Solar Eclipse and Weather

           With all the hype involved, I thought we would be seeing the cornoa.  Jenna and I were both disappointed that we didn't.  We were more impressed by the blood-red sun painted that way due to all the smoke.  Mornings are usually clear.  Not this morning.  Smoke makes fires appear closer than they are.  There are so many of them.  I like the feel of the pool in the morning - especially when we have had it to ourselves - though I do miss some of the other members of the class.  School starts next week and so it's understandable why we haven't seen those who are school teachers.

            I have Jenna's agenda for yesterday stored on a file - but not ready to post.  I have to create a discussion post for my economic class (which I am NOT enjoying) and 100 word report on the summer reading program.  My blog posts will have to remain on the back burner for the time being.

Meanwhile I have these photos of yesterday:

Riddle Celebrates

this flag hangs in our yard

Veteran Memorial at Millsite Park

               For every Federal Holiday and each holiday honoring Veterans though may not be observed by others (I had not been aware of all of the "flag" holidays that Myrtle Creek observes) Myrtle Creek lines the streets and bridges with flags.  

South Umpqua Bridger Exit 108

            The mayor credits the Elks for putting out the flags.  I don't know how early they are put out. Though the flags come out every 4th of July, Myrtle Creek itself seems like a ghost town.  People go out of town.  I don't know where they go.  Riddle, perhaps?

  

not the best pic, but the only one I can find of bridge on Exit 106

            Poor Jenna.  Her parents are tired old fuddy-duddys who don't celebrate as we did when we were younger.  Even if we were more active, I know Jenna would enjoy herself more if she were to hang with someone her own age.  We thought she might have that opportunity yesterday, but it didn't work out as any of us had expected.

            Annette had told Jenna that they would pick her up at 8:30 yesterday morning and spend the 4th with her family and she could stay the night after the fireworks.  I don't know what their plans were taking them, but Jenna was not a part of it after all.  Though Annette's mom believes they have the perfect mother and daughter relationship, their communication is even more pathetic than mine and Roland's. 

            Jenna was ready at 7:30.  8:30 came and went and by 9:00 she called to find out what had happened.  They were already on their way to wherever they were going and would not be picking her up.  I heard Jenna crying - sobbing loudly really.  She had cried herself sick and was heaving in the toilet.  I felt so helpless.

            When Annette called at 10:00 to say they were on their way to pick her up, Jenna informed her that she was sick.  I don't think Annette believed her.  Whether the miscommunication happened between Annette and her mom or Jenna and Annette, I really don't know.  But I do know that Jenna did not feel well and that her sensitive stomach in a car going straight makes her even more queasy.  The curvy roads of Oregon would just add to her car sickness even more. 

            I had told Jenna to lie down and she had tried laying down in mine and Roland's bed (as she is still currently without) but was afraid her stomach might send her heaving before she could make it to the bathroom. Thus Jenna spent the majority of the day on the bathroom floor.  I think she slept for a couple of hours.  After she started feeling better, we left the house for a while.  It was 5:00 I believe. 

            There had been a sawdust jubilee in Riddle - perhaps it's something they do every fourth of July.  Would have been nice to know that our first year here.  The only activity I could seem to find within the county was in Glendale - which I'm sure for many of the members in Glendale was a big deal - but for someone from Salt Lake City who is accustomed to city parades and fireworks and activities ALL SUMMER LONG, Glendale had been a huge disappointment - but had felt about 20 degrees cooler than Myrtle Creek - which was nice.  The year we had moved to Oregon was an especially hot summer - especially for this area - or so we were told.

            We did make it to the fireworks and saw people celebrating and felt a happiness among the people.  Perhaps we can make it a tradition next year.  I had actually hoped to have Jenna spend a few months in Salt Lake but with the unexpected death and return, it just didn't quite fit into our plans this year.

            She enjoyed the fireworks immensely.

            It really was a good show.  And I enjoyed the band that was there.  Of course she chattered the entire way home, and Roland realized he didn't have his glasses.  We said a prayer that we would be able to return today and find them.

