Remembering a Time . . .

Facebook memories shared a video put out by Vice News on HBO.  I watched this as though seeing it for the first time and felt nostalgic at doing so.  I had heard the rumor before joining the library board when it was considered a public library.  Many of the libraries did reopen eventually, but most are no longer considered public but rather “Third Party” libraries as there is no funding to pay a staff or even just one librarian.  Myrtle Creek is a third party library.  I think Riddle has gone public – or perhaps were in the processing.  But COVID could have changed that.  A lot of changes since COVID.  But the closing of the libraries happened three years before.  I miss the public libraries we’d gone to in Salt Lake.  I am grateful for my kindle and having the ability to update with Amazon.

https://www.slideshare.net/nadajabar/libraries-matter-53581250

Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these . . .

 

On May 21^st Joh and Corey had discovered another stray in their yard and like before (see here) they took it upon themselves to feed the neglected tom and nurse it back to health. 

Corey and Joh’s first miracle cat had shown up on the 25^th – the day they had scheduled for their new stray, Jasper to see the vet.  On the 31^st Corey wrote:

“With the collar that Joh gave him, his shaved fur, and having our home as his temporary abode, it makes me cry because he's been given back some of the dignity a cruel world took away from him and, of course, he's got love and caring now, too. Don't we all deserve that?”

Jasper in May

On May 31 Joh had proposed the question: "If Jasper was a human being, what do you think his life was?"

And on June 3 (a year after Joh’s mom had passed) Corey wrote that: “Jasper represents a hope for a different outcome”.

I’ve enjoyed the updates that are posted and have so much admiration for the compassion and the willingness to give.  Yesterday I read this post and asked Corey’s permission to post it to my blog:

“When I was in Sydney, Australia with [Joh], I saw a homeless man whose figure felt so tragic, I wanted to capture it because it was such a haunting and sad image to me. I really second-guessed whether I should do so because it felt cruel of me to take a photo of this man's misery like some sort of exploitative tourist. But there was something pathetic, and yet also filling me with a sense of compassion, about the man's posture, that I wanted to safeguard the image as a reminder to me that there are people in low places in life, and it behooves us to stand up and take notice and help each other, if we can.

photo courtesy of Corey

“All I could do that day was put some money in the man's outstretched cup, but I really wanted to somehow do more, yet felt powerless and helpless to make any sort of real difference.

“As [Joh] and I were talking about Jasper this evening, we remarked how it feels like he wants to be loved and held and pet, but still is a bit guarded in doing so, as if the world has so abused him and tossed him aside, that it is a challenge for him to trust and learn to love again.

“Clearly, he trusts us and is affectionate with us. He eagerly greets us and rubs against our legs and allows us to pet, scratch, and hold him. But there is always an underlying tension—a fear, maybe—a posture that he holds that indicates that he is scared this feeling of comfort, love, and security won't last. I wondered yesterday if when we took him to the vet, he thought we were getting rid of him.

“I do not know what traumas this little guy has faced, but I know he has, and it is, of course, taking time for him to adjust to a life that is different than the one he had. And as [Joh] and I talked, we discussed the parallels of foster kids or recovering addicts or war veterans or anybody, really, who has experienced trauma or betrayals or disappointments and is trying to heal.

“I wish at times that we could really see into each other's hearts and intimately know the burdens and pains that make us who we are and how we act. I think if we could see deeply into each other's souls, we would be more compassionate, patient, and understanding with one another.

“This picture [four paragraphs above] reminds me that we are all of worth and that sometimes circumstances put our fellow human beings in unfortunate places, but that if we have the means, opportunity, and prompting to lend a hand or a kind word, we should.

“I have never shared this photo with anyone until tonight. Not even [Joh] had seen it until this evening. But I share it with you with the hope that when you or I see someone who is in need, whether in large ways or small, that if we have the ability to help, we should.”

