I'm a Winner!!!!!!!

I thought it was a scam at first, even reported it to the police who didn't really seem all that interested. But I kept checking all the possibilities and had called the wrong hardware store. The owner had given the phone number of the wrong hardware store here in town. I called them and they said there was nothing going like that at all. After further investigation, I found out the owner owned both hardware stores plus lots of other businesses so he was confused. I really was put on alert when he said meet him at the bank he had papers for me to sign. The police said he would have gotten me there then told me he need twenty bucks to process the paper work. So, I did finaly call the other hardware. They told me indeed I had won and come into the hardware store. The manager met me, more excited than I was because I still was in denial because I just don't go around winning things. He showed me the slip of paper that I had put my name and phone number on and dropped into the box. He said my name was drawn out of thousands of names by a customer who they had do the drawing. When I waw that little piece of paper with my signature and phone number I remembered filling it out and dropping it into the slot in the box. Here it is: I WON $1,000.00 in merchandise at the hardware store. Guess what I did next, I went out and bought a lottery ticket. That was fruitles, LOL. So I got to pick out that much merchandise from their fall catalog.

Have Suitcase will Travel.....Again, LOL

I am today moving off the mountain, there is no connection with the outside world there, no phone reception, no internet connection. There was a company measuring to place a tower on top of the mountain so that could be a year or so from now. The mountain is solid rocks with a little dirt settled on top. That will be very difficult to put a tower in those rocks, but I'm sure those big companies have access to the equipment to do just that. I am moving into a mobile home in a Mobile Home Park. Across the street from McDonalds. I am in walking distance of town and all the fast food restaurants (food row) grocery stores and restaurants and stores.

Hi, I missed you all....

I am living on the side of a mountain now and it gets really cold here at night. all week it has been below freezing but, during the day when the sun comes out you start peeling your coats, jackets and sweaters. Then you can be outside during the day and wear short sleeved shirts along with your jeans and take in the glorious Arizona sunshine. I have learned a few things; can you believe I had more to learn LOL? I learned that it is easier to fasten the buttons on my cuffs with my left hand even though I am right handed. Now pay attention to these things as they are very important to life. For those of you who do not have the luxury of a dishwasher (and you probably won't if you are living on the side of a mountain without running water or electricity} the answer is coffee filters. Yes coffee filters! They are earth friendly, and make perfect little cheap saucers. For the number you get in a package, it is a bargain compared to paper plates or napkins. They are the perfect thing for that sliced apple, a doughnut or roll, that handful of nuts, pop tart, cookies, piece of cake, and a sandwich fits on one, cut fresh veggies, etc., etc., and can be used for a coaster under that soda can, or tea cup, or coffee cup. Use them for any type of small dry food. You may now start with your own list and I will get back with you later. Hang in there, I am aiming for at least two times a week on here.

About That weight Thing

Remember I told you I was going to try to get some of the weight off this body I'm in? Well, for me this is a great accomplishment. I have lost 3 inches off my waistline. I don't know how much weight I have lost but I'm still working on it. I will keep you all posted. Someday, I will find a scale and weigh me, then I will get back with you on that.

Have Suitcase will Travel again...

LOL, yes, I am getting things in my car again to move in with my son since he has moved his motorhome. So I am using up the food that is left in my refrigerator here in the motel and loading the car again with my suitcase and other stuff that I brought to Arizona with me. My rent will be up here on the 12th of this month of November, 2010. The spot where he is parked is in the mountains with a breathtaking view. I hope to get some drawing, and painting done finally. Nobody will be there to bother me. By now I know you are asking the question, so the answer is NO, it doesn't bother me to move so often. This adventure is part of my life at this time and I will have some fun and interesting things to look back on when I will no longer be able to move very much at all.

UFOs??????????????????????????????????????

!!!! If you can't think of anything else to talk about ufo's are always an interesting subject. I am posting some pictures that look like they could be ufos. What do you think? Could they be? I really want to know what you think and do you believe there really are Alien UFOs like from other planets?

Baby Javelinas...

I forgot to tell you in my last blog that snakes aren't the only wild life out here. There are some very large rats as well as all other sizes. We actually have the pack rat here. Even more interesting was the two baby Javelinas that walked across the mountain near our ledge. They were walking slow like they didn't even know we were watching them. Patches, my sons dog knew they were coming a long time before they got there. That is why you have a dog out here. He was smelling in the air; raising his head and sniffing. As they got closer, he started a low growl, as he does when something is close, to warn us. The dog chased one of them until it escaped and he could run no longer. The terrain is very rough on the mountain side. There are rocks; big rocks and very big rocks of all sizes all the way down to small. Where is my camera when I need it? Last week I also saw the second roadrunner since I've been here. They are fast little boogers, just like the cartoon that was on tv one time long ago-you know the one with the coyote and roadrunner?

