Birthday No. 3

This picture was taken on March 8, 1951. My mother wrote on the back of this picture "This is his Easter Suit. It's yellow with a white shirt. That's Miss Annie in the background. Danny wasn't in the mood for picture taking that day."

Birthday No. 4

I guess Spring came early this year, since I am wearing shorts. My birthday is March 8. Note the underbite that I have. When I closed my mouth, my lower teeth closed over my upper teeth. When I was in elementary school my parents took me to an orthodontist, and I got braces.

Crosseyed

This is an enlargement of a portion of the photo below. Notice how my left eye turns inward. I was a crosseyed kid. My parents took me to Oxford, MS where I had surgery on that eye. The surgery turned out well.

Birthday No. 5

Here I am on my fifth birthday.

Pictures and evening hours

I came across a set of three pictures taken in the little white house we first lived in at Nettleton, MS. I posted the first one of the set earlier. It shows me sitting in a wash tub. The second picture shows me from the rear standing in the wash tub completely naked. I was going to post that picture, but my wife stopped me. She said I could get into trouble by posting it. I don't think she is right, but she was so upset by my attempt to post it that I dropped the attempt. Showing a one-year old's naked butt on a blog is not illegal, but there was no convincing her.

The third picture shows full frontal nudity. I know if she will not let me show my bare butt, she is not going to let me show my ding-dong. I was going to cover that part anyway, just to be on the safe side. But I am so disappointed by her intervention that I will move on to other pictures. Rats!

At 6:30 we went to Te Kei's for a meeting of the local Move On chapter. There were about 18 of us there. We ate a meal and then broke into three groups of about six each. We have tentative plans to gather signatures calling for a reversal (through legislation) of the Supreme Court ruling in the Citizens United case. This is the ruling which cleared the way for corporations to make unlimited donations to political candidates. We will be getting together again in a few days.

Here I am in a washtub at about the age of one year and a few months.

Cages at Atwood's

I got an e-mail from Gail regarding our upcoming performance at Wildwood Care Center. She suggested several songs we might play including:

Yankee Doodle Variations
Alexandar's Ragtime Band
It's Grand Old Flag
Stars and Stripes Forever
Easy Street Blues
Wade in the Water
I'll Wait For You
Castle House Rag

I suggested we add:

Champaigne Rag
Rag-Weed Rag
Washington Post March
Black Hawk Waltz

I don't know how much time they will allot for us to play. That will most likely be the determining factor.

We have three gigs lined up for the near future: Wildwood on July 3, Church of the Restoration on July 4, Church of the Restoration on August 1.

We went to WalMart this afternoon to get three more tomato cages, but they were all sold out. We went to Atwood's and bought the tomato cages there. They were the 54" variety and we found it difficult getting them into the car. We had Luke with us. We ended up driving with a back window down and part of the cages hanging out the window. Back home I placed the cages in the ground and watered my garden.

I will try to get back to posting pictures tomorrow.

Weeding the garden

I spent a good bit of time this morning weeding my garden. I just strolled out to take a look and then decided that I needed to pull some weeds. I got started and just kept on going. I also transplanted the last tomato plant and the pepper plant into the ground. This morning I mixed up some plant food in water and used that water on my topsy turvy tomato plant. The plant has now grown up to the top of the container. I may have to move the whole kit and caboodle to another location soon.

Another hot day

It was another really hot day today in Oklahoma. We went grocery shopping late in the morning and got back home around 1:30 pm. In addition to the groceries, we bought a new mailbox and a new garden hose.

I finished posting the pictures I got from my mother this evening. However, I have even more pictures to post from another source. I even found some pictures taken at the first little white house we lived in at Nettleton. I found a couple of pictures which I thought were long lost. My parents thought it would make a nice picture to have me standing in a washtub with a bar of soap in my hand. I was as naked as a jaybird -- full frontal nudity (at about age 1). I am thinking I should not post that picture in toto. Not that I am ashamed of my body, but some eager law-enforcement person might be waiting to make a name for himself. So if you want to see that picture, you will have to visit me here in my home.

To my right in this picture is my birthday cake. The cake was in the shape of a log. This picture was taken in March 1955 at age seven.

Age 8

This picture was taken at our house in Tupelo. We moved to Tupelo in 1955.

Riding the Jockeycycle

Close up

At age 7

I have no idea where this picture was taken.

This photo was taken on May 13, 1951 in Nettleton, Mississippi. The man and woman in the picture are Rubel and Mary Black. The photo was taken next to the Edwards' house. In the background is the Frisco main line. Mary Black was one of the daughters of John and Eula Edwards.

Birthday cake at 4

This photo has been manipulated to increase the contrast. Judging from the number of candles on the cake, I would say this was my fourth birthday. As sometimes happens, I blinked right as the shutter was released.

Standing tall

Here I am dressed nicely. Notice the curl on my forehead. The date on the back of this picture reads October 24, 1951.

Alabama snow

On the sled going clockwise are Jackie, Linda, Dale, and myself. I do not know who the adult is.

