This n that

Well, Its about time I add something to this blog, or my family will think I have croaked or something. There are serious things happening with some of my church friends, and I am not quite occupied with "me" right now. On top of this, I managed to start getting the symptoms of the flu, right before I was going to go find a place to get a flu shot. At exercise class this morning one of the men sneezed in the middle of an exercise, and because our arms were engaged with the exercise, he was not able to cover his nose. I immediately sensed that I was vulnerable. You kind of know those things sometimes.

Anyway I got through the afternoon fine. Had a nice salad at the Big Boy, since Mc D's had discontinued their great Asian salad, I figured this was a nice choice, except a little more expensive. I was able to shop a little at K Mart, and started feeling ill. Now I know I didn't catch it from the gentleman in my class, but I decided it was time to go home and bundle up. Such a beautiful day too. Glad I got to enjoy it before this malady hunkered in. Took a nap. Woke up with a chill and fever all at the same time. Turned up the heat, and force fed liquids, and orange juice and took two aspirin. At least the fever went down. But I will be waiting a while for that flu shot. They say it is not good to get the shot when you have symptoms.

Found a new beautiful blog. It won awards because of its tasteful pictures and homey comments. Its called Back Porch Musings. Done by a sweet older couple in MO. Check it out. It is really beautiful and tasteful. Has lots of nice fall photos, and stuff like that.

Most folk I know have not had to sign in for a google account to access these blogs. I know I didn't to access Deb's blog, but my sister who is on MSN says she had to log in as a google member. I somewhat can see how this could be possible, but basically it does not compute in my brain.

I mainly signed on today to say. Yes, I am still here. No, my car is not fixed yet, but it did get a quick fix so it is safe to drive until they get the parts it needs. I guess that will be done on Monday or Tuesday. They will give me a rental car for the day. This has been a pretty good old car for me. While waiting at the dealership yesterday for two hours, I explored some other cars than the Malibu.

The Cobalt has a four door sedan that is very much like the Prism. That may be my solution. It comes in bright yellow, which I think a little too loud for me, and other colors. I'll probably ask for red or white, as these can be seen more easily by other drivers.

At breakfast this AM one of the ladies said they had just bought a Saturn Vue. That car had been on my list, but the dealership is a long way away. I am not sure I want to make the financial commitment either. Maybe next time, if there is a next time. If the Cobalt drives like the Prism, I will be happy. I have had two Prisms and would be happy with a third, except they don't make them anymore. So between my friend an me, we are doing our part for the Michigan auto industry. Maybe more folk will do this too. This "Let's keep spending even if conservatively" philosophy will help,,, just a little.

I finally applied for social security yesterday, then went to the dealership, and committed the first check which will come in November, for the motor mount and tune up. At least it is cheaper than a new transmission, but it was a blessing that I felt impelled to go check up on the tune up and give them the symptoms, which had started to resemble more than just a problem with the gears up shifting. Although the repair is going to cost more than the car is worth, I don't want to be rushed into getting a new car, and they repair cost will be about what two new car payments would be, so I don't feel badly about it. I would rather drive, and sell a car in safe condition. With the SS money plus a raise (COLA) they gave me in my pension, I am at a comfortable income again. At least that is what it looks like. I may even get the condo paid off. Yippee! Want to have it total equity, so no matter what housing goes to as long as my neighborhood stays safe, I will be free and clear.

When they said "motor mount", it clicked in my brain with the new noises the car was making, and my first question was "was the car safe to drive?" A while later the technician said, that it would be. I was surprised when I got the car back that although they had charged me nothing, that it rode a little better. Then it made sense. If the tech was in checking the mounts, of course he would have tightened them if possible. Nevertheless, I shall take it easy with this car till it is fixed. He also bumped out the dent in the hood that the trailer hitch on the truck in front of me on the Harsen's Island Ferry had made. In some ways it is nice to have an old car. I would have paid big bucks to fix that little dent on a new car. With this one. I'm just glad the hood latch holds and I'll slap a little rust-o-lium on it, maybe.

I took J., the lady who moved into the Gardens apartments, to breakfast this morning with THE GROUP. There were thirty of us this time. A new record. J was able to sit by S. M. who lives in a neighboring city to where she owns her home. They had a great conversation and everyone made J. feel welcome. This is such a great group. J. really enjoyed it. I was glad the car was fixed too. I was getting concerned that I had offered to drive someone someplace and then the car started acting badly. Glad we found out what was wrong.


Well, I guess I have said enough. I will retire early tonite and pray for my friends, one who is sick herself, and the other whose young son is seriously ill. One more orange juice and I shall wrap up warm with a compress on my aching head. Hopefully the dealership will call tomorrow. Maybe the car can even be fixed tomorrow, but I seriously think it will be Monday. At least I feel a little better anyway.

Rwanda

After spending some of the weekend reading about the horrible things going on in other parts of the world it was good to read in this morning's Washington Post online about the way in which Rwanda, the site of such horrible genocide in the last decade, is now recovering and even having community work days where neighbors help neighbors to rebuild. The fact that women are being recognized as leaders is ironic.