What God hath made we should enjoy.

And I do. I have seen some of the most beautiful sunsets here. Watching that big yellow ball change colors as it descends behind the mountains is simply awesome. The blue in the sky is so dark and clear during the day, it is just a painting the sky. Of equal mention is the stars in the sky at night. They can actually be seen here. I took pics of one sunset which I am going to post here, but there will be more.

Snakes Alive!!!! - or not.

The trend in the desert mountains here in Arizona is killing the rattlesnakes before they bite you. One of the neighbors at my sons place of abode killed another rattler and he is saving the skin. He had it rolled in newspaper to dry it. Then he said it will be soaked in alcohol and glycerine. It was about four feet long. Very long for the area. My son has moved farther out. It is halfway up a mountain side and the view is just spectacular. One can look out about five miles away and see Wickenburg where I am staying temporarily. My plans are to move there and get some drawing and oil painting done. Speaking of snakes, I killed my first rattler two days ago. It was a diamond back rattler. They are very common here. Oh, did I mention I was driving my car at the time and ran over the rattler, killing it. No, I did not keep it for the skin.

HAVE YOU SEEN ANY BLACK CATS?

Halloween is nigh! All channels seem to have the scary movies on so I am such a scaredy cat that I won't watch them at night. At night I stick with the not so scary ones like the Vampire Diarys. Then if I don't have a choice such as watching a tv that belongs to someone else, I will watch the Night of the Living Dead or something really scary but I don' t have to like it. My idea of a scary movie is Witch Mountain by Disney, the Scooby Doo movie, or the old classic-E. T.

Wickenburg,AZ cooled....

It has been raining here off and on. With the rain last Wednesday came some cooler weather, so we no longer have 100 degrees here. We are in 60's at night and 70's in day. I hear a lot of people coughing now since the sudden change in the weather. Even though it rains here. It never rains all day. There is always a time during the day when the clouds part and that wonderful Arizona sun shines through. I can stand in my parking lot and look across to the Weaver mountains where my son lives and see the dark clouds hovering over them and the dark rain streaks running out of the cloud to the ground. You know for sure they are getting a rain shower there. There have been an unusually high number of tornadoes this year in the past month but they stayed away from where I am. Here in Wickenburg there is a river called the Hassayampa which means "upside down river". It is an Indian name and so named because you can walk on the water because the water runs under the sand and dirt. The exception to that is you don't want to be walking on the river when it rains in the mountains because that is when the water runs down into the river and the water runs on top of the river. In the mountains, the river is not upside down and the water is always on top, and there are some beautiful colored rocks in that river in the mountains. I guess most people would just look at it and think of it as just a stream in the mountains.

Wise Owl

FYI the Wise Owl is the Senior Center in Wickenburg, AZ. I have been going there for a well balanced meal since Thursday. The contribution is $3.oo for a really great meal. The cooks here are fantastic. They must be borderline gourmet chefs. I have never eaten a bad meal here. I ate lunch when I was here for the winter before. They also have other activities. Friday, I went there early for their Coffee Clutch, which is coffee and a pastry, muffin, doughnut-your choice, or you can have hot chocolate or tea-plain or flavored. M,W, and Fri. is exercise standing or sitting and it is quite vigorous. Then lunch then Eldervention which is a lot of information about aging and they will later be having a program to help people from falling or tripping. Then some of us stayed to play Wii. We played bowling. Then we played wii bowling with 100 pins to knock down. I faired well but the competition was rough and very talented. They had been practicing a little in the year I went to Florida. There is also a computer lab, a pool room, dart board, puzzle board, TV, Big screen on wall to play Wii and other games and movies. Tuesday after lunch it is still dominoes. They have an electric number board for Bingo. Other activities include music, word search, movies on Wed., scrapbooking, karaoke, blood pressure check, working on the cookbook, crafts, pool tournaments, and they have day trips for very little money-$5.00 for a trip to the State Fair. Unfortunetly, I came too late and it was full. Most of the people remember me from before.

