Second Year of Retirement

So as I sat at the table this morning I thought of my fellow teachers who are sitting at the boring meetings and getting smart about the school district and record keeping and insurance changes. I am not there and I can go and do what ever I want today. Hooray for retirement!
The question is what do I want to do? I do have couple of errands and I  do want to read a book. I do want to go to the rec center.
 I am working on two afghans. I ran out of a color of yarn. I do want to just watch Smallville. (I wonder why I keep on liking to watch the same episodes over and over?) I have two other movies to watch too.
So as far as the novels: East of Eden I had to stop. It wasn't gripping enough. I am reading The Big Sleep and 1984 simultaneously. Neither one is gripping. I want to do some research on the novel I want to write.
There are dishes and tutoring and laundry and ooh yes packing to go on vacation and to a wedding.
What are you doing today?

To Kill A Mockingbird

Well I finished novel #one. I don't know if I read this book before but I do know that I have only seen the movie in bits and pieces. I remember the actor who played Atticus, Gregory Peck,  and the little girl who played Scout. I could not put it down and longed to stay up late finishing it. That is the kind of novel I want to write. Do you remember reading it? If you read this blog let me know if you read it and if you remember the story line.
Since 1960 when this book was written, I have read many stories about Civil Rights and racial equality. In fact one yer I saw the inequality of the races first hand. But when I was living it, I didn't even recognize it as a problem.  In fact one year much later, one of my students asked me,  "Why do we always have to read about this problem?" Interestingly, this problem wasn't one that he had personally.
 One question I have always wondered, How did the author come up with the title? The answer come when Atticus talks about the Mockingbird.  Now that I have read it I plan to answer comprehension questions and look through teacher guides to come up with the higher level thinking skills and questions that deal with those. So I can really study about characters, view points,  plots, language, etc.
I have noticed this about living in a small town. There is  a townie and student and university and not with the university attitude here in Oxford. This attitude wasn't in Liberty, but there there was an attitude of "Good Ol' Boy". Rather similar to the social classes in the book.

The 50 Greatest Novels Written

In preparation for writing I am also reading great novels and so I am beginning with  To Kill a Mockingbird. After reading the book I plan to look at it from an author's view point and really study all the things that a good novel needs - a point of view a protagonist an antagonist etc. and keep notes hopefully I can become a better writer this way. I also know that I have already read a good portion of these books but I have not studied all of them for a long, long time. In spite of knowing the basic plot I still find this novel gripping and can't wait to meet the Boo and to see how Atticus Finch acts at the court room.
Another book I just finished was called Tadpole by Ruth White. Obviously not my mother but still the author caught my attention. This one shares a few similarities with To Kill a Mockingbird. I will not go into them here, but I plan to keep a note book with thoughts about both of the books. It is not on the List but it did win an award for children's literature.

NANOWRMO

It is official.  I joined a novel writing club and in November I will get a chance to write a novel in a month. Between now and then I am kicking around ideas in my brain and reading how to teach writing articles from my teaching books and doing the steps in learning to write fiction. It is so much harder to write fiction than to write non-fiction. That is because you have to have a setting and characters that are more than names and action that is more than this happened. You also have to have a plot and a theme and a good idea. To get even more specific you have to have a voice and even genre of writing to begin with. So I am thinking of things and wondering about putting together a story of faith and love. The story of Ruth from the Bible comes to mind. I could just use the plot and modernize it. Or I could take the real Bible story and expand about it describing how people lived in that time. The second one sort of appeals to me because I love to do research.  As a teacher I always said,  "Write about what you know." Well I will keep kicking around ideas and maybe by November I will have my outline ready to go.

What are You doing?

