Too Busy for Blogging

I guess I need to take a moment and blog or everyone will think that I have flown the coop! No, I just haven't even been on the computer this week, busy doing other things. I'm working on a trip for the church members and friends and am now awaiting the brochure. Sis and I have also been working on our team's Relay for Life plans, first plan being our Mother's Day program at church. We provide a candle for each special lady whom anyone wishes to honor or memorialize. That is always a touching program. Other than all of these happenings, I really haven't had anything to write about.

Our family reunion last Saturday went very well, with 43 in attendance. I was happy to see some whom I hadn't seen since I last year's reunion. I was responsible for last year's and was too busy to enjoy it to the fullest; however, this year, my brother was in charge so I had a much better time. I won't be responsible for another 4 years. Yea!!

Maybe I can get back to blogging now; I hate to say that I've been too busy for blogging. Oh yes, I'm now exercising at the Senior Center and also have begun line dancing! Woe are these aching bones!

Email: Making Life Easier

I really do appreciate all the things that internet can help us do these days and wonder how we were ever able to do without it. I am definitely not an expert using this tool; however, I am able to read my emails, send emails, converse with friends, locate topics of interests, and reach medical information in a flash (well, maybe not a flash but faster than I could ever find the same information in a book). This isn't to say that I no longer read books because I am what many would consider an avid reader. One thing I do so appreciate about the internet is the opportunity to find a quick answer. I had to locate some necessary information for my daughter last night concerning penny swallowing; can you believe there were many, many sites available just on that one topic alone? If you asked me today what I like best about the internet, I would have to say the ability to find a Senator's name and email address immediately and to submit a message in a flash without having to use snail mail. Not only was I able to write the letter, make corrections, and submit the request in a hurry, I received an immediate response that the message had been received! Now I'm waiting for a response, hopefully within the week. We will let you know when response is received.

This afternoon, my family will be holding its 9th annual reunion. We started this tradition when our mom passed away in the year, 2000. There are 5 of us children, so we take turns being responsible for the location and the menu, this year being my younger brother (I was responsible last year and won't have it again for 4 more years). It's a lot of fun and actually the only time during the year in which we see all of our immediate kin. I think , if everyone was able to attend, there would be about 65 present; however, with so much going on and distance for a few, we never have every single one in attendance. We do, however, always have 45 plus. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone even though I miss my parents daily and wish they could be here with us. Ah, but someday!

Frame It!

This week has been a very busy one for me; well, actually, not working type of busyness but going here and yon. I have had several medical tests done this week, all of which turned out negative, I'm so happy to report. I also had my blood work done, checking cholesterol, sugar, etc. My doctor called and said that I received an excellent report on those things. I was so shocked that I asked him to repeat what he had said. Once again, he said that my blood tests were excellent. I was so excited I asked him to send me a copy of them, that I might want to frame it!

I have busy otherwise, trying to get things ready for our church trip which I play escort on. Hopefully, that is about ready and I'm now waiting for the final brochure so that I can get it out to the people. We are striving to have between 35 and 40 to go on this trip. Right now, I think I have had around 21 respond positively. This year, we plan to go to the nation's capital. We did a similar trip many years ago, our second one to be exact, so it's been over 20 years! Can you believe that I have been involved in this projects that long and we have had most of the same people joining us each year. We have a wonderful group and we have such a great time together.

Previews of Beautiful Horses

I have had so many people catching this blog that I thought I would try to add a couple of brief videos. These should whet your appetite to go see their show. They need our help to continue with this training. The show is free but donations are appreciated (I would encourage everyone to help with a contribution). It's well worth it and I would like to return to see them again someday. Enjoy.

Ft Macon, now a national park, was once used as a fort during the Civil War. It once housed soldiers who awaited court martial for various reasons. Later, during other wars, it was used to protect the harbor around Morehead City and Beaufort, NC. The quarters within the fort are well maintained, a cool place to visit. The artifacts one can observe here are quite good and the book store has much to offer the visitor.

Don and I had been to Fort Macon on several occasions but we had never ventured to the fort itself. Anyone interested in The Civil War would
enjoy the exhibits. Be sure to double click on the top photograph and read the information provided there.

A Few Vacation Photos

This is a photo of beautiful White Lake. As a child, I loved to go here
to play in this clear lake with the
white sandy bottom. What a thrill
it was for me when our family would
spend a week here each year. The
amusement park was a lot of fun
too. As everyone can attest, I was a
pro on the skeeball machines. All my
family wanted me to win them a
stuffed animal which I did, many of
them!