Have Suitcase will Travel

Thursday I packed my suitcase and little red car and headed for Wickenburg, AZ where I now temporarily reside. I am living in a motel here which has a microwave and refrigerator. All utilities paid including internet so I can use my computer and cable TV all for one price. Air conditioning feels mighty good. The price is about the same price of my apartment in Hannibal in which I had to pay my own water, sewage, and electric, also paid cable for TV and internet. So considering all that and the fact that I get my sheets changed, clean towels, and clean room. This means I may have time to do some painting and drawing. I just have to unload my car now. Hopefully I will lose a little each time I unload and repack. Eventually, everything may fit in the suitcase and I will have no problem closing it. The lady who takes care of the motel rented it to me by the month. She is a very nice lady from India. She gives me newspapers and magazines when she is done reading them. I have taken pics of the room. Maybe you can find them over among the pictures.

Snakes Alive!!!!

My son killed a rattlesnake, a diamond back, it did not rattle, but he seen it at dusk about 100 ft away from where we were sitting. The rest of us saw nothing. We were having our evening coffee and chat with one of the neighbors and the sun was working its way down so it was a little hard to see. Snakes never crossed my mind. Suddenly my son jumped out of his chair, ran to the front of the RV, grabbed a shovel and ran across the street with it. We watched him in wonder when he started hitting the point of the shovel on the ground. We walked over to see what was going on and what he had done, there was a diamond back rattle snake with its head chopped off. He told me most of the snakes do not rattle anymore because they have bred with the mojave snakes and other poisonous snakes. Also the local hospitals are having trouble with the effectiveness of the serum for the snake bites for this same reason. Since the snakes are interbreeding, they will contain more than one type of poison in them. What really amazes me is that he was sitting with the rest of us with his back to the direction of the snake and yet he was able to observe the area and scan for snakes. When I ask him how he knew it was there, he said when you live here, you learn to keep your eyes open and watch for what may be there.

Arizona I am here!

Definitely here, temperatures are in the upper 90's this week and 80's at night. All week these temperatures will stay with us; and then we will be having a cool front come in and the temps will drop to an amazing 89 degrees. There is always a nice breeze here. The place I am staying is in the foothills of the Weaver mountains. You can see the pics. This area is surrounded on the West, North and East by mountains. From the South comes the sunshine, always. Phoenix is down there but it can't be seen from here, however, one can see the town of Wickenburg from here. It is very close, possibly as little as five miles as the crow flies; but a road trip would be around 25miles one way. Water is hauled here and generators are used for electric backup. We have solar panels to charge the batteries during the day. There is also a windmill taking advantage of the continuous winds here in this small valley. Everyone in this little valley has definitely gone green, more out of necessity to live in such a remote area.

Traveling the States

Hello from Tucamcari, New Mexico this morning. Anyone who has been in other states of the US knows that each state has some very unique identies. Thus when you travel from state to state the scenery changes and the state becomes its own. Tulsa, OK was just WOW I'm out of Missouri. But let me tell you about Missouri first where I started. Springfield, Missouri has a McDonald's ice cream cone which costs 46 cents and 53 cents after taxes as compared to Hannibal which are $1.00 plus 9 cents tax. That is another WoW. In Joplin, MO gasoline was $2.469 per gallon. So, moving along, to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, which during daytime the oil derecks can be seen as well as the oil wells pumping. Oklahoma also has that unique red soil and lots of cattle. The stockyards which you pass have there own odor going on as well and it is very definitely identifiable. In Oklahoma, senior coffee is only 38cents a cup at McDonalds, but, gasoline is back up to $2.799per gallon. That price was stable for the rest of the trip. Now Texas has some wide open spaces and lots of them old cotton fields down home. Also there was an abundance of the plane propeller type wind mills. The trees that you can see along the highways in Texas look very windblown. They all seem to lean to the north. New Mexico has a lot of small trees, I call them large shrubs. When you scan the land it looks dotted with the trees across the scene.The trees are a dark green and the ground is now more yellow and you see a lot off cliffs.

YUKON, no, not Alaska!

I am now on my way to Arizona, finally. I did the final stuffing of my little sub compact car this morning and what I couldn't get in the car went in the trash. Away I drove. I left a few minutes after 9am this morning. Stopped for an hour in Mexico, MO and had breakfast then drove on. I am in Yukon, Oklahoma. I am using my WiFi on my pc for the first time. That is a wonderful invention. It is a definite gotta have if you have a laptop. Sorry no pictures yet. I am on Highway I40 and the next big town is Amarillo, Texas. I am staying tonight in the LaQuinta Motel and it is very nice and very expensive-not my first choice. Gotta get some sleep now they have a warm breakfast in the morning waiting for me. Oh, I hope that includes coffee.

