116 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 1-19-19”

  6. 02:19 on 01-19-2019

    And yes, I should be in bed. But for the second night in a row, I went to bed at a decent hour (last night before 10:00, tonight about 11:00) and then lay awake for hours. So now I am eating pistachios and I guess hanging out with whoever is here.

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  7. Welcome to my day. Rather rainy here, but still beautiful. Not sure what days I will be able to have this van, so I took things to school today as I will probably be walking on Monday. Not sure what they are doing with my car. They are lots of tales of folks waiting quite a long time here for parts.

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  8. Good morning. I just made it home from work and am trying to make my mind stop thinking and just relax, so that I don’t pull a Cheryl and toss and turn without sleeping.

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  9. You guys have really been bus this morning. Though it really was yesterday, even if it is marked today.
    Lemme see if Donna understands that.
    I don’t
    Good morning anyhow.
    Except Jo.
    Good night jo.

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  10. All I can say this morning is: -40 with a windchill of -53F. That is the coldest windchill I’ve experienced. Ugh. AND I need to go back to the city (an hour away) to pick up the Rx that the pharmacist refused to fill for my husband yesterday. Husband called and ‘yelled’ at them when we got home and they said they would fill it. But, lots of pain over night for him and not much sleep because he didn’t get the painkiller he needs. It’s only a 5 day prescription and I feel like the pharmacist was just on a power trip – our pharmacy is the worst. We should switch, but it’s a pain and then it’s another stop whenever we need our prescriptions.

    I really don’t know if I should go, it’s so cold and if something goes wrong (or a deer runs out)…

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  12. Oh, Kare. I am so sorry to hear of your stress and your husband’s pain. I totally agree about the power trip. I have been so angry about scheduling issues this week that the stress has almost done me in. And remembering how poorly I felt Art was treated in the recovery area after surgery in Dec. I have not even been able to write about it all here because I have been so distressed. I think it has to be a form of spiritual warfare for people to be so heartless.

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  13. Yesterday my brother brought his chainsaw and cut down our dead or dying pink dogwood I planted years ago. The dogwoods in this area have suffered from blight for a number of years. My brother also took me for my measurement exam for my cataract lens. I had a choice to make about if I want the traditional surgery so I will need reading glasses or if I wanted the doctor to put a little near-sightedness into my weaker eye so I might read without glasses except for the tiniest type. I decided against the later since I am afraid of having my eyes off balance. She said people do that with contacts and like it. I have not even used bifocals for fear of not being able to adjust to the back and forth. Truly it is a pain always fumbling with two pairs of glasses.

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  16. About prayer–I well remember trying to pray for five minutes and looking at my watch over and over. It definitely is a learned thing. Still my mind can wander.

    Kare, can you call the prescribing doctor and tell him/her so that they will get after the pharmacy. Unrelieved pain can slow healing. Is this because of the opioid problem?

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  18. We’ve resorted to leftover Tylenol 3s. The rx is an opioid, but it’s only a 5 day prescription so it’s not that. It apparently could interact with one of his blood pressure meds, but only with prolonged and increasing use. It’s not like he needs it long term, just post-op. We called the surgeon’s office but of course he was in surgery all day and no answer, just a message. The pharmacy is going to fill it now, but it’s kind of too late and now it’s supremely cold to be out and about.

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  19. Morning! It is another beautiful snowy day in this forest. The sun is shining, blue sky and we are staying in. Daughter could not make it home from work last night due to all the closed and clogged roads last night. Some cars sat on the hwy for 6-7 hours. Hopefully they have cleared that all out this morning and she will be able to get home.

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  20. Well, Kare, you know winter travel: a sleeping bag, a shovel, water, eats. An hour in and an hour back is long but if it is not snowing and roads are sort of clear. But, in our experience, the big drugs made no difference for husband and he did not really use them. Tylenol and Ibuprofen did it for his arthroscopic and for his knee replacements. The same with wisdom teeth for the children, they were prescribed the stuff but did not need it.

