Just like that, April is gone...(also April Books)

Well, April went by much faster than March did. It felt about a month long, while March was interminable. And even it was just the last two weeks of March that every day just felt like a week long pretty much!

We are ending April on a good note.

1. Abra has been spending 8 hours a day trying to call an EI Help Line (Employment Insurance) for an entire week. Friday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and now Thursday. This morning Dad and I knelt and had a special prayer asking that she would either get through today, or in some way find the answer to her problem. And she in some way did! She got the letter from them that had the access code she needed in today's mail--that was mailed 28 days ago.

2. I don't know why Abra's mail takes sooooo loooong. I mailed valentine cards to my kids all on the same day--Feb. 10 (I thought it was Feb. 7, but I actually procrastinated so they didn't actually go in the mail until Feb. 10) --this would be a better story if I remembered all the dates they got their cards. David and Abra did not have theirs for a long while. I thought that David would get his valentine card for his birthday because it was so late, but actually, he got his birthday card (late) and then a bit later, finally, his valentine card. That made me have high hopes for Abra's valentine card. On March 8, she thought she had it, delivered to the wrong address, but it was Nancy's valentine cards. That was nice--but I was like, what happened to the one I mailed? Well, it finally found its way back to me on April 28! Feb. 10 (18 days) to March 31 (31 days) to April 28 (28 days) = 77 days to go there and back again!! So it came to me, and I took pictures and sent them to her. Which is apparently what I need to do! And sent her a Walmart Canada gift card, which is apparently what I need to do!

3. I received notice that I achieved Continuing Faculty Status (Tenure at BYU) AND advanced to the rank of Senior Librarian! I already knew about the CFS because they already asked me to be the next department chair, for which CFS is a prerequisite, so that was kind of a heads up. But Senior was iffy. You see, I was appointed at associate level, and the Rank and Status committee this time just were not that keen on advancing people who were hired at associate. I was advised to go ahead with it, because the campus R & S might approve it, since according to the rules, I was fine. Just people's opinions. So, hurray!!! Now I just need to keep doing my job, and I won't have to spend hours of my time (and Nancy's time! my editor and graph and chart maker) making pages and pages of porfolio every year. Woot! (Now Nancy will be working on Andrew's portfolios....)

In news for May, Orem Public Library will be opening up. By appointment only, so they can limit how many people come in. I imagine they will require masks. They have acrylic protectors up around their people. They will open from 11-7 instead of 9-9. I think Josie is torn about this. Nice to be more normal, though in a weird way; worried because really? She worries about getting sick because she will be around a lot of people, even though it will be fewer at a time. I am not sure how they are planning to control the ingress and egress.

And last of all, April books! I read five books this month. None of them were real page-turners, but I was not that great at concentration this month.
1. Does this book make me look fat? -- this is a compilation of stories and experiences; some fiction, some true in this non-fiction anthology that explores body image. Fat, thin, short, tall, hair, all sorts of human features that have caused teens angst. Edited by Marissa Walsh. I picked it because it had a Jaclyn Moriarty story in it. And it happened to have a Daniel Pinkwater story in it, and that made me decide to read...
2. Young Adult Novel by Daniel Pinkwater. Huh. This was a very short, very strange book. A trio of Dadaists in a high school and their adventures there. This was and is a very highly rated novel. Which also kind of makes me go "Huh."
3. Discovering Great Singers of classic pop by Roy Hemming and David Hajdu. I read this book because sometimes I was just at home instead of being at work because we were being encouraged to work from home, so I had this book to read when I needed to be working, but didn't know what to do. It was interesting in a work kind of way. I learned a lot about some singers that I didn't know before. I learned about some singers who I was previously unaware of.
4. Stammer: Regaining my speech and my life by Darren Benham. I saw this nonfiction book on display on the Science shelves, and it looked interesting. It was and it wasn't. I really wanted to learn more about stammering and less about hurling. What even is hurling? It is one of the national sports of Ireland, that's what. And this man was a hurler as well as a stammerer. Well, I went to many, many hurling matches in this book. On the high school team, the college team, the county team, the city team, the club team...I attended more hurling matches than I ever thought I would. (And I had never heard of hurling before, so...I never thought I would ever go to a hurling match.)
5. The castle in the mist by Amy Ephron. I read this young reader novel in a day. Yesterday, actually. I happened to read that Nora Ephron (You've got mail; Sleepless in Seattle; When Harry met Sally, etc.) and her three sisters ALL are writers. Kind of like the Moriarty sisters! So I decided to read all of the sisters. I have started the second of Amy Ephron's novels about Tess and Max and the skeleton key today because I really liked the first one. This book is a quick, fun read. She makes the fantasy believable.

