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No longer on the river and, again, an empty nester. Back to living on Fleming Island and making some more friends!

Friday, May 8, 2009

A quiet Friday night, so far

Hey, where are my scrapbookers??? Well, Twila is leaving in the morning for her timeshare with Twila Squared and her kids, so she was too busy getting ready for that to go cropping. Hmmph! No, really, though, it is okay, she is excused. Anna is busy moving, or getting ready to do so, making this not the very best time for cropping. Caroline is having some serious back troubles making it impossible for her to ambulate, much less crop. Kelly is on her way to Sarasota to see her father-in-law for what might very well be the last time, so she, too, is excused. Friday night crops here are generally the church ladies and none were available this time, which makes for the peaceful, quiet evening with the full moon on the river....
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Last night before I went to bed, I checked the e-mail one last time. Sure 'nuff, there was a lovely note from Linda, asking if the moon was beautiful here, too, as Lynn and she witnessed the same moon in WI when leaving Bible study in Mishicot. It warmed my heart to know, to almost be able to hear them, discussing our shared moon. Certainly Winona had the gorgeous moon lighting its sky and thoughts of the river crossed minds there, too.
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Poor Joanne was so tired when our dinner was over that she went right to bed. I made quick work of what was left to clean up in the kitchen, and although Jo said she would finish in the morning, I told her to not worry about it at all. Certainly I can clean up after my gatherings. The ladies are quite good about clearing dishes away and putting leftovers away in the smelly fridge. There was little left behind for us to deal with, as the ladies took their remnants home. Christine took a dish or two of my taco salad home with her, supposedly for Greg, but she told me not to be surprised if he never got any of it! My grumbling tummy tells me now to go get some of my own leftovers to enjoy for supper!
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While we were eating, I got a phone call from an old friend, reporting that a cry had gone out for prayer on behalf of our friend, Cindy and her mom. Mom had taken ill late afternoon and into the evening, requiring an ambulance ride to the hospital for Teresa. She was put on a ventilator and the medical people seemed of the opinion that her systems were going into shut-down mode. She has been ailing as long as I have known her, probably about 7 years now, and Cindy had finally taken her parents into her home to make it easier to care for them. Now, the very nice lady whom I refer to as "Mother Teresa" was lying near death, and Cindy was asking for our prayers. Updates tell us that Teresa has fluid in her lungs, for some reason, and attempts are being made to remove that, plus they are treating some sort of infection as well. It might be the crisis has passed for now, but it is really quite "wait and see" for her.
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Our dinner was quite lovely despite the news about Mother Teresa, but we had a couple empty seats at the table. I hate that because there is nothing better than a full table! The Brendas both had work so couldn't make it, Dee had artists dropping off work to be hung at the library, and Justin made plans to go the gym with Jesse. He assured me they were going to the gym at his student suites, the one I pay for in his rent, rather than the one where Jesse is a member. Justin did express his desire to pay extra for the gym Jesse belongs to, because, of course, the machines are better, the treadmills are better, the maintenance is better, the sky is bluer and the girls are prettier, etc., etc., etc. Everything is better than what he already has, the story of his life....Justin claims it "only" costs about $30 a month, and in his case, there are many many other ways he could spend that money than a duplication in services, but what do I know? I am only the mom.....
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Oh, yes, the dinner....(I just went off about the gym situation, didn't I? This is only one "issue" that I have with him right now, but Monday he starts his summer classes and I pray that he does not, again, at the last moment, decide he blew it and not take those finals! Ugh! No wonder entire days are dedicated to celebrate mothers!)*******Chicken enchilladas, dirty rice, homemade key lime pie, taco salad, and oh, yeah, toquitos! Add cherry pie, a perfect match for the key lime tartness, and we have ourselves a wonderfully filling meal! With my delicious sangria to wash it all down---which reminds me---I have some leftover in the fridge, which, by the way, does not seem to smell like fish any longer.....
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p.s. Late afternoon yesterday, Agnes called and apologized to me for messing up on the time for the luncheon. If only I had waited another couple of minutes, the ladies would have started to arrive. But, no, I left and missed the whole thing! She promises to call me the next time they meet and give me the right information this time....and I will be more patient and wait for them to get there!

A busy day for a Friday

Bright and early this morning I was up, showered, and dressed to meet Jennifer R. for breakfast. All week she has had to drive her daughter to school here in Orange Park because Ricky is traveling for work and not able to drive Memrie. This was the only morning I had this week to meet her for breakfast and since Mem needs to be at school around 7:30, we eat early!
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Grumpy's was our restaurant of choice, and I was tickled to see waffles on the menu now. Ordinarily I have rye toast and bacon at Grumpy's but once I saw waffles, all bets were off. While we were eating, one of the men from church came in, Joe Z., but he opted to sit by himself rather than join us. He told me he has a "nest" in the corner that he likes, where he can watch the room and the traffic on the street while he eats. Jen was amazed when I told her he was over 90 years old, because he is so active and vital yet.
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Once finished with breakfast and Jen set off for her Mom's to help in the childcare center, I went back home for a bit before going to get my hair cut. On the one hand, I look more civilized since my hair is cut, but, on the other hand, my silver is back! Oh, man! I stopped at Great Hang Ups on the way back through to say "hi" to my lady friends. Dee had just hung several pieces from the Watercolor Society and was labeling the art work while we chatted. It was good to catch up with them again, having not been able to sit and visit for a week or so. We are planning a "girls' night out" before I leave on vacation at the end of the month, so the calendars will be compared to find an open night for all of us!
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From Hang Ups I went to pick up Sheila, a prospect member of Good Shepherd, who asked to be put on the cleaning list with me. Awww, shucks! She does not drive so I am her wheel-man for Bible study on Tuesdays as well as today, on cleaning day. We had to gather the vacuum cleaner from the preschool classroom as theirs is on the fritz and have not gotten it repaired or replaced yet. Sheila got busy with the vacuum cleaner while I dusted, getting the job accomplished, the Lord's house ready for worship, in a short time.
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Sheila asked me if I could drop her off someplace, and I said I would. It seems that she and her little three year old granddaughter walk from the west end of Wells Road all the way to the IHOP area on Blanding, and back again, every single day. Now, it was 93 degrees outside today and Sheila had already walked that distance twice today, so, of course, I would take her up there. It takes them 45 minutes one way, and quicker on the way home as Sheila is quicker without the child in tow. I find this unbelievable, in this day and age, that anyone, especially a child, has to walk that far twice a day, for day care! She goes there because the State will pay for most of it. She would like to move away from where she is living now but needs the type of housing the State pays for...
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I sort of talked her into stopping for a bite to eat before I took them home and we enjoyed a late lunch at IHOP. I ordered the roast beef and she had the glazed chicken. Akeila had French fries, since she had a lunch provided again by the State at her daycare. My meal came with a bowl of clam chowder which managed to fill me up. I ate only a portion of the main course and put the rest in a foam box which I sent home with Sheila. It was not as good as at the Cracker Barrel or Perkins, not by a long shot! But she appreciated it, and took part of hers home, too. We risked it by transporting Akeila without a car seat in my car, because we had not planned on picking her up. I got them dropped off safely and am glad to have the help with the church cleaning, plus spending good time with our prospective members!