My beloved family is gone.  Heath and the girls left a couple hours ago for Jonesboro and I am on my own.  While heading out the door, we literally ran into our elderly next door neighbor.  Her TV wasn't working and she wanted Heath to fix it.  My first thought was "Heath is leaving and he won't be able to...this should be over quickly."  If you have been a long-time reader of this blog, you know that my neighbor can talk for a very long time.

I was foolish to believe that.  Heath's leaving only prompted her to ask me to fix the TV.  So I went over to her house...apparently she doesn't believe in using the AC so it was HOT in there.  I couldn't figure out what was wrong with the TV...it wouldn't turn on.  I tried plugging it into different outlets but nothing helped.  Then she asked me to go to the store for her.  Normally I wouldn't do this on a Sunday, but she has (according to her) been only existing on 'meals on wheels' for the past few days because she can't get anyone to take her to the store. 

I am not surprised.  Having taken her to the store once myself, I know what a chore it is and how difficult a shopper she is.  So I agreed to run to the store for her, but insisted that she give me 3-4 of the items that she absolutely can't live without until she can get someone else to take her to the store.  I wasn't about to take a 50-item list with me.  Don't judge me for being this strict.  If you only knew what I know you would be applauding my discipline.

So I asked detailed questions about every item she wanted because I didn't want to get the wrong size of oats or the wrong brand of buttermilk.  If I got the wrong thing, she would have given me a long lecture about the particular evils of the item I erroneously purchased and all of the exquisite qualities of the items that I should have purchased instead. 

I went to the store and picked up her items and took them back to her house.  I flatly (but politely) refused money for the errands (I would have refused even if it were not Sunday), and returned home.  This little 'break' did give me something to think about other than my loneliness though...I guess Heavenly Father does know what he is doing when he answers prayers.  And I did a good deed.

The Benton Ward is panicking at the loss of Heath and I.  Mostly me I think.  You see, our ward is severely lacking in pianists.  I mean we don't have but one or two and I am one of them.  Our Primary presentation is a month away and there will be nobody around to play the songs for it!  The other pianist is the Primary President and she will have her hands full already!  So it was no small number of terrified faces that I saw today.  In fact, the first thing that the 1st counselor of the Bishopric said to Heath was, "So Melissa won't be here for the Primary Presentation?"

Between Junior and Senior Primary there was a quick and serious meeting about what they were going to do.  I felt bad, but I can't control this.  So I volunteered to make music CDs for the kids to learn their songs at home with.  Usually our Primary President does this, but she is in Arizona with her family for a few weeks and hasn't yet been able to make them.  Time is quickly running out, so since I seemed to be the only person who knew how to do it, I figured I would volunteer.  It makes me feel a little better about leaving them like this, and it takes the pressure off somebody else.

I bore my testimony during church today, but apparently all anyone saw was Kalyn making happy faces and waving to her friends in the congregation (I had taken her with me).  Oh well...my testimony is mostly for me anyway, and maybe a few people were touched by my words.

So much to do this week.  Heath and I decided that I would start with one room and get it completely done, then move on to another room.  I think this way will be a bit less stressful on me since we aren't immediately taking everything out of the house.  I need everyone to say a prayer for me that the paint that is ground into my carpet with come out with goo gone.  Please!

I miss my husband and my children.