We have been so busy preparing our buildings to open. I laminated signs so we could mark off the pews and thus maintain the social distancing required. Each building needed about twenty-five signs so I had quite the assembly line formed between printing and laminating. I pulled one off the hot press and saw my DNA pressed between the edges of the laminate. I don’t think so. One in the trash.
Easton has come over number times with his gun trying to shoot a rabbit. He goes across the road, he waits in the bushes and he listens. Once he saw and shot but missed. One time the mosquitoes swarmed around him so much from the swampy wet woods that he came back and said “Grandma, there is no way I’m going to get my rabbit when the mosquitoes are this bad.” The day was done and the dream shelved for awhile. I tell him often how many rabbits I see around here but as soon as he comes they hide. If I ever leave the house between 7:30 and 8:00 in the morning I swear the same rabbit just sits on the side of the road waiting for me to see him. Teaser. Of course I try and take a picture to show Easton that “he” is here, just waiting, just teasing and tempting. Watch out little guy. Easton is going to get you.
It was the moment and the time. Kelcy said her pediatrician encouraged her to have Gwennie be around the “littles” more to help her with her development although she has done remarkable. There is still much sickness everywhere but it would benefit her greatly to have the exposure. So after nearly a year it was ok to touch and be up close. These pictures truly share the experiences the best. At first there was hesitation, then tenderness and soon past rules were all forgotten. Now we are full fledged touchy feely cousins!
This was the plan. We drive two cars into the airport. Mike and Devin then go truck shopping while Brecken, Paige and I take Oaklee back out to “Ahni’s house” to play. It went as smoothly as could be until . . . we were coming up to Eagle River I slowed down as I thought there was a dog limping on the side of the road. It wasn’t. It was a bear! Fast acting Brecken took pictures while I drove. We laughed after that it was so cool for us to see but that but Oaklee lives in Juneau and she sees bears all the time so it was truly no big deal for her at all.
A friend of mine introduced me to Gretchin Rubin – well not in person of course but I get her emails every so often. I love her positivity. Gretchen is a five-time New York Times bestselling author, podcaster and speaker and creator of the Four Tendencies Framework, exploring happiness and good habits. So why do I like getting her emails? This is what I like to read: “Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, I’ve found myself reflecting on the uncanny beauty of nature amid human suffering.” Thank you Gretchen. As my eyes read the words I had an internal change and a desire to do more and be more. You are a permanent on my email group. Welcome to my world.
Cousins are a true gift. What is it about cousins that make them so great? I found a list of ten reasons. Number 1: They are each other’s best friends. Cousins can get annoying but not as much as siblings. Number 2: They protect one another. Number 3: They “get” it. They understand the families they come from. Number 4: They always have each other to hang out with at family vacations. Number 5: The love each other unconditionally. Number 6: They always have people to vent to about their parents. Number 7: It’s easier to make plans with them. Number 8: Sleepovers are easy. Number 9: You share cool hand-me-downs. Number 10: They are loyal. I can’t vouch for all of these but in twenty years I should ask them if any or all of these are true.
It has been absolutely joyful to be able to spend time in our meetinghouses and clean and organize. We work very well together as a team and have been productive and successful. One of the rooms we gently tackled was the High Council room where the Stake Presidency and High Councilmen meet around a table. We vacuumed, dusted and straightened things up in the room and then out came the Old English oil and we moisturized that table until it looked as slippery as ice. As we returned to the room a day or so later we realized even a piece of paper would have slid right off of it so we buffed it up a little more and it is such a “beauty” now. So sleek, so clean and so shiny.
I have done it again and I’ll probably do it again and again. I have taken some great clothes and transformed them very artistically into some great paint clothes. These gems are now covered with Copley Gray and Elephant Tusk and sometimes the two splatter together making a beige blend. The exterior paint has actually stiffened on my sweatshirt, which is by the way, my favorite. I think I’ll keep that treasure and maybe one day I’ll find out it literally stands up on its own.
I was doing a payment online today. This is the same payment I do every month but they updated their system. I did the same prompts but had to add in a little more information that before. I was ok with that. I made it all the way to the end and had my pen ready to date and record the confirmation number that I do every month when the numbers started coming. They came so fast, they sped through the line faster that taking a break of air. I could only record two to three at a time. I repeated it three times to write down the eight numbers I needed. All I could think of were all the old people out there in the world who might have got one number and are still trying to figure out how to get it to repeat. Sorry folks.
It is harvest time. My peonies are flopping over and heavily carrying the burden of great beauty. Every morning I walk around the corner ready to bouquet a handful for some fortunate friend of mine and the more I deliver the more friends I seem to have. Smart move on my part. Having peonies in a vase on a table makes you think you are wearing perfume – or your Air Wick air freshener is working over time. And to think – I’m not even a gardener.
Tara Truly 