Crazy weather

Two days ago it was actually 95 degrees here. Today it started off below freezing. Temperature is nothing if not varied out here. It means there is no such thing as putting away your winter/summer clothing. Whatever you need today, you may need just the opposite tomorrow.

We went to see Spencer and Mally play this morning, but they didn't show. I talked to a mom whose son is in Spencer's class and she says Spencer told her son that he broke his leg. Knowing Spence, it may be true or it may be a huge joke. The mom also said her son told her Mally broke a toe on the stairs to her bedroom. Pobrecitos. Wish I could help.

RCW is planning a trip to Palo Duro Canyon to see the historic production they put on year after year. . If we are going up in a real bus and not this school bus we use around here, we are considering going. It will be just one night and we have always wanted to see this, and see the canyon. All this desert/canyon country is still amazing to this beach girl.

MaryBeth's and my trip to Tyler is coming up quickly and I'm looking forward to spending time with her. The day before I leave is my upper GI test, but I don't expect any problems from that.

Blessings...

Rx mixup

I went to the pharmacy yeserday to pick up 4-5 refills, was given a package and paid- went home. When I realized there was only one container in the package it confused me a bit. I took a look to see which one I had received and realized that Ihad Frances Butlers med and it was one I'd never heard of. It was late and they were closed, so I went back this afternoon. The atmosphere, when I told them what had happened, was something like many little firecrackers going off all over the pharmacy. Those poor people looked as horrified as anyone I've ever seen. After being very busy for a bit, they managed to find my five Rx. They told me most people would have just opened and taken the medicine. What do they take me for - an idiot? Do you suppose people would really do that, without even looking at the name of the med?

The noon Ash Wednesday service was very poorly attended, but very much in the spirit of Lent. Both of use served at the altar. Then, back at 7 for another session. We went because I wanted to sing in the choir and we have Bible study right after... It was grand. The youth minister, his wife and several of their teenagers from the Nazarene church next door came over to play and sing with us, and the minister participated in the Eucharist. We made some fantastic music. And on to Lent.

Our Deacon tells me there are several types of diaconate. I've a meeting with him tomorrow afternoon to explore some of them. More on this later.

Bye..

What you expect isn't always what you get...

Yesterday, I was looking forward to a sermon on the Transfiguration. Fr. Stan usually preaches on the gospel, but somehow he chose another, totally different scripture to use for his sermon. They are always good, but I feel cheated, somehow. I needed to hear about the tranfiguration.

Tomorrow night the vestry is cooking the pancake Shrove Tuesday supper for us, and Wednesday will be busy. We have lots of studies of various sorts going on over Lent.

Lent is an interesting concept. When I was a child, we were expected to give up something that we really, really liked for the duration of Lent. It was usually some sort of candy, and we all made a great noise about our great sacrifice. Nobody ever taught us that it was not to talk about or share with anyone, but was between ourselves and God. Nowadays, I find it better to add a spiritual discipline rather than giving up something trivial. So, that's what I expect I will do. It will be a secret between God and me.

The regionals for Saxon's science fair exhibit is tomorrow. I pray it will go well for him and that he will be able to use his language skills well to get his concepts across to the judges. He is very dear to me.

More on seminary later as things develop. Our church is definitely in flux right now - if things go according to plan, we will have established an Anglican church in North America, with which we may affiliate, and probably will. This would remove us from the oversight of the Diocese of Uganda. Many changes coming. I will pray for good ones.

more to concern us--

I mentioned earlier the situation with salary reductions. There seems to be more and more of that, but worse by far are the folks who are being laid off. The latest here is a respiratory therapist who was laid off for lack of funds, and now untrained orderlies are administering respiratory therapy. Say what? Something really is wrong here. I do expect the salary cuts to go all the way across, and to include Social Security. Which means RCW will have to cut the maintenance fee they ask of us, so their work staff will also be cut. Does anyone really think the phone-electric-gas, etc. industry will charge less? Another thing which really, really concerns me is that I can't think of any way to make the pharmaceutical industry cut the cost of their product. Folks, this is not a product that is optional. The lives of many, many people depend on their meds. Maybe the government will make the drug companies reduce costs, but I'm not betting on it.
We are blessed to have children who will not let us go in want. It awes me sometimes that so much blessing covers us. I do have lots of concern for those not so fortunate. I heard a new prayer today which we all should probably start praying. It's called

P U S H


P ray
U ntil
S omething
H appens

Let's all do this one.....

P & Q

That's what I like- p and q. Peace and quiet. Happily, I have it.

Nancy's chickens are losing their mind still and we are benefitting from the eggs. There's no comparison between them and store bought eggs. None. In fact, we are having creamed eggs on toast (with sausage for Dad) for supper. Then I am going to Serendipity Spinners meeting. I don't always make it, but tonight I feel like spinning and I have a large bag of fleece I'd like to finish and crochet.

Mary Beth and I are signed up for the spinners/knitters group retreat in March at the campsite at Tyler lake. I think we'll really enjoy it. They only have one other, in August and it includes children. It is all about knitting, and we've gone and taken Mally (granddaughter) - had lots of fun. This retreat, however, is adults only. While I spin, dad will be in Glen Rose with Arthur and Rosetta, playing many rounds of golf. We can usually coordinate our favorite pastimes.

I'm having an upper GI test in a couple of weeks. Except for a mild ache in my midsection, I really feel great.

If I get any busier at church, I may have to move a bed up there. I haven't done the role of acolyte in several years, but last night I had to remember what to do. Got it right, too. When we were at Ascension, Carrabelle, the layreader, Eucharistic minister, crucifer and acolyte were all the same person. Only three of use would do the job, and two were George and me. We had to carefully plan being out of town with the other man. We enjoyed that church, also.

