Saturday Funnies

ANIMAL CRACKERS (The Best of BBC One's Walk On The Wild Side) [Shamrock Edit] (HQ) SQUIRREL ADOPTED BY CAT LEARNS TO PURR! Mailman Battles Angry Cat While Attempting to Deliver Mail Are crows the ultimate problem solvers? - Inside the Animal Mind: Episode 2 - BBC Two

Saturdays Can Be Special

This is what it looked like as I drove up to Stratford, Iowa this afternoon, I could see for miles south towards Ames. I love driving in the country on our Farm to Market roads, especially on a perfect summer day like this one.
There was water standing in the fields from the recent rains. The crops looked great. I think it is going to be a great year for our farmers.
At Stratford my destination was the Tea House "In Good Company." The lady who owns the place has a special event periodically and tonight was one of those nights. She has a dinner and entertainment and the entertainment was the Al Landon Band. The pictures aren't really great because of the background but the music was great. I got there about 5:30 and they had just started playing. Actually warming up but it was good to listen to also.

Two accordions and one guitar.

This is Jessie. He is originally from Oklahoma. His wife is a waitress at the Grove Cafe and I met him there. (Actually he and Christie met there also but that is another story. Jessie has a government job. He is also a Mason - Well, imagine that, I met a Mason. I tell you we are everywhere. He has a great voice and sound like a combination of Dean Martin, Elvis Presley and can sing just about anything.
Kaylee (I hope that is spelled correctly) is his daughter and she helped out singing also. She has a sweet voice.
Christie (I hope that is spelled right also) works at the Grove and is a great waitress and has become a good friend. I found out tonight that she used to be a Rainbow Girl. - See, I told you - everywhere.
The place was full and the music went until almost 9:00 PM. They only stopped once to eat. The meal was absolutely perfect. Salad, Rib Eye Steak with a Jumbo Shrimp on top. Just the right amount of potatoes (mashed) and veggies. Topped off with a Brownie ala mode for dessert. There is a little video at the end of the post which will give you an idea. The sound quality is not great but you know it doesn't matter. I have my memory and it was one of the best evenings I have had for a long time.
And then I drove home through the evenings twilight and as I got back to Ames I saw this view of our own Ada Hayden lake just north of town. A perfect ending of a perfect day.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope your day was as nice as mine. ARTYAL. Hugs, j

Simply Saturday

I had a really nice day today. Of course, I should have been doing some "things" but I didn't. First of all Craig and I went to Des Moines for the Annual blue Lodge Breakfast at the Des Moines Consistory.
Some pictures of that event.


We had to be there at 8:00 and it was funny - we both brought the other coffee for the ride down. When he picked e up I went out to the car with two travel mugs of coffee and as I got in he was holding on to a travel mug of coffee for me and there was one in his cup holder for him. So we had plenty of coffee. It was a good drive down and we did some visiting.

We got back into town around 10:00 (didn't stay for the Cribbage Tournament) and I caught up on reading my e-mails and blogs. Then I checked out the movies and found out that Slumdog Millionaire had finally arrived in Ames. I had heard good things about the movie.

Set and filmed in India, Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of a young man from the Dharavi slums of Mumbai who appears on Kaun Banega Crorepati (the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) and exceeds people's expectations, arousing the suspicions of the game show host and of law enforcement officials.

The story is told through a series of flashbacks and had some quite disturbing scenes. The overall impression of India did not match up with the PBS shows I had just watched on Channel 11 during the past three weeks but it was probably more realistic in some ways. The movie was well acted and kept me on the edge of my seat. It is nominated for an Acadamy Award for Best Picture.

The other nominees are probably good pictures. (The only other one I have seen so far is Milk.) I plan to see Frost/Nixon, I really have no desire to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and I don't know anything about The Reader. But they will have to go some to beat this picture for me. So far it has my vote. I like the optimistic story of a kid who has everything against him having a chance to find happiness.

When I came home I read some e-mails and caught up on my blogs and then noticed that Elephant Walk was on cable. This 1954 (my, how long ago that was) movie starred Elizabeth Taylor and was set in Ceylon so I watched it. I really liked it. Of course it was set in a time when the British were governing that country and it was very dated and strange in some ways but it kept my attention and I enjoyed it tremendously and Elizabeth Taylor was/is the most beautiful woman in the world ever (IMHO) - I actually find Sophia Loren and Gina Lola... Actually they are both close seconds. Whatever happened to that type of woman. Now we get skinny Nicole, or Julia Roberts or Madonna - Oh well, you know what I mean. They just don't make them like those gals anymore - and have you seen Jane....

Enough of that. For an update on poor Bailey. He is better. Not as congested or wheezey but he is still laying around and sleeping and he lets me pick him up and cuddle so I know he isn't quite back up to par. Sleep is good for him as it will be for me. But now it is time to check my e-mails and read my blogs and finish watching the SiFi Channel's (stupid) Merlin's Apprentice. - Were do they get these ideas for movies and why am I watching it? Thanks for stopping by and ARTYAL Hugs, j

Cedar Rapids Consistory

There was a lot happening around the state today in Freemasonry. The Grand Lodge held its meetings to anoint the nominees for Grand Senior Wardem Grand Jr. Warden, etc for next year. Also the Jurisprudence Committee met. The DeMolay had their Annual Grand Master's Class in Des Moines, and there was also a Shrine Circus. The Des Moines AMD and Knight Masons held a meeting in the morning and the Iowa York Rite College held its meeting in Marshalltown in the afternoon.

