May 05, 2014 - Msg 97772: Trust me Maude it's not that bad....G-F
May 05, 2014 - Msg 97773: See....I can still sweep with the best of em'....
May 05, 2014 - Msg 97774: I'll guarantee that won't be all you can still do with the best of 'em! Being 55 isn't bad at all. For that matter, being almost 75 isn't bad, either. It certainly beats the alternative.....--Romeena
May 06, 2014 - Msg 97775:
I forgot to mention to Romeena that 95 words per minute is a great speed! You were a regular "Gloria!" Were you a legal secretary?
I took typing in summer school between jr and senior years, and I am sure glad that I did.
AZ gets its water from two sources, the colorado river, and thru watershed from northern AZ. We are in pretty good shape even with the drought.
Happy Birthday big maude! Those burgers at O'malleys were great!
Well, SPOT, sounds like your guys did it again.
I liked you FB pic!!! (:
MDC
May 06, 2014 - Msg 97776: Sakes alive, she's 55! Happy Birthday Maude. Hope it was a good one.

I can type 95 letters per minute, not in any particular order. :)

Has anyone read the book "Heaven is Real"? Just finished reading it Sunday. Pretty good book. I may go see the movie.

Nice sweep GF. Glad to see that retirement ain't gone to your head. You're still ok doing manual labor. :)

Speaking of such, I better go perform some. A mans gotta do what a mans gotta do.

Asa
May 06, 2014 - Msg 97777: Good one Asa, Yep, sweeping takes me back to my roots, sweeping the lot at the old "Service Station"... Better get EVERY cigarette butt! Now I know why I never took up smoking.. I HATED sweeping up those butts, gravel & dirt was ok but those darn butts. After that I got to clean the bathrooms.. Yep it was a FUN day!! All that for a dollar a day back then. Then walking home I'd find pop bottles and turn them in for $$...You know a guy could make upwards of a dollar and a quarter if he tried real hard...haha
Blame it all on my roots. Thanks Asa for the memory flash... Oh and another one... Like the day I found the boxes of "balloons" for the "balloon machine" in the men's room... Note to self.....Those wasn't balloons!!! haha ( but they did blow up REAL BIG tho!).... I'll leave you all with that visual for the day...

Yes, I was a study way back even then....That was before I got the "Bird in this world status" haha!

G-F
May 06, 2014 - Msg 97778: Morning porch, well I am about worn out today after all that partying at O'Malleys last night. I had to go home and soak my feet after dancing with Al. I made it to work on time though.

A beautiful day on my end of the porch, sunny and warm.

Prayers for Boo and her family.

lets go to Myers Lake for a picnic lunch today:
fried chicken with crusts, potato salad, SLAW, baked beans. Brownies for dessert. tea or lemonade to drink. see you there.

Prayers and blessings to all.
Big Maude


May 06, 2014 - Msg 97779: Hey Y'all- Asa, I've read " Heaven Is For Real"- loved it and would like to see the movie because I've heard it's really good.

Glad you had a nice birthday, Maudie! I need to head back over & clean up the cabin before O' Malley gets back from DEE- Troit!

Y'all have a lovely day!

*******************
possum under a rock
May 06, 2014 - Msg 97780: Wait a minute, Possum, and I'll go with you and help you clean up that cabin. I missed the party, but heard it was a real toe-stomper. I'll bet there are elixir bottles all over the place, and Floyd probably left banana peels everywhere.

My little baby birds have finished their flight training, I guess, because they're nowhere to be seen now. I assume they can feed themselves too, or they'd be out there buzzing for their parents to feed them. I imagine the exhausted parents are holed up somewhere, getting some well-earned rest.

No, MDC, I wasn't a legal secretary, though that probably would have been interesting. I worked for Civil Service for a couple of years, at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, and later at Randolph AFB, also in San Antonio. Then I worked for my dad for a few years, and then was my husband's office manager and secretary for a lot of years. I did have very fast fingers, I guess. That 95 on a manual was on a time-trial and was verified. I was never tested on an electric, but I would imagine I was faster, because the performance of the keys was faster. You didn't have to find that "rhythm" - the speed your machine would tolerate before locking the keys. With the electrics, that didn't happen, especially when IBM came out with the Selectric, which had no keys. The typeface was embossed on a little ball, which just whirled at a speed too fast to see, and nodded its little head toward the ribbon and imprinted the letter. There was no carriage return with the Selectric, either. The little ball ran up and down the platen instead. It was the only thing that moved. I loved that typewriter! It was the be-all and end-all in typing for several years.

I had one at home for years, and kept it even after the word processor/computers came into usage. I used it to address envelopes. The first printers were very un-friendly when it came to addressing envelopes. The only choice was to print on a label and stick it on the envelope. That required removing the tractor-feed paper stack, and putting in a stack of labels (also tractor-fed), print one label, then reverse the process to get back to paper. It was a daisy-wheel printer. Actually, that "daisy-wheel" thing was a spin-off from the Selectric typewriter. Anyway, since the paper was tractor-fed, that meant that whatever you had printed had to be torn free, then the tractor strips along the edges removed, and then you had to separate the pages. That process was called "bursting."

Oh yes, we've come a long, long way. Now I have a printer that copies, scans, prints, and faxes, and I have the nerve to sit here impatiently while it "wakes up" and gets ready to print something. Takes about ten seconds. How quickly we forget.

