Family Visit

It's not often that I get to see extended family it seems like.
Mostly because as everyone's gotten older....we've all gotten busier.
So the times we get together are far and few inbetween.
:(

But this weekend... I got to see family!!
YES!

Ah. It was so hard to restrain myself from hugging and squeezing and basically not letting go.
But I managed it... mostly.

Really, I would love to have just been right by them every single second they were in town.

I'm that sort of person. I like being by people. Leaning against the arm, hugging them, that sort of thing.
But unfortunately, people don't like doing that.
lol. So I contented myself with the few moments I had with family.

*sighs*
It wasn't enough time.
Really, I feel like I should have spent 24/7 with them.
As a couple of hours, really doesn't feel like much time at all to catch up, to chat, to goof around, play. That sort of thing.

*fingers crossed*
But I have a vacation coming up in a few weeks. Where I get to see them again.
And this time, it will be for more than a few hours!!

Can't. Wait.

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Quicketly Quick

I wasn't surprised to get a phone call from work this morning.
Why?
Because I had needed to shave off a couple of hours due to the Monitor Lizard event.
And after discussion with one of the managers, it was decided that I would come in an hour late today.
As it was the best day really to do so...as the rest of the days I was to come in....I couldn't do so.

What was surprising was that it wasn't the manager I was expecting to call...to call.

Yah....they weren't happy to be informed about this 'change of plans'
Why?
Because we had the DM coming in....and everything needed to be ready.

>.<
Ugh. Out of all the managers I'd talked too...not one of them had mentioned this as being a problem with me coming in an hour later. (I had known he was coming in today, hadn't seen it as a problem.)
Until this one.
>.>
*sighs*

There wasn't much I could do, I still needed to shave as much time off as I could.
So I came in that the original changed time.

And realized pretty quickly why, my manager thought that coming in late was a bad idea.

Because we had been swamped.

With kittens.

Seriously, I'd never seen so many kittens together in our store.
Totally cute and adorable.
But wow.
A lot of them.
And guess what?
Kittens are hyper.
playful.
and all around energetic.

Combine that with a small cage.
And what do you get?
Yah. Messy cage.
Which takes a lot longer to clean than most of the adult cats would.
*shakes head*

So. I set to work. With one hour less time then had originally been planned.
I wasn't concerned though.
It was still the same amount of cages for me to clean, just more occupants in the cages than normal.

And I knew myself.
I could get it done in two hours. Easy peasy.
I just had to move fast.
And when I need to, I move fast.

Somehow, I managed to clean all the cages within the hour that I'd set myself,
leaving me an hour to open up the rest of my department.

And as the hour of store opening rolled around.
I....finished.

lol. Okay, not every thing.
But the main openings that had to be done by the time the store opened got done.
Which basically just left me with feeding the fish. :)
Yay!

So yah.
I wasn't too concerned about coming in a hour late.
Because I knew the state of my department, knew what was expected of me, (with the obvious exception of the cats.) And...completed my goals on time. :D

Yay!! :D Plus. ^^ The visit went well for us! :D Haha! Double Score! :D

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

On A Heavenly Errand

Let us walk these clearly defined paths.
To help us do so we can follow the shortest sermon in the world.
It can be found on a common traffic sign.
It reads, "Keep Right."

This advice was found and followed by Joe, who had been asked to get up at six in the morning and drive a crippled child 50 miles to a hospital.
He didn't want to do it, but he didn't know how to say no.
A woman carried the child out to the car and set him next to the driver's seat, mumbling thanks through her tears.
Joe said everything would be all right and drove off quickly.

After a mile or so, the child inquired shyly, "You're God, aren't you?"

"I'm afraid not, little fellow," replied Joe.

"I thought you must be God," said the child.
"I heard Mother praying next to my bed and asking God to help me get to the hospital, so I could get well and play with the other boys.
Do you work for God?"

"Sometimes, I guess," said Joe, "but not regularly.
I think I'm going to work for Him a lot more from now on."

Thomas S. Monson -The Priesthood--Mighty Army of the Lord -April 1999 General Conference

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Lizard Encounter

It wasn't an abnormal situation.
I mean, people come into work every now and then with the question: "Hey...what type of animal is this?"
And they proceed to show me the animal.

