Interesting skies

Is this not a dramatic cloud? The white was so brilliant and the blue around it really set it off beautifully!  This was taken a couple nights ago and after I posted it on Facebook several folks commented that they had seen it,too, some as they drove across the bridge. Glad I was home and able to catch this shot. 

Today I went out to the pool for water exercise class, as always, excited to see who else would show up. We had a good group of attendees, three rows of people thrashing about madly in the water together. What a sight we must be!  Marlena every year says we are going to put on an end of the year show (for whom???, we'd like to know)  She is the only one excited about that, the rest of us are more than reluctant!!   

I had a cool message from a FB friend today, a classmate of mine from high school. She has some physical maladies one of which is hand pain. She was telling how her arthritic hands hurt so much that cooking or baking is most difficult most days. I told her I have dough hooks as an attachment to my mixer which are useful for mixing bread dough and can be used for meatloaf. 

She wrote to me with great thanks for suggesting this she had forgotten that she owned dough hooks and used them to mix up the meat for their evening meal. Her cousin who is also a relative of mine commented on Joy's posting that she daily reads my postings, especially the Bible passages and hymn stanzas, and is blessed by them. This was so great to hear, and the dough hooks remark was simply a passing comment. And it was life-changing for Joy. Glad to be of service from this far away!

Gorgeous sunrise

As the month of June draws to a close, we have been blessed with sensational sunrises of which this is one. 

I mentioned the other day when we surprised Stephanie at Monroe's BBQ for her retirement party, one of the local papers was there taking photos and such. This particular restaurant had been voted the #1 BBQ place in Jacksonville. The photographer came by our table more than once to take photos of us ladies and gentleman and said we should watch for the story in the paper. That was pretty cool, having Stephanie's retirement be front page news!! Unfortunately for Monroes, I have been at 4Rivers and I have to tell you, their brisket beats Monroes by a long shot. In fact, for the sake of research, I ate bbq twice on Saturday---once with my Victory friends and then for dinner with Justin. Hands down, 4Rivers is far better. Makes my mouth water now even thinking about it!

Another thing making my mouth water is Justin trying a new recipe for dinner rolls. It's one I found on Facebook and it looks easy enough. I can say that because I am not the one making the rolls. 

The other day Justin was at Publix and found packages of fresh cut rhubarb in the produce dept. I have never seen this before and was surprised it was there. The frozen stuff is sometimes available but fresh cut is a first, at least for us. He didn't buy any but sent me the picture which I posted on Facebook. No one else can believe either. Those folks up north scoff that we would have to buy it when it's either free or much cheaper for them. This is sold at $1.16 a pound. Makes me think of rhubarb crunch. I should make some! 

Today was my at-home day as I enjoy watching JAG reruns on the Comcast preview station. Not even my radio shows take precedence over my JAG jag! My mom watches this program as well, so like Linda and me with The Five, we are watching together. The difference is that I am not chatting with Mom at the same time. I have seen many if not most of the episodes before but it's just fun to revisit the story line and the places they go. Sometimes they are at NASJAX, which is right down the street from me. Yes, I could be at the pool, but that's okay, I can skip once a week for this!

Pretty cool!

Late yesterday afternoon I got a call from a WI number. It didn't show a name but I answered right away. The voice on the other end was my mom's and she was surprised how quickly I picked up. I told her I was excited to get a call from WI. She went on to say that she had a problem...this made me nervous. What kind of problem did Mom have to tell me about???  

I asked her if I could help and she said I might be able to. She said, with dramatic pauses, "I fell...(I caught my breath) asleep during Jeopardy! last night and missed Final."  Whew!!  Yes, I can help you out, Mom. What a relief to just simply look up the final Jeopardy! answer and question for her. While I was researching it she told me how she fought sleep to watch to the end, especially since she had to stay up until 10 pm for it to come on, due to women's soccer pre-empting regular viewing. Often she falls asleep in her chair right after 8 so staying up to watch "Jeppy" after 10 is a job! This is a re-run, mind you, but she does not care. 

The catagory was Novel Characters and the answer was something like 'this lawyer was named in a 1960 novel after a famous and wise Roman'. The question was "Who is Atticus Finch" but Mom didn't get it. But she was so so happy to have the final in order to not lose sleep  over it. She is so darn funny when it comes to Jeopardy!!!  But she did give me a start, that's for sure. I still don't know why her name didn't come up with the phone number, identifying her as the caller. I'll have to check that out.

Today while I was dining at Chili's with my church friends and Justin, I got a message from my Facebook friend, Judy. She lives half the year in FL and other half in my hometown. We are Facebook friends, met on the Manitowoc site. Anyway, she messaged me that she was eating at Fork and Knife and discovered that my mom, sister, and Linda were seated at the next table. She thought she heard my name mentioned and recognized my mom from my blog, so went over to introduce herself. She said, "You must be Kim's mom..." Oh, how my family loves to hear that all the time. Linda is friends with Judy, too, via FB so Judy wrote, "I have met all your family now expect you!"  She has also met Jill at the ice cream parlor. Love this!!

Surprise!

My friend, Stephanie, and I sat at a table over lunch half a year ago discussing her plans for possible retirement. She was looking at achieving 30 years in her employment for the US government. That is a remarkably long time for this dedicated and faithful worker. Today, we recognized her retirement. Anne H. asked me to participate in the plan by getting Stephanie to a local restaurant for lunch. I can do that! 

It's not easy to do but we did it---Stephanie was totally surprised by this party thrown by the church ladies!! This was taken as we came in the door.

 Some of the ladies at the gathering---Judy and Helen

 Anne and Stephanie

 Esther and Rita

 Vicky and me

 Lucy and Laura (mom and daughter duo)

The reason for the celebration---Stephanie!