Well today was another scorcher of a day 95 was the hottest temp and now at 7:21 it is a cool 88. I know the temperature because I just took the trash out.
According to my Chinese friends everyone in America talks about the weather. However, in China they talk about food.
What did you have to eat today?  Well I had 4 meals.and I had a salad with many types of vegetables, fish, grapes, two kinds of squash and a mixed fruit shake. I feel full now and hopefully will be full until tomorrow morning. Then I will have another shake maybe a grape one.
Did you exercise today? Why yes, I did. I walked 2 miles at the rec center on Miami's Campus.
As I was leaving the rec center, I thought about how as a six year old I learned to swim at the old natatorium by Withrow Court. I drove by the Stousland's house and saw that is is called "That 70s House".  strange name since it was built in the late 5os. I drove up College Ave. also called the red brick road and enjoyed the new bricks that had been added this spring.
Did you do any chores today? Why yes, I did. I did laundry and folded clothes and put them away. I also did dishes, cooked, boxed up a few things and cleaned up the linen closet.
Because there weren't any folks around to chat with, I just read a book and finished it, one of the vet books by James Herriot. It is just as funny now as it was the last two times I read it! I kept wanting to look up images on the computer of Yorkshire, England.
Well today is over, almost and now I can watch tv. Or maybe I will watch a couple episodes of Smallville.
Life isn't very exciting unless you get out and do a few things,but not today! Too hot.

NOT Here yet!

The I Phone was to have arrived yesterday but now it is lost and the UPS company will have to find it for me. If they don't find it then Apple and AT&T will reissue the phone and maybe it will come to my house some time. The person who has my phone will have to give it back or it will never work again.

A Changed Life

According to Jonathan Jones by new I phone will change my life. So I decided to make a list of things I already know changed my life.

My birth changed my life: well duh....
When my brother and sisters were born my life changed.
Moving to new places changes your life.
Learning things from my cousin Kate changed my life.
Learning to read, write, and compute, changed my life.
Spending 10 weeks in Oxford, Ohio when I was 6 changed my life.
Learning to drive changed my life.
Graduating high school and going to college changed my life.
And getting married and divorced and having children and children and children and children changed my life.
Traveling to Europe, to various places around the U.S. and even hiking around Oxford.

But the one thing I always tell Jonathan~Knowing Jesus changes your life not a phone. That change is really the only important one.

Mid year check up

Today I decided to see how I am doing with all of my new year's goals.

2013  goals and ideas:
1. Pray more often and more effectively~
This goal needs to be more measurable and objective. Like maybe say~ write in a prayer journal 3 times a week or something like that.
2.Maybe that means buy or keep a prayer journal. Yes I did this one,
3. Look for the silver lining. Not always but I try to do this. Again it needs to be more measurable and objective.
4.Do a good deed once a week. ( Make a list of them so I have 52.)I might have done this I just didn't write them down.
5.Decorate the walls in the living room.Yes
6.Redo the computer room and my bedroom.
7.Call my friends don't just text or e-mail. And arrange lunch dates to chat and everything! Yes I have been doing this some weeks more than others.
8.Call my sisters weekly. NO I have not done this every week.
9.Work on managing my finances. Yes I have been doing this.
10.Keep to the budget.Yes
11.Crochet 3 baby afghans.Yes
12.Get a head start on Christmas, like buy or write stuff down as I see needs. not yet
13.Go to Florida to see Cathy, Bill, Sue and others. not yet
14.Walk daily even if it is just up or down the hill. Yes I am walking but no not daily.
15. Go to California to see my sister and her family~ not yet
16.Go to Paul Jr.'s wedding~ where is that going to be? not yet
17. Start a going to China savings account to go to China in 2 years. Yes I have done this.
18. Read a book a week and report on it every Friday. I am sure that  I have read a book a week but I didn't report weekly.
19. Go to see Aunt Mearlene in Wilmington, North Carolina.
20. Include more fruit and vegetables in my daily diet. I am doing this.
21.Make a new friend or two. Yes
22.Continue to study Spanish or Chinese. yes
23.Be accountable.
24.Work in the Sunday school department at OBF. Yes
25.Study the Bible and able to answer questions.Yes
26.Sing Karaoke with Katie and friends.
27.Go Katie's wedding and have fun there! Yes
28.Volunteer at the Middle School with Suzette Yes
29.Go on 4 hikes with Katie and Dustin, one each season.
30.Go to Curves at least 3 times a week. Can't do this now. It closed. So Now I have to go to the Rec Center 3 times a week
So now I have a few left ( like 7 )  with some of them scheduled just not done yet. I really do want to get to know my son in law and daughter in law better. Guess I am getting some where this year!

