Looking forward to February!

I think that once the calendar changes pages that the bad weather will be over. That is just unreasonable, to be sure, but I am ever hopeful! Once more we are being slammed with inclement weather with high winds and low temperatures, by Florida standards, and little sunshine where I live. The moon is playing pee-a-boo behind the clouds and since it is so dark, the wind makes it seem colder still. Waves are crashing into the bulkhead and breakwater.....and I am so glad to be snug and warm in the house!

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It was 39 above zero when I went to church this a.m. so I grabbed my coat before heading out the door. And I am so glad I did have it because once I hit the parking lot, whew!, it was extremely windy down there! My seat warmer was a blessing, to be sure. When I got to church Bible study had already begun, a video series done by the Kingdom Workers as a sort of intro to the Bible program. It was interesting and fast-paced. The receptacle was in place for the donations for the mower and I hope many took a moment after Bible study and following worship to look over the things posted on the walls and bulletin boards. I handed out the invitations to the ladies after church and encouraged many to come have breakfast with us!

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We had Favorite Hymn Sunday today and one of my requests made the cut. I chose "From All That Dwell Below the Skies", and others chose "Amazing Grace" and "How Great Thou Art", which were sung recently at Gordy's funeral. I knew Terri would have a rough time with them so after taking attendance, I went to sit with her, taking a few tissues with me. It is time for me to return the favor! Wendy came to church today bringing her two sons and a friend of theirs with them. Very nice to have them all back in the flock again, at least for today!

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Larry R. came to church today, bringing his bride with him. He is the brother of two of my classmates from MLHS and lives on his boat part-time in Green Cove Springs. He married since last year, as his sisters filled me in, so I was not surprised to hear his news. Hopefully Caroline will come back for the Ladies' breakfast on Saturday...wonder if they left a phone number in the friendship register....

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After church Twila and Elaine invited me to lunch at Ruby Tuesday's, with plans to eat lite because we were going to the movie this afternoon and then to dinner afterwards. Twila and I had the quesadilas, each of us taking half home. They were especially delicious today, too, crispy edges and flavorful meat filling. Yummy! Twila said this is her new favorite food! Only moments after I got home, though, Twila called to say we were not going today but on Tuesday instead, due to a problem with Madeline. It seems her debit card info was 'shared' with the world (time to sign up for LifeLock!!) so she was a bit upset and needed to collect herself. I understand that and am not the slightest bit upset about getting to stay inside the rest of this wretched day!

Watching movies in the rain

What a gloomy day it is today! It was raining almost from the break of day and has been off and on. I was trying to use my laptop as I normally do from my bed but the stupid mouse was uncooperative, only working sporadically. I have the other kind of mouse built into the keyboard but I like the external one better, as I lack the coordination of using the thumb-driven flat one. I decided I needed to go to Office Max and get a new one, where I ended up coming home with a bit more than intended but---no paper!

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Before I went to the store though I needed to finish watching a movie called "Unfaithful" with Alayna's look-alike, Diane Lane, and Richard Gere. She cheats on her perfectly good husband with a man she basically met on the street. He gets suspicious and hires a private detective to find out. Photos don't lie and the husband is quite upset but does not allow his wife to know he knows. Meanwhile she is trying to end the affair with the stranger but the husband went to see the guy for some reason. He gets all upset when visiting the young man and ends up killing him. Now to dispose of the body.....It is complicated and involved, but one of the wife's friends, when speaking of herself, made the comment over coffee, "Affairs always end badly, everyone gets hurt..." And that is so true, and came true in the movie...I have seen this movie before but it is so good, I can't pass it up. Love those two actors together, as they regrouped for "Nights at Rodanthe" a couple years ago.

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After the quick trip to the store, I got comfy again to install my new mouse, a wireless one this time, but I cannot get it to work. Prior to hooking it up, though, I read through my Facebook notices and saw that Suzanne sent me a message, suggesting that the batteries might be dead in my other mouse. What? Batteries??? Oh, man! I guess I should check this out as my new one is giving me a fit too! It will not sync even though I seemed to have followed the directions. I wish Justin was here!!!

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While at the store, I snooped in the discount DVD bin and found a movie I had never seen before but heard much about. "The Bridges of Madison County", yet another story based on forbidden love and broken covenants. At least I think it is, the movie is just getting started. So far nothing has happened between the couple, Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood.

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Speaking of Justin, he just sent me a message saying he will not be available for dinner tonight before the show. That is really fine, I might eat by myself or get something at the concession stand like a hot dog. Or get a hot dog at 5 Guys! Linda J. is having a gathering at her home tonight with the staff and faculty from church/school and I am so wishing I was there. What a hoot it will be, although the 'star' of the party will be absent. Tommy is traveling on business, something with cranes, so will miss the fun. This party is considered their "Christmas" gathering, waiting until all the hubbub is over before getting together. A wise idea! Her son called it a Groundhog Day Party....wonder if he will see his shadow! In fact, I think Tommy might be in PA, and we hope he does not see his shadow because that would mean a longer winter, right?

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While I watch the movie, I will be affixing labels to envelopes for the fund raiser for the mower. Luann is going to have a colorful receptacle for the envelopes in the morning and I offered my extra John Deere paper plates if she wants to incorporate them onto her can. The next big project for me will be the scholarship poster needed for the son of our congregation, Christ Lutheran, who is a freshman at Luther Prep. We are trying to help the family raise money for his tuition for the coming years, yes, years, throughout our circuit. The boy is already on the honor roll and tutors other kids, so he is a natural. Also I have the newsletter for The Palace to do but that is a quick job usually. But, for now, watching romantic movies about unfaithfulness and labeling envelopes!

Kinda late at night for this....

