Beneath the Wraps

Love this video.  So uplifting.  Thank you, Matt Harding.  Thank you for sharing your passion.

                I had quite a few challenges ahead of me the year that I started my blog.  I don't recall what happened to our car, but there was some kind of accident that effected the trunk. We made do with a temporary repair job until we had the finances to get a better fix.  Thus whenever we would drive (particularly over bumps) there would be this rattling noise that made it sound as though there were something heavy being thrown around.  It was the car I drove and therefore just dealt with the distraction mainly by ignoring it.                 My mom happened to be a passenger one particular day in October.  She asked me about the sound and I joked that it sounded like a dead body in my trunk.  By then mom's memory was really going downhill.  Though both of my brothers were in denial about mom having been that far gone, both Kay...

            At the end of last month (July 29) I mentioned that I decided to go back to school online.  Thus far I have taken four classes.  Two I've completed and I will have finished two more by the end of next week.                         Currently I am taking an English Refinement class and a Philosophy Class called the Introduction to Logic.  My instructor LOVES philosophy.  I do not.  Fortunately it hasn't been as huge a challenge as I had predicted. I've actually gained a repoire with my instructor and have been flattered by her feedback.             On the last day of July I posted the first assignment I had turned in for that class.  I shared it mainly for those that may be required to take the class also in hopes th...

          We've been told that Oregon's hottest month takes place in August.  Thus far I have not noticed a drastic difference with the weather here as I had in Salt Lake.  We moved in at the beginning of summer last year.  Oregon was going through a drought.  The entire summer was ALWAYS HOT.  Fire temperatures were extreme.  Grass was brown and dry.  We were told that would make for a hard winter.           By Utah standards, the "cold" winter of Oregon (west of I5) last year was really mild.  It was our first winter in Oregon, so again, we don't actually know any better.  We got snow.  We're told that snow is rare.  Perhaps we'll have a more accurate experience this year.           Thus far, the hottest days (in my mind) were July 28 - 30 - the three days that Myrtle Creek had their s...

                What is it with people saying, "Guess what"?  When I said/asked it to my parents, did I really expect them to guess? Does anybody?  Whenever Jenna has approached me with "Guess what?", I have given often given her an outrageous answer that she actually seems to enjoy, and it has become a game for us.                 "Guess what?"                                 "You woke up to find an elephant in your bed this morning."                 "Guess what?"                 "An elephant was reported ...

        I did not post between the 17th and the 23rd of last month as my sister and family had come to stay with us for a week.  The boys enjoyed climbing the hill that is basically our entire backyard.  Uncle Roland had introduced Gary to the blackberry bush.  Each day he would climb the hill and grab a few berries and bring them back to the house.         They arrived on Saturday night and went with us to church on Sunday.  Those who served in the nursery LOVED BJ and were hoping for his return the following week.  (Kayla and Bill do have beautiful children)  My brother-in-law took this pic just over a year ago. Gary and Anna were in the same primary class.  I sat with them during singing/sharing time.         I briefly described our Monday.  Picked blueberries and separated cars.  Roland went with Bill who drove his car ...

            Last month was definitely the coolest July temperature wise) that I ever remember.  28, 29 and 30 were hot.  Yesterday was nice and cool, but extremely windy.  It is the second time I recall an Oregon wind knocking me into a coma. It could have been a combination of the wind and the allergy pill I had taken  to knock out the huge amount of smoke from the fireworks.              The three hottest days were also the three days that were used for Myrtle Creek's celebration.   They have been doing this for 30 years now.   I believe they started the tradition on July 27 - or perhaps that's the day that Myrtle Creek was founded as a city.   But I don't know what year.   The celebration of summer festival takes place on the last weekend in July.             I did not take as many pictures ...