Reminiscing Easter

LaTiesha

        My first Easter dress was yellow and had a fish on the collar.  I had put the dress in my hope chest several years later (I received the hope chest when I was twelve – it may have been at then?) and was able to use the same dress on Jenna at eight or nine months.  Before we moved to Oregon, I had given the dress to my pregnant daughter-in-law that had announced she’d be having a girl (as it turns out, all three of my sons have daughters only – at least thus far) and recently posted to my facebook cover a picture of Jenna, myself, and my granddaughter, Devin, wearing the same “fishy” dress. 

Jenna

        I do remember bits and pieces of different Easters from my childhood. 

Patrick and me - 1970 perhaps

        I don’t know when I got or felt too old for the non-Christian Easter traditions.  I do remember mom had made Easter “baskets” for my brother Patrick and me.  There were two Clorox bottles designed to look like rabbits.  They held our Easter candy.

Clorox Easter Bunny

I remember receiving a purple duck for Easter from my grandma one years.  I remember watching home videos taken at my grandma’s house several Easters before that.  I remember Easter hats. I remember dying boiled eggs and searching for them as my parents had hid them the night before (usually in plain sight)

        I don’t remember any specific Easters with Corey or Kayla – though I’m sure I found more joy in watching them than “celebrating” Easter myself.  Somewhere along the way I discovered the true meaning of Easter does not really include eggs or jelly beans.

        Roland related a time about taking the boys to an Easter egg hunt when Randy and Tony were two and three.  Tony would pick up eggs and put them in his basket.  Randy followed close behind and would remove the eggs from Tony’s basket and place them into his own.  He said that Tony never even noticed.

Before Roland and I were married, Tony had asked if we could draw names and make baskets for each other.   A few years later I sent the boys on a treasure hunt with scripture related clues from plastic eggs.  I think they enjoyed it.

        Jenna was eight days old on her first Easter – the day she was supposed to be born.  I dressed her in a green onesie that had a small chick at the top and built in green skirt.  It was too big for her, but I thought it was cute for Easter.

        The day prior I had left Jenna with grandma as Pamprin and Francis had wanted to go to an Easter egg hunt at the Avery and we were allowed a two-four hour visitation so thought we’d take advantage.

        The year Jenna turned three, the young men and young woman created an Easter activity for the primary.  I took several pictures of several of the children hitting at the piñata.

        I remember Roland hiding eggs in the backyard one year and sent her out to find them.  That was before we met Isaac and Paula and Biff and Paula would take Jenna with them on Easter and she would be gone all day.  There is at least one time she and Biff spent Saturday night with the family so that she would be there on Easter Sunday.

back yard in Kearns

at "grandpas" in Taylorsville

Taylorsville

         Before Paula came into our lives, I do remember taking Jenna to an Easter egg hunt one year when Pamprin had stayed overnight. There are several places in Salt Lake that offer Easter egg hunts. I don’t know how we ended up at that particular location in West Valley as we were living in Kearns at the time.  Ironically, we were within walking distance of said location after we had moved to West Valley.

        On the Saturday before Easter, the stake in West Valley offered an activity for the primary – well, I guess families, but it felt like it had been geared more toward the primary. 

This is probably from the youth/primary activity mentioned above

I don't recall Biff and Tony going to stake activities in WV

        Jenna didn’t go on an egg hunt the year she turned eleven.  We had come to Oregon to check out the possibilities of moving to this state.  Easter was two days after her birthday.  We drove the coast and took lots of pictures.  It happened to be Easter day, but we didn’t celebrate the holiday on that particular day.

Tillamook Easter 2015

Pacific City Easter 2015

Newport Easter 2015

Dress was waiting for us when we got home.  Grandma Lucy had made it for her

but not quite accurate on measurements.  It was the only time she wore it.

        Last year Easter fell on Corey’s birthday.  We were still living at the rental, and Jenna had asked if we would hide eggs in the backyard, but it had been raining and so we hid the eggs inside.  They were not the dyed hard boiled eggs that my mom and dad had hid years before but rather plastic eggs with treasures inside; I tried “hiding” them in plain sight.     

Treasure Hunt 2017

        When we were living at the rental, our situation here was still new.  Jenna had more enthusiasm there than she has showed since we had moved to our current house.  The holidays are hard – mostly because she has a very bad case of Peter Pan syndrome and hasn’t accepted the fact that she’s growing up.  She’s not a child anymore.  She hasn’t accepted that she may be too old for Easter egg hunts and other treasures.  If we were in Salt Lake, she would be celebrating with either her cousins or her nieces and brothers. 

cracking eggs

        Overall she really does prefer this rural life compared to the crammed city life in Utah, but each holiday has been a bit harder for her than the last.  She misses family members so much – particularly Anna and Gary.

        She’s made friends at school, but children’s plans don’t always jive with parents plans.  She also has friends who have moved.  She might not admit it, but I think for the most part, outside of school and church activity, she is lonely. She had wanted to go to an activity on Saturday night, but Roland didn’t want to take her, and I can’t see to drive at night.

