... a flock of Lambs left on an adventure of tracing ROOTS. We rented a new Dodge van to haul the group. The object was to trace the areas where Grandpa Lamb (John D) had lived. This was very revealing to me because most of the places we visited were in ILLINOIS. I have to note here I have been the brunt of disparaging remarks and kidding because I was born in Illinois. Sorry to burst the Lamb bubble; you all are rooted in Illinois, heh, heh. Now leave me alone!
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| From L to R: Susan, Maxine's Daughter: Samantha "Sam", Susan's Granddaughter; Chris, Susans Daughter and Aunt Maxine. |
Pat and I and Canuck went to Peoria, IL to celebrate our Anniversary with her cousin Nikki Mitts and her Husband Rich. Their anniversary is on the same date as ours, different year though. We went out to dinner at a really super Italian restaurant. We stayed overnight and Rich took us on a tour of Peoria where he has lived all his life so we had a very knowledgeable tour guide. Played several games of euchre too. It was a great anniversary celebration. We are tentatively planning on returning for a more extended stay with the RV.
Speaking of the RV, I parked it in the back yard last fall which may have been a mistake. The soil has become very ‘soggy’ and I have no idea when it will be dry enough to move the trailer. We’ll see. We definitely need to prepare a better parking area for it this year. I was hoping that it would get cold enough long enough to freeze the soil so I could think about moving it before spring. I don't think that will happen, heck I wonder if it would've in N. Dakota this year. Smile!
We are looking forward to a very busy summer. We will have Glenda (from Crosby) for a week or so, Cousin Karen Reed for a week or so during reunion and I suspect others too. Pat is going to Paducah,Kentucky for a quilt event also. I would like to go to a blackpowder event at Friendship, IN. where there is shooting of flintlock rifles and a old time 'rendezvous' encampment. Should be very interesting.
.. a telescope for her bird watching.
It is set up in the Living-room looking out the sliding glass door. She now has enough bird feeders for the entire population with a couple of miles. We have started a instant raman noodle soup diet so we can afford to feed her Cardinals. When Pat leaves the house to go to the barn for feeding Smiley she has at least 1 Cardinal for an escort.
In the picture she is bird and snow watching. Kinda reminds me of 'Grandma Moses' eh? We have been told we should expect upwards of a couple of inches today. At the rate it is snowing now, I believe it.
I am starting to shop for a new (used?) Mac for Pat so she can have the benefit of the latest Operating systems since 10.5.8. Her old laptop cannot run many of the updated/newer applications. I'm thinking a refurb iMac or MacMini.
This probably will not surprise you.....
There are actually two messages here. The first is very interesting, but the second is absolutely astounding - and explains a lot.
A recent "Investor's Business Daily" article provided very interesting statistics from a survey by the United Nations International
Health Organization.
Percentage of men and women who survived a cancer five years after diagnosis:
U.S. 65%
England 46%
Canada 42%
Percentage of patients diagnosed with diabetes who received treatment within six months:
U.S. 93%
England 15%
Canada 43%
Percentage of seniors needing hip replacement who received it within six months:
U.S. 90%
England 15%
Canada 43%
Percentage referred to a medical specialist who see one within one month:
U.S. 77%
England 40%
Canada 43%
Number of MRI scanners (a prime diagnostic tool) per million people:
U.S. 71
England 14
Canada 18
Percentage of seniors (65+), with low income, who say they are in "excellent health":
U.S. 12%
England 2%
Canada 6%
And now for the last statistic:
National Health Insurance?
U.S. NO
England YES
Canada YES
Check this last set of statistics!!
The percentage of each past president's cabinet who had worked in the private business sector prior to their appointment to the cabinet.
You know what the private business sector is a real-life business, not a government job. Here are the percentages.
T. Roosevelt.................... 38%
Taft.................................. 40%
Wilson ........................... 52%
Harding........................... 49%
Coolidge......................... 48%
Hoover............................ 42%
F. Roosevelt................... 50%
Truman........................... 50%
Eisenhower................ .... 57%
Kennedy......................... 30%
Johnson.......................... 47%
Nixon.............................. 53%
Ford................................ 42%
Carter............................. 32%
Reagan........................... 56%
GH Bush......................... 51%
Clinton .......................... 39%
GW Bush........................ 55%
Obama..................... 8%
This helps to explain the incompetence of this administration: only 8% of them have ever worked in private business!
That's right! Only eight percent---the least, by far, of the last 19 presidents! And these people are trying to tell our bigcorporations how to run their business?
How can the president of a major nation and society, the one with the most successful economic system in world history, stand and talkabout business when he's never worked for one? Or about jobs when he has never really had one? And when it's the same for 92% of his senior staff and closest advisers? They've spent most of their time in academia, government and/or non-profit jobs or as "community organizers." They should have been in an employment line.
… is not North Dakota!
0700: It is 12.7ยบ F outside and the wind is blowing. I suspect that I will be able to us the Snow Blower today although I don't believe we will try to go anywhere. The birds were very busy trying to empty the feeders yesterday. They knew, I think. When the sun comes up it will be a winter wonderland.
With the festivities of the holidays over Pat is spending more time getting her backlog of quilting completed.
0900: It looks like 2-3" of snow so far. The city has plowed our street this morning. Canuck loves the snow, he is having a good time playing in it. Smiley is doing fine also. It is really kinda pleasant day. Still not enough snow to break out the snow blower yet, that's OK by me.
The snow dog waiting for birds at the feeders. Canuck very patiently stands like a pointer until a sufficient number of birds arrive.
Then he runs to the fence barking. The birds seem to know it is a game.
…yet but we sure are having “spring like” weather! In the 50’s today. We keep waiting for the ‘big’ storm to come. This is almost sinful. This coming weekend is supposed to bring some snow, maybe 2 inches�.
… been without internet since Wednesday Dec 28th. It is about 3pm on the 30th. Verizon has had their towers crash for data in several areas of the country. We are lucky, we are in one of those areas.
I am writing this in hopes that we are back on line before the First of the year.
We had a very nice Christmas.. Lots of Indiana family around. We did miss our "North Dakota" family though… all of you!
01/02/2012: It is snowing, windy and cold. A good day to stay home and watch TV.
We are watching the Rose Parade as we have traditionally for too many years to remember! Just the same as the Rose Bowl game. I'll be rooting for the Oregon Ducks this year.
GO DUCKS!!!!
We still do not have Internet service. Very bad, Verizon! We have been told that it is some kind of system wide problem in the mid west and they will be working on it on monday. Ya, sure!
Yesterday (Sunday) we hosted a dinner for family. A informal affair with Ham and fixin's the guests brought. Let's see, Kay, Joy, Elinor, Bill and Jerry & Jo-an Walls all attended. Carol Clem was intending to come but we were experiencing very high winds (50 mph gusts) and she was not comfortable driving in those conditions. I don't think I would have been either. The card table was set up and the games began after dinner.
It's the halftime for the RoseBowl and the game is all tied up 28 all and it is 6:45 PM. I'll put this to bed and hope I can get it posted tomorrow.
01/06/2012 Wow! It's 1730 and I've got my self back on the Internet. We had a very pleasant last 2 days with a visit from our Illinois cousins, Richard and Nikki Mitts. We really had a grand time with them. We also discovered our wedding anniversaries were on the same day. Neat, huh? We are tentatively planning a get together for that date..
Later,
