Exploring Altus

Our week started out on an exciting note...tornadoes!  The very thing that made Analiese nervous about our move had come to Oklahoma.  I didn't even know about them until later, which means, obviously, they weren't on top of us!   Instead, they were closer to OKC and some very sad things happened (including elementary schools being hit).  In the meantime, though, everyone not in OK were calling, texting, emailing, etc.  Finally, I had to post on FB..."The Boltons are okay in OK!"

The kids succumbed to allergies this week and Analiese has yet to get over her cough.  Still, we did well enough to begin actually exploring our new town.  What else did we have to do?

Tuesday and Wednesday were highlights for Jonathan, going to the AFB.  A family in our ward is being transferred and they needed help moving and cleaning their base housing.  Ken & Jonathan went Tuesday evening and the kids went with  me Monday.  We had to wait in a visitors area after having my ID checked & double checked and then we had to be escorted by either the brother or sister to their home.  The kids never complained for a moment about having to help (though, really, Analiese just played with the dog - the sister said the dog was feeling neglected and confused, so it was a good thing) and we got to see some cool planes taking off.  At one point, Jonathan cleaning a window in the master bedroom, he called me to look at something.  It was a jackrabbit, hopping around the grass, long ears alertly up.  The AFB is surrounded by a wooded area, so it wasn't surprising to see wildlife.

Thursday was the clincher...this our new home town.  We went to the library!  And a good thing, too!  It is small, not nearly as nice as the big one in Corona, but the librarians were over-the-top friendly & helpful.  They found me a map of the town (I wanted one for the fun of marking things on it), gave me fliers for upcoming events, and were just as nice and chatty as can be.  Now, it may be small, but I did find books by favorite authors that I hadn't read.  They have weekly crafts and activities for kids, even some for teens.  They even have an art class Analiese can take the week Jonathan is at Scout Camp (blessing!).  And while I can't check out books yet (no local utility bill), they said we could reserve them or even just come over and read.

I've been doing my laundry at a laundromat just steps from our new home (the motel laundry is just awful and I've already ruined a favorite shirt there).  While I hate going twice a week (but we only have so many clothes - what we packed), it has become an interested place for people-watching and catching up on gossip.  It is also next door to the United Supermarket, so I've been comparing their prices to the Great Big Blue Monster (aka Walmart).  A little here, a little there.  Oh well.

Here's my hand-drawn map of the area (just the two blocks).  Our home is the red box, United is the big brown U and the laundromat is the small brown L.  Every time I go, I have to drive past the house. 😃 I just want to see it!

We are still attempting to figure out 4-H.  The GPS Saturday was absolutely stumped and couldn't locate the address (somewhere between the college and our credit union??).  I'll have to call them next week.  The kids really want to a) participate and b) have something to do.

Maybe next week I'll describe the tiny apartment we're staying in now.  It's interesting trying to maneuver around each other or cook decent meals in the kitchen with only a small pot and skillet.  But, the pool is open and that makes Analiese happy...at least, when I take her there!

AH-CHOO!

For a remote area with not much to do, we've found plenty...to do!  Saturday afternoon we drove to Lawton, 45 minutes away, to see the Stake Center, go to Sam's Club and have a nice early Mother's Day dinner.

Apparently, it's where people go when they need stuff.  We saw one family from our new ward at Sam's.  And we received a phone call from another while there inviting Jonathan to  a dance that night...in Lawton!  

So we waited, going around town to see things and have dinner, until the dance started.  Jonathan met up with his new quorum members as Ken & I visited with the Young Men's president and his wife, who were to take Jonathan back to Altus for us.  Then we came back to the Friendship Inn.

Mother's Day was rather, uhm, anticlimactic.  We'd already gone to dinner the day before and Ken had purchased me an orchid plant, so Sunday wasn't much to think of, except that I wasn't with MY mother on Mother's Day.

Church was nice, though.  The ward, though small, is friendly.  The Relief Society President tried very hard to make me feel welcome and included.  And it's a sure thing that I'll be playing the piano during Relief Society.  One gal did a 1 finger-play during the meeting,
but she's moving to Delaware next week (AFB people).  The ward gave the mothers little sunflower seeds in a pot and the Relief Society gave us cookies.

But after church we moved from our little suite to an apartment until the house is ready for us to move into.  It is larger and has a kitchen, but is rather shabby and smells.  I will be grateful when we can be in our own home.

