Christian Photographers Community

Hi Everyone.  We have a beautiful sunny and 60 degree day ahead of us.  I expect this one to be a very enjoyable, sort of laid back day.  Mid-afternoon Pat, Scott and I will go to Cracker Barrel for what will be our Thanksgiving Dinner together.  We won't get to spend very long with him after the dinner as he has to work tonight.  I hope he will come out again tomorrow and spend some time with us on Thanksgiving.  The kitchen chores are done for this morning except to fix Pat's breakfast when she gets up.  Yesterday we completed the laundry so that won't have to be done today. 

Judy, that is a new Hymn to me as don't remember ever hearing or singing it.  Thanks for posting it.

Janet, it was good to see you were feeling a bit yesterday and hope by tomorrow that you will feel much better so you can enjoy the Thanksgiving Dinner that is planned.  I hope you and Darrel will be able to travel for a long time to come.  You could just have easily come down with the cold from being around people at Church or in your community.

Good morning!  I feel a bit better, even though I woke with a headache.  I need a chiropractic adjustment, for sure.  I'm ready to go to town; first, get my hair done, then go to the Main Artery to see and paint with my friends for a while, at least.  Depends on how I feel, how hong I can stay.  Then home to bake those pies!  Darrel got the needed ingredients for me yesterday.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

We had a surprise this morning when Don's laptop actually worked - after taking a two day nap. 

I may need a nap later.  Feeling not so great kept me awake since 2 AM.  This was good in a way because I did catch up on my reading - friends at home are also reading the entire bible and I was two days behind.  It is set up to read 4 chapters out of 3 books and comment.

Judy, I could not get either song to play.      Nothing seems to be working very well.

I didn't stay at the Artery very long, just felt too awful.  Came home and took another nap; did get my pie crusts baked, but am waiting until morning to make the fillings.  I feel just awful!

Carol...
...usually Judy's links dont work ( open ) for me but this time both of her above links are opening for me and I can here her music...

Janet...
...our body's have a strange way of telling us to take a day of rest, and we must obey...if not we face the consequences..

Hi Everyone. This Thanksgiving morning is starting out clear and sunny and cool.  However by afternoon we will be seeing some partly cloudy skies but still getting up to around 60 degrees.  We have a very quiet day planned.  Scott will be here part of the day.  Yesterday we did go to Cracker Barrel for our official Thanksgiving meal and we all enjoyed what we ordered.  Pat and Scott even ordered some blackberry cobbler to bring home to enjoy today.  I passed as while I like the taste of blackberries I do not like the seeds.  Around 5 pm last evening a friend from our Sunday School class called to see if we were home and then he brought us a delicious smelling homemade just out of the oven pumpkin pie.  So we will also have that for a special Thanksgiving treat today.  I plan on watching some of the pro football games and perhaps some of the college basketball preseason tournaments that have their finals today. 

Carol, that was a nice surprise for Don to find his computer working.  Maybe it had overheated and shut down to protect the components or something just needed to be jarred.  How is that for scientific analysis.    I do hope you are feeling much better today.  Reading some of the Old Testament books of the Bible can be difficult.  I have read through the Bible twice years ago and should do so again but probably won't as read portions each day with the devotionals or studying our Sunday School lessons.  Not long ago I did Read and listen to the new Testament being read on the Bible Gateway website.  It helps to both her and to see the words at the same time.  I am now working on doing the same with the Psalms but have sort of bogged down and stopped for awhile but need to resume that as found it was a good way to start my afternoon rest periods. 

Janet, sorry to read you had a rough day yesterday and know you must have been feeling really bad not to stay and paint with your friends. 

Jackie, I have found I have the best luck playing the midi hymns using Windows Media Player.  Sometimes we may not have that set as our default midi or MP3 files.  Sometimes we get more than a hint that we need to get more rest as I know you know well.

Hi Everyone. We are expecting a cloudy day today with the high in the low 50's.  Nothing particular on the schedule for today.  I do need to get some air put in one of my tires that seems to have a very slow leak and Pat said she wanted to go to the grocery store with me when I go to get some lunch meat.  Yesterday was very quiet.  Scott finally got out here around 7 pm and had dinner with us and spent a couple of hours.  He really looked rested as had spent the entire day, or most of it, sleeping.  I do hope to finish reading a paperback book I have been reading this week so I can return it to a friend who loaned it to me Monday.

