200 More Words To Go

There is a haze outside covering the sky.  It reminds me of those Claritin commercials where the scene was not quite as clear until the individual took the drug that would relieve all allergies and related symptoms (Claritin does not work on me; I might as well be taking candy).  The haze outside is from the smoke related to the fires I didn't believe were all that close to us.  The air is breathable, I suppose, but not pleasant.  Still easier on me than the gunky air in Salt Lake City.

There is a haze over my eyes.  It cannot be blamed on the smoke.  My thoughts are fuzzy due to the subjects of the week.  Last week I was required to turn in two essays.  The 600 words were worth 120 points.  The 750 word worth 100.  Two more essays required for this week - 600 words worth 120 points and 750 words worth 50 points.  What's up with that?  It hardly seems worth the effort or research.  Gads.

And this week's discussion topic is on stocks and bonds.  Boresville!  Posting my initial participating post was hard enough.  I still need to reply to two of my peers.  Blah, blah, blah . . . I can't seem to stay focused.

And this morning I found this link in my email box.  Apparently, I'm okay.

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I Like My Clothes Baked, Not Tossed or Smoked

                When we first moved to our house in Tri City, Roland set up a clothesline between two trees.  Initially, he tried the pulley thing so that I could hang the clothes from one position.  It didn't work to our expectations and I spent that first summer walking up and down the line hanging and removing laundry.

          I like having the sun dry the clothes and I especially like how it can brighten the whites.  A light breeze will make it dry faster, but a strong wind will make the fabric stiff.  The towels feel like sandpaper either way, so generally, I just toss those in the dryer and add will add clothes that have been on the line but don't seem wearable.  Also, I don't enjoy ironing and would rather have the dryer remove the wrinkles for me.

          Roland did put in a new line so I don't even have to leave the porch.  Might appear tacky, but it really is nice to hang clothes that way.  And the lines are quite long and I have not filled them both.  That's quite wonderful also.

          I believed the temperature was starting to cool off as we were told high today would be 78 and low at 54.  But then it started going over 80 again, almost 90.  What???  Don't like that.  Especially when it appears to be overcast and doesn't rain at all.  Yesterday I realized that it wasn't even clouds that gave the gray appearance to the sky, but rather smoke from surrounding fires - though not as bad as California - or the fires that existed last year.  Not powerful enough to my nose that I can smell it. Still - enough smoke to give me a headache. 

          I don't guess I'll be hanging my clothes up for a while.  I mean, what's the point of washing them if I'm just going to dry them in the smoky air.  Gosh, darn fires.  I'm so grateful to all the firefighters.  May God bless and protect each one of them and their families.

No More Moving!

          Today it was announced in primary that one family has left us already and that another family will be moving Thursday.  We knew the stay for both families being in this ward was only temporary.  But when the first accepted a calling in the bishopric, I was truly excited believing that his family would be living in Oregon for a while - not just only one month more!  What's up with that!  They didn't even say good-bye - I think it was just announced: Oh, by the way.

          Two weeks ago there were 15 children in our combined class of valiants. Most of them were visitors.  The amount of all classes combined totaled almost 30.  Today we had 5 in class and 10 in sharing time - and that was with two of the children who are leaving.  Not counting the visitors from two weeks ago, our primary has decreased by a third with the two families that are/will be gone.  And there are at least three vacant positions within our ward now - nursery, primary counselor and bishopric counselor.  We will be able to combine the valiant classes again - though I think Thomas and I would enjoy the one-on-one.  I really don't wish to be called to nursery.  But I guess that would free up more time once a month to focus on the newsletters.  I also take role in choir.

          Roland says I should not accept a second calling if I don't want it - but most of the active people in this ward have several callings.  One RS counselor also conducts the ward choir, the other leads the music in Sacrament meeting.  Our primary pianist teaches Sunday School.   Primary teachers (especially nursery) are really hard to come by.  And there are only four classes (including the nursery).  But as the number of children have decreased, Danny can probably go back to teaching all the valiants without my assistance.  Guess we'll see what the near future holds for us.

Material Things

          When we left Salt Lake, there was a lot of material possessions that were left behind.  I fully believed that we would get back within a few months and I would be able to retrieve those possessions.  But it did not work out that way.  I couldn't even retrieve the five boxes that Kayla had retrieved and saved for me because we had the wrong car.  We were supposed to get a rental that would have been bigger than our Saturn - but we did not have the room.

          Randy reminded me that I had saved several cameras that I thought might be collector items one day.  So much for that idea.  Randy said he'd keep them for me or send them to me.  I don't remember which, but I have no reason to believe them.  I'll never see them again.  And perhaps they really aren't worth anything.  I'll never know.