Last Countdown Day to Sunshine

I will be leaving for Arizona in the morning, hopefully early. but not worry, my laptop is going into my backpack which will be attached to me. YOU ALL will hear from me I just don't know how often at this point in time. Where I will be going is way out of any town into the desert foothills of the mountains. Hopefully, I will get some oil painting done this winter. With the warm dry air and wide open spaces, I will not have to breath in too much of the paint thinner which is used in the oil painting. Check out the pictures I am posting of the area I will be staying. You will see what I mean by wide open spaces. I have to turn in my modem today so this will be my last blog in Hannibal. Am I ready, not yet, I have some things left to carry down the stairs and try to stuff into my little sub compact car. When I get that done, I will be ready.
So check out the new pics I am posting.

WEDDING DAY

Later this afternoon is Ern and Janets wedding. Ern is my youngest son. He and Janet are very much in love and have been for over nine years. I will have lots of pictures later of the wedding and maybe a few of the reception. I am looking forward to finally calling Janet my daughter-in-law. I can't talk long because I have to start fixing my hair for the wedding. How can it take longer to do your hair when you have less of it? That just seems wrong to me. Yesterday, when Ern was at my house taking the remaining pieces of furniture away, he got a call that there was a water leak in his house so he had to leave in a hurry. They had rehearsal very soon after that, I was told it was casual so hope he got the leak fixed and made it to the rehearsal on time. Talk with you again some time after the wedding n reception.

Countdown to Sunshine

Seven more days then I head West for the winter. Looking forward to it. But First, Ern and Janets WEDDING. Very soon. While I'm back on here, did you know the prescription for the flu shot is not refillable? Yes Folks, that is right if you want to go get another flu shot, you will first have to see your Doctor to get the prescription renewed. I think this would be a good time to start a poll of how many people would want to ask their dr. for another prescription for a flu shot? O K got work to do. ttultr.

New Haircut and Flu shot all in one day!

Busy day. Had lunch with seniors, carried out 3 things to car. Giving two of them to a friend and a large bag of clothing to Douglass Community Center. Went with my friend Waunita to Walgreens Pharmacy. We both got a flu shot (fluvirin multidose vial). That is a flu shot with the H1N1 flu shot all in one very long needle. Trust me, it was very painless, the needle was so skinny that I didn't even feel it even though I was watching. When I came out, I had to say "Oh, that really hurt" for the man who was next in line. TeeHee, I couldn't resist. LOL. Then I drove waunita home and went to the beauty college to get a hair cut. It always amazes me that if the picture shows the hair being pulled forward that they can alway manuever it to be the way and direction just the opposite that is shown in the picture you gave them. I think though that I will be able to pull my hair toward my face. I am happy with the cut anyway. Then I had my eyebrows waxed. That should make me not so scary looking. LOL.

Help my suitcase won't close!

I;ve been packing and packing and giving away and giving away. All that and my suitcase will not close. So back to the drawing board. More downsizing. It is just a process of elimination. Two piles, what I think I need and what I need. What I will wear and what I think I will wear; what will I actually wear. I have my favorites and the suitcase closes now. Wait though, that contains winter cloths. It is still hot in Arizona 2 days ago it was 108 degrees there. I still have to make room for my summer clothes too. I still have to find room for my hiking (mountain climbing) boots. More downsizing; continuing the process.

Countdown to sunshine

Getting my stuff ready to move out of my apartment is going as scheduled. Nine more days are left until I am ready to leave for the west. I will be starting to load some things in my car these next few days. I have a few of the vacuum bags for some of my clothes, and I think that will help me with space in my tiny car. I said it would be ok if a person looks at my apartment this week. He lives in Sherwood Apartments already but wants a two bedroom apartment. I told the landlord that I have things in a pile ready to pack so he needs to realize that when he looks at it.
My stuff won't fit in one suitcase. I have to take summer clothes and winter clothes. and it just doesn't all fit. I will post some pics. This will be fun.

news from dermatologist

yesterday, late afternoon, one of the assistants to the dermatologist called to give me the report on that tiny sliver of skin from my chest. She informed me that the sample had been sent to a lab in Texas and now the results were back. She said it was pre-cancer and I would have some freezing of the area by some kind of nitrogen mixture when I have my next appointment in four months. Then she informed me that she was going to make that next appointment now. I told her I won't be here that I was going to Arizona for the winter. So after I told her I may not be back until April, she made the appoint for the end of April next year.

