FAR AND WIDE

Question Of The Week 7-14-14

WHAT  

MAKES  

YOU  

ANGRY?

IMAGINE THE EXCITEMENT

WaiMei 20 days old

Okay, if you know me, you know that I absolutely love Pandas. Ron and I stood in line for hours at the San Diego Zoo to see the debut of WaiMei when she was introduced to the public at 6 months of age. I had watched her on my computer on the panda-cam since her birth. I was able to view her daily with her mother from the comfort of our Tulsa home. 

You can only imagine my delight when they announced at the senior center on Monday that the largest town near us,  Miami, Oklahoma was getting a Panda. I almost fainted and fell in the floor. How in the world could a place with such a small population rate a valued and on-loan Panda (China only lets us borrow Pandas and not own them) and where would they put such a prize? Did Miami even have a zoo? 

 My table mates then tried to break it to me gently that their excitement was over a new Panda restaurant coming to Miami.

LET'S ASK AGAIN

Question Of The Week 7-7-14

WHAT STORY OR POEM CAN YOU USE TO ENTERTAIN BY RECITING FROM MEMORY?

Our mother used to tell us the story of 5 little Jack O' Lanterns sitting on the gate and our father used to recite the Three bears in Spanish.  I love to tell children the story of Lil' Orphant Annie "an the goblins el git ya efen ya don' watch out." and Ron could recite The Cremation of Sam McGee.

WALKING THE PLANK

I have not set foot on an airplane since 1999.  This means that I have not encountered all the new security rules and regulations since 9/11.  

August of this year I will be heading for Los Angeles to see my god daughter Jessi for six days and have managed to book a direct non-stop flight that will take just under three hours.  I do not want to check any bags, so it is my plan to do only carry-on.

I have a CPAP sleep machine which means I will be limited to my one suitcase and my machine in place of my purse.  It is my intention to carry my purse inside my CPAP case. My suitcase space will be limited because I will have to carry all of my medications in their bottles with the labels.  I believe this will work.  If anything is missed, I can surely buy what I might need when I get there.  I plan to carry my cell phone in pocket unless I have to carry it in my purse inside my CPAP bag. 

I will be wearing a thigh leg brace under my clothing.  Possibly will be wearing my carpal tunnel wrist braces or they will also be in my CPAP bag. Does anyone see any problems I might be overlooking?

These two bags are all that I will have with me. 

My small purse will slide in the top of my CPAP bag.

All of my medication, my toiletries and my jewelry will be in clear bags on top of my clothing in the one piece of luggage that meets airline carry-on size requirements. Extra pair of shoes will be in side pockets.

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PUSHING A FAMILY BUSINESS

It is good to know that I didn't do damage to my niece's brain. I let her fall on her head when she was practically brand new. Still she goes on to create bigger and better ideas and this newest one is probably the most exciting yet.  You can find the information about it on Facebook but I am giving you a little preview of

    *****5 STAR DINNER***** 

right here on my blog.  A bit of unpaid advertising directed at parents and grandparents and teachers and guardians who want to encourage youngsters to develop an interest in fruits and vegetables.

We received a game board to play the game.  This is for my imaginary friend Lil' Annie. She gets a star every time she eats a fruit or veggie.

Lil' Annie also received a neat pack of stickers and a bag for her game pieces plus a comic book about the 5 STAR DINNER Super Heroes.  They are Kelly Kale, Blu Berry, Jack Apple, So Sweet Potato, and Go Go Garbanzo

Go to 5 STAR DINNER on Facebook or ask your grocer if they have the game:)

Fruits and Vegetables have always been good but they have never been so much FUN!

Learn more about how to play and sign up for coloring pages.  Hear the voices of the Super Heroes by clicking here.

OUCH!

Question Of The Week 6-30-14

What is the worst physical pain 
you have ever had 

to deal with?

 

A WIDE SPOT IN THE ROAD

Probably the original family homestead.

Leaving home each day I travel through a series of "stomach bump" hills.  One family owns about 100 acres of these rolling hills.  Each son and daughter has a portion of the land and they plant the entire road with perennials. You never know what beauty you will behold.  This area was covered in poppies a few weeks ago.  

I have tried on many occasion to take a picture but there is not a safe place to stop.  You must always expect another car or truck to come barreling over a hill and you must keep moving for fear of being hit if you are stopped.  

Yesterday I noticed an area where I could safely pull off the road a bit and was able to quickly snap this picture.  No one lives in the little house but I believe it is probably the original family homestead.  I only wish I could show you what I see all summer long.

HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY

About 1/4 of their garden.

Might have ripe tomatoes today!

