Typical Pandemic Birthday

 

I failed to mention that Saturday was

Roland’s birthday.

It wasn’t much of a celebration. 

Roland believes no birthday is

complete without cake.

He had handed a cake mix to

Jenna the night before.

On the box was a picture of chocolate waffles.

She made the mixture Friday night and we

made poured the mixture into the waffle iron. 

I poured a pecan frosting over the best pieces and

placed a candle on top. 

We wished Roland a happy birthday and ate

chocolate waffles for breakfast.

 

Later on the elders called to ask

if Roland had a key to the television room. 

They wanted General Conference to be made

available for those who chose to watch it at the Church.

Roland left the house to meet the elders at

the church and learned he the key he has

does not work in the room where the

televised devices are kept.

 

Later we met our former bishop at the animal clinic. 

Typical pandemic birthday.

A Chocolate Birthday

         Tossing and turning because I was hot.  It isn’t right for the weather to be so warm on my birthday – especially when you consider the start of the month was always overcast – sometimes raining. 

            The wind has been blowing – even though it’s been warm.  The winds have been cool – but not cool enough to keep us from turning on the A/C.

            I finally left the room at 3:45.  Jenna said “Happy Birthday, mommy!”  quite loudly. 

I’d forgotten it was my birthday – even though I had been reminded of it last night when I called the RS pres. 

My stomach was growling.  I had a glazed doughnut as Roland had brought them home and we have to eat them before they go stale – right?

Jenna bopped into the living room about 15 minutes later bearing gifts wrapped in Christmas paper.  I was not allowed to open any of them until Roland joined us – which wasn’t until four hours later. Meanwhile she played an array of music beginning with “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang.  Jenna never seems to love her own birthday as her enthusiasm increases for others’ birthdays.  She seemed particularly excited for my birthday yesterday.

Before I opened the gifts, Roland, Jenna and Alexa sang “Happy Birthday” to me. We didn’t take any pictures of me opening the gifts.  The first one Jenna handed me was a bag (which was a birthday bag) that contained two puzzles – one which I was certain I could finish in just one day and another hard looking one that I’m not as anxious to start to be honest. 

We still have another puzzle that is too long for our table.  I would like to put that one together. 

After I opened the puzzles, Jenna handed me a large box which contained wireless keyboard and mouse.  I now have three keyboards, though the oldest I will be throwing away as it is temperamental about if it wants to work or not depending on what position I have it in.  I cannot deal with it and have been using a smaller keyboard that I kept around for the laptop (as I prefer a raised keyboard to the built-in flat that frustrates me whenever I accidentally touch something that wipes out my screen) though number 7 has been sticking for quite some time and now the letter C seems to be having a mild attitude also. 

the paper she had used for the keyboard didn't quite make it
all around the box, so she taped this piece onto it to patch it up

The last gift was a game Jenna had picked out – one that we decided to play right away.  

 Of course she skunked me.

 I signed in to facebook to comment on a message my brother had left me.  While there I also said a thank you to those who had sent birthday greetings.  

I heard Jenna unloading the dishwasher, singing, and baking a cake.  Well, I didn’t actually hear her making it.  I heard her set the timer for it.  And then she started a conversation with Alexa and eventually triggered the 'echo' in my room to join in.  Thus I returned to the kitchen.

I don’t know if Melanie stopped by before or after the cake.  She brought me some flowers and four candy bars with the message:

You bring a mountain of joy wherever you go.  I really scored 100 grand when I got you as a RS counselor.

Randy, my youngest son, had called to wish me happy birthday and after I hung up with him, Roland said I had to come and get some cake.  They put three candles on the cake and sang “Happy Birthday” for a second time (but without Alexa) and we had cake at 9:00 a.m.

German chocolate cake with German chocolate frosting

But do not fret thinking I ate so poorly on my birthday.  Before we ended the “Meme” game, Jenna and I both had bowls of Cheerios and after cake we had scrambled eggs and sausage links.