July 4

Happy Birthday America. I celebrated last weekend. So today when it rained all day and I was sick, it didn't really bother me. I called two people today and talked to one of them on the phone. I just listened to messages from the other.
 I have got to get a life where I do something, but I just don't know what kind of something I want to do. Well The photo says it all. Here's to truth, justice, the American way and sun glasses.

At the Gym

Every day you should exercise. I used to go to Curves, but it closed. Now I have moved to Miami Rec Center to stretch, walk, and visit with random strangers or people with whom I am slightly acquainted.   I have also tried swimming in the pool and lifting weights.  Notice that there are about a million steps to climb before you get in the door. It is all good.
I like going there because it makes me think of those days in summer when I was 6 and learned to swim at the pool on Withrow Court.  Of course Dessie and Howard's house is no longer there on Oak Street, but I still feel like I am in the same place as that homesick little girl so long ago. The air there is different, it sort of feels  like home.

A Saturday night on a Wednesday

 When you are retired you don't have to wait for the weekend to do the things you used to do on Saturday. So on Monday Karen and I (otherwise known as Amma and Grannie) ventured into the great metropolis of Hamilton, Ohio.  We were searching for new things to try and counting on old favorites.
The first stop was lunch at Bob Evans where we both had egg beater  vegetable omelets and ice tea. The egg substitute was like yellow rubber and both of us decided not to get that again. But after a quick rest room break we went out to a new experience shopping on the Main street before the bridge.
Here we found a used bookstore with no Spanish/English dictionaries and no old copies of Nancy Drew or Judy Bolton books. They did have some old Agatha Christie's  and even a small collection of Horatio Alger books though. We also found a Bargain Bungalow Shoppe that we explored and found nothing of interest but a china or maybe paper machet fish. As we left we decided that just shopping there made us smell like mildew so we will not try that shop again.
Now at 4:45 It was time for the main event. Drum roll please. "Man of Steel" was the movie and it was in 3D. We put our black rimmed 3D glasses on and watched  as a young boy, Clark Kent, learned that he has extraordinary powers and was not of this Earth. As a young man, he journeyed to the North pole and beyond to discover his origins and his purpose. Then in very loud music and strange sort of transformer like action the  hero in him emerged and  he saved  the world  yet again from annihilation. Finally Superman became  the symbol of hope for all mankind. My opinion, I like Samllville better and Tom Welling is way more attractive then Henry Cavill. But you choose;  what do you think?
The evening was just beginning but being over 60 the two of us called it a day and came home to cook healthy dinners and relax.

Go Grannie Go Amma Go

On the longest day of the year I broke away from my Smallville fixation long enough to go play Miniature golf in 85 degree heat and about 75 degree humidity.  At about 6:30 I called Karen and said, "Here it is  Friday and the longest day of the year. We have to get outside and do something other than walk all the way down  High Street. " We had done that earlier when we ate lunch at the Wild Bistro at noon.  "But what can we do?"  Then suddenly I had a brilliant idea, and said I know, "Let's go play miniature golf at Marker's Wally's World. And so we did. To see the pictures, check out Facebook. I can't figure out how to put them on here!

The Aviator's Wife

 The Aviator's Wife is the story of  Anne Morrow Lindberg. It is a novel but it seems to me that it tells her story very well. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good book. The emotions the author reveals the first time Anne flies are so real and when the baby is kidnapped you long for him to be found.  It also portays the life style of the rich and famous very well. You almost hate the public for  wanting to know about them.