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  21. We didn’t get the 5-8 inches expected because it rained first, so we got less than an inch. We’re right on the line between snow and rain. The problem will be that the temps are cold enough to freeze the rain. So it looks like we’ll stay home from church again. At least I’m getting a lot of time to catch up on reading.

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  22. Lots of rainy almost snow here but it is warm enough it will probably be just rain and no ice. We may not get to church either as it appears seventeen year old elected to stay home today. He must be sick. Haven’t seen him though and don’t expect to. I suspect when he went out yesterday, he stocked up on meds and food so he could hibernate. I don’t like that he can buy meds.

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  23. Kare, how frustrating. 😦 Don’t they have kids anymore — like in “It’s A Wonderful Life” — who can bring all that to you? But I guess with those heavy drugs, that would be a huge liability and breaking who knows how many laws, probably there for good reason. Still … Hope he can get the meds and some relief. They say staying “ahead” of the pain is the key, not treating it once it’s in full-blown status but I’d say getting it today would at least help with his being able to rest and sleep.

    So now we have “channeling Chas” and “pulling a Cheryl.”

    Janice, yeah, go ahead and live with using reading glasses — I had that set up with contacts (one eye was for distance and one for close-up) and it was OK but I still needed to use some reading glasses over that for any serious reading. Not worth it, especially if it’s going to be permanent like that. Keep it simple.

    I need to take Carol to get her paperwork notarized and mailed for her little monthly pension to keep coming this year — it’s going to NY by regular mail and needs to get there by Friday but considering Monday is a holiday … I’ll ask at the UPS store where the notary service is, if they think it might be close I can pay to get it there sooner I suppose. I’m just glad she has the $15 for the notary service, I’ve had to pay that in the past until I refused finally. It’s just something she needs to learn how to set aside if she wants her money and wants to pay her rent to keep a roof over her head.

    I am providing the stamp.

    We have sunshine with some clouds today — and it’s supposed to break 70.

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  24. Today also is the women’s march in DTLA (and everywhere else), hoping there’s no extra traffic as I need to go through there to get to Carol.

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  25. Overnight it for Carol and then you won’t be plagued with phone calls. It will be worth the extra money.

    Let’s pray for Kare’s husband that the Lord will relieve the pain without her having to risk her life.

    Mama Bear rising here in the west . . .

    Janice–I went from regular glasses to progressives, no bifocals. It took me about a week to get use to the progressives, but they’ve been splendid ever since.

    That first week, I struggled and when walking the dog up a steep hill, had to close my eyes and let the dog lead me. I couldn’t get my eyes to work. No problems a week later.

    I’m now getting a second pair of computer/reading glasses. The wonderful optometrist (who is the head of the missionary board at his church and thus oversee’s Hill’s missionary account), was touched when I brought him the last two books at my exam in December.

    “This is a thank you gift, from me. I wouldn’t have been able to write these books if you didn’t take such good care of my eyes.”

    My eyes are really tired by nightfall and I now turn off the computer at dinner time, I just can’t take it anymore. He decided I needed a better pair of computer glasses–the area in which to read is larger so I don’t have to move my head around so much AND they are putting a filter on the lens to block some of the computer light that makes me so very tired.

    I used an old pair of frames and I should get them next week.

    I’m very careful with my eyes after I made a very bad choice years ago. The Navy didn’t have eye care as part of the health plan (and they didn’t have dental until 13 years after my husband joined). One of my children’s eyes were going bad very quickly–we were very concerned–but with limited finances, I poured them into his eyes and glasses, not my own.

    For that reason, I went three years without the astigmatism correction–I didn’t think to go back to the eye doctor to ask why I was having such trouble with light at night, I was afraid of the cost.

    I basically avoided driving at night as much as possible during those years, putting us all at risk when I had to drive. A foolish waste of penny wise, pound foolish. I won’t make that mistake again.

