Baby Pictures

This is a new and interesting era.  Time was, when babies were born they had to wait for a man to come around with a bit clumsy camera and some flash powder.  They had to hold the baby still for some time and then they had a fragile picture of the babe.  Then there was a brownie camera that took a really fuzzy and dark picture.  Then we moved on to better cameras and they were in color.  It was exciting when polaroids came along and we could have pictures almost instantly. It was spectacular when the new digital cameras came along and we could see what we had as soon as the picture was snapped.  If you didn't like it, 'delete' it was gone and you could keep taking pictures until you ended up with a great picture.  It could then be put on a computer and sent around the world to family and friends.  So we became aquainted with babies as soon as they were born.  But now.....at just a few months old in the womb, we have access to fabulous pictures of the baby.  You can see all their body parts and watch them move.  They yawn, scratch, stretch, talk, flex muscles, wiggle, turn and hide.  Incredible!!!  If you know what you are looking for, you can almost see what it will look like.  I am told that at the last month you can have a 3d picture made that makes you think you can pick them up and hold them.  
But what we cannot see, is the soul and personality of that baby.  That is the only secret left.  It is truly a miracle and the technology is also miraculous.  But the real excitement begins when that child takes it's first breath outside the womb and begins it's journey through this world.  What an awesome responsibility for parents, family, friends and strangers.  May God bless and protect this Baby Kramer in my life and make her know that she is loved the moment she arrives.  May she know she is loved even now.  Many people are waiting for her to arrive and begin to live this life.  Much is expected for her and much will be expected for her.  May she be strong enough to be her own woman and sweet enough to care for those who love and support her.  May God grant her joy and happiness and give her boundless grace all the days of her life.  Her Great Grandmother.  She can call me Rosella and be my friend.

Christmas Family

Besides the obvious, loving Christmas because of the reason for the season...the best part of Christmas is family.  It doesn't even matter if they are there and I am here, I enjoy them so much on this day.  Isn't it great when you give someone a gift that they really love and are excited about.  It doesn't always happen, but when it does it just makes your heart sing.  
Well, I recieved one of those this year and I am just tickled pink by it.  
I can remember my past Christmases and the happy ones always involve family.  It isn't about the gifts or the tree or the meal...it is about the family and having a good time together.  Giving a good gift is fun and receiving one that warms your heart is nice..but it is family that makes it special.  
I am grateful that this year I had the pleasure of that gift and also of that family.  Most of them are far away, but with internet, phones and pictures...it is pretty good.  Waiting for one more to show up and it will be late after a miserable road trip, but I trust God will bring her to me for the final blessing on this day.
Thanks for the baby Jesus and thanks for the family.  Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas.....that is about all the time I have right now. 

Christmas is creeping up

Wow!! It is not even my birthday yet and my shopping is mostly done.  Going in to mail tomorrow and just a couple of things to finish for local giving and I'm done.  Impressed myself.
The Kramers will be here this week for a few days and then back on Christmas night.  Martha will be here  Wed before Christmas.  Doug has the turkey in the freezer and pies are being made.  Christmas tree is up and lights are strung outdoors.  Christmas orders are being filled on time and I am wearing my Christmas shirt.  I guess all is merry and bright. 

Getting Closer

Christmas is getting closer and I am not staying up with the chores.  Put lights up in the front of the house and half of them work and half don't.  I know, I should have checked them before I hung them.  Don't have the Christmas tree up or any other decorations.  The good china is ready because it hasn't been put away since Thanksgiving.  Doug is looking at turkeys so maybe we will have food bought by the weekend.  Haven't given much thought to mailing gifts yet, and need to do that this week.  I am enjoying Advent and preparing for the day, but the secular bit is not in my head this year. 
Hope everyone is thinking of the season and enjoying the preparations.  I guess by Christmas day I will be ready.  Maybe it is because we will have a small gathering.  Whatever, I will enjoy the day when it arrives and sometimes small gatherings are really good. 

ADVENT

Since this is Advent, it must be time to get ready for Christmas.  Getting ready in the real sense as well as the secular sense.  I came across the most beautiful devotional...it is easy to find, easy to hear and read and can just all be done in your own time.  It is called "Following the Star" and can be found at http://www.d365.com/   It is well worth a visit and if you don't like it I will be surprised.  It is new each day and now I know they have a devotional each day of the year and special ones at Christmas and Easter.  If you have a flock, you should make them aware of this site.  Some may only like the music, some may want to read it all, some may want to use it as a devotional.  Whatever, it is lovely. 
So while we are waiting and hoping, enjoy the season.  It is a time of hope and promise.  Also a time for family and friends.  Enjoy it all, but remember the one who made it all possible.

THANKSGIVING

It's about Thanksgiving and first and foremost I am thankful for computers that have large fonts.  I had my eyes dilated today and can't see much yet, but I can read this font!!  And that makes me happy.
When I was a child, my Dad had built a rock smoker in the back yard.  We didn't barbq on it, but Dad smoked turkeys in it.  It could smoke a couple dozen turkeys at a time.  First he would put them in the garage in big pickle barrels with salt and sugar and I don't know what all, but it seems to me there was salt peter in it, too.  Why would I remember that?  I can just remember the smell.  Anyway, when they were properly cured, he would hang them in the smoker and we would have to be up all night to keep water on the wood to keep it smoking and I remember that being a wonderful time of the year, because I had a chance to sit out in the backyard with Dad all night.  Well, of course I am sure I slept.  In fact, I think he did too, just set an alarm clock.  And it was probably cold so we did not stay outside all night.  But that is what I remember.  It took 2 or 3 days to smoke.  Maybe longer, but he made more than one run at it and did a lot of turkeys, so it may have seemed longer. 
When they were finished, they were not done, they still had to be cooked in the over for a few hours.  But my, did they taste good.  The meat was sort of red, kind of like ham.  I had a cousin that hated turkey and we always told him we put ham on a plate for him and he must have been 40 before he realized it was turkey.  Dad did this for Christmas, too.  Some people had taffy pulls and some make pies, but Dad did turkeys and he did them until a year or two before he died.  I did not know what a roasted turkey tasted like until I was married and made my first turkey in my house.  I still would like a taste of smoked turkey and I have purchased them in the past, but they don't taste anything like Dads. 

TIME MARCHES ON

Seems very odd to think that Rebecca is going to have a baby.  It seems  only yesterday that she was a baby.  But then it has been 50 years since I was pregnant and though it seems yesterday, I don't think I remember much about it.  So I am going into this new post in life a bit ignorant.  I need to study up to be a great grand mother.   I guess the best thing to learn is to send her to her mother for advice.
Maybe great grandmothers are just supposed to say ah, how sweet and hold them once in awhile.  
The news of the heartbeat this week was interesting.  I learned that new mamas and science think that you can tell the sex of a child by the heartrate.  If that is so, I will be pleased as it must be a girl...according to that litmus test.  But we all know science is inept at determining those things so I will wait until he/she arrives.  I know, the ultra sound should tell the sex soon, but even that fails sometimes.  I remember the excitement at the birth when you were told what the sex of the baby was as soon as it was born.  That was exciting.  Ah, well, I have 6 months to get it together and turn into a good great gran.  One is never too old to learn and I am sure there is a book about babies I can read.
I never had a great grandmother, so I don't know what is expected of us.    Well, I guess Becky and Jason don't have a guide book to parenthood, so they will be learning, too.
It is exciting and I am going to give it a good try.  This baby deserves good parents, good grandparents and good great grand parents...as well as good aunts and a great uncle.  We will do our best by this precious child and trust God to lead us in the right direction.

VETERANS DAY

Saturday, I stood on the sidewalk in front of the shop with my little flag and watched the Veterans Day Parade.  First of all, Gladys and Al were not leading the parade in their world war II uniforms.  That was the end of an era and sadly missed.  There were vets in wheel chairs carrying the flag of their units.  The Ft Sill Army band was playing loundly and marching smartly..the mechanised version of the cavalry was there as was the horse drawn caison (sp) and marching units.  It was poignant this year, in the wake of the Ft Hood shootings.  
There were other units evident, but they were not related to the military, except to show their appreciation..which was a good reason to be there.  There were even tractors sporting flags.
It is always a moving day for me, but this year was sadder than usual.  Wednesday, say thank you to a veteran and while you are at it, say thanks to an active soldier.  They appreciate that and seem to be surprised by it, but it is a simple way to show our respect for them.
Thanks to all who preserve our liberty and protect others around the world.

Grateful

A few months ago I would have been sad and angry and outraged by the wretched shooting at Ft Hood.  Then I would have gone on shaking my head.  But today I have a different perspective.  I am so sad about the men and women who lost their lives and were injured.  But now I am concerned with the families who were affected.  When Tim called and said he had talked to Jason and he was ok, I looked to see what had happened and I immediately thought that God had blessed us in that he was not involved.  Then I began to worry about Becky and how she was dealing with the trauma until she could see him.
I believe she did well, and apparently he arrived home shortly after midnight.  So I am grateful that they are together and well and safe.  But I worry about those wives and children and parents whose husband, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters are not going to come home and those who are still fighting for their lives in hospitals. 
I don't know why things have to touch us  closely before we become totally concerned.  Human nature I suppose.
But I am grateful that our family had a good outcome and I am sad and prayerful for those who did not have that experience. 

