RECENT READING

I just finished the 3-book series by Beverly Lewis entitled "The Courtship of Nellie Fisher." The first one in the series is "The Parting."
I've always enjoyed reading books written by Lewis but this time she has outdone herself. For one thing, they are somewhat historical as they deal with something that actually happened in the Old Order Amish community in the 1960's. I highly recommend these books to anyone who enjoys good Christian books!

Today I saw something that sent my mind spinning in a direction that I hadn't thought about in quite a while. Does that ever happen to you? You see or hear or smell something and it reminds you of something entirely different.

Well, I saw someone on TV that made me remember a day-trip my family made to Nelson, British Columbia, Canada, about 1985 or 86.

My Sweetie has some relatives that live in northern Idaho, just below the Canadian border. We went to Idaho to visit friends and decided to look up this Aunt that my husband had never met.
We found her and her son, living in a log cabin in the forest of northern Idaho. YD was ready to move in immediately -- it was like "Little House In the Big Woods" had come to life!

We had a lovely visit and then, hearing that we had never been to Canada, cousin asked if we would like to go there. We agreed so the 6 of us piled in their car and headed north. At the border the guards knew the cousin by name -- he conducted business on both sides of the border on a regular basis. We crossed and then drove along side Kootenay Lake for a number of miles -- about an hour of travel. Kootenay is a glacial lake and is long, narrow, and deep. Finally we arrived at the ferry point and got in line in our car. When the ferry arrived and we drove on-board and began the 30 minute trip across the lake. That ferry is the longest free ferry in North America, and is for the convenience of people who live on one side of the lake so that they can visit and shop on the other side. Otherwise, the existence of this long, narrow lake would effectively divide the two areas.

After landing on the other side we drove a few miles to the town of Nelson, British Columbia.
We did a little sight seeing and then stopped in the down-town area to have lunch and to shop.
As we looked around I saw something that puzzled me. All the buildings were flying American flags! Strange -- we were in Canada.

I asked cousin for an answer to this puzzling sight and he didn't have a clue. There had always been Canadian flags in the past. We actually did see a Canadian flag in the outskirts of the town but in the down-town area, all the flags were U. S. Stars and Stripes.

The waitress in the drugstore sandwich shop provided the answer to our question. The movie, Roxann, was being filmed in Nelson and since it was supposed to be happening in an American town, they had hung the American flags. She said that it really gave her a strange feeling to see the American flags flying. I never saw Roxann, but if you did, you can know that the town shown was actually in Canada, despite the U.S. flags! I later wondered if the red, British-style phone booths were shown in the movie. At that time I would have said that no American cities or towns have those type of phone booths so that would be a dead give-away. Not so, however, in nearby Houston there is an area called the UK (Upper Kerby) and they have the red phone booths as a gimmick to attract shoppers to the area.

We drove back via the Salmo Pass, a new road that also provided access to both sides of the lake, but involved many more miles of driving. All-in-all, it was an interesting day.

Today is Thanksgiving Day and Sweetie and I are spending our first Thanksgiving alone. YD and her little one could have come over, but they were invited to go with friends and we encouraged them to accept the invitation. We were just visiting with my parents and assorted other relatives a couple of weeks ago, for the 68th anniversary celebration, and we are going back there mid-December, so we had no desire to go there for this special day. Instead we elected to stay home and enjoy each other's company.


We had a special breakfast -- REAL BACON! Sweetie had real eggs but I stuck with my Egg Beaters since I was splurging on the bacon. It was nice to get to share breakfast. Normally he goes off to work before I get out of bed and I eat alone.


After breakfast he went out to continue working on the fence restoration (because of Ike) and I made pumpkin pies. I made one regular one, and one with cheesecake in it. For several years we could purchase pumpkin pies made with a swirl of cheesecake in them. Those are no longer available so I decided to see what I could "invent." We haven't eaten them yet but I did taste and I think I'm going to like the results.

The fence repair went well and was finished, and the new gate hung, around 1 pm. Sweetie came in and took a shower and sat down to rest a bit. I was back in the kitchen preparing our special dinner. With just the two of us we elected to skip the big turkey dinner. Actually, we eat turkey about once a month, along with oven baked sweet potatoes. That is what we had last night. Today we had ribeye steaks -- they were really delicious! Sweetie had garlic flavored rice with his, and a green salad. I had green beans cooked with potatoes. Both of us had our usual vegetable medely that we have with steak -- bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms sauted and served over the steak. Oh, the meal was so good! We haven't had a good steak in a while, trying to stay on the chicken/fish regime that is supposed to be healthier, so we relished the taste of red meat! Although I do love vegetables, I could not be a vegetarian -- I do love meat!

Throughout the day I've been thinking about the things I'm thankful for.

First of all -- always -- I am thankful for salvation! That our God could love us so much that he sent his only Son to earth to die for our sins is just an awesome thing. It is always first on my list of things to be thankful for.

Second, I'm thankful for my husband. Another gift from God! We've been married 34 1/2 years and I am thankful for him every day. Now, some days I may have to strain a little to be thankful because he's not perfect and sometimes he rubs me the wrong way, but he still make my life delightful and I do appreciate him.

Third, I'm thankful for my children. I gave birth to one, the Lord allowed me to adopt two more, and then Sweetie provided the fourth and final child. They all have been a blessing to my life.

I'm also thankful for other members of my family. Seven grandchildren, parents, three brothers and three lovely sisters-in-law, various nieces, nephews, and cousins. Oh, yes, and my children-in-law. They, also, are a blessing because they make my children happy.

I'm thankful for health. I sometimes wish I was a little taller and a little slimmer but, basically, I enjoy good health and I am very thankful for that. Sweetie is also in good health. My parents have lived to their mid 80's and while their health is not without challenges, they still live alone and enjoy their life together.

I am thankful for the gift of sight -- for hearing -- for my voice -- for the sense of smell and taste and touch. How different my life would be without those things!

I am thankful that I live in this great nation! We are preparing for a change in leadership so there is some uncertainty in the future but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else!

I am thankful for friends. God has blessed us with many good friends and I enjoy their company.

I am thankful for my church -- I am glad every week when it is time to go to church. We are blessed with friends there, also.

I am thankful for the "things" that I have been blessed with. A beautiful home, good food, reliable transportation, a sewing machine or two, cameras, (Sweetie's motorcycle because it brings him so much pleasure) washing machines, vacuums, etc. Things that make my life easier and sometimes more rewarding.

I am thankful for the natural world around me -- for flowers and trees and grass -- for water in the form of lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans -- for rain and mist and fog -- for sunlight -- for coolness and for warmth. I'm thankful for the creatures of this world. This morning, while I talked with my east coast brother, he described the scene out of his kitchen window. A buck, doe, and two fawns wandered into his yard. Squirrels and various brightly colored birds were feeding in the grass. Sounded marvelous! We get squirrels and birds but don't have deer where we live. Last night a skunk wandered down the meadow and left a calling card on the wind that came in my bedroom window. I know there are other small creatures that share the meadow, and I am happy to have them there.

So many things to be thankful for!! Almost too many to mention.

What are you thankful for? Drop me a comment and let me know what you are most appreciative of. I look forward to hearing from you!

Well, the blog ate my quilt show pictures! The slide show isn't running anymore. Eventually, I guess I'll figure out what is wrong, but for now, it isn't there. Sorry!

A couple of weeks ago I spent two wonderful days at the Houston International Quilt Show 2008. What fun! If you've never gone to a quilt show like this one, you've missed a treat. Quilts don't always look like the one your grandmother put on her bed. Quilting has EVOLVED!! Each year we have special exhibits at our quilt show. One year there were Amish quilts -- another we saw quilts from Gees Bend. We see quilt journals, traditional pieced quilts, art quilts, antique quilts and quilts as fresh as this morning's newspaper. A variety of styles and colors and techniques and materials and . . . and . . . oh, just so many different things that you literally hit sensory overload and have to stop looking for a while to let your mind rest.

What can you do then? Why, shop of course! Several hundred vendors set up booths and what a treat it is to shop up and down the vendor aisles. So many things you never knew you just had to have! The fat quarters alone will make your heart sing.
Thousands of fat quarters to browse through! Oh, they do delight my eyes.

Gadgets galore! Now, we aren't going to talk about just how many of my purchases have gone directly into a drawer never to be seen again. Nope, won't talk about those! But I will tell you that this year I bought a circle cutter. I've wanted one for ages and I really got a great buy. Anybody need a circle cut? I can do a perfect one.

Each year I look at all the new machines and drool over them. Oh, to have a long arm quilter! But, what room will I empty out to accommodate it? Don't have one and don't do enough quilting to justify having one, either, so . . .

This year I confess I did more than look at machines, however. I bought a new Viking Husqvarna Topaz 30. This is the embroidery machine that comes with two hoops and a multitude of patterns. I haven't even gotten it out of the box yet BUT next week, when things slow down a little, I'm going to get it out and play!! I'll let you know how it turns out!

I had planned to put a slide show on with quilt show pictures BUT, once again I can't get that option to work. Sigh. Oh, well, I'll keep trying. Meanwhile, I'll just play with my new machine. Should be able to really make something beautiful, right? Should be.

Don't we have it all!

Sweetie and I have been at the local dollar stores buying items for our Christmas shoe boxes. We decided to purchase plastic shoe boxes with snap-on lids instead us using cardboard shoe boxes. We figure they can be used for a long time and are relatively water proof and perhaps insect proof.

It was an interesting experience since there were several other people in there also buying for their shoe boxes. Two older teenage boys were having a blast! They were buying all the things that they had enjoyed as younger kids. One woman and son were buying things he liked since they always buy for a boy the age of the son.

Miss Willie and her family (daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter) picked up 20 shoeboxes from Kingsland last week. They buy items all year and then when the boxes are available they have a great time filling them from their year's worth of goodies. It is part of their Christmas tradition.

Not knowing where the boxes will go creates somewhat of a dilemma. Many countries do not have the same customs that we have. For instance -- pink for girls and blue for boys. Much of the world does not make that distinction. Babies don't have pastel blankets with Disney animals. In Africa they like bright colors -- "baby" designs are not sought after. If, on the other hand, the boxes go to American children the characters on them will make a difference. i.e., Dora the Explorer for girls and some boy character for the boys. (I'm out of touch -- who are the boy characters now?) If the kids don't have TV, they don't know about Dora or Speed Racer, transformers, Star Wars, etc., so then it doesn't make a difference.

We looked at gloves -- but we don't know if they are going to a country that will need gloved at this time of year.

Scrunchies seem a good choice for girls but you often see little girls with short hair in the TV commercials for different kinds of aid. Perhaps it is easier to keep clean if they keep it cut short. We bought Care Bear clips. Will they know what to do with them? Perhaps the people who arrive with the boxes will show them.

Anyway, it was fun and was a lesson in dealing with basics and necessities. In a recent GMA show a woman was there promoting the shoe box program. She had been a recipient of a shoe box when she was a child and it was the first gift she had ever been given. What joy that must have brought.

If you aren't doing shoe boxes this year I encourage you to think about doing so.

A test!

Saturday afternoon my Sweetie and I went on a canoe trip through a section of the Colorado River. It was a beautiful day, the water was low but adequate for our journey. We've never gone boating before -- well, we did ride a raft down the Colorado River in Colorado but that was more like white water rafting. This was to be peaceful paddling.

It was -- paddling -- BUT...

Shortly after we started I decided that every couple, from engagement on, should have to take a canoe trip together! It is a real test of your ability to work together.

First of all, neither one of us really knew just what we were supposed to be doing. Oh, sure, getting from point A to point B. Yeah, right! How? The other canoes (7 in our group) mostly disappeared from sight early on. We were one of the last three even though we were the second to launch. Did you know you can do doughnuts in a canoe just like you can a car? Well, trust me on this, it not only can be done but we did it frequently. We also paddled backward quite well.

