Gary Houskeeper, our "Good Neighbor Sam"

Gloria is in the ward choir. This weekend has been our Ward Conference. Since the ward choir was scheduled to sing during Sacrament Meeting this morning, Gloria needed to be at the Stake Center an hour early for one final practice. She got up at 5:00 a.m. to work on part of her Primary lesson that she had forgotten to do earlier. I awoke and got out of bed at 6:10 a.m. and found her in front of the computer screen and keyboard putting the final touches on the lesson that she would be presenting to her seven-year olds at about 10:20 a.m.

I took a shower and got dressed. At about 7:10, I began cooking some multi grain hot cereal and toast. After Gloria got showered, dressed, and ready for the day, we both ate breakfast and waited until about 8:05 before leaving for the Stake Center. After having started the minivan a little earlier in order for the engine to warm up, we got ourselves and Gloria's lesson materials in the van and started to back out of the driveway. "Wait a minute, what's wrong with the van?", she asked. "It's not backing up normally." She stopped and took the drive train out of gear. I noticed the front left side of the van seemed a little lower than the right side and said, "We might have a flat tire on your side." She opened her side door and got out to check. With a look of resignation and frustration, she simply said, "Oh, I need to hurry and call Nancy Owings and see if we can ride with her! Why did this have to happen now?"

She tried to call Nancy but she did not answer. If fact, she ended up calling four people before connecting with one who had not left their house yet. They agreed to come and pick us up very shortly. After about five minutes, their car drove into the driveway, somewhat full of family members. I knew I couldn't fit my oxygen tank and myself into the available space in the front seat next to Gloria, so I said I would wait and call another neighbor and ask them for a ride. After they had left for the Stake Center, I went back into the house and called Gary Houskeeper. I explained my situation and he graciously offered to let me ride with him and his young daughter, Kaylee at about 8:50. The were on time and we made it to the Stake Center on time for Sacrament Meeting at 9:00.

After the block meetings, another ward member and his wife, Thomas and Gwen Gwynn brought us home. They are a retired couple in their late seventies or early eighties who were recently assigned to us to home teach. We have become close friends with them since they moved into the ward a little over a year ago. They are very nice people.

Gloria had made some home-made vegetable soup for lunch following church, so she warmed it up and we were finished for about 15 minutes before our own home teachers, Kendall and Beverly Branch, came to visit us. We chit-chatted for a few minutes and then Kendall gave us a spiritual thought from the February Ensign Magazine. About that time, a knock came to our back door and so Gloria answered it. It was Gary Houskeeper. Unbeknown to us, he had brought his portable hydraulic jack over from his house, raised the front end of our van up, and found a screw lodged into that flat tire. After telling and showing us what he had done, he took the tire off and replaced it with the smaller donut tire that is used as a spare. He checked the air pressure in it and found out it was low. So then he put the flat tire into the back of the van, returned the portable jack back to his house, returned with a portable air compressor and filled the donut to the proper pressure. Finally, he even offered to take the flat tire to the repair shop to be fixed tomorrow when he takes his daughter to school. I told him he had done too much already. He just laughed and said, "I appreciate the lessons you give in Priesthood Meeting. I cannot teach like you can, you're the professional teacher. That's why I don't offer to give the lessons. But, I can do things like this. I can't get up in front of a class and present a lesson, but I can do these kinds of things. And I don't mind doing so." I then said, "But today is Sunday, the day of rest." At which he simply said, "I consider this as being 'an ox in the mire', that's all, an 'ox in the mire'." We both chuckled a little bit and I said, "Somehow I'll get even with you."

Gary lost his wife a couple of years ago. He was seriously injured in a coal mine accident a number of years ago and fought hard to get on SS disability. He spent at least a year or more trying to qualify for it, even though his physical health condition made him unable to work a regular job. He is the fellow who always comes over early in the morning following a snowfall to clean off our driveway and sidewalks with his four-wheel SUV and snow blade. In fact, he does it for other neighbors as well. He's a swell guy and has four grown children plus his six-year old adopted daughter, Kaylee.

After the home teacher's visit and Gary's helping hand with the flat tire, I took a nap, as per doctor's orders, from 2:35 to 3:15 p.m. I did some reading for a while and then migrated here to the computer. It's a little after 7:00 now and Gloria is watching something on the Hallmark Channel on TV. And I need to take a couple more pills. So, I'll sign off until next time.

Lover, Roger

I thought you might get a chuckle out of this.