JIM'S LITTLE BLOG

Friday night — Six Word Saturday — The lost truck

2012-01-28T00:03:00.002-06:00

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My Six Words:

I know it's parked here someplace

On Friday nights we see all kinds of sights. I was double parked also, right there where this fellow was heading, across from the purple truck. But a parking space opened close and I took it. (Note the fellow's shirt matches fairly well with the truck.)

This is the parking lot and driveway in front of our new Kroger grocery plus store. It has about the variety of the French store, the Auchan hypermarket (link). We like to shop here but parking sometimes gets weird. Like double parking or walking a mile (almost) from your car.

BTW, Auchan's first U.S. store opened here, in Houston, Texas, in 1988. The 250,000-square-foot (23,000 m2) market was located on a 31.3-acre (12.7 ha) plot of land. But in the early 2000's the Houston and all the other U.S. Auchans had closed.

Describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words for Six Word Saturday. Click the box at right to visit Cate's blog with Mr. Linky showing all the other blogs participating this week. Cate is the boss at Six Word Saturday. She would like for you to participate.

Did you hear about the thief who stole a calendar got twelve months?

Thursday Memes -- Things in a row -- Two Questions

2012-01-26T00:03:00.007-06:00

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Happy Australia Day!

I didn't realize so many movie stars are Australian (link).

Guess that's because we don't go to many movies.
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Girls in stair step formation

At church the other day I looked over while we they were singing and saw them all standing in a stair step.

I doubt the the mother(?) or lady with them arranged this. Rather I suppose they stood beside their closest friend and it worked out this way.

Notice I said while "they" were singing. I do not sing in church, or at least not much or very often. I used to sing in the choir and in a special men's chorus when I lived in El Paso.

Then when we moved to New Hampshire the choir director there asked for an audition. My results were, "I'd rather not have you sing in my choir." He went on to say that I had a bad ear. I think I do. One voice instructor told me that most bad ears can be trained to be good. I haven't pursued this and probably won't.

For more things in a row please visit Pat's Things in a Row post.
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And now for my Thursday Two Questions: (See Thursday Two Questions by Poetic Shutterbug for more reading. You could also make your own by checking in at this link.)

I give Mrs. Jim a performance review once a year. It keeps her on her toes a little better and shows her areas of 'needs improvement.' (link to previous reviews)(you can search my blog using "annual performance evaluation" to find other blog postings where I talk about evaluating her)

Through the years this has helped considerably in our marriage but now since I put the results and findings on my blog Mrs. Jim has become a real trouper. She has always been a fine 'pioneer woman' in her own right.

My Questions:

1. Does the man in your house give the woman a performance rating?

2. Regardless if do or don't, what is your opinion of doing this?

3. Do you really think this would happen? LOL

Bonus Question: If you gave your children or grandchildren performance reviews would you establish their allowance commensurate with their rating results?

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Bonus joke (not original with me. It's been all over the TV talk shows):

Did you ever wonder why we never see Ron Paul's wife with him on TV and helping at the campaign?

The reason: She is very busy with her own business making fish sticks.

My lucky day — MidWeek Blues — This and That

2012-01-24T13:20:00.010-06:00

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The first 'That': (there are more at the bottom here)

Did you ever wonder why we never see Ron Paul's wife with him on TV and helping at the campaign?

The reason: She is very busy with her own business making fish sticks.

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This was my lucky ~~day~~ yesterday. That was when I opened the mail and found this little check. It was a settlement check for Visa and MasterCard over charges on foreign currency exchanges.

It will really be lucky days as Mrs. Jim and I can both go to eat at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen Restaurant. Maybe Saturday and then a movie? That would be romantic, just a bit.

Mrs. Jim has been feeling puny with a cold or something and now she is getting better. We can celebrate her getting better!

You say, can two eat on Saturday night for $25.07? Yes, we can. We, being over age 62, can eat off Pappadeaux's Senior Menu (link) any time and any day of the week.

Normally we agree on an entree to share and then each have a salad. Their salads are large so sometimes we split the salad and each order an entree. Besides I am off caffeine so I have a cheap drink, my usual water with a lemon and a straw, for no charge.
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This and That:

I'm going to rehab now for my back. What I am doing is exercises intended to strengthen my back supporting muscles. My schedule says two weeks, three times each, then two weeks, two times each. Plus walking. My walking goal is to end up at two miles and then I should be ready for walking London. I might can do that now?

Adi is just finishing up her two times a week shots for her arthritis in her left right rear hip. She started walking on three legs. I thought it was a burr in her foot but the vet said arthritis. With the shots she does fine. They will go to once a week or less often but at least once a month. "As needed for pain" they say.

I have started ~~teaching~~ bringing the Sunday school lesson once every three weeks (three of team 'teach'). Teach is a loose word with our bunch. It is a couples class, ages 70 and up. Two of the ladies are in their sixty. So to keep it interesting I try to find items they might NOT KNOW, like King Og last week. They all liked the Og poem (link).

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If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did.

A poem by Lon Woodrum -- Succintly Yours

2012-01-22T00:23:00.012-06:00

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The crazy horses featured below have had their oats and hay. Now to practice on pick-up lines.

My µ-fictionStory goes thusly:
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Show me your teeth, I'll show you mine.

Why should I, you're all bluster? Besides you show them every time your mouth opens.

Foiled again!

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140 Characters as counted by Design 215
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2012 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

°Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 44
°The word of the week, 'bluster', and the picture were selected by Grandma.
°It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
°Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
°Using the word of the week is not required. This week I elected to use it, sort of.

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Here is the little poem by Lon Woodrum of the 1940+/- era that I found about King Og. Surely you remember him: (see Note 1)

BED OF OG

While browsing through the Bible once
I ran across the queerest thing:
A Bashanite of giant height
Upon his nation’s throne was king.
His name was Og.

There is no record whether he
Was dull or smart or sour or gay.
He had a bedstead made of iron—
That’s all the Bible has to say
About this Og.

He must have used a lot of room!
They laid a tapeline on his bed;
From side to side it was six feet wide
And fifteen feet from foot to head.
Some man, this Og!

I wonder, was he cruel or kind?
A gentleman or snooty cad?
And did he have a smile or frown?
A bedstead made of iron he had!
That’s all we know.

I hope when I have lived my life
And gone the common way of man,
The folks will find I’ve left behind
Something for memory better than
Old Og’s iron bed!

I’d rather be remembered by
One gentle, friendly word I’ve said,
One smile I’ve worn or song I’ve sung
Than by a fifteen-foot iron bed
Like poor old Og!

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Note 1: I found this poem here: Maxwell, John C. ; Ogilvie, Lloyd J.: The Preacher's Commentary Series, Volume 5 : Deuteronomy. Nashville, Tennessee : Thomas Nelson Inc, 1987 (The Preacher's Commentary Series 5), S. 12.

Note 2, the Bible verses about King Og:
10 We [sic, the early Israelites] took all the towns on the plateau, and all Gilead, and all Bashan as far as Salekah and Edrei, towns of Og’s kingdom in Bashan. 11 (Og king of Bashan was the last of the Rephaites. His bed was decorated with iron and was more than nine cubits long and four cubits wide. It is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)
Deuteronomy 3:10-11 (NIV)

Verse 11 tells all that we really know about Og, the King of Bashan. We can assume that he was a large man to fit that bed. Very likely a giant.

King Og poem by Lon Woodrum

2012-01-22T00:13:00.000-06:00

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Here is the little poem by itself that I posted above (Sunday, January 22, 2012). It was written by Lon Woodrum of the 1940+/- era about King Og. Surely you remember him: (see Note 1)

BED OF OG

While browsing through the Bible once
I ran across the queerest thing:
A Bashanite of giant height
Upon his nation’s throne was king.
His name was Og.

There is no record whether he
Was dull or smart or sour or gay.
He had a bedstead made of iron—
That’s all the Bible has to say
About this Og.

He must have used a lot of room!
They laid a tapeline on his bed;
From side to side it was six feet wide
And fifteen feet from foot to head.
Some man, this Og!

I wonder, was he cruel or kind?
A gentleman or snooty cad?
And did he have a smile or frown?
A bedstead made of iron he had!
That’s all we know.

I hope when I have lived my life
And gone the common way of man,
The folks will find I’ve left behind
Something for memory better than
Old Og’s iron bed!

I’d rather be remembered by
One gentle, friendly word I’ve said,
One smile I’ve worn or song I’ve sung
Than by a fifteen-foot iron bed
Like poor old Og!

Up a _______ ? — Six Word Saturday —

2012-01-21T00:03:00.001-06:00

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My six words:

Tree top resting in our yard

To the right you can see this little bird with the highest perch it could find. It is up at the top of the water oak tree in our front yard. This tree has acorns which drop in the late fall. (Water oak link) (Water oak pictures link)

Then for winter it keeps its leaves; meaning it stays green all year long. When spring comes it sheds the old leaves and refreshes with new shiny green ones. We mulch the old leaves with the lawn mower when we mow the grass.

Below on the left is a 'zoomed-in' view of the same picture. Click on these picture for a bit larger size.

The other picture has a wood pecker. It is a sycamore tree in the back yard. Rather, it is in the neighbor's yard but almost on the property line. It has shed its leave and bark for winter.

Do you see the wood pecker. It is approximately in the center of the picture, towards the top of the left upright branch, just before it juts to the right a bit.

The woodpecker does not have a red head. What does this mean?

Thursday Memes -- Things in a row -- Two Questions

2012-01-19T04:33:00.009-06:00

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Our granddaughter, KP, getting her ducks in order

The treasure chest is banded in good order but I think she gave up on getting the rocks any better.

This morning our daughter, Karen, was telling of her and our granddaughter's visit to Kensington Gardens where they enjoyed the Princess Diana Playground.

I think she next will try getting some of the 'tracks in the sand' in order.

I stole these picture from my daughter's blog, Karen on the Run. For the 'tracks in the sand' I'd suggest that visit her blog and see it and more for yourself.

For more things in a row please visit Pat's Things in a Row post.

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And now for my Thursday Two Questions: (see Thursday Two Questions for more)

1. Do you like pie and why or why not?

2. If you like pie, what is your favorite?

Bonus Question: What are your pets' names?

Quiz, What Is This? — MidWeek Blues —

2012-01-17T15:44:00.002-06:00

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It's a blue looking mess for sure!

Scroll down now for the answer

Answer:

It's the inside of a messy recycle barrel. Someone had dumped a chocolate sundae inside. It had melted and hardened.

The recycle people threw the plastic dish, not visible, back inside. The vanilla ice cream had run all over the bottom and then hardened.

Remedy? I guess put a big sign on it saying "recycle bin only" to keep nasty things like this out.

One thing for sure, it is clean now! I scrubbed and scrubbed with these tools. Sorry that the barrel isn't so very blue.

