Good Evening! Another hot humid day in my corner of the world. We went to church, mainly because of the reception for the new pastor and his wife. He runs a totally different service in that he has the lay person lead the whole service except for the sermon, offering, and final prayer. The previous pastor only had a lay person read the gospel verses. No one picked up the Saturday night offering; it was still on the alter table this morning. It will be interesting to see if we have the second service money locked up when we get there in the morning. They are asking for volunteers to take on several "duties" around the church, all of which the pastor and his wife did behind the scene which no one knew about. We drove two hours to Horse Camp late this afternoon, for a 45 minute program. We sit in a big arena with a dirt floor to watch the girls ride around the ring on their horses, then a short program of songs and a prayer. The hodgepodge of folding chairs are gritty dirty from the dust the horses kick up and it's impossible to walk in sandals without getting dirt in them. I feel grungy and will head for a shower shortly. We felt we had to go because we've gone to so many of Ian's games this summer and missed quite a few of Zowie's soccer games this spring. We go back tomorrow night for a baseball game, tournaments start tomorrow night; if Ian's team wins the first game, they will play another game right afterwards. We won't stay for the second game, at least I don't think so.

"Gma," I have evidently been playing Shanghai but labeled Mahjong, on my iPad. When I went to the game night last year, expecting to play and found it was a totally different game. I hope you get your packages! How frustrating! That is the main reason I don't order meds through the mail.

Susan, I'm so glad to hear you are doing no so well with your new knee! You are lucky with the lack of fireworks! I hope our city council will ban them, but I am not going to hold my breath. Somehow I just don't think they are appropriate for Christmas.

I am heading to the shower! Have a marvelous Monday tomorrow!

Good Afternoon! We had clouds this morning, with about a dozen raindrops. We need rain! I told Bob to wash windows, as that seems to bring on the rain. The sun is shining brightly now and it is so humid. There is a heat advisory for our area this afternoon. We were going to take the boat out for a farewell ride since it is going to a new home tomorrow. Maybe if it cools down later we can go. We went to a baseball game and a half last night. It was hot and no breeze with the two games back to back; our kids were hot and tired after winning the first game, then going right into the second game they got slaughtered big time. It was after midnight when we got home. I would like to get a hold of the MAN who set up the tournament schedule. There is a game tonight (we are not going), they have Wed. off -- whoopee, two games on Friday, and then on to state if they win enough total games to qualify. Two games a night is one game too many! We are going to Minneapolis on Thursday to pick up the bells. I am getting road weary!

"Gma," glad your packages have been delivered! I don't think you are a bit excited about the upcoming cruise, are you? I've been known to make lists and then lose them so have to start all over. Bob always says if we forget something we'll just have to buy it. I did read a hint about flying which you won't be doing, but thought it a good one. We take his 'n her luggage and it was suggested that "she pack an outfit in his and he in her's." That way one has at least one clean outfit in case a piece of luggage gets lost, or misplaced, along the way. We have been very lucky with our luggage except when we flew to CA and our one piece of luggage went to NY. I feel sorry for your sister; no visitors on top of not feeling good would be hard. I asked the church secretary if she thought the new pastor might quit midyear. There is an SPRC meeting Thursday night and Bob wants to go if we are back in time. That is the committee that interviewed this guy and now needs to tell him what's on his "to do" list that he had a full time staff doing for him before. I'm sure they didn't have a clue what the previous pastor, and his wife, did above and beyond the Sunday sermon. This guy doesn't do nursing home visits, didn't want any church keys except to the front door, his office, and the parsonage, and wants nothing to do with money in any way, shape, or form. It could get interesting.

I have a load of laundry in the washer that should be finished, and then on to the next load. They seem to pile up faster in the summertime for some reason. Enjoy the rest of a terrific Tuesday!

