Rancho Sierra Vista

Today was busy from the get go. We got up early, put on walking clothes and took off on our two mile walk to the post office. No mail. Wanted to stop at Bashsa’s for a donut or something, but told dad only once a week. Actually I would stop everyday if I had dad’s metabolism, but since I don’t and since Sister Klepacz turned me on to them they are pretty hard to resist. The smell early in the morning is a killer. They make them fresh every day and they are gooooood.

Back to life. We showered and got on missionary clothes and took off for Rough Rock. We wanted to find out when they wanted us to come help out and we agreed on Wednesday each week. We encouraged the members that work at the center to come to the church for the dinner tonight and we left.

We got home in time to finish washingup the turkey and getting him ready for the oven. I was trying to remember how to do whatever needed to be done. I knew I had the directions I had written while watching Grandmother Hattaway fix her turkey. She would not give out recipes so if you wanted one you just sat and watched and took notes. Anyway I didn’t have that note. And I haven’t cook turkey dinner since we left Texas. I got the buzzard into the oven and had the stock pot going with the neck and onion and celery junk. I cut and cooked the gizzards, heart, and liver and did the other things necessary to fix dad dressing like his mother use to make. It is a long process. We went to the store for sage and ended up buying root beer, shoe polish and mayo. Got home and was messaging Reb and she said “oh by the way there are some recipes I didn’t give back and I asked is the dressing was one of them. I hadn’t called her because she would never take the time and effort to cut up and cook all the little goodies that Grandmother use to do. Just thinking about her doing it is impossible. Now to be fair when we went to her house for Thanksgiving dinner she did make the dressing just the way Grandmother use to because she loves her dad and knew it would make him happy. She had it, surprise! I had her email it to me and realized we were lacking another spice. So I asked dad if he wanted to go to the store again and he was happy to go. This time coming out of the store, with poultry seasoning and more rootbeer, we met up with a member of the Many Farms ward. She asked us if we were serving there and we got her address and an invite to come see her. We asked her to come to dinner to night at the church, but she said she had other plans. This tells us the bush telagraph is working.

We got to the car and there was an old old navajo grandmother with papoose back boards. I checked them out and checked out the baby strapped in one. I told them I was sold on what I saw and asked how much. I told dad we needed this as I have always wanted a board.

Now for the question of the day, who would like to be the first to lend a grandchild to be the first to try out the papoose board. Don’t all yell at once for this opportunity of a lifetime. It’s pretty neat don’t you think.

Going to the store a zillion times netted us with a contact and me a papoose back board, what more could you ask for?

By the way, tons of good food, plenty of people, and all in all a good time. We picked up Brother Mitchell, a disabled navajo, and enjoyed his company to and from and helped him get enought food inside of him to feed a small army.

Another good day on the rez.