The other day was no different.
A coworker came up to me and said that there was a woman who had a lizard and wanted us to identify it.
So I went over, and saw this nice big lizard in a dog carrier.
Like two feetish long.

I'd never seen it before.
At least, in person.
The look of it....I knew I'd seen it before, but I couldn't think of the name of what I thought I was thinking of.

I mean, at first glance it reminded me of an anole.

 

But those don't get over two feet long.

 

I pulled it out to get a closer look, holding the creature in my arms.

Trying to figure out the name that was on the tip of my tongue.

 

I was like "Well, it reminds me of a Komodo Dragon, but I don't think it's that."

And I was thinking all the while. I'm sure I saw something recently on tv about a creature like this.......

 

Then like 10 minutes (maybe 5?) later... my coworker was like "I think it's a Monitor Lizard.

And about that same time....

 

It bit me.

 

Surprise!

I actually was.

I was like. O.o Why are you biting me??

As Lizards hardly ever if not never bite....

 

But yah, there it was, suddenly clamping onto my arm -above the elbow- (as I was holding it like you'd hold any cat or dog in your arms.)

 

I didn't panic.

As I assumed that it would let go soon enough.

Because with other animals it's a 'bite and let go' sort of thing.

This guy.

No.

He...I guess She, the woman said it was a she...wasn't letting go.

 

I definitely wasn't in the mood to loose a chunk of my arm to a lizard.

Especially this random lizard.

As it actually was a monitor lizard. (and komodo dragons are part of that family. So I was closer with my second guess)

And guess what?

They're carnivorous.

 

:S Uhoh.

Not good news as I currently had one biting me.

 

It had only grabbed on at this point.

But as the owner and my coworker noticed that it was biting me.

It started 'gumming me'

-moving it's jaw, possibly to get a better hold?-

 

"Get it off me." I said calmly.

And so my coworker and the customer somehow managed to get it to let go.

I promptly put the creature back into it's carrier, and went and cleaned the bite extra extra extra good.

(it held on for like a minute or so....who keeps track of time in the moment?)  

 

Now,

don't get too concerned. lol.

The bite was rather minor.

I didn't have mangled flesh hanging off or anything.

 

See:

 

 

(this was about 7ish hours after the incident.)

Definitely not that bad.

It hardly punctured the skin at all.

 

And despite how the picture looks.

The bite isn't that big either.

My arms are rather skinny.

So in reality, this bite is only an inch long and about half an inch wide.

Definitely not as bad as it could have been.

Lol.
And apparently, I've impressed a lot of my coworkers and the customer.

Because I didn't scream, thrash, panic....you know all the pretty typical things people do when they get bitten by an animal.
I held still. Stayed calm, didn't panic.
And totally did not scream. ;) lol

Because in reality?
The bite wasn't that painful.

It may be that I have a higher pain tolerance than other people.
But it wasn't that hard of a bite.

I mean. Parakeets have bitten me harder than this lizard bit me.
And those hurt worse than a lizard bite.
Possibly because it's a single point focused in on a really tight pinch.
While lizards have wider mouths, more points of contact...so a thicker pinch.
plus, it bit me in the thickness of my arm, and not a thinner area like a finger. lol.

Yah,
I'm probably weird for keeping so calm.  
I mean, who wouldn't panic if you had this:

 

Biting you?

 

Apparently. Me. ;)

 

Until you next see these words;

I'll be watching the leaves.

Enjoy the day!

 

-Sarnic Dirchi

 

 

I Just Want To Buy Food!!

It seems like there are days where the world conspires against you.
And you have to wonder.
Seriously, is it that important for you to not let me do this?

Really.
I'm beginning to wonder.
As seriously, for the past two days....I've been trying to go Grocery shopping.
And failing.
Really?
How come you don't want me to buy food?

Sure, it means that I'm actually eating 'realish' food that would have been sitting there for a while longer had I had access to all my snack foods like I want to.
It means that I may be taking 'short cuts' and buying food on the go to give me a 'feel good moment' for the bad news of not being able to go grocery shopping.

