Wednesday, May 04, 2016
Yellow Day at School ~~ Warm Heart Wednesday No. 025
We had a little problem figuring our exactly why the kids were to wear yellow. All that KP could tell us was that it was "Wear Yellow Day" because it was an "Essential Elements Day." Okay. Essential elements of human character it was.
We asked the crossing guard why it was 'wear yellow.' She had received an e-mail couldn't remember what the essential elements the first grade would be studying. She only remembered she was to wear yellow.
Sort of an oxymoron to us as we always associated the 'trait' of yellow as being cowardly. Okay.
All of the finding out process and the asking others along our way to and from school gave us our Warm Heart feeling.
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The Fine Print: Warm Heart Wednesday for the week of May 4. Click here, http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/ , for links of others or for directions to join with a post of your own. There Ms. Jenny is our teacher.Labels: Jim's Life, KP, Warm Heart Wednesday
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Horses Matter II ~~ Warm Heart Wednesday No. 024
This pretty horse was one rescued from the Houston area flood. Last week, link, I had posted about the horse rescue effort. Then this Monday the H o u s t o n C h r o n i c l e front page had another article this time telling about the completed effort.
What warms me is that the horse reminds me very much of my horse, Minnie. Growing up, Minnie was our farm pony for riding. We had other draft horses for pulling equipment and wagons (also a sled in the winter).
When I started high school I rode Minnie to a two room country school for my first two years. New England School in Washington Country Nebraska held grades 1-6 in one room and 7-10 in the other. The two years I went we had three students in each grade each year.
Minnie was colored like the rescue horse but we cropped her mane to help her heal a fistula. After the healing we still kept her mane cropped to about two inches. She was also a little wider in girth as she had quite a few draft horse genes.
Our ride was three miles, at the end of the first mile I was met by a pair of sisters, both riding their horses also. Betty was a grade or two below me, Francis was in the one ahead. Another quarter mile we were met by Vivian on her bike.
The girls horses would jump over the little streams that show up after the rains. Soon Minnie, though an older horse, had also learned to jump.
Our school barn held either six or eight horses. At first there wasn't an opening for Minnie but before the first winter a stall opened for her. In the winters I often rode bareback as that would help both Minnie and me warmer.
When I transferred to a four year high school in town my dad bought me a 1937 Ford Tudor. It had been owned by a little old lady so was a low mileage car in very good shape. It also smelled of her strong perfume and makeup. We could drive at age 14 to school or work back then.
Before school started Dad decided that I should not drive the car as it was an older one with mechanical brakes, not hydraulic--way before power brakes were invented. That was his excuse for buying himself a new Ford pickup truck and my older Ford was his trade-in.
My sister, Lois (link), also drove the pickup to school for her senior year. She did not attend New England country school like I did. She rode with the cousins who had been riding with me for her first three years. I taught her how to drive.
[Lois 'baby' sits dogs for her son and grandchildren. She had never said yes to
my request for her to 'baby' sit Adi. Probably she thought I wasn't being serious.]
Lois did knock down one country mail box, but just that one. I had two accidents, neither was my fault. One was when a drunk driver almost head-onned me as I couldn't take the ditch where I was on the road. But at the last minute he veered and only swiped the side of Dad's truck.
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The Fine Print: Warm Heart Wednesday for the week of April 27. Click here, http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/ , for links of others or for directions to join with a post of your own. There Ms. Jenny is our teacher.
Labels: Animals, Cars, Jim's Life, Warm Heart Wednesday
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Horses Matter ~~ Warm Heart Wednesday No. 023
This news headline picture was extremely heartwarming to me. At first the estimate was that twenty or so horses were rescued. But Tuesday morning's Houston Chronicle was saying that "about 70 horses were rescued" from our April 2016 Houston Area Flood.
Our home wasn't flooded but a lot around here did. Most of them began very slightly north and east, in the North West Quadrant of Metropolitan Houston. Those people had double digit numbers of inches rainfall, ours was about seven (7) inches.
Some of the creeks, bayous, and rivers are still rising due to the run off. I heard an estimate, I think it was said that 15,000 acres were flooded. Tonight I couldn't find verification on-line.
This is a picture of our family car, hugging the garage door with as much as possible scrunched under the overhang. This was to prevent as much hail as we could from reaching and pounding the car. I think it did hail just a little during the night but there weren't any new dents.
We have a three car garage, two stall are tandem. So what is wrong with this picture?
What's wrong is that there isn't room for three cars until I finish unpacking from our recent move. So the lot was cast for the family car to stay outside. My two toys (Ford Mustang Pony cars) aren't real valuable but they would be harder to fix come hail damage or vandalism.
On the right sits Mom's 1974 Ford Mustang II Ghia that is now mine and the left stall gets my 1998 Ford Mustang GT Convertible. (Better pictures)
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The fine print: . . .
Warm Heart Wednesday for the week of March 30. Click here, http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/ , for links of others or for directions to join with a post of your own. There Ms. Jenny is our teacher.
Labels: Animals, Cars, Jim's Life, Warm Heart Wednesday
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Take a walk on the semi-wild side ~~ Warm Heart Wednesday No. 022
Happy Wednesday ~~ Our day started out good, we woke up early and walked our six-year-old granddaughter to school. Then we decided to take the long way home. All told, we walked about a couple of miles. Our total walking time was about an hour. We walk slowly so it might not have been a full two miles.
So anyway, I thought I'd share my walk pictures with you. Both Mrs. Jim's and my doctor's orders are to walk a half hour and to do that five days a week. Guess we doubled up. That might be a bit far for some of you but we are getting in practice 'in case' we go traveling this summer.
All this and more walking trails are within a three mile radius our home.
The fine print: . . .
Warm Heart Wednesday for the week of March 30. Click here, http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/ , for links of others or for directions to join with a post of your own. There Ms. Jenny is our teacher.
So anyway, I thought I'd share my walk pictures with you. Both Mrs. Jim's and my doctor's orders are to walk a half hour and to do that five days a week. Guess we doubled up. That might be a bit far for some of you but we are getting in practice 'in case' we go traveling this summer.
All this and more walking trails are within a three mile radius our home.
Not only ours hearts got warmed but our entire body.
Our Beagle dog, Adi, would have loved this walk.
The fine print: . . .Warm Heart Wednesday for the week of March 30. Click here, http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/ , for links of others or for directions to join with a post of your own. There Ms. Jenny is our teacher.
Labels: Jim Does, Walk pictures, Warm Heart Wednesday
Wednesday, April 06, 2016
Adi Badge Picture ~~ Warm Heart Wednesday No. 021
This one really makes me warm. And I can get this nice picture of Adi and me anytime my computer or iPad is up with Internet. Adi died in 2012 and I still miss her. Really I have a few regrets that we didn't have a clone of her made. 
, for my Ham Radio Call Sign posting. I have been continuously licensed since 1961. This picture was made for 'our' Pet Therapy Team badges, hers and mine, when we first became certified. (Adi's retirement blog post)_ _ _ _
The fine print: . . .Warm Heart Wednesday for the week of March 30. Click here, http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/ , for links of others or for directions to join with a post of your own. There Ms. Jenny is our teacher.
Labels: Adi, Adi Can, By Adi, Jim Does, Warm Heart Wednesday
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Hot Dog !! ~~ Warm Heart Wednesday No. 020
That's how I feel today, "Hot Dog !!" Why? Today they are a dollar at our local Sonic drive in/thru restaurant. Limit three, plain, dressed, or with chili.
I'll get three with chili. Take them home after stopping at our Kroger store for a few items, and add some cheese and mustard. I will eat one, Mrs. Jim eats one, and will save the other for a snack.
[Click on the picture for a larger view on a cheese hot dog that I make.]
My cheese is generally low or no-fat, the hot dog is, if I find them priced right, is Oscar Meyer bun length, Ball Park are okay if I don't like the other's price.
Some of the prior hot dog posts on my blog: (you might can tell that I like hot dogs)
http://jimmiehov.blogspot.com/search?q=hot+dog and
http://jimmiehov.blogspot.com/search?q=wiener
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The fine print: . . .Warm Heart Wednesday for the week of March 30. Click here, http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/ , for links of others or for directions to join with a post of your own. There Ms. Jenny is our teacher.
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Labels: Food, Jim Bunch Eats, Jim Does, Warm Heart Wednesday
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
December 12, 2005 revisited ~~ Warm Heart Wednesday No. 019
A . . . .M. . .
. .B. .
. . .E.
. . . .R
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Hi, my name is Amber. I am a very pampered cat! I can't wait for 6 PM every night. That is when I get my Fancy Feast! I talk up a storm when it gets around that time(just to remind everyone that I am waiting)! (Reposted from December 12, 2005 -- Link, click here to see the original)
I was looking through my Archives and this one tugged at me. Amber went to Kitty Heaven in 2014. Amber was our daughter, Karen's, cat but we kept her for four years while she and family were in London where Karen worked. Amber is a rescue cat of sorts and lived a Happy life of nineteen years. Note that I said "a life" as she never used nor needed any of her other eight.
