Christian Photographers Community

The Christmas decorations are already up at most stores.  Why not keep them up all year long? 

If anyone wants to make solar lights, go to Pinterest and check out the site.  Mine are all made with supplies from the dollar store and Walmart.  I use small size Mason jars, colored stones to fill the jars and I buy the garden solar stakes from Walmart.  These are now placed on a low table in the back yard  just enough light so we don't walk right into the table.  Truly withing lighting rules.  Also, everyone has to have a lighted address on the front of the house (for emergency).  They make nice little gifts and everyone seems to appreciate having that little solar light. 

An old friend and her daughter are coming over for a visit this evening.  I first met my friend, Pat, in Zurich where our husbands were on a business trip.  She usually stayed in the hotels all day long but I talked her into getting out.  We did get lost but found our way back - had a couple of hilarious situations.  We both ordered a coffee refill and it set the entire cafe into a tizzy.  Apparently, it was not ever done before - having a 2nd. cup of coffee.  The waitress slammed the new cup down and was so annoyed - we still laugh about it.
Imagine that waitress talking about crazy Americans for a long time. 

 

Happy Saturday, everybody!  I'm home again!  What a wonderful trip the Honor Flight was for Darrel!  He enjoyed it far more than he imagined he would, and said they took such excellent care of them every hour!  I am so grateful for the many wonderful people who make these trips possible for our Veterans, and it does take so many to pull it off.

Daughter Diane drove me to Wichita for the big Welcome Home at the airport, and we had nine family members there, too.  There were many school kids there, plus a band, a Bagpipe player--so many caring people!  We are still walking about two feet off the ground from all the excitement of it!  And Darrel received over FIFTY letters at Mail Call at their banquet on Wednesday night.  We so enjoyed reading them all this morning!  (He didn't have time to read them before, as it was a very busy time.) I have never seen Darrel so excited about anything in all the years I've known him!    For those on FB,
I did post a few photos there.

It's good to be home, and I have read each message.  Janice, I am so sorry to read of your pain and problems, and am praying for you, dear one!  ((((hugs)))))
Jackie, good to have you back with us, and good to read that a feel-good movie has restored your thoughts to a better place.  I love the Hallmark movies, because they always have a happy ending. Larry, It sounds like you and Pat had such a nice time with her sister's visit.  Good for all of you. Carol,
I love your posts--always informative and fun to read.  Vacation memories are more fun when shared,
for sure!
Ruth Ann, so nice having you in more often!  Glad you're still able to do the computer work, and from home, too!  Your brain cells are getting regular workouts!    Good for you!

I haven't done anything this day except sleep late (We got home at 1:00) then share Darrel's mail with him, then go see Beth, who is having much more pain today, requiring morphine every hour! And catching up with emails and posts in here.  I think I'd better go see what else I can do; and of course will have to go check on Beth again before dark.

Wishing sweet blessings on each of you, dear friends!

Janet:  I came in to let everyone know about your happy pictures of Darrel returning.  Nice turnout!

Hi, friends,

Its so good to from y'all this evening.

I'm now finished with the data project.

I see there are several needing extra prayer. Thanks to God for His lovingkindness to each of us.

Love to all,
Ruth Ann

Janet...
...welcome back..happy to read that you sound chirpier and refreshed after your recent trip which sounds as if all went well, or better than imagined for yourself and especially for Darrel...I will have to look up " Honour Flight " I am not familiar with it...as you mention for our " Veterans " it must have been in honour for all, and a great privilege to have been a pat of it......


I have not been in a good place lately, I know somewhere there is light at the end of my tunnel...if only I could find it...or know which path I should take to get me there...

Hi Everyone.  It is an overcast morning here but it will be a nice day going only into the mid-70's. I didn't leave the house yesterday except to get the mail. I will go to Sunday School and Church this morning.  Pat hasn't told me yet whether she is going to go or not.  If she does we will eat out and if not I will stop and get something to bring home.  I have my devotional material ready for the Sunday School class. 

This is finally the day when Scott and Jennifer will get to see at least two of Jennifer's four children.  The meeting will be at a mall.  When that is over Scott and Jennifer will head back to South Carolina, driving throughout the night.  They expect to be home by noontime tomorrow.

