In the paper, but NOT in obituaries or crime section

Friday, September 26, 2008 12:10 AM CDT
Making Christmas merry: Stockings prepared for soldiers serving overseas
DECATUR - When Julie Hensley heard that her brother, an Army officer, plans to spend his Christmas in Iraq, she decided she wanted to do something for the troops.

Hensley contacted Operation Santa, a Peoria-based group that sends thousands of stockings stuffed with gifts to service members overseas.

Patti Smith, who launched the operation three years ago, invited Hensley to expand Operation Santa into Decatur.

"For too many of our troops, this is the only thing they receive for Christmas," said Smith, who has two sons who have served in Iraq with the Marine Corps.

Hensley, who has enlisted a co-worker and co-worker's wife in her efforts, has placed collection boxes at 11 locations throughout Decatur to collect snacks, socks, toiletries and CDs.

On Oct. 26, Hensley plans to drive a truckload of items to Peoria, where they will be stuffed into homemade stockings, placed into boxes and shipped to Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Julie's done an excellent job of mobilizing Decatur," said Smith, who established a nonprofit group, Central Illinois Proud Families of Marines, to help service members from all branches.

Last year, Operation Santa sent out 23,000 stockings and was recognized by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn with a Homefront Hero Award.

Decatur-based Operation Enduring Support, also a recipient of a Homefront Hero Award, has been sending Christmas parcels to service members overseas for the past five years. The group, which meets Monday evenings at Grace United Methodist Church, will begin collecting items for its drive Wednesday.

When Hensley, service dispatcher at Tica Inc., heard that Operation Santa uses homemade stockings, she turned to her Verna Coleman, the company's bookkeeper, for assistance.

"She is the best sewer in the world," Hensley said.

Coleman has completed almost 100 stockings, working from a pattern she found on the Operation Santa Web site.

Hensley said contributions have been coming in from various quarters, such as dentists, who have come through with toothbrushes and floss. Frequent travelers have brought in those tiny containers of shampoo and lotion that they picked up in hotel rooms.

"I have two bags full of them," Hensley said, reaching into the collection box at Tica, which is nearly filled.

Operation Santa was launched when Smith's youngest son was in Iraq for Christmas, 2005. She sent presents to all the members of her son's platoon, some of whom received nothing else.

A Great Mind

Kim, you always love to give me a hard time about the fact that I type things incorrectly. This one's for you.

Only great minds can read this

This is weird, but interesting!
fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too




Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rs et c an be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!


So, I guess if I misspell a few things on my blog and you can read it you are one of the 55.

Tica, Inc's unusual visitor

This is not our normal visitors. No, he/she did not come in the front door, but chose to enter via the open garage door in the shop. As you can see I was able to get fairly close, and he/she was not afraid of me. I do believe it is a homing pigeon. There are bands on both legs. I called the local funeral home, who I know has homing pigeons, they were going to check to see if they were missing one.
The next time I went out back he/she was on the dock.... Hope it finds its way home.
NOTE: I called it she and one of they guys said how do you know it's a girl. Therefore am using the he/she.

