SUNDAY

I'm writing Sunday's items tonight (Saturday) as we are going to see ANNIE at the dinner /theater in Little Rock tomorrow---there is a bus load going from the Village. Should be a pleasure.

A quote from THIS WEEK Magazine caught my eye: "The U.S. has been at war for 47 of the 230 years it has existed, or 20 percent of its history." from The New York Times

May your day be special---Marian

PILOTING: A THING OF THE PAST

I took lessons to learn to fly sometime in my late twenties, and in the process, soloed twice. I had a student pilots license, very official looking, and still one of my prized possessions. In the paper this morning, I read that it now takes 1500 flying hours in order for anyone to pilot a passenger plane. Reading that requirement, I sadly realized that another of my ambitions is impossible. Oh well, Bob still lets me drive the new car to Arkadelphia-----Take care of yourseves----Marian

STATE CARS, AND SUGAR IN GAS TANKS

I was surprised at the number of cars driven by the Highway Department (2,385)--more cars than there are people in many of the small towns in Arkansas. I have no opinion about these cars and the taxes paid on them, but it does remind me of the first car I bought for myself. It had been a state car, and served me well until I bought my first new one.

It was a small Buick. I was driving it to Colorado for vacation and went through XXX (a town that will remain nameless) where I had to buy gas. It was soon after an awful crime there that had been reported widely, and nosy me, I asked the attendant about it. Well, apparently so many people did this that the locals were sick of it. THE ATTENDANT PUT SUGAR IN MY GAS TANK, and I had to leave my car in the next town for repairs. So much for getting to drive my new Buick on vacation! ------- Hope nobody ever puts sugar in your car's gas tank----Marian

THIS AND THAT----

Walt, Susan and Mary just left---a good visit and so pleased to have had it. Bob is starting in the kitchen to clean up, and I'm starting in the bedroom and gathering stuff for the washing machine. --We will give ourselves 8 hours to make a dent------

I did get a glance at the morning paper, and was happy to see that some Senator is very much against the fact that the Post Office might drop Saturday mail delivery---he says it wouldn't save enough money to be worth while. I'd vote for him, but he's from Montana-----Marian

Walt, Mary & Susan

Walt, Mary and Susan came and some of us are going into Arkadelphia for the usual appointments today. Mary is going to get her hair fixed too, and Walter and Susan are staying here.

Had 3 inches of rain off and on yesterday, and much thunder and lightening. This is it for today----more tomorrow---but love anyway, Marian

COMPUTERS

My computer wouldn't turn on today - it did NOT tell me why! But Walter just got here, and with a push and a pull of some sort, he fixed it!!!!

The subject for the blog today is how wonderful it is to have a computer. I chose the subject before I even got up, so before it wouldn't turn on. And I do believe that my machines - I've had 4 - have added a great deal to my life. There has been frustration from the first, but that has made me learn to deal with the special kind of frustration that is caused me. BUT all the various good things that I can do with the computer have added SO MUCH TO MY LIFE---THOSE OF US WHO HAVE THEM FOR OUR PLEASURE HAVE, I'M SURE, LEARNED A LOT. It won't be many years, however, before everyone can do what Walter did---because having them will be so much a part of everyone's everyday life. So much for today------take care, Marian

THE DAY BETWEEN COMPANY

They got off at 8:00 as planned, and will arrive home in Kansas about 3:30 if all goes well. It was a wonderful weekend.

But we're not through with company. Son Walt, Mary and Susan come tomorrow. I'm now catching up on the newspapers, and doing washings. Retirement? I suppose it's how one looks at it--------

Love company-------Take care, Marian

SUNDAY

Well, we had a big, and wonderful day yesterday, and even more ideas that need consideration today! Love it, love it! The family members like the Sunday Morning talk shows, which we don't habitually listen to, and that, too, has been fun. I'll hate to see them go tomorrow---- no advice for you today----Marian

PORCH LIGHT_______

The brithday weekend is in full blast, and every room is filled. So what did Bob do? When his wake-up time came, (5:00 o'clock), he, not wanting to wake any one up, got the paper, turned on the porch light and read the paper out there=====he saw nothing strage about this-----Well, now that I think about it, I don't either,, night or day, get light, and read your paper whereever you want--porches included-----Marian

COOKING WITHOUT ENOUGH PANS

Janet, Pete and Mary will get here this afternoon---with our limited kitchen resources, you can imagine me scrambling around to get them a good evening meal to eat! Want to get it all done before they get here, which could be as early as 2pm. I have two small pans and a skillet-----will have to make my macaroni and cheese in two phases as I have no pan that will hold 3 quarts of water---fortunately, we bought a pan yesterday big enough to put it in the oven for final cooking, and the salad is done. We expect a wonderful weekend even if tomorrow is scheduled to be the hottest of the year-------Hope you can think of "cool"things to do as we are trying to do-----Marian

BIRTHDAY TWO

So I DO have a second birthday, and we ARE going to celebrate it as Bob is taking me to lunch at Zoe's today! Best intentions often get changed----why NOT celebrate even though Bob calculates my age now to be 184 years? -------Marian

BIRTHDAYS

My Mother said my birthday was July 20th, and I've always celebrated on that day. AND the Birth Certificate, when it came, said that I was born on July 22nd! SO I've celebrated that day too. But this year I had such a wonderful day in every way, that I have decided to forego celebrating tomorrow, the 22nd----even tho I have proof of its truth----I won't celebrate ----until tomorrow!!!! Take care---Marian

BIRTHDAY--JULY 20

TO ME, TO NELSON MANDELLA AND TO EVERYONE ELSE BORN ON THIS DAY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! MARIAN

NIECE KARYN'S TRIP

My niece, Karyn, has much love for her Newfoundland Dog, and as all owners seem to do, keeps in touch with lots of other lovers of their Newfoundlands. Last week she and her dog, Arayo, started out on a cross country drive from her home on Bainbridge Island, Wa., staying in campgrounds on the way. There must be water near each place they stop as the dog can't stand the 109 degree heat they are experiencing. Her ultimate aim is somewhere in Vermont. She's reporting their adventures so far on Facebook and her blog, and today she reports they are in Montana, where the mosquitos by the hundreds caught up with her.

As she has no time limits and no real schedule, she hopes to visit many places, even her home down in Kansas and MAYBE even down here. And if she does the latter, you'll surely get a report! Enjoy life today: don't get too busy----Marian

NEPHEW REES

I have both a niece and a nephew that are traveling over parts of this country, and writing books about their experiences. I'll mention Rees first, a retired college administrator, who with a friend is walking the Pacific Trail and recording the experiences. I've read the book about the Atlantic Trail, and really liked it---couldn't imagine myself doing, or even thinking about it, but the story was most interesting. I've read a couple of Rees' chapters, and am waiting patiently for the book. Tomorrow, I'll write about Karyn and her adventures.

Enjoy today---Marian

RULE FOR LIFE & QUESTIONS

From a wonderful story honoring Jane Lucas in the TRI-LAKES Edition of June 27, I read a statement that she made that can be applied to most, if not all, of our relationships with people. Said Jane about her clients, "We used to control people; now we support them." A wonderful rule of action-- "Thanks, Jane, for being YOU."

I have questions about the oil spill--does any of that oil that they have pumped into ships get to refineries, and on into sales? Can all the oil in that vein run out?---soon or long time? Marian

FOOD WANTS

Cathy said to use Whole Wheat Bread in that sandwich recipe printed yesterday. I don't think it will help, but you can try it-----

Right now I'm hungry for Macoroni and Cheese as my Mother used to make it. And I'm on a Sherbet kick. And a little Piemento Cheese is on my list of "food wants" Do you have any food wants? Marian

Here's A Sandwich for You...

When I wake in the morning, I'm always hungry. I can visulize my egg-on-toast and am immediately ready to get up. We always, however, read the paper before breakfast. And in the newspaper this morning, this is what my eye caught as I was glancing through the cross word puzzle section:

Grilled Peanut Butter, Banana and Bacon Sandwich with Honey on Boulevard Bread Co. Ciabatta. It costs $8.00 Ugh. Hope reading about it didn't ruin your breakfast--Marian

ORANGE PANTS

My wardrobe this summer has included 4 pairs of white pants and various colored blouses. I suddenly was tired of always wearing those white pants even though the crease in them made them look "spiffy" (Janet's word). I got a pair of jeans from Blair, and wore them 5 days in a row. But I'm still tired of the white ones, so while in Arkadelphia yesterday, I bought some that are BRIGHT ORANGE ! Wow. Wait until you see me coming!!!!

