Monday, November 30, 2009

Making my Holiday Card List

Kamál (Perfection), 8 Qawl (Speech), 166 BE – Monday, November 30, 2009 about 11:11 AM Pacific Time

It's time to start making my holiday card list. It isn't very long, or at least I don't think it's long, but if I get cards through the regular mail or e-mail from friends or relatives I don't expect, I'll sent them one as well.

I remember my grandmother making long a long list of names and address to send Christmas cards. She would go to the store and pick out beautiful religious cards for all the relatives. After she picked the cards out, grandma would spend the first Monday after Thanksgiving addressing the cards.

Today is the first Monday after Thanksgiving. Today is Cyber Monday. Today many people are shopping online and looking for holiday bargains. My grandmother would go into Blackwell to find and buy Christmas gifts. On thing, shopping online does is save a lot of gas because you don't have to use the car to shop online.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

A New Week begins in Las Vegas

Jamál (Beauty), 7 Qawl (Speech), 166 BE – Sunday, November 29, 2009 about 7:50 AM Pacific Time

It's Sunday morning the day of beauty. A new week begins in Las Vegas. I look out my living room window and see a cloud covered sky. No rain is forecast for today, in fact it's supposed to dry out.

It rained last night; I know this because I looked out the window before going to bed. There were puddles in my driveway. The puddles are dried up this morning, but they were their last night. They looked like dark mirrors reflecting a starless sky.

Dark mirrors reflecting
nothing but eternal night
morning dried them up.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Tomorrow is Laundry Day

Jalál (Glory), 6 Qawl (Speech), 166 BE – Saturday, November 28, 2009 about 12:14 PM Pacific Time

Sunday is laundry day. I was planning to go today until I realized I didn't have all the laundry gathered. I have eight laundry baskets, I'm not sure I have room in my car for that many baskets. I'll put in as many as I can and what I can't get done on Sunday will have to wait until Monday.

This is my own fault, of course. I need to do laundry every week, instead of once every two weeks, perhaps on Wednesday or Thursday because I like to do other business on Monday or Tuesday.

I need to clean out the backseat of the car and then start carrying laundry basket out. I don't want to wait until Sunday to carry them out. I've made the mistake before concerning not taking the basket to the car the day before. I have to go to the laundromat on Sunday if I put the dirty cloths in the car today.

Friday, November 27, 2009

A cloudy Black Friday in Las Vegas

Istiqlál (Independence), 5 Qawl (Speech), 166 BE – Thursday-Friday, November 27, 2009 about 1:51 PM Pacific Time

Clouds on Black Friday
conceal the sun from shoppers
bargains are waiting.

The Christmas shopping
season has begun. Lines formed
yesterday, shoppers waiting
for today's bargains.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thanksgiving 2009

Istijlál (Majesty), 4 Qawl (Speech), 166 BE – Thursday, November 26, 2009 about 2:33 PM Pacific Time

When I was a child in Blackwell, Oklahoma, I never thought much of the spiritual aspects of Thanksgiving. I knew history of the holiday, but I never really understood the spiritual meaning of Thanksgiving.

We gathered at my grandparents' house and ate turkey. Grandma would cook the turkey in the oven. Grandpa would say a prayer of gratitude at the table and then we would have our Thanksgiving feast. Now, at 62 the spiritual implications of the holiday are revealing themselves.

This year I had some devastating news before the holiday started. Last Friday, I took my mother to see her doctor because she was acting odd, acting unusual, not acting like herself. The doctor diagnosed Mom with Alzheimer's and put Mom on a medication that is supposed to have an effect on the problem. I'll know if it helps Mom in four to six weeks.

A person would think that something like this would make me doubt the love of the Creator, the love of God. It doesn't because I know God loves me. I know God loves my mother. I know God loves all of humanity. This is a test and like all tests, its intention is to draw those involved nearer to God.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

A brisk 1 degree Centigrade in Las Vegas

It is a brisk one degree Centigrade in Las Vegas right now. The temperature is supposed to increase later today. In fact, Las Vegas will be warmer on Thanksgiving, but then it gets cooler again by Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

Since I do not celebrate Christmas, I doubt I will shop on Black Friday or even Cyber Monday, all though, I do have to pick out a New Year's card to send to my sister. I have about three or four cards to send this year. At least, two of the cars will be e-cards, but I have to use snail mail to send a card to my sister.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday

Fidál (Grace), 2 Qawl (Speech), 166 BE – Monday, November 23, 2009 about 8:39 PM Pacific Time

Thanksgiving is followed by two of the biggest shopping days of the holiday season, which Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Thanksgiving and Black Friday always bring back pleasant memories of my childhood. I have no childhood memories (pleasant or otherwise) of Cyber Monday, because it did not exist when I was growing up.

