Up the creek

This morning I had a chance to watch most of a movie I had seen many years ago called "Cross Creek". The star was Mary Steenburgen, who is married to Ted Danson in real life. She plays Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, the author of "The Yearling" and other books. The story itself is based on her life and its notes, telling about life living on Cross Creek. 

This brought back memories of a trip my family took to Micanopy, FL and Cross Creek back in 1990's. We arrived too early to take the tour of Rawlings home and property so we had to hang out in Micanopy for a bit. This little town was nothing but little gift shops and antique stores. One thing I remember was finding a bin of albums in an antique store and seeing one of my collection for sale there. What? "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly was certainly NOT an antique album. It might be now, but then, no, it was not! 

I also remember us visiting an ice cream shop and getting some fudge, if memory serves. Of course, things were expensive as they took advantage of the people passing through on their way to Cross Creek. I do not recall much about what we saw  or did once able to take the tour other than walking around the grounds and looking inside the house. We did enjoy our day trips (Ha, Day trips!) and this was one of those. 

A little piece of trivia about this sleepy town of Micanopy is the movie "Doc Hollywood" was later filmed there. I have not been back to see the place since the filming so don't know if the town was spruced up for the movie or not. Marjorie, in the movie today, was told over and over by people how difficult life on the creek can be, how some don't make it (physically or economically) and so on, but this did not deter her. She managed to have people around her to help maintain the cabin and her property so she could focus on writing. At this time she was penning Gothic novels which were not as good as her true tales from Cross Creek. And, of course, she had a love interest. 

It was fun to watch it again after decades of my first viewing and have a new appreciation for the landscape and region where she lived here in N. Central Florida. Cross Creek is outside of Gainesville, about an hour and a half southwest of here. This was the first time, also, when we saw black and white striped cows, commonly called Oreos. For a boy raised on a farm, this was quite the sight! The ends of the cow with hooves was black and the middle was wide band of white. Most unusual! I had a fun trip today without leaving the house.

A bunch of flowers!

Last night Justin asked me what my plans were for today. I explained I was going with the Over 50 group from church to Mandarin for lunch. Why? He had some deliveries coming and one of them required a signature. I told him if I was ready to leave before they came, I would ask Connie to sign for it, which is common around here. Justin told me one of the packages needed to be opened immediately so now I was curious. Sherry's Berries, perhaps?

I put a note on the door for the UPS man that Connie would be authorized to sign for the package. All the arrangements were made---Connie would put the package (a new cell phone) on the counter in the kitchen once signed for. I didn't know what to tell her about the other one. As it turned out, I was still at home when the door bell rang. It was a FedEx man with both deliveries. I took the large box from him and then signed for the smaller one. While I was standing there, I went to reach the note for the UPS man. The FedEx guy acted wounded, but I explained that the watch came via UPS last week so I simply assumed the phone would come UPS as well. But I talked fast and told him my neighbor is a pilot for FedEx to soothe his wounded feelings. All in good fun, of course. 

                                 

This lovely bouquet of flowers is what came in the larger box and needed to be opened right away. What a sweet guy he is!

Judy C. came to pick me up for lunch as Twila's and my designated driver. The group was trying a new place (for most of us) called St. Mary's Seafood, located in the plaza for Hobby Lobby. Guess it has been there a while but just wasn't noticed. We had 14 people including 3 men. The food and service for a group this size was fantastic, with me enjoying fish with the rest of them. I had the fried pollack, two giant fillets, plus two sides. I sampled them (got a third one because it was extra and the manager saw fit to give me the green beans!) and brought the rest home with me. Judy took the half of the fillet I didn't eat as I didn't want to reheat fish. As far as I know, everyone liked their meals.    

                                                                                                     

I won't name everyone in the photo but closest to the camera are Judy C., Twila, Fausto and Julaine. I was on the end next to Judy. On the far end was Gretchen, seated next to Ethel. The bad thing about eating at long tables is not being able to talk with everyone. Unfortunate but it can't be helped with so many diners. 

A matter of language

I have a few pet peeves, most of which I don't think about until they come up. This particular peeve comes up more often than I would like so here goes: the use of the expression "cussin'". 

Nit picky at bit? Yes, it might be to some but it matters to me. Cussing is a euphemism for cursing. Cursing is damning someone or something to hell, away from the face of God. Swearing is not cursing nor is it cussin'. It is actually taking an oath, asking the Lord to verify what you are saying is truth. Or just asking in general to prove that something is true. It has now come to encompass language which is offensive, which diminishes the value of taking an oath. 

Some describe movies or TV shows as having cussin' in them but more likely it is what was once considered to be filthy language, what I call 'the language of the streets'. It is heard not only in the streets but in kitchens and classrooms, at scenes of crimes or traffic accidents. The most vile words never spoken in polite company in the past are now used even by children without compunction, sometimes repeating what they've heard or have been called. There is little restraint from using these filthy words in social situations. I've had to insist guests in my home refrain from every sort of such words in my presence, and for the most part, this is respected. 

What is tragic is that people no longer recognize such profane or vulgar language as being what it is. I don't agree that it is a matter of opinion either because there are times where most people can control themselves when in the right situation. 

We are an educated and decent society for the most part, (putting on my rose-colored glasses again), and do hope that if enough people speak up about it, object, this practice will be reversed. There are enough perfectly good words to use to express dismay over something or to describe a situation. Make use of them and adjust the conversation. I have the same hope for the misuse of the Lord's name, the use of OMG in Facebook posts or text messaging, or spoken, even having this abbreviation added to the dictionary as a new 'word'. That's another post!!! 

