November 30, 2005

On a day like today I passed the time away.............with nothing to say again.

Glenda is going to Jeff again today with Ruthie. I know some folks may be wondering???? They each recently had their haircut pretty short. Not quite a butch but kinda short anyway.

I'll just sit around here feeling worthless! Can't lift hardly a thing and when you can't lift anything what good are you to anyone. Well, I'm still good to myself. Here in the back of my mind I'm enjoying every minute and I can still lift the TV remote and a good book! Still can't type, spell nor punctuate but that isn't caused by the belly button hernia operation. It's caused by that blissful state of ignorance that was created by not using a lot of what I was taught over 46 years ago.

No one has a finer command of language than the person who keeps his mouth shut and his fingers off the keyboard.~Sam Rayburn(edt)

November 29, 2005

Pretty cold here......Wait a minute! Let me think. Well, there may be some cold that is pretty but you need to be sitting in a nice heated area looking out the window. Probably at a snow covered landscape with a few large flakes still floating earthward. I realize now that I made a mistake when I said it was pretty cold here today. It is a really ugly cold! The sky is an ugly gray with a sharp wind whipping around blowing pieces of the brown covered ground around as it shakes the masses of dirty hanging twigs of varying sizes that not long ago were leaf covered limbs.

Dory is headed to Jeff with the girls and I've picked up another dog to baby sit along with Mikey making Tomi minority a minority. Actually he is a minority in numbers only because I think he can probably put about three dogs to cowering in a corner at the same time.

A strange dog was on the porch a day or two ago and Tomi was at the window growling. It was a mean sound and loud enough the dog didn't stick around. One time we were outside the front door with Tomi when a strange dog started down the steps from the driveway. Tomi huffed up and growled real mean and when the dog didn't take off Tomi ran toward him still growling. The dog immediately left the area.

Nope, nothing to say again today.

Either I've been missing something or nothing has been going on.~Karen Elizabeth Gordon

November 28, 2005

Right here we've made it through all the weather just fine but it sure is cloudy and very windy at this time. It's 45 degrees now but it is supposed to go down as the day progresses, with snow flurries probable. Seems like something like this happens every year around here. Ain't that a shame?

Glenda was going to Jeff City to hang out with her mother for awhile today but Lena brought home about $1,800 more than she took to the boat on her last visit and her friend Pat around $2,000 so they're going back today. I guess they're feeling guilty about absconding with the money so they're taking it back.....Or maybe the big bad greed monster reached out and grabbed them.

That leaves both of us hanging around here trying to keep warm as we enjoy the luxury of retirement with only a smidgen of worry about our cash reserves to bother us. We neither one want to run out of the ability to pay while we're still here to do it.

Good is a word that is only a minor example of what we wish for you today.

Greed is a fat demon with a small mouth and whatever you feed it is never enough.~Janwillem van de Wetering

November 27, 2005

Sitting around here in this warm 56 degree weather just waiting for the rain to strike. The possibility of some severe storms this afternoon or early evening is being touted too. I think weather forecasting is a tricky game and they are wrong quite often. Now if they give you a 70% chance of rain, with the 30% of the times that they are wrong, what would really be our chance for rain, humm?

So with that, on with this vegetarian note. We haven't been involved in anything that is worthy of mentioning. We haven't had any great inspiring thoughts pass thru our heads or at least hang around long enough for us to notice them. Jump down, spin around, do the regular stuff. Jump down, spin around, do it again today. I'm kinda liking it myself but it sure serves up a meatless note, doesn't it.

Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.~Mark Twain

November 26, 2005

The sun is up and about and this son is up and about too. I'm about to send another short, 'we're thinking about you', note. Nothing to say is normal when you're old and gray. If you're not careful getting older can take the funny out of everyday occurrences. I'm fighting this and will till my last day! Funny is all around us and we need to see it now more than at any other time.

A nice day is happening here. The blue skies are being accented by a bunch of clouds of many different shapes and different coloring for each. Some have a tiny bit of orange tint and some have a big blob of dark gray. The main color seems to be a yucky off white but I think white would be the color classification. Overall it isn't really that pretty by itself. You need a pretty thought to appreciate it and I had a flash of one. Oh where, oh where, did it go?

