Beneath the Wraps

          Shortly after we moved to Oregon, Jenna and I had gone to a second hand store in search for some game cards – or puzzle cards – something that we could cover to create our own version of.  We ended up purchasing a child’s alphabet learning game including four boards and 28 cards.  this is not the exact game we had purchased, but one similar We covered the backs of the cards with clip art pictures we had printed off the computer.   shows a small piece of the board that we made   We didn’t have a use for the boards but continued to hang onto them until earlier this month.   We decided that we would send them to our youngest granddaughter for Christmas and spent a family home evening painting letters so place on the boards.                        For our oldest granddaughter I had purchase a bead kit which re...

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful . . . “ My sister recently posted this picture on her facebook page. retrieved from facebook My comment was that even though we live further up north than she does, the residents in Douglas County are more inclined to be like the first picture than the second. I DON’T miss snow.   I don’t miss driving in it.   I don’t miss waiting in the cold snowbanks and blizzards.   I don’t miss the horrible traffic.   I don’t miss this: retrieved from KSL NOVEMBER 27, 2019 AT 5:14 AM   Retrieved from Salt Lake Tribune  NOVEMBER 27, 2019  retrieved from NBC news December 8, 2019   The weather was quite beautiful on Christmas morning and continued into the next day.   Jenna put on her Elf costume and we went to Millsite park ao she could pass out candy canes. I had to take another picture after we returned home so that the socks could be seen (as t...

I always associate this song with my dad as I remember him singing it each year.  I would like to share this rendition which combines the voice of Kenneth Cope with the art work of Liz Lemon Swindle:

          Monopoly is still not my favorite game, but it is one of the few that Roland will agree to play with us.   However the rules vary quite drastically depending on whether he or Jenna are banker.   One of the last times we played, each of us had monopolies but Roland was banker hoarding houses and we were not allowed to buy hotels until we slowly built up and then traded in.   When Jenna’s banker, hotels can be purchased without having to first build up a housing empire.   There aren’t enough houses – at least there weren’t.           Roland found some extra houses at good will and purchased what appears to be vintage pieces.   Not original 1936 pieces but a remake done in 1947.   We decided to incorporate the extra housing in with our game pieces that were made this century. We played a came the day after Christmas. The hotel sizes are different and the house ...

Whenever Roland has been approached by Jenna or the boys for whatever occasion (Christmas, birthday) they ask what he wants and he has always answered a homemade card – which Jenna did when she was younger.   But it seems a bit hopeless to make a card for someone who makes cards like these:   Christmas 2016 Christmas 2018 Christmas 2019 2019 I had looked for something to give Roland for Christmas and when I started wrapping other presents I realized that I might not have a gift to have for him on Christmas and quickly wrote this poem: He thought it was great.   I was more surprised by his reaction than I was pleased as I had felt somewhat ashamed of not spending as much time on it as he believes I did.   I am happy that he liked it – or likes it rather.   He shared it with his mom over the phone.   She also thought it wonderful.   Okay.   Cool.   I seemed to have succeeded without really trying.   ...

Each year that we’ve been here we have mailed four packages to Salt Lake -   one for each of my boys and one for my sister and her family.   This year we mailed only one package.   We sent out gift cards to each of my sons and presents to the children of my middle son – not to play favorites among grandchildren, but I knew we’d be receiving a package from them and so wanted to make a gift exchange to the only son that it seems to matter.   The first gift under our tree was one from some ward members we had had over for Thanksgiving  a couple of years ago.   The gift was moved when the carpet was cleaned and we forgot to return it.   We had three small gifts under our tree, presents from my sister and her family.   Jenna guessed what they were – but did not know all of the details that awaited on the inside.   Randy’s gift to Jenna arrived unwrapped, but I took it out of the box and put it in a decorative Christmas tin and put a tag to J...