And now it is June

Where did May go? It is June 11 already.  I am busy every day.
Starting this week for 10 days, I am teaching summer school and gosh it feels great to work with small groups of children again. I'm teaching the writing group and we are writing stories and autobiographies and other things.  Tomorrow I am going to try some poetry with them. Wish I could take a picture of the group and post it here. Just so you know, two of the women I work with were once my students and at least one of the children are children of previous students.

Another Rainy Saturday

I think I have found a theme here. ON Saturday I read book s and watch movies. Yesterday I watched three movies.
I watched Amazing Grace
and Sense and Sensibility
and Seven Years in Tibet.
Have you seen them? Did you like them, too?
I liked "Amazing Grace" because it was about William Wilberforce,  a man who did something that changed the world. I wish I had known about him when I was in 8th grade. He would have been a great person about whom to write a biography. Slave trading  and slavery are just dispicable things.  People are people aand all should be free. It made me wonder who was the better man Thomas Jefferson or William Wilberforce?

I liked "Sense and Sensibility" because it is a romance. It also made me aware that women really didn't have much life before the 20th century and certainly we didn't have much of a say about things. All there was was babies, children and care giving no mater which class you were in. I am so glad that Margaret doesn't marry......

And I liked "SevenYears in Tibet". It was a true story and made me again aware of the differences in cultures. The east is different from the west. Not better or worse, just different.

And now you know that I am going to the library to get some new shows and new books .......
Have a good week and if you have any suggestions for my movie enjoyment.... I would be greatful.

Saturday

It rained and poured.
I watched some tv today.
I went to the grocery today.
 I read two books today and I visited a neighbor today.
Oh, and I went to curves.
Curves was good quiet but good. It was a work out where you sort of move around and try to get strong. But I did not work harder than ever that is for sure. Some times when your knees hurt, you just can't jog or even march double time.
Then I read a book, About a secretary named Janet. It was ok, but the story was too predictable.
Can't remember the title and the book isn't on the table where I am typing.
The other book was a true crime book by Ann Rule and it was riviting, but I again skipped to the end.
The movies were, "Ides of March" with George Clooney and Ryan Gossling. It was about politics.
And takes place at Miami University. Interesting to see Hall Hall and Farmer School of Business on the movie screen.
And the second one was "What If?"  That movie was a great one. I kept wondering about the ending. Yesterday when I tried to watch it,  the ending was messed up so I cleaned the disc off and then was able to watch it today. Great story. An investment banker meets a wonderful life sort of theme.
The grocery store? well I went so I could make vegetable soup. Which I did for supper.
I also watched the Pacers game on tv and it was good, because the Pacers won.
Of course I did a few other things like talk on the phone and dishes and played on the computer~
And there you have it a Saturday in the life of a 60 year old ......

May

Trala it's May! What a lovely day today and the past days were two Michigan days
 also. So sunny and blue sky and green grass and I don't have my camera yet. Please Katie don't forget it this weekend.
The first weekend in May is coming up and you know what that means....Derby Day.

This weekend is the Kentucky Derby. My friend Heather is going and she is so excited. She gets to sit in a box belonging to a co-worker of her husband. She bought a new sun dress and hat. She  is going to get a spray on tan. When Heather was telling me about her plans and such, I decided dressing up for Derby was like getting ready for prom.
Mearlene and Dick went to the Derby a couple of times. Dessie used to watch it faithfully every  year and have a mint julip while she watched. This year I will watch. Maybe I will see Heather on T.V.
If you want a Mint Julep on Saturday as you watch, you need Kentucky Bourbon, sugar, mint and ice. Google the recipe.  Oh, and Don't forget to sing that famous Stephen Foster song, My Old Kentucky Home.

A Wedding- So much Fun!

The theme of Katie's wedding was, "Let's all have Fun and all of it, well almost all of it, was fun.
Her colors were pink and green. They are such  brilliant and vibrant colors. All of the bridal party looked lovely. I do think that Lita and Jono were the best couple.

Jodie took the pictures and Kim Shrum helped with the reception and decorations. It all looked lovely from the church to the fellowship hall.

