Finishing a Job

Today I told Adam that he could complete the job of cleaning the front patio of weeds and dirt over the next several weeks.  Instead he got busy and removed the dirt and grass revealing several additional feet of patio that had become a weed patch.  He finished the job. 

Pencils

I have some mental quirks.  One of them is the desire to complete sets.  I somehow managed to give all my Inktense pencils away.  I purchased a set of 12 but it lacks some of the colors I value.  Today I stopped by the Blick art supply store on 21st South in Sugar House and found that the single pencils were on sale.  I purchased six but I really want to go back and complete a set of 24. 

Community

I went to a meeting of the Art Guild this evening.  It started with a potluck meal and moved to the studio of the artist whose home we were visiting.  At the end of the evening when random questions were being asked I glanced out the window and saw a stunning sunset.  I excused myself and went to the door to get a picture.  The meeting immediately broke up as other artists followed me to take pictures of the fleeting moment.  The pink and gold tones of the sunset soon faded into the blue and silver of the lake and distant shore line.  We returned for a short time to see the framing studio of our hostess.  Nobody seemed to resent my sudden exit, in fact the number who followed me gave evidence that we were more involved in capturing the beauty of the sunset than continuing a discussion about art techniques.

Seasons

I have lived and visited areas where there is little difference between one season and another.  But I have lived most of my life where winter, spring, summer, and fall are very clearly differentiated.  I'm not fond of blazing heat in summer or icy roads in winter, but I am very fond of spring and fall.

Fasting

I have fasted for 24 once a month since my childhood, except when I was pregnant or nursing as a religious practice.  I believe it increases sensitivity to spiritual matters.  I also believe it improved my physical help by giving my body a rest from digestion for 24 hours.  I have never really practiced water fasting ; abstaining from food but drinking water, except when I was in labor in the hospital because of the rules of keeping a woman from ingesting solids while she was in labor.  However nearly 5 years ago I was in the hospital for surgery on colon cancer.  I was  given 4 gallons of medical enema and put on a clear diet, meaning I could eat or drink nothing but liquids provided by the hospital.  These included tea, coffee, Jell-O, and chicken broth.  I have never ingested coffee or tea and for several years I had avoided foods like Jell-O because of their sugar. When I tried to drink some of the chicken broth I found that it was really nasty.  As a result for six days I took little more than salted water.  I really didn't like this.  Lately I have joined a Facebook group that features periodic water fast lasting as long as a week.  One of the purposes is to promote autophagy in which the body is forced to use tissues that are ordinarily left alone because of the lack of exterior sources of nourishment.  This is my first voluntary 72 hour fast although I fasted for 40 hours earlier in the week.  I expect I will be able to meet the goal.

Meat

I'm trying to become a modified carnivore, which, for me, means I eat almost exclusively animal sourced food like eggs, cream, butter, cheese and meat of various kinds including fish, fowl and mammal.  I haven't considered eating reptiles, but since shrimps and insects are both arthropods I guess I have to admit a fondness for that type of animal meat.  I also eat what I categorize as 'water' vegetables, which are vegetables that have hardly any carbohydrates, like cucumbers, celery and cauliflower.  Each is used as an adjunct to a meat dish.  I eat cheese with the celery in preference to crackers.  I mix the cucumber with full fat Greek yogurt spiced with garlic and dill to make Tziki and eat it with lamb.  I cook the cauliflower and mix in sour cream, cheese and beef sausage.  I don't drink milk, but I still eat sugar-free chocolates, except for the coming month while I repent of going wild for fruit.  I saw a sign for cheap strawberries today and quickly passed by.  Fruit is a temptation that led to several weeks of bad congestion and a ropy cough.  A day or so after I stopped eating fruit the cough was gone.

Facebook battles

I usually don't follow up on my random comments on Facebook posts.  The other day I thought I detected an attempt at bullying.  I made a mild counter and moved on.  I recently signed into my Yahoo account and saw that someone had responded to my comment and I had forgotten the issue or the name of the person I countered.  When I clicked on the link back to Facebook I discovered that the writer of the post I had criticized had defended herself, somewhat weakly, but meanwhile my comment had garnered ten likes.  I was amused.

Two steps forward, one step back

I often do things as if I were a dancer trying simply to move across a room.  Instead of walking, I take two steps forward and one step back.  After altering the tablecloths to serve as kiln alcove curtains yesterday I began to construct the ceiling.  I actually prepared and hung one set of supports but then I realized that they were more than an inch too long.  I'm happy I realized this before I made the struggle to put the plaster board in place.  As it is, I cut all the plasterboard to appropriate dimensions for the project.  This morning I caught up on any sleep debt and didn't wake until around 9 am.  The Hancock children woke me as they came to do their jobs around the house and yard.  I pulled the shop vac out to the driveway and Adam used it to clean out the debris that has accumulated in my car.  The excellent suction pleased him. 