I had the distinct honor and joy of taking Brother Trevor Owens to Cedar Rapids where a Scottish Rite One-day Reunion was being held. Trevor is a student at Iowa State and recently joined our Lodge. He is a great guy and joined the York Rite at the Festival this spring. He also wanted to join Scottish Rite but could not join at the regular reunion because of a conflict. He is a member of Acacia Fraternity at Iowa State University and they were having their meeting during one of the reunion days. So I volunteered to take him to Cedar Rapids.

That meant getting up at 3:30 AM so that I could be out to his dorm and pick him up by 4:30 in order to be in Cedar Rapids by the 7:00 AM registration time. We made it. With a stop for steak and eggs at the Happy Chef.

Here is Trevor putting his tie on to get ready for the day.

Trevor talking to another member of the Class. There were 10 in the class all together. They were very attentive. I have to admit that I fell asleep part of the time.

This is my good friend John Klaus. John is very active. He ran the music and sound.

The Class photo.

Trevor Owens, 32 degree Mason

The work in Cedar Rapids was the same work which I got in 1976 when I joined the Scottish Rite. I like it a little better than the newer degrees that Des Moines puts on. For one thing the Royal Secret is the Royal Secret. Our Master of Kadosh Brian P. came over and it was very nice to have him there.

They have a great feeling of brotherhood over there and I took a lot more picture which you can see by clicking here.

By way of explanation the kids with the certificate were recipients of the Scholarships which were awarded to them.  They each receive 2,500 dollars to apply towards their education. They were an impressive group and the total scholarships amount to about $15,000 a year.  Way to go Cedar Rapids.
I got home around 9:30. It was a very enjoyable day. Tomorrow I have to do a Masonic Funeral Service for Brother Earl Cox. ARTYRL, Hugs j

Scottish Rite Saturday

OK, Here I am at the Scottish Rite in Des Moines. Phil grabbed the camera and took this picture. (I cropped it so my butt wouldn't show) I had a great time and I took a lot of pictures. The camera is still absolutely wonderful and I even experimented with taking a movie of the Double Eagle Chorus and the String Quartet. You can find them on the Conisitory Blog.

Kurt and Lissa

Jim Ford and his wife (Sorry Jim I didn't get your wife's name.) Jim belongs to Acanthus and he has seldom let me take his picture. It has been a running joke. He always puts his hand up. tonight I got to snap him and his lovely lady with no hassle. Thanks guys it is a great photo.

And here are Mr. and Mrs. Justin Dodge. Married one week ago in Las Vegas. I keep telling Justin just how very fortunate he is.

Several years ago I sort of "dropped out" of attending the Scottish Rite. I joined in 1976, a member of the Bicentennial class and then I got busy elsewhere and kind of lost interest in going. There was always something else scheduled and I was teaching full time. Now that I am retired they have found a place for me resident Paparazzi and blogger. I have even been invited to come to the Officers meetings and take notes for the newsletter. But people are getting used to having their picture taken and will stop and pose and smile. Well most of them anyway. It has taken a couple of hours to upload about 200 photos from this afternoon. Go here to see them. You know I never would have done that if I was still using film. This way I can publish them to an on-line photo album and they can be shared. And I am finding that the Sottish Rite Masons (just like the York Rite Masons) are there to learn and grow and most of all have fun together. This has been a great week for me. Next week looks busy also. the boys are going to be groomed on Tuesday and I promise new pictures. Have a great Sunday and God Bless. Always Remember That You Are Loved. Hugs, jbear

Saturday

These are some of the almost 200 people who put on the degrees at the Scottish Rite this week-end. I did not sit through all of them but I was there taking pictures which you can see at here.

I was there until 10:00 visiting and socializing and I want to tell you that I had a really good time. They have sone so much work down there on the building that it is a first class place to be now. It used to be a faded old lady but with all of the work that the members have done it is really quite nice (I was going to say snazzy but this is a high class blog) now. Any way I am tired and it is about an hour past my bed time.

I just want to say that I have enjoyed the last two days tremendously and I am sure I will pay for it tomorrow. I hope you like the pictures and I will post my penultimate Women's history post in the morning.

Always Remember That You Are Loved,

Bigh Hugs, j-bear

Acanthus Waveland Park School OES

The Chapter Room was ready.

District Instructor Jean Koss (The Best) checking her notes. (She loves to have her picture taken.

Jean and PGM Diane sharing a moment in the hall before we started.

The tête et tête at the Break.

You can see why we all liked this Sister. Great sense of humor.

I stopped to see PGM Charlie Brinkerhoff on my way to the school. They had moved him to Mercy Capital for Rehab after what turns out to be a stroke. He is is good spirits and is hoping to be able to leave the hospital next week. I took him a copy of the Masonic Sports Illustrated and he promptly began to ignore me. I set up his laptop so he can compute and by the time I got home he was already e-mailing. He sent me two e-mail jokes that had me chuckling (read that rolling on the floor).

I talked to my cousin Loren on the phone. He had a knee replaced and is coming along fine. Works a couple of hours each day. I feel guilty that I have not gotten up to see him. He gave me the excuse of the lousy weather but that is really no excuse. I will get up to see him this week (I hope) ARTYAL. Hugs, jcs