Monday was just a day of getting things done.  Ken went to work, Jonathan went to Seminary.  I did shopping and then took the kids with me as we went to the storage unit to let the movers fill it with our stuff.  That took about 3 1/2 hours and I got a horrid sunburn (I had to stay with the stuff and check off the boxes to make sure we got everything).  Then we went to do laundry.  Since it was Jonathan's 16th birthday (Yeah, Jonathan!), we went to dinner.  It was an anticlimactic day for him, too.  

Tuesday wasn't so great, mainly because I wasn't feeling well.  It wasn't a result of the sunburn, but (I think) of the air conditioning unit in our hotel apartment.

The thing was coated with dust, even the ceiling in front of it had a layer.  When the housekeeping gal came by, I asked her if it could be vacuumed or cleaned.  She had a maintenance guy come and replace the filter (VERY dirty) and clean the front grill.  

Still, the damage was done.  I've had a very sore throat all day.  I managed to take a nap mid-day, but it has only slowed a little.

So we didn't done much and the kids, Jonathan in particular, were very bored.  We had walked to Walmart in the morning, but most of it was spent in the apartment.  TV only entertains so long, they watched a movie on Amazon Instant Video, and played some games on the iPad.  I'd take them out, but I still didn't feel well.

On the bright side, I did cook dinner (well, I cooked the chicken to go in the caesar salad) and Ken got to have a meal his wife had prepared for him for the first time in 11 months.  That in itself was reason for celebration!

The best laid plans...blah, blah, blah.  I got sick with a sinus infection, brought on by that nasty a/c.  It settled in my head and in my chest.  I've been exhausted and hot (fever?) and totally disgusted

Because of it, that means the kids sit around all day while I lay in bed, blowing my nose continually and coughing up gunk.  I tried to go out Wednesday, but in Walmart (getting me some meds), Jonathan said, "You are sick, we should go back."

So we did.  Thankfully, Ken's evening was free and he took them around to see things to do in town.  The sun doesn't set here until nearly 9 o'clock, so that gave them time to be out and about.

The first week's been pretty rough.  Sitting around a smelly hotel room/apartment, sick, tired & (in the case of the kids) really bored.  As Analiese put it today, the adventure is pretty much gone.

The kids have been showing signs of allergy/sinus issues.  Analiese did NOT want to go to church today because her throat hurt so much.  But, with Jonathan being ordained a priest, and Ken doing it, and me playing piano for sacrament meeting or the ward having no music, she was stuck.  She dragged her heels, made her mother find everything (Mom, I can't find _______!), and after a dosing of Tylenol, went to church and was fine.

People have been really nice in the ward and we've found plenty for us to do.  Jonathan & Ken went to help roof someone's house Saturday and are going to help with moving someone else's stuff on Tuesday.  The kids and I are going to help clean up the same moving people Wednesday.  And Jonathan is signed up for Scout Camp in June & Youth Conference in July!  Plus, there's Scouts for him and Activity Days for Analiese this week. It helps quell the boredom.

Which has really been the biggest problem.  The kids are learning that day-long TV is not fun and they hate being cooped up all day.  I'd take them out but with me not feeling well, it's not been as much fun.

Hopefully, this next

week will be better.  Especially hoping the CA house clears completely so those poor people can move in and our paperwork here can be completed.

LIFE IN A SMALL TOWN

(Part 1 of ?)

Yep, it's small.  Yesterday we ran errands all around town.  There are four main streets to deal with: Main (duh), Broadway, Park Lane (Somebody liked Monopoly?), and Tamarack. That's it.  There's lots of little streets, though and the Air Force Base (in the future to be known as AFB), which I have no clue about.

Drove past our soon-to-be house.  Still looks cute, though the pathway & sidewalk need redoing.  Eventually.  It's not on my urgent timeline.  Not only is United Grocery across the road from it, a laundromat is next to the store.  So, in the meantime, places to shop & clean clothing.  And our storage unit is just down the road.

From the motel where we're currently staying, the Wal-mart is just a few minutes walk, as is the bank, our mailbox, and other stores.  We're off Main Street (see paragraph One), so everything is here and convenient.

We cruised around the reservoir yesterday.  It is surrounded by grass and parks and I guess is the place to walk and picnic and play.  We didn't do anything of that sort, though, because after the rain of the day before, it was more like swampland than parkland.  Still, we saw some interesting waterbirds and lots of Canadian geese.  Apparently they like it here.

