The day began with us going to the church and dropping off a cake for a reception following a funeral. Once that was done, we went to Braum's for a sausage and egg biscuit each. While there we read the morning paper.
We returned home before Gail came over for two hours of piano duets. We are working on a program for the Fourth of July. Thus far we have the following pieces we are working on: The Stars and Stripes Forever, Washington Post March, and Yankee Doodle Variations.
We got our lawn mowed today. We had a break in the rain and took advantage of the window of opportunity.
Tonight we had supper at the Rib Crib, a barbecue restaurant on the other side of the river. I had the all-you-can-eat ribs with baked beans, and potato salad. I think I downed about eight ribs. I was no longer hungry by the time I walked out of that rib joint. Rib Crib was having a promotion involving Relay For Life which is sponsored by American Cancer Society.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Bad day at church
I went to church this morning expecting some sort of service, but when 11:00 came around there were just three of us there. There was Edna, the pianist, Mary, the lay leader, and myself, the congregation. The service did not make. No one had the heart to go through the motions. We just sat around a while and then left. I guess too many people had other things they had to do this morning. (Compare this to the humanist meeting yesterday which had 17 people.)
Anyway, I sent an e-mail to Vanessa (the church administrative assistant -- assistant to whom? I wonder) who was in North Carolina doing one of her one-woman performances, lamenting the failed service. There is some hope that our HAT group can come to the rescue, so to speak. We have two members who are willing to speak to the congregation (Marilyn and Herb), and I have an essay by Isaac Asimov which would make an excellent talk. Gail and I could play the piano. I figure one sure way of getting people there is to give them a role in the service. One person could take on the Chalice Lighting, another could read the Affirmation, one could read the Children's Story, called "A Story for All Ages," even though there are no children in the congregation; another could give the "Welcome," everyone could take part in the Candle Lighting, and someone could read the Closing Words. I figure if so many people have a role in the service, they are more likely to come as not.
After I left, I went by the grocery store and bought a sack of bagels and two boxes of Swiss Miss Dark Chocolate Sensation cocoa mix. That is what I have been eating for breakfast lately -- a bagel and a cup of hot chocolate.
Once I got back home, I spoke with Steve Nunn on the phone. Steve had said he would be attending CoR. I learned he had gone by the church shortly after I left. We chatted on the phone for a while and then Steve suggested we get together to talk about matters face to face. Steve is a member of HAT. Steve is in favor of forming an alliance between HAT and CoR. Steve came over and we talked for about 20 minutes before I had to leave for drumming. Steve is a kind of unpaid community organizer. He is always recruiting neighbors to take part in local activities. It is good to have Steve on my side.
I left for drumming and was about 15 minutes late getting there. I had called Joe to tell him I would be late. We did our drumming, and then I headed home. I tuned in to the news and learned that some headway was made on stopping the leaking oil in the Gulf.
After the news, I took J to WalMart where we bought a few things.
Healthwise, I'm still holding up pretty well. If I could just keep feeling this well, I would not need to visit with Dr. Rapacki again.
Anyway, I sent an e-mail to Vanessa (the church administrative assistant -- assistant to whom? I wonder) who was in North Carolina doing one of her one-woman performances, lamenting the failed service. There is some hope that our HAT group can come to the rescue, so to speak. We have two members who are willing to speak to the congregation (Marilyn and Herb), and I have an essay by Isaac Asimov which would make an excellent talk. Gail and I could play the piano. I figure one sure way of getting people there is to give them a role in the service. One person could take on the Chalice Lighting, another could read the Affirmation, one could read the Children's Story, called "A Story for All Ages," even though there are no children in the congregation; another could give the "Welcome," everyone could take part in the Candle Lighting, and someone could read the Closing Words. I figure if so many people have a role in the service, they are more likely to come as not.
After I left, I went by the grocery store and bought a sack of bagels and two boxes of Swiss Miss Dark Chocolate Sensation cocoa mix. That is what I have been eating for breakfast lately -- a bagel and a cup of hot chocolate.
Once I got back home, I spoke with Steve Nunn on the phone. Steve had said he would be attending CoR. I learned he had gone by the church shortly after I left. We chatted on the phone for a while and then Steve suggested we get together to talk about matters face to face. Steve is a member of HAT. Steve is in favor of forming an alliance between HAT and CoR. Steve came over and we talked for about 20 minutes before I had to leave for drumming. Steve is a kind of unpaid community organizer. He is always recruiting neighbors to take part in local activities. It is good to have Steve on my side.
I left for drumming and was about 15 minutes late getting there. I had called Joe to tell him I would be late. We did our drumming, and then I headed home. I tuned in to the news and learned that some headway was made on stopping the leaking oil in the Gulf.
After the news, I took J to WalMart where we bought a few things.
Healthwise, I'm still holding up pretty well. If I could just keep feeling this well, I would not need to visit with Dr. Rapacki again.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
HAT meeting today
Today I went to the HAT meeting held at the Genealogy Center on Harvard. The meeting started at 2 pm and went on until past 4 pm. There were 17 people there today. I wrote up what happened and posted it on the HAT blog. Anyone interested may go to the HAT blog and read about the meeting there.
After the meeting was over, we drove to Nick's and picked up Ayla and went to the Crescent Cafe for dinner. I had a mushroom and swiss burger with a Dr. Pepper. J had fried shrimp, and Ayla had scrambled eggs and pancakes. Ayla is spending the night here with her Nanna.
We were eating during news time. There are TVs in the restaurant, but you could only see the pictures. I could tell from the pictures that the oil spill is still gushing oil into the Gulf. It appears the efforts to cut off the flow of oil has not suceeded. The slick continues to grow.
After the meeting was over, we drove to Nick's and picked up Ayla and went to the Crescent Cafe for dinner. I had a mushroom and swiss burger with a Dr. Pepper. J had fried shrimp, and Ayla had scrambled eggs and pancakes. Ayla is spending the night here with her Nanna.
We were eating during news time. There are TVs in the restaurant, but you could only see the pictures. I could tell from the pictures that the oil spill is still gushing oil into the Gulf. It appears the efforts to cut off the flow of oil has not suceeded. The slick continues to grow.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Today's activities
Our first event of the day was a Tulsa Town Hall which was held at the Performing Arts Center. It was raining, and that may explain why the crowd was down somewhat from other TTH events we have attended. Today's speaker was Dr. Rufus Fears, professor at OU in Norman. He is a good speaker and talked to us about the early leaders of this country: Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Mason, Morris, and others. He spoke without notes and included anecdotes from the lives of these men which made his talk come to life.
I had heard him before on CDs of the lecture series Books That Can Change Your Life made by The Teaching Company. It is a series of 24 lectures, each about a famous person and what they wrote. Please contact me if you would like to listen to this series. He spoke without a single note and kept the audience captivated for over an hour.
When I got home, I finished up a list of HAT members with relevent info (street address, phone numbers, etc.) and took the list to a copy shop and had 25 copies made. I will distribute the list tomorrow at the HAT meeting.
This evening, I went to the monthly poetry group meeting at Border's Bookstore. There were just four of us tonight: Sandra, David, Mary, and myself. We read poetry by William Collins, Thomas Gray, Christopher Smart, and William Cowper. I read Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard." Gail, the backbone of this group, was away on vacation. We decided that next month we will choose two of our favorite poems and read them to the group.
I had heard him before on CDs of the lecture series Books That Can Change Your Life made by The Teaching Company. It is a series of 24 lectures, each about a famous person and what they wrote. Please contact me if you would like to listen to this series. He spoke without a single note and kept the audience captivated for over an hour.
When I got home, I finished up a list of HAT members with relevent info (street address, phone numbers, etc.) and took the list to a copy shop and had 25 copies made. I will distribute the list tomorrow at the HAT meeting.
This evening, I went to the monthly poetry group meeting at Border's Bookstore. There were just four of us tonight: Sandra, David, Mary, and myself. We read poetry by William Collins, Thomas Gray, Christopher Smart, and William Cowper. I read Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard." Gail, the backbone of this group, was away on vacation. We decided that next month we will choose two of our favorite poems and read them to the group.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Storms Rake Tulsa Area
There were some freaky storms in the area this morning. They were very spotty -- a bit of damage here, more damage over there. Large areas in between were untouched. We dodged the bullet here on Spruce in Sand Springs.
High winds toppled utility poles in Tulsa, resulting in power outages in Tulsa. The schools were closed as a result.
This afternoon, Luke and Ayla visited us while their parents went somewhere.
Tonight we watched a movie on DVD. It was an old movie from back in the 50s or 60s. It starred a young Andy Griffith and Patricia Neal. The title was "A Face in the Crowd." The main character in the movie, Lonesome Rhodes, discovers he has the ability to manipulate the public and does so as he rises to the top.
High winds toppled utility poles in Tulsa, resulting in power outages in Tulsa. The schools were closed as a result.
This afternoon, Luke and Ayla visited us while their parents went somewhere.
Tonight we watched a movie on DVD. It was an old movie from back in the 50s or 60s. It starred a young Andy Griffith and Patricia Neal. The title was "A Face in the Crowd." The main character in the movie, Lonesome Rhodes, discovers he has the ability to manipulate the public and does so as he rises to the top.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Medical Day
We arrived at St. John Medical Center this morning by 9:30 for my 9:45 appointment. We check in and discovered there was no record of my having an appointment for 9:45 or any other time that day. The receptionist gave me a couple of papers to fill out. I filled them out and took them up to the desk. Soon I was called to the window where someone took my insurance information. I was told to have a seat and some minutes later my name was called. It was probably about 11:00 am. by this time.
I was taken back to another room where I was preped for the procedure. An IV connection was placed into a vein. It wasn't connected to anything, but it was ready to go. I was told someone else was ahead of me, and I would have to wait about 20 minutes. There were two nurses waiting on me. Both were named Paula.
After about 20 minutes someone wheeled me to another room. We passed by a large window on the southeast corner of the seventh floor. It gave me a good view of that part of town.
Once we got into the procedure room, there were three people there, all women. Dr. Morgan talked with me a bit. She said there were two ways to go about the procedure. She explained them both and left it up to me to decide. I picked one and then rolled from the bed on to the operating table. I was told to hold my arms out front. My underwear was pulled halfway down my rear end. I felt something cold rubbing my lower back. The next thing I remember I was laying on my back regaining consciousness. I was still a bit groggy. Someone helped me into a wheelchair and wheeled me out to the parking area on the seventh floor.
J was driving the car. We returned to Sand Springs, stopping at the Crescent Cafe for lunch. Once we got back home (around 1 pm), I went to bed and slept until around 4:30.
The nurse said it would take 2 to 5 days to feel the benefits of the injection, but I already am feeling much better.
I was taken back to another room where I was preped for the procedure. An IV connection was placed into a vein. It wasn't connected to anything, but it was ready to go. I was told someone else was ahead of me, and I would have to wait about 20 minutes. There were two nurses waiting on me. Both were named Paula.
After about 20 minutes someone wheeled me to another room. We passed by a large window on the southeast corner of the seventh floor. It gave me a good view of that part of town.
Once we got into the procedure room, there were three people there, all women. Dr. Morgan talked with me a bit. She said there were two ways to go about the procedure. She explained them both and left it up to me to decide. I picked one and then rolled from the bed on to the operating table. I was told to hold my arms out front. My underwear was pulled halfway down my rear end. I felt something cold rubbing my lower back. The next thing I remember I was laying on my back regaining consciousness. I was still a bit groggy. Someone helped me into a wheelchair and wheeled me out to the parking area on the seventh floor.
J was driving the car. We returned to Sand Springs, stopping at the Crescent Cafe for lunch. Once we got back home (around 1 pm), I went to bed and slept until around 4:30.
The nurse said it would take 2 to 5 days to feel the benefits of the injection, but I already am feeling much better.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Nature's Wrath Visits State
We experienced rough weather in the state tonight. Storms hit between 4 and 6 this evening. According to one report, there was a swath of destruction from south of Tecumseh over to Highland Road. Altogether, five people lost their life. Tractor-trailer rigs were overturned and traffic on I-40 between Shawnee and OKC came to a halt for a time.
Meanwhile, back in Sand Springs, I was out returning books to the library. As I was returning to my car, I spotted what I thought was a rock in the tred of my front right tire. Using my car key, I tried to flip it out. However, it was not a rock but the head of a nail. Take it out and the tire would most likely deflate. Instead, I drove to Wal Mart where I had purchased the tires. I had a road hazard warranty on the tires when I bought them. Unfortunately, the nail was too close to the sidewall to be repaired. I would have to get a new tire. The tire was pro-rated by wear, so it only costs about $30 for a replacement. I got an oil change while there as well.
I went to bed right after the evening news and slept to just a few minutes ago. My back is still giving me problems, and nothing feels as good as being stretched out in bed.
Meanwhile, back in Sand Springs, I was out returning books to the library. As I was returning to my car, I spotted what I thought was a rock in the tred of my front right tire. Using my car key, I tried to flip it out. However, it was not a rock but the head of a nail. Take it out and the tire would most likely deflate. Instead, I drove to Wal Mart where I had purchased the tires. I had a road hazard warranty on the tires when I bought them. Unfortunately, the nail was too close to the sidewall to be repaired. I would have to get a new tire. The tire was pro-rated by wear, so it only costs about $30 for a replacement. I got an oil change while there as well.