A few years ago I was at Sam's Club and picked up Left to Tell, by Immaculée Ilibagiza, who has since appeared in countless meetings and on PBS in the United States telling her story of forgiving her enemies after losing almost her entire family, her life as she knew it and being personally imprisoned in a small bathroom with several other women in the home of a friend who risked his life to hide them from the madness that went on for many weeks all around them.

I did not think the book would be popular, as the book I had about the man who survived Dar fur, was not well received, but after Immaculée spoke at a local mega church here, many of my friends were asking me if we had it in our library, not because they wanted to borrow it, but I think because they thought her story such a good one of rising above hatred and atrocity. I have to agree. Right now my copy of Left to Tell has been loaned to a friend who has lived and worked in a neighboring country where economic disaster is happening because of an over zealous ruler, and people are suffering greatly. I thought it and he thought it would be good to read her story.

I am still learning how to put links on my blog page. So if you try any of the links let me know if they work. I am particularly interested in the Washington Post link as I subscribe the this paper, and it may not work for other people who are not subscribed. Thanks. Time for breakfast. Seems like an overindulgent thing after thinking so much about the troubles of the world. Recovery was the theme of the Post article, and after seeing so much evil it is good to read of recovery. Hope it will happen in India, Iraq and elsewhere. Pray the atrocities will cease.

Snow in St. Clair Shores in October!

What a surprise. As I look out the window from home, north of SCS, it is sunny and wet. The trees are bright yellow and the sun is peeping through the leaves at my windows. Who would have thought that a few minutes ago driving the lake road home from church at around 14 mile road there was SNOW on the road, amidst the fallen leaves.

Good thing I am an old pro at this type of driving. Could have been pretty, but slick. Ike was sitting on his porch across from mine and told me that it had not snowed here, but it had hailed. The pellets were still on the ground when I went to get yesterday's mail and I picked up one of my hanging plants to store in the garage until I am ready to bag it for the landscaping truck to take away. The two geraniums are still intact on my porch, but I suppose they will be going too.

I do not like this forced denuding of the flower gardens, but I suppose it does get one ready mentally for the upcoming winter. At least the sight of snow this afternoon, surely did. Me? I want to hang on to the last flower until the last leaf is off the last tree. But these things are not to be. This morning when I got to church one of the greeters approached me with an address and asked if I would be able to pick up a lady who just moved into the senior apartments down the road. These are the Gardens Apartments, and are a great place to live if you have the money. They are around 1000 square feet and have their own van that takes people grocery shopping and on private outings.

The lady's name is J. Her daughter, S. is a nurse who lives way upnorth. The apartments are letting her try out the apartment for a month, letting her stay in the furnished guest apartment. I think she likes it already. I had lunch with them at a local Polynesian restaurant, and invited J. to our Wednesday nite dinner and teaching service meeting. I think I will hook her up with some of my friends who can drop her off at choir when their class is over.

She may also be interested in going to my arthritis class with me at Beaumont. They have a lot of different classes, so there may be one she can do. But I bet the Gardens has something as well. I know that her township has a senior center, which I forgot to tell them about at lunch. S will email me from upnorth, so I can let her know about that when she gets home. Her Mom has some other relatives in the area, so she may already know about the center. Also, as she makes friends at the Gardens I bet she will get more of a knack for the region. If my sister's experience in P.H. is any indication, you can have a lot of fun at these senior apartments.

I told Ike and Rick next door that as soon as my Social Security comes through I will be ready to buy a better car. They are both interested in mine. Hopefully I will soon find the title while going through my paperwork that Flylady started me going through. Amazing the things that are turning up. The two hundred dollars that showed up in a drawer was the best so far though. Still living on that.

Went to Waves Restaurant. Had a great meal of sauteed perch with champagne sauce, with sweet potatoes and asparagus on the side. They had coconut Chicken and Hawaiian chicken salad. They did not think the chicken was done enough. They were going back to her Mom's house to get some of her things. She has a neighbor watching the house and has notified the police to keep an eye on it as well. Hopefully the real estate market will get better this spring when they will be trying to sell it. Two bad they can't get two buyers bidding for it like I do for my car.

Maybe they will. Maybe the economy will take an upturn. Maybe Things will get better. Didn't they used to have a song in the 1930's. Just around the corner theres a bluebird in the sky. So lets have another cup of coffee, and lets have another piece of pie, or buy a car or a house or something. Now I understand what that song was all about. Get the economy rolling again. Pie, Coffee, cars, houses, trips. Whatever. Right now I will just be happy with a car I can depend on, and my neighbors want a good junker for their second car. Also. Car has to fit in the garage.

Today is the Trunk or Treat event at church. First year in a few that I won't be working at it. My back won't take all the standing. Hope my exercise class will change all of that. For a while the weather looked like it wasn't going to cooperate, but right now it looks fabulous. Chilly but bright. Made to order. Hope they have a great time. Glad I am able to not be in it. Have a lot of stuff to do here today. Paper stuff. Library stuff, Want to finish the Shack book. More about that later. Hope your day is as good as mine has been so far. Had enough for lunch that all I need for dinner is some of my cabbage soup which is getting better and better but soon will be gone.