Paddling a canoe is a little like steering a car in a skid. You turn (paddle)opposit the direction you want to go. You have to be in agreement about just where you are aiming for. I was in the front and Sweetie was in the back. His stroke is more powerful than mine -- just simple differences in our upper body strength. I understood the principle -- we wanted to go straight ahead most of the time, unless we were missing something submerged or an island. I thought I understood what I was doing. He, on the other hand, did not think I understood at all. We worked at cross purposes (hence the doughnuts!)

Ok, submissive little wife put down her independence and said, "Darling, just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it." (Aren't I sweet!) We would be heading in the wrong direction and he'd say, "Paddle on the right side (or the left side.)" and I'd frown, because I was sure that was the wrong way, but I'd do it. About two strokes later he'd yell -- "No, no, the other side." By then we were halfway around in our doughnut --- AGAIN!!

We saw both banks of the river all the way down -- I tried to pretend that I was merely looking at the flora and fauna -- that it was deliberate. I don't think we fooled anyone. We just couldn't keep it straight!

About 2 hours into our 3 or so hour journey we stopped on a sandbar with the others to take a break from sitting. Lovely place, the children played in the water, we chatted and ate snacks and drank our water. Then Sweetie and I set sail again. Ok, no sail, but I wanted to get ahead of the pack. This time Sweetie got in front and I rode in the back. Oh, my. I got dizzy from all the doughnuts. One by one, the other canoes passed us and once again we were the back of the pack. Around and around we went. Finally, Sweetie, at this point very frustrated, decided to stand up and change his seat cushion. Yes, he stood up! in a canoe! in the water! and guess what -- over we went! Into the river! A very wet river! Fortunately, we were in a rather shallow area, but I was all over wet. I went to grabbing camera (in double zip-lock bags) paddles, water bottle, cushions, etc. The canoe never really sank but with water in it (we were told) it weighs 2000 pounds. Took a bit of doing and some help to get it turned over and emptied. My camera fared well but his cell phone bag leaked and it appeared that the phone had drowned. :-(

When we finally got the boat mostly empty of water I decided I was getting back in the front. Sweetie was totally embarassed, and greatly apologetic, and he was more inclined to follow my lead at this point. We managed to complete the trip without other mishaps. It was an occasion for friendly laughter among our group members when we landed at the pick-up point. Thankfully we were able to deliver canoe, paddles, cushions, life vests, etc., all intact.

While preparing for the trip I decided to take along a change of clothing. Tried to talk myself out of it but no, it just seemed a wise thing to do. Thank goodness, I didn't have to ride back home (hour drive) in those wet garments. I was so happy to get into dry clothing! Didn't take extra shoes but did have my beach shoes in the car so they sufficed for the ride home. (I should have been wearing them in the canoe!)

So back to the engaged couples -- I think it says a lot about a couple's ability to work together if they can paddle a canoe in somewhat the direction they want to go. It takes a lot of teamwork -- a reasonable amount of give and take -- the ability to laugh at yourself -- the ability to let go and let someone else lead -- and, oh, yes, forgiveness!

Well, a new life experience for this old married couple! It is a lot funnier now than when I was sloshing around in the river!

And, on a final note, we dried out the cell phone and after a while it came back to life and appears to be just fine! Praise the Lord!!

Thought I would share this picture of my Dad. He served as a Seabee during WWII.
For those years I thought anyone in a Navy uniform was my Daddy! Wasn't he a cutie!

I've been reading "Jessie" by Lori Wick. At one point in the book one of her characters talks about becoming a pupil of the pupil. This is how she puts it . . . the following are excerpts from her book:

"What does the pupil in the eye do when it encounters light? It shrinks. It diminishes. Unless damaged or impaired by poor health, the pupil gets as small as possible as fast as it can. . . . . How do I respond to light, and by light this time I mean God's light? Do I see my own smallness? Do I grasp how tiny I am in God's light? . . . . .When I compare the shrinking of my pupil to humility and an understanding of its place in my life, I realize that when the light shines, "I" must diminish. I must grow tiny and know my place. . . . . I must shrink when I see how huge and amazing the Creator is who made eyes. Eyes that don't have to be trained to get small when the light comes in. Eyes made exactly as we need them because God is a perfect, Creator God."

