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Well, I DID take that day off today...really needed to rest. So, all I did was sleep as long as possible, procrastinate as long as possible, went to a grocery for folks from the east such as from India, Pakistan, and asian countries, got wonderful veggies and some spices I'm interested in trying; then had a very satisfying meal from a great little "fast food" restaurant named Fazoli's where they cook it as soon as it's ordered, then serve it on real china with actual metal silverware. So, so good, and I grought half the entree' home and half of the breadsticks as well. Finally, a stop by the gasoline station.

I'm not certain if GasBuddy.com works in your area, but I found that driving only 4 miles from where I left, gasoline prices were 20+ cents lower.  Love that Gas Buddy!

Now, to rest from being out for a bit.

Love to all,
Ruth Ann

Janet:  That was so sweet of Beth's friend to bring a computer and set it all up with voice recognition.  A very caring gift. 

Yes, we look at Gas Buddy.  Around here, Valero stations are the ones with the best price. 

We just had a phone call that our son-in-law's father is at the trauma center in Denver with severe headache - they live in Texas and take their trailer to the mountains every summer.  He is having an MRI tonight so most likely will be kept there.  I know of two people in the same situation right now. 

Jane:  I can't believe you have so many great-grandchildren!  That would be a full group picture for sure.  Enjoy your class reunion. 

Betty:  The picture of the bride and groom in front of the old car is really great.  Glad you had a carport for shelter.  Blessings to the bride and groom!

Jane!  So good to see your post!  It does seem that so many families are "going through stuff' now, doesn't it?  That old enemy of our souls never tires of tormenting us, but we know who has the victory in the end, if we "cast not away our confidence."  I really do not know how anyone makes it through this life without knowing Jesus as their Savior!

I got up early to watch Joseph Prince, forgetting that it is Saturday.    I could have slept another hour and a half, probably.  But maybe not.  Anyway, lots to do again today.  Sure am glad we have an extra vehicle for Becki to drive, because I must go to Hugoton today for a baby shower for that third great granddaughter who will be arriving next month!

Good for you, Ruth Ann, for staying home and resting for a change!  I will check out GasBuddy.com, and thanks!

I pray all of you have a lovely day with our Lord.

Here is the next of my series for the paper.

                                         TREASURES FROM THE LEGACY
                                                      CARL W. SLEMP

                                                       By Janet Damon

This week we are featuring Carl W. Slemp.  Carl was born December 2, 1931, and grew up near Moscow, Kansas.  He told me that in those days, there wasn't much for kids, as money was in short supply.  He said he didn't think he'd ever have much of anything.  He grew up helping his Dad and older brother on the farm.  He had the one brother and two sisters.

As kids, they played games outdoors, mostly making their own entertainment.  There were a few parties and an occasional dance, but Carl said he wasn't ever a great dancer.  They also swam in the horse tank, and they always had dogs around.

Carl graduated from high school in Moscow in 1948, one of a class of 12 or 13.  For the next couple of years, he did labor jobs like pushing a wheelbarrow.  In 1950, he started farming some of his grandmother Beasley's land.  He started on a small scale, and continued to work hard and accumulate machinery a little at a time; then he started buying land as he could.  Eventually, Carl was the owner of  several quarters of land.   He stated that it still surprises him to remember how tough times were when he was young, and then to look back on his success as a farmer.  So his hard work and perseverance paid good dividends.

He is pretty satisfied with the way things are in our country today, stating that the United States is still the greatest country in the world.

When asked about the differences he sees today from when he was young, Carl said that kids have lots more now, but he wonders if they appreciate it, since most don't seem to have to work for it themselves.  He says it is easier to get a job now than when he was young.  And of course technology has made big strides.  We didn't have TV or other stuff like that; we made our own entertainment.

Carl notices that morals are much looser now than when he was growing up.

Carl shared a photo album of family pictures with me, telling me some memories as we looked at the photos.  His Grandma Beasley lived in Clayton, New Mexico.  He had two uncles there who were special to him.

  Carl was disqualified from military service because of poor eyesight.

The bicycle they had as kids was a hand-me-down from some cousins. He remembers that he always loved cars, trucks, motor scooters, and motorcycles.  His first vehicle was a Cushman motor scooter.  When he rode his first motorcycle home and parked it in the shed, his Dad walked around it one time, and then said, "I expect that thing will finish you off."

