Another Saturday Whirl

I woke up late because I stayed up late last night and I paid the price! I hurt every single place. The clock went off around 8:30 and I staggered to the kitchen for a cup 'o joe. I staggered back to my bedroom and took my meds and then staggered back to the living room to lie down on the sofa and promptly fall back asleep. I slept until about 9:30 and awoke still in pain to a cold cup of coffee.

I still ached pretty much everywhere and there wasn't a dark cloud in sight. Still weather changes seem to follow such pain so I'll be watching. I put off going after Mike until nearly noon despite his calling wanting me to take him to the grocery store.

Instead I sat down and worked on another skort for Sarah. I did the shorts and stopped long enough to go get Mike, take a trip to Lowe's for Round-up and while there found a simply smashing curtain rod for $2! And it had these matching "tie" back things you attach to the wall to tie back the curtain, also $2. It had "Kids" on it meaning it was for a child's room but it is silver with pink and blue "gems" on the finials. Really pretty and not so much kid looking as feminine. They had two but I only have one room with one window in mind and that is the guest room with the new curtains. Next for that room I'll have to buy paint and put in carpet. It is going to be a nice little room when I'm done.

Must get the excess furniture out first!

While we were out we had lunch at Penn Station. Then I had to get my mower out from repair. We got back to the house around 3 and Mike set about cutting the yard. He worked about 15 minutes and took a break of about 20! He worked 15 minutes and took another break of about 20. It took him 4 hours to cut this yard. Yes, it was hot. Yes, it is a big yard. But I've done it in hotter weather and half the the time. The key is lots of water and limited breaks. I was so frustrated with him for taking so long. I told him I was NOT going to the grocery store at 7 p.m. He could wait for another day.

While he cut the yard I worked on Sarah's skort. I got the skirt nearly done and realized that this was a really pretty skirt! So, skort idea out the window. She can use the shorts for something else. I don't like making them anyway. They're rather boring and I spent years making shorts and pants for boys. I have only to put elastic in the skirt and the short waistbands and I'm done with them. Yes, there will be photos. I'm posting them here but the videos will be in my sewing blog on blogger after I put them on Youtube.

I managed to hound Mike until he got his bath and I took him home. I came back, by way of CVS Pharmacy to pick up meds, and scrambled some eggs. I do scrambled eggs exceptionally well, light, fluffy, and not hard. I had that, two pieces of toast with a light spread of Strawberry jam, and a glass of the coldest milk I can remember, just the way I like it. Saturday turned upside down!

Now, I've had my shower and am about to embark on on my vessel to the land of Nod where I shall lie blissfully in the arms of Morpheus. Well, after I've rolled my hair and brushed my teeth.

Friday Roundup

I'm about to go to bed and figured it was time to do a blog. I haven't been around much, except to read blogs, for a bit. I'm getting them in my email because I can't get on Multiply from work. It's ok but I can't see photos that way so I still follow up once I get home. Still, I just haven't had the motivation or time to blog.

I haven't sewn all week. I've been getting to bed by 11:00 most nights and I've had less pain. Not sure if it is the sleep o the weather, which has been rotten for 24 hours. No idea about tomorrow.

I have some things I'd like to do but already Mike has called for me to come get him. I'm tired of doing this Saturday dance every single weekend. I told him it would be late tomorrow before I can pick him up. Again, he needs groceries but I just want a weekend to rest.

Sarah asked if she come back over tomorrow afternoon. I told her yes. She was here a bit tonight so Dave and Becca could go somewhere together. They don't get to do that a whole lot unless I keep Sarah. She was good as gold but a real handful to boot. She talked non-stop.

I don't know where she gets it from. And I had a house full of superheros. Batman, Superman, Ironman, Spiderman, and a fella called Sonic. According to Sarah, they were our Guess. I told her that was find but they better behave themselves. No climbing the walls, which the promptly did. They were quite but then, I doubt they could get a word in edgewise with Sarah around.