Well, guess I'll rustle up some lunch. I'll make extra if anybody wants to stop by. The back yard is so pretty right now, it's a great place to have lunch. --Romeena
May 06, 2014 - Msg 97781:
Hey GF, did you collect those bottles to by the missus a pair of stockings? Stockings are something you WEAR! haha
The balloon thing was funny!
RO--you probably figureed one of us would find this for you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCuU0JMCP7Q&safe=active
Today is Teacher Appreciation Day. Think of a favorite teacher
who you had, and give 'em a wink, nod and thank ya!
POSSUM--I'd like to see that movie, it it out yet?
Hope your day is well all!
Prayers,
MDC

May 06, 2014 - Msg 97782: Has anybody been watching "Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge" on TV? Very interesting! It's one of those team challenge things, where one participant is eliminated each week, until only one remains. The theme of this show is having teams build imaginary creatures in Jim Henson's Creature Shop. You know, of course, that Jim Henson was the creator of the muppets, like Kermit and Miss Piggy. His son, Brian Henson, has continued the dynasty, and they're giving these aspiring creature-fabricators a chance to show what they can do. It's actually very, very interesting, and fun to watch.

I'm sure everyone is aware by now that TVLand is no longer showing TAGS. They've put "Walker, Texas Ranger" in its place, much to my disgust. I'm sure it's a fine show, but it doesn't replace TAGS. What are they thinking??? At this moment, I can't find TAGS anywhere on the Dish Network menu. "Roseanne", yes, and other equally irritating shows, but no TAGS. Idiots.

Does everyone have a Braum's ice cream store in your area? We have them here, was just wondering if they're nationwide. The ones here are quite nice, they offer great ice cream products, both for eating in, and in cartons for take-home. However, they've branched out considerably, and now have a small but comprehensive grocery section. Beautiful produce, a complete dairy case, baked goods (best coconut macaroons ever!) and even a good meat selection. I bought a small steak there this morning, and will have it for dinner. The prices are about the same as at the grocery stores, the quality is as good or better, and they're about a mile closer than the grocery store where I usually shop. For a quick pick-something-up-for-dinner, they're great!

I'm looking forward to a good dinner tonight. Lunch was a handful of nuts, some cottage cheese and a coconut macaroon. I made some mac and cheese last night, and opened a can of peas, ate about a third of both. Tonight I'll have leftovers from that, and part of that little steak I mentioned. Then tomorrow night, I'll finish off all those things. Good thing I like leftovers, and I really do. Dale did too, which was definitely a good thing!

When we were raising the kids, there weren't many leftovers, maybe a dab of this or a spoonful of that. Still, I saved all those bits, and on Friday nights, we'd have "clean out the fridge" night. I'd start by dicing up any meat there might have been left (rarely) or if none, then I'd fry up a pound of hamburger. Dice a few potatoes and an onion into it, and fry until the potatoes were done. Then I'd just toss in the peas, or carrots, green beans, cabbage, whatever leftover veggies were in the fridge and let it all heat through. A dash or two of steak sauce to give it a little zip, and some salt, and we had a great one-dish meal. The kids loved it, so did we, and it was quick, easy and cheap. Can't beat that! Nothing was off limits, it all went in the skillet. Amazing how well all those different foods would work with each other. I still do a scaled-down version today, now and then.

Well, Toye Starr is asking for some cuddling. Guess I'd better make her happy. Such a sweet little old thing. Blessings! --Romeena
May 06, 2014 - Msg 97783: Ro. I think tvland airs TAGS for two or three episodes in the morning. At least it was on last week when I was layed up with my back. It came on at 7 am MST.

Balloons in the mens room GF? I'm glad you didn't say that last week when I was so sore.:)

Possum, if you go see the movie, give me your thoughts on it. I would like to see it if it is any good.

Asa
May 06, 2014 - Msg 97784: TVLand.... The BIG FREEZE... "We will not watch! We will not watch!".... I met the President of TVland at the Mayberry Days Andy Griffith's Statue Dedication, he seemed as Romeena would say, "Snarky"? and it's all about the mighty buck. But come on, there's better old shows than the ones they are showing now. Amen?

We had a beautiful day today, even got me some sunburn, got the yard fertilized and some flowers planted, but with caution, this is STILL Ohio and anything can happen.. Romeena, have you heard of citronella plants? I got 4 of them to put on the front porch, they are suppose to help keep the skeeters away, just incase "Larry the Bat" doesn't come around this year ha! They have a real lemony smell.

MDC... Those pop bottles bought C-A-N-D-Y!! We had a cool 5 & dime store all kinds of "penny" candy that just cost just a penny. ha! I could buy a pack of sen-sen for a dime if I remember right, did any one else like them? Or was it just me.... Yep, it was just me ha! (I can still get them @ Cracker Barrel) A friend usually gets me a box for Christmas so they last a long time...

G-F....


May 07, 2014 - Msg 97785:
Even ME-TV has started Welcome Back Kotter here.
Not a big fan at all. WKRP, yes, well written and plain funny, but WBK??
Oh well, nite all,
MDC
May 07, 2014 - Msg 97786: Asa, 7am mountain time would be 5am here in Texas. Too early. :( My cable company no longer carries TVLand, so doesn't matter. I just pull out the DVDs when I want to watch TAGS. The kids and I watched Man in a Hurry last night before bed.

