Beneath the Wraps

         Disneyland was not as decked out as I had expected.  I had asked Jaime if she had seen any Villains.  She had but was disappointed that there hadn ’ t been more.  But then again it was hot.  Cast members dressed up and photographers available to take pictures.  Lines formed for that.  Oh, no way.  Too hot.  Just wait until I get home and photoshop myself in.        So from the train I took the back of the entrance that we personally did not use. We saw Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy in their Halloween attire.   I don ’ t know how long they had to be out there for.   Wearing those costumes would be its own challenge in cool weather.   I can ’ t imagine how much more hot they felt in 107 degree weather.        Here are some photos taken from both my camera and Richard ’ s phone.   this one found on Google images

 Jaime always manages to miss whenever we go to the pool on July 25.  Josh had always decorated for the first five years we had lived here but Sebastian did not.  Today I was surprised to see some parts decorated.  

             I remember taking down the tree on New Year’s Day each year.   It became tradition I would suppose for many families.   And gosh, darn, I will definitely miss the lights and decorations that had popped up in so many yards even before Thanksgiving.   The Myrtle Creek – Tri City area is always so dark.   It is nice to have the Christmas lights to remove some of the darkness.           On New Year’s Day this year I read a couple of thoughts which helped ease the pain of this tradition that I have come to hate.   David Butler has a facebook page in which he shares uplifting thoughts.   On New Year’s Day he compared taking down the tree to the first Christmas – perhaps a week after the fact – when Joseph and Mary had to leave the manger and move on.   They could not stay where they were nor could they take the manger with them.   And why would they want to? ...

            Nine years ago today I started my blog.  I explained my purpose and the reason for the title.  The next day I posted about New Years – my goal was to give gratitude with every post.  My posts may have started out that way but I don ’ t think I was diligent.  I don ’ t know.  I haven ’ t gone back to reread every post. Toward the end of the year I was more focused on my mom ’ s needs as she had dementia and I highly suspect that my posts did not always reflect that of gratitude.         At the end of the year I had taken Jenna to the library for an afternoon countdown – counting up to 12:00 and blowing horns.   She had wanted to stay up but had conked out by 11:30.      We had gone to my mom ’ s house New Year ’ s Day 2013.   We played games with my sister and her husband.   Jenna played with her cousins.   When Corey called my mom later on she...

Jenna had wanted to do a craft.  We went and gathered pinecones on Tuesday.  Yesterday we made these:   Jenna also found the perfect rock and painted a scene.   I thought it turned out well.   Roland had purchased some sensors for the house in order to detect anyone in our driveway or anyone on our porch.   One was more sensitive than the other and had gone off more times than needed.   He decided he would take care of it when he got off work yesterday in addition to putting up lights for the stairs and moving the initial light he had purchased which wasn’t serving the purpose as he had hoped.   We were about to lose light and I didn’t want him to climb the ladder and not be able to finish the projects he had on his agenda.   He was tired and I could sense that he was already frustrated without a darkness challenge.   I suggested putting everything away and trying again today.   He had the entire day off after all.   He...

        Every year the local elementary schools make ornaments to hang on the tree that is displayed downtown.   Each year they walk from the school to the downtown area where the tree is displayed so that they can hang the ornaments themselves or drop into a basket of ornaments to decorate higher than they can reach.   On the first Saturday of December there is a gathering.   There is music and free hot chocolate.   And then there is the lighting of the tree.   Jenna took this at main street and second avenue entrance to park (closed off in Dec)        This year Jenna and I saw decorations carted out as some contributed to decorating the town.    Jenna took this one yesterday.  So foggy this morning that only one strand of snowflakes could be seen The tree was lit without all the hoopla that it has seen in years past.   Only lights adorn the tree as there are no ornaments. Students have not returned to...

          I had always believed that New Year’s Day was for taking down the Christmas decorations and putting them away as that is the day my mom had always done that.   I had tried carrying it over to the family I am with right now.   Sometimes it works, but not always.   Roland always seems anxious to take it down right after Christmas.                     We did not wait until New Year’s for the outside decorations but removed the lights and ornaments, electric cords and so forth from the yard.   We started at 10:00 Tuesday morning before the fog had completely lifted.   Roland announced that it was going to rain.   He was right.   It poured.   I can’t remember what time it started pouring, but it was still light outside.   I don’t think the pouring stopped until after midnight.       ...

As mentioned in the last post, the skies darkened before we were through: Roland had purchased "candles" to place in our windows.   They will turn off after six hours Jenna fell twice.  I don't know why she finds that amusing Cell phone does not have the same sophistocation as does some of the cameras I have owned I thought the reflection of the tree in our window looks cool as it appears the tree is really inside of the house. We stopped decorating not only because it was dark but The three adjoining cities will put on a light parade each year on the second Saturday in December.    I've taken several pictures in the past; this is the best I could do this year. This last one was taken yesterday when we put the balls on. I will have to get a picture of our finished product later on Next we have our non-traditional advent wreath which I thought we would decorate with Christmas festivities.  Jen...

Written Satuday Last year we were the only house on our street to put up Christmas lights and decorate our yard.  This year everyone started yard decorations early.  Our roof was being fixed and then it rained.  Until late today we were one of the few houses on our street that wasn’t decorated. We appeared to be "bah humbuggers" but we are really not. Our roof is finally finished I had noticed on Wednesday that the flatbed trailer was gone – the one Roland insisted remain at our house until the job was complete. It rained all day yesterday.   Sometimes the rain felt like snow.   I was doing crosswalk duty again.   All students had been ordered to go to the gym after lunch.   I would much rather stand out in the rain then be in the overly loud gym. It was nice today.   I didn’t even wear a coat. Roland wanted to go to Winston to look for a coffee table.   He took me with...

            At no time of the year do I believe in Disney's Toy Story than between Thanksgiving and Christmas - although it isn't so much the toys that move and form personalities, but rather the Christmas decorations that I am certain I had packed and carefully labeled each box.   I know exactly where they were located in January - the beginning of the year.   But by the end of the year, I notice that the decorations have moved around.   They have managed to move from box to box, shelf to shelf and all figure that it's been so long that I won't remember where I had put them in the first place.             As I mentioned in an earlier post, Jenna had retrieved four boxes of decorations - yet I knew that a whole slew of ornaments were missing, and Christmas socks and . . .   lights.   Where are the lights?   And how is it that ...