Beneath the Wraps

          Recently I had gone through my flash drives in search of a scrapbook that I had scanned.   During my search, I came across the following unfinished thoughts and added covers.   This is what my blog used to look like   It's been nearly five years since I started my blog.  I wonder if it is time for a new makeover.  I created this cover near the end of 2012:. and here are some thoughts that never got posted as they felt incomplete at the time 2012 March 19 Apple Pie & Coffee             Roland often tells the experience of a man he had worked with several years ago.   The man had come from another country and knew very little English.   But he could place an order for “apple pie and coffee” – just “apple pie and coffee”.   His mouth became weary after eating so much apple pie.   He wanted to orde...

When Jenna turned three, we bought her a play yard set which I have mentioned here and here .   Before that, she used her imagination, making the broken lounge chair her slide and the Norditrack Glider her swing – unless we were at the park.`  Jenna was always so excited to spend time with friends or to go to birthday parties.   She especially enjoyed the company of a cousin she would see only once or twice a year.   She was especially looking forward to seeing her the year Melody turned eight.   Jenna had hoped to spend more time with Melody after her party, but as I mentioned in this post , there seemed to be some behavior problems on Melody’s end. Evidently, she had purchased a kindle or an I-pad or some kind of electronic device.   She had earned all the money herself and was quite proud of her new purchase.   Perhaps that was one of the downfalls of her attitude that day; the party had taken away precious time she could have...

       I couldn't sign into my lecture last week; it doesn't appear anyone did, and so my instructor found a new way of getting in to see if that would make a difference.   There were two students who joined the morning lecture this week.        I am such an airhead during the morning.   For some reason, I can't find my chat box unless I shrink down the screen.   When I tried to stretch the screen, apparently the image was magnified, but not the box itself and so I couldn't see all the demonstrations.   I did try to answer questions.   I know my eyes may be looking at something right or left, but my mouth always says the wrong thing.   Always.          I don't know how I've lived this long and haven't been able to distinguish my left from my right.   I know what they are when I'm driving - but if I'm not the one behind the wheel, I can still s...

It's been raining almost non-stop for a week now.   Many cities have been affected by the storm and knocked down trees at least 37,000 people have been without power in at least seven different counties.   How fortunate or blessed we have been that Douglas County has not been affected in that way. Our youngest son, Randy, used to spend time with a friend whose family was more well off than we.   By allowing Randy to stay overnight and hang out with his friend's family as much as he did, Randy was given opportunities to some finer things that we, ourselves, could not provide. When we lived in West Valley, many of Jenna's friends referred to her as Rich - believing her parents had money - as though we would have purposely chosen that neighborhood if we were financially well off.   But we did live in a house.   Most of Jenna's friends from West Valley lived in condos and apartments.   Jenna did have her own trampoline while many of her fr...

Lately, when I can make the time, I have been watching reruns of "Once Upon a Time".   I see more darkness than I had the first time around, and lots of symbolism - though I don't know if that was the writers' intent. "Magic" represents a force greater than ourselves.   Most of it reminds me of addictions.   We are addicted to alcohol, drugs, tobacco, sugar, gambling, sex, pornography . . . the list seems almost endless. You've got your fairytale characters like Rumpelstiltskin and Regina (the evil queen) who have each tried to stop the consumption that has eaten away at them, but hard as they try, they each give into their weaknesses and somehow resort back to who they are. Rumplestiltskin has many names: Crocodile, the Dark One, the Beast . . . Belle sees Rumple the way God wants each of his children to see one another.   She constantly believes that there is something locked up deep inside that needs to come out, just as Snow...

          Recently I had dragged some blankets out of the shed.   On one, there was a picture of a deer in a snow covered wood.   I smiled as I held it out, not because of the picture, but rather the memory of getting it.           It was a gift to Roland from Tony, Rochelle and Ester. I don't know how hold Ester was at the time - two, probably. She is the one who presented the gift to Roland (I'm thinking on his birthday) and beamed as she watched him open it.           "It's a blanket!" she announced before he had it completely unwrapped.           I wish I could bottle up that joy and enthusiasm and take it out during those times when I am really not feeling joyful.   Currently, I am taking an accounting class.   It is my only class and so I have more tim...

Well, the assembly was mostly on our voting responsibility - or at least that's what I got out of it.   The instructor asked.   What is November 11?   Here are some of the answers: "Doomsday"    "the best liar wins"   "Election hot mess, the day of voting" We were referred to this website and quote. John Adams said: "There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution." We watch a less-than-exciting video and then the conversation starts up again: "I've heard that many reports say that the voting system is rigged, can be hacked, is faulty, that is fixed, that we just show up with false hopes in that the decision is already made by the 5 big families" "Th...