Today, I think I learned how to put links on my blog. Hope you can connect to this without joining Google.

Facebook Adventure

Well, Today I joined Facebook, much against my better judgement. My friend Deb of PlansbyHim had joined and had invited me to join to. They call joining being a friend, and there is quite a pressure to add other people as friends. I wonder why? Anyway, my niece Lucy was already on and she agreed to let me add her as a friend. I think a lot of folk who have kids and grandkids join because their kids are on there. From Deb's site it looks like they have a good place for photos and it is free, as far as I can tell. They have little quizzes and things but apparently you can't really take them unless you give them several email addresses. I don't do that kind of thing.

Guess I will stick with my blog/journal. Came on today because I wanted to read the Garfield Cartoon for today. Maybe I will work on adding more cartoons. I only add them if they don't have advertisements. Played scrabble with A.G. tonite. Her Stand Down at the State Fairgrounds was productive. She really appreciated the books which I had all sorted and in bags on the porch this morning. She felt real good about it and got thirty new clients to distribute furniture to.

She beat me at scrabble twice. Toast got his new medicine. I got sick after breakfast, and decided to skip my arthritis class, so I guess I will go to Curves tomorrow. I knew I kept that membership up for some reason, although the arthritis class is more of a work out for me. I think it was the turkey sausage at breakfast, or sinus problems Or the candy I ate yesterday that was supposed to be for Halloween. Think I won't buy any more candy, but hide in the basement on the 31st.


Winning Scrabble and eating some of my tomato cabbage soup made me feel better.

Was this a "God Thing?"

This morning I was getting a stack of children's books and tapes of various kinds ready to give away to my friend A. who works with homeless shelters, and churches in the inner city. I put a tape on my tape player to see if I wanted to keep it for the library, or give it away.

It was a fascinating Black lady preacher, who had a great sense of humor, and was single, like me so I kept listening to her. Well, little Toasty, who was sound asleep in the other room, heard this strange woman talking in an animated way and came right into the office wide eyed. Finding the source of the sound he got up on the table and SAT on the boom box!

I called A. to tell her of this humorous incident and left a message on her cell. When she called me back we talked a little, she thought maybe the cat was not so attracted to the preaching as much as maybe he wanted to quiet her down. No, I told her. The lady was good, and discovered that A. not only knew the speaker but had worked with her in a clowning ministry. I pulled the tape out to read the lady's name. It was most appropriately "Joy."

Just about then A. saw a man walking down the freeway with a gas can, and realized that she was heading into the city with no cash and no gas. I had her stop by my house which she had to pass on her way, and was able to give her twenty dollars. She called later to tell me that gas is $2.66 on my corner, and that her "fuel low" light had gone on when she was pulling out of my driveway.

Was it God, that she just happened to see the man with the gas can between New Haven and Mt. Clemens? Was it God that the cat acted so cutely that I called her? Was it God last week when I was cleaning out my battery/camera/computer wire drawer and found that long missing envelope with my summer money in it last week? I had honestly concluded that I had spent the money and had forgotten about it. That was right after I had the garage painted, and there were lots of expenses there, so I concluded in August that between the painting and my dentist bills I was tight on money for a while.

Whatever, my friend called me back to thank me and to say if that all had not happened it would have been her walking on the side of I-94, and NOT in a nice area, looking for gas.

Absentee Ballots

I voted today. If there is one thing I like about being over sixty it is NOT having to stand in line to vote. Nowadays I don't think my back could take it. I tried to walk to a restaurant 1/2 mile away to meet a friend for breakfast and my back froze up. I forgot that this was AFTER I had pulled half the flowers out of my garden, but it should not be happening. I don't think I could handle standing in line for two hours to vote. I would probably have to bring a chair with me or maybe get one of those walkers with a seat, just for voting.

Anyway, after getting a letter from my township supervisor that explained where he stood on the one issue I was unsure about, I was able to start filling out the ballot. When I got hung up on the non partisan ballot, I went to the Right to Life site and found out if they recommended any of the candidates there. There were only two that I could use that for, but I discovered that a lot of the positions were ones where you were allowed to vote for three and there were only three running, unless you put in a write in. So my ballot is completed and signed and stamped and ready to go out tomorrow morning. Yipee! Tonight on 20/20 John Stossal is talking about campaign promises and how a president can't possibly fix everything. Hopefully they can fix the financial mess. My Social Security appointment is next week, but if the pension funds die, a lot of us will be in a big mess. I think I have covered my bases as best I can by applying for SS and by being extra frugal.

Tonight I went to the new Meijers store that opened where a fancy golf course used to be. I was shocked. Here was this beautiful store on a Friday night, and it wasn't crowded. My Meijers in Roseville is always crowded. This one is too far away for me to shop at regularly but they had specials I wanted to take advantage of, so I drove across town to get there. I also went and looked at the new park they built behind it. Pretty, but not as big as I thought it was going to be. Good for the neighborhood though. Wonder if the store was empty because of the economy, or because not many people in that area go to Meijers. I am not complaining. I like shopping when I have the store to myself.

