Beneath the Wraps

  On May 21 st Joh and Corey had discovered another stray in their yard and like before (see here ) they took it upon themselves to feed the neglected tom and nurse it back to health.   Corey and Joh ’ s first miracle cat had shown up on the 25 th – the day they had scheduled for their new stray, Jasper to see the vet.   On the 31 st Corey wrote: “With the collar that Joh gave him,  his shaved fur, and having our home as his temporary abode, it makes me cry because he's been given back some of the dignity a cruel world took away from him and, of course, he's got love and caring now, too. Don't we all deserve that? ” Jasper in May On May 31 Joh had proposed the question: "If Jasper was a human being, what do you think his life was?" And on June 3 (a year after Joh ’ s mom had passed) Corey wrote that: “ Jasper represents a hope for a different outcome”. I ’ ve enjoyed the updates that are posted and have so much admiration for the compassion and the ...

         It rained yesterday.  An Oregon downpour - but nothing on Salt Lake forming puddles in the street - only the streets that have potholes.  It was a welcome drench.  This morning is muggy.  Still cool on the outside, but have the A/C running currently in the house.  This week has been so nice we have not used the A/C or the heat.  I wish it would just stay like this.     Though I had written  the following on Monday did not post until this morning: It  is much nicer weather this week than last week – cooler than I remember June weather being but closer to the temperature that brought me out her in the first place.   Cooler weather for Levi to build a deck/room as compared to last year’s front deck built in July – though not scalding.   I think each July has been hotter than the last since we arrived in Myrtle Creek although there was no Summerfest last year.   I will have to search online fo...

                 Our longest driving day was taking the family to Bandon.   It was also the coolest day as Bandon is always 10 – 20 degrees cooler than Myrtle Creek.              We arrived earlier than normal as the shops had not quite opened all the way.   We walked around the tourist trap next to the pier.   We showed them a couple of sculptures outside of the Washed Ashore museum.  Before we left the house I had looked up the hours but read they would not be open until July.   However there was indication that they would be open later that day.   We forgot to return to see.                    The trolley wasn’t running and so we drove to many of the places where the trolley had taken us. The baby was asleep when we arrived at the beach and so Carrie, Randy, and Jenna explored a bit on their own.    Devan had go...

 Backup to Memorial weekend and the following week           It doesn’t appear that most of us have slept well.   I sleep too well perhaps;   I have been drinking Energy Shots every morning as I am constantly tired – tired to the point of mushy mind and absolute lame company.            Carrie and Randy, of course, are not used to the chickens cackling or the roosters going off at random hours.   Randy thinks the youngest rooster sounds like a helium balloon that is slowly loosing air at the lip.   I have been so out of it that I no longer hear the fowl.   I do hear Jenna talking when she’s on her phone and I hear the blare of the television.             It has been a long while since I heard the screaming or crying from a one-year-old child.   My gosh, that kid has lungs.   Overall he has been happy but there have been ...

           There is a difference between a job and a career.   Career oriented people will put themselves out there.   They have a desire to advance.   They want to change things.   They want to set goals whether it is to make money or better the community, environment, what have you.   Some are so focused on their careers that nothing else is a priority.   Some balance their careers with other things that may have meaning in their lives – such as family or community.   Job people are those who need a paycheck just to make ends meet – or sometimes just to have an extra amount of cash.   These people don’t necessarily wish to make a career out of whatever they’re doing.   It is there just to get buy.   They are not married to their job or at least don’t want to be.   Often people have resentments about their situations on the job – or others that they work with.   Some feel used and abused and str...

                 A few days before our family’s arrival, Jenna pointed out the chickens in the cucumber garden.   No cukes this year!   Roland is mad!!! He decided that we would quit feeding and watering the chickens and return them to where they came from and pen them in so they cannot come on our side.   I told him to wait until after the kids arrived as I thought perhaps Randy could assist as he is tall.   Before we sent them on their way, I was hoping Devan would have at least one experience with feeding them and collecting eggs. Carrie enjoyed the free-range eggs and says it is something she will splurge on as the free-range are healthier than most of what is sold at the grocery store.   I personally don’t care about the cucumbers.   I couldn’t see Richard eating all that would grow – but now we will never know.   Not this year anyway. The chickens are still in the yard.   Levi’s dog had c...

