Margie's Musings

Great Night's Sleep!

2012-02-02T06:14:00.003-06:00

After work yesterday and after my hair appointment, I drove over to Parsons and since I had an hour or two to kill, I visited an old friend who has a moble home sales business over there. We caught up on all our family news and his business news.

Leslie got to Parsons about 5:00 (she took off work early) and we walked around town until Scott and Becky arrived and then they took us to Ernestos Mexicaan Restaurant there for dinner. I tried not to eat too much. Sometimes I don't sleep well on a too full stomach. Leslie got me home about 7:00 or so. I watched TV for an hour and let Slinky in as soon as I got home so he might sleep better. It was to get down to 28 degrees last night. He did well! He slept until 4:00 this morning and then needed to go out briefly. He went back to bed after that and I did too. I got a good night's sleep finally. I got up at 5:00 as usual.

I'll work this morning and then leave early about 11:15 to get out to Windsor Place to get the agendas and minutes from last month's CMA meeting distributed and after that meeting, I'll go out to Wal Mart to do some grocery shopping. I am out of everything and I have Living the Questions here on Sunday evening. I will make brownies for that and serve punch or coffee for a drink.

It feels good to be rested after this awful week.

I went to the market this afternoon and bought groceries and saw an old friend there that I visited with awhile. I got home about 5:00 and put my groceries away and fed Slinky and Missy and now Slinky is on his bed in the utility room.

What A Night!

2012-02-01T05:33:00.002-06:00

It's been one of those nights again. Slinky woke up at midnight and was barking. I went out to check it out and it was balmy so I told him to go back to bed. At 3:00, he was awake again and barking. My next door neighbor's bedroom window is just off my patio where he sleeps so I simply cannot let him bark, I went out again and hushed him and this time it was cold so I brought him and his bedding in. I told him to get back to sleep but he barked every fifteen minutes the rest of the night. I constantly got up to shush him and order him back to bed but this time it didn't work. I haven't slept since midnight.

I have to work this morning and then go to Independence for my hair appointment and after that, make a trip to Parsons to meet Scott and Becky and get her car back to her. Leslie will meet me then and bring me home. It will be a big day and I will be exhausted before it's done. On top of Slinky, Missy woke me up twice to go out. When I went out to scold Slinky for barking she came back in the first time. In thirty minutes she woke me again to get back out. Animals!

It appears Mitt Romney won the Florida primary last night. I'm not happy about it but I am glad Newt Gingrich didn't win. He's a mess!

Tuesday Trip

2012-01-31T06:48:00.003-06:00

This is the day Bob A, Phyllis F., and I will go to Joplin. That should be fun.

Slinky slept outside last night. It was balmy and warm. He woke up about 12:30 and wanted to come in but it was too nice to let him inside so I just told him to be quiet...to hush! That seemed to work and he slept until 4:00 when he tried again. Again, I went out and told him to "hush" barking. He quieted right down and went back to sleep. When I got up at 5:00, I let him in the kitchen for his breakfast. After laying around for awhile, he decided it was too nice outside to stay in the house so he went back outside. What a January! I wonder what February will be like. Bob A. called last night and said he would be by at 10:00 this morning to pick me up and then we would go get Phyllis F. It should be fun!

I worked on the second quarter schedule this morning. It's pretty early but I had the time so I got it finished. I'll send it out later for corrections. Someone always has to change the initial schedule. I'd rather it would not be at the last minute.

More later....

Bob A.picked me up at 10:00 and Phyllis F. shortly after that. We got to Joplin about 11:30 and ate at Olive Garden. Then we went on to the mall and walked the entire mall. Both Phyllis F. and Bob A. bought something but the only thing I bought was my lunch. But we had a good time.

Another Monday

2012-01-30T05:31:00.003-06:00

Church went really well yesterday. Afterward we all went to El Pueblito's for lunch and as always, it was good. John wasn't at church. He had had to work on Saturday and had a lot of things he needed to do around the farm so he stayed home and did them.

I came home after lunch and did the newsletters and got them out on the mailbox. Then I took a ride...just to get out of the house. I stopped at McDonald's and had a small McFlurry. Last night I watched 60 Minutes and then at 9:00, I went to bed. Slinky woke me up three times last night and the last time was 4:45 so I just got up.

Today I will clean house. I don't think I will go out to see Phyllis again. It is just so depressing.

Tomorrow I will call in the number of reservations for the Ministerial Alliance lunch on Thursday. Bob A., Phyllis F. and I are going to Joplin to the Olive Garden to eat and then walk the mall afterward too. Phyllis F. seemed really glad to be asked to go. She is quite shy but always goes to eat with the group after church.

Wednesday after work, I have a hair appointment in Independence and then I will drive over to Parsons to meet Scott and Becky and take Becky's car back to her. Then Leslie will come to Parsons after work and pick me up and bring me home.

Thursday is Ministerial Alliance after work. I will leave work thirty minutes early to distribute the minutes and the agenda.

I have nothing going on Friday. That's the day Scott leaves to go back to Germany.

The Florida primary is tomorrow. That will be interesting. I look for Romney to win. I don't see a viable candidate there though. They all have too much baggage of one kind or the other. Romney's church has way too much influence on any LDS. Newt is immoral and unethical. The others are just not viable at all. Ron Paul is another far right with wild and crazy ideas.

Sunday Again

2012-01-29T05:51:00.002-06:00

Well, it's Sunday again and I will have church this morning. Bob A. will be here at nine to pick me up.

Yesterday went well. We had breakfast with Bob A, I went out to see Phyllis (although she was in a bad shape...barely cognisant). Then we went out to John and Leslie's house. John had to work so we just visited with Leslie. About 11:30, I called in an order for a large pizza and went into town to pick it up. We ate that and visited awhile longer before Becky and Scott left for Bristoe to pick up her horse, Chester. Today, they will leave there for Wichita where she will get her taxes done. Then they will go back to Fort Scott. Wednesday Leslie and I plan to go to Parsons to meet them to take the car back...the one she loaned to Scott so he could come see me. Leslie will follow me in her SUV and bring me home afterward. It will be a big day.

Today, after church, as usual, we will eat out together somewhere. This afternoon I will do my usual letters. And this evening I will watch 60 minutes and after that, if I can find it, Harry's Law. They were supposed to have moved it to Sunday evening.

Slinky woke me up four times last night but I got right back to sleep each time. I didn't get much sleep the night before so I had gone to bed at 7:00. He is lying here at my feet on his cushion napping right now. He has had his dog food and his oatmeal and is full. Scott offered to take him and have him put down for me but I couldn't bring myself to let him do that. When he is good, he is very, very good...and good company.

Busy Saturday

2012-01-28T08:44:00.002-06:00

Scott and I met Bob A. for breakfast again...Scott bought breakfast. We had a nice discussion. I will go out to Windsor at 9:30 to see Phyllis and then Scott and I will go on to John and Leslie's. Becky didn't come with Scott yesterday. She sent him on ahead with one of her cars and he spent the afternoon with me. Instead of eating with John and Leslie, we went to the Tavern on the Plaza by ourselves. He stayed with me last night. After I see Phyllis, we will go on out to John and Leslie's to visit.

If and when Becky comes, we will have pizza and then they will leave for Bristoe to pick up Becky's horse. After that, they will go to Wichita where she gets her taxes done.

I got my W-2 from SER yesterday and now I think I have everything I need to file my taxes. I may take my laptop computer out to Leslie's and do that this afternoon. She can help me if I have questions.

More later....

Friday At Last

2012-01-27T05:35:00.003-06:00

Another Friday! I'll work this morning and then come home. I have no idea when Becky and Scott will get here but there's always something to do here. I need to do some cleaning and also some laundry. In fact, I just started the laundry. I may as well do that while I keep Slinky company.

Speaking of Slinky, he only woke me once last night...at 12:30. That was great. Unfortunately, my mind would not get back to sleep. After an hour of just lying there, I got up and took a sleeping pill. I do have to work this morning. All I could think of, (and couldn't shut down my mind) was all the "stuff" that still needs to be confirmed about the class reunion before I can send out the letter announcing it and asking for reservations. I need to know if the restaurant can accomodate an extra hundred people that Friday evening. I also need the list of classmates from the class of '52 if they're going to come too. So I need to contact their class locater. I need to see if John actually reserved the stadium room. We will need to repay his $300, if so. I will need to get Martha to give him $300 out of the class funds to repay him. I bought the stamps and got the letter of announcement ready to go out but before I actually send it out, I want to be sure all the i's are dotted and all the t's are crossed.

Yesterday after doing my filing, I stuffed envelopes the rest of the morning. I stayed an extra twenty minutes to finish that job. Then I went on to Independence to get my hair done. I forgot to eat until 3:30 when I warmed up the rest of the Mexican food from Monday evening.

I watched TV for awhile and about 9:00, I went to bed.

Quiet Thursday

2012-01-26T16:23:00.006-06:00

It was a relatively quiet day. I worked a little later this morning because I wanted to finish a project.

Then I went to Independence to get my hair done. After that, I came home and got my mail. My Silver Dollar City season tickets had arrived and also a check from one of my clasmates. I went to the bank to cash the check and then by my brother-in-law's to deliver his Silver Dollar City ticket.

I fed Missy the cat her treats and read the mail. See, I told you it was a dull day.

If Becky and Scott come tomorrow afternoon we will go back to Independence to eat with John and Leslie at Turbo's. If they don't come, I will stay home. I'm not much on driving at night...especially with so many deer out and around. I'm always afraid I might run into one of them and I know that would be the end of my car. And I couldn't afford another.

I will pick up a Big Cheese pizza for Saturday noon and take it out there for lunch. Then after lunch Becky and Scott will need to leave for Wichita where she is having her taxes done. I won't see him again because he leaves the following Friday.

Back to Work on Wednesday

2012-01-25T06:34:00.002-06:00

I won't mention the sleep I had constantly interrupted last night. That's an old story, I know.

We took the cakes in to Independence yesterday. Two of our members "forgot". I hope they had enough cakes for dinner last night. The "forgetting" is getting to be more and more common. After we finished we ate a mini pizza at Big Cheese. Then I picked up my bedspread at the Wash and Fluff and a sweater at the cleaners. Bob A. paid the tax on his vehicle. So we got quite a bit done while up there.

I came home and just rested and watched a movie on TV.

Slinky stayed out all day and until 9:00 last night when it began to get colder. He barked to get in and I let him in. He went right to bed.

So today I get back to work. I will file and also put out the rest of the letters for juriors. I also need to get my supervisor to sign my time sheet and send in my job search.

Scott just called to see what would be a good time to come back. He wants to see his sister and brother-in-law too. I suggested Friday afternoon and Saturday. They would stay at Leslie and John's because they have a lot more room and also are closer to their age. I would go out to their house on Saturday to visit...perhaps pick up a pizza for dinner.

I will check with Leslie about their Saturday schedule.

Cake Tuesday

2012-01-24T05:48:00.003-06:00

This is the Tuesday I take the cakes to Independence and then Bob A. and I will eat at Big Cheese. They have the best mini pizza in the area.

Last night was a mixed blessing. Bob A. and I had gone to Caney to eat at the new Eggberts there. It was o.k. although we really prefer the one in Coffeyville. Their special was chicken and noodles and it was o.k. but we like the chicken fried steak mini dinner we get at our Eggberts.

But it did give me the opportunity to run by the dentist office and pick up Keith's flag. Nancy F. had called me about a month ago and told me that when Keith got home from Iraq, they took his flag down from General Wark Park where it had been flying while he was in Iraq and they had it for him at the dentist office. So I went by to get it since he and Esther will be here in April and I can give it to him. I was surprised to find they had it mounted in one of those beautiful flag frames and also had a letter of appreciation in a plastic sleeve to go with it. He will be very pleased.

So I had a filling lunch and had not intended to eat anything but yogurt for dinner.
About 5:15, though, Becky called. She had picked Scott up at the Tulsa airport. They had decided to come to Coffeyville and wanted me to eat dinner with them. I was tickled to death, of course. Scott wanted to go El Puebelo for Mexican food. He cannot get Mexican food in Germany. All they offer is European food. So, about 7:00, I met them at the restaurant and we had a good filling dinner before they had to leave to go on to Fort Scott. It was so good to see them! They will be back again before he leaves to see me and Leslie and John too. I don't know exactly when.

Anyhow, when I got home I let Slinky in and he went right to bed. I had fed him before I left and left him on the patio. But before I got home, it turned cold and he needed to come in. I went on to bed too. It was around 9:00 and I was tired. Slinky awoke about 12:30 to go out to go pee and came right back in and back to bed. I, on the other hand, could not get back to sleep. My stomach was rolling. Mexican food... Finally after about an hour, I got up and took a couple of tums. Then I was able to get back to sleep. But it was not to happen. Missy woke me up next to get out. Then she disappeared and I couldn't find her to let her out. I went back to bed. Then she came back into the bedroom and woke me again. This time I picked her up and took her out. Then just as I got back to sleep again at 4:00, Slinky woke up to go out again. I let him out and back in and went back to bed again. At 5:00, his internal clock set in and he began barking for his breakfast. After he stopped barking, I put my contacts in and got up.

So I am wiped out this morning. After it warms up about 7:15, and he goes outside, I will wash my hair and get ready for the day.

Another Good Night's Sleep

2012-01-23T05:36:00.003-06:00

Last night was another good night for Slinky. I didn't get home until 10:00 from my Living the Questions group. He heard that I was home and wanted into the house. It had begun to get cold outside on the patio. I let him in, took my bath and both of us went to bed. He awoke at 12:30 wanting out to pee and I let him out. Then he went right back to bed and so did I. He slept until 4:30 this morning this time and I let him out then. I went back to bed for thirty minutes more and finally got up and got ready for my day at 5:00 AM. It's 39 degrees out there now at 5:30. Not bad for the middle of winter.

I don't know what I will do today...maybe some housework. I do want to go see Phyllis and Gerry later on this morning. I didn't go Saturday because it turned cold and I didn't want to get out in it. Later this afternoon, I will bake my two cakes for the Christian Church's dinner tomorrow.

Scott called about 8:00 last evening when I was at Lively's for the meeting. He was on his way to Munich at 2:00 in the morning. He was so excited about his leave that he couldn't sleep anymore. I visited with him briefly and then told him where I was and he let me go. He should be in Tulsa about 5:15 this evening. Becky will pick him up. I probably won't see them for several days. They will come to see Leslie and John and me before he leaves to go back the first Friday in February.

Warm Sunday

2012-01-22T05:55:00.005-06:00

Slinky slept in last night and didn't wake me until 4:00 this morning. When I went to let him out to pee, I noticed it was 49 degrees. What a winter! I'm not complaining. I do not like winter. He will be able to be outside when I go to church this morning and it won't be cold for him either.

We are having an ordination this morning. Our young doctor, Melissa, is being ordained a priest in our church. She has finished all her Temple School courses in preparation. She was formerly a deacon. Being a priest is more then just preaching and presiding, it is also home ministry. I hope she will be able to work that ministry into her busy schedule. It is a major part of her responsibiities as priest. In our church, we have deacons, teachers (councelors), priests and elders. Each have specific duties. I am hoping we can mentor our three younger priesthood members into more responsibiity so eventually they can take over more of the leadership of the congregation. I have been pastor for years and am really too old to continue to be re-elected. We elect the pastor from among the elders each year. We have several elders but they are already heavily burdened with responsibility. Sue also has diabetes. Karan does not want the responsibility, Leslie is our CFO, another awesome responsibility. And John has too many health problems.

So I am hopeful that Johnna, Melissa and Leslie can soon take over. Johnna might take CFO and that would free Leslie up to be pastor. She has been pastor before but it was awhile ago and she was not CFO at that time.

I would continue to help all I can perhaps continuing the newsletters I send out each Sunday afternoon. I could also continue to participate in Ministerial Alliance as our congregation's representative. I would even be willing to co-pastor. It's a thought.

Saturday Again

2012-01-21T08:55:00.004-06:00

It's Saturday again and I just finished breakfast at Eggberts with my brother-in-law. It's almost 9:00 now and at 9:30, I will go visit my sister and Gerry in the nursing home. Slinky is out on the patio on the chaise lounge and that's where he wants to be. It's only 18 degrees out there but he evidently prefers the outside to the kitchen and utility area in the house. At least if he has to "go", he doesn't have to get me to open the door for him.

The class reunion meeting went well. It was a cold evening so not too many came out. I think there were nine. Anyhow, I had a full living room. It broke up about 8:30.

Slinky slept well. He only woke me up once....well, twice if you count 4:00 AM. He woke me up at 12:30 to get out to pee but he went right back to sleep when I let him back in. So I got a good night's sleep.

I will stay in today. It's too cold to get out and mess around. After I visit Phyllis and Gerry I will have to go by the bank and get some money. I am nearly broke.

Maybe I will read today. It doesn't look like it's going to warm up.

Ah, Friday At Last!

2012-01-20T06:38:00.005-06:00

This is the last day this week to work. I have been doing my filing but my boss is taking a few days off this week and so I have had several other jobs to do too...like preparing the list for jury duty and send out questionaire letters. It's been different.

Last night I went to bed at 8:00 and it's a good thing I did too. Slinky woke me up almost every hour on the hour after midnight. What a dog! I don't know what to do with him. I am tempted to give him one of my sleeping pills so I can get some sleep.

I took the broom to nudge him out of my flowerbed during one of his trips outside and he growled and barked at me.

This evening at 7:00 I will host my class reunion planning committee. I should be making my pumpkin bars right now but I will make them after work, I guess. I need to go to the market too and get a few things. I am out of coffee and I need to get the cake mixes and lidded pans for Tuesday's cakes for the First Christian Church dinner in Independence. Also I want to get some tomato soup. I like tomato soup with my grilled cheese sandwiches. Sometimes that's what I have for lunch.

This evening I will meet with one of my classmates at 5:15 at Lannings for dinner. Then we will discuss possible dinner plans for the classmates there in their private room this fall. Finally we will come out to the house to prepare for the meeting at 7:00.

It will be a busy day.

More..

The classmate called this morning to say he is renovating his house and has run onto a mess. He had to cancel dinner but will try to get to the meeting. The weather has turned nasty so I don't look for him to come. It was misting this morning. I wonder how many will come tonight?

I have the pumpkin bars in the oven. I hope they turn out. I have not made them before. This is Leslie's recipe.

I made up the potato soup mix that Bob A gave me for Christmas. I had cup of it for lunch with half a grilled cheese sandwich. It was really good! It is Wind and Willow and for a mix it is excellent.

The bars are out now and they are supposed to cool for thirty minutes before I cut them into bars. Then I am to refrigerate them. I hope they are good! They smell good!

The Real Romney

2012-01-19T13:05:00.006-06:00

I heard an interview on NPR when coming home from work this noon. The interview was with the authors of the new book, "The Real Romney". Everyone who is considering voting for Romney should listen to this program. You'll learn a lot about him..some good and some bad but essentially why you do not want to vote for this candidate.

A New Book Examines 'The Real Romney'

Longtime Boston Globe reporters Michael Kranish and Scott Helman start their biography of Mitt Romney by examining his ancestors, many of whom played crucial roles in the development of the Mormon faith. The Real Romney also examines the candidate's political beliefs and his career in private equity.

http://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/

I downloaded the book on my kindle. Now I will see what else the authors have to say.

From FactCheck.org

Facts were sometimes used as blunt instruments as the four remaining GOP presidential candidates hammered away at each other in the last debate before Saturday’s South Carolina primary.

Santorum and Romney tangled on the Massachusetts health care law. Santorum wrongly claimed it was a “government-run” program. Romney erred when he said everybody was covered by private insurance, ignoring Medicare and his own expansion of Medicaid.

Santorum also fouled up when he claimed the state has “the highest health insurance premiums of any state in the country.” Seven states and Washington, D.C., were higher in 2010, the most recent year for which figures are available.

Gingrich claimed Romney appointees “funded” an abortion clinic. The truth is that an autonomous state agency approved a tax-exempt loan — not direct taxpayer funding — and Romney said he wasn’t aware until after he left office.

Gingrich, slamming Jimmy Carter, said “unemployment went to 10.8 percent.” It did — nearly two years after Ronald Reagan took office. But it never exceeded 7.8 percent under Carter.

