Beneath the Wraps

           There is a difference between a job and a career.   Career oriented people will put themselves out there.   They have a desire to advance.   They want to change things.   They want to set goals whether it is to make money or better the community, environment, what have you.   Some are so focused on their careers that nothing else is a priority.   Some balance their careers with other things that may have meaning in their lives – such as family or community.   Job people are those who need a paycheck just to make ends meet – or sometimes just to have an extra amount of cash.   These people don’t necessarily wish to make a career out of whatever they’re doing.   It is there just to get buy.   They are not married to their job or at least don’t want to be.   Often people have resentments about their situations on the job – or others that they work with.   Some feel used and abused and str...

                 A few days before our family’s arrival, Jenna pointed out the chickens in the cucumber garden.   No cukes this year!   Roland is mad!!! He decided that we would quit feeding and watering the chickens and return them to where they came from and pen them in so they cannot come on our side.   I told him to wait until after the kids arrived as I thought perhaps Randy could assist as he is tall.   Before we sent them on their way, I was hoping Devan would have at least one experience with feeding them and collecting eggs. Carrie enjoyed the free-range eggs and says it is something she will splurge on as the free-range are healthier than most of what is sold at the grocery store.   I personally don’t care about the cucumbers.   I couldn’t see Richard eating all that would grow – but now we will never know.   Not this year anyway. The chickens are still in the yard.   Levi’s dog had c...

            Though they left on Saturday, I consider our last quality day with the family was Friday.   Roland wanted to take them to the Lighthouse Café though I didn’t think it would be worth the drive as COVID had changed their dining options.   They had made outdoor dining available but had severely cut down the menu options.   I wasn’t impressed with the empanadas that had been ordered along with the puffed pasties with fruit filling.   But Randy and Carrie seemed to like it and so it was worth the drive after all. Jenna had wanted to go bowling – a family activity that Roland had wanted to do when we were in New York.   I forgot my wrist band and so did not participate and Carrie doesn’t particularly care for the bowling/arcade atmosphere – which makes sense.   So just Roland, Randy and Jenna bowled.   Devan played a few, but got bored with it after five turns.   They had fun.   We went home and ha...

            As I had mentioned in prior posts we had wanted to redo our flooring and add a back room to the house.   Roland had taken time off work the last week of April as we believed that when the floors would be done.   That was the initial plan.   However the product we ordered had to be shipped – which added nearly another month before the floors were started. Unfortunately it hasn’t been finished.   I don’t know if the error was with shipping product or inaccurate measuring so the correct amount of product had not been ordered to begin with or what exactly happened.   But we are still waiting for flooring.   The kitchen isn’t finished and the bathrooms have not been started.   The bathrooms were what I had been concerned about the most – particularly the master bathroom which I know has water damage. We had hired someone local out of Winston.   I was impressed with him and do like his work.   Rola...

            I went to Church by myself last week.   Jenna had opted to go with Roland to pick up Randy and his family at the airport.   Roland and I had picked up a van the day before.   We had also borrowed a playpen for the baby to sleep in.   I am happy I was there for sacrament meeting.   Bonnie’s doctor and his wife were the speakers.   We hadn’t seen Dr. Nay at Church since COVID began.   He still had a mask on his face which made me feel guilty that I wasn’t wearing mine (as masks are now optional at Church) Sister Nay talked about taking upon His name and comparing simple reminders to power bars or power bites.   Reading the scriptures would be a power bar, performing service, being kind . . . Though I have put Sister Nay on possibly a higher pedestal than perhaps she would place herself, it made me realize that even those that seem to be natural at taking upon His name and wouldn’t need power bars do...

           For my facebook page I had attached two scrapbook pages. My celebration started the evening before - unbeknownst to our friends whose home we had gone to.   We played three games.   Two of Smart A** - amazingly I did not land on any donkeys the entire first game (except for the one with the bullseye to declare the winner) and won the game.   I did get stuck in the second game and Jenna won that one.   We had fun.           Our friends then taught us a new game from their collection – one I had played before but had not enjoyed the first time.   It was more fun the night of the 27 th .   I declared myself a winner in my mind from having completed my original journey first.   Jenna also declared herself a winner as she was the first to complete all of her cards.   I was right behind her.   The winner is actually declared through points total – which requires...

  It’s only been five days since my last post and I have had ideas – even disconnected paragraphs. Problem right now (a very personal thing) is time management – which I used to be good at – but I’ve let myself slide – along with my memory which, by the way, is horrid.     I was supposed to pick someone up on Sunday.   I had even called her on Saturday night to give her a time.   A reminder went off that morning.   Two hours later I was in the car and then the church without her.     I guess that wasn’t as bad as picking up Bonnie after Jenna walked her to the theatre.   Jenna also gave me a bag of poop as she didn’t know where to dispose of it.   Not cool.   But okay.   It wasn’t okay.   I forgot about it.   Of course I can’t smell.   But Roland can.   He has a hyper sensitive nose. Apparently he spoke harshly at Jenna and told her not to assign me responsibilities because I don’t remember things. ...

Last week the temperature would start out in the mid-forty’s and go up another 40 degrees throughout the day.   That’s not nice.   This week we have had consistent weather and have included wind and rain.     I prefer the cooler weather – especially for walking Bonnie.   We all feel deprived when it is hot.    

           Even before Bonnie came to live with us, Jenna found a comforting sound (to her) to drown out the noise of the chickens and roosters who crow all hours of the day.   She turns the phone setting to rain falling.   I don’t recall having heard it until after Bonnie had come to live with us.   That is because Bonnie snores loudly.   LOUD.   Like “wake up the dead” kind of loud. Jenna has turned up the volume in order to drown out the noise.

  At the beginning of the school year we had been asked to participate in a school meal program – even though Jenna does not currently attend in our district.   At first meals were being delivered on a daily basis.   At 9:30 in the morning they would drop off a breakfast and lunch.   Now they drop off just once a week.   Watching Jenna bring in a grocery bag full of treasures is certainly fun to watch as she is like a kid on Christmas morning.   Every bag has included five snack size packages of baby carrots.   She enjoys most breakfast and chicken items. Lately some of the selections have been weird – well for school cafeteria or with most children in general I would imagine.   She has received snack size packets of radishes.   What child enjoys radishes? Whole radishes.   Jenna and I both thought it was weird. On Monday most of the items she removed from the bag seemed colder than refrigeration cold.  Oh, a frozen bag of clam ...

  I have tossed a few ideas around on what to post.  Meanwhile I received these in the mail.  Enjoy. For the sweetest Grandma! Happy Mother's Day! Doesn't Rochelle have the most fabulous hand print?  I admire her creativity.

                 Are chickens even teachable?  We have put up so many barricades to keep the chickens out.  The neighbors to the west of us have called the police about our backyard neighbors’ menagerie at least four times.  The chickens didn’t bother me when they were at the top of the hill.  I wasn’t even bothered about them venturing into our yard.  Taking over the front yard seemed a bit much.  I drew the line at their overtaking the deck . . . which in itself would have been no problem but their bowl movements were/are.  I don’t like that!                 I recall 3 Nephi 10 in which Christ compares himself to a mother hen.   He gathereth his children as a hen would gather her chickens.   I have personally never seen that happen.   There are several hens that will invade our yard – no peeps though.   The you...