Fall in the Air

Such a relief to smell the scent of the changing seasons; to have respite from the heat; to enjoy chilly nights and cooler days, yet just a week ago it was in the 90s and we had the babypool out for the wee ones to splash in! Anna and Simeon went 'skinnydipping' after dinner.  They were having such fun!

Today started out with excitement; Mark was trimming a Japanese Maple by the back door and a yellow jacket nest erupted forth with angry stinging bees. He was stung on his arm, his neck and several times on the top of his head. Grimmy had them clinging all over him and they stung him too. I stayed clear and avoided it, thank goodness. Mark took benadryl, had a good nap, but still has a headache. It will be tough to be a rockin' Boomer tonight.

So, since we avoided the backyard all day, I actually decided to cook! Made some turkey burger stew and cinnamon chip bread. Sliced up wateymelon and cantylope for snacks. Then cleaned the frig, did laundry and started organizing the garage some more. It needs more work, but more shelves first. It's getting there, and in the process, I'm feeling more at home here too. 

Yesterday I bought a really cute white dresser to refinish to put in the hallway; it's does not have very deep drawers, so will work fine without obstructing the traffic. It will be great once the hallway is painted and I get pictures up. Anxious to finish it!  The dining room is painted a medium tan on one wall and 'champagne' on the other three walls. Dustin hung our new light fixture and it looks great. The French doors are a huge improvement for that room.

Organizing feels good. I need the structure of a schedule and I'm looking forward to that.

And speaking of schedules, we started Family Dinners again last week. Had all the 'local' kids over for a potluck salad dinner and good long visit. It's so great to have all of four of my sons in the same area again! Connor had a good time hanging out with the older guys, but Levi has a serious case of hero worship of Connor, who was very patient and at the same time didn't quite know what to do about that level of pedastal. :) And of course, Gideon is happiest if he is reading, and Ephraim loves to explore. Anna wasn't too sure about Grimmy, but relaxed when everyone else was outside with her. PrairieDawn is starting to smile a lot and is a happy baby. Simeon, oh my, is a hoot. He kept us all chuckling most of the time with his activity and gobbledygook speech that is delivered with such sweetness and sincerity.  A most satisfying afternoon for this Grammy, being surrounded with love. Just missed the rest of us~

I'm looking forward to more Family Dinners this fall and winter. Best times ever!

A New NameHusbandHouseJobFamilyGardenAndDog

Don't quite know how else to describe the changes in life besides making a long long list of them. :) It's a little overwhelming and my body is letting me know by giving me hives for fits and giggles, which I do not love.

What or whom I DO love though is my new and definitely improved hubby, who made me laugh so hard when we were on the ferry from Friday Harbor after he banged my head into the window... well, I guess you just had to be there. At Nancy and Dale's wedding, we had a blast the whole evening even though he did forget to ask me to dance when 'At Last' was played. He made up for it though, and had the DJ play 'Me and Mrs. Jones'. THEN we danced, and laughed more.

My new name is gaining me a new nickname 'JJ', of course. It's fine, but will take some getting used to, and I'm still surprised when I see Jones and remember that it's me! I had to make a nameplate for my desk today, so that I don't confuse staff as they return to work. I hope I get an officially engraved nameplate soon, but for now, my bright yellow with purple lettering ought to catch some attention.

New house is still in uproar and will continue to be so for a while, I fear. I haven't finished the transfer from my house to this one but the deadline is looming closer and closer. I might have to break down and ask the fam to help me out the weekend of the 12/13th. Hint hint hint. Eventually we'll get things organized better here and find a place for it all. The garage is looking pretty spiffy after our work last weekend, so there's hope.  Also, the patio cover is going to be amazing when it's finished. An outdoor living room! Yay!!!

Old and new job is kind of a weird feeling because I've been in this same department three times now and know a couple of things about the job and many of the staff. It's very comforting to go back there and it's really weird to not be taking work home with me! LOVE IT!

New fam and dog isn't really new because I've been here so much, but we'll all still have some adjustments to work through. We'll be fine~

New garden - after having been in Victoria, B.C. and after visiting Butchart Gardens, the yard and garden here have a lot of redesign to go through before I'll be satisfied. Oh my goodness, flowers were everywhere, and they grow the biggest raspberries I've ever seen. I have plans...and plans !

So, time to change clothes and go water. Time to dream of more flowers and make some more work to do. Silly me, but the payoff will be great. Maybe playing in the dirt will make the hives go away if my mind can convince my body that all these changes just take time. And there's always plenty of time in the garden~

One More Day~

WooooooooooooHooooooooooo!  If The Boomers played all day, I'd probably dance all day. Maybe I'll just dance all day anyway, with the occasional pause for reflection...

Jane and I had lunch and did a lot of remembering when....we started this run of four years....when we bucked old beliefs and did what we thought was the right thing to do during a strike...when we stood up to other leaders and said 'it is about the kids; not the money'...when we faced incredibly difficult personal battles, but kept on facing professional battles simultaneously~and then only crumbled privately...when we laughed over ridiculous stories....when we cried over assaults...when we bonded as friends forever through the joint experiences of our leadership positions because no one else could truly understand what it took to do the job.

Our skills complemented each other - Jane is politically savvy and very talented at being a more public persona; I'm a little more subdued in public, will never understand why ANYONE would want a political career :), and can usually see both sides of a story. We have borrowed advice and counsel from the other frequently and occasionally felt like Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee when in uncomfortable situations. Never have decided who was Dum and who was Dee though.

So, a jig? A Highland Fling? A waltz or foxtrot? The watusi or mashed potato?

Or a slow two-step, perhaps, with my friend Jane while we wear our battered gold sequin crowns upside down and laugh. And cry, as we share one more hug, and head out the door.

Thank you Jane, for everything.

I Found It! and You Can Have It Now~

Woooohoooo! I found my old blog. I hadn't been on for quite a while and just couldn't remember the address. Write it down somewhere? Gosh, why would I want to do that?   Anyhow, I loved this in the past when Michelle would post pictures and stories, and would still like the whole fam to contribute~ HINT.

I need to be getting ready for work because I have a bargaining meeting this morning, then lunch with my good friend Jane. Jane and I walk out of our offices, fully crowned, arm-in-arm to end our presidential terms simultaneously next Tuesday. I will hand off the baton to the new ESP president and Jane will do the same to the new teachers' president, and off we go back to the future. We have shared so much in these past four years that no one else could possibly believe or understand - from a week at Harvard University to hospital stays to cat attacks to accusations and then our gold sequined crowns, a little battered.  We have bought cowboy boots together in Nashville and battled snow in Salem; we got 'lost' in Boston (and almost suffered heat stroke), and grew BATs.  We have presented the Speed of Trust together and dreamed of the day we could take it on the road. Our grand plans have settled a bit, and we have decided that burnout is burnout, and our flames are dimming. Passion needs a respite now and then, and we have both been vocal about our strong opinions on advocacy; our voices are fading. Time to go 'home' for a while.

The transition feels very odd; I went to Student Services yesterday and my memory was on overload. So much to remember and so much to learn, but I'll get by. The crew there is the best and they'll pull me along while I readjust to the joy of an 8 hour day and an hour for lunch. (Another thing Jane and I have in common - long long days. Lunch hour? Breaks? Ha!)

It will be a little hard to give up the freedom to come and go as needed. It will be a little hard to sit in the 'congregation' during Building Rep meetings or Executive Board meetings. It will be a little hard to read a newsletter that I didn't write; to check a website that doesn't have my blog. Now, on the other hand, it won't be hard to sit in the congregation, nor will it be hard to stay at work and not have a variety of meetings that demand quick changes and quicker decisions. Phone calls? Emails? Nah, won't miss those.

What I will miss: service to almost 2400 people who may or may not believe that I have their best interests at heart. I will miss the feeling of satisfaction that comes after I have made a stand on one person's behalf, or on everyone's behalf. I will greatly miss spending time with those who are my mentors, my executive committee, and my friends.

But, it's time. I think I will buy a baton (or a baseball bat!) to hand to the new President. "Here you go - wield it well."

July Already?

Where has the year gone? How did it get to be July? Wow.... So reflecting on the first half of this year sure hold a large view - a trip to the hospital starting it off; Kyle coming home; Dustin and Samantha moving home for the summer; our family reunion; Sara leaving for the summer; Scott and Cody's announcement!! Too much to remember it all but such good events over all.