ELUSIVE SLEEP

I find it hard to understand how your body refuses to go to sleep.  Even when it is dog tired and bored, it still refuses to participate in the healing property of sleep. 
Tonight it had better co-operate or I am going to do something drastic, like coming to work.  That should do it.  I become very sleepy when I am supposed to be working, so maybe that is the thing.  Trick it into thinking you have something to do.  I think that is what you do to your mind when you play that game of reciting names of boys and girls by the alphabet to put you to sleep.  Usually it works, but not last night. 
Excuse me, my bed is calling.....

STILL LOST

I am still lost in the webworld.  My webhoster is still sending me outrageous bills for hosting my website but has yet to let me in on the secret of the code to let me into my website to make changes.  I think we will be having this battle for some time to come and I am convinced that I will eventually have to ditch the website and build a new one.  Time, I need time.  Either that or I need to find a site builder that will work for less than my yearly income!!
If I can get three uninterrupted days, I think I can do it, but I can't seem to find 3 hours.  I may have to go to the lake and park under a tree so I can't be found.
At least I have discovered that the interactive software I used is still available, for a price.  So I will be able to replicate that page and it is the most popular page on the site.
Well, I will work on that this week and maybe by next week I will be free.  I think I can find a couple of hours Friday afternoon.  Or I may have to go back to work at night for a week.  Dedication and determination...that is what I need.

Lost Souls In The Etherworld

I wonder how many souls are lost out there in the world we cannot see.  I am not talking about the spiritual souls, I am talking about the technology souls.  When I was told by my internet (email, web host) server that I had been lost and could not be found.  Maybe it is more like the lost boys on the island.  Whatever, I was suddenly told that my connection had been lost and could not be restored.  It seemed simple to me...just sign me up as a new subscriber and give me a new set of numbers, wires or whathaveyou.  Sorry..that can't happen, they said.  So me and the County Courthouse are just lost in space and we can't be helped.  
Well, after a week of patiently trying to find a way for them to make it right for me, I was told that I needed to move on.  Hey!!!I think I was fired as a customer and I was being nice!
So I moved on to the Cable guy.  He jumped right in and in a few hours, I am back on the air.  But my email is hanging around out there and they will kindly hold it open for me for awhile...oh, yes..you won't be able to reply to any of them unless you write down the address (if you can read it and do you know how many people don't let you see their address?) and go to your new email and send it out.  Ok, lots of hassle, but can be done.  
What?  Your website that we host?  Oh, it will be here for awhile.  No, we can't give you the information to get into it and change the email address that it tells people you have....and you don't have.  What do you want us to do?  Figure it out... I think that means I have to build a brand new site and get it online.  I don't know how to do that and the old one has a program in it that I need and I can't get to it.  
Oh, well...maybe my lawyer will find a way to get it.  
Lost internet sould have trouble doing business.  It appears that they had a very old piece of equipment that crashed and they don't want to replace it so it was easier and cheaper to just cut some of us loose.  I still don't know why they can't move me to another server.  But good old cablevision will take care of me.  I shall survive!

Columbus Day

I used to think Columbus was a really neat guy, sailing around in the Nina the Pinta and the Santa Maria.  I always supposed he was in the Santa Maria and he just stood on deck and waved to Nina and Pinta.  I always thought he set out to discover America and the natives were standing on the shore waving at him to 'come on down'.  'Always' being when I was a little girl.  Then I grew up and realized that he was sort of off course and that the natives did not particularly want his presence on their shores.  Then I advanced in years and decided it didn't matter much and he was just probably a hapless sailor who happened on some semi-unoccupied lant and decided to make Isabella happy.  It seemed to fit the prospectus he presented when I tried to float the loan for his trip. 
Now I am told that children are learning that he was evil and coniving and ruined the world by bringing smallpox and such things to the shores of this great land.  That he treated people cruelly and made a misery of their lives.  I can't remember all the things that I read in the article, but I am sad that children now think of him as a bad guy and the best thing he did was get a day off for public employees and make an excuse for special sales in stores.  I know history is sanitized but do we have to destroy all the past heros we learned to revere.  George Washington was probably a bad guy too, but they had better leave him alone.  Bad enough he has to share his birthday with other good-bad heros of our country. 
I am going to  celebrate good old Christopher Columbus with a drink after work.

Nothing of Importance

mmm, it has been awhile and I have completed the reading week.  Quite interesting and nice to be among folks who have a job and just jump in and do the work and are happy and joyous to be able to do that piece of work for the church.
Everyone is busy doing their thing and that is good.  The weather is nice and we are all reasonably well so I have no complaints and am glad to be alive and ready for the next challenge.  Which may be doing the shop window for Halloween.  Then it will be a Christmas window and I will be wondering why I haven't done my shopping.
Maybe that is a clue to begin thinking about Christmas gifts now. 

STUDY STUDY STUDY

I am spending the afternoon completing my study work before heading to Dallas Sun aft for a three day marathon of reading ordination exams.  I always love reading them, but hesitate to be the one that fails a paper.  I know how hard these students have worked to be prepared for these exams, but we are the last bastion against heresy or apostasy.  Well, it isn't that exactly, but we feel like we are the last chance to say, " you don't understand Reformed Theology enough to turn loose on a congregation."  Anyway, it requires a lot of study and reading to be prepared for the job.  I always come away from the week a lot smarter and more humble than when I began.  I am sure those papers I read will be good and have something to teach me.  I am anxious to begin the work and hope all my papers are passing papers.  Good luck writers!!! Keep the readers in your prayers.

Wedding Joys

Joys of the day.  Becky and Jason begin their life together and I pray that they may have a long and happy marriage.  I hope they have as good a life as Bill and I have been blessed with.
Happy days, sometimes not too happy, but always fixable.
Ups and downs.
Joys and sorrows.
Victories and defeats.
Always together in all we do.
Connected by God and blessed by His grace.
Have a happy life.

A wonderful life

A wonderful life, full of joy, adventure, love, learning, teaching. One who made a better place for us on this earth with her gift of seeing the beauty and glory in the mundane and the ugly. One who could turn a brown patch of earth to one of color and form and happiness. One who always had a beautiful smile and a hug that could make everything all right. One who made history come alive and inform. One who was competitive, but gracious in others victories. One who danced with life and embraced it all. A wonderful life....gone...my Annie...my friend...the one who always knew me by my smell and always had time and love for me. I thank God for her wonderful life entwined with mine and rejoice that her days of suffering are over, but grieve for my loss. She is gone, but her wonderful life lingers on and will fill this earth with her legacy. Thank you God, for Ann Randle

Caring

I had the distinct privilege of sitting and holding the hand of a best friend yesterday. She is in the process of leaving this life and she is holding fast. Her husband tenderly and lovingly cares for her. His gentleness is touching and her complete reliance on him is beautiful to see. Some people have the capacity of physically caring for others. They are truly blessed with a God given gift. Those of us who are lucky enough to see that caring are blessed. Those who are cared for by them are doubly blessed. God gives us all special people in our lives...people to care for us...to care for us in a way others can't. That is a true gift and they pour out grace to those they touch. Sometimes it is a mother, a father, a sibling, a friend, an aquaintance, a nurse or a stranger. They all use the gift of love and compassion and caring that God gave them. Bless them.

Out of Control

Do you ever feel like your life is spinning out of control? One thing I know is when you get older, you can't keep as many balls in the air at the same time. My juggling skills have gone from 20 balls to maybe 10. I don't like that because I don't know which ones to drop. I guess those balls that have other people to catch them would be first to drop. Then those that are not too important can drop. Then hope you still have skills to keep those up there and moving around to completion.
I went to a seminar today to learn how to build a commercial web site. My mind is reeling and I realized that I have been screwed and pinned to the wall for several years by web designers and web hosters and internet providers. I really have to get on top of all that, but I have other things I need to accomplish first.
Church business comes first, friends and family come next, then business and then if there is anything else I will work on that.
Maybe God will just take care of some of that for me and other family will take care of some more and there will be enough of my mind to cover the rest.
That sounds like a plan.
I feel better all ready.

The Passing of an Era

The passing of Teddy Kennedy is the end of an era, an era that persons of my age took seriously. It was a call to responsibility for our fellow man and whether you liked the man or not, he was a talented senator and embodied the good and the bad of politics. But he was first and foremost a champion of the underdog and all those who were in need of special care.

I was born and bred a Republican. My Dad was one of the staunchest Republicans I ever knew. But he was a true Republican, not the sort we have today. My first presidential election was the race between Nixon and Kennedy. My Dad did not like or trust Democrats or Catholics. There was not much discussion of choice in our family...except I was married to a yellow dog democrat. I worked for Nixon and when I went to the polls, I voted for Kennedy. There was so much charisma and so much talk about things I thought mattered, I could not check the Republican box. I really did not want Dad to know that and I don't think he ever did. I am not sorry I voted for him. I could not stomach the Nixon campaign and philosophy.

