Weeding

Although it is technically still early days to be working in the yard, and the weather has been inconsistent (warmish, then cold, then a bit warmer, then cold again--typical spring in Utah), I have been home, looking out at the yard, and feeling like I needed to be out there working.  Dead bits of vegetation need to be cut back, beds cleaned out of leaves and grass, trimming and pruning and preparing for the new season.  I've wanted to be out there. 

Today was perfect weather, so I went out to weed.  I always leave the front bed, under the pine tree, until the very last, because it is the worst to weed, and it takes the longest.  But rather than delay the bad stuff, I decided I would start there, with the worst spot.  Then all the other weeding I do in the next week or so will seem much more doable.  Isn't that so disciplined of me?  Get the worst over first, then on to the better. 

I worked really a long time, pulling up grass and weeds, cutting back the dead, picking up lots and lots of pine cones.  I listened to The Book of Mormon as I weeded, and I worked my way through the whole of Helaman, and not on 1.5 speed.  Good scripture, sun on my face and arms, warm dirt, green growing things.  It was lovely, even though it took so long.  I was absolutely delighted with how good the flower bed looked when I was done. 

As I was finishing up, Brandt came out with an axe and asked if he could chop up the stumps from two long-removed aspen trees.  I told him to have at it, and he did.  When Kent took the trees out, he had cut the stumps into a cross pattern, and over the years, the wood had rotted.  Brandt had no problem making short work of the stumps, and we were able to get rid of both of them with very little effort.  Brandt was pleased to be able to swing away, I was pleased to have them come out of the flower bed, and Kent was pleased to see the fruits of his labors, even if it was many years later. 

Just next to my right thigh, you can see the remains of a large bush.

We've had a burning bush in this bed, but it has been dying over the last two years.

Last week, Kent cut it all back and filled the green waste bin with the branches.

We need to get a chain and a truck and pull out the stump, but I was glad to have the dead bush gone.

Look at all that lovely, weed-free dirt.

A 'Nuggle

The DeMartinis were all together this evening at my mom's house. As usual, smallish people were running around wildly, biggish people were talking loudly, and there was general pandemonium. All typical. Thea was a big overwhelmed by all the noise and chaos, and to safely escape it all, she climbed into my lap and pressed herself into my chest. I put my hand up to cover her ear, and she sat with me for a long time just like that. I love this wee girlie.

 

Church at Home

Today is the third week in a row that we have held church at home.  With the quarantine restrictions, we can't meet in large groups, and the Church has cancelled church for the time being.  It is certainly usual to have church at home, but it has been sweet, too.  I have been so touched watching my husband and son prepare and administer the sacrament to us.  Kent has done the sacrament for Saneh Echols and Rosemary Wilson, too, utilizing his priesthood to bless others.  I have felt the spirit in our home as we've read and prayed together, and every week it has gotten a bit easier and better.  I wish I played the piano better so that we could sing the songs of Zion with piano accompaniment, but I suppose that ship has sailed and I shouldn't fret over it.  We have been doing Come, Follow Me study, and today read a talk from General Conference about listening to a living prophet.

At President Nelson's request, we have also joined with saints throughout the world to fast and pray for relief in the current situation.  He invited us with the following statement:

As a physician and surgeon, I have great admiration for medical professionals, scientists, and all who are working around the clock to curb the spread of COVID-19.  I am also a man of faith, and I know that during these challenging times, we can be strengthened and lifted as we call upon God and His Son, Jesus Christ—the Master Healer.  I invite you to join with me in a worldwide fast—for all whose health permits—to pray for relief from the physical, emotional and economic effects of this global pandemic. I invite members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints everywhere, along with our many friends, to fast and pray this Sunday, March 29. Let us unite our faith to plead for physical, spiritual, and other healing throughout the entire world.  The Lord understands the feelings you are experiencing. He loves and cares for you, as I do, too.

We have fasted today, uniting our faith and prayers with others, pleading for the Lord's mercy and preservation.  We sang We Thank Thee, O God, For a Prophet for our closing song.  We are, indeed, thankful to have a living prophet.

