Beneath the Wraps

               Two years ago this month, we were contacted by a property rental with availability.   I have a friend who had said she'd be driving to Newport the following day.   I talked her into leaving a day early so that I could ride with her and she could take me to my destination.                   Two years ago we parted ways.   After securing the rental, Denise dropped me off at the gas station where I planned - and eventually did catch a bus.   I was somewhere between Boise and Salt Lake June 6, 2015 when my brother called to let me know of my Uncle's passing.                 Facebook memories have provided memories of the trip and of Uncle Ross's passing.   My daughter-in-law Jeanie passed away exactly two years later.   She is the third child of her mom and dad to pass away within the last eight years.   All three ...

                I don't dislike Jack-in-the-Box but I can't say I'm an avid fan of their food.   Jack-in-the-Box does not exist in Salt Lake, and so the only time I've been is while vacationing on the west coast and it just happens to be convenient.   We've been to the one in Roseburg a few times, but not very often, which makes me wonder how it is we had even ended up with three antenna balls.   Jenna and Roland like them because it somehow makes our car easier to spot.   Well, I don't have radar eyes and if it is smaller than the tire, it is not big enough for my non-observant eyes to spot.                 The wind blew each day during our trip except for the Friday we went to Wheeler Farm.   That day was hot.   I suppose if I had a choice, I would take the wind.   I don't guess it would have mattered.   I would have probably ...

Biff works as a security guard He gets bored patrolling and calls us often. Just a week and a half ago he mentioned an upcoming weekend getaway. His in-laws were planning on taking him, his wife, and the baby. Biff had looked forward to Spending Time in the pool with Jeanie and Ally. He had made arrangements for getting the time off from work. He was home when Jeanie fell. He couldn't get to her quickly enough. The autopsy showed that she had a clot in her lung. Perhaps that is what caused her to fall. We had planned to visit with family members in Utah the second week in August. We have two granddaughters turning two that month. Carrie had called Jeanie on a Monday to ask if she wanted to celebrate the girls' birthdays at the same time before our return to Oregon. The following Monday we were all at Jeanie's funeral. Biff held Ally over the casket for one final view. Ally held out her arms and called, "Mommy" one last time. I w...

"As a result of declining timber receipt and dwindling reserve funds the Board is tasked with making very difficult decisions to ensure that basic public safety needs and other essential services for the community are met." stated County Commissioner Chris Boice. Those are the last words found on the Douglas County Library home page.   The web page may appear to offer more   options, but they are no longer linked to anything.   It's a dead page. This was the caption on November 30, 2016 Charlotte Herbert wrote the following letter to the News Review Editor:   Stop the talk, vote for the library           " How can anyone think library supporters have not thoroughly explored ALL funding solutions? Library staff and supporters have been thinking about alternative funding for 20 years. Ever since 1996, when repeated budget cuts made our libraries fall below minimum standards.      ...

        I grew up in the Midvale East 4th ward (Church boundary) and each year the members would drive to storm mountain for an annual bbq dinner and ward party.   There were always a variety of activities offered to each age group - though the teenagers (for the most part) would forego any planned activity and try their hand at hiking to Doughnut Falls - and often succeeding.          Before Kayla was born, the location had changed from Big Cottonwood Canyon to Wheeler Farm - which actually was a shorter drive and more family oriented, but not totally a big hit with the teenagers.   We hadn't taken into account that Wheeler Farm was a safer and more practical area overall.     I have seen this photo attached to two blogs; I don't  know who to give credit to for taking it. I think it's a great representation but I will remove the picture if the artist asks me to.    ...

     My head is so full right now. I'm tired. My fingers will never catch' up to my brain. I've written thoughts about the library but have not posted them.  I've taken countless amount of pictures that I still haven't viewed. I finished my algebra and entrepreneurship on Saturday. Two more classes started Monday but I haven't . . . still . . . I've done the daily checkpoints and started a research for my posts which will need references. Right now I am just way too tired to comprehend anything more. We returned to Myrtle Creek about three hours ago.  I feel the tiredest that I have ever felt in my life. For those who read my post on a regular basis, you know that it contains a hodgepodge of thoughts and posts. You ain't seen nothing yet . . .   I've got more tucked away in my brain. I would like to write and post them all. They will not be chronological. I can guarantee you that.