            Though they left on Saturday, I consider our last quality day with the family was Friday.   Roland wanted to take them to the Lighthouse Café though I didn’t think it would be worth the drive as COVID had changed their dining options.   They had made outdoor dining available but had severely cut down the menu options.   I wasn’t impressed with the empanadas that had been ordered along with the puffed pasties with fruit filling.   But Randy and Carrie seemed to like it and so it was worth the drive after all. Jenna had wanted to go bowling – a family activity that Roland had wanted to do when we were in New York.   I forgot my wrist band and so did not participate and Carrie doesn’t particularly care for the bowling/arcade atmosphere – which makes sense.   So just Roland, Randy and Jenna bowled.   Devan played a few, but got bored with it after five turns.   They had fun.   We went home and ha...

            As I had mentioned in prior posts we had wanted to redo our flooring and add a back room to the house.   Roland had taken time off work the last week of April as we believed that when the floors would be done.   That was the initial plan.   However the product we ordered had to be shipped – which added nearly another month before the floors were started. Unfortunately it hasn’t been finished.   I don’t know if the error was with shipping product or inaccurate measuring so the correct amount of product had not been ordered to begin with or what exactly happened.   But we are still waiting for flooring.   The kitchen isn’t finished and the bathrooms have not been started.   The bathrooms were what I had been concerned about the most – particularly the master bathroom which I know has water damage. We had hired someone local out of Winston.   I was impressed with him and do like his work.   Rola...

            I went to Church by myself last week.   Jenna had opted to go with Roland to pick up Randy and his family at the airport.   Roland and I had picked up a van the day before.   We had also borrowed a playpen for the baby to sleep in.   I am happy I was there for sacrament meeting.   Bonnie’s doctor and his wife were the speakers.   We hadn’t seen Dr. Nay at Church since COVID began.   He still had a mask on his face which made me feel guilty that I wasn’t wearing mine (as masks are now optional at Church) Sister Nay talked about taking upon His name and comparing simple reminders to power bars or power bites.   Reading the scriptures would be a power bar, performing service, being kind . . . Though I have put Sister Nay on possibly a higher pedestal than perhaps she would place herself, it made me realize that even those that seem to be natural at taking upon His name and wouldn’t need power bars do...

           For my facebook page I had attached two scrapbook pages. My celebration started the evening before - unbeknownst to our friends whose home we had gone to.   We played three games.   Two of Smart A** - amazingly I did not land on any donkeys the entire first game (except for the one with the bullseye to declare the winner) and won the game.   I did get stuck in the second game and Jenna won that one.   We had fun.           Our friends then taught us a new game from their collection – one I had played before but had not enjoyed the first time.   It was more fun the night of the 27 th .   I declared myself a winner in my mind from having completed my original journey first.   Jenna also declared herself a winner as she was the first to complete all of her cards.   I was right behind her.   The winner is actually declared through points total – which requires...

  It’s only been five days since my last post and I have had ideas – even disconnected paragraphs. Problem right now (a very personal thing) is time management – which I used to be good at – but I’ve let myself slide – along with my memory which, by the way, is horrid.     I was supposed to pick someone up on Sunday.   I had even called her on Saturday night to give her a time.   A reminder went off that morning.   Two hours later I was in the car and then the church without her.     I guess that wasn’t as bad as picking up Bonnie after Jenna walked her to the theatre.   Jenna also gave me a bag of poop as she didn’t know where to dispose of it.   Not cool.   But okay.   It wasn’t okay.   I forgot about it.   Of course I can’t smell.   But Roland can.   He has a hyper sensitive nose. Apparently he spoke harshly at Jenna and told her not to assign me responsibilities because I don’t remember things. ...

Last week the temperature would start out in the mid-forty’s and go up another 40 degrees throughout the day.   That’s not nice.   This week we have had consistent weather and have included wind and rain.     I prefer the cooler weather – especially for walking Bonnie.   We all feel deprived when it is hot.