There are TV shows which Justin enjoys, most notably the cooking or bar renovation programs, which are just loaded with bleep bleep bleep. Now, I am not a person fond of cooking per se but I can prepare a meal and get it served without resorting to the use of profanity. But it puts butts in the seats, so to speak, which makes me wonder if the producers and writers are encouraging it. Of course they are!!!  A recent movie I paid to see made use of one word which makes me flinch, when, as a word person, I could have found something else. But the word is used for punctuation, to bring the point home, supposedly. Or to jack up the rating because certainly no one would go see a PG movie...Ugh, that bugs me!

"It's just a house"

The other day my neighbor hosted a fashion party in her home. I enjoy going even though the garments are not designed for people of size. The ladies who attend are so nice to meet, and take turns modeling the attire for our critique. This time my upstairs friend, Debbie, was there which made it even more fun for me. 

When I had an opportunity, I asked the hostess about her daughters. I didn't realize that both her daughters were in graduate school, only knew about one. Her older daughter is getting an advanced degree in her field which is civil engineering and urban planning. The study she is writing her thesis on is based in 'placement'. What does that mean? 

I understand that her paper addresses communities and its people, and why they live where and how they do it. What keeps people living in the areas prone to natural disasters, or living in depressed economies when jobs are waiting for them elsewhere? Why do people endure those long, miserable winters up north instead of moving to more temperate states? Their company is closing in town with the option to relocate with the business to the new area, but they decline. Or, their home or neighborhood is crumbling but the thought of leaving is out of the question. I am sure her paper will be much more technically and academically presented but it sure is an interesting subject to consider. 

Years ago some friends of mine built a home in a neighborhood not too far from where we lived. Oh, what a nice home it was going to be for this family! Not long after getting moved in, the districts for the gov't schools were redrawn and their kids would have to attend lesser rated schools. Oh, oh....They put their new house on the market and started looking in the area where the schools were better. I asked, "How can you leave this beautiful house???" and my friend said, "It's just a house..." Yes, I get that, having moved 27 times myself, but in my case, it was our business. 

This subject is fascinating to me as I do observe people who are basically glued in place despite their circumstances because nothing can move them off of 'go'. It reminds me of the influx of staff at Sprint years back when a Voice Services center in Kansas City closed. Those willing to make the move with the company did so, and came halfway across the country to FL to continue in their employment. This was a blessing for the company as these people were already trained, all they had to do was plug in their headsets and start taking calls. How brave of them to uproot themselves and/or families in order to keep their jobs. There are some people who might think that is a ludicrous thing to do. "It's just a house..."

While I can't wrap my head around why people live in the less than ideal living situations (i.e. shoveling, scraping, salting, slipping, sliding, layering...), I also am reluctant to consider moving. No matter how many leaks I have or how often I am leaked on, 95% of the time I love it here. When people encourage me to move back to WI, (where I belong, according to my mom!) I am emphatic with my 'no!'. Some people can't imagine moving away from family, living where it is hot and humid, at risk for tropical storms or worse. And have real traffic! Barring unforeseen circumstances, I am affected by being stuck in place as well. 

Do people who live in Siberia defend it because they are stuck there, or because they really love it? Do they defend their choice at all? How about people who live in Hawaii? You never hear people say to Siberians, "Man, you live in paradise!" With all the communication and transportation available, everyone must know there is something or somewhere beyond their back door. Is it contentment, satisfaction with being okay we are that keeps us where we are? Or, is it fear? Good stuff to think about!

Seeing an old friend

Or, really, a young friend. A few weeks ago I was contacted by one of my Facebook friends, Ashley, who was going to be in the area on business. She wanted to get together and spend some time catching up. I love it, of course. 

A little history: Ashley's older sister, Megan, used to babysit for us when we were neighbors in EH. We have many connections, actually, with her dad having been my manager at Sprint, they were customers of ours in Fiddlers Ridge, neighbors when we lived in FR, we took their kids to VBS, and we were friends as well. Bob accepted a transfer to TX after I had left Sprint when Timmy was born. We met up with Bob and Beth once when we had traveled to Dallas for a Builders' Convention. That was it. So, I will guess it has been 20 years since I have seen the family, though Facebook allows some of us to remain connected. 

Ashley works for a major hotel chain and visits the hotels to help the staff get up and running on new programs used for booking, etc. She gets around! Now 30 years old and married a couple years, her home is near Denver. The whole family lives there (even some grandparents, I think) and all her in-laws. I told her how I am joined by students from Rocky Mountain Lutheran High School in the summer and she knows their school, which is cool. 

We met at Grumpy's for a late breakfast, still having to wait for a table. I was so glad the rush sort of let up which allowed us to sit for two hours and visit. There was never a quiet moment, so much to talk about! I heard all about her folks, Mom is a teacher of special needs kids including the physically handicapped, and Dad still works for Sprint but as a sideline works for a small airline which allows for travel perks. They are getting close to retirement time, not age, which is cool for them. Ashley's spouse works with many of his family members in a local business. And, they bought a house, in the process of finishing touches. 