I know fertilizer has nitrogen in it, is that correct or not? make a comment below and let me know the answer for that one. The next thought is fertilizer makes plants grow bigger and quicker.Therefore will this really work???????????????????????????

long time ago I wrote......

Did you miss me? I missed writing on my blog. I have been working on getting my things and stuff in boxes, ready for Ern and Janet to carry out. I could not do this job without them since I had some heavy furniture to carry down a flight of stairs. I really do appreciate their help. I have everything that I'm not taking with me put in boxes and ready to go. Some of it is already carried out and not much is left. Now all I have to worry about is my stuff and taking it to pack in my little sub-compact car. That means tiny, not much will fit. I think I am on schedule with the moving. This week I intend to get everything wound up, after all, I have a wedding to attend on Saturday evening. Yes, Ern and Janet are really doing it; they are getting married and it is about time if I do say so myself. I will talk to you all later, lots to do.

Old Friends find each other.

I was in McDonald's eating lunch one day early this week when someone tapped my shoulder and ask if I was Hazel and I said yes. She told me she used to work with me on night shift at Dura. I looked at her and couldn't believe the events that followed. I saw her face and immediately recognized her. I said her name and she said yes. So I left my group of senior ladies and sat with her for a while. She was with her Aunt and a cousin, both of whom were very friendly. The whole point is I could remember her face and her name after about Thirteen years. That for me is astonishing, and amazing. I usually can recognize faces, but have trouble pulling up a name from that long ago. I am still amazed with the fact that I could remember her name after all those years and after all the traveling I have done since. Could it really be true? You know, what they say about eating blueberries. It is supposed to help one's memory. I don't know what else to attribute it to. LOL. Maybe my brain is working better now for some reason so we will say it is the blueberries for now.

Did you know cows eat coats? I do!

At lunch with the seniors, we were talking bout how our mothers tried to take good care of us. I had colds and beyond when I was young. It was in the spring and warm enough to go without a jacket. My mother insisted I wear a coat to school because mornings were cool but I told her I didn't need it because I always had to carry it home down about a mile long driveway after getting off the school bus when the day was way warmer. She insisted I wear the coat anyway. So I decided to leave it hanging on the gate (which kept the cows in) That very evening after getting off the school bus, there was no coat hanging on the gate! I then remembered that my mother opens that same gate to get the mail early in the afternoon. Uh! Oh! my mom got my coat. When I got to the house, I ask my mom about the coat. She said what coat? She was holding a piece of a rag which oviously had been well chewed and most of it was missing. She told me the cows ate my coat. I was in big trouble because I only got one of those for the year or until I out grew it. I don't remember the punishment but reality shows had nothing on me. I went to school a little colder the remaining days of that spring, and that was real enough.

Trip to Dermatologist;

Good Morning all, I did go the the dermatologist, she sprayed some foam on top of my head and said she was freezing it. (Wondered if that meant inside or outside or both?) There were 4 little spots on top of my head which she said was caused by the sun. The spots hurt for a little while, not unbearably so, then felt numb. Then when that started to wear off it started to hurt again then was O K but now itches a lot and two of the spots are still there. I told her my mom made me wear a bonnet when I was little. That excited her, she said good for her. Then I told her that stopped when I started to school. My mother was ahead of her time. We didn't even know that the sun would cause cancer when I was growing up. The bonnet kept me from getting sunburned which I did often. The spot I originally was getting checked out was OK.
However, she found a spot on my upper chest that she numbed and cut a piece to be checked. She will be contacting me in a week about that. So looking forward to hear about that.

I'm still working on my "stuff" in my apartment. Doing real good with the time span I've alloted myself. Have been getting some of the things ready for my son to take away for me, like some small pieces of furniture left and some light things in boxes to be taken out. So far the schedule for my departure is on target.

Drag n click......or dragon click?

Trying to rearrange the pictures on this blog. Some things happen smoothly but this just isn't happening at all. I click n drag n get the pics where I want them and I even save them. Then I view the spot and everything is the same as it was before the dragon click. I know this is suppose to be simple but seems to complicate everything for me when it doesn't do what I want it to. I know you probably are sitting out there laughing right now, but that is the farthest thing from my mind at the time. Oh well, win a few lose a few.

