Beneath the Wraps

                    Jenna had a high pain thresh hold for many years and didn’t seem whimpy at all.   But now she seems to be the opposite – making mountains out of molehills (so to speak) She took a spill quite recently and landed on her hand.   In the process she may have sprained her wrist.   She wore an ace bandage to school and says she wants a cast – but I don’t believe that her wrist is broken.   But she says she is too weak and has a tough time with it.   One specific example that she used was in getting dressed. I reminded her about Katy Plumis who you can read about here and here . Jenna asked me to remind me about how Katy lost her arm.   I told her that Katy had been thrown out of a car because she wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.   Katy’s cousin was killed in that same accident. Jenna then says to me that she’d rather lose her arm than h...

--> When Jenna was younger, we would go for walks ALL of the time.   I would point things out as we passed different yards.   “Oh, look at the flowers”   “See that pretty pin wheel”     The thing that she seemed to overlook with each yard I pointed out was the well.   I never understood why she couldn’t see them.   Several yards contained some form of a wishing well.   I don’t know how many walks we took before I realized she was looking for a “whale” ******************************************************************* Jenna was three the first time we had taken her to Arizona.   We were actually in the city part when Jenna asked, “Are we in a dessert?”   I turned around in disbelief.   How did she know that Arizona is a desert state?   “Yes we are.” I proudly beamed. Jenna appeared to be highly disappointed.   And here is why: “I have looked and looked and I have not see...

Amongst mom’s journals are more photos of – who are these people? Corey scanned the photos he had come across and emailed them to me asking if I might possible be able to identify any of members.   We didn’t actually know if they were photos from our family or my mom’s stepfather and the only grandpa that we ever knew. Uncle Bruce said he’d be coming to town to visit mom. I wasn’t certain what month he would arrive but said he could come to the Memorial Day BBQ if he happened to be in town at that time.   It wasn’t until we were at the BBQ that I learned he had initially thought he’d come in June, but changed plans for the BBQ. I had told Corey to bring the photos to the BBQ and ask Uncle Bruce about them – as he might be the only one with some clue – though Bruce doesn’t seem like the sentimental type – not at all.   Nor does he really know his dad or his dad’s side of the family – which is where it was decided that most of the photos were from.  ...

I recall a few of my birthdays were cooler than normal – requiring a sweatshirt or summer jacket.  Never a rain slicker!  Not quite a monsoon but certainly not what I’ve grown accustomed to.  I can’t see to drive on the roads.  There’s not enough light.           Corey and Joh offered to pay for new glasses – but I don’t know that a stronger prescription is really the answer.  The way the doctor explained it to me is that I have weird shaped eyes that just don’t seem to let in the right amount of light needed for me to see throughout each day.  I’m certain that I will go blind eventually.            Besides I’d rather have spent the money on shoes or new pants for Roland or something that seemed to take precedence for me.  And we have been blessed in major ways.           On Saturday Jenna spen...

--> I we nt to Alpine Ridge where mom is staying.   I was surprised to see Harold sitting on her bed and visiting with her.   He was saying that he has six boys – while mom has only four children – two girls and two boys.   But she claims to have a lot more pictures than Harold. I told her I had come to take her to a family dinner – but we had time to visit before we left.   Jenna’s eyes lit up when Harold mentioned Peanut Brittle.   He said he had been in a place before this one and they let him make peanut brittle in the microwave.   But one day the microwave started smoking and they never let him in the kitchen again.   And then he had to move. Jenna absorbed it all – hanging on to his every word.   I decided that his mind works the same as mom’s and his time frame is different as well as some of his facts.   He said he wanted to take mom flying – not that he’s a pilot.   He wouldn’t be driving the plane, but would...

Her hair always seems to be disheveled at best Doesn’t wish to hold barrettes or bows or curls Usually she has hair hanging in her face She is far from being one of those prissy girls She’ll wear shoes just in order to climbs trees Clothes don’t stay clean or well kept for long She loves the outdoors, she loves to explore She’s always been free-spirited and head-strong Her favorite Princess is Brave’s Merida Who is concerned with things more important than looks She discovers as much as she can first handedly And has many adventures through her books I would like to say that she is one of a kind But I see in her my own mirror to the past When I was the one with the mussed up hair Climbing trees and making adventures last                                     ...

Someone from the community garden had made the comment that each of our kids will look back to the days they went exploring and played while their parents worked in the garden.  Jenna has always found pleasure in farm equipment and likes to pretend she’s driving the broken down tractor, but she is especially enthralled when Parker comes to the garden with his parents. Last Monday there were four of them who went exploring.  Jenna wore my garden hat, and it made for a cute picture – though I did not have my camera to capture the children as they prodded and poked through the trees.  Watching the four of them reminded me of my own youth when my brother, cousins and I would explore beyond Grandma Helen’s backyard and delighted in our adventures – well, at least two of us did. Grandma’s house was located on a hill right behind the Salt Lake City capitol building.  I have the fondest memories of her house.  At the time, I did not realize that Grandma...

