I guess I should do as I say

I asked everyone to contribute frequently to our family blog, but then I don’t! I do write in my own blog (howbeit erratically) which is linked to the family blog. I would like to think that counts.

But feeling a little guilty and just in case.....

Home front - We started the new year by painting our bathroom. When my income tax return came, we bought a backyard shed from Costco to keep our bikes and lawnmower in. Now we are slowly in the process of fixing up the master bedroom for the boys to share. We painted it to create an under the sea feel and are now working on the floor. We have sanded and sanded. We probably should sand some more, but we don’t want to. I think we will work on the stain soon. Then the polyurethane. After that we need to figure out some kind of window covering. Hopefully suggestive of sails. Once we move the boys, we are going to try to dejunk the “family room.” Junk collected by over a dozen people living and dead needs to be sorted. sigh IF we ever get the family room cleared, we will fill it up again when we empty out the kitchen which needs to be gutted so the floor and cabinets can be replaced - both of which are almost to the point of the house being condemned. Of course, I haven’t figured out the funding for that yet.......

Church service - At the start of the year I was Cubmaster, but I found myself unable to carry the load properly and by the end of the first quarter I asked to be released. Now I am merely an Activity Committee Member. My children, on the other hand (in their respective wards) include Relief Society President, Mission Leader, Primary President, Teacher’s Quorum President and I don’t know what all.

Andrew has been going through a good bit of paper work and medical checks preparatory to serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We are waiting for word from the insurance company to the oral surgeon so he can have his wisdom teeth pulled. We are considering this a sacrifice for the Lord.

At work - I started as a lowly Account Clerk II for CA State Parks. I got promoted to Accounting Technician - not QUITE as lowly, but fairly so. I am truly blessed to have a nice boss, pleasant coworkers, and the convenience and moneysaving of light rail. When working gets dreary or just gets me down because I miss being at home, I am comforted to think of the beautiful parks I serve even if it is from the bowls of a downtown office building. Can the 10th of 16th floor be called the bowels?

Joseph is also a State worker as of April 1st. He is with Consumer Affairs - Bureau of Automotive repair. Unfortunately, he light rails in the opposite direction - and bikes about 2 miles from home to light rail and another 2 miles from light rail to work. He seems to get a flat about once a week, but he perseveres.

We both should also be taking classes with City College this fall. groan.


I don’t really like Accounting that much. I like receptions duties better. I am trying to figure out if I prefer it enough and if the state offers opportunities to take secretarial and office management type classes. The state may well sponsor me in another accounting class this fall. Other classes would be on my own time and my own dime as it is already work related. I fear I may be too old to carry the load with any degree of grace. I feel too tired and have too little time already during the comparatively easy days of summer!


Adventure - We - Andrew, Benjamin and I (Joseph would rather not live too adventurously) - tried an almost spur of the moment trip to Yosemite over Memorial Day weekend. Perhaps we should have consulted the weatherman. It was so incredibly rainy and cloudy that we actually saw very little of Yosemite and came home the 2nd day. Still, we had fun seeing part of the valley floor briefly Saturday afternoon, sleeping in Wal-Mart’s parking lot in Sonora, visiting Sonora 1st Ward Sunday, and just being together. We came home and enjoyed our own beds, attending our traditional Memorial Day Ceremony at Mt Vernon Memorial Lawn and some family time.

More adventure - Andrew and Benjamin enjoyed a Young Men (Teacher and Priests) high adventure weekend that included white water rafting, water sports and hiking - just here in our local foothills. Despite all the leaders’ and young men’s best attempts, everyone survived. Next week, the go on an LDS Scout Encampment and get home just in time to go on a sibling camping trip to Fort Bragg. Joseph will, of course, also go on the sibling camp trip. It will be just me and the animals at home. The animals are going to be so lonely during the day! I am going to come home to some crazy critters each evening.

Well, wasn’t that exciting?

May all your excitements be the good kinds. (Be sure to tell us, whatever kind they are.)

Love, Barbara, Joseph, Andrew and Benjamin

Do As I Say, Not.........oh, ok, I will do it, too

The trouble with sending out a reminder asking everyone to write to
the family blog, is that now, of course, I need to also.

Today is E minus 7. In seven short, short days Andrew turns 18.
Will he fly or crash and burn? He and I are working away at his
Eagle. His project is completed - he collected and delivered probably
around 1500 books, plus stuffed animals, games and toys to Books for the Barrios
for schools in the Philippines. Now, the write up! groan. The
application to fill out. Letters of recommendation to collect. His
Eagle book to put together. Get all this approved by the vigilant
District Advancement Chair AND have a Board of Review before midnight
of his 18th birthday. We are so close, and yet ...... I sure know
why they give the mothers those little pins.