I saw the heaven is for real movie, Asa, and didn't care for it much...not even close to as good as the book. It really bogged down in places and kind of drug on. I have heard other people say they enjoyed it but I took Sean and his best friend with me to see it and we all kind of left with the same impression...not great.

Boo
May 07, 2014 - Msg 97787: Thanks for the report Boo. I seldom go to movies for that reason. I try not to support hollywierd if possible. I almost always feel let down when a movie is based on a book. Just can't beat reading I guess. Makes your mind work a bit.
I'm the same as you Boo with the dvd's. The dang commercials on tv land are mind numbing. All the stinking promos for "soul man" and "hot in cleaveland" drive me nuts.

Glad you had some outdoor weather GF. I know it's been a long hard winter for you and Tom. Draft day tomorrow. Who are the Brownies gonna draft?

I'm with ya MDC on WBK. Never really cared for it. I have been dvring episodes of "The Fugitive" though. I loved watching that as a kid. When I hear the voice over at the start "A Quinn Martin Production", it brings back a flood of memories.

Hope y'all have a blessed day.

Asa
May 07, 2014 - Msg 97788: Good morning, porch! Wow, MDC, your post up there slipped past me and I didn't see it until now. That promo for the IBM Selectric was great. That really was one cool typewriter. Mine was red! They came in blue, beige, black, red, and (I think) white. Anyway, they were really good machines, and a joy to use. I gave mine to the church years ago, but sometimes I wish I still had it, just for old time's sake.

So "Heaven is For Real" isn't that good? I'm sorry to hear that, because the book is great. So often, the movie falls short. About the only one I can think of that really, really followed the book exactly is "To Kill a Mockingbird." Even the dialog was almost word for word. "Gone With the Wind", obviously, was a wonderful movie, but there were many variances from the book. In the book, Scarlett had a little boy after she married the simpering Charles, and named him Wade Hampton, after Charles' commanding officer, but the movie never mentions the child.

As for TV Land, I'm about done with them. The caliber of shows they're presenting has deteriorated badly. Just junk, the kind of stuff that panders to bad taste. Oh well. Forget them.

Well, gotta run. This is ESL day at the church. My students are always on time, I can do no less. Blessings, friends! --Romeena
May 07, 2014 - Msg 97789: Thanks for the review of "Heaven Is For Real", Boo. Haven't been to the movies in ages,but was considering checking this one out. Nah, ain't gonna waste my time.

Speaking of movies being true to the book, I recently found a copy of " The Homecoming" by Earl Hamner Jr. in a local thrift store. You all probably know that this is the story that the tv show "The Waltons" originated from. The movie comes on about every Christmas and I'm sure most of us are familiar with it.

The movie was pretty true to the book,other that the family was Spencer,not Walton, John Boy was "Clay Boy",there were 8 redheaded children in the book instead of only 7,and the youngest, Elizabeth on the series,was named " Patty-Cake" in the book. Couldn't quite wrap my head around "Patty-Cake"-ha!

Well, guess this lil ol' possum should get up and rolling around here- y'all have a great day!!

*******************
possum under a rock
May 07, 2014 - Msg 97790: THAN, not "that"!

possum again
May 07, 2014 - Msg 97791:
Boo, you made an error with your time zone calculation. Texas is in the Central Time Zone. And the Central Time Zone is one time zone east of the Mountain Time Zone. As you move east, you add one hour for each time zone. Therefore, Central Time is one hour ahead of Mountain Time. So 7am Mountain Time is the same as 8am Central Time.

Asa, I checked the TVLand schedule for The Andy Griffith Show. It was completely blank for the entire week. Apparently the last time they aired an episode was around April 24. However, they are still making available some full episodes each week that you can view at their web site.
Also, I am like you when it comes to movies. I might see one movie every five years. The last one I saw was the Three Stooges movie back in 2012. I grew up watching them on television. And I even got to meet the real stooges in person!

Romeena, speaking of old typewriters, I still have a Royal manual model similar to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg4z9eicT7c , except the typewriter and hardshell travel case are all in black. Also, I don't remember what my speed was on a manual. But on a computer keyboard, I have been timed up to 45 words per minute.

Here's a bit of typewriter trivia. Do you remember White Off, the white colored paste we used to cover up mistakes made with the old typewriters? The lady who invented it was the mother of Michael Nesmith. He was one of the musicians with the band known as The Monkees that had their own television show back in the late 1960's.

from Poor Horatio
May 07, 2014 - Msg 97792: Hey Folks,

I just wanted to drop in and say hey to Possum Under a Rock! It was certainly nice to meet her this past weekend at the Mayberry Comes to Westminster event in SC. It's always a pleasure to meet folks in person after seeing them here on the porch for so many years.

I hope to someday meet all of you.

--Floyd
May 07, 2014 - Msg 97793: Howdy, porch. PH, that clip about the Royal typewriter is interesting. I believe that one would be considered a "portable", since it was in a case. When I think back to when I learned to type, over sixty years ago, I remember the old upright Underwood machines that were in the typing classroom at school. Talk about a dinosaur! That was along about the time of the black rotary-dial phones, the ones with the high cradle on top of the unit, which held the receiver. Actually, in some areas, there was no dial, because "Sarah" placed all the calls. We were on a four-party line for a long time, and eventually upgraded to a two-party line, and finally, at long last, we got a private line. It cost more, too. My grandchildren have no clue.