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Is this color easily readable for everyone?  If not, please mention it, we have so many choices!

I am very happy to report that I'm feeling almost back to normal today!  Praise God!  He always answers prayer!
I felt pretty bad most of yesterday, but still able to enjoy playing with the little great grand girls.  They are such fun!  Dinner was wonderful, even though I didn't feel like eating much at all.  A couple of the other adults had also been sick,  .  We came home early, relaxed and watched a couple of Christmas movies on Hallmark Channel, went to bed at 9:00 and I slept really well and woke feeling happy and refreshed!  I have to go to the bank to straighten out a credit card issue, go to Dollar General for a couple of items, then I'm coming home to rest and enjoy the rest of the day! 

I'm so very happy that I will be able to make the Guatemala trip after all, as I was quite concerned about that!

Larry, glad you had a pleasant Thanksgiving Day, and were blessed with a freshly baked pie!  My chocolate and lemon pies turned out good, even though I had lots of trouble concentrating while making them, because I felt so bad. I left the remains for the Crawfords to enjoy, except for one piece of lemon I brought home for me. 

Jackie, you're absolutely right!  And I know I pushed my body beyond what I should have, and yes, I paid the price. And I didn't like it, not one little bit!    But am so happy for the healing power of God in my life!

Hello, Carol, Ruth Ann, Judy, Pat, and all the rest of you!  Hope to see posts from all of you soon!

We ate our Thanksgiving meal outdoors - needing only a sweater.  How different than a Minnesota holiday - never forget the roads. 

Don was too tired to talk to one of the boys - he had taken a walk and this is what happens.  We are a bit concerned about returning to the higher altitude in Colorado.  We plan to see everyone before and on Christmas Day.  What is that saying?  Man Plans, God Laughs!  Man proposes, God disposes! 

Janet:  I like your new color - so you have it set on Bold?  If not, the next color may be the one I am using now.  The Navy color is nice too - but that is just my nothing opinion.

I have been in the kitchen cooking ground beef for four separate meals, and pork sausage for a huge dressing to go with baked chickens.  There are about 3 meals already frozen of Swedish meatballs and cream gravy.  If something needs heating, it is easy to put together a salad.  Just trying to get ahead of sudden visitors - I really hope people give us more notice this year.  Don needs his rest so I am the gatekeeper and may have to say sorry.

Larry:  This bible reading started with two chapters of Genesis, one of Psalms, and one of John - the first morning.  We go through an entire book and then the 3 books change. There is room to write a thought after reading.  Years ago, I read from the very beginning through. I am so glad that this was a hand-out at church because it gets me motivated every morning. --- Pat and you are very good at spacing your time and resting when you need. 

 


 

Hi Everyone. It looks like we will be having a cloudy day with a 20% chance of some more rain starting about 11 this morning.  I can see that it has rained during the night.  I am fighting that old feeling of fatigue this morning and have had a hard time getting my motor running.  I may decide to pass my normal Saturday meeting at 10:30 and just stay home and rest.  I have things all ready to fix Pat's breakfast so that will not be difficult.  My only plans for this afternoon will be to rest and watch some football, which I have also done the last couple of days as there are lots of games on around Thanksgiving.  I watched both football and basketball yesterday.

Yesterday morning Pat fixed a delicious cabbage soup in the Instant Pot and we decided to have our main meal around 1 pm while the soup was still nice and hot.  It is made with rice, sausage, pasta sauce, onions  and cabbage plus some seasonings.  I had gotten all of the ingredients set up along with the measuring cups and spoons before I left to go to the store and get my tires checked.  When I got home the soup was smelling very good.

I was surprised yesterday that I actually needed air in all four of my tires.  I did call my mechanic and found that since they used synthetic oil when they changed it last that I had another close to 3,000 miles before I needed to change it so can scratch that task off my to-do list for next week.

Judy, thanks for posting the beautiful Christmas song.  I couldn't get the link to load so did a quick search and found a version done by the Concordia Chapel Choir.  I am not familiar with it and wanted to hear it and it is beautiful.  This is the link:  https://www.google.com/search?q=All+My+Heart+This+Night+Rejoices&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1-ab 

Janet, no problem here with the color you used for your posting.  Sure glad to read you are feeling better but also that you plan on getting more rest.  We can push ourselves only so far and then we get rebellion in one form or another.  At least you got to be with family for Thanksgiving even if you didn't feel like eating much. 

