Back At It

After six weeks of paid furlough (what a blessing!), I was back at work today.  We were only a few back, supervisors, and then not even all of them.  I was one of the lucky ones who was allowed to come into the office for "work," though there was little for us to do.  We couldn't access the computer system, so I spent most of the day listening to and reading through trainings.  It's hard to spend eight hours sitting at a desk reading, or listening to someone else read, dry government manuals.  At one point, mid-module about training, this screen popped up.

Apparently, it's up to me to create a safe, fun, and engaging learning environment.  I wish it was up to the government to creature a fun and engaging learning environment, but I suppose that's probably asking WAY too much.  Around 2:30, I was falling asleep at my desk.  As I was listening to someone drone on during a module, I thought, 'I'll just close my eyes for a second while I listen to this person speak,' then realized that was totally inappropriate!  I was at work.  I needed to be alert.  I may buy a pack of something caffeinated, just to get me through the afternoons.

On the job front, I've been offered a promotion.  Mark Henscheid, one of the Recuiting Managers, is resigning.  He and Lain Geest, the other RM, in consultation with Alan Clark (Admin Manager) and Tyler Tarter (Area Census Office Manager), felt like I would be the best person to take Mark's place.  It will mean I'll work 8:00-4:30, Monday through Friday (no more working on Saturdays), and I'll get a significant raise, from $19/hour to $26.50/hour.  

This is such a tremendous blessing!  I was so delighted when Mark called to talk to me about it, and felt so incredibly blessed.  God is watching over us.  In January, I read a book called The Heavens Are Open, written by Wendy Nelson, the Prophet's wife.  It was a quick read, but so inspiring.  She talked about prayer and asking God for things.  Before she and then Elder Nelson were married, still engaged and not telling the public at large, Sister Nelson was out looking for a new home.  She was looking with a friend so as to not draw attention to the fact that she and Elder Nelson were looking for a house together.  They went through a lovely house that met their needs, and the friend asked, "Should we pray about this one?"  Sister Nelson agreed they should, and the friend prayed.  She thanked God for the chance to be looking with Sister Nelson, said the house seemed to be good and would suit them, but then asked, if it was possible, that they find something better.  Sister Nelson was struck by her friend's request for something better.  Can you ask the Lord for something better? she wondered.  

Sister Nelson then recounted an experience of Joseph Smith.  He came to a meal and they were having johnny cakes, which is essentially cornbread.  He thanked the Lord for the johnny cakes, but then asked the Lord to send them something better.  Within moments, a man appeared at the door with flour and a ham.  Definitely something better.  Taking this example to heart, I've been very grateful to God for my job.  I regularly thank Him that I can work and provide an income for our family.  But at the same time, I'm also asking for something better.  I've been applying for jobs, trying to do my part, but didn't see a promotion at the Census as a possibility.  Yet here I am, still in the same place, with something better.  

The Lord is good.  Work is good.  Work is not always fun and engaging, but it is good, and I'm back at it.

A Bit of Service

 This evening, after work and dinner, Kent and I went over to Bill and Mary Lou Bingham's house to plant some flowers for them. They are old and can't get down on their hands and knees anymore, but they like flowers planted in the beds around the front door. We helped them plant a couple of years ago, and it has now become our job do put in the geraniums. I love to plant stuff, Kent and I both love to serve, so we happily have taken this responsibility. If I might be permitted a bit of a brag, the flowers looked great when we were finished.

Mask Making

I got word that I return to work tomorrow. This is good because Friday was the last day of my paid furlough, and this week's work from home options have been pretty measly. The Census is providing training sessions you can call into, but I had little success getting on. The conference calls will only accept 250 people, so they recommended that we get on early. I called, was ready to go, got about five minutes of the session, and was then disconnected. I couldn't get back in. Sigh. So when Mark Henscheid called me and asked if I was ready to return, I quickly and enthusiastically agreed. 

What this means, however, iw that I need some masks. I want to do my part to squash the curve, helping hospitals have enough ICU beds, so I will wear a mask. But I need to make some. I pulled out fabric, the elastic I've got on hand, and the sewing maching, downloaded a simple mask pattern from the CDC, and got to work.

An hour and a half later, I had three really pathetic masks, and a great deal of frustration. Sewing is not my thing. It all seems easy enough when I read through the instructions, but the execution leaves much to be desired. I cut, I sewed, and added elastic, but it wasn't right. I tried to make adjustments, only to have it be worse than the original. I was very frustrated. I did manage to get one acceptable mask from my efforts, and posted the following on Instagram.