What a concept! Our eyes are created to respond to light in just the right way. We, however, let our own egos keep us from responding to the "God's Light" in a humble manner. This certainly needs to be thought about.

Housekeeping chores

Ok -- I'm learning how it is done! I removed the four single pictures and got the slide show back.

This has been a very busy week -- My friend has almost finished the hooded cape she is making, and has been brave enough to fix her own problem when the thread wound itself around the bobbin case. She is still sewing on the decorative ribbon else it would have been a great day for Hannah to have worn it. It was cold this morning!

I bought some black posterboard for the picture exhibit I'm doing for the Anniversary/Reunion. OD -- where are you when I need your scrapbooking talents!

V and I have been working on her spelling and reading skills (she was restricted from TV for two days due to a sassy mouth.) She normally makes high grades on spelling but last week she failed the test. Have no idea why. She gets in too big a hurry, I think.

Class went well -- had just the Chinese students this week and we worked hard on opposits. hot/cold hard/soft. etc., and they learned quite a few new words. They did excellent work on the lesson on reading comprehension. I used a new book and think perhaps it is too easy. Both of them wrote in their journals and only required a few corrections. They have these marvelous devices that allow them to type in an English word and get the Chinese translation. There are some English words that are difficult to translate without using other, equally difficult, English words. Sometimes I just have them look them up on their little machines.

Well, I need to say Good-night and get the dinner put away -- Catfish Veracruz! Yum! Tomorrow night we dine with friends.

I had a slide show of some Alaskan pictures but it died. Don't know what happened but I haven't been able to resurrect it so here are three pictures -- I asked for more but this is what I got.
Oh, well, perhaps I'll figure it all out one of these days.

Alaska is a wonderful place to visit -- I'd like to go back again.

This evening didn't turn out like I expected. I had planned to shop a little, then go home, eat left-over Mexican food, and then do nothing in particular.

I was walking around in the new Hobby Lobby, talking to Sweetie on my cell, and someone called my name. It was a former ESL student. She was with her little daughter and they were looking at sewing patterns. We started talking and someway, don't ask me how, I ended up at her house giving her a sewing lesson. She has a new machine but no scissors that are descent for cutting cloth, didn't know how to thread the machine or to load a bobbin. We had to make a quick trip to my house for scissors and stopped off and bought pizza. It was an interesting evening and she is going to show up at King's Quilters on Monday -- is canceling her other plans so she can be there. We will probably finish the little hooded cape on Monday -- it is 75% done. She asked if she can come to our quilting meetings even if she does not quilt. I said yes, but quilting is a wonderful way to learn to sew. We'll see what happens. I have a sewing project that I want to do and a quilt top pinned and ready to be quilted -- and is a cute thing. I used a scrap of material someone gave me that has dinosaurs in primary colors against a white background. I sewed "logs" around it each dino, also in primary colors. The backing is a print of fish bones in primary colors. I know fish bones aren't exactly compatible with dinosaurs but somehow it works. Now it just needs to be quilted and bound and it will be ready for some new little baby to love.

Sweetie hasn't called tonight -- perhaps he went to bed early. I don't know what time they will leave tomorrow but they must break camp and repack before they leave. Will be a long day.
Hope all goes well.

Goodnight all!

OGS didn't show up this morning -- he was supposed to be here at 10 am to earn the money for his move. Didn't show! So much for his sense of responsibility. I'm sure he is still asleep. Oh well, not my problem.

Beautiful cool morning -- turned the a/c off again last night and slept well. I've been busy all morning. Tonight I'm dining out with a friend. That should be fun!

I think I'm going shopping Saturday. My last "free" day before Sweetie returns. I've really missed him.

