Don't sweat the small stuff

I have spent a lot of time on Facebook since I've been over here at Mother's. Too much.

Amber Esplin posted this as her status update today, Dec. 21, on Facebook:

Ugh, why do I let it bother me?! ("Why should I give way ... [that it] destroy my peace and afflict my soul?" [2 Nephi 4:27; it all applies.]}

I have no clue what is bothering her, but her status update spoke to my soul. Yes, why do I let "it" bother me? "It" changes daily. But until I read Amber's update I didn't realize I was letting "it" bother me. Yet, I worry about anything & everything. I can remember what I was worrying about a year ago, they are the same things I am worrying about this year - Mother's health, Christmas, finances, the house ...

The scripture reference she used is so appropriate.

Scriptural 12 days of Christmas

I was going to read the Gospels every day of December. But, I didn't. So, then I decided I'd do a scriptural 12 days of Christmas. I found one on Sugardoodle. It wasn't quite what I wanted. But already, the "1st" day of Christmas has gone & it is now 11 days til Christmas.

I'm still not ready for Christmas, but got through Daughters of Utah Pioneers today. Mother went. It was a luncheon at Thedora Petterborg's. She served stuffed lasagna, salad with spinach, pomegranates & bleu cheese, (mmm, it was so good), hot, fresh rolls with real butter & strawberry jam. Dessert was peppermint ice cream with Pepperidge Farm cookies. We exchanged Christmas gifts. Mother took a blanket & a box of eggnog tea in a re-usable Christmas bag. I took a bar of Serenity bath soap from doTerra. The bar of soap itself cost more than the $7 limit, but like I told Mother, no one is going to believe I spent $8 on a bar of bath soap. I bought a bath sponge to go with it.

We also brought a can or some non-perishable food item to donate to the SouthEast Idaho Community Action Agency (SEICAA).  I was in charge of taking them to the SEICAA office. We filled a plastic grocery bag full of cans, boxes & bags. I put it in a gift bag & took it over to the SEICAA office.. Kandi wasn't there, but the SEICAA office is right across the hall from ISU Outreach, so I went into ISU & talked to Sonya. I left the bag of food with her to give to Kandi.

I used to work for ISU Outreach before I had breast cancer (almost 5 years ago) & had never returned my keys. In fact, I had forgotten I even had them. I found the keys a few weeks ago in the console of my car & put them on the outside of my purse so I'd remember to return them. Sonya said she'd forgotten I had them also. I had 5 keys & 4 of them were still good. She has a new desk, so the desk key was the only one that wasn't.

Procrastination is a way of life

Mother is watching "Little House on the Prairie & Caroline calls, "Charles! Supper'll be on in about an hour." And Charles responds, "Perfect!"

I'm definitely not perfect. Our supper will not be on in an hour.My cell phone just did it's reminder that Writer's Group will be in an hour. I don't want to go. I haven't fixed supper. In fact, I don't even have a clue as to what to fix. I have a headache that I've suffered with all day. I have procrastinated the day away. Now it's time to go somewhere, it's time to do something

Then, I discover I procrastinated the month away too. Sigh. I only made it to Day 13 on my list of things I am grateful for.

I dread Sunday because of church. I dread Monday because of work. I dread Tuesday & Thursday because I have to cook. I'm supposed to cook on Saturday, too, but somehow that hasn't become a dreaded day.

So. What's for supper?

Gratitude: Days 12 & 13

Nick gave me a free photo book for Mother's Day & he reminded me I have to use it by Dec. 1, so I've got to get hustling. I thought I'd use it for the construction of the addition of the house, but ... I've decided I'm going to use it for the first couple of years of my blog.

Saturday, Nov. 12: Cell phones. I've already listed the internet last Saturday when I was without it. Nick is obsessing over a new phone & new carrier. He is so obsessed, I took my frustrations to the Lord today. I actually knelt down at my bed & told Him all about my concerns. When Nick & Don came over to talk about it,  I was able to come up with something I feel was truly inspired. Anyway, I LOVE cell phones. Yesterday, Saturday, when we went to Logan I forgot my cell phone. When I remembered it in Franklin, 6 miles from home, I was very tempted to ask Nick to turn around & go home to get it. I figured I could do without it, but I felt like I was half dressed all day. I kept patting my pocket.

Sunday, Nov. 13: Food. Today it was my turn to cook Sunday dinner. I always agonize over what to fix. But today I did a fairly simple meal, pulled pork sandwiches on hard rolls, Pineapple Apple Coleslaw w/a recipe I got from allrecipes.com & made my own. I seldom follow a recipe exactly, olives & Jean Carter's mandarin orange cake. OMG, it all turned out so good.

Last night when Don & I were shopping, I saw some barbecue sauce from KC Masterpiece called Smoky Bourbon. I don't usually buy KC Masterpiece because it's more expensive, but earlier in the day we, actually Don & Nick, had been having a play on words on Suburban, 'Burban & Bourbon. I thought it would be fun to use it. Actually, it was really good.

Mother & I listened to Fannie Flagg's book, Can't Wait to Get to Heaven, earlier in the week. Aunt Elner had a near death experience where she met Neighbor Dorothy, a friend who had a cooking radio show. Dorothy gave Elner some cake & tea. Elner said how Dorothy's cake was always so moist. Dorothy said the secret was to preheat your oven to 375° & then turn it down to 350° to bake it. So, when I went to bake my cake, I remembered this & thought I'd try it. Don't know if that was the secret, because when Jean served the cake at DUP on Tuesday, hers was moist.

Gratitude days 8-11

I've been very lax this year in listing the things I am grateful for.

Tuesday, Nov. 8, my son Don-Mikel. Don-Mike has taken care of my mother for the past 4 years, ever since they moved over here to Aunt Vi's house. He has built the addition to the house. I don't know what this family would do without Don-Mike. I wish he had gone on a mission for the LDS Church, but I think he wondered what we'd do without him too. Tuesday, he called CenturyLink (formerly known as Qwest) to get the link for the internet. Nick got the internet going for me, with the help of Don-Mike.

Wednesday, Nov. 9, modern medicine. Mother had a pacemaker appointment today with her cardiologist. Without the pacemaker, Mother wouldn't be here. When she had her open heart surgery to replace a valve, her heart did not start up. They had to put a temporary pacemaker on. Her heart never did start up & so they implanted a pacemaker that paces 100% of the time. Without modern medicine I wouldn't be here either, nor would my sons. I'd be one of those skeletons with a baby skeleton inside me. I'm a breast cancer survivor & also have had a craniectomy to remove a tumor from my ear canal that had grown so large it popped into the brain cavity & was pressing against my brain.

Thursday, Nov. 10, Talking Books. Mother receives audio books from the Idaho Library's Talking Book Service. She gets some good ones, then she gets some not so good ones & some she doesn't like at all. She also gets Guideposts magazine & the LDS Church magazines, the Ensign, New Era & Friend.

Friday, Nov. 11, veterans.