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If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did.

2012-01-16T15:04:00.002-06:00

The Latest from Pun of the Day -- Posted: January 16, 2012

The pun: "I've never killed a deer before but I'll take a shot at it."

[Click to Vote!]

(I voted it an "Awful" and that was the most popular. There were NO "Excellent" votes as of this posting. POOR BAMBI, good thing she can't read.)

2012-01-15T12:03:00.002-06:00

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Sara sat dreamily on the bench at her stop.

Ride up to see her fellow? Boule with the gang? Could read?

Antibes in winter isn't like Iowa.

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140 Characters as counted by Design 215
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2012 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

°Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 43
°The word of the week, 'dream', and the picture were selected by Grandma.
°It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
°Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
°Using the word of the week is not required. This week I elected to use it, sort of.

Notes:

1. Antibes is about 20 km, or a 24 minutes drive, down the coast from Nice, France. It is a very pleasant and fun place. Mrs. Jim and I spent a night there in the mid-1990's. (link 1, Google map)(link 2, Google ideas)(link 3, Wikipedia)

2. Boule is a game played with the idea of getting your large heavy metal balls as close to the 'jack' as possible and keeping your oponnent's as far away as you can knock them. (Wikipedia article) We try to play every time we go to France. Our introduction was in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France, 2006, watching a group of older men playing Boule.

Over the Hill — Six Word Saturday —

2012-01-14T00:29:00.004-06:00

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My six words:
For certain something new awaits you

Acrostic Poem -- RENEWAL

2012-01-12T10:01:00.003-06:00

AcrosticsOnly

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RENEWAL

Rewound,
Energy
Never
Expected.
Watchmaker
Airborne,
Liftoff.

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Poem Copyright
© 2012 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Photo: Watchmaker
Courtesy Wikipedia

Acrostics Only: Prompt 1: Single Word lines requirement (SW) – RENEWAL

Note:
1. Pictured is a railroad watch finisher making an adjustment on a railroad movement. (Source=Watch Word magazine Date=September 1949 Author=Elgin National Watch Company and modifications by Wayne Schlitt ) copyright now expired.
2. Back in tile 1950's when I was a college dropout from the University of Nebraska I got a job at the Elgin watch factory in Lincoln, Nebraska. I joined the National Watchmakers Union and worked there for three years before being drafted into the U.S. Army.

Charlotte Holiday Trip # 2 — MidWeek Blues —

2012-01-09T09:35:00.003-06:00

Found this across from the Elvis Presley estate and Visitor Center in Memphis on our way to Charlotte.

It appears to be abandoned. Looks like the Memphis economy was on the Fritz for Memphis' Elvis Presley hanger-ons. Down the street was this Crispy Creme donut shop. We had orders from Danny, Mrs. Jim's brother, to pick some up as they don't have Krispy Kreme's in the Jackson area of Tennessee.

Our Krispy Kreme's in the Houston area have all closed also, perhaps even closed in the whole state. I haven't seen any where I've been in Texas for several years now. The donuts are here in the stores, shipped in from who knows where? Perhaps China or Taiwan or Indonesia.

Another thing we noticed on this street across from the Elvis mansion was that the street was tree baron and looked very dingy and neglected. Not good for Memphis! I'd go for this local bakery on the right. It's in Milan, Tennessee.

What follows are some more pictures from the Jackson area of Tennessee, mostly around Milan, Humbolt, and Gadson towns which are north of Jackson. [Note: Not all may have blue for MidWeek Blues but I wanted the buildings put in this post.]

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If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did.

Notes:
Sunday was Elvis' birthday. Born January 8, 1935, he would had been 77 now. I also learned that he was stationed at Fort Hood about the time I was for training, like I was. That's one thing we have in common! (link)
Speaking of birthdays, also coming up on the 17th is Betty White's 90th birthday. She's a little bit and more older than I am! (link)

Happy Birthday to Elvis! (late) and to Betty White! (early).

2012-01-08T13:56:00.004-06:00

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Carlos, world famous for his hacky sack skills, was troubled. No one would bet with him.

O that these two snooks have no drift of his fame.

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140 Characters as counted by Design 215
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2012 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

°Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 42
°The word of the week, 'drift', and the picture were selected by Grandma.
°It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
°Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
°Using the word of the week is not required. This week I elected to use it.

Hacky Sack: Hacky Sack (also known as "Hackey Sack") is the trademarked name of a type of footbag [with which the game of Hacky Sack is played]. (from Wikipedia, link)

When? — Six Word Saturday —

2012-01-07T00:03:00.000-06:00

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My six words:

Someday even the tall will fall

1940 Mercury — MidWeek Blues —

2012-01-03T15:36:00.007-06:00

I don't know if you remember this one or not. I had never seen one until this fall. It is a 1940 Mercury Four-door Convertible. I think it is not a Phantom convertible model although it might be if they made one.

This car belongs to a member of our Montgomery Early Ford V8 Club. Two other members own 1940 Mercury convertibles but just the two-door club coupe model.

The hubcaps to this car are still in the member's shop. He is not satisfied with the painting of the word Mercury on the outside. Oh yes, we did get to hear the car run but none of us was allowed to drive it.

The car below is a more 'modern' Mercury. It is a member's 1951 Four-door and is mostly all original. It was found in Oklahoma and has not been restored like the 1940.

Mercury's, made by Ford, were discontinued in early 2011. Although the 1950's models were different than the Fords, by the 1970 and on they were very similar and shared the same body moldings. Sales were down a lot on these cars.

Also remember that Ford did not receive a government 'bailout' and did not file for bankruptcy either. Both General Motors and Chrysler got the bailouts but were forced to file bankruptcy by our U.S. as a condition of the government aid.

The above 1951 Mercury is now 62 years old. I had a nice 1950 Mercury two-door Jimmy Dean model while I was in the U.S. Army for five years in the late 50's. At present I have a 1950 Ford Custom Deluxe Tudor, black with a sun visor.

The 1040 Mercury is now 82 years old. I personally much prefer the club coupe or club coupe convertible model or the 1940 Fords. This one to me is an oddity although a pretty expensive one.

2001 Mercury Sable below. Notice it looks like the Ford Taurus.

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If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did.

I don't know how many knew of my terrible backache that I had starting after we got back at the first part of December. It was just terrible pain, especially when trying to lay down or get up or sit up from the laying position.

I'm glad that my back surgery is over. I came home last Thursday after spending a night in the St. Luke's Woodlands (a Houston suburb) Hospital. My terrible pain is gone but there is still a lingering backache. It gets better almost every day.

The surgery went well. It was the repair of a thoracic vertebrae which had a fresh partial compression fracture. I was required to stay awake so no general anesthesia, only locals. This was so that every now and then I could wiggle my feet on command. I have a small band aid now covering my incision.

Video: http://www.spine-health.com/video/kyphoplasty-osteoporosis-fracture-treatment-video
My doctor, Dr. Kenneth Palmer

This and That -- Mrs. Jim -- Succinctly Yours -- 2011 Etc.

2012-01-01T00:03:00.002-06:00

1. Start out with Mrs. Jim

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MRS. JIM!

Mrs. Jim has been behaving quite nicely and has been a very good care taker for me when I was down with my new left knee joint implant. Also just now with my back problems and subsequent surgery. Thank you, Mrs. Jim.

That doesn't mean that her evaluation will be waived. It just means that it is going to be late again but for sure I can promise it will be a good one for her. She almost walks on water.

2. New Year:

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!

3. My Surgery:
My surgery was very successful. Today the lingering backache that I spoke of yesterday is going away. Read more here.

4. Blog hit counts for 2011:

Total number of hits for the three publicized blogs was 20,974:

Jim's Little Blog: 10,959 (this blog)

Jim's Little Photo and Poem Place: 4073

Ask Dr. Jim (blog): 5942

Why are the first two titled "Jim's Little"?

Because there already were quite a few "Jim's Blog" types when I started back in 2005. And because I didn't think my blog would ever be a big deal I stuck the word "little" in the title. Several of the discontinued blogs also are 'little' blogs.

When are you going to start another new blog?

I never know for sure. My health needs to improve first and secondly I need to get a handle on my office. It has become out of control--did you ever hear of having a 'junk room' in your house?

I do need more of a journal type blog keeping readers up to date. I have quite a few relatives and friends who read regularly to keep up with me but hardly ever, if ever, leave a comment in the comments.

5. Succinctly Yours µ-fiction story for Monday:

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Toys and booze, that's all I see you with now.

You love them more than you love me.

You can go live with them. Happy New Year in your ear!

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140 Characters as counted by Design 215
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

°Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 41
°The word of the week, 'memories', and the picture were selected by Grandma.
°It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
°Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
°Using the word of the week is not required. This week I elected not to use it.

Good News! — Six Word Saturday —

2011-12-31T00:03:00.003-06:00

My six words:

I'm glad, I'm glad, I'm glad!

I'm glad that my back surgery is over. I came home yesterday after spending a night in the St. Luke's Woodlands (a Houston suburb) Hospital. My terrible pain is gone but there is still a pretty bad lingering backache.

The surgery went well. It was the repair of a thoracic vertebrae which had a fresh partial compression fracture. I was required to stay awake so no general anesthesia, only locals. This was so that every now and then I could wiggle my feet on command. I have a small band aid now covering my incision.

Video: http://www.spine-health.com/video/kyphoplasty-osteoporosis-fracture-treatment-video
My doctor, Dr. Kenneth Palmer

Oh yes, the last time I posted a Six Word Saturday I had the Pumpkin Kids contest. The Country Pumpkin Growers group won by a landslide. Still now though I have not written a Pumpkin, Texas post featuring the winner. I'll let you know on 6WS when it does happen.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011-12-26T00:03:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas to all!

I'm awaiting back surgery this week but couldn't resist doing

Succinctly Yours even in pain. Here goes my entry:
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Christmas morning after. Gloria might find her lost diamond ring in this trash.

Paper's buoyant, into the horse tank. Viola, bottoms up!

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138 Characters as counted by Design 215
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

°Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 40
°The word of the week, 'buoyant', and the picture were selected by Grandma.
°It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
°Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
°Using the word of the week is not required. This week I used it.

2011-12-19T08:30:00.002-06:00

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A snort of wassail under his belt and a kick in the rear got him nimble in the cold.

With a tip of his hat Frosty called out, "SALE TODAY!"

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140 Characters as counted by Design 215
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

°Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 39
°The word of the week, 'numble', and the picture were selected by Grandma.
°It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
°Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
°Using the word of the week is not required. This week I used it.

2011-12-12T00:03:00.000-06:00

Light snow lay over the construction site.

The morning topic was how to keep the kids and their sleds away.

Best answer was build a fence.

