Thursday 30th August

Nice bright morning for picking up the donuts from Tecumseh.  The Kiwani's speaker was disappointing, he was billed to talk about Commodities which I thought might be interesting, as I know little about them, but in fact was reviewing a list of books.  I was impressed though at his friendly, cocktail party attitude, where he went round the room beforehand and familiarised himself with all our names, and remembered them.

I missed the discussion group at Emmanuel, but joined them for Communion and lunch afterwards at an Italian restaurant.  There were seven of us, including Fr Bill and his wife.  I enjoyed it, but mainly for the company.   I think I have been watching too many Food Network shows and competitions, I have become far more critical of restaurants than I ever used to be.

Spent the afternoon napping, catching up on my very early start.

 Isaac is moving across Arkansas and its aftermath will be felt in parts of eastern Oklahoma.

It looks like rain in the morning.

It seemed really hot today, I thought it was in triple digits, not the 80s.

But it is going to get hot next week.   

 And I'm afraid Hurricane Kirk is veering towards the British Isles.

Tonight is the second full moon this month, what they call a Blue Moon, they are relatively rare, hence the saying "once in a blue moon".   The next one I think will be in July 2015.

Wednesday 29th August

I made a mistake yesterday when writing up Tuesday's blog, I  incorrectly called it Monday, but have now corrected that - there wasn't one for Monday.

I went to the hospital this morning to see how my friend's husband was doing, then ended up hanging out in the office with Larry and another chaplain, having lunch there, then going to the Rehab Centre, which is on the other side of Shawnee.    The new hospital management wants more areas covered by chaplains, and I am quite keen on going to Rehab.

The news is all the hurricane and the Republicans' Convention, and they are both giving me some writers bloc.   Perhaps tomorrow I will have something to write about.

Tuesday 28th August

Called at the hospital this morning as the husband of a Democrat friend is seriously ill.  He was asleep and some family members were sitting with him, so my friend and I spent some time chatting in the waiting room.    I then just had time to organise myself, have some lunch quickly, and go to the Senior Centre.

The Republican Convention got underway, minus a few delegates; Republican governors of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, who all have other - more important - things on their minds.    The governor of Oklahoma was there making an IMPORTANT speech, in which she was bragging that OK is the reddest state in the Union because every county voted Republican in 2008.

It is not really surprising.  The evangelical fundamentalists which mostly populate this state believe that capitalism is the economic system ordained by God, therefore every form of socialism is evil and must be cast out.

Of equal importance in the news is the weather and the advance of Hurricane Isaac.    

It is believed at the moment that the aftermath of the hurricane is going to move into eastern Oklahoma by Friday.   The Shawnee area - to the east of OK City - looks like it will have a lot of wind and rain.

There is a major outbreak of West Nile virus, transmitted by mosquitoes.   I knew there was a reason I don't hang around outdoors.

As you see on this map it is most prevalent in Texas and Oklahoma.   Shawnee has just been sprayed with Deet and all areas of standing water are being dealt with.

The virus was first identified in the US in 1999. It was recognised by the deaths of thousands of birds, and an epidemic of encephalitis in people and horses.

 This is a black widow spider, another pest to look out for round here, but they are mostly under rocks and in undisturbed corners of barns etc.

Sunday 26th August

I have picked up another donut collecting duty.   It was discovered that the same person was getting them every Sunday morning for the church, and although she didn't complain it was thought that others could help out.   So I stepped up, I am not much good at jumble sale helping but can do donuts.

The jumble sale yesterday, by the way, raised $1300.  I think that is a lot more than we ever got in Denton, even converted to sterling.

I went to sleep last night with the rain still gushing out of the sky, so everything is looking a bit greener this morning.  Kevin came and cut my grass this afternoon.

Everyone is looking at the weather in the Gulf.   I have noticed a falling off of people viewing my blog, only one or two each day in the last few days, there were seven on Monday.   I thought maybe I am giving you too much weather but it is such a major thing here.  I know you are getting this weather news at home too.

It looks at the moment that the tropical storm is going to hit landfall at New Orleans, where it will be a hurricane Tuesday night or Wednesday.

This evening I went to University Baptist where they were having a block party for the new students.   There were a lot of bouncy castle like things.

These climbing walls where they run up, press a button and abseil down seems to be the latest trend. 

Pattisue was there and I hung out with her for a while. 

Saturday 25th August

WE'VE GOT RAIN!!!   Just sat down to type this up and can hear it on the roof.   Hopefully it will be in for the night.

This has not been a busy day.   I don't sleep well and every so often it catches up with me, as it has today.  Woke early, read, dozed, read some more, and woke at noon.

Then I finished by book.   And straight away was into my Barnes & Noble account downloading its sequel to my C-Nook.    With the advent of C-Nooks, Kindles and amazon.com it is not surprising that bookshops are a thing of the past.   Is there still a Waterstones  in Eastbourne?

When I haven't been reading I have been tracking Isaac on the Weather Channel.   Meterology has become a lot more interesting with all the modern technology.

That's an awful lot of damage in the Dominican Republic with nearly 10,000 people displaced.

Here in Shawnee we have now got thunderstorms, and the ground is going to be well soaked.  It is raining hard.



 

Friday 24th August

Went to Fr Bill's mysticism/discussion group this morning looking at Thomas Merton, and afterwards to the hospital.  Someone had done one floor, I did the other and ICU, and talked with a distraught young couple in the chapel.     Spent the rest of the afternoon reading, and watching the progress of tropical storm Isaac which is about to turn into a hurricane, the Weather Channel were tracking it all day.

 Looks like rain all over the place but it has yet to get here, and it is nearly 11pm now.

The other night when I was reading in bed I felt the house sort of shake, I had no idea what it was and ridiculously wondered if a cat had thrown itself against an outside wall.  It felt like something had thumped against the wall.   When I was having lunch on Thursday my pals were talking about it - it was an earthquake tremor.  So much for flying cats!  I am just not used to earthquakes and tremors.  

I hope they don't get any worse, Oklahoma hasn't been an area for earthquakes , and unlike the states that do get them they haven't got the building codes which strengthens properties in case of them.

Thursday/Friday morning

The weather is cooler in the mornings, it was lovely getting into a car early on Thursday to pick up the donuts, that didn't feel like a furnace.  

The Kiwani's speaker was very interesting, she was from the Drug Court, and now I understand why there are so many community service workers passing through the Senior Centre, they are all there for drug related incidences which are misdemeanours.   Not manufacturing, or dealing, those are felonies for which the penalties are jail time.   But if they are charged with DUI - driving under the inflence - they can opt for a  2 year term through the Drug Court, or else face up to 30 years jail time.

The restrictions they have are severe.  They have to be drug tested every day and a positive test means 5 days in jail.  There is a 10 o'clock curfew.  They have to wear an ankle monitor so the Court knows where they are at all times.  They have to do community service in a public service facility, which explains them all passing through the Senior Centre.   They have to attend the AA's 12 step programme.  If they get through all this they are usually cured of their addiction and have got their lives back on track.  Their next step is to get their driving licences back which were suspended when they were caught.   Now I understand why there are so many drivers turning up at the Senior Centre to pick them up.  There is no  public transport in Shawnee, if you don't drive you don't go anywhere.   The Drug Court helps and accommodates them every way they can, if they are working, the daily drug test is moved to a more convenient time, for example.    

All this costs them about $2800 which has to be paid somehow, but there is leeway in how it is paid, over what period.

As I am typing this there has been at least 10 people shot outside the Empire State building.  I don't know what it is about this place, it seems every day there is a mass shooting somewhere.

Fr Clark shops online from the British Food store, we compare purchases, and he gave me a packet yesterday of Garibaldi biscuits.  I had told him I don't eat them because we call them squashed fly biscuits in Britain, and they are not terribly popular, but I was glad of the chance to try them.  They are actually quite nice, and not as sweet as American biscuits.  All of which are too sweet, all American desserts are too sweet.

Later in the morning I went to the discussion group at Emmanuel, then Communion, and after that six of us went out to lunch.  I always liked that Thursday routine, I don't know why I stopped. 

Wednesday 22 August

Had busy day - by my standards that is.

I don't look at Facebook unless I know there are pictures of precious grand daughters there, but I do get e-mail notifications of posts on the Emmanuel Facebook page, and this morning had one that my friends Barbara and Larry had been in an accident.  They are very keen cyclists, they go cycling round Europe when they are not in Oklahoma, and they were cycling in tandem last night, Tuesday, and were hit by a pick up truck.

I went to the hospital as soon as I read about it, Larry was banged up but not serious, Barbara's injuries were not critical but they were quite bad, broken collar bone, minor hip fracture, injured knee.  I went to the hospital to see her as soon as I heard about it. 

I stopped by the office first and Larry introduced me to someone from HQ.  Not a nun - I  don't think they leave Missouri - but I gather someone from the higher echelons.  After visiting Barbara I offered to go round ICU as no one else was doing it.

