NONNY AND HER THOUGHTS .....

Saturday, June 30, 2012

A Tiny Vacation

Our Tiny Vacation

After driving from our home in Wellington, Kansas to a funeral in Web City, Missouri, where my pastor-husband officiated, we decided we needed a "tiny vacation". After the emotions of the day we wanted to take a short break before going home.

We drove as far as the Joplin, Missouri area before stopping at a motel - WITH a pool. It was such a sweltering, humid day that a motel sans pool was not an option. After having cool showers and changing out of our sweaty clothes we went in search of supper. I was delighted to see one of our favorite restaurants close by: "Cracker Barrel". I love their "real" food, and their iced-tea is always perfect. ")

We returned to our room and changed into bathing suits for a plunge into the pool. The water felt so good, as it was still very hot and humid (the pool was inside). There was a bit of commotion as we got out of the pool, and a couple of guys told us that the electricity had gone out! Oh, no! Not on this horribly hot and humid evening. "There goes our tiny-vacation", I thought, "and I didn't even throw a flashlight in the bag as I usually do."

We made our way back to our room, opened the drapes to capture the last of the quickly-fading light and showered off the pool-water in the dark. After dressing again we followed the flashlights of others back to the lobby to see if there was any info about the electricity situation when, lo and behold, the lights and the air-conditioning returned! We were all a bunch of happy campers. No more problems after that. Seems the area our motel and a few other motels and restaurants were in had experienced a "brown-out" due to the high use of all the air-conditioners because of the high heat. (How did we ever survive days like that before air-conditioning???) It ended well, and we got a good night's rest. Slept late the next morning, leaving around eleven a.m. to leisurely head towards home.

Our "fun" on the way home was our stop in the pretty little town of Baxter Springs, Kansas. We've driven through Baxter Springs quite a few times over the years, always on the way to other places. This time we drove "into" the town, and stayed awhile. :) Baxter Springs is not only a pretty town, it holds much historical interest. If you ever go, visit the "Baxter Springs, Kansas Route 66 Visitor Center", on the main street, Military Ave., for lots of free information, coffee and conversation. The Visitor's Center is located in a refurbished Phillips 66 gas station that has been there since 1930. (Be sure and sign your name on the wall before leaving!)

Part of the original Route 66 runs through Baxter Springs. The town sees a lot of Route 66 history buffs. There is a Route 66 emphasis throughout the town.

Besides Route 66 history, you'll find Civil War history. One of the two Civil War battles fought in Kansas was in Baxter Springs. You will find "cow-town" history. American-Indian history. History connected to the criminals, Bonnie and Clyde, who robbed the same little grocery store in town twice in less than a week. And, for you baseball fans, well ... remember a player by the name of Mickey Mantle? He was the son of a miner from Commerce, Oklahoma - and he played for the semi-pro team named "Baxter Whiz Kids" before becoming a New York Yankee-er. A Baxter Springs brochure states that to the people in the town who knew him personally "he's still just 'Mickey' ."

There is also a first-class museum in Baxter Springs, second to none: "Baxter Springs Heritage Center and Museum". Lots of beautiful and interesting displays in a very beautiful building. Everything is artfully arranged, with lots of space for moving through the exhibits. Not to be missed.

We wanted, of course, to find a good place to have lunch. We found it. Actually, we had lunch at one place and dessert at another. Both were great. Lunch was at the "Cafe on the Route" cafe, run by Richard and Amy Sanell. They also operate "The Little Brick Inn" bed-and-breakfast - that we just might have to check out one day. You will find them at 1101 Military Ave., the main street (cafeontheroute.com and the littlebrickinn.com). It is a friendly cafe with a "real" chef who "really" knows how to cook. Try the smoked salmon, or the pecan chicken, as we did. Yum! This little cafe made big news a few years ago: they were featured on the Food Network - on the program where the guy travels around the country to different cafes, fast-foods, etc. You won't regret eating there.

Too full for dessert after lunch, we toured the museum, which helped build up our appetites again - just enough for dessert. SOooooo ... just up the street from "Cafe on the Route" is "Angels on the Route", another pleasant little cafe. Here you'll find sandwiches, soups, candy, coffee, frozen custard ... and ... malts and milkshakes! This cafe is at 1143 Military Ave., owned by Sue Gast and Sue Ramage (sblgast@pacbell.net). We were there for something cold and tasty and found just what we wanted: homemade malts in tall frosty glasses. Mine was strawberry - with REAL strawberries. It was so good. Reminded me of the homemade strawberry ice-cream we used to get at the "creamery" when I was a kid in Newport, Rhode Island. My husband had a maple-walnut malt, if I remember right. Of course, we had to taste each other's, agreeing they were both wonderful. :) As we sipped away at the "good-ness" we had some interesting conversation with one of the owners, as well as a customer who had come in.

