Halloween

This is Reformation Day. Oh, I guess it is also halloween. I never liked Halloween. Still don't. Not for any of the reasons that people say it should not be celebrated. Just didn't like the idea of dressing up in silly outfits and wandering around and begging for candy. It does not seem to make much sense to me. When I was a little girl, I was scared to death of Halloween.
My mother loved popcorn balls and the old lady up the street made the best ones in town. So, Mother would send me out with instructions to be sure and go to her house early so I would be sure to get a popcorn ball. She knew I didn't like them and would bring it home to her.
The only problem is that the little old lady, who I knew from church, scared me silly at Halloween. They lived in a big old 3 story house on top of a hill and they had lots of spooky trees around it. She always dressed up like a witch and had a cauldron and smoke and eerie noises and she said my name. I still shiver when I think about it. I would circle the block several times and watch others come and go. Finally, when I thought the popcorn balls might be getting short, I would screw up the courage to ring the bell. My blood turned cold as I waited for her to say, "Come in, Rosella. "
I would take that popcorn ball home and give it to my mother and go to my room and get a book and go to bed. Never did get much candy, I was too worried about getting that popcorn ball. I still don't like Halloween and I am not too crazy about popcorn balls!
By the way, she taught sunday school at our church and I loved her. I never understood why I could not get past that fear. I always passed her house on the way to school, and I would walk across the street so I would not have to walk so close to it.
I remember Mother taking me to her house when I was 7 or 8, her son was a sailor and he was killed in WW2. Perhaps I associated her house with death and sadness and I always paired Halloween and death.

Failure to plan

We have a saying in the shop. "Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on our part." But, of course, it does. The less time we are given for a job, the harder we work and faster we go. Why should we give special effort to someone who does not think ahead. It seems that those who are diligent and get their work done on time should have as much effort put forth on their job as the guy who waits until the last minute.
So, with grace we serve and just complain a bit. Hopefully God will be as kind to me when I ask Him at the last minute. So far, He has been gracious to take time to work on my needs when I do not plan ahead. For that I am grateful.
I need to remember that when I get cranky about customers.

HOSPITAL UPDATE

The title should not be ominous. I was just finishing some work for the hospital and I began to think about the evolution of the hospital here. What started as three separate hospitals when we came her 50+ years ago, has come a long way. It finally was merged into one new hospital in the 70's and was run by the regional board. It made money and grew and expanded and the money was put back into the foundation.
They built a new rehab center across the street, began hospice work, then expanded some more and put in all the fancy machines that can read you inside out. Expanded again.
Built units across the street south for a nursing training center. Then added a childrens unit, that does I don't know for sure what, but they take kids on tours and show them how things work and how to stay healthy.
Then they built a new cancer unit with beautiful chemo bays to make that awful process as pleasant as possible. How nice all of our people will not have to travel for their treatments. It has just opened.
Now thay are adding a new unit that will be one of only a few in the country. Sanford Health is establishing a new childrens hospital that will be research based but will care for children from across the nation. They only have 2 or 3 sites in the country. Anyway, it will be up and running next year I think.
So, from three little hospitals run by doctors to a multi purpose hospital that will be top of the line in childrens research..we have come a long way.
It is important to have a vision...without one you go no where. With one, the boundries are limitless.

A Need for Civics Class

I was most distubed today when I was told by a woman that she didn't see any reason to vote because only those 5 states would have their votes counted. I asked what states and she replied, "Florida and Ohio and them"
Turns out, she does not understand the electoral college and thought her vote would not be counted and couldn't figure out how only certain states got counted.
Lordy, are our schools that bad? Does the media not understand that people maybe don't know the rules and they would better serve the cause in education rather than pol head talking.
It saddens me. She has a real opinion on the campaign, but did not register to vote, because all this time she thought her vote in Oklahoma did not count for anything.
I for one will be glad for it to be over and maybe we can get back to running the country and letting business take care of itself.
I'm still for Hillary!!

