Katelyn Rose McGee

7-22-14

Dear Katelyn Rose McGee,

      Happy Birthday!  You are seven years old today.  I thought I would write about my memories of you.  I will be using some of my letters that I wrote to you in the past, since my memories come and go at times.  I am really glad that I have those letters and journals that I have kept these past years.  I started keeping journals for your mom and Angie when they were born.  You will receive your binders of writings and pictures when you are older.  Your first binder is already full and I just bought new ones.  You picked out your first binder and of course it was your favorite color-pink.  You decorated it with stickers etc.

      We just got back from my “Trip of a Lifetime #3” to CO in our motor home.  This trip was a little different than #1 and #2 because your dad came along for this trip.  At Focus on the Family in Co Springs you picked out a Bible and a pink cover protector.  It is an adult King James Bible with a cute little girls cover.  So it is not written in a kid’s language like those little kids Bibles.  You were so excited that you would not have to carry Mom’s Bible to church anymore.  This was what you wanted for your birthday, and not forced on you like some gifts.  Grandpa had planned on giving you money to spend at the American Girl store in Denver, which really made me mad.  Those things are so expensive and it is just a money making racket. Plus your aunts were planning on giving you things for your American Girl dolls.  Your dad let you and Jocelyn pick out a new American Girl doll for your birthdays.  Your dad sure spoils his little girls.  I would have said, you already have two of those dolls and you don’t need a third.  Back in the day we needed to have more than one Barbie, but they were smaller and we made their clothes and beds, etc.,  or we got Barbie things from garage sales. 

     You are my great helper.  I was having major problems seeing on this trip #3 due to an eye bleed and a eye shot plus a lot of eye mucus.  You would take my hand without even asking and help guide me on the trails at the Garden of the Gods.  You would tell me when I came to a step and when we came across an uneven trail due to rain wash.  You described scenery and the wildlife for me, so it was as if I could see it.  You waited with me at the waterfall, since I was not allowed to climb all the way to the top.  I did climb up about a fourth of the way.   Going up was easy; it is the going down the steps when you are blind is very hard and a slow process.

       You started helping me years ago on my first outing to an unknown place with a crowd after I became blind.  We were at a rescue dog show and none of the other kids were helping, they just wanted to go ahead and not be tied down walking a blind grandma.  You also helped me cross the streets of Washington DC on Trip of a Lifetime #1 and held my hand in the museums, so Grandma would not get lost.  You also help me in other ways.  You are my fruit and vegetable slicer and dicer for our healthy salads that I make when you are over or on a camping trip with us.  You are always asking if you can help.  I pray that you will continue wanting to be so helpful, because I may really need more help in the future.  You are also a very polite little girl.  You remember your “pleases, thank you, and no thank you.  You are a very picky eater so ‘no thank you’ comes in handy vs the ‘I hate ….’  You don’t like to eat the many things that the other kids do, which causes me some frustration in what to serve you.  One time while camping you emailed your mom complaining about how I was not having anything you liked for dinner.  I did not let you starve that night like you thought. 

     I came across something that your mom wrote about you that I had saved in your binder.  She wrote this in Nov of 2010 when you were three and staying with us.  Katelyn: naps and bedtime put her in a diaper…  Remind her before nap that she cannot come out of her room and needs to take a good nap.  She will be extremely cranky if she does not take a nap.  That is so true. When I read that I started laughing, and had a flashback of the extremely cranky girl that I had to deal with on this last trip.  You no longer will take a nap even if you need one.  You think you are too old, but your mom took naps even in high school and still does.  She needs those naps and so do you.  On the last trip you were tired and cranky and refusing to take a shower in the camper.  You kept arguing, and I was so close to giving you a spanking that would not cause laughter but tears.   I did the grandparent threat talk, and you then stopped complaining and did what you were told to do.  We talked and prayed about this in the wee hours of the morning as we were snuggling in the bed.  I just don’t understand how you kids and Grandpa  can get up so early in the mornings.  Weston is usually up first and sings in bed.  One morning he sang about your dog Maggie.  It was Maggie, Maggie, Mags, etc. until I got him up.  You are usually the last of the kids to get up in the morning.