What do we do?

OGS has decided to move to another city, about 3 hours from here. He thinks he will get a job (instantly, of course), move in with two strangers that know someone he knows and who can't easily pay their rent, and life will be grand.

I, on the other hand, think this is a disaster waiting to happen. Someone suggested that I save some money to take to bail him out when it all hits the fan!

What can we do? Pastor said some people just have to learn things the hard way. Guess this is one young man who has to do it that way. He hasn't been working for over a month -- actually, more like 2 months, I think. Didn't like working and didn't like having to pay "rent/food" while living at home. So, he just quit. No income, no having to pay -- right? Never keeps any job he gets so why does he think it will be different when he moves away? My Mom said he will end up sleeping on a park bench. I just hope that is the worse thing that happens. I don't want to think of him dead under a park bench.

I'd really like to convince him to join the army. It would provide so much of what he needs -- discipline, job training, camaraderie, a sense of belonging, discipline, getting to travel, a regular pay check, clothing allowance, and did I mention -- discipline? There are many army jobs he could apply for that might send him in the right direction.

I know about his plans because he called to ask me if he can come and work for me and get paid so he will have food money for two or three days, while he is getting his job. He said that "someone" doesn't think he has it all together and won't provide any money. Well, "someone" doesn't have money to provide him with and he doesn't have it all together. He is supposed to come over here to wash windows on Thursday.

Here we go again -- worrying about the kid. No matter how much he beats his chest and proclaims that he is an ADULT, he is really still just a kid!

This sounds like a disaster to me.

What do you think?

It is happening -- RAIN. Thank you, Lord. We needed it!

Just Playing

With Sweetie gone I'm having a week that is not my usual fare. Not much in the way of schedule -- oh, I have some things that have to be done at certain times but in other things I get to suit myself. Yesterday my BF and I went shopping and then to lunch. Hancock Fabrics had a Columbus Day sale and I had a gift card and coupons and decided to just get what I wanted! I did -- used up the gift card, the coupon, and some of my own money, but it was fun. I LOVE fabric! I bought some blue and some red for the "Texas" pot holders that I am making for my students, several spools of thread (1/2 price!), a number of "fat quarters" for a project I have in mind, and some insulated batting (for the pot holders.) Such fun! I enjoyed talking sewing and quilting with the clerks.
After shopping, BF and I had salads and talked and thoroughly enjoyed the time together.

I was loaned a book about Sitka, Alaska, and enjoyed looking at it. In one picture there is a picture of a Priest (Russian Orthodox?) wearing a beautiful cape. I looked at that cape and saw a quilt! So, I sat down to my computer and my EQ5 and designed one -- which I named Sitka!
What fun.

(The Quilt Show is coming, Hooray, Hooray!)

Another stop in my morning out was to the garden center where I found a large rosemary plant at 70% off! I have wanted one for some time but refused to pay the price asked. 70% discount is more my speed! Now I just need to make "Rosemary and Garlic Chicken."

I have laundry going and have been watering some. I am hoping the Lord will water for me today -- and I hear rumbles in the distance, but it hasn't come here so far. Haven't had real rain since the day after Ike.

Sweetie has asked my how I picture MY retirement. Do women who don't work outside the home get to retire? That is the question I am currently interested in. If Sweetie retires, (and he does plan to one of these days, Lord willing and the stock market doesn't crash) he won't get up and go to work every day. That will be a very visable change. What will change for me? He will be here more, and that will be nice. But, that isn't a BIG change in my routine. I joke that we are going to have a new "Division of Labor" when he retires. Does that sound logical? I wonder what other women have done. Does anyone have any suggestions for me?

Are You Lonesome Tonight?

Sweetie went off on a big adventure, without me (sigh, sniff). I could have gone but wanted him to have this time alone (with 3,000 others) so he could experience it to whatever degree appealed to him. This trip is his birthday gift from himself to himself. Happy Birthday, Sweetie!

