Monday, Monday….

To make this easier for me, I will work backwards. As I am looking out my window, the wind is pushing across the water, making fan-like patterns with each gust. Thankfully, it is warm out today, highs in the mid-80’s----it’s getting there, it’s getting there!!!

Today is Joanne’s birthday. I sent her an e-mail extending good wishes on her special day but have not heard back from her. She lives on the Westside again and is working many hours in real estate, trying to make a living in this dead market, so we seldom get together these days. Besides the working many hours, she also tends to her father who is living on Fleming Island in a facility geared to his illness. He is irascible, and was so even before they moved him down here. Knowing him now, I cannot even imagine what those girls went through to get him to relocate. His respiratory problems worsen, but in his stubbornness, refuses to use the oxygen to help with his breathing. Anyway, I do hope Joanne has a great day today!

This morning was Bible study, and we are near the end of our study on the Kingdom of God. As Mike was wrapping up today, he went to get Pastor who wanted to speak with the class. It seems he is going to teach the class starting in two weeks, the last 5 books, I think, of Matthew. We will have a verse by verse study of the Passion, through Lent. We were surprised because most of us wanted Mike to continue being our leader, the give and take was fantastic, and it seemed we got so much more out of interactive vs. lecture learning. Oh well, I guess that is the way it is….Pastor has a video, sort of a movie called The Book of Matthew, which will accompany part of our study. I had seen parts of this video in Bible information class a few years ago, and it’s quite good!

We had lunch at Longhorn, of course, having to use two booths side by side today as they were so busy. Gretchen just tears me up!! We had to park behind the restaurant again, the 2^nd time this month, and as we walked back to our cars, Gretchen used a German expression for the trip to our cars, which sounds like “longa fart”, which means long distance, I guess. It is hysterical the way she comes out with that, so matter-of-fact.

Gretchen brought me a special present today, too. All wrapped in tissue paper, a wooden cutout of a woman with rope for hair, about 6” tall. Painted on her dress is the statement “Housework makes you ugly”. She had told me about this plaque at some point over the weekend and wanted me to have it. She made us all laugh, though, when she said it took her nearly an hour to get the dust off it!!! Twila said, “No wonder you’re so pretty!” which brought the house down.

Speaking of Twila, she is having a cardiac catheterization on Thursday, with the possibility of having a stent put in, if the cath. shows a need for it. She flunked her stress test from two weeks ago. I suggested we go this week to have our favorite lunch of loaded fries but she has too much work to do prior to the procedure, in case she is laid up. Supposedly the whole thing is ‘same-day’ surgery, and barring any problems, she will be free to leave at the end of the day. I pray this is true! Her granddaughter, Twila, is going with her though several of us offered. I just might go anyway to keep Twila Squared company!

Last night I was grumbling again about the lack of anything for me to watch on TV. Most people were watching the Academy Awards which I would flip to periodically to see how “The King’s Speech” was doing in the awards. Since I was reading blogs, it didn’t really matter much what was on TV. The reason I know folks were watching the Oscars was that they would post on Facebook, remarking about this dress or that dress, etc. as well as the musical numbers. On the pre-game show, I did not recognize even a quarter to the starlets, and I watch a fair share of movies. Guess they are not Oscar caliber, except for “The King’s Speech”!

When I came home from church yesterday, I was looking forward to resting my tired bones, feeling weary yet from the busyness of Saturday’s events. In the meanwhile, my upstairs neighbor had left me a phone message urgently requesting my assistance with her computer. Before I got too comfortable, I went upstairs to see if I actually could help her. She is secretary for the condo association and was busily readying things for the annual Owners’ Meeting, which is tonight. The printer was stuck in the “ON” position and would not budge. After trying several things, I asked her if she had shut down the machine and done a restart, and she had not. Upon doing this for her, the printer then was eager to print her 30 page document for reviewing before the meeting tonight. Kim to the rescue!! And now, to rest!

Bible study at church Sunday was yet following St. Paul’s missionary journeys, a Bible in a Year-type of study, but we are going to need more than a year to get through this. Some of the slides Pastor shows are actual photographs of the Mediterranean Sea, that gorgeous blue color that cannot be adequately described. It speaks for itself! Sadly, when it was time for church to begin, Paul was the acolyte as the young person whose turn it was did not come to church. He whispered to me, “This is sad…” as we surveyed the room. We had more folks at the dinner on Saturday night than were in church on Sunday morning. Granted, we had guests at the dinner, so it’s not a fair comparison, but still…it’s a fact! Our little choir sang the first two stanzas of a new hymn from the Supplement to introduce it, “When Jesus Came From Nazareth”.

