We went out to Keystone State Park today. I picked up the receipts for the walking club. This evening we went to Nick's and babysat while Nick and Jen went to bell choir rehearsal at the church.
J spent the day, for the most part, working on the computer. I think we have a trojan horse virus. If I fail to post in the near future, we are trying to get rid of the virus.
I got an appointment to see Dr. Rapacki in April. My back problem persists. The worst thing about this is it prevents me from getting exercise. We might try to do a volkswalk in the near future, just to see how well I can do walking.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Church hopping and new music
Today is Tuesday and we tried out another church in the "Journey to Easter" series of programs. Today's service was held at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church. If that sounds familiar, it is because we were there last Saturday for the memorial service for Frank Ford.
Today's service was the reading of a booklet on the 14 Stations of the Cross. The minister read the top half of the page. Then one of 14 lay people from the congregation read the bottom part. There was no music in the program. Once the service was over, we went to the fellowship hall where various soups were available for lunch. I had a bowl of soup and a brownie for dessert.
On the way back to Sand Springs, we stopped at the Pratt Library. Some DVDs had come in for me: "New York, I Love You," "Angels & Demons," and a DVD on U.S. geography. I also checked out two books of music: "The Tony Award Songbook" and "The Great Big Books of Children's Songs."
Once home, we decided to go to Moody's jewelry in Tulsa. J needed to have her rings resized. She left two rings at the store, and then we went to Saied's Music on Yale. To my surprise, the store has expanded its piano duet sheet music selections. Before the area for duet sheet music was about 2 feet by a foot and a half. Now the piano duet sheet music has its own separate area, which is more than double the previous space. I was like a kid in a candy store looking over the new music. J was waiting for me in the car. I told her I would be back in ten minutes. So I hurriedly looked over the music and picked out two books. The first book is "The Joy of Duets" and it contains 34 selections. The second book is from the "In Recital" series published by FJH Music. It contains eight selections, including Debussy's "Claire de Lune, " Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag" and the spiritual "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."
Today's service was the reading of a booklet on the 14 Stations of the Cross. The minister read the top half of the page. Then one of 14 lay people from the congregation read the bottom part. There was no music in the program. Once the service was over, we went to the fellowship hall where various soups were available for lunch. I had a bowl of soup and a brownie for dessert.
On the way back to Sand Springs, we stopped at the Pratt Library. Some DVDs had come in for me: "New York, I Love You," "Angels & Demons," and a DVD on U.S. geography. I also checked out two books of music: "The Tony Award Songbook" and "The Great Big Books of Children's Songs."
Once home, we decided to go to Moody's jewelry in Tulsa. J needed to have her rings resized. She left two rings at the store, and then we went to Saied's Music on Yale. To my surprise, the store has expanded its piano duet sheet music selections. Before the area for duet sheet music was about 2 feet by a foot and a half. Now the piano duet sheet music has its own separate area, which is more than double the previous space. I was like a kid in a candy store looking over the new music. J was waiting for me in the car. I told her I would be back in ten minutes. So I hurriedly looked over the music and picked out two books. The first book is "The Joy of Duets" and it contains 34 selections. The second book is from the "In Recital" series published by FJH Music. It contains eight selections, including Debussy's "Claire de Lune, " Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag" and the spiritual "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Weekend happenings
This morning I attended the service at Church of the Restoration on Greenwood. The sermon was one written by A. Powell Davies and is from 1946. Betty Morrow read the sermon. The special music was sung by Mary Rounds. There were nine people present today.
Following the service, I drove to Wendy's and had a bowl of chili and a Dr. Pepper. Then I went to the Atheist Meetup at the Fontana Center. There were 20 people there today. After the meetup was over, I stopped by Wendy's and had a small chocolate Frosty.
Then I drove to Joe Price's house for drumming. Instead of going by my house in Sand Springs to get my drum, I borrowed a drum from Joe. He has a couple of extra drums. We drummed for a little more than an hour. There were just three of us there today.
Following the service, I drove to Wendy's and had a bowl of chili and a Dr. Pepper. Then I went to the Atheist Meetup at the Fontana Center. There were 20 people there today. After the meetup was over, I stopped by Wendy's and had a small chocolate Frosty.
