Beneath the Wraps

                 I would guess that I have been to Yellowstone Park at least 15 times.  I have mentioned it in ten posts and posted at least five pictures of my family over the years.  Yellowstone always feels brand new as it changes.  For the most part we found lodging in West Yellowstone and would just drive the west entrance to the park each day.  But there were at least four times we got lodging inside the park.           I couldn’t find any photos when it was just me and Patrick.   Kayla would have been a baby when this one was taken in 1976 This one is of me with Kayla probably 1978 or 1979 Corey and Kayla in 1982 My missionary farewell was in August and my grandma was in town from San Francisco.   We took both of my grandmas to Yellowstone park in 1984.   We stayed at Old Faithful Inn which we had never done before....

            I remember a time when I stayed home sick from school.   My mom was also ill.   We both shared strong colds.   I remember she made us a beautiful lunch: halibut, baked potato, cottage cheese, corn.   Only the textures were different.   All of it was tasteless because of our stupid colds.             When I was younger, I remember my dad using Fisherman’s Friends to cure a sore throat.   Those things were nasty!   Until my taste buds freaked out on me I have never been able to handle keeping a Fisherman’s Friends in my mouth until it was completely dissolved.   I am now able to keep one in there for the duration. I can barely taste it.                                             I thin...

Last year I took a job as an educational assistant for the school district.   I sub for aides who need time off for whatever reason and will accept assignments at three of the five schools in our district.   I briefly mentioned in my last post about an instructor creating an assignment for her students to create their own personal time line (as they have been learning about historical time lines) and passed out papers of a horizontal time line starting in 2005 I believe.   I’ve gone back just a few years prior to that and have created my own time line – but changed the scale from horizontal to vertical as it will be easier to post it that way. She had her students start with their birth, but as I did not choose to go that far back, I started with my marriage.   Her instructions were to have ten events and three pictures.   I have twelve events and blog references for more detail and well over three pictures.   I found it to be kind of a fun project. ...

                I remember my niece had some kind of surgery and had worn a pink cast in the hospital bed.   Her dad, who is a professional photographer who always takes huge amounts of pictures, did not document any of Anna’s time at the hospital.   It was a sad event not to dwell on and he didn’t want any of the family to have that painful memory.   That doesn’t change what happened.           My sister and I have a great four-year-old nephew has cancer.   His parents (or other family members) have taken lots of pictures.   It’s a sad event – one the family just assume forget and yet it’s a milestone that may need to be documented so one day the family will have proof about facing a challenge and learning things that perhaps they would rather learn another way.   It’s not a pleasant milestone – but there will be growth and learning...

I can remember staying home from school one day when both my mom and I were sick.   She made us a really great lunch consisting of halibut, baked potato and corn.   Neither one of us was able to taste anything on our plate.   The only real difference about the food itself was the texture on the tongue.   Otherwise the taste was pretty much the same. I had forgotten about that incident until yesterday when I added salt to the chicken noodle soup and later on the spaghetti (never in my entire lifetime have I added salt to spaghetti before) because I couldn’t taste them.   I couldn’t taste the pancakes or egg I had this morning.   I couldn’t taste my orange juice or medicine.   Great for the medicine.   That stuff is nasty – and I wonder if that is what dulled my taste buds in the first place or if it is this sinus infection. I still don’t feel   as unhealthy as I did in May when I wanted to die.   Still, I don’t feel great. ...

          The Roseburg Stake had a blog which would refer members to stake conference.  It provided a list of speakers and the meeting agenda.  I remember the leaders referred to it in years’ past, but did not have any information for it this year.  I unfortunately did not write down the name of the speaker who gave a beautiful talk comparing physical walls and bridges to what wills us.            She started out her talk with a brief history of the Berlin wall which was built in 1961.  Citizens were informed that the wall was for their protection.  Whether we choose to call it protection or defense, for many the wall was a personal prison.  The wall did not come down until almost two decades later.  That is a long time to feel trapped and apart.  It isn’t healthy.           The speaker then went on to talk about the bri...

I took over 250 pictures on the coast and on our return yesterday.  Here is a taste of what we saw: Bandon This is Sunset Bay where we usually go pictures of us on this beach found here  and here Shore Acres shore Acres

I was on my computer Tuesday morning when I received a call from one of the schools.   It was 8:35 and the shift started at 9:00.   It was for the school that is farthest away, but I thought I could be there on time.   At that point I didn’t know if I’d be working with the elementary or middle school age children.   I wish it had been the older kids instead of the younger ones. I was over my sore throat but still had that darn dry cough, and because I was using my voice all day (except for recess) my cough became stronger and my throat started hurting again.   I did not work yesterday. The RS presidency meets once a week.   Initially they met on Monday but had changed it to Wednesday to accommodate me.   I don’t particularly enjoy working on Wednesdays as it is the short day and school lets out at the same time I get off.   I’d rather not deal with school traffic – which I don’t on any other day.   If I know there is not going to be...

