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Morning Devotional...


Comprehending the Pattern of Evil

"3 And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth."

Genesis 11:3–4


After the flood, Noah and his family began to repopulate the earth. Noah's descendants became hunters and builders. A new technology emerged to provide more stable and suitable shelter. Brick and mortar became the means by which whole cities could be built: "They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves"" (Gen. 11:3b-4).

Immediately after the flood, Noah erected an altar, a structure on which to offer the sacrifice of praise and worship. The building project at Babel was something else. Again, it was a reach of pretended autonomy, a stretch for heaven, an attempt to rip God down from His throne that man might make for himself a name. The result of this effort? This primitive scientific undertaking was chaos. The language of man was confused and communication gave way to babbling.

This pattern has not changed. The greater the technology, the greater the chaos. The more sophisticated the tools, the more sophisticated the violence.

Coram Deo

Are there spiritual "Babels" in your life that need to be torn down, such as an attempt to make a name for yourself? A project that takes precedence over God? An idol that is more important than God?

Passages for Further Study

Genesis 11:4–9


From Ligonier Ministries, the teaching fellowship of R.C. Sproul.http://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/comprehending-pattern-evil/

Buddy:  thanks ever so much for your thoughts on "EVIL".  This has been a week of terrible news from overseas and other areas of our own country - evil things have dominated our news.  It is difficult to imagine how evil traps a person into detonating bombs on their bodies - and so many copycats of evil - shootings at schools, etc.  Even reading how someone set fire to 11 garages - why - forever more we cannot contemplate why.  Thank you for reminding us to think about how we go through day to day situations - are we doing a "good deed" only for praise from others or are we doing it because the good deed needs to be done? 

Here, I did call a former neighbor from home who has moved to Arizona only to find that her husband has been so ill and is having surgery sometime in November.  So glad we touched base.  Don had his computer crash and one of the boys will send a copy of our finance information to us.  I am going to invite a fellow quilter over - she and hubby are not involved in any church so I hope to say the right thing at the right time. 

Don helped me make the trundle bed yesterday and asked me if we can do this in five years - am not sure.  Visitors will have to make their own bed.  We saw a coyote roaming the street this morning - hummingbirds are back in the yard and we have been star-gazing at night since it is really dark (by Tucson law) and wonderfully relaxing. 

Hi everyone on a beautiful, clear and crisp 62 degree morning.  The weather forecast says 0% change of rain today, which is good news for South Carolina as the vast cleanup continues over our State.  We had a nice day at church yesterday and then went to Arby's to have a quick lunch.  We had a coupon for their Reuben sandwich to buy one an get one free.  Pat and I both agreed that will be a one-time thing as the sandwich really wasn't very good.  My agenda today will be a fast trip to Walmart for a few items and then plan on attending a meeting at noon.  I look for our son to come over for awhile as this is his day off from work.  I really dislike getting up before daylight but often wake up earlier.  So I have started picking up my smart phone and reading my emails and then all of the postings on the discussion boards and that is what I did this morning.

Buddy, thanks for the devotional thoughts for this week. 

Carol, I think we are much more aware of the evils going on in the world due to the world-wide spread of the Internet and the 24-hour news channels.  It seems like daily I am more astounded at things I read such as Clemson apologizing for serving taco on the day they featured Mexican food or the other school that will no longer serve pork on their menu because that offended the Muslims.  There appears to be no tolerance left for others to have views that differ from our own or live and let live.  I better get off this subject as am not trying to be political.

Hope whoever stops by today will at least say hi.   

Hi, friends,

I had a night of wakefulness.  And, it comes on a bad day - I see my primary care physician for a checkup early this afternoon.

The weekend was busy with trying to help my sister in law who now is in rehab. I see daily improvements, so we're both hoping she can get back to her home soon.

Carol, it's good to hear from y'all. My goodness, how you both stay so busy with entertaining, etc., is music to my ears.

Larry, hang in there!

Love to all,
Ruth Ann

Ruth Ann:  Best wishes and prayers for a good doctor's report.  It is very strange, but we do know a lot of people in Tucson.  We like to have only a couple or single at a time because if there is too much talking, it is not comfortable for Don and he misses so much of the conversation.  Good that your SIL is in rehab.

Larry: This country is changing so much and I just cannot understand it - so many angry over things and not enough gratefulness. 

It will be almost 100 degrees for a few more days but we do cool down at night.  Still, this is just unbearable - cannot imagine the poorest who have no air conditioning or even a fan.  Don is listening to the DVD's from the woodshop all on safety - 8 hours at least.  He was ill last night but feeling better this morning.   