Carol, I don't think I have ever eaten a holiday meal outside.  It seems there comes a time when we can no longer keep up with all of the family traditions we have known for so many years.  I do hope you all can get back to have Christmas with your family.  It sounds like you are getting preparations made for company that you may have.  I am glad you are the gatekeeper.  Having a specific program for your Bible study helps keeps a person on track.  I used the "read the Bible" plan that I think I found on the Internet.

Thank you Larry for the link, I am taking the carols from the carol library that you have prepared sometime ago.  I try to find the history to go with them.

A bit of history on "Angles From the Realms of Glory"

In 1778, there lived in Scotland a small lad, James Montgomery, whose father and mother were called as missionaries to the West Indies. They deemed it best to leave young James in a Moravian community in County Antrim, Ireland. He later was sent to a school in England, which proved to be an unhappy experience. To add to his dejection, his parents died when he was only 12 years of age.

James was left with nothing. A short time later, because of bad marks in school, he was taken out of classes and given a job in a grocery establishment. This also was short lived, and he soon became little more than a vagabond.

During his early teen years, he began to write poetry. When things got really tough, in order to survive, he would sell his poems on the streets of London. His wondering took him to Sheffield where he gained employment in the office of a newspaper, the Sheffield Register. The opportunity to help run the business of the newspaper and to write for its pages soon proved to be tremendously useful. When he was only 23 years of age, the owner of the newspaper, after having been jailed several times, was driven out of town for his open stand in favor of Ireland's freedom from Great Britain. Young Montgomery took over the newspaper and changed the name to Sheffield Iris. He, too, took a strong stand against civil problems of the day and on more than one occasion found himself in jail because of things he wrote. It was not easy being Irish under English rule.

The Sheffield Iris began to prosper, and Montgomery became a wealthy man. At last, he had a place to publish his poems. He was also a great help to the community in that he became a supporter of the British Bible Society. Through the following years, he rose to be one of the most respected and honored men in that town. His newspaper was widely read by the citizens of Sheffield.

On Christmas eve 1816, after reading in Luke chapter two of the heralding of the angels, he began to write. At days end he had written a poem that appeared in his newspaper the following day.

Angels from the realms of glory,

Wing your flight o'er all the earth.

Ye who sang creation's story,

Now proclaim Messiah's birth.


Come and worship, come and worship,

Worship Christ, the newborn King.

A blind songwriter and organist, Henry Smart, wrote a melody that was later used as a musical setting for Montgomery's poem. The song was first sung in a Moravian Church in England, on Christmas day in 1821, and from that day on the world would have the wonderful carol, often heard at Christmastime, "Angels From the Realms of Glory."

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the

heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:13-14

An interesting note on this, Pat, and her husband Jack  lived for a period of time lived in County Antrim, and I lived with them going to school there!

Have a great day folks! 

Good Saturday morning to you all!

I have some books ready to mail, but our PO Window isn't open on Saturday, so I guess Monday will have to be the day for that task.  Larry's and Jane's are included!

I'm getting all laundry caught up, and meals planned so as to use up what few groceries are on hand, as we haven't been grocery shopping since we got home, and now there are only a few days until we leave for Guatemala, so will wait for the big shopping until we return home again.  And we plan to stay home after that, for the foreseeable future. 
I cannot get the music on here to play, but did listen to the choir Larry gave us the link for.  Beautiful.  I
so love the Christmas carols, and even though they won't play on my computer, I sing them anyway, so I appreciate your efforts, Judy--and love reading the history of them. That was a very inspiring story of the writer of Angels From the Realms of Glory.

I spent a long time online yesterday, doing my Christmas shopping.  And I think I'm almost done!  That's a relief! I knew I didn't have the energy to go to the stores (of which we hardly have any) and look, so am thankful for the internet where one can find almost anything!

May God bless us every one on this day!

Thank you for the beautiful music along with the most interesting history.  Judy - how super nice you were able to live overseas for awhile.  I meant to mention that the minute I read the word "Concordia", I knew it was Lutheran.  Morehead is a nice place..
I cannot get the latest song because my computer tells me the disc is empty. 

Larry, we lived in Texas - north of Dallas - and it usually was too cold to sit outside at Thanksgiving too.  There were ice storms at that time of the year - one son was married near Thanksgiving in Fort Worth and it was a miracle everyone was able to drive through the ice storm that year. 