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  27. I also have had no trouble with progressives, though I know a couple people who could not tolerate them. But for me, I got used to them immediately. While reading/computer glasses are much more comfortable for long stints working, the progressives are wonderful in overall functionality, I can see far away and close up with no real issues.

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  28. Major snowstorm here. The five minute walk to the grocery store left me coated in snow from head to toe. I am actually having a harder time with the cold here in the city than I did in Nunavut. As with dry and humid heat, dry cold is much easier to bear than damp cold.

    I have astigmatism in both eyes. The first corrective glasses they gave me, I would feel sick just turning my head and my eyes ached. I had to get a less strong prescription, which I wore for a couple of years, before going back to the full strength prescription.

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  29. I vote for the progressives…glasses that is! I have had them since I was 40…it did take a bit of getting use to especially when I looked down while walking. I had a couple of spills whilst taking a step! I tried not having progressives in my sunglasses but quickly found I needed them if I wanted to see how fast I was driving, the radio station, the clock…so I went back and ordered the progressive sunglasses lense. Speaking of I need to make an appt to get eyes tested. It has been three years and I am noticing my eyes getting tired and having to blink to reset my focus! So glad I can count on you all to remind me of such things! 😊

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  30. I have astigmatism too, and even with glasses to correct it, even in my twenties I did not comfortably drive at night, and today I simply won’t do it unless it’s a short distance and there are street lights (and it’s not raining!).

    My husband drove us home from the appointment in which I went from single-vision lenses to progressives (with a wider area for reading). It’s a good thing he did, because the whole drive felt like my eyes were bouncing. It took me a couple of days to get used to it, and I still think that watching TV is worse with these, but I don’t watch much TV and everything else is as good (distance vision) or better (reading). But I think this spring will be three years since I got them, so it’s probably time to go in for a new vision check. Every three years seems to work well for me, and so far I have noticed very little trouble.

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  31. Here’s a QoD: Do you have a category of clothing (e.g., socks) that you haven’t bought at all for a long time (at least a decade) or that you just this year bought for the first time in many years? I don’t mean that you just bought some new pants and some of your pants are ten years old, but that you haven’t bought pants or shoes or socks or coats at all in at least ten years.

    I just bought new long johns for the first time in at least 20 years, probably 27 or 28 years–and the last pair was 50 pounds ago (I was too thin then). I also just bought some new full slips, first in at least 25 years (I believe I bought a few as a college student, and I graduated more than 25 years ago–an elderly friend gave me two at my 30th birthday party, but that was nearly 22 years ago); they seem impossible to find in stores anymore, and I finally ordered some online. I also bought a new scarf from CVS (an infinity scarf this time, though I’m still wearing my warmer, “old” scarf on cold days) for the first time in at least 20 years. My newest sister-in-law gave me a scarf on her wedding day eight years ago, but that hardly counts since I’ve actually never worn it. (It’s pretty, a lovely purple scarf, but I just don’t wear purple that much and I forget I have it.)

    In Chicago I had a hard time with losing gloves and scarves, and I had just bought a lovely green knit scarf when I promptly lost it, and went to the same store and bought another, when a friend gave me a cotton one for Christmas. It was a thoughtful gift, a pretty scarf, but being a Phoenix-bred gal I really didn’t want a light cotton scarf, but the thick knit one I had already bought for myself twice that year. Well, I went on a plane somewhere, and in the airport on the return trip I realized I didn’t have the new one. I retraced my steps even as far as getting back on the airplane, and it wasn’t anywhere–I knew I’d had it when I left the plane. She picked me up, and I told her I’d lost it and retraced my steps through the whole airport, and she looked skeptical, as though I had lost it on purpose. I hadn’t . . . but at the same time I wasn’t too disappointed to be able to go back to the practical warm scarf Chicago winters needed. Anyway, somehow I still have that second green scarf, three moves later! But now I’m trading it off with the infinity scarf on days I need something cozy that I need not fear losing, but that aren’t too cold (because the infinity scarf isn’t as warm a knit and isn’t as long and wrappable).

