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A parishioner was in front of me coming out of church one day, and the preacher was standing at the door as he always is to shake hands.

He grabbed the parishioner by the hand and pulled him aside.
The Pastor said to him, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!"

The parishioner replied, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor."
 
Pastor questioned, "How come I don't see you except at Christmas and Good Friday?"

He whispered back, "I'm in the secret service." 

"On New Year's Eve, Marilyn stood up in the local pub and said that it was time to get ready.

 At the stroke of midnight, she wanted every husband to be standing next to the one person who made his life worth living.

Well, it was kind of embarrassing.
As the clock struck, the bartender was almost crushed to death. 

Good morning everyone.

Tis 28° this morning and no new snow Need clean and wash floors. Have a load of laundry in and will do the bedding and hope to hang it out.

We will stop in the nursing home and see how the neighbours Mom is this morning . Spare dog is loving it here..we do have to be careful in giving him treats as he is allergic to wheat.

Hope we hear from June, Jane and Shirley is MIA also!!

Enjoy your day everyone..

Good Morning Everyone from the clean but cold, 
rocky coast of Maine!   

At 7 AM this morning the fire alarm system went off
and of course woke everyone up.   
Fire trucks etc came,  but they all left
and the alarms finally shut down. 

Considering that there are over 150 apartments
here, it is not surprising with an occasional
fire alarm goes off...

It is good to know that it is working!

Have a good Saturday,  everyone!
Sandy
  

Good Morning everyone.I wish you all a great day. it is 31º clear and headed for 50º today and sunny all day.

Lloyd

Hi Everyone. We have another overcast morning but only a small chance of more rain today.  Our rain yesterday was light and periodic.  I did get the couple of items wrapped for my SIL and then went to the Post Office.  There were only 3 people ahead of me and I was out of there in 5 minutes of so and was surprised.  Then I went on to Walmart only to find it was to early to get my prescriptions refilled. I did get a few other items we needed so it wasn't a wasted trip.  About 4 pm the doorbell rang and it as the man to do the annual termite inspection that I had set up but forgotten about.  So that is done for another year and all was well. 

My schedule for today is pretty light.  I do plan on attending a meeting this morning.  I have unloaded the dishwasher and set everything out for Pat's breakfast.  This afternoon I will rest and then watch some college basketball or one of the bowl games.


Gloria,  asking your son to take you someplace gives him the opportunity to spend a little more time with you and you with him.  We try not to take advantage of our son but when I asked him to take us to Costco the other day he said he was happy to do so and wanted to help out in the future and has never indicated a problem with doing the little chores for us here at the house.  If you son got tired of you asking for help he has a voice and could tell you. 

Mary Ann, I have always paid the restaurant bill when we eat out and our son is with us and occasionally our granddaughter and Elizabeth join us to.  I am sure Tom appreciates your paying for your once a week eating out. 

Amy, I understand why you prefer snow now to the rain if you were to have to deal with ice.  You sure don't want your car or you or your husband spinning around on the ice. 

Jenny, I have asked several times at Walmart if they had the shingles medicine so I could get my second shot that is needed.  So far they have not had it in stock.  Pat didn't think she needed the shingles shots as didn't think she had ever had chickenpox.  However, the doctor did a blood test and found she had apparently had a very light case of it as the blood test showed she had.  So had the shot.  Do you and Bob take turns holding Jonah? 

Bubble, thanks for the new Christmas related graphics.  Is that Don in the Santa picture?    Your jokes were funny. 

Good Morning Lloyd.  Did you get to visit your cousin yesterday?  Enjoy the sun.  I don't think we will likely see the sun today.

Sandy, just the thought of those alarms going off & sirens on fire trucks nearly stopped my heart... Would take a few hours & cups of coffee to slow it down, for sure.  I gave up & took the battery out of my smoke alarm that seemed to smell something in the kitchen & scream, didn't have to be burning. Glad it was not serious, do they insist everyone evacuate? Think back at those fire drills in grade school in freezing weather & we weren't allowed to grab out coats... burrrrrrr

Great graphics & jokes, Bubble. I looked very close at the eyes to see if that was Don in the red suit. Do you have any photos of him all dressed up that you could post? Please? 

