Labour Day Weekend

My morning was lazy, to say the least, recovering from my trip to the City yesterday, all that driving and traffic  Opening the front door at one point, to see how hot it was, I found a little bag of British sweets hanging on the doorknob outside.  I didn't need three guesses as to where they came from.   Got Phyllis on her cell phone at the airport, en route to Chattanooga, Tennessee, she'd dropped them off going to the airport.

The situation in the Middle East has taken over all the news programmes.   I don't understand why they are giving the enemy so much information, and time to prepare.  Surely the time to strike was a few days ago when they weren't expecting it.

I went out briefly this evening which is when I took this photo.  

Isn't the Queen at Balmoral?   Or has she turned into a little Miss Marple in her old age, solving mysteries and telling Scotland Yard to look into it.

At least they are giving Camilla a break.

Thursday 29th

The Kiwanis speaker this morning was the District Attorney and he was talking about his hobby, his passion, which is collecting sportsmen's autographs on baseballs and helmets etc.  One would think they would be free, but they are not, and he has paid hundreds of dollars for some.   I think I was the only person in the room who didn't know the sportsmen, but it was very interesting all the same.   He seems to have a nice house, which he had built, and he described the room overlooking a lake in which he houses his collection.   He has two large screen HD televisions on either side of the window and on Sundays, when there are two games on, he watches both of them.   I thought, WOW, being District Attorney obviously pays well.  

He didn't want to talk about his job, but did refer to it at the end, as there is a big cold case murder  at the moment he is prosecuting, and it was mentioned.   Two years ago a homeless man was murdered and his body was found under a bridge in Shawnee, he had been beaten to death.  The DA said he goes to every crime scene and when he saw this one he didn't think they would ever find the perpetrators, but one of them got drunk and talked, and one thing led to another.  There were three of them involved;  two of them were arrested last week, and the last one was arrested yesterday.  They have been charged with first degree murder, they're all young men, and we were told they will still be in prison when all of us in the room have died.  

On a lighter note.....when I was water walking this evening someone said something to me and when I answered, the person with her asked if I was from Massachusetts.  I didn't know if she was joking but smiled confidently and said yes I was, so she said she thought so, she was from Connecticut,  and was I from Boston (!!!)  Wondering when I had become such an accomplished liar, I told her I was.   She talked about one or two places in Boston, and I thought  "I can talk about the squirrels on Boston Common, and Paul Revere's church, but don't let's go too far down this road".

The sunset was different from the other night, not quite as spectacular, but I had my camera with me so took a couple of pictures.

 

I went outside and took this, then walked round a bit more.   Someone closed the patio door so I took these last two through the window.

 



  It is a shame about the reflections.    The skies and sunsets in Oklahoma are  really lovely, I always want to try and photograph them when I'm out and see them, but more often than not don't have the camera handy.

In the news.......

Workers in Macdonalds, Burger King, Whataburger, all the fast food places, are going on strike, and it is predicted they will last some time.    Methinks - "well that will cut down the obesity epidemic".  
The minimum wage here is $7.50 an hour (£4.83) and they are demanding $15 an hour.  They won't get it, it is said they will be replaced by new technology.   It is expected the strike will spread to retail stores, like Sears and Macys.

and ....it has been found that salmonella is present in spices.   They are alright when they are cooked into the food, but are a hazard when they are sprinkled over it, particularly spices from India because the people there can't afford to dry them in ovens, and they are left outside in the air to dry and that is when they become contaminated.

Tuesday

The situation in the Middle East seems to be ratcheting up, according to the news here.  Did I hear somewhere that Parliament has been recalled from summer recess?   Are there mile long queues at the filling stations?  I think oil supplies here come from Canada and the Gulf, certainly no one seems to be worrying about the Suez Canal closing.  However, old habits die hard, I jumped in the car and filled up - all two and a half gallons.   The price seems to be escalating though, I paid $3.46 a gallon.  It was $3.16 a little while ago.

I went water walking mid morning.   There is a nice little patio off the pool area, where I took my C-Nook and thermos, and drip dried.  As you can see, it was very, very bright.

 

This is the walkway, or Lazy River.  There was only me there, ideal if you're wanting peace and quiet.   To watch the sunset though I put up with the children splashing a bit.

As well as bright, it is very hot too, but that's not news.

