Beneath the Wraps

           I have created so many scrapbook pages – some by hand, probably more on the computer.  It ’ s not the same.  And I do like the tangible die cuts and stickers and perks of hand scrapbooking as opposed to the computer. The computer also has perks such as changing sizes to make it fit – though not as polished.  Especially over the years as the photos start to fade. Throwing away photos has always been hard for me but does seem necessary. I had packed away three small boxes of photos with the intent of sitting down with Jai to scrapbook though she has seldom been interested.   She enjoys talking about photos and strolling down memory lane – for a time at least.   I had cut shapes on some of the photos but did not have them in order.     Did not work out to my expectations however.   I think in the last 8 years I may have just added photos and never looked at them until yesterday. Many of the photos I had s...

It’s been a week since Biff and his clan moved out and we brought Jaime home.  I don’t miss having the washing machine and dryer going constantly I’m grateful for the quiet. I don’t miss their car in our driveway when I’m backing out I am grateful to have more width. I don’t miss the open butters on top of paper wrapping near the toaster. I’m grateful that Richard and Jaime know how to use the butter dish. I don’t miss seeing open doors revealing what look like storage closets instead of bedrooms I’m grateful her college experience has taught Jaime to keep up a tidy appearance in her room   and not the sty that Biff and Claire vacuumed only once a month – if that. I don’t miss the long showers that each of them would take. I’m grateful to have hot water when I just need to wash my hands. I don't miss the procrastination or seeing them waste time. I'm grateful that we all keep the same hours - early risers. I don’t miss their weird food or searching for th...

             We moved to Oregon on June 17, 2015 and attended the South Umpqua ward for the first time on June 21which happened to be Fathers’ Day.   I remember thinking how it felt like such an odd meeting as both speakers seemed to be promoting social media.   There was absolutely no mention about Fathers’ Day.   Jaime was disappointed as the ward we had come from always provided light entertainment to those who were fathers. Perhaps the primary children had sung to the men during priesthood?             I hadn’t made the connection of Juneteenth holiday being today.  Each year facebook reminds me of our move to Oregon, our return to Utah in 2017 and our trip to New York in 2020.   And this year of regaining possession of our house as the other three have moved out and they are NOT going to return.   I am grateful for some of the experiences I had as a result of their l...

                 Jai has always wanted to do a yard sale and got her chance today.  She had set it up nice, but the availability seemed quite lame compared to other yard sales I’ve seen.  If the buyer had a heart set on stuffed animals or cos play head gear, our yard sale was exceptional – but for the more mature lookers our yard was a huge disappointment.           Richard told us to label all the items but Jai didn’t wish to do that.   She did wish to haggle – which I personally don’t like to do.   Perhaps she would have made more money if I hadn’t been there to “assist” – I was all for cheap and free but Jaime seemed to overprice things.   But she also had a sign that said “Make Me an Offer”   It wasn’t her fault that the signs continued to blow down.             They had belonged to her and she finally parted wi...

                Biff and Clair have moved but failed to take all their stuff with them.  Meanwhile Jaime is moving in.  She has belongings in one shed and is going through all the stuff that was thrown in the other shed before Biff and Claire moved in.  We have organized both sheds to a degree.  Camping and tools is one.  Christmas, memorabilia and other miscellaneous items in the other.  Plus stacks of crap items belonging to Biff’s family though I think there is more on the deck than what’s in the shed.  I want it gone.                I was so exhausted and soar yesterday.   Today was much easier.   We did 30 minutes of work and break and work again.   Yesterday was overcast and 60ish until about two.   And we stopped – at least outdoors.   Jaime went through many of her stuffed animals yesterday and is going throug...

            I have always been a “get it out of the way as soon as possible” type of gal.  I HATE procrastination .  Always have.  There are many things I am willing to do spontaneously but not calling upon others to assist or attend without warning.  Such as getting married or being advanced in the priesthood or attending the temple for the first time (see here ).               Perhaps Richard and I had not set the finest example by giving everybody just eight hours or less.   Everybody knew that the day was coming. I wasn’t expecting anybody to put their lives on hold for us or getting the turnout that we did.             Biff has always kept things to himself and will casually announce his big plan for “tonight” – I need more notice than “oh, by the way . . .”   They said they’d be moving out today – but I had been hearing that for ...

             You know that it’s summer when neighboring lawns become littered with household goods and florescent colored poster boards come out to advertise great and big yard sales (which usually are neither great nor big) and arrows to point the way to mostly junk with hidden treasures.   Richard and Jaime will spot yard sales from a mile away – I rarely notice even if I am standing in said yard.   Yard sailing each weekend doesn’t appeal to me – though we had a specific hunt and hit 5 yard sales yesterday – making an unnecessary purchase at four – spending the most at the estate sale.    No refrigerator though.   We don’t need one but Biff and Clair will be leaving and are in need of something bigger than the 20 inch fridge that they purchased specifically for Ally’s shot medicine. Yesterday seemed like a good day for yard sales.   Heavy clouds with the promises of rain – at least that’s how the sky read.   Ther...

             We’ll be picking Jaime up on Tuesday.   The other three should be out before her return.   They were supposed to move in today but a water line broke.   Always something.   I have really been trying to let things go and apply the scriptures to my current situation.   Sometimes I am successful but only sometimes.   More often I find myself irritated with all these little bits of ember that add up into a fiery blaze.           I didn’t wish to focus on my irritations but at the same time knew that I needed to write things down as a reminder why they are never coming back to live under the same roof as me – smiling as I do it because I think about their also keeping a list of reasons why they will never return.   I’m guessing they are more excited by the move of finally getting out on their own than I am to see them go. I personally don’t believe they are financ...

           Before 2020’s pandemic the governor of Oregon put a ban on plastics – namely plastic bags and straws. That year came with the price of five cents per plastic bag (which is still way cheaper than paying sales tax) and asking for straws – many (such as Costco) which offer those crummy paper straws   which ruin the taste of whatever drink I may have ordered.           A shopper is always asked if he/she would like a bag or bags and will be charged five or ten cents per bag.   Many   stores (including Walmart see here and here ) have have done away with plastic bags and may offer alternatives such as reusable (which may be made of 100% plastic?) I would think for less than three dollars.         The McDonald’s in Myrtle Creek still gives out the fat McDonald’s straw though     these three articles ( here , here and here ) imply that there has been a change t...

I don’t mind turkey bacon but Richard dislikes it. And I dislike the thick bacon he buys mostly because it does not taste like bacon. The first thick bacon we tried tasted like ham. If I wanted ham I would add ham not a slice of bacon that tastes like ham. This morning’s bacon was even worse –  pork chop flavored. Nothing wrong with pork chops I guess – but they do seem dry and lacking in flavor. Bonnie was okay with it. I think she relished the thought that I really didn’t want it.   I remember my mom fixing pork chop only one way. She would add potatoes, carrots and cream of mushroom soup. I told Richard that is what we need to do with this sad version of “bacon”.