a nice relaxing weekend

I want so much from weekends!  

Chores and errands to do that I do not have time or energy for during the work week. Meetings, activities, church, family and community commitments.  And I really need some R&R.  hahahaha   I wearily look forward to the weekend while at work, but come weekend I wonder if I need to get back to work to get some rest.  Of course, it would help if I could learn to sleep through the night properly!

Friday we had Esther and Jared over. They arrived while Joseph and I were still at work.
They like to play Harry Potter with Benjamin. He has T shirts they use for robes, some nice wooden wands, and a 'silky' cloth that makes a nice invisibility cloak because you can see through it when wearing it. Benjamin says they follow Fluffy (aka Anna) while all of them are wearing the invisibility cloak, they practice spells, look in the Mirror of Erised, and have been known to try Quiddich (but that didn't go well). We have a couple of Harry Potter games they sometimes play. 
 
They were done with Harry Potter by the time Joseph and I got home. Esther was drawing. I don't know what Jared had been doing, but when Joseph arrived, he attached himself to Uncle Joe for a good while.

Benjamin made pizza – apparently the kids told him that it was Pizza Friday. He was going to let them each top their own pizza, but they were involved playing Wii with Joseph then and not to be interrupted. 
 
Playing the Wii took up much of the evening – Mario racing mostly.

Another fun thing - playing with the dog with the laser pointer.  Everyone enjoys it.

As it got to be bedtime, teeth were brushed and night time preparations made. Benjamin blew up the air mattress. Esther decided to sleep on the couch (the ends recline), Jared gleefully spread out his sleeping bag on the air mattress. I took the other end of the couch and the uncles (eventually) went to their own beds. We watched Wall-E. I thought the kids would fall asleep during the movie as we started it past their bedtime already. Silly Grandma. Even after the movie was over and I was dozing off, they were up playing with puppets, but not for long.

They woke up for a bit around 5am, then went back to sleep until a little after 6 when the bird's light went on and the morning sky was lightening.

The kids and Benjamin had already planned on pancakes – hopefully heart-shaped, but while we waited for the uncles to get up, they had Cheerio-like cereal. Later Benjamin made chocolate chip pancakes, but the hearts did not hold their shape. Still tasted good!
It wasn't really long before it was time to pack up so Ruth & Tom could pick up the kids and we all could go to CPR Saturday. 

It amazes me how much CPR instruction and techniques have been stream-lined since we first started going to CPR Saturdays when my kids were kids. Esther and Jared are too small, of course, to actually be able to do CPR, but the volunteers give them and extra manikin and they practice anyway. I think they learn quite a bit. They are incredibly well-behaved at these classes and even though officially children are not supposed to be there, they absolutely no problem at all and this is not Grandma prejudice talking. They spent most of CPR Saturday each with an aunt. 
 
Debi brought some delicious cupcakes for us all to enjoy after we earned our certificates. I was the class dunce. I missed one question. I don't think the others missed any. (No, the children didn't take the test.)

One the way home, the boys and I decided this was the 'someday' that we would go look for the 'castle' next to I-80 that we pass on the way out to Rocklin. One of them remembered that we had passed the Douglas exit shortly after seeing the castle, so we got off there and started hunting. Benjamin was looking on our little GPS for likely places. We wandered unsuccessfully until I was too concerned about 1) running out of gas, 2) needing a rest room, and 3) being hungry. We drove all the way to Costco Expo for gas. Joseph went to Starbucks to use their internet to try to locate the castle. We got Subway sandwiches to take back on the road. We wandered around what we thought might be the general vicinity (but wasn't qutie) a bit until we spotted a mailman. We stopped him and asked him if he delivered mail to a house that looks like a castle. After a quizzical moment, he realized what we meant, told us his wife and he had made the same hunt and gave us some pointers. Back to the freeway, off on Douglas again where I basically adopted the strategy of taking every right turn until we found it ourselves in front of tall white gates with a crown on top. The entrance to the castle! We couldn't see it very well and decided to look for the bridge behind the castle that we spotted from the freeway. Along the way, we found some other interesting park-like areas, crossed a foot bridge not far from the castle, but from which we could not really see it, and finally found the 'bridge' which was actually not a bridge, but the fence at the back of the castle property along a road. What a large piece of land the castle is on! Oh, the fantasies. Benjamin climbed on top of the car to try to get pictures.


Finally back at home we finished making chicken soup from bones from some of the chicken from last week's Kitchen Crew dinner. 
 
The boys decided to skip the Ward Square Dance Activity, but I went. The trouble with Square Dancing is that it is good to have both men and women dancers in equal numbers and multiples of 8 are required. Bishop was there sans ailing wife – just to be supportive of the activity, I guess. We partnered for a little bit. Then he returned to his wife's side and I tried dancing the man's part without great success. My partner wanted out and a late coming couple took our spot in the square. I was thinking about leaving early when I got a text reminding me that my grandchildren had forgotten their toothbrushes. I had noticed that and taken them to CPR Saturday, but forgot to give them to them. So I went home to get the toothbrushes and deliver them to my daughter. 
 
Saturday was almost over. I ate chicken soup and brownies. We had family prayer, scriptures, and Reading Club (Levin Thumps and the Gateway to Foo – we got a whole set of Levin Thumps books for Christmas)

Naturally, again, on the one day I could sleep in this week according to the schedule, I woke up early. When I gave up on sleeping, I decided on a nice shower followed by a soak in the tub – love water therapy! - and a book. Eventually, I had to get going because I have some major planning and organizing to do. My Sunday appropriate (I think) projects for today and many, many days not only Sundays for some time to come – Andrew's Home-coming and Benjamin's Eagle Court of Honor. Not to mention birthday season is beginning.

Andrew comes home from his mission the last of April. His homecoming has been complicated (as so many things in my life now, alas!) by family dynamics. There are people who would rather not be around other people and some who WILL not be around others except in fairly public situations. Andrew is a very loving soul who wants to include all his family. I get to figure it out and, once I get his OK, implement it. Right now I am looking at (public) airport welcoming followed by (public) picnic or buffet unless he comes in late in the evening. (Partial) family gathering meals that weekend. (Public) open house a week later. The Open House – at home? Or at the church? With the world greatest DJ or no music? Can Wojohowitz work in the house?

Benjamin (and I) chose to wait his Eagle Court of Honor until Andrew will be here. The next thing was to decide whether to have the Court of Honor when family would be gathering for a reunion later in May. That wasn't working out for the out of towners anyway, so I ditched that. 
 
Benjamin's Eagle Court of Honor will be 2pm Saturday, May 14 at the Effie Yeaw Nature Center amphitheater which he renovated for his Eagle Project. 
 
I need to write a zillion letters to various important people in hopes of getting letters from them to him. I need to request a flag to be flown over the US Capitol on the day of his Court of Honor. I need to plan the program and ask the participatants, invite everyone, make programs, plan refreshments. I think the refeshments will be the easy part. After considering doing a picnic for everyone or a party with refreshments, I think I am just going to have cupcakes from Sweet Petites (of course!) and maybe milk. I need to figure out what I need to do!

May is going to be a very busy month.

My “lazy” Sunday morning before afternoon church is about over. I need to go start dinner.

I hope I stay awake in church! I want to worship, learn, and enjoy good fellowship.

Weekend

November 27, 2018

I want so much from weekends! 

Chores and errands to do that I do not have time or energy for during the work week. Meetings, activities, church, family and community commitments.  And I really need some R&R.  hahahaha   I wearily look forward to the weekend while at work, but come weekend I wonder if I need to get back to work to get some rest.  Of course, it would help if I could learn to sleep through the night properly!

; )

Oh, this Sophie girl! Last night she discovered Hulu and got all excited about watching “Harry's Law” which is on way past my bedtime. So what happens? she just has to watch an episode even though it is again already past my bedtime. “But we can sleep in tomorrow.” Yeah, right. We all know that just about the only time my body/brain shows any interest/ability to sleep in is on rare occasion on a work day when, of course, the alarm goes off at 5:15 – no snooze time allowed. I rather set the alarm for the last possible minute than go through the snooze routine.

My knee is doing much better although the diagnosis is arthritis and I am going to have to learn to deal.

Kitchen Crew Thank You Dinner

You probably recall that this summer generous men from my church (the Perkins Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) donated many,many hours of their time, skills and labor to transform my kitchen from this to this . Ever since then it has been my desire and intent to have a little dinner  for them and their wives to thank them.

I have never been skilled or comfortable as a hostess – only partly because of the horrific house conditions and also because of my general lack of basic hostessing/homemaking skills. However, my kitchen crew, some painting – much done by David and Teresa, and Benjamin's amazing sorting, eliminating and organizing have radically changed the house (although much more needs to be done). And I HAD to do something to thank these people! A dinner from the new improved kitchen seemed like the appropriate thing.

But life is life. There was Benjamin's Eagle project (check out my blog for most of October 2010) the holidays, and extra people living in the house. Well, life finally settled down as much as it probably ever will and it was getting to be an embarrassingly long time since the good deed was done. It was time to go for it.

One of my guests is on a very strict heart healthy diet. I have been at many functions where food was present where I have heard him sigh that there was nothing he could eat. Another guest is one of the most awesome women ever – now all these people are truly wonderful and amazing – but this woman is unbelievable. One time, to console me and convince me of her imperfections and humanness, she told me comfortingly that she doesn't type very well. Oh, can you imagine how that relieved my inferiority – especially over her amazing homemaking skills?! One of her children once said in Testimony Meeting that she felt sorry for everyone who didn't have her for a mother. No one could possibly disagree.

So, here I am inviting these incredible and much closer to perfect people into my house – which much as they and we have improved it is a very long ways from Better Homes and Gardens! And cooking for them! This is scary stuff.

My daughter Debi was wonderfully helpful in helping me get going and plan a dinner menu – even though actually, I don't think I cooked anything she suggested. Without her sounding board, however, I don't know if I would have ever figured out what I wanted to do or even picked a date.

I finally decided on roast chicken. Scratch that. After considering price and logistics, I opted for Costco rotisserie chicken. (I also kept bugging poor Daneece about what her husband, our Bishop and my kitchen instigator and electrician, could eat) Anyway, chicken from Costco, wild rice (or actually Bistro blend from Winco which personally my boys and I decided is not really worth $3/pound and not as tasty as brown rice, although prettier), asparagus, green salad, and last day addition, Waldorf salad (which was quite a hit). And the grand finale, Triple Citrus Cupcakes (emphasis orange) from Debi's Sweet Petites. Bishop was able to enjoy everything except the cupcakes.

Saturday was a trip to Costco and Bel Air in the morning for fresh ingredients and everything else we needed except the chicken, early food prep, cleaning (not as much as I hoped and intended of course) (and hiding small loose clutter like bills I need to pay today – now, where did I put them?) and setting up. Benjamin, my wizard organizer, did almost all the set up. Dinner was to be in the family room in which the overhead lighting completely does not work. He set up the tables and put bedsheet table cloths on. A couple of tall tapered candles (real) and a scattering of battery tea light candles. Some fake flowers from the 99 Cent Store. It actually looked pretty good. Debi brought over matching unchipped dishes and glasses and Ruth brought over her nice silver. I had to dash over to Costco to pick up my pre-ordered chickens – the longest part of the trip was standing in line at check-out of course - and then hurry home to cook the rice (another nervous thing. Debi cooks hers for 2 hours. The on-line instructions were for 3 times the water and little less than an hour. Thursday's practice told me that was much more water than we need so opted for little more than the 2 to 1 ratio for regular rice and that about an hour would do) and cook the asparagus. How soon to start the asparagus? Don't want it over cooked! And don't want it to get cold. Although, I like cold asparagus.

At one point as we frantically prepared, Benjamin leaned close and said, “Let's not do this again!” I wholeheartedly agreed.

Somehow, miracle of miracles everything was ready right on time. The guests arrived promptly and close together. They were, of course, gracious, delightful, and appreciative.

As I welcomed them and started to say my little thank-you, naturally, I started to break down. They enjoyed that. It shortened any little speech I might have made.

Dinner was a total success. No shortage of pleasant conversation and everyone seemed to enjoy the food.

Still, I was glad Sunday to see all my guests still alive and well at church – not off dying of food poisoning!

Oh Knee, Oh My – wah, wah, wah

 Feeling a little sick lately, I think from lack of sleep and discomfort stress, not a bug.

Sometimes I have trouble sleeping because my crazy brain is running around and doing a lot of nothing, but doing it too loudly for me to sleep. But that's not what's getting me right now.

This week it has been pain in my knee and sometimes my hip and leg that drives sleep away.  It is not really agonizing, but it is uncomfortable enough to be decidedly unpleasant and to keep me from being able to sleep.  Such a pain!  Sunday night it was long after 3 before I got any sleep.  I kept changing positions, put heat on it, took ibuprofen, tried moving to the couch (I don’t know why I thought that might help) – all to no avail.  Sometimes for a brief moment, I would think I had found the magic position, but then the pain would be back in full force. 

By the time I got home from work Monday, I was miserable.  Joseph and Benjamin were very solicitous, especially Benjamin.  Heat seemed to relieve the pain.  I put my towel in the microwave for a couple of minutes to warm it up.  That seemed to work pretty well, but it cooled quickly.  I decided to rotate towels.  I got a fresh towel and put it in the microwave for 3 minutes.  Benjamin took it out.  It was burned on the bottom.  Then we unfolded it and the burn was bigger on the inside – AND GROWING!  We quickly dumped it in the dishpan.  I think it was about to burst into flames.   Wow!  I think the 2 minute towel didn’t act like that because it had some moisture in it from my last shower.  The 3 minute towel was off the shelf.  Do not try that! 

Benjamin found some extra pillows to put under my knee and a heating pad.  I slept much better.  I would heat up the heating pad, then turn it off and sleep for a couple of hours.  Wake up, turn on the heating pad for a bit, then turn it off and sleep again.  

That helped a lot for a couple of nights, but the last couple of nights have been somewhat rugged. The heating pad seems to have lost some of its magic.

The lack of sleep has me feeling nauseous and generally unwell.  grrr.   When I am doing something, especially something interesting, I am usually only aware of my knee in the background.  (Although it seems to be bothering me more and more.) But try to sleep!

Surprisingly, my knee bothers me very little on the bike commute.  I take it very easy, though, even more so than usual.  It is actually a very pleasant ride – most of the way, most of the time.

It also doesn’t usually bother me very much when I am sitting at my desk working.  Usually. Does that mean my work is actually interesting???   Walking is a little more uncomfortable and standing very.

When I start out in the morning, it feels bad and untrustworthy.  Biking to work after the first little bit is pretty good.  At work is ok, as long as I can sit and not stand.  Biking home I am tired and starting to feel the strain, so I am a good bit worthless when I get there.  My poor boys. 

I have an appointment to see my doctor Monday.    

For awhile I thought it was getting better and felt a little foolish about my upcoming doctor appointment.  Although I do have other matters to discuss – trouble sleeping, and tooth problems related to diabetes.  : (

But it seems more recently to be getting worse again.  I hope we can figure something out when I see the doctor!

Sophie

I have said it kazillion times, nearly every day, often more than once, but not any more!

I want my own lap top.  I want computer access when I am available and where I want it - near the kitchen, near the kids, in my room.
 
My friend told me that coveting the Internet is not a sin.  ; )
A financial advisor counseled a couple to get an inexpensive computer for handling their finances better.
MyPoints Daily Deals offered a Samsung notebook at what looked like a good pricee.  My computer consultant had nothing bad to say about the computer (until after I ordered it.  He had by then learned that a user reported a mere 2 hour battery life.)

I made the plunge!

The computer arrived Thursday evening.  I had no idea that setting up takes so much time.  No just turning on the computer and typing away.  Numerous agreements to read (in my case look at the incomprehensible words) and accept.  What with being an adult with other responsibilities - including getting enough sleep to function - and my consultant wanting to do a backup on the new computer - what? I haven't put anything on it yet, what's to back up?  - which took 3 CDs and all of last evening, I haven't been able to DO anything with it until this morning.  Who knows?  Maybe I shouldn't be now, but my consultant is still abed, I believe, and is not here to tell me no.

One thing I did do. 

One of the first things you have to do when you turn a new computer is name it.  ?  It autofilled "Barbara-Win7".  Very catchy.  I considered Sam or Sammie (because I am so original), but my computer is a lady and I have a (lovely, delightful, mildly insane) niece named Samantha and I wanted my computer to have her own name.

Benjamin suggested Sophie.  I like it.  Meet Sophie.  Wisdom and knowledge. : )

I have big plans for Sophie and me.  Better able to do my ward callings as Ward Web Administrator (sounds much more  impressive than it is!! Mostly I update the on-line calendar) and Building Scheduler.  Organize and manage my finances better - they really need it!  Better meal planning and shopping lists.  Just to begin.  Then hopefully on to photo management and family history.

So will Sophie be my very good friend and helper, or will she lure me down strange time-wasting paths?  What do you think?

P.S. - I wrote this from my bedroom!  : )

not a very happy new year - so far

 It is hard to blog when going through hard times – especially hard times involving near and dear readers.  Such has been my case.

We had a little bit of fireworks here on New Year’s Day Eve after having spent a lovely day visiting and hanging out together.  The flame grew and sparks continue to fly – among mostly good, loving, well-meaning people.  Differences that divide remain unresolved and do not look toward resolution soon.

As a mother, it fills me with pain and sorrow.  I often think of Heavenly Father.  Having granted us the great gift of agency, how it must pain Him to see us make choices that separate us and hurt each other.

Sometimes I think of a scientific study I read about long ago.

As a scientist for the US government from the 1950s to the 1980s, John Calhoun was obsessed with testing the psychological effects of crowding. Out in the Maryland countryside, he created a "rodent universe": room-sized pens amply stocked with food, water and bedding. The only restriction Calhoun put on his rats and mice was space – and as they rapidly bred, the "rat utopias" turned into lab versions of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Young male rats formed gangs that preyed on females. Mothers abandoned their babies, then attacked them. Some rats mounted any animal they could. Cleaning the pens, Calhoun's assistants would find discarded rodent skins turned inside out – the creature within had been eaten whole.

Calhoun was concerned about the effects of overcrowding in urban living.  Although our symptoms of over crowding are certainly not nearly as extreme as the Calhoun rats, there have definitely been signs of stress.

For many years we had 10 people living in my house, now there are only 5.  Why is it so stressful now?  I think part of it is that in the past, 8 of those people were children.  Whole different social structure than 5 adults/young adults from what were two households.  Then you add all and each of our personal stresses.  Certainly the economy.  I have a job and I have some spouse support, but I don’t have extra and I have to be careful.  David and Teresa, of course, have been dealing with the greater stress of looking for work.  This when we used to hear that if you got a college degree, the world would beat a path to you begging you to work for them.

There is good news.

Teresa got a job last week !  Data entry for an ambulance billing company.  Very close to home, too. Over in the old army depot, I think.  After the first week while she was training, they let her pick her own start time for the year.  She works 6:30am – 3pm, so she has some afternoon time.

Also, this weekend David and Teresa met with a man about a room to rent – here in our neighborhood.  The old tenant and his mom were in the room at the time, so they didn’t see the room itself, but they saw the house and chatted with the landlord.  They seemed to like each other and are seriously considering the match.  I think they are to decide this week.  They would have a room in a 3 bedroom house shared with the landlord and his (mentally handicapped? but pleasant) brother.  It is a short block from Earl Warren Park, which would be nice. Just a few blocks from here – one block if you could just walk up the street, through the duplex complex at the end and through the fence, but you can’t.

I hope it works out – for all our sakes.

2011 has not been heavenly thus far, but I am hoping it will improve soon.



I am very grateful for my many blessings and that my trials are not worse as they are for so many.

The Purple Cow

I never saw a purple cow,

I never hope to see one.

But I can tell you anyhow

I would rather see than be one.            Gelette Burgess

I have seen a purple cow and I loved her.

When I was young, maybe 8? I got a purple cow for Christmas.  I think from Santa.  A lovely stuffed purple cow.  My siblings and I really enjoyed Violet.  We used our Hi-Ho Cherry O game ( http://www.amazon.com/Hasbro-44703-Hi-Ho-Cherry-O/dp/B00000IWGQ) buckets to milk her.  She was an amazing cow. Each of her pink teats produced a different drink.  Milk, of course.  Chocolate milk. (are you surprised?)  some kind of juice maybe orange, I think. and strawberry milk or maybe apple juice.

I love stuffed animals (and real animals) and have had many.  Through all of life’s moves and changes, I kept my purple cow. 

Until one dark day.

Those of you who know me know that I struggle with time, money, and organization management.  I was never a really great house keeper, or even a really good one.  Then I had 8 children.  Not bad children at all, but children.  And most all of us were pack rats.  Some of them have overcome that now so that if you know them you may not believe me, but they were.   And I have struggled with (mild) depression much of my life.  What I didn’t realize until I got divorced was how much my marriage contributed to my depression.  As a result of all this, my house was quite cluttered and messy.

Anyway, David would be coming home from his mission soon.  I wanted to make home a little bit nicer to come to.  I decided to try to get rid of some of the clutter.   We had LOTS of stuffed animals and a charity truck was coming for donations.  I put aside a few of the nicest stuffed animals that I thought the children liked and filled two garbage bags with the rest. 

Including Violet.  It still makes me cry.  What was I thinking??  I think I was punishing myself for being such a lousy homemaker, mother, person, you name it.  Looking back I have found other times in my life when I have done something like that to hurt myself, to punish myself for being me.  This one still hurts. A surprising amount.

I put the bags out for the truck and the kids and I headed out on some errands.   I told them what I had done and they all protested that I should have kept the purple cow.  I said that if the bags were still there when we got home, I would save her.  But Violet was gone forever. 

I cannot even think that she was adopted by another little girl.  She was too old and worn to make it to the sales floor.   I killed an old, dear friend when I put her in that bag and took it out to the street.  I am pretty sure there are animals in heaven. I rather wish that there will be stuffed animals, too, but somehow I doubt it.

I have cried many a tear over my purple cow. I only wish that I felt such sincere regret over actual sins I have committed as over giving up that silly stuffed animal.  Siblings have nearly cried about Violet.

Once Benjamin drew me a purple cow. She is on my computer at home.

This Christmas Debi gave me a purple cow she sewed herself.  She is not the cow of my childhood, soft and rounded.  She is the cow Debi remembers, flat, but still cute.  No pink teats.  Those were long gone before Debi knew her.

I can tell you one thing.  I am not ever giving up this purple cow.  She carries a lot of love.

CHRISTmas

“Everybody” talks about remembering the reason for the season.  A little easier said than done, it sometimes seems.  Here’s what I did, besides expressing gratitude in my daily prayers for Christ, for his love and sacrifice, for the Atonement, and the Resurrection  and trying (with more or less success) to always remember Him.

For me a special part of Christmas is Christmas Eve when we set aside all the things of the world and the hustle and bustle of getting presents, etc ready to truly remember and celebrate the birth of our Savior.  A time of reverent, joyous reflection. 

At least, that is my vision of it. 

As my family has grown up and expanded, I have lost some control of this whole thing (if I ever really had any) and we have had some Christmas Eve suppers that weren’t quite what I hoped for.  We had our traditional fruit, cheese and homemade bread – vaguely reminiscent of what Mary and Joseph might have had (but modern Americanized).  We even read the Christmas Story – but I had a feeling that it was in the spirit of “let’s get this over with for Mom”.  Then it was on to games, movies, and general fun family rowdiness.  Nothing bad, but not reverent, quiet and reflective.  And also, we often stayed up too late as my family tends to when we get together which really doesn’t work well for me.