Academics`

Doing Academic Team shirts today. Boy, that takes me back. The girls always enjoyed them. We loved watching the meets. Really clever kids, you sit and wonder how they have time to learn all that stuff. What with tv, internet, movies, music, out of school activities and some of them working. I guess today it is even worse with the computer giving them even more access than they had 10 years ago. I suppose they must learn a lot on that computer. But the history and english and math...schools must be doing a good job or else they are just really smart kids.
I love watching kids learn. But I wouldn't be a good teacher because those who didn't want to learn would have me pulling my hair out and today you can't pull their hair out! It is even fun to watch the grown up kids learning. I guess learning is just fun and exciting to see happen. I even like it when I learn something. I think that must be every day. Learning is fun. I want to be on an academic team. Maybe I will make a shirt for me!

Crepe Myrtles

Crepe Myrtles are pretty shrubs, that can grow up to be unruly treelike things. They bloom in late summer and always look pretty. I always wanted one, but could never decide between the purple, cerise, pink or white. Now there are other colors and it is even more confusing.
A lady in our town, decided that we needed to be the crepe myrtle capital of the world. I don't know why. As I drive around other towns, I realize that they have lots and lots of crepe myrtles and as I look around my town, I realize that we don't have very many. Since the city council made a proclamation that we will now be known as the crepe myrtle capital, there have been a few people plant them in their yards. The city has planted some on the highway.
Now, when I go to towns that have more than we have, I feel like it is my civic duty to take my little hatchet and cut them down. Or maybe it is my duty to plant some trees. Even if I don't have room for them?
Is that how we define ourselves? Deciding something sounds good and then trying to fit into the parameters? Or tearing down what gets in the way of our definition? Or maybe saying it was not a good idea to begin with and look within for a right definition?
I am not going to tell anyone that our town is the crepe myrtle capital of the world. I may plant one, if I ever decide which color I want, but I will not plant it to raise the numbers. If I do it, I will do it because I have always wanted a crepe myrtle.
And please, don't call me a maverick.

Girls, take care

There was an article in the Dallas newspaper about retired women. Only they are not retired. They hoped to be and thought they would be ok in their old age, but when the day arrived, they discovered that they had not been at all careful with saving and investing for their future. They live too long, they get paid less, no one cares about them saving for the future and they find they can't afford good care, or a good place to retire to when they can't live at home anymore or work. So they are working as waitressses in places like McDonalds to make enough money to just exist...not the way they want to live, just decently.
So, this is my advice. Look after your finances. Don't let anyone else do it for you. Find a way to put a little bit each week into an account and then invest it and when you are old and maybe alone, you can take care of yourself. If you wait too late to start, you will be wearing a funny chicken hat and cleaning tables. That is a sad state of affairs and I am glad I have a home that is not expensive, and a family and the good health to keep working at what I like to do.
Never thought I would see old women in those kind of jobs. I guess that is what happens when you outlive men!

HANDS ON JOY

I am making quilt blocks for a christmas quilt for the doll bed for the christmas window. As I send designs to the embroidery machine, it made me think. This quilt is all about gingerbread. Many years ago, we made gingerbread men and cookies and decorated them with red hots and gum drops and white icing. If we wanted a house, it took lots of trays of gingerbread, engineered to stand up, not eat, and we spent days making the house and cookies. Now we buy the elements already made at the store and the box has all the candy and gingerbread and everything we need to make a truly remarkable house. What's the difference? Well, aside from the time, there was the smell of gingerbread all through the house for days. The joy of seeing the house stand up, not crumbled in a heap, the joy of the essence of Christmas in the smells of the season.
I know, I have these designs on the embroidery machine, but I did have to digitize or edit them. If I did them by hand, they might be ready by 2012 if I could see to do the intricate work.
I think we miss a lot by not being hands on, but I know I can produce 550 (or more) of these quilts in the time it would take me to do one by hand. So what is the trade off? I am sure I would rather spray some gingerbread scent in the store than do them by hand, but I do still remember the great joy of doing it by hand and when it is given to someone, they know that a lot of work and love went into the product. Well...I can just love more people this way and as long as I think it through and plan it well, surely it can carry that much joy and love. So move over past, get out of my way...I have lots to do.