I've trying to put my second fabric video on my sewing blog but something has happened since I did the first one and it won't load. I'm uploading it to YouTube to see if I can do it then. I think I can but not sure.

The house is relatively clean but I've ask Sue to come clean for me next Friday. She moved back and she is just the best cleaner. So, I'm not going to kill myself cleaning this weekend. I'm going to do what I want to do and just keep it tidy. She'll do a thorough cleaning on the 15th. She likes it, needs the money and I need the help. My house will smell so good when she is done!

I got a call today and my mower is ready to pick up. So, I think that will be a project for Mike to help me with tomorrow. Good thing since Phyllis' mower has a wheel broken. I'm also going to buy some more Roundup to kill the rest of that mess in my fence. I've got some more gift card money for Lowe's and I have several items I need.

I've done NO writing. It just isn't happening. I don't know why. I'm depressed about it. I just don't do it and find ways to avoid it. No, I'm angry about it. I don't know if I care anymore. I'm going to pour myself in the the sewing and get all that fabric out of here.

Oh, get this, I mentioned my new machine at work and a woman there said, "OH, I have some things I need altered. I'll bring them to you! Do you do alterations?" I said that I had not done alterations. I told her altering a garment you had not made was different from making a garment. It was harder.She waved a hand and said, "Well, if you can make a something you can alter it. I'll bring something that won't matter if you mess it up."

I kid you not. She never asked me if I wanted to do them. I wish I could give you a number as to how many times I've had this happen. This is the second person at work to do this. They don't even ask! They just tell me, as if I have all this time to do their sewing!

O.k. I'm headed to bed. I've vented enough. It is now way past my allotted bed time.

Full Story of Youcef Nadarkhani | Present Truth Ministries

Link

But this is a peaceful religion...... I mean, they have a constitution that allows people to practice religion...

He's not arrested for murder, or robbery, or rape, or war crimes. He's arrested because he's a Christian. . .in his own country. . . by his own people.

A second report. If you google his name you get conflicting reports from other sources. The following is the most recent I could find. He may in fact have lost the case. They aren't very forthcoming about information in Iran.

Link

Please don't presume it couldn't happen in your country. It has, it can, and it probably will at some point.

Another Saturday Awry

I never have a weekend that goes my way. For some reason other people need things. I had to pick David for at 9 so he could be at work by 9:30. It wasn't his fault really. The brakes went out on his car. He had to go to make a deposit at 10:15 so I had to wait. After than I thought my day would be mine. I was wrong.

I picked up Mike to bring him over to cut the yard. However, this is not a job that he can/will do to my satisfaction without constant nagging. Go back and cut that corner. Pick up the paper before you cut. Move the brick to cut, don't go around it. Go back and cut that corner. Go back and cut that corner! NOW!

I sprayed Round-Up around the areas I'm tired of bastard plants sprouting up. They will die a slow, well deserved death. Two hours after I was done I saw that those in the direct sunlight were already turning black. By the way, I think we finally killed the tree that is under the air conditioner duct work at the foundation of the house. We'll see.

Around noon we had to go get my sister's car. I took her some lunch since she asked me to. You remember that mower I bought in 2009 and have had in the shop every summer since. Yes, that one. I put it in the shop again. Since 2009 I've probably had my yard cut with it about a dozen times. I will never buy another Craftsman lawnmower from Sears.

Anyway, we've been using a small, cheap Weedeater brand that belonged to my sister until she sold her house. Today, the back wheel broke on that on but we soldiered on. No choice.

I went to get Sarah around 3 and Becca over.

Eventually... several hours later... say around 4, Mike and I were done. The yard was cut, the overgrown areas cut and four bags of yard waste on the street. Sarah helped bag the yard waste. Mike finished the corners. We were exhausted. I cut Mike's hair and he got a hot shower and shaved.

I had to pick up Dave at 5. He picked up Becca's dad to come help fix his brakes. They were gone by 7. Me, Mike and Sarah went for burgers and ice cream and I dropped a very worn out Mike home.

At 8 I finally got a hot shower and Sarah just got a bath at 8:30. I am hoping she will be ready for bed very soon.

I did no sewing, no writing, and no relaxing. I'm tired.

I'm also tied of having every weekend spent working or dealing with everyone's disasters, even my own.

Texan Wins Controversial 'White Man' Scholarship - FoxNews.com

Link
I found this highly amusing for a couple of reasons. For years there was an advertisement on television for the National Negro College Fund. Wonderful program I am sure but it offends me because of the hypocrisy. When we saw this commercial my husband and I would wonder what would happen if someone started A National White College Fund to assist whites only. We speculated that it would be called racist and be attacked by the left wing.

I wish Jerry was here so we could say "We were right!" and have a laugh over it. If I had money to spare, I'd actually donate to this scholarship fund! Seriously! I'd be called a racist simply for that reason alone. "Oh, yes, I donate to the "White Man Scholarship Fund". I can even see people being fired for it!

We live in a world where racism is a matter of perspective. You remember the guy who recently said I treated the white clients with more attention that I did him? I told a friend this week that if it became necessary I have two black female clients who have sent me cards stating I was the best case worker they've ever had.

The difference in all of those cases is in what the person wanted to see or hear. I treated them all the same but one wanted to get special treatment while the others wanted fair treatment. Two said thank you while the other stomped his feet and waved a race card.

"Kirk to Enterprise. There's no intelligent life here. Beam me up, Scotty!"

BBC News - Body unseen in Massachusetts swimming pool for days

Link

See why I avoid public pools?

Nearly There.........

We close the office tomorrow at 11 and go to the company picnic. Not something I'm terribly excited about. Why not just give me the afternoon off? I don't even like most of these people. Why do they presume I want to play volleyball or swim with them or even sit and talk to them? Why do company force socialization on people who do not have anything in common but their job? Particularly in this company! I'm not saying that I'm not "friendly" with the employees but lets face it, I'm not interested in the lottery, sports, gambling on the boat, bars, clubs, etc. You get my drift.

So, every year they spend a lot of money getting a clubhouse at a local park where the is swimming... with lots of other people I do not know. Last year I took a deck of cards and Carolyn and I played Uno. A few others drifted over and joined us. Carolyn shares my feelings about these things.

I guess we are just no friendly. But maybe that isn't true. Our senior aide will be leaving tomorrow. She told us today that she could always count on a laugh coming from either Carolyn's office or mine. That is nice. She called us Mutt & Jeff. I laughed and told her I'd not heard that in many years. Mutt & Jeff was a comic strip in the "funnies" for a long time. Two guys, one very tall and the other very short. Carolyn is tall and I'm average. But I guess we are funny. Other staff do laugh at us a lot. Still, for someone who's only known us a year to say that is flattering.

Anyway, I'll probably, I hope, be able to slip away around 3 p.m.

Tonight was the writer's meeting. We have four there. Two others were away. I've written up the meeting on the The Writers' Asylum blog for those who are interested.

I'm headed for bed very soon. I got a relatively good sleep last night but woke at 6 a.m. That is an ungodly hour but I have to get up early tomorrow. Dave's brakes went out on his car. He has to have a way to work. So, he'll take me, got himself and I'll pick up my car before I leave for the picnic or after I get back. He works 9-6 and I work 8-5 So it is a juggling act.

I'm headed for bed and the weekend. A 3-day weekend! Yipee.

A Nice Break

My brother, Bill, called me this morning. He had to drop a load in Mt.
Vernon, IN. That is only 30 minutes from here and we arranged to meet
for lunch. It was nice to see him, even for a short time. I don't get
to see him as much as I'd like because the distance and because he is
always on the road. He drives a big truck.