      Discussing this nap stuff got me thinking about how much you are like your mom when she was younger.  You both needed your naps, but she also gets cranky when she is hungry and still does.  I have not seen that trait in you yet, but that is because Grandma’s Restaurant is always open 24/7. It is stocked with the same garbage as a 7 Eleven, that we only have around when you kids are here or traveling with us. Grandpa would be eating the sweets, chips, etc. instead of my healthy salads.  I am hiding popsicles in the downstairs freezer from Grandpa, since you love popsicles. 

   Your mom refused to swallow pills, and you have that same concern.  A couple of years ago your dad was trying to get you to swallow an aspirin and you were refusing and crying.  It reminded me so much of your mom.  You also are a very good student in school and you hate to make mistakes in your school work.  Mom was the same way, one time she came home crying in 3^rd grade and had failed a test that she did not study for.  I have heard about how upset you get when you get a spelling word or math problem wrong on a test.  You love to read, and your mom did too.  You are in the reading program at your library and get prizes for reading.  Mom did the same and got Little King coupons for reading and would love to stop there after the library trips and eat their pickles.  She still loves that place.  You both love pickles but then I say all McQuinn’s love pickles and olives.  We always needed those two at our family events, and still do on our camping trips.  You fight with your siblings like your mom fought with Angie, but then all siblings fight and argue. 

      You follow Jocelyn around like Julie did to Angie.  You do  most whatever Jocelyn asks of you, and she can talk you into doing things that you do not want to do.  I found that out when I spent the week with you when your mom had her surgery a couple of mouths ago.  I helped you organize and clean your room.  It took a full day to do that.  You and Jocelyn had everything stuffed, from bags, drawers, closets and under the bathroom sink stuffed with things that did not belong.  It was like Christmas, because you were finding many lost and forgotten toys and items.  I had the stuffing talk with you.  Don’t listen to Jocelyn when she wants to clean up fast to get out and play.  Take the time to put things where they belong and not under the bed!  Sure glad Angie and Julie had their own rooms.  Angie was the one with the messy room and your mom’s room was clean and organized.  Jocelyn is so much like Angie.  Your mom was very sensitive and still is, and so are you.  Your feelings get hurt very easily and then the crying begins.  I know mom is working on that with you, because you take things so serious. 

     One time you were over at our house looking through picture books on our travels.  Every picture you came to that had a blond little girl you would ask, “Is that me Grandma?”  I would have to answer, “No honey that is Jocelyn.”  We got through two albums when you stopped and said, “Grandma you never took me anywhere!”  I was trying to explain to you that you were too little and did not want to leave your mom, when Grandpa started joking and told you that we did not like you.  Well that did not go over with a very sensitive little girl.  He has now learned how to deal with you.  Your first time over at our house for a sleepover without your siblings was tough and you shed a few tears and made a few phone calls to mom.  Mom was like that on sleepovers also when she was your age. I was also the same and did not want to go to camp or to sleepovers by myself.  Angie and Jocelyn were the opposite.  We took Jocelyn to Grand Canyon when she was three and on the day when we were leaving she finally said she missed her mom, it took her seven days to miss her.  Your mom would call every night asking if she missed her yet, and I would have to say no.  Mom was having a harder time than Jocelyn did on that trip.  Every year when we plan our travels together you always say that you want to see the Grand Canyon. 

      

   This fall you have lost again because mom and Angie have the fall trip planned to Tampa, Florida for their cruse that we are not going on.  We will stay in Florida and have our own fun.  No I am not taking you kids to Disney World because that is a parent’s job.  Seeing Mickey is too costly unless some free tickets pass our way.  We had free tickets to get into Disney World on our first trip with mom and Angie.  Katelyn save your money for that trip and tell the spender Jocelyn to do the same thing.  Another way you, mom, and grandma are alike.  We three like to save money, while Jocelyn, Angie, and Grandpa enjoy spending it.     

