Thursday, October 25, 2012

I made pumpkin bread this morning, and took a loaf to Linda Diewald when I went visiting teaching.
I also made some cream cheese frosting to go with it.  Yummy!  Linda is from Tempe and Bishop McCook was her bishop from 1966 to 1969.  We were in that ward after we got married in 1968 so we were obviously in the same ward.  It's a small world!

The forest service started a prescribed burn today.  I didn't notice it until this evening.  I asked James if he was burning anything and he said no, it was the forest service.  It came right into our house and made it difficult to go to sleep.

President Heyman finally posted about Diane's stroke on their blog.  It was very touching.  I would like to share some of what he said:
"Diane is amazing...and blessed.  Her memory, speech, emotions and appearance were not affected.  She is working through coordination, sensation and strength issues on her right side and some dizziness and periodic double vision.  The doctors and therapists say with rehabilitation and time she should make a full recovery.  The body is an incredible and intricate thing.  I am observing that the mind and spirit are even more impressive.
Diane has not uttered a single negative word or complaint throughout this whole experience.  Her attitude is, 'This is what it is, what do I need to do to get better?'  All of her caretakers and visitors have mentioned how positive and inspirational she is.  I always new she was both, I could never have guessed the depth of those qualities, especially in the face of adversity.
Diane is God's unique blend of beauty and toughness, spirituality and strength, determination and humility, and pragmatism with faith.  You can not think of Diane without recognizing her gift for obedience, a trait that almost seems to be on the brink of extinction these days.
Among the many lessons being learned is that while God may not prevent challenges and trials, He never requires us to endure them alone.  Diane can speak of the angels unseen, but we both have been humbled by the earthly angels who have come to our aide with loving and selfless service.  I could spend hours listing their names...those who pray, fast, write, visit, encourage, watch over our loved ones at home and take cre of Diane.
Our plan is for Diane to rehab in Buenos Aires to the point where she can return to Resistencia and continue to fulfill our assignment.  If you think for a moment of all that entails, you can begin to catch a glimpse of the greatness that is Diane Heyman.
I have always known that my greatest accomplishment in life would be marrying Diane Curtis in the Mesa Arizona Temple.  This past month I have come to a deeper understanding of why."  Ray Heyman.

I was privileged to be a counselor to Diane when she served as the Young Women's President in a previous ward that we were in together.  She is a rare combination of talent, determination, faithfulness and obedience.  It was a privilege for me to learn from her.