"...............a room in Bloomsbury."

 For the last two weeks, my friend and I have been living and traveling in a great big pick-up truck. It's been our transportation and our home. It's a great vehicle, but did I mention that it is Big! And, I am short.

I first noticed how big it was, when I tried to climb into the front seat. Thank goodness it has a handle that I can use to haul myself up into the seat. The floorboard of the truck, hits me at the top of my legs. Over the duration, I got pretty good at hauling myself up into the truck, but climbing out of the front seat was another matter. I'm past 75, I do not just hop down. I don't hop anywhere, so I learned to ease myself out of the seat and carefully, oh so carefully slide, without hitting my tailbone on the floorboard, to the ground.

I'd like to say that it became easier to haul myself in and out of the truck cab, as the days wore on. But, seriously it got harder. Maybe I gained some weight or maybe I just aged, but by the last couple of days, I was using two arms to grab onto that handle and I'd added several minutes to my slippery exit.

So much for traveling. Fortunately, we had a fine new bench to help me climb onto the lowered tailgate. From the tailgate, we had access to the inflatable mattress on the bed of the truck. Never having done it, I was skeptical about sleeping in a truck, but it was actually very comfortable. Cozy and warm, for those cold desert nights.

We had a really cool, second tent, that sat on the ground, and became the second room of our traveling home. The first room, was the tent over the truck bed. Two room camping is really first class. Having the tents attached to the Big pick-up, really helped during the winds and dust storms we experienced in the Nevada Desert. And, I will also give credit to my tent mate, who fastened all of our tents to the ground with screw-in tent pegs. And he brought his electric screw-driver to install them!

Getting a late start, towards home, we did end up sleeping a few hours, in the front seat of the Big pick-up. It has (and who knew such a thing still existed) a bench seat. A couple of pillows and a blanket and we were all set.

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Dear Lord. Thank you for presenting adventures. For allowing us to make choices. For keeping us safe.

"I like that old time Rock and Roll"...........

 In 1697, William Congreve wrote, "Music has charms to sooth the savage breast, to soften rocks or bend a knotted oak." It is clear to me that this gifted poet, did not live in today's electronic music world.

For eight days, recently, I was a captive audience, to some of the strangest noise that has ever been called music. Residing in a flimsy tent, in the middle of the Nevada desert, I listened, until the wee hours of the morning, to booming bass-rythmn notes, being blasted everywhere. People kept telling me how great the DJs were. What great music they played. I just couldn't understand, what they were talking about.

DJs play recorded music. Originally, it was vinyl records, then tapes and I surmize now, they make up disks of prerecorded music or something like that. Does one take lessons to learn that skill? Any way, in my opinion, it was awful. What kind of talent does it take to play recorded music? There is an old joke, where the music teacher asks a student, "What do you play?" The student says, " The radio." 

Life is a joke come true.

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Dear Lord. Patience is indeed a virtue. Help me to have patience.

Mistress Mary, quite contrary.

 "Happiness must be grown in one's own garden." When I read that little sign, in a backyard flower bed, I had one of those "A-Ha" moments.

How many of us are wasting time waiting for good things to happen? Then, we're constantly disappointed when they don't. Whoa, buddies. Truly, what we do and whom we choose to bring happiness to, grows and improves our own lives.

Listen up readers! We know that God has not promised us a Rose Garden. There are a whole lot of weeds growing in all of our gardens. Big, old, useless, prickly weeds. We have to keep weeding and pruning to make our gardens beautiful. Water and fertilizer are helpful, too. The people you know, or have yet to meet, have seeds of wisdom to share and tons of tips to make your garden a beautiful place.

I'm trying to tell you, that a beautiful garden is up to you. Get out there and make someone smile. A garden grows with love and care.

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Gracious Lord. We thank you for the opportunities You have given us. Life is a garden.

"Second Hand Rose, they call me Second Hand Rose....."

Today, I needed to make a trip to a local thrift emporium (That's Fancy Nancy Speak, for a second-hand store). I have been fortunate, in my lifetime, to be able to choose where I shop. That means, that I shop most anywhere I want (Sotheby and Tiffany, maybe not), but today, I chose to spend my dollars thriftily. Along with that information, I'll add that the county, in which I reside, is the most affluent county in the state of Kansas. Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift live near me, for Pete's sake!

Well who knew, that an absolute hoard of locals would be shopping at the local Thrift Store. Holy Magoaly! I couldn't find a place to park. I had to truly circle the parking lot until someone came out and left an open parking place. Inside, the store was busier than the local WalMart, before a three-day weekend. It was packed. Young folks, grandmas and grandpas, well-dressed matronly types and scruffies were all stuffing items into their carts. The clothing aisles were crowded and the housewares area was chaos.

I found just what I wanted.....a couple of colorful tutus, a Dracula Cape and a Darth Vader Mask (I just couldn't pass that thing up) and headed to the nearest line. This store takes cards and does "self" checkout. Will wonders never cease?

So, whilst driving home, I contemplated my experience. Locally owned department stores have all shut their doors in recent years. Macy's (who bought many of them) is nearly out of business. So, is JC Penney's. Shoe stores are practically non-existent. People are supposedly ordering more and more on line. From China, I'm told. Stores are empty, everywhere I look. So is this a result of the sad state of the American Economy? Or, are we, as a country, just changing our shopping habits?