Pat put the first drop in my eye this morning and I have two more to go today.  This is a compounded formula of eye drops and only deal with one bottle until it is gone and then will use a second bottle until it is gone. 

Jackie, I was happy to read that you had found something to put a smile on your face with the Christmas movie.  Pat is watching one of the Christmas movies this morning.  I hope you will find many more that can bring you some moments of forgetting about your troubles.  Glad that the Samaritan call was not a hoax.

Carol, here the Christmas decorations department at Walmart has almost eliminated the inside garden center and that doesn't include the toy isles.  Thanks for the info on the solar lights.  Fortunately, we don't need something like that as there is sufficient outdoor lighting and we have no restrictions on having outside lights on.  Nice you were able to renew an old acquaintance.  Funny story about the second cup of coffee.  That is so normal over here. 

Janet, so happy that Darrel had such a wonderful time.  I saw the first picture you posted on Facebook but didn't look for others.  I will have to go back and look again.  Sorry to hear of the increased pain that Beth is experiencing. 

Ruth Ann, from what you said I think you enjoy the data projects you do but expect you are also happy when that responsibility is completed.

We had friends over last night  and chatted until late.  Today, our youngest son arrives and we hope to take him out for pizza as he asks for a special place.  We hope to take him for a tour of the area and just relax outdoors later.  Last night, the moon was full and clouds parted so we could see it. 

Jackie:  The flights are to honor WWII veterans and it takes them to Washington, D.C. to view the memorial. 

Have a Good Sunday All!

Yes, Darrel had a great time on the Honor Flight.  There were 4 WW11 men; 11 from the Korean War, and 25 from the Viet Nam War on this flight.  (Darrel served in Viet Nam.)  He was there at the very start of it in late 1962 and 1963, as an 'advisor'.  He was a radio operator. Later, he was in Berlin, behind the Iron Curtain for 2 1/2 years, then was in Hawaii for a time, serving seven years in all.  The other fellow from here who went was also in Viet Nam, but is 10 years younger than Darrel, having been there at the very end of that mess.  For those 25 men who served in Nam, and were treated shamefully upon their return home, this was the welcome home they had waited over 50 years to receive, and so happy they finally got it!.

He said when they walked through the St. Louis airport, they were applauded every time they passed a group of people, and that was a real surprise and he felt very honored by it.  Not only him, but, I suspect, all 40 of the veterans on the flight.  He had first been told about it close to three years ago when were were at the VA Clinic in Wichita.  I had thought all the WW11 guys had gone, but there are still a few right here in our little town who haven't, for whatever reason.  One is a good friend of ours, and Darrel is going to try really hard to get hime to go this next Spring.  Willie is already nearing 94,
but still in good health.  Anyway, they visited the WW11, Korean and Viet Nam memorials, Arlington National Cemetery, Ft. McHenry, and a few more places.  Lots of walking, but he made it fine, and they had wheelchairs in case they got too tired.  There were 20 sponsors and guardians along who took excellent care of them.

At their banquet on Wednesday night, they had Mail Call, and Darrel received over 50 letters!  We had fun Saturday morning reading all of those!  I believe the flights were started to honor WW11 Veterans,
but they are continuing with them to honor the ones from later wars, as well.  Kansas has one of the very best groups of volunteers and donors of any of the states.  They started five years ago, and this was Flight #55, and they already have 11 flights paid for, for next year!  It's such a wonderful way to thank our veterans for their service.  They certainly weren't expecting the big welcome home party upon their arrival back in Wichita!!  Such fun! 

Carol, has Don gone on an Honor Flight yet?

John brought Beth to church again this morning.  I really wasn't expecting them, as she had been in such pain yesterday.  I know she'd had a lot of pain medication, as she slept most of the time.

I did post several pictures of the welcome home in Wichita on my Facebook page, if you would like to see those!

Since I've already chattered so long, I will stop now, but wish you all a pleasant evening.

Janet, I saw the pictures on Facebook.

They changed the Friday night music practice to Monday at 4:30 and I still can't go because it is dark by 5 pm. I asked someone for a ride to practice at church this morning, it was the husband of the worship leader who has given me ride in the past. I got the impression that it would be inconvenient when he said: I'll try to work it in. so I got home and texted that I don't need a ride.  I hate to feel like I am an inconvenience. So I won't be going to music practice. When the schedule was going to be changed I was told it would be so I could drive myself, however, it is still going to be dark by 5 pm so I won't be able to drive myself. Today it was announced that the change was because they want to be able to go to Open Mic night on Friday.