Then I drove to Joe Price's house for drumming. Instead of going by my house in Sand Springs to get my drum, I borrowed a drum from Joe. He has a couple of extra drums. We drummed for a little more than an hour. There were just three of us there today.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
F & F at China Star in Sand Springs
The Food and Fellowship gathering for March was held today at China Star, which, in my opinion is the best place in Sand Springs to eat out. The all-you-can-eat buffet was just $6.49. There was lots of good food to choose from. The China Star buffet is a make over of a McDonald's building from years gone by. McDonald's has since built a new building closer to an off ramp from highway 412; but when we moved here 24 years ago, we often came here to eat. Since then, more restaurants have opened in Sand Springs, giving us more dining out options. A new IHOP restaurant is supposed to open sometime this fall.
After we had eaten, several of us went to the St. Matthew's Episcopal Church for a memorial service for Frank Ford. It is a beautiful church located on a lake. From where I was seated I could see University Towers, the building in which Barbara Frey lives. Barbara is visible in the photo above, wearing white with green trim. The old gent on the end with the white mustache is Larry Hicks. (I took the picture.) Although Frank was not a member of HAT, he had many friends in HAT who shared his political perspective. (Somehow I managed to get this picture on here twice. If I delete one, it may delete the other one also. I'll leave it as it is.)
Friday, March 26, 2010
What happened today
It is late, but I will try to recap today's events.
The morning got started by Gail coming over to practice piano duets with me. It was an enjoyable two hours.
Then in the afternoon, as usual, I took a nap. My call to Dr. Rapacki's office made around 9 am was never returned. I will wait until Monday and call again. It only hurts when I walk. I suspect I have a disk which has come out of place and is pressing on a nerve. It does not hurt at all while I am sitting; when I get up to walk is when I notice it.
Nick and his family came over tonight. They brought supper with them -- turkey stew. After they left, we watched our favorite TV programs; NOW and Bill Moyers's Journal. On another channel at the same time NOW aired was Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution. I watched it later on the Internet.
And now for a quote from Queen Jane's Version. This is Matthew 7:12:
It took a bit of searching to find a verse which my Christian friends would find non-offensive. But, who knows, they may take offense at this translation, anyway. Other parts of this translation are sure to offend.
The morning got started by Gail coming over to practice piano duets with me. It was an enjoyable two hours.
Then in the afternoon, as usual, I took a nap. My call to Dr. Rapacki's office made around 9 am was never returned. I will wait until Monday and call again. It only hurts when I walk. I suspect I have a disk which has come out of place and is pressing on a nerve. It does not hurt at all while I am sitting; when I get up to walk is when I notice it.
Nick and his family came over tonight. They brought supper with them -- turkey stew. After they left, we watched our favorite TV programs; NOW and Bill Moyers's Journal. On another channel at the same time NOW aired was Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution. I watched it later on the Internet.
And now for a quote from Queen Jane's Version. This is Matthew 7:12:
I can sum up this whole thing by reciting the "Golden Rule" of the prophets: "Treat others like you want them to treat you," for it embodies the give-and-take by which people really get along in this world, the rule of the natural society in which humankind has learned what it takes for people to coexist with each other, with or without laws, civil or 'divine'.
It took a bit of searching to find a verse which my Christian friends would find non-offensive. But, who knows, they may take offense at this translation, anyway. Other parts of this translation are sure to offend.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Walking
I decided to see if I could walk today. The last time I went walking was on March 5. We went to TCC and got on the walking track. It was not long before the pain in my left leg grew. After 20 minutes of walking, I stopped. The pain is like it was back in 2006. In the morning I will talk to the people in Dr. Rapacki's office and see what they recommend.
There is no pain while I am seated. It is when I am standing and trying to walk that the pain begins.
There is no pain while I am seated. It is when I am standing and trying to walk that the pain begins.