Thank you, especially my grandfather, Frederick Earl Porter, WWI; my father-in-law, Frank Jay Bartlome, WWII; my mother's brothers, Dorin Frederick Porter & Woodrow Gilbert Porter, WWII; my nephews, Matthew Alexander & Paul Bartlome, my niece Kimberly Bartlome Marriott; cousins, Everett Hudson, Dave Layne; friends, Glen Dutcher, Dave Hicks, Steven Hicks, Aaron Westre, Zachary Joseph Kent in both Desert Storm & Iraqi Freedom. And all the others.

More things

 More things I am grateful for

Saturday, Nov. 5, the internet. Once you lose something you discover just how much you rely on it. I spent the weekend without the internet. I got some reading done, got the dishes caught up, but I sure missed my internet friends.


Sunday, Nov. 6, I am grateful Lynette picked up Mufasa. We have had the care & keeping of this poor dog for the past 3 years. I wish I could be sure he is going to a better situation than what he has been in the past 3 years. Though he has had a dry place to live, it has been in a small, cramped kennel. Small & cramped for a full-grown Newfoundland. He has had food & water, but but not what he needed & craved: love, attention (grooming) & exercise. He's beautiful, but would be striking if he were properly cared for. He is about 6 years old now. We have spent a mortgage payment every year paying for his food & incidentals. Kents have fed him daily & had a cinderblock dog house built for him.

Monday, Nov. 7, I am grateful for Nick. As I stood up to go to lunch, my cell phone rang. It was Nick. He was ready to go to lunch. We went to Big J's & took soup & a sandwich home to Mother. He had obtained the needed equipment to connect the internet from Bill. Bill had bought it for $3 from the Deseret Industries & given it to him. Nick could probably have completed connecting the internet, but I wanted to get back to work so I wouldn't have to work late. The afternoon did not go well. Shortly before 8 p.m., I turned off the computer & stood up stiffly, ready to put on my coat. My cell phone beeped, telling me I had a new text message. I pulled my phone out of my pocket & there was a text message from Nick, "How goes work?" I love & appreciate him. He is always concerned about others.

Gratitude 2011

It was fun to look back at 2010 to see what I was thankful for last year. I started a separate page this year, Attitude of Gratitude, 2011, so I can just keep a running list. My first entry last year was Don. Interestingly enough my first entry this year was also Don. I am indeed thankful for my husband.

Wednesday, Nov. 2, I put Kindra (Palmer), the home health aide. Mother doesn't qualify for home health paid for by Medicare. It's private pay & Mother thinks she can only afford a shower once a week, so Kindra comes in once a week to give Mother a shower. I tried giving her a shower & it just doesn't work. I do not know the drill. So, I am truly grateful for Kindra.

Thursday, Nov. 3: It is hard to decide what specifically to be thankful for. I am thankful for everything.

Today, Friday, Nov. 4, I put hair. It might sound funny, but I am thankful for my hair. I am thankful I HAVE hair. My hair came out when I had chemo in 2007 & it is just starting to come back in good. I had my hair cut & a shampoo/set yesterday. It looks cute. I paid for it though with a bad headache. There is no bone where the craniectomy was done to remove the tumor in 2001. And even though Marcella was very careful in washing my hair, I got a headache. Mother's sister Onda, her husband Keith, & Mother's brother Larry came to visit Mother today from Blackfoot & Pocatello (Idaho). Mother's hair is still dark & thick. She has her hair done every week on Thursday & it stays in almost all week. Of course, people can't believe Mother doesn't dye her hair, so her hair is always a topic of conversation. Mother is the oldest sister & the other four have thin, white hair. My hair is thin & fine, but not white yet.

More changes

The bishopric in the Whitney 2nd Ward was released & a new bishopric sustained. Released was Bishop Brandon Stephenson; 1st counselor, Tim Golightly; 2nd counselor, Daren Cole; executive secretary, Donnie Sanderson; ward clerk, Bill Ponciano; financial clerks, Brett Bloom & Matt Gleed; & membership clerk, Burke Burns.

New bishopric: Bishop, Jim Summers; 1st, Jon Reese; 2nd, Darren Kelley; Executive secretary, Bill Ponciano; Clerks, Stanley Butler, Brett Bloom & Burke Burns. Everyone is commenting on how different Bishop Summers will look clean shaven. It will be a change. Since he was released as a counselor in a bishopric several years ago, he has worn a neatly trimmed beard.

The carpet was installed today. It looks better than I expected it to look. They expected it to take 2 days, but one man installed it today. They picked up the baseboards today.

I'm still not sure we'll keep the house, but we're working on the assumption we will. I certainly look forward to moving home. If I would just remember to get Mother's money so we can start working on the house itself.

Changes

I am so glad to be back on the lexapro. The angst isn't nearly as bad

angst defined by TheFreeDictionary
A feeling of anxiety or apprehension often accompanied by depression.

& tears & suicide ideation.

Last week the ward boundaries in the Preston 1st, 5th, 8th, Whitney 2nd, Franklin 2nd and 3rd wards in the Franklin Stake were changed. Six out of the 11 wards in the stake. Whitney 2nd Ward went from being the smallest ward in the stake to one of the two largest. They took one small block, but 50 of our members, & gave them to Preston 1st Ward. Then took 100 members, a subdivision, from the Preston 1st Ward & put them in Whitney 2nd. Preston 1st Ward's bishop & Relief Society president were among those people. Now this week Preston 1st & Whitney 2nd wards get new bishops. Our bishop had already moved from the ward.

I hope we soon get the house straightened out. Once we get it finished, Mother & I can move home. So tomorrow we see who our new bishop is.

Escape

 

I'm with Maxine. I'd sure like to escape. Today was a roller coaster ride. I've got whiplash from the hills & valleys. 

Tomorrow I'm going to have to go back on the medication or else run out into State Street. With my luck, I wouldn't be road kill. Just scraped up.

I'm tired of trying.

Lessons learned

Yesterday, Tuesday, Aug. 16, didn't have a very auspicious start, but then most mornings don't have a very auspicious start, do they? They don't at our house. Merriam-webster.com defines auspicious as:

showing or suggesting that future success is likely

At 3:41 a.m., to be precise, I gave Mother an inhaler treatment with her combivent - 2 quick puffs & off to sleep. I'd just barely got to bed 2 hours before. Mother was up the first time about 1 a.m. Don-Mike had beat me to bed, which is highly unusual. He's usually up later than I am. He was tired though. He told me on the way to bed that he turned off the door & shut the light. He was asleep by the time I got the computer & the rest of the lights turned off.

At 7 a.m. Mother was gasping for breath. I gave her a Xopenex treatment, but didn't finish it because she was tired. By the time Laurie came at 8:30, Mother was having a hard time breathing, she was gasping actually, & reached for her inhaler. I told her I didn't want to give it to her so soon after the Xopenex treatment. In hindsight, I should have just given it to her. She was having a panic attack. She told Laurie she didn't feel like having a shower. Laurie called the home health nurse, Sherri Ransom, & the ER to tell them we were coming in.

Sherri came to the house & Laurie & Sherri helped her out of the house. I didn't feel like Don-Mike & I did much, except kind of flutter around. Laurie had to tell me to get dressed though. I was so fixated on Mother, I forgot I wasn't dressed. It's a good thing I did get dressed, we were over there from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. A man had been bit by a rattlesnake & we kind of got pre-empted.