I did finally get my youngest son & girlfriend "cloned" into a frame behind the rest of us. Trouble is that I put the print without them in the frame already.  I took the file to Sam's yesterday to get a new print made & they were too busy to pick up in the normal hour. Need to go back today to get that job out of the way. Did you find your clone tool in PSP? 

Amy, I do remember hanging clothes out in this cold weather but don't think I am up to it anymore. My husband's long sleeve dress shirts would come in with arms straight out from being frozen & I would need to hang around the fireplace to thaw & finish drying. Kids nowdays have no clue what life was like without all these conveniences. I remember saying that "I would do without every other appliance as long as I could have my dryer" when we got our first dryer... and I am using that dryer YET (1967). Clothes never dried in England the years we were there and when we lived in Western Kansas, they didn't hang down, but straight out. Had to make sure you were up wind to hang.

We are having more strange weather... days in the 50s but nights below freezing. NO moisture at all so if we don't get snow or rain soon I will be dragging out the hose to water my young trees. I had better fix my breakfast or won't get anything done today. Long list of MUST dos.

Good Morning, Friends! Wishing y'all a Super Saturday!

I don't know what happened to this post that I thought was posted.... wasn't anywhere in sight so I will try again since it was still on my clipboard.

I wasn't going to risk losing that post again (not that it had anything earth shaking in it), but I am trying to figure why it wasn't there when I SAW it before I left the computer. Maybe we can see why our posts disappear if we think this out, you think? Looked like it posted but maybe it just shows what it will look like & you need to hit the "post" button again?  I understand when it says there are new posts & gives us a chance to add... guess that is the problem, we really do need to hit the post button again to confirm.

Larry, I do the same (pay the bills) when my kids are with me, just tell them that "I am spending their inheritance & getting to enjoy it with them.... and 2nd benefit is that I get to have a say in where it goes"....   

Good morning, Lloyd. I am thinking about a quick trip to MO next week to take the winter flowers to my parents graves. I headed that way when I turned around because Andy was in the hospital & the doctors decided on open heart surgery. I hope to get a visit with my sister & brother along the way, they aren't driving on the highway much anymore. I plan to spend one night at Long Shoal between Clinton & Warsaw, & then on to Sedalia to the cemetery. I will work my way back to Wichita to get home before the sun is too bright in my eyes. Maybe nest spring or summer you & Nancy can meet in that campground, not too far for you, and we can camp near each other to visit. It is a beautiful campground with lots of trees for shade, electric hook ups & a place to clean out your tanks after. A Corp of Engineer campground so if you have the Golden Age Passport, half price. 

Larry - the Santa is not Don! lol

Shirley - Don took pictures yesterday in his new home, where they had a Christmas gathering, him with his Santa suit. He said he will post some photos soon, as soon as he downloads and resizes.

Bubble, they are so lucky to have Don and his expertise as a Santa, I am sure he enlightened many a heart there by helping out.

Thank you also for the new start page!!

Good afternoon. I was ready to post this morning but between phone calls and people knocking on the door it has been busy. I am used to doing things when I feel like it but not today. Guess others in the building are tired of the weather we have been having and not going outside.

AMY  I am with you wanting the snow minus the rain at this time of year. When it mixes with rain it is dangerous for everyone.

JENNY  please don't forget to give Jonah a gentle hug and snuggle from us,

BUBBLE  beautiful graphics for the end of this month, Only one thing, the Santa would have been better if it was "our" favorite one. Of course Don  the Radioman of course. Love the joke-secret service, indeed.

LARRY  my son takes me places when I ask but he is always busy. He and my DIL are baby sitting my great grandson and that wears them both out. He is very active, I know he wears me out when I see him. Every time my younger son comes here it seems I always have something for him to do that I cannot do.

SHIRLEY  I remember hanging clothes in the winter when the clothes froze to the line even before I got the clothes pins there.

BUBBLE  I will enjoy Don's pictures.Sunday afternoons are still not as when we listened to Don's show.

Hi y'all. I'm settling in gradually as Christmas festivities warm up and last night I went to an Elvis concert in my Santa suit and had a good time and took a few pictures. I have forward them to Bubble who will resize them for me which will permit me to share them with you tomorrow. My Israeli Sweetheart is a bigger help than ever.