Enjoying summer

Like Sherri, I don't want to think of what will come after the autumn time. I was sitting on my back patio the other evening and had to chuckle about the before and after photos I have of our back patio area. It is very obvious which is the before and after photos of our impatient plants. I never dreamed they would do this well. The wind played havoc with them the other day, but they stood back up straight and tall, Should they get much bigger I won't have much walkway to enter the back gate.
On one side is the impatient flower bed and on the other is the rose bush that has gone simply wild. The corner flower bed, I wanted moon flowers, but they only had the climbing vines when I went to Farmers Market, so I got two, they were only 2 1/2 inches tall. I planted them so I could have them use the tomato metals to spin up, but oh my, they have taken over the whole fence. Our side and the neighbors side. I had gotten some seeds from Patrick McDaniel of the regular moon flower plants, but I wasn't sure if they would grow this year or not. They did grow they are entwined with the vine ones, and have pushed their noses to the top and out the side. So I have to different kinds of moon flowers in my corner.
The rose bush that Bud told me in the spring I would have to replace simply amazes me. It is now almost as tall as the fence, tied back to the fence with ribbon and yarn so that we are able to come in the back gate.
Sitting on the patio in the evening it is so lovely to smell the moon flowers and to occasionally see a hummingbird visit us there.
The rose bush too is pushing its way to the other side of the fence and we have a rose on the outside of the fence where I park. Becky the site manager told us that our back patio area is by far the prettiest this summer.
So, no I don't want summer to end. After all when the frost freezes all this stuff, it will mean I have to go out there and remove all of it and start all over next year. One good thing --I bet I won't have to replant the moon flowers they will probably reseed themselves. So who knows how many plants we will have there next year.

A busy week end

Victoria and Seth







This past week end has been a busy one. Friday night Bud and I watched Julie's three boys so they could go to the tent sale. They got a new for them suburban.
On Saturday, Kim and Clay picked me up and we went to Rockhome Gardens for Victoria and Seths wedding.
They had a beautiful wedding, but much hotter than Alissa and Nathan's because it was outdoors.
It was good to be able to see Kim and Clay again and spend some time with them. Also was able to visit a bit with a couple of my brothers and their wives, and my younger sister at the reception.
After I got home and the kids went back to Bloomington, I sewed more on the sock for our troops and made a lettuce salad for a cookout at the Hensley household for Kyles 4th birthday.
To church and Sunday School in the morning and to the Hensley's at two for a cook out. Then back to church where Larry Ditty shared with us his mission trip that he had taken in July.
This morning now it is back to work. Much as it would have been nice to sleep in and stay in bed. That doesn't seem to be possible in our household. I forced myself to leave early enough so that I could go to Curves for my normal work out before I came on to work. Thus far the day has been a typical Monday morning. A little bit of everything on our desks to take care of.
The first day of Autumn. Am looking forward to seeing the colorful leaves, but definitely not looking forward to cold and snow. Perhaps someday I shall be able to stay where it is warm year round. Guess, that will be something I can look forward to for the future.

How are people managing?

How very odd.... I was just sitting here wondering how people are managing, and in walks this guy tan pants, white shirt, and a red bandanna on his head...(Not the kind of guy who normally visits us at a Heating and Air Conditioning Business). wants to know if there is anybody here he can talk to... I did not want to tell him I was alone... I ask what can I do for you... His reply..."I need some food"... Sadly I shook my head and said there isn't anybody here that can help you. Thank God he just turned and left. (No, I wasn't actually afraid, but a little sceptical. Since we just were reminded about 9/11 and the fact that Decatur --ADM --was also one of their targets at that time, I do try to watch what my surroundings are and try not to put myself into a position of danger.
Lunch hours can be rather frustrating, when everybody leaves and there is only one of us girls here. And we sure can't depend on the shop man out back, sometimes he is so far out back he'd never hear us if we screamed.
But, that is not what I was thinking about when I typed the Title "How people are managing". In the past two days it seems as tho we have taken tons and tons of phone calls from people who need their furnaces checked due to the fact that they had water in their basements. Some almost in tears at having to clean up their messes and the cost. Yet, how grateful we here in Illinois should be that we don't have it nearly as bad as the people in Texas do right now.
When I see older people struggling to stay in their homes, yet have such a terrible time of it when they need new furnaces to stay warm. Plus their power bills are very high. How do people manage?

A Bookkeeper, not a Secretary

I'm a bookkeeper, not a per say secretary. My sweet daughter reminded me that I need to use spell check, as my spelling is awful. I reminded her I was just a little country girl--gone city. Most of my spelling is City Street names and Peoples names who want service calls. Not letters or legal papers.
Hey Kiddo, I'll race you on the calculator. Bet your mama would beat then. So, daughter, nieces, nephews or whoever else reads my blog. Should I misspell words Sorry. my brain works faster than my fingers. So I will try and remember to use spell check before I hit publish.

