Posts

The Fog Lingers Longer

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           For the majority of the school year,   Jenna will leave to catch the bus and I will admire the clouds hanging so near the hills that I know it's creating a fog. For the past three days the fog has been settling over the hill we are on.   It doesn't lift as quickly as it used to.   I don't like to drive in the fog. sun-fog-mark-unseasonal-weather-in- western- oregon/David Davis, SeattleTimes Yesterday I thought I would drive out to Dollar General and pay some bills along the way. The fog did not life until noon.   By then I had already stamped the envelopes and had them in the mailbox.   Mail is collected later and school bus seems to be later at picking up. Between 3:00 and 4:00 the sun makes its way across the sky and positions itself in a way that is irritating to drivers who are headed west.   And then the sun sets and the fog sets in again before the mor...

What is This?

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       During one of my lectures, the instructor had included the following at the bottom of her slide keep in mind that my view of this was about a forth this size         It appeared to me that the person on the right was drinking a soda and the one on the left was looking through a telescope.    I thought the instructor had said something about cell phones and looked at the image again.   Yes, I suppose they could be cell phones.   It wasn't until I had adjusted the picture that I saw the line between the two props         Oh, it's two cans and string communication!   That is what I can see here.   But I can still see a telescope and a soda bottle.

So Many Emotions

        I seem to be on an emotional kick since my psychology class started last week.   I've dealt with a lot of emotions the last couple of months - so have many members of my family and Jeanie's family as well.         Jeanie is the late wife of my eldest son.   She passed in June and Biff stayed with his in-laws until November 1 or just the end of October.   Biff has experienced a lot of loneliness, some anger, not always positive emotion during his lifetime. He's most happy at the gym.   Working out gives him motivation.         Jeanie was protective of him much of the time, but not always.  Often there would be meds or demons that would interfere with her thinking.  Sometimes she was nasty and would kick Biff out of the house and would not allow him to see Ali.  Many of us envisioned a repeat of Roland's choices.      ...

Thoughts About Yesterday

I think Roland woke me up to ask me something I don't remember what I guess he didn't wake me but I did get out of bed I dragged myself into the living room.   I don't even know what time it was Jenna asked me if I would make her lunch. I made a sandwich and cut some potatoes and the remaining ham and put them in the crock pot with 2 cans of milk and a   can of corn. I went out to the shed for bubble wrap and boxes and started wrapping ornaments to mail to the boys. I had planned on sending letters and the "legend of the candy cane" thought. first package: Tony's family.   Large box. Extra items.   First I put in bubble wrap for padding boxes of cookie decorating kits hats, ornaments.   Seal box.   Whoops.   Forgot the letter.   Go to computer.   Type and print letters. Put Tony's in an envelope.   Tape it to the box. Next:   I open box of hats for Randy's family wrap ornaments.   Take off t...

Attitude is Everything

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          The discussion post this week is on being an effective leader.   We need to have examples about our emotional intelligence and what skills we need to improve on and how we would improve.   Roland is always coming up with ideas that I've never thought of.   I don't see myself as a leader and I knew that Roland would have some suggestions - one was my position in the family, which of course I hadn't considered.   I tried writing a few paragraphs about that - but each paragraph felt too biography and introductory and perhaps a little too horn-blowy - which is not what I wanted.   I don't know how many times I changed it before I finally turned something in.   Meanwhile I have come up with some more thoughts for a blog post.           I remember going to a wedding reception held outdoors.   I don't even recall what time of the year, but I remember the...

I'm Grateful I Joined the Board

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                Before I applied to the position of a library board member, my neighbor had told me that the library could close.   I did not want to see that happen, and wondered if I would have something pertinent to bring to the table.   As I was the only person in Myrtle Creek to apply for the position, I ended up on the board.   Two months later it was announced that the libraries would close by the end of March.             The Friends of the Myrtle Creek Library formed at the end of February, I believe.   I believe there were over 30 people who attended that first meeting.   I was in awe. Where were all those people been nine months before when the library had asked for another board member?             No one had really been against keeping the library open.   The opposition had been to the ...

