Wednesday

          Every third Wednesday the Roseburg cinema reserves a theatre for the senior members of the community to see a recent feature.  The theatre doors open at noon during school but at 9:00 am during summer.  Roland decided we would head to the theatre, return to the house after the movie ended, collect Jenna and go and see Crater Lake. 

Before the movie started there was the education and ticket drawing.  My ticket (or Roland’s ticket – I had them both) won a coupon for Lighthouse Bakery and Café which neither of us had been to or had even heard of for that matter. 

Crater Lake got cancelled as it was pouring.  I was more excited about the rain than my disappointment in seeing the lake again (neither Jenna nor Roland have ever seen it in person).  Roland had heard that admission to the park would be free on Sunday.  By the time church had ended, Roland just didn’t feel like making the trip.  Thus they still have not seen it.  I don’t think Jenna cares however.

          We had also planned on going to the farmers’ market.  I don’t know whether it got cancelled or not.  We forgot about it.  We’ll have to try again next week.  Jenna announced that the activity for young women’s had been cancelled but I believe it was made up for the following night.

          We played three rounds of Sequence before Roland excused himself to research some business whatever.  Jenna and I played one round of Scene It.

Field Day

Field Day is a way for the elementary schools to transit from the last week of school to beginning the summer vacation.  The idea is for children to have fun playing games and friendly competition. I remember volunteering for Field Day at South Kearns Elementary.  I believe I had signed up three different years.  I know we got rained out at least two years, but there may have been one room in which we were able to complete the competitions.

There were a parachute and relays, water games, racing with a spoon and keeping contents from spilling over.  I don’t remember being involved in another field day until yesterday as I had agreed to sub this week.  It felt weird going back after having been off for a month.  

I felt awake when I left the house but somehow grew tired after having entered the building.  I don’t know why.  Every time I entered a classroom I seemed to go deaf. I was constantly asking students to repeat themselves.

We didn’t have to go out for recess or take classes to the lunchroom.  Instead, we sat with the classes as they ate their sack lunches while watching a movie.  That gave a bit of time for the instructors to have their lunch before field day started.  There were both outdoor and indoor activities for each class to go to.  I’d been assigned to stay outside with the older kids for the first half hour before we switched up with the younger kids who started out in the lunchroom.

I don’t know all the activities that took place.  I had been assigned the station with the tether balloons and squirt cups.  It was so dang windy that the tether balloon wasn’t going to happen.  It also blew down the cups that we were supposed to set up and have the children squirt down with water bottles – which seemed fun for the majority of them who participated.  

I also saw a bubble station in which the wind seemed to work in their favor and dressing up and racing in oversized close.  Didn’t quite get that one, but the kids looked as though they were having fun.  I don’t know any other outdoor activates that may have been on the other side of the building. 

The indoors offered activities related to science.  The table I stood at offered this:

http://familyscienceandengineering.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/GlueClueSample.pdf

http://familyscienceandengineering.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/GlueClueSample.pdf

        

          Friday will be the last day of school.  According to Jenna, school should have ended last week but was extended to make up for the week missed in February.  I don’t know if that’s accurate as I remember that school was still in session when we moved to Oregon, and we did not move in until June 17.  I thought having school that late in the year was crazy – but I don’t know.  Perhaps they got a late start due to fire season . . . I know it wasn’t snow as the residents here hadn’t seen snow for eons until the year we moved in and have seen it almost every year since.

I Love Our Communities

from last year

             Friends of Myrtle Creek Library did not have a booth this year.  Jenna was bummed as she desired to lure others to the booth as she had last year.

            While at my swim class, one of the women stated that she would be manning the booth for the Riddle Library.  How awesome.  When I returned home, I let Jenna know about it.

            Turns out that it wasn't a booth for the library after all, but rather the sawdust jubilee which is held the Saturday before July 4.  They had actually held it on the 4th every year until this year. It just wasn't conducive for many volunteers to put in the hours and try to work the next day.  There is a disappointment among many, but I for one understand the dilemma.