Good Afternoon! The sky is getting dark, hoping for some much needed rain! I had an eye appointment this morning, and after just being there in March, I was in hopes for a prescription change but the doctor didn't think it was necessary. He suggested that in March and I opted to wait until now to see if it changed any more. I have beginning cataracts but not bad enough for treatment yet. He is retiring in October so I may go see the new guy for a second opinion then, I'm tired of blurry distance vision! Today was lunch bunch and after that I picked up the check to pay to get the church bells out of hock tomorrow. The checks have to have two signatures and it only had one, so to save myself another trip to town, I took the check to the gal at her work, for a second signature. Now I have no ambition to do anything around the house. Bob is at a meeting so should be home soon.

"Gma," when you say hot pot, I think of the little single serve pot I had at college. I could heat water in it and that was it. For fast cooking I think of a pressure cooker; Bob's mom used one a lot but my mom did not so I never have either. I will be interested in how you like it. The new pastor is coming from a church with an associate pastor, secretary, music chairman, education director, and custodian; all were full time paid positions. Everyone in our church is part time or volunteer. I'm thinking maybe his associate did the nursing home visits, and we don't even have an associate any more. Our last guy was so PR oriented and the nursing home residents loved having him visit. He was well known around town and well liked.

I really should think about something for supper. Since I ate lunch late, nothing sounds good right now. Enjoy the rest of your day!

Good Evening! It has been a long day for us! We wanted to be on the road by 7, but I overslept so it was 7:15 by the time we were ready to go, 504 miles and we are back home again! It was only 65 degrees up there, a big change from down here. I was glad I had a jacket when we went to eat. I noticed they had their ceiling fans going counter clockwise so it was very comfortable. Bob is at a church meeting so I will be anxious to hear about that. Most likely nothing too exciting, as usual, but supposedly they were going to ask the new pastor to take over some extra things he didn't have to do in his last church.

"Gma," I am so sorry about your sister. I hope things turn around for her but the situation sounds very serious. The eye doctor didn't think the cataracts are serious enough to do anything about yet. When I was there in March he said he could change the prescription but it would be such a slight change he didn't think it would help much. I hope I can still read my bell music; I may have to enlarge it on the copier and that would be a pain to say the least. He said I would be able to pass the eye test for my driver's license so time will tell.

Bob just came home. The meeting was at 5:30, not 7 as was on the weekly calendar. Hope you have a fantastic Friday tomorrow!

Good morning, ladies! We're in for another day in the high 90s with a heat index of 107. It's been that way all week.

I went back to the Y on Wednesday. It was so good to see my friends and get back to chair yoga and the duo step machine. I can't wait to get in the water. When I was at the doc on Tuesday, I asked but I have a tiny scab (about the size of a period) and he said I can't get in until that is healed. Anyway, I'm done with the docs until my yearly knee checkup August 2018. It is good to be able to drive again, too.

Donna, I'll pray for you sister, too. I think you mean instant pot, not hot pot. it is a brand, the one I have. A hot pot is like an electric kettle for heating water, soup, etc. You have to add in the time it takes the pot to get up to pressure and to release to whatever the cooking time is. I used to do pulled pork in the crock pot for 16 hours - 90 minutes cooking time plus another 30. I don't have to do anything put push the button and set the timer. The other thing is you can't cook meat and vegetables at the same time, like a pot roast with potatoes and carrots, or you will have mush for vegetables. I do the beef for 30 minutes then release pressure and add the vegetables and cook 5 minutes more. Anyway, I love it. There is a huge Instant Pot community on Facebook with lots of recipes. They won't be able to help you with the settings on your pot, but all are welcome.

Jean, that was a long day in the car! Fans should be set for clockwise in the winter to push heat down and counterclockwise in the summer to pull heat up. I change them when daylight savings time starts and stops. I have them in every room of my house. Medicare won't pay for cataract surgery until they are a certain level. I'm glad I had mine done. I had blurry vision before the surgery.

Have a wonderful day!

Good morning! It is already hot here. We have black interior in our car and in this weather it sures heats up the inside. Jack starts the car, kicks the AC on max and puts on the cooling seats before he puts the groceries in so it is bearable. We were out to WM and Kroger today then commissary tomorrow. It has been weird at WM the past few weeks. I don't know if it is understaffing or not getting products in but the shelves and freezer sections seem half empty. There is hardly any frozen meals or things like chicken wings, patties, stuff like that. I have never been to WM where they didn't have what I wanted but there were sure gaps today.

