Recycling Lights and Day 10

      Today’s Light of the World feature is to Highlight our hero on social media and just like last year (here) I think those who truly have Christ like attributes would NOT want to be showcased on social media.  Especially if they don’t see it in themselves.  Thus here is my post for day 10.

        Jenna had an assignment in which she was to write an essay answering different questions about a book character or a personal ancestor.  She chose the latter and we found an ancestor I knew I had stories for.  She needed more words than the three stories combined. As we couldn't answer all the questions accurately we fudged a bit on “what might have been” – it was quite a good essay, but not exact as we have no way of knowing if all the facts were actual – only that much of it was “based on truth”.

        When Jenna learned what Day 10 would be she excitedly asked if she could share her essay on facebook.  At first I told her that perhaps she shouldn’t as certain family members might take it as truth, but the more I thought about it I wondered how many would take the time to read it especially since "posting s story" seems more inviting to her than having to post it to the "wall".  

            I have many stories that I have shared throughout this blog. For the most part I have not posted them on facebook - mostly due to lenghth.  That’s too much information for facebook in my opinion.  And yet my brother would often write lengthy posts - especially during the time that his mother-in-law had COVID.  Those I would read - but sometimes would only scan.

        The experience that I am now sharing was from a different ancestor and another side than the one we used for Jenna. For facebook I will end up with only one paragraph that explains a journal but not much of a story line.  But I will share the story here and send a link to any of those that may be curious enough to want to read more:

        Just a brief history to hopefully make this easier to follow.  My great grandmother had four children.  Her only daughter married and had three children: my dad, his brother and his sister. Great grandma’s oldest son married and had six children (three boys and three girls).  The eldest of his children also had six children – five girls and a boy.  I will provide the names of four as I am about to mention the “story” and what unfolded as a result.

        My dad’s sister had four sons.  One I will refer to as Skyler. Dad’s cousin had the six children.  Her only son is Brett. He fits somewhat in the middle. The last time I remember seeing my second cousins was when Heidi was four to six years old.  I had forgotten that dad’s cousin had also given birth to twins after Heidi. I don’t believe Skyler knows about Brett or Heidi or any of the living relatives on that side.  But I could be wrong.  I don’t suppose it matters to the point of this story.

 

On March 29 this year was our second Sunday since the schools shut down and we were on a Stay-at-home order.  Skyler had shared a post about great grandma’s grandfather on a family facebook page.  He sent a Acrobatic link which included pages of Richard’s journal.  Richard is our 3^rd great grandfather. 

I did write a brief synopsis at receiving the journal (here) but did not mention what took place shortly after that. 

Brett has been active on ancestry and I thought he would be interested in Richard’s journal as well – though some of it is really hard to read.  At the time it did not appear that Brett had an account on facebook – though I have seen his name quite recently so must have created an account during the pandemic – I’m thinking in August.  I don’t know if he’s posted since then.

I am facebook friends with one of my dad’s cousins – Brett’s uncle, his mother’s brother.  I knew the names of three of his sisters but had no idea what their married names were and so went to their uncle’s account to see if I could possibly find them that way.  I saw that Heidi and I had two fb friends in common – her uncle and my daughter-in-law.  What?  How would my daughter-in-law know Heidi?  Turns out they had lived in an area that Heidi’s mom had grown up in and seemed to dislike.  I smile every time I think about her saying “Who wants to live in [place]” – and here she has at least two daughters living there.

 I messaged Heidi:

         “I understand that Randy and Carrie used to live in your ward.  I am Randy’s mother.  I am also your second cousin by way of your Grandpa J and my Grandma Helen.  I used to work with your mom at Snelgrove’s ice cream store.”

I mentioned that I’d been searching for her brother as I believed he might be the family historian and told her about Skyler sharing a piece of our 3^rd great grandpa’s journal and asked if they might have seen it.  Unfortunately I was unable to send the pfd. I asked Skyler if he could email it to her but do not know if Heidi was able to view it.  But I have shared other things with her – a photo of Randy and Carrie’s baby, a family photo of our grandparents, great grandparents, and her mom when she was three or four years old.  I also shared a photo I have shared on my blog before and our relationship with the Bird family (see here) 

          The point is I had made a connection with living relatives which to me is more important than lineage.  Not to take away from ancestry or those who thrive on it.  I have shared other discoveries on my blog as well as my lack of enthusiasm for family history in the past;  I do enjoy maintaining present and keeping records for posterity so they may hopefully have a better attitude toward genealogy than do I.