Alabama snow

This photo was taken February 1, 1951. I can be seen wearing cowboy boots on the left side in front. Next to me is Dale. Behind me is Jackie, and next to Jackie is Linda and her dog.

June HAT meeting

The June HAT meeting was held this afternoon at the Genealogy Center, starting at 2 pm. There were 16 people present for the meeting. Details of the meeting will be posted later on the HAT blog. After the meeting adjourned, we took Barbara Frey back to her apartment. Then we returned home. J phoned Nick to see if Ayla wanted to spend the night here. The answer was a definite YES. We drove over to Nick's and got Ayla and returned home with her.

In a few minutes we left for Braum's where I had a grilled chicken sandwich, fries, and a Dr. Pepper. J and Ayla got their meal of choice.

After eating, we returned home where I began posting pictures from many years ago.

Touchdown in the laundry

Photo taken in 1951.

Easter Sunday, 1951

This photo was taken on Easter Sunday, 1951.

Digging for diamonds

Here I go exploring in December 1949.

The guys

In this photo are (L to R) cousin Don Nerren, our grandfather, G. L. Nerren, cousin Bobby Hallford, and the kid with his tongue hanging out is me. This photo was taken in 1949.

Volkswalk this morning

I went volkswalking this morning. The walk was held in Tulsa. I chose to do the 5K walk. The weather was warm as I started and was getting hot as I finished. The walk started in a park along Riverside Drive. Then it went over to the river and following the river south for a short distance. From there it went down to the River Spirit Casino and then the trail went past the praying hands at ORU. The walk finished up back at the start point.

I was soaked with sweat as I drove back home. J did not go with me today. She did not want to get out in the heat. I did not see Nick or any of his family there either.

View from the backside

I am in a park but I have no idea where the park is located. Could someone help me out on that one? The date on the back of the picture reads "July 1949."

With Easter eggs

Here I am with a basket of Easter eggs. I can't say where this photo was taken.

With ceramic chickens

Here I am accompanied with some ceramic chickens. I do not know the location of this photo. The date on the back says it is September 1951.

On steps

Here I am seated on the back steps of the Andrews house in Carbon Hill, AL.

Hammering away

This picture was taken on the back steps of the Andrews house. Yes, I am left handed.

Message on back: "I still like a hammer, Daddy." Photo taken in Carbon Hill, Alabama, c. 1950, on the back steps of the Andrews house. This photo was most likely mailed to my father who was in the army in Korea.

June 1953

The only thing I know about this picture is that it was taken in June 1953. Who is the person standing behind me?

Raking leaves with Jackie

One of the fondest memories of my time in Carbon Hill is playing in the leaves with my friend Jackie. We would rake up a pile of leaves and then dive into them.

Four generations

This picture was taken at a family gathering in Carbon Hill around 1949. The four adults are (L to R), my father, Paul James Nerren, born 1922, George Luther Nerren, Jr., born ca. 1919-1920, Erasmus Lafayette Nerren, and George Luther Nerren, Sr. E.L. Nerren is the father of G.L. Nerren, Sr.

The three boys are (L to R) my cousin Bobby Hallford, son of Kathryn Nerren Hallford, my dad's sister, myself, and my cousin Don Nerren, son of G.L. Nerren, Jr.

Topsy Turvy Tomatoes

This is a picture of my topsy turvy tomato plant. It is hanging on the east side of the house. It gets a lot of morning sun but not much evening sun. I may have to move it later on. Notice where the plant made a U-turn after being placed in the planter. In the background you can see my other tomato plants along the fence. This plant produces Roma tomatoes.

My garden

My garden is looking good. My tomato plants are growing, but they haven't produced any fruit yet. Same goes for the pepper plant and the cucumber plants.

This afternoon we stopped by the produce market set up along Second Street. We bought some peaches, which we ate earlier tonight. While I was out, J called me and asked that I stop by Braum's and get a container of whipped topping in the pressurized cylinder. We also bought a couple of tomatoes and a couple of cucumbers, and a watermelon.

Earlier today we had lunch at the White River Fish Market. The conversation was mostly about astrophysics. I did not say much -- just listened to J and Dave exchange ideas. There were only three of us today, so I think we will suspend for the summer and try again in September.

Looking pretty for daddy

On the back side of this photo in my mother's handwriting is "he calls himself looking pretty for Daddy and I couldn't get him to do any other way." Photo taken May 21, 1951. This picture was sent to my father who was in Korea. The Frisco main line is in the background.

Daddy Ed and Momma Ed

John Edwards and his wife (Daddy Ed and Momma Ed). I am standing in front of Mr. Edwards. Mr. Edwards worked for the railroad. He had an outdoors job riding the rails on a motorcar. He was a section foreman and it was his job to keep a section of track (20 to 25 miles) in good condition. One day, years later, a train ran into Mr. Edwards's motorcar and knocked it into him. He ended up in the hospital and never fully recovered from his injuries.

Update June 17: The Edwards had four daughters. Starting with the oldest they are: Tempe, Mary, Leona, and Isolene. Leona died in her 30s of cancer.

