The wedding and reception

The big day finally arrived! Naomi and David's wedding, the reason I came at this time of the year rather than later in the summer. Naomi graduated from Martin Luther College earlier this month, and now her wedding day!

I borrowed this from someone else's photos. The man in the blue shirt served as vicar at my church in FL when we first moved to FL, and his brother served as vicar here at FG before I moved to FL. They are long-time friends of the family and have kids who went to MLC with Naomi and David. 

Here is the school gym all dressed out for the wedding. The bleachers are lined with jars with candles in them and some tulle to make them look pretty. Later Naomi's uncles came around and lighted all the candles which was quite a task!  Linda, Tommy, and I were seated at the 2nd table in, along the bleachers.

I sneaked a picture of Ann, one of the kitchen ladies, who so graciously, with others, served the wedding meal. Her words, "It's the least we could do for this family who has done so much for us." Love it! A group of people made most of the food, and the family did as well. By the way, Ann is no longer a member of this congregation but came back in order to serve her friends in this fashion.

The mother of the bride, Julia, and her mom, Jean, waiting for the meal to be served. Julia was radiant, and I can't say I blame her!  I know she is filled with joy over this for her daughter and dear son-in-law. 

Naomi and David are about to drink a toast after her uncle lead the room in prayer. He is a pastor, serving the Lord in CA. 

My blurry plate of food complete with a natural casing hot dog, dinner roll, olives, pickles, noodles with beef tips, and a slice of ham. I ate the hot dog first, of course!

Naomi's aunt Janice is about to start carving away on the wedding cakes. Naomi's nieces and nephews and other younger ones helped to distribute the cake to the guests. All the flowers were donated from people's gardens and presented in embellished jars. I was tempted to take the arrangement from my table when I left to give to Lynn, because she just loves lilacs. But I resisted!

Newsletter day

Yesterday morning Linda picked me up from Mom's house and took me to church with her. She had already stopped for the flower bouquets for the altar before she got me. She still wears a couple of hats at church since she retired. Thursday is hers to record the church envelopes and other similar tasks. I got busy helping the gathered volunteers stuff and fold their church newsletter, like I used to do with Mom when she was able to help out. 

Linda did her thing and I did what I could with the group, enjoying the time catching up with them. One lady, Gwen, I have spent much time with since arriving as she attends many of the same Bible studies I do. Another of the 'folders' are a long time married couple, a retired pastor and his wife, and another lady, Liz, with whose children I attended grade and high school. Linda treated with fresh baked muffins which the pastor really loved, calling Linda the Muffin Lady. She always come through with the baked goods!

When Linda got done, she freed up the computer for me to work on the next newsletter of the day---mine!  I had worked on it at her house on Memorial Day but was waiting for additional content. Thursday was the deadline and wouldn't you know it?, just as I had everything formatted, Pastor sent something to be included. I squeezed it in and at last got it sent off.  I hate that I can't send Gretchen a colored copy of it, but I can do that when I get back. 

One very nice thing happened while I was working...the pending bride came in with her newly minted marriage license in hand. She was so nervous carrying it around and wished to do a hand off to someone in autority.  That would be Lisa, the church secretary, since the presiding pastor was occupied.  I was so excited to see Naomi that I wept with joy. I reminded her the license is good for life, no need to renew.  We talked briefly about her Call to the same school where she student taught and also helped out in the summers.  Her spouse teaches at a Lutheran school outside of Milwaukee.

After Linda and I were done at church with our jobs, we met a friend, Angie, for lunch at Harborside.  Linda treated us and I so enjoyed the good time spent together. Angie is a friend Linda met at the Welnness Center and they became fast friends. I became friends with Angie through Linda, plus she is friends with some of my in-laws.  It was a great time together and I was sorry Angie had to leave to get back to work. Linda took me home, and then had to take me right back to church to get my iPad which I left plugged in. Nuts! Glad I remembered before she drove off so I wouldn't be without it for too long. Can't be without my electronics! What a good start to my day it was being at church and doing church work! 

Time with the boys

                             

Lynn brought the boys up from Sheboygan so we could spend some time together before I leave for 'home'. No sooner is Angelo in the door than does he ask for the box of toys. I played dumb and had him show me where the toys were kept. Several of these toys were once Justin's and it's fun to see them being played with. He is so darn cute, and such a good boy!

Our little tradition has been to dine at Pizza Hut with the boys, which we have done for the past 4 years, whenever I come to Manty. Mom chose not to join us, so Lynn, Noah, the boys, and I went on our own. At the table there are trivia cards which the kids like to read and quiz each other. This is Gabe reading the cards.

Angelo can't read the cards but Manny can. They are waiting patiently for their drinks to be delivered to the table. We will order the Personal Pan Pizzas with Lynn sharing hers with Angelo. She is the best grandma!

Noah came to meet us at Grandma K's house after work and then we went over to Pizza Hut for dinner. Lynn had the boys 'last day of school' stuff in her car so we had to transfer all the belongings to their van. Certainly the boys are glad to have the school year behind them and only summer fun in front of them.