When we arrived in the ER, her oxygen saturation was 82. Almost as soon as they put her on their oxygen, her O2 levels shot to 92. After they gave her the breathing treatment using something besides Xopenex, her oxygen sats shot to 99. Dr. Jacob Curtis was the doctor on call. He ordered a chest x-ray just to be sure there was no fluid on her lungs. They didn't change any of her medications, but did change the regulator on her portable oxygen tank. She doesn't breathe deep enough to trigger the regulator & so she's not getting any oxygen.

And at home? We don't know. Someone from Cache Valley Oxygen is supposed to come by & check the concentrator. As soon as I leave, they will come by. I know it. I can sit here & wait all day, ALL. DAY. & no one will come by. As soon as I leave to run my errands, they'll be by.

So, what did we find? Little old ladies (LOLs) don't breathe very deep. I'm grateful I have my mother to help me learn these lessons. I guess I didn't do a very good job learning them as a mother of young children, now I get to have a second chance as a caregiver of an elderly parent.

One lesson is to get yourself dressed first. If you are going to run your mother to the emergency room, get some clothes on yourself first. Your mother doesn't have to get dressed, she can show up in her pajamas.

If I had learned this lesson as a mother of a young children, I wouldn't have to keep trying to learn it. One morning I was on my way to the day care with 2 small children. I had fed them, don't remember if I had dressed them, but little boys don't necessarily have to be dressed when they show up at day care. They can still be in their pajamas. We were on our way out the door. There was snow on the ground & I looked down & I was in my robe & slippers. Uhh! It would have been nice if I'd have had a home health aide ask me if I was going to get dressed before I made it clear out to the car.

So, the first thing a caregiver is supposed to do in the morning is get dressed - to your shoes. And not just any shoes, but appropriate shoes.

Two places at once

Is there a name of the syndrome where you are needed in two places at once? If there is, I'm unaware of it. I have heard of the sandwich generation & that's probably what I'm feeling. I'm not part of the traditional sandwich though, my children are adult children, so I guess I'm technically part of the "club" sandwich. The club sandwich includes grandchildren, which isn't part of this particular sandwich.

I moved over here to Mother's so I could help her. The doctor said she has to have someone with her 24/7. She doesn't need skilled nursing at all times, but she needs someone to be with her. Don-Mike set up a twin bed in Mother's room, so Mother & I are roommies.

I told her when I came over, she can't call to me at night. When I lay down & take my hearing aid out ... Aid. Singular. I am deaf. Not only that, I lay on my good ear, because I can't lay on the other side. As someone said, trying to be funny, "You're deaf in one ear & can't hear out of the other." Exactly. Totally deaf in the left ear with no way to conduct sound if I had a hearing aid stuck in that ear. Without the hearing aid in the right ear I can't hear. Mother sleeps with a little flashlight. I suggested shining the flashlight on me. She flashes it around. I slept through it. I told her to take her cane & poke me. No, she doesn't do that. One night Don-Mike had been up with her twice & he was exhausted to begin the night anyway. He said he couldn't do this anymore. She would call out to me & Don-Mike would hear her.

She has become adept at playing a martyr.OMG, I'm here to help. But she doesn't ask for help, she just starts doing. I guess she's decided I can't hear, so she'll just have to do it herself. Right now I'm feeling pretty worthless.


Don & Nick bring their "discussions" over here. And those discussions can get pretty ugly. I'm not sure if it's for me to moderate or become part of.

Mother's home

We got her home yesterday. It sure has been hot, but she's glad to be home. We'll see if home health will pick her up or insist she go back to the nursing home.

Never say never

Mother is in the Franklin County Transitional Care Center aka FCTCC aka the nursing home. I said I would never put her in the nursing home. I drug my feet on it, but the plan, in my mind at least, has been only a week.

When I told her how much it would cost to stay there ($7,000 a month), she said, "I can only stay here a week then." She was totally serious.

Today is the first time Nick has been in to see her since last Sunday at the hospital. For one thing, he hasn't known where she is. We were discussing that today & Mother said, "I'm down here in the dungeon." She is in the last room on her hall.

She was incarcerated on Tuesday, July 26, & so a week will be Tuesday. I'm hoping I can get her home by then or Wednesday at the latest. Incarcerated is a rather harsh word & she is getting good care. Probably better than she will get at home. She will have home health coming in.

Two trips to the hospital in one month

Mother is back in the hospital, this time with congestive heart failure. She spent the Fourth of July weekend in the hospital with acute respiratory distress. The doctor's recommendation is to release her to the nursing home or assisted living center as he deems her too weak to care for herself.

Don got a phone call from his brother Mike last night that their mother's house sold. Mike's coming up today, I think he said. Sounds like that was "timing." Now, we will have to give Luana a month's notice on the rental. We can use the inheritance to get this house handicap-accessible.

Falling flat

Ok, so today, the snow total is at 0%. How can it just fall flat like that? I don't understand, but then I guess I'm not supposed to. Is it one of those phenomenons that you just don't question?

Oh, & Nick got a "new" car today. I'll never be able to understand big boys & their toys. He traded in his awesome 2008 Impala for a 1994 or '95 cherry red Corvette. D-Mike took his entire day off & spent it with Nick wheeling & dealing. I'm not happy, but … Nick is.

Even higher!!

It is an even 10,000% today in the Bear River Basin. I thought Don said it was finally going down today, but I guess not yet. He looked at the Weber-Ogden snow totals which said 8,500%. When I looked the 10,000 was under Bear River. My mother said her sister Maxine told her they couldn't camp at Willow Flat this weekend because the campground was under water.

And the big question: did we go to Wal-Mart on Saturday? Yes. We did & I found the ice cream. Yum! I may have to buy some chocolate drumsticks the next time we get paid. They were good. Did we buy anything? No. That wasn't the reason we went. I actually wanted to see the Cruise-In parade, but didn't make it. that far down.

Gigi, aka Gloria, our sister-in-law, came up last evening, stayed at the Plaza Motel here in Preston, & then went over to Paris, Idaho, to the Taylor Reunion today. She brought her daughter Bonnie, Bonnie's children, Ethyn, who is not quite 6 weeks old, & Kyrin (not sure of the spelling), her 10-yo step-son. Matt came & brought his daughter Jazmine, 5. It was fun to see them. I felt bad that we couldn't be hospitable & offer them a place to stay, but Gigi said the Plaza Motel was nice. They had adjoining rooms.

Gigi said she told Arline, Don's aunt, that we were being anti-social today, sigh. Oh, well, even if we could have afforded the trip over, I doubt we would have gone. I stayed here & took a nap most of the afternoon.

Boycott Wal-Mart day

Today is boycott Wal-Mart day & shop the Mom & Pop stores. Well, my favorite scrapbook store was not run out of business by Wal-Mart. I seldom make a special trip to Logan for Wal-Mart, but I'm almost tempted to today because they are giving out free ice cream. I would love to see the Cruise-In parade, but … I don't think I'm gonna do that either. I'm going to get dressed & go see Mother in the hospital. Oh, & take my pills before I go.

And the water? How high's the water? Well, it's melting away, but there is still snow in them thar hills.The total is 8,167% today. Updated just a few minutes ago.