 Jenna and I put the Mickey Mouse puzzle together in just a couple of hours.  It was a challenge using three different size puzzle pieces.  Though Minnie, Mickey and Donald seemed to work up rather quickly, Goofy and Pluto did not. (What am I talking about?  Jenna really did the majority of the puzzle)

My eldest son, Biff called to wish me happy birthday while we were putting the puzzle together.  Meanwhile I really enjoyed Jenna's enthusiasm as we listened to music and swayed and danced to a wide assortment of songs.

After Roland got off work we went to the big city of Roseburg where the majority of personal were wearing masks but the majority of clients were not.  No such thing (or room) for social distancing at some places.  Though some businesses have started to open in phase one most summer activities have been cancelled. No summer fairs, outdoor movies (which I would think would be safer than the indoor cinema if that should open) and music in the park. 

We stopped off at Arby's on the way home.  After we returned we played another game of "What Do You Meme" this time with Roland.  My other son, Tony, was the last of my boys to call with his birthday wish.

What an odd year.

Switching Bodies

I thought I would share some thoughts on the bizarre dream that I had this morning – though many of the details were already gone before Roland requested that I make pancakes – and then chop up some vegetables for the meatball stew . . .

“I’m not even dressed yet!” I thought.  After all I had mentioned that I had two hours before I would leave for work and that I needed to take a shower.  Thus this post has been put on the back burner.  So do I start with the dream or the cake? 

          I took pictures of the cake that we made on Saturday.  Jenna had done the entire cake part by herself and I frosted it and poured over coconut.  The intention was not for the purpose of giving the appearance of a giant snowball, but that is what I thought it looked like:

          So moving on to the dream which took place sometime between 3 and 6 this morning.  I remember it involved multiple documents – I don’t know if they were from bill collectors or court documents or what they were – but I didn’t want them.  They were wrongly given to me and I was trying to dodge them.  Granted, I am reading a mystery novel in real life and so I suppose some of my reading could have made their way into my dream but the weird part was trying to hide from it and driving to someone’s house to discuss it. 

I don’t even know whose house I had driven to except for my cousin was there and in the dream she had gone into nursing and knew the secret of body switching – which I had heard of, but was really nervous about it – yet I was willing to take the gamble in order to dodge whomever was behind the paperwork.

Now in real life I used to see my cousins often which gradually turned into perhaps twice a month and less than that after grandma died. And that was just my dad’s side.  I don’t even know my cousins on my mom’s side.  Ironically the oldest one lives in Salem just three hours away.

          So probably out of all my cousins I have spent the most time with Michelle – but Michelle was not even in this dream, but rather her sister Rose.  She is the one that suggested we switch out bodies and she taught me what I needed to do in order to make that switch.  It seemed to make sense in the dream, but doesn’t even remotely make sense as I write this.

          So I returned to Myrtle Creek and she returned to Logan (or is it Layton?  I don’t know . . . some city north of Salt Lake that starts with an L.  See how close we are?) and I am me on  the inside, but my outward appearance is Rose.  The documents stop coming and I am no longer harassed.  I am skinny.  I can wear eight layers of clothes sopping wet and still not weigh as much as Rose does in my body.  Why is it she was willing to make the switch with a heavy blob?  Is she in trouble with the law or creditors, too?

          I am able to eat several pieces of the snowball cake and my allergies haven’t bothered me.  

with banana ice cream made on MLK day

But the chin ring that Rose wears is killing me (I highly doubt that Rose has ever had a ring in her chin) and at the end of the dream I ask her when she wants to make the switch back.  She doesn’t seem anxious and I tell her I’m going to have the chin ring removed.

          I don’t know why my eyes fluttered, but I asked Roland what time it was.  He groaned as he turned to look at the clock and reported that it was six o’clock.  Jenna had forgotten to wake us again!  I woke up before Rose reacted or know if the chin ring was removed or not.  Weird