PACE Luncheon

Today was the 1st annual PACE Believing in Girls Luncheon, at the Thrasher Horne. As a table hostess I had to get there by 11:15. Nancy W. and Judy rode with me. The luncheon was actually at noon with socializing in the hallway beforehand. I was pleased all my guests showed up and were interested in what this program is all about---the girls!! Loved seeing so many people I know today but wish I had more time to converse and work the room. Oh well...

 

 Lynn and I in deep discussion. You can see my food plate in front of me. Each plate exactly the same.

 Here's Nancy W., Judy C. and my neighbor, Rosemary

 Ollavan, Debbie, and Lynn 

 My neighbor, Rose, Peggy my dentist/friend, and Ollavan 

My friends Terreca and Nancy W.

The Mistress of Ceremonies, Vera Jones, was a wonderful speaker and had a remarkable voice. I could have listened to her all afternoon. She is a motivational speaker and an author besides being on ESPN. The guest speaker, Melinda, was a local attorney who graduated from PACE Jacksonville, went to college and then law school, and started her own practice. She just returned last night after attending a meeting at the White House---pretty impressive for a PACE girl. Glad some of the girls were in the room to hear her amazing story. 

After the event, I dropped Judy off at home and then Nancy and I went to Winn Dixie to get Justin some more medication and other food items to help him feel better. I picked up some TheraFlu both for daytime and nighttime, plus got a new thermometer. The last time Justin was sick, after Christmas of 2014, the old thermometer broke in his mouth! This one is digital, less likely to break than the old fashioned one. I got him a strawberry rhubarb pie which he loves, plus Nancy directed me to the deli where they sell Panera brand soups. Justin loves broccoli cheddar and since he's not eating much thought he might like some. Got three containers for him, plus some ready-made Jell-O.  

I got my stuff carried upstairs and put away, giving Justin the items he needed, and then to my desk for a while. It's newsletter time for The Palace, having sent out the church newsletter yesterday. Judy and I are planning to attend the choir concert at Victory tonight, the WI Lutheran Seminary Chorus. This is a huge treat for us and hope the turnout is good. I sent out a reminder to our members to make sure they remember to go. Looking forward to it!

What a nice day I had!

My day began with a stripping of the bed, right down to the bare mattress. Yes, today is the day my mattress set was being delivered! I put my comforter in the dryer on fluff to set if I could get the dust out of it, or at least, some of it. The sheets, pillow cases and my extra blankets went into the machine to be washed. My window for delivery was between 9 and noon, with the salesman saying it could even come at 11:50 and still be within the parameters. I was going to be ready!

It was only a few minutes after 9:00 when the phone went off, the delivery man calling that they'd be here in a just a few minutes. Wow!  And the two fellows very graciously put my dust ruffle back on for me before placing the mattress in place. I was so glad to be first on the list because Nancy W. had invited me to breakfast and then to a movie today. I feared I'd be here waiting for the mattress while Toni and she were off having fun without me. As it turned out, the two ladies came for me just as the delivery guys were leaving. Perfect timing! 

We went to Pengree's for breakfast, just delicious, and then stopped in at Ross because Toni needed to pick up some pillows. I managed to find a new swimsuit and a cover up so I am now ready for pool season! It was Senior discount day so on top of our discounts we got an additional 10% off. That never hurts! From there the two ladies had to make a quick stop at BJ's as Toni needed coffee and Nancy got toilet paper. I waited in the car since my knee was bothering me, like a true senior citizen! 

Here's Nancy holding my new swimsuit

We got to the theater just in time for the previews. Tuesday was the discount day at Carmike, too, getting Sr. pricing for the tickets and concessions. I did buy the $2 popcorn but barely made a dent in the bag. I brought it home but wonder if I'll even try eating it. If we hadn't just had that sumptuous feast for breakfast, I might have done better on it. The soda lasted me through the movie, too. We saw My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, which was cute enough. I even shed a few tears, of course. It was nice to see all the characters reprise their roles again, some of them hardly aging at all from the original. Cute movie!

Nancy and Toni dropped me off at home following the movie. My first task once upstairs was to put the new mattress protector on my bed, and then make it up the rest of the way. What a work out, especially with a sore knee. Now I am settled in and ready to go to sleep on my new mattress. It is so firm, quite the opposite of my squishy pillow topped one bought in 2004. This new set has a 10 year warranty and I hope it lasts that long, as I really don't like to spend money on such things as this! Good night, all!

He is risen, He is risen indeed!