Saturday's Gone

Looks Like Saturday is history. Did not get everything done I would have liked to,but did get 18 more socks sewen, plus went to the soccor game and to Walmart. Bud took Bodine's tour bus and took 6 couples to Springfield to a new resturant over there. Have no idea what time he will be home. Sitting downstairs and watching Tv seems real apealing about right now. This messy room will just have to wait till next week before I clean it.

Two Down

Just finished sewing these two socks for the project. Hardest part for me is cutting them out. Will have to search my closet to see how much material I actually have that will work. Looks like they would hold a lot of stuff.

Need Anything Else to Do?

Just when you think things are settling down a bit. Wham...Don't get to comfortable in your daily activities. Someone else will find something they want you to help with. The saying goes, "If you want something done, ask someone to help that is busy any you will get it done."
Julie has always been a great help to me here at the office. So now that her brother will be going to Bagdad next month, her sister-in-law has ask that we help doing Operation Santa for the troops. She has done the research and will be placing boxes around at different businesses in hopes of gathering the supplies to fill the Christmas socks for the troops. We have a pattern what size they want the socks , so some of us will be sewing socks. By November 1, all that we have gathered together will be taken to Peoria where the socks will be put together and shipped out to the troops.
Items being collected are: Travel size only: toothpaste, toothbrush, dental floss, lotion, Kleenex pack, hand sanitizer, disposable razors (No pink), baby wipes, lip balm, AA batteries; hand/foot warmers, black soxs; cards/letters of support; CD's/DVD's. Snacks--individual size, gum-sugar free; hard candy,tootsie rolls, sweet tarts, hot chocolate, crystal light-all flavors, breath mints, rice krispie treats, beef jerky/beef sticks; chips, Doritos's, pretzels, etc. ; energy bars, instant oatmeal, cup o' soup.
Anybody interested in donating there will be a drop off box here at Tica, Inc., Miles Chevrolet, Holy Family, Probably at our Church here in Decatur. Or send us money, we'll go shopping for supplies for you.
Since I'll be sewing some socks, if you have scrap material big enough for socks, don't throw it out. We'll make socks to be filled for our troops.

30 Year Anniversary

Sept. 9, 1978

It is hard to believe that Bud and I have been married for 30 years today. A lot of things have happened in the past 30 years. Some good and some not so good. So we try to hang onto the good ones and let the bad ones sail out of our minds.

We celebrated on Sunday by going out to Red Lobster for dinner. Today I got a bouquet of flowers from him.

A Day at the sewing machine

Today since I didn't feel up to going to church out in the park and fighting with my allergies I thought I would make myself a new pair of pants to wear to work. Plus made a bag to put my reflexology supplies in from the material left from the umbrella.
Bud and I went to Red Lobster for lunch to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary which is coming up on Tuesday. Late p.m. he almost gave me a heart attach when he suggested we go to DQ for some ice cream.
The pants still need a snap, but I did complete them. Must look for a better pattern. Don't really like the one I used. And since I want pockets and had to figure it all out myself one pocket is much bigger than the other one. It's a good thing they are hidden inside.
Over all today has been a good day.

Labor Day Project

I have never tried blogging before, but just like my Labor Day project I guess there is a first time for everything. Our umbrella on our patio table was in shreds. Since a friend of mine gave me a bunch of material from a lady in our church that passed away this past year. So thanks to Gertrude's material I deceided I would try and make a new umbrella for our patio umbrella.

Yes, Kim I had to Verna rig the very top. The cap of the umbrella was broken so I optioned to put ribbon on my material and gather it with crochet thread and stitch it down thru to some of the old umbrella cover. Over all I am very pleased with it.