It was a sad day when Kennedy was killed and also when Bobby was killed. I sorrowed when Teddy seemed to be such a scoundrel. But Teddy redeemed himself and became a true statesman. I was always proud of the way he fought for those who were not as privileged as he.
I have voted for a few other Democrats and I don't know if I can ever vote for another Republican. But the best vote is for the man and his compassionate view of the world. I will be sorry to see Teddy laid to rest. He had a long and interesting life. It was often a sad and difficult life, but he persevered and became a great senator. We shall probably not see his like again, but I am glad I was able to observe his work.

Good job, Teddy. Rest in Peace

Weddings

I love weddings. We are about to have a grandson and what a joy that will be. Middle grandgirl will be marrying a very nice young man next month. Becky and Jason are going to be married in Stillwater, NJ if the army gives permission and a couple days off.
She will have to move to Austin Tx, and she will miss her job and her friends, but I think Jason will more than make up for that loss.
We are all excited and just waiting for an official date. She has found a wedding gown and the congregation at NJ church are anxious and excited and planning to help make it a great day for them Tim will marry them and Amy will be able to participate and assist. Her Dad will be there and you can bet I will be there. Her sisters are close and will be in attendance on her. Jason's brother will fly in to be best man. Tim is working on a web cam feed to his family.
Weddings are wonderful because they are the promise of a wonderful new life. I wish them all the best and welcome having a grandson. He is a caring and kind man, so I am happy for her.

Being Nice

Sometimes it is just important to be nice. That can't be so hard. It seems we are not nice to the very people we are closest to. I suppose turning on the mean button is easier when we think someone will just forgive it because they love us. But that is not the way it should be. We should be nicest to those we love.
When we find ourselves in situations where people are not nice and kind, we need to figure out what is making them mean. But should we just put up with it? No, they need to be brought to task and explained to that it is painful when our loved ones speak harshly and treat us without dignity. No one should put up with that. Not even when we are old and incapacitated. Of all times to be treated gently and with compassion, that is the time we need it most.
I believe it is our responsibility to watch out for those who are fragile and can't speak for themselves or take care of themselves. We should be on the lookout for any sign that they need help. Family is always ready and willing to step in and rectify the situation. So watch for your elderly and infirm neighbors and loved ones. Be sure they are being treated kindly.
I know that longsuffering is one of the 'fruits of the spirit', but so is kindness, goodness and gentleness.

School Days

We are in the midst of back to school at the shop. How many different kinds ofbackpacks and lunch boxes do they make? I think we have done about 150 school bags and there are only maybe 3 that have been a repeat of what someone else has brought for embroidery.
When my kids were in school, they had some sort of school bag, but it wasn't a back pack. The lunch boxes were metal and had cartoon stuff on them and mostly had a matching thermos with them. That lasted maybe a week, until they forgot to bring them home and they sat around the classroom, usually with a rotting egg still in them. And the thermos would be done within a month because something was left in it as it sat in the window at school. One of my children was better than the other about hanging onto their boxes because after that it was brown paper bags.
When I was in school, I either went home for lunch or we ate at school. No need for lunch boxes and in grade school you couldn't go home after school was out unless all of your work was turned in, so no need for backpacks. No homework..just staying after school if you weren't finished.
By Jr Hi, we graduated to notebooks to carry papers home. When we were really lucky, we had a zipper notebook. Then you could put a book inside and zip it all up and it was easy to carry.
One year, Mother bought a red crocodile looking zipper notebook for me and it had some pockets inside, too. Wow...that was a deal. I carried that through most of high school. I also remember a green one that must have been my jr hi notebook.
Then the grandgirls had backpacks. After awhile I began to wonder if they weren't breaking their backs with them. They carried so much stuff. But then they had lots more homework than we ever had. We used study hall time and class time, so there was not too much homework, except for book reports and things of that nature. One of the girls had a roll around backpack deal and it was great, except that you had to carry it up stairs and one day...soon after school started...it rolled off the curb and the wheels broke.
Now, everyone has their name on the stuff and such fancy backpacks you won't believe. One little bitty one came in that looked like a rhino and the price tag on it was $45. The child could not have been over 4. Oh, well...times change and it is a big boon for us as we make a good bit of money doing them each summer. So, welcome school time. A good time for business. Hopefully a good time for kids.

Tears and Motorcycles

I am not often moved to tears and I do not have a good feeling for motorcycles. However, yesterday we had an event on Main Street that moved me to tears. A
young man from our county was killed in Afghanistan recently and he was to be buried at Ft Sill yesterday.
They had asked in advance for a patriot honor guard for him and that the funeral cortege would be coming down Main St at noon on the way to the funeral. When it arrived, the street was lightly lined with folks holding Amer flags, as a sizable cavalcade of motorcycles and some cars advanced bearing sashes that read Patriot Honor Guard. That was a solemn moment and when the family cars drove by, you could see the emotion and sense of surprise on their faces that people had turned out to honor this young man. It was not a large crowd..a few people here and there..but in our block, there were enough to stand on the center line and make a row that ran most of the block.
We had just finished taking down our Fourth of July window so we had a lot of flags still laying on the counter. People saw them and tried to buy them, but we just gave them away and there were lots of flags on the street. Then folks brought them back and said thank you. We always keep lots of flags to give or loan for special events down town, but this day was a surprise to me as I had not read the paper the night before. I am so glad we had them available.
I just stood there and cried. I don't usually do that, but on that particular day, it overwhelmed me that a family, wife and children, parents and cousins...all...are going to be without this young man and the world he loved will be deprived of his presence. All for the sake of a country he didn't even know, a war he didn't want, people who didn't like him, trouble he didn't ask for. But most all soldiers are like that. They never want that kind of horror. I appreciate them and honor their service,
I know there will never be a day when we don't need armies and young men get shot and die. But wouldn't it be wonderful? Until then, say thanks to a soldier you know.
So, thank you, Jason Kramer. God hold you in his hands and keep you safe.

HAPPY DAYS

Happy Days are Here Again....Jason is home. At least I guess he is, because there have been no phone calls to the contrary. And the sun started shining about 5 o'clock last night. It is nice to have Jason home safely from South Korea and it is nice to know he and Becky will be a lot closer and can see each other. That is a blessing I am grateful for.
Funny, we depend on others so much for our happiness. We should be able to be happy with ourselves, but maybe that is not how we are made.
Some of us need DOGS and some need people and some need work and some need medication. All we really need is God but we too often forget abut Him.
I know he wants us to have someone to be with and I am glad He has chosen Jason to be with Becky and Becky to be with Jason.
Looking forward to lots of happy days.

Cool Air

Cool Air, what a blessing. I do so take it for granted and when it is gone, I am a mess. Reading past blogs about the hot summers when I grew up helped me know that I am spoiled and should be more grateful for the blessings I have. When the a.c. went out Sat, I knew I could work all day in the cool at the shop and the night wouldn't be too bad. But I dreaded it. After a light supper, I hopped into the cold shower and cooled off, then did what my Gran used to do. I put on my pj's (wished I still wore a gown because it is cooler) without drying off and laid down on my nice clean sheets under a fan with all the lights off. (I had a ceiling fan which helped a lot and she only had a small floor fan that did not run all night. )
Well, long story short, if you don't move around much and start off cool, it isn't too bad. But I would have been up the creek if I hadn't had my ceiling fan.
Needless to say, I was glad when they arrived tuesday and repaired it. Now it is cool and things are back to normal.
Ghost has a favorite spot where the air from a ceiling vent flows gently down on him and when it gets too hot for him, he lays down in the dining room under that vent. Poor dog. Hot as he was, he kept going to that spot and laying down. He did begin to look perplexed when after an hour or so he was still suffering the heat. By tuesday morning he was convinced that my bed was the coolest spot in the house. Now he is again confused by the fact that when he walks by his old favorite spot it appears to be cool. I guess he'll get it in a day or two.
Anyway, that week was the coolest week of the summer, so I guess I was lucky.

Almost There

Well, Old Tom Watson almost made the miracle happen. He lost the British Open in a four hole play off. That was sad. He played so well, and was such a great sport..he obviously really wanted to win when he found himself leading and so close to winning. Now why do I feel bad and sad for him. He just finished second in a major tournament at the age of 59, when most people are finished with competitive sports. Second, that is great..how many men would love to be second in the British Open!!!
But gracious in defeat, that is what I saw in him yesterday. Gracious, but not happy with himself.
If we do the best we can, that is all we can ask. That and being gracious no matter what the outcome.