...and I am writing with tears in my eyes! Only a few minutes ago I watched the final Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien and it was an awesome show! Not only was it funny, it was, of course, bittersweet. He gave a closing monologue thanking NBC for allowing him to work for them over 20 years, more than half of his adult life! Quite sweet and humble, and especially grateful to those who have supported him over the years, and these past few weeks. The final segment was Will Ferrell dressed up to look like the lead singer for Lynyrd Skynyrd, with the Tonight Show band and a few others making up a group, with Conan joining in on guitar. They played and sang "Freebird", the trademark finale song of Skynyrd's with a melancholy theme: "...if I leave here tomorrow, will you still remember me....." Will Farrell did a fabulous job and it was hard to tell the difference between him and the 'real thing'. This made me think of Ellen, my friend and neighbor, who lost her hubby, Billy, just a year ago right now. She had written to me earlier asking if I wanted to go to a play with her and some of our mutual friends but I have plans already with Justin. Nuts!!! Otherwise I would drop everything to go with them tomorrow, but I need to be with Justin at the "Bold, Fresh Tour"!! Tough one!

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After Conan's show was done (I watched it on hulu.com) I went to youtube.com to listen to a live version of "Freebird" and watched a 1975-era Billy, etal, sing and play. Yes, in answer to the question, I will remember you and do, Billy, this being your first anniversary of being called home. From his testimony to me, I am sure he is with the Lord and pray that Ellen could be comforted knowing this.

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Okay, Kim, shake it off.....I had a bit of excitement today. First order of business was to go to church to put up the fund raiser display and other items for the bulletin boards. Just when I thought I was done, I checked my mailbox and found two mailings from the Synod schools to put up. The boards are pretty full already so I had to take down a couple 'aged' pieces. My friend, Pete, appointed me the unofficial Synod school cheerleader a couple years ago so that is how I get the job of putting up the posters for the schools.

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Very easily I did the vacuum cleaning and did not wear myself out the tiniest bit. Judy R. advised me to pace, pace, pace and that is exactly what I did. The hymnals and Bibles were already neat and orderly in the pews so that saved me some work. In no time at all, I was on my way toward the Island to visit my friends at Great Hang Ups. I stopped to get myself a Route 44 Diet Coke and an unsweet tea for Julia. As I got onto the access road to the shop, my phone went off so I had to put my soda down to answer. It was Justin's voice asking me if that big cup had water in it....Busted!!!! He was on the property at our 'old' office building making a repair on the building, at our dentist's office, and spotted me going through. I told him it was soda but that I was hot from vacuuming....blah, blah, blah....

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As I was getting out of the car, phone to my ear, and two soda cups in my hands, and thinking my keys were in my pocket................................................Rats again! As the door slammed shut, I realized I had just locked my keys in the car, in my purse on the seat next to where I was sitting. Immediately I called Justin back again and asked him to swing by with his AAA card so I could call for help. He did bring it over to me and the ladies were so very happy to see him. I was told the service man would be there in 45 minutes so I was prepared to visit with my friends for that long. It was longer than that it seems but I got busy dusting while I waited and got caught up on news. We talked about being stuck in our homes (except for them working!) during the cold spell and how high the electric bills were getting this year. I hope that is over by the way! Usually the AAA guy calls to let me know where he is and to pinpoint my location but I got no such call. Instead, as I was dusting and chatting, a handsome young man came into the shop. We greeted him as though he was a client but then he asked if someone had called for a locksmith. Wow, no call from AAA and no noisy AAA truck to announce him! In about two seconds he had my door unlocked and I had my purse in my hand, complete with keys! He did not even ask me for ID or my card but I showed it to him anyway, as is protocol for AAA.

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I left very shortly after being freed, but not before Julia and Dee told me the good news about their missing cousin/nephew from a couple weeks ago. It seems, with the limited information given by the immediate family, that Camden had gone on a 'walk-about' of some sort and had finally gotten in touch with his family to let them know he was alright. After that phone call to home, the parents left immediately to get him, 5 hours each way, and dragged his sorry butt home...their words! But, our prayers were answered that Camden was found safe and well, and returned home!

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Justin was here at home waiting for me, watching Fox News with his feet up. Nice! His job was to vacuum, repair/tighten my dining room chairs and place them around the table, make the beds, and ready the rooms for the guests. He did all that and then some as we talked some more. We were not quite done yesterday, I guess. We have more time tomorrow evening, if he is not too late getting over there. He is going to a gun and knife show in the morning with his buddies (so redneck, if you ask me!) and then to use some coupons from Dave and Busters before they expire on Sunday. What a great life he has! Justin hopes to get to the theater in plenty of time, hopefully leaving some space to grab a bite at 5 Guys beforehand. I can always get something from concessions if Grove and he run late.

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Well, time for bed so I will say good night to everyone. I will be sleeping by moonlight, and I hope you all are able to do the same!

A quiet night at home

The moon is sparkling on the river tonight and the sky is busy busy busy with helicopter traffic up and down the river. My guess is that a squadron came in or another group is doing practice runs. What a perfect night for it, too! As I sit here, I am laughing my head off at "Seinfeld", even though I know the episodes so well already. It is still funny to me! "The Pez Dispenser"....'I can't have an intervention here....my furniture is very non-confrontational!" Ha!

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Justin and I went to Bible study at Victory today, and we had a great class. Much discussion including conversation about the Tim Tebow controversy. This University of Florida football player is expected to be in an advertisement during the Super Bowl regarding his stance against abortion. Many have been quite upset with CBS for allowing this discussion but now, more is being talked about it NOT being allowed. The message is getting out whether proponents of abortion like it or not. If Tebow was endorsing saving animals or sending money to Haiti, all kinds of positive support would be thrown behind him, but certainly NOT for speaking on behalf of the unborn. I made that statement on my Facebook status before class this a.m. and made the point again in the Bible study. Pastor thinks that football is the last bastion of maleness and is glad when the players make a positive, Christian stance. Hopefully influencing the lives of those watching the games. I don't know about that, but I do admire this young man for sticking by his principles and belief. And I am not even a fan of college ball!

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After class Justin and I went to lunch, this time at Mimi's where he got his usual jumbalaya (another Seinfeld reference...) and I had the meatloaf sandwich, of which I ate half. We shared some fried dill pickles but ate only half of that order. Justin took the leftovers home with him because he had to brush his teeth after having his spicy lunch. I used to beg him to brush his teeth when he was younger and now he says, somewhat sadly, that he brushes his teeth three times a day! Before he went home though, we went to Publix for a few things, including water. Yes, indeed, I bought water, soda, and a bag of apples! What's happening to me???!!! Justin chose fruit in cans, but mine is fresh, hmmmm.....