          Though I don't share the story of the ancestor himself,  I have briefly shared our lineage and the experience of connecting over social media.  I don't guess that's showcasing my ancestor - though he has become more than just a name to me. He evidently wrote some poetry in addition to his journal.  

not all the pages are this hard
to read but much of it is

Day One: Donate and Share on Social Media

        I am not the type of person who seeks recognition for performing an act of service or feel the need to blow my own horn and yet so many of the “Light of the World” suggestions want us to use social media to post our accomplishment or share suggestions.  This day for example

 

As though social media is not already flooded with donate to this cause – donate to that cause.  So and so is raising money for this charity or that – and now light of the world wants me to add to that:

 

        “Look what I did!” 

I can share a link I suppose. But I’m not going to.  I am not alone.  My RS president is not too thrilled with the idea of posting our every move when it sounds like we are blowing our own horns which I’m sure is not the intent of the church.  It’s probably more of a missionary tool and because of COVID may be limited to activities that we have done in prior years. 

 

        I have written something for day 10 which in my opinion is too long for a facebook post. I am sure I will be posting it to this blog before the 10^th.  Perhaps I will provide a link to the paragraph I have selected for my day 10 fb post.  I don’t think all my Light the World activities will make it to facebook however.  Does that mean I am not sharing the light appropriately? Would sharing a link on facebook make my light more genuine?  I don’t think it would.

Driving Conditions

 

                Rumor has it that the school district in this area has finally wised up to doing online schooling until the end of the year.  Cars were at the schools today but no buses on the roads.  Perhaps the instructors are still teaching from the school building. Seminary is still being held in person.

It is now too dark for me to leave the house in order to pick Jenna up on time.  I used to leave the house at 7:00 and take a longer route to the church but did not have that option this morning.  As there were no buses I thought I could make it in time but as I rounded the corner and saw a familiar car driving toward me. I stopped and the other vehicle stopped and Jenna got out and joined me.

Initially the driver didn’t want to make a stop on the way to the high school to drop Jenna off as he would encounter school buses.  Oh, I totally understand that, but as there is no school he was willing to drive her and I asked if that could continue.  Still waiting for a reply.

But then again, there is another girl who has stopped going to seminary as she does not go to public school either and her mom can no longer drive her.  They live in a different city – same as the driver who used to pick her up.  Perhaps he could add her back to the route again and we will have to find another way for Jenna.

It was raining this morning.  There is still a foggy mist engulfing the mountains.  Not drivable weather in my opinion but I have driven in worse – just not in this state.  Skinny windy roads is a challenge in itself – I don’t need the elements to create more challenge for me. 

Talents and Technology

  Today we watched a YouTube video that my daughter-in-law had sent a link for.  The video itself was only up for two hours but shared the primary program of one of the wards in Syracuse.  The video itself was just over 20 minutes and we were able to watch our granddaughter perform her part along with several others.

    Throughout this pandemic I have been quite grateful for the creativity and talents of others as they share parodies or bring so many together to perform in ways that they are not able to do in person such as these

 

Memories by One Voice Choir (here)

Chicago’s 25 or 6 to 4 (here)

Family Lockdown Boogie (here)

Coronavirus Rhapsody (here)

as well as many countless others.

Thank you to so many who have shared their talents and for the minds behind modern day technology which has made this all possible

Our Thanksgiving

         We started off the day watching the last half hour of “It’s a Wonderful Life”.  

Jenna decided that it would be a good time to put up the Christmas decorations and proceed to go out to the shed.  I followed as her last attempt at bringing in the Christmas decorations by herself ended in tears.  We brought the decorations into the house and then watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade – which has never really been tradition for me personally.  It comes on and people come and go while the parade plays.  Occasionally we glance at what is going on.  But come on.  Three hours of parade . . . that is entirely too long.  Parades should not drag on as I mentioned in this post 

         Thursday’s parade was pretty awesome – I think mostly because it wasn’t the traditional parade.  Everything took place in front of Macy’s.  Acts were performed – floats arrived – but it all took place within the same spot.  I thought that was awesome.

