Beneath the Wraps

         Since we moved to Myrtle Creek and Jenna had become a part of the young women’s program, she has suggested that the ward do a trunk or treat.  Our ward has never done anything for Halloween – which is okay – but it is, without a doubt, her favorite holiday.  This year the young women’s president has arranged a Halloween party – the event starts at 6:00.  Jenna, meanwhile, has made another commitment.  Roland is working.  I was not too thrilled with the idea mingling with 50 – 100 people that may or may not be in the tiny church building.  If neither Jenna nor Roland are not going to go, I’m certainly not going.  I do feel bad for not supporting our YW pres. though I’m certain there will be a good attendance.  I have had such a huge case of the pandemic blues right now that I KNOW I will NOT be of great company.           As I had mentioned in a previous post, the pand...

  https://www.idahopress.com/opinion/editors_notebook/forget-national-monument-craters- of-the-moon-should-be-a-national-park/article_084c0496-ad13-53c9-99f0-75e374fb6af5.html              I was on my mission the first time my family visited Craters of the Moon in Arco, Idaho.   I had only heard about it – but not in full detail as I learned the second time my family had gone – just to make sure I had the opportunity. Patrick was with the family the first time but had managed to miss out the second time.   I still did not experience the fullness that the family had endured the first time around. They told me that everything looks the same.  The picture above, the picture below, whatever is behind it - it looks the same.  The scenery does not change.             Jenna had reminded me of this as she was asking about church policies and state policies on precautions with COV...

  Jenna's rough drawing of what Echo and "Attitude" might appear as icons I think I have created a couple of posts in which I refer to “ Alexa ” .   We have two, an echo and one built into the sound system for the TV.   Jenna had won the echo two and a half years ago when we had gone to Salem for an open house for the online school that Roland works for.   We kept it over the fireplace for over a year before Roland purchased a new sound system for the television.   He had a choice of making it “ Okay Google ” or “ Alexa ”.   I told him to go with “ Okay Google ” so the two wouldn’t both activate at the same time but he chose not to listen to me and go with Alexa and moved the Echo into Jenna’s room.   But her room is too close and both would activate – at least simultaneously. We now have the Echo in our room and have an alarm set to go off at 5:15 each weekday morning. Our room is located right next door to Jenna’s and so often both will act...

I have always considered myself an introvert – well maybe not always.  I was evidently extroverted in my early childhood.  School changed that.  School was not a good experience overall. I felt excluded and found myself withdrawn from wanting to be a part of life.                             Illustration by Joshua Seong. © Verywell, 2018. I remember being comfortable in the company of certain adults and grew to accept those who were decades older than me or several years younger than myself.  It was a long time before I was comfortable with any peers of my own age.  I never liked crowds or artificial people.  I enjoy learning but not in a structured environment.  I am better at learning when it isn’t a requirement. I didn’t realize that it was possible to meet in the middle as AMBIVERT exists in the middle of introvert and extravert.   I am ...

        Jenna changed her tune a bit from Monday.   I woke up yesterday to find her dressed in green – well, partial green anyway.   She didn’t go overboard as she did the week prior when she dressed in yellow for spirit week.   She said she will be wearing the same thing for her birthday – her “sweet sixteen” and like everybody else’s plans will be very different from what she had planned.           We started the series "100 Humans" and were amused by many of #23's responses, namely his 600 plus word explanation on how to play Tic Tac Toe - laughter.  It was/is greatly needed.           We had played games the last couple of days.   Sequence on Monday and Spades last night.   We have both danced to music – even commercial jingles.   How much better our day has been when we can smile and laugh.   She had wanted to go to the park to hand out gold coins,...

                I remember my niece had some kind of surgery and had worn a pink cast in the hospital bed.   Her dad, who is a professional photographer who always takes huge amounts of pictures, did not document any of Anna’s time at the hospital.   It was a sad event not to dwell on and he didn’t want any of the family to have that painful memory.   That doesn’t change what happened.           My sister and I have a great four-year-old nephew has cancer.   His parents (or other family members) have taken lots of pictures.   It’s a sad event – one the family just assume forget and yet it’s a milestone that may need to be documented so one day the family will have proof about facing a challenge and learning things that perhaps they would rather learn another way.   It’s not a pleasant milestone – but there will be growth and learning...

