Beneath the Wraps

                We forgot it was Martin Luther King Day - though Jenna had mentioned it several times.   I would have just slept in had I remembered.   We have scheduled for Fed Ex to pick up Roland's broken computer (company expense)   and I was planning to send out three birthday cards - two I should have mailed on Friday.   If the schools are out, the post office is probably closed which makes me wonder if Fed Ex will reschedule also.   Currently they're supposed to be here anytime from 8-6.   There's a narrow window for you.                   In addition to MLK it is also International Hot and Spicy Food Day - or so says the calendar.   Another holiday that Jenna and I will not be celebrating as we are both actually quite wimpy with our taste buds.   But she did celebrate hat day y...

                I turned in my primary manual the week before Christmas.   It's been a while since I've taught Sunbeams though I have taught several classes in primary.   I remember having four different manuals that would rotate each year.   Apparently the sunbeam manual stays the same.   There are only three class names for the primary age children: Sunbeams, CTRs and Valiants.   The CTR classes are for 4 - 8 year olds and Valiants are from 9 until 12 when boys start attending Priesthood meetings and girls are put in Young Women.   When I had attended primary as a youth, each age group was given a separate name: Sunbeams, Stars, CTRs, Targeteers, Merrie Miss A and B, and Blazers.                      I don't know if I retrieved the sunbeam manual on Christmas Day or on New Years. ...

                I always thought I was unique about seeing faces in patterns or saying a certain vegetable or color that is not the same one that everybody else thinks of.   Jenna has watched a lot of "Brain Games" and as I have watched it with her, I have discovered that I fall into the norm.   What?!   I don't want to be normal.   I want to embrace my differentness.   What differentness?                 Last night Roland and I were watching 20/20 (found here and here ) in which Diane Sawyer interviewed a number of people and took us into a piece of their lives and I cried about the struggles of the average American working hard for so little - holding multiple jobs just to stay afloat.   And that is what most of us are doing - just staying afloat.         ...

            I don't know why, but my entire household was awake at 3:30 this morning.   Granted, there only three of us, but still . . .             After 6:00 pm last night, Roland continued nodding until he finally went to bed.   As usual, I fell asleep on the couch.   At 3:30 I got up and noticed the television light was on from the bedroom.   I got in bed with Roland and asked why he was up.   Apparently, he had been awake since 2:00.   And then I could hear Jenna stirring.             Roland went into his office while I attempted to fall back asleep.   It wasn't working and so I got up and signed in on my computer.   Roland's computer meanwhile had shut down and he hasn't been able to get it to come back up, thus he is not even at work today.   He called the sch...

                The 10th was "houseplant appreciation day" - initially Jenna and I had decided to purchase a plant and take it to our local pharmacist today in honor of "national pharmacist day" but as we are limited on funds this month, I decided to spotlight a specific pharmacist instead.   Unfortunately, I don't have the biographical account that I had hoped for.                 If indeed I have the right Clyde Meadows was born on May 26, 1936 in Salt Lake City.   He graduated from the University of Utah (though I don't know what year) He lived on Coronet Dr. in Holladay as of 1981 and worked at a pharmacy in Murray, Utah.                    Fashion Place did not open until 1972 but I believe Skaggs was there on the corner of State...

                I didn't see snow on the mountains this morning, but the snow came down hard this afternoon.   It didn't stick.   Western Oregon is calling this a "harsh winter"   What we've had thus far has accounted for a rather mild winter according to Utah standards.   I have read so many complaints about the snow and health problems in Utah - even here in Oregon.   I've had a stupid cough, but I don't have the sinus infection that I'm certain would have returned several times even though I would go to the doctor for my z pack if I were living or even just visiting in Salt Lake right now.   I haven't actually been to a doctor in Oregon since September of last year.                 I guess because I had heard snowfall was/is rare in this part of Oregon, I have taken several pictures . . . and yet I w...

We don't have argyle sweaters for which we wear on walks No argyle ties to speak of and we don't have argyle socks It's said that argyle day started with a tribute to the Scottish fare though I do have ancestors from Scotland I have actually never been there I may not have ancestors from the Clan Campbell but perhaps they wore argyle kilts and perhaps carried argyle umbrellas and snuggled in argyle quilts Thus we celebrate argyle day still no sweater or socks to wear so we made an argyle card and I made this lame poem to share. For more  ideas for Argyle day, see here