Well, the day started early, and it is time to hit the hay. And the hay is very attractive right now. My Chiropractor noticed something different in my back too. He is going to take new ex rays next month. Hopefully he will still be able to work on my. I don't want to have surgery, but it sure feels like my back is freezing up when I try to walk very far. I tried some of the flexing exercises I learned in the arthritis class. Though how suspicious I must have looked standing on the sidewalk in front of someones house trying to flex out my back. This is something I don't like about being sixty.


Found some old photos from the 1980's when singles went to Mio for the canoe trip and Betty, Annie, Judy and I climbed up that 101 step wooden stairway that went straight up the cliff from the beach. I was glad to see we all, even Betty, looked so young. Much younger than I am now. This is true. Because in 1984 Betty would not have been sixty yet and I was just 40. What a difference. Now, Betty has been gone for 14 years, Annie has post polio and can hardly walk, let alone climb, and I don't think I could climb that stairway either. Maybe with a lot of excedrin. Anyway I welcome rest tonite. Its been a long and good day. Beautiful fall weather. Nice walk although painful to the restaurant. Colors on trees are just turning and beautful reds and yellows. And the Spinach omelet is good for arthritis, and not all that expensive. Time to sleep. See Ya.

Boring. Don't read unless you want to.

Small Group

Last night was my first small group meeting on the Strobel book. All couples, but three of us, two widows and me. All had grandchildren but me. I like the group because we are all middle aged and except for marital status at about the same place in our lives. You have to be serious to dig through the Strobel book and these folk have done some thinking. I was encouraged, too, because all had actually read the required readings. So often in these groups, folk look at it as a social event, and don't do the reading. I want to re read the first chapter because I was tired when I read it the first time. Its an important one about the argument of How a righteous God can allow suffering. I think I got my thinking confirmed in this. I discovered that as a single without children, my world view is a little broader than the those with children, who are more concerned about individual crimes against humanity. I am most touched by genocide, whereas the lady next to me was more upset about child abuse. This will be a good group.

Hot and tired

I had to turn on the air conditioner today. I guess that is OK. I was very tired, probably because I did not sleep well last night. I have those nights sometimes. I chalk it up to being older. Probably had something to do with being hot too, although it wasn't that hot last night.
TODAY however if different. I think it reached 81 today, and when the sun gets to the side of my house it gets really hot.


Little Things

I felt guilty for being so tired. Didn't get a lot done. Read a little in the morning, and emptied the dishwasher and put the dishes I left from last night into it. Made a big pot of coffee, and talked to the neighbors and watered my poor outside plants. It seemed like summer outside. Very humid. Somewhat hot. Dumped the cookies I bought for last nights small group into the trash, because I am not supposed to eat them, and having them there caused me to eat them anyway, which may be an explanation better than being hot about why I had such an unproductive morning.

Work on Libraries on the computer

Anyway, the afternoon was different. I got up and closed all the windows and made a big glass of fat free, sugar free vanilla iced coffee. It was great! Then I actually started inputting books from the SCSAG library into the Filemaker data file again. This is something I have not done for quite a while. I found most of my entries were for books that I question the cataloging on, so I clipped them so I can look for them the next time I am physically there. I gave up after an hour because I had plenty of cards to take to the library on Wednesday, or Tuesday, and I need to work as I go. After dinner, I think I will work some more on the Librarything online data base, which is a lot more fun. Then, there is laundry, and perhaps more anti clutter work to do. Whatever. The phone just rang. I really don't want to see people today, so I was glad when it turned out to be an "Arizona" call, which is usually a telephone solicitor from one of the groups I support, but who hire people to phone me anyway. That kind of activity bugs me. Sometimes I think if they hire fundraisers to bug me that they don't need my money, but when I ignore them, I don't have to know. If their message is important, they will leave one. The talking caller ID upstairs is a great help.

Sunny Warm Saturday

Football weather. Watching, sort of, U of M Football on the Big Ten channel. We are tied at 10 in the second half. Better than before, but one problem. We are not playing a Big Ten School. We are playing Toledo and they are giving us trouble. So sad. All of Michigan's older players left when the new coach came. So Sad. Nevertheless this game is crucial. To me its like if they can't beat Toledo, perhaps they should start playing high schools. SAD SAD SAD!

BOTTOM LINE: WE LOST!
Who are these guys? & what have they done to my Wolverines?

Got more paper sorting done today. Sorted doctor bills, and was able to file or shred some more investment papers that showed up on the way. Spent two hours. Listened to Bobby Vinton on vinyl. I never realized how many of my popular records back then were love songs, and how many of those songs were Oh, so sad. Bobby Vinton is available on Pandora radio online, but unfortunately my little computer doesn't like to stick with it too much.

Got the game on both upstairs and in the basement. I am doing laundry in the basement, so I won't miss it, but then unlike other years it is not all that exciting.

