A reprint of my very first posting, on this 1st anniversary of my blog!

Welcome to my world!
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Welcome to my first blog! Thanks to Justin, who helped me find a template, I can write to many people at one time and perhaps avoid repeating myself or missing someone with news or information! Also, I love a captive audience!

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This photo of me was taken while standing on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy, when Justin and I visited there in 2006. The jewelry, my passion, was made for me by Lisa, my niece. It's a pleasure to wear the jewelry made by my family and friends. Today I am wearing the necklace and earrings made by Lori, my sister---red with gold and black swirls, sort of blown-glass looking. Looks wonderful with the lovely ruby red blouse which Mom gave me for CHRISTmas.
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I'm still wearing my church clothes as this evening Justin and I are joining the Hilchey family for dinner at The Capital Grille at the Town Center Mall. We managed to get the first available opening they had for today.
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This is going to be funky week for me (and perhaps my readers as well) as tomorrow marks the 7th anniversary of Timmy's death. I could call it something else but choose to refer to it exactly what it is--death. He left earth, having completed his life's work in the Lord, and now circles the Throne of the Most High singing "Holy, holy, holy" with the saints and angels. Hard to get upset about that, isn't it? What glory he now experiences, while we are left here to carry on the work, to help extend the Kingdom, sharing the Good News of salvation with those who haven't heard yet!
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Timmy's story has a happy ending, and I pray that everyone that reads this blog will have the same happy ending on their last day! Later!

Posted by Kim Lahaie Day at 3:10 PM

Some photos to help brighten your day

Our Monday morning Bible study resumed yesterday with our study about worship, why Lutherans worship as we do. Ethel, Twila and Judy are getting settled in for class. We normally have about 6-7 people in class plus Pastor. Our tree still stands in front of church, devoid of decoration, because after the ladies undressed it, no one (i.e. menfolks) came to remove it from the sanctuary. Oops! I'll see if it is gone tonight when I go to Bible study and if not, make some phone calls to see who is actually in charge of removing the tree. The man whose team put it up is now in the hospital and no longer on the Council so it will probably fall to the "usual suspects" to remove it. One of our members will take it and make an Easter cross from it, but let's get it out of the sanctuary first! Do other congregations have situations like this?

My dear friend, Judy R. in Winona, MN sent these photos taken in her yard over the weekend. This is her lilac bush now dressed for winter, coated with ice and snow. It is hard to picture this same bush wearing bright purples or "lilac" in springtime. Can you imagine this bush trying to shake itself free of the ice in order to push buds out?

One time I wrote an e-mail to Judy about the lovely moon reflecting on the river and she wrote back about that same moon reflecting on her snowbanks. Since then we talk about our "shared" moon. It is sort of the picture of God----the same God watching over me is also watching over her and over our families and our friends and the fields in Winona!

Judy is a lady who is a down-to-earth type, like Lynn and Judy J., who enjoys hanging her wash on the clothes line. But, not even the most hardy sort could coax these pins into cooperating as they appear to be frozen solid.

Oh, for shame! Getting commenters by gun point!

One time my blogging friend, Jami, said something about being "fed" by our commenters and that really stuck with me, but actually, the writing is more for me than for anyone else. Forgive my badgering earlier, please!

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Neal is talking about this wonderful program called "Corporate Angels", where private plane owners, whether corporations or individuals, offer their empty seats to folks who need to get from point A to point B for medical purposes. He gave the example of a corporate jet that was flying from Atlanta to Columbia, S.A. and offered two empty seats to whoever needed to come to Atlanta for medical treatment. Apparently there's a database set up to inform the plane owners of a particular need, and the owners will gladly give a lift to those needing their help. Of course, not ALL corporate planes are doing this, but enough to make it noteworthy. Neal is a private pilot with his own plane and takes people to cancer treatment centers and such for no charge. He's not saying this to gain credit for it, only to show folks that not all plane or yacht owners are selfish heels.