I went to bed right after the evening news and slept to just a few minutes ago. My back is still giving me problems, and nothing feels as good as being stretched out in bed.
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Performance goes well
I am feeling better today. It used to be I felt the best when I first got up and slowly declined throughout the day. Now, when I first get up is the time I feel the worst, and I slowly feel better as the day goes on. I can tell the disc is still out of place, but maybe I am getting used to it. Anyway, I go the St. John's for the steroid injection on Wednesday. In the meantime, I am trying to take it easy. The disc which has slipped out of place is aggravating the nerve which runs along the disc.
I went to Church of the Restoration this morning. I had hoped that some of my humanist friends would be there. We had talked about forming a partnership between HAT and CoR, in which each entity supports the other, but today was not the day. There were just the usual suspects in the congregation. Actually some of the regulars were not there. There were seven people there today: Gail and myself, Mary, Betty, Larry, Vanessa, and Edna.
The special music went well. Gail and I opened with Alexander's Ragtime Band, followed by Champagne Rag. As the service closed, we played I'll Wait For You and Black Hawk Waltz. (Imagine the quotation marks where they should be. I'm tired.)
Following the service, we went back to the room across from the kitchen where we had salad, baked beans, egg custard, and fried chicken.
I had my phone on vibrate during the service, and I felt it vibrate. J had called. I phoned her back, and she said they would be at Nick's to celebrate Luke's birthday. (Tomorrow is actually his birthday, but since everyone was free Sunday afternoon, that is when we celebrated it.) There were nine of us there. We sang "Happy Birthday" to Luke.
I went to Church of the Restoration this morning. I had hoped that some of my humanist friends would be there. We had talked about forming a partnership between HAT and CoR, in which each entity supports the other, but today was not the day. There were just the usual suspects in the congregation. Actually some of the regulars were not there. There were seven people there today: Gail and myself, Mary, Betty, Larry, Vanessa, and Edna.
The special music went well. Gail and I opened with Alexander's Ragtime Band, followed by Champagne Rag. As the service closed, we played I'll Wait For You and Black Hawk Waltz. (Imagine the quotation marks where they should be. I'm tired.)
Following the service, we went back to the room across from the kitchen where we had salad, baked beans, egg custard, and fried chicken.
I had my phone on vibrate during the service, and I felt it vibrate. J had called. I phoned her back, and she said they would be at Nick's to celebrate Luke's birthday. (Tomorrow is actually his birthday, but since everyone was free Sunday afternoon, that is when we celebrated it.) There were nine of us there. We sang "Happy Birthday" to Luke.
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Ayla's recital day
My granddaughter, Ayla, played her annual piano recital today. Considering she is a first grader, she did very well. She played her piece from memory and played it flawlessly. She had a good sense of the piece as a whole. It sounded very polished.
The entire recital lasted about an hour and a half. Afterwards, cookies and punch were served. There were about 30 students in the recital.
Next we went to WalMart where we bought a birthday present for Luke, whose birthday is May 10. Then we took Ayla to her house to get some things for her overnight trip to Nanna and Papa Dan's. She ate her dinner at McDonald's where there is an indoor playground. She is very social and takes to other kids right away. She has never met a stranger.
While I was a home, I worked on my indexing job. I reached the end of the mark-up phase yesterday. I have about a dozen pages left to enter into my indexing computer program. Then I will start editing it.
Also, tonight I went over the pieces we will probably play in church tomorrow. I don't know how much they will want us to play, but we have seven pieces ready to go, beginning with Alexander's Ragtime Band.
The entire recital lasted about an hour and a half. Afterwards, cookies and punch were served. There were about 30 students in the recital.
Next we went to WalMart where we bought a birthday present for Luke, whose birthday is May 10. Then we took Ayla to her house to get some things for her overnight trip to Nanna and Papa Dan's. She ate her dinner at McDonald's where there is an indoor playground. She is very social and takes to other kids right away. She has never met a stranger.
While I was a home, I worked on my indexing job. I reached the end of the mark-up phase yesterday. I have about a dozen pages left to enter into my indexing computer program. Then I will start editing it.
Also, tonight I went over the pieces we will probably play in church tomorrow. I don't know how much they will want us to play, but we have seven pieces ready to go, beginning with Alexander's Ragtime Band.
Friday, May 07, 2010
Getting ready for Sunday
As you know if you are a regular reader of this blog, plans were for Gail and myself to play a special for church this Sunday. Then I got a call from Edna asking if we could do several pieces this Sunday. I said yes. When I told Gail, she suggested we get together for another practice. This afternoon was that practice -- a full 2 and a quarter hours of playing duets. We worked on seven pieces in an effort to come up with a program for Sunday. We poured our hearts into this practice, so much so that afterwards I fell asleep watching the news and then took a long nap later.
The day began with a trip to the grocery store. I was quite fatigued by the time we got home. However, my back seems to be getting a bit better. I am scheduled to go to the hospital for an epidural steroid injection next week. I will be glad when I can get back to walking.
The day began with a trip to the grocery store. I was quite fatigued by the time we got home. However, my back seems to be getting a bit better. I am scheduled to go to the hospital for an epidural steroid injection next week. I will be glad when I can get back to walking.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Slow day
This was a slow day for me, which is OK. I don't need to be pushing it. When I first got up this morning, I was having a lot of difficulty walking. Sitting was no problem, and lying down was all right. It is just trying to move around that is difficult.
I spent most of the day indexing. I think I will be ready to start editing the index tomorrow or the next day.
We watched a movie on DVD tonight. I checked it out from the library. The title is The Secret Life of Bees. I had no idea what it was about, but it turned out to be a very good movie. I would recommend it to my friends.
After watching the movie, I returned it to the library. There was a book there waiting for me. It was Enlightening the World: The Creation of the Statue of Liberty. The statue was a gift from France. What event in American history gave France the resolve to make the statue and give it to the United States? Answer: The assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
I am feeling better tonight, at least better than I felt this morning. My doctor said that sometimes these thing just go away on their own. I hope that's the case with me.
I spent most of the day indexing. I think I will be ready to start editing the index tomorrow or the next day.
We watched a movie on DVD tonight. I checked it out from the library. The title is The Secret Life of Bees. I had no idea what it was about, but it turned out to be a very good movie. I would recommend it to my friends.
After watching the movie, I returned it to the library. There was a book there waiting for me. It was Enlightening the World: The Creation of the Statue of Liberty. The statue was a gift from France. What event in American history gave France the resolve to make the statue and give it to the United States? Answer: The assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
I am feeling better tonight, at least better than I felt this morning. My doctor said that sometimes these thing just go away on their own. I hope that's the case with me.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
I visit my neurosurgeon
At 11:00 this morning we were at the office of my neurosurgeon. He came in and said "You have a disk herniation." This is the same surgeon who operated on me in 2007. That time he operated at L5 for the same problem. The problem disk this time is L4.
He asked if I had a pain management doctor. I said no. He recommended Dr. Morgan, whose office is in with his. The office was out to lunch. I left a message for them to call me when they got back. Doctor Rapacki suggested I get a steroid injection and possibly a second one if the first one does not work.
Next we went across the street to the Olive Garden. I had the Seafood Alfredo. It has a lot of shrimp and scallops in it. Then we came home.
Soon I was at the library. I had books to turn in and books to check out. Then I went by the bank and got some cash. When I got home I took a phone survey for Olive Garden which will give me a $4 discount next time we go there.
The person from Dr. Morgan's office called to schedule a steriod injection next week on Wednesday. They also told me to stop taking pain medication until after I have the injection. I had been taking 6 to 8 aspirin a day for the pain. So far I am doing okay without medication.
This evening we transferred the plants I bought yesterday into containers. We have four tomato plants, three cucumber plants, and one pepper plant.
He asked if I had a pain management doctor. I said no. He recommended Dr. Morgan, whose office is in with his. The office was out to lunch. I left a message for them to call me when they got back. Doctor Rapacki suggested I get a steroid injection and possibly a second one if the first one does not work.
Next we went across the street to the Olive Garden. I had the Seafood Alfredo. It has a lot of shrimp and scallops in it. Then we came home.
Soon I was at the library. I had books to turn in and books to check out. Then I went by the bank and got some cash. When I got home I took a phone survey for Olive Garden which will give me a $4 discount next time we go there.
The person from Dr. Morgan's office called to schedule a steriod injection next week on Wednesday. They also told me to stop taking pain medication until after I have the injection. I had been taking 6 to 8 aspirin a day for the pain. So far I am doing okay without medication.
This evening we transferred the plants I bought yesterday into containers. We have four tomato plants, three cucumber plants, and one pepper plant.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
The Day in Review
This morning I took my spouse to the doctor's office. Her right leg has been bothering her at the knee and she wanted a medical opinion. The doctor gave her an ointment which helped considerably.
On the way back home, we went by the post office box where HAT gets its mail. The box was empty.
We decided next to go to WalMart and get an elastic brace for her leg. We looked at the equipment for support of knees, elbows, etc. and bought an adjustable knee brace and an elastic knee brace. When we got to the car, she tried them on. The Medium elastic brace was too tight. I went back into the store and returned the item, and then bought an XL brace. It fit just right.
We stopped at Riddle's Plant Farm on the way home, and I bought a few tomato plants and cucumber plants. They are sitting on the back porch right now. Maybe I can get them in the ground tomorrow.
I got a call from Edna, the church pianist, this afternoon. She wanted to know if Gail and I could play several selections next Sunday, instead of just one. I told her we could. It sounded as if there will be no speaker, just music. Then I sent Gail an e-mail informing her of the change. Gail and I will be getting together this Friday afternoon to select and rehearse the additional songs we will play.
This evening we went to the auditorium at the middle school for a musical program put on by the kindergarteners. Our grandson, Luke, was among those performing.
On the way back home, we went by the post office box where HAT gets its mail. The box was empty.
We decided next to go to WalMart and get an elastic brace for her leg. We looked at the equipment for support of knees, elbows, etc. and bought an adjustable knee brace and an elastic knee brace. When we got to the car, she tried them on. The Medium elastic brace was too tight. I went back into the store and returned the item, and then bought an XL brace. It fit just right.
We stopped at Riddle's Plant Farm on the way home, and I bought a few tomato plants and cucumber plants. They are sitting on the back porch right now. Maybe I can get them in the ground tomorrow.
I got a call from Edna, the church pianist, this afternoon. She wanted to know if Gail and I could play several selections next Sunday, instead of just one. I told her we could. It sounded as if there will be no speaker, just music. Then I sent Gail an e-mail informing her of the change. Gail and I will be getting together this Friday afternoon to select and rehearse the additional songs we will play.
This evening we went to the auditorium at the middle school for a musical program put on by the kindergarteners. Our grandson, Luke, was among those performing.
Monday, May 03, 2010
Lunch at the Crescent Cafe
The day began with Gail coming over for a couple hours of fun playing piano duets together. We will be playing at Restoration this Sunday morning. Our selection will be Glenda Austin's "A Little Bit of Bach." This will be a change of pace for us. Heretofore, everything we have played has been ragtime. We're branching out.
After Gail left, J and I went to the Crescent Cafe for lunch. We both had deboned fried chicken pieces. I had some potato salad. Before we left, I ordered a piece of chocolate pie. We brought it home and ate it later.
In the afternoon, we worked on fixing a trash can ... the kind you step on a lever at the bottom and the lid opens up. We spent about an hour trying to rig it so that the lid would open as the foot pedal was depressed. We never could get it to work. I guess we will lift the lid by hand until we can get another trash can.
I spent most of the evening indexing. I got an e-mail from the managing editor. She said they want a nine-page index, run-in style. I said I thought I could have the index done by May 17. Right now it is more than half way done.
After Gail left, J and I went to the Crescent Cafe for lunch. We both had deboned fried chicken pieces. I had some potato salad. Before we left, I ordered a piece of chocolate pie. We brought it home and ate it later.
In the afternoon, we worked on fixing a trash can ... the kind you step on a lever at the bottom and the lid opens up. We spent about an hour trying to rig it so that the lid would open as the foot pedal was depressed. We never could get it to work. I guess we will lift the lid by hand until we can get another trash can.
I spent most of the evening indexing. I got an e-mail from the managing editor. She said they want a nine-page index, run-in style. I said I thought I could have the index done by May 17. Right now it is more than half way done.
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Today's happenings
Today being Sunday, I went to Church of the Restoration. Attendance was about 30 -- a bumper crop of devotees. The reason for the jump in attendance is a youth group from Topeka was on a trip, and our church was one of the stops. They spent Saturday night in the sanctuary. There were five or six adults and the remainder were teenages. They had attended the service at All Souls prior to coming into our sanctuary.
The group had visited a museum in north Tulsa which tells about the Race Massacre of 1921, in which several blacks (dozens? hundreds?) were killed. Much of north Tulsa was torched. Many businesses were destroyed, including the famous black Wall Street area of Tulsa. The grounds on which our church stands was part of the destruction. The rage even took to the air as people with private planes circled about trying to shoot innocent blacks on the ground. Many blacks fled the city never to return.