It's getting old

I had to ask for the snowpack totals today & Don couldn't remember. Then he found them, told me & I forgot & had to look them up. It is forty-eight seventy-three (4873%). I don't know where he gets the inches & he & Nick are having a very LOUD discussion, so I'm not asking. It doesn't help to have broken hearing, it's too loud to ignore!

Forty-four something

I worked almost a 12 hour day today. It felt like the old days, when we did everything in one day & worked until we were done. Sometimes it was 1 or 2 in the morning. But that is what it is again, do everything on one day & work til you're done.

When I finally got home, it took me a while to ask for the snow total for today. When I did ask, Don said, "Forty-four something." He was busy with his game or whatever he's doing & so I asked if it is ksltv.com or ksl.com. He said it was ksl.com, but he'd be there in a minute. Sure enough, he beat me to it. Today's total is 4,429% & the snow depth in Franklin Basin is 15 inches.

Four-one-two-four

And today's total is four-one-two-four or 4,124. It's a lot easier for me to remember when he tells me the total by individual numbers. A total of 5 inches in Franklin Basin or 20 inches. Tony's Grove lost 4 inches & is now down to 3 feet.

When I cover the elections for the AP (Associated Press), that's the way we report the totals, not eighty-four, but eight-four or one-one-two not one-hundred twelve. Franklin County doesn't get very high numbers in elections. We have 18 precincts & they are all Republican.

Three-three-zero-four

Today's total is being reported a little early & that is just how Don reported it, three-three-zero-four (3,304)!!! The snow total has dropped to 2 feet in Franklin Basin & 3.5 feet at Tony's Grove. The snow is melting, but because there is normally nothing there or very little, the snow that is still there is driving the percentage up. Make sense? It didn't to me until it was explained. I kept thinking the rain we were getting was sure dropping a lot of snow in the mountains. I'm relieved to hear it is melting.

Now, I just hope people stay off the wet, muddy roads. We ran an article in The Preston Citizen a week or so about it. It was just below the Rural Route (rowt) News in hopes that it would be noticed.

It sure was nice sleeping weather last night. This morning Don & I got up earlier than Nick did. I usually get a can of soda pop first thing in the morning. But I didn't want to go out through the kitchen & into the laundry room & risk waking Nick up by fussing with the door. We keep the soda pop in the extra fridge in the furnace room. I went out the front door, around to the side of the house & through the side door into the laundry room, retrieved the pop & came back the same way.

By 9:30 Nick was still asleep & I was getting worried. He's been sleeping poorly & last night he took some Zyrtec in addition to his usual night time meds. So, I tiptoed out to the kitchen & looked in through Nick's door. I thought he said "Hello," so I asked him really quietly if he was ok. Well, that did it! I woke him up & it was like waking a hibernating bear. I told Don it was ironic that I had tried so hard not to wake him up by taking the long way around to get the pop & then woke him up, checking to see if he was still alive.

Still going up.

Today's total is 2,781%. What goes up, must come down, doesn't it? And Montpelier again has a severe weather warning tonight. There was a funnel cloud reported over Montpelier yesterday, June 23. Yet Blackfoot only had high winds according to the weather service in Pocatello.

Any guesses?

Up or down? Still going up. Today's total is 2,424%. I asked Don if 2424 wasn't the name of an old song. He said no, the song was named "In the Year 2525." He said the total might be that tomorrow. So, I went off to YouTube to find the song.

I have had 2 visual disturbances today & I woke up with a migraine. I fixed supper & went & laid down. Of course, once I had relaxed, I remembered this blog entry was still up & not finished. I also remembered I forgot to get one of Nick's meds today at the pharmacy. It's one of the meds he needs. He's not gonna feel very good until he gets it. I have one like that. I get sick if I don't take it.

So, I got back up to finish this, & make a note on Cozi (online calendar) to send me an email tomorrow at 11 a.m. so I'll remember to do the things I forgot to do today, sigh.

On Facebook this morning I saw a photo of my aunt's camp trailer tipped upside down & a note that a tornado had gone through Moreland & on into Blackfoot (Idaho) on my cousin's daughter's account.

Maxine Lund's camp trailer 6/22/11 after tornado.

Maxine is on the left holding the child's hand. I'm not sure who is in the huddle between Maxine & the camp trailer. Don said that a tornado warning was in effect for the Bear Lake Valley, this evening, but it had moved off. I remember when we lived in Randolph (Woodruff), Utah, we saw a funnel cloud touch down on Bear Lake back in 1993-95. Don't remember which summer, probably the summer of  '94. I think that's the only complete summer we spent there.

Well, back to bed. Supper was good. The recipe called for 3 TABLESPOONS of lemon juice, so I added 3 drops of lemon essential oil. I could taste it, but Don said he couldn't. I thought it was 1 drop per Tbsp. Maybe it's 1 drop per teaspoon? Hmmm, don't know, I'll have to find out.

Snowmobiling

Forgot to finish the previous post. So, why aren't the guys going to go snowmobiling? I told Don-Mike he needed to go snowmobiling. And then asked why they couldn't do it. He said one snowmobile isn't working, the other doesn't run reliably & they are not registered. So, there you have it.

He's been kind of bored today. He really should have worked on them & then he could go snowmobiling on the 4th of July!!!

From ksl.com

today's total is 2,212%. Don says this can be found on ksl.com's KSL Weather Center & this is found in small print at the bottom under snowpack totals. He is tracking Bear River.

Today is Don-Mike's 26th birthday & he has the day off. He's been a little bored. I told him he & Nick need to take the snowmobiles out & go snowmobiling. How often can you go snowmobiling on June 22?

And the total is

2,040%. I asked Don if he had looked at today's total. He chuckled & said, "Two thousand & forty." I repeated it in disbelief.

Karen Child said a couple of weeks ago some people went snowmobiling up Franklin Basin, I think. They built a huge fire & went off & left it. A week later they went back to check on their hole & it was 14 FEET deep!! Now, I want to know how the fire kept burning in the snow that deep. Wouldn't the water have doused it? What would have kept it fueled?

When I went to the grocery store about 3 p.m. the paper was already out. I, of course, had to check it out. The paper went out just fine without me. I did get a phone call this morning, after 8, but I slept through it. I slept in this morning. I had nightmares & dreamed of dead men, Walt Ross & Wayne Bell, & woke up sweating.

It just keeps rising

And the total for today is 1,755% of normal. It just keeps getting higher. When will it start to reduce, or will it? Maybe we're entering a new ice age.

Work today didn't go as bad as I had been dreading. It's kind of nice not being able to make the copy fit. Of course, I didn't leave at 6. I didn't expect to, really. I took an hour lunch, and clocked out at 6:59. I only left 4 pages, with copious notes. I got there at 8:15. I was only the 2nd person there. I had to unlock the door to get in. Not bad for waking up at 7:55.

I was laying the Social page & they wanted to start Rural Route News on that page. I always say rowt, Rural Route (rowt) News. Today Bob kept correcting me with root, Rural Route (root) News. So, I looked it up when I got home. I thought this was an interesting observation:

Recently I heard someone point out that "root" is more common in the eastern US and "rowt" more common in the west. I think that's true - I grew up in the east and it was always root. 