Carl always liked Chevy trucks and cars and John Deere tractors.  Some of his favorite cars were a bright red Starfire Oldsmobile, and a Pontiac.  He said he had owned a lot of good cars.

Carl and Jim Anderson shot a deer East of Moscow many years ago, and he showed me a photo of that, in the bed of a pickup.

When asked what achievement or accomplishment gives him the most satisfaction, he answered, "starting to own land and improve on it." 

Though Carl never married, he rather regrets that.  He had several girl friends, but just never married, so he plans to pass on the fruits of his years of hard work to his beloved nieces and nephews.  He hopes they will appreciate it and care for the land.

His advice to young people is:  Don't ever give up.  Just keep slugging away, and you will succeed.

Carl says nobody ever had better parents than he had, that they were just wonderful people.  He said they attended church some, but never as much as his mother would have liked.  He admired his parents above all others.

The people who most inspired him in life were his mother's brothers, Uncle Johnny and Uncle Myron Beasley.  They liked to box and he thought that was great.  Myron had several boxing matches in Clayton, N. M.

The biggest differences he sees now from when he was young are that when he was a kid, times were hard.  But he persevered, worked hard, and wound up having a good life.  He thinks it seems more dangerous now, with bombs and other weapons of war.  The pace of life is faster now, and we have a lot more conveniences.

Carl wants to be remembered as being honest and decent, and doing the best he could with what he had.

The legacy he wants to leave is this:  Honesty is the way to go!  Work hard, and don't ever quit!  If you will behave yourself and be honest, you will succeed.

Carl always enjoyed hearing Johnny Cash sing, and remembers going to see him and June Carter Cash in Dodge City one time.  He said there was a huge crowd, and that is a good memory.

Carl would appreciate your visit, and you can talk about old times, favorite cars, farming, or whatever you'd like.  Come to the legacy and see him!

Hi everyone.  The rain and storms missed our area yesterday and it turned out to be a hot day.  While Pat was at therapy yesterday I went to Publix grocery for a few items I couldn't get at Aldi's and got us a nice Boar's Head sub sandwich for lunch.  That was enough for one day.  After coffee this morning I may attend a meeting but that will depend on how I feel at the time.  I had another very tired day yesterday.  I am hoping that won't be the case today.  We have nothing else on the schedule of which I am aware unless we decide to do something later in the day.

Etta Sue, it sounds like Don passed while doing something he liked to do or at least in a place he liked to be.  Glad you are safely home. You might check to be sure your gas cap is on tight.  I understand that can create problems but have no idea whether that would impact an air conditioner or not.  I am sure your AC must still be under warranty.

Carol, I feel the same way about not being mentioned all the time and that is why I always start my messages with the "Hi everyone" so my posting is inclusive.  When I have time I try to think of something to comment on to each person posting since I last posted.  Glad to hear you are having cooler weather in the Denver area.

Betty, what a cute picture of the wedding couple.  The Lord always provides as you said.  I am sure today will be a tough one for your family.

Janet, I am sure you were very upset that they had forgotten that they had taken Beth for an appointment.  Didn't someone stay with you while she was there.  So nice her friend came to surprise her and what a nice gift.  I certainly hope things can be set up so Beth will be able to use the computer.  I have had no experience with voice recognition.  They have some marvelous things to increase accessibility in using the computer.  When is John coming?

Jane, don't sell yourself short as I am sure we all like to see your postings even to just know that you are all right.  Jane, you are wise to let the young folks take care of their moving.  That sounds like a tough situation with so many living together.  Congrats great grandmother on the new baby in your family.  How do you keep up with 15 great grandchildren.  I can't remember the birthdays of just four. 

Ruth Ann, we used to have a Fazoli's not far from us but they have closed that business site and it is now a Del Taco. 

Janet, another great article.  Each person has an interesting life story. 

I was in the closet of the room that is Don's office  looking for an empty folder when he said, "You never go in there, why now?".  I spotted a picture of the grandchildren that hangs in my sewing room - now I am trying to figure out what he has in mind for my birthday.    

Daughter's FIL just doesn't have a diagnosis with his incapacitating headaches that come and go. 

Yes, it is a lovely morning here with a bit of a breeze. 

It is really nice to be looking forward to Sunday's sermon - we had to drive last Sunday morning for about 5 hours and the scenery was so beautiful that was a treat but we did miss the service.  Every time we view the mountains, we are reminded of the power of the Lord.  How can people doubt the perfect order of nature? 