Bible study in high schools
I was reading an article on teaching the Bible in high schools. The following is a paragraph from that article:
If I were taking such a course, I would use Queen Jane's Version as my translation of choice. This translation, which was published just over ten years ago, is the work of Douglas A. Rankin. Subtitled The Complete and Uncensored Translation for a New Millennium, it is a monumental work. Scattered throughout the text are 24 pictorial icons which call the reader's attention to certain themes which recur in the text. The book is published by Emporia Press of Dallas.
The Christian Bible has had an influence on art, culture, music, and writing. These Bible study courses will merely provide history on how the Bible has influenced Western civilization. The Christian Bible will also be used as the textbook and it does not matter which version is used. Students may bring their own Bibles from home.
If I were taking such a course, I would use Queen Jane's Version as my translation of choice. This translation, which was published just over ten years ago, is the work of Douglas A. Rankin. Subtitled The Complete and Uncensored Translation for a New Millennium, it is a monumental work. Scattered throughout the text are 24 pictorial icons which call the reader's attention to certain themes which recur in the text. The book is published by Emporia Press of Dallas.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Piano at COR
I got a call from Edna, the church pianist, this morning. She wanted to change the date for playing the piano duet from this Sunday to April 11. That is OK with me; it will give us more time to practice. I sent an e-mail to Gail with this information. We plan to play "Castle House Rag" by James Europe Reese.
I took a look at www.free-scores.com this afternoon and printed a solo piece with the title "Minute Rag." You can both hear it played and view/print the sheet music on the site. I like the sound of it, but it is written in the key of B natural -- not the easiest key to play in.
It has been a while since some of my friends have updated their blog. Perhaps they are having computer problems.
I took a look at www.free-scores.com this afternoon and printed a solo piece with the title "Minute Rag." You can both hear it played and view/print the sheet music on the site. I like the sound of it, but it is written in the key of B natural -- not the easiest key to play in.
It has been a while since some of my friends have updated their blog. Perhaps they are having computer problems.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Another church visited
Today we went to Mission Christian Church in our weekly trek to area churches in the Journey to Easter series. Following the service we went downstairs and had a bowl of soup and a couple of cookies. On the way back home we stopped and bought a brisket sandwich (which we shared) from Papa Pat.
This evening we attended the session on reading non-fiction at Central Library. The speaker was from OSU and was quite interesting.
This evening we attended the session on reading non-fiction at Central Library. The speaker was from OSU and was quite interesting.
Monday, March 22, 2010
This day's events
Normally on Monday morning I am playing duets with Gail, but this week we have postponed our practice session to Friday. Gail is to take her mother-in-law back to Texas today. I did practice my part on the duets this morning. Our duet at Church of the Restoration has been rescheduled for next Sunday.
Around 1:00 pm we went grocery shopping. The pain in my left leg was such that I had to sit down for a while. After about 10 minutes of rest, I was able to rejoin J in doing the shopping. Once we got home, I brought the groceries in to the house while J put away the items needing to be refrigerated or frozen. Then I went to the bank to transfer some money from one account to another.
The big news right now is the passage of the health care reform bill. There is a lot of opposition to the bill in Oklahoma. One poll I saw showed a quarter of the population favoring the bill while three quarters were in opposition. This is in spite of the fact that Oklahoma is a very relgious state. You would think that a bill which increased medical coverage would be welcomed by Christians. The bill also prohibits turning people away due to pre-existing conditions. The bill has the look of being written by Christians. Yet so many Christians oppose the bill. What irony! It's the old "I've got mine. You get yours, Jack" kind of attitude for which Oklahoma is so infamous. What accounts for this hardheartedness?
I finished reading the account by Harriet Jacobs written back in the 1850s of her experiences growing up as a slave in the South. After spending seven years in a cramped garret, she escaped to the North. Eventually, someone "purchased" her and set her free. It is a harrowing tale of close escapes, even when she lived in the North. Her "master" came looking for her; and, if he could have found her, he could have forced her back South due to the Fugitive Slave Law.
This evening we began watching a new series from The Teaching Company. It is "The Art of Reading." We viewed the first lecture tonight, and it looks promising.