A blessed Memorial Day

Today was marvelous in so many ways. This morning my plans were changed from the original because Lori adjusted her plans to arriving today instead of later in the week.  I was planning to spend the afternoon at Linda's and having dinner with Tommy and her.  Linda said she was like Gumby---flexible so instead she swung by and picked me up after 8:00 to start our day together. I hustled to get myself presentable and did so in less than 10 minutes. It can be done!!

We hit Festival running and even "ran" into some people we knew from church shopping for picnic foods. The parade was cancelled this morning due to bad weather predicted so people were making alternate plans. Just like I did!  Linda's daughter and family are coming tomorrow to celebrate the twins birthday so we picked up some items for that party. I got some more caramel puff corn and some Diet Coke. Oh, and a package of peanut squares.  Yum!

When we got back to her house she helped me get hooked up to her laptop so I could work on the church newsletter. What a blessing!!  While she got her stuff together for tomorrow's party, I worked and talked!  I'm good that way, as is she. I can't wait to try her recipe for making twice baked potatoes for Justin and me when I get back home. Those potatoes will be part of their celebration feast for Madison and Cassidy. 

Linda and I had a great afternoon watching the documentary "Honor Flight", fitting for Memorial Day. We cried almost all the way through it.  It was a perfect "Kim and Linda" day!  We enjoyed cheese and sausage crackers for our afternoon repast, with a peanut square for dessert. Good treats!  Linda took me back to Mom's to wait for Lori to get there. 

Lori and Dustin arrived about 4:30 and plans were made to have dinner at The Charcoal Grill.  We had to wait for Jill to get home from work as the ice cream parlor was quite busy.  It turned out to be a lovely day anyway so business was brisk. Mom even got talked into joining Lynn, Jill, Danny, Dustin, Lori and me for dinner. Our meals were great and the time together special, in my opinion.  Now it's time for bed!  Good night all!

A trip to Howards Grove

My nephews were in a school play, a musical at St. Paul's, Howards Grove Thursday night. Oh, what a good show it was and how fun for me to see them in a school production for once. Twice the Christmas plans to see them in their service were dashed---once by weather and once because they were sick. They did a good job in this production,as did their classmates and director/teacher.

In the center in the blue plaid shirt is Manny, who had a speaking role. Their grandma, Lynn, was quite helpful in getting the two boy's outfits together. Gabe played President Jackson but I didn't get a nice picture of him in his role. 

Mom and Jill sat in the chairs while Lynn, Noah, and I sat on the bleachers. Angelo enjoyed the play and being 'busy' with things. He is such a cutie pie!

These two can hardly contain themselves after the play! I didn't get a chance to read the bios on the wall of the gym but Lynn said they wrote something flattering to her and thanked God for their blessings. So nice! 

 On the ride home, we witnessed this lovely sunset which begged to be captured. In fact, Lynn, in her car ahead of us, called to make sure we saw it and took a picture of it. Mom, with us, could not believe Lynn would use her phone while driving. No matter how old we are.....

My forgetful sister

While Lori is here in Manitowoc, she is sleeping in Mom's bed. Mom does her best sleeping in the chair anyway, she claims. Besides, Mom is up with the birds and if Lori was sleeping in the living room, well, that wouldn't work very well. We earlier risers are quiet so that Lori can sleep, as she stays up late and reads. 

When she got up Lori wanted to have an early lunch before she headed for home. First she had to pack her stuff up and we loaded it in the car, remembering her giant kite for Nolan. We went over to Perkin's to have our lunch, Lori treating Mom and me. I took part of mine to-go and as we were checking out, I saw that they had cheese soup as their special. The nice young lady got me some to-go which will go nicely with my leftovers. 

Lori dropped Mom and me off at her apartment and began her long ride home. She had to get there in time to meet a limousine which was taking her Bunco team to their site this evening. One of their friends has a connection which is how they got the limo service for their end-of-year gathering. I know she would really hate to miss that.  

Later in the afternoon, Mom went into her bedroom for something and discovered that Lori left a pair of earrings behind on the dresser. I could mail them to her, but before I could say the words, Mom exclaimed, "Oh, no, she left her computers!"  That girl somehow packed up her suitcase but left a laptop and Kindle behind, and their power cords. Mom instructed me to NOT call Lori, fearing she would drive off the road trying to find her phone, so I sent David a text message to tell him. He couldn't believe it but did not tell me what to do with the machines. Lori had mentioned the possibility of making a return visit so that is what we will go on. Last summer when she left here she accidentally took Mom's set of keys with her, always something! 

Happy feet and tummy

What a great day we had today!  This a.m. we ladies went to Sassy's to have our feet attended to, Mom's treat. Lori drove Mom and me over to the salon, meeting Lynn there. When we pulled up to let Mom out, one of the ladies came running out to scoot her along with her walker into the salon, as though time was short. It was not but nevertheless....The urgency was rather comical. Unfortunately Jill was not able to join us as it's a work day for her. 

