Category: Uncategorized

By Donna Hale Chandler

Recently we remodeled our kitchen, making it bigger with more cabinets, etc. and I absolutely love it. I don’t even want to cook in it for fear of getting it dirty. (Any excuse for going out to eat, rather than cook, right?) One kitchen bonus that I didn’t realize we were getting is a super-size junk drawer. In the past we’d crammed our junk into the smallest drawer in the kitchen. But no more, ALL the drawers are wide and deep and wonderful.

I cannot wrap my head around the idea that some people don’t have junk drawers. Being that organized is beyond my comprehension. When they finish with that screw driver, do they actually take it back and place it in the tool box. Unbelievable! Having all types of odds and ends right at your fingertips in a special drawer is much more efficient.

Items in our junk drawer include a couple of different screw drivers, (we must have forgotten we had one in the junk drawer and went to the tool box for another) two containers of Gorilla Glue, ( each opened and half used) a pair of piers, water filters for the Keurig coffee pot, seven coolie cups ( you never know how many people will show up and need to keep their beer cold) four decks of playing cards, (we may have a poker tournament someday and should be prepared) two rolls of scotch tape, (one almost gone) a Halloween decoration that was left out of the Halloween box, (why drag the box back out of the closet when we have a perfectly good junk drawer). The list goes on and on, could easily fill a page but I’m sure you get the idea.

I don’t even know what a few of the items are or what they were used for, but throw them away? Never! We might have need for them someday. (If we remember where they are.)

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Gram use’ta say

“The heaviest thing you ever carry around
with you is a grudge.”

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By: Richard L. King

Several years ago I had cataract surgery on my eyes. Wow! What a change! Wish I’d have had that done years sooner. The only time I need glasses now is to read and if I’m really pressed and the lighting is good I can read without my readers.

After they performed the procedure on my right eye I knew before I left his office that I wanted the left eye done, but the doctor refused to do both eyes at the same time.   They scheduled me for follow up visits for the next 6 or 8 weeks, probably 4 or 5 visits in total. And of course, they charged my insurance company for every damn one of them. Each time I told him I wanted to have the second eye operated on, but he wouldn’t do it yet.

The biggest problem during that time was that I no longer needed my glasses for my right eye, but everything was blurry out of my left eye if I didn’t wear them. If I put my glasses on the situation was the same in reverse. I’m an avid reader, but reading for any length of time was going to cause a nightmare headache.

Then after about two months my doctor agreed to do the other eye. Now the whole damn process is repeated with 4 or 5 more follow-up visits, each for which they bill my insurance company.

It’s a racket, I tell ya. There is absolutely no damn reason he couldn’t have done both eyes within a few short days and saved half of those follow-up visits which my insurance company was on the hook for.

The worst part though was that 6 to 8 weeks before I could see out of both eyes with the same clarity. Even if he wasn’t bleeding my insurance company for every dime he could get out of them he was torturing me unnecessarily.

In the end however, it was all worth it and I highly recommend the surgery. I’d shop around for a good surgeon though and I’d get a handle on just how soon he’ll be willing to do the second eye.

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Gramps use’ta say
R.L.King2012 #439

About: Troubled Times

  “Even the worst of storms
eventually blows over.”

By Donna Hale Chandler

Each holiday season I tell myself that this year I won’t worry if I don’t get everything finished that I plan. I won’t worry if only a portion of the decorations are in place – less is more, right? I won’t worry if that last gift doesn’t get purchased – receivers should be happy with what they receive, right? I won’t worry that family and friends will enjoy themselves at our annual holiday get together – if they’re not enjoying themselves, they can leave or not even show up in the first place, right? I will not worry about having enough food. When it’s gone, guests just stop eating, right? I will not worry about picking a date that is convenient for everyone. If an invitee can’t attend, the party will go on, right?

Wrong! I WILL stress about every one of those things and probably add a few more worries to the list.

No matter how hard I try my holiday plans somehow go awry. I tell myself that no one notices other than me but each year I am disappointed with the holiday and each New Year’s Eve I make the very same New Year’s resolution that I made the year before. And I know that this year will be no different.

I WILL NOT STRESS OVER THINGS I CAN’T CONTOL. (Wish me good luck on that one.)

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!

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Gram use’ta say

“Love is more than words.
Love is action and attitude.”

By Richard L. King

People should learn to be more considerate when driving. Especially older people, I’m 74 and I consider myself to be one of them, but so many of them drive like idiots. Oh, I know that being an idiot is not restricted to us old farts, but when you start out as an idiot, then start getting older, you double your chances.

Here’s an example…. You’re driving down the boulevard (any divided two lane street) and traffic seems to be moving exceptionally slow. You’re running late and you’re in the left lane….. (The lane normally considered as being the fast lane) and there is a line of two or three cars in front of you, but you can see that it’s clear for a long ways in front of that lead car. The thing is,,,, this fast lane seems to be moving slower than the slow lane. You put up with the poking along for a while then you decide to slip over into the other lane trying to get around the slow poke. (I’ve never seen a statistic to support it, but it’s my belief that slow-poke drivers are responsible for more traffic accidents than any other single cause and it’s because everyone else overreacts.) Invariably, when you finally get around the jam up, you’ll find that it’s some old codger driving well below the speed limit without enough brains or consideration to get over into the slow lane.

PEOPLE!!!! They call it the FAST LANE for a reason!!! That sign saying slower vehicles stay in the right lane is there for a reason. If you’re going to poke ass along below the speed limit, it’s there for you!!! Please have enough common sense and courtesy to get over where you belong.

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Gramps use’ta say
©R.L.King2012 #408

About: Respect
“You can’t buy, beg or borrow it…
It has to be earned.

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By: Donna Hale Chandler

I’m thinking of particularly high heels worn by women when they want to dress to impress. You may be confused as to why these would be considered ‘noisy shoes’. If so, let me ask you this, have you ever been so sick that you were hospitalized. Have you ever tried to rest in a hospital? Just about the time you doze off a cheerful nurse comes to draw blood or check vitals. This constant intrusion on your sleep may be annoying but we all know it’s necessary.

After a day of constant in and out by staff, it’s finally evening, getting dark outside. You turn down those bright hospital lights, close you door and try to drift off to dreamland. And that’s when you hear it — high heels walking down the hallway toward someone’s room. They are loud – click, click, click on the tiled floor. Your eyes are once again opened, awake, sleep interrupted.

At last the high heels seem to have reached their destination and it’s quiet once again. Lean back, relax, clear your mind, close your eyes, sleep is not far away. AND THERE IT IS AGAIN —- click, click, click — they are returning! You wonder about these women in the hospital hallway, in the high heeled shoes. Are they so clueless that they can’t fathom that the click, click, click is disturbing to the ailing patients or are high heels just naturally noisy to distraction.

Who invented high heels anyway? The person was obviously HEALTHY. Perhaps a warning label – “Not to be worn in hospital hallways” should be required.

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Gram use’ta say

“You don’t marry your sweetie’s relatives,
but it’s a must that you get along with them.”

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