Sunday April 26 journaling

1. I attended Steven's and Heidi's campus ward and participated in Derek's blessing.  Nice job, Steven.  And also Heidi.  

One of 4 babies being blessed. And it wasn't even Fast Sunday. 

Attending were Blakes, M Lewises, Soderquists, Steven's parents and Grandpa, Grandpa and Grandma Soderquist and Aunt Greta.  It was fun to see our 6 grandson (visitors) pass the sacrament.

2.  All the way from NC, Danny and Shari Henderson came to dinner this evening, with their daughter Bailie who is here going to school.  We had a great visit and got updates on all our friends in Mt. Zion.

Birthday

We managed to stretch my birthday celebration out over several days.  On Thursday the 24th,we were in the temple all day until after 5 pm.  We then met Alison and Quin for dinner at P F Changs at the University Mall.  On Saturday we had a sort of Open House with home-made ice cream with quite a few visitors, including Nathan & Gloria, the Blakes, Matthew and family, Steven and Heidi with Derek, and Paul and Daniel.  Thanks for all of your calls, best wishes, and gifts.

I received a maze for my birthday developed by Ben.  I wrote him back: 
To Ben:

Thank you for the maze.  I tried it.  First I went straight in but after circling around I ran into a dead end.  So I backed out and when on a diffferent route that was next to the edge.  After  a while I came to a split and went back into the interior but, after several turns, that too ended up blocked.  So I went back to the second split and then continued around the maze next to the edge.  Finally I came to a real skinny place, so I turned sidewise and slipped through and there was the exit.     

Love, Grandpa
Ben thought this was funny, especially about having to turn sidewise.

Hilary and kids move

Wendy’s daughter Hilary and her kids left us last week for a place in Salt Lake.  She has progressed in her life and work with a promotion and getting on top of her obligations where she felt she could start to maintain a place of her own.  The new place is twin home in the Holladay area, quiet, partially wooded, with a view of the city, new carpet and paint, quite an attractive place.  

They were here Thursday evening through Sunday.  They have been here 17 months, but it didn’t seem that long.  They sort of made their space in our downstairs area and weren’t a bit of trouble or concern.   In fact, we will miss having them here.

My Adventures of the Back and Spine

 

#1. While on our mission in North Carolina, I did too much lifting of missionary furniture and developed an awful pain in my back.  I remember a session in the Raleigh temple where I could not even rise to a standing position without feeling an intense stabbing sensation in my lower back.  We heard of an LDS chiropractor in the Raleigh 1st ward, Dr. Hahn, got an appointment, and soon he had me feeling better.  Of course, it wasn’t that easy to quit going to him.  I didn’t know then whether it was peculiar to the way these Drs. operate their practices or that he just liked us a lot.

He was a big, jolly,  man-boy, maybe 6' 3" and 300 lbs, and could sure do a neck adjustment with authority.  And I enjoyed the Irish music always playing over the intercom.

Here is his bio from his website: “Dr. Eric Hahn is a magna cum laude graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic. When he was offered his first chiropractic adjustment his immediate reply was “No thank you, I don’t believe in it”. Later that same day he allowed chiropractic to fundamentally change his life and his perception of healthcare.  After graduating from Eastern Michigan University with a bachelor's degree in chemistry Dr. Eric worked for the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, but now chooses to change the world one life at a time through the chiropractic adjustment. His primary adjusting technique is Tone Chiropractic, which he supplements with Diversified, Thompson, Lumbar Flexion Distraction, Activator, and Sacral Occipital Techniques.  When not practicing Chiropractic Dr. Eric is an accomplished Irish musician and loving husband.”

 
 
#2. While visiting Valerie and Greg, I tweaked my back, trying to make a fix on their trampoline.  When we got home I found, although I was able to function OK during the days, I couldn’t sleep at night–there was a low-grade pain in my left hip, leg and even my foot that didn’t allow me to get comfortable while lying down.  After several weeks, I was driven to find Dr.Hahn’s successor in my life.  (I am discovering that getting a chiropractor in your life is about the next thing in permanence of relationship to getting married.)  Anyway, after a quick internet search, I liked the bio best for Dr. Cook, and it was a good choice I think.  Almost immediately after he started treatment I was able to sleep lying down again and and symptoms of back distress seem to now be gone.   A couple of unanticipated side benefits: I can turn my head to the sides better.  I notice this improvement when I am driving and need to check left or right, or to back up.  Also, someone in the family remarked recently that they thought I was standing up straighter.

I have finished the initial phase of 3-a-weeks and am now tapered off to 2-a-weeks for 2 months, then ???

Here is Dr. Lavoy Cook’s bio: “I was studying sports medicine at BYU and working with the football team. Rehab was my passion and I worked a lot with the athletes to overcome injury, stay healthy and improve performance. Then BYU brought in some sports chiropractors. I was amazed to see the improvement in the athletes that received chiropractic adjustments. So, I started shadowing the doctor. With a grand total of 1 adjustment under my belt I headed off to chiropractic school and have never looked back.”

Dr. Cook studied sports medicine at BYU where he studied the basic sciences such as chemistry, anatomy, and physiology, along with sports medicine courses like injury assessment and rehabilitation. He was able to work with the BYU football team, as well as with a local high school, Springville High, providing medical care and helping with rehabilitation.

After completing his study there, he was accepted at Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas, Texas. During his four years at Parker, courses included biochemistry, a major emphasis on anatomy and human physiology, X-ray, diagnosis, chiropractic adjusting techniques and patient care in the Parker College Public Clinic. After graduating in 2002, Dr. Cook returned to Utah county to establish his practice.
 
“We love skeptics,” smiles Dr. Cook. “I understand that chiropractic is new to a lot of people. I remember how different it seemed to me when I was adjusted for the first time. So we make it a point to explain everything in advance, answer all of your questions. Patients appreciate that.”
 
He was also able to obtain an advanced chiropractic degree, Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician (CCSP). “I love the idea of combining chiropractic with sports medicine. We treat the entire body from the nerves and spine to muscles and ligaments. This is the best approach not only for top competing athletes, but for everyone!”

A little Easter tender mercy

I had an unusual experience in our ward sacrament meeting yesterday.  For Easter, the hymns had all been selected from among the Easter or sacramental hymns from our current hymnal.  The intermediate hymn sung just before the main speaker, was the George Careless setting of an old Eliza R. Snow poem from the sacrament section, “Behold the Great Redeemer Die.”

Our Bishop West has this preference for singing all of the verses of hymns, and he announced that we would sing the full six verses.  He has said that he doesn’t know anything about music, but he thinks we should get the full spiritual benefits of the words of the hymns. 

I was singing away, in my usual manner, doing different parts, and had just finished delivering the bass part on verse four, when we came to verse five:

          He died, and at the awful sight
          The sun in shame withdrew its light!
          Earth trembled, and all nature sighed
          In dread response, “A God had died!”

Suddenly I got a clog in my throat, tears welled up in my eyes, and I could not sing a note.  I just had to sit there dumb and overwhelmed, pondering the enormity of the sacrifice made by our Savior.

When verse six started, I could sing again.