In other news, we adopted a couple of cocktiels from a dog park friend
who rescued them from a cruelly negligent neighbor. "I was hoping
they would die." Recently Mr Cotton had us quite concerned as he
huddled in the bottom of the cage and seemed out of sorts. Until we
saw an egg in the bottom of the cage! So far Mr Cotton, or should we
say, Mrs Rosie Cotton, has laid 5 eggs now. We do not THINK they are
viable (and WHAT would we do if they are???). Some experts say to let
th hen keep her eggs for a while to satisfy her little mother heart.
Also, if you take them all away, she might just keep laying.

Joseph and I are facing finals in our respective classes Thursday.
ahh, the joy. So far, we each have strong A's, so no terror. I am
amazed at being able to carry an A and STILL not understand, much less
like, Accounting (basic beginning class). The teacher is helpful and
a bit lenient, but still..

Don't you think you can write something AT LEAST as interesting as this?! I bet you can!

Hoping to hear from you!

love, Barbara

Barbara on Break

I asked you all to write, so I guess I had better!

Glen finished remodeling and renovating the house he inherited from his father and moved into it last month. Mostly. Some of his stuff remains in some kind of informal storage at my house.

Along with the various leavings of 10 pack rats over some 30 years. It is going to take AGES to clean, sort, and implement some of our plans for the house. (If you want to know about some of our ideas, read my old post What Shall We Name Our House" on my personal blog.)

He also signed over his interest/ownership and I have gotten my own mortgage. Being the sole responsible person is a little scarey. But I feel good about it. It is OUR house!!

Although not final, I don't even know how close it is - weeks ago (before yet another trip to Mexico!) my lawyer said that his lawyer was going to draw up the papers for us to sign and then it has to go through the court or something - anyway, the divorce is beginning to have healing effects. Although the house is a cluttered wreck, it feels like home. It is a peaceful, happy place. Not that there was yelling or fighting before, but there was tension and unhappiness. Some of us who have struggled with strongly negative personal feelings find ourselves feeling less resentful and bitter, much more Christian. The boys are self-reliant and helpful which makes it so much easier for me. I don't know how working moms do it!

I have been at my job with California State Parks for 5 months now. Almost done with probation and no warning notices. I don't like being away from my guys and home. I don't have time or energy to see the grandbabies much or get anything done around here. But if I have to work, and I do, I am very fortunate to work here. I like all the supervisors, especially mine. My co-workers are almost all good workers and pleasant people. The Chief of services is a delightful, friendly woman. I feel like I am working for something worthwhile. The work is enough to keep me busy and make the days go quickly, but not enough to cause great stress. Much about my job is very convienent and tailor fitted to me. I thank the Lord for blessing me to be here.

Fun stuff - Joseph and I took our old beat-up lawn mower to SMUD's Mow Down and replaced it with an electric mower. I don't know how to use it yet, but Joseph does. I used to have to ask him and remind him to mow. Now, I come home to a neatly mown, pot-holed weed patch, instead of the scraggly mess we used to have. It looks much better.

We adopted a pair of cockatiels from a friend who rescued them from a criminally negligent neighbor. We don't know their age or gender. I tend to think of the yellow one as she and the grey one as he because of birds we had before. We call them Yellow Rose or Rosey Cotton and Mr Cotton.

Andrew is 1 month away from turning 18. I am trying to NOT to get an ulcer as "we" try to finish his Eagle requirements. Finish Communications Merit Badge, do his Eagle project - collect books for a disadvantaged school in the Philippines whose books were lost in a typhoon, do all his paperwork and get a Board of Review. I know he CAN do it and I think he will, but it is going to be a near thing. Believe me, you will hear about it if, that is, when he does!!! I tell you, mothers DESERVE those Mother Pins!

After Andrew, I as Troop Committe Chair, have 4 more Life Scouts to help along to Eagle. The next one has a year and his mom is really nudging him. His project has been approved. My youngest Life is Benjamin. I also need to work on getting our younger Scouts to advance. I love the Scouting program and what it can do for our young men.

Part of celebrating Easter for me was to finally get to the temple for the first time since starting work. I had thought to go on an evening during the week, but that just didn't work for me. Saturday morning seems to work out. I am going to try to manage once a month. It felt so good to go. I truly felt like I was going home and I felt a loving welcome.

Not much news and my lunch break is over.

What is happening with you?