REMEMBER

 

LASTS

Today is the last day on the 2005 calendar.

Today is the last page in the 2005 devotional book.

Today we post the last Tractor-Of-The-Day on the refrigerator.

Today we count our blessing in 2005 and they are many.

The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock.- Matthew 7:25 (NRSV) (Often quoted scripture of my mother's)

Regardless of our faith or religious beliefs, we need to be standing on a firm foundation of solid values, high morals, strong ethics, tolerance, love and caring.

Today we end 2005 still standing on a solid rock of hope. My mother taught me there is always hope.

Lookie Lookie!

The Araucanas are 7 1/2 months old and today one of them produced an egg. A pale green Easter Egg at Christmas time. Isn't it a beauty? I think the young hen was Dolly because she was acting quite proud tonight.

ROOSTER MATING TECHNIQUES

I cannot end 2005 without commenting on the Rooster's mating techniques. I will try to be delicate: Boss Hog is THE GENTLEMAN, polite in mount and dismount; Tom-Twyla is THE SLAMMER, pounding the girls into the dirt; Oreo is THE ENERGIZER BUNNY, who keeps going and going. Am I the only chicken farmer to spend time observing these fowl habits?

Chelle not Hope

Can't you tell from this picture of Chelle at age three that she would grow up to be part of a Mission Impossible Team. Doesn't she look like Hope on the go? 

M.I. TEAM HELPS ELDERLY

We managed to kidnap Mike on Christmas Day and bring him home with us. His parent's were not going to claim him until tomorrow, but the weather looks like it will turn bad so they came to get him today. Kit also came to claim a trailer load full of manure for his garden.

It makes our holidays when we can have at least one of our grandchildren with us. Mike is an easy guest and spent his time telling wonderful tales of school and pesky girls and he showed me this neat language site:

Poor Kit and Chelle got a lot more than they bargained for. After the manure was loaded, I simply mentioned a wish for moving some furniture and those two went to work with a vengance. They carried out the old chair an the sofa-bed couch and carried in a large sofa and love seat. We did manage to feed them, but then they were on their way back to Missouri to get the manure unloaded and spread. Not only do they work harder than most humans, they work with a smile and act like it's no trouble at all.

There is no question that Chelle and Kit are the modern day Mission Impossible Team. They nicely fill the shoes of Owen and Elizabeth as they show up to help, while Ron and I easily fit the shoes of PG and Myrtle, the elderly grandparents needing all the help they can get. Thanks Kiddos!

NEVER A BAD CHRISTMAS

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLY DAYS TO ALL!

Of course to family and friends. Also to so many persons who have fallen on hard times. And especially to the world "peacemakers" who wear the uniform of our country and spread hope, freedom, goodwill and comfort worldwide. Also to my favorite bloggers who do not even know I have adopted them as friends.

The Word of the Day for December 25

The Word of the Day for December 25 is:

welkin \WEL-kun\ noun
*1 a : the vault of the sky : firmament b : the celestial abode of God or the
gods
: heaven
2 : the upper atmosphere

Example sentence:
The pink sky at sunset brought to mind a quote from Shakespeare's _King
John_: "The sun of heaven, methought, was loath to set / But stay'd and made the
western welkin blush."

Did you know?
When it comes to "welkin," the sky's the limit. This heavenly word has been
used in English to refer to the vault of the sky since at least the 12th
century, and it derives from an earlier word from Old English that meant
"cloud." In modern English, "welkin" is still flying high, and it is often
teamed with the verb "ring" to suggest a loud noise or an exuberant expression
of emotion, as in "the welkin rang with the sound of the orchestra" or "her
hearty laugh made the welkin ring." These contemporary phrases echo an older use
-- the original words of a carol that once began "Hark, how all the welkin
ring," which we now know as "Hark! The herald angels sing."

BETH'S NEW HAIRCUT

 

THIS DAY

Ron picked me up at work and we went downtown to the court house. We purchased a marriage license and requested a judge. The last judge had left for the holidays, so they gave us the phone number of a chaplain who might be able to help. The minister showed up at the court house chapel, out of breath and wearing a jogging suit. He performed the ceremony with clerical witnesses. We were legally wed.

Next we drove to OMM to break the news to Mother. She was shocked, but handled it well and gave us her blessings. After all, Ron had ask Mother on the 15th if he could marry me before he took me to the jeweler to select my engagement ring.

Ron took me back to the bank and before I started to work, we announced that we had gotten married on my lunch break. We had planned to get married in February, so this took everyone by surprise. One young man inquired if I was pregnant. I laughed since I was already long past menopause but didn't bother to explain to him the positive income tax aspect of our wedding date. Young people don't understand that older people make practical decisions but are no less romantic.

That evening Ron took me to S&J Oyster Bar for our wedding dinner. He found a tiny pearl in his oyster. Of course I still have it.

I had gotten Ron a wedding band and I was married with my grandmother's wedding band. Later that evening Ron learned on computer that my grandmother's parents had been married on this same date in 1887.

I met this man seven years ago and married him six years ago today. He promised me a life of laughter and abject poverty. He is keeping his promises and I have never been happier. I love you Ron! Happy Anniversary.

SO FAR SO GOOD TRY THIS

Ron and I are taking a sabbatical from news and politics throughout this Christmas season. We are only turning the television to one of the many satellite or local channels that are playing music or showing entertainment as long a it does not involve political satire. We are avoiding newspapers, other than to look for upcoming auctions. If we see a headline on computer that interests us, we might read the article, but usually the headline tells us all we need to know. We are certain that genuine breaking news of utmost importance will cut into satellite programming if there is a true emergency. This is only the second day, but our heads are already clearing and smiles are returning to our faces.

We recommend this for everyone to try as a gift to themselves. Happy, Happy Holy Days!

PEACEMAKERS

I listen to their stories, see their passion, observe as they comfort and nurture families, watch and they cry for lost comrades and see that our soldiers are the true peacemakers.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

Quote To Cling To

"I'm not a control freak. I'm just the ONLY ONE who knows what's best ALL THE TIME."

Grace From Grace Under Fire TV episode

Headline We Won't See

I have looked at various network headlines this morning and have yet to see what I thought I should see after hearing the President's speech last night. This was what I expected: (well, not really)

BUSH EMBRACES THE WORLD, ACCEPTS THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT COMES WITH BEING PRESIDENT, ACCEPTS WHATEVER BLAME IS HEAPED UPON HIM, COMFORTS THOSE WHO HAVE SUFFERED LOSS, COMMITS HIMSELF TO MY SAFETY AND VOWS TO HONOR THE PATH TO FREEDOM AND PEACE.

I am such a little girl to actually believe this Christmas Season could be filled with goodwill.

Holiday according to Webster

Main Entry: 1hol·i·day
Pronunciation: 'hä-l&-"dA, British usually 'hä-l&-dE
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hAligdæg, from hAlig holy + dæg day
1 : HOLY DAY
So, Happy Holidays to one and all!

BLESSINGS

Tandy secured a new job yesterday. He will begin tomorrow. Hip Hip Hooray! Maybe he'll write on his blog again :-)

The prayer in today's devotional is: "God of great news, as I go about my activities this Advent season, make me receptive to your message in whatever form it might take. Amen."

Holiday Spirit

Here's a nice photo of Jessi and Joe getting in the holiday spirit. I had the nicest chat with Jessi online today and all is well in her part of the world. Hope I get to see them when they travel to Mid USA at Christmas.

BACK TO CHICKENS

You can commercially raise chickens, gather eggs, wring the chickens necks and put them on a freezer tray in the store. OR, you can nurture chickens, thank them when you gather their eggs, study the chickens, listen to the chickens, talk to the chickens and learn from them.

You know they are more than nourishment when you name each chicken according to appearance and personality.

You can learn about men when you observe roosters. You can learn about women when you study the hens. Chickens can teach you a lot about sibling rivalry.

It does not take a village to raise chickens. It takes a watchful rooster and an intent mother hen who will risk her life for the eggs first then the chicks as long as they are young enough to need her. Then, when they are old enough, she boots them out, into the flock and will even appear to forget they are her children. (We know she doesn't really forget them, she's just letting go and letting God.)

I guess credit must be given to the willing humans who will carry food and water for the chickens and open and close their house morning and night in all kinds of weather and literally reach inside the mouth of a black snake to retrieve an egg. Humans keep the pen and house in good repair and tenderly dispose of the fragile fowl who sometime succumb to a predator.

I truly enjoy the chickens, in case you could not tell. You should see the three baby chicks now. They are trying to roost at night but still end up seeking warmth under their mother. They sit a minute on the roost and dance around as if to say, "Look at us. Look at us." Then they run to the safety of their mother. Pretty soon she will be encouraging them to roost along side the rest.

The Party Group

Here is a photo of everyone who attended Mother's 90th. 

Mother and Elaine

Here is a very special photo of Mother and Elaine. 

Mother And Her Chicks

This is another photo from Mother's 90th Birthday Party with Ann, Print and Elenore. 

Some More Pictures

Here is a nice picture of Chelle's family taken at Mother's birthday party. 

Blame The Finger People

Our latest evening conversation led Ron to recall his first day of school. He returned home after his first day vowing to never return. All they did at school was play. If you know Ron you know he takes studies seriously.

This conversation caused me to recall my niece Karen’s first day at school. She left for school excited only to return home angry because she had not learned to read that day.

Chelle and I were discussing these stories on the phone and Chelle laughed about Hope. She said Hope, age 3, only wants to go to school to ride the bus. She sees her big brother Mike get on the bus every morning and return home in the evening on the bus. During the day when Hope is out with her mother and they see a school bus, Hope waves to Mike, believing he is on it. Chelle’s guess is that Hope believes school is riding the bus all day.

Hope does not live in the same fantasy world the rest of us did. She does not respond to made up characters, talking dolls or puppets. Hope has finger people for imaginary friends. Chelle said they had to inform Hope that her finger people were no longer invited to the dinner table. They run around the rim of Hope’s plate and dive into the milk, etc.

Yesterday Hope was caught sneaking sticks of butter to eat. You have to wonder what exactly is in butter by what happened next. Hope tore into all the Christmas presents under the tree. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Hope’s fault. It had to be the finger people.

BIRTHDAY BOY

Here is a current photo of the birthday boy at his Granny GG's recent birthday party. So, it is a birthday picture. 

T. RYAN IS THIRTEEN

Happy Birthday new teenager Ryan!
Do you kiss the girls and leave them cryin'?
Is it true you're quite tall?
Do you talk most of all?
Hey, keep watch for that loose mountain lion.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TANDY RYAN.
WE LOVE YOU!

Lasting Tradition

The snowman picture is of one of my favorite Christmas decorations. I mentioned to mother several years ago how much I had loved her cotton snowman. She would put it out each year and fluff it up until it finally disappeared. A week or so after I had mentioned this to mother, the children and I returned home from a long day at work and school. There on the table was a brand new snowman made by my mother's loving hands. Mother smiled with satisfaction of holiday preparation. 

PREPARATION

I am missing Christmas. I miss the home video presentation that we prepared the last minute each year. I no longer have the equipment to make a video or the help expertise of my children to guide me.

Yesterday Elenore ran over with a video for mother. It was the fireplace video that mother loves so much. Ron and I will deliver it for them today. But I saw the exhausted pride in Elenore’s eyes of a job well done. She and David figured out how to copy that part of the video for mother (with lots of telephone help from Mike) and get it to her just because mother ask for it.

Print called last night and he was trying to send up photos online from mother’s birthday party. He had to leave for a meeting and his first attempts to send did not go well. But he is determined to get it right and will send up pictures online. He will wear himself out getting it done, but once the task is complete, he will have the satisfaction of a job well done.

Elaine outdid herself in preparation for Mother’s birthday. She will be able to feel that satisfaction of a job-well-done all through the holidays.

The efforts of my siblings have reminded me of that feeling of satisfaction. I want a project that will honor our family and leave us with a sense of pride in a job well done. Christmas is about preparation and rejoicing.

Talk Show Confusion

Our recent medical checkups have left us both feeling in good shape. Our stress tests went well, our cholesterol ratio is at low risk levels. All reports were positive. I know I was feeling confident and believe Ron (other than his spider bite) is feeling confident as well.

This morning I listened to a talk show Chiropractor and he has listed most of the drugs we take as silent killers. Soon we both will lose our muscle control and suffer severe memory loss. What's a person to do????

SNOW DAYS

All of the chickens were alive last night. The baby chicks were a concern for me and they are doing better than any of the others. The big chickens seem to simply be surviving and looking out of the house at me as if to inquire, “What the hell is all this cold about?” But the chicks are running around cheeping and eating and driving the others crazy. They seem to like the cold because they can get under mama an nestle in her warm feathers anytime they want. It’s like staying home with children on a school snow day. The big chickens have all my sympathy now.

NEXT WEEK

Yesterday I posted Joey's birthday limerick. Next Wednesday I will post Ryan's and then I will have fulfilled the challenge I gave myself to write a limerick for each immediate family member's birthday in 2005. (You have to go to my old blog to see Chelle's and Jessi's). Anyway, that's not anything I will do again.

Don't let it snow, don't let it snow, don't let it snow. We have all we need and Chelle and Kit definitely have all they need with having received 10 inches. Our journey from Oklahoma to Kansas revealed about the same amount of snow. We had to run to Tulsa to get Ron treated for his brown recluse spider bite! Yes, he was bitten over 15 days ago and has been trying to doctor it himself. Long story. Anyway, he's getting treatment and is finally feeling better. Yes, now we are going to call exterminator to rid ourselves of the spiders.

We left Tandy smiling and hopeful. He is still not employed but he keeps a positive attitude and had some good prospects. We are ever prayerful.

We only caught a brief glimpse of Ryan, Dillon and Beth but they looked great and Beth had a new haircut and looked gorgeous!

Thankfully the chickens survived the cold in our absence. I haven't been down yet this morning but am hopeful they are still alive. The babies were the ones I worried most about and they seemed the healthiest. Poor little Lily looked awful and somehow had gotten trapped outside in the snow. She and three others were afraid to move and I had to encourage them back in the house. Oh, I dread going down there today but I will think positively!

JOEY'S BIRTHDAY TURN

Today is the 16th Birthday of Joey.
He is our oldest San Diego Boy.
Lots of girls want to claim him.
Football best entertains him.
We simply want Joey to enjoy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSEF RYAN.
WE LOVE YOU!

DECEMBER 5, 1914

Today is a very special Monday as we remember Dad's Birthday and celebrate his memory. He would be 91 years old today. We all miss him so much.

HOLLYWOOD MONEY FOR TOOKIE

Celebrities are gathering to support the stay of execution for Tookie Williams. What if they, and the other supporters, were to put their money where their mouths are? Would the State of California release Tookie Williams to a self-supported prison maintained by the funds of rich celebrities? Could his sentence be reduced to life in prison if he was moved to a private prison with the personal liability falling on the supporters to maintain a personal and financial pledge to keep him behind bars? Or better yet, perhaps he could just move right in with Snoop Dog and his family Any escape would result in a total loss of personal assets of the individual supporters. Who thinks any of them would put their money where their mouths are?

When you have been a victim of violent crime, when you have experienced threats and violence of gang members, when you have known families of victims of violent crime, it is difficult to get behind this particular cause.