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140 Characters as counted by Design 215
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

°Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 38
°The word of the week, 'diligent', and the picture were selected by Grandma.
°It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
°Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
°Using the word of the week is not required. This week I choose not to use it.

Charlotte Holiday Trip # 1 — MidWeek Blues —

2011-12-07T00:03:00.001-06:00

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We drove to Charlotte, N.C, and back starting last Tuesday morning, November 22, and returning Saturday night, December 3. Charlotte is 1313 miles from our home.

The purpose of our trip was, along with thirteen others from Mrs. Jim's Sunday school class, to help process the filled shoe boxes that were sent in to Operation Christmas Child (link).

Along the way we would visit relatives. The first was Mrs. Jim's cousin, Mary, who lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. That was a four and a half hour trip normally. It rained on us most all the way so driving slower we made it there in five hours.

Mary is pictured at left with Mrs. Jim. Mary's brother and sister and their spouses were also visiting so we had not planned on spending the night with her.

Oh yes, we were travelling with Adi, our beagle dog. Adi would be left the next day at Mrs. Jim's brother's home in Tennessee.

From right to left above, we have Mary's sister Mrs. Jim, Mary, Mary's brother (left picture), his daughter and wife. A brother-in-law was out of the room and I did not get his picture.

I had mentioned that it rained on our way. We stopped at the information center coming into Louisiana and had coffee with them and got us a new road map of the state and some Louisiana tourist information, especially information of upcoming events in New Orleans. We haven't been to New Orleans since the Hurricane Katrina and have been wanting to visit this city again.

Pictured at the right is a nice picnic spot near which is now a haven from the rain. Here Mrs. Jim gave Adi a walk.

Aptly named is this rain tree in the Mary's back yard. They trees are prettiest in the spring and again now in the fall when their seed pods become ripe and bright. In the rain they were shiny and pretty.

Below is Mary's potting and garden shed. She spends a lot of time here doing things to keep the yard so pretty. In addition to the flower beds you see she also grows a few rows of vegetables.

Adi appreciated the yard as a nice place for her walk but I don't thing she really appreciated the rain as much as we did. Rain has been very scarce this year.

Check her out below as she patiently waited for me to finish taking back yard pictures.

We all had a nice visit. Of course with Southern hospitality we had plenty to eat. I had a nice ham sandwich and chips. Mrs. Jim had brought a Key lime pie and she very nicely divided it into eight pieces. Nellie and husband had brought some citrus fruit from the Florida orchids and we all had a tangerine.

Before we left we had another look at Mary's prize Christmas decoration, a St. Nick made from a cypress tree knee. It also had come many years ago from Florida. Now it is against the law there and in some other states to cut the knees out of the cypress tree roots.

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If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did.

2011-12-05T00:03:00.001-06:00

We are now home from Charlotte, N.C. and will blog about our holiday shortly.
.

Art became jubilant and went dashing down the snowy wrong way.

Nina worried about him until he texted, "I got here before the St. Bernard!"

- - - - -
.
140 Characters as counted by Design 215
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

°Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 37
°The word of the week, 'jubilant', and the picture were selected by Grandma.
°It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
°Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
°Using the word of the week is not required.

2011-11-27T00:03:00.001-06:00

Seeking

I'm seeking some sunlight
I'm imprisoned again
still my sentence is light
and I'm here with my friends

My workload is not light
the food is awfully bad
there's no relief in sight
I think that I've been had

On trip to the prison
visited B-I-L
had Thanksgiving vision
rainy weather from Hell

we stopped at the Biltmore
no rooms for the wicked
Day's Inn will be once more
Charlotte traffic ticket

I could work off my fine
doing my job here on
Samaritan Purse time
wearing my wife's apron
. .
- - - - -

NO PEACE FOR ME IN JAIL. YES, ONCE AGAIN I AM HEADING OFF TO JAIL (picture at right courtesy of Wikipedia).

.
Notes:
1. B-I-L is an acronym for Brother-in-Law
2. Biltmore is an old hotel near Asheville, N.C, USA
3. Samaritan Purse administers the ministry of Operation Christmas Child, an international relief organization headed up by Franklin Graham (link). I will be working on filled shoe boxes making sure that each one I inspect meets the organization's required standards of safety, content and theme, A SHOE BOX FULL OF HOPE FOR A CHILD.
4. We will not stay at the Day's Inn, I did not get a ticket, the work will be fun, and I won't be wearing Mrs. Jim's apron.
5. We will have Thanksgiving dinner with my BIL in Tennessee and we will visit the Biltmore.

Poem Copyright

The word, Seeking, is prompted at One Single Impression

The Hourglass prompt was suggested by Harshad Mehta of Space Within .

Another Contest — Six Word Saturday — Pumpkin Kids

2011-11-26T00:03:00.002-06:00

.
My six words:

. Pumpkin Kids Special of 2011 Contest

We are down to two contender groups for Pumpkin Kids Face Off Special

Like Tuesday night when JR and Katrina won the Dancing With The Stars Special

Vote now! Yes, Susie, there is a prize for this one. The winner will get to be starred on my upcoming post about Pumpkin, Texas.

Staring here, the Country Pumpkin Growers

Here are the City Slicker Pumpkin Disney Wanna Be's

Please vote for your favorite Pumpkin Kids group in the comment section. Tell your criteria for your voting and other stuff that you want to say for your contest entry.

Click here for a preview of Pumpkin, Texas. Remember the winner will be starred and/or recognized in my upcoming post about Pumpkin.

Down to two contenders, another contest — MidWeek Blues — Pumkin Kids

2011-11-23T00:03:00.000-06:00

.
We are down to two contenders for Pumpkin Kids Face Off Special

Like tonight when JR and Katrina won the Dancing With The Stars Special

Vote now! Yes, Susie, there is a prize for this one. The winner will get to be starred on my upcoming post about Pumpkin, Texas.

Staring here, the Country Pumpkin Growers

Here are the City Slicker Pumpkin Disney Wanna Be's

Please vote for your favorites in the comment section. Tell your criteria for your voting and other stuff that you want to say.

Click here for a preview of Pumpkin, Texas. Remember the winner will be starred and/or recognized in my upcoming post about Pumpkin.

- - - - -

If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did.

.
Oh yes, Mrs. Jim, Adi, and I are on our way to my jail. We might be found in McComb, Mississippi if you hurry!

2011-11-21T00:03:00.002-06:00

.
"I'd like to become beholden to you ma'am. What do I have to do to know your name?"

"Just promise to kiss my little old aunt."

"Deal!"

- - - - -
.
136 Characters as counted by Design 215
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

°Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 35
°The word of the week, 'beholden', and the picture were selected by Grandma.
°It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
°Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
°Using the word of the week is not required.

Happy Eating — Six Word Saturday —

2011-11-19T00:03:00.014-06:00

.
my six words:

Jail Food Isn't Nearly This Good

Our daughter, Karen, and granddaughter, KP, took the train through the chunnel from London to Paris the other day. Since Karen was traveling with two-year-old plus KP the conductor (??) felt sorry for her and invited both of them to ride first class.

This was her meal with a nice piece of salmon as entrée (main course, U.S. definition of entrée). I am not sure what to call the spinach side. It appears to have cheese and I don't know what all. You can ask Karen, perhaps she will leave us a comment telling.
.

. .

NO TRAIN FOR ME IN JAIL. YES, ONCE AGAIN I AM HEADING OFF TO JAIL (picture at right courtesy of Wikipedia).

That means that I may not answer your comments, or at least ones left later on in the week. I will have my lap top with me but my time for Internet stuff will be limited.

2011-11-13T14:16:00.003-06:00

.
Akimi, meaning autumn fruit, lamented her long lost serene garden times.

"Never fear," said hubby, "I'll buy you some fill dirt tomorrow."

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139 Characters as counted by Design 215
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

°Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 34
°The word of the week, 'serene', and the picture were selected by Grandma.
°It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
°Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
°Using the word of the week is not required.

Dog in a jacket — Six Word Saturday —

2011-11-12T00:20:00.005-06:00

.
My Six Words:
.

Thanks for the movie — good popcorn

.

That would be in the dog's dreams. This little Chihuahua belongs to a friend and they do travel places together like this but I doubt if ever to a movie like this.

Where was I? A Quiz — MidWeek Blues —

2011-11-09T00:03:00.000-06:00

.

Hint # 1: This is Lois, my sister, riding in the back seat. If you recognize the town by looking out this window you have the answer.

Another hint: We ended up at Duffey's antique car dealership. This time I think we had to pay to enter his 'museum'. Every car is in his 'museum' which double as a showroom for interested buyer prospects. The picture on the left is of the men's restroom. I thought you might like the decor.

This picture isn't a part of the quiz. It is a 1950 Mercury Tudor just like the one I had when I was in the Army. Mine did have a sun visor. It liked to go just like Jimmy Dean was driving it. Well, Pvt-through-E5 Jimmy H. did drive it just about as good as Dean would have (he died young in 1955-ironically he was killed in an accident with a 1950 Ford Custom Tudor similar to the one I now have in our garage). [Wikipedia James Dean link]

In 1956 when I was drafted I traded my 1956 bought-new-making-payments Ford Sunliner convertible for a nice paid-for 1950 black Mercury Tudor. The reason was that my car payments were more than my Army pay.

- - - - -

If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did.

.
Oh yes, the Quiz. Mrs. Jim and I were in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Last May we were visiting my sister, Lois, and her husband, Jim W, who live just north in Center Point, Iowa.

2011-11-06T04:17:00.002-06:00

.

The girls do their repugnant dance into the night. Ursa encountered a problem. Her bottle was near empty.

Rescue! A fan bought her another.

- - - - -

140 Characters as counted by Design 215
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

°Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 33
°The word of the week, 'repugnant', and the picture were selected by Grandma.
°It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
°Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
°Using the word of the week is not required.

Doctor Granny in action — Six Word Saturday —

2011-11-05T00:03:00.009-05:00

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my six words:

Dr. Granny gives Amber another life

~~Our~~ Karen's nineteen-year-old cat, Amber who lives with us, was losing weight and not eating. What to do? We really thought we might have to in the VERY NEAR future have her put to sleep.

We took her to the vet who promptly took a blood sample. The diagnosis was that she was low on several of her ionic minerals and other type solutions in her blood.

The vet gave her an IV of LACTATED RINGER'S solution in her upper back skin, showing us how to administer this. We were then told that we should give her a 100 mls Subcutaneous (under the skin) injection of this solution once every week. The injection contained 600 mg SODIUM LACTATE ANHYD, 310 mg POTASSIUM CLORIDE, 30 mg CALCIUM CLORIDE DYHYDRATE, and 20 mg IN WATER FOR INJECTION. Also could contain HCL (acid) or NaOH (base) for ph adjustment.

In the picture to the right above you can see how Granny Mrs. Jim gives the injection.