I actually use both. It irritated me that every time I said Rural Route (rowt), Bob said root. I felt like cheering (rooting) for the home team, LOL.

Anyway, I digress. I decided to put the missionaries right under the only wedding we had this week. By doing that, I could use 5 columns for Rural Route. But it would leave me 3 columns for missionaries & I only needed 2 columns. But I had a Young Woman Recognition Award or a military announcement I could put in the space. I left it without too much of a qualm, thinking I'd get back to it. I started laying out Rural Route & Ann came to the door & asked if we could get another missionary in. I promptly answered yes & got up to go get the missionary form so I could type it in. I told Rod as I was leaving the office, "The Lord does too care about The Preston Citizen."

He said, "No. The Lord cares about his missionaries." I agreed that the Lord does care about his missionaries & didn't pursue my premise that the Lord also cares about the Citizen.

Another update

Don turned away from his computer & said, "RaNae, do you want to update Facebook with today's total?" I told him yes, but it isn't Facebook I've been updating. Today's total is 1,570%, which says it is not melting, but accumulating. This happens at the end of April or May, not June.

It's nice not to have to water our lawns though. It's also nice not to have to worry about going in to work today :D Dreading tomorrow though.

How high's the water?

The update today is 1,406%!! Whoa! There is also a flood alert issued!! I haven't seen "Lake Franklin" lately.

Reminded me of the old Johnny Cash song, "How high's the water, mama?" When I googled it, the name of the song is "Five Feet High & Rising." The first line is very appropriate:

My mama always taught me that good things come from adversity if we put our faith in the Lord.

I'm glad the Lord is taking care of us with cool days interspersed with warm days or we'd have all the snow pack in the mountains wash right down out of there & Lake Bonneville would return.

Note: Lake Bonneville was a prehistoric pluvial lake that covered much of North America's Great Basin region. Most of the territory it covered was in present-day Utah, though parts of the lake extended into present-day Idaho and Nevada.

Today's update

We are at 1253% of normal for the water year. It just keeps going up. Cold front coming through on Father's Day. I am sitting here in shorts & cold legs; sandals & cold feet, but … I have a long sleeve shirt on over a t-shirt, so top part of me is not warm, but comfy. How weird is that … for June???

I have to admit I felt a certain amount of relief today for not going in to work. And … no more work on Sundays!!! w00t w00t

Nick's doctor appt. Mother asked me why I was taking Nick into the doctor for a stiff neck. I said Dr. Beckstead speaks Nick's language, I don't. I L<3VE Dr. Beckstead. He is the man! He reviewed Nick's meds. Encouraged him to keep taking the metformin (glucophage) for the insulin resistance because insulin resistance is going to turn into diabetes. He told us that Nick's last blood work showed the insulin levels worse than they have ever been. Dr. B told me when he called me the first time for Nick's insulin resistance that Nick's numbers were the worst he had seen in his entire practice. He also encouraged Nick to lose 1 lb. a week.

Nick explained the stiff neck & Dr. B said in a person his age it usually meant muscle stiffness. I said Nick wouldn't take the ibuprofen because he couldn't see what good it would do. Dr. B said it was admirable that Nick didn't want to take more pills, but ibuprofen was a good choice. However, with Nick's stomach problems, it would be a good idea to take ibuprofen with food (something new for me to file away for future reference).

I also told Nick later that metformin is supposed to help with weight loss. It helps the body absorb the insulin instead of resisting it. Don't know if he understood that, but Dr. B told Nick to listen to his mother, LOL.

Dr. Beckstead told us that Medicaid will pay for a gym membership. He didn't know much about it but he has had patients in the past bring in the paperwork for him to sign. He told me to look it up, I'm good with research. Probably remembering the times I have suggested meds for Nick or refused them. Nick's the one that is good with research, but I'm the one that has to call.

The comment about calling reminds me, I didn't call Citi to see who the chick on our Hardship Affidavit is, sigh.

A quick update

1. It's Thursday, another cloudy day, but instead of the percentage of snow pack going down, it's going up. Don checks the percentages every day. Yesterday it was over 1,000 percent. Yes, you read that right, ONE THOUSAND percent.
2. Still not dressed. I took Mother to her hair appointment in my pajamas. Good thing no one knows they are my pajamas. I went into Cuttin' Curral like this too, sigh. Gotta get dressed.
3. Nick has a doctor appt this afternoon.
4. And the forms just keep coming. I've got to start kicking them back out. Need $$$ to pay the postage though. Here's a funny. Yesterday we got a packet from CitiMortgage with a Hardship Affidavit to fill out. Don was listed as the borrower. But the co-borrower should have been me. It wasn't. I asked Don who this other chick was. He didn't know, but asked me if I had called Citi. No, I hadn't. Another interesting thing. I had already filled out & faxed a Hardship Affidavit on Friday, June 10. AND called to let them know I had faxed 35 pages of forms. THIRTY-FIVE!!

And here's the problem. I forgot why I was making this quick update anyway, sigh. My CRS is getting worse.

Another reduction

But at least it's not a reduction in force (RIF). I was caught in that at the Church Office Building in 1982. But … it almost might as well be. We were cut from 20 hours a week to 15 hours a week or 25% cut a year or so ago, to 1 day a week effective today. I MUST be there at 8 a.m. on Monday. The reduction could be as much as 50%. I no longer do the legals. I no longer print out the final copy for the editors to mark off.

I just barely filed the bankruptcy forms yesterday using the last months wages. Arghhh! Well, I will need to amend the wages won't I? We are also trying to refinance our house. That will probably have to wait six weeks for the paychecks to come through & we see just how much the cut will be. One nice thing about it, I will be able to use my accrued vacation & not lose it like I did last year.


Nick is having a very hard time. It couldn't be anything to do with the full moon? Could it? Maybe, maybe not. I tend to think not. Mother is also having a hard time, sigh. And as for me, I've been cocooning more & more.

A young man who grew up in our ward committed suicide last week. I think that is something every mother fears, if their child has a mental illness. Let's face it, depression is a mental illness, too. It has left our ward family reeling, as well as probably the whole town. I feel so sad for him & for his family.

Some entertaining recipes

I wrote the Recipe Corner for this week's issue of The Citizen. Jean (Carter) had surgery. She submitted four columns so she'd be covered.

Last Wednesday night I attended my book group with a growly tummy. Don and I had run to Pocatello and arrived home in the late afternoon. There was time for me to attend book group or eat, not both. Luckily Don was cooking

Reading is as necessary to me as breathing. Discussing books with a group of other serious readers is something I enjoy.

I recently read an article from families.com online titled “Protect Your Friendships After Marriage.”

This piece of advice should be given to all newlyweds, “When you become Mister and Missus, it should not be at the expense of whom the two of you were before you were married.”

People live longer if they have hobbies. It’s nice to do things together as a couple, but … it’s healthy to have your own hobbies.

Back to the book group. The book we were discussing that evening was “The House at Riverton” by Australian author Kate Morton. For a book that wasn’t very well liked, a lively discussion was held.

I walked into the home where we were holding the meeting to the most tantalizing smell. I thought the discussion would never end. Luckily my chair wasn’t too close to anyone for them to hear my tummy rumbling.

