Well, i did post a short letter yesterday telling you all i had spoken to Don as he was relaxing in a nice comfortable arm chair, with Bubbles just across the room, we had a good old natter too !, so thanks Don, i enjoyed the walk down memory lane, i do not know why my post yesterday did not arrive ?, i expect those gremlins must have got hold of it again !, lol.
I hope you had a good night's sleep Lloyd, your a braver man than i !, i know i would not get on my PC at 4 AM in the morning ! especially this time of the year too !, our weather forecaster is predicting ice and snow for the first part of next week, fingers crossed, i hope it only lasts a day or two and we can get back to a nice mild temperature again !.
                                                                                  Cheerio for now.   Roley.   aka -- Peter.

After years of being away I have re registered. I see some familiar names but there are many missing. I know about Norm and Papa John. I'm almost scared to ask about others.

Good Morning Everyfriend!  And welcome back to you Carolyn!  Did you post before as "Carolyn"?

I'm waiting for the boingr for the doggies pills and I'm going to go get ready for church while I wait.  I missed it last week and I don't want to take that chance today.  It's still raining ans supposed to do so all day today. I'm REALLY ready for some sunshine!

I don't say much here but I always read what is happening to each one of you.  I'm happy and relieved for the good news and worried and concerned for the not-so-good news.  And I enjoy very much hearing how each of you spend your days.  It's like reading a really good book and feeling as though I'm actually a part of what goes on in your lives each day.

Warm, muggy and cloudy here today but back into rainy and chilly tomorrow.  The ups and downs of Spring weather can keep me guessing.  My daffodils are in bloom and the cherry trees and magnolias and all of the other ornamental trees in the neighborhood and around town are in bloom.  I watched a brown headed  nuthatch pair working very hard to build a nest in a hollow tree down in the woods yesterday.  At least she was working hard.....he seemed to spend a lot of time just looking around and basking in the sunshine.   

Carolyn, are you our lovely lady from NZ?  It is so nice to have you back after all these years.  I love when old friends come back to visit with us!  I hope you will stop by often.

I'll watch the last of the Olympics today....or at least some of it.  Other than that, I have no plans.

Take care, All.

Good morning everyone..

Liquid sunshine here Jane, freezing rain warnings still in effect. Managed to get all the laundry done and put away yesterday, tried to straighten up the sewing area....ha ha ha. When we make cancer quilts the fabric has to be washed  so I did some of that also yesterday and ironed it.

Today is a day of rest here..

Carolyn, welcome back!

Lloyd, hope you had a good nights sleep.

June, enjoy hymn sing.

Roley, gremlins have a way of sneaking in on you and your computer. I think we all have had that problem.

Phyliss, what a lovely sight that must be with all the blossoms...at the moment our trees are getting a coating of ice
Enjoy your day everyone.. 

Carolyn, it is good to see your post.  I welcomed you back in the Welcome folder.  Tell us what has been going on with your family.  I see you still have your little dog!

Mary Ann

Hi Everyone.Hi Everyone.  We are to have another nice day with a 50% chance of rain this afternoon.  I am going to Sunday School and then plan on coming home to get Pat so we can go back to Church.  We will either go out to eat or pick up something to bring home to eat.  Then will have a quiet and restful remainder of the day.  I do plan on watching the golf tournament later this afternoon.

Don, thanks for sharing the picture.  Glad you are safely at your destination.  You both are looking good and I see the little grandchild in the background. 

Shirley, I was really surprised that they couldn't find our order in the Walmart database.  They sure don't have any trouble getting the bill sent in for what you buy.  I am finding that a lot of places are using our telephone numbers to find us in their computers.  Glad your drizzle yesterday wasn't of the freezing type.  I remember how concerned family members were when we first started posting on SeniorNet.  My first email address was so complicated that I couldn't remember it much less expect anyone to have any idea of who my emails might be from.  I quickly decided it made more sense to just use my name in my email address. 

Callie, when I first moved back to Georgia over 20 years ago there was another person in the area with my same name and we would get called asking if we were that person.  As far as I know we were not related. 

Jenney, I checked our area and the antenna would just give us the main networks. 