Don is making arrangements for parking our car when we leave for Denver.  Our middle son just checked the house - it was very windy when he was walking home from our house.  So windy, we could barely hear each other on the cell phone. 

Janet:  No one ever really "get laundry caught up".  I hope you are totally healthy before you take off again.  I am going to call you Wandering Janet.

We have mail.  I watched the little mail truck pause and add letters to our box.  It drove down the street, came back and made a U-turn and added more to our box.  Remembering the time, years ago, I had to walk into the building for the mail. I came out, opened the door, sat and started to go through the mail.  Something was odd - I looked over and had seated myself next to a stranger - he had a similar Subaru and was I ever embarrassed. 

Carol, that's a fun memory.  I meant to mention that we have eaten Thanksgiving out on the picnic table a couple of years as it was delightfully warm.  That's been quite a number of years ago now.
 
You may call me whatever you like, Carol, as I know they won't be mean names. 

Our Guatemala team is to be commissioned in the morning at church, and they asked us to go by pastor's house to pick up our team T-shirts, so we can all wear them to church in the morning, which we did.  I'm happy they are turquoise and not gray!!     

Jackie, Ruth Ann, Rebot, Jane, Marilyn and whoever else peeks in sometimes, come on in!  We promise not to bite, and we miss you!

My body says, "go take a nap!"  And so I shall!

I have hired a caregiver to work for both of us. She will work 8 hrs a day 3 days a week, over the Christmas holiday she will be here with Keith tho whole time I am in California. She also  does cleaning and meal prep. She has worked in the Memory care facilities both here and in Bandon. She knew who I was as soon as I said Freckles was my dog who visited the facility to see my hospice patient. Her experience and background is just what I need for K<eith. She is on the Senior care registry who does extensive background checks every 6 months.She charges $14 per hour but with her experience she is well worth every dollar. I will not have to do any housework and will only be taking care of Keith after 4 pm 2 days a week and  then I will care for him all weekend. He has to have daily in fusions so he can't go with me.

Marilyn, that is wonderful news!
 So glad you have reliable, knowledgable help!  What a relief that has to be.  And $14 per hour is very reasonable--some charge more than that for housecleaning! Glad you can get away for a bit at Christmas.

Carol, I always try to use Bold, as it makes it easier to read.  This color is what I would call teal.

Hi Everyone. It looks like we are in for another cloudy day, just like yesterday.  It is to get to 60 degrees this afternoon.  The only thing on the schedule for today is attending Sunday School and Church and then being sure we have something for our main meal of the day.  I am hopeful that Pat will feel up to going to Church but it is too early to know yet.  Yesterday was a lost day as was so fatigued I didn't want to do anything that didn't have to be done. 

Judy, thanks for posting the new Christmas Hymn and the background information.  Most of those hymns I fixed up a number of years ago were MIDI files.  Interesting that both you and Pat lived in the county where the author had his newspaper.

Janet, did you get my check for your book?  It sounds like you may have some interesting meals as you prepare for your Guatemala trip.  Sitting and shopping online sure beats walking those long store aisles.  Our Mission teams always have matching tee shirts on the day they are commissioned. 

Carol, are you saying the link for the Concordia Choir doesn't work for you?  I agree with you that the laundry doesn't seem to ever get caught up.  Pat often starts the load and then I will transfer to the dryer and then hang up or fold the clothes.  Did you make a new friend when you sat down next to the stranger. 

Marilyn, glad to read you have found someone to care give for you and Keith. I was happy to read you will be able to go to California for the Christmas holidays.  I would say the fee you pay is reasonable and it sounds like she will do a lot more than just care for Keith. Is he taking his infusions at home?

Larry Keith has all his infusions at the hospial it is mopre sanitary there and medicare will only pay if at the hospital. Foir the first 3 days after my eye surgery  the medical transport van will pick him up and bring him home, I should be able to drive by next Saturday to take him myself. The caregiver doesn't have a car yet so I will be the one taking him every day and will arrange for transport for the days I will be in California.

Janet I see you are doing a Mission trip to Guatemala, That should be very interesting. I pray you will be safe there with all that ison the news about Guatemala.

Good Sunday to all. 

Larry:  It was very embarrassing to realize I had jumped into someone else's vehicle.  Then, we both started laughing.  What else can a person do in that situation?  Pat is handy with her ipot - I am still taking it slow to learn how it works and have been satisfied with the results.  Today is chicken soup in the crock pot. I did get the Concordia choir. 

