How Do You Like Your Change?

15 Nov

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Change is one of those words that can be both positive and negative. Some people are not happy with change in any form. They like knowing exactly how to do something or exactly what to expect. This doesn’t mean they like what is happening, but they are comfortable with where they are.

On the other side of the spectrum are the ones who chase after each new idea or fad that comes along. For them change is exciting and the status quo is boring. They always know the cool places to go, the latest trends and seem to be very happy to “ride the wave of change” wherever it takes them.

I fall right in the middle. I love technology.  When I visited Walt Disney World in the 1970’s, The Carousel of Progresswas one of my favorite rides.

English: Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress in...

English: Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, Florida, United States (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I used to dream about instant communication and now I have not one, but multiple options for it.  I enjoy trying new foods and especially like trying new restaurants. I am always on board for a road trip or a cruise, but don’t expect me to get on an airplane, not happening.

On the other hand, I am not fond of the ethical changes I see around me. Truth is considered situational as is obeying rules and cheating. I could try to explain this with all kinds of theories but in the simplest form I believe it all boils down to too much “I”.  Change ME, might be the best change of all.

If you would like to read my daughter’s take on change, click the link on the right for Rebekah Lyn’s Kitchen

Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Philippians 2:3-4 The Message

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Our Trip Across America – Part 6

14 Nov


A Slice of Life

 Bill Lites

                                   

        

We stayed on US-285 North thru Roswell till we were able to picked up I-40 (Old Route 66) West into Albuquerque.  The visit with my family and friends in Albuquerque was great. It was a restful time in familiar surroundings with my mother, aunt and grandmother who were thrilled to see us and our kids.  I was able to show the kids the houses where my DiVoran and I grew up and the schools we attended.

 

 

We took them to “Old Town” and had dinner in one of the restaurants on the original 250+ year old town square.  After dinner, we walked around the square, checking out the sidewalk Indian jewelry displays and visiting many of the shops that carried beautiful handmade Indian jewelry, crafts and artwork.

I was able to have short visits with two of my childhood friends who still lived in Albuquerque and catch up on how the years had been treating them.

 

 

 

 

 

We replenished our food and water supplies before heading West on I-40 (Old Route 66) thru Grants, over the Continental Divide, and thru Gallup into the Arizona desert.  We stopped in the Petrified Forest National Park long enough to get a good look at those age old wonders.

 Then it was on West into the Arizona mountains thru Holbrook and Winslow toward Flagstaff to visit high school friends.  It was the slow going in the mountains on the way to Flagstaff that the station wagon engine got so hot the transmission oil boiled over.  The oil ran down on the exhaust system and when I saw this huge cloud of white smoke in my rear view mirror, thought “oh no, we’ve burned up the engine, out here in the middle of nowhere.  What are we going to do now?”

 As it turned out, we were just coming up on a rest stop, and were able to pull in to let the engine cool off.  This is where that extra transmission fluid I had brought along came in handy.  After the engine and transmission had cooled, I was able to replenish the missing fluid and we were on our way again.

When we finally got to Flagstaff, we had a wonderful time reminiscing with our friends about our high school days, Charlene and DiVoran’s time in beauty school together, Jim and my chance meeting in Japan while in the Navy, and  how fast our kids were growing up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

But, the next morning, after that great visit, I discovered we had a flat on our station wagon.  It was Sunday and there were no tire repair places open.  So, the repair entailed disconnecting the camper, and unloading everything in the rear of the station wagon to get at the spare tire and jack.  This was not in my plans for the day’s travel and got us off to a late start toward our next destination.

Our friends had told up about this wonderful Sonora Desert Museum that was a must see, so we headed South on I-17 to Tucson.  They were right!

It was a very unusual museum in that many of the exhibits were cutaway underground burrows showing how the desert animals survived the harsh environment they normally lived in.  There was an interesting temperature farm that showed air temp, surface temp, and the temperature every 6” underground.  It is amazing how fast the temperature drops the further under the surface of the desert you go.  The day we were there it was 120 degrees F in the shade with 140 degree F surface temp.

I can’t imagine how hot the asphalt walkways between the underground exhibits were, but it almost melted our tennis shoes.  We literally had to run between the underground exhibits, and then take our shoes off to let our feet cool.

