We’ll have Thanksgiving in Jacksonville or in Debary, wherever is handy, but we will have it, so don’t anybody worry. And Thanksgiving isn’t what I’m worried about. It’s what the Viera family will do next. Doggonnit all, anyway!!!
Looks like they may have to move again, unless they can come up with a quick $8,000 to put down on a $220,000 house. The guy that owns it is going overseas, and he wants to sell it pronto. At least I think I’m getting the story right, if not, correct me Carmen. All I’m worried about is where I’m going for Thanksgiving!!!!
We went to temple yesterday, Friday, because they needed a ton of helpers. Two large stakes were perticipating, and they were hoping to do about 2,000 plus ordinances.
The parking lot was full when we got there. Sister Wilson lucked up and got a place and didn’t have to go across the street. We were lucky to get lockers. I’ve never, ever seen so many people in the temple at once. An Apostle was there, Elder Bitner. And dozens of Mission Presidents and their wives were doing sessions. I had prayed and prayed to get put in “Initiatories”, and they didn’t even have my name on the list!! Dad’s either. So we waited until after the regular meeting, and they gave us assignments. They asked me if I could work in Initiatories. No problem. I couldn’t believe that I held up in there from 12:30-5:00 with two 15 minute breaks. My FEET WERE KILLING ME!! But I loved every minute of it. Dad went to work right away, I think, working at the veil, helping with the spanish-speaking patrons.
If we had a small apartment close to the temple, I would like to work there four days a week…..no problem.
Since Carmen and Jason are going to have Thanksgiving at their place, it’s only right for us to have Christmas at our house. I have already sent a note to Tony, and he said he’ll give his bunch a head’s up to see what their doing, and to make plans to come here if they like. I think he wants to come over here.
I had to do double time too many times, and it isn’t easy to do both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Carmen’s house is more fun, but we’ll make do here alright. We’ll just have a great time at Thanksgiving, and remember, Brenda is supposed to come for Thanksgiving.
Luis received in the mail today a beautiful Leather-bound Book of Mormon, and it had a receipt dated way back to last December 24, 2008. Was this a book that you were speaking about that you had sent to him? And it is just now getting here? Whatever—it’s just gorgeous….and many thanks!!
I know you won’t understand, but he was made an assistant coordinator in the Temple today. Very important! One brother told me today that he likes to work with Brother Pagan so much, because he is so perfectly clear and precise and does everything right. That’s your Dad!!
Me? I’m still struggling.
Mom, I ran into Cathie last night at a get together at some of our friends house. She lived in same neighborhood and had same friends. It’s a small world. She asked about you and Dad, she would love to hear from you. her home number is 205.655.1419 and cell is 205.902.0427. she would love also to be able to talk on this website if she could get a user and password? I guess Bill could do that for her?? it was good to see her, we talked about old days 
Today Luis is 67 years old. He was one week short of his 22nd birthday when we married 45 years ago.
We went to Jacksonville yesterday, and had a real fun day with Carmen, Jason, Jordan, Teyla, Maria, Tony, Amber, Kory, Austin, and Michael (Holli’s brother) who came to sing Happy Birthday and have cake and ice cream. That big room upstairs with the pool table draws interest, and so does the lake full of fish out back.
I got the offer yesterday, and sent the acceptance. I will be a Principal Structural Engineer for Moffatt & Nichol, a consulting firm specializing in shallow-water marine facilities (like ports and harbors, etc.)
I’m VERY excited. This is a highly-respected company that has been around for a long time, and is very stable. I have every reason to expect this will be the last job I ever have – an encouraging thought.
I was surprised and pleased at the salary they offered. Don’t tell them, but I would have accepted at only 80% of that! It’s a little bit less than I was making at CB&I, but this is a STABLE company with no history of downsizing. With bonuses and etc., I could actually end up better off.
The Lord is kind to me. Thanks for all your prayers and well-wishes. I did have a lot more people praying for me than I might have imagined.
Love.
