Flags, Family and Feelings
Yesterday was a wonderful celebration of family and of living in this great country. While I was missing my husband something fierce, having Amber and the girls here, and also Jacob and Hannah coming up for the weekend really helped.
Hannah helping Gwen to hold the sparkler:
Due to a poor night of sleep, however, he began to fade . . . so we said goodbye before the grand finale took place. He couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. Poor guy. :)
Caulked and primed:
Amber took the girls north to be with the Whitworth family for half the day, attending the Rexburg Parade and then having lunch in Rigby with all their family.
They came home mid-afternoon, tired, but happy, and filled to the brim from all the food they ate, ha ha.
Meanwhile, Jacob and Hannah arrived just in time to have lunch with me. Afterwards, we went on a successful search for some extra fireworks at a nearby stand, and then came home to play "Exploding Kittens" (a fun card game) with the newest expansion pack. It was a hoot!
We hung out in the back yard for a bit, enjoying the shade of the patio and even some of the toys. :)
I baked another version of my mom's famous Jell-o cake, but this time it was FROM SCRATCH!! Here's the story: On Friday, I went out early in the morning to get groceries. I mistakenly assumed that I had blue jell-o AND a white cake mix. Later in the afternoon, Abby and I went to a second store for the blue jell-o because I still mistakenly assumed that I had a white cake mix. When I was ready to bake the cake later that evening, I could only find mixes for a chocolate, yellow or spice cake. I did NOT want to go to the store a third time, so Amber suggested that I just bake one from scratch.
It took quite a bit longer, unfortunately, but the results were absolutely delicious! I used real butter, way too much sugar, (I didn't realize that a cake mix needed THAT much sugar!!), and had to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks appeared before incorporating them into the rest of the mix.
The next day, Saturday, I added the red and blue jello and then chilled them for several hours before Hannah and I added the finishing touches later that afternoon.
After dinner last night, we sang Happy Birthday to America before digging in.
Click here to hear us singing:
Jacob and Hannah have been craving some rhubarb to be able to use in some recipes down in Utah, but Jacob reported that he couldn't find it in any of the stores down there. So after dinner and dessert, he and Hannah picked enough out of my garden for their needs, and then we started setting up our camp chairs out front to watch our neighbors' fireworks.
The girls enjoyed using "Pop-Its" in the driveway, getting satisfaction from throwing the tiny paper-wrapped fireworks onto the ground and celebrating the loud popping noise as the result.
We got nice and comfy with chairs along the sidewalk, with an extra blanket for the girls in case they got tired. We turned on some fun patriotic music and settled in for the evening. We encouraged the girls to wear some noise-canceling headphones so the fireworks wouldn't be so scary.
Uncle Jacob was the supplier of keeping the sparklers lit to entertain the girls, even though we ran out of our supply way too soon for their liking.
Amber and Me:
Eventually, the fireworks began as it got darker. It was so much fun! The Parkinsons, our neighbors across the street, always get the GOOD STUFF (from Alpine, Wyoming). Ben, true to fashion, had the "stage" set up hours in advance. He had a table with all the fireworks arranged neatly on top and more stored underneath. He had a large storage tub filled with sand and some heavy cardboard tubes wedged down in the sand to act as launching tubes. He had the hose out and ready, too.
*Note: we only had to use the hose once, and it was on my side of the street! A firework, after performing it's beautiful explosion up in the air, landed at the base of the giant pine tree near my apricot trees, so just to be sure, I hosed it down really well. :)
Later in the evening we were able to connect with Scott over in Saudi Arabia and share some of the festivities with him over a video call.
This was a short video of the grand finale that I took. Ben and Kim bought this over in Alpine. It was SO COOL!!
Independence Day was a great day. It was a nice pace, not too hectic, not too boring. It was just right. :)
We postponed our Burger Bar to today (Sunday) in order to accommodate my niece, Natalie, who had to work late last night. Jacob was in charge of the burgers, and he chose to cook them in a pan instead of on the grill. He likes a technique where you just shape the meat into a ball, then put it in the hot pan (preferably a grill type of pan) and flatten it out really well with a wide spatula. Season with salt and pepper and keep a close watch because it cooks very quickly. About 2 minutes per side.