        The weather was nice on Saturday.  It really felt like a great day for holding outdoor activities.  We did get away from the house – but did not engage in any underage activities.  Yesterday was quite overcast.  There was a thunder shower just after 6:00 pm.  The sun made an appearance at 7:00. It was quite different than Saturday had been.

        Here are some more pictures in no order: 

about two

Breakfast on Saturday, Conference weekend, Jenna's birthday

took her Easter egg hunting on this day.  Next Easter 2010

about three

from Kiddie Kandids year she turned two

spending time with grandma

my mom's last Easter on earth

Easter in Woodbridge Virginia

Before Roland and I married.  Boys with their new cousin.

Don't Tony and Ellen look overjoyed?

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.

           

Mint Chocolate Chip Shake and Accompanying Doughnut

Breakfast of Champions

LOL

HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE!

Our Worm Tree

I know that's not what it's called.  But that's what the "buds" look like - hanging from the tree

 When the wind blows them to the ground, they look like dead worms left on the ground after a rain.

Trees have their advantages.   But there are also disadvantages that come with having trees.

Nice to know you Value my Opinion

          Eight months after I started this blog, I created this post. Roland actually works for an online school and had taken advantage of furthering his education at a deal.  He would spend HOURS on the computer - and that was BEFORE he started working at home.  That was a LOT of time.

          Sometimes he would be frustrated - perhaps for different reasons than I had imagined.  I like having someone hold my hand and walk me through a task - rather than just hand me the instructions. And don't explain things to me on a college level.  I want you to dummy it down like I'm five (I would have gone for a higher number, but Jenna seems to absorb things better than I and has always learned things at an earlier age than I)

          Some people have asked why I have gone into accounting as I really don't have a love for it.  Because it's something that I need to know just so that I may balance my own finances - not that all my classes could  applied on a personal level.  Take this last class for example (it's official last day is tomorrow - but I have  officially finished this course as of yesterday.  I have absolutely hated this class the most - though I wasn't overly fond of the one before it.

         I had briefly mentioned in this post the requirements - though I didn't go into detail.  A student has the opportunity of signing in each day to do a daily checkpoint.  The requirement is to do just three or four checkpoints a week.  There is no penalty for incorrect answers, however a correct answer accounts for additional points toward the final grade.

          For at least three weeks (occasionally all four) the student is given a topic to discuss with the class.  We are required to research and reference the topic and it has to be in APA form.  It seems to me that most instructors are a lot more concerned with the APA style than with the content itself.  That seems pretty lame to me.

          Research can actually suck up a lot of time.  The instructor wants your opinion, but you also have to back your opinion up with reference.  Yada-yada-yada . . . . blah, blah, blah . . .

          In addition to the student's initial post, we also have to comment on two other posts from either our classmates or the instructor.  We're supposed to create an actual discussion among ourselves.  Our initial post (thus far) has to be at least 150 words PLUS references.  Our response to our classmates had to be at least 50. 

          All of my female instructors have responded to each student.  I have had two male instructors that have created posts but have not responded.  I actually enjoy the interaction with my instructors.  I like the personal comments that each has left with each individual student.

          In addition to the daily checkpoints and discussions are the assignments and assessments - which actually work out differently for each specific class.  Sometimes the assignment and assessment end up being similar, but for me personally, the assignment has usually been a word document or PowerPoint or excel and most of my assessments have been quizzes.  I like working excel as I don't have to use the APA style or count my words.  Poor Roland has had some assignments that have been bears.  4,000 plus words.  That's his own fault for selecting "business" as his major.  Did I mention that I really really don't care for business and that Roland and I are opposite in our way of thinking.

          Often, if there is a concept that I don't understand (which lately, have been many) I will send the text over to Roland and ask him to explain it to me in the same way he would explain to Thomas - who is in my primary class.  That seems to help me to understand it.  But it still doesn't make the topic any better enough to love it.  

          A lecture is given sometime before midnight Wednesday (that is when the initial discussion post is due) The lecture includes introductions (at least some of them have) reviews (all except for the last two from the same instructor) expectations for the discussion, what to expect on the assessment and how to do the assignment.

          I had a few instructors who would spend so much time on the review that they hadn't allowed for much time for the current week. I couldn't understand why all the rehashing - until I experienced my first rough spot with the course material, and then I finally understood.

          There have been some assessments I've taken that I have really not done well with - but thanks to those daily check points, I was able to remain on top.  So the school does give the student several opportunities in which to pass the course.  All of the exams are open book.

          On the forth week, before a student can enter the portal, he or she MUST fill out a survey in order to proceed.  This is to rate the course and instructor on a scale from one to 10.  Strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree. 

Until the last two courses, I had never gone below a six.  But I must say that  I found both course and instructor very had to follow, and so my ratings overall were not the best.

Overall, I am satisfied with this course.    No.  No, I am not.  I think I gave it a 2.

Course media (PowerPoint, videos, websites, resources) are engaging and useful.  I think my last two courses were the first that did not offer videos.  That's how I learn.  And PowerPoint's?  Come on, man!  The school gave us definite restrictions on the correct way to do a power point, but do not follow  their own guidelines.  The power points are BORING!  I gave both classes a 1.

The work required for the course is reasonable.   I don't know.  I guess it was.  That is if you actually understood it.       4

Course objectives are clearly stated.  Clear as WV water    6

Course content covers all course objectives.   Possibly.  Perhaps I could better answer if I could understand the language.      5

Overall, I am satisfied with my instructor for this course.  It's not his fault he doesn't resonate with me.  No one instructor is going to be liked by every student  4 - do you have any idea how hard that was for me to give someone a 4?

The instructor is knowledgeable about the course subject.  He sounds as though he is.  Maybe?  8  
       

The instructor motivates me to excel in this course.     uh?  no, not really  3 - I don't think it was his method of teaching so much as my lack of response.

I would like to take another course taught by this instructor.   NO!  No, please.  PLEASE, Please . . . no.  I'd prefer somebody who can communicate with me.  No.   1  A fat lot of good that did!  I wasn't even done with 213 when I got assigned 214 by the SAME instructor.  Are you insane????

The instructor is organized and prepared.     I think so.  I gave him a 9, possibly a 10

Instructor teaches concepts in a way that is easy to understand.   No.   I recently had told my instructor that I feel like Tom Hank's character, Josh, in "Big" when he is at a conference meeting with the board.  As John Heard's character, Paul, is trying to explain a new toy item, Josh continues raising his hand saying, "I don't get it."    I have also compared him to the adult you hear in the peanut cartoons "Wha - wha - wha- wha"  No.  Again it might not be his delivery method but maybe just the material itself (though his delivery annoyed me for the most part - except when there weren't any students present for his live lecture)

instructor holds my interest   I may have given him a 2

the instructor connects the course material to my future career.                     uh? I'm not doing anything with stocks and bonds.  That's for sure!

      I have managed to turn in my assignments and assessments by Thursday for the most part.  I think I turned only three in on a Friday for ALL of the classes that I took - until these last two.  I didn't actually get in last week's assignment until Monday of this week - so of course I was docked points for tardiness.  But it looks like I might still be able to retain my average thanks to the daily checkpoints and extra fifteen for Career Integration which is another rating for class and instructor.  Three questions. Answers have to be at least 50 words long.  I think my shortest was 63.

      I would love to take another class from my QuickBooks instructor that I had last mod.  I wonder if he teaches the more complicated accounting classes.

     My next class (I will only have one again) is economics.  I hope I will like and understand it and the instructor better than my last two classes. I don't believe I would be taking these classes at all if we still lived in Utah. Only 138 and a half more credits to go.

 

           

I Don't Understand How Frontier Continues

            According to this article, Daniel B. Kline says Frontier Communications' shares have been going in the wrong direction for a while - there's a shocker.  Quite ironic that they'd be invested in selling communication and employing so many who have absolutely NO CLUE at HOW to communicate. 

            Shortly after we had moved to Tri-City, I announced that we would have to go without cable for a while.  Our bill from Spectrum was outrageous.  We need the Internet.  We do not NEED cable, but when the weather interfered with the six stations we were able to get, Roland decided to take action and call around.

             His conversation with Frontier implied that we would need internet as it is our source of income and was also needed for school.  Cable was a bonus as the "deal" made cost the same amount that we'd be paying Spectrum for Internet alone.  "Let's try it to make sure."

             In less than 12 hours we knew that we could not work with Frontier.  It was worse than being on AOL dial up (for those who may remember). 

It wasn't feasible for us to keep the service and called to cancel and return the modem.  I had even tried two locations here - one in Tri City and one in Myrtle Creek - turns out the one in Myrtle Creek is a warehouse which has no unlocked door.  The one in Tri City was just built - or so I thought.  Perhaps they haven't hired anybody to work there?  I rarely ever see cars in their parking lot.

            We received a bill for over 200 - and Roland called again - and again.  I had even posted about it back in February - how kind he was, and how impressed I was with his manner.  Still the invoices continued, only for lower amounts - and finally a notice from collections.  Roland was mad.  He wasn't yelling and screaming, but he wasn't as polite as he ahead been in the first 3-5 calls.

            He informed them once again that yes, we indeed still had the modem.  No one had bothered to send us a label - which was asked for each time.  FINALLY, something arrived from Frontier which was not a bill.  It was 13 1/2 X32x2  I kid you not.  What in the world?  Inside were three padded manila folders, a box that would fold out to 12X12X19, and a cardboard sectional divider - oh, and a return label.  Imagine all the money they could have saved if they would have just sent the label by itself. I took out the label, tacked it to the original box which the monitor had come in, and sent it off.

            The new manager of package delivery asked if I would like a receipt.  I said I did as I would need proof when Frontier comes back to me in the future (that's just the way they are) He doesn't understand how they are able to continue with business either, though this chart indicates that Frontier may be filing for bankruptcy soon (if they haven't already)

            I think I would seriously rather go back to AOL dial up than have to put up with Frontier anymore.  Perhaps they should be taking some of the classes that I've had to take (or currently taking)  Their communication sucks! but not as good as a vacuum cleaner.