Quarantine Cleaning

We're stuck at home.  I've been using this time to clean and organize the house, a task I don't love to do and which I set aside any chance I get.  However, we are home, not going anywhere or associating with others, so I've got time to work on the house.  I've made excellent progress.  So far I have reorganized and cleaned out the game closet, the linen closet, the medicine closet, our bedroom closet, and the pantry.  I've emptied and wiped out all the kitchen cabinets, cleaned out the fridge, and washed upstairs walls.  On the list still is reorganizing the laundry room and sorting some things in the basement.  I want to have Brandt and Blythe help me put their school papers into binders, sort of scrapbooking stuff, and made a start with Brandt on Friday.  It feels good to get these things done.  I love opening a closet door and finding all things in order which carries over into a feeling of having my life in order.

Covid-19 Memes

In an effort to find humor in the middle of a pandemic, I'm documenting funny memes clever people have come up with to give us all a laugh. 

Years from now, I'm not sure anyone will understand how funny this is. This is Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House in a medical drama series I watched for a while. His character is grouchy, misanthropic, something of a curmudgeon, with unorthodox diagnostic approaches to weird pathological enigmas. He's always discovering some strange something his patient is dealing with. He, himself, is in constant pain due to an injury in his thigh, and constantly uses Vicodin to manage the pain. Having to explain the meme certainly makes it less funny, but still. If we only had a Dr. House, we could all go back to normal life without all this pandemic nonsense.

No need for explanation

No idea why toilet paper panic set in due to Covid. 

It's not a gastrointestinal disease, but people freaked out and started panic-buying toilet paper.

Then there wasn't any to be had.

Toilet paper and bottled water. 

None of our water supplies were threatened by the pandemic, but like toilet paper, 

there wasn't any to be had.

Strange.

Oh What Do You Do in a Quarantine?

Tune to Oh, What Do You Do in the Summertime
by: Brandt Barrus

What do you do in quarantine when all the Worlds at home?

Do you make a cake? Or play video games all day long 

is that what you do so do I.

What do you do in quarantine when all the Worlds at home?

Do you do online school? Or zoom family members.

is that what you do so do I.

What do you do in quarantine when all the Worlds at home?

Do you play board games? Or do you play cards?

is that what you do so do I.

What do you do in quarantine when all the Worlds at home?

Do you work really hard to clean up the yard? Or do you snack snack snack?

is that what you do so do I.

What do you do in quarantine when all the Worlds at home?

Do you do some puzzles? Or watch tv?

is that what you do so do I.

What do you do in quarantine when all the Worlds at home?

Do you do yoga? Or nap nap nap?

is that what you do so do I.

What do you do in quarantine when all the Worlds at home?

Do you watch youtube? Or read a book?

is that what you do so do I.

What do you do in quarantine when all the Worlds at home?

Do you watch a movie? Or watch the birds?

is that what you do so do I.

Funny Children

Brandt: When can you and Dad go have a date and Katie can come babysit us?

Katherine: You don't need to have a babysitter anymore.  You are thirteen and Blythe is eleven.  You are old enough to be on your own for a time while Dad and I are gone.

Brandt: But I want Katie to come babysit us!

Katherine: I'm not going to pay Katie to come play with you.  That's ridiculous.

Brandt: But we need someone to watch us.

Katherine: If you shave, you don't need anyone to babysit you anymore.

While discussing our scripture reading in Alma 33, Blythe asked what "slothful" meant.  I said, "Think about a sloth.  What do you know about sloths?"

Brandt immediately piped up, "Sloths can be deadly if they are thrown at you."  

While this makes absolutely no sense in the context of our discussion, he just finished reading a book set in a zoo called FunJungle, and in the book, someone throws a sloth at someone else, with disastrous consequences for the person on the receiving end.

Blythe likes to read series.  While talking about books that she could read, I say, "Why won't you read Harry Potter?  The stories are fantastic, it's a series, you would love them."
"No," she said.  "I don't want to read them because everybody has read them and said how fantastic they are, and I don't want to be like everyone else."
She is soooooooo Kent's child!  This is exactly the same way Kent thought at her age.

Blythe leaves early for school.  Kent asked why she felt inclined to be out the door well before she had to be.  She said she needed to be waiting at Lilly and Emma's house so that other walkers would come be with them.  She likes a big group.
"Oh!" Kent said, "You want to be a gang."
"No," Blythe replied.  "We're a posse.  And I want our posse to be bigger than the boy's."
Apparently, there is a group of boys that all come into school together, but there are only five or six of them.  Blythe, Lilly, Emma, David, Olivia, Mia Bella, Maggie, and Hailey are more, and that, in her mind, is much better and worth leaving the house early for.

I went upstairs to say goodnight to Brandt.  He said, "Mom, lie down next to me."  Even though Brandt is 13 years old, he still likes us to lie down next to him, with an arm draped over him, when he goes to sleep.  It's his comfort thing.  Some children have blankets, some have stuffed animals, Brandt has a parental arm.  I say, "Brandt, I can't lie down next to you."
"Only for five minutes!" he says.
"No," I say.  "Not for five minutes.  I lie down next to you, it's warm and comfortable and dark, I'm always tired, and inevitably, I fall asleep and wind up snuffling softly next to you.  45 minutes later, Dad comes in to wake me so I can go to bed."
"But I'm asleep," he replied.

Scriptural Reassurance

Garbage continues with stuff I can't talk about on a social media platform.  We think we are making progress, then we aren't.  It's so incredibly frustrating, and sometimes I feel angry and scared and that life is unfair and unjust.  But then I am reassured by the Lord's voice through the scriptures.  I'm in the war chapters in Alma, one of my favorite parts of the Book of Mormon.  In Alma 58, Helaman is writing to Moroni, giving an account of the happenings in his part of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites.  He says, in verses 10 and 11,

Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and also give us strength that we might retain our cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of our people.  Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him.

In verse 37, Helaman also says, "We trust God will deliver us, notwithstanding the weakness of our armies, yea, and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies."

I never thought we'd have enemies who were intent on bringing us into bondage.  But I have felt God's assurances that He will deliver us, and know his promises are sure.

Painting Assignment

For his painting class, Brandt learned about an artist named Andy Goldsworthy.  He's from the UK and does natural installation art, site-specific work using materials such as rocks, sticks, and leaves.  It is fun stuff.  After watching a video, Brandt was to choose one of two options for an activity this week.  He could either make a color wheel with objects found around the house, arrange them in a radial design, and upload a picture, or he could go out into his environment, find 20 objects and make an arrangement in a neat and intentional way, and upload a picture of that.  I watched the short video along with Brandt and then suggested that we do both assignments as neither was going to take a huge amount of time.  Brandt chose to do the outdoor arrangement, and I went out with him to do one, too.  I had him do the color wheel as well, which he did very reluctantly, even though it wasn't that big of a deal.  I wanted to make lots of color wheels using all sorts of things, but settled for just the one.  Well, and a pencil arrangement, too.  Here are our efforts.

Brandt and his art installation

My natural artwork

Blythe's quickie job

Our found object color wheel

Eagle Scout Project

During these two weeks I have off of work, I told Kent I wanted to finish up Brandt's eagle scout project.  If nothing else gets done, that is what I want to have accomplished.  He agreed this would be good, and on Saturday, he and Brandt went and purchased supplies.  Yesterday afternoon, I called Dave Sheets and asked if Kent and Brandt could come over and use his shop to cut some wood into the right sizes.  He readily agreed and even came over to help haul wood.  Three hours later, Kent and Brandt returned with all the projects put together, cut, glued, and nailed.  Dave was willing to help not just cut, but assemble, and worked with Brandt and Kent to get them all finished.  I was thrilled and delighted!!  Then, today, Kent and Brandt painted them all with primer.  I am confident we're going to be able to get these done.  I don't know that we're going to have the Rock Canyon Extravaganza due to everything being shut down and everyone on lock down, but at least the project will be finished.

Not Sunday Selfie

Just because.

My Shepherd Will Supply My Need

I was meant to be released as the Relief Society President last week. Then Covid hit here, everything shut down including church, and so I am still in place. Bishop Elder doesn't want to transition to a new president in the midst of all the new pandemonium, and so until we meet again, I will continue to serve. 

We have already been dealing with really difficult stuff, and knowing that we--our family, neighborhood, society at large--are likely to be isolated and feeling alone, I wanted to send an encouraging message to the ward. I heard one of my very most favorite songs on the radio yesterday, My Shepherd Will Supply My Need, and felt the message of the song was perfect for what I wanted to share. Here is what I wrote to the ward, my testimony of our Shepherd's love.

Dear friends,

I have been thinking about the unrest we are currently experiencing. I don't like social distancing. I don't like being away from church on Sunday. I don't like feeling a bit of fear and uncertainty with all that is happening. I am praying for you, and I hope you are praying for me, too. I take tremendous comfort in knowing we have a living prophet to guide us through these perilous times. Isn't President Nelson reassuring! But I take even more comfort in knowing that we have Christ, our sure foundation, our True Shepherd, to supply our needs. I listened to this song yesterday, a song I have loved for many years, and I was sweetly reminded that we are not alone. Christ's presence is our stay; his supporting breath drives away fear; in him we can find a settled rest. He will lead us to fresh pastures and living streams. I feel his love and hope you do too.

I love you!

Katherine

I received several responses that lifted my spirits further. Sarah Tayler said, "My favorite line is 'But like a child at home'. I aspire to be the kind of person that could be "at home" with God and Christ. I believe that someday I will be comfortable and "at home" with them. Not because I'll be so awesome but because they are so gracious and will make me feel at home and help me along my path to perfection. The the God and Brother I believe in. I love you back!"

Elizabeth Cutler said, "That’s one of my favorite songs, as well.  That one and It Is Well With My Soul have been floating through my heart for weeks.  I listen to them and hear them even when I don’t have the music on.  Oddly, this time has not been one of fear for me.  It’s been one of testimony building and faith promotion.  I have never felt more sure that God is near with his prophet sounding a sure trump.  Even though we, Jim and I, are some who have been hit extra hard financially, it just feels like everything is going to be ok because, well, of all the things you said.  'Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control That Christ has regarded my helpless estate and has shed his own blood for my soul.  It is well, it is well with my soul.' And you, Katherine Barrus, are one of the reasons why."

Aren't those beautiful thoughts!

Here are the words of the song:

My Shepherd will supply my need: Jehovah is His Name; In pastures fresh He makes me feed, Beside the living stream. He brings my wandering spirit back When I forsake His ways, And leads me, for His mercy's sake, In paths of truth and grace.

When I walk through the shades of death, Thy presence is my stay; A word of Thy supporting breath Drives all my fears away. Thy hand, in sight of all my foes, Doth still my table spread; My cup with blessings overflows, Thine oil anoints my head.

The sure provisions of my God Attend me all my days; O may Thy house be my abode, And all my work be praise! There would I find a settled rest, While others go and come; No more a stranger, nor a guest, But like a child at home.

We Are Counted

I work for the US Census Bureau.  Since I began two months ago, I have been focused on the purpose of the Census and what we can do to get people to self-respond.  We've been hiring enumerators, those who go door-to-door to follow up with those who haven't responded, but we've wanted people to do it themselves, before the need for enumerators.  Invitations began to be mailed out on March 12th, and I've been waiting for ours to come.  Every day I've asked Kent if it came yet, and it finally did, two days ago.  Not wanting to be one of those households that left their invitation unanswered, today I filled it out.  I was Person Number 1 which I figured was my right as a Census employee, but I got all four of us counted.  That's right!  Four! We are four!  We have done our part.

The whole Covid-19 coronavirus thing is going to skew numbers.  College students should be counted where they are on April 1, at college, but because so many of them have been sent home, they will be counted at home.  Missionaries who are usually elsewhere will be counted at home, but it will affect funding for the next ten years.  Nothing for it, really.  I have been fortunate to have been granted a two-week paid furlough that began on Wednesday.  I was fairly certain that the office would be closed, but I was also fairly certain that we wouldn't be paid.  We are all temporary employees, with no benefits and no permanence to our positions.  I worked about ten hours of overtime the past two weeks in order to bank extra money thinking I would not be paid for a long time.  But I was happily surprised when they told us to go home for two weeks and they would pay us.  Hooray!  I feel tremendously blessed.

Four peole!

And a Sunday selfie!

Homeschool

The governor declared that schools across the state should close on Friday.  The kids came home and have been home since then.  This week, Monday and Tuesday, teachers were given time to prepare online learning, put together packets, organize themselves for a different type of school, and yesterday, we got started.  So far, on day two, things have been going well.  I had to work yesterday, so I asked Kent to stay on top of school, which he did.  Yesterday I was given a two-week paid furlough, so I, too, am home and can help oversee school.  Brandt, usually very diligent, got his work done quickly.  Blythe, always reluctant to do math, will be a challenge.  We're going to have to establish a schedule and stick to it.  Fingers crossed we can make it work!

