What’s happening here today? We had snow this morning – briefly. I haven’t been out yet to test the air today, but yesterday when I walked over to the next building to mail some letters and pick up mail from the day before, and to take the blue-bag recyclables to the dumpster, that wind was very cold. Not sure what the temperature was, but it’s the wind that gets to me when I go out in cold weather. It’s supposed to be 30ish today. Tomorrow may be up around 40.
I hope to go out and pick up some needed items tomorrow and return my library books if it isn’t too cold. If it is, I’ll push it off for another day. But first, I have to have a tire aired up, since it decided to start going down now.
One of the neighbors on my block brought me a Christmas card yesterday. She had enclosed a small handmade wreath, which is the cutest thing. It has several little circles, made from white fabric with red and green lines and holly berries on it. The small circles are the kind made when you take a larger circle, hem it, then make a running stitch near the edge, leaving several inches of dangling thread. You pull the thread until the edges of the fabric come nearly together. When you set it down and lay it flat, it makes a small, puffy circle. If you decide to make this, check to see if it is the way you want it before fastening the thread down and clipping off the remainder. It had little ‘gem studs’ here and there for added sparkle. Sequins would probably work too, depending on the fabric designs. Seven of these little circles were attached to each other to make a bigger circle [about 3 or 4 inches], with a ribbon at the top for hanging. It’s very attractive. Cheerful!
I had a pleasant, surprise early call this morning from a Presley second cousin once removed. Her father was my second cousin. She is the great-grandaughter of Lucretia Ellen Presley Earls, sister of our grandfather, Ansel Hampton Presley.
That's a peek at what's happening here. Merry Christmas to all.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thanksgiving and After
My plans for Thanksgiving included dinner with Russ, Jan and family; however as sometimes happens to the best laid plans, mine went astray. I didn’t feel well, I think due to reaction to the new medication, that I hope might help with the after shingles pain. I didn’t feel like going anywhere, so I thought it best to stay home. Russ and the two youngest grandkids, Matthew and Kelsey, brought me a delicious dinner; which is not surprising since Jan is a very good cook. Fortunately, this round of not feeling up to snuff didn’t affect my taste buds and I enjoyed it all.
During the first months after getting the shingles, perhaps due to some of the medication, everything I ate tasted like so much nothing. I didn’t care if I ate or not, but knew I had to, so I forced myself to eat, though probably not as well as I should have.
I am gradually feeling better, but my head still doesn’t feel as it should. It’s rocking a bit as I write this; so, more R & R when I finish this piece. This R & R translates to reading and resting.
Needless to say, I spent a relatively lazy weekend, mostly doing just the essentials: one of those essentials being food intake. I had some broth left after putting the dressing together [before I began feeling so punk]. The broth would make good soup I thought. Then the idea of dumplings entered my mind, but it would have to be the quick and easy kind. So, I chopped a few carrots and a short stick of celery in my little food processor, along with a bit of onion and set it to boil. Next, I got out some baking mix and mixed about a half cup of that with a little olive oil, water, and a small amount of protein powder into a thick dough.
I wanted small dumplings, so I rolled the dough into about marble sized pieces, and dropped them into the boiling water. The broth absorbed enough of the dough to slightly thicken the soup. All of that, including the cooking, took little time, energy and effort. I think it was one of the best soups I’ve ever made.
Now back to resting again.
During the first months after getting the shingles, perhaps due to some of the medication, everything I ate tasted like so much nothing. I didn’t care if I ate or not, but knew I had to, so I forced myself to eat, though probably not as well as I should have.
I am gradually feeling better, but my head still doesn’t feel as it should. It’s rocking a bit as I write this; so, more R & R when I finish this piece. This R & R translates to reading and resting.
Needless to say, I spent a relatively lazy weekend, mostly doing just the essentials: one of those essentials being food intake. I had some broth left after putting the dressing together [before I began feeling so punk]. The broth would make good soup I thought. Then the idea of dumplings entered my mind, but it would have to be the quick and easy kind. So, I chopped a few carrots and a short stick of celery in my little food processor, along with a bit of onion and set it to boil. Next, I got out some baking mix and mixed about a half cup of that with a little olive oil, water, and a small amount of protein powder into a thick dough.
I wanted small dumplings, so I rolled the dough into about marble sized pieces, and dropped them into the boiling water. The broth absorbed enough of the dough to slightly thicken the soup. All of that, including the cooking, took little time, energy and effort. I think it was one of the best soups I’ve ever made.
Now back to resting again.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Support Our Service Men and Women
Operation YOU GO, GIRL! Send a holiday gift or card to a female service member.
