Beneath the Wraps

Today I have the car.   Well, for six – eight hours.   This morning Jenna and I rode in with Roland to his work.   We stayed in the car and listened to Henry Winkler for about 45 minutes. I should have waited a while longer before pulling out of the lot, but I was afraid of more traffic entering the lot, and wanted to avoid the employee traffic and so went out on the road earlier than I should have.   But we did say a prayer before we left and got Jenna to the school with thirty minutes to spare. It is Jenna’s last day of school this year.   The classes are doing a program this morning.   I didn’t make it to her program last year because we had the hardest snowfall we had seen for a number of years and so of course the busses were running behind and even though I had left the house earlier than I thought was necessary, I waited for over 20 minutes before I realized that even if the bus did come, there was no way it would get me to my de...

I realize that this weather has been tough on a few people and I will probably be unhappy about it when there’s no moisture come summer, but right now I am enjoying walking and not trudging through snow.   I have enjoyed NOT having to wear my boots. I am enjoying the breathable air.   I feel good.   When I get headaches, I can step outside and make them go away.   The headaches are so much better than the sinus infection of the last two or three years – which I DON’T miss at all.          The last few times I’ve gone walking, I noticed three or four trees that still have autumn leaves clinging to the branches.   Does that mean I might still discover autumn leaves on the ground in June?   Wow, that would be something.          To think at this time last year, Jenna and I were getting rides from our neighbor up the street.   Her son enjoys his freedom...

         Quite recently Jenna had asked me if there were seriously anyone who did not/does not like Santa Clause.   I gave her an example of a girl who used to live in my mom’s ward.   Roslyn hated beards.   She was scared of anyone who wore one – even in pretend. The two top people on her “hate” list were Santa Clause and Jesus – I don’t know if it was that order.          Imagine my surprise to learn that little girl grew up to be the vice principal at Jenna’s school.   I hadn’t known that when I related the above.   I was assisting at the JA city when Roslyn had approached me yesterday to ask if I was LaTiesha Cannon.   It’s true that I was wearing a nametag with my first name on it.   But still.   I don’t think we’ve seen one another for at least thirty years – not that we had much contact when living in mom’s ward.      ...

         A couple of weeks ago, Jenna came home with a form for parents interested in volunteering for an upcoming field trip.   She begged me to please fill it out and I did. The next morning, after returning home from leaving her at school, I thought better of it.   The volunteers needed to be downtown at 8:15.   Even if we caught an earlier bus, I wouldn’t be able to get downtown at the allotted time.          At first I tried to make arrangements to car pool with another student in her class.   But that didn’t pan out, and we actually ended up having Roland drop us off at her school at 6:30 in the morning, but I had to leave for the bus stop while it was still dark.   I felt bad about leaving her.   I felt worse when I arrived and discovered that there appeared to be more children than adults.   I should have taken Jenna downtown with me – but she wanted to go to s...

         I read this piece of trivia: “On November 23rd, 1889, the jukebox was invented by entrepreneurs Louis Glass and William S. Arnold. They called it the nickel-in-the-slot phonograph which is possibly the least effort we've seen put into the name of a product ever.” and was reminded of having seen jukeboxes on occasion.         Jukeboxes weren’t as popular when I was growing up, as I believe they were when my mom and dad were teenagers. But I do remember some restaurants featuring a single jukebox and one restaurant that allowed you to make selections from the table.   I also remember spending quarters (not nickels) for making a selection of up to six songs.   I don’t recall ever dancing to my jukebox selections – just having the music in the background.             There was a jukebox at Snelgroves for a short t...

            I have always had allergies.   It doesn’t matter what time of year.   When I was still in school, I had trained myself to fall asleep in a somewhat reclined position – that way my sinuses didn’t drain directly into my throat.   Thus I have actually spent most of my life sleeping propped rather than sleeping flat.   Roland sleeps flat.   Over the years it seems that only one or the other of us can be comfortable in bed.   But not both.             The last three or four years I have complained about the air quality in this house and I have suffered with painful sinus infections the last two or three years.   Before that I had believed that suffering a sore throat was the worse thing – worse than headaches.   But not worse than being so disoriented that I cannot think or function.      ...

While Jenna and I waited for the bus this morning, I took these pictures with my cell phone.