Beneath the Wraps

CD from Peggy Bird           A month before Jenna was born, my former neighbor and second mother, Peggy had given us twelve children’s books and a CD. I had exposed Jenna to music early in life.   Before she was born I would put headphones around my stomach and let her listen to Classical Baby and primary songs.          As she got older, we would go to the library and check out CDs featuring Ronno, Bill Harley, Eric Herman and Patty Shukla.   We learned rhymes, rhythm, laughter and more.   Jenna was always singing – she’d sing songs we had learned and often she would just make up her own words and tunes.   Jenna has always been a happy girl.   She has always been confident.   scrapbook page of my sister and her husband with Jenna and Anna As I had mentioned in this post, we had listened to CDs that we played in her childhood. When she made the comment about Ronno’...

      The week before we left for Oregon, I had gone to the school to pick up Jenna. I was reading a book from my own collection and not the library as the parking lot started to empty. I wondered if she was dawdling again before I realized it was Thursday and she has an after school program. So my choices were to go home and return or continue reading.  Or hey, I could just go to the library that was near her school.  I chose the latter.        I looked through a few titles before picking up: “Girl’s Best Friend” from the Maggie Brooklyn Mystery series by Leslie Margolis.  It was interesting enough, but thought it might be fun for Jenna and I to read together.  And so I continued to look for another book before I settled on “A Million Ways Home” by Diana Dorisi Winget.  I ended up reading both at the same time and proceeded to mix up the characters and plots – at least in the beginning. ...

          I’m not good at taking notes at conferences or Spiritual meetings.   I get so caught up in trying to get the exact quote or comment or whatever that I end up missing on so much more. Last night there was a Relief Society stake activity called “Women of Righteousness” featuring artist Megan Rieker.   I didn’t think the event well advertised   - at least in our ward.   I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Turned out to be a truly eventful night.   And I learned things – not just about the artist paintings but discoveries within the past as well as my own self. I’d taken an art appreciation class several years ago in order to appreciate fine art more than I do.   It backfired.   I often rolled my eyes when learning about contrast and balance and was more unappreciative about the entire fine art world long before the class was over. I started looking at paintings and wore less-than-flatteri...

                  I believe it was 1996 when the freeway was in the process of a new makeover as Utah would be holding the winter Olympics in 2002 and the city needed to get ready for the mass transportation that would be involved.             I was working downtown and had chosen to ride the bus to my destination.   Often I would catch a bus which ran along State Street, but every once in a while I managed to catch the one that went by way of the freeway.   Either way I had my nose in a book during the ride.             I recall one day in particular I was reading the autobiography of a World War II survivor from Poland.   He was only a boy when the invasion started and described the horrific scenery – which to him was not so horrific - as he thought the dirt pit...

fund raisers seem necessary for raising money for different causes charities   one may go from door to door seeking collections usually with product that no one wants or can afford   or doesn ’ t like       parties at both ends feel emotion     the recipient fells bad that he can ’ t contribute       or feels anger towards the very idea of having walked across the room to open the door to something he may not even believe in           or resentment because he has purchased the product when he knows it could have been used more wisely                the seller (or cause promoter) either gives up because she is discouraged that no one wants to buy   or else she continues but with an attitude full of regret and resentment and ...

I wouldn’t say that I’m a “friend” of scouting I think Hannah is the one who made the announcement that “you are not an acquaintance of scouting, but a “friend” of scouting”   “No I’m not,” I thought.   I have truly never been a friend.   I’ve actually had regrets about it. I think the scouting program is a great program for those who truly want to be involved.   I guess the thing that has always bothered me the most about scouting is all the hoopla and fuss that seems to go with it.   It would be fine if there was an equal amount of hoopla given to those not even associated with scouts – if that is what’s desired. (Some of us don’t like hoopla and fuss; my brother Patrick and his oldest son truly loved scouting and were heavily involved.   My brother Corey and nephew Brian appear to have reached a point where they almost loathed it) The boy scout program was adaptedby the LDS church in 1913 and cub scouts were adop...