Christos anesti!  Christ is risen! My neighbor, Gus, taught me to say this at Easter. I can say it to him now but it would be premature, as Greek Orthodox do not celebrate Easter for a week or so yet. Different calendar for them, I guess. Anyway, he taught me and I love it!

The day began with sunrise worship at 7:00 and I left with plenty of time to spare. I took my egg souffle which was baked last night along and the chocolate crosses for the kids at church. My souffle was placed in the oven to hold it until breakfast.The chairs were still being set up when I arrived so I went into the church to put the crosses in the mailboxes. When I came out, my friend, Maggie O. was coming up the sidewalk. Yay! She brought her sister, Mary, and friend, Shirley with her. A few years ago Maggie and her daughter had joined us for sunrise worship so she knew what to expect.  It was 'warm' out, low 70's and quite humid, didn't need our sweaters at all!

We had a baptism at the sunrise service and I was glad of it especially for our visitors. This young couple are our newest members having been confirmed and accepted into membership a couple of weeks ago. They waited to baptize their son until family could come down. 

Next we had Easter breakfast which was wonderful. My favorite was the sausage gravy and biscuits, made by Judy C. I sat with Maggie, Mary, and Shirley and had a wonderful visit. At one point, Shirley asked me who the lady was at the buffet line, she looked so familiar. When I told her, Shirley realized LuAnn was her cousin!!! They had a great reunion and spent the rest of the time catching up with each other. They hadn't seen one another since about 2001 or 02, at least it was in this century. Funny how that happens, living in the same town and all that.

Centerpieces made by the preschool kids and staff

I had to excuse myself from our visit to go rehearse with our little choir. We had grown from three ladies on Thursday to 8 people plus my goddaughter, Sarah. Adding a male voice, Paul's, was great, as he is a strong singer. I sang solo on the first stanza of "In Christ Alone", being nervous in rehearsal but sang more confidently in the service. I had given Terri the head's up that we were singing this hymn in the service because it is special to her, used in her dad's funeral. It helped calm me to sing out in her direction plus praying for courage. It worked, the solo and hymn went nicely. 

We had 30 non-members in worship for the Festival Service, not all of them first time visitors. I couldn't keep up with greeting everyone between the choir rehearsal and recording attendance. Before the procession of the cross, the choir sang "Were You There?" so I had to be in position about 5 minutes before the service. Busy busy morning!

Justin was not able to join us for worship, still feeling the effects of the flu. I texted him at one point and he was awake, reported that the sweats had stopped but he was still quite weak. This would certainly mean no Easter buffet for him, so it was only Nancy M. and Nancy W. with me at the table. We got royal treatment and enjoyed our meals. The other two ladies liked the accompaniments very much while I went to the carving stations to get prime rib and ham, plus a roll and mashed potatoes. I did have a giant carrot chunk but none of the other sides were really for me. Seafood is not my thing, but I certainly did not leave there hungry! For dessert I took a slice of French silk pie which I simply could not finish. The best part of the meal was the time with my friends and seeing so many people I knew, including my "fiance", Bob, and his family. 

Haley, our waitress, took this photo for us. In the background, beyond the man in the brown suit is Bob. Every time I talk with him he claims to be quitting The Club, but he keeps showing up! 

It was a busy and full day, in more ways than one, for me. Justin was starting to recover, but still felt feverish a bit, and weak. He found that having caffeine helped with his headache, and did eat some of the beef and broccoli I got him the night before. He would have none of the chicken and rice soup I ordered for him, though. He wanted egg drop soup but I figured the chicken soup was the way to go for a sick guy. No worries---I'll eat it!

So proud of me!

Contrary to what my mother seems to believe, I am not a fan of shopping. When I am with my sisters or Linda, I don't mind going shopping with them, and then often will stock up on things for myself, get a couple of new tops and perhaps a pair of slacks. Justin enjoys grocery shopping and occasionally we will go together, depending upon the situation. Otherwise, he'll just go without me, taking our list with him. 

At last I finally decided to get off of 'stop' and begin the process of looking for a new car. Terri and OJ took me to AutoNation to look at the Fords on Thursday night and then I went to the Toyota dealer on Friday. It was there I made a deal and got a new car. Saturday night as Nancy and I were eating the dinner I made for us, I mentioned that my mom wondered why I all of a sudden decided to get a new car. All of a sudden?? Nancy said, "You've been talking about getting a new car as long as I've know you!", which will be 3 years in June. Usually all I do is talk talk talk, and at last, I have done it, got the process behind me. Whew!