Atlantic Beach was very nice, a very
quiet place to stay and enjoy. Fort
Macon is nearby and we went there
twice just to enjoy the serenity and
the history of the place. Also,
Beaufort and Morehead City are
across the bridge. Emerald Isle is not
far away either.

Procrastination

One of our local restaurants that only opens for lunch and dinner, did a great service for our local high school this morning. They opened early and served an early pancake breakfast as a fundraiser for some needy students. The cost was $5.00 for bacon, sausage,three pancakes, and choice of drink. I was very disappointed that more people didn't show up to support this worthy cause as well as get a very good breakfast at a reasonable price. Anywhere else in town that serves breakfast would charge at least $8.00 for the same amount. There will be another in 2 weeks and I hope there will be more supporters to show up.

I am not being very smart right now. I came into my study to clean it up (believe me it is a wreck). Ever since we had our scrap-a-thon, I have unloaded my books, bags, etc. in the floor and there they lay. Also, I have photos that I have been saving for the books and I need to get them filed properly. I have been lazy but wanted to stop, read my emails, and blog for a moment. Now, I must get busy (unless I can think of some other reason to procrastinate!! That's a good word, an easy thing to want to do, but a bad thing to do).

Surprise in the Shower

This day has a couple of unusual events to take place at our house. First, when I went to take my shower, I was unable to get the shower to come on. The spigot valve had frozen in the down position, thus preventing me from pulling the little knob up to get the shower to come on. We went into the other bathroom (my son's) and what do you know; the very same thing occurred! Now, that is a real coincidence that both showers should have identical problems on the same day. Hubby, being the mechanic/plumber/etc./etc. that he is, was able to get it working after a fashion at least. I think this is the first day that I have spent most of it in my PJ's awaiting the opportunity to enjoy the shower. Now, he's still trying to find the necessary pieces to get it working properly. These showers are over 20 years old so I guess it's time to start having problems. My fear is that once one thing goes awry, others follow suit. We have already replaced washer, dryer, dishwasher, refrigerator so who knows what will be next. We built our house in 1985 and know that other things will happen; for example, a roof may be our next big expense. Many of our neighbors and family members have already replaced theirs, at least once.

Tonight, I watched the show, "Don't Forget the Lyrics", and was so surprised when the contestant, Kimberly Locke, took the chance on the $1 million song. She missed it and lost $400,000! I don't I could have done that. I may be a bit of a risk-taker, but not with anything that huge! (Actually, I couldn't do that because I don't have it to do with). Anyway, she plans to make it up to her charity with her own moneys, an admirable apology wouldn't you say? She is a cute girl who has a great voice. I think she was once a contestant on American Idol. Even the losers are winners.

Stepping up to the Box

Did you listen to the Debates in PA last night? I heard part of it as I drove home from choir practice. I am very worried about all our candidates. Their philosophies just don't jive with mine; maybe in one way and not another. I, for one, so wish that Newt Gingrich would throw his name into the hat; in my humble opinion, I believe that he is the most intelligent man on so many of the critical areas in which the president should be knowledgeable. (I'm now reading his three books on the Civil War). I also think he is level-headed, honest, sincere and has the makings of a great leader for our country. He's also easy to listen to as I often do when watching FOX News.

Jumping off that soapbox now, I wonder if you watched American Idol (Is that a subject in the absolute opposite direction?) I have a problem with the emcee, Ryan, asking the contestant to pick the group of kids that he thinks will be safe until next week. David, the safe contestant, did the right thing by sitting down on the stage. How would it make the other contestants feel if he did indeed say you 3 are losers? I think the wrong one went home tonight although the remaining 7 are pretty good. My preference to win it all would be David Archeleta though. I prefer his style over the other David although he, too, has a very good voice. My hubby says they all have good voices but very bad songs! To satisfy him, they should grab songs from the 40's and early 50's, maybe even some from the late 30's.

I have other soapbox issues which I won't step on this morning; it's getting "early" but here they are in a nutshell. I was upset about such news items as the young child being forced to take marijuana; I feel for the women who lost their children in Texas (is polygamy illegal in all states? It should be I think); and, Dr. Phil paying the bond for the young girl involved in the beating of another girl...wrong!.

I'm down now.

