Grandson Oliver Roy born this afternoon

Julie gave birth to a boy about 2:30 eastern daylight time today. Mark and Julie have named their son and our grandson,  Oliver Roy. We will leave tomorrow morning for North Carolina to visit with the new baby and Lily, oh, and Mark and Julie, also.  Making the trip will be Jen and I, Josh and Jessica.  Three of us will return Monday while Jen will stay another week.

How many calendars is more than enough?

I remember when mailing labels were the item included in the letters sent out by charities and other fund raising groups.  You still get labels but more and more groups are sending out calendars.  Bringing this to mind was the calendar I recently received from Reagan's Ranch featuring pictures of  President Ronald Reagan.  That led me to check the calendars I have received and  I found 11 for 2012.  The first to arrive featured beautiful backyard birds and was from the National Children's Cancer Society. Two are from Indian groups, one featuring western scenes and the other paintings of Indians by Indians.

Others include one of vintage planes from Paralyzed Veterans, a Salute to  Old Glory with patriotic scenes from Americans Helping Americans;  pictures of landmarks from Wounded Warriors.  There is even one from the World War II Museum with familiar pictures from that war.

Of course, calendars are not the only "gifts"  sent out to encourage the recipient to donate.  A partial list of items I have received in the last two are three months are tote bags, T-shirts, necklaces, cards for all occasions, blankets, towels, flags, banners, pins, pens, pads, jackets, socks, caps, coins and checks.  I have already receive Christmas cards from the American Lung Association and I can expect more from other groups.  Why don't more do like Feed the Children, just send a letter and ask for a donation.

What's a haircut without conversation?

Got my hair cut today ( and boy, did I need it) with a nice, pleasant girl doing the job, but our conversation consisted of her asking if that was okay and me responding   "cut more off."  No politics, no current events, and above all no history.  The last time Joe cut my hair, a week or so before his final illness, he did more talking than barbering.  He had recently located an old Byrd High School yearbook.

A barber shop is supposed to be a place of socializing.  Can you see Floyd's barbershop on the Andy Griffith show without conversation?  It was the center of town business and politics.  Yes, I still miss Joe and I haven't found a barber like him yet.

A word about hymns and mission work

                    I love to tell the story,
                    'twill be my theme in glory,
                    to tell the old, old story
                    of Jesus and his love.

I liked the selection of songs at church this morning, which was observed as promotion Sunday for children. Maybe I am childish in my choice of music; maybe I like the songs because they are easy to sing, or maybe I enjoyed them and don't care why.

If you are going to recognize children you have to lead off with "Jesus Loves Me."  We also sang " I Love to Tell the Story," and "God  Will Take Care of  You."  The choir sang "Oh, How He Loves You and Me."

For one of our community sings I wish we could devote an hour to singing nothing but songs by that famous blind lady, Fanny Crosby.  After all, there are plenty to choose from since she wrote more than 8,000. Some that would be included would have to be "Blessed Assurance," also "Rescue the Perishing,"  "All the Way My
Savior Leads Me," "I Am Thine, Oh Lord," and  "Pass Me Not, Oh Gentle Savior."

In Sunday School today I told the story of the conversion of E. Stanley Jones, the famous missionary who devoted years to service in India.  My wife then handed me  a letter from the son of Larry Smith, her co-worker.  Smith and his family have served as missionaries in India for years.  He told of a visit to a community of eunuchs, taking to this miserable group the salvation offered by Jesus Christ.

I wasn't expecting a test for dementia

Went to family doctor Thursday on appointment made by cardiologist.  The nurse took my vitals then took a pad and said she was going to ask me some questions.  expected health questions but as she began I was puzzled at what she was asking and questioned the reason.  She said it was a test for dementia.  I was angry but I  went along with it. Some questions were for  a baby, like identifying drawings of a lion, hippo and camel.  I had to count downward from a hundred by sevens, repeat word for word long statements, draw a cube, name as many words starting with F as possible in two minutes, for example.  I wondered what the hell was going on and even called my wife to ask if she was responsible for this.  When the doctor came in I asked for an explanation.  H said they are giving these tests once a year to people 65 and older.  Plus, he said I passed with flying colors, no evidence of the onset of dementia.

Look, I know dementia is no laughing matter; it is an awful condition and can afflict anyone at any time.  Pat Summitt, the famous coach of the Tennessee women's basketball team recently announced she has dementia but will keep on coaching,  I don't mind being tested; the way it was done was such a shock to me.  As I said, the cardiologist had sent me to the doctor after the heart cath did not show blockage in the three bypasses.

Hey -- it rained; it really did

Thunder and lightning are getting louder and more frequent; could we possibly get a summer shower-- or has it forgotten how to rain?  Yesterday afternoon we had similar threats but not a drop fell.  Wait, it is really raining and this more than a shower; it is pouring.  For more than 30 minutes it rained hard. The drainage ditch overflowed and our backyard was  like a lake.

When the rain began it brought to mind when we were children working in the fields and a summer shower caught us.  If we were near enough to the house we went there to wait out the shower before returning to the field. Sometimes we were near enough to a fence row where we could shelter under persimmon and sassafras bushes.  We did not mind getting wet but we feared the lightning. 

One time when we were working at the place on the Cotton Valley road a storm came up, sending us to the trees along the field.   We saw lightning strike in the middle of the open field.  I had always understood that lightning was more likely to hit the tallest tree or structure in an area.

The rain came too late to save the St. Augustine lawns in the neighborhood but the cooler temperatures are very welcome; surely it won't get up to the 104 predicted for this afternoon.  Some years we have  a cool snap in late August even if the heat holds on in the afternoon.  Whatever happens, we can look forward to October, which, along with May, gives us the best weather of the year.

(Note. This is my second writing of this report on the rain.  Electricity has gone off briefly three times and I lost my blog, all except the title.)

Thanks for Best Wishes on my birthday

I turn to face book only when my g-mail tells me I have a message, but I can testify that many people do makes  use of it.  Twelve people sent me happy birthday wishes on face book, and several others at church and a 4-H meeting last night who commented on my birthday had to have known about if from face book.  I am taking this as one way to thank everyone for thinking of me.