I saw a segment about this site on television and looked it up. Operation You Go Girl is especially geared to women, because they can do things to help women of the area in ways our service men can't, because of the social structure with its limits on contacts between men and women. Some of the items mentioned are personal toiletries, ground coffee [the real deal, not decaf], etc. Check the site at the end of the blog.
Any gifts meant for Christmas need to be mailed by December 5th, but there are ongoing needs. You can find out more specific information about it by checking out the web site.
Getting a package for Christmas would be a Nice Thing, but if you can't get the above done in time for Christmas, or even if you do, the items mentioned are things always needed, so you could still send them.
The Do One Nice Thing site gives detailed directions on what, how, and to whom items to the armed forces should be sent.
Other items needed:
School supplies for Iraqi and Afghan children
Food for Kentucky children
Sweaters and sweathirts for Detroit families
Knitters: You can help
Addresses and further details on the above, plus other suggestions on Do One Nice Thing. Click on icon below blog.
I saw a segment about this site on television and looked it up. Operation You Go Girl is especially geared to women, because they can do things to help women of the area in ways our service men can't, because of the social structure with its limits on contacts between men and women. Some of the items mentioned are personal toiletries, ground coffee [the real deal, not decaf], etc. Check the site at the end of the blog.
Any gifts meant for Christmas need to be mailed by December 5th, but there are ongoing needs. You can find out more specific information about it by checking out the web site.
Getting a package for Christmas would be a Nice Thing, but if you can't get the above done in time for Christmas, or even if you do, the items mentioned are things always needed, so you could still send them.
The Do One Nice Thing site gives detailed directions on what, how, and to whom items to the armed forces should be sent.
Other items needed:
School supplies for Iraqi and Afghan children
Food for Kentucky children
Sweaters and sweathirts for Detroit families
Knitters: You can help
Addresses and further details on the above, plus other suggestions on Do One Nice Thing. Click on icon below blog.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Saying the Right Thing Rightly
"Lord, grant me the wisdom of a loving heart that I may say the right thing rightly."
Ah yes, saying the right thing, and saying it rightly! That's not always easy. Have you ever thought you were saying the right thing and the way another person took it, it was exactly the wrong thing? Then you tried to make clearer what you meant,and everything slid further down the slippery slope of misunderstanding. Perhaps this is one time when that saying of, "If at first you don't succeed, quit," might be appropriate, at least for the time being. Prayer before hand would have been a good idea, if you knew the conversation was coming, but perhaps you didn't know in advance. But, whether or not you prayed before an incident such as this, I'm sure it would be good to pray afterward -- in the event you get another chance to do the right thing. Blessings in all you do and say.
Ah yes, saying the right thing, and saying it rightly! That's not always easy. Have you ever thought you were saying the right thing and the way another person took it, it was exactly the wrong thing? Then you tried to make clearer what you meant,and everything slid further down the slippery slope of misunderstanding. Perhaps this is one time when that saying of, "If at first you don't succeed, quit," might be appropriate, at least for the time being. Prayer before hand would have been a good idea, if you knew the conversation was coming, but perhaps you didn't know in advance. But, whether or not you prayed before an incident such as this, I'm sure it would be good to pray afterward -- in the event you get another chance to do the right thing. Blessings in all you do and say.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
A Favorite Poem
In an earlier blog I mentioned some of my favorite poems. The one I'm posting today ranks very near the top. I've been trying to find my copy of it, or a copy online. I, as usual, did not remember the writer, but my memory said the title was "The Arrow."
I searched and searched on line, but kept finding references to other poems and poets. I 'met' this poem early in life, but about 30 years ago, some friends gave me a book of poems, titled "The Home Book of Modern Verse by Burton Egbert Stevenson." I am not sure what happened to the book, but I no longer seem to have it. Today I flipped through an old notebook of mine and would you believe it! I had copied the poem "The Arrow" by Clarence Urmy, with the notation above. So, here it is. I hope you like it, at least almost as much as I do.
The Arrow by Clarence Urmy
Straight from a mighty bow this truth is driven:
"They fail, and they alone, who have not striven."
Fly far, O shaft of light! all doubt redeeming;
Rouse men from dull despair and idle dreaming.
High Heaven's evangel be, gospel God-given:
"They fail, and they alone, who have not striven."
Focus on the second and last line. If you tried to do something, but did not quite achieve your desired goal, you may be disappointed; but in trying, you did not fail.
I searched and searched on line, but kept finding references to other poems and poets. I 'met' this poem early in life, but about 30 years ago, some friends gave me a book of poems, titled "The Home Book of Modern Verse by Burton Egbert Stevenson." I am not sure what happened to the book, but I no longer seem to have it. Today I flipped through an old notebook of mine and would you believe it! I had copied the poem "The Arrow" by Clarence Urmy, with the notation above. So, here it is. I hope you like it, at least almost as much as I do.