Horses

It is getting near Breeders Cup time when all of the really wonderful race horses come together for a big payoff and a super day of racing. For the first time, the girls will have their day and the boys will have their day. There are a few girls that have opted to enter the boys playgound, but for the most part they are staying with their gender races. Note that none of the boys are allowed to play with the girls, even if they don't mind being called sissy.
Wonder if they have been told about equal rights? True, some are opting to compete with the boys and it will be on the same set of rules, but for the most part, the owners are happy to let the girls be girls.
Horses are magnificent creatures. They have the most interesting eyes, truly a window into their souls. Some are gentle and loving and like people and some are mean and hateful and don't like anyone, not even themselves. But the mean ones, they usually pick out some person they tolerate...I guess they are forced to do that so they can be sure of food and care. It seems they usually pick a helpless person, though, so they are still the dominate one.
They are very much like people. The youngsters are like children and as they mature they become truculent teenagers and then mellow out into adults. Predictable and steady.
Let the girls have their day and celebrate it. I wonder if our girls don't miss some of that pampering and gentleness that came with being a girl in a guys world. I am all for girls rights, but it is nice to have a door opened and a comforting arm when things are bad.
Go girls...I think I will take the day off to watch and then work on the boys day to make it up.
Girls Rule!!!

Well Worn

My precious grandaughters love quilts. I used to love quilts, well, still do for that matter. In fact, I am sad that I no longer have a quilt made by my grandmother. But the girls use their quilts and I am glad. Quilts were utilitarian when they were first designed. Now, they are objects of beauty and meant to be hung or otherwise displayed. The quilts I make are meant to be used and loved. The girls love theirs to death and repair often have to be made. The good part of being the maker of them is that I can usually repair them. They may look a bit different but they work. It reminds me that sometimes we get broken and the Maker repairs us, perhaps a bit different, but workable. Maybe even better.
Since the girls love quilts, perhaps I had better get started making new ones. With modern washers and dryers they don't last as long as they used to last. Also, people are inclined to wash them more often than in the days when they had to be hung on the line to dry.
Maybe I need to find out their color preferences. They do change from age to age!

Fall

Fall is now my favorite time of year. No, it is not for the beautiful colors. Although they can be lovely, I guess, in some parts of the world. In Oklahoma things tend to go directly from green to brown and neither are my favorite colors. It is the weather. Fall weather always makes me feel refreshed and comforted. The wind is not blowing, there are usually not storms and tornados, and it is not extreme. Just crisp, like biting into a nice apple. Gentle, like a nap in a hammock. Peaceful, like a sleeping baby. See...those are some of the most wonderful 'likes' there are. So fall is crisp, gentle and peaceful. I love it. Even if it does come equipped with football, it is still the best time of the year.

I can't see

Had to have my eyes dilated today and I can't see. I know, it will be better in a few hours, but this is most frustrating and I have discovered that I am pretty useless without my eyes. I don't know what to do. I can find my way around the computer, but can't read what is there if it is less than 30 point. Nearly fell over my own feet getting in the shop. Now this was a real treat...Bill is still wearing his dark glasses from his cataract surgery when he drives, so here we came in the car, both in dark glasses. Bet it scared a few people off the road. Melody wanted to know where our friend, the other blind mouse, was.
We just all take our good health for granted and it is distressing when things are notnormal. We should all take a few minutes a day to be thankful for our blessings, especially of health.
Oh, the macular degeneration is of the dry variety and unless it changes, I will just have a general diminishing of vision that will be slow and gradual and will probably not make me blind unless I live to be 120 years old. So, I will keep a close watch on them so if it switches over, I will know it pretty quick and they have new treatments that can help a little. I am thankful for what I do not have and will just complain about what I do have.
But, I am grateful all day long for the health of my family.

Full Circle

This morning, Grandad said his life may have come full circle. With the financial world being in an upheaval, he remembered he started his life in the Great Depression and we all hope we do not end it in another one. We used to have things in place to ensure that would not happen, but apparently some of them have faded away and we need to be strong, intelligent, frugal, helpful and prayerful to avert the big disaster that happened a hundred years ago. And yes, it began about that long ago when people were prosperous and threw caution to the wind and lived for today and not for the future. When people let morality declline to the point that nothing was a shock.
I was thinking about all the money our church is spending because we just don't know how to be nice and how all that money is spent just on us. We are a financially secure church and that money should be spent on people who are going to need help. Not just a soup kitchen (if, God forbid) that becomes a reality, but on helping others now,,,,with classes on how to make healthy and cheap foods, how to manage debt, how to make do on fewer clothes that are still fashionable and pretty, how to do..I don't know, the list goes on. But we have so many good teachers in our congregation that we could do a lot to help people through this crisis. But no. We need to worry about ourselves. Seems there is a lot of that "me" stuff out there. Time to take a look outside ourselves and see what we can do.