But boy, did it fill up the kitchen and dining room with smoke, ha ha.
They turned out great though! We had sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and all the rest of the fixins to go with the patties. Amber made a delicious potato salad using roasted potatoes. She likes to par-boil them first to expedite the process. You bring the diced potatoes to a boil, then cook for a few minutes. You want to be able to put a fork into them, but don't let them cook too long and get mushy. Drain them, then toss with olive oil and seasonings and place in a HOT oven (450) to roast and get crisped up. I like this method because I don't have to deal with a hot oven on a hot day for a long time. It only took like 20 minutes and we had 2 trays' worth of potatoes.
We also had watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, and some leftover America Cake.
Then we all played some games: Online Pictionary - super fun!! Scott was able to join us for a while, but he said it's a struggle for him with the internet over there. He said the rest of us are already guessing what is being drawn and he hasn't even seen anything on his screen yet. We'll have to play it again once he gets home and has better internet. We have played it with Benson and Kylie in Italy, too. It's a hoot!
We also played Exploding Kittens again, this time with Natalie joining us, too. It was a fun afternoon! Sadly, we had to say goodbye to Jacob and Hannah, though. They have to get home tonight so they can go to work tomorrow morning.
I just love those two SO MUCH! They are so fun, and helpful, and good to each other. It is so nice to see them be so happy together.
From Scott:
Scott sent me one more picture of him with some of his Saudi counterparts. This was on his last night of work with them.
This is (from left to right): Chief Muhammad (he has 2 wives); Captain Abdullah (not married yet); and Garwood - from the North Carolina National Guard. Captain Abdullah's father has 4 wives and 17 children!! He said Chief Muhammad is building a house that can accommodate 4 wives. He has 2 wives right now, but is planning to expand to 4 eventually. Different customs on the other side of the world!
And this is Scott with Majid, one of their interpreters that he has worked with for several months. Majid loves cats. And no, I'm not being sarcastic. I asked. Ha ha
Scott is supposed to fly to Kuwait this week and start a 14 day quarantine there. When that is completed, then he can fly to Texas and start a 14 day quarantine there. And after THAT, he'll be able to come home to me. I can't wait!!!
As for the rest of the week:
I did some caulking around the kitchen cabinets that showed some noticeable gaps. The caulk is paintable once it dries. I already put the primer on top of the caulk, so this week I'll finish up with the cream paint as the final layer and it should be just about perfect!
Before:
Yes, I should have done this BEFORE painting, but I never noticed the gaps before when the cupboards used to be a dark cherry stain. Now that they are light and bright, things are more noticeable than ever before. But I wouldn't trade it for anything!
Scott is going through my Google photo albums tonight, helping me with something. He keeps sending me random pictures and it's pretty funny. One that he just sent shows how hideous our kitchen used to be when we first moved in. Dark green WALLPAPER! Blech. And oh my, my hair was so short!!
Then:
Now: (you can see I've also primed around the trim and edges, getting ready to paint the walls this week!)
And lastly, I just want to share my feelings about what is going on in America right now. Some things have been pretty ugly in recent weeks, with racism issues, protests, and some hefty discussions going on. In some instances, groups of angry protesters have toppled over historical statues of prominent people from the past. They say that we shouldn't have a statue of George Washington because he was a slave owner. (among other historical figures that were also slave owners)
My thinking is that we have to LEARN from the past, not destroy it. The past helps us put today into perspective, which can help to shape our future. If we destroy evidence of unfavorable things from the past, we will eventually forget it altogether. And if we forget the past, then are clueless and just floating along somewhat aimlessly. It helps to look in the rearview mirror from time to time, just to remind ourselves of where we've been and what we need to improve for the future. It helps us to find our balance and make sure we're on the right path. It's part of keeping ourselves balanced.
I am not in any way trying to excuse the past. I'm VERY grateful to live in this day and age where there is a more progressive mindset. I do not condone slavery of any kind. I do not support nor do I participate in racist beliefs, comments, or discrimination.
