That reminds me---I need to buy stamps...

My computer is printing out the newsletter I send to members away from the congregation but I used my last stamps to mail a packet to Marian, my sister-in-law, in south Florida. Should have bought some before the price went up.........................

It's a glorious morning on the river, the sun sparkling like jewels, just the way I like it! As I wrote to Jill this a.m., the water is littered with boats, many stationary, probably fishing. Some pull up along the breakwater and the fishers sit on the rocks.

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Justin had a really cool experience over the past weekend. He was bobbing in the water on the jet ski (oh, how I miss the jet skis!!!) and a baby manatee poked its nose out of the water to be petted. I asked if the mama wasn't there, too, and Justin said she might have been, only didn't surface to be petted. I was telling the electrician yesterday about going on the field trip with Justin's Junior class to swim with the manatees at Crystal River. This conversation came after he told me about staying at his buddies' house just across from where the dive boat anchored. I think that is so cool, he knew just where I was talking about.

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In a little while I am off to church to vacuum and then home to sit poolside with Martie, and perhaps, my neighbor, Ellen. I invited her, if she's not otherwise occupied, to join the fun by the pool. Often they are gone on weekends but with her spouses' recovery from his hip replacement, they most likely have to stay around home a bit longer. Good! We'd talked about going to Grumpy's for breakfast someday, so maybe we'll get a chance to do that soon.

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As I write this a.m., a movie is playing called "I Am Sam", about a mentally retarded man with a small child, fighting for her custody. It's a real tear-jerker, let me tell you. Even though it's Sean Penn playing the lead, it's very, very good. The child is played by a beautiful blond girl, perfect for the role. Michelle Pfiefer plays the attorney fighting the uphill battle for this man to keep his daughter, even though Lucy is already more "intelligent" than her daddy---grade wise, that is. It really makes one think about the relationship between parent and child, what is the measuring stick used to measure the ability to parent. I do know the little girl has been baptized, because her Godmother appeared on the stand to testify as to Sam's competency.

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Sam's love is so totally unconditional and their love genuine, until she gets exposed to other children in school who very nicely point out the "problems" her father has. They took away her rose-colored glasses! No, she had NO GLASSES and the kids and society gave her some which she didn't even need.

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As happens often in these type cases, Sam and his friends have their set routines, one of which is to watch videos on Thursdays. They basically have them memorized, and one guy can spout the name of the director and the year the film was made. I know some people like that!!! Anyway, it made me chuckle thinking about how I used to get irritated with Justin being lost in fiction and not focusing on reality, everything related to Star Wars, or National Treasure or James Bond. But, hey guess what! I now compare the entire world to "Seinfeld" or "Frasier"!!! Justin might be saying, "Welcome to my world"....not!!!!!

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So, enough time spent in fiction, lets move on to real life and go clean the Lord's house. After all, tomorrow is Confirmation Day for a young lady whose family came to us through Precious Lambs Preschool. I love it when this happens! The Word of the Lord reaching out into the community:

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

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Cleaning, pool time, and then cropping with my lady friends...it's a good life, let me tell you!