Beneath the Wraps

                  Rumor has it that the school district in this area has finally wised up to doing online schooling until the end of the year.   Cars were at the schools today but no buses on the roads.   Perhaps the instructors are still teaching from the school building. Seminary is still being held in person. It is now too dark for me to leave the house in order to pick Jenna up on time.   I used to leave the house at 7:00 and take a longer route to the church but did not have that option this morning.   As there were no buses I thought I could make it in time but as I rounded the corner and saw a familiar car driving toward me. I stopped and the other vehicle stopped and Jenna got out and joined me. Initially the driver didn ’ t want to make a stop on the way to the high school to drop Jenna off as he would encounter school buses.   Oh, I totally understand that, but as there...

   Today we watched a YouTube video that my daughter-in-law had sent a link for.   The video itself was only up for two hours but shared the primary program of one of the wards in Syracuse.   The video itself was just over 20 minutes and we were able to watch our granddaughter perform her part along with several others.      Throughout this pandemic I have been quite grateful for the creativity and talents of others as they share parodies or bring so many together to perform in ways that they are not able to do in person such as these   Memories by One Voice Choir ( here ) Chicago’s 25 or 6 to 4 ( here ) Family Lockdown Boogie ( here ) Coronavirus Rhapsody ( here ) as well as many countless others. Thank you to so many who have shared their talents and for the minds behind modern day technology which has made this all possible

          We started off the day watching the last half hour of “ It ’ s a Wonderful Life ”.   Jenna decided that it would be a good time to put up the Christmas decorations and proceed to go out to the shed.  I followed as her last attempt at bringing in the Christmas decorations by herself ended in tears.  We brought the decorations into the house and then watched the Macy ’ s Thanksgiving Parade – which has never really been tradition for me personally.  It comes on and people come and go while the parade plays.  Occasionally we glance at what is going on.  But come on.  Three hours of parade . . . that is entirely too long.  Parades should not drag on as I mentioned in this post            Thursday ’ s parade was pretty awesome – I think mostly because it wasn ’ t the traditional parade.  Everything took place in front of Macy ’ s.  Acts were performed – floats arrive...

            Over the years Jenna has had many photos taken with Santa.  This one taken in 2010  is my absolute favorite and I don ’ t even know who took it.    We had been living in West Valley for only a week and were still not familiar with most of the ward members.   I did not have my camera and someone waiting in line to take pictures of her own children offered to take some pictures from her phone and said she would send them to me.   It is rare that anybody from my past has taken pictures for me promising to send them and 20 years later I am still waiting knowing fully well that they will never be sent.   But this sister – who was only visiting our ward and not a member of it - took three shots of Jenna and she did send them to me.   For that I will always be grateful. Roland asked me to send it to him so he could use it for the upcoming Christmas card.   He recreated this Norman Rockwell using ...

Although many remain the same, I think I provided more detail with some of my 2020 answers.   Though I am grateful for the camera (#2) this year I put air conditioners and electric fans which I am grateful for when I’m hot. Of course my favorite memory, story and song change on a weekly basis.   One memory I shared this year was about my niece which is the last story I shared in this post in 2012.    This is what I had posted to facebook this year: What is your favorite memory? I have so many great memories. I recently thought about this one as I had come across the word “amphitheatre” and was reminded of a time I had gone with my family to see a Desert Star performance at a Murray amphitheatre and my niece Candace (who I think may have been four or five at the time) had dressed up like people did in days of yore. Candace’s favorite video at that time was “Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” – anyway, during the performance there was a snag on “Forever...

  Jenna asked me if I would go on a walk with her and Bonnie.   She asked if I could look up a scavenger hunt list that we could do at the park.   I pulled up a list and sent it to her phone.   The rules were that we could not take something that we brought ourselves and no repeats.   At least one of us had to be in the picture with said item (as we would not be bringing any of it home) My rule was that we did not have to capture things in order – otherwise we would still be at the park with an empty list. Twenty items were on the list. The list goes as follows: Something covered in feathers Something inflated by air Something made of wood Something purple Something rectangle Something round Something shorter than you Something square Something striped Something taller than you Something that flies Something that displays a rule(s) Something that smells pretty Something with wheels Something yellow Something you can sit in So...

  I often come across clues for the word nee when I am doing crossword puzzles. I remember learning this word as a youth.   My mom had explained it to me and for some reason it has stuck with me all these years.   I don ’ t know why.   I have never used the word in conversation nor do I remember her using the word in a sentence but I will write the three letter word whenever I come across the sometimes obscure hint and Roland will ask what it is.   I don ’ t know why it stuck.   I don ’ t know anyone outside of the puzzle creators that use that word.   I don ’ t know if they use it in conversations.   How bizarre!

  It is colder outside than  I remember it being the entire  time we've lived in Oregon.   I have even been sleeping with  blankets which is highly unusual.  I don't use blankets all too often  except around my feet.   Jenna has school for the next two days  but will not be attending seminary at all.   The students who attend the local high  school are off for the week and  thus is seminary.   She wants things to return to normal.   Most people do.   We have an upcoming holiday in the U.S.  It is called Thanksgiving. There are many people who will  spend the holiday with extended  family members to eat a traditional  meal that many include turkey,  sweet potatoes,  cranberry sauce and  pumpkin pie among many  other side dishes.   Our governor has asked us to limit  Thanksgiving to only six people this year.   Though not...

                  President Nelson created a video ( here ) which many have watched and have accepted the challenge. Facebook was flooded with posts of gratitude.   How wonderful that was to read such positiveness on the home page rather than backlashing, politics, the virus, etc.   Many of the posts were written by people from my past – some who have not been on facebook for years, some of which I had no idea I was even friends with.   How great it was to connect with gratitude.         I had started this month posting the 30 days of gratitude creating some new thankful favorites and perhaps duplicating what I had posted last year ( here ) but will not make a comparison until later on.          Jenna tried to accept the challenge but may be feeling as grateful as Corrie ten Boom had been for fleas (see here ) and had written: ...

            Bruce is not the only rooster who crows or comes into our yard.   I don’t know how many there are or why they crow.   Perhaps they are boasting about planting seed in their harem of hens.   I know they don’t get returning to standard   after six months of daylight.   But still.   That accounts for only one hour difference.   Not five or seven.   Half past midnight I hear the annoying cock-a-doodle and can’t figure out why.   It’s raining.   Is Bruce complaining because his feathers are wet?   Dude.   Take a chill pill and find some shelter.   Don’t just stand in it and complain your lack of understanding why there is moisture falling on you.   I can’t sleep with your built in alarm.           I got up to relieve myself and checked the clock before I returned to bed.   That is how know it was half past midnight.   When Br...