WARNING!!!!!!

I have, in my house, a tiny computer room. Last night, my adult daughter was standing over my shoulder, watching me attempt to post a message, when her sight must have wandered, beyond my back, towards the doorway. She says, "So, dad must have changed the way the door opened, at some time?" I finish typing and turn around. "No, I reply. I put a door lock on the inside, at the top of the door, to keep you kids out." Now, I haven't had any really small children in my care, for months. My youngest local grandchild is 11. So, imagine my surprise when the following astonishing thing happened, in my "child proofed" office.

After my announcement, I stand up, reach up and casually flip the lock into a closed position. "See." I told her. Well, the lock had not been used, in perhaps 40 years, so it was stuck. I couldn't open the lock. Right away we realized we were hopelessly confined.  And, for some reason, both of us were immediately doubled over in hysterical laughter. Two adults, locking themselves into a 6 by 6 room, was ridiculously funny. After we failed, several times, to release the lock at floor level, I climbed on a chair. But, I still couldn't get the darn thing to open. Probably because I was laughing so hard. Climbing down, and still laughing, I searched for something, big enough to force the lock to open. I grabbed a stapler.

Back up on the chair, I whacked the lock a couple of times, and it finally slid into the open position. We were free. Thank goodness. We did have a phone, in the room with us, but of course we were locked in......not out. Who does that? The whole episode was a bizaare blend of an Agatha Christie "Who-Done-It", and a touch of "I Love Lucy" chaos. 

The moral of this tale is.....Retirees: Check your homes for any old "Child Proof" items that you may have installed 40 or 50 years ago. Get rid of them. They can be dangerous and perhaps deadly to Senior Citizens.

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                                   All Knowing God, protect us from ourselves.

A penny for your thoughts?

For years, I have joked about my unusual ability to recall song lyrics......whether  the occasion calls for it, or not. In fact that this incredible but totally useless talent has never, ever earned me one penny! Well, last weekend, that all changed.

Over the weekend, my patient traveling companion and I were visiting a 19th century, beautifully restored mansion, in a nearby city. The house has 26 rooms, all filled with period furnishings. We were led through the house by an excellent guide, who surprised us in the home's music room He sat down at a very nice, but tinny sounding Steinway, and hastily played a pretty little tune. Then, he stood up and boasted, "I'll give a dollar to the first person who can name that tune." So, I say "My Wild Irish Rose". Surprised (actually stunned) he whips out a bill and gives it to me. Saying, that he had not expected anyone to know that tune. (I would have sung the words, correctly, if he had asked me.)

Rare, you're thinking. Well, not really. The weekend before, at a Fall Festival, my same companion and I stopped to hear a 1850's pioneer re-enactor, tell the history of and then play a cute tune, "My Grandfather's Clock" Well, I sang along to that, knowing most of the words. My memory faulted at several of the verses. Unfortunately and as usual, no money was offered, for my talents.

My poor traveling companion has ceased to question whether I know the words to even the most obscure song. He just smiles and shrugs his shoulders. There you go.

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Lord. Life is full of small joys and blessings. Our talents, large or small come from You. We are truly thankful. 

Wait a Minute.......

 Late at night, you can often find me sitting alone in my bedroom, watching TV and crocheting.  I've never been able to sit still for long, and I find that when my hands are busy with a yard and needle, I am less likely to be stuffing my face with junk food.

Anyway, I was watching some silly show (most shows these days are just silly) when a reality character voiced something, I thought, was rather profound. The speaker was a non-sighted person, that we would consider handicapped. He said, and this is a rough interpretation, that most of us see our adversities and those of others, as tragedies. We view overcoming those tragedies, as triumphs. But life, he continued, is not really a series of tragedies and triumphs, it's just about "getting on". Accepting and moving forward. Doing the everyday things. 

Stuff happens. It happens to all of us. The real triumph is being able to get up every morning, and do the best we can. Life involves taking care of ourselves and helping others to succeed. If we have some spectacular successes, on this journey, GREAT.  Otherwise, keep on traveling.

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Gracious God. Our blessings are many. Keep us focused on what we can do, not on what we can't do. We are thankful. We praise Your Holy Name.

Princess Summer-Fall-Winter-Spring

I remember studying about the process of POTLATCH, in a Social Studies class, sometime in my youth. Now, that's been a long time ago, but as I remember it, one or more native American tribes of the Northwest, practiced this method of giving away their possessions, and therefore kept what they personally owned to a minimum. After all, Native Americans did not have three bedroom teepees. or wickiups. Did they?

POTLATCH always included an elaborate ceremony of sort. The tribe shared food and danced as they celebrated something special, like a birth, death, wedding or a battle victory. Then the host family gave away their possessions.  Well, I don't think they actually gave away what they needed to survive. Just the EXTRA stuff a family accumulates in their daily life.

So, I've decided to do a 21st Century, non indigenous, unceremonious, old lady Potlatch. I'm getting rid of all my EXTRA stuff. I am scheduled for every "Big Trash" pick-up Kansas City, offers me. The local Thrift Stores have begun to recognize me. My friends and family, however, are starting to avoid me. I'm learning that one woman's treasure can be another person's trash!!!!! Giving away my treasure is not always a welcome gift.

But, I'm going to continue. If all else fails, I've purchased some "extra" bag stickers, so that I can put out, by the curb, more than my two-bag-week trash limit. 

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Dear Lord: Why do we think we need so much stuff? Shelter and food are really the basics. Thank You for giving us so much. Our lives are full. Help us to make good decisions.

Punkin' Head

 September, went out like a hotcake and October, has come in about the same, but the calendar says Autumn is here. I've decked out my home in ceramic and crocheted pumpkins. I've probably got at least a half dozen food items in the cupboard, that include "pumpkin spice" in their labels. Fall has fallen upon my old ranch house!

So, imagine my glee when the computer offered me a DIY Video, on how to display a colorful live  chrysanthemum, potted in a live pumpkin. Easy Peasy, said I, after watching the video a couple of times. I can do this.  So, just as directed, I cut off the top of the pumpkin and removed the pumpkin "snot" and seeds. Next, I drilled holes in the shell for drainage. Then, I pulled the mum out of the plastic pot, that it came in. Carefully, I added soil to the empty, now holey, pumpkin. I filled that pumpkin shell and the empty pot, to the brim with potting soil. Finally, I removed the plastic pot and popped in the mum. Added some water and Presto. Beautiful!!!!!

Wellllllll. It took much longer than I expected. About an hour, not including a trip to the local plant emporium, to buy a potted plant and a similar sized pumpkin. My kitchen counter, sink and floor were dusted with black dirt. Dirt was everywhere! That had to be vacuumed and swept. Then, it took quite a bit of extra time to clean off my electric drill and bit. They'd gotten really messy. So messy, that my drill may never work again! The outside of the pumpkin, kept getting smeared with black soil. And, of course every time I added a bit of water to the pumpkin shell, mud ran down the shell, again. What a mess I made.

Finished, at last, I put the thing on a table, on my porch. It looks very nice. To quote Edgar Allen Poe ....."Nevermore."  This will be my one and only, not to be tried again, attempt at pumpkin/flower  art. 

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Holy Lord. Help us to work on our common sense. Remind us that real life is not a Video. Always give us guidance.