Before worship began, Mike S., one of the chefs from the night before, came to get his hug. He said he nearly did not come to church, was so tired from the day before (and I think I am tired????) but then thought, “Get your butt out of bed and ready for church!” He said he so appreciates having the church there for him, telling me I would not have wanted to know him 8 years ago---he was scum---his words. He acknowledges that it is by the grace of God that he is here. Mike expressed that he so appreciates his friends, that they make him rich, which I jumped all over because I feel the same way. I told him we were singing a hymn about that today, where our treasure really is, not in our pockets, but what waits for us. Loved that brief exchange!!

Well, I guess I should ready myself for the ordeal, I mean, meeting tonight. My little job is to make sure folks sign in when they arrive because Nancy might get overwhelmed by the rush of folks when they come in. This, I can do! The Greeter!!!!!

Some photos from recent days

Click on photos to make them larger, if you wish!

On Thursday, Betty and Robin came over for a visit. Robin had not seen my new place, but had been at my lake house when I had the house warming in 2004. Betty has been laid off for some time, and is now attending college taking business courses. Robin, who was also laid off, had gotten a new job and when that one went away, opted to stay home, and is loving it. They looked at the Timmy memorial and then we retired to the river room where the two ladies poured over the scrapbooks. Betty chuckled, seeing Justin as a baby---so darn cute, if I do say so myself!

Friday evening I attend a bridal shower with no bride present! We brought our unwrapped gifts to the party at Victory, showed them around, and then wrapped them for Elizabeth and Nick. I believe the shower had more guests than the actual wedding will have, only family going to be invited to the ceremony and dinner, in St. Cloud, MN. Their colors are white and black so the decorations were the same colors. A great time and great fun!

My friend, Stephanie, is a crocheter extraordinaire, and her daughter, Erica, is showing the lovely afghan intended for the bridal couple.

Saturday night some of the Victory group came across the river to join the fun of our Tour of Italy dinner held at Good Shepherd. On the far end, at the beautifully decorated wall (my idea, Justin's doing) are the Victory folks with some Good Shepherd folks on the closer end.

Tamara came over to take a picture of me and some of the gang, as she said I am never in the photos. Seated is Stephanie, and behind me is Rita, and the three of us play Trivia on Tuesday nights on Southside. Across the table is Lucy H., barely visible is Jon, Rita's son, and against the wall is Ed, who is Judy's husband. She was the hostess for the wedding shower the night before. Busy church weekend, and good fellowship time!

Bravisimo!

What a wonderful dinner tonight! Mike 'n Mike 'n Lonnie prepared a lovely Italian feast complete with caprese salad, minestrone soup and brouchette. The menu was angel hair pasta with shrimp scampi (I picked out the shrimp and gave them to Lucy) and penne pasta with six cheeses and sausage. Oh, yummy! I sat with the Victory folks which included Harold and Lucy who used to be members at Good Shepherd, plus Ed and Judy, Stephanie, Rita and her son, Jon. Rita and her sister, Bonnie, were formerly members at GS but she does not remember me. It was a long time ago. Jon sat next to Ed who took great pleasure in teasing him, like a grandpa would, and Harold pitched in his two cents worth of teasing when Lucy allowed him to. The unfortunate thing was they ran out of dessert and some of our guests did not get any, even though Judy C. went to the store to get more. Just not enough. I felt badly for taking one, assuming more was coming from the kitchen...oops! Renee was also busy in the kitchen, I am sure she knows all about the Italian food since Lonnie and she lived in Italy for many years.

Justin met us at church this a.m. to help with the decorating, with his project being to put up the decorations hanging from the ceiling. We rigged up a system where we used giant paper clips to hold to the two-sided themed pieces. Judy was wishing we could put some of the decorations on the ugly blank wall where a grease board used to hang and I had the brain storm of putting some of the checkered plastic table cloths on the wall. It looked great! Judy took pictures of the room once decorated and I hope she will share her photos. I took some this evening which I will post tomorrow.

From church Justin and I went to Winn-Dixie so he could help me stock up on some stuff for posterity purposes, things with a long shelf life. When we got home with the purchases, he got busy shuffling things around in the cabinets and closets to make room. One project leads to another when we work on these things so he relocated a shelf-worth of mugs, glasses, and Christmas glasses. He straightened out the food cabinets, put things in the pantry (which he says is our next project!), and organized the kitchen food cabinet. Very nice!

I was able to sit and coach from a chair as I had to rest after all the setting up at church, for that project. When we moved to the next one of putting away the Timmy memorial, I pitched in. I remember what goes where and all that so it worked for us to do that together. When he was making room in the closet in the back closet, he pulled out a cardboard box, yes, I said cardboard, of old photographs. Yikes! At long last, my wedding album came back to me as did many other ancient photos and memories. Justin got a kick out of some of them, including one Lisa from when she was 6. Oh, my! Does she ever look like Manny...or would that be the other way around? I had him put the box aside or we'd never get anything done but not hidden away so I can look at them some more. Justin very nicely suggested putting the photos into scrapbooks, described how the pages should be set up, and such. He further suggested I work on THAT instead of newsletters. His heart is in the right place, this is for sure.

Justin had to leave for his friend Jesse's brother's Eagle Scout ceremony just down the street. Afterward he came back to get his grocery items his mother bought for him, and told me about the ceremony. It seemed a bit disorganized and Justin found it ironic that one of their pillars is to 'be prepared'. We always thought there was more pomp and circumstance to this process but apparently not. People are always mentioning how someone is an Eagle Scout so we had a preconceived notion about it.

He left and me not far behind him as I had to get over to church for the dinner. If I had left sooner, I could have stopped for gas but will do that in the morning instead. Hopefully the price won't go higher overnight. Certainly I pray the unrest in the Mid East subsides soon so that I will not have to break into my stockpile of food! I heard a guy state the other day that our currency could become toilet paper, and toilet paper become the currency.

The other day my friend Ruth V. called to uninvite me to her house for the LWMS rally. It seems she has out-of-state company coming for ten days which will overlap with the rally. She hated to do it but I assured her it is no problem at all, I will ride down there with Judy C. and whoever else goes to the rally. That would have been fun, though! Like Ruth suggested, we will do it another time!

The Ten Commandments of Life

Not the original but someone has written these beautiful words. One must read to understand the deep meanings in them. They are like the Ten Commandments to follow in life all the time.

1] Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble; it is a "steering wheel" that directs us in the right path throughout life.

2] Do you know why a car's WINDSHIELD is so large & the rear view mirror is so small? Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, look ahead and move on.

3] Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.

4] All things in life are temporary. If going well enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong don’t worry, they can't last long either.

5] Old friends are like Gold! New friends are Diamonds! If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a base of Gold!

6] Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, "Relax, sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end!

7] When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn't solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.

8] A blind person asked St. Anthony: "Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?" He replied: "Yes, losing your vision."

9] When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them; and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.

10] WORRYING does not take away tomorrow's TROUBLES; it takes away today’s PEACE.

This was sent to me by my former classmate, Linda M. and was sort in keeping with the post recently about guidelines for 2011 sent by my sister, Jill.

We have lift-off!

The space shuttle, Discovery, had a successful launch today, a few minutes later than planned, but still, away it went. I watched from my balcony with Betty and Robin C., who came over for the afternoon. Robin had not been here before and enjoyed the view, commenting on all the color in my rooms. I think we have to get together more often, we had such a great visit. And then, shared the launch, as we watched with my neighbors outdoors for the 'show'.

For a little while this evening a group of us gathered on the sundeck as some enjoyed a glass or two of wine. Me? I had Diet Coke and was freezing. It was only 69 degrees out there and many of us were chilly, only I forgot my wrap. Justin gave me a black shawl that works well for nights like this but I neglected to grab it. It felt good to get back in the warm again. We long for the hot summer nights to enjoy the deck...soon, very soon!

I just came back to my room. Over the sound of the TV, I could hear the sound of-----you guessed it----water running! From room to room to room, flipping on lights and fully expecting to encounter a puddle, I found none. But I could still hear it from over head. Jessica and Travis did not answer their phones so I decided to go upstairs and check it out myself. Jessica's dad was babysitting Beckham, who was asleep, but he went back in the bedrooms to check it out. In the meantime, I heard the sound from their powder room and sure enough, he took off the lid to find the toilet running. Not onto the floor or onto my ceiling, just water continually running through the pipes, the drains. Do not mess with me and the water! He fixed it, adjusted the innards of the toilet and the flow stopped. I now have peace restored while I wait for my pulse to return to a normal pace.

The other night at Trivia, one of the questions was a True/False one----were all three of the Godfather movies nominated for Best Picture Oscars? I thought no, the third one was not that great, sort of a flub, in my opinion, but I was wrong. All three were nominated but GFIII did not win. As I watch it now, I can see why it did not win but I still enjoy watching the saga. The actress playing Michael's daughter is so wooden in her acting, and when I looked her up in the credits, discovered she is the director's daughter. Ah...the family!

This afternoon I so very much enjoyed my lady friends' visit and before that, I worked on the newsletter for church, which is due out this weekend. I like to have it out the last Sunday of the month but I am waiting for Bible study info and such. Guess it will be next week before it is available but I can still plug away. Yesterday I printed off the mail-away newsletter I do every couple months for the shut-ins, college kids, members away, and seldom seen members. Even though I replaced the color cartridge, my photos were still not printing nicely, so I had to keep taking out the cartridge, give it a shake, and then put it back in. Instead of getting the name brand, I bought store brand cartridges, seems not the best idea.

Oh, the Bible study today was again an amazing class, still on the subject of human reason vs. baptism, reformed theology vs. the Biblical/Lutheran view. We have lots of discussion and expression of thanks for baptism in our lives, how it is our foundation to help keep us firmly planted in the Word. When trouble surrounds us, and it will, we can always reflect on our baptisms and the promises made to us there.