From here the group is to travel on the OKC and visit the Bombing Memorial. Before returning to Topeka the group will have visited the Trail of Tears Museum in Tahlequah. Several of the youth took part in our service by lighting a candle during the "joys and concerns" part of the service. In fact, all of the candles were lit during this part of the service. It took quite some time just to get through this portion. It is a good thing the speaker did not speak a long time.
Barbara was at church and asked if I was going to go to Herb's in the afternoon. Herb had called a meeting to discuss some matters relating to HAT. I told her I was intending to go, and she asked if she could ride with me to the meeting.
We stopped at Arby's for lunch and then went on to Herb's. There were seven people there: Ron, Randy, John L. Herb, Barbara, Marilyn, and myself. We talked about matters ranging from the formation of committees to a review of the bylaws. The meeting lasted a long while. Herb had prepared a sheet with seven items for discussion.
When I got home (just before news time), I noticed the yard had been mowed and the hedges trimmed. Our new yard man had been here. I hope to hear something from my doctor tomorrow regarding the MRI I had taken last Thursday.
Next Sunday, Gail and I will be playing at Restoration again. We will work up our piece tomorrow for Sunday.
The group had visited a museum in north Tulsa which tells about the Race Massacre of 1921, in which several blacks (dozens? hundreds?) were killed. Much of north Tulsa was torched. Many businesses were destroyed, including the famous black Wall Street area of Tulsa. The grounds on which our church stands was part of the destruction. The rage even took to the air as people with private planes circled about trying to shoot innocent blacks on the ground. Many blacks fled the city never to return.
From here the group is to travel on the OKC and visit the Bombing Memorial. Before returning to Topeka the group will have visited the Trail of Tears Museum in Tahlequah. Several of the youth took part in our service by lighting a candle during the "joys and concerns" part of the service. In fact, all of the candles were lit during this part of the service. It took quite some time just to get through this portion. It is a good thing the speaker did not speak a long time.
Barbara was at church and asked if I was going to go to Herb's in the afternoon. Herb had called a meeting to discuss some matters relating to HAT. I told her I was intending to go, and she asked if she could ride with me to the meeting.
We stopped at Arby's for lunch and then went on to Herb's. There were seven people there: Ron, Randy, John L. Herb, Barbara, Marilyn, and myself. We talked about matters ranging from the formation of committees to a review of the bylaws. The meeting lasted a long while. Herb had prepared a sheet with seven items for discussion.
When I got home (just before news time), I noticed the yard had been mowed and the hedges trimmed. Our new yard man had been here. I hope to hear something from my doctor tomorrow regarding the MRI I had taken last Thursday.
Next Sunday, Gail and I will be playing at Restoration again. We will work up our piece tomorrow for Sunday.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Review of the day
This morning we went to Braum's for breakfast. We had the usual -- a sausage and egg biscuit with Coffee (for J) and orange juice (for me). While there, we read the paper. We returned home and I resumed indexing the book I am working on.
This evening, we went to the Bradleys for Movie Night. Gail and I played "Castle House Rag," and I gave Gail the primo part to a new piece we will be working on. It is Schubert's "Fantasy in F minor." I got the music from a CD Sheet Music disc I own. There are more than 1,100 pages of music on that disc. At $20 a disc, I consider it a bargain. Then we watched the movie, which was "Capitalism: A Love Story" by Michael Moore. We had seen it before, but I was glad to see it again.
This evening, we went to the Bradleys for Movie Night. Gail and I played "Castle House Rag," and I gave Gail the primo part to a new piece we will be working on. It is Schubert's "Fantasy in F minor." I got the music from a CD Sheet Music disc I own. There are more than 1,100 pages of music on that disc. At $20 a disc, I consider it a bargain. Then we watched the movie, which was "Capitalism: A Love Story" by Michael Moore. We had seen it before, but I was glad to see it again.
Freethought Calendar for May
May 2010 Calendar of Activities for Freethinkers
Sat., May 1, 7:00 pm
Movie Night at the Bradleys, 5607 E. 54th St. showing of a film will follow playing of “Castle House Rag” by our piano duo, Gail and Dan.
Sun., May 2, 2:00 pm
HAT Planning Session, at Herb’s house, 3414 E. 85th Pl.
Wed., May 12, 7:00 pm
Tulsa Atheists Mid-Month Social, Campus Grill, 3148 E. 11th St.
Sat., May 15, 2 pm
HAT Chapter Meeting at Genealogy Center, 2901 S. Harvard.
Wed., May 19, 11:20 am
ALGAE, White River Fish Market, 1708 N. Sheridan Rd.
Thurs., May 20, noon
Contest deadline for “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day.” Mail your drawing to HAT, P. O. Box 571127, Tulsa, OK 74157. Winners will be recognized at Food and Fellowship gathering.
Sat., May 22, 11:30 am
Food & Fellowship at La Hacienda, 4518 S. Peoria.
Sun., May 23, 1 pm
Tulsa Atheists Meetup, at Agora Coffee House in Fontana Center
There is a possibility a meeting will be held (in the first full week of May) at Bill Dusenberry’s to discuss action to be taken in regard to “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day,” May 20.
Due to low attendance, Secular Singers is suspended for the summer. We will resume in September, provided there is sufficient interest.
Questions? Call Randy (622-6975) or Dan (798-3629)
Sat., May 1, 7:00 pm
Movie Night at the Bradleys, 5607 E. 54th St. showing of a film will follow playing of “Castle House Rag” by our piano duo, Gail and Dan.
Sun., May 2, 2:00 pm
HAT Planning Session, at Herb’s house, 3414 E. 85th Pl.
Wed., May 12, 7:00 pm
Tulsa Atheists Mid-Month Social, Campus Grill, 3148 E. 11th St.
Sat., May 15, 2 pm
HAT Chapter Meeting at Genealogy Center, 2901 S. Harvard.
Wed., May 19, 11:20 am
ALGAE, White River Fish Market, 1708 N. Sheridan Rd.
Thurs., May 20, noon
Contest deadline for “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day.” Mail your drawing to HAT, P. O. Box 571127, Tulsa, OK 74157. Winners will be recognized at Food and Fellowship gathering.
Sat., May 22, 11:30 am
Food & Fellowship at La Hacienda, 4518 S. Peoria.
Sun., May 23, 1 pm
Tulsa Atheists Meetup, at Agora Coffee House in Fontana Center
There is a possibility a meeting will be held (in the first full week of May) at Bill Dusenberry’s to discuss action to be taken in regard to “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day,” May 20.
Due to low attendance, Secular Singers is suspended for the summer. We will resume in September, provided there is sufficient interest.
Questions? Call Randy (622-6975) or Dan (798-3629)
Friday, April 30, 2010
Lifeline Screening
Today we went to Broadway Baptist Church for a health screening. There were fewer people there than I remember the last time we got a screening. It could be the economy has a lot to do with that. I think that most people do not go to see a doctor until they have symptoms. Today's screening could be called preventative medicine. We are supposed to get the results within 21 days. One of the tests checked for AAA. I am concerned about this because my Dad has this condition. All the tests were given in a period of about 30 minutes.
We picked up things out of the back yard to get ready for the man who will be mowing our grass. We also went to the library. They had some books for me, but since I'm indexing a book right now, I did not pick up any books. They will hold the books a few more days before sending them back to their library of origin. I hope to pick them up before then.
Our dishwasher was delivered and installed today. We went through the drive-thru at Wendy's after the medical tests and got lunch which we brought home to eat. As we drove up, we saw a pickup in our driveway with our dishwasher in the bed. He had not called before coming by, but he said he had not been there long. He installed the dishwaher and left. Our new dishwasher runs quietly.
I discovered today that I have the sheet music to Schubert's "Fantasy in F minor," which I heard played recently at a Hyechka meeting. The music is on a CD Sheet Music disc titled "Piano Duets: The Ultimate Collection." All I had to do was print it out.
Two of my favorite TV programs aired their final episodes tonight: "NOW" and "Bill Moyers' Journal." Moyers is retiring. His reporting is irreplaceable.
We picked up things out of the back yard to get ready for the man who will be mowing our grass. We also went to the library. They had some books for me, but since I'm indexing a book right now, I did not pick up any books. They will hold the books a few more days before sending them back to their library of origin. I hope to pick them up before then.
Our dishwasher was delivered and installed today. We went through the drive-thru at Wendy's after the medical tests and got lunch which we brought home to eat. As we drove up, we saw a pickup in our driveway with our dishwasher in the bed. He had not called before coming by, but he said he had not been there long. He installed the dishwaher and left. Our new dishwasher runs quietly.
I discovered today that I have the sheet music to Schubert's "Fantasy in F minor," which I heard played recently at a Hyechka meeting. The music is on a CD Sheet Music disc titled "Piano Duets: The Ultimate Collection." All I had to do was print it out.
Two of my favorite TV programs aired their final episodes tonight: "NOW" and "Bill Moyers' Journal." Moyers is retiring. His reporting is irreplaceable.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
MRI today
Today we went to St. John's Hospital to get an MRI. It took longer to have the MRI taken of my back than it did to have the MRI of my brain about a month ago. We were at the hospital for about two hours. After it was over we went down to the cafeteria, but found that it was closed. We went to a nearby Wendy's. There I got a bowl of chili and a Dr. Pepper. Afterwards we got a chocolate Frosty, which we split.
Darlene, who lives across the street, has a man who mows her grass. He came over and looked at our yards (front and back) and offered to mow ours for $35. We said okay. He said he would mow our grass this Friday or Saturday. Tomorrow we are gong to have some medical tests run at Broadway Baptist Church. For $139 each we get five tests run. They check for AAA and a few other things. We last had these tests about five years ago.
The man who is going to install our new dishwasher is supposed to come by in the afternoon. I hope we get back from Broadway Baptist in time.
Darlene, who lives across the street, has a man who mows her grass. He came over and looked at our yards (front and back) and offered to mow ours for $35. We said okay. He said he would mow our grass this Friday or Saturday. Tomorrow we are gong to have some medical tests run at Broadway Baptist Church. For $139 each we get five tests run. They check for AAA and a few other things. We last had these tests about five years ago.
The man who is going to install our new dishwasher is supposed to come by in the afternoon. I hope we get back from Broadway Baptist in time.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Review of the day
We ate at Rib Crib for lunch today. Then went went grocery shopping.
My page proofs arrived today, and I began working on another book. This book is only about 170 pages long.
There is not much to write about tonight. I will try to get a good night of rest and get up tomorrow morning and start indexing. I do have an MRI scheduled for tomorrow at St. John Hospital in Tulsa. Maybe that will give me something to write about tomorrow.
My page proofs arrived today, and I began working on another book. This book is only about 170 pages long.
There is not much to write about tonight. I will try to get a good night of rest and get up tomorrow morning and start indexing. I do have an MRI scheduled for tomorrow at St. John Hospital in Tulsa. Maybe that will give me something to write about tomorrow.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Out and about in Tulsa
We were out and about in Tulsa today. The first place we went was Sears at 21st and Yale. There we picked out a new dishwasher. The installer will call us Friday and arrange to install the new dishwasher and haul off the old one. Next we went to Red Lobster for lunch. J had the Sailor's Platter and I had the stuffed flounder. After lunch we went to Staples and turned in ten empty ink cartidges. They should be sending me a check for $30 for the used cartridges. I also ordered a 12-pack of hot pink highlighters which I use in my indexing work. Dumbarton Oaks will be overnighting page proofs for my next indexing job. They should arrive tomorrow.
When Gail was over yesterday for our weekly piano duet practice, we decided to play "Castle House Rag" for Movie Night at the Bradleys this Saturday. We have also been asked to play again at Church of the Restoration on May 9. We are planning on playing Austin's "A Little Bit of Bach" on that occasion. The piece showcases themes from the music of J. S. Bach.
I would like to get back to volkswalking again, but the results of the MRI I am to have on Thursday will determine my next step. If the surgeon advises surgery, I will gladly do it. I need to get back to walking, an impossibility for me in this condition now. I feel fine as long as I am sitting down, but walking around is most difficult.
When Gail was over yesterday for our weekly piano duet practice, we decided to play "Castle House Rag" for Movie Night at the Bradleys this Saturday. We have also been asked to play again at Church of the Restoration on May 9. We are planning on playing Austin's "A Little Bit of Bach" on that occasion. The piece showcases themes from the music of J. S. Bach.
I would like to get back to volkswalking again, but the results of the MRI I am to have on Thursday will determine my next step. If the surgeon advises surgery, I will gladly do it. I need to get back to walking, an impossibility for me in this condition now. I feel fine as long as I am sitting down, but walking around is most difficult.
Monday, April 26, 2010
View from Drillers Stadium
This is a view of the field, officially known as Oneok Field. The character prancing around on the field is the mascot Hornsby.
This is the view from Drillers Stadium near downtown Tulsa. We watched a game last Saturday evening from an upper deck along the third base line. Dinner was catered for the corporate guests. Birdzerk was the entertainment.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Busy Sunday
I had three events to attend today and they were back to back. Actually they overlapped a bit.
First, was Church of the Restoration. Today was Poetry Sunday at Restoration. I read "Noah," a poem written by Philip Appleman. It has some humor as well as some somber portions. It runs about 10 minutes in length.
As soon as the service was over I was out the door and on the way to the Agora Coffee House, venue for the Tulsa Atheists Meetup. I arrived about 1:10 pm, but the meeting had not started. Leading the group today was William Poire, a dynamic young leader about thirty years my junior. Also present and taking a leading role was Hilary McKinney, a law student at TU.
