Cold dog

Wally doesn't like the snow. His feet get so cold that it takes him a long time to warm them up after

he comes back inside. We haven't tried, but I don't think he would tolerate snow boots. He doesn't even like a coat made from a sweatshirt. So his trips outside are very short - and no daily walks with the humans in the snow.

Valentine's Day

Our first Valentine arrived - a movable card from the college student in the south. How nice to be remembered. And she is our number one fan! (The wildcat is actually hanging straight and the card is whopper jawed; sort of like the rest of the house.) Thanks, Miss T.

Kansas Day

Happy Kansas Day, January 29, 2010.

In 1861 Kansas became the first of the rectangle states. Some people think we're flat and uninteresting.
Others think the state is an acquired taste and they don't wish to acquire it. Not flashy, full of history and pretty plain jane, but we like it.

By the way, Kansas was the 34th state admitted to the union.

obelisks?

obelisk noun from the Greek, obeliskos, An upright 4-sided usually monolithic pillar that gradually tapers as it rises and terminates in a pyramid.
Well, not quite; but what are these things at K-61 and 30th street?

Six days

This will be the sixth day (Got to stay home and rest on Sunday) to go to the "get healthy" place. I'm not complaining! It's a very short distance from where we live, the people are wonderful, caring and just trying to get us all "better" whatever that is! I am thankful for the doctors here and our system - I wish it were available to everyone. You'd think there would be some minds somewhere who could figure out a way to make that happen. They've been trying since Truman's time. Too bad we can't take the politics out of it.


Later - finally, an H1N1 shot for me from the drug store; where else? Why is this vaccine not available at a physician's office? Strange system.

Some really old things

These winter days nothing is going on to speak about so this is a picture of some very old doll dishes, a metal coffee pot and a napkin ring. The napkin ring belonged to my dad. He was born in 1898 and used this as a child. The coffee pot was also his. The various other mugs were from about the same time. Wonder when we quit using napkin rings?

Dear Abby

The best index of a person's character is:

a. How he treats people who can't do him any good.

b. How he treats people who can't fight back.

This is a quote from Abigail Van Buren.

Court House

Our beautiful Reno County Court House - art deco - built in 1930.

Fog again

We have been seeing this each morning for about four days - and even some last week.
Ceiling, 300 feet. Visibility 1/2 mile. Warm air meets cool air to make fog. We need more warm.

Peace

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly. Buddha

Apple Corer

It also works on pears.

Bargain Bike

Yesterday L. came home with a surprise. I thought it was for him but no - it's a late Christmas gift for me.
I guess since we returned one gift (a large, jackhammer-like back massager) and gave one away (the slider cooker) he decided I needed something more practical.
When the temperature on the plastic enclosed porch reaches fifty degrees, I'll be exercising.
And he only spent a twenty dollar bill at the spot where we donated the cooker!

A bit of color

One more picture from Tuesday morning. I hope the real wild flowers will soon show up.

Thoughts for the country of Haiti

Help is on the way but this disaster needs aid from all the countries in the world. I hope they are all willing to bring supplies and people.

Frosted pines

A fog with 100 per cent humidity, no wind and the perfect temperature gave us some beautiful frost this morning.
It was all gone by noon.

I just learned that this hoar frost forms when there is more moisture in the air than the air can carry and the dew point is below freezing.And what is the definition of "dew point?" The temperture at which a vapor begins to condense. When the dew point and the temperature are within four degrees, you can expect precipitaion. Science lesson of the day.

Blue Monday

The sun was out; it was warm but other things didn't go so well.

Today was the day for a trip to the testing place. Got the lab work ok. Reported for the scan.
No order for anyone with my name so was directed from basement to second floor to check with physician's office. No record. Oh well. No food since midnight so when a woman appeared with free doughnuts, I accepted one, took one bite and was called back to the desk. The scan department could take me right now.....with one bite of doughnut swallowed? Yes. Back to the basement to drink the large glass of liquid that tastes like flat orange pop at room temperature. Wait one half hour and then the IV and lie down and hold your breath till you think you can't anymore.

Sure glad these don't come around too often.

January 10, 2010

Today is 1-10-10. Or as they do it in the rest of the civilized world, 10-1-10. It makes more sense to me to start with the smallest value, the day, followed by the month and then the year.

Using that method 1-10-10 would be the first of October, 2010. Maybe it would be better to write the whole thing out.

Number Please

When one hires on to the phone company as an operator, the employee is told never to reveal anything that they hear during a conversation with the customer. Perhaps the caller turns to someone in the room with them and makes a statement. This is considered private and never to be repeated. And of course, listening in on a conversation is a good way to get fired.

But some of the requests made by customers were funny, odd and just plain strange. Since all these things were said directly to me, I'm not revealing any private matters. And anyway, since they all were said (and written down) before 1986, I think the time frame for being fired has passed. Fired? Are there any operators left working in 2010?


"Attach this phone call to my number."

"My husband doesn't hear well when he's not home."

"What is the fare to Omaha for three minutes?"

"Are the rates on?"

"I tried this number all day and it's engaged. Could it be default?" (British accent)

Operator: "A T & T" Customer: " Is this the cattle company?"

"I'd like to make a collect call to #784- xxxx and please charge it to the same number."

"Does it cost to pay you?"

Customer: "Collect." Operator: "Your name?" Customer: "Just a friend."

from a Garden City hotel - "If you're going to put me on busy again, I don't want to screw around with you."

I miss those days of the voice with a smile. Today we do it all ourselves but it was nice to have help when you needed it and it was really a fun job if you liked to interact with all kinds of folks!

Moving Files

With a new plastic file folder replacing the old black file folder, I found some interesting things. There was also a bunch of stuff that never needed to be filed!

One was a New Year Letter from 1970. I do not believe this was ever sent through the US Mail. Fortunately there was no email then. Maybe now is the time to share this.
To you who are mentioned here, this was all in fun..... Love you all!

Dear Folks,
After almost no request for correspondence, we decided to send out a New Year letter.

L. has just about finished a longdrawn out project refinishing the kitchen cabinets. After two weeks of work, he ony has the upper ones done and they look almost the same as when he started. The new black Early American hardware is nice, but he thinks he may have permanently damaged the wood with the stripping compound. We hope he can get the lower cabinets to match.

M. is behind in band and because of neglecting his practicing he went down to last chair. He is now practicing each evening during the Walter Cronkite news and hopes to work his way back up by the time school is out.

P. is in the third grade and can't tell a printed d from a b. (The teacher says this is normal) He had one line in the Christmas program which was over an hour long.

M.L. got a dishwasher in July but the kitchen is still always a mess because she never has time to load it. In the same month she got a new stove which will do everything but we still eat out an average of five times a week (counting lunch at the A & W and L.'s breakfasts at the Red Carpet.

She also plays bridge once a week and can't remember to name a five card suit - she's been playing since last February.

The dog is housebroken but that's about all. He runs out the front door every time it's opened if you don't hold him back and we have to chase him all over the neighborhood.

L. isn't too well. He's been playing handball and feels he permantly injured his shoulder last summer trying to open a window that he painted shut when we repainted the house after the hail storm. All of us helped him shingle the roof. If you don't look straight up at it, you don't see the crooked rows too much.

Both cars ('56 Buick and '65 Buick) are about to fall apart but we can't afford new ones. M.L. wants a VW bus so she can shift gears but L. won't let her have it because they aren't air conditioned.

We also got new white vinyl on the kitchen floor but the boys leave black heel marks on it from their shoes so it doesn't look too nice. M.L. really wanted kitchen carpet but knew if it didn't prove satisfactory, she would never hear the end of it.

Good luck in 1970! The N. family

Fashions of the past

This is a picture of my dad, Dewey, and his brother, Lee, taken around 1900. Lee was twenty-one months older. I know; except for the pants, they resemble girls. This was the accepted style for boys at the time.
I remember reading an article on General MacArthur in which the author stated that MacArthur's mother let his hair grow into long curls as a toddler. He tried to connect the hair style to MacArthur's personality in later life - as though the general was somehow unique. He was a unique historical figure, all right, but it wasn't because of his long curls.

Wally

This is our house-bound friend, Wally. Along with the people here, he doesn't like getting out in this weather. He has a "sweatshirt" but doesn't move while it's on his body,so we don't use it for his trips to the backyard. He's been with us for seven years. He's spoiled and seems happy to have been rescued. We're happy to have him.

Before dawn, Jan 1, 2010-7:17 a.m.

I was trying to take a picture of the setting full moon. After the zoom didn't help, I just used the point and shoot mode.
Left to right the lights are: our yard light, the street light and the moon setting over the neighbor's garage. Some might try to pass these off as flying saucers -

Think positively

I just heard the weather forecast for the coming week. I believe I will just ignore it and look at pictures of spring.

The Robe

L. may be channeling Rocky and Elvis in his new, plush robe.
When we moved back to Kansas two years ago, the moving company sent one of our boxes to Iowa.
Through the kindness of strangers, it was returned to us. Since that time, L. thought there might have been another box lost - one with dress shirts and his two bath robes.

Not ever moved to go buy him one, I was pleased that he received one for Christmas. Very Plush! Very Warm.

After Further Review -

The slider appliance is back in its box. It took longer to clean it than it did to make 22 small burgers. Sometimes simpler is easier. Think skillet.

Sliders

I had not heard the word " Sliders" until recently. I think the term might be more common on the east coast. They are very small hamburgers. Here we call them Cozy burgers after the Cozy Inn in Salina.

For Christmas I received a slider cooker. Here's how to feed a family of twenty-two from one pound of hamburger (if the family members are very small folks.)

No small buns? Cut hot dog buns in thirds. We now have instant snacks in the fridge whenever we feel like a tiny hamburger . . .