I had to go to the Walk-in Clinic today. Have had a bad cough for a few days and it wasn't getting any better. My Dr's nurse kept giving me the run around so I finally went somewhere else.
As I came out of the grocery store afterward I met two of my favorite people on earth - my old therapists. I had not seen them in several years and it was so good to see them but didn't want to spread anything around. I stopped short and said, "Kathleen, you don't want to come any closer and get what I have" I've been pretty sick.
She looked at me, grinned, said, "BULL SHIT" and hugged me. What a neat lady. It was so good to see them and even though our time was too short to catch up we saw each other and wished each other a Happy New Year.
I owe a lot to those two people. He could scare the shit out of you but you always knew where you stood with him. She was a little softer but you still knew where you stood. They gave me so much.
It was great to see them and a nice way to end 2011.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Christmas is for the Birds
Well, if you know me, you know that's not what I REALLY think of Christmas. It's many things and different things to different people.
This year we have a back yard FULL of birds. The last two years we have been gone so much I didn't start feeding them because I didn't think that was fair. But this year I am feeding them and our yard is FULL.
We have had about 4 sets of Cardinals, Tufted Titmice, Black Capped Chickadees, Junco, a Red Bellied Woodpecker and today we had a Downey Woodpecker too. That almost made me go to town to see if the local grocery store had any suet for them. I LOVE to watch them.
We have several feeders up and the cardinals are all over them. I tried to get some pictures and here are a couple but they did not like it when I came out to the deck.
There have been up to four or six goldfinch on this bag of thistle feed at once but not so many when I showed up with the camera.
This year we have a back yard FULL of birds. The last two years we have been gone so much I didn't start feeding them because I didn't think that was fair. But this year I am feeding them and our yard is FULL.
We have had about 4 sets of Cardinals, Tufted Titmice, Black Capped Chickadees, Junco, a Red Bellied Woodpecker and today we had a Downey Woodpecker too. That almost made me go to town to see if the local grocery store had any suet for them. I LOVE to watch them.
We have several feeders up and the cardinals are all over them. I tried to get some pictures and here are a couple but they did not like it when I came out to the deck.
There have been up to four or six goldfinch on this bag of thistle feed at once but not so many when I showed up with the camera.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Down One Road to a Christmas Past
I've been thinking of past Christmases and one in particular stands out this morning.
I'm not sure of the year, probably about 1942 or 1943. We lived outside of Canton, Illinois.
When I was little Mary and Ruth Ann always got me a great Christmas gift. I always waited for their gifts because they both had money and no kids and they were able to get out more than mother was.
This particular year they all came about the same time. Mom had the table set for Breakfast and it was snowing and kind of a nasty day, as I remember. Everyone was hurrying in out of the cold and we were trying to take their coats. I was REALLY trying to look at all the packages they had brought and look for one with my name on it.
BUT...I couldn't see one that said "ELLEN" and they were all acting like things were fine and now I realize they set me up. Someone said things had been kind of tight that year and money was short and maybe there wasn't a package for me. I tried to be a big girl and say, "Oh, that's O.K." but my heart was about to explode and I was fighting like everything to keep from crying.
Just as the tears could hardly stay inside my eyes one more second someone said, "Well, look here". There was a really big box with the name ELLEN written on the top.
I remember just tearing into that box and there was the most beautiful set of dishes for me anyone ever got. They were real dishes and they had the wheat pattern on them. There were plates, bowls, cups and saucers and a creamer and sugar bowl, a butter dish and a couple of serving dishes. They were wonderful.
After dad died and we moved to Vermont I had a lot of room upstairs in the house for play. I had my bedroom up there and one room was set up like a little store. Mom would open boxes and cans so I could use them on the shelves like a real grocery store. I had a table set with those dishes.
When the house burned they all burned. BUT...it was a WONDERFUL Christmas and I'll always remember those dishes.
I'm not sure of the year, probably about 1942 or 1943. We lived outside of Canton, Illinois.
When I was little Mary and Ruth Ann always got me a great Christmas gift. I always waited for their gifts because they both had money and no kids and they were able to get out more than mother was.
This particular year they all came about the same time. Mom had the table set for Breakfast and it was snowing and kind of a nasty day, as I remember. Everyone was hurrying in out of the cold and we were trying to take their coats. I was REALLY trying to look at all the packages they had brought and look for one with my name on it.
BUT...I couldn't see one that said "ELLEN" and they were all acting like things were fine and now I realize they set me up. Someone said things had been kind of tight that year and money was short and maybe there wasn't a package for me. I tried to be a big girl and say, "Oh, that's O.K." but my heart was about to explode and I was fighting like everything to keep from crying.
Just as the tears could hardly stay inside my eyes one more second someone said, "Well, look here". There was a really big box with the name ELLEN written on the top.
I remember just tearing into that box and there was the most beautiful set of dishes for me anyone ever got. They were real dishes and they had the wheat pattern on them. There were plates, bowls, cups and saucers and a creamer and sugar bowl, a butter dish and a couple of serving dishes. They were wonderful.
After dad died and we moved to Vermont I had a lot of room upstairs in the house for play. I had my bedroom up there and one room was set up like a little store. Mom would open boxes and cans so I could use them on the shelves like a real grocery store. I had a table set with those dishes.
