Beneath the Wraps

I had made a purchase at Dollar General the other day.  The cashier asked if I would like a bag.  I had momentarily forgotten about the single – use-plastic ban that had been ordered just over a year ago.    https://www.wastedive.com/news/oregon-governor -signs-laws-banning-plastic-bags-straws/558262/ Dollar General gave out yellow bags before the end of 2019.   Recyclable gray ones were ordered.   They are not as appealing to the eye – nor do they fold over to line the trash can properly.   But they are definitely sturdier.   Five or ten cents per bag is still less than a state tax would be.     I get why it was ordered.   There are so many people who are concerned about the environment and will properly dispose of trash.   There are just as many who are careless – some who just let things fall where they land and don ’ t bother with disposal.   Sometimes the litter is accidental – like when the wind blows and ca...

 Here is a less than flattering poem I had written about a substitute teacher that I had only heard about but had never encountered until my junior year.  She reminded me of a school marm from the turn of the century - and I don't mean this century.  Subs have it hard because there is always at least one student who acts up and ruins it for the rest of the class.   Today's feature: The Bear If you painted her last name You ’ d have a picture of a “ Bear ” Or the ancient braud herself The decrepit lady with blue hair      We see the old grouch Come back year after year Why, this lady is so old She went to school with Shakespeare   She was born to be a teacher She knew that from the start And after years of teaching She bought a genuine handcart .      She taught [near] little reservoirs And on the Mississippi plain One of her students was Samuel  Clemens Know to us a Mark Twain.   When she came to Jordon Di...

 I came across this poem in between paying bills and studying the Doctrine and Covenants: Trash is a collection of once possessed [items]:   The doll who used to stand proud and amazed everybody  is now worth nothing because its face is cracked   The sports shoes  that won every game has a hole allowing the big toe to come through   The flower pot that contained some of the prettiest flowers is now broken in two.   None of these are worthless unless you let them be   I imagine it was written in 1979 or 1980.  I hadn't given it a title at the time, but did give it a title on the 17th of this month.  I call it Self-Worth .

            Roland has to take his vacation days or lose them.  He keeps on asking when and where we shall go.  He has a desire to go to North Carolina to see his mom who was supposed to come see us in May of last year – but because of the pandemic wasn ’ t sent.           There ’ s still a pandemic.   We are not in the clear.   It was announced this morning that while some counties have advanced from extreme to high risk, other counties have been set back – ours for example.   We were at extreme and went to high risk but have been told that we are entering extreme again.           I remember when we were told that the state would reopen in phases.   There would be four phases.   I don ’ t know of any county in the state who has gone beyond phase two.   I don ’ t wish for it to sound like I ’ m living in fear.   I thin...

  Back in the days before Google – possibly before Travel Agencies – I don ’ t know.   It hadn ’ t dawned on either of us to find a travel agency.   I   don ’ t recall what grade I was in – I ’ m guessing fourth.     The students had been assigned to make posters of any state of his or her own choosing.   I had narrowed my selections down to Hawaii, Alaska and Colorado.     My mom helped me with the wording and addressing the envelopes.   I think we sent my plea to the capital city at each address.   We probably had to go to the library to look it up – though I don ’ t know where exactly.   The internet did not exist at that time. I believe I had introduced myself as a student at East Midvale Elementary in Midvale, Utah and I was hoping to get some information for an assignment I was doing.   The state of Hawaii was first to respond. I received brochures so ma...

We still have not watched the video of my family in Yellowstone . Perhaps I will find more triggers when I go through the tape. The following was written at the end of 1979    Minerva Springs   A dream of candy mountains, drooping like melted wax on a huge candle    different colors poured into a [blender] all cremated and layered Hot tubs on each giant ice berg stack It looks as if the snow miser lives there But the interior decorator is Mr. Heat. to view more pics of Mammoth Springs see here my original wording for blender was Osterizer as that is what I had always called it.  Our blender was made by the Oster company.

                 I had called to the RS presidency on September 8, 2019.  Two months into my calling I was called to the position of second counselor. By the time 2020 had started we were told that we would need to call a few sisters for a humanitarian committee though we did not have the final details of how it would be handled – activities would be held every other month by the activities committee and we would do service projects the other months and the humanitarian committee would provide the details. Sisters were called and set apart.   The last four were set apart on March 8, 2020.   The committee never met in person.   No events were planned.   We were told that Church would no longer operate in person.   President Nelson had given that instruction before the stay-at-home order had been given.   We did not return to Church until ten months later.   Meanwhile, many sisters from both commi...

  I had gone to Hawaii with my paternal grandmother after I had graduated high school in 1980.  These two poems were written sometime afterward - I'm guessing that same year. Banya   Twisted hands move slowly outstretched and wrapped around each other tied and embraced forming a trunk   My Hat   Everyone admired the pile of grass I bought   Originality and personality is what I ’ ve got I put it        on my head so everyone would know It says a lot about me everywhere I go

                 As I have gone through my box of poems I am finding more triggered memories.  One of my poems tells about a friendship that I had encountered with an elderly woman who lived five doors down from my maternal grandparents.  They all lived in the same apartment building in San Francisco.  I guess she was lonely and my grandpa asked if I would write to her.  I still remember her first and last name – although I have no idea or remember how to spell her last name but do remember how to pronounce it. There was one simple poem about promises and under the poem I ’ d written a note about different promises I had made and kept.   One promise was to a friend who I called “ Annie ” ;   I told her that I would take her to the musical “ Annie ” if it was ever playing downtown or at the University.   I don ’ t recall the exact year.   I was thinking it was in the late 70 ’ s.   Annie wo...

           I watched the latest episode of This Is Us aired on NBC.  This year the creators have included today ’ s invents – meaning the pandemic and restrictions thus the story lines include the mask and real life circumstances at the hospital. https://www.nbc.com/this-is-us/episodes The show starts out with the introduction of two new characters – Nasir and Ester – both immigrants to a new country in 1963. Who could this couple possibly be?  What in the world did it have to do with the Pearsons (the family members that are the main subjects of the show)?  Meanwhile the present focuses on family members who are either in the hospital or on the phone via video chat with those in the hospital.   The next time we see Ester and Nasir they are married.  We don ’ t know how long they courted or were married or how many children they will have.  We know there is at least one toward the end of the show when Nasir is late com...

                  As I have been reading the scriptures I wondered where I had misplaced my personal scripture blessing.  I used to look at it often but realized I probably haven ’ t looked at it since we have lived in Oregon.  It isn ’ t where I thought it was.         I found some “ artifacts ” and a letter addressed to my posterity about the contents of my pink ammo can.   What possessed me to paint it pink?   I don ’ t even like pink.   But at the time I didn ’ t appreciate the drab green although I think I prefer it to the pink that appears to be older than it is.           The note was written September 6, 1988.   I claimed that I had left a camera cassette which isn ’ t there but there is a VHS and the contents are the same as what is descrbed for the Minolta.   I suppose I could include another camera cassette but with di...