But really?
Why are things that shouldn't take that long....taking like four times as long as expected?
*sighs*
Ah well.
Things happen.
But hopefully.
hopefully
Things will work out for me and I'll be able to get myself some more food tomorrow.
*Fingers Crossed*

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

October 1999 General Conferece Sunday Afternoon

L. Tom Perry -A Year of Jubilee

• "Sin is intensely habit-forming and sometimes moves men to the tragic point of no return. Without repentance there can be no forgiveness, and without forgiveness all the blessings of eternity hang in jeopardy. As the transgressor moves deeper and deeper in his sin, and the error is entrenched more deeply and the will to change is weakened, it becomes increasingly nearer hopeless and he skids down and down until either he does not want to climb back up or he has lost the power to do so."
• "Substitute habits, change environment. Change comes by substituting new habits for old. You mold your character and future by thoughts and actions.
• "You can change by changing your environment. Let go of lower things, and reach for higher. Surround yourself with the best in books, music, art, and people."
• Harry Emerson Fosdick once wrote: "Some Christians carry their religions on their backs. It is a packet of beliefs and practices which they must bear. At times it grows heavy and they would willingly lay it down, but that would mean a break with old traditions, so they shoulder it again. But real Christians do not carry their religion, their religion carries them. It is not weight; it is wings. It lifts them up, it sees them over hard places, it makes the universe seem friendly, life purposeful, hope real, sacrifice worthwhile. It sets them free from fear, futility, discouragement, and sin--the great enslavers of men's souls. You can know a real Christian, when you see him, by his buoyancy."
• I hope it is clearly evident when the world looks at us that we are known for our buoyancy--that we live, believe, and practice real Christian ideas and doctrine.

Dallin H. Oaks -Gospel Teaching

• "Have you ever really had a teacher? One who saw you as a raw but precious thing, a jewel that, with wisdom, could be polished to a proud shine? If you are lucky enough o find your way to such teachers, you will always find your way back."
• In the Lord's great plan of salvation there are no more important teachers than parents, who teach their children constantly by example and by precept.
• "Effective teaching is the very essence of leadership in the Church."
• First is love.
• Second, concentrate entirely on those being taught.
• A gospel teacher does not focus on himself or herself. One who understands that principle will not look upon his or her calling as "giving or presenting a lesson," because that definition views teaching from the standpoint of the teacher, not the student.
• Third, teach from the prescribed course material, with greatest emphasis on teaching the doctrine and principles and covenants of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Fourth, prepare diligently and strive to use the most effective means of presenting the prescribed lessons.
• Fifth, "teach the principles of my gospel ... as they shall be directed by the Spirit. ... And if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach."
• Sixth, A gospel teacher is concerned with the results of his or her teaching, and such a teacher will measure the success of teaching and testifying by its impact on the lives of the learners.  
• "The calling of the gospel teacher is one of the noblest in the world. The good teacher can make all the difference in inspiring boys and girls and men and women to change their lives and fulfill their highest destiny.

Richard H. Winkel -"No Man Is an Island"

• No man is an island; No man stands alone. Each man's joy is a joy to me; Each man's grief is my own. We need one another, So I will defend Each man as my brother; Each man as my friend. - John Donne
• We cannot overlook the potential of our new members or misjudge their talents.

Robert S. Wood -"The Tongue of Angels"

• Our words and external expressions are not neutral, for they reflect both who we are and shape who we are becoming.
• What we say and how we act will create an atmosphere welcoming or hostile to the Holy Ghost.
• Our words are creating an atmosphere in which we build or demolish.
• What we say and how we present ourselves not only betray our inner person but also mold that person, those around us, and finally our whole society. Every day each of us is implicated in obscuring the light or in chasing away the darkness. We have been called to invite the light and to be a light, to sanctify ourselves and edify others.

William R. Bradford -Righteousness

• Striving to live righteously is attempting to do all that we can in obedience. With this comes the inner peace and comfort that in doing all we can, the plan of God will be accomplished in our behalf. No other feeling in the soul of man can bring the joy and happiness than that of knowing you are doing all you can to become righteous.

