December 24, 2010

Dear Ones near and far,

Its Christmas Eve day, and as I was sitting in my easy chair reading yesterday's news, both good and bad, I saw out of the corner of my eye, a lady coming up our front porch steps. I'm not sure if she had time to ring the doorbell before I had opened the door.

Thinking at first the dark hair belonged to my neighbor Nancy, who lives across the street, I opened the door and a stranger stood there. She said "Is Donna at home", and with that greeting I opened the door and invited her in. I figure that anyone who knows my wife, is probably not a stranger.

This stranger turns out to be Kathy, a friend of Donna's who used to come into the clinic where Donna was receptionist for Dr. Shields. This lady misses Donna's friendly face and smile, and is also the recipient of birthday cards, and cards that say "I care" that Donna so often sends out.

Her coming today, to share a small gift bag full of goodies, and to say "I miss you so much" was like getting the perfect gift. I could never go out and buy a gift that said as much. Her coming clear across town, not knowing where we live or how to get here, says a lot.

Merry Christmas Kathy, and may your New Year be filled with much JOY.

Gpa Howard

Sunday 12-19-10
Sunday evening, and I thought things were going okay, till, Donna asked me to run to Burger King to pick up a gift card for someone. So, I hop in the car, drive 3 miles to the closest BK and of course the clerk didn't know how to ring up a GC. He turned to the manager and said he needs a GC, and without saying, sorry or you know what, said our machine is broken down. Now I think each of you who have ever bought one, knows its done at the cash register, and this kids machine was working for the couple just ahead of me.

Thats the Christmas Spirit Burger King....if I had a website to complain to, would be sending them a email right now.

Back to better things, Shopsmith repairs have been fairly heavy recently, I told you about the lady who wrote the book "Sweetbriar", her machine came in last Monday and was picked up on Wednesday. Had a belt sander I overhauled & it was ready for pickup. Then Tuesday Bob Marks brought in his machine, everything was frozen on it. Spindle would not turn, nor would the control handle. After dropping the motor and a few other things I've never done in 33 years of repairing Shopsmith's, I got the broken part out and ready for him to pick up in just over 2 hours time. Even partially took the motor apart and blew it out.....

So called Bob and he picked it up around 3:00. Parked in the alley by my shop & after loading it into his van, I turned to go back into the shop, and my worn out slippery soled shows slipped & down I went. Landed in the mud on one knee and my left hand broke the fall. Lucky for me, nothing got hurt but my pride. Wednesday, I went to a local gravel/landscape place and got a bucket of crushed rock, & the slippery slope is now covered. Even filled in a few pot holes on the gravel alleyway.

Must tell you about Thanksgiving.....This year, the first in over 35 years, we had dinner at our daughter Sue's place. Everyone brought something, we cooked the turkey, dressing, gravy and a salad. Dinner was at 5:00, so we got there around 4:30 to get things warmed up hot again. Hot pots were plugged in, the stove was on, and a few candles were burning around the dining/living room. At 4:45 the lights went out, oh, oh better check the circuit breakers Paul. He was in the basement playing pool, so grabbed a flashlight and started looking for the blown circuit breaker.

Someone about then discovered our neighbors didn't have lights either, nor did any in that area. Chris, Julie and kids arrived and wondered why we were sitting around under candlelight, and later on sister Lou & John arrived, and thought we were sort of rude not turning the porch light on when they rang the door bell (not sure why it worked). We had a great time around the table eating by candle light. Reminded me of my early childhood, when for the first 10 years of my life the only light we had at the dining room table was a kerosene lamp. We had a bit of trouble trying which was stuffing and which was beans, but a good time was had by all.

And, we will remember it for a good long time. Not sure if it will be back at Sue's next year or back at our house. Definitely easier to get together had it been here, but maybe not as much fun. We will cross that bridge next year.

Well, lets close this down for tonight and see what is on t-v, maybe some nice Christmas Carols that would be nice. Will also put on a picture taken year ago when everyone was home for Christmas. Need help identifying any of them, send me a email at Howardonna@aol.com I'll respond..

Gpa Howard

December 18th.

Just came home from a memorial/funeral service for a dear friend, Dixie Eggison, who passed away at the age of 96 years 1 day. A beautiful lady who knew and loved the Lord, and served Him every day.

Wanted to add just a few more lines to my yesterday blog about cleaning the living room carpet. On Saturday morning, the carpet was still damp, but Donna wanted me to be able to sit and read my Bible and newspaper, so brought in a tv stand. I put my coffee on it, and within 5 minutes had already spilled coffee. Not sure how much landed on the carpet, but I quickly cleaned it up.

Then the next day while eating pizza with Peggy,Dave & Donna, my piece of pizza flipped off my plate and landed, yep, upside down on the carpet and left a new stain under my recliner. Oh the joys of being husband/dad/friend........ It has been cleaned up now, and all I think is well.

