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 2nd 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!!!!!
