Beneath the Wraps

Like the Holderness Family ( here ), I have lost track of days.   It did not help matters to see the mail truck come down our street twice yesterday.   Usually the time drags and doesn’t move quickly enough that it would have really been the next day, but I questioned the day when we saw the mail truck the second time.             I don’t know that I have ever seen the mail truck repeat the route on the same day.   I like to think because I received a package that was so incredible large that there was not enough room in the box for the other three items.   But I think it had more to do with the ambulance across the street.             That was also a unique situation – not that we hadn’t seen the ambulance at that house before during pandemic but it was the first time we had seen a fire truck pull up behind it with a group of about 5 volunteers gather...

        I suppose it's not just my physical body that has changed, but my inner being as well.   I used to like crafts and knit-knacks.   I now think of them as "dust collectors" - too bad.   Jeanie and Biff sent a cute figurine for Mothers' Day.   It really is cute - but I haven't a   clue what to do with it.   Currently it is on a shelf next to a "frog" bank. They both look out of place.         I don't know where I got it from, but I was a hoarder in my youth.   I'm happy to say those days are gone. What is it that possessed me to hang onto all that/this stuff in the first place.   Let's just get rid of everything!         In addition to weeding out tangible items, I really need to go through my computer files - particularly my pictures and sort them out.   Kill all duplicates.   I did feel organized at one time.   ...

Jenna told Roland that I wanted an umbrella for Mothers’ Day. It is a Beautiful Umbrella and big enough for both me and Jenna. I could have used it two days before Mothers’ Day but have not had a need for it since. The sun has been beating down on the earth.   But there has been a cool breeze that   makes it all bearable. The sun is playing hide-and-go-seek as the clouds pass over when I look out my back window the sky tells me that I will need an umbrella when I leave the house to go get Jenna. When I look out the front window, the sun laughs at me and tells me it will pound down and make my palms sweat as I hold my umbrella and that it will be a burden to carry. I end up putting my purple umbrella in my back pack – just in case.   I never needed it.    Not for rain anyway. I did attempt using it as a shield  to block out the sun - only a short time though  as I was afraid the wind would...

          As a child, my perspective of Mothers’ Day was certainly different than it is now.   Mothers’ Day meant going to the store with dad to pick out a gift to give to mom.   Mothers’ Day meant singing to my mom on Sunday.   Mothers’ Day meant going to Grandma’s – often seeing my cousins.   Mothers’ Day meant more than just hot dogs for dinner – though from a child’s point of view that may have been the more satisfactory dinner. I don’t know how my mom felt about Mothers’ Day.   I think that she enjoyed being honored.   Did she feel honored?   My mom, overall, was a positive person.   I don’t remember when she wasn’t smiling or showed gratitude on Mothers’ Day.   I know she enjoyed being a mother.   And she enjoyed visits from the grandchildren on Mothers’ Day. Peggy, who lived across the street, loathed Mothers’ Day – or so that seemed to be what was projected. ...

I understand the desire for those who wish to segregate Mothers’ Day Jenna asks, “What would you like for Mothers’ Day?” “I would like you to clean your room?” “No, really.   What do you want?” “That is what I want.   To have my daughter show me some responsibility.” “Mooooommmm.” Are you honoring my motherhood?   What are we celebrating exactly?   Taking a break from the dishes and finding them in the sink on Monday is NOT taking a break.   I don’t even think half the chores I do is what makes up a mother. I am certainly not a housewife.   I did not tie the knot with any building – especially this one.   I’ve looked into home improvement.   But the expenses all add up and I need to budget for just one thing at a time – not empty out my bank account and then some. They got me chocolates.   I know because Jenna told me.   She and her friend were wrapping the boxes and came to m...

--> If God should ever show off his sense of humor by calling me to the RS presidency, I am going to make certain there is a generous amount of space between each chair.   No smashing chairs together as tight as possible so that each sister feels as though she’s sitting on the lap of another.   No siree Bob. I didn’t think it was possible, but chairs seemed a lot more smashed in yesterday.   I guessed it was the priesthood who somehow believed the sisters like things tight – the tighter the better.   They somehow believed that we enjoy sitting in one another’s laps.   Roland told me he had taken charge.   Oh, that explains it.   My husband, the eternal optimist who was hoping to set up for at least two hundred sisters had managed to squeeze in 85 chairs. The bishop conducted.   And after we all went up to get our breakfast (they had provided us with fruit and muffins) the second counselor taught the lesson.  This is the ...

          Roland had been in charge of putting together the  Mothers’ Day program last week.  It was AWESOME – one of the most amazing Mothers’ Day programs that I remember.           It was based on Pres. Uchtdorf’s talk from the September 2011 Relief Society Meeting.  The theme of the talk was based upon the “Forget-me-not” and five pieces of advice that we should not forget.           Roland introduced the theme of Pres. Uchtdorf’s talk and introduced those who would be speaking. The first speaker shared with us a bit about his childhood.  He has seven siblings.  All eight children were expected to play a musical instrument. The first petal was to “ forget not to be patient with yourself ”.  No one is perfect, even though there are many who may appear so.  The first speaker reminded us of patience. I unfortunate...