Justin was invited to join us but he is still laid up with his goofy back. Ashley asked how old he is as neither her dad nor she could figure it out. When I said he was 27, she laughed. She is only 3 years older than he and wondered why she babysat for him. I said she most likely was there for Timmy, and Justin was not old enough to care for his brother or to stay alone. Now it made sense to her. 

Anyway, we had a great visit, talked about all sorts of things besides just catching up, and the time flew by. Very nicely Ashley picked up the tab as she has an expense account just for such occasions. She had other plans for the day, former classmates to catch up with so we parted company. She would like to perhaps stop by later to greet Justin but he is really not up to visitors. I feel so badly for him, but she understands. 

After we left Grumpy's, I went to Winn Dixie as they had the best price on Diet Cokes. As I pushed a little cart from the parking lot to the store, I hit a rut and the cart popped back, hitting me in the right shin. Yikes! I was hoping no one saw this---got it straightened out, and kept on pushing along. Bet that will bruise! Loading my cart with six cartons of soda, I was sad I had to take a flavor which was not my favorite because of being out of regular Diet Coke Decaf. As I came around the corner, I met the distributor counting cases on the end cap and asked him if he had any diet decaf coming since I had taken the last one. He said he would go check and came back with 5 cases for me, transferring the other ones out and reloading my cart with the 'good' ones. I was so very thankful to him, a nice young man. 

Since my boy is home resting his aching back, I asked him what I could get for him. Justin said he needed some DayQuil and I got him some throat lozenges as well. A person doesn't need a sore back and throat at the same time. I picked up a few other items and headed for home with my purchases. The rest of my day will be here at my desk.

Justin injured himself on Tuesday and has worked everyday since, coming home all doubled over from back pain. Friday he worked a half-day (about 5 hours) and came home, having had enough. His boss asked him to dinner last night to Whitey's as usual, but he declined, thinking the wood benches would not be good for him. His boss should have known better than to tempt Justin with chicken wings when he's got a bad back! Justin is supposed to go to his friend's house tonight for a birthday dinner but am not sure that will happen either. The ice packs and heat pad have been his friends for now, and me, trying to be helper but not a pest!

I'm no lover

A lady I know is struggling financially, has to decide what she can participate in each month based on how long the gas lasts in her car, that type of thing. I felt badly for her and wished things were easier for her. One day I was sitting across the table from her at a dinner and she was telling about her cat. The cat was having troubles with its kidneys (that sounds like a vet bill to me) and now the cat has to have special food which costs $40. Wait, what? Before I could say anything, she looked at me and said, "I know what you're going to say..." Oh, do you really? 

It may come as no surprise to anyone that I am not a lover of animals. For over two decades of my married life I held fast to not introducing pets to the mix of our household. Besides not being fond of animals, I cannot imagine trying to keep up a house with animals in it and have the place always ready to show potential customers. Pets smell and can wreak havoc on furniture and houses. I know this from being in the business, including having warranty issues after someone's dogs toe nails scratched up their hardwood floor. That would never do!

We got a dog for Timmy for Christmas 2000 with plans to get Justin the cat he wanted. Mickey the beagle was nothing but trouble from the get go, ending up in the pool on Christmas morning. He had to be fished out with the net. I know, Ironic, right? Justin's cat, Boots, was not a problem at all but it was a hassle with the litter box and feeding, etc. Mickey left our house not a moment too soon to live elsewhere but Boots and later Lynx moved with us to the lake house and then to this condo. 

I did not spend huge sums of money on these pets, except for buying Mickey ($250, I think) plus the neutering for the three animals. Over the years Mickey moved away, Boots went to live with our friends, the Lawcocks, and Lynx was put down.  It did cost me money to have to replace a mattress which was used as a litter box and to have my own bed professionally cleaned for the same reason. Ugh! So glad to not have them any longer.

On the left is Boots plus his two roommates at Lawcocks

I have friends who pay hundreds of dollars to maintain their pets. One couple paid $700 for hip surgery for their dog. Tonight I saw a commercial for pet food with no GMO content, etc., showing it served in crystal bowls. Even some Food Network divas have their own line of pet food. At Winn Dixie where is a refrigerator case just with pet food in it, with FRESH stickers plastered to it. I just don't get it. The pet industry is a huge one, that's for sure. 

When the markets fell a few years ago, my dentist told me that her business had fallen off dramatically but people were still taking their pets to be groomed. Go figure. When I have dinner with my friends, I take my to-go box home for me, and they take theirs home for the dogs. I just can't sit still for that!  Now, I am done with my expounding on animals.

"Who made the salad??"

That was a refrain from a long ago commercial for Seven Seas Salad Dressing. Who remembers this? Around the room the question is asked as people enjoy their salads, "Who made the salad?"  The ad's response was "Me, and Seven Seas!" But, this time, it was me! Not well known for my culinary delights, I do pull one off now and again. More than once Justin has complimented me on my chicken salad. I am good for making a few things which garner compliments.

This time I used some chicken breasts which I had marinated in Caesar dressing and then I baked them. We were running out of time to eat them for dinner so instead, I made chicken salad. The process started using the blitz hacker to chop the meat but then I switched to simply using Justin's Sharper Image knife from Nancy to cut the breasts into teeny pieces. Oh, it smelled so good, savory, I guess. 

All I do is mix the chicken with mayo and some pickle relish, plus a squirt of salad mustard, and it is done! I enjoyed it on bread and will have some more another time on crackers. I don't know why Justin worries about me starving to death---somehow I manage, and nicely so!