Before the wedding I was making bead socks. These are time consuming and yet fun to make. Shades of when Katie and Lita were little girls. I crocheted 7 pairs. They are made with white socks, pink or green cotton thread, and pony beads, naturally pink and green ones.

 Look at how happy we look! Well, some of us. Anyway, I am so happy for Dustin and Katie. It was a great time.  We had doughnuts and dancing and a photo booth so....the reception was lots of fun!

Kentucky part 2

Well,
 It wasn't a picnic and from March 20 to March 26 I had to keep reminding myself only a few more days. The Tuesday after Jo Ann left Mom-law fell and broke her hip. Oh, my what a nightmare! Emergency room, hospital room, ICU, caring for Sam, all of it was such a challenge. But the doctors were excellent, and the ICU care was good.  Mom-law made it through surgery, with 2 blood transfusions, and Jo Ann did come back from Cuba, though a day late. I am thankful that she did live, by the grace of God. I am thankful that my family and friends prayed, and that the doctors were so careful with her both in surgery and recovery. God is good all the time. It wasn't what I had expected,  but  Jo Ann's experience made it all worth it.

Kentucky Again!

Here I am at Aunt Jo's exercising and caring for Mom La. She is more work than before, and has really aged (94 is the true age) since I last saw her. Jo Ann has gone to Cuba, to work at a church there teaching Women's groups. I will be here for a week to 10 days. I like to come early to see and learn the routines and to get acclimated to Kentucky air. There are several things that are different. She can't see any more so we can't play cards. I also have to feed her now, and she can't always walk with the walker so she uses a wheel chair. Dressing herself is a challange so again I have to do it. Everything seems to take a longer time. So I will earn my money!

Emma Again

Today I am going to tell you a story about my cat, Emma, again. She is almost a year old and everyone kept telling me, "Get her fixed. You will need to once she comes into heat."
 So one day while I was exercising at Curves I got the name of how to do it. You call a group called the Neuterville Express and get the animal an appointment. They come to Oxford at the Whistle Stop and get your pet and return it the next day all fixed up. The cost was good only 45 dollars. This included a rabies shot and flee and mite removal. So I took advantage of this program scheduled an appointment and got Emma all fixed. Now I don't have to worry about kittens.
Here is the really funny thing though. Every night she meows to go out and sometimes I let her go. One cold snowy evening she came out with me while I got the mail. I walked down the steps and she followed. When I returned  she did not want to come in so I let her stay out while I did a few dishes. Then I called her from the door. She was sitting up in the middle of the drive way with her tail wrapped around her. In front of her about 3 feet away were two male cats. Just looking at her, when I came onto the porch I called, "Here kitty kitty kitty!" She turned and came up to me just twitching her tail as she walked as if to say, "If you liked it you should have put your ring on it."
I love my kitty!

Why?

On Wednesday I went to the dietitian to see why even though I have been going to curves for a year I have only lost 1 pound. I lost a bunch then gained it back then lost some more then gained it back. But when the year ended I had only lost 1 whole pound.  But my skinny jeans are baggy jeans and some of my button blouses are not skin tight either. So it kind of looks like I lost weight even though I didn't.
 I signed up for an appointment to talk with the dietitian at McCullough-Hyde Hospital about how to manage my diet since I am a diabetic. Even if I lose the weight I will still be diabetic, but I will slow down the progressive problems that come with this disease. Here is what she told me.
First diabetes come from not having enough carbohydrates in your cells to give you energy. The insulin that your  body produces isn't working or your body doesn't produce enough. So you don't have energy and you feel tired. As a diabetic I take metformin which is supposed to help with the digestion of the carbohydrates.
She gave me a diet.  Low and behold I was not eating enough carbohydrates and not eating at regular times and not drinking enough water and eating too many fats. For the last 4 days I have been measuring things out, planning meals ahead and counting carbs.  My breakfast food has increased with more carbs and less protein. Dinner is also the same way. And I have to eat a big lunch and three snacks. I will try this for a month and according to the dietitian I should lose 2 pounds a week. We will see. The challenge is to be intentional about eating and not impulsive and to measure everything out.
I am also going to walk at Miami University field house otherwise known as Millett Hall every day to increase my exercise.
I am still very angry about having diabetes, but hopefully, I can manage the illness better and not let it get to  me.

Valentine's Day

Today like many other single women I did not have a Valentine. But I did celebrate sort of. I took a friend downtown Cincinnati to catch the Megabus. I learned to post pictures from my new camera. This one is me by the creek at Hueston Woods holding up two of the fossils Lita and Jonathan and I found on Monday.  Lita gave me flowers and a computer lesson. Lita and Miriam gave me Valentines. Curves gave me one piece of chocolate. For dinner I had won ton soup and 1C. of Phan Shin's fried rice with broccoli and talapia on the side. Tonight I plan to watch some t.v. and crochet some baby blankets. Happy Valentine's  day friends and family.

Cleaning ?

If any one out there likes to clean let me know. I like a clean house and mine isn't really very dirty, but it could use a good vacuuming and  I know I need to dust the dressers in all the rooms as well as the book cases.
When you live by yourself and no one is expected to come over it is hard to stay motivated to keep the house clean. As a result I have been saying all week: You need to clean the bathrooms; you need to clean the mirrors. You need to run the vacuum and dust. But some how I choose to do other things. Actually my house is small and so it won't even take an hour. So if I just get up and get started it will be done for the month of February.
Things to do instead of clean:
Read
Crochet
Knit
Needlepoint
Watch a tv show~Thank you Lita Schriever for helping me move the tv by the window.
Call a friend.
Pray.
Go for a walk
Call the auto place about getting the brakes replaced.
See there are a lot of other things to do this afternoon since I don't have to go to work. Well, maybe if I clean someone will drop by for a visit. One can always hope!

No Television

Yesterday I stopped having cable for my t.v. I  decided it was too expensive to pay so much for air.  So now I have nothing much to do all evening except to be on the computer and play internet games and read. I think I can get movies on Wii but I haven't figured out how yet.  I did attach a box thing so I can get channels eventually when I get an attenna. My hair dresser said to get a digital box, so I will. Who knew I liked t.v. so much? I think it is only because it doesn't work that I like it! I really don't watch anythig much except on Thursday nights and Monday nights and over the wekend if there is a good movie. So what about a good book? I will go and find one!

Cooking with Class

The cooking class went well and I had a great time introducing egg beaters to the college girls and other folks. The breakfast burritos were tasty.  Everyone said they were good. I also think you can make them without the burrito shell and just roll up the eggs.
Just a note about the people in the photo. The woman standing up is a former Wycliff translator for whom I fixed a pork roast when her baby was born. The women sitting in front are Anni-Mari from  Finland and then two Chinese girls whose names I forgot.
We are all in the lobby of my church not the best spot for cooking, as there is no stove or sink but you make do. I had three electric skillets.

Tomorrow I am cooking!

My church OBF is having a Woman's Day cooking with Class tomorrow. It will be fun. last year I learned to make scones. This year I am making breakfast burritos. That is something I know how to make and now I will make healthy ones!
Tonight I am getting ready by making/ chopping veges and practicing the recipe. I hope it tastes good!

Number 18

I love to read. It is my favorite activity. I enjoy other things, but reading is my absolute favorite. Since I missed a book a week so far it is ok that I spent all day today reading. Ah so relaxing!  The weather helped too, snow flurries and burr icey cold.

Anyway I finished up two more Jack Reacher books. One Shot and  Running Blind      Both are good but One Shot is better. I liked how it ended best because the other one I figured out "who dun it" early and I was right. Anyway in both of these Jack is entangled with the law: they think he has committed a crime. Of course he has, but he is more of the vigilante type of guy and only kills the bad guys. He sticks up for those who are innocent. There are two things the same 5 dead bodies. One has people killed in tubs of green paint the other has people shot by a sniper. And that is all I am going to say.
There are still 2 other books I am working on Beyond Ourselves and Angels of Gloom. Don't know when I will have another day to just read, but I am looking forward to it!