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I spent a good deal of my afternoon yesterday sorting and loading photos onto my facebook page. What great fun that is! And, by visiting every file I have with photos saved in it, I could see where I have duplicates of photos and many many mislabeled, a job of major proportions to clean up. I sort of don't know exactly how to begin that, but am wondering if I should clean off my external hard drive and save the photos individually on that instead of on my desktop-----or would that be in addition to my desk top? What do you guys do with your photos?

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The other day I wrote to the advertising manager of this radio station (I listen on-line rather than over the radio) and asked them to please, please, please do something about the Florida Pump ad. It starts with a phone ringing, being answered with a very rude, "What?". The shrew goes on to tell her lady friend about her "soon to be ex-husband" trying to repair their pump. Yes, I'd dump him in a heartbeat for not being able to fix the water pump, that small print is on the marriage certificate in some states! Anyway, the friend listens as the shrew squawks about having to shower at her in-laws, not being able to do laundry or cook....She would certainly never have water pump troubles as a divorcee! The intent of the ad is to get people to call this Florida Pump company to get the repairs done immediately and properly but the way this ad annoys me, I'd look for another company's service first! I haven't heard back from the Ad Manager but the ad still runs every few minutes----ahhhh!!!! I think I need to take a pill!

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It is yet overcast and rainy, as it was last evening and through the night. Here we have this most beautiful, gibbous moon this month and have only really enjoyed it on Saturday evening when Brenda N. was here for dinner. Last night I made a nice kettle of chili using the Bloody Mary Mix Joanne picked up at Browdy's on Sunday. Normally I get the "cheaper" brand from Publix but this worked just fine. My kitchen smelled really good again, but not as good as it did Sunday when Joanne was making her lima beans. Yes, I said lima beans! She was browning bacon for her recipe and there is nothing like that smell! Jo put some bacon on the side for me to make a sandwich with, as I'd picked up white mountain bread at Winn Dixie Saturday after the opera. Yummy! She also sliced up some leftover potatoes and fried them with the bacon which made a nice little snack for us later on. Eventually the lima beans went into the bacon mixture and cooked away for awhile. While I do love a fried bacon sandwich and the potato mixture, I draw the line at lima beans!

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My friend, Kelly, from church, has invited me to come have brunch with her tomorrow. She is so sweet! Sunday she asked me if I was doing anything special in recognition of Timmy's anniversary and really, no, nothing public, not this year. Pastor asked me yesterday if we'd had special memorial services in the past with other pastors and I explained that we did the first few years. It was before Pete even left that I made the decision to not have a service at the cemetery nor have the balloon launches any longer. As time goes by, it seems less "necessary" for the outward shows, I guess. But I love it that people, some who never even knew Timmy, care enough to ask if I'm taken care of, so to speak!

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An example of "how far we've come"---in speaking with Justin via IM yesterday, I told him I was going to get a balloon to attach to the vase/bouquet at the cemetery on Wednesday. We are meeting there tomorrow at lunch time, me bringing the sandwiches, but then I told him I had to be at a meeting by 12:30.....He wrote back: "What? You're going to a meeting? At church??" It just blew him away that I had a commitment to fulfill on Timmy's anniversary so we had to "rush" through our time at the cemetery. I told him we'll still have our dinner at Sweet Tomatoes on Timmy's birthday as always, but I have to make sure I'm back here in time for a Board meeting at The Palace.......No, I may not be the life of those parties, or meetings, as the case might be, but I will go on and do what needs to be done amongst the living. And Justin really is cool with that!

Guess I feel a bit grumpy this a.m.......

.....but at least the Live Feed meter lets me know someone is reading my postings! Mom, you told me the other day that you read the comments and you can add your own just by clicking on the same box you use to read the comments. On the upper right hand side of the page you'll see the box in which to write your remarks. When you are done, type your name in and then scroll or arrow down the page a bit and click the dot in front of the one marked "anonymous", and the publish button. To set up an account, all you have to do is type in your sign-in name and select a password to use, and then you won't have to remain anonymous, unless you really wish to. I hope to get more feedback from folks, particularly in these coming days......