Two weeks ago Nancy and her friend, Toni, and I were going to the nail salon to get pedicures but we ran into a conflict with the Flying Noodles luncheon. Nuts! I was long overdue to have mine done, the last time being when I was in WI after ThanksLiving. My feet were looking tough! Saturday after dropping some stuff at the Toyota dealer and at the CPA, I decided to not go straight home. I stayed on the road and went to the nail salon. They offer a basic pedicure for less than $18 which is a great deal. For the fun of it, I decided to have a manicure, too, since my hands were also looking tough. 

Today, again after taking care of something at the car dealer (getting some paint touched up), instead of going straight home, I made myself go up Blanding to the mattress store. One right next door to the other---how does one decide? I chose the one I'd heard advertised on the radio on the weekend, with mattresses more in accord with my price range. Nancy W. just bought a king-sized adjustable bed and when she told the price, I blacked out. NO WAY! I refuse to pay so much for a mattress and box spring. I don't recall how much my present mattress cost (not sure where to locate that paperwork anymore...) but it has been nearly 12 years. I've talked about replacing my mattress for some time as mine has a belly from my butt, so this purchase was also not all of a sudden. 

I managed to get free delivery plus the guys will haul off my old set when they deliver and set up the new one. I could not get the salesman to commit to having the guys put my dust ruffle on for me, but he said he could be bribed to come over and do it. I told him my son would help me. He gave me the sale price even though it ended officially on Sunday. Now, I know sales people so I probably didn't get too much 'thrown in' but I like thinking that I did cajole him sufficiently. 

I love my iron bed and didn't want to part with it!

So, while it seems like I've been on a spree, it is not necessarily the case. Simply I am at last taking care of stuff on my list of things to do, items not particularly enjoyable to handle, and have now gotten them out of the way. Unfortunately, my new mattress won't last me 35 years like the car might, but I did buy the one with the 10 year warranty. No automatic bed for me, standard is just fine with me. I like my headboard and footboard so much that I didn't want to change them out. The adjustable beds don't allow for them, and besides that, they are simply too expensive. 

If I am satisfied with the mattress and the service, I can earn more pillows or something for a referral. How about that? I do hope it works out well for me as I do spend a good deal of time in and on my bed, there is the challenge!

Emotionally charged

One of the readings today, Palm Sunday, was from Luke 19, the story of the Triumphal Entry of the Savior into Jerusalem. There is a passage in that reading so special to me, and I'll tell you why:

Back in 2002, Justin and I went ahead of my former spouse to WI for Christmas. I remember sitting on the floor in Mom's guest room and doing my gift wrapping. Already then I had my gifts purchased online and shipped directly to Mom's which saved the carrying of them, etc. But, that meant dedicating a good portion of time to wrapping in one fell swoop. Justin must have been in the living room or was perhaps off with someone in the family, but I know I was alone. All of a sudden the portion of Scripture crossed my mind, guess I was thinking about Timmy, this being only our 2nd Christmas without him. "...the Lord hath need of him."  

This reference is, of course, about the donkey for Christ to use for His entry to Jerusalem, but I found it particularly comforting when thinking about Timmy and they reason he was called home. "The Lord hath need of him." I wept as I wrapped, thinking about it, and do recall giving my pastor/friend a call to talk to him about it. I was so glad to have the privacy as I sobbed this out because I was trying hard to not bring down the mood for the holiday. The passage brought/brings such great comfort. On Good Friday, another such passage will be read, which I cherish:"...today thou shalt be with me in paradise." What comfort this sweet sentence gives!

One of our communion distribution hymns today was "I Lay My Sins on Jesus" which I really like, even though it breaks the 'rule' of: "If it's about me, it's not about Thee."  The fourth stanza is the one which gets to me where we sing how we long to be like Jesus and then long to be with Jesus: 

I long to be with Jesus,

Amid the heavenly throng;

To sing with saints His praises,

To learn the angels' song.

We also sang another favorite, "Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness", the 2nd stanza my favorite. Such good hymns again today!

I got a new car!

I had put this off long enough, and today, I made the decision on this new vehicle. There were many factors I had to consider before signing on the dotted lines (100's of them!) not the least of which was the amount I wanted to invest. As I told the salesperson, Stacey, I am parsimonious about most things. Yes, she looked at me funny, so I restated my predilection of being unwilling to spend money on certain things. THAT she understood!

My first test drive was a RAV4 which I truly liked and had hoped to purchase but it was wwaayy over the number I had in my head for spending on a car, besides much larger a vehicle than I expected. Space is tight for parking at my building and car size needs to be considered, at least for me. 

