I looked at my suitcases this morning, one was too big, and the other not quite big enough so went to Walmart to see how much they were. I bumped into my friend Carla as I was going in, she works there as the Methodist Church don't pay enough for their pastors to live on (my words, not hers) and she walked with me to the suitcases. We saw one I thought would be suitable, the price ticket on the shelf said $39, we agreed that was not a bad price, and I trundled off to the checkout. When scanned at the checkout the price came up as $74. I know better than to hold up the line and argue with the little girl at the checkout, so I paid up and made a beeline for Customer Services. They refunded the difference.
It's quite nice isn't it, I like the outside pockets too, and a feature of it is that it is lightweight. While I was swinging it around saying how light it was Carla reminded me it will be heavier when it's filled. So I guess you could say it was a bargain for $39, or £25.
The rest of the day has just been spent packing it and making sure I'm organised.
Yesterday I had a run out to Norman, to the Barnes & Noble bookshop, I wanted them to look at my C-Nook as I can't retrieve my e-mails, it's one of the best places in Oklahoma for customer service, but unfortunately they couldn't help me as I can't remember the password of my e-mail account. But never mind I didn't buy it for e-mails, I've got 68 books on it.
While there I went to their Starbucks in the middle of the store.
After Kiwanis and a rest I went to Communion at Emmanuel and out to lunch, with Fr Clark, Fr Bill, Bill and Jane, and a new person who has joined us. We went back to the new Bricktown Brewery, where I was very wary of not ordering anything spicy. It was very nice and Bill and Jane kindly picked up my bill as it was my birthday.
In the evening I went to see the movie '42' with Pattisue. She has been very anxious to see it since it came out, and we've been trying to negotiate a suitable day since last week. It was very good, a true story set in the 1940s of the first negro baseball player to play major league baseball with white men, and the difficulties and abuse he encountered. I still enjoyed it although I missed the finer points, Pattisue, who got all the finer points, absolutely loved it.
I heard that the dog in foster care has now got a home, I don't know yet who the new owner is, but I expect I will hear.
I didn't suggest to them when they were looking, that they contact Sharon because she has two dogs and a cat, however I saw her at the Senior Centre and she has just lost Sherlock, her black lab, so I wished I had, but it was too late.
She is obviously upset at losing Sherlock. She sent him out to play with a neighbour's dog (!!) and the other dog came home, but Sherlock just hasn't turned up. Sharon is convinced - because the dog she had before him was shot - that Sherlock has also been shot. She lives just outside the city limits where guns are going off all the time, and anything that moves is fair game.
Personally I think, because her lane leads off a very busy 4 lane highway that he is more likely to have been run over, trigger happy as they are over here. But I can understand her being in denial and not being able to face - because of the guilt it would entail - that reality.
This whole notion of dogs making friends, and going out to play, is obviously totally foreign to me. I wondered if they got together for sleepovers. They're always running across the street while I'm driving down Main Street which annoys me very much.
Am busy packing. I've got some of those bags where you put your clothes in and vacuum the air out, so they take up less room. I guess the clothes will be very creased when they come out, but I hope they shake out. I also bought today a laptop backpack, which will be my onboard hand baggage.
Am now, Friday lunchtime, just off to Barnes & Noble in Norman.
I stopped by the Senior Centre this morning and the little dog in foster care there still hasn't got a home. It is now thought she is either on heat, or pregnant, so will need an operation, which might be why everyone isn't falling over themselves to take her in. I would certainly be daunted by vets bills if I'd thought of having her. However she is getting a lot of affection from the Centre staff who take turns baby sitting her on their laps.
This morning I knocked up a couple of cakes for the dessert this evening. For me it is the last Wednesday meal until after the summer. By the time I come back here in the middle of May the children will have broken up for summer holidays, and all activities at Emmanuel are suspended until they go back.
The cakes were just knocked up from a mix which I buy when they are on offer, and I put chopped up peaches inside, then cream and more peaches on top.
