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No longer on the river and, again, an empty nester. Back to living on Fleming Island and making some more friends!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Feeling like a witch

As I stand at the stove and stir my big kettle of soup, I feel especially witchy. It will eventually be vegetable beef soup when all is said and done. Besides the hamburger, I added an entire head of cabbage, half a bag of frozen mixed veggies, some diced onions, and a can of beer. The base for the soup is Bloody Mary Mix---oh yes, this will be good. Should have used a cauldron!

The ideal weather for such a kettle of soup would be colder air temperatures but this is not the case here. Yesterday it was 91 above zero mid-afternoon and today is expected to be just a shade cooler than that. But my mouth is ready for some veggie beef soup!
                                        
Justin had a shorter day yesterday which worked out great for him going back to the dentist. He was having troubles getting used to his new fillings, and it seemed that perhaps they (one or both) were too high, affecting the teeth on the bottom. He said it felt as though he had meat stuck between his teeth and he couldn't get it loose. 

I sent Peggy, the dentist, an e-mail on Sunday night plus left a message on the office answering machine, and they were able to see him in the afternoon. One, two, three and he was out the door, once they determined which one was high, and ground it down for him. Last night it was still sore, which she said it may be for a couple days, but he is confident now that the problem is corrected. I hate this for him, more than I can say.

Justin reports that it might be only a couple more weeks until he moves in with Ron and Sarah, and possibly Jesse. He has said this before and nothing has come of it but perhaps I should brace for his departure anyway. He had expected to be moved out in April but now we are looking at just after the elections. Certainly I will miss him like nuts but it is better for him, and for me, probably, that he gets out on his own. And I will have my guest rooms back!

Justin jokes about having to move the food and dishes back down to the bottom shelves in the kitchen so I can reach them. He frowns upon my climbing around on the step stool.I tease him that he will get a call from my neighbors complaining about the smell coming from my condo, me having fallen off my stool. He thinks I would be found much sooner because I didn't show up somewhere where I was expected. Shoot! My attempts to scare him have failed----or did they? Next he will want to get me a Life Alert necklace or something, but he knows I would be too paranoid about people spying on me to wear it!

Monday I had the most delightful luncheon at Dee's house with six other ladies. (Had to miss my usual lunch with the Bible study ladies at Longhorn, but it was worth it!) The other guests were all artists, and consider me to be one, as well. After all, I did enter a piece in the recent show at Great Hang Ups! I am so honored to be included in her artists' circle of friends, only one of whom I did not already know. Dee served us several courses including soup, salad, chicken salad, cheese bread, and then, for dessert, fresh assorted berries with meringue 'cookies'. 

It was also nice to see her new home, where Blair and she moved over the holidays while I was in WI. Blair was just finishing his lunch from Panera Bread when I arrived, and I joined him at the table while he did so. He was going to hide in his room during the luncheon but at least I did get to see him for a bit. Definitely slowing down....Last night I saw on Facebook that he was in the hospital, in the ER, undergoing some tests. He was finally admitted in the wee hours and is being observed today. I hope having the ladies over wasn't too much for him!

Last night was Ladies' Group at church. Justin wanted to borrow my car so we stopped for gas on the way, he grabbed a couple sodas at the Racetrack, and then off to church. Judy and Carol were already there, so he left me in their care and went to St. Johns TC Mall to the Apple store. 

I sent him a text message reporting I was done, timed just right, I thought. He wrote back that he was at Publix taking advantage of a sale on Diet Coke and would be there in 10 minutes. Judy and Terri T. were going to wait with me but just then he rolled into the parking lot. Carol was in a rush to get home to watch "Dancing With The Stars" which tickles me, for some reason. She's a hoot!