We took the day off

Today was a travel day.  Which meant we got to listen to a couple of sermons on the radio and some christian music. Later,  I got to study my verses today while Mark listen to classical music.  I got on face book and watched the video of Olivia the Olympic "nastic" girl and it made my day.   We stopped by Walmart and got chicken and Amish  mac and cheese and had a picnic near a lake. This afternoon, we found a station with a very good story teller.  We stopped by one Antique mall and was serenaded by the owner. We decided to go ahead and find a hotel early today.

 Mark got on the computer and found us a Comfort Inn for 8000 points.  He won, we take turns finding hotels and he hit a home run with this one.  Nice hotel in a pretty little town with a great recreation park.  We started our evening with a swim in the out door pool.  Then we ate supper.  Mark  made a stir fried meal with  the wok and propane grill and I made bread in our XL cooker.  Then we went for a long walk in the park full of families playing and swimming and walking and playing that Frisbee toss game. We saw a tennis court and decided to go buy tennis balls and play tennis.  Then back to the hotel  for a long soak in the whirlpool. Then we watched a little Olympics and are ready for bed.  Nice day. Tomorrow, back to work.

Listening to the radio

We heard a show on the radio yesterday that talked about the old radio jingles and I enjoyed listening to the old jingles that I remember from when I was a kid..  Now they  just use something called sweepers in between songs. When I was in the sixth grade, I had a teacher who loved old radio shows and would play them for us on Fridays,  if we had all of our work done.  Back in the day, the radio and reading and story telling gave children plenty of opportunities to use their imaginations. People don't  use radios, read or tell stories much  today.

Mark and I use the radio a lot when we travel. We listen to several sermons on Sundays,  when we can not find a church to go to.  We  listen to a game show called,"wait wait don't tell me" on Saturdays. It was fun listening to the country song "fly over states" while driving through those states.  Mark loves all kinds of music and loves to  try to get me to name that song or   name that singer.  I get it wrong about 80% of the time.  Most of the time if I don't know,  I guess James Taylor.  That way I am right some of the time.
On this trip, Mark has found several stations playing classical music,  which is perfect for chilling him out while driving  and for me to memorize scripture.

Still working on James

I  am still working of the book of James.  I finished chapter 3 was working on chapter 4 by studying and writing the verses.  While we were walking in the woods this morning I decided to say my chapters out loud and slowly as a prayer.  I started off and was really enjoying myself.  But when I got to the middle of chapter 2, I realized that I was mixing up parts of chapter 2 and chapter 3.  So, I spent the 300 miles on the road trying to go over chapter 2 and 3 again and get them  straight. Still working on it.

Small towns USA

Mark and I try to stay off the interstate as much as possible.  I'm not saying that we drive through all small towns, but I started noticing the city limit signs.  Boyd-618, Wheeler-758, Firewood-528, Ridgeland-237, and Downing-265.  There were more, but you get the idea.  When I see these signs, I wonder whose job is it change the numbers on the sign.  How often do they change the numbers, who counts and do they change it after ever birth or death.  I love small town America.

Let the kids take care of us now

For years, we took care of the kids.  Now, that we travel, it is nice to have adult children who take care  of everything  back home.  We love to come home to a clean house and the grass cut.  They sometimes borrow vehicles and we are happy that they feel comfortable doing that.  We can tell when they have had  a bonfire, dinner party or just sat around the pit.  We also have good neighbors who check on things while we are gone.  We love, appreciate, and miss all of them.

driving at dusk

Mark does most of the driving.  But, after 5:00, after supper and afternoon walk and swimming, Mark likes for me to drive around in the country.  He takes his gps and finds rivers, bridges, and lakes.  We see sunsets and watch clouds forming. Lately, we have been seeing a lot of signs about snow mobile trails.  I can not wrap my southern mind around the fact that these dirt and gravel roads will be covered by snow. Mark is always on the look-out for animals, tonight we saw 16 deer.  Most of them were in soybean fields eating the farmers profit.

sunflower fields

We are driving through sunflower fields in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  They are beautiful and always face the sun. Their heads droop at night when they can not fine the sun.  Maybe we need to try to do the same.  We should always turn our face to the Son.  Our advantage is that the Son never leaves us.  So we do have to droop our heads unless we turn away from Him.

unruly evil tongue

I am working on chapter three of  James.  This is the chapter that kept me from studying James for so many years.  He calls the tongue an unruly evil member of our body that boast of many things and can set in motion a fire that can  burn down an entire forest. A fire that comes straight from hell.  That is enough to make this world class talker want to hush forever. I  tried to write this chapter from memory.  I still need to work on this difficult chapter to memorize, but even more trouble to live.  

cooking on the road

On day 3 we stayed in an extended stay hotel with a full kitchen for 8,000 points.  Even though,  I am the queen of microwave cooking, I used this as an opportunity to cook.  We fixed three casseroles and put them in plastic containers to heat and  eat  on the road.   We love to travel.  This business pays for all of our traveling especially when we a thrifty.  Also, what we cook is usually healthier than what you eat in restaurant.

We went to Walmart for a cooked chicken.  We ate on that chicken for 3 or 4 meals with other foods that I could cook in the microwave.

On day 9 we found a Farmers' Market and stayed at another Hotel with a kitchen.  Mark grilled up some meat and I cooked some veggies. We have now been on the road 11 days and have eaten in  2 restaurants. The first was  on our anniversary and the other  was when Mark was craving fish.  We have had several picnics for lunch with  hikes around parks,  rivers, or lakes. We have hiked at least once every day, some times more.  We also swim  when our hotel has a indoor pool.  Having a great time and trying to stay healthy.

pheasant hunting

This not what it sounds like.  Mark and I want to see a pheasant before we leave this area.  This morning we walked a couple of miles through a plowed up hay field and we could hear the pheasant calling out to each other.  However, we did not see one.   Maybe today.

In a Nebraska barn

People ask us where we by stuff.  So far this trip we have bought stuff in Georgia, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska.  We have been in Antique  stores, yard sales, thrift stores, mom and pop stores. warehouses, and barns.

Today we spent 2 hours in a barn in Nebraska with  Merlin.  We bought a lot of stuff and I got a history lesson with each item.  I asked him if he was going to charge me extra for the history lesson.

Today we bought a hog scrapper, and a hog slapper, leather tools, hay bale hooks and meat hooks. We found several tobacco tins and oil cans and a tire repair kit.  We also got three "curry"  combs  to brush horses with and three boxes of square nails and three levelers.  We have a fence stretcher, never seen one before,  but now I have one.  We have, zinc and milk glass lids, glass lids and regular and wide mouth lids.  If any one needs lids, we have them.  We have eight sad irons from different decades with explanation as to which ones came first and even two children sad irons. We have two sets of corn huskers that wrap around your hand and help you husk corn in one swipe in the field.  Merlin's Daddy use to pick and shuck fifty bushels a day for 10 cent a bushel. We have two cream cans tied to the top of the vehicle.  Gray enamel pans, toy tractors, a rug beater, two silver baby cups, a complete campers set, five gunny sacks, a coal stoker, WW11 leggings and a feed store sign from a local store are all priced and ready to sell.

We are in trouble.  The suburban is filling up fast and we still have South and North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin, before we get back to Kentucky to set up for the world's longest yard sale. 

Still trying

I am still working on memorizing the book of James.  I wrote all of chapter 2 yesterday and did okay.  Missed a couple of phrase and need to review them.

I finally figured out why I am enjoying this project so much.  I have memorized scripture for years, especially during my bible drill years. But, I have always had problems with references because I am so bad with numbers. Now I just say the chapter with out having to knowing what  verse I am in.  The bonus to this,  is how smoothly the verses and even the chapters read. Let me write the last verse chapter one with the first verse of chapter 2.

Pure religion and undefiled before God is this, to visit the orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep ourself unstained from the world.  My brethen, do not combine faith in Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory with partiality (prejudice).

I am really enjoying reading and memorizing  with out worrying about chapter and verse.  It kind of feels like I am reading  a good book or telling a good story.  After all, this is the greatest book  ever written by the best Author.

I'm an antique

We were in a small town store when a lady came with tomatoes.  We spoke and she sat in a chair was talking  to the store owner.  When she heard we were antique dealers, she ask Mark if he liked antiques.  When Mark told her yes, she said, "I'm an antique,   I'm  90 years old".

 I sat down and talked to her while Mark paid our bill.  She  told me that she has worked since she was 12 years old  and does not plan to stop,  When  people tell her to stop working, she tells them that if they do not want to see her working,  to turn around or close their eyes.

 The tomatoes that she brought to share were from her garden. She told me that her landlord did not want her to have a garden, so she "spaded" just a little bit for her garden.  She wanted to hoes up the whole east side of the yard.  She said that she did not know what she would do without her garden.  The last thing that she told me was that if she died while working in her garden, she would die a happy women.

I could not help but think of my mother-in-law.  She was a hard working women who loved her garden.  I believe if she had lived to be 90, she would have said the same thing.

Back to James

I am using the Beth Moore study guide book to check on  my progress on my project of trying to memorize the book of James.  It is really hard to see how you are doing when you  are trying to memorize.  So, this is what I am doing.  If  you have this study guide, turn to page 43. You will see that  she starts many days  by telling you to write a few verses in the back of the book. We did that during the study.  SO, I am writing the verses in the margin of that page and then checking it from the back of the book.   I find that I miss a word or two and some of the  phrase a little off,  but mean the same thing.  When I find those,  I correct them, but I do not feel bad because I am getting closer.  Then I review that days work. I finished chapter one and then took out a note book and tried to write the whole chapter with out looking.  I did pretty good until I got to the 25th verse.  The words of this verse do not flow for me.  I need to work on it more .   This probably does not make sense unless you have done this study. If you have done this study,  maybe these hints will help.

Why travel? the people

The first store we went to  was a Catholic thrift store with volunteers.  We found a lot of good glass and were putting them on the counter.  I noticed Mark kept finding things as a senior black lady was putting them on the shelves.  I told her that we would never get out of the store if she did not stop putting out such good glass.  She  smiled and picked up a couple of wine glasses and said that she needed to buy them for her daughter.  She  told me that her daughter belonged to a fabulous after 30 club that did a lot of charity work for children.  Then they would visit each other a have a glass of wine.  She also said that her son traveled  around doing charity work.  I could tell she was proud of her adult kids.  I asked her where did suppose they got into the habit of helping others.  Could it be , because of her?   She told me that she was 70 something and this was all she could do.  What an example.

We went into an Antique store with a man about our age and his Mothers.  I picked up something that I really liked  and was told everything in the store was half off.  We stayed there the next 2 hours and bought a lot of stuff.  It was very sweet to see the relationship between this Mother/son.


We went to a thrift store in the next town, which happen to belong to the wife of the auctioneer for the auction that we could not make it to the day before.  She called her husband  and he invited us to join him and his best friend  at the warehouse.  We stayed in that hot warehouse for almost 2 hours and  made a large pile of glass.  They walked over and I knew that I was going to  get a good deal when they started saying  glass, glass and more glass.

We found a hotel with a young widow as the clerk.  She was very helpful and told us the best local place to eat.  Twin River family restaurant on the Wabash river  We do not eat out often when we travel, but this was worth it.  I ordered a local sandwich called a manhatten.  The whole sandwich cost one dollar more than the half sandwich,  I was very hungry, but all I could eat was half, so we got a to go box.  Mark and I split the other half for lunch.  Not bad for $5.95.  The young lady that checked us was very young.  She was answering the phone, taking orders and running the cash register.  She was the owners daughter working for Daddy and she was 10 years old.  She said that some people thought that this was hard,  but she had been doing it for a year and loved it.

We walked into  Antique store/museum. I could not get the door open, so a gentleman open the door for me and told me that only strong people were allowed to shop there.  That is when I saw the good ole boy club.  They were all retired military and they sat around talking and exchanging stories.  While Mark talked to the men, I walked around and quickly realized this was more museum and less store.  So, I went and got Mark to look at the best collection of war memorabilia that  we have  every seen.  One gentleman followed us back and proudly showed us the civil war, Guam, WW1 and WW2 collection.  We are in a small town and would never have guessed what we would find here.  I asked about the price of  a very old tiger oak stool. He  told me that he was not the owner and he just came here to help out and get out of the house.  There was much discussion about who it actually belong to and who could price it.  All that I was able to buy was a small  Frankoma pig .  But I left there  with a little piece of history.

Sunday drive

Yesterday was Sunday.  We listened to four sermons on the radio while we drove through Tennessee,  dropped off trailer in Kentucky and  into Indiana.  Mark does all of the driving. So, I get to take notes during sermons and work on my new project.  I am trying to memorize the book of James.  Earlier this year when we studied James, I pretty much got the first chapter.  So, now I am reviewing that one and working on chapter two and three.

