My classes seem intertwined this week.

          I have been pretty good about figuring out the topic for the class discussions and have usually done by initial post on Monday.  I usually look at the assignment before the lecture, but seemed to have failed on looking at my history assignment in detail.  We are required to do a power point which usually wouldn't be a big deal, but Jenna is off from school this week and I hate leaving her alone, but I am required to have references.  Searching for articles, and creating cites is always so time consuming.  It steals away time, not just from me, but from my family.

          Lectures are on Monday, which has also taken away from family time - though I don't have to be at the live session.  I can always watch or rewatch the recordings.  My history instructor, thus far, has taken two hours to present the material - though the first hour is generally review on what I think I already understand.  At least she presents the material with passion, and I enjoy listening to her.  I have enjoyed most all of the required lectures I have watched (or listened to) with the exception of my professor from MAN103 - that was tough.  And there was a lot of review and less focus about what was to be expected of that particular week.

          I decided I would do my power point on immigration and transportation, specifically the steamboat and the train - show the evolution of product made in textile mills and other factories could use transportation for their materials, but new inventions for transportation created new jobs as well.

          Everyday this week I have opened five management files with the intention of reading, and each day I forget that they're there.  Tuesday I worked on my power point for history and did not give my management class a second thought.  Yesterday I made comments to both discussion posts.  In the history discussion we are to post on conditions now and then.  One of my peers left a comment about communication.  I think if I had not already turned in my power point focusing on transportation, I might have changed it to communication - which would have created more unnecessary work on my part.  I really do like history.  Roland enjoys it too and actually stayed for part of the lecture.

           The topic in MAN104 is on marketing shoes.   I have made it no secret that I don't like business nor am I interested in learning business techniques or marketing skills.  I do enjoy MAN104 better than I did MAN103.  The instructor holds my attention and answers my questions.  She also grades my discussion after I have made the initial post and two comments.  That is nice. 

          I have finished my assignment but have not turned it in as I am looking for Roland's input on my concluding thoughts - which feel like they're in limbo right now.  But perhaps if I can look at it again it will make more sense to me.  Right now I just want to focus on this day and not worry about my classes.  I plan to take the assessments tomorrow. 

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

 

Presidential Trivia

(this post is about presidents past and NOT the current election)

         

        Jenna and a classmate are going to give an assigned PowerPoint this week.  I haven't seen any of it as it was a project they worked on it at school.  The first PowerPoint that I remember Jenna doing for her current school was a presentation on one of our former presidents.

        Before she had been assigned this task, I had told her that if ever she was to do a report on an American President, to pick either William Henry Harrison or Gerald Ford as William Henry Harrison was Pres. for only one month and Gerald Ford is the only President that hadn't been voted to be president (or vice-president) by the public.  I just like interesting facts that set apart from others.  But I suppose they all have something interesting about them.

        She did get an opportunity to do a power-point on a president, but not totally of her choosing.  Presidents' names were written on a paper and placed in a hat or box.  Students could draw two and make a choice between the two names drawn. 

        She came home one day and asked what I knew about  Martin Van Buren.  Not much.  I know that he was president during the time when the members of the church were being harassed in Missouri and Joseph Smith went to the white house to talk to the president and was not impressed with Martin Van Buren and decided that he, himself, would run for president.

        Jenna thought that was a cool story and wanted to use it, but the story has more to do with the Prophet Joseph Smith rather than the  Van Buren - except to say that Van Buren was arrogant and did not want to interfere with Boggs order of extermination as elections were coming up and he did not wish to lose the vote in Missouri. (Stevenson, 2013)

        Though there are some names that stand out for us more than others, there is tons of information about each of our past presidents if we but look.

Abraham Lincoln was the tallest president while James Monroe was the shortest. (Fun Facts, 2003)

Teddy Roosevelt was the youngest President to take office (at age 42) while Ronald Reagan was the oldest (age 69) Taft was the largest president and had to have a custom made tub.

Franklin D. Roosevelt served more terms than any other president.  Grover Cleveland was President twice (#22 and #24)

James Buchanan was the only president to be single throughout his term.  According to the History Channel, Cleveland is the only president to have his wedding ceremony in the White House (Siese, 2015)

though John Tyler was the first to marry while in office

For more fun facts and scandal, you can visit the following (or click on cite dates in post)

AMERICAN HISTORY: Presidential Trivia, Fun Facts and Firsts. (2003). Retrieved from Legends of America: http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-presidenttrivia.html

Siese, A. (2015, June 3). These 2 Single U.S. Presidents In History Prove There's Precedent For Candidate Lindsey Graham's Bachelor Status. Retrieved from Bustle: https://www.bustle.com/articles/87904-these-2-single-us-presidents-in-history-prove-theres-precedent-for-candidate-lindsey-grahams-bachelor-status

Stevenson, F. (2013, May 20). Top scandals and controversies of each United States president. Retrieved from Deseret News: http://www.deseretnews.com/top/1512/8/Top-scandals-and-controversies-of-each-United-States-president.html

Another Post with Free Thought and Weather

          I like the sound of rain

          Good Thing as it

          has rained for most of

          this month

         

          We have skylights in

          our front room and

          our bedroom and

          sometimes the rain wakes me

          after I have fallen

          asleep

          I know it's wet and cold

          outside

          but every time it rains while

          I am inside

          I will get really hot

          I don't know why

          I usually sleep without

          a blanket or sheet except

          for around my toes

          My feet are always cold

          and thus I wear socks all

          the time

          I always open windows in

          whatever room I'm in

          Roland closes the windows. He

          doesn't like being cold.

