Come Follow Me

                I am so grateful for the Come Follow Me program

and have expressed my gratitude towards those that

share their talents through Podcast and YouTube and for

the Come Follow Me site on facebook. 

I am really good at following the program until about

mid-May.  Summer comes and I am not near as

diligent and tend to miss out.  At least  this year.  It

appears I had only missed one week of the

Doctrine and Covenants.  And that was in November –

the week of Thanksgiving when all of the family was

sick accept for Jaime. 

I do have another confession – though I’ve returned to the

program and some sources I have not been so diligent about

the Come Follow Me page on facebook.  It used to come up in

my feed when I was diligent about my research.  I need

to revisit.  I need to get back to my routine.

I am better with the fall.  If it would only stay autumn always.

I wish we could have taken Manuel instead of Ashley

     It wasn't so much that Kayla was not interested in the Enchanted Forest so much as the drive there.  Roland had asked to take off the last week of March.  It was my understanding that Kayla and her family had planned to leave their house on Friday morning on March 23 - which was the last day of school for Kayla, but not for the school districts in Salt Lake.  Their spring break did not until the following Thursday (the 29th) and so Roland had extra time off before the family arrived.

     He wanted to do something special with Jenna and asked her to invite a friend that we might take with us to the Enchanted Forest.  She had asked one friend who initially said "yes" but then had to tell her "no".  She then decided to invite Ashley, whom I had never heard her mention before until that week as she had been invited to Ashley's birthday party.

     Problem with many of Jenna's friends is not knowing the parents and if they would allow us to take their child with us to another county.  Kamie's mom would in a heartbeat, but Kamie seems to always cut their playdates short as she has been experiencing health issues.  It is hard enough fulfilling plans at home - let alone on the road.  That was probably not a good idea.

       Annette and Jenna had enjoyed each other's company two years ago, but not anymore.  I may have suggested her if it wasn't for her meddlesome and rather insecure mother - who at one time did seem to like us.  But the last time we took her on the road her mother had a fit.  It was the last time Annette and Jenna got together and Kylee is always busy.

     I drove Jenna to Ashley's house to meet her parents who seemed more than okay with our taking Ashley with us.  But then Ashley seemed to want to back out.  I told Jenna that she should contact Manuel - which I wish would have been my thought in the first place.  The entire point of taking a friend was so that Jenna would have someone to go on the rides with.  Manuel would have done that with her and they both would have enjoyed themselves - or so I believe.

          I'm not saying that Ashley didn't have a good time, or that I have anything against her.  I don't really know her still.  She seems like a nice girl.  She actually reminded me a lot of Jenna's friend, Savannah, and I caught myself nearly calling Ashley that at least three times.  Savannah may have been a good choice too, but Jenna says she doesn't know how to get a hold of her now.  But then again, I think Ashley may have displayed more enthusiasm than I have ever seen Savanah do.

     Our family had never been to the park before, and so we were not sure what to expect - though I had looked it up online.  In my mind, I had compared the descriptions to Pioneer Village section of Lagoon, an amusement park located in Farmington, Utah, as that is what I am familiar with.  While Lagoon offers many rides, there really is not a huge selection of rides in the Pioneer Village part of the park.

  

     Enchanted Forest seems to be divided into three main sections: Story Book Lane, Olde English Village, and Tofteville Western Town. 

      We started out on the left side of the castle exploring Story Book Lane.  Jenna and Ashley took several pictures of each exhibit as they walked the lane.  Jenna went into the "hole" where Alice fell

entering the hole - the dark part of the picture

and we met her further down the lane coming out of the keyhole.  

she walked through the keyhole to exit

I think she's really too tall for many of the exhibits but enjoyed anyway.  I think Manuel would have as well.  Ashely had started following her but turned back and met us on the trail.  I believe Manuel would have stayed with her and kept that beautiful smile upon his face.  I rarely ever see him without his fabulous smile.

     Jenna said her favorite exhibit was the crooked house.  Ashley went in with her but I did not.  It's challenging enough for me to stay balanced on the "switchback" trails.  Most amusement parks seem level, but there was definitely climb to this one.

Where is the Sun?

         I had not noticed what the temperature was when I left the house this morning, but it was cold. I grabbed a jacket and slipped on some long pants before I went. It's felt so hot for so long the drop in temperature makes it seem cold.  I didn't want our swim instructor to be there by herself.  Two other students showed.  The water was colder than the air was.  After fifteen minutes of movement, I still wasn't warm.  I got out of the pool just after 9:30.  It was warmer outside than in the pool.  It is still overcast, but no rain yet.

        There was a misty fog hanging over the hills this morning.  I love that sight, but think I enjoyed it more this morning believing it has helped clear some of the smoke - though yesterday was not as bad as Tuesday.  Skies were hazy with smoke since the solar eclipse had passed.  That isn't healthy to breathe.