This is the 6th year our neighbors have used our property for the biggest part of their annual garden.  The beauty of allowing them to use our land is reaping benefits in the form of fresh produce. Already they have provided me with yellow squash, zucchini, onions, cucumbers and swiss chard. 

They are able to grow some of the finest cantaloupe you could ever taste and this year they have also added watermelon to their crop.  It looks like it is going to do well.

My visit to the garden yesterday gave hope that today or tomorrow we might see a ripe tomato or two.  There is not better fruit than a fresh homegrown tomato!  I am drooling already. 

NAME YOUR VILLAIN

Question Of The Week June 23, 2014

What vendor or industry that serves you (or should be serving you) is causing the most stress in your life lately?


This week for me it has been the medical industry (pretty much ongoing) and the telecommunications industry (also pretty much ongoing).

CHOOSING SIDES

Cats are a lot more fun.

My best friend Slim has abandoned me.  She has chosen the cats for her summer friends and her happy, playful puppy instincts have kicked in. It took me quite a while to encourage Slim to sleep with me at night but now she has chosen to remain outside with her new kitten friends.  Perhaps I was turning her into an old lady before her time or perhaps she feels like she can protect all of us better from outside.

As much as I miss her company, I do enjoy watching her romp and scuffle with all the cats.  Pretty soon the kittens  will be joined with some new chicks because the hen June is doing a very diligent job staying on her nest and protecting her cache of eggs. It is such a joy to have new life bursting forth on the estate.

LETTING GO

Question Of The Week 6-16-14

What is a big step you are needing to take? 

NOL-NOC HEADLINES

FATHER'S DAY WEEKEND EDITION OF NOL-NOC ESTATE NEWS

June 13th to 15th, 2014

Granny Annie celebrates the wonderful memory of her Dad.

Not only a loving and wonderful father, he served 40 1/2 years as a minister in the Methodist Church.

We at NOL-NOC hope all of you celebrating grandfathers, fathers, sons, son-in-laws, uncles, brothers and all those men who have been wonderful role models in your lives.

CAT NEWS

Granny Annie was afraid we were losing Mama David.  She rested in the barn for two days and would not get up to come to meals.  She managed to move enough to get away from me when I tried to pet her and pick  her up.  I had to leave her alone and feared the worst.   Now she is back and seems to be the same as before.  Rumor around the barn has it that she was only escaping the kittens for a while.  She deserves a break.

And speaking of the kittens, Luke, Leia, Han, Chewy, and Yoda are weekly entertainment with absolutely no slowing down in sight.

CHICKEN NEWS

Does anyone remember June, the hen who stayed on two clutches of eggs for 44 days and still did not have any chicks? Well, she is on another cache of eggs.  Guess we will let her try again but if they do not hatch in the required length of time this year, I will not let her set on a second bunch of eggs and I will not try to save them.  It is all up to her and we'll be looking for birth announcements around the end of June.  (The end of June...lol...no pun intended.)

The roosters are not news worthy at this time.  Who knows which rooster is in charge?  They all seem to have their fair share of ladies.  

VISITOR NEWS

My friend Janet visited this week from Colorado.  She was here last year and we met some other friends for some high school reunion planning.  Well today is the reunion and Janet left from here to go there.  I will not go because am suffering some leg pain, plus I have another visitor.  My granddaughter Hope.  Yea, Hooray, Yippee, Huzzah.

Granny Annie and Janet after a week together.  Last minute selfie only photo for the week.

Recent favorite photo of Hope who is ready for modeling but since she is just turning 12, will have to wait a few years.

THAT IS ALL FOR NOW FROM NOL-NOC ESTATES IN GREEN COUNTRY, OKLAHOMA

(No One's Looking-No One Cares)*

*This simply meant to us that in our rural life no one is paying attention to what we are wearing or what we are doing and they don't involve us in gossip.  It is a positive name for our estate:-)

GOING DEEP

Question Of The Week 6-9-14

"Is absence of evidence, evidence of absence?"

ARE WE ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE?

Got this question from BQO

TAPS ON YOUR SHOES

Question Of The Week June 2, 2014

WHAT CRAZY FAD DO YOU REMEMBER FROM YOUR TEENS?

TAPS ON YOUR SHOES, IVY LEAGUE CAPS, ORANGE OR YELLOW SLACKS, ELVIS HAIR CUTS, ETC.?

THE FORCE WAS WITH HIM

What could these two pictures possibly have in common?

My new living room furniture.

Slim listens to Luke Skywalker telling a tale of adventure.

Tuesday morning my friend B called and wanted to know if I would like go furniture shopping.  Her town was having some great sales and she knew I wanted some new living room furniture.  You can tell from the first picture that our trip was successful.  