Our local newspaper recently outsourced it's printing process to Abilene. Now they are cutting salaries across the board, some more than others. This afternoon I learned that HP is doing the same thing, cutting the executives more than the others. Fair enough. I do hope they don't do this to social security, though. I guess it all depends on whose ox is being gored. Actually, I am not sure what that expression means exactly, but I've heard it all my life. I can't imagine anyone letting two oxen, who might be in a goring mood, be together.

Saxon goes to the regionals with his science project. Dad has made a drawing for him to illlustrate it better. We also found a page in National Geographic which had photos of two buildings (in Dubai) which have been built to rotate, floor by floor. In between the floors are blades to keep them turning. No view is ever the same, and solar power is also used. These buildings support themselves as far as energy is concerned. I think this was in last month's NG, if anyone is moved to look it up. Amazing. Since these are horizontal, they match Saxon's hypothesis that horizontal blades rather than vertical are better and kill far fewer birds. They won't allow us to go hear his presentation, but I would like to. Mally has a basketball game Saturday, and then the next weekend finishes that season - leading right into baseball. Mally and Spencer are playing machine pitch this year. Sometimes I go and watch the t-ball games. They are better than the movies.

Later...

I survived

this very busy week, almost. A quiet day tomorrow, a basketball game, and DH is taking me out for Valentines day. What a nice man he is. We are blessed to have each other.

I have slaw to make for the day tomorrow, plus visits to chiropractor, and two pharmacies this afternoon. Somehow I made my way through the madness that is HEB yesterday. I discovered at the end of my safari that there is a map available with the types of food in each area. This ought to make the grocery list compilation much easier. I really hope so. One of the nice things about this store is when you can't find something, you can usually find an employee, who will leave what he/she is doing and take you right to it.

I'm nearly through with the crazy black and white scarf, ready to fringe it and wear it. Yeaaa.

We went to the dinner for birthdays last night (for RCW) and in talking to a lady at our table, she kept urging me to come up and play pinochle with them on Fridays. She knows I like games, but what she doesn't know is that I really like word games. I know I could learn to play pinochle, but I treasure my time at home with my books. I am becoming frustrated with the local paper crossword. Usually they are a snap, but now they ask for things like favorite hits of contemporary musical (?) groups - groups I have never been exposed to - and there's a reason for that. They so frequently seem to be just searching for a key and somehow never finding it. They also do a lot of screaming - not cool. I guess they are expressing themselves, but I think I will have to find a new source for crossword puzzles. I do have my Sudoku books and a Wordoku one.

Dad went to doctor today at my urging to have many unhealthy looking spots on his back removed. The dermatologist told him they were hereditary and not precancerous. You learn something new all the time. Still not sure I believe her.

After our trip to Tyler/Glen Rose, when we come home, Don, Barbara, Dean and hopefully Katie are coming for a few days for golf. Unfortunately, this is the week the Scott's will be in Utah on their annual skiing trip, so we can't coordinate that, but the big reunion is this summer, and will be great.

Loved Mary Beth's comments about all the dogs and cats we had. They were wonderful, even though Beauty disappeared and really devastated MB. This one was her cat. Stitches was the last one, and was very dear. Her name came about because she had been spayed when she came to us, and the stitches were still in. We removed them when it seemed time. I don't have a pet now, because I have all I can say grace over just keeping things going here. But I miss my feline friends.

One half inch ---

That's how much rain we had two days ago. It doesn't sound like much, but it's the first we've had since early October. Just listening to the rain hitting the skylight was vastly refreshing. Now that we've had that much, we need more, please.

Somehow the second week of each month is crazy making. Too much is scheduled for this one week. I feel a bit like getting under the bed and not coming out till Friday.

We're working on a stitchers guild project for prayer shawls. I've made a number for others and sent them on their way, but this is our first attempt to make these as a guild and both send them out and keep them at the church for prayer times. I even taught a lady to knit yesterday. She is another of those who says 'I just can't learn to knit'. And, as always, when shown, she looked at me and said "That's it?" Yup.

I counted my ongoing fiber projects this week and the number is over 10. I won't tell you how many. I would finish more if I could remember they are there. But I began a new crocheted baby blanket for the NICU babies at the hospital. We turn these in twice a year, and they are divided between our two hospitals. Bonnets and booties are included but I don't knit with needles so small, so one of our members makes them on her machine. Someday I am going over to see her knit on her machine. I had one, one time, but I never could quite get it set up and going so I sold it. Don't see much fun in knitting on a machine, anyway.

Ladies dinner evening out tonight. A very diverse and interesting group, some Anglican, some Episcopalians and maybe even some others. We don't talk church anyway - there's too much else to say.

There's a quiet day at church on Saturday - a wonderful leader is coming down for it. I'm really looking forward to it. Afterward, on to see Spencer play basketball. I get exhausted just watching the kids race up and down the court, back and forth, etc. They are a joy to us. You knew that.....

Hee, hee--

Mary Beth and I are going to spinners and knitters camp, with a little needlepoint thrown in. This is happening in March . As of now, we will drive to Glen Rose where Dad will visit with Rosetta and Arthur and play golf. Then, on to Denton to gather up Mary Beth. We are looking forward to this one...I am just ordering a woolee winder for the Joy spinning wheel. (Let me know if this last sentence makes any sense to you. I am not expecting replies but would love some)

I fell again yesterday and am pretty tipsy today. It's extremely irritating to have this happen. I have places to go and things to do....There's a birthday party dinner for Scooter at 5:30 and I have my Bible class later in the evening.

No more now....