And we've met the ward...some of them...well, probably most of them.  Last night the Young Men had a fundraising luau dinner for Scout Camp (In June...Jonathan made it in time!).  Analiese, true to form, was off like a shot making friends.  A gal in the ward (it is going to take me a while to learn & remember names), said that there are seven girls in Activity Days and they are all nice and friendly.  Good, so is she!

It wasn't a huge group, like we're used to, but those who were there participated well.  Because of the AFB, there are lots of young families, so they have many little children.  They even put up a kiddie table for ward events!  They had plenty of games for the kids, tossing, coconut rolling, limbo, etc. and the Scouts and their leaders put on a condensed modernized version of Johnny Lingo (it was quite funny).  Then they had a pie auction...not to eat, but to throw at the Scouts.  The Scoutmaster earned $45 on himself alone!  

They also partied long and hard.  It started at 6:30 and we finally left after 9:15.  I don't know how much they earned, but they worked hard at it.  They offered dinner, virgin pina coladas, dessert, and pie tossing.  But they seem a friendly lot (the RS president gave me a tour around the building) and, given time, we will fit in.  Because they have so much turnover, they're not unfriendly to strangers.

THE PUSH

Other than one picture of the clouds that the kids took, there will be no other pictures of yesterday.  That's because the day was not about sightseeing, but about getting to Oklahoma...and Ken/Dad.

We left Albuquerque at 8:00 a.m. for a straight shot to Amarillo.  Other than bathroom & stretch breaks, we did not stop. My back had about had it with the days of never-ending driving and I was so tired.  I was looking forward to stopping...permanently!

We had lunch at Taco Bell in Amarillo.  Because we had to wait for Ken to get off work  so he could meet us in Memphis, TX (an hour and half from Amarillo), we spent some time walking around a park with a pond.  I think I burned the top of my head a little (I'm so bad about that!).

By then, the kids were chomping at the bit to get to Dad.  Outside of Amarillo was pretty much...nothing.  Fields and roads and roads and fields.  We kept at a pretty good pace, considering that we had to slow down as we went through towns (smallest population 365, largest 3K).

Finally we slowed to stop at a Travelodge in the itty-bitty burg of Memphis.  Ken was there waiting (I guess he sped from work to get there before us).  I can't say it was a super-emotional reunion, mainly because I was too exhausted to do anything but collapse in his arms.

But the driving wasn't done yet.  There was still another hour to go until Altus.  More of the roads, flatland, small towns.  I looked at my clock when we passed the OK border, 5:06 p.m. (that's 3:06 California time).  The kids abandoned me for Ken, leaving me with the music I wanted (now you know who 

It didn't look much different.  These tiny towns looked pretty dilapidated.  Faded and falling apart, homes and "main street" businesses looked very sad.  I started having misgivings.  What if Altus was like this?

Treelined creeks and signs of wildlife began to emerge.  Why did the turtle and the wild turkey cross the road?  Maybe they had death wishes?  Still, it was fun to see.

Finally, Altus loomed...well, as much as a small town can.  It was larger than the other places we'd been through and, while some of the places on the far end of town looked fairly beat up, eventually we began to see nice neighborhoods and the signs of "normal" civilization.  Not California, to be sure, but at least it was big enough to have what we need.

More to come on the new life in Altus...

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

The Flagstaff Days Inn was a nice place to rest.  We didn't leave there very early...there wasn't too much of a hurry.  Wednesday's drive was only 4 1/2 hours.

Our two main stops of the day were in Arizona.  The first was a family history one...Joseph City.  Named after the prophet, Joseph Smith, it was established by command of Brigham Young.  My grandmother, Alma Tanner Carr, was born there.

There really wasn't much to see, and I didn't go far into town (even with a GPS, I fear getting lost).  But we did find the town's marker for the old cottonwood fort that was initially built there.  So after a few snapshots and a pit stop at Love's (gas was $3.18/gallon!!), we were off again.

The second stop was the Petrified Forest/Painted Desert Visitor's Center.  We had lunch there and looked around the visitor's center and gift shops.  Petrified wood is fascinating and we learned how it was made.

Then came...the long drive to Albuquerque.  I think I had to tell Jonathan at least 5x how to spell it (he's my worst speller).  Even though it was just drive, drive, drive, the kids did pretty well (we had a couple of Quiet Times).  The countryside was not as pretty as the drive around Sedona and Flagstaff, but the sky was dotted with evenly-spaced white clouds and the temperature pleasant.