Richard G. Scott -He Lives

• "... By this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of righteousness, in faith believing in me that you shall receive."
• With the gift of the Holy Ghost comes the ability to develop a powerfully sensitive capacity to make the right choices. Cultivate that gift.
• Oh, how I would encourage you to eave deeply into the fabric of your soul that recognition that your life now is a part of a much bigger plan the Lord has for you. You lived part of it in the premortal existence. You were valiant there and came here because you wanted to grow and enjoy greater happiness. What you decide to do now will affect how well you fulfill that divine, personal plan He has for you.
• Sometimes when there is a significant need in my life, I review mentally scriptures that have given me strength. There is great solace, direction, and power that flow from the scriptures, especially the words of the Lord.
• "Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men."
• "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
• He has promised to help us with our burdens: "I will ... ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, ... that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions."
• "What I say unto one I say unto all."
• "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not."
• "I made this my rule: When the Lord commands, do it."

Gordon B. Hinckley -Good-bye to This Wonderful Old Tabernacle

• A building develops a personality of its own.

General Relief Society Conference

Mary Ellen Smoot -Rejoice, Daughters of Zion

• We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction. As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Exemplar. We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity who: Increase our testimonies of Jesus Christ through prayer and scripture study. Seek spiritual strength by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Dedicate ourselves to strengthening marriages, families, and homes. Find nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood. Delight in service and good works. Love life and learning. Stand for truth and righteousness. Sustain the priesthood as the authority of God on earth. Rejoice in the blessings of the temple, understand our divine destiny, and strive for exaltation.
• We declare to the world that it is not by chance that we have embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ; it rings true!
• We can all extend our arms in love to others and give gifts of compassion and tenderness that can only flow from a woman's heart.
• Sisters who know right from wrong stand firm on the Lord's side.
• Each of us has a vital role, even a sacred mission to perform as a daughter in Zion.

Virginia U. Jensen -Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment

•  "The Church was created in large measure to help the family, and long after the Church has performed its mission, [the family] will still be functioning."
• "The ultimate purpose of the adversary ... is to disrupt, disturb, and to destroy the home and the family."

Sheri L. Dew -We Are Women of God

• The adversary is delighted when we act like sightseers, meaning those who are hearers rather than doers of the word, or shoppers, meaning those preoccupied with the vain things of this world that suffocate our spirits. Satan baits us with perishable pleasures and preoccupations--our bank accounts, our wardrobes, even our waistlines--for he know that where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also. Unfortunately, it is easy to let the blinding glare of the adversary's enticements distract us from the light of Christ.
• "In this world your joy is not full, but in me your joy is full."
• Satan is the god of Babylon, or this world. Christ is the God of Israel, and His Atonement gives us power to overcome the world.
• "If you expect glory, intelligence and endless lives," said President Joseph F. Smith, "let the world go."
• We no longer have the luxury of spending our energy on anything that does not lead us and our families to Christ.
• In the days ahead, a casual commitment to Christ will not carry us through.
• We are not women of the world. We are women of God. And women of God will be among the greatest heroines of the 21st century.
• It is not for us "to be led by the women of the world; it is for [us] to lead ... the women of the world, in everything that is praise-worthy."
• The Lord's standard of behavior will always be more demanding than the world's, but then the Lord's rewards are infinitely more glorious--including true joy, peace, and salvation.
• We are not panicked about perfection, but we are working to become more pure.
• We cannot be women of the world, for we are latter-day women of God.

James E. Faust -What It Means to Be a Daughter of God

• Your challenges today are different from those of your forebears, but they are nonetheless real.
• First, it is a divinely established sisterhood.
• Second, the society is a place of learning.
• Third, it is an organization whose basic character is caring for others. Its motto is "Charity Never Faileth."
• Fourth, the Relief Society is a place where the needs of women to socialize can be met.
• You cannot imagine the gifts and talents each of you has. All women have appealing features. I do not refer to model-type appeal, but rather that which comes from your personality, your attitude, and your expressions. I urge you to enhance the natural, God-given, feminine gifts with which you have been so richly blessed. None of you should be so content that you cease to care about how you look or act. In his day, President Brigham Young encouraged women to get an education. This is still good counsel, but I hasten to add: in all your getting, do not lose your sweet femininity.
• It is a mistake for women to think that life begins only with marriage. A woman can and must have an identity and feel useful, valued, and needed whether she is single or married. She must feel that she can do something for someone else that no one else ever born can do.
• With all my heart I urge you sisters who have received your endowments to seek the blessings, peace, and comfort of the temple. Temple worthiness affords a great spiritual protection even for sisters who do not have regular access to blessings of the temple. In His infinite wisdom, the Lord requires worthy brethren to wear the mantle of the priesthood in order to enter the temple, but He permits the sisters to enter solely by virtue of their personal worthiness.

