Angela – Page 236 – Letters from Home

Flashlight tutorial

This is what we did on Wednesday afternoon at our house. It was so neat we had to share it. I got the idea from a Cub Scout Roundtable meeting.

flashlight assembly 007

You will need this stuff plus some newspaper and electrical tape.

The tiny bulb is a flashlight bulb. Look in the camping aisle at your local camping store/Wal-Mart.

We used a C battery, but you could try another size. It’s science, so have fun.

flashlight assembly 008

Cut a piece of electrical wire about 4 1/2 inches long.

flashlight assembly 011

Strip each end of the wire.

flashlight assembly 012

It will look like this.

flashlight assembly 013

Using scissors or a drill, make a hole in the lid of the bottle. Be careful not to make it too big. You want the bulb to fit through it snugly.

flashlight assembly 014

It doesn’t have to be perfect.

flashlight assembly 042

Slide the bulb through the hole.

flashlight assembly 019

Wrap wire around the positive side of the battery. Actually, any end will do, but this seemed to be easier for us.

flashlight assembly 025

Tape into place.

flashlight assembly 026

Wrap the other end of the wire around the end of the flashlight bulb.

flashlight assembly 027

Tape into place, keeping the end contact of the bulb exposed.

flashlight assembly 028

Your assembly will look like this.

flashlight assembly 021

Place enough newspaper in the bottom of the pill container so the battery will touch the bulb when assembled.

flashlight assembly 029

Insert battery & wire into the container. Screw the lid on (upside down).

Once you touch the bulb to the battery, it should light up. If not, check your connections.

flashlight assembly 045

Go in a dark place and be amazed. You just made a flashlight!

flashlight assembly 033

Ryan and Margie Hess are our friends. In addition to prayers, there is something else we can do to help this family. We have learned that if you are a Federal employee, you can donate leave time to Ryan. Margie sent us the following:

***FEDERAL EMPLOYEES- PLEASE DONATE LEAVE TO RYAN HESS***

My name is Margie Hess, my husband Ryan was diagnosed on June 12, 2009 with a rare and aggressive form of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Since this is an aggressive form of T-Cell Lymphoma, his doctor has put him on an aggressive chemo regimen that will result in him being unable to work for the next 4-6 months and possibly longer. At the time of diagnosis he was finishing up his 1^st year as a Podiatry Resident at the V.A. in Tucson, AZ. Ryan is a devoted husband and father of two children, Hallie (5) and Max (2). By the end of this month (June 2009), Ryan will use up the last of his vacation and sick leave and will have to go on unpaid leave. Ryan is the sole provider for our family; I stay at home with both the kids. Without him working we have no income. I need to stay home to help care for him, so I cannot get a job right now, either. As difficult as it is for our family to have to ask for help, we have realized that we must do so at this time. We were told that any federal employee (ie: military, Border Patrol, DEA, FB I, Dept of Justice, EPA etc. EXCEPT Post Office employees) can donate vacation time to be used as sick leave for another Federal employee. We would be so thankful for any number of extra paid days we can accumulate. Thank you so much.

How can you help if you ARE a Federal Employee?

Go to your HR department and request to donate leave to Ryan Hess who works for the VA. (Your HR person will know the form that needs to be filled out- each Federal agency has their own form to donate leave)

Once filled out and signed, the HR person will then need to fax or e-mail the form to:

OLIVIA McCLURE – Benefits Specialist (TUCSON V.A.)

Phone #: (520) 792-1450 x 6076

Fax # : (520) 629-1849

E-Mail : olivia.mcclure@va.gov

ALSO, for those who are federal employees, please print out this message and post it in break/lunch rooms to help get the word out as well as emailing it to co-workers!

How to help if you are NOT a Federal Employee:

PASS this along to ANYONE and EVERYONE that you know and then ask them to pass the message along. Post it on blogs, Facebook…whatever you can think of.

Thanks again everyone- this will help SO much!

GO TEAM RYAN HESS!

(E-mail teamryanhess@gmail.com to receive updates or to send a message!)

Harmless Potato Pellets

I had to go to town today. I left the kids strict instructions to keep the house clean while I was gone. They were good kids, so I pulled these out of the closet when I got home. I’ve been saving them for 6 months. Sometimes I just have to do something crazy like give my kids guns to keep our lives extraordinary. And yes, people, our lives are extraordinary. Just like yours.

potatoguns (4)

Happy retro packaging.

potatoguns (3)

Simple, sturdy design.

potatoguns

Biodegradable pellets will nourish the lawn.

potato guns and summer fun 002

And, they make a charming “pop” when you shoot them.

I bought four and all were entertained.

Law of the harvest

seminaryclass2001

My Seminary Students on the last day of class, May 2001

I was a volunteer seminary teacher from 1998-2001 in Austin, Texas. We didn’t have a place to meet, so we met in our home. One room of the house was roped off as a seminary room and my own children slept through most of it. My first year, I taught Doctrine and Covenants and Church History to three students (D&C 18:10, 15-16). Year two I taught Old Testament; Year three I taught New Testament and my class grew to fifteen students. We held class from 6-7:00. One year we met at 5:45 a.m. Ouch!

I have to say that the sacrifice these kids made to come to seminary really set them apart from others their age. I was proud of them. I know they are blessed for their efforts.

Thursday is the wedding day for Cody, to be married in the Salt Lake Temple! Jed became a father this month. I have seen students in the temple, said good-bye as they went on their missions, received lots of wedding announcements and I am always glad for updates on their college lives and work. Facebook: hallelujah.

Seminary: the toughest job I ever loved. Next to motherhood, of course.

Cause for Celebration

First Tomato Party 008

Our Tomato vines produced their first ripe tomato! It was cause for celebration.

First Tomato Party 006

The kids and I spent some time setting up a nice table under a big tent in our back yard.

First Tomato Party 002

We prepared a Mexican food feast with homemade salsa, guacamole, and fruit salad…

First Tomato Party 005 and desserts…

First Tomato Party 011

Susie came, too.

First Tomato Party 012

We enjoyed our dinner together outside.

First Tomato Party 019

When it got dark, the lanterns lit up our night.

First Tomato Party 022

We spread out the blanket and we listened to an audio book outside and tried not to think about possible rattlesnake attacks in the grass (Thus explains the psychotic look on my face…)

First Tomato Party 020

First Tomato Party 025

First Tomato Party 026

Good night.

Captain Ross Returns!

Richard has been gone this week to a Stake Scout Encampment. (Thus the late-night-introspective-posts this week.) He is the high councilor assigned to the Young Men’s program in the Stake. He worked hard to help plan and carry out this camp. I just pulled out the laundry from the dryer and found this gem of a t-shirt. It’s got to be empowering to wear something like this. I need a female version. Pronto.

Scout Encampment Shirt back

Neighbors extraordinaire

Susie and Maria This is my neighbor, Maria and her daughter, Susie. Maria excels in all things neighborly.

Today Maria kidnapped my boys (even Mark) for the day so Paige and I could have some time together. Neat-o. Maria kidnaps my kids occasionally. It’s always well-timed and spontaneous. It’s really uncanny how she seems to know when the kids need to be spoiled for a little while. Today was the first day that Mark was old enough to come along. When I told him to get ready to go, he stopped, mouth gaping, and said, “I. Can’t. Believe!” and then threw his hands into the air and ran around the driveway six times.

I’ve been trying to think of a title for Maria, like “Aunt Maria,” but it just doesn’t fit. She’s more magical than that. She’s like a fairy godmother, appearing with marvelous kindness at just the right time.

Some days she shows up with a specially wrapped lunch prepared just for me. Other days she shows up with batches of cookies that she’s decorated which are worthy of a magazine cover. I have no idea why she chooses us to shower with her kindness, but I won’t rock the boat by asking too many questions.

Her husband, Jeff is just as generous. His wheelbarrow has spent more time in our back yard than in his own.

Her daughter, Susie is our talk-over-the-fence backyard friend. Ok, the kids don’t just talk, they traffic lizards, toys, and squirt guns across our friendly border fence. In fact, I would say Susie will someday be an ambassador to nations, ready to talk to anyone and she’ll always wear impeccably coordinated outfits. She’s charming.

We count ourselves lucky to have these two ladies & Jeff next door.