Gingrich claimed that “none” of the ideas on the website of his Center for Health Transformation resemble Obama’s program. Actually, we found a call there for an individual mandate, which Gingrich himself repeated as recently as last May.

Romney slammed Gingrich’s claim to have “helped” Reagan create jobs, saying Reagan mentioned Gingrich only once in his published diaries. That’s true. Reagan wrote that the young congressman’s 1983 suggestion to freeze spending “would cripple our defense program,” and he rejected it.

Ron Paul, a physician, claimed medicine “worked rather well” in the early 1960′s. That was before Medicare, when in fact rising health care costs were forcing many of the elderly onto public assistance or charity care.

Cold Thursday

2012-01-19T06:01:00.005-06:00

Another cold day. I guess we ought to get used to them. It is winter, after all.

I will work today and then just come home and relax. I need to clean the bathrooms again. I do have a meeting here tomorrow evening at 7:00. Some of my classmates will be here to decide what we will do about our class reunion. Our sixtieth is next year but some of the classmates want to have it this year (we are dying off like flies) and invite the class of 52 to join with us. It is their sixtieth and they are not planning anything special.

I will know more after Friday evening's meeting.

I watched my favorite TV show last night....Harry's Law. At the end of the program they announced the program would be moved to Sunday evening at 7:00. Shoot! The only show worth watching on an otherwise group of idiot shows and they are moving it to interfere with my Living the Questions group. That's disgusting!

Slinky slept in the kitchen (actually the utility area) last night and did pretty well. He woke me up three times to go out and then went right back to bed. Missy woke me at 4:00 and I got up to let her out. She put her nose out where it was cold and backed away from the door. I grabbed her up and put her out anyhow. If she wakes me up at 4:00 AM to go out and then changes her mind, that's just too bad. She's going out anyhow. She hissed and spit at me but that's nothing new. Ill tempered cat!

The latest Politifact findings:

Romney is stalling on releasing his tax records. Here's what Politifact found in their investigation:

Our ruling

Romney's right that there's a strong April trend for releasing tax records, especially among politicians who practice annual disclosure. But that's not Romney's history — he's steadfastly refused to open his personal tax records for public consumption. That weakens his appeal to tradition. He could just as easily follow in the footsteps of Obama, Bill Clinton, Dukakis, Dole and his own father and release a batch of earlier federal tax returns now. Meanwhile, he implies that only party nominees release their tax records — when recent history shows primary candidates opening their files to inspection. His statement that candidates "have tended to release tax records in April" is partially accurate, but leaves out important details. We rate his claim Half True.

From me: Furthermore, CBS news found that he has extensive financial holdings offshore. What's the purpose of that if it's not to hide something. I simply do not trust the man. He has something to hide that his tax records would reveal.

Back to Work

2012-01-18T05:39:00.005-06:00

It's 12 degrees right now. Way too cold for Slinky to be outside for any time at all. I will leave him in the garage when I go to work and when I go to Independence for lunch with Juanita and get my hair done. If it warms up some before noon, I will let him out in the back yard while I am gone this afternoon.

I'll work today since it's Wednesday. I didn't get out to see Phyllis yesterday. One of my dear friends needed some help with her computer so I went over there and did what I could do. I ended up bringing her work home and doing it for her on my computer. I got it finished about supper time. These folks have been very good to me since Bob died and I will do anything I can to help them.

About 7:00 AM, I will call Juanita about our lunch plans. I forgot to call her last night. I kept falling asleep so I finally just went to bed aabout 8:30. I completely forgot about the call.

More later...

I called Juanita but she was having problems with a knee and staying off it. Instead I went to Sirloin Stockade and ate with Gay and her classmates. Then I went on up and got my hair done.

More politifact findings:

Gingrich says food stamp use (SNAP) has increased among people more under Obama then any other president.

This is their findings:

The number of SNAP beneficiaries is at a record level, and it has risen in most months of the Obama presidency. But Gingrich oversimplifies when he suggests that Obama is the root cause. Much of the reason for the increase was a combination of the economic problems Obama inherited combined with a longstanding upward trend from policy changes. But Obama has supported those policies. On balance, we rate Gingrich’s statement Half True.

What Politifact.com Says

2012-01-17T06:00:00.004-06:00

Romney’s claim that more Americans have lost their jobs under president Obama then any other president is accurate if you count from every president’s first day in office to his final day -- by those standards, Obama is indeed the only president since World War II to have presided over a net job loss. But if you compare each president from one year into his term to one year after the end of the administration -- a plausible approach if you hope to capture what kind of impact their policies had on the economy -- Obama’s job statistics shift into positive territory, while George W. Bush’s fall into negative territory.

The fact that Obama’s -- or any other president's -- numbers can change dramatically depending on what timeline you use suggests that Romney’s conclusion isn't as telling as it sounds. Throw in PolitiFact’s perennial reminder that no politician is the sole cause of either jobs lost or jobs created, and we arrive at a ruling of Mostly False.

I follow Politifact.com because the site is a Pullitizer Prise winning site for determining the truth or falsity of various statements of polititians. I recommend the site to determine truth or falsity of statements and claims during this election year.

Slinky slept out last night until 1:30...that's when it got cold. I let him into the utility room then. He has been pretty good ths morning. He is lying here now napping in the warm kitchen.

I will change my bed today and wash my sheets and towels. That's about all I have on my schedule. If it warms up enough before noon, I will go out to see Phyllis.

Another Monday

2012-01-16T06:07:00.003-06:00

Slinky slept outside last night by his own choice. It was positively balmy. He is in here beside me now as I post on this blog.

I went to bed at 7:30 again last night. I just can't seem to get enough sleep. After Sixty Minutes was over, I couldn't find a thing to watch on TV.

I will probably clean house again today and perhaps do some laundry. I need a few things from the market too. I can probably get them at the Dollar General store and save myself a six mile trip to Wal Mart.

I am not even dressed yet. I am sitting here in my PJ's. I can't decide whether to wash my hair or not. I have an appointment on Wednesday but the wind has played havoc with my hair this weekend.

One day this week I am going to make a dessert for my classmates meeting. The trouble is..I have no idea how many are coming. My daughter sent me a new recipe for pumpkin bars. If I make those, I will need to get some ingredients at the market.

My son's girlfriend is going to pick him up at the airport in Tulsa on Monday. So Leslie and I will not be going to Tulsa. Hopefully, they will get over here to see me for a couple of days.

More later...

I cleaned house early this morning and did a load of laundry. Then I called my brother-in-law and asked him if he wanted to go to Bartlesville with me. He did. We walked around the mall and then went to Dink's Bar B Q and had a root beer, a brisket sandwich and baked beans...a great lunch. It's the best Bar B Q in the area.

Then we came on home and I took him home. Then I watched some TV this afternoon and will wash my hair with a shower tonight. It's supposed to get cold tonight and tomorrow. I will probably have Slinky in the house tonight.

Sunday Again

2012-01-15T05:41:00.003-06:00

Today, I will have church. I have the sermon since our guest minister had to cancel. Afterward a group of us will probably go eat out somewhere.

The weather has changed from cold to warm again and back to cold and it will be warm again the end of the week. If people don't get sick it will be because their immune systems are very strong. All this change back and forth from warm to cold and back again cannot be good for us.

Slinky did well last night. He got me up four or five times to go out but he went right back to bed and so did I. I hope this change continues. I got plenty of sleep last night. I went to bed about 8:00. I tried to find something to watch on TV but it was impossible. There is so much trash on TV anymore. It's just anything to keep the shows cheap....mostly nonsense.

This will be a rather quiet week for me. The only thing I have scheduled is my hair appointment on Wednesday and the class reunion planning meeting on Friday.

Next Monday, the 23rd, my youngest son, Scott, will be coming in from Germany for a short visit. I am looking forward to seeing him. If his girlfriend doesn't make room in her life for him, he will go visit Ashley, his daughter, in Georgia, for a few days...probably on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday while I work those mornings. I have kept that week and the following one free for him. He will leave on Friday, the 3rd of February. I will work a different day that week so I can take him to the airport if he and his girlfriend don't get together.

Better But Not Perfect

2012-01-14T05:59:00.005-06:00

Last night Slinky was out until 9:30 when it got really cold. I had gone to bed at 7:30...wiped out from the fiasco the night before. I let him in and hoped for the best. It was not to be. He barked for an hour and finally I got up and moved his cushion into the garage. He didn't like it at all but it was 40 degrees in the garage. So he should have been fine. He slept until 1:30 AM and then he started barking again. I got up and let him out and while he was out doing his thing, I moved the cushion back into the utility area. When I let him back in, I told him to go to bed. He evidently did not want to go back into the garage so he went to sleep.

I slept until 5:30 and then got up and brushed my teeth, made up my face and dressed. By then, he knew I was up and began whining for his breakfast. I came in and fed him, let him out to do his thing and now he is back in the kitchen while I am making my chili for the lunch following today's Martin Luther King service. I am to do the invocation and also the blessing for the offeratory.

In about an hour, I will meet my brother-in-law for breakfast. Then I will go see Phyllis and come back and dress for the service. It starts at 11:00. I want to take the chili in about 10:30.

This organization I belong to was one my husband, Bob, had an interest in. PINCH stands for People for Institutional and Community Harmony. It's goal is to bring the races here together as friends and to work to insure justice for the black community. They don't always get justice.

Until the big flood of 2007, they segregated themselves mostly on the east side of town where they were more comfortable among their own. The flood caused the homes on the entire east side of town to be bulldozed. They were contaminated, not only with oil, which had escaped from tanks at the refinery nearby, but also with the raw sewage that came down the river to Coffeyville from Independence upstream. The Independence sewage plant was inundated too. So the smell in our entire community was like a huge pig pen. The hospital was full of people who had been exposed to all that bacteria. The refinery and FEMA bought those homes and between FEMA and the refinery, the homes were then destroyed. The residents were then forced to move in among the rest of the community. PINCH was already formed before that situation occured. They helped those folks to assimilate. We lost about a thousand people who moved away or into the countryside after the flood. That showed up in the 2010 census.

I have made friends with about a dozen black people...who by the way...you forget the color of their skins when you become friends. Who cares? We have worked together now trying to bring peace and justice between the races for six or seven years. Once or twice we have had to mediate with the police department on their behalf.

Once a year we have a huge community pot luck dinner. We meet once a month to discuss and make plans for that, plan the Martin Luther King Day festivities and just plain study and fellowship.

By time to leave, I am hoping it will be warm enough to put Slinky out. It's supposed to get up to 48 degrees today. I will be gone for quite awhile. I always help clean up afterward.

Friday At Last!

2012-01-13T06:00:00.005-06:00

Last night I got little to no sleep. Slinky evidently slept so much in the kitchen in the daytime yesterday, that he could not sleep last night. He whimpered or barked all night and nothing I could do would shut him up. He finally went to sleep or at least quieted down about 4:30 this morning. I am wiped out today. I will try to get my cookies baked this afternoon after work. It is 19 degrees so there's no putting Slinky outside. While I'm at work he will have to go in the garage. He did fine in there yesterday and it's a lot warmer then outside.

I am doing laundry and running the dishwasher this morning. So I will empty everything and fold the laundry before I go to work.

Tomorrow, I will probably go to breakfast with my brother-in-law, get my chili going, go out to see Phyllis and then get ready for the service at 11:00. I hope I can get some sleep tonight.

More later...

My brother-in-law called after work and we planned to eat lunch together. Afterward we went to buy gas for my car. Now, I am resting up and getting ready to bake my cookies. I may make brownies instead. I will check out my recipes.

I Knew it Couldn't Last

2012-01-12T06:36:00.002-06:00

It's 22 degrees today and will only get up to 30 all day. It also rained freezing rain all night and that turned to snow so we have about an inch of nasty wet snow on the ground.

It is supposed to warm up later in the week.

I went to bed at 9:00 last night. Slinky came in after the freezing rain started and slept in the utility area of the kitchen. He woke up at 1:30 needing to go out. The cold air must have woke him up because he barked wanting "out" every 15 minutes until 2:30. Then I came in (for the fourth time) and bawled him out and told him to "go to bed!" Finally he settled down but I was wide awake. I finally took a sleeping pill to get some sleep. I have to work this morning. I finally got up at 5:30. I only got my bed made and still have to brush my teeth, make up my face and dress.

All I have to do today after work is make my cookies and that could wait until tomorrow.

The Slinky saga continues...

Wednesday Again

2012-01-11T18:51:00.002-06:00

This was quite a day. I worked this morning and then went back to Independence to get my hair done this afternoon. I had an hour before my appointment so I ate again at Big Cheese. Melissa and her family were there so they invited me to eat with them.

Then I got my hair done.

This may be the last day for awhile that Slinky can go outside in the daytime. It's supposed to be COLD tomorrow and an inch of snow is forecast for tonight. So for the four hours I'm at work tomorrow morning, he may have to spend it in the garage. In the afternoon I will have to bake cookies for the dinner following Saturday's Martin Luther King services. So he can be in the kitchen with me while I do that.

Early Saturday morning, I will make chili. Then I will have breakfast with Bob A. The service starts at 11:00 AM. I hope it warms up by then.

Busy Tuesday

2012-01-10T06:42:00.003-06:00

Today will be fairly busy. I baked my two cakes yesterday afternoon late and after they cooled, I iced them. Phyllis F. brought me hers while I was mixing up mine so I have three now. I will load them into the trunk of my car in a little while and pick up Bob A. at 10:30 to deliver them to Independence by 11:00.

In the meantime, I sold another book on Amazon...one of Leslie's textbooks, and will run that by the post office. I also got a check from my oldest son yesterday and while I'm downtown, I will deposit it into my savings. He's a sweetheart!

I also spent the evening writing postcards on my computer and addressing them. One of my classmates called yesterday afternoon. Several of our classmates had called him wanting to talk to him about having a small class reunion this fall instead of next year. (our 60th) We are dropping like flies. We lost six this year. Altogether, we've lost 96 since our graduation. I sent postcards to 25 classmates that live in the immediate area to invite them to a meeting at my house on January 20th to discuss the possibility.

I've heard from only one who didn't want to do this. All the others, about a dozen, that I've heard from so far are in favor. We'll know more after we find out how many workers we would have to put it together. We actually just thought we would meet some Friday evening for dinner, each of our own expense, and then the next evening, a Saturday, we would meet at the box room at our stadium and have dessert or cookies and coffee and watch a football game between our home team and another from there. We've done that twice before and everyone seemed to really enjoy it. We also discussed inviting the class just ahead of us who haven't had a reunion since their 50th. I would have to have some addresses for them though to invite them.

Anyhow, I will know more after that meeting on the 20th.

Then tonight, I will have to put Slinky either on the patio or in the garage while I'm at the library board meeting at 5:00 and the foundation meeting just following it. I won't be home until 7:00 and I'm not sure how cold it would be for him outside. He may have to spend a couple of hours in the garage. It's not as cold.

Slinky slept well last night. He only woke me once to get out to pee and then went right back to sleep when I let him back in. He is lying here at my feet on his cushion right now..very content.

Sunday's Sermon

2012-01-09T09:01:00.000-06:00

“Lord, Speak to Me”

January 15, 2012

Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1–20

Exploring the Scripture:

The opening scene of 1 Samuel 3 reveals an old priest and a young boy in the roles of mentor and apprentice. In earlier passages we find that the young boy, Samuel, has been dedicated by his mother to the Lord when she handed over her son to the care and tutelage of the old priest Eli. We also discover in the preceding chapter that Eli’s sons, also priests, have disgraced the office of priest and the family name. Because of their sinful ways the Lord is preparing to punish the entire house of Eli. As Eli’s house falls from power, the apprentice, assisted by the mentor, will be called to assume their roles of leadership and power. Samuel’s leadership will change the course of history for the Israelites.

Today’s verses are 1–10; however, it is important to be familiar with verses 11–20. Verses 1–10 alone depict a nice story involving a little boy, a grandfatherly figure, and God’s gentle call of the boy. However, in verses 11–20 this nice story becomes one which will denounce the current religious leadership structure and challenge Eli and Samuel.

Samuel is sleeping next to the Ark of the Covenant, most likely because Eli’s health would not permit him to do so. The priest may have slept next to the Ark to tend to the lamp nearby. It is also suggested that the priest was to be near the Ark to hear when the Lord spoke. The writer states, “The lamp of God had not yet gone out.” This may simply be an indication that it was near dawn and the lamp was not yet extinguished after burning all night. But more importantly, the writer may be signaling that there is still hope of the Lord speaking.

In verse 1 we read that it was rare for God to speak in those days. It is assumed that the behavior of the house of Eli was a major reason God was not being heard. When the writer says, “The lamp of God had not yet gone out,” it is intended to plant a seed of hope. Hope was not yet lost; there was hope that the Lord would soon speak a new thing. That is a primary thread of this story: a God of hope speaking and doing something new.

During the night on three occasions the Lord calls Samuel, but Samuel believes it is the voice of Eli. Only after three calls does Eli realize it is the voice of the Lord. Eli then instructs Samuel how to respond if the Lord calls again. Ironically, the message Eli helps Samuel receive from the Lord is a message of condemnation toward the house of Eli, but within the message there is new hope and new possibilities for the Israelites.

Samuel is being called into this role not because of family lineage or because he is of the “right” political stripe. Samuel is being called because God does not always call the expected ones. There are many stories of God doing a new thing, bringing new hope and calling those who are not expecting to help usher in that new hope.

There was no doubt a desire to hold to the old ways, particularly for those who had been taking advantage of others through the now-corrupted priestly system. To bring about a new hope in that environment required courage on the part of Samuel; it took great courage to relay God’s message to his tutor.
We have been called to courageously challenge systems and cultures of our day to bring about new hope and God’s peace.

But as we learn from our story, it was not God’s refusal to speak that kept them from hearing God’s voice, it was the people’s refusal to listen. If we are listening, God speaks new things to us in the midst of struggle and uncertainty.

How do we know when it is God speaking—that is the first question.

I will never forget the sermon Seventy Harry Black preached at one of our reunions years ago. It impressed me with its message. He told of a conversation he had with his then teenaged daughter. He was concerned that she might be led astray and become involved with drugs and/or illicit sex. He cautioned her to listen for God’s voice as God attempted to lead her into the best paths for her well being. He warned her that there were many voices in the world today that might be confused with God’s still small voice. There was the voice of alcohol, drugs and illicit sex, that sometimes lead to a person’s eventual destruction,. Those louder voices can sometimes lead us in the wrong direction as they are able to drown out God’s still small voice.

So how do we know? The voice of God could be our imagination. The first requirement then is to check it out. The writer of First John advises us to, "…test the spirits to see whether they be of God." (I John 4:1). The first test is truth. God is the God of truth—all kinds of truth.

Whenever we experience a sense of calling from God, we generally receive that experience with a degree of ambiguity. There are some markers that we look for in the process we call "discernment."

The primary marker is the presence of peace. Do we sense the presence of deep peace, even if there is conflict or threat overshadowing the circumstances?

Whenever we are trying to discern the will of God, we should quietly sense the quality of our deepest being. Wait patiently. Sense whether there is peace or confusion, consolation or desolation. Then we should do our best and just trust God.

The central focus of our faith is the belief that God has entered into conversation with us. The challenge is to be open to what God is trying to say to us. That is not always easy because we are bombarded with messages from many sources. Is it the voice of tradition or the culture around us that often tires to say that anything is o.k. if it feels good, rather than an authentic word from God?

Determining that requires us to develop a stronger sense of spirituality. The deeper we go on our own spiritual search, the easier it is to hear the message. This search involves a lifetime commitment. The joy of the journey into the awareness of the presence of God is that more and more we discover what God wants us to do with our lives. We are being addressed. God is waiting for our response.

Another way to check things out is to listen to the voice of conscience. There is within each of us a sense of moral responsibility. One way of judging right from wrong is to ask the question, "How would I feel if every person in the world practiced the same code of ethics that I do?" That’s sometime scary.

Perhaps the most important check on whether God is speaking is the Law of Compassion. Jesus gave us the supreme demand, "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6:36) Whenever we are confronted with a human being in need, for instance, we can be sure that the call of God is there for us to do whatever we can to help. As individuals, and as a congregation, I see us trying our best to meet legitimate need.

In our Christian faith, we believe that Jesus set for us the pattern of a life lived in devotion to God and in dedication to ministering to human need whenever it confronts us. As we search for truth and open ourselves to God's presence in prayer and meditation, we will discover more completely what God is trying to say to us.