Tomorrow night I again return to Victory for a wedding shower for Anne and Phil's daughter...have to make sure I take wrapping paper along and get a nice card. We will show the gifts first, then wrap them. A shower in reverse, since she lives in MN and won't be there. Fun!

Justin and I went to get his car after Bible study, where I paid the bill for him. I got so many hugs as he prayed under his breath, "Please be quiet, please be quiet...." as the fella went to get the car for him. No, he did not mean that I should be quiet but he hoped his car would be. And it was! Purred like a kitten and oh, the joy on his face, and great relief. Gotta love the hugs! As I told the lady at the desk, as I signed the credit card slip, "I am going to have the cleanest house in Orange Park..." as she smiled, knowingly. Justin told me today that he wished I was moving so that he could pack me up, to show his thanks. If he threw in unpacking again, we'd have a deal!

Listening to the winds again

No wonder everything is covered in yellow pollen, the way the wind is blowing out there. All day long and even some yesterday, breezy breezy breezy. The temps on Tuesday were great, in the 80's, but today, that was not the case. All the cars outside are wearing yellow layers of pollen, as do my kitchen counters. I noticed it when I moved something sitting on the counter and saw the ring left where the pollen was not. I seemed to recall wondering last year about my butter on the counter---if everything else is covered, is not the exposed butter? It's already sort of yellow...I made the mistake of having the kitchen door open for ventilation---ooops!

Last night was Trivia over on Southside and I invited Justin and Jesse to come with us. Between the 4 1/2 of us, since Erica came late, we managed to answer most of the questions and ended up winning the first place prize!!! We all brought something to the table and I did not embarrass myself too badly with wrong answers. So, next week, we have $25 to apply toward our total bills! Justin and Jesse were able to answer some questions I would have had no clue, like something from Back to the Future and Heisman trophy winners.

When we went outside, Justin started his car and the rattling noise began. I told Stephanie about his problem with the car and that he had asked me to help him get it repaired. We parted company and I headed down the road toward home. Just before Baymeadows Road, my phone rang and a very forlorn voice said, "Mom.....my car just died...." I had to circle back toward where he was, fortunately able to get off the road, one of the busiest roads in town, JTB Expressway. His electricity was gone, completely gone, and I am so glad it happened in the right hand lane so he could move out of the lanes. He called AAA in the meantime as I made my way toward them. He had asked me where he should have it towed. I suggested the dealership for lack of any other suggestion. I goofed going to get them, having exited on Hodges instead of staying on JTB, but I was nervous, so I had to do a go around and circle back.

That poor kid was frantic, very upset, and I know if Jesse wasn't with him, he would have been crying. He transferred his tools and such to my car before the wrecker arrived. Justin had been taking Jesse to work so I asked him if he needed Justin to take him today. Jesse said he would use his motorcycle for work, other wise Justin could have used my car but would have had to take me home. Justin was such a wreck, he was not interested in driving anymore last night. He had lots to do to get ready for a rummage sale at the office but was going to call in and explain the car situation.

When the wrecker guy came, he said that the dealership is gated and locked so we decided to just have him take the car to the garage from which the wrecker is dispatched. It was not too far from Justin's area of town and fine with me. The guy, Roscoe, figured the problem was the alternator and did something to the battery to allow him to readily pull the car up onto the back of the truck. I drove the two boys home and finally met Jesse's stepmother who allowed me to use the bathroom. Nerves, you know....Justin would not let me see his messy quarters so that's why I went in the main house. He was spending today getting everything cleaned up at his place since he had no wheels. At one point I sent him a text message and he reported that he was vacuuming his baseboards. Nice!

The garage person contacted him this a.m., and Justin was able to make it a conference call so I could talk to her, too. And get the bad news. It was the alternator making the problem and also the front brake pads were nearly shot. I authorized them to go ahead with the repairs for which my son is deeply thankful. *Sigh*. I teased him that I have to buy his love which he immediately argued with me...

Tomorrow morning I am picking him up for Bible study and then after class we will go get his car, and pay the bill. Gulp! His car gets lots of wear and tear since he has to use it like a pick-up truck when working for his father. The pick-up truck gotten only days before Timmy died was totaled by Justin's coworker, no personal injuries, thankfully. The truck was never replaced. Justin hauled mowers, weed whackers, wheel barrows, all sorts of tools and equipment in the back of his, which always smelled of gas from the tools. He has twice the miles I have on mine and they are the same age.

Tonight at choir rehearsal, Robbie handed out a choral piece sung many years ago, which brought back many memories for us. The pieces had names written on them, included Gerry and Evelyn, my former spouses' name, and one marked "Shirley", which Carol used. Talk about a sentimental journey. Carol noted the pencil markings and notes on the pages, and wondered aloud where she had gotten that habit...Shirley died in 1996 so that tells how old that music is, at least how long we've had it. Funny, but there was no music with my name written on it....hmmm.....