          Heat escapes his body.

          Cuddling up next to him is like

          snuggling with a furnace.

          He likes to cuddle

          while we sleep.

          I don't like to cuddle

          when I'm trying to sleep, especially    

          when I'm trying to stay cool

          and I have these octopus arms all

          over me.  It's like

          having ten blankets on top of me while

          in the desert with the blazing

          sun

          Our son Tony is

          always cold

          He has no meat on

          his bones.

          I've never snuggled with

          him, but I have

          hugged him before.

          I think I could touch

          each of my elbows as

          I'm hugging him.

          He is that skinny.

          I don't know why

          as he eats like a horse

          He eats more

          than the rest of our family

          put together.

          I think eating makes him

          thinner.  That's not fair!

          At least that's how it

          used to be.

          I don't know how

          it is now.

          I know that his wife

          Rochelle is always hot

          She might not use blankets

          either.

          Tony once accused Roland

          and I of being penguins

          I know he would be cold

          in our house right now

          At least Roland is soft and

          padded

          Cuddling up with Tony must

          be like cuddling with a

          skeleton -

          all bony and hard

          I don't know if Rochelle

          picks up extra heat from him or

          not

          When he was a boy and

          we went to the beach

          I took lots of pictures

          his brothers made fun of his

          bony format.  Said he

          could pose as a poster child     

          for one who is hungry.

          They said he looked deformed.

          He's not

          He is thin.

          He says he likes the rain.

          I don't know why.

          I like it.

Would You Like to Come for Dinner - Keeping up the (non) Tradition

       The primary had their program yesterday and only one practice.  I didn't understand as it feels so late in the year.  I don't recall there being a primary program this late in the year - not with any of the wards I've been in - including this one.  Last year we had more practice and performed on October 18. 

       This is the first year that Jenna wasn't on the stage as she is no longer in primary.  But as I looked out in the audience, I could see her singing along, and it really made me smile.  I'd have to honestly say that it was my favorite part about having the primary program.  I think the children did quite well for only one practice.

       Growing up, my favorite thing about Thanksgiving was spending it with a different group of people than the year prior as I mentioned here.  The smallest Thanksgivings I can remember included only 5 or 6 people.  Those were: one year with just my family.  My second Thanksgiving in the mission field: our landlady, her son and his wife, and my companion and me.  And my last Thanksgiving with mom mentioned here

       Three of mom's children and their families were able to meet on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.  There were just over 20 of us gathered in a room between the kitchen and the cultural hall of my brother's ward.  My mom felt overwhelmed by the tremendous amount of people that were gathered there.  Roland, Jaime and I had only played one game one game and could sense mom's desire to leave.  The theater may not have been as crowded.  We had taken her to see the movie: Brave.  She seemed to enjoy herself as she no longer reacted to a possible crowd of people, but had lost herself in the movie. She said she liked it.

       The most people that I've ever had Thanksgiving with was just over 30.  Peggy Bird lived across the street from my mom.  Her Thanksgiving philosophy was the more people, the better.  It was held in a room by the kitchen of the ward building where her son attended Church.  That was a lot of people.   Several years later, Peggy invited my mom and her children to spend Thanksgiving at her house.  That year all of her married children had committed to spending the holidays with the in-laws, which would have made for a much smaller table otherwise. 

       Last year we drove to McMinnville to spend the holidays with Beth and Graham.  It was a nice to see them again, and of course, the meal was superb.  But the drive was long - not as long as if we'd gone back to Utah.  I think my oldest daughter-in-law was quite miffed that we didn't.  It just hasn't been practical or realistic for us to go back for just a few hours and then have to turn around and return as Roland works on the Friday after Thanksgiving.  I suppose he could ask for it off, but still.

       We had invited Annett's family to break bread with us this year, but as we never got a commitment and Nora is upset with us and doesn't even want Annett talking to Jenna at school, it was down to just Jenna, Roland and I. Jenna suggested we go to Home Town Buffet and would be okay with that, though I suspect she would like to have the association of others.  She missed her brothers and cousins tremendously. So we thought we'd try our hand at the community dinner here  in town.

       Yesterday we had two offers for Thanksgiving.  The first one from Roland's cinema buddy.  I had his daughter in sunbeams last year and his nephew this year.  And so we will be having our Thanksgiving dinner with all of their family.  And perhaps next year we can have dinner with the other family that asked after we had already accepted the other.  It will be good to spend Thanksgiving with two of three of Young Women leaders and help Jenna to feel more comfortable about going to Young Women's rather than primary.