1977 Duel In The Sun

It was called The Duel In The Sun.
Seems impossible that it was 32 years ago that we had the unique opportunity to see the British Open Golf Tournament at Turnberry, Scotland. It is being played on that same course this year. Bill woke me this morning with the news the Tom Watson is leading the opening round..early on. When we lived in Scotland we decided to take a trip to see the Open and Bill had a friend and co-worker visiting the office that we knew would love going. So we piled into Bill's Halliburton car and Bill, Amy, Gerald and I set off to see the tournament on the other side of the island.
As we traveled un-familiar roads, we kept seeing yellow signs ,with a mark on them, appear as we neared curves and it seemed that the more marks there were, the sharper the curve. Also, it seemed that if there were four marks, there would be four signs. So as we approached a 4 marked sign, we were all nervous. Suddenly we neared a marker and knew it would be a doozie of a curve as it had 5 marks. As we passed the fourth marker and approached the fifth, we had to laugh. There was the fifth sign and it said, "You have been warned".
A complete British understatement.
But, I digress.
As Amy and I were not too excited to march along the course with a sea of on-lookers, we took up residence on the stands at the 18th hole. We sat there and watched golfers come and go and the stands fill up. Bill and Gerald had decided to follow the trail of Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus on the way to the championship. That was a hot duo and followed by what seemed like millions. Anyway, Amy and I were quite pleased with ourselves that we were perched comfortably watching the final hole unfold.
As we were sitting there, we decided we needed food and drink and I probably needed to find the facilities, too. So I left her holding down our seats and I departed the stands. People were sitting on steps by this time and it took a real effort to get down and people looked at me as if I were nuts. Little did I know!!
As I began my trek back to my seat, I encountered a burly gentleman with official looking badges and he told me I couldn't go back up. I informed him that I had a seat and my daughter was waiting for me and I had been there for hours. He shook his head and told me that the capacity for the stand was filled for the day. I told him, I had been there and had a seat so I would not increase the number if I returned to my place. He shook his head sadly and pointed the way back down the ramp and stood his ground. Being a good visitor and not wanting to make a bigger scene (or get dragged off by the coppers), I retreated to under the stands where I located Amy by her shoes and yelled up at her to throw down my purse.
Oh, Lord. I did not know...neither golf etiquette nor the profundity of the moment.
As I was yelling at her, I did realize it got very quiet. But not until I felt the full fury of a gazillion eyes staring down at me did I realize that the great Arnold Palmer was at that moment lining up his final putt in the entire tournament. Now, nothing is more sacrosanct that a golfers putt and no one even breathes then. In fact, I am quite sure a person would refuse to admit the angel of death at that moment. Oh, well. I was safe enough. After all, I was on the ground with all of Scotland to run to. Amy was stuck in the stands, trying not to acknowledge me. I am pretty sure she was not aware of the enormous faux pas I had committed, but she did recognize that something was not right.
She grabbed both purses and fled the stands while I was complaining loudly to anyone who would hear me that I had been unfairly dealt with. Well, not very loud..mostly under my breath.
We decided to walk down to the approach to the 18th green, as we knew that Bill and Gerald would be along when their players came through. That was a foolish thing to do. Have you any idea how many people were hoping to see the great Tom and Jack that year? They were at their peak and just everyone who liked golf and many who could care less wanted to see them. But we found a spot and established a foothold. Lo and behold, we saw Bill and Gerald approach with the massive hoard. They were on the other side of the course from us, but we resisted yelling and jumping and waving at them. Then we all stood back and listened to the roar of the crowd as the players approached the green. I believe they were tied and the winner would be determined by the final putts. It was as still as death and we all stood like statues and didn't breathe until we heard explosions from the stands. When the dust settled, Tom Watson had won the British Open. It was quite a day and I almost saw it.
And for all of that, he won a massive $17,000. That's right..Seventeen thousand dollars. Times have changed.

Hot Hot Hot

Oh, my..it is hot. When it's hot, I get lethargic and cranky. When I should be grateful for air conditioning, I fuss about the few minutes I have to spend in the hot car until it cools off.
Then I see the guys working on the roads and the people mowing lawns and the mail men and I am grateful that I work indoors and have an air conditioned car. I remember the days when we didn't have any a/c and then the great days of swamp coolers when you were cooler and everything stuck to you and smelled musty. But it was great. Then when we married we bought a window unit that was a real air cond. What a deal...we were in hog heaven. Until I forgot to clean the filter and it froze up and no cold air came out until you thawed it out. Got pretty warm by the time that happened. Central air...that is the ultimate. Wonder what they will think of next. I am sure there will be something even better that central air some day. Can't imagine what it will be..but hope to see what they think of next.
In the meantime...I am grateful for my cool air. Very grateful.

Seeing Eye Dog

I went to have my macular degeneration evaulated last week and thankfully, it seems to be about the same. But my vision has changed a lot and they said I needed new lenses. Because I have those fancy glass frames that have a magnet to hold sunglasses and I really need the sunglasses, I told them I would have them use my old frames. They are really expensive so I didn't want to buy a new pair when these where only a year old.
BAD IDEA!!!!!
For about 30 hours I have been without a way to see. Then I found there is about a 2" deep area of vision. If I get at just the right place in front of me, within that 2" bracket, I can see well enough to make out letters. I am not sure how accurate I am, but it was better than not seeing at all. My eyes were really sore and tired this morning, so I know it is time to get the glasses back.
I would gladly buy a seeing eye dog for someone who had no vision. It is awful to have people guide you around and keep you from falling off curbs and stuff.
Now, I am finished...enough is enough and I am ready to pick up my glasses.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA

What a great day..a day to remember where we came from and what price was paid so we can enjoy our life today.
When I was a kid, during WWII, fireworks were not available, so we improvised. Dad would go to the river and cut big cat tails (a swamp or river plant that have a long thing brown thing growing on top of a sturdy stem among green leaves) Then Ed, next door, would soak them in kerosene for a week and on the evening of the fourth we would stick them in the ground in some pattern and we would light them and watch them burn. That was our fireworks.
After the war, when you could buy fireworks again, we would get lady fingers for me, black cats for the bigger guys and also cherry bombs. Hated those things, you would throw them on the street, and they would pop. Now you had to throw them hard and since I wasn't too big and strong, I would have to ghrow them pretty close to me to get them to bang. Problem with that is they would throw off sparks that would hurt when they hit you. Never got the hang of those things. We also had rockets and roman candles..those were Mother's favorites. Needless to say, lots of people had serious injuries on the fourth and many had minor injuries. It was good when they outlawed many of those things.
My kids loved bottle rockets and I understood why people who had shake shingles didn't like them, because we had shakes and always had to really watch it to be sure they didn't land on the roof. Finally those were outlawed and everyone was sad but the firemen!
Today most people just watch the big sponsored fireworks...but some peoples children have not grown up and love fountains and smoke bombs and black cats. Ah, well...none of that for us this year and I don't think Ghost will be sad. I will enjoy the fireworks at the stadium from my front porch and the beautiful fireworks and music from Boston and Washington DC.
Happy Birthday, America...long may you live in freedom.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Wishing a very happy 13th anniversary to Tim and Amy.
It seems they have been married forever as they are as close to soul mates as you could ever find. It is nice to see a couple so happy. I have been blessed with a good husband and a good marriage and it is sad when one is not right or goes wrong. But grounded in Christ, they are able to work past any difficulties and build a solid relationship that is big enough and strong enough to encircle the needs of many lives. They grow each day to be able to serve more people with their love and that is a beautiful thing to see.
No, they are not perfect...but pretty much as close as humans can get to forming a perfect union.
So, just wanted to wish them a happy day and let them know I am thinking of them.
Shalom, Tim and Amy Enjoy your day

Summertime

Ah, the good old summertime..back in the day, when livin' was easy. We took to the backyard with a book, a doll, or just our imagination. Sometimes I climbed a tree, even though it scared me to death, and would sit there most of the afternoon just thinking thoughts. Of course, I was pretty young then.
Sometimes I would go in and forget my doll and leave her out in the sun and then her skin (wood composite) would crack and she would get all ugly and I would feel bad and try to fix her up.
Sometimes I would read for hours with a glass of lemonade under a tree. Loved the hammock under the tree. I think it was pretty hot.
That was during the time when polio was rampant and everyone was scared for their kids and looked for every way under the sun to protect them. One way was to stay out of the heat. So by 11 in the morning we would be herded indoors until about 4pm. That was really boring but if I was lucky I would be invited into my neighbors house who has the most miraculous fan. It was called a hassock fan and it looked like a big footstoor and had louvres all around it and the air would come out of all sides and that was great. No matter where you were in the room, cool air blew on you all the time. I don't know why we just had an oscillating floor fan, but Grace had 2 of those great hassock fans and I loved them. I would volunteer to wash her dishes so I could go to her house.
We didn't swim much and when the grownups decided that polio came from swimming pools, we didn't swim at all. But we did put the sprayer on the hose and spray each other and play in the water. My friend Wanda had a sprinkler at her house. It was a circle that sat on the ground and had little holes in it and it would spray water upward. We would run through that and what a deal!! But her dad was a stickler for his lawn and we were only allowed to use it so many minutes a day because he didn't want us making a lake and churning up mud among his grass. Still, it was a treat.
Wish I had a tree to climb today so I could read my book up in the quiet,leafy cocoon that lets dapples of light play on your book.
Oh, well, I will sit in my air conditioning watching the tv and being grateful I never caught polio.
Have a happy summer.

