To Stop -- Or Not To Stop

This morning I left the boys getting ready to work on schoolwork, and Derek having a meeting via some sort of technology, and I went to physical therapy.  I've had a good week, and so the physical therapist added one more exercise, and had me do some of the ones I already have, and then I was done -- 20 minutes earlier than usual.  I hurried and changed and headed south, towards home. 

I wanted to go to the North antique store in Springville that I hadn't seen with Shannon, but I also don't want to make the risk to my family members or anyone else any higher.  I debated, but decided that  there probably wouldn't be many people there, and I could run through kind of fast.  So, that's what I did.  There was exactly one other shopper and so I tried to not be in the same aisle as him.  I took exactly two pictures which I will add and explain.

I took a picture of this chair because of the year on it.  That is the year of my birth.  So this antique is my age.

I took a picture of this because of the cloth covering the seat.  When I was twelve my Mom was going to teach me how to sew and so she let me pick some cloth.  I'm pretty sure it was just like that cloth above.  It was NOT fun to try to add a ruffle to that skirt!

Being Close and Far At The Same Time

The picture on the mantle was one of the last things I got at D.I. before they closed
it to protect us all from germs.  It might be necessary -- but it was a sad day for me!

I have a friend who posted on Facebook the idea that we should really be trying to be socially close to people right now -- while keeping our physical distance.  I think that is true.  This is a stressful time for many.  We have people in our family who are in the at risk group, and it's hard not to get stuck in the "what ifs".  There seems to always be the thought in the back of our minds of "what will happen next?"

I think it helps everyone to have supportive, reassuring people in their lives.  It helps to take advantage of any time we can outside.  It is fun to see more people out walking around.  We smile and wave and even chat from a "socially appropriate" distance.  Inside we can text and call and write people -- and spend time with those in our houses.

On television today I watched something that made me want to try harder to be close to the people I love, and to work harder to notice those who may be quite alone.  I have been dreading the week ahead because the weather is supposed to be wet and cloudy, and that can add to the trapped feeling I sometimes get.  But I like the idea of trying to be creative for my family, and with my family, to try to find ways to make this week better for as many people as we can!

For years we had a subwoofer sitting right where this tree is.  I was trying to figure out
how to disguise the subwoofer, but then I realized that I just didn't like it on the fireplace.  In fact, I enjoyed having nothing sitting there -- but I put the tree there yesterday anyway.  

On the left of the entertainment center you can see the subwoofer being used as a table for the flowers.  I like that much better!  Yay for a moment of inspiration and for Jake who figured out how to do it for me while Derek was gone.

A Week Of Social Distancing

My selfies almost always include a part of my hand.
Kayli still has to actually go to work and sometimes she wants a picture of her dog.
I assume she wants one of me too :-)

Hi all.  How has your week been?  My "social distancing" is a lot more full of people than during "normal" days since I usually have the house to myself a lot of the time.  Now I share it with family members all day every day!  It's good that I love my family!  I get stir crazy though.  I mean -- if I turn on the television I am interrupting home school and if I play an instrument I might be serenading people from Derek's work!  If I use my Chromebook I might keep Jake from finishing up homework.  And -- I really just don't want to cook and I apparently should have waited and cleaned all of the closets after we were all stuck at home.

I just got to wondering if I should feel guilty for going to Walmart?  I can't bring myself to stand outside in line at Costco so that's not a temptation.  I'll pick up those pictures I have waiting for me another time.  We eat a lot of cereal, which I usually order online from Walmart anyway, but cereal requires milk of some variety, and I get that at Walmart.  It's possible that I am hoping to run into a friend by accident, or maybe just have something different to look at.

I'll catch you up on the pictures of some of the things we've done.

When Derek was in Orlando last week I got him a "new" tie hanger.  It has duck heads on both sides.  For some reason it struck my funny bone.  It does do a good job of holding the ties too.  No more falling off when we open the closet door!

On a warm day I started painting my table.  It's not done yet.
I'm sure more warm days are coming, and I like the color.

Connor has been here for spring break.  He has to go back to take care of some responsibilities for church this weekend even though his school is online.  People were in our room visiting at night.

Naturally Jake refused to look at me and I assume he didn't smile either, but there was no way for me to see. 

We had to cut down our once beautiful tree because it was diseased and we couldn't get it better.  Connor and Jake, and Derek (after frustrating meetings) could be found out chopping at the trunk's roots trying to get it out.

Here they are again.  They both have impressive blisters from using a hatchet on this.

Jake and Connor got the trunk out on Friday!
Teddy stood by waiting for someone to play ball with him.

This morning we loaded the truck and trailer with the tree, the branches from pruning other trees, a bag of leaves I collected another day, and a mattress.  You don't have to tiptoe through the branches in the back yard anymore!  Our yard might look better than ever after a while of social distancing!

I hope that you aren't going crazy at your house and are finding good things to do.  We've got Scooby Doo on television, Tia is braiding Kayli's hair, and Derek and Jake are getting ready to haul off the piles of sticks that have been hanging out in our yard for weeks.  Happy Saturday!

Another Day. Another Closet.

I took everything out of Derek's and my closet on Wednesday.  Then I cleaned it and got it ready for painting.  As I looked at my room though, and this picture, I had to acknowledge that I have a LOT more stuff than I need.  I have struggled with this for years.  How much is too much?  Or is it more about what I value, and whether or not I judge my value or someone elses by what we have, instead of who we are, and the potential we have.  Would I be willing to give it all away if I was asked to?

I remember a friend in high school from Sweden who wore the same shirt three days in a row, and then he would change.  He seemed to rotate 3 shirts.  I've heard stories about my Dad's pair of pants that he wore for a week before wash day would come, and by then they would practically "stand up by themselves".  When I was growing up, I remember having three pairs of pants to last me a week, and it was enough.  I certainly don't need all of the things I have.  But I do like them!  I enjoy having things!

With piles of things in the rest of the room, I spent a couple of hours painting my empty closet.  I'm pretty sure the picture below is the before picture.  It doesn't look too bad from a distance.  But it really wasn't in too good of shape -- which was obvious once I got the paint brush and roller going and could see the contrast.

By Thursday night I was ready to put some things back in.

I did put some things in the pile to give away, but I obviously still have plenty!  I am thankful.  I love to have choices, and I love to have clothes that I like to wear.  I also like to be willing to give it all away if it would help someone else.  Well, I would keep some clothes.  I think we would all be happiest if I did that!  

Two closets painted in a relatively short time!  Yay for progress!  

Panic. Where Has All The TP Gone?

Teddy is genuinely terrified of thunder.  He panics. 
So I got lots of snuggle time during the storm Wednesday.

I will admit that I keep forgetting to panic about the Caronavirus.  When I do remember I am "supposed" to panic, I still am having a hard time panicking.  Could I or someone I love get the virus?  Yes.  Could one of us die from it?  Yes. But right now we are all well and today the sun was shining. 

Still, I feel sorry for those who do feel panic.  At physical therapy a lady said that her sister had called to say "I love you" just in case she (the one who called) dies.  She wasn't sick.  But you never know.  Truly, even without the Caronavirus you never know.

I went to the bank today to get a little cash.  I asked for $50 and was told that $50 was the smallest amount anyone had asked for all day.  So, money is flying out of banks, and medicine and toilet paper are flying out of stores, and events are cancelled, and church is cancelled.  We are doing our best to be safe and to be prepared.  I do wonder why the focus on toilet paper.  I mean.  I understand you don't want to do without that, but if we might die, maybe we should make a run on cookies and ice cream so we can die happy, or carrots and celery sticks so we can at least claim to have eaten healthy once before our time came.