Janet: How is Beth and John?  Did you get your outdoor digging finished?  Take care.

I am just back from seeing the surgeon with a follow-up from my biopsy on the 2nd.  Pathology report shows positive for cancer, so I will need further surgery.  This will be scheduled for early November, for a couple reasons.  (1) I need to go to California and take care of some repairs on the mobile home there, and (2) My Primary doctor is gone for a couple weeks, and I need to see him prior to surgery.  I, most certainly, am not unfamiliar with cancer, since both my parents and two daughters have experienced it.  I trust the Lord to see me through and I know He will keep me steady and safe in His loving arms.

Jane, you will be kept in my prayers - and I'm sure lots of others! [attachimg=1]

Hi everyone on another partly cloudy/sunny day.  Not much on the schedule for today.  I will not go to coffee this morning as we need to go over to Augusta to the Aldi's store to do some stocking up of pantry and that should pretty much be it for today.  Last evening our son brought of a delicious Taco Pie that he had made and we shared it for dinner.  I hear the lawn people out in the neighborhood this morning.  They are now on an every other week schedule. 

Carol, sure hope you soon get some cooler days down your way.  Sure glad Don was feeling better yesterday.  Did he get all of the video's viewed?

Jane, so sorry to read of the surgeon's report to you.  I also will be praying for you and that the cancer has been detected in time and that radical treatment will not be needed.  However, we do what we have to do and we know that God will be with us each step of the way. 

Ruth Ann, I hope your checkup went well yesterday.  A night of wakefulness is certainly not a pleasant thing.  I seldom have any problem with that although am beginning to have a bit of it where I wake up very early and cannot go back to sleep.   

HI everyone.  It was 58 degrees when I got up this morning but it is going to be a great day with the temperature reaching only 78 degrees.  This will be a busy day for us.  Pat has a meeting at the church at 10 am and I will take her and go on to coffee.  Then this afternoon she has an appointment to see about getting a different face mask for her sleep machine as the one she now has won't stay sealed.  Then this evening we have our Wednesday night dinner and Bible Study with the pastor. 

Hope this will be a good day for you all.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.  I am all packed (finally) and will be on my way to California in a couple hours.  I do have an update on Joy.  I spoke with her yesterday and she sounded upbeat and strong... she says she truly believes she is being healed as she feels better all the time.  She only feels bad on her chemo days, but she hasn't been able to have chemo for a few weeks.  Her white cell count is too low, and they won't give her infusions until that increases.  The chemo kills them. 

Jane:  You are probably out the door and on your way to California.  Sending up a prayer for you and Joy.  Wonderful that Joy has such a positive attitude!  that alone helps healing.

Larry:  Don did finish the wood shop videos.  He won't use all of the tools but sat through everything.  It has been many hours of listening to buzzing machine while the narrator talked - and I can truly understand why Don could not "hear" everything being said with all of that noise.  Then, one woman talked in a whisper so we never could hear her questions.  I was at a different meeting yesterday and sure enough - one woman asked a bunch of questions in a whisper and none of of us heard what she said even though some asked her to speak louder - we gave up. 

I tried to find a ride to an all day genealogy clinic a week from Saturday - but Don will have to drive me to Phoenix.  That city is just so unknown to me - now I am sorry that I signed up but never thought that no one in the club would be going - the classes filled up in just an hour but our friend from Scottsdale is meeting me for lunchtime in the building.  On the University property and if you think you can find a parking spot.....

Rain and cooling is predicted in two days.  We shall see. 

Hi, friends,

Jane, my heart is broken that you, too, have been touched by a condition known all too well in your family. I'll certainly be praying for you and hope the California trip is a good one.

The doctor's visit test results aren't in yet, and he has me scheduled for a bone density scan on Tuesday of next week.

Larry, y'all stay busy as do many of our members.

Love and best wishes to all,
Ruth Ann

Hi everyone.  All is well on this beautiful, sunny and clear morning 59 degree morning headed up to about 79 degrees this afternoon.  We had a full day yesterday. We had only a little trouble in finding the place Pat had her appointment yesterday and when I called we had gone by it but only by about a block.  We had a good dinner last evening at the church and an interesting study hour on Early Christianity with our pastor.  Today should be much quieter, although will have a full morning as pick up the fellow to take to coffee and following coffee will go to the church library for our Wisdom Session with our pastor.  The rest of the day I hope to just rest and relax.