   When we got back to the campground that afternoon, it was still so hot that we jumped in the pool and were enjoying ourselves, when all of a sudden the wind came up so strong we were afraid it would blow the camper over.

That was the most miserable night of our whole trip, trying to sleep in all that heat.

  

 

—–to Be Continued—–

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Same-o, Same-o

12 Nov

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Do you ever-read self-help books, and inspirational literature that tells you to get out of your rut, go a different way to work every day, take a risk, change the way you think and dress? I read them and sometimes I try the suggestions, but there’s a lot to be said for routine, as well.

A famous writer once said that if you take a walk in the same place every day things will become familiar so that when they change slightly you’ll know right away. The woods where I walk are so beautiful and natural I can’t think of a reason to go anywhere else, but occasionally I go down to the river with a friend and her sweet golden retriever. I enjoy that very much, but I love my woods the best. So does she, I think, but her dog refuses to go there any more, we don’t know why. Hi, AnnaB

How about daily habits such as making coffee, flossing and brushing teeth, putting on make-up? Do those things automatically and you can think other more interesting thoughts while you’re doing them. Don’t worry, though. We can choose happy thoughts. If you look for a new route to work every day doesn’t that take away from more important matters such as planning a date or a painting? Oh, yes, pay attention to your driving. I say stick with what you know works and focus on the new things that are going to happen all around you every day whether you go looking for them or not.

Psalm 118:24

 

See the bee?

 

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OUR FIRST CRUISE

11 Nov

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

 

                                                   

Have you ever been on a cruise?  It’s one of the delights of our life…..now.

I thought I would NEVER get Fred on a cruise.  You see, when his family was moving from California to Japan in the 1950’s, they traveled on a troop ship, and it took 21 days to get there, which included three long stops at islands along the way.  Not only was it a long trip, but Fred was unable to stay with his family – not enough room in the staterooms.  So he had to bunk with the sailors.  He slept on the top bunk of a three-tier set of bunks, with his face only inches away from the ceiling.  He also had to do some of the “chores” that the sailors had to do – polishing the brass, swabbing the decks, etc.  It was NOT a fun trip for him!

And so, whenever the subject of a cruise came up, he was almost violently opposed to the idea!  The rest of his siblings – and his parents – had been on many cruises and raved about how much fun they had.  Fred wouldn’t even consider it.

As his parents began to age, they decided to take two more major trips, and invited the children to join them.  The first was a trip to England/Scotland.  We jumped at the chance, since we had lived in Europe for six years, and hadn’t been back.  And England is one of our favorite places to visit.

The second trip was a cruise to Alaska.  As it turned out, it was a three-day cruise, with the remainder of the trip being by bendy-bus (articulated bus) and train.  With my womanly wiles, I cajoled him:  It’s only THREE DAYS CRUISING…..it will give you a “taste” of what cruising is like….. It’s only THREE DAYS CRUISING…..we’ve always wanted to go to Alaska, and this is a great chance to go with family……It’s only THREE DAYS CRUISING……it’s in the summer…. It’s only THREE DAYS CRUISING …..etc.

I was finally able to win him over with those reasonings, and we signed up.

We had a grand time.  Both of Fred’s sisters and their husbands were able to sail with us, as well as our oldest daughter and her husband – 10 of us all together.  The cruising was so much fun – for land-lubbers like us, it was a wonderful experience.  I wished we could have sailed more than just those three days.

But for just a “taste” of cruising – we both were sold.  We’ve been able to go on a cruise nearly every year since then.  And Fred is always asking…would you like to sail to Alaska again?  In a heartbeat!

