Gayle and Gramma.. she surprised me one morning when
she tapped me on the arm and said "Hi Granny".. and
then giggled.

Esther and Gramma .. I was working on Annabelle's blanket

At Thanksgiving dinner.. Gramma Valentine and Eli

Busy, busy, busy.. all the time.. Gayle likes to help too.

Gayle wanted to be a Jack-o-Lantern..
so Mom obliged..

A quiet moment with Gaylie

Eli, Wendy, Esther

Essie wanted to be a cute kitty.. so Wendy painted
her face to look like one. Meow?

Always the helper.. Esther washed dishes.. and did a great job!

Eli wasn't afraid of either of us this trip.. Here he is on my lap..
He's a load!

Isaac decided he wanted to look like an alien.. so Wendy let him use
liquid mascara to paint his face.. and then she painted everyone else's too..
Here's Eli with a moustache..hehehe

The pictures are kind of mixed up..sorry..
Here's Papa with Eli

I thought this one was amusing.. the look..




















Eli is tgeething.. he'll chew on anything.. including
a big cold hunk of celery




















He is the only 8 month old I know of who watches
football and cheers when the teams score..

IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT

We are home. Lots of pictures to share.. Here are a few..
and then I'll add more as I go. No telling what order they'll be in..
just fun stuff.
Cory with daughters Esther and Gayle..
Nice one of everyone!





















Cory and son Elijah















After Thanksgiving dinner, Cory and Eli sat down
to read the daily news..

MONDAY MORNING

We are here.. it was a good trip north, though we met with a lot of snow. Wendy assured us that they had none, so we proceeded with the hope of getting through the nasty roads (I-80;I-81).. We saw several cars that were off the road- one heading the opposite direction and up against the side of a mountain
We had supper with the Valentines when we got into town. . Just a few flurries in the air..but by bedtime it was coming down pretty hard. This morning there was about 4-5" on the ground. Heavy wet snow that is melting fast.

All is well.. more later.

THANKSGIVING TRIP BEGINS

Today is our big day. In a little while I'll be packing the car for our trip north and we'll be heading for church first and then to Valentines.
There is so much to pack, I wonder how I'll ever get it all in my little car.









I found this while looking for clip art this morning.. it made me laugh..








We always see a lot of these along the way..on the interstates. There should be no delays today, but one never knows.
Snow is in the forecast along with rain.. but we aren't in a big rush- we'll take our time.

JJ and Keith are headed south this week to share Thanksgiving with Keith's family. Travel safely.

I'll be keeping up with the blog while we are away if possible. There is usually a lull daily where I can check my email.. so I'll make a few notes.

GETTING READY

Wendell and I are busy bees today getting ready for our trip to the NY border to visit the Valentines. It's slow going, but progress is being made.
We still have to vacuum out the car and pack. We aren't taking a lot of luggage, but we have Christmas gifts, and these should fill the trunk to capacity.
We need a few more things and we'll be ready to settle down here.

It's a beautiful cool day.. 41 degrees... and so mild. I've already been outside. 76 more days to go. Now if I can just get my back (the SI joint) to cooperate.. we'll be in fine shape.

It's nearly 2pm.. gotta get going.
Merry Thanksgiving to you all

What Thanksgiving should be

"How wonderful it is, how pleasant when brothers live together in harmony!
Psalm 133:1 NLT"

Fighting historical vandalism

" In an article in Focus on the Family's Citizen magazine, Douglas Phillips describes how he took his family to Plymouth, Massachusetts, a few years ago and was shocked at what he found.
Atop Cole's Hill, the burial ground for Pilgrims who died that first hard winter, Phillips was startled to see a city truck pull up and men pile out carrying shovels.
They told Phillips the city was placing a new monument.
"Most revolutions are staged at night," Phillips wrote, so he wasn't surprised the next day to find stone markers all over Plymouth designating Thanksgiving as a day of mourning—a day to recall how the Pilgrims murdered and stole from their Indian neighbors.
That afternoon, demonstrators—mostly white college kids—celebrated their victory by defacing the traditional monuments.
Plymouth had transformed a tale of religious freedom into a story of genocide.
The historical reality is totally different. While it's true that later settlers abused the Native Americans, the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians lived together in peace for 50 years.
They signed covenants, bought and sold property, and fought against mutual enemies.
The modern obsession with group identity and victimhood encourages us to see those assigned to other groups as our enemies. When we interact with them, we ought to recall the relationship between the Pilgrims and the Indians and model not hostility and hatred but brotherly love.
As the psalmist notes, a willingness to get along with others makes for a pleasant and peaceful life.


adapted from How Now Shall We Live? Devotional by Charles Colson (Tyndale) pp 631-32 "
Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of
Tyndale Publishing House

IT'S SNOWING IN WPA

Good morning Bloggers.. It's snowing in WPA this morning, and there is a light dusting sticking to the ground. It likely will be gone after noon, but it is a reminder that winter has arrived. After all, it's mid November. I can remember lot's of Octobers when we had snow on the ground.
I'm thankful.