Jane, I do hope you had a pleasant and safe trip to California and the repairs go well and that you find Joy and the rest of your family there doing well. 

Carol, I remember doing some driving around Phoenix when I would visit my folks probably about 15 years ago and the traffic was heavy then.  Hope you enjoy the genealogy class and you will consider it worth the trip.  Sure you are looking forward to some rain and cooler weather.

Ruth Ann, other than getting to the appointment and perhaps waiting, at least the bone density scan isn't a difficult one or a painful one.  I have only had one of those in my life and it showed I was on the way to osteoporosis and have been taking a large dose of Calcium and  Vit. D  ever since.  We sure don't want fragile bones.   

Hi, friends,

You are so right, Larry. All we elders need is fragile bones!

I'm dealing with autumn allergies right now, so will be quiet and taking meds to try to prevent infection.

Y'all have a wonderful rest of the day.

Ruth Ann

Hi everyone.  It is another morning like yesterday with clear skies and 58 degrees.  However, we expect to reach about 84 degrees this afternoon so our warm weather isn't over.  Pat and I went to Ryan's Steakhouse for dinner last evening and then Scott came over and spent a couple of hours with us.  Today appears to be a light day for activities.  However, I do need to go back to COSTCO and have my eyes dilated to finish up my eye exam from last week.  I had forgotten about needing to do this.  I may also look for some new glasses as mine are starting to fall apart as have had them probably 10 years.   

Ruth Ann, I think the autumn allergies are affecting both Pat and I as we are going through tissues like gangbusters.  Sure hope you don't get an infection from the allergy.

I will come back later to catch up!

Well, I did it!  I stood up to a woman (almost a bully) who set me up to be the secretary of the genealogy group - with 3 meetings a month.  I will do November but wrote to her that it is impossible for me to take on the rest of the year.  Someone or two who live here year-round can do that job.  I like to be a volunteer but not pushed into a job I don't want.  Thanks for letting me vent.

Cousin & husband are coming for a day visit and she told me not to make lunch - we are going out.  Perfect! 

Larry:  Your allergies may be stronger since you haven't lived in the area a long time.  I don't know - I sneeze daily no matter where I am at the moment. 

                                         ENGAGEMENT

Beth Brandt of Ulysses and John Hamelin, formerly of Utica, N.Y. and now of Ulysses, joyfully announce their engagement.  Beth is the daughter of the late Gunther Brandt of Boise City, Oklahoma and Janet and Darrel Damon of Ulysses.  John is the son of the late William Joseph and Mary Hamelin of Utica, N.Y.

The couple cordially invites all their friends to come and share their joy.  Save the date:  December 5 at 2:00 P.M. at the Country View Baptist Church

                             TREASURES FROM GRANT COUNTY

                                              BY JANET DAMON


Darrel Ray Damon was born in Ulysses, Kansas on October 11, 1937, the son of Lowell E. and Pauline Keck Damon.  He was the youngest of three children, having a brother, Donald and a sister, Dolores.

He grew up in Ulysses mostly, living for a short while in Garden City when he was four, and in Hugoton for one year, when his dad worked for Bigbee Motors there.

Darrel's Dad, Lowell was an electrician.  He had his own gas station and garage in Ulysses, later going to work for Phifer Motors, where he was a mechanic, general manager, shop foreman and finally bookkeeper.  He worked there for 40 years.  Pauline worked as a waitress at the Ralsamore Coffee Shop for years.  She helped start a garden club in Ulysses and was involved in that for many years.

Darrel received all of his education in Ulysses, except for the one year, second grade, in Hugoton.  He took some college classes later, and sometimes wishes he had gone farther with his education, but has learned continually through the years.  His favorite teacher was Merle Durr, his High School math and physics teacher.

A favorite memory from his childhood is of helping his siblings build a tumbleweed house.  There had been a big wind and dirt storm, leaving lots of tumbleweeds in town.  The children spent hours dragging the weeds to their own yard.  They tied a rope around four trees to hold the weeds in place, and stacked them up high, of course getting scratched all over in the process.  When it was done, they crawled inside, and remember how refreshingly cool it was inside, with the wind blowing through the tumbleweeds!  But, alas!  When Dad got home, he made them drag all those weeds to an empty lot, out of their yard!  Dolores remembers the tumbleweed house well, too.

Some entertainments he enjoyed as a kid was playing Monopoly, marbles, and kick the can.  He learned to ride big brother Don's bike by getting underneath the bar so he could reach the pedals.  When he got older, dates usually were going to movies and dances.

