Beneath the Wraps

            When I was growing up, Ham and Potato Salad were on the menu during the Easter holiday.   I remember my mom saying she had made (or was making) a big batch shortly after Jenna was born (though she arrived eight days earlier than her due date - which was on Easter that year).   I was still in the hospital and mom had made arrangement for our oldest son (Ooki had lived with our family for his senior year but was living with another family when Jenna was born) to bring her the car seat and she fed him and everybody else in the family who had come for Jenna's birth.   What a rip-off!   I had to stay in the hospital with my newborn and would have rather had mom's potato salad than hospital food.               Mom packed some potato salad in a container and brought it with her the next day.          ...

          I took Highness for a walk for the first time this month.  Poor dog.  (I've been going to mom's, trying to assist at Jenna's school or the cannery and Biff has taken on two full time jobs leaving Highness somewhat neglected)           The weather has been awesomely beautiful once the sun is out.  When it’s down, it can get quite cold. But during the day – I often get hot and will turn the heat off and open a window.                                                                I don’t recall a November ever where I could get away with wearing just a sweatshirt over my clothes.  But then we had wonderful weather last Christmas.  I took a picture of Jenna in some new clothes that had been sent – she was outsid...

                 I had always wanted to host a foreign exchange student.   While I was still a student myself, I had wanted my parents to take in a student from another country.   It wasn’t until after Roland and I were married for almost a year that I talked him into assisting my wishes.           Our foreign exchange student was from Thailand.   He was in his senior year of high school and our three boys were in junior high school. Ooki was the greatest example to our boys.   He was always assisting and learning and growing.   I miss having him around.                       Ooki came to us in mid August.   We introduced him around the valley and actually drove to parts of the state, where we don’t go normally, just to show him it wa...