Today I'm gainfully employed one more day before my vacation week begins. I pray it goes quickly, but there is so much to do and get ready before we can leave for Valentines. My car is a mess and has so much 'junk' in it. I need to go to the carwash to vacuum it out really good. And then it's dusty inside.. needs a good wipe down to make it more pleasant to drive.
A few items to shop for before we leave.. gifts to wrap for Christmas .. clothes to pack.. and other essentials. Oil change on Saturday.. lots to do yet.
We are still planning to be in church on Sabbath, and then just keep on driving north and east afterward. The weather should be sunny and comfortable. My car gets great mileage, so we aren't too concerned about the high gas prices... yet.

Today is the day I'm taking 2 letters with me to work. One for my boss and one for personnel. They are letters of resignation. 77 days to go.. this is it.. I feel like I'm rounding 3rd base!

The diet is going well.. haven't hit the scales, but other than that one piece of cake on Wednesday afternoon, I've been good. I feel better when I'm not overloaded on carbs.
Today I'll bake the mock apple pie again for Wendell and one for me. It was so delicious! No crust, but all very within the diet. It counts for 2 fruits out of the 3 we are alloted for the day.
The nice thing is that it's so healthy... cinnamon for the diabetic, and just all the good nutrients in apples.

I'm off to do some baking before work.. apples, of course... and pack a lunch for me for tonite.
Stay warm.. pray for us- I had a back flare up yesterday pretty bad. It's not so bad today, but I know it's there and I'll be careful.

WEDNESDAY..

Good evening all.. it's been quite the day and I'm winding down and preparing for bed.
The funeral today was very good~ Sharon's pastor delivered a fine message.
Following the service, we all went to their church for a grand luncheon prepared by the ladies of the church there. Ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans, and coleslaw were the main entree. I was careful to watch what I'm eating since I've been trying to follow the diet with Wendell again. The doctor says he HAS to lose some weight. Me too. My downfall today was the carrot cake. I have absolutely NO resistance to the stuff and won't even bring it into my home because I'd eat it all myself before anyone could even swipe their finger through the cream cheese frosting. I'm like all dieters.. I announced that I've eaten well, but I'm going to have that cake. It's sort of like a threat except I don't finish my statement. What I am really saying is 'I've eaten well, but I'm going to have that cake and if you try to stop me I may have to cause you bodily harm'. Hah! Typical dieter.
I must say it was the best carrot cake I've had in a long long time. Or maybe I just haven't done enough sweets lately and it just hit the spot. I ate every crumb.

We got back home today and I made my reminder calls to the 9 patients that will be coming for their treatments tomorrow. It was after that when I decided my eyes were so heavy and my body felt so weary. Wendell was fast asleep as were the Z's upstairs (they work night shift).
So I popped on my handy-dandy CPAP , set the clock for 1 hour and layed down.. it took about 15 seconds before I remembered nothing ..and woke up to the alarm clock insisting I'd had enough nap.

I have worked on the babies' blankets for Christmas today. Annabelle's is coming along fine and I may take it with me to Valentines next week to complete it. Might as well have something to do in the car for the long drive. I'll start Eli's tomorrow night.. trimming the edges and then sewing the blanket stitch all around.



I warmed up some super left overs tonite.. pork roast, mashed potatoes, California blend veggies.. and some angel hair spaghetti. Wendell asked if I could slice up some apples and season them like apple pie for him for a snack tonite.. Jane had put the idea in his head, and , well... it DID sound delicious. So in about 2 minutes, we shall indulge. This time it's a 'legal' snack and healthy.

Coffee is on.. and I've got a cup in front of me.. mmmm
It's 7am- I've been up since 6:30am.. today Wendell and I are planning to attend Amy's dad's funeral. Weather-wise, the day should be a nice one. The high is to be 63, and the rain is to arrive later today.

