Backroads

Different stakes, different wards, different bishops. Sorry that wasn't clear. My family and I keep a separate household from my parents.

I've learned over the course of my adulthood to set boundaries with my parents as well as simply accept that 9 times out of 10 they are simply doing what they do out of love. All in all, I would say we have a pretty good relationship. But I had an oddity today that is really bothering me and I am seeking some perspective and advice. Our ward, like many, has split us into halves with alternating the days we attend sacrament meeting. A weekly Zoom broadcast occurs. We do weekly lessons in the home and read the scriptures. Well, my mom announced today that she is furious we (being my husband and children andI) are only attending every other week. She feels we should attend every week and wants our bishop's number (I think she can actually look this up) so she can talk to him about it. She also saw on Facebook that one of our best friends happens to drink iced coffee. She feels we should be setting a good example to our friends. I'm kind of shaken and feel a line has been crossed, especially when she now wants us to criticize our good friends.

I for one appreciate him getting it and making a to-do of it. I have heard so many awful and blatant lies and intentional misinformation about vaccines, even members of the church considering them so spiritually evolved they condemn those who do vaccinate. I think it's good for the Prophet to stand up for truth even in something probably so worldly as a vaccine.

We spent Christmas break in quarantine while leaving food for my diseased husband on his side of the house. None of us got it but him.

Come to my house in the spring, she winters at one of her kid's homes.

But it's so... much... food!

So I'm not a ham-and-cheese person. I think it's disgusting. Back in the day at Scout camp, staff prep week happened to be during a high-altitude Idaho snowstorm. And I had lifeguards to train in the freezing lake. We spent a morning miserable, then hiked back to the lodge for lunch where they served... ham and cheese on cheap rolls. It was amazing. Best food ever. Why? It was hot.

Some years ago I started mixing my own seasoning and never looked back. You also may not be letting the meat sizzle enough. You want a nice char. You also may not be my ancient neighbor who hails from middle-of-nowhere, Mexico and possess all Mexican cooking wisdom. Word to the wise: If you're in my backyard when her three billion descendants are over dinner, do not make eye contact with anyone over the fence. If they get the slightest inclination you are aware of their presence, a giant paper plate of food will be prepared for you and you will have to eat it. It may be delicious, but it is also a month's worth of food on one plate.

My family doesn't eat cereal... That means I'll just get one box and never have to replace it!

I'm afraid I can't share the article because it was something I found on a tangent while Googling something else and is therefore lost to a train of thought and internet searches, but I do wish to share some thoughts that stuck with me. The article spoke of the importance of actively keeping food in the home and its effect on children. Children might be more secure in their development if they can regularly open the fridge/cupboard and see food. This is even applies to families with the wealth to go out to eat/order in food. The ability to get food didn't seem to be as important as keeping food in the home. Children weren't wondering about food, they knew it was already there. No, this isn't about the long term benefits of your 2 decade food storage supply, but it stuck with me. Could this be an extra impact of the commandment to keep food?

So, is there any real original source to this claim? I've heard rumors, but no one has shown actual and confirmed proof.

Yesterday's events really made me take a hard look at my own political views. No, I'm not about to take a 180 on parties, my values are the same. But my values do run into conservatish lines of thinking, and I had to wonder if I could associate with such people as yesterday.

A tangent, but another notion I see being batted around more frequently is the dissolution of the family. I think Black Lives Matter brought it out into the discussion a bit more with a goal to make more common a more community-based raising of children. Now, I believe in the power of extended families and the proverbial village, but as extensions of the family unit, not a replacement. I was discussing elsewhere just yesterday the notion that I've seen from a few people that childraising and homemaking need to be given to "lower class" people, women who aren't educated enough to do other things. I've seen people ponder some scary utopia of children being raised in institutions... and these people think it's such a great idea. Yeah, we're heading for Brave New World.

That was a fascinating and yes depressing video. The world has become selfish in such regards.

I live in an area with a fairly high number of those with Hispanic/South American heritage. Another popular SJW term is "Latinx". My friends and neighbors who would be called "Latinx" despise despise the term. My sweet little old widow neighbor feels it is mocking her native language. She totally went off on one her granddaughters (who is half white) for using it.