Searls Stuff

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Family Staycation 2020 Day 1

Our family had planned to take a road trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks this summer. Unfortunately, COVID-19 threw a monkey wrench into those plans. We ended up canceling our trip and opted for a staycation at Scott's house. Between the family Class-C, the quilting room, our 5th wheel, and Scott's house, we managed to provide everyone with a place to sleep, pee, poop, clean up, and eat. Conditions weren't ideal; but, we managed to make the best of it for a day or so.

On our first day of staycation, we held the annual June Birthday celebration. Normally, we all go down to Round Rock, Texas and watch a baseball game, eat yummy dollar hot dogs, and enjoy an evening sweating in the stands, cheering on the Ranger farm team. Sadly, the Round Rock ball park is now a farm team for Houston... AND, they aren't playing ball due to COVID-19 right now anyway.

Our celebration honored Ron, Scott, Jamie, Samantha, Sophia, Sophie, Boomer and now Mark and Marian. We also threw in a Father's Day treat of grilled steak for the dads.

Scott manned the grill, the ladies provided sides, Jamie made cakes, the kids splashed in the pool, we gathered around Scott's newly purchased outdoor swamp cooler, and enjoyed one another's company.

The west end of Scott's house is the most shaded. It is also close to the pool and trampoline. We set up both of our awnings, moved his grill station down, and set up the tables and chairs. There was some shade for everyone during most of the day. That's not bad for a crowd this size.

We decided to have grilled steak and chicken with baked potatoes cooked in the crock pot, pasta salad, green salad, fresh fruit, and cake for dessert.

Scott's grill station is amazing. However, he really needs a prep area. I imagine he will either build or buy one soon.

We aren't big on gift giving; just mainly gifts for the grandkids. The newest members of the family (Jamie and Molly) are still adjusting to that custom.

Almost everyone was here this day. Seth was the only absentee. Even Mark and Marian, Molly's folks joined us. They both have June birthdays as well!

Jamie is usually our cake master for family gatherings; but, Leslie wanted to make sure she got a birthday treat. She found some ice cream cup cakes at the local HEB. I think this sweet lady deserved a special treat all her own.

The girls each got a pool float. Thank goodness for power pumps!

The twins got bucket hats with UV protection from Mimi. I was a total fail at keeping them greased up with sun screen the last time they stayed over night and swam all day. I felt so much better with this added layer of protection.

Maggie called me one day (during the stay at home pandemic phase) complaining about being bored. I tasked her with making birthday banners for all of our June birthday peeps. She even included Boomer. She got them all made and hung them around the edges of the awnings.

The only thing I failed to get a picture of on our first staycation day was Scott's swamp cooler. He bought one at Home Depot. It was a life safer in this Texas heat. Jamie had also bought a snow cone maker. Those things were super sweet but amazingly refreshing!

But, the most enjoyable cooling treat was the pool. The grands lived in it most of the day.

We even pumped up the inflatable boat that we bought a few years ago. I attempted to teach each of the girls how to row. They did a pretty good job for their first time.

When they weren't in the boat, they were so good about waiting their turn.

Even Poppy spent some time in the pool during the rowing lessons.

Uncle Scott had to get in and show them how easy it is to row, once you get the hang of things.

We couldn't have a birthday celebration without the traditional pinata. Thanks, Les and Gerson!

It wasn't the most sturdy thing; but, each of the girls took a whack at it.

Even Uncle Scott grabbed some candy!

I guess Uncle Ryan is too old for grabbing pinata candy off the ground. I figure he will raid the twins' stash.

Ron, Scott, and Molly supervising the chaos!

Our day ended with everyone except Rebecca, crashing in either the RV or sewing room. Our first day of staycation wasn't as exciting as it would have been if we had made it to Yellowstone. But, Scott kept us informed about the things we were missing; a water boil notice for the West Yellowstone area, and heavy storms. I count that as a blessing for staying home.

Monday, June 8, 2020

COVID 19 Gradual Resumption of Normal Life

It is now the beginning of June, and life has started to return to normal... somewhat. Businesses are slowly reopening. Many people have returned to work. Doctors, dentists, and service industries are treating people while following strict safety guidelines. Some churches and daycare centers are back in operation; but, with restricted attendance. And, most state borders are relaxing the self quarantine expectations, allowing for more frequent state to state travel. It is progress of a sort. However, we, as a country, still have a lot of unknowns ahead of us. For example; no one really knows what public school will look like in the fall or how long it will take for the economy to recover. I simply cannot help but think this might just be our new normal until the Savior comes. There are just too many prophesied events that are taking place to deny that this is indeed the end of times.

