Beneath the Wraps

             So often I will write down my thoughts as I ponder over the scriptures.   I write them down in hopes I will remember.   Sloppy cursive that I can’t always read.   I certainly don’t expect anybody else will.             Sometimes I jot down ideas when the computer isn’t available.   I plan to transfer my thoughts into something legible.   I still have many ideas stored in a folder for blogging reference.   Most of the time it gets ignored or else I move on from whatever thought I had.           December 17 for instance.   I had looked up articles featuring Tik Tok and the disturbances it can cause.   It’s said that a fourteen-year-old was arrested for his part in upsetting the school systems and law enforcement who assisted with the safety of the students throughout the nation.   Two weeks later I s...

    https://www.happify.com/hd/5-things- you-can-do-if-feeling-overwhelmed/             I have had many ideas – some which I have jotted down but no complete thought.   It doesn’t seem to be a priority.   Whatever Roland is doing takes priority over anything that Jenna and I may have planned.   Right now it’s the back room – which is important.   But I also believe know that he needs to take breaks.              He’s taken Jenna to Roseburg a few times which has given me opportunity to blog and either a nap takes priority or else I just haven’t been motivated to write.   He gave me the assignment to paint the trim while they’re gone, but I can’t find a paintbrush.   Nor do I wish to spend my time looking for one the entire time they are gone.   I did put up some masking tape around the door trim – at least I put in some effort, right?   They are goi...

          My head has all these half baked ideas slowly making their way to paper and even slower to the computer.   I did listen to most of conference and have comments about various talks.   Roland has finished his schooling and I feared he might become board, but we have projects lined up with even greater interruptions which I am hoping to explain.           I'm certain that I mentioned somewhere that I am a slow reader and an even slower processor.   I'm grateful that I have only one class this time around as it looks like it will be a challenge. The material isn't necessarily boring as much as it is time consuming.   The class itself is on investments and the first week specifically covers real estate and property ownership and what all is included.   Fortunately I have Roland to help me.           There are many ...

     My head is so full right now. I'm tired. My fingers will never catch' up to my brain. I've written thoughts about the library but have not posted them.  I've taken countless amount of pictures that I still haven't viewed. I finished my algebra and entrepreneurship on Saturday. Two more classes started Monday but I haven't . . . still . . . I've done the daily checkpoints and started a research for my posts which will need references. Right now I am just way too tired to comprehend anything more. We returned to Myrtle Creek about three hours ago.  I feel the tiredest that I have ever felt in my life. For those who read my post on a regular basis, you know that it contains a hodgepodge of thoughts and posts. You ain't seen nothing yet . . .   I've got more tucked away in my brain. I would like to write and post them all. They will not be chronological. I can guarantee you that.

My brother just recently shared this post on his facebook page: When Mom was 13 her parents divorced. When she was 16 her mom remarried. Both of these events were very difficult for Mom for reasons I won't go into here. In this entry of 1982 she says the following: "It was also during my teens that I made some vows: 1) I would never raise my children in an apartment 2) With all my heart I would do everything to avoid a divorce 3) I would do my best to be home with my children 4) I would try not to lay guilt on my children 5) My children would be involved in family councils in which they could present their ideas." Check, check, check, check, and check, Mom. Well done! I remember mom clipping coupons from the back of the carton of Highland Milk.  Even on a budget, those coupons provided us opportunity for going to the zoo, amusement parks, and so forth.  Mom and dad held strong family ties and taught us values – though we didn’t know ...

I watched two different news stations lead with the story of the demolition and transformation taking place at Fashion Place Mall.   That was their lead story, I kid you not.   Both stations.   The second story on one of the stations (but further down the line of the other) featured budgeting for the homeless – what can we do for them?   Hey, here’s an idea: take the money that is being spent for the super Dillards and provide those many homeless with jobs – or build a place that the “homeless” might be able to afford.   It chaps my hyde when so much money is spent for unimportant matters.    Oh, I suppose for Dillards executives, the number one story was great news to their ears.   What awesome publicity.   And I suppose there are some shoppers who will be equally excited.   As I have previously mentioned, I hate malls.   I hate commercialism.   I hate the chaos and materialism.   How great it ...

Jenna’s favorite princess, without a doubt, is Brave’s Merida .   Each November first she has announced what her costume will be for Halloween for the following year and each year she changes her mind – though there seem to be fewer changes.   I know better than to plan her costume before October – although with the last two years she has only changed her mind two or three times compared to the initial eight (life was just so much easier when I was the one picking out costumes for her) In November of 2010 she announced that she would be Big Baby from Toy Story 3.  Really?  After nine months I decided that maybe she really was going to go through with it and started looking for something she could use – though having my then seven year old running around the neighborhood in a dirty onesie did not thill me nor did I have a clue how to do her eyes so that she could still use both of hers in order to see. .  I was grateful when she fin...

My head is so full that the words are spilling over and I can’t write or type them in as quickly as I think I’m thinking them. Not to mention that Jenna continues to interrupt my every thought.   School starts tomorrow!   I think much better when I am by myself. There was too much I had wanted to respond to as I posted a comment to a blog I had read yesterday.   I certainly didn’t wish for my comment to be larger than the post itself and so tried to sum up everything that was going through my mind.   Didn’t work.   I did a copy paste and deleted my original comment and reposted a few paragraphs – though there still exists an epistle in my mind. I am overwhelmed with ideas for post subjects (though not many titles) and I’ve been brainstorming and adding sentences and moving words around.   Thus far I have at least six different post ideas.   That doesn’t count the fifteen plus ideas that I already have in my files.   So I...

In addition to celebrating the nations birthday in July, Utah also celebrates its roots with “Pioneer Day” or “the Days of ‘47”    On the 24 th of July Salt Lake holds its annual two hour parade in addition to the youth parade that takes place the week prior.   “The Days of ’47” parade is well attended.   There’s several people who will actually camp overnight in order to get the perfect parade watching spots.   I happen to believe that all of these people are crazy – yet at the same time I admire their enthusiasm.   The parade is truly an awesome moment for them and I’m grateful for the enthusiasm.   I really am.   I’m also grateful that the parade is televised and I am able to watch it in my air conditioned home.   I am not a parade person – actually I am not a crowd person.   I could handle the parade in Afton, Wyoming just fine.   I don’t think the entire population of their small town matches the tremendous ...

As I have previously mentioned here and here , mom and Corey both have collected tons and tons of books over the years. Before we sold mom’s house, Corey and I took very few books to add to our own collections.   But the majority were boxed up for the uneventful yard sale (at least that’s how it appeared) and donated to charity. Most Americans in the 1730s had limited access to books. Books in early America were rare and expensive.   Only the wealthy and clergy had access to several books.   There were no public libraries.    In July 1731 Benjamin Franklin introduced his idea of borrowing books to a group of members. 50 subscribers invested 40 shillings each to start a library.   They committed to continue investing 10 schillings a year for the purchase of additional books and maintaining the upkeep of the building that would house the books which were donated.   Thus the library was born          ...

          Ellen found my mom passed out.  (This was last month - when mom was still in her house and not in assisted living) Her jewelry holder was on top of her.  Not good memories for Ellen – who doesn’t wear jewelry anyway.  I don’t wear much (jewelry) – certainly not enough for the wonderful piece of furniture I remember mom purchasing many years ago.  I don’t think I would have even thought about it one way or the other, but it had been moved into the same room where most of the photographs were.  I made a request to have it.           Roland brought it in the house and started to put it our room.            “I got that for Jenna,” I said.           He’s ordered her to take really good care of it because it’s an heirloom.  That cracked me up....

          Jenna had made a gumdrop ornament in preschool one year.  We’ve had it for four or five Christmases now.  The neighbor asked if he could eat it.           “The candy is really old.  It probably doesn’t taste good.  And it may make you sick either way.”           He had invited himself to decorate or tree.  I thought that was presumptuous of him.  But it was dark.  I couldn’t see well.  Roland had gone into the other room.  And so I left Jenna and Trume to decorate (they actually were better at spreading out the ornaments than Ooki had been with his first tree ).           Before he returned home, I gave him a small tree that we had put in Jenna’s room last year.            I had confiscated...