Around 1:00 pm we went grocery shopping. The pain in my left leg was such that I had to sit down for a while. After about 10 minutes of rest, I was able to rejoin J in doing the shopping. Once we got home, I brought the groceries in to the house while J put away the items needing to be refrigerated or frozen. Then I went to the bank to transfer some money from one account to another.
The big news right now is the passage of the health care reform bill. There is a lot of opposition to the bill in Oklahoma. One poll I saw showed a quarter of the population favoring the bill while three quarters were in opposition. This is in spite of the fact that Oklahoma is a very relgious state. You would think that a bill which increased medical coverage would be welcomed by Christians. The bill also prohibits turning people away due to pre-existing conditions. The bill has the look of being written by Christians. Yet so many Christians oppose the bill. What irony! It's the old "I've got mine. You get yours, Jack" kind of attitude for which Oklahoma is so infamous. What accounts for this hardheartedness?
I finished reading the account by Harriet Jacobs written back in the 1850s of her experiences growing up as a slave in the South. After spending seven years in a cramped garret, she escaped to the North. Eventually, someone "purchased" her and set her free. It is a harrowing tale of close escapes, even when she lived in the North. Her "master" came looking for her; and, if he could have found her, he could have forced her back South due to the Fugitive Slave Law.
This evening we began watching a new series from The Teaching Company. It is "The Art of Reading." We viewed the first lecture tonight, and it looks promising.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Final video viewed
Tonight we viewed the final video in the 36-part series from The Teaching Company titled "Philosophy of Religion." It was an excellent series.
I also read a few more pages of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs. I should have the book finished by tomorrow.
Betty called this morning to let me know that church service had been canceled. I had decided already that I would stay in. I don't know if drumming met today, but I sent Joe an e-mail telling him I would be staying in.
I did not leave the house at all today, except to take the trash cart to the curb. Our trash gets picked up once a week on Mondays. What with all the snow on the ground, it was a struggle getting the trash cart to the curb.
I also read a few more pages of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs. I should have the book finished by tomorrow.
Betty called this morning to let me know that church service had been canceled. I had decided already that I would stay in. I don't know if drumming met today, but I sent Joe an e-mail telling him I would be staying in.
I did not leave the house at all today, except to take the trash cart to the curb. Our trash gets picked up once a week on Mondays. What with all the snow on the ground, it was a struggle getting the trash cart to the curb.
Site meter restored
When I converted my blog so as to allow others to sign on as followers, my Site Meter disappeared. Today I restored the Site Meter, and I hope it is working. Site meter allows me to get an idea of just who is looking at my blog. It is free. Adding it to a blog is not too difficult. If you read this blog regularly, why not sign on as a follower?
Ayla just came in with a tooth that came out. She had it in a pill box, showing it around. Her parents should be here soon.
Ayla just came in with a tooth that came out. She had it in a pill box, showing it around. Her parents should be here soon.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
More snow
Today played out about the way I expected it to. It was blowing snow as I looked out the front door. No volkswalking. No geocaching. No HAT meeting. It was a stay inside kind of day.
The only time we got out was in the morning when we went to Braum's for milk, eggs, orange juice, and a few other items. We retreated back to the house after shopping at Braum's and stayed inside the remainder of the day. It is nice being retired.
We gave up on going to Pryor because of the weather. I phoned a friend in Pryor to let him know that we would not be going there.
I phoned Randy, who must have been out, and talked to his wife. It was about 10 am. I decided to go ahead and cancel the humanist meeting set for 2 pm that afternoon. Randy called back later and said the same thing. I called Barbara and told her the meeting had been canceled. I could tell she was disappointed by her tone of voice. She was going to say a few words about Frank Ford who passed away recently.
I was enjoying my afternoon nap when the door bell rand. It was my son who brought Ayla to our house to overnight with us. She and Nanna have been enjoying one anothers company. Nanna braided Ayla's hair tonight. I played piano tonight.
We are supposed to get more snow tonight. It should melt away fairly soon though.
The only time we got out was in the morning when we went to Braum's for milk, eggs, orange juice, and a few other items. We retreated back to the house after shopping at Braum's and stayed inside the remainder of the day. It is nice being retired.
We gave up on going to Pryor because of the weather. I phoned a friend in Pryor to let him know that we would not be going there.