To shorten up this story, let me jump ahead and tell you that the sales manager, Karen, helped me, us, find a car that would meet most of my requirements, plus got me what I wanted for the trade-in. The appraiser had to come up on the amount he originally gave me. Now I face life, hopefully the car will last the rest of my days, with cloth seats, unheated ones, but I do have other features which are desirable. One is the back-up camera which might allow me to park in my garage stall again, once I master it. That might take a while, trusting the camera and not second guessing it. My friend, Debbie, whips into her stall like nobody's business, and that might be  me someday, too! In the meanwhile, I let my neighbor, Rose, use my garage space. 

To say the day was nerve-wracking would be an understatement! I posted on FB that I was there at the dealer and folks kept asking me about the progress. I got there about 9:30 and was finally done about 2:30. Terri was waiting for me, having fixed me up with the saleslady. Terri's daughter gets the finder's fee and will hopefully share it with Terri. We met afterward at the Wendy's on Argyle, not far from the dealer. I was pretty hungry but not really, perhaps hungry was not the right word...Terri treated me to a burger and fries, but I sent the fries home with her. We both had plans for dinner at 6:00 pm so we went easy on our quick lunch. She was in contact with me throughout the process via text message, cheering me along. I sure appreciate that!

In the course of our time together, I learned a good deal about Stacey, the sales lady helping me/selling me. I am not sure how common that is, since it's been a long time since I bought a car (2006), and I didn't get all cozy with the sales guy that time. I feel like I should add her to my Christmas card list after all she shared with me. At the end of our transaction, she gave me a big hug. I would have done that anyway, but she initiated it. Of course, I was a victory for her in the course of her work, but I was also leaving in a new car, a victory for me. I've been talking about doing this for so long, and finally sucked it up and did it. The finance guy who handles all the paperwork said the car would likely last longer than I do. This model, the top rated for safety, should last for at least 300 thousand miles and/or 35 years, based on the average miles I drive a year. How about that? 

One of the most upsetting things that happened was when he was trying to transfer my license plates from one vehicle to the other and it came up in the computer that I was driving on expired plates. WHAT???  How can that be? I always take care of that before I leave for WI...wait---I didn't go to WI this year. Somehow or another I neglected to renew my license plates on my birthday. Too busy making plans for the big party and I neglected to take care of something so elementary. I guess that's why we have the option of renewing for two years at a time. The guy assured me he would take care of it, not to worry, but I was freaked out. I would swear I put those stickers on. I hate when I do stuff like this!

Anyway, I drove home after lunch with Terri and took care of my insurance transfer and now I am resting on my bed. At 6:00 pm I am picking up Nancy with my new wheels for us to have dinner. We are celebrating the sale of her dad's house, the proceeds of which are all hers. Her parents lived there for 50 years, so there was no mortgage on it. This is almost three years since he passed away and she was his caregiver for 5 before that. She loved her daddy so much and every day she is thankful for him and the time they had. And tonight, she will thank him for the proceeds of the sale, and have a sandwich! We both have much for which to be thankful, and both of us need a good night's sleep!

"Your head is too big"

This morning as I was watching the news and later listening to my podcasts, I heard replays of the front running candidate's interview about his advisers on foreign policy. The answers were enough to drive a saint crazy, as my mother would say. Makes me shake my head in disbelief.

Speaking of heads, I was thinking of an episode of "Seinfeld" about the bad breaker upper. Elaine was dating a handsome young man who was regularly having other women come up and throw a drink in his face or something similar. When asked about it, he'd explain that the person was someone he used to date. At first she was impressed that this guy would stimulate such emotional responses from former girlfriends, until she stopped dating him. As she left the table after telling him good-bye, he made a remark to her about the size of her head, indicating it's too big for her body. She shrugged it off, so to speak, until she started having troubles.

Walking through the park, a bird flew into her head, pecking her before flying off. A man on the bench who witnessed it, said, "It was like the bird couldn't miss her head..." In a taxi, the cab driver kept asking her to move over so he could see out the back window. Until the boyfriend's off-hand remark, she never had a problem with her head being too large, but, now, she does.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EElxuL3AFC4

These are the type of tactics the presidential candidate uses against his opponents, calling them names, belittling their efforts, mocking their being held prisoner of war (really???), criticizing physical attributes, when all the while building himself up, though he doesn't have far to go. He would criticize Jeb Bush as low-energy over and over until Jeb became low-energy. Not comparing his position on an issue with Jeb's, no, but used personal criticism instead. And it worked. What is surprising to me is how those who support him don't seem to notice the behaviors or the problems with this guy, don't hear the words he actually says, how inane they are.

