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

Saturday, March 22, 2008

I hate going to the mailbox!

Here, at my condo, our mail is placed in little pigeon holes with our unit number on them, and we use a key to access it. If someone gets a large package---or they are negligent in collecting their mail--ahem, ahem,--the letter carrier can use a big, square keyed box alongside, then puts the key inside the regular mailbox. When I see that a key is missing from the big boxes, I know its probably time for me to check my mail. A plastic grocery bag gets recycled as a mail bag for me, and I carry the contents from the big and small box upstairs, this time literally, upstairs. Whew! What a load! Many, many, many catalogs including one from Pottery Barn, which makes me laugh, thinking about that "Seinfeld" episode and Kramer "rejecting" his mail because of all the Pottery Barn catalogs he received! The majority of my mail constitutes junque but some requires action on my part. Yech! Just what I need, more paper on my desk.

This afternoon I bought some binders for filing purposes and also a couple bouquets of flowers to have available tomorrow morning for dressing our Resurrection Cross, made from our CHRISTmas tree. It was "advertised"in last Sunday's bulletin but some may have forgotten about it, so now there will be extra stems available. I also tried my luck again with the chocolate crosses for Easter, hopefully not being reduced to some weird shapes down in the car. The A/C ran on high all the way home from the store, while I kept cozy using my seat warmer, in order to cool the car sufficiently so they wouldn't melt. Please, please, please let them not change shape overnight!!!

I'll be making up Justin's basket later and getting some other things ready for him to take along when he goes to his father's tomorrow for the Feast. He is looking forward to seeing Harv and Barb, and of course, little Maya, who fell in love with him a
couple weeks ago. Of course, the rest of his family including Marian, Biff, and their daughter, Tina, who is Maya's mommy. I don't know if Keith, Tina's husband, is coming or not, but I believe his mother is joining the fun. Justin was meeting one of his former classmates from St. Johns this afternoon so didn't come over to take care of that mess of his. Says he'll get it tomorrow...keeps getting further and further away, doesn't it???

I was with my friend today...she had called me Friday to report that she had tumor things on her jawline, jowls, and into her clavicle area. Lymph nodes apparently. She'd had a CAT scan in the morning, and was awaiting a
call from her doctor. She told the doctor's office that she wasn't feeling the tiniest bit better, having had antibiotics for two days already, and they told her to go to the ER this morning if she didn't feel better. WELL, she didn't feel better, felt terrible, her glands were getting bigger, harder and more painful. So much for not using the ER as your primary care facility!!

We went to a wonderful, new hospital where she is getting excellent care. She just called to report that she'd finally been put in a room after napping since I left her about 2:00 pm in the ER. They gave her an antibiotic drip and something for her pain, and she seems to be feeling better. Could be the pain medicine at work....She will most likely be able to go home tomorrow and is going to let me know when she can leave. I may be able to go get her but most likely I'll be having my Easter feast. My friend already has someone in mind to call for a ride if I can't make it. She understands about Easter and its feast! We were going to have brunch at The Club tomorrow but since she's sick, I've been invited elsewhere to dine.

My peoples in WI are having their Easter Feast as I write. Lori called me from the road and said how much she is looking forward to seeing all the little boys at dinner. Jill is the hostess with the mostest, particularly as she has the "mostest" room for gatherings. Jill's two grandsons, Hunter and Bryson (the one I haven't met yet) are there, as well as my two sweethearts, Lynn's grands, Gabe and Manny. Oh, they are sooooo cute! I can't remember why they had the Feast tonight instead of tomorrow, perhaps someone had to work Sunday or something. Anyway, bon appetit! Emmanuel
Lisa, Gabe, and part of Grandma K

Linda's mom went home to heaven yesterday morning, her battle over. Linda called to tell me as Joanne and I drove to the ER. She sounded good, under the circumstances. She told me the neatest thing though: Her mom was sort of fading in and out of awareness, while Linda and her sister sang hymns for their mother the night before she died. What a wonderful send off they gave Mrs. Kocian! Now, she is experiencing the "bliss beyond compare" we sing about in our "Jerusalem, the Golden" anthem for Easter....How wonderful to be singing with the heavenly realm for eternity!

