Beneath the Wraps

                We must have stopped for gas in Central Point on our way home from Salt Lake last Christmas.   I remember stopping in a used book store.   I found a keepsake journal called “The Grandparent Book”.   Amy Brouse Rosenthal had created a book with a giant upper case “G” on both front and back covers.    The purpose is for a grandparent to journalize his/her life and allow the grandchild to make comparisons of their life to the grand.   None of the pages were marked.   It was in excellent condition and inexpensive.   Thus we purchased it and I planned to fill it out.           The book is designed for one grandparent or the other.   And as all the grandkids have biological ties to Roland, I thought he should be the one to fill out the pages.   I decided we should give it to our only grandson w...

          Roland was watching a documentary the other day about the brain and its functions.   The first series was about the hippocampus and explained how sometimes our memories are distorted.   In other words, we sometimes remember details but do not relate them accurately, or else we are accurate but the memories are not our personal memories but rather someone else’s.   Examples that were used came from those who were affected by September 11, 2001 so much that they felt they had been there when the towers were struck and crumbled.   Sometimes our memories are fabricated.           I notice the “fabrication” each time Roland relates experiences about our marriage or when he relates memories of the boys.   He always tells it a bit differently until after a while it doesn’t sound like there's much truth to it.  But then again, I probably do that too - especia...

           Though Roland did want to take care of some projects around the house and yard, he didn’t wish to spend his entire vacation laboring.   He wanted to spend money going to shows, seeing sights, or something else that would qualify as a vacation. Last week on Monday evening he decided that we should go bowling for family home evening.   We decided to go to Nickle Bowl – but along with half to most of the businesses in Myrtle Creek, Nickle Bowl is closed on Mondays.   Thus we went up to Roseburg.           The last few times we’ve gone, I have always chosen a lighter ball.   My wrist doesn’t appreciate the extra weight of a bowling ball.   Also, the holes seem more spread out on the heavier balls and I have tiny hands. Whenever we bowl either Jenna and I will make the request to have bumpers as it will prevent us from getting from 10 – 20 gutter balls.   Bowling alwa...

          When we lived in Kearns, there was a family in the ward that made up for a third of the primary.   I honestly don’t remember which of us moved out of the ward first, but I do know they have moved around many times – both within and out of the country.   I would guess that they’ve accounted for at least half to a third of their wards or branches (both geographical boundaries within the church – a branch is smaller in membership than a ward) in almost every place they live.    She has a blog which I have read every once in a while as she only posts once in a while.             Right now they are living in New York.   I would have not known that if my daughter-in-law, Carrie, hadn’t told me.   She and Randy had gone out to look for houses.   While there, they went to the ward in the area where they plan on living.   I’m happy to learn that ...

            I don’t remember the elementary school having a particular smell.   I remember the option of two ways to walk there on foot.   Seems like it may have been faster to walk up our street and over on third east and down than the safer way which we usually went – over 240 to 260 and came in behind the school. The playgrounds were behind the school.   a really ROUGH map of my neighborhood             Our desks had openings in the front.   They were wide enough to hold two plastic trays.   We called them tote trays.   It is where we put all of our school supplies.   We carried the trays each time we moved for math, reading, science, etc. according to whatever our learning level was.   If someone was absent, the desk could still hold my tray as well as that of the absent student.    ...

            Share an experience that you have had with when the power went out             For the most part power outages provide positive memories for me.  I know that might sound strange, but except for one time that I can recall, the experiences have been great.   I don’t even remember all of the details about the unpleasant power outage.  In my mind, it took place during the course of several hours, but in reality, it may have only been minutes.  I would guess that I was seven.              Mike’s parents were out of town, and my parents had agreed to watch him – I'm guessing for the weekend.  Mike and I were the same age and my brother Patrick was two years younger.  Mom said that she and dad had gone over to a neighbor’s house for an activity.  I don’t know if they were on a different powe...

            GAAP stands for generally accepted accounting principles .   At least once each year businesses who have stock investors have to go through an audit.   GAAP sets guidelines for business owners to keep accurate records so there is no question about how revenues are made, how money is spent and if there is a profit.   As there have been a number of business owners or other workers who have been found to be dishonest (such as these examples) GAAP has seemingly created so many conditions over the years that the audit can be rather time consuming.   This set of guidelines is set to protect the investor as well as the consumer.             Stockholders can feel more secure with their investments as long as GAAP continues with guidelines, but paying taxes is not the same as investing stock.   Sometimes the government - or some aspects of it rather - can seem t...

                I saw a boy with a "Fly Guy" book and smiled as I thought about Jenna's desire to read the book back in 2007 or 2008 (Tedd Arnold has written the "Fly Guy" series since 2005 here .           When Jenna and I read books together, we would take turns doing the voices of different characters.   I think it was a bird that had made accusations against "fly guy" specifically saying, "You Ate My Road Kill".   Jenna thought that was the most hilarious thing.   She would have me say it for many years.             "Do the voice, mommy," she requested.           I would screech in a high pitched voice, "You Ate My Road Kill".             She would laugh and laugh and request that I do it a...

       Roland and I decided that we needed to replace our disappearing salt and pepper shakers for something that would be easier to fill and easier to spot.   I think the ones we ended up with will get lost in the shuffle as the ones we have currently, but they will be easier to fill.        I was reminded of how many sets of salt and pepper shakers my brother and I had given to my mom over the years.   So many times her birthday would fall during our family vacation - or shortly thereafter.   Patrick and I would pick out gifts from the souvenir shop of wherever we happened to be.   I don't recall all the sets we gave her except for ones that were shaped like feet.   I don't recall ever having used them.   Mom said she did not need the constant reminder of how out of shape she felt.

                It's been a year since Jeanie passed - not that I dwell on dates when people died.   Her mom does.   She's always posting the birthdays and death dates of those who have passed on.   Some days are better for her than others.   I think some days may be worse for her than they were for Jeanie.   I can't say for certain since most of the correspondence I've had with them has been through facebook.   I didn't even have that with Jeanie those times that she not only unfriended me but blocked me as well.   Apparently, it was the medication disrupting her otherwise rational mind.   It not only shattered her own emotions, but I had allowed myself to become upset as well.   I may never know the entire scheme of things; I did learn so much more about her at her funeral than I had ever known about her before.         ...

            After we had moved my mom into assisted living, we gutted out her house and set aside things for ourselves and the rest for a massive yard sale.   Corey had returned from Las Vegas to claime what was his and took a lot of what had once been hers.  He said he wanted all the photos.   There were many that I wanted to scan so that I could have digital copies, but I really didn't have the room for all of the hard photographs.   Corey and Joh had more room than any of my mother's other children.             It was in September of this year that Corey and Joh came to Oregon for a brief visit.   Unfortunately, when they returned home to their house in Las Vegas, they learned that several parts of the house had received water damage due to a flood caused by a broken pipe.   They have since undergone renovation and have been forced t...