The family lived in a basement house on the corner of Missouri and                    Darrel remembers falling down the stairs about once a week!

His first job was setting pins (by hand, of course!) in the bowling alley when Darrel was eleven years old.  Some people would deliberately try to hit him with their ball!  With his wages of $7.20 per WEEK, he opened an account in the Grant County State Bank (now the Grant County Bank) and has kept that account to this day.  He worked from after school until 11:00 or 11:30 at night and had to walk home.  He worked there three nights a week for about three years.  The next job he remembers was driving a tractor for a farmer during the summers of his H. S. years.  Between his Junior and Senior years, he spent the summer working at Columbian Carbon Company, and made and saved enough money to last him through the whole school term!  His wages were $1.50 or $1.75 per hour.

After graduation from H.S. Darrel volunteered for the U.S. Army.  He went to Denver for induction; to Ft. Bliss, Texas, for basic training, then to Ft. Gordon, Georgia to attend the Southeastern Signal School for six months.  There he learned to be a high speed radio operator, using Morse code and teletype.  He trained on an "Angry 26", a mobile base unit on the back of a 2 1/2 ton truck, hauling its own generator.

He was sent to Berlin, 110 miles behind the Iron Curtain, for 2 1/2 years.  There he operated radio at Headquarters Company, riding trains through East German zone from Berlin to Helmstead and back in one night.  He did that for nine or ten months.  These were military trains and needed communication through East Germany.  He carried the radio with him at all times, making radio check-ins at cities along the route.  When he got back to Berlin, he loaded the radio equipment on his Jeep and went back to Headquarters Signal Company.  This was during the years the Berlin wall was there, dividing West Germany from East Germany.

One training exercise was to go to Templehoff Airport and set up communication with Frankfurt.  This was in case the Russians closed the highways and it became necessary to start the airlifts again.  The airlifts were necessary to feed the people of Berlin when all the roads were cut off.  They flew food into Berlin 24 hours a day for months.  Berlin has huge tunnels underneath the city, big enough to drive trucks through.  American C-rations were stored in one tunnel, enough C rations to feed four million people for a whole month!  Darrel actually saw those, as that tunnel was connected to Templehoff Air Base.  The military men had to eat C rations one day per month, and they had to go to Templehoff to get them.  Those rations had been packaged in 1944.  The cigarettes were so old and dry that one big drag burned the entire cigarette.  They had Camels, Lucky Strikes and Phillip Morris.  And the food wasn't great, either!

Darrel also drove convoy.  When the infantry went on training exercises they had to take the vehicles through East Germany to Helmstead in West Germany.  Darrel had to drive his Jeep with the radio equipment so they would have communication.  They got stopped once and had to spend the night in the Jeep, in winter.  About 50 vehicles were in the convoy; each vehicle had at least two men, some had several.  All spent the night in their vehicles, in the snow.  Germany had harsh winters, with a lot of snow.  The men were within calling distance of other Americans; maybe 20 yards away, but there was a "no man's zone" between them.  The next morning, the Germans let them go on their way.  There was always a convoy going and one coming back, so the radio men returned with the one coming back.  This was a 110 mile journey, at 30 miles per hour!

The trains took 4 hours to go 110 miles.  One night after they passed Magnaburg, someone stole some of the rails!  There was only one set of rails, and when they got back to that place, the train was stopped.  They had no way to know what had happened and were not allowed off the train.  East German guards with rifles walked along outside the train to make sure nobody got off.  It took several hours to get the rails replaced so they could go on.  This was another reason for the radios being aboard, so they could stay in touch with Headquarters and report what was happening.

There were three sectors in West Berlin:  the British; the French, and the Americans were the major powers.  Each of these three was in their own section of the city.  The Russians had East Berlin.

Darrel returned to the USA, was honorably discharged, so he came home, found a job with Detroiter Mobile Homes in Hutchinson for some time.  He decided he wanted to take a long vacation, so he asked for three months off.  They refused, so he quit, got in his car and took three months' vacation!  He drove to Erie, Pennsylvania to visit some war buddies.

When he came back, he went to an Army Recruiter's office and re-enlisted.  They sent him to Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri where they gave him a battery of tests, about two weeks' worth.  He was then sent to Hawaii where he was attached to a combat medical unit, 25th Infantry Division, as a radio operator, again.  One day in the chow line, a guy walked up, asked his name, said, "Come with me," and 8 men, all radio operators, from different units, were taken to the passport office, had photos taken, and got their passports on the spot.  That took all afternoon.