     Sometimes I worry about you getting lost in the pack of four.  Jocelyn the oldest, Weston the youngest, Easton is clueless, but you need attention and sometimes seek out the negative attention that some kids do.  You can give Easton a hard time, and sometimes Weston but just remember that they are growing up and will soon be fighting back and will deck you, ask mom what that means.  She may have already discussed that with you, or maybe you have already been decked by a little brother. 

     I was just reading the very first letter that I wrote to you when you were 7 months old.  It was 6 pages long and told about your birth and first 7 months.  I was writing it on a day off of school due to the cold weather of -22.  Today I have some extra time because it is too hot to do anything.  It is hot and close to 100 and very humid.  Our house is too cold from the air conditioning, and the upstairs office is the warmest room in the house, so no blanket or jacket is needed.  I just thought of another way that you and I are alike.  You love to wear your jacket around your house and on trips when it is warm/hot.  I find myself telling you to take the jacket off so you don’t get overheated.  Grandpa gave up telling me to take my jacket off. 

     The first time I heard about you was when we had just attended a mortuary service in Ne City for a friend from church Ron Keene who had died that Sunday at church.  On Wed. Nov. 15.06, after the mortuary we stopped to eat at Valentino’s.  Your mom looked at your dad and said should we tell them?  She said, “If all goes well.”  And then I said you are having a baby.  I was so excited.  You are about 3 weeks old now and we don’t know if you are a boy or girl.  Your brother or sister about 3 months old and is in heaven died on Sept. 27, 06, so God really blessed us with you.  Your mom looked so beautiful as you were growing inside.  On March 2,07 we found out that you were a girl.

      On Sunday, July 22 your parents dropped off Jocelyn around 2:00 in the morning, and went to the hospital in Omaha.  Sean would call and give us an update.  I figured I would come up after church to watch your birth since Jocelyn took close to 24 hours to be born.  Your parents said that I could be there when you were born.  I was so excited that I could be there another birth.  Thank you Julie and Sean for giving me the chance to experience four great events of my lifetime.  I was getting Jocelyn ready for church when Sean called to say I had better get to the hospital.  I got there around 10:00AM.  I kept thinking I hope I did not miss the birth as I was driving to the Med Center on 42^nd.  Your mom was still in labor and was doing well.  Your dad was so excited, and so was I.  Your birth 12:04 PM went really smoothly vs Jocelyn’s.  You were 20” long, head 13.5”, chest 14’ and weighted 7lbs, 13 oz.  Dr. M. Mathews delivered you.  Before you were born the nurse had wanted mom to get up and walk around, but she did not what to because she was too tired.  Your dad made her stand for a short while, and mom started complaining about standing and wanted to go back to bed.  When she got to bed she told Sean to get the doctor that you were coming.  All mom needed to do was stand and out you wanted to come.  A few pushes and you were born.  You were a beautiful baby.  I stayed with mom as the doctors worked on the after birth and stitches.  Daddy took care of you.  After church grandpa and Jocelyn came up to see you.  Jocelyn wore her pink big sister shirt on the next day when we visited along with Great grandma Deloris, Angie, Nan, Doug, Kim, DeDee and Theresa.  Daddy took pictures of you with your visitors.  You went home with mom and dad on Tues.  They rested Tues. and then on Wed the 25^th we brought Jocelyn home to see you again.  You later got to wear that same pink big sister shirt when Easton was born.

     Your mom took you to music classes as an infant, and that is where you first rolled over.  She took you to the Lincoln Children’s museum and still loves taking you to museums. 

     On the first time mom left you as an infant with us while they went to a movie, we had a very rough time.  She left me a bottle of breast milk for you to drink.  We tried giving it to you and all you did was cry and scream.  You wanted nothing to do with the bottle of milk because you wanted it from mom only.  Mom had never tried to feed you a bottle, it was grandma’s job to teach you.  She called after the movie and came here to feed her hungry crying infant.  We did learn that when she left you with me again that you would take juice from a bottle, so you did not have to starve the next time they had date night. 

