Beneath the Wraps

Jenna’s off for ten days for Spring Break.   It appears that spring is also on a break. It did make a brief appearance.   But mostly it’s been winter and fall.   We have seen a few trees in bloom. We have also seen autumn leaves on the ground.   I don’t recall ever seeing autumn leaves in January, let alone  March. On Monday I saw autumn leaves still clung to the neighbors tree.   They are gone now. Winds have been howling. It has been spring, winter and fall all in one day.   Not much summer, though there have been some who’ve jumped the gun and were wearing shorts and flip flops in February.   I didn’t think it was that warm.   I’ve taken poor Highness for a walk only   one day.   It was warm.   There may have been a breeze.   But not the heavy wind that usually knocks me in a coma. Yesterday we could hear the rain   ...

          I remember seeing mailboxes in my neighborhood and at different corners when I was growing up.  I remember getting two Dr. Seuss books to give to my siblings.  I remember walking from our house to the nearest mailbox and counting the steps that I took and recording the number in the book. I don’t actually remember the number, but I know it was less than 100. Well, in one of them it was.  I don’t think I did them at the same time and so they may have had two different numbers.           I have considered the mailbox an endangered species for some time.  Mailboxes started vanishing to very far and few between.  I used a mailbox I passed between transfers when I rode the bus to one of my places of employment.  The last time I walked passed said location – the mailbox wasn’t there.  It was gone!  I didn’t know where the next near...

Right after school started, Jenna and I joined a mother-daughter book club at the local library.   Each month features a book with a different theme e.g. science fiction, fantasy, biography, etc.   Jenna had read the Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell and seemed to like that and was able to participate in the discussion.   She didn’t care fro the City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau.   I don’t always enjoy Science fiction but found some of it interesting.   But not enough to continue with the series.   Jenna LOVED Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George. Fantasy.   I have such a hard time with fantasies.   I was able to read Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai.   I liked the poetry as well as the history.   Jenna on the other hand, seemed bored.   The book we’re reading currently is called PIE – a mystery - with recipes included.   First book that the two of us are able to enjo...

I remember having volunteered last year for the school fundraiser during which time the children held a talent show.    I don’t remember any talent shows in the years prior.   That didn’t mean they didn’t exist.   But I’m guessing last year may have been the first.            I don’t know how long it went for – at least two hours, I'm guessing.   It felt like it went on for longer than that.   And though there were a lot of truly talented children, it seemed there were some that needed work.   Kudos for them to having the guts to stand on stage and perform when some of it was actually somewhat difficult to watch without cringing            This years talent show has stipulations.   Only three acts or group of performers from each grade would be selected.   The time limit for each act is three minutes.       ...

and happy birthday to my brother, Patrick!

Last night I attended a birthday party for the RS.   The dinner wasn’t scheduled until 6:30, but I could tell by the decorations and the presentation that there were some on the committee that must have started setting up at 5:00.   And then they stayed to clean up afterwards.   I KNOW more time was dedicated to the   entire set-up/clean-up-process than was for the event itself.   I have felt much admiration for these sisters – but especially on nights like last night.   What a lot of hoop-lah and truly admirable devotion! Shortly after Roland and I moved into our current ward, I was asked to be on the activities committee.   It was a short lived calling as the entire committee changed hands just four months later.   But I don’t recall devoting so much time.   But then our RS pres at the time was a Superwoman who somehow has enjoyed the challenge of doing it all with little or no delegation.   She cooked and baked a...

Both of my brothers listened to Dr. Demento .   I remember Patrick and his friends singing the words to “dead puppies” and “shaving cream”.   I don’t believe they were fanatics.   Corey, on the other hand, was a true Dr. Demento fan. He would record the programs and save songs that he liked.   He would play them over and over and laugh at the demented humor.   In 1985, Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie got together with 46 other stars to record HelpingHands USA for Africa .   The song was called “We are the World” and proceeds went for Relief of famine and disease in Ethiopia. I don’t know if it was Morton Downey Jr. who created the “We are the Worms” parody or if his name is associated with the song as he introduced it on radio program in Cleveland, Ohio, 1986.   Corey loved that song.   It would make him laugh.   I’ll admit that I smiled about it, too.   It was rumored that those associated with USA fo...