    Am I the only one who might go 20 years without buying a belt or a sweatshirt?

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  32. Nancy Jill, I only order sunglasses every other prescription, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to need to make an exception this time–but I haven’t had a problem continuing to use the old ones. I don’t drive very much, though, and don’t always need the sunglasses when I do; I use them more as a passenger or a pedestrian. And honestly I don’t even think about them being a very different prescription.

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  33. Cheryl, I almost never buy clothing for myself. I dislike shopping. Fortunately, I have daughters that will buy me a new pair of jeans or a couple of blouses for Christmas. My goal this year is to go through all of my drawers and get rid off all the t-shirts with holes and stains. I do accumulate lots of those through various conferences and trainings I attend. The only thing that I do purchase is uniforms, but in reality, I have enough to work 4 days in a row without doing laundry. I don’t need a closet full of scrubs, only enough to get through the week.

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  34. I am just waiting for March when I will have coverage for glasses again. I will get progressives this time and I’m thinking I’ll need sunglasses as well. I’m wearing reading glasses you can get at the drugstore and the ones I like best are sort of progressive so I think I’ll do well with those.

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  35. Kare, I learned after my first ACL reconstruction to always get the Rx when you go in for surgery, and then family waiting can get it filled while you are in the operating room. It was torture waiting for the prescription to be filled after surgery.

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  37. RK – that’s what I said for next time!!!! Get the rx first – I sat in town for 7 hours and could have had it all straightened out before he was even ready to be picked up again.

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  39. Back to the prayer question from yesterday.

    I’m investigating a biography subject and these people spent countless hours praying. They were successful missionaries.

    I’m having trouble with several aspects of their faith practices and praying for 6-8-10 hours at a time is one of them.

    I’m not discounted all those hours at prayer, but I need to understand just what that looked like and how you–I suppose–endured it.

    Like many of you, I pray when the need arises–see our prayer page. I spend time every day in prayer, but it doesn’t last for hours on end. Maybe an hour at most.

    An hour-long prayer meeting seems right to me, extending as needed, but I doubt I’ve ever sat through more than 90 minutes of corporate prayer.

    My husband pointed out that back in our days attending a charismatic church–the prayer meetings were done in strict accord with 1 Corinthians 14– sometimes people would carry on and on.

    He felt at the time in that setting that often people would pray until they felt some sort of emotion, and that feeling helped them feel God had heard their prayer.

    This particular woman is highly emotional. I’ve circled around her for two years, trying to decide yes or no. The story is important and good. The current books on the subjects are painful to read–and she was a prolific writer.

    I’m more like Biddy. She would listen to a prayer request, lift up her hands and say, “I believe God.” and leave the request there. Straight forward and to the point, not belaboring, again, whatever the prayer request was.

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  40. So, my question is . . . . if you have participated in prayer meetings lasting more than an hour–what was it like?

    Did people pray the whole time?

    Did they sing hymns? Read Scripture? How did you “fill” all that time?

    Or, can you direct me to something written about people who pray for long periods of time that I can study?

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  41. Yes Cheryl. I think you might be. I have a pair of jeans that fit again that I bought in 2003–the last time I went to New York. I did go in the attic and pull our a Laura Ashley velvet dress I bought in Baltimore in the late 80’s on a trip. It didn’t fit BG. I am fickle about clothing, thus the reason I cannot get a tattoo. If I don’t like the clothes I wore last year how can I make a commitment to something permanent? I also look back at old photos and see how my eye brows were shaped or what I thought looked good and cringe.
    I am down 18 pounds and have 1.4 pounds to go as of this morning. Of course for the last two weeks I have been bouncing back and forth with 2 pounds.

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  42. I’m not sure if I have participated in meetings lasting more than an hour. I think my college had some lengthy meetings while I was there (what I saw at the time–and I believe subsequent events more or less confirmed–to be more emotionally driven than anything, with students pledging in large numbers to go to the mission field, but literally only 2% of them followed through).

