New Years Day

           I remember taking down the tree on New Year’s Day each year.  It became tradition I would suppose for many families.  And gosh, darn, I will definitely miss the lights and decorations that had popped up in so many yards even before Thanksgiving.  The Myrtle Creek – Tri City area is always so dark.  It is nice to have the Christmas lights to remove some of the darkness.

          On New Year’s Day this year I read a couple of thoughts which helped ease the pain of this tradition that I have come to hate.  David Butler has a facebook page in which he shares uplifting thoughts.  On New Year’s Day he compared taking down the tree to the first Christmas – perhaps a week after the fact – when Joseph and Mary had to leave the manger and move on.  They could not stay where they were nor could they take the manger with them.  And why would they want to?  It wasn’t really a bed – a crib fit for a king.  And yet that is what it became.  The manger is a symbol.  The tree is a symbol.  Decorations.  They all have symbolic meaning.  And just because they are removed visually  does not mean we can’t still continue to hold them in our hearts.

          Meanwhile Corey has started a new blog.  Unlike his first blog in which he wished to remain unknown he uses his actual first name.  His goal is to provide uplifting messages.  I am certain he will be successful at it.  He mostly always lifts me up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candlepower

         He and Joh happened to be married on New Year’s Day. In his post he comments on spending their anniversary together and inviting another to attend a concert with them.  In his post he makes the comment that some think it is odd that they would invite another to celebrate their anniversary. His response “ . . .  seeing his eyes light up and seeing his spirit lifted is very joyous to us, and shouldn't that be what life is about--lifting others and making them feel good?”

          I admire my brother and so many others as David Butler and Emily Freeman for sharing their light. Thus even in darkness we can carry a light in our hearts.  May I keep that in mind with every new year I start by taking down the tree.

Jumping Out the Old and into the New

          Roland had agreed to pick up a friend of Jenna’s in Winston and take them both to the stake dance.  We allowed ourselves to agree to stay to chaperone.  It was fun watching the kids dance – or jump rather.  To every song!  I may have had the energy to do that when I was a youth but not now.  I can’t even go four minutes of jumping – let alone four and a half hours.  I hope that all of the youth may continue with that energy and never lose it.

         The last two weeks of December felt bleak.  It snowed after Christmas.  We had purchased sensor system last year so that we could be alerted to any packages or company that might drop by.  It is solar powered – needless to say we haven’t had many days of warning during those last two weeks of December.

         Currently the sun is shining.  The snow is mostly melted. What an awesome way to start the New Year.  May 2022 be more favorable than the last two.  At least 2021 didn’t feel nearly as long as the decade we call 2020.

Game Night to end 2021

 We had a game night with a two couples we have played with before.  We introduced them to “Virus” which tends to go faster when only two or three are playing as opposed to seven. 

There were some who got bored with the game and started using vaccination cards to assist other players who looked close to winning.  The one who finally won is the one who had come close to winning two times prior.  I’m glad he won.

              We played a second game called Five Crowns. 

              That turned out to be a long game too.  Roland has decided that we should order it for us – probably because he won the game without even trying.

              I LOVE playing games!  Well, many games.  Rummykub which we have all played before.  Roland didn’t want to overstay our welcome and we left after the two games as we had been playing games for two and a half hours.  Both Jenna and I could have played longer.  Perhaps some other time.

I Write For Me

           So often I will write down my thoughts as I ponder over the scriptures.  I write them down in hopes I will remember.  Sloppy cursive that I can’t always read.  I certainly don’t expect anybody else will. 

          Sometimes I jot down ideas when the computer isn’t available.  I plan to transfer my thoughts into something legible.  I still have many ideas stored in a folder for blogging reference.  Most of the time it gets ignored or else I move on from whatever thought I had.

          December 17 for instance.  I had looked up articles featuring Tik Tok and the disturbances it can cause.  It’s said that a fourteen-year-old was arrested for his part in upsetting the school systems and law enforcement who assisted with the safety of the students throughout the nation.  Two weeks later I still haven’t put it all together.

          I write for me.  If someone else can feel something because of my words – that is just a bonus.

Church is Cancelled Today

 Our bishop and second counselor are out of town.  The first counselor lives over an hour away - on good days.  Today would put him anywhere between 2 or 3 hours at best.  His house is probably buried beneath the snow along with any path that might lead to the off off grid property.

Here's how it looks in my neck of the woods - which really is a storm by western Oregon standards but seems an average day to someone born and raised in the Salt Lake area:

Christmas 2021

               We had signed up to feed the missionaries at 4:00.  We watched “An American Christmas Carol” and Jenna and I took Bonnie for a walk.  I think we talked with all three boys before Roland started dinner.

          Jenna says it’s tradition that we always have a breakfast meal for our Christmas Eve dinner.  So guess what the elders got? It wasn’t the traditional breakfast that we normally have.  Roland started cooking the meal just after 3:00.  Our meal consisted of steak, eggs, cornbread and hash browns with bacon.