The refreshments were delicious. I asked if I could use the recipe for the Recipe Corner this week. Yes, but she didn't want her name used. I gleaned another recipe that evening also.

The Let’s Talk About It program held at the Larsen-Sant Library has also yielded some amazing refreshments.

GRAHAM-CRACKER BARS

By Cindy Harris

1/2 C butter
1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 (6 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips
1 1/3 C flaked coconut
1 C chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350°. Melt butter in 9x13-inch pan in the oven. When the butter is melted, sprinkle graham cracker crumbs evenly over butter. Pour milk evenly over crumbs. Top with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Press down gently and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

DUMP CAKE

 By Beverly Morris

1 can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 can pie filling (any kind)
1 pkg. Yellow cake mix
1/2 C butter
1 C flaked coconut
1 C chopped nuts, any kind

Pour pineapple and pie filling into a 9x13-inch pan. Crumble cake mix over the top of the fruit mixture. Melt butter and drizzle over the top of the cake mix. Sprinkle coconut and chopped nuts over the top. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Check it at 45 minutes so it doesn’t get too brown.

This is also really good in a Dutch oven.

SPARKLING GREEN TEA LEMONADE

2 C very hot water
3 (2 g) bags green tea
3 Tbsp. white sugar
2 C chilled seltzer water
2 tsp. lime juice
1 lime, sliced (optional)

Pour the hot water into a glass pitcher. Submerge the green tea bags in the hot water and allow to steep for 5 minutes; remove and discard the tea bags. Stir the sugar  into the tea until completely dissolved. Chill in refrigerator for 35 minutes.

Pour the seltzer water and lime  juice into the tea. Float the lime slices atop the mixture.

Based on a beverage Thedora Petterborg
served at Let's Talk About It

Now, the rest of the story is either the "misplaced" article was deleted from the email or I'm just confused. I swear I only counted 2 more articles & I KNOW Jean sent 4 articles. The editor said we couldn't use the recipes because they were from copyrighted cookbooks & put the blame on the publisher. When I confronted the publisher he said it was the first he'd heard of it. But he agreed with the editor. I said the recipes for last week's article were not from a copyrighted cookbook. So, we used them.

I did this week's article & am working on recipes for the next 2 weeks based on Jean's articles. I'll just substitute recipes from local people, or at least real people.

**Edited**

Photography

I should be working on the bankruptcy case, I have to go to Pocatello tomorrow, with or without Don. I am scared spitless. So, I'll share Don's writing prompt from the writing group tonight. Why don't I share mine? I don't know, maybe I will sometime.

Photography

I wonder if that would work for a picture? Mmmm, maybe this way, perhaps closer, further away. Nah, but get that out of the picture. Snap, snap, snap.

Oh yah, over there. That works!!! Another one. Squat down for a different angle. What if I put those flowers in the foreground?

Well, I have taken some pictures. Now to see how they look on the computer. Guess some will be no good and I will delete, some I will like & keep, some I will decide to keep or delete later.

That one I will put on my screen saver or use as wallpaper. Now that one looks really good, I never thought so before.

This is the last flower in the tractor tire flower garden out front of our house last fall. We got out of the car one Sunday afternoon after church & here was one little flower left. I said how pretty it was sticking up through the leaves.

Fall 2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I decided I wanted a picture of it. I got my phone out to snap a picture. Don went into photo mode. He took several shots & moved a garden tool that was still in the garden. After several shots he put them on the computer & chose what he wanted to keep.

Tetons, 7/10/08

 

 

 

The photo of the Tetons was taken one summer in July when he & Don-Mike were coming home from Montana down through Yellowstone National Park. They stopped to have a photo shoot. When Don was finished taking pictures Don-Mike asked, "Did you get any of the mountains?"

Photography is something Don likes & is good at.

Tired

I have been so tired lately all I want to do is lay down & sleep. I do fine until I slow down & then exhaustion just overwhelms me. And the headaches, ow. I haven't had headaches like this for a very long time. So, when I complain -- murmur -- everyone tells me it's stress. Well, yes, I've been under a lot of stress lately, but …

Yesterday I went to Logan with Nick. He wanted to go to the Verizon store & order the brand new phone that was just released online yesterday. Today he is pacing, driving me nuts, waiting for the FedEx man to deliver his phone.

Anyway, at the Verizon store we had an incredibly long wait. I finally got a chance to sit down on their little padded bench that only holds 2 people. I looked at the floor longingly & thought I would be happy if I could just curl up on the floor in the fetal position & go to sleep. But even though I fantasized about the possibility, I knew a 60-year-old woman would never be able to get down there, much less curl up in the fetal position. For one thing, I'm too stiff, for another, I'm too fat. And can you imagine the furor it would have caused?


I don't know what this thing about age is. I was 50 for years before Mother finally informed me I was 55, not 50. But my age has suddenly come to the forefront of my mind again. How can I be 60 years old? I still feel like I'm in my 40s, not elderly.

Anyway, back to being tired. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night. I never wake up in the middle of the night. I was so tired, I couldn't sleep. I even went to bed before my usual bedtime of midnight. But while I lay there awake, I could hear my C-Pap machine was making a noise it doesn't usually make. I wondered if it was my mask. But I felt all around it & couldn't feel any air coming out. Finally, the exhaustion overtook me & I fell asleep, but not before I had scooted clear over into the crack between the frame & the mattress. Don doesn't like the air blowing on him. I wondered how many nights it had been making this whooshing noise.night

This morning I woke up & the first thing I did was take my mask off & look at it. I still couldn't see anything in the light of day, but last night I had wondered about the clips that hold the cushions onto the mask. In fact, I had pushed the clips on the side, but had forgotten there was a clip at the bottom. I pushed the clip at the bottom & heard a distinct click. Ah-ha. I didn't get all the clips pushed on the last time I cleaned my mask, and now I don't remember what day that was. It could have been last Saturday or 2 weeks ago. I put the mask back on, turned on the machine & no more whooshing.

But, looking for a picture to enhance my blog entry, I discovered Amazon sells CPAP supplies cheap!! Maybe I can afford a new mask at those prices.

While he was at ComputerWise, I took a picture of the mountains to the east.

East mountains of Cache Valley, 3000 N. Main, 5/19/11

Just listen!

What a day this has been, what a  rare mood I'm in, not a wonderful rare mood either. It's almost like I'm manic. I got to work this morning & pages had been revised. And, just like last week, I had released the last pages to be sent to the printer & I got a call for an obit to be placed in THIS week's paper. I retrieved the pages & fit a death notice in. I kept trying to work, but gave up.

I went to Logan with Nick. Yes, he let me go. Usually he doesn't. I was having a bit of road rage, good thing I wasn't driving. I told Nick I need to break my middle finger to keep from letting the Hawaiian Good Luck sign fly so often. I haven't done that for years, flip people off, not break my finger.

When we got home, I went back to work for an hour. Then it was time to go with Nick to his eye doctor appt. He's been having problems with blurry vision. The eye doctor told him to watch his sugar levels. I guess we'd better start checking it. Dr. Beckstead told him to watch the sugar too.