    I think there is a time for extended corporate prayer and fasting, but doing it to get an emotional high isn’t it.

    I suspect that yes, in an extended prayer session, there might be times of singing or testimonies or reading Scripture, maybe standing and singing to get a posture break.

    My mom once commented on hearing someone say how amazing it was that Nigerian church services could last for hours, and she said she suspected the person commenting didn’t know how those services were conducted, how informal they were. She said people would walk in late, some might come and go, and mothers would nurse their babies during the service . . . and then set them on their (the mothers’) feet to potty on the dirt floor. I don’t remember if she said they would sometimes eat during the service, but definitely it was not the strict formality many of us are used to.

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  44. I bought socks last year for the first time in ages.

    My doctor is adamant about sunglasses and even has me getting transition lenses for my regular glasses now

    Well, today turned complicated, no surprise. Carol just could not get into my car at all so I had to call in a mobile notary (waiting for her now) to come to us.

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  45. Michelle, our days (actually more like afternoons) of prayer were generally like our weekly prayer meetings, only we would spend a bit more time praying for each request. We would divide the time between different general topics that would be more general topics that that we could pray for in detail as we saw need. Sometimes we separated into groups, sometimes we were all together, and we prayed in turn. No prayer day was quite the same in structure as another. We usually sang together before beginning to pray, but it wasn’t more than 10-15 minutes of singing. We did read Scripture, but once again, not a great deal of time was spent reading.

    As for people who prayed for long periods of time, John ‘Praying’ Hyde, who was an American Presbyterian Minister to the Punjab, India, was noted for the hours he spent praying. There are biographies about his life, and several posts about him on the internet: http://www1.cbn.com/prayerandcounseling/profiles-in-prayer%3A-praying-john-hyde.
    Andrew Murray, the South African pastor whose books are still popular in Christian circles today, was said to spend hours in prayer.

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  46. Cheryl’s QoD: I hadn’t ever bought long underwear before buying it to wear up north last year. I will wear things until they wear out and I don’t really like shopping for clothing, as I find it stressful (and endlessly disappointing as clothing designers, manufacturers, and vendors do not share my taste in clothing); but I have to do quite a bit of it as my circumstances keep shifting and thus what I need to wear keeps changing. I have no time to sew anymore. So far, my scrubs uniforms, of which I had to buy special ones from the university, are rarely used – only one of my placements to date has actually required me to wear the university issued ones. This semester, I have to wear surgical greens issued by the hospital.

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  47. Roscuro, I tend to wear clothes until they wear out, too, although the 25-plus-year-old long johns I can barely squeeze into qualified as “replaceable.” I like to buy clothes that aren’t trendy, and thus won’t be “out” next year.

    DJ, I had transitions lenses once, and I wasn’t impressed. I bought them because I was counseling at camp every summer, and I thought that ducking in and out of doors might be a good call for transitions. But they didn’t get very dark and were thus useless outdoors, and furthermore they took a couple of minutes to lighten when coming back inside, and were a royal nuisance. A few years later I heard they had improved them, but my husband had a pair when we were dating (2011) and he wasn’t impressed, either. Good idea, bad product is the conclusion we both came to.

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  48. My sunglasses only cost 5 dollars and I got them at the eye doctors office. They are very light and they go on over your glasses. The only problem is that they can blow or fall off. But the coverage is wonderful as they bend around the side too and, since they go over your glasses, you have your same prescription.

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  50. I cannot imagine spending hours in prayer, although lately, I have been spending hours awake talking to God. I am rather private in my prayers. I am definitely not like the scribes and Pharisees. I will not pray in public if I can possibly get out of it.
    I always remember the story I heard as a teen about the old man who was well known in the community as a Christian. His grandsons, wanting to know how he prayed hid under his bed one night because his prayers must be grand. All he said was, “Goodnight God. I will talk to you tomorrow”. That’s how I prefer to pray.