I do remember White-Off, or as it was later called, Liquid Paper, and I did know who invented it. If I'm not mistaken, she lived here in Dallas.

Regarding the Selectric typewriters, they came out with one called the Correcting Selectric, which had a second "ribbon" that ran along with the one that did the printing. That second ribbon contained a white substance, and the typist would backspace to an error, activate the correcting ribbon and strike the wrong key again. That would print the white substance over the error. The typist could then hit the right key, and keep on going. It worked very, very well.

There is another little group of four sparrows out in the back yard now. Apparently, they're a late-hatching brood. The others have all gone their way, but this little group are obviously siblings, they stick very close together. They're still trying to get someone to feed them, but the parents aren't doing it. Poor little things, they tried to induce a dove to feed them, but the dove just looked at them and walked away. They're pecking at seeds on the stones, though, so they'll be okay, and they fly fairly well.

Well, I feel a little nap coming on. Blessings, friends! --Romeena
May 07, 2014 - Msg 97794: Sorry to discourage you all about the Heaven is for Real movie. It just, honestly, didn't have much to do with heaven..mostly is was about the struggles of the boy's family, especially his dad. There was a little theology in it that I wasn't so sure about, either. If any of you see it, let me know what you think.

PH, I might be confused on my time zones, I just remember that when I call my brother in California, it is always 2 hours earlier there than here. I used to spend the summers in Michigan and it was an hour difference there. No wonder I'm confused.

Glad you got to meet Possum, Floyd! Hope to meet you myself one day. If you are ever in south texas and want someone to show the beach, let me know.

Ro, I saw a specialist today for my elevated liver enzymes, and as I already knew, I had some fatty liver deposits. The doc was talking to me about how I need to prevent the potential for problems later by losing about 30 lbs. Easier said than done but I guess I am going to have to try. Now he has me on a schedule of getting liver functions tested every three months and depending on what the next ones show, possibly a liver biopsy, which he doubts and so do I. Anyway, guess I should start taking better care of myself. I'm just no good at that longterm! lol

Boo
May 07, 2014 - Msg 97795: Hey to Floyd! Awww,shucks! It was great to meet you & the other tribute artists & I hope to see you again next year. I loved the festival!

*******************
possum under a rock
May 08, 2014 - Msg 97796:
HEY to all!
Floyd, good to see ya. I saw you on FB in a video.
"All is well in Mayberry." Very well done!
Possum UAR is a great gal, who is going for all the gusto! (Ha, remember that commercial.)
Speaking of corrections on typewriters, I remember correction strips, where you put the rather large strip behind the guides, and then re-type the wrong letter to erase it. I also remember those round eraser wheels with a small brush! ha
We had a beautiful 77 here today, but it will inch back up again.
MDC
May 08, 2014 - Msg 97797: WoooHooo it's suppose to get up to the 80's today! Haven't seen those numbers for a looong time.

Wow Possum gets a personal shout-out from Floyd, hope she don't get a big head now, cause with a big head it's kinda hard to get into her hole. haha.. Possum, why don't you come to Mayberry in the Midwest next week-end and Mayberry Days in September and you can have a Mayberry trifecta this year...

Romeena, I think my squirrels have become "Obamaized" they come out in the morning and sit on the feeding perch I made and wait for their morning hand-out of corn. (they are out there as I am typing).. The one will take a peanut right out of my hand! Then, the Blue Jay and my Red Headed Woodpicker chase them away, I guess they must be Republican birds, I suppose and don't agree with the entitlement concept...ha!

Hope everyone has a Great Day!......

G-F....
May 08, 2014 - Msg 97798: Sorry, The censor caught me on the Red Headed "peck" part.. He could be a "picker" tho...
May 08, 2014 - Msg 97799: Morning porch, well I had a nice long post started and then for some strange reason it disappeared. must be user error.

been working this week and then going home and taking care of things there.

I have been walking about 4 evenings per week though. Our community has a park that has a paved walking path. it is 1/2 mile around the path which goes around by a creek, by the playground, picnic shelters, past the river and near baseball fields. It is shaded part of the way as well. Makes for a good walk. One of my friends has been walking with me so that makes it more pleasant. we walk about 4 miles sometimes more. I feel better physically and mentally. Since I sit all day and listen to folks it seems to help me regroup.

we head out in the morning for Patrick's graduation on Saturday morning. Cookeville it about 3 1/2 hours from us and his graduation is at 9:30 am on Saturday morning. There are some special events planned for Friday afternoon and
after graduation so we will be there for all the festivities.

lets meet at Burger King for lunch today. my treat.

Prayers and blessings to all.
Big Maude


May 08, 2014 - Msg 97800: Ouch! Dang rock! Kinda hard to crawl out from under it with my swelled up head- LOL

Very funny, G-F!

Wish I could make it to all of the Mayberry events-gonna try hard to be at Mayberry Days!

Y'all have a good day- see y'all at BK (Thanks,Maudie!)

*******************
possum under a rock
May 08, 2014 - Msg 97801: Good morning, porch! Wow, it looks like it's "gonna come a-somethin'" out there this morning. Heavy, lead-gray clouds are hanging over us, not a touch of blue to be seen. It has been raining, because everything is wet, but there's no water standing anywhere so I think it's been light so far. The air is perfectly still, not a leaf stirring. There is zero critter traffic. Haven't seen a single bird or squirrel. Thunder is rumbling in the distance, and there's just a hushed, expectant feeling. It's so dark, my backyard ground lights are still on. There's not enough light to trigger the photo sensor and turn them off. We're gonna get a storm for sure - a big one! I'm staying right here in my house, not going to even think about going out. Maybe I'll get some writing done today.

