Beneath the Wraps

            Have you ever made plans to do something only to have your plans fall through so whatever you had planned falls into the cracks and ends up not being done at all - but in the long run it turns out to be for the better?   Let me give you an example:   After our backyard neighbor had passed away, his wife has been getting rid of tons of stuff.   I don't know if she's sold anything or if she has just given it away.   In our case it has been given.             Roland and I had built a hot house ( here ) and used concrete bricks to line our beds (both donated by the neighbor) Roland started cantaloupe seeds in the greenhouse before moving them to this bed.   They seem to be doing well.              She'd also given a doll house kit to Jenna.   Now Jenna is not nor ever...

We're not gardeners.   I must have mentioned that at least a dozen times.   Our marigolds went from looking like this     to looking like shredded wheat.   Apparently Marigolds need to live in their pots for a while before they are planted in the ground so they can get used to the surroundings.   Reminds me of goldfish having to be tempered while floating in their bags Roland and I went out this morning to gather up the dried up marigolds to add to our compost.   We allowed the marigold seeds to fall back in the bed.   Hopefully it will make for having marigolds next year.   Or perhaps we should have planted them in pots and allow them to germinate in the greenhouse we had put together.     Our neighbor had given it to us;   I think she's just trying to weed out some "junk" that has collected in her yard over the years.   She sent the greenhouse parts in three bags - but no directions.   T...

I wish God would send down some rain to water my plants The skies have been overcast since Memorial Day and the air has been cool. Some rain but not enough to quench a plants thirst. Spinach is growing great. We can go out to the garden when we are fixing lunch or breakfast and add spinach to an egg omelet or a tuna fish sandwich. We bought some plastic owls to keep away the birds We looked for pinwheels but couldn't find them we are using wind chimes and spinning flowers but there has been almost as much wind as there has been rain. Most of our vegetation looks good. We're not certain about others.

                On Saturday I went with Roland and Jenna to the big city of Roseburg as Roland wanted to get some more soil and plants to add to our yard and garden.     Jenna at Home Depot             As we were near Costco, I mentioned to Roland that we ought to get gas.   We also need milk and so picked up some additional items as well.   We also had an opportunity to allow Jenna a thrilling moment that we of course would never have planned for.             As we were walking toward the Costco entrance, Roland noticed a ReMax balloon out in the parking lot.   It appeared as though it was lifting off the ground and then back again.   Corey and I had actually saved our money for a balloon ride and were majorly disappointed with the results. ...

        I suppose it's not just my physical body that has changed, but my inner being as well.   I used to like crafts and knit-knacks.   I now think of them as "dust collectors" - too bad.   Jeanie and Biff sent a cute figurine for Mothers' Day.   It really is cute - but I haven't a   clue what to do with it.   Currently it is on a shelf next to a "frog" bank. They both look out of place.         I don't know where I got it from, but I was a hoarder in my youth.   I'm happy to say those days are gone. What is it that possessed me to hang onto all that/this stuff in the first place.   Let's just get rid of everything!         In addition to weeding out tangible items, I really need to go through my computer files - particularly my pictures and sort them out.   Kill all duplicates.   I did feel organized at one time.   ...

                I don't know what it is that Roland and I may have encountered on Wednesday, but something didn't agree with us.   It took a few days before we managed to get it out of our system.   He continued with some yard labor that he had started while I was bent over in the fetal position not wanting to move, for every time that I did, I'd have to race to the toilet.                 After he had finished up with one project, he decided to move onto another.                 He mentioned a yard sale that he wanted to look at.   I told him to wait until Jenna returned home and he could take her with him.   She loves yard sales.    I can take them or leave them.   When I'm in the fetal position - I just want to stay ...

I think I must post about cleaning the church at least once every four months.   I don’t mind cleaning the church building.   I really don’t.   There have just been some weeks in which I have been appalled over the tremendous amount of litter that is left behind. How can people be so careless and not take any consideration that they are in God’s house?          Today I put myself in charge of vacuuming the chapel – which is what Bro. McDobb had done every Saturday morning in which our ward had been assigned to clean the building.   Roland joked that he wouldn’t have been surprised to find him there this morning – even though he moved out of our ward over two weeks ago.          Programs had been left on several pews.   I get it.   I’m sure I am guilty of that as well – though I have tried to make a conscience effort to check the pew before I leave. ...

            When the boys were younger and left cereal boxes on the table, I would say to them, “If you don’t put the cereal away, I will.”             That actually sounded great to them until they realized that I would not be returning all of the cereal boxes to the cupboard.   If there was less than a forth of a box (or bag) left, I wouldn’t allow for it to have it’s own space.   I would combine the cereals into one container.    And I would not purchase more cereal until what ALL of the cereal was gone             The boys came to a fast realization that mixing TRIX, Raisin Bran and Sugar Puffs together was NOT cool.   (There was generally three to five flavors of combined cereals)   They learned rather quickly to put cereal away on their own.     ...

There have been some mornings in which I could feel a touch of fall in the air.   Some mornings.   Not all mornings.   Not Yesterday.   In fact it was hot.   Jenna’s first day of school and I put Highness in the car so that I could take him for a walk.   It was hot.   Very hot. The sun shown in my eyes. Too bright. I couldn’t drive home towards it so we walked around until The sun rose higher in the sky.   Yesterday was very unlike today which has a coolness about it.   I don’t know the temperature outside.   But the promise of fall seems real now.   Not like the overcast days in July when the dark clouds filled the skies with malicious teasing creating a sticky hotness that wasn’t felt from the sun alone.   Today the sun peaks through but there is still a touch of fall in the air.   A touch of a promise.   I don’t think we’re through with sum...