Beneath the Wraps

                        As I have mentioned in my online-themed posts, there is a daily checkpoint question given each day.   For the most part the questions will be on the class subject of that particular week. The basic classes (the ones given to brand new students) will often throw in questions about finances and career choices. The economy class I had recently taken was/is a basic class.             I had originally decided to approach my assignment from a different angle as I had asked my instructor about non-profit organizations during one of the lectures.   I had wondered it any would be considered oligopolies and so had pulled up references for that.   I had actually tried three or four approaches before I had about 20-30 references.   I knew I would not end up using them all and actually ended up go...

                I always thought I was unique about seeing faces in patterns or saying a certain vegetable or color that is not the same one that everybody else thinks of.   Jenna has watched a lot of "Brain Games" and as I have watched it with her, I have discovered that I fall into the norm.   What?!   I don't want to be normal.   I want to embrace my differentness.   What differentness?                 Last night Roland and I were watching 20/20 (found here and here ) in which Diane Sawyer interviewed a number of people and took us into a piece of their lives and I cried about the struggles of the average American working hard for so little - holding multiple jobs just to stay afloat.   And that is what most of us are doing - just staying afloat.         ...

             When Jenna was three she had learned what goes into the recycling can and what waste goes into the garbage - something her dad and brothers never seemed to catch onto no matter how many times I tried to spell it out for them.   They either just didn't get it, were just too lazy or just didn't care.   Often Jenna and I would scold them.   It was pretty funny when she was the one who called them on it.             Since we've been in Oregon Roland has improved a great deal.  Still not perfect, but much much better at recycling in Oregon than he was in Salt Lake.             In Salt Lake there were few who would actually collect the aluminum cans and physically take them to a recycling and get paid so much per pound.  Here, in Oregon, deposits are paid at the time of purchase.  In order to ...

After we had purchased the house Roland put the boys to work painting the trim red. That was seven years ago. Time to paint again. Randy needs money and Roland puts all three boys to work and says he’ll pay them 100 dollars each as soon as the work is done. The instructions are fairly simple:  Everything that is red needs to be painted over in green, everything that’s white needs to be repainted white. Biff was the first to show. He works graveyard and comes straight from his job though two weeks ago I think he went to the gym before coming here Roland had to work that day and so I had told Tony that he could be in charge I didn’t want Randy to be in charge because most of the time he doesn’t even know what he’s doing as he has managed to disappear each time Roland taught the boys a trade Randy appears to be genuine about helping or at least that was the case two weeks ago But he loaded the paintbrush so that it d...

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 ...

Yesterday morning was quite interesting.   It started off with Jenna and me taking the bus.   We were running late and saw our regular driver zoom by before we arrived to the stop.   The other route was not so far behind him and so we were okay. I had volunteered to be the subject of a hair specialist but was unable to make it to the designated area at the scheduled time and so the one who made the appointment offered to drive me there.   We agreed to meet behind Jenna’s school.   Turns out that Megan has the same sense of direction as my mom had, and so it took a while before we actually got together.   It also took a while to get her car turned in the direction we needed to go (as she was very turned around) As we were headed to our destination, the hairdresser called to tell Megan that she had mono and NOT to bring me – though the message was not received until we were near the location.   I wasn’t bothered really nor did I feel ...

              My aunt Alice was 32 when she announced her engagement to Lynn Brown. Grandma Helen had a problem with it – I think her suspicions must have spread. He was okay.   I tried not to pass judgment on him.   He was an odd fellow.   But in time I could understand.             Of course Corey had his own reasons for not wanting to like him.   I don’t recall how old he was. Nine, I think.   He was already suspicious of any man who wore sunglasses or a beard or who had a bald head.   Uncle Lynn happened to have all three.              His mom gave birth to four boys before him.   I don’t recall how many years are between Lynn and the others – but it seems like it was six or more.   His mom had wanted a girl. She had planned for a girl.   She had picked out ...

Biff does not have common sense about money management – but than it’s not as if he’s had fine examples to follow.   Roland and I have borrowed money from all four of our children.   We’ve also paid back with interest.   Except for Randy – who will constantly remind us whether we actually made a deal with him or not. Randy is a go getter.   He found someone to buy the reject truck that nobody else in the family wanted – leaving Biff carless once again.   Biff had enough money to for a down payment on another car and to build his credit back up again – only when the time came to purchase, he had considerably less money.   Randy was ticked.   Where did it go?   How do you spend that much money? I don’t know what Randy was thinking to co-sign for Biff.   Nor do I understand what Biff was thinking to let him.   But the car remains parked in front of our house – unregistered.   Biff still is not managing wisely.   I...

I went out to see my mom at the assisted living yesterday.  The last two times I have gone, I’ve taken her out to see Aunt Trudy – who is currently in rehab and in a facility with a name similar to the place where mom is staying, but such radical difference in the two places. Granted, the facility my aunt is in is not the last place that she will ever call home. It is a rehab center.  But it reminds me of some of the assisted living facilities that Corey and I had looked into but could not afford. I don't know how this rehab bill is going to affect Aunt Trudy – for I know that it will be more pricy than the bills Corey gets for mom. The center where mom is currently seems understaffed.  And each of the staff members assists with the seating and the feeding and the meds and forms of entertainment.  They start setting up and bringing residents to the table starting at 11:00.  They don’t eat until 12:00.  There is one cook. At the center where my...