Afterwards I picked up the flowers from Emmanuel, took them to the hospital to put in the chapel, and had some lunch there.

 

This evening Bruce and Rosalyn invited me to the movies, and we saw Jobs (as in Steve Jobs).  It was interesting but complicated, I looked up his biography online when I got home and got a better grasp of it.

Monday

My appointment in Oklahoma City today was rescheduled to Friday.   It was at 5 o'clock so I was relieved in a way, that is not a time to be whizzing (and whizzing is what you have to do in six lanes of fast moving traffic) through Oklahoma City.  1 o'clock on Friday will be better.

Spent a good part of the rest of the day reading.   What do you think a baby falcon is called?  No, I didn't know either, but you might thank me if you play Scrabble, or take part in a quiz.  It is an eyesas, I think the plural is eyeses.   And falcons are the fastest things on earth, three times faster than a cheetah, it has been clocked at over 200 miles an hour.

As the children here have gone back to school I have renewed my YMCA membership, and went water walking this evening.  I was there between 7 and 8, and watched the sun setting through the big picture windows as I walked round, it was lovely.

The Retreat

The Retreat was very, very good indeed.  One of the best I've been to.  And it has been suggested to me that I've been on more Retreats than the Italian Army.    I'm not going to the one in Amarillo though, this last one was instead of it.

The theme of the Retreat was Praying the Hours.   The official set of prayers prescribed by the Catholic Church, and the basis of prayer within Christian monasticism.

Vigils, during the night - at midnight with some.
Lauds - Dawn prayer - about 3 am
Prime - or Early Morning - about 6am (but this was discontinued  after the Second Vatican Council)
Terce - or Mid Morning - about 9am
Sext - or Midday - the sixth hour - about noon
None - or Mid-Afternoon - about 3pm
Vespers - or Evening Prayer (at the lighting of the lamps, generally 6pm)
Compline - or Night Prayer

<sup>At the monastery in Beaumont with Fr Peter and Michael we have Morning Prayer and Vespers in the chapel, then Compline in their house before bed.  They may have observed the other times when I wasn't about.

We were given folders so that we can create our own Books of Hours, and everyone else worked on theirs over the weekend, but I think I've got Attention Deficit Disorder, and can't do these things very quickly, or easily.   I'm working on it at home though.   And I am carefully sorting and collating.

We left Shawnee about 3 o'clock on Friday, Sandra wanted some shopping in the City, then we arrived in time for dinner at 6, and had a session from 7 until bed time.  We had a full day on Saturday, leaving about 6, but didn't eat before we left so Sandra and I stopped for a meal at a restaurant chain we like.   I think I got home about 8.30.

It was held in the Catholic Pastoral Centre, a lovely building and HUGE, it is the headquarters of the Catholic Church in Oklahoma.  If it wasn't so hot the grounds might have been nice to walk around when we had a couple of spare hours in the afternoon.

We had several 'sayings', I suppose you'd call them, which we jotted down.  Two which spoke to me were "In the evening of life we shall be judged on love", and another one to ask ourselves was "how well have I loved today".    I have long believed that nothing is more important than love.  Money, possessions, material success, pale into insignificance compared to how much we love.</sup>

Thursday 22nd August

The Kiwanis speaker this morning was the Director of the School Nutrition Services, for the schools in Shawnee.   I thought she was going to talk about obesity in children, so was disappointed that she talked more generally about children and healthy eating.   She was proud, and justifiably so, that the children in Shawnee's schools generally opt to buy the schools' healthy meals, rather than bringing packed lunches from home.  

I went to Emmanuel for Communion.  I keep intending to go to the study/discussion group beforehand, perhaps one of these days I will make it.   Afterwards, Fr Bill, Fr Clark, and three of us went to lunch.   There is a new strip mall opened in Shawnee which has a BBQ restaurant, so we thought we'd try that.   The baby back ribs I had were quite nice, but a lot of restaurants here have music playing, which I don't like, because the volume is usually turned up too much, and it is far too loud for me.  Although it doesn't seem to bother anyone else.

In the news....For how many DECADES have we known in Britain that when people get more money in social security benefits than they can earn, they give up working?    Well, Americans have only just, just, woken up to that fact, and newsmen are reporting it in tones of wonderment, and incredulity.

Another item of interest is that we are accustomed - both here and in Britain - to toys being imported from China, but there is a good toy manufacturer here exporting their toys to China, because the quality is better.  And because Chinese parents can only have one child, they generally want the best for that child, and that includes good quality toys from the US.   I just wish I knew where to find them.  I scour the shelves in vain looking for presents for my grandchildren that aren't made in China.  Perhaps these good quality exports will become more available as time goes by.

I am going on yet another retreat tomorrow, Friday but it is just overnight in Oklahoma City.    It finishes Saturday and I'll be back in the evening.  I'm going with my friend Sandra, we've been before and know the person who is leading it.

Tuesday/Wednesday

Trying to recall - with my failing memory - two days activities, is a bit of a challenge.   I called at the hospital Tuesday morning, stopped by the Senior Centre, joined in with the gospel singing for a little while.

I went to Emmanuel yesterday evening, it is hosting Family Promise this week.   I used to do an overnight stay, but feel I am getting too old to rough it in a sleeping bag, so volunteered to be an evening host, from 5.30 when the guests arrive from the Day Centre, until 8.30 when the overnight volunteers arrive and take over.  

There have been more homeless families than usual on the programme, I think  the tornado which swept through a mobile home site here not long ago has something to do with it.  There are eight children and five adults this week.    Another volunteer brings the evening meal so the evening hosts just serve it up, and clear away afterwards.  

I think I've explained that Family Promise helps homeless families get back on their feet. They stay at a Day Centre during the day, and the staff there give them help and advice, and also help them find a job if necessary, so they can move on into a place of their own.

Going back to the subject of my failing memory, there is one advantage of it.  I can read a book and then not remember it, so I don't need to get any more.  I've discovered some very good American fiction writers - I didn't used to read fiction, I don't think I had time when I was young and busy - but I've got 73 books on my C-Nook (not all fiction, but mostly)  A lot of them are in series of three or four, by the time I get to the third or fourth in a series I have to start back at the first to familiarise myself with the characters.

Today I have embarked on a little spring cleaning, and rearranging.  And updating all the photos on the walls, of which there are many.  Jeremy said I've practically got the inventory of the National Portrait Gallery.

Last couple of days

Went to the 10.30 at Emmanuel yesterday, Sunday.  Things are getting back to normal after the long, long summer break.   I'll soon be back to making cakes for Wednesday's meal at the end of the month.

Afterwards Pattisue and I went to lunch at the China Buffet, instead of an ice cream, to further discuss the movie, The Butler.  I think it will be on for a few more weeks, then hopefully come to the downtown cinema.

In the evening I went to Walmart for some goats milk.  I have been urged to drink water to help my headaches - although they are alright at the moment - so I scoured the shelves, looking for something that remotely resembled Highland Spring, or Buxton, but there's nothing, the bottled water here just comes from taps, the local reservoirs, and it is pretty unpalatable.  I've got a filter in the door of my fridge, but it doesn't make it taste any better.   And water melon isn't good enough.

Today, Monday, I was just running round town doing errands, then I went to Emmanuel for an hour at noon to hand out packed lunches to the homeless.  I was rushed off my feet for the first fifteen minutes while I handed out 45 lunches.   Then it slowed down, and I handed out 5 in the last twenty minutes.  There were another 50 already packed but they were for tomorrow.  We just hand out 50 a day, then put an "all gone" notice up.

I spent some  of the afternoon talking to my new best friends at Visa Fraud.  You may remember a bandit hacked into my Visa card a few weeks ago, and was paying parking fines in NY City, and buying meals in California, with it.    Anyway, I recently paid my auto insurance with my Lloyds TSB Visa debit card - and although it is a well known insurance company over here Lloyds hadn't heard of it, so notified the Fraud Dept.  They let the payment go through but the next time I used the card it was declined, and when I rang to ask why I was put through to the Fraud Dept., and they questioned the insurance payment.    As the card has a 'damaged status' they are sending me a new one, but allowing me to use the existing one for 30 days while I'm waiting for the new one to arrive.
  I am very grateful for their diligence, but amazed that they have the resources for it.