At today's meetup, Bill recommended we read an article in today's Tulsa World: "Let's Move Learning Online." According to Bill, online learning is the wave of the future. It is more effective and cheaper than the present system. You go at your own pace, and there is no bus transportation involved.
Following this meeting, I stopped at Wendy's for a quick lunch. There was a "crazy women" in line behind me who just had to tell me jokes. Example: Why did the orange stop at the bottom of the hill? Answer: It ran out of juice. She fired off five or six such jokes, and no one enjoyed them as much as the teller. She guffawed at each joke. I sat down and ate my chili and afterwards proceeded to Joe Price's house. I had called Joe to tell him I would probably be late. I arrive at 3:45 instead the normal 3:30. Joel was not there today. It was just myself and the Prices.
I got home in time to watch the 5:30 Nightly News. After I finish updating my blog, I hope to read some of the book I will be indexing in the coming days.
I don't think I mentioned I will be having an MRI on my back this Thursday. I am getting tired of the constant pain. I have been taking aspirin to lessen the pain. I have not taken any more Aleve since Dr. Rapacki said it leads to kidney failure.
First, was Church of the Restoration. Today was Poetry Sunday at Restoration. I read "Noah," a poem written by Philip Appleman. It has some humor as well as some somber portions. It runs about 10 minutes in length.
As soon as the service was over I was out the door and on the way to the Agora Coffee House, venue for the Tulsa Atheists Meetup. I arrived about 1:10 pm, but the meeting had not started. Leading the group today was William Poire, a dynamic young leader about thirty years my junior. Also present and taking a leading role was Hilary McKinney, a law student at TU.
At today's meetup, Bill recommended we read an article in today's Tulsa World: "Let's Move Learning Online." According to Bill, online learning is the wave of the future. It is more effective and cheaper than the present system. You go at your own pace, and there is no bus transportation involved.
Following this meeting, I stopped at Wendy's for a quick lunch. There was a "crazy women" in line behind me who just had to tell me jokes. Example: Why did the orange stop at the bottom of the hill? Answer: It ran out of juice. She fired off five or six such jokes, and no one enjoyed them as much as the teller. She guffawed at each joke. I sat down and ate my chili and afterwards proceeded to Joe Price's house. I had called Joe to tell him I would probably be late. I arrive at 3:45 instead the normal 3:30. Joel was not there today. It was just myself and the Prices.
I got home in time to watch the 5:30 Nightly News. After I finish updating my blog, I hope to read some of the book I will be indexing in the coming days.
I don't think I mentioned I will be having an MRI on my back this Thursday. I am getting tired of the constant pain. I have been taking aspirin to lessen the pain. I have not taken any more Aleve since Dr. Rapacki said it leads to kidney failure.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Food & Fellowship and a ball game
The day began by going to the HAT Food and Fellowship gathering held at Chopsticks, a Chinese restaurant located at 61st and Sheridan. There were ten of us there. I took my camera and the waitress shot a picture of us all. If I like the photo, I will post it tomorrow.
One thing I learned at the Food and Fellowship is that the event we had planned for May 6 was called off due to the expense. I assume the tent will still be ordered. We have talked about getting a tent for years, but no action is ever taken on the matter. I will check with Randy to see if he ordered a tent (a $240 expense). It would not break us since we have about $1,500 in the treasury.
This past week I received another book to index from Dumbarton Oaks. The book is only 170 pages long. I have to wait until next Monday to see if the page proofs which were sent to me by e-mail do not change. It is an art history book.
Tonight we went to a baseball game at the new Drillers Stadium near downtown Tulsa. Tulsa played the Springfield Cardinals. We left early (after the 6th inning) while it was still daylight since we had a ten-minute walk to where we parked the car. The event was sponsored by an insurance society to which J belongs. Dinner was provided, which consisted of various barbecued meats with varioius side dishes. It was a catered event.
Tomorrow is poetry Sunday at CoR. I am looking forward to it.
One thing I learned at the Food and Fellowship is that the event we had planned for May 6 was called off due to the expense. I assume the tent will still be ordered. We have talked about getting a tent for years, but no action is ever taken on the matter. I will check with Randy to see if he ordered a tent (a $240 expense). It would not break us since we have about $1,500 in the treasury.
This past week I received another book to index from Dumbarton Oaks. The book is only 170 pages long. I have to wait until next Monday to see if the page proofs which were sent to me by e-mail do not change. It is an art history book.
Tonight we went to a baseball game at the new Drillers Stadium near downtown Tulsa. Tulsa played the Springfield Cardinals. We left early (after the 6th inning) while it was still daylight since we had a ten-minute walk to where we parked the car. The event was sponsored by an insurance society to which J belongs. Dinner was provided, which consisted of various barbecued meats with varioius side dishes. It was a catered event.
Tomorrow is poetry Sunday at CoR. I am looking forward to it.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Cashing in cans
The local recycling place where we take our cans to be recycled was today (being Earth Day) paying double what they mornally do for aluminum cans. We took in two sacks and got 70 cents per pound for them. Next we went down the street to a drug store and bought a bottle of vitamins.
We had lunch at Subway and also went by the library.
I heard from two of my readers who were upset with what I had written about the Bible. When you write something that cast doubt on the reliability of the Bible, some people find that threatening. If the Bible is wrong on some points, then the bible may be wrong on anything. Without the reliability of scripture, all of Christianity is open to doubt.
What if there is no afterlife? What if this life is all there is? What if you never again get to see loved ones who have passed on? Showing that the scriptures contain errors makes these questions relevant.
If you are interested in the subject of errors in the Bible, let me recommend the web site whose link is found below:
http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/
There are many ways to use this resource. Under "Highlights," you will see a list of 14 topics. Click on "contradictions" to view contradictions.
We had lunch at Subway and also went by the library.
I heard from two of my readers who were upset with what I had written about the Bible. When you write something that cast doubt on the reliability of the Bible, some people find that threatening. If the Bible is wrong on some points, then the bible may be wrong on anything. Without the reliability of scripture, all of Christianity is open to doubt.
What if there is no afterlife? What if this life is all there is? What if you never again get to see loved ones who have passed on? Showing that the scriptures contain errors makes these questions relevant.
If you are interested in the subject of errors in the Bible, let me recommend the web site whose link is found below:
http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/
There are many ways to use this resource. Under "Highlights," you will see a list of 14 topics. Click on "contradictions" to view contradictions.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Slow Tuesday
We went grocery shopping today, and that's about all we did. It is hardly worth signing on tonight. I hope that tomorrow I hear from Dr. Rapicki's office regarding the MRI I will be taking. Until I get that done, I don't plan to do much.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Blood test
This morning we went to St. John Medical Center for me to have blood drawn and tested as a prelude to having an MRI done. We thought we might have to wait a long time, but the wait was short and we were out in a very short period of time. Before leaving the hospital, we went down to the cafeteria and ate breakfast.
We drove back home and have been here ever since. Around 5 pm Nick, Ayla, and Luke can by. Nick left Luke with us while he took Ayla to her piano lesson at Mrs. Hopper's. Neither J nor I are getting around very well at this time. Tonight we watched the MSNBC special program "The McVeigh Tapes." Today was the fifteenth anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing.
We drove back home and have been here ever since. Around 5 pm Nick, Ayla, and Luke can by. Nick left Luke with us while he took Ayla to her piano lesson at Mrs. Hopper's. Neither J nor I are getting around very well at this time. Tonight we watched the MSNBC special program "The McVeigh Tapes." Today was the fifteenth anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Uneventful Sunday
Ayla spent the night with us Saturday evening. When J got up she noticed that Ayla was missing. She came looking for her in the back room where I was reading. She asked if know where Ayla was. I said I did not so we went to the front bedroom where Ayla had been sleeping; but she was not there. We found her in the dining room with a big dollop of peanut butter on a spoon. She had silently gotten up and went to the kitchen for food.
J and Ayla got dressed and left for church. Soon I also got dressed and left for my church. There were only five peo0ple there today. There was Edna, the church pianist; Mary, the lay leader; Betty, the speaker; and that left just Larry and myself. I guess you could call us the congregation. Had I not gone today, the congregational attendance was have declined by 50%.
I had no meetings this afternoon; even drumming was canceled. I have been inside ever since I got back from church.
We might look at another Bible question, since I do not have a lot to write about today. The question is: How did Judas die? The writer of Acts (1:18) says, "(With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out." Compare that to Matthew 27:5 which reads "So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself."
I ask you, my readers, which account do you accept? The one in which he falls and burst open, or the one in which he hangs himself?
J and Ayla got dressed and left for church. Soon I also got dressed and left for my church. There were only five peo0ple there today. There was Edna, the church pianist; Mary, the lay leader; Betty, the speaker; and that left just Larry and myself. I guess you could call us the congregation. Had I not gone today, the congregational attendance was have declined by 50%.
I had no meetings this afternoon; even drumming was canceled. I have been inside ever since I got back from church.
We might look at another Bible question, since I do not have a lot to write about today. The question is: How did Judas die? The writer of Acts (1:18) says, "(With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out." Compare that to Matthew 27:5 which reads "So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself."
I ask you, my readers, which account do you accept? The one in which he falls and burst open, or the one in which he hangs himself?
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Trip to Ponca City
We drove to Ponca City Friday afternoon for a volkswalking and geocaching trip. It was not our best trip. We looked for three caches, but found none.
We ate dinner at Enrique's Mexican Restaurant at the Ponca City Airport, but I was disappointed in the restaurant. I had heard many favorable comments about Enrique's, but the experience was a let-down. The table at which we sat was not a stable table. It rocked back and forth. The chips were so greasy, they were translucent. I had the No. 1 combination plate, which allowed me to sample three foods. The food was good, though. The place is very popular. We had to wait about 20 minutes to be seated.
After we ate, we drove on in to Ponca City. We saw a cluster of motels in the south part of town. I pulled in to a Super 8 motel and got a room. Our room was, to put it bluntly, crappy. There was little shelf space for toiletries. The shower had a two-inch diameter drain with no guard covering it. You drop something down that hole, and it is gone forever. We stuffed a washcloth in the drain just to make sure we did no lose anything.
I had asked for a room with either a king or queen size bed, but all they had was rooms with double beds. I stretched out on the bed next to the window, and noticed that even with the curtain closed, you could see out the window by looking at the bottom of the curtain. If I could see someone standing outside the window, I figured they could look in and see me. So J and I slept together in the other bed.
We noticed strange smells at various times in the night. We had asked for a non-smoking room, but I have to wonder how long it had been a non-smoking room. The walls were thin, and around a quarter after four in the morning, someone out on the walkway had a coughing fit. From the sound of the coughing, I would say the poor soul is not long for this world. I got no more than three hours sleep last night.
When our cell phone alarms went off this morning, we got up and showered and got dressed and made our way to the start point. Dorothy Brown was working the start table. We talked to her a bit and then headed out on the walk. We did not know how long we could walk, but we were determined to find out. We managed to walk two kilometers before pain got the better of us.
On Friday, I received the paperwork to have blood drawn to see if my body will be able to get rid of the contrast agent used during the MRI I will be having. Monday, I will go to a Regional Medical Lab to have the blood work done. Then I will wait until I hear from Dr. Rapacki's office as to where we go next.
We got back to Sand Springs in time for me to get a short nap before leaving for the HAT meeting at the Genealogy Center on Harvard Ave. There were twelve people there today.
We ate dinner at Enrique's Mexican Restaurant at the Ponca City Airport, but I was disappointed in the restaurant. I had heard many favorable comments about Enrique's, but the experience was a let-down. The table at which we sat was not a stable table. It rocked back and forth. The chips were so greasy, they were translucent. I had the No. 1 combination plate, which allowed me to sample three foods. The food was good, though. The place is very popular. We had to wait about 20 minutes to be seated.
After we ate, we drove on in to Ponca City. We saw a cluster of motels in the south part of town. I pulled in to a Super 8 motel and got a room. Our room was, to put it bluntly, crappy. There was little shelf space for toiletries. The shower had a two-inch diameter drain with no guard covering it. You drop something down that hole, and it is gone forever. We stuffed a washcloth in the drain just to make sure we did no lose anything.
I had asked for a room with either a king or queen size bed, but all they had was rooms with double beds. I stretched out on the bed next to the window, and noticed that even with the curtain closed, you could see out the window by looking at the bottom of the curtain. If I could see someone standing outside the window, I figured they could look in and see me. So J and I slept together in the other bed.
We noticed strange smells at various times in the night. We had asked for a non-smoking room, but I have to wonder how long it had been a non-smoking room. The walls were thin, and around a quarter after four in the morning, someone out on the walkway had a coughing fit. From the sound of the coughing, I would say the poor soul is not long for this world. I got no more than three hours sleep last night.
When our cell phone alarms went off this morning, we got up and showered and got dressed and made our way to the start point. Dorothy Brown was working the start table. We talked to her a bit and then headed out on the walk. We did not know how long we could walk, but we were determined to find out. We managed to walk two kilometers before pain got the better of us.
On Friday, I received the paperwork to have blood drawn to see if my body will be able to get rid of the contrast agent used during the MRI I will be having. Monday, I will go to a Regional Medical Lab to have the blood work done. Then I will wait until I hear from Dr. Rapacki's office as to where we go next.
