194TH DAY OF 2008

Today is Saturday, July 12th, the 194th day of 2008 with 172 more days to follow.

What have I done with the first 194 days of the year (where did they go), but more importantly, what will I do with the 172 days to follow?

I have now seen parts of three seasons already come and go this year and with each season there have been changes in my life and yours. We can't turn back the clock to correct or modify our mistakes or errors, but we can learn from them and move on to better things for the remaining 172 days. I have experienced good health for which I am thankful, and my son and granddaughter are doing well after their surgeries. I pray that we will continue to have good health and that we all will continue to prosper the rest of 2008.

So, for the remaining 172 days I plan to continue volunteering at the military museum to broaden my view on the wars that many men and women have fought in for the freedom of this country. I hope that all that are now serving in the war will come home safely and unharmed.

There will be family birthdays, a marriage (soon I hope), achievements, good health, friendships(both old and new), graduations, new homes, new cars, holidays (Labor Day Thanksgiving and Christmas) to celebrate in the last 172 days. I have a lot to look forward to.

Family and friends are there for us all year round. I hope you enjoy your family and friends as much as I do mine. ENJOY THE REMAINING 172 DAYS OF 2008!!!

Those born on this date are under the astrological sign of Cancer. Notables born on this July 12th include Roman leader Julius Caesar, American writer Henry David Thoreau, photography pioneer, George Eastman, composer Oscar Hammerstein II, comedian Milton Berle, painter Andrew Wyeth, pianist Van Cliburn, comedian/actor Bill Cosby, exercise and diet guru Richard Simmons, actress Cheryl Ladd, and Olympic gold medal figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.

Temperatures are soaring here in Oklahoma City, being 94 degrees at 5:05 pm, as I am posting to my blog. My son, Scott, who lives in Santa Fe, NM e-mailed me this morning at 1:00 am rubbing in the fact that they were 56 degrees and said he had the windows open and how cool it was there. My grandson, Ryan telephoned today from Kansas, where he is a college student, and said it was 60 degrees there and he was wearing a jacket. I have only been out in this heat today to go to the bank, fill the car's gasoline tank up, and also filled the lawnmower container. Gasoline was $3.77/gallon. I understand we have some of the lowest prices in the nation. Even with the gasoline prices so high, all the bays at the station were filled with people pumping gasoline.

I volunteered at the museum this week, and went to the Lucky Star Casino in El Reno, with two of my close girlfriends. I enjoy both of these friends very much. Geneva was a neighbor but has moved after becoming a widow and Lorene lives down the street from me and I see her most everyday. Lorene's boyfriend volunteers at the military museum. He earned the Purple Heart medal after having been severely wounded in combat. The casino outing was fun but Geneva and I both lost and Lorene came out even. I also did my walking this week at the mall and last night had dinner out with Keith and Kelly.

I took Janie, my former daughter-in-law and the mother of my two grandchildren, to have an injection procedure yesterday in her neck. It was to be routine but she started having chest and shoulder pains and was taken immediately to the emergency room. It was frightening for them to come and take me to the ER where Janie was on oxygen and being given every kind of preventive test available. Nothing showed up in all the tests, Thank God, and she was released and I took her back home to Edmond where she is to rest for a couple of days. Janie gave me a beautiful potted plant for taking her for her procedure.

I am saddened to just learn of the death of Oklahoma's great baseball player, Bobby Murcer. He has been fighting brain cancer for several months. He was a player and a member of the Yankee organization for many years. Until recently he was a broadcaster for the Yankees. Many of the greats are gone now, including two of the greatest from Oklahoma, Mickey Mantle and Bobby Murcer.