Yesterday was a rather frightful one for me~ one of "those" days when I couldn't seem to get anything quite right. Odd things kept happening. I think my ADD was out of control. I seemed to be tripping over my own 2 feet, and at one point I foolishly reached directly over the flame of a scented candle reaching for an item just beyond it. I didn't get burned, but I now know just how hot that little candle is close to the wick.
At work, I felt it was needful to warn the charge person to really watch my orders carefully, as I was not functioning at full tilt. She laughed .. I didn't. Just 79 days to go- did I mention that I'm so thrilled to be retiring soon? I did?.. well.. it's true.
Next week I'll be sending my letter of resignation/retirement. I feel like celebrating just that.
Next week we will be visiting with the Valentines for Thanksgiving too.. woohoo!

Prayer items of the day ...
*John's Gramma Z has been in the hospital and is looking at surgery in the near future. The whole situation is very serious. Pray for the doctors and staff who care for her.. for great skill to do what is needed to provide a healthy outcome for her. Pray for God's healing hand to rest on her.
*Today is the funeral for Amy's dad. Pray for comfort and peace for her and for Paul and for her sister also.
Remember the children too who also grieve the loss of a grandfather.
*Pray for healing and God's will to be complete with Nicki, Dave, UBob, Aunt MaryJane, and for Barb. So many in need of prayer.
*Pray for us also..
*For world leaders, national and local leaders- those in positions of power- for hearts turned to Jesus.
*For Sandi who has to be in the dentist's office today

God bless you for holding us all up before God's great throne.
Have a wonderful day.

David Dietrich

This past weekend we noted the passing of our daughter in law's father, David Dietrich on Saturday afternoon. Our entire Blair family would like to offer our condolences to Amy, Paul and Joyce, P3, Daniel, David, and Annabelle, as well as Sharon, Jeff and Jeffrey.
Our prayers go with you. Know that God will comfort you.

God's guidance

"I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me.I know the Lord is always with me, I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
Psalm 16:7-8 NLT

The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
Psalm 37:23-24"


Giving thanks that God is near

"Sometimes we try to "ride out the storms" in our lives—doing this the best we can.
We think, If I can just hang on and be strong, I can get through this.
David knew he couldn't make it on his own. In the past, he had found help in the Lord God.
And in this prayer, David again sought the Lord's protection:
"Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge" (v. 1).
He rejoiced in the guidance and assistance the Lord had given him.
Though his enemies were trying to shake and topple him, David stood firm because God was "right beside" him.

In prayer today, acknowledge that God is right beside you—upholding and guiding you.
Thank him that he helps you and does not leave you to struggle on your own.

A prayer for today…Dear Lord, I will not be shaken, for you are right beside me…

from The One Year® Book of Bible Prayers edited by Bruce Barton(Tyndale) entry for November 4 "

THANK A VET..

Today is the day.. November 11..
we celebrate and honor the men and women
of this country who have secured our freedoms.
Many have paid the ultimate price for us.

So how did you sleep last night?
Fear of attack from another country?
NO? Thank a vet.

There are many who bash our precious nation
for one reason or another
without fear.. and openly we can disagree..
who secured this freedom?
This is a land where you can speak out..
Thank a vet.

Going to church today?
Thank the Lord first, and then..
Thank a vet.

Did you vote last week?
Thank a vet.

Our freedoms are what make this nation
the great land that it is.
Freedom is not free.. there is a price to pay for it.
Thank a vet.

Do you know a veteran?
Pick up your phone today and
Thank a vet.

I didn't do any blogging yesterday.. it was an off day for me.. in the office, I didn't meet my own standard of excellence as far as I'm concerned. UGH.

Wendell and JJ arrived safely last evening at Valentines.. JJ sounded like she was really enjoying the kids.. Wendell says Eli has Annabelle-itis.. and cries when he looks at him. Poor Wendell.. sounds like he had an off day too.
Wendell and I are headed to Valentines for Thanksgiving week this year provided all is stable here.
That's just about next weekend.. hoping to attend worship and then head on up north.

Today begins my weekend of gainful employment.. the good news is that as of today, there are only 84 days left to be gainfully employed at the hospital. I'm really looking forward to my retirement... did I mention that before?

* Please remember Amy and Sharon's dad in the hospital yet. Pray for the families and for the doctors and nursing staff who care for him.
*Pray for traveling mercy this weekend as Wendell and JJ return home on Saturday
* And for Nicki and Dave as they get their treatments regularly- for healing if it is God's will.
*Give thanks for the good results from Jane's procedure

I'm off to get myself ready for work..