I came back to the office and tried to get some paperwork done. I've
not had a good couple of days. In fact, the week has not been very
good. Part of it is things at work but I know part of it is me.I have
just been down and last night I simply sat and watched t.v. shows on
Hulu. I picked Sarah up from daycare after work and dropped her off
and went to Joann fabrics to get some trims for her skirts, then I
went home. My original intent was to cut skirts out but I just found I
had no desire to do anything.

I don't have the terrible bouts of crying anymore. But in some ways I
wish I did. Now it is this awful empty feeling where you want to cry
but can't. I had such a rough couple of days at work. I remembered
several years ago under my old boss how things got terrible and I'd go
home to rant and get it off my chest. Jerry would sit and listen and
ask questions or offer sympathy. Sometimes I'd get annoyed at the
questions. Now, my stress pours into the air surrounding me and
darkens it. Coming home on Tuesday I was overwhelmed with the
realization that I'd only added to Jerry's misery with my gripes. He
couldn't fix it for me, hated that I had to work, hated not to be able
to take care of me. It must have been horrendous to sit and listen to
me and be totally helpless. It had to have simply cut him to the bone.

Tonight I'm very tired and on my way to bed. I've had a long day and
I've found that it is one of those days when I seem very confused,
unable to focus, and even my speech seemed affected during the move
briefing. I couldn't get the words to come out right. I felt very
stupid but I knew it was because I just was not all there.

Anyway, I'm off for now. Tomorrow night it the writers' meeting.
Lately I've been tired and not really able to focus on the meetings as
well as I would like so I hope tomorrow I'll find myself less tired.

End of a Busy Monday

I'm all tucked up in bed getting ready to turn out the lights. First things this morning I had a doctor's appointment with my new, old doctor. I used this doctor back in 2005 and had to change after a year or so because she wasn't on the new insurance. She is not and I immediately got in to see here. I go back in a month after she's reviewed my files and see what she wants to do for labs to get caught up. She want to review the last years lab work and tests.

I had lunch after this and went in to work at 1 p.m. and was so busy dealing with computer problems and records that I needed to process. One client called my boss and said I'd treated him differently than I had the white people.... that I had not given him as much time as I did the white folks.

Half my co-workers are black, as is my boss. You'd think my racism would have surfaced after 13 years. My boss told the guy that he worked well with me but he'd pass along his concerns. He did in an email to me. My opinion was that he thought he'd get special treatment if he used the race card. I told my boss that because the man had made the complaint I'd no longer discuss anything with him alone and all phone calls would be witnessed and he'd have to appoint the person to be the witness since I didn't want the man saying I'd chosen a white person over a black. I then made a call to the man with a black co-worker present and told him that all further contact would be witnessed. He never even acknowledged that he's made the complaint!

I had to call his landlord who is another black co-worker and told her about the problem I was having and to give her details she needed on his file. She laughed and said, "I guess I must be white!" She is a big girl and every time she sees me she hugs me.

There is a saying in the department. "Don't tic off the case manager." Every one I know tries very hard to assist clients with problems but when you get a client who lies on you just to get special treatment, you just lost your advocate. We do not attempt to get even. We don't have to. We all know that at some point that particular client is going to be in trouble with their housing. We'll be waiting.

When the day ended in a flurry, I came home to spend the evening with Dave, Becca, and Sarah. It was nice. They had not been over in awhile and I enjoyed it. I ironed the fabric for the next round of sewing.

Now, it is time for beddie-bye. I'm tired and my back is not happy for being here. Hope you all are doing well. I have posted the link to my sewing blog. I have, at this point, only posted what is currently posted here so it won't be new stuff. But I'm looking forward to putting up some other things as I do them. I just counted and with the multiply blog, I have 9 blogs but only about 4 are open and active. Still, it is a lot. I wonder if this means I'm published?

Sarah Said...

A couple of weeks ago Sarah met a new friend who lives downstairs from her. The little girl is not quite a year younger and Sarah was very excited to meet her. Well, except for the language barrier. You see when they met, the little girl was pretending to be a frog and every time Sarah tried to talk to her she would say "Ribbit!"