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  51. I have progressive lenses, but I don’t need them all the time. Since I am (mostly) far sighted, I don’t need them for driving or anything that doesn’t involve close-up work, like hiking or walking. I use them at school for the UV blocker (I get headaches in fluorescent lighting) or reading/using the computer at home. I tried just using reading glasses, but when I’d look around the classroom anything beyond a few feet was blurry.

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  52. I have spent hours, all night, the entire drives too and from work in prayer. I think the longest at one time has been from Ruidoso to Odessa when Miguel got in his wreck.

    Church prayer meetings have lasted 1-2 hrs.

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  53. Michelle, you don’t sound excited about this subject. If you don’t feel the interest and excitement, we probably won’t either. Whose life are you to dwell in that will lift you and your readers up?

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  54. Transition lenses are substantially improved from those days Cheryl – but doctor said I still need to wear full on dark sunglasses outside – transitions help for the in between areas though and they get completely light/clear quickly once inside

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  55. I like to use the sunglasses that fit over my distance glasses (like Jo’s) for driving. They really shield my eyes which feels good given how any glare affects the cataract vision quality.

    In some ways I will miss having to use glasses for distance because I really like how they keep wind out from my eyes. Wind makes my eyes water.

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  56. The longer prayer meetings I have attended have been that type where subjects were discussed so the needs were presented and then we would take turns praying aloud around a table of about six to eight people. We once had a day of prayer where people signed up for s specific time and met in the small prayer room at church for an hour. I know some people prayer walk through neighborhoods and that could go on for some hours as they stop and pray over each house in the neighborhood. I have been on a prayer walk through the Georgia State Capitol where the group went to each area where the legislative bills are processed, from origination to committee, to tweaking, to voting, etc. and we prayed at each location. That took a few hours, but it was not nonstop praying as a lot of explanation of the process was given.

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  57. DJ, I had been told they were “greatly improved” since when I had them long before I met my husband, and he found the same problems I did. So I personally would be inclined to be skeptical they have improved all that much in the last seven years, when they hadn’t improved much in the twelve to fourteen years before that, when I wore them. Do current users like them, or are doctors the ones saying they’re great? Personally, I think the most valuable part is probably the UV coating, and I have whatever anti-glare coatings they can apply on all my glasses, because my eyes are light-sensitive.

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  58. I was trying to think of things to put in my kitchen to give it more character now that it is all nice and new. I found the end of a wooden apple box that had been found in the wall when the addition was added before we purchased the place. It looks great in the kitchen and adds some history 🙂

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  59. I have worn progressives for decades. I never feel my vision is perfect, though. My last pair I was ready to return in short order. I simply could not see with them. I was told to not wear them until first thing the next morning. Sure enough, that did the trick. I also just put sunglasses over my eyeglasses. I always wear them outside. I am bothered at night, so prefer not to drive then if I can avoid it. I usually end up with a head ache.

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  60. I’m a current wearer of transition lenses (they come in different shades and I did not get the darkest). I like them a lot more than I thought I would, and I stayed away from them for a long time after hearing poor reviews until my doctor advised them for me. I was pleasantly surprised.

    Well, I’m home after 7 hours, much of it on the road. The mobile notary and overnighting the paperwork put me out $100+ though. 😦 But nothing to be done about it, we were all set to go when she went to get into the car and just stood there, her left leg would not move to reach even the short distance to the well of the front passenger seat. I tried parking closer to the curb (so close my tires were against them), but still no go. So she’s immobile for now, I’m afraid. Since she needed to get the notarized paperwork in by Friday, there was no choice but to get a mobile service out and then I took everything to the UPS store and got it mailed with special provisions so it will (for sure) arrive in time. If it doesn’t, she doesn’t get her NY pension check all year. It’s small, but it’s enough that it is needed to help pay her rent.

    Then coming home it was bumper to bumper — combination of 80-degree weather, bright sunshine and a 3-day weekend for some, apparently. I’d just cleared downtown LA when Carol called saying she thought I didn’t give her ATM card back to her. Sure enough, I still had it. So off the freeway, back on for more bumper-to-pumber rides in both directions. It was dark by the time I got home.

