Beneath the Wraps

                 I’m certain that my insurance policy must be in the shed as I can’t find it in the house.   Too many things have been pushed aside.   I haven’t had the room to go through them until now but don’t wish to tote everything back into the house only to take it out again.   I can be more effective when it warms up – but not to scorching.              I can’t sort through papers while I’m wearing gloves and so my fingers are cold after having gone through two boxes – neither had any hints of what I thought should be present.   My fingers are so cold I couldn’t do anymore.   But I was having fun looking as I came across memories of handwriting, saving various assignments from Jaime’s school, an old photograph of a cousin and his wife.   The photograph isn’t labeled.   If I should die right away, no one in Oregon is going to know who ...

           So here is a family history find.   Jack Day Prather was born in Nicaragua to a single mother who had mentioned Jack’s father to him.   The name of his father is Ralph Prather – the same Ralph Prather that had married my Grandma Mary when my mom was sixteen.   At age eighteen Jack decided he wanted to go to the states and needed proof of his birth.   His birth certificate had him listed as Jack Day Garcia – no mention of a father or even his last name.   Thus when Jack arrived in the states he dropped the Prather/Garcia and passed himself off as Jack Day and has gone by that name ever since. Eventually Jack did have the desire to know his father – or the man he was told was his father and has been on a mission for many decades.   It’s too bad facebook and Google didn’t exist in the 70’s for both he and Ralph were living in California – though different parts.   He missed finding him. He did find Richard th...

I have heard that Utah has the widest streets in the nation.   Neighborhood streets are only two lanes – generally.   Still most seem big enough for cars to get by other cars that may be parked on the side of the road.   Our main streets consist of 6 – 8 lanes – perhaps not for the entire road, but at some points.   I’ve gotten used to really wide roads.   As a pedestrian, I find I have only a few seconds to cross before the light changes.   It’s not like that all over the city – but enough to me that it feels that way. Roland and I noticed the streets in Oregon were quite narrow in comparison.   We had a strange encounter at Fort Grove because of it. Fort Grove is very pretty, almost story book looking, very secluded though.   Not a lot of shopping convenience.   I don’t know how far the firehouse is, but apparently they have access to one. As we were driving around and looking at houses, Roland saw the fire truck behi...

            It's now been a week since we flew out of Salt Lake City.  After we landed we went to find our luggage.   Portland is a nice airport.   Portland must have been a connecting stop for most passengers as there weren’t many people standing at the carousel to claim luggage, nor were there many pieces coming out.             Every time I wait for luggage, I think of one time when I had gone to the San Francisco airport and stood behind a crowd of people surrounding the luggage carousel but in no way could get near enough to collect my luggage.             As I saw one piece make its way around I loudly asked, “Could someone toss me that light blue bag?”              I soon realized that I had made a wrong word...

         I don’t know if I had met Kelly prior to the being called to serve on the activities committee.  The first activity I remember being involved with was a “food storage/budgeting made-fun activity” Kelly played Betty Barker and I became the emcee who drew the names of contestants and invited them to “come on down”.          Even then she was struggling with the Church and her family life – desiring to connect the two but feeling torn with her beliefs.  Her husband showed no sign of ever wanting to be involved with the Church or even anybody who belonged to it.  Perhaps Kelly wasn’t even active when they met but gradually came around with a desire for having God and direction in her life – perhaps not necessarily the “Mormon Church”          That was five years ago.  And she continues to battle with herself and her maintaini...

Roland gave our middle son, Tony, the nickname “Donald Duck”.   Too often Tony flies off the handle about situations he can’t control or doesn’t understand.   I told him that he needs to pray more often.   That didn’t seem to go over too well. Prayer has been a part of my life forever.   I always had example of prayer.   My sibs and I were taught to pray.   We said individual prayers.   We said family prayers.   We prayed over the food.   We’d start family home evenings with prayer and end with prayer.   We said morning prayers.   We said prayers before we went to bed.   Before and while on vacation.   It was just something conditioned in me.   I don’t know that I ever questioned it.   Perhaps I didn’t always understand it, but I do now and have for such a long time that it’s hard to remember if/when I questioned prayer. Oh, perhaps there were times I prayed for something specific and felt my pra...

World geography has got to be one of the most frustrating subjects as it is constantly changing.   Should Jenna ever learn about the names of countries and border locations and such, I think for the most part will be quite different from what I learned. Creating maps is an endless task – but I suppose if that’s the field of work you’ve gone into, well, then you will never be out of work.  In my sixth grade history class we were given blank maps as part of our world geography – or so I’m assuming that’s what was being taught.  I specifically remember working on a European map, but for whatever reason, our time in the classroom was cut short and so we were allowed to take the maps home and fill them out there according to our own resources as we were not allowed to take the text books home. We didn’t have the resources of today where one can go to Google and pull up a large variety of maps and find information on each country with just a click of a butt...

          I went to several assisted living facilities by myself during November and December.  Many facilities would say they had no room but that we could get on a waiting list.  That seemed okay as my brothers weren’t looking to move her until maybe June or July. At each location I was asked, “Does your mom need assistance with the shower?”           “She can shower by herself.”  She could.  Two months ago.  Even just two weeks ago.  And then she’d forget to use soap.  And then she would just forget.           Last Tuesday I created this post.    It was a good day for her.   It turned out to be the last good day at home.   Her home.   The one she has lived in for the last 50 plus years but has forgotten.   We’re moving her into assisted living.   I don’t know when. ...

About four months ago I posted this about my hang-ups with facebook.  One commenter lovingly chastised me by sharing what she LIKES about facebook. I must admit, since then, I have checked it more often.  One reason is because of mom’s health and trying to keep all of those involved with her health care on the same page, one member created a private site for us to each update and view.  I notice we’re still not always on the same page however. Facebook also gives one the opportunity to find acquaintances from the past and possibly make a connection. Google can do that, too.  But not resources apply – or are personalized in the same way in which some face users allow.  And so the story unfolds: Erin, Fran, mom and Sally were friends in San Francisco.  The first three all ended up in Utah after they were married.  Recently I had lunch with Fran and my mom.  Fran asked mom if she still heard from Erin.  She used to send Chri...