         The first number performed featured Jimmy Kimmel and cast performing “Dancing in the Streets” – it seemed full of life and gave hope to this bizarre year.  Most of the performers wore masks and carried social distancing (six-feet-apart) signs while they performed.  It was what was needed to liven up a Thanksgiving Day.  I enjoyed it and the “Schyler Sisters” number from Hamilton. 

“Look around, Look around to see how lucky we are . . .”  Jenna is not feeling lucky living in 2020.  (She is the one who suggested I add that comment)

 

Somebody had asked Alexa a question and some commercials came on. “Amazing Grace” played over a car commercial, health care and McDonald’s.  I thought “oh, how cool that they are playing this song during the commercials somehow linking them together” and then the music stopped and a black and white memory of Macy’s came on.  Then I decided Alexa had been responsible and that the “Amazing Grace” had been from her and had nothing to do with the ads (which did seem abnormal though I thought it was part of it . . . I don’t know why) and Jenna suggested I turn off the TV and turn it back on again in order to get sound.

Roland had dismissed himself to cut up the Christmas cards and gave the cut cards to Jenna so that she could fold them.  I stuffed them into envelopes and Roland sealed them after he finished with the cutting part.  We began to lose interest in the parade after a while but did manage to leave the parade on the entire time it aired.  Jenna put up the tree and we started decorating – even before we had our Thanksgiving meal.

Jenna had the opportunity of making the pizza dough.  We tried contacting the boys and Uncle Bill while the dough was rising. Each call was a bust. After the dough had risen Jenna and Roland made our Thanksgiving Pizza (which is a first for us . . . we usually have Turkey, Yams, etc.) and decorated with pineapple and ham.  We did talk with a couple of families while the pizza was cooking. We then ate our Thanksgiving pizza in front of the television.  We started watching the Christmas Chronicles part 2.  

Jenna excused herself after she ate.  Roland started to fall asleep and I wasn’t about to watch this squirrelly picture by myself!

 We called Jenna back in to discuss our gratitude.  I asked each one what they were grateful to since we moved to Oregon and what specifically this year.  We are all grateful that Roland is still able to work and is a job that we brought with us as he has been working remotely since before the move.  Jenna and I both appreciate living in the country as opposed to the city.  Especially this year.  It was nice to enjoy even just a few minutes being thankful.

        We ended the night with Jenna and I attempting to play games but ended up on with me on the computer looking up the events for Light of the World this year and her programming ideas into her phone about how to fulfill each day – disappointed with the request of posting said activities online.  Take day 10 for instance – “. . . learn about your ancestors and share their stories on social media” I don’t go into facebook to read paragraphs.  Does blogging count as social media?

Another Expression of Gratitude

         Over the years Jenna has had many photos taken with Santa.  This one taken in 2010  is my absolute favorite and I don’t even know who took it.  

We had been living in West Valley for only a week and were still not familiar with most of the ward members.  I did not have my camera and someone waiting in line to take pictures of her own children offered to take some pictures from her phone and said she would send them to me. 

It is rare that anybody from my past has taken pictures for me promising to send them and 20 years later I am still waiting knowing fully well that they will never be sent.  But this sister – who was only visiting our ward and not a member of it - took three shots of Jenna and she did send them to me.  For that I will always be grateful.

Roland asked me to send it to him so he could use it for the upcoming Christmas card. 

He recreated this Norman Rockwell using family photos – though not everybody was able to make the card.  The one brother not in the photo complained about leaving him out.  

I told Roland that he would but have come to think of it as symbolic as Tony and Rochelle are always running late.  They could have easily missed the photographer taking the picture – or maybe they were the one’s taking it.  I had told Roland to put masks on all of our faces.  He obviously didn’t take my suggestion.  Maybe if he had Tony might not have complained.

 I think Roland’s sending out cards is helpful to some of those on the receiving end – especially this year.

