Giving from the heart or Random act of kindness!

We have heard many stories of love and caring that have come out of the tornado in Joplin May 22nd. Sometimes when a story is told it touches someones heart and they feel they need to do something.  My sister and her daughter heard such a story from a lady recently.  I will retell it as best I can.  This guy 86 years old lived in a rented home in Joplin,  when the tornado hit he was in the shower.  He had time to grab his boxer shorts and hang onto his bath towel.  When it was over, the only wall left was the one next to his tub.  A lady and her husband and son were on a mission of their own to find her father who had gone to the hospital for his dialysis and after many detours found out finally that he had headed back home safely.  They saw this elderly man on the corner with hardly any cloths and stopped to offer to take him somewhere.  He said he had no one, no family at all.  So they took him home.  Over the summer he lived in their camper in the back yard and has recently been relocated into an apartment. 

When my sister and her daughter heard this story they wanted to do something for this guy that they never met.  Being quilters they knew what that would be.  So they combined all their flannel fabric and started cutting blocks.  They did random blocks that turned out beautiful and backed it with a smooth piece of fabric that looks like lining to a sleeping bag.  It will be a cozy quilt. 

Yesterday my sister and I went to Joplin to shop and delivered the quilt to the lady that rescued this man and she was so happy to get it and knew he would love it.  She promised to send a picture of him with his quilt soon.  So here is a pic of my sister with the quilt, front and back.

This is rather long, but I think very important!!

Christmas 2011 -- Birth of a New Tradition

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high

gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods --

Merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This

year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine

concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift

giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes

there is!

It's time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in

a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?

Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates

from your local American hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some

health improvement.

Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned

detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a

book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plonking down

the Benjamines on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift

receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or

driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift

certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about

a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this

isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town

Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or

motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a

local cleaning lady for a day.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is

struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin

their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery

and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave

your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at

your hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese

lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of light, about

fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to

burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that

China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about

US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow

their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our

communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine.

THIS is the new American Christmas tradition.

The last rose of summer

Hubby cut these roses yesterday after it stopped raining.  They are from a rose bush that belonged to my sister, Marge, who passed away 4 years ago.  I have move it 4 times now, even across country, and it still thrives.  We got about 5 1/2 inches of rain in 2 days.  Most of it slow rain and soaked in good.  Will be good to go into winter with the moisture.

I felt the earthquake Sat night just before 11 pm.  Was just dozing up and then heard this weird sound in the attic like the wind was blowing real hard, and heard the sewing machine at the other end of the room vibrate like it was sitting on a washing machine in the spin cycle.  I got up and looked out the window and there was no wind.  Also no more sound or vibrations.  Just as I got in bed, my daughter sent a text message that they had been shook with an earthquake!  Well I hadn't figured that out yet, but I finally realized that what I felt was an earthquake.  See here in the Midwest we don't feel them like some folks out west do.  The next day on the news found out it was a 5.6 quake about 150 miles away so thats why we felt it and alot of folks in Ok. had damage.

Thought for the day: We do not quit playing because we grow old, we grow old because we quit playing.


~Oliver Wendell Holmes~

Love those giggles

On my recent trip to Iowa I taped this little 30 seconds video of my friends grandson getting his toe nails painted by Grandma.  I just love to hear toddlers giggle!

Why I can't go to Target anymore!

RETIRED HUSBAND



After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to Target.

Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out. Equally unfortunate, my wife is like most women - she loves to browse.

Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from the local Target:

Dear Ms. Cliff,

Over the past six months, your husband has caused quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against your husband, Mr. Harris, are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras:

1. June 15: He took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in other people's carts when they weren't looking.
2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute
intervals.
3. July 7: He made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom.
4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, 'Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away'. This caused the employee to leave her assigned station and receive a reprimand from her Supervisor that in turn resulted with a union grievance, causing management to lose time and costing the company money.
5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&Ms on layaway.
6. August 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.
7. August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told the children shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department to which twenty children obliged.
8. August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?' EMTs were called.
9.. September 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.
10. September 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.
11. October 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the ' Mission Impossible' theme.
12. October 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna look' by using different sizes of funnels.
13. October 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled 'PICK ME! PICK ME!'
14. October 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed 'OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!'

And last, but not least:

15. October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, then yelled very loudly, 'Hey! There's no toilet paper in here.' One of the clerks passed out.

These options just showed up on my computer.

Got my Iowa FIX!

