It's a grumpy looking day out there this morning

Almost didn't want to get out of bed because it didn't seem as though it was morning! I count on the sun shining in on me to remind me to get up.

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Rather than just throw the covers off and leap out of bed, I watched a couple episodes of "Frasier" from Season 4. Justin gave me the first four seasons of what is considered by some the "smartest program on TV", probably was in its day. Between that program and "Seinfeld", I spend way too much time laughing out loud in my house. I wonder if anyone can hear me in the neighboring units........must sound like there's always a party going on over here!
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Saturday I'd popped in at Great Hang Ups, my favorite hang out, and somehow Julia and I started discussing glass art and the making thereof. Oh, I remember now........Rick had told me about staying at The Venetian in Las Vegas when he was at a conference, and I curled my lip about it. I'd love to go there and see the pretty glass, but mostly to see/hear The Phantom of the Opera show that plays there. Jen mentioned the lovely ornaments that he brought back for her, and that's how Julia and I got talking about glass. (I always take the long way around.........) She pulled up a website for Dale Chihuly, a glass artist from WA and showed me some of his more famous work. All of a sudden I caught a glimpse of these fantastic bowls, and realized that this type of bowl, an art piece, Frasier has sitting next to his fireplace!! I love that bowl, it always catches my eye. I researched it on-line when I got home and sure 'nuff, on a trivia page about the program, it mentions the Chihuly bowl, made by "a local artist"! How fun!**************************************
On Seinfeld I am obsessed about the hook by the door, and on Frasier, the art pieces. In fact, Justin has the same style of Grecian helmet on his shelf that Frasier has on his! See, it IS smart!
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It used to be extremely difficult for me to sit and watch a program on TV, usually feeling the need to take care of something or someone, too restless to roost. I've really gotten quite good at it, and in fact, when it used to be unsettling for me to go to the theater, it's gotten to be quite comfortable for me to sit through a movie. Except for the fact that I like to talk during the movie (just like on Seinfeld!), and am usually freezing half to pieces. It used to feel as though time was a wastin', that there some work I needed to be doing instead of sitting around. Glad that I've gotten over that--lots of changes in my life in the last several years....used to feel that way about taking vacation, too, unless it was for a convention or seminar. No longer.....

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Presently I am in decision-making mode, trying to figure out what to do this summer for traveling. Besides the trip North in April, I am considering going with Julia to Gatlinburg for a class and staying in a house near there that the Hilchey's have access to. That would be in late March.

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Justin's trip with his art history group is in mid-March and since that's an expense I wasn't expecting, it sort of voids the trip we'd planned together for May. It isn't really prudent for me to pay for two, or rather, three trips to the Mediterranean. The school trip, as far as I'm concerned, is a "must do" as he's going to garner so much more from that education-intensive, professor-led tour than he would floating from city to city and merely scanning the sites.

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I do so enjoy traveling with Justin, as we aren't compelled to dash from site to site, but can "meander" at our own pace and soak it all up. When we go to the Greek Islands, I enjoy going bistro to bistro and just......ahhhhhh! Plus go see our friend, Jeannie, at her shop in Santorini, which is right across the path from, guess what?--another bistro!

This is a view of a patio just below Jeannie's bistro in Santorini

I have the option of going with the Humanns again in November, touching many of the same sights Justin and I had planned for May. This is an option, but am a bit concerned that I won't be warm enough...I've got this thing about being warm, you know?

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I am dressed and ready for the day pretty much, still have some fluffing to do before going to lunch at The Club. No jeans today, but instead have my nice velour pants on to help keep me warm. It looks like winter and most likely will feel like it too. Tonight is an Outreach Team meeting at church and we'll be finalizing some details concerning our sponsorship program and the plans for the Friendship Sunday in February.

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Just had a marvelous, long-needed phone conversation with Rosalie, my friend in Houston. She used to be the secretary at Good Shepherd and is dear to my family. She had gotten to spend some time with the boys in November of 2000 as she passed through on her way back to Houston from Melbourne. We had someone babysitting Justin and Timmy as we were on a cruise at the time of her visit, and didn't even know she was coming! Timmy was a bit upset about what he thought was a 'disruption in service' between the appointed babysitter and Rosalie. He didn't transition well, so I can't say that Rosalie and he had much warm fuzzy time during which turned out to be her last time to see him alive.

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She came back for his funeral, and spent good time with Mom and Justin, keeping them company and such during this rough time. She's a great friend to have, and even though we're miles apart now, we are still quite connected. Her family donated a lovely message-bearing picture in his memory, which hangs in Precious Lambs classroom now. The child in the painting looks so much like Timmy that it's scary. Dee offered to add some dimples to the cheeks of the child but I refused, thinking that would be just too much, too close a resemblance. But thanks anyway, Dee......

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Time to head over to The Club to have lunch with the ladies. I am so looking forward to having a nice visit with them, get to know Karen better and have some laughs together. Bon Appétit!