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Looks like another rainy, gloomy day!  Ivalou was planning on going to church this morning but she just called and said she just woke up!  But she wants to go this evening to the Christmas Cantata.  There won't be as many people to run into her tonight! 

I am praying that everyone has a blessed day with their God!

Etta Sue, I loved both the quote from Max Lucado and the devotional.  Thanks!

I was away from home yesterday from 7 AM until 7:30  PM!  But I did have a good day.

Larry, there have been nine funerals here in our small town in the past two weeks, also a lot at Hugoton, At Lakin, at Scott City, and other small towns in our part of Kansas.  I always heard that deaths come in  threes,  fives, sevens, but I guess they come in  nines, too.  And a lot of them were younger folks.  All I know is:  we must live ready to die!  We don't know when our name will be called.

The TV situation is the same.....so we are enjoying the music on the new system!

We had another lovely day yesterday.  Today was predicted to be much colder; we will see!  Will be taking Beth to church this morning.

Grandson Mark is coming today to pick up his bed that is stored upstairs.  He is moving to St. Louis for another year of schooling---airline mechanics, this time.  He is determined to get a job in that industry, and how I pray it happend for him, he has been diligent and done his part, and it's time!

I will talk to you lovely folks later!  :wave:

Hi everyone.  Another overcast but warm day here in Georgia.  I had a very good day yesterday as the feeling of exhaustion has passed.  I tried not to do much that would tire me as wanted to enjoy the feeling after a couple of days where I didn't want to keep my eyes open.  I am going to church this morning but Pat will not as we both want to attend the Christmas Cantata presented by our church choir with orchestra accompaniment.  I have looked forward to this all year as in past years I sang in it and wasn't really able to hear the full effect since I was on the back row.  They are having a special dinner but we will not attend that and just go for the performance.  I will pick up something after church for lunch.  It is always hard to decide what to do, sort of like trying to decide where to eat out. 

Etta Sue, nice to have your very own technical person.  Each year the TVs, smart phones and computers become more integrated.  Like you I am not staying up with the curve even when I try to a bit. 

Ruth Ann, nice to see you indicate your oldest son is doing better.  Is he the truck driver?

Janice, I think with each year we store more and more knowledge and information in our brains so sometimes it takes longer to find the things we are looking for just like a file cabinet and occasionally a file gets lost or misplaced.  I find myself getting more forgetful.  Just last evening Pat asked me to come into the kitchen and put some things in the refrig that she was finished with.  I went in but she was going into another room with a glass of water so I took it and went with her and an hour or so later Pat called me saying she though I had put the things in the refrig.  I seem to be doing much more of this than in the past so try to do things when I think of them rather than later or I forget to do them. Glad you are liking the Kindle Fire as the tablets are great little small computers.

Etta Sue, very nice devotional thoughts for this week.  Thanks. 

Janet, nine funerals is way too many in two weeks, especially in small communities.  Glad you had an enjoyable day for yourself yesterday with your painting.  Mark will eventually find employment in the aviation field if he doesn't give up and keeps learning. 

Nice day here with sun and a temp of 40 F. Tomorrow is for snow,hail and then rain. Hope the snow rains off.  I do like to see the roads bare until at least after Christmas. People are so busy going about their bussiness and usually in a rush. Not giving too much care for road conditions.
Enjoyed the devotional, As I was reading I was reminded of the "gifts" the God gives us. They are not for our personal use or our own enjoyment, but that we may bless others with our abilities. Thank you, Etta sue. Right on time with that one!
It will be a quiet afternoon here. A day to relax and renew our strength for another week.
God bless and may you have joy, and His peace in your life today.

At church this morning, one of the younger ladies blessed Beth with a beautiful blanket she had made especially for her.  It will keep her nice and warm, and is in colors she loves.  So nice of Janie to do that for her.

Diane and Mark will be coming soon, will be nice to see them.  Even though they live close, we don't get to see them nearly as much as we would like, because they are all so busy all the time!  Abby hasn't gotten home from Amarillo yet, and Jeff is at the car wash in Liberal.  Toni and Curtis are in Coldwater, so the family is scattered around.

Larry, I'm sure you enjoyed the Cantata, but it may be a little bittersweet for you, too, since you are no longer strong enough to be a part of the singing.  But you can be thankful that God gave you so many years of blessing others with your musical talents.  And I surely know what you mean about the forgetfulness!!  :-[

I guess we will go to Garden tomorrow to shop for a new TV.  This one works for maybe an hour, then shuts off.  And the picture is getting darker and darker, sound fades in and out.  I was watching the one at the senior center the other day, and was amazed at the sharpness and clarity of the picture!  So it will be nice to have a new one.

My friend Pat and I went to the Parade of Homes last night, toured 5 homes here in town, all decked out for Christmas.  They were all lovely, but I didn't feel even a pang of envy that they were all much larger, more elaborate, more expensive, etc. than my home.  I am satisfied with what I have, and besides, I have a mansion waiting for me later on!  God has truly been good to me, and I have everything I need.  When someone asks me what I want for Christmas, I can't even think of an answer.  Sometimes I find it a little ironic that when we are young, we seem to want everything, then when we are older and could buy more, there doesn't seem to be anything we need.  I guess that's the way it should be!

Larry--or Carol---I am wondering about the Nook.  I downloaded lots of books, mostly for Darrel, but one only had 87 pages, another had 169, then just ended abruptly with the notice the book would be on sale on a certain date!  (already past)  Is Barnes and Noble the only place you can get books for the Nook?  Can you get them from a local library?  So much to learn....also, can you use them like the Kindle Fire, to post here, etc?  I'm thinking maybe so, since they are online.

Janet:  Before I forget - yes, you can download free books from your library using your library card.  Best to go right in and ask for the information and take your Nook with you.  A word of warning though - any library book can be checked out for only 14 or 21 days.  Arizona is only 14 days, all those old folks using the sytem  :lol:  We often load books written by our local authors here so I am sure you can get some Christian writers and you can always ask them to buy more of those books.  You are a taxpayer!  Good luck. 

I just had to make something chocolate so brownies for dessert.  It was in the teens this morning and icy on the road with wind whipping as we walked the big parking lot into chapel.  Cannot imagine the homeless on the streets and they are out there.  There is to be a place set up with 8 bedrooms for that many women returning from the military with wounds both physical and mental in conjunction with the VA.  Finally, a place for the women to regroup to civilian life.  It is a start. 

Janice:  I got it - the memory - well, there it goes again. 

Don writes a letter and I add personal notes to almost every Christmas card.  Yesterday was quilt club with a brunch and we exchanged gifts - such a darling wall hanging I was given by a friend's daughter.  Another full week on the To Do List - it seems to never end. 

Ruth Ann and Janet:  Prayers for your young men going to work and health issues. 

Well......Brrrrr!  It got down to -10 here last night!  We have thick frost on the windows this morning!

Thanks, Carol, for the information.  I will take the nook to the library and check it out.  Mark did get the Pandigital to connect to our WiFi yesterday, but I haven't been successful in downloading any books on it yet.

We need to take the van to Garden so we can bring a TV home if we find the one we want.  Won't fit in the car, especially in a box!

I just keep getting so many great comments on the stories I'm doing for the paper.  So I guess I will keep on going!  Someday there will be enough of them for a book!  ;)

Time to go work out!

John is still home.  He got out of South Dakota before the storm hit however we had about 5 inches when he  drove into the drive.  Then yesterday afternoon /evening  there was another major dump of snow. It is Christmas Card pretty now.  We would be happy if it ended the day after Christmas.

A friend had a problem getting his 5th wheel trailer into the garage, new trailer and renovations to the garage led to much frustration.  John was called on to help. He ran the scenario over in his mind for a few days and by the time he got there he knew what the problem was.  The trailer has a long overhang and the pivot point was in the middle of the trailer not towards the end like the previous one was.  With a bit of wiggling it was parked quite nicely and we had a happy friend!

Today will be spent getting him ready for the nexxt trip. Just watch they will send him backn into snow country.  fairweather drivers won't go there this time of year, its up to the old boy with the experience.

Have a great blessed day and God bless,

Hi everyone.  There is a good chance we will experience some rain later today and it is overcast here this morning.  We attended the Christmas Cantata at our church last night and it was wonderful.  There were about 25 in the choir and a 14 piece orchestra.  We sat right in the middle of the church and got the full effect of the music.  Didn't feel up to par yesterday and didn't sleep to well last night.  I don't think today is going to be any better so will rest as much as I can today.  I do have my normal men's luncheon and a meeting to attend this evening if I feel up to these events when it is time to go. 

Janet, do you have access to a library that offer Nook ebooks for lending?  If not, I suggest you might want to check on the Barnes and Noble web site each Friday as they offer a free book.  Here is the link I use.  I have gotten quite a few books that sounded interesting to me.  You just click on the buy link and be sure it is still free.  The reason you are seeing just a portion of the book is probably because they are giving you a chapter or two to get your interest. They also have quite a few books that are free that you can find by a search for free ebooks.
http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/The-NOOK-Blog/bg-p/Unbound/label-name/free%20fridays
It depends on whether you just have an ebook reader or the more advanced one that is a tablet, which would give you the email, and websites ability.  On the Pandigital you need to go to the market and search for Kindle or Nook apps, which will be free and then you can download books from both.  I hope I remember that correctly.  I also can give you a couple of links that offer free Kindle books everyday, including many inspirational books.  Just let me know if you get that application. 

I have read all the messages but will pass on more individual comments.

Larry, I hope some extra rest will get you feeling better today.  I'm glad you got so much enjoyment from listening to the cantata rather than participating.

Judy, it's so good to know that John is always under the protection of the Lord in his travels.  He continues to be part of my prayer time, especially during those J nights.

Hi everyone  Been a long time since I last posted here. Been a busy time but looking forward to time off over Christmas and New Years as I have booked my last weeks holidays for that time. Thank you for your prayers Jean. Its always encouraging to know that people keep me in prayer during my travels on the road. Last week was a beautiful trip out to South Dakota. No snow out there last week and the temp got into the fifties during the day. However I saw on the news last night here that Minnesota got hit with a winter storm yesterday. Glad the weather held till I got through that. What is always a concern this time of year is having to share the road with drivers who dont have the skill or knowledge to handle the adverse conditions. Like last sat as I was getting near home the roads turn quite slippery with snowpak and we guys in the big heavy rigs had slowed it down to about 35 miles per hour and people in their cars and pick up trucks were flying by us like we were going backwards. Then they wonder why the lost control. Believe me when the big guys slow down its time to pay attention and slow down

Good advice, John, to slow down when the big rigs do.  The first snow storm of the season always means more accidents as some seem to forget, over the summer, how to handle the conditions and the new drivers have to learn. 

Let me give you a hint...if you want your house to smell cinnamon-y, sweet and like a bakery, put a Cinnamon Roll Cake in the oven.  Mine just came out and my house smells heavenly.  Just a hint!!

Our Christmas Cantata last night was titled 'Emmanuel Celebrating Heaven's Child'.  Unlike Larry's church with an orchestra, our songs were sung with the accompaniment of a CD.  I do believe there were more people there last night than at church yesterday morning.  After the Cantata, we all headed to the basement for a Cookie Reception.  Moi?  Nope, I didn't indulge!  Just a cup of decaf! 

Tonight is Photo Guild...which may be the last time I attend.  I don't think I am going to pay for my membership.  Getting burnt out and when it isn't fun anymore, it is time to hang it up!

Ivalou didn't go to church yesterday morning...woke up too late to get dressed.  But said she wanted to go to the Cantata.  So I told everyone that she was going to the Cantata.  Well, around 5pm, I called her and she said she wasn't going because she didn't feel good.  So I asked her if this was the same not feeling good or a new not feeling good?  She said all she did all day was sleep in her chair and her legs are wobbly!  So are mine when I first get out of bed!!  She said she was just too weak to get ready and that she thought she did too much the day before at the Stevenson Christmas dinner...all she did was sit!  I fixed her plate and took it to her.  She sleeps in her glider rocker with ottoman...she says when she lays in the bed, her arm is good for a half hour but starts hurting...that was a month ago when she told me that!  She slept in the bed right after surgery and at Jo's house but not since she has been alone at home!  And her feet and legs are swelling....not laying flat, don't you think? 

So when it is your prayer time, would you please say a prayer for Ivalou to get more active and sleep in her bed instead of a chair and for God to give her strength! 

What scares me is my Mom had carpel tunnel surgery on both wrists.   Before the surgery, she got a lift chair.  We found out months later that she didn't go to bed after getting the chair!  And just gradually got weaker and weaker!  I am afraid of that for Ivalou. 

May God bless you all!

Etta Sue, that would be a worry about Iva Lou.  The less we exercise and move around the weaker we get.  I would think the swelling in her feet and legs would be more from inactivity than from not lying down flat.  I'll certainly add this situation to my prayers. 

John, good to see a post from you!  And it's good that some truck drivers, like you, have the experience, knowledge, and GOOD SENSE to drive in the winter weather conditions.  I sure don't pass any of those big guys on snowy or icy roads; figure they know how fast is safe to go!  Thanks for all you do to keep products moving!

Larry, glad you enjoyed the cantata, and I sure hope you will be feeling stronger tomorrow.  I am glad you don't overdo when you feel tired.

I am bushed!  After a night of not sleeping at all well, we went to the gym, and Kristi told me to "push as hard as you can, and keep adding to it, and stay here for 30 minutes."  I had already been on the treadmill for ten minutes.  She had me put a band around me, just underneath my bra, and a watch that kept track of both the time and my heart rate.  She then put it onto the computer to see how my heart does under stress.  I averaged 112 beats per minute, which is pretty good for my age!  But I have been tired all day.  :P  Darrel didn't do nearly as well; he doesn't like to push himself, and was on a stationary bike, his heart averaged 79 beats per minute.  Kristi told him he is going to have to work harder!

Then we came home, showered, changed, ate breakfast and drove to Garden City.  We did a little shopping besides finding a TV.  We bought a Vizio, 60" one, and by the time we unloaded it, got it out of the box, moved the other one out, put the new one in, got it to working.....etc.....etc.....I am TIRED.  Sure is a nice clear and bright picture, though!

Etta Sue, I love having the house smell good, especially from cinnamon, but it also makes me hungry!

John gets into Dodge City on Thursday--you know what that means!  :) :D 8)

Larry, thanks for the information on getting free books, I will check into that, and would like the other info as well.  Thanks.  This Nook is a tablet, but I don't know yet how to use all its features.  And Darrel is enjoying reading on it, so that leaves me little chance to play with it.

While we were working on getting the TV hooked up, I managed to knock the Christmas tree not only over, but off the table.  Talk about a big crash, and pops, when the ornaments shattered.  :(  Broke two of my favorites.  Oh, well, it's all just stuff.  I picked things up and cleaned up the mess but haven't the heart to put things back on the tree yet.  Sigh.....

See you tomorrow!

It's been raining all day.  And my nose has been keeping time with it - drip, drip, drip.  Leading item on my shopping list is tissues.   :D

Hi, friends,

John, how nice to see you here. My second son, with whom you spoke about being a trucker, said he had just finished a shift of driving up and down mountains with chains on the truck. So, I think he's going through his "baptism in fire" or as in this case, "in ice", during the training segment. He will be finished and on his own most likely prior to Christmas. Again, many thanks to you and to Judy for being our friends.

Janet, I will try to call again before too long. Possibly a better time would be after dark - for I know I will be anchored securely in my apartment by then.  ::) I agree - those articles interviewing the persons in the care facility are wonderful.

Carol, thanks for your prayers.

Etta Sue, how sad that Ivalou is weakening. My grandfather simply atrophied into a sitting position because of the years he sat prior to his death. I truly hope such will not be the case for me.

Oh, dear, I've not answered everyone, but wanted to let y'all know that I enjoy the comments, the music posted, and the devotions and prayers. May our Lord allow peaceful rest and reduction in pain and weakness this evening.

Love to y'all,
Ruth Ann

I feel good.  I just got back from the pool at Noblesville.  It sure looks nice with a new paint job.  And no chlorine smell!  But it is still noisy.  Noisier than everyone thought it would be.  They even painted the locker rooms.  Real nice.

Then I went to the post office to mail a big envelope and get some stamps. 

Now I am waiting until time to go to Ivalou's and take her to her class lunch at Cracker Barrel!  If she calls at the last minute and says she isn't going, then I will go to Noblesville and have lunch with SAMS at Claude and Annie's.  I think Ivalou will go.  But then, I thought she was going to go to church Sunday and to the Cantata Sunday night!

No rain today but I did see a few flurries at Noblesville.  It is dark and gloomy...great lighting for a nap this afternoon!!  Edit:  Yes, flurrying as I type...real fine stuff! 

Thanks to you all for praying for Ivalou.  I did find online about Rotator Cuff After Surgery and the steps that it takes to become 100%.  According to that, she is right on schedule!  There are four stages and she is still on stage one.  But it's her legs and weakness that I am concerned about.

 Hi everyone.  Feeling better today but had a very busy morning and think I have used up my energy for today.  I just got back from going to the Credit Union and the post office.  I also did a big grocery shopping trip to restock the refrigerator as it was about empty.  Fortunately I could use the cart or don't think I could have made it this morning.  It still was very tiring but at least it is done for a month or so in terms of the freezer and having the basis of meals.  Now eating a bite of lunch and will spend a good part of the afternoon resting.  It is pretty chilly here this morning and here at noon it is still cold and there is a light wind. 

John, good to see you posting and that is good advice on snowy or slick roads.  Hope you can enjoy your time off.  Any snow in the Georgia area and it is wild on the roads.  I grew up in Missouri and have lived in other places here we learned how to deal with snow and ice.

Etta Sue, you are wise to stop attending things that no longer are fun or interest you.  Our choir used a CD one year for our accompaniment and after it was over our choir director said never again would we use a CD.  Fortunately our choir raises its own funds with the annual chili show and talent dinner (that is the right title).  With the financial problems our church for the projected year I doubt an orchestra would be possible.

Janet, with my pacemaker I don't think my heart rate will so much higher than 60.  Your new TV should be great and you will see big changes from your old set.  Vizio has become a well respected brand.  Using your Pandigital tablet you should be able to get the Kindle app and you can get an email each day lisitng free or very low cost books from Amazon.  It is www.pixelofink.com  (That is pixel of ink)  The last time I checked I had over 600 ebooks from Amazon.  This site is tied into your Amazon account and when you click to buy a free book you get an email acknowledging it and it is then available in your archive and will remain there until you click to download it onto your advice.  When you finish with your book you can just put it back into the archive.  Nook books word the same way.  Sorry about your Christmas tree but better it than you new TV.

Jeanne, Pat and I relate to the drippy nose.  We go through many boxes of tissues and just got an order of 16 boxes with 240 tissues in each box. 

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Good evening everyone, I've been real busy lately and haven't had the time that I would like to spend on this site or any other site. We We had a nice trip to Portland over last weekend to attend the 1st birthday party of Jackson the youngest grandson.

I worked yesterday and now have a few days off before going back on Friday and Sunday. Saturday is Vaccination day and I don't have to work on V Day.

Etta Sue I am sorry to hear that Iva Lou may be spending too much stime sitting around and not getting up and moving around as much as she should. That certainly is not good.

Larry I am doing well with Win 8 It is much easier than I thought it would be I am now using PSPX5 which is the newest one and it had a lot of bells and whistles that I have yet to figure out, it is 64bit and some of my plugins don't work, but I will conquer that as well.

Janet it sound like Kristi is realy giving you a  good workout.  I am still going to the gym every day except the weekend and try to do a little bit more or do it faster. We just moved to a new location and no longer have 2 of the machines I really did like to use.

Hi Ruth Ann and Judy

Hi, friends,

Today, I've kinda taken it easy. I did go up to my oldest son's apartment (the one with the bad migraines), and we cooked and spent a little time together. He was coming down with one of the migraines, but was able to make it until we finished our little "Julia Child" session.

Now, it's time to prepare for bed. Tomorrow will be a busy day, since I'm to see the doctor bright and early.

Much love to all,
Ruth Ann

Hi everyone.  I am just back from Bible study. Pat did not go with me this morning as wasn't up to getting out.  I came home not feeling so good and have laid down to read the messages here and on the boards I follow each day.  I took some nitro and Tylonol and hope by noon to be back to par where I started the day.  Nothing else on the schedule for today.

Ivalou seemed so much better yesterday.  I guess this print out that I gave to her explained also that her balance would be out of whack because you use your arms for balance.  Therefore that is why she is wobbly.  Also when walking and wobbly she felt if she started to fall, she would grab a chair or table and would un-do the surgery!  She even walked to my house and brought me my mail and saw my Christmas decorations!!  That is great!!  She went to her class lunch and she seemed like my old sister!  Praise God! Thank you all for saying a prayer!

Today is a do-nothing day for me!  My house got cold last night so the bed felt so comfy.  I actually got up because I was too tired to continue laying in bed!!  Now with the fireplace and the solar heat working, the house is warming up. 

It is sunny today...a great difference than the last few days!  It is still below freezing but the sun makes you feel it is warmer than it is!  And looking out the window the is very little breeze and not a cloud in the sky!!

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Well I have to tell you all what's happened.  Yesterday momrning, a little before 4 AM, my wife of almost 58 years passed on to eternity.  It was sad, and I will miss her, but it happened peacefully in her sleep after a day when she seemed much better, cheerful, talkative, etc.  So I'm tlhankful for the way it happened.  And I'll be ok.  I've got several from tlhe church (including the pastor) coming over daily, fixing food for me and many other things - praise God for His people.  Just pray that I'll know how to proceed from here.

Al, I am so sorry!  I know what a huge hole there will be and the loss you will have to deal with.  I praise God for providing support by friends but most of all I pray He will give you His loving peace and comfort.

Al, may I add my condolences and prayers of support too?  Having not gone through that, I cannot say I know how you feel, but I do know it will make a huge change in your life.  Thank God for your Christian friends and pastor who are lovingly providing help and care for you.  And I join you in thanking our heavenly Father that Marbeth had a peaceful home-going.  Now heaven will seem all the sweeter to you, knowing she is already there.  Hugs to you, dear friend.... :aaah:

Al, my love and prayers are with you as you live with the reality of your big loss. Although my hubby and I didn't have very many years together before he went to Heaven, I thank God for our marriage and the love we shared. If you need to have a listening ear, I'm here.

Well, it's really been an eventful time of my life, but each day is better. Now, to go rest my body - seems the night's sleep was interrupted with prayer sessions for my children, so it will be time now for me to rest and trust our Lord to handle what I can't...

Love to all,
Ruth Ann

Al, I'm so very saddened to read this news.  You will miss Marbeth so much but it's so wonderful to know that she's with the Lord--which is far better.

I'll chat with you on the telephone a little later.

Love you loads.

I have started a topic in Bereavements for Al HERE (http://www.christianphotographers.com/community/index.php?topic=12469.new#new)

Hi everyone on a nice sunny and now mild morning here in Atlanta.  The sun is welcome as it has been rather dreary here for the last couple of days.  I just got back from going to one of the Kaiser facilities where I had a bone density scan.  That was the easiest test  I ever had and never had one done before.  That will be it for today unless we decide to eat out this evening.  I spent most of the day yesterday resting in bed but so far so good this morning.

Etta Sue, glad that Ivalou is better and willing to be a little more active.

Al, so sorry to hear of Marbeth's passing but you certainly had a nice long life together.  Glad you are being surrounded by friends from you church.  I will be praying for you.

Ruth Ann, we put our children into God's hands and then we can turn over the worry.  As you know he has a plan for each of them as he does for us.

Pat, nice to see you posting and here hoping you are feeling better. 

I posted to Al regarding the loss of his Marbeth.  Thinking of you, Al. 

we are at a coffee house. Comcast has been down only at our house for now the fourth day. They are coming tomorrow no phone either as we are connected to both.  just a slave to technology. 

Grandson played his own rendition of an old Maynard Ferguson jazz song this week. What a blessing to hear and Don is trying new hearing aids which are a little better.  busy.  Lots of cookie dough. 

Al, I am so sorry to hear of Marbeth's passing.  I feel your loss.  On the other hand, isn't it wonderful to know she is in the arm's of our Lord and some day you will be together for eternity? 

I think this gal is going laptop shopping tomorrow.  I don't feel like it today.  I took two pictures today at the class luncheon and I still don't have them on the laptop after restarting it 4 times already!!  My SD reader on the laptop hasn't worked for a couple of years.  Sometimes the SD reader will work, sometimes it won't.  I used an USB cord from the camera to the computer and the computer wouldn't recognize that.  So I gave up.

Now I plugged in my external hard drive and updating it so I can put all my information on it!  I don't like the thoughts of getting a new computer ready to use but now I know what I will be doing when the TV shows become reruns between Christmas and New Years!!

Al I am so sorry to hear of your loss. God be with you my friend.

I thank our Father for all your love - Rutlh V, Joyce Robson, Marilyn,  Christle, Jane, Larry, Judy B, Rutlh Ann, Pat, and Janet.

Hi, friends,

I'm here, and resting some today. Tomorrow's to be a very early day, so I laughed and told a friend that maybe I need to "sleep fully dressed" tonight.  ^-^

I'm still rejoicing at the changes our Lord is working in our family. Praise his name - answers to 40 year old prayers are coming, and it seems maturity is setting in, also. Thank You, Lord!

Well, must go - I'm not sleepy, but the alarm clock (  :clobber: ) dictates that I'd better turn in soon.

G'nite friends,
Ruth Ann

Al, I am so saddened to learn of Marbeth' s passing.  There is no other loss like this when our dear ones are called home  ahead of us.  One just can't be fully prepared for it.  Praying for strength and courage for you in the coming days.  You are not alone.
-- Janice

Etta Sue, I am encouraged, as I know you are, by the improvements in Ivalou's health and attitude.  Love your animations!

Been another busy day around here!  After the gym, going to have Pat do my hair, and picking up Beth, we drove to Dodge City, where Beth and I did a little bit of shopping at Walmart, then on to the airport to pick up John!  His plane actually landed about 15 minutes early!  We took them to an early supper, then came on home.  John got sick in the car and threw up on Beth's beautiful new blanket.  I know he felt bad about that.  He went to bed at 7:30, had been a long day for him and he didn't feel well.  Hope he is okay in the morning.  And on the way home I got a call from Beth's nurse at the home; said Beth has another urinary tract infection, so the doctor has prescribed antibiotics for her....again.

I'm tired, heading to bed after I put Beth's blanket in the dryer.

Good to read all your posts, too tired to give individual comments tonight, but know that I love you all!

Hi everyone on a bright and sunny but crisp morning near Atlanta.  There was frost on the grass and the roof of the houses so know it got pretty cold.  I had a pretty good day yesterday and got the second vacuum cleaner wrapped but made a vow to myself to never wrap up another vacuum cleaner or box that big.  Now just have some smaller things to wrap up.  I plan on attending my ROMEO men's luncheon today at O'Charley's.  It is just down the road from JoAnn's Fabric and there is a quilting type ruler that Pat has indicated she would like to have so will get that for one of her Christmas items.  I also got her a new cordless mouse for her laptop as she keeps getting the corded on tangled, which is not pleasing to her.  She is a bit frustrated with me as I can't think of anything I really want for Christmas. 

Carol, I hope you have cell phones in case of emergency.  It is very frustrating when the technology doesn't work.  Guess that is one reason to not bundle. Hope they get it fixed today.

Etta Sue, you can get yourself a nice Christmas present with a new laptop.  They seem to have about a four or five year lifespan and then need to be replaced as the technology changes and improves. 

Ruth Ann, it may take 40 years but we never give up on them.  I firmly believe things happen when they are suppose to.  Glad you are seeing changes that you can rejoice over.

Janice, according to the weather on the TV this morning it looked like your area might be getting some rain or snow.  Have you had any snow this year?

Janet, sure hope John wasn't coming down with the flu.  I am sure John felt bad about the blanet but that is nothing serious and see you have already washed it so it should be a good as new. Sorry to hear of the new problem for Beth.

Judy, what lovely Christmas hymns you have been choosing for us!  Thank you.  :thumbsup:

Last night during the evening news my NBC channel suddenly lost the picture - lots of flickering, but no video and only scratchy audio,and it was still the same when I checked after midnight (a J night).  There was nothing on that channel I was interested in watching later in the evening and it seemed OK this morning, so I was not too concerned about that.  But...  in the last week two other channels have quit completely - no picture, no sound, only a plain blue screen.  Now I'm wondering if maybe this all means my TV (maybe 10 years old) is on the way out.  I sure hope not, but if it is I'll just have to learn to live without it - so long as my internet is OK I'm still in business.

Prayers for the little ones in the latest school shooting in Conn. this morning

Heaven help us...

Well, I did it!  Merry Christmas to ME!!  I am the proud owner of an Asus laptop (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+15.6%26%2334%3B+Laptop+-+6GB+Memory+-+750GB+Hard+Drive+-+Black/6769421.p?id=1218806578389&skuId=6769421#tab=overview)!  It is charging right now!  Why do they do that to us?  You buy something and you have to charge for 3 hours before using!  So I am on the old laptop! 

After going to Best Buy, I had lunch at White Castle!  Those little sliders that have onions on them!  In the south they are Krystal Burgers...here they are White Castles!  They used to be 7 cents each...not anymore!!  But they are sooo good!

I am thinking I would like to set up my old laptop for Ivalou.  I am thinking that my router booster would work for her...it did for me when I was over there when she had her stroke.  I think she would enjoy 'searching the web'!

Well, you know what I will be doing for a few days!  Windows 8, here I come!

It's simply heart breaking to hear of yet another school shooting. I wonder if the media would stop making so much of this, could it diminish the influence each event would have on others who may be vulnerable to the same "stinkin' thinkin.'" Definitely we need to make these matters a priority in our prayers.

Well, I'm trying to catch something - watery eyes, coughing, feel feverish, even though it's not registering on a thermometer yet... :(

G'day, friends,
Ruth Ann

Voila!  I found CP on the new laptop!  Long way to go before I am comfortable and happy!

Good going, Etta Sue!  I shudder to even think how I would adjust to a new laptop!

Yes, another horrible, completely senseless tragedy, this time involving children from 5 to 10 years old.  The devil is alive and well on planet earth.  :'( :(

John is finally feeling better.  I'm so glad, I was getting quite worried about him!

I actually went downtown (in Ulysses!!) and did a little (very little) shopping this afternoon.

Still struggling but my email got me to CP!!  Trying to set up my email now!

What a sad day...a lot of hurting people in Newtown, CT tonight. 

Jeanne, it sounds like ole Santa needs to bring you a new TV this Christmas!  And he already brought Etta Sue a new laptop and she is enjoying it already tonight.

Larry, we did have a little snow Sunday night.  Our church Christmas musical was that night and the director was hoping the snow would wait awhile so people could attend.  I wanted to go but had a bad day and evening.  l had too fast heart rate and felt real shaky all day.  It felt like a bad case of coffee nerves...I can't drink coffee on empty stomach.  That was not the case though, as I had food with my morning coffee.

Today we had very strong winds in afternoon and a little rain, although not enough to measure.  A lot of snow fell in Albq area, and in the north all the ski resorts got
huge snowfalls.   

Judy, thank you for the music.  You are so faithful to give us musical treats.

Janet, Glad to hear John is feeling better.  Is he staying through Christmas? 

hello to all who pass this way tonight and tomorrow, greetings to all of you.
-- Janice

My favourite caro!

Saddened by the destruction in the school.  Praying the parents come to peace with God soon..

John is home and I have a guest to help with baking for the weekend!

Night all

Looks like today is the last "good" day for a while.  We may get 2-3 inches of snow, or rain, or snow followed by freezing rain and rain, or snow followed by rain, or freezing rain followed by rain...  guess I'll look out the window and see what's there!   ;D

Janice, I don't think Santa will be bringing a new TV this year.  He already provided a new camera to replace one that got broken a couple of years ago.  But that's OK.  I probably watch too much TV anyway, and with my cable limited to only the "basic" channels it wouldn't be worth the cost of a new TV.  :)

Constant prayers for those families in Connecticut.   :'(

Such sad and senseless news yesterday.  It reminds me of the memorial when I walked through hundreds of flowers at Columbine school. 


Larry:  We "bundle" to save money - found out that the router had to be replaced and it was showing that it was just fine but so it goes.  Yes, our son gave us a cell phone on his family plan so we are most fortunate and now we are quite sure that  we must have a cell phone just to keep in touch.   

Well, I was up until 2am playing on the new laptop.  Windows 8?  Ask me in a couple of weeks how I like it.  I will say it is totally different from Vista.  I have email set up all but my contacts.  Haven't figured that out yet!  Not sure if I like these apps or not.  MARILYN, how are you doing with Windows 8? 

I put a flash drive in a USB port.  I don't know how to open it.  Finally it opened on its own!!

I just got home from church.  My Sunday School classes gives out a list of member's names.  Then each member can send Christmas cards to those they know.  You bring them to church and put them in big boxes.  Today my class sorted the Christmas cards so they can be given out this week and next week!  Sure saves a lot of stamps!  And it is fun sorting!!

I spent an hour or more yesterday talking to DirecTv about Ivalou's account.  She loves Big Ten basketball and up until a couple of weeks ago, she got it on her TV.  All of a sudden she couldn't.  So I talked to them.  We tried few things and then decided she needed a 'new' updated receiver...hers is 11 years old!!  So they are to come today between 1-4pm and set up her new receiver and remote!  She is as happy as a bug in a rug that she can watch a game tonight with her daughter, Teresa, from Ohio!

It is rainy today and looked like it was a little thick on the way home from church... :-\ 

Hi everyone on a cloudy and chilly Georgia morning.  After coffee I had to fill the car with gas and then had to go to Kroger's for some grocery items, including Christmas hams.  They had Smithfield sliced and cooked boneless hams for $1.99 a pound so bought four of them and they each were less than three pounds.  One will suffice for our Christmas dinner and we will send one home with each of the kids and have one for ourselves as well.  This will save Pat a lot of work.  I had planned on going to a meeting at 10:30 this morning but had to scrap that plan as have used up my energy reserve for today.  I did not have a very good afternoon or evening last yesterday as had attended my Romeo's luncheon and then stopped at a couple of places to finish my Christmas shopping for Pat.  Most of what I have for her she knows about but have a couple of surprises for her.

As we all were, Pat and I were terribly shocked and saddened at that terrible event yesterday.  That was evil beyond evil in my mind.  I also see no need for assault type weapons to be in our homes.  I don't own a gun but am going to buy two cans of wasp spray to keep as I have heard that when you spray it it covered a big area and temporarily blinds  the person who might be breaking into your home. I will keep one in by the side of my bed and another close to the front door.  I would hope they will never have to be used but at least we wouldn't be defenseless. 

Jeanne, I sure hope your TV is all right.  However, you right with the Internet you can gets the news segments from NBC and other places and a lot more news and weather.  There are many free TV shows and movies you can  watch on the Internet. 

Etta Sue, you will enjoy the new laptop and soon adapt to Windows 8.  I find if I remember two things I haven't had any trouble with it.  The first is to put the cursor in the upper right hadn corner to have the popout for settings and to get back to the Windows 8 page with the icons.  The second is that the Windows key and the "d" key takes me to my desktop, which is very much like the desktop we are all used to and I work from there most of the time.  The last new computer I got for Pat was a Asus, if I recall correctly.  If you use bookmarks you can save them from your old laptop to the desktop by exporting them and then email them to yourself and import on the new computer.  You should be able to export your contact on the old computer and do the same process as above.  However, I haven't used a computer based email system for a long time as find having the Gmail works so well and things are not stored on my computer.  Your USB drive will show up on your file manager as a separate drive.  You can get the file manager to open with the CTL plus "f" key.

Janice, so sad that you weren't feeling up to attending the Christmas musical at your church.  Do hope you are feeling better now. 

Judy, bet your kitchen is going to smell good with all that cooking you will be doing. the weekend. 

Carol, I wouldn't want to be without a cellphone.  I have several friends who use the bundle for their phone, TV and Internet.

Saturday morning is gone!  I missed taking my blood pressure pills yesterday and it cost me most of the night's sleep.  Duh.  I musn't do that again!  But after I got up I got quite a lot accomplished.  Have most of the gifts wrapped, some more cleaning and a little more decorating done, and had a good visit with my sister Shirley.

John is feeling all okay again, and that makes us all happy!  Darrel went in and picked up our Prairie Pak this morning, so I didn't have to do that chore.

Now I think I will go out to Alco's and see if I can find something for grandson Mark.  Maybe this afternoon I will do a little painting, see if I can finish the Thanksgiving and Christmas projects from the last two months.  And then again, maybe not!  We will see!  ;) :)

Sad that evil can so permeate a person they can do such horrible things as the shootings.  And no amount of gun control will stop the killing.  I wouldn't be surprised if this part of a plot to bring about gun control, followed by the confiscation of guns in this country.  I hope our people are awake and aware enough to not let it happen!

See you later.

I almost forgot to tell you we got some RAIN yesterday!!  Wonderful, wet stuff--not nearly enough, but we are so very thankful for each and every drop!  And it smelled wonderful!  Thank you, dear Lord, thank you!

Jeanne, do you know about www.Freecycle.com ? Often people who are possibly remarrying and have 2 of everything or people who are moving, offer various really nice things, including TVs, computers, printers, offer them free just for being picked up and taken off their hands.

JudyB is the one who alerted me to Freecycle. I've been able to help many friends and several relatives by watching for those items to be offered. This may be a way for you to gain a new-to-you TV for the cost of taking it home.

My cold is really active right now, so I'm headed to bed, and hope to stay awake for an important call later.

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

Ruth Ann

Ruth Ann, I am aware of Free Cycle.  But by the time I pay someone to retrieve it for me and then pay to get rid of my old one it's not really free.  And then I can't be sure it would be any better than what I have now.     :(  Thanks for the thought, though.   :thumbsup:

Eta sue I am getting along well with windows 8 I saved my address book to my external hard drive then imported it into WLM. I don't like Windows Mail so I Downloaded Windows Live mail for tuse withmy Gamil accounts and ally groups. I use Hotmail online for my personal mail.

We are having high wind warnings and rain today. It is so cold I wonder if it will. snow soon. I have to work tomorrow so today I made  Banana bread and fudge to take with me tomorrow.

Well, everything is loaded but I am not happy with my email on Outlook...I am not receiving like I should.  So I found the email account on the web through Century Link and I am using it.  Also using my gmail account to see if I like it or not.  No problem with importing my contacts and bookmarks.  My printer is working fine.  I had to purchase Microsoft Office...2007 wouldn't work on here...was only for one computer.  And my software for my calendars wouldn't load.  So I purchased that new also...coming in the mail!  $$$$  My Corel PSP X4 won't open.  May uninstall and re-install to see if that works!  Now to figure out how to get around.  I am having problems on how to get a 'new game' or even to 'exit' a program!  I will figure it out but Windows 8 is totally different from Vista or previous versions of Windows.  I don't know about Windows 7...never saw it!

Well, today is a busy day.  Church, Sunday School, an Open House, eat out, a birthday party for my 3-year step-g-granddaughter.  Then home to relax.

Tomorrow I take Hawaii for her maintenance and Tuesday is Euchre and Meal on Us.  Thursday I plan to swim and then I am done!  Maybe until 2013 with Christmas Day and all it's festivities on that day!

A new week, a new day and time to move to a new Thoughts for The Week:  HERE (http://www.christianphotographers.com/community/index.php?topic=12470.msg176216#msg176216)