First the moon, and now the sun

Last night after church as I was driving home, the moon was peeking above the trees, getting larger the closer I got to the condo. I climbed the stairs and swung my kitchen door open, and was met by moon rays as they glanced off my dining room table. It was almost as though I'd left a light on. Usually I use the hall light to get to my room but the moon lit my path and illuminated enough so I could see without turning on the overhead light. The way it reflects on the smooth water.....breathtaking!
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And now, the sun is doing the same dance as it rises above the trees. The clouds above it are greyish-pink, a good color combination, God. There is a barge sitting out in the middle of the river, I wonder if someone drove off and forgot to drag it along! A little further south of that barge is one holding a yellow crane, matching the one that sits in our basin area. I was hopeful that work would soon begin on the marina but after a couple weeks of parked cranes, no activity.
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It would be lovely to have the elevator re-installed and the marina underway when I return from my travels. At least the elevator!!! So far so good on the stairs for me, but today I'll be carrying stuff out with me, which will occupy one hand, at least. We are being encouraged to use the handrails on both sides in order to prevent falling, but that's a bit difficult to do if you're carrying something down or up. A couple people have slipped on the wet stairs and injured their back or tailbone so some non-skid pads have been added to an inside stairway--not mine.
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A good deal of time was spent with my friends at Hang Ups yesterday, where I was able to pick up my newly framed watercolor. It looks marvelous, if I do say so myself. (Jill, I just paid myself a compliment!) I was going to take it to Island Realty for display but decided to hang onto it until Harv, Barb and Justin see it, and then take it over. Art Guild had a change out at Island while I was gone but not many showed up, so I still have a chance to get mine displayed prominently. One of my other watercolors hangs in the reception area above Martie's desk, how perfect is that?? I don't have it priced, but Pam says many people comment on it---am I missing the boat here?
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Painting on consignment I liken to painting at gun point. Martie went through that a while back when my friend, Joan, was having her paint a couple pieces for her collection. Martie would sit, brush poised in the air, but couldn't put paint on the canvas. Too much pressure to perform!! She had performance anxiety! The work she did turn out for Joan was very nicely done, but not as freely as would a piece done just for the pleasure of painting. Some folks make a decent living selling their art work, but Martie, Chris, Christine, and I simply enjoy the process, the joy, of playing with paint!
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Dee shared with me the criteria for entering work in the Clay County Fair, including the photography exhibits. Mine, again, pales next to what others would be entering, but I like having the option of doing that some day as well. I'll be gone for the Fair this year, but Martie signed up to work in the Art Guild booth, perhaps with Chris. It's fun to sit in the exhibit, have people vote on their favorite pieces, and see so many people all in one place---like when we used to have a booth in the Home Show! Loved working that Home Show!
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In checking the weather forecast in WI yesterday, I saw that snow is predicted for the day I land in Milwaukee. Nuts! Can there be anything worse than driving a rental car in the snow, in the twilight? Ugh! I hope it's all cleared away and the roads dry when I head up to Manty. My flight won't land until after 6:00 p.m. so it might be 7:00 or so before I am on the road. Is it dark in WI at that time of day?
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This morning I'll be heading over to church to set up for Holy Communion as soon as I'm done here. I was going to go later and meet Carol but one of my friends is quite ill and asked me to take her to the ER this morning if she didn't feel better overnight, so am planning to start the day a bit earlier to allow for time sitting in the ER. A book will keep me company if she's too sick to chat. Justin was thinking about coming over here some time today, if he didn't make plans with a friend home for Easter, but he can do what he has to without me here. He sort of trashed my guest rooms and I'd like them straightened out before Harv and Barb come to visit. I have the boxes here from the Southern Living delivery taking up valuable room, too, so he can take them down to the dumpster for me. That should have been done before the elevator was taken out of service, but.............
They would make a lovely bonfire!