Turnaround

 Yesterday was a busy day.  There was a lot of unpacking, laundry and repacking to do.  I put most of the things away that I got from my mother, but I have a box of things that I want to wait until Emma is here so we can all look at them together.

Everywhere I looked was chaos yesterday, but I still found myself on Family Search, looking up about my grandpa's brothers.  Olivia called and I told her I had. to. get. to. work.  She said there were worse vices than Family Search.  Maybe, but I finally got off the computer and got everything tidied and put away and folded eventually.

Today we have a lunch at school for teachers and Matt said there is a big surprise and we "won't want to miss it."  I was texting with my team last night and we can't tell if the hype is sarcastic or not.  There was enough hype that I am going to the lunch--at least for a while-- and then Mark and Adam will pick me up and we will head straight to the airport.  We are flying to Seattle.  We will meet up with Braeden and QE at the Seattle airport and then we'll all go to the Mariner's game!  I am looking forward to family time.  We will celebrate Jackson and Jenna's wedding on Saturday and there is a WGU graduation in Seattle and besides that, just lots and lots of time together.

Weekend

 We convened at my dad's again on Friday.  We didn't finish going through everything, but I don't think any of it is going anywhere.  Later in the afternoon, when he was finished working, Adam and I went to Marianne and Robert's.  I took my mop/vacuum on the road again and I cleaned part of their floor and Marianne did the rest.  After that we visited a while.  We came home and had dinner, then Marianne and Robert and Clarissa came over to play games.  (Olivia and Edgar had gone fishing!)

We played Five Crowns, which is almost entirely luck and I won almost every hand.  If I were a gambler, it would have been a good night to hit a casino.  We enjoyed being together and I was happy that Adam got a tiny bit of leisure time because he hardly ever gets any.

Saturday morning Marianne was busy, but I met Olivia at my dad's for a walk.  My dad and Olivia were whispering in the sun room when I got there because Ammon and his girls were there and sleeping.  Ammon came downstairs and came on our walk with us.  It was nice to have him join.  

My dad had a few things he wanted taken.  Olivia had left by then so I asked Ammon if he wanted any of them.  He took a small framed picture of Grandma Jaynes, but he picked up another frame and asked, "Who is in this picture?"

I was shocked.  It was our Great Grandma and Grandpa Wood.  I remember them so clearly. Ammon looked on Family Search to see when they died.  He was a few months old when Grandpa Wood died and two when Grandma Wood died.   (I was ten and twelve years old so I remember them.) That Ammon is just a young'un!

Mark went to the temple with his cousins and Adam and I decided to go to town to get a few things.  None of it was exactly urgent, but Adam said, "I have time now."  Fair point.

One thing we wanted to do was get a replacement for a bi-fold door that broke a while ago.  I googled it to see if they had it at Home Depot.  I learned that you have to buy two doors and all the hardware (rails, etc.). We only needed one door, because everything else was fine. I saw out the window that my dad had brought Lucette over in his buggy to visit Ammon, who was mowing down by the barn.  I decided to enlist my brain trust and see what they thought about it.

Armed with this picture, I walked down to the barn.

They peered at the picture on my phone, shading the sunlight with their hands.  Ammon described what I could do with a block of wood and glue and clamps.  They came up to the house for further inspection.  My dad looked at it and said, "I can put a piece of steel over it."  I gave him a tape measure and he quickly measured it (didn't write anything down, which impressed me because I would have forgotten).

We went to town to buy the other things we were needing and when we got home, the door was fixed.  My dad is a wonder.  He just had a piece of steel, made it fit, drilled a hole for the pin, attached it.  My entire life, my dad could just fix anything.  I don't know.  Everyone is talented in some way. 

My dad seems extra.

While my dad and Ammon were over, I showed them the latest (three-dimensional this time) installation in the Thelmoma.

We had three chairs in our school room when I homeschooled our kids.  One was blue and two were red.  They had been relegated to the basement, but finally gave up the ghost a few months ago.  They were just falling apart.  Adam was going to get rid of them, but he knows me.  He said, "Do you want to do something with these?"  Homeschooling our kids is one of my favorite things I've ever done.  It was hard and intense at times, but like a lot of parenting, my memories of it are cozy and nostalgic.  I took a side piece of each chair and hung them on the walls.

They make me happy.

Otherwise on Saturday I napped, made gluten free brownies for Sunday for Mark, packed up a lot of stuff to take home and tidied up some.  We were going to make frozen pizza for dinner, but it was hot and I didn't want to turn on the oven.  We had dinner under the bridge as my mom used to call it:  every man for himself.

Adam and I went over to my dad's and visited with him and Ammon and Melanee (who had arrived by then).  Olivia came for a little while and it is just nice to be close and be able to drop in and out of each other's homes so easily.

Sunday was such a nice day.  Marianne and Robert spoke in church (and Omar was the youth speaker).  Also, Clarissa and Hyrum sang "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go."  I had this image pop in my head of me walking into the Utah Cancer Specialists.  Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us, the point is what we do with the path before us.

Sacrament meeting was so good.  I felt inspired and a desire to be better.  I don't know what else you could ask for.

We went home and got our house all packed up.  It is more of a process in winter, but it is also a process in summer.  We stripped the beds and gathered up all the towels/laundry.  We packed our bags and cleaned out the fridge and cupboards.  We covered all the furniture and replaced the mousetraps.

Marianne hosted about 70 people at her house, like you do.  Of course she did it with aplomb and everyone was happy and well fed.  I enjoyed visiting with people and had a really interesting conversation with my aunt Olivia and asked her about her experience being a teenager when my grandparents were mission leaders.  She also told me about a time she borrowed a car from a stranger who wasn't home but left the keys in it!

One really delightful thing that happened on Sunday was meeting our second cousin Ken.  (Ken Dahl, which is also delightful.)  Marianne and I knew his brother and sister Harvey and Amanda when we were in college.  Marianne has connected more with Amanda since then and they are Facebook friends so Amanda knew about Marianne and Robert's homecoming.  I guess she told Ken and Ken came.  He brought two of his children (Mark and Emmeline).  Another Mark Dahl!  They live in Springville and I enjoyed talking to them and getting to know them a little.  When he found out we had bought my grandparents house, he asked, "Harvey and Margaret's house?!?"  I said yes and I offered to show him around before he left.

Adam and I drove over and they followed in their car.  He looked around and said, "I remember this!"  He told me about a time at a reunion that there was a snake and my grandma killed it with a shovel and he was in awe.  I told him I possibly threw crabapples at him at a reunion because Lincoln had deputized all of us and we climbed the Big Tree House.  We pulled up the ladder so no second cousins could join us and then we threw crabapples at them.  Ken seemed to forgive me.

We talked about the brick house and I showed him a picture.  He told me that he and his wife had decided to name their oldest son Alexander at a reunion there when someone told a story about Alexander Dahl immigrating from Norway to Salt Lake City.  He got emotional telling me about being there and singing "Families Can Be Together Forever" as a big group.  He pointed to the spot under the trees and said, "Right there."  He remembered he was standing right next to his dad and hearing him sing.  (His dad passed away around the same time as our mom.)  He said, "This has been really healing for me."

I loved it.  I love connecting with family and sharing happy memories (crabapple throwing notwithstanding) of a place and heritage that matters to us.  He put a pin on his phone for where it is.  (He said, "I would never be able to find this again!")  I told him to come again and bring his other kids.  I said, "Mow the lawn when you stop by."

I am grateful that that sacred place, where I feel so grounded and like I know my place in the world, is still in our family.  "Harvey and Margaret's house" means something to a lot of people, because they mean something to a lot of people.

Grateful Friday

Adam and Mark are here!  They got here in the middle of the night and I am grateful they made it and so glad to have them aboard.  I hate how much Adam and I are apart lately.  I like that guy and I want to be in the same place as him.

Mark brought my backpack!  So I am typing on my laptop and I can add pictures:

Here is the latest installation for what Emma calls the Thelmoma (Thelma + Museum of Modern Art).

I saw a picture online that I used as inspiration, but mine is slightly different.  

I told my dad maybe someday I will take a painting class so my skill can match my enthusiasm.

Here's my grandma's praying statue.  (Did everyone's grandma have one of these in the 80s?)

Should have moved those candlesticks that aren't usually there before taking the picture, but alas.

I also got this figurine:

It is pretty, but I mostly selected it off the table because of the story behind it.  I can't remember if it originally belonged to my Great Grandma Wood, or my Great Aunt Mary and Uncle Tom.  There were two of them, one blue and one yellow.  The blue one was named Mary and this one, Coralie (spelled different than my mom's name, Coralee, but no one is too picky).

The Mary figurine was supposed to go to my aunt Mary, the Coralie was supposed to go to my mom.  At the passing of whoever they belonged to originally, my grandma decided my mom's house wasn't nice enough for the figurine so she kept it.  When my grandma died, my mom finally got her statue.

My grandma is one of the best people I know.  I am honored to be named after her.  She was righteous, faithful, generous, fun to be around and an incredibly hard worker.

She was also a little bit of a snob and I love her for it.  (No one likes someone who is perfect in every way.)

I am grateful I got to go to the temple yesterday with my sisters, Edgar, Ruben and our dad.  I rode with the Cobians and Edgar hopped in the back with Ruben and Olivia and I sat in the front which was so kind of him.  (I get carsick.). We met up with everyone for either a really late lunch or really early dinner at 3:00.  We ordered our food then all got up and walked two doors down to look at Marianne and Robert's business.  It is very impressive.  I wondered what people thought as we all trooped back into the restaurant about the time our food was ready.

After lupper (lunch + supper) we went to the temple.  The Elko temple is tiny, but I still get turned around in there.  One of my mom's best friends, Laurel, was working there and she guided me at every turn.  It was so nice to be at the temple with that group.  The temple magnifies my love for my family and it magnifies my feeling of belonging in the world.

When I'm there, I feel a deeper sense of who I am and whose I am and what matters most.

I walked with my sisters this morning and we met at our dad's house.  He had this set aside for me to take:

I painted it in 1987 and it is so bad.  Only a mother would keep something like that for almost 40 years.  I asked my dad if he was sure he didn't want to keep it.  "It might be valuable someday."  (Ha ha.)

Olivia has been helping my dad add pictures to the life history my mom wrote.  She asked me for pictures of Braeden and Emma when they were young.  I found two with my mom.  The one with Braeden is kind of blurry, but it was the late 90s/early 2000s and we were doing our best.

Seeing her shine in her role as grandmother makes me grateful.  On my birthday, my mom used to tell me she was glad I stood in her line in heaven.

I am glad I did too!

Stalwart and brave

I just got back from a walk with Marianne (Olivia was busy).  We saw Hannah and Aunt Olivia and hugged and chatted a minute.  I have run out of ways to say how much I love it here.

Yesterday Marianne and Olivia and I walked on the bridle path along Boulder Creek.  We were talking about rings and I mentioned the ring my dad had made me on the occasion of my first date. Olivia said, “What?!?  He didn’t make me anything for my first date!”  

Marianne said, “He made me a necklace for my first date.”

Olivia said, “What?!?”

I said, “I guess you’re not his favorite like you always think you are.”

We stopped at my dad’s because I had to use the bathroom.  We walked in the door and I called, “Hi Daddy!  I need to use the bathroom and Olivia has a bone to pick with you.”

When I came out of the bathroom, Olivia was sketching on a piece of paper how she wants my dad to fashion her ring, which broke, into a pendant for a necklace.  She said that would make up for not getting first date jewelry.

I know my dad loves us, but collectively, we are kind of a lot.

My phone has ceased to get along with Adam’s iPad so I can’t add a picture of the statue I got from my mother.  It had been my grandma’s. (On the bottom, my grandma had written Coralee so that it got to its rightful place.) It is a statue of a woman kneeling in prayer.   Both of my grandmas actually used to have the exact same statue (my Aunt Olivia has Grandma Dahl’s).  

 I love the statue because it reminds me of my childhood and visiting my faithful grandmothers.  They were women who prayed.  I love that the statue was passed to my mom and then to me.  My grandma taught my mom to pray and she passed that to me.

Firm as the mountains around us, stalwart and brave they stand on the rock our [mothers] planted for us in the goodly land.

I have been feeling incredibly grateful for my life and all the blessings I have because my grandparents taught my parents and they taught me.  I don’t deserve any of it, but I feel very lucky to have landed where I did.  I feel motivated to follow the examples they left.  I don’t want to let them down.  I don’t want to live below their expectations.

I also miss my mom so much it hurts.  Going through her things is like reopening a wound.  There is also a sting of finality about it.  We have questions.  We want to know more about everything she knew about.  I don’t know what to do about the questions.  Where did you get this?  What is the story behind that?

I was looking at the things I brought home yesterday.  There are valuable pieces of jewelry that were my grandma’s, there are beautiful silver pieces my dad engraved, there are all sorts of things anyone would treasure as well as things that are treasures to only us.

One thing I have is a little tool my mom used for quilting.  I picked it up off the table when it was my turn to pick something.  

I would give anything to spend an afternoon quilting with my mom.

My sisters

 Yesterday morning I took a walk with Marianne.  (The three of us can walk together, we proved it Monday evening with a walk.). We talked and cried and laughed and explained and walked.  When the three of us were growing up and getting ready for school, we would ask each other.  “Does this look OK?”  “Does this work?”  “How about this?”

We could count on each other to tell the truth.

Now we do a version of the same thing.  When we talk, we reveal our worries and fears.  “Am I OK?”  “Is what I’m doing working?” “How about this?”

We still tell each other the truth.  And the truth is a version of, “You’ve got this and you are doing great.”

We convened at our dad’s again yesterday and went through our mother’s drawers.  More sorting and contemplating.  We moved to the kitchen table with the jewelry.  There were many things that our dad had made our mom over the years.  There was also a bracelet he gave her when they were high school sweethearts and a few other sentimental pieces our dad kept.  We selected some things for our sisters-in-law and made a granddaughter pile.  We divided the rest.  Marianne made a system (of course she did—we need her).  We each got a little stack of treasures; some had been our grandma’s and some our dear mother’s.

Olivia was crying at the end when she was boxing up stuff.  Our dad said, “Are you up for this?”

She said she was.  We are, even though we aren’t.  It is a paradox that this is too hard, but since we’re together, we can.

Marianne and Olivia came over for lunch and then a little later in the afternoon, our mom’s friend Merry and Demar’s wife, our aunt Lora, came because they wanted to visit and talk to us about our mom.  It was lovely.  They wanted to hear about our memories of her as a mother, if we were like her, what we’d learned from her and about her marriage to our dad.  I loved talking about it all and I loved that Olivia recorded what we were saying too.  Merry and Lora are two women my mom loved so much and it was good for all of us to connect and remember.

We all wish we were more like our mother.  Olivia and I were talking last night and decided that maybe (maybe) the three of us combined on our best day could come close.

We miss her

 Yesterday I told my dad I was trying to figure out why we don’t live here all the time.  I really love it.  

Olivia and I took an early walk and I went outside to wait for Olivia and our Aunt Olivia and cousin Hannah were walking by.  We stopped to chat and Hannah told me about the encounter they’d just had with a badger.  (More specifically it was an encounter one of their dogs had with the badger.). Hannah said it was “enough drama for the week.”

Olivia and I walked around the circle and she told me about her job and I told her about the dust bowl (I am seriously fascinated and it’s probably a good thing that I forgot my backpack with that book in it or I would keep telling everyone all about it).

Later my sisters and I met up at my dad’s to start the process of going through my mom’s things.  We didn’t know what my dad would want to do and I know we all wish she was here and we didn’t have to think about it.  We decided to start with the clothes, which was a lot.  Maybe we should have started with something less emotional, but we dove in.  

We laughed and cried a little more than we laughed.

There were certain clothes that we’d pull out that just reminded us so much of her and we’d weep.  We each took at least one sentimental shirt that we’ll never wear, but we will always treasure.  We made a huge pile of clothes for our sisters-in-law and daughters and nieces to consider (we’ll donate anything they don’t want) and we picked some clothes we wanted too.  Some of the clothes smelled just like her and we passed them around, inhaling and crying.

There were some clothes in a bin that had been our grandma’s.  I claimed a raincoat and it smelled like her house.  I wish someone could figure out how to bottle up scents like your grandma’s house or your mom.

My mom’s purse was in the bottom of the closet and I opened it and it was just 100% my mom’s purse.  The contents would have been the same when I was ten years old.  There is just something so comforting and familiar about your mom’s purse.  There were a lot of pens.  She was always ready with a pen.  There was a Reader’s Digest magazine, because she was never without reading material.  There were emery boards, keys, her wallet.  All the things.  I handed my dad the wallet and he pulled out her temple recommend and we cried fresh tears.  It was a prized possession of hers.

When everything was sorted and folded and contained, I came back to our house and cried.  I felt somehow like I’d lost my mother all over again.  I really don’t think it’s something I’ll ever get over and I guess I’m glad about that.

I am a lucky girl to be her daughter.

I am also so grateful for our good dad who hugs us when we cry together and is as ever, the steady in any storm.  I’m grateful for my sisters.  I’m glad we can be together.

Weekend

 I am writing from the most perfectly serene little spot.  My chair at the Home Place.  It makes me happy to be here.  That is all.

I cut some of the sweet peas my grandma planted for the table (her table).  

We drove here—in two cars—on Friday.  We stopped for gas at Maverik and Adam noticed two of his lug nuts had broken off!  I was grateful he noticed.  We parted ways, I headed to Starr Valley and he went to Les Schwab for a repair.  

It has been unusually hot in Starr Valley, where few people have AC.  It was 80 degrees in our house.  Once Adam arrived, he set up the AC unit Emma used to have in her apartment in our bedroom.  It helps a lot!

Braeden and Anna and Co. arrived and we were thrilled to see them.  It felt like a great bonus that we got another brief visit with them.  

Saturday morning my dad and Olivia came over to visit and then the Californians headed home.  It was harder to say good-bye to them this time, but then I remembered that at least we’ll see Braeden and QE in Washington next week.  That is a happy thought, although we’ll miss Anna and the YP.  

Adam worked outside (I pulled about 5 weeds, but that was all of my outside contribution).  I stripped the beds our guests had used and mopped and put the toys away and just generally tidied up inside.  It was climbing into the mid 90s outside so Adam called it quits in the early afternoon.  I napped and he caught up on email and work and church stuff.

I realized I had forgotten my backpack.  Inside was my computer and family history notebook, my journal and three books to read.  Tragic.  Adam, because he is the nicest soul, offered to drive back to UT to get it.  I told him that was ridiculous, though kind.  I decided I could adapt and overcome.  I got a book to read on Libby and Adam said I could use his iPad.  I found an old notebook in a drawer, so I am all set.

After dinner we, along with Olivia, went to visit my dad.

Early Sunday morning, Adam left to get to church on time in Pleasant Grove and then he is going to Nashville again.  My dad gave me a ride to church.  I always enjoy going to church in Wells.  I think it would feel like home even if I weren’t related to about 1/3 of the people there.

Olivia had my dad, Marianne and Robert and me over for dinner.  We ate a delicious meal (I had offered to bring grapes and I forgot them) and had a Come Follow Me discussion.  Time well spent.  

I napped and read and worked a little on Family History on this iPad.  I keep trying to use the track pad that isn’t there, but it’s working.

In the evening we went over to my dad’s to visit.  

I woke up earlier than I needed to this morning, but I was rewarded by a beautiful sunrise and seeing my friend the barn owl.  (I don’t strictly know if he is a friend, but owls eat mice, so I am feeling a fondness.)

Grateful Friday

 Yesterday Emma texted me, asking if I wanted to go to IKEA with her.  She wanted to look for throw pillows for her new (to her) couch.

Three of my favorite things:  Emma, IKEA and throw pillows!  I answered a quick yes and asked if we were getting meatballs.  She said if I wanted to.  A fourth favorite thing!

I'm grateful to live close to Emma.  I like to be in throw pillow collaboration proximity.  I went to Trader Joe's and Winco yesterday and I saw a lot of young mothers with young children.  Some of them were having a hard time and I remember those days.  I wanted to tell them that someday they may get to go throw pillow shopping together and all the grocery store tantrums will be a distant memory.

We met up at IKEA after she was done with work.  We wandered and had a disjointed conversation about Pride and Prejudice, which she is rereading (she said she's getting a lot more out of it than she did when she read it in 8th grade....) and reels I saw on Instagram.  We found a glass bottle and some cute napkins for me and pillows for her.  She found a console table she liked, but alas, it was out of stock.  

She said, sadly, looking at the display, "But they have one right here."

She is going to try to order it online.  I saw that the shelf I wanted to buy to replace the one that my student climbed on and broke in May was on sale.  I had wanted to go with Adam or Mark, but we were there and it was on sale.  Also, guess who is strong?  Emma.

We got it on the cart and I bought it.  I detoured at the little food court at the end and bought us each a strawberry ice cream cone.  They are so good.  They're more of a sorbet than ice cream, just nice and tart.  Emma and I were each holding our ice cream cone with one hand and pushing one handle of the cart with the other.  We got to Joan and had a conundrum because now what were we going to do?  We carefully put the ice cream cones into the cupholders and (mostly strong girl Emma) got the shelf into the back.  I complimented her on her strength.

She said, "I mostly used physics in my favor."

She deserved that strawberry ice cream cone.

I'm grateful Adam is home!  He is busier and travels more than either of us prefer, but I appreciate him and I appreciate how hard he works. (I'm grateful Mark went to the airport last night to get him, because he got home late.)

I'm grateful we get another celebrity sighting of Braeden and Anna and their cute babies.  We are going to Starr Valley today to be there for their stopover on their way back to CA.  I am staying until the 19th; Adam is going for a few days, then back to Nashville and then will rejoin me, along with Mark.  I love being home, but being there is a lot like being home and I'm looking forward to it.

I'm planning to spend time with my sisters and my dad, cross-stitch, paint, read, take walks and manifest zero mice in our house.

Underfoot

 I could show you the barely started cross-stitch or tell you what I'm learning about the dust bowl or 10 Mindframes for Visible Learning (another book I've been reading), but it occurs to me I don't have anything that interesting to blog about.  I know, I know, it has never stopped me in the past....

When we were on our trip, the floors in several buildings were beautiful and I started snapping pictures of them.  I just kept going and even took pictures outside.  I took a picture of any surface that looked interesting.  So that's my blogpost for the day:  what was underfoot in Chicago.

Summertime

 This summer is travel and hullabaloo coupled with quiet days and weeks.  This is a quiet week.  It's hot, in the 90s like July.  The AC is working hard and I appreciate it.   Adam is once again out of town.  He also works hard and I appreciate it.

Mark and I went to the Lindon Temple.  We ate perfect peaches from Costco with our lunch.  

I had a long and long overdue phone conversation with Marianne, who is back home.

I offered to take Mark to MOD for dinner although it would include a trip to Hobby Lobby.  Our boys think a trip to Hobby Lobby is a fate worse than death.  It is apparently worth it if you are going to MOD though, because Mark said yes.

Mark's friend Marek wondered if Mark wanted to hang out and Mark dropped me and Hobby Lobby like we were hot.

Emma Facetimed for advice about a couch a friend was giving away.  I said take it!  Free furniture is one of my love languages.

At Hobby Lobby I bought flag napkins for 66% off.  I bought paint because I am considering filling a new canvas. I bought embroidery floss because I am going to do a miniature of The Nighthawks. 

I don't need Mark to have a good time at Hobby Lobby.

I am reading a book about the Dust Bowl.

I ate another peach before going to bed for good measure.  They are so good!

Summertime and the living is easy.

Doctor appointment x 2

 I am doing the teacher summer thing and trying to get as many appointments knocked out as possible.

I had two doctor appointments yesterday.  First, I saw my primary care doctor.  I have sort of an unreasonable grudge against him since he was the one who first told me my bloodwork was suspicious.  Adam said he was glad my doctor noticed.

I am too.  It's not his fault I have cancer.  My irrational side feels differently about it.

I was also sort of bugged that he was so sympathetic and mournful.  He asked, "How are you?!?  You have been through so much!"

When people act like that, it makes me feel like I am really sick and meanwhile I am over here trying to act like I am not.

Otherwise, it was fine.

Except they drew blood and let me just say that over the past year I have had a lot of blood drawn and this lady has a thing or two to learn.  It hurt and I have a huge red blistery looking mark on my arm.

All phlebotomists are not created equally.

I went to the eye doctor in the afternoon.  My eye was pretty inflamed last time I went, so he wanted me to come back in a month.  I have described before how relaxing and chill my doctor's office waiting room is.  I used to think the receptionist must go home feeling like she just had a massage.

Yesterday was not like that.  I sat there in my chair, reading while I waited for my turn and overheard some of the chaos.  A man was struggling to communicate and then the receptionist switched to Spanish and all was well.  It is impressive when people can do that!

There was a phone call and I heard the receptionist calmly say, "Well, where are you now?"

Being periodically interrupted, She gave directions to the office from the freeway.  There was a pause and she asked, "Are you going north or south on the freeway?"  Another pause.  She asked, "What can you see outside?"

It was quickly occurring to me that maybe the receptionist didn't have such a tranquil job after all.

An older couple came in.  The man was hobbling along with a cane so he sat down and his wife went to the counter.  She was a loud talker and when the receptionist asked for their insurance card, she hollered over at her husband, "Do you have your wallet?"

An equally loud talker, he yelled back, "You said I didn't need to bring my wallet."

She confirmed she had said that.  The receptionist in her soothing classical music radio DJ voice said that it was fine, and they could call later with the insurance information.

The woman asked the receptionist if she had a co-payment.  The receptionist said, "When I have your card information, I can tell you."

The woman gave her husband a resentful look and said, "We don't have the insurance card."

The man yelped, "You told me I didn't need to bring my wallet!"

The receptionist tried to reassure them that it was all going to be OK.  The woman went to sit by her husband and they were still arguing about the wallet situation when I was called back.

My eye was looking good so my doctor told me to keep on keeping on.

Otherwise it was a get caught up on all the things week.  Kim and I both bought vibration plates during Amazon Prime Day sales.  They are supposed to help women of a certain age with bone density and balance.  We had decided that was us.  We are on a preventative quest.  When we walk in the morning we've been comparing notes.  We might just have the balance to walk a tightrope when we are in our 80s.

Weekend

We had a joyful Independence Day celebration.  Emma came on Friday and she brought a gluten free cake she had baked.  We went to Smoked Taco for lunch then everyone went swimming except me.  I went to the grocery store for rations.  I had a good conversation on the phone with Enoch while I drove and part of the time while I shopped, but then I had to get off the phone because my list was on my phone and I was wandering aimlessly.

Braeden and Anna made Korean bowls for us for dinner and they were delicious.  So was Emma's cake.  She had QE help her decorate it with strawberries.  First QE drew a plan with crayons on a piece of paper, then executed the plan.  Everything she does delights me.

In a surprise to no one, I went to bed early.

On Saturday morning, QE and I were stationed in my office looking out the window and waiting for the big flag to be unfurled.  Adam and Braeden joined us.  In the past (we haven't been around for the past two years, so maybe they haven't done it for a while), fighter jets would fly over our house in conjunction with the Dawn's Early Light program.  We went on our deck and waited, but it never happened.  I felt like Linus on Halloween, hoping his pumpkin patch was the most sincere.  I guess our deck wasn't sincere enough.

We had oven pancakes for breakfast with strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream.

After our late breakfast, Adam, Braeden, QE and I walked over to the canyon to see the flag.

There was a party atmosphere with lots of families there, wearing red, white and blue.  A firetruck was even decked out.

QE called it a flag parade; they had all the iterations of the American flag leading up to the big one.

Adam ran into Elder Cluff, who served in Finland with him.  I have long heard Elder Cluff stories.  Braeden remembered the stories as well.  Elder Cluff said, "Oh, no.  I'd better correct the record."

His wife said, "He's calmed down a lot."

I think his name might be Jason?  But his wife called Adam Elder Davis so I guess we're in the same situation.

We took a picture.  I don't know if they've seen each other since Finland and they were so happy to be reunited.  I loved it.

After soaking up the patriotism and hot sun (!), we walked back home.  I snapped this picture of a bumper sticker on the back of the firetruck.

I said, "I do too."

Braeden said, "You strawberry PG?"

I said yes.

Anna had been getting everything ready while we went on our walk.  They packed up and we hugged and kissed and hugged and kissed and sent them and their adorable beloved little ones on their way.  They are going to Anna's parents for the week and then we'll see them again in Nevada on Friday when they are driving back to California.  We enjoyed their visit.  QE just gets better and better with time and we loved getting to know the Young Prince.  He is pretty calm and content and he seriously is the most charismatic person I've ever known.  He has this smile that makes you feel like only good things will ever happen to you.

Adam and Emma and Mark all went to get their cars washed.  Adam tried to cajole me to take Joan and Emma said, "Let that woman rest."

Then I took a nap.

We played Parcheesi and made the onion dip that Janet introduced our family to (it also makes you feel like only good things will ever happen to you).  I loaded some dishes in the dishwasher and Mark lectured me for doing it wrong, because apparently he has a system. (I will gladly stay in my lane on that one and leave him to it.)

We had hot dogs for dinner, like you do, and I was going to make s'mores brownies, but I was tired so then we were going to have s'mores around the fire pit, but we were all tired so we just didn't.

Emma showed Adam her Spain pictures.  Fireworks were banned because of the drought and big fire danger.  They had a show for the city, but our neighbor's tree--that just keeps getting bigger every year--blocked the view.  It was fine (also I appreciate the shade).

You'll never guess what I did?  I went to bed.

I wore a bright and colorful dress to church on Sunday.  My friends told me they liked my dress and I told them I liked their dresses (it was true).  It is nice to have friends.  A few of us were chatting after church about our recent visits with grandchildren.  We all agreed that we loved it and it was tiring.  Marie Louise said, "I don't know HOW I did that all the time with six children."

We decided we were younger so we could handle it, but it wasn't as fun as grandchildren.

Besides that, Adam and I took a drive on Sunday afternoon, Mark made fried rice with leftovers, I tried and failed to find anything meaningful doing family history and I failed to maintain much interest in the World Cup. (Although Adam told me later it was an exciting game.)

Grateful Friday

the whole dog and pony show

 We have been having a good time.  The routine loving introvert in me, who is also fighting fatigue from my treatment, gets tired, but I have been going to bed ridiculously early and it works out.

These kids are delightful.  

We love just being around them.  

We had s'mores one night.  It felt perfect sitting around the fire pit, roasting marshmallows and squashing them with chocolate and a fresh raspberry between graham crackers.  One of the joys of summer.

We got up early on Tuesday and had a photo session at Thanksgiving Point, which Erin told me about and I'm grateful to learn about.  I hope we have some good ones.

Later that day, we went to the park and though it was cool enough that I was wearing a sweatshirt, QE ran into the splash pad, as in we rung out her dress and hair and put my sweatshirt on her.  She loves water and adventure and runs in headlong.

Wednesday Mark and I joined them at BYU for a little while.  QE loved BYU, especially when she got some chocolate milk.   What's not to love?  I was disoriented by the construction and demolition on campus.  I think BYU's aim is to keep their alumni constantly off balance by changing things around. Adam came too, from work, but by then I was feeling tired so we headed back home.  

It is a challenge for me to accept that I'm tired, but here we are.

Yesterday we hit two splash pads and Braeden and I took a walk together and talked about all the things.

I am grateful for this time we've had.  I'm grateful for toys on my floor and this on my table.

I'm grateful for her little voice saying, "I love you Nana."

I'm grateful for his smiles that could power a small city with their wattage.  

I'm grateful for slow mornings, washing berries and cutting up toaster waffles with a pizza cutter.  I squirt a round of whipped cream on top and stir it around the way the little queen likes it.  I'm grateful for sunsets on the deck after the little ones are asleep.    It is peak summer and peak Nana time.  And I'm grateful.

As we're about to celebrate a big birthday, I'm grateful for America too.  Sometimes I feel discouraged about America.  I don't like the incivility or the polarity.  People who watch Fox News or read Truth Social live in a different country than people who watch CNN or read the New York Times.  Who is correct? The reality is somewhere out there, but where?

There's still a lot to love.  If the World Cup tourists taught us anything, we can revel in ranch dressing and free refills.  We have magnificent and varied scenery and magnificent and varied people who do good things.

I'm grateful to be here.

At home last week

 I spent a lot of time last week recovering/resting/organizing, etc.  Adam left again for Nashville.  I had a sore throat all week. 

I also decided to paint.

I had this little chalkboard that I glued driftwood from Mukilteo Beach to years ago.  I also had a black globe that I got from IKEA.  I think it was also a chalkboard. I had them at the Home Place, but last time we were there, I decided we needed more color. 

Here's an old picture I found of them (that end table is now red--slowly adding color):

I painted apple blossoms on the chalkboard.

I meant to paint stripes but it ended up being more of a checkerboard on the globe.

It wasn't exactly my vision for how it would turn out, but it is more colorful and I enjoyed the process.

I told Adam painting is the new rearranging furniture for me.  I used to move things around in Washington and paint rooms when he traveled.  Now I just paint some poor unsuspecting objects.

We lived with smoke for a few days;

Not being able to see the temple is our air quality/visibility gauge.

We met Emma for dinner one evening in South Jordan, halfway between us.  I wanted to hear all about her trip to Spain.  The kid taking our order looked like my cousin Cory.  I am not exactly sure where Cory lives, but it seemed like it could be close enough that his teenager would be working at JCWs in South Jordan.  When I saw his name on the receipt, it confirmed that he was indeed Lear, Cory's oldest son.  I said, "I'm your dad's cousin."

He looked a mixture of suspicious and startled.  I don't know how I was expecting him to react, but he didn't seem excited about it.  I said, "My name is Thelma.  Tell your dad I said hi."

He asked, "Thelma, like my great-grandma?"

I said yes.  He didn't seem any more thrilled, but a little more believing.  I went and ate my burger and heard about Spain, but I was happy to see a fellow kinsman.