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No longer on the river and, again, an empty nester. Back to living on Fleming Island and making some more friends!

Friday, October 31, 2008

Another "Seinfeld" moment....

Well, I did it....I did my early voting. Now all we can do is pray and wait. Our times are in God's hands and no matter the decision on Tuesday, we must have confidence that the Lord continues to watch over us, and our nation.
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My wait in line, while chilly, was not terribly long, as I'd heard reports of three hours and all that. Less than an hour for in and out, thanks in part to having my "cheat sheet" along, the Sample Ballot. Of course, I voted for Travis, who I believe is a shoo-in. Can't wait to spend Election Night at the Holiday Inn Campaign Appreciation Event, watching the outcomes of all the elections, his of course, as well as Presidential. It will be good to be with like-minded people through this instead of at home by myself, in case it goes bad. Rosalie, I'll be thinking about you!
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After voting at the library, I went in and applied for a library card. Yes, Judy R., I did it! The lady entered my info in the computer and asked me if I'd ever lived on Misty Lake Drive, which I had. I used to take Timmy and Justin to the library after school or on special occasions for the children's events, readings, etc. The reason I was still in the system, here's my "Seinfeld" moment, was I had a fine outstanding!!!! I had to cough up for the past due fine before they'd issue me a new card. Reaching into my purse, I pulled out my wallet, ready to part with a huge sum of money to settle my account. The amount due? One nickle! She was embarrassed to even ask me about it. I joked with her about the "Seinfeld" episode and she laughed with me, knowing the show where the library cop came after Jerry for having a book past due for 25 years. He even testified against Jerry in the Finale trial. The so-called cop was like Joe Friday, a strictly business, no-nonsense type of guy. I gave the lady a dime, asking if she could make change and we laughed again. I now had a clear name and a new card in my wallet.
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She checked the computer to see if they have the McLeod Daughters series for Judy and me to watch when she's here but no dice. I did take out "The Piano" on DVD and the same lady took care of me for that as well. When I told her I'd never seen it, she said she'll be anxious to hear what I think about it. Then we started talking about "The English Patient", another "Seinfeld" reference which engaged another clerk in our conversation. The other clerk said she saw the episode on "Seinfeld" so never went to see the movie! I suggested we get it and watch together which they thought was a great idea. No such thing as a stranger, is there? Not in this household!
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Diane and I had a great chat this morning, even though my portfolio looks "ugly", in her words. She is, however, optimistic that the market is going to recover and showed me numerous indicators of such, using history as the measuring stick. I felt much better after the meeting, not only because of her presentation, but more because of our conversation. For nearly two hours we discussed the happenings in my life, recent and coming, especially how my financial future will be affected, if at all. She is most complimentary about my attitude and sense of responsibility, but I simply see much of it as being who and what I am. Not to say I don't crumble once in awhile but someone told me once, "It's not how hard you fall----it's how high you bounce!" Love it! Yes, we will fall, that's a given, but something is going to raise us up again, over and over and over. What is that something? Our gracious Lord in heaven!
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Speaking our Lord, we also talked about faith and forgiveness, through which I learned a great deal from Diane. Her father had been murdered, had given a lift to some hitchhikers and ended up being shot, left on the side of the road. She has worked through the horror of this and has come to grips with her feelings regarding the shooter. Her thinking evolved into not being able to receive forgiveness or deserve it from God if she didn't forgive the shooter, as though it blocked her view or reception of God's forgiveness. So, through prayer, she reached a faith point where she could approach him at sentencing, telling him she forgave him and would pray for his soul. Those who served him as chaplains or advocates report to Diane that he has professed his faith in God and she is prepared to see him in heaven. I assured her there are no tears in heaven so she won't have to "worry" about bumping into him and having the hard feelings return. We are going to be so surprised, I'm sure, when we get to heaven and see people there that we would not expect. "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." I told Diane I am glad I don't have make those decisions, I really am, because I just don't have enough information! She is going to read "The Shack" after our discussion about the book, the walk in forgiveness I've been on with Jami and in Bible study. Our conversation today was another step in that direction, a great "investment" of my time this morning!
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I gave her a good laugh, too, by telling her that even though I am a writer, I am not a good reader, so it's odd to have me recommending a book to someone. I told her my standard line: I can dish it out, but I can't take it! Christine sent me a link to another book she recommends to me, written by Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry, of LA Law fame. They write about taking up residence in Italy, "Living in a Foreign Language". Read the synposis on-line and you'll see why this is going to be a great book for me, especially if I am curtailing my travels to the Mediterranean. Boy, I wish Justin could have gone with me on that trip---not knowing it might be the last trip!

I was a sleepy head this morning!

I got up at one point to use the bathroom this a.m., it was still quite dark outside. When getting back into bed, I just rolled over and went back to sleep. I woke up in the middle of a repeat of "The Starter Wife" after 8:00 a.m. Wow, I must have been really tired or was enjoying my dreams so much.
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Not the last one, though. I was dreaming about the Ladies' Advent Service which, for some reason, was being held in the basement room of the house I grew up in Manitowoc. The only lights were on pull-strings, which is probably not the worst thing when trying to have a church function in the yukky basement. Only three people came, one of which was Brian, who is NOT a lady. As I handed out the "programs" there was no Order of Service or Advent story in it, more like Sunday school papers or something stapled together. I told the three people to read through it while I ran upstairs to download something quickly from the Internet. Not sure how that worked out, but does make me want to be extremely thorough on the Ladies' Advent Service at Good Shepherd!
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More later, since I must get ready for the day. I have an appointment with one of my financial counselors, Diane, with whom I have a personal connection. I took her a copy of Timmy's funeral service in January when meeting with her, the week of Timmy's funeral. She's a great Christian lady and a pleasure to spend time with, although I don't know what she's going to tell me today.................

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Let the meowing begin!

