Basically Betty

This time change is tough on us old folks. I don't know about the rest of you but I am confused most of the time and my family will agree with me on this. I often say I moved down here from Florida which gets a raised eyebrow or two from the Natives. I might say to Joann "next time you come up please bring --".

Bill went around and changed all the clocks except one early last evening. The computer changed last week. You can see why I might be confused. The one clock Bill did not change is my Golden Hour Clock. I have had it for at least 50 years and it is a treasure. I will change it tomorrow maybe just pull the plug and start it up again at the right time. The hands are so fragile I think that will be the best way to change the time.

There is one change that I don't have a problem with and that is the leaves changing in the Fall. Of course it would be nice if they stayed that colorful until Spring and then be replaced with the pretty green ones.

Have you ever seen a shrub of leaves? We have shrubs lining the walkway down to the Brook in the back yard. All summer it blooms with pretty purple flowers but now the walkway is lined with shrubs filled with fallen leaves and that is all you see just the leaves. Quite unique.

Just had a call from Daughter Rebecca. She will be flying home tomorrow after two weeks in Florida. Safe trip Becky.

This afternoon, I attended the Graveside Service of a long-time friend. Dick Bennett suffered but is at Peace now. He was a good friend in that he would help you when you had a problem and calm your nerves that everything was going to be alright. He was a quiet man, listening more than speaking. He was a devoted Husband and Father. He will be missed.

His Wife was our first friend when moving to St. Petersburg in 1961. We have remained friends all these years. Barbara (wife) was such a help to me in getting acquainted with the area, the best places to shop for groceries, she took Joann and Becky and I to the Circus when it came to town. She would take me to the airport when I had company coming for a visit.

Our friendship was cemented when Barbara honored my Husband and I by asking us to be God Parents to her older Son Albert. Her family was gathered today to say good-bye to the Father that has been there for them and given them the background for taking care of his Wife and their Mother.

The ride from our place to the Cemetery was breath-takingly beautiful. The colors on the trees on the Mountains look like they have been painted by an Artist-- oh of course they have been. The greatest Artist of all - our Good Lord.

The Health Nurse came this morning and I was telling her I had read in the paper a person should drink two cups of coffee a day and sit in the sun for 15 minutes a day. She had never heard that. Well, I had to tell her the following bit of history in the life of Basically Betty.

I did not learn to drink coffee until I started to work at Wheeling Steel. All the office group would stop at a restaurant across the street from the main office for coffee and two doughnuts every Monday through Friday morning. It was a family that ran the restaurant. One of the Sons was a professional Wrestler. A lot of the workers from down in the Mill would stop in every morning not for coffee but for a I guess you would say a shot of whiskey. We were called self-starters but they had to have help to get started hence the whiskey.

So, that is where I got hooked on Caffeine. I drank it black to boot. When I quit work I quit drinking coffee. This latest did not last long.  I drank not two but one cup two days and decided I got along all these years without it so I will go the rest of the way without it. Of course, if you drop in and want a cup of coffee I have instant, hope that will be OK.