           I   may have had other embarrassing moments, but the one that comes to mind involves a two-piece swimsuit when I was 12 to 14 – I think. I can’t remember if Kayla was around yet or not.   If so, I would have been older.           I had worn the swimsuit only one time and knew it had gone through the wash.   My family was on our way to Lagoon Amusement Park and I went to the laundry room to retrieve my suit.   I was saddened   to see the bottoms had discolored as there had been a bleach spill.   My top, fortunately, had not been bleached.   The bottoms had become an ugly brown resembling soiled diapers.   The top, fortunately, hid the bottoms.   I figured it would be okay to wear them. this is not the exact suit but does resemble the style           Until that day, I was unaware how harmful too much...

                I think there are gremlins bugging the social media right now – or some aspects of it anyway.   I have noticed it on facebook and YouTube, but I don’t know which order – probably facebook.   Each time they try to improve the site, there are millions of bugs that cause havoc for the user.             Lately facebook has ignored my requests of who I would like notifications from and have been throwing in notifications at random.   Just the other day I received a notification for someone I wasn’t even aware I was facebook friends with (which goes to show how close we are) and so I have been typing in the names of family members just so I am updated about their latest thoughts.             As I have mentioned in at least two other posts, I created a Relief Society pa...

            On Thursday someone had called Roland’s phone to see if I would offer the closing prayer at the end of today’s sacrament meeting.   I didn’t know how my throat what be, but as it has started healing, I decided I would go to Church and stay for at least sacrament meeting but might not stay for Relief Society.   Jenna made other arrangements for getting a ride home.             Sacrement meting was really good!   The first speaker expanded on Elder Uchtdorf’s talk “Our Great Adventure”( here ) in which he compares the hobbit creatures to each of us.   For those who have seen or read “The Hobbit” the parallels may have been easily understood.   I’m not really big fan of fantasy and felt somewhat lost with Elder Uchtdorf’s talk which evidently our sacrament speaker had also and provided some more in depth detail to make more sense out of ...

            In May my teeth hurt along with the rest of my body.   I have made a conscience effort to brush them between medicine doses and always hope my teeth don’t rot as a result of my being sick.                          I do feel better today than yesterday.   My throat still hurts, but the swollen gland is a smaller size than what it was yesterday.             I prefer drinking cold to room temperature liquids.   I enjoy gulping water.   I have never been a big fan of warm to hot drinks.   Once in a while, but certainly not on a daily basis.             Roland, on the other hand, prefers hot drinks to cold (one of our many many oppositions) and will drink a hot chocolat...

  In this post I mention A.L. Herbert’s book “Murder with Fried Chicken”.    I am now reading “Murder with Macaroni and Cheese” and am laughing at the crazy characters who get involved with yet another murder.   They have just discovered the body in a house where they didn’t belong and have returned to the scene of the crime.   I am just shaking my head about the choices they seem to be making because they are not wise choices, but because it is fiction, it is funny.   Halia had been asked to cater her own class reunion.   There are quite a few chapters that introduce us to various characters and relationships. I had not figured out the victim of the last book, but had guessed who the victim was long before the murder – which they only suspect is a murder at this point.   But then they go and blab it to those who could very well be suspects. This is what I am reading when I am not sleeping or fighting the infection that has been ...

I did not sleep well Tuesday Night/Wednesday morning Amazingly I got cold and Roland woke up hot Yesterday I woke up with a dry cough Gradually it turned into a sore throat. I have been sleeping with the windows open even just a crack except for the last two nights. Yesterday after school I loaded myself with  Musinex, Flonaze, Vitamin D3 and Chamomile Tea.    I also  broke out the humidifier. I slept great Up until 4:00 in the morning. I took more Musinex I tried closing my eyes but wasn’t sleeping. Now I’m writing this post. I hope I can stay awake for the next eight hours.   I have to leave for work just under three. This week I’ve been working with the middle schoolers. Both schools. Yesterday I was sore.   So sore. My soreness grew throughout the day. I don’t want to be sick!!!! If I don't post for the next three days  I'll be in bed trying to fight this.

Roland turned up the heat as he was cold yesterday morning.   The fog was thick and did not seem to start lifting until after 9:00.   It started. It was still foggy.   I did not choose to leave the house until almost 11:00.   It appeared the fog had lifted quicker in Myrtle Creek than in Tri City. Still the hills were hidden.   I couldn’t see the towers until 11:30.   It was 47 degrees just before the fog lifted.   Of course I was already hot and had the windows open, fan running and   told Roland that he should shut   his door and plugged in the small space heater that is probably the perfect size for his office.   I think his office is plenty hot without the space heater.   The longer it takes the fog to lift in the morning, the hotter it gets during the day.   It got up to 75. Fortunately we have not removed the air conditioners (as of yet) Th...