I just came in from a chilly sit on the sundeck on 2nd floor with many of my neighbors. It started out somewhat comfortable but by the time I came up, it had become too uncomfortable to sit outside in a short sleeved top. Should have grabbed my jacket! Maureen called to invite me down and it started out being Pat A., Hugh, Maureen, and me but later were joined by Randy, who rents a unit on the 5th floor. He is a hoot, and brought this nifty gizmo to the gathering that aerates wine. He used it only on his first glass, and when I asked him why, he said the bottle had sat, open, now long enough to breathe on its own. After sitting a few minutes with us, he got up to go get something, and came back with a glass tray with neopolitan cheese, crackers, and grapes! He said we were savages for not having food with our wine! I was excused from that comment because of drinking Diet 7-Up but he was just teasing. Betty A., who lives on 2nd and is my usual person to enjoy to Happy Hour with, came and sat for about an hour, before going inside to pack for a weekend trip with her daughter, Kathy. Later, Tracy, Jeff, and Cassidy came out to sit for a little while and eventually Maggie came down, and stayed until only she and Randy were left at the table. Jessica made a cameo appearance as did Ed, but they did not stay. Randy made the remark that this was the most people he had met since moving in!
Here is a photo of Angelo taken this afternoon after Lisa was discharged from the hospital in Sheboygan. Noah and she drove to Green Bay so Lisa could spend some time with the baby, since she had seen him for only 10 minutes or so after he was born. Look at how tiny his head looks in Noah's hand!
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My day began early with me making sure I was up, dressed, and ready for the day when Mike and Andy arrived to work on the floor. They were busily shuttling stuff around in the rooms, 10,000 bins and such, to make room for the new floor. They were nearly to the hallway, where they stop until the drywall is replaced. Even with all the junque piled around, it still looks so nice and fresh with the 'wood' floors. Monday they will return to do the laundry room floor and I was filled with trepidation since they have to disconnect the washer in order to move it out. I told Mike I would stay home from Bible study and stand by with towels and mops but he said they would come by 9:00 a.m. and disconnect the washer before I have to leave for class. Andy made the remark that I was a bit shell-shocked and he is absolutely right! (I shared this comment with my neighbors and Pat A. said, "You are! I was like that for a long time, every time my A/C turns on and off, I jump!" because she had a hot water gusher in her unit from her A/C, caused by work done outside on the bulkhead! This was a couple years ago and she is still jumpy from it.)
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My friend, Stephanie, from Victory, has so much vacation to use up before the end of the year, just as does my sister, Lynn. Today she had an doctor appointment, and then we met for lunch at Bahama Breeze at St. John Town Center Mall. This was her first time and loved it, having the hogfish special, served with some sort of shrimp in a sauce and mashed sweet potatoes. My meal was the beef brisket served with yellow rice with black beans. I just love it, and brought half home to eat another day. I had had beef brisket the night before during the Happy Hour mini-buffet, actually ordering from the dinner menu instead of going to the buffet because it was fish. Oh, my, was it delicious!
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On the ride home from BB, I called Mom and found her at home. She had been out walking when I called on the ride over to BB. Mom said it was cold and windy, nearly blowing her over so it was good she took only a short walk today. She loves to go walking and it is too bad when the walk is reduced by nasty weather. Mom told me about a young Marine from my home town who was killed by an IED in Afghanistan after only a few weeks into his deployment. He was 22 years old, just a year younger than my Justin, and is distantly related to some of my cousins. How very sad for the family and the community, and the nation.
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In the afternoon, what was left of it, I worked some on the upcoming Ladies' Advent by Candlelight service planned for November 28th. Pastor is reviewing the proposed format but I still worked on it so I can be ahead of the game, as it were. Since I am 'borrowing' from other churches' programs, I have to customize the program to our venue since we do not have mini-choirs or folks to have piano solos. We will have a keyboard to use and hopefully Suzanne will be home from camping to play the viola for us. Also, one of our members used to be quite the flutist so I am not above asking Tara to break it out and tune it up for the service. Time is flying, wake awake!