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He finished a house for closing so might be coming over here earlier in the day tomorrow after he checks in with his boss. He has a few jobs to take care of here to get ready for the company coming next Wednesday including vacuuming, bed making, and putting the chairs back around the table. I took two of them for Chris and me yesterday but he can do the rest. Some of them need tightening up but I am not sure I will get him long enough for that. Saturday evening Justin and I are going to the AMC Theater to see "The Bold, Fresh Tour" being simulcast, O'Reilly and Beck as the 'stars'. I guess PresBO wanted to use the theater in Tampa from where they will broadcast, but it was already reserved for Bold, Fresh! How funny is that?!

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Next Thursday is the themed dinner based on recipes from Julia Child. A whole slew of people have been invited and I hope most of them come, I hope all of them come. Somehow or another folks are asked to make a dish although that might be a problem for those who work during the day. I hope they can be creative or innovative coming up with something to bring, even if it is a dessert! We can never have too many desserts or breads, and Julia says to never apologize for a messed up recipe, thankfully!

Ending the day

....and ready to get back into my sleeping clothes! It turned cold here rather abruptly, only in the 40's tonight. The moon was splashed across the floor in my room when I came in from choir rehearsal----it seemed like it should be warm in here! Earlier in the day I enjoyed the sun shining on me but sadly the moon does not have the same effect. I am thinking of my friends in WI and MN with whom I share this moon....

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Chris came this afternoon and we shared a pizza, tackling nearly the entire thing between us. One slice remains and I put it in a baggie for Justin in case he came by after work. Silly me, though, I forgot he has a class/lab on Wednesdays. Chris worked on watercolors, using a type where she had to grind ink in order to mix with water and apply. Reading the directions alone was time consuming and then actually getting some mixed up came much later. It was good for us to be together and plan to do so again in two weeks, since next week I will be at the airport collecting my sis and friend!!!

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The news today told that there will likely be a shuttle launch on the 7th of February and hopefully it will be later in the day or even at night for a more dramatic display. In the morning we will be at church for our "Sisters in Christ" event, a breakfast meeting and kitchen shower. If time allows we could possibly drive down the coast some to watch the shuttle more closely, perhaps to Twila's beach house. Weather permitting, that is!

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After Chris went home I came back in my room to take a rest before meeting Suzanne for dinner. While I was resting, I was listening to the radio over the Internet on my laptop as I worked on my computer. My eyes were getting so heavy that I set the computer off to the side so I could close my eyes, waking up at 5:00 pm! Just in time to head to Panera Bread to meet Suzanne, although I did arrive a bit earlier than she did. When I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed a man and woman arguing between two cars, so I waited before getting out. They were screaming and hollering, calling each other horrible names and things, played some tug-of-war with a cell phone, some pushing and shoving. Finally, the man got into his SUV and started backing away, but the woman ran up to his window, still yelling that she didn't want him anymore. I saw the man reach down beside him and I thought, "Oh, oh......" but he grabbed a jug of water and threw some in her face. And then he drove off. I went inside the restaurant to wait for Suzanne, and the lady came in a bit later, calm as can be, chatting on her phone, drinking a cup of coffee. I was the one shook up!

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Yesterday I made my travel arrangements for my trip to MN and WI in March, booking with Travelocity. For some reason, the reservation flagged me that I could not make my seat selections until after I had received my confirmation via e-mail, and then I had to call the airline. I looked up the number for the airline, AirTran, and finally got through to a live person to make the seat assignments. He told me I could make them for free 24 hours prior to the travel date or pay $6 each way to do them on-line now. Because I prefer window seats and wanted to secure them, I paid the $12 for the sure thing. The last situation I would want is to end up in a middle seat in a row of three! So, whether there are three seats across or not, I don't know, but did not want to take a chance. A woman of size needs her room, you know? Is there a bag fee on top of that? I am only guessing.....

Starting the day...

....but yet in my nightie! Every couple minutes I am checking my phone, trying to reach Mom to sing 'happy birthday' to her. The line is busy, so I must be in queue for getting hold of her! I sent her an e-mail greeting already which she will hopefully get. She reads the newspaper on-line which ties up the telephone line so I just keep trying. Guess I could get dressed in the meantime. It feels wonderful here in the sun, at the 'big computer' now, as I have some work on the newsletter to complete plus want to print off something for my church project. Martie had to cancel as she forgot all about her son leaving the country tomorrow. She is going to spend time with him today before he goes to London to pack up their household for the move. They are moving to AZ where his next duty station will be. His wife was already here in Jax, having to travel before she was in her 7th month, the rules for international travel. Her folks live here so they stayed with them. Their baby is now two weeks old, daughter Marilyn, to go with their little boys! Tammy will certainly have her hands full for many years to come!

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More later!

I have been busy this morning....

.....and have not even gotten out of bed! Besides chatting on Facebook with WI friends, and the telephone, I have been reaching out and touching people! Or been touched! Or am touched!!! There was a "Seinfeld" episode where Elaine broke up with her perfect guy because he did not put an exclamation mark after what should have been an exciting phone message he took for her. She then went on a rampage as an editor, using exclamation marks at every opportunity. It seems I do that as well!

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Today I am helping in the kindergarten classroom to give the teacher a little break over lunch and recess, and she called to let me know that two of the kids are out with the stomach flu. Laurie thought I might not want to be exposed to the germs which may or may not be in the air but I told her I will go into battle! Using good hand washing procedures and plenty of Clorox wipes (love those things!) will certainly be my defense.

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After I am done in the classroom I will go in to the church office next door to review the Policy and Procedure book in case I am ever called upon to work in the church office again, as I did last fall when Lynne went to Hawaii. It was really last minute when she asked me and the retraining I had was cursory at best. Things were handled adequately although likely not as in the same military order as Lynne was accustomed. She is going on a cruise at some point in the summer so I am on board to grab the reins once more. Her hours were reduced in order to save money on the budget and since I have the time to donate, well, there must be something in the office that I can do. Even if it is folding or making copies or organizing....maybe even dusting!