We got back to Sand Springs in time for me to get a short nap before leaving for the HAT meeting at the Genealogy Center on Harvard Ave. There were twelve people there today.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Lazy day
We had some plans for today, but we opted to stay at home instead of getting out. The two activities we passed up were Music at the Mansion and the Tulsa Atheists Mid-Month Social. Instead of going to the music program, I took a nap. Instead of going to the TAM Social, I mowed the back yard.
My back problem is much better. The methly pred pack works wonders. It is some kind of a steroid. I expect the pain to make a return visit sometime after the pills run out. I hope to hear tomorrow about the MRI which has been ordered for me.
I made a trip to the library today, returning three items and checking out three other items. One item waiting for me which had come in was a DVD titled "American Betrayed: How Government and Big Business Bring Ruin to America's Infrastructure." While at the library, I phoned in an order at Chinese Express. I went by the restaurant and picked up the order: lemon chicken for J and orange chicken for myself. I took it home and that was our dinner. I put half of my order in the fridge. I will eat it for breakfast in the morning.
After dinner I got out the lawn mower. I noticed the gas can was empty. We made a quick trip to the local QuikTrip and got it filled up. I was able to get the back yard mowed with a minimum of discomfort. In the evening I read e-mail and then watched some MSNBC.
My back problem is much better. The methly pred pack works wonders. It is some kind of a steroid. I expect the pain to make a return visit sometime after the pills run out. I hope to hear tomorrow about the MRI which has been ordered for me.
I made a trip to the library today, returning three items and checking out three other items. One item waiting for me which had come in was a DVD titled "American Betrayed: How Government and Big Business Bring Ruin to America's Infrastructure." While at the library, I phoned in an order at Chinese Express. I went by the restaurant and picked up the order: lemon chicken for J and orange chicken for myself. I took it home and that was our dinner. I put half of my order in the fridge. I will eat it for breakfast in the morning.
After dinner I got out the lawn mower. I noticed the gas can was empty. We made a quick trip to the local QuikTrip and got it filled up. I was able to get the back yard mowed with a minimum of discomfort. In the evening I read e-mail and then watched some MSNBC.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Review of the day
First, I should report that I feel pretty good today. The methyl pred pack has relieved most, but not all, of the pain. I did have to take an aspirin this evening, but that is all I had to take to, in effect, make the pain go away.
We began the day by going to Braum's for breakfast where we both had a sausage and egg biscuit. We took a look at the paper while we were there. We had to hurry home because I am taking medicine. There are two pills that I am supposed to take at breakfast. Next we went to the tag agency. They have a small post office inside the agency where we mailed some insurance papers to get reimbursed for some medical expenses.
Once we returned home, I looked at the responses I had typed up several weeks ago in answer to eight questions posed to me by Galen. I made a few alterations and then e-mailed them on to him.
I helped J fix supper tonight, and then we watched the news on TV. I had seen a promotion of a program on OETA. Two members of the state legislature discussed some issues in the news. I watched that.
I have not heard anything yet concerning the MRI I am supposed to take.
We began the day by going to Braum's for breakfast where we both had a sausage and egg biscuit. We took a look at the paper while we were there. We had to hurry home because I am taking medicine. There are two pills that I am supposed to take at breakfast. Next we went to the tag agency. They have a small post office inside the agency where we mailed some insurance papers to get reimbursed for some medical expenses.
Once we returned home, I looked at the responses I had typed up several weeks ago in answer to eight questions posed to me by Galen. I made a few alterations and then e-mailed them on to him.
I helped J fix supper tonight, and then we watched the news on TV. I had seen a promotion of a program on OETA. Two members of the state legislature discussed some issues in the news. I watched that.
I have not heard anything yet concerning the MRI I am supposed to take.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
I visit my doctor
The big news for today is my visit to the back doctor, but since I posted nothing yesterday, I will back up and begin with Monday. Gail is getting ready to go on a trip with her husband to St. Louis and did not come over for piano duets yesterday. She will be gone for two weeks. I still played piano, but I concentrated on solo pieces.
One bit of news from Sunday is that Vanessa Adams-Harris expressed some interest in having a Humanist group within the church. It would be great if we could do that. Some of the HAT folks might also like to take part in a Humanist program of some type. We will see what we can arrange.
In the evening Nick came over. He left Luke with J while he took Ayla to her piano lesson. They also stayed for dinner.
Today we went to see Dr. Rapacki. I described my symptoms to him, and he ordered a MRI for me. He also gave me a prescription for a methlypred pack. The last time I had a back problem, he prescribed methlypred and I got immediate relief. I hope it works as well this time.
There are some volkswalks coming up this weekend I would like to do. On Saturday there are walks in Ponca City and Perry. I will probably have to miss those due to the HAT meeting scheduled for Saturday. On Sunday, walks are scheduled to be held in Prague and Guthrie.
On the way home we stopped at the computer repair shop and picked up our computer. It has been re-arranged. I think everything is still there (I saw the file I'm going to send to Galen), but things are in different places. Imagine if you went on vacation and when you returned home all of your things had been moved to another location within the house. Right now it is hard to find things. Our first priority was locating Sky Index, the program I use to index books. My next indexing job is due to arrive around May 1, and I want to be ready for it.
One bit of news from Sunday is that Vanessa Adams-Harris expressed some interest in having a Humanist group within the church. It would be great if we could do that. Some of the HAT folks might also like to take part in a Humanist program of some type. We will see what we can arrange.
In the evening Nick came over. He left Luke with J while he took Ayla to her piano lesson. They also stayed for dinner.
Today we went to see Dr. Rapacki. I described my symptoms to him, and he ordered a MRI for me. He also gave me a prescription for a methlypred pack. The last time I had a back problem, he prescribed methlypred and I got immediate relief. I hope it works as well this time.
There are some volkswalks coming up this weekend I would like to do. On Saturday there are walks in Ponca City and Perry. I will probably have to miss those due to the HAT meeting scheduled for Saturday. On Sunday, walks are scheduled to be held in Prague and Guthrie.
On the way home we stopped at the computer repair shop and picked up our computer. It has been re-arranged. I think everything is still there (I saw the file I'm going to send to Galen), but things are in different places. Imagine if you went on vacation and when you returned home all of your things had been moved to another location within the house. Right now it is hard to find things. Our first priority was locating Sky Index, the program I use to index books. My next indexing job is due to arrive around May 1, and I want to be ready for it.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Daily recap
I got up this morning and fixed myself a bagel and a cup of hot chocolate. I took a shower and a couple of aspirin for back pain, and headed off to church. Since J was still suffering from a lame leg, she did not pick up Alya but instead accompanied me as I went to Church of the Restoration (CoR). As we drove up, Gail was sitting in her car. We all got out of our vehicles and went in to the church. We played through our piece twice before the service began. When the time came for us to perform, the playing of Castle House Rag went well. I thought we played the best we ever had since we have been playing specials for CoR. Gail and I recorded Castle House Rag on video. It can be seen now on YouTube.
After the service was over, we headed back to Sand Springs. We drove through the KFC drive thru and got a chicken meal for J. We went by the house and J went inside and ate, while I drove on to Broken Arrow for a meeting of the Tulsa Coalition of Reason. We met at Bill Dusenberry's house. There were eight of us at the meeting. We talked about plans for the upcoming National Day of Reason on May 6. We intend to set up a table covered by a tent in a park in downtown Tulsa and distribute literature. (I may post more about this meeting on another blog.)
After the meeting was over, I drove to Furr's Cafeteria for lunch, although it was about 4 pm by that time. I had two pieces of Talapia, two rolls, corn, carrots, okra, turkey and dressing with gravy, cranberry sauce, a piece of chocolate cake, ice tea, and ice cream.
When I got home J was ready to go pick up Ayla and go to the Methodist church's Family Life Center (south of the river). Eventually the church plans to have all of its facilities on this property, which is about one mile from out house. The current facilities (sanctuary and classrooms) are all on the north side of the river. The church was having a chili supper this evening. Many styles of chili were available. There were also many desserts offerings.
I have delayed buying tomato plants this year. But with the price of tomatoes being what they are, I should probably go ahead and do it. My only hesitancy comes from the uncertainty of my back problem. I will be seeing my back surgeon in a couple of days and will know more then.
Correcting errors on blogs. While viewing a post, make sure you are scrolled all the way to the top of the screen. Click on the orange symbol that looks somewhat like the letter "B", right before your screen name. It should have an orange background. On the new screen click "edit." This will bring up a screen which lists your postings. You will have a choice of "view" or "edit." Click on "edit" and make the desired changes. Then click on publish post, and the changes should be made.
After the service was over, we headed back to Sand Springs. We drove through the KFC drive thru and got a chicken meal for J. We went by the house and J went inside and ate, while I drove on to Broken Arrow for a meeting of the Tulsa Coalition of Reason. We met at Bill Dusenberry's house. There were eight of us at the meeting. We talked about plans for the upcoming National Day of Reason on May 6. We intend to set up a table covered by a tent in a park in downtown Tulsa and distribute literature. (I may post more about this meeting on another blog.)
After the meeting was over, I drove to Furr's Cafeteria for lunch, although it was about 4 pm by that time. I had two pieces of Talapia, two rolls, corn, carrots, okra, turkey and dressing with gravy, cranberry sauce, a piece of chocolate cake, ice tea, and ice cream.
When I got home J was ready to go pick up Ayla and go to the Methodist church's Family Life Center (south of the river). Eventually the church plans to have all of its facilities on this property, which is about one mile from out house. The current facilities (sanctuary and classrooms) are all on the north side of the river. The church was having a chili supper this evening. Many styles of chili were available. There were also many desserts offerings.
I have delayed buying tomato plants this year. But with the price of tomatoes being what they are, I should probably go ahead and do it. My only hesitancy comes from the uncertainty of my back problem. I will be seeing my back surgeon in a couple of days and will know more then.
Correcting errors on blogs. While viewing a post, make sure you are scrolled all the way to the top of the screen. Click on the orange symbol that looks somewhat like the letter "B", right before your screen name. It should have an orange background. On the new screen click "edit." This will bring up a screen which lists your postings. You will have a choice of "view" or "edit." Click on "edit" and make the desired changes. Then click on publish post, and the changes should be made.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Daily happenings
It is Saturday. The second Saturday of the month is the time we get together for Secular Singers. So at 2:00 today I was at Gail's to play piano while the others (and sometimes myself) sang. I was the first to arrive. Gail and I went immediately to her piano to practice the piece we will be playing tomorrow at CoR. Soon Randy arrived; Bea was overburdened with other obligations and had to beg off. Once again, there were just three people for Secular Singers. I suggested we suspend Secular Singers until September. The other two agreed. It is sometime like pulling teeth to get others to participate in activities.
I have received three responses to my calling attention to the contradiction between two verses in the Bible, namely, I Kings 4:26 and II Chronicles 9:25. Each explanation differs from the other two. My wife J (she won't let me refer to her by name; therefore the initial) says the variance is due to the use of differing number bases - a different way of counting. We in this country are accustomed to counting in base 10. Number totals would look different in, say, base 7 or base 2. She majored in math in college.
Marti, on the other hand, points out that there is no contradiction in the two verses in her New International Version. And she is right. I own a copy of the NIV and checked for myself. The two verses agree completely. But this raises another question: How did the quote from the KJV which dates from 1611 and refers to forty thousand stalls of horses get morphed into four thousand stall of horses in the NIV, which dates from the twentieth century. It is as if the publisher was aware of the contradiction and decided to bring the two verses into agreement by fiat. This is conjectural on my part, but it is one possible explanation. Marti also points out that the number 4,000 is most likely not meant to be explicit. It is a number rounded, say, to the nearest hundred. The actual number could have been 4021 or maybe, 3978. But still, that is quite a way off from 40,000.
Galen took a close look at the Hebrew in both verses and discovered that there is a slight difference in the Hebrew words for "stall." He says our translations may contain "translation errors because the translators were not perfect, but the original manuscripts do not contain errors or contradictions." Of course, the original manuscripts are no longer extant. All we can say is, maybe yes, maybe no.
This raises the question of why, if God went to the trouble to inspire the original writers, he did not also do the same for the translators work? Did he not anticipate this problem?
I thank my three respondants for taking the time to mull over this problem. Thanks also for not getting together to get your stories "straight" before sending them to me.
I have received three responses to my calling attention to the contradiction between two verses in the Bible, namely, I Kings 4:26 and II Chronicles 9:25. Each explanation differs from the other two. My wife J (she won't let me refer to her by name; therefore the initial) says the variance is due to the use of differing number bases - a different way of counting. We in this country are accustomed to counting in base 10. Number totals would look different in, say, base 7 or base 2. She majored in math in college.
Marti, on the other hand, points out that there is no contradiction in the two verses in her New International Version. And she is right. I own a copy of the NIV and checked for myself. The two verses agree completely. But this raises another question: How did the quote from the KJV which dates from 1611 and refers to forty thousand stalls of horses get morphed into four thousand stall of horses in the NIV, which dates from the twentieth century. It is as if the publisher was aware of the contradiction and decided to bring the two verses into agreement by fiat. This is conjectural on my part, but it is one possible explanation. Marti also points out that the number 4,000 is most likely not meant to be explicit. It is a number rounded, say, to the nearest hundred. The actual number could have been 4021 or maybe, 3978. But still, that is quite a way off from 40,000.