Howard

Still Friday the 17th, view my earlier post of today & you will see that I survived the rug cleaning.

My birthday on January 2nd is coming up, and my Oregon drivers license was due to expire. This year in order to renew, you got to prove you are born and you are who you think you are, via a social security card. Now I've had a valid drivers license since I was 16, which will be 62 years and I've had a social security card just a bit longer, as Harold & I both had to get cards when we worked for Clarence Hand putting up government grain bins way back around 1948.

Well, as some of you know I scrap out aluminum storm windows for a little extra money in my pocket, and Wednesday being a nice day, I decided to sell the scrap. Remembering that drivers license renewal need, I stopped on the way back from the scrap dealer. The room was full of folks needing plates, licenses, driving tests, you name it. I wasn't ready to wait a hour, and wasn't sure if they would take my visa as I had forgotten to bring a check book. I inquired of a lady standing there, and she said, check or cash only. This was visit #1 to DMV.

So, I went home did some important things like eating, and putting up some lights on the house, and then with check book in hand, made visit #2 to DMV. Took my little number, I'll be called in turn & waited. Marched to the window with drivers license and checkbook. Sorry, you must now prove you are alive and have a SS number. "Are you coming back today? I'll give you a tag so you won't have to stand in line". "NO, I don't think so. Well, you need a birth certificate and social security card. No birth certificate as they didn't issue them back in 1933, will my passport do? Yes, bring it.

Off to the Savings Bank to get my Passport, (trip #1 to bank). Went in and remembered I didn't have my safety deposit key, so must go home. Home for the key, and back to bank (trip #2 to bank). Into the safety deposit box, grabbed first passport with my picture in it, and off to DMV, visit #3. New number, up to window, and nice lady said, I"m sorry but this is an expired passport, it has holes punched in the cover, you'll have to bring back a new one. "Do, I need a new number? No, I'll remember you.

Back to the Savings bank, (trip #3) found the new Passport, no holes in cover and back to DMV, for visit #4. Lady knows me and waves me to the counter, takes my passport, old drivers license and $40.00 check for I think a 8 year license. Wonder if I will still be driving in 2018?.

Want my advice, its probably cheaper to take a taxi, no drivers license, no auto renewal tags, no car insurance, no new or used car, no oil changes, or new tires, or new wiper blades each fall. Will I learn, probably not, too much fun running back and forth.

Oh yes, we will keep that old passport in the safety deposit box, its safer there than in a scrap book with travel mementos.

That's part of my life, will tell you about Thanksgiving dinner in the next post

Howard

December 17, 2010
Wow! its been 2 months since I last posted. I can't say I've been too busy, that's a poor excuse, so I won't. Do know I've spent too much on facebook. Found it to be addictive so for a week, I didn't open up the page.

While I did miss some posts on it, found I could live without it. Someone suggested I refer people from facebook to this blog, so I'm going to do so, but first thought I ought to put some recent info on it.

Proud people don't like to admit their mistakes, and I guess I am one of them. Years ago, 57 in fact, I was in the Army, and was running late for a scheduled meeting, so when I got there, I told the Major, "Sorry I'm late", and replied "don't apologize soldier, its a sign of weakness", so there you have it, I won't apologize for not posting.

Well, this next segment could be labeled "in the doghouse or a delightful man". Our living room, dining room rug has needed cleaned, shampoo'd for months. My better half wanted to rent a shampooer from Freddy's, but I didn't like that idea, so this fall when S.F. got her rugs cleaned I got the name of Stanley Steamer her. So far okay, rite? Well my better half spent most all of the weekend getting up Christmas decorations, you know the manger scent on the fireplace, a village atop the t-v., another manger scene on the dining room hutch, and another on top of the floor lamp that has a glass top big enough for a small manger scene. And of course there was the little white church atop the stereo.

She went to shopping or something , maybe bible study on Wednesday, and I called Stanley Steamer and scheduled a Friday the 10th for the cleaning. Of course to move the t-v, stereo, hutch, lamp, another display case, all those decorations had to come down. Stanley arrived & left about 1 hour later, and I had a wet carpet to get dried out.........not too many words were said when she came home, but she wasn't too happy & the rug didn't look that great either. High heat & several fans dried the carpet sufficiently I guess that by Saturday night, the little white foam pads were out from under the feet of chairs, tables, etc.

In fact, I was feeling so good about the whole scene, that I, (we) invited Dave and Peggy to come watch the NCAA men's national soccer match Sunday afternoon. We've (I) have a good laugh and maybe even some tears about it. I'll not do it again, probably will move to new house before I go through that cleaning again.

Think I will post this, sometimes I lose lots of typed story for unknown reasons, so will post and put on the next high adventure.

Howard