Saturday 17th August

 This morning I went to the AARP meeting and lunch.   Was glad to see Phyllis, she chewed me up though for not telling her I'd felt so ill, but there wasn't anything anyone could have done for me.  I'm feeling alright at the moment.    After the business part of the meeting, and lunch, a jazz group came and played Dixieland music, which I understand - because I looked it up - is a form of jazz which developed in New Orleans in the early 20th century.

This evening Pattisue and I went to the movies and saw 'The Butler'.   It was soooooo good we are both going to see it again, and we are going out for an ice cream tomorrow evening to talk about it because there was so much food for thought - and discussion - in it.  

The butler is an African American who became a butler at The White House and is set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement.   He started when Eisenhower was President in 1953 and left during Reagan's administration in 1981.  When I got home I looked up the presidents, and there were seven administrations from 1953 until 81.   At the end of the film he, the butler, and his wife (played by Oprah Winfrey) were very old, and they were shown watching Obama become President.

I was aware at the time of the Civil Rights Movement going on, but hadn't realised just how bad it was, and how racially divided America was.   Pattisue was telling me in the car park that she lived in Mississippi for two years and during that time the Supreme Court ordered all schools to be integrated, so Mississippi repealed the law making school attendance compulsory, so that white children wouldn't have to go to school with black.

Friday 16th Friday

I saw the doctor this morning about the intensely severe pain I've been having at the base of my skull.  I wondered if I ought to see an allergist, but she thought a neurologist would be a better idea, and has referred me to one in Norman, who is going to ring me next week with an appointment.  She told him I was an uninsured cash paying customer, and he is going to see me for $50, which is very reasonable indeed.

As I was going into the doctor's a little lad, in his daddy's arms, was waving goodbye to everyone, so I waved to him and he gave me a high five, it was so sweet.  Surprising how a little laugh and interaction with a child can brighten the day.

I've learned some surprising facts about Alfriston I didn't know until I started preparing for the presentation.  Here's a few - with apologies to those of you who don't, or haven't, lived in the vicinity.

The George.  One of the oldest pubs in the country, it was first licensed in 1397.

The Star, built in 1260, although I have seen two or three dates attributed to it. Originally called The Star of Bethlehem, it was a hostel run by the monks of Battle Abbey for pilgrims going to the shrine of St Richard of Chichester.  Believed to have become an inn in the 1520s, which is about the time of the Dissolution when we no longer had monasteries, pilgrims, shrines and relics.

The Market Cross.   I think we all know it was hit by a truck which demolished the base, but I always thought that was relatively recently, in fact it was hit in the 1940s by a Canadian Army truck.  The shaft and shepherds cap is from the 1406 original, but the shaft is half the size it was.

The Badger's Tea Shop.  Dates from 1510.  It was the village bakery for 200 years until the 1930's.

 

 

You can't see it very well but the former rector, Frank Fox Wilson, carved the village signpost.  He also renovated the Red Lion, outside The Star, which had come from the mast of a Dutch warship in the Battle of Beachy Head in 1690.  I wish I had taken a close up picture of it.

 

 

The Lock Up.  A temporary detention centre, usually for drunks.  They were situated in rural areas in England and Wales before the County Police Act of 1839 required police stations to be built with holding facilities.  Used to store weapons in the Napoleonic and Second World Wars.



 

Early Friday morning.

I've always been aware that there are people who suffer far worse migraines than I.  I usually take a pill at the onset, and it goes quite quickly, but in the last couple of days I think I have joined the ranks of the "worse" and "serious".    I've been quite bad in the last couple of days, and am seeing the doctor this morning.

I think Bubbles has been quite confused, no television on, nothing happening.  She's just been curling up beside me, giving me little kissies.

When the pain began to lessen I was working on my power point presentation which I am doing at Kiwanis on 19th September.   I've got all the photos sorted in the power point thingy.  I have no idea how long it will take - I've put in 72, but will finish before then.   

I'm calling it "An English Village" and the first 30 pictures are of Alfriston, I will talk about its smuggling history, and the history of the buildings in the market square.   Then do a little tour round the church, which has a lot of interesting features.

I think they (or at least the women) will want to see pictures of the family and my grandchildren, so 31-40 are pictures at the lunch Tim did on the holiday Monday.

I took a few at Lewes.  The White Hart Inn - Thomas Paine - the cradle of American Independence, have to show them that.

I don't think there will be time for these, but perhaps for another day,  there's the Bluebell Walk, 3 of the outside of Bishopstone church because it is the oldest in the county, and an 8th century church is impressive over here.   Naseby, Warwick Castle, the Snooty Fox in Northamptonshire, and the Botanical Gardens in Cambridge.   I have also got photos, but haven't put them in the Power Point, of Earls Barton and Brixworth churches.   Those too I might show at another time, perhaps the Adult Interest Group at Emmanuel.

Apart from watching Masterchef on Thursday evening, I slept through most of the evening, so have been wide awake since early this morning.   I might go back to bed now and have a little read.

Tuesday 13th August 2013

I have still got issues with the desktop computer, and posting pictures on the blog.  I was going to take said computer to Staples this morning, but it was so wet outside, having rained heavily all night, and still raining this morning, that I rang and changed the appointment.   I could see myself slipping and hurtling down the porch steps, clutching the computer, and breaking my hip.

I haven't been to the gospel singing at the Senior Centre for a while, it wasn't very convenient when I was manning the desk in the afternoon, so decided to go this morning and it was very nice, although the rain kept quite a few away.  

There is a blind couple go there a lot, and they have the most adorable guide dog.   It was lovely watching the affection between the owner and the dog, and at the end, when everyone started singing 'Amazing Grace' the dog recognised that it was time to go, and got to its feet and emerged from under the table.   I think that's amazing, that the dog knows the difference between Amazing Grace and all the other songs being sung.

Wednesday
Started this Tuesday, and didn't finish it.  Later in the day I felt headachey and nauseous, but will post it now, Wednesday morning, before you think I've dropped off the face of the earth.

Saturday 10th August

Pattisue rang this morning and asked if I would like to go with her to the local Democrat's monthly meeting; well,  I am always up for any outing, or experience, whether it is Episcopal Women on the other side of Texas, or the local Democrats down the road in Tecumseh. 

There were lots of people I knew there; Cecil and Louise, three members of Emmanuel - four with me - and people I knew from Sustainable Shawnee.    After the business part of the meeting there was a speaker who is in charge of voting in this particular part of the county.  The whole voting procedure sounded very complicated, it is of course, all electronic.   I've been here for five years now so I guess our voting system has moved on from putting a cross beside a name on a voting slip, and dropping it in the box.

On the television this afternoon there has been a massive manhunt going on.   It all started last Sunday, a guy set fire to his friend's house, and the wife and son inside died, then he kidnapped the 16 year old daughter and has been on the run all the week.   Later his car was found abandoned in a very wild area - millions of acres of land without roads, in Idaho, the wildest most remote area in the nation.  Then this afternoon someone on horseback spotted them, and when he got home he realised who they were and reported it to the police.  Hundreds and hundreds of police and FBI agents turned out, also it is believed they sent up drones to look for them, and finally this evening we heard the girl was safe, she had been rescued and taken to hospital to be checked over, and probably to have a psychiatric evaluation.  The guy was shot by a police marksman, which was a bit unfortunate, the police prefer to take them alive and make them accountable through the justice system.   There will probably be more details released tomorrow.   But it is a drama I think most people would have been following.  There was tremendous relief in the news rooms when it was heard the girl was safe.

This evening I have been working on my presentation on Alfriston.  Nancy, who is helping me with it was at the Democrat's meeting, and Pattisue said she would like to see it.   I am really not sure how long it will take, so far I have about 50 photos lined up.

Thursday 8th August

I had been looking forward to the Kiwani's speaker this morning, he was talking about the rail roads in Pottawatomie County, and I was interested to know what had happened to them, but he was extremely monotonous, the most monotonous speaker ever.  I tuned him out and wondered if I could find a library book about the rail roads instead.

Afterwards called at Hertz to see what time the rental car was due back, which was 5.30, so I took it to Oklahoma City for my appointment there.   The GPS behaved perfectly getting there, which was good, but it went berserk coming back.  I am speeding along, in the busiest part of Oklahoma City, in six lanes of traffic, and it pipes up "Do a U turn.   As soon as possible do a U turn"   WHAAAAAAT.    Is this a joke?   As I drive on I pick up a signpost to Fort Smith.   The most useful piece of geography I've picked up here is that Fort Smith is in Arkansas, and I know I could follow all the signposts to Fort Smith and I'd be in Shawnee before I got to Arkansas.   Which I did, and I was.  Has anyone else ever updated their GPS from the computer?    Is it difficult?