The weathermen said that it would snow yesterday.   It did   for about twelve minutes.    Soft flurries fell lightly   as Jenna and I crossed the street.   Huge flakes fell quickly   as Juan left the car.   By the time we got Jenna to school,    it had stopped.    Signs of snow dusted a few lawns    and seemingly seemed to miss others.    How could that be when the yards were right next door to one another?   And yet there were patches of green   amongst the white dusted lawns. At 8:30 I took the umberella and walked to a bus stop to take a bus that I’ve been on only one time before.    I put my unused umberella into my backpack before the bus arrived.   I got off at the TRAX station and walked to the bank to make a deposit.     I returned to take the train.   Before I sat down I removed my coat and swater. ...

Sometimes there are stories in the news that just seem oddly interesting.  I am sad for the good Samaritan in this first story. A good Samaritan sees a car crash and calls 911.   He walks toward the accident to see if those involved are okay.   He was injured in the process.  more here This next one made me laugh Officer pulls over to assist driver of stalled car and discovers 22 pounds of Marijuana in the back seat  here  this next story (video) has made the news stations for three days at least student and employee at UVU is arrested after “correcting” a confusing sign.  Here  I really like this story, too :  an off duty officer recognizes bank robber leads to arrest  here and BYU gets a new president’ here and why not throw in a human interest story about Despicable Me and other here

Perhaps the average blog reader is far wiser than I and would never make this mistake.   And actually it’s kind of embarrassing to share, but if I can spare somebody else the pain, perhaps it will be worth admitting my stupidity. The Drivers License Division had sent out a letter informing me of my upcoming need for renewing in person.   And though I have quit driving, and an ID card would be less expensive than a driver’s license, I would like to have that opportunity to renew for the long drives away from the city. I don’t recall there being a website listed anywhere on the letter (I did look) and so because I didn’t have the address, I went to Google and typed in DMD – first mistake.   I should have typed in “renewal application for driver’s license in Utah” or something to that affect. It’s so unlike me to choose the first site suggested to me by Google – but I saw the subheading of drivers license renewal and clicked on the site.    Tha...

You can’t see the wind But you can hear its ferocious roar You can see the way the wind makes trees dance or see branches swaying or flags flapping in the wind Sometimes it knocks over garbage cans and circulates debris Fall winds rip colored leaves from the tree and send them racing over streets and other yards. Spring Winds seem more fearsome somehow They suck   up all of my energy (what little is there) and put me in coma I feel quite drugged when the wind is blowing. This is what someone with Narcolepsy   must feel like. I heard that it is a warm wind. I heard that it is bringing in a storm. That’s what was said about the last two winds powerful winds that blew the debris and made a commotion with its   mighty threats of breaking things   but it hasn’t stormed. This wind sounds more serious.   I didn’t feel this wiped out the last two months My eye is nearly ...

I don’t know why I feel compelled to post my thoughts on the temple.   I certainly don’t want my opinions to seem like desecration to what many value so dear and sacred.   But I don’t have that sacred spiritualness.   For the most part entering the temple (to me) seems discriminatory and overall (more than any other emotion) I have felt lonely being there.   And I know I’m not alone with how I feel towards attending the temple.   I have at least two other family members who have also gone out of obligation but have walked away with less than satisfactory desire to return. Recently I filled out this  survey for LDS woman to get opinions mostly on plural marriage – which I actually don’t have a problem with in the hereafter.   The survey also asked for feedback   with the sealing process made in the temple.   I would have answered the survey questions a lot differently just two years ago than I did this week when I took this surv...