My meat is cooking on the stove right now and the onion smell is amazing. As I stood there chopping onions and stirring the meat, Lynx gazed up at me with 'that' look on her face, meowing at the top of her lungs, as if to say, "Step away from the stove!" Someone said she does that at me when in the kitchen because she expects a treat, something dropped from the counter or stove. I don't know about that since it was so rare an event. She'd better get used to it now because I plan to make meals at home more, entertain more here, and make more use of my beautiful kitchen.
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Martie is coming for supper tonight, finally, so we can catch up on all the news we've missed out on. I haven't heard word One yet about her time spent in PA with her sister, June, who is a member of my church. Either she's working or spending time with her hubby or Little Mark. Whatever it is, something gets in the way of our visits! She is definitely coming tonight to enjoy some of my famous chili, which is literally and figuratively speaking, brewing. My secret ingredient, which will no longer be secret, is to add a can of beer to the base to make it taste and smell fantastic.
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The first part of the day was spent with some of my favorite peoples (a 'Timmy' word), starting with my Justin. We met for our little breakfast at Panera Bread before heading over to Victory for Bible study. Again, a fantastic class, today discussing the Israelites' crossing of the Red Sea, how it demonstrated great faith. Before they crossed over, as it were, the people began to murmur when they saw the Egyptians approaching, wondering if there weren't enough graves in Egypt that they had to traipse wwaayy out here to die.....Can't you just hear that? Justin said to me that he could just hear Jerry Seinfeld's parents talking like that. Funny thought! Pastor H. made the observation that this event, the Exodus, when the children of Israel begin their new life as being rescued from the darkness of captivity, as taking place 1500 BC. Our own Lutheran Reformation, which we celebrate tomorrow and again Sunday with our special services, took place in the 1500's after Christ came to rescue us from the darkness of tainted teachings. Justin had much to offer today as his knowledge of Egypt and its culture proved insightful, which, in turn, brings me great joy. I love it that he even initiated our Thursday outings and follows through on it.
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After Bible study we had to go in search of a gas station, as once again, my little gas pump on the dash board illuminated. Aaaahhh! I can't stand it! When I left home my gauge didn't indicate any danger of running low on gas, although it was less than a quarter full. Just as we left the parking lot, DING, on goes the light. He pumped it for me so I didn't freeze my fingers, then off we went to UNF for his class.
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On the way back to Orange Park, I decided to head to Great Hang Ups to see my lady friends. I hadn't seen either of them since having dinner last week at Mediterraneana with Dee. I met some nice people in the shop on this visit, including a man who came in sporting a Packer ball cap. Of course, I initiated a conversation with him about the team and such, and told him I had one ticket yet available for the game on December 14th. He said he might need an extra one or two because he had so many people coming into town for that game. We exchanged phone numbers and such so he can get back to me if needed. Great! I sent e-mails off to both churches yesterday to offer it to the first taker but so far, no one has come forward. It's not too late to turn it back in to the Jaguars' ticket office for them to sell to someone else---I hope....
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My heat is running for a bit to get the chill out of the air before Martie arrives. I don't make my chili overly spicy so can't expect the soup to make up for the cool rooms. Okay, laugh if you will, but it was down to 74 in here before I turned it back on. I could get my area heater out of the spare room for my purposes in here, but that doesn't heat the entire house like the A/C does. My dryer is also running which should help some. Oh, it smells so marvelous in here with the soup brewing. No match for the bacon frying aroma Noah created when they were here in August, however!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Warming myself with the laptop

My new secret weapon for keeping warm---the laptop computer! It throws off a great deal of heat which sometimes isn't all that comfortable, but today, oh yeah, it's wonderful!
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I just got back from meeting with the CPA making it necessary for me to brave the elements. Otherwise, my room stayed nice and warm today, holding the heat from the morning/early afternoon sun for some time. The part of my house not getting sun felt quite chilly. My slippers kept me comfy and snug, even when I had to go down and meet Justin by the elevator. He was cleaning out our little house in Brookstone (no longer mine) for some new renters and asked me if I wanted my little gnomes and pitcher/bowl sets that were left there. I used to collect those type items but wasn't sure if I really wanted them back. They had been gifts way back when I lived in WI so that will tell you how old they are. Will I put them out anywhere for display? Not likely. Now they are up here in my house, but will they stay? We'll see....Victory is having a Yard Sale in a couple weeks so perhaps I'll donate this small collection to their sale...I am truly torn!
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I've discovered another new feature on the computer---USA Network has full episodes of several of their programs available for my listening and dancing pleasure. I can't help but be interested in "The Starter Wife", not so much for its quality but more because it's based on a true story of a Hollywood ex-wife who is starting a career in writing. Sort of fun to see how she is going from a journal keeper to perhaps a mini-series writer, based upon her day to day life. Gotta love it!
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Once I get all warmed up from my laptop I'll have to venture out once more for choir rehearsal in a little while. I did accomplish something this a.m. by getting my church newsletter sent off to the secretary for printing. The majority of members get it on the Internet but for those who don't, a hard copy is made available. It sure saves on paper costs to use the air waves or whatever it is that moves my words around instead of everyone getting a printed copy. I just have the condo newsletter to get out this month, also done on e-mail except for one!
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This afternoon I spent nearly two hours on the phone with my sister-in-law, Mona, as she filled me in on the health status of Arno. He's getting his strength back but is not even close to being back to what he was before going in for the surgery, now sporting a catheter to help handle the excess output from taking water pills. He was brought home by therapists on Monday to see how he could manage the home environment such as getting out of chair on his own, in and out of the bathtub, basic things. They felt he did okay, but Mona was quite distressed at how sadly he did. There is no way he was doing well, and she would recognize that since she has the baseline measurement, as it were, where the "pros" did not. That sort of freaked her out, because seeing the way he shuffled along and such could hardly imagine being able to leave him alone even the short while it would be to take her daughter to school. Nope, not a good plan. They live right across the road from the Health Care Center where he can stay during rehab which would be incredibly convenient. We'll have to see what happens now, what the Social Worker from the hospital is able to determine. Changing the catheter collection bag and such would not be in Mona's job description.
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I am watching the Cash Cab as I write, loving to see the streets of New York going by. It is nerve wracking for me for those folks struggling to answer the questions before getting to their destinations. If they get three wrong, the Cab stops and the passengers have to get out. What is also fun is to see what kind of folks he picks up, how they interact with each other, what their relationships are, etc. Today I even saw a child for the first time, but she was a total dud, didn't react to the action at all.
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Time to leave for choir now so am bracing myself for the cold temperatures out there. Our last rehearsal before the Reformation service on Sunday so I am a bit excited!

Sittin' in the sunshine and it's freezing outside!