The Value of Imperfection

oil painting progress

wheel oil painting

I painted this in January, using the Pima Community College catalog cover as my guide. I could never find the name of the photographer.

I see more flaws in my work every day, but I will continue to display it proudly in my house.

If I had never tried this painting, I wouldn’t ‘t have learned to appreciate the symmetry of a wheel; the complexity of color; I wouldn’t have had time to ponder the aging of the wood, the shadows and reflections of light; I wouldn’t have accepted my own inability to create a perfect hub to hold it all together. I learned about focal point, perspective, and rust. I thought about endless things during this project. It was both a vacation and an intense study, a pleasure and a frustration all at once.

Having seriously considered my reasons for blogging: Connection to family and friends, creative outlet, family record, homeschool life revealed, etc, I have decided it’s worth it for now for me to share. If I hadn’t been blogging these past few months, I wouldn’t have noticed so many blessings in my life.

So, a blog is not a perfect medium, any more than I am a master at working oil paints. But it’s a tool I use to discover and relate. And even if my words inadequate and my feelings about the blogging world vacillate, I think sharing is better than keeping things to myself. And hopefully in the process, we all learn something.

It’s not easy being Three, by Mark

2008-10-24 Park 07

I woke up and ran outside, excited to see the mushroom in the grass that we found yesterday. Oh, no! someone had smashed it! I cried and ran to Mom’s room where she was reading. I could hardly tell my story, I was so upset. Mom poured me some Cheerios and told me another mushroom will grow in the grass someday.

An hour later, I asked, “Should we plant the mushroom pieces so it will grow into a new mushroom?” “Plants need sun and water. We can pour the water!”

Then Mom told me something about spores and that mushrooms are fungi, not plants.(Just when I think I’ve got things figured out, my world turns upside down.)

Later, we were reading scriptures. I was so bored. I asked, “Why do we have to read scriptures every day?” Mom said, “Because the prophet said so.” Then she started singing, Follow the Prophet and so I decided to sing with everybody. When the song was over, they started reading scriptures AGAIN! So I said, “I want to sing more songs!” After a while, we sang again; any song I wanted. I chose Popcorn Popping, Jingle Bells, and Little Drummer Boy! I love that rum-pum- pum- pum song.

I played outside, ate pancakes for lunch, and played outside some more. Then I dressed up like a Cub Scout. Daniel let me wear all of his stuff. I looked good!

Mark in Scout uniform 001

I had to go with Mom and the kids to piano lessons. I was so tired. I tried to fall asleep in the car, but it didn’t work. I was so sad about everything. My Bobby doll was missing. My shirt was dirty. Mom found my Bobby and put my cactus shirt on me.

Later, after piano lessons were over, Mom bought me some orange tic-tacs and that made me happy.

Tonight at the church a girl found me in the hallway and asked, “What are you doing?”I said, “I’m waiting to go to the beach… Have you ever been to the beach?.. Have you ever slept on a crab?” She just giggled and walked back to mutual to tell her friends what I said to her.

Life can be so confusing. And what in the world is August? Mom keeps saying I have to wait until August to go to the beach.

Reminisce part two: Being Present

Flower watercolor by Paige Ross

Resolved: I will include more of our art on this blog.

I went visiting teaching today, which means I sat in the homes of two amazing women from church and checked up on how they are doing, shared a spiritual thought, and sat back and learned from them.

One friend told me about her goal to be more “present” instead of distracted during her activities in her work and with her children and husband. What a great goal! She noted that many of us are addicted to multi-tasking, to the detriment of all we try to do. If we were more “present” in our work and relationships, we would find more success.

I thought about this idea all day long. As a mother, I have to multi-task some things. I can’t tell my children to “take a number” all the time. However, I can eliminate some of the non-essential, addictive things that make me less than “present” like checking e-mails first thing in the morning instead of working on my primary goals for the day, or trying to make lists while I play trains with Mark (of which I am guilty today).

Which reminds me of my Reminisce post from Sunday. Another reason I (and so many others) love the past is because these were simpler times. So here’s a paradox: to rekindle some of the simplicity of the past… (wait for it) we need to be more “present” today. (ba da boom!)

Author: Angela