Three elders arrived shortly before 4:00.  We put Bonnie in my room and fed the elders in the back room where we have the tree. Jenna does not like steak and could have made a meal out of corn bread alone. I think she had at least four pieces.

After the elders left we watched “Encanto” – well, Jenna did.  Roland and I watched part of it and fell asleep during most of it.  Shortly after 5:00 Jenna announced that she’d be going in her room.  Still tired, I asked Roland if he thought it was too soon for me to fill stockings and place the rest of the gifts under the tree. 

Jenna knocked on our door at 5:00 a.m. the next morning and told us that Christmas had officially started as she believes our waking up at 5:00 is also family tradition.  I guess it is, but then so is going back to bed after all gifts have been open – at least for the older folks.  But only Roland went back to bed and I fixed a light breakfast as I didn’t want only candy.

Jenna and I had learned to play a new game which Roland had received from Tony and Rochelle’s family.  It was fun.  We took Bonnie for a walk.  We each wore Santa caps and I wore a new outfit that I had received for Christmas and she was dressed as an elf. Jenna pointed out the snow capped hills behind the clouds that surrounded their base.  The rain has washed it out since our walk. 

At 4:00 Roland started getting hungry and we had our simple dinner of sausage and cheese.  Another tradition as of Christmas 2018 (see here).

The Yellow Ring

 

        I’ve written at least two posts regarding Alexa echo.  One mentions how we’ve separated the two by referring to them as Emily and Stacy (here) and the first post about the two colored rings that appear when voice activated. But there is a also a third color which appears by itself on occasion.  That circle is yellow in color and will provide notifications at random.  The last six were in reference to the weather as a storm is in the midst and has been for the last couple of weeks – though we haven’t seen the storm.

       Currently it is pouring – HARD- hard like the first rain we had encountered at Newport April 2015 (here).  I tried taking Bonnie for a walk.  I was okay with the rain falling down, but she was not.  Needless to say our walk was the shortest walk yet – perhaps the length of ten houses and back. I like the sound of rain.  I like the green grass.  I don’t see a storm. Some MC residents believe that there will be snow on the ground tomorrow.  I have my doubts.

Decoration Pics

 

         We had put our decorations up a couple of weeks ago.  It took us three days, I think, as we had a small electrical problem.  Just before we finished, the guy across the street brought out his lights and stapled them to his house and wrapped around the small trees in front.  I think he was done within 30 minutes.  His lights were on the night he decorated.  I haven’t seen them on since then.  

         Small electrical problem.  Taking apart.  Trying to find problem.  And replacing one switch with another – which was nice.

         

The black indicates where the back porch light was.

But as we no longer have a back porch, the switch didn’t work anything.  I like it not being there as I was always pressing it and of course nothing happened

          Jenna and I decided that we wanted the tree in the back room this year.  This is the tree in front of one window:

And where our stockings hang in the other.

Here is our house decorated

Our tree from our porch

We have put these candy canes up almost every year – each year in the tree where they tend to get lost.  This year we hung them on the side of our porch.

 

Just Over Half

Probably not worth the wait.  

Allow me to elaborate some of them:

 

1       still married

2       never

16     Been near the Atlantic but did not swim in it – I did dip my toes in it though – VA Beach

19     I am not certain.  I’m thinking in Hawaii seeing the Kennedy profile? but I could be wrong.  You would think I would remember

20     covered in 5 posts starting here  

26     Jenna and I pass the time doing karaoke with each other – especially at the beginning of the pandemic.

27     not even a full minute interview on the news feeding less fortunate on Thanksgiving.  The media had misspelled my name.  Not a big deal.

28     Currently I have four granddaughters, two grandsons and another on her/his way

29     Here    

31     Did have the opportunity for that one but did not take it

34     several times as a kid, but most memorable in college when we piled a bunch of us and furniture in a pickup and set furniture around – back in the day of speakers and not radio apps

35     I think I did.  It would have been at Hogel zoo when I was quite young.  I do remember riding the camel.

40     Chevy Vega -the drive was only around the corner from our house.  I ran into a fence and took the blame and paid for the damage.  I never drove a stick after that.  Though I guess I do have the example of the Honda found here. 

42     probably a “No” on that one as I did have roommates – so was away from family so guess it doesn’t count as living on my own – or does it?

43     funeral

45     torn a ligament but never had a broken bone

46     just above my right eye when I was five or six; I’d been spinning around, lost my balance, and wacked my head into the end table

49     the pandemic has sent me into a retirement.  LOL

50     No desire  

How Dare They Mess With My Color

               For the last couple of years I have been purchasing Merry Mash-up Holiday Mountain Dew.  I think it is my favorite of all the Mountain Dews that I have tried.  Last year there was a bunch of infiltrators mixed in almost side by side.  Watermelon Zero.  What was the Pepsi company thinking with that one?  (But then perhaps there are just as many questioning the Mash-up cranberry/pomegranate blend). 