On the other hand, after claiming his opponent, Ben Carson, as being 'pathological', like a pedophile, Ben threw his support behind him after dropping out. What? This man who saved the lives of thousands of children, separating conjoined twins, etc. was accused of being pathological?? Next to that word in the dictionary is a picture of the front runner! As they said in "The Godfather": 'Keep your friends close, your enemies closer...' Ben was been promised some sort of position if this candidate wins the presidency in return for his support. I wonder if Ben already regrets the selling of his soul, so to speak, for a position in the administration, especially since the candidate is getting his foreign policy advice by talking to himself, because he's said 'a lot of words'. What? 

Calling another candidate 'little' made him seem little and then eventually behave 'little' as he tried to play the front runner's game. Just because he was called Little Marco does not necessarily mean he was little. Just like Elaine's head was not big, she got thinking and believing and acting like it was. The front runner calls another candidate a liar over and over until folks begin to believe it, even though unsubstantiated. Hopefully this Constitutional candidate, the one I am supporting, does not believe it, and become a liar. I think his head is just the right size for his body. 

This particular candidate DOES actually have a big head, by some accounts is a full-blown narcissistic personality, not at all unlike the current man in that position. What makes that so difficult for the supporters to see? Or why do they not care? Or, why does it not matter? One of the talk show hosts I listen to has said for years that after this current president, he was sure the next leader would be a slob of a guy with gravy on his tie (figuratively speaking), less an academic and more a man of the people. Oops! From the looks of things, that isn't going to happen, unless Bernie gets in! 

A very full day and tummy!

Today was action packed with events, my usual ones for a Sunday. So much for the day of rest! Starting with Bible study and worship, followed quickly on its heels by a congregational meeting. Justin opted to go on home, not wishing to attend the meeting or wait for us. We enjoyed our lunch at Chili's without him, though much later than usual due to our meeting. We had only 7 of us with Justin missing including Judy's granddaughter, Victoria. She comes up from UF regularly now to join us for worship, and her family for the weekend.

After the meeting I stopped at Winn Dixie to pick up a few things, and left there with three bags. That often happens---and why not?, I ask! Get whatever you want as long you're out. Have to laugh at myself, though, about this because after my birthday party and its preparations, I said I didn't want to go to the grocery store any more. And now I do go, but not usually because I want to go. 

Since there's no football to watch, I found a nice movie to enjoy. It's one I own but still enjoy watching when it's on television---"Under the Tuscan Sun". It is just like going on vacation when I watch it, transporting me! I remember when Justin and I first watched it, rented from Blockbuster. The description read something like: "Recently divorced woman with writer's block takes a trip to Italy and never comes back..." I was going to Italy that same year and Justin was a bit concerned about this movie. I assured him I did not have writer's block, so it would be okay. Ha, ha...

Nancy W. and I went to dinner tonight at Koko's as Justin had other plans. We shared an order of crabmeat rangoons and each ended up bringing much of our meals home with us. That is so not an issue for either of us. I figure I get three meals from my order plus the enjoyment of being out, sharing the time, and having our food prepared before us. Either I will enjoy those leftovers in my fridge, or Justin will, it matters not.

LWMS Rally

This morning 5 Good Shepherd ladies were up before the birds, or, in my case, before the geese, to drive to Merritt Island for an LWMS Rally at Redeemer Lutheran. Our former member, Jennifer, is married to the pastor who serves this congregation so it's extra special for us to go there. 

Jennifer is especially dear to my friend, Terri, going back to years ago when they were young. Not that they are old now, but just long time friends. Terri's dad, Gordy, walked Jennifer down the aisle when she married David. These occasional visits are extra special for these two ladies. And I sure don't mind seeing Jennifer, either!

 The theme was about being fishers of men (people) so the host congregation did all their decorations and even the desserts with a nautical or fishing theme. Would have been fun to play a sort of 'Where's Waldo?" with all the ways they incorporated the theme into the Rally!  

Even the table decorations were cleverly done!

 One of the pastors present did our closing devotion. He is such a good Spiritual Growth pastor for our LWMS!

 This is our group, with driver, Judy, in the center. On the left is Betty, right is Gretchen, with Terri and me standing in the back. Note the fishing net hanging down behind us. We are glad to have our jackets and sweaters along as the room was quite cool. Gretchen found it just right for her!

Besides making this trip safely, the highlight of my day was finding my sweet friend, Cynthia, there. I knew she lived in Orlando now but it just didn't occur to me that she would be at the Rally. I leapt to my feet immediately when I saw her come in. I squeezed the daylights out of her and had to wipe tears away. Cynthia thought about messaging me to say she would see me but decided to just surprise me. Awesome! 

Cynthia and I met on the cruise in 2007 when her daughter, Lynnette and her friend, Becky, joined Cynthia as we retraced the steps of St. Paul on his 2nd Missionary Journey. Now Lynnette is married to a pastor, starting a mission church outside of Houston, and Becky is a Lutheran school teacher, newly wed to a man in his senior year at the Seminary. Cynthia said the two 'girls' were planning a trip to Orlando in July and plans are being made to meet me in St. Augustine. Awesome again! Love love love this! 

I had a chance to meet up with Cynthia and Lynnette in 2010 when they traveled from St. Louis to St. Augustine for vacation. These ladies are dear to me, even if we don't see each other often. Again, I am so thankful for the Internet and Facebook to help keep us connected! 

My kind of day

This morning when I woke up, I thought to myself, "I wonder if anyone will want to do anything today..." as I made my way to the other room. When I came back, my phone went off with a text message from my friend and neighbor, Kathy H. She wondered if I was Grumpy today. I answered that of course I was, asking if she wanted lunch or breakfast. She said she wanted lunch today but also wanted a breakfast next week. I can do that! 

In the meantime, though, while going back and forth with Kathy, Terri beeped in and asked me about breakfast. I had to ask her to hold until finding out what Kathy decided. It worked better for Kathy to meet for lunch so breakfast it was with Terri. This is so doable!

Since Terri was working from home, she suggested we meet at Cracker Barrel so I hightailed it over there, making record time from my cozy bed to the table in the dining room. Because of my lunch plans, I chose carefully from the menu, ordering the biscuits with gravy which was perfectly sized. And so delicious! I brought home two and a half biscuits, one which was Terri's plus a container of gravy for another time. 

After Terri and I had an excellent talk, I was home again at 10:30. I just love days like this! Anyway, I got situated at my desk, thinking I had about an hour or so before leaving to meet Kathy. At 11:20, Kathy let me know she was done with errands and was ready whenever I was. I needed about 5 minutes as I was in the midst of sending out a mass e-mail for church and had to wrap it up. When I got downstairs, Kathy was pulling up with her car to drive us over to Grumpy's. Nice!  

She had her usual salad plate and I had my usual of a cheeseburger and fries. We had a great catching up conversation, post-wedding of her niece, so I got to hear all about it. I brought home half the burger, as is customary, and a nice soda to-go. 

Kathy dropped me off at home and from there I jumped into my car to head to the Island Wal-Mart to pick up my prescription. I'd been trying to get one changed to a lesser priced one. Somehow or another, the doctor's office was having a tough time making this happen, instead re-sending the original, with the price going up each time. What? 

I got a text message saying a script was ready for me at $9 which would be correct. Wonderful! Oops! The doctors' office sent them the script for my bp medication refill, so I took that, but then had to put the another incorrect cholesterol lowering medication back yet again. The lady I was working with was getting quite frustrated and said she'd keep trying for me. I had also contacted the MD's office about it earlier in the week, thinking I had explained it well enough, too. Nope!

A little while ago I got a phone call from Wal-Mart pharmacy again, saying that now the doctor's office had sent over a different medication again, this one priced at $89. Whoa, we were going the wrong way on the pricing. Brittany was frustrated and said she was going to try one more time to fax them to get it straightened out and urged me to call them on Monday to be sure. I promised I would and thanked her for her efforts. She felt so badly about this and the futile attempt to save some money, insisting the two medications were identical in 'family' so should not have stymied anyone. If need be, I will stop in at the doctor's office, as much as I don't wish to, to get it all straight. It is almost comical already. I wonder how high these prices can go??

Lunch with the Guys!

Stephanie's mom, Jean, had her last day with us at Bible study today. And what a great class it was, unrelated to her leaving us. We are studying Titus 3 which stimulated a good deal of conversation. Pastor H. just loves this, prompts our participation in discussion. He laughed as he gave us a mini-sermon about our role in society as Bible loving Christians. He comforted us also as we struggled to accept the apparent fate awaiting our nation with the pending elections, reminding us that our leaders are in place because God wants them to be. That doesn't sound correct, but you get the picture. We are to be Christ's ambassadors to the world, our most important job being to share Him with others. Love love love this class!