Getting that mole removed from my nose!

Today, I have an appointment with the dermatologist. I'm getting a spot on my face checked out and while I'm already scared enough I will get some other spots on my head checked out as well. I guess they really can't do that much for the inside of my head. I could use a little filling in there.LOL.

Hello ALL,
I just wanted to share with you something I found out about myself. Of course, this is just my opinion. After cleaning out my drawers, shelves and closets. I think I am the biggest hoarder. LOL. I have found things that I had put away to deal with at a later time that obviously never comes unless one moves. My closet was still full even though I had already gone through it twice this year. So now I am dealing with everything all at once and am glad the opportunity has presented itself to me. I didn't have a lot of trinkets setting around and I am glad for that. I really don't like to dust that well.
I was invited to my daughter's house for a family get together but she had to work so that was canceled. So what I did on Labor Day was work on my "stuff". It is not really as bad as I first thought; it is just a matter of getting rid of the excess into two categories: keep or give away. The first will fit into my subcompact car, so that will not be much. My clothes will fit into one suitcase or it doesn't go with me. I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing Labor Day. That is what it is for so all you hard workers can relax and forget working for one day that is attributed to you. I'll let you all know if I can really get all my clothes in one suitcase.LOL

Team work.

New picture of my friend, Wauneta, and a complete stranger who wanted his picture taken with her. She thinks the shirt had something to do with it. LOL. Do you reconize either of the teams represented in the picture? We were in Mcdonalds having lunch with my senior friends at the time. He had us take the picture on his cell phone and I had my camera out and told him I wanted a picture for my blog on the computer. It just goes to show that people with different ideas can come together. I wish people of the world would really do that; Imagine what could be accomplished. Then some of us may be living on a different planet if that really happened. LOL.

Good morning, welcome to my life today. This weekend was spent concentrating on vanishing furniture and vanishing paperwork. That is part of getting my apartment ready for me to move out. I have a new picture for you today which was taken last week at our senior lunch at McDonalds. I think you will enjoy it.

movie wknd at the cooleys

I think this weekend has made its mark as one of the fastest, that is to say the weekend was over so quick makes me wonder where that time escaped. Where to begin? Friday afternoon I went to Payson to pick up my Char, Andy, n Kristen and brought them home with me to spend the night. It was great fun and Kristen was in such a good mood all weekend. I don't think her gums were bothering her a lot. She is cutting teeth. Yes, that is young, but it happens. She will be 4 months old September 1, 2010. Andrew got to play his game he brought with him. I believe they watched a little wrestling also. I worked a little on my pc. Getting some pics uploaded. Tried to print some out, but my printer failed. Time for a new one unfortunately. My daughter, Sue stopped by my apartment to see everyone. She was on her way home from her work. She got to see Kristen her grandaughter, and of course the rest of the crew.

Saturday morning moved slow, I think we were all tired. Kristen watched some of Sponge Bob square pants. She is turning over now and back. She would like to crawl if she could get her knees tucked under her. Later in the afternoon we went to the grocery store Char got makings for tater tot casserole. Which she made then we got packed and headed for the cooleys for movie nite. I took microwave popcorn. Amber Cooley is my older grandaughter. They recently moved here. Amber had a lovely, tasty meal prepared for us. She is a good cook and her choices of food are healthy. We played with Kristen and awed at her and all agreed she has the most beautiful smile. We played games like guitar hero and hand to hand combat or something like that LOL. Look for the picture and you can figure that one out on your own. Caleb was there spending the night n playing games. Then Josh, my oldest grandson finally arrived. He brought his acoustic guitar and played a little for us. Check out all the new picture posts. I went home about 1:30 am Sun morn. Then we all got together and went to Quincy to church and Madison Park Christian Church on Broadway. On the way home I dropped Char, Andy, n Kristen off at his grandma's house in Payson, IL.

We were all exhausted from the weekend. Amber n Allen were wonderful hosts and we all enjoyed their hospitality. Caleb is back in school now and is starting his new adventure in High School this year. Check out all the wonderful pictures that were taken this weekend.

Yea! Found my ball!

I'm still trying to think of something wise and intelligent to put on my blog, but keep checking on this site and I may surprise you one day in the future. LOL. This week has been slow for me. I am packing some dishes and sorting my "stuff", getting ready to go where the sun shines everyday of the winter all winter long. That would be Arizona of course. I love the dry climate there and it loves me and my respiratory problems. Trust me, I feel better out west where the air is dryer. This year I will be giving up my apartment here.