Amber got her new life, Number 0010 (ten), as she had just used up her ninth life.

After the third injection she started eating again, really good and more than the former two cans that she was only eating part of. And she gained a weight to seven (7) pounds from the 4.5 pounds when we took her to the vet. And once more she runs around upstairs playing with her toys.

Amber lives upstairs in our loft type large game room. She comes down with us when we are home. First we have to pick her food as Katrin (link to Katrin and her antics), our toy poodle, licks her food dishes clean (Amber is on an all you can eat diet). At bedtime she goes up again to sleep and we close her gate.

Do you remember Dr. Granny from the Beverly Hillbillies? (link) I still watch the reruns. I think many of you might too!
- - - - - - - - - - -

Describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words for Six Word Saturday. Click the box at right to visit Cate's blog with Mr. Linky showing all the other blogs participating this week. Cate is the boss at Six Word Saturday. She would like for you to participate.

2011-11-03T13:06:00.004-05:00

.
Sort of

Sort of a slow day, he could tell
he stayed in bed till almost nine
coffee in the pot getting stale
was still hot he teased his senses

Awake enough to eat a bite
what would it be? a hard boiled egg
couple pieces leftover ham
and half a slice of toast with jam

Glass of juice completed his meal
sort of

The above is a better............
breakfast that he could.........
make on a better day...........

.
Photo and Poem
Copyright © 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

I wrote this for a 2011 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 3 prompt, to write a poem beginning “sort of”. But the site below did not like my cookies so I did not register my poem with them. Their loss, perhaps.
http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides/poetry-prompts/2011-november-pad-chapbook-challenge-day-3

2011-11-02T11:46:00.002-05:00

"...He who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night,...the Lord Almighty is His name..." Jeremiah 31:35

Patriotic?? — MidWeek Blues —

2011-11-01T22:15:00.002-05:00

.

.
..Not really. But please notice the water tower with the U.S. and Texas flags.
There is one flag on each side.

The trouble is that patriotic people pay their taxes. The owners of this restaurant, the Ransom's Steakhouse and Saloon in Montgomery, Texas, had not been paying the appropriate business taxes. The taxing authorities swooped in and shut the place down and padlocked it tight. Then came the barrels in the driveways.

"...the state of Texas placed a tax lien in the amount of $11,824.37 for unpaid employment taxes dating back to early 2010. A second lien was filed on RSAS Holdings in March in the amount of $15,763.61 for delinquent taxes." (link: YourConroeNews.com[Courier News]) Also according to the Courier the Ransom's owner was behind on his construction loan, food supplier payments, and salaries to the employees.

I didn't go in. My physical therapist said they served really good food. Too bad they didn't pay their taxes. Now I won't be able to eat there.

- - - - -

If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did.

2011-10-31T00:06:00.004-05:00

Also please note the song below the acrostic poem:

(my birthday was yesterday)

Thank you all for the birthday wishes!

(both here and on my FaceBook)

F R I G H T
(Halloween)

Frightful night is here
Rattling bones scare the boys
Igor shrieks girls scream
Ghosts and ghouls galore
Hades' witches in black
Travelling on their brooms

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Photo and Poem Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

- - - - - - -

Oh yes,

♪♪Happy Birthday to you,♪♪
♪♪Happy Birthday to you,♪♪
♪♪Happy Birthday Dear Jim,♪♪
♪♪Happy Birthday to you.♪♪

I don't often steal, but this Birthday Song was stolen from Sandee of Comedy Plus.

Thank you, Sandee.

2011-10-30T14:20:00.005-05:00

.

"O Gee," Bostik said, "I hope no one recognizes us in this eerie get up."

"Bos, Bos! Dear Bos!" cried Mostik. Someone just shot the Boss.

- - - - -

140 Characters as counted by Design 215
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 32
The 'eerie ' prompt word and the picture were selected by Grandma.
It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
Using the prompt word is not required

A sunset here? — Six Word Saturday — Sunset picture not

2011-10-29T00:03:00.001-05:00

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My Six Words:

Red eye fix turned off the sun

It was a pretty sunset over the lake with pink sky and red sun. But my camera red eye fixer 'fixed it'. There was such a pretty red sun in the middle of this picture when I took it from inside our friend's house at her breakfast room table.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words for Six Word Saturday. Click the box at right to visit Cate's blog with Mr. Linky showing all the other blogs participating this week. Cate is the boss at Six Word Saturday. She would like for you to participate.

Off to play — MidWeek Blues —

2011-10-25T09:26:00.001-05:00

Mrs. Jim is playing golf again today. This is ~~her~~ our new golf cart. It is an electric Yamaha and we like it. She special ordered the cover with the blue striped fringe. If you enlarge the picture (click on it) you can see the blue pin stripes on the cart's front and side to match the cover.

This picture is a couple of weeks old but today here is just like the day in the picture. The temp is supposed to get up to 88°F which will be a little warm. Shorts for sure are the order of dress.

- - - - -

If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did.

2011-10-23T13:40:00.000-05:00

Googo Eyes was spilling his guts.

Kooko Brain laughed. Star Face was ambivalent of all.

Googo Eyes never did visit them at the funny farm.

- - - - -

140 Characters as counted by Design 215
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 31
The 'ambivalent' prompt word and the picture were selected by Grandma.
It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
Using the prompt word is not required

King of the Road? — Six Word Saturday —

2011-10-22T00:03:00.003-05:00

.my six words:

He isn't king of the road
.
Follow me not close
I think I'm king of the road
Till I lose my load
.
My logs are blackened
Seared by Texas forest fires
Sawmill saves the day
.
- - - - - - - - - - -

Describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words for Six Word Saturday. Click the box at right to visit Cate's blog with Mr. Linky showing all the other blogs participating this week. Cate is the boss at Six Word Saturday. She would like for you to participate.

This a set of two Senryū poems. A Senryū is is a Japanese form of short poetry having three lines with 17 or fewer total syllables generally with five, seven, and five syllables in each line.

Senryū tend to be about human foibles while haiku tend to be about nature, and senryū are often cynical or darkly humorous while haiku are more serious. Unlike haiku, senryū do not include a kireji (cutting word), and do not generally include a kigo, or season word. [Wikipedia]

Kid Construction Worker — MidWeek Blues —

2011-10-18T08:36:00.002-05:00

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KP is driving again.

This time she is herding a kid-sized toy tractor at the Gymboree construction site. I haven't been to this room so I have no idea of what else is there. Obviously she likes this machine.

She is wearing her favorite hat. I wonder if there is a hard hat for her like her co-worker there has. She was given this hat by a relative and absolutely loves it. Since the weather is finally cooling in London she can wear it and her matching hoodie.

I have a hard hat given to me by one of my intern students who was in a business management class that I was teaching. Others tell me that the color coding of it (beige-brown) that it was a 'management hat'. KP likes to be boss so I'm sure she is qualified for the hat.

My blues in this picture are minimal, the little boy helper and KP's blue jeans, but I just had to show off this newest grandchild picture that came from Karen (her Mom, our daughter) this morning.

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If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did.

2011-10-16T15:20:00.000-05:00

.

"Pick up the shells John, don't stomp them."

"It's okay, Suz, they're all empty. Bummer!"

"Toil! I buy you buckets, you eat the handles."!

- - - - -

The secret word is toil. If you find it in the story please highlight it and click on it. The duck will then appear.**
I used the word here as an exclamation, clearly and definitely not its usual usage.

- - - - -

140 Characters as counted by Design 215
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 30
The 'toil' prompt word and the picture were selected by Grandma.
It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
Using the prompt word is not required

**Note: Groucho Marx, on his TV program, You Bet Your Life (link), always had a secret word. If the word was used during his program the duck suspended from the ceiling would drop.

Happy Birthday Sis — Six Word Saturday —

2011-10-15T00:03:00.004-05:00

.Happy Birthday, Lois

My six words:

My favorite (and only) sister, Lois

[click large size to read the sign][super size]
For my blogs about Lois, please click here

[large size] [super size]

Happy Birthday, Lois

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For my blogs about Lois, please click here (same link as I posted above below the first picture)

2011-10-13T13:03:00.003-05:00

The Latest from Pun of the Day October 13, 2011

We never got the tent up because of all the missed stakes we had.

[Click to Vote!]

U.S. Air Force Acadamy Cadet Chapel — MidWeek Blues —

2011-10-12T00:03:00.001-05:00

Above, to the left of the tree in the center is the U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel. I had thought I had taken a picture as we walked up to it but my "smart camera" must have decided not to keep it. What you see is cropped from the one to the right.

The Chapel was completed in 1962. (Wikipedia link) It measures 150 feet high, 280 feet long, and 84 feet wide. That is just a few feet smaller than an American football field (300 feet long).

There are three floors which are used for worship. The first floor raised about 20 feet is used for the Protestants, the second lowered about 20 feet is for the Catholics, and the third lower floor has a Jewish Synagogue and several All-faiths rooms.

I am only posting pictures of the Protestant Chapel tonight. Partly that is because this is a MidWeek Blues post and those other too floors aren't showing nearly as much blue.

The Air Force does like blue, their uniforms are blue. Until the Air Force became its own entity it was a part of the Army, the U.S. Army Air Corps. A little after the change they had new uniforms designed. When I was in the University of Nebraska R.O.T.C. we had blue uniforms but the shoes they issued us were brown. They also issued us a bottle black dye so we could dye our shoes to the new black color.

The picture on the left shows the front of the Protestant chapel. Mrs. Jim is walking down the center isle and the pulpit and alter area is at the very end. Each bench seat is capped with a piece of polished aluminum.

On the right is a couple of the stained glass windows. The picture on the right was taken when Mrs. Jim was walking back out, to the rear. Above the back door is the organ. It was made, in America, especially for this chapel.

In case you are wondering, the Academy has had most all of the faiths of the world studying here. The floor location, top, middle, or lower was selected by the numerical number of students at the academy, with the Protestants having the most, followed by the Catholics and then the Jewish.

I would recomend that you go to the Wikipedia link and read more about this chapel. (Wikipedia link)

- - - - -

If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did.

2011-10-09T15:45:00.002-05:00

.

"Go slow young'n, I'll get lost."

"Eeow" GMum cried, "a bird bit me!" She smacked it with her cane.

Resplendent piñata spewed its candy.

- - - - -

138 Characters as counted by Design 215
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 29
The 'resplendent' prompt word and the picture were selected by Grandma.
It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
Using the prompt word is not required

Our get-away — Six Word Saturday —

2011-10-08T00:03:00.004-05:00

My six words:

Colorado was very pretty last week

The week of September 25 Mrs. Jim and I stayed at the Glen Eyrie Conference Center in Colorado Springs with a group from our Church. If everyone was in the picture except me then there were 27 of us attending. Each morning we had a speaker followed by a Bible study by our pastor from the book of James.