Hi Everyone.  Rather than being rushed in the morning I decided to go ahead and post this evening.  I am happy to say I am feeling better this evening than I have all day.  We just finished having a salad dinner.  I had tuna on mine and Pat had canned chicken on hers.  It had been awhile since we have had that meal.  I did go out and attend my meeting this morning but was glad to get home and eat a quick lunch and then lay down.  I am enjoying watching some college football and basketball games.  We did see a little sun today and a brief shower and the temperature has been pretty good.

Shirley, we never had a fire drill in our one room school house.  As I recall it was heated by a pot belly stove.  Our high school was small involving only three or four classrooms and we didn't fire drills.  We also had to hang our clothes out on the line to dry and I remember getting the cloths off the line and the overalls and jeans would be frozen stiff.  Thank goodness we have dryers in our homes now.  Wow, your dryer must be an Energizer Bunny type.  I can't even remember how many different dryers we have had over the years.  I have found that I always need to scroll past my posted message because if someone else has posted while I was posting my message doesn't get posted until I hit the Post button a second time as you indicated you do.  I think that is why I seem not to post when I have posted since I forget that step.  I feel that same way about paying for meals or giving money to our son as he doesn't make a lot of money on his job. 

Bubble, I didn't think the Santa picture looked too much like the pictures of Don I have seen in the past but I just wasn't sure.  I look forward to seeing Don's pictures. 

Gloria, I think our church has about 300+ secret service members that only appear at Easter and Christmas.  Of course, I know probably of lot of them are family visiting our member who do attend regularly.  Like you I also miss Don's Sunday afternoon classical music program but he was wise to retire from it when he did.

Don, I look forward to see your pictures.  I hope you are feeling more at home in your new place.  Are you still listening to a lot of classical music?

Good Evening,

We've had two - count 'em - TWO sunny nicely warm days in a row!  Amazing - particularly since Thursday was horribly windy and wet.  I had to drive across town in sleet!
 
Bubble,  cute stories and wonderful pictures for our new Shoppe.  Thank you.

Shirley, I'm with you re: fire alarms, sirens and such.  I was teased in elementary school because I cried and put my fingers in my ears when the fire drill alarm sounded.  It was all I could do to stay calm during those when I was teaching Second Grade. 
My home smoke alarm has only gone off once - when some streusel topping bubbled over and caused the oven to smoke.  I'm sure my blood pressure was way above stroke level and I was almost in tears by the time I opened doors, turned on fans and got the thing to stop!

Before we had a drier in Leadville CO, not only did the laundry freeze on the line - I sometimes had to clear snow drifs from under the lines so the sheets could hang free.

Don, I'm looking forward to seeing "Santa Elvis".

Am down from 102 cookies to just 8.  . Did I mention I also made half a recipe of Martha Washington candy - "only" about 75 pieces instead of 150.
I fixed little gift boxes of cookies and candy for two of my "household helpers" and the ladies in my Bridge Club and took 4 dozen cookies next door for the neighborhood Christmas House Tour tomorrow evening.  The remaining 8 will go in  gift boxes for another household helper and a friend with whom I'm having lunch on Tuesday.
The rest of the candy will be for family.
Of course, I'll have to make more cookies next week for family - but not that recipe!!!!!

Time to settle in for some reading and maybe the re-run of the Boston Pops Christmas program.

Sleep well, Everyfriend, and have pleasant dreams.

Callie, we've been like you - two sunny days in a row.  It was 40 degrees when I went after the mail and I did not feel I had to put on my winter coat. 

We had fire drills in both the elementary and high schools.  Also at work.  I worked in the department that scheduled the alarms (we didn't have a lot) and one day the alarm went off - unscheduled.  Most people walked out of the building but I was confused and did not leave the building.  I told my boss I felt like someone had had a fire and didn't invite me! 

Callie, my smoke alarm has gone off several times and the worst was when I could not figure out what was causing it.  I finally looked in my microwave and there was a disaster in there.  I had started baking a potato in the range oven, then transferred it to the microwave in order to put something else in the range oven.  I gave the potato too much time and it caught fire and was a cinder when I found it.  I got the alarm off OK and my microwave was in ruins and all I could do was laugh because it was my own darned fault!  I now bake potatoes in the microwave and they turn out perfectly!