Kerri couldn't be there today but her mini-cupcakes represented her. They were fantastic and oh, so tasty!

There were some more ladies there but I didn't get the photos of everyone. Also, the local newspaper was at Monroe's BBQ doing a story on them because they've been selected as being the #1 bbq place in Jacksonville. So, look for our group on the front page soon!

I enjoyed the 'contest' of getting Stephanie to the restaurant at the appointed time and not giving the surprise away. Also enjoyed the time spent back at her home afterwards where I got to see Erica who was getting back from a weekend with the youth group in Orlando. Looking forward to having Stephanie join the Thursday Bible study when we resume in a month!  

It's pouring!

Connie gave me a frantic call this morning asking me to send out a quick e-mail to have the owners and tenants get outside to move their cars from the attached garage spaces. The concrete workers showed up relatively unannounced and obviously unexpected to do some work for us. I am not sure how this happened but what a flurry of activity that was!! The men were there to pour concrete splash blocks to deflect that water which runs out of the scuppers. The water comes down with enough force to break up the blacktop so these fellows cut out squares in the blacktop to make forms for the concrete. Supposedly the concrete can take it, which we will soon find out!

I took this photo on the walk over to the pool. I felt badly for them working in the heat and they assured me they had water to drink to keep cool. 

Those of us who were at the pool enjoyed ourselves, once again I had my delicious burger for lunch. People ask me, "What are you going to have today, Kim?" and then act surprised when I say "Cheeseburger!" We had a nice couple of hours before the gigantic rain drops started hitting the water. The way the sky looked, we decided not to wait it out and headed back to the condo. I feared earlier that rain might cause a problem for the freshly poured concrete. When I got back down the stairs from the pool, the guys were hurriedly covering the fresh poured areas as well as those readied for concrete. They had sheets of styrofoam (the type used to insulate homes on the exterior) kept in place with a concrete block. What a racket it was when the rain came out of the scuppers and down onto that foam! Deafening!

The rain was short-lived, thankfully, this time but my friend in Middleburg reported more rain was on the way. Nuts! It makes me wish I'd gone out to the pool sooner. Instead I just got comfy in my house and watched the rain come down. There was a break in the rain so the guys were able to put the finishing touches on the pads already poured, smoothing them out, etc. Because of the spacing of the pads, no one was able to park in the garage so had to use which ever spaces are available in the lot. I'm glad to have an extra space to lend to whomever needs it for the duration. Justin parks his truck up the hill a bit as there is not enough room for his truck in the lot. Glad it works out this way for my neighbors. 

LWMS Convention

Today I was able to enjoy water exercise class with the group since we did not have Bible study at Victory. People were not expecting me to be there and met some new people today which was nice. Glad that we could get together. 

It was fun to sit out afterward with the ladies and visit while we dripped dry. My new neighbors were out there, unfamiliar with the routine surrounding the pool and its rules. The mom sent the kids out to the cabana to order meals from inside the dining room via Marlena but she was reluctant to do so without the mom being there. I can't say I blame Marlena in case the mom didn't know the kids were doing so. I guess they got it all straightened out and lunches were ordered. Would have been simpler for the mama to order pizza for delivery. It's interesting having little kids in the building, there haven't been any since Travis and Jessica moved out. They are St. Johns kids so I expect great things from them!

This evening I am watching the opening service of the LWMS Convention taking place in Rapid City, SD. Judy C. is attending from our church, and Nancy M. from Victory is there with a former member of Victory. Emily and her family relocated to SC and now attend church with Judy's daughter and her family. Judy had called to reserve when rooms were made available but the host hotel was full almost immediately. She ended up getting a room off-site, so was concerned about transportation and such for her excursions and the convention events. 

It turned out that I was chatting with Emily a week or so ago, she asking me if knew the person who had been assigned to her daughter as a roommate at MLC. She says I know so many people but didn't know this young lady from Fond du Lac. Anyway, Emily mentioned they had room for one more in their room in the host hotel so I told Judy about it. She accepted the offer and will room with Emily, Nancy M. and another friend of Emily's. I am glad that worked out for Judy, though she will be sharing a bed with a stranger. Saving a bunch of money and aggravation in the process, though. 

So as I was watching the service on-line this evening I saw Judy and Nancy as they were walking down the aisle for the Lord's Supper, plus I saw Joyce R. from First German. I knew she was going to the Convention because she told me about her plans when I was in WI. Pretty cool to be able to pick people out of this crowd of about 1700. I plan to follow the rest of the convention if possible and see who else I can pick out! Saving the airfare and all that, watching from the comfort of my home!

Meeting of the minds

This morning I skipped going out for exercise class because I had a luncheon meeting to attend right after 11 a.m. I didn't wish to go to the meeting smelling like sunscreen and chlorine. It was a beautiful day, so I sort of hated to miss being out there with the gang. Once a month it can't be helped. 

Before I went to the meeting, though, I stopped at the cabana, seeing some workmen there. One was The Club maintenance man, and the other, an  electrician who used to do work for us when I was in business. Nice to see Jeff again! They had figured out what was causing the 'charge' in the pool and was going to rewire a bunch of stuff which had been done by non-professionals in the first place. NOT a good idea to mess with wires and pipes if you're not a pro. Jeff measured the amount of electricity in  the water as being between 3-4 volts, not dangerous but certainly not a blessing either. 

At the meeting today our guest speaker was the State Senator Rob Bradley who represents our district in Tally. He had much to tell us especially since the House and Senate had just come back after their emergency session to settle the budget. He informed us about the cuts which were made as well as how some programs important to our area would be taken care of. One program designated for girls at risk in the gov't schools interested me. Apparently neighboring counties have such programs, called PACE, but Clay did not. Only later did I find out that Jennifer Bradley is the Chairman of this program which I like even better. (I know both Sen. and Mrs. Bradley through my former neighbors, Travis and Jessica, plus their son would have graduated with Timmy last year.) 