OK, I am through venting thanks for listening to me. I am not in a good place right now, feeling like the church "Family" has let me down. Keith an I sat in the last row this morning close to the door, as people came in not one stopped to say hello some kind of half waved as they went by.

Marilyn...
...It makes me sad to read that your church has let you down, and they have not been acting in a friendly manner...Marilyn, trust in God to put matters right...

...as Isn't it a sad day when we feel either let down or we cant trust our church? I too left my church, the village church I thought would be my settled in church a few months ago because of an incident which occurred to me....I was bullied outside as I left the church and was heading back to my pickup car that was waiting for me, ( Richard saw them surrounding me, and asked what had gone on when I eventually reached his car )...when four or five came running out after me down the cobbled pathway, and shouting my name, one standing right in front of my walker with his both hands on my rollator preventing me from moving forwards when I was bullied into giving up my Bible reading I had been given the week before, which had also been confirmed again just five or ten minutes before I walked out the church door... to a young couple ( also part of the bullying crowd, ) who they said wanted to bible read but would only be in my church on that one day, my week, the week I was to read...I was given the following Sunday but I was never asked if I was ok to do that Sunday, the fresh piece of paper with that date and bible reading was just thrust into my hand...then they ran back inside the church leaving me bewildered...
...and not forgetting how many times the Vicar and lady wife ( who also is a lay preacher ) said they were coming to my home to see me, or follow us home in the car,  they never ever did...if you cant trust the word of a vicar, who can you trust?

...continuation...I never went back to that church again, and to make matters worse, the Sunday Bible reading they had now given me, I wouldn't have been able to have gotten to the church that day anyway, as it was the Sunday of our annual " Iron Man Triathlon " running through our roads, that were all to be blocked off to traffic...the routes included the main road we could only take...which had now left me wondering if they had already new that, and that was there reason for the date switch-over, to accommodate the once only Sunday visiting young couple, and push out there regular church goer...me...

Doctor appointment within the next couple of hours..and believe you me, what I have to say will fill that half hour slot....

Hi Everyone.  We awoke to a very dense fog this morning but it is to burn off by 10 am this morning so it won't be a problem by the time we head to the eye surgeon later this morning.  Scott and Jennifer left New York about 4 pm yesterday and Jennifer drove all night until she had to pull over and now Scott is driving.  She had driven 14.5 hours and they were in Charlotte when she wrote and in the rush hour traffic.  So they should be home by mid-morning and will get the rental car turned back in.  I will be very glad to get the message they are safely home but after Charlotte the rest of the traffic shouldn't be a problem. It appears from a couple of pictures they sent that they were able to see all four of the children.

Carol, it sounds like you all will be ready for a couple of recoup days after the visiting friends and then having your son visit for a short while.  Hope the pizza was as good as he remembers it to be.

Janet, great description of the Honor Flights.  It was certainly a shameful time when our troops were so badly received back home.  It wasn't their fault that Viet Nam was such a disaster.  They did there job and our military is to honored. Hopefully the greetings from friends at the Church helped Beth's spirits yesterday even if she got little out of the service. 

Marilyn, sorry that you are not going to be able to participate in your Church choir practices.  Maybe you could ask another choir member to pick you up.  In my view being of help to someone isn't an inconvenience but we don't walk in the other person's shoes so don't know what may be back of their attitude.  It sounds like a review of priorities might be in order as going to an Open Mic night would seem to top singing praises to our Lord. 

Jackie, I am in shock at how you were bullied at your Church.  Can you attend another Church as surely the treatment you received is not normal for Church going people.  Hope your doctor appointment goes well for you today. 

I didn't even hear Matthew leave this morning.  He is a thoughtful man,  He left a thank note on the kitchen table.  As Don says, We are Blessed!  We sat outdoors and enjoyed our chat. 

Don was in during the Cuban Crisis - he used to go to Strategic Air Command headquarters often - I know nothing.  We drove to the D C area years ago and walked all around the area - it is beautiful and quiet. 

Such a sad story from Texas on another shooting.  One family lost 8 members.  How do they cope? 

Church should be the most kind place we enter -

A waste of time, just as I expected, pill popping...hey, just pop a pill down your throat, and hey presto he will just disappear, and all your troubles will vanish....well I now have the packet in front of me but no, I will not be taking them...Effexor (Venlafaxine)...This was one of two, ( the other was the Duloxetine ) that MS consultant who doesn't want to see me again, not even on an annual basis prescribed a year ago, I declined then, I will decline now...
Link...to comparison charts...check out the side effects...." and possible suicidal thoughts.." at least the other one, the Duloxetine may have sorted out my nerve damage...

  http://www.iodine.com/compare/effexor-vs-cymbalta   

Larry, there are no choir members, Debbie plays the guitar and sings. Ray come just to practice and goes to another church. He and Debbie also sig and play at the Memory c|are center after church on Sundays, Now they want to take their music to the Open Mic place in the world. It is secular.

Happy Monday, everyone!! 
Some of us do not sound too happy today, though.  I am sad that church seems to be the reason for some of the angst.  It should not be that way, but since churches are filled with imperfect people, there are problems.  It's just sad that people get hurt in what should be the most loving, friendly and safe place there is on the earth.  I apologize to Marilyn and Jackie for those people, for they likely will not apologize for themselves.

On Thursday night, our church is hosting the big Thanksgiving dinner, the ladies' largest money making event of the year.  Much work is involved in pulling that together.  My small part is to make a big jello salad, go at 1:00 P.M. to cut salads and pies, and to help with the book sales.  I guess that's enough.
If everyone does their bit, then all the work gets done.

They had to give Beth extra morphine this morning because she was having "air hunger."  I would have said it another way, but that's how the nurse explained it to me.  I guess John had gone to take a nap, anyway he wasn't there at 10:00 when Darrel and I went to visit her after working out at the gym.  I will go see about her again later.

I have been asked to go talk to third, fourth and fifth graders on November 20 about Peru.  They are having an all day thing, asking people who have visited other countries to talk to the kids about it. They said I will be speaking to 16 different groups of kids!  Man!  I should have it memorized by then! Anyway, I need to get organized for that, as they want photos and stuff to show the kids.  November is ridiculously busy!!  Wow!

I asked Darrel to light the heater in my studio, so I can go in there and get the Peru stuff out and start thinking about what I want to say.  It's quite chilly here today, 41*, and very misty.

I need to keep moving, or I will fall asleep!

  Janet:  You wrote MINUS 41.....    Good luck with your talk.  That is just great for you  and the children to have this experience.  How on earth can you get everything finished?   Thank heaven for morphine for Beth. 

I am on the computer - doing laundry, ironing  too and trying to find the time and date of a meeting tomorrow.  I wrote it somewhere.   

  Carol, I meant to have a dash before and a dash after the temp of 41!  Boy!  That would really be frosty, huh?  Oh, well, first mistake of the day!  (Not likely!)

Janet, Carol...
... boy, it even got me thinking..." dont think I would want to be living there..." it would freeze me solid...

...Well I am up and about, wouldn't have switched on the bedroom light, got out of my bed if I had known it had been just 4.am, too late now, my eyes are now acclimatised....I am now at the computer with my first cup of tea of the day...and its still only 4.40am...Well we do get up in the morning without a clue as to how the day is going to pan out, and today, I wonder if it will surprise me...   

We are having a modem installed and the girl from is doing the job!  good for her!  I have a class today in genealogy and am about to give up on it.  Just too much time in research and too many hiccups in the computer time too.  Temperatures here in Tucson are finally under the 80's.  They have been above normal for at least six weeks. 

Praying for the church in Texas.  Their lives have changed forever. 

Hi Everyone on an overcast and humid morning here in South Carolina. We do have a potential for some rain showers today and a much better chance tomorrow, unless the forecast is changed again. 

My eye surgery followup went well yesterday.  Yesterday morning for the first time I realized what the yellow haze over the eye was all about as when I closed my yet to be operated on eye everything was nice and white and when I reversed that things had that yellow hazy look to them.  We did go out to dinner last evening and Pat still had to drive.  The doctor told me I could start driving tomorrow, although may do so when we go to the Church this evening as it will still be daylight.  As we were coming home last night after dark the headlights of the oncoming cars were like sparklers as my eye was still dilated.  Pat will probably have to drive home this evening.  Neither Scott nor Jennifer will be having dinner with us as Scott has to work and Jennifer has come down with a nasty cold. Fortunately, she made it back home before it hit her. Nothing else on the schedule for today than dinner at Church. 

Carol, hope the new modem works better for you.  I take it from what you said in another discussion that you are changing companies and saving a few dollars.  Genealogy is something that has really never interested me.  We do have several in the family that have done a lot of genealogy work.     

This day has flown by!  We went to the gym. came home, I changed and went back to town, did a couple of errands at PO and bank, then to see Beth.  Then I did a little grocery shopping as I needed ingredients for the salad for tomorrow night's big church Thanksgiving dinner. Went back to see Beth again, then home, got my salad put together and in the refrigerator.  Then I had a little nap, as I had only about two hours' sleep last night.

Beth seemed very tired today.  Tuesday is the day they weigh her, so I inquired about that, and learned she has lost another FOUR pounds!  That means she is down to 106# now.  She has lost nearly sixty pounds!    We are down to only three weeks now until time to go to Florida to see Mark and Tiffany (grandkids) and the nurses tell me we should just go.  That's really a hard decision for me. If we had gone October first when our tickets were, we'd have been fine, but that was when it looked as if she wouldn't live for more than a week or two.  So  it's still day to day, but I do have more peace about it now, and don't feel I have to be there all the time.

I had a wonderful, sweet surprise yesterday!  Our Jeanne Lee called me!  She wanted to tell me she is still praying for Beth and us, and since she has a lot of sleepless nights, she has a lot of time for praying.  She is in hospital herself!  What a wonderful Christian sister she is!  Friends we have never met can still be some of the truest friends we have!  God, please bless dear Jeanne!

Larry, seems you and I are all alone in here today!  Maybe that means everyone will be back tomorrow!  I hope so! 

We aren't having the church dinner tonight, as the big Thanksgiving dinner is tomorrow night.  The men were to go out and set up tables and chairs today.

Puff, puff, pant, gasp, sigh ---- Ahhh, friends, how nice to be here again. It has been good to catch up with y'all again.

Larry, I was simply fascinated that everyone looked so much  healthier looking, after my first cataract surgery. It's amazing how having the "beam" removed from our eyes, that we can see so much better. And, I was working as a desktop publisher, so must have used pretty strong colors in my graphics.

Thanks to every one of you who post. Your messages really enrich my life. Janet, thanks for letting us know that Jeanne is hospitalized. I'll add her to my prayer list.

It is such a comfort to know we have our loving Father to Whom to bring our troubles.  Humans fail over and over and must go to Him for forgiveness, but I'm so grateful He is perfection itself, such a comforting thought to me.

Much love to all who come, whether or not you wish to participate in the conversation.

Ruth Ann

I felt ill most of the day, but feeling better now, 8:30 pm. Hope that is the end of that!  Tomorrow I have to go back to Amarillo to get my first injection for Wet Macular Degeneration.  The injection I had last week was for testing purposes.  I dread all those miles, though, a little more than 100 miles over there.  My daughter drives me, in my car.

Strangely I was going to post last night that I hadn't heard from Jeanne Lee  in over a week, this is on both our forums, S & Fs...now of course I wish that I had of made my posting...I am sorry to hear of this news... Jeanne Lee  if you look in..I too send prayers and relay my get well wishes....

Ruth Ann...
...I so agree...quoting: " Humans fail over and over and must go to Him " " and He is perfection..."
...yes I too would never place my trust in humans, ( apart from medics who do procedures and operations ) ...I will place my trust in my maker, at the end of the day, He wont let me down, that is more than I can say for humans that have come and gone in my life...

Janet...
...what can I say? I am shocked and saddened to read that your Beth over a period of time has lost almost 60 lbs of weight...

Larry Hanna...
...good to read your recent eye surgery went well but, I wouldn't have expected it any other way...

Carol...
...yes, if one is not safe inside a church, where else can one be safe...my heart cry's out for those innocent " victims " who were just going about there day to day lives...