I am sure my mother hung some clothes out in freezing weather, but I also remember seeing the lines strung in the basement where she hung clothes.  I did enjoy hanging them outside in good weather.

There isn't much on a dryer to go wrong, not like a washer.  I've had four dryers in I don't know how many years (maybe 65-70 years), but three of them I left when I moved and the last one went with the washer after the washer quit spinning.

I will look forward to seeing Don's Santa pictures, too.

Tom just returned from a church-related dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.  He said he thought their prices were a bit high and he had a chicken wrap.  I don't know what drink he might have had - tea or a soft drink.  Tom is not a drinker, although he may have a beer once a month if he goes to a HS class party.  And he nurses that!

Mary Ann

Good night everyone. No Larry we never made contact found his house but he was on the road, trucking. But was a good day out of the house + a good meal out.
I had a Rubin sandwich and tater tarts and Nancy had a chefs sallied. sleep tight and sweet dreams everyone.

Lloyd

Good morning everyone, having a heat wave, 45° to start the day but looks like light rain today and most of the coming week.

DON  great to see your post. Looks like you are settling in to your new home. Takes awhile after living in one place for years. Still miss your Sunday afternoons of music.

LARRY  I think all of us that listened to Don's program every Sunday still miss it. I do have a few CD's of classical music and play them often on Sundays.

CALLIE  no coo‪ baking for me but I have a lot of homemade ones. My daughter sent me a container of ginger snaps yummy. Then my older son came and had a plate full of 3 different kind. They were having a cookie exchange at their church and she baked 4 different kind to bring. Of course I had some of each yesterday and all great. The Boston Pops just was in Providence for a Christmas program and I wished I could have gone to it.

LLOYD  glad you enjoyed getting out yesterday.

Looks like am too early for any posts this morning. Have a good day.

 Gloria well we are hit and miss here anymore. yes we did enjoy the day out
I spicily enjoyed my Rubin sandwich. it is 30º and clear here this morning
still dark out but is supposed to be sunny today an go to 53º. hope everyone has a great day.  Gloria get your chocolate or coffee and enjoy the day. some times i mess up the spelling so bad that spell checker cant fix it, but if Nancy is around she can usually fix it for me. have a good day

Lloyd

I finally made Jane's Chocolate Cracker candy?/cookies?  I had to stash those out of sight in the fridge very quickly.....'way too addictive.  Thanks, Jane, and Amy, for talking about them and piquing my curiosity enough to make them.

However, long times in the kitchen really wear me out quickly so I played recliner radish for most of the rest of the day.  I am going to have to download some more books on my e-reader..I'm running out of stuff to read and that makes me panic.

Today we will put up our small Christmas tree.  David put out the big door wreath yesterday.  That is the extent of my decorating this year.  On Christmas eve he will put out the luminarias at the curb.  It is a tradition here in our town and the Boy Scouts distribute the kits (small paper bags, sand, and votive-style candles).  It is a beautiful sight to see glowing candles all over town on Christmas Eve and through the night until Christmas morning.

We are supposed to see some sun today.  That will be a welcome sight.  So tired of snow and rain.

Take care, Everyone!

Good morning everyone..

Goodness, I slept in again. I was up in the night  with the dogs but went right back to sleep.

Laundry blew out nice on the line, baked an apple pie and did a lot of little jobs about the house. When we went into town I popped up to see the neighbours Mom for a bit.

Phyllis, I understand completely about hiding those tasty morsels!!I like that they are quick to make up and look great on a cookie plate.


Thankfully ,this is a day of rest and that is exactly what I am going to do...


Enjoy your day everyone..

We have a Super Sunday with Sun Shining, not our normal mid December. Looks like we will have an unusually warm week, a few nights even above freezing.  We are doing our "gathering" on Sat afternoon so families with little ones can spend their Christmas at home.

I do remember loving to just sit and stare at the tree. Santa brought it back when I was a kid. Later I knew that Dad would go out on "the farm" (plenty of farmers welcomed anyone to cut down a cedar tree)... had to touch the ceiling & be perfect or he was known to cut off a lower branch, drill a hole in the trunk & put a limb in a spot that looked sort of bare. He and Mom would decorate and bring out all the toys they made & bought, but it was Santa's doing. 