Galen took a close look at the Hebrew in both verses and discovered that there is a slight difference in the Hebrew words for "stall." He says our translations may contain "translation errors because the translators were not perfect, but the original manuscripts do not contain errors or contradictions." Of course, the original manuscripts are no longer extant. All we can say is, maybe yes, maybe no.
This raises the question of why, if God went to the trouble to inspire the original writers, he did not also do the same for the translators work? Did he not anticipate this problem?
I thank my three respondants for taking the time to mull over this problem. Thanks also for not getting together to get your stories "straight" before sending them to me.
Friday, April 09, 2010
Poetry group met tonight
Today we went to the grocery store, again. We went on Thursday and bought our produce. Today we went back and bought boxed and canned items. We might go back tomorrow to get meat and frozen items, or we might wait until another day. You see, both J and I are ailing. I have a back problem (my spine, I suspect). J has a problem with her right knee. We both hobble around. I manage to get around okay with aspirin.
The first thing we did today was go to Spoon Drug store where we bought a Neoprene Slip-On Knee for J. Then we went by the library to see if they had a certain book by Lewis Carroll. The book happened to be checked out. I ended up printing out the four poems for tonight's poetry group meeting at Border's.
There were six people at the poetry meeting tonight. Gail, my duet partner, is the leader of the group. We invited the other people present to come to Church of the Restoration on Sunday to hear us play a piano duet. The subject of tonight's meeting was Lewis Carroll. He is best known as the author of Alice in Wonderland, but tonight we looked at some of his verse. Piece's such as "The Walrus and the Carpenter" and "The Mad Gardener's Song" were read and talked about.
We understand that the store on 21st Street, where we meet, will be closing. We will need to find another location to hold our poetry reading and discussion sessions.
The first thing we did today was go to Spoon Drug store where we bought a Neoprene Slip-On Knee for J. Then we went by the library to see if they had a certain book by Lewis Carroll. The book happened to be checked out. I ended up printing out the four poems for tonight's poetry group meeting at Border's.
There were six people at the poetry meeting tonight. Gail, my duet partner, is the leader of the group. We invited the other people present to come to Church of the Restoration on Sunday to hear us play a piano duet. The subject of tonight's meeting was Lewis Carroll. He is best known as the author of Alice in Wonderland, but tonight we looked at some of his verse. Piece's such as "The Walrus and the Carpenter" and "The Mad Gardener's Song" were read and talked about.
We understand that the store on 21st Street, where we meet, will be closing. We will need to find another location to hold our poetry reading and discussion sessions.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Hyechka Spring Luncheon
Our outing today was the Hyechka Spring Luncheon, which was held at All Souls Unitarian Church (in Emerson Hall). Emerson Hall is the name of the fellowship hall of the church. The room includes a stage on which sits a grand piano. The program started at 10:30 this morning; we left a little after 1 pm.
The entertainment began with three students from Clinton Middle School. Three students each gave a solo performance on flute, trumpet, and cornet. Next came the performance of two pieces on piano. Don Ryan, piano instructor at Oral Roberts University, executed the pieces flawlessly. He played two pieces from Schumann's Fantasy Stucke: "Des Abends," and "Aufschwung."
In keeping with the theme of "The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring," Elizabeth Curtis, mezzo soprano, sang three selections by Gilbert and Sullivan taken from The Gondoliers, Ruddigore, and HMS Pinafore.
Closing out the program was a lengthy piano duet performed by Tamerlane Rozsa and Dorothy McFadden. It was Schubert's "Fantasy in F minor, Op. 103."
Today's luncheon consisted of a salad of spring greens with roasted vegetables with balsamic vinaigrette, chicken breast with bearnaise sauce on a bed of spinach, scalloped potatoes. Dessert was bread pudding with bourbon sauce. The beverage was ice tea or coffee.
Accompanying us today was our daughter-in-law, Jennifer.
The entertainment began with three students from Clinton Middle School. Three students each gave a solo performance on flute, trumpet, and cornet. Next came the performance of two pieces on piano. Don Ryan, piano instructor at Oral Roberts University, executed the pieces flawlessly. He played two pieces from Schumann's Fantasy Stucke: "Des Abends," and "Aufschwung."
In keeping with the theme of "The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring," Elizabeth Curtis, mezzo soprano, sang three selections by Gilbert and Sullivan taken from The Gondoliers, Ruddigore, and HMS Pinafore.
Closing out the program was a lengthy piano duet performed by Tamerlane Rozsa and Dorothy McFadden. It was Schubert's "Fantasy in F minor, Op. 103."
Today's luncheon consisted of a salad of spring greens with roasted vegetables with balsamic vinaigrette, chicken breast with bearnaise sauce on a bed of spinach, scalloped potatoes. Dessert was bread pudding with bourbon sauce. The beverage was ice tea or coffee.
Accompanying us today was our daughter-in-law, Jennifer.
Monday, April 05, 2010
Rehearsing for Sunday
Today Gail and I rehearsed for our part for the Sunday morning service on April 11. We also recorded a YouTube video, but we will have to wait until we get our computer back from the shop before I upload it. We will be playing "Castle House Rag" written by James Reese Europe.
I did not do much else today. I had a nap this afternoon and then went to the library. I took some materials back to the library and checked out two books for J.
Here is a question for all you Bible scholars out there: How many horses did Solomon have?
First Kings says 40,000; but Second Chronicles says 4,000. Compare 1st Kings 4:26 to 2nd Chronicles 9:25. This certainly looks like a contradiction to me. Did a zero get added to the number in the first citation? Why do they not say the same thing? If we had only the first verse, everyone would swear Solomon had 40,000 horses. If we had only the second verse, everyone would swear he had 4,000. But since we have two conflicting verses, we are left to wonder.
I did not do much else today. I had a nap this afternoon and then went to the library. I took some materials back to the library and checked out two books for J.
Here is a question for all you Bible scholars out there: How many horses did Solomon have?
First Kings says 40,000; but Second Chronicles says 4,000. Compare 1st Kings 4:26 to 2nd Chronicles 9:25. This certainly looks like a contradiction to me. Did a zero get added to the number in the first citation? Why do they not say the same thing? If we had only the first verse, everyone would swear Solomon had 40,000 horses. If we had only the second verse, everyone would swear he had 4,000. But since we have two conflicting verses, we are left to wonder.
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Easter Sunday
There was no service at CoR today. I stayed in the house while J went to church. Drumming was canceled also. I went back to bed after having been up for just a couple of hours. I feel better in a reclining position than walking around.
Nick invited us over for a late lunch this afternoon. Luke and Ayla were here this afternoon. Gary and Jonathan were there also. Adra was not feeling well and had left for home earlier. We had ham and broccoli salad with rolls. We got back home around 5:30 and watch the evening news.
There is a trailer for the movie we watched last night on the Internet. Google "Whatever Works" and you can see it, if you are interested. I thought it was a great movie.
Nick invited us over for a late lunch this afternoon. Luke and Ayla were here this afternoon. Gary and Jonathan were there also. Adra was not feeling well and had left for home earlier. We had ham and broccoli salad with rolls. We got back home around 5:30 and watch the evening news.
There is a trailer for the movie we watched last night on the Internet. Google "Whatever Works" and you can see it, if you are interested. I thought it was a great movie.
Saturday, April 03, 2010
A surprise for Movie Night
There were 11 people at Movie Night tonight at the Bradleys. The movie we watched was Whatever Works, written and directed by Woody Allen. It is a movie from last year. I was unaware of the movie before seeing it tonight. There is some great dialogue in the film. I will have to see if I can buy a copy and watch it again.
There will be no service at Church of the Restoration tomorrow. I am going to try to stay in and rest. My back is still giving me problems. I must have something out of place in my spine. I feel fine as long as I am seated, but whenever I get up (and especially when I walk) I have pain in my hip on the left side or pain in the main muscle in my upper left leg.
There will be no service at Church of the Restoration tomorrow. I am going to try to stay in and rest. My back is still giving me problems. I must have something out of place in my spine. I feel fine as long as I am seated, but whenever I get up (and especially when I walk) I have pain in my hip on the left side or pain in the main muscle in my upper left leg.
Using the laptop tonight
Tonight I am using the laptop computer to make this entry in my blog. Our other computer is in the repair shop. I expect to lose a lot of data on the other computer when I get it back.
This evening (actually yesterday now), we went to the Methodist church for the Good Friday service. It was dark in the sanctuary. All the lights were out. There were 14 candles plus one at the front of the sanctuary. I forgot what the significance of the number 14 was, but the one additional candle was to represent Jesus. It was a somber service. No one spoke as the congregants left the building.
The mood could be described by the phrase "Things are not so good." The story of the crucifixation was told again. Yet, two and a half days later, as the story has it, Jesus is out and about, lacking the encumbrance of a physical body, meaning he did not have to stop and take a leak ever so often. I suppose that means he did not have to eat or drink as well. That could be seen as either an advantage or disadvantage, depending on how you look at food.
Nick played his clarinet as the bell choir rang their bells. After the whole thing was over, we went to Braum's. We each had an ice cream cone. Then we came home.
This evening (actually yesterday now), we went to the Methodist church for the Good Friday service. It was dark in the sanctuary. All the lights were out. There were 14 candles plus one at the front of the sanctuary. I forgot what the significance of the number 14 was, but the one additional candle was to represent Jesus. It was a somber service. No one spoke as the congregants left the building.
The mood could be described by the phrase "Things are not so good." The story of the crucifixation was told again. Yet, two and a half days later, as the story has it, Jesus is out and about, lacking the encumbrance of a physical body, meaning he did not have to stop and take a leak ever so often. I suppose that means he did not have to eat or drink as well. That could be seen as either an advantage or disadvantage, depending on how you look at food.
Nick played his clarinet as the bell choir rang their bells. After the whole thing was over, we went to Braum's. We each had an ice cream cone. Then we came home.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Keystone State Park
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.
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.
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.
Vanessa's picks
Vanessa Adams-Harris is the Office Assistant at Church of the Restoration. Here are her five picks:
The Koran
From Slavery to Freedom by John Hope Franklin
Lucy: The Beginnings of Mankind by Donald Johanson
Native Americans
The Oxford Dictionary
The Koran
From Slavery to Freedom by John Hope Franklin
Lucy: The Beginnings of Mankind by Donald Johanson
Native Americans
The Oxford Dictionary
Monday, March 15, 2010
Marilyn's picks
Marilyn Clarke has been a longtime member of HAT and is currently the chapter vice-president. These are her picks:
Thinking Animals by Paul Shepard
The Origins of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind by Julian Jaynes
The Pursuit of Loneliness by Philip Slater
The World I Made for Her by Thomas Moran
Love and Its Place in Nature: A Philosophical Interpretation of Freudian Psychoanalysis by Jonathan Lear
Thinking Animals by Paul Shepard
The Origins of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind by Julian Jaynes
The Pursuit of Loneliness by Philip Slater
The World I Made for Her by Thomas Moran
Love and Its Place in Nature: A Philosophical Interpretation of Freudian Psychoanalysis by Jonathan Lear
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Betty Morrow's picks
I am afraid I put Betty Morrow through some anguish to come up with just five titles. She said it would have been much easier to choose 100 than just five. I feel that way, too. I have already had some second thoughts about my choices. Should we do this again next year, we all might have different choices. Here are Betty's choices:
The Complete Shakespeare
The Historical Jesus by John Dominic Crossan
From Slavery to Freedom by John Hope Franklin
When Corporations Rule the World by David Korton
Anti-Intellectualism in America by Richard Hofstadter
The Complete Shakespeare
The Historical Jesus by John Dominic Crossan
From Slavery to Freedom by John Hope Franklin
When Corporations Rule the World by David Korton
Anti-Intellectualism in America by Richard Hofstadter
Mary's picks
Mary Rounds is another one of my friends from Church of the Restoration. She selected the following five books.
Seth Speaks: The Eternal Validity of the Soul by Jane Roberts
Conversations with God (numbers 1, 2, and 3) by Neale Donald Walsch
Autobiography of Frederick Douglass
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
Seth Speaks: The Eternal Validity of the Soul by Jane Roberts
Conversations with God (numbers 1, 2, and 3) by Neale Donald Walsch
Autobiography of Frederick Douglass
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
Joy's picks
I saw some of my friends at church today. I asked them about the five most influential books they have read. Here are Joy Avery's.
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
1984 by George Orwell
Animal Farm by George Orwell
The Way of Life by Lao Tzu
Singing the Living Tradition (Unitarian Hymnal)
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
1984 by George Orwell
Animal Farm by George Orwell
The Way of Life by Lao Tzu
Singing the Living Tradition (Unitarian Hymnal)
Blog conversion now allows followers
I have converted my blog to allow readers to sign on as a "follower" of this blog. When I started this blog, having "followers" was not an option. I have converted this blog to make it possible to now have followers. So if you would, take a moment and sign on as a follower. Thank you.