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My sister, Jill, called me this morning on her way to work. She said Danny, her son, had mentioned something to her as she drove him to school and she needed my help in remembering. It seems he was thinking about them coming down here for Timmy's funeral and he remembers seeing a wall or balls with people's names written on them. Jill asked me what he could be thinking of, saying he thought it was next to a building somewhere. He was eight when they were here for that. In my vague recollection of those days, I asked Jill if he was at the funeral home at all and she said he did come at first. One of the assistants from Eagle Harbor Realty then took him back to my house to babysit him. I think what he saw, then, when outside walking around with his mama, were the crypts in the mausoleum next door to the funeral home. I think they are black with people's names engraved or plaques on the marble, behind which are the urns of the deceased. He also mentioned the creek behind the funeral home and the pond at the cemetery. Jill does not remember seeing these things but, as I told her, her mind was elsewhere under those circumstances. Hmmm......what things kids notice! And what made him think about it today?

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Pastor also called to see if I was still coming in today and might have some busy-work for me to take care of. If not now, he will in the future when it gets busy mid-month in February when Lent begins. I want to stop at Publix on the way through to get myself a sandwich to enjoy with the children and a gift card for Mike C.'s birthday today. My friend, Suzanne, and her family will be having dinner at Judy C.'s house for the birthday celebration tonight. Yummy! Ssshhh, they are having a beef roast as his special dinner and I think that sounds so good, I am going to get myself a roast, too! Love the smell of roast roasting!

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On the way to Bible study yesterday, I swung by the cemetery to put the flower vases back up after the storms in the wee hours. Sure enough, everything was a mess down there, but neither glass vases were broken. The Thomas balloon was deflated and wind-whipped so I took it away. In the afternoon, it got quite windy yet again so I might have to go check the vases once more as I head toward the church this a.m. The radio reported Monday that power was out in certain areas of Orange Park and the Westside due to the terrible storm and in fact, radio reports had it that we were under a tornado warning when I pulled the covers back over my head! Oh well.....

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It is 55 above zero with ten more to go until we reach the high predicted for today. My friend in Tulsa said they are in store for more serious winter weather with ice and snow accumulating, so I can tolerate the 65 degree mostly sunny weather. Last night we had our annual Owner's meeting at The Club and it had its moments. Some of the more contentious issues discussed included the budget for the coming year which adds 2% to our monthly fees. Yikes! I told the people at my table that I will only eat every other day now to make up the difference. They did not believe me.....The good news is that we had enough people step forward to serve on the Board for the next two years, I think, and I am not one of them! There are always some who make waves and listen with their mouths open instead of closed, so miss half of what is being discussed. Others demand presentation of past year's Minutes to either prove or disprove that some matter was voted on and discussed. I felt badly for the newest couple to the building, although the husband had lived here before with his previous wife. Bob and his then-wife, Jan, were quite gracious to us after Timmy died, invited us to their home and such. That is when I first saw The Palace and it never left my memory. As they took us on a tour of their home, I couldn't believe how it just went on and on....and now, I live here! When I saw a place was available in the building, I snapped it up!

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Last week I heard from an old friend, Jim, who was our draftsman and became a superintendent later in his career with my company. He is mentioned in one of the repeat postings I made, the guy who called Timmy "Hurricane Hank". He is now a married man and quite happily so. I told him I did not feel bad about not being invited to their Keys wedding since it was only his wife and he, plus the minister, their dog, and a homeless man who wandered through during their vows! That figures! Jim did my home inspection before I moved in here, arriving before I did. He was wandering aimlessly, claiming he got all turned around inside my condo! It can be intimidating at first, as Mom will attest. She got turned around herself when she stayed with me here after we moved in. Jim said he got into a closet and ended up in the bathroom, which is true! I changed that situation after moving in, so my guests can enter their bathroom without going through the closet.

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Whenever I travel, I think of Jim---he told the story about his mom who, when he was flying somewhere, would ask him, "Do you have your tickets?". In those days, we had paper tickets to use, not e-tickets. Frustrated, he would say, "Yes, I do!", except once, he did not!!! What a great lesson he learned! Good for you, mom! So, as I approach the bag check area at the curbside, I think to myself, "Kim, do you have your tickets??"

Oh, I hate having those kind of dreams!

We all have them, just some folks do not recall their dreams. Me? Unfortunately, often I do remember mine and today was no exception. The dream took place after being awakened by the thunderstorm which moved through here in the early hours of the morning. I went back to sleep, of course. Dreams seem like they last for hours but according to experts, are only moments long. Mine went on far too long and got more frustrating as it went. Frustration is often the theme of people's dreams, running to catch your ride to work, racing against time to get something done, and so on. I was getting ready for a party (go figure!) and running out of time!

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Mom likes to mention helping us get ready for a party many years ago in WI when we (former spouse and I) had moved into a new house in Indian Bluffs, not quite finished, but were having our contractor party anyway. While Mom ironed the curtains for the family room, I think, others were scurrying about to make things ready, including mounting the bar top in the kitchen. It was just too much for Mom, all the hustle and bustle, thinking we would not make the deadline for the party, that she had to go home! And guess what----we made it! We had our party and it was wonderful!

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My dream this early morning ended before the guests started arriving but was pretty much the same scenario---getting a house ready for a party. After I woke up and was thinking about it, no mention was even made of food and drinks at all. Just everywhere I turned there was dust, layers and layers of it, my nemesis. My former spouse was in the dream as was Justin, who was not the least bit helpful in conquering the mess. There were piles of clothes around, with no hope of getting the piles removed, it seemed. I spent most of the sequence in my nightie, and even though it was nearly time for the guests to start showing up. I am like the bride who gets married with her hair in curlers so she looks nice for the reception!

*

At one point my former spouse said he was going outside to tidy some things up and I insisted we get the inside ready first because you can't see outside at night! In one hallway in this house which I did not recognize, Justin had taken my painted canvases and stood them on end along the wall. And the dishwasher tray for silverware strangely enough was on the outside of the door, where obviously they could not be washed. But the tray was packed tightly with plastic ware with what appeared to be icing on them, and looked gross. Just before I woke up, it was time for the party, I was in my nightie, battling to get the forks washed for the party! Whew! My heart is pounding and I am still tired!