After we were all finished, polished and dried, we reconvened at Culver's for some lunch. That was nice for the four of us. Mom usually goes here for lunch with Linda when the two of them go to the beauty shop each month. I like their single Butter Burger. From there we went to the ice cream parlor to have a treat with Jill. She made me a lovely cherry sundae, the special of the day. Oh, my, such a wonderfully refreshing treat!

This evening Jill, Lynn, and I went to Bible study at church, a study about creation and Genesis, lead by a teacher from the area Lutheran High School. Man, this is so interesting. Tonight the discussion was about dinosaurs and the Flood. That was the quickest hour of the week, and the attendance for this session was good. Tommy and Linda were there, too. It compares Creation with the theory of evolution with scientists backing up the Bible. Quite interesting!

Lori wanted to eat out for dinner but since we had this Bible study tonight, we waited to eat until after the class was done. Lynn opted out, didn't want to go and eat at this hour, while Jill, Lori, Linda and I went to Harborside to have dinner. Linda had eaten dinner already but came along to hang out with us. We had delicious food, of course, and due to the hour (after 7:30), we had good service as well. Lori and I are accustomed to eating at this hour where most of our family is not. Lori was gracious enough to take Linda home after we were done eating as Tom had gone along home. He was not invited, that lucky guy. I greatly appreciated the time spent with my sisters and my friend today, no matter the hour. 

Another full day, well-fed

Today Lori and I went to Manitowoc Coffee to have a treat and a drink. I managed to get my free soda card from my wallet (on Saturday it was stuck too tightly to get it lose!) and I was pleased to see peanut squares offered today. Lori likes coffee and she had a bowl of soup on this very cold day. It was not breakfast time when we were there, just so you know, as she is not an early riser. Especially when she is on vacation. So it wasn't odd to have soup, nor was it odd to have a peanut square.

After enjoying the ambiance of this coffee house (if I lived in Manty, I'd live in this place, I think) we went across the hall to Ivy Trails. I'd seen part of the shop Saturday with Lynn and Linda but saved some of the snooping for today. Lynn had mentioned that she needed a new lamp for her living room and I think I found one for her. Only $50 and it's unique. All about the unique for me, and hopefully for her. I just love this shop!

Lori dropped me off at church for Bible study where I met Linda. We are studying II Kings, this the 2nd last class until summer recess. These ladies are all so well-informed and knowledgeable about their Old Testament studies. Most humbling to be in this class. 

While I was in class, Lori went shopping some more, going to Two Rivers to buy a kite for a little guy she loves back home. She also checked out a resale shop along the way. I got busy making dinner. Before I came to Manty, I asked Mom what dishes she was particularly hungry for and her answer was spaghetti. Really? That is so easy to do and I was glad to make it so. 

Justin told me some of his secrets for making the jarred sauce so flavorful and I added those items to my sauce. Jill provided veggies for us, as my spaghetti with meatballs served Mom, Lynn, Lori, Jill, and me. With a bit leftover for another time. I am glad to make a dish Mom was hungry for and have her eat a plateful of it! And now, time for bed. Good night all!

Green Street at last!

This morning started out great with a visit from Linda. She was over at church first counting the offerings from yesterday and then popped up to Mom's for a bit. I was able to bestow a gift upon her, sent along in my luggage from Nancy to her. It was a collectible teapot that Nancy's mother had had. Linda told her at one time that she collected teapots, which I was not aware, so as Nancy was going through her mom's things, thought Linda would appreciate this one. And she does!!  

She stuck around at Mom's for a while as the cleaning lady was busy at her house on the other side of town. Linda doesn't wish to get underfoot. Mom and I were waiting for Lori to arrive, hoping for around noon or so, so Linda went her own way. It turned out Lori didn't arrive until closer to dinner time, as she had a doctor appointment to go to before leaving her home, four hours away. Since we ladies had time to kill, Lynn picked us up and off we went to have ice cream at Jill's parlor. 

 My cherry sundae, the special of the day

Notice Mom is wearing her coat. It was so cold today!

Lori loves to eat out as much as I do. Her request for dinner was to go to the Green Street Tavern which we did, the 'we' being us four girls. Lori, Lynn, Jill, and I enjoyed a fun and delicious time together. The owner of the place greeted me as we were leaving, knowing I come from FL just to have Green Street perch. He said, "We'll be seeing you again!" Mom wanted nothing brought back for her, not even poppyseed torte. Her loss. 

Lori and I sat at the table and talked once we got home to Mom's. Mom is sleeping in the living room while Lori is here because she sleeps her best in the chair anyway. Lori likes to stay up later than do Mom and I, so she gets Mom's room where she can read and not bother anyone, and also have the window open for fresh air. Mom and I like it warm but Lori needs to be cool. Lori therefore sleeps later so will have to be quiet in the morning. It works out, just for these couple of nights.  I'm just glad I get to see her and spend some time with her on my visit.