The coat that currently covers Jasper's misshapen body

Better Without Heat

       It rained yesterday.  An Oregon downpour - but nothing on Salt Lake forming puddles in the street - only the streets that have potholes.  It was a welcome drench.  This morning is muggy.  Still cool on the outside, but have the A/C running currently in the house.  This week has been so nice we have not used the A/C or the heat.  I wish it would just stay like this.

    Though I had written the following on Monday did not post until this morning:

It is much nicer weather this week than last week – cooler than I remember June weather being but closer to the temperature that brought me out her in the first place.  Cooler weather for Levi to build a deck/room as compared to last year’s front deck built in July – though not scalding.  I think each July has been hotter than the last since we arrived in Myrtle Creek although there was no Summerfest last year.  I will have to search online for something more accurate than my body telling me that’s how it is.

The last few days of May and the first couple of days of June were unbearably hot for me personally.  I thought perhaps Randy had packed it up and brought it with him.  He apparently prefers the heat and will walk in it but I don’t like walking in temperatures over 70.  The only time he saw we walk was when we were in Bandon.  The temperatures there were like they are now in Myrtle Creek.  I would like this temperature to remain this consistency throughout the year.  That would be awesome!  None of this 75 to 98 degree nonsense (or higher – I do remember Myrtle Creek getting over 100 once – but three digit temperatures really are rare).  60 – 70 degree range is nice. 

It’s supposed to rain.  I don’t know how Levi feels about that.  The heat didn’t seem to bother him in July.  I will have to ask next time I go outside.  Roland wants us to document the happenings of the progress as we have in the past.

Visiting Bandon

             Our longest driving day was taking the family to Bandon.  It was also the coolest day as Bandon is always 10 – 20 degrees cooler than Myrtle Creek. 

          We arrived earlier than normal as the shops had not quite opened all the way.  We walked around the tourist trap next to the pier.  We showed them a couple of sculptures outside of the Washed Ashore museum. 

Before we left the house I had looked up the hours but read they would not be open until July.  However there was indication that they would be open later that day.  We forgot to return to see.

      

          The trolley wasn’t running and so we drove to many of the places where the trolley had taken us. The baby was asleep when we arrived at the beach and so Carrie, Randy, and Jenna explored a bit on their own.  Devan had gone with them initially but returned to the car as she wasn’t warm enough. 

 

Fowl Sounds and Other Noises

 Backup to Memorial weekend and the following week

          It doesn’t appear that most of us have slept well.  I sleep too well perhaps;  I have been drinking Energy Shots every morning as I am constantly tired – tired to the point of mushy mind and absolute lame company.

          Carrie and Randy, of course, are not used to the chickens cackling or the roosters going off at random hours.  Randy thinks the youngest rooster sounds like a helium balloon that is slowly loosing air at the lip.  I have been so out of it that I no longer hear the fowl.  I do hear Jenna talking when she’s on her phone and I hear the blare of the television. 

          It has been a long while since I heard the screaming or crying from a one-year-old child.  My gosh, that kid has lungs.  Overall he has been happy but there have been times when it is so obvious that he is tired but seems to fight it.  It has drowned out Bonnie’s snoring.

Throwing Hands

          There is a difference between a job and a career.  Career oriented people will put themselves out there.  They have a desire to advance.  They want to change things.  They want to set goals whether it is to make money or better the community, environment, what have you.  Some are so focused on their careers that nothing else is a priority.  Some balance their careers with other things that may have meaning in their lives – such as family or community. 

Job people are those who need a paycheck just to make ends meet – or sometimes just to have an extra amount of cash.  These people don’t necessarily wish to make a career out of whatever they’re doing.  It is there just to get buy.  They are not married to their job or at least don’t want to be.  Often people have resentments about their situations on the job – or others that they work with.  Some feel used and abused and struggle financially while others do it for extra pocket change.  Some are even happy with their jobs but are also aware that it’s not necessarily something that they wish to do for the rest of their lives. 

https://www.mihnati.com/blog/2017/12/job-vs-career-whats-the-difference/

I think Linkedin was designed for career oriented people who know how to utilize the site to the fullest while others create an account either out of curiosity or like me, do for a grade requirement.  I’m sure I could use it to my advantage if I had the right frame of mind, but I don’t.  I don’t have the right frame of mind that anyone reading this would even want to hire me.   