Gratitude Now and Then

Although many remain the same, I think I provided more detail with some of my 2020 answers.  Though I am grateful for the camera (#2) this year I put air conditioners and electric fans which I am grateful for when I’m hot.

Of course my favorite memory, story and song change on a weekly basis.  One memory I shared this year was about my niece which is the last story I shared in this post in 2012.  

This is what I had posted to facebook this year:

What is your favorite memory? I have so many great memories. I recently thought about this one as I had come across the word “amphitheatre” and was reminded of a time I had gone with my family to see a Desert Star performance at a Murray amphitheatre and my niece Candace (who I think may have been four or five at the time) had dressed up like people did in days of yore. Candace’s favorite video at that time was “Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” – anyway, during the performance there was a snag on “Forever Joseph” which was a parody combining “Forever Plaid” with “Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. Candace watched the performance in disbelief as she was quite certain the cast members were doing it wrong. Makes me laugh each time I think about it.

I do like the Christmas song Cannon I don't know that it's my favorite.

My favorite abilities in 2019 were to be able to write and create.  This year was:

although I don't have the same sprint as I did as a youth, I am grateful to be able to walk. I am grateful for the technology behind glasses and hearing aids which help able me to see and hear. Though my mind doesn't seem to process things very quickly, I am grateful that I haven't completely lost it.

In 2019 I referred to my favorite Christmas traditions while this year I turned to Thanksgiving:

What is your favorite tradition? Spending Thanksgiving with a new set of people each year. Most of our Thanksgivings in Oregon have been quite small. Two years ago there were five of us. Last year we had four. This year we will have three. I usually enjoy groups that are 8 - 12. I think we are just doing pizza for Thanksgiving this year. And that's okay. I like diversity.  I also enjoy playing games after Thanksgiving dinner which we have done almost every year.

I changed my challenge – being tried in a different way.  I referred to the elections and the gratitude I felt the other day when Joe Biden introduced a new group of people appointed to various positions.  It is a sign of this nation beginning to heal.  We definitely need that.  Good-bye Baby Trump.

My favorite expression last year I said was gratitude.  This year I said smiles.  So missing expressions behind the mask.

Four more to go.  But this list brings us current to today.

Walking Bonnie on a Scavenger Hunt

 

Jenna asked me if I would go on a walk with her and Bonnie.  She asked if I could look up a scavenger hunt list that we could do at the park.  I pulled up a list and sent it to her phone.  The rules were that we could not take something that we brought ourselves and no repeats.  At least one of us had to be in the picture with said item (as we would not be bringing any of it home) My rule was that we did not have to capture things in order – otherwise we would still be at the park with an empty list.

Twenty items were on the list. The list goes as follows:

Something covered in feathers

Something inflated by air

Something made of wood

Something purple

Something rectangle

Something round

Something shorter than you

Something square

Something striped

Something taller than you

Something that flies

Something that displays a rule(s)

Something that smells pretty

Something with wheels

Something yellow

Something you can sit in

Something you use to play sports

The letter “S”

Something covered in fur

Something with a date on it

The first thing we captured was number 12 – the park rules.  I think it is the only time Jenna wore the mask.

The second Jenna took of me and Bonnie.  #3 something wood

Jenna had mentioned that we would need something with wheels.  There is a large saw mill that we could take a picture of.  Only she thought I meant the mason stone which I thought she took, but found this instead.

4 something with wheels

Jenna spotted second Ave and thus we crossed the street and took a picture of #18 something that starts with S

point of interest: Top of street that leads to the park where
Jenna is standing is where the Christmas tree is placed
each year – thus second Ave is closed off for a month.

We did get a picture of the saw – not for S, not for wheel, but for #20 something with a date

perhaps not so much a full date as just the year

Jenna spotted the wheelchair marking on the ground and decided to lay next to it.  #8 something square

For number 17 “Something you use to play sports” Jenna and I decided that the baseball field would serve as the background as it is something that many do use to play sports

Jenna saw a group of people looking towards the sky and finally spotted the drone they were all looking at.  I suggested she take it for #11 something that flies.  It is the only picture that neither one of us were in.  She has circled the drone as it didn’t come out so obvious in the photo

I grabbed a couple of plastic bags from the park dispenser just in case we needed to clean up after Bonnie – who did take a dump but proceeded to bury it before I could pull the sack apart.

