Beneath the Wraps

just before 5:00 p.m.  It gets dark early Ever since we moved here, I had been hoping to turn the back porch into a game room.   We’ve had contractors come give us estimate but have never gone through.   I don’t know why all of the sudden Roland thinks we can afford it now. Their trailer remained in our driveway for four days The first counselor in our bishopric does that sort of work, and had come to our house to give us an estimate, but told Roland it would be wise to get the roof fixed first.   After all, the house was built in 1993 and probably has not had a new roof in all that time. until they moved it out front  Granted, this is really not the best time of the year to be roofing.   They started a week ago yesterday.   They had planned to return on Monday to do the skylights but the "storm" came.  The wet weather kept them away on Monday and Tuesday.   We weren't expecting them Wednesday as it is the day befo...

Yesterday was Thanksgiving.   We had told those we had invited that dinner would be at 4:00.   Except for the turkey, I think everything was ready to eat at 11:00.   Well, most everything.   Roland had not bothered with the rolls or peas until after Chris arrived – which was shortly before 3:00. Chris is on of Jenna’s friends from school.   The invitation was extended to Chris’ entire family – but Jenna did not communicate that.   Grandma had already taken the turkey out of the freezer to thaw by the time she got word.   And so it was just the four of us. I remember having had small Thanksgivings before.   Two years ago we had invited a couple.   And there were only five of us with mom on Thanksgiving Day.   We had had our Thanksgiving dinner on a Saturday when Patrick and Sunny were in town.   There were 18 of us.   But on Thursday it was just my mom, Roland, Jenna, Biff and I.   He had known Jeanie at that poin...

            It feels like a Saturday.   I suspect most of the days this week will feel like Saturdays.   On the 21 st my post gives a little detail about my dental experience.   The Novocain wore off eventually – long after the dentist was closed.   I don’t know when I first noticed that my teeth were not feeling right.   Well, two in particular.   Was it the tooth he just worked on?   The bite on the right side of my mouth made contact before anything on my left.   It didn’t hurt but was quite annoying.             I remember the dentist and his assistant having me bite on a paper and saw off some more.   Wait a minute!   I don’t think I am finished.   Something is sticking up that’s not supposed to.             That was Wednesday.   I allowed myself t...

         It’s been a number of years since Roland had purchased a suit.   An embarrassing number of years.   We used to go to the Big and Tall or the Men’s Wearhouse to get a proper fitting.   Douglas County doesn’t have the same variety of clothing stores (or any store for that matter) as is offered in the larger cities.           Roland had seen an ad for Shaquil O’Neal wear at JC Penny. We had gone to the JC Penny in Roseburg.   Though there was a small selection of suits he could try on, the formation around the shoulders gave one that he had been propped into his suit as a scarecrow hanging from a pole.   We needed something else.           The clerk had told Roland that Eugene would have a much larger selection.   Thus on Saturday we took the time to make the drive to Eugene.   We drove through fog practically the entire ...

Is it possible that the elements could be so cold that the signal for internet is lost?   The outside has gotten below freezing between 1:00 and 5:00.   Jenna, who has gotten up as early as three (strange child) was trying to sign up on the internet yesterday and was frustrated with it not coming up. If she couldn’t get on her devise (which she would seriously give up for non-electronic entertainment) I wasn’t even going to bother trying mine.   Mine has been having problems ever since Roland received a new updated computer from his work.   It must be sucking up more signal or something.   That isn’t fair. As Roland was toying with Jenna’s device, I got up and checked the status on the box.   One light was solid green, one light was blinking green.   One light was blinking orange.   The other two were out.   I mentioned that it was probably the internet – and the last time we had encountered that problem it was not so much a household t...

          I went to the dentist yesterday so that he could fill/replace my tooth.   I was loaded up on Novocain – I think it affected my mental state.   I remember going to another dentist many years ago.   He was my very first dentist when I lived in Midvale.   He would ask patients if they wanted gas to help them relax or the walkman and maybe something else.   I wanted it all. How the right side of my mouth felt each time I tried to eat           I don’t know why when my mouth is getting worked on, I somehow feel so relaxed in the dentist chair.   I’m really not.   I could sense my body tension as I sat in the dentist chair yesterday, but in my mind, I thought I was relaxed.   Somehow my mind detaches from my physical body when I am in the dentist chair.           They had given me sunglasses to...

