Best Energy boost in the world

I made granola this morning right after taking the packages to the post office. No extra stops, rooms to wander or other errands jumping in the way.  I cannot believe the difference in my outlook today after the grands left yesterday afternoon.

Debbie and the kids made a quick trip down because the mercury was hovering around 100 and their air-conditioning didn't work. That constitutes an emergency, so they came to visit for the day and night!!!!

My energy is up, my outlook is good, I am productive and useful - all because the kids came and let me give them hugs, answer questions and just hung around for a little less than 24 hours. 

As a family they always read the Book of Mormon before bedtime. Corina will be turning six and can read her own verses. Oliver jumps up and down between them and James sometimes crawls around their laps or the floor. All of them listen, so when they get older these words and stories are familiar to them.

Corina will be starting school in the fall. She is already reading chapter books like the Narnia series. She is smart and inquisitive. My pictures of Oliver didn't turn out well, so next time I'll aim for a good 

shot of him.

Oliver is active, loves trucks and dinosaurs and watches people. He is quick to smile and give hugs.

Catching James smile is tricky as he is always on the go. Usually I get a side shot or his head. Here is almost a full smile. It sure lights up my heart when he does!

I am finding that buying granola in bulk and making little batches are much different things. My appreciation for many little things is growing during this pandemic. I do wonder what life will be like on the flip side.

Why Am I in This Room?

Granola is baking in the oven. Only because I can no longer buy my favorite kind. So this is the best substitute. But this post is not about granola.

I started early this morning intending to make granola. I got out the ingredients on the sideboard. First I had to check on Facebook and see if Ruth Manion had answered my message to make hats for my grandkids. Yes! We messaged back and forth a little. After putting down all the particulars of each of my grandchildren, I walked down to Laura's house to drop off the ingredients for cilantro lime dressing. She intended to make Rio Chicken and the salad dressing and offered to give me half. Yes! So I spent a half hour there and Grandma Nausin gave Jeffrey and I a chocolate German cake!! Sometimes it pays to go visiting.

When I came back I remembered that I was going to make mac-n-cheese for them so I got ingredients for mac n cheese and pushed back the granola ingredients. I got out the penne and put it on to boil. While it the water was boiling, I texted Stacey Frost about concerns I had about my mother in law hair, and then got caught up in the puzzle that is in the living room, for a few minutes. When I went upstairs, I couldn't remember what I was doing so I came down and put the penne in the boiling water. I have a stack of towels to make hooded towels for the summer and took a few minutes to figure out how they would go together. But luckily I remembered the penne and took it off before it was too done. 

I checked my email for an answer to something and then went in to melt the butter to make a roux. I thought about the text I had forgotten to send to Mike and Carol about a call on Sunday and then heard a ping so I went to answer and also send a text. My butter and spices burned so I threw it out on the weeds by the geraniums and got out some more butter. The phone pinged again and when I got back the pan was overheated just sitting there.

Beverly came into the kitchen pushing her walker with her nightgown falling off one shoulder. "I am sure glad somebody else does that too," she smiled. I agreed as I took everything off the burners and turned it off, and put the phone in the other room so I wouldn't hear it. I told myself I would stay in one place until the job was done. I first gave Beverly some soup for lunch and some coke as she isn't feeling very well. Then when I walked into the back room I heard the phone ping and saw that Julia may or may not be close to giving birth. I found myself back at the puzzle trying to hook up the magenta, maroon, and red pieces. "No," I told myself, "this is only when Beverly is here. Go do something useful." 

So of course, I brought the phone back into the kitchen so I could keep track of developments. Beverly started playing the piano while I managed to make three pans of cheese sauce for the three different containers of penne. And sealed up the Nausin's container. I texted Briona and Andrew to come over for dinner as we are going to have too much food tonight. 

After going to the Nausin's house to pick up the Rio Chicken and some capers she had extra, I decided to put the granola in the oven. I have to listen closely as I often do not hear the timer. I would hate to bake it for 40 minutes and burn it in the last few minutes! I found myself upstairs again without knowing why - one of these times I will remember what it is I was going to do up there.

So now the granola is cooling on the stovetop, I've washed all the dishes and cleaned off the counters. I put away the ingredients. I have no intention of telling you how many times I have come to the computer and back flitting somewhere else.

I've decided the reason I am going to make some cookie dough before dinner is because I am stressed out about whatever and I have to go from project to project today. I must be in the flight mode of anxiety today. That's ok, tomorrow I'll probably freeze and stay all day at the puzzle or reading a book....

Hey, I remembered! I wanted to vacuum the carpets upstairs!!

Coping

This whole COVID 19 episode snuck up on my like a cat attack. One minute lazing in the day and bam I get hit with empty shelves, warnings, and governmental shutdowns.

Sam's Club March 16, 2020

I heard on the news about the TP hoarding but didn't notice until my friend and I went to Sam's Club. The first week the TP, rice, and flour were gone, but the second week the shelves were shockingly bare! Everywhere. Even the soda.  I still can't understand why you would need more food for one week than the week before. Was there an assumption that the stores wouldn't supply food ever again? My mind just says if you eat it they will make more. Maybe I missed the news that had everyone worried. I have a tendency to buy a little ahead so I haven't bought any TP since January.
The TP run makes some sense because if you aren't going to work, you will need more at home. If your employer isn't supplying it, you will. Maybe the flour and rice make sense if you are making all your own food instead of going out to eat.....maybe. But all the frozen food? Really?

Conference weekend with a special breakfast - Rachel and her dad

In my personal journey, I felt the hand of the Lord in the timing of people in our home. My mother in law was living with us at Christmas time and then Jeffrey felt a need to do more in the Cambodian branch and asked his sister Kim if their mom could come for a few months, so she went up to Chico and visited Kim and Rob in their new home at the end of February.
Rachel had gone in January to school in Jerusalem for a study abroad program and was excited to learn all she could while in the Holy Land. But she came back after a little over two months because of the Coronavirus quarantines going into effect. I felt it was so serendipitous that Rachel would come after her grandmama left so I didn't have to worry about keeping the two apart for two weeks.
Rachel and I worked on several projects, went on a walk together every day, and talked almost every day. I felt bad we couldn't have her friends over and she was stuck with just the old people. We did get together with Andrew and Briona and once with Rebekah and Mike, so she got a little socialization with her siblings.

Birthday dinner for Rachel with Mike and Rebekah - just before blowing candles on her cake

Rachel left the day before her birthday in April and went back to Rexburg with her roommates. They are doing their classes online but are together in their apartment - doing crazy things. But it is different. Instead of an apartment building full of girls, there are only three apartments in the entire building being used by nine girls. Each girl gets her own room. Rachel is happy but said it can get really old going to school, going to work, and socializing all within her own room. The girls have been going out walking to alleviate going stir-crazy.
Meanwhile back in Concord, I found out how very important actual people in person are to me in my life. Jeffrey has a wonderful time going on a long solitary walk and going to his office for six hours to research, ponder, and write. He looks up every once in a while and wonders what all the hoopla is about this virus. I was lonely. I asked Jeffrey to bring his work out in the living room. Nice!


I have exhibited every stress symptom Susie wrote about in her stress care presentation: The three F's - Flight, Fight, and Freeze. I find myself playing sudoku, tile games, and other mindless games - for hours! I am tired and have sat on the couch doing nothing, or irritable about nothing or in a frenzy finding projects to do or walking around the neighborhood. Munching just because.  On the flip side, I know I have no reason not to count my many blessings. I am not down to my last $40, or have lost my income, or been horribly sick - or watched a loved one be horribly sick. No one I personally know has died. In fact, none of my children lost their jobs. All the awful stories I've heard from others haven't happened here. So I tell myself to snap out of it.... while I watch the trees sway in the breeze.

Leaving Chico to come to Concord

Beverly came almost two weeks ago and has saved my sanity. I have a purpose and someone to serve. Someone to care about and plan for. Someone in person to talk to. I let her know how much I appreciate her visiting with us. It has helped on the, "when do I go home?" front. So we do many jig-saw puzzles together, chat about life and events, listen to her play the piano for hours, and in a few minutes, I will dye her hair. Actually, I have shanghaied Jeffrey into helping me just in case this "simple" procedure doesn't turn out simple.

First, put the dye in sections at the roots, and then over the rest.....Jeffrey would apply and I would work it into her hair......it doesn't work like my hairdresser's does......I hope it adds color!

I feel like I am coping better though I still find myself playing games, going from project to project, and walking into rooms wondering why I am there. I am looking forward to inviting friends for dinner and especially going to visit and play with the grands. I love being with friends and going out with the ladies. I'll go in and do a puzzle while 'Perry Mason' is on with Beverly.

Beverly's hair is drying, "Perry Mason" is on and working a puzzle of fireworks - difficult but small

A moment to bond together

Sometime..... a couple of weeks ago, my siblings got together in a zoom chat. My heart lifted to actually see and hear all of my brothers and sisters and I was anxious to find out how they all were doing.

Lines going into Winco

Not so surprising everyone was doing well, hanging in there, smiles and laughter all around. I noted that we all told the resolutions and good parts of our stories. Which is a good thing when you are a thousand miles away and couldn't do much about it anyway. That little bit of bonding did a great deal of good for me and makes me feel connected to a great whole.

I thought about the smiles and good wishes quite a bit for the next week. I know for a fact that one sister is taking care of a child with complications from open-heart surgery, another had an illness, one is coping with the stress of death because of her work, one had a child just out of the emergency room, and some brothers who have had some serious issues with their families. Of course, I didn't bring up any of the mental health, work, or health issues going on in my family either.  We are all coping and part of that is putting on a happy face with our family.

Since Donald told me that he actually reads this blog, I want to say, "Hi", and hope you and all of yours are doing well. It was exciting to see that you are growing in numbers and I'm curious about how the wedding will take place. With so much uncertainty about ceremonies and groups getting together, I'm looking forward to how your families will celebrate!