Gotta love those fortune cookies from Ming Moon! I was so busted because when talking on the phone with Justin, the delivery man arrived with my dinner. The guy stood at my door and I said, into the phone, “Just a minute, Sweetie…” and the delivery man, “Okay, okay”, thinking I was calling him 'sweetie'! Justin could hear him speaking to me and knew immediately it was Ming Moon. AND he knew exactly what was in the bag, that rascal! Seems I am quite predictable, too. Not long after I ate some of the dinner, Linda called me for the second time in a few days. While we were talking, I opened my fortune cookie and the above listed ‘fortune’ was tucked inside. Wow, even the Chinese know about Linda and me!
As long as I am sitting at the big desk, facing away from my room and into the river room, I do not have to look at the mess on my bed or the laundry basket filled to overflowing with stuff to be folded and/or put away. On the bed are some clothes for me to try on, bought ages ago on a shopping venture and it is now getting cool enough for me to wear them. IF they fit. But I am not sure how long I can look away so might have to address the mess, as it were.
Today before Bible study, Gretchen had me in stitches. It has been a while since I had a good belly laugh, not really been ‘feeling it’ much lately, but today, she got me going. After I had gotten settled into my seat next to her, Gretchen leaned over and asked me, serious as could be, “Have you started your baking yet?” I just lost it! She seemed surprised at how funny it struck me, and she added, “I haven’t started either…” which just made me laugh more. Once I had calmed back down again, she asked me if I had ever been a CHRISTmas baker. Hmmmm…..anyone? Can you answer that? Really, what is the matter with me? I simply cannot remember being much of a baker except for making the cookies with the Hershey kisses pressed into the middle. My favorite memory of that was when Lisa was a little girl, perched on a stool at my counter, unwrapping the foil from the chocolate. She heaved a great sigh and announced, “Whew, this is almost like working…” I can still hear her saying this and remember losing it that day too!
My mother-in-law was an incredible baker, her method of choice was baking as compared to meal prep. She would make pan upon pan of bars, treats, sweets, and cakes to serve over the holidays, plus making the caramel corn I loved so much, and Chex party mix. At my house, cut-out cookies, my all-time favorite, were made and frosted and decorated. Certainly cookies were made in my household, but I am guessing (remember, the memory of doing it myself has faded) my former spouse did it, with me as the helper. Yes,that I remember. And we would gather at the home of the Petskas, my in-law’s in-laws, to ‘color’ cut-out cookies with an egg white mixture. Those are fond memories but still, I laughed so darn hard today, and I thank Gretchen for that. Love it and love her!
Let me recap my day yesterday---after church, I came immediately home as Justin was coming from his service to help me haul my stuff to the car for delivery to church. It surprised me that he beat me home, having to drive about a half hour to get here. He said that Pastor Hoyer has to keep the two services pretty much the same, since the 9:00 a.m. one has to wrap up without going too long after 10:00 a.m. The next service begins at 10:30 with folks arriving early and socializing in their kitchen. Therefore, Justin got out promptly at 11:30 or earlier to make it to my house by noon. My neighbors were using a dolly to unload 1000 bins from Pat’s car, decorations galore. Her friend, Nathan, was taking a load upstairs so I had to wait for the elevator and as I talked to Pat, we heard a horrendous crash from above. Oops! The shattering glass we just heard was the top bin toppling from the dolly as Nathan tried to move from the elevator. Eventually the elevator came back for me with Nathan in it, and a sick look on his face. When I got up to the 3rd floor, I looked down to the 2nd and saw red and black ceramic-looking pieces lying around the landing. I felt badly for them both.
Jessica came out on the 4th floor to ask me what happened, whispering, and I announced in my regular voice that Nathan had a spill with Pat’s CHRISTmas decorations. Evidently her baby was sleeping with the sound of shattered glass coming over his nursery monitor. Oops! Once in my house, I told Justin that we should wait just a couple minutes to allow them to finish getting this batch of bins from the lobby up to Pat’s unit. Good, we can sit for a minute. He was torn as to where to go to watch football and since I was going to be home until at least half time, it worked for him to stay here with me. We switched forth and back between the Packer game and the Jaguar game (both teams ended up losing!) until it was time for me to head back to church, and he headed to his father’s house.
Once at church, the great unloading began. And I worked up a powerful sweat carrying all my bins and boxes into the fellowship hall, hauling in the lectern from church, marking the presents with the corresponding numbers, and setting the spare table. I wanted to have an extra table in case more ladies came than signed up, because as it was, we might have only two seats to spare. Whew! The ladies were good about getting their tables ready, and the 'floating ladies', my favorite kind!, were able to step and fetch for things, including trying to get the battery candles to operate. I gave up with about a half dozen and suggested putting the rest away, not worth the frustration. I could have used a couple more on the lectern, however, as night fell and light faded. The booklets the ladies were using were printed in dark print to make it easier to read, but mine I did in blue, not very dark at all. Oops! Suzanne scooted over to me with an additional battery candle to cast some light on my page. It went well, and I am thankful for all the help and contributors to the event. And was thankful for my bed and nightgown when I got home!
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