        Before we moved to Tri City, I had a premonition that one day Roland and I would be involved in helping to raise Ally.   It's not that I was trying to write Jeanie off into the next life - although it wasn't unexpected.   There was concern that she would die before Ally had finished school.   Ally will be two in August and therefore has not even started school.   And just because I had that premonition doesn't mean Biff will be packing up and moving to Oregon any time soon.   It may not be in his plans to come to Oregon at all - unless Roland talks him into it.   Biff does have other options - or will have.           His mother comes from a rather large family, and although half have now moved on to the other side, he does have family in Wyoming.   One aunt wrote me to say that Biff is welcome to stay with them.   At first it puzzled me.   Why would she ...

            I am the administrator of two groups in facebook.   The first is a Relief Society page that I had started for the ward that I'm in as it has been the only not to have a ward or RS page, and I missed it.   The second group Jenna and I had volunteered to get started in April (I believe) after Myrtle Creek Library closed its doors and several library users wanted to form a group in hopes to reopen the library.   The group page has existed for less than three months, but twice as many members and A LOT of contributors.   Though each says she really appreciates the group page, getting other sisters to post their thoughts on the RS page is like pulling teeth.   We have twice as many members in our "Friends" group and thankfully I'm not the only one who has been posting everything.             We had a meeting last night for the "Friends" gr...

          Since living in Myrtle Creek, I have NOT missed the horrible traffic accidents that we encountered on a daily or weekly basis - some just fender benders, but some involved lost lives - not to mention totaled cars.   My son lived not to far from this accident and was interviewed about what he saw            We've been in Oregon for almost two years now.   I have been in one line of slow moving cars as there had been an accident in one of the intersections in Roseburg.   I can also remember an employee at Figaro's pointing to the line of cars on I5 and reporting how far ahead the accident was.   I would have never noticed the line of cars on my own.   Perhaps my eyes believe it appears more in the distance than younger eyes do.             We ran a few errands last yesterday.   After we had crossed the parking lot and had gotte...

We're not gardeners.   I must have mentioned that at least a dozen times.   Our marigolds went from looking like this     to looking like shredded wheat.   Apparently Marigolds need to live in their pots for a while before they are planted in the ground so they can get used to the surroundings.   Reminds me of goldfish having to be tempered while floating in their bags Roland and I went out this morning to gather up the dried up marigolds to add to our compost.   We allowed the marigold seeds to fall back in the bed.   Hopefully it will make for having marigolds next year.   Or perhaps we should have planted them in pots and allow them to germinate in the greenhouse we had put together.     Our neighbor had given it to us;   I think she's just trying to weed out some "junk" that has collected in her yard over the years.   She sent the greenhouse parts in three bags - but no directions.   T...

I wish God would send down some rain to water my plants The skies have been overcast since Memorial Day and the air has been cool. Some rain but not enough to quench a plants thirst. Spinach is growing great. We can go out to the garden when we are fixing lunch or breakfast and add spinach to an egg omelet or a tuna fish sandwich. We bought some plastic owls to keep away the birds We looked for pinwheels but couldn't find them we are using wind chimes and spinning flowers but there has been almost as much wind as there has been rain. Most of our vegetation looks good. We're not certain about others.

I've turned in the math assignment for this week and have taken the assessment.   One more week and assessment to go .   This is how I truly understand math: If Bob is waiting for his bus at the corner of Lupis and Vine on a Tuesday and he is eating Strawberry ice cream, but not quickly, and his melted ice cream is dripping onto the sidewalk before the bus comes;   meanwhile, three cars have passed and none have bothered to offer Bob a ride, how far is the sun?   If Lisa has agreed to babysit for Mrs. Brown, and walk the dog for Mrs. Green and water plants for Mrs. Plumb, what color is Lisa's shirt?   If Hector collects rocks and balloons and gives one balloon to Kathy for nine seashells, what day of the week is it? I do like my instructor.   I wish I had just one ounce of her passion.   But I don't.   It's math.   I've found some videos that have been helpful.   Others are . . . what ??????   I came across one v...