When I came home from choir, I came into my room and turned on the lamp on my nightstand. It made a spark and a sound, and the bulb burned out. Very startling in the dark! I unplugged the lamp, and as I unscrewed the bulb, my phone vibrated and I about left my skin!!! When I was going to replace the burned out bulb, I smelled something smoky and determined I had better not put a new bulb into the socket. I might have to take it somewhere to have it replaced. The place I would take it otherwise is going out of business so I am not sure what to do. A bedside lamp is necessary and this one matches my decor so perfectly. Rats!!!

Tomorrow afternoon my friends Betty and Robin C., whom worked for my former company, are coming over for a visit. Robin had been at my lake house but never came up here. It will be so great to see them again. The last time was in the fall, in November, when we went to Koko's for lunch. I am so 'cited about their visit, and besides that, the shuttle is going up at 4:50 pm---we hope!

My neighbor's son flew in from Chicago, with his buddy, to go down to the Cape to see the launch. Denny has lots of health problems and it means alot to him to see the launch before they are done. He came last time this shuttle was to launch but it was scuttled twice, which brings him back again this time. Hopefully I will get to see Denny on his short visit, as they are also spending time at the Daytona Speedway, on my recommendation. We had gone several years ago with Harv and Barb, really enjoying it, even though not fans. I hope they like it or I will feel badly. I will feel worse if the shuttle is scuttled!!

Tragedy in this part of the world, too

The morning news brought sadness as two young people from Middleburg were killed yesterday on a boat being driven by the dad of one of the kids. They were on the bow of the boat as it struck a low hanging tree. According to the report, they were killed immediately, with the dad seriously injured.

In my hometown, another ‘water’ accident occurred last week where a snowmobiler struck a tree on the river and was killed. Up in WI, they are on the ice, here in Clay County, they are boating and soaking up the rays. So sad to lose these young people, ages 15 and 17. Last week was the hit and run death of a 21 year old woman, in Jacksonville, for which, by the way, the driver has been arrested. He is only 20 years old himself and just freaked out after hitting her. Fight or flight, and he chose flight. That makes the case against him that much worse, he may even have not been charged for the accident if he had not taken off.

Last night I mentioned the lengthy phone calls which wore down my battery. One of them involved being charged with reading our revised condo documents and checking them for, for, for something. I am sure I will know it when I find it. My niece, Allie, posted last week on Facebook that she hates politics. I am sure she is referring to the civil disorder in Madison and other areas but I assured her she has seen nothing yet. There is politics in the workplace, there is politics in the classroom (she is a senior this year), there is politics at church, there is politics in families, and yes, even in the condo association! Imagine that! And right now, I am with Allie as I struggle through these boring docs!

My other project today is to finish the spread sheet for the condo Owners to sign-in and record their acknowledgement of receiving proper notice of the meeting. And they wanted ME to be the Secretary of the Association? Way too much pressure and stuff to remember in order to be in compliance with State law. Just like in the preschool business, so much attention to be paid to requirements and such, and one false move?, a problem, either now, or in the future.

One part of the little spreadsheet project was to confirm with the County Appraiser’s office as to whom the actual Owners are since many folks have established trusts for their property. This is available on-line so no sweat in getting it. Apparently this is important for our information as well. It is a protection for assets to have them secured in a Trust. I talked to Rosemary, my neighbor, who is an attorney, asking what the advantage or disadvantage of that would be. She suggested simply putting Justin on all my accounts as a co-holder but I am not sure I am willing to do that just yet. Just some food for thought. If you readers have any input, I would love to hear it.

Since I forgot to go to Wal*Mart yesterday, I will do that this afternoon. While out, if I do not forget, Winn Dixie will be my next stop to restock my freezer with those cool microwavable bagged dinners from Swanson. The name is Voilà, and the bags are offered 2 for $5 this week. As I was telling Justin, who coaxed me into buying them the first time, I got about 5 servings from one package, serving Martie and I for dinner one night, plus she had a bit more at the table. I then ate the balance of it in two meals. The meat and everything is already in the bag, and in less than 10 minutes, Voilà!, several days’ worth of meals!

The Dow is heading south, as was anticipated, with the price of oil going up. All that unrest and upset in the Mideast is wreaking havoc on our supply which will affect the price of gas and every single item we purchase or use made with petroleum. If only the oil companies could drill off-shore as well as tap into our own resources here in the US. Sadly, when the federal government slapped a moratorium on off-shore drilling after the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico last spring, the owners leased the rigs to other countries. Some are now cranking out oil from our South American neighbors. I already refuse to buy gas from CITGO and other known Venezuelan oil companies, but our country might be getting held by the short hairs, as it were, over our fuel. I might limit my trips across the bridge if gas gets too costly, some estimating $5 or more per gallon soon. Yikes!

