Beneath the Wraps

            I was never hospitalized as a child – except for when I was born.   But until I gave birth to Jenna, I had never been a hospital patient.   But I do remember visiting various hospital patients.   I remember that there was more than one patient to a room and only a thin curtain separated the patients from one another.   Each patient wore a plastic bracelet that would protect the descriptive paper that identified the patient’s name and medical information.   There were clip boards that hung from the foot of each bed. Patients were asked if they preferred smoking or non-smoking rooms.   And visitation was always limited to certain hours and certain ages.               Today each patient has his or her own room.   They wear bands made of unrippable material somewhere between paper and plastic foam.   I...

Before Sunday Mom was laughing, she was walking and dressing herself. She was singing on Thursday as Harold accompanied on guitar. Sometime between four and six on Sunday morning she got out of her chair.   We don’t know why.   She may have been headed toward the bathroom.   Or perhaps she could feel the pain of a mild heart attack. She was checked on at four.   She was sleeping peacefully in her chair.   But when she was checked in on at six, she was found on the floor.   Her clothes were wet with urine and perspiration. She was loaded into an ambulance and rushed to the hospital.   Her legs were badly swollen.   She was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis   .   The infection spread into her legs and kidneys and heart probably. She’d been hooked up to machines and needles and was given cat scans, an MRI, a pick line and ...

 In June 2009 we celebrated my mom's 70th birthday.  Sunny had made arrangements to invite friends and family members to a "surprise" birthday party for my mom. I don't recall how many came, but there was a lot.  Many from the ward, a few from work, and family members - Bill and Kayla had taken several pictures.  I would guess there were 50 - 70 people in all. Corey gave a tribute and several sat in folded chairs that Sunny must have borrowed from the Church.  Mom was definitely surprised and she looked so happy.  She had already been diagnosed with dementia, but it was just the early stages.  She was well aware of what was going on.  And she knew everybody there. Last November - before we put mom into assisted living - she was overwhelmed by the tremendous amount of people at our Thanksgiving dinner - all 18 of us.  So I thought she'd really freak when we took her to the ward Christmas dinner one month later because there were ove...

--> When Jenna was younger, we would go for walks ALL of the time.   I would point things out as we passed different yards.   “Oh, look at the flowers”   “See that pretty pin wheel”     The thing that she seemed to overlook with each yard I pointed out was the well.   I never understood why she couldn’t see them.   Several yards contained some form of a wishing well.   I don’t know how many walks we took before I realized she was looking for a “whale” ******************************************************************* Jenna was three the first time we had taken her to Arizona.   We were actually in the city part when Jenna asked, “Are we in a dessert?”   I turned around in disbelief.   How did she know that Arizona is a desert state?   “Yes we are.” I proudly beamed. Jenna appeared to be highly disappointed.   And here is why: “I have looked and looked and I have not see...

We haven’t always had cable – cancelled due to lack of finances – we’ve even cancelled the Internet.  I was okay with going to the library, but Roland wasn’t.  And now that he’s taking classes through the Internet – dropping the Internet would just frustrate him even more. When so many stations were converted to HD and even the local channels needed some kind of box or connection, it seems like we always had TVland.  For a while it was our primary source of entertainment.  That, and going to the library for offered programs and to check out DVDs. The station has added original programs including a reality show called “ ForeverYoung ”. The advertisements intrigued me, but I hadn’t watched it when it initially debuted.  But I did check it out yesterday. I was laughing so hard at watching these two (obviously) generations try and communicate.  Having lived between the two, I understand the frustration of the other – also having had to experie...

I remember the year my eldest niece turned ten.  She had requested that someone could get her a “Savage Garden” album as a gift.  Savage Garden? Really?  Hadn’t it been less than a week when she had been singing along to “Wheel’s on the Bus” and doing the actions for “Eensy Weensy Spider” and “Popcorn Popping” – okay, something for older children.  But still . . .           “Savage Garden” was a group that I listened to.  Why would a child want to listen to that? Ellen hadn’t been six for quite some time.  She was growing up.  No longer did she watch shows like “Arthur” or “Bear in the Big Blue House”. Ellen was maturing. I don’t know when she had graduated from Disney Sing-alongs to Boy Bands.  She’d always been more sophisticated than her peers – or at least in my eyes.  Ellen was no longer the child I remember her being.           And now th...

          For the first time I recently watched “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” – I’m certain it was involved with a lot more symbolism than what I saw.   Timothy came to his mom and dad in the spring and had to leave when the last leaf fell in the fall.            I was crying hard as the show came to an end – nothing to do with Timothy Green or his departure or anything to do with the movie at all.   Just reminiscing the long fall that was present during the last five months of 2012 – symbolizing the same fall as my mother and each of us seemed to be going through with her. Her leaves were falling more rapidly each day – and then came the harsh winds of winter. And it’s been cold.   Bitter cold.           She will never return to spring again.   Not in this life anyway.   The only way she can have sprin...