I wanted Nick to go vote with me on the override election for the Preston School District & the commissioners for the Franklin County Fire District. He said to wait until his dad got home. Nick doesn't like to vote. I did. When Don & I went to run errands, we took Don's car. I had the distinct feeling I needed my purse. I thought, "No duh! I'll need my wallet." Not thinking I had no money in it. I got in my car to get my purse, the empty O2 canister & empty pill bottle to take to the pharmacy.

First stop was Oakwood Elementary to vote. Don has trouble getting the key out of the ignition in his car.  I told him to wait in the car & I'd go vote. If he got the key out, he could come. I had the distinct thought that I needed my purse. I thought, "What do I need my purse for. I can go vote without carrying my purse along." I got across the parking lot & stepped on to the sidewalk & the thought came again, "Go get your drivers license." Again, I thought, "I don't need to prove who I am. It'll be Karen (Child) & the other ladies, they know who I am. What do I need my drivers license for?" I got to the door of the gym & the thought came the final time, "Get your license."

As I walked up to the table, the first words out of my mouth was, "Do I need my drivers license?" I didn't even say hi. Yes, they passed a law last year that you need a picture ID to vote. I had forgotten, but that niggling thought had been there all the way from the car. Karen said she even made her husband present his picture ID.

I was SOOOO angry, not at Karen & the other ladies, at myself for not listening. I turned & went back out to the car. I told Don to go ahead. He said he asked if I had voted. I don't remember telling him I had voted, but I was angry. I got my iPod out & started playing Solitaire. He came back out & told me to go vote. I did. Carrying my little purse along. I wasn't the only one, that had forgotten. Out of the five people who walked in with me, 3 had to go out & get their license. Two of the men had their license in their wallets in their hip pocket. So did Don.

When we got to the pharmacy, the key still wouldn't come out of the ignition. So, Don sat in the car while I went in, without my purse. At the grocery store, the key came out with no trouble at all. We walked in & I was carrying my trusty little purse.

Bob Walborn's funeral

Today was Bob Walborn's funeral in the Logan 14th Ward. This is a picture of the hearse from the Allen-Hall Mortuary in Logan at Bob's grave site in the Logan Cemetery.

1941 Cadillac hearse

Bob would have loved this hearse. It was the perfect final ride for him as he loved cars & was a wonderful mechanic.

ROBERT C. "BOB" WALBORN

LOGAN, UTAH: Robert Carl Walborn, 89, of Logan, died Tuesday , May 10, 2011 in Logan. He was born June 3, 1921 in Pequa, Ohio, a son of Carl Kenneth and Sena Myrl Heaton Walborn. He was the oldest of three children.

Robert met his wife, Loretta Spillers when he started school in the fifth grade and she in the third in Maplewood, Ohio. They were married ten years later on Aug. 30, 1941, in Port Jefferson, Ohio. This summer would have marked their 70th wedding anniversary. While he was serving in the United States Army during World War II he came in contact with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and he became a member.  In 1951 the family moved west to Preston, Idaho, and lived there for eight years.  On Aug. 8, 1952, the family was sealed in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple. They later moved to Logan in 1960.

Robert has worked until age 83 as a backyard mechanic where he loved helping many college students with their cars. He spent 33 years with Logan Manufacturing as a machinist.  He held many callings in the church where his most enjoyable calling was that of a greeter on Sunday mornings. He and Loretta served an 18 month mission in Poplar Bluff, Mo., from 1988-1989.

He is survived by his wife, Loretta; a son, Charles and Edna Walborn, Martinez, Ga.; a son-in-law, Ben and Marie Schiess, River Heights, Utah; a brother, Miles Walborn, Findley, Ohio; 12 grandchildren, Royce and Tana Williams; Richard and Tracie Williams; Robert and Irada Schiess; Suzanne S. and Lynn Gnehm; Carla W. and Kenneth Zielke; Marcos and DeJun Walborn; Sena W. and Lloyd Clark; Dotti W. and Scott McCabe; Rachel W. and Derek Farr; Loretta Lee Walborn; Treva W. and Wayne Gabrish; James and Laurina Walborn; 29 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren and many others who call him “Grandpa Bob.” He was preceded in death by his daughter, Sylvia Schiess, and his sister, Neva June Comer.

Funeral services will be held Saturday at 11:00 am in the Logan 14th Ward chapel, 94 W. 600 South.  There will be a viewing on Friday evening from 6-8 p.m. at the Allen-Hall Mortuary and at the church on Saturday from 9:30 - 10:30 am.  Interment will be in the Logan City Cemetery.

Condolences and memories may be shared with the family online at www.allenmortuaries.net

Some notes from the funeral:

Bob served in the South Pacific during WWII. He joined the church there. When he wrote to Loretta telling her he had joined the church, she wrote back & said she wasn't going to be one of his Mormon wives. When Bob came home from the war, he invited the missionaries to teach Loretta & the kids. One of those missionaries was Reed Hawkes from Preston, Idaho. That's how the family ended up here in 1951. Maybe it was 1952 because they lived in Preston for 8 years & then moved to Logan in 1960.

Reed Hawkes & his wife Norma were there today & Reed asked Loretta if he could talk. He wasn't on the program, but Loretta graciously let him. Don caught them in the picture above. He is the tall white-haired man facing the camera. The woman in the pink top is standing in front of him. His wife is the lady in the white blazer. I am standing there with my hands thrust into the pockets of my turquoise jacket. I think I was trying to either get up enough nerve to talk to him or get close enough to talk to Loretta. The lady in black walking toward the hearse is Marie Schiess, Ben's wife. Ben is Sylvia's husband & is standing behind Marie, watching her walk away. I thought it was interesting that Marie sat by Loretta at the graveside holding her hand, while Ben stood behind them.

Bob served as the ward clerk for many years in the Logan 14th Ward, but at the same time he was a greeter. He loved people.


I have known Walborns my entire life. Bob loved to tell about the first time they met me. I was just a toddler, learning to walk & I kept telling my parents I was 'leepy & wanted to go home. I have always thought that was funny. My circadian rhythm wasn't too out of sync when I was little. It is now though.

And tonight, I'm 'leepy & want to go to bed.

Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

The addition, fall 2010

I know I made an entry on filing bankruptcy on Wednesday, May 11. I saw I had a comment on it last night & clicked on the comment to see what it said & it said Blogger was unavailable. So, today, I went to gmail to put an appt on the calendar & there was the comment in gmail. I clicked on the link to come over here & the entry is GONE!!

That has never happened to me before. I need to make a hard copy like Sheila has done. I put very few pictures in my blog though.

The foreclosure sale was today at 11 a.m. We've been calling Citi Mortgage Company & three different people told us there was nothing we could do. I KNEW they could do something, but they were just as adamant there was nothing that could be done except pay almost $7,000 as a down payment to stop the sale. Don took the day off on Wednesday & we drove to Pocatello & filed chapter 13 bankruptcy "pro se." Which is Latin for "by self."

Yesterday I had a man from Citi call. I had just sent a fax informing them we had filed bankruptcy, so I asked him if he had received the fax. No, he was calling to help stop the sale today. I told him we weren't getting anywhere with the people we had been talking to at Citi Mortgage, we'd been working on this since August 2010. I told him I did not have $7,000 to stop the sale & this was the only way we knew how to do it.