Sewing Machine

I've been sewing today.  There were a number of tasks that need to be done including some alterations some additions and making two old table cloths and two parts of the thermal curtain for  for my workshop.  My sewing machine looks good and I have plenty of good materials to work with however every now and then the sewing machine forgets to do a chain stitch and begins to knit.  This makes me tired because I have to take out the bobbin and then undo the tangles and look for the possible cause.  Even so I am grateful to have a sewing machine because many of the things that I accomplish with it couldn't be done otherwise without tedious handsewing.

Vacuum

I have had a large shop vacuum for many years, more than twenty for certain.  It is theoretically mobile but getting it's bulk around the space I'm using it in has been it's greatest drawback.  I decided to reconfigure it for my renovated work room.  Although I recently replaced a broken wheel, I decided to put it in one place and  purchase a long, 2.5 inch wide see through hose so if it gets stuffed up we can see where the problem is.  The hose is long enough to reach throughout my work room.  I purchased a large dog retractable leash to attach to the hose the help get it back in place as well as various attachments.  I now have all but one of the attachments and although I have not yet attached the leash, I used the vacuum several times after putting a set of accessories together.  The suction of the vacuum is excellent.  I hope it will help me stay ahead of the accumulation of sawdust and other small debris in the workshop.

Marge

I have a small job for a good cause.  A neighbor has come home from a nursing home and needs assistance.  I am one of several people who are helping her.  My first time was Monday when she had just recently arrived home along with bags off her belongings which I helped remove from her front room.  My toughest task was putting up her shower curtain.  She is a very good person from what I have observed so far.

Cultivator and Seed Spreader

I introduced Adam to the broadcast seed spreader I purchased yesterday.  He used an old and mostly used up bag of weed and feed in the seed spreader before going over the same ground with a cultivator I bought last year to prepare the corn rows.  It didn't work at first but Richard diagnosed the problem after removing the motor shield.  I would have been surprised if Richard hadn't figured out what was wrong.

Socket Wrench Set

I went shopping at Lowe's this morning and found a socket wrench set on sale.  It contains more than I will ever need of wrenches of many sizes including both inches and metric.  It was apparently on closeout.  The set rang up at well over 150 dollars but cost $50.  We have a plastic container of wrenches that resides just outside my back door but it is of questionable ownership and not really complete.  It was an indulgence to purchase the set, but it resolves a problem.

Inventory

I created a couple of webpages to keep inventory of the various aspects of my life.  I did so because the latest 'windows' update messed with my Corel Suite.  This has happened before and I developed work arounds.  It's just as well to put the inventory pages on the internet because that way I have access to them even if one of my devices fails or is lost or stolen. 

Recovery

Yesterday I poked fun at a lawyer who excused herself from failing to file an important document on time by saying her computer lost the information she required.  In the past months I have created some files that took a fair amount of time and thought but I hadn't backed them up.  Last night while I was working on a journal entry the screen of my laptop suddenly turned into an abstract design of blue and black, then it quit working.  I was in the same position as the lawyer I had ridiculed.  Fortunately, this morning I turned on my computer and it acted as it should.  There was no indication of damage.  However I have taken time to back up the files that took time and work.  Recovery is possible with due care.

Grandsons

I am blessed with many grandsons ranging from Taylor who is a husband and father to James who is just over one years old.  Two of my grandsons died in infancy.  The names are: Taylor, Richard, Arthur, Russell, Alden, Calvin, Geoffrey, Irish, Adam, Ralph, Rudy, Jared, Ruari,  Booker, Timothy, Tevita, Levi and James.   They are all beloved and they are all quite sweet.  Today I spent 7 hours with Rudy who has fairly severe autism.  We are friends.  We went to the park in the morning and to McDonald's in the early afternoon where he enjoyed the indoor playground but in the mid-afternoon when I was growing weary he became rough in his play and as the hour was approaching the time to leave, I left.  When I got home Adam and Calvin came up to my house and did a very good job of removing an apricot tree and its branches and leaves with loppers, a pull saw, a chain saw and garden nippers.  They are good workers, attentive to the task I set them and careful in their work.  They are homeschooled.  I employ them for a pittance but it is helpful to their family who are all quite amazing.  I am grateful for my grandsons, whatever their capabilities.

Organic Design

My plans for things tend to be organic, growing like a plant instead of planned carefully in every detail before I begin.  My plans for the kiln area have morphed and changed.  I hope that when I have finally set everything up that the electricity works.

Sorting

Yesterday while investigating the boxes stashed over my paper storage area I encountered a collection of odd things, some of which I had been searching for.  They were swept from the top of my head board cabinet when I decided it should no longer be a receptacle of 'whatever'.  I sorted and put away or discarded things until the box was empty, then I did the same thing to two other containers that had originated in much the same manner, but from other areas.  Today I took on the challenge of sorting the drawer near the back door where random items show up.  It was a classic 'junk drawer'.  I managed to sort it into a box with compartments but there is still more sorting to do.  Sorting is necessary to real organization.  My house has mostly been sorted by now, but there are still pockets of random disorder.

