Beneath the Wraps

             I have not set any new years resolutions – nor do I feel the need to wait until New Year’s Day to do so.   I have been sick (off and on –though mostly on) for going on six weeks now.   I suppose I could have COVID – I never think about possibly having it until weeks after the fact.   Richard and I took a quick trip out of town.   I noticed miracles along the way and have written them down. I haven’t had much of a voice for the last eight days or so – possibly more (I’ve also been disoriented through this whole ordeal; grateful I don’t have a sinus infection) but am getting closer to being heard – though I sound like a cross between a chipmunk and one who may have swallowed razor blades. So I do have thoughts in the fire.   Hopefully they don’t all get consumed and go up in smoke.   I need more motivation.

I'm really not much of a decorator.   I do put more thought into decorating for Christmas.   It is always so hard for me to take down the decorations - especially the tree.   Jenna must take after me as she is also having a hard time with it. This year I have decided to make it just a bit easier on myself by taking down something just a bit at a time.   On Tuesday I packed up the books that I had only attempted to look at.   I don't think anyone else did.   On Wednesday I removed the cards from the door.   On Thursday I took down the plush toys that hung around the frame of the mirror.   And each day I would also remove ornaments from the tree. Last night Jenna went to Roseburg with Roland and I decided to remove the remaining ornaments while they were gone.   I should have waited until daylight.   What was I thinking?   And why has every house I've lived in had such poor lighting in the front room? The decorations fro...

A year ago today, mom lost her driver’s license.  It’s hard to believe how much of her memory has been wiped out in such a short time.  Yesterday she seemed almost comatose to me.  Her birthday is not until June.  Jenna asked if we could go to her house to celebrate.  There were tears in my eye because I honestly don’t know where she’ll be six months from now. On the Saturday before the New Year, we took my mom to the movies with us. We were late getting to the movie and so had to sit in front.  “Life of Pi” is NOT a comedy – unless maybe one is watching it with another who has dementia.           I sat between my mom and Jenna.  Jenna rattled on about the movie and animals and explained things in detail (as though I wasn’t sitting there watching it myself) and my mom would make these off-the-wall comments that made me laugh.           Mom’s me...

          It was 13 years ago today when I first met Roland.  Oh, I had seen him before.  He was in my mom’s ward (church boundary) for a brief period of time.           He always sat with his arms stretched out on the pew and around each of his boys that were seated next to him on either side.  He also had a big ol’ smile plastered on his face.  There was something about him that appealed to me.  His smile perhaps.  The genuine love that he had for his boys.           On December 31, 2000, I saw him in the foyer of the church.  He was wearing a tie with a large picture of the Tasmanian devil printed on it.           “Nice tie,” I said.  I don’t know if I actually used the word “nice” – I’m really not that big of a Looney-Tune fan, but I did want to...

                   Every year Jenna’s goal is to stay up until Midnight.   To stay up until Midnight would make her so much more mature than she already is.   Only grown-ups stay up past midnight.   Oh, the joys of getting older.           Each year Jenna has conked out around 10:00 or so – not to mention Roland and I – who have somehow turned into old fogies who fall asleep before nine.   This year I actually made it to Midnight.   Jenna was asleep at 11:30.   Face down on the couch.   It was actually quite amusing.           Roland came in to send her off to bed.   I asked my grumpy little girl, “Would you like to me to wake you in half an hour to wish you happy New Year?”   She mumbled and plopped in bed.   I smiled and turned to my Blog.  ...