Halloween is a big deal here, much more so than at home.
One of the things they do - and in the above case it was the Coast Guard who did it - is to take over an empty house and make it all look scary, then they charge the public an admission fee to go round and be scared.
This picture reminded me of the occasion I visited James and Kelly in Pittsburgh in 2000 at Halloweeen (I am not usually very good at remembering dates but it must have been 2000 because there was a Presidential Election going on) they took me to such a house. It was a bitterly cold night and we had to queue up for about two hours to go in.
The weather continues to dominate the news because the aftermath is so horrendous, millions of people are affected, there have been quite a few deaths, and so many have lost their homes. I think the worst cases of loss have been from fires caused by exploding gas mains and houses have burnt to the ground. Imagine losing every single thing in life you possess.......
These houses have got four feet of sand in them.
This was a very popular amusement park in New Jersey which has ended up in the sea. The Governor, who grew up in the state, said that for his generation the damage represents a loss of all their memories of places in the state that were special to them. But "they will get through it, they are tough, they are resilient, they will all help each other". Then Obama came and toured round with him, and joined in with the pep talks. Actually, seeing Obama and the Governor being compassionate and hugging the weeping victims was quite moving.
The New York City subway is flooded with salt water, and it is hard to imagine that it is going to be back to normal any time soon. In fact they are suggesting parts might be beyond repair.
It is believed there are 21 million rats down there - someone wondered who counted them. If they all start running round the City streets there will surely be a Plague, comparable at least to ours in London in 1665.
Changing the subject. I have just finished a gripping book written by the sole survivor of the crash which killed Princess Diana, Dodi Fayed, and the driver Henri Paul. The survivor was Trevor Rees-Jones, a bodyguard. When the vehicle hit, first of all, the pillar in the tunnel, the airbag inflated and protected his internal organs and limbs, but the airbag only works once then it deflates, so when the vehicle hit the wall of the tunnel his face was completely smashed into the dashboard. He was lucky to have a very skilled French doctor who reconstructed his unrecognisable face from his wedding pictures, taped around the operating room. The initial operation took 11 hours, and of course he needed several operations after that.
As I am sure you know, Al Fayed, strongly believes it was an assassination attempt. The Secret Service did it, and MI6, and Prince Philip.
Rees-Jones can't remember anything at all from the previous 3 minutes when the car left the Ritz Hotel in Paris, but Al Fayed believed it was only a matter of time before he got his memory back and would be able to confirm his conspiracy theories.
However, in these cases the brain doesn't have time to store the memory, so in actual fact it never comes back.
I know that. When I was, I think 9 or 10, I was in an auto accident with my family and was thrown inside the car, hitting my head, I temporarily lost consciousness, and have no memory of the seconds leading to the crash. Which is as well, it was an awful accident; my grandad in the front passenger seat was thrown through the windscreen and was in a very critical condition. He recovered, thankfully, but had a bad scar across his face.
Anyway, I digress. Al Fayed took great care of the bodyguard, and accommodated his family in the Duke of Windsor's villa, which he leases, or rents, but when Rees-Jones refused to back up his conspiracy theories there was a falling out.
At first the accident was thought to be the fault of the paparazzi pursuing them, and they did play a part, because the driver was going too fast trying to evade them. Then it was found that the driver had twice the legal limit of alcohol in his blood, as well as prescription medication; also he was not qualified to drive that particular vehicle, and at the speed he was going it was impossible to maintain control of the vehicle.
I found the book interesting because it also gave a detailed account of the holiday preceding the accident, as well as details of the French investigation which I didn't know. And an inside account of what it was like to work for Al Fayed, guarding his son and the Princess.
Hurricane Sandy was expected to be a severe storm and was even far worse than predicted. It hit land, as I expect you heard in your news casts, in New Jersey, which is absolutely devastated, and is going to take a long time to recover. New York, particularly Manhatten, was also badly hit; the subway stations are flooded, the transport system won't be running for days. Millions of people are without power.
