Beneath the Wraps

I remember watching a documentary with my mom in 1991.   It was called Age 7 in America.   At least I think that’s what it was called.   I don’t know who’s responsible for making it.   It looks like it may have been created by Christopher Quinn patterned after an idea done in Britain?   I don’t even recall which network sponsored the program.   Quinn (who also narrated the film) told us that the plan was to follow a number of children from different backgrounds and upbringings and interview them every seven years. I remember looking for “Age 14 in America” but not finding it.   I don’t know what prompted me to look it up on YouTube this year – but I did find it.   Age 7, age 14 and age 21 (thank you Orletta Crichlow) and watched Up 21and was really quite impressed. Years ago, when my mom and I had been watching, there were three girls wearing school uniforms.   As they were being interviewed, the one in the middle...

Shilo is a sweet dog I refer to him as “Highness” In my posts He was old when we got him Loved to dig in the back yard And escape. I thought it odd that The animal shelter had not Collected him Favorite activities: Go for walks And sleep Picky Eater.   He’s always been a picky eater Since we’ve had him As I mentioned in my blog before I think his owner before us Tied a bib around his neck And let him sit at the dinner table        With her Jenna and I would take him on long walks Or else I would put him in the car And walk him around After I dropped off Jenna He could jump onto the couch And into the car – but age has slowed him down He stopped digging At least two summers ago He needs assistance climbing on anything                          ...

Each morning as Jenna and I walk to the bus, we notice the sprinklers watering the lush green grass on the corner     and I think how nice it would be to have lush green grass. Never in my life has the yard outside of whatever house I’ve lived in, has there been lush green grass inviting my bare feet to run through it. For the most part, if ever I have been brave enough to go barefooted, my feet scream at me and remind me that there are dry patches among the green but still non-lush. I find that when I just wear sandals outside of the last two houses I have lived, the thorns and stickweed chock the life out of whatever we’d like to be growing.   They scratch at my feet and my legs and imbed themselves  into the soles of my shoes and often hitch rides into the house. We did not water this year.   Water pressure is down  devoting four hours a day to my less than promising lawn was not a priority.   Rather a waste of time ...

  All three or my boys were in high school at the time.   (I don ’ t remember if I had given birth to Jenna yet) They were 15, 16, and 17.   My husband often referred (and still does) to the 15 year old as Casper as he had a way of disappearing for every chore. One night Biff and Tony were washing dishes when Randy went on one of his disappearing jaunts.   He had excused himself to get music – or perhaps it was already playing – his idea of music anyway. Biff and Tony listened to Soft Jazz and oldies.   Randy listened to what kids his age would listen to – I guess.   Still listens to bizarreness with no beat really.   I don ’ t care for what he thinks of as music.   Apparently neither did his brothers. As Biff and Tony (who are both older than Randy – but only by one of two years) continued to do dishes they went into discussion about how Randy was of another generation.   I started laughing.   So they trie...

          I’m not really sure why I was the privileged one put on the mailing list for Alpine Ridge.  Perhaps I had made the request – but it would have been over four months ago.           I received a letter last month informing me that I would have the opportunity to meet with a director and nurse if I had any questions concerning mom.  I assumed that my three sibs would be getting the same letter.  They never did.           And just the other day, I received a calendar schedule for this month – first one that has come in the mail since January when we took mom there to live.  Really?  I remember asking about them back in March – but I never received a hard copy of one.  I did find one on the web and have looked at it and will still refer to it as I sometimes misplace my hard copy – but I am still puzzled at wh...

We haven’t always had cable – cancelled due to lack of finances – we’ve even cancelled the Internet.  I was okay with going to the library, but Roland wasn’t.  And now that he’s taking classes through the Internet – dropping the Internet would just frustrate him even more. When so many stations were converted to HD and even the local channels needed some kind of box or connection, it seems like we always had TVland.  For a while it was our primary source of entertainment.  That, and going to the library for offered programs and to check out DVDs. The station has added original programs including a reality show called “ ForeverYoung ”. The advertisements intrigued me, but I hadn’t watched it when it initially debuted.  But I did check it out yesterday. I was laughing so hard at watching these two (obviously) generations try and communicate.  Having lived between the two, I understand the frustration of the other – also having had to experie...

          For the first time I recently watched “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” – I’m certain it was involved with a lot more symbolism than what I saw.   Timothy came to his mom and dad in the spring and had to leave when the last leaf fell in the fall.            I was crying hard as the show came to an end – nothing to do with Timothy Green or his departure or anything to do with the movie at all.   Just reminiscing the long fall that was present during the last five months of 2012 – symbolizing the same fall as my mother and each of us seemed to be going through with her. Her leaves were falling more rapidly each day – and then came the harsh winds of winter. And it’s been cold.   Bitter cold.           She will never return to spring again.   Not in this life anyway.   The only way she can have sprin...