Making a joyful noise

Last night for dinner I made my now famous sausage, peppers, 'n onions. Kerry was here and provided a pack of brats as did Jill, plus she had peppers needing to be used up. A couple times Kerry offered to help me in the kitchen but I assured her things were well in hand. She says it's been years since someone cooked for her so I am glad it was me this time. How unlikely is that?  I should not ask that since she did spend some time with me here in 2010 and we may have dined in at least once. I bought a package of pretzel rolls to serve the sausages on, but miscounted the number in the bag. Wouldn't you expect there to be six buns and not five in a package? 

Here are the brats, now browned, covered in veggies, and ready to be 'steamed' with the broth over the top. Sure wish I would have gotten a beer to use but the broth works, too. 

This morning we went to church, early service. Jill had to go to work immediately after and Kerry came back here to Mom's to wait for us to get done with Bible study before she left. This is my 2nd study in the two full days I've been here which is fantastic. They do the breakout session things, too, for the classes but somehow here, I don't mind it so much. Supposedly it is a device to help people get to know each other better. The pastor's father-in-law sat with us, the president of MLC. He liked one of my answers and gave me the nod for what I came up with, which was nice of him. 

After class, our little group put our heads together and decided to go have breakfast at Perkins. Mom, Lynn, and I met Tommy and Linda there since we stopped at home first to say good-bye to Kerry. The J's beat us to the restaurant because of this, of course. To accommodate our number, we were at the corner table which is a long walk for Mom who doesn't like to bring her walker inside if she doesn't have to. Sometimes she should, though, so that it's not so hard on her. Anyway, Tommy treated us to breakfast and was most entertaining. I loved the time spent with them.

Lynn dropped Mom and I off and went home for a bit. She was coming back later to pick us up for a sacred concert at church tonight. MLHS presented their school year ending concert, "The Church Year in Song".  Most of it was wonderful, but I think the expectation (at least mine and Linda's) was more familiar hymns rather than the choral anthems and the African songs. Yes, I know we have churches and missions in Africa, but at the LWMS Convention 34 flags are carried in representing where our Synod has missions. Not all of them are in Africa. The directors and choirs like to sing those type of songs because they get to bogey and jive a bit. It wouldn't be as much fun to sing in Russian or Apache or Chinese. It's not for me, but otherwise, the concert was nice. Got to see some folks I know from other congregations and it was a wonderful way to end my first weekend in Manty!

Starting the visit off right

My first night here I had a really good sleep in the guest room, being so very thankful for the foam mattress pad Justin suggested I get to use when here. I think it's been a year now since I had it delivered to Mom's. It really makes all the difference in the world for my bones and joints in the morning. 

This morning the first order of business was Bible study. I love it, just love it!  This particular class was held in the church office with only a few ladies around the conference table, beginning a study of James. The lady who leads it, Betty, is a former LES teacher, now working at the public library. She did a nice job covering the material and keeping us reigned in. The group consisted of Linda, Lynn, a lady named Gwen, Betty, and me. A smaller number due to the busyness of season, wrapping things up from the school year, etc. It was an interesting class and I enjoyed it.

Mom doesn't attend this class so Lynn ran back to get her from the apartment (four blocks away) while I rode with Linda to Manitowoc Coffee where we met up again. Mom and Lynn traditionally 'go for coffee' on Saturday mornings, a carry-over from Lynn's working days. I really like Manitowoc Coffee and have said more than once that if I lived in Manty, this place would be my hang-out. And I don't even drink coffee! I had a frequent shoppers card but couldn't remove it from my wallet in time to use for a free one. Next time!  No peanut squares today but I did have a couple of cookies, including one with black piping which made a mess on my hands and teeth. Such fun!

These little 'drawers' were in the gift shop. All the items to make up the dioramas were sold there as well. I heard one lady describe this area as being 'dangerous'. Really cute stuff.

We younger ladies walked around the adjoining gift shop while Mom waited for us in the coffee shop. I only scouted out half the store, leaving the other half for another visit. After we said good-bye to Linda, the three of us went to Festival Foods for some groceries and such. 

I just love that store!  I was downright giddy being there but the other shoppers seemed less so. Perhaps it was the gloomy and foggy weather affecting their good natures but many seemed to be focused on their mission of shopping and nothing else. At the back of the store beyond the produce I found my puff caramel corn, made on-site, plus picked up some pre-cut celery, green peppers, and onions to use for cooking at Mom's.  I did need more items but got so excited about the whole event that I couldn't focus on my list. Some fresh cut ham and hard rolls found their way into my cart as well as Diet Coke. 

Here I am with Dolly, me sporting my 'old' car coat left behind in Mom's closet for just such occasions. It was a blessing to have it!

The highlight of my time was finding, or being found by, my friend, Dolly, who described it as a dream come true to run into me at Festival. Often on my visits we will just miss each other somewhere and only see one another for our planned time together. It was so nice to see Dolly and her mom, Joanne. We have arranged to meet with another of our classmates, Rita, for dinner one night so this is only our first meeting with each other.  Also I saw one of my favorite teachers from high school, Coach Heidrich, and another classmate, Warren, and then my cousin, Jimmy. I just had a ball!

