Pickers in my fingers!

And I smell of bleach. Even after changing my clothes and washing my hair, I still smell of bleach. Probably a shower and wearing my night clothes would answer that problem but since it is not even dark yet, I am holding off. You never know if someone is going to call about going to supper, even though I finished my leftovers from Koko's only a couple hours ago. I love when it happens---the last minute phone call asking if I have plans for dinner, and my rule is: if the phone rings and a better offer comes up, the stove (figuratively and literally speaking) is shut off and out the door I go! Once I had to wait until a pie was finished baking but still I went off to socialize!

*

Last night, Jen called to report they were going to the "new" Smokey's on 218 and asked me to come along. Certainly! I had not eaten bbq in a long time, and did not last night either. I arrived before they did, so the waitress brought me a basket of some delicious looking morsels in a basket. She did not say what they were at first but then told me these morsels are "fried pretzels"! Imagine that! Little pieces of the doughy-style pretzels like they have at the movies, fried, and then salted and garlicked, if that's a word. Yummy! For my meal I had the hot dog and corn nuggets instead of the pulled pork because I ate too many pretzel pieces, I guess!

*

It is incredibly windy outside right now, and a lone pelican is bobbing in the river as the water appears to flow away from the shore. It was over 80 degrees today, quite lovely, and perfect for working in the church yard with Tara and family. It is a huge stretch to describe that I "worked" with them but served in the leadership role Cindy recommended for this project. Tara brought gloves today as the other day she tore up her hands trying to pull the picky vines from among the bushes. I picked up what she pulled out in order to shove it in the garbage bag, but without gloves, ouch!!!! My knuckles on the right hand were full of pickers just from that little bit of handling. It gives me goosebumps even now just thinking about it.

*

Carl came along with Tara and the kids to work on the A/C in the Fellowship Hall which evidently was on the fritz. He did something which included getting the ladder out, and little CJ helped him wash the filters with the hose. Then he came over to help Tara with some raking while Shiloh watched from stroller, no duct tape! In the meantime, I went in to do the vacuum cleaning in the church. Vacuuming always works up a sweat for me, besides it being warm outside, so I was mopping and vacuuming at the same time. At one point I looked up and there stood the Kelley's, having driven all the way over from Arlington to clean. We are having HUGE problems trying to figure out the cleaning, greeting, and altar guild schedules as some changes have been made to how it is spelled out. Not quite clearly enough, it seems. And the service folder tell us a different story than the posted schedule of duties. So, sometimes the church gets cleaned twice in a week by two different teams, or not at all some weeks. I think we need some clarification on this. Because they came so far, I left them to finish the cleaning and went back outside to oversee the flower bed.

*

Two yard sales ago, I sold the pressure washer which had ceased to do the job it was intended to do, that being using pressure to clean. It lost its umph! My plan was to replace it and keep it at church in the garage, once we have a garage again. In the meantime however, the support columns which hold the changeable sign in the flower bed were quite black with mold/mildew, and no way to clean it---------unless...................How about a spray bottle from under my kitchen sink, mixed with dish soap and bleach, and squirted pump-style on the blackness??? No wonder my forearms are complaining now! But it seemed to have done the trick, at least, as far as I could tell. It might not be dark black any more, but was not quite white like it used to be. Only the pressure washer would remove the total soil, but for now, I think it will be okay.

*

Little CJ helped his mama and me plant some of the bulbs in the loose soil in the flower bed. We decided to let the lantana grow back in but keep it groomed so it will not be so wild looking. It occured to me that perhaps the bulbs were irises but I simply cannot remember. Like Tara said, we will be surprised---yes, we will, we will be surprised IF they come up, and when they come up!

Well, that is the price I pay for sleeping!

All the missed sleep has been made up, and then some! After going to bed early, at some point during the night I woke up. I started looking around on the channels for something to lull me back to sleep, as I knew it was not morning by the color of the sky. I have no clocks in my room, relying on the sun or light to tell me when to get up. Must be the Indian in me!

*

First I found "Roseanne" and let a couple of those go by, reminding me of my sister, Lori. When I got married and moved "away" from home, an hour and half south of my home town, she reported not missing me so much anymore when "Roseanne" was on TV!! On one particular episode back in '74 or '75, someone dropped dead in Roseanne's house and as the gurney is being wheeled passed her, she addresses the corpse with the words, "Say hello to Janis from me", prompting my phone to ring---some of my sisters calling---wondering if I heard that. Neat memory-stirrer, that one. I quit watching her program after it was not so funny anymore, cannot say exactly when that happened.

*

Finding nothing else besides infomercials to listen to at that hour, I decided to use "Seinfeld" as my lullaby. The disc in my machine is one which has the "100 Episodes" recap, which is normally quite amusing and causes me to burst out laughing, but not this time.....back toward sleep I went. (If I put on Fox News Channel when trying to fall asleep, it has the opposite result, stirs me up as I get involved in the debate or discussion, certainly not lulling material!)

*

At some point I woke again and realized the DVD had ended, so I just pushed the buttons until regular TV came back on, and went back to sleep again. Dream time! My cropping friend, Carol, was joining Martie and me for an afternoon of "work", but her hubby called with an urgent request for her to come home. We walked (now I know it's a dream!) with her to see what was going on, only to find their lawn under water from the sprinklers. Only, it was about a foot deep! Some lawn, and some sprinklers! Her hubby, not her real one in the dream, came out and was arm waving, cursing and swearing at her, all excited as if this was her doing. I reprimanded him for speaking that way to my friend. I guess his father had caulked the sprinkler heads open, thinking he was helping. These males were of Asian descent, another strange angle to the dream.

*

Next we were on a huge airplane which had a workroom just for us to crop in, looks like a kitchen. Before we could work, though, we had to sit in seats for take-off and I realized I was cradling my friend, Ellen, in my arms and comforting her, as she held a photo of Billy in her hands. I told her how glad I was that she decided to go with us on this magical mystery trip, as I had no clue where we were going. She tearfully reminisced about how long she knew us (Justin and me) and how much we meant to her, sort of out-of-whack yet from her hubby's death.

*

My project was making a housewarming present for someone with a pumpkin theme going on, but before I could get busy, I had to go change my baby's diaper. Where did the baby come from? You got me, but it was my baby! Through the glass windows on top of the plane, it appeared we were dangerously close to rocks, as though flying through mountain passes or something, but I assured all on board that we were fine. As if I knew!

*

All of a sudden, as I finished with the diapering, a decision was made to land in Da Nang and someone was going to have get off and take another flight. Of the men on the plane, one was afraid to get off because he had been a prisoner of war, and since there was only a handful of people, including my now former spouse, but for the dream, still my spouse, and the baby, I volunteered to get off. One man cautioned me, gave the serious warnings about the danger, drama, and possible death, but I still said I would go. And my spouse was going to let me, and leave the baby with him! The other man said there are no bathrooms in Da Nang so I said I would take some diapers with me, and he said, "All we have are toddler size", as if those would not quite do the trick. I think I could have made them work, but we will never know, because I woke up.

*

I used to tell Justin to write down his dreams because his were so interesting. A fortune could be made by us and for others, in the book stores and on the analysts' couches!

*

Once he was relating a dream to Mom and me and I could tell he was pausing, thinking, and then going on. I said, "You're making stuff up" to which he replied, "I'm just adding details for interest." Mom and I lost it, just lost it, and realized that's why we HAD to send him to St. Johns!

*

Dreams seem to be recap of a day's events or a lifetime of events, some real, some too real, and some not real at all!

Oh, by the way-----I just found out this is my 500th posting!!!

I forgot to mention earlier that I am meeting one of our younger moms at church tomorrow to work on Timmy's flower bed! She volunteered to pull weeds and help make our church property look presentable so together we are addressing the front flower bed by the sign. In the past week one of the male members trimmed back the lantana which is planted in that bed so all that remains now are the trunks. Lantana is good for attracting butterflies and looks quite pretty when it blooms but also tends to grow a bit wild and looks unkempt if not kept trimmed. I must confess that I have basically been ignoring the flower bed since none of the flowers I would plant in there could live without irrigation, which has been out of service for a long time. There are a couple statues in the memory garden, including one donated by my friend, Cindy, plus one the Douglas family gave us on the first anniversary of Timmy's death. It had been at the cemetery all the while until I had to remove the decorative pieces last July. Now it sits in the flower bed at church in a somewhat obvious spot.

*

I had some flower bulbs in the freezer since leaving The Preserve house so I hope they are okay, Joanne seemed to think they would be okay to plant. Tara and I are meeting at church after lunch to stick some bulbs in the soil and wait to see what happens. For some reason, I cannot recall what type of bulbs they are, some sort of lily, I think. In a few weeks there will be an official work day to address the property and get things in order for Easter and at that point mulch can be added to help dress up the flower bed. Tara is taking this bull by the horns and I am privileged to witness to it! She made me chuckle by saying she would use duct tape to secure her young daughter to the lamp post so we can work! Hopefully she is willing to do the bulk of the bending and kneeling work as I am so out of condition for doing this type of yard work anymore!

*

It is my opportunity to serve as church cleaner with week so will take care of that before Tara gets there. Judy J. wanted to come with me to see what is required to clean the Lord's house but she might still be keeping her neighbor company on Saturday. We are in such need for volunteers to clean, and even though it kills my back to do it, I will keep my name on the list. Our little vacuum cleaner is so nice, lightweight with a beater brush attachment, but according to Judy, vacuum cleaning is the worst things on backs. Mom will attest to that one! Hers has bothered her for years, and it's all she can do to vacuum her floors.

*

One of the ladies who is again serving on the Building Comm. was there last night and asked if there was anything her granddaughter could do to earn volunteer hours needed for school. I guess the criteria is only that it be unpaid service so it was suggested she help with the painting on the classroom building, helping with the Spring Cleaning day, volunteer in the nursery on Sundays, maybe watch kids while their parents are planting bulbs in flower beds....There are many serving opportunities for young men and women, so many that I had a hard time coming up with them on the spur of the moment! Justin earned his hours helping out in the preschool during the summer, but I think that won't work now since the State has more stringent rules in place for the preschool.

*

The weather has been most pleasant here the past couple days, with high today being in the mid 70's. Tara and I might be sweating bullets Saturday as it's predicted to reach 80, but then plummet as thunder showers roll through. My friend, Julia, is in Atlanta a potter's workshop and might have to experience driving in snow on Sunday, as foul weather will be passing through there on its way here. I hope the snow stays north where it belongs, and that she gets home safely! Joanne is going up there on Monday as she has a "meeting" planned with King Tut! She asked me to go along but we had already spent time with the King in Chicago a couple CHRISTmas's ago. The first week of the month is too busy for me to go bumming anyway so I will stay here and hold down the fort while she ventures north into snow country!

Koko's for lunch, what could be better?

This morning I was thinking about Carrabba's, having not been there in months, it seems. A fellow I know in Morton Grove who used to work at Carrabba's here reported cooking this type of cuisine for a group at church, which simply made my mouth water! Mmmm, I have had some of Duane's marsala sauce and I would be hard pressed to tell the difference between his and the restaurant's sauce. But since I was not going to Carrabba's for lunch.....

*

...I now smell like Koko's. Joanne called me last night while I was at the Building Committee Meeting so I was not able to answer her, but she was up when I got home last night. She said her sister, Toni, and Dad wanted to go have lunch at Kan Ki Japanese restaurant and asked me to join them. Sure! I arrived first at Kan Ki and found the parking lot to be empty, with the opening time posted on the door being 3:30 pm. Nuts! I called Joanne right away and told her the news, so we met at Koko's instead. Yippee! Her dad was not in the mood to eat but the rest of us enjoyed our personally prepared feast cooked by Hung. He always makes an onion special for me as I do not care for the veggies. Such excellent customer service! I have brought half home for either myself or Justin. And Toni paid for my meal, which was icing on the cake!

*

After lunch we stopped in at Hang Ups to say "hi" and for Toni to see the lovely art and gift items. They went down to Maggie Moo's to get their dad a strawberry malt so I sat with him at the store until they came back for him. Clyde had gotten into a conversation with another customer regarding their shared service in the Air Force which brought Clyde sort of back to life for a little while. I stayed and chatted after the rest left. Clyde was finally hungry now, since he was getting his favorite treat!

*

Justin could not join us as he was quite busy finishing up a house, ready for the final walk-through, and then had to go back to the office to clear some space for a renter moving in today. Whew! He has been kept quite busy on the jobsite these past weeks and it seems he has sort of taken ownership of his job.

*

He told me yesterday that he is not been keeping up with the applications he put out closer to his home and school. I realize jobs are not easy to come by for anyone these days but I still encourage him to find a job where he does not have to drive quite so much to this side of the world. Yesterday we talked about how I miss my house on the lake but am glad to have sold it when I did, and he said we had to get away from the spiders! I thought he was over the spider-fear problem but he assured me that, no, oh no, he still has no use for spiders!

*

Kelly T. and I had talked about going to Victory for scrapbooking tonight but now that she has her dad and mom staying with her while he recuperates after knee surgery, she is hesitant to be gone so long and leaving them home alone. Since I am weary, it might be for the best to stick around here tonight. Judy J. is staying with a friend/neighbor at the hospital where her hubby is in need of a heart procedure but will be coming by on her way through tonight to pick up the balance of her tuna salad and croissants leftover from Ash Wednesday. She had expected to leave the hospital that day in time to be at church but the neighbor was not doing well so she stayed with them. Our shared friend, Linda O., called me today as I was coming home from Hang Ups to see if I could have lunch with her mom and her at the China Buffet on Tuesday before Frieda heads back home to MN in a couple weeks. Wow, first a couple meals of Japanese food, then a hankering for Italian, and next week, Chinese! Judy will join us if the neighbor is doing okay by then....If I am ever sick, I want Judy on my team!!!

I thought morning would never come

My poor eyes are so tired this a.m. because I barely slept a wink last night. Add another exercise to my work-out routine----tossing and turning 3/4 of the night! Although I had made up my mind to not let things bother me, I never should have allowed the thought of not letting it bother me into my head at all. Make sense? The harder I tried to sleep, the worse it was to let go, and let God.....

*

My mistake, depending upon how one looks at it, was venturing to the mail center in the lobby to see what was stuffed in my box. Much to my chagrin was a big, fat envelope from my attorney, which means, which means, which means---what? Once upstairs I opened it and found a more paperwork which spells out about the upcoming Court date in March. My "advisor" friend from church reminded me, certainly the judge will sort everything out fairly, and he further advised me to "not lose any sleep over this" so I did!

*

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

*

I do not wish to be thrown into the fire and truly I was not all that disturbed or upset by this packet of papers, but my brain took over and perhaps even the evil one wanting to stir me up when I was not even willing to go! Joanne told me this a.m. that she also had trouble sleeping and knows nothing of my paperwork---she just might have her own things stirring 'round in her pretty little head! My head kept going to "In Christ Alone" and those fine words offering their calming arms. One of my first memories of this anthem was sitting in the pew at First German, watching the slide show about the young people of the congregation on their trip to Washington, DC to canvass and such. As the slide show played, this small choir of young voices sang this hymn in the background, with periodic shots of them standing in front of the mission congregation they were assisting with outreach. Justin looked over at me, cautiously, and saw, of course, the tears rolling down my cheeks. He squeezed my hand because, as he told me later, he knew that was going to get me. "For I am His and He is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ." "No scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand....." So, tonight, I sleep, confident in the promises of the Savior.

Back to the Soup and Sandwich Supper

I was delighted to be in charge of the first annual (and probably last annual) Ash Wednesday Soup and Sandwich Supper at church last night, held before worship. The thought was to streamline the evening for parents with small children and anyone on the way home after work to be able to just show up at church, have a nice supper, worship, and then go home. Seems smooth enough to me! I made a kettle of my famous chili, changing it up by using some dark turkey meat Joanne had bought and wanted me to use. Not my first choice, obviously, but it did the trick. The chili and its assembly was flawless and the house smelled wonderful while it cooked. It is the Bloody Mary mix that makes it so delicious, I believe, as well as the can of beer I pour in. Talk about mixing drinks!!!

*

My next kettle of soup was a recipe provided by dear friend, Judy R. in MN, for beer cheese soup. Again with the beer! It was really quite easy to make except for the fact that I saw fit to burn some of the veggies instead of sauteing (is there a thin line I was not aware of????) but managed to pick all the black pieces from the pan, transferring to another pot, and soaking the black-bottomed kettle in hopes it would come clean. It did, after I dissolved a cube of dishwasher soap in the pan as it soaked, something I learned from my friend, Jean Nichols. (To my family: I need a new soup kettle for CHRISTmas. My Teflon one is losing its finish.) Can you believe I am asking for kitchen tools???

*

After I got the overcooked veggies taken care of and the balance of the ingredients mixed in, the soup took on substance, and as Judy informed, it was more thin than I would have liked. I added more flour to thicken and was surprised the recipe did not mention dumplings, which formed upon the adding of flour. No worries, I squished the dumplings with my spoon and moved on. I added a package of shredded cheddar cheese which enhanced the cheesy flavor. Justin came over as planned to help me transport the kettles plus the other food items to church. He carefully packed both containers with towels to protect them from sloshing around as we drove to church, but I still have a wonderful aroma of cheese soup on my floormat in the backseat. Oh well.....

*

He helped me get the stuff inside, set up some tables and chairs, etc. while I put the soups on the stove and plugged in the cheese soup kettle. I was only away for about 10-15 minutes, putting out the plates, napkins, bowls, etc. When I stepped back into the kitchen, I discoverd the kitchen counter between the two stoves was layered in cheese soup!!!! Oh, my goodness! It had boiled over and made quite the mess. My good soup! As quickly as I could, I grabbed a cotton towel to help stop the run, mopped the floor and front of the cabinets, and used paper towels to start corraling the mess into a neat pile. Sandy D. came in and saw my dilemna, pitching right in with paper towels to wipe the mess. She grabbed the wastebasket and we simply swept the entire pile of towels into the trash, using my bare hand to push the rest along into the can. Whew! I know that someday when the stoves are pulled out for some reason, there will be soup dripped down the sides of the stoves and cabinet!

*

As mentioned before, only a handful of folks came to enjoy our feast, which included my two soups, plus clam chowder and chicken 'n dumplins' brought other folks. Two other families brought sandwiches and cookies for less than two dozen people including four children to consume. It frosted me when I found out that some people who could have dined at church for free, with "family", opted to have Mexican fast food instead. Here comes my Pharisee-side again! This means I have leftover soup, somehow or another, after all the sloshing and boiling over, in my fridge, to live and die another day!

*

Jim and Janet sat with me, as I wanted to be in the main aisle in case people came in, so I could invite them to join us. We had the best laughs! Janet was telling how some friends of theirs from MI are coming down on some kind of break from the school where they all taught, and all will be staying in a hotel in Daytona, using their vacation package. When Janet got the confirmation from the resort where their time share is located, the message started: Hello, bikers. What? Here it turns out this group of Lutheran school teachers and their spouses will be staying in Daytona during the most vulgar of all times---Bike Week!!!! Oh, how we laughed at this picture. Jim, of course, as laid-back as he is, was saying how much fun that would be, but Janet warned the guys not to take any binoculars along. I asked what they would use to keep their eyeballs in their heads then? Fists, perhaps?? That is in keeping with recently read Scripture passage from Tuesday night's Bible study about the right eye and plucking it out if it offends you........

*

Being a good friend, I offered to lend Janet my leather chaps and halter top, and she believed me. Poor Jim couldn't eat another morsel after that! Fortunately they are only staying there a couple nights before heading to Orlando for more fun. Janet said the one lady is someone with whom she attended DMLC so they go back many many years.

*

Janet gave me the President's binder for the Ladies' Group meeting on Monday as they will still be traveling. Twila should be good to go for heading the meeting again so I will have to make sure she gets the book and such again. No rest for her, she has already missed one meeting this year!

*

Well, tonight is yet another Building Committee Meeting. Like someone told me the other day, "and this was the "easy" project!", as we go into nearly six years from conception to this point. It is getting to be "old" but we must press on toward the goal, no good for us to get weary now. The temperatures are warming up nicely, with the high reaching 72 today so far, and hopes of 80 by the weekend. Sorry, you folks in the upper midwest who are awaiting yet another snow/sleet/wind storm. I pray Linda and Tommy have safe travels to Madison to see their grands! Am anxious to hear about the visit!!!

Who gets wounded in their sleep???

Me! I did! I woke up with a pain in the leg this early morning, rather than the pain in neck I used to have---ha ha ha! In my dream, I was excited because Lisa had gotten Noah an exotic animal for his birthday and I was collecting lettuce heads from trees (I told you it was a dream!) for her to feed the beast. It might have been a gorilla or similar, can't be sure. At one point, as I was getting up from the table, I had to ask those going lettuce gathering with me to wait as I pressed my leg against the table leg in order to forestall a cramp coming on. Too late! I woke up in the throes of a leg cramp which has left my calf muscle feeling quite bruised. That is it! No more lettuce gathering for me!!!

*

Once I was awake, I stayed that way, being cautious about not repeating the movement or whatever which triggered the initial cramp. The best way to do this was to sit at my desk and let my feet hang down (don't laugh!) which allowed me to get the newsletter wrapped up and sent off. Joanne was bustling about getting ready for the day while at the same time talking on the phone. I guess her sister in Belgium called to see how their father was doing and such. I had not seen Joanne after she left for the airport yesterday a.m. to pick up her other sister, Toni, who flew in to sit in on a meeting with the Allegro folks. My bed already had taken me by the time she got home last night so I had only a few minutes with her this a.m. Which is why it works so well for us to share a home---she is seldom here!

*

This a.m. was Bible study at Victory and we have begun a new study, this time a "Focus on the Family" series about truth. Pastor had gotten it as a gift from his sister and did his own study on it awhile back. Occasionally he'd mention it so I looked it up on-line to see how much it costs, because it would make an excellent small group study. For less than $100 it could be mine, but at the time was not sure if that was how I wished to spend the money. We will see how I like this study before making the decision about buying it for myself and others.

*

After class I picked up Justin from UNF, waiting for him in the parent pick-up line, and, as he requested, we went to have lunch at Wasabi, a Japanese restaurant at the Town Center Mall. He has been so busy working to finish up a home for a customer that he has not been able to get away for lunch recently. This is a perfect opportunity for us, and we love taking advantage of my being there already for Bible study. Mmm! Good food! I brought home the leftovers but he is going to collect them from me at a later date, so I put them into the freezer. My fridge is full with leftover boxes and kettles of soup from last nights' Ash Wednesday Soup and Sandwich Supper. Only 17 people came to eat and we had so much food..........."but where are the nine?"

Hoping some of this dust settles.....

Many hours have been spent in recent days on the phone or in person with folks from my church family. Some are dismayed and disappointed about the determination made by the LES Team our congregation hired to help us see "through the trees" regarding adding grades to our preschool or not. If you have missed a few postings, the Team, using gathered facts, figures, individual interviews, discussions with County officials and other area school representatives, plus using the info garnered from the congregational surveys, came to the conclusion that this is not the right time to add grades to our existing preschool.

*

While this program has been a long time planned for and discussed since before I even became a member at this church, nothing says "now is the time". Not even the enthusiasm and promise of students from the few parents who had said they wanted a Lutheran grade school. It was vital and important to have this answer come from those who are not personally invested in our congregation, but who ARE invested personally in Christian education in their career choices and the responsibility of doing this work for our Synod and its churches. These men would have done us a great disservice by recommending we go ahead, roll the dice, start a grade school, and then have it fail because we are not able, willing or otherwise, to maintain and support it in coming years. I, too, am saddened by this, but more by what the Team brought to our attention than by the conclusion.

*

On Sunday I wrote about the "mirror" held up in front of our congregation and the not-too-pretty reflection we had. Much of this reflection is what now brings the phone calls, meetings and written discussions. I am finding out things I either did not know, or did not want to know (keeping those rose-colored glasses handy!)

*

And now I must write a newsletter, using my normally optomistic paint brush. I CAN do that, because, truthfully, I am still looking for the silver lining, the Light our congregation is established in, and reveling in His Light rather than the one which casts the yellowness of jealousy, the red hue of hatred, the green tint of envy, the black tones of sin, the blue tints of sorrow....the whole crayon box that makes up humans. Often crayon cannot be erased. Fortunately, the Heavenly Father has provided the Eraser, the cleanser of all sins and evil, in His Son.

*

Tonight, Ash Wednesday, we begin the walk Jesus took as He prepared to face His accusers, His convicters, His killers, all on our behalf. Let us adjust our focus toward Jesus and to each other in Christian love and unity.

To say nothing of my finger joints!

Not only am I working out my ears and eyes these days, my finger tips and knuckles as well! Lots of typing and mouse-clicking going on as work continues between phone calls and posting on the three newsletters. All three due this month! What day is it exactly today????

*

It appears, according the ticker on Fox News, that the Dow is showing an upturn thus far today, with the markets only being open a short time at this point. At first when the markets were falling, people like me were riveted to their sets or monitors, watching and marking as the numbers fell, turned red, bright red at the end of trading. Now, we ask one another, "How much did we lose today?", as though it is expected. None of the Wise seem to realize the market just is not "buying" into all these attempts to socialize our nation. Neal Boortz loves to ask the question: "When did a poor person ever hire you for a job?" I guess the answer to that would be: the guy who hired you for his start-up company on borrowed money who is now able to make it without bail-out money and has repaid the loans!!!!

*

I was telling my friend, Judy R., yesterday about reading my "Grandma..." books she recommended, which I bought "used" on-line. What is this world coming to? She is a voracious reader and I am not, but she likes me anyway---talk about unconditional love! She told about a read she just finished and I asked her to not tell me about it because I simply cannot keep up! It seems I am using the Grandma books more like a devotional than a cover to cover read because of the way it is set up. And I really enjoy it! The writer includes Scripture passages between her paragraphs as well as hymn stanzas to tie it all together. As I was looking at the back cover and saw "testimonies" from other readers, I recognized names of people I know, like the Spiritual Growth leader of LWMS, Carolyn Wehmeyer, here in our circuit! She comments that this book is "a great devotional for personal daily use....". Yup, I knew that!

*

The chapter I read this a.m. was about getting to put away the winter underwear. My readers from the South are not going to know what this is, but back in the old days, the kids actually did have to walk to school all the time, even in the winter and had to wear heavy, scratchy "woolies" under their clothes to help keep them warm. The city kids did not have so far to walk so were able to shed their woolies sooner than did the rural students, who were then teased for still wearing the winter weather garments. While all rejoiced over having the woolies to keep them warm during the worst of winter, come spring, all wanted to cast them off, even if it meant not being comfortable for the long walk back home, to avoid being teased. Pearl (who I think is really Judy R.!) places the passage from Romans into the text: "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." Makes me feel badly about not liking the little pink half coat that was handed down from sister to sister when I was a girl! The kids who had to wear the winter stockings and shirts felt the mockery of their rude, nasty classmates while enjoying the warmth of those items of ridicule on their way home! Just think.....

My ears are working out this morning

All things should be done in moderation, and that includes working out. After my quasi-physical exam on Saturday, I have decided to start a work-out program and have started from the top down. In the shower Sunday morning I scrubbed my scalp and hair until it bled (not really!), working the shampoo into quite the lather. Not only exercising my scalp and hair follicles, but my arms to boot!

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Monday I exercised my jaw by attending Bible study and going to lunch with the ladies. At Longhorn I exercised restraint by not ordering an adult beverage before noon! Especially since I had to work on the newsletter when I got home and had no time for nap taking. My jaw was used for talking with Twila for whom I served as chauffeur and again at Bible study for discussion. My chicken fingers were excellent and we had two new faces at lunch: my friend, Jennifer R. and Kim Tyler, Gordy's daughter, whom Judy C. picked up after class. She enjoyed her time away from her dad's side, and I am sure he didn't mind having his place to himself for a little while either. She will be staying through the weekend at least to help him get acclimated to being home after his rehab stay. Both Gordy and Twila were released at the same time, as though a coup took place! Twila, being younger and having the full replacement, bounced back more quickly than did Gordy, who had other medical complications pop up in the midst of his rehab.

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I was not moderate in my exercise yesterday, however, as I threw in exercising my tear glands and nose blowing after having several spoken and written conversations with dear ones regarding the conclusion drawn by the LES Team, to not start a kindergarten or add grades to our preschool at this time. Some folks were mightily disappointed, not realizing there was an undercurrent of dissent or dissatisfaction or or or or besides the wretched economic state our community and congregation is in. Mightily disappointed......One young lady, when she read my posting about my ear was hot from talking on the phone suggested that it meant people were talking about me, which would not surprise me one little bit! I believe the superstition actually is if one's ears are itching, people are talking about you, so perhaps I am in the clear!

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Because of the shedding of tears and outpouring of emotion, my brain (or what remains of it) was pounding, which is the true mark of over exertion---the no pain, no gain theory. It was nothing a rest on the bed wouldn't take care of so I placed myself on the mattress to make even more phone calls, this time to the snowy north. My sister-in-law and bro-in-law actually took my call!, and this is funny because, for some reason or another, when the phone rings in their home, the name of the person calling shows up on their TV screen! Whew! I am relieved that the vote was to take my call. Someone else told me about the movie "Gran Torino" where family members push the phone around the table to get someone else to answer it. I can see that happening when my name shows up on people's TVs! When Harv told me I showed up on his TV, I quickly went to put on some lipstick so I at least looked presentable. He thought that was amusing, and assured me only my name and number show up---whew! But, the way of the future.......

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Today's workout will hopefully be less so, but is okay if I repeat any of the previous exercises from this week. Especially the hair washing and teeth brushing! My ears started early with hearing jets in the air, my TV speaking to me, as well as my radio playing over the computer. So much talking and sound for my ears to gather.

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Joanne was on the phone earlier, trying to arrange for her hubby to go sit with her father at the hospital as she has an early morning meeting. I wouldn't work for that since her dad has Alzheimer's Disease and needs some familiarity around him as he heals.

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Rosalie called me again yesterday, too, which absolutely delights me because I simply love talking with her. She is still trying to keep herself busy even though she is healing from a bone fracture in her foot. One blessing about being home-bound is catching up on stuff that gets missed when out and running every day, but she is also looking forward to making her shut-in visits again and taking ladies to lunch and working at church.......typical Rosalie stuff! She was so surprised to hear that Mom is 84 years old---she was sure they were both about the same age, not 10 years apart. Mom--that is a huge compliment to you, in case you did not know it!

A new morning, perhaps a renewed attitude

Already I am in the window with the sun shining on my face and arm, with the river quiet. The palms are stirring only the tiniest bit in the breeze---no huge gusts to stir things up. It might be lovely day after all!

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So far Linda is the only one to comment on my posting after the meeting yesterday, but several people have discussed this with me via Facebook. Jen wrote that she liked the blog posting because it told her more than her hubby did after being at the meeting. He might have been prepared for the what the Team showed us, after spending the time with them on Saturday, having a better feel. As I mentioned, it is not so much the answer to our question, as we knew it would be pretty much a yes or no thing, but more the facing of the facts the Team presented to us. Our property is not presentable, it takes us too long to do things, we have a lack of unity and male leadership, a 'no one is in charge' sentiment, struggles with worship and leadership (again). Not a pretty picture looking back at us in the "mirror" Greg held up. Let's get up, dust ourselves off, and get moving in the right direction starting NOW!!!

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Originally Joanne and I had planned to watch the Oscars together last night but her dad ended up in the hospital so she was with him until after 9:00 pm. He has a respiratory problem and had to be admitted overnight. She just called from there, having left quite early this a.m., to report he has torn out his IV's, removed the telemetry leads from his body which allow the staff to monitor his heart and oxygen, removed the oxygen tubes from his nose, and dressed himself to go home! He is giving her a very hard time, in his state of confusion and Alzheimer condition, so she is wondering if they will need to sedate and then restrain him in order to get his mess under control. She might transfer him to another hospital but this one is so convenient to our shared home that it makes sense to keep him here and not confuse him even more.

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Justin was going to watch the Oscar's, too, but then sort of backed off, expecting it to be "too political" a show, especially with "Milk" and "Frost/Nixon" in the running. Mostly he wanted to see if Heath Ledger would earn an award for "The Dark Knight", which Ledger did win, but felt like creatures such as Penn would taint the event. On F & F this a.m., the comment was made about having Hugh Jackman serve as host curtailed the political chatter, much to my delight. Certainly the fashion show portion will continue ad nauseum for a week or so on cable channels as well as on the Internet so I can catch up on that later.

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Twila is able to get in and out of cars these days so I am picking her up for Bible study this a.m. Jean, her sister-in-law, drove her yesterday but has to work today so I have the privilege of driving Miss Daisy, as Gretchen likes to call it. I had better allow plenty of time for the drive over there and then back again so will dress myself for the day and leave further writing until later!

I decided this cannot wait.......

.........so have to write while the sentiments and memory is still fresh. Starting with worship, it is Transfiguration Sunday which serves as preparation for the Lenten season.

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As I was getting something from my mail box before taking attendance, Fausto, the Master Gardener who tried to cure my lemon tree, approached me. Usually he calls me "sweetheart" and will plant a kiss on my cheek (The Kiss Hello episode of "Seinfeld" comes to mind), and he did just that today. But then he handed me a baggie with a wooden figure in it. He said, "Timmy would have been in the (Pioneer) class we had Wednesday night, so I made you one of what he would have made." It is a duck-looking thing with a clothes pin incorporated, to hold a recipe or papers on a desk. His gift, his gesture, totally caught me off guard and blew me away, and the tears flowed without restraint. Later, when I spoke with his wife about it, she said she knew he did this, and he had asked her if I was going to cry. Julaine told him, "Of course she's going to cry!" I couldn't very well prove her wrong, could I?

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Sadly, church was far too empty for such an important day, and this type of response to hearing and attending this meeting after church would be reflected in the LES Teams' evaluation later. Afterward, I was greeting at the door and trying to encourage folks to stay for the pot luck/luncheon and the meeting. Brad, ushering today, came out afterward and told me he recently saw Mark, my policeman friend who used to be Brad's partner, for only a few minutes on a crime scene. I told Brad that I would love to have Mark and family plus Brad/Laurie/family at my house one of these days, but Brad is so busy finishing their new home to go out visiting.

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I mentioned to him that I wished I could help them out but there really isn't much I can do. Brad then said the sweetest thing to me---he said that I do plenty for him (tears time again!) I cheer him up when he comes to church in a bad mood. He said he can count on me for that. Then he told me Laurie had gotten a bunch of their stuff out of storage, including old photos, and he found one of him holding Timmy as a baby. He describes himself as looking like a kid in the photo and I said, "I bet Timmy did, too!" and we laughed. He apologized for making me cry but I assured him they were good tears, the best kind. Wow, what an emotional day!

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Flash forward through the marvelous meal and fellowship to the meeting presentation by the Team. Gulp! This is a big deal, folks, and it saddens me greatly how little interest there seemed in this report. Understandably some folks with families had sick children at home, or were sick themselves but those with no good excuse......I am part Pharisee today, okay? The two guys took turns presenting their portion of the report, Phil addressing the community issues and Greg the congregational issues. The long and short of their determination was "not at this time", this was not the right time for a number of reasons, to add grades to the preschool. I understand some of the young moms left the session in tears, horribly disappointed by the results of this survey. The facts were there, no one can argue with them, but certainly they were saddened that no grade school would be available right now or in the near future, for their children.

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Greg got the more distasteful job of having to "hold up the mirror" of the congregation, so those in attendance could see what the accumulated research showed. I hate mirrors! I hated what showed up in the "mirror" Greg was holding, and as we know, mirrors do not lie. We must keep in mind none of the results are the personal or subjective opinions of the Team. In my own case, I was not surprised at all by the outcome but am heaving great sighs of sadness over the state of our congregation...........

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After the meeting, folks were getting busy packing up the tables and chairs and such, putting the classrooms back to rights for tomorrow. I stuck around in the church to chat with folks, see what the feeling was and such. The Team, at the end of their report, pointed out the many positive things we have going for us already in place plus spelled out a number of things our congregation CAN do in order to flourish and share the Good News with our neighbors. Love that ending on a positive note! I thanked Phil for his hard work of putting all the community stuff together so nicely, sorting through the data gathered for months by member of our Steering Committee, etc. He shook my hand and expressed to me how he enjoyed our time together Thursday and Friday, and then complimented me on the love I have for my church family. He told me to keep up my efforts of being the "mother hen" to my fellow members, and when I looked surprised at this comment, he said, "Well, in talking with folks it is obvious the love you have for your church family." Never saw that coming either and once more, out of his sight, I wept once more.

A few words......yeah, right!

In a couple minutes I will be heading over to church for worship, pot-of-blessings meal, and then the meeting with LES Team who will report about their findings regarding adding grades to our preschool. Another Greek-styled sentence, long and run-on! A couple folks have contacted me about not being able to attend Sunday school or worship due to sick family members. They will be missed!

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Already this morning there was excitement in the household as Joanne received a call from the Memory Care Center where her dad lives, asking her to come and help evaluate Dad. It seems he was having some respiratory problems and they did not want to send him to the hospital without consulting Jo first. She flew out of here Friday, too, as he was giving the staff a hard time about going on a zoo outing. She should just shower, do her hair, and dress herself before she goes to bed so she is ready to go when the call comes in the morning! I have not heard from her since she left, so do not know the status of Clyde or Joanne! She has planned to make us some supper tonight as we are staying home to watch the Oscars together. Mention was made that she would make meat loaf and macaroni with cheese and cauliflower. And, yes, it is good! I should go check what form of meat is going to be used in the meat loaf because she might try to slip some mystery meat in on me!

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My lunch will be something quite delicious as our member-chef, Mike S. is making Boston butt for our main dish with others bringing dishes to share. Good eats! A hopefully well-attended meeting is following the meal when the Team will speak to us regarding their findings.

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I wish that I could have attended worship at Victory today as they are celebrating 10 years of worship. My family was there for the first service, including Mom who made numerous canvassing calls on behalf of the new church. Timmy very much enjoyed sitting in the conference room chairs, spinning and rolling around, as any three-year-old would! They are having a picnic afterward but I know I'd never make it over there in time to share in that portion of the fun either. Thursday and Friday will be Victory days with Bible study and scrapbooking. I can celebrate in that fashion!

What does today bring?

Well, the fasting has begun and I am thirsty already! Just knowing that I cannot have even a tiny sip of soda is making me nuts. Sips of water are permissible but not encouraged to down glass upon glass before the blood work after 3:00 pm. What will the tests show???? Joanne crowed the other night something to the tune of "wait 'til they see your cholesterol!" For that reason alone, just to show her, I hope the tests come back favorably. My family doctor, Dr. House, for real, said once that if he had his way, he would walk around the house eating a stick of butter. But, his wife won't let him. He also said he has the longest life span of any man in his family, living beyond age 63, thanks to Lipitor. His sales pitch to me worked and I accepted the Lipitor, but am trying to not take any more prescription drugs. We will see what the tests show, to see if I have to give in to the peer pressure of taking Lipitor!!!

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Yesterday I had the privilege of sitting in on an interview with the County Supervisor for Argyle and Oakleaf, with the LES Team. He explained about the new schools opening, coming on line, in the Oakleaf area, and how the beltway corridor which is being planned will reduce the traffic going past our facility when it is completed. Mike C. seemed to feel that Doug was "towing the County line" by promoting the government schools as compared to our private school but I did not take it that way. We need people from the community and area reps to be straightforward with us, not sugar-coat their reports, so the most accurate assessment can be made by this Team.

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Later, I was able to be the commentator on a riding tour of the parish area from church east and south, with Mike serving as the driver. This worked out well as he is familiar with the Bel-Air area and knew the locations of the grade schools and such. The guys thanked me later for the information, the local color of the area, instead of only the "nuts and bolts" about Orange Park. Once in awhile Mike and I would sort of disagree about details, but, for the most part, we bombarded these two men with more information than they could handle. Not really......Joanne had given me a briefing the night before as Phil had given me a list of questions for which they needed answers regarding the neighborhoods, make-up, demographics, and so on about our potential student draw.

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Last evening and today the Team is meeting with non-member parents of the preschool, individual members, families with school-aged children, folks who would be the ones to help support the additional grades should they be added, and so on. I am not part of this portion of the weekend. Also, the Council and Elders will be meeting with Greg and Phil at some point today. Tomorrow they will give their presentation at a meeting after lunch, which is pot luck mixed with home-cooked bbq Boston butts, by our own member-chef, Mike S. Yummy! I pray we have a good showing for this important meeting!!!

What are the moral issues in motion now?

Watching and listening to the market news from yesterday and what is going on today, whew! The family or individuals who are actually paying their mortgages, made legitimate and affordable loans, will be carrying the weight of those who messed up. Did they not read the fine print? Did they have such a skilled, silver-tongued sales person urging them to buy beyond their means? Was the mindset one of "deserving" more bedrooms and bathrooms? Keeping up with the Joneses???? Or, was it caused by job loss and work stoppage perhaps...

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On the trading floor in Chicago Thursday, a reporter for CNBC, not a right-wing news station, Rick Santelli, just went ballistic about the very suggestion of being coerced into paying the bad debts someone else incurred, "rewarding their bad behavior". He had the traders who were in the room during his report marching around with pitch forks and spears, encouraging him to speak up on behalf of reason and capitalism. Even the traders see the fallacy of "co-opting", taking on the expense of those who messed up royally.

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Recently I was having a conversation with someone about the joys of my heated car seats. It seems those up north where heated seats would be ideal, it is not a popular option, but here in the South, it is valued. Some say the "cold" is different, but that is beside the point. I made the foolish statement that I could "never live without heated car seats"....

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It occurred to me what a truly ridiculous thing this is to say! How do I know that I cannot live without heated seats, or a rear window defroster, or intermittent wipers? How about call waiting? How about Internet connection?Is that not just way too much to declare I cannot live without it??!!! It seems that is the mindset of people now, that once we have had something, especially if was given to us, we do not want to NOT have it. Things have value to us, often, when they are taken away. Like air from my tire! When I had air in my tire, I took it for granted-----now that I had a flat, I no longer simply assume there will be air in my tires! The same goes for accountability, if you do not have to be accountable for awhile, you will certainly get used to be not accountable!

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My understanding is that there is a groundswell forming, other than the traders on the floor in Chicago, where folks are rallying to reclaim our nation, our freedoms. There was a commercial on TV the other night featuring a convertible car, cannot recall the brand, where the ad touted the fact that "America loves freedom", being free to ride with the top down....I nearly choked on my chocolate-coated popcorn. (A gift, not a foolish purchase...)What a ridiculous statement to make in the same week that the humongous government spending bill was endorsed! Supposedly the nation has 'elected' to "mortgage" our freedoms, liberties, independence for generations to come in order to get our shorter-term bills paid (or be the ones paying the bills!!!) by a no longer government of the people!!!

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Anyone????

And I did not even have a bad dream!

Last night before I went to bed, I talked on the phone with my sister, Lori, in Holmen. A bit earlier I had called her house and spoke with David who reported that she was still leading her Bible study, the one he referred to as "the bat coffee". He asked if I knew this story and I told him that was what I was calling about. Mom had asked if Lori told me the "bat story" yet, and she had not, so I had to find out what was going on. I passionately HATE vermin, winged or not, and was not sure I really wanted to hear the story. Did her cats do something or was a bat swooping around their lovely home? Had to know!!!!

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First David told me, and then Lori, about how, at their Bible study last week, Lori was cleaning up the coffee maker and such afterward. They have the type that is plumbed in, an automatic Bunn-style commercial coffee maker. She was rinsing out the decanter portion, I think, and looked inside just to see if it was clean. It appeared as though a napkin was left inside or something, so she reached in to pull it, and it was a bat!!!! Ewwwwww! The absolute height of grossness! People had been drinking coffee at Bible study which had been laced with a bat! What are they doing---practicing witchcraft at their church or something?????

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David teased me that I would blog about this and told me NOT to mention the name of their Lutheran church because they did not need any more negative publicity!

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Lori, after screeching her head off, tossed the bat into the garbage, but then decided she might need it in case the bat had rabies. She called the local hospital to ask someone there what to do, who transferred her to the ER dept. who transferred her to infectious disease control who referred her to County Health Dept. They, in turn, not knowing what the protocol was for bats in a coffee maker, called the CDC! I can just picture the red phone on the desk in Atlanta ringing and people putting on their haz-mat outfits to deal with an ole bat in a Lutheran church. That should REALLY keep them busy!!!! Anyway, someone from the County Health Dept. came to collect the cooked bat but said they could not do any testing since it was well-done. But, they did get the names and numbers of those who were at the Bible study to let them know what happened. The whole "picture" just makes me sick!!!! And I was all creepy from seeing a smashed rodent in the parking lot in the space right next to my car the other day!!!!

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Here is the warning: all old bats in churches, watch your back!

The Good News and the Bad News

The good news is that I am really really enjoying the "old" movies on AMC that are being shown prior to the Academy Awards event on Sunday night. They are showing movies which have either won or were nominated for Oscars over the years. This means I have gotten to see all or part of "The Godfather I & II" since the weekend. I really like these edited-for-TV movies, hanging on some of those famous lines and scenes that make for history.

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The bad news is that this same network also seems to run back to back to back advertisements for the most wretched of all products. No, not the Scooter Store, but instead, gulp, a "male enhancement product". Oh, for heaven's sake! Enough already! I complained about the repeated ads for the "Forty Year-Old Virgin" on USA several months ago but these particular ads truly make my skin crawl. Is nothing sacred or private? This seems so back-alley or vulgar to even discuss on "regular" TV when normal people are trying to watch a mobster hit or see horses heads under the blankets on a movie mogul's bed. I do remember when feminine hygiene products or even toilet paper were considered daring to advertise but really this just blows my mind and offends my sensibility! So there!!!

The day evened out some

What started out with thunder storms, heavy rains, cloudy skies, and high winds ended up being a perfectly lovely day. As my sister, Lori, would say, "It's going to be a nice day yet after all!" I am not the only silver-lining person in my family, it appears! Presently the temperature shows 70 degrees above zero, which is close to being alright in my book! Our lows tonight are expected to be in the 30's again, a dramatic drop from 70 right now. The doors are open in the river room and foyer to allow for free air passage in the rooms, while my bedroom door remains closed to hold the heat in. Gotta have it hot, or at least, warm in here.

*

I met my friend, Wendy A., at The Club for lunch and as she was running a bit late, I soaked up some rays while waiting out front on a bench. Mmmm, felt too delicious on my face. Another customer came by and remarked that I looked comfy sitting there and I told her I felt like a cat, snoozin' in the sun.

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Once Wendy arrived we were seated along the windows and like any first-time diner, was blown away. The view, the ambiance of the room, the other diners, plus the food and service---all remarkable! Tarren and Pete may get a kick out of this: one of the first things Wendy asked me, trying not to pry, was if I dated anyone, if I had a gentleman friend. The face, arms and hands were immediately in defense mode as I earnestly shot down any idea of being in THAT arena at all. She got such a surprised look on her face---I do not know if it was answer of ABSOLUTELY NOT or my being so adamant about the suggestion! We have talked and talked in recent months but usually not about me, as the theme of our luncheon ended up being "sometimes it is NOT about me", so I guess that is why the topic never arose before. I assured her I was perfectly fine in my life the way it is now, having much and many in my days the way it is. No need for complications beyond what is already there. She, on the other hand, has a gentleman friend, of whom little was spoken.

*

Wendy had wanted to pick my brain about the option of her starting her own housecleaning business which she could work around the time she has with her sons before and after school. Wendy shares custody of the boys with her former spouse and hates to lose a moment with them. She is now deeply religious, makes me appear pagan by comparison. Wendy had formerly been the secretary at our church, prior to me getting on board there. Since we talked so much about miscellaneous topics, we must meet again to further discuss the business plan and surrounding matters of being self-employed. I am honored she came to me with this. Initially she had asked me if I could mention her name to people in my building in case they needed a cleaning lady, and I told her it was no problem since I write the newsletter! She was beside herself with glee!

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After lunch we came up here and she was again blown away, this time by my home, view, and Santorini! It seems she had been to Santorini herself not too long ago when her former bosses gave her the trip, which they had won in a contest. Apparently her boss was not a traveler so off they went on her described "bittersweet" cruise to the Greek Islands with her then soon-to-be former husband. The plans are for her to come back in the very near future and look at some of my albums from my trips and continue the discussion of starting a cleaning business. Too bad I have a son on retainer to do my cleaning or I would hire her myself! She also does organizing for people, such as people with desks like mine!!!

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Later this afternoon I called my sister-in-law down south to check on them. It had been awhile since we had spoken and I wondered how my brother-in-law was feeling. Tina told me he was not well and that they had decided not to move to Palm Coast in order to remain close to medical facilities. Biff was recently found to have additional nodules in his lungs and is going to have a PET scan done as soon as the insurance company gives its permission (and then we invite MORE intervention into our medical care!!!). I told Marian I would call back again to see what the tests show, and toward the end of the conversation she sort of whispered that the doctor thinks it might be cancerous because of the number and speed of growth. Oh, brother! Biff also has trouble seeing at all from his left eye, has cataracts forming on both eyes, and now will be wearing glasses for reading as well as distance. Neither of them can see or respond well enough to drive..........oh, mercy me!!!

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Marian told me they have no income and I interrupted her with the question of "What???". I asked her about Social Security and she admitted they both are now collecting on disability but it is barely enough to make ends meet, with no wiggle room for emergencies or extras. Just when you think you have it bad, someone else has it that much worse! I praise God that Lynn, who is their age, has no health problems to speak of and continues to work over 30 years at LTC. Praise be to God! Marian was saying that her "church" told it was okay if she could not give any money, which is how she got on the subject of not having "income". I reminded her there were other ways to support her church, like helping with mailings, bulletins, newsletters, making phone calls, etc. If you do not have monetary treasures to share, certainly time and talents can be pressed into service. She said she helps out with a couple things but, again, has so many physical limitations that do not allow her to do much.

*

After speaking with her, I was a bit drained, but have recovered enough to write this posting. I know Tina must be terribly torn about her parents' health and the five hours separating them, but that is just the way it is. Marian remarked that their long-time friend was coming from Milwaukee soon and she had asked him to install a bathtub for her. Evidently she has one of the swinging door tubs advertised on Hallmark TV for folks who cannot climb into tubs any longer to bathe. She hopes he realizes she was serious because she really wants it installed, since they decided not to sell and move up this way. I do hope Elroy can put it in as I doubt Biff has it in him to do physical labor any longer. I am so glum after talking with her. Think I will go over to church for the meeting with the LES Team, that might cheer me up!

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Everyone----count your blessings!!!!

Why am I thinking about Buffy this morning, I wonder?

"My world is like a river, it's as dark as it is deep...." I know many other artists recorded, covered, this song but Buffy's version is the one that flows through my memory. It is on the "Moonshot" album from 1972. I have the vinyl and possibly the cassette version of this. I know David would record it on CD for me but I also see that Amazon has it available now for around $12. Mother's Day is coming......Many moons ago David and I were discussing music, particularly two of the female artists in my collection. He wisely described Janis as being "ahead of her time" and about Buffy? He would not even discuss her!! I wonder if he still feels the same way about her now as he did over 30 years ago!

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I was thinking of going to the library (see that, Judy?) looking for a movie or two to watch this weekend. The weekend is not going to be full enough with the Life Line Screening Saturday and the full day with the LES Team on Sunday----no, I need to see if the movie "Lady Sings the Blues" is available to borrow. My sister, Lori, and I saw that movie in 1972, a loose biography of Billy Holiday, a.k.a. "Lady Day". Many folks used to call me that, not pronouncing my last name correctly or playing games with it, not realizing it was also a reference to Billy. "I'm a fool to want you, just a fool to need you....". One time at church when Pete was putting something into his trunk, I noticed he had stacks of albums in there, including Billy Holiday. How cools is that? Paul is also a fan of the blues/jazz era, and he gave me a brief lecture about jazz the other night when I ate at their house. Something about how jazz is "covered" and "recovered" by artists so much, they often forget where it started!

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Last night a small group of us met for dinner at Cracker Barrel and I had my favorite meatloaf meal once more. Yummy! I was able to bring half of it home with me for consumption another time. Linda H. did not work yesterday so only Leanne, Caroline, Judy J., and I were there. Oh, we had such a great time together! Both Leanne and Caroline are excited about being newer members so have no burn-out to speak of. Suzanne, they are so all about the gift basket silent auction for the church picnic!!! Ideas were flying all over the place while we ate, so much so that Caroline said, "I've gotta go!" to make up some baskets! Just teasing but that is how excited she is and filled with ideas. I ran into the Latham's afterward and it was so wonderful to see them again. Also encountered Wendy as she was on her way in to eat and she promised she'd call me last night. Still waiting.......

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Travis was going to help us out with one of the meetings the consultants from Synod's LES Team needed, but he had a change in plans. Oops! He did, however, arrange for another County Supervisor to meet in his stead Friday. The substitute is actually the one who represents Argyle and parts of Oakleaf. Perfect! Pastor said he has actually met and spoken with this man before and says he has great insights, so will be a great sub for Travis. Thankfully Doug can adjust his schedule to allow for the meeting with LES!

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Yesterday I worked on reprinting some of the photos for the Flock Board at church plus printing names on 4" x 4" cards to post where no photos are available for members, sort of a place holder until they cough up a photo. Suzanne asked me to forward to her a photo of the sunrise I posted on Facebook, as she wants to add it to her personal collection. How flattering! Kelly T., my helper with the Flock Board, is unavailable for a while as her dad had knee replacement surgery yesterday. His appointment was not until next week but he got moved up! The family had to hustle as they thought they had a week before having to do this.

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Justin made me so proud the other day! He told me that he stopped at Twila's on the his way to the jobsite when he saw her outside walking around with a cane. Wow! She did so well on her rehab after hip replacement! He told her he was concerned about her because there was a small red car in the driveway instead of Twila's SUV. It turned out that she swapped cars with her granddaughter, also named Twila, because it is easier for getting in and out of the lower vehicle. Makes sense to me! I just love it that he cared enough to stop by and give his "Grandma Twila" some hugs and express concern for her recovery. What a good boy I have there!