THOUGHTS ABOUT THE EARTHQUAKE

This was an exercise we did in an EAP class, right after the March 18, 2020 earthquake:

The first earthquake I ever experienced was on March 18, 2020, at about 7:10 a.m. The noise woke me first. I thought I heard thunder rumbling, then my bed shook back and forth like a wave. I was paralyzed by fear. Something fell off my book shelf. My mind tried to grasp what was happening because it woke me out of sleep.

I thought, is this thunder? That's really loud thunder--it's actually shaking my bed. Wait, that rumbling is too long to be thunder. THIS MUST BE AN EARTHQUAKE! I began to pray.

I was scared to death to move, and my mind raced to figure out what I should do. Should I get out of bed? Should I run outside? 

My daughter then texted me a link right after with the news about the earthquake on Fox 13. I had been trying to find something myself on my phone when she texted. I wanted to just go back to sleep, in denial. 

I was in a house fire a few years ago and left my house in my pajamas, and that's all I had to wear for a few days. I didn't want that to happen again, so I cautiously got out of bed to get dressed. 

Since I had just had foot surgery a month before, I hadn't been able to wear a shoe on my right foot. Miraculously, I put on a shoe and it didn't hurt.  

I went into my office and turned on my laptop and logged in for work, just in time for my 8:30 meeting. Time escaped me. It was more than an hour since the earthquake, but it seemed like minutes.

Our county and state, and my company, had just begun a quarantine on March 15 due to the COVID-19 (Corona virus), and then on March 18 we have an earthquake! People were joking about playing apocalypse bingo. It's not funny now. 

My house is still creaking, almost three months later.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE . . .

Gosh, I hadn't realized how long it's been since I've written on this blog. This used to be my only blog. I think here is where I add how I really feel about things, good or bad. I hope there is mostly good here.

I'm retiring on July 1.

I hope that means I'll be able to write more. So many thoughts go through my mind, I wish it was tethered to my blogs.

I think about my kids, my purpose, my friends, my extended family--and my granddaughter, Mila. Since the COVID-19 virus hit the planet, it has stymied my ability to see her, and my children.

The last time we got together as a family was the Sunday before my birthday in March. I had just been on FMLA due to another ankle surgery in February, and my first day back was supposed to be March 15.

Lo, and behold, March 15 was the first day of quarantine. My community is now in a "yellow" zone, meaning we can go places, but need to wear a face mask and stay six feet apart from everyone.

Just last week, we celebrated Tim's birthday. I decided to go. I hadn't gone to Zannah's birthday two weeks before and regretted it. I'm over 60 and have asthma, so am considered a "high risk" person.

While at Zannah's for Tim's birthday, I realized our trip back east in July was not going to happen. Maine is very restricted. You have to stop on the highway and give the authorities your phone number so they can check to make sure you're quarantining for 14 days. Well, we couldn't do that. And we couldn't do anything if we went, except stay in Jamely's house and order door dash for a week. No lighthouses, no beaches, no nothing.

I didn't want to spend the whole 12 days in Pennsylvania--they are restrictive, too--so I decided to wait until we do this big trip all over again next year. The Hill Cumorah Pageant was the impetus of our plans. It was postponed--the very last one--until next year.

I hope and pray we can all be together as a family next year. Please, God, let this pandemic pass.

Great Blessing

Back in March, right after my birthday, I had dinner with Jay and Jane Kessler. It seems like this is a yearly thing for us in March. I wish I could see them more often that that.

After we touched base, told our stories, and ate good food, I asked Jay to give me a priesthood blessing. The one he gave me last year was so extraordinary, I was hoping for the same this year. I asked Jane to write it down for me.

I think the overarching message from my Heavenly Father was Peace and Calm. I heard those words several times throughout the blessing.

At one point he said I wouldn't have to worry about anything.  And I would be safe. There is an aura of safety and protection around me--even my car!

