Good Sunday morning, Everyfriend.  There's a breakfast buffet to go with your coffee or tea.  Have a blessed Sunday.






"I'm Fine!"

Farmer Joe had an accident and decided his injuries from the accident were serious enough to take the trucking company (responsible for the accident) to court. In court, the trucking company's fancy lawyer was questioning farmer Joe. "Didn't you say, at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine'?," questioned the lawyer.

Farmer Joe responded, "Well I'll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite mule Bessie into the..."

"I didn't ask for any details," the lawyer interrupted, "just answer the question. Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine'!"

Farmer Joe said, "Well I had just got Bessie into the trailer and I was driving down the road..."

The lawyer interrupted again and said, "Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the Highway Patrolman on the scene that he was just fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question."

By this time the Judge was fairly interested in Farmer Joe's answer and said to the lawyer, "I'd like to hear what he has to say about his favorite mule Bessie."

Joe thanked the Judge and proceeded, "Well as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my favorite mule, into the trailer and was driving her down the highway when this huge semi-truck and trailer ran the stop sign and smacked my truck right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other. I was hurting real bad and didn't want to move. However, I could hear ole Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape just by her groans. Shortly after the accident a Highway Patrolman came on the scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he went over to her. After he looked at her he took out his gun and shot her. Then the Patrolman came across the road with his gun in his hand and looked at me. He said, "Your mule was in such bad shape I had to shoot her. How are you feeling?"

It was then that I said, "I'm fine."




The Realm of Rituals
(By Jonathan Cahn)

When you lose the fire, the zeal, and the first love of your faith, you'll often find yourself living in the realm of rituals...doing the right things, praying, going to service, worshiping, saying the right words, even abstaining from sin...but doing it no longer from your heart, OR from passion and love for God! Then you've entered the realm of rituals! Is that you? If so, then get back to the heart of worship, the heart of praise, the heart of serving, the heart of ministering, and the heart of obeying, the heart of repentance, and the heart of loving Him! For God doesn't want you to waste your life in the realm of rituals, but to come back to the realm of Him!


Seen on a church sign: "If evolution is true, how come mothers still have only two hands?"


--Author Unknown

JOAN...
...good morning, you know I am approving Phyllis's teatime graphic?  

Good Morning everyone.
Vanilla-Jackie Thanks for the good wishes yesterday. I took a couple of dosses of tonal and took your advice and lived on the couch yesterday. thanks for being a good friend. we have a sky full of stars this A M here still dark also.4:30 am here.Have a great day.

Lloyd

LLOYD HAMMOND...
...we must listen to our own body, as no-one else can hear it....I am sure Otherfriends would have given you the same advice, re couch was your place to be yesterday...

Vanilla-Jackie--Good morning. I was sure you'd like the graphic by Phyllis for this week.

Good morning, Lloyd.  I sure hope you are feeling better today.

Good morning everyone.

I shall be off to the hospital  again today..so far he is still in ICU as they don't have a bed yet on the other floor. This is a good thing as he gets a constant nurse with him.

Yesterday when I went down to the city there was a bad accident, someone went off the road into a very deep ditch wiping out numerous guard rails.

Phyliss love your graphic, looks likes plox in the bouquet.

Joan thank you for breakfast.

Enjoy your day everyone.

Good morning, Amy.  GREAT that your husband is getting such good care.  I hope there were no fatalities in that awful accident you saw.

Power is back on for us.  Out most of the day yesterday.  Neighborhood to the east of us still has none.  Limbs, trees are down everywhere.  Flooding all around.  4 deaths reported so far.  We had 7 inches of rain here and to the south of us they had 14.  Still windy but the sun is coming up.  We have days and days of clean up work to do.  I'm tired but David and I are OK.

Good Morning Everyone!

Phyliss happy to hear you weathered the storm with just limbs and debris.  I know you must be really give out with the stress.

Lloyd happy you also feeling better. 

Got to get ready for church.  Talk to you later.

Good morning, Phyllis.  I was one of the very few who did not lose power.  Thousands in my county are still without it.  Like you, there's lots of debris to be cleaned up.  I am very glad you and David are OK.

halkel--Good morning.  See you after church.

AMY...
...sending my regards to your hubby....

PHYLLIS...JOAN...
...I sense your relief that you both came out of the hurricane in one piece...even if the damage outside shows otherwise....I feel very saddened to hear the high death toll figure of 900 in Haiti, those people didn't stand a chance......

