The Hospital's Nativity Scene.
Guy from the television repair company came to fix some issues with my television and DVD player. I had completely forgotten he was coming, I need to get back to doing my 'To Do' list before I go to bed, for the next day. It's embarrassing to be caught in my dressing gown at the computer, at 10.30 in the morning. I had also forgotten about going to the hospital but I went this afternoon instead. I will be glad when everything is back to normal - when the Senior Centre is open again, and everyone is back at Emmanuel, and I know where I am supposed to be.
The hospital is still quite full, I went round both floors. Having been a medical secretary in Britain I know that at this time of year the doctors are all off skiing and hospital beds are empty. But that's the NHS - or even the Nuffield - for you.
Needed to go to the bank.
I love going to my bank. They have the most comprehensive beverage station with tea, coffee, hot chocolate, spiced cider, herbal teas. And if I pick a teller who is not used to me and my passport, and Lloyds debit card, I have time to browse the beverages while she figures it out.
And not only do they have a beverage station but popcorn as well for those who might fancy a little snack with their drink.
I went on to the Dollar Store. We have Pound Shops in England, but some things, at least in Seaford, were more than a pound, but here everything is a dollar. It's one of my favourite shops. I think the time has come to take down my autumn decorations - I never did get round to replacing them with Christmas ones after Thanksgiving, like I intended - I think I was reluctant because they were so bright and colourful, but it is time to take them down and make the place look more spring like, hence my trip to the dollar store to get a few extra. It has certainly been a spring like day, blue skies, sunshine and 70 degrees.
I'll take some pictures when I have got them all situated.
The Senior Centre is closed this week so didn't have Kiwanis this morning, and have been trying to catch up with some housework.
I was thinking a little wistfully yesterday of Boxing Day dinners in years gone by (although I know yesterday wasn't Boxing Day) and I bought a corned brisket of beef which is very nice cooked overnight in a slow cooker. I mashed up some sprouts and potatoes, and as all this was going to be way too much for me to eat by myself I invited Pattisue for supper. I told her the fried potatoes and sprouts were called 'bubble and squeak' and this was what we ate with beef on the day after Christmas - and some of us actually prefer that to the turkey and trimmings. She seemed to enjoy it and was certainly interested, made a mental note of bubble and squeak so she would know what that was if she came across it in her English murder mysteries.
The Presidential Election is racheting up (and voting isn't even until next November) but the front runners are beginning to emerge. I can't begin to understand their election process because it is different in different states, but next Tuesday is a key date in seeing who the front runners are going to be against Obama.
I thought Donald Trump had fallen off the radar when no one wanted to go to his debate he was moderating, but he is "going to make an announcement" after Tuesday.
One candidate said, if elected, she would be an Iron Lady like Margaret Thatcher!!! I never thought our leaders were so wonderful that Americans were aspiring to be like them.
A couple more pictures from Beaumont.
My red Toyota in the car park.
I think there are about four guest houses and they all have covered walkways to the Conference Centre and Chapel.
Had a good Christmas break down in Beaumont, Texas.
As Christmas was at a weekend this year the friends and guests the monks would normally have had on Christmas Eve were all at Mass in their Catholic churches, so there was just Peter; Michael; David the new recruit from Puerto Rico; Michael's mother and myself. In the evening we had champagne with jumbo prawns from the Gulf and soft French cheese and biscuits. Afterwards David entertained us with his guitar, he is very good at Latin American rhythm and he played Christmas songs from Puerto Rico, and sang Silent Night in Spanish. Michael played a recording of carols from St Paul's, which sounded amazing in their living room with eight speakers round the room.
There were quite a lot of people in chapel for Mass on Christmas morning. We had the Christmas meal in the evening.
The rib of beef had been hanging for 45 days and was so tender it could be cut with a fork. I asked Michael if he butchered it, he said he would have liked to have done.
Fr Peter.
Michael with one of the guests.
David with Michael's mother.
I left on Monday after Morning Prayer. It was a bright sunny day, so ideal for travelling.
The mileage there and back surprised me, it was less than I thought, and I am sure less than previous years when I have taken the main roads. It was 464 miles going - I got a bit lost when I took the wrong road at the state line and had to resort to my GPS. I shouldn't bad mouth my GPS though, I set it when I left Beaumont and it took me all the way to Shawnee without a problem. It was 441 miles coming back, and I pulled into a Comfort Inn for the night when I got to Oklahoma, as it was dark and the roads are too bad to drive.
