[EJ711]

Hi Friends,

Most of you who know me even just a little know how I hate living in rural Kansas. Mind you when I look out any of my windows, I only see cattle and horses -- no houses. There are rolling hills, one third of our property is wooded, and we have two ponds nestled side-by-side, but I long to be somewhere where I can see other people.

On top of everything else, the people in our small town of approximately 3,000 are WAY too interested in my business and everybody else's for my liking.

Anyway yesterday I was rudely awakened by both my landline and cellphone ringing in succession before 9:00 a.m.

On Wednesday, July 4th, I had hiked maybe two miles around a mall up in civilization in my post-op boot from broken ankle, so husband could get some much needed new eyeglasses.

So anyway I was tired Thursday morning. After I struggled to an upright position, and strapped on my orthopedic boot, and made it to the phone, the Caller ID said it was the bank that called. I called them back, and the woman was telling me they couldn't find the check my husband and I had left in the night depository on the 4th.

Anyway I had another issue I needed to discuss with her, so while we were discussing that, they found our $300 check. One problem solved.

After trying to work for about an hour after that, I finally decided I needed to go back to bed, which I did. Husband woke me at lunch time, which I was counting on.

I got up did my first load of laundry since breaking my ankle in mid-May, and then managed to get in and out of the shower without inflicting further bodily harm to myself.

So now it is around 2:30 p.m., and my ride to the hospital was not due for another half hour.

I managed to comb out my hair, and get some clothes on.

The woman I had hired to drive me to the hospital for physical therapy is a German Baptist. German Baptists wear caps like the Amish, but their simple dresses are made with patterned fabric. Anyway I had hoped this lady had a little more discretion than just another person from town.

Well, no, I was wrong!!

I wasn't even in her car yet, when she started to blurt out how she had been at the Library in town, and had been talking about me.

I made sure I had my seatbelt on before she took off. Good thing!

She tore off down our country road. She did a fairly good job of stopping at the stop sign, before barrelling onto the major route into town. However, I thought it was all over, when we neared the round-about, and she started proclamating about how stupid round-abouts were, and instead of slowing down, she accelerated onto the round-about with two 12-wheelers coming towards us.

Anyway, no surprise when we got to the hospital we were early.

Oh I forgot, as we were speeding down my country road she was telling me all the things she had told one of the librarians at the Library about me. When I could get a word in edge-wise I said to her, if you are going to be broadcasting my business, at least you could get it right. When she came to c