Beneath the Wraps

There was one year when Roland seemed to make more money than in previous years or even the ones that followed. He had managed to find a package deal through a travel agency and took us all to California just right after Christmas.   The boys were out of high school for the holidays.   Jenna was two. I have heard that between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the best time to visit Disneyland.   From personal experience, I know that between Christmas and New Years is the absolutely worse time to go. I remember riding the tram the first day we went to the park.   Jenna’s enthusiasm at riding the tram from the parking lot to the park was awesome.   All four of them were excited and enjoyed every moment. I’m not exactly certain why we had driven or taken the tram.   We spent two days at the park.   As I recall we just walked to the park the second day.  I know Richard and I went back to the hotel about four hours before...

            About half the blogs I read are by friends or relatives that I know.   But once in a while I am drawn to one that either someone else has recommended or one that I have come across myself.   Such is the case with Donna Carol Voss.   She posts to this blog usually once a week on Sunday.             I used to leave comments, but now she has a no reply and I haven’t been able to leave comments – not that my comments are important.   So many of her posts just resonate with me.   I just want to be able to tell her that.   Express to her how much I value her opinion.             I absolutely love the unconditional love that she expresses for each of her children and for those who are not members of the Church and being careful not to use labels and ...

       Jenna and I took a bus out to Kearns Friday morning.   A member of my former ward had passed, and I wanted to attend the funeral.        We have taken that route several times all summer long, but we had never had the driver that took us that morning.   She had a million dollar smile that was so sincere.   She greeted each passenger, as he/she was a personal friend.          I’ve had pleasant drivers before.   I’ve had many recognize me and assist with needs when I couldn’t find my pass or knowing exactly where to stop or even asking, “Which stop will you be getting off today”        Most drivers are quite friendly – though there are the occasional passengers who will provoke.   The driver’s I have seen have dealt with the situation well, but there are some who are obviously bothered and let the human side...

         I have always hated flies.   Annoying creatures that buzz around my face and land their teeny legs on my skin to share their germs.   My idea of hell consists of non-dying flies.          Mosquitos never bothered me quite so much when I was single.   They loved my brother, Patrick.   I could stand next to him anytime the mosquitos were out and never be bitten.   He could even be doused in an entire can of repellent and I with nothing, and the mosquitos would still go after him.   I had actually convinced myself that mosquitos actually died on my blood.          During the last five years or so, my blood must have improved in taste – or else the mosquitos are just getting more desperate.   I know the Red Cross is.   They had also taken my blood out of desperation.   It’s never been wonderful bloo...

      I am currently using an ancient Mac laptop – one that was purchased at a pawnshop at what we believed was a reasonable price.   Roland needed it for his class.   Frustration set in as he toyed with this problem for more than a year.      The keys on the top row would stick.   Well, 1-6 did.   It was okay.   He didn’t need the numbers.   But when the top row of letters (particularly the e, r and t) started sticking – well, that was a problem.  Most often, the keyboard from the computer was plugged into the unit.      We took it in to be serviced.   Less than a month later, the “r” key started sticking again and is often missed into the words now, unless one pounds on it.   So often when I am typing, the “r” doesn’t make it into my word.   It can be frustrating.      A spell check will usually pick up on my missing “r”s, but it will ne...

           Lola gave the lesson yesterday on the gift of the Holy Ghost.   She asked for participation – though the first example that came to mind took more time to explain than I thought was appropriate.   As I listened to her lesson, I came up with a few examples from my own life.          The first example I thought of was one of Warning                   I was 17 and hadn’t had my driver’s license for long.   I hadn’t learned to drive a stick and thus drove the family station wagon (since it was automatic).          My brother, Patrick, and I both worked at Snelgroves Ice Cream Store – approximately a 15 minute drive from where we lived. I had asked Patrick if he would move the Honda, which was behind.   Patrick was only 15, but ...

         About a year and a half after we moved in, Jenna was out in front playing with Wesley.   Wes introduced her to Blake, who lived around the corner.   Blake and Jenna decided to be friends and ditched Wesley who had decided to climb on the roof next door.   Both Blake and Jenna were mortified by his decision.          The next day Blake came over to play with Jenna.   It just happened to be her birthday and she had turned seven.   I had a party planned with many of her friends from the old neighborhood.   Jenna asked if Blake could go with us.   I told them both that we would need permission from Blake’s parents – or parent rather.   Like many of the children over here, Blake came from a broken home.          Blake left the house and made his way back in what felt like only two minutes.   He said it...

When Jenna goes to school, I have taken the bus with her.   I normally have my backpack which contains my water bottle and a book.   Or at least I try to have a book – so I can read during the ride when Jenna isn’t with me. Jenna and I have ridden the bus all summer.   We’ve gone in a variety of directions.   But we have always started out on the same bus that we have taken when she’s been in school.   Instead of continuing to our normal bus stop near her school, we have been getting off at the college and making a transfer connection to a different bus. Just north of the college is a foot bridge that leads to the junior high across the street.   Jenna has always wanted to cross it.   I figured she’ll have the opportunity to cross it in two years – almost daily for the three years that she attends the junior high. My initial plan was to cross it with her, as I’d need to take a return bus home.   But this morning I learned that is ...

I don’t know when mom became an avid walker or how many years she and Pam Sanders had walked together practically every weekday morning.   I know that Corey was still in high school and driving because many times mom and Pam would end their walk at the high school and take the car.             Once, as they were leaving the parking lot, a security officer from the high school pulled them over to see their ID – wondering why the car was being driven off the high school grounds during school hours.   I guess he figured out that they weren’t high school students. They laughed about the experience of being pulled over and stopped by a diner on their way home.               The girl behind the counter started to ring up their order.   I don’t know what they ordered, but evidently it was available at a senior price.   Neither one of them were ...

         When Jenna was two and three, she insisted that Roland stop calling her the baby.   “I am a big girlr” she’d inform us (actually I don’t remember the exact pronunciation; she said it as one syllable, but it sounded like she had an extra ‘r’ at the end.)          When she started to go through adolescence, she no longer wished to be a big girl.   She wanted to be like her hero, Peter Pan – without having to move to Never Never Land.   Becoming a woman was something she was NOT looking forward to her.          Two years ago I started a post which I did not attach to my blog.  It was the day when I bought Jenna’s first bra.   The very idea was just too devastating for her.   And I told her that I wouldn’t tell any family members – and because I have family members which read my post, I didn’t post about i...