What a great opportunity - WASTED!

Just think - the youth group in a church, going out to the homes of the elderly, shut-in, and handicapped and volunteering to shovel the drive and/or sidewalk. Or - having a fund-raising event of going out and asking for donations to shovel the drive and/or sidewalk.

What a great way they could show God's love and compassion for others by making themselves useful. Our church did that when I was growing up and when my kids were little we frequently sent them to the neighbors to see if they needed anything.

Neighbors being neighborly, family checking on family, Christians reaching out to others. What a concept. Wish I knew some people like that. (We've lived here since December 2007; our next-door neighbors and the ones directly across the street from them have known about Ron's health struggle - even saw the ambulance last summer when he nearly died - and have never asked if there was anything I needed or if they could do anything. The neighbors across the street are business partners with Ron's son-in-law and they've never even inquired about how Ron was. At least the ones next door have asked when they saw me outside how he was getting along and have said for me to let them know if I needed something. I'm the kind of person that if you don't offer directly to do something, I will do my best to not ask you unless I know that I'm just completely in over my head.)

Makes me wish I knew a good Mormon youth group. I know those kids are willing to work and help others. Mormons are a great example of how you should treat your fellow man (woman, child, etc.) without regard to religion or color. I know they're hard workers because I had a group of young Mormon men clean up a back yard for me - and would not accept a dime in repayment. They did better work FOR FREE than the other people I had previously HIRED had done.

I just spent 30-45 minutes chopping away the ice from against my garage door and about 2 feet of my driveway. I figure if I absolutely have to get out, I can get over the remaining hump and out into the drive. The ice and snow against the door was about six inches deep and it's tapered off as it's gone toward the street. I was trying to get as far out as the roof overhang so the sun would have an opportunity to melt what was left.

It's not happening today. It may not happen tomorrow. I'm too old for this and not really in the best of shape or health. Irregular heartbeats started kicking in as soon as I got winded. I leaned my head on the shovel handle for about five minutes until I could get the rate back to where it should be and started the chop/shovel routine again.

We'll see how it looks tomorrow. I think church is out for me in the morning.