I am still reading several thick nonfiction books (besides Great Singers of Classic Pop) that will probably work my way through in the next month or so, interspersed with lighter fare!

In your dreams

Well--in my dreams, actually! Last night was a good dream night! I was having a very interesting dream, so was not pleased to wake up for a potty run. While I was out of bed, I was telling my dream to myself so I wouldn't forget it! And that worked like a charm, because once I was asleep, I had a related dream, like a part deux.

Part the first: Josie and I were taking a break from social distancing by flying to London, so we could be with our friends the Godivalas for Gemma's book launch! Yes, Gemma had written a book, part memoir, part history, and the book was doing very well. Gemma is an entertaining person, so the book was highly entertaining. I don't remember all the details, of course--they just got fuzzier and fuzzier after I woke up the first time, and even more after I woke up for the day! But I do remember that she told us that everyone in their family contributed to the book, either through writing or illustrations. This was easy to believe because they are all a creative bunch. Gemma did let me know, gently, that my hair did not look tip-top. I told her that it was because I could not go to my hairdresser due to social distancing. And she said, "Oh, it is different here! Hairdressers are considered essential services!" And that is about when I woke up.

In real life, they are concerned across the pond about the lack of hairdressers, too. In fact, real life Gemma had posted :

April 18 at 10:42 AM · 

Looking at the state of the menfolk in my house and thinking of starting a petition to have Tanya at Top Cutz designated as an essential worker. 😣))

Part deux: After I got back in bed and fell asleep, Josie and I were finished with our visit to England, so we were going to DRIVE home. Ahahahaha!!!! We were packing the car to leave, and Gemma came out and said, "You know, my mum and her friend would really like to go with you! Do you have room for them?"  And we were all like "Sure!" Josie and I started to make room by moving things around in our car. Josie and I are both very light packers now, but when Josie was a little girl, she often took LOTS of things with her on trips! I remember talking about that in real life recently, so I guess that conversation decided to show up in my dream. We had lots of stuff we had to move to make room for two people in the back seat. (The dream car was my actual silver KIA.)

And then somehow, not shown in the dream, we managed to drive home across the ocean! Except I don't really know where home was...I think we were in Utah, but not in any house that is familiar to me. Just like the driving home wasn't shown, neither was the first scene of arrival. Cut to waking up in the morning. Dream me got up, and wondered where Dream Josie was. The person who seemed to own the Dream House, who I think was my sister Colleen, informed me that Josie and Arlene (my other sister) had gone on a drive with Josie's grandmother, my mother-in-law, and Kathleen, Arlene's mother-in-law. They were going to the mall. Dream me knew that both of these women are deceased, but somehow in the dream, that was okay.

What wasn't okay was that our guests, Gemma's mother and her friend, were up and about and wanting something to do, but the car was gone because Josie and Arlene had it. I mentioned that our guests might like to go to the mall with the others, so person-who-I-think-was-Colleen told me to call Josie. So I did, and I could hear her phone ringing--she had left it behind, which is very uncharacteristic of her. There was a dream baby who toddled over to find the source of the ringing, and I had to stop dream baby. (IDK who it was.)

So I called Arlene, and she answered on the first ring to say that she and Josie and the two dead grandmothers had driven to Murray to pick up Mary (my cousin) and even though Mary lives an hour away, I suggested that after they pick up Mary, they should come back and get our guests, and they said they would. None of us seemed bothered that my five-seater KIA would need to hold seven people, unless of course we weren't worried because two of the occupants were ghosts and so wouldn't take up much room.

And then I woke up for the day! 

