Beneath the Wraps

          I spent the bulk of yesterday finishing pulling grapes off the stems and Roland smashed them all and heated them without boiling them and we made just over six gallons of concentrate.   We have two juices set aside for drinking.   He says we will turn the rest into jam, but that is what he said last year and we only made eight jars.   He found it irresistible not to drink it all.   It is really good and worth the mess.   boca grapes paper towel on stained counter cheese cloth top left side permanently attached cutting board     my shirt           About the title of my blog – well . . .   Roland and I had gone to bed late last night.   Late for us anyway.   Our automatic alarms did not go off at 5:00 a.m. I had told Jenna earlier this month that if there was no eviden...

Warning folks - this post is a long one.  I have been trying to find the right words to convey my thoughts and hope that I have.  I somehow seem to have a big following in Italy - though I can't imagine why.  I know I don't have the greatest sentence structure and my thoughts somehow get clouded. May you have success in comprehending how this is written:                     I am so sick of marketing ploys that prey on people’s weaknesses or vanity that should you use said product you will not only look years younger but feel amazing.   There are products for getting rid of wrinkles, bags under the eyes, weight, etc.   One product claims tighter skin just by rolling their magic stone around your face.   It’s like society has conditioned us that if we should have turkey necks, wrinkles, scars, pimples or whatever – we are unworthy to be associating with second class...

           Roland and I went to the outskirts of Roseburg (Melbourne) last night to pick grapes in the rain.   We didn’t go with the intention of being rained on nor did we go to the vineyard with the intent of celebrating our 18 th wedding anniversary and yet it was.   I would have forgotten all about it if my sister hadn’t sent me an anniversary wish.   Wow.           We were on our mini-vacation when the month had started.   What happened to the week after we returned?   September used to be the longest month in my opinion.   And here it’s been ten days and I have foreseen that this will be the shortest September ever. How odd.           The weather has gone from unbearably hot to misty fog and cool temperatures except at 4:00 a.m. when the humidity is at 100 percent.   I don’t recall feeling so smothered in the humidity...

          Funny how something can trigger a memory that doesn’t seem like it would even belong.   For instance when Roland is driving, he seems to go over the speed limit by five miles or so.   Sometimes he will pass the slow moving trucks.   Often people will pass him as though he’s not even moving.   We haven’t had a semi pass us but have watched some semis pass others.   I was recently reminded of going on my first river raft trip.   How would a semi remind me of river rafting you ask?   Well, let me tell you.           I had signed up for a program through BYU.   We were told to meet at BYU and we would car pool to southern Utah.   As it turned out, there were only three of us who signed up.   John and John Junior lived in St. George.   It seemed pointless for them to drive up to Provo just to go back towards their home.   Thus L...

This will be my last post concerning our Labor Day weekend in Bandon this year: One of the stops on the trolley route was Face Rock Creamery.   They make their own cheese but serve Umpqua ice cream.   Somehow it tasted creamier to me than when I eat Umpqua Dairy in Myrtle Creek.   Perhaps it was just the atmosphere.            We did get some real food in addition to the ice cream and rare cheese that we had purchased.   That tasted different in Bandon than it did after we got it home.             Jenna had been torn between a sandwich or the smoked mac and cheese.   Unless you absolutely LOVE the flavor of smoke (not like, not tolerate, but LOVE) I would not recommend the smoked mac and cheese.   Even so, just get the small.           There’d been a sign outside of the museum indicating that tours...

                We had seen the trolley on Saturday and Jenna had wanted to ride it at that time.   We did not take the opportunity then, but took advantage after we returned from Face Rock.   We had returned to downtown Bandon for some souvenirs.   Jenna specifically wanted a shirt from Washed Ashore, but there was fifteen minutes before it opened.   Roland led us to the toy store.   Somehow we had lost him and Jenna and I were outside when she noticed the trolley.   She asked the driver how much it cost.   When he said “free” Jenna had more reason.   The trolley comes by every hour.   We got on without Roland, but I didn’t think it right for us to be gone from him for an hour as he would have no idea where we were  (I had left my cell phone in the car or else I would have called him) and got off at the next stop and walked back.   We went back to the ...