Good news for our county!

Today I attended the monthly meeting of Republican Woman which takes place at The Club. I like attending meetings which are walking distance. And I also like having it be a luncheon meeting which is wonderful. The staff makes sure I get my Diet Coke since I don't drink coffee or tea. I had printed off some info for Marlena which I carried with me, and the waitress, Emily, handed me an envelope from her. Marlena wrote me a thank you note and included a refrigerator magnet which was kind of cute:

Marlena is incredibly fit and thin as a rail, of course, so I know this does not describe her!

Once the meeting got underway, our speaker was introduced. My friend and financial advisor, Diane, addressed the group in her role as a County Commissioner. She was elected to fill my former neighbor, Travis, seat on the Board. The presentation she gave was about transportation in our County based around the development of a beltway of roads connecting the various portions of the county with each other. 

In her opening remarks she asked how many of us remember the outer beltway planned in the early 90's, which didn't happen. I raised my hand. And who remembered this beltway being planned in the 2000's, which didn't happen. Again, I raised my hand. Sadly so. We lost our shirts business-wise planning to build homes in The Villages of Fireside in the early 1990's when the original plans were made for the beltway. Nothing but bad stuff happened out there, not the least of which was having the developer die of a heart attack while cutting grass on the property only days before the Grand Opening of the community. Gulp! We went ahead anyway, as we had built a model home already and were ready to go, as were the other builders.

And then what happened? The Department of Defense closed the Navy base at Cecil Field and the funding for the outer beltway disappeared. A double whammy! All the plans based upon these two things were dashed, our new community would be a hop, skip, and jump from Cecil Field via this new connector. Nuts! 

No more base, no more roadway, no more customers. In short, we sold, thanks be to God, our lovely model home, and eventually our spec home where we lived for a while and got out of Dodge, so to speak. We had built a couple more custom homes in the neighborhood before the remaining lots were sold to a tract home developer. This, of course, hurt the value of the custom homes already in place, but that was out of our control.

So, when I heard about the pending outer beltway coming again, I did not hold my breath. It is a good thing I did not because it sure looks like it is a definite GO this time, with Diane serving on the Commission for Transportation. Her presentation showed the connectors expanding to the west and south, not only affecting Clay County but also surrounding ones. She showed how the roads would be interconnected, somehow getting people from Clay County to the JAXPORT in 10-15 minutes. JAXPORT is one of the fastest growing employers/industries in the region. Having these connectors for transporting materials and product will make a big difference for drawing other business. 

And, with business comes homes! Here is the good news---Diane announced there are plans to add a total of 12,000, yes, 12,000 residences in Clay County by 2023. This is huge news!  Not all single-family homes but still, that's a whole lotta of work for people in the construction industry. From the folks who survey the land to those who run the laterals for plumbing to those who build the structures to those who close the deal at the end. Wonderful!!! I am selfish, of course, because this has a trickle down benefit to me but it also does to my friends and loved ones in the business. Hooray for Clay County!!!

Got the picture?

This morning there was a perfect sunrise, or as I called it, The Crack of Dawn. The sun was quite far behind this color in the sky, but, I'll take it! The photo sort of washed out the pinkness of this strip of light---doesn't do it justice. 

A trio of manatees resting in the sunshine

My sister, Kerry, had scheduled her vacation to include time here with Justin and me. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, she likely won't be able to come. So very badly she wishes to see the manatees at play in the basin so I have been trying to capture them on video, using my cell phone. The good news is that they were active today, but the bad news is I cannot focus in one them very well. Most of the romping (how's that for a polite word?) takes place further out in the basin and my camera doesn't do a good job of capturing them. I took a video and posted it on Facebook for her and others to enjoy, seeing mainly the water being moved wildly about. To be taken on ground level does not help as the view is better from above, but is not close enough to the action. 

But, Kerry got the picture, so to speak, which will hopefully hold her over until such time that she witnesses in person. Her mother found this activity scandalous when she wintered with me in the past. She said, "Those manatees have no modesty..." tsk, tsk, tsk. And she is right! I wish I could post the video here for all to see but don't have the capability to do so. Just envision water splashing and fan tails slapping the water, swishing about...got the picture?

Memories of note

This morning a Facebook friend of mine, Debbie, wrote about how she enjoyed hearing the family in the Disney campground behind theirs, particularly their 4-5 year old son. He was talking up a storm! I suggested she write a note to give the parents to let them know how much they liked listening to him. Some day that note could be a treasure to the mom and dad. I know this personally to be true.

Here is my story:  not too long after Timmy died, Justin and I were dining at Sonny's BBQ after I'd picked him from school. On Wednesdays he had confirmation class so instead of going back to Fleming Island for that time in between we would grab an early dinner, often with Twila and Mark, before class. This time, however, it was only Justin and me. 

We were seated across the aisle from a young family with a child, perhaps 3 years old or older, who just did not wish to sit down quietly in the booth. Because the booths are made entirely of wood, his shoes made a nice racket as he danced around next to his mom, who struggled to get him to settle down. Justin and I did not mind, because he reminded us of someone we knew. Mom was getting frustrated, fearing he was bothering people. I didn't get it from anyone around us that he was, but I know how she felt. 