Reflections on the Good Friday Fast

I am sitting here in the quiet of an Easter Sunday morning, and reflecting on the opportunity to fast on Good Friday. That was an amazing experience. I think it is well summed up in the words of Trey Price, one of the people who joined the Worldwide Fast April 10 Facebook Group: The true miracle this week? Roughly half a million people came together, realized we are more alike than we will ever be different, and prayed for the greater good.

Because of that group--because I was fasting with people from many walks of life, from many faith traditions (the person who I quoted above is Baptist) I felt energized to participate in this fast. Fasting for help during this pandemic is important to me, but joining with this diverse group of people just added meaningfulness to the opportunity to fast.

For me, Friday was shaping up to be a "work hard" kind of day. When we first went into living this alternate reality, working was hard for me--I just couldn't focus, and whether I was trying to work in my office or at home, I was just not very productive, honestly. In an effort to improve, I have embarked on a large project with the PIVA collection. I am moving out all of the oddly sized scores (mini, quarto, folio) in order to make more room for the standard sized scores. It involves checking each score, deciding where it will go, sending lists to Janet, my cataloguer, and doing the actual moving. So Friday was going to be pretty intense--I was going to have to do some major shifting in the Quartos to fit in a shelve of viola concertos.

Often, when I fast, I allow myself a lazy day--not expending much energy--but this was not part of my Friday plan. I started fasting on Thursday night at 6:40, and planned to go an entire 24 hours, another thing I don't really hold myself firmly to on a Sunday fast. The only thing I was allowing myself was to drink one bottle of water during my fast. On Sundays, because I sing so much with the children, I need water or I can't sing. For this fast, I would need water because I was working with dusty books, and I didn't want to put myself into a coughing fit or any people who might hear me might think "Dry cough! COVID-19!!"

While I was working at my desk making lists (I get scores, do lists, do housekeeping details that each score might need, then go and shelve the scores--giving myself variety in my work) I would listen to the scriptures. I kept a prayer in my heart, and paused several times to say a quiet prayer listing all of the things I was praying for. My mind stayed very focused on the reason for my fast. I was very intentional. And this made so much difference.

It was a privilege to fast with this group of people for this purpose. I do not know how quickly we will receive relief from this pandemic, but I know that it will come. Part of me thinks, honestly, that we as a world NEED this pandemic. We have become so worldly, so far from being the kind, thoughtful, respectful people that we need to be. We have become so divided. I feel like we need a re-set.

In one of his books on healing, Dr. Bernie Segal tells the story of himself vacuuming one day, while thinking about and praying silently about some of his cancer patients. The vacuum started behaving badly, so Dr. Segal pushed the reset button. (I could understand this very well, because my vacuum that I used at the time also had a reset button!) Then he prayed, "Lord, why can't there be a reset button for people?" And the answer came: "There is. It's called pain and suffering."

So, this pandemic has given the world a reset. I hope we can be humble enough to learn from it. Because we are all literally "all in this together." As a society, we have GOT to realize that what affects one person affects us all, whether it be disease, health care, education, nutrition, etc. We have got to become more compassionate, and before that, more aware. I know that I can be one of the most oblivious people on the planet, so I need to learn these things, too. Sometimes I just don't notice. I have got to learn to notice.

So, in summation, I am very grateful for having the opportunity to fast in such an intentional way. I did not feel one bit like fasting was a burden--it felt like a privilege, really. That on the day where we remember the sacrifices that Christ made in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross at Calvary, that I could make such a small sacrifice as to abstain from food for 24 hours. Compared to the sacrifices that Christ made, in pain and suffering and death, what I did was so small. I felt such overwhelming gratitude for the Savior. I felt the love of God. When I closed my fast with prayer at about 6:35 on Friday evening, I wept with gratitude for the experience, and for my Savior whose example I am trying to follow.

Conference April 2020

While I can still remember, I need to write down all the things that really touched my heart during this conference session.

On Saturday morning, I can't remember who it was, but he is a heart surgeon and told about the man who needed a new heart, and was waiting for a donor heart. In the meantime, he especially enjoyed getting to know and work on projects with his grandson. And then one day, a donor heart was available--and it was his grandson's heart! Oh my, how I wept! Can you imagine being those parents/children--offering your dead son's heart to your father? And how he wanted to say no to that heart--how could he take the heart of that much loved grandson, who he would rather have alive than he himself.  Yet, after sober reflection and prayer, he took the proffered heart. And was a changed man. How could he help but think, every day, of his grandson, whose heart was now beating in his own chest? How could he help but live a careful life, with that treasured heart making that life possible? He lived for twelve years, doing good things with that gift of a heart.