I had to take a good hard look at my own past as I traveled through the South doing family history. I've never really wanted to delve into my southern roots, because I was afraid of what I might find. I knew that slavery existed on my family tree, from the opposite end, . . . the bad end.
What I have come to terms with, especially in light of recent protests and statue-toppling vandalism, is this:
What if I didn't like my ancestors that were slave owners? What if I didn't want them to be a part of who I am today? Should I erase them and take them off of my pedigree chart on Ancestry? Should I tell myself that they aren't worth getting to know? Should I tell myself that they aren't worthy of being called my great-great grandparents? Should I exclude any sharing of stories about them to my grandchildren? Because they were slave owners?
The answer is NO. I cannot get rid of the past. I cannot erase the past. The past exists no matter what I think of it now. My job is to learn from it. To reconcile myself with it. To make sure I teach my children and my grandchildren right from wrong, and that includes how to be nice to EVERYONE. Yes, EVERYONE. No matter what color they are, no matter their financial status, no matter what race or religion (or not), no matter what their sexual orientation is. EVERYONE MATTERS. And they should be treated as such.
We don't have to think the same or believe the same, but we can at least be friends.
Is belief in basic kindness and charitable principles enough? Sometimes. Sometimes not. If everyone followed the rules of kindness, then yeah, it would be enough. But since they don't all follow the kindness rules, then more is inevitably required. Belief should lead to action. The action should be uplifting and serve to help those who may not be in a position to help themselves. The action should also serve to demonstrate outwardly how we are trying to follow Jesus Christ in His perfect example. He loves everyone. He listens to everyone. He serves everyone. He reaches out to everyone. He does not pick and choose favorites. He does not shun the lowly, the lepers, the outcasts. He welcomes and cares for them all.
Something I have focused really hard on throughout all my travels is to make eye contact with every single person that I pass by, and to SMILE at them. To let them know with every inch of my facial expression that I care about them, that I sincerely hope they will have a great day, that I accept them for who they are no matter what that is.
This is what I have done regularly:
As I go into a convenience store (or a restaurant, or whatever) out on the open road, I walk in. I see someone coming toward me. It looks like they have made their purchase and are heading out of the store. I look at them and try to make genuine and heartfelt eye contact. I smile. I HOLD the smile, making sure that they know that I am aiming my smile at them.
Here is what I imagine them thinking: (based on what their facial expressions tell me)
Oh, here comes someone. I hope they don't look at me. I don't want to engage in any conversation. She probably doesn't care about me anyway. I'm just __________ to her (fill in the blank). Oh. It looks like she's looking at me. Is she looking at me? Or is she looking at someone behind me? Oh, wow. It looks like she really is looking at ME. What do I do? Oh wow. She's smiling at me. She looks like she is really happy. She looks like she really means it. She looks like she is trying to convey some sort of happiness and good will my way. Wow. That feels kind of nice. It's nice to know that there are still nice people in the world today. I think I will give a tiny little smile back. There, that felt pretty nice. I feel a tiny bit happier now. What a nice lady. I hope she has a nice day too.
One person at a time. That's my goal. To acknowledge, to love, to serve, to minister to one person at a time. If we all did this, maybe the world would be much happier. Maybe we would be a little closer to being ready for when our Savior, Jesus Christ, comes again. I sure hope so.
I am far from perfect. But I am trying. And this is one of the ways I am trying. It may not solve all the anger in the world right now. But when all is said and done, LOVE WILL WIN. Love means that we are kind and charitable UNCONDITIONALLY. That is what I am trying to do. I wish I could sit down and listen to each person's life story. I've always wanted to do this. Just ask my family. It's been a dream of mine for years.
If I could travel the world and interview people, one at a time, it would be so amazing to learn from each of them. How they were raised. How they got to where they are now. How their parents were raised. All of these things contribute to where we are now. And it helps to put things into perspective. Perspective guides our thinking, our choices, and our attitudes.
And we could all use a little self-check. Peace out.
Comments
Post a Comment