We have more folks signing up for the “Tour of Italy” dinner at church on the 28^th, with 7 coming from Victory. They let me know yesterday so I called Judy C. to tell her. Mike and she had gone shopping after Bible study and lunch Monday to buy the supplies for the dinner, based upon the number signed up from GS and Keystone Heights. She said, “We are going to have get more plates!” which she and I had found at the Party Store. I had ordered centerpieces for 8 tables which should be just about right but I hope we have enough Italian decorations for the room. I guess it won’t matter when we are all seated and such, the food will steal the show!

HANDBOOK 2011

My sister, Jill, sent this to me and I found it suitable for posting here. While I do not entirely agree with all of these items, many are thought-provoking in a mild way! I especially like the one about reading more books than the year before...right!

Health :
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants..
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Take time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2010
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality :
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't overdo. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you..
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree....

Society : 
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything..
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends (and family) will. Stay in touch.

Life :
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come..
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

May I recommend the meatloaf?

I will because I am lovin' mine. At Publix a few weeks ago, I bought a pre-made meatloaf marketed by Tyson which was microwavable or bakeable. It was nearly time for it to expire so I made it Saturday evening for dinner, with a package of instant garlic red mashed potatoes. So yummy! The loaf came in a plastic bag which I had to remove before placing the meat in a baking dish as I opted to use the oven vs. microwave. So far I have had three meals from it and have one more to go. Not bad for the price, which I cannot remember. I do recommend it, though, and would likely get it again sometime.

Today I had several phone calls of some length and since I failed to charge my cell phone over night, have run short of battery power. The only way to use the phone would be to have it plugged in, which I guess I could do, but won't. My bro-in-law called when I was at lunch to report they were back from their group vacation to the Dominican Republic and said they are well tanned, rested, and hated to come home to a blizzard! Ugh! He said it was 85 degrees when they boarded the plane to come home and got off to temps in the 20's and cold and nasty. Welcome to my world! That is what happens when I go up north in the winter, and sometimes summer time, too.

Later I talked to both a neighbor and then Judy C. on the phone which drained what was left of the charge. So I am recharging myself on my bed and my phone, on the dresser. Justin was supposed to come here today after work but he ended up taking his friend home from work because of car trouble. Must be lots of that going around, since Justin has a rattle under his hood, too. Who in the world trained that boy to be such a good friend? Who trained him to stand up his mother, that's what I would like to know?!

Since it is President's Day, the schools are off today, so Judy had her grands along at Bible study. They were so good, sat at a little table and colored or played with their electronic toys. We had a large group today for lunch, 11 of us, including the two kids. The grown up ladies had fun trying to blow their straw wrappers off (not me this time!) and poor Gretchen just could not get hers to fly, so to speak. It was great! I have leftover chicken tenders for another time from that lunch. At the Kangaroo station located near the restaurant, I bought gas and then thought I was getting a great buy on Diet Coke. It seems I misread the sign so I ended up paying more than I expected for my drug of choice. As the clerk said, it was still a good price even if it was not the sale price. Rats!

My intent was to go to Wal*Mart for my prescription print out but I totally forgot about my plan and went home. For some reason I was quite sleepy this afternoon even though I had slept until nearly 7:00 the second time I woke up. Prior to waking, I had a dream featuring my blogging friend, Jami and her hubby, who came to visit me at Christmas, bearing a large tray of cookies. My house was a mess, as though I was moving (a common theme in my dreams) and I was embarrassed to have them see a messy house. I wrote to her this a.m. and assured her that if they do ever come, I will clean my house!

My kind of day!

Somehow I barely noticed there was no football today and only mentioned it once, I think. After I got up and readied myself for Bible study and church, I gathered a few more portable items to take along to church to use for the "Tour of Italy" dinner to be served next Saturday. Judy C. called to ask me to bring a few things to decorate with but much of my stuff is larger or attached to the ceiling! After Judy and I went shopping for decorations on Monday after lunch, and struck out, I decided to look on-line for suitable novelties. I found a site from where I ordered some centerpieces and other doo-dads themed Italian! Also, I took my DVDs titled "Visions of Italy" which Mike will show on the wall or on the TV while we dine.

On the way to Good Shepherd, I stopped at Sonic to get a Route 44 for the morning. At church, Bonnie S.'s grandson carried my bin into the fellowship hall for me which was nice since my hands were full with the Bible, soda, and my purse. Love the extra hands and a young man's back! Pastor was getting some things set up and I told him that I would be leaving before Bible study was over as I was worshipping at Victory today. He was glad I let him know so he would not think he said something to upset me when I left. It was New Member Welcome today after worship and my responsibility was to contact the honorees to let them know. I did tell Sterling in person last week but had to leave phone messages for the other couple (those who wore Packer attire on Super Bowl Sunday). I hope Tyler and Cat showed up, I know Sterling was there, riding his bike from Riverside every week and on Wednesday for choir. Because he wants to! Imagine that! "Oh, it only takes about 35 minutes....." when asked about it.

