goes to live with her aunt after the death of her missionary parents. Although an orphan, Pollyanna is able to help negative people with her positive attitude when she introduces them to the "glad game" that her father taught her. Pollyanna first played the "glad game" when her parents requested a doll for her from their missionary sponsors and mistakenly received crutches instead. Rather than be upset at not having a doll. Pollyanna's father taught her she could be glad because they didn't need crutches. This very simple game changed the attitudes and lives of many people in the movie. Pollyanna has a particular effect on the unhappy "hell and damnation" minister. Pollyanna tells him that her father said there were 8OO "glad passages" in the Bible and that if God mentioned being glad that many times, it must be because he wants us to think that way.

Focusing on the negative in situations will make you feel bad. Playing the glad game, or looking for the positive, will help you feel better.

ANT #3       Fortune Telling

These ANTs occur when you predict that bad or negative things will happen. Fortune-telling ANTs underlie most anxiety disorders, especially with people who have panic attacks. Predicting the worst in a situation causes an immediate rise in heart and breathing rates. Having these thoughts can make you feel tense. Fortune-telling ANTs are designated "red" because, when you predict that bad things will happen you may find yourself experiencing them. If, for example, you are driving to an appointment, and you predict that you will have a bad day, the first bad thing that happens will reinforce your belief and the rest of the day will go downhill. While it's important to be prepared for potential negative events or outcomes "over focusing" on them will damage your peace of mind and ultimately ruin your health.

ANT #4      Mind Reading

Mind-reading ANTs occur when you think you know what others are thinking even when they haven't told you. Mind reading is a common cause of trouble between people. It frequently happens in close relationships like companionships because one partner assumes he or she can read the other's mind. You can never know what others are thinking. You know you are mind reading when you have thoughts such as, "He/she doesn't like me." "They were talking about me." "They think I will never amount to much." I tell people that a negative look from someone else may be nothing more than his being constipated! You just don't know. When there are things you don't understand, ask for clarification and stay away from mind-reading ANTs, they are very infectious and cause trouble between people.

ANT #5      Thinking with your feelings

These ANTs occur when you believe your negative feelings without ever questioning them. Feelings sometimes are very complex and are often based on powerful memories from the past. Feelings sometimes lie, but many people believe their feelings, even though they have no evidence to back them up. Thoughts usually start with words like, "I feel nobody will ever trust me." whenever you have a strong negative feeling, check it out, look for the evidence behind the feeling. Do you have real reasons to feel that way? Or are your feelings based on events or things from the past?

ANT #6       Guilt Beatings

Guilt is generally not a helpful emotion, especially for your deep limbic system. In fact, guilt often causes you to do things that you don't want to do. Guilt happens when you think with works like "should," "must," 'ought," or "have to." Here are some examples: (Of course there are things that you should not do. Moral teaching is very important. Yet when the goal of teaching is to produce guilt, it is often counterproductive. Unfortunately, guilt often backfires.) Because of human nature, whenever we think that we "must" do something, no matter what it is, we don't want to do it. It is better to replace guilt beatings with phrases such as: "I want to do this…" "It fits with my goals to do that…" "It would be helpful to do this…" "I must spend more time studying." "I must organize my things."

ANT #7     Labeling

Whenever you attach a negative label to yourself or to someone else, you prevent yourself from taking a clear look at the situation. Negative labels are very harmful because whenever you call yourself or someone else a jerk or arrogant, you lump that person in your mind with all the "jerks" or "arrogant people" that you've ever known and you become unable to deal with them in a reasonable way.

ANT #8     Personalization

Personalization occurs when innocuous events are taken personally. "My companion didn't talk to me this morning. She/he must be mad at me." Or, one feels he or she is the cause of all the bad things that happen. There are many other possible reasons for behavior besides the negative interpretations of an abnormal limbic system. For example your companion may not have talked to you because she/he was preoccupied or upset, or was in a hurry. You never fully know why people do what they do. Try not to personalize their behavior.