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The fine print: . . .
Warm Heart Wednesday for the week of March 22. Click here, http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/ , for links of others or for directions to join with a post of your own. There Ms. Jenny is our teacher.
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I'm also linked with Steve and Sandee for Feline Friday (link).
Click the link to see some more nice cats or to enter yours.
I was looking through my Archives and this one tugged at me. Amber went to Kitty Heaven in 2014. Amber was our daughter, Karen's, cat but we kept her for four years while she and family were in London where Karen worked. Amber is a rescue cat of sorts and lived a Happy life of nineteen years. Note that I said "a life" as she never used nor needed any of her other eight.
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The fine print: . . .Warm Heart Wednesday for the week of March 22. Click here, http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/ , for links of others or for directions to join with a post of your own. There Ms. Jenny is our teacher.
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I'm also linked with Steve and Sandee for Feline Friday (link).
Click the link to see some more nice cats or to enter yours.
Labels: Amber, Family, Feline Friday, Feline-Friday, Jim's Life, Warm Heart Wednesday
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
a Juvenile Sympathy Card ~~ Warm Heart Wednesday No. 018
Hand drawn by KP:
"I'm sorry that your friend died.
The good now is that
God is piking her up today."
KP is in the first grade so I thought she did really good on this. We didn't ask for it or even mention to her the concept of 'sympathy cards.' It brought a little tear from me as I read it. Heart Warming."
This week we attended the funeral of Mrs. Jim's cousin. This week is also Spring Break at KP's school and so we are having her, our grandchild, while her parents are working. So this was KP's first funeral to attend. She wrote a similar card to Mrs. Jim as well.
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The fine print: . . .Warm Heart Wednesday for the week of February 24. Click here, http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/ , for links of others or for directions to join with a post of your own. There Ms. Jenny is our teacher.
Labels: First Times, Jim's Life, KP, Warm Heart Wednesday
Wednesday, March 09, 2016
The ARF Truck ~~ Warm Heart Wednesday No. 017
How can seeing this trailer warm me? What do you think of when you see an ARF truck going down the road? I think of my sister, Lois, right away (Click here for previous blog posts featuring Lois). I only have one sister, Lois, and no brothers. Just the two of us.
Two things: (1) It isn't an ARF truck, it is an ABF truck but my sister for years called it an ARF truck, she had misread the lettering; and (2) Lois and I always have a nice laugh and exchange remarks of some kind when we think about her mistake.
Once after she realized what her mistake was, she stopped and talked with a driver of an ABF rig. She told him the story I mentioned above and he, a very nice man and I'm sure a nice truck driver, gave her an "ARF Hat" as she calls it. That's generally a part of our conversation.
This ABF trailer was parked at the end of a street that bordered on our subdivision's walking trails. Neither Mrs. Jim nor I have the slightest idea of why it should be parked there.
This trail runs along with a green belt doubling as a holding and draining area to combat flooding. The red oval half way up on the right is our house; Some pictures from our walking:
[you can click on a picture for large sized]
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[click on map for larger view]
For perspective, the blue line from our house to our church is 1.5 miles. The green area on the map is the walking trail and green belt. Google says it is a three minute drive to church, a 28 minute walk.
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The fine print: . . .Warm Heart Wednesday for the week of February 24. Click here, http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/ , for links of others or for directions to join with a post of your own. There Ms. Jenny is our teacher.

Labels: Family, Jim Does, Jim's Life, Lois, Warm Heart Wednesday
Wednesday, March 02, 2016
Mom's Machine ~~ Warm Heart Wednesday No. 016
Gadgets of many kinds warm my heart, but especially so when I am thinking about one of Mom's. This week I have been admiring my mother's egg scale, used for sizing eggs. When buying eggs, you choose by grade and size. Typically, we ordinary purchase Grade A or AA (by grade) Large (size, determined by weight).
Original farm house,
The chicken end was pretty much Mom's, the feeding and growing and the care of the eggs that the hens would lay. Saturday night found her cleaning the eggs that were produced for the week. Often I would 'help' her as it was a good time to have Mom just for myself.
She didn't have to grade and size her eggs, but this scale would take care of the sizing if she were to sell to an individual or a retailer. Most times we took the eggs to a produce house.
