Pappa Hardy's Musings on Life.

Today we are supposed to be heading towards a week of sunshine. While we are in a drought situation again here in Utah, it is nice to have some sunshine. I am not looking forward to real warm temperatures though, as it could cause problems with the fruit trees and so on and so forth.

It appears that Mitt Romney may also have secured the nomination for President of the United States. It isn’t for sure until he is actually nominated, but with Rick Santorum having withdrawn from the race, it doesn’t appear that there is any real opponent. We shall see.

I have felt the compelling need to get out of town. I want to go and enjoy myself in a place different from my home. Now, why is that? I think part of the problem is that I have been so home bound since all of the tumultuous events that occurred in December. First, we went on a cruise while my mother was gravely ill. I missed the last 10 days of her life save 4 hours. Second, my mom died literally hours after I returned home. It was a blessing to me. I feel strongly to this day that my mom wanted the entire family to be there. Once I returned home, Jeff had talked to her, and then she was released from this life by the power of the Priesthood, she passed on to the next world and a world of Glory.

Not more than 4 days after that event I had an operation on my knee and a knee replacement. My old knee is gone and now I have an artificial structure in my knee. I was bound at home for over a month, we had a funeral for my mother, and then I tried to recover from that event.

All of this has caused me to react like I often due when I have stress. I want to get out of town with the one person who I truly care about, my dear wife. I have done that a couple of times but I would really like to go again for an extended period of time. Spring Fever has me firmly in it’s grasp.

I was blessed to be sitting in a hot tub recently working on my knee recovery when I had a thought, “I am sure glad I didn’t forget and wear my watch into this hot tub”. I was feeling pretty smug when all of a sudden I realized, I had my keys in my swimming trunks pocket, with the electronic key fob on it. I hurriedly got it out and put it on the cement hoping I hadn’t totally ruined it. Luckily, it still works. I sure lucked out that time.

Changes in weather can be exciting, and what is more amazing is that the weather people are getting more accurate at forecasting. This morning I got up early and went downstairs and watched last night’s weather forecast. The weather lady said that we would have a fast front, with lots of wind and rain, move through at 8am this morning. 30 years ago for a weatherperson to make such a forecast would be foolhardy. They would always be wrong and people like my friends would make fun of them to their faces.

This morning, I was getting ready to take my wife to work and 30 minutes early the storm arrived. There was wind, thunder, and rain hitting the windows. It was uncanny on how accurate they have become. I wish that things would be so predictable in other parts of our lives, when we want them to be.

Last night I attended Precinct PA-01’s caucus meetings. It was amazing. I was elected the precinct chairman with about 40 people attending. Last night we had 150 people in attendance. I didn’t know most of the people and there was a lot of people wanting to participate in the process. I sat back and didn’t run for an office or try to be a State delegate. That is OK. We need a participatory form of government and I already have my little slice of the pie that I am concerned with. The more that participate the merrier.

I must say I am getting a little bored and tired of the Presidential race. It is such an important process for this country but it also takes so long to resolve. I sometimes feel we should have the British process.

On March 6 we had Super Tuesday. Mitt Romney seems to be moving towards getting the GOP nomination, but his opponents have not decided to leave the race so it may go to the very end before we know who the Republican nominee may be.

I have met Mitt Romney, many years ago when we lived in Michigan. He is a good man and I feel he would make a very good President. I personally am hoping that he will be the nominee for the Republicans. However, Super Tuesday has not ended the campaigning process.

Today is a special day. It only comes every four years. It is Leap Year and this is the added Leap Day. It is a dreary day, so far, for Leap year and I wish it was sunny and bright. There is so much that hits you with the passage of time. It seems like only yesterday that I was experiencing Leap Year in 2008. Here it is again.

I believe that today is a primary election in Michigan. Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are in the race. I am routing for Mitt Romney, not because he is LDS but because I believe the man is the best for the job. He has had to make hard decisions, has run a business, and I think would make a terrific President. I am hoping that he will be the nominee for the Republican Party and then win the general election versus Obama. Obama has been a bane upon the American people and her government.

One of the events that used to be a week defining event in our family was Sunday Afternoon Dinner. Oh how that has morphed over the years. When the kids were little, it was just a big dinner to feed the chow hounds and hope that they enjoyed a special meal. During the week they often had to deal with Dad cooking uncomplicated and unsophisticated meals.

As the kids grew up, we had nice dinners and we knew that we were going to have leftovers for the week. By Thursday I was getting tired of eating Sunday’s leftovers, but then one has to be frugal as Brigham Young counseled us and make use of all that we have.

Pretty soon, we were so tired that unless it was a special event, we didn’t even bother to eat Sunday Afternoon Dinner. Today we had a special treat. Jerry and Joan Western, our home teachers, invited us over for dinner and we ate like King and Queens and didn’t even have to make it or clean it up. It was such a nice afternoon visiting with friends. Maybe there is a new pattern developing here. Who knows?

We had the first meeting of what will be a long, drawn out process which won’t end for me until the end of June. We had our annual Budget Retreat which consisted of the council mentioning what priorities we saw that the city should have, and then we heard from the leadership of the city about their priorities. Now starts the work of making things work.