Cold, frosty malts in a sweet little cafe with friendly people on a very hot day. Perfect. It was a good end to our Baxter Springs visit. If you make it to Baxter Springs don't miss the "Angels on the Route" cafe or the "Cafe on the Route" cafe. And tell them Sandy sent you!

Signing the visitors' wall...

The old Phillips 66 Visitor's Center...

"Cafe on the Route" ...

"Angels on the Route" ...

The museum ...

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(1) Made by Joel - Modern Art, Kids Crafts, and Toys

(1) Made by Joel - Modern Art, Kids Crafts, and Toys

Anyone needing arts/crafts ideas - here are some great ones .... for the kids to do themselves; and for the grown-ups to do! :)

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Thursday, May 31, 2012

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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Her Hands

by Sandra Carol Mers Clayton on Wednesday, May 30, 2012 at 1:04am ·

So, hands,
tell me please.
What stories
can you tell?

Of the life
you have lived
with this woman
loved so well?

You, hands,
once so young,
strong and wrinkle-free,
have lived so very long.

Through the years
you've helped her
as she lived and loved,
writing her life song.

And now, hands,
it's evening-
stop awhile
and rest.

You, and she,
have lived
life well
and have been very blessed.

- Sandra Mers Clayton -

Sunday, May 13, 2012

My Friend

We've been friends for so long, Janice - I miss you already. Remember what we said the other day? If you got to heaven "any time soon" you'd send me back a message of "what it's like"! That it'd be so amazing to really BE with God, and you'd try so hard to let me know what it's like? We both decided God "should have" "fixed it" so that we could at least see the one entering heaven entering, even if the one left here wasn't entering yet!

"The Message"

So ... what will it be?
The voice of an angel I cannot see?
The touch of a feather falling invisibly?

Or, will you just use my Facebook page
and simply private-message me?

We joked about it, didn't we?
Made silly plans so gleefully.
Never dreaming that today you'd be leaving so suddenly.

Well, I'm glad, Janice, you've gone to glory,
'cause you've left your pain and earthly worry
though I do admit I am saddened, too, and
maybe I WILL look for that message from you!

Love you, Friend.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

By The Hairs Of My Chin-y Chin Chin

Reality hit me today. No more hiding it. I've tried for several years now to wrap it in a pretty package - some pink, some blue, a little white. Wrap it in a pretty, colorful package and tuck it away. Far away. Out of sight.

No way was reality gonna grab me. Ooooooh, no. Not if I could help it. I was sure I could squeeze out a few more years before I had to ... well, before I had to open the pretty package and let it out.

Actually, I didn't "let" it out. It was more like it roared out. Didn't give me a chance. Hit me right in the face.

The face. The face. The chin, to be exact. That's where it all started.

See, it's like this: a good many "women of a certain age" know about the dreaded chin hairs. (If you are one of "those" women, and are not blessed with chin hairs count your blessings.) I, however, find myself in the blessed group. I would rather not be so blessed but, let's just lay it on the table. It definitely IS what it is.

So ... there I was feeling and seeing the need to remove those not-supposed-to-be-there chin hairs.

There are precise steps to doing this. First, flip the double-sided mirror to the magnifying side. Then, twist and turn the mirror back and forth, until I get the light to shine in just the right place on the chin. Remove my glasses so I won't bump into the mirror (I figured that I could see without the glasses 'cause the mirror magnified!). Lean face in to mirror, close enough to spot the renegade hairs - run fingertip over chin to feel the stubby hairs. Pick up the trusty tweezers, the ones that really grab hold of a tiny hair, not the "useless" ones. Kick the bathroom door firmly closed when footsteps get close, as those are not moments I wanted to share. THEN let the work begin. I did. I began. With tweezers in my fingers I raised my hand for the first "grab" - when it happened.

It all happened in a few seconds. Didn't take long to change my whole life. But long enough for reality to hit me good and hard. I could no longer avoid it: I AM a Senior! No, not one of the high school or college Seniors about to graduate. Been there and done that many years ago. NOW I had to admit that I am a "Senior Citizen", heading towards that ultimate graduation. I just finally had to spit out the words: "Okay! I've arrived! I admit it! Now I know!"