     If you want more info about your first 7 years, see my letters to you.  The first one covers from birth to 2011 and is 17 pages long.  The others are called Dear Grandchildren letters that I started writing because it was getting too hard to write individual letters.  I just finished up one of those letters the other day about our Trip of a Lifetime #3 to CO.  So now I have decided that I will write one blog for each of my grandkids on their next birthday, if I am still able to see to type and read. 

     Well big 7 year old, I love you so much.  I could go on and on writing about you but it is getting harder to see the computer screen even at 16 points.  Yes, I could in large the font, but decided to get this finished for your birthday.

Forgiveness

     I just finished reading/listening to the Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom, so I have had forgiveness on my mind.  I read this novel back in the  late 70’s, and could only remember bits and pieces of it, such as how her and her family forgave others during Hilter’s reign on Holland.  Would I be able to have their faith and forgiveness?  Would I treasure God’s word the Bible,  like they did?  Instead of being blinded by hatred, would I be able to show the Nazis and Germans the love of Christ? I highly recommend this novel to read or reread, plus it is a short easy read.  I am also trying to listen to the Monuments Men which is over 15 hours long.  I have not seen the movie yet which would have been easier than listening for 15 hours.  This novel gets me thinking about forgiveness also, and the many that lost their lives in that horrid war.  One can’t wonder if we will be involved in more bloody wars, as we listen to the nightly news. 

     Back in the 80’s, I wrote about the subject of forgiveness for an English class and then gave a speech for the dreaded speech class.  I remember discussing how Corrie Ten Boom forgave her prison guard and shared the love of Christ and His forgiveness with the former Nazi.  I also discussed how we are forgiven from our sins and the Bible.  I got very supportive comments from the class and professors.  That was the 80’s and not the 2014’s of university life.  After watching the movie God’s Not Dead, I am not sure if I would have gotten away with it in today’s world.  I also highly recommend this movie.  To get into UNO’s teaching college we had to write an essay on a prized possession, and I wrote about the Bible, and they still let me in.   

                                                          Forgiveness

     None of us are perfect.  All of us have done things that are wrong and said things that we wished we could retract. We all sin and are sinners.  We will stop sinning when we hit the grave.  A friend of mine wants to have on his headstone something like “he stopped sinning”. Forgiveness is a need we cannot avoid, a choice we must make benefiting both the giver and receiver.

     And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against any one; just as the Lord forgave you,  so also should you.  Colossians 3:12.13

 Let us look at forgiveness as being an essential foundation stone for building close relationships with others: the firm foundation being God’s forgiveness, our basis for forgiving others.

     Forgiveness is a need I cannot avoid.  Throughout the Bible I am commanded to forgive.  My life consists o times when I need to ask and offer forgiveness.  Offenses and hurts are a normal part of life.  I deal with those hurts and offenses in many different ways.  I find it is easier to offer forgiveness than to ask for forgiveness.  I am usually willing to forgive since they have made the first step by asking.  It is easy for me to offer forgiveness for minor offenses: a shove in a crowded hallway, a late arrival, or an “I’m sorry”, from a child.  Most of the time, I find myself ignoring offenses instead of confronting and dealing with them.  Ignoring offenses is like sleeping under a wool blanket:  sooner or later the itch gets to you.  Now that I am not back in the 80’s and much older, I can add another one called forgetting.  I tend to forget offenses against me, or even worse I may offend one with my words or humor and not even know that you have been offended.  My girls have accused me of being clueless.  So I am taking the time to ask for forgiveness for an offense that I may had done or said, and forgotten about or was clueless of.  Maybe that is why you see less of a divorce rate among the elderly, because they just can’t remember offenses a day or in my case hours later.  “What was I mad about yesterday?”  This also involves my prayer life; I must ask the Lord for forgiveness as soon as I commit an offense before I forget.