On Saturday evening, it was the youth speaking! How amazing was that, to have young teenagers, a girl and a boy, speak? They were both so composed--I am sure it helped that the only congregation was a virtual one--but wow! I was just so impressed by that inclusion!

This morning, it was Sister Bonnie Cordon, telling that story about the time she forgot to feed the chickens because Elder Perry and his son were being hosted at her home. And Elder Perry and his son offering to help her feed the chickens. And Bonnie being so excited to have their help, that she went skipping off to happily do her chores, swinging the flashlight but failing to light the unknown path for her helpers. Elder Perry tripped and fell, and then gently chided her that it is great to have your light shining, but you need to shine it where it can help those that are following you. Such a great parable. I could see myself in Bonnie--neglecting to do my chores was something that I would definitely do as a young girl, just as she did! And dashing off without worrying about if the ones behind me could see--that also rang true to me, reflecting on my own youth! Just some melancholy and food for thought in that talk.

The Hosanna Shout!  Gemma Godivala had posted this on her FB status yesterday, reposted from her friend:

For my LDS friends watching conference this weekend. My friend Monica just sent this to me. She is a professor of Hebrew at BYU.

Just a note about the Hebrew and symbolism in the Hosanna Shout that we’ll participate in during tomorrow’s Solemn Assembly. Hosanna in English comes from two Hebrew words. הושע and נא. The first part הושע is the command form of the verb meaning “save” (interestingly its the same verb that Jesus’ earthly name comes from. Jesus means Salvation in Hebrew) and נא is a particle of entreaty meaning “please.” We’ll wave white handkerchiefs or hands (palm branches in the New Testament at Jesus’ triumphant entry) in order to get God’s attention and to focus our own attention on what we are doing. As we repeat Hosanna we are asking God to please save us. Literally. Save us please! There is great power in communal acts of prayer and this holy act, usually only performed as part of temple dedications, in particular. I hope this helps you understand what it is you're doing as you participate in this holy act tomorrow. 😘

In this time of COVID-19 and the global havoc being created by it, to ask SAVE US PLEASE!! really was touching to me!

This afternoon: was it Elder Stevenson who told the stories about death? First, the three children who were buried in the Pacific isle, and their mother had not been able to get back to visit their graves? And David O McKay visited their graves for her. That was very touching to me. And then the couple serving as mission presidents, whose friend died while they were on their mission, after years of loving friendship.  Both those stories really touched me.

The temple announcements, the Apostolic Blessing pronounced by the prophet, the beautiful closing hymn sung by choirs from all over the world. What a way to end the conference! I really needed a lift--and I also have really needed to cry--and I got both! A lift and plenty of tears shed!

PS -- Also the worldwide fast on Good Friday.  Jeremy Grimshaw posted on FB yesterday that now all the Mormons will be googling "Good Friday." What? Does he seriously think that Mormons don't know what Good Friday is?! Maybe not Utah Mormons, but all Canadians of any religious persuasion know what Good Friday is. It is a stat holiday in Canada! And many, many other countries! Easter Monday is not necessarily a holiday--up to the provinces--but Good Friday is a national holiday. It was weird to me how that is not a thing in Utah. Some people think it is a Catholic thing! I mean, I know it is a holiday for them, but it is an important day! Like Christmas is important because of Christ's birth and Good Friday is important because of Christ's death! Anyway--back to the fast--my friend invited me to join a FB group about the fast, and it is really cool, because there are people of all sorts of religions who are joining the fast. Some giving up food, others giving up something else, like Social Media, because the prayers and faith of ALL are needed in this COVID-19 battle.

Masks

On April 1, my friend Tanielle posted an article on Facebook about wearing masks to help with NOT sharing viruses. They use masks in Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore--often. Some people use them regularly. Since some Asian countries are doing much better at containing the spread of the virus than non-mask wearing countries are, it made sense to me that of course masks would help. They might not be perfect, but it just seemed logical to me that they would help.

