Change & Responsibility

          For many of us change is a difficult thing.  We change instructors each time we advance a grade in school.  Our insurance doesn’t allow for a certain expense and we change doctors as a result.  Death always creates change.  We must deal with the void in our lives.  Some do this gracefully.  Others may complain.

          Often, we are asked to accept responsibilities that we certainly hadn’t stood in line for. Some of the responsibilities accepted force us to grow in ways that we may have not otherwise understood.  Take my brother, Corey, and cousin, Michelle for example.  Both had been placed in situations regarding finances attached to an estate.  Corey took over what Patrick had been assigned to do initially.  We had all voted on it.  Patrick seemed the logical choice.  He could have easily cheated each of us out of our inheritance but we all knew that he would not. 

          The day came long before my mom passed.  Corey and Patrick had worked together – each having the power of attorney.  I don’t know that Patrick even wanted to be in that situation – even long before he was asked.  A long time ago - when we had put it to a vote.  I don’t think he voted for himself.  Corey was a teenage kid with little to no tolerance for math.  Patrick had been experiencing health problems and didn’t need the burden. When Corey took over he was obviously more prepared than he was when we had taken the vote.

          When Aunt Gertrude was in rehab we all told her that she would need to update her will.  She would have to give power of attorney to someone eventually.  She picked her two surviving nephews and finally gave in to finding an attorney.  I had heard her oldest nephew didn’t want the responsibility and passed it on to his youngest daughter – though it sounds like Michelle has picked up most of the pieces.  Aunt Gertrude Uncle Ted outlived all three of their nephews and a niece.  Aunt Gertrude outlived Uncle Ted.  He was 100 when he died two years ago.  Aunt Gertrude passed just this year.  She was 97.

          I know that at least three of my cousins have a hard time dealing with change.  When their father passed, it was very hard for them.  She has had to deal with quite a bit of change: Aunt Trudy’s deteriorating mind and physical condition, Uncle Ted’s health, his death, Aunt Trudy’s death . . . I think the experience has made her a stronger person. 

          We all have trials that can make us strong if we allow.  Change doesn’t have to be a horrible thing.  It’s all a matter of perspective.

Dash LF #12 Friendships

        

If you could pick a best friend and your true soul mate from the world of fiction and make them real, who would you choose and why?

      In the classic series "Anne of Green Gables" there is an amazing friendship between Diana Barry and Anne Shirley.  I would love to have a friend like Diana who is always there to route for Anne and love her for who she is.  Diana is more attractive than Anne but does not allow her good looks to interfere with her loyalty.  She is kind and respectful and will keep confidences.

      I would have loved to have a friend like that - someone who has been there for me no matter what.  I have had friends, but not solid friendships like the one between Anne and Diana.  I would pick Diana.

Dash #17 Places

          The thing I love most about living in Myrtle Creek is the close knit community - people who care for one another and express concern more for people than things.  The first couple of years we lived here, I was able to breathe much better than I did in Utah.  I still believe that I do but I haven't done well with the extremely bogus weather we've had.  8 months of no moisture to two weeks of cold and too much moisture -my breathing is not where it should be in my opinion.

          I love living in a relaxed atmosphere as opposed to an uptight bustle.  But I have made no secret of this.  Several of my posts have explained this already.

Oh, the joys of technology.

Though my communications class started on Monday, the lecture isn’t given until Wednesday morning.  I am not able to attend the live session when I am working and cannot listen to the recording until after I return home.  The instructor does have a question-answer period on that same day but I don’t want to just pop in and start asking questions she may have already covered in the video and yet if they are not covered in the recorded lecture, I have missed my opportunity for asking live.  I feel like I am working with a two-edged sword.  I don’t like it.

Our initial discussion post is due on Wednesday, but I like to have it done by Monday or Tuesday.  Sometimes the discussion doesn’t get covered in its entirety anyway.  Thus I did post what I had written based on what I read.  But I had missed the point of the assignment and did not get that turned in until just several hours ago.  There was something mentioned during the lecture that made me realize I hadn’t read the expectations correctly.  I had also missed having to contact the writing center two or three times before I decided to turn it in.

What?  I have to use the writing center to complete this assignment?  It’s been required for at least two other classes and has always been a traumatic experience for me.  Always!  I was never able to keep an appointment or was always late getting in because I have never been able to connect to Blackboard collaboration right away – even when I had believed that the tech at the school had fixed it for me.  Every time I go to sign on, it asks me to download it into the system.  Every time!  Shouldn’t it already be there? 

So my appointment was scheduled for 4:30 MDT yesterday.  I attempted signing in just before 4:00.  Download.  Wait.  Connect.  Really?  I got connected?  I still had twenty minutes before my appointment.