Today is a day for my favorite Autumn poem:

October's Bright Blue Weather

O SUNS and skies and clouds of June,

And flowers of June together,

Ye cannot rival for one hour

October's bright blue weather;

When loud the bumblebee makes haste,

Belated, thriftless vagrant,

And goldenrod is dying fast,

And lanes with grapes are fragrant;

When gentians roll their fingers tight

To save them for the morning,

And chestnuts fall from satin burrs

Without a sound of warning;




When on the ground red apples lie

In piles like jewels shining,

And redder still on old stone walls

Are leaves of woodbine twining;

When all the lovely wayside things

Their white-winged seeds are sowing,

And in the fields still green and fair,

Late aftermaths are growing;

When springs run low, and on the brooks,

In idle golden freighting,

Bright leaves sink noiseless in the hush

Of woods, for winter waiting;

When comrades seek sweet country haunts,

By twos and twos together,

And count like misers, hour by hour,

October's bright blue weather.

O sun and skies and flowers of June,

Count all your boasts together,

Love loveth best of all the year

October's bright blue weather.




Helen Hunt Jackson

Paper Organization

This morning I continued with my discipline of playing vinyl records. They give me about twenty minutes to a side and are an enjoyable timer. Friday is the morning that I tell my self I can sleep in until the garbage guys come and take all the trash from the front of my house, just under my bedroom window.

Trouble is that right after I started doing this, the trash guys put our street first on their list, so often they wake me up before I normally would wake up. Today I made a lot of trash out of old financial papers. I was able to separate the important ones so folk going through my stuff when I am gone will be able to know where to get money to settle my affairs.

The letter below is from Flylady www.flylady.com and tells the benefit of doing this for posterity. I went through four vinyl record albums doing this, and it looks like I have a couple of more days like this before all is in order, but it is a good feeling. Music from the vinyls included: The New Folk Singers from Campus Crusade in the sixties (I saw them in person at CMU), Simon and Garfunkel, Dionne Warwick a two record set with only eight songs on each record... Now HOW was THAT a bargain?

Dear FlyLady,

For those of us who are a "certain age" - a good point about paper clutter is that it is really a mess to leave for your children to wade thru should anything happen to you. My father was in good health, but died after being accidentally hit by a car while clearing the snow from his driveway.

He did have a large well organized filing cabinet. But there were boxes and boxes of paper he was was going to attend to someday. There was no rhyme or reason for the papers in the boxes - it might be clippings from newspapers, notes to himself, letters received, copies of letters send, receipts, and tucked here and there important documents, like the deed to the house, bank loans, etc. None of my siblings lived close by, (I live over a thousand miles away), and all of us had to return to work within a short time.

Needless to say it was difficult trying to sift thru all that stuff. and heartbreaking because of the possibility to discarding something not only of monetary value, but of sentimental value. I found a diary he had started the night I was born... I'm the eldest in my family and the eldest grand-child on my mother's side.

I've inherited piles of photos. I know who most of these people are, but my children and dear grandson certainly don't. So my project this winter is to organize and label these photos. Some are of historical value and after scanning, I will donate them to the archives back home.

Thank you for all that you do.
Lilianne Fluttering in Winnipeg, Manitoba

Kelly here: Our deepest sympathies go to Lilianne. We thank her for sharing her story. Our habit for October is dealing with paper clutter. Let this be the month you set your timer for 15 minutes and start tackling the paper that is tucked away all over your home. Don't leave a legacy of clutter for your children to have to sort through when you are gone.

Ketchican, Alaska, 2004

In 2004 I took a trip with my family to Alaska. We went Holland America. My very favorite place was Kechikan. Kechikan is locked in by mountains on one side, and the Ocean on the other. It is so small that the only place for an airport for big planes is on an island. This is the place where they wanted to build the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere". The bridge had to be high enough so that the Cruise Ships could pass under it. This plus the rugged weather made the bridge very expensive. For years Ketchikan has gotten by with lots of little airplanes and small boats, and big boats. Since the Salmon Canning industry failed due to outsourcing and farming of fish, Tourism and the big Cruise Ships coming all summer is a major industry for this quaint little town. It was my first view of Alaska in its pristine beauty. I fell in love with it.

This is another experimental link that I will probably delete as soon as I find out what I am doing.

Moved to Blogspot

OK. This is my first new post on Blog Spot, the cadillac of blogging places. I want to see if I get an email that tells me I put this here, or if I have to sign up for something to get it. Concerns tonite.
1. Putting away my frozen groceries and feeding the cat before he perishes of starvation
2. Checking to see if the newsletter I put to bed earlier is actually being printed. I am a little tired of looking at it and it DOES have to get mailed very soon if our meeting is next week.
3. Start reading the Strobel (Lee Strobel) book, The case For Faith a Journalist investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity. Its the study book for Paul and Laura's small group. Sounds good.
4. Getting to bed before midnight.
5. Being sure that once I log off this blog I can log back on.

AOL Migration?

