The Angels Awaiting Maternity Home is having a rummage sale on April 9th at the Rose Avenue Community Center from 9am to 3pm to raise money to furnish the home. We would like everyone to start cleaning out their closets, attics, and garages for all unused or unwanted items that can be donated to our sale. We will be collecting items in April and a time, location and phone number will be posted next month.
We invite everyone to come to our sale and shop, shop, shop. For our last sale, the Community Center (old school) cafeteria on the first floor was filled to capacity with items for sale with a little something for everyone. I'm sure that this time it will be the same.
As you travel to the local businesses in town, whenever you see one of our yellow and red houses on display, please donate all your change (and a few bills) to our cause. We appreciate your support.
Visit our website at: http://angelsawaitingmaternityhome.weebly.com or email us at: angelsawaiting@gmail.com.
Yesterday was the final work day for the Washington Fire Department's Chief Daniel Fowler. After 37 years of loyal and dedicated service to protecting the citizens of our city and county area, and the past 18 years as Chief, he decided to retire.
On Wednesday afternoon, the City of Washington employees held a farewell party for Dan at the firehouse. At 5:30pm, the public was invited to visit the station to say their "goodbyes" to the Chief. A cake was available at both events.
Chief David McCarty of the Jeffersonville Fire Department came to bid Dan farewell as David and Dan are very close friends, and since David came in his dress uniform (shown on right), they wanted their picture taken together in front of the newest addition to WFD fleet, the tower truck.
John and I presented Dan with a "stepping stone" fire insignia about 10 inches in diameter, which can be used in a garden or kept with other fire memorabilia in his home. The message attached said, "We hope your retirement is a stepping stone to greater things." I'm sure Dan will find something interesting to do in his retirement days. During the 4th of July celebrations in Washington Court House, I'm sure he will still be busy planning and preparing the fireworks display, since he is retaining his Chief Pyrotechnic state license.
Wednesday evening was the usual City Council meeting and Chief Fowler was presented with a Commendation and Plaque by City Council Chairman Dale Lynch (shown on right), commending him for his faithful 37 years of service to the City.
Since a new Chief has not yet been selected, Assistant Chief Tom Youtz will be Acting Chief in the interim. Tom will be managing the department as well as doing his Assistant Chief's duties. I wish him well in the difficult "dual-hat" duties and responsibilities, but I know he will fill the shoes with honor.
I have worked with and admired Dan for many years and wish him all the best in his retirement. Whether he chooses to become a teacher or fire instructor somewhere, I'm sure his many years of experience will serve him well in whatever step he takes next. We will miss you Danny!
I finally have good news...water flows again!
For those who were not aware, the plumbing problem that started just before Christmas has now been fixed. Finally...after three attempts.
The problem started a few days before the 25th of December and I didn't want to ruin any plumber's holiday, so I waited. On New Years, I received news of a relative being in the hospital, so again I waited. Finally, I had to make the call.
The first plumber arrived on January 11th. The bathroom toilet was pulled, the line grouted, and the unit replaced with the wrong ring. After he left, I noticed that the unit rocked like a rocking chair. The plumber returned the following Sunday morning and again pulled the unit and installed the proper ring and it was reseated. I was also told that he had to dig up my front yard near my 30 year old maple tree and the tree needed to be removed. This opinion was given to me after he went to look in the clean-out hole near the curb area of the yard. I didn't want to cut down the tree, but since I know nothing about plumbing, I followed directions. The tree was cut down and all debris removed, except for the stump.
However, that plumber never returned and I have not heard from him since. I contacted a second plumber who came over two weeks later and while inspecting the clean-out hole referred to, he found something strange and tried to remove it. It required a pair of grippers to pull the item up. As soon as it was retrieved, I recognized it to be the 12 inch long flashlight belonging to the first plumber. I had seen him use it in my house, and had never seen one quite like that before. The second plumber gave me an estimate to "see if he could find the problem" and I said, thanks, I'll call you.
Due to a death in my family, I had to be out of town for several days, so my plumbing problem would have to wait until my return. There would be no water flowing while I was gone.
After my return, the regular plumber that I had used three times before in previous years appeared in the driveway of my neighbor. I told him my sad story of being without proper working plumbing for a month or so and he agreed to fix it. That was on February 11th. On Valentine's Day, the crew showed up that morning, found and fixed the problem in about three hours. The tree did not have to be cut down I was told. All the facilities were checked to be working fine when he left. I lost a 30 year old maple tree for nothing and now still have a stump in my yard. And the first plumber's flashlight retrieved from the drain pipe, which I'm sure restricted some water flow to the street sewer connection.