The middle Garden of the Gods (adjacent to Glen Eyrie) picture above shows Balancing Rock on the right and Steamboat Rock on the left.

Colorado temperature with highs in the mid 70s was a welcome relief from our high 90s we were having around here. One day there the temp reached 81°F but that did not seem hot.

Our afternoon activities consisted of a nice visit to the Air Force Academy and especially its beautiful Air Force Academy Chapel, the U.S. Olympic training facility, Old Town Colorado City, a look down from the mountain of the town of Cripple Creek, and a visit with lunch at Mueller State Park.

Remember to click on a picture to make it large. Click again for super sized.
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Got this e-mail -- How to lose weight the easy way

2011-10-06T13:41:00.006-05:00

.
I found out my problem.

- - - - -

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: [my SIL (sister-in-law)]
To: Jim and lots of others
Sent: Wednesday, October 5, 2011 8:08 PM
Subject: Check your shampoo bottle (URGENT)

Check your shampoo bottle label. I don't know WHY I didn't figure this out sooner!!!! It’s the shampoo I use in the shower! When I wash my hair, the shampoo runs down my whole body and (duh!) printed very clearly on the shampoo label is this warning, FOR EXTRA VOLUME AND BODY! No WONDER I have been gaining weight!!! Well! I have gotten rid of that shampoo and I am going to start using Dawn dish soap instead. Their label reads, DISSOLVES FAT THAT IS OTHERWISE DIFFICULT TO REMOVE. Problem Solved!!!

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And to think that I've been 'rinsing' my whole body with shampoo!

Lunch with Bum Phillips — Two Picnics — MidWeek Blues —

2011-10-05T00:03:00.002-05:00

Bum Phillips, former coach of the former Houston Oilers, came to eat with us Monday. Over 400 men attended a Men's Power Lunch for which Bum was our speaker.

It was mostly a Question and Answer forum. My favorite question concerned keeping discipline of all the players on a professional football team. His answer was, 'well I have one son and five daughters, and up to 200 kids.' In other words, he was like a father to his team.

Bum Phillips: Link 1 (Bum Phillips web); Link 2 (Wikipedia); Link 3 (Google search)
I believe Bum told every one of these quotes that were on the Wikipedia site:
**"There's two kinds of coaches, them that's fired and them that's gonna be fired."
**"I always thought I could coach. I just thought people were poor judges of good coaches."
**"I've never seen a hammer and tong game like that one."
**"Mama always said that if it can't rain on you, you're indoors." (Explaining why he wouldn't wear his cowboy hat in a domed stadium)
**"Dallas Cowboys may be America's team, but the Houston Oilers are Texas' team."
**"I never scrimmage Oilers against Oilers...what for? Houston isn't on our schedule." (Source: The Book of Sports Lists)
**(To an official) "Hey, can I, can I tell you one thing? That's three holding penalties on one football team in a quarter and a half. (Pauses) That ain't funny."
**(To an official) "Now, you can't do that! If you do it, I'm telling you you'll have more hell over it than a little bit."
**(referring to Alabama head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, with whom Phillips worked as an assistant coach at Texas A&M) "He can take his'n and beat your'n and take your'n and beat his'n."
**(referring to Houston Oilers quarterback Warren Moon) "That boy could throw a football through a car wash and not get it wet."
**(when asked about Oilers RB Earl Campbell's inability to finish a 1 mile run in training camp) "When it's first and a mile, I won't give it to him."
**(when asked by Bob Costas why he took his wife on all of the Oilers' road trips) "Because she's too ugly to kiss goodbye."

From left to right, Mike Barber (former tight end for the Houston Oilers), Bum Phillips, and our pastor, Dr. Mark Denison, First Baptist Conroe, Texas
[click once or twice for larger sizes]

These pictures were a couple taken Sunday at our subdivision annual picnic. Yes, those little fellows are fishing with a dad. The girls had been throwing bread to the ducks.

We had a large crowd. Barbecue brisket and chicken, potato salad, beans, onions, pickles, bread were furnished by one of the larger building firms. The ladies each brought a salad, veggie, or desert. Shucks, I missed getting a picture of my plate.

Saturday had been Mrs. Jim's family reunion picnic held at Harold Miles Park in Alexandria, Louisiana.

Pictured on the left are Mrs. Jim with her first cousins. A couple were missing and a few more are deceased. Mema, Mrs. Jim's mother, was from a family of four girls and four boys. That was in back in the old days of large families.

Next is Sandra and Everett, third cousins of Mrs. Jim's (His dad and Mrs. Jim's mom were first cousins). They were celebrating their 28th wedding anniversary.

Finally is my pick of the many of beautiful Louisiana scene pictures I had taken at the park. They bayou water is clear in the background but is covered with green moss in the foreground.

If you think we have been on the run lately, you are right. The week of September 25 we met Sunday at Denver, Colorado, for a retreat at the Glen Eyrie Conference Center along with twenty-eight others from our church. Mrs. Jim came from Salt Lake City where she had been attending the National Conference for the Family Promise organization.

We returned home Friday but Saturday we attended Mrs. Jim's family reunion in Alexandria, Louisiana. That is a four hour drive each way, to and from our home. Sunday morning we attended our church and in the afternoon attended our Bentwater Subdivision Annual Picnic.

- - - - -

If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did.

2011-10-04T10:19:00.003-05:00

The Latest from Pun of the Day - October 4, 2011

The telemarketer asked me if I read magazines at all and I replied that I did, periodically.

[Click Pun of the Day to Vote!]

2011-10-02T00:03:00.001-05:00

.

Sue is in a losing battle with spirited and even pugnacious Ted when he has the high power hose.

But today he went to sleep at the wheel.

- - - - -

138 Characters
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 28
The 'pugnacious' prompt word and the picture were selected by Grandma.
It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
Using the prompt word is not required

2011-09-25T09:23:00.002-05:00

Eee Sal, those hovering words are scary!

Don't worry about them, they are written in Chinese.

I feel Chinese myself mired in these leaves.

- - - - -

140 Characters
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 27
The 'mired' prompt word and the picture were selected by Grandma.
It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
Using the prompt word is not required

This the Good Life — Six Word Saturday —

2011-09-24T00:03:00.002-05:00

.
My Six Words:

What a lucky find for breakfast

On the way back from taking Mrs. Jim to the airport Thursday I stopped off at our local MacDonald's for a breakfast biscuit sandwich. I was rather hungry as I had just finished up an early morning shopping stint at Target.

That was my lucky day as they were having sausage and egg biscuit sandwiches for a $Dollar. I had one and as I was leaving the thought occurred to me, "why not get some more, one for each morning that I will be batching?"

So after I finished I bought three more, ONE FOR EACH DAY OF MY BATCHING. I take the top, or the thickest biscuit half, off setting it aside for after breakfast coffee. I will put strawberry jelly on that piece. I eat the other piece like an open faced sandwich with ketchup and pepper.

Oh yes, Mrs. Jim is at the Family Promise 11th National Conference in Salt Lake City (link). She is on our local chapter's board of directors and also is an officer. This should be a good learning convention for her. She networks ~~pretty good~~ really well too.

One more item. Since my knee surgery I have been eating breakfast. So far I have lost twelve or so pounds. If I can just keep them off or lose even a little more I will be happy.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words for Six Word Saturday. Click the box at right to visit Cate's blog with Mr. Linky showing all the other blogs participating this week. Cate is the boss at Six Word Saturday. She would like for you to participate.

2011-09-18T01:01:00.003-05:00

John wished he had his scooter. Play school was for girls.

"Save me, save me!" cried Yellow Plushy.

A gun would have been beneficial too.

- - - - -

139 Characters
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 26
The 'beneficial' prompt word and the picture were selected by Grandma.
It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
Using the prompt word is not required but Grandma smiles bigger if we do.

2011-09-11T15:45:00.000-05:00

.

Bob is glad the girls let him play. He thinks truck driver Ray changed their minds.

No one warned him of Methodical Monday Doctor Play Day.

- - - - -

140 Characters
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 25
The 'methodical' prompt word and the picture were selected by Grandma.
It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
Using the prompt word is not required but Grandma smiles bigger if we do.

Fire and Smoke — Six Word Saturday —

2011-09-10T00:31:00.004-05:00

My six words:

We're settin' the woods on fire

I always add "Tonight" to make it

"Tonight we're settin' the woods on fire"

but
that makes it seven words.

This is what we can see of the Texas Forest Fires from where we live. It is six or more miles from our house. This morning we had bad smoke outside; it hurt ones throat and nose to breath.

Our home shouldn't burn because the trees have all been cut here to make city size lots (1/3 acre) for us. There are a few trees to burn and the grass not irrigated or on lots with homes are very dry so a fire could cause some damage.

I remember this song when I was growing up. It was one I could almost live. The words concerning the hot rod made it real. I thought you might like it, either as retro or FYI as to our older generation's music. Even though it is Country Western it made the Pop charts.

You can't see as far this morning, pictured below, as in last night's pictures. The smoke has moved over to our back yard golf course.

- - - - -

SETTIN' THE WOODS ON FIRE
(Lyrics from International Lyrics Playground)
(Ed G. Nelson / Fred Rose)

Recorded by:
Dorsey Burnette; Johnny Burnette; Johnny Cash; Eddie Cunningham;
Graham Fenton's Matchbox; Don Gibson; Good of Persons; George Jones; Frankie Laine; Chris LeDoux; Jerry Lee Lewis; Little Richard;
Memphis Band; Katy Moffatt; Mary Kay Place; Jo Stafford;
Connie Stevens; Tor; The Tractors; Porter Wagoner; Hank Williams.

Well, comb your hair & paintin' powder
You'll act proud & I'll act prouder
You'll sing loud & I'll sing louder
Tonight we're settin' the woods on fire

You're my girl & I'm your fella
Dress up in your proper yello'
I'll look swell but you'll look sweller
We're settin' the woods on fire

We'll be takin' all the high school hops
Tonight we're havin' fun
We're gonna show the gang a brand new dance
That never has been done

I don't care if they thinks we're silly
You be daffy, I'll be dilly
Want you to be my sweet sweet filly
We're settin' the woods on fire

I'll gas up my hot rod Stoker
The band will play hot as a polka
You'll be broke, I'll be broker
Tonight we're settin' the woods on fire

We'll sit close to one another
Up one street & down the other
We will have the time of brother
Settin' the woods on fire

We'll put aside a little time
To fix a flat or 2
My tires & tubes are doin' fine
But the air is showin' through

You clap hands & I'll start bowin'
We'll do all the law's allowin'
I hope your daddy don't start growlin'
Settin' the woods on fire
Settin' the woods on fire
Tonight we're settin' the woods on fire
- - - - - - - - - - -

I'll have the blue plate special, please — MidWeek Blues —

2011-09-06T14:09:00.004-05:00

When we were first married back eons ago, Mrs. Jim asked me what I would like for breakfast. I casually told her that I usually don't eat breakfast except for some coffee and half a granola bar.