Last year, as I was struggling to recover from my loss of Bob and as I was praying for light, something new came into my consciousness. It suddenly occurred to me how tenuous life really is and how much older I was getting to be. How much longer, I asked myself, am I going to be as healthy as I now am?

I had to wonder where on earth God was going with this. I just put it out of my mind.

Then at reunion that year, Karin Tillery asked me if I was getting tired of the responsibility of being pastor. I told her I had very good health but just recently been troubled by the awareness of my age and mortality. She asked me if I had considered someone to take my place as pastor. She made a couple of suggestions. But those she suggested had awesome responsibilities already.

Then one night as I was pondering this quandary and praying for light, I suddenly was made aware of Melissa’s call to priest. Melissa had just lost her mother and was also building her medical practice so I wasn’t sure the timing was right and I pushed it out of my mind. But time and again, this call came to me and finally I realized I had not recognized the voice of God in it. I was depending on my own intellect and powers of reasoning. I was not listening for God’s voice. When I finally realized what I was doing and decided to act on what God was leading me to do, I felt a tremendous sense of peace, relief and certainty.

Our congregation needs to be mentoring new leaders and I was ignoring God’s still small voice telling me that. I sent in the paperwork for Melissa’s call and had a long telephone conversation with headquarters about it. It was approved and finally, I called Melissa and asked her to have lunch with me. Over lunch, I told her of the call. She was not at all surprised.

Next Sunday we are about to consummate that call with an ordination.

I am asking Leslie to mentor Melissa. Not only are they long time neighbors and friends, but also Leslie has been a priest in the past and can be helpful to be a mentor to Melissa as she assumes more responsibility as a priest.

Another blessing to the congregation was the transfer of membership of Johnna. Johnna has been a real blessing to the congregation. She is our only teacher. A teacher needs to be a trustworthy confidant. I am positive Johnna has those qualities. We are blessed with many workers in our congregation. Now we do have younger people coming up that can step into leadership roles. God is aware of our needs and will always try to speak to us to help us meet those needs.

But that does not only happen to lead groups or congregations. As we found in our scripture story and my own experience, it also is helpful in leading confused individuals into the right paths for their lives.

God loves each of us. And God wants the very best for each of us. As we continue on our individual journeys in life, let us always be prepared to listen for God’s still small voice.

Another Good Night's Sleep

2012-01-09T05:59:00.002-06:00

Maybe there's hope for Slinky to sleep through the night after all. He was in the house last night until time for me to leave for my meeting and it was 50 degrees on the patio so I put him out. I got home at 9:00 and he was sleeping soundly out there so believing in the old axium "let sleeping dogs lie", I left him there. When I fed him I had given him a Benedril too. About 11:30, he began to bark and knowing it was supposed to get COLD last night, I got up and let him into the kitchen and told him to "go to bed". He did. I never heard another peep out of him until 4:30 this morning when he needed to go out to pee. I went back to bed until 5:00 and so did he. Oh, if he would just do that every night! Is that too much to hope?

Today I don't have a lot on my plate. This afternoon I will bake my two cakes for tomorrow's dinner at the First Christian Church in Independence. I need to run to the market to get another icing or make up my own. I could make my own. I believe I have the makings. It's supposed to get up to 50 degrees again today so Slinky can go outside later.

Our guest minister for next Sunday had to cancel yesterday with an emergency so I will have next Sunday's sermon too. I will need to work on that today. I roughed it out last night.

Tomorrow morning I will take the cakes I've collected to Independence and eat lunch up there at Big Cheese. Bob A. will go with me to help me take them in. Tomorrow evening I have a library board meeting and also a library foundation meeting. I agreed to take minutes at the foundation meeting. The board meeting is at 5:00 and the foundation meeting is at 6:00. That's tomorrow.

Wednesday, after work, I will go back up to Independence and have my hair done.

I am trying to simplify my life this week since later in the week I will need to make cookies for Saturday's Martin Luther King services. That Saturday morning, I will make a pot of chili for it too.

It's Sunday

2012-01-08T05:41:00.005-06:00

Last night Slinky slept outdoors. It didn't get any colder than 28 degrees but when he went to bed it was 56 degrees. He barked for the better part of an hour until I finally went out and bawled him out good. Then he quieted down and went to sleep. I didn't hear a peep out of him until 5:30 this morning. Then I had made my bed and made up my face and dressed so I came in and let him into the kitchen. He's had his dog food and oatmeal now and is lying here on the floor on his cushion perfectly happy. I got a good night's sleep again. It's stayed warm so far but the cold weather will come next week.

We will have our budget meeting this morning at church. We will have to cut some programs. We were $2660 over budget this year. It will be a hard meeting. Then I have the sermon.

We will probably all go eat somewhere after church. We usually do. Then I will come home and do my letters and later on this evening go to Wanzers for the Living the Questions group. A rather typical Sunday....except for the business meeting.

Update!! The CFO contacted me last night to say her formula had entered one huge expense, the building's insurance...twice. We are just a little over $600 over budget. I can live with that. I was quite concerned that we were living well beyond our means.

Sunday's Sermon

2012-01-07T17:42:00.004-06:00

By Water and Spirit

Scripture: Mark 1:4–11

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness:

"Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,"

John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

The Gospel of Mark is believed to be the earliest of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) written around 70 years after the common era. From the language and tone of Mark’s gospel it appears to be written for a community comprised of both Jewish and Gentile Christians, many of whom are not familiar with Jewish practices.

These persons are not highly educated or wealthy and have been suffering from religious persecution. To this early Christian community Mark writes his fast-paced account of the good news of God’s saving action found in the message of Jesus. But this salvation was obviously meant for their lifetimes. Jesus proclaimed God’s Imperial Rule as near or already present but unrecognized. It would be marked by a different attitude toward all in the culture. In a place where differences in class were clearly delineated, Jesus would break all the rules of class and embrace all who would follow and participate in his mission to change his society.

Although this gospel begins with the proclamation of Jesus as the Son of God, this designation was a later development. At his request, this designation of his identity was withheld from the people Jesus himself encountered. Many times he disclaimed the title. Instead Mark’s emphasis focuses on the suffering servant nature of Jesus and the cost of discipleship.

In the tradition of the times, Mark began by introducing both Jesus and his predecessor John the Baptist. Mark then offered the reader a brief summary of what would take place as Jesus journeyed from Nazareth to Jerusalem.

People from the city and surrounding rural areas came to the wilderness outside Jerusalem to be baptized by John. John proclaimed a baptism of repentance and forgiveness of sin. This was different than the ritual purity washings to which people were accustomed. John preached repentance and baptism as a response to the urgency of the coming Messiah. The similarity of John’s clothing and behavior to the prophet Elijah serves to underscore the prophetic nature of John’s message.

Jesus came from Nazareth to be baptized by John. Many scholars believe Jesus was initially a disciple of John. While many wonder why Jesus would need to be baptized for repentance it is widely understood as an expression of solidarity with, and empathy for, humankind. His baptism also served as the commissioning of Jesus as the agent of God to change the nature of his world.

The appearance of the dove in our story tells us what a different type of leader Jesus will be from the Roman emperor, whose symbol was the eagle.

Christians today also recognize baptism as an entrance or introduction into the Christian community. This community is defined by the continuing presence of God’s Spirit. It is through the leadings of this Holy Spirit that disciples are empowered to serve as emissaries and instruments of God’s restoring purposes in OUR world. We are challenged to seek mission in our world. In other words we are challenged to action! True disciples will not be simply pew sitters.

But baptism is not the end all to our journey. It is simply a symbol of our willingness to engage in the journey of a change of emphasis for our lives and a commitment to listen for God’s guiding voice. Then as we take the sacrament each month, we have an opportunity to reflect on our progress and in our minds renew the covenant we made in the waters of our baptism.

As those who claim to be Jesus’ disciples, we must understand the divine affirmation of our “being loved”. It is God’s gift to all people. Recognition that each human being is a beloved child of God is the means whereby we come to know ourselves as persons of infinite worth. This is affirmed in our church’s enduring principle of “Worth of All Persons”. When we live out of this gift, we are motivated and empowered to help others realize their own worth and belovedness. We become the bearers of God’s image to those we meet; more truthfully, we help others discover that image already resident within them. This is at the core of the church’s mission initiative to “Invite People to Christ”.

The assurance of God’s love gave Jesus his identity. As we assume this same identity, we can give up selfish pursuits and fear based actions. We allow the Spirit to ground us in selfless giving and generous offering of ourselves for others. The Spirit at His baptism told Jesus who he was so that he could do what God required. Likewise, the Spirit tells us who we are so we can faithfully pursue the mission of Jesus in our world.

Through repentance and the acknowledgment of having received forgiveness, disciples prepare for the fullness of God’s activity in their lives and in their world. To continually engage in this process is central to Christian discipleship.

Jesus modeled for us the importance of our commitment to obedience to God’s direction and to engage in our own personal mission. Our response to God’s Spirit witnesses of our willingness to try to follow this commitment and recognize and encourage the recognition of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of others.

We are challenged to bear faithful witness of God’s redemptive activity in our present day and encourage hope for the future. Let us reflect then on our own baptism. Did we understand it more as an act of repentance and forgiveness or did we see it as an entrance into Christian community and discipleship? To be commissioned as a disciple is to take our part in God’s mission. Let us ask ourselves, “How have we felt the Holy Spirit present with us as we have engaged in active discipleship?”

Were we baptized by water and also by the Spirit? Do we acknowledge God’s action in our own lives? Do we look for opportunities to be God’s agent in our world? As we take the communion each month, let us ask ourselves these important questions.

A Good Night's Sleep

2012-01-07T05:59:00.003-06:00

I left Slinky outside last night. It was only 39 degrees.

I let him in at 11:30 when he began barking but in ten minutes he wanted back outside and I could not convince him to go to bed. So I put him out. He barked for about ten or fifteen minutes and then finally decided that was not going to work and went to sleep on the chaise lounge.

He slept all night there and I got a good night's sleep. I went to bed at 8:00. I was terribly tired. Then I got up at 4:30 when Missy woke me to go out. Animals! I had had plenty of sleep by then.

This morning I will meet my brother-in-law for breakfast and then later, at 9:30, go see my sister. I'm not sure what I will do with the rest of the day. I could do some cleaning on the house.

More later....

We had lunch then we both went to our homes to do some housework. I scrubed my kitchen floor and then went to see my sister and Gerry. Later he called and suggested we go to Bartlesville it was such a nice day. We had a good time just walking the mall and then went to Hobby Lobby to look for a photo magnet. They did not have the size I wanted.

Then we went to Dink's Bar B Q and had a wonderful sandwich. Then we came on back home. I worked a little longer on the newsletters that had come back in the mail. I also worked on tomorrow's sermon.

Then I came in to watch some TV.

Big Day!

The Ongoing Saga With Slinky

2012-01-06T06:36:00.006-06:00

I had this post all finished but for some reason, it did not save. How disgusting!

I had Slinky in the house for awhile last night but he kept barking to go out so I just let him out on the patio to sleep on the chaise lounge for the night. He barked for awhile and finally decided he wasn't going to get back in so he went to sleep. I'll bet the neighbors hate me.

He woke up at 4:00 AM this morning...hungry....and started barking. I ignored him. Then I got up at my regular time at 5:00, made my bed, made up my face, brushed my teeth and dressed before I came into the kitchen to let him in to feed him. He is perfectly happy right now with a full stomach. He had his cup of dog food and most of my oatmeal.

I don't know what I will do with him this winter when it gets cold. We've had a mild winter so far. It was 39 degrees out on the patio last night and is supposed to get up to the high 60's today. Weird weather.

He is 14 this year and has a hard time lying down and getting up. I imagine he has a lot or arthritis and pain. I love the old dog but now that I am working three mornings a week, I don't know what I will do with him except put him in the garage for the morning. But then he would have to go back in the garage if I wanted to go somewhere. I have meetings a few times a month besides my work three mornings a week. It's a quandry. I don't know how long I can continue to lose sleep when he barks off and on all night.

Better Night!

2012-01-05T06:58:00.005-06:00

Last night was a little better. Slinky woke up at midnight needing to go out so I let him out and back in. Then thirty minutes later he started barking again. I came in and feigned terrible anger, tried to get him into the garage (which he hates) and finally told him "No!" about going out again. I knew he just wanted to go dig in the flowerbed and eat dirt. Then I told him "You get back to bed!!!" in no uncertain terms. This time he was quiet. Unfortunately by this time I was upset and could not go back to sleep. All I could think about was this hassle all winter long. If I could just train him to stop that barking to get out every thirty minutes! Otherwise, much against my wishes, I am going to have to have him put down. I really don't want to do that. Finally an hour later I got up and took a sleeping pill and we both slept the rest of the night. We'll see how that goes from now on. As you can see in the above photos, Slinky is sharing his bed again with Missy. He is very tolerant of her.

I attended the PINCH meeting last evening and enjoyed it. They had a real good attendance. We are planning for the 14th and our Martin Luther King Day celebration. I will make a big pot of chili and some cookies. The committee has it all planned.
They have asked me to offer the invocation and do the prayer for the offeratory. I can do that. I will dress up for this occasion. Usually I just wear slacks. They are warmer. But I will weat a suit for this since I will be on the program.

Today is the Ministerial Alliance meeting at noon so I will have to take off a little early to be there to distribute the minutes and the agendas. There is going to be a mess, I fear. One of the pastors wants to bring up the fact that the college drama coach intends to introduce a play that discusses abortion. It just discusses the issues involved and does not take sides...is my understanding. I see nothing wrong with discussing the issue. In fact, that's the only way both sides can be heard. But many of the ministers will not even want the issue introduced at all.

Personally, I could not have an abortion (even if I were young enough to get pregnant)but as long as it is the law of the land, I respect a woman's right to choose what happens in her own body as long as she doesn't use it as a way for birth control. There are extenuating circumstances where abortion might be the best answer. If the life of the mother is in danger, for example...or if the fetus is so badly malformed or it's brain is on the outside of it's body...something like that...abortion might be the best answer for all involved...especially the fetus. But that is just my opinion....for whatever it's worth.

What a Night!

2012-01-04T06:25:00.005-06:00

Last night Slinky woke me up at 9:30 to go out. That was fine. Then he woke me at 2:00, 2:30, 3:00 and 3:30. At 3:30, I put him out for good. He barked awhile (and probably woke up the neighbors) but I finally decided I wasn't going to let him back in and climbed up on the chaise lounge and went to sleep. At 5:00, just as I had got back to sleep, some man called. It was a wrong number. Slinky is somewhat subdued this morning, although he has been in and out a couple of times. We have had a fight over the flowerbeds. He insists on digging in them and I insist he doesn't. But he's sneaky. Scott always told me he was sneaky and I see that trait every once in awhile.

Today I will work..even though I feel wrung out from loss of sleep. Afterward I will go back to Independence to have lunch with Juanita and then get my hair done.

Tonight, I hope "Harry's Law" is on TV. Last week they ran a re-run. It's my favorite TV program outside of PBS. I will attend the PINCH meeting. I really don't want to but feel obligated because of Marilyn and Bredesen's. The organization is planning the Martin Luther King Day celebration for Saturday, January 14th and I should attend and take my chili. It starts at 5;30 so I should get home in time for my program....if they show it.

Good Old Slinky?

2012-01-03T05:46:00.004-06:00

Maybe not. He woke me up at 12:30 to go out and then went right back to sleep when I let him back in. Then at 4:00 he wanted out again. This time he discovered the newly cleaned and mulched flowerbeds and decided to dig a hole in the one next to the patio. I went out with the broom to nudge him away from it and he growled at me. I bawled him out good and let him back into the kitchen. In a minute or two he wanted back out so I let him back out (in 19 degree weather). In a short time, he wanted back in (naturally) so I let him back in and told him sternly to go back to bed. He did. He barked a few times after that but I ignored him and he went back to bed. Wow! What a mess. I got up at 5:15 and dressed and made up my face before coming back to the kitchen to feed him. By then he had settled down and was behaving himself. I fed him and then fixed his oatmeal. After eating that, he needed to get back out so I let him out but after he finished his business, he wanted right back in (naturally).

I hope it warms up this morning when I go to Independence to my MC3 meeting at 11:20, or he will have to stay in the garage. He'll hate that but it will beat the outside. The hot water tank manages to keep it fairly warm.

I slept well last night after all that raking and bagging yesterday. I probably won't get anything else done on the yard today. It's pretty cold.

More later....

Good Old Slinky

2012-01-02T06:18:00.012-06:00

Slinky spent the cold night in the house and only woke me once to go out. So, I got another good night's sleep, for which I am grateful.

I don't have a plan for today. The house is clean, the laundry is done and if it warms up enough, and there is no wind, I will rake and bag leaves today. I really need to get the yard cleaned up. Those leaves blow up on the patio and make a real mess. I will do the back yard first. If I can get those raked and bagged, I will put out three bags at a time for the trash haulers. That's all they will take at one time.

I haven't heard anything out of my boys lately. I hope all is well with them. Bob A. and I ate lunch with Leslie and John and Phyllis F. at the new Mexican restaurant yesterday.

More later...

I started my raking mid morning just as soon as it warmed up a bit. I got 16 bags of leaves and still have the entire back at my fence line yet to do. I stopped at 3:00 because I was really tired. I also mulched two flowerbeds and still have two more in the back to do and also the entire front flowerbed. If we get another warm day tomorrow while I am not working maybe I can finish the back anyhow. I haven't touched the front yet.

After I mentioned here that I hadn't heard from my boys, the oldest one called to chat a bit. He's a sweetheart.

Sunday Morning

2012-01-01T06:14:00.006-06:00

Marilyn called last night to tell me she and Jack are having beans and cornbread tonight and they decided to ask the group over to share it. So I am invited. Isn't that nice? I volunteered to bring an apple crisp for dessert. Bob A. and I saw them down at Owasso yesterday afternoon. Go figure! An hour from home and we run into Marilyn from Coffeyville. She was coming out of Penney's and didn't see us at first even though we were practically right on top of her. I guess when you don't expect to see someone, at first you just don't. When she did see us, she grabbed me and hugged me. Jack was in the car but he saw us and waved anyhow. They are great people. They have been especially supportive of me since Bob died.

So after church I will need to go get some more apples for my apple crisp. I have two but two won't begin to do it.

Slinky spent the night outside on the patio sleeping on the chaise lounge. It was brisk but far from cold and I got a great night's sleep with no interruptions. He is lying here on the floor on his soft pad now. I just finished doctoring his ears with olive oil. He still scratches them. And in cold weather hhis skin dries out and itches too.

It will be interesting to see how many of our folks will be at church this morning. We dismissed services for Christmas. Leslie was on call last night so she may not be there. After all if people are going to fall off the wagon, it will certainly be on New Years Eve.

More later...

We had a pretty good attendence this morning. Even though my daughter was on call and had to go out for several hours last night, she showed up for church. The services were very good and afterward we five went to eat at the new Mexican restaurant. I did my letters in the afternoon and made my apple brown betty for dessert over at Marilyn and Jack's house this evening. I made too much and had quite a bit left over. I left it with Marilyn and Jack. They can divide it up among the other guests.

We played Pictionary for a couple of hours but I was first to leave. I was worried about Slinky and the cold. It is still around 39 degrees but it's supposed to get down to 21 later tonight. I will need to put him in the kitchen later this evening.

Another Saturday

2011-12-31T06:53:00.004-06:00

Well, I don't have a plan for today. If it gets nice enough, I will rake and bag leaves. Otherwise, I don't know what I will do. If I do that, I will have to go to the Dollar Store and get some big leaf bags. And I really need to clean the bathrooms and will finally try to get that done. I also want to go see Phyllis and Gerry at Windsor Place.

Slinky spent most of the night outside. I could see he was going to want to go in and out and in and out all night. It was warm enough for him to be outside so I just put him out. He barked a few times and finally settled down on the chaise lounge and slept. He may as well sleep outside if the weather is nice enough.

I will go meet Bob A. for breakfast this morning. We do that nearly every Saturday morning.

More later...

I went to breakfast and then cleaned my bathrooms. Then I went out to see Phyllis. She was sleeping but I woke her. The first thing she said was "Who are you?" I said "I'm Margie, your sister." She said "It's been so long since you've been here that I forgot your name." I was there last Tuesday. But that's the Alzheimers talking.

