Beneath the Wraps

            When Jenna was a baby, Roland and I had our wills done with an attorney named Kevin Jackson.   We each received copies   -   but I have no clue as to where they might be right now.               I do remember taking my copy to my mom’s house so that each will was kept at a different location.   I may have put it in the crawl space off to the back of the house.   It could still be there, but may be discarded if the current owners come across it.   I don’t remember seeing it when we were cleaning out mom’s house.             Regardless, it needs to be updated.   We certainly didn’t have much in the way of possessions at the time.   My main concern (still is) is that in the event Roland and I should go before Jenna is 18, I would want her to stay ...

       Myrtle Creek is really not the first small town I’ve ever lived in.   I started my mission in an area called Ripplemead, Virginia.   In the fall of 1984 it wasn’t even printed on the area map – someone had penciled it in.          I had received a bus ticket and was sent on my way to desolation.   I was in disbelief when (after what felt like hours) the bus pulled up at a drug store (out in the middle of nowhere, I might add) and told me I was to get off in Pearisburg, and there at the drugstore stood a sister missionary (my trainer) waiting for me.          The drive “home” continued in desolation until finally we were at a trailer park that seemed to have the highest population of anything I’d seen in the last two hours at least.        New River separated the trailer park from the larger part of Ripplemead. ...

         My brother-in-law’s sister had returned home from a lesson on perspective (I think) and posted a thought about her best and worst Christmas – both which had taken place in 2005. It was a great thought, and I asked permission to share it on my blog.   She said that her understanding was that it was up for Church publication and it would be best if I did not share.   I figured when it was published in Ensign magazine, I could refer to the link.   But I don’t see any evidence of publication thus far.          I saved a copy to my own personal files, but seem to have misplaced the ubs or it somehow got deleted or something.   I’ll find it eventually.   Meanwhile I have my own thoughts about one of the longest days of my life (starting out with a trip to the Medford Temple and ending with waiting for Greyhound)          Ju...

          My Uncle Ross had battled cancer off and on for I don’t know how many years.   His last time in the hospital was majorly hard on his wife and children – but he kept up a positive attitude, I believe for their sake.                       When he left the hospital, he was told that he would have no more than a year left on earth.   (Probably not in those exact words – but you get the gist)           My cousin, Michelle, had sent out a request for an early “Christmas in July” celebration – hoping that we would all enjoy one last celebration with Uncle Ross and have those treasured memories as we had for mom.   Only her request came as a plea on my part: “LaTiesha is moving to Oregon.   Let’s have our Christmas early this year before she goes” She didn’t want to sa...

Three weeks ago I was at a Roseburg service station waiting for a Greyhound bus.   I had purchased my ticket several hours earlier, but the bus was running late – so I was told by the worker who was frantically trying to wait on everyone.   He had us stand in two lines – those who were purchasing tickets for Greyhound and those who were patrons of the convenient store. Fortunately for him there was another employee working the pumps.   Whoever had been assigned to be in the store with him had called in sick, had been fired, or quit without notice.   I guess he handled himself rather well.   Poor guy couldn’t wait until ten when he’d finally be able to turn off the lights and call it a night.          There were probably about 15 people or so waiting for the bus going to Portland.   The man who had sold us our tickets said that the rumor was that the bus driver had had a nervous breakdown and had decided to wal...