Saturday and A Buffet Breakfast

I am always delighted to see Saturday come around. I will pick up Bob at 7:20 for a buffet breakfast at Sirloin Stockade this morning.  Then sometime this morning I will make my potato salad for tomorrow evening's dinner at Marilyn's for the Living the Questions group. I like it t be in the frig over night. It helps the flavors to merge.

I was up shortly before 5:00 this morning. I am having one cup of coffee here at home. Missy has been meowing to go outside but it's still dark out there and we are not going out until it's light.  It's suppose to be 95 degrees today and we are under a heat advisory. We won't get any more rain until Wednesday.

I don't know what else I will do today. We are planning on having our leftover goulash for lunch and I will need to get some more garlic bread. There is still coleslaw left in the frig.

Yesterday evening I heard on the news that a small town named Delavan had been hit by a tornado. My niece,  Diana lives in Delavan Wisconsin. I called Bob and he had seen it too. He tried to call his daughter and no one answered. That worried him even worse. We checked out the internet and saw a video of the damage in Delavan. We finally reached her son, Jeff, and he called his mom. As it turned out it was Delavan, Illinois...not Wisconsin. We were greatly relieved.

Missy is now waiting patiently for daylight so we can go out on the carport.  Smart cat!

More later....

We went out for nearly an hour and a half and then I took her in so Bob and I could go on to breakfast at Sirloin Stockade. It was very good..as usual. I haven't eaten since and it's 2:45 now.

I read most of the afternoon and checked the computer now and then for messages from my kids. I heard from Leslie.

Then I came in the kitchen and peeled my potatoes and boiled my eggs and chopped my onions and pickles  for the potato salad for tomorrow evening. I had a chance to go to Topeka with Leslie and sage but I had this dinner with the Living the Questions group scheduled first so I miss that opportunity. Darn!  I am listening to music now..John Denver.  How I miss that man's music! His was the best concert I ever attended.  But the potato salad is done and in the frig chilling so I am free now to go back to my book.

I read all the rest of the afternoon and then at 5:00 Bob called and wanted to go to Braums and have an ice cream cone so I picked him up and we went over there and enjoyed the new Braums.

Later, after watching the news and the program on the 70s on CNN, he went home and I took my bath and did my usual routine. I went to bed at 9:30.

Friday Again at Last

I am so happy it is Friday again. I have had a huge week at work and will probably have another today.  I also had a terrible night last night. I woke up at 1:30 with terrible leg and foot cramps. I got up twice and walked, trying to walk it off, but to no avail. Finally I read up on it and learned that sometimes dehydration causes it so I came into the kitchen and drank a tall cup of water. First I also took two of those pills I bought on Amazon that are supposed to eliminate leg and foot cramps.  They didn't seem to work but maybe together with the water, they finally did.

Today, besides putting away dozens and dozens of DVDs, I will be scanning bar codes in the children's department.  If it's quiet in there, I don't mind... but if it's noisy, it drives me crazy. I never allowed my children or grandchildren to make loud noise like that inside. I taught them there were "inside" voices and "outside" voices  and we only used "outside" voices outside. These young parents just tolerate the noise. They don't seem to know or care that they are disturbing others. I just don't understand that philosophy. When I get my car paid off, I will just quit working.  The program I work for ends September 30th 2016 anyhow.  Whatever is left by then, I will use some of my savings to finish paying.  I will also be able to drop my car insurance down to liability. That will save me some money.

The neighbors that live in the house across the street where Bob used to live, play very loud music outside and it reverberates inside my apartment so loud it disturbs me. I put up with that for a couple of days but day before yesterday in the evening, I went outside on the driveway and stood looking over there with my hands on my hips. Finally one of the young men got up and turned off the radio in his truck. I didn't say a word but I think my actions spoke loud enough. What on earth is wrong with today's young people? I have become an old grouch.

Today for lunch we will have the leftover roast we had a couple of days ago. There are potatoes and carrots in with it so if Bob brings a salad, we will be fixed.  I have some more frozen fruit and cookies for dessert.