The Arrow by Clarence Urmy
Straight from a mighty bow this truth is driven:
"They fail, and they alone, who have not striven."
Fly far, O shaft of light! all doubt redeeming;
Rouse men from dull despair and idle dreaming.
High Heaven's evangel be, gospel God-given:
"They fail, and they alone, who have not striven."
Focus on the second and last line. If you tried to do something, but did not quite achieve your desired goal, you may be disappointed; but in trying, you did not fail.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Before Television - Before Video Games
What did kids do to amuse themselves and have fun before the advent of television? And before video games? They did what people do: They made do with what was available and used their heads to think of other things to do. Movies were available, when we were allowed to go. Television was in its early beginning stages when I was a child. But it was just a blip on the radar screen, and few people had even heard of it yet. It didn’t come into prominence until after World War II.
In warm weather we spent most of any free time we had playing outdoors during long summer days. Some of the games we played were marbles, hop scotch, mumblety peg, tag, annie over, or some kind of ball game if there were enough kids to play. And generally just talking, yelling and running around.
Indoors: Evenings after supper, we read, played games and listened to the radio. In 1933 we moved from a small town out into the country. There was no electricity in most rural areas until after World War II, but we had a battery powered radio to keep an ear on the world. Programs we listened to were: Sgt Preston of the Yukon [may not be the exact name], Jack Armstrong - All American Boy, Gang Busters, Dick Tracy, The Lux Theater, Amos and Andy, Lum and Abner, Fibber Magee and Molly, The Shadow. There may be others that I haven’t thought of.
Most of these were 30 minute shows; one or two might have been 15 minutes, not sure. I think Sgt Preston and Jack Armstrong were daily shows along about the time we had our evening meal. They may have been 15 minutes. The other shows were weekly. We didn’t sit grouped around the radio to listen, but often engaged in other activities, such as children’s card games, or checkers while we listened to the fascinating tales of adventure. Ooops! How could I forget dominoes!
During the day, my mother kept up with a few to a few daily soap operas as she did her household tasks. Those that I remember were: Ma Perkins, Our Gal Sunday and Helen Trent.
In the winter when much more time was spent indoors, there was usually a jigsaw puzzle in various stages of completion. When a puzzle was finished, another was set up. Everybody wanted to put in the last piece, and when the puzzle was near completion, almost everyone had a hold out puzzle piece in his/her pocket. More later.
In warm weather we spent most of any free time we had playing outdoors during long summer days. Some of the games we played were marbles, hop scotch, mumblety peg, tag, annie over, or some kind of ball game if there were enough kids to play. And generally just talking, yelling and running around.
Indoors: Evenings after supper, we read, played games and listened to the radio. In 1933 we moved from a small town out into the country. There was no electricity in most rural areas until after World War II, but we had a battery powered radio to keep an ear on the world. Programs we listened to were: Sgt Preston of the Yukon [may not be the exact name], Jack Armstrong - All American Boy, Gang Busters, Dick Tracy, The Lux Theater, Amos and Andy, Lum and Abner, Fibber Magee and Molly, The Shadow. There may be others that I haven’t thought of.
Most of these were 30 minute shows; one or two might have been 15 minutes, not sure. I think Sgt Preston and Jack Armstrong were daily shows along about the time we had our evening meal. They may have been 15 minutes. The other shows were weekly. We didn’t sit grouped around the radio to listen, but often engaged in other activities, such as children’s card games, or checkers while we listened to the fascinating tales of adventure. Ooops! How could I forget dominoes!
During the day, my mother kept up with a few to a few daily soap operas as she did her household tasks. Those that I remember were: Ma Perkins, Our Gal Sunday and Helen Trent.
In the winter when much more time was spent indoors, there was usually a jigsaw puzzle in various stages of completion. When a puzzle was finished, another was set up. Everybody wanted to put in the last piece, and when the puzzle was near completion, almost everyone had a hold out puzzle piece in his/her pocket. More later.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Low Mileage Driving
This past Thursday I had my car serviced for winter, and also had it inspected so I could renew my car license, which is due this month. Since the time has passed for warranty servicing, I usually have my car serviced in the spring and in the fall. This past spring I didn’t have it serviced, since I had driven it so little after the advent of the shingles last November. I last had the car serviced the week before Thanksgiving 2008. The number of miles put on the car in this past year is unbelievable. I’m sure I must have set a record for low mileage driving over the period of a year; so low, that I won’t even admit what it is. is really, really low, but you're under quite a bit. When they finished inspecting my car, the service manager handed me the papers and said, "Your car is in good shape; just as good as it was --- miles ago."
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