Cooled down to 95 today

Well its cooled down to just 95 so that don't feel too bad. When it gets to 100 or over its pretty warm & pretty miserable but only when you're getting from point a to point b. I might add the steering wheel is dangerously hot to touch. I've seen some pictures of some rain you've been getting WOW! We could sure use some in good old Texas it's very dry. I don't really know how to thank you for the very nice birthday I had so many cards, money, gift cards & love sent my way, even 3 beautiful different colored sunflowers & a half dozen yellow roses now that shocked the socks right off me. I've never had a birthday quite like this one. I just like mine to sneak on by quietly. The lady we live with said "You just can't have that many family & friends." I've read & reread all the cards so very nice of you also all the phone calls & happy birthday songs, sure do miss those familiar voices. A very dear lady from Hong Kong fixed a very nice dinner then out came a cake & candles not sure how she found out it was my birthday. Ya'll are so very kind thank you lots. My thoughts are back home today with the Putnam Mills reunion I think it's been over 50 years that I've been going to them & it kind of gets in your blood. I'll bet even Elder Dyson Barkers thoughts are up Woodruff Creek also this weekend. Love all you family members & friends that meet up there every year & share the memories with us. We've just come from the temple today we've been doing some names for a lady here we got all the women done & just have a few men left. I can't believe all the people we've met that have connections to Utah either they've lived there or one of their family members still live there it's always fun to run into people from Utah. We've had another good week meeting new people & some we will visit each month. One of them has had MS for the last 40 years, she was born & raised in Ogden Utah her husband left her & she lives with her daughter. We visit quite a few people weekly who have diseases, blindness or some other problem mentally or physically. I think of the song Count Your Blessings Name Them One By One as we leave them each week & I give a quick thank you LORD each time for the privilege of being able to visit them. They teach me so much & especially a good attitude as you endure your trials to the end (cheerfully). We have a full day tomorrow starting at 7:15 & going till 4 then I have dinner so I've tried to prepare some today. We are having a cottage meeting tomorrow night also each missionary & ward missionary has invited some inactive & non members so hopefully it will happen. Brother Hogi is giving the lesson on Joseph Smith so it should be well worth their time. We took two dear sisters from one of our wards to lunch had a great visit about the temple I think we may have planted a seed sure hope so, they are angels one has never been married is in her 40's her brothers have been on missions & she's been a member all her life, she is one of the sweetest people I've ever met. The other lady has been married 6 or 7 times but is single now. She's had a tough life including a car wreck at 22 that took her leg off above the knee she was baptized 4 yrs ago. I truly love these woman & pray they will go to the temple & find the peace that is inside. Well enough for this week so I'll leave ya all a thought "One of the hardest decisions you'll ever face in life is choosing whether to walk away or try harder" --The Good Vibe. My scripture is 1John 1:5-10, I love light even the moon but especially the light of CHRIST because I have learned that peace comes from that light. I love ya all & miss Ya all but know I'm where I'm supposed to be at this time in my life. See ya when the roses bloom ...Sister Putnam

Rainbow in someone elses cloud

Well one of those nights when sleep won't come so thought I'd write down some of my feelings. It's been a great week where you just accomplish a lot. I love missionary work & helping people it's not much different than what we all do except we are able to spend a lot more time just focusing on that. We've met so many awesome people who are down on their luck or just struggling with something, or just need the light of the gospel in their lives. One of my highlights was a sweet lady from China who we have eaten dinner with in her meager apartment before. She has no table, she don't turn her lights on, little money but she told us as were visiting her that she just fixes soups to eat during the week so she can save money to buy groceries to fix other people stuff that she takes to them. Her non member daughter takes her & her friend to the temple each Tuesday. The temple makes her so happy, she is such a good example to me of humility. We are in such a nice home compared to some of the places we've been & I so appreciate it. The Lord has blessed us many times since arriving in Texas. I know all the prayers coming my way has also helped ease some of the stress & I thank you ever so much. A mission is like anything else in life it takes a lot of help from other people & especially the Lord to make it through. We only hope we can make just a little difference in someone's life. I've been really studying the scriptures in Alma 5:26-33 & it's making my life better. Now for a few picturesRhonda gave me the school picture & we laughed I'm the only one with pants on in it then we took some pictures of Jane Schulthess, Rhonda Cox & myself & I'm the only one with a dress on. My time does change things. The dog now was a different story, I've never had to diaper a dog before & it was a big job but all in a days work. The covered wagon picture was a ward party & the other picture I was ready to retire for the day. Have a great rest of the night, study Alma and I leave you with this thought sent to me this week. "Be the rainbow in someone's cloud" love ya all! Sister Putnam

It's good to be back!!!

this is one of our rooms in the last 3 months. Just like motel 6 the light is always on. We are in the Hilton finally it took us a few moves but we made it. Probably just in time for transfers ha ha or who knows. I've learned so much in the last 6 weeks that I couldn't begin to write it. Logan is helping refresh my computer skills again so I'm just practicing. I haven't had a computer for quite awhile and it's not like riding a bike once you learn you never forget. Have a great night I'm ready for bed, we've been in church since 8 am attended 4 wards today. Sweet dreams & goodnight. It's good to be back on the blog. Sister Putnam