Jean got to pick where to go for lunch, and since they were going to the Town Center Mall, I joined them. At church we had hugged good-bye already, Jean sending one along for Justin, too. She is extremely fond of him, so impressed with his knowledge and his sweetness. Jean couldn't really decide where to go so Stephanie picked 5 Guys for her. We had 8 of us dining al fresco on the patio. It was a good time and marvelous fries! Stephanie is flying with her mama, getting her home safe and sound so I won't see her for a couple of weeks. Bye my friends!!!

This worked out perfectly because I needed to stop at Publix which is right down the line from 5 Guys. The bad part was not being able to some frozen items because of the long ride back to OP, but otherwise, it went well. Such a nice store it is, bright and clean. I bought two containers of strawberries, for $4, which is an excellent price. They looked lovely! I want Justin to make pretzel torte, getting the needed ingredients for it. Also picked up the items a new recipe we are trying called for, to make open faced meatball subs. Both the cashier and bagger had seen the recipe on-line, too, so were thinking of trying it. Nancy W. picked up some nice baking glassware for me at GoodWill, one of which would work nicely for this recipe. Can't wait to try it!

Just what I was thinking!

Today I had an episode of "Law & Order" on during my radio shows, as I multitasked. Sure enough, the episode I had been thinking about earlier this morning was one that came on late afternoon. 

A man of substantial means and influence, a close friend of the DA, Adam Schiff, travels in the same circles socially and politically. The man, Mr. Carl Anderton, is played by Robert Vaughan who can pull off rich, eccentric businessman easily. Anderton goes between a wise and good manager/controller of his family and business to being a caustic and biting paranoid bully to those who try to mess with it. 

This character reminds/reminded me of the front runner businessman presidential candidate. His 'stream of consciousness' speeches are often bizarre, overflowing with unsubstantiated bluster and assurances, and, like Anderton, no one dares to go against him. If you do point out the foibles or fables he espouses, you run the risk of being excoriated publicly, mocked and ridiculed based upon your physical appearance or attributes. In fact, Mr. Anderton approached the ADA, McCoy, and threatened to bring Jack down, snarling to 'expose him for the little man he is." Sound familiar? 

Mr. Anderton denied, even forbade, any mention at all about his needing to 'go away' for rests (hospitals), claiming everyone else is nuts, not him. I knew someone close to me who suffered with bipolar disorder, a condition which causes the removal of filters or limits, and allows for euphoria and exuberance where none is required. It is hard to witness in one's family and is equally difficult when you see the potential leader of the free world and the USA going down that road. Yikes! 

"...I'll expose you for the little man you are."

In the end, the ADA is able to get enough evidence to convict Anderton's grandson in the murder of his step-sister. The biggest job was to persuade Adam to let Jack go against his good friend. Jack talks with Carl's daughter who has little decision-making or handling in regard to her teenaged son, as Carl has guardianship over his grandson. Adam meets with Carl and others and exhibits his wildly erratic behavior in front of Adam, who saw enough to convince him that his friend needed help. The young grandson had confessed to the murder of his half-sister many years ago to his grandfather, but was told to never talk about it again. But, someone cracked the egg open and exposed the empire for what it was. 

How our real-life egg is going to work out remains to be seen and my hope is that his supporters realize and care that the emperor has no clothes. 

Flying Noodles luncheon

At the end of our water exercise season plans were made to meet for lunch on the 2nd Tuesday of the month so that we could remain connected. Love this idea! Our Breakfast Club sort of petered out as some of those ladies who attended became walkers instead of eating bacon. They walk the length of River Road several times a week and waiting until after breakfast just didn't work. I miss the gathering, though, as some of my favorite conversations happened around that table. Having our monthly lunches, though, sure does help. Last month we had so many people that another chair needed to be pulled in and people squished together to accommodate.  Marlena had dressed the table prettily for St. Valentine's Day, going all out for her class.

This month, however, was a different story. Today, we had only four of us show up, leaving 8 chairs empty at the table. I had heard from a couple people that they would be absent but don't know what happened to the rest of the gang. As it turned out, we ladies who did show up had a marvelous visit, able to converse with each other, which is usually more difficult in a larger group. The dining room manager had tied all our napkins to look like roses and placed malted milk balls on the napkins and on the table for decoration. We had a feast on them, eating our own, plus those around the table. 