This is what passes for a state highway in Oklahoma. Even the farm to market roads (the lowest category) in Texas are better than OK's state highways. I should have taken a picture of a state highway in Texas so you could see the difference.
Last night I had dinner with Pattisue at an Asian diner and today, Wednesday, I have been recovering from the journey. Even thought I kept stopping to stretch my legs I am still stiff. I will be back in the YMCA pool in the morning. I did my chaplaincy round at the hospital, I was surprised that the hospital was practically full.
Had lunch with Larry and the chaplain for the Hospice.
Left the monastery yesterday, Monday, morning and am on the way to Shawnee.
I started looking for somewhere to stay when it began to get dark, it is one thing to drive in Texas in the dark with their superior roads, but an entirely different tin of cat food driving in Oklahoma, which doesn't even have cats eyes. My heart sank when I got to the state line last night and hadn't found anywhere, but I had been in touch with Pattisue on the journey and she comes from this neck of the woods in Texas, and said there are loads in this town in Oklahoma just across the Red River (the Red River borders TX and OK) and sure enough I spotted a Comfort Inn, where I had a very comfortable night.
The major part of the journey is over, it won't take long now to get to Shawnee, and I will be back with pictures.
ps they were saying in the monastery that Prince Phillip is in hospital and all the family are there , but the Queen isn't. Do we know why the Queen isn't? It sounds as if they were all gathering round his deathbed.
I said someone needed to look after the corgis.
Well - Sharon picked me up this afternoon to go to Hertz, so now I am practically packed and ready to go, with a shiny red 2011 Toyota Corolla in the drive (I wish it was mine).
Got all my route organised. It is 480 miles the way I am going, and allegedly takes 9 hours 20 minutes. I don't know how I think I am doing it in one day, I wouldn't contemplate driving from Seaford to Aberdeen in one day. I might not do it in a day - in fact the more I think of it the more I think I probably won't - if it gets dark before I arrive I will pull into a motel.
This evening I called on my friend Faye to wish her a Happy Christmas, and her son Wayne - who is in Kiwanis - was also there with his family. I just gave her a Christmas card and stayed a few minutes. I photographed these Christmas lights in her road.
I look at this lot and think "who needs Regent Street". I am surprised I don't see cars cruising round looking at them all.
Reading through the last blogs they seem so boring. Is anyone out there still reading them?
Had to go to the City this morning to have my fingerprints taken for the replacement residence permit. The Agent taking them manipulated my fingers on a pad in front of a computer screen, then she pointed out how damaged they are, and I will probably have to go again for another attempt. She said the damage can be repaired and wrote down the name of a moisturising cream she uses to put on at night.
I was going to have my passport stamped so that I could leave the country - and get back in - if I needed to before getting the replacement permit, which apparently takes about eight months. However, it was lunch time and meant waiting an hour and a half, so I said I'd do it next time I was there.
Pattisue was having chemotherapy today. It takes several hours and I called to see how she was getting on when I left the City, and when I got back to Shawnee I pulled into Pink Swirls and rang her again to see what she'd like. By the time I got to the hospital and we had eaten them she'd finished the chemo so I took her home.
I also called on Sharon whose little dog died yesterday. It was 14. She has another dog as well, Sherlock, and the reaction of Sherlock to the death of the little one was quite extraordinary. Sharon wrapped the little dog in its blanket, and laid it down in the living room as she didn't feel quite ready to bury it. Sherlock went and sniffed it, then the cat tried to go and sniff it, but Sherlock barred its way, she wouldn't let the cat near it. Then Sharon dug a grave in the garden, laid the dog in there, put the earth on top of it and Sherlock came and sniffed it, then scraped the earth away until he got down to the blanket, sniffed it again, then pushed back with his nose all the earth he'd scraped off.
I am picking up a rental car tomorrow afternoon and leaving for Texas, hopefully, early Friday morning.
This morning the Heartland Hospice had a party. They party here at the oddest times, like 11am. And actually party - as in play games - like dirty Santa. I am not even going to try and explain dirty Santa, but the bottom line is that everyone takes a present for dirty Santa and consequently goes home with one. I just took a box of chocolates I picked up in a drug store, but some people brought some really beautiful presents, the kind you'd give a favourite relative.