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Mix Radio

So my phone has this cool little app thingy,
That's called a "Mix Radio"
What it basically does, is that you put in three artists that you like,
and it will play songs from those artists....
But also other songs in the same genre/style...etc that fit in those categories you picked.
It's actually pretty cool,
because if you don't like a song, you can click the 'thumbs down' button and it won't play that song again and it knows that you don't like similar sorts of songs as well.
If you hit the 'thumbs up' button it will play more of those types of songs.
So overall it's a win win, though I wish that I could put in more than three artists....

I like it, in that they play songs I haven't heard before,
So I'm discovering new favorites.

Like this one:

Blown Away by Carrie Underwood.

Cool song. ^^

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Rainy Day

There is something relaxing about just laying in your bed, listening to rain pitter pattering outside of your window. It makes me think of so many different things, rainy days while camping out in tents, Oregon in general are a couple of things. Mostly curling up around a book, smelling that rain smell.
It's relaxing in a way.
As with rainy days, it almost brings about a sense of "you do not have to do anything."
Really it's true.
Who doesn't take a rainy day to mean, "Let's go relax!"
Sunny days, not so much. It's go and do do do do do.
So maybe in a way, a rainy day is a breather for the world. A "I'm taking a day off, have fun guys, it will be raining for a bit."
*shrugs*
Maybe that's why it basically always rains on Memorial Day Weekend.
It's when Mother Nature decides that she needs a vacation from being bright and sunny.

Tis a fun thought. :)

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream

My family and I were on vacation, a three day vacation where we were going to go on a tour with Il Volo, so we got onto this odd semi looking thing, that expanded out to reveal a sort of train/ship thing. We were going to do a three day tour along the river ways of different places in Italy. The boats started to flow down the river, and my dad pointed out to me that we were going to pass by the Rome Temple. It was beautiful, with a reddish tint to it's blocks of stone, Captain Moroni gleaming on top of the temple. I knew it wasn't completed but it looked complete. And the scenery around it was beautiful. We'd already passed by when I thought "I need to get a picture" so I grabbed my camera phone, and tried to get photos, but I kept getting the wrong picture of a nearby roman statue building, By the time I finally got the temple into view, the picture wasn't that great, and I felt a moment of sadness that I hadn't taken the picture when I was in front of it. But then I was like, well...I saw it with my own eyes up close, and not while looking through a photo lens.
....
I was at my parents home, being sneaky, I was trying to hide my identity from my brother, as I was wearing a red hood. I'd been up to some sort of act, and my brother was desperate to figure out who I was because of my random acts of kindness. It ended up with an all out chase through our house, around our back yard, in windows, out of them, both of us trying to out trick the other, but I grew tired, and eventually my brother thought he'd figured out who I was though he needed proof. I tried to run away, but he got on his motorcycle and came after me, I managed to dash back into our parents home and hide behind a chair, but he found me moments later....
Somehow I ended up in the front yard, with a bunch of puppies, of different breeds. We were training them, to see if they were ready to be social with other dogs, and people. There were a group of young Retrievers deemed ready, a group of poodles -may have had purple coats- that were ready, but I was most interested in a young pup, possibly retriever, we got her out and sat underneath the neighbor's walnut tree to see how she was doing with learning tricks. Excellent. She even did a trick for me -standing up on her hind legs- that hadn't been done for the others......
I was with a group of others, hiking up a mountain path with the gates guarded by odd tree like creatures with faces. They didn't want us to pass by -as we weren't good people, a band of thieves or assassins or something.- but the girl leading us said something to the tree people, and it came out that their leader was voted upon by popular vote. So if our leader could convince the ruler (also a girl)'s people that our leader would be better for them to survive then she would become queen. So they had a vote, She got like 22 votes, many of the others got no votes at all, and my leader got a number of votes as well, it feels like it was 13, but then we had one last person to go -an outcast of the tree people who...was a bit obsessed with the ruler, to the point where he'd tried multiple different ways to get her to court him. To no avail as around all the tree people's necks were a flattened wooden face, if your faces didn't align...no go....you weren't meant to be together. And this guy's wooden face didn't match hers at all. Still he voted for her, and she proved that she was still queen,
until our leader -now a guy- held up his own face (who knows where he got it) to hers, and...they matched. perfectly. Creating a 3D face of a woman. That gave him access through their gate, but the people wouldn't allow his people to come through....unless he became King....
-The leader, now a girl again, went to a priest of the tree people, and he -acting very inexperienced- proceeded to go through the ceremony to make her the queen of the people... he placed a golden circlet on her head, and they gave her a wide expanse of cloth that she spread at the end of the ceremony when they pronounced her "Dragon Queen." she spread her arms creating the illusion that the fabric were wings....and they expected her to jump off the cliff nearby to prove that she could really fly....