    But I knew if I didn’t get the card back to her today, I’d hate having to make the drive yet again by or before next weekend.

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  62. I have progressive lenses, and they mostly work pretty well. Not perfect, but plenty good enough.

    Have not worn sunglasses since probably my twenties. Maybe I need to live somewhere sunnier.

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  63. 80 degrees and sunshine, huh?

    We’re supposed to be in the teens overnight, with snow and ice and wind. Sunday school has been cancelled, and in the morning we’re supposed to check in to see what the word is on church. (Church has been cancelled for our church up north, but we’re warmer than they are and they may well have had more snow.) Right now the roads are pretty empty, though I just saw a snow plow go by again.

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  65. That cat position is something else. I have seen children and babies sleep in some amazing ways, however.

    Our Daily Bread had a devotional which used The Mexican Hat Dance in it. It must be on everyone’s mind lately. 🙂

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  66. Misten had a really cute sleeping pose in which she was curled up into a ball, and I think her feet were crossed in the middle of the ball. Never could get a picture, though, since she snapped awake if she heard the camera, and I think eventually she outgrew the pose.

    We’re snowed in. 😦 Church reports that the parking lot is plowed but icy (which makes things iffy anyway), but we have a lot of snow around and on the car, and some ice, and we do not currently have a snow shovel. (We had two up north, but didn’t move them.) And there’s just too much for a broom, and the ice makes it iffy anyway, so we’re home today. Our next-door neighbor has a garage (we don’t), but he doesn’t park in it; had he parked in it, the snow plows could have come closer to our car, and we might get out easier, but as it stands it blew in pretty deep between the two cars, and it’s icy, and it’s too much for either of us to move.

    The good news is I got the good night of sleep I desperately needed. I was in bed more than ten hours, most of it sleeping. I think the snow plows worked all night long–or at least they were still out and about when I looked out the window about 3:00. This morning we listened to last week’s sermon on sermon audio.

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  67. I was beat after the week covering the strike and then yesterday’s long day with Carol so I slept in this morning (but needed it). Just got out of the shower. I actually could have slept longer but the cat wouldn’t allow for that, she’d waited long enough for her breakfast.

    The camera phones are great for impromptu photos. I think I’ll send a couple of Annie shots from this week in to AJ.

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  68. Lots of snow on the streets this morning, so had to step over snowbanks to get on and off the bus. There weren’t as many in church this morning, as anyone with limited mobility would have had a hard time getting around. It was a good service, nonetheless. The city church has an interim pastor, as the pastor retired last year, and there is something about the interim pastor, who is a retired missionary, that reminds me of Pastor A.

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  72. Cheryl, I bought long John’s many years ago for camping in the cold. Many years passed before I invested in Cuddle Duds as replacements. Other than that I tend to have work type clothes, some dressy clothes, and some casual. I update a few items each year when the clothes are on their final markdown at the end of a season or I shop at Goodwill, etc.

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  73. Today started out cloudy, but now it is sunny, very windy, and cold (in the 30’s but going down to the teens).

    My Sunday school class got cancelled so I attended another one in which I knew everyone.

    I was suppose to have a Communications team meeting after church, but it got cancelled, too. It becomes more complicated since I now have to ask people for a ride. Thank goodness I live near the church at this time. I could walk if I had to but would not want to since it would be on or beside a very busy road.

    Liked by 1 person

  74. DJ- In one way I hope the Rams can pull it off, as that would make the Super Bowl a big draw in Missouri if KC can win today. A few years too late for an I-70 Super Bowl, but there are still a lot of Ram fans around here. That said, though,
    🏈🏈 Go Chiefs! 🏈🏈

    Liked by 2 people

  76. Rams seem to be channeling the Dodgers in their not-so-good moments.

    But the game is young, they’re not *that* far behind … Go Rams

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  78. There’s still the Indians, Braves, and Redskins. I think the Chiefs’ name is safe for now.

