Beneath the Wraps

         We have had cats in our yard.  They come and go.   Before Jai went to college she would name the cats:  “ Ghost ” , “ Blanco ” , “ Midnight ” , “ Venom ” . . .  all which have vanished over the years.   Currently there have been two tabbies –   one yellow and one black and tan.   Ally calls the black one “ Pudding ” .   Her friend, Molly, who lives next door has  claimed the cat as hers and calls the cat “ Muffin ” .   The cat does not live at either house and yet  both girls have claimed the cat as her own.          It ’ s not a farel cat exactly.  Rumor has it that she/he belonged to a family  who recently moved but failed  to take the cat with them.    I don ’ t think said family really did  abandon him/her.   I think the cat is  well taken care of at different houses  and tends to han...

                 Pre-pandemic I loved Wednesdays.   It was my short day whenever I would sub – usually for Coffenberry.  The staff there would work with me on my schedule.   The third Wednesday was the day that seniors could meet up at Roseburg cinema to watch a featured movie.   It was cool to have sponsors which made that possible.                  Though I enjoyed the opportunity of seeing movies for free on the third Wednesday, I looked forward to  the second Wednesday of each month.   That is when the ward offered a pot luck luncheon.   Afterward there was a group of us that would hang around and play games for an hour or two.   Though I enjoyed the luncheon itself, I enjoyed the games even more. Pre-pandemic we had scheduled nights to play with different couples in our ward or sometimes we would invite my friend, Carol.   When we would...

            Jenna likes surprises and says she would like to be surprised for her birthday.  But things started showing up in the mail that she herself had picked out.  She knew the packaged CD was Panic at the Disco.  She recognized the stickers that Roland had asked her about.  I didn ’ t even bother telling her that her stylist had arrived and enclosed it in a CD case with a note about surprises.  I also opened her sticker package and did the same.  Then I hid her Panic at the Disco CD and wrapped the two CD cases along with a chocolate orange and a Tee Shirt that Roland had purchased.            I ’ m sure I could have wrapped the Hamm piggy bank that he purchased at a later time, but chose not to as she was in the house ever since we brought it home – except for going to seminary (I am pressed for time as it is – wrapping the bank would have lessened whatever time I gave myself to get ready)...

            I had purchased a package of "Strap Perfect" as it was on clearance.   Jenna and I both seem to lack in the shoulder area.   I thought we could each have three, only three had already been removed from the package.   Perhaps that is why it was on clearance.   I recall Jenna breaking one trying to get her bra off.   I kept one for my swimsuit in the event that I ever misplaced my swim shirt which I did the entire month of August.               After Jenna started going to the pool with me last year, she had a suit that didn't fit quite right.   I don't remember what it even looked like or what was wrong with it.   Dottie had brought us a suit that she used to wear and had given it to Jenna.   Dottie was always thoughtful of others.             It was in ...

                Dinner was very nice.   There was a lot of food.   Halibut steak cooked to perfection, clam chowder, shrimp, carrots, jumbo baked potato and roll provided by Midtown Grill.  I enjoyed the food but did feel like a fish out of water.   Some people have money and are willing to share.   I think others just want to make an appearance.   But that's all speculation on my part.   I had four of the five people at our dinner table - my "close-knit-pool-group" and Sue's husband.   I saw a couple from our ward and Susan who has come to our swim class this year and whom Jaime and I had assisted with the Riddle booth during SummerFest here .                   There were over a hundred people for the turn-out at the pool.   The deck had been set up for 18 tables with six chair...

                The wind has been blowing each morning Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.   Carolyn said she had a surprise for the class for Wednesday morning, but I did not go.   Roland and I had gone to the Roseburg Cinema to see Dog Days - which I really liked.                    I had left my phone with Jenna in case she needed to get a hold of us.   She spent the day with her friend, Marie.   She reported to me that the dentist had called, but neglected to tell me about Coffenberry; she decided it was not important as she is no longer a student there.                                 A couple of hours after Roland and I had returned to Tri-City, Jenna said there was word from the the...

      It wasn't so much that Kayla was not interested in the Enchanted Forest so much as the drive there.   Roland had asked to take off the last week of March.   It was my understanding that Kayla and her family had planned to leave their house on Friday morning on March 23 - which was the last day of school for Kayla, but not for the school districts in Salt Lake.   Their spring break did not until the following Thursday (the 29th) and so Roland had extra time off before the family arrived.      He wanted to do something special with Jenna and asked her to invite a friend that we might take with us to the Enchanted Forest.   She had asked one friend who initially said "yes" but then had to tell her "no".   She then decided to invite Ashley, whom I had never heard her mention before until that week as she had been invited to Ashley's birthday party.      Problem with many of Jenna's fr...

            I enjoy looking at the memories that facebook reminds me for each day.   The thing I enjoy most is reading comments from friends who have since passed away - like yesterday morning for instance, I was reading thoughts to wish my husband and I "Happy Wedding Anniversary" for almost each year I'd been on facebook.   The last comment I read was from my mom.   I think that's cool.             Mom was not an avid facebook user.   She seemed to allow herself to get flustered with modern technology.   The year I started my facebook account was also the first year her children all wondered if there was some instability happening with mom's mind.   I don't know if that was the first year she'd been tested for Alzheimer's.   I do know she was tested at least twice, but the results didn't show Alzheimer's - but she was in the early stages of dementia.   Ma...

            About a year and a half ago, I was on facebook checking out their statistics, though I generally don't put a lot of stock in what results are given.     According to facebook, my husband Roland and I are the most opposite of me and any of my facebook friends.   I can believe that.   According to facebook, my soul mate is Carolyn - who I had known less than a year.   I've now known her for almost two.   The more time I take to get to know her, the more it feels like we have in common.   I guess facebook was right.             Not only that, but every time I added a family photo, facebook will automaticlly tag the pictures and actually get most of them right.   But every time my mom is in the photo, facebook puts Carolyn's name on the photo instead of my mom's. I guess there is a resemblance.   I do see more betwee...

          Jenna LOVES it when we sign up to feed the missionaries.   Just a few days after we fed the missionaries, Eva called to ask when we could sign up again.   If it were up to Jenna, we’d be feeding them on a daily basis, I think.   But I really wasn’t ready to make a commitment for the optional dates which Eva had given.             She had really been pushing for this past Friday, but Beth had already contacted me to see if Roland and I could meet her and Graham for lunch as they were passing through from Ashland on their way back to McMinnville.   At that time I didn’t really know how late we’d be eating and so said I would just talk to her on Sunday.   Only we didn’t have church on Sunday as it was General Conference.   I think she called five times in less than 24 hours.   One was to fill in for a cancellation the Elders had made for ye...