COVID 19--October Quarentene

 Can you believe it?  It's been eight months!!  Almost 250 days!!  And actually we are doing fine.  I'm missing family and friends...giving and receiving hugs...seeing others smiles, but those are all inconveniences.  Life is good.

Some of life is trying to get back to normal.  Our ward started virtual "first hour" meetings via zoom where we can hear announcements, new callings, and a couple of speakers.  It's been wonderful.

School is Orange County has started back in classrooms part time.  It's called hybrid because the kids attend class half time, and the other time they are at home.  On my walk the other morning, this is what I saw.  The kids waiting to go into class, all socially distanced!

Amy, however, is still 100% at home.  She is with her class via zoom five days a week.  The high school kids are also at home.

How else have I spent my time?

A friend of mine picked apples and brought some home.  Applesauce seemed to be in order.  Delicious!

A couple of Halloween puzzles were fun.

Usually when I see the stores decorated for Christmas before Halloween, I get upset.  But this sight actually put a smile on my face.  I think I'm happy to have something fun to look forward to.

We went over to Amy's for Halloween night.

And always, God is letting us know we are not forgotten.

Thanks Ann!!

 Tonight's sunset was one of the most spectacular ones I can remember.  It lasted a long time, went from deep oranges to bright pinks, and was literally 360 degrees.

Monday's Memory--Grandma's Hammer

 

Grandma Busby is one of my heroes.  One of my earliest memories of her was a camping trip along the Salmon River when we were going up to meet grandpa and the carnival.  I believe it was my first time camping.  I remember cooking on an open fire and it raining really hard.  I was 12 and wish I could remember more.

I remember one Christmas when we lived in La Puente.   I must have been around 7 or 8.  Grandma and Grandpa Busby came for Christmas.  When they got there, their car was loaded down with so many presents.  I remember them saying that they ran into Santa on their drive down, so they helped him out by delivering ours!!

I remember riding on the tilt-a-whirl on their carnival.  The operator knew who we were, so he gunned it just at the right spot.  We went round and round and round.  We also "happened" to win on all of the games. We came home with so many stuffed animals.  A few months later, Mark went to his school Halloween carnival and wondered why he didn't win anything!!

The picture is blurry, but the memory isn't!

Grandma had the most energy of anyone I knew.  Up early and last to bed, with no stopping in the middle.  She never aged.   It was a very sad day for me when, on one trip up to Idaho, we were busy in the kitchen.  She said she needed to go to the store for something.  I told her to sit and rest, I'd go for her.  And she said OK!!  For the first time, I realized grandma was getting old.  She was probably 85 at the time! She lived to be 91 1/2.  Still at home and going strong.  I have inherited many qualities from her, her energy, her love of family, her zest for adventure, and sad to say, her wide hips and wrinkles. 

The other day I was working on some cards and needed to attach some rivets.  I got out my hammer, the one I got from grandpa after grandma died.  It felt wonderful knowing I was using the same hammer grandma used so many times.  I love and miss you bunches, grandma.

Bucket List #15--Cheer at a Laker Parade

 Well, kinda!  The Lakers won the championship...they did the hard part...but there may not be a parade.  Darn COVID!!  The official statement is that there will be a celebration once it's safe.  Yeh, right!!

But that's OK.  When Todd is down for Christmas, he, Carson, and I are going to head up to Staples Center and have a parade of our own.  Pictures to follow!

COVID 19--September Quarentene

 As I look back, September was a pretty boring month.  Not a lot to report on the COVID front.  There are many states with new spiking numbers, Utah included, but California seems to be holding it's own.

I began to teach Relief Society via Zoom.  I practiced several times with Amy and Carson so I could learn how to share my screen to show a video.

Our Ward began "first hour" meeting, again through Zoom.  The Bishopric and speakers were in the RS room and the rest of the ward was at home.  It was actually pretty cool.

Thrifty's, I mean Rite Aide, began selling ice cream cones again.

One afternoon, when the kids were over, they decided to have walker/wheel chair races.  

It was pretty funny.

And once again, I was reminded that God is there and mindful of me.  You know it's going to be a good day, when it starts out this way!!!

I Finally Made it to Utah!!!

 Tayson finally was able to make an appointment to go to the temple for his first time, and I was not going to miss this.  It was a very quick trip, up on Thursday and home again on Sunday.  But, I do love that drive, and with two books on tape, I was ready.

My morning walks looked like nothing like my usual walks around my neighborhood...

Friday was a wonderful day, the day we went to the Draper Temple for Tayson to take out his endowment.  It was the first time I had been in the temple for over six months.  The session was just Tayson and some family.  So special.  So spiritual.  So memorable.  The best part was in the Celestial room, when Tayson came over, sat down, put his arm around me, and told me how much he loved me.  Hopefully, this is the first of a new tradition.  I was there for all eight blessings, first day of kindergarten, baptisms, priesthood ordinations, and now temple endowments. 

It was funny and appreciated how protective Todd was of me.  He wouldn't let me go to Costco to get the bread I needed, I had to have the Chip cookies delivered, and Lowes was off limits, too.  The kids couldn't have any friends over and the family dinner was put off until after I left.

I was able to finally get the stencil painted on the bucket of Huntington Beach sand

This was a really cool present Todd got for Tayson.  It's a diagram of Koby's last shot of his career.  

So cool!!

And we had some of the best smoked ribs I've ever eaten.

And my car came home packed with goodies, 70 loaves of bread, hot chocolate, a couple of craft projects, some scrapbooking supplies, eggs from the ladies, home grown onions, and some cookies.

Downtown Disney

 Amy picked up the kids after a day of school at my house.  We went to Downtown Disney to see what was happening, and hoping to get a little Halloween preview.  We had to go through three different screenings, the lines into the stores were long because they had a limited capacity, but it was fun to be out and about.  We took mom in her wheel chair and she loved looking at the people and the twinkly lights.