The meal tonight were tacos, and there was a distinct Mexican air about it. I am not sure why because Mexican Independence Day is celebrated in this part of the world on the 5th May, goodness knows why because that isn't even the day of Mexican independence. There was a lot of chatter in the kitchen in Spanish, everyone speaks Spanish here. I'd thought of learning, but I've got enough to do. And I've never been any good at languages anyway, I had to drop out of New Testament Greek because I couldn't hack the verbs. But I'm rambling.
There were a lot of sombreros, which are surprisingly heavy.
I love to see the children help serve and clear up.
That's Fr Bill on the right of the picture.
Started off water walking at the Pool, then running errands round town. I took the flowers from Emmanuel to the hospital and had lunch there with Larry and the two other chaplains who were doing the floors.
Larry was telling us about someone who decided to get rid of the moles and gophers in their garden and was attaching a cylinder to the exhaust of the car - carbon monoxide poisoning kills them apparently - and a neighbour saw him putting the cylinder on the exhaust and thought he was about to commit suicide. I asked how they got rid of armadillos, carbon monoxide is no good as they don't tunnel. I was told they are very difficult to get rid of, some people try shooting them, but it takes several rounds because they have this very hard exterior.
Looks revolting doesn't it.
Still on the subject of animals I dropped by the Senior Centre and fell in love with this dear little dog.
It's part chihuahua, but they've no idea what the other part is. Kate said someone would look after it until I got back from England if I wanted it. But I think Bubbles is enough responsibility. Apart from which she hates dogs and would be very jealous, she doesn't even like me having needlework in my lap.
Couldn't decide which service to go to this morning, 8 o'clock, 10.30, or 11 at the small Methodist chapel. While I was thinking about it I fell asleep, but fortunately was dressed and ready to go. I woke up at nearly 11 and went to Emmanuel where I was just in time for the Communion half of the service.
I was woken by Kevin cutting my grass, I hoped he wasn't missing church just to do my grass, but he said he had a lot to do and the weather was fine for it.
One of our church members died at the beginning of the month and there was a sort of funeral this afternoon, where her ashes were committed to a place she'd reserved in the Lady Chapel. Some of us were asked to provide cake or cookies for the reception afterwards.
When I got back from church I knocked up some little German chocolate cakes from a mix, and frosted them.
German chocolate cake is popular here, it contains coconut and pecans.
I mis-spoke yesterday. A favourite expression here when someone makes a mistake and needs to walk it back.
The bomber, who was hiding in a boat, was a block and a half beyond the perimeter of the search area, I thought he had been missed in the house to house search, but I'm sure every possible hiding place inside the search area had been combed. I have to say that although I think the justice system in this country sucks, I am full of admiration for their law enforcement.
I am sure you have heard now that the bombers are from the Caucasus Emirates - Chechens who are Islamic militants, which is why they are now targeting the US - they have no other reason to target the US - and it is causing grave concern here. Someone told me many years ago that Islam was spread by the sword, which is becoming increasingly apparent in the 21st century. Unlike other religions, which are all about love and forgiveness, Islam is an idealogy, Sharia, which its followers feel called upon to impose by force upon the rest of us infidels.
The younger brother who is injured is a US citizen, and the other was here on a residency permit, and intelligence sources are saying these are the people being recruited into the cause, because they can bring in others.
But to get back to the injured bomber - interrogaters are straining at the leash to question him, but he has a bullet wound to the head which went into the jaw, so I wouldn't have thought he'd be able to say much. I think they are anxious to get to him first before he is appointed a lawyer who will go in and tell him not to say anything. There are arguments back and forth as to whether he is an enemy combatant and therefore not entitled to rights and a defence lawyer, but, as I said, he is a US citizen, entitled to the full protection of the law.
I wondered yesterday how the police and swat teams established that he was in the boat, but apparently they sent a helicopter over it with a heat seeking device. The marvels of modern technology. They were being very cautious at approaching him because they thought he would be wearing an explosive device which he would detonate if they approached.
I went to the monthly AARP meeting this morning, and had lunch there. I don't always have lunch, there are better places in town, but it is a chance to sit down with Phyllis and chat. I think the people sitting round us like to eavesdrop on what two English women chat about.
