Beneath the Wraps

       Being in Oregon still feels so surreal to me – like at any given moment I will wake up and be in that cracker box house in West Valley.   Take this morning for instance.   It was definitely cooler than any day that we’ve been here since we had come out for spring break.         I had dropped by the middle school to ask a few more questions.   The front door was open, and there was a light on one of the offices.   I think I heard a vacuum cleaner in the distance. It was before 9:00 am and perhaps was too early and so I decided to return at a later time.         I drove to the pool which was still closed. I decided to sit on a bench and read until the instructor and lifeguards started filing in, and then walk down to do some water aerobic workouts.   I took a few pictures from my cell phone (as I had left my camera at home by the computer) befo...

There is a pool in Myrtle Creek.   We have been there a few times. As I have mentioned several times before, Jenna LOVES the water.   She would like to live in the water 24/7.   We went there yesterday, but I did not get in with her.   I sat on the side lines and mostly read, but every once in a while I would look up to see how she was doing.          Public swimming is from 1:30 to 4:30.   I was surprised to see her willingly get out of the pool and wrap a towel around her and met her on the side.   It wasn’t until then that I learned she had NOT gotten out willingly, but had been kicked out along with everybody else.   I decided to sign her up for swim lessons.          As I stood reading over the schedule, I noticed that water aerobics is taught 5 days a week.   3 days offered Mon, Wed and Fri at 5:30 (which is when the sun is still blasting down) a...

     You ever notice that the choices we make not only affect you but those around you as well?   Take my decisions to leave the majority of my family to move to another state for the sake of my health.   And yet I personally have known others who have said, “I’m not going to leave my family.   Even if the doctor says it’s in my best interest, I won’t give up my children, my grand-children . . .” or what have you.   That’s their choice.        Some live long lives and are successful with their health choices.   Others continue to hack out their lungs while babysitting grandchildren while their children are at work and end up dying anyway.        Sometimes it becomes a larger burden for the child (or children) to bury the parent than it would have been if the parent had just moved out of state.   Sometimes it’s easier, realizing the sacrifices that were made by sa...

          I don’t know how old my grandma was when she decided to get her driver’s license.   She had been born and raised in Utah, but was then living in San Francisco.   I don’t know if she had ever driven at the time she had resided in Utah and maybe didn’t feel the need in San Francisco as she could rely on public transportation.           Grandpa Ralph was a retired bus driver and did know his way around. I am pretty sure that he had a car, and after he passed way, perhaps Grandma Mary had been missing that luxury of just driving somewhere and not having to wait for the bus or the streetcar or the BART or whatever.             I was too young to actually get all the logistics involved.   I just remember my own mom having mentioned it. I know that Grandma had purchased her own car but doubt that she had it for m...

our first view of Glendale naked logs turned lumber Glendale grocery  I forgot to take pics of the blocked off street.  Too bad.  Where else in my blog are you going to have the opportunity of seeing orange polycones LOL water slide to left; church bands at pavilion seems like a sleepy little town many booths appeared to have good INTENTIONS If Jenna looks bored out of her mind, it's because she is Glendale Memorial Park - the playground area throwing beanbags into the plastic cans after things picked up and she won game prizes gathering her stash not such a bad day afterall

It seems like there is always something to do on the 4 th of July.   Salt Lake has their big parade on the 24 th , but Provo (not incredibly far from Salt Lake City) offers a parade.   As mentioned in this post , one can find a parade somewhere during the summer.   I think there is one going on every week.    Fireworks are also shot in the sky throughout the summer.   Neighbors have their personal fireworks and there are shows throughout the valley on different nights and different locations.   Probably the most impressive are in Sugarhouse (offered on the 4 th ) Rice Stadium (University of Utah also on the 4 th ) Fire, Water and Ice celebration in Kearns (1 st week in August, I believe) and baseball stadiums as well as others.  I have a problem breathing around the fireworks.   Over the years I’ve tapered off from watching outdoors to peering behind a window – should I happen to be up (usually I’m in bed) Last year J...