It's so great to have Casey and Sharon's family so close by. They joined me at a party where Mark's band played for the 4th of July and we had a good time. It wasn't a typical 4th party for us, but fun to try something new. We played a lot of frisbee (btw, I am now the Queen of Frizz), tossed footlball around, Gideon and friend Gage danced, and Ephraim cartwheeled across the lawn for everyone. Gideon also did a demonstration of kungfu in sync with the band ~ very impressive workout for him! Simeon charmed everyone with his giggling while his Daddy threw him in the air, and Simeon also developed a distinct taste for fir cones. Gideon wrote love notes to me on my phone too....

As soon as I can, I'll get some pictures of the event and post them on here and FB.

Really looking forward to the wedding ~ and so happy for Scott and Cody. Yay!!!!!!!!

Okay, so off to get chores done today. Except that my foot hurts so I'm limping. Too much frizzbee chasing!

And the question is?

As always I have a stack of reading materials to go through for work and one of the pile this week is about questions. It seems odd but when you think about it, what matters most? The question or the answer? Well, maybe both. If we never ask questions, then how do we know we're looking for an answer? The trick is to ask the right question. When I started thinking about this, I realized that being a problem solver may not always be the best identity of which to be so proud.; Maybe it would be better to ask 'why?' like our little kids do, because truly, they have the right idea. 'I can't learn unless you tell me why.'
So, I'm trying to think of what the right questions might be in order to see a new way.... in everything. How can I do this differently? Who is a person with the right knowledge to ask the right question? Do I have the right people involved?
Mostly, I guess it is helping to see that solving a problem might not be the best solution. (smirking smile here because that's just so confusing....) Maybe it's okay to ask why?

Me? Worry?

Why would anyone think I was worrying? Just because Kyle is going to fly about 9,000 miles home and I haven't got a clue of where he is in this huge world just now....no, no cause for worry. ***sigh***  Wish I could say that was true. I know, I know that he's fine and safe wherever he is...but still.....

Grammy and Grandboys=Heaven

These pics were taken at Casey and Sharon's in Madras in January. How fun to be surrounded by grandsons!

Simeon laughing at his Daddy. So adorable!

Mr. Brown Eyes

Simmy and Grammy

Is It Something I Said?

Chores today....sunny out... after kind of a rotten day yesterday with a big old fat reality check, it seemed like a great idea to get out in the yard and pick up some winter storm debris, check on plants, feel the healing power of Earth. But, I couldn't get out the back screen door. The deadbolt wouldn't move. The doorknob was fine, but the deadbolt was totally stuck. So, I got my keys, went around the front and tried my key on the door, but at first the key wouldn't go in. What's the deal? Well, looks like the lock is bent.... I jiggled and wiggled the key to get it in, because once again, someone has tried the lock. The key went in but the lock was totally jammed. Mark finally got it out and now I'll go and buy a brandnew deadbolt to replace the one that was tampered with. It worked fine on Friday.

Have I offended some person? Does somebody mistakenly think that I have great wealth? Why do people want to get into my house? At least this time the screens weren't torn off and there appeared to be no other attempts, but what's going on?

After effects of this: I'll be wide awake listening for noises all night. I really need one of those big bright motion lights. Oh wait.... I have alarms on my doors. Maybe it's time to get an obnoxious yappy dog.

Whoever you are - LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!!

So there's a name for this...

and it involves cutting the ties of the superhero cape...it's called Cumulative Stress Disorder and it means that even if we believe we are very strong and very capable, we don't get to leap high buildings in a single bound or stop speeding trains. Or push ourselves to the brink of falling off and out, where we crash into hard walls of reality that have signs plastered onto the unrelenting bricks; the signs say 'Danger' and 'Slow Down' and ultimately, 'STOP.'

That dang wall really hurts. Superheros that bang into bricks may recover, but still get bruises and actually break. Hemingway wrote 'The world breaks everyone~Some become strong at the broken places.'