It's greek to me

Oh, wait...that is hebrew to me. What do I know? I read polity exams with great confidence and now they expect me to read an exam when I don't even understand the source papers. Ah, well, they say that they can explain what I need to know and if the candidate can't explain it so I understand it then they didn't do a very good job!!!!
So, perhaps everyone will say a prayer for those people whose papers cross my desk. My guess is they will all pass.
I never did get time to really study my resource papers, what with all the garbage going on at FPC, but hopefully I will be up to speed in the next couple of hours when they finish the indoctrination.
Hope the world is still going on out there...we will be reading until 10 or later tonight and back at it again at 8 in the morning. Very interesting work, but frustrating. The tests are pretty easy this year and still some can't seem to get it.
But grace abounds, I have only failed 1 so far and that may be a good thing or it may be bad.

NEW DRESS?

I am busy getting ready for a lot of things in the next few days. Of course, there is the sunday school lesson to ready for tomorrow, then Peter Steinke begins his miraculous unravelling of our problematic congregation after church tomorrow and I have to finish the last book I am reading. I am liturgist so have to make sure everything is ready for the supply pastor to do communion.
Then fly to Dallas late in the afternoon for reading group. Make sure I have everything I need for the worship service Monday aft and complete my study and last minute check of my sources for the reading. Then, I have not yet successfully crossed the waters of the electronic sea, because neither I, nor 2 of my trusted electronic genuises have been able to burn a cd for my cd player to play the accompaniment of the two hymns I want them to sing. Yes, I know, I can play them off my computer, but it takes me awhile to find everything and get it turned on and started in the right place and I want everything to be smooth and without wasting time between segments of the service. Well, maybe someone will appear with a guitar.
Now, I am tired and I have yet to get to the title of this blog. I NEED a new dress. I hate shopping, and my brief foray into the one store in this town that MIGHT have had a dress was a bust! So, do I waste the time, gasoline, patience and energy driving to Lawton to look for one, or do I just go with the same old tried and true I have been wearing for the past two years? Probably the later, but I really do NEED a new dress.
I will be out of circulation until next Friday, so there will likely not be any new information until then. Maybe I will find a lamp post that provides a connection.
Keep those poor students in your heart as we wade through their exams next week. I hope they know that we do it with grace and mercy!!
You can vote on the dress...do I shop or do I not?

ELECTRONICS!!!!YUK

I know it is wrong to hate electronics because where would we be without them. I do remember manual typewriters and carbon paper and mimeograph machines and cutting stencils and ditto machines and wind up phonograph players and radios!!! I really do, and I appreciate the new age of electronics, but just now we are trying to get the cd player, that is hooked up to play outside on the sidewalk, to work. I must admit my frustration level zooms up to above a 10 when it just sits and looks at me and suddenly comes to life as if it will work and then goes dark again. But when it ate the open button and sat with a gaping hole as though laughing at me...that was the end. I will sing to myself!!
I guess I just like things that I can fix. As it is in all of life, I prefer to fix things myself. So, I am going to give it another rest and see if it will have a restorative life saving event.
Now, if it is contagious and my computer becomes infected with whatever bug electronics pass around, I will be really frustrated and go looking for my old typewriter.

Anxious Reading

I have been reading some books preparing for the meetings we are to have at the church. Reading about anxiety brings me up short. I probably fail at the test. It is hard to be a non-anxious presence. I used to be able to do that when I had kids. You had to be non-anxious...but as I got older, I forgot and became more reactive. There are times when I am expecting trouble that I can keep my mind on the calm and rational response instead of the reactive reptillian brain stuff. But some people just bring out the snake in me!!
It is a serious issue and if people remembered to absorb the issue, think it through and look for solutions, things are never as bad as we suppose them to be.
Peter Steinke says we need to keep out of the reptillian brain and move to the neo-cortex...it is a long trip for some of us!!!!!