High Hopes

We all have high hopes..for ourselves and for those we care about. For our nation, for our church and for the world. It is how we handle those hopes being dashed that mark a person. So people who do not do as well as they would hope when they have an important event before them can either get upset and blame the world and all around them, get morose and feel they are inadequate, or pick themselves up and dust themselves off and start all over again. I know there is a song in there somewhere. I forget where.
Taking an important test, closing an important deal, keeping a relationship intact, taming a viscous animal, dealing with impossible bosses or customers, failure of those we trust to come through for us. All of those things can cause anguish and distrust and frustration.
Here's the thing. That which we can do something about...do it. That which we can do nothing about...get over it. Knowing the difference is the key. Oh, yes, it was someone important that said that in another way. Well, he was right. Do it or get over it.
For everyone who has a hope dashed, they should remember all the hopes that have come to pass. If it is in your power to fix it..do it.

Family Time

We had such a lot of fun with Jo and Rachel both being in Duncan for awhile. Becky was able to be here a couple of days and that was great as she tried tell us about her trip to Korea. Should have been enough family time for awhile. Especially since we also had Martha and we all went to a family reunion. But I don't think there is ever enough family time.
We went back to NJ when Rachel returned and had the opportunity to spend a pleasant time with
Tim and Amy at the manse in Stillwater (NJ that is)Enjoyed meeting the new dogs and was glad Tim walked them and fed them and we just had to sit and watch them. We really enjoyed his church service and seeing the people in his congregation. We had lunch at the general store and they serve really good food. We ate ice cream outside of a wayside diner about 10 minutes away. We tried to find the Appalcahian trail, but fear we missed it be a few feet. Still enjoyed the mountain drive. We saw lots of deer and wildlife from the yard.
They fed us and transported us and spoiled us. Just being around them softens up all the hard edges one builds up just living life. What a joy!
Then we were privileged to go to NYC and see Joeys new apartment with a great view of central park. What a lucky lady...if I were 40 years younger, I would enjoy that life. Rachel was a delight and was also glad to get back to Princeton and her friends. Amy, of course, was supposed to have the summer off, but she was into a distance learning course with Rutgers...so she won't get rusty on her study habits, I guess. They were all busy with their lives and yet they let us interrupt and be part of their lives for awhile. That was gracious of them. I could never get enough family time. I have a great family!

Busy Time

Well, we are home..busy 12 days, but enjoyed them all. I will not speak of all of them today as they are too precious to cram into one blog. Instead I will say that Bill and I probably suffered less than anyone with out marathon trip home. It wasn't as bad as it could have been. I now know to turn on my phone before I leave the last bed I slept in. If I had checked my messages we would not have left Amy's house and the first frustration would have been eleminated. When we decided to fly into Lawton instead of OKC, that made me feel better because at least Doug wouldn't have so far to go after a long night umpiring behind the plate. We spent some extra time with Amy and Rachel and then I got really antsey and just wanted to be at the airport before the rains began again and they could drive home in sunshine.
We spent a long afternoon at the Philly airport because Dallas had such bad storms the planes couldn't leave there. When we finally were boarded onto an overfull plane we knew there would be no chance of catching the Lawton connection, but we just wanted to get as close as we could. Arriving at DFW at nearly midnight and one of the last planes to land for the night, the kind people offered cots and a blanket. There were hundreds stranded, but as it is such a big airport, it seemed almost deserted. They were doing construction on the restrooms near us, which caused two problems. One was that it was a long way to walk to find one and the other is the construction guys that are doing demolition were taking it away in giant rubbermaid buckets they rolled over the tiles down the corridor. Why didn't we move? Couldn't tell you...herd instinct I guess. Don't want to move from the last place you felt safe. AND, there was a Starbucks just next to us that was to open at 4:30 am...no food or drink or water to be found. Like being on a desert with a fence around the only oasis to be seen. Starbucks don't open until 5:30am.
Oh, well. People were all nice and we all helped each other out.
They posted the wrong terminal and gate for the Lawton departure, but we figured it out soon enough that everyone waiting for that flight finally found their way to the right gate. No luggage when we arrived home, but it was brought to us by afternoon and that was nice. So it all turned out well and restored my faith in humanity.
Next time it will be direct to Newark if possible so I can take the train and not have anyone making that long trip to the airport in Philly.
Thank one and all for a great trip. The girls at the shop for holding down the fort, for Doug for transporting and helping at the shop, Amy for the many trips to Philly, Tim for his great hospitality, the girls for their presence, Amy, Tim, Rachel and Joey for just loving us enough to let us intrude on their lives. It was a wonderful trip and much enjoyed. More on the details later.

New Jersey

I am excited to be going to New Jersey. It will be nice to escape the daily grind and grumpy people.
I am anxious to see Tim and Amy all in one place. This Stillwater church thing and the Princeton seminary thing is getting old for them, I'm sure. They will enjoy a couple of months of together time. Amy is anxious to do some classes at Tim's church and to be a preachers wife. I will enjoy watching that. Of course, the countryside is so beautiful there, that just relaxing and looking at the mountains will be good tonic. If this blog is quiet for awhile, you know I am relaxing and having a good time.
Of course, I will be feeling guilty because I am not in Ark with Tom and his broken neck. I realize I could be very little help, but still, I am used to being with my loved ones when they are not well. I know Marti and his caregiver Patty will take good care of him and I appreciate them. I will go see him when I get back and take pictures for him to see and have a little visit.
The hard part of being so far apart from everyone is eased a lot by the advent of cell phones and the internet. You can feel very connected with people even though there is vast distance. Still, being able to hug someone can't be replaced by the computer.
Summer is on the way. It will be hot soon and I will be cranky about that. Right now the weather is delightful.

End of May

So May is about finished. Enjoyed the month a lot. Was blessed with visits from all three of the grandgirls. That is always a big day. Also, family time with seldom seen relatives, which is always a good time.
Business is booming, which is a very good thing...perhaps we can make up some lost ground from last fall and winter. The weather is nice and people are happy.
Next week we go to NJ for some Amy and Tim time. Anxious to meet the dogs and see the younguns and visit with Tims parish folks. I am taking one dress for churchey things, a couple pairs of pants and shirts and will give the washer a workout. Packing light so I can take Tim's stuff for his ladies to make their prayer blankets and I finally finished Amy's quilt so it will go with me. Believe me, flying is cheaper than UPS!!! The only bad part is we have to give Rachel back to NJ. Really enjoyed her visit and know that it may be the end of those long idealic summer visits since she graduates next May.
I hope June is as much fun as May.

Family

We had a good family day Saturday. We were at Mark and Crista's home and it is very unique and special. He designed and oversaw the work on it and it is a very interesting and beautiful house. It is always nice to see cousins, second cousins, once twice removed or whatever they are. Good to catch up and find out what they are all doing and about their families. Family stories and pictures. It is strange, when you don't see someone for many years, how easy it is to resume the relationship you used to have with them.
Harold learned all about teasing and tormenting his nieces and nephews from his Dad and Uncle Glen. The kids learned that Uncle Harry promised the grandkids a pony just as he promised me one when I was little. They were amazed that he pulled the same stuff on us as he did on them. Remembering when Scott was little and sang in the choir and Dad used to stay up late to hear the Christmas eve broadcast from Stillwater so he could hear his namesake, Scott Glen. Scott says he doesn't sing any more, but Harold's granddaughter does. Beautiful voice and wants to be an entertainer. She is in the Oklahoma production outside Tulsa for the summer season and is happy about that. She was in the Miss Okla pageant and won the talent contest. She is a pretty girl, Marks youngest, I think. Kathy's oldest, the one born with that horrible disease that made her skin blister when you touched her, is graduating and wants to play college basketball, but hopefully she won't. Kathy says she goes to the games with her needles and gauze ready to patch her up if they tear her skin. She is a pretty girl, as is her sister. Tony, Bud's son, was there with his wife and they are nice people. I didn't visit with them too much, but he is successful and a happy man. Pat Nimrod's family didn't come because they were meeting someplace west for their own reunion. Maybe next time, he said.
They asked about everyone in the family and we touched base with all the relation they know about that we don't know.
All I know is this, family is special. No matter how often you see them, you enjoy them and love them.
We missed all who weren't there and we did talk about you!!!!