Something to ponder, I suppose. Seriously, I'm going back to the Thrift Store, soon. They had some really cute stuff!

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Dear Lord. Remind us to take care of Your planet. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle are good words.

"If you're ever in a mess.....SOS"

 I want to write a few words about friendship. I read something recently, about friends. This particular article made the statement that "if you have been friends with someone for seven ears, you have made a friend for life." I agree with that, and what's more, when you are pushing 80, the friends that you have, who are still alive and kicking with you, are pretty damn golden!

True Friends, to quote another source, are folks that you can talk to, not necessarily every day, or even every month. They are people that you can just start a conversation with, and it seems like you only spoke to them a couple of hours ago. My friends and I can do that.  If you have forever friends like that, you are truly blessed. 

Facebook has, in my opinion been worth all of the "hacks", ads, and sales pitches that get dumped on you, delivered unannounced and unwanted. I have been able to connect with dozens of friends, through Facebook, that I would have otherwise lost contact with.  Well, yeah, it can be a bit of a pain sometimes, but the comments I get, when I post a photo, or answer a post, are worth a million dollars to me.

And, I make new friends, quite often. I am not shy and I love to talk to folks, as a volunteer at the WWI Museum and any new place I happen to be. That old Girl Scout song lyric, "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is Silver and the other Gold. A circle is round and has no end. That's how long, I'll be your friend." So True.

"Friendship, Friendship, just a perfect blend ship. When other Friendships have been forgot. Ours will stilll be hot. Ladlie-ahdie-ahdie-ding-ding-ding."

Send me an email or text, sometime!!!! I'd love to hear from you!!!

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 Lord. I am so thankful for the wonderful friendships that I have made. Forgive me for perhaps not being a perfect friend, in return. Keep showing me how to be the best friend that I can be. Allow me to be there for others. Help me to guard against selfish thoughts, and put others first.

OSD

I have just been self- diagnosed with OSD. It's definitely not contagious and as far as I know, no one as yet, has ever succumbed to this rare disorder. I think I may have contracted OSD, from exposure to my family members, years ago. However, it may also be hereditary. It has been a bit of a distraction, since my very early childhood.

My earliest "remembry" of Obsessive Singing Disorder may actually have been learning the words to "Down Went McGinty". It's a marvelously goofy 1890's, Irish ditty, that my Grandpa Tom taught me. I must have been nearly 2 years old. Tom's brothers were are singers and his only sister played piano at the local movie houses. OSD came naturally to me, and I've pretty much always had it.

My mother and sister also were afflicted. My sister studied piano, for years, and played all types of music, and if there were words involved, I learned them. Music from the 19th and 20th Centuries, are my specialty. We had that kind of sheet music, at my house. Recently, I won a dollar, when I "Named That Tune", on a historic home tour. I could have sung it, word perfect, for the emcee, but the stunned look on his face when I gave him the title, stopped me! "My Wild Irish Rose", is a bit obscure. But, I could have belted out a couple of verses. Seriously, I would probably have known the title, and at least most of the first and second verses of anything, that man could have played. It's a thing with me.

Okay, I have never been a paid performer, but I can do a pretty good impression of Tina Turner, whilst whipping up dinner, most nights. "Rollin on the River" is great kitchen music. Elvis, the Beatles, the Beach Boys? Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. Lately, since I have returned to my roots, in Kansas, I have been recalling my Kansas related songs. I could begin with "Home on the Range", followed by the University of Kansas Alma Mater and Fight Song, four or five more, then end with "Over the Rainbow." Unfortunately, no one is interested in a concert.

So, don't be concerned. It's an odd sort of disease. I live with it. OSD, along with my other problem, OCRD (Obsessive Compulsive Recitation Disorder) will be with me, I'm convinced, to the end of my days. Actually, I think I am blessed. I have never been bored. I can always entertain myself.

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Lord: You have blessed each of us with particular gifts and graces. Grant us the ability to accept not only our own talents, but to appreciate those of others. Your world is a grand and glorious place.

"Toot,Toot, Toot, Toot. Yeah!!!!!"

 

As Paul McCartney wrote……“Baby you can drive my car…..” Now, I never believed he was singing to me, but, as it turns out, he was predicting my future. In our garage, we now have a car that “drives itself”. “Tess”, as I call affectionately call her, can now drive safely down the street, with a “Look, MA, no hands!” driver behind the wheel.

Now, don't worry, the driver must still keep his/her eyes on the road, full time. But, Tess can now stay in her lane, signal, pass and change lanes, stop and go, totally by herself. We get in the car, give Tess a destination, and Voila! She warns us of oncoming walkers, joggers and even deer, crossing the road. It's only a matter of time, before this technology is available to everyone who owns a car.

Never, you say. Well, let me remind you of this famous quote.

• "The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience." – Eleanor Roosevelt 

 Remember (well, some of you can remember), when we said we were going to stop driving if gas got up to a dollar a gallon? Or what about when coffee reached a dollar a pound? Well, we're still driving and drinking the java!

Life is a road well traveled, and it's up to us to make the most of our trip!!!!

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 Dear Lord: Why are we so reluctant to embrace change? We don't remain infants our whole life. We change, we grow. Nothing is constant, but your steadfast love. That endures forever.