June, if I had a choice I would rather sleep than not be able to sleep.  Your medicine must contribute to your sleepiness and probably your age may be a factor.    Many of us live many years with heart problems so I hope you are not unduly worrying about the EKG results.  I think your son is right about the futility of trying to hide our name and address from the junk mail.  I don't worry about that much anymore.  Glad you got to go to the hymn sing and hope you will be up to attending Church today. 

Mary Ann, I feel we have given up our privacy as we are being tracked from so many different sources and the satellites can even beam down to see a person.  I feel I live such a routine and probably uninteresting (to others) life that why would anyone bother.  I take what precautions I can to protect banking and credit card information but now we have even had that broached by the Equifax security breach and who knows how many other places. 

Lloyd, computers have the capability to keep track of a lot of different information.  Emails can really accumulate quickly.

Roley, sure hope the ice and snow miss your area.  At least at this time of the year it probably won't stick around very long. 

Carolyn, glad to see you back with us.  Unfortunately we had lost a number of folks who were active participants.

Phyllis, like you I have always liked to read books where characters continue in that authors other works and you sort of feel a kinship with the characters.  Every job needs a good supervisor and that must be what the male bird was doing. 

Amy, Pat always washes her fabrics before using them. Like Phyllis said we also have many blooming trees and bushes and some of the grass has really greened up.  We noticed that some of the blossoms are now being replaced by new leaves on some of the trees.  It is nice to see nature being revitalized for the new season of growth.  Hope the ice doesn't break down your trees and that you can stay inside and safe from any falls on the ice.   

Carolyn, welcome back! It's been a long time...
I was wondering if I was dreaming when I saw you subscribing!
I hope you will give us an update of what happen in those years of absence, and also tell about how those two "little ladies" of yours have grown up and must be young ladies now.

Good morning everyone, 35° and raining lightly. Supposed to continue most of the day.

LARRY  this is the first time since the Olympics came to TV I did not watch any of it, especially the ice skating. The summer ones I only like the diving and swimming but like most of the winter ones. I would not be able to get anywhere without my rollator. Remember all I have been posting are things that Joan posted. Don't know how or where she found all of the things she did.

DON  great photo, thanks for the link. Looking at you in that pose you remind me of Burl Ives-actor-singer. Remember him? He was also the snowman in a Christmas animation. Bubble looks happy in there and her grandson, too.

SHIRLEY  as I told Larry above, those items I have posted were originally posted by Joan and I do not know how many I have. Yes it was Junee who posted Joe's address. The one big thing I dislike about the information on the internet is our personal information. It is out there for everyone to read so I try to be careful with personal things I post.

JENNY  Could you send me the name of the one you have? I have to do something, Cox has just raised the cost again.

MARY ANN  I must have a short memory because I do not remember you posting a members information.

JUNE  at times I think of the things I left behind in my life but I have the memories of them so they are not really lost.

ROLEY-PETER  I keep waiting for more snow at this time of year. Instead we have had more rain and warmer temperatures.

CAROLYN  welcome back. There are some who used to post here that just dropped out suddenly and we never knew what happened to them. Sad.

JANE  like you I am ready for sunshine even with cold temperature. Any thing right now to brighten the days.

PHYLLIS  normally it would be the end of April early May before things start blooming here.

LARRY  like you I cannot see where my life would be interesting to anyone else. I feel like my life is just boring.

A little more kindness
Joseph J. Mazzella

      I was running a few errands in my car the other day. The sun was out, the radio was playing, and I was singing along. The song was a joyful one and even my weak voice sounded good singing it. Then it happened, however. The sweet sound of the music ended and was replaced with the dreaded news break. I drove on while the announcer droned on. Gas prices were going higher again because of the competitive speculation on Wall Street. The race for the Presidency was getting nastier and nastier.  Rioting had broken out when fans of a sports team had gone wild, celebrating their team’s championship.