On Thanksgiving, we gathered at my grandparents' house to give thanks and eat turkey. On Black Friday, my grandfather bought the Christmas Tree, which we decorated on Saturday. On the Monday after Thanksgiving, we went back to school and waited impatiently for Christmas Eve and Christmas.

When I was a child living in Blackwell, Oklahoma, the Internet did not exist. No one shopped online. When my mother and grandparents bought us Christmas and birthday presents, they went into a brick and mortar store. They did not use a credit card or a debit card to pay for purchases, instead they used cash. Sometimes the advances in technology amaze me.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

The blessings of a new week

Jamál (Beauty), 19 Qudrat (Power), 166 BE – Sunday, November 22, 2009 about 12:32 PM Pacific Time

Thanksgiving week 2009 has begun. The morning was difficult and I suspect every morning for the next 30 to 60 days will be difficult. Afternoons are better, easier, less difficult; I'm beginning to like afternoons. I wish I could sleep until noon, but I can't do that so I have to deal with the difficult mornings.

Difficult mornings
make for an interesting life
doctors' appointments.

This week is full of activity. Monday I peck up a new prescription for my Mother and then pick up a refill for myself. Tuesday I go to the dentist to have my upper plate adjusted. Wednesday we (my mother and I) doing laundry. All these activities are planned for the afternoon because mornings are difficult.

Difficult mornings
afternoon activities
Las Vegas awaits.

On Thanksgiving, I am not going to cook the turkey in the freezer. Instead, I will either fix the ham roast or the flank steaks we have in the freezer. I should fix the flank steaks since they've been in the freezer the longest.

Mom and I don't have a traditional Thanksgiving, unless we go out to a restaurant or to someone else's home. At present, I don't know what were going to do on Thanksgiving, except have a difficult morning. Since this entry is beginning to look like a rant and I'm not willing to go into why mornings are difficult, I'm going to close this post now.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

All day in doctors’ offices

Jalál (Glory), 18 Qudrat (Power), 166 BE – Saturday, November 21, 2009 about 11:57 AM Pacific Time

Friday seems like a lost day because I got nothing accomplished at home. Mom had two appointments with two different doctors. One in the morning and one in the afternoon, as a results she was given two new prescriptions.

I picked one of the prescriptions up Friday evening and Mom is using the eye drops. The other prescription will be filled Monday because the pharmacy was out of the tablets. I will call the pharmacist about noon Monday to see when the presumption will be ready. I will also ask the price just to make sure there is enough in the account to use the debit card.

Mom's regular doctor ordered blood test, so we went to the lab and someone took blood. We will probably hear the results of those Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning. That was my Friday in Las Vegas.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

November Tranquility

Istijlál (Majesty), 16 Qudrat (Power), 166 BE – Thursday, November 19, 2009 about 9:17 AM Pacific Time


Thanksgiving's next week
childhood memories return
pumpkin pie whipped cream.

Memories of my grandmother's homemade pumpkin pie and whipped cream make November a time of memories. I wonder if anyone makes homemade whipped cream any more.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Las Vegas weather report

‘Idál (Justice), 15 Qudrat (Power), 166 BE – Wednesday, November 18, 2009 about 5:37 AM Pacific Time

I received the weather report in my e-mail box last night. I subscribe to a daily weather forecast from Channel 3 Las Vegas. A series of fronts are moving into the Las Vegas area, which means interesting weather over the next few weeks. We can expect warm, cool, breezy, and calm weather in the Las Vegas area.

Changeable weather
fronts make life interesting
Las Vegas autumn.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

I recied a Good New newsletter

One of the daily newsletters I receive in my yahoo e-mail box is Gimundo Good News ... Served Daily>. In today's newsletter was the following video link about a Cockatoo and a cat. Take a look at Cat and Cockatoo in Love.

Oatmeal time of Year

Fidál (Grace), 14 Qudrat (Power), 166 BE – Tuesday, November 17, 2009 about 9:13 AM Pacific Time

Oatmeal time of year
my bones notice morning's chill
breakfast scatters cold.

I always think of autumn and winter as oatmeal time. When I was a child my grandmother always fixed oatmeal on cold Oklahoma mornings. I fixed oatmeal this morning; I think I have enough left to have oatmeal hot cakes tomorrow.

Monday, November 16, 2009

I just received weird call

The phone ring, I saved the MSWord document, then got up and went to the phone. I reached the phone before the fourth ring, which is an accomplishment since the phone (the voice mail picks up on the fourth ring) is in the breakfast room and my computer is in the living room.

