Can it be from this endless rain, the heavy gloomy skies, the chilling temperatures? Perhaps---no---more, likely! I am also sad because Kerry has had to cancel her trip to see us at CHRISTmas because she must work, mandatory, and while I understand, having worked in that same field myself, I am sad nonetheless. As I mentioned to someone else, at least I will be preparing only one feast then, instead of two as originally planned. Since my guests arrived on scattered dates and I wanted all to have a feast, two were going to be prepared. Now, I must decide what to serve once all are here. As Justin thought yesterday, ham might be the better choice since we will have church in the morning and he did not want me to have to cook when I got home again. Awww....what a sweet, considerate child!
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The rain began, as predicted, last night just as Twila and I were leaving the restaurant after seeing a movie. The rain has been falling, I believe, all night and all day now, almost like a heavy mist instead of driving rain. Very dampening for my spirits as well as that of the elevator. A report came earlier from the maintenance guy that the elevator was out of order, due to dampness getting into the buttons. The repairman somehow dry the panel behind the buttons to make it operational. Another notice cautioned of slippery stairs and flat areas so it is best I lay low, as though I had any other choice. At least the temperatures are warmer than for those living in the upper Midwest and I pray they forgive my murmuring about this inconvenience and discomfort here. Even though Justin was vacuuming earlier, he asked to turn up the heat in the condo because he was chilly. Now, that is unusual for him!
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My house is just about ready for guests, all the beds made up and ready for sleep. Justin figures he will need to re-inflate Dusty's mattresses at least once more before they come and will show him how to do it himself in case they lose air. Alayna's bed, too, but it is easy enough to turn the knob to inflate or deflate, as the case might be. My table is still piled high with goody bags and the stuff to go into them, plus tablecloths for the tables and a center piece. Tuesday will be my next "big" day with the preparations for the preschool and kindergarten reception happening in the a.m. and the event, then, that night. At some point I must package and ship a gift or two for WI family plus buy something for Justin (shhh!). Thank the Lord for the Internet, oh, and Al Gore, too!
Here are our director, Rachel; our accompanist, Bonnie; Suzanne on viola, and Lynne after the rehearsal wrapped up. We had to yield the room to the CHRISTmas 4 Kids event which was being carried on simultaneously with the practice. This week the song service is at Good Shepherd, and next week, at Victory!
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I want nothing more than to lie down in my bed and sleep until tomorrow but that is totally unreasonable and I would regret it later. I have been asked to edit a long-range plan drawn up for church but am not sure if it is needed for the congregational meeting tomorrow or not. First the song service, and then the quarterly meeting. I should be working on that tonight, too, but it can wait until I am done with my posting!
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Before I got home from church this afternoon, Justin was already here and busy with his chores, after first hanging lights on the exterior of his father's girlfriend's house---in the rain. His friend helped him because Justin has a fear of heights and they are sharing the money earned for doing that job tonight, for wings at a local emporium at the Beach. In the morning he is going to church, which will be somewhat empty due to many being at Good Shepherd for the Advent Song service and then is going to the football game. Evidently he took advantage of a package deal offered for tickets some weeks back and will be enjoying the game in the rain, likely, in the afternoon. Again, a blackout for broadcast on TV but I can listen on the radio. Great Hang Ups is open tomorrow once more for shoppers so perhaps some lunch at Koko's (to be caught by Twila again I am sure!) stop at the store, and then back here to listen to the play by play.
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Most of the CHRISTmas cards are out, just a couple more awaiting addresses yet before they are complete. Joanne stayed home at her beach condo all day to finish her cards for the business. She needed an "at-home" today in order to get caught up as she is in incredibly busy in her real estate. She said she cannot remember when she had so much going on, although these transactions, many of them, are short-sales and are harder to negotiate. The banks are the ones saying yes or no to an offer, not the buyer, since the bank must agree to accept less money than is owed on a defaulted property. Complicated, and I give her tremendous credit for being able to keep all these balls in the air in this market!
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My sis-in-law from south Florida called me today to get some addresses, the same one whose address I was able to help a TR man with earlier this week. She is newly home from the hospital after having a knee replacement and sounded quite, oh, what's the word, not quite ready to be home. She said she has a good deal of pain yet and needs considerable physical therapy but am not sure how she gets forth and back for the pt. She told me her hubby struggles with her walker and/or wheelchair when they go someplace as his health is poor as well. It grieved me to hear her tell the story but there is little I can do to help, which weighs heavily on my heart. She cannot travel because of having an infected bedsore, cannot sit or sleep in the same position for very long which means she cannot visit her daughter and family in Palm Coast over the holidays. She did not see them for ThanksLiving either so she was really in a funk. Add to that the pain and misery both her hubby and she are in........And I am complaining about the rain? Really?