So that is what we had that day. Guess what? It has been our breakfast now for 38 years. Mrs. Jim said I had my chance for a nice cooked breakfast and I turned it down. She wasn't going to ask me any more.

If I ask her to cook me something nice she will. It's just that she doesn't hardly ever ask me any more.

Mrs. Jim can make the best of breakfasts. Like everything else she cooks, her breakfasts are delicious. If you are here at breakfast time chances are that she will make you eggs your way, bacon, sausage, homemade southern biscuits and jelly (or gravy if you want), coffee and juice or milk.

Sometimes she will vary her menu by making pancakes or waffles. She might even experiment with a new recipe from one of her cooking magazines. For sure it will be good.

Since my knee surgery I have been eating breakfast other than the granola bar. Either it will be egg on toast or half a Lean Pockets Breakfast sandwich(??). Yesterday she made this nice breakfast, pictured, for me. It was really good.

My eggs are hard boiled cooked ahead of time, either by Mrs. Jim or me. Generally I have a small glass of juice and a piece of fruit as well. Apples are the easiest. And the dogs get 1/2 of my egg yolk as I have chloresterol problems.

This attempt at breakfast may be helping with my weight control program. So far after my surgery I have lost fifteen (15) pounds. My previous breakfast for weight control was a dismal failure. (link)

- - - - -

If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did.

2011-09-04T14:10:00.000-05:00

Bud slowly passed by his old school. One day he would stop in.

Ever since the practice teacher was found beneath the floor no one dared.

- - - - -

137 Characters
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 24
The 'practice' prompt word and the picture were selected by Grandma.
It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
Using the prompt word is not required but Grandma smiles bigger if we do.

Strange Name — MidWeek Blues — Guess what they do?

2011-08-30T00:00:00.001-05:00

.
Not what you'd think

There won't be any church services here but there may be plenty of wailing and sorrow.

Sorrow will be for our neighbor's pocket book as measured in $$$$Dollars. This truck, from the Church Services company is a part of a foundation repair job on their home. They have been here all last week and aren't finished yet.

To your left in the front yard is a huge pile of dirt. I told Mrs. Jim they must be putting in a basement as there has been so much dirt taken from under the house. I've never seen such a mess. I doubt I would use the Church Services to repair my foundation.

To read about my knee operation since I've last posted a MidWeek Blues, please click here.

- - - - -

If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did.

2011-08-29T00:03:00.001-05:00

Eli held her Mom's arm tightly. She had relied on her sagacious judge of character. Why did he drop them off here above the Omaha stockyard?

140 Characters
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 23
The 'sagacious' prompt word and the picture were selected by Grandma.
It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
Using the prompt word is not required but Grandma smiles bigger if we do.

Well wishes — Six Word Saturday — Therapy

2011-08-27T14:45:00.004-05:00

.

My six words:

May your clouds have silver linings!

Here are a few pictures of my therapy for getting my new left knee joint total implant up to snuff. My angles are movement from 0 to 115 degrees (after therapy). My doctor's goal is 0° to 120°. I'll need a few more than that to be able to kick myself in the rear (my goal).

The upper pictures are of my 'heel slide' stretch and one of my riding the bouncy ball. Each of these is actually from 'stretch exercise' ideas. My pose was about my max bending for each toward the beginning of two sets of ten pulls and rolls.

I am riding the bicycle slowly for eight minutes. The idea for this ride is not to stretch but rather for exercise of the knees. In eight minutes I am riding 0.7 miles and burn 16 calories.

That means I have a long way to go to reach my sister's progress. She has ridden from Center Point (near Cedar Rapids) Iowa to Western Colorado so far on her stationary bike. I don't know when she started. She is riding for exercise an weight control and not rehab.

I can do all my exercises, there are more than pictured here, at home. I have to go up to our fitness center to for riding the bicycle and for rolling on the bouncy ball. I may have already mentioned that I can drive up there now.

- - - - -

A big wish here also for those who live along our Eastern Coast. This certainly is a storm not to be fooled with. I do wish and pray for the health and safety for all of you.

BTW, we around the Gulf Coast are still patching up after our IKE of three years ago. It takes over six months to restore a flood damaged home, at least it did for us after tropical storm Claudia of 1979 dumped three feet of water in it.

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"Obsession" -- a shared previously posted poem from my other blog

2011-08-24T00:03:00.000-05:00

- - - - - - - -

Poem and photo previously posted on Jim's Little Photo and Poem Place on August 21, 2011.
Picture of our granddaughter, KP, taken by our daughter, Karen. All rights are reserved by her, Karen.
Prompt word, Obsession, suggested by Amity at Dreams Are My Reality v 2.0
Find more poems at One Single Impression using "Obsession" as prompt

2011-08-22T00:03:00.000-05:00

Haimus was glad that the new tenants were savvy people. He regretted their having a tabby cat. Why not a more hostile type?

His once tepid brew is out the window, undrank, surely chilled.

Such is life. For him no longer, he only observes.

- - - -

140 Characters
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 22
The 'tepid' prompt word and the picture were selected by Grandma.
It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
Using the prompt word is not required but Grandma smiles bigger if we do.

Kid's doings — Six Word Saturday — My doings

2011-08-20T12:02:00.003-05:00

"Wish I were there" -- Disney Cruise

Kid's Doings:

The London kids are headed out for a Disney Cruise. They picked it up this morning at Barcelona and will be having fun for a nice week.

I won't cry because I'm not going. They did invite us to come along. We would have loved to have seen KP when she runs into all the Disney characters for her first time.

She loves them all as you can see. Minnie Mouse has become her favorite. Her outfit is a Minnie Mouse trolley carry on suitcase (loaded with her stuff), a Minnie Mouse doll, Minnie Mouse ears and hat, and last of all Minnie Mouse flip-flops which she isn't wearing in this picture.

[read about their upcoming cruise on Karen's blog (link)]

My Doings:

My knee is healing nicely. I go to a one hour therapy session three days in a week in town (Montgomery). This was for the last two weeks and one more next week. Then I slow down to two times a week for three more. At that time I should not require any more therapy.

This Thursday I see Dr. Price for an evaluation and an update on my progress. I only have minor questions for him.

Oh yes, Monday I will drive myself to therapy. I drove last night to a Sunday school class party here in the neighborhood and all went well. Mrs. Jim drove home because it was dark.

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2011-08-14T00:29:00.001-05:00

.

Tinker had a problem last night. He became very frantic when Bill tried to put him away with the toys.

Diagnosis was a broken neck.

Moral of the story: If you act like a 'Tinker Toy' be prepared to suffer the consequences.

- - - -

128 Characters
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 21
The 'frantic' prompt word and the picture were selected by Grandma.
It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
Using the prompt word is not required but Grandma smiles bigger if we do.

All dressed up and ... — Six Word Saturday — My knee today — Adi still watches after me

2011-08-13T00:03:00.009-05:00

.My knee report and picture of my guard dog, Adi are at the bottom here.

[click on a picture for larger size] .. . . . . . .

What to

do on

Saturday

Morning?

This looks like a simple question with a simple answer. (Hint: go to the beach)

Go to the beach it will be. KP has her twin buckets and is decked in a cool beach cover-up, matching Minnie Mouse Flip Flops, and a nice shade making sun hat. Mrs. Jim said she did have her bathing suit on as well.

There is one problem. The beach is at Galveston, Texas, over a hundred miles to the south and KP doesn't have a car. Nor does she drive on streets yet if she did have have a car.

Note: KP was here a week ago plus a little visiting us from LONDON, U.K. Also visiting were her Dad, Billy (pictured), her Mom, Karen (our daughter), and big sister, BP.

Or, KP can play drums:

KP plays a mean pot and wooden spoon drum. In fact she can play two drums at the same time. You can imagine how much noise all this makes!

Billy and Karen pulled off a good trade. The gave KP two bright pails, one orange and one blue, with two matching shovels. Those pretty pails don't give off nearly as much noise as do the pots. In fact we all can stand her playing them even in the house.

I am sorry that I didn't take her picture playing with the pails and shovels. But someplace, I have an old video of her playing the pots and spoons.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -

.
.

My knee is progressing pretty good. Today is three and a half weeks after surgery (total left knee joint replacement). I go in to therapy three days a week (MWF) for an hour each day. I have just started riding the bicycle. Today in five minutes I rode 0.32 miles.

Except for the bicycle I can do all of the exercises at home now just fine. But going there keeps me motivated. Plus they check to see that I'm doing things right. Home health stopped with their PT help and their nurse. Mrs. Jim appreciated their changing my bandages but other than that there wasn't much for the nurses to do.

Some have been wanting to check on Adi and her aging situation. She still watches after me and not much gets by her even if she can't hear.

2011-08-08T00:03:00.002-05:00

Faith was trying to be unassuming when near Oscar.

His garb today was outrageous. He was dressed in blue with beads flowing riding his little blue scooter.

Oscar said get rid of those atrocious yellow beads and she too could be oblivious.

- - - -

140 Characters
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 20
The 'oblivious' prompt word and the picture were selected by Grandma.
It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
Using the prompt word is not required but Grandma smiles bigger if we do.

NOTE: I have purposely used the word oblivious incorrectly. This is as how I believe that my character, Oscar, would use it.

Fuzzy Math — Six Word Saturday — My Operation # 02

2011-08-06T00:03:00.000-05:00

My six words:

She: None Is Better Than One

This really isn't fuzzy math. No bell seemed to be better than one bell according to Mrs. Jim.

Mrs. Jim has been my buddy during my recovery for the left knee total replacement that I am going through.

Because our house is spread out and for sure when I was in the bedroom NEEDING HER HELP and she was in the kitchen or some other room she had a hard time hearing me call.

So I found this little bell to ring whenever I needed her. This system really worked quite well.

But now that I am fairly mobile with using my cane there isn't much more need to call her with the bell. I can just go get her instead when she cannot hear my gentle call.

Next six word set:

One leg is better than four

This is because I don't really need my walker in the house anymore. My physical therapist rehab coordinator has now allowed me to use the cane (one leg) instead of the (four legged) walker when in our own home.

I am hoping that next Monday it will be 'use a cane any place' time and I can put the walker up.

The final six words:

Two-year-old birthday girls smile really nice

We missed a bunch of birthdays this year so we made up for lost time when the London bunch got here.