I said hello and the only thing I heard was music. It was nice, pleasant canned music and I hung the phone up. I do not have a telephone to listen to music. If I want to listen to music, I have a radio, I have a television, I have a computer and can use one of those items.

I am presuming that whoever dialed my number will call back. When they do call back, a living human being had better be on the other end. I have not intention of listening to music when someone else calls me and then puts me on hold.

If I make the call, then yes I will wait on hold, at least, until the battery in my phone goes dead. I will not wait on hold when someone else calls me.

Monday morning in Las Vegas

Kamál (Perfection), 13 Qudrat (Power), 166 BE – Monday, November 16, 2009 about 6:19 AM Pacific Time

Las Vegas Monday
dawn transforms the gray morning
coffee's aroma

Sunday, November 15, 2009

I can watch videos online

Jamál (Beauty), 12 Qudrat (Power), 166 BE – Sunday, November 15, 2009 about 11:21 AM Pacific Time

I have DSL, so its fun to watch videos online. When I had a dial-up connection, the download was so slow videos weren't fun to watch. I don't have a long wait for the videos to download, so now I'm enjoying watching them.

I want to check several website because they have some interesting videos. I'll do that in the next few weeks and post any interesting links I find. Now I need to get me a camcorder so that I can video the places of interest in Las Vegas.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Challenged Drivers in Las Vegas and Friday the Thirteenth

Istiqlál (Independence), 10 Qudrat (Power), 166 BE – Friday, November 13, 2009 about 3:10 PM Pacific Time

This is Friday, November 13; yes, it is Friday the Thirteenth. It is the last of three Friday the Thirteenths in 2009. I don't think there are any more or less challenged drivers on the streets of Las Vegas on Friday the Thirteenth then any other day of the week.

I encountered two challenged drivers today, which is one more then I normally encounter. I had to go pick up a bottle of meds this afternoon. I get my presumptions filled at the Food 4 Less pharmacy on Flamingo and Pacos. I was driving south on Eastern when I encounter my first challenged driver.

This person, I'm not sure if it was a man or woman so I can't gripe about male drivers. Any way this person suddenly decided to turn into my lane, fortunately the car behind me has as good a set of brakes as I did. I arrived at the Food 4 Less safely and got my prescription.

On the way back home I was going north on Eastern and encounter another challenged driver. This one seemed to think that the 45 miles per hour speed limit was the suggest speed rather then the posted speed. Anyway, what I'm getting at is that when driving in Las Vegas you need to be aware of the other cars as well as wearing your seat belt.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

It's starting to look like Autumn

Istijlál (Majesty), 9 Qudrat (Power), 166 BE – Thursday, November 12, 2009 about 11:45 AM Pacific Time

Yellow oak leaves dance
across black asphalt at dawn
Thanksgiving is near.

It is finally looking like autumn in Las Vegas. The oak leaves from the neighbors trees are turning gold and falling into the street. The wind blows them across the black top. The leaves make an intriguing noise as they blow down the avenue.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Lately I've been thinking

I think I need to
more about my beliefs
proclaim God's Glory.

I think I need to write more about why I believe. This thought has come to me a lot lately. Normally, I write poems about my beliefs, but not prose. I don't know why this is so, but it is. However, I think I need to write more prose about my belief system. I need to answer the question “Why?”

Living Life in the Fast Lane

‘Idál (Justice), 8 Qudrat (Power), 166 BE – Wednesday, November 11, 2009 about 5:13 AM Pacific Time

I don't know why I waited so long to get DSL. It is wonderful. It is fast. I didn't know what I was missing before I installed a DSL modem. Now that I have DSL, everything I do online is faster.

This morning I updated my virus protection. It took less then five minutes to download the updates. Before I installed the DSL modem updating my virus protection took about ten or fifteen minutes.

This morning I did a survey, which said it would take about thirty-five minutes. It took about that amount of time. The survey was fun to do because the graphics downloaded quickly. I did the survey and then went on to something else.

Life in the fast lane
uninterrupted survey
Direct Service Line

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Life is a learning experience

Fidál (Grace), 7 Qudrat (Power), 166 BE – Tuesday, November 10, 2009 about 5:24 AM Pacific Time

At 62, I am still learning. I decided to bundle my services with CenturyLink, the phone company in Las Vegas. I have telephone, with long distance, satellite TV and DSL. Someone installed the Satellite, which is with the DishNetwork, on November 2.

This morning when I got up, the receptor box was making an odd noise and the satellite would not come on. I called the 800 number and the young lady with customer service walked me through getting the box working again. It turned out all I had to do was reboot, that is unplug the box from the electricity and plugged it in again.