I spent the rest of the day on my needlework project, watching tv with Bubbles.
I feel I have been watching the longest movie ever made. It started yesterday afternoon when photos of the Boston bombers were released (showing one of them dropping his bag down at the feet of the 8 year old boy who was killed, I can't tell you how that made people feel). Five hours later they carried out an armed robbery at a convenience store, the owner pressed the silent alarm to the police, who raced to the scene. There was a gunfight, the bandits were throwing home made grenades out of the window at the pursuing police car. A police officer and suspect number one were shot dead. Number two took off on foot. The Governor ordered all transport systems in Boston to be shut down, and everyone in the area of the manhunt to stay indoors. Hundreds and hundreds of police combed the area, going from door to door.
During this lengthy manhunt which went on for several hours I left the television to do my chaplaincy round, and have lunch in the hospital cafeteria, then it was back to the television.
Late in the afternoon the transport ban was lifted and people could go outside. A householder noticed that the tarpaulin on his boat was askew, investigated and saw the bomber inside covered in blood and very injured (the police missed that when they were going door to door) Police vehicles screamed to the scene, and then it all got very tense. Those of us watching at the home couldn't really see what was happening. But then a cheer went up and everyone gathered round watching applauded, and we knew it was all over.
There was great relief that he was still alive so could be questioned, but is critically injured and has been in surgery, but everyone is hoping he will pull through so the police can interrogate him and get to the bottom of it. Is it a new form of terrorism, who were they working for, or acting alone?
Like I said, the longest movie ever made. And apart from the hospital and lunch I just sat riveted to the television watching it all unfold.
When I looked outside at 3am the rain was gushing down the street like a river in full flood, but although there is a lot wrong with the roads and infrastructure of this town, one thing they have right is an excellent drainage scheme which very quickly takes away all the surface water, so when I looked out again at 7 the street was dry.
I am picking up the Kiwani donuts at the moment as I won't be here to take my turn next month. The speaker was very interesting, she was talking about computers and technology in schools today. Every school has a laptop trolley, which costs $30,000, and is wheeled into different classrooms as needed. I wondered how a laptop on wheels could cost that much but apparently this trolley is also kitted out with all sorts of other high tech devices as well. Even projecting transparencies on to a screen is old hat now, replaced by much more modern devices.
I felt so OLD. When I went to school we just had paper and pens, blackboards and books, and how old fashioned that all seems now that kindergarten and first grade children are taught how to use i-Pads.
I was telling Fr Clark at Kiwanis that I don't know the difference between thunder and earthquakes, it sounded like a thunderstorm in the night but the noise seemed to be coming from right under the house. He said that the walls move if it is an earthquake, which is true, I've had to go round straightening all the pictures when we've had one. The worst earthquake was when my bed was bouncing around and Bubbles was swaying about on it, but on that occasion pictures actually fell off the walls.
After Kiwanis I went to Walmart for some shopping, and intended afterwards to go to Communion at Emmanuel, and lunch, but my virtually sleepless night caught up with me, and I was just too tired to go out again. Spent the afternoon watching episodes of Wife Swap.
Was going to the movies tonight with Pattisue, but we've postponed it until next week, the weather forecast a freeze up, and I knew I'd still be tired. We're going to see No 42, the true story of a guy breaking the colour barrier in major league baseball. She's driving herself to Texas this weekend, I hope she'll be alright.
I have been wide awake since 3. We have had some severe weather across OK, earthquakes, thunderstorm, tornado and 4.7" rain in Shawnee.
We had earthquakes yesterday. After the meal last night at Emmanuel when we were gathered round, we were talking about them, everyone felt them. I am not sure if it was an earthquake which woke me, it sounded right underneath the house, but pictures on the walls hadn't moved, a usual indication, so it was probably thunder.
This flood warning is across most of Pottawatomie county, moving across Seminole.
Things seem to have calmed down a bit now, back to bed for an hour.
I haven't seen a single news item on television other than the bombing in Boston. Has the kid in north Korea shot off his nuclear missile yet?
I had a different sort of Tuesday today. After water walking at the pool this morning I went to IHOP for breakfast. The restaurants here all widely advertise on television, especially their new dishes, so I thought I'd try the new French toast at IHOP.
I opted for a combo with peaches and cream French toast. It was very nice but didn't come looking like the picture. Silly me for expecting it to.
The reality. I couldn't eat both French toasts, I brought one to go, and added some more peaches at home.
I wasn't at the Senior Centre this afternoon, I went to a funeral at a Lutheran church. I didn't know the departed, I went to support his widow who is my friend.
Just when I was thinking it was the kind of funeral I would like, they opened up the casket and everyone filed past. I wasn't going to, and in spite of the fact that my fingers were clinging to the pew like a leech, my no nonsense friend Phyllis prised them off and dragged me up.
An early start this morning picking up the donuts for Emmanuel at 7 o'clock. I read the lesson at the 8 o'clock, then went home.
At this time of year there are chilli cook-offs - competitions to see who can produce the best chilli, and there was one at Emmanuel today to raise funds for the Youth Camp.
Clearing up. You can see from the number of slow cookers along the worktop how many entrants there were. I think I counted 12 pots along here. When I appeared in the kitchen I was steered to the mildest, least spicy. And it was quite nice.
I got into line with Rosalyn and I was telling her about Bubbles cat hotel, she suggested I ask her friend and housekeeper Jay, to come in and look after Bubbles. I like Jay very much and she has looked after Bubbles in the past when I've been to Texas, but because she lives on the other side of Shawnee it seems too much out of her way, but Rosalyn didn't think so. I will ring her tomorrow.
The weather has been lovely today - bright, sunny and 75. I don't think I've seen a forecast, which is unusual for me not to tune into at least one during the day.
Everywhere in Oklahoma the redbud trees are blossoming, and Shawnee is the Redbud City. As well as the parks and gardens I am sure at least half of all homes here have them in their gardens. I must say they do look very pretty.
They were introduced in the late 1930s when thousands of Eastern Redbud trees were sold to the public for 25 cents each. Many new trees develop from seeds dropped in the summer.
I was off out early this morning to the City. Dale, my neighbour over the road was going to come in and feed Bubbles while I was away, but her brother is coming and they will be going away for a few days. She suggested I ask Donna, next door to me, to come in while she was away, but Donna has a chronic illness and I would be afraid of her having to go into hospital while Dale is away, and Bubbles could be overlooked.
So I researched hotels for cats and found this one in OK City.
I'm not looking forward to the journey there dropping her off. When I boarded her at the vets at Tecumseh she cried all the way, and that's just down the road.
But I am happy and excited at my visit home and looking forward to seeing everyone.
This is the latest on North Korea, as the US perceives it. John Kerry is touring the area, visiting all the leaders. I am not sure what he is saying though. Probably trying to persuade the Chinese to cut off food and aid because that could finish the north Koreans, and calming down the President of South Korea - it is said that she is Margaret Thatcher on steroids.
I was going to ramble on a bit more but am falling asleep, will just hit Publish and be back tomorrow.
The weather has been devastating in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, which are to the north and east of here. Tornadoes devastated 24 homes in one state, and about the same number in another. 1 person died in Mississippi. The Governors have declared states of emergency (which entitles them to Federal aid) so I think we were lucky in Oklahoma to get away with just heavy rain - which everyone wants anyway.
This is what a tornado looks like when it touches down.
Here in Shawnee it was very cold this morning, I went to get the donuts for Kiwanis and had to run the heater in the car for 20 minutes to de-ice the windows, then went out in 2 thick jumpers and a fur jacket. But it warmed up during the day and I got down to a short sleeved tee shirt.
The Kiwanis speaker wasn't terribly interesting, he was an attorney talking about grandparents rights in custody battles.
I had a change of routine afterwards, instead of going to Emmanuel and out to lunch I had a meeting at the hospital with all the chaplains. There are very big changes going on, departments and offices being moved around. We were asked to be mindful of the stress all the staff are feeling at the moment and to minister to them as well as the patients. And extend our areas of operations, going to the emergency room, stopping and talking to relatives in the surgical waiting room, and out to the rehab facilities on the other side of town.
