Allison's Birthday

I just noticed that this Thursday, April 3, is Allison's birthday--just thought I'd mention that.

Stuff and things

Here's Sam on March 3, birthday #30, goofing off with Kelton. Sam is back from a San Diego run this weekend to get Allison and all their stuff.

I saw an interesting little video yesterday, Eddie showed it to me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzoNInZ2ClQ It's worth watching the four minutes it takes to view it.


Yestserday in the a.m. (kinda early for Saturday) Wally and I walked the cemetery loop, and he told me what his plans were for the day--it was cool, but not cold--and he wanted to do some things outside, such as rebuild the grow box, take down the Christmas lights, etc. I spent the day yesterday going from a baby shower to lunch with Grandma Breinholt for her birthday then home again. By the time I got home and quickly changed in hopes to join Wally outside, the temperature had dropped about 10-12 degrees and we finished up in a few minutes due to the chilly wind that kicked up. And then winter came back for a bit. Ask Sam, he drove home from San Diego to SLC in the night last night and apparently they hit a hefty snow storm by Beaver. That was probably quite stressful to drive in while pulling a trailer. Now it's Sunday afternoon, and with the combination of a chill that has settled in the house, a somewhat sleepless night, and the post-church post-lunch contentment, I am drowsy.

Crystal Blue Persuasion

Check out the cutest little man on the planet, loving the egg hunt on Saturday.

Busy time last week with Easter concerts and such. Sunday when it's all history Wally and I napped. He slept on the bed, then woke up and moved to the couch, put the remote in his hand and fell asleep before he even started his surfing. I was reading and finished my book and went downstairs and stared out at the empty backyard.

There are two new dog owners this weekend--Cora, a cute little lady in Friendship Manor up by the U and my sister Annalee. I am in process of fixing up the backyard, and I know that dogs don't fit into the equation, so I just got proactive and listed them in the paper. Laura's fine with it all. She commented to me this morning with a smile, "Well I guess I don't have to feed the dogs today do I?" I agreed.

Packy, my landscape guy came by yesterday and we talked about what we could do to get a yard ready for a wedding. It's gonna cost a lot.

I have been transcribing some of my old journals lately. I've been doing it chronologically, and I was very impressed with my hip language in the 70's. A sample: "At the dance Wesley was jealous of Jim, he kept sending boys over to dance with me, and tried to get Floyd Wilkins to beat up Jim, but he didn’t want to. I hate Wesley now. He really makes me sick. If only he would act like an adult instead of a boob-baby. Barfo, I hate him But I really groove on Jim. Jim called me 9 times this week. I was only home twice though. I really dig that guy." Some of my favorite music I liked and mentioned was "Never My Love" by the Association, "Badge" by Cream, and "Crystal Blue Persuasion" who I can't remember the artist. I wonder if the journal is worth the transcription, but if nothing else it's great entertainment for me.

Yesterday my new software came. It's called Office One Note and I saw it demonstrated at computer genfest and loved it. I hope I can make it work for me the way I dream it will.

One more thing

It's me again. I forgot (weirdness, I know) to put on this cute picture of Thomas and Melinda. Mimi has touched it up. it was one of the finalists for their invitations. I really like looking at it, and thought others would like to see it too.

I found it

I decided that I was going to sort my office out, paper by paper, and I am pretty close. In the last three days I have gone through all the binders on my top four shelves in the closet, and three shelves in my bookcase. I still have a few to go, but while I was sorting, i was also backing up my pictures, folder by folder, onto CD's. I have them backed up on an external hard drive, too, but I wanted them in neat little boxes so I can access them easily and make copies as needed. About the next to the last binder I opened, there it was. Laura's life. I was so relieved, and as I went throught the pages I found some really important stuff that I didn't even remember was in it. So there you have it. Part of me feels remorseful that I suspected that Laura ditched the book, and part of me feels glad I wasn't sure it was her. Actually in the past she has taken a binder out of my office and emptied it to use for her own puposes, but not this time. For some reason the binder was mixed up with some genealogy binders all the same color, but in a totally different spot than i normally keep it. Don't ask me how it happened. I just want to remind all my family that when i start losing my mind, (officially) my wish is to just quietly be packed off to a nice care center and don't worry about me. sometimes I think it might be sooner than I imagined.

Can't Sleep I'm so Excited

Okay, the truth is I learned so much at the conference I just went to that I woke up this morning at 4:30. I just layed awake, thinking about my plans, etc. and was sorting through the stuff in my mind about what I want to do with my new info. I got a big surge of energy and I have a plan to get myself all sorted out--well, my stuff in my office anyway. I also was thinking about what Wally said to me just before bed. he told me that he wants to get me a new computer for my birthday/mother's day and if I want it early to go shop!!! Sam and i already shopped online and found one that meets my requirements. Well, I think I'll post and then get at it. Bye. Love you.

Genfest Computer Conference

tonight i was driving back from Provo where I have been attending a 2-day conference on computerized genealogy, thinking about all I wanted to blog about. The conference was awesome. The hardest part was to pick what classes to take, cuz that meant I would miss some others. It seems like I was "led" through the labrinyth of choices, though, and they built on each other, providing important and timely information for me, especially focusing on digitally organizing the paper chase. After I "lost" my reference book for all of Laura's life, I decided that I am going through each piece of paper in my office and determining what to do with it all. If I ever do get that book back, I will be scanning all the pages so I can keep an e-copy of the whole thing. Good idea, huh. Well anyway, the thoughts that were with me on the way home have since left, but i thought I would blog anyway. Oh, Wally and I met Thomas' parents Friday night and they are about as nice a people as they make anymore. Susan (his mom) injected me with energy and enthusiam about preparing for Mel's wedding. It's all good. Also something else good. Dr. John saw Kelton (with a busted ear drum) Friday late afternoon with no appointment and took care of him, just for love, not money. What a great friend he is.

Ah, ummm, where am I?

This afternoon I went to grab the binder which has all of Laura's life in it (correspondence from SSI, Medicare, School, Doctor, Therapist, records of all phone calls concerning her, who I talked to, dates, etc etc etc) and it wasn't there. No worries, I said to myself, you moved it to the desk, the other spot it goes. Hmm, not on the desk. Hunting, hunting, hunting . . . about 2 hours later and an ocean of frustrated angry tears I gave up. I even called the school and had the aide do a locker and backpack sweep of Laura's places. No book. Well, it's gone. Probably at the landfill, just as I predicted last blog--that's where it all ends up anyway, especially if you live with Laura. Part of me feels guilty for blaming her and part of me feels confident she ditched it. After I realized it was truely gone, I got super-disoriented as the enormity of what has happened to me really hit. I don't have copies, it was all super-organized in the book. The whole reason i was looking for it was to get her Dr. phone # and talk about meds. she is becoming more and more agitated lately and I don't want any broken windows or stuff. I found the number to call, and got a message that she has quit her practice. Now I'm really dizzy and I can't even remember how to open a file on my computer. hlephlep!

It's fun to read my family

I can't say how much I enjoy reading everyone's blogs. It's not possible to describe what pleasure I get out of reading what's going on, in the mind, in the life, etc. of people that I really care about. It's kind of like having a chocolate or something at the end of the day, a reward that I look forward to a lot. Occasionally I snack during the day and do a furtive check to see if there's anything new, but I am just loving it. I learned at women's conference last Saturday that at the end of the year there is an option to have your blog (for the year) published in a hardback book for only $22 or so. I hope that everyone chooses that--it's irreplaceable family history here.
Yesterday was FHE and we had the whole group here again. Brenda was on lesson and it was about families and how that's what it all boils down to, and that's why we really do the things we do. When it's all said and done, everything else goes to the landfill, right? I know I say that a lot but it helps me keep perspective and also remain encouraged that what I do is important, even though with Laura at times I just wish she would disappear for a few days so I could take a break. Don't get me wrong, I would want her to come back. Actually the real thing is for me to take a break, which I am doing this Friday and Saturday--it's the Computerized Genealogy Conference at BYU and I loooove going to it. That's where I learn a lot of tricks of the trade, and get info about cool internet sites and stuff. Joy's going to which is always fun. She likes my jokes.

Whew!

It's been a long week. Here's Sunday night, quiet and peaceful. Laura's taken her final trip upstairs for toilet paper, and the meds have kicked in to put her to sleep for the next four hours or so. I often debate whether I should used this time to do what I want to do, uninterrupted or if I should get some uninterrupted sleep. I usually split it up. I have been down in the sewing room tonight, working on Melinda's wedding quilt. It's going to be pretty. It has a lot of pieces in it and at first a quilt like that is hard to keep working on, as the results are not that rewarding, but now it's taking a form and pattern that is visible. The colors are blue, tan and yellow with green accents. Melinda saw some of the blocks and she really liked it. Because it is taking so long to make the top, I think the trade-off will be that it will be machine quilted instead of hand. Then it will be finished for her wedding. While I was sewing, I first listened to a session of General Conference from last October. I miss President Hinckley. Hearing his voice was good. Then I had about an hour of Bach, then a little Mozart. After that I heard the history of Athens and Sparta, and now I am listening to the arguements between Plato and Socrates in "The Republic." Actually, now, I am blogging. But that's about to end 'cause I'm going to bed.

Blogging blurbles

Today I went to a woman's conference in our stake--Lani McCoy is still the stake Relief society president and I am really liking it. One of the classes taught was about--you'll never guess--blogging. Jeni Roberts taught it (my next door neighbor--Jeremy's wife) and she did a great job. She handed out a paper with step by step instructions and explained about them, etc. and I am really proud of all of our progressive older women (older than me) that do stuff like that. They had intelligent questions and used the internet lingo, etc. I'm glad I know how to do stuff like this cause my kids tell me about it. Look for fancy new updates on my blog, I know how to do even cooler stuff now. Most of the blogs I read already do really cool stuff and it inspires me.
Wait a sec, i got to get bread out of the oven.
k, I'm back, with a piece in my hand, buttered and strawberry jammed. So I have to type with one hand for a minute. When I was a kid, we used to have bread and milk for dinner. We would break up a slice of bread and put it in a cup, then pour milk over it. Sometimes we would add raisins, too (I bet Jessie would hate that. He had his raisin quota for life while he was a child.) Then we eat it with a spoon and drink the rest of the milk when the bread was gone. Anyway, that's what we are having for dinner tonight. Only you don't have to break up the bread and you can have the milk separate.
Yesterday I transcribed another document for the WRG (Whitney Research Group) It's fun and stuff.

The one thing we can always count on is change

The tender mercy of the day yesterday was that I didn't go to choir--it was an extra rehersal, and I had been cold all day, so I chose to wrap up in a blanket and put on a sweater and read instead of going out, hence, I dodged a bullet. Well, not entirely, it nicked my heart but I didn't die from it. Craig Jessop resigned from choir. At the end of rehersal, which Mack Wilburg conducted, Craig read a letter of resignation, and now he's finished. Cheri Ringger my choir friend noticed I was absent and called me on the way home with the news. I am grateful for the thirteen years of tutelage I have had under his baton. The wild ride put wind in my hair as we have been flying from one experience to the next, witness to the blessings and the hand of the Lord directing the path. I will miss Craig, especially tomorrow night at rehearsal when he's absent, and I imagine a lot during conference next month. I cried a little today, when I wrote him and his wife a thank-you letter, and when Sam, Eddie and my sister Joy expressed sympathy. but I think I am going to be okay. I guess now I know that I am committed to the choir and not just the conductor. There were times when I wondered. We aren't supposed to blog about the choir, but since Craig resigned, I guess it's not really about the choir anymore.