Bro. Bill
I saw that Elizabeth Schenck, born in 1837, in Newberry South Carolina, had somehow been missed, and her baptism, etc. had not been done. I have her card, and will be sure that her ordinance work is done. But today, I decided to follow the Schenck line as far as it went. Wow!! It went all the way back to Edgar Schenck, who died in 738 AD. Bill, you can look at the Schenck line again. At some point, it starts to tell you that the information about the ordinance work is not available.
Tomorrow, October 2, Luis and I will celebrate our 45th Wedding Anniversary. We’re going to have lunch at one of our favorite restarants….Perkins. Since working in the temple these past three years, our marriage has improved considerably, I think. Or maybe it’s just because we don’t have so many responsibilities, and we don’t have to work so hard. I don’t have ANY responsibilities. i don’t drive or cook or have a calling in the Ward. i just eat and sleep and watch TV.
I am just getting somewhat healthy again after a bout of – believe it or no – mononucleosis. Yeah, that’s supposed to be something you get in high school or college. Once you get it, you develop enough antibodies that you don’t typically come down with the symptoms of the disease again. At least, not “typically.”
For whatever reason, my body decided to go for it, right at age 52. Don’t ask me, I don’t know.
It started with a strep throat infection (something else I hadn’t had in a long time). That apparently provided the opportunity for the Epstein-Barr Virus (which causes “mono”) to do it’s thing, perhaps because the immune system was down from the strep.
I am fortunate in that I have a young woman doctor who is very sharp. She put two and two together, had me take a blood test and bingo, it came up positive for “mono.”
I spent about three weeks sleeping about 16 hours a day. Even still, four weeks after I came down with the symptoms, I get weary very easily. It hasn’t been fun.
I’ve been very much “out of it” as a result, not speaking to anyone or going anywhere. I feel like I’m in sort of limbo with my life. I’m getting better, but still, things are not right.
However, during that time I have managed somehow to keep a couple of potential employers on the line. I went yesterday to Baton Rouge, LA, to have an interview with one of the management team for one of the jobs (it’s here in Houston, though).
No one has been in a particular hurry to hire. It looks like it MIGHT be getting a little better, but it’s hard to tell. the government – esp. the Obama administration – has screwed up the economy so badly with their attempts to “manage” everything, that no one wants to make any rash moves, including hiring any fat salaries, for fear the government will throw them some kind of curve ball. They’ve sucked up so much of the private-sector capital, all in the name of their socialist schemes. It has never been this bad in the history of the U.S. – even during the “New Deal.”
I really hope something comes down the chute within the next week. Hoping and praying, actually.
Just thought I would upload a photo of Jennifer from a couple of years ago. She passed away a couple of weeks ago from complication due to diabetes.
Ok So I haven’t written much on this site but I guess the only way to change that is to write. So How about an update…
Well as most of you know we have moved to Jacksonville, FL having spent over half a year in a house that the landlord decided not to pay the mortgage on so … we found another house to rent from a more secure landlord (great guy by the way HIs Name is Gus and Will be refered to as such for the remainder of this post). Anyway … so In 6 more days I will Have reached a milistone in my life. I will have been at the same job for a year. I know to a normal person that just seems funny but having had 26 jobs in my life time having just one for a year is a great feat for me. So I work for a comapny called Skybooks we write small aircraft maintanence software. I am one of Four devlopers who are mostly friends now. So enough about me … Carmen Today went for a side job and things went good Ill let her tell you the details. Jordan is in Drama class in school and I spoke with her Drama teacher This morningn and she had very good things to say about our JoJo. Teyla is in Pre-school and loves it ! She is so smart(sometimes to smart ofr her own good) and she is so beautiful. She has caught fish in our back yard and loves the pool and is overall pretty happy I thnk.
Although none of our lives are perfect and things can always be better than they are at times life in general is made for living not for wasting so we are trying to live they best we can and raise our girls the best we know how. Ok well signing off looking forward to hearing from everyone.
Jason
TOMORROW….On September 22nd. How could I have forgotten that birthday. Yes, Jani’s and Casey’s little fellow (Carmen’s and Jason’s grandson) will be ONE YEAR OLD!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRISTAN!!