     Finally, I could take no more and turned off the radio. Silence seemed preferable to listening to anything else about the crazy, competitive society we live in. I slowed down as I entered a local town and watched the people as I drove by. A tall muscular man was helping an elderly lady out of a car and helping her position her walker so she could go into a local store. A smiling woman was tossing birdseed into her backyard while a dozen Robins flew down to enjoy the feast being laid out before them. A young man was walking along, carrying his two year old daughter safely in his arms. He tickled her gently when she pulled the hat off his head and they both laughed. I laughed too as I looked at all of this kindness. It felt like a glimpse of Heaven. The radio may have been off in my car, but in my heart I was still singing.

      In truth, this world could use a little more kindness and a lot less competition. Kindness makes us all winners in this life. Kindness reminds us that we are all God’s Children. Kindness shows us that we don’t have to beat others in this world. We just have to love them. May all of your moments here then be full of kindness, love, and joy. And may your only competition be with yourself: to be the best possible you that you can be.

Gloria Like in your tidbit this morning the sun is bright temperature is good out side some robins are scratching and pecking in the grass even a red headed woodpecker running up and down the side of a walnut tree getting its morning feed. looks like a great day. thanks for the good scripts you post,have a great day.

Llloyd

Just in to say Good Morning..I plan to go to Chapel this morning. We are to have a lovely day,72 for a high and sunshine. See you later. June

Good afternoon, It has been pouring rain all day, and night. Flood conditions around, but nothing like the mid west.

Larry, I am looking forward to IHop, we use to stop in one on Cape Cod.IHop is just rebuilding in a building, that  started out as Boulders Steaks, then Crab Shack and now pancakes. I cannot see them open 24 hours here, as this is still a small town in winter.

Amy, I am late in saying this, but I am so glad to read about your good news.  We were all on the pray list.

Welcome Carolyn back.

Gloria, I was always a fan of Burl Ives, have all his albins. Guess there will never be another singer like him.

Have to go, as my across the street neighbors age taking me out for my birthday dinner.  They were in Aruba, when I had my bash.

June, happy to see you posting and you are getting around. My doctor told me a YEAR ago my heart my heart was getting weaker, but here I am a year later, taking all the meds. for my condition.

Thank you for posting Jo Lavelle's address.  I know of a family in Minnesota with the same last name. 

Jenny:  We have an antenna here but it isn't as strong as we would like.  Could you send me the brand you bought - I am sure Don paid less.  I should go and exercise there when I get home too.   

Mary Ann:  123 years ago - that would really be a different lifestyle. 

Gloria:  The year we had 4 teenagers - I drove through the garage door backing out - worked full time too.  It was organized confusion.  ----do what your body tells you - rest well and often. 

June:  Always good to read your posts. 

Jane: Congrats to the winners.  Two Scotties - cute little ones.  I wish... but we have critters in the area. 

Back from an excellent Church service. Our Pastor gave an excellent sermon. I don't think he intended my particular thoughts. He dwelt on folks like Thomas Jefferson..his good deeds and wisdom and several other notable folks and the wonderful things that they have done for Christianity. Wonderful people...good news. All through history we have had wondrous things take place.

My mind kept thinking about my own life. How needful I was down through the years..even in my child hood, and how very GOOD God was to me. Even though I hadn't done any thing notable or great God still stepped in and made me "me". He strengthened me, and made me know I was special, because he made me. He knows every muscle, vein, and thought of me. I am nothing, but I am something, because God did it, as he did ALL OF US. Thanks be to God.

A good Sunday HELLO to all......especially you, CAROLYN! Welcome back. 

GLORIA and CAROL, I will send you the info on the antenna.  We saw the exact antenna at Home Depot yesterday for $60., and we paid $35. 

LARRY, we would not be happy with just the channels available to us on the antenna, but for others it would be perfect.  Even though we get 71 of them, they would not satisfy us at this time. 

JUNE good to see you are out and about enjoying yourself today. 

PHYLLIS, it is always good to see you post.  Happy you enjoy keeping up with us. 

We are headed out to get some fresh air....enjoy your afternoon, EVERYFRIEND!