The weather is always on my mind.. today it's yet again a blustery day.. Windy, cold (37 at the moment), and just cloudy and dark...not my kind of day for sure. Yesterday I noticed it was so windy that Lake Blair had waves.......
Well, maybe the picture exaggerates a bit.. not quite that many and that high.. but when your driveway puddles have waves, it's noticeable.
The puddles along with the waves are gone today.. and what is left is...snow flurries...

Days like today make me drowsy and sleepy and think that a nap could be in my future..


*Amy's dad is in the hospital.. please remember to pray for his situation.. for Amy and Sharon and their families... for the doctors and nurses who care for him.. for the Father's healing hands to rest on all of them..
*Remember Jane too.. she's having a procedure done tomorrow..
*And for Wendell and JJ as they travel tomorrow to Valentines for a few days..

Wow! Surprise! All the way to work today I drove in a 'white-out'.. nothing sticking but still, it was definitely there.. in all it's cold glory.. Tonite they are calling for snow showers and tomorrow too.. ugh..
After a first half slam at work tonite.. 4 admits in 4 hours.. I finally got caught up after supper and did some of my mandatory programs that have to be completed before Dec 31. I have 2 to go.. I got so weary of doing the lessons.. I finally decided that the other secretary could go home early if she desired.. she did not. It was just sooooo quiet at that point.. I left at 10:45pm.
Time for bed here..

ELECTION DAY 2007

TODAY IS ELECTION DAY..
GET OUT THERE
MAKE THE EFFORT
PRESERVE FREEDOM

HELLO WINTER

I guess the weather report has changed... it's tonite we are to have rain and snow showers..
Here we go....

UHH.. JUST CAUGHT THE WEATHER

It's raining in Butler.. not just rain but a thunder storm.. and it's November.. odd. It's okay.. we need the water and I'm not complaining. It's 53 degrees.. not bad.
The part of the weather report that gets my attention the most is the one on Wednesday that says "snow to rain".. hmmmmm could this be the first snowfall of the 2007 winter season?
No panic here.. just gotta get the winter duds out for sure now.. long sleeved shirts and sweaters.
Wendell and I went out today looking for a 'wedding dress' for Esther and Gayle. We hit the thrift stores looking.. but nothing. Wendell found 2 pr pants and I found 2 new scrub jackets to wear to work. 88 days to go, but I wear them in the office too.

Mandy says supper will be ready in 3 minutes.. I'm outa here.. chicken provolone on angel hair tonite..mmmmmm

DEAL?

A real deal was struck.. there was chocolate at stake here.. and being that I'm a chocoholic, and these are MY grandchildren, this was not to be taken lightly..
Here's the deal.. come on over.. I'll give you the candy bar you missed on trick or treat night.
Come dressed up, and you get double.. your choice....
But if you choose the 2 bars, I get to take your picture..
We have all winners here.. me too..

Annabelle got Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
and a full sized
Hershey bar too..

Daniel the Carpenter... good job, Daniel!!

David could not be left out.. here he is
Fireman David.

Joyce makes a beautiful indian maiden..

Paul looked so realistic in his Bowhunter
costume..

100 POINT TOUR

I loved JJ's 100 point tour of her home.. what a hoot! JJ.. what are barn stars? Never heard that term before.
I just might try a tour of our home.. or maybe not.. hehehe..
Check out JJ's site

DST ends

DON'T FORGET..
SET YOUR CLOCK BACK AN HOUR TONITE

90 DAYS TO GO!!!

90 DAYS
TO
RETIREMENT

Growing old gracefully is not one of my better things.. I'd likely do better if I just relaxed and took life with a grain of salt as it comes by. Alas, I've never been one who could just sit idly by and watch the world race on day to day to month to year..
It was a little over a year ago when I started my 'countdown' to retirement. Each day has gone by and I've noted each one.. moving ever so slowly but steadily toward my goal.
Many have asked "then what?" "what are you going to do once you don't have to be gainfully employed in the workforce? That's not quite true as I do plan to continue working in the office at least one day a week.. perhaps 2.
So what do I plan for this next segment of my life? I DO have some plans.

*Most people who know me, know that I'm a very family oriented person. I love every one of them and try to remind them of that as much as possible. So retirement will bring more time to enjoy them all.. lunches with my sister, playing with the local grandkids, and then making more frequent visits to my grandkids up on the NY border. Birthdays can be celebrated without just sending a package and making a phone call because of a work schedule.
Instead of trying to work in a day here or there for the local kids, I have plans to enjoy them on a more daily basis.. crafts and baking and of course Gramma Camps to come.