Hi everyone on a beautiful cool and sunny Sunday morning here in South Carolina.  A lot of our State has been adversely affected by the Hurricane and now some areas are facing flooding as the recovery period starts.  Today will be my usual Sunday with Sunday School and Church and then picking up something to bring home for lunch. 

Yesterday Pat had a very good day, which made two in a row, and wasn't even using her walker.  She helped me with a couple of things in the kitchen, including stuffing the peppers that I made the filling for using cauliflower rather than rice with the meat, sauce and spices.  They cooked on low all afternoon and were very good. She was able to sleep in her own bed last night rather than the easy chair but she isn't up yet so haven't had a report on how well she slept during the night.

I will limit comments today as have less than an hour before needing to leave for Church and still have to fix Pat's breakfast.   

Phyllis, I was thinking about you all and Molly when I heard of the tornado warnings.  However, I see it didn't prevent the football games being played in North Carolina yesterday in all of that rain. That is a lot of rain.  So glad you had no serious damage.

Joan, I had totally misunderstand thinking that your oxygen was dependent on power.  However, certainly glad you didn't lose power with all of the outages up and down the Coast line. 

Sandy, thanks for the compliment.  I am just glad I have been able to pick up the slack and it is good to learn to do new things.  So far no cooking disasters.

Amy, good news on your husband.  Hope you are getting some needed rest.  When will your husband be coming home?

Patricia, that is the kind of report I was hoping for from your eye appointment.  I don't think I have ever met anyone before who has been to the North Pole. 

Phyllis, what a beatific graphic.  I love flowers.     

Good Morning,

Continued good thoughts for those affected by the hurricane.  News emphasis is now on the flooding.  Hope none of you are affected by that.

Amy,  continued good thoughts for your husband's recovery.

Lloyd,  so sorry you aren't feeling well.  Take care of yourself.

Larry, so glad to read that Pat is feeling better.    I like cauliflower and rice doesn't like me so it's good to know about that substitution.

I'm somewhat of a cranky grump this morning.  My morning paper was not delivered and I don't see one on any of the other driveways.  I called the report line and got a recorded message that I should call later because of phone line problems.  Whatever!   

Onward and Upward.   Wishing Everyfriend Everywhere a Good Day.

Good Morning Everyone...

It is rainy and cool here on the rocky coast.   
I believe that the remains  "Matthew" 
are paying us a visit, but of course, 
now it is just breezy with lots rain. 

Knowing that cooking was not your forte ,
Larry,  I was very pleased (but not surprised)
to see that you again stepped up to the bat
and are continuing to do your very best. 

So glad to hear that Pat is starting to feel
better,  and that you are doing well. 

Joan,  how fortunate you are to be one of the
few who did not loose power,  while
most others  in your area,  did. 

I am wishing everyone a safe and good day.
Sandy

Phyllis, What a delightfully inviting Tea table. I feel I should be wearing a fancy hat and white gloves. The flower arrangement is lovely. Thank you !!!

Phyllis dear, I had no idea you were in such danger from that hurricane. Our prayers should have followed the weather to your home. Thank God there was no great damage  to your home and your selves inside it.The work outside can wait till you feel settled down.

Lloyd, I am happy you had the good sense to take care of yourself yesterday, and I pray you will do the same today. There is nothing…NOTHING.. as valuable as your health.

Hal, have a good Sunday, you are starting it out nicely.

Larry, Bless you for all you for your dear wife. You are turning into a true Chef in your cooking. I would never have though of using cauliflower in place of the rice. I'll bet it was tasty, and certainly original.

Callie, I find that Google has a pretty thorough section on News. Between the computer and the t.v. I no longer take a newspaper.They have many in the main building and more in our building in the lobby, so once in a while I look at one.

Bis, God has heard our prayers, and I am thanking Him. Hope Joe made it home safe and sound.

Time for me to have some breakfast and then get ready for Church and a quiet Sunday.

Good morning, EVERYFRIEND!

Thank you, JOAN, for our goodies this fine Sunday.  So happy to read that everyone so far has come through the storm with minimal damage.  The stress that you all were under though must be horrific.  Do hope Joe arrived home safely to his family.  I, too, sure am glad that he was able to be there with you as you endured the storm.

I have only been in one hurricane while at our beach cottage in Panama City Beach, Florida.  I could not sleep for wondering when it was going to hit and what we would all do.  One year we ended up heading north to Birmingham in the worse traffic jam!  Had to take our rental car and of course needed to change our flights, etc., and it was quite the fiasco. 

