A Tour of Courthouse and Casino

My afternoon started out with a tour of the Rush Limbaugh federal courthouse.   Security was tight and they confiscated my camera but I finally got in and Sandy Moore, the secretary, came down and vouched for me.   She then gave me a tour of the court itself and all its intrincacies.    I met with Gary Kremer and an advisory committee from the State Historical Society and it was a lively discussion and fight between the University and the State.  I was the buffer along with others.  

Then Steve took eight of us to the Isle of Capri to have dinner.  I had not been there before and it was fun.   We toured all of that so and ate in one of the five restaurants.  The casino, which we gazed into, was packed on a Thursday night.   It was an experience.

Steve, Don Dickerson, Al Spradling, Bob Hamblin, Frank Nickell, Ned Matthews from Sikeston, Gary Kremer from the State Historical Society and me (the only woman) went to eat and we told all kind of stories from past political years.  The State took the papers of J. V. Conran, who helped elevate Truman to president.   We all shared our memories and Al Spradling talked about meeting Truman at his house when he came down to Sikeston to make a speech.  

Don Dickerson took me home and we laughed all the way home.  A super evening.  Not bad being the only woman either!

Proofreading ---not for sissies!

I hate proofreading!  I suck at it!  But I have to do it in order to turn this book over to the printer and never see it again!   I am up to my ears in proofreading but I am determined to read another page and mark mistakes.  Liz Matthews has been here knocking it out, changing size of pics and type and she is good!   There is hope ahead!

I stopped long enough to get dressed, check out the work that Greg Lowry is doing on my gripping rail and to eat lunch.  Now I have to run to a meeting downtown for State Historical Association.  When I get back, I can't proofread.  First, I will have had a couple of drinks (You can go faster in the reading but accuracy is out the window).  Also, I can't work at night when I'm tired!  

 

But I will hit it in the morning.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday revisited!

Finally sat down and looked at pics.  Colin looked good in his new suit and I looked like a fat pig.  Layne is busy opening presents.   These are great mementoes of some fun days.   That is what life is and we should enjoy it moment by moment.   

The days travel by so fast these days.   It is fun to have the house filled with people --like today--Jordan helping me clean the yard of Thanksgiving decorations.  Greg putting a handle up to help me maneuver the living room steps, Annie and Holly talking about Holly's gown for her Ball,  Joan and I are going out to eat tonight, Meleia and I at Dollar General Store stocking up, etc and me working on my book.    I am making progress!  Hallelujah!   I have a busy, busy few days but I intend to find some time to get the individual citations finished.

BAILEY, THE VAMP IN OUR VIDEO WE MADE FOR lANDON.  

Housecleaners!

Gloria, my housekeeper of many years, comes today!  Yea!   She normally comes here twice a month but now she is coming weekly since Jennie is not at home.  I needed her today.   She will do all the cleaning while I work on the computer and that is great!   It is a mental blessing to know that I don't have to change beds and sheets and wash all the dishes and do the laundry that is left over from Thanksgiving and having a full house.  

Leaning over a bed changing sheets is the hardest thing on my back.  And I would do anything or not do anything to keep my back intact.   My plans for the day need to be revised.   And I am quickly a revisionist of daily history.

Now my problems are:  Get my fireplace fixed (I can call Greg or Mark Spinks)  Work on section l of my book and call Bobby Brune about it; and pitch out some of the crap left over from Thanksgiving (already been to the trash with left over rolls and pumpkin pie!   Outside of all this, Thanksgiving is over and on to Christmas!

Miscellany

This is one of those days when I could not get caught up with anything and too much of miscellany going on to make any progress.   I stayed after it all day:  hair done, house cleaned (somewhat), lights put up on outside (Thanks to Greg's help),  ran to Nursing Home to sign papers for Jennie, took Jordan, Holly and Greg out to eat, did an interview with Caroll Eggemeyer for my book, and paid bills.   That was progress!

But the miscellany is still there -- nothing was done and finished.  Nothing was done.  It is waiting for me tomorrow.  I need to get a long list ready.  Maybe I will pick up where I left off or maybe  I will just start on a new miscellany or minutia.

I started to turn on my fireplace and watch MSNBC and the fireplace starter won't turn in.  I'm trying to figure out these things.  I will turn up the furnace, get out the Christmas blanket and hope that tomorrow brings some real progress!

Sunday morning coming down

Johnny Cash had his lyrics right.He talked about getting up on Sunday morning and "no way to hold  my head that didn't hurt" and putting on his cleanest dirty shirt.   Well, my head is not hurting and I have more than enough clean clothes and I didn't have too much marijuana last night and a beer for breakfastI But there are similarities of title and I am facing the Sunday morning coming down of realizing that all the family is gone but I am still here, a little downhearted, at the prospect of the day.  I don't want to do what I have put off to enjoy the holiday!

 But I am sitting here in the maze of paperwork I need to do and thinking of ways I can avoid it.   Too many details which need to be seen to:   old decorations given to Salvation Army and Safe House, pay bills, make list for the week, do scheduled interviews and go to meetings.   Get Greg Lowry to come over and put up my outside lights,  do laundry, clean out refrigerator and watch television.   I have spent the last thirty minutes reading the story of General Petraeus and his love life!  I am sick for reading it in People no less.

What I want to do today is get ready for next week and then take a nap.   I have a hearty soup on from leftover turkey and brussel sprouts and I will enjoy that all day.  I will light my fire and sit here going and doing what I am led at the moment.  Not a bad life!  I just need to grab ahold and cope today!

**By the way, if Mama Cooper were here she would say that Johnny Cash was born in Kingsland, Arkansas and they knew the family well.  Sing on Arkansas Johnny!

Bryan's Birthday!

 Today is Bryan William Stacy's birthday!   Yea!  

Bryan is his unique self and thank goodness he is!   He has brought me such joy with his kind spirit and his sweetness to his core!   I have five grandchildren and they all bring their uniqueness with them.

When I think of Bryan, I think of his laugh and his artistic persona.   He laughs when I say I can't draw a straight stick because he knows that is a true statement.   He likes me and I double like him!  We know how to laugh about the good things and the not so good things.   Happy birthday, my darling Bryan!