Surprise Messages on Voicemail

By the way, I'm pretty sure my next post will have photos in case you're tired of all my boring old words.

I finished my third semester at BYU last night after my final presentation. Wow, that professor is a task master. I got it all done, inch by inch, week by week, and I never had to miss a single class this time, trip to Hawai'i, knee surgery, and all! And it's a good thing because I had to write seventeen papers and do three other projects on top of that. Still, I know there are other professors who demand more. I've just got so many other things going on. I enjoyed the term and the work and the professor. And I enjoy my cohort mates.

So after class I saw that I had a message. I listened to it in my car on speaker and it was Sister Andersen, our secretary at the institute (LDS Institute of Religion, from which I graduated) at the University of Montana. I'm not sure how old she is, but that was back in the eighties, so you know, she IS living in a retirement home these days and her husband passed away years ago. Her voice is practically iconic, as all the other institute folk would affirm. My face just lit up and I couldn't wipe away the grin.

"Hello, Jody Badody! It's Sister A. I'm just wondering which National Parks you'll be visiting this year--so many to choose from! I'm doing well and thought I would try to catch you between adventures. Please tell your sweetheart I said 'hello.'"

She's never met my husband. She called me once last summer to get Brother Flake's phone number. And she called me Jody Badody! Everyone should have been so lucky to have had Sister Andersen as their institute secretary (and Friday Feed chef). She has been in my cheering section all these years! So great to catch up.