Beneath the Wraps

Ever since preschool, Jenna has had this unbelievable talent of being able to talk AND to listen at the SAME TIME! Who does that?  I could never work in telemarketing as I know I will have co-workers around me that will have louder voices than what I’ll attempt to be hearing over the phone.  I’ve always had a problem concentrating on one sound or voice when there is a louder sound penetrating my ears. I also find it hard to concentrate on speaking if my voice is in competition with other sounds. Last night Jenna asked if she could watch “What Would You Do?” as it is truly one of her favorite programs.  The entire time it was on, she was jabbering at me – telling me about different friends, certain plans, responding to whatever might ail her, personality traits . . . on and on.  The entire time she was talking to me, she would also respond to the T.V.  “No!  That isn’t right!  Why do people do that?” and then she would turn back to me, “. . . a...

          Once a week a devotional was offered at the main building on campus when I attended Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho.   During the week, the devotional was offered for purchase at the bookstore.   It was also broadcast on the local campus radio for those who did not desire to attend the conference but wanted to listen. Some of these I had recorded myself as I would be engaged in other activities - like doing dishes - and wasn't giving my full attention.             Such was the case of the last devotional offered in May 1982 (I believe).   The speaker was Paul H. Dunn.   As it was the last week and the tape might not even be recorded for purchase, nor would I be in Idaho to make the purchase.   It was such an awesome devotional.   I think the broadcast said to destroy any recordings of the session - but I'm not sure - that part didn't get record...

            When I was growing up, Ham and Potato Salad were on the menu during the Easter holiday.   I remember my mom saying she had made (or was making) a big batch shortly after Jenna was born (though she arrived eight days earlier than her due date - which was on Easter that year).   I was still in the hospital and mom had made arrangement for our oldest son (Ooki had lived with our family for his senior year but was living with another family when Jenna was born) to bring her the car seat and she fed him and everybody else in the family who had come for Jenna's birth.   What a rip-off!   I had to stay in the hospital with my newborn and would have rather had mom's potato salad than hospital food.               Mom packed some potato salad in a container and brought it with her the next day.          ...

          Our swim instructor retired from teaching in public education but has agreed to substitute on occasion.   She happened to be subbing for one of Jenna's teachers and had mentioned to me how Jenna is well liked by so many of her peers.   She is admired because she is herself.   She hangs on to the things she likes and disregards things she doesn't like and refuses to play games of "following the leader" unless she's the leader.           There are several times that I've called Jenna "crazy" or "weird" referring to her personality differences and not necessarily with Jenna herself.   There have been a few concerned about "labeling" - but my family understands what I am saying and in many cases will agree with me.           Take today for instance: Jenna has an opportunity, along with several other honor students, to go to the cinema in ...

I have recently come across a pile of papers waiting to be sorted.   There were a lot of homework assignments or notes from both Jenna and me.    I copied a few of her stories to read through at a more convenient time and threw the hard copies away.   She doesn't have the best handwriting, and her spelling is atrocious.   Turns out I copied three partial stories.   One was about Emily Rogers, a teacher who wished she had well behaved students and seemed to get her wish - but her "wish come true" turned out to be somewhat eerie.   I love Jenna's imaginative description: it was silent like a cheetah eyeing its prey waiting for the right moment to pounce.   It was sort of creepy.   She had also   written a story about a character named Latisha Cannon who didn't enjoy math and also made a wish not to have it anymore and how the world seemed to change when math was no longer a part of it.   Both Emily and Latisha woke up ...

        From the time she was eight years old, Jenna had always asked me for her own personal facebook account.   She enjoyed watching the JibJabs that my brother-in-law will occasionally post and wanted the opportunity to make comments herself instead of having me type "Jenna says . . ."   Over the years, many of her friends started their facebook accounts and she would ask if she could start one.   Each year the request was included on birthday or Christmas lists.   At the end of 2014 I created this post.                   It wasn't until we had moved to Oregon - so far away from our family - that I understood why so many of her friends may have had "illegal accounts" as they all had family members they didn't have many opportunities to spend time with.   We had lived in Oregon for almost a year when I set up an "illegal" facebook account for her.   The objective was to keep ...

        Jenna had asked if her friend Kylee could spend the night.   They had planned for Monday night, but workday sleepovers did not work out well when she and Annette we better friends.   I told her it would be up to Roland.   He said yes and   Jenna created a list for the following day.               Jenna's agenda for Monday, August 21:   1) [Kylee]   2) pool 3) eclipse 4) doughnuts 5) library 6) rays/goin’ postal 7) little shop 8 games . . . 9) something scary 10) bed.   Allow me to explain:   First thing, we went to Kylee’s house to pick her up at 8:30 a.m..   Check off 1.   Next we went to the pool.   When we arrived, there was a note on the door: A birthday bash is held at the pool each year on the Friday closest to the 21st.   We have missed all three years however. We were in Roseburg this year as I...

            Our class size varies at the pool.   We have had as many class members as 15 (our instructor had brought four members of her family to participate in our class on Tuesday) and as few as one or two (I did not attend on Wednesday but had heard that there were only two students to show) Yesterday there were seven students plus our instructor.             After our class ended, Jenna and I stopped by Millsite Park to look for the FMCL booth for the Myrtle Creek Festival as we had been assigned to man it during a shift yesterday.   It hadn't been set up yet.   We decided to return home for some breakfast and I texted Serena to see if she needed help with the booth.             R oland fixed French toast for Jenna and me before we returned to the park to help set up.   We were there for just over an hour before we left again.   Jenna ha...

          Jenna LOVES it when we sign up to feed the missionaries.   Just a few days after we fed the missionaries, Eva called to ask when we could sign up again.   If it were up to Jenna, we’d be feeding them on a daily basis, I think.   But I really wasn’t ready to make a commitment for the optional dates which Eva had given.             She had really been pushing for this past Friday, but Beth had already contacted me to see if Roland and I could meet her and Graham for lunch as they were passing through from Ashland on their way back to McMinnville.   At that time I didn’t really know how late we’d be eating and so said I would just talk to her on Sunday.   Only we didn’t have church on Sunday as it was General Conference.   I think she called five times in less than 24 hours.   One was to fill in for a cancellation the Elders had made for ye...

          Today is Jenna's birthday. It is also "Find a Rainbow Day". She now starts life off as a teenager although she has absolutely no desire of growing up.   She tried watching conference yesterday.   I admire her for trying.   And I know she really was trying to make comments each time she made an off-the-wall comment that brought a smile to my face.           The first was during the morning session yesterday when the camera had swung around the men performing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.   The view was from behind and two the side.           "Is that Donald Trump?!?   That guy [in the choir]'s hair looks like Donald Trump's!   Why would anyone want his hair to be like Donald Trump's?!?"             I think it was during Ronald A. Rasband's talk i...