Thursday

After the grey, chilly, damp weather last week we suddenly went back to summer with deep blue skies, and temperatures in the mid and upper 60s.

 

I don't know if it is because I am old, confused, busy or all three, but I'm having a problem remembering what day it is.  Yesterday, Wednesday morning, I woke up believing it was Tuesday, it wasn't until Chaplain Bill rang in the middle of the morning to see if I was alright, that I learned it was Wednesday and I should have done my chaplaincy round.  I will go in the morning though, Friday.

 

I didn't have any cakes to make for the meal at Emmanuel last night, as it was team Mexican who do their own Mexican cheesecake, but I did go for the meal and the little discussion group.     I told Louise last week that I wouldn't be at Kiwanis this morning, I was going to be busy packing.   I did however go to Communion, then eight of us went to lunch at a nearby Asian diner.

 

As I am going to be off on Sunday afternoon, staying the night at a hotel near the Oklahoma City airport, I will suspend the blog until I come back in January.

 

One thing I wanted to mention that was in the news............an illegal immigrant is suing the US government because a border patrol dog mauled him while he was trying to cross illegally into the country.       The lunatics have taken over the asylum...............................

 

Looking forward to seeing you all, loved ones,  the blog will be back in January, but I might send a few e-mails while I am away.

 

Wishing you all dear readers a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Sunday morning the 7th

I seem to have got behind with my posts, I think it is probably because I am more focused on what I need to do before coming over for Christmas.

I went to the hospital on Friday, and Kevin - another chaplain - asked me how the neighbours were, and the pit bulls.  He had just seen someone in the Emergency Room whose two pit bulls had got into a fight and she'd tried separating them (!!) one of them sank its teeth into her arm and tore off all the flesh from the elbow down to the wrist.   He asked her if she was having it put down, and she said "oh no, I love him"  (!!!!!!!!!!!)   I told Kevin that this is why they are illegal in Britain.

 

I don't know much about dogs but I thought they had to be put down after something like that, because there is a high incidence of them doing it again, but I am sure there is an Amendment in the Constitution that gives dangerous dogs the right to maim their owners, there certainly has to be something about allowing owners the freedom to have them.    Me, I can't be doing with all these freedoms, I reckon we are safer without our guns and pit bulls, and I'd rather be safe than free.

 

On Friday evening Bruce and Rosalyn kindly invited me to the Shawnee Little Theatre to see 'A Christmas Story, the Musical' which takes place in Indiana in the 1940s, and focuses on a child named Ralphie who set his heart on an air rifle for Christmas.   The child actor played the part brilliantly, I think he'll go far.   What I love about this little theatre in the round is that at the end of the show the audience spills on to the stage and mingles and chats to the cast, it is like a party.   It was all very pleasant and I so appreciate Bruce and Rosalyn inviting me.

 

Yesterday, Saturday, I didn't even venture out at all.   The weather hasn't got any better, it is still damp, chilly and grey, and today - although still dark - doesn't look as if it will be any better.   Bubbles has put her nose outside but soon scampers back in.

 

 

Thursday 4th December

The weather the last few days has been very cold, damp, grey and chilly.   Perhaps it is preparing me for weather at home, where I know I am not going to get blue skies, sunshine and 70 degrees like it was last week.

 

Apart from places I have needed to go to, like the hospital for my chaplaincy rounds, and Emmanuel, I haven't ventured far.  Yesterday I made chocolate cup cakes and shortbread for the Wednesday meal, I delivered them in the afternoon but went back in the evening for the meal, which was made by team lasagna.   I stayed afterwards too for the discussion group.

 

I went to Kiwanis this morning, the speaker was a lecturer in horticulture, and he talked about gardening, it was very interesting, and he had several handouts; perhaps when the weather is a bit warmer I might have a go.  Made a second trip this week to Walmart for some goats milk, and as they still didn't have any I began to wonder if they had stopped selling it, but was told it was expected tonight.  

 

I have been having issues with my wi-fi and my newest C-Nook not downloading the latest book, so while I was up that end of town I went to AT&T where a helpful young man suggested I try unplugging something at the back of the modem, then putting it back in.   Which I have just done, and HEY PRESTO, it worked.  All the books automatically download to both devices, or they do when they work.  I am so glad to have the newest one working before I travel - apart from being lighter it also has a much longer battery life.

 

I am sure you have heard about all the civil unrest and race riots going on here.   It is said that they are spreading across the country, but down here in Shawnee they all seem a long way away.   We don't have any black people here - sorry, 'people of colour' - I can count those I know on one hand.

 

We just have Native Americans and no one disputes their rights.   I heard tonight that a big grievance in New York is the tax on tobacco, but here Native Americans are exempt from a tax on tobacco.  Perhaps they should try exempting people of colour in New York from the tax, it keeps the peace here,     Having said all that, there is however a little bit of a contretemps going on at the moment between the Citizen Potawatomi Nation (so called because they are the only Indian Tribe in the US with dual citizenship) and the City of Shawnee.   White people are charged the standard 8% sales tax in the stores on the Reservation, and the City thinks - perhaps not unreasonably - that this should be handed over to them, so there is a bit of badinage going on about that in City Hall at the moment.

Cyber Monday

It has turned BITTERLY cold, I can't believe I was running around last week in a summer skirt and tee shirt.   There is no gradual change in the weather here, it goes from summer to deepest winter and back again, overnight.  I've just looked at the forecast, it is 31 at the moment,  and it is going from 49 tomorrow up to 60 on Sunday.  So 60 is not too bad for the time of year, I can live with that.

 

I didn't want to, but had to go out this morning.  I went to Emmanuel to lend a hand with packing lunches for the homeless, but the person in charge wasn't there, and I was told by the secretary that she is coming in tomorrow instead.  I thought she might have let me know, I'd have had another cup of tea in bed,  but never mind, I have got other things I would rather be doing on a Monday morning.

 

I think I've got my printer sorted, so that was good.  The guy from the local shop downtown came out and did something and was gone within ten minutes.  He said if I still have problems to ring them, and they will access it remotely and deal with it.   I wouldn't let strangers do that, I refused that option when an online company suggested it, but I think I can trust these people who don't charge me for all their fleeting visits.

 

I am not really into 'journalistic' mode this evening, so think I will finish this off here.