Review of chapters
Chapter 1: 1-18 is about endurance and patience gained by enduring trials and temptations
Chapter 1: 19-27 tells us to be doers of the word and not hearers only

Chapter 2:1-13 lets us know that showing partiality (prejudice) is sin
Chapter 2:14-26 defines the  importance of Faith and Works

Chapter 3:1-12 controlling the tongue (which is the reason I waited so long to study James)
Chapter 3:13-18 Wisdom

I will talk about chapter four and five when I get there

James was the brother of Jesus and a non-believer until after the death and Resurrection of his brother. He does not pull any punches, teaching  about things we do not want to hear about our self.  This book  really  is a challenge

July 16, 1976

July 16, 1976,  at the ripe old age of 19 I got married to Mark Fleetwood.  Time flies.  When you are 19 years old, you think that  know every thing and make some of the most important decisions of your life.  Where will I go to college, what career, what china do I want to have for the rest of my life.  Who knew that that 1970's flower pattern who not stand the test of time.  I never use it and can not think of any one who would want to inherit it.  But the most important decision we make as a young adult is who we are going to marry.  When you are young and in love nobody can tell you anything.  I was blessed by marrying a young man who is now my best friend.  We went through a lot of things during these past 36 years and they have only made my love for him stronger.  Happy anniversary baby.

Return to James

Okay, ladies, this is for  all of you who have studied the book of James or done the Beth Moore bible study, James.  Once you  have studied this book of the Bible, it sticks with you.  You will hear references to it in sermons, other studies, the radio and in conversations.

So, on this trip I will try to complete the challenge to memorize the five chapters of the book of James.  Join me.  I will tell you what I use to tell the Bible Drill Kids.  If you memorize just part of one chapter, you will have memorized more than most.  Also, think about all of the songs that you know all of the words to without even trying. Every child that I ever taught verses to know the secret to memorizing, repetition, repetition, repetition. If you memorize scripture, the Holy Spirit can bring them to mind when you need them.

The bonus for me and anyone else that admits to getting older is,  exercising the brain.  The best way to keep the body working is to  exercise the body  and the best way to keep the brain working is to exercise the brain.  My oldest brother Hugh, use to do crossword and Sudoku puzzles. My  Mom is in her 80's and plays and wins all board games,  still teaches Sunday school and tutors great grand children.  I feel the need to exercise  body and brain.

I plan to go back over the lessons and work on the verses as I come to them.  When Beth Moore says to write the verses, I will  write the verses.  Writing is a very good start for memorizing.  Then read them over and over in different version until you understand what each verse says.  Then pick you favorite version  and repeat the verses  over and over until you are comfortable.  When Mark and I  walk, I will  be saying the verses in my mind, combining exercising the body and brain.  Wish me well, I will let you know how it goes.

a good day

Slept late for us ( almost 7:00)  and did quick bible study and breakfast.  Washed dishes and played tennis...we won.  Met Mark at tire store and road together to Adel to spent time with Mom, Aunt Dot,  Uncle Virgil and Steve.  Mom cooked super country lunch with lots of veggies.  Then picked up Becca from  art camp at   Reed Bingham and Riley and friend from  his house.  Dropped Mark off at the house  for nap and met Annie, Olivia and Allie at the her parents house for a swimming party and home made ice cream.  Then back to our house for quick supper.  Mark and I put up a bushel of peas outside while Riley made us a fire in the pit. Olivia helped by finding dry sticks to keep the fire going.  Mark and I sat by the fire and talked.  The the kids went in side to watch a movie and eat pop corn and  drink hot chocolate.   Bed time.  Read one more book, cup of milk and lots of good nights heard coming out of the room where they sleep.  This is the reason we come home from all of our traveling.

America

America
"Intellectually I know that America  is no better than any other country;
 emotionally  I know she is better than every other country".
                          Sinclair Lewis,  speech

   

Represent the Red Cross

Mark and I have finally  taken all of the classes required  to become certified Red Cross volunteers.  Jack explained to us that when you put on that red vest you represent the Red Cross.  We have only worn the vest once.  Since we were still in training,  we were divided up and put in teams with veteran volunteers. We noticed that every where we went, people were attracted to the Red Cross vest as a symbol of  hope in hopeless situations..  They do not know our name and will probably never see us again.  When they receive help, they say  the Red Cross helped us get through the disaster.  That is how it should be.

There is another cross that represents hope to the hopeless.  Jesus died on that cross.  He is our only hope in this world and the next.  We are to represent God by serving others in His name.  The bible says, " Let your light so shine before man that they may see your good works and glorify your  Father which is  in Heaven." Matthew 5:16.