I just stepped outside to grab Justin's visor from my plant stand and nearly froze my toes off! In that short time.....the thermometer reads 34 above zero! What is going on around here? Only two weeks ago we were facing record high temps and now my toes are freezing! I am wearing his visor because the sun shines right into my eyes at this time of the day and I had the brainstorm to put it on. In about an hour the sun will have moved around and up a bit more and then it's not a problem. And it's not really a 'problem'---only I can't read when it's in my eyes, can still write (type) but not read what I've written!
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Yesterday I heard from one of the ladies at church, one of the game players who was here to play "Seinfeld" Trivia with me. She has some great ideas for finding a facility for the Ladies' Advent Service other than our classroom building or Fellowship Hall. I love having someone show initiative in these matters, a spirit renewer! Her name is Kathy and is a wonderful pianist and strong alto.
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I got all choked up Tuesday when Lisa sent the invitation to Gabe's birthday party. It's his 5th and that just hit a button with me, as I remembered making the plans for Timmy's 5th birthday party. Instead that day ended up being his funeral day. Timmy wanted to have a pajama party but only those who actually wore pajamas were invited! Since I wore night gowns instead, I was not on the list! Betty from our office was going to be able to come since she wore jammies and Pete Prange was also invited. I wore gowns and his father slept in his undies so NO party for you!!! To circumvent the rules, I went to the store and bought a pair of jammies, and I still have them, never worn.
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I also have the birthday gifts, unwrapped, that I'd bought for his birthday, purchased ahead of time since I knew I'd be home-bound after my surgery. His father was going to take Timmy, Justin, and our employees' little kids to the Ringling Bros. Circus as part of the celebration. Oh well. We also had received birthday presents, wrapped, with the CHRISTmas shipment from family in WI, which I never opened, but sent them to his father's house instead. I "toyed" with opening the presents and seeing if the preschool could use them but opted to leave that decision to his father. Probably trucks or Thomas the Tank Engine stuff.
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Gabe has chosen a dragon theme for his birthday and Lisa made up the cutest invitations. He is getting to be such a big boy, has sung in church twice already this year with his Sunday school and/or preschool class. I am so looking forward to seeing him in the CHRISTmas service at Calvary Lutheran in Sheboygan on the 21st. Lisa told me in e-mail yesterday about Manny asking to pray "Come, Lord Jesus" at bedtime and Gabe saying that was the supper prayer and not bedtime. Lisa cleared it up for them explaining asking Jesus to sleep with us is okay, too, which they accepted. She said Gabe "preaches" to Manny, especially when he's doing something naughty, telling Manny if he doesn't behave, Jesus is going to come and give him back all his sins! That kid needs a pulpit! Talk about a Law Deliverer!!! Lisa straightened out this doctrinal matter, too, but I sure did have a good laugh about that, just imagining Gabe preaching at Manny!
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After the Packer/Jaguar Game, Lynn and I are going to fly together from JAX to MKE attempting to get her back in time for choir rehearsal on Wednesday. That way she'll only have to fly alone one direction. Glad I have my entertainment tickets purchased well in advance because I'll have to cut back on that type of expenditure for the time being.....rats!
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Not too long ago we were talking, Kim and Justin, with someone about Timmy's pj party plans and what a turn of events it was to have his funeral on his birthday. Justin piped up with the profound comment, "Timmy did have a pajama party, only he wasn't there!", because our entire upstairs was made into a dormitory for our houseguests, mattresses all over the place in the media room and game room, and people in their pajamas!

Monday, October 27, 2008

My hands are freezing....

....but it might not be only from the cooler temperatures! I worked much of the afternoon, upon getting home from Bible study and lunch with the ladies, on "putting some numbers together", as my former spouse used to say. How painful was that!?!?!? Going through bank stuff and other records to figure out what it costs me to live each month was grueling and not a little bit eye-opening. I haven't had to look at this stuff since my divorce, figuring those days were behind me. And I am ticked at myself for not keeping my stuff organized for just an event like this! I have pretty much what I need for when I meet with Cliff tomorrow to looks things over. I trust him implicitly and value his counsel, but I really wish I wasn't going to trouble him with this mess again, since he's going to have his own fish to fry coming back from vacation tonight and into the mix right away tomorrow.
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Of course, in looking through things like this, it is easier to see what can or will be cut, reduced, and I think it's a great idea to do this every once in awhile when not under the gun just to take a look at what's going on. As Justin told me that one day, after it became clear he hadn't saved any money over summer working nearly full-time, "it's the nickels and dimes that kill me!" Isn't that the truth? Sonic is going to miss me after my pumpkin sticker expires at the end of the month. I get my monster-sized diet Coke for $1.06 instead of over $2.00. I do have a stack of cards which allow me regular large drinks for that price so I will depend upon those cards to get me through. The ladies recognize my voice over the loud speaker and want to know where I was when I haven't been around all week!
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On a bright note, Ethel came back to Bible study today, feeling better but not 100% after her heart surgery a week ago. She was getting stir crazy so Darwin brought her over so she could get some air, as it were. They had to go straight home afterward because she needs to lay low yet but it was so wonderful to have her back in class again, with her family! Iva, a 90-year-old matriarch in the congregation fell on Saturday at home. Today Iva found she has a compression fracture in her back but is at home recuperating. Tomorrow I hope to hear from her daughter, Linda, about what's going on, what sort of attention Iva'll need, etc. They live a long way out of our area so it's not really handy to drop in for a visit. She is a come-back kid, though, so she will most likely spring right back from all this.
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We had a marvelous lunch, not being served by our usual waitress because her area was pretty full already. No worries, we were still well cared for. Our congregation had offered the left over Yard Sale stuff to Victory for their sale but initially they refused, saying they had no place to store anything for the three weeks until theirs was held. While we were at lunch, the secretary from Victory called Twila to inquire about our leftover stuff............What? Well, one of the guys had already begun the process of taking things to Goodwill or the Salvation Army so she was heading back up to church to see what was left and to let Richard know what was happening. It's still not over!!!!
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Twila is having lots of pain in her hip and shoulder after the Yard Sale and has determined that was her last time. She sees a doctor tomorrow about the ailments and might have to go into physical therapy for treatment. Until the younger, more able-bodied folks agree to handle the sale, we might have to forgo having this money-maker for awhile. We can't have our people dropping like flies as a result of it. The proceeds are excellent but the physical cost plus dealing with the remnants is too much, if you ask me. Not being a big proponent of rummage sales...................
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No wonder my fingers are cold---it's down to 77 degrees in my house right now! At least it's not snowing like I heard it was in Manty. Both Linda and Lynn called to report they were driving in the snow. Judy R. had snow last night about 4 hours west of there and it didn't stick to the ground so far. Judy R. also reminded me that the group leader who took us on the St. Paul's Footsteps trip last year is about to take a group to Italy in a week or so, and I am soooo glad I didn't sign up for that trip! She speculates how many of the travelers are wishing they'd not signed up for the trip due to the uncertainty around us. One of the ladies from church is just alive with trepidation about the outcome of the Presidential election next week. To say she's frightened might be a stretch but greatly concerned, oh yeah, she's there.
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So much hinges on the outcome of the election, both local and national levels. Some reports around here show a leveling off or even reversal of the housing crunch, with purchases of existing homes on the upswing. Every piece of good news is appreciated and truly affects the attitudes of those in this business. Now, we need new home buyers in the middle to higher end market to get excited again and relieve us (listen to me!!!, 'us') of inventory. Now is really the time to buy when the market is glutted and prices are down, mortgage rates down, and so on. Everything is on sale so buy, buy, buy!
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I can't wait until my friend, Joanne, comes back to town to stay. She's been gone for months and months taking care of her dad and his home in MI. Now he's down here living in a Home on the Island and she is wrapping things up at his home, getting it ready for sale. In the MI market, this may prove challenging! Her dad is already well-adapted to his new environment, with Joanne's spouse going to see him and take him for social outings during the week. He always got along quite well with her dad so it's perfect for them to amuse one another since Richard isn't working right now. It all works out sometimes.
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Part of our luncheon conversation was about the Ladies' Advent Service and where to hold it. It costs money to rent a facility off-site since the library won't be available on Sundays any longer. This is only our 2nd one so not much precedent has been set. We talked about holding it in our new classroom building which won't be ready yet, but since it's held by candlelight.....We can make it work, I'm sure, might not be posh or have bathroom facilities, unless we count the port-o-lets! Our Savior was born in a manger, we can sure manage without all the niceties, right?

Sunday, October 26, 2008

The roar of the jet engines

As I sit in my window, waiting for Justin to arrive, I am being entertained once more by the Blue Angels going through their paces at the Navy base. Today is a glorious one complete with cloudless blue skies, perfect for watching planes zoom around. The river is alive with boats of all types as people get an excellent view of the show and avoid the street traffic complications when the show is over. Can get hairy trying to dump all those cars onto Hwy. 17 at one time. Of course, the Jaguar game is going to be taking place at 4:00 so traffic might be quite different due to that.
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After worship today we had a quick congregational/voters' meeting where it was discussed and decided to go ahead with the 2nd option regarding the financing of our building projects. Some were hesitant to stick our necks out for the amount of money needed, reasonable thinking at these questionable times. Others, the prevailing sentiment, was the rates are low now, favorably so, costs are down now, the need remains for the roof repairs, etc., etc. The vote passed but not without a few 'nays', again, due to the uncertainties we are facing.
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Immediately following our meeting, we recessed to the patio area for our Oktoberfest celebration, hosted by the Fellowship Committee. I brought nothing to share, what kind of Lutheran am I? Terri assured she brought plenty of food for both of us so I went ahead and ate. Our congregation president went from frying the brats to conducting the meeting and then got to enjoy the fruits of his grille.
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We had a good turnout for this event, complete with polka music, German singing CDs, and brew. Prior to my departure, I was coaxed into doing the "Dance Little Bird" a. k. a. The Chicken Dance. Whew, I got warm then! A group of folks joined me at sitting at a full-sun table but eventually had to ease their ways into the shade. I wasn't warm there but was quite hot when the dancing was over! Even skinny Pastor got worn out dancing the Chicken Dance!
Here is Pastor doing a dosey-do in the Dance Little Bird routine. No wonder we got hot! Nick Conroy is dancing with Pastor Kuske, with Kim Tyler and her nephew, Christopher behind them. On the edge of the dance floor is Terri Thompson with Nathan Kuske. A good time was had by all!
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Justin was coming over here to work on a project for me this afternoon while watching the football game, but there was a development......Emily called to ask us to dinner. Okay, I would love to come and my CD/DVD project isn't all that important, not more than going to Paul and Emily's for dinner! My next door neighbors are busily unpacking their moving boxes which I've rescued from the dumpster area and loaded into my car. I ran into Ed (the guy with the grille!) and told him I took some of their boxes and he offered more boxes and even packing paper! When Justin comes, we're going to go get more boxes from them as well as the packing paper for his move in about two weeks.
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In going through the documents for the lease at Melrose, it appears there is no loophole for us to use in order to get him out of the obligation. It will be the right thing for him to stay there, this I know, as I have pretty much taken over the room that used to be his, having to start the HD cable service again, and so on. It will save money to have him here, but it would be a huge pain in the neck and not a little nusance. On both our parts! He'd want to go out and have fun with his buddies, and I'd have to look the other way, or he'd want to mess up the family room and I would object to that as well. Sounds like I am unreasonable, which I am not, and neither is he. Justin understands and appreciates the situation, probably having a better picture since he works in the business and see the affects of the downturn. He is fairly sure he'll be able to adjust his lifestyle, saying he is "scared enough" by what's going to on to live more modestly.
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Back from dinner at the Lawcock's and already in my nightie. We had a wonderful meal, topped off my Dutch apple pie and ice cream Justin and I picked up at Publix. Before heading over there we stopped at the neighbors and got a load of cardboard boxes and wrapping paper for Justin's big move. That reminds me--I'd better get him on the schedule with my Turkish friends for moving day. After November 1st we'll know who his roomies are and whether or not to take the game table with him. I think if he moves in first, he gets dibs on the "kitchen" table/game table. But that will be for them to work out, I guess. There is no room here for those pieces of furniture so he'd better get there first!
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One thing is for sure, he'll have plenty of boxes and wrapping paper to protect his belongs!

Some fun photos

My niece, Tina, who lives in Palm Coast, just an hour south of here, sent me these photos taken of her daughter, Maya, on her second birthday. Tina is expecting her next daughter right after Christmas, and says the new baby will have mighty big shoes to fill! Maya is just a dream, is easily entertained but also loves having mommy and daddy's attention.

Tina's hubby didn't send the photos taken of Maya playing with the presents that Justin and I gave her this year, but this shot is of Maya continuing to enjoy playing the ones we gave her last year, when she turned one. We found a plastic tea set and knowing every little girl loves to have to have parties, thought Maya needed this tea set. I asked Keith if she still plays with it and both parents replied, "Oh, yes! We have pictures!" She sets the table and entertains her stuffed animals and dollies in her play room, usually used as the dining room. I am so glad she continues to enjoy such a simple gift, and hope she gets lots of use from the "princess" blanket we gave her this year---one corner is shaped into a crown with a jewel that lights up. She is a princess! And a wonderful hostess!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

