Beneath the Wraps

Wesley walks from yard to yard collecting rocks and sticks and stores them in the garage of his parents’ house.  Wesley is their only child. Wesley takes medication for his ADHD. It takes away any appetite that is necessary for growth.  Wesley is thin like the twigs he finds.  I think a heavy wind could blow him away. He and Jenna have collected morning glories and have thrown them into the pool.  But no worries – they don’t plan to leave them there.  They just want to see how cool they look floating upon the water When it is time for Wesley to go home, Jenna invites herself to go with him                                ...

  I have had so many problems with T-Mobile the last couple of years, it’s a wonder I haven’t dropped them sooner. I created this post last year and had actually taken it down for two days when I thought that the problem had been resolved – but returned it two days later as there was still miscommunication.    My brother-in-law had also switched to Consumer Cellular – but was without service for a month.   He blames T-Mobile.   I don’t have all the details, but because of my own experience, I think that sounds pretty accurate.  I decided that we would just keep our phones and have new SIM cards through Consumer Cellular.   I was pretty distraught to learn that I would still have to call T-Mobile to get the SIM unlocked as we wished to keep our current phone numbers.   I ended up going through four people before I was given instructions and could receive the rest by email. It really didn’t take as long as they said – well at least...

          Jenna has outgrown the fort which I mention here. I was hoping to save it for Anna and Garrett whenever they would visit but the slide broke and the idea of having Anna tromp around  with so many openings did not thrill me.  The slide would have been Anna’s favorite part, but we took it off after it broke.               Bill and Kayla don’t exactly have a place for the fort right now – though we did offer it to them.  Jenna really doesn’t play much with it anymore.  Especially since we got the trampoline.  But lately, the tarp to the tramp has been so hot, the trampoline itself has been neglected.  I thought if we pushed it back to where we have the fort that it would get a little more shade.               I posted Jenna’s fort for free i...

             Mom embellished on her “sky-diving” story – a bit with the realization that jumping out of an airplane is something she would never do.   In this version it was from a commercial airline with mechanical problems.   Mom said she didn’t want to, but it was the crew that had forced all of the passengers to jump.           Harold told his story about going up in a stunt plane that did loop-to-loops.   They had fastened video cameras to each wing and had one in the cockpit.   This filmed every move that was made and then the three films were spliced together.   Harold said he had it on video tape.   But that it does tend to make most people sick when they watch it because it’s like being there.             Corey had explained to the family that there are seven stages of dementia and th...

--> --> When Jenna was three she discovered some blue gravel that had been dumped by the shed.   Biff had left it there after cleaning out a fish tank.   Jenna thought that they were beautiful seeds and wanted to plant them.   I tried to explain that they weren’t seeds – but she was insistent that we bury them so that they would grow into a beautiful flower. Everyday she would check the spot where the “seeds” had been planted – impatient that the flowers had not bloomed overnight.   Again, I tried to explain to her that even if the seeds had been real seeds – flowers do not spring up overnight.   It takes time.   Especially in our family, it seems. Jenna did not stop checking.   She was determined that her flower would grow.   She watered the area.   She talked to it.   She was certain that a flower would grow.   I really did not want her to be crushed and so devastate...

Mom did not go to Anna’s third birthday party.   She may not have known about it.   I wondered who would bring her – or if she’d be there at all.   I learned that the last time Sunny and her family had collected my mom for a Sunday dinner was probably the last time she was out. I had taken her out on Memorial Day .   I don’t think she would have come if Harold hadn’t given his approval. “Mom, you have to come.   Your brother, Bruce, will be there.” She hadn’t seen Bruce for years.   He actually looked the same to me – but in her eyes he was still 29 or 35, certainly not an old man.   She didn’t recognize him. But she was active and attentive and helped provide Corey with names to go with several photos he had found.   She enjoyed herself and we enjoyed having her there.   But that was over a month ago.   I haven’t taken her out since, and from what I understand, she doesn’t want to go. Well, that’s a far cry f...

As I have previously mentioned here and here , mom and Corey both have collected tons and tons of books over the years. Before we sold mom’s house, Corey and I took very few books to add to our own collections.   But the majority were boxed up for the uneventful yard sale (at least that’s how it appeared) and donated to charity. Most Americans in the 1730s had limited access to books. Books in early America were rare and expensive.   Only the wealthy and clergy had access to several books.   There were no public libraries.    In July 1731 Benjamin Franklin introduced his idea of borrowing books to a group of members. 50 subscribers invested 40 shillings each to start a library.   They committed to continue investing 10 schillings a year for the purchase of additional books and maintaining the upkeep of the building that would house the books which were donated.   Thus the library was born          ...

Today I read a conversation that took place between Corey and my mom.  She's upset that the workers at the facility seem to be sticking their noses into her affairs.  She wants her privacy and doesn't want the world watching her through open windows or open doors.  Therefore she keeps the blinds closed and leaves the door to her bedroom closed because she doesn't want anybody watching her.  Those who do are perverts.  And she swears when she returns to her room to find her blinds have been open.  Evidently she used the word "damn" in almost every sentence she said to Corey this afternoon. Evidently Harold is NOT her boyfriend.  He is an old man.  Mom doesn't even call him Harold anymore.  He is that guy.  He is old enough to be her father - so she says.  I learned that he is twelve years older.  Mom is on the younger end of those who reside at assisted living.  Harold's physical health seems to be far worse than mom's ...

  Noel took Jenna for half the day two Saturdays before Christmas.   In the process Jenna fell in love with Noel’s dog, Hallie.   Later, when Noel was traveling out of town, she was looking for a sitter to take Hallie for four days.   I volunteered – more for Jenna than Noel.   Unlike our dog, Highness, who’s only preferred activities are sleeping and taking walks, Hallie is an active four year old lab who LOVES to play – possibly more than Jenna.   I don’t know why Noel has her on such a strict diet, but I can’t leave food out for Highness to eat at his convenience as Hallie is supposed to eat certain foods at certain times – and Highness is such a fussy eater that he usually chooses NOT to eat what’s been left in his dish. Last week I watched Lacy – who belongs to Frank and Marie.   Normally I’d have said “No” except for they’ve watched Jenna on several occasions – not overnight, but several hours each time. Unlike Hallie, Lacy i...