I went to Van Buren County, Iowa, last Saturday.  Intended to stay 3 nites but the weather was wonderful and I was enjoying myself I ended up staying one more day.  This is the old Manning Hotel B&B that I stayed at one nite.  My room was right above the T in Hotel.  Was a good experience.

Of course the room was a small bedroom with this antique furniture and bathroom, complete with creaky floors and an all night light shining in thru the door transom.  No TV, phone, frig, or dryer. Working at the hotel coffee shop when I was about 15 was one of my very first jobs.  So I thought I should spend one night there.  After that I stayed with friends.

This is the Bentonsport bridge on the Des Moines River.  As you can see the river was very low.  We were looking for steel spikes that loosen up from the old timbers that are visible only when the water is low.  There used to be a dam across the river many years ago.  The guy is Bill Printy who is a black smith and makes beautiful things from the spikes.

This is Betty Printy "whipping" up a challis for a church that needed to be done ASAP.  She is the partner of Iron and Lace.  The lace being the queen anne's lace flower that is fired into her pottery. She and I go back to our growing up years in that area.   http://ironandlace.com/index.htm  Her website if anyone wants to learn more about the area.

This is April, their daughter (who I happened to help deliver 30 years ago)  I got to work with her to pick up some skills of wrapping warp on a huge 60 inch loom.

This was one of the best things about the trip.  I got to have a REAL pork tenderloin sandwich as only VB County can make.  It was awesome!!
I have more pictures to share but that's it for now.

Thought for the day:  It is good to have an end to journey toward: but it is the journey that matters, in the end.... Ursula K LeGuin

Reincarnation

REINCARNATION



by Wally McRae


What is reincarnation? The Cowpoke asked his friend

His pal replied it happens when your life has reached its end

They comb your hair and wash your neck and clean your fingernails

And lay you in a padded box away from life's travails

And the box then goes in a hole that's been dug in the ground

And reincarnation starts in when your're planted neath the mound

Then clods melt down, just like the box, and you who is inside

And then you're just beginning on your transformation ride

Meanwhile the grass will grow upon your rendered mound

And soon upon your lonely grave a single flower is found

And then a horse will wonder by and graze upon flower

That once was you and now become your vegetated bower

The posie that the horse done eat along with his other feed

Makes bone and fat and muscle essential to the steed

But some is left that he can't use and so it passes thru

And finally lays upon the ground this thing that once was you

And say by chance I wanders by, and sees this on the ground

And I ponders and wonders at this object that I've found

And I thinks of reincarnation and life and death and such

And I come away concluding you ain't changed all that much.

Gotta love Maxine

So after landing my new job as a Wal-Mart greeter,


a good find for many retirees, I lasted less than a day....



About two hours into my first day on the job a very loud,

unattractive, mean-acting woman walked into the store with her two kids, yelling obscenities at them all the way through the entrance.

I said pleasantly, 'Good morning and welcome to Wal-Mart.

Nice children you have there. Are they twins?'

The ugly woman stopped yelling long enough to say,

'Hell no, they ain't twins. The oldest one's 9, and the other one's 7.

Why the hell would you think they're twins? Are you blind, or stupid?'

So I replied,

'I'm neither blind nor stupid, Ma'am, I just couldn't believe someone slept with you twice. Have a good day and thank you for shopping at Wal-Mart.'

My supervisor said I probably wasn't cut out for this line of work.

Just a tidbid from my trip

I drive an 89 Toyota 4Runner and while on my trip this week it turned over the big one.  So I pulled right over on the interstate and took a pic of the dial!

This is a picture of an Iowa port tenderloin!!  They know how to do it right up there! Went back to my roots for a few days.  The weather was awesome!  I just sucked in that Iowa air and enjoyed every minute of it.  I feel like my cup runneth over.  Well after eating this tenderloin, something is runnething over!

Yup, frost is on the pumpkin

Got our first frost this week, 2 nites in a row.  Had to put the winter blanket on the bed, and we have fired up the fireplace.  Feels and looks good even if it is gas.

OK so I am a quilter

My first blocks.  My sister spend a day with me this week and taught me how to cut and stitch the blocks.  Please take note of the perfect corners that meet!!!!  The sign of a real Quilter!   LOL  The second one is to take to the quilt club. (Both blocks are made from the same fabric, the color of the top is sharper because of the lighting.)
We are bringing a 12 in. block in red, white, and blue then will join them all together to make a quilt to raffle off next 4th of July!!!  Make money for the club.
Been a quiet week at the store.  Have a couple here today set up to buy gold.  We been advertising all week but so far no takers.  They offered my 80$ for my class ring, but I think not.

Thought for the day:  Women will never be equal to men.  Only men can walk down the sidewalk with a bald head and beer gut and still think they are sexy!