I am a good employee – always have been.  But I don’t wish to be married to my job nor do I wish to spend so much time getting to a location where said job might be.  I’ve already done that as a single person.  Time is more precious to me than money.  Roland doesn’t understand that.  He wants me to work full time.  He wants me to find a job that will offer benefits.  I do get where he’s coming from.  I really do.  He wants Jenna and I to be covered should our health be jeopardized or I am unable to work further and his social security will not be enough to carry us through.

        I loathe job hunting.  I have been in a number of dead end jobs biting time because I wasn’t willing to play the job hunting game of filling out applications and interviewing.  

We went to a job fair while Randy and Carrie were visiting.  Roland had dropped everyone off at Stewart Park except for me.  I put my resume with three companies who were there to represent themselves. I may have received a call from one but unsure as the caller had a thick Asian accent that I didn’t understand.  She called the day after I had put in my application to the school district the day after the job fair.  I would like that position as it will require less travel.

Return the Free-Range Back Where They Belong

             A few days before our family’s arrival, Jenna pointed out the chickens in the cucumber garden.  No cukes this year!  Roland is mad!!! He decided that we would quit feeding and watering the chickens and return them to where they came from and pen them in so they cannot come on our side.  I told him to wait until after the kids arrived as I thought perhaps Randy could assist as he is tall.  Before we sent them on their way, I was hoping Devan would have at least one experience with feeding them and collecting eggs.

Carrie enjoyed the free-range eggs and says it is something she will splurge on as the free-range are healthier than most of what is sold at the grocery store.  I personally don’t care about the cucumbers.  I couldn’t see Richard eating all that would grow – but now we will never know.  Not this year anyway.

The chickens are still in the yard.  Levi’s dog had chased them away – but only temporarily.  I wish Bonnie would do that.  She isn’t as intimidated by the chickens as she used to be, but certainly not a threat to them.  She was to Levi’s dog however and so he called for someone to collect her so that there wouldn’t be any trouble between her and Bonnie. 

Levi worked hard on tearing down the deck and improving the yard – only the chickens are still there and returned to their favorite haunt though in a different form.  I hope the chickens don’t inconvenience what Levi is meant to accomplish.

Visitation Finale

         Though they left on Saturday, I consider our last quality day with the family was Friday.  Roland wanted to take them to the Lighthouse Café though I didn’t think it would be worth the drive as COVID had changed their dining options.  They had made outdoor dining available but had severely cut down the menu options.  I wasn’t impressed with the empanadas that had been ordered along with the puffed pasties with fruit filling.  But Randy and Carrie seemed to like it and so it was worth the drive after all.

Jenna had wanted to go bowling – a family activity that Roland had wanted to do when we were in New York.  I forgot my wrist band and so did not participate and Carrie doesn’t particularly care for the bowling/arcade atmosphere – which makes sense.  So just Roland, Randy and Jenna bowled.  Devan played a few, but got bored with it after five turns.  They had fun. 

We went home and had left overs.  We played games and Jenna unloaded the van. Gradually each of us went to bed. 

On Saturday Jenna, Randy and Devan hit the yard sale next door.  Jenna spotted a bear that she really wanted and asked how much it was.  They were just setting up and a woman asked Devan if she wanted it and Devan said yes and the woman said she could have it.  Jenna was a bit miffed as she wanted the bear for herself but Devan wouldn’t let go and ended up taking it home to St. George.

We had to return the van before 12:00 afternoon or wait until Monday – but did not wish to pay an additional two days after the family had gone.  Roland drove to Roseburg and I followed.  Jenna came with me – I suspect to escape Devan.  Randy had asked if Devan had wanted to go with us.  Neither Jenna nor I had planned to take her and were both quite relieved that she did not wish to go.

