Beneath the Wraps

                 Richard had decided to buy me a 12 X 12 scrapbook with extra pages as I had enjoyed scrapbooking. This purchase was made at the time when we still lived in West Valley.  8 ½ by 11 always seemed more practical for me though I had made up four or five 12 X 12 scrapbook albums when I was single.  After I had married I had made a couple of pathetic attempts of scrapbooking in order to preserve the memories of my new instant family – but I had given that up after Jaime was born.  I didn ’ t have the room I needed.           Before we had even moved to West Valley Richard had given me a CD set to download to the computer. The program allowed me create scrapbook pages on the computer. No longer would I have to spread out photos and lay them out for placement and seek for stickers or die cuts to go with whatever themes.   I could see benefits for both. The pages I print from the computer...

             I scanned several photos with the intent of mailing them all to Ryan’s family.   I thought his kids might enjoy looking at them.   There are quite a number of photos and postage will be costly – unless I send just a couple of them at a time.   Thus I started with four random photos and a message to his family to keep an eye on his ever changing hair (or lack thereof) for Ryan has had a head full of hair similar looking to Sideshow Bob (from the Simpsons) and has also been completely bald.   He has gone through a blond stage.   Dreadlocks.             We had an unused scrapbook in our yard sale.   It was not purchased and I have recently decided that I will place some photos within and send it out when it is full.   I will start with Ryan’s 14 th birthday.           Richard and I had been married just over a...

  When I was in junior high (the year indicates I was in my ninth grade year) I had an English instructor who seemed kind of strict and thought he might be a hard grader.   I really don’t know much about him except for he had pronounced my last name correctly and since that rarely happened I thought we must related. I don’t know for how long he was my instructor.   I think at least one semester.   But we had a substitute finish out the year.   He was a very easy grade.   For the most part we didn’t even receive instruction (as I recall) but were subject to every Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton movie.   I kid you not.   I’m surprised to learn that apparently we had been given an assignment.   But there it is – his comments following the four A pluses.    I must have referred to this paper at least four times within the letters I had sent to my mom while attending Ricks College.   I knew that if I ever came across it that...

  Long before digital cameras we used film.   Film cartridges were dropped off or mailed. After the film was developed into pictures they were ready for pick-up.   They would come in envelopes with two pouches.   The larger pouch contained the photographs and the smaller held the negatives. Jai and I found a large number of negatives among the photos we had discovered.   Jai seemed to take more pleasure out of looking at the negatives than the pictures themselves.   Silly girl.

      Since I have been married  each ward we have lived in  has  offered a small primary.   When members go out of town  the primary appears to be even smaller.   The primary president had recruited Jaime as  a sunbeam teacher for the next two weeks -  starting the other day.   There were five children in the primary -  more leaders than youth.   They combined the younger children and  older ones for just two classes.   Jaime was not sad to learn  she was not needed after all.

  This is the only composition I had scanned.  My first paragraph ends with the comment good .  My last paragraph ends with the comment disarming .  I received 22 points.  I don ’ t know what that is in relation to.  If there were 25 possible points I think I did rather well.  But the paper itself was an atrocious mess.  So maybe it ’ s 22 out of 100?  I don ’ t know. I think I went overboard on the contractions.  My instructor may have docked me for at least one spelling error but as I type this I have found some others that he hadn ’ t underlined (or pointed out).  My typewriter did not have spell check but word does.  Thus my spelling errors have been corrected but I tried to leave paragraphs and commas as what I had turned in.  I have included two paragraphs from the original I had handed in.  That particular English class was a rather easy grade as I recall.  So I ’ m thinking 22 was a decent grade.  Bu...

                 Among the photos that Jai and I have gone though were several letters that evidently had come from my mom ’ s house. I have many memories from my past.  I remember a lot of details. I have mostly positive memories but there are a few that aren ’ t so pleasant.  For the most part I have succeeded at blocking out the bad memories. I thought I had been pretty good about keeping the pleasant ones but am learning it is only for up until a certain age – or so it seems.  I attended Ricks College from September 1981 to the end of April 1982. (Keep in mind that this is back in the day before personal computers, emails and social media.   Our communication was written correspondence and telephone calls – NOT cell phones, but phones that used dials and curly cords)       It appears I had written to my family at least three times a week.   I have few memories of my college days.   The le...