Fluff and Flowers

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I am a visual person I like parables, analogies, crashcourse videos, mnenomics and pictures The fluff and flowers help me remember. Whatever I'm trying to learn will make more sense if I can compare or have an image in my mind. Roland seems to do better without the fluff and flowers; he can read a wordy textbook or listen to a person ramble on and on during a lecture - the more boring or over my head the more he understands and vice-versa. He has the talent to read the wordy textbook and dummy it down to my level.   I don't have the talent of taking all the fluff and turn it into 68 words instead of just five so that he will understand. We're two different people.

Time Goes By Quicker in Oregon Than in Utah

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        I can't believe how quickly this year has gone by!   Winter Break will take place during the two classes I am currently taking.   It doesn't seem like it's been too long since the last winter break.   I know a few months have gone by, but not 12!   Not even 10.   Only one month left of 2017. What the heck?   How can the year have gone by so quickly when there were so many spurts of activity that almost seemed/felt endless ( here and here for example) Jenna painting ornaments         Last year I had participated in a posting class offered during winter break - students shared Christmas memories and recipes.   I remember one recipe for salt dough ornaments, and made up some batch for family home evening, but waited until yesterday morning to cut out the dough as the recipe suggested a four hour baking time, and I knew I wouldn't want   to be checking the oven after 8:0...

Too Many Words for a Discussion Post

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            Yesterday I started two new classes in addition to a grant class I'm taking for the library.   The two classes I'm taking currently delve into personality.   I have a feeling my head will fill faster than my fingers will be able to keep up. I've taken intelligence quizzes before - even before I started taking classes online.   I see the growth in my answers.   The instructor made the suggestion to look at where we were ten years ago and where we are now emotionally.   This is what I've written - but feel that it's too long for the discussion.   Even if I reference myself, I don't have anything to put in APA form as a reference.   So I'm posting it here - although you may have read it all before.             Ten years ago I walked with my three year old daughter to the school.   We took many walks around not only our neighborhood but my mom'...

Christmas Cookies and Charlie Brown

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cookies created on Wednesday Nov 22                  Jenna had invited two of her friends over to hang yesterday. Roland had made cookie dough the night before so that her friends could roll dough, cut into shapes and decorate when they came over.   Jenna was very excited.   She and Roland went to the store to pick out cookie decore and Jenna was quite selective making certain that none of the candy or frostings contained any nuts or nut oils as one of her friends is allergic.          But both had given excuses not to come and so at 7:30 this morning, Roland rolled out dough while Jenna and I cut out the cookies.   After they were baked, we started our decorating.   About 2/3 were complete before Jenna and I got bored and decided to play games for a while.   We also watched "The Muppet Movie" and "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" As we watched "Charlie Brown" I reminised over a few dif...

We Need to Work Together

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                I guess I could have gone into more detail about Danny's class.   As I mentioned, there were fourteen children in the Valiant class alone - four of them boys.   I have never seen more than two Valiant boys in class since I started attending the ward in Myrtle Creek.   After the opening prayer, Danny passed out scriptures to each child - part of a scripture anyway.   Seven children had the names of a book found in the scriptures.   Seven had a chapter (or section) and a verse.   Danny asked why none of the children had looked up the scriptures she had handed out, what may have been the problem - when it was decided that each of the children had only part of scripture, Danny asked that they check the paper and find a partner that had the other half.             I was impressed how each of them actuall...

I'm Allergic

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                 I came home with a headache yesterday.   I still don't know for sure what caused it, though I have a better idea.   Our youngest beehive attends primary before Young Women's starts.   She had been picked to introduce and conclude the primary program.   I noticed she had been wearing make-up; perhaps she was wearing perfume as well.   That is one plus about being in primary - usually my allergies don't react as the children don't tend to wear it for the most part. I can't say for sure as I have lost the majority of my sense of smell.   I'm guessing a sweet perfume.   Those fragrances I think smell best are the ones that irritate my sinuses the most.             The stake primary president was visiting as well.   Perhaps one of those sisters had been wearing a perfume - though they were all on the other side of the sli...