Just Like the Movies~

Has anyone seen the movie "True Grit" yet?  I must admit I was afraid to watch it, as John Wayne is my favorite western actor.  I didn't think any remake of a Wayne western would be worth watching.  I was wrong!  It was really good.  Jeff Bridges was the perfect Rooster, and Hailee Steinfeld is way better than Kim Darby in the original.  This weeks posts are all about dads , so I thought I'd share another memory of mine. 


On Saturday nights the PBS channel used to have something they called the Good Times Picture Show.  It was almost always a Wayne western or war movie.  And on Sunday mornings at 8 they always showed a western.  My Dad and I used to love to tape those on VHS , and then watch them on Sunday afternoon after church.  We would eat lunch and fire up the VCR and root for John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Gabby Hayes, Gene Autry, Tex Ritter, and Harry Carey, Senior and Junior.  That might seem like a small or insignificant thing to remember, but it meant a great deal to me.  See, I loved riding my horse, and shooting guns, and wearing my cowboy clothes.  I thought the westerns were great reflections of real life.  ( Fantasy , I know, lol)  But , when I watched my Dad and saw him embody the ideals of the western hero, I thought all of life was like that.  Don't cheat.  Don't lie.  Always work your hardest.  Don't steal.  Always have a firm handshake.  Never say something behind someone's back , that you wouldn't say to their face.  And never , ever , ever shoot a man in the back. ( Not sure where that applied in real life, but hey, you never know.) But, I learned a great deal from those pictures, it's true.  When I grew up and got a job, and then got married, and went out into the "real" world, I was very surprised to see that all people were not like the movies, or my hero Dad.  They would lie, cheat, steal, and stab you in the back to get ahead.  But my lessons served me well.  I realized that even though the real world was not like my ideas, I could still choose to live my life on the terms of the old westerns.  Just like my Dad taught me.  Just like the movies.

Here's to some old fashioned values~ Ruby Jeanette

It DOES Matter~

My Dad and I have a great relationship, and all week leading up to Mother's Day I posted Mom - related items, so I decided to do the same thing for Dads.  You may think , if you are a dad, that your position is not as important  as your wife's or  children's mother.  You'd be wrong.  Here are some cold hard facts from the census bureau for what"uninvolved " fathers cost us. 


According to census data of 2009, 24 million children live apart from their biological dads.  That's 1 in 3, or 33%.  In 1960, only 11% of children  lived apart from their fathers.
If they live apart from their fathers, they are 2 to 3 times more likely  to be poor, and to experience physical health problems.  They are 2 to 3 times more likely to experience educational , emotional, and behavioral problems.  They are also 2 to 3 times more likely to engage in criminal activity.

The U. S. Government spends $99.8 billion,  (yes, that 's BILLION , with a B) annually to support father absent homes.

Now , here is the flip side to that.
The single most important factor in developing empathy( the ability to care about others emotional state and feelings) is time spent with DAD.

Babies who spend time with their Daddy in the first year receive high scores on cognitive tests.

Children are more likely to get A's in school if their Dads are involved in their educations.

Children with fathers who are highly involved in their lives, such as eating at the same table with Dad for meals, one on one time and so forth, are more social, and have fewer behavioral problems. 


So Dads, next time you might be thinking that what you do isn't making a difference, it does!  You matter and the things you do matter.  You are so important to the welfare of our children, thank you for all your hard work, and for being great dads!


Ruby Jeanette

First Things~

A big pair of rough hands.  A welding cap.  Cutting torch striker.  Welding goggles.  The smell of burnt metal and machine oil.  Tools.  Parts.  Pickup trucks.  Car parts.  Crow Burlingame.  Learning to hit a softball.  Cutting wood. Camping.  Deer hunting. A scratchy beard .  Big hugs.  Confidence.  No fear of life.  Knowing who I am. Believing in God.  Believing in myself.  Faith in my ability to make the right decisions. 


Just a few of the things that my  first memories of my Dad are made of . In honor of Father's Day, next Sunday, I am going to try to post something Dad related all week.  Have to devote equal page space to Fathers cause they are important too!

What is your first memory of your Dad?~ Ruby  Jeanette

2- Oh- Oh, and 100 degrees~

Today I mark 200 consecutive posts on my blog, and the temp officially broke 100 degrees!  Whooh! Man, I am sooooooooo grateful ,to my hubby for buying a bigger air conditioner for the house!  The doctor just told me that the two best things for my health were , A.  Not getting too hot.  and B.  Not getting too stressed.  So summer may kind of suck for me, in the outdoor department, which is rough, because most of my favorite summer activities are outdoor ones.  Camping, fishing, picnicking, swimming with the kids, and just generally enjoying nature.  I guess we could go catfishing which is a night time activity, but have you seen the size of Arkansas skeeters?  I mean , that's like an extreme sport, night fishing!  You better be bringing your DEET or your therma cell , or your rolled up newspaper, they are that big folks!  They would n't be satisfied just snacking on you in the boat, they'd be toting you off for a midnight meal on the go.  Well, anywho.  I suppose I will just have to grin and bear it. We had a real good time today, we went yard saling and got some great deals. I got the boys both a set of Real-Tree overalls and longsleeve shirts for $4 total, so that was a steal.  Plus, some books.  You know I couldn't pass those up!  All in all, life's pretty stellar right now, so I 'm not gonna complain!  Hope everyone is staying cool today and thanks , for sticking with me one more post! 

Ya'll take it easy~ Ruby Jeanette

My Hero for Today~

I have the best Daddy in the whole wide world.  There is just no argument about it, sorry,lol!  I can't even begin to list all the great things he has done for me.  I guess growing up, that's why I never had a problem believing God would grant me my prayers.  Everyone said God is our Father, and that He wants to care for us, and do the best things for us.  Well, I believe it.  My Daddy always wanted the best for me, and wanted to do what he could within his power for me to be happy, so I just took it on faith that God was the same.  Today was no different. My keys , (both sets), got locked in my van. Luckily , I was still at Mom and Dad's and Daddy got a knife, a screwdriver and a coathanger, and unlocked my van.  The auto guy at Wal Mart said that Neeley's charges forty dollars just to show up and then charges by how much time it takes to unlock your vehicle. Money that I definitely  could not spare today.  So I guess I better put Daddy's check in the mail, lol! Thanks Dad for just another in a long line of rescues.........I love you!

Here's to Dad~ Ruby Jeanette

Tips~

I've had two doctor's visit this week already, and will have a third tomorrow.  I had really good experiences at St. Joseph's radiology and St. Joseph's cardiology.  I also had a great experience at Dr. Floyd's this week.  So I got to thinking , "What made these visits so excellent?", and thought I'd list these tips.


1. My visit began on time.
2.  The office staff was efficient and friendly.
3.  The nurses were competent and cheerful.
4.  I was treated with dignity and respect.
5.  The doctors were not in a hurry.
6.  Each test and procedure was explained in full detail, and I was made comfortable.
7.  No one was too busy to smile!


So to those of you in the medical offices I visited this last week , Thank You, and great job!  To SOME of the offices I've been in , in the past few years,  maybe think about some of these things and realize we DO notice if you are friendly, if you smile, if you know what you are doing, if you care about how we feel.  And just because you CAN be a nurse, doesn't mean everyone was cut out to do the job well, and with compassion.  I am so grateful for the good doctors I have seen lately , here at home and in Hot Springs.......your extra effort was noticed, and appreciated!

Here's to great nurses, technicians, receptionists, and doctors~ Ruby Jeanette

For Your Health?~

I heard about the Health Fair/Women's Night Out , that they are having in Hot Springs this weekend.  They were talking about it on the radio and telling about all the stuff that they are offering at the dinner.  They said that they would have wine and cheese tasting, chocolates, and all kinds of health screenings. They also said if you get your mammogram done at the event, they will give you a massage and a robe.  Now I know mostly ladies read my blog, so you men, if you are squeamish........turn away, lol!   I have had a mammogram, just last year, and let me tell you probably the only way that I will get another one anytime soon is IF they're offering chocolate to go with it.  Plus, I told my mom, the massage and the robe is just standard mammogram equipment.  They "massage" your boobs up into that machine, and give you one of those nice backless paper "robes" to do it in. So , no thank you.  I believe I will just eat chocolates here at the house .  For this year anyway.

Here's to "proper, DIGNIFIED" health care ~ Ruby Jeanette