OK.... The best info I can get is from MAGIC SMOKE the journal pages own blog.  There is a lot of info in there.  Apparently AOL is working this thing through on the fly.  On the seventh of October they are supposed to release a letter explaining how all public journals will be migrated intact to a site called bloggers.   I guess I can wait.  I copied all the text to my word processing program, and the html from Chloe's home page to a file.  I used to know more about html than I can remember now, but at least I understand what all the little symbols and things are.  Like for fonts, and colors.  Fascinating.  Like reading the blueprints for a building where the paths for all the wires and pipes are included.  Theoretically you should be able to reconstruct from the formula.  Don't know how it works out when a rank amateur like me tries it.  BUT
If successful, I will send my friends an address.  I will have to ask Julie what she is doing with all her stuff.  She is the only blog friend I have acquired through this.  Oh, yes,  Deb will need a note too, but she is on Google blogspot and has a great blog. 
To get to Magic Smoke, you click on the link at the top of the journal page.  I sure appreciate what those folk have written.  Makes more sense than anything else I have read.  Hope the guy from Japan got his stuff taken care of. 

OH, OH, AOL

We all got the news yesterday through an e mail.  For an unknown reason  (The economy? )  AOL is going to discontinue HomeTown and Journals as of the end of this month.  There is a mad rush to their FTP (File Transfer Protocol) site so I can't get in to transfer to another blog site, possibly Google's, but I will at a convenient time copy and paste the text on this site to my private journals on my computer. 

I searched out the difference between Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis, this morning.  It is possible that I only had pain because of the peanuts I over indulged in.  It seems that Diverticulitis is more serious and requires a liquid diet and antibiotics.  My All Bran regime would have been too painful, but then, I do have that high pain tolerance.

Diverticulosis is the condition which a colonoscopy discovered ten years ago.  It is a condition of age in about 40 percent of the population, and usually does not cause pain.  Perhaps the peanuts and popcorn the week before aggravated it.  Diverticulitis does involve pain, and can develop into awful things that require antibiotics and surgery.  Hopefully I am not in danger, but will keep an eye on things.  Pain is a wonderful warning sign not to be ignored.

 Whatever.  I will keep an eye on this as I gradually go back to a less carbohydrate diet to suit my diabetes.  With all the other doctoring I am doing, it won't be any trouble to get them working on this if it stops improving.  But It is improving.  Very little pain now, you will be happy to know.  I even exercised yesterday with little or no pain.  Well, have to go.  Have a half hour to get beautiful and out the door.

This is probably not my last entry, but if I move I will post a forwarding address.  Not sure I am ready to learn how to do Blogspace.  A lot on my desk right now.
M.

Diverticulitis?

I guess I have had these pains about four days now. Ever since I ate the Pay Day Bars I bought to give to the beggars, if I have any. About ten years ago I had a doctor tell me I had this disease, although I had never hardly ever had any symptoms. It is a blessing and a curse as Adrian Monk would say, to have this high pain tolerance. I guess more of a blessing. Anyway, I need to get out and buy some Kellogs All Bran which usually takes care of this for me. Nuts are good, but only in moderation. When, Oh When will I learn moderation?

Anyway after getting the pain again after breakfast of bran cereal and cranberry juice, I called my friend from Choir to explain my absence to the director. Hope my seat mate in choir does not worry. We are kind of a team in our support for one another and others in our section. I will miss singing the song. Still the Cross. So appropriate for this present financial crisis. Starts out:

"Sometimes it seems the world's unraveling around us. We fear it all may one day come undone. We can't forget the One who came before us to forgive the past and give hope for what's to come.

"When it all comes crashing down the cross still stands alone. And on this our faith is built and our courage is made strong. "

"When the world falls apart and you fear for your heart, there's a tower of peace. It's still the cross.
"So bring your sick and your poor, and your longing for more, to the place of relief, It's still the cross."

Words and music by Jeromy Deibler, Scott Williamson, and Donna Smith. Arranged by Dave Williamson.

So it is hard for me to sit and be still but the radio and TV church programs are so rich here in Mt. Clemens, it does have a plus side. After the Moody Church I will have to go out and get my All Bran. Today's Moody message by Norman Lutzer is about loyalty colliding with our Christian loyalty. I should probably order the CDs of this series. Its only 4 messages but great.

So I have this time of rest, real rest on a Sunday, and need to rest feeling that all will be well with the church, the choir and the library in spite of my absence.

Tags: Moderation, Resting, singing

Tuesday, Tuesday Exercise class

Just got home from Exercise class (Not Curves, the one from the Hospital for arthritis)  Today I went on the treadmill and discovered I could still walk a twenty minute mile.  I like their treadmills.  You can adjust the height on incline, so you can do a little but not so much you hurt your heels like my old treadmill did.  Then of course we did the other exercises using weights and exercising all of our muscles and joints.  I feel like I have worked out when I leave there and am energized.  Its a whole hour class with varied activity and a great instructor who watches to see that we do the exercises right.  Plus it doesn't cost that much.  I get a lot for the buck there.  Its less expensive than Curves.  I will keep my Curves membership, until I figure if this class will meet my needs.  It is fifteen minutes from home, down Jefferson, which is an easy road by the lakeside.  Afterwards, I went to the Harbor Master to eat and had stuffed peppers and salad, cabbage soup and jello.  I wore my new yellow top.  The one I sewed up so it would fit me better.  I got some tomato on it but it came out.  I am the girl in yellow today. 

