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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!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Thinking of Linda J. and Martie today

For about an hour and a half today I spent time reveling in one of my favorite movies, one which I actually own but chose to watch on TV. Only yesterday my blogging friend, Jami, sent me a message on Facebook, reporting she used "our" movie for instruction in her prison program, "The Bucket List". She emphasized to me the parts I love the best from the movie---the scene where Carter and Edward are sitting on top of a mountain, looking over at the pyramids at Giza (been there!!!). Carter tells Edward the myth of the two questions asked before being allowed into heaven. Edward says, "Okay, I'll bite..." Carter goes on to recite the questions, "Have you had joy in your life?" and "Have you brought joy to the lives of others?" Answering only in the affirmative, truthfully, gets one admitted to heaven.
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When I saw this movie the first time, I was with Justin, Martie, and Linda J., my best friends on earth. I cannot imagine seeing this movie with anyone other than these two ladies and getting as much from it. Oh, and of course, Justin, the good sport who put up nicely with all the weeping! I met Jami by clicking on a button on my profile page on blogspot.com where I had listed my favorite movies, and ta da!, a long-distance friendship was born!

I go on record as being the "laugher" in the middle....especially because of the glass of Diet Coke in front of me!
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This morning I did go down to the pool to exercise my knees and since the adult pool is still under repair, I went to the teen's pool, closest to the building. I climbed down the stairs into the water and yow!, it was cold! I thought perhaps the longer I was in the water the less it would chill me but not so. Back out I climbed, carrying my cell phone and soda can with me. The air temperature was about 87 or so at the time but the water, measured by Randy when he arrived, was "only" 82. He said it was 81 last Thursday, trying to make me think that made a difference---no dice! I was not going in and that was that!
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Dawn, the aerobics instructor and Lonnie, another lady who takes the class showed up. I got to hug Lonnie because she has been gone to VA to help her daughter move and then I was gone to help my mom move. Lonnie brought me a present, specially purchased for me on her travels in VA---a cobalt blue pedestal coffee mug! She had to clean it up as it was grubby from sitting in an antique mall, where she claimed it was calling my name--KIM, KIM, KIM......I love it, love the thought and the extra effort she made to get it for me, and I will cherish it!
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She asked if she could borrow my movie, "Lady Sings the Blues" and also relieved me of a button necklace that she is going to copy for herself. Lonnie makes jewelry using buttons, which is why she found herself in the antique mall, looking for materials. I had explained about my button necklace having been tangled with a "good" necklace and she is sure she can get them separated. The gold chain had been purchased on a cruise Justin and I took several years ago and the pendant has been in my jewelry box since the chain got tangled. It will be great to have it free of its tangled mess!
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Much of my pool time was spent on the phone, at least until my battery started to fail. While I was sitting out there, watching the others aerobicize, Connie, the maintenance lady, called to me. She was standing on the porch of The Palace with a pretty blonde lady with a big dog. The new lady is Barbara, renting a unit on the 5th floor and wanting to meet people. Connie knows what she is doing by introducing us! I got Barbara's info, e-mail and telephone numbers, plus a bit of biographical data to use in the newsletter. She mentioned that she joined The Club and looks forward to going over to have dinner sometime, which I took as an invitation. So, soon, we will be dining together and becoming better acquainted! Poor thing does not know what she is getting herself into!
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As I watched "The Bucket List", I went through a small bin of photos I had in the closet from when I did up Justin's graduation photo boards for the party. I found many "old" pictures of trips gone by, including some from a trip in summer of 1995 when my family (Timmy was in utero at this time!) met Lori, David, Dustin and Jamie Out West. We went to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons together plus Dinosaur Nat'l. Monument and Craters of the Moon Park. I remember being ghastly tired on this trip, sleep would wash over me, as I was yet in my first trimester. Also in the bin were photos taken when my then-spouse and I went to Hawaii in 2000, a bittersweet trip which I am glad I was able to take, under the circumstances.
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Other photo envelopes include pictures of Justin with my dad at various times, photos of Alayna as a little girl with Justin brushing her hair and emptying the dishwasher with her at Grandma K's, and one of Justin getting a ride to school from Tommy!
Justin had to wear his bike helmet for his ride to school on Tommy and Linda's Honda GoldWing

I am singing a little "Creedence" this morning!

When I got up at one point this very early morning, the sunrise was absolutely spectacular, so much so that I decided not to grab the camera to capture it. Add another regret to my list....But my initial thought was, "What a lovely sunrise on Lynn's birthday!" Happy birthday to my sister, Lynn! I am wondering what tasty morsel she baked for her treat today....Gone are the days of Tootsie Roll Suckers as the birthday treat!
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When I did finally get up, the sky was cloudy and grey, the green algae moved in along the shore. Nothing like some good wave action to keep it flowing away from here, like we had on Saturday. But today is quite calm so it hangs like oil on a puddle outside our building. When the water is still as it is right now, the mullet entertain with their leaps from the river into the air in search of insects. If they would just move further out, the fishermen would treat them to a nice juicy worm!

Here is a shot taken this a.m. of the "Green River" outside my doors
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My neigbhors are out on the patio riverside this morning, as I guessed before opening my doors. They have surround-sound in the house and patio areas which plays Jimmy Buffett music or similar tunes for their listening and dancing pleasure. More like coffee and cigarette pleasure at this time of the day. Being so very still outside today, the smoke wafts up this way and I am glad to be able to pull the doors closed once more.
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Such a full day Monday was! Besides waking up tired after staying up late for the Packer game (Whoo! What a game!!!!) I had little time before having to leave for Bible study. There were several things I had to take care of prior to class including posting the revised Prayer Chain and stuffing the mailboxes with the updated versions for those on the Chain. We are meeting in the Fellowship Hall again, which is ideal now that Pastor won't have to put up tables and grab chairs first thing on Monday morning. All is ready to go! Gretchen was accustomed to sitting on the soft front pew with the table in front of her and last time we met she mentioned wishing she had a cushion to use on the metal chairs. When I got my Bible and folder out of the car, I grabbed my beach towel for her to sit on and she appreciated having the cushion against the chair.
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Our study in Psalms continues and it was enjoyable to look at all the ways in which the Lord showed mercy to His people and continues to do so. Mercy is a word not used enough outside of church circles, it seems to me, but it can certainly be practiced without mention at all times. Psalm 2:12 tells us: Blessed are all who take refuge in him. But we always want to fix things ourselves before turning to the Lord with our problems.
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Oddly enough, we went to lunch at Longhorn after Bible study, with nine of us total. Patti, our waitress, was in rare form, giving me a particularly difficult time of it. Never say you do not want the onion straws and change your order to "lettuce salad"!! Just say "salad" and be done with it....yikes! Little did I know there was such a big difference...She was just having fun with us but the rest were very careful with their phrasing of their orders! The ultimate customer service is knowing ahead of time what we are going to order to drink, and have it already on the tray when we are seated! She is that good!
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Originally my plans were to come home and jump in the pool because it seems my knees were complaining about the lack of work out, but the rest of me resisted. I ended up at the computer for a bit and then took care of some paper handling before my rest. I always rest midday and especially when I know I have a meeting that night. Just as I began snacking on my cheese corn, Twila called to see if I wanted to have dinner before the meeting. Heck, yeah! I put away the snack and geared myself for another visit to the China Buffet! Twice in two days and we go months without eating there! But, wait, it gets better-----after Ladies' Group last night, where we had a very long meeting, a bunch of us went back to Longhorn to have a drink! Twice to Longhorn in the same day! Friday night another bunch of us are going out to dinner again, just cannot get enough of the church family these days!