Meanwhile, back at the farm, I'm lonesome. Wouldn't you know, there is no good TV tonight and I don't want to start sewing because I'm already tired. I guess I can do a little genealogy and then read or go to bed early. I have a lot planned for the rest of my time alone but tonight was a little vacant.

Before they left (3 in all) I was asked to pray for their safety. Of course, by then I was already teary eyed and I sniffled through the prayer. I know the Lord heard, however, and am trusting Him to provide the safety that I asked for. Sweetie kissed me several times and I guarantee you he didn't have tears in his eyes. He was just tickled to be going and excited to the bone! Have a great time, my love!

Are any of you lonesome?

Showers of Blessings!

I'm home again -- a week or so ago a parent has to be hospitalized. I left the next morning and drove to be with them during whatever ordeal was in coming.
10 days later I went home -- parent over the ordeal and at home and doing oh-so-much-better!
What a blessing. We had so many people praying for all of us.
Sweetie came down for two days and one night -- it was lovely to be together. (On my way home we met in a small near-by town and ate lunch together -- talked and talked and talked. That is something I miss when I'm away from home -- the sweet fellowship we have.)

Then, another blessing. After I got home friends called and invited us to join in on an impromptu get-together. Steaks on the bar-b along with this and that on the side. I took ice cream and we all pigged out! Friends are such a blessing.
This morning was church. Another blessing -- so many friends hugged me and complimented me on my haircut and told me I had been missed, etc. Lots of visitors, so I was very busy. Wonderful sermon. Yes, showers of blessings! We sing about them but it is so much more wonderful when we experience them.

"Morning by morning new mercies I see!"
How true.

In The Dark

Today they are saying that over 800,000 people are still without electricity due to Ike. Makes our little ordeal seem rather paltry by comparison. We didn't lose any food. Our weather then was much cooler than this past week has been. We survived quite well. But, it is now 10 days since he blew through and all those people are still trying to deal with life without power.

Back in the early hours, my mother mentioned that she grew up without electricity. It was normal for them.

Just thinking about it. I don't know how many times I flipped up a light switch, knowing full well that it wouldn't work, but completely bound by habit. We stayed outside a lot. We charged the cell phones in our car. (Another thing my mother grew up without.) We read books -- of course, we do that anyway, but since we couldn't do things like laundry and vacuuming, we just sat and read. Hummmm -- guess it wasn't all bad!

We dined on a time-table determined by the light outside. Yes, we had lanterns, but I didn't need or want to cook by lantern light so I gathered up our evening meal while it was light outside. Then we dined "al fresco," on TV trays on the driveway. We didn't lose our gas stove top or our water. We were "rich" according to some people's normal standard of living. I had prepared extra food to tide us over the time when we might be without power -- meatloaf and fried chicken -- both good cold (or cool.) I also cooked rice and found out that warming things up without a microwave is much more difficult. Mind you, all this "suffering" only lasted 15 hours and part of it we were asleep! (It all reminded me of our camping trips.)

What did I miss? Instant news updates! Sweetie dug out his old Walkman and I listened to it for a while. Were there hurricanes when my mother was growing up. Who knows -- they certainly didn't. The news didn't travel with the speed of light and sound back then, and people living out in the country didn't know what was happening 100, 200, or farther away.

ICE! We had ice but I didn't want to use it because it was keeping our refrig cool enough that things didn't spoil. I am spoiled, however, so when we went out to survey the damage I bought a large iced drink. It tasted like heaven! (That is what I missed when we visited Mexico -- very limited ice.)

My computer! Contact with the outside world. Our cells worked and we checked in with people (we used texting, mostly, because it takes up less of the power grid (or something like that) but my computer is a real link with the world. (Besides, I type MUCH faster than I text!)

What would you miss the most if you lost power for 10 days? Think about it.

Just a note

I've added a "gadget" to my blog -- a slide show. I chose my pictures of the Painted Churches for my first slide show. These are located in Fayette County, TX, and are just lovely. Many of these churches are very old -- they have withstood fire, rain, and hurricanes. The art work that dates back decades is still very beautiful -- still in the original colors and designs. I hope you enjoy seeing these.