Finally, Sarah, being a practical girl like her Mawmaw, looked at her, waved her hand and said, "I don't speak frog."

***************************************

Last Monday after work I joined Sarah and her parents at the zoo. It was a members only event where all the stuff that usually cost was free for two hours. Our zoo is a 4 hour trip but that's another story. As our time was running out we headed over to the bumper boats. These are in what used to be the monkey exhibit. It is a "Pirate Ship" in the middle of a pool of water. When we came to Evansville it had monkeys on the boat and alligators in the water. Today, it is an empty ship with three bumper boats in the water.

Sarah was so excited and getting tired. The line was long and as we were at the end, she kept telling her daddy she didn't want to wait. We told her she had to wait or we had to leave. The next minute she decided she wanted to get in the pool and play in the water. We told her she couldn't do that either. This went back and fourth for about 20 minutes with her father giving her all the reasons she couldn't get in the pool. Finally, she said, "Daddy, can you push me in and say it was an accident?

Raging Rain, Raging Pain

I woke sometime in the middle of the night. Since it was midnight before I went to bed it must have been in the wee hours of the morning. I'd guess around 3 or 4 a.m. It was deafening. The thunder sounded as if it was in the room with us and the rain was torrential. And I was in agony. My hands, feet, knees and hip were all screaming nearly as loud as the storm. I rolled out of bed and could barely stand but I managed to stagger down the hall to check things out. After I found everything secure, I went back to bed. I think I took some generic Tylenol but I'm not sure. I can't remember hurting so bad in a while.

On Saturday I woke with pain as well but it passed off after the first storm rolled by. Waking up in the midst of that deluge this morning reinforced my feelings that the weather here is a huge factor in my pain levels. My hands, particularly my left is still very painful. The sky is heavily overcast. My feet are better and so are my knees and hip. I have to tell you, I'm not looking forward to another storm like last night. I have no fear of storms, would even walk in the middle of one with great pleasure. Not this morning.

We did not get up to go to church because I overslept. Well, midnight to bed and awake before dawn and the pain all insured I was not able to get up. I'd have gone anyway but for the pain.

I've added another blog to my blogger account! I know! Crazy. Actually, I realized I'm putting a lot of sewing stuff up here and organizer than I am, I like having it a bit more structured. So, while I'll still post it here, there is a blog on blogger now devoted to my sewing and craft stuff. You know, the stuff I haven't done yet but am going to do.

Actually, the sewing is slow but I am enjoying it again. I had such fun with Sarah's Alligator skirt (http://dixiegirlsplace.multiply.com/video/item/462/Sewing_with_Dixie_Part_3). It came out so cute. I have several other items to make for her and I'm getting pretty good with keeping the video's at 15 minutes or less by cutting out a lot of needless stuff. I've learned to make slideshows, too! I still get annoyed with the Movie Maker program. It hangs up now and then and won't publish. I can promise you that no one would keep trying but me. There are two versions of Movie Maker. One is a Windows version and the other is a Windows Live version. I don't know why. The Live version is fine but harder to trim the videos. The Windows version works best for the trimming phase but I can't then transfer them to Live. Downloaded videos are in a Quicktime format and only the Live version will open them! So you can see it is a bit of juggling to get what I want. I'm getting better.

You Can Look It Up

Please take note of WHO is making all the decisions about WHO gets health care. No, I don't know if it is true. You can look it up but I find it highly enlightening.

Obama Care Highlighted by Page Number

THE CARE BILL HB 3200

JUDGE KITHIL IS THE 2ND OFFICIAL WHO HAS OUTLINED THESE PARTS OF THE CARE BILL. Judge Kithil of Marble Falls, TX - highlighted the most egregious pages of HB3200. Please read this........ especially the reference to pages 58 & 59

JUDGE KITHIL wrote:

** Page 50/section 152: The bill will provide insurance to all non-U.S. residents, even if they
are here illegally.

** Page 58 and 59: The government will have real-time access to an individual's bank account
and will have the authority to make electronic fund transfers from those accounts.