This was the first luncheon I attended where Courtney, the dining room manager who recently passed away, was not running the show. It felt strange, odd, which was surprising to me. Everything still went smoothly without her, but I felt like her absence was palpable. Certainly that feeling will pass as time does. I sure did enjoy the meal and in particular the home-baked oatmeal cookies they serve as part of the dessert. The wait staff makes sure my soda glass is kept full, too. I believe I am the only one who gets soda instead of the usual teas and water. This is fine with me!

Before everyone had left after the meeting, Rob asked those remaining to pose for a photo. You can tell which one is Rob, in the center near me, and his wife in the blue dress on the end. Tara Green has her hand on my shoulder. She is Clerk of Courts and my neighbor, Debbie's, boss. A real sweetheart!  I do look forward to hearing more about the program to help the at-risk girls in Clay County and see how I can pitch in. 

Eat, eat, eat

Today I had to rush off from water exercise class to get over to Wells Road for lunch. The Over 50 Lunch Bunch was gathering at Rosina's Italian Restaurant, our first time dining there. I was the last one in the door, though I was a few minutes earlier than the set time of noon. From the menu I chose an order of garlic knots to have as an appetizer and to sop up my sauce from my meal. For 16 of us, the service was not bad, considering there were only two waitresses. I can't tell you how many folks were at work in the kitchen but the pizza ovens seemed busy enough. And, we were not the only customers in the restaurant!

My red purse marks the spot where I was seated

We had three men dining with us, the rest were women (Gordon had left the table before I took the picture). Judy J. was seated across from me. We frequently dined at Aron's Pizza before attending Bible Information Classes several years ago. I know how much she loves garlic and she was blown away by my garlic knots. They reeked! I took along more than half of my lasagna and three of the knots. When I got home from lunch, I put the knots in a Ziploc bag to have another time. Later on, I went into the kitchen for something and was surprised that I could smell the knots right through the bag! I went back to my room and brushed my teeth as I am sure the garlic smell lingers in my mouth and breath. That means nothing but good! 

This evening Justin and I went to have dinner at Saigon Tokyo (Koko's). He gets paid on Mondays and likes to eat out then but he was too pooped to go last night. Tracy makes a Tuesday Special but neither of us ordered, having our usual teriyaki chicken and fried rice. Most of mine came home as did some of Justin's so our fridge is going to smell interesting in the morning! Leftovers for dinner tomorrow or the next day, for sure.

I dropped the ball, perhaps

Earlier this summer, not quite pool season, I had gotten a message from a friend, Cal. He wondered if I was coming out to the pool that day, he wanted me to come outside to play. I was at Bible study at Victory that day so couldn't. His question was not as weird as it sounds since a group of us hung out with his wife and him often at the pool, and I am the one who lives the closest, so it was an okay thing to say to me. What was weird is that it was only the end of April and not quite pool weather yet. 

The following weekend he sent me another message, asking me when he would get to see me again. The message came when I was at Great Hang Ups and would be there for the day, so I wouldn't see him. I told him perhaps I'd see him the next day after church and lunch. Again, it was still a bit early for pool time for me, but he seemed eager to see me. Who can resist? Well, it didn't work out, no one was at the pool when I got home from lunch, so I didn't worry about it. 

Cal was leaving on a trip. I followed his travels on Facebook, and it seemed he was traveling with a couple. His wife works a full-time job and with school in session yet possibly could not get off work to accompany or had no desire to do so. 

Fast forward to today---I got a text message again reporting that his wife and he were separated. He indicated being heartsick over it which makes me wonder if he had wanted to talk about all this with me. I wish now I'd made an attempt to get out there, not thinking I could do anything about it, but to listen. I haven't spoken with Joann to find out what is going on, her side of the story (I didn't really get a story, other than being heartsick) but I am still feeling badly that I didn't try harder to talk with him. I so hate this for people, especially those about whom I care. Nuts!

Father's Day

Here I am, back in the house after the thunder came and shooed us out of the pool. Big fat rain drops were hitting the pool water, sending people celebrating Father's Day there scattering for shelter. Nuts!  The Club is busy today, not as busy though as Mother's Day. I feel rather badly about that.

Justin and I went to lunch with our usual group, no one having plans with a dad. Mike's lives in MN so doesn't see him often. We went to Chili's and didn't have to worry about not getting a table, since church gets out a half hour earlier during the summer worship times. While we were there the clouds started to roll in, but I figured there would be enough time to get changed and out to the pool. And there was!

About Father's Day---last month for Mother's Day, we had an abbreviated Bible study and then a special breakfast was served to the moms and others by the new fellowship people. We had a piece of paper on the tables to write something about our mothers and something about being a mother, as it applied. Then we were to share what we wrote with those at the table, before we could go and get our food. Pastor was in charge of this event. When some ladies were resistant he did allow them to get some food without sharing. It was a bit uncomfortable, for some. 

The moms, then, were presented a rose by their children, if they were there, and then the other moms got theirs. Terri nicely took care of the ladies at our table, since we had no kids present to wait on us. And then we had to get into church for worship, carrying our roses with us. Years ago we got carnations from someone, might have been the pastor, but that was after church. The sermon was about mothers and all that, hymns about the family which are so good. And when it's Father's Day, it is no muss, no fuss. We did have a hymn about the Christian family but no flowers or special breakfast for the dads. Sorry, guys!

Shockingly good time

Oh, what an awesome day it was today!!  Almost all the afternoon was spent at the pool with friends. Mark and Jacquie were there, Mo and Ro, plus others coming and going during the day. Even Burney came out later on which meant that he and I would be having an ice cream treat, because that is what we do!

It was the official re-opening of the cabana so Chef Sheldon was around with his camera, capturing the moments. A new sous chef, Charles, was doing on-the-job training for Bob, teaching him the fine art of flipping burgers. There were several helpers in the newly renovated 'kitchen' of the cabana to make sure people got what they ordered and in a timely manner. 

There was a bit of excitement besides the cabana being re-opened. At one point, Mark reached over to the drain along the edge of the pool, while standing in the water, and jerked his hand back quickly. I noticed he did this, figuring there was a stinging bug or something in the drain. He put his hand back again, and withdrew it quickly. There was a slight current in the water flowing along the lip of the pool, and we know this because each of us in our little group had to go and try it. Yup, there it was---we all felt it. Chef was gone already so we got a guy from the cabana come out to put his hand in but he felt nothing. Hmmm...

It wasn't all the time either, the current came and went. We wisely (ha ha) moved across the pool to the other side because certainly water does not conduct electricity. It came and went, and we all speculated on what was going on. Later in the afternoon when most of the others had gone, my neighbor, Dick, came down for a swim. I told him our story and he was interested in what I was telling him, but perhaps not convinced. He put his hand on the rail to walk down in to the water and sure enough---he could feel it, too. As did my friend, Bob, who at first thought we were loony. It seems one had to be in the water or barefooted to detect the current, as the guy from the cabana determined. 

Later as I sat poolside with Mark S. and his wife, Patty, I noticed that the exterior lights on the cabana were going off and on. I experimented and found that the feeling of current in the water was evident only when the lights were on, on the south side of the pool. Marlena said the lights were on a sensor, meant to come on only at night, but there was tape over it. When I explained my discovery to her, Bob and she went to the circuit box to shut off the switch for the lights. They thought they had the right circuit but the lights kept coming on. Either they did it wrong or....gulp!  The maintenance man was on vacation so would not be available to consult until the next week. I offered to make myself available to him if there were questions. We shall see if there are any calls for my consultation on this matter. Never a dull moment at the pool!

Here is a video put together by Chef Sheldon for the Facebook page, starring yours truly! Copy and paste the link into your browser to view:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEuUXYxy3yk&feature=em-share_video_user

It's all about the timing

I have been thinking about timing, time, a lot lately. One Sunday as I drove to church I hit every green light. Like in baseball when a pitcher is in a no-hitter situation, I didn't want to think about it. I simply appreciated the breeze with which I drove to church. On the ride to the restaurant later, it was not to be the case. Had to stop for every light, it seemed. Funny how that works. My friend, Mo, was telling a story at the pool yesterday and noted how a recent ride had given her all green lights. It is noteworthy when it happens.

One of my Victory friends noted her recent brush with danger or accident. A couple vehicles in front of her were pulling trailers. When one moved over to change lanes, its trailer detached and struck the other truck. How does that happen? And why on the freeway? She saw it happening and was able to avoid the accident. Fortuately no one was hurt but the vehicles and trailer were damaged. She wrote, "If I had been going any faster....", and you know the rest. Whew! I feel so badly for the commuters who face that traffic day upon day. My nerves don't care for that one bit.

The other day Nancy came out to meet me at the pool. She no sooner got into the water and it began to thunder. Nuts!  Even if no storm materializes, we still have to sit out until there is no thunder for 30 minutes. The thunder kept on so we parted company to try another time. If only we'd gone out earlier....

Watching the traffic flow is interesting, too. The cars are in a dance of sorts, passing within inches of each other, seemingly held apart by paint on the pavement. The lights change and another line of cars proceed. On Sunday mornings, more than once I've experienced having to sit through the red light twice before leaving Blanding for Argyle Forest Blvd. The first time it happened I thought the lights must be messed up. After about four minutes, we at last got the arrow to turn. I was thinking we should go around on the red since no cars were coming. The second Sunday it happened made me think the lights must be timed this way for whatever reason. During the week it is set to cycle the usual way, but at this time of morning on Sunday, apparently we heading up the hill into Argyle can wait. We've got time!

Birthday's galore!

What an action packed day today!  It started out with a ride over to Victory for Bible study. Of course, it was a great class, missing Dawn this week though I don't know how come. Often she'll tell me if she is going to be missing but she didn't say anything last week when we parted company. She brings much to the class, it is noticeable when she is absent.

Today I couldn't stick around after Bible study as I had to get back to help celebrate our friend, Randy's, birthday at the pool. He is 80 this year, and has been in the water exercise class since it began, except for last year as he was recovering from some injuries due to a fall in his home. His wife, Carol, treated us to cake, a giant sheet cake, which was quite delicious. Others were ordering food from the dining room of The Club but we had our cake first, since the food wouldn't come out until later. Life is short (or 80 years!) so eat dessert first!

Here is Randy in 2013 at our end-of-season outing, wearing the fancy hat the Tea Room provides. Marlena is helping him get it balanced on his head.

It was a gorgeous day at the pool, and I was glad to have changed into my suit before coming out so I could get into the water to cool off. It was about 100 degrees today for the high (my poor Justin!) which made the pool water all the more inviting. Nancy W came over to help Randy celebrate, though Carol and he, plus some other friends, stayed in the cabana where it was cooler. Nancy and I split a Po' Boy sandwich which was messy but good. We are also saying 'good-bye' to our friend, Susie, who is having a home built in a neighboring county and won't be with us at class much longer. Boo hoo hoo!

Then, tonight, out of my swimwear and into other clothes for me as I joined some friends for yet another birthday celebration at The Club. It was Maggie O's party but she asked me to make the arrangements for it. One friend who joined us, Josh, is a vegetarian (another salad eater!!!) so I had to let The Club know to prepare something else for his meal, while the rest enjoyed steaks. Yum!  