This is BP. Her birthday was July 16 but she didn't get to us until July 19. Karen's ( her blog ) birthday was July 19 but she didn't get to us until July 23.
Billy's birthday was February 26 but we couldn't get him his present, these TaylorMade Penta golf balls, until July 19 when they came to us.

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2011-07-31T16:50:00.001-05:00

Iggi knew he was doing something wrong from the beginning.

And now the new ordinance said, "Do Not Proliferate."

Alas, another era missed.

- - - -

140 Characters
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 19
The 'proliferate' prompt word and the picture were selected by Grandma.
It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
Using the prompt word is not required but Grandma smiles bigger if we do.

My Operation # 01 — Six Word Saturday —

2011-07-30T10:28:00.008-05:00

It is nice to be home

I know that this may sound corny but today and for the next few days I will be writing about my recent surgery.

I had a total left knee joint replacement. It all started here in this office where my knee doctor had moved to since the last time he worked me over. That was either my fall in Ireland back in 2007 or an earlier double arthroscopic repair of my torn left knee meniscus.

He had moved to this office of the HC Bone and Joint Clinic of Houston. It was a newly opened Woodland branch from their established Houston Medical Center main office.

I am home now with Mrs. Jim, KP, Karen and Billy, and Adi, Katrin, and Amber.

Home health has been coming for rehab every day this week. An RN has also been coming out daily to change my dressing. That part will stop now as Holly, Dr. Price's Pa, removed my staples this Thursday. Dr. Eric Price is my orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine doctor.

There were some interesting situations, some good an some not so good, associated here with the surgery. These and my more recent health findings I will tell about soon here on my blog.

Next will probably be about my "BOUT WITH Diarrhea."

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2011-07-17T18:19:00.000-05:00

Eric had held off Lila's lure to skinny dip. Resistance was only a matter of genes.

What would Gene do?

In with a splash they went!

- - - - - - -

140 Characters
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 17
The 'obscure' prompt word and the picture were selected by Grandma.
It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
Using the prompt word is not required but Grandma smiles bigger if we do.

The Jim Bunch Eats Again — Six Word Saturday —

2011-07-16T00:49:00.004-05:00

.

It's Good

to the

Last Bite

Believe it or not it is a FISH TACO. Or rather the last bite of a half order of fish tacos.

We had eaten here many times before when it was a Berry Hills. Now it is a Tree House Mexican Baja Grill.

Our daughter Karen liked the ones at Berry Hills a lot. I didn't care for them because they were sloppy; filled with a tarter sauce type dressing and stuffed with coleslaw in with the piece of fish.

You can see that these are open faced and very delicious. Mrs. Jim and I split an order of fish tacos coming with beans and rice, and of course as many corn chips and salsa as we would want.

Our waiter was nice and put each half order on a separate plate. This one was mine and Mrs. Jim's was just like it.

The inside of the restaurant hadn't changed very much. But the atmosphere was changed. Before at Berry Hill's it was a walk-up-to-give-your-order place. After giving your order you took your own glass and filled it yourself at the drink fountain.

Now it is a sit-down place where a black suited waiter seats you, another takes your order and waits your table. No more carrying drinks all over the place and getting your own chips and salsa. All here was very proper, yet ideal for casual dining.

Of course we will come back. Not very often however because usually we don't have much reason to travel out there to Katy. Our family, Karen, Billy, BP, and KP have moved to London.

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2011-07-13T00:03:00.001-05:00

The Latest from Pun of the Day
Posted: July 12, 2011 05:00 AM PDT

If Hawaii was criss-crossed with many highways, some people might think of it as a road island. [Click to Vote!]

2011-07-10T19:46:00.007-05:00

.

Nina was ready to play.

The boys told her sea monster renegades were behind the rocks.

Nina ran back.

The beginning of tease.

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140 Characters
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 16
The 'renegade' prompt word and the picture were selected by Grandma.
It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.
Using the prompt word is not required but Grandma smiles bigger if we do.

Our Welcome to Texas — Six Word Saturday —

2011-07-09T00:09:00.003-05:00

.
It's been hot here in Texas

Coming back from Iowa the first week of June our car thermometer registered 100°F as soon as we hit Texas.

It has stayed right around, 100's and high 90's ever since. Highs were running in the 70's in the Midwest.

Besides that we are in the middle of a bad drought. Crops have died, lakes are empty, our forests are burning, and we have a state-wide burn ban. The latter means there were very few 4th of July fireworks. Our usually nice fireworks display got cancelled for this year.

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How I Spent the 4th of July — MidWeek Blues — Most Pictures Have Blue

2011-07-05T19:19:00.006-05:00

.
Before you start reading this I would like to see a wonderful tribute to the United States July Fourth holiday from blogging friend, Terry, of Canada. (link to Terry's blog) She used our pets, Adi, Katrin, and Amber in her patriotic post.
[You can click on a picture for larger sized view]
Mrs. Jim and I are driving down our street, staying on the golf cart 'sidewalk.' We are headed for our annual subdivision golf cart parade.

In 2007 Mrs. Jim, Bailey, and Adi participated in the parade (link). This year we would observe from a neighbor's front yard. They live on the parade route, we don't.

Our subdivision is approaching the 1000 home number so that would make easily 2500 residents. We have two golf courses with houses along the courses. There is also a 'prestige course' across the street for people who pay big $$$$Bucks for a higher class membership.

We parked our cart in the driveway and chatted with our friends until the parade started. Up front you see Triva and Molly (brown dog), owners of the home.

Mrs. Jim found us an upfront seat so we could be up close there on the curb. I was sitting above the storm grating so the candy coming my way mostly found its way into the storm drain.

Like I mentioned it was a golf cart parade. But not all came via their golf carts. We had other paraders as well. Here we see a service man on leave riding in a white convertible, six planes (I think there were seven before they did the missing man maneuver) and dogs being pulled in the red, white, and blue decorated coaster wagon.

Next we had a red convertible. No sign or anything, I have no idea of WHY they were allowed to ride along with the group. The walkers and bikers ranged from kids to old men. The old men here were recruiting for the MOB. I haven't belonged for a couple of years. They mostly eat, drink, and have speakers.

We see here a Model A Ford Phaeton fiberglass replica. It might be the real thing but I don't know the owner to ask. There were a couple of older cars to come. Just to show you, there were a lot of golf carts. And of course we had pretty girls walking and riding.

Kids, kids, and more kids. First you see a couple being pushed in their toy John Deere Gator by an older fellow, likely a brother. Several were little and were entirely pulled or pushed and guided by a parent. Last here was the only foot propelled scooter I saw.

Not all dogs rode in wagons. The two ladies in the beverage cart were doing double duty. Ice was free and it was the food and beverage department's entry, sans sign. A parade is not a parade without a John Deere green tractor. We were not deprived.

This guy was riding a 4-wheeler. It looks small, perhaps pint sized? We had one motorcycle and this antique (1950's) Cushman motorscooter. I had a friend who worked at the Cushman Motor Works in Lincoln, Nebraska, back in my pre-Army days. Last here is this late 70's to mid 80's Ford Bronco. It was restored to original condition fairly nicely.

When we got home Mrs. Jim put our 'loot' on the counter. Note that all of the Tootsie Roll candy had been eaten. Old folks like those but kids spurn them.

After the parade we cooled off a bit and left to pick the ripened figs from our friend's two fig trees. Jack was on vacation in Colorado in the cool, visiting his daughter who also came from the warm (Atlanta area).

We picked about forty quarts. Mrs. Jim put some up into fig preserves and gave about a third of them away. They sure do cook down. She had seven mid sized jars. I may post about that later, with pictures.

Then we cooled it for the afternoon. We watched a Poirot (Agatha Christie) video I had checked out from our library. There were nine videos in this set, Part I of three parts. Mrs. Jim cooked barbecued brisket for an early evening meal.

That evening we were supposed to have a fireworks show but due to the county-wide burn ban our POA decided to postpone the fireworks. Instead we had a nice laser show. I had seen better laser shows but this was fine in a pinch. Houston decided to go ahead and have theirs. It is always nice and is shown on TV real time.

That was our July 4 celebrating for 2011 on the 4th. We had several other celebrations earlier. A Sunday school party, the Conroe Symphony, and our church's musical production. These I can remember to tell here.

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If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did.

2011-07-03T15:03:00.006-05:00

Not your typical 'fly on the wall.'

Oh what he seemed to Hilda. He WAS of the Order Diptera.

"But Dippy, what large teeth you ha... !"

140 Characters
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 15
The 'expedient' prompt word which I did not use and the picture were selected by Grandma.
It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash
Her Rules: Use the photo as inspiration for a story of 140 characters OR 140 words. It doesn’t have to be exactly 140, just not more.

Holiday Weekend — Six Word Saturday —

2011-07-02T10:06:00.009-05:00

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My Six Words:

Drive
....Carefully
........This
............Holiday
........Weekend
....Please!

If you drive then don't drink
[six more words]
Traffic was backed up for two miles that morning.
I am glad I live in Montgomery and not in Houston.
There were four cars and three trucks causing this mess.

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Do your dogs get worried? — MidWeek Blues —

2011-06-28T12:50:00.003-05:00

. [Click on either picture to see it bigger. Click again for larger still. The BACK button gets you back.]

Adi and Amber seem to be anxious.
Do they know what you don't know?
We will see.

Katrin is very sure that Amber doesn't belong on Adi's bed.

Katrin is a good dog and thinks she should 'run the house.'

It wasn't too long before Adi got up. She does not like to be the center of attention.

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If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did.

2011-06-27T00:03:00.000-05:00

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It was a wet and squishy day. The stash was hot.

In tribute to the cop ahead his mentor honked the horn.

Not the right thing to do.

137 Characters
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 14
The 'tribute' prompt word and the picture were selected by Grandma.
It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash

High School Reunion — Six Word Saturday — A Chuckle

2011-06-25T00:12:00.011-05:00

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My six words:

48 graduated — 18 came — 18 deceased

[Click on picture to enlarge. Click agan for super sizing.]
We had our class reunion on May 26, 2011. Our school was Tekamah High School of Tekamah, Nebraska. We had our BIGGIE ten years ago for the fifty. Only three of us had died then. After the picture taking all the graduates and family had a nice dinner in the city auditorium.

There were two more in the morning. Rhoda and her friend (I can't remember names) came to the luncheon but they had to leave in the afternoon. When I came over to Rhoda's table they all smiled and chuckled a little bit. Rhoda told me that they had been talking and had decided that I (Jim H.) was one of the deceased. We all chuckled some more.

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Describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words for
Six Word Saturday. Click the box at right to visit Cate's blog with Mr. Linky showing all the other blogs participating this week. Cate is the boss at Six Word Saturday. She would like for you to participate.