      I find it especially hard to ask for forgiveness.  I must first conquer my pride.  It is so hard to swallow my pride and admit I was wrong.  Swallowing my pride is like trying to swallow a giant pill the doctor has prescribed.  It takes a few tries to get down, but once it starts working in my system, I am feeling better.

      Forgiveness is a choice.  I can choose to forgive or resent.  When I choose to forgive, it is my way of communicating love to another.  Let us consider the phrases, “I love you,” and “I am sorry.”  I find that saying “I am sorry” is much harder to say than the other.  When I muster up the courage to say “I am sorry,” I am communicating love.  This love I am expressing is a continual love; yes, I do want to continue my relationship with you.  I wonder if people would put forgiveness into daily practice, would it cause the world to be a better place in which to live.  If people practiced more forgiveness, maybe there would be less divorce, fewer broken relationships and diminished hurt feelings.

      Since forgiveness is a choice, I can choose to resent.  This resentment can be expressed in many ways, such as bitterness, anger, vengeance, and slander.  Whenever I see any of these in my life, I stop and ask myself is there someone I have not forgiven.  I feel that there is a lack of forgiveness in our world today.  The news is full of stories of bitterness, anger, and vengeance.  In our society it is common to think of getting even when one is hurt.  We tend to cheer on vengeance- an eye for an eye.  Someone gets even with somebody who has it coming, and he is an instant hero.  One hears reports of death row prison inmates being put to death as their victim’s relatives watch filled with bitterness, anger, and vengeance.  I wonder if after justice has been done, are they free of their bitterness?  Do they carry it in their hearts the rest of their lives?  What would I do if a drunken driver took the life of a member of my family?  Could I forgive a murderer, rapist, or a child sex offender that has violated me or my family?  I can choose to resent which allows bitterness to cut the nerve to my emotions.

     Forgiveness benefits both the giver and receiver.  When I forgive, the receiver of my forgiveness and myself are set free from unhealthy emotions allowing love a chance to escape.  I can then put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. After a long tiring day, I sometimes find myself cranky, nagging, and losing my temper over trivial things.  Saying the words “I am sorry,” reinforces the love between me and my husband and daughters.

     I want to obey God and forgive others, but what if someone has hurt me so much that it is beyond my power to forgive?  I would have to call upon God’s strength and power to allow me to experience the forgiveness that I require.  God wants me to forgive others just as He has forgiven me.  God’s forgiveness is the pattern for me to follow in forgiving others.

     I have been forgiven through God’s free gift of grace.  When I hear the word grace, I look at it as being an acrostic:  God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.    God’s riches are His forgiveness, peace, joy, love, and eternal life in heaven.  Christ’s expense was the crown of thorns, nails in His hands, and His suffering and death on the cross to pay for my offenses, hurts, and sins. Grace is the foundation of God’s forgiveness.

      Forgiveness is a need that I cannot avoid; a choice I must make benefiting myself and others.  Hurts are a normal part of life so daily, I must make choices to forgive or resent.  Hurts can cause deep wounds that can only be healed by forgiving.  When I forgive it is like performing spiritual surgery inside my life cutting out the anger and bitter feelings and replacing them with love.  I receive my strength and power to forgive from God.  I must use this power to forgive others in the same way that God has forgiven me, freely and completely.

My Thoughts and Feelings about Air Conditioning

My Thoughts and Feelings about Air Conditioning

     The basic concept behind air conditioning is said to have been used in ancient Egypt.  Reeds were hung in windows and moistened with water.  The evaporation of water cooled the air blowing through the window.  In 1902 the first modern electrical air conditioning unit was invented.  In 1950’s when I was born the residential air conditioning became just another way to keep up with the Joneses.  My parents did not know the Joneses, so I grew up without the luxury of air conditioning.  Stop and ask yourself in 2014 is air conditioning a luxury? Yes, I read that last week in an article written by an Omaha writer that called air conditioning a luxury.  Would you buy a house without central air?  What about a camper/RV?  Is air conditioning just a want and not a need today?  Is AC a luxury in 2014 in NE?