I drove the back way and got on the freeway at ramp 113.  We met Roland at Enterprise and he and Jenna got some food from Taco Bell (although we had just eaten breakfast before we left). After we returned home, they all loaded up the Impala and left shortly thereafter.  We said our good-byes on the front porch except for Roland who drove in record time.  Randy let Carrie sit up front with Roland while he sat behind next to Devan in the middle and her baby brother next to her – both in car seats. Roland must have driven around the airport, thrown them all out without slowing down (LOL) as he was back nearly 90 minutes before I thought he would be. He said the drive had only been an hour and ten minutes each way. 

Good-bye Family, Hello Back Room

         As I had mentioned in prior posts we had wanted to redo our flooring and add a back room to the house.  Roland had taken time off work the last week of April as we believed that when the floors would be done.  That was the initial plan.  However the product we ordered had to be shipped – which added nearly another month before the floors were started.

Unfortunately it hasn’t been finished.  I don’t know if the error was with shipping product or inaccurate measuring so the correct amount of product had not been ordered to begin with or what exactly happened.  But we are still waiting for flooring.  The kitchen isn’t finished and the bathrooms have not been started.  The bathrooms were what I had been concerned about the most – particularly the master bathroom which I know has water damage.

We had hired someone local out of Winston.  I was impressed with him and do like his work.  Roland seems to want to sue as he is in breach of contract that Roland was insistent that be drawn up. True, the floor hasn’t been completed but we have not paid the full amount of cost so what exactly are we suing for?  So this guy will return to complete the job and may not be friendly toward us because we took him to court?  I don’t want to take him to court.

We’ve prayed and will continue praying about our decisions.  Meanwhile we have been told that he will be back in July to finish our floors at no additional cost for the material.  And now that Randy and his clan have gone back to their house in Utah, another individual has shown up to start on our back room which we could have used last week while the family was here so that they would have a bit more room and Jenna would have been able to use her room.

I felt bad that we were not able to give them their own room as they had for us when we had gone to New York.  We all had more space to move around in.  But then again their entire house was at least 3 to 5 times bigger than ours.  I don’t know what the size of their current house is.  I do know Randy wants us to visit.  But I suspect it will be a while.  We spent quite a bit during their stay and now the back room.  I really don’t like borrowing money but at the same time have wanted new flooring and a back room since we moved in over five years ago.

So that’s today’s post.  Worth the wait, right?

Better Than Denny's

         I went to Church by myself last week.  Jenna had opted to go with Roland to pick up Randy and his family at the airport.  Roland and I had picked up a van the day before.  We had also borrowed a playpen for the baby to sleep in. 

I am happy I was there for sacrament meeting.  Bonnie’s doctor and his wife were the speakers.  We hadn’t seen Dr. Nay at Church since COVID began.  He still had a mask on his face which made me feel guilty that I wasn’t wearing mine (as masks are now optional at Church)

Sister Nay talked about taking upon His name and comparing simple reminders to power bars or power bites.  Reading the scriptures would be a power bar, performing service, being kind . . . Though I have put Sister Nay on possibly a higher pedestal than perhaps she would place herself, it made me realize that even those that seem to be natural at taking upon His name and wouldn’t need power bars do have to work at it. Spiritual power bars give us energy.

Dr. Nay had mentioned that oft times we may become offended by the choice of words or actions of another – but it isn’t as though most people are going around intentionally offending others.  Sometimes we just get rubbed the wrong way or see things out of context.  How we react is on us.  I wish I had taken notes.  Both talks were both very meaningful.  I enjoyed them a lot.

It appears I published a post after I returned figuring I would see them all within the hour.  Ironically, I could have created several more thoughts to post each day but had decided to finish watching a movie I had started the week prior.  I had even gone through a second and wondered: “Where in the world could they be?”

I did figure that they would stop for something to eat even though Roland had Chicken Cacciatore cooking in the crockpot.  They made the mistake of choosing a Denny’s that evidently was not fully staffed.  The ironic thing was that in the time they had ordered until the time they were served, they could have eaten the Cacciatore.  I had several reports that it was NOT a good experience.  But at least they got to visit, right?  Probably in a more productive way than the van would allow.