I was told that she had just finished up her 4:00 appointment and I was welcome to start my session early.  I was hoping that she had access to the document I had submitted at the time of my making the appointment.  My computer and laptop haven’t been communicating as usual and I couldn’t retrieve the document from either device.  The assignment hadn’t been saved to my laptop (though I had used the cloud) and my pc seems to be at a frozen stage whereas I am not getting any icons to click on nor does the search allow me to type anything.  Roland thinks the keyboard is the problem.  I don’t see how.

Falling Into Place

            It's uncanny how much of my life or programs will fall into my path during courses I am taking, and I can use those experiences or episodes to tie into school discussions or assignments.  Take this week for example.  I have just started a class in communications and public speaking.  It started on Monday.  It was the same day that at least one of the elementary schools in our area had a fire drill.  I know this because I was there.

            Yesterday the fire alarm went off again. Word came over the walkie-talkies that "Everyone needs to be out of the building. This is NOT a drill."  Some of the students heard that, but not everyone did.  The drill took place during class.  The more serious threat was during lunches.  The children were safe.  I suspected that the fire was not a major fire but more of a trash-fire although I had no way of knowing for certain.  I personally had not heard the word "fire" but had heard one of the custodians requesting a need for the fire department.  It could have been a bad chemical in the air.  I didn't know.  I tried to focus on the comforting the children with positive thoughts.

            Rumors get out of hand on face-book and fires spread more quickly on social media than the flames near the faulty outlet or the smoke traveling down the hall.  Parents panic and make the situation worse when they hurry to the school to and demand to check out their students right now.  They are only making it worse for the emergency vehicles that need to get through the safety of the children that need to be accounted for.  None of the parents had been contacted about the fire drill that we had on Monday but all of them seemed to know about the fire trucks coming to the school in response to an actual emergency.

            The kids were safe.  The educators were safe.  There was an orderly manner of conduct - though perhaps not as smooth as it had been on Monday.  Still, everyone had been accounted for and were allowed to return to the school in under thirty minutes.  Parents need to learn to trust the system.  Hey, I'm a parent.  I have a student who's been on lockdown more than once.  She has been a part of fire drills, earthquake drills, and more recently intruder lock-down drills.  And I have trusted the system.  I know that my efforts to contact the school will only interfere with or delay the safety of my child.  I need to have faith in those who are with her and in a higher being.  Things will work out the way they're supposed to.  I feel blessed that I am not afraid.  I am grateful to all the educators who stand with our children and protect them.  I have always been grateful to the firefighters - especially in this area where I currently reside.  Most of them are volunteers.  

            They went into the school. They took care of the situation at hand.  Everybody is fine.  Well . . . I know there are parents who are not fine.  Perhaps they will never be fine.  Fire drills are a way of preparing for a cause or event.  Perhaps the parents should practice understanding the system and make it a priority to have a bit of faith and not panic! I have more appreciation for walkie-talkies and other devices of communication.  This week and last month have helped me to prepare.

Morning Fog = Super Warm Evenings

The fog looked worse when I left the house than it does in these three pictures.

I used to watch fog and clouds surrounding the hills south of us.  

The longer the fog lingered in the morning, the warmer it was in the evening

Not that 65 or 67 is especially HOT -but when you consider the snow storms

just three weeks ago.  Dreary skies.  Grey and Drab.

But afternoons bring blue skies with enough coolness in the air that it's bearable

But by 3:30 and 4:00 it is unbearable. 

The fog has moved to the north side where we are and surrounds the entire city like we've been sucked into an endless vapor

It doesn't have an order nor is it bothersome like smoke from burning leaves, but still envelops us as though we are on an eerie set of a Halloween movie.   I don't know what time the fog starts.  I'm not up that early. 

I know it lifts before 10:30.  We had a fire drill today and it was nice outside.  Still cool, but clear enough that we could see all the other classes that went out the same exit.

I can see across the hills this morning.  I wonder if that means if won't be as  hot for us today as it was yesterday.

Dash #157 Peter from the New Testament

Who is Your Favorite Person in the Scriptures?

I like Peter, the senior apostle of Jesus Christ, found in the New Testament. 

Peter has many human qualities.  (John 13:36 -38)

He is not perfect.

Sometimes his faith is waivered.  (Matthew 14:27 - 30)

He isn't always in control of his emotions.  (John 21:7)

He seems a bit hard-hearted at times.  (Mark 8:32)

Though he tries to understand certain things, sometimes he just doesn't get it.  (John 13: 8 - 10; 21:15-17)

He tries hard to please his Master. (Matthew 26:35, Mark 10:28; John 2:37)

He tries to defend him. (John 18:10)

He makes mistakes. (Luke 22: 34; Mark 14 :70-72)

He is forgiven. (D&C 64:2-4)

I relate to Peter because so many of his human qualities are represented.

He's not perfect.  But the Savior loves him no matter what.  And He forgives him. 

Peter gives me hope. (Matthew 16:18)