I got myself together and ran to fill the car up.  Ken said to always keep the tank full so water didn't condense in the tank.  I guess Jets are sensitive to that?  You wouldn't want to lose power in the air.  My brother Bill told me that all plane ejections harm you in one way or another.  Ken said that you could land it even if you had no gas or no wheels. I guess he knew; he did it for 21 years.  Dead stick landings.

I stopped to get bread, etc. When I got home at 8:45, it started to snow and already we are covered up.  Thank God for heat in the winter and air-conditioning in the summer.

The professional photographer came to take my picture yesterday.  That's the last thing the publisher wants.  I broke out in hives stressing about it.  I don't like to have my picture taken.  However, I went to bed 1000 pounds lighter.  That's the last thing on the list to do.  Done.  My favorite word.

In going through papers I am trying to trash...I kept one from a student, Leonard Sweet, who had written a poem at the bottom of his calculus exam when he turned it in:

    Now I lay me down to sleep,

    This test is long and very deep,

    If it should end before I wake

    Just give my arm a gentle shake.

Some things you just can't throw away.  I handed the exam back with a poem I made up for him:

    In life there are some things, it seems,

    We need to do before we dream.

    Next time please dream before you test,

    Or you may fail.  (I do not jest.)

That entire class was one of the most fun groups I ever taught.  I liked them, and they liked me as well.  A satisfying experience.

    I went to get the paper...which wasn't there yet, and it is icy cold outside.  My rule of planning out tomorrow (each night when I go to bed) has been slowing down.  I always give myself three things to accomplish the next day, and plan out three meals to eat. Yes, I am OCD.  But it works well.  It motivates me to get something done.

    I have been so successful with this self-imposed routine that I am running out of things to do--except for paper.  There is always paper.  But even that is shrinking.  I am filling up the recycling trash can every week with paper.  In the mess of paper things, I found a notebook of limerics that I had written fifty years ago.  Silly stuff for a creative writing class.

      I have a young piggy named Hog,

      Who waggles his tail like a dog

      He jiggles like jello

      When I yell a "hello"

      And shakes all the pigs in the bog.   etc.  (Stupid stuff like that)

    

    My son-in-law Craig has a saying that I love and have put into action in my own life.  "We need to generously tip the working poor."  

    That is so true.  Even though they are working, waiters, cooks, and attendants can't make enough to survive.  And what does an extra couple of dollars mean to those of us who can afford to eat out.

    It has changed my interaction at the places I go to eat.  I've told you that I always wait until they are bringing our food and have their hands full (and can't avoid my question) to ask them if they have anything they would like for us to pray for them when we bless our dinner.  I have only ever had one say "No, I'm good."  Some of them have broken into tears.

    Maybe a larger tip will let them know we aren't just "Name only Christians."  I once heard one say, "Christians are the stingiest people I serve."  That is inexcusable.  

 The Bible has quite a number of references to trees and fruit. In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul says that the fruit of the Spirit is nine fold.  Love, joy, peace, long-sufferering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.

But fruit doesn't just happen.  It grows on a tree.  And Psalms 1:3 explains it. There is a tree next to water.  The tree draws strength from the water--which represents God, or Christ.  The trunk of the tree is the Holy Spirit which spreads God's words to us--the limbs.  If the tree is planted the water, the limbs--you and me--produce fruit.  Christians don't have to grunt and groan to produce fruit, it is the automatic result of where the tree is planted.  Where you are planted.  

God is the source of the message.  The tree is the source of our inspiration.  You...the limb, "shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings fruit in...season.  his leaf also shall not wither..."  You may have a season when your leaves are withered and you feel helpless, but don't despair,  Spring is coming.

    I had visitors Saturday.  Kim and Larry Larmon stayed for a couple of hours and we had the best conversations.  It was better than medicine.   

    I have mentioned Kim...she was new to our class one Sunday when someone mentioned that I was headed overseas again.  I said, "I'll take any of you that want to go with  me....just give me  your credit card.

    When class was over, Kim handed me her credit card and said, "I want to go."  It was the beginning of many trips for her and later she and my daughter would go to Europe to "scope" a place out for the rest of our group to go.

    One of those trips, we had taken a car to a place in the south of France to a field where pickup trucks parked and sold stuff off the back of their trucks.  It was pouring rain, and Kim was the only one who would get out of the car, get wet, and go rummage with me.  I found a hand carved walnut (gorgeous) towel rack.  When I moved into this house, there wasn't a place to hang it.  So I set it aside for Kim.  She was excited.  It is a memory that the two of us have.  The others in the car missed out on the fun. 

Kathy told Carolyn that she was going to keep on sending me hot yeast rolls even though i'm not supposed to eat white bread any more.  I will eat one a day.  That won't hurt me.  I just can't eat a dozen at a time anymore--with butter and honey.  I think this is going to be hard.  I love Kathy's rolls.

I went to Brahms and sure enough, eggs are 6.59 a dozen.  However they have 6 hardboiled, peeled and sealed, in a package for 2.59...that saves a dollar.  And I don't have to boil and peel them.  I chop them up and make egg salad.

Ann will be here in a bit and we will go to breakfast.  As long as she will drive, I'll go.  it gives me something to look forward.  She is my only "sister" (cousin) except for Lisa who was born when I was 21 and had two kids.  Lisa has become a sister in the last few years especially since she now has a grandson.  I get pictures from her.  He is a doll baby.