Jenna's notes

Keep in mind that Jenna's mind (not to mention the speaker's words) was going faster than her pencil.
They come with pictures.

she designed her notebook cover

Bonnie Oscarson did NOT make the comparison

to Thor's hammer, but as her talk was going 

faster than Jenna could write, she put the

first thing that her brain could think of.

see here

WE'RE (we are) all important

until I asked about the cat in the picture, Jenna

had never gotten the reference of killing a "fatted

cat" in the parable of the prodigal son.  I had to

stop laughing before I could correct her

last line was not from conference, but 

something was said that triggered the 

lyrics for a "Veggie-Tale" song

this was her favorite talk as it started with

attention grabber: "The Lion King"

I'll have to ask her about this one

yes, that is a rough sketch of

Elvis as Ellis sounds similar

It's "Accountable" not "a Cannibal" - sometimes it's okay to Laugh

          I suppose it depends on one's frame of mind if one gets upset with another who does something that may seem disruptive during conference - or perhaps laugh where it's not appropriate or - and here is the grandest of them all - be so focused and in tune with the Spirit, that the talks are the only focus and what may be viewed as disruptions by everybody else go unnoticed by the individual who is in tune.  I have been the grouch upset with disruptions, the one who laughs where it's not appropriate . . . unfortunately I have never been the individual who is so focused and so Spiritually in tune that I don't feel the least bit distracted.  That is my fault.  I haven't spiritually prepared to allow myself to remain focused.

          I was impressed at Jenna's willingness to take notes during conference.  I smiled as I watched her expressions - particularly with Todd Christofferson's talk - who made metaphorical reference to the sacrament.  I don't know why Jenna appeared to take it so literally as she wrote: "Bread makes you immortal and a cannibal" - when she finally understood the subject of his talk, she started laughing, and I laughed with her.

          It triggered another memory which didn't have to do with conference, but rather sacredness.  Sunny, my mom and I were gathered around the dining room table.  We honestly weren't even paying attention to whatever Ellen ( who was maybe five) had been watching from the couch.  (As I recall, two of us actually had our backs turned toward the television anyway, so it would have been awkward to watch) We started laughing at whatever the conversation had led us to.

          Ellen stood up and chewed us out, "This is not funny!" she scorned us.  "You shouldn't laugh at this."  We all moved our eyes toward her.  Behind her on the screen was the animated Savior being crucified.  I can guarantee that is NOT what we were laughing at - but in her mind we were being very disrespectful.

          I remember Corey sharing an incident with us about being in his Las Vegas ward.  He said the congregation was singing "God of Our Fathers" in which the third verse goes: "From war's alarms, from deadly pestilence"  only the word "pestilence" is broken up and "pes-ti" reads on the first line while "lence" continues on the second line.  So Corey is singing his heart out and belts out "pesti" and finishes with the first suffix that his mind can think of "cides"  When he realized his error, he was embarrassed and found it silly that his brain would allow him to believe the word "pesticide" would be used in any hymn.

          I personally don't believe that God is an eye-roller.  I think there are many times he is just as amused as we are.  I know there are times that He laughs just as we do.

          While searching for a children's song for primary, I ran across this site that I would like to share.

Save Our Library Crusade

Just over a year ago this month, I had finally been accepted to sit with the library board to make decisions - though our county libraries were in jeopardy.  I had turned in an application at the end of May and attended my first meeting in June.  I don't know why they hadn't accepted me as a board member at the time as I WAS THE ONLY ONE TO APPLY!

I started a crusade and campaigned on facebook from September until November's election.  Here are some of the clipart I had used as profile, post or cover.  It may not have been very effective as the majority of responses I received were from my Utah friends.  I had not thought to create at page for public awareness.

my sister-in-law had sent me this post.  I, in turn, had

shared it with some class mates from a management

class I had been taking at the time.

This includes 6 different profile pics

I incorporated pics of granddaughters in previous Halloweens.  Each remained on my profile for a  week. 

I wish we were part of a county library system still.  Our future still bears so much uncertainty.

These Milk Containers Have No Necks!

            Jenna's favorite holiday, without question, is Halloween.  She has loved Halloween for the last ten years.  She loves dressing up.  She loves decorating.  This year she is into morbid and spooky.  Initially she had asked if we could make some milk jug skeletons - and I am fine with it - but my milk jug skeletons never look like this

            I think of "milk bottle skeletons" as cute rather than morbid.  Perhaps that's why we haven't made them yet?  We were watching a tutorial about how to make them.  Costco bottle was suggested for the head as circles are already outlined on the carton - well, now - that all depends on what state you are in.  I remember bottles with the circles and actual bottle necks.

But Oregon Costco's don't have those milk jugs.  The Costco's here (as well as  Washington, I would imagine) produce milk jugs with no necks.  I had saved these for making hands and feet. 

 I had even thrown in a vinegar bottle. 
         Jenna has decided to not bother with the milk bottles this year.  I hope she was serious as I have crushed all of the bottles and put them into our recycling bin.  
You can go to YouTube and type in "milk-bottle skeletons" or check instructions on this site.

Family Fun Night

            Jenna came home with a flyer last week ordering us to attend the family fun night at Coffenberry Middle School.  

In this post I briefly mentioned the first one I had attended with her the first year that we had lived in Oregon.  I didn't mention the one that took place last year - a pirate theme, I believe.  Both Roland and I had gone with Jenna who hustled us from one room to the next.  Last year definitely felt the most crowded.  This year was the most fun for all three of us.

            Each year there is a theme and this year it was Western.  One of the faculty from the school had left a cheesy message as a reminder to attend.  Jenna is currently taking a class in leadership and so was expected to not only attend the event, but participate as well.  This is how she was dressed the entire day:  

             The faculty let her in early to eat and help set up. The front doors were locked, but Roland had gone around in order to let us in.  So he and Jenna were inside and I stood outside as other students arrived.  It was hot outside.   It felt cooler in the school initially.

