Beneath the Wraps

       In September  Kevin had called Richard to ask if he would join him for a safety convention in San Diego.  Kevin paid for Richard's plane ticket - but Richard had to drive to the Portland airport. They both collected trinkets from the show and brought them home to share.       Richard had brought socks and tee shirts (the tees he had purchased in San Diego) and a stuffed whale for Jaime.  I remember taking pictures of the shirts and socks and asking Jai which she preferred.  I placed all items in a bag and added earbuds and a deck of cards to the mix.  I don't know why we missed giving it to her then - but somehow the entire bag of goodies got misplaced and was not retrieved until yesterday.     For Christmas she had asked for a letterman's jacket featuring "Five Nights at Freddy's".  It had been the only thing she had asked for.  There was a delay on shipment however and we were told that it woul...

  This morning Richard was watching one of his cowboys which was Christmas themed.   Those that were in that particular episode were discussing decorating a tree and adding candles.    It triggered a memory with hot lights that replaced the candles as they were fire hazard.   Still, a dry tree and hot lights were still cause for fire.   There have been a number of homes destroyed due to Christmas tree fires.   Anyway, I remember my mom and I having attended one of those “selling items” party similar to Tupperware or Usborn Books or the Pampered Chef – only it was for Christmas items.   Among the items shared was a smoke alarm ornament.   The idea of it was appealing, but the idea didn’t seem to carry over to what we believed would be a helpful item to have.          We decided to test the product before we hung it and ended up melting part of the babble.   We returned it and tried it again with our replacement. ...

                      I am told that our last bishop did not enjoy doing Christmas parties.   Forget Halloween.   I have been to some wards that have promoted Halloween and others have not.   I have been to some ward parties which offered a visit from Santa Claus and some have not.    I understand not doing Halloween or Santa.   I do get it.   But I also understand the pleasure of being together or inviting those not of our faith to a ward activity that may offer enough light that those who don’t attend on Sundays may seek a desire to know more.             My mom’s ward has celebrated Christmas in lots of different ways.   I remember one time tables were set with name plates.   A host couple was selected to head each table and decorate how they saw fit. I was considered a young single at the time and invited to sit with the young single adults at what I...

             After more than two weeks of keeping Ally at home they finally sent her back to school.   I suspect more just to get her out of the house than to believe that she was well enough – but Clair had wanted to wrap gifts and has asked Jaime to assist.   I did not assist as I was in the back room listening to Roland.           Clair says she has always hated Christmas – though I don’t know if “always” is really the case or if perhaps she found something good about it when she was a child.   When she met Biff and Ally she fell in love with Ally and started to look forward to spending Christmas with her.   I didn’t see what gifts they brought but I suspect may have gone over budget – but maybe not.   They did not purchase all that is intended for Ally.   But still . . .           When the boys were younger we always had simpl...

         Richard and I picked Jaime up from school on the 6th.  A few days later Jaime and I put up the tree and finally started decorating but left oodles of space on the tree so that Ally could also decorate.  She's been running a fever, learned that she has a kidney infection among the many health problems that she has already been blessed with.  She did manage to put up a few ornaments before she returned to bed.          On Friday we did the yard.  Well, mostly Biff, Clair and Jaime.  Richard supervised - or at least said that is what he was doing.  Jaime wrapped lights around the pine tree.  She is a mountain goat and was able to step on the rocks and unbalanced ground without slipping.  She put up some ornaments and I put up some.  Still room on the outside tree for more ornaments but we've had rain and wind in addition to the near freezing temperatures.       ...

             I vaguely remember having a “Christmas Pickles” on our tree.   At least I think I do. I don’t even know where it came from or why it was there.   We obviously didn’t know its tradition as it was never hidden.   Tradition says the pickle is “hidden” to bring good luck to the finder.   We never hid the pickle.             I don’t remember hiding any ornaments intentionally.   Many times the fuller trees seemed to swallow up ornaments that had been pushed into the tree which is why I prefer Charlie Brown trees.   Every ornament can be seen on a Charlie Brown tree and none get lost.            There is speculation about the Christmas pickle – or legends. Lost truths.   Invented stories perhaps.   It’s kind of a fun idea.   A little bizarre.   I mean a pickle? Not an item I have associated with Christmas.  ...

