MrsDoF's Dear Ones

About a week ago, the President of our country, GW Bush paid a visit to a town about an hour away from us.  I made a comment on somebody’s blog about how I thought he was a bit nutty to disembark from Air Force One without a hat when the weather is cold and windy.
Fashion be damned, comfort should prevail.
Then again, iffen he gets an earache and major infection, maybe we won’t have to worry so much about an assassination.

That evening, Husband and I watched the news on tv: the speech, the handshakes, how traffic was halted in the streets while the prez had breakfast in a nice little diner.

Today’s Chicago Tribune paper was delivered to our doorstep.

One tiny little paragraph on the Op-Ed page pointed me to my computer and Media Cynic.

It seems that the prez’s short visit to America’s Heartland included a joyride on a Caterpillar D-10.  Hhmm, wonder why that wasn’t reported during the evening news on the actual date when it happened?
Well, it’s because the members of the press were busy running away from a giant machine which was moving awkwardly by an inexperienced driver.

Within that article is a link to one in Newsweek, which is also quoted by DOF.

There was one time when I got to drive a bobcat for about 20 minutes.  Yeah, it was fun, and the work done would have been grueling for my back if I’d been using just a long-handled shovel.
Although I don’t think anybody had to flee the area while I was driving.

Our Sunday newspaper had an article about a group which meets in the community room of a local church to make Prayer Shawls.  Before going to our church services, I skimmed over the headlines and photos with captions.  One woman says she has done 30 shawls in four years.  The pictures and blessings were all I got to as time allowed.

I thought this was all well and good, but I need to do other projects besides Prayer Shawls.  I love making potholders for gifts and craft sales.  They are durable and can be used during a routine task, yet is a little handmade reminder that someone cares.
I often ask a favorite color, and am thrilled to tuck a bookmark of that shade into a card.  Many are the reasons I find for different goodies, with Prayer Shawl just a part of my whole.

Knowing the article was there, my intuition told me that somebody would make sure to call it to my attention.  Which is why I got an inner chuckle during the Fellowship Hour and later.  By the time the custodian locked the doors after the last person, leaving me and the dish machine working together alone in the building, 7 sweet people had mentioned that I should read the article about Prayer Shawls in the paper.

They Noticed!  Now that shows Loving Care.

It seems to me that everybody was pepped up for the Super Bowl.  I got some really odd looks when I asked if the Super Bowl is for basketball?  Sorry, I don’t follow sports very well.

While I was at church, Husband watched dvd episodes of Battlestar Gallactica, which Lucas got for Christmas, but left here at the house.  He hasn’t asked for me to bring them over yet, so us home folks are catching up.

This morning, the phone rang at 6:22am.  The woman at the other end asked if I would be available to be a TA at the high school today.
Well, Yeah.
Gave me directions about parking and report in at the main office at 7:45am.  Although I was officially hired before Christmas, this was my first call to be a SUB!

I got up and began morning routine.  Husband was figuring out car and transport details when the phone rang again.  The same woman calling to say I shouldn’t bother, the whole school district is closed today because the buses won’t start.
I clicked a tab and went to the website.
School Cancelled due to Transportation Difficulties.

I turned and asked him if he wanted to go to McDs as usual.

Not a car in the parking lot.  We thought it might be closed also, but the inside lights were on, clerks in uniform moving about.  Too cold for anything extra like a quick breakfast.
I mentioned to the cashier that schools were closed.
She nodded, they had just heard the radio in the office.

A few minutes later, as Husband and I were having breakfast, I heard her tell a customer about the buses.  The customer immediately began fiddling with her cell phone.

I can smile about childcare woes, now that I don’t have any.
Sometimes I think I might like to be somebody’s back-up plan, but then I look around and know my house is no longer kid-proof.  Not so much breakables or poison, but just mess in general which should not be studied by children.

So here you have it—a newspaper article and cancelled TA Substitute were my big happenings lately.

It’s a cold Monday morning in a prairie town.
Go visit DOF’s place to see how cold.

and then to A Normal Backyard to see how a little squirrel is coping.

~~love and Huggs, Diane

a friend sent Maxine’s thoughts