Taking off shirt

I appear to be taking off my shirt in this picture. Notice the cowboy boots.

God is watering my garden

As I was sitting at my computer, I heard the rolling thunder move in. We went out on the back porch to observe the drainage of the rain. It appears the drain spout at the northeast corner of the house is plugged up. After it quits raining, we will check that out. The good news is that I won't have to water my garden tonight.

With football

Here I am with a football sitting on the front of a car. License plates back in those days were simpler than the ones of today.

Blowup from other picture

This image is a blowup from the other image posted today. I still can't figure out what I am holding in my hands. Any ideas?

Update June 17: I heard from my father that I was posing like a big bear. My hands are shaped like a big bear with claws showing.

Showing something

Here I am holding up to the camera something between my thumbs and index fingers. Notice the house in the background.

Back from Springfield

We have returned from a brief trip to Springfield. Since Vicki, my cousin from Houston, was visiting my folks, we decided to make a trip to Springfield to see her. They had been to Branson where they saw two shows.

We ate well on this trip. First, we ate dinner at Golden Corral Monday evening, and then around noon today we ate lunch at Price Cutter on East Battlefield. Coming down we spent the night at the EconoLodge in Miami. That evening we ate at The Stonehill Grill in Miami. The next morning, we had the breakfast provided by the motel. It was pretty good. I had a Belgian waffle and scrambled eggs and sausage links and apple juice.

With Linda's dog

This is a picture of me with Linda's dog. It was taken in July of 1951.

Ole Smiley

I remember the day my mother took me to the school house to get my picture taken. I was about three years old at the time.

Update June 17: My dad informs me that it was my grandmother, not my mother, who took me to school to have my pciture taken (at age 3). My grandmother worked in the school cafeteria at this time.

On the laptop

I am using the laptop tonight to post this entry to my blog. We spent the last few hours touring some places from our past by using the site: www.vpike.com. My mother and dad and my cousin Vicki from Houston took a look at some places around Carbon Hill and Nettleton and reflected about the past. Using the vpike site you are able to get a ground level view of many places. Give it a try by typing in your childhood home address and see how it looks now.

Last night I tried using my Kindle to post to my blog, but I never could get it to work.

Tonight we ate supper at Golden Corral. I was prudent and did not overeat. I got in two miles of walking by walking the third floor corridors.

Ayla overnights with us

Ayla is spending the night with us, as is her usual practice on Saturday nights. In the morning she and Nana will go to their church, and I will go to mine. I have posted a few more pictures earlier today. These pictures are in no certain order.

This evening we went to Chautauqua again. Tonight was the final program in the five-day program. Tonight's speaker was "Robert E. Lee." The performer was Ted Kaschel. I took a picture of Ayla with "Robert E. Lee."

On the way back home, we stopped at Sonic for an ice cream treat.

With Uncle Floyd

Here I am with my Uncle Floyd in a photo from 1951. I am not sure about the location, but I would guess Carbon Hill.

With Uncle Benny

I am doing a lot of speculating with this image. I think I am sitting on the knee of my Uncle Benny (Henry Andrews), a brother of my mother's, who lived in Michigan. I think the picture was taken at the rear of the Andrews house in Carbon Hill. This picture was taken in October 1951, according to the information on the back.

Mowing the grass

There is only one thing written on the back of this photo: the number 49. I am guessing that is to show this photo was taken in 1949. I would assume the picture was taken in the summer, what with the lawnmower being out. That is me pushing the lawn mower, or probably just pretending to push the mower. I would be about a year and a half old at this time. I do not know where this picture was taken.

Note: I learned that this picture was taken in my front yard in the first house we lived in in Nettleton. In the background is a cotton gin. The auto was our first car.

Birthday party in Nettleton

This photo was taken in the front yard of the duplex we lived in during our second stay in Nettleton, Mississippi. Here I can be seen in a striped shirt. My mother in the woman with the dark hair to the right. Just above my mother's head can be seen the back side of the house of the Edwards, known as Daddy Ed and Momma Ed to me. They had several daughters who would baby sit with me. Nettleton is about 15 miles from Amory. Go on up the highway another 15 miles and you come to Tupelo.

As the road rises in the distance it comes to a crossing with the Frisco Railroad. This is the main line between Memphis and Birmingham. It runs in front of the Edwards' home.

Poetry Group

Our yard man came by today and mowed our front and back yards. The grass seems to have grown very fast recently. I mowed it just a few days ago and now it was needing to be cut again.

Tonight the Poetry Group met at Border's Bookstore. There were seven of us in attendance. We began at 7 pm and went until about 9 pm. We did something different tonight. Rather than choosing a poet from the anthology we have been using, tonight we each selected two of our favorite poems and read them to the group. I choose two poems by my favorite poet, Philip Appleman. Both poems are based on characters from the Old Testament: Noah and Sarah. In fact, the titles of the poems are "Noah" and "Sarah." Both are lengthy poems taking ten to fifteen minutes to read.