So, anyway, I dashed across the bridge to Victory and saved a seat for Justin. Marilyn sat with us, too, as her hubby was ushering. She is a friend of Terri T.'s, they used to work together at one time. Justin looked nice, learning from my suggestion about wearing appropriate attire for church. We had wonderful hymns today and because Pastor was gone to Sarasota, instead of a sermon, there was a 'message' from Pastor Mark Jeske played on the big screen. It was longer than a real sermon but interesting. After church, I had to hang around a bit to give Rita back her hand sanitizer which she left behind at Trivia the other night and then Justin and I headed to lunch at Johnny Angels. He is having a car problem, lots of rattling going on under the hood, so asked me about helping him get it fixed. I am such a sucker! I only hope it's not too expensive a repair, perhaps an easy fix?!?

After parting company there, I headed to Fleming Island to attend an art show at Great Hang Ups for an artist who is the wife of Dee's pastor. She is quite talented and I do hope she generates some sales from the show. Kris was there, the lady who taught me how the new water color technique this summer. I had given the ladies in my family each a vignette from the finished piece at Christmas time. She is painting these days to beat the band, which likely means she is not reading so many books. Kris told me she either reads or she paints and she is a voluminous reader! She has to read the books from the library, the titles, in alphabetical order so as not to read one twice by accident. I'm impressed by that!

When I came home, I saw Pat sitting out on the sundeck and decided to sit with her for a little bit since the sun was shining so nicely. There was a wedding about to begin and she told me about the lovely bouquets and baskets of flowers around the dining room and outdoors where the ceremony would take place. Two buses were parked nearby from where the wedding guests were unloaded, and she had checked it out. No one was from this area, they were from Indiana. A destination wedding. After she mentioned it, I remembered meeting and spending time with the bride and groom and others at the pool in the summer time. They had come down to check the place the out and there they were, getting married on this lovely lovely day! Pat had gotten a sneak peak at the set-up when she went over for a Bloody Mary earlier. The wedding seemed to be quite elegant, not a bad job considering it was done long-distance.

My upstairs neighbor, Nancy, had called me when I was at lunch and left a message for me, she needed help with some thing on her computer. I went up there before sitting with Pat. Nancy does not know how to do an Excel spreadsheet but I do, so that was my assignment. I have to get it done by next week Monday's Annual Owners Meeting. No problem, but I did not feel like doing it today. Yesterday I spent much of the day on the computer putting my tax stuff together, still need a few things and then I am ready to submit it. The one investment company has not sent out their 1099's for 2010 but Diane told me I would have it by Thursday this week. Also have to go to Wal*Mart for my prescription print-out. No matter what I tried, I could not get it to come up on their website, as I should be able to. Hmmmm.....don't know why. I just didn't feel like sitting at my desk any more today and that's it!

Later on, I went to check the deck and sure enough, some of my other neighbors were outside so I joined them for a bit. The sun had gone down and it cooled off, which made my Christmas shawl from Justin the ideal wrap for the deck. Only 5 of us were there, but as the season gets warmer, more folks will come out. Oh, and I got a box of Girl Scout Cookies delivered from Connie's niece, Thin Mints! I think I should have some meatloaf and mashed potatoes leftover from my dinner last night, cooked and eaten in, for a change. Judy and Mike C. were invited to come over to watch "Waiting for Superman" but he had studying to do for his on-line classes as well as prepare for Bible study tomorrow so we will reschedule for another time. Hate to wait too long but I will be patient! If Superman can wait, so can I!

The soda is going down so good today

My new glass piece which is a gift from Hal and Rosalie. Is it not perfect???

I am drinking it too fast and I may have to go down to the car to get my 2-liter bottles from the back. There is also a fresh bottle of bleach picked up yesterday from Wal*Mart where I stopped after my lunch at La Nopalera. There were a few things I needed plus wanted to get the movie “Waiting for Superman”. Usually the new releases are right at the entrance to the store but I ended up going all the way to the media department to get it. Perhaps because it is a documentary, it was not displayed with the ‘lighter’ fare. Or the bloody fare!

There is a horrid movie on TV, playing more in the background than anything else, about a woman who marries men for money, and then fell in love with the divorce attorney. Catherine Zeta-Jones and George Clooney are the headliners, and it is supposed to be humorous. Not so much…It is a glorious day outside, full of sunshine, blue skies, and boat traffic on the river. Oh, and ducks on the water. From here they seem small but might be larger when seen up close.

Yesterday I had my kitchen door open for a while to bring some fresh air into the house but closed it later. Some ladies came calling, inviting me to an open house in the building next door today. On the reverse of their flyer was an Open House in Eagle Harbor, a townhouse that I could be interested in if I sold my place. It’s a single-story end unit so if a flood happened there, it would likely affect me only. Right now I am feeling fairly confident but when the terror of it happening again rears its head, a place like that would be an option to consider. My upstairs neighbor who is getting divorced has to nearly fire-sale her place at about half of what it would ordinarily be worth. The phantom equity we got so accustomed to expecting is no more!