          I try not to dwell on what was left behind.  Several people have had to abandon their possessions due to wars, floods, fires, many different reasons why they had to evacuate.  Currently, I am reading a book called "The Quilt Walk" by Sandra Dallas.  

 A family moves from Quincy, Missouri to Golden, a city in the Colorado territory.  They are part of a wagon train.  I'm not really too far into it, but the pioneers and others who were migrating to the west left with fewer possessions than what I did or even what was left behind as they didn't have all the material things to begin with.  Nor did they have the technology to email one another.  They had the pony express at best - though the word "express" seems overrated in the delivery sense.

          The story is told in first person.  Emmy Blue is the ten-year-old who narrates where she's been and how life is through her eyes.  A ten-year-old's hardships are so different from the adult.  The ten-year-old doesn't know all the detail that takes place.  Many adults don't either.  They have great expectations and nothing is ever as wonderful as they imagine - particularly the journey.

          Emmy Blue is an only child.  She has a wax doll which I expect will melt sometime along the journey.  She doesn't like to quilt.  Her mom does.   Emmy Blue's current friend is an eight-year-old boy who travels with his mom and dad in the wagon ahead of Emmy Blue's.  She doesn't like his prideful mother. Thus far, I don't care for her much either.  I do like Emmy Blue's mother. 

          I have noticed in stories about those that don't part with their possessions right away, end up parting with them later on - before they reach their destination.  Either the wagon breaks and they have to part with items just to lighten their load.  After a long period, they may trade items for food just to keep themselves from starving.  Many items don't end up arriving at the intended destination.  I suspect there will be more arrivals of people in this book and fewer deaths along the way, but I don't really know.  They have almost crossed the entire state now and will be starting their journey through Nebraska (also a territory).  I'm enjoying it.

Part of the Elite

            During my entire lifetme, I don't recall having been invited into someone's circle to hang out because they really wanted me to.  Oh, there was the time when Crystal and Jennifer had invited me to hang out after elementary school - and seemed genuine about their request.  I couldn't imagine why they would invite me. But it was just the one time.  It never went anywhere.

       For the first time that I can recall, I am now a part of a intimate circle of four.  They have requested my presence.  They would invite me even before they got to know Jenna - whom everybody loves.  They admire her.  She's fun and somehow I seemed to have made that reputation for myself  - that I, too, am fun to hang with.

       Perhaps it's the state.  I was raised in Utah - small town that somehow grew bigger with every passing year.  When my mom had first moved to the neighborhood, she felt as though she were living in "no man's land" because it felt so barren.  Well, yes.  She was raised in San Francisco.  I'm sure the entire Salt Lake county seems dense compared to San Francisco.

       I remember having to be driven everywhere when I younger.  There was a gas station over on the next street over, but he did not offer a convenient store of any kind.  There was a 7-11 on the other side of State Street that we would sometimes walk to.  Traffic wasn't near as heavy as what it is now.  I shake my head at the very idea that we had crossed the street so often.  Perhaps mom wasn't aware.

           

      After a while buildings started to spring up.  We had over 40 fast food places within walking distance before I got married.  I don't know when it was that I became so uptight and unhappy - but I think it was rather early in my life.  I loved my family, but I didn't love the congestion.  The older I got, the more uptight I became - though I would try to work on it.  Overall, I probably was not the most pleasant person to be around.  Perhaps that's why no one ever offered for me to join their circle.

       I'm 56 now and this is the first time I can remember being part of a group (outside of church activities or going out for lunch with a few co-workers).  We meet at a local coffee house just to hang out and visit. I usually have water or day-old pastry if available.  The other day our small group car pooled to Winston right after class.  I had collected change from the piggy banks in order to make my Taco Tuesday purchase - only Taco Tuesday prices don't start until 4:00.  It was only 11:00.  I was hungry but strapped as usual.  One of the group members picked up my tab. They want me there enough that they will pay for me.  I've never had that before.

      One time we were invited to an expensive dinner and have a charity dinner coming up.  I have also invited the three of them to watch the dress rehearsal coming up for Jenna and Roland. It feels great to be included and to feel such genuine friendships that I have never experienced before.  It takes some getting used to.   

      Perhaps there are several others who may not classify our group as elite.  At least three of us felt like outcasts during our school years.  Perhaps we all feel that sometimes now.  We support one another in ways that perhaps we hadn't known before.  I like hanging with my small group of friends.