I phoned Randy, who must have been out, and talked to his wife. It was about 10 am. I decided to go ahead and cancel the humanist meeting set for 2 pm that afternoon. Randy called back later and said the same thing. I called Barbara and told her the meeting had been canceled. I could tell she was disappointed by her tone of voice. She was going to say a few words about Frank Ford who passed away recently.
I was enjoying my afternoon nap when the door bell rand. It was my son who brought Ayla to our house to overnight with us. She and Nanna have been enjoying one anothers company. Nanna braided Ayla's hair tonight. I played piano tonight.
We are supposed to get more snow tonight. It should melt away fairly soon though.
Richard Maule's picks
Richard is a HAT member and a retired educator. He reminds me a lot of Bob Newhart. I wish I could talk Richard into doing a Newhart skit for us sometime. Here are his picks:
Death Be Not Proud by John Gunther
On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
Candide by Voltaire
The Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Death Be Not Proud by John Gunther
On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
Candide by Voltaire
The Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Friday, March 19, 2010
Fun in Sapulpa
Today we went over to Nick's house and picked up our two grandchildren and went on an outing with them. Our first stop was Sonic, where we bought lunch for the four of us and took it with us as we continued on to Sapulpa. We went to the playground there in the downtown area. We were not the only ones who had the idea to take children to play there. I saw at least two day care vans parked in the parking lot across the street. The place was packed with kids. It was so packed, we had to share a picnic table with another group. We scarfed down our food (a sausage and egg burrito for me) and then the kids returned to playing.
After spending an hour at this playground area, we decided to go to another location I was familiar with. This second area was also crowded. We stayed there about an hour and then left for Sand Springs (about 10 miles away). We got the kids safely back to their home, and we returned to our home. After chasing Luke and Ayla around the playgrounds for two or three hours, I was ready for a nap.
It looks like we are in for some more winter weather. The temperature has already plummeted. Some or all of my weekend plans may change. We were going to Pryor to do a volkswalk and some geocaching, but that is probably off. Also, the HAT meeting scheduled for 2 pm will probably be canceled. Church service for Sunday morning may be called off, as well. From 4 to 8 inches of snow is expected in the area.
Gail and I were set to play a paino duet on Sunday at the church service. That could be pushed back a week. I don't like getting out and driving through the snow. I would just as soon stay indoors.
After spending an hour at this playground area, we decided to go to another location I was familiar with. This second area was also crowded. We stayed there about an hour and then left for Sand Springs (about 10 miles away). We got the kids safely back to their home, and we returned to our home. After chasing Luke and Ayla around the playgrounds for two or three hours, I was ready for a nap.
It looks like we are in for some more winter weather. The temperature has already plummeted. Some or all of my weekend plans may change. We were going to Pryor to do a volkswalk and some geocaching, but that is probably off. Also, the HAT meeting scheduled for 2 pm will probably be canceled. Church service for Sunday morning may be called off, as well. From 4 to 8 inches of snow is expected in the area.
Gail and I were set to play a paino duet on Sunday at the church service. That could be pushed back a week. I don't like getting out and driving through the snow. I would just as soon stay indoors.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Evening activity
This evening we went to the Campus Grill for dinner. This was actually our second dinner, since we had our first dinner around 4:30. We thought it best to eat at that time and then eat again at the Campus Grill around 7:30. I think Taco Bell refers to it as Fourth Meal. My Fourth Meal was light -- just a cup of chili with a Dr. Pepper.
There were 14 of us there. The event was the Atheists Mid-Month Social. The conversation was lively and interesting. Ages ranged from 30s to 60s. There were about as many women there as men.
On the way home, we were blocked by a train at 33rd West Avenue. I drove on down to W. 51st St. and crossed over the tracks there. W. 51st St. is just one block south my house but about five miles east at that point. So I proceeded west and had driven about four miles when I noticed flashing emergency lights. Due to the darkness, I could not see what lay ahead. The road was blocked off. I had to pull into a drive and turn around and make my way over to 41st St. When we got home, J checked the online news and read that there had been a fatal vehicle accident at that place.
