Let me get a drink first….ah…there, I am good to go now.
It is a gorgeous day out there, with the blue sky dotted with puffy clouds. A snowy egret is perched on the breakwater and earlier, about half-dozen manatees were also enjoying the day. Not quite 90 degrees yet but I guess this is as good as it gets.
My timing is a bit off, though, as I slept later than usual this morning. I missed most of the morning news program I enjoy, but during the night, I remember seeing the news break that the Muslim terrorist was killed in Yemen. I wonder which card he was in the Most Wanted deck…
As I was lying in my bed last evening, watching TV and listening to my radio program, I heard something else. Yes, the familiar sound of water, the moving kind and not from outside. I went in search of the sound, and heard it best in the guest bathroom as well as in the kitchen. From above…I sent both Travis and Jessica a text message asking them if they had water running or could hear it. Travis got back to me to say he could hear it, thought it was coming from above. Again, the empty unit! Ah! He was going to check the baby’s room after Fletcher woke up, where, I, of course, would have torn wildly into the room to find the source.
Sometime later, as I paced mentally and sometimes physically, Jessica sent me text message asking what I wanted earlier. I filled her in on my concern and she investigated, finding that the chain inside the toilet was tangled, and hence, the water sound. I am like a dog with this hearing water thing! Travis had trouble determining the problem but she pitched in to get it resolved. Now, I can sleep, at nearly 2:00 a.m.. So sleeping later this morning was not unexpected.
After Bible study yesterday, where we celebrated my friend, Ed’s, birthday with cherry turnovers (yes, Mom, your favorite!), I headed to Palm Coast for Marian’s memorial service. I wanted to make sure I arrived in plenty of time, allowing for a nice visit with Bonnie F., my friend formerly at Victory. She is the secretary at Christ the King now, totally running the show, as I knew she would. The last time I saw her was at the Worship Conference and we did not get to say good-bye when we left. We made up for it on Thursday.
I did get to spend time with the pastor, too, such a nice guy. He went in and played the piano while waiting for folks to arrive, thinking it would be any minute. Well, that didn’t happen, as I got a message from Justin telling me they were running late. He was a passenger so it was out of his control. He also asked me if Bonnie would be there so he could hug on her. She loved that!
When they did eventually arrive, he immediately hugged Bonnie, and then me! Some of the folks got lost coming from Orange Park, since they were not familiar. I went to sit in the church, sanctuary, waiting to begin, while everyone else mingled in the narthex. Justin came in where I was and I showed him around. He couldn’t figure out why the baptismal font is basically in the rear of the sanctuary, wondering if they dragged it forward when there was a baptism. I had watched one of the video-casts when a baptism took place and the congregation stood and turned toward the ‘baptistery’. Sharon was placed in the church to sit down as her knees were hurting so I sat with her and read her the Bible passages from the service folder while we waited.
Tina was late in arriving, bearing the urn/box of her mother’s ashes and a photograph for display. Pastor got out some nice wood columns for them to be placed next to the Paschal candle. He asked her if we were waiting for anyone else and she said, “No” at first, forgetting her husband and mother-in-law were still coming. About 20 minutes or so late, we began the service, which included no music or singing. This made me sad, but as Pastor assured me, he was able to make the service quite meaningful for all in attendance. And he did. We had 18 people, one of whom was a friend of Christina’s. I was able to listen once more to the service as it was posted on the church’s website last night already. This link was forwarded to some folks ‘back home’ whom I knew would like to hear it.
The rest of the family went over to Tina’s house for a luncheon and gathering, I believe the first time that Harv, Barb, John, and Mona would have been there. Not sure about Nancy or Sharon, though, but it might have been their first visit as well. I went home, after chatting some more with pastor, Bonnie, and meeting the new father, Vicar Hoff. He has a newborn at home, and his baptism is this Sunday. I will get to watch, from my home! As Bonnie and I enthusiastically discussed our time at the Worship Conference, Pastor teased to the vicar, saying, “Listen to these worship gurus…!” I told him about the danger of having a little bit of knowledge, and I am quite dangerous!!!!
My dear friend, Judy R., and I have been planning to call each other, but didn’t get to it, as we need time set aside for calls such as these. Since I had an hour car ride home, I called her, but had to leave a message on the machine. Rats! Later, when I was at home, my phone rang, showing me Judy was calling. It turned out that she had some time and decided to call me, and when she went to get the phone, saw that I had called her. Cool beans!
She was excited about attending a seminar for church librarians and got to hear Prof. Daniel Deutschlander speak. She asked if I heard him yet and I told her how I was going to pick him up from the airport for the pastor’s conference a year ago, but my car was acting up. Didn’t want to strand the keynote speaker on the side of the road, right? I told her I have the book, The Theology of the Cross, and she said that was what he used for his lecture. She bought the book and is braced to get into it. He admits the first couple chapters are slow going, and that’s as far as I have gotten. Guess I have to pull it out and get going again. I will be a Deutschlander guru, too!
Before we hung up, she told me how glad she was to see that the publishing house brought back her ‘absolutely most favorite of all’ book of prayers, for those dealing with stress. She used to have several copies and has given them to folks who had a need of them. Now she can restock her supply. Like the dear, dear friend she is, as I drove to meet Martie for dinner, Judy read me several of her favorite prayers, including one which brought me to her mind, dealing with grief. I have just the best friends, that’s all there is to it!
