A Tornado in the Vance house about 1980

When Robert and Andrea's mother and I were younger, we purchased a set of "Living Scriptures". We were trying to be faithful at reading them each night. Better said, we were trying hard to listen to the recorded stories as we followed along in the printed version.

One night as we were listening we heard the sounds associated with a Tornado. Since the kid's mother grew up in tornado country, she knew just what to do. We turned the recorder off and grabbed Robert and Andrea. We lined the tub with quilts and wrapped them both in bed clothing and stayed for a while with them in the bathroom.

When enough time had passed, we went outside and checked out the night sky. It was green and wet, but we didn't see any turning in the clouds. We were both sure that the kids would be safe in their own beds.

We got them both in bed and went back to our "Living Scriptures". As we turned on the recorder, the tornado sounds started again. We both felt rather silly, but we had had a good drill in case we ever had to face the real thing.

Andi and family are safe after having a close call

The news in Colorado today is full of pictures of destruction. We had several tornadoes in northeastern Colorado yesterday.

• Tornados near Johnstown
  
• Colorado Tornados
  
• Johnstown news

The Apple Tree and the Pinafore

Andrea was always an adventurous little girl. She could find the fun and adventure in every situation. On the other hand, she loved to be feminine and girlish.

Each year for Easter, her mother made her a new dress. When she little her brother, Robert, was just learning to walk and talk. She found such an adventure.

Her mom made her a pretty purple dress. It was full length and had a frilly pinafore in front of it. She loved to twirl and watch the skirts flare out. She loved to primp and admire herself in the mirror. She also loved to romp and play.

The kids were out in the yard playing as we busied ourselves getting ready for church meetings. We heard a faint little knock at the back door. When we opened the door, there was Robert. We couldn't understand what he was saying, but it was clear that he was upset so we followed him out into the yard.

As we came around to the front of the house, there was Andrea hanging from the apple tree by the sashes of her pinafore. She had tied them to the branch of the apple tree and had jumped. The sashes were just long enough that her toes reached the ground, but she couldn't stand on her feet. She couldn't untie the sashes because she couldn't reach them.

We rescued her that day from the branches of the apple tree. We tried to tell her that she should think before she leaped.

Betty, I love you

Marrying you was the best choice I ever made. It has been nearly twenty one years now. We have had challenges, but I have never doubted for one minute that I made the right choice.

I fell in love with you as soon as I saw you. You came to open the Family History Library for a bunch of us. You had paint in your hair and on your clothes, but you were beautiful to me. It's unusual for me to be as forward as I was with the opposite sex, but I didn't want to take a chance on letting you get away.

I hate to paint walls, but offering to help you paint was the only way I could think of to keep from losing the opportunity to know you better.

The kids were a hand full as they came to live with us. You loved them and let them know they were loved. You took the challenges that came to us into stride.

As grandchilren have come to our family, the font of your love flowed freely. I know that our children and grandchildren love you just as I do. I pray that I can live my life in a way that I will always be worthy of you.

Trigger finger

It's official. I'll be going in on the 29th of this month to have my hand operated on. I had heard of carpal tunnel, but I had never heard of the trigger finger syndrome. My right thumb is involved and it's quite painful first thing in the morning. Once I've iced it, taken some Aleve for the pain and Advil to get the the inflamation down, it's tolerable.

It's only a 15 minute procedure, but my hand will be out of commission for a week afterward. Some people will do anything to get out of work!!

The human body is a marvelous creation! When everything is working, we don't give it much thought, but when something malfunctions, we realize just how much we depended on it. I have found that I have really gotten dependent on my right hand, especially my thumb.

Be Careful What You Say

Today we live in a multilingual world. More and more we see people who are speaking languages that are not our own. It is a real temptation at times to speak in a language that we think others do not understand.

Years ago, when I was serving a mission in Mexico, my companion and I did that and we were embarassed. This sweet lady came to the door when we knocked. She passed us as she went to the street to buy something from a vendor, and as she passed us going back into the house, she asked us to stay for just a moment.

My companion turned to me and asked me if I had seen the wrinkled nylon stockings hanging around her ankles. I responded that I had and that it was amusing.

When she came back to the door, her stockings were all pulled up and had no wrinkles in them at all. She had been educated in Texas and spoke English as well as my companion and I. We both felt foolish.

When I returned to the USA and entered school, I started an art class at Adam State College. Professor Hatfield had been to Mexico and expressed a fondness for the Mexican culture. I took advantage of that. Every assignment I turned in had some element from the culture I had learned to love when I was in Mexico. With every assignment that I turned in, two girls from Expanola, New Mexico would criticize the work quite sharply using their native Spanish. I listened quietly each time as they found fault with my work. By the end of the quarter, I managed to turn something in that they both liked. In my best Spanish, I leaned forward and thanked them for their kind remarks. That time I was on the other end of the situation.

We are currently in a Ward where we have a Deaf Sister that we are helping. She speaks American Sign Language and we are trying hard to learn enough ASL to speak with her and be understood and to understand. As I watch the interpreters each week convert the talks and songs into ASL, I see a different side of the message. Here too, we are learning the same lessons. It is important to speak so that everyone can understand and enjoy the conversation.