Missy is waiting patiently for me to take her outside. When it gets light...about 6:00.. (fifteen minutes from now) I will take her out. She loves the outside. I hate that she can't roam around out there freely but after what she went through a couple of years ago after that fight with that scroungy stray, I simply cannot to that.  She would get into trouble out there alone.

Dinner worked out fine. I have even watered my outside plants and now am getting ready to go to work.

More later....

It was a boring afternoon at work.  Katie was gone and the traffic was slow this afternoon.  So I did all I could to keep the DVDs put away but did a lot of shelf reading. 

Thursday and House Cleaning Day

I woke up at 4:30 this morning and just got up. I have a big day ahead. I am doing the laundry again after stripping my bed. I have Missy's afghans in the dryer on "fresh air" to rid them of cat hair.

I will take her out for awhile after it gets light. She was very good about not begging to go out last night. Of course it was up in the 90s last night. That might explain it. One good thing was that the mower came and mowed our yard. It was either going to have to be mowed or baled soon.

First I will have my first cup of coffee, my cranberry juice and my cereal (and my meds) and then when the second cup is ready, we will go out on the carport to have it. I'll get back to this later...

I did take Missy out for an hour. There was a nice breeze. Bob walked over. He is trying to walk some each day while it is relatively cool. After awhile he left to go back home and shave and get ready for his day. He is taking Meals on Wheels for Barbara today. Missy didn't want to come in when I was ready but I picked her up and brought her in anyhow. I needed to get busy on my cleaning.

I got the apartment squeaky clean once again. I changed my bed and did a load of laundry.  Then I washed the bathroom floor and the kitchen floor and vacuumed and dusted.

I am going to fix goulash for lunch. We still have some garlic bread and Bob's coleslaw. I will fix a veggie to go with that and I still have pudding and cookies for dessert. Tomorrow we will eat that roast again. We have quite a bit leftover from yesterday.

I am going to run by the Presbyterian church and leave the clothes I packed up last week. These are things I haven't worn in years.  Then I need to make a quick trip to Independence to get my makeup. I barely had enough for this morning. I will get back home in time to fix the goulash and lunch. Then I will go to work.

More later...

Well, lunch was good and I made it to work to spend most of the afternoon scanning bar codes in a very noisy children's department.  I got four bookcases finished.  It was exhausting working in the noise of screaming children. It's unbelievable that parents don't even try to "shhhh" them.  It is a library, after all. Not a recreation center.

I got home to a couple of cups of warm drinks....one a mocha and the other  a Chi Latte.  Bob texted that it was too hot to get out and will see me in the morning. Sounds good to me. I am wiped out.  I ate some yogurt and a couple of small cookies. I almost stopped at Sonic for a mini blast with Reese's pieces. I withstood the temptation. I will take my bath at 7:00 and watch CNN until I go to bed.

Sunday's Sermon

Proclaim Peace

July 19^th 2015

I’d like to share this scripture from Ephesians with you.  

Ephesians 2:11-22English Standard Version (ESV)

One in Christ…addressed to Gentile Saints

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called “the circumcision”, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time called separated from God, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.  But now because of Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by  him.  For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, and so making peace,  and he might reconcile us both to God in one body, thereby killing the hostility. 

 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.  For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.  So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.  In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

The former premise stated that anyone not of the Jewish faith did not have access to God and all the blessings God reserved for his chosen people.  But since Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God,…the new reality…everything had changed.  The author proclaimed that Jesus changed everything. He tore down the dividing wall between peoples.  The author invoked the term “peace” to describe what replaced division and hostility.  Peace was what Jesus proclaimed for both Jew and Gentile.  And God’s kingdom (or Empire) was to be all inclusive.  

Two other images spring from our text. First is the phrase “household of God”.  All were welcome and on equal terms in God’s household.   Second was the challenge that the new humanity then became a “holy temple in the Lord” in the kingdom where God’s Spirit dwelled.  These people were not admonished to put away their differences…instead the author stated that God, in using Jesus, had already done that.  

We know there is much animosity and competition in today’s world.  One only has to read a newspaper or turn on a TV to see that. Where is that peace and community Jesus taught? By our own choices, mankind has chosen a different path.  Most of that alienation is brought about by our prejudices and greed.  

Let us think about it for ourselves though. Let us ask ourselves…who do we feel as being “the other” or “different” or a “foreigner”?  How does this feeling change the way we look at them and treat them?  Or does it? 

Back in the early 2000’s Bob was instrumental with Howard Bredesen in forming the Pinch organization. It was meant as an advocate for the black community here in Coffeyville.  But first of all, it was necessary for the us in the white community to become acquainted with folks from that black community. We knew that would be necessary for us to learn to work together and trust one another.  I did not join the organization because I felt Bob needed to work within it himself and I knew I was too outspoken to be a peaceful advocate. So until Bob died, he was the one who participated.  Once when a black woman was discriminated against by the local police department, they had me write a letter of protest for them and send it to the editor of the newspaper.  And I did that.  But basically Bob and Howard led the way for the organization. 

After Bob was gone, I was asked to join in his place. So, as long as I was not working, I did. Several times our organization was asked to advocate for a member of the black community or the Hispanic community who were being discriminated against.  The Pinch organization advocated for them and with them to be sure of a fair outcome. And over the years, we learned to know and love these people. 

It’s difficult to overcome our preconceived differences until we learn to be friends. 

Proclaiming peace is difficult… especially if we have not discovered it in ourselves.  Yet, peace is something everyone wants, yet few seem to find.  Money can’t buy it and no one else can give it to us. We have to discover it for ourselves. 

So, what is peace? It can be defined as tranquility, harmony or security. There are different kinds of peace…. inner peace, peace with God and peace with man. But seldom have we found it in our nation, our communities or our families. …or especially even in ourselves. 

We, as individuals, have little influence in world affairs. Primarily the domain we can control is just ourselves. When we can achieve peace within ourselves, we will have more influence on the peace of others. 

 So, what is peace? It is the state in which fighting ceases and justice prevails.  It’s the end of conflict. It’s liberation from violence and hostilities. It’s reconciliation and compromise. It is opening ourselves to God’s healing spirit. 

And why should we pursue peace? Because that’s what God wants of us. Jesus taught it and he lived it.  The Bible proclaimed it. In Psalm 34: 14 we find, “Depart from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it.” Romans 14: 19 says “Let is pursue the things that make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.” God has given each of us the gift of today and God wants us to use the days we have seeking redeeming peace.  Being at odds with another is a waste of our precious time. 

Often the offenses we choose to embrace make no sense at all. 

I had an uncle who chose to turn his back on his only son. The son was critically injured in an automobile accident.  My uncle spent days by the side of his son in the hospital. Finally as the son was beginning to recover, he confessed to his father that he was gay.  My uncle never spoke to his son for the rest of his life.  Later, the same uncle moved to California and lived with my Aunt Mildred until he could find work. He became alienated from her because she refused to call him by his middle name, “Leon” and instead insisted on calling him by his first name “Floyd”. He was so angry that he never spoke to her again.  Trivia! Yet most of the offences we embrace and use to become alienated from others are trivia.  

But when we choose to be at peace with others, we not only please God, we position ourselves to receive the blessings of God in our lives….the consequences of peace.   We can fritter away the few years we have on this earth quarreling and fighting with others but one day we will hopefully realize how little time we have left in this futile pursuit.  We need to focus on the fact that many battles in life are not worth fighting.  We can choose not to fight those battles. And instead we can actively pursue the path of peace. 

Let’s face it….we have no control over what other people do. We only have control over what we do.  We can decide to let go of offenses and cultivate peace. And we can choose to associate with those who also pursue peace. Jesus had few friends but he cherished the friendships he had.  Remember, Jesus taught “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” Another scripture in Romans 12: 18 advised “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men”.  We would have more peace if we would not busy ourselves with the sayings and doings of others.

Our own attitude can make or break the peace of God within us.  The more we hold on to anxiety and worry, the more we sabotage the empowering peace of God at work in our lives.  

In the world there will be wars and rumors of wars. In human relations there will be offences and grievances. But God’s promise to his people is that his peace reigns. His presence remains. 

Again there is much animosity, competition and degradation among people in the world today. Injustice is rampant as millions are marginalized and left without enough of the world’s plentiful resources to enjoy even a basic standard of living.  If we truly believe God sent Jesus to save the world, we must feel called to proclaim him and his peace through our actions on behalf of those who are without even the essentials of life.  And we need to advocate for peace in all our own relationships. 

If we have peace with God and we share his peace with others, scripture says we have become a proclaimer of peace and a minister of reconciliation.   As God’s advocates, that’s what God expects of us.

Wednesday and Hump Day

Well, I'm halfway through my work week and I'm always glad to get to Wednesday...even though I will probably be over in the children's department scanning bar codes again.  I don't mind if it's just quiet...like a library is supposed to be.

I took Missy out at 6:00 this morning and it was very humid and warm. We stayed out an hour and I re-potted my two house plants. I hope they make it now. They were both root bound. We came in at 7:00 and I soon left for the market. 

I bought a chuck roast. In fact, I bought two very small ones and paid about $9.00 each for them. That's phenomenal! You'd think it was brisket at that cost....or arm roast.   Oh well....it's only money. :) I have the roast in the slow cooker now with onions and onion soup mix and carrots and potatoes.

I also got a load of laundry done this morning, folded and put away. Now tomorrow, I will change my bed and wash the sheets.  I will also vacuum and dust.

I forgot to get my makeup while we were in Independence yesterday. Darn memory! I didn't have it written down and if it isn't written down somewhere, it doesn't happen.

Bob came over awhile ago. He is going to exercise class. I have given that up. I get plenty of exercise at the library getting up and down off  the floor.

Missy has finally stopped troubling me to go back outside. It is terrible out there. It's supposed to be nearly 100 degrees today. It's already 80 and it's only 8:45.

I have the sermon Sunday and I am not particularly happy with it. The theme is "Proclaim Peace". That ought to be an easy one. I will post it here after awhile.

More later....

I took some photos of my re-potted plants.  They look pretty good so far. They were both root bound.

Here they are...

Hopefully they can now grow since their roots are no longer bound. The one on the lower level is a Christmas Cactus. It usually blooms in December.

Here are my two flowers beds and the flowers in the boxes out front. The red salvia is really stressed out. The Dusty Miller seems to be doing fine though.

This one needs some color. All I have in it is lavender and succulents.  It's pretty blaw.

These look pretty good! I water them daily.

I just returned from meeting with Bob, Bobby and Karan, Marilyn and Judy at Utopia.  Judy just lost her brother night before last and the services are next Monday at 11:30. I will try to make them even if I have to work some time in that morning. Judy has been a really good friend. She and Howard now live in California. They flew back to see her brother, Jack, before he died.

It's now time to put lunch on the table so I'd better get back to this later......We had that roast for lunch. It was pretty good. We will have it again on Friday. Tomorrow I believe we will have goulash and garlic bread with coleslaw. I still have some vanilla pudding and cookies for our dessert.

More later...

Missy has been really good this evening...with no demands to go outside.  Maybe she knows it's terribly hot out there. After Bob left at 7:00 I took my bath and Missy laid in my lap until I came in here to the den to bring this blog up to date. Then we went to bed.

Tuesday and Hair Day

I have been awake since shortly after 4:30. I finally just got up. I ate my cereal and took my meds and drank my first cup of coffee. Missy has been troubling me to go outside and when it gets lighter, I will take her outside.  But in the meantime, she is being a pest.

I missed getting our trash out last night and thought I would have plenty of time to get it out before 8:30 this morning but the trash people came early at 6:00 (we are in a heat advisory) and our trash was not out there. Hopefully we will have plenty of room to wait until next week.

I want to get some potting soil when we go to Wal Mart this morning after my hair appointment. Cyndi brought me some larger pots and I will transplant both my plants.  They are both root bound.

When and if I get them re-potted,  I will take some photos to post here.

Meanwhile,  I will get back to this later....It's light here now and Missy is being patient...as patient as she is capable of being.

I took Missy out for an hour and a half before Bob and I left for Independence and my hair appointment. She was very happy to be out there. We got to Independence early and Kathy was able to get my hair done a half hour early so Bob and I went to Wal Mart and bought a few things we both needed. Then we learned Big Cheese was closed because their air conditioning was out so we went to Pizza Hut instead for lunch.  Pizza Hut is not Big Cheese...that's for sure.

Then after I took Bob home, I went to work. Sure enough, there were dozens and dozens of DVDs to be put away and the cases to be filed in the bookcases. I worked from 12:40 until 3:00 on that and then went back to the children's department to begin scanning bar codes in the non fiction there. There were some Hispanic children there with their mothers. They were screaming at the top of their voices and running around the library like wild children.  It was all I could do to stay and work.  Finally, I asked one of the mothers (with my fingers to my lips) if she could quiet the children down some so I could concentrate. It wasn't perfect...but it was better. I finished the best I could and did just three book cases. Then I returned Cindy's ruler and went back to the Adult department to start putting away DVDs again.  I did that until 5:00 and then I went home. I hope..oh I hope..I can get on at Coffeyville Community College.  I don't know how much more of the noise I can take at the library. It will be two or three weeks until my interview there at the college.

Bob came over until 8:00 and then I watched American Experience after he left at 8:00 and then prepared for bed.

What a day!

Monday and Work Again

I  slept well last night and only woke up once. I got up shortly before 5:00.

I will fix chicken tenders for lunch today...with mashed potatoes and gravy and a veggie and Bob will bring a salad. I will get some fruit for dessert. I also have the cookies I made last Saturday.

It will be very hot today. Not only will it be about  97 degrees but the heat index will be well above the 100 degree mark. The humidity is brutal.

Missy has already started wanting to go outside but it's still dark so she will have to wait until at least 6:00 AM. She is lying on the carpet down the hall waiting patiently for daylight.

We had quite an afternoon yesterday. I saw a lot of people I never get to see except at reunion (our church camp). I hated not getting to stay. When I finish this job in September 2016, if I have the money, I will start going back to camp again. They last a week and there are lots of activities to enjoy besides the preaching services.


Bob came over before his exercise class. Missy and I had been outside for an hour and a half and we had just come in. After watching the news, Bob went on to his exercise class. I stayed in out of the heat but now I need to make a trip to the  Dollar General store and to the bank. I spent all my money yesterday at camp. I have a hair appointment in the morning and will need some.

More later...

I had an e-mail from Aime, my program's director, this afternoon.  She had finally obtained an e-mail from the Coffeyville Community College  and they are interested in having a clerk to work there. I will have an interview in a couple of weeks.  If they like me I may transfer there and get away from the noise and strain of the bar code scanning at the library. Scanning in the children's area is ruining my knees. They wouldn't  hold up much longer. To put away the DVDs and new fiction I have had to get down on my knees. And my hands are constantly swollen from pulling the books out of the shelves and holding them to open them to scan the bar codes.

I stopped at the bank on my way home and took out some cash to use for my hair appointment tomorrow. Bob plans to go with me and we will go to Wal Mart there after I am finished and then go to Big Cheese at 11:00 for lunch. Then I will go to work.

Sunday and a Trip to Camp

I awoke this morning to check facebook for news about Esther. Scott called last evening concerned about her and also about his brother. I told him all I knew.  This morning on facebook, where Keith had asked for prayers,  he announced the doctor took care of Esther's problem and they were back home. I was so glad the emergency turned out well.

I got up at 4:45 to get myself ready for the trip to camp this morning. It's an hour and twenty minutes drive to the camp. We had dismissed church locally so the congregation could go over to the campgrounds. It will be very hot...well into the 90's.  But we will enjoy seeing the Mission Center friends. The campgrounds is just south of Joplin, Missouri.

I've had my breakfast and taken my meds. Now I'm waiting until daylight so I can take Missy out on the carport.  It will be relatively cool this morning.

Today is Bob's birthday and he is 81.  I have a card and a small gift for him.

More later...

We went to the campgrounds and enjoyed a fine sermon and a great meal!  Then we went into Joplin and did some shopping before heading home. We got home about 3:30 and I dropped Bob off at his apartment before coming home to Missy.

He will be over this evening to watch 60 Minutes.