Before we left the table, I fished around in my purse for a scrap of paper to use for a note. I wrote to the parents, telling them to cherish these moments with their little guy because it can end quickly, explaining I had recently lost mine, so I knew whereof I spoke. Not a long note (really?) but just enough to get the message across. I gave it to them as I walked past their table and we left.

At this time in my life I was busy with scrapbooking including sessions at church where ladies could get together to work on our projects. It was such fun. One lady, Sue, had recently lost her father, and wanted to start a scrapbook about her parents. I was helping her with that somewhat, understanding how difficult it was to get started on such a project.  

One evening Sue called me and had a story to share: she had her grandson, Jacob, at the ballpark for t-ball practice and got into a conversation with another lady there. They got talking about scrapbooking and one thing led to another. Sue was telling about her project and the lady said she was just going to start scrapbooking. She told Sue how this lady at Sonny's had given her a note, suggesting they cherish these moments with their child, and she wanted to keep the note in a scrapbook. Sue scrunched up her face, thinking about that note...

That was when Sue called me to ask, "Were you at Sonny's on Wednesday night about a month ago?" I said I probably was..."Did you pass someone a note about their little boy?" I said I had and she said, "I just knew it had to be you!!!", and she told me about her conversation with that mom at the ball park. Imagine that!! This ball park is in Oakleaf, not even close to Sonny's which is even more unlikely that this chain of people would connect. So, as a result of my giving them this note, the lady became a scrapbooker. 

Sue gave me her phone number so I could call her if I wanted to but I never did make the call. I can still see it on my 'old' desk but since I've moved a few times since then, it's gone. I wonder if Sue ever sees her anymore. Jacob is now a ball player for his high school so it's possible that she does. Will have to ask her! I do hope Debbie writes a note to that family and lets them know (not only the Facebook friends) how much she enjoyed listening to their son expound on his joy at being at the Disney campground!

P.S. Here is something I read online after posting this and found it amazing: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/04/29/this-mom-thought-it-was-weird-when-a-guy-gave-her-a-note-before-hopping-off-the-bus-when-she-read-it-it-left-her-emotional/

Dancing around my room

When Linda J. was here visiting me last September, she was having some troubles with her tummy or digestion. Over and over she apologized for it but I was glad for her to feel better after burping. My concern was that the German foods we enjoyed for our Oktoberfest dinner held during her time here caused the problem. She assured me it had begun before she traveled. Well, that's good, but not really, you know?

After Linda got home and returned to normal business, the problems seemed to escalate, resulting in pain and misery for her, sometimes all day, sometimes less time. The medical folks were stymied as to the cause, offering her prescriptions and over the counter treatments to help alleviate or even prevent an episode. Poor Linda hesitated to make longer-term plans because of not knowing how she'd feel.

Every day I spoke to her I wanted to know how she was feeling and while she felt like she was whining about it, I needed to know. Occasionally a week would go by without a problem and we'd (I'd) think it was finally over, but nope. It was incredibly frustrating to have the various doctors not be able to give her answer on what was going on. 

Last night Linda and I chatted via Facebook and she was feeling pretty good. When we parted company, she was going to sit in her chair with her feet up. My last words to her were that I was going to pray for her tummy troubles to be resolved. 

We didn't chat this morning before church like we usually do but I didn't think much of it. She leaves for church much earlier than do I, so I figured she just didn't have time. I was packing up my stuff from the table at Bible study when my phone went off. My sister, Jill, with whom I'd chatted this morning, was calling. She asked me, "Did you know Linda had surgery?" WHAT??  I sat right back down with my face in my hands, stricken by this news. I told her I did not and told Jill when we'd spoken last night, all was fine. Guess that didn't last!

Jill called me right after their service to tell me. The pastor had said a prayer for Linda and all were stunned by this news. After hanging up with Jill, I sent Tommy a text message, asking what was up. I feared some sort of intestinal resection had taken place or even worse, which Linda and I always tried not to talk about. Tommy messaged back that Linda was doing fine (he had gone to church that morning which helped me believe him) and would have her phone back by 11:30. I could hardly wait!

At the lunch table at Chili's I got permission from my companions to text her. She replied that she was feeling great (who feels great after surgery??). All this while her problem was an umbilical hernia!! I am no stranger to them, having had two repairs myself, but hers was done at 2:30 a.m. via arthroscopic surgery and that was why she had no pain. All these months of fiddling around with this and it was so simple. Ugh!

Apparently after we had disconnected last night she got violently ill and finally Tom called the doctor. The Dr. said to go to the ER and the rest is now history. A scan found the hernia and now it's gone! Hence, the dancing around my room. When we spoke this late afternoon her voice was raspy from having been intubated but it was minor. Linda might be going home tomorrow afternoon and for now is enjoying liquids yet until she can tolerate regular foods. 

She cannot believe how good she feels, this is just wonderful. What a relief---and an answer to the prayer of Saturday night/Sunday morning, in His time! I sure do hope my neighbors don't mind my dancing!!! 

Nice days ahead

This morning I was greeted by this wonderful sight, looking very much like a watercolor painting. It almost makes me want to get the paints out again and give it shot. But, then, the photo itself does the trick! Taken using my cell phone camera and no enhancement added, I can't do better than what God did for us!

Last year I broke every sort of record by getting into the pool in early May. People who were placing bets on me lost their money since it is usually around Memorial weekend before I break the surface of the pool. Peer pressure and having my fun noodle from Jacquie and Mark to play with when Linda J. was here visiting forced me into the drink. And yes, we did have a drink! 

A week ago I broke my standing record from 2014 by getting the pool with Nancy W. on her side of the property. She lured me over with promises of 85 degree water to go with our 88 degree temperature. Yes, sounds good to me! Their pool is more shallow than is The Club pool which means it warms up more quickly in the spring. She has been swimming laps for almost a month already, the trouper that she is.  

It is also somewhat more private which is nice too. Some of her other neighbors had come out to enjoy the pool and the sun which added to the enjoyment. I got in not only once, but twice, easing myself in. Nancy dives which spares her the shrieks and groans of going down the steps inch by inch. 

While I have been enjoying the heat, poor Justin and Ray were suffering from it. He came home tonight completely exhausted but did get himself cleaned up for going to Whitey's. Their weekly ritual (his boss and his wife, Justin, and sometimes, Jesse) of having half-price appetizers is such a good way for them to end their week. I stayed home this evening, not accepting the invitation from Nancy to join her group for happy hour around their pool. I didn't really have anything on hand to contribute to the gathering and was fine with staying in. Somehow I managed!

Love love love 4 Rivers!

This morning started by stopping---yes, I crept along the way to Victory heading for Bible study. If I had noticed the stop/go traffic on the overpass I might have changed my mind about getting onto the freeway, but I didn't, so I did! Since the terrible fiery crash a few months ago that took the life of a Navy family, I am reluctant to use the phone when driving to Bible study. This change has caused my mother a bit of upset because she scheduled her Thursday for my phone call. Now I call later in the day and she has to squeeze me into her full schedule. It stinks to be 90 and in such demand!

Once the backed-up traffic got to the first exit on the east/south end of the bridge, it cleared up for the rest of us going toward the Beach. Subconsciously I had gripped my steering wheel so tightly that I had to make the effort to let go. I really must be getting old, or else I am still somewhat shell-shocked after that terrible accident. I don't know if I mentioned this before, but my friend, Nancy, was out walking along the river and believe she heard the accident, or its after effects. The sound of metal scrapping and the explosion of the turned-over car. Makes me sick yet just thinking about it.

Class was again exceptional, as expected. What makes it so interesting is that our group is not limited in our discussions to the topic at hand. If someone has a personal story to bring up, an article to discuss, or if Pastor has something to share (he has the best experiences with people), we talk about it. And it eventually does fit into the portion of Isaiah we are presently discussing. This week is Isaiah 48 where the Savior was introduced. Pastor does not violate anyone's privacy, of course, but will share stories of phone calls he's gotten, or something a preschool parent has said to him. He is so good at his job, that's for sure.

Justin has had some long days since 'summer' began, and today was one of those, expected to have been cut short by rain that never came. He came running into the house shortly after The Five got done and stood in my door way, excited. He wanted to go to 4 Rivers for dinner so I grabbed my shoes and purse. Of course he had to shower first which he did amazingly fast. He had arranged to meet his boss/friend, William, there, who was the man who introduced Justin to 4 Rivers. When his wife and he lived in the Orlando area, they found this chain, and then took Justin with them to the store on the Southside. And now we have one of our own, just north of Wells Road. 

We arrived before Will did so waited around outside for him. I had a card for a free sandwich so I used that for my meal, a brisket sandwich. I was greeted by several of the staff members (already they know me!). Justin laughingly told William that this is normal and he was fine with it. I believe it helps to form 'relationships' with the staff to ensure quality care and this has occurred. They even go to refill my soda for me which I appreciate, when they ask if we need anything. I am a big fan of good customers and excellent customer service!  

Since I had the sandwich tonight, I managed to eat all the meat which I had dumped off the bun. The meal came with two sides, both mac 'n cheese, which allows me two meals another time. My standard order comes with three sides so I ordinarily take the green beans plus my mac 'n cheese. Justin was surprised I had eaten all the meat but he had some leftover to bring home with us, plus a part of his side order. He absolutely loves their biscuits, giant ones, so gets one of those as a 'side' dish. They provide plastic covers for the side containers, self-service, plus bags for putting everything into for the trip home. Such a good value for the money, and a lovely time spent with William this evening. Justin is blessed to work for such a nice guy. We are rarely ever without something to talk about. Seems like all day was talk talk talk!

I don't know diddly

It seems as though I know absolutely nothing sometimes. I do know stuff but just not the same stuff as asked at Trivia tonight. Sadly Justin was not able to join us since he gets home from work quite late and is exhausted when he does get here. That means The Palace had only two representatives so Nancy L. and I joined in with Nancy's team. They play much differently than does The Palace team. Everything is up for discussion, and must be done by consensus, written on a piece of paper which is passed around for all to view and agree. It was downright painful to play. Ploddingly so. We also had to vote on the point value to list with the answer. Justin would not have tolerated this. More than once I would tell the little old lady in charge that the fellow was waiting for our answer. This team often would hold up production on other Trivia nights and now I see why. Yikes!   

It is not because we didn't win that I suffered, though. The game was well run, which was nice for a change. The previous few times there was a pinch hitter who ran the game and he struggled with it. Tonight's fellow had pre-written the catagories on the page for us, and even wrote the names of the teams on the little slips we hand in showing our answers and point value. Top-shelf management of the game. But, some of the questions were simply more than trivial, if that makes any sense. One such question asked for the middle name of Arnold Palmer (it is David). What??? It happened often that not even one team would get the correct answer, when usually at least one would do so. It happens on Jeopardy!, too, when none of the players rings in to answer. I can't recall what the question was right now, but one answer was off by 100 years, and I brought this to his attention. It was a typo on the program so we got the points.  Whew!