       Jaime had the most awesome kindergarten teacher.   We both loved Miss Webb.   She had the ability to teach all the children on their own level.   Of course it helped to have parents volunteer whenever the children were put into groups.     and would have liked to finish the year.   Jaime was in the learning advanced group.   She was in the top three academically. Miss Webb had given those children a composition notebook which they used to communicate.   Often she would comment on what they had written or use a prompt to get them started.   Jaime rarely ever needed a prompt.   What an imagination my child has! Sadly we moved and put Jaime in another school. Miss Webb continued to communicate with Jaime via my facebook account – or so I ’ m guessing.  There is evidence of conversation but all in my handwriting instead of theirs.  It has been a fun treasure to explore. I scanned this check list.  L...

           I have created so many scrapbook pages – some by hand, probably more on the computer.  It ’ s not the same.  And I do like the tangible die cuts and stickers and perks of hand scrapbooking as opposed to the computer. The computer also has perks such as changing sizes to make it fit – though not as polished.  Especially over the years as the photos start to fade. Throwing away photos has always been hard for me but does seem necessary. I had packed away three small boxes of photos with the intent of sitting down with Jai to scrapbook though she has seldom been interested.   She enjoys talking about photos and strolling down memory lane – for a time at least.   I had cut shapes on some of the photos but did not have them in order.     Did not work out to my expectations however.   I think in the last 8 years I may have just added photos and never looked at them until yesterday. Many of the photos I had s...

It’s been a week since Biff and his clan moved out and we brought Jaime home.  I don’t miss having the washing machine and dryer going constantly I’m grateful for the quiet. I don’t miss their car in our driveway when I’m backing out I am grateful to have more width. I don’t miss the open butters on top of paper wrapping near the toaster. I’m grateful that Richard and Jaime know how to use the butter dish. I don’t miss seeing open doors revealing what look like storage closets instead of bedrooms I’m grateful her college experience has taught Jaime to keep up a tidy appearance in her room   and not the sty that Biff and Claire vacuumed only once a month – if that. I don’t miss the long showers that each of them would take. I’m grateful to have hot water when I just need to wash my hands. I don't miss the procrastination or seeing them waste time. I'm grateful that we all keep the same hours - early risers. I don’t miss their weird food or searching for th...

             We moved to Oregon on June 17, 2015 and attended the South Umpqua ward for the first time on June 21which happened to be Fathers’ Day.   I remember thinking how it felt like such an odd meeting as both speakers seemed to be promoting social media.   There was absolutely no mention about Fathers’ Day.   Jaime was disappointed as the ward we had come from always provided light entertainment to those who were fathers. Perhaps the primary children had sung to the men during priesthood?             I hadn’t made the connection of Juneteenth holiday being today.  Each year facebook reminds me of our move to Oregon, our return to Utah in 2017 and our trip to New York in 2020.   And this year of regaining possession of our house as the other three have moved out and they are NOT going to return.   I am grateful for some of the experiences I had as a result of their l...

                 Jai has always wanted to do a yard sale and got her chance today.  She had set it up nice, but the availability seemed quite lame compared to other yard sales I’ve seen.  If the buyer had a heart set on stuffed animals or cos play head gear, our yard sale was exceptional – but for the more mature lookers our yard was a huge disappointment.           Richard told us to label all the items but Jai didn’t wish to do that.   She did wish to haggle – which I personally don’t like to do.   Perhaps she would have made more money if I hadn’t been there to “assist” – I was all for cheap and free but Jaime seemed to overprice things.   But she also had a sign that said “Make Me an Offer”   It wasn’t her fault that the signs continued to blow down.             They had belonged to her and she finally parted wi...