David liked this new procedure so well that he suggested we do the same thing next month. I'm glad he did. I love the oral reading of poetry. I think next month I will read a poem by former poet laureate of the U.S., Billy Collins. The title is "Taking Off Emily Dickinson's Clothes." What other poem should I read? What is your favorite poem?

Easter outfit

Here I am in my new Easter clothes. Note the basket of eggs to my right. On the back of this picture in my mother's handwriting is "This was made early Easter morning, and from the look on his face I'd say it was to[o] early."

On tricycle

Here I am riding on a tricycle. The information on the back (in my mother's handwriting) reads, "Daddy, this smile is just for you. Danny" This is one of the photos my mother sent to my dad who was stationed in South Korea in the early 1950s.

Update June 17: This was not an ordinary tricycle. It was something called a jockeycycle. The seat would rise and fall as I pedeled, as if on a horse. My dad wrote saying "You literally rode that horse to death. You could really get up a good speed."

Early photo

This is a picture of me either trying to stand up or looking to see what was between my legs. It was taken in May 1949. I was 14 months old at that time.

Fifth birthday

Here are two photos taken on my fifth birthday. The photos are similar but not exactly the same. I am in the striped shirt on the right. These photos were taken in Nettleton, Mississippi a few months before we moved to Tupelo. I do not remember who is with me in these photos.

Update June 17: On the left is Charlie Farrar. Next to him is Billy Farrar. Charlie Farrar became a pharmacist and lived in Columbus, MS.

Chautauqua Redux

This afternoon we took Luke to the library for a library program. A firetruck with three firemen arrived shortly after we got there. The firemen were part of the program. They explained that they were on duty and might have to leave if they got a call. As the spokeman explained what to do in case of a fire, a call came in and the crew turned on the siren and made a hasty departure.

Inside the building the kids listened to Miss Connie give a presentation of some kind. I sat in the library while the program was going on reading a magazine.

Tonight we again went to Chautauqua. A three-piece band was playing music as we arrived. The crowd was smaller tonight. We saw Joy from my church who sat next to me.

Tomorrow night "Clara Barton" will speak. She is the Unitarian who founded the American Red Cross. I will probably miss that presentation since I have another commitment.

On the way home, we stopped at Sonic. J got a hot fudge sundae, and I got a strawberry sundae.

I will have more pictures to post tomorrow.

Birthday party

This picture did not turn out very well, but at least the people in the picture are recognizable. A greater problem is my memory. I have manipulated the image with software to increase the contrast. I am seated in the center of the seven boys. On the left is my sister, Paula. Her image can be seen in the portrait above the sofa.

I am in the center of the boys (just below the left side of the photographic portrait). Two down to my right is Pete McMurry, my best friend while living in Tupelo. The boy seated on the right end of the couch is a kid by the name of Raymond (?). I can't remember his last name.

On my left side is Jimmy Shirley (?) and on my right next to me is John Arthur Tomlinson (?). I could me mistaken in identifying some of these people. Please let me know if I have misidentified any of these people.

I am guessing this picture was taken at my eighth birthday party. That would be the only occasion for having so many friends over to the house. Imprinted in the border of the picture is "JUL 56." My birthday is in March, but it was probably July before the roll of film was processed.

A doctor visit

I went to see Dr. Rapacki this morning. He asked about my back pain, and I told him that the steroid injections had reduced the pain so that it is now about 10 to 15% of what it had been. I am doing well enough now that I would not consider surgery. He said that I could have had the brain tumor from an very early age He mentioned age three. It could have been growing for decades. When I had back surgery, something caused it to "kick in" (my words, not his) and that's when I almost died. A tumor the size of a tennis ball was removed from my head. I am getting by fine at this time. He said if the pain gets worse to let him know.

On the way home we stopped at the Crescent Cafe for lunch. The place was packed today. I had the usual: a mushroom and swiss cheese burger with potato salad as my side dish.

Luke is spending the night with us tonight. Ayla was here until her father came by and took her home. The two of them spent a few hours this afternoon playing in the pool on the back porch.

We did no go to Chautauqua tonight.

Snow scenes from Carbon Hill

Carbon Hill, Alabama does not see a lot of snow. Here I am playing in a snowfall of just an inch or two. This picture was taken in February 1951. The remarks on the back of picture read: "As you know, that old Bo-hunk on the sled and Dale & dog in the background. Dale is Rose's little boy."



Here I am again on the sled. You will recognize the dog from the previous picture. The remarks on the back read: "This is Danny & Linda and Danny was just about ready to come in the house. He said, "I cold Mother."

Once again, this picture was taken a month before my third birthday. Linda appears to be eating snow. I have no idea who Linda is.

You should be able to enlarge the picture by clicking on it.

Out and about this Tuesday

We began this day by getting up early and going over to the Katy Trail and walking two miles. On the way to the trail, we stopped at Sonic and got a breakfast burrito which we split. After the walk, on the way home we stopped at Braum's and each got a sausage and egg biscuit. It was about 8 am at this time. We looked for a newspaper but could not find one.

