A Letter From the Kids!

               Lately our daily treck out to the mailbox has been a waste of time.  I thought it might be beneficial to have a trash can out there.  That way we could remove contents from mailbox and dump immediately.  Yesterday’s experience was a rather pleasant one.  There was only one piece but I can honestly say I was more excited about the envelope that lay within than I have about any contents this year – perhaps in our entire lives while living in this particular house.

        At first I thought it was a return of one of Richard’s cards, but when I examined the address I realized that it was an envelope I had mailed to Tony’s family after they had returned from their visit back in June.  A sock had been left behind and since I was sending it back, I had included a SASE and am so ecstatic for the reply.

the stamp was never cancelled so we don't even know when it was sent

CBQ#51

 Have you ever thrown unread magazines away?

         I don’t like magazines overall.  Too many advertisements.  I like Reader’s Digest (easy to hold) and have read the Children’s Friend, New Era and Ensign Magazines (which I think have all been renamed within the last two years – at least the latter two which have been changed to the Strength of the Youth and Liahona). 

        I have never been an avid reader as my mom or youngest brother.  I get tired even when the book has been interesting.  Forget the magazine – or newspaper.  I enjoy going from cover to cover without having to search for the rest of the article.

        As I age, I find I like reading off a touch screen in which I can control the size of the font.  I have thrown away unread magazines (though not church magazines but AARP) and feel bad that it hasn’t been read.  But I’m just not focused enough.

CBQ#36

 What’s the story behind a time when you got locked out?

 

        I have come up with more situations than I care to admit.  The first one I thought about on Friday when Carolyn announced that she’d be ending the class ten minutes early as the lifeguards have a meeting at 10:00 and would like to start on time without having to wait for stragglers. When class was over, I strongly suggested that Richard get out as it seems to take him longer to dress.

        Carolyn announced to the group that they were welcome to stay for five minutes before taking off.  She started heading to the deep end while the majority of the class headed towards the stairs at the shallow end and climbed out.  I then shared my first story with her.

Story #1

I don’t know how many years ago it was, but my first “locked out” story is not really about getting locked out but rather getting “locked in”.  Normally I don’t change back into my clothes until after I return home, but there are occasions when I change at the pool.  Apparently I had taken that opportunity one Friday just before the lifeguards had their meeting.  Or else I was just taking a longer time in the bathroom or something.  Regardless I had gone to the front door to exit the facility, only the door was locked.  I had to go back through the dressing room and knock on the window in the room where the lifeguards met and interrupt their meeting.

 

Story #2

        When Jaime was a baby I had gone to the store with her.  I don’t know if I loaded her or the groceries first – I’m thinking her.  I had evidently laid my keys in her car seat or had given them to her to play with.  Somehow I had locked her in the car.  I had my cell phone but not my keys.  I called Richard frantic as my child was inside a locked car – though the windows had been rolled down a crack because I do remember a set of people trying to help me with unlocking the door but just weren’t able to reach the lock.

        I would peek in Jaime’s direction and smile at her.  I didn’t want her to sense how frantic I was.  She thought I was playing a game with her and smiled back.  I’m sure it felt longer than it really was.  Jaime was fine but I was in panic mode.  By the time Richard showed up (with the entire troop no less) I was crying.  We set the car seat aside scrimping to find the keys.  It wasn’t until after one of her sisters physically removed Jaime from the car seat that keys were discovered.

 

        I do have more examples of locking myself out of the house. But for the time being we will just stick with two that I have provided.

CBQ#19

 When you’re alone at home, do you wear shoes, socks, slippers, or go barefoot?

 

        Like my mom, I don’t care for wearing shoes.  There was a time when I would always go barefoot if I had a choice.  With the last three yards I have lived in, going barefoot is NOT a wise choice.  Too many briars, thorns, and tiny rocks that stick to footwear and often tracked into the house.  Plus the more I age, the colder my feet usually are.

        I tried wearing slippers or slip-on shoes that will keep my feet warm.  I like convenience.  Chasing after Bonnie (who usually is good at minding) isn’t practical with the footwear I choose.  Jaime has gone after her in bare feet.  Ouch!

Blue Skies Somewhat Smiling

         

           The skies have appeared blue the last couple of days.  White clouds for the most part – though there was a large cloud of smoke billowing over the hills.  Evidently it moved on its way though I don’t know where.  One of the water fitness attendees comes from Winston.  She said she almost did not attend this morning because of the smoke (I don’t know which fire) but it was clear in Myrtle Creek.

          Carolyn had us work out in the deep end as the wind continued to blow.  It made the class more spread out though there were only ten of us – five or six less than usual.  If all the regulars were to turn out at the same time, there would probably be over 25 of us.

          I’ve been taking naps in the afternoon and am still tired.  Jaime and I tried to walk Bonnie just recently.  It was 83 degrees.  It was a short walk.

Secondary Hints

 

                         I once wrote a post about a sister who was addicted to family history (see here).  She enthusiastically shared her passion with others and would strongly advice to look for primary sources about our ancestors and not rely so much on the secondary sources.  So primary sources are like birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, etc.  A secondary source would be an obituary, announcement, burials, etc.  I’m not sure where the census and public records fit in.  Even the certificates that were recorded 100 plus years ago can and do get mistranslated (see here)  not because of the language barrier but the ability to decipher the handwriting regardless of what language it is written. Also lot of misspells.  It could be the same person.  Maybe.  Maybe not.

        I’d gone into Ancestry the other day.  There was a red dot over my hints – not a green leaf but a red dot.  Apparently they changed the appearance.  The red dot told me I had over 170 hints.  Awwww . . . . I don’t even recognize more than half the names that appear.  Lot of census.  I have had my own name come up and tell me that I was in a resident in areas that I wasn’t – or else the dates were wrong.  What?  Do I really need that information for people I may or may not be related to?  No.  Not important.  I decided I would weed out my “hints” by ignoring or marking undecided.  That way when I really am curious about certain individuals I can go through whenever I get the desire.

        Family history is definitely time consuming – just weeding them out is time consuming.  Richard has been getting a taste of my frustration – though at a much larger degree.  At least I have rare family names like Fish, Gloppen, Dodds, Gullicksen and Purdie (to name a few).  He’s got names like Rivera y Cortijo, Landor y Martinez . . . might as well be Smith and Young.

        As my few readers can tell – I still don’t have the passion.  Sorry.  Kudos to all of you that do.  That is really awesome.

Workout in the Water

 

The swim fitness classes are two dollars each although the pool offers a 20 day pass which saves 5 dollars.  Each year I have gone I have gone through at least two passes for myself.  But I have learned that each time I have purchased a pass for Jaime, she will stop coming.  Lately, I have been taking Richard – though he was not feeling well this morning.  Class has had the most consistent number count of any other year I have gone.  It has been a nice workout.

Blowing Smoke

             Richard and I had gone to Medford on Thursday.  As we got closer to the city I could see the mountains in the distance somewhat enveloped in a hazy whiteness.  I asked Richard if it was smoke from the California fires.  He thought it was.  And yesterday I could sense the same sensation I had back in 2020 during the COVID fires – well, not that the fires were COVID related – the fires had pushed the topic of the pandemic into the back burner like it was no longer relevant,

I could see the orange beams spill into my bedroom.  Kind of eerie – especially when the sun wasn’t even visible to my eyes when I looked for it outside.  Or through the window rather.  Still too hot outside to want to open the door just for Bonnie to go out and do her business.  The skies are hazy, but the hills are still visible.  It looks overcast but not.  The air quality is better than most summers – but there is obviously a stench in the distance.  It makes me sad for the thousands who have to evacuate thus far.  How many more?

Each year that we've been here we have heard the fireworks shoot off to mark the end of Summerfest. The skies are clear enough that the first time ever I was able to watch the fireworks from my bathroom window as I lay in bed.  That was cool.  

Still Loving Those Rocks

               Rock is not her most favorite genre of music, but she LOVES the minerals that nature forms for her collection.  My Aunt Eloise had given her a sack of rocks when Jaime was three.  I know.  That seems like an odd gift, but Jaime truly loved them and would spend hours sorting them by color, size, her favorites, and whatever other grouping she could think of.

         After we had moved to West Valley Jaime had gone next door to assist the neighbor with some light chores and came home with a large jar full of rocks – which again she separated into piles.  I remember taking several pictures of her enjoying her treasures which she had strewn across the couch.  This is the only pic I can find and she's not in it

         I did not ask her to pose for this picture but took it as it triggers fond memories.  Her love for rocks may not be exactly the same.  Now she likes to paint them and hide them.  She still treats them as treasures. She will always love rocks.

What Else Can I Throw Away?

 Whenever I see a touchless garbage can I can't help but smile.  It doesn't have so much to do with the can itself opening up - although that is pretty cool.

No, the memory that makes me smile is my first encounter with a touchless trash can was offered at Schlotzsky's then in Midvale Utah up by 1300 and Fort Union (no longer located in said area) and my four year old nephew who had walked by when a device invited him to throw away his trash.

Ben excitedly cleared the table returning for more and asking, "What else can I throw away?"

What Does This Say?

 Not only is the language in Spanish, but the handwriting seems to be providing an even bigger challenge.  

Is this why they stopped teaching cursive in schools?

Merry Christmas

 Jaime always manages to miss whenever we go to the pool on July 25.  Josh had always decorated for the first five years we had lived here but Sebastian did not.  Today I was surprised to see some parts decorated.