The satellite box comes with a built-in DVR, which I have not used yet. I will use the DVR to record Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Specials. I do not celebrate Christmas, but I do enjoy watching some of the Christmas Specials.

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Back online

Kamál (Perfection), 6 Qudrat (Power), 166 BE – Sunday, November 8, 2009 about 7:02 PM Pacific Time

I am back online. I now have DSL and a new e-mail address. I finished setting up the DSL modem this evening. I am going to enjoy working online again.

Life is wonderful
so many new adventures
each day something new.

Friday, November 06, 2009

A weekend off line

Istiqlál (Independence), 3 Qudrat (Power), 166 BE – Friday, November 6, 2009 about Sunset Pacific Time

I'm probably going to spend the weekend off line. I'm connecting a new modem and it looks bit more complicated the I first thought. I have access to 24/7 tech support, so if I run into difficulties I'll just call the 800 number. My next post will discuss any difficulties I have connecting the modem and the filters.

Thursday, November 05, 2009

I visited the North Pole two days in a row

Istijlál (Majesty), 2 Qudrat (Power), 166 BE – Thursday, November 5, 2009 about 8:13 AM Pacific Time

The temperatures seem like I was at the North Pole instead of doctors' examination rooms. On Tuesday, I went to my doctor and the room was so cold I had to put my ski jacket back on to keep warm. On Wednesday, I took Mom to an urgent care facility. The examination room there was arctic cold too. However, the urgent care facility provided blankets to their clients.

Arctic temperatures
in examination rooms
summer through winter.

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Poem written at Feast of Qudrat

‘Idál (Justice), 1 Qudrat (Power), 166 BE – Wednesday, November 4, 2009 about 7:41 AM Pacific Time

Power flows through the
hair thin conduits of love
titanium strong.

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

NaNoWriMo Day 3

Fidál (Grace), 19 ‘Ilm (Knowledge), 166 BE – Tuesday, November 3, 2009 about 7:55 AM Pacific Time

NaNoWriMo Day 3, I've completed the introduction to my 50,000-word novel. The introduction contains a little over 1,800 words, which isn't too bad. I have a lot going on in my life, so I'm probably lucky I've written that many words on this project.

I'm going to have to have at least one all night writing session this month to achieve the 50,000 words by November 30. At this point, I'm planning to start an all night session on Saturday, November 7. I'm also planning another all night session for Sunday, November 22.

In addition, to the all night writing sessions, I'm planning two all day reviewing session for Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. I have to earn some more GPs to extend my premium writing.com membership another month. After November 30, then I will worry about extending the membership for another month.

Monday, November 02, 2009

Coffee Grounds and Egg Shells

Kamál (Perfection), 18 ‘Ilm (Knowledge), 166 BE – Monday, November 2, 2009 about 6:04 AM Pacific Time

My grandmother used coffee grounds and eggshells to help fertilize her flowerbeds. Grandma had several flowerbeds, so she could rotate the ones she put coffee grounds on; it turned out that she put coffee grounds on the all the flowerbeds about once a week or so, the same thing with the eggshells.

The dirt wasn't that great, but my grandmother always had beautiful plants. The next-door neighbors went to the expense of removing the bad soil in their yard and replacing it with good soil. My grandparents never did that, instead Grandma used coffee grounds and eggshells. In addition, about once every two or three months, Grandpa would clean out the chicken house and put the chicken droppings on the flowerbeds. Grandma always had beautiful flowers and she never spent an excess amount of money to grow beautiful flowers.

I didn't remember about the eggshells and coffee grounds until yesterday when I fixed eggs for breakfast. It's amazing what a person remembers just doing a simple task.

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Staying home on Halloween is fun

Jamál (Beauty), 17 ‘Ilm (Knowledge), 166 BE – Sunday, November 1, 2009 about 2:13 PM Pacific Time

I enjoyed staying home last night and giving out candy. I gave away all the candy I bought, it felt great not to have any Halloween candy left over. The kids that came to the door were dressed in creative costumes. I had fun last night. I am going to stay home next Halloween and give away candy.

I bought two large bags of candy this year. Toward the end of the evening, I got a bit stressed that I would run out of candy for the kids coming to the door. Next year I think I'll buy three large bags of candy. That way I know I'll have enough and won't get stress because I'm afraid of running out of candy.

I enjoyed the costumes the children wore. Everyone said thank you after I put the candy in their bags. Every child who came to the house were with their parents. It's nice to see parents going with their children on Halloween night. It brought back memories of my childhood, when my grandfather would go with us on Halloween.