            Jenna and I left the house this morning.  Our intention was to go north to pick blueberries, but ended up going south and west to return to the high school to look for Roland's glasses.  She found them right away.  The frame was bent and one of the lenses had popped out and the nose pads were missing.  She straightened out the frame and attempted to push the lens back into place.  Probably we'll be going to Roseburg after Roland gets off work.  Don't know whether we'll make it to the blueberry farm today or not.  It's only 68 degrees at 9 a.m.  It feels a lot warmer than that. 

Valentine’s Didn’t Happen

Earlier this week, Jenna came home

all excited and

folded an open box into

a closed one,

added a face and

the hearts that she and

her friend had cut out of

colored paper. 

She said there was a contest and

she came up with

the idea of turning her box into

the school mascot.

On Wednesday she was crying when

I picked her up – disappointed

that one class did not

collect all the needed points and

thus they wouldn’t be having

the Valentine’s party she had so

looked forward to. 

On Thursday I said she should take

 her box and prepared Valentines anyway –

just in case.

She threw up in class and so

was taken to the office and

put in the sick room

to wait until somebody arrived.

My phone was in my pocket.

  Unfortunately it had been turned off. 

Roland was on his cell phone

talking to someone. 

Randy was in class. 

Carrie was at work. 

Evidently the staff had gone through

every single number I had provided for

emergency contact – some outdated

I guess. 

I felt bad that they had gone

to all that trouble. 

They said they had tried everyone

 on the list.

Jenna asked,

“Who is Dora?”

“Oh,”

that’s when I realized

the list was outdated. 

“She taught you in primary

a couple of times when

we attended our old ward. 

You used to call her

Dora, the Explorer”

“Oh, yea. 

I sort of remember her. 

Why isn’t Corey on the list?”

“Corey is in Las Vegas. 

I had him and grandma on

the list when you

were in first grade.” 

I had eliminated contacting grandma

for the year that I started

my blog.
 

Jenna had a fever. 

She stayed in bed all day –

except for once in a while after

she would drink something,

she would make her way into

the bathroom to throw up. 

But we brought her fever down in time and

after long her stomach wasn’t hurting anymore either. 

But she still felt dizzy whenever she stood.

I had given her the cards that

arrived in the mail. 

Two of them:

a Valentine from her

activity days leader and

one from our former next door neighbor whom she called

 “grandma”

plus there had been a box of

chocolates that dad brought home.

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day. 

She didn’t deliver because

she still felt dizzy when she moved.

  We stayed home.

We both took it easy.

Roland used to do Valentines for

the women in my family.

 A box of chocolates, flowers,

 one year we made red doughnuts. 

Another year he purchased heart

 shaped pizzas. 

I think that was the

last year.

This year he purchased candy bars

for all the RS and primary presidency. 

He printed up the note

“All Classy Ladies deserve

chocolate on Valentines Day 

Even if they are a little nuts” 

They have not been delivered, however. 

Perhaps he is just planning on

handing them out at Church tomorrow.

There was a knock at the door

sometime after Jenna had gone to bed. 

Whoever it was had walked away

after leaving a sack of

candy for Jenna. 

This morning I learned that

it was/is from Trume. 

So we did receive Valentines. 

And Jenna created three more.

 They won’t be received until

next week. 

Valentine’s Day is over. 

Jenna feels better. 

Outside is still grey

Go Camping or Not go camping . . .

     I have gone camping before – several times actually.  I’d gone with my family. I remember times when Patrick and I were younger though not too much with my other two sibs.  I do remember when Corey and Kayla were both a lot younger, we did do a family activity where we stayed in cabins.  That’s the only time I recall camping with the two of them.

     I’d gone to girls’ camp through the church.  When I was twelve and thirteen I went to a camp called Oakcrest.  We stayed in cabins.  I remember going to rough camp twice (we stayed in tents) as a youth and twice as a leader.  That was well over twelve years ago.

     And then there was the one time we attempted camping as a family – before Jenna entered the picture.  Memorial weekend 2002.  The boys were in a tent and Roland and I tried to sleep in the van.

     Roland has actually gone several times with the scouts – even in the winter – which he hates.  Two years ago he took Biff and Randy to a fathers/sons – of course they were all so lucky that they could go, and Jenna was not.

