Happy Thanksgiving

For the beauty of the earth

For the glory of the skies

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies

Lord of all to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

For Thyself, best Gift Divine

To the world so freely given

For that great, great love of Thine

Peace on earth and joy in Heaven

Lord of all to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

SSMT #22

Oops, I'm running a day late this week.

Here's my 22nd verse - a reminder just for me!

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation always be full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Colossians 4:5-6

Veteran's Day

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe;

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD

Canadian Army

The Eyes Are the First Thing to Go...

I have a confession to make. I can not see the characters when I write my blog posts.

I'm not sure if this is due to my advanced age, or if it's because we got a new computer recently and now neither one of us can see the screens. (Note to self: remind Dan AGAIN to change the resolution).

This has been very frustrating as I like to publish a quality post with no typos, misspelled words, or weird punctuation if possible.

I have avoided increasing the font size because, well, because I'm vain about stuff like that and don't want readers to realize that I can only see words that are 1/2 inch tall.

But earlier this week I found the perfect solution! It's so great that I can't believe I never thought of it before.

Are you ready?

I change the font size as I'm typing it and then change it back when I'm ready to publish.

I know.

Genius, right?

I feel so much better about what I'm writing now that I can actually see it.

You know, it really is the little things in life that bring the most pleasure.

Blog Stuff

When I started this blog over six years ago I was a first time Grammy. I wanted to write about my granddaughter, but I also wanted to satisfy my urge for creative writing. Over the years I've reevaluated the blog from time to time and have been open in stating what changes I was going to make. Of course, as life goes, half the changes never "took".

I love writing the blog and have no intention of stopping. I have been reevaluating it again and have decided to make some changes. I thought this time I would be more circumspect by NOT sharing my intentions.. Maybe that way if (when) they don't occur I won't feel so guilty!

I can see that my posts have steadily decreased over the past couple of years. My excuse is that my husband has been so busy I don't have as much access to the computer. Also, having grandkids three days a week really cuts down on my "me" time. Which I don't regret.

So, at the end, I'm faced with the reality that I need to be more deliberate about making time to blog. Instead of blaming it on "scheduling" (isn't that a nice way to put it?) I need to adjust my schedule to make the time work for me.

So, this is my non-announcement about unshared changes I'm going to make in my blog.

Aren't you glad you read this post?!

Shake, Rattle, and Yawn

This past weekend I was talking to my son, JD about the increase in earthquakes in Oklahoma. There are several theories as to the cause of these quakes. I don't care about the cause. I only care about the fear factor. I am afraid of earthquakes.

Growing up in Kansas, we didn't have earthquakes. We only had tornadoes. And in all of my years of living there I never saw a tornado. I learned to grab my stuff and head to the basement when the sirens went off. (As I got older, I took my stuff to the basement and then ran outside to crane my neck to try to see the funnel cloud). In school we learned to all crouch under our desks or in the cloakroom when the sirens went off.

My mom watched a tornado destroy a neighborhood from across I-35 when we lived in Lenexa, KS. But that's the closest I've come to a twister.

I respect tornadoes, but I don't have a deep-seated fear of them.

Earthquakes are another story. You can't take cover from them. The sirens don't sound to warn you that one is imminent. They are very scary. They are why I never want to live in California (well, that, and the political environment and the tax rate and the lack of water).

This morning we awoke to the news that three earthquakes occurred overnight about 45 miles from our house. The first one was at approximately 9 pm - a 3.2. We were watching the Royals mount an epic comeback over the Mets at that time. We didn't feel a thing. Our pool didn't slosh onto the cool deck. Our dogs and cat didn't act odd.

The next two shakes happened at 11:30 and 11:50 pm. They were stronger - a 4.1 and a 4.0. I was asleep.

Now I know intellectually that earthquakes, like every other natural phenomenon can occur anywhere. But seriously, if we're going to start having them, I will start looking for a safer place to live. Where that is, I have no idea.

Although I have heard of plans to colonize Mars. Oh wait, I think that's just a movie...

SSMT #21

You are my hiding place;

you will protect me from trouble

and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Psalm 32:7 NIV