Because ... ? Well, because as my tweezers were raised to my hair-sprinkled chin, I was pushing my face closer to the magnifying mirror. I was pushing my face closer to the magnifying mirror because my "woman-of-a-certain-age" eyes (without the glasses) were not getting a clear enough picture of my chin and the offending hairs. As the hand with the tweezers was approaching the face that was approaching the mirror, the woman-of-certain-age's eyes didn't see just HOW close the tweezers were until the hand bumped the chin and the tweezers fell to the floor.

Just pick up the tweezers, right? Well ... I stood up straight and looked down to spot those tweezers only to see my tummy, which is a bit too large to see over. But, hey, forget the bloated belly and bend down, huh? Well ... not exactly, as the woman-of-a-certain-age's knees are no longer performing as well as when she was the high school and college graduate all those years ago.

But I tried. Even at the last moment there I tried keeping reality in its pretty box. The knees just wouldn't cooperate, particularly the one I injured back in November.

However, the chin still needed those tweezers, so forget the knee bends. Instead, one hand on the sink and one hand on the toilet seat (that little half-bath doesn't have a lot of maneuvering room) I slid down to the floor. It took a bit of energy but I made it down, grabbed those precious tweezers, and slowly huffed and puffed myself back up to a standing position.

Tweezers in hand, face once again approaching the magnifying mirror, I suddenly stood still. Picked up my glasses and returned them to their rightful place, on my face. Looked again into that magnifying mirror that never hides the ugly truth. Especially with my glasses on.

And ... well, yes ... that's when reality hit me. I could no longer avoid it. After all I'd gone through to harvest those chin hairs (which I hadn't yet plucked); after all that huffing and puffing to retrieve those tweezers ... I looked in the mirror and saw TRUTH.

I sur-ren-der-ed to-being-a-Senior-Citizen. Moan. Groan. Sigh. Reality had won. It could no longer be tucked away in its pretty box.

So be it. Senior Citizen I am. Defeated, or victorious? Defeated by reality maybe - but victorious anyway, 'cause I may be a "Senior" again, but I still AM! And ... I have a daughter who, years ago, promised to pluck those renegade hairs from my old chin if ever I got to where I couldn't do so myself.

After this episode I may be taking her up on that promise sooner than we both thought ...

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

"Grandpa and Grandson" by Sandra Clayton in People on Sandra Clayton's Art and Photography

"My Shadow, My Dolly and Me" by Sandra Clayton in People on Sandra Clayton's Art and Photography

"My Shadow, My Dolly and Me" by Sandra Clayton in People on Sandra Clayton's Art and Photography

Original photo available as prints, cards, postcards, matted prints,posters, etc.

"Good Stuff" Greeting Cards & Postcards by sandycarol | RedBubble

Come in and see my original photos - available as cards/postcards/prints/posters/etc.

"Red Zinnia and Friend" Matted Prints by sandycarol | RedBubble

"Red Zinnia and Friend" Matted Prints by sandycarol | RedBubble:

Come and window shop in my photo gallery - you might just find something perfect for you or a friend! Original photos available on cards, photo prints, posters, framed or unframed, matted or not matted, printed on artist's canvas, etc. Come see!

Monday, April 30, 2012

Saturday, April 28, 2012

WallBuilders - Issues and Articles - America’s Most Biblically-Hostile U. S. President