Not only did those nice Realtors come by, strangers to me, but the UPS man also brought me a box. Rosalie sent me a gift to thank me for the open house and such when they were here, from her on-line store. Hal and she were right---it is perfect for my home, and for me! Thank you, guys!!! I will certainly cherish it. Especially the sentiment….

The other day I got another such a treat when my friend came over with a CD for me to listen to with her. Her now-deceased husband was in the music business and had recorded with a Christian rock band in the ‘80’s, after he had come to faith. The only copies she had of their music was on vinyl so when she heard the album had been reworked onto CD, she requested copies for her family and for posterity. On this particular disc was their version of the 23^rd Psalm, and while she is aware that I am not a fan of the rock-type of hymns, asked me to listen to it with her, this first time. Of course I will!

Before we listened, she took a look at my memorial display and said this was a good day to come up. The disc was still sealed in its plastic wrapper so I opened it and played the cut as we sat in my river room. The tears flowed, both of us thinking of her hubby and the words to the psalm, where the Lord tells us how He is with us in our daily walk and promises we will dwell with Him in His house forever. This was first time in many years that she had heard their recording and her hubby’s playing on it, and you cannot imagine how touched I was to share this moment with her. I felt very special, and extra so since I get to keep the CD!

Who invented fish oil?

If it is God, then I am sorry for complaining about the smell, but if it is man-made, then, I am complaining. The ads for this particular product claims to NOT have the fish smell and after-taste but believe you me, if I do not close the top tightly on the bottle of Mega-Red, the smell of fish about knocks me over! Not an easy thing to do…phew! It reminds me of the days when alewife fish would wash up on the beach at Red Arrow Park and decay in the heat of summer. For some reason, it used to seem hot in WI when I still lived there, hot enough to rot the fish. I wonder if that is what is used to make these smelly fish oil pills that I take…

My friend, Peggy, the dentist, strongly encouraged me to take my multivitamins and such when I was in there Tuesday, so once again I am dedicated to faithfully taking my supplements. Recently I was talking to one of my friends who has life-long weight problems and is starting a new program someone else is using with success. Something with drops, like hormones or similar, which fool the body into thinking the body is pregnant and breaks down the fat deposits. I believe that’s how she explained it to me. Her friend who did it first also does the Metabolic Research Diet and is losing fast and furious.

I had done the Metabolic program at one time and quit after awhile. The introductory costs do not take into account the multitude of supplements a client is coaxed into purchasing on nearly every visit which really runs into money. I encountered this same situation with the LA Weight Loss place where I had to buy protein bars plus other products, and simply could not eat all the foods they required in one day’s time. My BFF, Judy C., did manage to lose weight on their program and has kept it off, but she did not have near as much to lose as do I.

How did I get off on this tangent? Oh, yes, opening the kitchen cabinet and smelling fish! Yesterday at lunch, I was telling Justin how my brain simply will not recognize the prospect of eating fish tacos. Patiently he described it to me, how even I can tolerate a taco shell with ‘some’ shredded lettuce, then add a piece of fish (even breaded fish, he claims!) but no tartar sauce because that is American. I asked him if the Mexicans use fish in their tacos and he said the fish taco comes from California. Oh, yes, I remember when CA used to be part of the USA! It IS so like another country on its own out there…As he described it to me, just to push his buttons, I asked, “Well, why not just use hamburger then?” See? I cannot “wrap” my brain around it!

When visiting Marian yesterday, she told me about the church services held at her facility, none of which are Lutheran. She said she goes to hear the Word read and what the preacher has to say. She has her own Bible bedside, but has problems reading with her eyes being goofy. Marian is going to the eye doctor in the near future, I forgot which day she said, because she sat on her glasses and broke them. The lens now keeps popping out and she has focus problems, which will hopefully be taken care of in a week or so. Marian said she has a Portals of Prayer devotional, but no Meditation book, so I told her I would get the large print edition sent to her. The pastor from Christ the King, Palm Coast, has informed me that he will contact both Marian and Biff soon. Marian also mentioned seeing a man ‘sportin’ his Packer attire but she has not engaged him in conversation. He just might be Lutheran, too, and can have devotion with Pastor and Marian when he comes there.

“My faith looks up to thee, thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine…” This hymn is swimming through my mind today, especially after reading a particularly thought-provoking posting by a WELS-trained teacher, married to a WELS teacher. She wrote about her concern that people’s love for Christ is growing cold, which indeed gave me the chills. I cannot help but feel that way myself sometimes, thinking about Elijah’s lament. The Lord informed him that indeed there were 7000 faithful who had not bent their knee to Baal. Only, the Lord did not shout at Elijah, He used a ‘still, small voice’ to get his attention. What is our ‘Baal’ now days? “..oh, hear me while I pray, take all my guilt away. Oh, let me from this day be wholly thine!” I thank the Lord for our dedicated pastors, teachers, Sunday school teachers, and Christian parents for their work in serving Him and sharing the Good News!