Then I was asked to redo my password, as it had expired and I was having trouble putting in the right letters/numbers to create it even though I knew it...

Then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)

-S.N.D

Reunion

I met up with a friend tonight.

This is news,
because I haven't seen this friend in a year and a half.
Why?
She was on her mission. That's why.

And after being home for two weeks, I finally managed to get my schedule to coincide with hers so that we could meet up!

Agh. It's been too long, for sure. Words can't express how long.
Yet.
In some ways, it feels like no time has passed at all.

Which was awesome.
It's like one of those friendships where we could possibly not see each other for years and years but when we do, we'd pick up just like we haven't seen each other in a week and talk about all things under the sun, go see a movie, and you know things friends do.

Though, I have definitely missed her.
It's good to have a HS friend around again. ^^

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream....had aspects of being a dream I already had before.....

-S.N.D

The Kanarraville Walk

Thirty years ago last month, a little family set out to cross the United States to attend graduate school--no money, an old car, every earthly possession they owned packed into less than half the space of the smallest U-Haul trailer available.
Bidding their apprehensive parents farewell, they drove exactly 34 miles up the highway, at which point their beleaguered car erupted.

Pulling off the freeway onto a frontage road, the young father surveyed the steam, matched it with his own, then left his trusting wife and two innocent children--the youngest just three months old--to wait in the car while he walked the three miles or so to the southern Utah metropolis of Kanarraville, population then, I suppose, 65.
Some water was secured at the edge of town, and a very kind citizen offered a drive back to the stranded family.
The car was attended to and slowly--very slowly--driven back to St. George for inspection--U-Haul trailer and all.

After more than two hours of checking and rechecking, no immediate problem could be detected, so once again the journey was begun. In exactly the same amount of elapsed time at exactly the same location on that highway with exactly the same pyrotechnics from under the hood, the car exploded again.
It could not have been 15 feet from the earlier collapse, probably not 5 feet from it!
Obviously the most precise laws of automotive physics were at work.

Now feeling more foolish than angry, the chagrined young father once more left his trusting loved ones and started the long walk for help once again.
This time the man providing the water said, "Either you or that fellow who looks just like you ought to get a new radiator for that car."
For the second time a kind neighbor offered a lift back to the same automobile and its anxious little occupants.
He didn't know whether to laugh or to cry at the plight of this young family.

"How far have you come?" he said.
"Thirty-four miles," I answered.
"How much farther do you have to go?"
"Twenty-six hundred miles," I said.
"Well, you might make that trip, and your wife and those two little kiddies might make that trip, but none of you are going to make it in that car.
He proved to be prophetic on all counts.