All of that being said, as I look back on the past 3 months, I can see areas where I have weathered the storm well. And, there are areas where I stand in need of improvement. But, as should be the case with this thing we call life, I have learned much. The most important lesson is this; I must continue to live my life the best way I know how.

Staying anxiously engaged and being productive with the time as we have sheltered at home, has given me a sense of accomplishment AND help me keep sane. Here is a brief photographic look at life during COVID-19.

I have worked on inventory for the Etsy shop, and donations for the One Million Pillowcase challenge and various quilt charities.

I went up to Ft. Worth to help the Gutierrez girls finish their at home learning assignments while Leslie finished her end of the year documentation for her speech patients.

I enjoyed local wildlife on my daily walks, like a crazy crawfish crawling along the side of the road! And, I watched a strange lizard and huge moth take up residence in the ash tree in Scott's back yard. I have also had 2 encounters with egg-stealing snakes outside the chicken coop.

We have planted a small, raised garden in Scott's back yard. So far we have picked 3 squash and one tomato. I hope we never have to sustain life with this tiny garden!

When shelter at home restrictions started to ease, Leslie brought Maggie down to learn how to use the quilting machine. She finished her elementary school T-shirt quilt.

I shopped Bountiful Baskets for the first time. It is a way to get fresh produce from local co-ops. The food was fresh and plentiful; almost too much for Ron and I. We ended us sharing with Scott and Molly.

While in Ft. Worth, I got to do a little crafting. We painted sea shells that were collected in Port Aransas. Then, we made some garden gnomes from clay flower pots. I've worked a ton of puzzles, colored coloring sheets, completed word search puzzles, binge watched The Black List and Midsommer Murders on Netflix and Prime, and worked on completing the Yellowstone 128 mile virtual hike. As of today, I only have 45 miles to go!

During this time, Ron and I have had to review our lives and make the difficult decision to move out of the RV and find a townhouse to live in. His health makes it difficult to travel full-time, so we've been driving around neighborhoods in Temple and looking at several options. We just recently found a townhouse in Temple and will move in there later this month. Before that can happen, we need to replace all of the furniture we sold when we sold our house. I've started by becoming and "Indian Giver" and taking back furniture I gave our kids. We refinished a couple of rocking side chairs that had originally belonged to my parents, went with Leslie when she moved to Dallas for college, and finally made their way to Scott's house.

We have started packing items we will take to the townhouse, while leaving the basic necessities in the RV. I have decided that the minimalist lifestyle really appeals to me. Having fewer possessions actually lifts my spirits. Ron and I have a followed a rule while living in the RV that we will try to continue to apply in the townhouse. If you bring an item into the house, you must eliminate an item from the house. The land fills, Goodwill stores, resale stores, and close-out stores are evidence that society has placed a lot of value of having stuff.

So, as Ron and I transition into this next chapter of our lives, we hope and pray that we can continue to weather the storms of life in a way that provides us with growth, happiness, and a renewed faith in God and our fellow man.

Monday, May 18, 2020

Together Again - Finally! The best Mother's Day gift ever.

Our country still continues to struggle to comply with the restrictions set in place by health and government officials because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbot started easing restrictions on gatherings and travel at the beginning of May. Some city parks reopened their walking paths, restaurants and businesses started admitting 25% of their normal capacity, and the number of people suggested for group gatherings increased to 25 or less. Those guidelines made our family feel a little easier about getting together again. We haven't been able to be together since Christmas and we were all missing one another tremendously.
We decided to brave the virus and gather at Scott's house on Saturday, May 9th, to celebrate Mother's Day. The Gutierrez gang came down on Thursday and stayed until Sunday. The rest of the family came down early on Saturday and stayed until well after dark. We kept our distance and continued using our air hugs, air high fives, and lots of hand sanitizer, Lysol spray, and Clorox wipes; just to be on the safe side. It seems so strange to not hug and smooch the grandkids! But, I know, this time of social and physical restriction will pass... eventually.
Our day was filled with lots of catching up with one another's lives, playing on the trampoline, climbing in the tree fort, playing with the archery set, and swimming in the pool. We had wonderful food; grilled fajitas and all the trimmings. Welcomed new members to the tribe; Molly's mother and father, Marian and Mark. Watched the dogs romp with long lost fur friends. And laughed. Oh, how I have missed the sound of my loud family, talking over one another and laughing... a lot!
Lots of pictures were taken by several family members. But, at the time of posting this, I only have access to the ones I took. Maybe I'll add others at some point. Until then, I think these paint a wonderful picture of how much we all enjoyed the day.

POOL TIME!!

It was pretty cool on Saturday; but, kids just don't seem to mind swimming in cold water during cold weather. They went through a bazillion beach towels so we have GOT to figure out a system to control that craziness! They played with giant inflatables and really appreciated Scott's salt filter. No red chlorine eyes!!!

