Sunday, March 29, 2009

Oh, help!!!

Dad had a very successful meeting with the Anglican formation, but they had a miserable time both coming and going. Planes were not where they were supposed to be, some never came, the airports were constantly being closed. But, they made it, only just.

But now!! Now he has decided that he doesn't want to fly, especially through Atlanta, so he thinks he is going to drive to St. Teresa, and that I am going to ride along but not drive at all! Really! That way, he reasons, no airports, no late or cancelled flights, no Atlanta airport and our car when we get there. All very reasonable, except the man is 83 and has no business doing this. He did concede that we would take two days to do this. I might consider it if it were three, both coming and going but that is really idiotic. I really mean Oh Help!. I don't think we can get through this in one piece both physically and mentally. Somebody with some authority please put the kibosh on this one.

Friday, March 27, 2009

my five

I had to mull this over. I guess I read first, marybeth at terrapin station, then songbird, then Kathy knits and more, yarn harlot and stringativity. Others, also.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Home alone...

I don't think too much of this home alone stuff, although it does cut down on cooking time. Dad left last evening for Loganville, Ga. for an organizational meeting of the new Anglican diocese structure in the Americas. They had an awful time getting there. The plane coming in to Angelo, which was to take them to Dallas was having trouble getting here, and the authorities said no way were they going to let it up again till they fixed it. So the guys drove to Dallas and still had many delays after making the Dallas to Atlanta flight. However they are there and things are going fine. Will be home in the wee hours Saturay night.

I am meeting friend Carlene at the hospital for an early dinner tonight. Her husband, who is always on oxygen, now has pneumonia. She is really a comfort to me, and it's my turn.

We loved having the Butler and Barnes contingent here for two days of grand golf. One night we went to Nancy/Scooters for a fabulous dinner. I took dessert, and since I know better than to show up without a pumpkin pie, I took one along with other food. Superb steak, jalapeno, cream cheese and bacon entrees, and I ate rather too many. Yeeks, they are somewhat good. Don took us out to Red Lobster for Saturday nightl. I could get used to this!. They have promised to try to come more often - we always love having them.

My cardiologists visit was positive and while I am not in prefect shape, some things are better and nothing is worse. Very encouraging. Next I see the GI specialist for the results of my uper GI. They haven't told me anything ecept that none of the tests showed cancer. I have photos of the tests and they look like they are from outer space.

I've been listening to lectures lately. The first was on the formation of blackholes in space. I didn't get much of what was going on there, but the second was on the 'Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire' (GIbbon) and I plan to say more about that in the next post. We seem to be ignoring history and doing the same things that destroyed that civilization. I'll hit you with that when I find the CD again. later.....

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Home again, home again, jiggety jog

We are back from our exhausting and great fun trip. Dad and Arthur managed about 4 games of golf in spite of the rain. Apparently it went over where they were and came to where we were to sit a bit. We were inside, though and it didn't bother us.

We didn't do any dyeing. The dye station had been moved to the breezeway between our two buildings, but it was just too cold to be comfortable, so we did other things. The great news is that Mary Beth learned to spin, and is really good at this. I didn't want her to learn just because I like it but because it is such a totally relaxing and peaceful activity, I thought she needed something like that. Really, everyone does.

There was a great shop (actually many small shops) from small business owners, and many fine things to examine, play with and maybe buy. We were pretty restrained with the buying. Mary Beth made a viking bracelet (spun with copper wire) and gave it to me. Hee, hee, hee. I love it. I did an aurora borealis bargello workshop, but only got a small bit done. After, I went back and took more yarns and plan to not do a bargello pattern, but use the stitch to try to replicate a real aurora borealis. As if I don't have enough to do. We also started a project on teeny tiny needles to use unspun roving. It only took about 2 minutes for me to decide it was not something that would make me happy, nor could I use the finished project, so I just knitted and watched the others. Several breeders of specific types of sheep came and discussed their sheep, pictures and all. Scooter has a few sheep and he shares the fleeces with me, so I don't need to do this. Plus the place we live would have a communal heart attack if I showed up with a sheep in the back yard. The food served was great, as always. They have promised recipes soon.

I had a bad time with edema in my feet and ankles, and I'm not used to this. I had blood drawn this morning and see the cardiologist next week. Maybe he can make sense of all this. Been sleeping with my feet elevated and that seems to help.