So now I have a week’s worth of family time plus another two unrelated but will perhaps be mentioned during their first day of June with us.  I have loads of pictures that Jenna had taken.  How great it is that she is documenting what I used to.  So, I’m back.  Don’t know how missed I was.

Let's Talk About My Birthday

          For my facebook page I had attached two scrapbook pages. My celebration started the evening before - unbeknownst to our friends whose home we had gone to.  We played three games.  Two of Smart A** - amazingly I did not land on any donkeys the entire first game (except for the one with the bullseye to declare the winner) and won the game.  I did get stuck in the second game and Jenna won that one.  We had fun.

          Our friends then taught us a new game from their collection – one I had played before but had not enjoyed the first time.  It was more fun the night of the 27^th.  I declared myself a winner in my mind from having completed my original journey first.  Jenna also declared herself a winner as she was the first to complete all of her cards.  I was right behind her.  The winner is actually declared through points total – which requires counting and math.  It took just as long to count points as it did to play the game – or at least it felt like it.  If I was in charge we would not be counting points.  Yuch!  But I did come in second.

   Jenna had been looking forward to various event all week long and would continually ask, “are you excited about . . .”

 On Friday morning I opened the gifts that she had placed in a box that she had decorated.  I think I opened the Disney figures first;  we will be using as game pieces in the future. I then opened the book which Jenna said would be from Roland and then the CD would be from her.  The CD was not a total surprise as I had mentioned it to them.  The other three were surprises.  I love Dr. Seuss and was happy to receive and happy that Jenna read it to me.

On Friday we went to Roseburg to get something to eat on the way to the movie theater as "Cruella" was released on my birthday and so had to make it a part of my celebration. 

Yesterday we had gone to Roseburg to pick up a rental as my youngest son and his family would be arriving today. I went to church by myself.  I’m glad that I did for sacrament meeting was really awesome.  That will be a separate post along with more about family history, my stupid laptop and a trip to Riddle to borrow a playpen and introduce Bonnie to some other dogs to see how she would react with them.  Probably won't be posting until my son and family return to the airport and we have said our good-byes.

 

Where is LaTiesha?

 It’s only been five days since my last post and I have had ideas – even disconnected paragraphs. Problem right now (a very personal thing) is time management – which I used to be good at – but I’ve let myself slide – along with my memory which, by the way, is horrid.

  I was supposed to pick someone up on Sunday.  I had even called her on Saturday night to give her a time.  A reminder went off that morning.  Two hours later I was in the car and then the church without her. 

 I guess that wasn’t as bad as picking up Bonnie after Jenna walked her to the theatre.  Jenna also gave me a bag of poop as she didn’t know where to dispose of it.  Not cool.  But okay. 

It wasn’t okay.  I forgot about it.  Of course I can’t smell.  But Roland can.  He has a hyper sensitive nose. Apparently he spoke harshly at Jenna and told her not to assign me responsibilities because I don’t remember things.  Finally.  He admits that my memory is slipping. But then again so is his - to a degree.

Our goal right now is to tidy up the house a bit as we have guests coming.  They will feel cramped, I’m sure.  We all will.  I predict it will be an exhausting vacation - for them at least.  We have already reserved a van to pick them up from the airport and drive ourselves around in just one vehicle instead of two. 

We don’t know all where we will be going or how long we will spend in each area. We had wanted one of our stops to be The Enchanted Forest (here) – but they seemed to have problems recovering from snowmageddon back in February 2019 (here and here) 

COVID didn’t help matters and it sounds like Tofte family (here) has been satisfied with their forty plus years and are ready to retire the place (at least that is how I read) and haven’t given a specific on when (if) they’ll be reopening – and yet their facebook page seems to indicate that they are hiring for the season.  So I don’t know if that will be on our agenda.

Anyway, I will be spending time with them after they arrive and so may not be posting again until the second week in June.  Just a heads up for those that may be following my blog.