I sure do miss the Christmas programs with children.  No one that age in our family'

Have a wonderful Sunday everyone!

 

Different color today! 
I meant to comment about the laundry, too,  Carol, you're so right about it never really being caught up!  I heard a story many years ago about a young black woman who was getting married.  Her grandma took her aside and told her, "Now, honey, you don't need to think your work will ever be caught up.  You work and work all day, then go to bed; but while you is sleepin', dust is a-settlin', sheets is a-wrinklin, and stomachs is a gettin empty!"  And "ain't it the truth? 

Marilyn, I haven't seen much news since we got home, but I think most of the trouble is in Honduras, not Guatemala, at least in relation to the mob trying to force their way into our country. Are you having cataract surgery?

Carol, we now have great-grands in grade school, so get to go to kids' Christmas programs.  Always fun!

Yes, Larry, for sure it is easier to buy online than go to stores, especially if you have at least an hour's drive to the stores before you stand and walk all day, fighting the crowds.  I'm not totally 100% feeling good yet, and sure don't want to take chances.  And if I don't get anything bought, that's okay, too, as I already have gifts for the little ones.  I have asked my family for at least four years NOT to buy us anything, but they still do, anyway. What I really want to do is skip the gift buying, and instead buy something to help a poor family in a third-
world country, like chickens, a calf or a pair of rabbits, something they can use to help sustain themselves.

Darrel is watching football through closed eyelids  .

I have been gathering things for Guatemala gifts: hotel size soaps, shampoos, lotions; also pens, small notepads; stove blessing gifts of pot holders, mixing spoons, and full size bars of soap.  I need to buy some washcloths tomorrow, then I think I have everything.  Of course, I haven't started packing yet.  We are only taking a carry-on each, so we don't have to pay for a checked bag. We can easily pack for a week in a carry-on, even with the gifts, plus a backpack to use daily while walking up the mountain and back.  Need to carry water, etc. with us.

Larry--yes, I got your check, have your book ready to mail tomorrow.  Our PO window isn't open on Saturday or it would already be on the way!

I think a nap sounds great!

Marilyn, it sounds like you have things well organized.  There are many resources available if we only know about them.  What are you having done with your eyes if you don't mind saying? 

Carol, a few months ago I was leaving the Church and saw what I thought was my car and went to it but my key fob wouldn't open the door.  When I looked in the window I saw the front seat was very near the steering wheel and I didn't recognize what was inside.  I sure was glad no one saw me.  I had parked in that location in the past and obviously had forgotten where I had parked that day.  The cars look so much alike anymore.  Our children and then our grandchildren grow up so quickly.  I can remember only going to something our granddaughter was in one time when we were visiting in Kansas City where she lived. 

Janet, I like your story and that old black woman had it right.  We will never be able to go to any programs that our great grandchildren are in.  I do enjoy seeing our little ones at Church.  Our son has asked us not to get him any Christmas presents but that is not going to happen.  It is our joy to give gifts all year round and to help him our when he needs it.  Just having him want to spend time with us means a lot more than something he would buy.  I look forward to getting the book and sure it will be read quickly as that was certainly the case with your first book.  I did have a short nap this afternoon and got up feeling more like my normal self.

History of Hymns: "Angels, We Have Heard on High"
by C. Michael Hawn and Jeanne Larson Williams

French crèche

French crèche
"Angels We Have Heard on High"
Traditional French Carol
The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 238

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o'er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.
Gloria in excelsis Deo!

The French people love to sing at Christmas! Chants de Noël (Christmas Carols) from France may be found in most English-language hymnals. In Luke 2:14 we find the canticle of the angel's song—one of the most famous and frequently sung of the Christmas canticles. The refrain of "Angels we have heard on high" is taken directly from this verse.

Reflecting a common theme found throughout the history of Christian hymnody, a cosmic chorus resounds in the first stanza. The chorus begins in heaven with the angels. Then the "mountains in reply" echo back in response—antiphonally, symbolizing the participation of earth.

The entire hymn is a traditional French carol that originated as early as the eighteenth century, and was published in North America in Nouveau recueil de cantiques (New Hymnal) for the Diocese of Quebec in 1819. Several versions, or translations, of the text can be found, but they all stem from the same source and are inspired by Luke 2:6-20.