     I know there are people who are still camping in tents without AC.  I talked with a couple last week while we were camping in 90 degree weather.  I had to stop and talk about how that camping without AC brought back memories and not good ones.  We camped during the summer months when the girls were younger.  We had pop ups without AC.  We spent a lot of our vacations in Missouri visiting my parents.  Mo gets really hot during the summer, and I can remember being so hot that the sweat is dripping and I can’t sleep.  I would walk the campground in the dark due to being so hot in the camper.  I just wanted to catch a nighttime breeze, but just came back from the walk full of nighttime mosquito bites.  You are not asking yourself, why didn’t I just turn on a fan?  That was how those without AC keep cool in the 70’s and 80’s.  We are camping and fans need to be powered by electricity.  I do remember having a few of those plastic battery powered hand held fans.  We also had the hand held non battery fan powered by how fast you could wave a piece of paper, magazine or whatever you found to move the air around.  After the girls grew up and no longer wanted to travel with us, we got a small travel trailer with hard sides and then the bunks popped out of the sides, like our pop ups did.  I was so excited that they were making small campers now with AC.  I would not have to listen to Pat saying that it is too hot to go camping.  We took that little camper to Florida and loved every minute of the trip.  We also could stop and pull over and make and eat lunch in our little camper when on the road.  We soon moved on to bigger fifth wheels, and then to our latest and maybe last (if I have it my way) Class A- RV that has two air conditioners. 

     I do complain about camping at times when Pat comes in the RV and closes up the windows because it is too humid for him.  The RV air conditioners are not like quiet home units.  Windows shut, AC running,  TV on and then Pat asks me a question or tells me something that I CAN NOT HEAR.  He wonders why I am not doing what he asked.  At times when the AC is on in the RV or at home, I open up the bedroom window during my nightly 2:00 wake up call.  I love waking up to the smell of fresh air and the birds singing.  I did make the mistake once or twice opening the RV window and then smelling the odor of a nearby feed lot.  We city folks tend to be more sensitive to that odor than you farm folks. 

      Those who are older can travel back into memories with me before you had no AC.  You- youngins, will learn a little history on how your grandparents grew up without AC and survived.   Most homes in the 50’s and 60’s did not have central air conditioning.  If your family had money you may have had one window air conditioning in a room that everyone slept in on those hot humid nights when the breeze did not blow.  That meant the kids slept in lawn chairs.  I do remember sleeping in a lawn chair when little but not because of one window air conditioning but lack of an extra bed for me.  Heaven forbid would I have slept with a sibling and share a bed, I was the oldest.  We did not have any window air conditioning units that I remember.  My parents may have gotten one after I moved out.  Isn’t that the way things are?  We tried to keep cool by various methods.  Fans, wet towels, ice, living outside, spending time in a creepy brick basement full of bugs, and if you were lucky, it had a cement floor vs dirt.

       Oh youngins I am off topic a little but when I was in 2^nd grade we moved to a house at 1403 Elm that had an outhouse.  That is a toilet, that you used for number one and two.  My father soon built a septic tank and installed one toilet.  Yes a family of 6 only had one bathroom back in the day.  Plus we did not even have a lock on that bathroom door.  I can remember fighting with my mom about taking a bath, since I hated using that bathroom with no lock.  Plus I was clean in the summer, since I bathed in the three foot swimming pool that we had in the backyard.  We did not use chemicals to keep the water clean, so it probably was not very clean water but it was a way to cool off when you don’t have AC.  Some older neighbors did not have electricity. So they used an ice box to keep their food cold.  That meant the the ice man made weekly deliveries down our dirt dead end street in the hollow.  If the Bedrosky, Doughtery, or Connell kids were out he would stop and give us a chunk of ice.  We would then use an ice pick and each get a chunk to suck on and try to stay cool.  Back then all kids played outside, except maybe my sister Nan.  She did a lot of reading back then and currently.  She grew up to be a librarian. 