Supervison

Today four of my children appeared in court to make sure their father's financial affairs are being adequately supervised.  The conservator appointed in a hearing late last year who replaced my daughter Eliza, has been dilatory and distracted.  He apparently managed to convince the judge he was barely competent.  Although the family members felt satisfied that he had been put on notice and would rectify his ways, the judge set a trial date to follow the next accountability report.  It will go into effect unless the situation has changed.  I think the lawyer will do better under the supervision that he now realizes is going on. 

Meg

Meg stayed with me for the past couple of days, accomplishing a number of things along the way such as giving an interview about the subject of her book, Reluctant Polygamist, and appearing at a hearing in the local court.  Tomorrow morning we intend to go to the first endowment session at the Provo City Center Temple which begins at 6 AM.  This is two hours earlier than I am accustomed to but it should work out.  We stopped to visit Lucinda and her family and engaged in loud talk.  We were not in disagreement, only very enthusiastic.  It is fun to have daughters.

Roast Beef

I fixed a meal of roast beef with carrots, potatoes and onions as well as a BLT salad which features Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato with simple mayo that is a favorite salad in my family.  I had three of my daughters and two of my sons and many of their offspring at the table with me.  Because I stay away from most vegetables I didn't eat the potatoes or the carrots except for a taste of one carrot.  I did eat the salad.  As for the roast beef, there was plenty eaten and there are leftovers.  It is the end of summer and the weather is slowly getting cooler so a meal of roast beef went down well.

Hardware Store Frequent Flyer

The clerk who checked me out at Lowe's today was familiar.  My method of accomplishing a project is organic, meaning I try to forecast as much of what I will need as I can but then I further refine the design and have to get additional materials.  Today I merely purchased some 'beading' metal strips, meant to finish off corners on plasterboard.  I plan to use them to provide strips where I can affix the welder's blanket I purchased online using magnets. 

Public Servants

Today my grandson, Rudy, managed to insert his chubby eight year old body into a public park toddler swing in the wrong direction.  He was firmly stuck and somewhat upset.  His sixteen year old sister and I lacked the strength to remove him and his legs began to swell with the constriction.  I tried to cut away the rubber seat that constrained him but found it was covering steel.  I finally called the police department and after a brief stop at the wrong end of the park, an officer arrived and used bolt cutters to release the seat from the hefty chain.  Rudy still wore the steel and rubber swing seat but I had him lay down to let his legs get less swollen.  Soon a van with fire and rescue people arrived and with two on the legs and two on the upper body and another working near the groin to ease the passage of his legs out of the constriction he was free of the constraint.  It took nearly an hour in all to accomplish his freedom.  Today I felt quite friendly toward men in uniform.

Good Habits

I woke up with a sense of still having lung congestion but I decided to go to the temple and exercise breath control.  I was relatively successful during the endowment session but I didn't stay for sealings as is my usual practice.  I am grateful that I have pretty much mastered a set of habits which help me start the day productively.  Tomorrow I will go up to Tisha's home to be with Rudy for eight hours or so.  I think it is helpful for him as well as Hannah. 

Getting Better

I have chosen not to attend church or temple while I was often coughing.  I hope I will be enough improved tomorrow morning to keep my usual Thursday schedule.  I hope I will get up on time and get into my normal routine.

Editing and Eating

Today I decided to edit the pictures and text in my miniature copy of the Golden Plates in order to get the most from a maple plank that will yield a 2.75" width for each half if cut in two, which would mean 16 wooden blanks, versus only 8 if I stay with a width of 3.18.  Strangely this also resulted in easier editing of the text portion since it comes out even in spacing on an 8.5" x 11" page.  I also ate very much outside the lines I have tried to establish.  I plan to do a water fast tomorrow which will be easier to do when I am away from home for the morning.

Speaking at Sela's Baptism

My granddaughter, Sela, was baptized yesterday and I was asked to give the talk on Baptism.  I read the authorized procedure, as given by Christ to Nephi and his other disciples in the New World which is recorded in 3 Nephi 11:18, 21–22.  I told her to watch and see that there would be two people witnessing the baptism and that they would make sure she was completely covered in the water with not one hair or toe excepted.  As it happened the person baptizing her held her hand in such a way that part of it remained above the water and she had to be immersed again.  I'm glad I warned her of the possibility.  I also spoke about the need to keep the covenant by renewing it each Sunday when she took the sacrament. 

Launch

I put together an initial concept presentation for the wall mural.  I am hoping it fails.  I can use the graphics I created to make a family map of my own that I can post on my website.  As it happened, the client for the mural was clearly expecting to have something done that couldn't be accomplished.  He wanted to keep the mural general and simple and not provide a key, yet he wanted quite a bit of information to be given.  He made a reference to simplicity being the ultimate in elegance, but that only carries so far.  I am relieved the situation has been ended.

Pulling Through

I was able to put together a miniature replica of the Golden Plates for Sela's baptism on Saturday as well as finding a good copy of the coloring book I made several years ago.  I also finished making the map for the concept presentation for Matt Bowman.  I have mixed feelings about the project.  It would be a compliment to have my suggestions accepted, but the job could be a challenge because of the height.