            Yesterday was the first year they created a booth for Myrtle Creek Days.  The idea was to raise fireworks for the sawdust jubilee that will take place next year.  Jenna asked if she could assist and blew up some inflatable toys for them.   

When the inflatables were all blown and hanging, Shelly and Tony left and left Susan in charge.  So Jenna and I stayed so that Susan would not be alone.  We stayed after Annie had come to release Susan.  But still, it didn't seem right to leave Annie alone - and I'm so happy we didn't as it turned out the heat was more than she could bear.  I think it should be mandatory that there be at least two people in every booth - especially if more than one activity is offered - which in this case was two games - one throw two footballs through one hole, or get a ring around a hook (that one was the hardest of the two) 

            Jenna had asked if she could hang around with one of her friends, and I ran to the car for a bit.  When I returned, Annie appeared as though she'd pass out.  She had come prepared with water to drink and water to squirt on herself, but it wasn't enough.  She contacted the next shift and asked if they could be there early.  Jenna and I left shortly after they arrived - though Jenna would have been happy staying until closing - I knew Roland would have a problem with it.  I don't know why.  Leaving her with the community for a community activity feels a lot safer than having her just walk down the street in our prior Utah neighborhood.  But Roland doesn't know the community as well as Jenna does.

            I got in touch with Annie on facebook so that she'll be able to get a hold of us next year as she would like Jenna's assistance for the Sawdust Jubilee. 

A Dictionary on the Table

            Mom and I had played "Scrabble" on occasion, but I preferred playing "Upwords". 

We used to play several times a week. We had a dictionary on our kitchen table at all times - or that is how it felt anyway.

            Our dictionary eventually got torn up a bit, but it was nothing compared to the tiles of disappearing letters.

  

            They would scratch off and we attempted to go over each with a marker until finally we just broke down and purchased a brand new game

 

            Eventually those tiles wore out as well.  After I married mom purchased another upward game with a more spacious board and smaller tiles.  After she had gone into assisted living, I took the game to live in my household.  It was this version that made it to Oregon with us.

            It is a game Jenna doesn't enjoy playing, but recently Roland has made the sacrifice of leaving the TV in order to play "Upwords" with me.  We don't yet have the sparing relationship that mom and I had together - often playing two or three games in a row.  Roland's maximum (so far) has been one.  It hasn't come close to the competition which mom and I had experienced, but it seems to be getting there.  I am grateful for Roland's willingness to work his way into becoming an "Upwords" rival.

Christmas dinner

                I don't remember having met Shelly's mother before, but  she seemed to recognize me.  Many of our town's citizens had gathered downtown for the lighting of the tree on December 2nd.  I was making my up 2nd Ave. to the library annex when she spotted me and waved as though we had been buddies for quite some time but seemed to have lost touch.  She asked about Jenna and mentioned the desire for getting Shelly and Jenna together.

          Shelly and her mom had moved to Myrtle Creek last year.  I don't know what time of the year Jenna had been invited to her birthday party, but I know we were already living in Tri City at the time.  It was the first time I had dropped Jenna off at a friend's house without meeting a parent first.  Shelly was attending the same middle school as Jenna but did not return. She has decided to do her schooling online instead. 

                I believe that Jenna and Shelly have hung out together four times since December 2nd.  We even did a sleep over at our house.  Shelly and her mom had gone to an afternoon tea party at the grange where the ward had our Christmas party that same evening.  As Shelly was already there, I had invited her to attend the ward Christmas party and hang out with Jenna.  Roland had volunteered to pick up some neighbors and drive them home and the amount of passengers became more than our car could hold - thus we made two trips and allowed Jenna and Shelly to play together.