Maggie is blowing out the candles on her banana split dessert

When some of us first arrived at The Club, we were seated at the largest table in the room. Our number decreased from when the reservation was made, losing two people from the original plans. A larger group came in that needed a high chair and a booster plus seats for the adults. I offered to switch tables so they could have the larger one and we did just that. Our group of five fit perfectly at the new table nearer to the door (the cat bird seat!). Ellen was unable to eat all her steak so sent it home with me, about 3/4 of hers and half of mine, which will make a wonderful meal for Justin and me. Maggie enjoyed her special dessert, a banana split. I tried some at Maggie's urging, but stayed away from the banana, though!

We are the champions!

I just came home from Happy Hour and Trivia where the team I sat with took 1st Place. Wow, I sure can pick 'em! Actually, I was with my neighbors, Palmer and Joe, who invited me to join their team. Nancy W. was with the team from her neighborhood at the next table. Good thing it's a friendly game! We had about 8 people on our team and we all seemed to have something to add. It was so much fun. 

My building doesn't have a team anymore. Someone got upset about something so a whole group of players quit coming. Justin, who is our ringer, doesn't come to Happy Hour anymore, especially not in the summer time, and I can't carry the team by myself. Nancy L. used to come to play and we'd sit in on other's teams but the way they played was so ponderous, I couldn't take it. She is presently away for a month so I joined Joe and Palmer. 

My dinner was a delicious shaved beef sandwich with home-made chips from the HH tapas menu. It is just the right size, but I still took part home to share with Justin. He had eaten already so he can have it for breakfast or later for dinner. Ming Moon found their way to our house while I was at Trivia so he enjoyed some lo mein. He just loves their food, as do I, but not as much as I liked winning at Trivia! 

A little elbow room

This morning for exercise class, our group had to assemble in the teen's end of the pool as the maintenance man, Mitch, was applying non-skid strips to the slippery steps on the other end's adult pool. Good! That will help to prevent people from slipping and sliding into the water, or falling on the way back out again. We watched out for each other, always cautioning as folks came to the railing to come in. After today, we can come and go with less concern. 

We had about 15 of us in the narrower pool, trying not to hit each other or clunk one another with our noodles! For this shot, some kept on exercising while the rest posed for my photo.

I have mentioned how we have new participants in the class and they are such fun ladies. A couple of them have kids at Grace Episcopal or they work there themselves. Whatever the connection is, it brings them together here at the pool. One lady used to live next door to my friend, Dee, and knows her from church as well. I usually try to talk people into visiting Great Hang Ups, as though I get a commission or something from them! I just think everyone needs to visit this shop and that's it!

The good news is that Marlena has assured Chef that our class size allows for adding the extra day to the schedule so now we'll have class three days a week again. That means twice for me since I have Bible study on Thursdays and have to miss. Marlena asked me to send Chef the photo I took this a.m. so I did, proof positive that we have enough people to support another day!  

Now nicely groomed

This morning began with Bible study, continuing a study begun in May of last year which looks at the women in Jesus' life, using the book of Luke. We have only one more class before we break for summer, and I am not sure we'll finish "The Heart of Jesus" before we recess. After the class we ladies went to eat at our stand-by, Longhorn, for lunch. I am so going to miss the class and these get-togethers each week. 

My grooming schedule is way out of whack ever since I went to WI. I waited until just before I left for my trip to be sure my hair would be decent for the wedding and the length of my time away. Normally it gets cut around the time of the full moon, to fly in the face of superstition surrounding hair cuts and the moon. Now, I am beyond shaggy and badly needed to see Barb. But, she had to take a vacation too so I had to wait for her to get back to make an appointment. At last, we got together and I am neatly groomed and ready for the pool season to begin in earnest!

After Bible study and lunch, I went to see Barb for my grooming and then stopped at Publix to pick up a few things. I am always concerned about being seen in public (or Publix!!) after being at the groomer because of the little whiskers which often remain on my face and in my ears afterward. Barb brushes me off and wipes with a towel but still some whiskers remain. No one screamed when they saw me so it must have been all cleaned off. I did check in the mirror and looked half-way decent. 

Nancy and I went to have dinner this evening at 4Rivers where I thoroughly enjoyed my brisket. I brought home my side dishes and a biscuit for Justin. Nancy likes the pulled pork there and does a better job on her meal than do I but also has leftovers to enjoy tomorrow. I just love the brisket at 4Rivers and will have my side dishes at some point during the week. Surely Justin will have his biscuit tonight or for breakfast tomorrow. 4Rivers has the best biscuits!

We have company!

Or, at least, Judy does. Her daughter and son-in-law, and granddaughter, are in the area as Victoria is enrolling at UF this year. Judy will be joining the family for orientation tomorrow at Gainseville. Oddly enough there is a charge to the parents and Judy to attend this orientation but it is also required for the parents. I don't think that Justin and I had to pay for his orientation at UNF. Glad about that!

Lynn, Dave, and Victoria attended worship with Judy and Michael, which was nice. Afterwards our assembly went to eat at Outback instead of our usual Chili's because Victoria doesn't care for Chili's. We aim to please!  Terri and Lynn are good friends going back to childhood so it was extra fun for us to be together. It was nice to share a couple of the appetizers for the table. I brought home half of prime rib sandwich, which was quite delicious. We had good service considering the number in our group. Loved it!

When Justin and I got home from lunch, I changed my clothes and got out to the pool to enjoy some time with other friends. Oh, it's so good to see everyone again, some for the first time since I got back from WI. It's like no time has passed between the last time we were together. Do so enjoy my time with them!

Emotional roller coaster

Yup, it was one of those days today. First of all, this morning, Terri T. had invited me to join her sister, Gayle, and friend, OJ, for breakfast at Grumpy's. I am all about it!  As I drove over, I could hear a hissing sound from the back of my car. I had a bunch of Diet Cokes back there so expected to have a mess. I did!

When I got to Grumpy's, I popped open the back of the car to find the offending bottle or can to dispose of it. I found instead that a couple of the bottles which had tipped over, were leaking. I stood them up and began moving the cardboard cases aside so they wouldn't get soaked. Terri and Gayle parked next to me and came to help. Terri grabbed one of the cases and the whole bottom gave way. Soda cans everywhere!!

A couple broke open when they hit the ground and sprayed Terri and me, but Gayle jumped away in time. The spray fortunately only got our legs and not our hair, since Terri and Gayle had just come from the salon. Cans were rolling and we scurried to scoop them up while Gayle looked for napkins to mop up the mess in the car. We were laughing and upset at the same time, crying over spilled soda. Gayle had a plastic shopping bag in her car into which we put the loose cans and we cleaned our hands off with the wipes she had. Terri took the trash to the dumpster at the back of the parking lot. I had a bag of trash in the car which we used to put the ruined cans and the napkins from wiping up. So glad it was only two, but what a mess it was.

As we turned around to go into the restaurant, the hostess threw the door open and in a grand gesture assured us that certainly no one on the parking lot side of the restaurant saw what happened....Oh, how we laughed! What a show we must have put on for the diners. I so enjoyed my breakfast with the ladies, and our visit. This trio was going to church to get things ready for our Ladies' Group summer event. Neither Gayle or OJ are presently members but they really do come through for stuff like this. Terri thinks of all the details and the other two ladies enjoy the decorating and flourishes. What a good team they are!

As soon as we were done with breakfast, I had to head back to The Club for the memorial event for the young manager who had died suddenly on Memorial Day. I was expecting a 'service' for her but it was more of a gathering opportunity. My understanding was that her family had had a private service a couple weeks ago and this event was for her friends and co-workers. 

The Owner of The Club came forward to read a lovely poem called The Dash. Courtney's daughter, aged 15, spoke for a bit about her mom until she couldn't anymore. An uncle read a poem and then there were uncomfortable breaks before others came forward to speak. No one seemed to be in charge of the format. A member of the Board came up to speak, and later, a co-worker. After more uncomfortable silence, Courtney's mom came to the mic and said we should eat. I was disappointed, but probably should not have been, that there was no service of which to speak. The rest of memorial was very nice, the food, Courtney's favorites, sensational, and the staff donated their time to cook and serve it. Nice to see so many people in attendance for this memorial. I couldn't help but think that if Courtney were there, it would have been better organized!  I guess that is worthy testament to her life.

From the memorial I made my way over to church for the Ladies' Group event. I knew I wouldn't make it for the food portion but hoped to play some Bunco with the ladies. Sadly, there were only 9 people total. When I arrived, Terri gave me her seat and I finished her game. It was a blast, and fortunately the others knew how to score, etc. As it turned out, between Terri and me, we won 2nd place. Besides my prize I took home some leftovers from the buffet table. Those leftovers made a nice dinner for Justin and me tonight. 

When I got home from church, I went out to the pool for a bit. I needed to wind down after my interesting and tearful day. The memorial, for what it was, touched me. I was glad to offer my sympathies to her co-workers and friends, to offer God's blessings to her daughter. Those at the pool who were not at the memorial had heard from others already what it entailed so they didn't really need to hear from me. Most, if not all, were surprised there was no 'service' format to it, I think it would have helped those who mourn this loss, in fact, I know that is true. I do know this, The Club won't be the same without her, or won't be for a very long time. What takes a 36 year old in her sleep? I pray the answers are soon found and that the most horrible speculations are just that, speculation. I am sure her family wants to know as well. 

Time for me to rest...it's been quite a day!

Bible study envy!

Today I am washing my sheets which means I had to clean off my bed. On the 'passenger' side of the bed, among other things, lay a stack of Bible study sheets accumulated from my time in WI. In looking back at the calendar, I was able to take part in at least 8 Bible studies. I missed a couple opportunities when my sisters came to town so it could have been more. One day my sister, Lynn, and I even went twice! 

Lynn was the leader of one of the newly begun small group classes which started meeting weekly at people's homes. The host of the group is not necessarily the leader. The pastor who preaches on the Sunday gives the leader a sheet of discussion points from the sermon which the gathered group go over. Then the leader reads what the pastor has provided as the 'answer' to assure everyone is on track. When I first heard about this I made a face, being a bit gun-shy about lay-led small groups. They can go off on tangents and become "Well, I think the passage means..." type of stuff. This particular class is not like that, not really room to do so. 

The day of Lynn's class, she came to pick me up from Mom's where I had just been dropped off by a friend, Debbie, who had taken me for coffee earlier that morning. Whew! Whirlwind! The session was held at the home of Joyce, and there were four of us all together. At first I was quiet in the session, waiting for the other ladies to take the discussion where it should go, but then Lynn asked me to add my thought. She said, "That's why I wanted you to be here..." Give me an inch and I'll take a mile. I sure don't mind participating in discussion and I think we all benefited from the gathering. 

The other classes included a Saturday morning class lead by a former LES teacher; two Sunday sessions following worship; a Tuesday afternoon class lead by the wife of a former missionary (she is well thought of by the Synod and students); two Wednesday nights we had a class lead by a teacher from the Lutheran high school about the mysteries of Genesis; and on a Friday, we had a pastor-led class about the book of Acts. Besides the Bible studies I was able to attend a sacred concert about the church year and my nephew's performance of a musical at their school in Howard's Grove. 