It has been extremely hot again.  The rental car had a wonderful air conditioning system, better than mine, went from hot to very cold in 5 seconds.    Now, tonight, there is a thunderstorm, and very heavy rain.  

Wednesday 7th August

Had to go to Walmart today for some goats milk, otherwise I've been languishing indoors, out of the heat.

This was the latest rubbish on their newsstand.

Where do they get it from.   I saw Charles and Camilla visiting Kate in hospital, looking perfectly happy.   I wondered what the dying Queen's promise was to infant George, but I don't feel like dignifying  the rubbish by buying it.  Maybe I'll have a look inside when I'm next there.

There are some high profile trials  going on at the moment, and what amazes me is that all the women attorneys look like film stars............All of them, always.

Like this one.  Perfect teeth.  Flawless complexions.  Immaculately made up.  Perfectly coiffed hair.  Invariably wearing short skirts with killer heels.    I have never seen a woman attorney who looks like me; old, grey and wrinkled, frumpily dressed with clumpy shoes.   There is a woman judge on the Supreme Court who looks old and wrinkled, I think she is the only lawyer in the nation who is not young and glamourous.

The economy here seems to be in very dire straits.   The city of Detroit, along with several others have filed for bankruptcy, it is $18 billion in debt, and there are 78,000 abandoned buildings, and they are failing to provide basic services to residents, like street lighting (although I don't think I have seen all the streets lights on in Shawnee) I think I heard only 3 ambulances are running.

It is not a good picture but the red dots represent the other cities going bankrupt.

Tuesday 6th August

Still got my headache, but I think it is a bit better than it was.   It is bearable if I keep still, which is what I've been doing today.

Camp Allen is a lovely place, it is set in 950 acres of pine forest.  There is an Equestrian Centre there, two lakes, swimming pools and tennis courts.   If it hadn't been so intensely hot it would have been nice to walk around the gardens.

The main Conference Centre.

One of the accommodation blocks.  I am having problems transferring the pictures.  I will have to take the desk top back to Staples.   I had made an appointment last week to go this morning, but my headache was too bad.

We had all our meals and sessions in a small dining room.   There were quite a few groups meeting, not just Episcopal women.

This was the theme of the Retreat.    The sessions on Scripture, Community of God, and Hospitality were led by women priests from Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma.  

Province VII of the Episcopal Church covers Oklahoma, West Texas, Arkansas, West Kansas, West Louisiana, and West Missouri.

On Saturday evening we had an ice cream social and saw a film 'Babette's Feast'.  I would probably not have got into it if I had been watching it by myself, it was set in Jutland in the last century, but Deborah kept pausing the film to discuss points raised in it, so we were all very engaged with it, and it was very enjoyable.

Deborah is leading a similar sort of event next month in Amarillo, which is in the far north of Texas,  and like Shawnee is situated on the east/west interstate 40, so it would be a very straight forward, four hour drive to get there.  I am thinking about it, they are all such nice people.   It is on Benedictine Spirituality which I have had instruction on from Brother Michael, but there is always something new to learn.

Episcopal women seem to be very well travelled, I had some interesting conversations with some who had travelled round the British Isles, Scotland and Ireland.

Someone said there are six English women in her church, if I wanted to move there (to San Angelo, Texas) I would be welcomed there with open arms, and there are some nice retirement places to rent.  It was nice of her to suggest it but I wouldn't move from Oklahoma to Texas, it is way, way, too hot.

I'm back

Arrived just after 7, I left about 11.30 this morning and decided to take the interstate.  It is one thing to potter along the highways on the way down, but coming back I just wanted to get home as soon as possible.   The journey was fine, but weaving my way through downtown Dallas in six lanes of traffic was a bit jaw clenching.

I had a great weekend and met some lovely people.   The only other person there from Oklahoma was Debora, a priest from Tahlequah, whom I had met at a previous ECW event.  Most were from Texas and Kansas.   The National President was there from Oregon, right up north - and I thought I had a long way to go - she had to fly to San Francisco, then to Dallas, and still had several hours to drive.

Since I have been back I have developed a headache, so will sign this off now, and hope to be back tomorrow.