Don and I talked about Caruthersville over dinner last night. Sacred Heart Church has a Mass on Wednesday evenings, but no morning Masses. We might have time to drive over to Owensville, KY with Sister Darlene (to the Mother House) for a visit. Memphis and Graceland are only two hours away so visiting Elvis is on our dance card.
We have a large USA map Don is posting on the wall in the hallway and I'm going to start locating blog friends and family members to consider possible visiting alternatives. There are a cluster of people in W.Va and VA and Tennessee. Later, Michigan and Wisconsin visit on the way home.
I've started thinking about what I plan to bring with me for reading and entertainment. I suspect we won't be seeing much TV which certainly isn't a bad thing.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Mission Post #2
There is no question that part of my anxiety is wrapped up in money. We have little extra and are simply moving forward in faith that we will have enough.
None of our financial obligations will really change. Kris and Adrian will live at the house while we are gone and cover utilities but the entire house payment will no doubt continue to be ours. The expectation will be that the kids will have time to find an affordable place to live. And, of course, at this point, we have no idea where we will be staying of how much it will cost us.
MY plan, which started a couple of months ago, is to save money every week. The method is thus:
Week 1 = $1
Week 2 = $2
Week 3 = $3
and so on.
Last week I saved $10 and I happen to have another $5 to add to the box. Yes. The box. I haven't told Don. I am simply squirreling money away. I hope to have over $1000 come January.
So, yes, money is a big concern. It always is with me but I'm renewing my faith that we will be provided for and have sufficient for our needs. I did it successfully when Don retired from the military in 2000. I can do it again.
None of our financial obligations will really change. Kris and Adrian will live at the house while we are gone and cover utilities but the entire house payment will no doubt continue to be ours. The expectation will be that the kids will have time to find an affordable place to live. And, of course, at this point, we have no idea where we will be staying of how much it will cost us.
MY plan, which started a couple of months ago, is to save money every week. The method is thus:
Week 1 = $1
Week 2 = $2
Week 3 = $3
and so on.
Last week I saved $10 and I happen to have another $5 to add to the box. Yes. The box. I haven't told Don. I am simply squirreling money away. I hope to have over $1000 come January.
So, yes, money is a big concern. It always is with me but I'm renewing my faith that we will be provided for and have sufficient for our needs. I did it successfully when Don retired from the military in 2000. I can do it again.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Mission Post #1
We are now officially applicants for volunteer work with Sr. Darleen. We have gone from thinking about it to talking about it to applying for the work.
I have gone from worrying about Don and suggesting it to thinking about it in the abstract to now feeling anxious because I know my life is going to change.
Questions of what I will be giving up and what I will be gaining have taken up residence in my head. The questions are unanswerable, the mission isn't here yet - the experience is still 6-7 months in the future. Don knows exactly what he is seeking, I'm lost in the possibilities and the unknowns.
I have gone from worrying about Don and suggesting it to thinking about it in the abstract to now feeling anxious because I know my life is going to change.
Questions of what I will be giving up and what I will be gaining have taken up residence in my head. The questions are unanswerable, the mission isn't here yet - the experience is still 6-7 months in the future. Don knows exactly what he is seeking, I'm lost in the possibilities and the unknowns.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Pistol Packing Patriots Posted by Annie Jeffries on June 20, 2011 at original NVP site
Geneva and Kent Brett, members of the California Gunslingers Association, invited TEA Party Patriots to their quick draw shooting range for a morning and afternoon of firing wax bullets from a couple of six shooters.
Pictured here is Tawohi and The Undertaker
Saturday morning the 18th, Don Jeffries and I drove south to Los Banos and ended up in the backside of beyond on Sunset Road. Yes, readers, we drove into the Sunset in the morning.
We met up with Sondra and Les Palocsay and several other folks - some newbies like us and some very experienced. The first thing we had to do was sign in. This involved signing in with a nickname. I was clueless so I handed the clipboard to Don and told him maybe he would like to call himself The Pirate (which is one of my nicknames for him anyway). That naturally led me to MY nickname - The Parrot. So now the team of Don and Annie Jeffries are affectionately known as Pirate and the Parrot!!
It was all about gun safety from start to finish. We learned to load the pistol, spin the cylinder the set the bullet, how to hold the gun and cock it and fire. Later, some girlfriends asked me if I felt a strong sense of power firing the gun. Oddly, I didn't feel that way at all. I was so busy concentrating on learning the routine, being safe, and trying for a bulls eye (yay, I got one), that I really wasn't feeling much of anything at all. Except a LOT of fun!!
Oh, and I beat Don on our times. :-)
Pictured here is Tawohi and The UndertakerSaturday morning the 18th, Don Jeffries and I drove south to Los Banos and ended up in the backside of beyond on Sunset Road. Yes, readers, we drove into the Sunset in the morning.
We met up with Sondra and Les Palocsay and several other folks - some newbies like us and some very experienced. The first thing we had to do was sign in. This involved signing in with a nickname. I was clueless so I handed the clipboard to Don and told him maybe he would like to call himself The Pirate (which is one of my nicknames for him anyway). That naturally led me to MY nickname - The Parrot. So now the team of Don and Annie Jeffries are affectionately known as Pirate and the Parrot!!