Mom and Lynn did their shopping as well and we met at the registers.  We got our stuff paid for and loaded into Lynn's trunk to be off-loaded using the handy cart from Mom's building.  We should be all set for the time being. 

Last night Jill, Lynn, Mom and I ate at a different place, City Limits. It doubles as a reception hall for weddings but also served pretty good perch. And, fried dill pickles!  One of the owners is a former classmate of mine and it was nice to see her again after all these years. Tomorrow I hope to see more folks I know at church and at a Lutheran High concert at church tomorrow night. My sister, Lori, is coming for a visit for a day or two. My other sister, Kerry, will be coming too. This should be hoot!

All set to go!

I make my mom nervous by not packing too far ahead of my departure. I am fairly well organized, knowing what I wish to take and where to find it in my dresser, drawers, and closet. My joke is that I pack from across the room, quite the opposite of some of my friends who pack their bags so neatly. Once I stand my bag up on end the whole works heads to the bottom anyway so who cares? I have some things about which I am particular, but packing my bag is not one of them!

Yesterday afternoon I started throwing stuff into my bag which was open on the foot of my bed. In about 15 minute's time I was zipped up and ready to go, lacking only the cosmetic bag which I yet needed in the morning. My friend, Nancy W., is taking me to the airport, our planned departure from here is 6:45 in hopes of beating most of the heavy traffic. She had wanted me to go to The Club for dinner last evening but I had to decline because of church and being with Justin. 

It was a very nice service, almost like singing hymns from Favorite Hymn Sunday. We had 24 people in church including 5 visitors, four of which were Judy's family. Her grandson, David, is graduating from UF Law school on Saturday so family will be on hand for that, and in our pews!  Also, a young man from Victory, the only one who came across the bridge during rush hour. He couldn't believe that Victory didn't have worship for Ascension. He recently moved up here from Sarasota where they had a regular worship schedule. I was glad he made the effort. He looked so handsome, too, all dressed in a suit. I am glad he enjoyed the service with us. 

Jessica, Judy's granddaughter, invited me to dinner with them after church but Justin and I already had plans to eat Chinese food he was having delivered from Ming Moon for our last dinner together in May. (Sniffle, sniffle). He ordered extra food so he has it available to him during the week plus his meal for dinner. I had an order of cheese wontons which are my favorite. And enough to hold me over until I eat the next time. I am not hungry this morning yet. 

Once we finished eating, Justin finished up the prep needed for my iPad for use on my trip, and we each went to our rooms. He was exhausted from working and I was just ready to settle in. Nancy will get a wake up call from me as we pre-arranged 'just in case' and I am showering this morning as a courtesy to my fellow travelers. I am waiting to shower for a little bit so as not to wake my neighbors but then I am ready to go. I know Justin is up already so we'll get to say official good-byes before he leaves for work. I will keep in touch, folks, but God's blessings in the meantime! Manitowoc, here I come!!!

Ascension Day

Today is Ascension Day. It is a bit of an overlooked special day in the church year. This is the day we remember Jesus left earth to return to His Father's right hand. Yesterday I asked Pastor H. if we were having Bible study today because of it being Ascension Day. He said we would have class and asked if we had worship tonight. I told him we do, and I looked forward to Bible study. I also look forward to our evening service tonight, singing the hymns, and then saying 'good-bye' to my friends, until we meet again in June, God willing. 

This morning I was watching Fox & Friends. They had segment showing a man out on the patio area cooking bbq and sharing it with passersby, and later with the hosts. The man was a representative of a restaurant called Mission BBQ, strong supporters of Wounded Warriors. In their restaurant every day at noon, work stops, diners pause and stand to sing the National Anthem. Goose bumps!!!  I sent Linda a text message (my computer was resetting) to tell her about it, and she wrote back that she was watching it, with tears on her face. So cool! I can easily imagine that happening at my new favorite place, 4Rivers BBQ. At noon, the place is busy with Navy folks in their flight suits and other military apparel. I can just hear it!

Watching and listening to that segment reminded me of something Justin experienced a couple years ago. He was working alone on a property not far from the base. His equipment is pretty noisy so he wears ear covers besides having his ear bud in his good ear. I guess he was changing equipment or something when he heard something strange. He uncovered his ears and sure enough, he could hear the National Anthem being played over a sound system from the Base. He was not sure what the protocol was for this, so he decided to just listen without continuing to work until the anthem was over. I don't know if he put his hand on his heart but I wouldn't be surprised if had. I guess that happens every day on the Base only we didn't know it. 

We didn't have Bible study last week due to a new fence going up and our leader, Cary, needed to supervise the project. Pastor is back now from vacation so was our leader today. And the fence never got put up either. Some kind of problem with where to drop the sections or whatever is holding up the process. It is a shared fence with the subdivision next door and they are the ones paying for it. Nice!  Patience is the watchword for this project.

One of our ladies is back from her annual trip to New York. She brings back special souveniers including a booklet for Pastor from a Jewish museum she toured. And for me? A man in a stationery store gave Dawn a paper with his life's philosophy handwritten on it. Two pages! That's a lot of philosophy. Dawn gave it to me, knowing I would enjoy it. All the statements are positive, good advice for living, etc. I shall cherish it! How nice of her to share that with me!  

Fanatical fans

Last night Justin and I enjoyed an episode of Jeopardy! where celebrities were playing against each other to earn money for charity. Justin and I were thrilled to see Packer QB Aaron Rodgers go up against an astronaut and an entrepreneur. And Aaron came out on top, his winnings to go fight juvenile cancers and blood diseases. I was as proud as if I was his mama! One of the best things he did was nearly sweep the Bible category, missing one because of hesitating. Way to go, Aaron!

Earlier in the evening, I spent some time on the sundeck with my neighbors. Yesterday I had given them a dish of fruit salad leftover from Sunday's luncheon. Kathy returned the empty dish with a bottle of body lotion in it. This soothing lotion is intended to ease stress and calm nerves. Jokingly she said she puts it on first thing in the morning as she faces a day with her dear momma. I can see that...Elizabeth is 86 years old, a remarkable business woman in her younger days but now showing signs of aging and what often comes with it. We'll leave it at that. What the heck---I'll give this lotion a try. 

Kathy was telling me about her son's house he recently purchased in the Atlanta area. He has some stuff to do it in order to personalize it, including some painting. More than once Elizabeth and she have mentioned the red door on his slate grey home which I think is the ideal color. Only last night did it occur to me the reason why the red door has to go---red is a GA Bulldog color!!! These people are Gator fans through and through. From nail polish to wine glasses to having their van painted in Gator colors. No red door for him, even if it is perfect for the house. 

Now, if a person would drive around in WI, you might see assorted Packer adornments such as mailboxes or flags outside homes, etc. I am a Packer fan but I cannot imagine NOT using a certain color just because it's the color another NFL team sports. (See what I did there?) I can't speak for other Packer fans, they may be as fanatical as these folks are!

Elizabeth has a quilt made by her granddaughter which used the deceased grandpa's old shirts. Elizabeth showed me the swatches, identified which shirt it came from, so sentimental. There was one red square, right in the center, from her husband's shirt worn only on Fridays to show patriotism. Otherwise no red shirts were worn, because of the Bulldogs, longtime foes of the Gators. I have never heard of such devotion to a team or disdain for another, and this is college ball, not even pro. I find it amusing but keep that to myself as best I can, and will make other suggestions for the door color for Tom's house!

Pressing business

I had a rough night last night sleep-wise. I got settled in and dropped off to dreamland after 10:30 pm and found myself awakened by a thunderstorm right around 11:00. What? I was just snoozing so good, too! Normally a storm won't bother me but this one had wind blowing the rain hard against my windows which gave me some pause. I did have my water alarms in place but still had to get up to check the walls for dripping water. Thankfully, found none!

For the duration of the storm I stayed awake, listening and sort of waiting for the power to go out. It did not nor did I fall back to sleep. I heard my clock strike 1:00 a.m. and believe I did go to sleep while listening to "Frasier" reruns. Before I did finally drop off, one particular exchange forced me to write to my sister, Lori, and share it with her. She and I used to laugh over "Frasier", especially when I started to collect the DVDs. So funny!  That's the problem with laughing ones self to sleep...giggling and snoring at the same time!

I woke up at least one more time in the middle of the night/early morning, changed the channel to listen to Law & Order, and went back to sleep. At some point I changed it to Fox News but didn't wake up until well after 8:00! That never happens, so I think I am caught up. So, why don't I feel like it?

Once I was up and about, showered and dressed, I planted myself at the desk. There is stuff to do before I leave for WI including getting the Ladies' Group Minutes typed up and sent over to Terri for presenting at the next meeting, which I will miss. Next I have an assignment from Justin to complete---marking on a guide which "Seinfeld" episodes I want him to load on the iPad for me to use for sleeping when in WI. Not taking the little laptop along this time will make my load lighter for traveling. He got me a keyboard for the iPad so I can type on it while away, work on the church newsletter, etc. when at Mom's. He thinks of everything!

Besides that type of working going on, I should clean off my desk a bit in case something happens to me and I don't make it back. Don't want my legacy to be that of a messy desk. I have enough stuff for Justin to have etched into my grave marker such as "She put her cast iron fry pan in the dishwasher".  If I get to it, I get to it, though. No water exercise class for me just yet, still thinking the water is not quite warm enough for me. The Friday Nancy and I had breakfast at The Club Marlena said the water temp was only 75. That is a definite NO! from me. Nancy swam much of the winter as she is tougher than I am, plus her pool is more shallow than The Club's so warms more quickly.

I got some more video today of the manatees romping in the basin. My sister, Kerry, has been asking for it so I sent it to her via e-mail. I hope she enjoys it. In the house with my windows closed I could hear the water splashing but don't believe that transferred to the video. Such fun they were having, or whatever....

Mother's Day luncheon

At the end of February, Justin prepared and served a wonderful luncheon for some of my lady friends from the building and from The Club. We had planned to have a second luncheon for the church ladies but then ran out of time before he went back to work full time this spring. It was his idea to do a luncheon for Mother's Day for our Sunday group, minus Terri T. 

 Here is the table all dressed for the luncheon

 The first course was strawberry soup with the angel food cake croutons. Mike S. said he'd never had such a soup before and described it as being 'refreshing'

 Here is the glazed fruit salad. Unfortunately we were unable to find fresh strawberries so he had to use frozen ones instead. They got a bit mushy but still tasted good

This is the kalamata olive salad tossed with Caesar dressing. Mike loved this salad, saying he could make a meal out of it. Justin bagged it up for him to-go since he doesn't eat it 

Justin made his tasty chicken salad using rotisserie birds, grapes, red onion, garlic, slivered almonds, and mixed with Greek yogurt. This was served in pastry cups

Justin used his Apple watch and his iPhone 6Plus to take our picture. He propped his phone on the glass piece in the river room and remotely snapped the photo of our group. From left is Mike, me, Justin, Betty, Michael, Judy, and David (Judy's grandson)

Fried chicken, anyone?

Today we didn't have Bible study because of a project going on at Victory requiring our leader's attention. Cary is taking Pastor's place while Anne and he are on vacation in Alaska. I hate to miss class but it can't be avoided. I'll have to find something else to do!

Nancy and I decided to go have lunch at The Club, on Fried Chicken day! On Thursdays they offer a mini-buffet besides the regular menu. Not all the offerings are up my alley but their fried chicken certainly is! So good!

Her gentleman friend had been in town for a visit during the week so she filled me in on where they'd gone and such. I mentioned how the other Nancy had tried getting hold of her for dinner for Bill's birthday dinner at The Club but this Nancy said she didn't get a message. In reality, she had but didn't recognize the number. We got that all figured out so the next time she gets an invite, she can make it. I didn't mind having Bill and Nancy M. to myself for the night, though!

Justin and I are eating in tonight, meal yet to be determined. We are trying to be done eating dinner before 8:00 so that Justin has a couple of hours of digestion before he goes to bed. He usually doesn't feel like cooking so I give it a whirl, or there's always leftovers. With the long work days, he is exhausted at the end of the day. His back is doing much better but he still feels achy when he gets home. The alarm goes off for him to get up at 5:45 so the night is sometimes short. Tonight will be one of those where he gets to bed early so I better come up with something to make and quick!

A birthday treat

Today our usual group plus a couple others celebrated a bit belatedly the birthday of our friend, Gretchen. Last Sunday, closer to her big day, was not workable, so today after church we gathered at Sam's St. Johns Seafood. Having fish twice in a week's time is over the top for me, but hey, for Gretchen, I can do it!

Terri T. called ahead to make sure they could accommodate our group of 10 and was assured there would be room for us. Good! The rest got there ahead of me because I had choir rehearsal after worship, but Justin knew what I was ordering. As I zoomed in the door, thinking I was far behind them, I was wrong. The waitress was just then taking the order, with our group broken up into three sets of tables in a row. Shoot! That was the best they could do for us, despite Terri's best efforts. I got to order my own food and in fact, got mine first! As Darwin said, "The last shall be first...." 

Gretchen seemed to enjoy the time with us even though we were spread out this way. No one dared to sing "Happy Birthday" to her or make any type of fuss. She is not fond of that type of attention, so it was kept low key. What a dear lady and friend she is, I just love her!

Justin and I stopped at Winn Dixie on the way home, each of us taking our own carts. We wanted to pick up a few things including special priced chicken legs and thighs plus I got a beef roast on sale. I can smell it already! The hamburger was a good buy as well so we took three pounds of that for the freezer. I think I'll have to cook some meals before I leave for WI! He got a bunch of stuff, too, for our larder and for himself as he is going to make dinner at Jesse's this week for Cinco de Mayo. Fajitas are on the menu so far, not sure what else they will have. 

A lovely evening ended our day with the full moon rising

We got our purchases hauled up in one trip, which was remarkable for us. Often I leave non-urgent stuff behind for the next trip but today this was not necessary. It helps for him to be strong like bull and able to carry so many bags at once. No dilly-dallying, though--straight to the elevator and to the door so he can put them down. Every time I use the elevator I thank the Lord for it, for allowing me to pay my share for a new one a few years ago. Sure would hate to tote those bags up the stairs---yikes!  

A wonderful open house

Today I had the privilege of hostessing for the spring Open House at Great Hang Ups Gallery.  Sonya had her little pop-up canopy set up in the parking lot. Her work table was underneath it, ready to help ladies or anyone paint silk scarves, with Mother's Day in mind. It was a good day for Open House but was a bit windy outside. Sonya's stuff kept blowing around, but it helped the finished scarves to dry faster.

Mark is regaling us with a story of some sort

After a slow start the traffic picked up with lots of people coming in for framing. No problem with that! Even my friends, Jacquie and Mark, stopped in to get a pair of paintings framed. Oh, how excited I was to see them! I think I haven't seen Jacquie since last August when we had lunch at Panera. Many of the people who came in I recognized and my job was to encourage folks to sign up to win one of Dee's paintings which was displayed. 

Besides the scarf painting being offered, Dee set up in the shop to do a demonstration painting on Yupo, a Japanese paper, where she showed how to maneuver the paint on the more glossy paper. It was fascinating to watch: 

Around the store were light snacks, cookies which Dee had made. One was a meringue cookie with bits of pecan and the other cookie Julia describes as 'crack'. Actually they are a lace cookie, her grandma's recipe, and are so good, you can't stop eating them. Because both cookies are so light, having more than one goes almost unnoticed by your system. Julia also had coffee and midget doughnuts from Dunkin. A few people enjoyed a glass of wine while they mingled and took in the art exhibits or watched Dee paint. 

At one point both Dee and Julia were tied up, so I went to talk with a lady who came in. She asked me how much the painting of the sheep cost and I had to go ask about that. This painting had won Best of Show and a couple other prizes at the County Fair. Dayan actually was looking for cow pictures so I directed her to a certain bin to see if there were any in there. 

We talked and eventually she made her way to the counter. Somehow the conversation turned to pottery and sculpture so Julia brought out a piece she had done of a nude. It had won a prize at a show last year, I believe. After some more conversation and such, all of a sudden Dayan said, "I'll take her." Wow! We took a picture of Julia signing the piece and then of the two ladies with the sculpture. This was a red letter day for Julia and for the lady who bought 'Nicki'!

The door prize drawing was scheduled for the end of the day, at 4:00 pm. First, Julia drew names gathered from the FB page as anyone who shared the announcement got their name in the drawing for a $25 gift certificate. Then, she threw those names into the bag with the others from today. Julia shook it up really good and Dee reached in to extract the winner. It was ME!!!!  If I hadn't been there to witness it myself, I would have guessed it was fixed, but it certainly was not! I won the painting!!

Talk about being blown away! I told the ladies I would come in next week to select my frame, thinking I'll use the dark red that Jacquie had looked at for one of hers. It should pick up those berries perfectly, I think. 

This is not the first time I've won and been the hostess. One time several years ago (since I lived in this house) Justin was there to do the drawing. Julia shook the bag and held it up high so he couldn't peek in, not as if he would, of course. And out came my name!! That time I won a slumped glass bowl made by Kevin Eagleton. I have several of his pieces in my home including the lovely one on my river room table. Maybe tonight I should buy a lottery ticket since I feel so lucky/blessed! It was a good day!

Sitting down with Nancy

Yesterday as I walked along the promenade by our building, I caught the eye of the lady who does the housekeeping in the restrooms at the cabana besides other responsibilities at The Club. Sondra was waiting for me at the top of the steps to the pool when I came downstairs. She asked me when I was coming over for breakfast and I told her I would come soon, so had to make good on that promise. 

Nancy W. and I met for breakfast this a.m. at The Club and got to see Sondra and the regular breakfast lady, Kathy. She brought me a separate plate with bacon on it, knowing how much I love their bacon (after I picked out every last bit from the serving pan.) The Sunrise Rotarians got there before I did!! We also had sausages plus eggs, potatoes, and grits available to us in addition to the 'continental' breakfast foods. Kathy makes the fresh cakes each morning and today's had strawberry frosting on it. My favorite! 

Nancy and I sat and talked for a while afterward, even as the table cloths were being changed all around us. I had been telling her about the drama involving one of our units for sale and she wanted to walk over to look in the windows. She has a friend in the market for a condo so we went to take a look. I was pretty sure the owner was no longer living there so Nancy could take pictures through the windows. We walked along the bulkhead, a narrow walkway along the river's edge, to see into the sunroom. 

As we headed back around, I strayed off the bulkhead and went up onto the grass. Nancy stayed on the solid surface. As I got to the edge, I stepped from the grassy area and down to the curb toward Nancy. Like a round ballerina I did a little dance as I came onto the pavement and ended up sitting down on the curb. About three feet from the river!! Nancy was right there and was waving her arms as if to stop me but there was no going back once I was headed down. Boom! Right on my butt, on the curbing. She put her hands out to pull me up and I did just that, with really little effort, dusting off my butt as I stood. Whew, that was close!

I gave my poor friend a terrible fright, that's for sure, but it was entirely no harm, no foul for me, thankfully. After assuring her I was fine, she went on home, probably to lie down after this harrowing experience. From now on I will stay on the solid ground and not try to go cross country when peeking in my neighbor's windows!