Who I Want To Be When I Grow Up

As part of my stewardship being Stake RS President, I go on stake visits with various assigned ward RS Presidents. They choose who we visit, so during the past  few years the variety has been across the spectrum.  I have visited with those suffering from cancer, those who have lost a spouse or loved one, those in the hospital, and the inactive.  My last Stake visit was spent in the home of the most "with it" 92 year old sister I have ever met.  The RS President wanted to cheer her up, this sister was depressed because her doctor had told her she could no longer drive due to her side vision deterioration. If she was depressed, I would love to be around her when she is cheerful.  After a delightful conversation and mentioning we must hurry to our next visit, she jumped to her feet so SHE could help the 70 year old president out of her chair!  She asked if she could share a story with me before I left.  Expecting a selected spiritual experience, here is the story she wanted to share about the importance of not stepping on a duck, and with a very serious face, hoped perhaps it would help me.  Her story was as follows:
   Three faithful old sisters died and went to the other side.  Before the keeper of the gate let them in, he told them how valued ducks were in the "kingdom, so do not step on a duck".  If one did, they would immediately be chained for time and eternity to an old faithful priesthood holder.  When the gate opened they saw that ducks were every where.  They no sooner got inside and the first sister stepped on a duck.  A golden chain immediately formed on her ankle and she was attached to a very very old priesthood holder.  The second sister upon seeing what happened to the first, decided to step very carefully, but she bumped a duck.  The golden chain appeared and she was linked to a old, very old man.  The third sister thought "I no longer have to eat, drink, or sleep.  I do not even have to move, I am staying right in this spot."   A short time later a golden chain appeared on her ankle attached to a handsome muscled young man with a full head of wavy hair.  This sister could not keep in her joy and exclaimed "What did I ever do to earn this?"  The young man said, "I don't know what you did, but I stepped on a duck."
   When I am 92, I want to be just like the sister I met on my stake visit, and oh yeah, and not step on any ducks.

Pumpkins Hanging on the Apricot Tree

Ever since  our children were old enough to hold a spoon, we have carved pumpkins for  home evening activity on Monday before Halloween.  What started as Walt, myself, and toddler Cori Ann has now grown to 25 people weilding spoons and carving knives.  My sister came for a visit a few years ago and spent our memorable Halloween evening with our family.  She laughed and teased us in that she had "never attended a halloween gathering where the lights went out, scarey pumpkins were lit, and then singing primary songs ."  This year we added our own Cluff rendition of Pumpkins Hanging on the Apricot Tree. 

"I looked out my window and what did I see?  Pumpkins hanging on the apricot tree. 

Fall had brought me such a nice surpirse, pumpkins hanging right before my eyes. 

I can take an arm full and make a treat.  A pumpkin pie that would smell so sweet.  It wasn't really so, but it seemed to be.  Pumpkins hanging  on  the apricot tree."  At least at the Walt & Penny Cluff house.