*Visiting.. oh, so many to visit! I'm anxious to get started. Hopefully gas prices won't hold us back. In addition to the grandkids up north, there are many other family members we'd like to see again.. Wendell's sister and brother.. family in California, and then my brother in Michigan, and family in Maryland..well, not blood related, but friends that are like family. Neither of us has the desire to just go on a vacation where we don't know anyone.. it's a family thing.
Nieces, nephews, and some others.. Oh, our calendar will be full for some time..
Aunt MaryJane, Uncle Bob, Uncle Babe.. family reunions, and just a lot of visiting.

Wendell wants to go to Soldiers and Sailors Hall to look up Civil War records for his family. We shall do that when the weather is good and we are ready to take up the family history again.
That's another thing.. family history. I've put it on a back burner for a few years, but need to get things sorted out again.. pictures need sorted and sent to those who would appreciate them.
I have thousands of pictures and volumes of history.

*Entertaining... one of my desires is to be able to entertain family and friends more often. We don't get to do that much, but I love to do it. I guess we need to have a place to have folks sleep over.. that would be such a delight.

*Another important part of my retirement is to be able to be in church EVERY week rather than every other week. It's frustrating to not be able to attend regularly.. especially when as I grow older, I seem to have so many ailments that pop up quickly.. and are slow to subside. One problem means no church for 3 weeks instead of the one that I'm having a problem with.
Health has been an issue for a few years now. Growing older brings health problems we never experienced before.. arthritis, asthma, GI problems, orthopedic difficulties.. just getting around becomes difficult by times.

*More time to sit down and read a book.. or take a nature walk.. exercise.. plan my days better..

These are just a few of the plans for retirement that I can think of off the top of my head.. I know there are so many more things I want to do... The office will tie me down for a little during the week, but I also have an assistant who is always more than willing to give me the time off I need.
This is one of the happiest times in my life.. the goal is within reach. Time is passing and I'm loving it!

I slept pretty well last night.. AMEN. It's about time my body started doing what it's supposed to do at night..
Yesterday morning I got up 5 minutes after I should have been on the road for that same time.. on my way to work. Acckkkkkk! I'm never late and never miss the alarm clock! It was after 7:30 and I felt late. I got there 15 minutes later than usual.. and then noted my first patients weren't till 9:30am.. happy day.. I had some time.
Though I was tired, I did well and so did my patients. They are such wonderful interesting people.
I'm always weary and tired when I go home .. I drove straight home and had no clue what to have for supper... so I pulled out some chicken breasts to bake... Wendell suggested we go out to eat, but the thought of going all the way back to Butler was not on my agenda.. I needed something to eat but I wanted my bed too... We decided to hit the local airport restaurant .. the Runway.. and it was the best decision of the day. I had Raspberry grilled chicken salad with raspberry walnut sauce, and Wendell went for the grilled Reuben.. At the end of the meal we decided to have dessert, but neither of us had room for it.. so we chose one each and took it home to eat later.. Mine was black forest cake with whipped cream on top.. decadent! I love their little dessert cart they bring around so you can actually see what your dessert looks like before you order it. We love the atmosphere at the Runway too.. 3 walls of glass panes so you have the perfect view of the airport and runway.. We watched the planes take off and land while we waited for our meals.
For as small an airport as it is, it is a very busy one with planes coming in and going out one after another.
The best part is that it's only about 3 miles from our house!!
As we sat there last night, we pretty much decided that our family joint retirement dinner would be held there.. it's just the perfect place. Another great feature of this place is the elevator for those who can't do stairs. And did I mention the food is fabulous? and the service too?

It's 27 degrees this morning.. bbrrrrrr !!! I'm gainfully employed again at the hospital..it is Friday. Just 91 days to go... by Christmas day it'll be 39 days.. I looked. What a Christmas gift!
I'll be off this weekend too.. things are good.. life is grand.
The little Christmas shopping we planned to do this year is almost complete.. just a couple things to go... woohoo!! and it's not even Thanksgiving!
It's almost 8am.. as for me.. I'm heading back to bed for another hour..I'll need it later tonite.

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin.
But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here.
Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all.
We have room for but one flag, the American flag.... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

IT'S WENDY'S BIRTHDAY

If you see her or connect with her today..
wish her a
HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!We lived at the farm.. this one was taken around Christmas
when she would have been a year old.

Here's Mandy with Wendy.. I told them NOT to get in the mud..

To be fair.. this is her graduation picture..
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
WENDY !