Jenny

Carol, when my dad was born in 1895, my grandparents lived in Elba, a small town in SE Minnesota.  I don't know the population then, but in 2005 when Jim and I drove through, the population was 200+.  When Dad was ready for high school, they moved to Plainview MN.  There were two other children alive at the time.  My grandfather was at times a farmer, shoe maker, photographer.  They lived a rather Spartan life.  Grandma wrote about her life when she was 85 and told about having a Christmas tree that was not pine - it was one my grandfather went out in a field to get - and it filled the room where they put it.  They had to stoop down to go from one side of the room to the other.  Cotton batting on the branches represented snow.  Of course there were candles, lit and quickly extinguished.  It was, indeed, a different way of life.

Mary Ann

Hello everyone. So lovely to see familiar names.

Update on the two not so little ladies

Brooke is in her third year at Auckland University and is a true academic. Her dream job is to work in a Museum or Gallery which specialises in Maori and Pacific Island Art. To get there she will have to do Post Grad studies. For the Post Grad course she will need to get A Grades in her studies this year. 

Grace is now 17 and in her last year at high school. She is an accomplished artist and excels in English too. She's also an amazing Art Photographer. She will go to Auckland University of Technology next year as an Applied Arts and Psychology Student. She hopes to do a Conjoint degree and her dream is to become an Art therapist.  She's a lovely girl. Neither of the girls are party goers and are utterly focused on their studies. Grace is doing Scholarship exams this year which are really hard and the amount of work is astounding. She also alongside these exams has to sit her University Entrance exams. She has a unique schooling program. She only attends two classes at her private school and the rest of her studies are done under the auspices of our NZ Correspondence school. The school is called Te Kura. So she's totally self motivated. She sits all the exams that every other child sits and has a Dean who oversees  her progress. The Dean coordinates her education.

I'm plodding along. Arthritis has got the better of me. I still walk my dog but it's not the 5k a day like before. I go to our local cafe/coffee roasters every day. We have privileges and ChiChi is allowed inside the cafe. I was the first customer the day the cafe opened. It's a hub for the hood and a 5 min walk from my home. On Saturday at 4pm they had a soirée. People had to bring a musical instrument or recite a poem. The owner is Argentinian. Ours was his first cafe but now he has 3. The owner is a Greenie and a campaigner for human rights and social justice which is right up my street! One of his Cafes is called "The Activist"





Sent from my iPad

Just had a nice walk half way around the outside of our compound. It felt good to be out after a ham dinner and a two hour nap. I didn't work up an appetite, but I intend to go down for a tuna salad supper anyway.  I can always bring part of it home for a late snack.

Gloria de, I too will live with a bad heart..I'm just anxious to see my doctor when she comes here on Wed. I was so tired from my visit to her clinic I didn't stay to ask questions..just wanted to get home.I had a good education on the computer reading about heart and TIA's and how they are easily mistaken one for the other. The body is a wonderful thing and you have been doing fine with yours, my dear. I'm proud of you girl.

Carolyn, I do hope you will keep coming back in, so we can get re-acquainted again....it has been a long time, and we need you.

Good morning everyone...

Heavy dark clouds this morning but no rain thank goodness. Yesterday was a real lazy day that included some cat naps too!

Today we are going to see the kids, will have a wee visit then head home .

Gloria I too smiled when the man and child smiled. Nice how a smile is passed on.

Need to get ready.

Enjoy your day everyone..

G'Morning all.
Gloria,Larry : That dreaded 'white stuff' has finally arrived !, for a week now the temperature at night has been around the zero mark or below and just a few degree's above during daylight hours but, now it has just started to snow and the temp is going down, the forecaster said it would reach the south coast (here) by Tuesday !, and looking at the sky now,i would say by the time Tuesday gets here, it will be quite thick on the ground, which, for us southerners is most unusual !, normally the snow does not reach this far down south, or if it does it is only a light dusting !, as you say Larry, it should not hang around for very long, perhaps it might all be gone by next weekend ?. 
                                                                                                       Cheers.  Roley.

good Morning Everyfriend!  It's a balmy 41º here this morning/!  Almost feels springlike and the highs are predicted to be in the mid 40s to mid 50s all week.  Skeptic that I am, I know we are in for more cold weather before Spring really is Sprung!

Today I'm going to lunch with friends from my old job at PA House Furniture.  After that, I have an appointment for a checkup with my dr. and then I pick up Kiran.  Going to be a busy day!

I made some arrangements for the weekend with my grandniece who attends a nearby college.  I'm meeting her at her dorm Friday afternoon and she'll drive both of us in my car to my sister's where I'll spend the weekend and then she'll drive both of us back to her dorm on Monday.  I haven't had a visit with my sister for about 6 months and I'm looking forward to it.  I wasn't looking forward to the drive and now I don't have to.  I love that kid!

Waiting for the boinger for the doggies pills and then they'll have breakfast.  I don't think I'll eat anything since I'm eating an early lunch.  Enjoy your day everyfriend!

good Morning everyone. 26º and calling for 57º today. the K C news meada has found something other than the weather to talk about. A man riding down the highway on a ATV naked. I suppose they will catch him after while and feed and clothe him.
Have a good day.

Lloyd 

Good morning everyone, no rain this morning at last. Well the ax is starting to fall. The witch tool the lady down stairs under me to court on Friday, she is being evicted for smoking in her apartment.  She keeps telling me I am, too. I stop in the smoke shack and talk to my friends that smoke so of course the smell gets on my clothes, too. Now I better stay away from them?

LLOYD  glad you are enjoying those posts, just remember they were originally posted by Joan over the years. Glad I saved some so can share them now.

GLORIA de  the younger folks might only think of Burl Ives as the voice of the Christmas time cartoon snowman.

CAROL  I had 3 teenagers who had to go here or there. I was glad when they finally were old enough to drive and get their own cars. They were all in the school band  and scouts. I was the one who had to drive them all the time.

JUNE  I think I have felt needful most of my life. Then just take it one day at a time and think-this too will pass.

MARY ANN  the thought or real candles on a tree is scary. 

CAROLYN  your daughters sound like wonderful young ladies who know what  they want  to do with their lives. You must be proud of both.

AMY  glad you finally had a lazy day. I went down to our library to look for a book to read, think I have read most of the ones that interested me on the shelves I can reach. Top shelves and bottom shelf I cannot get to.

PETER  weather has been odd all over the last couple of years. Living in the north east here winters used to be very cold and a lot of snow. What this year has been does not feel normal.

JANE  have a great lunch with your former co-workers. Wonderful that you will get to spend the next week end with your sister.

LLOYD  now that would be a sight to see, wonder how cold he was.

Afraid, still
Bob Perks

"There's no need to be afraid," I said.

And yet, he was afraid, still.

"It's only noise.  It can't hurt you."

Still, he acted as if it could.

Fireworks.  Off in the distance or close by, what he could not see scared him.  What he did not understand made him hide.  It was what he heard,  like the thunderstorms that rock his soul, the explosions were upsetting.

"I won't let anything happen to you.  Look at me.  I'm not afraid," I said.

Still, it made no difference.

"Oh, God in heaven.  I'm scared sometimes, too.  I come to you for comfort.  I hear your voice and you tell me, "It's alright.  There's no need to be afraid."

Still, I am.  What is it that takes away my fear?  What do you do when I call your name and tell you I am afraid?

I need to know, you see someone has come to me for comfort from the noise that life makes and I am lost in trying.  I don't know what to say or do.

I have said all I can.  I have done all I can and yet...he is afraid, still.

God, what do I say to him?"

In the silence of a prayer, in the ending of a worship comes a moment when God's wisdom washes over you and in that moment you are at peace.

"I am here."

When logic fails in the face of fear and wisdom falls short of healing one's soul, there is only one thing that helps.

Just being there.

Some things in life defy explanation.  They just are the way they are.  Fear comes from not accepting that.  Fear rules over logic like trying to see in the dark.

"I am here" says you are in this together.  I will be with you until the light and all you could not see is finally revealed.

God, thanks for always being there even when I was afraid, still.

Gloria that is good I am sure we all will love bis as long as we can draw a breath
and if sees or someone tell's her what we are doing she will love us for it. only regrets I have about my time with her Is that I never when I was traveling to Oklahoma we never went out of our way to see here in person in Arkansas before she moved to Florida. she like all of you dear friends will be in my mined and hearts. sun sure looks good here again today. have a great day there as you like it, may god keep you safe in his arms. oh yes if we can make the travel thing work we would like to see those of you we have met again and others added to the list of seeing.

Lloyd

Hello everyone!

Carolyn, good to see the update. Brooke and Grace are really continuing on the path they started so many years ago.
They were already very talented and clear thinking then. Was it Grace that was drawing so well then?  I wish you would show some photos. I remember Brooke looking quite serious but Grace had a mischievous glimpse in her eyes LOL.
Your cafe sounds an interesting place to spend some time there.
Do you have many Argentinians in Auckland?

Lloyd, I bet that created a sensation. Was he drunk?

Jane - enjoy your visit with your sister.  These moments are getting more precious as we age.

Peter - Yes, my son in London also said it was snowing this morning and under 0C. He even sent a picture of the flakes dropping on the garden table. Brrrrrrrrrr!!!

Good Morning Everyone from the warmer but foggier rocky coast of Maine.    Our temps are going up into the forties/fifties these days.      Glad to see things are
warming up. 

Hi Caroline!   Good to see  you back on Seniors and /Friends. 
Your Grand gals are doing terrific.   

Spring is right around the corner for us...  Hooray Hooray  Hooray!

Sandy

Hi Everyone.  Our day starts out rainy and is to continue through noon and perhaps afterwards.  We will stay in the 60's all day.  We had the most folks attending our Sunday School class yesterday that I have seen since we moved here 3 years ago.  We did not go out to lunch but I stopped at Firehouse Subs for a big sub that Pat and I shared for lunch at home.  I have fixed Pat's breakfast and put out some stuffed peppers to thaw that we will have for our dinner along with a salad and there is still banana pie so we will eat well this evening.  I struggled with weariness yesterday afternoon and went to bed around 8 pm.  I am still weary today so don't plan to do anything after I finish with the discussions and have decided not to put in a reservation for our monthly Senior luncheon at Church tomorrow.

Gloria, are you familiar with a singer named Roger Whittaker?  I have always liked his singing and would call him a balladeer sort of like Burl Ives.  I don't find any of the postings in our discussion boring.  I think that at this time in our lives we don't have a lot of opportunities for new and exciting things but mainly settle into a routine that is comfortable or necessary in terms of how we feel or are able to do.  I think our joy on these discussion isn't so much what we say but that we say something that keeps the links of our friendship strong.

June, thanks for your thoughts on God and me.  We each are alike but also very unique. 

Jenny, it pays to shop around.  A couple of days ago I needed a replacement light bulb for our bathroom and when I looked for the bulb on Amazon it was over $19.  I checked on the Walmart site and the exact same bulb was just over $6.  Fortunately, my wife is a very careful shopper.  I also try to do some checking before buying. 

Carolyn, thanks for the update on Brooke and Grace.  It sounds like they are outstanding young ladies and very good students.  I know you have suffered a lot with Arthritis and have to be careful about using certainly ingredients in your food, if I remember correctly.  Are you still living in the cottage where you had moved when you were posting here before.  I have forgotten some of the details.  I need to ask for an explanation as to what your reference to the "hood" means.  Here in the USA it refers pretty much to gangs and usually isn't a very good thing. 

Roley, enjoy the snow.  Your area sounds like ours in that some years we don't get any snow either although did get a little snow on one day a few weeks ago but it never covered anything and the streets and walks were too warm for it to stay on them. 

Lloyd, at least the ATV rider gave the news media something to talk about other than politics.  It sounds like the action of someone on drugs. 

I haven't tried to comment to everyone today as don't seem to have the energy but have enjoyed all of the postings.   

Hello Bubbles, yes your right about the snow in London, fortunately for us, it seems to have eased off after reaching down as far a Gatwick, at times the 'South Downs' comes to our rescue and holds a lot of the rough weather back but, like the forecaster said, Tuesday may be a different story for us!.
It is nearly 4 - 15 pm here and the sun has started to set !, already you can feel the temperature has started to go down,  bed-Socks again tonight methinks !. 

LARRY. Roger Whittaker was very popular here a few years back, he made his fame and fortune here in the UK, i think he died two or three years ago
                                                                                               Cheers.   Roley.  aka Peter.