Betty’s Week
Plans were discussed last Wednesday morning, as I was delivering papers, as to how best to avoid vehicle thieves. Topping the list was removal of keys and locking vehicle. Next was not leaving anything in sight that was worthy of stealing. Final advice was maybe we’d all better leave our gas tanks close to empty.
My van should be very safe. I never leave the key in and only leave it unlocked in the church parking lot. This is done because many times folks need to leave things for me or pick up stuff that I have for them. Not having anything worth stealing is a given, unless you want some garbage. This van is a work van and it’s worthy of its title. The only place to sit in it is in the driver’s seat. When Jimmie drives, it takes me half an hour to find the passenger seat for me, second row of seats are completely impossible, and the back seats are never up. Really, the city garbage truck is cleaner. And it runs on fumes, so think I’m completely thief proof—I’m sure they can find a more convenient ride.
Not only are we having vehicular burglaries, but also being hit are businesses and homes.
I can remember when most of the news in small weeklies was good—births, weddings, church events, parties. Not so anymore. Our front pages look exactly like the big city dailies, with murders, wrecks, burglaries, ect.
From conversations with friends, neighbors and even just folks passing by, I’m convinced that we all would like to go back to the laid back easy life, when doors and vehicles were left unlocked, children could roam the streets at any hour of the day or night in safety, everything was safe, no matter where you left it.
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Last Wednesday night the folks at Woodland Hills had to again suffer through one of my devotional. Bro. John Lancaster, who had been filling this post since Bro. Ken left us, has been called to the pastorate of Airport Baptist Church in Grenada. Bro. John is an excellent teacher and preacher and we’ll miss him, but we rejoice with him that God has called him back into full time service, which is what he had hoped for. We will also miss Linda and Faye.
Since we’re expecting to begin a study in Revelation in the near future, which will be facilitated by Barbara Warren, I looked around for something for a very short interim. Found a 1975 book of testimonies by famous folks, which had a lot of good material. This had been given me by my late mother-in-law, Dolly Shearer. I picked out about half-dozen and only got through three. When I began with Helen Hayes’ thoughts on prayer, I realized that to know these folks you had to be at least my age or like classic movies.
We had three children in the group, because the youth teachers were not present. I was surprised that they enjoyed the program as much as the adults—maybe more so. They took part in the discussion and really added a depth to the study that I’d never have reached. Reruns of Hawaii 5-0 helped explain Helen. Her story was about prayer when husband Charles McArthur was landing on the beaches during D-Day. Of course her son was second in command in the 5-0 series and none of us could remember his name. Others included in the book were Martin Luther King, Dale Evans, Dick Van Dyke, Norman Vincent Peale, Sugar Ray Robinson, Kate Smith, and several more. If the books for the Revelation study have not arrived we’ll learn more of these stars walks with God tomorrow night.
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Played Bridge again on Thursday night—first time in several months. Was surprised that I still knew how to hold the cards, much less how to play. Did better than usual, but I did get a few decent hands and had good partners. I was the hostess and was not even supposed to play, but we were short a player.
Jimmie had made all the food, which she usually does when she or I host. I am responsible for gifts. Went next door and found some lovely prizes at J’s on Main and while doing so enjoyed a wonderful visit with Owner Jonathan Sharp and Judy Davis, who was shopping at the same time I was. Had been a long time since I’d seen her. The ladies really liked Spirit Song pottery and the great smelling candles. Jimmy confiscated the other pottery—don’t even know its name, but it’s the brown with cream drip.
Everything in this shop is really great. If you’ve not visited it, I suggest you do so.
After that I went on down to one of my favorite spots, The Velvet Glove, and found more great gifts. Always enjoy visiting with Owner Candie and in the shop was Clay Ashford, one of my favorite kids. Clay can liven up any gathering.
Doesn’t hurt to stock pile prizes—Jimmie has to host just a month after me. We rotate alphabetical and “C” comes only two parties after “S”, and she’s ready, prize wise. She’ll have to cook her own food.
Did have a great time and bring greetings from two members with WV ties, Sara Russo (coach’s wife) and Karen Lewis, (daughter of the late Opal and Howard Martindale).
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Friday morning Bo had a doctor’s appointment in Memphis. He and Jimmie left about eight and it was unseasonably warm. Arriving back home, they reported that when they got out of their car in Memphis an hour later it was a cold 36 degrees with drizzle and wind. Saturday it was cold at Mom’s, but then on Sunday morning when I got out to come home it had warmed up. The rise had continued until today when It was 64 degrees as I came to work. Now that is a late springtime temp. Watching the weather though, that’s going to change drastically. Strong winds and rain are to move in tonight. Bo had new rain gear for me, but didn’t have time to drag it out before I left Sunday afternoon—may wish I’d waited. My antique raincoat does pretty good in light showers, but in heavy rain it soon get soaked and then so do I. Predict that will be the case tomorrow morning. Maybe I’d better drag out the old yellow plastic rain suit.
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Only upcoming event I’m aware of is “Ground Hog’s Day”. Don’t forget to check out the little critter’s prediction Saturday morning.
My prediction is that we’re either going to have six more weeks of winter or it’s going to be six weeks until spring arrives.