*

These days when I have a gathering, it is much less stressful because, I believe, I am the one in charge. If I want to prepare things ahead, I will and do. Even the feasts for holiday dinners, I make as much ahead of time as possible to avoid the chaos. No one ever complains or is critical, to my knowledge, and it makes for an easier time for me. This I love to do---having the feasts in my dining room. Which brings to mind Linda and Lynn's upcoming visit! We have plans to hold a dinner, a "Julie and Julia" dinner where the guests bring menu items from Julia Childs' cookbook! This was Twila's idea and I hope it will fly...I had better get busy putting a bug in people's ears so they can make their plans ahead of time. My idea was to make the raspberry creme dessert as seen in the movie but I might have to tackle the meat dish so Twila won't have to try to transport it. No worries, I can do it!

The Party's Over!

May I present the beautiful taco ring! Rachel brought the garnishments to go with it but most just dived in without the enhancements. Truly a wonderful treat! Wish I could make one that pretty!

Lonnie and Renee are quite entertaining as they shared stories about their lives in the Navy. Emily is listening intently, as Paul joins in with his stories (he is out of the frame to the right)

Brian (nearly out of frame), Kathy B., Rick and Jen, are listening to Lonnie tell another funny story!

The room is empty but ready for the guests to arrive. The lights were dim which makes for the darker picture. Justin carried the chairs into the family room for me and I wonder if he will come back to put them in the dining room....I guess if I asked him to, he would!

Brian took a picture of me at the table, but the flash jumped up and caught the rim of his hat. Quite amusing! In the front we have assorted cheesecakes on my lovely cake plate, hot dog wraps on heated tray (wedding present!), taco ring with condiments, meatballs in the mushroom dish (wedding present!), and nacho chips with dip. The red tapers are in my mom's candle holders from many many years ago. Thanks, Mom! The taco ring was made by my friend, Rachel, from Victory, and she delivered it to my house in time to bake and serve. Her son and she took the tour quickly as she wanted to be gone before anyone arrived. It was delicious and moreso because she so graciously made it for me!

The table was loaded with food incrementally, keeping the hottest foods to the last so it would be good for serving. The mushroom dish has a candle underneath to keep the meatballs hot, and you can see the flame in the photo!

This photo was taken on the morning of what would have been Timmy's 14th birthday. Truly the day the Lord has made! As Carter says in "The Bucket List" when viewing the Northern Lights from the private jet: 'truly one of God's good ones!' Amen, Carter!

Before the party

It is time to rest already after a busy, by my standards, morning of preparations. Justin popped in momentarily to bring up some more stuff from my car and to take a light bulb to the garbage for me. It is a tube fluorescent bulb, about three feet long so it is not the simplest trash I have to get rid of. Hopefully he put the tube alongside the trash bin and not inside where someone might toss their bags on top of it and have a huge mess. Justin is on his way to his father's house to finish taking down the outdoor holiday lights, including lifting a 75# flag pole which is draped in lights. Neither of those two have decent backs and I jokingly asked if I should come along to help. We would likely end up in the river and the pole would remain standing. I should have mentioned the pole is on the dock....

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Thus far today I have made a mess, mostly from trying to make my ham salad but once I got the machine put together properly after several tries, I have a bowl full of Honey Baked Ham salad! Yummy! Too bad Janet won't be here to enjoy any this time. Another time I served it for a gathering and she doubted that I could make such a delicious treat! It might be expensive to buy up front, but it is so "no muss-no fuss" delicious and the meals just keep coming after the feast is past. My freezer holds three containers of the bean soup made from the bone and remnants, and now the ham salad for tonight. A bit more dusting was done, just some finishing touches, and serving dishes gathered for the hot foods. My friend, Rachel, from Victory, has offered to make me a Pampered Chef taco ring for tonight. What a sweetheart!

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Yesterday when Justin came, he walked into the dining room and asked, alarmed, "What kind of party are you having??!!??", as he held the grass hula skirt in his hands. He saw the cactus cut-out and hula skirt and John Deere paper plates----yeah, you know those church folks do like their parties!!! I explained both were church-related but two separate events. Martie is coming Wednesday to help me assemble the hula skirt thing which will help to gauge the donations to our lawn mower fund. Nothing to do with the party at all, just left out on the table where I dropped it when getting home. What a laugh we had over it, though!

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I had another belly laugh with David, my bro-in-law in WI, this morning. Wanting to talk with my sister as I took my break, I called their house. He was the only one up and it was 10:00 a.m. already. David asked if he should wake her up and I told him not to because I need her fully conscious to discuss my travel plans for March. She will call me when she's had a cup of coffee and can think coherently. What made us laugh though was when he asked who was coming to the party tonight. I told him I invited the Called workers and teachers and those elected to office. And then I said, "I invited the elect, and am dying to see who shows up!!!" A little biblical humor there....hopefully not too sacrilegious. I just crack myself up sometimes, and cracked him up too! Justin came in as I was roaring with laughter and was hanging up with David, and he asked, "Seinfeld??" Of course, what else would make me roar like that??

Taking a break

A break? From what? Well, perhaps the scent of Soft Scrub from my hands will give it away....I began the process of cleaning for the party tomorrow night, and I do this in increments so as not to upset my back. Often I find that cleaning wears on me, so I will allow Justin the privilege of moving the chairs around when he comes to vacuum clean this afternoon. That is sometimes a back-breaker for me as my dining room chairs are quite heavy. Once the floors are cleaned, he can place the chairs in the family room so I can prepare the table for food. Later I will go get some items from the store including wine and soda, and perhaps some beer. Most are wine drinkers these days but I think I must have something for all, as a good hostess. Justin will tote it upstairs for me which saves me the job.

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This a.m. before getting in the shower, I stripped my bed and threw the sheets into the washer. The water seemed reluctant but did not do its usual spitting and sputtering which normally happens if it has been off. Huh. At least it was still coming out, right? I went to take my shower and as I stood under the lame stream, I scrubbed like mad to make sure I got done before the water quit all together. Now what? I did not even get to my hair but that's okay, mostly I wished to remove the soap from my skin. Once out, I called the maintenance guy, Hugh, to report the problem but got his answering machine. This made me hopeful that he was out there addressing the problem. I also called Tracy downstairs, as she is still the president of the BOD but she knew nothing of the situation. By the time we completed our conversation, the water pressure had returned to normal, and I restarted the washer. And I washed my hair in the kitchen sink!