My back had had enough about 65 miles out of Albuquerque, so we found a New Mexico Visitor's Center to stop at.  It was a nice find!  It was a beautiful structure, with that desert feel, and large observation windows along one side.

The kids and I enjoyed watching the wildlife out of those windows.  We saw a coyote, three gopher snakes, and a bunch of prairie dogs (watching out for the snakes & coyote).  The ranger there was full of information (and able to answer Analiese's questions).

We found a Sam's Club in Albuquerque for dinner and to get gas and then proceeded to get turned around to get to the hotel.  Apparently, there are two Central Avenues in Albuquerque, but the nice desk manager at the EconoLodge got us to the right one before too late.  Even the GPS isn't always right.

THE BEAUTY OF ARIZONA

Yesterday was meant to be our take-it-easy restful day.  That was good since the night prior I'd had a lousy sleep (I don't do well in strange places) and was fairly worn out.

We left the Phoenix hotel at 9:30 in the morning, which was already beginning to warm up.  When the kids commented, I told them that it would soon change as we went up in elevation towards Flagstaff.  We weren't taking the 17 up straight, we were going to detour through Sedona & Oak Creek Canyon, some of the prettiest spots in AZ.

And it was so!  Gradually transitioning from saguaro, shrub and other assorted dry things to pines and oak and wildflowers, the trip up grew cooler and more amazing.  Seeing those red rocks thrust in fascinating layers from the ground and dusted with green trees, we just kept saying "Wow!" and "Amazing!"  I was very glad from that moment, that we decided on this route.

Weird (OK, annoying) thing of the day: Roundabouts.  Apparently Arizonians like to go round and round.  I know, there is a purpose, etc., etc., but I never much cared for roundabouts, even during my time in Massachusetts.  And in Sedona, you'd go through one, only to go through another!  Jonathan and I figured we went through at least 6.  A little excessive, IMO.

We went through & past Sedona (we'd backtrack later for lunch) and on to Slide Rock Park in the Oak Creek Canyon.  Red rock and trees surrounded us on all sides as we wound around the mountain roads.  It wasn't far out of Sedona and, luckily, easy to spot from the road (I get lost & turned around easily, that's why I have a GPS).

One problem: the weather.  Large banks of grey clouds gathered overhead, often obscuring the sun.  We had planned on a day of water play on the sandstone rocks and in the creek.  It was just too cold!  Jonathan took it in stride, but Analiese was very disappointed.  After cajoling her into walking down to the creek, she discovered very cold water (and later said she was glad we hadn't gone in).  

Still, climbing the rocks in and around the creek was lots of fun.  It was Jonathan's camera day (we have two) and he I took lots of pictures (just you wait) of our pretty surroundings.  He also played scout and figured trails and ways to clamber over the uneven rocks.  He was a big help, giving us hands up and down (I'm clumsy).

After we'd enjoyed Slide Rock, we backtracked a little to Sedona to check out a place Karla Freeman had recommended to us - Red Planet Cafe.  Just normal diner food, she'd said, but quite an ambiance.

It was quirky all right.  You'll just have to see the pictures to believe me.  The outdoor railing was in the shape of space ships, the chairs had alien heads etched in them and the table tops sported planetary scenes.

Inside was even stranger.  Ceilings adorned with spaceships and alien tableaus, paintings, posters and busts of sci-fi figures were all over the walls.  And then there were the signs.  At the entrance: Welcome, Earthlings.  At the wait station: Wait here, please, Earthlings.  At the outdoor patio: No smoking in Area 51, please. (Polite aliens)  Etc., etc.

But for all the kitsch, it looked tired and worn.    The indoor seating in the booths and such, while a silvery retro, were torn and patched with duct tape.  Everything looked like it had seen better days.  The counter, covered with supposed genuine alien-encounter photos, was scratched and liquid had seeped under, blurring and distorting the pictures.

The food?  Eh, OK.  Hamburgers, chicken fingers, that sort.  I had tortellini and it was swimming (really, they gave me a soup spoon with it) in Alfredo sauce.  Oh, and a pineapple shake, which I couldn't resist.  It was good.

After that, full and exhausted, we wound our way through the canyon again to Flagstaff.  On my GPS, part of the road (which was put down to 15 mph) looked like an intestine x-ray.  I am so glad my kids are good travelers!

Our evening ended with a lot of rest and relaxation in the hotel pool & jacuzzi (so Analiese got to go swimming after all - to her joy) and an early bedtime.  I needed it!