After I saw Gerry too, I came home and fired up the steamer and really gave both bathrooms an extra cleaning. They really shine now.

I was going to rake leaves but the wind is up and I wouldn't get a lot accomplished, I'm afraid. So now I don't know what I will do with the rest of my day. It is 11:15 now.

I called my brother-in-law and asked him if he wanted to drive down to Owasso with me. He did. So we ate at Olive Garden down there and walked all over the shopping center afterward but didn't buy a thing.

He will pick me up for church in the morning.

Friday at Last!

2011-12-30T06:42:00.003-06:00

I will work this morning and then go directly out to the church to help Leslie and Karan take down all the Christmas decorations and put them away. Bob A. will join us after he feeds Phyllis at Windsor Place.

It is always faster to take down the decorations then to put them up. If they are mostly finished when I get there, I will just clean the church. This is my last week to do that. Next month it is another person's responsibility.

If I get home in time and it's still nice out, I will take Slinky for another walk. He enjoyed yesterday's so much!

The weather has been in the 60's...very unseasonal for December but I'm not complaining. I love it.

More later...

Leslie called while I was leaving work and said they had it all finished and would not need Bob and me. So I spent the afternoon reading instead. I went to bed at 8:30..really tired.

Whose Training Who?

2011-12-29T05:56:00.005-06:00

Last night Slinky woke me up three or four times before midnight. Then he slept until 3:30 and woke me again. I let him out and then back in. Then I went back to bed. About fifteen minutes later, he began crying and barking. This time I ignored him. He barked off and on for another hour and then I finally got up when it was close to 5:00 AM (my regular time to rise) and made my bed, brushed my teeth, made up my face, and got dressed. Finally after 5:15, I came into the kitchen. I was right. He didn't want out...he wanted his breakfast. But I came in to give it to him on my terms. I must train this old dog before winter gets cold or he will have me up and down all night. He is lying here now on his bed..perfectly content. (He also likes company in the morning).

I'll work today but I'm not sure what I will do besides file. I got 2009 files moved yesterday to the empty file shelves. I was really tired last night. I just had a piece of my pumpkin pie and went to bed at 8:30. I wanted to watch my favorite program on TV (Harry's Law) but they re-ran one I had already seen. Darn it! TV is terrible any more and definately not worth the money they charge for it. If it weren't for PBS, I'd really be up a tree.

If it's nice enough by 7:30 this morning, I'll let Slinky out. If not...he'll have to go back in the garage. He hates the garage. When I came home yesterday from work, he was delighted to get out in the 60 degree weather.

I am beginning to drink the teas Jeromy and Marlene gave me for Christmas and I am wearing my new "mother's necklace" that my kids gave me every day. It is lovely!

After work, it was a lovely day. I got my class newsletters in the mail and then took Slinky for a walk. He was delighted. But I noticed two things. He seems to limp a little and he has lost weight. I'm glad Scott will be here in January. It just might be his last time to see his dog.

When we got back home, it was still nice. I got a couple of plastic bags and cleaned up the dog doodoo out of my back yard. Then I trimmed back my peonies. If the nice weather lasts through Saturday, I will rake and bag the leaves. Today was just lovely at 60 degrees.

Back to Work on Wednesday

2011-12-28T17:57:00.003-06:00

Slinky did beter last night. He woke me at 9:30 and again at 4:00. But at least I got some sleep. I had to put him in the garage this morning since is was only 24 degrees when I left for work. He was very glad to get outside when I got home from work.

Today I went back to work. There was plenty of filing to be done and after I finished that, I moved the 2009 LM files into the hall file cabinets. I got that entire year moved in an hour. I think I will move the 2008 files just next to the 2009 files and the 2007 files where the 2008 files formerly were located. They will be better organized that way.

After I left work I picked up Juanita and we went to lunch at Eggberts. Then I took her to Wal Mart to get some things she wanted for a New Years Eve get together she is having for her family.

After I took her home, I went to my hair appointment. It looks so much better when Carol does it. Juanita gave me candy for Christmas and I gave her candy so we just traded candy. Juanita is 90 years old but gets around very well for her years. She and I have been friends for over ten years.

I will work again tomorrow. I have no plans for tomorrow after work. Friday we are going to take down the Christmas decorations at church and put them away. I stopped there on the way home from Independence and checked the mousetraps. We had caught another mouse. I left all four traps loaded because who knows how many we may have left.

Some Christmas Photos

2011-12-27T06:18:00.009-06:00

Maia is my second little great granddaughter. She calls me gigi for "great grandmother". My daughter, Leslie is her grandmother. I am putting some of my Christmas photos up here. I took fifteen but some were too dark to publish so these are just the cutest ones. My first little great grandchild, Sage, lives in Manhattan, Kansas with her mother.

This child is Maia Skye Brooks, my grandson, Jeromy's daughter with Marlene.

The top photo is my daughter, Leslie, showing Maia the child sized Santa she made for decoration.

The second photo is Leslie showing Maia her Christmas gift from Marlene and Jeromy...a huge electric griddle.

The third photos is Maia opening one of her gifts.

The fourth photo is Maia showing me the gift I bought for her...a tiny stuffed puppy.

I have two greats in Texas and one in Missouri too. Maia's mom is having a sister for her in Febuary. Sara, my granddaughter in Texas, called Christmas Day and her sister, Christina, tried to call me while I was out at Leslie's for Christmas dinner on Christmas Day. She is in Kuwait. I didn't hear from Ashley or Jerod, the other two.

Leslie fixed a wonderful meatless dinner for Christmas. My grandson, Jeromy, his wife, Marlene, and Maia are all vegetarians. She fixed ham for the rest of us. Everything was very tasty. She spent all morning cooking those exotic dishes and I washed dishes for her all while she cooked. She made some bread that had spinich in it that was really wonderful! Everything went off like clockwork. We all had a wonderful time.

I washed Slinky's bedding yesterday. You have to remove the cover, turn it wrong side out and wash it on the gentle cycle then hang it up to dry. It was beginning to get a little pungent. Shar Pei's sweat a lot and have body odor. It was dry at bedtime so I put it back together for him. He is really enjoying his cushioned bedding. It has that egg crate foam as the basis and a "fur" covered case for the foam. At least he is not able to tear this bedding up with his claws like he did the other two foam filled beds I had bought for him last winter.

Happy New Year to all!

Monday

2011-12-26T13:59:00.003-06:00

Today Bob A. and I went to Bartlesville and walked around the mall. Afterward we went to Dink's and had the best Bar B Q around here. Then we went to the Bartlesville Wal mart and bought a few groceries. All I needed was oatmeal. It has been around 50 degrees all day.

We stopped by the church on the way home. When the Worship Committee brought in the Christmas decorations from the sheds in December, they also unknowingly brought in mice. I have caught two but twice my traps have been emptied and no mice have been caught. This time we loaded them with peanut butter. I will check back later in the week and see if we caught any more. I want the committee to leave those decorations in the Junior classroom instead of taking them to the sheds. Those that are in plastic covered boxes can be stored in the sheds. What a mess this has been.

I am thinking of taking down my Christmas decorations this afternoon. Christmas is over. I will store them in my banker's boxes so they can be stacked.

I did take down my Christmas decorations and get them put away. Now I am ready for the New Year.

Christmas Morning!

2011-12-25T05:48:00.006-06:00

It's Christmas morning and I am waiting for the oven to heat so I can start my pies.

Slinky did pretty good last night. I fed him extra food before bed and he slept better. It could be one cup of dog food is not enough for him at night. I am trying to keep him from getting fat...that would be so unhealthy for him.

He is sitting here beside me on the rug beside the sink. Every once in awhile I reach over and pat him and tell him what a good dog he is. He eats that up. Missy is lying on his bed...but only one corner of it...leaving him room if he should want to lir down.

It's supposed to get up to 50 degrees today. That will make a nice Christmas. Slinky can be outside without freezing. I will give him a special treat for Christmas. Missy has some too...only for cats.

I am to be out to Leslie's by 9:00 so I had better get busy on these pies.

Merry Christmas everyone!

More later....

The dinner was wonderful and afterward I stayed and helped clean up amd also watched a movie. My grandson and his wife gave me a huge box of variety teas. They know I love tea. Keith and Leslie and Scott went together and bought me a mother's necklace with each of their birthstones in it. It is beautiful! I have it on right now. My brother-in-law gave me a mix for a wonderful potato soup. That will be great for lunch on one of these cold winter days.

I have some photos of the gift opening. I'll publish them tomorrow.

It was a beautful day too.

Saturday Before Christmas

2011-12-24T06:33:00.005-06:00

This morning at 7:30 I will meet my brother-in-law for breakfast. We do this most every Saturday morning. Then I don't exactly know what I will do. I may go ahead and bake my pies and get that out of the way.

Slinky did pretty good last night and I got some good sleep. I fed him an extra portion of dog food and he slept better. He woke me up at 11:30 and I let him out to go poo and then again at 4:00 this morning to go pee but it is cold out there this morning so he rushed right back in. He wanted to be fed at 4:00 but after he came back in I ignored his crying and barking and he eventually gave up. I may fed him extra food at night to help him sleep better. I'll give that a try and see.

More later....

What a day!

I had breakfast with my brother-in-law and then spent the rest of the day working on the newsletter.

I went to see my sister at 10:30. After that I finished the newsletter. First I went out to church and picked up the gift Sue and John brought for Gerry and I took it back to Windsor Place.

I got it sent off to those online and then bought the envelopes and got them all addressed this afternoon. I saved the edited newsletter to a CD so I can take it to Service Office and Supply on Monday or Tuesday. They will print off the 105 I need to send off in snail mail. They will also fold them to get them ready to be stuffed. I will need to cash the checks sent to me by the classmates so I can buy the stamps too.

In the morning..early..I will bake my two pies for Christmas lunch. I will bake one pumpkin and one pecan. I will need to be at Leslie's at 9:00 in the morning. I need to find a box to pack my gifts up in.

Merry Christmas to all!

Vacation Friday

2011-12-23T06:25:00.006-06:00

I will not work today. I worked Monday so I would not lose a day of work. I'm not sure what I will do. It's very cold and if I go anywhere I will have to put Slinky in the garage. He will hate that. He woke me up every half hour after 2:00 this morning. I don't know what his problem was but if he keeps that up I will be exhausted all the time. I will probably need a nap ths afternoon.

Yesterday after work I went with Leslie to Bartlesville to buy the ingredients for her Christmas dinner on Sunday. Wal Mart did not have all those exotic ingredients she needs. She spent $120.00 and that did not include her ham. Wow! I hope it will be worth the cost.

She also bought my lunch. We stopped at Garfield's and had fish and chips. They have excellent fish and chips. They are not a bit greasy. She has all next week off. She suggests we go back to Bartlesville on Monday to see "Sherlock Holmes". The movie is on there. We may do that if she doesn't change her mind.

As we stopped for gas in Dewey, it began to snow. It snowed harder and harder as we drove home but the ground was too warm for it to stick so we got no snow. That's good because my little car probably couldn't make it out there in the snow. I had met her at Tyro so I drove home after it began to get dark. Slinky heard the car come into the garage and started barking to get in the kitchen.

I had a good time and a good visit with Leslie....some quality time that's hard to come by anymore. Her job is so demanding.

Both Keith and Scott called yesterday too. That was neat! Scott will be coming home on leave in January. He will be in the states from January 23rd until February 3rd. He will be with Becky most of that time but she will bring him to come see the family and me on Sunday for church and dinner afterward.

I may call Bob A. later and see if he would like to go to Cherryvale to Just Us for lunch today.

Updated note:

We did that and had a good lunch and visit. We will meet for breakfast tomorrow and then I will go visit Phyllis.

Friends Again

2011-12-22T06:02:00.009-06:00

After Slinky chased Missy off his bed Tuesday, she was afraid of him. She had been just showing herself anyhow. Good natured Slinky had tolerated her crowding him on his own bed but Tuesday was just too much. She hissed and spit at him and he came unglued and growled and barked at her as he chased her off HIS bed.

Today, he is his old good natured self. She very gingerly approached him about space on his bed and he gently moved over a bit to allow her some. No problem. I hope it will be awhile before she gets nasty with him again.

Yesterday after work I went to Independence to get my hair done. Today I will go with Leslie to Bartlesville while she shops for some special groceries for her Christmas dinner. It's always a special treat to get to go with her anywhere...and anymore, with her demanding job, the opportunities are few and far between.

I called her yesterday at her lunch time in hopes of getting to have lunch with her but they were swamped and she was eating at her desk. So I went to the Railroad Inn by myself and read my kindle while I ate my lunch. It was a beautiful day. I wonder how many more beautiful days we will have before winter sets in. Yesterday was the first day of winter. Brrr.

By the way, Bob and I set four mouse traps at church. The first day we caught no mice but they got the bait anyhow. We reset them. Yesterday I stopped and we had caught two mice. I left the other traps set. We may have even more. When Karan and Leslie brought in the Christmas decorations from the shed, they also brought in some mice. I hope those two were all but I will continue to set those traps until I'm sure of that. I want them to leave the decorations in the unused classroom this year. Mice are really nasty and we had not had a problem until this year.

My Wonderful Classmates!

2011-12-21T19:21:00.008-06:00

I am part of the class of the Field Kindley Memorial High School class of 1953, a most generous group of people. Right after graduation, one of our classmates named Dean started a newsletter and sent it to everyone in the class...at the time 283 of us. He kept it up for ten years and then a woman named Norma took it over from him for several years. Later another woman named Shirley took it over for some years. In the late 1900's, they asked me to take it because I was computer literate. I have done it ever since.

For many years they each sent me a Christmas card with their news. Nowadays the 83 who have computers and are online send me e-mails with their news. Everyone notifies me of changes of address and e-mails and always send me their news. I have one classmate man who watches the obits with me and then I notify the ones online of our losses. Those who are not online will learn of our losses when they get the newsletter. Every Christmastime, right after Christmas, I send out 188 newsletters and this year 105 will go by snail mail and 83 by e-mail. Of the original class, 95 are already deceased.

Where does the money come from? I let the classmates know we need the money and the money rolls in. We have several who are wealthy or well to do and they evidently think nothing of sending the needed money. It was Dean and Donna this time. If they send more then we need, I will give it to the class treasurer for the next class reunion. Every five years anymore we have a reunion. Those of us who live in the hometown (at least a dozen or so of us, at least) plan the reunion, a get together, a banquet and some special events.

This time the treasurer sent me word that we did not have the money for the newsletter. She suggested I send it out by e-mail only. That meant 105 classmates would not get the news. I mentioned that to the classmates and I have $300 coming right away. I will send out 83 by e-mail but the 105 without e-mail will get one too. Thanks to the generousity of those classmates.

Isn't that wonderful?

What a lovely Christmas gift for the class.

Another Wednesday

2011-12-21T06:06:00.004-06:00

Back to work today. I kind of dread it. I can't move files today so filing will be my primary responsibility. They are holding court today in the courtroom I would have to pass through to get to the files I will be moving. I will do that tomorrow. I didn't sleep well last night at all. Slinky woke me up several times and I could not get back to sleep. So even though I went to bed at 8:30, I did not get much sleep. Maybe I can catch a nap this afternoon after my hair appointment.

If it doesn't warm up today, I will have to put Slinky in the garage. We will see. I don't leave for work until 7:30. If he has to go in the garage, I will come home after noon and let him out to pee before leaving for Independence.

I read yesterday afternoon and worked on my class newsletter while he and Missy were in the kitchen. I have been working on one of my new books. I'm not particularly impressed with it. It's a little raw. The name of the book is "Right as Rain".

I have several others to read so I may just give it up.

More later...

I worked hard again today moving files. One more day of that intense work across the hall.

Then I went to Independence, ate lunch while reading my kindle and went to the beauty shop. Afterward I ran by the Dairy Queen and got a coke and drank it on the way home.

I've been back to working on the class newsletter this afternoon. Three more days and I will start sending it out to those online. I will take it to the printer for the 105 I need done there. Then I'll buy my envelopes and stamps and get it in the mail after it's finished.

Cake Tuesday

2011-12-20T19:00:00.004-06:00

Slinky snapped at Missy this morning. He was willing to share his bed with Missy but she spit and hissed at him and he finally just lost it. He growled and barked at her and rushed at her and scared her half to death. She jumped over the barrier and stayed away from him from then on. She got what she had coming to her. She's lucky he didn't hurt her.

We had set mouse traps at church to catch that little mouse that came in with the Christmas decorations. On our way to Independence, we stopped to check the traps. the little fellow had stolen the cheese and peanut butter off the traps without setting the trap off. We reset the traps in hopes that we will get him this time.

Our congregation made cakes today for the dinners being served at the First Christian Church in Independence. Bob A. and I took them to Independence and then we went to Wal Mart and did some shopping before going to Big Cheese and having lunch. Afterward we picked up the Bible that Karen B. left at our church on Sunday. We took it by her house but she wasn't home so we left it at her landlady's home.

Then we came back and I took him home.

I gave him two pieces of my blackberry pie.

Then I came home and ate a piece myself. I spent the afternoon with Slinky in the kitchen. He likes the Christmas music and generally sleeps through it. It's getting cold now and he will be sleeping in the kitchen.

Ruminating About Health Matters

2011-12-20T05:36:00.004-06:00

I have been working on my class newsletter this last week or two...in my spare time. We have 83 class members online and 105 that are not. I have the local office supply store print the newsletter off each year and fold it for mailing then I stuff the envelopes, put stamps on them, sort them and get them mailed. I do this right after Christmas and have for fifteen years. Before I took it over, three other classmates in order had the job.

Last night I heard from the wife of a classmate whose husband has had a horrendous experience with the medical community. I wish I had the space to share their experience here but I don't. Every time I hear of one of these medical catastrophe experiences, I am grateful for my good health and hope when my time comes, I just die quietly in my sleep. My experiences with doctors and hospitals has not been good. In the past year two of my friends have lost their husbands from infections they picked up in the hospital. And there is my own experience in trying to get Bob's problem diagnosed over a six month period, only to finally discover his cancer after it had spread over his entire lymph system. The worst part of that experience was just trying to get it biopsied. The surgeon we went to declined to do the biopsy because of Bob's diabetes...he said. Then he told our family physician that we had declined to have it done....an out and out lie.

Right now, at least by next week, I am without a physician. My doctor is giving up her practice to work at the Cherokee Clinic thirty miles south of here. I really want a woman doctor but there aren't many around here. Luckily, at this time at least, I am pretty healthy....but at 76 that can't last forever.

I stayed with the doctor that delivered my last two children for forty years until he retired. Then I changed to the doctor I have had now for the past ten years. I only see her at her practice once or twice a year but that's because I have been healthy and my philosophy about doctors and hospitals is we are healthier if we stay away from them as much as possible.

And I never...repeat...never..want anyone to put me in a nursing home. I told my daughter that and she said, "sometimes there are extenuating circumstances, Mom." That's scarey! My Great Aunt Margie lived to be 104 and finally died in a nursing home. My family usually is long lived. And mostly they have lived in their own homes. My mother was the exception. She was a heavy smoker and died of COPD at 68 in a hospital. And, of course, my only sister is suffering from Altzheimers Disease and lives in a nursing home in a special unit for dementia patients.

But the situation is a concern. If I should really need a doctor, I have no idea where I would go.

A Working Monday

2011-12-19T06:25:00.009-06:00

I will work today because we will not be working on Friday. I will bake my two cakes this afternoon or tomorrow morning and take them to Independence later in the morning tomorrow. Bob A. will help me and then we will eat lunch at Big Cheese.

This will be a big day at work. After I finish filing, I will go back to working across the hall and moving the 2000 LM files into boxes for shredding and moving all the 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 files forward on the shelves. That will take some time. Then, I will move 2006 across the hall where these older files are. Then finally, I will move 2007, 2008 and 2009 forward in the files on the office side of the office in their proper order. The last file clerk has them all out of order. It's a huge job. I am usually exhausted after all that. This will take a couple of weeks...maybe longer.

Wednesday is my hair appointment in Independence. I will go up right after work and pick up Juanita for lunch. We will go to Pizza Hut. That's near her home and my hair appointment is at 1:30. So we will only have an hour. I am taking her Christmas gift to her too.