** Page 65/section 164: The plan will be subsidized (by the government) for all union members, union retirees and for community organizations (such as the Association of CommunityOrganizations for Reform Now - ACORN).

** Page 203/line 14-15: The tax imposed under this section will not be treated as a tax.
(How could anybody in their right mind come up with that?)

** Page 241 and 253: Doctors will all be paid the same regardless of specialty, and the
government will set all doctors' fees.

** Page 272. section 1145: Cancer hospital will ration care according to the patient's age.

** Page 317 and 321: The government will impose a prohibition on hospital expansion; however, communities may petition for an exception.

** Page 425, line 4-12: The government mandates advance-care planning consultations.
Those on Social Security will be required to attend an "end-of-life planning" seminar every
five years. (Death counseling..)

** Page 429, line 13-25: The government will specify which doctors can write an end-of-life order.

HAD ENOUGH???? Judge Kithil then goes on to identify: "Finally, it is specifically stated that this bill will not apply to members of Congress. Members of Congress are already exempt from the Social Security system, and have a well-funded private plan that covers their retirement needs. If they were on our Social Security plan, I believe they would find a very quick 'fix' to make the plan financially sound for their future."

(Such bills are available for review at the congressional websites. On a lighter note, it is nce to know that nursing homes will be a thing of the past.")

My Bed is Calling

I'm just on my way to bed but stopped in to catch up on blogs and comments. I worked on Sarah's green skort set. I've been busy with the house since I got over my cold and I simply have not had time to touch the machine, nor inclination if you consider how tired I've been.

Anyway, I hope to finish them up tomorrow night. Then, it will be another round of cutting out I hope by the weekend. I will cut out as much as I can and leave it in a nice neat stack ready to sit and sew together. One day of cutting usually can result in a month of items to sew.

I've discovered I must get a very good chair. I'm using a lawn chair... not the folding kind. The plastic kind that actually look like chairs and they sit pretty good, too. But not for sewing or computer work. Once I get the study emptied and ready to sand, I'll bring the desk chair in here.

There is so much to do and I have so little functional time to do it in. And sometimes recovering from what I do takes longer than the project takes. That sanding job is no fun. And cleaning it up, well, that is a terrible mess. If I don't do it correctly, it will be all over the house.

Ok, I've put it off enough. I have to go to bed. It is now scream at me and it is quite difficult to ignore.

What A Difference Chocolate Makes!

Yes, chocolate. I had a candy bar yesterday and one today. No sluggishness all day. However, I did not take the muscle relaxant nor my doxepin. I'm going to reintroduce the doxepin in a few days. I may not start taking the skelaxin again.

What I think is that my blood sugar is not regulated. The fact that a chocolate bar made me feel better is not a good sign. But it was a good chocolate bar!

I've been rearranging things getting read to work on the study. The spare room is crowded but not useless. Today Mike and I moved bookcases and printers. I went and bought new glasses. They had a 2 for 1 deal so I have a backup pair.


I like the blue pair a lot. Makes my green eyes turn blue! Happen when I wear blue clothes, too.

The other pair a a tortoise shell color and I like them as well but for some reason they are not as comfortable as they were in the store. Still, it is the first time I've had a back up pair of glasses. I have an old pair I'm going to have turned into work glasses. Be nice to have that!

I am in a writing and sewing mood. I'll have videos later relating to the sewing mood. The Writer's Asylum meeting on Thursday night and Doug's challenge seems to have spurred us all a bit. If I can keep this clarity my writing will be back on track.



It has rained most of the day and it was really a lovely cool morning. The afternoon it cleared and warmed up but it is now cloudy again as night approaches.