Just two weeks ago this weekend, I drove by that exact spot where the freeway turnoff leads to a frontage road, just three miles or so west of Kanarraville, Utah.
That same beautiful and loyal wife, my dearest friend and greatest supporter for all these years, was curled up asleep in the seat beside me.
The two children in the story, and the little brother who later joined them, have long since grown up and served missions, married perfectly, and are now raising children of their own.
The automobile we were driving this time was modest but very pleasant and very safe.
In fact, except for me and my lovely Pat situated so peacefully at my side, nothing of that moment two weeks ago was even remotely like the distressing circumstances of three decades earlier.

Yet in my mind's eye, for just an instant, I thought perhaps I saw on that side road an old car with a devoted young wife and two little children making the best of a bad situation there.
Just ahead of them I imagined that I saw a young fellow walking toward Kanarraville, with plenty of distance still ahead of him.
His shoulders seemed to be slumping a little, the weight of a young father's fear-evident in his pace.
In the scriptural phrase his hands did seem to "hang down."
In that imaginary instant, I couldn't help calling out to him: "Don't give up, boy.
Don't you quit.
You keep walking.
You keep trying.
There is help and happiness ahead--a lot of it--30 years of it now, and still counting.
You keep your chin up.
It will be all right in the end.
Trust God and believe in good things to come."

-Jeffrey R. Holland -"An High Priest of Good Things to Come" -October 1999 General Conference

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream

Me and my family were on some sort of mission, we had guns, and we were at war, and I ended up doing something to nearly get us caught, but luckily my Dad managed to distract the enemy so that we could get away and continue with the plan....

Then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)

-S.N.D

Stuck In My Head

So there I was, getting ready for work this morning,
and my roomie, surprise surprise, got up at the same time to get ready too.
No really, it was a surprise. It's a rare occurrence as I get up pretty early, and...she doesn't.
But there we were, both getting ready.
And my roomie decided to put on some music.

No big deal.
Except.
The last song I heard, was one of those songs where I'm like:
"Uhoh, this song will get stuck in my head."

Guess what?

Yah.
It got stuck in my head!

It took me most of my work shift -most of it because work stopped playing music so I didn't have music to distract myself with unless I was on break.-

To do so.

But, finally!
The lyrics weren't running through my head.
I'd actually stopped thinking about them.
Had my mind on other things.

And then.
My roommate came home.

Guess what song she started playing?

Yah.
THAT SONG.

*bangs head against desk*

AHHHHHH!!!
....And now, it's stuck in my head again.

*sighs*

I guess this is take two.....

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

'Normal' at Work

It's weird when you finally get your energy back.
Not that it was really gone really,
But it definitely felt weird, to be....done with tasks....early.
Seriously, it feels like its been forever since I've managed to open my department in a timely manner. Usually something delays me and I end up taking longer than I wanted.
But surprisingly, I managed to be done early.
To the point where I was like. O.o You mean...I'm not under a deadline to finish things, and I can actually do other things too?
It was crazy.
It felt great!
It was a mini energy boost to my day.
Seriously.
Recently at work it feels like at some point that I just kinda...fade.
But my day stayed energized. I was up, I was active, I didn't even need to take a nap when I got home from work like I've been doing recently.

Somehow in some way, everything, sleep, tasks, animals, duties, combined in such a way that I had the energy and the wakefulness to keep running long after work was done. Totally crazy! It was awesome. I hope it comes back tomorrow. ^^;;

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream

There was this evil witch who had a bunch of globby grey creatures (actual creatures covered in a mud/prison thing) that she wanted to be destroyed, her recourse? To take a captive wolf and make him eat them, but he managed to outwit her, by not fully swallowing the small creatures so that he could take them to safety later....

Then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)

-S.N.D

October 1999 General Conference Sunday Morning

James E. Faust- Hope, an Anchor of the Soul

• Peace comes through hope.
• Few activities are safer than serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• Missionaries are literally in the hands of the Lord. We wish that all of them could be kept totally out of harm's way all of the time, but that is not realistic. Missionaries, their families, and leaders trust fully in the Lord's watch care, and when a rare tragedy strikes, they are sustained by the Spirit of Him whom they serve.
• Against hope believe in hope.
• Without hope, you cannot endure to the end.

