And It Just Keeps Going

Fourteen more days languishing around the house.  Some places are starting to open back up, for instance, we have eaten inside Five Guys and just Saturday night we met up with Kristine, Doug, and Sandra for dinner at Homestead.  I am still waiting to go to a movie or play, and speaking of plays, I just found out today that the Shakespeare Festival has cancelled their 2020 season.  This is such a bummer!  I have attended the festival for the last 27 years in a row!  Now I feel like my summer is ruined too.    

I completed Wesley’s blessing outfit which was a BIG relief.  I had to restart it when the first sweater vest was too small, and then I had to let out the second one because it was too tight.  He just has a healthy round belly and I’m glad we got him blessed before I had to start an even bigger vest.  It was a lovely day with a small group of family in attendance: Grandma & Grandpa McGarry, Phillip & DeAnn & Eli, Lori & Emily, Beau & Audrey & Gus, Sandra, and us.  The rest of the siblings joined via Zoom and I hope they could see and hear the proceedings because Matt gave a beautiful blessing and Wes was content the entire time.  

The completed outfit.

After I got him dressed.

Can't have too many pictures of this adorable little boy!

Sandra, Katie, Zoanne and Wes. I'm still kicking myself that we didn't get a picture of Wes with all his grandparents.

Sandra called last Tuesday morning to see if I wanted to head up to the cabin and check it out.  I hurried and got ready and we were off. I spent my time crocheting on Wesley’s sweater vest, but Sandra stayed busy cleaning leaves, vacuuming up flies, and gathering endless pinecones.  

The last of the snow at the cabin--one narrow snow bank.  Daffodils were in bloom at SVR.

I set aside one day this week to focus exclusively on taxes.  I didn’t even take the time to get dressed.  Quinn drove up to Pocatello for a Costco run and brought me back a Sonic Route 44--bless him.  The taxes are officially DONE for 2019 and we owed plenty for both federal and state.  Every time I do them, I soon remember why I hate doing them.   

We got the graves decorated with flowers.  We usually go around on Saturday, but that morning we woke up to snow!  And it kept snowing for hours.  After the snow came wind and rain--no cemetery or golfing for us.  Sunday and Monday were much better days.  

I found these journal prompts on Pinterest (there were 21 total and now that I have clicked on it, I am seeing about 50 more choices) but I will answer a few:

1. I was looking forward to finishing my mission or attending a play, but it was cancelled.

2. My binge-worthy show has been: I watched Absentia and season 1 of Paradox.

3. My go-to snack has been: chocolate, well to be honest, ANY junk food.

4. The easiest part of this whole thing has been: staying home. I really don't mind staying home and finding things to do around the house (not cleaning though, obviously).

5. The hardest part of this whole thing has been: knowing who and what to trust. It has all been so confusing and contradictory. You can find anyone who will say anything and who knows what is really true.

6. An average day for me now looks like: I get up and listen to/read along three chapters in the Book of Mormon (in 3 Nephi right now), often go for a walk, breakfast, maybe shower, find something to do like quilting, puzzles, watch TV or spend way too much time on the computer, maybe clean something. When Quinn finishes golfing we usually eat lunch together by either fixing something or going out to get something, maybe nap, often go for a drive, read with Quinn from Come Follow Me in the evening, more TV or quilting or reading or puzzling or busy work. Very low key and dull. I may talk to someone on the phone or text.

7. Quarantine has taught me: I had to mourn my vision of what 2020 was going to look like. I was going to spend half of this year on a mission and we were starting to fall into a routine and adjust to the people and area. I loved serving with the other missionaries and attending the meetings and being immersed in thinking about service and the gospel all day every day. We spent a lot of time preparing lessons and finding what we thought would be beneficial to the people we taught. I tried to find the beauty in our surroundings. I loved the drive to Mesa and driving through the canyon. The people were good to us and I felt we were building rapport and I admired their resolve and their humor. There were so many things I wanted to experience: an Apache traditional sunrise ceremony, upcoming baptisms, attending all the temples in the area, going hunting for scorpions at night outside with our blacklight flashlights, and getting closer to the Relief Society sisters. I was learning to love the people. All that came to a screeching halt and it was hard to accept.

There are still signs of spring.

I got the quilt finished and delivered to Kristine.