Nancy W. and Nancy L. at my ladies' luncheon

I do like the ladies Nancy L. and I played with, including Nancy W's other neighbors. Just last week some of us enjoyed Nancy's pool together and we've gone out to eat together as well. They are such good friends to Nancy and I am glad about that, helping her to fit into their cozy neighborhood on the north end of our property. I am glad they let us sit in to play with them tonight. We didn't win but we sure were not in last place, though we easily could have been!  

A "Gold"en afternoon

Today Nancy and I had the best time, starting with an appointment at Mai's Nail Salon on Fleming Island to get our feet taken care of. My toes and feet hadn't been addressed since Mom treated me for my birthday in WI so they were looking and feeling rather rough. It's nearly pool season which means the feet take somewhat of a beating in the water. Our two techs did not speak English nor did they speak to each other. Didn't matter to us as we talked to each other. Instead of asking what services we wanted, the ladies handed us a price list and we had to point to what we wanted. I wonder how they function outside this salon? 

The two of us arrived early for our appointments and they took us right away, which allowed for extra time before the movie. We went next door to Mojo's for a quick bite, sharing a half order of onion rings and Nancy had an appetizer portion of fried shrimp. We did have to hurry a bit to get over to the theater, same parking lot but too far to walk.

Nancy and I chose to go on Tuesday because it was supposed to be a $5 movie day. Alas, we were not Frequent Viewer Card holders (now we are!) so had to pay the higher price for the movie, but were able to use our newly acquired cards for discounted concessions. We got into the theater prior to the movie starting but found ourselves facing a nearly full theater. We ended up climbing to the tippy top row in order to sit centered in the theater. The theater 'sweet spot' as Sheldon Cooper would call it. 

We saw the movie "Woman in Gold" and it was absolutely fantastic. Not wanting to give it all away or anything, this true story featuring Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds tells how this family's treasured portrait is sought for recovery from the country of Austria. It was confiscated by the Nazi's when the Jews were being persecuted in Vienna, and Maria is nearly tireless in her endeavors to get it back. A less than enthusiastic lawyer, the son of Maria's friend, is roped into helping her and becomes obsessed with the whole thing once he 'connects' with the horrors of what took place in his ancestor's homeland. It was a wonderful movie---allowed us to giggle and me to weep. The movie will stay with me for a while as I ponder it. A good investment of time and money today as my feet are fixed up and groomed, and my spirit fed, as well!

Developing new skills

Or refining old ones? Nancy W. and I were talking at dinner recently about some changes we are making in our day to day existence, some of them almost unnoticeable. One thing she has done is put herself on somewhat of a budget, taking out a certain amount of cash each month and making it stretch, limiting what she pays for with credit cards, and so on. She has two homes to get sold, one is her father’s and one is her own on the other side of the river. Work is going on to rejuvenate her house and has been for over a year, which is dragging out far too long. Once it’s ready for sale and sold, she will be in a better place, though she is probably doing the right thing for the long haul with her budgeting now.

Another thing Nancy is working on is based upon something she saw on-line, from an unusual source. I am not sure that Willie Nelson is the father of this or if he is simply associated with it now, but the statement was basically thus: “From now on I will focus on what my friend is saying rather than planning what I will say in response.”  This seems simple enough but it is certainly not. Often we can’t wait for our friend to finish their sentence to jump in with what we have to say. Try it sometime---or pay attention to your conversations with others and see how frequently you jump over someone else’s words. Talk about exercise! People like me have trouble with voids so it will take dedicated practice to get better about this, especially when I get so excited when talking with others. Years ago I mentored a young lady who often did not have her listening ears on. My counsel to her would usually be to: “Listen with your mouth closed”. Willie Nelson’s got nothin’ on me! And, I must take my own counsel to heart!

The old switcheroo

A while back my friend, Nancy, was here for dinner, eating in what we call the dinette. As we ate, Nancy was telling us a story and became animated, sort of throwing herself back in the chair. Crack! We heard wood in the back of the chair snap and immediately she jumped up. Oh, she was so embarrassed!

Justin gave her another chair (there are 4) while she was apologizing. It is an upholstered chair so we could not readily determine the damage.  She insisted that she would pay for the repair. She 'has a guy', as the expression goes, but I said no to that. This was a set I bought from a client of Joanne's who was ridding her home of extra furniture. It was used when we got it about eight years ago, and not very expensive. Since Justin and I are both people of some size, the chairs were getting a bit creaky. 

I have another set in the river room which is rarely used for dining so Justin and I talked about swapping the two. Those chairs are iron and will certainly stand up to our sitting down. Justin said he would ask Jesse to help him since he's helped Jesse recently with moving a bunch of stuff. So yesterday, that happened. 

 Here is the river room set now in the dinette/living room. Blends well with the iron pieces in the room, but much smaller table top. These iron chairs can hold us!

The river room is now smaller with this larger topped table in place but the glass doesn't make it seem so. 

The task was somewhat simple, the worst part being the big glass top from the dinette, because it's heavy. I started carrying the chairs but found myself underfoot. Justin knew I would like to polish the underside of the glass-topped table while it was off so I did that, and took care of the rest of the prints afterward. He knows me so well! I also had the guys rotate the rug in the river room before putting the table in place to even the 'wear' from the sun and traffic on it. Jesse was a good sport with my being finicky about placement and such. 

I had considered simply swapping the chairs but each set has different colored iron, plus the floral pattern on the upholstered chairs would not look good with the tiled top on the river room table. Initially I was not going to get the 4th chair repaired since it didn't cost me much in the first place but have since re-thought that. Still won't let Nancy pay for it though. Connie, our maintenance lady, told me of a place to take it for repair, saying she has used this lady as have others in the building. That is good enough for me! My concern is that the sun will be unkind to the upholstered chairs in the river room, as it has been to the end table which is shedding its varnished finish. We shall see....I might need to either replace them or have them reupholstered in the future. 

My mom, now 90, came to visit me in 2012. When she saw that glass-topped table she remarked, "I thought you said you would never have a glass table again..." Oh, what a memory that woman has! Likes to remind of things I have said or that Justin has said, does her little 'I so busted you!' chuckle. I very likely DID say that when I had a 4 year old eating at the table but that is no longer the case. I have since bought stock in Windex and have let the chips (or crumbs) fall where they may. Never say never!

Getting mixed up

The other day I wrote a Facebook status update which stimulated many fun comments from others. I wrote: "How sad is it that Connie (maintenance lady) carried in a delivery from UPS and knew it was for Justin?" It was clearly marked as a Kitchen Aid mixer so it most assuredly is NOT mine. For a long time he's been hankering for one of these fancy kitchen items and my argument about it was that I have a perfectly good stand mixer which serves us well when needed. Yes, it is older than Justin is but still does the trick. The cooking shows on TV and stuff made on Pinterest use this Kitchen Aid product and he badly wanted one. Fortunately he had a coupon to use plus got an additional discount which made it cost about $100 less than usual. He took the second from the bottom choice of machine which came with extra accessories which he will use. I simply shake my head...

But, here's the deal---we have had this discussion more than once, how I don't care for anything being on the kitchen counters, no clutter, zero. And he was determined that his mixer needed to be kept out, even ordering it to color coordinate with my tile back splash. Yes, he was pandering to me! It weighs a ton so it's really too heavy to carry to the pantry and back again on a regular basis. Our shared joke is that he is going to end my days on earth some way or another to get his inheritance (we are so funny!), using a reference from Seinfeld as part of our shtick. "Elaine, what are YOU doing here...?" as Jerry mockingly pretends to suffocate George in his hospital bed. Now our joke is that Justin having this giant mixer out on my counter is going to be the death of me, but I'll fool him and get over it. Or, will try to!  I've already tolerated the coffee maker being out full time now as he likes iced coffee, and now this! Ugh! I wonder if coffee makers come in cobalt blue?

Such a terrible thing!

This morning, a lovely hot one, my friend, Nancy, sent a text message to me. It is Bill's birthday and while he still has to work (from home) she felt like she could tear him away for some time at the pool. We agreed to meet at 1:00 pm, with her bringing crackers and me bringing my freshly made ham salad.  I was in the process of grinding the meat when she messaged me. She was contacting Nancy W. and Bob as well to meet at the pool. This was so exciting---our first real outing of the season!!

Nancy W. got there first and had already gotten in the water. It was very cold but she said it was nice. Yeah, right! I used my handy dandy freezer bag Justin gave me for Christmas to keep the ham salad cold as well as my soda cans. Bob came over a few minutes after I got out there. He looks so good, can hardly tell that he'd had a stroke last fall. Was back to his normal self, that grumble muffin!  All we needed yet was Nancy and Bill and the crackers to have ourselves a party...

After a little bit Nancy came through the gate with the crackers but no Bill. She had terrible news to report---Bill was trying to file his taxes and found out that someone had already filed using his info AND gotten a tax refund!! Oh my! Nancy said the police were at their house at the moment and Bill was on the phone with the IRS to figure out what was going on. Two years ago when they lived in SC, the State Dept. of Revenue had been hacked and people's private info compromised, so they are guessing that's how this happened today. 

We all felt sick about this but still managed to have some ham salad on the crackers. Even Nancy had a couple before she went back home. Besides the horror of having an identity theft to deal with, they also had something going on with one of the air conditioners which was causing water to drip from the ceiling. She said she was handling that problem while Bill took care of the other one. Heartbreaking, simply heartbreaking!

Nancy W. and I enjoyed the ham salad and crackers after Nancy M. left. Bob had just eaten lunch so only had one or two. We did get into the pool a couple more times, including once when Maureen and her family showed up. She is a teacher but took a day of vacation to spend time with her daughter visiting from OH. If you recall, a few weeks Nancy W., Mo, and I went to eat at Santioni's for her spring break. I hadn't expected to see her again so soon while school is in session. It was fun. This is far earlier than I've ever gotten in the pool before, with last year being my earliest on record, in mid-May. I have out done myself, starting yesterday, getting in Nancy's pool. 

Anyway, I can't stop thinking of the horrible violation Bill is experiencing and will pray for his peace of mind and heart when I go to sleep tonight. I hope he can get some sleep, that poor guy. I will call tomorrow to see how things are going, hoping there is some sort of resolution to this without too much difficulty. We assume he needs new credit cards and bank accounts...oh, my goodness! I hope the powers that be can catch the culprits who did this and exercise swift justice on them.