A laze around day is the only thing I have on my list but Glenda hasn't made her appearance yet. Man, it is so easy now to forget the lifting limit. I've made a couple of errors in the last few days but they haven't caused a problem as far as I know.

With nothing to type, short is the best kind of note.

Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.~Lazurus Long

November 25, 2005

We trust you had a happy day yesterday as we did and hope all your/our coming days be just as happy. I did find a problem with my happy of the day when I laid down in the bed on my back. I couldn't see my feet until I pumped up the pillow, then about all I could see were my toes. It looked like ten little pigs peeking over the hill trying to figure out if the loud moans and groans was a pig call or not. Glenda told me that I had probably ate/eaten too much. Duh!

You do know the sure way one can tell when he/she has had enough is only after he/she has ran out into the too much area. I was enjoying the meal so much that I missed the too much until I got way into the second plate full and it's isn't very nice to leave any on your plate so I didn't. No problem hauling it home. I just sat it on my lap and drove away.

We may slip over to Wal-Marts for a few minutes sometime today. No, we don't want your sympathy, making the trip is of our own choosing.

Never eat more than you can carry.~Miss Piggy (edt)

February 24, 2005

MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY, MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP.
MAY YOUR POTATOES 'N GRAVY HAVE NARY A LUMP.
MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS, MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE.
MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER STAY OFF YOUR THIGHS!

In case you didn't make it get home...we hope your THANKSGIVING will still be a HAPPY ONE.

1 Thessalonians 5:18:
give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

November 23, 2005

She did it to me! No, nothing like that! She wangled me into a trip. In less than an hour we're heading out for Boonville and the gambling boat. She tells me I need to get out and about once in awhile but the only reason we're going is because, SHE WANTS TO GO and I'm such a kind and caring person.

Beyond that there is nothing worth reporting this morning.

Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.~Barbara De Angelis

November 22, 2005

I'm not too happy about getting up in the morning anymore. I go from feeling really good laying in the bed to barely passable after I get up. That halfway pain sure does daunt my enthusiasm for jumping out of bed. Halfway pain is derived from it's mid-body location. As I've said before it isn't really pain but a nagging uncomfortable ache. It interferes with several of my first of the morning duties then subsides until I sit down. Then it kicks up again for awhile.

It has been pretty cool here so a man does need to wear socks and putting them on is a pretty good challenge. Try putting a sock with good elastic around the opening on your feet with only one hand, you'll see what I mean. Everything is smooth as butter with better happening and it sure is here with us.

Glenda, while still lying in bed, started out this morning with a question that had a four letter word in it that really caused me to cringe. Nah, unfortunately it was nothing like you might imagine. She asked me if I wanted to go to the boat today! You know when she starts, no will not suffice for very many days but I did get a reprieve, (to postpone or cancel the punishment), for this day. We will just need to wait on tomorrow to see what it brings.

Despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, I have not been able to answer... the great question that has never been answered: what does a woman want?~Sigmund Freud

November 21, 2005

Tomi is well, Mikey is well, Glenda is well and I'm, well, I'm still plagued by the get up sit down aggravation caused by the hernia operation but it is getting better. One of my sure fire Monday duties is to take the trash out and I can't even do that for the next three weeks. Glen Dandy to the rescue, Glen Dandy to the rescue, Go, Glen Dandy, Go!

We took our aluminum cans in last Wednesday and picked up $9.22 to add to the $12.14 already in our crazy money account. That brought the fund up to more than our checking account where we really need it but we don't want to take anything from the checking for crazy things. Fast foods are one of the crazy dumb things we use it for. Things like french fries, Big Macs and an order or two of Chester Fried chicken gizzards once in awhile. Like a lot of other Eldon residents, just because we're poor doesn't mean we can't still be fat.

