October 19 - 25, 2009

Fortie Family Flyer
October 19 – 25, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,
Well, here we are in week number 43 (I think) of 2009 and what do we have to show for it? Well, I picked my last few apples from our apple tree this week; good stuff. We will have to make some applesauce or something. Tami made some apple fritters for Sunday dinner. Perhaps an apple pie would be in order for family home evening; we’ll see.
Let’s see now, what is newsworthy this week? Not sure anything really is but since when has that stopped me from writing about it anyway? I am watching conference over again on BYU.TV, a little here a little there; it is still good.
No I’m serious, there is just nothing beyond the routine for this week so this will be short. I am the only one in my family who hasn’t seen the latest Harry Potter movie and even though I’m not really into Harry Potter I didn’t want to be left out so I went to the dollar theater to see it. Everyone was too busy to go with me so I was all alone in the world. The lady at the window told me to turn right to get to the theater but didn’t tell me there were two of them going at the same time. I walked into the first one I came to and was about 10 minutes late but was surprised that the movie was already going (instead of the previews just finishing up). I sat down and tried to figure out what was going on. About 40 minutes later the movie ended. It then dawned on me that I must have gone into the wrong theater that was on the last third of the movie. After the movie ended I went into the one I was supposed to go to and watched the middle third of the movie, I then waited for about 20 minutes (watching a bit of “Up” that I had already seen) and went back into that first theater to watch the first third of the movie when they played it again. I have to say that I have now determined that watching a movie one third at a time starting with the last third and working my way to the first third is not the best way to watch a movie. I know why the theater doesn’t show it that way and I don’t recommend it to those thinking about doing that anytime in the near future. There were some great special effects but again, I’m not that into the witchcraft movies (good witches or bad witches). Something just bothers me about it. Speaking of bothering me, (and I’m ashamed to admit this but…) after the movie I had a moment of stupidity (they come all too often) and as I was walking out of Harry Potter, the door of another theater was open so I stopped to see what was playing (it was one of the few that you can see the screen from the hallway). Instead of looking up to look at the sign I just watched for a few minutes just because. The spirit soon told me not to stay to watch it. I didn’t pay attention and within a minute of my ignoring that message there was a sudden and fairly graphic murder in the show, though those kinds of scenes happen all the time these days I was really shocked (I suppose because I don’t like those kinds of shows) at how bad it made me feel. I was then angry with myself for ignoring the spirit causing me to now have that scene burned into my brain. I then looked up to find that this was one of those Halloween shows that was rated R for stupid violent content. I couldn’t help but wonder why the people in the theater were not sickened by this trash like I was and just sat there soaking all the junk in; people are very strange. It is interesting how, even though I say to myself that it is all fake blood and special effects, these scenes can still really affect me. No wonder our country is getting so bad. Well, next time I’ll try to pay attention, I am bit old to still be doing stupid things like that (ignoring the Spirit).
On Friday Tami and I went out to dinner to celebrate our anniversary. We had a gift card for Applebee’s from Scott and Kim for giving them a buddy pass to fly Scott here to help Stacie move. We ordered our usual $10.00 steak and potatoes and it was as good as ever. They both just melt in your mouth, it is just right and the price is good too. We then split a chocolate oozing dessert (can’t remember the name of it) and we loved it.
I did go to three Deseret Books on my scooter to check about jobs. It was a nice ride, going to West Jordan, then Sandy, then American Fork. I enjoyed it. We need some other work to survive but things are a bit slow these days, especially for a 53 year old who likes art but has no other marketable skills.
Saturday brought work for all. I administered the ACT test at Jordan High School, then went to the big library book sale on 35th South and 22nd East. Now most people know that is a very dangerous place for someone like me to go, especially since I am trying to get rid of some of the stuff we have (since our house is bursting at the seams with stuff). Well, I wandered through and fortunately found that most of the books were not to my liking (it had been picked over on Friday and the first half of Saturday). I did fill a box and just as I was deciding that I couldn’t spend that much and started putting some back they announced that for the last hour of the sale it was just $3.00 for each box. I found a fairly large box and tried to fill it up. I didn’t quite find enough stuff that I liked, or that I thought my family would like, to fill it up but I got pretty close. I did get some pretty good church books and non-fiction stuff. I found a good medical book for Brian and some fairly good videos – some old classics.
I brought my camera along for the day to see if I could find some good autumn shots but it was fairly cloudy and somewhat rainy so I didn’t get anything.
After the book sale I went and joined my family who were already at grandpa and grandma’s to watch the football game. We ate and enjoyed one another’s company, even though BYU was beaten badly. I’m sure we will drop out of the top 25 now. Texas Christian was just plain better.
I tried calling Kevin about which of us was teaching the High Priest’s on Sunday (there was some confusion because of General Conference and Stake Conference), we kept missing each other throughout the week, so even though I figured he was going to teach I prepared a lesson just in case. I was happy I did because it made it better for me, as he gave the lesson, to participate and to receive revelation about how to apply the lesson to my own life.
I just got a new home teaching route with Bro. Hutchings as my new partner. They did some switching around because a few boys became old enough to be with their fathers. I was with the Bishop for a few months, then with Bro. Barney for one month and now with Bro. Hutchings. Hopefully things will settle down now.
Well, like I said, that’s a lot of writing to tell very little news. Sorry to waist your time. Hope you listen to that little voice inside better than I did this week,
Ken and clan