ANT #9     (The most poisonous red ANT)   Blame:

Blame is very harmful. When you blame something or someone else for the problems in your life, you become a victim of circumstances and you can't do anything to change your situation. Many relationships are ruined by people who blame their companions or others when things go wrong. They take little responsibility for or won't admit to their problems. When something goes wrong at home or work, they try to find someone to blame. Typically, you'll hear statements from them such as:

    "It wasn't my fault that…"'
    "That wouldn't have happened if you had…"
    "It's your fault that…"

The bottom-line statement goes something like this: "If only you had done something differently, I wouldn't be in this predicament, it's your fault, and "I'm not responsible."

Whenever you blame someone else for the problems in your life, you become powerless to change anything. The "blame game" hurts your personal sense of power.

In order to keep your brain functioning at a high level, it is important to have good emotion and thought management. Whenever you notice an ANT entering your mind, train yourself to recognize it and write it down. When you write down automatic negative thoughts and talk back to them, you begin to take away their power and gain control over your moods.

*I obtained this ANTs information from our Area Mental Health Advisor, Dr James Christensen.

It has been a good week.  On Monday I went in to Manhattan for an appointment with a missionary.   The appointment was on the Upper East Side.  I have never ridden the Q train before but on Monday because of construction, we had to take the Q train.  When I got off, I was in a different world.  By that, I mean the subway station was remarkable!!  It was clean and sparkling.  Atypical subway station.

Tile art in the 86th Street Station Q line.

Sparkling clean station.

Typical subway station.

Tuesday was temple day for some of the missionaries so I was blessed with spending a portion of the day with some wonderful sisters whose companions were at the temple.

Sisters Lee, Bush, Staker, Lyu, Steninger, Johnson

Thursday I traveled to Brooklyn to help a missionary get into Costco to purchase some glasses.  If I have ever been tempted to highjack a vehicle, I found the one that day.

I would want this vehicle heavily laden as advertised
(Melanie Chocolate Collections)

You'll have to pardon my random thoughts, but as I walk in the mornings, I see so many things that catch my interest.   There is a park that I like to walk through.  There are always men and sometimes women there with their dogs who are off leash in the park.  I can pet the dogs and get my "dog fix."  I love dogs!! 

I have noticed how many spiny seed pods litter the ground.  Last year I mentioned these pods in a blog.  In fact I have a vase full of them on my shelf.  I asked the men if they knew what the trees are that produce these pods.  I was told that they are Lingdonberry trees. The kids call the pods "itchy balls" and they use them as weapons to throw at one another.

I didn't think these were "lingdonberry trees" because I think that lingdonberries grow on a bush. so I researched it on the web.  The trees in the park are sweetgum trees.

American SweetgumLiquidambar styraciflua

 There are numerous train and street underpasses in the area.  One morning I walked a different way than I had been before and passed under an overpass that had wood between the trusses.  At first I didn't realize the purpose until I saw that there were no pigeons above me and no droppings on the sidewalk.  (Walking under the pigeons can be hazardous to your hair and clothing. Missionaries like to tell about the time a missionary got pooped on.)

I passed a stone/rock wall this morning.  Kay must have been with me because it brought to mind a poem by Robert Frost, one of Kay's most read poets.  He so enjoyed the poetry of Robert Frost and Mending Wall was one of his favorites.

Mending Wall

By Robert Frost

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,

That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,

And spills the upper boulders in the sun;

And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.

The work of hunters is another thing:

I have come after them and made repair

Where they have left not one stone on a stone,

But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,

To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,

No one has seen them made or heard them made,

But at spring mending-time we find them there.

I let my neighbour know beyond the hill;

And on a day we meet to walk the line

And set the wall between us once again.

We keep the wall between us as we go.

To each the boulders that have fallen to each.

And some are loaves and some so nearly balls

We have to use a spell to make them balance:

"Stay where you are until our backs are turned!"