I then posed with a stump #7 something shorter than me.

I asked if the book drop could be used as one of list items.  She went down to investigate and there are some purple paperbacks

Bonnie followed her and tangled them both in her leash.  I wish I would have had a picture of that.  When Jenna tried to get them both untangled, Bonnie decided to chew on her leash

Though we had passed yellow speed bumps, Jenna decided the Oregon Duck rock had a more exciting yellow and thus posed with the rock # 15 something yellow

Jenna went into the restroom to take her picture sitting “in” something.  I didn’t realize she was going to choose the sink #16 something you sit in.

There were four small flags displayed behind a very small fence.  I asked Jenna if that would work – I liked the display.  She was not comfortable taking the picture however as there was a group of people nearby.  She found another flag and used it for #9 something with stripes. We could have also used it as either #10 something taller or #5 something rectangle – but stripes seemed the best choice.

Jenna then found a tree barely taller than herself and decided we’d pose with it though I thought we could have found a more exciting background with a different (and taller) tree

She took a picture of a squirrel – or attempted to rather.  I had Bonnie on the leash.  She dashed toward the squirrels and so it moved out of frame.

Jenna thought we could get another dog with other walkers but they went in another direction.  Further up we got our #5 something rectangle and #6 something round

It wasn’t until we had almost completed full circle when Jenna spotted another dog walker and asked if she could pose with their dogs but got only one that has a similar coloring to Bonnie.

Bonnie of course wanted to follow the dogs as she continued to bark at them and knocked Jenna over.

As we had not used the bags for Bonnie’s bowels and still had three things on the list Jenna decided to inflate one of the bags so that we could mark off #2 from our list.

something inflated by air

She approached two women and asked if they had any perfume or something that smelled pretty – though I had suggested plants that bloom in the spring time and might be fragrant, but I don’t know.  I can’t smell.  Jenna settled on a bottle of Pepsi.  I don’t know that I’d say Pepsi has a “pretty” smell – but that was our number 13.

And thus we left the park having marked off each item but the first – something covered in feathers.  We had heard birds in the trees but could not see them – nor did we find ducks in the water.  I told Jenna to take a picture of her skinned knee that she received when Bonnie pushed her over.  

Jenna, still determined to get her feather covered fowl took one from our front porch (no longer in the park – rather seven miles away) and almost as easy to spot as the drone.  The orange above her head is one of many fowl that come into our yard.

Overall it was a fun little adventure.  

Perhaps It Is Just an Outdated Word?

 

I often come across clues for the word nee

when I am doing crossword puzzles.

I remember learning this word as a youth. 

My mom had explained it to me and for some reason

it has stuck with me all these years. 

I don’t know why. 

I have never used the word in conversation

nor do I remember her using the word in a sentence

but I will write the three letter word

whenever I come across the sometimes obscure hint

and Roland will ask what it is. 

I don’t know why it stuck. 

I don’t know anyone outside of the puzzle creators that use that word. 

I don’t know if they use it in conversations. 

How bizarre!

Cold to Freezing

 It is colder outside than 

I remember it being the entire 

time we've lived in Oregon.  

I have even been sleeping with 

blankets which is highly unusual. 

I don't use blankets all too often 

except around my feet.  

Jenna has school for the next two days 

but will not be attending seminary at all.  

The students who attend the local high 

school are off for the week and 

thus is seminary.  

She wants things to return to normal.  

Most people do.  

We have an upcoming holiday in the U.S. 

It is called Thanksgiving.

There are many people who will 

spend the holiday with extended 

family members to eat a traditional 

meal that many include turkey, 

sweet potatoes, 

cranberry sauce and 

pumpkin pie among many 

other side dishes.  

Our governor has asked us to limit 

Thanksgiving to only six people this year.  

Though not everyone in the state 

will honor that suggestion, we will.  

There will just be the three of us.  

We won't be having our 

traditional Thanksgiving meal.  

Jenna would like pizza. 

Why not?