What does that mean, anyhow?

It may be the over sized full moon or it may just be that I am experiencing a lot more craziness than usual, but each and every day, I find myself wondering and even saying , out loud......What?
Today, a woman said, "We want to make it worth your wild?" What? What on earth did she mean? Did she want to help me get wild and crazy, or was she simply misquoting an old saying? Well, I was certainly in turmoil over the wildness of that proposition.
Later, someone asked to borrow a "wheel barrel". What? It is wheelbarrow, isn't it? Or is it? Sometimes, I doubt my own sanity.
How do you react when someone says, "I could care less?"
Do you say, "Could you? Could you really care less. How much less could you care, than the way you care now? Come on. Tell me, just how much less could you care?"
And, just the other day someone told me that I had a "tough roll to hold". Now, we all know that my baking skills are next to nil. But, hold on a minute, because I recognize a good farming term when I hear one. The phrase is correctly stated as "a tough row to hoe". And, yes, thank you, I work very hard at my job. Translation is becoming, more and more, an important part of it!
I am just realizing that there is a fine line between insanity and good grammar.

Great God, everything I say and do needs polish and practice. I am not an expert at anything, but I know, that you know, that I try. You grasp everything and are all powerful. You allow us to work on our life skills daily. We succeed a tiny bitty bit of the time and we often fail miserably.  Whatever happens, we know that you love us unconditionally.
We honor your omnipotence and glory.

"Please Mr. Postman, look and see. Is there a letter in your bag for me?"

I am going to share with you the most special, absolute, prize winning, joy-bringing, present that you could ever give.............

                          Write and mail a personal letter or card, to someone age 80 or older.

You will be loved and honored as a kind and thoughtful friend, for the rest of the recipient's life.
Letters and cards, delivered by the US Postal Service are some of the most treasured items in a seniors' day. Why? Because letters and cards are few and far between.
Think about it. Many friends of Senior Citizens are deceased. Spouses may have died. Parents and some siblings are long gone. Work colleagues have moved on.
The children, of most seniors' are busy folks. They call or email them, or if the seniors are blessed they come, on rare occasions, to see them.
But, day after day, seniors eagerly open their mail boxes, hoping for something other than junk mail and bills. Most of the time, there is nothing there.
How hard is it and how much time does it take to send a letter?
Just sit down and just write a few lines to Uncle Charlie or Auntie Rose. Hallmark has a whole line of 99 cent greeting cards. With tax, they cost about one dollar and seven cents. The card and a 49 cent stamp is less than the cost of a Latte, for goodness sake. That's how easy and inexpensive it can be to change the whole day or whole week of one lonely older person.
It's my challenge. Just do it!

Dear Lord: You love us unconditionally and constantly. Your steadfast love endures forever. Help us see that a little love toward our fellow travelers is the most important emotion and action we can show. Show us how to give of ourselves. Lead us to the Post Office.

...Gone tomorrow.

It's been a rough week. My job at the Great Living Senior Facility is truly worthwhile and enjoyable. I have become very attached to the residents and my fellow workers are great people. We have become like one big diverse family.
My work days are filled with many uplifting and truly wonderful events, and I have tried to share them in this blog. But sometimes, because of our population, we have to deal with the grim reality of death.
We are all going to die. And, as we get older, it becomes more evident, that our days are indeed numbered. I counted it up and there are 69 days until Thanksgiving. There are 97 days until Christmas. It will be 359 days until my next birthday.
However, as my wise friend, Mabel Hamil, once told me, " I never look at the expiration date on the milk jug. Who knows if I will last that long?"
God doesn't promise us another year, or even another day. He tells us to get it right today, because this may be our last chance. We should live like there is no tomorrow, because there just might not be one.

Good and Holy Lord. We are you children and you are out Parent. We trust in you. We honor you. Hold us in your arms and give us love, protection and peace.
We promise to listen to your word and guidance.
We promise to be ready to heed your call.

Amen.

...and he was a Baptist.

Today, in the mail, I received an interesting birthday gift. My very own County Commissioner sent me a "free admission card" to a couple of county museums.
I am avoiding the glaring "don't look a gift horse in the mouth" cliche and wondering why am I , an old lady, at long last receiving a gift from a government official? Could it be my advanced age? Could it be an election year?
A question to ponder.
But, back to the "free admission card." Our county's most famous historic citizen is a treasonous, lying, murdering, bank robber. He was a true outlaw. People think of him as an 1860's Robin Hood, but in reality he was a Robbing Hood. Nothing I have ever read about him points out any redeeming qualities. Jesse James was a very bad man.
But, in Clay County, Missouri, we have a Jesse James Farm and Museum, a Jesse James Amphitheater and a Jesse James Bank Museum. Naming a Bank Museum after a Bank Robber is like naming a knife after the infamous Jack the Ripper. (I hope I'm not planting any ideas.) Jesse James is buried in Clay County. He has been buried at least three times, that I am aware of, because.....well, who knows why. Maybe people want to be sure he's really dead and buried in Clay County. We wouldn't want him buried someplace else, God forbid. We want him here!
I know you meant well, Mr. Commissioner, but I won't be using my "free admission card" before the January 1, 2016, expiration date. And, I won't be voting for you in the future.

Dear Lord.  Give me patience. Help me to appreciate the gifts and foibles of my fellow earthly travelers. Allow me to keep my strange sense of humor, in spite of life's trails and tribulations. You are my strength and salvation.