It was all about gun safety from start to finish. We learned to load the pistol, spin the cylinder the set the bullet, how to hold the gun and cock it and fire. Later, some girlfriends asked me if I felt a strong sense of power firing the gun. Oddly, I didn't feel that way at all. I was so busy concentrating on learning the routine, being safe, and trying for a bulls eye (yay, I got one), that I really wasn't feeling much of anything at all. Except a LOT of fun!!
Oh, and I beat Don on our times. :-)
Apricot Festival Posted by Annie Jeffries on June 8, 2011 at original NVP site
The Apricot Festival in Patterson, despite the rain, was a great success. We didn't get a lot of sign-ups but several Spanish speaking families visited us and took information. Manuel, the Patterson TEA Party coordinator, was able to speak to them in Spanish and English, whichever they chose. Based on the interest, selected handouts including the Patterson tri-fold brochure, will be translated into Spanish. Many thanks to all how helped us this weekend.
Arkady Faktorovich and Russian History Posted by Annie Jeffries on May 14, 2011 at original NVP site
Arkady Faktorovich of Los Banos, CA via a circuitous route that started from the Ukraine 30 plus years ago, visited us again for the May 12th general meeting. This time he spoke to us of Russian history. It was the first presentation ever he did on this particular topic and included information that up until 3 years ago, had not be declassified by the Russian government.
Arkady's presentation was sequential, starting from Alexander II and continued to the current time of Vladimir Putin. His purpose tonight was to illustrate how the Russian people, through their history, had never had a hunger for freedom fostered by their leadership. Alexander II was assassinated two days before he would have signed a democratic constitution so, in light of their history from 1881 onward, it would be an interesting "what-if" question to speculate upon of what the history of Russia might have evolved into had he NOT been assassinated. But, he was so it's only speculation.
Arkady has the basis for a good and very readable book on Russian history. I see it as shaping into four parts - 1.) the time of Alexander II through Nicholas II and the destruction of the Romanov family; 2.) the Middle Era of the early days of the revolution; 3.) the Modern Era from the Cold War to the early days of perestroika, and; 4.) the present day. Broken into distinct parts, it is clear where the commonalities lie in the thoughts and actions of the major players involved in each era. The differences, though also distinctive, were over-ridden in the quest for power and dominance. As each period broken down, it was the quest for power at the expense of the country itself, that moved each period to a fall and the building of the next. At no time were the Russian people filled with the hunger for freedom. Why? Because they didn't know what it felt like. It was not in their national psyche nor in their gut. Interestingly, because of the over 200 ethnic groups in the old USSR, the changes were more one of a move towards nationalism and the retreat from the centralized rulership of Russia.
Arkady Faktorovch sees many similarities between 20th century Russian history and the the political direction our country is taking in the 21st century. He will return on May 26th to speak about the Federal Reserve and money in this country. And, as anyone will understand, where you have the quest for control of money, you have the quest for power.
Denham and Berryhill Posted by Annie Jeffries on April 29, 2011 at original NVP site
Thursday was a very satisfying day. A small group from Turlock met up with a couple of Modesto patriot members to rally outside of Congressman Jeff Denham's office for an hour. This was no ordinary rally. This was a THANK YOU rally. For an hour, we waved signs to the traffic as it passed by - signs that read thank you to Denham for supporting his constituents. Just as we have a duty to rally in protest, we also have a duty to rally when our representatives do something right.
The group was very small which was really disappointing. I regret that Modesto did not get the word that we were rallying to support Mr. Denham. A larger grouip would have had more impact on people driving by. Too much, our representatives hear only the complaints, the problems. We need to say thank you. We need to let them know that we are not only watching, but, that we are grateful.
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Later in the evening, Turlock's general meeting met at the Pizza Factory. Assemblyman Bill Berryhill was our guest speaker. While reflecting on the experience of his first term and the changes he is experiencing in his second term, he spoke to issues that are of great concern to many of us - issues such as voter fraud, water rights, loss of businesses large and small in California because of over-regulation, and of course, the budget - just to name a few.
He also spoke to the reality of the difficulties of working with any success as a member of the minority party. He cautioned us that no matter how difficult we imagine that it is, it is truly much worse. But he also underscored the importance of not giving up, to continuing efforts to form bi-partisan bridges, and not lossing sight of our goals.
The group was very small which was really disappointing. I regret that Modesto did not get the word that we were rallying to support Mr. Denham. A larger grouip would have had more impact on people driving by. Too much, our representatives hear only the complaints, the problems. We need to say thank you. We need to let them know that we are not only watching, but, that we are grateful.
**************************************************************************
Later in the evening, Turlock's general meeting met at the Pizza Factory. Assemblyman Bill Berryhill was our guest speaker. While reflecting on the experience of his first term and the changes he is experiencing in his second term, he spoke to issues that are of great concern to many of us - issues such as voter fraud, water rights, loss of businesses large and small in California because of over-regulation, and of course, the budget - just to name a few.
He also spoke to the reality of the difficulties of working with any success as a member of the minority party. He cautioned us that no matter how difficult we imagine that it is, it is truly much worse. But he also underscored the importance of not giving up, to continuing efforts to form bi-partisan bridges, and not lossing sight of our goals.