All the television programming has been given over to covering it, it spans such a huge area, 800 miles long and a 1000 miles wide. It has brought very heavy snow in the Appalachians in Virginia.
As you see in the photo below it is a perfect summers day in Oklahoma, and it feels really unreal to see all this bad weather going on in another part of the country.
This is one of the local churches sells pumpkins for their charitable causes. Pumpkin pies are very popular at this time of year. I like pumpkin soup.
A lot of people have their front gardens decked out for Halloween, like this one, or maybe not quite as OTT as this.
I was at the Senior Centre this afternoon. In addition to the paid staff and volunteers there is someone who works there full time, going through the Drug Court's two and a half year rehabilitation programme of community service, weekly drug testing, curfew and all the other restrictions they have - anyway, she 'graduated' today in a little ceremony which everyone went to, except me (someone had to answer the phone) her family were all there too. She is now free of all the restrictions she had, and it is a new start for her, and she is very happy about that. She is going to carry on working at the Senior Centre, she seems to be in charge of all the others doing community service, and she loves working there.
It certainly makes a difference when there is an incentive like that to turn one's life around, the alternative for her was prison.
I have been suffering from some back pain and couldn't sleep. I got up to take some stronger medication and am now headed back to bed.
The news is still focused on the weather, Libya, and the economy as it relates to the Election.
Hurricane Sandy is sounding dire.
The 42 deaths across the Caribbean have now gone up to 58.
They are expecting a lot of damage and flooding in New York and Long Island, I think they are going to close the subway.
This was Shawnee first thing, and it did feel cold. It did get a lot warmer though, I think it was in the 60s as I drove through town in the afternoon.
I know you don't get this news at home, so when you wake up and find the Queen has died, and Camilla has seized the throne, you will know what is going on.
Honestly, what kind of Grimms Fairy Tale world do these people live in?????????
Alright. So the Queen has died, the evil step mother has seized the throne, what has she done with Prince Charles, and his sons? And even if they have - for arguments sake, been poisoned, as happens in these fairy tales - she is going to have her work cut out to dispose of Charles' two brothers and sister, and all their children, not to mention the dozens of other people in the Line of Succession who outrank her.
Went to the hospital this afternoon, and the rest of the day I have been idle. Mainly watching Fox News, there is a lot going on at the moment with Libya, the Election, and the Weather.
More and more revelations are coming out about the terrorist attack on the Embassy. One is that the CIA situated about a mile away, I think, from the Embassy compound knew they were being attacked (apparently all this is recorded in real time by unmanned drones overhead, it is even seen in Washington, which fascinates me - the wonders of modern technology). Anyway, the CIA asked for permission to rescue the Ambassador and staff at the Embassy and were refused, according to reports, three times. But an agent, putting his career and life on the line, went anyway and was killed in the attempt. There was a very moving conversation with his grieving father and a tv anchor.
There is going to be an Enquiry on the 15th November. But I think the State Department has a lot to answer for. The Ambassador there was very concerned, the British Embassy staff had been withdrawn, he had asked for extra security and it was refused, in fact his security was reduced. He knew he was going to be attacked, his security should have been increased, or his staff withdrawn, but the State Department did neither and four Americans died.
The weather continues to cause concern as hurricane Sandy moves along up the east coast. They are expecting widespread power failures which might last weeks. People have got to be prepared to live without electricity.
She's back. The cat that is. She ran off last Monday afternoon and I told my loved ones in e-mails, or internet messages, that she'd gone, but at first I was expecting her back and haven't said much on here.
I don't know how long she plans on staying. I put food and water out straight away, but she wasn't very interested. I retrieved the litter box from the scullery/back porch, I knelt down beside her and was stroking and talking to her, then, making sure she wasn't anywhere near the front door I stepped outside to dispose of her dropping from the litter box, and she just streaked past me as fast as the proverbial greased lightning. So she is now out on the porch, sitting there, looking around. I'm running the risk of burglars and a cold house, and have left the door open for a while, but I won't go to bed with it open, she is going to have to make her mind up.