Get some bright colors---it peps one up!!!! Marian

The trip to Arkadelphia went very well. Bob and I both did well at the doctors, and I got my hair fixed. Ate with 3 friends and were home by 3:30. Good day. Back in the bloggin' business in the morning. Marian

NO NEWS

Appointments in Arkadelphia today---take care of yourselves--Marian

VOCABULARY

There are three kinds of vocabularies----#l Reading (enigma, emulate, egregious)
#2 Talking (mystery, ape, bad)
#3 and those that leave you just as you need them

I've had lots of those lately-----Hope you haven't--Marian

MY DREAM--

I had a dream last night that I was selling a crate of ten evening dresses to China, but that one of the dresses needed to be repaired. "They" sent a huge Earth Moving Machine that came rolling up. It had a piece of dress material hanging from it which "it" dropped into the crate of dresses.
. The dress was repaired immediately, and what woke me up was that I was trying to push the Earth Machine out of the way, and the frustration I felt when it wouldn't get out of the way--------Well, I'm awake now, and all I want for the day is to be "calm, cool and collected"! I wish that for all the world-----Marian

A BLANK DAY---

I can't think of anything to say in this blog today. Now that's rather unusual as I HAVE ALWAYS been able to keep the talk going. So, if I can't think of anything to say today it's unusual; I guess this phenomenon belongs on the blog as part of being in my nineties! I don't think this blank-out will last long; it never has----May you speak your piece well today---Marian

SHRIMP

We are invited to lunch with the Hot Springs Henderson Alum group at noon today. It is held in the beautiful and impressive Country Club Building across the street. We are certainly glad to be asked, BUT AT A SACRIFICE. Once in a while here on Fridays, the noon meal has FRIED SHRIMP as the main dish. What a great meal that is! Well, I never ask after we get back what was served here----so I never know whether or not to be sad about missing the shrimp. And Bob, at long last, is to have his precious iMAC worked on. Great day, and you have one too---Marian

SADNESS

One of the people with whom we often ate, died this morning. We both feel a little shaky, as we really liked this couple. Too bad. Marian

WELL, EXPENSIVE STAMPS AND SPANKING?

The Post Office is asking for an added 2 cents to the cost of stamps (making one cost 46 cents) which would start in January. I wonder what Emily Post would say to that? Would she consider it good manners to send "thank-you notes" by computer now that stamps would be so expensive? Yes, I wonder.

I also noticed that there was quite a discussion about the value of spanking children. I can't remember if or whether I spanked mine. Can you?

It might rain today: I'm getting my hair set--a clear invitation for the skies to fall!. Take care, Marian

KITCHEN BAND; WALT; AND DAY'S SCHEDULE

The kitchen band is really a rhythm band where false or play instruments (lots of drums) are used to beat upon to the sound of records from the 40's era. Noisy, and jumpy. I remember a kitchen band as beating on kitchen pans to the rhythm of music as a part of New Year's Eve celebrations. It kept the kids in the kitchen while the adults celebrated in the living room------Will I join this band? Still up in the air----

Walt just left for the 3 weeks math workshop he teaches in Dallas to gifted high school students. It was a wonderful visit. He thought he was very funny when he got FOX news on the TV to tease us. We reacted as he expected----'nuff said.

Get my root canal this afternoon--expect to live through it------and good luck to all of you too! Marian

We finally heard some "pops: (fire crackers) last night in honor of the day---

There were several things in the paper this morning that weren't gloom and doom. Did you see that some fellow won a cherry pit spitting contest by spitting one for 51 feet and 3 inches? And I thought the "transition aerocar" pictured in the business section was exciting. Just sorry that I won't live long enough to drive/pilot one of them.

Walt, Bob and I are going to the weekly practive of the kitchen band today. Report on it later.

Possible rain predicted! Enjoy if----Marian

HAPPY HOLIDAY

HAPPY fOURTH OF JULY!

Here in the village, we haven't heard a fire cracker yet!!!! Marian

EARTHQUAKES

Walter comes today--just called to say that he's starting now (what's not?). Anyway, he gets here at 8.

The only news that is not the "usual" is that there were small--very small--earthquakes in Arkansas yesterday. Most of them nobody could feel--just measurable by seismographs. I suppose you could say that there's no need to worry---so we will have to find something else to worry about today.

O.K., but take the day off--- don't worry today--Marian

RANDOM THOUGHTS

I admired Sen. Byrd--and there is a quote in the paper this morning that I really liked. A new Senator asked him for advice about how to be a good Senator. He supposedly answered: "Stay loyal to the Constitution, stay loyal to the Constitution, and do what I tell you." Now, doesn't that sound like him?

Big excitement at our house yesterday: we bought a golf cart with the help of Ken who found it, and now can use it here in the village. I haven't had a chance (or been given permission !!!) to drive it yet, but I can wait.

Hope nice things happen to you today----Marian

PERFECT ATTENDANCE? EAT THIS

There was a story in the paper this morning about a man who never took a sick day off in 38 years. He attributed this to the daily lunch of "WATERMELON, ALKALINE WATER AND AN ONION SANDWICH WITH MAYONNAISE". Now I ask you, would you think that lunch on any day was worth not missing EVEN ONE DAY AT WORK FOR? What a thought to start the day with!!!!! Marian