A Frosty Morn in April

I don't know if this cool weather has affected my sinuses or being in the mighty winds at the lake over the weekend, but this morning, I woke up feeling quite congested. Now the sneezing has begun. Perhaps it's a combination of the above plus the pollen. Also, we had to work in the pollen yesterday when preparing for the Women on Mission group who was meeting at my home last night. As I mentioned previously, our porch had turned to a greenish-yellow (or was that a yellowish-green?) and we had to work to get all of that gone. And then, the front porch had to be done the same way although it wasn't quite so bad. Being out in that caused some sneezing so I think that's my main problem. I had planned to attend an association meeting of the Women on Missions tonight; however, due to this congestion I may be better off to forgo that trip. Don is out again today mowing (which is badly needed because of all this rain). I don't know how much we have gotten here but my little grandson is my main man to check my rain gauge. He is so cute when he goes out, reads the water line, then comes back to tell me how much water was in it. I have allowed about 4 of the glass tubes to break because I failed to bring them in during the coldest days and nights. (I'm wondering if I should get it in now since they are calling for a light frost). I am surprised at this very cool weather in mid-April. Is this not unusual?

I heard some great news the other day about a new possibility for a cancer cure. It seems that testing is beginning by using radio waves, a technique that has been initiated by a man who is suffering with terminal leukemia. What a great breakthrough this would be if it does indeed cure cancer! I'm praying for success. I'm also very interested in something to prevent stroke, heart attacks, alzheimers and dementia. If people are going to live to be 150, there must be more successful research done. I wonder what God's plan is for the medical realm. I would like to know why some people have these problems while others don't. I am like Hillary Clinton who responded to this question that she didn't know the answer but she would ask God someday.

"Just Say Please"

While at the lake this weekend, my 5-year-old granddaughter and I were outside the RV enjoying the early evening time. We were parked near the stage where they have the church services on Sunday morning. On Saturday evening, they had scheduled a Christian Gospel group to perform on the stage. When they were setting up the sound system, we stood a distance away and watched. One of the leaders of the group came over and asked Livvy's dad and me if the volume was okay. Her dad said, "Yeah, I guess so.". Then he asked me and I said that I surely had no trouble hearing it (I failed to tell him that I had a hearing loss already). Later on, after they had begun their program, Livvy asked us why we didn't tell him that the music was too loud (even she thought so); we told her that we didn't want to hurt his feelings and that I didn't feel good about being any more specific that I had already been. Livvy looked at us with perhaps just a little bit of disgust, gestured in frustration, and said, "Well, you could have said Please!"

Loving Our Young Guns & Gals

We enjoyed our trip to the beach, a very relaxing time for Don and me. What a rush it was, however, to return home on Wednesday and prepare to leave again on Thursday afternoon! I wouldn't want to try that every week because we were both tired by the time we arrived at our destination.

Our work trip to the lake where Don's family cemetery is located was quite successful in many ways. Our son, son-in-law, grandson-in-law, 2 daughters, one granddaughter, one niece, one niece and her husband, and 3 female cousins arrived Saturday morning and put in a full day's work. Don and his brother, Jimmy, a niece and I worked on Friday running the string around the lot and placing stakes every 10 feet where the concrete fence posts were to be placed on Saturday. The young guns did a great job with the heavy equipment; what a great family we have! Our son, son-in-law, and grandson-in-law are to be praised for their willingness to forfeit a Saturday to help the older ones. And the young daughters and others did a great job too for which Don and Jimmy are so grateful. Even the 2 little grandchildren pitched in and worked very hard too. I think they enjoyed it very much; I was to take them back to the lake to play but they were enjoying that too much. They did return with me and their mom in the early afternoon. Thank you, Young Guns and Young Gals for all your wonderful dedication and labor of love.

Passing Through

Passing through town is just about what I am doing. (I will return on Sunday. I doubt there will be any WiFi, unfortunately). Hubby has decided that he wants to go camping tomorrow evening instead of waiting for the weekend; therefore, we are going ahead so that he, one of his brothers, and a niece can begin their work at the family cemetery. I, on the other hand, have no desire to visit that location for that length of time. My plan is to enjoy another good book and wait for the grandchildren to arrive on Friday. I have planned to keep them while their parents work to place a fence around the cemetery (that's to keep people from trespassing, of all things! That would never, ever be a playground choice for me...never!). It seems that some people today have a warped sense of pleasure: throwing bottles, turning over grave markers and tombstones, even stealing flowers! I don't think I will ever understand a mind that works in such a morbid way!