MEMORIAL DAY

It is so far away from the Memorial Day of my youth, that I almost forgot about it. To begin with, Memorial Day is May 30 (or is it 31)not this silly last monday thing. We spent weeks before going to the cemetary to "clean up". That entailed cutting grass around the stones, making sure the roads were pasable, fixing anything that looked broken or out of place. We did about 10 plots, for family who lived away and friends. Dad built flower boxes and we went to the nursery and purchased geraniums, marigolds, sometimes petunias, and other hardy flowers. Then we would plant them in the boxes and put a bow on them and take them to the cemetary a few days before the day. Mother made certain that everyone in the extended family and friends had flowers on their lot. We visited cemetaries in the country where long gone family members were buried.
On Memorial day morning, we would go to the cemetary and out of town family would stop by and visit and then we would adjourn to our house for a picnic. Some brought food, others just an appetite. They knew there would be food for all and especially cake and home made ice cream.
Some of us would go to the 11am service of memory for the servicemen at the cemetary and I remember the haunting sound of taps being played.
As I grew older, Mother and Dad printed flags with the Presbyterian cross and members of the womens group would take them to the cemetary and spend a day putting the flags on the grave of every Presbyterian in the cemetary. Mother had maps made and kept them up all her life so no one was left out. It was (and still is) a beautiful sight to see all the American flags on the graves of veterans along with the Presbyterian flags.
I remember the year after Mother and Dad died, I was really upset as I went to the cemetary to do the first Memorial Day without them and I saw that there was no Presbyterian flag on their graves. Apparently, no one had updated the map and they were missed. But there has been a flag every year since then. I wonder when they will finally wear out and not be replaced. That tradition is at least 55 years old.
Mother finally gave in to artifical flowers a few years before her death, but Dad always made a box for Gran Mitchell.
I like family plots that have sidewalks around them and Dad and Uncle Harry always wanted a bench so they could sit and visit "after". Mother nixed both ideas, saying it was too much more work for the grounds keepers. She was right of course. But still, I would love to have a bench.
Today we seem to celebrate Memorial Day as a holiday..s long weekend away from work to go play and enjoy. I suppose there is nothing wrong with that, but I still love getting together with family and remembering the ones who are no longer with us and telling the youngsters stories of the past family. We don't do that often, but this year my cousin and his kids arranged a get together. We will go the the cemetary and then gather for a good old fashioned family day. I look forward to it. I will take pictures.

May

May is a month of graduations, family reunions, mosquitoes.
As mosquitoes are a nemesis in the female side of my family..I am always in dread of the aftermath of the great rains. They are big as dogs around here right now. When the dog goes into the backyard, we have to brush him off when he comes in because we found out that the pesky devils get a free ride in on his back. Rachel carries the scars for months and they set me on fire. Soon, they will abate and it will be better, but for right now, staying indoors and covered up is the only way to escape being bitten.
We have no graduations this year, but next year we will have two. Both on the east coast and with any luck at all within a 10 day span of each other so we can easily attend both. I will not miss Rachel's graduation from college and I absolutely will not miss Amy's graduation from Princeton. She called today and said she is officially a senior now and is glad not to be a middler anymore. She can see the end of one road and the beginning of the other. I am so excited for both of them. Amy will go on to finish her second masters degree in counseling, but she can do that by commuting to Rutgers. Hopefully, the job market will be better and there will be something Rachel will enjoy doing. If not, I guess grad school would be an option, but she is sort of tired of school.
I am looking forward to the Myers family reunion because they kindly included the Mitchell part of the family and we have not all been together since the last Aunt died and then some were missing. It will be nice to see the new generations that I don't know and really nice to see those who have grown old along with me.
May is a nice month. Really the only downer are the mosquitoes. So I will buy some more repellent and enjoy the month.

watch your bills

Today we received a bill from American Express and one from the phone company that both had weird charges on them. When I called about them, I was told they would cancel them and take it off the bill. But I still don't really know what they were for or how it got on my bill. I know we should always check our bills, but sometimes it gets by or we think someone else in the house bought something and don't ask. BUT ASK.....check your statements. Both places said I made agreements on the phone and I knew that was wrong, because I never agree to a charge by phone.

Blessings Abound

I have been blessed over and over this month. Joey came to spend a week in Oklahoma so we had the great joy of having her with us. I always love spending time with her.
Then Rachel arrived and that was obviously great fun. We are having fun just hanging out at the shop and doing stuff. Becky came this morning for the weekend and it is always a pleasure to have her here to hug and be Becky. So tonight we will have lasagna for dinner, because that is Becky's favorite and I make some really good Stouffers lasagna. I love having her because her favorite meal is the easiest thing in the world.
Martha is coming in a week and we will all go to Edmond for a cousins reunion and Becky will drive down to spend the day there. Then we can go to the cemetary and put out flowers.
At the end of the month we will be traveling to NJ to see Amy and Tim and I really look forward to that. This time we will be able to meet Kizzy and Sig, the new (old) dogs they adopted. Looking forward to that. Maybe we will even be able to see Joeys new apt in NYC.
Doug is busy umpiring and doing census work and old Ghost is still hobbling around.
So we have had a good month and just feel that we are especially blessed because we have had the chance to see our girls.
Now I just need to be able to make plans to see Tom and I will be happy.

DAYDREAMS

Another study has found that daydreaming is good. It helps solve knotty problems in our lives. I don't know how scientists can look at our brain and watch it function, but apparently they can and do. A study showed that when people daydream, they don't necessarily get the work at hand done, but their brain is wandering and sorting out ideas to solve issues, like career changes and such things.
Maybe that is why youngsters daydream more than oldsters. Possibly that is the reason teens are given to hours of day dreaming.
So..not a bad thing, these daydreams. Just think of the thorny problems you may be able to solve.

RUNNING OUT OF ATTENtio....

Can you run out of attention? Interesting article in the NY Times May 5. It talks about being attentive and focused and how your brain cannot do more than one thing well at a time. It works on the theory that the brain's synchronizing mechanism is enhanced by practice and by things such as meditation. They say it is hard for the brain to ignore sounds, such as tv. They recommend using ear plugs when trying to focus in an area when there are many disractions, especially noise distractions. Apparently sight distractions are not as bad.
They think they have identified the fact that attention is a finite resource. So they ask the question, "Do you want to invest your cognitive cash on endless twittering or net surfing or tv watching"?
They say that your brain can process 173 billion bits of information over the course of a lifetime. Man, I hope I don't run out.

MOMS

I know it is no longer Mother's Day, but I need to say a word about Moms.
Mine was great. I always knew she loved me and took care of me and taught me my faith. She was a big part of my life and I didn't know how big a part she was until she was gone. She died in 1974 and that is a long time ago. But I think of her a lot and miss her guidance. Some would say she was bossy and intimidating. She was, but she had the role of making sure things got done and we got raised. That was her way of doing it and it was the way most Moms of that generation did it. As I get older and hopefully much wiser, I have come to realize that each generation had their own way of being Mom. My grandmother, who I adored, was widowed at a young age. She took care of family needs when the children were growing up and when she became a widow, her children stripped her of her home and belongings and took care of her. She had no decision making in that process. That was pretty much the way it was. She travelled to different kids homes, depending on the need for her help. Or sometimes, just because it was time to move on. My Mother didn't have much decision making either, but it had moved up a step and she helped provide the living. She had complete domain over the family, though..which Gran lacked.
I had lots of decision making within boundaries. Our generation took care of home and family, worked, did the civic stuff and church stuff and made many decisions. Just not things like money and job and stuff like that.
My children's generation did all of that, but had more responsibility with the total picture and Dads helped with the children quite a lot. There is more cross involvement in their lives. My daughter is a better Mom than I was because she is able to talk to her kids about stuff that I only hinted at but did not have real serious conversations about.
This present generation has turned it on its head. You can hardly tell a mom from a dad. That is not a bad thing. Probably brings more appreciation for each other and a better relationship with the kids. They can go to either parent for anything. Before, there was a clear cut division of responsibility. Maybe we are getting it right.
But....Moms are Moms and Dads are Dads. They each deserve their day. I would hate to think that it might evolve into Parents Day because there was no difference.
Anyway, long live Moms. Being a Mom is the greatest thing in the world and the good thing is this. Many women are Moms to people without being a biological mom. I think that is the real purpose of the day.

Trains

Joey goes back to NYC tomorrow and needed to get to DFW to catch her plane tomorrow. She has friends to stay with tonight and when her ride to Dallas fell through, we began to weigh our options. Since I don't feel competent to drive in heavy traffic now, I didn't need to take her. Doug was working today and tonight so he was out. We settled on my driving her to Ardmore to catch the Heartland Flyer to Ft Worth where her friend picked her up. Turned out to be a good thing. It only cost $20 and she said it was clean and very comfortable with reclining seats and footrests and it was not crowded. We worried as we were waiting on the train...kids kept appearing from around the corner and she said, "I hope all these kids aren't getting on the train" which evoked a response from a woman..."yes, they are. We are taking them to Gainesville". Wow... But when the train pulled in, about 100 kids got off wearing lime green shirts and they were from Lindsey and had taken a train ride to Ardmore and the school bus was there to pick them up. So I guess the 2nd graders from Ardmore were going to be ferried back by bus. Anyway, they had a car just for them, so Joey didn't see them again and she had a peaceful and pleasant trip. ]
I remember travelling by train with Gran. During the war we used to go to Ponca City by train and to McAlester by train to see family. She always made me dress up and I had to wear gloves and a hat and carry a purse. That is how ladies travel she would say. I am just glad I wasn't old enough to wear hose because she would have insisted on that and I hated wearing hose and still do to this day. (I never spell that right..I am talking about the hose things you wear on your legs...not what you water the yard with!)
I have always loved train travel. So sad we let it bet away from us.

Fixed, not fixed

The Mercedes message light came on saying my headlamp was defective. I needed to travel to OKC and it was going to be rainy and dreary, so I took it to Oneals to have a new light installed. I picked it up and all was well. Next morning, in the pouring rain, gray sky and poor light, I started to OKC only to notice, to my dismay, that the message about the headlamp was once again staring me in the face. I got out and looked and sure enough...the right headlight was out. So I called them and said, "so what? did you take the right light out and put it in the left side?" I am not sure they thought it was funny, as they assured me they would never do that. So, I will take it in today and have it repaired.
It occurred to me that sometimes when we fix one fault that it often makes another fault come to the surface...maybe we need to be careful about fixing our faults. Well, maybe not...maybe we just need to be more aware of how easily our faults can surface. One right after the other, they seem to appear. But as long as we can take them in and get them fixed we will be ok.
I know, this is foolish rambliing, but that is what my mind is doing today.

Gardens

I guess it is time to take down the poetry, though I quite enjoyed it. Tim said I missed his selection and it is called "MICROBES" and it goes like this: Adam hadam.
Ok, fine, Tim. Thanks, I can remember that.

I suppose it is time to plant gardens, but you won't find one here. We don't have enough sunshine where the dirt is. We manage some flowers, but if I needed to plant a victory garden, I would be in trouble.
I don't suppose many of you know what I mean by a Victory Garden. When I was a child during the 2nd world war, we all had victory gardens. Everyone turned their yards into gardens and we grew everything we could. We canned, made tomato ketsup, jellies and jams..though you had to figure out how to do it without sugar. We would save sugar coupons for our family on the farms so they could make preserves and share with us. Since we had a sizable yard, and there was also a community garden on the half block behind us, Dad grew tobacco and cured it in the garage and made his own cigarettes and pipe tobacco. We all would go to Mother and Dad Careys farm and pick the berries and the fruit trees. It is amazing how much you can do without sugar when it comes to making deserts and jellies. Mothers had to be quite careful with their ration coupons to be sure there was enough to eat. So growing the gardens made it that much better. At least you always had vegetables. We canned corn, beans, peas, beets and carrots. But let me tell you, the carrots we grew were awful. Our ground was not sandy enough to grow them so they did not fork and break off when you pulled them. Also, we dud not water too much. Mostly carried buckets of water to the garden and watered with a ladle. Yuk...the potato beetles were a mess and the kids had to go pick them off and whomp them with a brick. But you better know the difference between a lady bug and a potato beetle. Lady bugs are your friends. Onions and potatos went down in root cellars. Onions hung on the wall of the garage if there wasn't a root cellar. Potatos were packed in sand.

That was when Dad decided to beautify the yard and planted big canna beds. Cannas are big tall and big leafed plants that produce showy flowers. He always had a circular garden full of them.

My Gran cracked the whip on the garden, though. She was in charge of canning and she said what was planted and when it was picked. When she said to go pick beans, you had better get your bucket and go pick and they had better be the right size. She was a gentle soul, but she expected to tell you once and have you remember. But she always made it fun as she was patient enough to let me 'help' do things I was not big enough to do. I did not learn patience with kids from her. I was more like my Mother, she had little patience to teach you..but Gran would spend hours showing you how. Then you needed to remember it!

Well, if you plant a victory garden, don't forget to plant some marigolds at the end of the rows. It helps keep bugs away. That's what they told me anyway. I think it just made the work in the garden a little more pleasant to have a bit of color.

Poem In Your Pocket Day

Put a Poem in Your Pocket Day
Put a Poem in Your Pocket Day

This is Rachel's Selection:
Terence, This Is Stupid Stuff
To hear such tunes as killed the cow! Pretty friendship 'tis to rhyme Your friends to death before their time Moping melancholy mad! Come, pipe a tune to dance to, lad!" Why, if 'tis dancing you would be, There's brisker pipes than poetry. Say, for what were hop-yards meant, Or why was Burton built on Trent? Oh many a peer of England brews Livelier liquor than the Muse, And malt does more than Milton can To justify God's ways to man. Ale, man, ale's the stuff to drink For fellows whom it hurts to think: Look into the pewter pot To see the world as the world's not. And faith, 'tis pleasant till 'tis past: The mischief is that 'twill not last. Oh I have been to Ludlow fair And left my necktie God knows where, And carried half way home, or near, Pints and quarts of Ludlow beer: Then the world seemed none so bad, And I myself a sterling lad; And down in lovely muck I've lain, Happy till I woke again. Then I saw the morning sky: Heigho, the tale was all a lie; The world, it was the old world yet, I was I, my things were wet, And nothing now remained to do But begin the game anew. Therefore, since the world has still Much good, but much less good than ill, And while the sun and moon endure Luck's a chance, but trouble's sure, I'd face it as a wise man would, And train for ill and not for good. 'Tis true, the stuff I bring for sale Is not so brisk a brew as ale: Out of a stem that scored the hand I wrung it in a weary land. But take it: if the smack is sour, The better for the embittered hour; It should do good to heart and head When your soul is in my soul's stead; And I will friend you, if I may, In the dark and cloudy day. There was a king reigned in the East: There, when kings will sit to feast, They get their fill before they think With poisoned meat and poisoned drink. He gathered all the springs to birth From the many-venomed earth; First a little, thence to more, He sampled all her killing store; And easy, smiling, seasoned sound, Sate the king when healths went round. They put arsenic in his meat And stared aghast to watch him eat; They poured strychnine in his cup And shook to see him drink it up: They shook, they stared as white's their shirt: Them it was their poison hurt. --I tell the tale that I heard told. Mithridates, he died old. Alfred Edward Housman

This one comes from Amy:
Annabel Lee


It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

Edgar Allan Poe



This is from Joey, she likes Shel Silverstein and didn't choose a special one, but I remember her liking at least two of these and I think all three.
Boa Constrictor


Oh, I'm being eaten
By a boa constrictor,
A boa constrictor,
A boa constrictor,
I'm being eaten by a boa constrictor,
And I don't like it--one bit.
Well, what do you know?
It's nibblin' my toe.
Oh, gee,
It's up to my knee.
Oh my,
It's up to my thigh.
Oh, fiddle,
It's up to my middle.
Oh, heck,
It's up to my neck.
Oh, dread,
It's upmmmmmmmmmmffffffffff . . .

Shel Silverstein

It's Dark in Here


I am writing these poems
From inside a lion,
And it's rather dark in here.
So please excuse the handwriting
Which may not be too clear.
But this afternoon by the lion's cage
I'm afraid I got too near.
And I'm writing these lines
From inside a lion,
And it's rather dark in here.

Shel Silverstein


Where the Sidewalk Ends


There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.

Shel Silverstein

And I think this is one my Gran Mitchell loved.

Crossing the Bar


Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For through from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

This is the one Gran taught me when I was very young and I always loved it and we read it together many times.

Little Orphant Annie





1 Little Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,
2 An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away,
3 An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep,
4 An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep;
5 An' all us other childern, when the supper-things is done,
6 We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun
7 A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about,
8 An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you
9 Ef you
10 Don't
11 Watch
12 Out!

13 Wunst they wuz a little boy wouldn't say his prayers, --
14 An' when he went to bed at night, away up-stairs,
15 His Mammy heerd him holler, an' his Daddy heerd him bawl,
16 An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wuzn't there at all!
17 An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole, an' press,
18 An' seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'-wheres, I guess;
19 But all they ever found wuz thist his pants an' roundabout: --
20 An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you
21 Ef you
22 Don't
23 Watch
24 Out!

25 An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin,
26 An' make fun of ever' one, an' all her blood-an'-kin;
27 An' wunst, when they was "company," an' ole folks wuz there,
28 She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't care!
29 An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide,
30 They wuz two great big Black Things a-standin' by her side,
31 An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she knowed what she's about!
32 An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you
33 Ef you
34 Don't
35 Watch
36 Out!

37 An' little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue,
38 An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo!
39 An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray,
40 An' the lightnin'-bugs in dew is all squenched away, --
41 You better mind yer parunts, an' yer teachurs fond an' dear,
42 An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear,
43 An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all about,
44 Er the Gobble-uns 'll git you
45 Ef you
46 Don't
47 Watch
48 Out!

James Whitcomb

And this is my favorite and I have lived by it all my life.
Believe in yourself!

Believe in yourself!

Believe you were made to do any task without calling for aid.

Believe, without growing too scornfully proud,
that you, as the greatest and least are endowed.

A mind to do thinking, two hands and two eyes
are all the equipment God gives to the wise.

Believe in yourself!

You are divinely designed and perfectly made
for the work of mankind.

The truth you must cling to through danger and pain;
the heights others have reached you can also attain.

Believe to the very last hour, for it is true.
That what ever you will, you've been gifted to do.

Believe in yourself and step out unafraid.

By misgivings and doubt be not easily swayed.

You've the right to succeed;
the precision of skill which betokens the great
you can earn if you will!

The wisdom of the ages is yours if you'll read.

But you've got to believe in yourself to succeed

So everyone have a wonderful Poetry Day and thanks.

Thunder

Well, the thunder and the rain has finally arrived. At long last we are getting a good rain. I think it has been everywhere but here. Of course, like everyone else, it all comes at once. Used to be April showers meant May flowers and that was true. I am sure I remember April being very wet, but only a little at a time. It was indeed a month of showers, not thunderstorms. And the flowers bloomed in May, not in Jan or March. I remember May Day, picking flowers from the gardens next door and making baskets and then putting them on the door handle and ringing the doorbell and running away to watch the people come for them. It was a joyous delight to make the baskets and then go across to cut old fashioned roses from the Shultzes hedge and maiden hair fern from the back alley. My, they made pretty baskets, all wet with dew and smelling good. That was a fun old tradition. Spent days before weaving paper baskets. I remember being really put out if it rained that day and the baskets sat wilting waiting for the storm to pass. I do remember we had storms in May, but not April...just showers. Today it is May and we are finally having rain and I am very glad to see it. Perhaps it isn't too late for the farmers and hopefully there won't be any hail to go with it. Now, I think I will go out and splash in the puddles.
Well, I spoke too soon. It seems the tornado sirens went off and as they are only 2 blocks away, you would think I could have heard them, but the wind was blowing so hard and the rain so heavy that we did not hear them. Fortunately we have a perfect storm shelter in the shop, the old vault, but it won't do much good if we don't know when to go to it. Probably should have realized from looking out the window that it would be a good idea. Maybe later I will go play in the puddles.

Weather

Weather, that is a title that will surely grab your attention. It seems to me that living in tornado alley has taken on a whole new meaning. Our alley has been thankfully ignored by tornados of late. It has been a long time since we have had a real scare. Not that I am complaining, but each time the telly guys start going on about the bad weather, I almost don't pay attention. It is always hail, high winds, flood rains and twisters...coming right for you..but they always veer away from us. Other people get it pretty bad, Wichita, Ks had 6 inches of rain last night in a short time and Enid had a tornado a few days ago. But while we used to be in the alley that had several sighted tornados each spring, we have been blessed and the tornados must have found a different path they prefer. I should know what makes that happen, but I don't. But I am thankful for their absence.

Learning

It is no secret that we learn new things every day and for me it is often learning dozens of new things each day. Last night, visiting with Rachel, she said she had decided on her favorite poem. I will post them all on the 30th so I won't ruin it by doing it now. But the last line of her poem sent me to Wickieworld (and other sources) to find the real meaning of 'Mithridates'. I have seen it used in old poetry and it usually means the same as "O God" since Mithra was commonly referred to as a deity, but I did not know that the Mithridates of old specifically referred to the King of Pontus in the 50'sBCE, who was an arch enemy and at the same time friend of the Roman Empire. He seems to have been an unenviable person as he was given to matricide and a paranoia of being poisoned while still a child.
It makes the poem take on a whole new meaning for me...so thank you for the learning experience. My grandchildren are so good to me, they keep me on my toes and present lots of learning experiences for me...and I appreciate it. Well, my children are pretty good about this, too. I also learned a lot about Emily Dickinson that I did not know when I had the privilege of reading the term paper written about the poet.
I think I will know when I get OLD..it will be when I am more concerned with just me and quit learning. So keep it coming, children, keep me from myself and decline.

Good morrow, fine fellow

I missed yesterday's Talk Like Shakespeare Day. It was apparently in honor of his 445th birthday, but I can't quite figure out his real birthday. He was baptised April 26, so maybe yesterday was the real day.
I always liked old Will. Macbeth is perhaps my favorite, but I also liked his sonnets. I think it remarkable that his works have lasted so long with the popularity they have. When I was but a young lass, I liked Lady Macbeth and would dress up in a white sheet and perform her speeches in my bedroom. Thespian that I am. So, Happy baptism day on Sunday, old Will. I beseech ye to give my soul rest for leaving from my mind the especial day on which ye be birthed.

Happy Earth Day

Today is Earth Day and we should all pay attention to it and the reason for it.
But this month is another significant month and April 30 is the big day...so everyone get ready.

This is Poetry Month and the 30th is Poetry Day. So Everyone begin to think of your favorite poem and send them to me and we will share them on the 30th.
Or your favorite poet if you can't think of a poem.

Save something on the planet today. I will drink from glass cups and eat from re-usable things today. I went off and left the back door open for Ghost today since no one will be home all day, but I did turn off the air and heat so that won't be going off. Tonight I will turn off all my computers and unplug the chargers. Who knew that leaving a computer turned on and a cell phone charger plugged into the wall would use so much electricity. I think we need to install those electrical outlets the Brits use and I always made so much fun of. They are up higher on the wall so you can see and reach them easily and they all have a switch, so you flip the switch when the outlet is not in use, thus saving the bit of electricity that leaks out all the time. Do your part and try to keep it up all year until it becomes a habit. I am trying, but 72 years of waste is not an easy habit to break.

Don't forget your poem!!!!

Windows

Way back in 1951 or so, the FPC in Duncan had a wonderful pastor, Pat Easterling. The church remodeled and in the process installed 16 beautiful stained glass windows, mostly depicting the life of Christ. I have read the booklet that he produced to describe the windows many times. When our new interim arrived, she saw the booklet and thought it a good idea to update it and reprint it. So we have a new book, nothing has been changed in the original book, but there are now some colored pictures and the Fellowship Hall window and the Chapel window has been included. Also, some history. It is very nice and how pleasant to see the proper use of the English language as I know it.
We had a walk through the sanctuary yesterday and read the book as we looked at the windows and I am always impressed when I look at them. They are quite traditional and the colors are so beautiful and they have a very serene look to them. No wonder people want to get married in our church, it is lovely.
Nothing will ever touch my heart quite like the painting in the front of the church in Guthrie, because I grew up looking at it every Sunday. But these windows come close.
The windows in the blog are the Trinity window on the left and the one on the right is the Bible, the Central Faith of Protestantism. That is one of the two that do not depict the actual life of Christ and the other one is the Assurance of the Triumph of Christian Faith.
Enjoy

big day

It is a big day downtown, or not so big, depending on how you view it. The street is closed for 5 blocks east to west and 2 blocks north to south. Car and motorcycle show. I would like to be enthused, but I fear I am not. It will be a fine event for those entered, but there will be few people coming downtown for the party because all the parking lots and the streets are unavailable for parking. We came at 8am and had to park two blocks away, so I imagine the shoppers who might like to come will find parking closer than 4 blocks difficult. It is hard to accommodate the needs of the event and the needs of the merchants and shoppers. I hope it is a good day for them. I plan to get some much needed paperwork done and some personal sewing and some reading completed. At least it will be quiet and I have good lighting here. Well, not so much quiet...the guys sitting out on the sidewalk by their cars are having a wonderful time and talking and laughing. SO...does that not make it a success? And I think I see smoke blowing this way which speaks of bar b q so that must also contribute to a successful day. Maybe I will go have a walk around and readjust my attitude. Thus trying to assume a position of grace instead of oneryness.

Busy Busy Busy

This is a busy time of year. Today Becky is off to S. Korea to spend a week with Jason. I hope she has a wonderful trip and the North Koreans behave. I will be anxious to see her when she returns. As Jason will be sent to Fort Hood when he returns in August, I wonder what she will do.
Amy is finishing her sermon for her tri-service this weekend. Boy, they get their moneys worth from a preacher at that church. She does the 8:30 and then rushes to another service where she is escorted to another service before that one ends. I think I would always go the the 11 am service as they would be well practiced by then. But on the other hand, they may be bored with their sermon by that time. Should be an experience. She still hasn't told me if she is preaching on the Psalm or the 1st John scripture.
Rachel is gearing up for finals in early May and then a trip to Ok, if she can be parted from her new doggy friend, Sig.
Amy is about to go into finals, so after the sermon prep she has reading week and a busy schedule.
Tim is preparing sermons for the coming year and who knows what else.
I don't know about Jo, except that she will be headed for Ok in the next week or so..I would imagine she is busy at work and keeping NYC going. I will be very happy to see her.
Bill is busy with church finances and just stuff in general. As busy as he would like to be.
Doug is in the midst of umpiring school ball and gearing up for summer ball and will go for census training next week so he will have a busy summer. Confirmed the Denver tournament for the summer schedule and he will enjoy that week.
Me, I am trying to keep up with the shop and the church. About all I can manage, but am looking forward to a trip to NJ in the next couple of months. I will wait and go when Amy is out for the summer so I can enjoy a visit with her and be at Stillwater with them all.
So, thankfully, we are all doing what we do and grateful to be able to do it all.