Speaking of Linda.........

.............she is awaiting the birth, via c-section, of her newest grandchild in northern IL this morning! Her daughter-in-law had a rough go of it pregnancy-wise so prayers for safe delivery and health for mom and baby will be greatly appreciated!

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Yesterday I received an e-mailed invitation to go visit my newest great-niece, born Dec. 31st in Palm Coast, an hour south of here. I am considering going next week and wonder if Justin wants to join me to meet Rayna, which means "Queen". He'd have to miss some work but Tina prefers visitors on the weekdays when her older daughter, Maya, is at daycare because she's a bit hard to deal with when the new baby is center of attention. Really? Hard to believe! They now have two queens in their household, besides their mother, that is!

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My attorney's office totally freaked me out yesterday, although they've calmed me since, when the assistant sent an e-mail insisting I approve a document she'd sent December 9th. I'd done it immediately and sent it back via e-mail the very same day, but evidently she'd not gotten it, and must have only noticed yesterday!!!!! Ahhh! Truly I was on the ball, and I don't want to think it was them who dropped it, but..........I had Internet connection in WI if they needed to get something else from me, so we can't blame my traveling for this not being taken care of. They have assured me that it does not compromise my case in any way but still, I'm a bit concerned about how it makes "us" appear.

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My friend, Dolly, saw the sister of our classmate in church recently and mentioned that we're reconnecting with folks via facebook. We are sort of kicking around the idea of having a mini-reunion when I am up in WI in May. It will be 35 years since we graduated from MLHS, and also from when I got married. My nephew, Dusty, graduates from high school on Memorial Day weekend but his folks are having the party the following weekend. My nephew, JR, is graduating from West Point Academy the same weekend, something Justin and I don't plan to miss. I'll have to save my nickels and dimes for this trip as we'll need a hotel in The City as well as air fare. I don't know if Justin will come to WI or not but he is adamant about getting to see JR march with his class. Plus going to New York City!

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The dryer just stopped humming after bouncing my sheets around. Like Suzanne, I'll be sleeping on clean sheets tonight when I get home from scrapbooking. She lamented in her blog that she never remembers about re-dressing the bed until she is ready to fall into it. Glad it's not just me, but really, how can I avoid noticing when I am in the same room with the bed all stinkin' day? This morning I put on a sweater which was dried flat on the "passenger side" of my bed. Joanne didn't realize it was not a dryer top, so we made it wet again, and tried to re-shape it on my bed. It worked, I guess, it's presentable, but only if you don't mind the handsful of cat hair that cover it. Lynx found it to be quite comfortable for lying on, so now it's an angora sweater, I guess! Every once and again I pluck a hair or two off my tongue as it floats off my sweater and into my mouth.....yech!

I am writing about Timmy in this posting.....just so you know

The font chosen for today is again "Georgia" which reminds me of my friend, Linda, whose sister is named after this font. God morning, dear friend! I've also been thinking about my friend, Judy R., who recommended, that rascal, another book for me to read, "Grandma Speaks". It wasn't available at Barnes and Noble, as she feared would be the case, nor did the NPH have it in their store any longer, but I did manage to find a 3-book series by this author which I ordered on-line. Once I am finished reading, I can put them in the church library for others to enjoy. Only one in the series was considered "new" with the other two "used". What have we come to? Buying "used" books??

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I just hung up after talking with the church secretary, going over the list of e-mail addresses. Evidently someone has a new address since the revised Directory came out in December and I didn't change it in my records, prompting her call to me. She seemed to think she'd be better at sending off the newsletter than am I (ahem, ahem)..........I entered the one e-mail address I was missing (in fact, it was changed, not missing!) and kept custody of my mass mailing ability. We also have another person to add to the two already on the Prayer Chain for this week, two with heart troubles, including my friend, Gordy, and one lady with blood clots. Pastor is going to have a full day of hospital runs but at least two of the men are in the same facility!

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Before getting out of bed today I finished reading the "Forward in Christ" for January. This periodical is published by my church body's publishing house and is most excellent reading. Many of the articles in this issue touched my heart, their subject matter being just right for what I am experiencing this month.

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Have you ever noticed, and I guess this is quite well known, that once you decide to buy a new car, you see more and more of that model on the streets than you ever did before? When I was in Manitowoc and missing my son, I'll bet every 10th car was his model, different colors and such, but still were Calibers. Once he was there, I didn't notice the cars as much, or it didn't matter as much perhaps. Well, that's the type of thing that is happening this month for me. First reading how the 9 year old child drown in Mandarin over New Year, and before that meeting the new head of the Building Dept. who thinks about my family whenever speaking about pool safety. Now, the "Forward...." is jam-packed with important articles that are just what helps in soothing my heart as I remember Timmy, and my loss. Not his loss, mine. "For me to live is Jesus, to die is gain for me. So when my Savior pleases, I meet death willingly.....", from our hymnal.

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"Forward...." has an article about a family whose teenage son was killed in a car accident on his way home from a friend's home, in a car driven by the friend. The story told how the family immediately reached out to the driver and offered forgiveness which wasn't even needed because it was only an accident; how they regretted any harsh words or exchanges they'd had with their son in the past; and how the joy that they'll see their son again in heaven is the greatest comfort of all. Another article is written by a former pastor of a Manitowoc congregation who tells about the chaos he finds in an ER as family members and others struggled with the terrible tragedy they just experienced. They were frantically asking the question of how God allowed this to happen and why. I've witnessed this chaos, but I don't think so in OUR waiting room at Shands.

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On the closing pages of this issue is an article about "wiping our glasses", pondering the financial messes around us and remembering that we are not the ones in control of what happens in this world. Similar message to the one shared by Pastor Hoyer yesterday in Bible class. Another professor writes about sending his young son off to Iraq, leaving him in God's care. The underlying message in all these articles is that we are but strangers here, heaven is our home!