We wear our fingers rough with handling them.

Oh, just another kind of out-door game,

One on a side. It comes to little more:

There where it is we do not need the wall:

He is all pine and I am apple orchard.

My apple trees will never get across

And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.

He only says, "Good fences make good neighbours."

Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder

If I could put a notion in his head:

"Why do they make good neighbours? Isn't it

Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.

Before I built a wall I'd ask to know

What I was walling in or walling out,

And to whom I was like to give offence.

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,

That wants it down." I could say "Elves" to him,

But it's not elves exactly, and I'd rather

He said it for himself. I see him there

Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top

In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.

He moves in darkness as it seems to me,

Not of woods only and the shade of trees.

He will not go behind his father's saying,

And he likes having thought of it so well

He says again, "Good fences make good neighbours."

I've rather rambled this week.  It has been busy as usual.  A few viral cases still popping up, (Stomach and colds) and other various conditions.  I am blessed beyond measure and truly value the opportunities I am enjoying here.

I love you my family and friends.

Last weeks picture didn't really show how many people come to the park for the morning Tai Chi sessions.

Ghetto Carr loaded with cans and bottles for recycling.

I liked this fallen tree because the turned up roots are sending out new trees reaching for the light.

We get Amber alerts fairly often.

Ruma is my Indian friend and investigator. The missionaries are now teaching her
husband occasionally when he is "available".

"Serve"

One day this week, Sister Williams sent me an article about languages in Queens.  I live in Queens.  The article reports that there are as many as 800 languages spoken in New York City, and nowhere in the world has more than Queens, according to the Endangered Language Alliance (ELA).

I believe it.  I began to think about the people with whom I regularly interact. We have missionaries from all over the world from Russia, the South Seas, Europe, South America, Mexico, Haiti, etc. but I am not counting the missionaries.  I am counting the locals who live here.  My beautician is from Bulgaria.  The beautician next to her is from Greece.  The man in the wheelchair that sells flowers by the subway is from Turkey.  The man who owns the deli is from Pakistan.  The man who sells flowers in front of the deli is from Peru.  The man at the pizza restaurant is from Sicily.  The waitress in one of my favorite Korean restaurants is from Korea. (Imagine that.)  In another Korean restaurant the waitress is from China.  The list goes on.  In my ward are people from the Philippines, Colombia, Ecuador, Ireland, Haiti, Brazil, all over the United States, etc.

I found the article very interesting.

I'm trying to turn over a new leaf.  I am determined to get back into better physical condition.  I spend too much time sitting and working at my computer and walking while I'm talking just isn't cutting it, so I am "forcing" myself to get out and do the morning walk routine.  I rather slacked on it through the colder months.  I walked Tuesday through Saturday this week.  I almost made my 10,000 steps on 3 of the days and on 2 days I had over 12,000.  I am cutting back on portion sizes and I even went 5 days with no sugar/chocolate.  (I just realized I ate chocolate on Valentine's Day. The missionaries spoiled me.)   I did partake on Saturday night.

On my walks I have enjoyed the crisp morning air.  It gets me going.  I am enjoying getting back into the routine. 

Early morning rush hour (crawl for 2 hours) from the walking bridge crossing the expressway

Ornamental cabbages in the snow along the sidewalk

Morning Tai Chi. This morning I was a little later getting to the park so there are only two people.
Usually there are 8-10. They have music which they use with their graceful movements. I should join them.

Monday was the makeup Mega-zone Conference in Brooklyn.  I rode with the Williams so I could even sightsee as we traveled.  I always marvel at the Empire State Building.  Lately in the evening, I have noticed occasionally that it is lit in different colors.  I researched that.

The relief society president who coordinated the lunch at the conference brought her little girl.
The little one was probably about 2. She fell in love with Elder Williams and followed
him around all morning. So cute!

Empire State Building taken from the back seat of the car. Cloudy day.

“The international icon of the New York skyline, since 1976 the Empire State Building’s tower lights have maintained a tradition of changing color to recognize various occasions and organizations throughout the year.

Everything changed in 2012, when ownership installed a new computer driven LED light system. The system is capable of displaying 16 million colors, which can change instantaneously.

We stage dazzling light shows celebrating holidays and events, often synchronized to music broadcast simultaneously on iHeartMedia stations. Just search ‘Empire State Building Light Shows’ on YouTube to see the shows!”

Empire State Building from a bridge near my home

I was hoping to catch a colorful lighting of the ESB but it has been the traditional white light all week.
I couldn't get a good view of the building from the railroad bridge except through the trees.

The lights will be red, white, and blue on President's Day.

Tuesday morning as I walked I found a planter outside a hardware store in Middle Village with these cute little pansies.

The streets are lined with large trees.  By many trees the cement sidewalks are buckled or broken.  It always amazes me that the roots of the tree have the power to break cement.

As I returned from my walk on Valentine's Day I received a "heart attack" on my front apartment door.  Love Sisters Panoussi and Talaboc!!

Tuesday was temple day but this week I only had two visitors.  We went to lunch in the mall.

Sisters Kim and Yu

That evening I fed the sister training leaders and four other sisters.  I continue to love cooking and feeding people.

Sisters Panoussi, Talaboc, Wuthrich, Steninger, Bush, Williams

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were spent in the usual manner following up on missionaries, giving advice, and preparing the weekly reports.

Saturday morning after my walk, Sister Williams and I went to the Ground Zero Museum Workshop.  It is a museum of artifacts and pictures taken from and during the recovery at Ground Zero.

You may read about it HERE.

It is a small space but very interesting and intimate compared to the 9-11 Museum that deals with the whole catastrophe.  Both museums are unique and a must to see.  Here are a few pictures I took at the museum.

Artifacts. Beer cans were found hidden between beams from 1971 when tower built. Workers hid them.
Can you imagine drinking beer while walking and working on beams high in the air!!!

Glass was a rare find. Higher floors had thicker glass. Most glass pulverized or melted.
All they recovered would only fill a car trunk

This piece of glass is largest recovered from the site. It weighs 125 lb and required 3 men to carry it.
It is 3 inches thick so it had to have come from the one of the top floors.
It was designed to withstand 150mph winds.

I like looking at the shops along the streets.  I saw this shop on 14th Street close to the museum.

In Manhattan you can get anything and everything delivered to your door.

Saturday evening, President and Sister Reynolds hosted a dinner for the senior missionaries at the mission home.  It was a fun, pleasant evening.  I ate the dessert!!!!

Lilly, Adams, Johnson, Hopkins, Reynolds, Conger, Williams, Shapiro

Picture from opposite end of the table

Every week brings me closer to August when I'll be coming home.  I can't bear to think about it but at the same time, my heart skips when I think of seeing and holding my family.  Serving this mission has been one of the greatest opportunities I have had.  Being a wife and mother tops serving as a missionary but I so enjoy the missionaries, the city living experience, and the opportunity to help the missionaries and those around me.  My blessings are countless!

I was reading a talk by Elder Carl B. Cook of the seventy titled "Serve."  I like this quote:

"The opportunity to serve is one of the great blessings of membership in the Church. The Lord has said, "If thou lovest me thou shalt serve me," and we serve Him by serving others.

As we serve, we draw closer to God. We come to know Him in ways that we otherwise might not. Our faith in Him increases. Our problems are put into perspective. Life becomes more satisfying. Our love for others increases, as well as our desire to serve. Through this blessed process, we become more like God, and we are better prepared to return to Him.

As President Marion G. Romney taught: 'Service is not something we endure on this earth so we can earn the right to live in the celestial kingdom. Service is the very fiber of which an exalted life in the celestial kingdom is made.'