This year, my daughter-in-law Teresa who shares my vision, and I decided to ‘get back’ Christmas Eve.  We invited everyone to our house.  We figured that if people wanted to play afterwards, they could go to Ruth & Tom’s when they took the children home to bed.  We planned a little program – the usual stuff  - reading Luke 2 and singing songs.  We planned a couple of Nativity oriented crafts for the kids.  It was a little bit like herding cats, but not too much and I think it went pretty well.

Christmas Day was full of fun and family (and a bit of last last minute gift finishing and wrapping.  We remember that Christmas is to celebrate Christ’s birth, but more on this day, we celebrate being a family and the good things in life that Christ has made possible for us.

Sunday after church, Benjamin and I drove to the Oakland Temple Visitor’s Center to see the Reflections of Christ exhibit which was just finishing its two month run.  Beautiful.  I could try to describe it, but would not do it justice.  You might enjoy the website more.  And or this Reflections of Christ slide show

Christmas Presents

Christmas!

Wonderful, stressful, whirlwind, peaceful, - it is so many things.  And now it is over for another year – except for taking down decorations (maybe New Year’s weekend?) and the “keep Christmas with you” part, which is the best part anyway.

No matter how much we agree that Christmas is not about presents, let’s face it, presents are a part of Christmas and if a mother doesn’t give presents to her children, it just seems wrong – especially to her, but doubtless to them, too.  This year, as usual, I had my time and money management problems,  procrastination and then added a few minor complications.  My presents were meager, but my children are kind and they received well.  For each of my girls, a necklace which I commissioned Debi to make – similar but not matching.  She did a good job choosing for each of them.  Except for Naomi who is too young for jewelry.  She got a stuffed puppy.  I crocheted each of my guys a camouflage scarf.  Ben had discovered the yarn when we were out once doing errands including getting yarn for Naomi’s blanket.  There were three different camouflage yards when we were there.  He told me which one was for him, Andrew, and Joseph.  I paired each of the younger brothers with one of the older brothers to make matching scarves.  Jared got one, too. That was yet another camouflage yarn picked up later.   I also gave the ladies trivets woven by Rwandan women – a gift for them that helps women in need.  And each of my children got a Preparedness notebook with all kinds of helps for preparing for emergencies.  I think that’s it.  So exciting.

My children are better givers than I.  They have a gift exchange – each gives a homemade gift and a store-bought (or homemade or mix) gift.  Their creativity and thoughtfulness amazes me.  I don’t enter the exchange because 1) I feel the need to give each of them a gift, however small, and 2) whoever had me as the giver would be gypped.  

I won’t remember all the wonderful and clever gifts, but here’s a good sampling.  I think I can remember most of the homemade gifts – they are the best.   Benjamin’s homemade gift was to Sariah – his cookie of the month calendar with family member’s pictures on their birthdays.  He gave her a jar of cookie ingredients which is featured on one of the months, but living hundreds of miles away, she will not get fresh baked cookies each month.  Sariah’s gift to Miriam was the Family Heritage Recipe Collection – in notebook for Miriam and with CDs for each of us (!).  David gave Ruth etched ornaments/magnets.  Tom made Debi a CD of music from the year she was born.  Miriam made pillows for Acadia. Joseph made chocolate dipped pretzels for Tom and has promised me a dipping session with almonds.    : )

They also gift me.  : )   I received a Nativity ornament, a Thomas Kincaid daily calendar, pictures of granddaughters, neck pet (what do they call those things?) which I can warm for muscle relief  (already used it and it feels great) or cool,  family recipes going as far back as my mother’s father’s mother’s mother (got that?), a crocheted scarf, early gift – book shelves for my Reader’s Digest Condensed Books (decades worth), a catalog of my Reader’s Digest Condensed Books, a framed photo of the Sacramento Temple with little pictures around it some of which I took, a purple cow (there’s a story).  I’ll tell you later.

We all enjoyed giving and receiving our presents (no matter how much we stressed over getting them ready).  But even more, we enjoyed each other’s presence – even though for a few that was by phone.  We will continue to enjoy both presents and presence through the coming years.  I am blessed.