Keeping home and hearth together.

Chimney without a finish

What am I missing here?

Entry way for birds?

 It's been 30 years since we had new siding on our house so it was time.

The original siding had faded and suffered numerous collisions with basketballs, soccer balls, and kids.

I called up a company that advertised good work and free estimates.

They came out, took pictures and calculated a way to replace what we had for a hefty price.

We assumed we were in good hands.

The company ordered the materials and it soon landed on our driveway, awaiting workmen.

It was exciting and we were confident we were doing the right thing.

Three guys showed up and started to tear away the old siding.

They pulled and ripped and hammered and cussed.

Seems our house has some challenges beyond the steep roof and front dormers.

The work went ahead.

We tried to be brave as the noise and commotion went on around us. Decorative pieces on our fireplace mantle fell off. Pictures on the walls tilted.

We smiled and waved as we went in and out of the house. The workmen smiled back and promised they were making good headway.

Then trouble arrived.

The workmen took off for lunch and didn't return that day.

They came back saying they were nearly finished.

We looked around and noticed a number of things still to be done. I started making a list and taking pictures.

The work boss came to the door.

"Can you sign this completion order so I can get paid?" he said. "My children need Christmas."

I refused to sign and took a tour of the neighborhood to see if other homes in the area had finished chimneys and edges with no open ends. I returned with a punch list of 18 problems.

The work boss sighed. He began to glower.

He said our house had taken a lot more time than he planned and we owed him money for things he hadn't anticipated.

Marc and I started hiding out to avoid him and his completion sheet.

Then it started to snow, heavily. His wife came to the door to ask if we could come show her husband what still needed to be done.

We went on a mini-tour, dropping a couple of things because we were feeling guilty but we insisted on a cap on the chimney and the dormer work.

 Eventually, we signed the paper and called it good. 

But we feel like Scrooges...

A CD player with a car attached

We got a call from a zealous, young, car salesman.

Seems our electric Leaf was in its fifth year with us and due for a battery change-out any time now. The little car had served us well and I had no real reason to trade it in but nothing lasts forever and more range was appealing. (Also the 2019 cars were being cleared out and we were likely to be persuaded to buy one.)

The deal sounded good. A pretty good discount and a free technology package with the car.

We drove in to see what was up.

They had only three left and they were 2020s so the price was higher than advertised.

With more range I could run around for longer between charges. Less stress. More fun.

Problems: They didn't have any in Sky Blue and — a deal breaker for me — No CD player or aux port for my phone.

I couldn't imagine living life without my music.

I have a whole raft of CDs that travel with me wherever I go. Sirius radio is too scratchy for me and the disc jockeys are annoying.

I almost called the whole deal off. I started to pick up my purse.

The salesman rushed to save his sale.

"I can get you a portable CD player that'll work for you," he said. "I promise."

He said he would bring one in the morning.

As we wound through the maze of papers and signings, I reminded him once or twice of his promise.

By the time we came to clean out my old car, I was pretty sure he hadn't meant what he said.

That's when he handed over a slim, silver CD player with a cord. I have one like it to record music to my computer library.

My faith in car salemen was renewed...for a little while.

Turns out the player wouldn't sync up with the car. It required a specific one that could be purchased for about $250 only from Nissan.

I realized then I would have to rely on my phone to play back my CDs in my library.

I hurried down and bought an auxiliary cord with the proper ends. (Now I know I can use the Blue Tooth to access my songs without a cord but I have a really pretty bright pink cord just in case!)

I am learning to work this new way but it's hard for a stubborn grandma to adapt.

When and why did I decide to go modern?

Hours of endless fun...

 Watch out if you're headed to Moab.

It's frightening and frustrating and that's nothing compared to what it's like on Highway 191.

We got bogged down in the traffic just outside Moab after we passed a little sign that said "3 hour 42 minute delay, use caution."

We laughed. 

That couldn't be true. Whoever heard of a 3 hour 42 minute delay?

Well, turns out it wasn't so.

It was longer!

We inched along with no further information. It got dark. The people around us and their vehicles became very familiar. The dog hanging out of the car to the side of us started grinning at us.

The ambulance driver on the other side put his feet up on the dash and drove with his hands (I guess).

We couldn't see a reason for the slowdown although we've heard since that the slowdown is being blamed on heavy fall break traffic and construction work.

Well, there is construction work just outside the town but it was all shut down by the time we passed it and we were part of the heavy fall break traffic BUT if there was someone directing the traffic or even conveying pertinent information, it would have gone much more smoothly.

The only directions we got were a couple of "Use Caution" signs. 

(At 2 miles an hour, we couldn't help but be cautious.)

When cars came in from an access road, we let them in because there was really no choice and we had to be cautious every second.

We survived the ordeal largely because we knew we had food in our picnic cooler and we could see the lighted hotel sign after about two hours.

We laughed when the ambulance pulled off and drove on the dirt shoulder to a place where he could wait, turn up his radio and dance!

It really was the worst traffic delay we've ever experienced in our 60 years.

I would complain if I knew who would care and be able to change it up.

Sharing the space...

Marc on our missionary's trail

 

When we got word that our week’s stay at Bear Lake was cancelled, we had no idea where we would go.

But we had to use our week or lose it and the exchange fee we’d paid for it.

The problem was we had three days to make a decision and the options were few.

It was already August.

Everything we looked at was only available in early November or out of the United States which with Coronavirus taking over the planet made that unworkable.

We looked and looked until we found one that fit our timetable.

It was in Pinetop/Lakeside, Arizona, which sounded familiar.

I couldn’t figure out why for a few minutes.

Oh, yeah. That is where our granddaughter was sent to serve her mission.

My heart leapt a little.

I realized we couldn’t and shouldn’t invade her mission space but it would still be interesting to see where she was and had been. (Turned out she was transferred a couple of weeks before we arrived in Pinetop.)

But we could walk in the woods and enjoy the beauty.

We could breathe the same fresh air and revel in the joy she'd found there.

We got a list of places she frequented while she was there, a diner, a soda shop, and a Mexican dinner place.

We found the church and the room she used for a missionary broadcast with her companion.

We walked the trails near to where she told us she lived.

We counted the stars in the sky, 

It was wonderful, sharing the same space.

It was kind of surreal. We'd driven a lot of miles to get where she wasn't anymore, spent a bit of cash and even came close to getting lost a time or two.

I don't regret a minute of it. 

P.S. Samantha was reassigned back to Pinetop/Lakeside shortly after we left. Curious, don't you think?

Post stress..

 

 

Who's laffing now?

 

 Who knew going to the post office would be a high stress event for me?

I've been to the post office many times in my life and I'm aware of what it entails.

I know how to fill out customs forms and how to buy postage.

I am also aware that it costs a bit of money to send things overseas. I was prepared to pay hostage rates to get some American candy to my grandson in England.

However, I was taken aback that it cost almost $37.50 to send $10 worth of Laffy Taffy and Jolly Ranchers. This was for candy squashed into a postal bag after I had carefully sorted it into two lighter bags bought for this purpose.

By the time I got to the point of handing over my credit card, I just wanted the endeavor to be over so I paid the high price, partly because I knew Laffy Taffy is unavailable in England and I want the good grandma award!

I had put on my working wardrobe and planned for this ordeal.

I stood in line with my mask on and on the social distancing spot.

I remembered I would need customs forms so I looked over and grabbed some green ones.

In a few minutes, I realized the customs forms are NOT green anymore so I got out of line and went searching for the proper paperwork.

They are five sheets of carbon paper deep with many lines

of information demanded.

I began to write (with pressure), the address of my grandson and my address, over and over.

My address is simple. His is not.

I described the contents of the bubble envelope: "candy." It seemed silly to write "Jolly Ranchers" and "Laffy Taffy."

I passed on insurance and certification while remembering the Valentine chocolates that NEVER reached my missionary granddaughter in Arizona.

I rejoined the line, several people longer now, and waited, my face getting hot from the mask and my nerves.

I noticed the same two people who had been at the counter when I came in 30 minutes earlier were still at the counter. That was okay. I had come with no deadline.

Finally, it was my turn and I handed my precious packages to the nice girl.

"Do they both go to the same place?" she asked.

Yes. I had some for Jack to share with his mom and some just for Jack. I was trying to be clever. 

"Well, it'll be cheaper to put them in the same envelope," she said, as she squished them together and pushed them into a bag.

"Now, do these say the same thing?" she asked, looking at the forms I had so painstakingly filled out.

Yes. I realized I had overdone the form thing.

She tore one up.

"Does this say Jock?" she asked. "And is this their postal code?" (The code is an odd combination of letters and numbers that have always confused me.)

"It says "Jack!" I said with definition. And yes, the code is weird.

"Sign here!" she commanded. "And here!"

I did.

She made some notes and plopped the package in a bin.
Almost done. I handed over my money and she affixed the postage, handing me a receipt. The people behind me in line applauded. (Just kidding.)

It's on its way now: pure sugar worth its weight in gold to "Jade Morrey!"

A brilliant Bryce Canyon moonscape

Hear your heart sing at Bryce Canyon

This week, in another attempt to prevent the Corona Virus situation from completely defeating us and — heeding the advice of a nine-year-old granddaughter, Marc and I made it a point to check out Mossy Cave and its delightful waterfall in Bryce Canyon National Park.
We packed plenty of hand sanitizer and plenty of sandwich material in the cooler and took off for the brilliantly beautiful park Tuesday, feeling like we could break out or stay home some more and blow up!
As it turned out, we made a wonderful decision.
We hiked to the waterfall by the Mossy Cave, peeked inside and listened to the dripping from the ceiling of the cool, dark cave itself.
We found the waterfall and even slipped behind the water.
It was refreshing, magical.

Water's way

Only God can make a slot canyon

From there, we climbed from overlook to overlook, finding the rocks that looked like a sinking ship, a Mormon temple, chess pieces.
We practically had the park to ourselves, sharing it with pronghorn deer, skittering chipmunks and rock-climbing lizards and only the occasional fellow tourist.

A Natural Bridge to beauty

We discovered red rocks sculpted into incredible shapes.
We explored slot canyons with fantastical, steep walls layered in geological history.

Mossy Cave is eternally cool and wet

Everywhere we looked there was evidence that there is a divine hand in the creation of a marvelous, awesome world.
Inspiration Point led to hoodoos and pink cliffs and white and striped folded rocks.
The Natural Bridge opens the way to beauty waiting in the great beyond, created without a nail or a hammer strike.
Fairyland Loop Trail is full of funny-shaped rock creatures.
We waited for golden coin (otherwise known as the moon) to rise and shine like a lamp on all of the forest.
It was well worth the wait as was Jupiter and Saturn.
We felt free and unfettered for the first time in months.
Good to take the advice of a child.

No Corona Virus here

Stand behind the waterfall if you like

Mia's bill

I came into my "office" to find the Cabbage Patch dolls and various stuffed dolls all piled up together in my office chair.
After I sorted them out and reclaimed my chair, I found this bill: I hope it's not for me to pay: