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Larry, when I got up this morning it was 9° at 8am.  Coming home at 1:30pm, it was 27°!  See what a few miles north is like? 

Church was awesome.  We had a speaker from Christian Missionary Fellowship International.  Kent talked to us about the global water crisis.  If we collected $500 today, our church's missionary group will be paying for a well being drilled in Kenya.  Awesome presentation! 

Then our Sunday School teacher was gone today...down in the back.  So his wife led our SS class.  She isn't as talkative as Larry so we got out early!

Then Betty, Evelyn and I went to Logan's Steak House.  I had to send my steak back.  I can do pink..can't do blood.  And when the steak came back so did another baked sweet potato...so I have one in the fridge to eat tomorrow! 

Now I am home for awhile and then go to Small Groups tonight at 5pm. 

I think I will be glad to get to Florida so I can rest!!

A quiet Sunday here for us until cousins arrive this week.  I did not sleep well last night and was sitting in church just before the sermon, had to walk outdoors because of a sudden coughing fit.  A man came with a glass of water for me and then I was able to go back and slip into my  seat and hear the sermon.   There were 46 today, one more than last week.  We were all invited to take home grapefruit and oranges - that is almost everywhere you go around here. 

Texted with grandson via the SKYPE on computer a few minutes ago.  Otherwise, I don't care to text on the iPod. 

Etta Sue:  I could use that baked sweet potato in a soup recipe that calls for butternut squash and a sweet potato.  It looks interesting.  Yes, lack of water and water of drinking quality is  getting more and more scarce - nice of your church to fund an entire well. 

Why didn't the weather sticker stay?  I didn't touch it.  Could someone please fix my weather sticker for Highlands Ranch, Colorado?  Thank you. 

Just finished SKYPE chat with youngest son.  It is such a great way to stay in touch and see the children. 

What a beautiful day we had here today!  It must have been at least 75 degrees, and NO WIND!!  Yippee!  If we can't have something WET, then I'll take this, any day!

Since I went to church here last night, we went to Hugoton to My Father's House this morning, and enjoyed such a good service.  Then to Diane's for lunch and a good visit with all their family.  I got to hold little Jenna a lot.  She's such a sweet, quiet baby, and still so tiny.  Her head has grown a lot, her body hasn't.  When we got home, I went to the care home for the church service there.  Beth asked me to come, as the church doing it this month has lots of people we love and who are very kind to Beth.  During the singing, our friend Roy from our church slipped in and placed a card and a small plate of cookies in Beth's lap and slipped right back out.  So thoughtful!  ^-^

Jeff even called Mark while we were there so we got to talk to him, too.  He is making excellent scores in his airline mechanics classes there, and really is enjoying doing what he loves.  God bless him.

Larry, is there someplace online where one can find free books for the Nook?  I get plenty for the Kindle from Pixel of Ink and Inspired Reads (Thanks, Janice!) but don't know where to get them for the Nook.  I have gotten several for Darrel on the Kindle, but want something for me to read on the Nook before I let him have the Kindle.  ;)

I have been asked to consider serving on the county library board.  Will meet with someone tomorrow about that.  They only suggest three people; then the commissioners do the actual picking.

Etta Sue, Hope you soak up lots of rays, get a lot of reading done, and rest a lot while you're in Florida!  Have fun!

I'm reading a good book by Joel Rosenburg called the Twelfth Imam, on the Kindle.  He is an excellent writer.

See you all tomorrow!

Carol, your temperature "thingy" shows for me.  No fixing needed.  ;)

It was a lovely day here today as well, Jan et--really cold though.  Not sure what the temperature was but oh, so cold.  We drove down to Hamilton to see our great granddaughter and what a delightful little baby.  Just beautiful and perfect and all the other adjectives we always use describing out wee ones.  :)

Thanks for the great devotional today, Etta Sue.  I certainly have some attitudes that need changing.  ;)

     

Pat glad you were able to see the baby.  Can't wait to see your pictures!

Had a good day here with John.  He heads out tomorrow.  He is missed when he is gone.

PAt when Carol posted all the weather thingies were a bunch of goblety gook. I am assuming time fixed whatever the problem was!

Etta Sue great devotional.  Thank you.

Well time for bed, be back tomorrow.

Hardly any pictures, Judy.  I got a couple of Kathleen with the baby.  But none of me with her.  :(  Time just passed by too quickly and then Kathleen and Jon had to get going to get Kathleen to bed.

Pat, I'm so glad you had some time with the baby.  I'm looking forward to the pictures, too.  It will be good to see Kathleen, as well as the baby, but too bad you didn't get in any of them. 

Thank anyone who fixed my temperature.  I was seeing a lot of jibberish when I wrote but maybe it all came together.

Oh, Pat.  Maybe you can fix a picture to show you and the new baby together?  So glad you were able to be there for a visit even though it was very short. 

Janet:  All those thoughtful little things for Beth are because you have such a caring community and they want to let Beth know how much they love her.  As for being on the library board, I think you might enjoy that community duty.  Tell us what you decide. 

I am trying to stay awake until 10 at least as just dragging after a poor sleep last night. 

I've never known myself to take hardly any photos but I was just so enjoying holding Hadley and looking at her little ears and her lovely eyes and wee fingers, etc.  Before I knew it, it was feeding time and all opportunities for a photo with me were gone--at least for this time.

Here's one of Hadley with her Mummy

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/537120_10152566889545367_2084013677_n.jpg)

So precious!  I love this photo of mother and child .... such love exhibited.  I know how much this means to you, Pat ... again, I say Congratuations!    <3

Hi everyone.  We are starting the day at 30 degrees, better than yesterday, although it was a beautiful day here yesterday.  It looks like today will be the same.  Nothing out of the ordinary on the schedule for today.  We will be having lunch at Macaroni Grill for our men's Monday luncheon group and tonight I have my Monday evening meeting.  I stayed up a bit later yesterday to watch the seasons ending of Downton Abbey.  I think there will be at least one more season of it.  It seems this season has been too short. 

Judy, thanks for the info on the finches you have.

Etta Sue, thanks for the devotional thoughts for this week.  I agree with you wanting my meat cooked.  That does sound like an awesome speaker.

Janet, you had a busy Sunday and nice you got to talk with your grandson and that he likes the mechanics school he is attending.  Try this site for free books for your Nook. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/free-ebooks  (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/free-ebooks)  There is also a new free book each Friday http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/The-NOOK-Blog/bg-p/Unbound (http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/The-NOOK-Blog/bg-p/Unbound)  These should keep you busy for awhile.  :)  Joel Rosenburg is a good writer.  I am sure you would be a good member of the library board and it should be an interesting experience if you decide to stand for the position and are selected.

Carol, do hope you were able to sleep well last night. 

Pat, beautiful picture of a mother's love of a beautiful baby.

Good Morning Jane and all who stop by to chat today.

AWWWW!  Pat that's such a wonderful picture.  You must be thrilled, both with Kathleen and Hadley.   ;)

Larry, are you sure that was the last episode for the season?  I must have missed that information.  That last scene of Michael lying there after the crash is burned into my brain. 

We had another night of below zero - hopefully that's it for this winter.  But up here in the foothills of the Adirondacks anything is possible.   :D

Minus 25C when John got up this morning. that is about -13F.  Even John's truck complained about starting.  Sure hope this cold snap would end.  Clear nights, no cloud cover at all.  I'm praying for cloud cover soon. The daytime is sunny, but there is little heat coming in from the sun.  I have the furnace going full blast hopefully warm soon..

Pat beautiful picture. 

John has his last official duty as a Road Knight tomorrow.  He may step in to help the new team, however after today officially it will be up to the new team.  He has enjoyed his time with the Road Knights, there have been plenty of witnessing opportunities.

Have a good day everyone!

Well, rats!  I just lost my whole long post!  So I will just post my latest story and try to get b ack here after lunch to redo it.   :ticked:

                                       


                                             LESTER H. SMYTH

Lester Smyth, son of Lester and Pearl Smyth, was born in Lakin, Kansas on November 11, 1930  He grew up in Ulysses, on Missouri Street.  The family's house had running water in the kitchen only, and they had one of those little houses out back.  Lester had one older brother, Victor, who was born with congenital cataracts, making him 99% blind.  In those days they didn't have cataract surgery as we do now.  Victor also suffered from epilepsy, and had spells about once a month.  Lester grew up helping his brother in many ways because of his disabilities.

Their father worked for the county and also farmed.  Their mother was the Grant County Register of Deeds.  Pearl passed away in the old Leopold hospital from cancer, at the young age of 36 years.  Lester was 14 years old at the time of his mother's death, and the last time he visited her, the last words she said to him were, "Take care of Victor."

His education was gained in the Ulysses school system from first grade through high school, and Lester graduated in 1949.  During his school years, he loved athletics, playing basketball and football and running track.  In his senior year, he was Homecoming King, and remembers getting to kiss the Homecoming Queen, Arlene Kistner.  He said that was a special time!

Lester enrolled in college, but that didn't suit him, so he left and joined the Navy.  He does sometimes wish he had gone farther with his education.

A couple of his favorite teachers were Principal Bradner, and Miss Roessler, who taught history, mathematics and homemaking.
One outstanding childhood memory is of his 11th birthday.  His mother planned a nice party for him, inviting all his friends, including Don Eddie, John Caldwell, Orville Tarbet and others, but that day, before party time, Lester decided to walk to the junk yard, about half a mile from their house.  He got so interested in whatever he found fascinating there that he didn't come home until the party was over and all his friends had gone home.  His mother was NOT happy, and he was in BIG trouble!  Lester said he got his hide tanned real good for that!

Lester says he enjoyed playing lots of outdoor basketball, year around, and that they used to have competitions between those on the east side of Main Street and those on the west side.  He enjoyed going to the movies, when tickets were 10c each, and remembers sneaking into the Crocker Theater at least once.