Mom, Jill, and Angelo at the boy's school play

When I got back from WI, I was able to attend Bible study at Victory and did NOT miss our study of Isaiah 53, which had been my fear. Love that chapter and its discussion.  At my own church we missed having Bible study on Sunday because of a meeting taking place, and none was held on Monday either. Glad I got to class again yesterday at Victory which has to hold me for a while. I am having withdrawal. In chatting with Linda this a.m. she was saying how her nail technician knew someone looking for daytime Bible studies in the area. Linda is the right one to ask about that. What a blessing it is for them to have so many opportunities. She is so thankful, as are Mom and Lynn who are attending Bible study right this minute alongside of Linda. Blessings galore!!

Lunch with Rita

As many may know already, this area of North Florida has a great deal of traffic, not always flowing along smoothly. We are getting to the time of year where we experience daily rain showers, more often than not during the evening rush periods. I won't say rush hour because it's much longer than only an hour. My sympathy goes out to those who have to make their way home under such conditions. I've heard more than once that people are in far more of a hurry to get home after work than they are going to work, which might account for more accidents during those hours. 

We hear about overturned semis losing their loads, including log trucks, beer trucks, salsa trucks, and, yesterday, it was a load of sharks. Yes, sharks, the real thing. South of here on a rain-slicked section of highway, a truck hauling five live sharks from FL to an aquarium in the northeast turned over. One shark was seriously damaged in the accident and later died. The driver of the truck was okay as were the remaining sharks. Imagine what it was like for the police and fire department personal responding to such a scene!

I was thinking of a truckfull of sharks as I drove over to Victory this a.m. for Bible study. I so look forward to this class and am glad there were no accidents for me or anyone else on my ride to the Southside. Our class was a bit sparsely attended, one couple missing due to illness, and some others are traveling for the summer. Due to this, plus the fact that three others will be absent for the entire month of July, it was decided to take a recess until August when we'll all be back. This makes me sad, but I will live. 

I was lamenting the fact that I would have only about 45 minutes of Bible study classes each week. At least the organized type anyway, on Sunday morning. Pastor H. gave me an assignment and requested a book report when we come back---he gave me a set of books titled "The Story". I had not wished to get into this at all for a couple of reasons, but I accepted the books, perhaps not the challenge. We shall see....

Rita asked me to join her for lunch at Maggiano's and I readily accepted. We were able to dine on the outdoor patio, at first alone, then joined by some others. Her son was at the Town Center, hanging out with some friends from grade school, and he spotted us seated out there. He came in to say "hello", which is pretty cool for a kid his age, and asked his mom for help with his credit card. Apparently it was unsigned and he had no ID to prove it was his, or something. She got him up and running so he was good to go. He is getting quite handsome and will be hit with the girls in high school!

Rita had never had the onion strings from Maggiano's which I ordered for an appetizer. Oh, my, they are wonderful and she loved them with me. We each took a portion of our meals home, and I look forward to enjoying the leftovers another time. That is, if I get to them before Justin does!

Back in the swim of things

Here is a rainbow over the river which formed yesterday during a rain shower. I took this photo with Linda in mind as we were chatting when the rainbow formed. There was no sunshine, it was pouring rain, and yet, there it was!

When Marlena started up the water exercise class again for the season, it was scheduled for only Tuesday and Thursday. The Chef seems to think two classes a week are all that are needed. Marlena prefers to lead the class our regular three days a week. It would work better for me personally since I'd only have Tuesday for class, having Bible study on Thursdays. Chef wants to see steady attendance the other two days before freeing up Marlena for a Wednesday class. 

That being the case, I had to play by myself, unless some others came out to enjoy the fun. People come and go all afternoon, even some coming out late morning. It seems the moms like to take care of business at home first and then bring their little ones over to the pool to wear off some of their enthusiasm. This is why I like having the two separate pools, so those us less enthusiastic can puddle around without bothering anyone. 

Tonight is Happy Hour but even though Kathy H. wanted me to go, I opted to stay home. I would have had to get dressed and fix myself up. My nightie was quite comfortable for me to stay in and have dinner with Justin. Lovin' the life of leftovers and Jeopardy! with my boy!

Summer is boring

Not boring in the usual sense, but there is plenty of sameness. The skies start out colorful and bright, and then end up raining on us later in the day, often during the evening commute. I feel badly for those who have to drive home in the heavy downpours. 

Today I enjoyed water exercise class with the ladies and two gentlemen. Our class has grown with several new faces which makes for even more fun. The Flying Noodles have enough now to make a casserole! Names like Maggie, Laurie, Pam, Fran, and Debbie among the newer ones, which makes for two Maggies, two Pats, and two Kims this season. There are hopes that another lady named Kay would join us, and then we'd have two of those as well!

Maggie O. and Pat G. were talking about going to have lunch at Grumpy's and invited me to join them. I would be delighted!!  And was!! I had looked very forward to having a cheeseburger and fries again from Grumpy's and today, that happened. Maggie likes their quiche very much and Pat had another salad plate from the menu. Loved the food and the company, for sure!

Being able to meet these two ladies for lunch off of the property does break up the day (makes me get dressed!) and makes the day not quite the same as the one before! I am so blessed to have such friends as these.

At long last!

Justin and I went to dinner tonight at Koko's (Saigon Tokyo), my first time since getting back from WI. Oh, how I missed their fried rice and teriyaki chicken!  It was like a hero's welcome when we showed up there, warmly greeted and well-fed, with leftovers for a couple more meals. 

Today in my hometown it was graduation day at the government high school. My two nieces graduated from this school one year apart and both times we witnessed the ceremony from indoors their gymnasium due to rain. Today, however, the pageantry of the event was able to take place. Back in 1941 my mom served as one of those 'flower girls' seen in the photo with the baskets in front of them. In 1942 my mom was one of those graduates descending the stairways into the bowl in front of Lincoln High School. While the graduation services at our Lutheran High School are lovely in their way, this public school one is quite dramatic in its own rite. 