Sunday, I went to the Madison Park Christian Church again with Amber n Allen and I really like that church. I played hooky or cut class at the Y pool 2 times this week. Not a good thing. Today I will be sure to make it there.

I found my ball on a string! It has been missing forever. FYI, it is good to bounce a ball and try to catch it with either hand not always the same hand. A few years ago I was lucky enough to find a ball the size of a tennis ball with a velcro wrist band attached by and elastic string. I can bounce the ball and if I don't catch it, I don't lose the ball since it is attached to my wrist. A great toy for adults. I have checked the stores since, but have never found another one. It is a wonderful brain activity. Makes you think with the opposite side of your brain which is good for better memory and faster thinking and I'm hoping it makes me smarter too. LOL.

Looking forward to Saturday night! Check back in for more info on that. Until then it will remain a mystery. Now I have to stop yakking long enough to see why I am typing in Italics? Now what key did I touch that I shouldn't have. I am still getting acquainted with this laptop keyboard which is so much smaller than my other pc. Seems I am always coming in contact with the wrong key and I type so fast I never know which wrong key I have touched. Sometimes I have to stop typing and wait for the pc to catch up with me, although, this one is much faster than ones have been in the past.

August 15, 2010

This is something I was going to blog earlier in the week. I was surfing channels on TV when GB caught my attention. You may or may not know that stands for Glen Beck who is a sort of commentater on the financial being of America and also takes his stand on political views as well and many other of his insights, opinions, and protests. Some viewers watch him because they don't like what he is saying and want to disagree with him and to do that they have to watch his show to find out what to disagree with. Then there are others who are followers because they think he has a real grip on the reality of the situation in America. I am in neither catagory but I sometimes watch to see what subject he is talking about that day. Well I had quite a shock, this time, he got my attention. He said he was going to change his program somewhat. He said he apologized to America and he had to apologize to his 2 sons who are in their early twenties. He is taking a 360. He said how could he have missed that till now. He also said that he now realizes what we must do as a nation is go back to what this nation was built on. That would be 'GOD'. He said we need to go back to GOD. He also said the country is going to get a lot worse than it is in it its present state. And the only way we will survive as a country is to go back to prayer and worshipping GOD. I'm not sure what day that was on but you probably could google it and find it. Please forgive me if I did not remember all this correctly, but this definitely what I heard and the part I remembered. Realize also that it was at least a week ago or maybe two. Please google that or search Glen Beck and listen for yourself.

August 14,2010

Time for me to tell you how much I enjoyed the rain last night. The wind was blowing the rain uphill to the east, so there were no lakes formed in the parking lot. The lightning was just out of control as it gets when it has been such a long time between rains. My electric blinked off and right back on long enough for me to find my flashlights. Surprisingly, the electric stayed on so I didn't need the flashlights after all. I stood back from my kitchen window looking out at the fireworks display of the lightening. A fantastic light show. We are to have more rain and then some cool weather will arrive. Looking forward to that as everyone is. Of course, we know there will be more hot weather before the "winter" shows its icy chill. OK, we won't even go there.

Now I should tell you that I am trying to lose some weight. I have been going to aerobics in the pool at the Y most days out of the week. The theory is that if I tell you what I now weigh then I will stick to the weight loss regime because you all are helping keep a watch on that. Let me tell you of my success story this week, I average about 248 pounds give or take a few daily. Thursday I weighed 244 n a half pounds. The other side of the scale is that Friday, I weighed 249 pounds. I have been making a conscious effort to eat healthy and a little less and excercising more. I live upstairs by the way. Here is the thing, I will not let this minor setback effect my efforts because I have to believe if I stick with this regime that I will eventually keep it off.
So hi ho, hi ho, its off the weight we go. I will keep you all informed. By the way, when I eat lunch at McDonalds with the senior ladies, I order a McChicken, no bun and no mayo, then I order a side salad and cut up the chicken and eat it on top of my salad and most of Paul Newman's salad dressings are lo cal or fat free and I do not use the whole package. I do not drink soda, I get ice water to drink.

The most exciting thing I have done this week (sorry to disappoint you) is to get some clothes out of my closet and packed them ready for my trip to Arizona this winter. Hope to be leaving early this year so I can get a good weather window for my travels. It is no fun being caught in the blizzards or dust storms that blow across those western plains.

