Convening in Saginaw

As "we" speak, the opening devotion is being held at the WELS Synod convention at Michigan Lutheran Seminary, Saginaw. While I am not hanging on every word, I am sort of paying attention to what is going on. Earlier I listened to the summation of events from the two previous days, getting to see a pastor who is good friends with Linda and Tommy, who served at FG, Pastor Otto. I sent the link to Linda in case she had not seen it yet. He looks pretty much the same as I remember him, only a tad older! Linda saw him this summer and has seen his family often, including visiting them when they served the Lord in San Diego. May God bless the difficult work of the budget committee he chairs!

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The Flock Talk is ready to go for publication at church, but I am not sure they are able to receive it via e-mail yet. Saturday was the big moving day from the portable trailers into the new building, moving only the offices and the storage at this time. Pastor announced on Sunday that the move took less than two hours to accomplish and someone I spoke with last night indicated how obvious it was that the move was quite quick. Evidently, in builder's lingo, "substantial compliance" was the working phrase to describe the move. Yes, the items were relocated but no, not put into any particular order. The very act of moving exposes unnoticed, unreachable, or untreated dirt, whether an entire household is being moved or even cleaning in your own kitchen. Move the toaster and you find a pile of crumbs. Put the coffee maker under the sink and you find water spots on the ceramic tile wall where the maker stood. Some have the gift of moving boxes, others have the gift of organization, while others yet, the gift to talk about it!

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My little peepers are sleepy this a.m. but not because I had too little rest. After I spent some time on the computer last night, I decided to just go to bed! I can barely recall watching TV, although I do remember a "Friends" episode being on when I rolled over and closed my eyes. It was just after 6:00 that I woke again, listening to an infomercial about cutting up veggies. People!!! Don't you know you can buy the vegetables already cut up at Publix???!!! Why sit there ooohhing and aahhhing about these expensive tools which seldom work the same way once in your home?

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Joanne was here overnight Monday as her favorite TV show was on, with the finale taking place. The Bachelorette, which I thought was The Bachelor all this while. I sat with her a bit while it was on but it did not hold my interest. There is the dramatic music, suspense building walks onto a platform over water in a white gown....which man will she pick? The plot inevitably thickened when a man she had initially rejected showed up to propose to her. I do not understand the entire premise of the show, except that this woman accepts applications from men to court her and she weeds them out over time. Joanne announced in the a.m. that she approved of the man the woman picked so I guess they will live happily ever after.

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Joanne reported to me Tuesday morning that her sister heard there was going to be a reality show on like the "real" show the night before, only featuring "people of size" versus the models and body builders normally shown on these dating programs. As she is telling about this new show, I was trying like heck to zipper a dress she was planning to wear that day for work. It was like trying to dress Scarlett O'Hara, putting my foot on Joanne's back to work the zipper up. Sometimes sizes are just not as true as the tag claims, although she got it on sale at Talbots which is normally true-to-size, it was not going to fly. Once zipped, she would have been hard pressed to take a deep breath, so I suggested she have someone make a skirt out of it for her, because the pattern was so gorgeous. It sure gave us a good laugh first thing in the morning, though!

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Our pastor's wife has been diagnosed with breast cancer. I am not one, really, to ask the delving questions about stages, involvement, prognosis that others are asking me about. The prayers go out as requested for quick healing, using the chemotherapy that begins this week. My limited involvement right now is being allowed to offer transportation for their daughter today after her baseball camp. Pastor thanked everyone on Sunday for the prayers, hands, and time being offered his family at this time, but then, wisely, reminded us all that we have others who are ill or away from the congregation who would also benefit from our loving hearts and hands. That was an excellent reminder, because sometimes these folks can become "out of sight, out of mind".

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Monday night I joined my neighbors on the sundeck, which was hardly that, as a wind and thunderstorm roared upon us. Mo hustled us into her home which looks like something from a magazine, and we gathered around the table in their river room. Being an end unit, they have two-way views of the river, as well as the storm, as we watched it come around us. Here, we had little rain but much wind, other areas just across the bridge on Fleming Island had a half inch of rain. In the morning Tuesday I was in the pool, busily moving along the perimeter while plucking pine needles and leaves from the drains so it would clean itself. Grabbing carefully the accumulated leavings because I have seen hairy, scary bugs in the drains in the past, I removed handsful of debris and even broken balloons from a birthday party interrupted by the storm!

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We did a modified version of water aerobics since our teacher is on vacation this week and then Maggie and I came upstairs to change clothes. We were meeting Ellen and Ashley Rose at Koko's for lunch and then going into Great Hang Ups so Maggie could see what I am always talking about. Is that a dangling participle? We talked about grammar at lunch yesterday, about how little is taught in the classrooms any longer. Maggie, a retired teacher, indicated that if it is not on the State standardized tests, FCATs, it won't be taught. The higher the school's scores total, the more money the school gets for spending. Always an apple being dangled in front of the teachers and administration, instead of participles!

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No sooner did I finish my wonderful lunch with friends than was I making plans for the next meal only a couple hours later! Judy J. offered to be my driver for our scheduled Tuesday night dinner at Aron's Pizza where we met Linda, LeAnn, Kathy B. and her friend, Robin. My fridge now boasts several foam boxes whose contents wait to be devoured. Perhaps for lunch, the Koko's, but then tonight is Happy Hour at The Club with the free appetizers. Usually that is sufficient for me, but I suspect Ellen might want to stay for dinner. I am leaving room for that option and look forward to being once more surrounded by these friends, no matter if the food is fish and stuff I do not eat. I can always have leftovers later on!