I will own that I broke. My body slammed into the wall and made me stop, hard.Yesterday the doctor told me that even though my heart is clear and good, it could still stop if I don't stop pushing so hard. I have separated muscles in my left side above my ribs because I have either dug my garden or split wood or done something I am not really capable of doing, but....  I do it anyway because it needed to be done. And my darned collarbone still aches because it never did get put back into place right - just from digging the garden up. Sheesh. I despise feeling fragile and incapable. Can't I carry the world on my shoulders, being Hercules (or in the Plemons/Ogle family, Harkless?) or Superunionpresident?

Road signs are there for a reason; they're not just decorative. And if we are smart, we do not go careening around sharp corners, because, just because, we might not be able to stay on the road, and we might hit the wall.

A Very Bratty Winter

Christmas Eve



Christmas Morning



A Sock Monkey from Santa!



Opening Presents with Dad



Sportin' the New Pumas from Uncle Talmage



Kash's First Bite of Real Food!



Spencer's Nightstand BEFORE:



Spencer's Nightstand AFTER:



Michelle & JoAnna "back-country snowboarding"



*New Year's Resolution: to lose 20 pounds ;)

It's almost New Year's Eve

and that makes me think about resolutions. I made one resolution that I could absolutely keep once, and it was to brush my teeth twice a day without fail, but of course, I have occasionally slipped up on that one. However, the diligence has paid off in healthier teeth and I can almost quote the days I have missed my twice brushed shiny teeth.

It makes a happier year if the resolutions we make are actually doable, and not some impossible task for which we are not prepared to (1) commit to without reservation and (2) have the tools and skills necessary for success before we willynilly run off at the mouth making grand promises to ourselves or others.

I'm giving this serious consideration and have come to a conclusion or two about what really needs to be forefront, utmost and highest of priorities for 2010. (How does one abbreviate 2010? O-ten? Ten? Twentyten? Haven't quite figured this out....)

Peace and quiet. I've spent the day with phones off, music off, and stayed off the computer till now because I've been mulling about this. Peace and quiet without distractions and noise. The soul cannot be fed in the midst of chaos.

Organization. Clutter is an octopus. Wraps itself around you and slowly strangles the breath out of us. I am a clutter magnet. Time to turn on the super powers and alienate octopi. Give Goodwill a cause to celebrate.

Air. Water. Dirt. How easy it is to ignore in the rush. Meditation and conscious awareness allow the bubbles of air to rise to the top, and when there are bubbles floating by, either in water or air, there's no way to keep ignoring them. Dirt. Under the fingernails is the best dirt.

Odd resolutions or solid realizations but either way, perhaps a sound recognition.

Happy New Year.

I Borrowed Some Pictures From Sara's Facebook......

so that Michelle could view them. :)  Some pretty sweet shots!

This one just melts my heart. What a darling little boy!

Levi clearly takes 'say cheese' very seriously, but Kash is looking a little bored with this.

Anna and Auntie Sara are working on flying lessons.

Daddy's girl. I love the look on Dustin's face.

This one was taken while Kyle was home. Sara picked Simeon up and he relaxed and fell sound asleep in her arms. Look at the cheeks!

So cute smiles!

Dustin and his adorable kids. Big grins!

Sanders Family November 2009

Kash and Auntie Sara snuggling

Yes, I have HUGE blue eyes!

The best for last; there is nothing like a picture of a mother holding her new baby close. You are beautiful, Michelle.

Decorating Our Christmas Tree

First Time Snowshoeing

More from Us

Kash was a little jealous of Simeon's hair, so he did his best to match it.


Kash and Kyle


Happy Kash

Kyle's Home

It has been so great to have Kyle home for the last week and a half - we've tried to have a little bit of fun now and then....

Oh wait, they were being silly for a picture - go figure that one. These were taken the night that we went to hear Mark's band play at a dive tavern in West Salem. It was a lot of fun, although Scott was pretty much horrified by some of the clientele and their behavior. Watching Scott was almost as entertaining as watching the other people!

But we danced and danced and laughed a lot. Kyle decided to body slam me and Sara a few times so we grabbed him to settle him down and he thought we were going to make him do the splits!

Mark had to take a break, so Sara made me kiss him. We didn't mind too much. :)

Everyone seemed to have a really good time. We were there till almost 2 am!