Friends have been asking if I have distributed flyers round the neighbourhood, or gone to Animal Welfare to see if anyone has picked her up and taken her there. But probably because this is an alien concept to me, no I haven't.
Also, I was/am, very fond of her, she has been a great joy, but I was never looking for a cat. I took her in because Rosalyn convinced me that she wanted to be my cat, and we've been happy together for the last two and a half/three years, so when she slung her hook and vanished off into the wide blue yonder, it seemed obvious to me that she no longer wanted to be my cat. So I wasn't about to walk round the neighbourhood handing out flyers.
I have recovered from my violent stomach upset, the worst I have ever had. It can only come from ingesting something contaminated, there is no other way one can get a stomach upset, and I am beating myself up for my stupidity, I do know about food safety, I have in the past taken courses, and I am conscientous about cross contamination, having separate boards for poultry etc......but.....I think I did leave a chicken out of the fridge for longer than the safe two hours. So it probably serves me right.
To change to something lighter.
The tv anchor said this little lad in the background has got to be a Republican. Here he is with the most powerful man on the planet, the leader of the Free World (his words) but all he is interested in is his gluing.
The weather news is not good.
What this is basically saying is that there was a very bad storm in 1991 that caused, I think it says $1million of damage. The expected storm has all the same characteristics, and others, and the damage is going to be $1billion.
They're very accommodating here if you can't be in your home town, or where you are registered to vote, on Election Day, In 32 states and the District of Columbia there is some sort of early voting. The time period for early voting varies from state to state. It can be as early as 45 days before the election, or as late as the Friday before. In Oklahoma it is the 2nd, 3rd and 5th November. There is another topic - absentee voting - but I won't go into that. I know an American friend in Seaford has already voted.
I started this a couple of hours ago, I have been up and down, and got some supper. Anyway, a follow up to the first and second paragraphs is that Bubbles has gone again. I kept looking out and she was just sitting there, then I looked out and she'd gone. Obviously she has decided the grass is greener on the other side.
I don't know why, but the time given that this is posted is Pacific time. Not the time I actually post it. Which is 11.41.
I have just groggily come to, at 7 am, the lights are all on, the television is on mute, all the bed time routines had been missed. The night, and day, before I was violently ill with a stomach upset, I'll spare you the gory details, except to say it involved a lot of cleaning up, which in my weakened state did nothing to make me better. But.....I have just come to, and tempted as I am this morning to miss Kiwanis I think I should go, I missed last week, and I do like seeing everyone.
So I will go and get ready and come back to this later.
Not a lot to say. Apart from my afternoon at the Senior Centre I have just been fretting over my missing cat, who is still - at 2am Wednesday - AWOL. And eliminating everything in the house that might be harbouring a flea. The washing machine and dryer have been going continuously, and I am so grateful to Mark for installing a washing machine and dryer large enough to take a full size duvet.
The Election is picking up speed. At the moment the polls have one in the lead, then the other, but everyone seems to agree that it is too close to call. They do work hard, all the campaigns and debates, and practices for the debates. Our MPs must be glad we only have a three week election period.
On Sunday I went to lunch at the Red Lobster, a favourite in Shawnee, as I still had a little balance left on a gift card someone gave me.
I had what the menu described as 'hand battered fish and chips with malt vinegar'.
They also bring with every order Cheddar Bay biscuits which are warm, and like cheese scones. I like coleslaw with fish and chips and ordered a side dish of some.
On Monday I had an appointment with the dental hygienist in Norman in the early afternoon. The weather looked bad, with heavy rain clouds, so instead of going to the hospital I decided to try to get to Norman before the rain slowed me down. I was prepared to sit and read a book in the waiting room but the hygienist saw me straight away, and delayed her lunch for an hour. It was raining on the way back but not too bad.
The dentist gave me an evulation as well and I need some expensive dental surgery, like a bridge and crown. I suggested to the hygienist that it might be cheaper to go home and get it done (although I am aware before I left that more and more dentists were leaving the NHS). There was a little pause while she picked her words carefully, and said as tactfully as she could, that part of my dental problems is that the dentistry I have had wasn't done very well. I am sure she is right, I don't think dentists working for the NHS did care very much for excellence. I was always in and out of the hygienist in about 15/20 minutes, here she takes over an hour.
It had just started raining when I left. I would have liked to have gone to Barnes & Noble but decided to get home as quickly as possible.
While I was stopped at the lights in the Tribal area, just entering Shawnee, I saw this sign.
The sign on the grass verge says 'Daycare Center Drop off and Pick Up'. Thinks "there has to be a better drop off point than the junction of two main roads".
There are Fall, or autumn decorations in gardens. This was at my dentists.
The weather is certainly variable here. 82 on Tuesday and 48 by Friday.
I am tired. I've been dealing with an infestation of fleas in the house, and a cat who has suddenly had a personality transplant. I think she used to think she was human and followed the same routine as me; she would be sitting on the bedroom window sill waiting for me to wake up, then we'd go in the kitchen and both have breakfast.
At night, when it was time to turn in, her little paws would come up in my lap, getting me out of the computer chair, so I would turn in and she would jump up on the bed, and that would be the end of another day.
Now though, since she has had fleas, she's realised she is a cat, and has another life. She has confined herself entirely to the computer room - and that was handy when I was treating the living room furnishings and could shut her off, I took her food and water in there, and have now just left them there. Last night - I think it was last night - but days and nights sort of merge into each other, she went out and was gone for HOURS, like 7pm until about 3 in the morning and I had to keep looking to see if she was there and wanted to come in. As I think I have said before a cat flap would not work, I would TOTALLY freak out at the sight of a racoon washing itself in her water, which I understand is what they do.
Tonight though, Saturday/Sunday she hasn't been out at all. Hasn't left the computer room. I think cousellors would say I am mourning the loss of the cat I had.
Anyway, to change the subject, I went to the monthly AARP meeting this morning and was pleased I did, I saw my Cockney friend Phyllis and we had a good visit, as they say here. There were quite a few people I know from round the town there.
Phyllis has just come back from a trip home, and brought me these lovely presents.
She took a trip to Florence and Venice, and the pretty pendant came from Venice.
The speaker at the AARP meeting was Thixie who runs the volunteer programmes at the Senior Centre, and they were the subject of her talk. She mentioned the Shoes that Fit programme which gives school children a pair of shoes and two pairs of socks at the beginning of the school year, because sometimes they just have flip flops and are going to school in the snow in them. I have a major problem getting my head round this level of poverty in what I always thought was a rich country. I knew there was poverty like that in some places, like the Appalachians, but you wouldn't think it existed in Shawnee.
There was a bit of excitement tonight at the bottom of my garden.
That's the house on the other side of my fence which was on fire.
By the way - before I sign off - I've had my flu shot. In spite of stomping out of the department after reading the side effects and saying I wasn't signing off on that, Cleda, who is in charge, welcomed me with a smile and a hug and an "I love you".
Woe is me!!!!!!! I have a PROBLEM.
Bubbles was an indoor cat; if she went outside it was just to sunbathe a bit on the porch, she never ran around the neighbourhood. Now, all of a sudden, as soon as it is dark she wants to be off out into the night like a teenager on the razzle (at least she has been spayed, I don't have to worry about her getting pregnant) I tried keeping her indoors but she just plants herself at the front door and meowes until I opened it.
The consequence of this is that she has now brought home fleas. It took me a little while to confront the issue and research it all on the internet. So today I set off for Pet Smart in Norman, a kind of animal/pet Walmart, and was greeted at the door by a very helpful young man who guided me to the products I needed. I thought I just needed something for Bubbles to get rid of the fleas, but apparently I need to treat the carpets as well to get rid of the infestation.
SIGH. I thought I would just get home, unpack the stuff and get on with it. But no, it is going to take some organising because rooms have to be shut off while the dust settles. There were also warnings to be careful of eye irritation, so I decided I needed to go to Walmart tonight for some safety goggles. Now I am typing this up and trying to decide how to set about it all. As soon as I got back from Walmart she wanted out, so I am tempted to leave her out all night while I do the kitchen/living area which I can't close off.
Anyway, apart from the problem it was a nice sunny day, and a pleasant drive to Norman past the farms and ranches. Pet Smart is in the same Plaza as Barnes & Noble, the bookshop, and I went on there and had a slow lunch at Starbucks which is in the centre of the store (with the advent of amazon.com they can't stay open just selling books). Was thinking of you, Jeremy, wished you were there. And also, when I left the Plaza I was able to avoid the interstate and come home on Highway 9, by putting my dentist's address into the GPS, and once I was in his neighbourhood it was downhill all the way to Tecumseh.
When I got to the chaplaincy office this morning Larry directed me to get my Flu Shot. Flu Shot! I don't do flu shots. When I worked at The Nuffield I used to look at my colleague suffering the side effects which resembled a mild dose, and decided I wasn't go to put myself through that. And I never did. And I never had the flu either, but with the new hospital administration it has become MANDATORY. So I was talked into going along where they were being given, and when I got there was given a form to sign saying I understood the risks -
WHAT!!!! Life threatening allergic reactions - What if there is a severe reaction? - The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program - I stomped back to the office and said I wasn't signing off on that.
When I got home and e-mailed a rant off to Fr Clark saying I was thinking of Prison Ministry, he replied that they might have mandatory vaccination too. And tried calming me down, saying he has had them for forty years without side effects, so I'm thinking about it.
I forgot to mention yesterday, when talking about watching television, there was a very interesting programme about the Freemasons. Years ago, when I was young and my Dad was a Freemason, their antics were all shrouded in extreme SECRECY. But since then books have been written blowing the gaffe, notably the Da Vinci Code, and even an 'Idiots Guide to Freemasonry' so they are no longer quite the secret society they once were.
Coincidentally, I was at the Masonic Temple this afternoon with Cecil and Louise. Cecil is a Freemason, and he asked me to attend a training session held there to help in testing and screening childrens' eyesight. It is Oklahoma state law that all children in grades 1 and 3 have their eyes tested, and are screened for possible serious vision problems, and the Freemasons have taken responsibility for this.
They have the usual testing we are familiar with, but we were told how to conduct the tests for children - ie don't let them think it is a test so they won't get worried about 'passing'. Then they have stereopsis screening which detects if they have a problem leading to a possible loss of vision.
Leaving the Masonic Temple, and with last night's television programme fresh in my mind, I picked up some leaflets about the Freemasons.
I was interested in the fact that all Masons have to have a religious affiliation, they can't be Masons if they are atheists. So I don't know how my Dad got round that, he was proud of being an atheist.
Bubbles is suddenly looking for new places to perch. When I got in from church I found her sitting on the edge of the bath. I got a bit testy with her yesterday when she was trying to situate herself on the ledge in front of the television, I knocked her off and she defiantly jumped straight back, which isn't like her, so I don't know what got into her.
Had an early start this morning as it was my turn to pick up the donuts for Emmanuel, at least it is only ten minutes away, I'm not going to Tecumseh for them. So I went to the 8 o'clock, then on to the Adult Sunday School.
This afternoon there was a Service of Blessing for Pets. Fr Bill blessed Bubbles from a distance, I knew she'd never thank me for taking her there, she'd consider it a fate worse than death. I really went to see everyone else's pets.
Sharon with her dogs Sherlock (she loves Agatha Christie) and Gracey. Gracey was wearing her Halloween costume which said 'I howl at the moon'. She is the dog rescued from the Senior Centre a few weeks ago when its drug addicted owner couldn't look after it and I said "Sharon will take it". It could have been mine if I'd wanted it, and it is a very sweet little thing and appreciative of its good home.
Sharon's cat Pumpkin. All her animals were rescued. Pumpkin is an elderly tom cat she got from the Animal Rescue Centre, because she thought most people would go for cute kittens and no one would want him.
Deacon John and Alma with their dogs. They are a very nice couple who do a lot in the church.
On Sharon's right is Fr Bill's wife, Mother Tracy (does anyone know what we call our women priests, I've never heard of 'Mother') and their two children and dog.
This afternoon and evening I was watching television, I saw the amazing parachute jump from space. I expect you saw that too on your news.
Just went out at 7, after the storm, and took this unusual photo.
Well we are getting our 80% chance of rain which was forecast at noon. It is now coming down like stair rods.
But tomorrow looks better.
I woke up on Friday sniffing, coughing and blowing my nose so didn't go to the hospital. Fortunately it doesn't seem to have developed. Just spent the day lounging around. In the evening I went to a Friends of the Art Gallery event. The Museum and Art Gallery, as I may have mentioned before, is on the St Gregory's Campus.
Frosting the Red Velvet cupcakes.
The Band.
Thunder is crashing about outside. There is a severe weather warning going on on the Weather Channel, so think I will post this while I can.
On Wednesday we had our Shawnee Peace Fellowship meeting which lasted half a day while we discussed our ideas, and vision for the direction the group should take. It was facilitated by Nancy, who is obviously very experienced in directing groups like this and did it very well.
On Tuesday night I made little cupcakes for the dessert after Wednesday's meal and when I went to the meeting I took them along to the church to frost them.
One packet of cake mix made a lot of little cakes.
The frosting is ready made and comes in a tub. One lot of cakes I decorated with slivers of white chocolate, the other with chocolate vermicelli.
After I'd frosted them I went home and made a batch of chocolate chip cookies, also from a packet, but I put extra chocolate chips in, and they were very popular. They were practically still warm when I took them there. I think some of the kids, who come straight from school, wander into the kitchen and nibble on them before the meal, but that's alright, it's what kids do. I don't know why I didn't think of taking a photo of them.
After I had frosted them Beth came in the kitchen and saw me photographing them, I explained it was for my family blog which I write up to let you know what I'm doing. So she suggested taking a photo of me holding the sack lunches, as distributing them to the homeless along Main Street is something I do.
The children decorate the sacks, or paper bags.
Next week the children are on holiday from school, so I will have a week off from making them.
This morning, Thursday, the Kiwani speaker was the recently elected Mayor, and it was interesting to meet him. He was saying that driving around with the Fire Chief, and the Police Chief, at night was an eye opening experience, seeing what goes on in Shawnee. Out with the Police Chief they came upon a toddler, wearing only a diaper, wandering in the road, its mother was lying on the porch of a nearby house, stoned or drunk, or both.
I didn't have anything on for the rest of the day, just watched all the build up for the Vice Presidential debate, then watched the Debate itself. It seemed to go better than the Presidential Debate.
Was just running around town this morning doing errands. Had the moulding fixed to my car, which had to be replaced after it was vandalised. The Body Shop had difficulty finding a replacement, so I appreciate their efforts to track one down.
In the evening I went to the RSVP (Retired Seniors Volunteer Programme) 'Banquet' (High Tea) at 5.30. It was all very nice and I appreciate everything the organisers did for us. I joined Cecil and Louise at their table. Also at the table was Camille, an English lady who worked at the Senior Centre when I first came here, she had been here since 1968, then she sold up a couple of years ago and went home but it didn't work out, so now she is back. Also there was my cheerful friend Phyllis. And a Glaswegian was taking the photos.
The tables were very pretty, my only criticism was the plastic cutlery. We all had a nice pen to take home, and one of those trophy looking things, which surprisingly are quite heavy, as heavy as a real trophy would have been.
After the dinner there was a Cabaret, all the artistes were in their 60s and 70s. They didn't have quite the agility of young people but were more mobile than me.
They actually raise several thousands of dollars a year which they give to charitable causes.
My favourite performer was this Native American playing the flutes. He makes the flutes himself and runs workshops to teach children.
It was all very nice.
Now I need to get on with my day.