After lunch I went to my favorite farmers Market which is in SCS on Mack towards Grosse Pointe.  Got tomatoes, Apples, Peaches, cucumbers, peppers and lettuce.  And for indulgence... Apple Cider from Blakes.  Sure is easier than driving to Blakes. 

I will start on the Condo newsletter today after I get the house cooled off, and finish the laundry.  Another great sunny day.  All mine! 

No one appears to be reading this, so this is my journal.  All mine.  Someone did leave a comment on my favorite books page, but only left his web site.  Think  he is trying to sell something.  I can always delete these if it becomes a problem. 

Well, have to get on with things.  This morning I retained my three pound weight lass.  Didn't take the class for that reason, but its a nice benefit.  Hardly expected.  Took my pulse after the treadmill, and it was not that elevated.  That was a good sign too.  Wonder what the results of all the heart tests next week will be?

¿Quien Sabe?

Tags: exercise

Busy Day

Today I got a lot done.  I love those days that start totally unstructured, like a blank book to fill in with activity.  I didn't get much sleep last night because I stayed up trying to re write the minutes to the DKG meeting.  I took minutes because the secretary who is supposed to had to be out of town.  She was coming by to pick them up this morning either before or after her hair appointment which was near here.  With gas the way it is, you make use of trips by doing more than one thing on a trip.  Today for me was a no trip day.

I got up early and began to type the minutes on the computer.  That way when I forgot things I could add them in.  Then I got the information that Judy had missed from the meeting this summer together.  I was able to eat breakfast and was having coffee on the porch when Judy arrived.  All she will have to do is condense my notes.  I tend to write a lot, which is why I don't do good at minutes.  My minutes are more like hours. 

AFter Judy left, I had a conference with the secy from the condos about the newsletter, but realized it was time for lunch.  My sugar was 85 which is borderline low, so I ate well and healthy.  I realized that I needed to catch up the several hours sleep I had lost last night so took a nap. 

Then I was able to finish getting the sewing machine to work.  I discovered that the manuals I had for the machine still had address tags from Moravian on them.  I moved from Moravian in 1991.  I had bought some oil and put it as best I could where the manual said to.  I sewed a few stitches for practice, and discovered that my hands remembered how to run fabric through a machine.  It felt good.  I took on the chore I got the machine out for in the first place.  Shortened the shoulder seams on the two bargain knit shirts I got from K Mart.  I really should take out the sleeve to do it right, but there is piping on the edge, and taking it apart and putting it together again would be a massive job.  If I had wanted to make a shirt from scratch, I would have done so.  These are for bumming around in, so a few tucks here and there won't matter.  Hopefully they will shrink a little when washed because I really needed to take them in further than was possible.  I felt good that I was able to get the machine running, and actually use it in a convenient way in my upstairs office. 

I still can't master the Library Thing so that the page appears on the blog, but if you are computer efficient and interested in books, here is the link for my profile.  From there you can get to my library which is public and search titles, or look at covers.  If something is there that you would like, phone me.  I have tags that tell me where everything is in my house.  I still have most of the upstairs books to do.  I am tossing as I go, and may toss more.  I tend to weed twice.  This at least gives me a handle on things.  Besides that it is fun.

http://www.librarything.com/home/Toastysmom

Tomorrow is the Chippewa Junior High picnic but I won't be able to go.  I forgot to register, and gas is expensive.  maybe next year.  Vicki will be disappointed.  She was the contact I made from the last picnic. 

I also  finally made the appointments with the St. Johns center on Romeo Plank road for the holter monitor, echogram and thallium stress tests that Dr. Khatter ordered.  I think the shortness of breath I have is due to the fact that two different doctors have me on two different blood pressure pills.  Neither one wants to stop the prescription, so Blue Cross will pay for the tests mostly and I should be able to get a third opinion as to which drug to stop.  Dr. Tobin says there is another one I can take instead of Enalapril, but she wants to wait on the heart tests.  I saw a Golden Girls episode where Blanche is fitted with a pacemaker.  I guess its a sign of the times.  Hopefully I will come out OK and not need that yet, but if I do, I do.  I really think I am taking too many meds. 

Well, It is time to start getting ready for bed... Do the laundry, get it upstairs, lay out tomorrows clothes, which can include my recently altered new shirts, and maybe do some reading. 