LIFE IS A HIGHWAY...CURRENTLY

The day started out rainy. It was if California was crying to see us go. And it wasn't just a mist, for a while it was really coming down. My mom didn't want us to leave until it slowed down, but we eventually left at 7:30, about a half-hour earlier than planned, just because we figured the rain would slow down the freeways. Which it did.

We stopped-and-goed (I know, not a real word) all the way to Corona, where I decided to fill up before the road. With a quick wave goodbye to Corona, we were off!

The reason I don't like road trips is that, after a while, my body protests all over. You name it, that body part has complained. My back has the luxury of the car-plug massager, but my wrists, my knees & ankles and my neck & shoulders don't.

It was a good thing I'd planned stops. And the unplanned ones (rest stop potty breaks) were nice if only to stretch my legs. Though my kids learned of the rest stop's "charms" (tee-hee).

A weird site greeted us on the 10 just outside of Joshua Tree. Hundreds of windmills on a windmill farms sprawling the hills. Some of the blades on them were huge! Makes me wonder if they are really all that effective at producing electricity.

Our last California stop was in Blythe for lunch. I had planned on Carl's Jr. because Jonathan had a gift card and some coupons for it. But I couldn't find where I put them - at least, not until after lunch! I was kicking myself all the way to the Arizona border.

When we crossed the bridge over the river into Arizona, we looked back and gave a final goodbye to California. My kids have never known any other home; I was born and mainly raised there. We were now in terra incognita.

The desert began to change. Palm trees gave way to scrub and saguaro. Towers of rocks rose up around us and, while I prefer cool, lush green, the rocks, striations and formations were fascinating.

We ended up going 40 miles past Phoenix because Jonathan had wanted to see a ghost town we had found out about on the internet. I was glad for the chance to get up and walk around.

It wasn't all that exciting, though they had some old mine cars and equipment. Mainly a tourist trap. Still, after walking, stretching and seeing what we could (I did take pictures, they just have to wait), we bundled up again to go get gas and get to the motel for the night, where it was just eat, relax and sleep.

LESSONS I'VE LEARNED IN CORONA

1. It takes time to establish relationships. I felt very alone and out of the loop for quite a while in my new ward. Which leads to #2...

2. The only way to have a friend is to be one. This is SO true. It wasn't until I started going out and talking to people and reaching out that I actually met people and got closer.

3. Serve as much as you can. It does so many things. It creates bonds...you feel connected to those you serve and serve with. It helps you to forget your own troubles, or find out your troubles are really nothing compared to others and makes you grateful for what you have.

4. Get busy. Time on your hands gives you time to brood or get in trouble. Get a hobby, a job, a calling, a vocation, volunteer, whatever. There's something good that can always be done, you just have to look around to find it.

5. There are good people of all types around you. And God loves all people around you. Smile at them, be cheerful, and give them the benefit of the doubt. You may be surprised. Some will let you down, but I've found when I expect high things of people who respect me, out of respect they will live up to my expectations.

6. It's okay to sweat. I don't like it, I hate feeling sticky. But especially when I'm exercising, that sweat means I'm doing good things for my body. Wear it as a badge of pride.

7. Sometimes you have to keep going, despite the pain. If you stop, you get stiff and might never start moving again. Or, it'll be harder when you try to get moving once more. Don't be afraid of pain and don't let it stop you. Of course, if the doctor says otherwise...but get back moving as soon as you can! And this means emotionally/spiritually/mentally as well as physically.

8. Don't let fear cripple you, either. Like the man in the New Testament, tell the Savior, "I believe. Help thou mine unbelief." Fear stops up faith and progression. Anger, too. Go to the Lord and have Him help you let it all go. Or, at least uphold you while you go through it.

9. Don't hide your talents. God gave you them to bless the lives of others. Hiding them is selfish. But don't be afraid, too, to tell others that you need a break once in a while. We all need that.

10. The gospel is SO true. Let the Spirit be a part of your life; he wants to. Be prepared and read up the lessons for Sunday School & Relief Society so you can understand what's going on, relate, and participate. Don't sit in the back in silence. Grow, share & enrich everyone else with the things you've learned.

11. Forgive & seek forgiveness. It's hard to say I'm sorry, but, even if they don't know you did anything, when you say sorry, they soften towards you. Life is too short for grudges and regrets.

There are many others...but I can't remember them all now. I was bad and didn't write in my journal... so...

12. Write in your journal all the time so you don't forget all the pithy things you wanted to remember and share with your friends and family. It'll help you look smarter! (Ha-ha)