Then I will work Thursday and be off on Friday. I will clean house on Friday. I will bake my pies on Saturday. I have kept this week fairly free until Christmas on Sunday.

If we are off on the following Friday for New Year's Day, I will work next Tuesday. I have to make up my time lost or lose the money and I need the money.

More later in the day...

After I filed for an hour and a half, I began moving files from one six shelf unit to another. I packed up all 2000 files for destruction. Then I moved each year (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005) each one shelf unit west so I can bring the 2006 files over from the office to the storage area on the other side of the courtroom. I got it all done today except for moving the 2006 files across the courthouse to the storage room. I'll do that Thursday morning...or at least begin it. I'll have to pack them into file boxes and then take them over one by one on a moving truck. That kind of exercise should be good for me at 76.

Then I will move the 2007 files to the unit that had formerly held the 2006 files, the 2008 files will be moved to the former 2007 area and the 2009 files will go into the unit where the 2008 files had been. That ought to keep me busy for awhile.

When I got home I baked my two cakes and when they cooled I iced them. I picked up Bob A. and we went out to church to set some mouse traps. Evidently when Leslie and Karan brought the Christmas decorations in from the shed, they also brought in at least one mouse. I set four traps and hope to eliminate the little fellow this week.

Big Sunday!

2011-12-18T05:58:00.005-06:00

I will bake my beans this morning and put them in an insulated bag so they will stay warm for today's dinner at church. I baked my pie yesterday morning.

We have our Christmas service this morning and a dinner afterward. We have invited guests to the dinner. In the afternoon, after I get my letters done, I will attend Jerry's retirement party and then this evening will go to Bredesen's for the Living the Questions group.

It will be a big day.

More later...

I got my beans baked and also wrapped the gift for Sage and got it ready for mailing tomorrow. I also addressed the special Christmas cards I got for my children and got them out on the mailbox for mailing too.

Slinky is out on the patio. It's been in and out...in and out all morning. He is out now for good.

I will have a lot of stuff to put in Bob's car when he comes. There's my beans, the candy and the pie. Then I will also take my purse, of course.

Later...

We had a nice crowd and most stayed for the dinner afterward. Most also brought food so we had plenty. I came home with two thirds of my blackberry pie and most of my peanut clusters and some of my baked beans.

I will take the peanut clusters and pie to Bredesen's tonight. Maybe they can eat it up.

I did get over to Jerry's retirement party and there were many people there. I stayed about 40 minutes said my farewell's to Jerry and left. I did get a short letter out to those members online. I still have to print off those that go in the snail mail.

Saturday Again

2011-12-17T09:40:00.006-06:00

I had breakfast this morning with my brother-in-law again. It's becoming a Saturday tradition. As soon as I get my pie out of the oven I will go visit my sister. The pie is for our holiday dinner at church tomorrow.

My brother-in-law has gone to a neighborhood open house at Jack and Marilyn's. He is to call when he gets back from that and we will go to Joplin to look for an appropriate book for my great granddaughter and a gift for my sister. That's all I need to complete my Christmas shopping.

I went to see Phyllis but she was sleeping and did not wake up. Then I went to see Gerry. I visited with her about 20 minutes.

More later...

Around mid day, Bob A. came by and we went to Joplin to try to find a book for my great granddaughter, Sage. We shopped a huge bookstore just outside the mall area. I found just waht I was looking for and bought two. I will get them in the mail tomorrow. Leslie found the address I needed.

Bob and I then went over to the mall where he found a sweater and bought it and I got three special Christmas cards for my kids. I will get them in the mail too. Later we stopped mid afternoon and ate at the Olive Garden. It was a pretty day and we enjoyed getting out of town. We got home after 5:00 and he dropped me off so I could feed my animals, take a hot bath and watch TV. I kept falling asleep in the recliner so finally just went on to bed.

Friday At Last

2011-12-16T05:46:00.005-06:00

I'm so glad it's Friday. This cold has worn me out. The Benadryle has helped me to sleep well and to get back to sleep after Slinky has woke me up. But I don't believe I can take it indefinatly. I'll have to get the bottle and read it. Not supposed to take more then six doses in 24 hours. I don't believe I have taken six in 24 hours.

I am to stay for a lunch at work today. I will take my peanut clusters.

Saturday is clear so far. Bob and I will have breakfast and then I will go see Phyllis and perhaps Gerry. The rest of the day is free. That will be good for a change because Sunday is going to be a zoo. After church we will have our holiday dinner and after that there is the Open House retirement party for Jerry Adinolfi who is retiring as the vector of our Episcopal Church here. That same evening, I have Living the Questions group at Bredesens. So Sunday will be a huge day.

I will need to work on Monday to make up for the loss of next Friday for the Christmas holiday. Tuesday I will be taking the cakes to Independence to the Christian Church. My life just gets busier and busier.

Busy Thursday

2011-12-15T06:31:00.006-06:00

This will be a fairly busy day. I will work this morning and then go to Independence to get my hair done at 3:00. Later I will come home and make baked beans for the CMA dinner tonight at Trinity United Methodist Church.

My cold seems to have broken after two days. I am a firm believer in Coldese. The lozenges seem to work for me.

I went to PINCH last night. There were about ten there. Marilyn and Jack had a prior committment. They are planning the Martin Luther King service for January 14th. I have stepped back from too much involvment. This was Bob's organization and I just stepped into his place after he died. I really have no passion for the organization. I will probably drop out eventually. I am way too busy as it is.

I noticed this morning that the motor seems to have died on my garbage disposer. The blades broke off last year so it's nothing lost. It must be an antique.

More later...

Well, the cold is better I am sure. I still have it but it's nothing like yesterday and Monday.

I did quite a bit of work this morning then stopped by Bob's before I came home. He had baked banana nut bread and gave me half the loaf. I was tickled. Then I took off for Independence and ate lunch at Big Cheese while I read my book. I got the ingredients for my chocolate peanut clusters at Wal Mart there and stopped at their Orchelon's store and bought dog food again and then went on to the beauty shop where she washed my oily hair and made me look almost presentable. When I got home I put away the groceries and started the peanut clusters. I intend to take them to the office party tomorrow if they set up.

Both boys called me at work today. Keith had seen the obit of one of his Caney friends and Scott wanted to tell me he had broken up with his girlfriend again. I'm not holding my breath. They have broken up numerous times.

Back to Work

2011-12-14T06:51:00.008-06:00

It's back to work today. I have done about all the damage I can do to my week. And on top of everything else, I have developed a cold....one of the first in recent history.

I will meet Bob A. this morning before work and have breakfast at Eggberts. All I had last night was a small carton of yogurt and that and a few small cookies was all I had all day.

Slinky has been in all night...woke me up a few times but the Benedril saved me. I went back to sleep. It kept my nose from running. I am out of Coldease and will try to find some at the dollar store. I usually start taking it right away. I only had six left in the package and I took those yesterday. After his breakfast, Slinky wanted to be outside. So he is out there on the chaise lounge now. It is time for me to leave for breakfast so I will add to this later in the day. I have nothing else to do today.

More later...

I met Bob for breakfast this morning and then went on to work. I have a terrible cold and I fought my nose all morning. When I got home and ate a sandwich, I went out to Wal Mart to get some more cold ease. That stuff really helps me. I will also take another benedril.

When I got out to Wal Mart, I ran onto Bob. He was looking for the children's liquid benedril. He had to settle for something else.

Tonight I will watch Harry's Law at 8:00. My PINCH meeting is at 5:30 at the Presbyterian Church. I should be back well before then.

O.K. It's Tuesday

2011-12-13T06:23:00.006-06:00

Today should be very busy. Bob A. will do his stress test this morning..complete with treadmill. That will take three hours they say. He's to be there at 6:30. If they get to him at 7:00, he should be finished by 10:00. We'll see. Hospitals and doctors are notoriously slow. They think the patient has all the time in the world.

This morning I will go to the bank to get some cash, run by the doctor's office lab for my blood work, and take these dolls by Karans for delivery to Salvation Army on Thursday. If I have time I will go by the dollar store and pick up a few things and also by Brahm's for milk. He is to come by at noon and pick me up for our trip to Bartlesville. I am taking my kindle so I can read while he is in there.

I hope this all goes like clockwork. It all depends on our hospital getting him out by noon.

More later...

He got out in plenty of time. He came by here to pick me up about noon and we went ahead and went down to Bartlesville, hoping he could get in early. That didn't happen however. They were an hour late taking him in and another hour before they got to him. Evidently they were swamped trying to get everyone done before the holiday. After they were finished, the doctor came in and talked to me. he had talked to Bob before they put him under. Dr. Vasadavin does NOT believe surgery is the answer. For one thing, he does not believe the drainage is coming from his stomach. He believes it is from his sinus. He had done those surgeries himself for years and decided they were causing more problems they they solved. He stopped doing them six years ago. Now he treats the problem with drugs. There is a new drug that works well that comes out of Canada. He gave Bob a prescription for it and said he would have to order it either by telephone or on the internet. He also wants him to lose some weight and take Benadril before bed.

That will be difficult at his age. He is 77. He has a rather large stomach but is otherwise a smaller person...5 foot 7 or so.

He stayed here for an hour or so for the effects of the anesthetic to wear off but then wanted to drive on home and he did. When he got there he called to tell me he had arrived there just fine.

Monday At Last

2011-12-12T05:54:00.008-06:00

I finally will see Dr. Eslicker today and get this basal cell off my chin. Not that I'm worried about it but I just want to get it over with. I have nothing planned for this afternoon so I'm just going to clean house. Lord only knows it needs it. I am doing a load of laundry right now and that's all the laundry I have.

But the house is truly dirty. The kitchen floor is a real mess. Slinky makes such a mess dragging in leaves and dirt from the yard. I will wash and wax it. It won't do any good because he will track it up again but at least I'll get one layer off. Then the carpets need to be vacuumed all over the house. Let's face it...it's dirty.

I need to renew my thyroid med today and make an appointment to get my blood work done tomorrow morning. That's one thing Melissa wants me to get done before I lose her as a doctor. I still haven't decided who I will go to when I need a doctor. No doctor will make much money off me. I only go about once a year... if then.

I was queesey last night and also in the night when I got up to let Slinky out. I ate too many rich cookies at the cookie exchange last night. I took two tums before I went to bed and two more in the middle of the night. I'm fine now.

More later after I get home from Bartlesville.

Well he got that basal cell removed from my chin and wants to see me in three months to check it out.

After I finished there I went downtown and checked out the gift shops. Then I went to the mall and bought some PJ's and some socks. Then I came on back home. I forgot to pick up my prescription so will have to get it in the morning. Luckily I still have one pill.

I cleaned house when I got home. I did the kitchen floor, washed it and waxed it and blew off the patio and the porch too so Slinky would not drag those leaves into the kitchen. It looks so much better. I vacuumed all the rooms and will do the bathrooms tomorrow and dust. It's supposed to rain tonight.

I tried to call Bob A. several times this afternoon and there was no answer. I even tried his cell this evening and it went straight to voice mail. I hope everything is all right.

Apdate:

He had spent the afternoon at the hospital having tests and didn't get away until 5:00. I was up to the pharmacy getting my prescription picked up when he called me and I ran by his house so he could tell me all about it.

He will have his stress test today and after that he will come by and we will go to Bartlesville for his EGD test for his esophagus. I will drive him to my home and he will stay here until the effects of the IV wear off and can drive himself on home safely. He only lives about a mile from me. It will be a busy day for both is us.

Strange Sunday

2011-12-11T18:35:00.005-06:00

I went up to the hospital at 7:00 and Dr. Balson was ready to release Bob but his Dr., Dr. Allen, wanted to wait and do it himself. Dr. Allen got there about 10:15 and Bob called me at Sunday School and asked me to come get him. They were doing his paperwork. I got there about 10:30 and he was all dressed except for his shirts. They still had the EKG hooked up and the IV still in. I waited another 20 miniutes and then went to the desk and asked them if there was someone who could get those off him so he could finish dressing. Soon they sent a nurse down and she did it. He finished dressing and we waited...and waited...and waited. Finally at 11:15 I went back to the desk and asked if there was some paperwork he needed to sign to get out. They agreed he did and said the nurse was getting it ready at that time. About 11:36 she finally showed up with the paperwork. I got him home about 11:45, We met the kids and Phyllis F. for lunch at an Italian restaurant. I had figured they were going to hold Bob at the hospital until noon and then charge Medicare for another day.

I came home and got my letters done and then went to Windsor Place for the support group meeting. We arrived at 2:30 and we left about 3:45 and Bob picked me up at home before leaving for the cookie exchange. We had a good time and got a lot of different cookies to bring home. I put mine in the cookie jar.

Then I let Slinky in the house and fed him and Missy. He is asleep now. I took my bath and put my PJ's on and I have my laptop computer on my lap (along with Missy) and am watching 60 Minutes.

What a day!

Tomorrow I am going to go alone to Bartlesville to get this basal cell carcinoma taken off. Bob A. is to get an appointment with the heart doctor for tomorrow. Then Tuesday morning he is to have a stress test and that afternoon his BGD test. I will take him for that test and bring him home here until his head clears. If all that gets done by 5:00, I will go to the library board meeting. If not, I have already told Jennifer I may not be there.

Changed Saturday

2011-12-10T18:22:00.003-06:00

Everything changed at 7:10 this morning. My brother-in-law called then and said, "Margie, can you come over?" I said I'd be right over and put Slinky in the garage and went over to his house.

He was sitting in his recliner looking kind of wane. He had been having chest pains for an hour and now his chin and jaw were hurting. I suggested we go to the emergency room and he didn't argue with me. I dropped him off at the door there and parked the car.

I got him checked in while they started an IV treatment. He immediately brighten up. His heart rate was 120 and he was having atrial fibulation. His body corrected that right away. They entered him into the hospital for an overnight stay. I stayed all day and came home about 5:30. I will go back in the morning at 7:00 so I can be there when the doctor makes rounds. If he doesn't have another episode tonight, they will release him in the morning. They will give him a different blood pressure med with an ingredient to prevent the fibulation.

I came home, took a bath and am watching TV. My daughter just called and checked on him. I brought her up to date.

I will bake my cookies in the morning before I go to the hospital.

Busy Saturday

2011-12-10T05:54:00.003-06:00

Today I will go eat breakfast with Bob A. at Eggberts and then afterward go out to Leslie's to help her clean house. After that, I will come home and bake cookies for her cookie exchange party tomorrow afternoon.

That should be fun. She has her house decorated to the max. If I can remember, I will take my camera and take some photos to post here. I need to get some more AA batteries. These in the camera are quite old and may not work.

Next week will be very busy...busier then usual. I have that doctor's appointment on Monday where he will scrape and burn that basal cell on my chin. Then Tuesday I will take Bob A. down to his doctor's appointment. I forget the name of the test but they will put a tube down his throat and examine the damage done by his acid reflux disease. He will be out of it afterward for several hours. He will come home with me until he wakes up completely and can drive on over to his house.

Tuesday evening, if I get home in time and he recovers in time, I will go to the library board meeting at 5:00.

Thursday at 3:00 I have another hair appointment and at 6:00 is the CMA Christmas dinner. I will fix some baked beans for it. They are having ham.

So far, I have nothing on Friday except my work.

Saturday is also free but Sunday evening I have the Living the Questions group at Bredesens. I need to get the DVD from Karan. I left it there last week.

Friday At Last!

2011-12-09T06:15:00.008-06:00

I will take my car up to Gary's at 7:30. Bob A. called last evening and he will meet me there and take me to work. I will suggest that we go over to Cherryvale to Just Us for lunch after I pick the car up. He may not want to do that but I will ask. I do have a couple of TV dinners in the freezer.

Leslie called last night to see if I wanted to go to dinner with her and John but I really was just too tired. I had taken a coupon up to Arby's mid afternoon and ate their chicken pieces, curley fries and a small drink so really wasn't all that hungry.

Slinky slept through the night last night until 4:00 this morning. I let him out to pee and then back in and back to his bed. Missy, on the other hand woke me up at 3:30, wanting outside. Animals!

Bonnie, my supervisor, had gall bladder surgery Wednesday. I don't know when she will be back to work.

Saturday after breakfast with Bob A., I will go out to Leslie's and help her clean house for the cookie exchange on Sunday evening. Saturday afternoon I will bake my cookies. Bob A. and I will ride out to the cookie exchange together Sunday afternoon. Leslie has her hands full this week. She has that cookie exchange party after having the sermon on Sunday morning.

More later about the results of the examination of my car. ....

Oh my! The bill came to $190. I had to transfer some more money from my small savings. My house insurance comes due in January too. The four spark plugs came to $36.30, the air filter was 12.84 and the cabin filters were 25.18. The rest was labor. The plugs were in bad shape and the air filters, all three of them were deplorable. I never saw such filth. It was piled up on top of those filters an inch deep and looked like hay and straw. I doubt they had ever been changed in the 11 years since the car was new and not in the eight years I've had it. I have always trusted that those who changed my oil checked those things too. They have charged enough. Most of my oil changes are close to $40.00.

I took it to the Honda agency in Bartlesville last time and afterward asked if they had checked the cabin filter. The associate looked at his computer and plainly said "this car doesn't have them." That's the first and last time I take it there. I will probably take it back to Gary next time. At least I know he and Brandon check it over carefully.

I got my AT & T bill today and they raised my local telephone rate $5.00 a month. I will talk to Leslie about cancelling my local telephone too. I had already cancelled my long distance a couple of years ago. I have my cell phone which she pays for on her family plan. It's always something.

Bob and I went over to Cherryvale to Just Us for lunch and had a good lunch there. We do that about once a month....sometimes twice. We both really enjoy the home cooked taste of the food. The dessert is included for a total of a flat $10.00.

We will also have breakfast tomorrow at Eggberts.

Thursday...A Hair Day!

2011-12-08T05:59:00.002-06:00

After work this morning I will go to Independence to get my hair done. I washed it last night. I just couldn't stand it anymore. She will undoubtedly re-wash it but at least it's clean now for work.

I just called Bob A. His eye finally stopped hurting last night and this morning it doesn't hurt at all. That was a real mystery. It was really bad pain. If it was back this morning I was going to suggest he go see Dr. Ruttley, the Opthamoligist here in town. I'm glad he's o.k today though. He is going to Independence at noon for his caregiver's support group at Big Cheese. I will be going up at 3:00 for my 3:30 hair appointment.

Tomorrow I will need to remind Bob that I need him to take me to work after I leave my car at Gary's. It hasn't given me any more problems starting but I need to get it checked out before the dead of winter. If it's going to be a problem it will be a problem in either the cold of winter or the heat of summer.

I will contact Leslie this morning sometime and ask her if she would like me to come up after work tomorrow and clean her house. She is having her cookie exchange on Sunday afternoon and she wants it to be clean. I could also go help her on Saturday if she'd like.

Work Wednesday

2011-12-07T06:06:00.006-06:00

This will be another work day and I will have to put Slinky in the garage. It is 18 degrees out there and he would freeze. The garage stays much warmer since the hot water tank is in there. He will not like that! He hates the garage. But I have no alternative. I was not working in past winters and in terribly cold weather so he was able to stay in the kitchen. I have nothing else planned for today. I only hope my car will start this morning. Friday I will take it in to Gary's at 8:00 and Bob A. will take me to to work and pick me up afterward.

And I have another problem. The back door dead bolt will no longer close. The front door did the same thing and last summer I had to dig out the area where the lock enters and move the latch up to get it to lock again. It looks like I may have to do the same thing with the back door. My guess is the house has shifted with the changes in the weather. It was working fine until Monday.

Tomorrow at 3:30 I have a hair appointment. I should have washed it today but was too lazy to do so. Besides, I'm having it done tomorrow. I look almost human when Carol finishes with it. It just looks clean when I wash it myself. I have no clue what to do with my hair. The only time I tried to use the curling iron on it, I ended up burning myself.

I haven't heard anything out of my youngest son in several days. I hope things are going alright with him. Keith called day before yesterday. And, of course, I saw Leslie at church on Sunday.

More later...

Scott (younger son) called me after he read this blog. That was nice.

Slinky wanted to go outside in that 18 degree weather and so I went on to work and left him out. It got up to 47 degrees before I got home and he did not come back into the house until 4:30 this evening.

He is sleeping in the kitchen right now and it is 6:30 in the evening. I don't know what I will do with him when it gets even colder. I guess I will force him to go into the garage.