We have been working on hurricane damage (yard) for two days. It is looking much better but little fence is still leaning. We (Sweetie) are using the wood from the wind-damaged trellis to restore the fence. Waste not, want not!

If you are a new reader -- welcome. Please feel free to comment.

A Beautiful Day

Slept with windows open last night -- air cool enough that Sweetie pulled on extra cover.
Awoke to sunshine and cool breezes- a beautiful day to celebrate another year of life!

Age is funny -- I can remember thinking my mother was "old" when she was only in her 40's.
Now I'm waaaay past that and I don't feel "old." Oh, of course, there are a few mornings I awake feeling just a little older, but for the most part I just feel like me.

How does "old" feel? Is it arthritis? I think I have a twinge of that from time to time.
Is it gray hair? Thanks to Clairol, I am not too bothered with that, but does covering it up mean I'm not "old"?
Is it remembering lots of changes in the world? Well, I do remember them.
I remember when TV wasn't. Not where I lived, at least.
I remember when Kathy Fiscus fell down the well in 1949. (I was visiting in California.)
The rescue attempt was the first "live" coverage of a news event that was watched from coast to coast. We watched it, too, on the tiny TV's that my relatives owned. Tiny screens with big magnifiers in front, to enlarge the picture. Kathy Fiscus died in that well and songs were written about her and laws passed to try to prevent that from ever happening again. Didn't work, Baby Jessica still fell down the well many years later!

We didn't get TV for several years after 1949. Did we suffer the lack? No, you see, we had RADIO. Oh what fun -- we gathered as a family and listened to shows together. Lux Playhouse of Stars was on Monday nights. We loved it. The big console radios held "pride of place" just like the TVs do today. Usually a family had just one radio and it was shared and families were together. Today, we have multiple TVs and we are more separated from each other. Not an improvement!

There were the old shows like "The Great Gildersleeve." "Boston Blackie," "Gang Busters," "The Shadow," "Fibber McGee and Molly." "Stella Dallas," "Amos and Andy," and many others. We listened when we traveled late at night. My grandmother listened as she did her housework.
Her morning shows were a prelude to later soap operas.

In the evenings the fathers and grandfathers gathered around the radios and listened to newsmen like Gabriel Heater. We weren't allowed to talk during these broadcasts. It was serious stuff! I can still remember his voice!

Today we see more than we listen. I don't regret that -- I love watching TV, but I am no more entertained than I was back then.

Well, my little visitor wants to go to the library so we'll go and than I'll take myself out for lunch. Tonight, Sweetie and I will dine out at a place of my choice. But just to keep myself from being completely spoiled, I fixed my own breakfast! ha ha!
Still lovely out -- just 73 degrees and it is almost noon. What a beautiful day!

Morning reflections

The Sweetie and I took our little visitor to Big "Donald's for breakfast. It was packed, of course!
Many places are still closed due to storm damage. When people find a place open they flock in.
As our visitor played I thought about the changes I've seen through the years.

First of all, Dads and their children.

I see Dads picking their kids up from school. I see them shopping together. I see Dads taking one or two children out for breakfast or lunch. Didn't happen in my childhood.

I NEVER remember going anyplace alone with my father. However, I did go shopping with my Grandfather a few times. He would take me to the feed store with him, and got to pick out the chicken feed since the bags it came in would become a skirt once they were empty. It was wonderful to have two bags in the same pattern -- they would make a really full skirt.

I think it is sweet to see a Dad and a child having breakfast together -- especially if he is listening to what the child has to say. What a special thing, to have that togetherness.

Has the whole world changed? or is it that fathers have a different view of their child responsibilities now. Is it all fathers? If not, what makes the difference -- education? Economic status? Perhaps some Dads were that way back (way back) when I was small, but I didn't see it.

Thinking About It All

HOORAY! My daughter has walked me through the set-up process and I think I have a blog
This will be my first entry!
I've got my fingers crossed