I went to church this morning. There were just six of us there. I checked with Edna and arranged for Gail and myself to play a duet next week. I think we will be playing "Castle House Rag" by James Reese Europe. Today's talk was titled "Celebration of Women's History." The talk was given by Mary Rounds. Next week the service will focus on Harriet Jacobs, author of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. The book can be read for free on the Internet. It can also be downloaded free to your Kindle. I downloaded a copy to my Kindle and will try to get it read by next Sunday.
I got a call from Joe Price this afternoon. He called to say drumming was being canceled.
My back has gradually gotten better. At least I think it is good enough to resume walking. I am scheduled to have scans of my brain this coming Tuesday.
I went to church this morning. There were just six of us there. I checked with Edna and arranged for Gail and myself to play a duet next week. I think we will be playing "Castle House Rag" by James Reese Europe. Today's talk was titled "Celebration of Women's History." The talk was given by Mary Rounds. Next week the service will focus on Harriet Jacobs, author of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. The book can be read for free on the Internet. It can also be downloaded free to your Kindle. I downloaded a copy to my Kindle and will try to get it read by next Sunday.
I got a call from Joe Price this afternoon. He called to say drumming was being canceled.
My back has gradually gotten better. At least I think it is good enough to resume walking. I am scheduled to have scans of my brain this coming Tuesday.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Mary Spangler's picks
Mary Spangler chose the following as her five favorite books.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Gail Storey's picks
Gail's five books are the following:
The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Warden by Anthony Trollope
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Warden by Anthony Trollope
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
Sandra Edwards's picks
Sandra Edwards chose these as her five favorite books:
The Way by Lao Tzu
Existentialism by Jean Paul Sartre
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Summa Theologicia by Thomas Aquinas
The Works of Meister Eckhard
The Way by Lao Tzu
Existentialism by Jean Paul Sartre
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Summa Theologicia by Thomas Aquinas
The Works of Meister Eckhard
Mike's picks
Mike is a pseudonym. Sometimes I call him Mike, because, well, he looks like a "Mike." He fits my Platonic ideal for a "Mike," you could say. His real name is nothing like "Mike."
Having said that, here are Mike's picks:
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Bible
The Art of Living by Epictetus as interpreted by Sharon Lebell
Airborne by William F. Buckley, Jr.
The Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Having said that, here are Mike's picks:
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Bible
The Art of Living by Epictetus as interpreted by Sharon Lebell
Airborne by William F. Buckley, Jr.
The Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Suzi Bechtole's picks
Here are the works selected by Suzi Bechtole:
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
Kon Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl
The Autobiography of Ben Franklin
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl
Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
Kon Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl
The Autobiography of Ben Franklin
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl
Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Larry Roth's picks
Larry has chosen the following five books as his picks:
The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine
The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan
Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl
Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry
by David Alexander
Doubt by John Wolf
The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine
The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan
Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl
Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry
by David Alexander
Doubt by John Wolf
Brian Hill's picks
The books selected by Brian are the following:
The Story of Mankind by Hendrick Van Loon
Future Shock by Alvin Toeffler
The Fixer by Bernard Malamud
This Hallowed Ground by Bruce Catton
Mirages of Marriage by Lederer and Jackson
The Story of Mankind by Hendrick Van Loon
Future Shock by Alvin Toeffler
The Fixer by Bernard Malamud
This Hallowed Ground by Bruce Catton
Mirages of Marriage by Lederer and Jackson
Bill Dusenberry's picks
Bill Dusenberry responded with the following selections:
The Portable Nietzsche by Walter Kaufmann
Candide by Voltaire
The Bible
The Power Broker by Robert Caro
The Case for Compulsory Birth Control by Dwight Engle
The Portable Nietzsche by Walter Kaufmann
Candide by Voltaire
The Bible
The Power Broker by Robert Caro
The Case for Compulsory Birth Control by Dwight Engle
Rod's picks
Rod Paruch has selected these as his five favorite books:
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
The End of Faith by Sam Harris
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
The Winter World by Bernd Heinrich
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
The End of Faith by Sam Harris
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
The Winter World by Bernd Heinrich
Marilyn's picks
Marilyn Goodman has selected these as her top five:
Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer
The Worldly Philosophers Robert L. Heilbroner
The Earth is Flat by Tim Harford
Blood Money: Wasted Billions, Lost Lives and Corporate Greed in Iraq by T. Christian Miller
Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer
The Worldly Philosophers Robert L. Heilbroner
The Earth is Flat by Tim Harford
Blood Money: Wasted Billions, Lost Lives and Corporate Greed in Iraq by T. Christian Miller
Kathy's picks
These are the top five books for Kathy Coleman:
The Bible
Six Studies in the Scriptures by Charles Taze Russell
Lectures of Robert Green Ingersoll
The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
The Bible
Six Studies in the Scriptures by Charles Taze Russell
Lectures of Robert Green Ingersoll
The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
A visit to the Honda dealership
Today we took our 2008 Saturn to Joe Marina Honda for the scheduled Auto Butler treatment. it was our first time there. The Saturn dealership has closed up shop, but the Honda place was right next door. We were there about an hour while they service techs did what they do. There was no charge for whatever service they performed.
While waiting on the car, I read my Kindle. I read some articles from the lastest issue of The Nation. Then I accessed the George Eliot novel I have been reading, and about that time my phone rang. My car was ready.
On the way home, we stopped at Red Lobster for lunch. J had a gift card with a few dollars left on it. We finished that off. I had a salad and some scallops which were bacon wrapped and marinated in something peach/bourbon flavored. It was scrumptous. For dessert we had a piece of chocolate cake with ice cream.
A storm with high winds is supposed to pass through the state this evening. I thought I had better get this written before we lose electricity.
While waiting on the car, I read my Kindle. I read some articles from the lastest issue of The Nation. Then I accessed the George Eliot novel I have been reading, and about that time my phone rang. My car was ready.
On the way home, we stopped at Red Lobster for lunch. J had a gift card with a few dollars left on it. We finished that off. I had a salad and some scallops which were bacon wrapped and marinated in something peach/bourbon flavored. It was scrumptous. For dessert we had a piece of chocolate cake with ice cream.
A storm with high winds is supposed to pass through the state this evening. I thought I had better get this written before we lose electricity.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Today's events
Today we went to the First Presbyterian Church for the "Countdown to Easter" program. There were about as many people there as we saw at the service last week at the Catholic Church. The meal, though, was better. The meal consisted of sliced roast beef, a baked potato, salad, and a chocolate chip cookie. Tea was the beverage.
The church has the typical Protestant church look -- a symetrical white building, a steeple, and the whole complex sits high atop a hill overlooking the town. I think the service next week is to be at the Lutheran church.
I phoned the library and got a copy of "I Got a Gal from Kalamazoo." They sent it to me by e-mail, and I printed it here. I might use that piece at Secular Singers this weekend.
Tonight was supposed to be the first in a series of four lectures at the Central Library on reading and literature. However, tonight's lecturer got sick and had to cancel. I just happen to notice a news report on the Tulsa World web site about three hours before the event was scheduled to start.
Tonight we watched lecture number 30 (out of 36) in the series on Philosophy of Religion.
Also tonight I subscribed to the magazine The Nation. It will be delivered wirelessly to my Kindle whenever an issue is published. In the current issue, I read a piece about the retirement of Bill Moyers in April. He will leave a void that will be almost unreplaceable.
The church has the typical Protestant church look -- a symetrical white building, a steeple, and the whole complex sits high atop a hill overlooking the town. I think the service next week is to be at the Lutheran church.
I phoned the library and got a copy of "I Got a Gal from Kalamazoo." They sent it to me by e-mail, and I printed it here. I might use that piece at Secular Singers this weekend.
Tonight was supposed to be the first in a series of four lectures at the Central Library on reading and literature. However, tonight's lecturer got sick and had to cancel. I just happen to notice a news report on the Tulsa World web site about three hours before the event was scheduled to start.
Tonight we watched lecture number 30 (out of 36) in the series on Philosophy of Religion.
Also tonight I subscribed to the magazine The Nation. It will be delivered wirelessly to my Kindle whenever an issue is published. In the current issue, I read a piece about the retirement of Bill Moyers in April. He will leave a void that will be almost unreplaceable.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Catching up
I need to catch you up about the events of the weekend. Quite a few things have happened since last Friday.
On Saturday, I attended the first meeting of the Tulsa chapter of Freedom From Religion Foundation. The meeting was held in the home of Bill Dusenberry and Jackie Martin. If you are interested in knowing about that meeting, see http://www.ffrftulsa.blogspot.com/.
That evening was Movie Night at the Bradleys. We watch a double feature: Sick Around the World and Julia. The first feature was a documentary which compared America's health care to that of other nations around the world. America is not in the top ten for length of life, but we have a high rate of infant mortality. While our country has some of the best care available, it is not available if you have a high deductable or are poor. If you are poor, you would be better off to live in another country. Several other countries have a system of universal health care which is supported by taxes. For example, in England you can go to the doctor and even be admitted to the hospital and have no bill to pay. Forty-six million people in this country have no health insurance. Too many people are dying for lack of insurance. Call an insurance company and ask about medical coverage, and they will ask if you have any pre-existing conditions. If you do, good luck getting insurance from them.
The second feature we watched was Julia. It is set in the 1930s and is the story of two women and their experiences just prior to the outbreak of the Second World War.
On Sunday, I went to Church of the Restoration. There were seven people there for the service. In a couple of weeks, Vanessa (church secretary) will be leading a discussion of the book Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. I found out today that the book can be read on the Internet for free. I downloaded a copy to my Kindle and also sent an e-mail to the church to let Vanessa know the book is available on the Internet.
After church I returned home for a bite to eat and then left for our billboard on the west bank of the Arkansas River. The billboard reads: "Are You Good Without God? Millions Are." There were five of us there for an interview for Channel 8. Only two of us appeared on camera: Randy and Bill. The interview was aired on the 5 pm news and again on the 10 pm news. The interview can be viewed (for a while, at least) on http://www.ktul.com/. I am visible in the background for a fraction of a second.
After meeting with the reporter, I went to Braum's and had a chocolate shake. I then went to Joe Price's house for drumming. It was Joe's 62nd birthday, March 7. Joe was born just one day before I was. Joel, the Price's son-in-law, arrived, and we went over two drumming sets we have been practicing for several weeks.
Gail came over to practice piano duets this morning. We had another productive session as we worked out some tricky rhythms in a couple of pieces. We recorded Spanish Dance for YouTube, but I think we can do better than what we did today. We might try again next week, or we might move on to record another piece.
This evening we attended a symphony concert on the campus of Tulsa University. Gail and Glenn were there. We also saw a few other people we know. After the concert, we went to the Campus Grill and each had a pulled pork sandwich.
On Saturday, I attended the first meeting of the Tulsa chapter of Freedom From Religion Foundation. The meeting was held in the home of Bill Dusenberry and Jackie Martin. If you are interested in knowing about that meeting, see http://www.ffrftulsa.blogspot.com/.
That evening was Movie Night at the Bradleys. We watch a double feature: Sick Around the World and Julia. The first feature was a documentary which compared America's health care to that of other nations around the world. America is not in the top ten for length of life, but we have a high rate of infant mortality. While our country has some of the best care available, it is not available if you have a high deductable or are poor. If you are poor, you would be better off to live in another country. Several other countries have a system of universal health care which is supported by taxes. For example, in England you can go to the doctor and even be admitted to the hospital and have no bill to pay. Forty-six million people in this country have no health insurance. Too many people are dying for lack of insurance. Call an insurance company and ask about medical coverage, and they will ask if you have any pre-existing conditions. If you do, good luck getting insurance from them.
The second feature we watched was Julia. It is set in the 1930s and is the story of two women and their experiences just prior to the outbreak of the Second World War.
On Sunday, I went to Church of the Restoration. There were seven people there for the service. In a couple of weeks, Vanessa (church secretary) will be leading a discussion of the book Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. I found out today that the book can be read on the Internet for free. I downloaded a copy to my Kindle and also sent an e-mail to the church to let Vanessa know the book is available on the Internet.
After church I returned home for a bite to eat and then left for our billboard on the west bank of the Arkansas River. The billboard reads: "Are You Good Without God? Millions Are." There were five of us there for an interview for Channel 8. Only two of us appeared on camera: Randy and Bill. The interview was aired on the 5 pm news and again on the 10 pm news. The interview can be viewed (for a while, at least) on http://www.ktul.com/. I am visible in the background for a fraction of a second.
After meeting with the reporter, I went to Braum's and had a chocolate shake. I then went to Joe Price's house for drumming. It was Joe's 62nd birthday, March 7. Joe was born just one day before I was. Joel, the Price's son-in-law, arrived, and we went over two drumming sets we have been practicing for several weeks.
Gail came over to practice piano duets this morning. We had another productive session as we worked out some tricky rhythms in a couple of pieces. We recorded Spanish Dance for YouTube, but I think we can do better than what we did today. We might try again next week, or we might move on to record another piece.
This evening we attended a symphony concert on the campus of Tulsa University. Gail and Glenn were there. We also saw a few other people we know. After the concert, we went to the Campus Grill and each had a pulled pork sandwich.
Friday, March 05, 2010
Marti's picks
Marti is a special person in my life, from decades ago. She teaches at Southwest English Institute in Shawnee. She works at getting international students up to speed with the English language.
Her picks are:
Her picks are:
A Voice In The Wind by Francine Rivers
Agatha Christi mysteries
This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti
Christy by Catherine Marshall
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Brief summary of day's events
We went to Lake Keystone and walked the 5 K volkswalk there. I am still having trouble walking. I have pain in my left leg. It sometimes feels as if the leg is going to collapse. I suspect the problem is in my back (specifically the spine). I get tired easily. It is a good thing I am retired, otherwise, I would have to take off work. I have scans set for March 16. These are a follow-up to the brain surgery I had in 2007.
The last time I saw my back doctor regarding my back, he said if the pain comes back to call in and they would schedule a MRI for me. I will probably have to do that. I will try to wait until the scans of my brain are taken. J thinks the tumor is growing back. I think the problem is in my back.
We watched lecture number 29 today. It is titled "Discourse in an Intentionalist Paradigm." There are just seven lectures left in this course.
We went grocery shopping this afternoon. It is good to have that out of the way for a while.
The last time I saw my back doctor regarding my back, he said if the pain comes back to call in and they would schedule a MRI for me. I will probably have to do that. I will try to wait until the scans of my brain are taken. J thinks the tumor is growing back. I think the problem is in my back.
We watched lecture number 29 today. It is titled "Discourse in an Intentionalist Paradigm." There are just seven lectures left in this course.
We went grocery shopping this afternoon. It is good to have that out of the way for a while.
Galen Greenwalt's picks
Galen is a preacher from southern California. I have known Galen since 1966 when we both worked at a religious retreat in the mountains outside Santa Fe, NM. Since that time, we have moved in different directions religiously. Does one choose these directions, or are there elements in life that call us to do the things we feel compelled to do?
Galen listed several books and I have redacted his selection as follows:
If anyone wishes to make modifications to their list of books, let me know.
Galen listed several books and I have redacted his selection as follows:
The Bible
Papillon by Henri Charriere
This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti
Who Moved My Cheese by Spenser Johnson
The Shack by William P. Young
The Journey by Billy Graham
If anyone wishes to make modifications to their list of books, let me know.
John Cother's picks
John is a retired educator from Mississippi. We went to high school together and were good pals. Here are his picks:
The last title is John's own book.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Divine Evil by Nora Roberts
Fear of Spiders by John E Cother
The last title is John's own book.
Vicki's picks
In response to my request to learn your favorite books, I have heard from my beautiful cousin from Houston, Vicki. Here are Vicki's picks:
"The Night Before Christmas" by Clement C. Moore
Blood and Money by Thomas Thomspon
Fried Green Tomotoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
Suds in Your Eyes by Mary Lasswell
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
The Collected Works of John Grisham
Thank you, Vicki.
Wherever you are from, be it El Reno or Elkhart, please tell me what your five favorite books are, and I will post your reply on my blog.
"The Night Before Christmas" by Clement C. Moore
Blood and Money by Thomas Thomspon
Fried Green Tomotoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
Suds in Your Eyes by Mary Lasswell
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
The Collected Works of John Grisham
Thank you, Vicki.
Wherever you are from, be it El Reno or Elkhart, please tell me what your five favorite books are, and I will post your reply on my blog.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Favorite Books
I am asking my readers to let me know of their top five favorite books. These books may change with time. What I want to know is what are your five favorite books as of today. You may post your favorite books on your blog or you may send me an e-mail listing them.
To start things off, I am listing my top five favorite books (in no particular order):
To start things off, I am listing my top five favorite books (in no particular order):
Language in Thought and Action by S.I. HawakawaI hope to hear from you soon.
The Age of American Unreason by Susan Jacoby
The Ascent of Man by Jacob Bronowski
Atheist Universe by David Mills
The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan
Graven images
I will say up front that I like graven images, despite the Biblical prohibition of them. And nobody can do graven images as well at the Catholic Church. Today we visited St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Sand Springs as part of the week-long observation of Lent. (Except they don't call it Lent, but something else (Countdown to Easter) in order to accommodate one denomination.)
Anyway, there is quite a change in appearance in a Catholic Church, as opposed to a Protestant Church. I think the first thing that strikes one is the presence of statuary. There is not a lot of statuary at St. Patrick's, but there is a noticeable absence of statuary in the Protestant Churches in the area. They are big on candles, too, at St. Patrick's. I must have seen at least a hundred candles today.
The minister gave a sedate talk, which was thankfully short. A dynamic speaker, he was not. The entire service lasted no longer than 20 minutes, including the singing of three hymns.
After the service the gathering moved downstairs into the fellowship hall for a meal of beef stew. This portion of the event lasted at least 40 minutes. Most of this time was spent waiting in line to be served. The hall was packed. The Methodists were probably the largest group there. Few Baptists and Catholics were there.
After leaving St. Patrick's, we paid the city utility bill at city hall, and went by the post office to mail a letter. From there we went to TCC to walk. I walked just thirty minutes today, quitting early due to a pain in my hip. I suspect this pain is related to my back problem. It feels similar to the pain I experienced prior to my back surgery in 2007.
After returning home, we watched the next lecture in the Philosophy of Religion series.
Anyway, there is quite a change in appearance in a Catholic Church, as opposed to a Protestant Church. I think the first thing that strikes one is the presence of statuary. There is not a lot of statuary at St. Patrick's, but there is a noticeable absence of statuary in the Protestant Churches in the area. They are big on candles, too, at St. Patrick's. I must have seen at least a hundred candles today.
The minister gave a sedate talk, which was thankfully short. A dynamic speaker, he was not. The entire service lasted no longer than 20 minutes, including the singing of three hymns.
After the service the gathering moved downstairs into the fellowship hall for a meal of beef stew. This portion of the event lasted at least 40 minutes. Most of this time was spent waiting in line to be served. The hall was packed. The Methodists were probably the largest group there. Few Baptists and Catholics were there.
After leaving St. Patrick's, we paid the city utility bill at city hall, and went by the post office to mail a letter. From there we went to TCC to walk. I walked just thirty minutes today, quitting early due to a pain in my hip. I suspect this pain is related to my back problem. It feels similar to the pain I experienced prior to my back surgery in 2007.
After returning home, we watched the next lecture in the Philosophy of Religion series.
Monday, March 01, 2010
Start of a new week; Favorite books
Knowing that Gail would be coming over for piano practice this morning, we were at the post office around 9:00 am to pick up our mail and have delivery resumed. Then we went by our CPA and picked up our tax papers. On the way home, we went through the drive-thru at Braum's and got a couple of sausage and egg biscuits. We brought them home and ate them. I had just enough time to take a shower before Gail arrived. However, I forgot to shave. Oh, well.
Duet practice went well. We hope to perform again at Church of the Restoration soon. We still haven't made the video we have been talking about. Maybe next week.
For lunch, we went out to the Crescent. I had a chicken salad sandwich with potato salad.
We came home and I took a nap. Later, we watched the news. Then we viewed two more lectures from "The Philosophy of Religion" series. Next, we watched "Bill Moyers Journal" on the Internet. We missed the program from last Friday while we were visiting my parents in Springfield.
I am going to ask my friends to post on their blog their five favorite or most influential books. I will do the same. If you do not have a blog, then send me an e-mail. I will post the responses I receive on this blog. So start thinking about it, and when you have come up with your five titles, let me know.
Duet practice went well. We hope to perform again at Church of the Restoration soon. We still haven't made the video we have been talking about. Maybe next week.
For lunch, we went out to the Crescent. I had a chicken salad sandwich with potato salad.
We came home and I took a nap. Later, we watched the news. Then we viewed two more lectures from "The Philosophy of Religion" series. Next, we watched "Bill Moyers Journal" on the Internet. We missed the program from last Friday while we were visiting my parents in Springfield.
I am going to ask my friends to post on their blog their five favorite or most influential books. I will do the same. If you do not have a blog, then send me an e-mail. I will post the responses I receive on this blog. So start thinking about it, and when you have come up with your five titles, let me know.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
We return from Springfield
On Wednesday, we left for Springfield. The traffic on I-44 was not bad. We bypassed the area where a hole opened up on a bridge on I-44 by taking the Creek Turnpike south around Tulsa. We arrived at my parents' apartment that afternoon. We arrived back in Sand Springs tonight.
On Saturday, we went geocaching. We found eight caches while there. Most were in the shopping center near Glenstone and Primrose. Had it not been so cold, we would have gone on a volkswalk.
Saturday night we watched a YouTube video of a man playing "Whispering Hope," using nothing but a blade of grass. Imagine what he could do if he had access to some real instruments.
Also on Saturday, we looked at the sheet music at Springfield Music, but I did not see anything new.
I am pretty tired from this trip. I will write more later after some rest.
On Saturday, we went geocaching. We found eight caches while there. Most were in the shopping center near Glenstone and Primrose. Had it not been so cold, we would have gone on a volkswalk.
Saturday night we watched a YouTube video of a man playing "Whispering Hope," using nothing but a blade of grass. Imagine what he could do if he had access to some real instruments.
Also on Saturday, we looked at the sheet music at Springfield Music, but I did not see anything new.
I am pretty tired from this trip. I will write more later after some rest.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
I visit Dr. Uy's office
I had an appointment today to have blood drawn at Dr. Uy's. The blood will be analyzed to see if I will be able to have an MRI and a CT scan of my brain. This is a test you have to have if you are 60 year old or older. They should phone me with the results tomorrow. If the blood work says I am ok, then I will have the MRI and CT scans done the week of March 15.
On the way home, I stopped at a Family Dollar store and bought some large manila envelopes (10 X 13). We drove then to Lake Keystone and picked up the receipts for the walking club. As we were headed home, I realized that I was overdue for an oil change in the 2008 Saturn. I drove to Wal-Mart and got an oil change. I had to miss the evening news, but I guess the world will get along without me knowing what happened today.
I got news via Tulsa World web site that Sarah Palin will be coming to Tulsa to speak. She will be part of the Glenn Beck program to be held at the convention center.
On the way home, I stopped at a Family Dollar store and bought some large manila envelopes (10 X 13). We drove then to Lake Keystone and picked up the receipts for the walking club. As we were headed home, I realized that I was overdue for an oil change in the 2008 Saturn. I drove to Wal-Mart and got an oil change. I had to miss the evening news, but I guess the world will get along without me knowing what happened today.
I got news via Tulsa World web site that Sarah Palin will be coming to Tulsa to speak. She will be part of the Glenn Beck program to be held at the convention center.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Piano and errands
This day began with Gail coming over for our weekly practice at the piano. We had a good practice going over many of the songs that we have been playing.
Then we got out and ran some errands. We went by the bank and deposited a check. Next we went to the library and turned in several books. We went by the post office to turn in a hold mail request for our address. We took our tax papers to our CPA who does our taxes. We went by Nick's and dropped off a magazine that Ayla left at our house. We went walking at TCC, but walked only two miles today. We stopped at Chinese Express and got two take-out orders. We took them home and ate about half of each order. The reminder went into the refrigerator.
Then we got out and ran some errands. We went by the bank and deposited a check. Next we went to the library and turned in several books. We went by the post office to turn in a hold mail request for our address. We took our tax papers to our CPA who does our taxes. We went by Nick's and dropped off a magazine that Ayla left at our house. We went walking at TCC, but walked only two miles today. We stopped at Chinese Express and got two take-out orders. We took them home and ate about half of each order. The reminder went into the refrigerator.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Daily wrap-up
I went to church this morning. I was going to sign the membership book, but I also needed to be at another location a half-hour after the service was over. The service today was on Black History Month. The hymns we sang were "Eyes on the Prize" and "Dancing Sarah's Circle." I might join next month, or, due to an unusual circumstance, I might quit going altogether. Once the service was over at 12:30, I hit the road. I needed to be at Garnett and 71st at 1:00 pm. Our meeting was at Panera Bread. I got there right at 1 pm. The meeting room was still being used by the previous group. After a wait of ten minutes, the group vacated the room.
The meeting was an organizational meeting of the Oklahoma Progressive Coalition, a liberal political group. There were 14 people present for this meeting. We talked about organization for the two hours. I got two phone calls while at the meeting: Randy called to let me know our interview with Channel 8 was postponed due to the rain. The Channel 8 cameras were to shoot some of us in front of our (Tulsa CoR) billboard on I-44. The second call I received was from Joe Price, our drumming leader. He said that he and his wife were not feeling the best, and they were calling drumming off for today.
At 3:00 pm we had to vacate the meeting room for another group. I got in my car and drove to Furr's Cafeteria. I had turkey and dressing, and two kinds of fish, carrots, corn, a roll, garlic bread, fruit salad, a piece of chocolate pie, and a glass of tea. After eating, I came home.
The meeting was an organizational meeting of the Oklahoma Progressive Coalition, a liberal political group. There were 14 people present for this meeting. We talked about organization for the two hours. I got two phone calls while at the meeting: Randy called to let me know our interview with Channel 8 was postponed due to the rain. The Channel 8 cameras were to shoot some of us in front of our (Tulsa CoR) billboard on I-44. The second call I received was from Joe Price, our drumming leader. He said that he and his wife were not feeling the best, and they were calling drumming off for today.
At 3:00 pm we had to vacate the meeting room for another group. I got in my car and drove to Furr's Cafeteria. I had turkey and dressing, and two kinds of fish, carrots, corn, a roll, garlic bread, fruit salad, a piece of chocolate pie, and a glass of tea. After eating, I came home.
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