Serving in the Church, however, can be challenging if we are asked to do something that frightens us, if we grow weary of serving, or if we are called to do something that we do not initially find appealing.

Fulfilling callings requires faith.  Let us rise up in faith, 'put [our shoulders] to the wheel,' and move this 'worthy work along.'

Jesus Christ, our great Exemplar, gave His life to His Father's work. In the Grand Council before this world was organized, Jesus, chosen and anointed from the beginning, volunteered, "Here am I, send me." In so doing, He literally became the servant of us all. Through Jesus Christ and the power we receive through His Atonement, we can also serve. He will help us.

Whatever our age or circumstance, let service be our 'watch cry.' Serve in your calling. Serve a mission. Serve your mother. Serve a stranger. Serve your neighbor. Just serve.

May the Lord bless each of us in our efforts to serve and become true followers of Jesus Christ. I testify that He lives and directs this work. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

I too bear testimony that service brings blessings, peace, joy, and love. 

I love you my family and friends.

When I was talking to Jake this week he asked me if there is a grocery store close to me for shopping.
There are several but I usually drive to a supermarket with a parking lot because I hate pushing a
ghetto cart. Jake asked what is a ghetto cart??  Pictures are the best description. I have no idea
why the locals/missionaries call them ghetto carts but EVERYONE has a cart for carrying things
since many people don't have cars.

Your body is a temple

A couple of transfers ago, the church changed its policy on mega-zone conferences. They used to be every three months. Now they are held every transfer along with president interviews with every missionary. Needless to say that has tripled the work of the president but it gives me the opportunity to see the missionaries at least once every six weeks.

Let me explain what is meant by "mega-zone". We have 9 zones in our mission. There are 3 conferences with 2 zones combined in each conference. One conference involves 3 zones. The meetings are held on 4 consecutive days the second week of transfer.

Now with that said, I thoroughly enjoy these conferences. Tuesday I was in Flushing. Tuesday evening I fed the sister training leaders and the two sisters they were on exchanges with.
 

I made garlic bread on Tuesday night for dinner. Top insert shows what was left of the
flame. (Hard to see) My bread became "garlic bread flambé". That's what you get when you start
talking instead of watching the broiler.

Wednesday in went to Plainview which is out on Long Island.

Plainview sister missionaries

Long Island Sunset

I told the sisters upstairs that I was leaving early for Plainview. This was my gift/breakfast I found outside
my door as I left. So thoughtful!  And they even remembered the chocolate to go with the Special K

Thursday was the Nor'easter so our Brooklyn conference was canceled and I hibernated. It was blowing snow in the morning with a near white out. I live on a hill and the wind blows up hill so the snow was blown around my house into the driveway. I love snow days and watching the snow fall.

Ice crystals on my window.

Sisters Panoussi and Talaboc shoveling the sidewalk and steps

Elders Walker and Cahan shoveling the driveway  They even cleared my car.

Friday was conference in Woodside. Today (Monday) I'm am in Brooklyn making up the canceled meeting.

At these meetings, the senior couple over housing talks about housing issues. The senior elder over vehicles inspects the cars and talks about car issues. I talk about health.

This time I focused on the importance of replacing nutrients that the body doesn't store. Our bodies are a gift given to us to house our spirits. It is our responsibility to care for these precious gifts.

I talked about meal planning using the food pyramid and shopping tips. I gave them a sample menu and shopping list and some simple, quick recipes.  For example, I suggested they buy a rotisserie chicken and not eat it all in one meal but save some to add to rice or ramen noodles along with frozen vegetables for a meal. When making food, to cook extra and save for a time later in the week so they can grab a quick meal on the run.

I ended with a quote from a talk given be Elder Russell M Nelson.

I don't have a lot of pictures this week but if you don't mind I have some silliness to share.

I love you my family and friends.

A new recipe I tried. I liked it but I would go a tiny bit lighter on the ginger.
It over powered the coconut flavor.

No explanation needed!!