Week 2 - Curb Appeal?

Before

    After-ish (yeah, not done yet...avert your eyes from the far side of the driveway. Look away! Look away!)

Another before.  Notice the ratty looking bushes near the sidewalk?  Yeah, they were much worse in person. Much.

We ripped everything out of this bed except for the heather in the bottom right corner.  I know what you're thinking: "She'll never get a job as a landscaper.  My answer: "You're absolutely right, but then, I would hate to be a landscaper."

I dug out about 3 wheelbarrow loads of crap bee balm and over crowded daisies from this bed.  Danny and I  put in the border, and then I planted a bunch of stuff. Flowery stuff.

Some flowery stuff.

More flowery stuff.

Wild Lilac (more flowery stuff).

Goal for this coming week: Tame the wilderness aka The North Side of the Driveway.

Hola Elder

Dear Family,

This has been a cool week. We've had quite a lot of opportunities to give service.

 

First off, on Tuesday and Wednesday we helped install a wheelchair ramp for somebody in the ward. Most of the work was done by a member of the ward who does this kind of construction for a living and thus actually understood what needed to be done, but we were able to lend a hand often-enough. During the moments where all I could do was just sit and watch, I pondered about how Nephi and Moses and Adam were all received revelation and instructions on how to build things. We had the chance to be a bit more active the second day, since digging a post-hole for a hand rail is not a very technical task. I'll send you some pictures of me working on it. The hole was surprisingly deep, to say the least.

Secondly, on Wednesday and Friday we did some yardwork for a recent widower that somebody referred to us. He's a really nice guy, but he's having some trouble given how close he was to his wife. For instance, when we were pulling weeds in his backyard, he gave us a couple plush knee-rest thingies so we wouldn't get wet or dirty. One of them was a reserved, vaguely-masculine, solid color, and the other had a girlish flower pattern. He really likes us when we come over, so we're hoping that sometime he'll let us teach him sometime. 

Also on Friday, we saved somebody's life. We were walking down a street, and some really guy saw us and called us to help him. He was very old, laying down in his front doorway, and said he couldn't breathe. We immediately called the ambulance, gave him a blessing, and then waited until the situation was resolved before leaving. The whole episode took only about 15 minutes.

Saturday I was on exchanges with another missionary, this time Elder Bowles. We also had deep cleaning of our apartment that day, which was fun. Now our shower looks like it's no longer the nemesis to feet everywhere. And apparently some stuff that I though was just sloppily done caulking was actually some unholy form of soap. (Don't ask.)

Recently the mission president has authorized us all to make mormon.org profiles. Mine should be up within a few weeks, as soon as I figure out how to condense my vaguely-existential ramblings (the "Why'm I a Mormon" part) under 2000 characters.

Proselyting-wise, this week wasn't super exciting, and I feel like I've written enough for now, so:

Sincerely,

- Elder Oeste

And so it begins...

Steve and the sod cutter.  Let the games begin.

Bend with your knees! Bend with your knees!

Dirt. I imagine we'll be getting well acquainted this summer.

Are we there yet?

Rolling right along.

Make a left turn at Albuquerque.

Even Danny pitched in for a bit (thus proving that we still live in an age of miracles).