We went to Fort Worth last Monday on p day we had so much fun learning about the history of Texas including the Swift & Armor meat packing plants that made Ft Worth famous will besides Willie Nelson. They were sitting up all kinds of tents & shade equipment for his big 4th of July picnic. We seen Billy Bobs on the tour we were on. We seen a long horn drive that was fun to watch other people watching the cattle. I had fun walking the cat walks above the stockyards and oh yes, we had a big Texas steak that was so good, some of us helped the beef industry out. We went with 2 other sisters & we enjoyed their company they leave on the 4th of Aug so they're about done (bitter sweet). We meet with a over 65 single group for family home evening tomorrow night it's always a fun night. Hope all is well out your way & that your 4th holiday was relaxing & enjoyable. My thought for the week was one Danny & I read in 2009 hanging on a wall in Evanston, Wy. "Our lives are not determined by what happens to us. But how we react to what happens. Not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst--- a spark that creates extraordinary results...POWER OF ATTITUDE. Yesterday our Mission Pres told me to read Ephesians 1:10 & to study each word in it, so that scripture I will pass on to each one of you. Have a great week and oh happy birthday to my granddaughter Savannah Jane sure do love you & miss you but thanks for the letter. Sister Putnam

One year later

Tonight my heart, mind & soul are with memories of one year ago at 9:45 when Danny left this earth for somewhere better. I never dreamed I'd be watching the sunset in Texas just one year later. Wow what a ride life gives you. Thanks Putter for all the memories some fun ones & some not so fun but all good. We did it you endured to the end & you endured it well. We had zone conference to met our new mission president today. Opening song was "How Great Thou Are" now that song is near & dear to my heart. Danny loved to hear Cay Cox sing that song with no piano. It brought some tears to my eyes then we had a wonderful day each missionary went up & shook the Pres & Sister Taylor's hand. Then each one stood & told why they loved Pres & Sister Durrant. There were over 100 missionaries & that is just one zone. He told about setting an Elder Larson apart for his mission a few months ago & now Elder Larson is one of the APs that picked them up at the airport. What's the chances of that. After our meeting we went on to the temple & finished filling up our cups. It's been a great week with lots of stuff going on. We've met quite a few new people & some pretty sad stories. We were told by a couple of different eople to not come back so that's rather hard to swallow but another day & another door. We went to a patriotic pops concert yesterday & went to a retirement center for a hot dog, it tasted so good. We took a dear sweet lady from there to the concert with us. She plays trivia with us each week, not a member but so fun & she just lost her husband of 67 yrs in March. The music was great & so was the people waving their flags & singing. I love this great land we live in & yes, I'm proud to be an American. One year later has brought some major changes in my life along with everyone else. I love life & I love my Heavenly Father and I'm so thankful for all my many blessings & I'm so glad that He knows what's best for me. Have a good night I'm sleepy so better get to bed for it leaves. I'll write more tomorrow...Sister Putnam

A beautiful daughter of God

I met this dear lady at a baptism of her friend's daughter. A few years ago she started getting sick after a long time they discovered she had carbon monoxide poison from driving her car with a faulty exhaust system around for a year n half. She's in a wheelchair forever with lots of problems physically but it hasn't damaged her spirit. I thank my Heavenly Father that our paths crossed for a brief moment in time. I was able to visit with her for a little while, she taught me so much in a short time. She is from Ok with 3 children. Her oldest boy couldn't take his mom getting sick so left home.

Touch somebody's life

Well so sorry I've tried to post some new pictures but can't seem to get the job done so onward & upward, its been a busy week, we've done a lot of knocking on doors, asking questions. I guess you can probably tell I'm out of my comfort zone however I'm praying really hard that this will get easier for me. We went to a zone conference with Pres & Sister Durrant for the last time, they left on Saturday for their home in Provo or the surrounding area. They taught us how to share the gospel in 3 minutes now that was great. We had to take turns teaching the other senior missionaries there. Hey now I can almost remember how to do this. The new president took over on Saturday his name is President Taylor & he also played ball at BYU, we haven't met him yet. It was fun to get together with all the senior missionaries some couples but quite a few single sisters. Some of these sisters are getting pretty close to going home. Tomorrow 4 of us single sister missionaries are going to the Fort Worth Stockyards for the day. This is someplace that Pres. Durrant told us to go see. He told us a few must see while we're in Texas places so we can cross one off of our list. Yes it is P Day!! Had a great Sabbath day starting at meetings at 7:30, 8:30 & 9:00 all in different wards. It was our report back to the Bishops. Then we attended all our meetings in 1st ward then drove a sister home & went to another ward to listen to some other sister missionaries give the Relief Society lesson. I haven't cried for quite awhile but the spirit got to me today & I did shed a few tears. It was a great lesson on service to others & it might be the person sitting right next to us that needs us. They are getting ready to go home on the 4th of Aug & they're getting a little teary. I love these 2 sisters one from Blackfoot Id, the other from Redmond Washington. They have taught me a lot since I landed in Texas, not just about the work but about life. They have been a blessing in my life. Had a great day at Minnie's Food Pantry & so great to go to the temple this week & ran into Rhonda again. But the highlight of my week was meeting up with Ellen here in Plano on our last p day. We was able to have lunch together & did a little shopping. We talked about just 2 months ago never dreaming we'd be together in Texas. I love our grandkids lots as does every grandparent. Danny's last aunt on his Dad's side passed away this week, I was able to go visit her in April before I left, she told me she was ready to go, I told her if she seen Danny before I did to give him a message from me. I guess she'll see him before me. My thought for the week "I don't think you ever stop giving. I think its an ongoing process & it's not just about being able to write a check. It's about being able to touch somebody's life."...Oprah Winfrey. Have a great 4th of July & yes my thoughts will be back home with ya'll. Sister Putnam