The original hymn appeared in French – "Les anges dans nos campagnes" – in eight stanzas arranged in a dialogue form alternating between the shepherds (Bergers) in stanzas one, three, and six, and the women (Femmes de Bethlehem) in stanzas two, four, and seven. All sing together in stanzas five and eight.

The carol first entered into Methodist hymnals in 1935 in an anonymous version from the play, The Nativity. It uses the text, "Hearken all! what holy singing now is sounding from the sky!"  The melody is the same, but the harmonization was modified in the 1966 Methodist Hymnal by the well-known anthem composer Austin C. Lovelace (1919-2010). The 1966 Methodist Hymnal also changed the text to "Angels we have heard on high" because of the popularity of the text used in anthems at the time.

The English translation by James Chadwick (1813-1882), Roman Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, was taken from Crown of Jesus (1862), subtitled, "a complete Catholic manual of devotion, doctrine, and instruction." The carol was found in the section headed "The Twelve Mysteries of the Sacred Infancy" with the title "Christmas Hymn," reduced to four stanzas in English.

The original text is changed in the 1966 Methodist Hymnal, and the 1989 The United Methodist Hymnal continues the changes with one exception: stanza three changes "him" to "Christ" for inclusive language reasons.

"Angels we have heard on high" is a song of invitation from Christians to others to come celebrate Christ's birth with them. The carol begins in a festive spirit, but then, in the second stanza, asks why there is a celebration.  In the third stanza, an invitation to is given to join the celebration.  The fourth stanza concludes the carol with the observation of Christ's birth and the Christian's joyful response.

"Angels we have heard on high" is a perfect song to accompany the French tradition of the crèche. Handmade nativity scenes are not only common in homes, but also in town squares. Little clay figures, traditionally made in the south of France, are called "santons" ("little saints").  Fine craftsmanship characterizes the production of these figures, and they are a source of local pride for the communities that produce them. It is interesting that "crèche" is also the French term for a nursery for young children during the day.

French crèche

This tradition is particularly strong in Provence, the south of France, with a crèche that includes the Holy Family, the Magi, the shepherds, and the animals, along with additional local figures, such as the mayor, the little drummer boy, or a peasant dressed in traditional attire. In some villages, people dress as the shepherds and join in a procession to the church. Children often contribute to domestic crèches by bringing small stones, moss, and evergreens to complete the scene. Then everyone sings carols!

The tune has also undergone some changes. Austin C. Lovelace harmonized the French carol in 1964. The 1935 Methodist Hymnal uses an earlier harmonization, which is anonymous.  Technically, this is a macaronic carol because it uses two languages: the local vernacular and Latin. The carol uses the effect of a refrain and is one of the few texts that congregations sing regularly in Latin: "Gloria in excelsis Deo!"  It is unusual for congregations to sing a long melisma (many notes on one syllable) and enjoy it.  The melisma on the refrain adds to the joyful, celebratory feel of the entire hymn.

There are a lot of changes happening in our family  Heather is moving north to be closer to her brother and us.  He will be just a few miles away from her and us 2 and 1/2 hours instead of 5 hours away.  I am so looking forward to seeing more of her.

John has taken a course in Mississauga.  The courts are making this course part of people keeping their license when speeding or other driving convictions.   It is a very comprehensive defensive driving course.  I am excited to see  this come to North Eastern Ontario. 

I will sign off for tonight.  Have a great upcoming week folks.

The course that Judy mentioned that I took in Mississauga, I will be teaching. I didn't take the course because of court order. I am looking forward to instructing this and hope to make a difference in our road safety.

Hi Everyone.  It is another dreary looking morning and will remain partly cloudy throughout the day.  It is now 52 degrees but only suppose to get up into the mid-50's later today.  I am expecting a friend to stop bye to spend an hour with me shortly.  Then I plan on making a quick trip to Walmart to return some light bulbs I purchased and to get a couple of other things.  That will be it as far as anything planned for today.  I enjoyed a very restful night's sleep and woke up feeling like taking on the day.

John, as I read Judy's posting about you taking the  court ordered training class I sort of knew you weren't taking it by court order.  I hope you will enjoy teaching the course.  Will this be an ongoing activity for you?

Judy, once again thanks for posting the Christmas hymn and the background story.  I know you will be happy to have Heather closer to you and a relief to know that she will be even closer to her brother.