Vision testing

A few weeks ago I was reading about the history of the eye chart for vision testing and the different forms for non-literate or children to use. I can't find that article - looking for it... I found this:
https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/eye-chart-facts-history

I was thinking that I should include something to learn about vision testing instead of this post just including a cartoon...

You may have to look at this one for a moment or two ... or maybe you only have to do that if you are sleep deprived and it makes sense immediately to everyone else!

Weathermen

How good a job does your weatherman do?

Freezing weather

I saw this on a friend's Facebook - and since many in the US are experiencing cold...

Thankfully, Houston is not too awfully cold... not going below freezing!

Seasons

When I used to travel for work, it was common that some places in the northern part of the US would indicate that they had two seasons, winter and construction.

I guess I should know this from living in north Texas, but in Houston, it just appears that there is one season: construction!

Pictures from the last few days

For anyone who is not also connected with us on CaringBridge (https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/dwaynecartwright), Dwayne was admitted to St. Luke's hospital here in Houston on Friday for high heart rate, shortness of breath, and exhaustion. He is still in St Luke's though he may be transferred to MD Anderson soon... but as a result, I haven't been posting on the blog...

But, I've taken some pictures to share, and here they are!

Reflection of the Saturday morning sunrise on Texas Children's Hospital out Dwayne's window on 7th floor of St Luke's

Tabitha and...

... Miss Kitty - taken to send to Dwayne when I stopped by the bus on Saturday afternoon.

Cafeteria sign on Saturday - I was so excited to get Peach Cobbler Soup! It doesn't count as a dessert, right?!?!?!?

I had seen information about the DAISY Award when Dwayne was in Bon Secours in Virginia. I was thinking that it was a recognition within their hospital system, so was surprised to see it here at St Luke's (which is part of CHI (Catholic Health Initiatives) and Baylor) -- by the way, the sign at the corner of the hospital identifies it as "St Luke's Episcopal Hospital" -- combining Catholic, Episcopal and Baptist (Baylor) - ecumenical, wouldn't you say?

 Anyway, the DAISY award... on that sign, it says, "In Memory of J Patrick Barnes", so I looked it up, https://www.daisyfoundation.org/

An acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem, The DAISYFoundation was formed in November, 1999, by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). The nursing care Patrick received when hospitalized profoundly touched his family.

J. Patrick Barnes was actually treated at a hospital in Seattle and that is where the program started, but the program has spread to hospitals across the US and beyond.

I particularly noticed because Dwayne's nurse from Saturday morning has been recognized with a Daisy award!

This is a work of art on the wall on the way to the cafeteria. These remind me of Chihuly's work, but I am pretty sure that they are not (I couldn't find any identification plaque).

Anyway, I thought you might enjoy some of my images from the last few days!

Stamps

Did you know that the US postage rates for Forever stamps will be going up on 1/27?

Somehow, that just penetrated my consciousness a couple of days ago. I have had a LOT of Forever stamps and I don't use a lot of them, so I haven't bought stamps for a while... but I thought that maybe I should get a few before the rates go up... so today I went to the post office.

The pickin's were pretty slim, in fact, they only had one stamp available, a Santa stamp... I don't use Santa stamps even at Christmas!

So... I decided that I can continue using the few Forever stamps that I have until they are gone, and then get some at whatever the going rate is at that time....

But! As I was typing this I remembered that I can order stamps via usps.com... and they had a full selection! So, I ordered stamps at the $0.50 rate. What a deal, right?

Longevity

I recently read this article about a worker who has worked at Highland Park Cafeteria (a cafeteria in Dallas) for 62 years!

https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2019/01/18/dallas-87-year-old-worked-restaurant-job-6-decades

This cafeteria used to be one of our favorite places to eat... Dwayne was telling me that he used to go there with folks from the singles ministry at First Baptist before we ever met.

I can't imagine working anywhere for 62 years (of course, it would be particularly hard for me as I am not yet 62 years old!).

Miss Kitty can operate the clearance lights...

Miss Kitty can operate the clearance lights on Miss Doozie,
https://trekincartwrights.blogspot.com/2017/12/well-leave-light-on-for-you.html  and
https://trekincartwrights.blogspot.com/2018/03/miss-kitty-demonstrates-her-technique.html

But thankfully, I don't think she can shift the transmission, even though it does have a push-button on the dash - as the dog in this story was able to do:
https://www.khou.com/mobile/article/sports/dog-puts-fishermans-rv-in-reverse-backs-it-into-lake-sam-rayburn/502-6b77c26f-bfe4-430d-8bf5-22b94b18dd6a

Suffering

I have long enjoyed/appreciated the writing of Randy Alcorn (he is one of our favorite fiction writers - I think his book Safely Home is about our favorite of all fiction books)... he has a blog associated with his ministry, Eternal Perspective Ministries, and today's entry was particularly on target for us...