Good news for my sister. They changed her meds to heavy duty steroids, reduced her oxygen from 50 ml to 6 to see how she would tolerate it and she is doing well with her oxygen in the 90's. Don't know what long term heavy steroids will do to her especially since she has congestive heart disease and kidney disease besides the diabetes, but for now she is coming around when they originally pretty much gave us no hope.

Susan: I keep doing that! I knew it was instant pot but keep putting hot pot. Sounds like you are getting your life back to normal again. We have been baking here too. It's been close to 100 heat index for days now. Sure hope it's not that hot for the cruise.

Everyone have a good Saturday!!

Good morning, ladies! Heading for another hot day in the 90s with heat index around 107.

I've been staying cool working on my quilting and reading. I just can't breath in the heat and humidity.

Donna, there was an article in the paper last week that said the interior of a car can heat up 25 degrees in just 8 minutes! That's good news about your sister. Prayers really work. I haven't been to WM in over a month. I need to go and see what swimsuits are on clearance. I usually get 3 to last me though the year.

Have a wonderful day.

Good Afternoon! It's been another hot day in my neighborhood with no rain in sight, nor cooler temperatures for the next few days. Friday was a ball game in Sioux Falls; the team is going on to state but the games are another two and a half hours north of Sioux Falls. We are not going to drive five hours one way for a ball game. It is a small town and no motels close by. Jason and Amanda are going to camp in their camper. Saturday was another trip to Sioux Falls which I really hadn't planned on. Amanda was having a lipstick party and her mom invited me to ride along with her. Amanda's sister went with us and it's a good thing we went because she only had one other guest. It's a different process and not sure how well I like it. My original iPad, which Bob used, took a "dump" and it is the charger, not the iPad. Verizon had the latest model at half price so he decided to upgrade. He's happily playing solitaire as I'm typing. I have a busy day tomorrow. After counting at church and making the gift shop deposit, I have to get ready for a P.E.O. meeting. I am giving a program on the Little Brown Church (in the vale), serving as co-hostess providing bakery cookies for a gal whose husband is in hospice, giving the corresponding secretary's report, then taking roll and giving the treasurer's report. I'm not sure how I get myself into these situations!

"Gma," I have to get out of the car and walk every couple of hours. I don't know if I sit crooked, or what, but get a pain on one side from my bu** up to my waist. The heated seat feels really good. I just read where one is supposed to roll a car window down when first getting in a hot car. It has something to do with the hot vinyl emits a gas of some sort. I hope your sister continues to improve. The other day there were eleven WM employees restocking one aisle. I asked if they were changing things around again and one guy said no, just restocking. There was no way anyone shopping could get down that aisle. WM is always weird imo.

Susan, I'm sure you were excited to get back to the Y! Hope you can go back to the pool soon. I have two friends encouraging me to get a second opinion on my cataracts. My fear is I won't be able to read my bell music this fall. Their doctor is in Sioux City and I hate the thought of going out of town unless I absolutely have to. Good luck swimsuit shopping.

Hope you enjoy a nice evening and have a marvelous Monday tomorrow!

Good Evening! Another hot, hot, hot, and humid day today! Counting was good at church this morning. I had the gift shop money ready to deposit so was back home earlier than usual. That gave me time to practice my program presentation for this afternoon. I felt like the one woman show for awhile! I am tired tonight! The couple buying the boat wanted to take it for a ride so waited around for them to come and go. My house looks like a tornado went through and I am behind on laundry so know what I will be doing tomorrow. I really need to make a serious grocery list and go to the store. Not my idea of fun.

"Gma," I'm sorry you are having sewer issues again. You would think "they" would figure out it would be cheaper in the long run to fix it right. The same goes for the pool, what a waste to not use it. Some days my eyes work better than others. I can usually tell what kind of a day it will be whether or not I can read the newspaper first thing in the morning. Meeting car headlights and reading street signs bother me more than anything.

I am heading for bed. Hope you have a terrific Tuesday tomorrow!