Beneath the Wraps

            The workout and pool activity here in Myrtle Creek has always been more than reasonable. When they raised their prices this year it did not seem like such a big deal.   In fact, the attendance has increased within the class.   We have never had as much as 8 people show up the first week (or sometimes even the entire first month) let alone 11.   Of course most of us are getting the pass deal – which really is a deal.             A few years before the pandemic there was a fundraiser created to help build added features to the South Umpqua Memorial Pool.   The fundraiser ( here ) took place in both 2018 and 2019.   I don’t know what happened to the money that was raised or what improvements were made.   I don’t see that anything tangible was added.             Initially we were told that the money would be goin...

                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...

                 Our Saturdays are usually tied up with plans - most of the time it's been going to Roseburg to do shopping, though there are the occasional weekends our plans are attending various activities here in Myrtle Creek or surrounding areas.  Occasionally we actually have a free Saturday which is what I had supposed this last weekend, but Jenna reminded me that I said I would drive her over to the pool to watch the "Grunge Plunge".                  Most of the pictures I share are cropped screenshots of live event video posted to South Umpqua Memorial Pool page on March 17, 2018                    On March 4 last year, South Umpqua Memorial Pool held its first ever "Grunge Plunge".  I didn't even know about it until after the fact ...

        Apparently the two classes I've been assigned both deal with criminal acts and contracts - at least this first week.  Weird.  I am actually done for the week.  Tomorrow Roland and I are going to the Riddle Library to enter a Scrabble tournament.  Roland has every ounce of confidence that I can win - even though he has beaten me several times.         It's a luck of the draw.  When all we draw is one point letters, it doesn't matter how great or long the word, it has only been worth 7-14 points at most.  The longer words give the other players more options of places to go instead of a crammed up board filled with small words because they happen to be worth more points          In addition to the Myrtle Creek Library annex, the fund raisers have included a wine walk which I did not participate in.  The latest is with selling tick...

                I had made contact with different family members about my plans of sending Jenna to Utah by herself to visit family and we would pick her up in August.   It had been a thought is all.   It's not that I was trying to get rid of her during the summer.   I just know that she's been homesick for her brothers and cousins and probably a week would not be enough for her.          She did want to march in the parade at the end of last month and this month - only this month didn't work out for anybody in the group except for Jenna.   We manned the booth instead.   Jenna and I had been assigned for the very first shift, and then she got recruited to stay (see here ).   Her actions certainly helped with funds but even better (in my opinion) was that it gave her   a confidence that she has somehow kept hidden for many years.   She enjoyed doing it, and she en...

          The tax proposal didn’t pass in November.   It wasn’t so much because people were opposed at having or keeping the library – they’ve just been opposed to paying for it.      On March 30, the Myrtle Creek library closed its doors.   They remain locked as some of us continue to fight for the cause.   I don’t know who is responsible for establishing the group, or just where everybody came from.   It was announced that a group would be forming for a non-profit organization which we had yet to name.           The first four meetings or so took place at the school part of the Nazarene church.   There were over 30 people who attended.   Where were they when the library was looking for a new board member to replace Marilyn?   The only ones I recognized were those on the library board – and though it appeared some were on this new-founded...

Ben and Khonnie Andrews are professional auctioneers – who just so happened to live in the ward where I grew up.   I remember several fund raisers featuring cakes or baked goods which Ben and Khonnie would take turns auctioning off.   It was wild.   A lot of competitiveness among certain ward members.   Some with deeper pockets than others.   I remember doing two cobblers one year – a blueberry and a cherry.   One sold for 35 and the other one sold at 5-10 dollars less.   And that was one of the lower priced items.   There were cakes that had sold for 80 dollars or more during various years.   It kind of put my second ward to shame as 25 was actually among the highest bids and the hand-picked auctioneer had little experience at auctioning. My second ward was a poorer area than my first homeward. We attended an auction for the third time in this ward.   The last two times have been fund raisers for the Young Women...

fund raisers seem necessary for raising money for different causes charities   one may go from door to door seeking collections usually with product that no one wants or can afford   or doesn ’ t like       parties at both ends feel emotion     the recipient fells bad that he can ’ t contribute       or feels anger towards the very idea of having walked across the room to open the door to something he may not even believe in           or resentment because he has purchased the product when he knows it could have been used more wisely                the seller (or cause promoter) either gives up because she is discouraged that no one wants to buy   or else she continues but with an attitude full of regret and resentment and ...

Today was the PTO prize drawing - right after the talent show.  I don't think the PTO raised the money that they had hoped - though each day seemed to get a little more money than the first.  I'm thinking this morning was our busiest morning.  Maybe not.  I just felt like it was. Jenna did not beat the odds this time.  She did not win the scooter or the summer pack.  9 consolation prizes were picked from all of the tickets entered in each drawing.  Three kites, two water bottles, four cheesecakes and two haircuts. I bet they could have done key chains and t-shirts as well - perhaps it was discussed at a former meeting.  I don't know.  I wasn't there. The child who had turned in the most money received a $50. gift card to Wal-Mart.  It had come from a kindergartner who had two other prizes.  The money she had received earned her over 60 tickets - most which went towards the baby doll - which she won.   I think our competit...

I’ve done volunteer work for the PTO and the PTA. I have never served on the board or chaired a committee. I’ve been approached three different times to volunteer/head the fundraiser.   Oh, no.   I hate fundraisers.   How could I possibly be in charge of something I loathe so much? The first school that my daughter attended seemed to get a lot of support for the PTA involvement.   The PTA president had asked me if I would volunteer one or two days a week to make copies for various teachers.   As I was already coming in once a week to assist with the preschool and kindergarten teachers – one or two extra hours in the copy room didn’t seem like a big deal. In that first school all of the paper was kept in the room behind the office along with the copy machines.   We were asked to record how much paper was being used and for what teachers.   I never made copies at Jenna’s second school.   I volunteered to help out her teacher once a w...