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?