     You could also go to a movie to keep cool because they had AC.  To get into a movie back in the 60’s tickets very cheap, maybe a dollar or less due to it was a matinee.  My friends and I would take a bus to the Chief Theater on 24^th St. in South Omaha every Sat. to see the new movie that was showing.  Sometimes but very rare, if it was a really special movie, we would go downtown to one of the many grand theaters that they had.  Some are still standing today.  The Orpheum and the Rose (Astro) are still standing.   Not sure what is in the place of the Chief in SO, since I have not been along 24^th St in a very long time.  I will just live in my memories and remember it across South High.  Not sure if that is the right memory?  There was a bowling alley across from South and I think the theater was there also? 

    One could take a bus to a mall and stay cool in the mall.  I did not do that too often.  Not many malls around, only the Center, Southroads, and Westroads in the 70’s.  One could hang out at friends who may have had AC, but that did not happen.  I grew up in SO (south Omaha) and my friends parents did not know the Joneses either.  When I dated Pat in the early 70’s, he rented a house at 312 Woolworth (I think that was the address.) from his grandma.  No air conditioner either, so we spent a lot of time seeing movies in the summer.  Gail G if you are reading this, did you guys add AC to that house?  And how in the heck did all 5 of you live in that house that no longer stands due to the huge tree and winds that destroyed that house.  You have your memories, as we have ours of that house on Woolworth. 

     The first house that Pat and I bought when we got married in 1974 had central air conditioning.  Wow that was a surprise when we were looking for a home.  We had looked at a few in SO, but settled for a house in Millard.  New houses in Millard were being built with AC.  Ours was about 20 years old, yet had AC.  We stopped seeing so many movies in the summer or hanging out at Westroads.  I remember going to see the first Godfather movie and when the lights came on we got up and left.  We got to the car and wondered why the movie did not make sense.  It was intermission and not the end of the show, so we went back to see the rest.  Pat still likes rewatching the Godfather movies.  Movie theaters are even cooler in 2014.  I have to remember to bring a jacket if it is even in the 90’s outside.  Just saw, “God is Not Dead” a really good movie and I did not freeze due to remembering my jacket.  I used to leave a sweat jacket in the car, so I would also have one handy.  I don’t do that anymore.  I learned the hard way that the sun will fade a black sweat jacket in a short time. 

     Youngins besides  some homes that were not air conditioned, churches and schools did not have air conditioning.  As a kid in grade school we were required to attend mass every school day ,along with other required days, and since I was in the choir we sang at funerals.  That church got so hot at times.  We wore hot wool like green uniforms with a white shirt.  No shorts and summer tops for school.  I remember fainting a few times during mass.  The nuns would have us when feeling faint to sit with our heads between our legs.  That is not making sense to me now.  I get the sitting part vs kneeling, but not the head part.  We used anything that we could find to survive and make a fan.  Schools were just as hot as church. We were trapped in that small desk with a nun with a ruler waiting for some youngin to complain about not wanting to work due to the heat.  I do remember trying to teach in some older OPS school without AC.  That was rough, and boy the smell was great with the older ones.  Did they all forget to use deodorant on a hot day?  I later learned to supply deodorant for my young adults to use just in case they forgot.  Everyone knew where to find it in the restroom.  Some would need friendly reminders, and at times we would borrow the shower at Central Middle for extreme cases.  Even AC schools went without AC at times when things broke down, or electricity was lost.  One time when subbing we spent most of the day outside due to no electricity because some little or big sweetheart decided to see what happens when you put a scissors into an outlet.  Tough lesson to learn, but that is how one learns through consequences. 

     Another way to keep cool when your home did not have AC was to get a job.  My first job was at Thrifty Drug downtown next to the Grey hound bus station.  It had AC, and working a grill or fryer during summer, fall,or winter got very hot.  Dishing out ice cream for malts or other cold treats balanced out the hot grill work.  Most office jobs had AC so when I worked at Mutual of Omaha and Northwestern Bell I was able to stay cool.  Pat on the other hand spent time in the hot boiler room at the Civic Auditorium.  Maybe that is why he likes to stay cool or maybe it is just a guy thing do to how much men sweat?

