Beneath the Wraps

On Christmas Eve, I opened a gift presented by my granddaughter.   The name of the book is “Grandmothers Are Like Snowflakes . . . No Two Are Alike” by Janet Lanese (who I believe refers to herself as “Grandma Jan”) and had started reading it before I went to bed and continued after I got up and after we opened presents.    It’s got a bunch of great thoughts and little proverbs and I started reminiscing with many quotes that I read – starting with myself. Some quotes come with full names.   Some are quotes taken from children in which first name and age of child are given.   One of my favorite quotes came from an eight year old named Tammy.   It says, “ I love my grandma’s wrinkles.  Every one tells a story ” – which is where I got the title of this post.      I don’t feel much like a grandma.   I haven’t been with Ester much to make a connection in which we are both comfortable in our roles.   She’ll be three in...

                              The wooden nativity that Patrick painted did not include the bear.                          It was a gift that Jenna received for Christmas one year and decided                           she would add to the nativity                     The first Mary (pink) is the first piece that Jenna received to her nativity;                  the second is the only piece I can find to a nativity that my mom had given me;        ...

                           The first name drawn to pick a gift was our granddaughter, Ester                        Carrie suggested this white elephant she had wrapped.  Ester loved it.                                                                           The expression on my face says it all                        Jeanie was next to pick a gift.  She opened the clock that we had broug...

About a year and a half ago, after we cleaned mom’s house, I reclaimed my nativity mentioned here and learned that it was just too large for my small house and my less-than-tidy family.   Last year was the only year I put it up. My family had sent me a wooden nativity the first Christmas I was on my mission.   The nativity consisted of five pieces: Mary, Joseph, two lambs and the baby Jesus.   My brother Patrick had painted each of the figures.   Two years after I had returned from my mission, I had purchased a bunch of Christmas items that went on clearance following the holidays.   One of the items I purchased was a three-piece wooden set with painted camel, the three wisemen and a shepherd.   I added those to my existing nativity.   That is what I used for several years after Roland and I were married. My mom had given me a small nativity sometime before we had moved to West Valley.   It was smaller than my wooden set, and...

         This year the weather has been awesome enough for me to drive in.   As I was returning home from Jenna’s school, I stopped to get gas.   It was under 20 dollars to fill my tank.   I was stunned.   It wasn’t that low the last time I drove for real.            Last year when Jenna’s school held their Christmas performance, and the weather was rotten, not only did I miss the program, but Tony had as well.   He and Rochelle had just moved back after living in Texas.   Tony surprised Jenna this year when we both showed up just as her class was lining up out in the hall.            There have been some years when I know she hasn’t been able to find me in the audience.   I have taken pictures of her program just to prove to her that I was there.   This year I had my new camera but was very far aw...

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.      ...