https://www.epm.org/blog/2019/Jan/21/good-we-never-ask-suffering

Zimbabwe

I have been reading about Zimbabwe this week - if you haven't heard, from what I've read, they are having a lot of unrest, and the government initially cut off all communication (internet, cell phones), when they turned it back on, they disabled a lot of social media access.
https://www.sapeople.com/2019/01/19/letter-from-zimbabwe-the-silencing-of-our-voices-by-cathy-buckle/?fbclid=IwAR2UGQG5zWiRNog34renlSob5tipRiNm7GJRYp74azAkTUh8Zs8mJaiLULw

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/01/18/zimbabwe-reimposes-internet-blackout-crackdown-anti-government/?fbclid=IwAR3gL_BLGtWE7aFZU3uHdagZVrXpMZB_mlLKJZ4JyjM0X28P2psyxV4xzXY

The president of the country is visiting other countries, I guess in an attempt to bring investment and jobs to his country (or, that is what he indicates). One of the ironies was that the president issued a statement on Facebook asking for calm, during the time that the people of his country could not access the internet or Facebook...

I don't pretend that I understand all that is going on there, but I can pray for wisdom and peace.

It just so happened that this morning, this song came up from one of my friends - from what I have found, it turns out that this group is from Zimbabwe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VlhPd9OiIQ
I loved the words and the harmony of the singing.

I've heard them sing "He Paid The Price"
and "Jesus Bore It All"
I've heard them sing "I'm Coming Home"
and "Hear The Master's Call"
I've heard them sing the modern songs
and songs of long ago
But "Amazing Grace, How Sweet The Sound"
is the sweetest song I know
Amazing grace (Amazing grace, how sweet the sound)
How sweet the sound (Oh how sweet is the sound)
No sweeter song (sweeter song, sweeter song)
Could e'er be found (In this life could be found)
I've heard of a fountain (Heard of the dear Savior's blood)
Filled with blood (That washed us white, white as snow)
But "Amazing Grace" ("Amazing Grace, How Sweet The Sound")
Is the sweetest song I know
It was the song my mother sang
in sweet and humble voice
Like music from the world above,
it made my soul rejoice
Its soothing words and melody
like rippling waters flow
But, "Amazing Grace, How Sweet The Sound"
is the sweetest song I know 

Things about Houston

Since we're "living" in Houston now, for at least a little while, I'm trying to learn my way around the area, at least the area near the RV park.

The fellow who drives us over to MD Anderson shared with us that the roads are pretty much in a grid pattern, with just a few abnormalities - one of which is just north of us, and the road that the CVS is on that we are using: Buffalo Speedway. Isn't that a funny name for a road? It is a curvy road, and we all agreed that speeding buffalo must not run straight!

He also told us that the RV park will get very full in a few days as many folks come into town for the rodeo. It is evidently a huge rodeo. Dwayne and I thought we would look into getting tickets, but what we could find were tickets for concerts... we asked Corey about that when we got a ride back to the RV park, and he said, yes, the tickets are for an afternoon rodeo followed by a concert.
https://www.axs.com/venues/126512/rodeohouston-houston-tickets?skin=rodeohouston&aff=HLSR_website&_ga=2.138861488.249823871.1547942291-641729451.1547942291
The "rodeo" culminates on March 17 with a George Strait concert, for which there is no rodeo event, only the concert, with the "bargain" prices of $135-$5200 per ticket. Does that seem strange to you?

However, we also found that there are some horse and livestock events that go on at the same time as the rodeo, but which do not have the high cost of a concert ticket to attend... things like a "ranch rodeo" and cutting horse competitions, that I think sound interesting - so we might try to attend one or more of those, depending on Dwayne's stamina level.
https://www.rodeohouston.com/Visit-the-Rodeo/Livestock-Horse-Show/Horse-Show
https://www.rodeohouston.com/Get-Involved/Exhibitors-Participants/Livestock-Show

The NRG Park is very close to where we are staying, between the RV Park and MD Anderson, so it is interesting to look into what things are going on there.
https://www.nrgpark.com/event-calendar/
The Houston RV show will be coming up in February - again, something we might enjoy, depending on Dwayne's energy level.

Pictures from Dwayne - North Dakota

North Dakota

Visiting with Bluebird friends

In and around Theodore Roosevelt National Park...

Pictures from Dwayne - Itasca

In August, 2017, after enjoying the Mississippi River Museum in Dubuque, Iowa, we decided to visit the headwaters of the Mississippi near Itasca, Minnesota.

Walking across the Mississippi

Pictures from Dwayne - July, 2017

I'm continuing to post some pictures that I had found a while ago from Dwayne's camera - these are from July, 2017, in the area around Dubuque, Iowa and just across the river in Wisconsin.

Campsite at Corps of Engineers park on Wisconsin side of Mississippi across from Dubuque

The lock and dam at Dubuque

Birdhouse in shape of tugboat - notice al the birds around it!

Doesn't look like this one is as popular...

Nor is this one...

But that one is popular!

Grain heading south....

Pleasure boats heading north...

Coal heading north...

Patti having a conversation with Mark Twain...

Beautiful fields in Wisconsin