It has been very sunny today, and the sunshine floods into the front room which has a double aspect, so I take advantage of it, doing some needlework, as my eyes aren't too good in artificial light. In fact they are not good, full stop. I used to be able to cross stitch on fabric with 21 stitches to the inch, then it went to 18, then 14. Now I am down to 11 stitches to the inch.
I was also watching live the murder trial. The domestic abuse witness for the defence is still on the stand, she started taking questions from the jury today. While the court was adjourned for a while we saw a video of the defendant's father's interrogation interview, in which he said she had been lying since she was 14 years old. So not even her parents have got her back.
The defence are trying to prolong the trial as much as possible, in the hope that the more time the jury spends in the room with the defendant the less likely they are to pass the death sentence.
The defendant herself is tweeting from prison on her Facebook page, just how much more bizarre can this case get. She telephones her friend, who then posts the tweets, and in them she is mocking the Prosecutor, which doesn't seem a very smart thing to do. Like I say it just gets more and more bizarre.
We didn't get the tornadoes yesterday, but still had severe weather, very heavy rain, and bitterly cold. It dried up later this afternoon but is still very cold.
I did a stint this morning handing out packed lunches to the homeless at Emmanuel. They come up to the window in the parish hall and we pass them out to them, through the window.
In the afternoon I made a couple of cakes (well, knocked them up from a mix) for the supper at Emmanuel.
Looking at them here I think I should have been a bit more generous with the topping. I thought they were alright at the time.
The supper was jumbalaya, but I've learned not to eat anything from the southern states, all of it is way too spicy, I just had some corn on the cob and bread.
The teenagers do their homework while waiting for supper. I admire the mother helping them with trigonometry. I don't even know what trigonometry is.
I've heard people in England complain about moles digging in their gardens. They should see what armadillos do.
I knew this was done by something bigger than a mole, it was Kevin tonight who told me it was an armadillo. They have pointed snouts and root around like pigs.
The weather looks a lot worse on television than it does outside, although it has become very cold, it was in the 70s this afternoon, I went to the Senior Centre in a short sleeved tee shirt and thin skirt, but am going to bed with a hot water bottle.
The tornado shelter is all kitted out with piles of duvets and pillows in the bath, and battery operated lanterns. Kate at the Senior Centre helped me programme my weather radio, but I have yet to see how it works, but come a tornado warning I will take it into my shelter along with my toys, and my thermoses. As this is the tornado season I will leave the bathroom set up as a shelter until it is over, which I think is in June.
The cause of tornadoes and extreme weather is very cold temperatures meeting very warm, moist air from the Gulf, like 14 in the Rockies meeting the hot air in Oklahoma and Texas.
Changing the subject for a moment, this is a photo of Korea taken at night. You see the south is brightly lit up, and the north is practically in darkness. That is because less than a quarter of the people in the north have access to electricity. I think myself that the sooner the regime comes down the better it will be for the people.
I was out early this morning, I had some breakfast at the Senior Centre and went to the pool. I managed to push against the current in the walkway quite well, I don't know if they reduce the force in the mornings for seniors. Then this afternoon I was manning the desk at the Senior Centre.
I have been listening to American contributors talking about Margaret Thatcher, revisiting my history, you might say. I think most of us know that she was a chemist before she went into politics, but it seems little known that she developed soft scoop ice cream. I think soft scoop ice cream is the best thing since sliced bread and she deserves more recognition for that.
I might not have thought so at the time but I also think she deserves to be viewed as one of the best prime ministers we've had Looking at the chaos going on in the Euro Zone at the moment we can be grateful she kept us out of it. And I look at all the trouble unions cause over here, shouting the odds and protesting and I think she did a good job breaking them in Britain. In fairness though, we have got fair employment laws and protection, which they don't have over here, so maybe they need their unions. Of course another tremendous achievement was helping Ronald Regan end the Cold War. Golly me, it sounds as if I am writing her obituary, but she did leave an admirable legacy.
I understand she is having a state funeral? They call it a ceremonial funeral over here. Would you let me know when it is on.
The other major news item in this part of the world is still the weather. I certainly know what the expression 'calm before the storm means'.
The winter storm, as you can see, is moving eastwards, it is coming from the Rockies.
But it will all be over by Wednesday.
The other news item which only seems to be interesting me is the murder trial. The domestic abuse expert has been on the stand forever. She, who holds seminars identifying the abuse in Snow White. She maintains a very calm, unruffled approach, but the Prosecutor is dancing around, practically apoplectic with rage, questioning her credentials. I don't think he reckons that being an expert on Snow White qualifies her to judge whether the defendant was abused.
My main preoccupation today has been the weather, there might be tornadoes on Tuesday, and we were told to make our tornado precautions, so I went to Walmart and bought a weather radio.
As I think you know, I don't go to a shelter because I would rather track the tornado on the Weather Channel, but as soon as I lose power I'll dive in my shelter (the bathroom that doesn't have outside walls) and the weather radio will tell me what is happening outside. I don't think I will need it to wake me up, the sirens in the street wake the dead.
I was lucky last year when there were bad tornadoes in May, and one was headed for downtown Shawnee, I got nervous when it was 12 minutes away, but then it passed over, so I am thinking I might not be so lucky this year, hence the radio. Apparently the forthcoming tornadoes are going to be as bad as they were last May.
By Tuesday I'll have my shelter kitted out. I think Bubbles would rather run to where she feels safest, ie in my closet, so I'll clear a space and put a blanket down for her.
Certainly looks hot down in the south west of the state.
Another warm, sunny day 75 degrees. I wish the summers here were like this instead of 113. And we know tornadoes are on the way when the supermarket aisles are displaying...
weather radios which wake you up if you're asleep, and the tornado is bearing down on you.
I think the tornadoes here are predicted for the beginning of next week, and are expected to be very damaging.
I'd planned to be at the pool at 8 o'clock, but it was 10 when I got there and I expected it to be packed with children, but I had the walkway to myself, and by the time I got in the hot tub I had the whole pool to myself. I concluded that at that time of day the children are all playing their ball games - their little football and baseball matches.
Pattisue rang shortly after 12 to see if I'd had lunch because she'd heard at her Democrat meeting this morning that the Seminole Nation was having a wild onion dinner at the Senior Centre, a fund raising event.
I am always up for an outing but wasn't wildly excited about the wild onion dinner, I've had it before, and Native American cuisine isn't up there among the world's finest.
The wild onion is that green stuff on the edge of the plate. Indian fried bread in front of it is nice when it is hot, straight out of the pan, but this was cold and tough.
So I put it aside and got myself a hot dog, but didn't eat all of that. They had desserts but I had given up by then. Anyway it was nice to spend time with Pattisue who is still battling her cancer.
Most of them there were Indian, I think we were almost the only white people there, but the white man probably doesn't like the wild onions.
I haven't mentioned the shootings in Texas of the district attorney and his wife, and the deputy who was shot a little while ago, but it is very tense there, and the gun violence is definitely escalating over here. It is worse than the Wild West. At least in the Wild West one was challenged to a duel, now the bandits just knock on the front door and gun them down.
I know they don't tell you over there that the Queen is dying, so I thought I'd better let you know.
There's not a lot to say about today, or maybe I have writer's block.
Even the White House is now warning that the US might go to war with North Korea. All foreigners in the country, and those in embassies there are leaving. Commentators are saying if they fire a missile which just drops into the ocean it will probably be ignored, but if it hits the US of course, or South Korea or Japan with whom the US have treaties, they will have to retaliate. And they have promised S Korea and Japan they will take action if they are attacked.
I went round a floor of the hospital this morning. This evening I had supper with Pattisue at the Lutheran church, who raise funds by putting on a meal one day a month. We were both rather taken aback at the price though of $8, which is on a par with what restaurants charge. Decided we will go to the China Buffet next time.
Kevin cut my grass today, the first cut of the season, and it was overdue. I'm very grateful to him because I was afraid he might be too busy and then I would be in a bind, because the City fines us if it is not kept short. In this dry state long grass is a fire hazard.
Certainly greener than it was after the couple of days of heavy, drenching rain.
Looking at me adoringly, ha, ha, ha.
The Kiwanis speakers this morning was very interesting, it was given by one of our members whose son is at Darwin College Cambridge, and he has just come back from a visit there, so gave a power point presentation of his photos. He spent a few days sightseeing in London, and also went to Bath, and took a trip to Stonehenge. Unfortunately it rained every day he was away.
Things are back to normal at Emmanuel after Lent, I went to the discussion group, then Communion.
There is a new restaurant in town I was interested in trying, so I spoke up when lunch was mentioned and suggested we try it.
I ordered boneless buffalo wings with what I was assured was a very mild sauce, but it was way too spicy for me, but having watched so many Food Network programmes on how restaurants are run I had no hesitation in sending it back. It was my fault, I didn't know buffalo wings, in and of themselves, are spicy before they even put the sauce on, but Fr Bill sorted it out for me and I got a dish of crispy, boneless chicken wings which were very nice.
The sun was setting when I went water walking this evening. I think I really will try and go in the mornings though instead. At the end of the day I don't have the energy to push against the current, so turned round and walked in the direction of the current instead, which is a lot easier. Also there were a lot of children splashing about in the walkway, which I don't get in the mornings.
The situation in North Korea is still ratcheting up.
The Secretary of Defence has gone to south Korea to ask the President there not to react, or take action, the US has 'got their back'.
Also in the news is the long running murder trial. It was revealed today that the defendant even lied in her diary, saying she didn't remember stabbing and cutting the throat of her victim.
A domestic abuse expert has been on the stand for several days trying to make the case that the murdered victim was abusive, and this was obviously irritating the Prosecution. He was shouting at her, so she asked if he was angry with her, people in the court laughed, which then annoyed the judge. Then someone said - and I don't know what relevance this has - that this expert conducts seminars on Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, and Snow White was abused. Another factor attracting attention was the presence in the public gallery of the dismissed juror. Honestly, you couldn't make this stuff up; laughter in the court, dismissed jurors, an abused Snow White, and a defendant who lies to her diary.
I think 'enjoying' much needed rain is a bit of an understatement, everyone is ecstatic, and in this part of Oklahoma the last two days of heavy drenching rain has made a dent in the drought.
And Shawnee seems to have had more than most.It
It starts getting better tomorrow, but then severe storms are on the way by Sunday. You wouldn't think, would you, that the temperature could go from 72 to 39 in a day.
First thing, I went to Kiwanis Pancake Day, which is the main fund raising event of the year. It is organised I think by the other, bigger club in the town, our little group doesn't really contribute to it. It is held in the Municipal Auditorium next to the Senior Centre.
I think sausages were being served up with them here, but I took my lemon.
The pancakes were very nice, thicker than we have them, and soft and fluffy. Then hurried home and organised my toys and my thermos to take to the hairdresser, had my perm, which I think looks very nice, an improvement on long and straggly.
Went straight from there to Emmanuel for the Shawnee Peace Fellowship meeting, I was over an hour late but got there for the important part of the meeting.
Finally, after all this rushing about I had a little nap. I had left the brownies from the bake sale in the kitchen in the morning, and after my nap went back to Emmanuel to set them out, but the children had already done it. I had intended going back for the meal, but just didn't feel like going out again in the cold and wet.
From the news......I am sure you've heard N Korea has declared war on the south, closed the factory on the border which was jointly operated, and announced they are launching an attack on the United States. I get the impression the US is ready for them.
April 12th apparently would be the 101st birthday of the founder, the young leader's grandfather, and it is expected that would be the most likely date for the attacks.
I haven't got any details but there was a shooting at Fort Knox in Kentucky, a huge US base covering 109,000 acres.
The mother of the defendant in the murder trial said that after her daughter shot her boyfriend, stabbed him 27 times and cut his throat, she was 'a little strange'. She also said she had mental health issues, would frequently 'freak out' and shout and scream. One wonders why on earth didn't she get her daughter the professional health she obviously needed.