Maude, I just can't imagine that Patrick is graduating already. I know it seems to him like a very long time, but to me it seems like yesterday that he was just a kid. Of course, my grandson Tyler will be a senior at Texas State next year, and that's pretty hard to believe too! He's achieving his dream. He wants to be a sportscaster, and has been on an internship with Fox in the Houston area, calling local games. He's good at it, and just loves it. They do grow up, I guess.

Well, a little rain shower just passed over, very gentle and short-lived, the skies are just as dark, if not darker. There's more to come, I'm sure.

All the flowers out back look so happy, and so am I, because I didn't have to water them! God is doing it for me. My oakleaf hydrangea on the back fence is just loaded with big white bloom pannicles. That's a fascinating plant. Those elongated flower-heads will gradually turn pale pink as the summer heats up, then darken to rose, and then to red, then to a russet red. In the fall, the russet color will turn to brown, but the pannicles will hang on until the cold winter, when the shrub will drop everything - pannicles, leaves and all, and will just be a ball of sticks for a couple of months, then in very early spring they'll leaf out again, and bud again. Beautiful plant, always something of interest. There's one in the front yard as well, visible from the street, and now and then someone will ask me what it is. I don't know why everyone doesn't grow them, they're quite hardy and easy to grow, requiring nothing special at all.

Well, guess I'd better go feed little Toye Starr. She hates it when I stop off at the computer in the mornings, because that means her breakfast will be late, poor thing. The indignities that baby has to endure from me. I even had the nerve to give her a bath last week, but I think she's finally forgiven me. Blessings, friends! --Romeena
May 08, 2014 - Msg 97802: Shakedown! (:
May 08, 2014 - Msg 97803: Happy, happy me! It has been raining almost all day, a soft, slow, soaking-in kind of rain, and the skies are as dark as they ever were, so I don't think it's going to stop any time soon. You can almost see the grass growing, and it's such a beautiful green. Nothing does it like rain. Thank you, Lord! --Romeena
May 08, 2014 - Msg 97804: Good evening, porch. Well, the rain has stopped, at least for now. It's just now gotten dark, and I sat here and watched as darkness came. It was so beautiful. As the sun got low, it fell below the cloud cover that was still present. That allowed a golden glow to spread over this area, and the gray sky above turned pink and gold. The trees looked like they were glowing, the flowers were washed with soft sunlight, and it was just gorgeous. I sat here for nearly half an hour, just drinking in the beauty. The sun is gone now, the sky is gray again, and the trees are just dark shapes against the gray sky. The back yard lights are all on, making little pools of light on the ground, and throwing washes of light on the entire perimeter fence. There are two big clear oval globes, each containing a string of white twinkle lights. They throw a soft circle of light. One stands in the rose island, and the other is in one end of the original raised island, by the pond. Everything is fresh and green, looking so happy. Rain is a wonderful thing.

Well, guess I'll go hunt some supper. I think I've got the leftovers to swing it. Blessings, everyone! --Romeena
May 09, 2014 - Msg 97805: Romeena, Glad to hear you guys got some rain, now all your plants got a good drink and your paradise can flourish.. Did your squirrels get their little brushes out and scrub themselves too?

Well the Browns believers have something new to hope for this morning, Yep, another Quarterback "Mr. Football" Johnny Manziel, one of Boo's & Romeenas home grown boys, Tyler Tx. I believe. The hype has been high, he did have a great run at Texas A&M. They hope he can be the one to take them back to winning ways again. Even tho I'm not a big football fan I hope they can get back on track. The Cleveland fans are VERY passionate and will always support their team.
And that's all I have to say about that... Ok TOM?..haha

G-F....
May 09, 2014 - Msg 97806: Morning all.

Hey GF, I saw that the Browns traded up to get Manziel. I hope it works out for them. Terrible thing what Modell did to the city.

Well we have been getting some much needed rain here also Ro. Supposed to rain all weekend they say. We need it for sure.

Better get back to work. TGIF.

Asa
May 09, 2014 - Msg 97807: Asa, Even tho Art Modell will always rank up there with the Top all time scoundrels. Most people don't know all the history of what really happened. You see, Cleveland Municipal Stadium held 80,000 + ( I think it was more like 82,000) and they would FILL it up every (football) game. Modell was asking for a remodeled or a new Stadium like the deal the Indians were promised, the City (which owns the Stadium) kept jerking Modell around until one day Old Art called their bluff and pulled up stakes and went to Baltimore where they offered him the deal he was asking. The rest is History!... (Sorry, I know that's more than you all wanted to hear).....

