Beneath the Wraps

She seemed fascinated with the toilet.  I thought she’d train early.  She didn’t. She took off after she turned one.  How cool to move herself with her feet, to go from room to room.  To explore.                                                        She collected balls and rocks. Whenever we’d go out walking she would climb on fire hydrants and pick up anything she found in her path.  She loved roly-polys.  They resembled small balls.  She did attempt to put one in her mouth.                                             She collected whatever she could carry. She started preschool when she was thr...

This post is different from  average - at least in this blog.  Perhaps you have an opinion?  And then we could have a discussion I dreamt that I was at some kind of convention – a BYU education week perhaps.   I believe I was in Provo with a mass amount of people.   For some odd reason I had been toting around some bedding (at least two pillows and one afghan) something I would NEVER do in real life.   For some reason there was a group of us ended up waiting for one of the instructors at his home.   And while we were waiting several dressed like hell’s angels decided to do some kind of aerobic activity on the instructor’s lawn. As the skies grew dark I found myself on the front porch wrapped in my afghan and sitting on my pillows until I decided (as odd as their particular moves seemed to be) I would join them.   I was a lot thinner in my dream and therefore it seemed more reasonable than if I were to try it now in real life. ...

I recall a former bishop who has six children – each given a name or names after people that this bishop and his wife had crossed paths with.   I had actually met the two men whom their youngest had been named after.   I was just a youth when one of the men passed, but I’m actually good friends with the man who is living.   What an honor the bishop’s youngest should feel to share a name with such a marvelous man, as I’m certain each individual involved with the lives of their family. My mom had been given one of those feminized masculine names (e.g. Josephine, Roberta, Patricia, Geraldine, Georgette . . .), which she didn’t particularly care for. It was three syllables long and as she learned to write was too long of a name to fit on the top line of any school paper. It wasn’t until high school when she decided to go by her unisex nickname (e.g. Joey for Josephine, Bobby for Roberta, Pat for Patricia, etc.) but still did not care for the name.   ...

Preparedness (according to Wikipedia ) refers to a very concrete research based set of actions that are taken as precautionary measures in the face of potential disasters. These actions can include both physical preparations (such as emergency supplies depots, adapting buildings to survive earthquakes and so on) and trainings for emergency action. Preparedness is an important quality in achieving goals and in avoiding and mitigating negative outcomes.  Methods of preparation include research , estimation , planning , resourcing, education , practicing and rehearsing .          It’s been eighteen years since BYU hosted the imperial tombs of china – an exhibit that my mom and I had gone to.   I found it odd that these rulers would spend their entire lives preparing for their deaths.   But then I suppose to some extent many of us experience a similar thing.       ...

         “Stepmom” was released in theatres December 1998.   The movie is put out by Columbia Pictures and stars Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon.    I enjoyed the movie the first time I watched it. I hadn’t considered being able to identify with any of the characters personally, though I did know of actual people that were real life characters.   I thought Jena Malone’s character was a brat.   Great actress.   I had seen her in a Hallmark production only two years earlier.   Ellen Foster and Anna Harrison – though played by the same actress – were two entire different people.   I did not even realize it was the same actress until only moments ago.          Julia Roberts plays Isabel Kelly – the current love of Luke Harrison (played by Ed Harris) who’d been married to Jackie (played by Susan Sarandon) – and finds herself in a situatio...

Formally titled "Walking in Another’s Shoes (or "What Are the Odds?")" Miranda and her mother live in Arizona.   They had come to Utah to spend the Thanksgiving Holidays.   On Black Friday they found themselves at an Old Navy store in Sandy, Utah.   The two were smiling as someone took their picture, which evidently Miranda immediately posted to her facebook page.   The focus should have been on mom and daughter – to see their happiness.   But for some reason her facebook friends seem more drawn to the woman in the background.   Apparently she wore a sour expression that many “friends” felt the need to poke fun at.            I have not seen the photo myself nor read the hurtful comments.   But I’ve been told that they exist - or did.   And with the given track record of facebook, I have no reason to doubt it.   People can be hurtful and mean and put others down without even knowing them...