Afterwards we went home and later went by the bank for some cash and then on to the library. From there we crossed over the river to pay the utility bill at City Hall. Next we went to the post office and bought some stamps. We went to the grocery store and bought some non-refrigerated items. Then we went to Roary D's where J got her hair done. While she was getting her hair done, I read the newspaper. After leaving Roary's we went back to the store and bought refrigerator items. Then we came home and put everything away.

In the afternoon, we both took a nap. This evening we attended the first Chautauqua performance of the season. It was held under a big tent on the campus of OSU-Tulsa. The character being portrayed tonight was General Stonewall Jackson. There are five characters in all for this Chautauqua. We saw Gail and Glenn there tonight.

Review of the day

This day began with Gail coming over for piano duets. We played some of the new music I bought last week and the two pieces we will be playing at Restoration on July 4: "The Stars and Stripes Forever" and "The Washington Post March." The two patriotic pieces are coming along quite well. We also played Bach's "Sheep May Safely Graze" and Averre's "The Rag-Weed Rag." We went through the Joplin collection of four pieces for the first time today.

While Gail and I were finishing up our practice, J was in the kitchen preparing a fine lunch of chicken and dressing and baked sweet potato. For our evening meal, we went out to Subway and got a five dollar footlong (Black forest ham on whole wheat bread, toasted with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, and cucumber) and shared it.

I have posted a few pictures from my early years, and I expect to post more in the days to come.

In Carbon Hill

Trendsetter. Here I am wearing my cap in the current style back in the early 1950s.

Here is a picture of me taken in Carbon Hill, Alabama, May 1951. I am wearing the cap of my uncle Floyd. Notice the late model auto in the right of the picture.

Humanism service today at Restoration

The Humanism service today at Restoration went well. We are going to try to have a humanist led service every couple of months or so. There were six people from our chapter there today, which provided a boost in attendance for the congregation. My talk was about 15 minutes long. The special music would have been better had Joy and I rehearsed more than the few minutes right before the service. Unitarians and Humanists have much in common. I think each group will be an asset for the other.

New link

If you had trouble viewing the French mime/magician, here is a YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdtm0NN_UUQ

Pictures from my childhood

Here are four pictures taken during my early years. Beginning with the upper left and going clockwise: Here I am posing with some fake chickens. This picture was taken in September 1951. The next picture was taken in November 1950. It must have been a cool day. The location is Carbon Hill, Alabama.

The next picture was taken on March 8, 1951, my third birthday. On the back in my mother's handwriting is written "Mother I want to pose for Daddy. Can you beat that?" That's quite a pose, is it not? The last picture was taken on Easter Sunday, 1951. The image is a bit blurred. Can you see the Easter basket and a couple of eggs in the basket? I am guessing this photo was taken in Carbon Hill also.

You can enlarge the image by clicking on it.

Another ho-hum day

We went to Staples this morning and took with us a credit for $30 which we received in the mail for turning in ten ink cartridges. I was going to get a new keyboard, but the only kind they sell are the wireless keyboards, which cost more than the kind which connect using a cable. My present keyboard has been used so much that the letters on some keys have worn away.

So, instead, we bought some paper and other items. We also turned in another ten cartidges while there.

Back in Sand Springs, we went to Riddles and bought another six bags of mulch. I mowed the back yard this evening.

I played the piece I will be playing this Sunday at church. I also played a few other pieces.

Events of the day

Today we bought some mulch and mulched the tomoto plants. They still appear to be on life support. The cucumbers appear to be holding their own and the pepper plant is the same. We placed the (Roma) tomato plant in the topsy-turvy, filled it up with potting soil, hung it up and watered it.

It will soon be time for Chautauqua (in Tulsa) and the OK Mozart Festival (in Bartlesville). Also, my couisin Vicki from Houston will be visiting my parents. They will be going to Branson and will take in a show or two. I hope to go to Springfield for a day or two while she is here and see her.

I also worked a little on my talk for this coming Sunday at Restoration.

Sinkhole opens beneath interstate highway

This morning we went over to Nick's and picked up Ayla and took her to the library. While she attended the children's program, I read the newspaper and looked at a book. Afterwards we had lunch at the Crescent Cafe. Then we returned Ayla to her house.

In the afternoon, a friend of mine, Steve Nunn, came by to go over Sunday's program at church. This Sunday is Humanist Sunday at Restoration. I will be delivering the message and others will be doing their part. I will also be playing the piano as Joy plays her guitar. Handel's Sarabande in D minor is the selection we will be playing.

I think my tomato plants are in trouble. They don't look too healthy. They appear stressed. They have not grown any since they were placed in the ground, and some of the leaves have turned yellow. I mixed up some plant food and applied that to the plants. We made a trip over to Home Depot where I bought one more tomato plant and a bag of potting soil and a topsy-turvy container. You pour the water in at the top and the plant grows out the bottom.

As we were going over to Tulsa, we noticed the traffic was moving slowly across the Arkansas River bridge. We came back via 71st St and Highway 75. When we got near the junction of Highway 75 and I-44, we noticed the highway patrol had blocked off 1-44 at that point. We knew something was up.

Watching the evening news later on that night, we learned that a sinkhole had opened up beneath I-44 near Lewis Ave. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The highway department spokesman said the highway would reopen tomorrow afternoon.