She Calls Herself a Theatre Brat

  

       The Grand Old Victorian Theatre was open when we moved to Oregon, but the plays were $40.  That included dinner, but still . . . That would have been $120. for the three of us.  Not in our budget.

       The theatre closed and remained on the market for nearly two years.  I remember looking at the property when Roland was looking into opening an adult daycare.  It was a perfect location. But we could not afford to take out a loan.  We needed investors.  In order to get the type of loan and investor interest, we needed/need support from the community.  So many have told us what a good idea it is, and that it is needed - but we need written testimony and not just verbal agreements.

       We had sent out a survey but did not get any feedback.  I had told Roland that the survey was too lengthy.  He had looked at opening a booth at Summerfest this year just to educated people. Meanwhile, he has graduated and apparently given up on the idea of the adult daycare.  Meanwhile, the theatre had been purchased to be used as a theatre under the same name.    

       I pass the theatre several times a week - or at least I had in March.  I remember seeing signs about upcoming auditions for a play that would be held the last two weeks of May.  I let Jenna know about it and we went to the first auditions held.  Jenna was cast as a lawyer in a mystery called "Murder in the Heir".

       Less than a month later, she went to audition for the musical Hi Ho Robin Hood.  Roland decided to audition also.  She will be playing the sheriff's daughter, Salome and Roland will be playing Friar Tuck. It will be performed the last two weeks in August.

 

 When the play is over, Roland will divorce himself from the theatre and says he will look for a second job.  Jenna will be involved in high school and hopefully will be involved in whatever production the high school may be doing as she is too young to audition for the Grand's next play - which Roland and I are not comfortable with her being a part of anyway. 

       I have time to post to my blog while they are at auditions.  Unfortunately, I am having troubles relating my thoughts to my fingers.  I have had some meaningful thoughts, too.  But now that I can make the time for them . . . well. I seem to lack motivation right now. 

       My alarm went off this morning reminding me that I had volunteered to be the story later for the Summer Reading Program.  Had my alarm not gone off, I would have forgotten.  I got to the library in plenty of time to read through a story . . .  trouble was I had spent so much time looking for one that I really wasn't prepared.  Serena and the kids seemed to be okay with what I had picked out.  We discussed bugs a little bit and then Serena had them draw pictures of flowers that would eventually become fruit or vegetables.  Each picture was hung up and all the children were given Cheetos and told to touch the flowers with their cheese dust hands.  They represented the bees and the Cheeto dust represented pollinating each flower.  I thought it was a fun idea.  

       I stayed longer than usual as I no longer have an 11:30 class.  At least not for the next four weeks.

       Tomorrow Jenna and I will be going to Riddle to participate in the teenage reading program.

I Love Our Communities

from last year

             Friends of Myrtle Creek Library did not have a booth this year.  Jenna was bummed as she desired to lure others to the booth as she had last year.

            While at my swim class, one of the women stated that she would be manning the booth for the Riddle Library.  How awesome.  When I returned home, I let Jenna know about it.

            Turns out that it wasn't a booth for the library after all, but rather the sawdust jubilee which is held the Saturday before July 4.  They had actually held it on the 4th every year until this year. It just wasn't conducive for many volunteers to put in the hours and try to work the next day.  There is a disappointment among many, but I for one understand the dilemma.

            Yesterday was the first year they created a booth for Myrtle Creek Days.  The idea was to raise fireworks for the sawdust jubilee that will take place next year.  Jenna asked if she could assist and blew up some inflatable toys for them.   

When the inflatables were all blown and hanging, Shelly and Tony left and left Susan in charge.  So Jenna and I stayed so that Susan would not be alone.  We stayed after Annie had come to release Susan.  But still, it didn't seem right to leave Annie alone - and I'm so happy we didn't as it turned out the heat was more than she could bear.  I think it should be mandatory that there be at least two people in every booth - especially if more than one activity is offered - which in this case was two games - one throw two footballs through one hole, or get a ring around a hook (that one was the hardest of the two) 

            Jenna had asked if she could hang around with one of her friends, and I ran to the car for a bit.  When I returned, Annie appeared as though she'd pass out.  She had come prepared with water to drink and water to squirt on herself, but it wasn't enough.  She contacted the next shift and asked if they could be there early.  Jenna and I left shortly after they arrived - though Jenna would have been happy staying until closing - I knew Roland would have a problem with it.  I don't know why.  Leaving her with the community for a community activity feels a lot safer than having her just walk down the street in our prior Utah neighborhood.  But Roland doesn't know the community as well as Jenna does.

            I got in touch with Annie on facebook so that she'll be able to get a hold of us next year as she would like Jenna's assistance for the Sawdust Jubilee.