I'm almost in awe at how much better I feel today. I woke with pain in the joints of my hands and my neck is bugging me a bit but other than that, I'm pretty good. I am running out of steam a bit. It is just now 7 p.m. and I'm going to get a hot shower and take my medicine and see where the moment takes me.

I have some video surprise coming up on the Multiply site. I say this because my blog is cross posted to a couple of other platforms.

I'm headed off to fix something to eat. Fried chicken from Buy-Low and field peas from the freezer. I love, love, love field peas!

Asylum Meeting

The meeting went well and I've posted all about it on the Asylum blog. I'm too tired to reiterate. Feel free to visit the Asylum and read all about it.

Actually some interesting stuff there now. I'm impressed.

Doesn't take much.

Slow Row Up River

The week passes like the rows of trees on the river bank as I row my small boat along. Today is Tuesday. I had an enormously busy Saturday with a very painful Sunday. But some positive things got done. Monday dawned bright and the day actually was nice. I got a lovely antique desk, in need of some TLC, for the den that will be perfect for my new sewing machine and even my laptop works well on it. I'm charmed by it and can't wait to sit down and get to work.

I did have a bit of a melt down last night. I'm still tired today because I sat up too late. I must go to bed earlier tonight. I say this frequently. I feel like sleeping is such a waste of valuable time. I've always felt this but as I have aged, my body tends to disagree with me, in various ways, and to punish me if I ignore the demands. So, I have to sleep more. Besides, when I don't get enough, I get even less done.

I've had hiccups off and on all day and it is quite annoying.

I've been listening to a set of cds Becca gave me by a fella called Lou Tice of the Pacific Institute. Motivational speaker. He has some good ideas. Not new but good. He's on YouTube. As a result of listening to these cds I started to do a couple of the things he suggest. One is positive affirmations. I've practiced this in the past with surprising results. Before you go to sleep every night, say these positive affirmations to yourself. For example, tomorrow will be a good day, I will accomplish .... (you add what you want here).  As I said, I've done this in the past. Can't hurt. Actually, I've had several rather calm days and I think it is because of that. So, I'll keep trying it.

Doug made his first post to the Asylum blog. I have to say I am impressed. Doug doesn't really know it yet, I think, but he's got a knack for this. He is probably the leader of the group but we've just never elected him as such. Anyway, drop over and read it.The Writers' Asylum I suspect the Asylum will be doing something different for a bit. I hope the group will want  to try his suggestion.

I've been working on some old videos I found from a couple of years ago. I never posted them and am really doing it so Becca can download them. They are just too precious for words and it was such a great joy watching them. My aunt and uncle will be tickled as well. Everyone seems to love watching Sarah. I realized recently, she's growing up on this blog. That's kind of nice. I'm happy I have so many of these videos of her. I don't have that with my children. And I think she will be glad she has these someday.

I'm off now to try and post the videos I finished. 

Nervous Minister

A nervous young minister, new to the church, told the flock, "For my text today, I will take the words, 'And they fed five men with five thousand loaves of bread and two thousand fishes.'"

A member of the flock raised his hand and said, "That's not much of a trick. I could do that."

The minister didn't respond. However, the next Sunday he decided to repeat the text. This time he did it properly: "And they fed five thousand men with five loaves of bread and two fishes."

Smiling, the minister said to the noisy man, "Could you do that, Mr. Perkins?"

The member of the flock said, "I sure could."

"How would you do it?"

"With all the food I had left over from last Sunday!"

Six of One, Half Dozen of the Other

Link

I had fun reading this but at the end I had to laugh. America has Hollywood. England has the Royals.

Setting Sail

(You'll notice by the date that this was started a month ago. I suppose I saved it as a draft and forgot about it.)

My vacation turned into more of a bust than anticipated. The last five days were simply terrible because I was sick with some kind of cold or allergy. Tuesday I felt better than I had since I took off work nearly ten days before.