 

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MORE THAN AN AIR SHOW

10 Nov
A Few Thoughts

Patricia Franklin
 
I’m sitting on the deck at my son’s house on the prairie near the air force base.  I am enthralled watching the “air show,” as I call it, when I am with my grandchildren.  The four air force jets are doing their “touch-and-go routine” and flying in loops above and around us as I thrill at the sight of their take-offs, landings and spiraling into the sky, a sight I never tire of every time I visit.  My grandchildren just shake their heads and try to figure out why I am so excited. It is commonplace to them and they are so used to it that they do not even notice or hear the sound of the thunderbirds above them as they play below in the safety and security of their back yard.
I have always loved, appreciated and felt very humbled by our military.  I lived through World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. I remember when I was young and watched newsreels at the movie theater before there was TV,  and saw our troops fighting under unbelievable conditions. I remember when I was young sitting on the porch for hours and watching a huge convoy of military vehicles passing by on their way to practice maneuvers for defense of our country, protecting our freedoms and making us safe. Even now when I am home sitting in my own backyard, and when the wind is right, I can occasionally hear the sound of guns firing on the army base 20 miles away and I feel safe.
One of my greatest thrills was right after 9-11 when my daughter and I were driving up past the air force base to visit my son. As we drove past the runway, we could see one of the jets coming in for a landing. As it approached the end of the runway for the landing, it was very low and we were right underneath it.  My daughter looked up and she said “Mom, the plane is loaded!”  She could see that it was loaded with bombs underneath and ready to fire if necessary (whether they were live or not we did not know), but it was a very thrilling and impressive sight. Neither one of us felt at all threatened, but very secure and safe with the military on the job. 
I do not understand those who complain about the noise of the jets over their homes or land, or the traffic congestion when following a convoy along a busy road, or the NIMBY mentality that you hear about today.  All I can think of is that I am very grateful, appreciative and feel almost a reverence for these wonderful men and women who are willing to sacrifice their lives for our safety. I can sometimes feel tears in my eyes as my knees buckle at the sight of a military parade or uniform. I am  proud and yet humbled thinking of the hard work, discipline, commitment, and their willingness to brave anything for their love of country that leads these men and women to make the selfless decision to join the military and be prepared to fight and die for us and our freedoms.
May God Always Bless Our Military and the United States of America!
Air Show...

Air Show… (Photo credit: naathas)

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Snow!

9 Nov

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Friday my husband, our daughter and myself drove from Florida to the mountains of North Carolina. I read on Facebook that the Great Smoky Mountains National Park had a large snowfall during Hurricane Sandy and I couldn’t wait to check it out. The highest point in the park is Clingman’s dome and the road up to it is closed during the winter beginning December first, so this would be a rare opportunity to visit it covered in snow.

Saturday we picked up our two grandchildren and loaded the car up with an assortment of jackets, plastic sleds and picnic supplies. When we arrived at Clingman’s Dome the parking lot was jam-packed. Jumping out of the car we were hit by a cold wind and hurriedly pulled on jackets, scarves, hats and gloves. It was at least twenty degrees colder up there! Due to the ice and our fear for our old bones we didn’t make it to the top but the grandkids still had a blast.

Next we drove to Newfound Gap and had an unconventional picnic before moving on to the area we affectionately call “sled hill”. The children are sledding pros and quickly owned the hill. Rebekah took several rides down the hill as well. As for me, I did take one ride and loved it, but bowed to prudence and gave up my sled.

Seeing our grandchildren having fun was worth the trip but something else made it really special. We ended up having two sleds not in use. As families came to watch we offered the use of them. Some families accepted, some didn’t. One little guy was with his grandpa and had been begging to go sledding. He was quite brave and bold as he came down the hill laughing. Best of all was a group of young men in their twenties. From their appearance and accent, I think they may have been from India. I got the impression they might be seeing snow for the first time. They tentatively picked up some snow, rolled it around in their hands and made a snowball. Watching them, I noticed how their eyes followed the sledders. I decided to be bold and ask them if they would like to sled. It was interesting to see their internal struggle, should they or should they not. For a second or two I was afraid my offer may have offended their sense of dignity, then decided what the heck. I offered again in a teasing voice, “come on, you know you want to try it, just do it”. Their eyes dashed from one to another until one of the more mature appearing men stepped forward and held out his hand. What fun they had! They all took turns.

During the time we were there we shared the sleds with children, adults and differing races and nationalities. It was one of those rare perfect days. I wish it could have lasted all week.

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Our Trip Across America-Part 5

8 Nov

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

                               

 

 

Now we headed West on I-20 for our next stop in Dallas, Texas to show the kids where I was born and grew up as well as where I was taken to my first church service (the nursery) at the age of two weeks old.

 

 

 

 

 

We made our way through the big “D” to Gilley’s Palladium with it’s famous mechanical bull “El Toro” of movie fame.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was on over for a quick visit to the historic Fort Worth Stockyards where we got a good idea of what a huge operation that had been.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also got to meet some modern cowboys and some of the bulls they had tamed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We continued West on I-20 thru Abilene, Midland and Odessa, then at Pecos we headed North on US-285 to Carlsbad, New Mexico.  It was on this stretch of US-285 that we had our first camper tire blowout.  I thought “oh-no, what a place to have to change a tire!”   Did I mention it was the middle of the day, in the middle of July, in the middle of the desert?  Well, anyway, I had checked all three camper tires before leaving Florida and they looked good with lots of tread.  But, it never dawned on me that they could have been the original tires that came with the camper when it was new.  And that was how many years ago?  I had no idea.  I guess the weather had gotten to them, even though they didn’t have many miles on them.  Well, I don’t know what the actual temperature was, but it was hot.  Funny thing though, as I worked away changing that tire, I never seemed to break a sweat.  There was a light breeze and I guess with less that 10% humidity it all evaporated before I even noticed I was sweating.  What a surprise!  I would have been dripping wet if this had been at home in Florida.

 

 

We took the tour of Carlsbad Caverns and were awestruck by the beauty and wonders of those huge caverns that extended deep underground.  In fact, we were told that Carlsbad Caverns are the deepest caverns in the U.S. at 1594 feet.  They even had mallets hooked up electrically to an organ and played beautiful music by devices striking the stalactites and stalagmites with the mallets.  What a wonderful audio/visual sensation that was.  We stayed around until dusk that evening to watch the nightly flight of the bats from the caverns on their way to look for food.  There were so many that they blotted out the sky at one point as they emerged from the caverns.

 

–To Be Continued–

 

A Slice of America at the Polls

7 Nov

Our Wednesday installment of A Trip Across America will be posted on Thursday this week. Today DiVoran is sharing her beautiful thoughts on our American election-Onisha

 

 

 

I have a sticker on my shirt that says, “I voted.” A lot of people voted in this election. Today, as I stood in line at the polls, I looked around for something to think about. We vote in the recreation building of a comfortable trailer park here in Florida. The furniture was stacked in a corner by the fireplace and the many volunteers were in their places. Everyone was courteous and cordial, voters and helpers alike.

 

Two of our neighbors were there, one is newly retired military who got a wonderful job, he says his military training got it for him and he’s thrilled.

 

The other is a music teacher who teaches at a Christian school. She and her good husband have five boys and have lived in a small house on the next block since before the first one was born. For the past few years the line of white cars has grown to three in front of the house. Those are the boys’ cars. I wonder when there will be five. I’m absolutely certain they work and save for them. It’s the American way and I approve.

 

A couple who were no spring chickens themselves, brought an elderly mother to vote. She had a walker and had to wait so long they turned it so she could sit down, but still, there was no back rest and she had a bad turn. They were there a long time and it must have been grueling. But they stuck it out.

 

I passed a very young father holding a crying baby on his arm while he patiently tried to mark his ballot. Behind me in one of the lines was a lady dressed in lime green scrubs. When asked if she were a health care worker she said yes and gave me the names of the two assisted living places where she works. I said it takes a very special person to do that kind of work. She said, “I think of them all as my grandmas and grandpas.” What compassion!

 

As I exited by the back door that led to a pond, I heard the raucous cry of sand-hill cranes. They are huge birds with red feathers on their heads. The man who was standing by to keep people from falling down a step said the cranes had been there all day, but this morning there were three. Now there were only two and one of them was calling over and over for the third one to come back. I really listened then and I heard what the man heard. “Where are you, please come back, we’re worried about you.” The volunteer had obviously become concerned about the missing crane, as well. What a wonderful group of fine caring people were at the polls. Americans all.

 

At this writing, I don’t know who our president will be for the next four years. I only pray that the spirit of love and compassion that fills our country from sea to shining sea will prevail and that all will be well. I wear my sticker proudly. I voted.

 

 

 

 

I Voted!