Covid-19 Madness

The world is in an uproar.  Covid-19, the coronavirus, is sweeping across the world, a pandemic of proportions akin to the 1918 Spanish Flu.  Thousands of people have died in China and other parts of Asia, thousands more are dying in Europe, and it has arrived in North America.  We are hearing dreadfully grim news, and many are panicking, fearful of what is coming.  For some reason, people have been buying up toilet paper and bottled water, even though our water supply will be unaffected by a virus and will continue to flow from our taps.  It has been terribly upsetting.  We, Kent and I, are trying to remain calm, to rely on the Lord, and to recognize our blessings in the face of all the tumult.  We have toilet paper (I like to keep lots on hand), we have had income, we have a food supply in the basement, and we have each other and a strong faith in the Lord.

Since I began working, I have tried to be really good about making a menu, shopping for items I need to prepare the food on the menu, and then sticking to it.  It has made meal preparation much easier when I get home after working all day; I don't have to think about what to make, I have a list.  I have worked through the menu, and when we are down to one day left, I have gone shopping again.  I have to do that after work, which isn't always a treat because I'm shopping when lots of other people are shopping, and at the end of a long day away from home.

Two days ago was the day when I had one entree left to make and felt like I should go to the store.  I should have gone yesterday, but it was Wednesday, and since I have started working, I have designated Wednesday as my go to the temple day.  Kent, Brandt, and Blythe all have youth activity night, which means I can be gone and it is less disruptive to the overall smooth workings at home because I'll not be missed.  So rather than shop, I worshiped in God's house.  Today, however, the governor made a statement about staying home.  Tomorrow will be the last day of school for two weeks, non-essential work should cease, and people should stay home as much as possible.  We needed food as the fridge was largely bare and I needed to shop for the next two weeks, and so I went to the grocery store after work.

It was absolutely pandemonium at the store.  There were hundreds of people crowded into the space.  It was almost certainly a fire hazard and more people than legally should have been there.  It was difficult to find a cart, and then shelves were empty.  There was no canned soup, no flour, no sugar, no pasta, no ramen, no toilet paper, no bottled water (what's with that?!).  People's carts were piled as high as possible, and everyone was deadly earnest.  The lines to check out were ridiculous.  I got in line on one side of the store, down a whole aisles from the checkout.  I waited in line for an hour and a half.  We all inched our way down the aisle, nearly silent in what felt like fear and desperation.  I wished I had shopped yesterday and gone to the temple today.  Brandt called and asked what was for dinner, and when I told Kent he needed to make something, he said, "Oh, we can wait until you get home."  No, they couldn't; the children would have starved to death.  He made waffles while I waited and waited and waited.  Thing was, I was right there with everyone else, cart piled as high as possible, with foodstuffs for what I hope will be at least two weeks.  We have lots of food in storage, but not the fresh produce I really wanted.  I was grateful for the preparations we have made and hope we can survive this quarantine instigated by the leaders of our state and country.

Two and a half hours in the grocery store.

May this never happen again!

Sunday Selfie

Goose's Baby Shower

Today, Blythe and I attended a baby shower for Aunt Alisa.  She is due to deliver a baby girl at the end of April, and we gathered with lots of other people to celebrate and shower her with gifts.  Three days ago, Grandma Dawn called and asked if we might help her with a diaper cake (a cake shaped creation made of diapers).  I just volunteered to take care of it all, and she brought up a box of diapers.  Yesterday, on the way home from work, I stopped at Target for some little baby stuff we could use to decorate the cake, and then Blythe and I put the cake together.  While I am not always very good at Pinterest type crafty creations, this one turned out quite well.  It was cute with all the stuff we attached, and looked quite darling.  It made for a nice centerpiece on the gift table.  The shower today was very nice.  We played shower games, including baby creation with modeling clay, "delivering" a baby from an ice cube, and scratching off a poopie diaper to see if you get poop (I did and won a squishy poop).  Goose got lots of nice gifts, and I hope felt loved.  We were happy to be there to support her.  We hope the baby arrives safe and sound.

 

My "baby" trying to "deliver" her baby by melting ice in her hand.

This is an exceptionally unflattering picture.

I'm "delivering" my baby orally.

That is a gross sounding sentence.

Blythe with her moms.