A grumpy old lady!

Yes, that was me! Today I confessed to my pool friends that I felt like such a Grumpy Gus yesterday, a day which should have been the most delightful one, being back at the pool with my friends. Upon reflection, though, last night, it occurred to me just how I felt and must have sounded. Did you ever have such a day when nothing was right? Well, welcome to our pool!

Here is what was bothering me: while I was in WI, I was contacted by my friend, Jacquie, on Memorial Day weekend, the official opening of the pool. She was dismayed because the cabana renovations were yet incomplete. Neither she nor I could believe it. How could this happen on what normally proves to be one of the biggest of the summer season??  Was winter too short for getting this project completed? EVERYTHING the management and their staff did to update this cabana took far too long, or was begun too late to accommodate the schedule. Timing is absolutely everything on projects like this and cutting corners by using in-house workers rather than hiring professionals has shown once again how foolhardy an effort this is. 

I do understand that some of the work was done by pros and yes, there are inspections which need to take place and must be passed. I get that, very well do I get that. But once the members quit using the pool around October, that would have been the right time to tackle these projects. The new kool decking looks marvelous and the blue painting inside the big pool makes it looks nice 'n fresh. This painting was done by the gardener, more or less free-hand so the lines are a bit wiggly. I know I am particular about things like this. At the member's meeting earlier this year we were told that the broken tiles would be replaced but that did not happen. I wondered why the pool was being painted prior to the tile work being done. Now I know!

The steps leading down in the water are slick and several people have slipped and fallen when getting into the water, including Nancy W. early in April when we were out there. That is not good! I was told that last weekend a paper sign was posted on the handrail warning folks that the steps were slippery. This sign was posted by the management which means it now becomes even more of a liability for them should someone fall and get hurt. The solution for this is being discussed with some thought being the pool will need to be closed for a period of time to allow for this correction to take place. Others don't really think so, that it shouldn't take the whole pool being emptied to access the steps nor should it take a week to take care of. 

Believe me, I am not the only one frustrated by all these delays. Those who were making use of the pool in my absences have gotten it out of their systems a bit by now, but it was fresh for me yet. The new lifeguard, a seemingly unpleasant young lady, didn't spend much time at the kids' pool while I was out there, but was seated in the cabana much of the time. There were at least a dozen kids on the other end and she was no where near where they were. I was puzzled by that, thinking she was on a really long break. In the past the teens would sit on the elevated seat on that end of the pools with the flotation device on their laps or in arm's reach. Must be a training issue.

Food could be ordered, still be served from the kitchen inside the main building which was fine with us. Pizzas were added by the chef thinking that the kids would love them. They do, as do some of the grown ups! When the cabana is ready and they can cook for us again, the pizzas will disappear as they have no way to make them in there. People will be disappointed about that, I fear. My meal was good, I like the pasta salad with the hot dog served with sour cream 'n onion chips. Not a bad price either. We expected higher prices due to the renovations. I'm okay if they don't jack them up.

When the kool decking was done, all the steps and flat areas, and round areas, were painted in the same color. Now as people approach the steps down to the pool from the parking lot, they can't see the steps as clearly since they match right in. I watched a couple people carrying pool paraphenalia nearly take a header by not seeing the steps in front of them. Not good! By the baby pool there are mounded areas, not sure what they are for, that people are catching their feet on. Those are now beautifully marked with silver duct tape, which didn't quite do the trick. My suggestion is a brighter color paint for the humps, a reflective paint for the stairs and along the edge of the raised area so no one falls over the edge. That's where attention to detail to comes in. I used to be pretty good at that back in the day!

My neighbor sent me this photo he took of the lovely new ducting for the cabana which covers the metal scroll work of the doors. This cabana was part of the original property and it's a dirty shame that 'they' had to install this expensive system just to make our hamburgers and hot dogs. I think something else could have been done, but was not consulted on this. Sad looking, is it not?

Anyway, once I was inside and cleaned up after being out at the pool, grumbling, I felt badly about it. Normally I am the cheerleader in the group but Saturday I didn't do too much of that. I just had some catching up to do as the others got it out of their systems (well, some of them did, anyway) the previous weeks. Today, I tried to be more positive and encouraging, hopeful that all things would be made right, perhaps even before the Independence Day celebrations!

A fantastic day at the pool

Ellen, my neighbor, shared this photo she took just prior to sunrise this a.m. It was a fantastic sky and her morning photo turned out better than did mine, hers being unobstructed. She is up one floor and on the end so no palm trees interfere with her shots. I just love this, it sucks me right in...

The rest of my day, which began with such promise as this lovely sky showed, was spent in and at the pool. Oh, it feels wonderful to be floating about and riding my invisible bicycle under the water, round and around I go. Not many people are out yet so often the pool is mine to enjoy alone until after lunch. I can get my lunch out there, still coming from the kitchen inside The Club but I sure don't care where it comes from. Marlena takes good care of us pool diners. We are disappointed that things are not yet up and running in the cabana after the whole winter to take care of business. Patience, my dear, patience...

                                   

My friend from church, Jean N., retired from her job and when cleaning out her desk, came upon this can cozy. She knew that I would appreciate such a garish thing, and boy, do I ever! So many people comment on it, I could go into business and make my own to sell!

Justin went with his boss, his wife, and buddies to have appetizers at Whitey's for dinner so I stayed home and dined on dry bread and water, my go-to guilt answer to Justin. No worries, I have plenty to sustain me, I shall not fade away. Looking forward to the weekend with my friends, catching up on all the news and such since we've seen each other. I love summer!