After a little nap this afternoon I got out the packet mixes and started baking.    There is a big jumble sale on Saturday, the only fund raising event of the year.

After the baking comes the frosting.

 At the back are carrot cakes, with a creamy (ready made) frosting and pecans.   As you see at the front there are mini chocolate cakes, with a chocolate frosting I then dipped in chocolate vermicelli.   I hate multi coloured sprinkles, although they seem quite popular here, the chocolate vermicelli is the nearest I get to sprinkles.

I had thought I might help with the jumble sorting, but looked at it all and decided I would go to the hospital instead and see how Barbara was doing.

She was looking much better than she was this morning, and will probably go home Thursday.

The cooler temperatures have been nice and it looks as if we MIGHT (if we're lucky) have some rain.

I think Fairgrounds where OK City would be refers to the State Fair.

The Election is ratcheting up into another gear.  At the moment all the news journalists are excitedly looking forward to going to the Republican Convention next week - and the beach, it is being held in Tampa, FL.  I hate my tv schedules being disrupted, I hope there are some good programmes on the Food Network.

There is a lot of talk about Israel attacking Iran before the Election.  I don't necessarily want a war, but if they are going to, next week would be the best time.   That would really throw a monkey wrench into the Republican Convention.

Monday 20th August

Patient numbers are right down at the hospital, one floor was closed.  I went round ICU which was practically full.

Everything was very upbeat and positive when the hospital was taken over by a Catholic group but now the cracks are appearing.  The group is run, controlled, entirely by nuns who are rampant feminists.   All prayer (ie prayer at the corporate meetings) has to be non gender specific.  "Our Father" which art in heaven.....is now "Creator".   Other changes are being made too which Larry is prepared to comply with but "no one is going to tell him how to pray".

I am interested to see just how many people are going to turn up for Mass when the chapel is re-ordered next month, complete with icons, virgin marys, crucifixes, stations of the cross, the whole nine yards. 

When I came over here the chapel at Eastbourne hospital was being re-ordered, and all Christian symbols were being removed so that Muslim patients wouldn't be offended.   I'm thinking there is a lot of irony here.  It is hard to know which side to come down on.  At least the Catholics aren't pandering to the Muslims here, but they are not accommodating the Baptists either.

I think I am going to turn in and have an early night tonight.

Saturday 18th August

I was up early this morning frosting the chocolate cakes I'd made for the Memorial Service this afternoon, and I knocked up a batch of butter pecan cupcakes as well (from a mix, I rarely make cakes from scratch nowadays, just the occasional wholewheat Guiness).

Then I went to the cinema at 9 o'clock, like I used to in pre-television days, with my cousins, when the Classic cinemas put on films for children on Saturday mornings; anyone old enough to remember them days?

The hospital had taken over one of the cinemas for the volunteers, they threw in free popcorn and coke, and we could take a guest so I asked Sharon.   We saw 'The Odd Life of Timonthy Green', which is a very good fantasy movie.

We are also wanting to see Meryl Streep's latest, 'Hope Springs'.  I think a lot more people go to the cinema here.  Shawnee is not a big place but there are two large cinema complexes currently showing 15 films between them, and one downtown currently showing 3.   The cinemas and the theatre are all owned by one person, and the cinema downtown is his 'gift' to Shawnee, admission is always just $2.  It was $1.50, but has recently gone up.

Talking of increasing prices, the cost of fuel has soared lately.  It was about $3.16 a gallon not long ago, and has now gone up to about $3.60 round here.  In other parts of the country it is pushing $4, that's $2.54 a gallon.

When I got back from the cinema I frosted the butter pecan cakes and took them all to Emmanuel.  They were cooking smoked brisket and chicken, it all smelled very appetising. I went to the Memorial Service as I wanted to see what it was like, but did not stay for the Reception.

We have had rain!!!!!!    Everybody is so happy.  

 I tried to take a photograph, but couldn't really capture the deluge it was.  You might see that the rain is bouncing off the road.

 These were current at about 10 o'clock this evening.  

 Smoke from the wildfires up in Washington state, on the border of Canada, have drifted down and can be seen in Oklahoma.

 I took this in Emmanuel's car park.  It is not often one sees a New York licence plate in Oklahoma, it is nearly 1500 miles.

Friday 17th August

It's official - the heatwave is over.    Apparently 90 degrees in OK City doesn't qualify as a heatwave.   It seems Dallas, where it is 96, might still be having a heatwave.  Up there in Kansas, in the 80s it is just warm and the heatwave is definitely over.

On the subject of my breadmaking saga - I know how interested you all are in the minutiae of my daily struggles - I rang Sharon to ask what kind of machine she had.  It wasn't the same as mine but when she offered to come over and look at mine I gratefully accepted, because she is very capable and practical.  She agreed that she thought the touch pad should be illuminated, but she did notice that an indicator moved along when we programmed it.  I said it just needed someone sensible to work it out, but she hates it when I beat myself up and said it needed someone to look at the indicator while someone else was hitting the controls.

I went to the hospital this morning, and Fr Bill's group studying mysticism.  Although we are going through a book by Thomas Merton, a well known writer and Benedictine monk, there is a lot of time spent discussing the meaning of life.

This evening I made some cupcakes to take to a funeral at Emmanuel tomorrow.   It is actually more a Memorial Service because the deceased died in Canada.  I don't know if he was buried or cremated there, but he had dual US and Canadian citizenship so was entitled to the health care he needed, he died of cancer.  Canada, like socialist nations in Europe, has free health care.   His family who live here in Shawnee are members of Emmanuel, his three youngsters are in the choir.

While the cakes were in the oven I split a banana (in its peel) and filled it with butterscotch morsels (or one could use chocolate morsels) wrapped it in foil and put it in the oven with the cakes.  I just throw that out for those readers who cook with their children and might like to try it.

 

Thursday 16th August

The weather here is beyond hot.   It has become a Cruel Joke.  I stopped by the hospital this morning, and although it was hot there were dark rain/thunderclouds in the sky. I was looking at them with the guy who brought the golf buggy to drive me the ten feet from my car to the front entrance, and we talked of the possibility of rain.  Even though we said we would believe it when we see it, I certainly thought we would have some.  But there hasn't been a drop.

I mean.......how can there be dark, heavy rain clouds in the sky, and no rain???

First though I was out early for the donuts from Tecumseh.  The Kiwani's speaker was Fr Clark's wife, Shelby, who works at the Youth and Family Resource Centre, and she gave an interesting account of what they did there.   I think that what they do would be carried out in England by our Social Services.  Adoption home studies; counselling for juvenile delinquents; parenting programmes to 'help parents improve communication and discipline skills'  There is also an emergency shelter for children  who have been thrown out on the street, children as young as school age, it boggles the mind. There are also other services, these are just a few of them.

I went straight from there to the hospital to see if Pattisue was able to have her chemotherapy, which she was.   I said I'd be back a bit later to get her some lunch from the cafeteria.

The Thursday group has started up after the summer break at Emmanuel.  A discussion group followed by Communion, which I didn't stay for as I left to get Pattisue's lunch.

The new bread maker I got a little while ago has been making bread alright, but I kept wondering if the control panel (at the top in the picture below) should be illuminated.  I bought it from amazon.com and e-mailed their customer services and asked.  I had an immediate reply saying they would send me a replacement.  This was yesterday afternoon, they shipped it overnight and I got it 10.30 this morning.  So I assumed the control panel should be illuminated, I unpacked it, set it all up to make a loaf, but it is just the same as the previous one.

 There is a store in Norman which stocks this make.  I think I might go there and ask.
 

Wednesday 15th August

Another hot day and everything in the garden is DEAD, DEAD, DEAD.   The trees, the grass, the lilies.

 I thought that tree was dead last year, but bits of it struggled back to life.  I think it has had it now though.

The only signs of life are the neighbourhood cats taking short cuts.  There are possums, skunks and racoons but our paths don't cross, they wait til it's dark and I'm indoors.

I went to the Aquatic Centre this morning just to see what water jogging was about.  They seemed to just be bobbing about in the water like I would if I was doing a doggy paddle, I thought that if that passes for exercise I might go in tomorrow and try it.

 This is the uninspiring pool.  I think I got spoilt by the YMCA.

 Back to the licence plates.   We haven't seen one for a while.

The motif in the middle of the plate is from the state flag.

At the beginning of the Revolutionary War in 1775 Col. William Moultrie was asked to design a flag for the use of the SC troops.  He chose a blue which matched the colour of their uniforms, and a crescent which reproduced the silver emblem on the front of their caps. 

When SC seceded from the Union in the Civil War a hundred years later a new flag was needed to fly above the newly created nation, and the palmetto tree was added to represent Moultri’s defence of the palmetto log-fort on Sullivan’s Island against the attack of the British in 1776.   Cannonballs which were fired at the palmetto logs simply sank into the soft wood.

The state flag today is of the same design that flew over the independent SC during the Civil War.

Apart from going out to the pool this morning I have mostly been doing jobs around the house.   There was another swim party and BBQ for the Youth this evening, and although I don't usually miss any chance to go out and socialise I was just too lethargic to make the effort this evening.

Tuesday 14th August

Still waiting for the rain.  Had a little shower this evening, but it didn't last.

Everyone is saying how cool it is......

 I am sure I used to think temperatures in the 80s was a heatwave, not nice cool weather.

I was out fairly early, 7.30'ish to the Aquatic Centre I have just joined on the St Gregory's campus.   There wasn't anyone else there so I jumped in the hot tub.  I didn't feel like entertaining the lifeguard with my doggy paddle.

I am still unfavourably comparing this pool with the YMCA, and I especially miss the water resistance walkway, because I could exercise without feeling I had to try and swim.    Looking at the programme though, this place has Water Jogging, I might see what that is about, also Water Aerobics which I don't fancy, and Aqua Fit.  I might see what that is about.

The Senior Centre have recently started providing breakfasts for seniors, I might have mentioned before that senior hunger is as big a problem in this state as childhood hunger.  After my dip in the hot tub I went along to see how the breakfasts were going.  This morning they were being served oatmeal and toast, and Louise had brought a sweet nutty bread/cake.     I thought it would have been packed out with the homeless (not that they don't need feeding too) but there were quite a few hungry seniors too.   I think - for some reason I don't understand - that it is worse at this time of year.  Emmanuel had its monthly breakfast last Saturday and they fed about 150 people.

I did my stint on the front desk at the Senior Centre this afternoon, there are a lot more homeless around but the Centre is listed as a place of refuge from the heat.  

Monday 13th August

Well, we didn't get the rain we were promised.....it was even supposed to be extreme weather with hailstones , goodness knows what happened to it because it is still unrelentingly hot, dry and sunny.  Nothing grows.  I can't even remember when Kevin last cut my grass.

It is getting cooler though, and that looks a bit like rain tomorrow, 40% chance of it.   I'll believe it when I see it.

 I took this at 10 this evening.  Miami in the north east corner of Oklahoma is pronounced My-am-mar, not like the place in Florida.  It trips up the unsuspecting, like Kirkudbright in Scotland.

The television is all about R&R, Romney and Ryan.  I am beginning to wonder if Obama is still running.

The political scene here strikes me as very old fashioned.  The Republicans are just like Conservatives in Britain 40/50 years ago in the post-Cold War/McCarthy eras, where socialism equated with communism, and it was an evil which had to be stamped out.  In Britain we have moved on from there as both our main political  parties have moved to the centre, but here the Republicans are still very much still stuck in that mindset.  Fighting socialism tooth and nail.

The worst insult one can throw at Obama is to accuse him of being a socialist, and they throw out the accusation like it’s a dirty word.  I was saying to a Canadian friend “I just don’t get it; I thought Obama was a socialist, and why shouldn’t he be, what’s wrong with being a socialist”.    When she explained it, I could understand it.

Saturday pm

I went along to the Park to see if any dogs were taking part in the Annual Dog Swim.   The children are now back at school so the municipal pool will be closed after today.  I did wonder why it couldn't stay open for humans, it is hot enough, but I remembered most of the humans of working age in this economically poor state would be at work, not frolicking in a swimming pool .  Those who don't have to work have all got swimming pools in their back gardens.

The pool was open from 10.00 - 3.00 so I don't know how many dogs took part.
I took these pictures through the wire fence, I would have liked to have got closer.
The dogs in the foreground, by the way, are French mastiffs, or Dogues de Bordeaux.  They are a bit too far away for you to identify.

Decided this afternoon to turn out my fridge, which means dealing with the leftovers.  

And this is what there was - 

I picked up a medium rare steak from the Golden Corrall a couple of days ago, but couldn't eat it all, the remains are chopped up in the front.  I had most of the Jumbo rotisserie chicken when it was good and hot, straight from the store.  I also had a few chicken sandwiches with cranberry sauce, which I like. What is left there will go into  pies with a potato topping.   The bread I will process into crumbs and make cheese sausages to nibble on when I'm grazing.   I will process the peas into a creamy soup, with one or two additions.   And I will make a fruit crumble with the couple of apples and blackberries.  And the watermelon at the back will probably be processed with a drop of Tequila.

So how did we do

So this was my lunch, which my loved ones will be surprised to see appears to be swimming in gravy.  Actually I caramelised some onions, added the chopped up pieces of steak, then simmered a few minutes in some ale, left over from a shandy, and piled it all on to some packet mash, whose best before date was a couple - or so - days ago.

So what we have here are three potato topped chicken, bacon and mushroom pies.  Behind them is an apple and blackberry crumble.

These are the cheese sausages and creamy pea soup with bacon.  I didn't use all the bread in the sausages, I cubed some and put it in my small slow cooker with eggs, bacon and mushrooms, which  will cook overnight and hopefully be a nice breakfast when I wake up.  Breakfast casseroles are popular here.

Saturday morning

The news breaking news this morning is the announcement of Paul Ryan as Romney's VP.   Since the politics are none of my business I am just thankful it is not someone intensely irritating like Sarah Palin.  I don't think I could have stood the next four years of her on television, I would certainly be looking for other tv channels.

The Obama campaign is now rushing to "define Paul Ryan before Paul Ryan can define himself", which is political speak for "let the character assassination begin".

This is the weekend weather, temperatures in double digits, how chilly is that.

 And there might be rain!!!!!!!!!!!  It looks like it on the Panhandle. Please God.

Yesterday Friday, I was at the hospital, Fr Bill's group, then napping through the afternoon - I wish I could sleep at night instead. 
  
Sharon rang to ask if I wanted to see a movie which was on downtown but it was a comedy science fiction which didn't appeal to me.  I did however join her and her grandson at the diner beforehand.    

Now I am watching the Saturday morning Food Network programmes, but like shopping that is not something to do on an empty stomach so need some breakfast.

Thursday 9th August

Out 7.30 to pick up the donuts from Tecumseh - our Kiwanis meeting is at 8.30.   The speaker was someone who has made an in depth study of water conservation, it was quite interesting but parts of it were over my head, or maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention. 

Enclosed with our weekly sheet was a letter from the Principal of the Early Childhood Centre asking if any of our members would be interested in volunteering from 7.45 - 8.15 to open car doors to let the children out,  and give them a cheery greeting to start them off on a good day.

Thinking I wouldn't mind doing this once a week, but feeling rather bemused I rang Louise and asked why the mothers can't open the car doors.   I was told it was because they are too lazy, they just tip the kids out and shoot off, sometimes not even making sure the door is shut properly.  If they were in that much of a hurry I could see  why the children also need a cheery greeting so they could run into school feeling they were important and mattered.  One of our members was Principal there before he retired recently, and he enjoyed doing that for the children.

However, the Club had a Board Meeting afterwards, and it was decided that if a child had an accident we might be held liable and unlike the school staff we did not have insurance to cover us, so the idea was a non starter.

Sharon asked me this morning when I saw her at the Senior Centre if I would be interested in joining the Fitness Centre on the St Gregory's campus, as it is cheaper if two people joined together, and they would accept us as a 'senior and spouse'.    I said I would; my membership of the YMCA lapsed when the pool was closed for repairs for over a year, and I was put off by the joining fee, but I do actually need more exercise than I get.  The Centre at St Gregory's is not as pretty as the YMCA, it is a lot more like our municipal pools at home but it is a great deal cheaper, and as I say, I need the exercise.

I had a look at the Centre, said I wanted to join with my friend, and understood that we could join as a 'senior and a spouse'.  However there was a bit of misunderstanding,  I think the receptionist thought 'spouse' was a male friend I lived with when she said that would be alright, because she was rather nonplussed when Sharon and I turned up.  There was embarrassment and telephone conversations with senior staff.  Finally, on a note of hilarity I suggested to Sharon that we could pretend to be a gay couple, living together, and they can't discriminate.   I don't know if it was our nerve but the receptionist gave in and gave us our reduced membership.

Wednesday 8th August

This morning I went to the monthly meeting of the Shawnee Peace Fellowship.  It was an important meeting because we are just beginning to establish our aims, objectives and mission, and it was facilitated by Nancy, who is obviously very experienced at this.   I found it very interesting, particularly when, in pairs with someone we didn't know very well, we had to list the major events of the decades from the 1960s.   I mentioned the fact that I would have a different perspective from everyone else, and I did, it opened my eyes a bit to what has been important to Americans over the past 50 years.

This evening I went to a swim party held for the Church Youth.   I have been to this house before so you might recognise the garden.

 
 It wasn't too hot outside this evening, cooler than the 100 degrees during the day, and it was very pleasant to be able to sit outside.

I think there is another swim party at someone else's house next week, then we get back to normal Wednesday evenings at the beginning of September.