....but instead, in an attempt to warm my rooms and make the house smell delightful, I am baking some pumpkin bread. I can take the finished product, provided it is successful, to the Ladies' Group CHRISTmas party tonight. Judy C. is hostess again this year, since the parking situation here deterred the ladies from accepting my invitation. Perhaps next year I will win and be allowed to have the party. Since The Club is closed on Mondays, there is plenty of parking available plus if the ladies share a ride, fewer cars are needed. Oh well, no matter where it is held, it will be lovely! And always great great fun!
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Justin called me earlier, describing his face as looking like a Bond villian, sort of a snarling smile, since his lip was numb from the dentist. I did not even know about this visit, he evidently took care of that appointment himself. The previous cleaning appointment was made by me, which exposed the decaying tooth. He said when he tries to smile, the lip stays in the same place and he looks evil. The letter 'p' caused him a problem, too, and he was laughing as he tried to say something to me with a p in the word. We just have the best time!
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Several of my family members in WI have reported snow on the ground with more on the way. I am showing my age as my concerns for their safe travel to school and work flow into my brain. Lisa has a long commute to take her boys and other kids in her car pool to or from school while Lynn has a long commute to her job as well. Kerry must drive from Oshkosh to Appleton for work and with the car not being at the top of its game.....yikes! This seems odd, as even though it is overcast here and less than warm, I am watching two sailboats make their way down the river. Talk about bbbrrrrr!
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Ew!! I just ate a little sandwich made with bread which I left out of the fridge, and as I was nearly finished, I saw a dot of green on the crust of the bread. Ew, again! There truly is something to be said for preservatives, ya' know? I hope that speck was the only mold I consumed today, or nearly consumed! Earlier I had a conversation with Kathy B., trying to come up with a plan for a CHRISTmas gathering for our choir. It was so funny, because as I greeted yesterday, I mulled over ideas of when to have such a gathering and she must have read my mind! This weekend is full already with joint choir rehearsal at our church plus CHRISTmas 4 Kids plus Daniel's birthday party plus a party in my building. Sunday is a flat tire (oh, wait! That was a one-time occurrence yesterday morning!) Bible study, worship, and congregational meeting. We might just NEED a gathering after that meeting!
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Our new congregational president, Jim B., addressed the congregation after worship yesterday and struggled through a prepared statement regarding the serious financial situation in which we find ourselves. More than once he fought back tears, wiped his nose and brow, and choked on emotion as he pressed on regarding our status and how the budget cuts will affect our mission. Salary cuts are called for, which pains us all, and a call for more volunteers to provide funds expenditures cut from the budget. I hope we have enough money to buy a tree for our sanctuary this year....wonder who I must talk to about this??? At the end of his statement, he said, "That was harder than I thought...."
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My friend, Paul, whom I called at home as I left church, reported to me that he has agreed to serve on the Board of Elders again. I cried some more! This delights me so much, as those whom he served before said he was the most attentive Elder they ever had. Paul used to say that he had all the "widow" ladies even though some of them, us, are not actually widows, we just come single to church. I promised to support him in any way I can, at least offer encouragement (read: nagging) periodically if he needs it.
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When the bread is done baking, I will take a break from the computer and its desk, as I have been here the better part of the day already. My CHRISTmas cards are nearly ready to be mailed, but I like to send them a bit closer to the actual "time" rather than too early in the season. This morning I got a call from a man in Two Rivers, WI who was playing detective. He called me to get my sister-in-law's address in Davie, FL. Since I was working on my cards, I merely had to shuffle through them to locate the address info he needed for the MLHS newsletter mailing. Mom had been at the high school Friday to help with the newsletter mailing and I told the man about this. His sole job is to track down the addresses which are not up-to-date. I love it that he called me to find the answer to this mystery! I should have asked him who else he had on his list because maybe I could help him further!
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I don't think I mentioned about my unpacking mess I encountered. When I got home from WI, I needed my cosmetic bag right away to get my prescriptions out and my jewelry put away. I could smell something chemical but was not sure what it was-----until I opened the bag. On the bottom of the bag was my leaking "Friar, Friar, Pants on Fire" nail polish! My favorite! Nothing much was damaged by the polish and the wash machine loosened the dried on mess from the bag bottom. Funny, but little chips of red were stuck to the sides of my washer and dryer.............Up to my old tricks again with the laundry!
