notinKansasanymore

Ophelia, BikerBabe, Shellon:

Here's just a shout out, to tell you that I love you. I cannot imagine the depths of heart that it has taken you to get through these challenges. I support you, I support you.

I hope that today is a good day for each and all of you.

Love, niKa

Alfakat - are you 6th? If so, you know me; we met in Joliet, in Bonnie's family, back in the day. I'm praying for you! Take care of yourself.

Good luck, Felix. I'm praying for you.

Hi, Jerry! Welcome and Love to you and Margie.

I don't think that Jeff visits here very often; at least, if he does, he's not anyone whose "secret identity" I know. Most of us on the 9th Corps thread have e-mailed or visited back and forth, and know who folks are. Point is: if you want to contact Jeff, you might want to do that through his work website; I don't think he'll see your note here.

It's great to have you here.

Hey, sports fans, How 'Bout Them Sooners???? I'm screamed hoarse from yesterday's game. It rained just lightly, right at kickoff, and again a few moments later; just enough to get everyone steamed in the humid heat. When the sun came out, you could practically see the water vapor rising up from the crowded stands. But it was the Miami game, and nobody was going anywhere, even if it downpoured, so we were very lucky. There were a LOT of bottles of cold water sold in the staduim, lemmetellya! It was like Florida weather, but it was three blocks from my house in Oklahoma.

Last week, North Texas (my Dad's alma mater, God rest his soul), which is known regionally as a superior music school, 71-10. Yesterday, Miami Hurricanes, 51-13. Something tells me (I am knocking on wood as I type) that this might turn out to be a decent football season. We acquired some pom poms. We'll see.

Welcome. welcome, Jerry and Margie! How good to think of you again!

Have a cup of coffee; would you like some pie?

Venus.

I'm so glad that your Rascal has come home to you. It's very nice to see something like this work out. Congratulations!

Yes, me too! The first weekend in November looms ahead, in the barely seen distance, like the big stone post at the entrance to the front drive at Emporia; when it started to come into view, I knew that the three-mile run was actually going to end in the conceivable future.

See you there!

Thank you, Lifted. We appreciate the bump.

Hi, everyone - school has begun again, and I am so busy that I don't know my coming from my going. Life is very exciting, the new students seem nice, and another year is underway. Barely time even to dance in the kitchen, though I will try to manage a shimmy every now and then.

love, niKa

As for what posters look like, rest assured that all of you people are still firmly (pun?) in your twenties. I seem to have turned 50 somewhere along the line, but you folks are still young. At least, that's my rock and roll fantasy.

I'll be seeing some of you at the Texas BBQ, and we can catch up. But I will probably still see you as being in your twenties. I know, I know . . . we're more interesting now. We've learned more things, expanded our lives to include spouses, children, careers, experiences, and adventures. But I remember your face when it was fresh and unlined; I remember your vitality on those twelve-minute tests. I know that you are still just exactly like that, where and when it really counts.

love, niKa

Paw, what a great picture. Couple of true sweethearts. I did not know them well at HQ, but recognized them as part of the heart, soul, and spine of the ministry. They obviously carried that to the new ministry that they founded. I am thankful for what they built in their lives together, and am praying for her to be comforted, protected, and strengthened now.

Looking forward to it, buddy. Travel safely.

School has begun here again. I'm working hard. 2 of 4 has begun college. 3 and 4 of 4 are still in elementary school. 1 of 4 arrives tomorrow for a nice visit. It'll be fun.

Love you all.

We have had an amazing storm passing through for the past several hours.

It's only raining normally now, but I was out on the porch with a cup of coffee at 4:30 am, and there were extended blasts when the street was white with blowing, hard-driving, sideways rain. Mr. niKa saw the radar; he said that it was a huge circular storm, with a well-defined eye, and a curliecue tail. Norman was, at the moment, just under the curliecue. I'm not saying that we had a hurricane in Oklahoma, but I do think that this is the closest I've ever seen to one. It was amazing.

Do you think that the President believes in Global Warming yet? I saw the racoon (she's nursing pups, and lives under the house next door) hurrying home at about 5:am; she looked like she believed in it, and she did not look pleased. There was a wet-looking skunk hurrying down the street about an hour later, during one of the lulls; looked like he believed in it, too.