G-F.....
May 09, 2014 - Msg 97808: Good afternoon, porch. I am one tired old gal this morning. Last night, as I was about to head for bed around midnight, Brittney called me and said David was on the way to the animal ER with Bentley. It seems he had been fine all day, but in the afternoon he got droopy and lethargic, refused his supper, and would just lie on the floor. Then when they tried to let him go outside to potty, he stumbled and fell, twice. Something wrong! He also left a puddle on the floor, which he NEVER does. A few minutes later, he fell down again, and David picked him up, and he proceeded to wet on David. They knew something was badly wrong, so David started for the clinic with him. Brittney was about to follow him, with the boys. I called Eloise and told her I'd pick her up, and we met them in Grapevine, at the doggie ER. We learned that Bentley's bleeding time, which is measured in seconds, was over 500 seconds, about 3 to 4 times what it should have been. His blood wasn't clotting. His gums were pale, indicating he was losing blood somewhere. He was extremely weak, and a little confused. An x-ray showed a mass on his spleen, and the doctor told us plainly that he was in serious trouble and we could very likely lose him.

However, after receiving some IV fluids to raise his blood pressure, and some fresh frozen plasma to replace his clotting factors, he perked up and while not his usual self, he was a lot better. He ended up having emergency surgery last night to remove his spleen and the nodule it contained, which was bleeding. Now comes the wait, for the pathology report to tell us what that nodule is. If it's benign, he'll heal up and probably just be his old self. If it's malignant, we'll just love him for the time we have left with him, which likely will be measured in months, maybe just weeks. We're praying for a good report - benign - and would appreciate your prayers as well.

When I got home around 2:45, all the power on this street was off. Therefore, I couldn't get in my garage, and I wasn't carrying a key. Toye Starr was in the bedroom, in the dark house, but I couldn't get to her, poor little thing. I called Eloise, told her to leave a light on, I was on my way back to her house. We sat up and talked a while, then went to bed. I slept maybe two hours. I called my house around 7 am, and knew the power was back on when my recorder answered. Came home, spoke with a neighbor who said it came on around 3, just a few minutes after I left, evidently. Oh well. Anyway, it was a weird night, and I'm pretty tired. Again, please pray for us as we wait for Bentley's pathology. He's such a good boy, and the whole family is on edge today. All my kids are calling and texting - Bentley is everyone's buddy. David is all red-eyed and pale - he really loves that dog, and Brittney is just miserable. We all love him.

Thanks, friends. --Romeena
May 09, 2014 - Msg 97809: I am so sorry to read that about Bentley Romeena, and you can be sure I will include him and your family in my prayers.

Asa
May 09, 2014 - Msg 97810: Thanks, Asa. I know how well you understand what a good dog can mean to a family. Lots of us here do. I just talked with David, and Bentley is still doing well. He'll be in the ICU there for at least another day, and then will probably stay in he regular clinic another couple of days, but he's doing well. They said his heart rate is a little too fast, but they think it's just the stress of being separated from his family. He's very, very much a member of the family. When he goes out to potty, he does his thing and comes straight back to the house and scratches on the door. He wants to be with his people. Bless his little heart. Again, thanks, friends. --Romeena
May 09, 2014 - Msg 97811: Romeena, I'm sure you have mentioned it, but what kind of dog is Bentley? I have forgotten. I agree too, it's hard when our pets get sick, hope he has a good test results & a speedy recovery....

G-F...
May 09, 2014 - Msg 97812: Hi, G-F. Bentley is a soft-coated Wheaten Terrier, not to be confused with a rough-coated Wheaten. If you Google the breed, you'll find a lot of pictures of Wheatens, but none will look quite look Bentley. The breed standard says their coat should be grown out, in which case it will be about four to six inches long, and wavy. They have a lot of fluffy hair on their heads, and by standard, this is cut and shaped into a forelock that hangs in front of their eyes. Think of the dog that exchanged greetings at the timeclock with the wolf, in cartoons. Bentley's hair is kept cut at about an inch or so in length, and his head is just a little mop-top, without the forelock, so he can see, for cryin' out loud! His coat is amazingly soft and plush, and makes you want to just dig your fingers into it. He doesn't shed. As a puppy, he was mahogany brown, with a black mask and black feet, but as he grew up, that changed to a very light honey color, with just traces of his little mask and on his ears. I'll put some pictures of him on my facebook page. He's been a perfectly wonderful family dog, has grown up with my grandsons, and to meet him is to love him. He's a strong and solid dog, about 45 lbs, but is gentle as a lamb. He plays with Toye Starr so gently, has never hurt her. She adores him!

I talked with David a few minutes ago, he has talked with the vet, and so far, so good. The pathology report is where it all hinges. If that nodule turns out to be benign, then we should be home free. If not, this is going to be a sad, sad place for a long while. It's amazing how much you can love an animal. --Romeena
May 09, 2014 - Msg 97813: Pictures of our Bentley-boy are on my Facebook page. --Romeena
May 09, 2014 - Msg 97814: Very sorry to hear about Bentley...any idea when the pathology report might be back? I sure hope he is ok, poor fellow. He is a very special puppy.

Boo
May 09, 2014 - Msg 97815: It up in God hands and all we can do is prayer for him and the family!