He said the "down payment" wasn't the only way to stop the sale. I said I knew that, but I couldn't get anyone to help. I told him it is an old house, it was built in 1904, we are building on & that was what the mortgage was for. He said we wanted a modification. Was our mortgage payment too high? I laughed & said no we had got behind. We wanted to refinance & put the arrears onto the mortgage. Now we are almost $7,000 behind.

The comment made on my now missing blog entry was from Sheila. She said: I am so sorry to hear about your troubles, I sure hope things work out so you are able to keep your home. Hugs and prayers.

I hope things work out too. I don't know if bankruptcy was the way to go, but it is supposed to buy us time to work on saving the house. And cutting our debts in half will be nice too.

Don's favorite vacation

At Tuesday night's writing group, we were given a prompt & had 6 minutes to write something on it. As I mentioned in yesterday's entry, Don spent almost half of his time looking through the journal jar, trying to find something he wanted to write on. He chose "My favorite vacation."

Today, when I was emptying the garbage can next to his computer, I found a piece of paper that had some writing on it, some numbers actually. It was the only piece of paper in there, the other stuff was pop cans & a bag from Big J's (fast food). I pulled the paper out to see if the numbers had any relevance. I opened it & it was Don's writing from Tuesday night.

Car trips have been a way of life for my vacations. Growing up we always went to new and different places, starting with Yellowstone/Tetons. Later I recall Seattle Worlds Fair, Disneyland, national parks, always a new spot. So I don't have one.

When my sister Wanda passed away & we were going through her stuff, I found my writing in her drawer. I had started writing a novel as a teenager & I threw it away. Wanda had dug it out of the garbage & put it in her drawer. I threw it away again.

I don't know that Don has written his life story. If so, I don't know where to find it. Now that I have "saved" this little scrap of Don's memories, I'll throw the paper away.

Editing

Last night Don & I went to the writing group. We are supposed to take something we have written to share, with copies for members of the group to follow along & critique. I took yesterday's blog entry. I had planned to make copies at the Citizen on the way through town, but we were a few minutes late & I did not do it.

I read my entry & was a little disappointed with the feedback, or maybe it was the lack of feedback. I realize they didn't have a hard copy to follow along. And the play on words is really from capitalization & the spelling of the words, which don't come through in reading it aloud. I thought about it off & on today. I made the corrections highlighted in lavender.

In the Weston Rural Route News this week (in the Preston Citizen), Bevy (Hart) wrote that Jay Schvaneveldt reported, "Three Gray Wolves were recently cited in the Pass of the Standing Rock."

I had read this (at least twice) and let it go. Why? I don't know. I printed the page out for the editors final approval & this sentence slammed into my consciousness. It was like I had never read it. First I thought, "Who is Three Gray Wolves? (Gray Wolves is capitalized, must be a name.) Are they a group? (Maybe like the new religion the 3Es & their leader BuggaBugga?) An Indian?" My next thought was, "What were they cited for? I don't remember hearing anything about something happening in Weston.

I told Nick about this today & he said his first thought was a music group, like Three Dog Night. We got a chuckle out of it.

We also had a writers prompt last night. We were given 6 minutes to write on a subject & then share it. Don took half of his time trying to pick out a subject to write on.

More bloopers

In the Weston Rural Route News this week (in the Preston Citizen), Bevy (Hart) wrote that Jay Schavaneveldt reported, "Three Gray Wolves were recently cited in the Pass of the Standing Rock."

I had read this (at least twice) and let it go. Why? I don't know. I printed the page out for the editors final approval & this sentence slammed into my consciousness. It was like I had never read it. First I thought, "Who is Three Gray Wolves? Are they a group? (Maybe like the new religion the 3Es & BuggaBugga?) An Indian?" My next thought was, "What were they cited for? I don't remember hearing anything about something happening in Weston.

"Val Sparrow was in here yesterday about the shooting at police officers & he didn't say anything. Ah, but he's the city chief of police, he wouldn't have said anything about something happening in the county."

I read the sentence again, "Three gray wolves cited …" Ahhh - I'll bet they were sighted. He SAW 3 gray wolves!!!

Having to share it, I walked into the editors office to tell them. Rod immediately says, "Cool. Where was this?" I told him.

And tried to tell him why I was telling them. He interrupted me, "Who wrote it?"

I told him & then he said, "We ought to do a story on that, don't you think?"

I'm thinking, "What's so cool about my misunderstanding the sentence of 'Three Gray Wolves being cited?' Why would we want to do a story on that?" I still was not assimilating THREE … GRAY … WOLVES were sighted in Weston. Wolves, predators, those evil animals that prey on other animals like sheep, cattle …  domestic livestock … deer, elk & other wild animals.

Then Rod said, "Maybe I'll call him." meaning Jay.

"That's a good idea," I responded. And suddenly, I had an ah-ha moment. I came out of my absorption of the fact I had misunderstood the sentence & almost let it go. We have wolves in the area! Wolves!

I wonder how many others would have caught it.

Proofreading a dying art?

I got this email from a friend. And it made me laugh. I can definitely relate to these funny headlines. I work for the local newspaper as a proofreader. Every week I come home complaining about headlines. It would have been faster to type it & then add my own formatting. Instead, I copied & pasted & then worked hard to get it to look the way I wanted it to.

Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter  This one I caught in the SGV Tribune the other day and called the Editorial Room and asked who wrote this.  It took two or three readings before the editor realized that what he was reading was impossible!!!  They put in a correction the next day.       Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says No crap, really? Ya think? Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers Now that's taking things a bit far! Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over     What a guy!      Miners Refuse to Work after Death     No-good-for-nothin' lazy so-and-so's!    Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant   See if that works any better than a fair trial!    War Dims Hope for Peace    I can see where it might have that effect!     If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile    Ya think?!  Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures     Who would have thought!    Enfield ( London ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide     They may be on to something!  Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges   You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?       Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge      He probably IS the battery charge!    New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group     Weren't they fat enough?!   Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft     That's what he gets for eating those beans!      Kids Make Nutritious Snacks      Do they taste like chicken?    Local  High School Dropouts Cut in Half      Chainsaw Massacre all over again! That'll teach'm to be dropouts!  Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors      Boy, are they tall! Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead      Did I read that right?

Some of our own bloopers are a house with a wooden dick instead of deck, LOTOJA peddles though town - bicyclists pedal, not peddle; through not though.

More sunshine

We had a day of sunshine. It wasn't a very warm day, but hey, there was sunshine.

One more birthday & we'll be through with our April birthdays. Don's mother started out our April birthdays on April 10, she would have been 82 this year. Mother's is on April 14, & she turned 85. I went into the bank that day to withdraw some money. I was filling out the withdrawal slip & wrote 4/14 & started writing '26. I stopped & had to specifically think what year it is.

Don's birthday was yesterday, April 18. I didn't have any trouble writing 4/18/11, but then I don't fill out forms & stuff for him, like I do Mother. Nick will be 24 on April 22. I may have trouble with the year that day. It's hard to believe my sons are in their mid-20s.