Beneath the Wraps

         It was in January of 2012 that my sibs and I worked together with my niece and her husband to put ourselves on a schedule so that someone would always be at home with my mom – which unfortunately did not always work out.          We would keep in touch by phone and sending the same email to our group so that we could all kind of keep track of what was going on.   It wasn’t until November when Nate decided to create a group page on facebook.   He gave it the name “Operation Grandma Care”.   We started out with Six members and gradually we became Nine.          The site was up for less than three months before we had moved my mom into assisted living. I don’t know when Nate removed himself from the group but it couldn’t have been more than eight months after he’d created the site.   Nevertheless the seven of us that remaine...

-->          Roland had sent me this thought that brought humor to my mind when I first read it:   Mildred calls her neighbor and says, “Please come over here and help me.   I have a killer jigsaw puzzle and I can’t figure out how to get it started. Her neighbor asks, “What is it supposed to be when it’s finished? “ Mildred says, “According to the picture on the box, it’s a rooster.” Her neighbor decides to go over and help with the puzzle.   Mildred lets him in and shows him to the table.   He studies the pieces for a moment than looks at the box than turns to her and says, “First of all, no matter what we do, we’re not going to be able to assemble these pieces into anything resembling a rooster.”   He takes her hand and says, “Secondly, I want you to relax.   Let’s have a nice cup of coco” The he says with a deep sigh, “Let’s put all the corn flakes back in the box”   ...

--> 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...

I recall a few of my birthdays were cooler than normal – requiring a sweatshirt or summer jacket.  Never a rain slicker!  Not quite a monsoon but certainly not what I’ve grown accustomed to.  I can’t see to drive on the roads.  There’s not enough light.           Corey and Joh offered to pay for new glasses – but I don’t know that a stronger prescription is really the answer.  The way the doctor explained it to me is that I have weird shaped eyes that just don’t seem to let in the right amount of light needed for me to see throughout each day.  I’m certain that I will go blind eventually.            Besides I’d rather have spent the money on shoes or new pants for Roland or something that seemed to take precedence for me.  And we have been blessed in major ways.           On Saturday Jenna spen...

After the pathetic attempt of a yard sale, I loaded the trunk of my car with a few items that hadn’t sold.  Two of the items I brought home with me were: the practical bread box and the fun cup full of memories. When I was younger, I remember getting bread out of a white tin box with copper trim.  The box could hold up to four loaves and then some.  Mom also had two canisters that held sugar and flour.  I don’t know if the three came together, or if it was just coincidental that there was a very similar appearance. I don’t remember what happened to the tin bread box, but I remember it had to be replaced.  I remember mom and I had to hunt hard to find one – and then the only ones we could find were less than half the size and made out of wood.  This one holds only two loaves at best. The bread box is quite a practical item for me as we live in this cracker box house in which all the furniture and appliances are squashed together...

When I dropped Jenna off this morning, I noticed several seagulls appeared to be basking out in the field.  The sun was just starting to peak its head over the horizon. It had rained earlier.  I’m certain that the lawn was wet.  I suppose they could have been looking for worms I was reminded of Roland’s answer to all of his children having asked, “Can we take one home?” And Roland would answer with, “If you can catch one, you can take it home.” The boys would wear themselves out as they chased the birds around – never having caught one, though I would imagine Biff came close.  He’s an animal charmer, that one.  Perhaps his magnetic charisma works just on the mammal group in the animal kingdom. I have home videos of both Jenna and Kayla approaching ducks and watching the ducks move at the same pace.  With Kayla, it was near the temple grounds in Idaho Falls .  Jenna was much younger when she sought out a particular bir...

I’m a close-up – zoom-in-on-the-face type of gal.  But as I tackle my new project of cropping over 900 photos (It might be to a thousand) I have caught myself looking at things in the background.  Particularly in the old photographs.  Dads Bel Air Coupe, the yard we’re standing in, the couch before it was reupholstered, when there was a kitchen wall with window and no back room, etc. Sometimes the background will offer a clue as to what year it was taken.  And if there is a Christmas tree, I would say it’s safe to guess the picture was taken in December.  And if I find a date or place on one photo and I see we are wearing the exact same things in another, I think it’s safe to assume the two may have been taken at the same time. My paternal grandmother designed her house – created the way she wanted it to look.  And then one day she had to give it up and move into a condo that was closer to where I lived.  I could and did ride my bike to grand...

          It’s been almost 40 years since Jill and her family moved out of my mom’s neighborhood.  They are the first family that I remember having moved.           It’s only been in the last couple of months that I got in touch with Jill through facebook. She has since moved back to Utah. I told her about mom and made arrangements for us to visit.           And so the other day Jill drove to mom’s house and we visited for a while.  She told me how she and mom had spent many a days visting at each other’s houses.  And made it known (for the first time) that her youngest had had a crush on me when we were younger.  Really?!  Because I had had a crush on him and wasn’t aware that he had felt the same way until Jill took us to lunch.           I think the greatest thing was watching mom’s rec...

          Saying good-bye is not always a bad thing.  Especially when it only invites clutter and chaos.  In 1985 I was on my mission.   It was my second Christmas in the mission field and my family decided to send me a tape and king size card with greetings from various friends and neighbors from my home ward.             A 22X25 poster paper was purchased and folded in half.  My family decorated the front with pictures which represented my personality – a picture of Baloo and Mowgli from Jungle Book (I love Disney’s animated version of that show) Ziggy ,   a picture of ceramic nativity set, trees and flower in bloom, dance shoes, real mountains ( Utah mountains ,    not the hills of Virginia where I served) the Salt Lake Temple, dolls, golden plates , scripture  paintings  , and musical icons.     ...

           Shortly after Roland was called to the bishopric, he was asked to summarize a talk that had been given about the conformity of testimonies and submit it to the monthly newsletter – which actually didn’t exist before this particular bishopric.  Now there are a few people in the ward who tend to drone on and on until the gratitude that is felt in their hearts turns into penetrating boredom on the part of the audience.  Every ward has them.  They start off by expressing what it is that brought them to the podium – and then they take us on a stroll down memory lane, or into their health, or into their entire week.  Gradually the testimony gets lost in their words.  And all eyes turn to the clock and you can almost hear a chorus of silent groans. Sometimes there is a dead silence and often times the droner just feels it’s his (or her) duty to fill the silence while the audience wonders which is worse: the sil...

          When Jenna and her classmate left the car this morning, they were talking about doughnuts – more specifically doughnut holes.            I took Highness for a walk and smiled as I thought at a memory about disappearing doughnuts.           My brother Corey and I are nine years apart.  We seem to share a lot in common – particularly food habits.  Eating whatever is quick or handy.  Our kitchen skills were not the greatest. Plus we both appeared to be on the lazy side. We also have a brother Patrick – who is two years younger than I and our baby sister, Kayla, who is thirteen years younger. They are both survivor’s. And both were quite comfortable in the kitchen from an early age.           When we were younger, we used to taunt Corey by saying that Kayla could be out in the dess...