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

"Engaged? Engaged?" By Sandra Carol Mers Clayton

"Big" celebrity news: actors Brad and Angelina are engaged! Uhhhhhhh ... they've been living together for, what ... seven years I believe I just read. They have six children. They have several homes. They've had seven-years' worth of seeing each other as they are when they wake up in the mornings. They've been playing house together for a long enough time now that's it's almost laughable to see the headlines: "Brad and Angelina Engaged!" "Engaged" for what? They've already BEEN engaged in living together without the seal of marriage. According to celebrity news reports they've made their could-care-less-about-marriage views well known over the years. They've both been married before: Brad once, Angelina twice. They were both involved in a marriage break-up: Brad Pitt's. They started their affair, which ended Brad Pitt's five-year marriage, when they worked together on a film. I'd say that makes them "home-wreckers". But we are all supposed to be SO excited that they are NOW "engaged". A newspaper article states: "The A-list celebrities have been partners since they began a relationship in 2005 while working on the film 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith'. (The Wichita Eagle, 4/14/2012, "People In The News") "Since they began a relationship" means since they began the illicit affair. Since Brad Pitt became a cheating husband. Since Angelina happily became "the other woman" in the illicit affair. I suppose, as a believer in marriage, I am at least happy they ARE finally thinking of giving their kids a legal status, a "legally joined" set of parents who will have a harder time splitting up than if they were simply living together with no legal attachments. Legal or not doesn't seem to make much difference to so many of the Hollywood crowd (nor to many others, for that matter), but ... who knows? So.....................getting married? Okay. Good. Do it. Though Mr. Pitt's manager states that there is no wedding date set, but that the engagement is a "promise for the future". Let's hope, at least for the six kids, that it's a NEAR future. "Engaged". Getting engaged, not so long ago, WAS a "big deal". It was exciting, giving the couple something wonderful to look forward to. It was a time of getting to know each other even better (and I don't mean sexually) as the couple dreamed and planned their wedding day and of their life together. Getting engaged was a beginning - not a sealing-of-the-deal for a couple who has already moved in together. However long or short the engagement was, it led to the "I do's" of the couple, which THEN led to the sleeping together. The sex came AFTER the wedding, believe it or not, the way God ordained it. Too many have it backwards nowadays. Remember the old jump-rope chant: "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage!"? Now it is too often sex first (with or without love) and then, sometimes, the baby, too ... then moving in together (which, by the way, is completely to the guy's advantage in a number of ways - wake up, women!) ... then a few years later getting "engaged" (or not, as many women have discovered, after living together) ... which may, or may not lead to marriage eventually. In such a situation I just fail to see the purpose of announcing an "engagement". The couple has already BEEN engaged in living together like a married couple. "Engagement", in this case, fails to meet the definition of the word as they are wishing it to be understood. Which is why I can hardly get too excited over the big news of the already-living-together-for-years couple, Brad and Angelina, getting "engaged". After seven years. After six children. After years of letting us all know that "marriage papers" aren't important. After the example they are to our youth. If "engaged" is a beginning, a newness between a man and a woman who have fallen in love and are getting to know each other more and more, are looking FORWARD to moving in together and setting up housekeeping and "sleeping together", then announcing an engagement AFTER they've already become sexually active and moved in together seems a bit late. The "newness", the "beginning", has already BEEN! What do they look forward to? Get married. Okay. Fine. I hope they do, even after seven years of already living together. I hope they stay married and give the six children a stable life. But announce an engagement???? Uhhhhhhhhhh.........?

Never Actually Worked?

by Sandra Carol Mers Clayton on Saturday, April 14, 2012 at 4:39am ·

Wow! Big news: stay-at-home-moms aren't intelligent enough to understand economics, and they don't know what real work is ... especially, I guess, those WEALTHY stay-at-homers. This is according to Hilary Rosen , a CNN political contributor, former Democratic strategist and frequent visitor to the White House.

Granted, Hilary was speaking of the fact that Ann Romney is wealthy - that she most likely had/has lots of help: a cook, housekeepers, etc., - or not. Does Hilary KNOW this? Does she KNOW that Ann Romney never worked? (Actually, after googling "Ann Romney" I found some who say that Ann Romney didn't have live-in help and did cook for her family, when they were at home.)

The fact remains, though, that Hilary Rosen said, "Guess what? His wife has never actually worked a day in her life ...".

Even if that were true, the question comes to mind: Are there NO intelligent stay-at-home-wealthy-moms? None who can understand economics? None who are highly educated? None who've ever worked outside of their homes? Are ALL wealthy women simply lay-around-waiting-to-be-waited-on women, who contribute nothing to their families, to society? I hardly think so. Click on "Ann Romney" and you will find out quite a few things about her - like how much volunteer work she's done and does, as she was being a stay-at-home-mom, and as she was also aiding and supporting her husband's political career.

Guess what, Hilary? You don't KNOW that about Ann Romney. You've belittled a woman without proof of what you said. By insinuation you are saying that women who choose to be home raising their children, and making a home for their families have "never worked a day in their lives". That they can't understand the "outside" world. That economics is above their heads. Maybe you think the stay-at-home-WORKING-women (and some dads) are just a bit "less than" those who CHOOSE to leave their kids and home in others' hands, while they work outside of their homes.

There are many women who are not fortunate enough to be able to stay at home; they MUST work outside of their homes, even when they'd prefer not to. They need to supplement their husbands' salaries, or they may be single moms who have total responsibility of caring for their children and their homes. They have no less love for their families. They do what they have to do.

There are other women who COULD stay home but CHOOSE not to. They prefer a career other than working in their homes. They work outside of their homes with the help of others (nannies, house cleaners, etc.). They don't love their families any less than those who stay home.