Which is the real head?

Click the link below to see an amazing performance. Don't be put off by the French language; most of this is mime.

Which head is real? Which head is the puppet?

http://www.gyornet.eu/mozim/szobor/video.swf

June 2010 Calendar of Activities for Freethinkers

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Sat., June 5, 7:00 pm
Movie Night at the Bradleys, 5607 E. 54th St.

Sun., June 6, 11:00 am
Humanist Sunday at Church of the Restoration, 1314 N. Greenwood.

Wed., June 16, 11:20 am
ALGAE luncheon, White River Fish Market, 1708 N. Sheridan.

Sat., June 19, 2 pm
HAT Chapter Meeting at Genealogy Center, 2901 S. Harvard.

Sat., June 26, 11:30 am
Food & Fellowship at Chopsticks, 6193 E. 61st.

Sun., June 27, 1 pm
Tulsa Atheists Meetup, at Agora Coffee House in Fontana Center.

If an Atheists Mid-Month Social is scheduled, I will notify the list of the day and time.

Questions? Call Randy (622-6975) or Dan (798-3629)

My Sunday

After five years of attending Church of the Restoration as a "chronic" visitor, today I joined the church. The service today was one of remembrance, especially remembrance of two members of the church who left this life in the past year, Jewel Hines and Betty Anne Davidson. I never knew Jewel, as far as I can remember; but I did know Betty Anne. Betty Anne was a liberal activist in the Tulsa area. I can distinctly remember her greeting me one day at church. I can still see her face. The next thing I knew, I was reading her obituary. She was taken by cancer. She was about my age.

Today's service was led by Vanessa Adams-Harris. The title of the message was "This Do In Remembrance Of Me." Vanessa read an essay she had written a couple of years ago based upon her childhood memories.

The service next Sunday will be on Humanism. I selected the hymns to be sung and informed the pianist, Edna, about them. They are "This Little Light of Mine" and "We Would Be One." There are more parts of the service (Announcements, Chalice Lighting, Affirmation, Children's Story, etc.) to be decided upon. The special music selection will be a piano/guitar duet. My friend Joy Avery will accompany me on guitar. We have not yet selected the music to be played.

Luke and Ayla spent the afternoon with us. We took them home about 5 pm.

The Shecklers (Marti's daughter and son-in-law) have a new baby boy. We watched a new video on the Sheckler's blog tonight.

Volkswalking again

We went volkswalking again today. This time we walked near LaFortune Park in Tulsa. The walker has a choice of three routes. We took the route which goes through a neighborhood adjoining the park. This was our third YRE for this half of the year. It was a hot day. My car said it was 93 degrees. After we finished, we went to a nearby QuikTrip for something to drink. We also got a corndog each as a snack.

After returning home, we went out to Lake Keystone to pick up the receipts there. There had been 22 walkers walking the YRE at the lake since I last had collected the money.

Next, Nick and Jen came by and left their little ones with us as they went to the movies and out to eat. They came back a few hours later and got Luke and took him home. Ayla is staying overnight with us. She will be going with Nanna to church in the morning.

Getting back into volkswalking

I'm feeling pretty good now. Today we went to Promenade Mall and did the volkswalk inside the mall. That is three circuits on the ground level and three times around on the second level. While up on the second level we stopped at the Food Court and shared an order of barbecued chicken on rice. As we were walking away, we passed by the Chick-Fila venue where someone was passing out samples of yogurt with shredded peaches mixed through it - a free dessert.

Today was the first time I have walked any significant distance since by back problem came on back on March 5. I'm not sure how long the effectiveness of the steroid injections will last, but I'm living each day as if it were my last. Today's year-round walk went a distance of 3.1 miles. So far this year, I have walked three of the club's YREs (year-round events). The club sponsors seven YREs. One is in Bartlesville, and one is in Galena, KS. The rest are nearby.

There are five schedules volkswalks in southern Oklahoma over the Memorial Day weekend. I had hoped to travel to those cities and do the walks, but J reminded me that Ayla has a birthday party at the Dobbs on Sunday. Besides, I need to be at church to plan the service for June 6 with Rosemary. The theme of the service will be Humanism.

After we finished the volkswalk, we went back to the car and drove north on Yale Ave. I pulled in at Saied's Music. I visit the store about once a month. I looked at their selection of duet music for piano. They had a lot of music which I had never seen before. I bought three books of duet music. The first book is titled Dixieland Duos and contains the piece "Tiger Rag." The next book is Have It Your Way and contains the piece "Traveling the Allegheny Road." Finally there is Joplin Ragtime Duets, which contains "Heliotrope Bouquet," "Magnetic Rag," "Peacherine Rag," and "The Ragtime Dance."

When I got home I checked the library's web site to see if I had any books to pick up at Pratt Library. There were seven there waiting for me. I drove to the library and got my books.

A two-cart day at the grocery store

We finally made it over to the grocery store today. We were getting low on food. In fact, we bought so much today that we had to have two carts.