From Elder Fortie:
Halloween is near
Hello one and all! I'm not dead yet. Contrary to popular belief. People sure do look at me funny seeing as my companion and I are probably the only white people in Oakland. At least in the ghetto where I live that is, up in the hills is where all the rest of the white people dwell, Elder Buttars and I are left alone to stand out like a veggie on a desert tray. But we sure have fun when all the black or Hispanic people say to us "what are you doing here man? You gotta get out of here, not even we walk these streets!" And we just shrug and keep on workin. No one really seems to bother us. Actually I think a lot of them are afraid of us, they seem to scatter as we come down the roads, because pretty much the only white people in this part of Oakland are the cops, and here we are, late at night, dressed in black suits, wearing black trench coats, walking boldly and defiantly down the streets of Oakland, they assume we must be the cops. I've heard so manypeople say "oh man it's the feds!" (the federals) as they run inside and lock the door. Or the say "la migra!" as they run for their lives, (that's Spanish for the migration). It's kinda funny. I still miss my precious peninsula though... It just doesn't feel the same over here!
OOH!!! I saw my recent converts last night! They came to speak in a fireside at the temple!!! But I was so mad I missed their talks because I was outside dealing with stupid problems! One of our poor sisters got really sick and within less then 24 hours she had to get sent home because of it, which was too bad, so at least it wasn't because someone did something dumb but none the less it was frustrating. But everyone said they did AMAZING!!!! I was so jealous that I didn't get to hear it! :( :( :( frowny faces and sadness! sigh... oh well...
My new companion is just fine, I'm glad to have him, and we're doing well, lots of people to teach and work with. I am trying to cut back on as many meetings as I can so that I can spend more time working. This Halloween though we have to be in by 6:30, we're not allowed to be out, no exceptions because of the madness that exists here in the bay area on Halloween... I won't mention the madness that happened last Halloween, just know it's quite the place to be at night on Halloween. So that's kinda lame, but oh well.
Well I hope all is well in the world beyond. Be grateful for what you have. With every passing day that I spend here, I realize how lucky we are to live where we do, to have the people around us that are around us. Truly, if we lose all else, the mere fact that we are surrounded by kind neighbors and friends and family, is more then many of these people here could ever have laid claim to. Be grateful, I promise you, what ever it is you’re facing, it's really not that bad. Smile, life's not worth the frowns.Love, Elder Fortie



From Jennifer:
Hey Ya’ll!
I know, I know, it’s been forever again. Sorry about that everyone! Life is INSANE!!! Who knew 8th grade could be so hard?!?! There seems to just always be more homework, then just when you think you’re done your friend texts you wondering when some project is due and you realize, Hey! Tomorrow! And your back to…you guessed it! More homework. Then I get dropped off from a long crazy day that somehow still turned out to be fun because of the crazy things I did with those insane people I call my friends!
Then off to another episode of the Arnold boys! What will happen today? Flushing an entire roll of toilet paper down the toilet? Maybe coloring on the walls with Expo markers, or could it be there adorable little giggle as I chase them around the yard playing the part of the “tickle monster” then spinning them in circles when I finally catch them seeing there bright, glowing smile? Nobody knows! (Until it happens at least) tune in next week for a full reprise of the many adventures of Sammy, Adam and Jenn!
Young women’s has been great fun as always! I just love our ward to death! My calling has kept me busy along with ward Volleyball. But I somehow get threw it all and in one piece!
BYU had a sad little game this week, losing badly to TCU but we did have 11 of our players out to the Swine flu so that is VERY possibly why. But Spencer kept us laughing all threw the game that left me scarred for life, him and his piggy, tiger and little oooh’s and uh-oh’s! Cute little guy!
On Friday night my best friend Kenzie and I went to a haunted corn maze with her dad and brother, before we entered her little brother started laughing and both of us puzzlingly asked why he was laughing. He answered saying you to are going to die in there! He continued saying I’ve been to one of these and the people in there go after the teenage girls, already seared to death, hugging each other and screaming there heads off. We both just told him, no way, they go after everyone! Well as we got in there, arms wrapped around each other, scared to death and sure enough every creepy, dressed up person there chased us. One guy with a (fake) chain saw started running at us, we looked around but there was nowhere to go so we crushed against each other with our hands over our eyes and waited, when nothing happened I took my hand away to see his saw an inch away from my conk, I panicky told Kenzie that I was about to die and she just said back, “Don’t worry, I’m going right along with you! Another man sitting on a bail of hay saw us, got up and started hobbling right on over to us then stopped and just pointed at us and followed us with his deep piercing eyes. One other chain saw man crept threw the corn, following us all the way while once in a while sounding his chain saw and making us scream. It was just like the domino affect! My favorite room there was one that had pitch black walls with glowing faces on it and strobe lights flashing, well we were walking threw and all of a sudden a guy that had an outfit on that matched the wall came out from a cut out of a person space in the wall, luckily Kenzie saw him pointed him out and then started screaming, then about eight more came out and started coming at us, and with the strobe lights he looked really creepy and choppy. We both sank down and just sat huddled up on the floor. But we made it out alive and with hurting throats! It was way fun!
Well, The shower is calling! Ta Ta! Just remember the more you know, the less you don’t know.
Jennifer