Half of Jenna’s friends have gone camping with their families.  They are so lucky!  The closest that Jenna ever got to camping was sleeping in a tent set up in the back yard.  So this year when she came home from an assembly introducing a camp through the school district – which was actually affordable for us – I signed Jenna up for Mill Hollow.

     The deadline was on April 30 – and that was the day I had turned my money in.  They had two openings – one in June and one in August.  I guess I should have picked the one in June.  But I thought the one in August might be a nice way for her to end her summer.

     None of her brothers had ever gone to Mill Hollow.  My first daughter-in-law had – and she loved it.  Gave Jenna hope.  More reason to look forward to it.

     Meanwhile, Roland is in the bishopric and the bishop was asked to assist in finding another leader to go with them to girls’ camp (the Young Women are from age 12-18) and Roland said my name came up.  He asked what dates Jenna would be going to Mill Hollow and it was for three of the five days that the young women have their camp.  So he asked if I would consider going those three days.

     And then three weeks ago he came home from Church all excited, forms in hand, he just needed my signature.  Word was that permission had been given so that Jenna would be able to go to YW camp with me.  Really?  Because I know that in the past leaders have been discouraged from bringing their non-YW children with them.

     “What about Mill Hollow?” I asked.

     “I think Jenna would have more fun at YW, don’t you?”

     I agreed. 

Still I wouldn’t have mentioned it to her.  But Roland blabbed and she was bouncing off the walls.

     The next day I cancelled her trip to Mill Hollow.  I hadn’t really wanted to. At Mill Hollow she would have been educated and learned more about plants, animals, geology, ecology, astronomy, etc. Learn history.  Enjoy activities.  Not to say that she won’t get that at YW, but she won’t be with her peers exactly.  I wish now I would have prayed about my decision, but I didn’t.

     Last week Jenna anxiously asked if she could tell the only other girl in her primary class that she would be going to YW. 

     “No.  Do not say anything to anybody” 

     I went to the camp kick off by myself.  They started out with a slide show that I thought was pretty cheesy.  Oh, this is so up her ally.  I think she would have liked it.  I still don’t know why I was called when it feels to me like the leaders already outnumber the girls.  I was the only person from our ward who attended the kick off. I did not stay for the entire thing as it wasn’t answering my questions. 

     Even though the forms have been signed and “special permission was granted” I have now been told that we will not be going.  And I fully understand.  I really do.  This program was designed for girls ages 12-18.  Those attending (or will attend) junior high and high school.  To create a bond, to introduce them to explore themselves.  They are not there to babysit or play big sister to primary girls.  If they make an exception for Jenna than they’ll have to make an exception for this girl or that leader and that isn’t right.  So I do understand the reason for exclusion.

     And anyone who knows Jenna knows she is a show stealer and loves attention and has been known to steal another’s thunder – and it isn’t her turn to shine as a young women and she needs to understand that.

     So after a week of bouncing, both of us have cried – her at the thought of not going to camp at all and me because I knew that she had built herself up for another let down.  If she can’t go to YW she won’t be going to camp at all.  We just received the refund for Mill Hollow yesterday.

     Roland said that maybe I could call the district tomorrow and see if I can uncanell my cancellation. But this time I will pray to know if it is the right decision for us at this time. Perhaps this situation is a blessing in disguise.  And perhaps we’ll never know what that blessing was/is.  She’s not as upset about it as she was last week when I told her to prepare herself that we might not be going. Perhaps one day she will understand.

     Truth is, as much as she truly, badly wanted to go – I truly and badly didn’t want to go.  And it is nothing against camping with the YW.  I actually don’t mind the bonding and experience.  It’s the lack of sleep.  It’s the discomfort of the heat and sitting on the ground.  My body wants the comfort of a bed – my bed.  And at least five pillows.  Not a board with a roll up or air mattress and only one pillow. Though it’s a sacrifice that I was willing to make.  But I’m now relieved that I don’t have to go.  But as much as I feel relief at not being able to go, my heart breaks for Jenna who never had an input or say. I still don’t understand why I was needed in the first place.  Perhaps I’ll never know that either. 

Often God does works in mysterious ways, or at least ways that we don’t understand.  I’m quite certain that this is one of them.