He served in the U.S. Navy from 1950 through 1954.  Right after basic training, he was sent to serve on a destroyer near Korea.  There were four destroyers in that division and they took turns going up to the 38th parallel and fighting.  They did a lot of bombardment with five inch shells, and he remembers being strapped into a 38 machine gun and firing at North Koreans.  They were instructed to fire at anything that moved, be it man or animal.  He joined the Navy three months before the Korean conflict began and was discharged four months after it ended.

Lester met Jeannine Arthur in Ulysses.  Her parents were good friends of Harold and Marie Anderson, and both families moved to Ulysses around the same time.  Jeannine finished her last year of high school here, and after another year or two, she and Lester married, in late 1954.  Their wedding was in the Methodist Church in Ulysses, and the officiating minister was a Disciples of Christ preacher.  They had two sons, Stanley and Blaine.  Stanley lives in Ulysses and runs Smyth Oil; Blaine worked for BP and now lives in Amarillo, Texas.  Lester has seven grandchildren and 2 step-grandchildren.
Lester's wife Jeannine had a good job at Grant County State Bank for 32 years.  She was a diabetic, and later got cancer and passed away in 2001.

Following his four years in the Navy, Lester returned to Ulysses and began farming with his dad, which he did for 10 or 12 years.  He then worked for the Co-Op for 10 years.  He owned the old El Reco Gas station for about seven years, and told me that at that time gas was 13c per gallon, getting up to 26c  by the time he sold the business.  The last job he did was working with his son Stan in the oilfield business for about 20 years before retirement.

Lester thinks kids get too much handed to them now, rather than having to work for what they want.  We love them anyway, but he thinks they need to work for what they get.  And he also feels that playing sports is good for kids. But even when we had to work hard, we had a happy life, he says.

Lester liked to travel but says they were too poor to go much.  They did make trips to Great Bend on the Santa Fe train to visit a cousin, and had family reunions at Garden City.  He had cousins all over Southwest Kansas.  After their marriage, he and Jeannine made trips to Durango, Colorado and spent time with Jeannine's parents there.

While in the Navy, Lester was sent to Pu San, Korea, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, Okinawa, Hawaii, and Wake Island.

The achievement or accomplishment of his life that give Lester the most satisfaction  is having raised two good sons; going to Little League sports, high school sports, etc. and watching their accomplishments.  Stan still holds the record for throwing the javelin in Ulysses, and got a scholarship to Hutchinson Juco.  He later transferred to Texas Tech to finish his education.

The advice he would like to give to younger folks is:  Be honest.  Be friendly.  Be fair.  Give lots of hugs!

The best time period of Lester's life was when he and Jeannine were farming and their sons were young.

A favorite possession from his youth was a lamp, with a ship's wheel that turned the light off and on.  He really treasured that lamp.

Lester remembers borrowing a bicycle from Bob Caldwell one time, and was riding it in town.  He made a U-turn in front of Shorty Smith and his wife, who used to run the Bon Ton Café, and they ran over him!  Lester got a broken leg; they took him to old Dr. Coffee, who fixed him up, but the bicycle was not fixable. 

When his mother baked pies, she put them on top of the refrigerator, out of her way.  Lester was too little to really reach them, but by standing on tiptoe, he could get his little fingers over the edge of the pie plate and stick them into the pie, thus getting a taste of the goodness of them.

His uncle used to run the Gano elevator, and Lester hired on to clean the pits.  He had hay fever, so cleaning the dirt and dust out of the pits was really hard on him.

His first car was a blue 1951 Mercury.  He drove it to San Diego when he went into the Navy.   His dad taught him to drive when Lester was about 12 years old.

Lester's favorite song is Goodnight, Sweetheart.  His favorite foods are hamburgers, fried chicken and mashed potatoes.

Lester says we need to stay in our own country and mind our own business more.

The person who most inspired or influenced him was his grandmother, Nanny Walker.  She was a widow and worked at Sullivan elevator.  She and Dan Sullivan dated.

The person he most admired was his wife Jeannine, because "She was smarter than I was."

The worst crime he remembers was the Clutter murders, because it happened so near here, was so brutal, and everybody was scared and kept their doors locked until the murderers were caught.

He says the greatest achievement of the USA was whipping the Japanese in World War II.

One thing he always wanted to do but never did was to become a highway patrolman.

His favorite comic strip is Dagwood and Blondie.

The first president he voted for was Dwight David Eisenhower.  He remembers rationing of gasoline, tires, sugar, etc. because his mom worked in the PA office, in the basement of the courthouse, and she was responsible for giving out the coupons needed to purchase rationed items.

He said there was such a plague of jack rabbits, they would eat all the crops.  His dad used to poison them.

His Aunt Lena Tarbet took Lester and her son Orville to the Christian Church, and they also attended Sunday School.  He still attends there.

Lester, Johnny Boylan, Lorraine Lozar, Pat Boylan, Evan Hammond and Don Scranton were in a car accident near Moscow, in which Evan Hammond's back was broken.  He said the car was a Kaiser Frazier.

The best thing to happen to Lester was getting married.

When at school, his teacher, Mildred Binney would put kids in the cloak closet as punishment.  At home, he got spanked.  As kids, he and his friends used to play Cowboys and Indians in the hallways of the old Ralsamore Hotel.  He said the country people all used to come to town on Saturday nights.