I Voted! (Photo credit: • ian)

 

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Doing My Own Thing

5 Nov

My Take

DiVoran Lites

I hardly ever get bored even though I don’t have a job and our nest is empty. Now, as never before I’m thankful for the lessons my parents taught me even as a very young child.

The lessons go together:

1. Work at whatever needs to be done.

2. If you say you’re bored, Mother will be certain to give you a job to do.

3. Its better if you find your own thing to do and don’t wait for Mother to assign you one. You’ll probably enjoy it more.

I walk, exercise, help clean our house, do laundry, cook, garden, and look after my husband and two cats. They all look after me, too. I read, paint, and write. I teach Sunday School, sing on the church praise team, read, blog and email. I have a visit with a friend or relative almost everyday-every day if you count my husband.

I took painting lessons for about fifteen years, but now I’m doing my own thing. It’s easier with watercolors than with oils because it’s not such a big project to get all set up, but oils are so beautiful and buttery and make such gorgeous paintings that I don’t blame people for loving them. Our art league has open studios where you can go and just paint and everybody else is painting too (all kinds, from oils, to pastels, acrylics, watercolors, mixed media) and you can exchange information and encouragement. You can talk about your grandchildren, or muse together over what this world is coming to.

I’ve discovered that I like some crafts too. I have a wooden birdhouse I bought at a Hobby/Art store and I’ve been assembling things to decorate it with. I can leave projects set up in my garage which my husband and I have turned into an all around workroom for both of us. It is, of course, the messiest room in the house, but people seem to like it all the same.

There’s no profit in being bored or lonely.

Some things that can bore me are:

1. Daytime T. V.

2. Compulsive shopping

3. Listening to chronic complainers.

Some things that can make me feel alone are:

1. Going over the past and all the things I coulda, shoulda, woulda done.

2. Holding a grudge.

3. Worrying about the future.

Life is short; eat dessert first. (Ernestine Ulmer, writer, b. 1925). O. K. so I’m watching my weight, but there are other things like dessert and I hope and pray I’ll keep enjoying them for a long time to come.

Ecclesiastes 3

 

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The Ring

4 Nov

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

 I have always loved jewelry.  I guess I come by that honestly – after all, I am female!My Mother’s only sibling, my Aunt Jessie, was what we used to call an “old maid.”  She never married, and her mother, my grandmother, lived with her.  And because Jessie didn’t have children of her own, she rather doted upon my brother and myself.  Most of the time that was a good thing….sometimes it got me into trouble with my parents.

But Jessie had a love of “things” – and jewelry was one of those things.  She and Granny lived in San Antonio, Texas for many years, and I know that she would frequent some of the pawn shops there and buy beautiful rings at bargain prices.  I think that’s where she acquired most of her jewelry, as she didn’t inherit it.

When I was one-year-old, she gave me a ring with a small diamond in it.  I really don’t understand that logic – a diamond ring to a one-year-old?  I’m sure that my Mother never let me wear it!  Perhaps it was just a “posterity” thing.

Jessie made friends with an Army nurse while in San Antonio.  In the 1950’s this friend was stationed in Korea, during the Korean war.  While there, she purchased a pearl ring that she gave to me.  I actually did wear that one.  And somehow, that ring was damaged.  The pearl was intact, but the ring was a mess.  So Jessie took both the pearl and the diamond rings.  She showed me a design that she had in mind, to combine the diamond and pearl into one ring.  It was a rather intriguing design.

And before long, she had the ring in hand, and it was on my finger.  I’ve had the ring since the early 1960’s, and it is a favorite of mine.  I enjoy wearing it a lot, knowing she had it made, just for me.

After Jessie and Granny moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, she became enamored with turquoise jewelry.  And she loved all things turquoise – in any design.  And she loved BIG turquoise jewelry.  Big and heavy.

She always wore a lot of turquoise jewelry, but she never lost her love of the “finer” jewelry.  She had favorites that she wore a lot.

I am pleased to say that my Aunt Jessie and I both shared a love of jewelry, and she gave hers to me in her will.  And so, every time I wear jewelry that is from her, I think of her…remember her.

She, herself, was a jewel in my life.

 

 

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