Certainly the painters must be happy this project is completed, painting our building, because they would be freezing their fingers off if trying to work here today! The low temps are in the twenties over night with the high today being only 48. Wow, by any standard, wow!!! On the bright side (ha, ha!) the sun is shining which really helps with my room warming, as does the electric radiator creaking and groaning to spit out warmth for me. At first I stayed in bed under the covers with the heat pad going but since I had to do some work on the "big" computer. I forced myself to get up and dressed so I could stand, or sit, the chilliness. My other rooms are about 72 degrees, although the hall thermostat shows air temp of 74. The warmth from this room must be going under the door and into the hall!
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The other day, when David was bustling about to get them out the door, said he does not normally complain, but it was just too hot in the house for him. I went to check the thermometer, which read 74 but the heat was not running, set on 72. He was running, not the HVAC. In consideration of my guests, I did turn on the air conditioning and got the rooms cooled to 72 while they enjoyed their hot breakfast!
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From the comfort of my bed this a.m. I called Mom to complain about the cold. They are also experiencing cold weather in the upper Midwest and I figure I have a lot of nerve even mentioning our cold snap. One area in MN had actual temperature reading of minus 31 this a.m.! Yikes! Like Suzanne said about her yard, everything looks ghostly out on the property, wearing their sheets and towels to protect the foliage from the nip. I did not cover my Boston ferns or my other plants and I pray they will be alright. Being in the "shelter" of my courtyard might spare them the nasty bite of the cold.
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Yesterday's e-mails brought some wonderful photos taken at Judy R.'s anniversary party and CHRISTmas celebrations. On the 27th, Jer and Judy celebrated 40 years of marriage with all their kids and grandkids. She had it catered by her favorite soup-for-lunch place, usually visited after she finishes at the YMCA. The photos were fantastic, capturing the moments and faces especially of the little ones. It appears lots of book reading went on in Judy's household, as expected, since many of the adults are teachers besides being parents!
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My worship on Sunday was at Victory once more, as I knew the parent Vance's were going to be there and I wanted to see them. They had come to GS in early November with Kelly and family but our chat there was cursory at best, with yesterday's visit being better. Dawn is working in the Orlando area and Mark is spending January with her, taking care of Synod business at the same time. His mom lives not far from Orlando so he gets to see her and his sister as well plus visit the area churches. I wish Justin had come to church to see them too but for some reason was absent. Hmmm......
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Rachel sent along home with me a piece from Janet B.'s keyboard which she had borrowed to play at a wedding over the weekend. Suzanne accompanied on the viola and she reports that the bride's father wept on her shoulder about how lovely their playing was! Nice!! Pastor Hoyer gave such a wonderful sermon about wisdom, based upon when Jesus went to the temple at the age of 12, 'being about His Father's business'. Good encouragement for us as well, as "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." So should it be for us!
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After the service and socializing, I headed back home, listening to the pre-game show on the radio, excited to watch football one more time. Instead of heating up leftovers for lunch, I stopped and got a special treat from McDonald's, a Big Mac and fries. When was the last time I had such a thing? I cannot remember....but this time was so good! Messy, but good! All my stuff was arranged around the loveseat in the family room---foam plate for my food, napkins for the mess, laptop plugged in, soda ready to go. Play ball! Or, kick off!!!
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It was NOT a pretty sight watching this pathetic demonstration of football. Ugh! The Jags played the Browns in Cleveland, on frozen turf, and I think their cleats froze tightly to the ground. It was so lame a presentation, except for my main man, Maurice Jones-Drew, who did very well despite the others on the team. At the highest point of my frustration, Twila called to invite me to the movies. YES!!!! I will be glad to go, and not watch the end of this horror show. When I left home, they were down 30-20, which was not quite as bad as it had been. Rumors circulating again today about the owner putting the team on the auction block, moving them out of Jacksonville, etc. That would distress me greatly because I have become quite the fan, but not being able to see the home games on TV due to blackout does not please me. With the games being played mostly at 1:00 pm on Sundays, the time just does not allow for getting downtown, parked, and seated in time for kick-off. The option would be to attend Victory on Saturday night but then I would miss something at my own church......Go ahead, then, Wayne, and sell the team, I guess. Maybe then I would get to see more Packer games!!!
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Walgreens is not carrying the laptop tables right now so I will hold off with getting one. Other stores carry them too but are much more expensive than for what Walgreens was selling them. Mom asked me today if that was a bit slothful, to lie in bed with the laptop instead of getting up like I used to do before I had this notebook computer. Well, perhaps, YES! She said Alayna and Dusty were watching the History Channel on Saturday which had an episode on about the deadly sin of slothfulness. Guess I can be glad I do not have that channel here. Anyway, that is what brought this to Mom's mind.
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I mentioned that I went with Twila, Jean, and Madeline to see a movie Sunday. I had wanted to see this movie but was disappointed about the rating. At my birthday lunch Wednesday, Kathy B. assured me the rating was 'over-rated' and that it would be "safe" for me to see the movie, "It's Complicated" with Meryl Streep and Steve Martin. We howled, at least Madeline and I did. Oh, my goodness, it was so funny in parts. Other parts stung me a little bit and I added a tear to my laughter because it hit too close to home. The story is about a divorced woman, single for 10 years, accidentally finding herself re-involved with her now remarried cheater husband. So she herself becomes what they all hate, "the other woman", with her ex! While it is wrong on every level, sex outside of marriage and the approval thereof, some of the circumstances and such were quite amusing, including a future son-in-law seeing them having a rendezvous at a hotel where his fiance and he are making wedding arrangements. "Harley" stole the show, with his facial expressions and antics to help cover up what he saw, sort of slap stick in some parts. No filthy language which is a comfort to me and aside from a view of gross ex-spouse buttocks, it was okay. But funny as can be!
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Afterwards we went to have dinner at Chili's where I ordered the chicken crisper meal. Twila and Jean had the ginormous country fried steak dinners, but I am the only one who took food home. Madeline has tortillas and licked hers up too. All I ate were three of the six fingers, and took a row off the ear of corn, did not touch the mashed potatoes, which means I have a lovely lunch in store for myself! I had several Diet Cokes with my meal to make up for the very expensive bottle of water purchased at the movie theater. Madeline, that law breaker, carried in a Route 44 cup from Sonic, under her coat. I think from now on, I will bring an empty bottle with me, fill it at the bubbler (water fountain for those of you not from WI) and save the $3.85 for the small bottle!
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As I waited for the ladies to get there, I met one of my former customers for whom we had built our house plan in The Preserve. They had sold it not long after moving in there and now live in a subdivision in Green Cove for several years. She told me her hubby has been out of work now for over a year and a half, being in finance somewhere, and they are living off their retirement funds until he finds something else. Wow! How tragic is that!?! One moment you have the world by the tail, and then next thing you know, no job and living off of savings....She has a strong faith in the Lord and knows He will provide, and must remain patient. Mary had given me a lovely book when Timmy died and I cherish it to this day, one of the few I actually got through. I will get through some more books, as this is one of my goals for the coming year. That, plus adding more water to my routine. Which means more bathroom trips for some reason or another....I am sure there is an explanation for that. Soda does not bother me in the least, but water, well.....................
