Beneath the Wraps

           I remember signing up for a Relief Society activity where we were given pictures and pastel paper to make books for a quiet activity that our children (or grandchildren, whatever the case) might be entertained by the pages of words and pictures depicting a spiritual alphabet.   I must have spent the majority of my time cutting out squares and gluing thoughts and letters to the pastel paper.   I don't even like pastels - not since I was five or six.   But I kept them anyway.              Though the paper and majority of pictures were provided for us, we still had to come up with our own binder and sheet protectors.   We could do 8X8 or 8X12.   The 8X8 actually seemed to work up better as there seemed to be a lot of empty space on the 8X12 - but as I already had the supplies, I used those rather than make a purchase for 8X8.   I made a book for Jenna and p...

          On April 6, 2015, as we waited in the Portland airport for our return to Salt Lake City, Roland purchased what he believed was a crossword puzzle book.   It had actually turned out to be a book of fill-in puzzles, something I was not familiar with, but found enjoyed.   I have purchased many fill-in puzzle books since, and even some variety puzzle books.             With the puzzle variety I have learned that my favorite kinds of puzzles are fill-ins and brick-by-bricks.   There are some puzzles that I haven't been able to figure out how to play, some that seem more challenging and will take up more time than I am willing to give.   And there's some I just refuse to do as they involve math and I am so not in the mood (though I have been okay about sudoko - but not fill-in numbers.   What's up with that?       ...

After we arrived her over two years ago, we learned that Myrtle Creek has a celebration very close to the time when Salt Lake City celebrates Days of '47.   The ward in Myrtle Creek offers a service project the week prior to the community. The first year we had gone to Riddle Cemetery and used power washers to clean the stones.   There were several who brought weed whackers to   spruce up the grounds. Last year we went to the high school.   We brought weed whackers and power washers and paint brushes.   This year our service project was at the VWF.   We cleaned up the outside as well as the inside (at least some members did;   I was bothered by all the cleaning chemicals and chose to stay outside) This year we continued to build upon the equipment of weed whackers, power washers and paint brushes - carpentry was also added to the agenda.   So here are some pictures of what we did:     ...

                I am now taking two accounting classes.   The language is foreign to me.   I do okay in accounting 108 but I seem to be reading (and hearing) binary code for the other.   I have seen the names of only two other classmates who are currently taking both classes.   What is up with that?   Just because I don't see their names doesn't mean all my other classmates are taking the same two classes but with different instructors.   I personally would rather have just one at a time - or at least one on Monday morning and not have to wait for a walk through for both classes on Tuesday evening . . . and still replay the recordings over and over in hopes that I'll understand.                 I like my 108 instructor.   He's not boring.   He is easy to follow.   I understand wha...

            Have you ever made plans to do something only to have your plans fall through so whatever you had planned falls into the cracks and ends up not being done at all - but in the long run it turns out to be for the better?   Let me give you an example:   After our backyard neighbor had passed away, his wife has been getting rid of tons of stuff.   I don't know if she's sold anything or if she has just given it away.   In our case it has been given.             Roland and I had built a hot house ( here ) and used concrete bricks to line our beds (both donated by the neighbor) Roland started cantaloupe seeds in the greenhouse before moving them to this bed.   They seem to be doing well.              She'd also given a doll house kit to Jenna.   Now Jenna is not nor ever...

                When we first looked at our house, I was thrilled with the large tub in the master bedroom.   Evidently I had not even looked at the shower. The shower in my mom's house was made of pink tiles.   There was a 4 to 5 inch lip that we could step over to be in the shower.   After daddy had his strokes, we put a plastic chair in the shower and invested in a shower hose. The hose split shortly after he had passed.   It hadn't seemed like a great investment.                 Because I can't always make the time for the luxuries of a bath (not to mention the many gallons of water)   I have taken more showers. For a while I was using the shower in Jenna's bathroom.   Her tub is more shallow than the master bath, but there is definitely more floor room in the tub than there is in the master shower.      ...

        Nobody calls me baby duck,         but that is how I feel for the most part when I am in the pool with my class.           I   seem to lag behind.   Either I am all over the pool (that would be when we're supposed to stay in place) or don't move at all (that would be when we are going to or returning from         the deep end)         Yesterday was overcast until about 2:00.   The pool was warm, but the air was not.   About 56 degrees.   Possibly warmer.   But there was a breeze that seemed to make it feel colder.         The lifeguards wore sweatshirts and         jackets.   They often do.   Our regular instructor was out a...

          When I was in my twelvth mod, I had two classes.   I would try to attend the live lecture of each class.   I think I had attended all four lectures in my algebra class - perhaps only three.   Fortunately there was no problem with the hook-up system (the school uses a program called Zoom) but the instructor in my management class would always have a problem with the system cutting out or recording only audio or video, but not both.   It generally happened whenever she played a video in addition to her lecture.   I told her to stop showing videos and just send us the links.   I don't know if it would have made any difference.           Last mod I also had two classes - two accounting classes.   I still don't understand the language, but I actually did well in both classes.   That is amazing considering what torture it was trying to get into a live lecture or (in mos...