Sense

We write to make sense of our lives. I know that is just one sentence. But it is true at least for me.
I began in the summer between 8th and 9th grade to keep a journal. I kept it for years and then when I was married to John I threw it out. I didn't want him to read it for some reason.  I always wondered if anyone else read it because it had no lock but I will never know. It had some perculiar observations by me in it and it had a love story of sorts in it.
I wrote letters often to my grandparents when I was a teen ager and it continued through out my life until they died. It was good to read about their lives even if they weren't very exciting. And I know that every one loves to get mail. Throughout my life I have had many penpals, Jo Ann Kristensen Petersen to name just one.  
I wote out lesson plans for 37 years every Sunday and in the end years I had to include two types, one for the plan check and one for me. I loved the days when I could write Testin in my plan book because you didn't have to write any plans just time for breaks and reviews and fun things like recess. It is great not having to write out what I am doing at 8:45 every day any more, but I sort of miss it. Not enough to get on board with teaching any more though.
Do you think better with a pencil and paper or with a type writer? I am a pencil and paper kind of person. If I can't think of a thing to say I get that paper out and the thoughts flow.
In the last Bible study I did, Believe God, one of the activities was to make a time line of your life and divide it into fifths then write about how God was in each of those 5ths. I still haven't finished mine. But I will. That type of writing really made me try to make sense of my life.
Writing is good. It leads to reflection and reflection is good. It makes you stronger, sort of like exercise.

Book Report

One of my goals was to read a book aweek. Last week I read and finished one book and started three others then this week I FINISHED one of them.
The book I finished was a Jack Reacher novel and I really enjoyed it. I always like how Lee Childs writes.  The novel I read was called A Wanted Man. What I like about the novel is the adventure and the ways the plots unfold. It also appeals to the minimalist in me. I was sorry though that the girl who was the sherrif in this story was shot.
I tried to down load a picture but it didn't work.

It's Sunday again.

Where did the week go? I am sure that I don't know. I did go to curves this week, 5 times at least. Did I walk this week? No, I did not! My body was in massive pain from the weather changes starting on Sunday night so I did not  get much done until I started taking pain pills on Tuesday night and now I can move and everything. Sleep is not interrupted and  I can go to curves and do all the machines.
The US mail was good. Not all of it was junk like usual. For fun, I got a wedding invitation from Katie, and I got a Christmas card from Becky Burke.
 I didn't call my sisters, but I did e-mail them. and I heard back from them.
 I did do prayer and Bible study daily.
 I did work. Four days of tutoring keep me plenty busy. One of the days I read about The Spanish American War. That was in 1898 and was about Imperialism and Spanish  independence for Cuba. Also reminded me about Pulitzer, Hearst and yellow journalism and yellow fever.
Thursday Lita and I went shopping and I got a dress for $7.40 marked down from $50. It is a beige sheath. It  fits and is a size smaller than other dresses I have. Hooray. If I wear it to Katie's wedding then I will need to have something to fancy it up.  This week I am going to go to a thrift store here in town and see what they have. Guess I need to model it for this blog site.
What else did I do? I can't remember.....must be getting old. Oh, I cleaned up the very few things I put out for Christmas. Then mopped, dusted and vacuumed. When you live alone you don't have too much to clean.
And now for the latest adventure of my cat, Emma. She can open the drawers of my jewelry box and remove them. So now I have to keep my earrings in a chest of drawers drawer that is hard to open. Wow, I wrote a lot.
Guess there was more that happened this week than I thought.