TOM

May 09, 2014 - Msg 97816:
Romeena, I can sympathize with Bentley's family. We had to euthanize two of our dogs due to incurable malignant tumors. Although both of them were both close to the end of their natural lives, we did appreciate the long time they were members of our family. How old is Bentley?

from Poor Horatio
May 09, 2014 - Msg 97817:
RO--thanks for posting Bentleys pics. Will be praying for the family.
RO--may I ask why you weren't carrying a house key? We keep one hidden outside in case of such circumstances.
GF--I saw in the paper today "this may be the answer to Cleveland's struggles." We shall see.
Card's pick not-so-great. Diamondbacks have been winning however!! :)
EVERYONE--I'm not sure how to say this, but my suspicions about pappabear seem to be true. I looked up his name thru Illinois records and it says that there is a death certificate for a Frank Strohkirch, but it won't let me see it. So then I googled his name and a "pay" site said the same, but wanted $9.99 to "go further in the search."
Also, as I said earlier, now he has not answered THREE letters, tho none have been returned either. But his cell phone has been "disconnected."
If anyone here knows how to look further, he would be about 68 years old, and latest town was Paris, IL. Thanks and prayers,
MDC
May 09, 2014 - Msg 97818:
MDC, I searched the recent obituaries of the Paris Beacon newspaper site http://www.parisbeacon.com/obituaries/ and could not find his name listed as far back as March 27. At the very bottom of that page, I also did a search of his name and still found nothing earlier than March 27.
Then I went to http://www.legacy.com/ns/ and searched all United States obituaries for 2010 through 2014 and found obituary. Are you sure you spelled his last name correctly?
I then went to http://www.zabasearch.com and found three 69 year old men living in Illinois with that name. One lives in Lincoln Illinois, another lives in Danville Illinois and a third lives in Tilton Illinois. It is possible they all could be the same person showing his current and former addresses. But for the Lincoln location, it shows his address and phone number. Try giving him a call.

from Poor Horatio
May 09, 2014 - Msg 97819:
MDC, I made a typo error above. The correct version when I searched at legacy.com between 2010 and 2014, I found no obituaries.
May 10, 2014 - Msg 97820:
PH--thanks for the looking, but all those are indeed previous towns in which he has lived, and that phone number is a old one, and not everyone is listed in a paper's obit section. But thanks for checking. Much appreciated. his daughter posted here many years ago as Mayberry Girl, but I dont know her actual name.
Well, good night all, rest well,
MDC
May 10, 2014 - Msg 97821: Good evening, porch. Just passing by on my way to bed. You've been so kind to pray for Bentley, and to express interest in his situation. The latest update is about the same. He's recovering well from the surgery, his clotting factors have returned to normal, and his blood pressure has stabilized. It was dangerously low. MDC, you asked his age - he's eight, so we should have him for another four years or so if all goes well this time. We don't expect the pathology report before Monday, because of the weekend.

As for why I wasn't carrying a key, I really can't say. I have one, just don't know where it is. It probably got left behind during a change from one handbag to another. It happens. I will be getting a duplicate made of the one to the back door. Because that's a faux French door (lots of glass), it's a key lock inside as well as out. The key hangs on a little hook, near the door but not accessible to it, so even if someone breaks one of the little glass panels, they still can't unlock the door, and it's a deep deadbolt. So, I have that one to copy. As for the front door, I have no idea where that key is. It doesn't require a key to get out though, so it's not a danger to me if I had to get out in a hurry. I will be getting a key made for the back door, and will put it on my car key ring, where it belongs. And yes, I know about leaving only the car key with the car if I valet park it. Dale taught me that. Thanks for being concerned, it's nice to have friends look out for you!

I hope you're wrong about pappabear, but I don't think you are. The clues are pretty conclusive. I checked some of the lists and things I have around here, and couldn't find anything on Mayberry Girl. I'd say with his mail being unanswered, phone disconnected, and especially since you did find a death certificate for his name - that's pretty convincing. It's not like his name is John Smith - it's a pretty unusual name. My guess is that someone has just tossed the letters, or it's possible that they'll show up later. I had an undelivered letter returned to me once that was over a year old. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Well, I'm off to bed. Will be checking on Bentley early in the morning, and will let you know. Blessings, friends. --Romeena
May 10, 2014 - Msg 97822: Aww.. sure hope Bentley will be all right,Ro. Just saw the pics of him on Facebook yesterday,and he is one big ol' cutie pie of a dog!

To answer your question to MDC- Yes, that is the correct spelling of Pappabear's last name, PH. I've also done some online searching ,yet can come up with nothing conclusive one way or another.I hope he is alive & well somewhere,as I'm sure you all do.

Well, I've got Miss Laci here with me & better go rustle up some breakfast for her. Y'all take care & have a nice Saturday!

********************
possum under a rock
May 10, 2014 - Msg 97823: Morning gang...breakfast....2 egg your way,grits,sausage,gravy,bisquits,hashbrowns oj coffee..hey MDC,Tom,Romeena,possum,PH,GF,Boo and all...well tried to get garden planted yesterday but the good Lord wanted me to wait...Rain...but got it all ready to go...hope by tue it will dry out...well weekend work for me this month..prayers to all will be back for the lunch menu...SPOT

May 10, 2014 - Msg 97824: Romeena, As far as the key situation goes... You should keep a spare, "On the peg, by the back door!" Because it is no fun when that steel door slams shut!...haha (Just a chuckle, you've had a tough few days).....

Getting ready to go (as Romeena would say) mousein' around at the flea mkt. for awhile...

Have a Great day everyone....

G-F....
May 10, 2014 - Msg 97825: Happy Saturday Porch, we are in Cookeville. Graduation starts at 9:30 cst. We are up and ready to go. Hopefully, the rain will hold off until afterwards.