                I have tried to remain faithful to the positive challenge and had read each day prior but had forgotten the challenge for day 11. It was before I had taken the girls caroling that I had texted Shelly's mother  to ask if they would like to come for Christmas dinner.  I hadn't realized that was the challenge - to do something unexpectedly.

          After I brought the girls back to our house, we received the following message from a ward member:

 

          Shelly and her mom did come to have dinner with us on Christmas day.  I had on my tacky cat sweater and was just about to pull it off when they showed up.  Shelly's mom seemed to like it but I was hot and don't do well with long sleeves and food.  Shelly and her mom are always cold.  Before we ate, the girls exchanged gifts.  After dinner Shelly and her mom play games with us.  Shelly's mother really did enjoy herself.

          I ended up giving my Christmas sweater to them. Perhaps I should have asked Jenna first as she said that she liked it.  But I think it will get more use being at Shelly's house.  Roland was okay with it as he hadn't particularly liked the sweater either but had purchased it believing that I really did like it. I wish I had shown the same gratitude that they had.

Way to go Jenna!

Two of our boys had said they’d come for a visit this week.  Roland took the days off so he could spend time with them. They both cancelled, but Roland still has the time off. Neither Jenna nor I have classes and so are on vacation as well.  Let us vacation – do something we don’t normally do.  We’d like to have Roland eliminate the TV.  We wouldn’t seriously be watching TV if the boys came?  Roland said we’d probably go to a movie? Are you kidding me?  I’m not spending 13 hours of driving so that I can go see a movie.  I want to visit.  I want to play games.

After Jenna and I returned home from our jaunt downtown yesterday, we made a gingerbread house. 

Roland and I held the house part together and Jenna did the majority of decorating.

Roland added to it a bit when she was through.

 I think we played three different games before Roland announced he was getting tired and would watch TV.  Jenna then fired questions to him about his childhood and things he did; his likes and dislikes and so forth.  She kept him talking for three hours.  I missed the library meeting AGAIN – but the communication and discovery was so much more important.  I’m happy that Jenna could steer Roland away from the TV for so long and that Roland was willing to share of himself and his time.  No more television watching would be the most awesome Christmas present ever!

Symbolisms and Parellels

I don’t know how old I was when I was introduced to the parallels between the ancient prophets and Jesus – and how there have been so many symbolisms throughout their life.  For example:

 Pharaoh's orders to slay the male children (Moses) and Herod’s orders to slay male children (Jesus)

Noah and his family in the ark for 40 days and nights as Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights 

Joseph’s brothers (Judah in particular) selling him to the Ismaelites for twenty pieces of silver as Judas Iscariot had betrayed “selling” Jesus for silver pieces.

Or Jonah having been inside a whale’s belly for 3 days before he was spit out or Jesus having been inside a tomb before the stone rolled away

As well as countless others.  As I searched for scriptural references, I found these three links (Moses, Joseph, Joseph Smith) that go into a lot more detail than what I have here. 

As the last speaker in our sacrament meeting yesterday related the account of Mary looking into an empty tomb and weeping, and checking it again to find two angels.  I thought of the story found in 1 Kings, particularly vs. 7 when Samuel asks a woman to prepare a meal for him and she tells him it is all that she has.  But as long as she continues to prepare his meal first and then return to fix meal for herself and her son.  I wonder if she looked on with the same surprise and awe as Mary may have when she found angels where her Savor was supposed to be.

Danny had prepared the lesson for primary.  She had decorated the room in plastic eggs – which excited Thomas to no end.  I just happened to be sitting next to him and did my best to try and control his excitement - and asked why we celebrate Easter.  The lesson was good.  Danny really put a lot of thought into it, and demonstrated our imperfect lives (chewed up gum) to the possibilities of making us whole (none of us were able to put our chewed gum into the wrapper to make it appear as it had before we chewed it)

Afterward, Danny allowed for a match game.  Hidden in each egg were pictures depicting the Savior's life.  24 eggs and 12 pictures.  After all the pics were matched, Danny than allowed the children to put the pictures as they would see them on the timeline of the Savior's life. 

We then sang "I Stand All Amazed" - a hymn I had memorized several decades ago as my eyes are always too blurred to actually see the lyrics.  I was a Spiritual wreck by the time class ended.

           

The Things We Learn

          In these two posts (here and here) I mentioned how much Jenna loves learning about her family members. Until we had played Chatter Matters, she hadn't known that Roland used to play the trombone - or anything about his childhood really.  Usually it's just her and I, but she did manage to rope Roland into playing with us between conference.  After she won the game, we continued to go through the "family room" and "my room" cards so that Jenna could know Roland a little better. It reminded me of when my sibs and I would force the Ungame questions upon my dad.

          My parents actually did three listed on the card - hiking was more of a seasonal activity  or annual thing - and it was usually a part of either a daytip or full vacation so the specific places we hiked were Yellowstone National Park or Timpanogos Cave in American Fork, Utah.

           I don't know that shopping was ever restricted to just the weekend.  Movies also occurred on days other than the weekend.  I chose number one for myself as they took us to church which falls on the weekend.  By process of elimination, Jenna and I guessed that Roland's family would go shopping choosing from just those four.  Church was definitely out and they didn't seem like they'd be much for hiking. His parents (well his dad in particular) liked to have drinking parties - but that wasn't on the card.

          I remember going to the drive-in theatres when I was younger.  Mom and Dad had taken Patrick and I to one drive-in theatre called the Woodland.  The walls that surrounded the theatre were decorated in colored bubbles - like on a loaf of Wonder bread - but with more colors. 

There was a playground area for children to play before the movie started or even during intermission (because there was usually a double feature or sometimes movies that actually had an intermission; but we may have been asleep by then. 

          I also remember going to different movie theatres with my family both as a child and an adult;  Roland says the one and only time he'd ever gone to the movies with his parents is when he was an adult and had paid for all three of them to see "Kelly's Heroes"

 

Not all multiple choice, but once again Jenna and I had both predicted that Roland would answer "Watching TV".  I don't remember actually ever sitting down to watch TV as a family - unless it was something like "The Wonderful World of Disney" 


Mostly we played games or talked.  I don't know any families who read together.  Unless it's the scriptures - which I don't imagine would amount for "more" time spent.

          I don't know that Roland's family watched TV together either.  It was long before cable, and the TV offered only three stations.  There were no remotes and so the kids had to act as the remote and turn the station to whatever dad wanted to watch. 

       We learned that his father had only a fourth grade education and would often get drunk and come home and line up his children and say, "Your mother and I don't owe you a living".  I think my mom's dad may have been that way.  She said she was scared of him and when he would get drunk he would smack her mom around.  She was determined to give her children a  family environment different from the one in which she had been raised. 

         Roland's family didn't believe in families like mine - nor did I have any clue that families like his existed.  As I grew up, I realized that my family was not the norm. when we had all worked for Snelgrove's, for example, (each of us having worked there except for my dad) we would take the change out of our pockets and Kayla's would remain on the kitchen table for a few days.  None of the rest of us would take it as we knew it did not belong to us.  The money would have been gone in a heartbeat with many other families. The older I get, the more unrealistic my family seems.  That's too bad. 

          I don't know about Roland's side, and I don't believe he knows either.  But he counts Uncle Ted as family, and so with this question we all answer Uncle Ted - who celebrated his 100th birthday in February (I don't know why I didn't post about it to my blog; I did to facebook)

          My parents met at a Church dance.  I was surprised to learn that Roland's parents had met at a dance also.  He said his dad had been going with another girl at the time but had told his mom that someday he was going to marry her.  I think she just laughed it off - probably rolled her eyes as I did when Roland proposed to me.

          It had surprised us all when Roland said his favorite movie was/is "Oh, God, you Devil"  He received it for Christmas one year because he had said it was his favorite.  I have only seen him watch it one time.

          It's great how some memories will trigger others.  I think these questions are great conversation starters and I am happy that Jenna prefers this interaction over spending time on electronic devices.

Just Who is in Charge Here, Anyway?

It seems like there is always something to do on the 4^th of July.  Salt Lake has their big parade on the 24^th, but Provo (not incredibly far from Salt Lake City) offers a parade.  As mentioned in this post, one can find a parade somewhere during the summer.  I think there is one going on every week.  

Fireworks are also shot in the sky throughout the summer.  Neighbors have their personal fireworks and there are shows throughout the valley on different nights and different locations.  Probably the most impressive are in Sugarhouse (offered on the 4^th) Rice Stadium (University of Utah also on the 4^th) Fire, Water and Ice celebration in Kearns (1^st week in August, I believe) and baseball stadiums as well as others. 

I have a problem breathing around the fireworks.  Over the years I’ve tapered off from watching outdoors to peering behind a window – should I happen to be up (usually I’m in bed)

Last year Jenna spent the holiday with two of her brothers and felt cheated on missing out this year.  I looked on the net for 4^th of July activities in the Roseburg area.  I emailed our friend in McMinnville and facebooked my cousin in Salem to see if they knew of any events surrounding their towns.  I was referred to Eugene by one and so looked up and actually saw a promotion for Glendale on three different sites – two news stations from Eugene. 

The hype was written something like this:

2015 July 4th Celebration - Glendale Oregon

This is a daily event, running from July 2, 2015 through July 4, 2015. 11:00 AM Memorial Park - Glendale, Oregon (Right across the street from the Post Office on Pacific Ave) 541-832-2245 cowcreekvalley@outlook.com

July 2nd the fun begins at 11:00 am! The Food Booth Opens and all Vendor Booths will be open. The Kids games will be starting also! (Tickets 25 cents each or 5 for $1.00). All children win a prize! THE WATER SLIDE IS OPEN AT 11:00 am!!! Let’s not forget the Car Bash!!! There will be Bingo at 1:00 pm and the dunk tank starts up at 1:00 pm also! At 5:00 pm the Silver scramble will be starting for three age groups! At 7:00 pm the drawing for the 4th of July Raffle (Which includes being able to start the fireworks) will be held! Then we will have the Shirley Davis Memorial Cake Walk!

July 3rd We start again at 11:00 am..... The water slide- Food Booth – Kids games – and Car Bash!!!! The Dunk tank and the bingo will start up again at 1:00 pm! At 4:30 – Pinata’s (three age groups) – this is free folks! At 6:00 pm a Patriotic concert in the park put on by the Churches in the area! After the concert try your hand at a Watermelon Eating Contest! All Ages! then 8:30 to 10:00 pm some music in the park!

July 4th – Breakfast in the park from 8:00 am to 10:00 am! The Car Bash will be still happening and then the Water slide will open at 11:00 am. The Annual Parade line up will start at 12:30. At 1:25 pm the National Anthem will be sung by our own Lyla Rose! The parade will start at 2:30 !!!!

Then the highlight!!!!! THE BEST FIREWORKS SHOW IN SOUTHERN OREGON WILL BE HAPPENING AT THE GLENDALE HIGH SCHOOL! The Concession stand opens at 8:00 pm and the Fireworks will start at dusk! If you have not seen it yet folks......You really do not know what you are missing!

Come on out and join in the fun! Hope to see you there!

We decided to take Jenna to Glendale on the 3^rd as we believed the 4^th would be more crowded.  But first she and Roland went to Roseburg to deposit two checks and to pick up a few items.  I chose to stay home and wait for a handyman to come fix the rental refrigerator.

I seriously was more impressed with taking the drive to the sleepy little town of Glendale and the return back to Myrtle Creek than I was with Glendale itself or lack of activity.  It was major disappointment for Roland and me – and appeared to be even more disappointing for Jenna – until we finally found someone who would man the games.  