Ok I made a simple recipe template for everyone to use. I may jazz it up later, but for now it should help for entering the recipes. THANKS!!
I REALLY hope everyone gets involved.
love, -carmen
Hey all who read this! I will try so send an email to anyone I think isn’t reading later.
I want to make a family cookbook (FOR EVERYONE) and I need everyones help. Don’t worry. It won’t kill any of you or take up too much of your precious time and I think we will all benifit from it.
Everyone needs to send me AT LEAST 2 of your favorite recipies! Just type them up and email them to my. If you can provide a picture, that would be awesome. If you don’t I will make one up ’cause cook books are better with pictures.
Some of you have to send more than 2….Beth, Mom… because we definately need the Turkey Dressing recipe, 7 layer salad, tortilla soup(I Have already), mom’s potato salad, Beth’s desserts(can’t narrow down), broccoli salad, Peach cobbler etc. etc….
Actually mom…you should just get on this right now and send at least 10 recipes. Even ones you think are easy be sure dad includes….rice, chili, other spanish stuff he makes.
PLEASE PLEASE DO THIS. We are all getting old and I should probably learn to cook before I die. Well, I should at least be able to teach Jordan and I know she would LOVE a family recipe cookbook. She is just sentimental like that. I bet she isn’t the only one.
I WANT RECIPES BY NEXT SUNDAY!!!! 09/27/09 I AM GIVING A DUE DATE because most of us will put it off until forever. If you can’t send a picture with it by then, fine…just send the recipe.
RECIPES SHOULD INCLUDE…Name, Submitted by, passed down from(if you got from another relative, etc.) ESTIMATED prep time, cook time, Yields (ex.4 servings….3 doz cookies), Ingredients, Directions, Additional notes.
You get the idea. My email address is…carmenpviera@yahoo.com
Couple of more things…
~~Let me know if you are looking for something specific and I will put the word out OR you remind someone of something you want sent to me (ex. Maria’s sausage meatballs…DONT YELL…I KNOW its easy but send it ANYWAY!!)
~~ If you think something else should be added, send that too. EX…How to Feeze Vegitables Propertly… HOW TO make a pie crust…etc.
ok…i will shut up now..
love you all…-carmen
BTW: DOES ANYONE HAVE A GOOD frosting recipe?
Alaina Elizabeth: October 2
Amber Pagan: October 13
Lauren Pagan: October 14
Luis Manuel Pagan: October 11
I am missing everyone’s birthday again. Brenda’s was on the 5th, Bill’s on the 14th, Melissa is on the 17th and I won’t even be home for that one. Still up in Madison, AL. The project is interesting to say the least. Best wishes to everyone….
Hey Ben…be sure to post some pictures of the party. It’s good to see the kids any way possible. They get so big so fast.
I will try to post some pictures when/if Jason’s mom sends me some. I don’t have a camera worth a crap so I never take pictures anymore. Cell phone pictures aren’t very good.
Happy Birthday Brenda. I know it is late, but we really were talking about you at Teyla’s party. Mom and Dad drove up. It was really nice. I like the new house we moved into but it pretty much keeps us broke. It is a 4 bedroom two-story with a bonus room that came with a pool table. That is nice, but i think my favorite part is the lake out back. It feels soo breezy and good. I actually notice it more since i quit smoking. Don’t cheer yet!! I am not happy about it per say. It makes me crabby to think about it for some reason. Probably because the main reason I quit is because it just cost too much! Not that I didn’t want to sort of, but something about feeling forced to makes me angry. Anyway…It has only been a week.
Back to the house…the lake in the back is awesome. Jason and Teyla can go outside anytime and fish. They catch plenty of bass, blue gill? and he caught a catfish the other night. It was yummuy. we throw the other fish back of course. It is nice that jason doesn’t have to go looking for somewhere to fish now, though. I would send pics, but…again…no camera. I think he put some up on his facebook, though. Pictures from his camera.
Ok well…maybe I will talk again later. Gotta get Teyla to VPK. Best 3 hours of the day. K?K