           For the last two days I’ve accepted work assignments from two different schools to fill in for aides who have been given the assignment to keep an eye on specific students.   I feel for the students who are trying their best but allow themselves to get distracted by the one who is “unique” or has “special needs” and may be treated with “kid gloves” when they, themselves are not and wonder why a certain classmate is allowed to get away with things that they cannot.           I understand the need to allow a “special needs” to have the same opportunity as those who are considered the norm.   I think it equally important for the “norm” to be exposed to “special needs” as they learn about discipline, social skills and other things that are not a part of academics but still need to be learned.   But at whose expense?           Though the ...

If you were to make a bucket list, what is one thing that would be on it?           I have always wanted to see New England in the Fall. https://www.americansky.ie/new-england-holidays/top-10-things-to-do-in-new-england I would not mind visiting Ben & Jerry’s in Vermont, visiting an inn or two, take in a pumpkin festival perhaps.  https://newengland.com/today/seasons/fall/10-places-to-visit-in-new-england-in-fall/ I would want to visit some historic sites in Massachusetts and of course get some New England clam chowder. https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/new-england-clam-chowder          I haven’t gone as there is always something else that seems more pressing to spend my money on – like a new roof, new shoes, an overcoat, etc.   We have pretty falls in Oregon.    https://oregonfallfoliage.wordpress.com/2018/10/05/find-your-oregon-fall-this-we...

I remember hearing about the Hostess bankruptcy ( here and here ) back in 2012 – the year I started my blog.   I’d written down some ideas and had collected some pictures to go with a post that never got posted.   I would miss the delicious cream-filled treats.   I would not be able to make “Twinkie” trains with Jenna https://www.somewhatsimple.com/how-to-make-a-train-cake/   © 2019 SOMEWHAT SIMPLE, DESIGN BY  LINDSAY HUMES. But as I was working on my post, it was announced that Twinkie would stay ( here ) and so I never posted it (as the title was "No More Twinkie Trains"). or purchased Ding Dongs or Hostess Cupcakes again. In 2016 Hostess announced a rebirth for their products ( here  and here ).  However, the icons no longer appear on the box (eg Captain Cupcake, King Ding Dong, and Twinkie the Kid) and the snacks are about a third of the size from what I remember (for example, the foiled ding dong cov...

Another restless night and stomach pains What did I eat that made me so sore? I didn’t have anything scheduled for work but checked the availability as I was willing to work at the middle school today. No jobs were posted.   Just as well. I thought perhaps I would sleep for much of the day and then I received a text. I really like working with the aide who text me. If it had been anybody else, I would have said “NO” but I got dressed and scraped my things together.   Roland fixed me a lunch.   And then I was off. The morning drive was in thick fog.   I thought that would mean sun and heat during the day, but it was cold.   All day.   I only had to be outside two times for recess. In each class I’m supposed to help with phonics And letter sounds.   What a confusing language! ONE – a word that rhymes with “sun” or “fun” – where are the phonics? Nobody looks at the “O” and expects a “wwww” sound. What th...

                I don’t know how many months I have lived with this incredible pain on the bottom right side of my mouth.   I wasn’t even sure which tooth was causing the pain.   The last time I was at the dentist earlier this year, I pointed into my mouth at where I thought it was – somewhere between my wisdom tooth and front teeth.   But when the dentist touched each tooth and moved toward the front, the pain became more severe.   I made an appointment to have my teeth looked at by a dentist I had never been to before (one who is in our insurance network whereas the other is not) not realizing that Monday was a holiday and both Roland and Jenna would be off for Veteran’s Day.           In Salt Lake, Veteran’s Day seemed like just another excuse to take time off, whereas in Oregon, they really go all out to honor those who served our countr...