When the house burned they all burned. BUT...it was a WONDERFUL Christmas and I'll always remember those dishes.
Friday, December 16, 2011
A Big Surprise
Last week-end we went to Illinois to visit a nephew and his wife, see some friends, and go see Kim, Ron, and kids. Wanted to see all of them before Christmas.
The next time we see Jeremiah and Sierra they will probably both be taller than I am.
My big surprise has to do with a sewing table I bought last summer at a garage sale. I really like that little table but it doesn't have enough storage. While we were at Ted's nephew's house I went to Beverly's sewing room so she could see how we make the Pillow Cases for my Sewing Guild at my church.
I walked in and there was the exact table I have except on one door she had two nice big containers that fastened on the door. They would hold a lot of things, scissors, thread, attachments to the machine, bias tape, just name it and most likely it would go there.
I got all the information from her on what they were called and the part number.
This morning I called the Sauder Company (where the table is made) to see if they would even consider selling me a couple of these.
They not only have them and were happy to let me have them - FREE. I almost fell off my chair when the girl said, "Oh, these will be complimentary since you did not buy your table from us". I was flabbergasted. She got tickled at me and then I finally said, "Well, there surely is shipping charges". She said, "No, that's on us - MERRY CHRISTMAS"
SO...I'm a happy sewer and my little drawers will be in the mail next week.
And if any of you need some furniture I would highly recommend the Sauder Company furniture. :)
The next time we see Jeremiah and Sierra they will probably both be taller than I am.
My big surprise has to do with a sewing table I bought last summer at a garage sale. I really like that little table but it doesn't have enough storage. While we were at Ted's nephew's house I went to Beverly's sewing room so she could see how we make the Pillow Cases for my Sewing Guild at my church.
I walked in and there was the exact table I have except on one door she had two nice big containers that fastened on the door. They would hold a lot of things, scissors, thread, attachments to the machine, bias tape, just name it and most likely it would go there.
I got all the information from her on what they were called and the part number.
This morning I called the Sauder Company (where the table is made) to see if they would even consider selling me a couple of these.
They not only have them and were happy to let me have them - FREE. I almost fell off my chair when the girl said, "Oh, these will be complimentary since you did not buy your table from us". I was flabbergasted. She got tickled at me and then I finally said, "Well, there surely is shipping charges". She said, "No, that's on us - MERRY CHRISTMAS"
SO...I'm a happy sewer and my little drawers will be in the mail next week.
And if any of you need some furniture I would highly recommend the Sauder Company furniture. :)
Thursday, December 1, 2011
BIG WAREHOUSE SALE
Our church has a lot of Outreach programs. We have a prison ministry, we help supply items for Grace Works - a store where people can go get all kinds of things for their homes - we are in the middle of helping house homeless men one night a week from now till the end of March. We furnish their dinner, let them take a hot shower and do some laundry if they need to, feed them breakfast and pack a good lunch for them before we take them back to Nashville. But one of my favorite programs we are involved in is called Building Lives. It is a house where homeless Veterans are helped get off the streets and find work and also help with problems they have.
At this point there are 22 men housed there. This is just a drop in the bucket of homeless Veterans in Nashville. Sunday we were told there are between 450 and 500 homeless veterans in town.
One of the ways this home is financed is through a yearly Warehouse Sale. The director goes to businesses and they donate items to him, he gets this old warehouse somehow and each December for 10 days there is a sale. Things are really cheap. People wait every year to come Christmas shop.
Wrapping paper is $1 a roll, many items are $2, some are $3, and one group is 4 items for $5. These are all new items.
Today I helped with this sale. I have wanted to help with this for several years but we were never home. I got there about 8:45 and was to work from 9 to 1. Lunch was served us and at 1 p.m. we were to have replacements come.
BUT...some of them didn't show up. One couple was there when I arrived and were still there when I left at 2. I took the opportunity to do a little shopping before I left. Not so much for Christmas gifts but things for the house I saw that were things I needed and were dirt cheap.
It was a rewarding day knowing all the proceeds of this day would go to help the homeless Veterans and other people in the Nashville area that need some help. I tried to watch the news but have to admit I slept through most of it.
At this point there are 22 men housed there. This is just a drop in the bucket of homeless Veterans in Nashville. Sunday we were told there are between 450 and 500 homeless veterans in town.
One of the ways this home is financed is through a yearly Warehouse Sale. The director goes to businesses and they donate items to him, he gets this old warehouse somehow and each December for 10 days there is a sale. Things are really cheap. People wait every year to come Christmas shop.
Wrapping paper is $1 a roll, many items are $2, some are $3, and one group is 4 items for $5. These are all new items.
Today I helped with this sale. I have wanted to help with this for several years but we were never home. I got there about 8:45 and was to work from 9 to 1. Lunch was served us and at 1 p.m. we were to have replacements come.
BUT...some of them didn't show up. One couple was there when I arrived and were still there when I left at 2. I took the opportunity to do a little shopping before I left. Not so much for Christmas gifts but things for the house I saw that were things I needed and were dirt cheap.
It was a rewarding day knowing all the proceeds of this day would go to help the homeless Veterans and other people in the Nashville area that need some help. I tried to watch the news but have to admit I slept through most of it.
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