I had done several other things that morning and was very tired.  B has a lot more energy and was able to keep going, so she decided to follow me home (30 miles) and help me get ready for the movers to deliver the new furniture.  Her help was indeed a God-send. 

They moved the den furniture out to be given to the needy.  They moved the living room furniture to the den and then moved the new furniture in the house.  While I was directing, B was vacuuming under each abandoned space in preparation for the placement of the next furniture.  No, that has nothing to do with the adventure, it is just to inform you what a kind soul B is.

The movers left.  B left.  Slim and I went around and tried out the new furniture like Goldilocks trying to find the spot that was just right.

Early the next morning B calls.  Very unusual because she is not an early riser like I am.  "Are you missing a kitten?"

Calling roll at the cat's breakfast table I realized Luke Skywalker was indeed absent. It seems he was stuck in the engine of B's car and crying his lungs out.  B and her husband were planning to drive to their car dealership to have Luke extricated from the engine. It was amazing enough that he had already survived the 30 mile trip to their home from mine, now how would he survive another long drive? Then if they got him out, what would happen to him.

 I told them to wait and I would come right over.  Mama David was not catch-able but I managed to catch one of Luke's siblings Han Solo and then for some reason Olive, the mother cat who abandoned her own litter, jumped into the cage as if she knew we were on a rescue mission.

By the time we arrived at B's, Luke had managed to escape the engine and had run into their garage.  They quickly closed the garage door and awaited my arrival.  I got the cage out that held the other two cats in  hopes they would begin calling to Luke.  My mission was to go inside the garage sit down and try to entice Luke with some food.  He had to be hungry.  

The kitten seemed to know my voice as I called, "Luke, Luke, Lukie sweetie", and dropped a trail of cat food.  He followed the trail. Once captured, he was place with his family and immediately began to nurse on Olive even though he was already weaned.  Comfort food.  Han Solo began to lick him.  They are all home again and I have a new best friend named Luke.  You would think that I had pulled a thorn from his paw. 

Wish I could translate the adventure version Luke is spinning for Slim.

HOW ABOUT YOU

Question/s Of The Week 5-26-14

HOW DO YOU HONOR YOUR FALLEN MILITARY IN YOUR COUNTRY?

About MEMORIAL DAY today in the US:

On May 5, 1868, Army General John Logan was credited for starting this national holiday shortly after the American Civil War Between the States. He set it to be observed on May 30 of each year. It was not until 1971 that we began recognizing Memorial Day on the last Monday in May.

Here are a couple of trivia questions for those readers from the US today on our Memorial Day.


Which southern state first celebrated the federal holiday of Memorial Day?*

What northern state was the first to observe Memorial Day?* 

*Answers to above trivia questions.

Oops, do you want those answers right side up?

A LOW MURMUR

It started shortly before 4:00 yesterday afternoon.  First a low murmur of a few pickup trucks pulling a boat or two.  Then the noise becomes a bit more steady.  Cars pulling boats too and camper trailers.  Four wheelers parading up and down the road as well as motorcycles.  Next we've got folks already walking or bicycling, enjoying the fresh air before darkness comes.  They have set up their camps and know what supper they will prepare over the fire tonight.

It remains a steady noise until the boats are launched and you hear the engines roaring until about 10 pm then the music begins to take over the serenity.  Thus it shall remain through out this Memorial weekend.  I am quite sure some fireworks will be added to the mix. 

It will be Tuesday before I hear this again.

Hope everyone has a safe Memorial Weekend and will take a moment to remember those military men and women who gave their lives in the service of our country.  

PREFERENCE

Question Of The Week 5-19-2014

My land line is mostly sales calls, my connection on my cell is often difficult to hold, my grandchildren prefer text, so I am turning toward text over talk these days.  How about you?

NOT THE MILLENNIUM FALCON

The father of all these new kittens was called Darth Vader, thus once the first kitten was named Luke, it took off from there (at the suggestion of Heart In Hand).  So far I have seen all of the first four show up at the breakfast table so I know that Luke, Leia, Han and Chewy are alive and well.  Undoubtedly Han Solo is in search of his space ship, The Millennium Falcon.  Glad I noticed Han peeking out the back of my lawn mower before starting my work yesterday and before he loaded the rest of his crew. 

Han Solo prepares for blast off:)

EYES CLOSED IN THE BACK SEAT

Question Of The Week 5-12-14

What is one 

of the 

scariest things 

you have 

ever done? 

Our parents let my 16 year old brother drive us across Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado, the world's highest suspension bridge.