Bob A. called me at work to ask if I wanted to eat lunch with him at Eggberts and I did. He had been struggling all morning with pain in his right eye. After we ate we went into the Urgent Care and the PA there numbed it and washed it out thoroughly.

The numbing wore off in about 15 minutes and the pain returned. Finally he put an ice pack on it and took an ibuprofin. Finally about 5:00, the pain stopped. I told him if it returns he needs to go see an opthamologist tomorrow. I would take off work and take him to Bartlesville if he needs to go. We don't fool around with our eyes. We only get one set. I will call him in the morning.

Busy Tuesday

2011-12-06T06:12:00.005-06:00

This will be a fairly busy day. In a few moments I will need to bake my two cakes for the dinner tonight at Independence's First Christian Church. I have Phyllis F's cake already and Cyndi will be bringing hers later this morning. Karan will bring hers today too.

I probably need to remind her. She gets so busy she forgets a lot of things.

I hope Bob A. will go with me and help me carry them in. Then perhaps afterward we will eat at Big Cheese.

He learned yesterday at the doctor's office that using Prilosac is just a stop gap treatment and will not "fix" his problem. Meds will not do anything permanent. They have stopped working in his case and he is often sick after eating. He really needs the surgery. The valve that is supposed to close to keep food from coming back up..is no longer there so there is nothing to stop him from the constant reflux. Dr. Sandhu will take a stitch or two in that opening where the valve is supposed to be and that will create a valve and allow it to close once again.

He went to Bartlesville to do the paperwork in preparation for another test to have a look at that area in his esophogus and see how bad it is. He has an appointment on the 13th to get that done. I will drive him back afterward. I have an appointment in Bartlesville too on the 12th. Dr. Eslicker is going to scrape and cauterize the place on my chin where I have a basal cell carcinoma. So we will be in Bartlesville next week two days in a row.

Well, I had better get those cakes baked. Perhaps more later...

I went to start my car after I got the cakes out of the oven and it just about didn't start. Finally, it turned over just enough for me to give it a little gas and it took hold. I went up to Gary's Automative and had Brandon check the battery. The battery was fine (it was only two years old). He said sometimes these older Hondas do that. The car is a 2001 vehicle and has 153,000 miles on it. He suggested I should start by having the plugs checked. I don't recall the last time I had anything done with them. So I have an appointment to take the car in to have them checked on Friday. Then I went on to visit Phyllis at Windsor Place. Bob A. will take me to work on Friday and I will leave the car with Gary's. I have no idea what that will cost. It certainly isn't in my budget.

We did take the cakes to Independence later and we did eat at Big Cheese.

I came home and cleaned my bathrooms and read the rest of the afternoon.

Ah Monday!

2011-12-05T05:35:00.003-06:00

It's Monday...thank goodness. This will be a fairly quiet day. I'm ready for one!

We had some excitement last night after the Living the Questions group. I stayed to help Karan clean up and while I was visiting with Bobby and her, suddenly she said "Bobby, turn off that lamp..it's smoking!" He turned to look at the lamp and turn it off and at the same time she turned and he then looked at a reflection in the glass doors next to the lamp and there was a fire on the desk! We ran over to the desk where she had had a candle burning all evening. It had burned down to the candle ring and caught the scarf on fire. Bobby ran over to try to smother it and I shouted, "Karan get water!" It quickly spread and I picked up a decoration next to the fire and Karan threw the first large cup of water on it and went to get another cup. About that time, the smoke alarm went off. We were about to get it out and when she threw the second cup on the fire and it finally went out. There was water everywhere though and Bobby's beautiful antique desktop was scorched. We got a roll of paper towels and worked on getting the water cleaned up off their laminated dining room floor and the desk for the next forty five minutes.

Bobby said, "thank goodness you stayed, Margie! If you hadn't been here, one of us would have been in the bedroom and the other in a shower." The house might have burned down and we might have died of smoke inhalation." That fire was quickly spreading. Later I got a sponge and cleaned the wall behind the desk that had been scorched. We were all very grateful that we got it out before there was any more damage.

I got home about 11:00.

I had Slinky in the garage. When I got home I let him out to pee and then wanted to get him back in the garage. He does not like the garage! It was 20 degrees outside but 40 degress in the garage. He did go in but he barked off and on all night.

I'm going to the doctor this morning with Bob A., my brother-in-law. He is having a consultation about surgery for his acid reflux. It is getting really bad. He had a CT scan last week and many other tests and they found that part of his stomach is now up above his diaphram. He has been pretty miserable the past couple of months. I suggested he should go to a gastroenterologist for the surgery and not use the GP surgeon. He has one in Bartlesville that does his colonoscopies each year. He wants to get a second opinion. I guess there are two ways to deal with that surgery. In the first method the surgeon stretches the stomach back down where it belongs and wraps the stomach around the esophagus. That requires a longer recuperation. In the second method, the stomach is stretched down even further and secured to some ligaments in the stomach area. He wants to learn which method this surgeon uses. The second is preferable. After the surgery, I want him to come over here to my second bedroom because I don't think he should be alone after the surgery. We will see. Slinky might be barking all night here while he is trying to get some rest.

Anyhow, that and my laundry and cleaning the bathrooms are all I have planned for today. I will bake my two cakes tomorrow morning and we will take them to Independence at 11:00 tomorrow. Perhaps we will eat at Big Cheese again afterward.

I am looking forward to being home tonight.

Sunday Again

2011-12-04T06:42:00.004-06:00

I had a really good time yesterday evening. The Living Christmas Tree was really neat and the music was lovely. The fellowship of the folks from the bus from Trinity United Methodist Church was also great. The meal at Crackerbarrel was good and I sat with some folks I didn't know. It's always a good idea to get acquainted with someone new. It rained all afternoon and even into the evening and I had considered just staying home where it was dry and warm. Then I reconsidered that idea. I had paid for the trip and the performance and if I didn't go, I would not only lose my money but I would have just sat around all evening with nothing to do but read. I can read all winter. I decided to go on and go and I am so glad I did.

Today will be busy. Bob A. will be presiding and I will have Leslie help me serve the communion. I also have the sermon. It's the one published below on this blog.

Slinky stayed out last night. I had put him in the garage where it was relatively warm and went on to bed. The minute I went to bed, he started barking. So I got up and let him outside. It wasn't too cold so he climbed back up on the chaise and stayed outside. I got the first truly uninterupted sleep in ages and I slept until 6:00...amazing! It must have been the trip and the fact that my tummy was full. I don't usually eat dinner if I've had a good lunch. But yesterday I had a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch and Slinky got half of that.

So this afternoon after lunch, I will do my letters and then fix my dessert for tonight's dinner over at Bobby and Karan's with the Living the Questions group. I want to go out to Wal Mart too and get some frozen rolls to take. I will have to put Slinky in the garage tonight. It's supposed to be very cold. In fact, tomorrow it's supposed to snow. We'll see.

Sunday's Sermon

2011-12-03T22:00:00.001-06:00

The Glory of the Lord Shall Be Revealed
December 4th, 2011

I’d like to share with you this morning the scripture from Isaiah 40: 1 – 11 which is our scripture lesson for today’s service. This is a message of hope and truth.

Isaiah 40:1–11
Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” A voice says, “Cry out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.

Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.

The historical setting for this scripture is Babylon. It is addressed to the Jewish community in exile. The Babylonian exile, while economically more favorable to the Jewish community than staying in Israel, still threatened the community with cultural and religious assimilation.

At this time in history, the conquering of a people by another people meant that the tribal god of the conquered people was also conquered by the tribal god of the conquerors. The action meant the loss of their personal, cultural, political, and spiritual identity. They literally lost the center on which their lives turned. Sp the challenge before the prophet was threefold:

First he had to try to answer the question in the minds of the people: Is God still God?

Second: with the loss of the temple and kingship, do the people of God still exist as a people?

And Third and last of all: Does God still care for the people?

The prophet’s answer to all these questions was a resounding, “Yes!”

It is still “yes!” to us today. Not only does God care for each of us, but God laments when we turn away from the still small voice that attempts to lead us into the better life.

There is great hope offered the people here by the prophet. They had lost all hope. They thought their God had been conquered and was no longer the God of their tribe. The apex of the scripture comes in verse 40:9 with the proclamation: “Here is your God!” God is great. God still loves the people. God is honoring the covenant made with Jacob and David. God cares about you. God is here in the midst of our chaos and our most terrible circumstances. “Here is your God!” the prophet says. There is hope. And the hope of the Advent season is symbolized this morning in the commemoration of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. At the Lord’s Table we are reminded of God’s saving role in our own lives. That saving role is not necessarily in an afterlife, it is actually for us in the present day…in this life. God wishes to save us from ourselves..our own bad choices and mistakes. God’s salvation is for us today. God’s grace covers our shattered lives. God is with us every single day..every moment. It is our responsibility to listen for his still small voice that attempts to guide us.

Many people find life so difficult that they give up hope of anything getting better. In knowing God is with us we find hope for our lives and because of that we receive the promise of God’s continuing presence with us. We see God’s work and God’s face in the works and faces of others in the loving community as they strive to serve the needs of others. And this morning as we partake of the emblems of the sacrament, God’s presence is once again revealed to us.

Central to this scripture is the age old question: Is God good? Is God great? The next central questions are: How has God shown involvement in our lives? Has there ever been a time when God has seemed absent from our life? If so, how did God return to us?

God is good because God is always with us. God is great because God continually works in our lives to help us make good decisions and to comfort us when all seems lost and we feel alone with our life dilemmas. We are not alone though. Not only do we have God’s Spirit with us at all times but we have one another in this special fellowship of love and support.

Sometimes God seems a long way away from us but it is not because God has moved. It is because we have moved away from God and stopped listening to God’s voice. We have withdrawn. That is truth. Truth, and our search for it, is also a part of the glory of the Lord. Sometimes truth seems elusive so how do we recognize truth when we find it? The Buddha told this story.

‎"A young widower, who loved his five year old son very much, was away on business when bandits came who burned down the whole village and took his son away. When the man returned, he saw the ruins and panicked. Then he took the burnt corpse of an infant to be his son and cried uncontrollably. He organized a cremation ceremony, collected the ashes and put them in a beautiful little bag which he always kept with him. Soon afterwards, his real son escaped from the bandits and found his way home. He arrived at his father's new cottage at midnight and knocked at the door. The father, still grieving asked: "Who is it?" The child answered, it is me, papa, open the door!" But in his agitated state of mind, convinced his son was dead, the father thought that some young boy was making fun of him. He shouted: "Go away" and continued to cry. After some time, the child left.
Father and son never saw each other again."

After this story, the Buddha said: "Sometime, somewhere, you take something to be the truth. If you cling to it so much, even when the truth comes in person and knocks on your door, you will not open it." Let us open our minds always for truth.

Let us be open to God.

As we prepare for the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper today, let us examine these questions for ourselves and attempt to answer them silently for our own lives.

God is with us in our worst moments and also in our best moments. If we recognize that, we will find the courage to face whatever may come our way in life. God is still God. God is the God of all people and God still cares deeply for us. That is truth and that truth gives us hope and assurance that “the glory of the Lord will be revealed”… to us.

Big Big Saturday

2011-12-03T05:29:00.002-06:00

This will be another big day.

Last night I went to Tyro and met John and Leslie and they took me to Garfield's as planned. I had a nice small steak and it was very good. Afterward the crew had me stand up and sang happy birthday to me. Then we walked around the mall and the kids did some Christmas shopping. It rained on the way home and after we got to Tyro I drove myself on home in the rain. I had put Slinky in the garage on his pad and I just left him there and got a good night's sleep.

It's going to rain today so the book sale probably won't do much. But it's supposed to be in the 50's later on today so I will put Slinky outside for the afternoon while I am gone to Joplin to the Living Christmas Tree program and on into the evening. When I get home I will put him back in the garage to sleep. It stays fairly warm in the garage. I have a 100 watt light bulb clipped to the water pipes that leads to my refigerator to keep them from freezing when it gets really cold.

Tomorrow will be church as usual. I am speaking tomorrow and it is communion Sunday too. We will probably eat out together afterward and then I will get my letters done before making my dessert for the dinner at Bobby and Karan's home before the Living the Questions group meets.

So it will be a full weekend.

What a Night!

2011-12-02T05:27:00.005-06:00

My oldest son and his wife, Esther, sent me this beautiful basket of flowers for my birthday. It was delivered at my work today. Aren't they lovely?

My brother-inlaw popped over before I left for work and brought me a card and a loaf of pumpkin cranberry bread. I took it to work and shared it. They all loved it with their coffee.

What a night last night was!! And it wasn't all Slinky. It was one of those nights that began well. I went to bed at 9:00. I was sleeping like a baby and then at 11:30, Slinky woke me up to go out. I let him out and back in and he went back to bed. I lay there in bed and stewed about one thing and then another. Very unlike me. Then about 3:30, just as I finally got back to sleep, Slinky woke me again....and again...and again. From then on it was all downhill. I am wiped out this morning. Maybe a couple of cups of coffee will help. I hope so. I work this morning and then this evening John and Leslie are meeting me at Tyro at 5:30 and taking me to Garfield's in Bartlesville for dinner for my birthday.

The florist called yesterday afternoon to see if I was the Margie that worked at the district courthouse. I told her I was. They are delivering flowers to me there this morning. I'll bet that was Keith. It finally occured to me night before last that he was not asking the courthouse address out of sheer curiosity. That sweetheart!

I got an e-card from one of the women from church this morning and I received two kindle books from my friend, Bill. So I have reading material for awhile. Juanita gave me my birthday card when she met me for lunch on Tuesday. I have it setting on my server here in the dining room.

John and Lelsie are taking me to Garfield's this evening for dinner.

I got birthday wishes from the mother of my oldest great granddaughter and some photos too. That was a lovely surprise.

I hope to get a nap this afternoon.

Very Busy Thursday

2011-12-01T05:33:00.004-06:00

I saw this photo posted on facebook today so I am sharing it here too. This is my younger son and his girlfriend. They had this photo and another one done for his birthday.

Today will be a zoo! I work this morning and leave about 11:15 for the ministerial alliance meeting. Yesterday afternoon, long after I turned in the reservations on Tuesday noon, another minister e-mailed me that he would be there. I e-mailed him back that he could certainly attend the meeting but that he should not count on lunch because he was a day late. This minister has done this before. When we have a buffet, that may work out but Assisted Living does a sit down lunch. That aggravates the life out of me. The last time he did that, he ate and one of our members who had reserved a meal, lost hers. Then last night..believe it or not, another minister's wife called about her husband. I had to tell her he may not be able to eat. I get so frustrated with these men...and it's always the men that do this.

I got my library board certification yesterday. I had to spend five hours (in two sessions) to watch a video and talk to Jennifer about my duties as a board member. She asked me to work the book sale this Saturday morning. I don't leave for Joplin until 1:00 so I agreed. After all, I am a board member. I should do something besides just attend meetings. But that will be another full day.

Tomorrow is my 76th birthday. The kids, John and Leslie are taking me to dinner. They are so good about things like that. I hope we can go to Tavern on the Plaza. I have only been there once or twice since Bob died and we used to go there once a week.

Bonnie, my supervisor at work, will be off the next two days. She is taking some vacation. I'm not sure if I will have plenty to do at work. I'll play it by ear.

Slinky stayed outside yesterday. He wanted out when I was ready to leave for work and it was sun shiney so I just let him out. I hope today works the same way. I will go to Independence after the meeting to get my hair done and cut. I should be plenty tired tonight. I hope I can get some sleep tonight. Slinky had me up four times last night.

Wednesday Again

2011-11-30T06:32:00.003-06:00

Today I will work again. Afterward I will go to the library for my certification meeting at 2:00 and work there with Jennifer until 3:30.

I also need to get my time sheet signed and off in the mail to Aime. She is afraid the new mail schedules will make them too late if we wait until Thursday to send them in to her. Next week, I will need to job search again.

Slinky only woke me up only twice last night. So I got a good night's sleep. Missy didn't try to wake me up until 4:30. I ran her off. It was 20 degrees out there and I knew she wouldn't go out even after I got up to let her out.

Yesterday evening another minister contacted me to make a lunch reservation for him for Thursday's meeting. This month I couldn't do it. We are meeting at Windsor Place Assisted Living and they do not serve buffet style. They set the table and serve us individually. I called in the 15 reservations before I left for Independence yesterday and when I got home at 3:30 or so, I had two more reservations. So I called them and revised the number. Then last night that other minister e-mailed me. I had to tell him he could attend the meeting but could not have lunch because it was way too late to make his reservation. He has done this before when we meet at the other Windsor Place. They do serve buffet style and I have let him have my dinner rather then turn him down. I'm not going to do that Thursday because they will be serving us individually. I am supposed to make the reservations by noon on Tuesday before our meetings on Thursday.

I hope it has warmed up some before 7:30 when I leave for work. Otherwise, I will have to put Slinky in the garage.

Cold Tuesday

2011-11-29T06:00:00.007-06:00

Today is another cold morning. Slinky and Missy spent the night inside. Slinky woke me up about four times last night wanting out. I always have to bawl him out when he decides he wants to be fed at 4:00 AM. I am not going to feed him at 4:00 AM! I make him wait until about 5:30 after I am dressed and ready for the day. Dogs! Cats are about as bad. I had just got warm and covered again when Missy decided she wanted out. She decided she didn't want out when she learned how cold it was outside...but I put her out anyhow. Any animal that wakes me to go out at 4:00 AM is going to go out!

Today I will go up to Independence and take Juanita to lunch. It's been awhile and she is 90 years old...anything can happen to any of us, of course, but at 90 years old, it's more likely to happen to her.

Tomorrow I will work and then have my library board certification meeting with Jennifer at 2:00 until 3:30. I hope it is warm enough for Slinky then.

Thursday I will leave work a little early to get to the ministerial alliance meeting in time to distribute the agenda and the minutes from last month. After the meeting, I will go to Independence to get my hair done. I got my appointment moved to 2:00 so I won't have to worry about being late.

Today is Scott's birthday! I won't say how old he is because he's a little sensitive about it and he sometimes reads this blog. Friday is my 76th birthday. The plan is for John and Leslie to take me to dinner. Saturday I will go with Bobby's church group on a bus trip to Joplin to see a Living Christmas Tree program.

That's my week!

I did go to lunch with Juanita and then she wanted me to take her to the bank so she could get the money to pay her taxes. I got home about 3:45. By the way, she bought my lunch for my coming birthday.

Even Colder Monday

2011-11-28T05:52:00.004-06:00

This is an even colder day than yesterday! I dread winter. I really dislike winter. When it snows, I will have to dig myself out to go to work....if they don't close the office for snow. Kansas, at least this part of the state, does not have proper snow clearing equipment nor enough staff to get everyone cleared out so people can get out to go to work. Last year with our huge snows, offices just closed. I had just got my drive cleared and the snow plow came by and piled three feet of snow across my drive. I had to get back out and dig it out again.

Slinky definately stayed in the kitchen last night. Missy was in on my bed too. Slinky got me up six times in the night to let him out on one pretense or the other. Hopefully I can get a nap this afternoon.

Today I will do some cleaning here at home. Leslie e-mailed me that her house looked fine. After she finished her decorating, she cleaned as she went. She wants me to give it a good cleaning before her cookie exchange party on the 11th. I can do that.

My bathrooms need cleaning now and the kitchen needs a good cleaning too. It's just been hit and miss since Thanksgiving.

I have received two e-mail meal opportunities since my birthday month is approaching. Arby's sent me a coupon for a free shake with the purchnase of a sandwich. And Sirloin Stockade sent me my free buffet dinner (if Bob A. will go to be the paying buffet):).

Diana brought me a sweet Christmas gift from Wisconsin. It was a lot of real nice teas and hot chocolates. I love those things. That was so good of her.

Friday evening (my birthday) John and Leslie will take me to Tavern on the Plaza for dinner. Or we can go to Garfield's in Bartlesville. I dread getting out in the evening to go too far though because the deer are thick around here. I saw about twelve notices in the paper about folks who had hit deer on the roads.

More later...

Cold Sunday

2011-11-27T15:12:00.003-06:00

It is cold today. The wind is fierce. Awhile ago, Slinky began to bark to come in. It has got colder as the day progressed.

We went to Sunday School and church today. Bob A. came by and picked me up, as usual. We had our Hanging of the Greens service. John and Leslie were in charge and it went well. We had guests again this Sunday. One man said he came because he follows my Minister's Messages in the newspaper. I told him to come back next week too because I would be speaking then. Hopefully he will. Leanne's mom came again and brought her sister. Leanne didn't come this week.

We ate at El Publieto and it had been awhile since we had eaten there. It was good, as usual. Then I came home and worked on my letters. I have them finished now and ready for tomorrow's mail.

Leslie informed me that she and John were taking me to Bartlesville on Friday to Garfield's..for my birthday. That's good of them. I like Garfield's.

I will go get some ice cream in a little while. That's what I will have for supper. Then I will just watch TV this evening.

Sinky came in awhile ago. He is pretty cold and it's getting colder. It will be in the 20's tonight and the rest of the week.

Busy Saturday

2011-11-26T16:26:00.009-06:00

It turned out to be a busy Saturday after all. I met Bob A. for breakfast this morning at 7:30 and then after that I came home and started putting up my little Christmas tree and decorating my house. I stopped at 9:30 and went out to visit Phyllis. She was very sleepy. I kept telling her Diana was going to be coming out at lunchtime and she should get rested up so she could see Diana. After I left Phyllis I went to see Gerry but could not find her. She was not in her room or in the family room. They said she was walking the halls but I didn't see her anywhere. I left her a note and came on back home to finish my decorating. I got back home in time to go out to Wal Mart and try to get some more greenery.

The photos above are some of my work.

I also bought a couple of small soft dolls for the twin two year olds we have adopted at church to buy gifts for Christmas. I will buy some books for them later.

Friday After Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T06:29:00.005-06:00

Today the only thing I have planned is to go to my daughter's and help her put up her 15 foot Christmas tree. I also want to visit with Diana, my niece, and her boyfriend, Tony from Wisconsin. I do not intend to go anywhere and shop on Black Friday.

I want to just rest on this day off. When I go back to work on Wednesday I will have to get my time sheet filled out and sent in to Aime. With the change in the mail, she wants to be sure we get paid on time. Instead of the mail going from here to Independence, it now goes to Wichita before coming back here to be delivered. It's ridiculous. If they raised postage on junk mail instead of first class mail each time, they would not be in this mess. They also need to pay their mail carrier and postmasters less.

My house is clean. So I don't need to clean on Monday. If she needs me to, I will clean Leslie's house on Monday.

Tuesday I will pick up Juanita for lunch. That is also Scott's birthday. I sent him a card but he may not get it on time. I didn't allow enough time.

Wednesday is my library certification meeting with Jennifer. It's from 2:00 till 3:30. I will work in the morning and have this library meeting in the afternoon.

Thursday is our Ministerial Alliance meeting. I will leave work at 11:15 to get there in time for the minutes and agenda to be distributed. After the meeting I have my hair appointment in Independence at 1:30.

Friday is my birthday. I don't know what I will do to celebrate.

Then Saturday I will catch that bus to the Living Christmas Tree program in Joplin. I have to meet the bus at 1:30, I think.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T09:48:00.003-06:00

I had a rude awakening when I got my turkey out of the frig this morning. For the first time I noticed it was just a turkey breast. Rats! I wanted an eight pound bird and I like dark meat and this will be strictly white meat.

Oh well, I have my dressing ready to go into the oven and my green bean casserole too. I got the Waldorf salad done last night. I still have my potatoes to do and the rolls to put in at the last minute and I may make gravy yet. That white meat could be dry.

It's a nice day and luckily Slinky wanted to be outside. It's only 10:00 and the dressing and green bean casserole don't go in the oven until 11:00 or so. I'll put the potatoes on to boil about 11:00 or 11:15. Then I'll get the gravy going. I hope that meat is done by 11:00 or so. It's only eight pounds and it calls for 2 1/2 to 3 hours at 350 degrees.

Well, more later....

The dinner went off like clockwork. After everyone left I got the kitchen cleaned up. Later almost seven o'clock I took my bath. I am very tired. I did a lot of cleaning as I put things away. It is good to be alone again. There weren't many leftovers and I sent what there was home for John and Leslie. I gave Bob A. the salad. I had made way too much and had a full bowl of fruit salad covered in saran. He will have his family's Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow after his older daughter from Wisconsin arrives tonight. He'll get his fill of turkey or ham. They are having both. But at least he and his younger daughter and her family weren't alone on Thanksgiving.

Keith called just as I was about to take the rolls out of the oven. I talked to him briefly and then Leslie talked to him too. It was good to hear from him. Scott called this morning. He was very excited. Becky was on her way to spend a week with him. She was in Atlanta heading to Germany. All in all it was a good Thanksgiving.

Busy Yesterday

2011-11-23T05:58:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was so busy I never got around to posting. I worked but had to find things to do. Faye did not work Monday afternoon so there was very little filing to do. I did what filing there was and then started working on Lynette's project. She wanted me to file a bunch of license suspensions. I made a drawer for them and then made alphabet dividers for them. When I finished that job, I had a pile of old files to file. I found them (unfiled) when I moved those files on Monday. That took awhile. Then I began making labels for old files.

After work, I picked up Bob A (I had put the cakes in my trunk the evening before) and we went to Independence to deliver them to the First Christian Church. Then we went over to Big Cheese and ate a mini pizza. Then I took him home.

I came back home and cleaned house. I will get my hair done after work today and while I'm in Independence, I will get the rest of my groceries. My niece and her husband and daughter will be eating with us tomorrow. Bob A. will come too so there will be seven of us. Denise's sister, my other niece from Wisconsin, will be here Friday after traveling all day Thursday and she and her boyfriend will cook Thanks giving dinner for them again on Friday.

This afternoon I will make my Waldorf salad and cover it and put it in the frig.
Tomorrow, I'll get the turkey in the oven about 8:00 and start mixing the dressing. It will go in when the turkey comes out to cool enough to be carved. The green bean casserole goes in then too. While those are baking, I will peel my potatoes and get them on to cook for mashed potatoes. I may make gravy but my son in law doesn't like gravy. I have dinner rolls to go in last. So we will have turkey, mashed potatoes. dressing, green bean casserole, Waldorf salad and dinner rolls. My daughter is bringing pie and whipped cream for dessert.

I went to bed fairly early. I was really tired.

Slinky slept in the kitchen last night and he woke me up at 2:30 to go out to pee. Then he woke me up again at 3:30. Seems he just wanted his breakfast. I bawled him out and told him to get back to bed. He slunk off for bed. Then Missy decided she wanted to go out. I got up again to let her out but she changed her mind after poking her nose out. In an hour, she changed her mind again and decided she wanted out. This time I insisted she go out. Then I went back to bed again. About 4:30, Slinky began barking for his breakfast. I ignored him. I got up twenty minutes later but made my bed, brushed my teeth, made up my face and dressed before coming into the kitchen to feed him.

He is lying here now with a full tummy (both his dog food and my oatmeal) sound sleep. At this rate, I wonder if I will outlive this dog and cat. Missy is almost nine and Slinky, an old Shar Pei, is almost 14.

A Very Busy Day

2011-11-21T17:46:00.002-06:00

This has been a doozy of a day! I filed for an hour and a half and then I worked all the rest of the morning moving the divorce files from one room's file cabinet to the other room and a different file cabinet and finally got that part of the job finished. Then I relabeled the file cabinets so we now know what is really in each of them.

After I left work at noon, I went to the bank to get some cash for the week. After that I deposited the money from last night's worship service at a different bank and came home and wrote the check for the Genesis ministry and got it in the mail. Then I went to Dollar General, Braums and Country Mart and bought a few groceries. When I got home, I baked my two cakes and when they cooled I iced them. I have loaded them into my car's trunk now. Bob A. has bought a German chocolate cake and the others from Dennis, rural Independence and Neodesha will be bringing them to Independence themselves. We have twelve.

I heard from Sue today. She counted 53 shoeboxes for our Samaritan Child project. She did a wonderful job with that project. She asked if someone else could preside for her on December 4th. I asked Bob A. if he would do that and he agreed. I made up the bulletin for him so all he has to do is preside. I will ask Leslie to help me serve the communion that morning.

Karan just brought her cake. Phyllis F. came with hers just before Karan came. I have them all loaded into my truck now.

I did a dumb thing. I was carrying my laptop into the kitchen where Slinky was resting and stepped over my baracade between the dining room and the kitchen and caught my foot on the baracade and fell over it onto the kitchen floor on both my knees. The pain was excruiating for just a minute. But I recovered and didn't even drop the laptop. I held it up so it wouldn't hit the floor. My knees seem to be alright now. I will take a hot bath after awhile and hope for the best. I obviously did not break anything.

Bob will go with me to take the cakes up to Independence tomorrow. Then we will go to Big Cheese and have lunch. It's supposed to rain tonight and maybe even tomorrow so we may be taking those cakes in the rain.

He saw Phyllis today and he said she was in pretty good humor today and visited with him briefly. He patted her hand until she fell asleep. My poor sister.

A Monday Workday

2011-11-21T05:51:00.004-06:00

I am going to work today and tomorrow to make up for losing Thursday and Friday this week. There will be plenty for me to do even if there is no filing. I still have to move all of the 2006 and possibly the 2007 divorce files into the file cabinet in the room next to the office. That will make room for 2012 in the front office files. Then there's all those files across the hall that must be moved over to make room for the LD files from the hall on this side right outside of the courtroom to make room for the 2009 LD files from the office. Those LD files from 2005 can be destroyed. What a huge job. But it's honest work so who cares?

I want to keep this week relatively free of anything other than Thanksgiving. I need to bake my two cakes this afteroon and if the cooks will be at the First Christian Church tomorrow, I will go with Bob A. after work to take them to Independence. We may eat at Big Cheese afterward.

Wednesday after work I have a hair appointment so that means another trip to Independence. Then Thursday morning, I start cooking Thanksgiving dinner. I need to put my turkey in the frig to thaw today. I need to get a birthday card for Christina, my granddaughter, today. Her birthday is Saturday. I will also need to go to the market and get my groceries.

Slinky finally calmed down last night after a spell of barking. He slept until 12:30am when he needed to go out to pee and then came right back in and went back to sleep. He slept until after 5:00am. He has had his dog food as well as his oatmeal this morning and is outside now at least for awhile. He may be able to stay out today. It's 38 degrees right now and it's supposed to get up to 47 degrees today. He needs to be outside as much as possible. He will have to spend the winter either in the garage while I am at work or in the kitchen when I am home. I wish I could afford to buy him an igloo to put on the patio but the large ones are $200.00 at Orchelon's and he is going into his 14th year next year. I don't know how long he will live after that so I hate to invest in an igloo. Missy, my cat, also slept inside last night on my bed and slept all night so I got a good night's sleep.

The services last night were good. Not my kind of services but still good. There was lots of praise singing and hand raising. The sermon was very good. I especially like Rev. Mark W. and he likes me. He calls me "mom". The attendance could have been better but it was a cold night. The offering came to well over $400. That goes to Genesis to help the poor with their utilities and rent. On the bright side, there were a lot of youth there. The First Church of the Nazarene has a small praise band and the pastor and his wife both have great singing voices so they led the singing along with another man who sings the harmony. She is a music teacher at the elementary school here. They live across the alley from me.

Sunday Again

2011-11-20T06:05:00.005-06:00

I will have church this morning and afterwards we will undoubtedly eat out somewhere. I will also need to count how many cakes we can count on for Tuesday, announce that Pam G's father had an emergency appendectomy and should be included in our prayers, and talk about Gerry's suggestion that we find white elephants at home for the prizes for the bingo games at Windsor.

Then we will elect our officers for 2012 and Sue will show her DVD about the Samaritan Child shoebox project and make a few appropriate remarks.

Tonight is the Community Wide Thanksgiving Worship Service at the Nazarene Church. I dread going because it will be cold out and I am not sure what I will do with Slinky. Maybe I will put him the the garage until I get home and then let him out to pee before I let him into the kitchen to sleep. It's supposed to be cold tonight.

More later....

Well, he was fine in the garage. But after I let him out to go pee and then let him back in the kitchen, he has barked and barked. I've bawled him out but nothing has shut him up. Hopefully he will eventually wear out and go to sleep. It's supposed to be 30 degrees tonight so he has to be in. And it's supposed to be just as cold tomorrow so he will have to spend the morning in the garage and the rest of the day and evening and night in the kitchen. I don't know when it will warm up enough to let him out. We're forecast for rain the next two days.

Saturday Plans

2011-11-19T06:33:00.003-06:00

I have plans for today. First I will meet my brother-in-law for breakfast and then I will go see my sister at 9:30. After that, I will go to the Arts and Crafts Fair. I guess I will go by myself. Leslie has Maia and also is on call. After that, I will come home and do some cleaning for the Thanksgiving week.

Tomorrow evening is the Community Wide Thanksgiving service at the Church of the Nazarene. As treasurer, I will attend and take care of depositing the offering and writing the check for Genesis.

I have decided to work both Monday and Tuesday to make up for being off next Thursday and Friday. Yesterday Bonnie started me on moving files. Each year, the five year old LD files can be destroyed. This frees up space for the coming new year files. So She had me move all the old CV (civil) files to the back room yesterday. Those must be kept indefinately. I filled six shelves with files. Then I discovered a box of files that had been just shoved onto the file cabinet and never filed. They were carefully listed and so I have to file those cases before I move on to my next project. I am to move the 2006 and 2007 D (divorce) files onto the shelves I have just cleared to make room for the 2012 D files that will be coming in the next year in the main office. Then I am to move all the 2000 LD files to be destroyed and move the 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 LD files forward in the shelves in the storage room to make room for the 2006 LD files in the back room shelves into the shelves in the storage room. That will take several days if not weeks. So even if there is no filing to be done on Monday and Tuesday, there will be plenty of work for me to do.

This is also our week to take the 12 cakes Tuesday to the dinner in Independence. I asked my brother-in-law if he would take them on Tuesday because I will be working. They need to be there before noon to have time to be cut and placed on plates for that night's dinner. He said he would. We take the six Coffeyville cakes. The rest are taken by the Neodesha, rural Independence and Dennis folks. I will learn on Sunday how many we can count on. Some folks may be out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Wednesday I have a hair appointment after work and Thursday is Thanksgiving. I will also be off on Friday. I have no plans for Friday. Perhaps I will visit with my niece who is coming from Wisconsin to see her mother, my sister.

Friday Again

2011-11-18T06:03:00.002-06:00

Thank goodness it's Friday. This has been a very busy week. Next week will be just as busy. I probably should work Monday and Tuesday since the office will be closed Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. I'll check with Bonnie today. If Faye works and does scanning, I will have filing. If I do work Monday and Tuesday, Someone else will need to take the cakes to Independence on Tuesday.

I am having a small Thanksgiving dinner Thursday. Only Leslie and John will be here. I bought an eight pound bird. That's the smallest I've ever fixed. We will have the traditional meal. Turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, (my daughter doesn't like sweet potatoes) green bean casserole, fruit salad and hot rolls. My daughter is bringing the pie...probably pumpkin. I love cranberry salad but I'm the only one who does. So I won't fix that. Having just the three of us is certainly better then being alone. Leslie is on call so there's the possibility she will be called away. Jeromy and his family are going to Topeka for Thanksgiving this year and so they will be with us for Christmas. Christina is in Kuwait, Sara is in Texas, Scott is in Germany, Ashley is in Georgia, Jerod is in Alaska, and Keith and Esther are in Phoenix so the family is scattered.

Bob A. and I are going to have lunch today in Cherryvale at the buffet there. We always like that opportunity to have some veggies. Neither of us eats too healthy most of the time. We both exist on Schwann's TV dinners and sandwiches...some homemade and some from fast food. I had a steak sandwich, fries and a small shake at Braums yesterday afternoon. Certainly nothing there too healthy.

Tomorrow he and I will have breakfast at Eggberts. He may go to the Craft Fair with me but I haven't asked him yet. I asked Leslie but she has Maia tomorrow and is also on call this weekend too. So she may not go. I also want to go see Phyliis in the morning. I haven't seen her since last Saturday. I worked Monday and had that evaluation meeting Tuesday so I have not seen her for a week.

I am anxiously waiting for my tax bill. I am concerned that they may have raised my taxes this year. I protested the evaluation and got it lowered but they can always raise the mill levy. I have the money saved for taxes but unfortunately my house insurance also comes due in January. It's always something.

Thursday Workday

2011-11-17T06:30:00.004-06:00

I'll work today after all. My brother-in-law attended his doctor's appointment yesterday after he discovered he had told me the wrong day. He talked to me last evening and evidently everything is o.k. except he has been coughing up mucus lately and the doctor wanted a CT scan of his chest. The x-ray the doctor took at his office showed nothing at all wrong. He will know the results of the CT soon.

Today should be rather quiet. I hope to have filing to do at work. There was very little yesterday so I spent most of the morning making labels for old folders. That's busy work but that's o.k. It is work. I can't bear to be idle. I had enough of that at the Senior Services office.

Slinky spent the night in the kitchen and only woke me up once to go out. Missy spent most of the night on my bed cuddled up against my knees. She must have been warm there.

I do need to get dog food today. I need some other things from the market too but I'd like to wait until the first of the week to get them. That way I just go out to Wal Mart once before Thanksgiving. I will need to get potatoes, an onion, the fruit for the fruit salad and some containers for leftovers. I gave the ones I had to the Living the Questions group last Sunday evening so they could divide up Jack's bread pudding. I need a few more non Thanksgiving things too. I will need to put the turkey down in the frig on Monday afternoon so it will thaw.

Both boys called last night. I had sent them word of Doctor Eslicker's diagnosis and They were evidently concerned that another of their parents had cancer. I had to reassure them that basal cell carcinoma is not much of a threat.

I got paid from SER National today. That's good. What I have left has to last me until the 14th of December when my social security comes in next.

More later...

Wednesday Again

2011-11-16T05:45:00.007-06:00

This photo is an amazing change. Missy loves Slinky's new bed and when he is not in the house, she sleeps on it. I always make her move when he's in...after all I bought it for him. She has always avoided him like the plague. But when she wants on that bed, she tolerates him. This is a first!

I went in the office yesterday for my re-certification from SER SCEP from Aime. I asked her about this job search and she said all their people do a job search. They may just put someone down but they have to turn in a job search sheet every month. That was news to me. Billie Jo says Jody does not job search and Bonnie says Faye doesn't either. They must just write down some businesses each month.

Yesterday after I left work, I went to Independence and met Leslie. my daughter, for lunch at Eggberts. I hadn't done that in quite a while. We had a nice lunch but a short visit. She was very busy at work. Then I came home and got my coupon for an oil change at the Honda agency and went to Bartlesville to have it done. The Honda agency there does it for $14.95. If I have it done here, they charge $36.00. And the Honda agency also washes the car. I bought gas for $3.10.9 there in Bartlesville and walked around the mall for awhile to kill time. Gas here is $3.39.9. My appointment for the oil change was at 3:00pm. I took my Kindle and read my book while I waited. The service manager told me about a project they are doing for poor children for Christmas. he told me if I would donate $10.00 to their project they would do my oil change for free. So it ended up costing me just $10.00.

After I got home, I watched some TV, took my bath and went to bed. I tried to get Slinky to stay in and sleep in the kitchen because it was supposed to be cold last night but he did not want to do that. Missy slept in the house but wanted out at 3:00 am. Darn cat!

I will work this morning and then this afternoon from 2:00 until 3:30, I have my library board certification meeting at the library. I didn't attend the PINCH meeting. After the afternoon and the way the weather turned cold, I just stayed home. Today was wall to wall enough that's for sure.

I did hear from the doctor's office and that place on my face turned out to be basel cell carcinoma. I have another appointment December 12th to have the rest of it removed.

Another Tuesday

2011-11-15T06:02:00.002-06:00

This is the day for my SEK SCEP evaluation. It will be interesting to see what Aime has to say. My evaluation is two and a half months early. I also want to ask her why I have to do a monthly job search when no one else in the program has to do that. I have run out of businesses to visit. This is a small community.

Keith finally called last night to say he and Esther were in California to check in at Marsh Air Force Base. He got in in the very early hours on Sunday. They will be there for two weeks...although he hopes he will be able to be out of there before Thanksgiving. They want to have Thanksgiving with her family in Phoenix.

Then later in the evening, Scott called and talked for 120 minutes. We had a really good visit. Becky will be there next Tuesday. This is the trip she has paid for herself. She will stay eleven days and be there for Thanksgiving and his birthday too. My birthday is three days later on December 2nd. I'd just as soon forget it.

I've been discussing with my classmates the possibility of getting together in Branson in 2013 for our 60th reunion. Some would rather meet in Coffeyville. Some have suggested Tulsa. If they don't want to meet in Branson, we should probably just meet here in Coffeyville. We could meet on a Friday evening for dinner and then gather somewhere for a get together to visit the next day. Then the classmates could see the town if they wish. Unfortunately the town has really become run down since we graduated in 1953. They are working on fixing it up but it didn't get run down overnight and they won't be able to get it fixed up overnight either. A lot of the problem is an almost empty downtown and some of the problem is folks who are not keeping their property properly painted and cleaned up. Many of the citizens are elderly and poor. If they can't fix up their property themselves and don't have the money to pay someone to do it, it just gets run down.

Very Busy Week

2011-11-14T06:55:00.009-06:00

Last night was a great success. Jack brought the dessert and we watched a segment of Living the Questions and then had a lively discussion after that.

I still haven't heard a word from my eldest son who is supposed to be home from Iraq now. My daughter is also concerned.

Today I work. Since I missed Friday for the holiday, I will make up my time today. After work, I need to do my job search again. I am in a quandry about where to go. I have been everywhere the past ten months. This is a small town. I do not go to fast food because I don't think I could stand on my feet that long. Otherwise, I have been everywhere. I have to put an ad in the Journal today for Wednesday and Saturday too to advertise the Community Thanksgiving worship service on next Sunday evening. I also need to mail a book off at the post office.

Tomorrow is my re-certification at work and Aime will be meeting me there at 8:00 AM. I found a substitute to attend the MC3 meeting and take notes for the minutes.

I will work on Wednesday and after work go to the library to study with Jennifer for my board certification there. That's 2:00 to 3:30. Later that evening I have a PINCH meeting at 5:30 at the Presbyterian church. I will also need to get my pay sheet signed off on that day too because I will be off on Thursday.

Thursday I am no longer going with my brother-in-law to see his oncologist. He got the day wrong and it is an appointment on Wednesday. I can't go on Wednesday.

Then I work Friday. After work, he and I will go to Cherryvale to have lunch there at the buffet.

That's my busy week.

My Daughter's Quest

2011-11-13T17:07:00.001-06:00

"You may remember him as Bob, Robert, Bobbie, Jake’s son, or even something else, but to me he was Dad.

I’m Leslie, his daughter, and this is the 3rd year that I have been involved with Relay for Life. The first year was because I was asked but the second year my Dad had died of cancer in May and that brought me to a new level of commitment. Please take time and read my personal page so you will know a little about the Robert E Miller that I knew as Dad. And if you are able to help with my fight (our fight) against cancer it will bring us closer to finding a cure so someday you or your children won’t be asking.

Thank you.

This year, I am helping save lives from cancer by taking part in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life, and I'm hoping you will support me. Each of us has our own reasons for caring about the fight against cancer, but it seems that we all know someone who has personally battled this disease.

My team and I have set a goal to raise at least $100 per person and I've set a personal goal to raise $500. Currently I'm only $325. from reaching my goal. Any donation you can make, large or small, will help me reach my fundraising goal and helps us reach the greater goal of saving lives from cancer!

Please use the link below to visit my personal web page to make a secure, tax-deductible online donation to the American Cancer Society. You can make a one-time gift, or increase your impact by donating monthly!

Thank you and I will keep you updated on my progress!"

Leslie

Click here to visit my PERSONAL page.
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?px=10424233&pg=personal&fr_id=39613&fl=en_US&et=YSdO4Cgb9DtGOD-RUsq5yw&s_tafId=856700

Click here to view the TEAM page for Four County
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?team_id=1028388&pg=team&fr_id=39613&fl=en_US&et=gIKTCKAo0TMGrMIkOJIZxQ&s_tafId=856700

Busy Sunday

2011-11-13T06:07:00.006-06:00

My eldest son is supposed to be home from Iraq today. I saw on facebook where they had lots of plane problems. I am anxious to learn what happened and if he did get home safely.

Today will be busy. I have the Living the Questions group tonight but first I have church this morning, dinner afterward, my letters to do this afternoon and last minute preparations for the group.

The animals slept outside last night. It was pretty balmy out. I dread the winter when Slinky will have to spend the mornings in the garage and the nights in the house. I don't know how I am to do my job search then. I guess he'll spend afternoons in the garage too while I job search.

The weather doesn't get colder until later in the week. So he can sleep outside for a couple more days.

More later..

Windy Saturday

2011-11-12T06:07:00.008-06:00

Slinky stayed outside last night. It got no colder then forty degrees last night. Missy stayed in the house. She woke me at 3:00 to go out. I did get right back to sleep.

Strangely, I forgot about the CRMC open house yesterday afternoon. Instead I went to the market and bought the makings for Thanksgiving dinner. I also went to Country Mart and bought four cake mixes for the cake project next time. They had Betty Crocker cake mixes for .99 each. Then I went by Arby's and had a sandwich. I read all afternoon and almost finished my book. It didn't occur to me that I had missed the open house until this morning. Old age is not for sissies.

Today, I will meet my brother-in-law for breakfast, do some house cleaning for tomorrow evening's Living the Questions group. Jack called day before yesterday and wanted to bring the dessert so I don't need to do my apple crisp after all. After that I will go out to see my sister at Windsor. The rest of the day is up for grabs.

More later....

I did see Phyllis and she was fairly lucid. I stayed about twenty minutes and then went to see Gerry. Gerry was pretty depressed but after I was there for awhile, she cheered up.

I got my house spic and span. Then I went out to the church and gave it a good cleaning. It fairly shines now. I never ate lunch because I had a good breakfast. Now I don't know what I want for dinner..if anything. I forgot to get yogurt yesterday. That's what I sometimes have. I guess I could either have a grilled cheese sandwich or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I don't need much.

Essential Government Services.. according to Clinton

2011-11-11T11:44:00.002-06:00

Both animals slept in the house last night. It was 31 degrees and cold. They did pretty well. Missy woke me at 3:00 to go out and shortly after that, before I got back to sleep, Slinky wanted out to go pee. Then he slept the rest of the night.

I went with my brother-in-law to Bartlesville to his dermatoligist this morning and he had a few places that were frozen. They were keratosos. While I was there, I had him take a look at a place on my chin that has been there for months. It doesn't heal and it bleeds periodically. He took one look and said "Basil Cell Carcinoma". He cut it out and will have it biopsyed and will call me. It's a good thing I went.

Afterward, we walked the mall and then came on back home. Later this afternoon I will attend the CRMC, our hospital, open house for their new cancer center.

I have been reading the new book by Bill Clinton, "Back to Work". He does have some good insights. Here is a list of what he thinks are government's essential services.

Number One: National Security, including the military, intelligence agencies, diplomatic efforts and development assistance, homeland defence, federal law enforcement, border patrol, natural disaster response, and the area most recently added to the list by the Pentagon and the CIA, combating climate change.

Number Two: Assistance to those who are otherwise unable to fully support themselves. and to provide a decent retirement for seniors, including Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and aid for the disabled, food stamps, unemployment benefits, nutrition aid for newborns, and mothers, and public housing.

Number Three: Equal access to opportunity, including federal aid to education for low income and disabled students, and HOPE Scholarship tax credits for college tuition costs, the student loan program, Pell Grants, work-study programs and job training assistance.

Number Four: Economic Development: including trade agreements, financing for businesses to enter new markets, incentives to create new businesses, and jobs in advanced manufacturing, clean energy, energy efficiency, and other high growth areas, investments in basic research and incentives for private research and development to be done in the United States, an adequate minimum wage and support for work and child rearing, including the Family and Medical Leave law and the child tax credit Small Business Administration-guaranteed microcredit and community development loans, to promising businesses that would otherwise be shut out of credit markets, financing and other support to help companies sell products made in America in other countries, and incentives to invest in areas of high unemployment and low incomes.

Number Five: Oversight of financial markets and institutions to ensure transparency and honest dealing, competition, and consumer choice and to limit leverage to avoid future collapses and bailouts. :

Number Six: Protection and advancement of public interests the market can't fix, including clean air, clean water, safe food, safe transportation, safe workplaces, civil rights, access to affordable healthcare, and preservation of natural resources for the common good, including national parks, national monuments, and national forrests.

Number Seven: Providing investments through tax or fee revenue, for projects we all need when the costs are too great or the cost recovery period too long for the private sector to finance including highways, airports, rails, accelerated broadband connections, a national electric grid, and critical research and development in areas from space to advanced materials to nanotechnology and biotechnology to clean energy.

Number Eight: A revenue collection system to collect taxes and issue credits and deductions deemed by Congress to be in the national interest, including tax deductions for home-mortgage payments, charitable giving, health care payments, children and many business expenses and deductions.

Thursday Again

2011-11-10T06:39:00.003-06:00

Yesterday turned out to be a little different then I thought. I did get my hair done but Juanita was busy getting a perm so she couldn't meet me for lunch. So I came back home after my hairdo.

I watched "Nature" on PBS last night and then went to bed. I left the animals in the house because it was to get down to 31 degrees and I knew they couldn't handle that kind of temp. Slinky woke me four times to go out to pee. He's old and evidently incontinent. I will probably be alright today but if that happens again I will be wiped out tomorrow.

I learned yesterday that the office will be closed on Friday for Veterans Day. So I will work Monday instead. Tomorrow my brother-in-law and I will go see the dermitalogist, Dr. Eslicker, in Bartlesville and next Thursday I will go with him back to Bartlesville to see his oncologist. He likes someone to go along to hear what the doctor has to say in case he misses something.

I work Tuesday too next week because of my evaluation with Aime. That will make up for my being off on Thursday. Confusing, isn't it? I may attend the Open House at CRMC after I get back home tomorrow. They moved the time to between 4:00 and 6:00.

I have nothing else planned for today but to work....but that could change on a dime.

A Bigger Day

2011-11-09T05:38:00.003-06:00

Yesterday turned out to be an even bigger day. When I went to the library board meeting last night, the secretary couldn't be there so I was asked to take notes. So I ended up being the secretary pro tem. Then I was asked to serve on the library foundation too. Since they meet only every two months and also meet right after the board meeting, I accepted. So I stayed for that meeting too. Then I came home, had a bowl of ice cream and watched TV. I went to bed about 9:30. Slinky barked about 4:00. He thinks it's still day light saving time so he thought it was 5:00. The dog has a built in clock. I ignored him but the damage was done. I couldn't get back to sleep and finally got up about 4:45, dressed and made up my face. It was 35 degrees last night and I debated whether to let Slinky in in the middle of the night and decided against it. It's supposed to be 31 degrees tonight so he will sleep in the kitchen. I hope he sleeps well. I dread having to get up in the night for both him and Missy.

I will work today and then afterward go to Independence again to have my hair done. If I can get hold of Juanita, I will ask her if she wants to have lunch before my 1:30 appointment. I may be able to leave work a little early today. I have nothing on the calendar for tomorrow and Friday there's just the Open House for CRMC, our hospital. There's nothing on Saturday. But I do need to clean the church. It's my month.

We are having a "healing service" on Sunday morning and I am asked to give a pastoral prayer as the benediction.

Sunday evening I have the Living the Question group here at 7:00. I will make my apple crisp for the dessert and put vanilla ice cream on it. I have iced tea and can make coffee. That's the week.

A Bigger Day

2011-11-08T05:52:00.002-06:00

Today will be a bigger day. Yesterday besides making my cakes, I read the manual for board members of the library. I was supposed to get it read before tonight's meeting at 5:00. It was a challenge but since I had nothing much else going, I got it finished. I have some ideas. I may not share them tonight...my first meeting...but I will in future meetings.

This library doesn't get enough publicity. They need to make up a nice brochure, listing all their services and get a booth in the Home Show in the spring and hand them out, along with bookmarks or something. I had no idea what all they offered. I would be happy to man the booth. I did that two years in a row for MC3. That got the word out.

They could also have the Good News carry a column for Jennifer to write weekly. I believe she has one in the Journal occasionally but the circulation of the Journal is terrible. The Good News is free and many people read it. It's thrown to 36,000 homes. Even if half of them are left on the drive or thrown in the trash, that's still 18,000 homes that read it.

That's just a couple of ideas.

So Bob Avery and I will take the cakes to Independence this morning, possibly stay for lunch with Leslie and then tonight I have that board meeting. I already have four of the five cakes I take. Karan is supposed to bring me hers later this morning.

It rained all afternoon yesterday and all night too. We needed the rain terribly. I think it's also supposed to rain today. Slinky and Missy slept out on the patio last night. It was only 60 degrees. They are both in the kitchen this morning. I am still cleaning Slinky's ears with olive oil in hopes of smothering the ear mites. He's pretty good about letting me do that. I don't think he has ear mites now because he's no longer shaking his head but he still digs his ears and licks his paw afterward. I think that's habit.

Quiet Monday

2011-11-07T06:07:00.005-06:00

This should be a quiet Monday. All I really have to do is bake my two cakes for the dinner tomorrow at the Christian Church in Independence. I will do that this afternoon. When they are cool I will ice them. This morning I will probably do some cleaning. I haven't done any cleaning since last Tuesday. I am scheduled to have Living the Questions group here next Sunday evening. I am thinking of making an apple crisp for dessert that evening. I will buy some vanilla ice cream to put on top. But that's a ways off.

Tomorrow I will take the ten cakes from Coffeyville to Independence. Cyndi wants to go with me. She wants to have lunch with Leslie and me. It's supposed to rain tomorrow so I'm not sure how the taking of the cakes will go. I'll worry about that when I see the rain.

Then tomorrow evening at 5:00, I have my first library board meeting. That should be interesting. Also, the Schwan's man is supposed to come sometime tomorrow. I have ordered three dinners.

My hair appointment is Wednesday afternoon at 1:30 after work. Then the only other event this week is the CRMC Open House from 2:00pm to 4:00pm on Friday.

Next week is a horse of a different color and very busy.

I haven't heard a word from my eldest son. He was supposed to have left Iraq Thursday night. That would have put him back in the states by now.

Post Script:

I did hear from him and he is still in Iraq. He's hoping to get out on Thursday.

Busy Yesterday

2011-11-06T05:15:00.005-06:00

Yesterday turned out to be even busier then I thought. I decided to do some Christmas shopping while I had my SER money. I am buying for only my immediate family and Jeromy Marlene, Maia and Sage and of course, Juanita. Primarily I bought for those who will be here for Christmas. I cannot afford to buy for all the others, grandchildren and great grandchildren. I will send cards to my other grandchildren who live away. I also bought for my brother-in-law. He will probably have Christmas with us. So I was in Dewey and Bartlesville all afternoon. They had a great Christmas bazaar at Dewey and I stopped and went through it before going on to Bartlesville. But I didn't buy anything there.

After leaving Bartlesville, I drove on to Independence just in time to eat dinner there. I had not eaten since breakfast with my brother-in-law. John, my son-in-law, has cooked the meat and it was delicious. There was also baked beans and macaroni salad and lots of desserts. I had warm apple pie. I sat with a couple of friends that I saw there and Cyndi and Jeff showed up too. I couldn't stay for the auction. I had been gone all day and was really tired. I took my bath and watched my favorite TV show, Harry's Law. It is the exception to the rule of nothing but trash on TV except for PBS. (in my opinion)

Anyhow, it was a huge day for me. I got everyone's gift except for Sage and Scott. I will get her's and Juanita's next payday. I usually get Juanita something she can eat or a clothing gift certificate. Now that Nanny La Rose (the Independence clothing store) is gone, I can't do that. I may get a gift certificate for her hairdo. She has her hair done every week.

This morning will be the usual. I will go to church and eat out afterward. Then come home and do my letters. Tonight I will watch Sixty Minutes. It isn't as good as it used to be but I still watch it...for awhile yet. Andy Rooney died day before yesterday. He was 92.

Saturday Again

2011-11-05T10:34:00.003-05:00

I met my brother-in-law for breakfast this morning and we had a long visit. I hadn't heard from him since Monday. He has been working on his porch railings. He is replacing them.

After that, I went to the dollar store and bought small toys for a girl to put in the shoebox project for the Samaratan Child. I also bought another sympathy card for my cousin's husband. She died day before yesterday. The obit came out in the Journal last night and I clipped it out and included it in the card. I thought he or one of his daughters might like to have it.

I am thinking about going to Bartlesville today just for something to do to get out of town. I haven't been there for some time...at least a month. I may ask him if he wants to go too. He may be going alone because mornings are best for him and I work the three mornings a week. He was needing some jeans. He said this morning that his were getting pretty thin.

I still haven't decided if I will go to Independence tonight for the Relay for Life. I hesitate to drive at night.

Friday At Last!

2011-11-04T06:10:00.004-05:00

It's Friday..I don't know why I'm in such a rush for it to get here. Maybe it's because next week looks quieter. At least at this point it looks quieter. The only things on the calendar for next week are the cakes I take to Independence on Tuesday morning, a library board meeting that evening at 5:00, my hair appointment on Wednesday afternoon and the hospital's open house on Friday afternoon.

At work, I'm moving heavy bank boxes full of files from one room in the courthouse into another with file cabinets. Luckily, I have a small truck to help. Still there's a lot of lifting and bending. I slept like a baby last night, and thank goodness, so did the animals. Both of them slept through the night. It's 31 degrees out there so they needed to be in the house.

I covered my faucets last evening and it's good that I did. I did forget to turn on the lightbulb in the garage next to the water pipes coming into the frig. They didn't freeze though. I need to remember to do that today. When it gets cold enough, those pipes freeze. I've been lucky over the years that they have never broken. I have an old heat lamp that I put a big bulb in and clip onto the pipes out there. That usually works with enough heat to keep the water in those pipes from freezing. They were wrapped with foam coverings but that wrapping didn't keep them from freezing.

I went to a Democratic meeting last night with Marilyn and Jack. I am a registered Republican though. Anyhow Marilyn invited me. She took a large casserole dish and others did too we ate dinner there. I hadn't realized it was also a dinner but Marilyn said she had enough for me too and not to worry about it. My feeling is this election coming up is going to turn out a lot of incumbants. People are sick of what congress has done....or not done. So they need to get someone on the ticket in this Republican state so people will have a choice.

This afternoon at 1:30, I meet with the librarian for orientation. I am the new board member.

Saturday I may go to the Relay for Life in Independence. I hate that it's at night. I don't like to drive at night. The deer are on the roads around here and I don't see as well at night as in daylight. I'm still debating about it.

Thursday Today

2011-11-03T05:57:00.007-05:00

This will be a strange day. I will work until 11:00 and then go to Ministerial Alliance meeting.

It was a tiring night. Slinky slept in the kitchen. It was too cold and rainy for him outside on the patio. He woke me at 10:45 PM to get out to do his number and then again at 3:00 AM just to pee. I got right back to sleep after the 11:00 PM time but was just on and off after 3:00 AM. When I finally got back to sleep Missy woke me up wanting out. So I managed to sleep on and off all night. I hope the animals settle down after they get used to being in the house at night. I think it will be warm enough to put Slinky outside when I go to work. If not, he will have to spend the morning in the garage. I wil move his bed down by the hot water tank and trust it will take the edge off the cold. This winter will really be difficult. I will have to job hunt and also go to various meetings and he will spend a lot of time in the garage.

When it's chilly like this, I would just as soon spend time at home reading or posting on the computer. I do not like cold weather.

I took off work at 11:00 today so I could get to the meting before the others arrived. I walked in and voila! they were redecorating. They had the carpet rippe dup and were busy painting the walls. I asked what the plan was and was told we were to meet over at Assisted Living on Eighth Sreet. No one bothered to tell me. So all the ministers were coming to First Street instead. I sat in the car and called as many as I had cell numbers for. Then I taped a note on the front door of Windsor and left for Assisted Living.

All showed up except one. Maybe he couldn't make it at the last minute. Anyhow, after a scramble, we all got lunch...and a very good lunch it was. Then we had our meeting. Afterward, I came home to do the minutes, checked my e-mail and relaxed a bit.

Tomorrow at work, I will try to finish a huge project I started today.