Beneath the Wraps

                We have done a few more home projects including power washing the house and hanging blinds.                The power “ wash ” came out more like a power “ rinse ” as the soap didn ’ t seem to be coming through.  After watching a tutorial Roland went back and did the cars – so though the house has not been washed – it does look much better than before.             We moved things around to get to the windows.  As we did so, a board fell to the floor near the couch between the living room and hall.  Bonnie had been outside but I had let her in.  She remained behind the couch and I didn ’ t think much about it until she started whining.  I asked her to come but she remained until I picked up the board and then she brushed pass the couch.             Really?  She was unable to move forward becaus...

 Last year when I enrolled Jenna for ORCA, they came back with her to enroll as a senior - which sounded absolutely cool to me. But neither Roland nor Jenna seemed particularly interested in advancing her - especially because Jenna wanted the opportunity of graduating with her class mates at the local high school and not online.  This morning she informed me of the death of one of the staff members who just recently died of COVID.  I don't know why she thinks that.  She doesn't seem to have a source. It is too late for us to enroll her back in ORCA.  As I mentioned, the school has been put on week delay from when they were supposed to start.  Oregon has called in the national guard to assist with the problem the state is facing with COVID (more specifically the Delta Variant) outbreak.  The state has made national news.  I wish we would have enrolled her as a senior.  Then I wouldn't feel like I am throwing her to the lions den.

               Bonnie has been acting squirrelly lately.  We didn’t know if it was because of her allergies or the elements that animals can seem to sense better than any mechanical weather forecaster.  I let her out yesterday and noticed that there was another dog near our unused black car. I heard Jenna cry, “Why would you let her out?!” “I didn’t realize there was another dog out here.   Besides, why wouldn’t I let her out?   Maybe she needed to go.” I don’t know that Bonnie had even tried going potty.   I tried luring back into the house.   She wanted to check out the dogs (turned out there were two of them) but was not vicious about it – which must have meant they were both male.     The border collie seemed a bit put off by Bonnie’s presence and would growl and then Bonnie would growl louder.   Jenna did not get a picture of the three of them interacting on the hill but Bonnie was obviously ...

       Jenna and I both need our hair thinned.  I called the hair salon just the other day to learn that they are shut right now due to COVID, but do plan to reopen.  Well, great.  Do I even want to go anymore - although the last time we went, it was just the three of us there.     A lot of businesses have closed due to staff members testing positive.  Businesses that are open are short-staffed.  I don't think any of us should be shopping anyway.  Unless it's essential - like toiletries and medicine.     Jenna was supposed to start high school on the 31st this month.  A reminder was sent out last week on the 19th.  Yesterday we found this post:      Oh, please.  Jenna could have finished her schooling last year at ORCA but had wanted the opportunity of socializing with her friends once again.  I wonder how many of them will make it to graduation.  I wonder if there will be a gra...

         Sunday ’ s meeting was quite awesome. Our bishop tackled the sensitive subject of following the counsel of the prophet.  He started off sharing one incident in Church history in which the saints were being persecuted and how the division that exists today was alive back then.  I notice that during my studies how often our own lives parallel with the saints.  In a way we are “ marching ” to our own “ Zion ’ s Camp ”  ( here ) as we struggle to do the right thing and shed our pride or judgment.   https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/3- little-known-details-about-zions-camp?lang=eng        We have our free agency to follow the prophet or follow the crowd.  But I often feel that the “ free agency ” abused by others infringes on my own.  I remember airlines, restaurants, hospitals and other places who offered smoking sections – as if the smoke is seriously going to linger  only in...

 We had been walking Bonnie around Millsite Park.  Jenna pointed out the pinecones and asked if they normally grow on the trunks.   In all my days of seeing pinecone producing trees (and I have seen A LOT) I have never seen them growing into the trunk like what is pictured above.

                On Saturday I received my first COVID test ever.  I ’ m sure the person who was testing was being as gentle as possible – my poor nostrils.  I honestly was expecting that blood would come out of my nose.  It didn ’ t help matters when Roland (who ’ d been tested fair) coughed and spewed – or whatever he was doing.  He is NOT a wimp and I am so if he was having problems I figured it was bad.        It actually was not as bad as I had allowed myself to believe.   Nor was it as easy as my friend, Carol, had indicated the previous day.   It hurt!   And when I said it allowed, I heard Jenna behind me saying, “ Thanks, Mom ”          The person doing the testing told Jenna how brave she was – really?   Hadn ’ t I been any less brave?   We were told to wait 15 minutes for the results.   Roland started joking that “ mom...