When I purchased these pants – I don’t know how many years ago – it was not my intention to wear them in the garden.  They were comfortable shorts – okay, maybe a bit longer than shorts, but something I could throw on during the summer and not feel the heat of the fabric surrounding me like an unwanted blanket.  There is a knot in the front.  Well, several knots, really.  I don’t know how to maintain them.  I have tried different methods for keeping them straight when I put them in the wash, but somehow they always manage to twist themselves together.  It seems the harder I work at keeping them straight and make attempts to keep them from knotting, the more knots and tangles will form before I remove the pants from the washer. I can’t find them now, but there used to be some rather ugly stains in addition to the knots.  Thus they became my garden pants.  As they were already stained, I didn’t figure being in the dirt with them woul...

  We planted beans, beets, onions, and peppers.   Roland asked if we should do corn or tomatoes again.   I don’t really care about the corn, but I do enjoy being able to eat tomatoes off the vine rather than paying an outrageous price at the store for something that just isn’t as good. But there were plenty of tomatoes with the community garden last year – and as Roland donated all our tomato cages to the cause – we decided that we would just use the tomatoes from the community garden and that would be enough.   It was overcast and cool.   Roland wanted to finish before any rain fell down.   The dirt looked light and dry as it spit around the cultivator.   We dug holes for seeds and plants and planted stakes at each end and tied string from one end to the other and were pleased.   Though Roland seemed to want more. Lacy and her husband have a fair amount of property.   I would guess roughly about three or four acres – but that is ...

It is nearing the end of the school year and Jenna tells me she has to do some research on Sir Isaac Newton for an upcoming report.   She tells me that it has to be ten pages and has to be turned in by Monday.   Funny how I didn’t question the report itself – though the amount of pages and deadline threw me somewhat. Generally her teachers have sent out an outline of the things that the class will be learning during the course of the year.   Usually they have worked an entire month on any given project.   And ten pages is a lot for high school students – let alone third graders.   She must have heard wrong. I asked her what teacher had given the assignment and type up an e-mail as I believe that Jenna’s understanding is not correct.   Just as I finish and am about to press send, Jenna begs me not to.   “Why not?” I ask.   “Because it’s not a real assignment.   I just made it up.   I’m interested in learning abo...

It’s been a couple of months since I took Jenna and her friend to see The Mysterious Happy Life of Brown Bag by Greg Near. I honestly did not know what it was about – but it was playing at the library and gave us something to do for free. It started out cute and funny.   Jaime, Trume and I all laughed.   Towards the end though, they both got bored with it and I don’t think they realized what had even taken place.   The one act play had taken me from laughter to tears in just a matter of seconds.   Brown Bag had been bullied because he was different.   He so desperately wished to have friends that he allowed them to manipulate him – even though he knew that because they were trying to hurt him, they really weren’t his friends. After the play the cast members and writer and some others held a discussion panel.   Trume and Jenna both wanted to leave – which I understood.   It’s not a comfortable subject. But I thought it was important that w...

Near my daughter's school is a bakery outlet.  I'm not much of a Sara Lee Fan.  But I do really like Grandma Sycamore's bread a lot.  I have decided that my absolute favorite (at least of now) is Sunflower and Honey.  I especially enjoy it when it surrounds egg salad or chicken salad.  Jenna doesn't care for it much - especially with peanut butter and jelly.  I do buy a variety, but I personally like sunflower the best.

--> Everything I know about garden could be written on a 3X5 card – perhaps with room to spare.   We lived in the same stake as Joy Bossi – who hosted the program “ Joy in the Garden” Our two wards shared the same church building and we could there on Thursday afternoons to listen to her words of wisdom on what we needed to do to prepare for and grow gardens.   In our particular neighborhoods the soil was not great for growing much other than weeds.   One thing that I remember learning was to make several holes in the bottom of a plastic wading pool (the kind that you can find in stores) and fill it with great soil and mix it with manure that was purchased from a gardening store.   Roland and I tried it.   And we did have growth, but very little in the way of onions.   Last night Roland and I made another attempt at a garden this year.   From seed we planted beans and beets and pepper plants and onions. We had tried onions aga...

Yesterday I took mom to the hairdresser. She said it was nice to see her hairdresser again as she hadn’t seen her for a long time . . . which she hadn’t. As I drove her back to where she lives, she kept on asking who it was that had fixed her hair. At Alpine Ridge she was greeted like a celebrity.  Everybody LOVED her hair. She had to check the mirror again as she couldn’t remember. “Who fixed my hair?” she asked again. There was a noise coming from the next room. The noise reminded me of a single bowling lane.  Mom said she didn’t think that’s what it was. Well, I knew that! That’s just what the sound reminded me of. Mom tells me about the woman in the room next to hers. Apparently they were the first two to live there.  No, not live.  They worked.  But Helen is getting slower.  She has . . .  well, she has . . .  she’s just slowing down. “You’re all slowing down,” I thought.. Mom couldn’t remember the word “dementia...