M. Russell Ballard -Beware of False Prophets and False Teachers

• As Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is our duty to be watchmen on the tower, warning Church members to beware of false prophets and false teachers who lie in wait to ensnare and destroy faith and testimony. Today we warn you that there are false prophets and false teachers arising; and if we are not careful, even those who are among the faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will fall victim to their deception.
• Whenever you see a man rise up claiming to have received direct revelation from the Lord to the Church, independent of the order and channel of the Priesthood, you may set him down as an impostor.
• President Spencer W. Kimball reminded us that the prophets "constantly cry out against that which is intolerable in the sight of the Lord; against pollution of mind, body, and our surroundings; against vulgarity, stealing, lying, pride, and blasphemy; against fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and all other abuses of the sacred power to create; against murder and all that is like unto it; against all manner of desecration." He continued: "That such things should be found even among the Saints to some degree is scarcely believable. ... Sadly, however, we find that to be shown the way is not necessarily to walk in it."
• In the Lord's Church there is no such ting as a "loyal opposition." One is either for the kingdom of God and stands in defense of God's prophets and apostles, or one stands opposed.
• Remember, too often our behavior is a bigger deterrent to others than is our doctrine.

L. Aldin Porter -Our Destiny

• One cannot make wise long-range decisions unless one understands that there is purpose here and recognizes that he must understand at least some aspects of the merciful plan of the great Creator.
• A very important part of the plan is the right of personal choice. The Lord calls it moral agency. We may choose as we desire, but we may not avoid the consequences of our choices. Think on that. We are permitted to make our choices in life, but we ought not then call the plan unfair because we must accept the results of our choices.
• The plan allows for repentance, but it does not allow for acceptance of self-destructive behavior.
• We are literally sons and daughters of God. That reality should permeate every fiber of our beings. Knowing this one truth will greatly influence the decisions of life that can bring us either great joy or bitter regret.
• Some complain that when the prophets speak with clarity and firmness that they are taking our agency away. We are still free to choose. But we must accept the consequences of those decisions. The prophets do not take away our agency. They simply warn us of what the consequences of our choices will be. How foolish to fault the prophets for their warnings.

Patricia P. Pinegar -Peace, Hope, and Direction

• As you wrestle with a challenge and feel sadness because of it, you can simultaneously have pace and rejoicing.

Russell M. Nelson -A Testimony of the Book of Mormon

• "Your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received.
• Study of the Book of Mormon is most rewarding when one focuses on its primary purpose--to testify of Jesus Christ.
• This book can help with personal problems in a very real way. Do you want to get rid of a bad habit? Do you want to improve relationships in your family? Do you want to increase your spiritual capacity? Read the Book of Mormon! It will bring you closer to the Lord and His loving power.

Gordon B. Hinckley -At the Summit of the Ages

• Given what we have and what we know, we ought to be a better people than we are. We ought to be more Christlike, more forgiving, more helpful and considerate to all around us.
• Let the old year go. Let the new year come. Let another century pass. Let a new one take its place. Say good-bye to a millennium. Greet the beginning of another thousand years.

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream

...involved all my stuff being infested with ticks/mites and people, like my sister being rather mad at me about it, and I had to find a way to get rid of them....

-S.N.D

Birds and Wheels

So my new manager can't be left alone in the store.
Correction, my new manager can't be left in the store when there are no customers around.

Why?
Because then he starts getting creative, and adding in new things to our animal cages.
Which isn't a bad thing,
I find it rather amusing really.

I mean, there's this thought of 'what's going to be different this time?' running through my head everytime I walk into my department lol.

But some of those ideas....
Okay, one in particular idea, I was like O.o Are you serious? This will work?

What did I find?
There was a hamster wheel hanging from one of our bird cages.
O.o
Why in the world would that be in there?

So of course, I asked "Why is there a wheel in the cage?"

His response?
"They will run in it."

O.o ....are you serious?
"It will take some time, but they will."
O.o You're sure this will work?

Well. Guess what I found when I came into work?

Yah!
There was a bird running in the wheel.
O.o Totally the strangest thing ever. I mean, you wouldn't think that they'd be able to do that, but they can, and do.
But they're actually pretty good at it.

*shakes head*
Crazy.
Note to self: Have Camera available so I can post a video of this event next time I see it.  ^^;;

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi