Another day spent eating my way toward bedtime!!

Ok, now maybe I did something else, but right now I forget what it was.  First thing this morning it was off to the annual United Way breakfast at the Golden Corral.  That is one of those all you can carry places.  My husband decided that early on when he looked at what we had on our plates at an all you can eat place and declared, "This isn't all you can eat, it is all you can carry, because there is no way we can eat all this!"  I had to agree with him on that one.

After breakfast it was time to prepare for lunch with Tim and my daughter Patty.  That happened at the resturant at the Airport because Tim works in one of the businesses out there.  I had a hamburger and true to resturant fare the bun was 6 times as big as the 3 ounce hamburger. Extra onion means they actually left a piece of onion on the plate. Then home for the nap.

Then Patty was off to play bingo with another sister leaving Bret and I to fend for ourselves.  I had leftover Jambalya and Bret had a plethora of chicken nuggets, chicken egg rolls, and mozzarella sticks, all deep fried because he is getting tired of the soggy stuff in the microwave. I think there is some ice cream in the freezer somewhere, so I may go find that I polish that off and then head for bed. 

Have a good one.

This is Randy Tryon, Organist at First Congregational United Church of Christ....

Here is Randy having a cookie.  Like every red blooded American male, he likes cookies. Randy is one in a million.  When he is not doing his job which is being a nurse, he is playing the organ at our churdh.  If that is not enough, when he is through playing for our church which meets at 9 AM at 228 West Evans here in Pueblo, Colorado, he jumps in his car and races across town to our sister church , Christ Congregational  which meets at 11:00 AM.

I do not know Randy very well, but I do know he has a lovely wife to whom he is devoted and at least one son and a daughter in law who plays the flute.  Also they have a baby who is a grand child to Randy. I am sure it is either a boy or a girl, but that is all I know.

This dark forboding picture is of the piano that Randy wants to replace.  I have never played anything in my life except the radio, so what I know about musical instruments you could put on the head of a pin.  But Randy says this archaic monster has got to go, so go it shall.  I do know it looks kind of cold and not very friendly. The piano at Christ Church is very black and very pretty.  Soon, I hope we will have one like that!

So, for the time being, we will be gearing up to raise money and the first quilt is laying on the table in Mayflower Hall and I bought the first 5 tickets, so I know there is $5.00 in the fund.  Wish us luck and I shall hopefully keep you up to date from time to time!

The first quilt we will raffle to buy the piano for the church!

This is definitely a scrap quilt!  When I am working in the sewing room I throw all the scraps of mateial in a box.  Then Linda came and got the box and took it to her sister, Elizabeth Griffith who very patiently sewed them together to make this quilt.

This is what the whole thing looks like.  The above picture is just a corner.  The four blocks in the center are parts of a nativity scene that did not measure up for quality so they went in the box.  I did tell you that Randy wants a new piano at our church , didn't I? Randy Tyron plays the pipe organ at my church, First Congregational Church, UCC here in Pueblo.  The piano we have is very old and not in very good shape,  so he thinks we should have a new one.  He is probably right!

Anyway, our church does not have a lot of money, so we thought if we could make a bunch of quilts and raffle them off, that would be a good way to raise needed funds.  So this is the first one. We figure we should raise at least a $100.00 on each quilt so we will sell tickets afte church every Sunday until we have sold 100 tickets then we will have a drawing.  Sounds good to me. I can see I better get busy working on the next quilt!

I plan on doing a little blog on Randy and his pipe organ, but this computer is very slow at loading pictures, so it will need to wait a day or two.  For now, we are starting our project and I will keep you posted on how it is progressing.  In the meantime, if you would like to pop in to our church and buy a ticket, we are located at 228 West Evans, Pueblo, Colorado  81004. Church starts every Sunday promptly at 9:30 and we always have coffee after.  Maybe I will  see you there!!

Here are the Apricot blooms I was telling you about!

Here you see the blooms on the Apricot tree.  I know some of you will think that means Spring is here and Winter is over, but I am sorry to say you may be mistaken. It has been my experience that here in Pueblo we only get a fruit crop about once every 7 years.  I can still remember getting Apricots off this tree and I can't remember things that happened seven years ago, so I am pretty sure the freezing stuff is not over.

But I do want to tell you where this tree came from. About 20 years ago we were working on a BLM (Bureau of Land Management) job in Paonia, Colorado.  That is over on the Western Slope where all the fruit comes from. The land is mostly for grazing cattle and recreation and such so it is mostly public land. On the public land grows all kinds of trees to include Apricot, Peach, Choke Cherry, Apple, and one called Sarviss Berry which is a lot like a Blueberry.  Anyway my dear husband picked a bread bag full of Apricots for me.  I made them into Apricot Jam and threw the pits out by the septic tank. Next Spring I had many Apricot Seedlings.  I planted 14 over at my mother-in-law's and planted 3 here. Still have them.

The Apricots are the first fruit trees to bloom in the Spring.  Also usually the first ones to get frosted, too.  Ok, that is the story for the day. Putting my tired old body to bed.

Welcome home from Iraq to Christine!

The granddaughter is safely home from Iraq!  That is always good news for all concerned. There is just something about having their little feet on United States soil that gives moms, dads, grandparents, siblings, friends and acquaintances a sense of relief!  True, we may not see the girl and in fact probably will not see her, but I rest easy knowing she is back.

Chris has been in the Air Force and will remain there for some time, but she is back in Denver.  She did get to spend 2 nights in Pueblo and must report in to the base in Denver today.  So for whatever it is worth and wherever "home" may be we thank the Lord above that she is home and not sleeping in Iraq tonight!

Welcome home, Chrissie!

It snowed last night. We need 6 more!

Here is my rose bush all mashed out by the snow!  Of course that was this morning and now it is evening and all of the snow is melted.  This is what is known as Spring Time in the Rockies!  This is the time of year when, no matter how much you are tempted you do not plan anything that entails getting in the car and driving somewhere.  There is a very good chance that, despite the fact that I just shaved my legs and wore my shorts all day today, I may very well be snowed in tomorrow morning, like today.

I had planned on going to Colorado Springs this morning to have lunch with a friend, but when I woke up in the middle of the night last night and chanced to look out my window, I knew I would be staying here doing the at home thing today.  So I did.  Life throws me lots of curves. Like I just uploaded 3 pictures of the snow, but 2 of them are out in cyberville somewhere and I will probably never see them again. But there is always the chance that when I hit the publish button, they will miraculously appear.  Or not.

According to the Indian Lore, we still have 6 more snows coming. Kind of hate that because the buds on the Apricot Tree are just ready to open.  Maybe they will bloom really fast before the next snow gets here.  We usually get a fruit crop about once seven years.  Since I don't care for Apricots, they do better than the Peach Trees which got bores and died early.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Some old fahioned values, for a change!

  All this stuff with Sandra Bullock and Jesse James has got me to thinking!  Now, I have no desire whatsoever to watch movies, nor do I keep up on all the behind the scenes hoopla that goes on there.  I did rent "Precious" and I have been known to watch the Cheech and Chong movies, but as far as being an avid fan, I am far from that. If Entertainment Tonight did not preceed the Nightly News, I would be in a complete fog.
  That being said, I did see clips of Sandra winning her awards, and Jesse in the background. It was a fairy tale between the beauty and the bad boy.  Then came the scandal, and it seems that is how it always happens, huh, Tiger? Sandra has gone into hiding and do we wonder at that? Have you ever had anything like this happen in your life?  Not necessarily a husband or wife humiliating you on nationwide television, but some one lying to you and getting caught and exposed?  If not, could you imagine how that would rock your world?  How empty would you feel knowing that the person you share your life with, is sharing with someone else?
  I am a firm beleiver that "the chickens come home to roost," and "it all comes out in the wash".  I am far from perfect and I have done things in my life that I only pray never sees the light of day and hopefully they won't because I have mostly forgotten and anyone who knew is probably older than me and they don't remember either!  A lot can be said for old age and poor memories!
  But what I am wondering here is this; wouldn't it be nice if we could all get back to the good old days, where a hand shake sealed a deal and a man was only as good as his word?  How cool would that be if all our lives were an open book?  I am sure honesty could solve a lot of our social problems.
"Where you been, Johnny?" "Oh, out popping the guy walking through my turf."
"You are late dear, where have you been?" "In the motel with my lover."
"Where did you get that CD?" "Stole it at Walmart."
  Would honesty be the best policy or are we actually better off being kept in the dark about some of the things that affect us directly?  Maybe we are better off with just one big blow up and picking up the pieces and moving on.  Daughter Debbie always said:

"What doesn't kill you or make you bleed will make you strong!"

She also said:

"Setting in a pile of poop is a nice place to be until you start stirring it, then it gets nasty!"