Another Retirement Send Off

This morning I went to the Tahlequah Post Office to join in celebrating another retirement. Dennis Morton's last day of work after 21 years delivering the mail.  John Palmer, a clerk, is retiring also.

Dennis is presented a letter from the District Manager commemorating

his years of service.

 

Dennis shows his cake and John his pecan pie that someone made for him.

 

Laura, Kathleen (both retired) and Rodney

 

Fellow retirees, Kelly, Tommy, and J.C.

 

Every time I come back there are more people I don't know.

 

Dennis's wife, Tammy, gets ready to take his picture.

 

Laura and Scottie, Kelly and Frank in the background.

 

Becky and Kathleen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February Snow

This has been a warmer than normal winter with hardly any frozen precipitation, but I knew it couldn't last until spring. A winter storm was forecast for our area and it has arrived.  This morning when we got up it wasn't snowing at all and Dorothy asked me if we should go to the store and get a few things before the white stuff began to fall. I thought we could wait until Friday because it was supposed to be over by then and it would probably be melted off of the streets. I've always been critical of those who run to the store to stock up when they see a few flakes as if they would be snowed in for weeks. Then, Dorothy informed me that we were almost out of coffee.
     "Grab your purse and coat," I replied. "Let's get to Walmart before the snow hits."  Enduring two days without coffee?  No thanks.
     Flurries began as we pulled out on the highway and by the time we walked out of the store it was collecting on our car.  Fortunately the ground is warm enough that no snow accumulated on the highway. It's coming down pretty heavy now. We got our coffee and some doughnuts, because comfort food is an important part of any emergency kit. So, now it's doughnuts, coffee, and old movies for the next day or so.  Let it snow.

Gracen's Gala

Assisted by her Grandma Sandie, Gracen blows out

her candles.

 

 

 

 

Gracen gently taps the Dora pinata.

 

Personally, I think pinatas should not be in the shape of beloved

cartoon characters.  They should be effigies of huge spiders, or rats,

you know, the creatures we would normally want to hit with a stick

because.......

 

When someone finally hit Dora hard enough to release the candy

Gracen was upset.....

 

in fact she was inconsolable.

 

But she was soon happy again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Two Gracen

We celebrated Gracen's second birthday yesterday.  Dorothy made the cake, of course, and I helped her by making the cartoon characters for it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost Garden Time

We haven't had much of a winter this year. With warmer than normal temperatures and no snow to speak of we might just slip into spring without experiencing a true winter, although we have had some pretty heavy snows in March.  I'm beginning to yearn for for those planting days when, inspite of a chilly wind, you can feel the warm sun on your back as you bend to plant tomatoes, squash, and okra. The Cherokee Nation has a program that sends a crew to your house to till a 50X50 garden plot for just $25.  They arrived this morning towing a tractor on a trailer and wasted no time tilling up the earth for a perfect seed bed.

 

 

 

We'll start planting potatoes on St. Patrick's Day and everything

else not long after.  I can already taste Dorothy's salsa she'll make

from the tomatoes, peppers, and onions.

 

Hellebores Just in Time

Hellebores, otherwise known as Lenten Roses, have bloomed

right on time, seeing that Lent starts tommorrow.

 

 

Marley Kate

Marley made the family proud with her acheivments in
school this year.

What I'm Reading Now

 

Don't Stop the Carnival by Herman Wouk is an excellent story of a New York press agent who jumps at the opportunity to leave the big city behind and buy a hotel in the tropics.  It's a dream we all have. Who wouldn't want to leave the hamster wheel of modern life and spend our time basking in the sun, drinking rum and leisurely managing a resort hotel? Soon after he arrives at the island he is confronted by the problems of running a resort and dealing with the local culture.  He experiences one crisis after the other.  The book is an easy read and very comical. The name of the island in the book is a fabrication, but it turns out that it is a fictionalized account of the time Mr. Wouk spent on St. Thomas. This book was given to me by my daughter, Rachel, who presently lives in St. Thomas. She says that although  Don't Stop The Carnival  was published over forty years ago the island culture has not changed.

Dorothy's Latest Cake