Here's what Jane scrawled:

He said God can amend the elements.

All the blessings of heaven will be yours.

The Lord will manifest to the heavens because you are virtuous woman.

Peace. Peace in your heart and soul.

Strength to continue on and move forward in faith

He addressed my knee and ankle by saying "The Holy Ghost heals bones and bodies."

He had a vision of my future. Your sealing is good and your future is bright. You will see your future with tears of joy.

You've gone through many trials. Time of peace is coming.

Read scriptures.

Time of coming of world is nigh. Maybe he said the second coming is nigh.

You will grow firmer and firmer in knowledge of God.

Take no thought as to what you may need.

Serve in humility.

The Lord will guide you in the path you should go when it presents itself.


I think Jay is going to be a Patriarch after his run as Stake President in Magna.

Just My Two Cents

This is not in keeping with the Christmas spirit of love and joy, but I was taken aback by the Time Magazine 2016 Person-of-the-Year cover listing Donald Trump as the President-Elect of the Divided States of America.

I had to chuckle. Then I just hissed in exasperation.

Really?

I'm sure the media meant for him to be blamed for dividing America. If read with a conservative POV, we acknowledge that a divided United States is what will be left to him when he takes office.

The media is so inundated and infused with Liberals and Democrats, that they haven't noticed how divided the country has been for the last eight years!?!  That's ludicrous!--ludicrous that it's been divided for eight years, and ludicrous that Democrats/liberals didn't notice--and didn't notice who is the divider.

Eight Years Later Obama Still Blames Cops, Perpetuates Race Problems in America

BO has been the most divisive of all presidents since I've been alive. He set back Civil Rights, well, right back to the 1960s! It's as scary as I remember it growing up in a town of 60/40 white to black population. Instead of promoting his (half) race, BO has scorned policemen and blamed them for the problems caused by racists/criminals, who don't realize, in their idiocy, that actions have consequences. Democrats seem to strive to take away consequences (that's my opinion and how I see it). But that's not how the real world works.

He has bowed to dictators, turned a blind eye to terrorists, and named "deplorables" to cabinet posts that have sent conservative people to the vomitoriums for years.* Imagine, naming a criminal--a known criminal (except maybe the press didn't know--duh!)--Hillary Clinton--as our Secretary of State!?! **

That picture of the Statue of Liberty crying, or whatever--I think a conservative created that graphic eight years ago. We've been face palming and banging our heads against the wall for the last eight years. Nobody reported it. Nobody protested in the streets or pillaged like the childish behavior that happened November 9, 2016 and the weeks beyond. I was appalled by that behavior.

I'm not thrilled with Donald Trump either. I would have rather had Ted Cruz for president, to be honest. But DJT is who the Republicans nominated, and DJT is who won, so we have to deal. I hope and I pray he will truly lead this country to be great again. Hopefully his advisers will advise him not to speak--and to get off Twitter. At any rate, he's not BO. Thank goodness BO will leave office.

Our country has lost so much in the last eight years. The only thing we gained is a national debt (I think it's up to $21 trillion now) that will never be able to be paid off. And BO said President Bush should be ashamed of himself for leaving him, BO, a $2 trillion debt . . . DJT will have a $21 trillion debt left to him . . . Where's the press on that one? I haven't heard anything . . .

I really don't know why anyone would want to be president. You end up with mud on your name, nobody likes you, everybody hates you. I guess it's for the power hungry (duh), but I hope we get some good stuff happening soon, like fixing the healthcare system (why can't we have no-fault insurance for health like we have for autos--lotto-like?), carrying out consequences for terrorism and murder, jailing criminals--legal or illegal, and giving incentives to do good, like with small business owners, entrepreneurs and inventors.

Just my 2¢.

*Democrats will now get touche'd and see how they like it.
*Those who lived, and were politically savvy, during her husband's (travesty of a) presidency, remember HRC as a no-good. lying criminal, along with her husband.