2011-06-24T00:03:00.000-05:00

Decorah Eagles (live video link, click here) post dated
The eagles have left their nest
this is an earlier post -- the camera is still current
(June 21 update)
check out their activities from the links you find

The World’s Largest Sprinkler by Target | Discovery Green | Discovery Green | KIDS & FAMILIES | Artshound.com

2011-06-23T10:51:00.006-05:00

The World’s Largest Sprinkler by Target Discovery Green Discovery Green KIDS & FAMILIES Artshound.com

I won't be going. It does sound like fun. Perhaps this World's Largest Sprinkler might visit your town.

If it doesn't don't worry, just remember that

EVERYTHING IS
BIGGER IN TEXAS!!

I will post a picture IF we do go.

This much smaller sprinkler is pleasing the kids in Gdańsk, Poland (link). We were there last Summer, 2010 for a very nice day in this historic old city. I would recommend that you go there if you take a Baltic cruise.

Meet the cousins — MidWeek Blues —

2011-06-21T11:50:00.009-05:00

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This summer in our trip to Nebraska and Iowa we wanted to attend my high school (Tekamah, Nebraska) and to visit three 'local' cousins. When we got there we called all the cousins. They were home so we would visit them on the next day, Friday.

Our first visit was with our cousin, John. John is now living in the local nursing home. He was doing really good compared to the last time we visited. While there his brother, our cousin Jack, also visited.

My sister was already with us, she came over from Iowa to accompany us with the cousin visit.

Left to right above we have John, Lois, me (Jim), and Jack.

Next after lunch (link), we (Lois, BIL Jim W, Mrs. Jim, and I) drove to the country out west of Herman, Nebraska, to visit our cousin, Jean and her husband, Dwain. The live on a farm and still operate it and several others with the help of their son.

At right you see Jean. She was telling us the story of how she came to own this "HANDY DUST CLEANER, as seen on TV." I don't think very good directions came with it but we all had some suggestions as to ~~what to do with it~~ how to use it. My suggestion was to 're-gift it.'

As usual, Jean had coffee, tea, and some very nice baked items for us. Before we left we had a very nice strawberry dessert. She always does does that. In the South we call that Southern hospitality.

It was almost dark when we left. We were traveling with two dogs, Adi and Katrin, and they had come along with us that day. Lois and Jim W. went on to their home in Iowa as they would not be attending the high school reunion on Saturday.

Our day Saturday started our again with another visit with John. We were pleasantly surprised when my cousin, Don and his wife, Phil, showed up from Missouri. They were classmates in school up at Craig, Nebraska, and had come for their reunion.

Left to right is Don,me, and John. Before lunch we all left John to do reunion activities with our ex-classmates. It was unusual perhaps, but all us cousins were wearing blue so that made it perfect for today's post.

Our cousin visits were wonderful. Three were missing, Ione (Garfield Arkansas), Bud (Longmont Colorado), and Dick (Beatrice, Nebraska). All of us except for Jean and Dwain are fairly well retired.

These were our fathers and grandparents.

Uncles, Grandpa, and Grandma
From left to right: My Dad, Uncle Lester, Uncle Howard, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Chester in 1940s photo

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If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did.

Eagles have landed

2011-06-21T09:57:00.003-05:00

after their first flight last Saturday!

Empty-nest syndrome: Eaglets are leaving; camera to shut down TheGazette
by Orlan Love

Per the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, theGazette.com article:

With the world-famous adolescent eagles spreading and testing their wings, the Decorah bald eagle cam will soon shut down.

The three chicks hatched in early April have left the nest, leaving little of interest to the fans who have logged more than 160 million Internet views this spring, said Bob Anderson, director of the sponsoring Raptor Resource Project.

The most precocious of the three eaglets took flight Saturday and later returned to the nest “as if it had been on the wing for weeks,” said Anderson, 60, of rural Decorah.

Since the three chicks hatched within six days of each other, Anderson believes they all will have made their maiden flights by the weekend. With the nest sitting empty much of the time, Anderson said, wall posting on the nest’s Facebook page will be shut down Friday, with the cameras likely turned off by the end of the week.

“It has been the most viewed live cam in the history of the Internet,” said Ruby Tugade, content and distribution manager for San Francisco-based Ustream, the website that hosts the live video stream.

Anderson said Ustream had spent a fortune for the bandwidth required to have more than 150,000 viewers at once.

Tugade declined to comment on the cost, but said, “It was a gift to everyone.”

Anderson said he is proud that the nest cam has taught so many so much about the wonders of nature.

“I think it is probably the largest wildlife education program ever on the planet Earth,” Anderson said.

Anderson, who has been tied to the nest via email and cellphone when not actually running the cameras, said he is looking forward to an “unplugged party” in the near future.

Next year, he said, they’ll have more and better cameras and faster uploads — plus, “live video and audio from a red-tail hawk nest and (very probably) a peregrine falcon nest.”

2011-06-20T00:03:00.001-05:00

.

Ah ha! I've found a gnat hair with fingerprints of an Irishman!

Now, now dear Watson. Don't you be fabricating evidence for this case.

139 Characters
µ-fiction
Story Copyright
© 2011 Jimmiehov
All Rights Reserved

Written for Succinctly Yours – Week 13
The 'fabricate' prompt word and the picture were selected by Grandma.
It's posted on her blog, Grandma's Goulash

Road trip — Six Word Saturday — Another side trip

2011-06-18T00:03:00.009-05:00

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My Six Words:

I thought

I saw

a buffalo

(click on the picture, then click again, you will too)
I did see a buffalo, a medium sized herd of them. They were on the back road between Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Center Point, Iowa. My BIL, Jim W, was doing the driving again. And wouldn't you know it, the buffalo were on his side of the car.
Our road trip was to Cedar Rapids for a visit. First we went to Duffy's Antique Auto Museum and Sales. Then we went to the Czech Village.

Today I will tell you about an incident at the Czech Village. Our primary mission was to visit the museum which had flooded. It is being moved to higher ground. Here is a link to that project. There are supposed to have a Web Cam but I haven't seen it. Check Village and Slovak Museum & Library, upper right corner link button.

After being construction supervisors for a bit we visited an antique store. Then we had Kolaches and coffee at the Czech bakery. After that we visited another antique store.

I fell, again! Seems every time I go some place I am falling. My most famous falls were down some outside stairs in Ireland (link) and then my fall down the up escalator in London (link).

This time I was leaving the antique store using their back door as we were parked behind it in the parking lot. The people in the picture above had a yellow stripe to see the gentle down step but our store was on the right and it had no yellow stripe.
It seemed at the time that my worst damage was a bloody elbow. I cleaned it up with soap and water at the restroom in a very nice HyVee Store. But later my knee swelled up and hurt worse than before.

You can probably tell it was my left knee that I fell on. The Wednesday after we got home I had an appointment with my knee doctor. The Xrays showed right away that it was bone on bone at the joint. I already knew that because it made a grinding noise when it pivoted. I had not played golf since March 9th because of pain.

I blame the knee for my fall. When I missed the short step the knee would not support me as I tried to get my balance back. My surgery for a knee jont replacement is scheduled for mid July.

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2011-06-16T00:03:00.000-05:00

The Latest from Pun of the Day
Posted: June 15, 2011 - 05:00 AM PDT

Do you know why Noah's ark was built out of wood?
They didn't have arc welders back then. [Click to Vote!]

This and That — MidWeek Blues — Flag Day 2011

2011-06-14T00:03:00.006-05:00

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Flag Day 2011

June 14, 2011, is Flag Day. June 14 has been Flag Day now in the U.S. since 1949, making it a 62 year old tradition. Although it is an official day it is not a national holiday. I believe that it is a state holiday in Pennsylvania.

At the right is our flag for 2011. An additional treat for MidWeek Blues is the smallish looking blue flower peeking out between the flag and the pole.

You can see it better below of course. It is one of our Lily of the Nile flower for this year. Most years there are two or three but our hard winter must have changed that for this year. They come up every year. To read about them, please click here.
Mrs. Jim's bridge group played bridge yesterday at our house. Although the others know that she has a husband the players all expect their men to be barely heard and not seen.

Accordingly I spent the afternoon getting some bills ready to mail, grabbing a cup of coffee and a few of the ladies' snacks, and heading out. I went to the post office, the grocery store, and then spent the remainder of my 'time off' in the library. I did have a book that I had requested to pick up also.

My time at the library was spent in reading the Houston Chronicle and the Conroe Courier. We only take the Wednesday through Sunday Chronicle so this was my opportunity to read the Monday paper for a change.

I learned some things:

Prince Albert II, Prince of Monaco, "hopes to have a family soon". That will include getting married to his fiancée and Olympic backstroke swimmer from South Africa, Charlene Wittsock (link). From my reading I believe that the Prince also includes having a child as a part of having a family.

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Blogger, "A Gay Girl in Damascus" had been arrested in Syria. Supposedly she was a young lady of Syrian and U.S. heritage. It turned our 'she' was an anti-government male. Perhaps you have read some of her blog.

Blogger, Tom MacMaster is now safe in Istanbul, Turkey. I do not know if he will continue his/her blog or not. He believes in a cause. We will see.

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"He never talks about his faith." This could be our President Obama. I fault him for that. But this time it isn't. It was said about our Governor (of Texas) Perry by one of his spokesmen, Mark Minor. "He grew up a United Methodist" and now "Attends" Lake Hills Church of West Austin, Texas.

The article was about Governor Perry's contributions to his church. Over the last 10 or so years he has given an average of 0.5 percent of his income to his churches. Lake Hills Church has NO RECORD of his giving since he has been in attendance there. As a Christian myself, I have always heard that we are to "walk the talk." Governor Perry does a lot of talking. We will check out his walking in other areas before we give him a final grade.

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A gigantic ash cloud from Chile has arrived over Australia and New Zealand shutting down most all air flights there. From what I read this could last the next several days.

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A new church, has started in Houston. It is for people who like to take naps. Nap taking is encouraged during the services. The Southern Naptist Convention was held here (Houston, Texas) on Sunday, June 12 at the 14 Pews.

Benefits of napping and meditation were a large part of the discussions. The Chronicle didn't have pictures but the Houston Press had twenty of them. Click here to view them. Click here to read the Houston Press story.

A group of napping devotees started the organization to promote napping under various circumstances (work, church, etc.). It evolved into a church/religion. Sunday nappers have 'naptures' when they meet. There is a 'naptism' meaning scattering feathers on new members who wish to join.

Their goals are to encourage people to become better rested and to remove the stigma given to taking naps.

An aside. In my office at the college one bookcase beside my desk had an upside down box. Under the box was a TV. I used the TV to watch Matlock which helped me somewhat in my teaching of Business Law classes. After Matlock was finished I would take about an hour nap. In fact, I had a nap today (Monday) first thing while the ladies played bridge.

I might be a good candidate for this new Church of the Napists.

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If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did.