There were 14 of us there. The event was the Atheists Mid-Month Social. The conversation was lively and interesting. Ages ranged from 30s to 60s. There were about as many women there as men.
On the way home, we were blocked by a train at 33rd West Avenue. I drove on down to W. 51st St. and crossed over the tracks there. W. 51st St. is just one block south my house but about five miles east at that point. So I proceeded west and had driven about four miles when I noticed flashing emergency lights. Due to the darkness, I could not see what lay ahead. The road was blocked off. I had to pull into a drive and turn around and make my way over to 41st St. When we got home, J checked the online news and read that there had been a fatal vehicle accident at that place.
Scans are OK
We went to my radiologist this afternoon to get the results of the scans I had taken last Tuesday. He said the scans looked OK. There was no change from the last scans taken a year ago. That was a relief, especially if you had seen some of the sad cases sitting in the waiting room.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Walking
I hope to get back to walking soon. I still have discomfort when I walk right now. Maybe tomorrow I will feel better and can go for a walk. J says I have overdone walking and should walk no more than forty minutes on any day. I had been walking three miles a day and sometimes four miles. The last time I walked was Friday, March 5.
Tomorrow I go see Dr. Uy and get the results of the scans I had on Tuesday.
Tonight we watched two episodes from "The Philosophy of Religion" course. I also watched last Friday's Bill Moyers' Journal, which I missed due to being with the poetry group. Next month we will read and discuss poetry written by Lewis Carroll.
Tomorrow I go see Dr. Uy and get the results of the scans I had on Tuesday.
Tonight we watched two episodes from "The Philosophy of Religion" course. I also watched last Friday's Bill Moyers' Journal, which I missed due to being with the poetry group. Next month we will read and discuss poetry written by Lewis Carroll.
Food & Fellowship luncheon
We just got back from the Humanist Food and Fellowship luncheon at White River Fish Market. There were just four of us there today. That beats Secular Singers last Saturday, at which there were just three of us. Perhaps we need to cut back on the frequency of meetings. I am considering suspending Secular Singers until September, if participation continues to wane.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Scans and a Library Program
We got up early this morning (that is, early for us) around 7 am and was on our way to St. John Medical Center for scans by 7:45. I checked in and soon my name was called to go back for a CT scan. It was quick. It took only about five minutes. I returned to the waiting room for a few minutes, and then my name was called for the MRI scans. The MRIs took about 30 minutes. About 20 minutes into the MRIs, the technician gave me an injection of a contrast agent. Then he finished up the remaining 10 minutes with more scans. I go to Dr. Uy this Thursday to get the results.
This evening we attended a program at the Central Library. The program began at 7 pm and was titled "Read Smart." Tonight's workshop was "Why Read? The Reasons We Read." The series was to begin last Tuesday, but due to illness of the speaker, an English professor from TU, the event had to be canceled. We learned tonight the speaker who was to speak March 9 has cancer. The event actually began tonight with what was originally scheduled to be the second part of the four-part series. The event was well attended with 30 to 35 people present. The focus of tonight's session was on fiction. The facilitators (two librarians) began by asking why we read. The group came up with more than a dozen reasons for reading. Many hand-outs were available for further reading.
Next week's session is titled "How to Read, Part Two: Nonfiction and Other Texts." The facilitator is from OSU and will speak on how to more effectively read a variety of nonfiction texts.
This evening we attended a program at the Central Library. The program began at 7 pm and was titled "Read Smart." Tonight's workshop was "Why Read? The Reasons We Read." The series was to begin last Tuesday, but due to illness of the speaker, an English professor from TU, the event had to be canceled. We learned tonight the speaker who was to speak March 9 has cancer. The event actually began tonight with what was originally scheduled to be the second part of the four-part series. The event was well attended with 30 to 35 people present. The focus of tonight's session was on fiction. The facilitators (two librarians) began by asking why we read. The group came up with more than a dozen reasons for reading. Many hand-outs were available for further reading.
Next week's session is titled "How to Read, Part Two: Nonfiction and Other Texts." The facilitator is from OSU and will speak on how to more effectively read a variety of nonfiction texts.
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