I really hope that we all stay well, or get better if we get sick.  But until we are struck with sickness, and really even if we get struck with sickness, I think it would be wise to focus on the good we can do, the love we can give, and the blessings that are ours -- including whatever tp we have managed to horde.

A Little Something to Smile About

On Sunday Kayli decided to paint, and so I joined her.  It's more fun for me to paint if I have a buddy.  I found a picture to copy that had 4 birds standing on each other with the top one facing the one daisy.  I started painting and soon realized I could only fit three.  I decided to stick with facing the third bird out like in the original.  It wasn't until I was done with that bird that I realized he had his back side to the lone flower.  I laughed, and then added some more flowers.  He still is facing away from the flowers, but it just makes me smile.  I like the whimsical little birds!

I Think I Can. Seeing The Possibilities

I like watching the shows where they take old run down houses and turn them into something that looks new and beautiful.  I love it when they save things from the house (like old beams or cabinets) and create something that is useful and lovely.  Between watching shows like that, and looking at the things people have made and posted to Pinterest, I have started to think I can.  I can see how to make things better, and I can do it!  I can fix up old things.  I can extend the life of something, making it almost like new again.  At least -- I can with some help from Derek.

Thus my table project was born.  It is ready to be painted.  I am just waiting for warmer weather.  It's been lovely lately, but it dips down into cold at night.  I finished painting my crate yesterday, which somehow I thought was ok to paint in the current weather.  I didn't say I was logical! I have also turned two old jars with ugly lids into two jars with silver lids -- by painting them :-).

I don't think I would have thought of painting lids before.  I didn't see that done on t.v. I don't think -- but I saw enough creativity with other things that I could see possibilities I hadn't before.  I love the potential in possibilities!

The lids are different, but they are the same color!

My crate that will soon be a rolling crate that holds potatoes and onions in my pantry.

The Market Beautiful

It was obviously windy and my jacket looks
so big that I wonder if I wore Derek's!
Nobody mentioned the green string!

Saturday Derek and I went to The Market Beautiful at the SLC Fairgrounds.  Derek had been home sick all but one day that week, and wasn't feeling his best, but he gamely drove us up there.  The Market Beautiful is an indoor flea market.  There are quite a few antiques, but there are new things too.  I learned about it online and Derek agreed to come with me to see what it was like.

It was interesting, but should maybe have been called "The Market Crowded".  Apparently this is a popular event!  You pay to get in, and if you are a true shopper you pay to get in an hour early.  When we arrived there were already people hauling piles of things to their cars.  One person had a whole bunch of tin watering cans.  Some had wooden boxes, or old furniture. 

The dog toy was kind of
like this.

I enjoyed seeing all of the things that reminded me of the past.  There was a dog pull toy like one I think my family had, and Derek thinks Grandma Heelis had.  There was a fisher price airplane that you pull, and a fisher price circus.  There were plates like my grandma's and a little wooden chair that reminded me of a little rocking chair at my grandma's house that I had forgotten about.  There were old Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books and an old stove that looked like my Grandma Cain's stove.  It is fun to see how old things can trigger memories that would otherwise stay hidden!

Derek and I only bought two things.  A strawberry ricotta hand pie for him and an apple salted caramel hand pie for me.  They were really expensive and really delicious.  I enjoyed every bite of mine except the one apple slice that sadly fell to the ground in the parking lot.  As Derek pointed out, "There is no five second rule in a parking lot."  I don't think we'll need to go to The Market Beautiful again.  It was too crowded for us.  But it was a good thing to try!

A Blast From The Past

I went to D.I. after my doctor's appointment the other day to drop things off, and then to wander around looking for treasures, since I like to do that lately.  What did I find?  A blast from the past!

This couch is like the one we used to have in our piano room.  It matched the green carpet!  I'm pretty sure this isn't the same couch.  I think we gave it to someone who wanted to use it in their garage, and this one looks a little too nice to have been kept in a garage.  Still, my first thought was, "It's our couch!"  I didn't buy anything at D.I. that day, but I found something that triggered a memory -- and good memories are treasures too.

The Case of the Lost Keys

Once upon a time, on a Friday, I decided that I would go out to the van and clean up the stuff scattered around inside of it, and then I would eat lunch, and then go to Costco -- which I had been avoiding for days.

So, I went to clean the van out, came in and ate lunch, got ready to go to Costco, and ..... no keys.  Now, it's not so overly unusual for me to misplace my keys, but I can almost always count on them being either in my purse, or one of my pockets when they aren't hanging up where they go.  They were in neither place.  I remembered that they were on the back seat of the van and I had thought, "I need to remember to take those inside", and I assumed I had.  The good news?  I had really only been in the van, walked through the garage, and had not gone farther than the family room inside.

I looked.  Derek looked. Dan looked.  I took Derek's keys and went to Costco.  I prayed on the way home that I would find those keys. Then I looked, and Kayli looked, and I looked some more.  I get a little obsessive when I lose things.  The funny thing is where we start looking after a while of them not showing up.    The fridge.  The pantry.  The kitchen drawers. The couches I didn't sit on.  My room where I didn't think I had been since I lost them.  We looked in the garbage, the lawn, the flower garden, the planters.  Sigh.  Finally, after dinner and after going through the garbage one more time, I got in the van to drive it into the garage.  I thought, "the keys are probably in here somewhere".  (We had all looked in there several times).

Where did I find them?  Under the cushion of the seat in the van where I had last seen them.  I didn't even know things could get under the cushion!  So, with a little determination that prayer was answered.  The case of the lost keys is solved.  I am thankful.

Gratitude a Gateway to Good Things

I heard a discussion about gratitude on the Christian radio station. They were explaining that ingratitude is the gateway to many sins.  If we aren't grateful for what we have, we are more inclined to covet, or even steal.  If we are not grateful for our spouse, we are more likely to commit adultery, or maybe even just be unkind, or angry. 

While these things are true, I like focusing on the fact that if ingratitude is the gateway to sin, then gratitude is the gateway to good things.  When I am grateful I am content.  When I am grateful for what I have, it is easier to have joy for others who might have more.  Over many years I have continually discovered, and rediscovered that gratitude puts me on the path to joy, and peace -- no matter the circumstance.

Photo by Tj Holowaychuk on Unsplash

Problem Free

As I was watching Home Town on television, someone in the show came in to a room to report that there was a problem, but then re-framed it as a "solution opportunity".  I liked that.  Problems are a chance to find a solution.  We can study, learn, and use our creativity to solve something that hasn't gone like we planned or wanted.  I can now be problem free!  I'll just have solution opportunities instead.

Photo by Eva Waardenburg on Unsplash

An Insight

Sunday at church I had an insight that I hope I can explain well enough that if I read it again later it will make sense, and be helpful again.  I was contemplating Jesus' Atonement and how Christ conquered death and sin, and took our infirmities and bore our sickness (Matt. 8:17).

I was focused on the physical ailments we all have at one time or another.  I image I was contemplating this because it was particularly painful to sit during Sacrament Meeting, and I am aware that many suffer physical pain every day, and even every moment.

What struck me is that the most important thing to focus on is the spiritual.  Christ gave us the gift of resurrection.  When it is our turn to be resurrected, all of our physical ailments will be gone.  That doesn't mean we shouldn't be taking care of our bodies.  On the contrary, they house our spirits and affect our ability to feel the Spirit, to learn, serve, and think.  However, I thought that I needed to remember not to feel too sorry for myself over the physical things, or get too frustrated, because in the end, that is already taken care of.  I should do my best, no matter how aggravating the circumstances, to use any physical ailment to grow spiritually.  To learn to focus on love, and joy, and growth, and not on frustration, pain, sorrow, and plain grumpiness!  Of course, this is much easier said than done, but it is a good thing to remember.

Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash