...and now she is gone!

As I lie here on my bed, keeping my puffy foot up, I await word that Linda has landed in Atlanta. Her flight left JAX at 8:15 and she will arrive in MKE around 11:30. It will be the wee hours of the morning when she gets under the covers in her own home for a short night's rest before being back at her desk tomorrow. Bright-eyed and bushy tailed? Not likely!

After getting back from the airport, a surprisingly traffic-light trip, I helped Justin get his mattress situated on his bed. At long last, after work, he was able to get his mattress from the storage and also a chair with ottoman which did not sell from their estate sale. My upstairs neighbors expressed interest in it so he brought it over to here to get it cleaned up, make it presentable.

Prior to his getting his nice mattress back, he had used a twin mattress on his full-sized box spring. Now, he can sleep on his cushy memory-foam mattress padded bed, with a pedestal fan situated to blow air in his face as he sleeps. I helped him get the garters on the sheet to keep them in place, because, as he describes himself, he sleeps "like an alligator wrestling some kill...". So funny, and so entirely opposite of how I sleep. Plunk, and I am out! No alligator wrestling in this bed...

Today, Linda and I opted to stay in from water exercise class (too cold and cloudy out there) to watch the opening service of Martin Luther College. The pastor from our home church, FG, was taking part in the service, along with his father, installing his brother as a teacher at the college. We wept, of course. One man was being ordained and installed by his father, and the dad got a bit choked up when doing so, as did we. That is what we do!

When it was over, the sun was out and it was above 80 degrees, so we two went out to the pool. I had put some cheese curds in my bag, grabbed Linda's bag of pretzels, and some grapes which had been purchased for her breakfast, to have for a snack. (We had both had breakfast, me having half a bagel with veggie cream cheese on it.)

When we walked out in the courtyard, I saw a tablefull of ladies, so I went back into the house to grab the other bag of cheese curds which Linda had brought along at my request for Ollavan. She had been so grateful for the ones I brought back for her in June, sending me a lovely card with Mojo gift cards tucked inside! This time she was thanking Linda for them and wants HER address!

I was so glad the ladies were out there and that Linda got to meet them and chat. They had ordered lunch from the dining room, so Linda ordered the soup and salad from the menu. Since I had eaten earlier, I was not ready to eat yet but did enjoy some Diet Coke. We shared our grapes, and I ended up sending them home with Susie, who was making chicken salad for her dinner that night. Otherwise, they would go to waste here.

After the other ladies left, Nancy, my newer friend, hung around with us. At one point I was getting warm so we went to try the pool water. Having been cautioned that the water was quite cold, we braved it for a bit to get cooled off. Yikes! We have had so much rain and clouded skies which makes for cooler water temps. While some don't mind it, I sure do! 

                        

Around 3:30 or so we came back in. Linda heated up her leftover shrimp from the night before and then commenced her packing for the return trip to Wisconsin. The swimsuit was likely nearly dry but she had a plastic bag to transport it home. I had the last of my sloppy Joe's from Thursday night's dinner, without a bun. I told Linda it's bad form to compliment my own cooking but I just love my sloppy Joe's!

We watched the first half hour of our show, "The Five", and then had to leave. Justin had done his good-byes the night before, not being sure of getting home in time. He did pop in, all smelly and dirty, and had to leave again right away, so simply waved to Linda from the doorway.

I really hate to let people go at the airport but the security folks make sure I do! We got there right on time, no traffic problems, and I released Linda to Southwest Airlines. I have since gotten a text message that she is safely in ATL at her next gate, waiting for her connecting flight. Hoping all goes well and she gets tucked into her own bed before the light of dawn!