Things As They Really Are (or Are Not)

My dad recently shared this bar joke with me, and I loved it:

A time traveling space alien walks into a bar, and says, “I was gonna tell a time-traveling joke, but you guys didn’t get it.”

Some recent non-happenings and happenings:

• I believe the Northridge High School production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers should be underway now. Mrs. Coates is instructing everyone to be ready to perform it in the summer. Hmmm. Maybe. This announcement freaked Andrew out, but he had a good chat with her and will likely not be part of the production in summer, as he has other priorities.
• Speaking of Andrew, he just got the results of his ACT, and scored a 33. Wow! Congratulations! I hope he knows I am still not humble enough to listen to him, though. 😁
• Speaking more of Andrew he has been diligently fixing everyone's bicycles, and teaching Joshua how to do it to boot. What a terrific service. It is hard to find bicycle parts at the store right now, and I noticed that, at least at our local Walmart, only about 20% of the bicycle racks have anything available.
• Frozen, Jr. rehearsals continue individually and sometimes online. I think Mr. Campbell wants to do some kind of online performance. Hmmmm. Maybe. But, bless their hearts, they did print the playbill and give us our t-shirts anyway! 
  
• Esther does online meetings with her class for "share and learn". Susan just informed me that she just did one on Marcus. Her hyperactivity and desire to show everyone what "Marcus does", along with Marcus' inability to hold still, resulted in what she believes was a very nauseating video experience. Susan exclaimed "I should have filmed it." Yes, a mini-documentary would have been very entertaining.
• We finally got rid of our couches on the deck: Hannah wanted them, so Andrew and I rented a small Uhaul trailer (it was raining) and drove them down. We appeared to defy physics getting their big couch out and our big couch in. Our deck is still crowded, but nice!
• All my life is not luxury however. I need to start digging up the yard to replace all the sprinkler pipe that was cut and covered with our new cement work. If it didn't cause as much physical pain, it would be much more pleasant. But, assuming I can figure out what pipes connect to what, I am sure I will be please with the work and have a satisfying feeling of accomplishment.
• Our children have been handling the strangeness of online schooling well. The assignments, meetings, technologies, missteps, etc. have all been quite a challenge. And through it all, I have an added appreciation for caring, dedicated teachers. 
• I am also grateful for UTOPIA fiber, which has allowed us to handle the use of three laptops, two desktops, two tablets, four phones, one iPad, one Roku device and numerous other devices, often most, if not all, streaming and working simultaneously. I also replaced a hard drive on one of the computers that transformed it from "the slow one" that no one wanted to use to our fastest family-owned computer. We are very, very blessed right now.
• I am also very grateful for good children who have allowed me to work from home successfully. They are antsy and cooped up, but as a general rule they get along really well, too. The nicer weather is making things even easier. Miriam comes by regularly, too, for which I have been grateful. I keep wondering if that is a good idea, as her social life continues, but she is very pleasant to be with.
• I took Lucy for a Sunday drive again. We drove up to Huntsville and went up toward Monte Cristo to see if the road going over the range to Woodruff was open. It wasn't. But, at the road closure there, where Isaac and Gideon have had winter camp, we found snowmobilers doing their thing. And, Lucy saw a friend and her family sledding. She got out of the car and gave her a big hug. We went as far out of our way as we could and still could not keep a safe social distance!
• I hope everyone enjoyed General Conference. It was very, very memorable in many ways. And yet it was also the same as always: we watched it in our TV room. That seems like a metaphor for this whole pandemic: everything is different, and yet somehow the same.
• Here are photos of our conference art, most of which I think I texted to the subjects:
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Miriam sent some art to Esther!

  
  
  
  
  
  
• Miriam has taken up wood burning as a hobby. I love it!
  
• Susie made us all masks! Here are a couple:
  
  
• We drove by the homes of some of our missionaries who had to come home. We waved and held signs for the parade. Elder Dallin Johnson returned from Sierra Leone. I actually zoomed in on my photo, as I was driving, but even from a distance it really stands out.
  
• Here are some photos of our recent trek to Antelope Island:

  

  Bison!

  

  Kids, what did you do this time?

  

  Chilly, but pretty.

  

  Good photo, Enoch!

• Here is some good writing advice:
  

I love you all. I hope you are hanging in their! Keep the faith!