List of 30

Yesterday I reexamined the events of 2012. Today I am making the list for this year. And now for this year's goals and ideas:

1.  Pray more often and more effectively~ 
2. Maybe that means buy or keep a prayer journal.
3.  Look for the silver lining. 
4. Do a good deed once a week. ( Make a list of them so I have 52.). 
5. Decorate the walls in the living room.
6. Redo the computer room and my bedroom.
7. Call my friends don't just text or e-mail. And arrange lunch dates to chat and everything!
8. Call my sisters weekly. 
9. Work on managing my finances. 
10. Keep to the budget.
11. Crochet 3 baby afghans.
12. Get a head start on Christmas, like buy or write stuff down as I see needs.
13. Go to Florida to see Cathy, Bill, Sue and others.
14. Walk daily even if it is just up or down the hill.
15.  Go to California to see my sister and her family~
16. Go to Paul Jr.'s wedding~ where is that going to be?
17.  Start a going to China savings account to go to China in 2 years.
18.  Read a book a week and report on it every Friday.
19.  Go to see Aunt Mearlene in Wilmington, North Carolina.
20.  Include more fruit and vegetables in my daily diet.
21. Make a new friend or two.
22. Continue to study Spanish or Chinese.
23. Be accountable.
24. Work in the Sunday school department at OBF.
25. Study the Bible and able to answer questions.
26. Sing Karaoke with Katie and friends.
27. Go Katie's wedding and have fun there!
28. Volunteer at the Middle School with Suzette
29. Go on 4 hikes with Katie and Dustin, one each season.
30. Go to Curves at least 3 times a week.

Happy Happy New Year 2013

 So it is a new year, 2013. Always good to review the old one. So I looked up my last year's list of 52 which was really 35.

1. Pray daily.     95% done.
 2. Have a daily Bible Study This I did better in the 3/4 of the seasons. Always good to have 3 Bible studies to attend.
 3. Go to Florida and visit Cathy, Sue, and Brenda No this didn't happen. It almost did so I better put it on the 2013 list.
4. Walk every day either inside Wal-mart or around the neighborhood. this only happened 20% of the time so it better be included in 2013 too.
 5. Keep to my budget so I don't have to get a job. Nope, I Got a job, actually God provided the perfect job for me!
6. Go to Karaoke No I missed that because I was in Kentucky.
7. See my sister and her family in California, Nope try for next year.
 8. Buy and artificial Christmas Tree. No did not happen.
 9. Go to Jo Ann's in Kentucky to play cards every month Number 9 is a yes!  well some months I missed but some I went a stayed a long time!
10. Do some nice things for random people Not really random people but did help out a few.
11. Help others in ways that I can help Yes this is sort of like 10. 
 12. Go to curves 3 times a week at first then maybe more Yes this was a success!
13. Take a monthly park visit and hike with Katie and others. Nope this did not happen.
14. Visit relatives in Wisconsin.NO 
15. Go to North Carolina and see Mearlene. No
16. Finish my Granny Square afghan Yes I did this one!
17.  Learn to quilt No not yet.
18. Finish decorating my new house with the painted wall squares of canvas No
 19. Clean and stain the deck. No
20. Have a family cookout on the deck.  Yes, and I even had Jiangmei's family over 
21. Invite friends over to eat twice a month no Once a month yes
22. Finish the needle pointed hand towels no, I don't even know where these are!
 23. Have lunch with retired teachers every month No too many conflicts with other things but I did go a few times.
 24. Read a book every week Yes, some weeks I read more than one.
 25. Play with other people's grandchildren yes
26. Volunteer at the Adult Ed school No I have to work on the nights of adult ed.
27. Scrap book once a month No I think I only did this two times.
28. See if I want to become the Creative Memories scrapbook lady No
 29. Make 6 new friends yes Monica, Joyce, Arlene, Kevin, Amy, Kathleen. Mary Gannod,
 30. Learn a new craft Yes for Christmas I learned to make a wooden Christmas ornament.

31. Write letters of encouragement. Yes, I did this when some friends were sick and when  I went to the OBF women's retreat.
32. Change out the curtains. No
 33. Have a party or game night Yes, I did this with the Chinese friends
 34. Participate in League of Women Voters activities so I can be an informed citizen Some of them happened.
35. Teach a scrapbook class at Hobby Lobby  No
OK! So now I see what has been accomplished and I need to make a new one for next year.  The ratio was 16/35  Not even 50% so I guess I can be better next year.