         Jenna did not go with me this morning. Tomorrow will be the last day of class as our instructor got roped into substituting and training a teaching position.  I miss the class already.  I told her I'd take her to Happy Doughnuts on Monday morning.

          I do have more thoughts to post.  A meeting from last week, renovation update, and the agenda for the day of the eclipse (which I will probably post tomorrow)  but may not get to all of my thoughts until after Jenna returns to school as I would like to spend the last few days of her summer with her.

thoughts concerning mom and Tony

Yesterday I took mom to the hairdresser.

She said it was nice to see her hairdresser again as she hadn’t seen her for a long time . . . which she hadn’t.

As I drove her back to where she lives, she kept on asking who it was that had fixed her hair.

At Alpine Ridge she was greeted like a celebrity.  Everybody LOVED her hair.

She had to check the mirror again as she couldn’t remember.

“Who fixed my hair?” she asked again.

There was a noise coming from the next room.

The noise reminded me of a single bowling lane. 

Mom said she didn’t think that’s what it was.

Well, I knew that! That’s just what the sound reminded me of.

Mom tells me about the woman in the room next to hers.

Apparently they were the first two to live there.  No, not live.  They worked.  But Helen is getting slower.  She has . . .  well, she has . . .  she’s just slowing down.

“You’re all slowing down,” I thought..

Mom couldn’t remember the word “dementia”

Tony and Rochelle have been visiting.

They have to spread their time between two families.

They don’t always show within the hour that Tony says they will.

Usually not within the first four.

It’s not Tony’s fault.  But it is hard to make plans.

Plans for pictures and photographer.

I had made plans.  But Tony said there was a change.

So I decided that we would try again in February.

Evidently I hurt Tony’s feelings. I didn’t mean to.

They may have been on time at the park

But as they’d been wandering around, we didn’t actually see them until later.

But it wasn’t four hours later. 

But still – I can’t make plans for everybody.

I can only remind them.

I think Sunny was disappointed.  But I can’t count on Tony and Rochelle showing up on time.

And we’ve already had one family picture without Randy. 

Tony allowed himself to feel offended.  He’s trying to blame me for my comment.

And maybe I was out of line – but I also know he is hurting because there is truth in my comment.

We’ll do family pictures on Memorial Day – when Tony and Rochelle are back in Texas

But Corey and Joh will be here.  And so will my uncle.  My mother’s baby brother.  He is coming to see her.  That will be nice.  Tony and Rochelle may never meet him.  Well, not in this earth life anyway.

Corey seems more interested in family history now than he has ever been.

He particularly would like to have more information on my dad’s maternal side. 

I told him to ask our former neighbor.  Funny how George Bird would know more about our family than we do.  But his dad used to hang out with our great uncle.

I may be watching Ester this morning.  Or maybe not.  Tony may not want to leave her if he is upset.  I also volunteered to watch Anna and Garrett tonight.  If I have them all at the same time, perhaps I can get pictures of the four that I couldn’t get together in the park.  They won’t be professional like Bill’s would be.  It’s a little overcast thus far.  I may have to take pics indoors.  If I have them.  I haven’t even taken Jenna to school yet.  It’s a short day.  I forgot to mention that to Tony and Rochelle.

I seem to identify with Emily Owens

          I could have never become a doctor.  I especially couldn’t have been a surgeon.  For one thing I’m really not smart enough.  Even moreso, I am squeamish.  Major squeamish.  Finding myself nauseated by special effects shown in medical shows and even commercials.  I am a whimp. There really is no denying it.  I can’t pretend that I’m not.  Anybody who knows me knows that I can act my way out of a lot of situations, but not when it comes to my extremely weak guts.  I don’t have nerves of steel.  They’re more like silly putty.

          So except for the given profession, I just seem to relate a lot to the Emily Owens character on CW’s Emily Owen, MD.

          She has compassion for her patients – perhaps too much compassion.  She feels things and allows emotions to get in the way.  Sometimes what she says doesn’t match what she thinks.  Often it does as she scolds herself for saying the words. 

         

          She understands hurt feelings.  She understands feeling left out.  She understands certain emotions expressed by others.  She would like to be there for everybody and spread comfort and joy and has been told by her colleagues and supervisors NOT to get involved. 

          She’s attempted friendships with the friendless, has hurt feelings when “profession” gets in the way of others whom she’d like to be close to.  And has a rival who continues to insult her no matter how hard Emily tries to reverse it.

          It’s also given me a better understanding of doctors who seem to be inhumane with emotion – they have to be.  Otherwise they would be basket cases.  Tearing up during surgery is not a cool thing for the surgeon or any of the assistants.  They are actually better to do their jobs by not getting emotionally involved.  Perhaps that’s with any profession.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTgwBWdYvNQ includes lyrics

I wish the lyrics were included in the actual video.  I’m big on KNOWING what’s being sung.