It looks like I pretty well covered the Health and wealth leaving happiness still to come. Stab, stab, I'll make a stab at that too. Our plans for the day include a nice and exciting trip to Eldon that to add a little fun to the trip, will include a visit to the library. We'll pick up four or five good books and then leave there and head for home as happy as can be.

That could be called covering it all but it seems like I've missed a few things. I'll go study on that.

It's pretty hard to tell what does bring happiness. Poverty an' wealth have both failed.~Kin Hubbard

November 20, 2005

Cloudy and some rain in the forecast makes for a perfect day to lay around reading and watching the NASCAR race. The only 'too bad' that I can think of is I'm on my last book and the library isn't open. I may be forced to dig around and read a Sandra Brown love story. Skip thru some of the scenes and those books aren't too bad.

Things with my middle are going just fine. Mostly the getting up or the sitting down is where the problem lies. A minute or so after getting set, the pain or ache goes away as is the same with standing. I can understand what the doctor meant now when he told me that I might be tempted to cheat and lift something before the three weeks are up. He strongly advised me to pass up on any such temptations. It is pretty hard for me to remember that there is a problem now that things feel so good.

A nice day for oneself is best achieved by working toward making it a nice day for another. DO IT!

November 18, 2005

A good nights sleep and I'm feeling fine. Things worked good with the operation and it didn't take all that long. We got to the hospital at 5:30 a.m. yesterday. They took me back around 6:15 a.m. then took me to the operating room about 7:30 a.m. It took about an hour. Then I was in recovery about another hour and then back to a room. We finally got to leave about 10:45 a.m.

On the way home we had to stop in Eldon and get him some pain medication. Got home about 1:15 p.m. I'm doing just great, but have a little bit of pain. I think instead of pain it is more like an ache, not a very good ache either. The biggest problem is not being able to lift anything. One other little aggravating worry is the bleeding. It hasn't run out of the bandage yet but it still is somewhat worrisome.

Glenda has said several times over the past few years that she might volunteer at a hospital doing what I don't know. I do know she is very good at taking care of an out of the groove type person! God bless her!

There are enough abouts in the above message but we didn't think it would hurt to let you know we're still about.

We should not consider painful what is good for you.~Euripides

November 16, 2005

Really cool here this morning, 28 degrees with a stiff wind blowing. The wind chill factor brings it down into the teens but I missed the number. Brr tomorrow night it is supposed to be down to 15 degrees. Where art tho Boulder City? I assure you, it is a place that is heavy on our minds. Of course some of the people there are aways on our minds.

Glenda is going in to Eldon for another therapy treatment on her leg this morning then over to Osage Beach for a few things. I have a couple or three things I would like to get done while I still can. I hate deadlines and appointments but we have both right now and I hate them!

To be wordy without saying anything is truly a waste of time for all. I don't want to waste anymore of your time this morning!

We read the world wrong and say that it deceives us.~Rabindranath Tagore

November 15, 2005

Pretty rainy here at this time and supposed to continue most of the day. It is good that the rain is here now and not Thursday night when the forecast is for temperatures to be around 16 degrees. I don't need a big reason but the cold and the hernia operation should suffice to allow me to sit for long spells in the old recliner without a hint of nagging guilt.

I had a flash of sadness awhile ago. As I looked out the window the rivulets of rain interrupted my view and as my focus changed to some of them, I was reminded of tears. Tears are usually for sad occasions but as I struggled with the feeling, the knowledge that tears are sometimes shed at very happy times too came to bare. Whew! After all that I've ended up somewhere in the middle. That middle is probably the normal state for most of us.

As I sure you can see I've still nothing worthwhile to type so I'm going to quit fighting it this morning.

The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven.~John Milton

November 14, 2005

Great day in the morning! Just like always it starts out good but it doesn't always keep getting better. This morning it's raining a little with more to come this afternoon. I still have several things to do before I'm put out of action for a short period. No sweat for the wicked....Un, I mean I don't have any job too wicked to sweat about. I kinda like working around here. Working was the wrong word to use but being left alone, messing around just didn't sound proper.

Glenda and Ruthie are going to Jeff to take Aunt Sue out to lunch for her birthday. They will pick Lena up too. I'm sure there will be some shopping involved somewhere in thier day too. I've discovered that they don't haft to need anything to shop.

Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I like fun.~Colleen C. Barrett

November 13, 2005

Things are looking better around here. The leading factor for me is that my blood pressure is back down to near normal. I hadn't been checking my blood pressure for a long time and the last trip to the doc they checked it at about 160/109. The doc asked me to keep track of it for a week or so and if it didn't go down he would prescribe another medicine. During the week and some days that I checked it, it was always between 164 to 172 on the high side and 107 to 114 on the low. We finally got another prescription and it works (128/79 this morning). Now if we can only afford it!!! It seems like some take their health for granted and end up very surprised when some of it begins to abandon the vessel. Oh, if I hadn't gotten fat!

Today is a NASCAR race day so we're just as content as we can be. Glenda cooked me a pot of pinto beans with ham-hocks last night too, so I'm ultra happy. Oh, why am I so fat?

Look to your health; and if you have it, praise God, and value it next to a good conscience; for health is the second blessing that we mortals are capable of; a blessing that money cannot buy.~Izaak Walton

November 12, 2005

Bowling wasn't that bad yesterday. There was only six of us and only two were women so it went pretty fast. Glenda and Ruthie were the two and they visit and talk all the time so they didn't delay the game much. Oh I did need to say something a couple of times but it was still a good outing. I was bowling for my first time in over 2 years and still had games of 155, 158 and 165. Alas, those scores will be my first and only for the year with the operation coming up Thursday. Glenda really tried hard to beat me on the last game but I held her off. She did make a heck of a run tho and came up just a point short with a 164.

Looks like rain here and the electricity just went off but came right back on. We may not be on-line much longer this morning and I have a few other things to do on here so this is the end my friend.

"Early to bed and early to rise -- till you get enough money to do otherwise." - Peter's Almanac

November 11, 2005

Bowling wasn't that bad yesterday. There was only six of us and only two were women so it went pretty fast. Glenda and Ruthie were the two and they visit and talk all the time so they didn't delay the game much. Oh I did need to say something a couple of times but it was still a good outing. I was bowling for my first time in over 2 years and still had games of 155, 158 and 165. Alas, those scores will be my first and only for the year with the operation coming up Thursday. Glenda really tried hard to beat me on the last game but I held her off. She did make a heck of a run tho and came up just a point short with a 164.

Looks like rain here and the electricity just went off but came right back on. We may not be on-line much longer this morning and I have a few other things to do on here so this is the end my friend.

"Early to bed and early to rise -- till you get enough money to do otherwise." - Peter's Almanac

November 11, 2005

Yesterday went pretty good. Glenda had no bumps in her road so it won't need to be traveled again for several years in the future. It was thought this to be the case but it makes for a more peaceful life to make sure. I had the ore-op stuff and am ready for the next Thursday deal.

Using some threats that I don't want to repeat here Glenda forced me to chauffer her to the little boat in Boonville. I quickly got away ahead of the game but being greedy near as quickly came back to my original investment before I could get the stop order to be received. I did end up even. Glenda doesn't want to talk about her investment experience.

Neither of us had eaten anything all day so around 1:30 we went to their buffet. They charge $8.99 cents for a $3.00 buffet but they gave us each one free and it only cost us $25.00.

Today is Glenda's bowling day and because of her thinking there won't be many bowling today, I've just about decided to I join the old folks for once. I'll need to take a few medical supplies for afterwards. The need to curtail the bleeding of my tongue from biting it for two hours will be a serious need.

'Fun fun fun till daddy took the t-bird away.'

Life is not a spectacle or a feast; it is a predicament.~George Santayana

November 10, 2005

Man going where man has never gone before. An important inner space exploration project has been scheduled and Glenda has been asked to participate. One small poke for man, one huge worry for Glenda. Yep, she is getting her colonoscopy this morning in Columbia....I mean in the rear in Columbia. No special reason, except due to things being the way they have been it was thought to be a smart thing to do. After and during all the drinking of the stuff yesterday, she got a lot of good exercise and also I believe limbered the area up some.

I'm supposed to stop by the hospital to get a few tests or checks in preparation for the hernia operation next Thursday.

No time to give much thought to very many things anymore, we're stepping right along here!

Feelings are not supposed to be logical. Dangerous is the man who has rationalized his emotions.~David Borenstein

November 9, 2005

A nice day starting at 54 degrees with a rather stiff breeze but lots of good old sunshine. Tomorrow morning is supposed to begin with a 21 degree or more, colder temperature. Now won't that be nice?

Zippity do da, zippity a, my oh my what a wonderful day, plenty of leaves are still blowing our way, zippity do da zippity a.

Glenda is going in this morning for a therapy treatment on her leg. It is supposed to show her how to limber it up at home so she is scheduled for only two trips. It is limber enough but it stiffens up while she sleeps or when she sits for an extend period. They said due to the radiation that if she should ever be in a car wreck it would probably break that leg. Also if she should get a splinter or do anything minor like that to the leg she may need to see a doctor because the healing ability of that leg is not near up to par.

It had been a long time since we've had a visit with Ruth and Bob but we had a happy one yesterday. The meal was very scrumptious too. Matter of fact it was so good that I've had to struggle with what was best, the food or the visit.

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.~Marcel Proust

November 8, 2005

Today we're invited to lunch in Jeff City. Ruth, whom I call Glenda's God Mother, was the sweet lady who invited us. I think Lena is going to be there too. I don't know about anyone else.

Glenda did pretty well yesterday bringing home a dab of extra money. She had won really good and then made the mistake of returning to the machines after lunch. That cut her winnings from really good down to what might be seen as only good to a lot of people but to us poor folks, $150 is still very, very- really good.

I made a mostly enjoyable round trip yesterday. I went by and visited a little with daughter Debi then went to the new Fabick store in Columbia. Then I stopped by to be prodded by the doctor. He made arrangements to do the deed to the hernia November the 17th.

Debi was great as could be but our visit was interrupted a few times with business. Her boss seems to be a right nice guy. It was surprising to see so much business and manufacturing going on out there in the middle of nowhere.

The new Fabick store was an impressive sight! A huge inventory of equipment too. It location is a little out of the way but still..............I can't help but wonder what if? What if they had built that store fifteen or twenty years ago? Oh well, I'm past all that now.

The doctor, Bruce Brown, is a nice friendly doctor. I hope he is as good as he comes off to be. I wasn't tickled about the facts as he related them but it needs to be done. He said the first week I would be in lots of pain and will be asked not to lift anything over ten pounds for three to four weeks depending on whether he uses mesh or not. That may or may not interfere with our leaving here for Nevada, right after Glenda's check-up or not. So goes life!

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.~John Lennon

November 7, 2005

Glenda is going with a couple loads of woman to Boonville today. It's someone's birthday I think. What a nice way to celebrate!

I'm going to meet the surgeon to discuss the hernia and it's repair. I don't believe I'll celebrate this yet.

We hope you have a bunch of good to celebrate!

The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together.~William Shakespeare

November 6, 2005

We went thru hail last night! Mother Nature treated us to a quartet. She set the scene with cloudy skies and a pretty strong wind then she sent lightning and thunder with rain and hail beating on the roof to entertain us. Is being tortured a form of entertainment? With a tornado watch in effect it was a mite scary and the fear that the large hail could possibly break the skylight kept our hearts beating loudly and at a faster rate than normal. I distinctly remember thinking that they wanted to join in and up the quartet to a choir. After all was said and done we came out just fine. Tho, I haven't made the tour of the outside yet I can see that a great many leaves gave up the ship last night. Believe it or not, I can see a few bare limbs this morning.

Earlier I even saw Glenda's bare limbs and I must tell you the wounded leg is looking good. Unfortunately I wasn't permitted a feel to see if it felt as good as it looked! She said I would need to take her word for it. She has another wound in her groin area where they took out a few lymph nodes and I suspect she may have been worried that I'd try to check that one out too.

So much to talk about and yet nothing to say!!!!!!!!!!