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Outside my door I heard some racket and opened it to find Connie out there sweeping around the plants and such in the courtyard. This pleased me because I want it looking nice when my company arrives. She told me mine were the sole plants that survived the freeze. The only special treatment I gave them was using hot water to water them and not every day. No covers or anything, and mine lived! One pot contains plants from when Timmy died so I really wanted them to make it. Some look a bit weary but are otherwise alive.

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Again, a Jami story: just prior to her surgery, Jami had been training for a marathon, her first one. On the day of the marathon she found herself in the hospital, facing emergency surgery to remove part of her colon. The doctors are not exactly sure what happened there, whether it was from the training or if it just happened on its own. As she recovers now, she did a dramatic change of attitude, last night declaring in no uncertain terms that she was going to run a 'stinking' marathon!!! The 'stinking' is my word, not the one she used. Good for you, Jami, go get 'em!

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The party tomorrow is going to be fewer folks than I invited, as often happens, with Pastor calling this a.m. with his regrets. He had surgery earlier this week to repair a hernia and he is taking longer to feel like his old self than he expected. Sadly, his wife and he won't be able to make it to the party, and in fact, his dad is coming up from south Florida to help with the service on Sunday. What a blessing that is for us all! Having a spare pastor in your back pocket, so to speak. It is good that his dad, a former professor from the seminary, is a phone call away when needed. One can never predict how long recovery will take, as we all heal differently. My guess is he is not planning to run a marathon any time soon but does intend to see his kids' sporting events on Saturday and then turn in for the rest of the day!

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I called Hugh back a bit ago to let him know the water was okay again, and he said they were cleaning up a mess in their condo. It seems one of them dropped a bottle of chocolate wine on the kitchen tile floor and they had sticky wine and broken glass all over. Yes, they will need some water to clean that mess up! Yikes! I have a similar bottle in my fridge that I got from a wine tasting party so I think I will wander down there with my bottle to replace theirs. They are such good neighbors, and I will likely not serve it or drink it myself. Hugh can either drink it or pour it on the floor!

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Here is a PS to my posting: I just came back upstairs from Hugh's and observed there was water in the swimming pool on the far end. It has been empty and under repair since September. I guess with the horrific weather yesterday I just did not notice the refreshed and lovely blue from that end of the property. Another big news event this week was a group of men filling in the treacherous pot holes that made an obstacle course out of our driveway from the street down. We are guessing that is what caused my most recent flat tire, hitting the pot hole. This prompted the jokes from the Geico commercial and really made me laugh. K, bahy!

"....like smoke through a keyhole....."

In the movie, "The Bucket List", the two men facing their pending demises (is that a word???), were discussing the rapid passing of time, going by nearly unnoticed when it seemed there was still plenty of years before them. Now that it seemed more like only months left in their lives, they speculated how quickly that time will pass, and Edward sort of whispers, "...like smoke through a keyhole....". One of my favorite lines from the movie and I like to throw it out when I can in a conversation. Certainly I have used it in this blog but Mom said she does not recall hearing or reading that expression before. So I am using it tonight as I think about how next month we have Ash Wednesday coming up. Already??? We just celebrated Epiphany and now, working on the newsletter, I discover that Ash Wednesday is nearly around the corner. How did that time go by so quickly, ".....like smoke through a keyhole...."?

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My friend, Jami, whom I 'met' through The Bucket List, is home recovering from a rather dramatic surgery and is going stir crazy while at the same time feeling miserable. Movie watching is her past time because the medications do not allow her to read and focus. She asked today for suggestions for movies to watch and I sent her a list of my faves, not including the two we already share, besides "Bucket", we also love "Freedom Writers". In her blog she wrote that she roared her head off watching "The Hangover" and then added in parenthesis, "No, Kim, this movie is not for you!". She is not the first one to tell me that and I could tell from the previews this movie was not for me either. Joanne went and saw it alone one day, and told me it was horribly raunchy and vulgar, but she never laughed so hard in her life. What does that tell you???

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Thursday is usually the day Justin and I start together at Bible study but he sent me a sad text message this a.m. reporting he had to go to work on a house to prepare it for a walk-through. Evidently he had not finished it yesterday so had to go back in today. Rats! We needed him too as we had a skeleton group for class. Last week they set up extra tables and chairs so we could all squeeze in and today only three of us showed up. On the way to class I called Mom, as usual, and while we were chatting a phone call came from Martie. After class I called her back to see what was up. Normally she works on Thursdays but was off today and wanted to meet for lunch. What do you know? It worked out well that Justin was not available because Martie stepped in perfectly to take his place! Cracker Barrel it is!

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Because I was already up, dressed, and out on the road, I got there first and saved us a seat by the window where I could watch the rain come down and the lightning flash. Yup, a storm was brewing for sure! My lunch consisted of the veggie plate complete with fries, which I ordered for Martie to snack on as she waited for her apple dumpling to come. I had food, she had dessert-----that's what friends do! It was great seeing her again since she has been laid up with a terrible sinus infection and then family coming in from London and a new grand baby being born.....She is coming over Wednesday to help with my project for church and to work on some painting or cards or something. Chris, too, if she is not playing bridge next week. We need an appointment to get together with Chris, she is such a busy bee!

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Since the storm had intensified while we were in the dining room, Martie, who needed a birthday present for her granddaughter, and I shopped in the general store. It was just pouring down out there, and I thought I heard a customer telling about tornadoes somewhere but did not catch where exactly. We had been under a watch since morning until 4:00 pm but it seems a touch down occurred south of Green Cove and a possible siting at Doctors Inlet. I wonder if Twila had some excitement this afternoon??? Instead of Rush on the radio, the station went to weather reporting, have folks calling in to tell what they were seeing or experiencing on the area roads. Even on the interstate west of Jacksonville there was flooding and a huge mess from sand which moved onto the freeway where construction was going on. Glad I only had a few miles to go to get home, although going the back way was probably not the best idea as there was standing water on the street all along the river. One of the reports that came in made me laugh, because the man reported the wind was so powerful in Penney Farms, that a squirrel blew out of a tree and landed on his windshield. "We got cows!"---from the movie "Twister", only in this case, we have squirrels. Sadly, two construction workers were blown off an overpass by a gust of wind, landing on the road below. Hopefully their injuries will be minor and the squirrel recovers as well!