The chart above is hard to read but it say that eggs are not sized individually, but rather sized by the combined weight of one dozen eggs. That explains that each of the packages, from Kroger and from Trader Joe's each contained a few eggs weighing less than 24 ounces.
The fine print:
Warm Heart Wednesday for the week of February 24. Click here, http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/ , for links of others or for directions to join with a post of your own. There Ms. Jenny is our teacher.
Original farm house,
it was a chicken house ever since
I knew (+++ years ago)
When I was growing up I lived on a farm (link). We grew crops, corn and oats, and fed the harvest to animals from which we sold their produce, eggs and cream, or the animals themselves, cattle, hogs, and chickens.
The chicken end was pretty much Mom's, the feeding and growing and the care of the eggs that the hens would lay. Saturday night found her cleaning the eggs that were produced for the week. Often I would 'help' her as it was a good time to have Mom just for myself.
The chart above is hard to read but it say that eggs are not sized individually, but rather sized by the combined weight of one dozen eggs. That explains that each of the packages, from Kroger and from Trader Joe's each contained a few eggs weighing less than 24 ounces.
Oh yes, Mom was also in charge of our large vegetable garden, always having a row or two of pretty flowers. My sister and I liked to help her there, I loved to eat raw vegetables, radishes, tomatoes, strawberries, melons, and potatoes were my favorites 'off the vine.'
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The fine print: Warm Heart Wednesday for the week of February 24. Click here, http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/ , for links of others or for directions to join with a post of your own. There Ms. Jenny is our teacher.
Labels: Family, Food, Jim's Life, Jim's old home place, Warm Heart Wednesday
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
First Grade Art ~~ Warm Heart Wednesday No. 015
Do you remember your grandkid's art work? You may have some salted away for future admiration. Chances are you won't look at it very much.
Then a while later, when your kids or spouse is going through the things you could not longer take with you, most all of it will get trashed.
Do you remember your first grade art? My mom saved mine, it was a boy with a horse, both were stick figures. I never graduated from the stick people drawing stage. Even after a few 'art' classes.
[click on a picture for larger view - click]
[again or how you do it for larger still] .
My first stick man looked very similar to this one. We still have the boy and horse but I have no idea where it might be. Lost?
Did you ever read the "Stick Man" book? Or see the play? (link)I don't know if it played in the U.S. or not. It was playing in London but we didn't see it. I read the book.
_ _ _ _ _ _The fine print:
Warm Heart Wednesday for the week of February 24. Click here, http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/ , for links of others or for directions to join with a post of your own. There Ms. Jenny is our teacher.
Labels: Jim's Life, KP, London, Warm Heart Wednesday
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Lovers always, the Jim's ~~ Warm Heart Wednesday No. 014
Next Wednesday, the 24th, Mrs. Jim and I will have been married 43 years. We celebrated early (as is this post) by taking a Caribbean cruise out of the Port of Houston. Our primary goal besides celebrating was to go to the Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman our target.
It was Heart Warming to say the least. Neither of us are Spring Chickens anymore. The twosome picture was taken by one of our passenger mates on the Princess Caribbean ship. He spent his entire day on Seven Mile Beach and had brought his own beer. I am glad the camera focused even though it was focused on something pretty far out, not us.
What will follow is a bunch of pictures from our cruise. Another time, perhaps on a Friday, more Cayman Island and other items will crop up. My favorite is of Mrs. Jim holding a VERY LARGE stingray fish. (We did take this cruise last year also, the price is fairly reasonable because there is no Airfare involved. We drove the 50 miles after Sunday school, leaving January 31 and returning on February 7.)
[click on any picture for larger size - click again for super size]
A meal in the town of "Hell" came with our Sting Ray and Snorkeling excursion. Hell is located at the end of Seven Mile Beach. No postcards from us, sorry.
Items from a Shrimp Fountain appetizer cocktail party food table. As 'Platinum' members of the Princess Cruise line, we had similar perks every day from 5 - 7 PM.
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The fine print:
Warm Heart Wednesday for the week of February 10. Click here, http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/ , for links of others or for directions to join with a post of your own. There Ms. Jenny is our teacher.
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The fine print: Warm Heart Wednesday for the week of February 10. Click here, http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/ , for links of others or for directions to join with a post of your own. There Ms. Jenny is our teacher.
Labels: 2016 Caribbean Cruise, Jim's Life, Travel 4, Warm Heart Wednesday