            My first daughter-in-law is a lot more creative and frugal with money than I have ever been.  Both skills I am certain that she learned from her mother who was able to make her husband ’ s paycheck stretch among feeding seven children and providing for medical and clothing needs.  I don ’ t know what her dad did for a living, but I highly suspected that there had been struggles.  I, unfortunately, never got to know her mom as she passed two months after Tony and Rochelle were married.            Roland sent each of the boys a check to use for Christmas gifts this year.   I don ’ t like going to the post office in December as it is.   And we always end up spending more on shipping than for the items themselves. Of course this year presented even more challenges.   For the last couple of years we have sent out gifts to Tony ’ s family and sometimes my sister.   ...

            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 ...

Yesterday was National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.   I noticed the flags lined up and down the bridge as we made our way to the Ward Christmas party.    We had a brunch this year.   A 10:00 morning meal is great for so many reasons.   Breakfast.   Everything is catered.   No setting up of tables, decorations and so forth just to take it all down again (at least not by the ward members) no responsibilities of signing up to bring a dish in addition to reminder calls and a hodgepodge assortment of food.   I think the greatest plus is that it is light enough to see where we are driving.   The light invites.   Driving in the dark often seems so dismal. Roland had been asked to play Santa Claus who hasn’t been a part of any ward Christmas that we have been a part of in Oregon.   Roland had memorized a speech about how our focus needs to be on Christ rather than Santa – for Santa wants to worship Christmas in a righteous way an...

                When I first joined my family I believed Tony was pretty much a holiday Scrooge.   He said his favorite holiday was Thanksgiving, but he seemed to hate Christmas.   He made no effort to hide his negative emotions.   Fortunately that changed sometime after Jenna was born.   His feelings toward Christmas seem to become more positive with each passing year - or at least that is what I hear in his voice.   It is so awesome to have him enjoying that again.                 Rochelle and Tony's original plans this year were to send their gifts with their brothers who had planned to visit us during the holidays.   Only "when" turned into "if' and then "not this year".   Tony called the day the package was mailed and said that it would be late.   I am glad it didn't come before Christmas as I knew their gift to Jenna would pu...

         I don't know how long my brother-in-law, Bill, had known his first wife before they had married.   They had dated in high school - I don't know if it was serious and if she waited for him to return from his mission, or if she just happened to be available when she returned.   It wasn't until her funeral that I had learned she had been born with eleven toes.   When she was still an infant, an operation was performed to remove the extra toe.           Her mother spoke at her funeral and had mentioned that AnnaLeigh had been in and out of Primary Children's Hospital at least forty times before she turned eighteen. I'm guessing she had health problems when the two were married.   Six months after they were married, she was diagnosed with another medical problem.   I'm thinking Hodgkin's.   I know her health became a trial for both of them - though not many people saw it from Bill'...

I think Roland woke me up to ask me something I don't remember what I guess he didn't wake me but I did get out of bed I dragged myself into the living room.   I don't even know what time it was Jenna asked me if I would make her lunch. I made a sandwich and cut some potatoes and the remaining ham and put them in the crock pot with 2 cans of milk and a   can of corn. I went out to the shed for bubble wrap and boxes and started wrapping ornaments to mail to the boys. I had planned on sending letters and the "legend of the candy cane" thought. first package: Tony's family.   Large box. Extra items.   First I put in bubble wrap for padding boxes of cookie decorating kits hats, ornaments.   Seal box.   Whoops.   Forgot the letter.   Go to computer.   Type and print letters. Put Tony's in an envelope.   Tape it to the box. Next:   I open box of hats for Randy's family wrap ornaments.   Take off t...

            On December 24, 2014 my children decided to do white elephant gifts for what would be our last Christmas in Utah (only we hadn't planned for it to be our last Christmas together)   Jeanie recycled at least one gift that they had received, possibly both.                 They weren't wrapped, but left in black garbage bags, both huge.   One a bit bulkier than the other.   For some reason I was drawn to them - not knowing fully which to choose.   I settled on the flat one, figuring it was a painting of some sort.               Many people, when drawing white elephants, will allow a person to choose a wrapped gift or swipe an   unwrapped gift from somebody else.   I didn't know until later that Jenna had actually considered "stealing" the painting I had "unwrapped" but wanted the op...

posted 12/10/2016           Our ward did something different for the Christmas celebration this year.  Instead of the traditional dinner that is normally done, we had a Christmas breakfast.  And the Relief Society wasn’t in charge of fixing any of it.  It was catered!           Last year, we had it in the Skyhawk room in Myrtle Creek – which seems to be a popular spot for annual events – and not just the cafeteria between the elementary and middle schools.  But this we had our breakfast at the Bible Christian Center in Riddle.  The inside of the facility definitely seems a lot bigger than the outside.  I was impressed.                     We had the option of scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage patties, muffins, fruit, and in addition to the drink choices of milk, cr...