The thing is, Hilary Rosen, women CHOOSE different ways because we are different. And that's okay. But, contrary to what you seem to think, many, many women who choose to stay home, to WORK within their homes, DO have brains enough to understand the "outside world" - things like economics. On the other hand, working outside of the home does not guarantee that you understand economics! :) Neither being a stay-at-home-mom nor being a work-outside-of-the-home-mom is criteria for intelligence - either mom is capable of understanding economics. (I speak of economics because you, Hilary, spoke of it.) Nor is it true that a stay-at-home-mom, wealthy or not, cannot understand the lives of other moms who MUST work outside of their homes. You do not have to walk in another's shoes in order to understand them, to see the ups and downs in their lives, to see where you can help.

Yes, I have read your comments and listened to you on t.v. ... the big news story of the week. After reading, word for word, what you said, I still believe you are insinuating that stay-at-home-moms "have never worked a day in their lives"...... even if you were speaking specifically of Ann Romney, as a wealthy stay-at-home-mom. Stay-at-home-moms WORK. They are "on" 24/7. They have few sit-around-doing-nothing times. It's beyond me why women who work outside of their homes as nannies, cooks, maids ... nurses, teachers, etc. are seen as "working women", when the stay-at-home-moms are doing the very same work (yes, even some nursing and lots of teaching!), plus more, but are not considered to be "working women"!

Hilary Rosen, you owe ALL stay-at-home-moms an apology - not just Ann Romney. They work. They WORK. They work long and hard.

They balance household budgets, buy groceries, pay bills, hand out allowances - they handle money.

Guess what? They CAN understand economics ... because they DO actually work!

Friday, April 13, 2012

Easter: The Rest of Christmas ...

"For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (the Bible: John 3:16)

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (the Bible: John 3:17)

"For God SO loved" ... God SO loved. If God had not loved there would be no Christmas. Because God loved, though, there IS Christmas, a time to remember and to celebrate His love. Because God SO loved we have not only the story of the ages, to recount again and again, we have the GIFT of the ages. The one Gift that surpasses all gifts. The one special Gift that anyone can receive; the Gift that gives joy for a lifetime, and beyond.

"For God so loved the world...". He did. He SO loved us that He willingly sent His Son from a perfect place to what had become an imperfect place, to be the most important Gift of all to each of us, imperfect as we are. God did this knowing the horrible suffering Christ would go through.

God's Christmas Gift wasn't packaged in glossy wrapping paper with a beautiful bow. No, God's gift came into our world giving pain to his earthly mother and, I think, experiencing pain, during the birth process. I've always thought our babies must be feeling the pain of birth, as we mothers do: being turned and twisted and squeezed through the birth canal. It surely would have been the same with Jesus, Who was "being born" to humanity as human though still, at the same time, fully God.

"For God so loved the world." Christmas. The Gift: Jesus Christ. One unique Gift of all gifts. Celebrate it!

But wait! There is more. Though we celebrate the greatest Gift of all at Christmas, Easter is truly the REST of Christmas.

Think about it. Christmas is when we joyfully remember God's Gift to us, that He SO loved us by sending Jesus. That we might have eternal life". Easter - the rest of Christmas. That's how. Easter. Christmas isn't the total gift ... Easter is.

Jesus was "gifted" to the world, as a baby, through pain - child-birth pain. His pain and Mary's pain. Jesus arrived in our world through pain and Jesus left our world through pain. Voluntarily. Because God "so loved the world". Do we see? Easter-is-the-rest-of-Christmas.

It was understood from the beginning, with Jesus' earthly birth ... that there would be an Easter one day. There was.

Luke 24:6 & 7 (the Bible) says so plainly: (6) He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: (7) The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again."

It happened. It did. Jesus' physical, emotional and spiritual pain happened as He was nailed, actually nailed, to that rough wooden cross. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't painless. It was bloody. It was ugly. It was total suffering.

God sent us Jesus "to save the world through him". THROUGH Him. Humanity no longer has to make a sacrifice to God in order to seek forgiveness. We don't have to offer up a sacrificial chicken or a goat or any animal - we don't need to shed any blood from an animal to repent and be forgiven. Because Jesus came and shed His blood, once and for all.

God's Gift of the "baby Jesus" also includes the Gift of the adult Jesus, hanging on that bloody, wooden cross. Willingly. In horrible pain. Sacrificing Himself for each one of us, so that we no longer have to offer up sacrifices. We don't have to offer animal sacrifices. We don't have to sacrifice our own bodies.

No, because Easter is the rest of Christmas.

Easter is the rest of the Gift of all gifts. Jesus Christ's crucifixion is the rest of God's gift to humanity so that "whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Yes! Amen! Alleluia!

Easter: the rest of Christmas.

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