More on the LIBRARY THING

http://www.librarything.com/catalog.php?view=Toastysmom&shelf=shelf&sort=lccallnumber&sort=lccallnumber
 

Tags: Books

Library Thing, Seeing the Hockey Mom, and Mama Mia

I have been busy lately uploading books I have in my house on the free site (up to 1000 items) Librarything. Below is a link for one of the books I added recently. If this does not work, you can go to Librarything.com and register, its not a complicated process, then look for Toastysmom's library,. This is a work in progress so books are being added daily. I am arranging them right now by what shelf they are in in what room, and later on may do more of a Dewey arrangement. As a librarian and a cataloger, I love the use of technology. For most titles all you have to do is put in the ISBN number usually found on the back of the book if it has a dustjacket or is a paperback. If not, the ISBN, earlier called the SBN is on the verso of the title page in the front of the book. If the book predates, or does not have an ISBN, you can try the title or author as entry points, but then you may have to search by copyright date, or something else. Try it on your new books. When you get the hang of it, start adding more complicated titles. The photo is of a cover of a pamphlet, which may be one of my own personal original library. It was not in any data base, but I love the book, so I added it manually, including uploading the cover, which is pretty and looks like Michigan in the spring. I scanned the cover, then saved the scan as a jpg, and uploaded it. Voile.

http://www.librarything.com/work/576276/book/35519124


On other matters. I really like the breath of Springtime that the Governor of Alaska has brought to the present presidential campaign. On Friday I will be able to attend a rally where both McCain and his grass roots running mate will be presenting. I am going. It is outside. Hopefully it won't be rained out, as security does not allow us to bring umbrellas. Plastic is probably OK. Photo is of Laura, Paul and Mary K. at rally. We arrived quite early and got really good seats. They told us to wear red. It was an exciting day.

On Thursday I am going with friends to see the movie Mama Mia at the new Partridge Creek Shopping Mall. My first time to the mall. I will go early so I can look at the Birkenstock shoe store and the Apple Store both of which are close to the theatre.

Well, the thunderstorm is coming and I must close down. I also have to go to Curves, or to church or both. So it's Adios for now. Hope someone reads this besides me. Love to all.

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Betsy 3 years gone Return of the Hurricane

This is the picture my niece Lucy picked out in 2005 when she was thinking about Betsy.  Betsy, her love of cats, had a sweatshirt that said "Cats I can quit any time"  Betsy, who bravely dealt with the brain cancer matastacized from melenoma, that took her life 8 months after detection on September 1, 2005.  The day she died was the day the papers bore the headline.  Totally Devastated, after the dikes broke in New Orleans.  It was surreal reading that headline in the small waiting room on the oncology ward at St. Johns, while allowing other family members to be with Betsy in her room down the hall.  Such devastation, in the country and in our own hearts was overwhelming. 

That overwhelmed feeling has been hitting me today and yesterday as the events of Katrina the hurricane and Gustave, the current hurricane seemed so similar.  It is good that our Betsy will not be forgotten.  It occured to me that our church choir was already practicing the last week of August that year as my friend Laura had commented on how I had bonded with Betsy so much it was like she was MY daughter as well as Gloria's.  Well, I did feel close to her, and did bond in all those trips from Marine City to Detroit and back.  She was a gutsier driver than me, but then I am older.  Best for everyone to drive at the rate they are comfortable.  I never go past Hall Road without thinking that was where she would get off to go to work.  I don't go by 26 Mile road or Indian trail without thinking of her.  Just can't forget it.  I don't think that is a bad thing.  But today and yesterday have been hard, remembering by association.  Writing down the thoughts in the blog seem to bring closure to today. 

My scrabble buddy came by and I beat her at two games.  Started a new best sheet.  and made a fairly decent dinner of fake crab meat, potatoes and brocolli.  Also fresh tomatoes and blueberries.  Not a bad meal.  Glad today is over and that Gustave does not seem to be as bad for New Orleans as Katrina was.  Glad folk did evacuate and that the national guard patrolled the streets so well.  Hopefully not much will be lost but people have a respect for the weather. 

Just got a call from "A" that the Antiques Roadshow may beevaluating my fan with the peacock feather.  I already had it evaluated at about twenty five dollars.  That's what they said its worth too.  I will probably get it framed. 

Well, thats about all.  Betsy, we love you.  We miss you.  We will never forget you.  I am glad that Woody is doing well with helping Jeanine into her early childhood and later childhood, as she is the one who will be most impacted in a fashion by this untimely death.  Although the impact on her husband, siblings, and friends and Mom and Dad is heavy indeed.  I don't think any of us will get over it.  Rest In Peace, dear Betsy.  We will make it. 

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Cruise down & back up the Clinton River

On the boat in dining room prior to cruise. 

Joyce  on gangplank.  Joyce used to live in a house on the River Road and was a marvelous tour guide to all of the homes of people we knew when we floated by them.  There was much to see from the river.

Barb's fantastic photo of a blue heron in flight
The Captains Landing Restaurant is where we boarded the boat.

Wendy, Anna Rae and Sonnie.  Dolores B. in background


Mary Rae, who was glad all nine of us made it and had a good time.


Wendy, Lucy, Joyce and Dolores
Anna Rae, Barb, Mary and Kathy

Turtle on driftwood.  Lots of birds and turtles were seen.

Front of boat was all ours to do sight seeing after dinner.
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Now playing: The Crew-Cuts - Earth Angel
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