I am feeling well enough now to resume volkswalking. We were going to do the walk inside the Promenade Mall, but since it was getting late we decided to put it off. The steriod injection I got two weeks got rid of 95% of my pain. I have not been able to tell that the injection I got yesterday has had any effect yet.

We have been sharing kitchen duties lately. Tonight we are having talapia on rice. I will be fixing that shortly. J will handle the reminder of the meal.

I heard from Rosemary by e-mail. She and I are going to organize a program on humanism for Church of the Restoration, Unitarian Universalist. The program will be presented on June 6. Rosemary has presented some excellent programs in the past. Restoration is a multi-racial congregation.

I get a second injection today

Today we arrived at St. John M.C. to receive the second and last injection of steriod. The doctor asked how the last injection was doing, and I told her it had relieved about 95% of the pain. I feel good enough now that I would be willing to go about my life without any problem. Only occasionally do I get a reminder that the potential for pain is still there.

This visit went smoother than two weeks ago. Once again there were about two dozen people in the waiting room, but once I checked in, I was called to go to, what I would call, a holding area. While there they prepped me for the procedure. An IV connection was inserted into the top of my right hand. I answered some questions. Then while lying on my back on a bed, I waited for a half hour. Then a nurse wheeled me to the procedure room. The IV connection was hooked up, and I went to sleep (more or less). I do remember being wheeled to recovery after the procedure was finished. In the recovery area, I felt at peace (being in a drugged state). I was there about 30 minutes, and then a nurse transferred me to a wheelchair and wheeled me outside to the parking lot on the seventh floor. J drove up and I got in the car. We took off for Sand Springs.

Back in Sand Springs, we stopped at the Crescent Cafe for lunch. When we got home, I could still feel the effects of the seditative. I took a long nap to sleep it off.

After I got up, I went out back to water the tomatoes, cucumbers and pepper. I also helped J erect a canopy tent which we had bought the previous day at Atwoods.

J got a call from Ayla who was aware she had birthday presents waiting for her here. (Today is her birthday; she's now 7.) She wanted to know if Nanna could bring them over to her house. We got the presents wrapped and drove over to Nick's. I took my camera and shot several pictures. We did not stay long. It was dark even by the time we left our house. We got home in time to watch the 10 pm news.

Genealogy projects

We began the day with a trip to our new dentist in Sapulpa. It was like stepping back in time a few years. He does not have the latest in technology as does Dr. F. For example, we had x-rays of our teeth taken. They use actual film, whereas Dr. F has digital x-rays which are instantaneous. The equipment appears to be older than at Dr. F's. In all, it took longer for this visit than in the past with Dr. F. Dr. B. said we both have a cavity, which we will get fixed later.

We made a trip to Atwood's where we bought a patio table and chairs plus a canopy tent. We were going to get some mulch, but we thought we could get a better price at a later date.

On our last trip to Springfield, my Dad gave me a book about my genealogy. I have several pictures I have acquired from my mother and my cousin Vicki of relatives from way back when. I spotted a book, Digitizing Your Family History, while I was at the library today. I checked it out. I plan to scan the pictures I have and put them on the web for whomever may be interested in viewing them. I will set up one for the Nerren side of the family and one for the Andrews side of the family.

Most of the people in the pictures are people I do not know. How soon we are forgotten once we die! Countless millions lived their life, died, and are now utterly forgotten. I am now in the autumn of my life and expect to join the ranks of the forgotten by the year 2100, if not before.

Busy day; scans canceled

Well, we had a busy day today. First, we took the ailing Saturn to Same Day Auto Repair to get it checked out. If you read yesterdy's entry, you know about the problem I had with it. The problem turned out to be with the serpentine belt and too much play in the path it travels. The belt was replaced along with the belt tensioner for a total of $362.65. That includes labor, of course.

On the way home from dropping off the car at SDAR, we stopped at Braum's for a sausage and egg biscuit. We also got a half gallon of milk.

Gail arrived around 10 am and we played piano duets for a couple of hours.

Wondering about the scans I was to have on June 8, I phoned Dr. Rapacki's office and left a message inquiring about the second set of scans. As it turns out, I do not need the second set of scans after all. The original scans I had last March were ordered by Dr. Uy, a radiologist. Dr. Rapacki's computer is set to remind his staff if so much time passes without scans beng ordered. Since my scans were ordered by Dr. Uy, and not Dr. Rapacki, the folks in Dr. R's office thought it was time again for scans. That's good news.

Here at the house, we have a wooden fence at the back of our property. Some time ago we bought three gallons of stain to restain the fence. We did that today. We also put out the plants we bought about a month ago.

I need to get the notes I took from Sunday's TAM meeting and post what happened at that meeting on another blog.

Busy day

Today turned out to be a busy day. First, I went to Restoration this morning at 11:00 for the service. I've noticed that a couple of the regulars have not been there for the last few Sundays: Larry and Rosemary. The last time I talked to Rosemary, she was complaining about her back. I don't know about Larry. He was attending regularly, and then he was gone.