A full day on Saturday

At the end of the day, I am back at the computer. At the beginning of the day, I was able to say "good morning" to Christopher who carried a lovely table centerpiece up to my door. Jen was passing through the area and had it in her trunk ever since her sister's wedding. She had him run it up to me before it got wrecked. They were planning to attend the air show later today but had to run back home in between their errands. The centerpieces were so pretty on the tables and since Kristin didn't really need 8 of them and I'd complimented her on the lovely table decorations, she offered one to me! I accept!
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The bad part was I was still not dressed when he came, because I was being a lazy bones and watching some "Behind the Scenes" portions of the "Seinfeld" DVDs I bought. I really am enjoying finding out how the show was born, how many false starts they had, how the characters were chosen and the actors who auditioned, and so on. My company wasn't expected until later on so I was in no rush to get dressed. After I did get myself ready for the day, I got busy on my computer with my numerous projects. Two newsletters are due by the end of the month plus I've also agreed to re-type the by-laws of the Condo Association, as needed.
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Two of my lady friends came over to have a pow wow, to discuss the current state of their affairs. Betty just lost her job, laid off, as it were, and is going to live on unemployment benefits until she can find another position. She's not sure she'll find a job with enough salary to pay her bills and is concerned about losing her house. Brenda N. works for a different builder and has been cut back, too, but still has her job. We were putting our heads together, trying to think of options for each of them, one to sustain herself and the other to fill in the blank days. Brenda does cleaning for folks, is still fairly able-bodied although older than Betty.
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We came up with a plan for Brenda to move into an RV and park it on Betty's lot, bathe in her swimming pool, and pump the septic products into Betty's tank! Of course, this was in gest, but we get the idea about how things can possibly play out if the business doesn't turn around. Brenda's bosses, a family, would stand to lose everything since it's a Mom and Pop and Son organization, and having them all "employed" in the same place is bad when and if the bottom falls out for their company. Really gives us pause.....
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They were not impressed with my momentarily considering moving back to WI, didn't want to even hear about that. Some in my family agree that it wouldn't be the best idea either but it would be great for my mom to move out of that apartment building. This is all just speculation right now, and as Justin says, "You'd have to learn how to drive on ice again!!" As cold as I was in the restaurant tonight, it is quite difficult to imagine living in the cold and dark all the time. But, on the bright side, I'd have a newer condo and be closer to my family, and the, dare I say it?, boys!
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Anyway, Brenda had to leave in order to get cleaned up after doing some office cleaning, she came to my house all smelly (NOT!). She was attending a retirement event at her bosses' house tonight as one the superintendents was leaving the company. Not laid off or anything like that, but he has an illness that doesn't allow for him to work any longer. He's sort of a young man to be retiring but the illness just won't allow. I understand he has a balance disorder of some sort, which can be just miserable. Jimmie, my dear friend, will have to pick up the work the other fellow did but is just glad they have the work to keep him going.
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Just prior to the ladies coming, my upstairs neighbor called to report computer trouble and would be unable to type up and send off the Minutes from the Board meeting....Sure!, I can type them up and send them off for her! Justin, again, scolds me for not saying "No" to people but I feel like this is the least I can do since I am not out supervising the roofers or replacing the elevator. We are all volunteers here in running our building and I already refused the "opportunity" to serve on the personnel committee because I love our "door man" so much! I can't do it to him, which was often my problem in the business, always connecting with folks and then not being able to let go!
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No sooner had the ladies left when Justin called to ask me to go to church with him tonight. Since I had no other plans I said I would, and then we could use his Carrabba's gift card, a birthday present from Travis and Jessica. I got myself ready for church and drove over, arriving about 10 minutes before worship. Only 8 of us in church, about usual for Saturday evenings, but the service was wonderful. One of the hymns we sang was "In Christ Alone", Linda, just what I needed to hear/sing/read! The version was from the Supplement which has less fanfare than the choral version, but is still absolutely gorgeous to sing in a church with such accoustics as Victory's. The hymn made up for the 'strange' one we sang from the Worship and Praise hymnal they use, from CPH.
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Next Sunday afternoon our church and Victory are having a joint Reformation Service and German-style meal. Our choirs will unite to sing two anthems, including "In Christ Alone". Bonnie, the pianist tonight as well as the church secretary, asked me if I wanted to rehearse together next Thursday when we come for Bible study. She and I are two of the three sopranos singing our part, as this anthem has a second soprano part for those without the range to squeek like mice! I can sign up to bring a German dish but Pastor Hoyer told me I didn't have to bring anything as I will be a guest next week. We'll see, I might be so moved to make something anyway, but we'll have to be there so early for practice....
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Justin and I enjoyed our meal, although his favorite pasta fell short of expectations. He told the waitress it was missing an ingredient, and told me it tasted like they used Ragu! He loved his chicken trio, introduced to us by then Kelly Vance, who used to work at Carrabba's. It is his meal of choice there, and I had the sirloin marsala. Of course, I brought most of it home with me and perhaps I'll have it for supper tomorrow.
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Justin is coming over here to watch the football game tomorrow, his suggestion, and is going to tackle a project for me while we watch. I have stacks of CD's, DVDs, and VHS tapes scattered around, some of them not in the proper containers, and just messy. We are considering either getting rid of or packing away the Disney and kid videos since Prange's won't be coming any time soon, Lucas was the only one who has watched one in ages. We can't even sell those type tapes at the Yard Sale because no one uses the VHS players any longer. I am glad I have one that works in my bedroom TV because all our home movies are VHS yet. Guess I need to get them converted or buy the machine myself to get them onto DVDs for posterity. Paul told me that it's not even possible to buy a VHS player in the store anymore so I'd better get a move on. Not like I sit and watch the movies regularly, but I'd like to know I can watch them when I want to.
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Earlier I mentioned the Rosses' going to the air show.....Thursday I had a sneak preview of the Blue Angels practicing along the river, flying in low and close over my building and above the water. Very impressive, as any of you who been to the air show can attest. NASJAX is the home of the Blue Angels so it's a special time when they are in town. The ladies and I could see and hear the jets as they performed today but the sky was so overcast that the show lost something in translation, rather, visibility. It's too bad that it was cloudy because it's really quite spectacular to see these machines being maneuvered in the sky---inspirational!

Friday, October 24, 2008

My, how the mighty have fallen......and that includes me!

I can hardly hold my eyes open this morning, not because the sun is shining into them. In fact, it's rained almost all night, and I know this because I barely slept a wink. God and I were up most of the night talking things over, trying to come up with an additional plan, other than Plan A which is to trust in the Lord with all your heart.
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Tuesday night Justin had called me all upset about something----more lay offs at work, and this time, my very dear friend, Betty. She's been with my former company nearly 12 years but the boss had to let a mess of people go, including Mike, the superintendent, now called "builder", who has also been with the company for many years. He's young, hopefully he can find another job, but not so for Betty. In fact, today is her birthday and I believe she's in her late 50's, and it's also her last day. Gulp! Of course, this news threw me for a loop as only a skeleton crew remains, few contracts in the future........yes, it's hitting real close to home now!
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Yesterday my greatest (nearly) fears were realized when my phone rang and the ID showed my former spouses' name. Oh no, this can't be good! And I was correct, it wasn't good. To make a sad story short and not reveal huge amounts of information, I am being asked to take a pay cut, or at least begin the bargaining process. "You can't get blood from a turnip" is one of the reasons given. This news is not a terrible surprise but it is wretched nonetheless. All this keeping in mind that the Lord has the world and its machinations in His hand.....but, I just wish I understood more.
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In an unusual turn of events, and I'll discuss this more another time, I found myself sympathetic during this uneasy conversation, harkening back to the times we struggled together to get our bearings after our partner left. That was when I went to work at Sprint, to earn us insurance and float money until the economy turned around again, and we were accepted as preferred builders into Eagle Harbor. I've said before that if I hadn't already lost a child, losing my business or my part of it, was like losing a child---we'd raised it up from nothing. I always tried to keep in mind from whence cometh our help. And yesterday, my former spouse told me he'd said to several people already that this was the second worst week of his life. We all know the what the worst week was...........there is really no comparison.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Oh, that Linda tore me up today!

I just came back from breakfast and Bible study with Justin at Victory, and I've immediately put my fuzzy slippers on. Yes, Linda, the sea is angry today, even here in Florida! There was no breathtaking sunrise waking me this a.m. so I'm glad you got to see a "light show" put on by God. He put on a grey sky and a bit of rain for us here in North Florida. I hope it didn't rain in Ormond Beach because there was a campaign visit there by John McCain today.
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The alarm on my cell phone was set to prompt me to get up at a decent time this week and not miss my time with Justin. The roads weren't bad for the commute and I arrived about 15 minutes early, and by early, I mean, our arrangement is to meet between 8:30-8:45. This give me a few minutes to read some more in The Shack, which I'll bet is driving you more voracious readers bonkers! You'd have read five or six books before I get through this one---but, reading is not the only thing I do. Talking about it with Judy J. last week I told her it's taking me so long because I don't read in lieu of doing something else, and she said, "I do!".
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Our breakfast conversation this a.m. was about the current state of affairs and how it affects the people in our lives, some of whom we care deeply for. (What kinda sentence is that--besides cryptic???) The good news was that the stock market seemed to be picking up so far since it opened....I'd hate to be Alan Greenspan this a.m.! Talk about a fall from grace....
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Our class was held in the narthex portion of the church rather than in a smaller office area where we were quite crowded in recent weeks. It was much brighter, airy, and offered a lovely view of the grey skies and pouring rain. It was a splash and dash shower but enough to ruin one of the men's plans to cut the church property's grass. The subject matter for our "hero" in the Bible was the story of Moses and how, by faith, his parents set him afloat in the Nile River in hopes that the daughter of pharaoh would see him, love him, and want to save him. Moses, as an adult, murdered an Egyptian who was seen beating a Hebrew slave, committing a sin and a crime. Moses fled for his life in order to avoid punishment for his crime. Not the kind of behavior the Lord favors! Pastor pointed out the irony of the Egyptian leadership ordering the first-born sons of the slaves to be killed and yet murder was still considered a crime. Not unlike our own country, permitting and sometimes paying for abortions, and yet abolishing the death penalty for those who commit murder. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
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After dropping Justin off at UNF, I gave my sister-in-law a call to see how Arno was doing. She'd just gotten home for visiting him and seeing the doctor, and could report he was doing much much better today, getting his strength back and his wits. Some of the medications they gave him post-surgery made him a bit dopey, and then no one seems ready to go home. Depending upon the re-evaluation by the therapist, he may be able to return home rather than going into rehab first, the way he's making his comeback. This is such good news and I do hope, for Arno's sake, the therapist lets him go home instead into rehab, even though the facility is right across the road from his house!
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Martie and I are just having a dilly of a time getting together these days---Tuesday we did meet to have lunch but with her young escort along---Little Mark (a.k.a. ManMan). After she got his hair cut they were planning to come up here so we could have our dessert but it took so long for them at the beauty shop that time ran out. They did come up here but only for a moment before she had to take him back to his dad's police substation on the Westside for his ride home. We had made new plans for Saturday after work but now she called to say ManMan is probably coming again for the weekend so it would be difficult for us to have grown-up conversation (like that's gonna happen!) and keep him occupied at the same time. Our original plan was to ride down to the beach Saturday but the weather is yet predicted to be nasty so Plan B is to meet here. I hope she can come Saturday but we have tentative plans for Tuesday.
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I am having quite a good time here watching and hearing a little air show of F-14s circling around right over the condo and swooping along the river. It was hard to hear on the phone earlier because the jet noise was quite loud. This is not a complaint, believe me, I love it! Between the planes and helicopters and boat traffic, my view provides much entertainment. Tonight are plans for Ladies' Night Out with the Great Hang Ups ladies, with our meal destination yet to be determined. My vote was for Bonefish Grille where I've never eaten but Dee is concerned I won't find anything to eat there. The menu on-line says I will and told her I care more about their company than the food anyway! And it's true!!!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

A couple more photos

This is a photo taken of me sitting on the ancient rocks in Ephesus, contemplating whether or not I'll make it the rest of the tour. It was 115 degrees above zero, and yes, I was HOT! Notice I am holding a water bottle in my hand, probably one of the only pictures ever showing this. As it turned out, we were at the end of the line for the tour and about to head to the shops area and bus. I bought another bottle of water at the top of the hill, drank some of it, and poured the rest over my head. I was already wet from perspiration so what's a little more? We all kept checking with each other to make sure we were okay and we made it!

Quite by contrast and only six weeks later, Lynn and I are "on the rocks" at the Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska. Twila took our picture with the glacier showing in the background. I bought the fleece jacket on the ship and it served me well on the trip, but look at Lynn in her cropped pants. As Linda would say, "It was probably in the 60's!!!" Layers, layers, layers.....

Here is my friend, Judy, standing against the wall at the Palace of Knossos, once more hot, hot, hot. She is making do in her outfit of borrowed and purchased pieces of clothing, since the entire trip Jerry and she were without their luggage. I didn't have much to share clothing-wise but had a shawl to contribute for formal night and some sun screen given to me by the dermatologist. Our group pitched in as best we could for the two couples who didn't get their luggage and Judy has told me that brown is her least favorite color, but what are you going to do???

I just met a low-talker!

Since the pile of laundry on the floor in my closet was growing higher and higher, I decided it was time to get to the store for laundry soap. Not that I've not been at the store in recent weeks, but somehow I neglected to get that necessary item. Today I made a bee-line for the soap aisle to ensure getting what I came for. Usually I'll take a quick inventory of the basket contents before getting into the check-out line to make sure I actually did have what I came to get. Obviously I didn't have a specific mission on the other trips when it came to laundry detergent!
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Twila is supposed to be coming for cropping today but our other friend, Caroline, once again has other things on her schedule. She felt badly to always decline but from now on will plan around cropping so she gets to come. Caroline and her husband are prospective members, currently going through the 'instruction' class privately with Pastor. Not only do I like Caroline and like scrapbooking, it is also part of job to incorporate and keep in contact with prospects/new members. One of my favorite things to do!
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For our lunch today, I bought white mountain bread, sandwich meat and cheese to make our own sandwiches instead of having Twila pick up subs for us. I bought the Hillshire Farms sandwich meat which comes with its own Gladware container, because they were less expensive than the store brand---imagine! The store brand soda was also quite cheap so that's what I took for my refrigerator. Justin picked some up for me the other day and it wasn't bad, so I can do it!
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Not wishing to waste a moment, I made my way to the check out, and found only one open. I don't like the self-checking aisles, I like the personal touch of having some one do it for me. The checkout young lady was seemingly new to the job, had the most delightful accent, perhaps from the Islands. In attempting to process my purchase I needed to scan my debit card twice before she got it figured out. But, the young lady doing the bagging, was the low-talker. She must have asked me three times where I got my shirt (one of my postcard looking tops) before I could hear or understand the question. She had dramatic black eye make-up on, jet black hair in pigtails and wore glasses, rather the character, but I never took her for a low-talker! Good thing I wasn't wearing a puffy shirt!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Pictures from the photo gallery

In August, my sister, Lynn, and her daughter and family came to visit. My enticement, as if I needed one, was we'd be able to sit poolside and enjoy our lovely weather. It wasn't three days after this gathering of friends that the heavens opened and TS Faye moved in! As part of that gathering, Jimmie and Rick are chatting while the kids play in the pool between rain showers. Rick was our draftsman, hired at the tender age of 20, younger than Justin is now. Jimmie was our superintendent and worked closely with Rick. I love it that after all these years they have remained friends!
Here is a picture of Justin showing his toothy grin. Love his Packer shirt, and so did he, until he wore it to work and got black paint on it. We got him a new Packer shirt when we were in WI.
JD and Justin are sitting poolside watching JD's little girls play in the pool. In the background you can see the recent addition to The Club, enclosing the south promenade.
JD is listening to Justin tell a story about something while Gabe sits at the table eating some grapes. We had to come in the house for awhile during a quick rain storm but were able to go back out after it stopped.
Jennifer is probably going to smack me for posting this picture of her!!! Behind Jen, barely in the shot is Christine, coming around the table with her plate in hand. Betty is also barely in the shot, chatting with Jimmie and Rick. Rick and Jen have two kids, Chris and Memrie.
Jimmie and Justin share some 'guy-time' poolside where Jimmie's granddaughters were swimming. Jimmie and JD, a father/son team, were both pall bearers for Timmy's funeral. JD used to be his babysitter before getting married and Jimmie is my former co-worker, my dear friend through thick and thick. He now works with another builder alongside Brenda N., who, unfortunately couldn't make it to this gathering. Michael was at the party earlier but had to leave because of previous plans. At least he got to see Lisa and family first, and meet Noah, finally.
Jimmie and Lisa having, not guy-time, but friend-time, in the river room. Lisa has been coming down to visit us ever since we moved to Florida and became quite friendly with our staff. Brenda (see the next picture) and Jimmie, Christine, and Brenda N. were the top on her list of people to see, and of course, the Ross's and Betty....the whole gang, as it were!

Here, Brenda and Hope are diving into their enormous sandwiches which I had for feeding the group. Hope is JD's oldest daughter and behind her you can almost see little Faith, talking to her daddy in the family room. Down at the pool later on, JD had us in tears of laughter, telling the story about how his dad drove him to my house in The Preserve and commanded him to "tell Miss Kim what you need to tell her". It seems little JD got into some kind of mischief and found himself about to become a father.....this is before he got married. He said, "I was more scared of telling you than telling Daddy!" I always held the boys in high regard and both JD and Jason hated to let me down. At least, that's what they tell me! It's funny now to tell the story, but, at the time, not so much.

This is Lynn sitting in my dining room. She is not crazy about having her picture taken but this one is absolutely gorgeous of her! She was here with Lisa and her family in August and is coming back again in December to attend the Packer/Jaguar Game with Justin and me on the 14th. Our plans are to escort Lynn back to WI later that week so we can see/hear Gabe in his very first CHRISTmas program on the 21st. We are not sure how long we'll stay after CHRISTmas as Justin hates to miss too much work--loves the $$$!
My beautiful niece, Lisa, wearing some of her hand-made jewellery. When Lisa was born, back in 1973, she turned our world upside down, adding one more girl to our mix (I have 5 sisters!!!). The sun rose and set on her, and sometimes, it still does! Especially when she presents us with those absolutely adorable little boys!
This shot of Justin I've titled "BUSTED!" because of the look on his face plus the fact that I discovered him having a can of beer with JD. That sounds so weird because JD used to be the babysitter of choice by the boys, mostly Timmy needed the sitter, and now they enjoy an adult beverage together! And, yes, he's old enough to drink beer, but he doesn't flaunt it in front of me. JD must have gotten to him, told him not to let me down!
Lisa enjoys getting her picture taken poolside, too---NOT!!!! Her face is a dead give-away. There she is, wrapped in one of the towels mentioned in the previous posting today. The kids sure enjoyed the pool toys I got for them, so inexpensive and yet provided hours of fun. Just beyond Lisa and Manny is the cabana where my friend, Chris, would conduct business, making wonderful food smells and running his blender to island music....ahhhhh! And now it's so chilly in my house that I'm wearing my fuzzy slippers!

A bit of a trip down memory lane

A week ago I held a Southern Living party here where I used some of my serving dishes to present my delicious treats. Yesterday I finally emptied the dishwasher and put the dishes away again. One of the items is a "silver" tray, probably intended for breads, a long narrow piece. Another giant plate I used, not especially decorative or ornate, just a great size for serving foods. As I emptied the machine, it occurred to me that these two pieces in particular have "served" me since I got married---1974! The tray was a wedding present and the platter was part of the first set of dishes we bought from, believe it or not, Fingerhut! I think the dish set had been sold many moons ago at the church yard sale but somehow this serving platter was saved from being sold.

As I was putting stuff away in my laundry room not too long ago, I saw a stack of hand towels I keep there for cleaning (ha!) or wiping up a mess or whatever. Some of the towels are from our set also bought from Fingerhut and some are from when we decorated our bathroom in the "big house" in Indian Bluffs, the maroon and dark grey ones we got at Prange's Dept. Store. I still have some of the towels in use from that set but the rugs bit the dust a long time ago. We lived there from just after Jamie was born until 1988, so about 2 1/2 years. Those were some good towels!

Some of the towels we use for the pool or as jumbo bath towels were from the kids, both of them, with pictures of trolls, Thomas the Tank Engine, Star Wars, and other cartoon, kid-oriented designs. Obviously, if Justin used them, they are quite old already and am not sure which ones were his and which were Timmy's, but it's fun to keep them around for guests at the pool. They were used much much more at The Preserve and at the lake house than now since the large groups aren't gathering here as much anymore. Lisa and family used them when they were here in August and they haven't quite made it back to their storage area yet, still stacked in the laundry room.

When we moved into the lake house, I bought new towels and mats for my bathroom to coordinate with my paint colors, of course. I had four different colors on my walls, and one was painted in stripes to match my dust ruffle and valances. Justin requested having black towels for his bathroom, nearly sheet sized, which makes for a whole lot of towels being accumulated in our bathrooms. When the preschool asked for bath towels to use in the classroom, I donated a mess of them. When Martie's son got his own apartment, I gave him a mess of them. And I still have a mess of towels here to use in the bathrooms. I need to have a houseful of company or another tropical storm to make use of my bounty of cotton----wait! What am I saying????

