Beneath the Wraps

          I don't know how long it's been since Del Blanchard started his blueberry farm.   I don't know if it was his dream or how just how he got started.   The public hadn't been invited to pick until the year that we moved in.   Evelyn had made some flyers and posted them around town.   Roland saw the one that was hanging at the Pizza Palace - where we had gone to get something to eat.   We copied the address and went blueberry picking the next day.           That first year we dealt solely with Evelyn - who teaches school and I believe prefers it over the blueberry farm.   Del had been sick off and on and so we had to call first to make sure somebody would be there to let us onto the property as there were several days when Evelyn had to take Del to the doctor.           Summer seemed to get away from us last year.   We didn't go as of...

Winslow Press started the creation of a series called “Dear Mr. President” – I think a wonderful introduction.   I love the five books that were made.   I wish there was more.   I don’t know why it was discontinued – or so it seems.   Winslow Press doesn’t seem to offer publication later than 2002 (that I could see) and it doesn’t appear the site has been updated since May 2009.     Perhaps Winslow Press is one of many businesses that has had to file bankruptcy in the last decade and a half.   The three books I will focus on most are: Theodore Roosevelt: letters from a young coal miner by Jennifer Armstrong, Abraham Lincoln: letters from a slave girl by Andrea Davis Pinkney , and Franklin D. Roosevelt: letters from a mill town girl by Winthrop, Elizabeth. Though the Letters are fictionalized, information provided in the correspondence is based upon meticulous research.   I like how Winslow press refers ...

       Jenna and I took a bus out to Kearns Friday morning.   A member of my former ward had passed, and I wanted to attend the funeral.        We have taken that route several times all summer long, but we had never had the driver that took us that morning.   She had a million dollar smile that was so sincere.   She greeted each passenger, as he/she was a personal friend.          I’ve had pleasant drivers before.   I’ve had many recognize me and assist with needs when I couldn’t find my pass or knowing exactly where to stop or even asking, “Which stop will you be getting off today”        Most drivers are quite friendly – though there are the occasional passengers who will provoke.   The driver’s I have seen have dealt with the situation well, but there are some who are obviously bothered and let the human side...

     When Roland and I lived in Kearns, we spent time volunteering at the pasta plant.   We once purchased a very large order while there.   A mammoth order actually – which was good, because it carried us through several years of hardship.      I think it was just right after Christmas when we passed out the remaining pasta to our boys.   Within a week I found a huge box of food had been left at our door step.   No note.   No hint of who may have left it. I didn’t know if the church was taking up a collection and Roland had given our address as a drop off – but it was on Sunday when I found it – meaning whoever dropped it off was a lot faster getting home from church than we were.   It was odd.   And so I actually started taking things out to sort them into groups.      It was an odd assortment really.   Bags of pasta.   A variety of canned goods.   A box...

What goes around comes around.   I thought about that when Alley’s mom offered not only to drive us to Jenna’s school, but pick her up as well.   When I was driving I had stopped to pick up Jorge and his mom whenever I would see them walking to church.   I was also willing to drive them to other destinations as needed. I’ve given rides to various people for various reasons.   I actually haven’t had a problem with it so I don’t know why I’m having such an issue at the receiving end.   Alley’s mom is a really good driver – unfortunately not all drivers are that careful behind the wheel.   If she were to get in an accident because she was out shuttling Jenna and me around, I would be quite bothered by it.   But I didn’t want to discourage her or take away from her act of kindness.   The last time she picked Jenna up from school, her own children nearly beat her home. Jenna, who usually considers herself late for school ...

Our future daughter-in-law has two brothers who are still living.   One lives in Texas where his wife is from.   The other lives in a posh neighborhood at the south and east end of the valley. Yesterday we went to the posh neighborhood to meet Jeanie’s family and to have Thanksgiving dinner.   Biff had asked us to bring rice pudding – which to be honest with you - I have never had as part of a Thanksgiving dinner before.   Roland tried a new recipe (which was really very good by the way) and I found a container to put it in. I must admit that I felt out of place offering this pathetic container as we entered their fancy kitchen and saw dozens of dishes that seemed to make the rice pudding even smaller – shrinking with each passing minute until I felt like what we had contributed to the meal had only a cup of runny rice.   Jenna played with boys (Jeanie's nephews) while Roland and I visited with various family members.   Not only w...

                    I AM THE PRIMARY CARRIER ON THE PHONE PLAN – ALWAYS HAVE BEEN.   SO WHY DOES T-MOBILE AND CONSUMER CELLULAR INSIST ON CALLING ROLAND’S PHONE ?    Roland always seems to be passing the buck because “they won’t talk to me.”             “Why won’t they talk to him?   He’s on the plan.”   I don’t know how many times I told T-Mobile that Roland “Does Have Authorization” I am so tired of being a third party between Roland and the company or Roland and the neighbor or worse – having him try to communicate with my brother-in-law through me and Kayla.   Give me a break!             At least Consumer Cellular is human.   Even T-Mobiles “caller” is a machine that tells you to press this button and that one.   HEY – you called me.   I don’t ...

Wesley walks from yard to yard collecting rocks and sticks and stores them in the garage of his parents’ house.  Wesley is their only child. Wesley takes medication for his ADHD. It takes away any appetite that is necessary for growth.  Wesley is thin like the twigs he finds.  I think a heavy wind could blow him away. He and Jenna have collected morning glories and have thrown them into the pool.  But no worries – they don’t plan to leave them there.  They just want to see how cool they look floating upon the water When it is time for Wesley to go home, Jenna invites herself to go with him                                ...

It’s been a couple of months since I took Jenna and her friend to see The Mysterious Happy Life of Brown Bag by Greg Near. I honestly did not know what it was about – but it was playing at the library and gave us something to do for free. It started out cute and funny.   Jaime, Trume and I all laughed.   Towards the end though, they both got bored with it and I don’t think they realized what had even taken place.   The one act play had taken me from laughter to tears in just a matter of seconds.   Brown Bag had been bullied because he was different.   He so desperately wished to have friends that he allowed them to manipulate him – even though he knew that because they were trying to hurt him, they really weren’t his friends. After the play the cast members and writer and some others held a discussion panel.   Trume and Jenna both wanted to leave – which I understood.   It’s not a comfortable subject. But I thought it was important that w...