I have a new neighbor across the hall from my apartment door. He introduced himself to me this week. His name is Orin and is retired military after 20 yrs. of service, and he is a widower and has three sons. He also said he grew up in this area.

Hope to have something more exciting for you next time I blog. Peace and Inner Peace to you all.

Friday, August 13, 2010

My Dad always said good shoes lead to a good understanding. Your feet, legs, and back will feel better therefore you probably won't be so grouchy with others.

Sunday, August8, 2010

Hi there! I'm back as promised and with new pics. Caleb, my grandson had a birthday last Sunday. It was a family celebration as always. We had a wonderful dinner which my daughter prepared for us. Then we had cake and ice cream after Caleb blew out his candles. It was a heartwarming evening.
Last Wednesday, Caleb took his chickens to the Marion County fair at Palmyra, MO. Look for those pics also. It shows him cleaning out the cages. It was amazing how calm the chickens remained while Caleb was working in their cages with a brush and dustpan. He has that magic touch. He won a blue ribbon which is not bad for his first year. The entry was a result of his membership in the FFA. I have also included a pic of the Top winner. It was a beautiful exotic pheasant with a very long tail and beautiful bright colors.
Saturday, I went to the 117th Old Settlers Celebration at Payson, IL. My great grandaughter was a contestant in the Cutest baby contest. She won the Prettiest Eyes award and got a trophy for that. That pic is on my camera, still which I will post later. My camera needs a usb cabole to get that one and that won't happen this month.
Rumor is that the manager of McDonalds is going to get my senior ladies lunch bunch a larger table. We have been telliung him we needed a larger table almost everyday. Our crowd has grown tremendously since I have joined the ladies for lunch. I think there will be more larger tables added. That will be nice for the group, our table over runneth everyday. We also have sons and daughters and grandchildren and greatgrandchildren joining us some days.
My plans for going to Arizona this winter are developing. I may have company go with me.
I had a phone call this week from my friend, Leona, whom I met while I was living in Florida. Her husband passed away about three months ago. He had Lou Gherig's disease. He was a very nice person. They took me with them to stay in their time share condo on Deltona Beach for a week every spring. We talked for about 2 hrs. Her daughter has cancer now. She has had a bad year so far. She is having a problem with being alone now, and feeling like the third wheel when married friends invite her to go with them. I must call her more often now.
Monday I had International Order of King's Daughters and Sons, Lillian Lane Circle monthly meeting. It is a christian organization developed in the 1800s. The oldest christian charity organization. We are all about raising funds for charity. The funds go directly to charities in our community.
Looking forward to what adventures this week will bring my way!

my Sunday, August 1,2010 adventure.

I have guests today, my new great-grandaughter Kristen and her mommy, Charlotte and her daddy, Andrew. As we speak, Kristen is taking a long overdue nap. She has been starting to cut teeth and was a little fussy before her nap. Today, she is 3 months old, and later tonight we are going to be celebrating Caleb's (my grandson) birthday. We are going there for dinner and cake.

This morning, I had a new experience. My grandaughter,Amber and her husband brought me to Quincy, IL to the christian church. I will mark this as one of my better adventures in life. The preacher was very interesting and gave a talk that we would light up for Christ, not that we light him up. With all the darkness in the world, he needs us to shine for him and help bring light to the dark world we live in. And the music was modern with a live band playing and the words reflected upon the 3 walls of the stage backdrop.

hazelslifeadventures

well, creating this site was certainly an adventure. This is the first of many blogs you will see from me. I hope to do a blog once a week as you could possibly get very bored with a daily report. So far this week has been happening. One of my grandsons visited me one day this week. That was a pleasant day. We worked on the pc a little and talked about his chickens he is raising. He is now taking care of his family's chickens. We had lunch with some of my senior friends at McDonald's fast-food restaurant. And he had breakfast at my house, we cooked bacon in the microwave. I had oatmeal, my usual. Then his mom(my daughter) picked him up after she got off work. It was a wonderful day and all the senior ladies are asking when he is going to join them again. I was so proud of him to be willing to share his lunch time with my friends and proud that he is so polite to his elders. I have been going to the YMCA every morning now at 9:00am, I am in water aerobics and then I stay for aqua ease and sit in the whirlpool tub for a while then go to lunch with my friends at McDonalds.I am so excited because my oldest grandaughter and her husband have moved here. Now they are close to most of her family. I promise this will get a little more exciting as more days come my way.