Also Tanielle (MeiHwa Tanielle) is FROM a mask-wearing country. And she has a PhD in biochemistry, so I figured if she is promoting mask-wearing, then I should look into masks. I started looking on Amazon to see if I could order some, but the delivery dates are like in May. And I need to go to the store on Monday during the Senior Citizen shopping time.

I thought about asking my friend Jeanne in Seattle about buying masks from her, but she is really busy cranking out masks for doctors offices and her neighbors in Seattle, where the virus is much worse (in numbers) than here. Jeanne's masks are very cute.

Then, yesterday, Patrick told me that they are required in Hawaii to wear masks now, and he couldn't find any to buy, and if you order them on Amazon, you have a long wait. So I just decided to have Jeanne mail him three masks. I had Josie paypal her the money (she charges only for postage and then whatever you want to donate for the fabric and her time--I donated quite nicely because I know that she is doing a good work.) I told Jeanne that I was going to make some masks for us.

So I did that today. Mine is not as pretty as the ones Jeanne makes, which are quite adorable, I think.
Mine is brown. And after I made it, I made a second one. So now we have two. (Josie has a mask that she got at the doctor's office near the beginning of this craziness. She can wear it a time or two.) I will make more masks another day. I will look to see if I can find any better fabric.

Jeanne sent these instructions, which I shared with Patrick, for when his masks get there, which is hopefully soon. Jeanne's masks: "Quilting cotton is 79% effective—more so than the simple surgical masks. If you’ve asked me to make them for you, they have one outer layer of quilting cotton and two layers of soft natural cotton muslin next to your face. Hand wash in dish soap and moderately hot water after each wear, or throw in laundry on delicate."

Maybe I can drag that musical notes cotton out from under the couch and turn that into masks! Because that might look better than this:

Lest we forget COVID-19

My friend Denyse (Clifton) posted this, from an Alberta perspective, and I think it is worth keeping:

Just so I NEVER forget.....

Gas prices at a record low 54.9 in Leduc today
School cancelled March 15, 2020
Self-distancing measures on the rise.
Tape on the floors at grocery stores and others to help distance shoppers 2m (6ft) from each other.
Limited number of people inside stores, therefore lineups outside the store doors.
Non-essential stores and businesses mandated closed.
Parks, trails, entire cities locked up.
Entire sports seasons cancelled.
Concerts, tours, festivals, entertainment events - cancelled.
Weddings, family celebrations, holiday gatherings - cancelled.
No masses, churches are closed.
No gatherings of 50 or more, then 20 or more, now 5 or more.
Don't socialize with anyone outside of your home.
Children's outdoor play parks are closed.
We are to distance from each other.
Shortage of masks, gowns, gloves for our front-line workers.
Shortage of ventilators for the critically ill.
Panic buying sets in and we have no toilet paper, no disinfecting supplies, no paper towel no laundry soap, no hand sanitizer, no flour, no bread and other dry food
Shelves are bare.
Manufacturers, distilleries and other businesses switch their lines to help make visors, masks, hand sanitizer and PPE.
Government closes the border to all non-essential travel, calls Canadians home and makes it mandatory to self isolate for 14 days.
Fines are established for breaking the rules.
AB Kenny Govt uses education funding to temporarily fund COVID 19 emergency funds.
Stadiums and recreation facilities open up for the overflow of Covid-19 patients.
Press conferences daily from Prime Minister Trudeau.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Deena Hinshaw gives daily updates on Alberta’s new cases, recoveries, and deaths.
Government incentives to stay home.
Barely anyone in the street or on the roads.
People wearing masks and gloves outside.
Essential service workers are terrified to go to work. Protective shields are set up at cashiers.
Medical field workers are afraid to go home to their families.
1,000,000 applications for Employment Insurance as people go without work.

They say it started in Wuhan, China at a seafood market. Hundreds of thousands affected, dead, dying, critically ill.
Many recovered.
This is the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic, declared March 11th, 2020.
Why, you ask, do I write this status?
One day it will show up in my memory feed, and it will be a yearly reminder that life is precious. To not take the things we dearly love for granted
We have so much!
Be thankful. Be grateful.
Be kind to each other - love one another - support everyone.
We are all one! ❤️