October for the Brätts

It's been a busy month with Spencer working on our food storage (aka hunting). So far he's "harvested" 1 elk, 3 deer, a ton of birds, and there is 1 more elk in the waiting. Just so you know, only one of the deer is Spencer's, technically. He got one on the opening day but wanted one with more meat (aka bigger antlers). So his dad happily tagged it. A few days later Spencer got another one (the same size) and also helped out his cousin, David, who couldn't quite get it right and shot his deer in the rear.

Here's our provider, who dutifully spends all of his free time building the family food storage;)





I try to do fun things with Kash while Spencer is gone. This particular day we went on a picnic.





Kash received his baby blessing on October 11. He was told that he was blessed with a cheerful attitude and will be a great example to others. Spencer shaved off his [nasty] goatee for the event (praise the Lord).



I keep finding cottage cheese on my clothing and then I wonder how Kash keeps sneaking into the fridge... He's found his voice and loves to sing! Especially at 7 in the morning:) He's my little rooster. Kash is a happy baby. He smiles whenever he is awake (except when hungry or tired) and is just now starting to giggle instead of grunt when I tickle him. And he's definitely ticklish! He knows his mama and seems happiest at home. This video was taken as I blogged this...



Last of all, Halloween. It was really fun to dress up. We weren't invited to any parties, so we crashed the Brätt's ward party and invited Perry and Jana to dinner. It was a fun night with my little family. Thanks for Kash's costume, Mom and Mark:)

There is a song waiting to be sung....

I think there is a song of thanksgiving floating through the ether because I keep hearing it in my soul, but can't quite know the appropriate words or fully identify the notes. Do you ever feel music without being able to hear it? :)  This song would have to communicate a very full and grateful heart with a robust melody, and also share the peace of a quiet wonder with tinkly, fairy-like notes that would pirouette like the leaves that are falling....and blowing and dancing.  If we listen intently enough, the music is there....

So part of the lyrics would just be 'thank you' and the list of thankyou's would be very long: for Scott coming over for a Sunday evening and bringing beautiful flowers that I was able to share with Sara; for Mark taking us out to a wonderful dinner; for the visit to Idaho with Dustin, Samantha, Levi and Anna, and that Michelle and Kash came up to visit too, and my sweet children buying me sweet chocolates, handpicked; for Sara leaving a bag of goodies in my car, a typical Sara-assortment of carefully chosen and saved for months kind of gift; for Casey and Sharon's homecoming-to-be! and for Kyle's homecoming-to-be!!!! (I think I just heard a triumphant clash of cymbals!)

Thankyou for Levi calling me Gwammy and playing on the Big Toy and laughinglaughinglaughing; thankyou for Anna's adorable smile and for agreeing to be Grammy's Princess (she told me she is happy to fill that role....); thankyou for Kash's dimpled elbows and sleepy blue eyes and smiles that melted my heart; thankyou for Dustin, Samantha and Michelle's approval and encouragement of  Mark's and my relationship. Thankyou for a stunning floral arrangement and chocolates from a son who is so far away, but wanted my day to be full of beauty.

The lyrics are sprinkled with raindrops ....or tears...  How does anyone write music for birdsong, dirt in the garden, fresh carrots just pulled, piles of raked leaves and today's sunshine, tomorrow's rain? I can hear it, if I listen intently enough. Perhaps it is meant to be a connection for us - because this song is about us, the love we share and the gratitude we bear for life; the brilliance of the light of our family. Listen and you can hear it too. Listen and you will feel the rhythym. Listen.

Beauty and the Beach

Bless his heart, Mark came over after he went to church today and said 'let's get out of town today - how about we go to the beach?' And we did! We kind of moseyed on over to Newport and went straight to Mo's. Yummmmmmmm....had bowls of clam chowder, cabbage salad with shrimp, and cheese bread. High calorie lunch, yes, but how often do we stop and drop and head to the beach for lunch? It was great! We walked around South Beach marina for a while and then headed on back home. It was a gloriously beautiful day, a little chilly, and on the way over and back, we were both in awe of the amazing colors of the trees. The vine maples are at the climax of crimson, the aspens are gold and the maples are wavering between faded jade green while heading to pale pink. Lovely. I should have taken my camera, but since I didn't and he didn't....well, looks like we'll just have to go back!