I have been re-reading "Walking Across Egypt" by Clyde Edgerton, and enjoying it as much as the first time I read it, so that is my plan for entertainment. What an enjoyable book this is, one I highly recommend. Don and I spent 2 hours in a bookstore that sold new and used books and we had a great time! That's one place that I could an afternoon. The only thing missing here was Starbucks or something similar. I was able to get my new lenses for my glasses; now I read with great pleasure!!

A Green World

We arrived home this afternoon and, as I gazed around the yard, I recognized the dogwoods and the redbud trees, the camellias, and the azaleas in their fullest bloom of the season. I acknowledged the pines, the oaks, and even the sweet gum trees with the little aggravating balls that fill our woods. Now, for what I didn't recognize: the slate porch, once a beautiful blue now a dusty yellowish-green; the once-white arbor which needed pressure washing and now bears the same green as its other inanimate friends; and, worst of all, Hubby's pickup which was already a nice shade of green and now sporting a color similar to the mustard that I put on my bologna sandwich last night! The question is, will the sneezing now begin? As for me, I sneeze all year round, especially around unusual odors such as the colored, printed page of a magazine. I wonder if my little granddaughter with the allergies her mom is treating has been suffering unduly. Are my friends who are known to me as serious allergy sufferers, having those unwanted headaches and sinus infections? Spring is such a beautiful time of year. I enjoy seeing folks out walking while smiling and waving at passersby. I love watching the children playing in their sandboxes and being creative, not involved with television, computers, or video games, but with active minds which appear to have been in hibernation during the cold, dark months of winter. Playing ball, riding bikes, being active; these things may prolong their little lives and prevent them from experiencing health problems with which some of us are afflicted. The latest news is that there is a good chance that many of these children will live to be 150 years old! I can't imagine; however, if that's the case, we had better get busy teaching them to enjoy their childhood as we did when we were children. These children have many advantages over me when I was a child, but I wouldn't trade my creative youth for one single video game. The world was green when I was a child; I didn't sneeze like I do today; I didn't have allergies as many do today. I don't understand the difference because I stayed outside much, much more than they do today. All I know is that the world seems much the same today as it did when I was a child; my world is still green today and I will enjoy the beauty of it.

Leaving Town

We are leaving town for the beach in an hour or so. I can't find out if they have WiFi or not but am trying. I can only suggest that you keep a check to see if I blog. At any rate, I will return on Wednesday for a couple of days when I will post an update. On Friday of next week we will be going to a nearby lake for the weekend but will return again on Sunday. After these 2 trips, we should be home for awhile I think, at least until after the son's wedding I think.

Tonight is the big basketball game. What speculation I have been hearing! Kansas is very upset with Roy Williams for leaving them several years ago. I hope they don't make it too unpleasant for him during the game and there will be no hostility shown on either side. Fans are most often worse than the players ever thought about being, but I hope tonight is not an example of that. Whatever happens, I will remain Tarheel born and Tarheel Bred.

Kicking the Inactivity Habit

I actually broke down and joined an exercise program today and I'm quite proud of myself. I figured that it was time that I finally kicked the inactivity habit, especially since my cardiologist wrote me in Florida and encouraged (insisted?) that I intensify my exercise. He was not happy with my LDL report (he wants the current 103 below 99). And, my family physician is unhappy with my "sugar" report (My A1C is currently 6.2 and his goal for me is below 6.0) I have been taking the drug, Vytorin, the one with so much controvery now, and I am not sure that I want to keep taking this drug. I am trying to find out it I should change but, so far, I haven't received a response from anyone. For my personal satisfaction, I think it would be wise to change drugs but I need some professional opinion(s).

I have been enjoying American Idol and tonight, I felt very sorry for the little girl who was voted off. I do like Brooke and am glad that she is still safe. I also like David and a few others. The talent this year seems to be even better than last season but I would like to see them choose some of the old artists with more variety. Tonight's choice was good. Last year, Tony Bennett songs were sung and I liked that too. So many of the new groups are unknown to me and others like me I'm sure. At any rate, the program was good, the kids have a lot of talent, and I look forward to each new season of this program. I also like Dancing with the Stars but wish they would require the ladies to wear less revealing clothes; their garb is unnecessary. I watch the show for the talent, not the lack of costumes.