The next morning they went to the Vietnamese Consulate in Honolulu to get their Visas.  That's when he learned he was headed to Vietnam!  That evening he called his parents to tell them he was going to S.E. Asia (he was not allowed to tell them where.)  He had to get a lot of shots, etc., and on the third day they were taken to the airport and put on a prop plane.  They flew from Honolulu to Midway, to Wake, to Philippines, and finally to Saigon.  The trip took 3 days.  They spent three weeks in Saigon, then he and another man were sent to Quin Yon.  When they arrived, they set up a radio, as at that time there was no communication.  The team set them up in Quin Yon, NaTrang and DaNang, all networked with Saigon.

Every morning they sent a weather report to Saigon.  Then he was attached to a helicopter unit out of North Carolina.  They lived in tents for one month, and then a new compound was built on the airport.  The barracks were solid mahogany, with the top half screened in.  They had a table of solid mahogany that took four guys to move!

He had four radio transmitters, had a small hut with an Angry 19 in it.  About once a week a transmitter went out.  They were built for cold weather, and it was very hot in Vietnam.  About once a month, he loaded the transmitters up, went to the airport, and took them to Saigon for repairs.  He stayed with the equipment until repaired and then brought them back.  On one of these trips, someone opened fire and shot holes in the plane, puncturing the oil line to one engine, so they had to shut that engine down.  They warned them they might have to jump—but they made it back to Saigon on 3 engines.

Darrel was issued a weapon—verbally—a 50 caliber machine gun—but he never saw it.

While in Hawaii, he went to crypto school and graduated top of the class. There was an article and a photo; he shook the commander's hand and was presented with a certificate and had a photo taken.  The photos and article were sent to the company.  The CO called him out of the ranks and congratulated him, but the CO kept the article and all the pictures to bolster his own career.  Darrel never even got to see them. 

He had a Top Secret Clearance.  He spent about six months in Vietnam on Temporary Duty, then went back to Hawaii for the remainder of the time; was again honorably discharged.  All together, he spent seven years serving his country in the Army, and is proud of his service.  A few years ago, he attended a Promise Keepers event in Denver where one of the main speakers was Dave Roever who was horribly burned while serving in Vietnam.  He told the crowd that the Vietnam Vets had never been properly thanked for their service, nor even welcomed home.  Many were called names and even spit on when they came home.  So he asked all Vietnam Vets to stand, and the crowd gave them a real welcome home with uproarious applause and cheering.  That was really special to Darrel, as it was the first time he felt appreciated for his service.

I asked what achievement or accomplishment of his life gives him the most satisfaction and he said, "Becoming a Scuba Diving instructor."  He reached this goal after his 50th birthday.

A valuable lesson he learned from life and would like to pass along to others is "Treat your woman with respect!"

He says the best years of his life have been the years since marrying Janet; scuba diving and traveling the world together.

The first thing Darrel saved up his money to buy was a bicycle, when he was about 12 and working at the bowling alley.

His family ate a lot of rabbit, because they raised them.  He still enjoys rabbit.  He has always liked chicken and noodles.

Darrel married Janet Brandt in Ulysses at Faith Fellowship Church on July 18, 1981.  They have made their home in Ulysses ever since.

The biggest differences Darrel sees in the world now, from when he was a boy are electronics; the internet and related technology; and the size of airplanes.  As for manners and morals, he says he sees a lot more immorality, and less consideration of others.

His hobbies have included building model cars, and stick airplanes, covered with paper.  He also built electronic equipment, including an amateur radio set, receiver, transmitter, etc.  He liked wood working and took four years of shop in school (woodworking and auto mechanics.)  He built steel floorboards for his Model A in shop.

A memorable travel experience while in Lucerne, Switzerland, was paying $25.00 for a hamburger!  (We shared one.)  We also went to the base of the Eiger Mountain.

I asked him how he was punished when he was a child, both at home and at school.  He said at home he got whipped with his father's razor strap.  At school, they were more creative:  In grade school he had to carry an apple box around with him to use as a desk, because he got caught making circles on his desktop with a compass, trying to draw Saturn with its rings.  In 6th grade he got in trouble for dipping Bonnie Harmon's braids in his inkwell.  (She sat in front of him.)  In Merle Durr's H.S. math class, he was sent outside to stand in the snow and watch the class through the window, because he was talking in class.

His brother Don's friends nicknamed Darrel Spotlight because his hair was white.  In 5th grade, Buddy Worm called him Deacon, because of his preference for wearing slacks rather than Levis, and the name stuck, in all its forms, such as "Deke."

When I asked him about whether or not he was ever bullied in school, he said yes, that the bigger boys used to like hitting him because he was so small.  He remembers schoolyard fights and was sometimes involved.  "We fought until somebody gave up," he said.  "Leon Workman used to take me down and sit on me."

Darrel has loved dogs all his life, and one he remembers fondly was named Anxious, or Ankie for short, because she was so timid.  Another favorite was a miniature Dachshund named Daisy.  He has owned many dogs and loved them all.

Darrel likes flowers, and some of his favorites are carnations, amaryllis and dahlias.

He remembers the laundry being done with a wringer washer, because he got caught in the wringer more than once and pulled in up to his shoulder.  "It's a good thing it had a release on it!" he said.

In second grade, he was in a play.  When he walked onto the stage, he fell down and everybody laughed at him.  So it wasn't until many years later that he agreed to be in another play.  When the Grant County Community Theater was formed, he had lead roles in Let Him Sleep Till Time for his Funeral and Let's Murder Marsha.

He remembers an old man who traveled in a horse-drawn covered wagon and used to come to Ulysses. This fellow was friends with Darrel's grandparents and always stayed on their property when in town.  He would shoot small birds, cook and eat them.  He invited Darrel in to eat a meal with him and that was the first time Darrel ever ate a bird.  It was boiled so there was broth for noodles or gravy.  The man was in his late 70s or 80s at the time and was retired.  Darrel doesn't know what happened to him.
The Damons used to go to the Barnes' for fresh milk.  They lived at the South end of Ulysses.  He says hamburger is his favorite food because you can make so many things with it.  His favorite movies are Casa Blanca and My Fair Lady with Audrey Hepburn; he likes both the play and the movie.

He was taught to drive by his Uncle Jean and Aunt Celestine, when he was 10 years old.

His scariest times were the following:  While in Berlin, he was driving his Jeep with the radios back to Headquarters Company when he accidentally drove into East Berlin.  He had to go half a block to turn around, and an East German policeman jumped in front of the Jeep with a rifle pointed at him and ordered  him to stop.  Darrel floor boarded the Jeep, the German jumped out of the way and Darrel kept going.  He was scared so badly he got lost in the French sector and finally had to ask a young German boy where he was, but made it back to base safely. 

The second scary time, much more recent, was on May 28, 2015, when he and Janet were in a near-fatal car accident near Johnson.  Darrel fell asleep driving; had a close call, nearly a head-on with a fully loaded semi truck.  The alertness of the truck driver saved the day, and the Damons hit his rear tandem axle, shaving the driver's door off the car!  Darrel's left leg was broken in six places, but both are so thankful to God for sparing their lives.  He has made a remarkably quick recovery.  When asked what he learned from this, he said, "Don't drive when you're asleep!"

Darrel's first car was a  black 1950 Ford, 6 cylinder.

A person he really admired was George Melcher, his wood shop teacher in H.S.  When he came home on leave from the Army, he went to visit George.

Some of his hopes for the future of our country are for Congress to realize they are killing us with over spending; ruining our economy.  And he sincerely hopes the next president we elect will respect our Constitution.  He feels one of the greatest achievements of the US was our space program, and putting a man on the moon.  It is sad that program was discontinued.

Advice for young folks:  Follow your dream.  Ask yourself, "What is the thing you have always wanted to do more than anything else?  Then go to work to make it happen!"

Something discontinued he wishes he could still buy:  Mercury automobile.

Worst crime he remembers:  the Carr brothers' torture and massacre of five people in Wichita a few years ago.

Darrel's favorite comic strip is Peanuts.  Some of his favorite novels are The Foxes of Harlowe, Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre.  He reads many books, averaging one per day.  He enjoys music and dancing, and some of his favorite songs are Blue Velvet, Five Foot Two, River of No Return, and King of the Road.  His favorite poems are Daffodils and the comedy version of The Night before Christmas, both of which he memorized in school.  Favorite TV shows include Archie Bunker, the Jackie Gleason Show, and I Love Lucy.

I asked if he had ever had nightmares and he said yes, about waking up with green hair!  This was after seeing the movie The Boy with Green Hair.  Darrel's hair was white then, so he thought turning it green might be easy.

He took music lessons:  piano, clarinet and trombone, and he also took tap dancing, which he loved.  Sports he participated in were track, sand lot football, some basketball and baseball, where he enjoyed pitching.

He had a motorcycle accident some years ago that peeled a lot of his skin off.  He learned to be very careful when riding on gravel!

