Ahh, Dorothy L. Sayers...what a writer. She was a contemporary of Agatha Christie and wrote some of the most wonderful books about her detective, Lord Peter Wimsey. Spooky Rach is reading some of her books now and I am thinking of digging mine out and reading them all again!
My mother-in-law, who started me reading English mysteries, was a true Lord Peter fan. She even taped the PBS series that was telecast in the 80s and then we would discuss how well or poorly the screenplay followed the books. As an English teacher, she was quick to point out that in England the use of the word "ain't" wasn't a sign of being unlearned as it is here in the USA, which was a total surprise to me.
Anyway, for those of you needing a good read for the new year, check her out! Great stories, tight plots and wonderful characters. The saddest part is that there are only about 10-12 Lord Peter novels. The rest of her work was in Christian apologetics, and I've never ventured out into that world! There is a writer who has taken at least one unpublished manuscript and finished it. It is pretty good, but I can't remember her name at this time...perhaps it will come to me soon! Get comfy with your favorite beverage, blankie and read up a storm.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
December Ramblings
I have been fighting with my computer since I last posted almost a month ago. The computer, unfortunately, has been winning. I have been able to view other people's posts, and sometimes make comments (I know you have been blessed), but haven't been able to open my blogspot to make my scintillating observations.
Yesterday, the bearded one fixed my "side" of the home computer. I am now back in the 21st century, so to speak. I can now e-mail, blog, bank online, etc. with impunity. I am soooo excited.
This has been a strange December for me. I didn't have anyone under the age of 60 around to help get the Christmas boxes out of the attic. I have been banned from attics since I stepped through an unfloored section in our old house about ten years ago and ended up on the washing machine! Anyway, I, who love to put up a tree and decorate with my limited abilities have been stymied this year. I am sure that in January, I will be glad that I don't have to face taking it all down and getting it up to the attic, but I do miss my "Christmas things".
We went to Oklahoma City last week to attend the annual Lifechange Ballroom competition. It was an awesome show. Eight groups of fifth graders competed for the traveling trophy. These were the best of the best...the program is now in about 24 elementary schools and these students won the preliminary round to come to the "big show". Kudos to my sister for her vision and perseverance to make this happen for these children. In many of these schools, there has been a marked increase in test scores and a marked decrease in discipline referrals. As Cindy says, this is a mentoring program disguised as a dance class!
Last Friday I went to pick up my check for subbing in the last pay period. I was so blown away to discover that one of my former ESL students is now an assistant to the business manager for the school district. She has her BBA and is being groomed to take this woman's position. Who knew when she came and could speak no English that she would accomplish this? I am excited that I had even a tiny part to play in her success, because I know that each of my former students worked so very hard to achieve all their goals.
We are looking forward to a visit from our youngest son and his wife tonight before they go on to her parents' home for Christmas. We will see them again at her parents' on Christmas day for food, fun and fellowship. We will be picking up our grandson in Fort Worth on the 26th and taking him back to Lawton to have Christmas with his dad and family as well as our middle son and his fiance and JM's great aunt.
Following the Christmas festivities in Lawton, we will be heading to Frederick for the weekend. We missed our annual Christmas/NewYears visit last year due to TBO's sister's surgery, but will take up where we left off. Looking forward to food, wine and games galore when we get there.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thanksgiving
I am home from my mom's and our annual Thanksgiving feast and overeating contest. I think I won this year! If being officially miserable and unable to even consider eating anything is a sign of the gluttony award...I get it.
We were down a few participants this year...only had 14 at the table, but I'm sure we could have fed several more, as is the usual occurance.
Just before hubby and I left, my sister was relating a story about how when things were much leaner for her and her man, he would get her to count her blessings and to articulate the things she was thankful for...I thought I would steal that and make my list this year.
I am thankful for:
*living in a country where I can voice my opinions about things without fear of retribution
*my mom still being alive and well and able to live on her own
*my loving husband who puts up with all my crap, and still thinks I'm a "good woman"
*my three wonderful sons, two precious daughter-in-laws, a daughter-in-law to be, and six, count 'em, six grandchildren (yours, mine, ours-but ALL mine!)
*my amazing sister and her husband (too many things to list on this list, but I shall post about her another time)
*my brother and his wife and family
*my sister-in-law who thinks my childdren and grandchildren are wonderful
*my brother-in-law and his wife and daughter
*a host of friends who just love me and put up with all my stuff
*having a relationship with the Lord Jesus that just amazes me daily...oh how He loves me and forgives me!
Not a comprehensive list, but one that makes me realize that I, too, have so much, and that when it is all said and done at the end of the day, my needs are few, my blessings are bountiful, and my wants are all just that...wants. May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.
We were down a few participants this year...only had 14 at the table, but I'm sure we could have fed several more, as is the usual occurance.
Just before hubby and I left, my sister was relating a story about how when things were much leaner for her and her man, he would get her to count her blessings and to articulate the things she was thankful for...I thought I would steal that and make my list this year.
I am thankful for:
*living in a country where I can voice my opinions about things without fear of retribution
*my mom still being alive and well and able to live on her own
*my loving husband who puts up with all my crap, and still thinks I'm a "good woman"
*my three wonderful sons, two precious daughter-in-laws, a daughter-in-law to be, and six, count 'em, six grandchildren (yours, mine, ours-but ALL mine!)
*my amazing sister and her husband (too many things to list on this list, but I shall post about her another time)
*my brother and his wife and family
*my sister-in-law who thinks my childdren and grandchildren are wonderful
*my brother-in-law and his wife and daughter
*a host of friends who just love me and put up with all my stuff
*having a relationship with the Lord Jesus that just amazes me daily...oh how He loves me and forgives me!
Not a comprehensive list, but one that makes me realize that I, too, have so much, and that when it is all said and done at the end of the day, my needs are few, my blessings are bountiful, and my wants are all just that...wants. May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Back in the USA!
After a perfectly marvelous trip, with the small glitch of a cancelled flight we had no notice of, I made it home last night from our cruise of the Western Med, tour of Barcelona, and ministry trip to the Canary Islands. Whew! I may need a couple of "robe days" to recover!
If anyone is considering a cruise, I highly recommend the Norwegian Gem...we were treated like royalty and I don't think a came across one surly crew member while we were onboard. The food was great, a creme brulee with chocolate ganache that I would kill for...and I don't even really like creme brulee! We took tours of Malta, Pompeii, Rome, Florence and Monaco and all were extremely interesting and well organized. I need to go back to Rome and Florence, though...just not enough time to see everything in a 3-4 hour tour, of course.
Barcelona was amazing. I was all geared up to use my Spanish when I realized we were in Cataluna-where they speak Catalan, a mixture of Spanish and French, which is totally out of my range! I could read some menus, but even the street signs stumped me! But the city was fantastic. We bought 2 day passes on a tour bus line and spent the first day riding all over the city looking at amazing architecture and hearing little snippets about museums, etc. The second day we used our pass to get to the Museum of the History of the City in the Bare Gotica. It was a museum unlike anything I have ever been in. It is built on the site of some of the Roman ruins of the original city. You go down an elevator which shows you "2008" as your beginning floor and "5 BC" as your destination! Our trip to Pompeii was helpful in understanding some of the architectural elements found there. We got to spend a few evenings with our friend, Felix, from Texas A&M, who is studying there for this semester. He had lots of great ideas for places to visit and wonderful restaurant recommendations.
The Canary Islands are a group of 7 islands, I think. I never really got it straight in my mind...we landed on Gran Canaria and spent one day at the airport waiting to fly on to Las Palmas...that is another story altogether. Our time in Las Palmas was so special. Michael and our friends Doug and Rita and Lanny ministered to a conference of pastors from all of the Canary Islands. I was the designated prayer!
We were scheduled to fly out of Gran Canaria at 11:30 pm on Sunday night. One of the participants in the conference arranged for us to be picked up at the airport Sunday morning about 10:00 am when we arrived from Las Palmas and we were entertained royally! We had a great tour of the island, some of which we were sorry to say, we did while sleeping! We ate at a restaurant that is carved out of the side of a mountain...it is a CAVE. Great food and fellowship. Then the guys spoke at 2 church meetings before we left...Our hosts took us to the airport about 10:15 and left us. We walked into the airport and discovered, to our amazement, that there was NO flight to Barcelona that night. After discussions with airport information, crew chiefs, etc. we got hotel rooms, then returned to fly to Madrid, then Barcelona, missing our connections to New York and home.
I have always wanted to go to Madrid, but I really would have liked to have seen more than the airport! Following the extremely hard work of an American Airlines agent in Barcelona, we were booked on the flight home for Tuesday. Doug, Rita and I were disappointed that we would not be home in time to vote, but were glad to get home. Michael had voted absentee before he left the states, and he was going on to Munich and Florence before returning...he's going to be tired, I think.
So, after all of this, I got home last night around 11:00, tired, facing a mountain of laundry and several little things that must be done before I get back on the road to retrieve the Queen from her vacation with my Mom. I think it is time for a rest!
If anyone is considering a cruise, I highly recommend the Norwegian Gem...we were treated like royalty and I don't think a came across one surly crew member while we were onboard. The food was great, a creme brulee with chocolate ganache that I would kill for...and I don't even really like creme brulee! We took tours of Malta, Pompeii, Rome, Florence and Monaco and all were extremely interesting and well organized. I need to go back to Rome and Florence, though...just not enough time to see everything in a 3-4 hour tour, of course.
Barcelona was amazing. I was all geared up to use my Spanish when I realized we were in Cataluna-where they speak Catalan, a mixture of Spanish and French, which is totally out of my range! I could read some menus, but even the street signs stumped me! But the city was fantastic. We bought 2 day passes on a tour bus line and spent the first day riding all over the city looking at amazing architecture and hearing little snippets about museums, etc. The second day we used our pass to get to the Museum of the History of the City in the Bare Gotica. It was a museum unlike anything I have ever been in. It is built on the site of some of the Roman ruins of the original city. You go down an elevator which shows you "2008" as your beginning floor and "5 BC" as your destination! Our trip to Pompeii was helpful in understanding some of the architectural elements found there. We got to spend a few evenings with our friend, Felix, from Texas A&M, who is studying there for this semester. He had lots of great ideas for places to visit and wonderful restaurant recommendations.
The Canary Islands are a group of 7 islands, I think. I never really got it straight in my mind...we landed on Gran Canaria and spent one day at the airport waiting to fly on to Las Palmas...that is another story altogether. Our time in Las Palmas was so special. Michael and our friends Doug and Rita and Lanny ministered to a conference of pastors from all of the Canary Islands. I was the designated prayer!
We were scheduled to fly out of Gran Canaria at 11:30 pm on Sunday night. One of the participants in the conference arranged for us to be picked up at the airport Sunday morning about 10:00 am when we arrived from Las Palmas and we were entertained royally! We had a great tour of the island, some of which we were sorry to say, we did while sleeping! We ate at a restaurant that is carved out of the side of a mountain...it is a CAVE. Great food and fellowship. Then the guys spoke at 2 church meetings before we left...Our hosts took us to the airport about 10:15 and left us. We walked into the airport and discovered, to our amazement, that there was NO flight to Barcelona that night. After discussions with airport information, crew chiefs, etc. we got hotel rooms, then returned to fly to Madrid, then Barcelona, missing our connections to New York and home.
I have always wanted to go to Madrid, but I really would have liked to have seen more than the airport! Following the extremely hard work of an American Airlines agent in Barcelona, we were booked on the flight home for Tuesday. Doug, Rita and I were disappointed that we would not be home in time to vote, but were glad to get home. Michael had voted absentee before he left the states, and he was going on to Munich and Florence before returning...he's going to be tired, I think.
So, after all of this, I got home last night around 11:00, tired, facing a mountain of laundry and several little things that must be done before I get back on the road to retrieve the Queen from her vacation with my Mom. I think it is time for a rest!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Barcelona Bound
I will post this, then begin wending my way to the airport to head for Barcelona, Spain. I am so excited, I haven't slept much for the last two nights. I hope the persons on either side of me on the flight to Barcelona aren't too bothered by my snoring!
I'm meeting the bearded one at the docks in Barcelona where we will be getting on a cruise ship-our first!- with our best friends in the world for a Western Meditteranean Cruise. Watch out Italy, here we come! Then we will be going to the Canary Islands for a conference after the cruise.
I probably won't be posting while I'm away, but will be keeping a journal to update everyone on our adventures. Hasta luego! Dios les bendiga.
I'm meeting the bearded one at the docks in Barcelona where we will be getting on a cruise ship-our first!- with our best friends in the world for a Western Meditteranean Cruise. Watch out Italy, here we come! Then we will be going to the Canary Islands for a conference after the cruise.
I probably won't be posting while I'm away, but will be keeping a journal to update everyone on our adventures. Hasta luego! Dios les bendiga.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Preparing to Travel
I now have 9 days until I fly to Spain and board a cruise ship...I had my "practice pack drill" last night and was able to get all my clothes and stuff into one bag and was under the weight limit! Ha! TBH scoffed at me when I said I could do it. But now, after further deliberations, I have decided to go ahead and bite the bullet and take another bag to check.
Why, you might ask? Well, I did forget one or two things in my initial pack drill...nightgowns, a book or two that will be required on the trip. Also, although I will be gone for 17 days, total, TBH will be leaving on Friday and will meet me in Spain, and will stay after I'm flying Texas bound for another week. He thinks he might need me to bring him a thing or two! I'm sure I will be bringing home more than a thing or two!
I am flying to and from Spain with our good friends who are taking the cruise with us. I don't think I would be afraid to travel alone, but it will be much more enjoyable during the 3 hour layover in NYC to have them there!
Now, the big question is, can we get TBH packed up and out the door by 1:00 pm Friday? He needs to check in at the airport by 2:10...I'm sure we'll make it, just not too sure of how much sleep we'll get Thursday night! The clock is ticking!
Why, you might ask? Well, I did forget one or two things in my initial pack drill...nightgowns, a book or two that will be required on the trip. Also, although I will be gone for 17 days, total, TBH will be leaving on Friday and will meet me in Spain, and will stay after I'm flying Texas bound for another week. He thinks he might need me to bring him a thing or two! I'm sure I will be bringing home more than a thing or two!
I am flying to and from Spain with our good friends who are taking the cruise with us. I don't think I would be afraid to travel alone, but it will be much more enjoyable during the 3 hour layover in NYC to have them there!
Now, the big question is, can we get TBH packed up and out the door by 1:00 pm Friday? He needs to check in at the airport by 2:10...I'm sure we'll make it, just not too sure of how much sleep we'll get Thursday night! The clock is ticking!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
MemServ
My family has a rather unique sense of humor, especially concerning death and funerals. When my father passed away, he was cremated and had left instructions to have his ashes spread over his favorite golf holes. It was December, and Mom wasn't up to golfing then...although Dad would have been out no matter the temperature or conditions.
Consequently, Dad's remains were stored in the hall closet until spring. One day, my Mom saw my sister standing in the door of the closet, just looking into it. She asked her, "What are you doing?" My sister replied, rather testily I might add, "I'm talking to Dad!", shut the door and came back to the den.
We also are prone to making bad jokes and laughing inappropriately at such things as funerals...a classic line is from some movie my children quote, "We put the FUN in funeral." I don't think we have ever gotten as hysterical as Mary Tyler Moore did in the episode about Chuckles the Clown, but it has been close.
All of this drivel to say that the memorial service (memserv) for our dear friend was held last Saturday. It was so well done, I hope that everyone who attended was as blessed as I was. There were memory boards of her life displayed, from birth until just a couple of months before her passing. Her family had examples of her handwork-quilts, afghans, dresses, cross stitch-displayed. It was magnificent.
Her children were there, of course, and her grandchildren, and all of us who had been her "other" children. It was good to see so many of those people who had been blessed by her life. This was a wonderful memserv! I think she would have loved it!
Consequently, Dad's remains were stored in the hall closet until spring. One day, my Mom saw my sister standing in the door of the closet, just looking into it. She asked her, "What are you doing?" My sister replied, rather testily I might add, "I'm talking to Dad!", shut the door and came back to the den.
We also are prone to making bad jokes and laughing inappropriately at such things as funerals...a classic line is from some movie my children quote, "We put the FUN in funeral." I don't think we have ever gotten as hysterical as Mary Tyler Moore did in the episode about Chuckles the Clown, but it has been close.
All of this drivel to say that the memorial service (memserv) for our dear friend was held last Saturday. It was so well done, I hope that everyone who attended was as blessed as I was. There were memory boards of her life displayed, from birth until just a couple of months before her passing. Her family had examples of her handwork-quilts, afghans, dresses, cross stitch-displayed. It was magnificent.
Her children were there, of course, and her grandchildren, and all of us who had been her "other" children. It was good to see so many of those people who had been blessed by her life. This was a wonderful memserv! I think she would have loved it!
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