Glendale was definitely cooler than in Myrtle Creek (which everybody here says is very unusual.  They say it NEVER gets this hot – which is good to know. Because even though I’m from Salt Lake and people think that I’m probably used to the heat – I will NEVER get used to it) and it was really pretty.  I also enjoyed the temporary Christian music that I haven’t heard much of since living in Oregon. But I think I’ve had my fill of Glendale and don’t plan on ever returning. 

When we arrived, the main street was closed off for a block – as if the town had planned something exciting for the entire community and was expecting loads of fun.  And maybe it was in the average Glendalians mind – but I didn’t think it was very well organized.  Some of the booths appeared to be closed even though they had signs of events taking place.  And some seemed to have events set up but no one to man the stations.  Obviously a trusting town with no crime whatsoever.

We had passed one booth of throwing darts into balloons for used stuffed animals. The lady at the booth told her husband tickets were five for a dollar or fifteen for five dollars.  What kind of deal is that?  

Jenna rode the waterslide three times but didn’t seem happy.  She wanted to play the games that had been left neglected – but looked fun to play in her mind.  Roland purchased some melted ice cream for her.  It was actually a very generous scoop.  It must have been seven times the size of the cone.

I was hungry for real food and decided on some nachos.  While the chips themselves were delicious, I wasn’t all too impressed with the gloppy cheese.  Jenna had intended on sharing with me, but was even less impressed.  We ended up throwing away not quite half – but enough to call waste.

Roland finally found someone to take charge of the games, and Jenna knocked over bottles and cans to win more stuffed animals and ended up taking home an armload of cherished pets.  I’m glad she warmed up and actually enjoyed having fun.  Guess I’ll take her to the swimming pool tonight.  I don’t foresee fireworks happening this year.

Learning Geography part 2: South America and Flags

Jenna and I have played “Crazy Countries” a game much like Crazy 8  Of course the Africa continent deck has a lot more cards than say Oceania or South America deck and so we of course don’t play with all of the cards.  We’re not learning countries so much as continents – for I have told Jenna that whenever we use a wild card to change suit, we have to say by continent rather than color.

I took Spanish in 9^th and 10^th grade.  In my first year, part of our lessons included studying  the countries in South America.  We were also assigned pen pals to correspond with in hopes that it would help us learn our Spanish and assist our pen pal with his or her English.

The map of South America looks the same way I remember it looking in 1975.  It looks the same way today.  And I am impressed by the stableness of the boundaries.  It makes geography so much easier to learn (and share).

 

After playing “Crazy Countries” (the only game we have played thus far) I thought I would impress Jenna with my knowledge of what countries fit where.  I got half right, and although I remembered all the names (except for Suriname) , I wasn’t able to match them to their appropriate shape until she showed me the flags.  Not that I remember learning the flags.  It was through a different source that I thought I might have enough  material for another post although I would like to just tack it onto what I started yesterday.

My ability to recognize flags did not come from geography.  It actually came from the Mahjong tiles found on the Internet.  I wanted to know what flags belonged to what countries, which led me to the cards, which led me to an imaging index (as I could not find four of the flags among the cards; and I also learned that some of the flags were out of date) 

Even though Czechoslovakia had changed its name to Czech and Slovak Federal Republic  the flag on the card still remained the same as when the card was first printed. Somehow I allowed myself to obsess over knowing all of the flags I could find.  I don’t even know how long ago.  I have since moved on to other things and probably couldn’t even make a proper guess with just a forth of them. (I don’t know how many countries I came across that I had never heard of before this obsession)

 

 

You know what fascinates me the most?  Places like Egypt and Rome that have been around since the old testament seem solid somehow and then there are surrounding countries that can’t seem to settle.   I love the consistency that I have explored with South America – though I have questioned this map:

 

 

 

 

Is that an upcoming proposal?   or is the map purely bogus?