Today is Valentines' Day.   Bah.   I think I was single for so long that I just don't get overly excited about the holiday.   I received Valentines in school.   I would have received less except for it was mandatory to give one to each class mate. I had a two week assignment to fill in for one of the educational aids. Yesterday was supposed to be my last day, but I called in sick. I do feel better today than yesterday.   I wasn't scheduled but do have the opportunity to sub at another school but think I should do with one day of rest as I have been scheduled to work for tomorrow. I listened to the other aides ragging on Valentine's Day and agreed with most of their comments. There was one who had gotten married on Valentine's Day. She and her husband chose that day so that they would not forget their anniversary. It was fun to discover through Jenna's eyes when she was younger, b...

            On Sunday I was told to go into the room where the young women meet as the stake presidency wanted at least one parent for every youth to sit in.   The subject was a sensitive subject but seemed to be approached from a different angle but still with a hint of snobbery. One of the stake president's counselors was showing a slide show and had used this as an example of "Satan trying to divert your attention away from him"  referring to the "fox" as Satan. Okay, Satan can be clever, but others can be clever without deception.   Some people are better at "fitting in" than others.   But at whose expense do we fit in?             The teens were asked if they know of others who are living together without being married.   My reaction:   "My son Biff and his girlfriend Claire."   The idea of living together was compared to...

            I was on my mission when Howard Jones released "No One is to Blame" found here . Whenever I heard the song I would visualize a lower to middle class young man who had taken a job at a country club.   He has his eyes on one of the members - a girl from a prestige family background.   He would like a relationship with her and she with him, but as they are labeled into upper class and lowly servant, there is no relationship other than "client and worker"                       I now hear this song expressed in some talks given by various leaders - particularly when the talk is geared toward the family.   How many others can hear these words (symbolically of course)?             I am grateful for the ward members that I think of as family as Roland and Jenna are my only biological family in this state.  Un...

          The discussion post this week is on being an effective leader.   We need to have examples about our emotional intelligence and what skills we need to improve on and how we would improve.   Roland is always coming up with ideas that I've never thought of.   I don't see myself as a leader and I knew that Roland would have some suggestions - one was my position in the family, which of course I hadn't considered.   I tried writing a few paragraphs about that - but each paragraph felt too biography and introductory and perhaps a little too horn-blowy - which is not what I wanted.   I don't know how many times I changed it before I finally turned something in.   Meanwhile I have come up with some more thoughts for a blog post.           I remember going to a wedding reception held outdoors.   I don't even recall what time of the year, but I remember the...

          Primary programs seem necessary, but I loathe practicing for them.   I always have. As a child, my primary day was on Thursday right after school.   I was then a part of the Midvale East 4th ward.   I can remember on days when it would snow, an announcement would go over the intercom: there will be no primary for such and such a ward.   Never did they announce Midvale East 4th would be cancelled - not even once!   And some days we were faced with more severe snow!   I did not appreciate nor understand it at the time.   I have since thanked my former primary president for her love and devotion.           However, practicing for the primary program, for me, was worse than crossing the street in the snow.   Though I do enjoy singing, I did not enjoy practicing them or keeping still or staying reverent while others took their turns. I would actually play hooky from pr...

        Nicki is Rochelle's sister.   She's not in any of the family pictures that were taken at Tony and Rochelle's wedding 5 1/2 years ago.   I was not aware that she even had a third sister.   All of them have an "L" sound at the end of their name - but Nicki has chosen to go by her middle name.   I think Rochelle told me that Nicki had withdrawn herself from the family and started to go by Nicki at that time - though I could be wrong.   I actually don't know Rochelle as much as I'd like.   I certainly don't know her family - only what Tony paints for me - which is less than flattering.   But Tony always sees the lemons rather than the potential of lemonade.         Rochelle's mother passed away only two months after she and Tony married - which wasn't a great surprise; neither of her parents was in the best of shape, but I somehow believed that Rochelle's dad would go fi...

         One of the gifts that I opened on Christmas was the Chicken Soup for the Soul "Positive Thinking"   stories full of reminders not to give up and to do whatever it takes.         As I read I think of examples from my own life:         Karyn was agoraphobic.  Her son had gone to a mission in Brazil and had developed feelings for a certain young lady.  After he had gone back to visit, he announced that he and this girl would be getting married and living in Brazil for a while.  Knowing that he needed some support from the family, he wanted his parents there, of course. Karyn and her husband had enough money for only one plane ticket. And because of her fears of dealing with crowds, it was decided that her husband would go.         His job seemed to complicate the situation as far as the date was concerned.  It...