Lester's nickname is Smitty.  The best dog he ever had was a black Cocker Spaniel named Queenie, which he had for 20 years.

Changes he has watched come about in our area include more modern, bigger farming equipment; more knowledge about how to plant things and irrigation.

If Lester starts to feel depressed, he goes for a long walk or goes swimming.
             

The legacy he is leaving is his two sons, his grandkids and great-grandkids.  He would like to be remembered as a friendly person.

His favorite type of music is Big Band music.  He especially enjoys the music of Glenn Miller, which he plays a lot in his house.  He feels music is important.  His favorite TV shows are Bonanza and Hit Parade.

The best decision he made in his life was marrying Jeannine.

The smartest thing his parents did was sending his brother Victor to the School of the Blind in Kansas City when he got to high school age.  Victor married when he was about 40 years old, his wife was also blind.  They both worked for the State of Texas in a broom factory.  Victor passed away about four years ago from leukemia, but his wife stays in touch with Lester.

One final story he shared with me was about when he was a newborn infant.  He was born in Lakin, and his dad was driving there to see him, when he was stopped by two men in the sand hills.  Thinking they needed help, his dad stopped; but they robbed him and stole his car.  Later his dad learned they had robbed Patterson Jewelry in Garden City, but got their car stuck in the sand in the sand hills.  About two weeks later, his dad's car was found in Lamar, Colorado.

I really enjoyed my visit with Lester, and if you know him, you know he likes to visit, so take some time and talk to him.  You will be glad you did!

I so enjoyed reading about Lester Smyth!  I know I would enjoy visiting with him.  My husband would have been 6 months older than Lester.  One thing about losing my husband almost 22 years ago is that he will be forever young in my mind. 

I am sorry, Pat.  Did I forget to sticky this topic?  I try to remember....lock the old, sticky the new.  I guess my rememberer forgot!!

Well, I am almost there!  Just about ready for Euchre and then heading south to Florida!!  I got the 5-Bean Casserole in the crock pot.  It was all I could do to lift it and put it in the fridge.  Iced tea is made.  So tomorrow all I have to do is get my nails done, fill the car up with gas, get it washed if it isn't raining or snowing and make some cornbread.  And not forget to take out the trash after everyone has left!

Ivalou and I went to pick up our taxes..well, they will be electronically filed.  But we were both surprised!!  We both get refunds from both the Federal and the State!  That's a first for us since we have become widows! 

Off to do some more before tomorrow!

Thanks, Etta Sue, for your comments.

Now, to see if I can remember what I wrote earlier..... ::)

Thank you, Larry, for the information re the Nook.  And you're right--that should keep me busy for a while!  I have bookmarked both sites you gave me.  Hope you enjoyed your luncheon today with the guys.

I met with the fellow about the possible appointment to the library board.  He is pastor of the Church of Christ here, and we have become friends.  We first met at the gym several years ago, and then have visited more often since I wrote the book.  He is also an author, so we have things to talk about.  Anyway, I told him I am interested in the position, so my name, plus two others, will be turned in to the county commissioners and they make the choice.  If the choose me, fine, and if not, that's fine, too!

We had hamburgers with homemade buns at the senior center today, very tasty!

I was really surprised when I saw granddaughter Abby yesterday, because she was wearing glasses!  She has 20/20 vision, but because they do most of their schoolwork on computers now, it is affecting her eyes.  Sad.

Pat, lovely photo a a beautiful new mother and precious new baby.  So glad you got to see and hold her.  Nothing is as sweet as a new baby!

I need to see what I can do about not getting my prescriptions I ordered!

See you later!

Janet, what a delightful time you must have had with Lester!   :thumbsup:  I love reading these stories you share with us.

Well folks, this is my first post for a while.  My computer was in the shop until this afternoon.  Sure glad to have it back!

I'm sure you were Al.  How have you been keeping?

Hello all on C.P.!!

Snowing and 23 F (-5 C)  It's due to fall heavily until 4:00 P.M., this afternoon..... I'm wondering if I should go out. I have ladies bible study and Everett has a men's group who are studying  Disciplines of a Godly Man.

It was Family Day in Ontario, yesterday. The Powassan Wesleyan was holding a fun day with French Toast and sausages, followed by a movie. There was also sleigh rides, sledding, campfires with hotdogs and marshmallows. I took three of my grandchildren & they had a great time!

I might stay home today and just work on bookkeeping.....

God Bless!!

Tlhanks for asking, Judy.,  Been doing prettly well, thanks be to our Father.

I am all ready to go get my nails done.  Then home to tie up loose ends.  My mind is boggled trying to think of two things at once!  But so far, it is good! 

It is snowing a little but if it isn't snowing anymore than this when I get back to Lapel, I am still going to wash the car.  It will stay clean in the garage.  The wind last night and today is worse than the snow!  And it is dark and gloomy today!  Oh, well.  It is February!

I won't be online tomorrow until I am at Cartersville, Georgia!