Some of the changes he has seen come to Southwest Kansas are the coming of irrigation, which helped to end the dust bowl; the gas plants which brought new people into the community, and the carbon black plant.  When the country schools all came to town; that was a big change for the kids.

Memories of natural disasters and problems:  Darrel remembers when Bear Creek came down, in the 1950s, and Ulysses was completely surrounded by water.  There was a big grasshopper infestation when he was about 12 or 13—big green ones, he said, about 4 to 6 inches long!  They ate all the leaves off the trees in town.  Later, the jack rabbits got so thick they ate all the crops, and communities had rabbit drives to thin out the rabbits.  In the 1950s the dust was so thick in the air they hung wet sheets over the windows trying to keep it out of the houses.  In the late 80s or early 90s there came a terrible hail storm that ruined thousands of roofs and broke many windows.  In 1948 or 49, there was a terrible blizzard.  Three or four cars were stranded between town and the power plant.  One guy burned the whole interior of his car to keep from freezing; three or four other people did freeze to death.

The Damons were charter members of the First Christian Church of Ulysses.  Darrel still has his Cradle Roll certificate.  Since they married, Darrel and Janet have attended Faith Fellowship Church and currently are members of Oasis Assembly of God.  Several years back, Darrel was baptized.  He knew he had asked Jesus to be his Savior, but because of getting hit on the head with a bottle while in Vietnam, he had lost a chunk of his memory (Several years' worth) and wasn't sure whether or not he had ever been baptized.  He wanted to be obedient to the Lord, so he did that.

An important life decision was to come back to Southwest Kansas and start his own alarm company, about 45 years ago.

Some special trips he would like to tell us about are:  going to China to see the terra cotta warriors; going on a 5-day cruise down the Yangtze River to Three Gorges where they were building the big dam; also to Guay Lin, to Vietnam; Halong Bay, and Thailand.  This year we went to Ecuador, where we enjoyed several days in the Amazon rain forest, a week in the Galapagos Islands and several days in the Andes Mountains.  Some other special trips were to Peru, Burma, and Israel.  To date, we have visited over 40 countries.

Darrel says he wants to be remembered as a lovable curmudgeon.

Hello!  It's me again!  It seems I got way behind when we went to the wedding in IL.  As you can see by my above posts, Beth and John have set their wedding date, so this Mom is going to be super busy for a while now!  Grandson who just got married will be home with his new wife next weekend and his parents are hosting a reception for them a week from tonight in Hugoton.

I started Darrel's story a long time ago, and decided to take it along on the trip to IL. to finish it.  Well....when I sent it to the paper, they said it is too long; that they will only allow me a half-page in the paper now for these stories.  I am pretty unhappy with them.  I'm doing it for nothing, and so many people love the stories!  So I think this is the last one they will get from me.  I came home and butchered it, cutting it down by nearly half.  Sent it back with a note to let me know if it's okay now.  They can spare SEVEN PAGES for high school sports, but not one for stories about our senior citizens?? 

Anway!  I did go back and read all your posts from while I was among the missing.

Jane, I'm praying for you.  So sorry to hear of your cancer diagnosis and pray for a supernatural recovery.  Larry, good to read you're rocking along about as usual!    Carol, I understand about not liking to be pushed!  Ruth Ann, hope you are doing well now.  And everybody else, come and talk to us!  Jeanne, I do see your posts, usually short ones, but it's always good to know you are there!

We are going to a dinner theater tonight at Dodge with our friends.  We had to go to Wichita to the VA yesterday for Darrel's hearing test, were so hoping he could get the hearing aids in one trip, but no.  We have to go back on Nov. 10.  It was a really long day--13 hours from when we left to when we got back home. 

You have probably read more than you want to from me today, so I'll say goodbye.  Goodbye!!

Hi, friends,

Yes, it was a super busy day. So I won't burden you with the details, but every minute was taken up until about 6pm.

Then, I found my easy chair and collapsed for a while.

Janet, it was good to see the wedding invitation, Darrel's story, and your message. My goodness, y'all live a busy life.

Carol, good for you. At one point this evening, I had to also stand up for myself. I do hope the recipient will understand what I said, for it had to do with my disabled friend. I'm at the point of not being able to take her places anymore, especially after some of the experiences today.

Larry, it's always so interesting when you tell about your life and daily activities. I appreciate it so much.

Jane, you have my prayers. And I'm also praying that God will help y'all through this busy period of time.