AMY, so good to read that hubby continues to do well.  Understand your thoughts about the care he gets in the ICU.  Seems these day everyone has to wait for a bed.....no wonder they are building so many more hospitals.  Hugs to you today.

JACKIE, I, too, really like Phyllis' graphic today.....wish we could all gather at the table this morning and enjoy that setting together. 

Today is 15 years since the PA Bash in Williamsport.  What a delightful time we all had.  I am sad to think how many of our friends have passed since that Bash.

MARK, etal had a safe drive to Gallup New Mexico yesterday, where they spent the night.  They went through a very bad hail storm close to the end of the drive that they sure could have lived without.  They are on the road again this morning and hope to be at their new home by early afternoon.  I will be so relieved to get the call that they are there safe and sound. 

LARRY, your Falcons are here playing my Broncos today.  I hope it will be a good game without injuries!  I sure enjoyed reading the kind words that Sandy had to say to you regarding the way you have stepped up to do what you could to fill in while your sweet lady was convalescing.  Those of us that are blessed to have partners that will do this certainly are lucky.  Sure happy to read that Pat is doing so much better.  Please give her my best. 

LLOYD, Happy to read that you are feeling much better today. 

HAL, we are headed down your way, to Austin, on Tuesday this week.  Looking forward to warmer weather.....it cooled off quickly here this week and we even had to turn on the furnace. 

CALLIE, I am sorry those newspaper people made you have to be grumpy this morning!  Shame on them! 

Enjoy your Sunday,  EVERYFRIEND!  I do hope we will hear from JANE today and that all is well with her!

I see you are up and about Sweet JUNE.......ðŸ'—

Jenny

Good morning everyone, I was a slug a bed this morning, slept till almost 9:30 but did not get to sleep till 2am so guess that is OK. Had to finish a book I was reading. The rain we are having is from Matthew, tells you how huge that hurricane is.

JOAN  glad you do not have to rely on electricity for your oxygen. I don't know one kind from another about how oxygen works.

JEANNE  time for a housekeeper so you can take life easier? I know, easy for me to say, $$$ is always the problem with that.

HAL  a true southern gentleman, you paid your debt to Callie.

AMY  glad you checked in. Prayers continue for your DH.

PATRICIA  could be that friend likes a faster pace of life. She would die of boredom in this town.

PHYLLIS  beautiful graphic for this week, love it.

JOAN  a breakfast buffet is great for a lazy morning. I'm Fine, who could blame that farmer after what the patrolman did and having the gun still in hand. Good quote. Thank you for today's goodies.

LLOYD  hope you take it easy again today.

AMY  safe travels to the hospital.

PHYLLIS  glad you and David are OK and the worse is over there.

LARRY  amazing what a person can learn to do when needed.

Good morning from seven am on a still dark Interior! I am so glad to be back sleeping normally again if only for two nights so far. Farrah has been fed; I have my ablutions done, and coffee poured, so it's a good day beginning!

Larry, you are having quite a success in the kitchen, I know both you and Pat are pleased!

Joan, you were so lucky re Matthew and Joe coming to stay with you!

Phyllis that is a beautiful teatime graphic! You and David were also lucky in Mathew's case. The entire east coast was expecting much, much more so you must feel as if you dodged a bullet!

Amy, it is always hard to have a partner in the hospital, but you know he is in good care!

Good morning, Sandy, Hal, June, Gloria and all those coming later!

Vanilla-Jackie--People in Haiti live in devastation--sad.

Good morning Larry.  I am so glad to read that Pat is feeling so much better.  Now flooding is taking place in some areas up your way.

Callie--Good morning. I am cranky if I don't get a paper, too.  Guess you'll have to resort to reading the paper online.

Good morning, Sandy.  At least all you are getting is rain and breezes.

June--Good morning.  Joe made it home just fine.  He called me when he got there.

Good morning, Jenny.  As you can see above, Joe had a safe trip home.  It was great that he took the time to come and be with me during Matthew.   I hope Mark arrives at this destination without any problems.

Gloria--Good morning.  There's different ways of delivering oxygen--some require electricity, some don't.  Good you were able to sleep in after a late night.

Angelface--Glad you are back to a regular sleep pattern.  I sure know I was very lucky.

Good Morning Pat !!!

I feel very fortunate to only be getting
rain and breezes,  JoanFl !!

Larry, unless Patricia did go to the real North Pole, I think she visited the town/city of North Pole which is (I think) SE of Fairbanks. I have been there on a tour and they have a huge Christmas store there, complete with Santa Claus.  I think I bought a sweat shirt.