Hi everyone.  I woke up this morning to the sound of rain but it seems to have stopped now, at least for awhile.  I think it is to move out by afternoon.  Early yesterday evening one of our housekeepers came by and helped search for Pat's Diamond ring and when she was just about to give us she found it.  It had apparently fallen down by the side of the cushion of Pat's chair and in tipping the chair back several times it had moved into a pocket at the back of the chair which is just a strap across.  When she put her hand down in that pocket, which we hadn't thought about, it fell out on the floor.  Everyone was greatly relieved. Yesterday I signed up Pat's computer for the Carbonite backup service, which will keep all her files and videos backed up and will create a cloned copy of her drive on an external hard drive.  Her computer is getting old and she has a lot of games we can't reload without rebuying them so this will avoid that problem.  It is a bit pricey but will be worth it for piece of mind.  Nothing special on the agenda for today.  I will attend a meeting this morning and then have a quiet rest of the day. 

Jeanne, yes the 90 minute episode was the last for the season but there is to be a 4th season.  That was a pretty dramatic ending for the season. That must be a pretty expensive program to produce. 

Judy, I would complain also if I had to get started and it was -25C when I went out to work.  I can remember some mornings on the farm growing up where we would be 20 below and it wasn't pleasant.  I chatted with John a little bit about his Road Knight's duties when we met.

Janet, sorry you lost your post and thanks for posting Lester Smyth's story.

Etta Sue, nice to get a tax refund.  Hope your trip to Carterville, GA went well today.

Janet, we did have a very nice time at lunch yesterday at Macaroni Grill and I had enough left over to bring home and Pat had it for her supper.  If it is suppose to be you will be chosen for the library board.

Al, glad to see you back with a repaired computer.

RuthV, the fun day sounds like a nice thing for the family.  It has probably been over 40 years since I roasted marshmallows and I remember almost always catching them on fire..

Good morning on a milder morning - at least for now.   :D

Al, I've been watching for a post from you, concerned that I didn't see any.  Now I'm so relieved to find it was only a computer problem!  You are missed when you're not here.  :-)

Etta Sue, prayers for safe travel will follow you.  Enjoy your time in Florida!   :)

Larry, I'm sure there has to be another season for Downton Abbey.  It would be a terrible thing to leave us with that final scene.   :yikes:

I woke up to snow as Ruth said, and to complicate matters gusting winds have started.  The furnace was still cycling when I got up so keeping the house warm.  I added more wood however and opened the damper a bit.  Ruth will be having her satellite covered with snow, and that will limit her ability on the internet.  My TV satellite has just stopped working!  I enjoy the Christian Music station which is now off.

Larry John enjoyed his time with you.  If he comes back down your way I will let you know!

Hi everyone, It's always good to see Al posting. I've also been concerned abut you Al. I see on Facebook this morning that it is snowing in blue Lake, Sarah said the she saw all kinds of accidents on the highway and that  911 was busy. Must have been lots of calls to 911 for it to be busy. It's a wonder that people don't know to gear down and not use the brakes on and icy road to keep from sliding and skidding. Well I guess if you've never driven in those conditions ya just don't know any better.

Marilyn, looking good!

Hi everyone.  It is after 1 pm and I am just finishedeating my lunch and have down to rest.  I was gone all morning attending coffee, then Bible study and finally going to Dunkin' Donuts as knew my good friend who is fighting the prostate cancer was to be there.  A beautiful day here to get into the low 50s.  Nothing else on the schedule for today other than to get some rest this afternoon.  Since it is late I will make only brief or no comments on individual posts for today.

Hello, all!  What a couple of days we have had!  Yesterday we went to Garden so Darrel could see the doctor about repairing his umbilical hernia.  She set the date for Friday to do that.  After leaving her office, we went to Walmart and to Sam's.  We were hungry, so we ate a hotdog there....

Soon after we got home, we went to our small group Bible Study. We got home about 9, went to bed, and shortly after that, I became violently ill with diarrhea and vomiting.  After about 30 more minutes, Darrel started vomiting, too.  We were both sick all night, and until about noon today.   :P  UGH!  It was food poisoning, I'm sure, as I've had it a few times before.  NOT FUN.  Darrel just got up about an hour ago.  I just hope we can sleep tonight!

We had all these warnings about heavy snow, and got maybe an inch or two.   :(

My computer needs work, but I don't know who to have work on it.  It is getting really frustrating!

Janet I hope you and Darell are feeling better by now.  The fact that you were both sick at the same time certainly does point to food poisoning - probably those hot dogs.   :(

I had it once from a hot dog and it was years before I would even consider eating a hot dog.  Love 'em now, though.   :)

Larry you sure did have a busy morning and it's no wonder you need to rest! 

Euchre was fun.  By 8pm, I had everything put away, washed and dried.  Ali and Inky were stinkers.  No way were they going into the north bedroom and me shut the door so they stayed out with us women.  They were good girls, though.