    On that note, I.m surprised PETA hasn’t complained about all the animal mascots.

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  79. -18 degrees when we were on our way to church this morning, but no fresh snow. The sun feels lovely, but it is usually cold this time of year when we see it. Cuddle Duds were a good investment for these temps. I, too, dislike clothes shopping.

    DJ, that is a lot of money out of your pocket!

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  80. DJ, the word chief, and the concept of the head of a tribe or clan being given the title of chief
    preexists its application to the heads of North American tribes, as the heads of Scottish and Irish clans were called chiefs or chieftains.

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  84. It feels so cold here, and yet when I read this blog, it makes me feel like a wimp!

    When you can’t drive, the known world ceases to exist. Being in this situation makes me feel even more happy about having helped Karen for all these years. I applaud you, DJ, for all the help you have given Carol. The women at church who offer to help me the most are those in their eighties. Hopefully some day I can return their favors.

    Our pastor had a powerful sermon today. I am thankful to be there. The Decatur City Church had their first service which was suppose to be a preview for the leaders, maybe 250. Our pastor said it looked like 700 might be the correct number who showed up. I do not know if Andy Stanley was on campus for today. My church offers something entirely different from what they offer. Sometime I may have to go to one of their services to see what it is like.

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  86. It was a lot of money, Kathaleena — just no real alternative as she absolutely needs those monthly checks going forward for 2019 and the deadline was Friday.

    I’ve tried before online to see if there are any low-cost notary services (mobile) for her, but so far haven’t found any. Maybe a senior center might have contacts. Next year she’ll have to do this all over again, but that’s a ways away now (I rather doubt she’ll be any more mobile then than she is now) and maybe the pension company can be called in advance to see if they’d be willing to allow an exception or could somehow otherwise accommodate her without paying for a notary signature. It’s a lot of trouble to go to, frankly, but them’s the rules.

    Carol says she’ll pay me back but I know she won’t. Even a portion of it would be nice, though.

    Liked by 2 people

  87. Maybe if she stops getting the pension, she will have less money to pay for junk food and will become healthier and……

    Thanks, DJ, you do a good thing.

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  88. Well, she currently needs that additional check to pay for part of her rent every month, at least that’s how I understand it.

    A bigger check comes from SS … I’m really not sure, though.

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  93. Plenty of snow around here…but it is melting. The roads are mostly clear and it was 60 degrees in town! It is 10 degrees cooler here in the forest but boy does it ever feel like Spring! 🙃 tomorrow evening and Tuesday morning we are going to get more snow…and cold. Lots of folks getting the flu…my husband is one of them and he is making me crazy! 😜 😷

    Liked by 1 person

  95. We have been out working on the sheep shelter. The ram likes to use if for his entertainment. He likes to ram the roof and make it bounce, then knock down the walls for better air circulation. But with the lambs coming….

    Liked by 2 people

  97. Watching that one, too, Peter, and rooting for the Chiefs (who seem to use an arrowhead as one of their team symbols? … ) That would make for an interesting Super Bowl matchup.

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  98. This could be the first Super Bowl I’ve watched in a long time. So glad LA finally has its old pro football team back in town. I grew up with the Rams, Dodgers and Angels and still retain a strong loyalty though I’ve not closely followed sports much as an adult.

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  111. What a game, in OT now after score was tied … NE in position to score …

    But the scrappy Chiefs really deserve to win this one

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  113. Brady is the G.O.A.T.

    So is Belichick.

    They are the true dynasty of the NFL. You will never see what they have done repeated in our lifetimes, or probably ever. Enjoy watching the history, and the greatness that is Tom Brady. 🙂

    And just imagine, were it not for my favs the Giants and the Eagles last year, he’d have 3 more.

    G.O.A.T.

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  114. I’m so sorry mumsee, I was all riled up with the football action.

    Take it easy, put a cold cloth on your head, stay away from high numbers.

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