It was also a take and share lunch. I was ambitiously intending to make some sausage rolls, which would please my cheerful cockney friend. But I didn't get round to them, I blamed my ADHD, and put the sausage and pastry into the freezer. And I took a tray of veggies and dip.
I haven't done anything for the Hospice so really felt I ought to make the effort to go to their get together this morning, and everyone was so friendly and nice I was glad I made the effort.
Me and Phyllis. Or Phyllis and I.
Playing Dirty Santa.
One of the party guests, looking very festive.
On the subject of dogs - Sharon hasn't been out and about very much lately, she is nursing a very sick, terminally ill, dog. I have been a little surprised at the very devoted care pets have here at the end of their lives. It was the same with Rosalyn's cat, Persimmon.
This afternoon I was at the Senior Centre, manning the front desk.
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There are a few Methodist churches in Shawnee and this morning I paid another visit to the small one the Johnsons attend and Carla pastors.
Carla preached a very good sermon with a lot of depth and food for thought. She also utilised her musical gifts, giving every one in the congregation a percussion instrument then playing 'Mary's Boy Child' to a calypso rhythm.
The Johnson family invited me to Christmas lunch. I said I appreciated the invite but hoped to drive down to Beaumont, Texas, but if I didn't go - if the weather got bad for example in Oklahoma and I couldn't out-drive it - I would be pleased to accept.
Apart from a trip to Dillards in the Mall for a new sweater I haven't done a lot the rest of the day.
I was tidying my fridge, and looking at the contents of the things I always have in there, I wondered what things other people always keep in their fridges.
Anyway, this is mine.
Eggs (who hasn't got eggs, it's the most convenient food on the planet) milk; tinned goats milk. I use the fresh milk for my breakfast oatmeal, and night time drink, and the tinned in my tea. As the fridges are much bigger here than at home I keep things in that probably could go in a pantry, like cans.
Chocolate. That's not necessary but I prefer it cold with a snap.
I've always got a Ziplock bag with crumble topping in it. It is so quick to make, and a convenient hot comfort food sprinkled over an apple, blackberries, or tinned plums.
Spreadable butter, and the hard sticks of butter which I use for baking (ie crumble topping) Margarine here is horrible even for baking, so is the stuff that purports to be healthier than butter.
Microwaveable baking potatoes. I've had friends cluck disapprovingly and tell me it is cheaper to buy the potatoes by the lb, but that does away with the whole convenience of the shrink wrapped potato I just pull out of the fridge and put in the microwave for a quick lunch.
A bag of ready grated cheese. For a sandwich, or on said baked potato. I have usually got some other kind of cheese as well such as a piece of brie or camembert.
Some sort of cream. Either in a carton to drizzle over the crumble. The current bargain is cartons of sour cream, which I buy for $1 at the dollar store; that can go on a dessert, over chilli, or a baked potato, or beaten into an avocado. Sour cream is useful.
Tinned fruit which I also buy for $1 at the dollar store. Generally misshapen peaches, but they are fine in the morning oatmeal.
Streaky bacon. It is always streaky and I cook it in my electric skillet, and the fat rendered down is useful. And there are a lot of uses for bacon, but I don't tell my health conscious friends who would freak out.
I keep bread in one vegetable drawer (usually some kind of Italian bread) and vegetables in the other.
In the door I always have mayonnaise and horseradish, and jars of jam or marmalade.
So that's my fridge.
Last night I made an orange trifle to take to the Christmas lunch at Emmanuel for the Community, and I was up early to deliver it. Fresh oranges make a nice trifle but it is labour intensive, peeling and segmenting them all. Next time I will use some tinned fruit.
The lunch is cooked by the same team who do the monthly Community breakfasts. The men do the donkey work, cooking seven turkeys and peeling 50lbs of potatoes - I wonder when they are going to get round to instant mash but I think they like to give as good a lunch as they would do in their own homes, and it was very good. I even had some gravy on mine because it was proper, decent gravy. The women do the desserts.
Serving up the lunch. I will know tomorrow how many they served. The guests were almost all from the community - and they seemed to be mainly Indian - the only people from Emmanuel who were there were those helping, or who had donated a dessert, like myself.
Clothes are donated and people help themselves to what they want.
This afternoon I have just been doing jobs round the house, and on the computer.
The latest craze here is for hand knitted socks, I'd like to be able to make some. Where is my Grandma when I need her. She knitted socks and crocheted very fine lace, something else I'd like to do.
My mother showed me how to knit and embroider, but it was just my grandma's generation who made socks. In the 1950s - my era - embroidering tray cloths with crinolines on was popular. Now it seems - at least here - that they have gone back to my grandma's generation and are making socks.
Thursday
Instead of a speaker at Kiwanis we had a group from the elementary schools in Shawnee (elementary is pre high school) singing carols accompanied by their hand chimes, which I gather is a cheaper version of hand bells. They sounded quite nice though and they sang well.
You can't see the chimes they are holding very well, they look like rolled up pieces of paper.
I think in Britain they would probably have been better turned out, even with just matching tee shirts.
I know I've said this before but I had always imagined America to be a rich country and am often taken aback at the level of poverty. One of the programmes the Senior Centre runs is called 'Shoes that Fit', providing shoes for children. Because they don't have social security here (at least not like ours) they have to rely on communities. Obama is dedicated to bringing in socialism like we have, but Republicans are dead against it, saying it is not the 'American Way' People should rely on neighbours, friends and churches. I'd hate that, give me our Social Security, flawed as it may be.
Pattisue had to go to the hospital and I picked her up. She has to drive sometimes, chauffering her grand daughter around while the parents are at work, but I try to save her some driving when I can.
We went to Larry's Thursday chapel service and had lunch together in the hospital dining room, then I waited in the chaplaincy office while she had her lab tests. It was nice to see her.
Friday
Out early to the YMCA and having marginally more energy than I do in the evening I did the water resistance walk, instead of going the other way and letting the current take me.
Then to my hospital chaplaincy stint, where I went round both floors. I didn't feel like lunch on my own so took a sandwich to go.
I've had an interesting exchange of e-mails with Fr Clark lately (his ancestry goes back to a 14th century nobleman in Surrey, so he is very pro British and interested in my British perspective on things). How many of you thought that Father Christmas and Santa Claus was the same person, with just different names?
Yeah, well so did I. But no, Santa Claus is a Protestant Father Christmas, created by the Evangelical Right in America who object to 'Father Christmas' and his associations with the Catholic St Nicholas. So in the Catholic and Episcopalian churches here St Nicholas is promoted, and in the rest of America he is Santa Claus. But they don't have a Father Christmas here. So now I've heard everything.
Decided to go to the hospital after lunch. A group from Emmanuel, and a few others, attended a lunch at an Italian restaurant in Shawnee. The speaker was a deacon from the Episcopal church in Tulsa, she was talking about the work they do helping children with a parent in prison, and currently there are 27,000 children in Oklahoma with a parent in prison. There are more women, per capita of the population, in prison in OK than anywhere else on the planet. It's not that they are worse than women in Kansas or Colorado or anywhere else, it is the laws in Oklahoma that are different.
As a recent victim of theft I am not overly compassionate at the moment about the women, but I do feel for the children and I am very interested in what the church in Tulsa seems to be doing for them.
There are several weekly activity groups at the church, and speciality camps like canoe, and art and science, and counselor-in-training camps where 16-17 year olds, who are previous campers, train to be counselors themselves.
Another activity offered to 11-15 year olds are Horse Retreats as learning to ride, groom and feed horses teaches them responsibility. They go out and ride for two hours then get back and want to go off and have something to drink, but they are told that the horse has worked hard for them for the past two hours and before they can go off and do anything they have to see to the horse first. I can see how that would teach them perseverance and responsibility, and generally give them life skills they otherwise might not have a chance to acquire.
There seems to be quite a lot of weekly activities at the church from Mondays to Fridays, and they are given a meal before going home. The children themselves love it, they also love the fact that they realise they are not alone, that there are other children just like them.
I went round the hospital afterwards. Larry has another volunteer chaplain on Wednesdays, so we do a floor each like Pattisue and I used to do.
I had supper at Emmanuel, and took the dessert. The dollar store had a special offer going on tinned strawberries so I made a strawberry jelly - which goes down well with the children, they're not used to fruit in jelly here - and also took the brownies I'd bought at the Kiwani bake sale.
After supper I went to the pool at the YMCA. Families use the pool until 7.45, then it is available for water walking until 8.30. I didn't have the energy to walk against the current, so i walked along with it. I was surprised at how quickly I could walk letting the current take me.
Well, I thought my car had died last night, but it has lived to drive another day.
The problem wasn't anything to do with oil pressure either, Terry said those warning lights aren't always right. I needed a new spark plug wire set, and valve cover gasket. So much for looking at the Owner's Manual and Googling 'low oil pressure in Hondas' giving myself a sleepless night.
It took Terry about an hour and a half and they sorted it while I waited. The days are long gone when mechanics had to look around under car bonnets to locate the problem, then wait for parts. Now they just fix the car to the computer and ring up for parts which are delivered immediately.
I went to the Senior Centre for my afternoon at the front desk, and photographed their tree.
There are two kinds of decorations in peoples front gardens - the beautiful, like I posted the other day, and the others. You have to give them marks for trying though, I haven't even made an effort.
It would seem that Oklahoma is going in for different, fancy plates after all. I saw the first one today.
This is not going to be very long. I've not only not done a lot but am a bit stressed and anxious.
Anyway, I went out early this afternoon to the post office. Currently it is a big thing in the news that there are major changes in the US postal services. Post offices are closing down, they are stopping deliveries on Saturdays, and post is going to take longer to be delivered. I suppose with the impact of the Internet it is to be expected, but it seems a shame anyway. However my pals in the local Shawnee post office said they won't be closing down, so that is good news. I've got quite fond of them, and they all know me with my packages to the United Kingdom (as you have probably realised there aren't many foreigners here in Shawnee).
In the mid afternoon I picked up Pattisue, who is beginning to suffer from a bit of cabin fever cooped up in her daughter's house, and I took her for a Pink Swirl. We looked at the new Chinese/Sushi restaurant next door and thought we'd try that out later in the week.
Her daughter lives at Tecumseh, and after dropping her off I stopped off at Solara - a branch of the hospital where I'd spent a lot of time with Larry - to visit Faye, who is making a good recovery from her hip surgery. She was just finishing supper and we had a good visit, chatting with other patients in the dining room.
And this is where I got anxious. Leaving Solara the car was acting strange, and there was a yellow warning light that the oil pressure was low. The pressure, not the fluid. I debated calling Roadside Assistance but as I was about 3 miles from home; it was the height of the rush hour, and there was a major accident with police and emergency vehicles all over the road , I decided to press on for home (I weaved my way through a parking lot and out the other side of the accident). And I made it. But I'm anxious. And I'll ring Terry in the morning.
The third Sunday in Advent, like the second in Lent, is when the Episcopal Church takes a break from its solemnity and lightens up, donning pretty pink vestments.
And instead of the usual 10.30 service we had a service of 9 Lessons and Advent carols - they won't sing the Christmas carols until Christmas Eve - I was reading the 3rd Lesson.
I wish I had taken a picture of Fr Gary all decked out in his pretty pink. But here are a couple of pictures of the Sanctuary and the Advent Wreath.
The little girl in this picture sang a solo and Tim Sean was accompanying her on the guitar. I took this before the service while they were rehearsing.
Rosalyn taking her seat at the organ.
After the service I went to IHOP for a blueberry pancake.
I've heard critics of Tweeter saying how boring it is, people tweeting about their breakfast. So I don't think it is any sillier of me to photograph my breakfast. I don't tweet, I don't even look at my Facebook page except once in a while. It is enough to keep up with my blog.
And here's a licence plate.
I seem to have wasted a lot of time today being lethargic. I did go to the bank and shopping this morning. I was going to the Sine Nomine Christmas concert this afternoon, I thought it was at 5.30 but when I got there it had been 3.30, so I missed it which was rather disappointing. I took some photos. Thought I would take the Christmas trees and the lights around town.
This is in my bank.
There are some very big and elaborate displays in front gardens. The bank teller was telling me about one, and apparently if one's car radio is tuned right it picks up the carols which are being played round the decorations in the front garden. She couldn't remember the address though.
People with displays like this obviously can't be worrying about their electricity bills.
I marvel at the work involved in all this. I haven't even got the energy to plug my ready lighted trees into the outlet.
The news here is nearly all the Presidential election, apart from one or two other big issues and shootings.
Goodness knows why, but Donald Trump thinks he has all the power and influence in deciding the next Republican President (if Obama doesn't get back in, but I hope he does) He thinks all the presidential candidates are waiting with bated breath to see who he is going to back for the Republican nomination. He is supposed to be moderating a debate in a couple of weeks but only two out of seven candidates have agreed to take part, ha, ha, ha. He's pretending not to care but I think he is deep down very hacked off.
He said he was going to announce who he is backing after this debate, which is why I think they're saying no thank you to him moderating it.
Was up and dressed early intending to go to the YMCA, however Pattisue was taking her grand daughter to school at 8 o'clock, as her parents were both at work, but after getting in the car she didn't have the confidence to drive it, so I picked them up. Pattisue also had to go to the hospital for lab tests.
Speaking of hospitals - Larry's grand daughter, who has had cancer since she was two, is having a rare treatment. The only two places in the world giving it are in Oklahoma and Texas, so he was saying there are quite a few children from around the world there, from Saudi Arabia, Europe etc. and the parents prefer Oklahoma to Texas because it is a lot cheaper here; food, accommodation.
I took Pattisue to the hospital then went round both floors visiting. Another friend picked her up and took her home.
I visited Faye who is recovering well from her hip surgery and has been moved to the rehabilitation unit on the other side of town. This evening I had supper with Sharon and another friend of hers at her house.
Up early to defrost the car and go for the donuts in Tecumseh, I don't mind getting them but am pleased another member has said they will go next month.
It is really cold first thing in the morning, which is why the car windows are iced up. Back in the summer when it was 107 I used to run the air conditioning in the car for 20 minutes, now I let the heater run. It's better than scraping ice off the windows.
The Kiwanis speaker was one of our members who talked about her trip to the Lake District and Scotland. I'd been looking forward to it and it was very good.
She and her friend went with a group of women from Oklahoma City. Two of the women - one of whom was English - take tour groups to different places, and this was their last tour.
They were based in Grasmere and took daily trips out, some went on walking tours. On one excursion they travelled in two coaches, she was in the front coach with the experienced driver who managed to get up the Hardknott Pass; the inexperienced driver of the coach behind panicked and bailed out, backing back down the Pass until he could turn round (that sounds worse than negotiating the hairpin bends) and that group had to go to Keswick. I gather they were rather disgruntled about that.
She was very admiring of the flowers everywhere, in hanging baskets and window boxes, also very impressed with the fine dining at the hotel. And of course Americans are always amazed at how old everything is, she mentioned that.
She commented on the difficulty she had when she went to church and the hymn books didn't have the music, just the words. I laughed and said I can't get over the fact that everyone here can read music - I think they learn it with their ABC's - I don't know a single person who can't read music, and there isn't a hymn book here anywhere without the music as well.
I decided I needed my provisional appointment with the dentist this afternoon to adjust my new denture. I also had an appointment next Monday with the hygienist but I also saw her this afternoon to save me another trip on Monday. The next thing I need are some fillings, when I have psyched myself up for the cost.
In dentists in England do people still rinse and spit? Here, water is sprayed round the mouth, the patient clamps down on a sort of tube and all the water and debris is sucked up, presumably into the tube-like thing. It's much better than rinsing and spitting.
I was sitting waiting in the dentist's chair, admiring the snowflake decorations twirling round in the sunshine outside, and got my camera out.
Americans make a big deal about decorations. This was the tree in the waiting room.
Mary Roberts - Mark's Mary - is a registered nurse and works in a nursing home next door to the dentist. I literally just stepped over the grass verge of the dentist's parking lot into their parking lot, and dropped in to say hello. Although it was a lovely drive back to Shawnee in the late afternoon sun, I did say I didn't know how she does the journey every day. It is 40 miles each way. She said she was getting very tired and is seriously thinking of giving the job up soon. She was surprised that my dentist - at least the hygienist which was all we were comparing - charges less than hers in Shawnee. Perhaps my dentist looks expensive because it is a beautiful building in lovely surroundings.
Two notices on the notice board in the Senior Centre which caught my attention.
Visited my friend Faye at the hospital, who has just had a replacement hip, then went round the rest of the floor. Quite a lot of patients in at the moment. It surprises me that patients are admitted here for pneumonia; in England don't they just get better at home? Cellulitis is something else that puzzles me. I thought that was something unsightly on fat ladies legs, it looks like orange peel and womens magazines are always telling them how to get rid of it, or not get it in the first place.
Afterwards had lunch with Larry and Melissa, a new volunteer chaplain.
You might remember quite a long time ago, months, if not a year or so, I was writing about the former governor of Illinois who tried to sell Obama's senate seat, and was indicted and found guilty on 18 counts of corruption, anyway, he just appeared in court today for sentencing (why did it take so long I ask myself, I can't get my head round the judicial system here sometimes) Anyway, he was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment, but was he led away and locked up. No, he goes home for Christmas and to put his affairs in order (like the last few months haven't been enough time) then he has to report on the 16th February to be locked up.
The previous governor also went to prison for corruption (there's something about Chicago politics, I blame it on Al Capone) but he just got about six and a half years, so the judge in this case obviously thought that Illinois governors haven't got the message, that corruption doesn't pay, so gave this one fourteen years. He has to serve at least 85% of the term before he can be considered for parole. Illinois prisons are obviously not as overcrowded as they are in California, otherwise he would be out for Easter.
When he does eventually stroll into prison on the 16th February he will be put to work cleaning out the toilets for 7cents an hour.
One just wonders why, why, on earth did he do it.
Was busy running around with my errands since early this morning. I went to the Senior Centre at 8 to help carry things in for the monthly Bake Sale then to the bank and the YMCA, I was exhausted by the time I was done and it was only mid morning.
The bank teller, handing me back my passport, said it was very nice, she had never seen a foreign passport before. Now I know why it is always scrutinised like they are ICE agents (Immigration Control Enforcement), it is admiration!
In the afternoon I had to go on my long drive to the dentist in Norman and have now got my permanent denture. It took quite a bit of practice putting it in and taking it out as it has clasps on it and fits very tightly, and I had to do it a few times before they let me go. I was warned it might need adjusting, and she gave me a provisional appointment on Thursday in case I had any problems, but I think it will be alright.
Apparently fancy licence plates are a new phenomena, it is not just me who has suddenly noticed them. In South Carolina there are over 300 new ones and the police are complaining. I think though that in Oklahoma the only reason there are new ones is because the Tribes are now licensing their own vehicles. In SC - and maybe other states - charities are raising money by advertising on them.
These are my two latest.
I wondered what happens if they are caught speeding. Normally Indians committing crimes are handed over to the Tribal police.
Citizen Pottawatomie is headquartered in Shawnee. It is so called because they are the only tribe with dual US/Indian citizenship.
The Sac and Fox nation are headquartered in Stroud, Oklahoma, which is near here (or as near as near gets in these parts). I might be repeating myself, forgive me if I am. The mother of Jim Thorpe, the famous Olympic athlete, was the daughter of Black Hawk, a great Sac Fox chief, and Jim Thorpe's name is seen a lot round here. At the 1913 Olympics the King of Sweden called Jim Thorpe the greatest athlete in the world, to which he replied "Thanks, King".
Everyone wants to claim descent from the Indian tribes, they have much better healthcare and education and other facilities than Americans do. To be entitled to it one has to have one eighth Indian blood, which is the equivalent of one great grand parent.
I didn't go to church this morning. I woke up and didn't want to get out of bed.
This blog is going to be mainly pictures.
The final score in the game yesterday was OU 10 - OSU 44. Pattisue and I were communicating on our cell phones during it. At one point she asked me to let her know if Oklahoma State scored, her family (OU fans) had switched channels in disgust.
Unfortunately the fans all rushed on to the ground at the end and 13 people were injured, 3 critically. The goal posts came down and people were trampled.
I finally today summoned up the energy to go to University Baptist this evening for their Hanging of the Green, when the church is decorated. Pattisue didn't go and she had gone this morning, and wasn't up to going twice.
On the way there though I stopped by the downtown coffee shop where Sustainable Shawnee were having a Christmas shindig. The entertainment was provided by Tim Sean, Emmanuel's youth minister, who plays in a little group. He was just performing himself when I got there.
It was a lovely service and singing. They first of all bring in the banners, then the poinsettias, then the children put the decorations on one of the trees, and then all the trees are lit. It was all very pretty.
I thought the bit about poinsettias was interesting.