Samantha and Maggie

Sophie

Maggie, Sophia, Samantha

Wonderful Conversation!!

(how business, state services, health services, and education are adjusting)

Becca and Seth drove in from Gatesville and stayed for a while after we ate. We are so thankful that both are still working full time on site. So far, neither of their places of employment have had any positive cases. From what Becca has told us, safety measures are extensive and strictly enforced while making sure their residents feel safe and cared for. The community constantly sends in treats for the health care workers. It is heart warming how supportive they have been.

Seth works for a company that coats various types of machinery and solar panels. Luckily, construction seems to be one area that has continued to be productive and his company supports the construction industry. He expects to continue working full time.

Molly updated us on what it is like to be working for the state from here at Scott's house. He has set up an office for her in the guest room. Unfortunately, she still needs to drive to Austin from time to time to drop off or pick up paperwork. There has been no discussion about when state offices will resume normal business hours on site either.

Jamie is working full time from home as well. It was interesting to hear her talk about how this has opened up a whole discussion on privacy issues regarding client information; and, issues with financial security and confidentiality that were never before imagined! They have one advisor on site most days, so she fills in when they need her. Otherwise, she is busy taking care of her family and her mother. I worry she will overdo it and make herself sick; but, she seems to thrive of serving her family.

Leslie, Seth, Rebecca, and Jamie

Jamie and Rebecca

Seth

Ryan and Leslie

Molly's parents came up from Round Rock to have dinner with us. Ron and I had met Mark and Marian before; but, the rest of the family had not. They take care of Molly's dog, Dash, and they brought him along. He is just the sweetest dog! But, he is pretty old, blind, and only has one tooth. He seemed perfectly happy sitting on someone's lap and didn't seem at all bothered by the number of dog scents around him. Marian is a retired Texas Parks employee and Mark is a retired educator. They are lovely people and seem to be able to tolerate our loud, crazy family. I'm sure we will see more of them. Usually, Jamie's mother joins us; but, she felt it was a bit safer to not leave her home just yet.

Mark and Ron

Marian

We were updated on what the three school districts our family members are associated with are currently doing to meet the academic needs of the students. So many families are in survival mode; and, just getting bills paid and food on the table consumes most of their waking hours. It may appear that what districts are providing, seems to not be taken advantage of by many parents. The percentage of students that have not participated in one single online lesson may even seem shocking. However, from experience I know that many parents are trying to get by on minimum wage jobs. Many, do not even have a high school education themselves and simply cannot understand the work students are expected to complete. And even as hard as it may see to most people, many families do not have internet access. I am so thankful I have retired! It would all be so heartbreaking for me. Not to mention technologically challenging! But, Ryan continues to put his lesson packets together, meet online with the 3-5 students that are able to sign in, holds online meetings to explain the work to the parents that need that type of support. an And, he continues to attend his staff meetings and try to stay up to day on guidelines and expectations. Jamie is supplementing what the twins receive for instruction by coming up with creative theme nights and assigning different learning tasks for them, all while working from home herself. Leslie is working with her girls to get their work complete while trying to do speech therapy with her own patients on the computer. Federal guidelines and ARD requirements have lead to many, many amendments and additional paper work for her. I don't think I have ever seen her so stressed out. It is such a challenging time and so much of what everyone has to do is decided upon as they work their way through this unfamiliar territory. I cannot help but hope that educational experts will figure out ways to deal with pandemics and other unexpected emergencies that disrupt the educational system. It might just be time for a complete overhaul.

Sophia, Scott, Ron, Molly, Jamie, Leslie, Rebecca, Samantha

Maggie, Sophia, Sophie, Scott, Molly, Ron

Ryan and his unruly fur children: Cocoa and Jack

Game Time!!

We usually play games when we get together; but, today we spent most of our time just catching up. We did end up spending some time playing Bingo. Probably because Jamie brought chocolate prizes!

Gwen

Maggie, Ron, Jamie

Searls Family Field Day!!

Sophie had received a packet from her PE teacher with all descriptions of all the events she had planned for the school field day. Sophie was told to play some of the games with her family; but, we decided to plan a Searls Field Day. It was the perfect time for her to get that assignment. We had an assortment of physical activities: ladder ball, clothes relay, penguin race, fastest folder (towels), basket trap, spoon relay, and we ended up the competition by playing Look for the Good. We had to find things in nature that started with L, F, T, and G. We pulled scraps of fabric to divided ourselves into 3 teams:

yellow (Molly, Samantha, Ryan, and Poppy)

green (Sophia, Maggie, and Leslie)

brown (Sophie, Jamie, Scott, and I)

Luckily, we had an even mix of young and older people on each team. The brown team members were crowned champions.