I think I am a junk yard junky!

Don't know if there is a cure for this but I think I have had it all my life.  I love a bargain, I hate waste, & I like to recycle stuff.  I see something and always think, "what could I make out of that?" I don't have the skills to do the heavy duty stuff like welding axles and lawn mower handles together, but that sounds like fun.
Here is a picture of a little footstool that I got at a garage sale for $1 and painted it. I made a crazy quilt top from some yard sale fabric samples and used my handy dandy electric staple gun and Walla! Here is the stool.  Ready to give to my 3 year old great grand daughter.

I like a bargain so much that my husband says "you are so cheap, you screw your shoes on!"

Five steps of Grief

I copied this from the internet when I looked it up.  This is to share with a special person and you know who you are.  I was taking a psyc class way back when, during the time that I was separating from my first husband.  As it says at the end of this list, it was originally developed to stage the steps of grief when one finds they have a terminal disease.  But the steps also follow along with any great loss in your life.  I remember feeling that I went thru every step here.  I have read that sometimes you don't go thru them in order or you may bounce between one or the other, but eventually you end up at the same place and that is acceptance.  And that is what we have to do when we are overwhelmed with a loss.
So to that special person, know you are not alone, not the first, even though it may feel like it. No loss should ever be minimized as we each have to deal with it in our own time and way.  So read this, it is for you and for the other one.

1.Denial — "I feel fine."; "This can't be happening, not to me."


Denial is usually only a temporary defense for the individual. This feeling is generally replaced with heightened awareness of possessions and individuals that will be left behind after death.

2.Anger — "Why me? It's not fair!"; "How can this happen to me?"; '"Who is to blame?"

Once in the second stage, the individual recognizes that denial cannot continue. Because of anger, the person is very difficult to care for due to misplaced feelings of rage and envy.

3.Bargaining — "I'll do anything for a few more years."; "I will give my life savings if..."

The third stage involves the hope that the individual can somehow postpone or delay death. Usually, the negotiation for an extended life is made with a higher power in exchange for a reformed lifestyle. Psychologically, the individual is saying, "I understand I will die, but if I could just do something to buy more time..."

4.Depression — "I'm so sad, why bother with anything?"; "I'm going to die soon so what's the point... What's the point?"; "I miss my loved one, why go on?"

During the fourth stage, the dying person begins to understand the certainty of death. Because of this, the individual may become silent, refuse visitors and spend much of the time crying and grieving. This process allows the dying person to disconnect from things of love and affection. It is not recommended to attempt to cheer up an individual who is in this stage. It is an important time for grieving that must be processed.

5.Acceptance — "It's going to be okay."; "I can't fight it, I may as well prepare for it."

In this last stage, individuals begin to come to terms with their mortality, or that of a loved one, or other tragic event.

Kübler-Ross originally applied these stages to people suffering from terminal illness, later to any form of catastrophic personal loss (job, income, freedom). This may also include significant life events such as the death of a loved one, major rejection, end of a relationship or divorce, drug addiction, incarceration, the onset of a disease or chronic illness, an infertility diagnosis, as well many tragedies and disasters

What if you knew when your death would come?

Would you live your daily life differently? 
I laid in bed last night thinking about this.  Would we waste our last days doing the same old thing, day in and day out?  Or would we try to look at each day as a gift to be lived to the fullest?
And what does that really mean when the end will still be the same?  In the afterlive will we remember how we lived this life?  I believe this life is a stepping stone for further spiritual growth and we will come back to learn more lessons as we grow in our spirit (soul)  choose your own word there.
It only makes sense to me that when we see suffering or experience it ourselves it is for a purpose.
All that we experience, good and bad is what makes us who we are at any given time in our life.
I am not the same person I was when I was 20, 30, 40, or 50.  I guess actually I am not the same person I was yesterday.  Each day changes who we are. We are the sum total of all our life experiences. 
And you know when you are young you don't know this stuff! We waste so much of our time because we think we have SO much time that we don't even think of it.
OK enough philosophy for today.  Just some things I ponder.  I have lost a brother and a sister this last decade, and it does make you realize that our days really are numbered, wheather we know it or not.

We are in trouble here.

Over five thousand years ago,

Moses said to the children of Israel "Pick up your shovels, mount your asses and camels, and I will lead you to the Promised Land."

Nearly 75 years ago, (when Welfare was introduced),
Roosevelt said "Lay down your shovels, sit on your asses, and light up a Camel.
This is the Promised Land."

Today,
Congress has stolen your shovel, taxed your asses, raised the price of Camels, and mortgaged the Promised Land!