 

Last year I had accidently grabbed a Watermelon Zero along side the Holiday and grossed out at the disgusting taste of watermelon?  Really?  It was 2020.  The flavor will always remind me of COVID.  I have learned long ago that if the word “zero” is part of the soda name it means zero sugar, zero calories, and for a while had believed zero taste.  But “zero” means horrible taste.  You might as well be sucking on shoe polish.  Yuch!!!!

This year Mashup does not seem available – at Dollar General (where I was first introduced to it) at least. And yet there is this overgrowing supply of Watermelon zero – like the company knew they had made a mistake introducing the horrendous flavor to begin with.  I think they are hoping people will do what I did last year and grab it on an impulse of getting the holiday Mountain Dew.  I mean why would the company offer watermelon in the off watermelon season?

 

 I think they are just stuck with this million of COVID creations that need to be gotten rid of to an unsuspecting public.  I want my Merry Mashup.  Please bring it back and throw that watermelon crap away.

Lead By Example – Follow Up to the last post

 I meant to have this posted on Friday but was unable to process all of my thoughts until now:

              I think it was in August when Roland applied for the management position at the jewelry store.  They were down to two candidates but had decided to go with the one who was more familiar with the product.  Not a great call in my opinion – but I am just getting the information second hand.  I’ve never actually met the woman – but this is an illustration of what makes a leadership vs. management that I had mentioned in this post.

        Not her real name, but I shall call her Karen – the name that seemed to get a bad rap during 2020.  She knows product.  Roland knows people.  I do like a salesman that can tell me the pros and cons of certain products – electronics for example.  It is important – but I think knowing people is more important.  Not just customers (guests, consumers, or whatever they are called) but employees, co-workers, peers – neither of which Karen had experience with. 

        She would teach the other three workers about the product and Roland would teach the others how to sell, how to act, and what to do in various situations – like being robbed for example.  Cocky Karen said they would never be robbed.  Technically it was a burglary but Roland’s 911 went into effect. 

        Karen would abuse her manager position and give herself every Sunday off though Richard and at least one other employee were told they would only work every other Sunday.  Karen didn’t always pay attention to what she had scheduled.  One day she had called to find out why Roland wasn’t at work.  He said he was scheduled to close and not open but evidently she had wanted him to do both? 

        Roland continued to train the other two.  For one thing it has been majorly slow and the staff has nothing better to do.  But also he leads people – whether he is technically in charge or not.  It’s just part of his charm.  People will ask him things as though he is the designated leader – except for Karen who seems to have trust issues and has asked others to keep an eye on him – not realizing the other two would much rather have Roland as their manage rather than Karen and will confide in Roland whereas they would never dream up any conversing with Karen.  She doesn’t know how to lead.  She doesn’t know how to manage.

        Roland drove to the location on Thursday morning after the store opened.  Karen was scheduled to be there.  Her rule was that there always had to be two people in the store, but the other employee was there by herself.  Thus we went shopping and returned to the store.  Karen still was not there, but the owners were.  Roland turned in his key to them and then called human services to tell him that he had quit and tried to give the key to Karen as a courteously but she was not there.  We both wondered if she would still have a job by the end of the day or if she would take her frustrations out on the other two.

        We both feel good about his leaving and he has no desire to return.  He has heard from one of his former co-workers praising him for his abrupt decision to leave.  Our youngest son also had said that he had made the right choice.

 

        

Wasted Time . . . Hope and Prayers

             Marketing is horrible in Douglas County.  I noticed that shortly after we moved here from Salt Lake.  Marketing in Salt Lake was ALWAYS in everyone’s face ALL of the time.  It was quite refreshing not having advertisements and commercialism thrown at us every single minute – but I slowly understood the need.  Surely there has got to be a happy medium.

Roland and I had both applied for several positions in August.  Nothing seemed to pan out.  Perhaps that is why Roland went with this hidden jewelry store which others had evidently heard of.  I never have.  The location is NOT a prime location.  It’s set back behind several food places. 

For the first two months of being hired the Roseburg location wasn’t even open – though the building was there. The pandemic had slowed down its reopening.  And then when they did reopen they didn’t have any heat. 

The employees there really like Roland and wish he was the manager.  He was enthusiastic for the first six weeks or so but is no longer happy with it. 

        I haven’t been very supportive about Roland’s job situation.  I feel bad that I haven’t been as the cloud above his head has burst.  I am certain that I have contributed to that – but not totally.  It has just taken him longer to understand my complaints – well some of them anyway.

        Initially he had said that if he didn’t get hired in the manager position that he would not take the job.  He was not offered the manager position but he did take the job.  It is at less than what he was making through the school.  

I think I posted about the local community college calling finally calling back (from August – just getting around to it September/October) and had one interview but was not called back.  Now he has an opportunity to interview through the VA – also applied to in August.  We are now praying that this one will pan out. I think that even if it does not Roland will be giving his two weeks notice pretty soon.  NO ONE is happy there.  Wasted time.