Will check in later today hopefully.
Prayers and blessings.
Big Maude
May 10, 2014 - Msg 97826: You're right about that key, G-F. Next time I'm in Lowe's, I'm going to make about three duplicates. Surely in this big old back yard, with all the "stuff" that's out there, I could find a place to stash a key where it wouldn't be found. Having one on my key ring should be enough, but I want to hide one somewhere also, just in case I'm not the one that needs to get in. Oh, you're so right about that steel door slammin' shut. That's exactly what I was facing. My garage door is steel, and it was most definitely "slammed shut." Frustrating!

Just talked with David - Bentley is still doing well. He's eating solid food, but it still on "cage rest." I expected that. A splenectomy is a big surgery, and no way do you want those internal stitches to come loose. We have decided not to visit him, because it would only get him all excited, and then he'd be crushed when we left without him. David just calls for updates. We're hoping he can come home Monday. Still no path report.

Well, got to get in the shower and wash my hair. I've got an appointment to get my hair cut at 3, and I wash it myself beforehand. After the surgery on my neck, I can no longer tolerate leaning back over that shampoo bowl. There are two clips in my spine, right where my neck hits the rim of that bowl, and it hurts! So I just wash my hair before I go, and Cheryl wets it again before she cuts it.

Congratulations to Patrick!!! Blessings, everyone. --Romeena
May 10, 2014 - Msg 97827: "IS still on cage rest, not 'it'." Mercy! --Romeena
May 10, 2014 - Msg 97828: It is an absolutely gorgeous day here. It's 84°, brisk little breeze blowing, and everything is green and beautiful after the rain. Eddie is here mowing, so the yard will be clean and pretty when he's done. He does such a nice job. I need to get out there and cut off all the spent iris stalks. There are hundreds, so that's a big job, but maybe I'll do it in small increments. They're so beautiful when they're blooming, but do look a bit tacky when they're just dried up stalks. Cut those away, and the sword-like foliage of the plant itself is still pretty.

Whether or not I trim iris stalks today, I need to get out in the yard. I crave the fresh air and sunshine, and I know the freshly-mowed grass just smells heavenly. Also, my garden-center friend and neighbor, John, called to tell me he got in some of the "Sweet Autumn" clematis plants I've been wanting. He's saving two for me, so I need to pick them up and get them planted. That particular clematis is a real delight. I had some growing on the east fence, but a wild "mimic" vine got into it, looks just like the clematis, but is very aggressive and doesn't bloom. Soon the whole fence was covered with the wild vine, it was climbing the junipers, strangling the roses, just making a general nuisance of itself. Since it so closely resembles the clematis, there was no separating the two. Joe and I finally just pulled all of it out, clematis and all, and now I'll start fresh. This time, I'll band the base of the clematis, so if that vine reappears, I can just cut the clematis back almost to the ground, pull everything out and toss it, and the clematis will grow back. I couldn't do that before because I couldn't tell what was clematis and what wasn't. Miserable vine.

Well, off I go. Blessings, friends. --Romeena
May 10, 2014 - Msg 97829:
Romeena, I remember some time ago when you made your feelings known by posting here how you prefer the older incandescent light bulbs. Unfortunately, on January 1, 2014, they became illegal for purchase or manufacturing in the USA. But I discovered an interesting web site that offers an alternative solution for people like you. Check out http://bulletsfirst.net/2013/12/17/man-finds-loophole-fight-government-tyranny-light-bulbs/
The last line on that page has the name of the product. Search for it online to find their web site.

from Poor Horatio
May 10, 2014 - Msg 97830:
Romeena, here is additional info to my last post. At the bottom of the story text is a link to their web site. No need to search for it.

from Poor Horatio
May 10, 2014 - Msg 97831: Wow will the rain ever stop here....at work for the night will be checking in...SPOT

May 10, 2014 - Msg 97832: DARN BULB SNATCHERS!! :(

"DUKE" as I call my Red headed woodpeecker just kicked the squirrel out of the feeding station again, it's a funny thing to watch. The squirrel just looks up like he's saying "Why Me"?... I want my entitlement! haha
I wonder who pays if he falls out of the feeding station and gets hurt, does he try to sue me for lack of safety rails on the feeding station... Or does ObamaCare take care of it? Just curious....

So, PH does that create a Black Market for sending bulbs across the border?

G-F.....
May 10, 2014 - Msg 97833: Thank you, PH. I have bookmarked that website. I started buying and stockpiling incandescent bulbs several years ago, when this whole ridiculous stink first arose. I have a cabinet in the garage, about six feet long and five feet high, which is filled primarily with incandescent bulbs, in various wattages. Considering my age, I think I probably have enough to last for the duration, but if not, I'll know where to turn for replacements. Also, will be passing this info along to my family, for those who did not stock up on incandescents. I think most of them did, though not as heavily as I did.

Actually, the LEDs are improving. They have found a way to warm them up a little, so they're not so cold and flat. I bought one for the lamp next to my chair, just to try it out. The light is not unpleasant, it's fairly warm and soft. The bulb was about $12, which is ridiculous. As for the fluorescents, I'll use candles first, thank you. I absolutely hate them. A friend has them in her bathroom, and when I was in there a few days ago, and saw my reflection in the mirror, I thought I was sick! That awful gray/green color they throw is just not acceptable.

Well, time to think about something for dinner. Guess I'll just rummage in the pantry and see what I can find. I haven't been to the grocery store in a while, and there's not much of any interest around here. Maybe some soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. That doesn't sound bad. Blessings, friends! --Romeena