Ivalou didn't get good news at the Eye Specialist yesterday.  She has Macular Degeneration.  Actually she has it in both eyes but her left eye is 'dry'...hasn't bled yet.  Her right eye is 'wet' meaning she has a big bleed at the center of her vision.  She said when she looked at a chart, she can only see the upper left corner...I thought she said before that she could only see straight ahead.  You can look at the Amsler Grid here.  She was given an injection in her right eye at the cost of $1800 plus the cost of the injection.  Hopefully it will dissolve some or all of the blood.  I am to take Ivalou back in one month...if improved she will get a less costly injection...if not, the same injection as yesterday.  If not treated she will lose her eye sight in that eye.

She was hungry.  When we left, after 2½ hours, she wanted to go to King Chef.  But then decided she wanted to come home instead.  I haven't talked to her today.  I just want to believe that the doctors tell you the worse scenario and hopefully her eye will improve!

I imagine all kinds of things are going through her head...not driving...losing her vision which means she will have to go somewhere else to live...with a daughter, her son or a nursing home?  No TV...what does one do with no vision? 

I slept late today...what a surprise, hunh?  I am doing laundry from my trip to Michigan.  Then I will totally relax the rest of the day...I hope! 

Another bright and sunny day in Indiana.  Our nights and days are cooler compared to June and July!  Does this mean an early fall?

I love the stories from The Legacy!  Keep them coming!

Larry, John is to arrive on Friday, the 24th.  And thanks for the comment on the article.

Etta Sue, I was also told I have Macular Degeneration, especially in my left eye.  and to take some high priced vitamins to help slow it down.  It is the dry kind, though, which is the lesser of two evils.  I am taking a page from Larry's book and not worrying about it, inowing there is nothing I can do about it, anyway.  So sorry about Ivalou, though.
Thanks for the comment on the article about Carl--I appreciate it!

Carol, when is your birthday?  Cute, that Don caught you "in the act!"  It is nice and cool here today, but also windy.

Etta sue sorry to hear about  your sister's vision problems.

Janet do keep the stories coming I enjoy them. What is the name of the vitamins you are taking?

I too have a some MD in one of my eyes, not really enough to be of any concern to me at present

The vitamins my doctor told me to take are called I-Caps_MV. They were developed by Vanderbilt University researchers here in Nashville. The "MV" stands for multi-vitamin, that is formulated to their recommendations, and it also includes 3 types of vitamins/enzymes to help vision. My MD was a bit worse this year, but held fast for 2 years before that.

Because of the vision problems, I don't do a lot of driving at night - particularly if there are no street lights - then I don't drive to that location at all.

It was another restful day today, with only a brief visit to a hardware store for something needed. Now, it's time to have a bit of dinner.

Y'all have a great rest of the day with our Lord.

Ruth Ann

Larry, thanks for your prayers. Today was a bit difficult, but not in the way we expected it. We don't always understand why things turn out the way they do, but remembering that God is in control really helps.

We went to our SIL's "Celebration of Life" this afternoon. We were told that it would be from 2:00 to 4:30, and that it would just be casual where people could take time to visit. They did not tell us that there would be a bit of a service at 2:00.

We would have been there (Wasaga Beach) by 2:00, but our daughter was driving up from Scarborough to meet us and go over with us ... and we waited, and waited. She does not have a cell phone, so we couldn't call her. There was a bad accident at Innisfil, and she was sitting for an hour and a half or so. She was finally able to get to a pay phone, and let us know what was happening. We walked in around 2:45 and the service was all over. We had missed it. I was just glad that our daughter was okay:)

We were able to visit with everyone though, so I'm glad we went over.

Hi Carol.  I am wondering, and only wondering, if the headaches the FIL is experiencing may be caused by either a brain tumor or a problem with his eyes.  I am definitely adding him to my prayer list.

Hi Betty.  I just got home yesterday from five days at a friend's cottage up at Wasaga Beach.  It is, thankfully, nowhere near the touristy section of beach and, therefore, quite a pleasant place to go to escape the city.   I love those "celebrations of life" as they are usually such uplifting, even happy times, reminiscing about the loved one rather than lamenting his loss.  After all, if he or she is a believer, they have gained much more than we have lost.

I have read all other posts, and will be praying for each and every concern.

Time to start another new week HERE