Ali even let Inky sleep with us last night.  The alarm went off at 6am.  We left Ivalou's by 6:44am...snowing and 19°.  The trip has been great so far even though that lady on the GPS kept insisting that I take the interstate when I wanted State highways and then when I wanted to take the interstate, she wanted me to take the state highway!!  A lot of replanning and make a U-turn immediately.  A lot of her wanting me to turn right (west) when I wanted to go south and east!! 

But we got to Cartersville by  5:30pm.  Our favorite restaurant here is closed up...not in business anymore so we ate at Cracker Barrel!  It was predicting rain/sleet according to the weather guessers but it was sunny and then cloudy.  No rain and certainly no sleet.  It was 46° when we got here. 

Tomorrow is trying to take side roads to get on the interstate that goes around Atlanta on the west side.  Then I-75 to Bradenton, Florida!  Hope tomorrow is as good of driving as today was!

Hi, friends,

I realize it's been a few days since I was here. Tonight includes a headache, but that will pass by tomorrow, most likely.

I've been working on the embroidery, enjoying spending time with son #1, and got the good news that son #2 will be here in Nashville tomorrow. What a wonderful time to visit...and a great son to get hugs from his ole mom, too!

Etta Sue, hope your Florida trip will be wonderful. Would have loved to meet you as you passed through Nashville. Maybe next time. :)

Much love to all,
Ruth Ann

Hi everyone.  It has been an interesting morning.  The lady doing the database for the Senior Golden Games was here and I helped her figure out the problem she was having and also how to use a memory stick and then copy files to it.  Just before that I talked with Paul Halback and we discussed some computer matter.  It is another lovely day here but expect rain tomorrow.  Pat just talked with her sister in Independence, Missouri and they are having a huge snow storm with a couple of inches or more an hour.  She said she couldn't even see across the street.  At least it appears her area will be missing the ice that is going across the southern part of the state.  Pat had a miserable, painful night with a bunion on her foot that was throbbing.  She was finally able to get to sleep around 5 am and got a few hours of sleep in.  When she takes pain medication in the evening, as she did last night, she has a lot of trouble sleeping plus the pain in her foot.  In the past the pain has stopped in two or three days.  Nothing special on the schedule for the rest of the afternoon. 

Janet, I don't think I have ever had food poisoning but with both of you becoming so ill and hope you are both over it by now.  Will Darrel have to stay in the hospital overnight or will it be same day surgery?  Are you getting more snow today?

Etta Sue, glad you trip into Georgia went well even with a nagging GPS.  You can always get a good meal at Cracker Barrel.  I expect you found some really good side roads here in Georgia as they have some wonderful roads.  We made a trip or two where we took a road that ran parallel to I-75 and it was great.  Of course, slower than the Interstate but an enjoyable ride. 

Ruth Ann, has your embroidery contributed to your headache?

Well, praise God, I feel like a human again this morning!  In spite of sleeping until nearly noon yesterday and then dozing in my chair, I slept pretty well last night.  So I have almost finished the laundry, cooked breakfast and cleaned the kitchen and did some more of those ever-repeating chores.

I hope the roads are pretty good because I have another dental appointment at 2:00, to get the other broken filling repaired (really, replaced, I guess.)  It appears we have gotten a few more inches of the white stuff, and are thankful for every flake!

Darrel is better, too, but sore from all the vomiting.  He called and postponed his surgery, though.  And yes, Larry, it is outpatient surgery, so he won't have to stay, and I am glad for that.

I hope Pat's toe stopped hurting.  When is her knee surgery to be?  (Or is it hip?)

This new dog we have is the quietest dog either of us has ever been around!  The only times he barks is when a stranger (to him) comes to the door, and when he sees that we are leaving him at home when we leave.  And he is very well trained and obedient.  Pretty nice, to have those advantages without having to do the training!  I think Kumar has found a permanent home here.  ;)

One thing I need to do today for sure is to go see Beth.  She is probably wondering if I have fallen off the edge of the earth!

Ruth Ann, I hope your headache is gone, and that you enjoy the time with your sons.  Those hugs are so wonderful!  I know I love 'em!

Etta Sue, I pray your whole trip will be lots of fun and that you get to do exactly what YOU want to do!  :thumbsup:   <3

Jeanne, thanks for your kind words, love you!

This has been an interesting week.  John is heading to Virginia, and won't be home till Saturday.  I have been working on an accounting course, and finished the assignment early.  I'm working on a sweater for a young man, hope to have it done soon. 

I have a cat......this particular cat takes balls of wool out of plastic bags, and plays.  I bought a large ball in a plastic bag, and she has been at that one, poking holes in it.  One very determined kitty.  She drives me crazy I can't hide them well enough to keep them out of her reach!

I am looking forward to spring, to be able to start enjoying the outdoors.  Even with the bug jackets on it is better than this deep cold.

Rise, Shine, This is the day that the Lord has made!

I am to have surgery on my right big toe on Monday. I had surgery on that same toe a few months ago and was not supposed to ever have another ingrown toenail on that toe. Well it is a bad on this time. Last time he removed the whole side of the nail and the cauterized the root part, so that part would never grow back. 

Would y'all pray for my digestive issues to return to normal.

Made it to Bradenton by 6:15 tonight.  No problems.  I don't think anyone in Florida drive under the speed limit.  People were passing me like I was sitting still.  1072 miles and 34.6 mpg.  Not bad. 

Now to hope I have some time to relax.  I am tired!

Praying Marilyn

Hi everyone.  It is a cold, raw feeling damp morning.  We had rain all night and there is a fine mist this morning with more heavy rain predicted for late this afternoon.  We only had 6 show up for coffee this morning and after coffee I went to Kroger's for groceries and stopped to fill the car up for next week.  I came home dragging but otherwise fine.  I do have a ROMEO's luncheon at 11 :30 so will have to leave the house again in about 45 minutes.  The housekeepers have just left.  Pat had them come early as we won't be here on Monday and she wanted the house to be nice and clean when Mary, her sister, arrives on Tuesday (of course the arrival depends on whether she can get through the snow and the airport will be open in Kansas City.  They really got covered over yesterday. 

Janet, glad to see you are feeling human again.  Pat's bunion is still very read, swollen and painful.  I accidentally brushed it when I put her sock on for her this morning and that caused a lot of pain.  I hope she will be able to wear shoes when she goes to the hospital on Monday but if not house shoes will do.  Nice not to have to train a new dog.  He sounds like a winner.

Judy, that would be very annoying having the cat get into your yarn.  Cats are pretty stubborn and always want their own way.  :)

Marilyn,  my doctor dealt with my ingrown toenail in his office and I hadn't expected it to happen.  Unfortunately, I again have a problem.  I think I am getting to the age where I need to see a podiatrist.  I will be thinking about you on Monday and hope all goes well.  Hope your other issues clear up soon.

Etta Sue, glad to see you are at your destination and had a good trip.  Rest.

Hi Larry...

I thought Pat's hospital visit was Feb. 23.  Was this changed?  I'm thinking of her and praying for her constantly.

 

We went to Hungry Howies for supper last night. 

I had a hard time getting to sleep even with my earplugs in.  But I finally made it. Once I got up this morning and ate a bite, I put on my swim suit and went to the pool.  Some ladies were doing water aerobics and asked me to join.  That was fun and then I got a head washing and a shower.

We have eaten a sandwich here but tonight we are going to an Amish buffet in Sarasota.  I don't know how many people from the RV Resort is going but Barb said a bunch.

Larry it is my Podiatist  who will be doing the surgery in his office.

Thank you Judy for the prayers. they are very much coveted.

Marilyn, Darrel had an ingrown nail on one of his big toes, and the podiatrist removed the roots along one side of it, and it hasn't given any more trouble.  Thant was several years ago.  Hope you have equally good results with yours.

Larry, does Pat have gout?  Sounds a lot like it.  Hope she is better at least by morning!  I wish we were getting that wonderful rain you are having--well, we wouldn't steal yours, but some just like it would be wonderful!

It was really pleasant here today and the wonderfully wet snow we got melted so fast that the roads were almost clear when I came home at 3:00.  Predictions are for more snow the next couple of days and we pray they are right!

Grandson Mark called me this evening.  He is in school in Illinois but near St. Louis, taking Aviation Maintenance.  He had to write a plan outlining his goals and wanted Grams to read it and make suggestions for making it better.  I was SO happy to hear from him; love and miss him so much.  The writing was only one paragraph, so easy to help him with that.

Now I need to help the other one, Curtis.  He recently went to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to a Veterans Entrepreneurship Program, and he wants me to write up a press release for the paper about it.  Nice to be needed.  ;)

Etta Sue, that's a lot of miles to drive!  Wow!  Glad you are there safely, and do enjoy the nice weather for the rest of us here in snow land!  Do you all eat "Early Birds" a lot for supper?  ;)  That's what I read the retirees do in Florida.  :)

Darrel rescheduled his hernia repair for Wednesday, so you know what I will be doing that day!

I need to work on Curtis' article; see you later!  (Or tomorrow.)

Janet, my goodness, I remember those boys as teens!  It really is nice that you are needed!

Sounds like you had a great day, Etta Sue.  Why did you have a hard time to sleep?  Was it noisy?

Thinking of you, Marilyn.

Yes, Pat, seems only yesterday.  How quickly the years are flying by!  Curtis is 30 now and father to three little girls, and Mark will be 28 in April.  Still praying for a good Christian wife for him!

Abby is 15, freshman in high school, and just got glasses, in spite of the fact her vision is 20/20.  Doing all her school work on the computer is really hard on her eyes, so they hope the glasses will help.

Are you in Guelph now?

Yes, Janet, I'm in Guelph right now.    Strange she needs glasses if her vision is 20/20!   ::)

The years do indeed fly past.  Janet you are fortunate to have your grands so nearby.  Mine have grown into fine young men and women, but are so far away I seldom get to see any of them.  But when I do, the time together is that much more precious!  ;)

Hi everyone on a cold, damp 42 degree morning here in Georgia.  I just back from coffee and think I will stay in the rest of the day.  I was very tired yesterday and want to rest up a bit before the beginning of next week, which will be very taxing.  My computer is doing strange things this morning with it suddenly starting to put in line after line of dashes.  I tried two different browsers and have had to reboot it twice so far.  If this continues I am about ready to do a complete system restore on the Windows 7 and get a fresh start.  I have a couple of little jobs I want to accomplish here at home today. 

Pat, the surgery is on Monday the 25th.  Other than emergency surgery I think they seldom, if ever, perform elective surgery on weekends. 

Janet, Pat may have gout and took some gout medicine.  However, her doctor really doubted that it was gout but it sure comes on fast and is very painful.  She is doing a bit better today.  Nice that your grandson's are asking for your help and that you can help them. 

Decisions...decisions.  Trying to decide whether to go to Walmart or go to the pool.  I can go to Walmart at home but not to an outside pool. 

Barb needs to go to a grocery somewhere to get ingredients to make my Cinnamon Roll Cake to take tonight to a Shrimp Boil here in the park somewhere. 

There 14 of us at the Amish place last night.  Floridians sure don't get good gas mileage...you sit a lot idling while waiting for the traffic lights to change.

Thanks Larry...  I wrote it down incorrectly then--or maybe my "5" looks like a "3"  LOL

Etta Sue, what part of Florida are you in?

Jane, per your request.  We have this hymn in our library of hymns that Pat had prepared a number of years ago.  Here is another piano version of the music I found that I like also and can be used to sing along:  http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/nt/723 (http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/nt/723)


 

And here's another version, Jane!  ;)

Ohhh, and here's another that's nice. 





"He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again"  What a wonderful thought!

Hey!  Thanks, Judy, Larry, and Pat!  :thumbsup: That is a song we used to sing (long ago) and a favorite of my mother's.  It has been "playing" over and over in my head for the last few days, especially when I have been concerned over some loved ones who are going through really worrisome times.  :(

P.S. Pat, the second one you posted is the way we always sang it.   ;)

janet that is what my podiatrist did the last time to that toe. I think this time I will have him remove the whole toenail. I also have to work that day after the surgery.

We have had a different sort of Saturday!  We were just here this morning, Darrel watching movies and me reading, when I asked him about going over to Moscow to visit Curtis and Toni and seeing what they have done to their house.  So we did go, taking the dog along.  And we had the best visit we have EVER had with them!  And little Chelsea insisted that I sit next to her!  She's usually rather stand-offish with me, so that was a treat!  We visited with them for over three hours!  Need to do that more often!

Then after getting home, my sister Shirley called and we had a wonderful visit on the phone.  We send books back and forth and share so many things in common.  I have truly been blessed today!

We have had back-to-back cousins visiting with one day overlapping.  Such great days this past week.  It was really difficult for Don though that one cousin's wife brought her little yippy dog - the dog yelped so often and Don's hearing was just jarred from the high pitch sound so he ended up being exhausted.  I was able to find someone to cut my hair late this afternoon - on a Saturday & was a little leery as the gal had bleached a white stripe through the center of her black hair.  Came home and reheated leftovers and the washing machine is going.  All the quail returned to our outside area a few hours after the dog left and they look very happy. 

Larry:  The symptoms do sound like gout for Pat - saying a prayer for her. 

Oh did I create a commotion at the grocery store just asking where they stored molasses.  Someone did not know what it was, someone else thought it was a cookie, finally, someone knew the general area and I found a bottle for a cookie recipe.  Not one of them had ever heard of actually baking molasses cookies. Am I old, or what?  Such excitement and they want me to bring them samples.  We all had a good laugh.   

Don and I took our guests to the art fair and walked through all four times so we have done our miles for sure.  Small town so we met the mayor, saw the sheriff and FBI and police and so many in town.

We are all aging and just give thanks for being able to visit.  Tomorrow is church and everyone hopes to keep increasing the attendance number. 

We are all ready for church here in Bradenton, FL.  We went to a shrimp boil last night.  Very good. 

I have no idea what the rest of the day will be.

It is bright and sunny here and has been since we got here.  Love it! 

Kitty said it was freezing rain yesterday at home.  She was glad I left my snow shovel by the door since she couldn't get in my door because the ice was thick on the welcome mat.  She used the shovel to chip off the ice.

Carol, I do not understand why anyone would bring a yippy dog to someone else's house without first asking if it were acceptable.  We did take Kumar yesterday, but the kids have dogs, and Kumar is very quiet and well behaved.  But I wouldn't take him anywhere else without asking first.  Poor Don, his ears are such a trial for him, aren't they.  I feel for him.  And I love molasses cookies!  Now that you have mentioned them, I am wondering if I can find that old recipe for Molasses Krinkles--yummy!  And probably more healthful than lots of other kinds.

Etta Sue, try not to stay so busy you forget to get rested up down there!  ;) And I love that mouse jumping on the cat trampoline!  So cute.

It is totally overcast here this morning and snow is predicted for later.  We had freezing fog last night, so the roads are probably icy, too.  Beth wants to go to church, so we need to leave early to allow for the icy conditions.

May God bless each of us today!

A new day, a new week and time to move to a new page.  HERE (http://www.christianphotographers.com/community/index.php?topic=12558.0)