I had a bad time with this vacation. The first five days I could not get myself directed. I sat in this house and became more and more depressed until finally I had to get out. I went to the fabric store and bought patterns, fabric, and thread. I came home and managed to get two days of sewing before I practically collapsed with this cold. From Friday until Tuesday, I was more or less immobile. I couldn't breath. I sneezed and my nose ran. I wiped it so much it became raw. And my emotions became as raw as my nose. I cried for no reason and for every reason for days and nights.

I want to say I can't remember feeling so dark in spirit but that wouldn't be true. The last two and half years have been filled with days of such darkness that I don't want to remember. Keeping the blog has been a good thing in this respect. I have been able to go back in time in a way I would not have been able to had I not written it down. I don't go back often. There are some experiences you simply do not want to relive. But now and then, for some reason I find myself looking at entries from those darkest days. These last days have been very dark. I almost looked forward to going back to work.

The analogy has been with me for some time now of drifting on a huge ocean. In one post I mention islands of happiness in a sea of misery. It still holds true, at least for me.

Wednesday morning I was reading the daily devotional that is always near my chair but which I forget at times. I can't remember what I read at the moment but I remember the feeling that nothing makes sense to me anymore. I feel as if I'm adrift on a great sea and I have no idea which direction to steer. My ship, Life, seems to have come to a halt and the sails I set hang limply from the mast. The sea is glass. And as far as I can see, there is no land.

When you are drifting in the doldrums you have little to do except twiddle your thumbs. Blowing the sails will do you no good and only make you dizzy. You need a stiff breeze fill them up and push your bark forward. So, one searches for help in strange places. I went back to study the charts. In this case, my blogs.

Despite what you may think, I still believe that God is always in control. When the storm blows me off track, it is because there is some place I needed to go and my sails were set in another direction. We're creatures of habit and stubborn. Sometimes the only way we'll change our course is to be blown out of it. I believe I've been blown way off course. I've been struggling to chart a new one.

When one is far at sea there are no landmarks, no light houses. The ocean is a shifting landscape of waves and whitecaps, clouds and sky. When far from land, ancient mariners plotted by the stars. There were times, though, when there was no star to steer by, when the heavens were cloaked in darkness and the winds died and the ship was becalmed. And yet, even during the darkest of nights, when clouds hung heavy and there was no wind, the seamen knew that beyond the darkness, somewhere above, the North Star still hung steadfast in the heavens. They had only to wait for the return of the winds to sweep the heavens clear, look up, get their bearings, and sail on.

Stars and garters

Mama was a lady. She didn't curse. She didn't swear. She didn't even use what she called "by-words". Gosh, golly, darn, dang and shoot were forbidden. "WE" did not use such language. I still try and avoid them but I do slip on a couple of them. She didn't even say "swannee".

When something shocked Mama it was a "My stars!" I have no idea where she got it but it was the closest to a swear word I ever heard her say. Sometimes, she said "My stars and garters." In the newspapers when I was child there was a horoscope, on the comics page usually and it was titled "My Stars and Garters". It is the only other place I ever saw the term.

However, when I Googled it today to write this post in answer to Grammy's question, I found where it came from. And it makes so much sense that she used it. She could have heard the previous generation using it but she read widely and I wouldn't be surprised if she'd run across it somewhere that way. Here is the link:

Link

It shouldn't surprise anyone that the Southern part of the United States, during the 19th century had strong ties in England. Many there supported the "Recent Unpleasantness" and there were cultural exchanges. Manners, phrases, and some habits caught on among gentry who traveled and did business overseas. These filtered down to the lower classes. Those phrase, until Mama died, still popped up now and again among my family. Every once in awhile my British contacts make comments and references that I quite understand because I remember people saying the same or very similar things when I was a child.

Sadly, the people I know who kept using those quaint terms and expressions have all but disappeared from my life. So, occasionally, I trot out some of them. They are all I have left of a wonderful woman.

My stars and garters! Can you believe what you can find on Google!