I also think of Bebe and her illness. May she be able to let her wishes be known about her life.

Y'all have a good rest of the day.

Ruth Ann

Marilyn, I read on Facebook that Bebe went to Rainbow Bridge. My sincere condolences.

Ruth Ann

Hi everyone on another clear and cool fall Saturday morning.  We stayed home all day yesterday and just took things easy.  Today is another unscripted day.  We do want to make a run out to the Augusta Airport so we will know how to get there on Tuesday evening when Pat's sister flies in from Independence to spend a week visiting.  It will be dark before she gets here so felt it is worth the extra trip to be aware of the situation.  We understand the Augusta airport is very small (for which we are thankful) and almost 12 miles of the 18 mile drive is on the beltway around Augusta/North Augusta.  I just remembered that this afternoon is college football so will be watching some games. 

Carol, good for you in standing up for what you want or don't want to do.  One of the things I have learned is that "no" is a complete answer and a justification for it is not required.  Nice that your cousin and husband took you out to eat when they visited.   

Janet, nice to see the date has been set for the big wedding.  I also enjoyed reading the piece you wrote on Darrel and I read every word.  He has had a very interesting life.  Too bad the newspaper didn't want to publish the whole article.  What play did you see at the dinner theater? 

Ruth Ann, glad to see you told your friend that you just can't care for the lady as you have been as you must take care of yourself and overdoing in any given day isn't wise. 

Marilyn, sorry to hear of the passing of Bebe.  It leave a hole in our lives when we lose our pets.

Well, the weather seems to be getting ready for winter.  We've had freeze warnings for the last couple of days and at least one more night to come.  SIGH!  

Janet, great news that the date has been set for Beth and John - we are all invited, aren't we?  Wonderful biography of Darrel.  What an interesting and varied life he as led.  Thanks for sharing it with us.

Ingredients for a big pot of chicken noodle soup are about ready to put together, so I'd better get at it.   

We got home around 12:30, so we slept in longer this morning!  I was thankful we didn't have anywhere we had to be this morning.  Larry, the play was Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" and they did a great job on it.  We enjoyed the dinner, the play, and the company of our friends.  Good for us to get out and be with friends sometimes.

Thanks for reading Darrel's story.  I feel bad that those reading it in the paper will get only half of it, and cutting it down that much really affected the flow of the story, too.  I am thinking God has a new door opening for me, as this one has closed.  He always knows best!

Marilyn, sorry for your loss of your much-loved dog.  I don't get on Facebook often, as I tend to waste far too much time when I go there.  You have the satisfaction of knowing you gave her a very happy life and that she was well loved.

Jeanne, we are feeling the approach of Fall here, for sure.  But it warms up nicely during the day.  You get so much more cold than we do.  I'm just relieved we don't get rivers of mud sliding downhill and swallowing vehicles!  California is really taking a beating this year--again!  Seeing the photos is awful, let alone living through something like that!

Yes, the big day of the wedding will soon be here!  I'm making lists!!  and more lists!!  There are a few thing I want to do to make it more special for them, and for those who love them enough to attend.  And YES!!  Of course you are all invited!!  I would LOVE it if every one of you could be here!  Wouldn't that be fun?  I don't know if we will get "real" invitations, I think I will ask Curt's wife, Toni to do them at Walgreens, she is good at that sort of thing.  Then we will send to only family and far-flung friends.  That's why we invited everyone with the announcement.  Think that will work?    Time is getting short!

Ruth Ann, I am so relieved you finally decided it was time to tell them you just aren't able to help the disabled lady any more.  Now that they know they can't put the responsibility on you, they will find someone else!  Good for you!  And I know it wasn't easy!

Back to wedding planning, lists and phone calls!

Don is taking a morning nap since he was exhausted from our visitors yesterday and then we were invited to a potluck with about 18 neighbors.  All of that talking is too much for Don anymore - we try to keep visiting to two at a time.  It was so nice of them to invite us - I threw together a bowl of meatballs with a gravy/onion sauce and it almost disappeared.  Enough for a snack for us tonight. 

Ruth Ann:  Good for you! 

Janet:  This is a wonderful time for you - thinking of Beth and the wedding and so many things.  You two survived the auto crash and water worries - you deserve a break and Beth deserves the love of her life.  Thanks for the story on Darrel - thank him for his service to our country! 

Hi, friends,

This has been a rest and regroup day for me. It's great to be able to take those much needed breaks, isn't it.

May our Lord bless each of us as He sees we need those blessings.

Ruth Ann

Time to start a new week HERE