Mother would sew doll clothes for my sister's dolls. My sister also loved paper dolls so I gladly gave her mine. The boys would get one toy (like BB-gun, sled, etc) that I envied. After a few years of dolls & a doll buggy, Mom gave up. To be honest, I don't remember any Christmas presents that really thrilled me, but my brothers were pretty good about sharing. My pet chicken rode in the doll buggy so not a total waste.

My sister, being 5 years older, got roller skates that she didn't care about so I inherited those & lived on them. I don't remember not being able to roller skate, my brothers taught me by the time I could walk, I heard. I also inherited the bicycle that was bought from my grandmother's next door neighbor. War years so had to find a used one. It had big red tires, my sister didn't want it. How I loved that bike, by the time the war was over I was 10 and riding it to the library or piano lessons or a friend's house. We weren't allowed to ride them to school but we could roller skate to school. Had a lot of wrecks on the bike, trying to ride it backwards down a hill or sitting on the luggage carrier to hold my books on the seat (I rear ended a parked car one time). I was okay without using the handlebars.... bike was well balanced, Dad kept the spokes tightened & well maintained.

During the war years I don't remember ever asking for anything, but when we did get something we thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated what ever it was. On the 4th of July my youngest brother made me a "gun" to light and shoot out those big matches. He used a "pincher" type clothes pin & turned the spring around some way, to act like a trigger. Matches would light & make a glow as they fell to the sidewalk. We didn't get to shoot many, but it was enough to make memories.

Mary Ann, I completely forgot about Mother hanging the laundry in the basement! She took the lines down during the week because Dad had his workshop down there & fussed about dodging those lines. At one time Mother tried to see if she had "the oldest Maytag ever made". It was sort of square & had the hand crank wringer & later electric. They kept it even after she got a newer one. When they quit using it for laundry, Dad rigged it to put walnuts in to wash off after he got the green hulls off by putting them on the driveway between garages & running his car over & over them. Walnuts were plentiful in that part of Missouri, we ate them, they got baked in cookies & cakes, Mom put them in the fresh cranberry sauce she made, & people were always thrilled to be given some. When they added a bedroom & bath on ones side of the house they added a garage on the other. They had the big doors open on front & back so they could drive through to the old garage... it was on that rock part of the driveway they took the outer hulls off the walnuts. Good ole days.
   

Dot and I did our usual Sunday routine and had our usual Sunday brunch.  I felt full when I got home, but I had two cups of coffee, one glass of water and half of a Tuna Melt.  No wonder!

Shirley, I loved your reminisces.  I didn't live in the country, so didn't share those experiences, but Santa did bring our tree on Christmas Eve and it was already full of ornaments.  I don't know when we started putting up the tree a week earlier.  I seem to remember candles on the tree, lit only for a moment.  Mostly I remember the big bulbs that when one went out the whole string went out.  When I was about six, I received a Baby Dimples doll that I still have.  I was six in 1930 and Norm was one and I seem to remember getting the doll from Mother's sister.  I still have the doll and she doesn't cry, otherwise she looks like she always did. 

Norm always wanted to open one gift on Christmas Eve as we opened our gifts on Christmas Day.  Dad would always tell him "no", but by the end of Christmas Eve Day, Norm would have gotten his way!  Dad always made sure it was a small thing that he opened.

Our washer was an ABC Spinner washer because Dad was afraid Mother would get her hands in the rollers, as many women did. 

Amy, the sun is shining here as I hope it is at your place.  Oh, happy day!

Mary Ann

A good Sunday HELLO to EVERYFRIEND. 
It is our last day here in Paso Robles with our Boy Jonah❣️. 😢😢Needless to say, Nana is dreading tomorrow. 

GLORIA, rest assured I have told Jonah all about his special friends that have awaited his birth and now are getting flooded with pictures from his nana.  I give him all kinds of hugs and little kisses from you all. 

Yes, LARRY, GrandBob and I do trade off getting to hold Jonah, although I am pretty sure I have held him a bit longer, because I just never want to let him go.  He just loves to look and look into my eyes, and I honestly swear that he seems to almost smile and look like he is going to say something to me!  Oh my goodness, how much we 💞💞 this little bundle of joy!  Jonah's other grandma and grandpa will be coming this week and boy are they in for a treat!  Also Megan's sister, bro-in-law and year old girl cousin will be here too as they all enjoy his first Christmas together. 

I must go, it is time for me to hold my boy again.....I think we have him plenty spoiled for the rest of the family to get plenty of holding time in too.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

Jenn

Another day has come and gone...I just came back from feeding and seeing that Callie is ok. Sat down on the chair and she jumped up on my lap and treated me like a piece of bread dough..she started kneading me with her paws!
I managed to grab a  nap this afternoon then printed off some quilt patterns.

I miss Jane and June!!! Sure hope they both get their computers up and running soon! You don't suppose the pair of them have run off to the circus ?

Time to go do more of nothing

Hi Everyone.  We have had a very beautiful sunny and warm day as it got up to the mid-60's.  I went to Sunday School this morning and then came home and got Pat and we went back to Church.  Today was a very special day as it was the "Lessons and Carols" Sunday and it was really great.  We had the University of Georgia Brass Quintet that were really good, our choir with more members than I remember ever seeing participating, our Bell Choir, our children's choir and a beautiful group of singers from the choir that had wonderful harmony.  The lessons were all read by some of our city officials like the mayor, city administrator, counsel members, head of our Public Safety Department and our Representative to our State House.  It was so well done and such a meaningful service.  I guess you can tell I really liked it.  Pat and I then went to the Firehouse Subs for our lunch and now just enjoying a quiet afternoon.

Callie, I am glad you explained what you did with all of those cookies and candies as when I read what you had left I had a vision of you eating them.  Sorry but I just couldn't resist.  When our housekeeper was here Friday we gave her double pay and have done that each Christmas season.  I think we occasionally had to shovel away drifts in order to hang clothes out on the line in winter when I was growing up.

Lloyd, sorry you and Nancy didn't get to see your cousin after making the trip.  However, it sounds like you made lemonade out of lemons and had a nice day trip.  Did you go in your motor home?

Gloria, interesting that you mentioned listening to your classical CD's on Sunday afternoon.  Just this afternoon as I was resting I listened to some classical music with my eyes closed and enjoyed it and was thinking of Don during that time. 

Phyllis, do you get the daily offers of free books from Amazon?  I did that for a long time and have almost 2,000 free ebooks.  Some of the stories are very good even though most are not from well known writers but I am sure they all hope they will be.  We got the ingredients last week to make peanut clusters.  It is a very easy recipe to make using the slow cooked.  You just put in the ingredients and cook for 30 minutes, stir the mixture and spoon out the clusters onto wax paper.  They are just as good as those one purchases.  I didn't want to make them too soon as like you I have a tendency to keep testing to be sure they are good.  It makes a lot and I want to give small bags of them to several friends and neighbors. 

Amy, the problem is when we hide the goodies away we know where they are and it isn't always out of sight-out of mind. 

Shirley, your family sounds wise to have your celebration before Christmas so the little ones can stay home and play with their toys on the special day.  As we lived away from family we most often were not at home on Christmas Day.  You had some interesting experiences with your bike when you were young.  We never got more than two or three presents and something in our stocking but it was wonderful.  I am shocked when I walk through the toy department and see the prices on so many of the items. 

Jenny, I am sure it will be a sad moment when you drive away from Jonah and his parents.  I enjoyed seeing the pictures of the future Denver Broncos fan.  It is interesting that a baby or young child always is the center of attention.  I love to see the little ones at Church and that is about the only time I get to see little ones.

Good morning everyone.
I am up and at'tem this morning....yes at'tem woke up too

Need to deliver a gift this morning, check on neighbours Mom and home to try a new recipe.

We are going to miss "our boy" as the neighbours are coming home late tonight. A lot of his actions remind us of Golden Girl, right down to the Dudley nose.

Larry, would you share your peanut clusters when you find the time please.

Jenny, hope you stocked up on lots of hugs from Jonah.

Mary Ann, I had a washer with the rollers ,enjoyed using that one. Now they have ones with no spinners in them and you use very little water....wonder how you get the clothes clean in them.

Better get a move on here.

Enjoy your day everyone.