Monday, October 20, 2008

The end of the day at the beginning of the week

I am home from the Condo Owners meeting which was held at The Club. Arriving a bit early, not like me at all, I allowed extra time for travel as I walked over and back! A party was going on in the new room but the rest of the place was totally dark. I wondered if there was a mistake about the date or time but eventually more folks started to show up. A man from the hotel portion of The Club checked on the room for us and didn't find any arrangements being made. Oops! It seems the lady who made the plans wasn't even going to be there for the meeting but the fellow went ahead and gave us the dining room area with no problem. Although all the Owners were invited, we still had a small gathering, only about 10 people plus the Board members. It had the potential to be contentious but Tracy did a good job of keeping things reigned in. "Rainbows and butterflies" is her mantra......
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The first part of the day began with the Fox News Channel before heading over to church for Bible study. And what a class it was! Our topic from the "Prepared to Answer" book, today's subject being "there are too many hypocrites in the church". This stirred much conversation and discussion, sometimes straying off the subject (not me this time....) and then getting back to what constitutes a hypocrite. Very interesting and time well spent.
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We went to our usual place for lunch, only 4 of us today, and had a great meal once again. The Manager came over and chatted with us today, telling about the great week they had last week 'sales'-wise, beating even Fleming Island's store. He always gives us 10% off our meals to show his appreciation for our patronage.
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I had to get gas right after lunch as my gas light dinged just as I pulled up to the restaurant. It's so nice to pay "only" $3.75 a gallon, less than $40 for a fill-up. Cool beans! I headed out to Comcast on College Drive to turn in my machinery for the Internet and DVR/HD. My water aerobics instructor was there and held the DVR for me as my arms were full and the lines lengthy. We had time for a long chat because of the waiting, and I made a man laugh when I told him the DVR can take over his life! He said he already three in his house and needed one more! My point was made! Here is Bryson, my youngest great-nephew, enjoying his birthday cake on Saturday. It seems it was just to his liking! I can't get over how much he looks like his daddy!
Can't you just grab those cheeks and squeeze 'em? He's enjoying playing with his balloon, likes it more than his actual gifts.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

What a glorious day today!

So far, anyway. I am watching the Packers make mince meat out of the Colts, at least in the 3rd quarter they are! Anything can happen yet, to be sure. The Jags are on a 'bye week' so what a blessing to be able to watch the Packers instead. The temps here today are screaming "football" because it's windy and chilly, only 69 above zero when I came home from Green Cove Springs this afternoon.
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Last night at bedtime I decided to take a pain pill leftover from abscessed tooth days to help my aching bones, hoping it would bring instant sleep....wrong! Although I didn't ache or anything, I simply didn't drop immediately off to sleep. It was at least midnight or after before dropping off. This morning it was not easy to wake up but somehow I managed, thanks in part to the rising of the sun, to get up and out the door by 8:40 a.m. Without stopping for soda at Sonic on the way, I pulled into the parking lot right on time for Bible study.
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Once more we spent time visiting the Supplement for the hymnal, reviewing the liturgies, meditations, the new psalm tones, and Pastor even tried his hand at the organ since Robbie wasn't there to help us out. To sing the hymns, we used the CD which came with the CWS and sounded so good singing with the professionals on the "tape". We could hear the addition of finger cymbals and even clarinet in the accompaniment. Boy, I wish we had an orchestra like FG does. Mr. Menk does such a wonderful job with those kids, getting them to play and sound so good, offering much edification to the worship! Somebody up there tell him I say "thanks!", please!?! I can just hear what lovely additions the hand bells/tone chimes at Victory will make to their worship.
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With the Douglas/Langleys and Chappells gone on vacation plus our back row folks being out, we had an empty church today! I don't think any babies or little ones had to go into the nursery, either. Pastor offered a special prayer on behalf of my father-in-law, giving thanks for his successful surgery and for strength to recover quickly. A dear member and friend, Ethel, is having heart surgery tomorrow, hopefully not too invasive or grueling for her. She is such a vital cog in our church machinery and a sweetheart to boot, so we pray that she'll come through with flying colors and get back to us quickly.
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As I was greeting at the door after church, someone brought to my attention a "stranger" coming toward me from the parking lot....JUSTIN! Sporting his Packer T-shirt and short hair, he drew quite a crowd, folks were so happy to see him, and told him so. He was a bit confused, again, about our dinner plans so came to church to meet me. It surprised me so that I got tears in my eyes---really? I was ripe for tears anyway, as I was 'greeting' Ethel and wishing her well tomorrow. After the crowds thinned, we compared notes and he figured out that I was spending time with Julia both days, which is what messed him up. He asked, "Is this going to interfere with your time for Julia now?" and I told him it would be okay for me to have lunch with him first since he came all this way over here to do so. He should have known Carrabba's isn't open at lunch time and admits he goofed----just as I did on Thursday when I stood him up at Panera Bread! He chose Clark's for lunch so off we went.
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No wait for an outdoor table today, although it was too chilly to be eating out there. It might have been okay in the sun but we weren't in the sun and got hit by the 'cold' wind, even Justin said it was cold. Our pickles were perfection, the best I ever had there, almost as crisp as potato chips! We ate only half the basketful because I didn't want to totally ruin my lunch. Always having the fish fingers, formerly known as grouper fingers, I managed to eat all of them, 5 or 6, and shared my fries with the fish and turtles. Neither of us eat the hush puppies so tossed them into the water, too. As we came along the path from the parking lot, where I had 'rock star' parking today, we saw two baby alligators sunning themselves in the weeds. Justin took a picture using his phone so we'll see if it shows up. Cool! Justin's meal was Minorcan pasta with crab meat and shrimp, and he licked up every bit of it.
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Oh, oh, what happened to the Packer game? CBS just switched to another football game before the Packer game was completed!!! I don't want to hear the ruckus in other people's family rooms right now.....I can't believe they'd do this, is it because the Packers were so far ahead??? It's a Jets game featuring some guy named Favre....sorry, Dolly, I had to say it!
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So, back to the afternoon's events: leaving Clark's and heading for Green Cove Springs, I called Mom to gloat about eating there and to find out about Bryson's birthday party yesterday. They had a good time and met some nice people from Hannah's side of the family. Due to Alayna's work schedule she wasn't able to join in the fun, sadly. It's three hours each way so the family spent many hours on the road Saturday. I stopped at Sonic and got my Happy Hour diet Coke for taking to the gallery with me. There were several trucks and cars parked at Donna's when I arrived so had to park a bit down the street. I was glad to see that folks had showed up and even more glad to hear Julia had sold a couple pieces before I arrived!
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Donna is going to offer classes in her studio so I signed up to give it a try. Maybe, just maybe, Martie will take a class or two, although she's been awfully hard to pin down these days. We'd planned to take classes with one of her former teachers starting in October but it fell through the cracks, for a number of reasons. I wasn't overly excited to drive to Mandarin on Mondays for the classes since I already have pretty full days on Monday already. Maybe Donna's classes will work out better. Donna has been briefed by my dear friends, Julia and Dee, about my inimitable style (ahem, ahem) of painting and she thinks she can work with it! More power to her! I simply cannot allow the teachers to rob me of my fun, or my joy! It was so much more fun to paint before I knew what I was doing!!!
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When I got home again, and started to watch the football game, I made the finishing touches, I hope, on a document needed for the Owners' meeting tomorrow night at The Club. Tracy asked me to take a document used for the Board and re-write it for the Owners. I did it, managed to get it down to three pages, hopefully without losing her sentiment and message. Justin teased me, saying "you are just so busy" between the recent church stuff, Art Guild, and now the Board of Directors stuff. He said, "You got off of one Board and onto another!" I don't mind doing the word jobs, especially the newsletters.