"After a five week furlough, I'm back to work tomorrow. I've hardly gone anywhere in those five weeks, and we had some medical masks I've been wearing. I decided I needed to make a couple of masks I could wash and use again. I had fabric, I had an easy pattern, I even had elastic. What I don't have is any sewing skill. In three attempts, I have one usable mask. I'll try again tomorrow . . .after work. #notaseamstress #itlookssoeasy #othertalents"

My sweet friend, Rachel LaComb, left me a mask on her front porch, and I picked that up on the way to work. I did try again, and was able to make adjustments that worked. I put a couple of pleats in the sides, and rather than use elastic, I sewed bright ribbon onto the four corners, so I can tie them on, rather than loop the over my ears. I think it will work.

Blackout Poetry

This week's art assignment for Brandt was to create a work of blackout poetry. Ms. Mills gave the students several examples, and then asked them to do one of their own.

Here are some examples:

I thought this was a great assignment, and Brandt said he could take care of it himself. He even had an idea and knew where he wanted to go.  I was so pleased.

Here is his submitted "work of art," for which he got full points.

I was a bit less pleased when I saw his entry.

Sigh.

He is such a boy.

His poor teacher.  I hope others submitted better offerings.

Sunday "Selfie"

Brandt got this funny hedgehog shirt from the Tanners.

Taking the picture  himself, you can't see the animal very well.

I took one for him so we could see the shirt more clearly.

Peace!

Kitchen Cleaning

I had everyone help clean the kitchen today.

Many hands make light work.

We get in each other's way, because the kitchen isn't huge,

but it was great to have it all cleaned up quickly.

Brandt did more than just sit on the counter,

but this is when I caught him for a photo.

Dinner Help

Blythe is helping prepare dinner.

I love a happy helper.

Rock Canyon Teacher Parade

Being out of school has been the pits. While online school is fine, interactions with friends and teachers has been sorely missed by both Brandt and Blythe. Zoom meetings are not the same. Video learning is not the same. Home school is NOT the same.

Today, Rock Canyon held a teacher parade, where faculty and staff drove through all the school neighborhoods. We made signs and lined the yard to wave and cheer and try to feel connected. The parade started at the school and came down our street at at the beginning. There was a police car escort and honking, so we heard them coming, and we heard them going, and we heard them wending their way through nearby neighborhoods. I got very teary as they came by. We've got good people at Rock Canyon, who have done good things for my kids through the years. We miss our regular  association with them.

Because the school parade was not going through the Rock Canyon condos,

Mikayla, Brick, Cora, and Kal came to watch the parade with us.

Although I only got the lead police car and Mr. Hansen (principal),

Mrs. Christensen, Mrs. Payne, and all the kids past teachers drove by.

I was just waving crying enough that I didn't take other pictures.

First Snowcones of the Season

On our way down to remove rocks, we saw that the Hokulia shaved ice place was open. That must mean summer is right around the corner! I told the kids we could stop for one on the way home, as a reward for all their hard work.  Then, after we had finished, I called Mikayla to see if she and her littles would like to join us. She was working and not available right then, so we agreed to meet later. 

Sadly, because it is still April, by the time we got there close to 5:00, it was much chillier than it had been mid-afternoon when we would have stopped. BUT! the shaved ice was still sweet, and it was still a tasty treat. 

Altruistic Self-Benefit

I know. I know. Altruistic and self-benefiting are opposites, but today we did an act of service that benefits others as well as myself. I shall explain.

Maureen Ogles and I bike several days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday), and most of those days, we bike to south Provo and along Lakeshore Parkway, a road that goes from the freeway to the Provo airport. There is a path that runs along the road, making for lovely biking; we don't have to worry about being in traffic. Yesterday, we found a rather large stretch of the path strewn with rocks; big enough rocks to make us worry about popping a tire. We got off our bikes, moved to the road, and biked past that section on the road. We then stopped again, got back on the trail, and continued on. It was easily 100 yards long. I have no idea how all the rocks got on the trail, but it was a problem.

This morning, same thing.

I don't want to have to get off my bike again, so today, I took the children down to the trail for a bit of a service project. We took our flat-nosed shovel and some brooms, and we cleared the rocks off of the trail. It didn't take super long and it wasn't super hard. The kids worked well and without complaint, and by the time we were finished, I felt super good about our efforts. I shall bike freely tomorrow.

Cleaned off trail in both directions.

Sunday Selfie

Brandt is at it again.

It is, after all, a Sunday.

He got me and Kent in on the action, too.