Why are women ... so much more interesting to men than men are to women?~Virginia Woolf

November 5, 2005

Couldn't access our email account this morning. We could get on line but couldn't receive or send any emails. In disgust I finally restarted the computer. Wham bam, here we am.

We've got a lazy weekend lined up for ourselves. Of course that is subject to change in a fraction of an instant. That comes mostly form the fact that a woman is involved and her vote counts for around 65 percent while mine struggles to hang around the 35 percent that's left.

I spent three and a half hours and two tanks of pre-mix blowing all the leaves away. This morning you would argue that I didn't blow any yesterday by the way everything is covered again. I still think you need to stay ahead as much as you can or it becomes a pretty hard chore.

I can't think or type but I've given it a shot anyway, now I'll go try another task or two. One I've always been good at is eating and the other is kind of a hit and miss thing called fishing. Bye, bye.

A man buys a house; and now he has a master, and a task for life; he is to furnish, watch, show it, and keep it in repair, the rest of his days.~Ralph Waldo Emerson

November 4, 2005

A cloudy day, 58 degrees and drab leaves laying everywhere even tho I blew most of them away yesterday afternoon. Day after day and we have yet to see a bare tree. If you let the leaves pile up too much they are a lot harder to move along. Oak leaves and acorns are hard to move along anyway. The acorns have the perfect shape to roll the wrong direction or not at all. If they roll into even a tiny crevice you almost need to pick them up and throw them to move them on. Well, I don't think I'll need to mow anymore this year anyway. There is always some good along with the bad.

Going to a doctor Monday to see about getting my hernia taken care of. Should have had that fixed long ago. I think it is called an umbilical hernia. My belly button is an outie now and getting more outie all the time. As I understand it, it's not a complicated procedure and if things go right you get to go home the same day.

Glenda is going to get a flu shot today and then go bowling. Neither of us has ever had a flu shot but with all that Glenda has been through, it is thought for her to get one would be a good idea. I don't believe I need one for a few more years.

We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.~Robert Wilensky ....And I'm proud to have made a contribution to this fact finding.

November 3, 2005

Good morning is about all I can come up with today. I send it along so you will at least know we're thinking about yousss.

Make it a point to do something every day that you don't want to do. This is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain.~Mark Twain

November 2, 2005

Glenda is going shopping in Columbia with the girls today.....I'm beginning to wonder about Glenda and the girls! I guess it's okay as long as she keeps coming home.

There isn't any argument about it being autumn now. You know, it's right pretty out there. Of course looking through the window I can't see the inches high stack of leaves on everything. That does improve the view. I blew some away yesterday, I'll blow some more away today and then again for a week or so out into the future. Not much of a problem on the ground but I hate doing the gutters!

Yesterday we planned to clear a space in the garage for Lena's washer and dryer so she wouldn't need to go up and down the basement stairs to wash. That plan failed big time when Lena wouldn't let us throw a single thing away, including some empty cardboard boxes and paper bags. I suspect she doesn't want her washer and dryer in the garage, so I don't think it will come to pass. She said she wants a new kitchen floor covering and a dish washer installed. One should always ask what her desires are before making any plans.

Everybody's got plans...until they get hit. ~Mike Tyson

November 1, 2005

Fallen leaves everywhere, just everywhere and another trillion on the trees yet to turn loose and make their contribution to the protecting bed. They're all kinda red, brown, yellow and just a dab here and there of some green still hanging around. It doesn't have a motor but it is still part of the cycle.

Going to Jeff City today to help Glenda's mother with few things. I don't think any of the help will entail too much labor on my part so I'm not dreading it near as much as I could. I'm just a home body and there isn't anything I can do to change that fact. I've tried but there isn't anything I've done that is more exciting than reading a good book. Glenda keeps trying too, and once in awhile she scores one like she has today. Bless her little heart!

"No rest for the wicked", they say, that and the lazy ass of mine makes me about one of the least wicked person in our neighborhood. Unfortunately I am also becoming one of the biggest men in the neighborhood too.

A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.~George Moore