            We were told to pick up to forms at the door - one was a map of the what activities were offered and one was for a treasure hunt to look at clues and turn in your "treasure" for a discount at the book fair. 

I don't normally purchase books because I  only need to read it once and move on.  That's one reason why I like libraries so much.  Less costly and book can be stored on their shelves freeing up space on my own.

            Jenna pointed out the two books that she would like to have.  Both good selections - but both she will tire of within a month.  She tends to become bored with things rather quickly.  I feel bad as I must have done that to my own parents as they spent money on things I would also get bored with. 

          Since Jenna was playing Sherriff, Roland and I were able to take our time moving from room to room.  This is the first year I remember participating in the activities and not just watching Jenna participate.  Roland and I each made bookmarks.  

I threw four hoops toward a forest of cones.  Amazingly I managed to wrangle three of them.  

            I had just finished decorating a cookie when Jenna found us and told us that she had warrants for our arrest.  Roland's cinema buddy had paid for the warrants. 

Convicts could leave after five minutes or pay a dollar (same price as warrants) to get out.  Most people were arrested for NOT wearing western attire.  I had worn a bandana.  Big whoop.  It actually reminded me of a time when my niece and friends were three or four and had decided to play dress-up.  Ellen and Nate dressed from head to toe in dresses and jewelry and hats and what have you.  Matthew wore beads.

            Though we were allowed to leave after just five minutes, it was quiet in the jail.  We had participated in everything but the line dance - though I don't know why we hadn't gone to try our hand at line dancing . . . whatever.  We stayed in jail about 30 minutes or so before the drawing and it was time to go.  I took a star.

One Piece Might Not Protect Me - I Need It All

          Almost two hours after Jenna left for school, I looked outside the window to see a fog so thick it had nearly swallowed my view of the houses across the street.  Normally I don't get so excited by something that has impaired my vision, but unlike the hazy smoke that had lingered at the beginning of the month, I knew that the fog was clean and moist and would lift and be gone until another morning.  I've never seen the clouds so closely to my face.  It was pretty awesome.

          Right now the sky is clear and blue.  It is a sunny day.  There is no evidence that the fog had descended so low.  The scenery is clean.  There is nothing to impell my vision or breathing.

          Last night we fed the Elders.  The sun was beating on our house and shining through the windows.  The kitchen is always so hot without it.  Roland had the A/C on high and a fan had been set up to blow the cold air into the kitchen.  What cold air?

          We have a skylight in the front room, but Roland had covered it last year when the sun was pounding through - thus the room is not as well lit as the kitchen or our bedroom.  But I decided that we would eat in the living room as it was cooler than the kitchen. 

          We had Hawaiian haystacks and visited for a while before the elders excused themselves to go to their appointment. Elder Mafi left us with a thought about putting on the armor of God - a topic which I have taken all too lightly this month - and especially this week.  It's my final week for the two classes I am currently taking and I have been lacking ambition and motivation.  I haven't been wearing my entire armor of God - perhaps a piece here and there.

          Elder Mafi compared each part to an action such as scripture study or prayer.  I've only been wearing pieces of the armor - or worse - only just trying it on and not long at that.  I thanked him for the reminder.  This morning I woke up thinking about this song.  I also looked up images and subject to strengthen that which I would like to embrace and apply.

          Just as an orange without peel (it's armor, see here) I will sink in the waters of despair.  I want to wear my armor in order to stay afloat. 

          I also looked up and watched this video

Tiny Vegetables

               And now for the post you've all been waiting for . . .  just kidding.  I had saved  the words of my post to a draft and planned to add pictures when I returned from a meeting - only the Internet didn't seem to want to connect for me, and so I had to wait until now so that I could post pictures and captions

          Sunday started out overcast and I dressed in some warmer clothes.  And then I changed.  I had my hair down, but put it up to keep it off my neck. I had changed four times within 2 and a half hours (but one change was because I found residue of grime that just didn't look good)  Thus yesterday morning I hung laundry as it felt like it would be warmer than it had on Sunday.  It rained.  Not a heavy rain, mind you.  But it certainly wasn't going to help the clothes to dry!

          Roland says the deer have been getting in our yard and eating plants.  Here is what one of our pepper plants looked like last week:

Here's how they look right now:

          The chili pepper, hot pepper - whatever you want to call it - was an accident.  I found one hanging from the tomato bush.  Evidently not on the deer's eating agenda.  Serves it right for stealing from us.  So much hard work.

Tall corn plants:

producing tiny corn:

That wasn't supposed to be a cherry but rather a full size 

tomato - just like the corns were supposed to be bigger

This afternoon we found a carrot fetus among our strawberry plants:

We didn't even plant carrots!  At least not since we've been in Oregon.  Roland decided to replant the fetus and keep it in the hot house.

Hopefully it will continue to grow.  Other treasures of food morsels 

The last of the beets.  I pulled up four.  Could eat them whole

as they were tinier than the tomato and corn pictured above

This is an apple that made it's way into our yard

(they tend to roll toward the strawberries)

before the deer came

Our melons aren't as small as the other vegetables, but still quite small for melons.  Roland made some slings so they wouldn't pull down the trellis.  We wonder if we'll be able to eat just one of them

We bought a new food dehydrator - so much different than the screens my mom had used.

this is just an example - kind of what it looked like - though

my mom never tried cucumbers or zucchini.  We did bananas

and apple fruit leather.  I think we put the fruit between two screens.

It seems like there was a box, but maybe not; 

technology has definitely made things easier.

We sliced just three bananas to start out with.  See if it will be worth it.  

I don't think it was