I was so depressed last night thinking about Health Care Plans, the economy, multiple wars, lost jobs and savings, Social Security, retirement funds, etc.,

I called a Suicide Hotline. I had to press "1" for English.

I was connected to a Call Center in Pakistan. I told them I was suicidal.

They got excited, and asked if I could drive a truck!


Folks, we're in trouble!

My old college

Went out to the college this morning to find a guy who teaches weaving.  I am hoping he can help me with my problems with my floor loom. Still having trouble getting treddles adjusted.
This is the college that I graduated from for my LPN nursing program back in 1973.  It has changed so much,  The old building on the right and way back one on the left were the main buildings when I went there.  Now there are so many more buildings, I think it is awesome. Alot of this lawn was parking lot I believe.  I would have liked to be a college student forever.  Could a person make a career out of going to college?  I went back to school in 1986 to finish up for my RN degree in Carson City Nv.  Have been back to that campus a few years ago and it has changed alot too.

Thought for the day:  If it happens twice, its not a fluke___ but it could be 2 flukes. 

copy-paste, copy-paste! Hey!!

Three friends from a local congregation were asked, 'when you're in your casket, and friends are mourning over you, what would you like them to say?


Artie said: 'I would like them to say I was a wonderful husband, a fine spiritual leader, and a great family man.'

Eugene commented: 'I would like them to say I was a wonderful teacher and a servant of God who made a huge difference in people's lives.'

Tom said: 'I'd like them to say, 'Look, he's moving!'
 
This was in some e-mail sent to me.  I am just so dang happy that I can copy and paste onto my blog now it is hard to tell what might show up here.  Look Out CoffeePot!
 

It has been great to be back in my little book store after our vacation.  Sometimes togetherness just gets to be a little much and you need some space.  But have to say the store has been pretty busy.  Don't know if its the cooler weather or what.  But I will take it!
Been working most of the day off and on to get my Oct. column done for the newspaper.  I read the trilogy by Steig Larsson this last month: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who Played with Fire, and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. That was quite a feat to get all three of them done on time.  What happened to the time I just read for the fun???
 
Thought for the day:
The reason Politicians try so hard to get re-elected is that they would 'hate' to have to make a living under the laws they've passed.

Out of the mouth of babes

Subject: Truth

I was eating lunch on the 20th of February with my 7 year-old granddaughter and I asked her, "What day is tomorrow?"

She said, "It's President's Day!" (She is a smart kid.)

I asked, "What does President's Day mean?" I was waiting for something about Washington or Lincoln... etc.

She replied, "President's Day is when President Obama steps out of the White House, and if he sees his shadow we have one more year of unemployment."


You know, it hurts when hot coffee spurts out your nose...

Wyoming trip

Been gone for a week.  Hubby and I took his sister with us on a trip to Wyoming.  We had a good cloudy day to start with, then second day headed north from Limon Co. and drove many miles in heavy fog and drizzle.  It was my turn to be driving.  Hubby didn't like me following a truck and I know he wanted me to go around but I liked following something to look at and not stare at that fog.  Anyway that was the only bad weather. Got to Saratoga on Thurs evening and stayed till Mon AM. 

The picture is of the Platte River at Saratoga.  On Sat. we did a float trip with a guide down 6 miles of the river, it was 37 degrees when we started.  Caught quite a few fish.  Hubby caught all German Brown Trout and I caught the Rainbows.  BUT, they were all over 16 inches so were released back to the river.  (POUT)  The guide said we might have to go to the lake to "kill" some fish.  We did try that the next day (twice) but only "killed" one nice big rainbow.  So didn't have to worry about how to get "all" the fish home.   We were watch by 4 young bald eagles as they circled above us, then we say a mature one in a tree with his beautiful white head.  I took some video but with my little camera it left alot to be desired.

We drove up into the Medicine Bow forest in the Snowy Mountain range east of Saratoga.  It is awesome up there.  It was a clear beautiful day.  I took this picture from up near the top.

I just did Blogger's update and I think I am liking it.  I see I can now add pictures in the middle of my text instead of all of them being stacked together.  Always wondered how other folks did that.  LOL
I don't think that you will find these heads in your local grocery store, unless you are in Wyoming!

We toured the museum at Encampment, south of Saratoga and were treated with this 2 story outhouse.

Of course the guy told the story of how it was used.  See when the snow gets deep in the winter they closed off the lower level, (after raising the seats). Then you had to go up the stairs and use the upper level.  Now how cleaver was that?                                                                                                      

Thought for the day:  The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.