International Table

Last night my international family cooked and brought the food over to my house and we sat around the table eating a Sri Lankan meal of yellow rice and curried chicken!  Two were from Sri Lanka:  Sindupa and Angelina.  Raphael is from France, Lu is from China and Nelson is from Kenya!    I am the matriarch who is going with them while they play rugby!

Happy New Year

I went out for coffee at Rhodes this afternoon with Sam Duncan. We used to work together at SEMO! He had an almond branch in his car! Shades of Jeremiah said this preacher's kid, much impressed! Those trees don't lay dormant; they spring to life and stay after it!
It is our New Year's wish for you!
— at Rhodes 101 Stop.

Best laid plans can be shelved!

I got bored yesterday morning after sitting home one day taking naps and watching news so I started cooking for Bsc and had Matt come pick it up early.  I went to a party at Spinks house and then went to Bsc For the meal!

Catch up day in mail!

Actually opened cards that I had thrown in box and have been answering them!  I am so thankful for old friends and grateful for new ones!

One old friend sent me a photo card of them:  Dave and Trudy Strand who retired in Bloomington Ilinois!

No thoughts for this day!

I am doing nothing, in my old clothes, and doing it sincerely!  

The day after

Mark and Tina left this morning about 8 with car loaded with kids and dogs!  I came in and started taking down Christmas decorations!  Heather came at nine and started cleaning and she has gone to the store!

It has been a wonderful Christmas!

Christmas Day

Talked to Jim and Laurie!  Wonderful day and meal!  

Christmas Eve

Eating out at Olive Garden with family today😃

Christmas is really coming!

Sara and Dan Dyer are on their way to Nashville with the car packed!   I will see the cars start driving up soon!   It will be happening soon and we will have a party for Mama Cooper at hospital!

I have a buttermilk pie in the oven and I need to get my hands busy cooking before they get here!

Missed Jims call

Judy Brown had a dinner party last night and she had twelve of us:  Judy, me, Joan Gohn, Sara Barks, Pat Robert, Charlotte Bess, Irene Stephens, Nancy Bray, Sue Vaughn and others!  Judy is a great cook and talk flowed!   It was nice to sit and visit with friends!

When I got home it was good to hear Jims message!

Jay Wolz and I

Jay Wolz and I went out to Huddle House this morning for breakfast and we had such a good time!  You always want to be friends with the person who has your job because you know, firsthand, what pressures they are under!  Jay has a kindness that draws me to him!

We are comfortable with each other!

Two faculty receptions in one day

Trudy Lee and I made Saxony this morning and Chateau this afternoon. So many stories and so many memories.

Got my shingles shot today!

Hallelujah got it done!  It took all kinds of doing but I got it done!   It's been a day:  Gloria here,  Mark here to work and we had a meeting at BSC!

Oh yes, I bought a new I phone 6 plus and Mark has worked all day to get it activated!

Examining the contents of yesterday!

Never have an event without evaluation!  So I started at Athletic Development after a conversation with Greg Brune and I need to get started with doing the interviews!

Then we brought in food at Baptist Student Center and we compiled a list of 37 who attended and planned follow up with pictures and a note to five banks about sponsoring a dinner!

Whew!

Open House at Baptist Student Center

Had a great Open house today but did not stay for meal tonight!   The Malden family of Claude Layne was here and so were the family of Glen McGill!   I am very happy with the crowd and it was worth the doing!

I am tired!  Amy Galemore did the fruit display!

The Giants

I went out to Ford and Sons today for the visitation for Dr Eldon Bethard, education dept!  I ran into Dr Willard Morgan and the newspapers are full about the gift from Dr James Drickey.  ---all three were Giants in Ed-psych!  And I was lucky enough to call them all friend!

Never waste a day!

I went out to lunch with Bev Hickam at El Torero and then came home and visited with my neighbor, Henry Sessoms.  He has been in hospital and I took him a book, chess pie and chocolate bars I made yesterday!  I took Bev some of the bars and a cd she wanted!

It is the season of giving!

Life is worth living!

Every day I thank God for the privilege of living and being healthy!  I plan ways to give back for all of my blessings!

Today I went to Baptist Student center and watched the students line up for food at A b Cooper meals!  Some count on those meals for budgetary reasons!  And they are so appreciative that they can sit down on campus and watch television and have a sense that all is well!

I am happy to be a part of it!

Angie Grissom

Strange how much people who work with you every day know about you!  Angie Grissom and I went out to eat at lunch and she regaled me with my stupidities during our years together and how I slivered past obstacles to make things happen!

When I came home, I decided that I better tell my kids not to let Bev, Monte and Angie speak at my funeral! I to heck with that, I won't be listening!   But some of the stories are classic!

Torture report released

Abu zubaydeh was the first to be tortured. And it was torture--this is revelatory and I don't know where it will lead --probably to Dick Cheney!  I will be glued to television all day!

We're on high alert now!

Wonderful concert!

Joan Gohn and I went to the concert of Southeast Hospital and was it a treat!  It was good from start to finish with people I have never heard before!  A doctor from Dexter brought down the house! Jrrry Ford and his orchestra did a great job!

Wonderful concert and a packed house!

Kay Hamblins new book

I went to an autograph party at Bob and Kay Hamblin's yesterday!  She wrote a book about the house they lived in ata 313 Themis!   Place was packed and I enjoyed seeing everyone!

I took a picture of Kay and her daughter, Laurie, and the four Giants of semo:  Bob Hamblin, John Hinni, Martin Jones and Chris McGowen!

Stockings are hung by the chimney with care

First time in years I have filled stockings and hung them! Actually I did not hang them.  Mark Hoffmeister did!  He is my go to guy!  Mark Spinks and Gayla came and put up the outside lights and Karel Edgar did inside decorations!  So I am ready to go!

When I was a kid we had stockings filled with oranges , a doll, and the worst chocolate candy that has ever been made!  No one ate it but Daddy! They were known by a racial epithet N.. Toes!

I thought I was retired!

I can't believe my day...so much to do and not enough hours!  Mark Hoffmeister, my computer guru, has been here three days this week and today we are assimilating grant information!  We have a product that is worth selling!

But it takes work and study and effort and my mind never slows down!  But I have my Christmas shopping done and my house lights are up!

In conversational English

Today I spent a good part of the day at the Baptist Student Center!  We met to deal with details for December 14 reception and then we ate lunch with the students!  I have made a whole host of new friends like Donna Delgado, Lynette Williamson and Mary Jo Diamond who cook and then use their time to teach conversational English!  It is a gift that keeps on giving! 

Later Bruce and I went out to Chateau to meet with Alton about the history of Bsc! I love him and we find joy and laughter in these meetings!  And besides we heard the cello group on our way out!

Mark and Gayla Spinks here!

And today my construction team put up my outside lights, put in a new outside plug, fixed my mantel and put plastic on my screened in porch!

And what did I do?  I went to IHOP to eat with Tom Harte!  Hey, I know when I am not needed. 

Mama cooper Christmas

I went to Sikeston Hospital today to take presents for the children for our party!  I have shopped at every store to get the bargains and it is wonderful to be able to give!  And to remember Mama!  She would be so honored!

Came home and information is in the mail!

Sleet comes!

So sleet has changed all my plans!  No one can get up my driveway and I can't get down!  So I have given myself permission to do nothing today and do it sincerely!