Here is a picture taken of hail stones which fell this afternoon. Wow, that's going to leave a mark!

Sun bathing in January

First of all, thanks to all who reached out to Justin and me yesterday, and on Timmy's anniversary day, which Justin calls his "death day". That is right, one is his birthday and one his death day, the day he entered eternal bliss!

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Finally the sun has broken through, burning off the fog which concealed Mandarin the first part of the morning. It feels so good roasting my back and shoulders, even making me squint a bit as it comes around my face. My desk is piled with my CHRISTmas and holiday cards, and, yes, there IS a difference. After I record the senders in my computer for the coming season, I will sort them according to their theme, and take the CHRISTmas ones to church for recycling. Booklets using parts of the cards are made at the end of the year for distribution to the shut-in members and when we go caroling. The rest, those that will not work for re-using, will go into the trash. It saddens me because I love my cards so much but some cleaning up must be done before my party on Saturday night!

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Justin will be coming after work Friday to do the cleaning, badly needed since we took down the decorations. Lori had vacuumed on New Year's Eve but it still needed much more attention than she gave the rugs and floors. Those nacho chips are just so messy! Must add that to my shopping list for the party---chips and dips! At this writing only a fourth of those invited have replied to my invitation but today is the day the invitation asked for RSVPs. Until I know how many are coming, I am holding back on my food preparations. Much is already on hand but some will need purchasing, especially the adult beverages. Justin can help me with that tomorrow after Bible study and lunch.

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Justin and I met at the cemetery yesterday and placed a Thomas the Tank Engine balloon at Timmy's site. Some one had already placed a bouquet in the vase so the bouquet I brought was placed in a glass vase which was rolling about in my back seat, waiting to be dropped off at church. The wind wanted to blow it over but I secured it well enough to prevent that, I hope. Justin tied the balloon to the bench, as the lady applied extra length of string for me to make it easier to secure. As we stood there, we speculated what kind of boy Timmy would be today and I recollected that Pete had said, "Some kids will do anything to get out of my confirmation classes!". If I thought piano lessons were tough, I can just imagine getting the homework for confirmation completed!! I do better remembering and thinking of him as 5 and not a hard-to handle teenager! Justin figured Timmy would be interested in Pokemon or some type of game system, something his father would have had to buy for him since the mom in this household is too cheap!

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We enjoyed our lunch at Sweet Tomatoes, reminiscing about Timmy and discussing our usual politics and his TV passion of the moment. Now that "24" has started again, he is caught up in that, plus "American Idol". I know that any time now he will be sending me youtube links to listen to this singer or that artist doing an interpretation of a song he thinks I would like. He tries so hard to draw me into "Idol" but I am not a taker. Leave me with my old TV shows or hulu to entertain me if I need it. Oh, and Cash Cab is back on Discovery Channel which I really really enjoy because it takes place in NYC!

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He had to leave rather abruptly from our lunch, where, by the way, he ate the chocolate muffin with ice cream that his brother loved so much. Justin needed gas before heading back to the southside for his class and he was not sure his backpack was in the car. I gave him a pen to use for the class in case he was lacking his backpack and he would pick up a tablet at the bookstore if he had time. Parking takes the longest at school, longer than the class itself, so he needed to allow extra time for that. Hope he made it on time. I sent him a text message last night after the good news from MA broke and he replied to me but I did not continue the conversation, knowing he was deeply involved in his TV show. He told me the other day that his buddies warned him--No Talking!--during their programs. He was put out that they "shushed" him, which is a "Seinfeld" reference, of course, but he liked to say that about me at the movies! He talks more than I do, coming into that honestly, as the expression goes!

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The other day I mentioned the purple sweater that was bounced in my dryer in order to stop the lint mess. Yesterday, I was using my bathroom sink and thought, "My, this is soooo dirty in here!". When I wiped it out, the dirt was actually purple fuzzies from that same sweater which I wore on Sunday. Yikes! There are still purple tumbleweeds blowing about in my closet and bathroom, which connect. What a shame to have to clean up behind yourself after wearing a garment!

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Before meeting Justin for our time in remembrance of Timmy, Twila called, asking me what I had in mind for the day. Great! I told her about my lunch date with Justin and said I was open after that. The ladies had decided to go to the movies that afternoon, and before hearing what the movie was, I said "YES!" It was better to go do something than sit home and do nothing. Well, they were seeing "The Lovely Bones" which I had heard much about, with my friend, Jami, reading the book. When I told Justin what we were seeing, he asked, "Have you lost your mind??!!??" The movie really did get to me, but not the reasons you would think. Besides it being about a girl supposedly caught between earth and heaven, there was a great deal of soaring and swooping with the camera and images that made me more than a little motion sick. Jean, too, experienced it and I was glad to have taken a Dramanine early on to allow me to stay in the movie. Much of it was watched with my eyes closed, just like Linda watches movies!!!

A repeat of a message from my friend, Suzanne.....

I remember so much about that week in detail! I remember wiping the dining room table off, because it was covered with icing from Caitlyn's first birthday cake, and the phone rang. It was Chris Douglas telling me what had happened, and that you were all at the hospital. I remember him asking me to make calls to other families, asking them to pray for a miracle, and I remember Chris calling me again and telling me Timmy had died, and then having to share this news with the same families again.

I remember sitting in the church with Mark Vance, alone, staring at our stained glass picture of Jesus for hours, and wondering WHY babies die, and what was the purpose, but mostly I remember saying... "You made it Timmy! You get to see Jesus before me! See you when I get there!"

I remember seeing you at the funeral home, wondering how in the world you were functioning, and thinking you had amazing strength! I remember that you had just had surgery, and that you had had your eye surgery just before that as well! I remember sitting with my friends on the left side in the back row of our church, and that it was so full we didn't have enough chairs, and people were standing outside the doors! I remember seeing so many grown men, big burly contruction workers in tears! And I remember the funeral procession to Jax Memory Gardens, and thinking this was probably the longest ever seen on Blanding, and what a traffic jam! I remember standing at the cemetary seeing his little white casket, and thinking how small it seemed, and the flowers from the wreath beside it that went on top of it! I remember sending a card to you as well as one to Justin, and telling Justin I was praying for him, because I hoped that he wouldn't be forgotten in the sorrow, that it wasn't just the parents that lost a son, but he lost his little brother!

Kim, I remember so much about that week! I'm telling you all this, and I hope it doesn't upset you! I tell you this because I love you so much, and that little boy was a bookmark in my life! A bookmark in my faith, and I want you to know Timothy made a difference in my life!

*

...and that, folks, is what makes a Christian friend and helps sustain us through our trials and tribulations and joys. We know Timmy is with the Lord, soaring around the throne and singing "Holy, holy, holy" in his deep voice!

Another repeat of a posting

This will I will more boldly mark this as being a re-run so as to avoid confusion:

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I did not mark this one with "Warning" because I suspect most of the readers are already braced today. What was a clear and bright sun-filled sky has become foggy and slightly overcast. I hope that does not last long. And I also hope Justin is across the bridge already and not in the fog while he is driving.

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Cindy was at church yesterday but after worship when we were hugging, I wanted to say something to her. She said, "Don't say anything!" We just smiled at each other, knowing each others minds and hearts so well, and left it unspoken. Last week she wrote such a lovely comment to a posting, telling about what the first weeks were like in her Sunday school class after Timmy died, how she let the kids ask questions and discuss what happened instead of following the curriculum. I suspect the kids learned a whole lot more those days and weeks than they will ever learn, more than they wanted to learn perhaps when their fellow member, another child, died so suddenly.

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Kathy and I had a conversation yesterday about grief and the rules thereof, and I am quick to say there are no rules, just go with it! Her daughter, now engaged to be married in April, had lost her first fiance to an accident a few years ago. Kathy was telling me how people, many of the them her daughter's friends, would tell Kelly to "get over it", and "move on". This was only months or weeks after he had died and they said "Move on." What exactly were they saying to Kelly? Were they saying those words to benefit Kelly? From my observations, not so much. In fact, people, and in her case, young people, simply are too uncomfortable, unskilled, in dealing with matters such as these. Sorrow and grief and loss truly do interfere with the "life goes on" mentality our culture has, and folks don't want to let their guard down around others, appear weak or emotional. Folks, I tell you again, there is nothing wrong with showing your feelings and expressing your grief, whether in private or in public. Many folks avoid the subject, saying they did not want to "upset" me ( or Kelly), when in fact, often, it is the speaker not wanting to be upset or show their feelings. Let's just skip along as though nothing has happened, and that is so unfair to the one experiencing the loss. I may be different than others, but I am willing to bet, not all that different. Lesson over.*

Last night at dinner with Brenda and Jimmie, we talked about a few things that made us laugh about Timmy. I recalled the time Jimmie was sitting at the conference room table, the first time Timmy had seen him without a cap on his balding head. Timmy was sitting on his dad's lap and asked him, "What happened to Jimmie's head?" It was also Jimmie's birthday that day and as we waited for the gang to assemble around the table to sing for him, I asked Timmy what song we should sing for Jimmie's birthday, assuming it would be the standard birthday song. Oh no, Timmy wanted to sing "Old MacDonald Had a Farm"! So, we did...

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Jimmie recalled that Timmy referred to Brenda as being Jimmie's mama, which, for some reason, really tickled Jimmie's funny bone! We recalled how Timmy would dress himself in outlandish, mismatched outfits, pointing to the blue stripe in his shirt and the blue square on his plaid shorts and say, "See? Blue, blue!". As far as he was concerned, he had a match! One of our guys, Frank, used to ask, "Dress yourself today, Tim?", as it was obvious I had not picked the outfit. One of our members from church also worked for us in the office before leaving to be director of the preschool. One day, Rebecca brought in a bunch of suspenders and clip-on ties for Timmy because he loved them so much. On uniform day at school, Justin got to wear a dress shirt and tie, but Timmy had to wear his school polo shirt----to which he clipped on a tie! I have that same shirt with a necktie attached in the memory box below his portrait in the hallway.

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One year for CHRISTmas we (Santa) got Timmy a bike, but it came unassembled. Another of our guys, Michael, got the dubious job of putting our childs' present together. Well, even though Timmy did not know Michaal had assembled the bike, he always asked Mike to put the chain back on or make the proper adjustment when something wasn't right.

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Another of our guys who used to work for us, Jim Hattaway, knew "Hurricane Hank" before he could even walk. In our old office, Jim would come in from the field and lift Timmy in his jump-up chair suspended in the doorway and would lift him wwaayy up with one hand, and let him drop. This brought great screams of delight from a previously bored infant. Jim only had so many of those in him though so the fun would soon stop. When Timmy learned to walk far too early, Jim's office and storage area was an easy mark for a little guy who loved to pull the covers off of boxes and strew the files around the room. That is why Jim, who never got mad, called him "Hurricane Hank". After Jim quit rather abruptly after a falling out with the boss, I didn't see or hear from him for a year. Finally he came back into my life and as I told my friends, "I can die now." I loved him and he loved me and my boys. At Timmy's funeral, Jim nearly passed out. It was hot, in January, and he had worn a white dress shirt with his suit, and the collar was so tight he could barely breathe. I told him he didn't have to wear that but he thought he should. The lady at the home inspection place where Jim then worked told me how hard Jim took the news about Timmy, and that she made dinner for him and hung out with him the first night, because he was so upset. I like knowing that about him, and about her.

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I am thankful to have a full day ahead of me, starting with Bible class and lunch with the church ladies. A good place to be. Justin is coming over here after work to do some vacuuming for us, because he works for his room and board, too, if you recall. And then we are going to have dinner at "Taste (Sweet) Tomatoes". We have to go sort of early so I am home again to attend the Board of Directors meeting this evening. We are having an attorney come to help explain the new condo laws and such, and their affect on us as an Association. I am hoping that doesn't mean more money but I am guessing it will. Ugh! Life goes on........maybe not "moving on" but going on.........