I learned a lot from this experience. You get what you pay for. Get a second opinion sometimes. And, it's so much better to do laundry at home than at the laundromat! After almost eight weeks of "roughing it," it's so good to feel AT HOME again!
Until 1971, both February 12 and February 22 were observed as federal public holidays to honor the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and George Washington (February 22). In 1971 President Richard Nixon proclaimed one single federal public holiday, the Presidents' Day, to be observed on the 3rd Monday of February, honoring all past presidents of the United States of America.
HAPPY PRESIDENTS' DAY!
ALSO HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FRIEND MICHELE FROM CINCINNATI...HAVE A GREAT DAY!
I have not been blogging since Groundhog Day. My year did not start off too well, but I'm back and things will get better.
For those who have not heard, I've had some serious underground plumbing problems at my house. I have not been able to do any laundry here since before Christmas. I'm getting tired of the laundromat and the cost. Finally, it will get fixed tomorrow (if all goes well). The first plumber started the job, accidentally caused the problem to get worse, and never finished the job, nor returned any of my phone calls. The second plumber found the "accidental drop" of the first plumber's flashlight down the clean-out pipe, however his price to start from scratch and do the job was way too high. The third plumber, who I have used several times in the past, agreed to fix the problem and is knowledgeable and professional. I believe he knows what he's doing. Tomorrow will be an interesting day.
My second problem was the brakes on my truck. Before Christmas I was able to get the rear brakes changed. The front brakes were also very bad. During the repair attempt, a mechanical problem manifested itself and the front brakes were not able to be changed. Tuesday this week this problem will be remedied. Tackling one problem at a time!
My third stressful situation started on New Years Day. I received a call that my one-and-only (and favorite) Aunt was in the hospital in very bad shape. I spent two weeks visiting her less than two years ago. She has lived in Texas for the last 55 years or so. I called the hospital and was able to talk to her, thanks to a helpful compassionate nurse. She was not able to respond except through grunting sounds of acknowledgement. She had been diagnosed with Cancer of the mouth and throat a few months prior. She was a very heavy smoker all her life. My attempts to warn her to slow down fell on deaf ears. It was her only pleasure, she said, and she was not giving it up.
I was thinking about trying to go see her, but something was holding me back. I did not understand the situation at the time, but I learned later that my decisions were divinely guided from above. On January 24th, I received the dreaded phone call from her grandson that my aunt passed away that morning at the age of 89. The resulting irony of it all was very emotional (that blog to follow). My travel plans then came together and I knew I had to go to the memorial service. I spent four days traveling and five days at her house in Texas. My aunt's grandson inherited everything, as it should be, but she left a list of certain heirlooms that previously belonged to my grandparents that she wanted me to have. After the service, all those items were found and I packed them for travel home. They will be added to my china hutch and curio cabinet with pride. My grandfather's iron ashtray stand will find a place here, clean and free from any ashes because no one here smokes.
It was an emotional visit, but something I felt I HAD to do. I saw and met many of her friends and former co-workers, and the young grandson I remember has grown into a man, who turns 30 in April. His mother died when he was four years old. It was a traumatic event for my aunt to lose her husband and her daughter, both in 1985. I always tried to stay close to my aunt since then; we were close from the very beginning, because she lived with my parents when I was born.
My decisions and timing were good; I left Texas one day prior to the snow storm that swept the southern states, and I had dry clear roads all the way back. Of course, if it weren't for my son John, I could not have made the trip. He also took care of the house while I was gone. I am home, feeling better emotionally, and taking things as they come, one day at a time. NASCAR is back on TV today with the qualifying for the Daytona race; the sun is out melting the rest of the snow on the grass, and the temperature is warming up. These are all good things - enough to put me in a great mood today.
Looking forward to Spring and doing more blogging.
HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY to Punxsutawney Phil from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the official predictor of the last six weeks of winter. And to his understudy, Buckeye Chuck from Ohio.
2011 will be Punxsutawney Phils 125 prognositcation!
Groundhog Day, February 2nd, is a popular tradition in the United States. It is also a legend that traverses centuries, its origins clouded in the mists of time with ethnic cultures and animals awakening on specific dates. Myths such as this tie our present to the distant past when nature did, indeed, influence our lives. It is the day that the Groundhog comes out of his hole after a long winter sleep to look for his shadow.
If he sees it, he regards it as an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his hole.
If the day is cloudy and, hence, shadowless, he takes it as a sign of spring and stays above ground.