I am taking a sabbatical from choir for a time. I think I have more on my plate than I can handle. After this next song, I will also look for someone to take over the children's choir. That leaves me with serving at the altar, moderating a Bible Study and attending another one and interviewing and writing up members for the monthly newsletter. Also the stiters circle which is working on prayer shawls. Enough, I think. Maybe more than enough.

We had a good visit with Sarah and friend June while in Denton. Always fun.

Don, Dean and Barbara are due here tomorrow evening some time. They will play golf and we are going to Nancy/Scooter's for a cookout Friday evening. I hope the weather stays clear, though I can't imagine it doing anything else out here. Maybe we can take them to Paint Rock to see the pictographs. We're looking forward to their visit.

I am going to try to put a copy of Saxon's science project in here. You will need a magnifying glass if you want to read it, but it is so good I wanted to share it.--- Ummm. That didn't work. I will get help and then you can see it.

Now I am going back and put my feet up and just rest. Yeahhh.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

It rained! About an inch in

two days, not too hard, just steady. Just what we needed. Now maybe the grass will grow and the deer will stop eating my flowers.

Grandson Marshall just won 6th place in UIL extemporaneous speaking! Like, hooray all over the place! And the thing is, he didn't even practice. He will probably win first next year with a little practice. I guess he got the gift of gab from his dad. Bill relished his time debating in high school and college- he sneakily got his partner to do the research and he did the orating. I remember Blinn college was really after him to come there because of his debating skills. We're really proud of you, Marshall - keep after it.

Leaving early in the morning for Denton via Glen Rose. George is pretty excited about golf with Arthur, but I am ecstatic about all the fleeces and dye pots. I'm taking grubby clothes with me as I am a messy dyer.

Later, y'all...

Saturday, March 7, 2009

The times they are a-changin'................

As an avid science fiction aficionado since I first found sci-fi some 60 years ago, now I have seen the first interstellar spacecraft off and out of our solar system - trying to find other worlds for humans to inhabit. I am awed that what I have always read about and imagined is in process. I hope I live long enough to see what they find and how humans handle that knowledge.

Our poor daily newspaper is in mucho trouble. Some months ago they outsourced their printing to Abilene. That was apparently just the beginning. The employees have lived with recent salary cuts (same as other folks) and today the paper was all of 30 pages long. This includes the classified sections as well as the sports section (which I consider uninteresting, so don't read).
Once in a great while one of the grands is in the sports section and then it is eminently readable. Otherwise, I can't get excited about it. Next, we will probably have to go to fewer days a week. I hope and pray that it doesn't totally go under. I need the local news as well as the small bit of what is happening outside our little world here. This is such a unique small city - the flavor of it is totally Christian, and people proclaim their belief loud and long. Visitors here can't believe we can 'get away with' this sort of thing. It just happens here. We are, after all, in the middle of the Bible belt.

I had an upper GI yesterday. No problem. I was able to watch some of it on the monitor (yeah!) but it became too uncomfortable and I signaled for more meds, so missed some of it, but I have photos! I've always said that if you scratch a speech pathologist, you find a frustrated doctor. I'm no exception. As a result of the test, we now know what the problem isn't. What it is--- well, we are still guessing.

Saxon brought his science project here for us to see. He opted to leave it with us and I am taking it to Denton for MB to photograph for us. Then maybe I can figure out how to put it on my blog - or hers. He proved his hypothesis- that horizontal blades on the windmills (sprouting up everywhere here in west Texas) are more effective than vertical ones, as well as being less of a danger to birds. It is wonderfully done and we are inordinately proud of him.

Another photo I'd like you to see (and you will when I find the camera. Notice I didn't say if) .
A local Presbyterian church has very narrow windows in the front, behind the altar, but instead of glass, the material used is local stone - mostly agate, some slate and others. I am definitely going there to see and photograph this wonderful sight. Also hope to get there some evening when a service is going on and I can see what it looks like with light from inside. Y'all come to see us and we will go to see it!

Symphony tonight. I wonder what they will do now. The theme this year is 'motion' and some unusual things have happened - from musicians dancing as they play to whatever is next. I'll let you know. Can you wait?

Blessings.