    Our church that we attend has two new air conditioners that were recently installed.  The old ones would not keep up and during one wedding one guy went to the local Wal Mart and bought a few fans so the wedding could continue on.  It is now really, really cold.  I did not use the word cool as some would.  It is cold.  I have to remember to bring a jacket every Sunday and Wednesday.

      In fact today is Wednesday, July 2 and we are having some cool fall weather in July.  It is 3pm and 65 outside.   It was so cool last night that a friend had her fireplace going.  She is always hot and will at times crank the air up at church.  I did wear socks to bed.   I am dressed in long pants and a long sleeve shirt.  I wore these to workout in at the gym this morning.  The gym is also a cool place temperature wise ,and I understand why.  Some people workout and sweat.  I workout but I don’t sweat.  I did get a tad warm this morning during bicep curls with a bar with 10 lbs on each side.  The instructor had us doing a lot of reps, so I had to roll up my sleeves.  But still no sweat.  The last time I did sweat was when I was walking around a lake with no shade and had walked 3 miles and it was really hot.  I did enjoy getting back to the RV AC that day.  I will wear these same clothes to church tonight but I will put on fresh deodorant in case you are wondering along with one of my sweat jackets.  I know youngkins you call them hoodies.  I have a collection of them in a variety of colors.  I just bought a bright lime green (glow in the dark kind of color).  The checkout guy even said it was very bright.  I bought it to wear when walking and using a busy trail.  Since I can’t see most of the bikers and walkers to stay out of their way, they sure better see me in my green and say passing on your left.  When they do, I reply with a,” thank you”.  When they don’t, I have been known to yell back to them, “Passing on the left.”  Do they not understand that not all can see or hear them passing by?  Pat got mad at me once for yelling that.  Then I got mad at Pat.  They need to be educated and someone needs to give them that lesson.  So if you are a biker on a trail, don’t assume that just because it is a wide trail and I am as far to the right that I can go, that you don’t have to say those four words.

       It is interesting how words change when you don’t keep up with the changes.  We used to call flip flops thongs back in my day.  I made that mistake once in a classroom and the students who were awake and paying attention caught that mistake, and thought I was talking about women’s underwear.  I could go on and on about how I learned the hard way about certain words that my daughters, students, or staff has shared with me.  I just reply with, “What, that means that!” 

     I am torn about this whole AC situation.  I like it at times and hate it at times.  I really do like to stay warm and not be cold.  Back in the day when other complained about hot flashes, I did not.  I just enjoyed them, because I was warm.  I just walked around the park behind us with the dogs wearing my gray hoodie on July 2 and was glad I had it.  It is cool, and my friend Karen probably has been burning wood in her fireplace all day, or is planning on doing that tonight when she gets home from church.  As I write this at the computer, I don’t have the window open, AC is off, and I am just right, toasty and warm.  Pat does like to stay cool so that can be troubles at times, so I just put on a hoodie/sweat jacket to wear during the day if it gets too cool.  At night I have a warm blanket, but only one during the summer. (two during the winter months). 

    You have had long enough to think of an answer that I asked in the beginning.  Is air conditioning a luxury in 2014 in NE?  Please comment on your feelings. 

    I do understand that is some countries AC would be a luxury but electricity is also a luxury along with fresh drinking water.  I also realize that stores and shops in Alaska do not have AC.  We learned that when visiting Alaska last year, and they were having a rare heat wave of the 80’s.  I had been so worried about freezing on that trip, but did not freeze.

  Please comment on this subject.  This way I know who are reading my blog.  Also feel free to add your own memories about living without AC.  Thanks for reading, because I am just trying to stay busy.  In addition I feel that my brain is working faster and I can type, read, write, a little better each time.  I want to hope that the brain cells that I lost two years ago are now growing back.  I can dream, can’t I?  Even though I can’t remember to turn off the light or stove or feed the dogs.  I better go put on deodorant  asap before church so I don’t forget.