Dot and I did our usual this morning, church then OTB/L.  Tom drove for Uber last night and went out again after I  got home this morning. 

It was chilly in church this morning and I'm glad I wore my lightweight jacket. 

Mary Ann

Hello all.Hoping that Matthew has left you unharmed and unscathed.

Mary Ann ...
How does Tom like driving for UBER?     
How is it working for him?

Sandy

Sandy--Yes, you are fortunate.

Mary Ann--It's nice that you and Dot continue going to church and out to eat together.

Hi Radioman.  All I can say is that I thank the Lord Matthew is done with us here in Melbourne.

MaryAnn, you are right. North Pole is a Christmas obsessed town. All the street lights and poles are painted to resemble candy canes, and the locals there do a booming business, one of the oldest of those doing so nationally, of answering Santa's letters and a huge Christmas store of mass produced, price enhanced Christmas goods. Outside is a pen with live reindeer and every effort made to capitalize on a Christmas theme.

The originator of all this Christmas cheer named all his children Christmassy names which they all promptly changed upon adulthood. He even applied for a name change to Santa Claus which the judge thankfully declined. However, as cynically outspoken, as I've been, he did create a city, and brought in settlers, and built a mystique that continues to this day. A sort of P.T, Barnum if you will.

As to the original North Pole, I believe there are two, one true north and one magnetic north and yes you can get there from here! 

Patricia, I doubt the true North Poles are tourists destinations, at least not like the town North Pole or Santa Claus IN, however, I am sure there are those who venture to the true Poles just to say they did it.

Sandy, Tom likes driving for Uber because it is different.  He is limiting his driving to Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights unless there is something big going on in town.  He has a map of the area where he can see where there is the most traffic and he can go to those areas and check in.  Those areas pay more then outlying areas.  The customer contacts Uber in town and Uber contacts Tom, tells him where the customer will be.  They also let the customer know what kind of car Tom is driving and how long it might take him to get there.  The customer is charged to his/her credit card and it is not necessary for Tom to carry any money.  Most customers do not tip, but the money is greater in the areas where there is the most traffic.  He has some interesting conversations with some of the customers, but he also has some drunk customers, including young college age girls.  But by the customer paying up front on their credit card, the drivers do not have to worry about dead beats.  Tom has had some no-shows, but very few.  The company pays Tom when the ride is completed.. 

Mary Ann

MaryAnn, I know that about the poles. I was jokingly alluding to the fact that commercial airlines flying over the polar route fly one of the world's busiest routes and Anchorage and Fairbank's airports derive most of their business from those European flights.

Newspaper was in the driveway when I left for church.  Found out from the OTL bunch that it was a city-wide thing, including OKC.   There's only one major newspaper for the entire OKC metropolitan area and the printing process has been moved  to Tulsa.  The OTL Ladies ( you know, the ones who solve all the problems  ) decided the truck was probably late getting the papers back to OKC.  We shook our heads thinking about what the situation will be during our brief but intense winter ice times.

Settling into the recliner to read the paper should keep me occupied until time for the Sunday night t v shows.

It's a Good Day!!!!   

P.S.  Patricia,  I got a small souvenir Christmas ornament in North Pole Alaska.

Good afternoon, on a very rainy day, with wind gust to 40per. To day was to have been our big country fair, which is now said to be the largest in NYstate. I still have my red and blue ribbons I have won, in years gone by. the last time was two years ago. I have won on my paintings, embroidery, also some plastic canvas, Never did any bakeing for it, some of my friends have won on their cakes.

First I will be happy when we hear from Molly and Jane.
I also hope Johann came throguh safe and sound, I talk to her Friday, and they were going to stay in their home.
Phyllis, so glad to see you and David are ok, with little damage.  I also like Teatime. thanks

Joanof course we were all happy you had your son with you, and you are safe.

Lloyd, glad to see you are feeling better.

Chef Larry, so good to read Pat is feeling better. Now you take it easy.

Amy, a big hug to you, and prays still go to you hubby.

Patricia, I was going to ask you, if you saw Santa's workshop, but you answered the question, and as always your good discription of the town.

Callie, I would be upset if I did not get my paper, I like to have my coffeee, hard roll or bagel OJ and just take my time and read, from cover to cover.

SAndy, love the new picture.

MaryAnn, that Toms job, sounds like it could be interesting.

Gloria, I think we are going to have the same type of weather.

June and Hal also Jackie and Jenny