We did have one visitor this morning. My friend, John, from the Humanist group came. I figure if we can get five HAT members attending, we might use this core group to present some programs. Right now, we have (in addition to myself), Barbara, Larry, John, and Steve. This could be our core group, right there, assuming that all are as enthusiastic about this project as I am. Barbara stayed home today because she is soon to be a great-grandmother. She wants to be alive when the great grandchild comes. She has an implanted pacemaker and thinks she doesn't have long to live.

The service today honored Margaret Fuller, one of the original New England Transcendentalists from the nineteenth century. She was also a Unitarian.

After the service was over, I high-tailed it over to the Agora Coffee House (some 8 to 10 miles away) , getting there just before the beginning of the Atheists Meetup. On the way there, I heard an awful racket coming from the engine compartment. I turned off the AC, and the noise stopped. I'm afraid my air conditioner is shot. I will take the car in to Same Day Auto Care tomorrow morning and have them check it out. J has already told me that if it is the AC, we might as well get another car, rather than spend a thousand dollars on repairs. The car is already 13 or 14 years old.

I arrived just before the meeting started. I took notes which I hope to put up on the meetup site tomorrow. The meeting lasted for two hours.

I went to Wendy's and ordered a large chili with a Dr. Pepper. I phoned J to tell her about the car. I had already called Joe in the morning, knowing that with the indexing project I am working on, I could not do everything.

It's time to turn in now; I will need to rise early tomorrow to take the car in. On the way back, we might stop and get a sausage biscuit at Braum's and then it will be time for Gail to arrive for piano duet practice.

Food and Fellowship gathering

This morning we passed up eating at Catfish Row and Fred's Diner in favor of La Hacienda on Peoria Avenue. Seated across from us was Dave Tinney and Richard Maule. There were 11 people there in all. We had two conversations going at the string of tables we had put together. I prefer one round table like we had at Chopsticks. There usually one person at a time speaks and everyone else listens. When you have a seating arrangement like we had today, you get multiple conversations going.

We had the chicken burrito. It is so large that one serving is enough for two. Imagine two people eating for less than seven dollars.

Richard told me about something called "Radio Lab" which I will look into. It is some kind of broadcast which he likes. It was Richard who told me about Mr. Deity (http://www.mrdeity.com/) which I enjoy a lot.

After the meal and the conversation, we came home and I resumed working on the index. I should have more to write about tomorrow.

School Awards Program

Today was awards day at Central Fine Arts Academy in Sand Springs. We were there because our granddaughter, Ayla, a first-grader, received an award. I think, in fact, everyone there received an award. There must have been 300 awards given out. It took two hours to give out the awards.

When I got back home, I resumed work on an index. I worked on it all afternoon. I finally took a nap around four or five in the afternoon.

While in Springfield, my Dad recommended I read The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. As soon as I finish the index I'm working on, I will download the book to my Kindle and start reading it. Is there any chance I could get my Dad, or any other person of the Christain persuasion, to read, say, Atheist Universe by David Mills?

A new issue of The Nation, dated June 7, came into my Kindle tonight.

Back in town

We drove over to Springfield, Mo. Wednesday morning to visit my parents. On the way, we stopped at Exit 4 near the state line and ate at Wendy's. I love their chili. We got back on the road and drove on in to Springfield, arriving around 2:30 pm. While in Springfield, I picked up my e-mail. I had a message from the publisher I'm working for right now. They asked me to make some changes to the index I sent them a few days ago.

Before going to bed, I used my Kindle to post an entry to my blog. That was a first for me. The Kindle is a mere 6" x 8" by 3/8". Using it instead of a computer took longer, but it worked.

We got up this morning and loaded up the car and hit the road. Passing by Joplin, we decided to stop at Red, White, and Blues, a barbecue restaurant on Rangeline. I usually get barbecue, but today I got the catfish. J got barbecue.

After lunch, we got back on the road and drove on in to Sand Springs. We had two days of mail in the mailbox, but there really wasn't much there.

I had wanted to hear Franky Schaeffer speak at the Interfaith Alliance meeting tonight (held at All Souls), but I needed to do some work on the index, too. I stayed home and worked on the index.

Oil change

This afternoon I got the oil changed in my 2008 Saturn Aura. I went to Same Day Auto Repair. I asked the guy at the front desk if the technician could reset the Oil Life indicator. He said no problem. It did not take long to get the oil changed. On the way home, I discovered that the Oil Life indicator had not been reset. I called the shop when I got home, and the guy confessed that the technician had forgotten to reset the indicator. I tried to do it myself, but I could not get it to work. So, I went back to the shop, and the technician did what seemed like the same thing I had done unsuccessfully, but with him it worked. I'm not much of a mechanic.

This evening we went to the 60th floor of the old City of Faith building. There is a great view from the top of that building. You could see for miles and miles and miles. The occasion was a CPCU dinner. We had Chicken with mashed potatoes, squash, carrots, bread, and iced tea. For dessert we had chocolate cake.

I went by the library. A video I had ordered was there waiting for me to pick up. It is "Coco Before Chanel." Inhale long and slow. Tonight I watched "2012" on DVD.