We got up at 3am on Monday morning/Sunday night, and took the kids out to the country. Light pollution was unexpectedly abundant; it seems that everybody has to have a streetlight out in front of the house in the country, these days. We finally found a decent spot, pulled off of the road, and looked up. Although there weren't quite as many as we'd hoped, some of the meteors were pretty cool. Left nice streaks in the sky. There was a hoot owl not far away, and not many mosquitos. All of the farm dogs were talking to one another. All in all, a very nice family experience together.

The only other local person we know who got up to see the meteor shower is one of the waitresses at our normal lunch spot. She and Mr.niKa discussed it yesterday. I suppose you could say it was an astronomical gastronomical conversation.

Oh, Catcup -

So very sorry, sorry, sorry for your loss. So glad that they have you; that he had your friendship; that they have your support. Beautiful poetry may come out in times when emotions are high, but it lives in your heart every day. Some people just have hearts like that; you're one of them.

love, niKa

Hi, Roger and Darlene!

It's wonderful to know that you're both doing well. You will know who I am if I say that you stayed at my house during part of your honeymoon, and visited the Fair. Love to both of you; send me a private message if you'd like.

Hugs across the years, niKa

God rest Mick Heron. He was a good one. Here's to you, bro.

Rest to his soul, and comfort to his family and other loved ones. He was a good one. I'm sorry to hear that he's passed.

"Here's rosemary, that's for remembrance. Pray you, love, remember."

Ophelia is a perfect new name, given your situation.

I am so very, very sorry for your loss. You are very wise to be getting counselling and doing what needs to be done to heal. Please pm me if there's absolutely anything that I can do for you. You sound like a strong and determined person. I thought that your posts as AdiosMiCorazon were wise and uplifting, and am glad to see you here again.

Welcome back, welcome back.

firkin

n 1: a British unit of capacity equal to 9 imperial gallons

2: a small wooden keg

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Firkin \Fir"kin\, n. [From AS. fe['o]wer four (or an allied

word, perh. Dutch or Danish) + -kin. See Four.]

1. A varying measure of capacity, usually being the fourth

part of a barrel; specifically, a measure equal to nine

imperial gallons. [Eng.]

2. A small wooden vessel or cask of indeterminate size, --

used for butter, lard, etc. [u.S.]

Source: Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary

Firkin

Used only in John 2:6; the Attic amphora, equivalent to the

Hebrew bath (q.v.), a measure for liquids containing about 8 7/8

gallons.

____________________________________________________________________

That said, it's almost time to quit our jobs, load up the station wagons, tie the tents and extra bedding on top of the cars, and head to Ohio for the Rock of Ages . . ..

:blink:

Daa-aaang, we were young.

Firkin: (n) small ground squirrels, genrally having two stripes down the back, infesting the former campus of the former Way College of Emporia, so named by former Corps Director (and honorary 9th Corps graduate) John A. Lynn. Taken from the verse in the Gospels about Jesus turning water into wine; refers to the size of the vessels in which the water was kept: "containing two or three firkins apiece."

And yes, I certainly am. Anybody else from Firkinville going to be there?

One thing to think about: if you currently take your glasses off (as I do) to get a good look at something close up, you will no longer be able to do that after Lasik. You will need close-up vision glasses to see things very close up. I live my life with my glasses on top of my head half of the time, because I read and grade so much that is close.

Oh, you guys are sooooo weeeeeiiirrrrdd. Translation: Can't wait to see you!

Sorry for your loss. Praying for comfort to your heart.

Yes, there were lots of flying firkins. We fed them peanuts to keep up the excitement. There were also marmots, and a rather large and quite agile bear . . .. We declined to feed it peanuts; things were exciting enough with the flying firkins.

My spellchecker thinks that "firkins" is mispelled. It must be of the world. Some townie wrote it, no doubt.

Wait - I'm a townie now. WOH.

This is to celebrate being a Townie.

wa-HOOOOOOOOO!

Bless Patrol, do you still read these things? This Townie says "hi."

Here's to the Bless Patrol: :beer: