Another afternoon with the heating pad---nice!

Here I am, sitting in the family room under my Packer blanket, heating pad propped behind me, and my official "lap warmer" in front of me. A small pillow keeps the computer up high enough for me to use as I am reclined here. My lower back is giving me a fit and while I realize "ice is my friend", I like to be more choosy with my friends and picked heat instead. More of a comfort thing than curative.

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Yesterday I mentioned being contacted by my friend, Susie, through e-mail and how excited I was about it. I did see her in Manitowoc last September at Copp's, my cookie store, but then she is working so it does not qualify as an official visit. Later that day one of Justin's friends who used to spend lots of time with us asked me to be his "friend" on facebook. I was on a roll!!! Today I received a request to be "friends" with one of my former fellow members, Dawn! She is Tarren's mom and asked me to be patient with her as she becomes comfortable with the networking tool, and I assured her I have a degree in patience! This is so exciting, some reconnects via e-mail and some through facebook----all electronic but still viable!

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The choir sang four times during worship, much of it portions of the liturgy, as we used the Supplement which the choir helped introduce for the congregation. Janet was going to play along with Kathy, one on the organ and one on piano, to help us pick out the melody of a hymn. During the course of rehearsal, however, Janet determined that she would sing with us, plus brought in a ringer, Karen! Who needs the melody played when you have Janet and Karen to carry us??!! It certainly felt good to sit down finally, as we sang three times including the psalm before getting to sit!

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After church a group of us went to Longhorn and the fun began! If you take Janet and Jim, Karen and Bob, Tamara, Mark and kids, plus Kathy, Brian and me, then mix well, you have a party! Terri strode past on her way to the bathroom and said hi, which means that Gordy was there somewhere. Sure enough, here was Mike and Judy C., with Gordy's family plus a visiting professor from MLC who was a mentor of Mike's, Jack Mench. He presented a talk about MLC during our Sunday school and commented that he did his practice teaching at some school in Manitowoc, WI called First German!! When he mentioned staying with Bud and Alice, I just had to speak up! Afterwards he asked me to write down my name so he could mention meeting me to Alice because he stays in regular touch with her. He said that once he stopped in and a group of ladies were working on something in the church office. Sure enough, there was Alice so he was able to surprise her. Said it took her a moment to recognize him and then the hugging began. He knew about her hip surgery, so he really does keep in touch. Prof. Mench also knows Linda so I told him she was just here last week, but now she is gone...............sniffle, sniffle....

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After lunch Jim, Janet, Karen, and Bob came over here, arriving before I did somehow. Bob and the rest got the 50 cent tour, both guys being blown away by the size of the place. Sadly, they could not stay very long as the two guys wanted to go home to watch the Race, but, these two macho guys had to take a nap first!! How ironic! I was sad to have them leave but I understood. Bob really liked my place, as Karen knew he would and in fact, they all really like it here. They are more than welcome anytime!

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Kathy played much of the liturgy today as it is not on our MIDI system yet, plus led the Sunday school kids and me through their upcoming anthem for Lent. She was a busy busy girl today and I thank God for her! She gave me a book which Dee loaned to her Thursday evening, saying she read the whole thing cover to cover since she got it. Wow! I could never read a book so quickly, not even at gun point. Guess I should not say "never" because I would be putting limits on myself then, but will say under normal circumstances, not likely. It took me a couple months to read The Shack and it was riveting!

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Linda left a book by Bill O'Reilly here for me to read and Jim asked me if he could read it when I was finished. I told him to take it now because it will be a while before I get to it since the first Grandma book remains unfinished on my bed, with two more to read after that one! I guess I could be reading instead of vegitating with a computer, heating pad, and "House"!