Zoom Presidency Meeting

Covid-19 has made doing anything with anyone you don't live with very complicated. School continues to be a struggle, I'm still not working, we don't really even leave the house much. I've pushed grocery shopping to once every two week, we haven't eaten out since January, and our associations with people are mostly of the online variety. My presidency meeting today is a perfect example. Although we are only four, we can't be together in the same room, so we had a Zoom meeting today. We didn't have a lot of Relief Society stuff to cover, but it's been too long since we've seen each other, we wanted to be together, so we met up online. We laughed and laughed as we caught up, encouraged, and counselled together. I wanted photo documentation, but this picture was the best I could get. Andrea had her back to the window, so for most of the meeting, she looked like someone in the witness protection program. It has been a joy and delight to serve with these women for the past three and a half years. They are tremendously faithful, spiritual, service minded women who go about doing good. I have been told by many people that I am a great Relief Society president, but I know that's because Linda, Barbara, and Andrea make me look so good. They have been my support and strength and I love them!

Up Close and Far Away

Brandt has a painting class this semester. Doing painting remotely hasn't really been possible, but he has had a variety of art projects to complete each week. This week's project related to coronavirus and is titled Up Close and Far Away. Springville Art Museum made a call for school aged students to respond to their experience with Covid-19. This is what they said:

Life as we know it has been put on hold. Many of us feel far away from the comfort and security of our regular routines — we’re up close to a new normal. We are all united in this unexpected opportunity to examine the aspects of our lives that we are distanced from and closer to. Up Close and Far Away invites Utah K-12 students to reflect on their own experiences, activities, and commitments while looking closer at relationships, places, and things in their current spaces.  As today’s challenging circumstances shape our worldviews, we can also look forward with hope to the future.

Brandt's art teacher had the students respond to this invitation. They could submit their work to the museum or not, it was up to them. She also asked them for some written explanation of their work. Brandt chose to do a self-portrait photograph, and chose not to submit it to the museum. He wrote about how he is far more frequently online now that we are living in a Covid society. He does his schoolwork online, and he connects with people more online than he did before. He likes to be able to meet his friends as he plays with them on video platforms. And he certainly likes to play video games online.

From my perspective, being home all day and being plugged in all day isn't really healthy for one's mental health, but it wasn't my art assignment, so I'll leave the interpretation to Brandt.

I looked at the "exhibit" on the Springville Museum of Art website. I think it's too bad Brandt didn't submit his entry.

Quarantine Birthday

It's Luke's birthday today. We drove down to take him a little something and wish him a happy day--from far away.  Mikayla and her crew came, Grandma Sue came, and I took Brandt and Blythe. We all stood on the sidewalk and talked to Luke and his family as they stood on the porch. It has been difficult to celebrate or honor any real occasion with the quarantine happening, but at least Luke knows we love him.

We Should Have Made Tinfoil Dinners

The stump removal efforts continue. After some work clearing away dirt and revealing more of the tree roots in Mom's backyard, we went over to see about burning the roots. Kent brought charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid, plus a healthy dose of optimism, hopeful we could start the roots on fire and burn them up. In the end, we had a glowing pile of briquettes that didn't even really discolor the roots, much less burn them up.

We should have brought tinfoil dinners.

Now on to the next plan.

Looking Large

I can hardly get over how big our lad looks scrunched up on this little slide. Those feet! He's looking large!

            

Geocaching

Blythe downloaded a geocaching app and has been keen on finding caches. This evening, Kent and I drove around with her to find a couple. We found one in bushes, one in a storm drain, and one under a rock. Blythe hopes we can find twenty and then she'll be able to hide her own. What a fun activity!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter! What a glorious day to celebrate a glorious event--the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because of Covid-19 quarantining, we were home, did not attend church, and did not enjoy the beautiful spirit that usually accompanies the messages and music of Easter. But at home, we did play beautiful music, we had a short church service with the sacrament and the reading of the resurrection story in the New Testament, and then had a tasty meal. Grandma Sue joined us, which was a treat as we haven't seen much of her due to quarantining, and we had a small egg hunt in the backyard. Brandt took funny pictures of everyone, and we managed a family picture with the camera propped up in the play house. 

I rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I rejoice that his resurrection brought about our future resurrection. I rejoice in his gospel, his teachings, and his example that show me the way back to our Father in Heaven. That first Easter morning was miraculous. All those that have followed have lifted the sorrowful believers out of the darkness of grief and allowed us all to celebrate Christ's triumph over the grave. I am grateful every Easter to know we will see our deceased loved ones again, and will rejoice in that day whenever it comes.

Brandt couldn't be bothered to go downstairs for a smaller basket,

so he just used one of the laundry baskets.

A Sunday Selfie