Hi Everyone.   We are finally getting some rain this morning, fairly light but good prospects for the rest of the day.  This is going to be a busy morning as had to fix Pat's breakfast, coffee and take care of other morning kitchen chores.  I will be going to coffee in a little while after picking up my friend.  I need to stop at the credit union ATM to get some cash and pick up a prescription and a couple of other things at Walmart.  When I get downtown I will drop off my friend at the cafe and go on to the Medical Supply store to exchange the new headgear they gave my wife last Friday.  It is just a couple of blocks away and then I will return to have coffee.  We are not having the Wisdom Group today.  Yesterday the pastor announced in our weekly newsletter that we will have police protection at all of our Sunday services.

Last night I used the oxygen concentrator for the first time and what a loud machine.  In addition to the sound of the motor in it there is a huff and puff sound every few seconds.  I was afraid it would keep Pat from sleeping but she said this morning it hadn't bothered her. 

We had made plans to meet friends in Greensboro, Georgia, about an hour and 15 miinutes away on Saturday.  We are going to have to cancel that as Pat is in no condition to spend that long in the car.  She is experiencing a lot of spasm and other pain in her back and can hardly get around. 

Janet, I hope you got more than two hours of sleep last night so you could recharge your batteries.  Sorry to hear of the continued weight loss that Beth is experiencing.  It sounds like the nurses gave you good advice about your planned Florida trip.  I am so glad you mentioned talking with Jeanne Lee as she has been on my mind and met to post yesterday to see if anyone had heard from her.  I wondered if she wasn't in the hospital again and see that she is.  I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner at your Church today and that you don't work too hard to be able to enjoy it.

Ruth Ann, I drove to dinner at the Church last night as I was the only one to attend and then picked up the grocery order.  The lights and light rain didn't really bother me.  It is amazing what a difference in seeing it makes as didn't realize how bad it had become over time. 

Janice, sorry to hear you had a bad day yesterday not feeling well.  Hope that by today you are feeling much better. Glad your daughter is there to drive that long trip.

Jackie, it sounds like we both were worried about Jeanne Lee yesterday.  I even did a search here on the discussion and saw that her last posting was October 22 (I think that was the date).  I also expected my eye surgery to go well and it certainly did.   

Larry Hanna...
...yes I did too yesterday...it only stopped me posting yesterday because I noticed she had looked - been in...great minds think, and act alike...

Poor Pat, I am one who is fully aware about spasm'ing...and just how horrible that is...

How nice to come in and find several posts today!  Ruth Ann, you are such a blessing!  I love reading your posts!

Larry, sorry you are having to cancel your plans to meet with friends.  It seems we must do things like that more often as the years keep rolling by.  Prayers for Par to feel better.  I did get a good night's sleep last night, for which I am very thankful.  That makes a big difference the next day!  Does the sound of the oxygen concentrator keep you awake?

Janice, I do hope you are feeling better.  So glad you have a daughter near to drive you to Amarillo. We are planning to go to Amarillo for Thanksgiving, to see Darrel's sister and her husband.  They are both in failing health and it's been about a year since we went to see them.  Since Diane, Jeff and Abby are going to Florida for Thanksgiving and Curtis and Toni to her parents' this is a good opportunity to go.  We have told her NOT to cook; we can just go eat at a restaurant this time.  Anyway, I hope the trip doesn't tire you out too much.

Jackie, interesting how both you and Larry were thinking about Jeanne.  I was really surprised to get a call from her-very pleasantly surprised!!  I do hope she's doing well and can soon go back home to her own little 'nest.'

I also had a very short chat with Pat Scott Halbach via text.  Jeanne had mentioned she had spoken to her.  We were interrupted by Pat's phone ringing, but a few words are welcome from a friend anytime!

Beth seemed rather distant today, and she was cold, so I put another warm blanket on her.  I told her I wish I could give her some of my "insulation."

Abby is supposed to call me right away to interview me for another paper she has to write for her gerontology class!!  Guess that must mean I'm getting old!!  YIKES!!    

How nice to see so many posts this morning. Not much new here, There is a big food give away at a church near here and the cars are lined up all the way up my street and on one cross street just above me.  I heard they have 34,000 lbs of frozen good to give. I think I will wait until there isn't any more traffic and then go see if there is anything left.