Beneath the Wraps

Last year Ellen took my mom to the store to purchase three gifts.  I don't know whether Ellen suggested it or if mom had thought on her own to get her three youngest grandchildren one gift each. When I saw them on the table I asked my mom about them. "What are these?" I asked. "I don't know.  I think they're Ellen's" I didn't think they were. I didn't see much of Ellen when I was at mom's house.  But somewhere we made a connection and I had asked if they really were hers.  She said that mom had purchased them for Jenna, Anna and Gary but she hadn't gotten around to wrapping them. I wrapped them and tagged them and placed them under the tree.  My mom kept asking who the gifts were for and where they came from.  She didn't seem to even know that Christmas was coming up pretty soon. She was like a kid on Christmas day.  Who knew it would be the last Christmas that we would spend in her house?  or that it would be her l...

As a youth, I remember participating in school programs each year.   When I was in forth grade I remember performing in various parts of the city – including the University of Utah.   I thought we must have been really awesome to be asked to sing there.   I didn’t realize that many other schools participated also. I remember learning songs for a variety of occasions.   And I remember dressing up for Halloween. At the end of January and the start of February 2012 I posted just a bit on the evolution of Jenna’s education.   Jenna has never dressed up for Halloween except for when she was in preschool – and even then they weren’t allowed to call it “Halloween”.   It got passed off as “Make Believe Day”.   Her first school was year round and Grades K-6 just happened to be off each Halloween. She had two and a half years of schooling before we had to move.   She completed two years of preschool and then we registered her for ki...

            Regardless of what else she may say, Jenna’s favorite season is winter.   Okay, she has admitted to not liking being cold.   But she’s got to admit that she LOVES the snow. Since she was little she has been magnetized to it.   Loves climbing snow drifts, making snow angels, throwing snow, eating icicles, drawing in the snow with icicles.   Jenna LOVES the snow!            We lived only five minutes away from her first school.   But we left the house at least twenty minutes early to give her time to dawdle.   The return home ALWAYS took twice as long.   But especially when there was snow.   Not a lot has changed in six years – except the school and transportation.   The other day she hit every snowdrift between the school and bus stop – and may have done it yesterday as well, but she forgot she said ...

           As I have mentioned in a few posts already, I grew up in a house across the street from George and Peggy Bird. Both are from American Fork.   Peggy grew up learning all of the domestic skills of saintly motherhood.   She cooked, she sewed, and she baked. She loved her boys.   She was a devoted mother.                         My mom was raised in San Francisco.   She did not grow up understanding canning and food storage or many of the skills that Peggy had acquired.   Mom did try her hand at baking, sewing, crocheting, and even canning.   She loved us.   She was a good mom.   But I think my brother Patrick and I both believed that Peggy was better at baking.   It seemed like she was always baking.   I remember almost every time I walked into the house, she...

I am so grateful to see this posted on YouTube as I was not able to read it all at our Relief Society yesterday.  Truth be known, I would rather read a book than a video.  The message is awesome: Thank you Brittney for sharing!

Romeros (Roland’s side of the family and All their descendants) LOVE to shop. The Cannons (my side of the family) DO NOT – and yet all four of my mom’s children married shopaholics and it doesn't even seem to matter what kind of store for some of them. If my sibs and I absolutely have to shop, we go with something specific in mind – get in, purchase desired item, get out.   We ALWAYS stick to the list – nothing more.   Roland ALWAYS gets three times more than what I send him for – IF I send him.   (Over the years I learned it’s actually a very dangerous thing) Roland has a good heart.   He really does.   He is ALWAYS thinking of others.   RARELY does he ever buy for himself.   He likes to browse.   His sibs like to browse.   His children like to browse.   And then he spends money as though he actually has it.   Uh-oh . . .   he opened an account with a Wal-Mart credit card.  ...

            I have a facebook friend whose daughter is a hairdresser.   She works at a rather prestige salon with two locations.   Employees are tested on current hairstyles and are to provide their own models.   Thus my friend will send out posts containing pictures of a particular hairstyle, date and time for those who would like to volunteer.   The services are free – financially anyway.   Very time consuming to one who has A LOT of hair and a hairdresser who is obviously NOT familiar with the huge amount           As I mentioned at the end of this post my hair experience at this particular salon was very time consuming.   She really did do a great job on my hair, and even fixed my face (though my allergies did kick in before my husband could see the full effect) I had compliments.   Roland said my hair looked longer – which it did. ...