After we ordered our food, we got to talking about good sales, as Nancy is the Great White Hunter. She jumped up from her seat and dashed home (something I'd never do!) to get something she'd picked up for me. Of course, not long after she left did our food arrive, but she was having a salad with shrimp so it didn't matter. In a bag she had a loaf pan, plus two 'cake' pans, clear glass Pyrex-styled set. All this for $6!! Talk about heavy, too. I don't know how she ran back to The Club carrying this bag with heavy glass dishes in it, but she did. I was looking for a loaf pan and now I have another whole set! 

Part of the table's conversation was about organizing and cleaning closets. I am always looking for items for PACE so now the ladies are on a mission to go through their stuff for me. Yay! Debbie said she just loves to organize closets and stuff, more for others than for herself. I guess that's true for me, too, because I like to dust and polish at Great Hang Ups but not so much here in my own home. 

Today's special for our lunch was bbq'd brisket on polenta with spinach. The brisket was melt-in-your-mouth delicious, topped with crispy onion straws. Yum! I didn't really care for the polenta but ate every bit of my brisket and even some of the spinach. We all four had something different which was pretty cool as the presentation is something to behold. Nancy's was beautiful with various fruits served with the shrimp. She apologized for the shrimp but it didn't really bother me. Sometimes the smell gets to me but the bbq overruled the shrimp. We had malted milk balls for dessert, since they were out of the salted caramel truffle ice cream. That was good news to me, since I think they charge too much for it. But you've never tasted ice cream this good....the price we pay for deliciousness!

Sharing the love

This morning Terri messaged me to see if I had plans for lunch. I was wide open as we had to give up Bible study on Mondays for Lent. We agreed to meet at 11:00 at Metro Diner, which had been our plan on Saturday. People were lined up out the door so instead we chose Sonny's. Today, we had no trouble getting in and served. Judy joined us, as she was finished with her physical therapy treatment. I asked to be served by Mike, and we were seated in his section, in the farthest back corner of the place!

Saturday I had joked with Terri and Justin about having the Monte Cristo sandwich and needing to take my sweater off before eating to keep myself free of the powdered sugar. Since that didn't happen Saturday, I figured I'd have one today. Mike told me it didn't come in half portions so I was going to order it anyway and take half home with me. Terri offered to share it with me, which worked out perfectly!  And I didn't make a mess with my beloved Monte Cristo sandwich which I shared with my beloved friend! Judy had a chicken salad sandwich and salad, both generous in size. No to-go boxes for us, except a soda to take with me. It felt so odd, nothing in a box going out the door!

Justin worked all day and then met Jesse at the gym. Wow, I am impressed with his dedication to his membership there. His intent is three times a week, which includes getting up early on Saturdays to work out. After the gym they were grabbing a bite and then went to Jesse's to watch "The Walking Dead", I think. I was left to fend for myself and decided to finally steam the head of cauliflower which had been in the fridge for two weeks. It was still good, but I burned my mouth on my first bite. And that is why I don't usually eat veggies---injuries!  I had some medicinal sherbet later to cool things off. I do like cauliflower, though, and made a meal of it. Originally I figured to have some egg drop soup with the veggies but got too full. It will keep.

The three of us, taken at Reformation last year

Nancy W. and I had made some tentative plans to go for a pedicure tomorrow but then I remembered we have a Flying Noodles luncheon at The Club at noon. So much for that idea! Her friend, Toni, was going to join us and then perhaps take in a movie after the pedicures. I told Nancy I'd go with my own car in case there was no movie for me to see. She knows I limit my viewing so understood my request. I sure don't want to cramp their fun in any way. 

It's so nice for Nancy having her high school chums still in the area for her to hang out with at this point in her life. I reminded Nancy of the Flying Noodles lunch and she said she would be there so plans have been scuttled for our toes. Mine look wretched, not being attended to since I was in Manitowoc over ThanksLiving! Surely the technician will call me a butcher for the way I've chopped around at them. Yech!

Contentment!

I've been thinking of something Connie told me the other day, something not too many people are able to say. We should say it, should realize it, more often. Our building, our association, recently elected to hire a management company to handle the business of The Palace. There were not enough interested or able parties to serve as officers (I've declined a number of times!) so their hand was forced, so to speak. 

Many of us feared losing Connie and her valuable services provided us, but the numbers were figured in such a way to have both the management company and keep Connie. She negotiated her hours to fewer per week in order to stay on for us. The other day I was talking to her and she said, "This was a good thing for me----I'm content." I loved it, loved it. I was concerned it would be a financial strain for her but she is making the best of what could be an unfortunate situation. I love this for her, and for The Palace!

It's too bad that contentment alludes so many people. One of my favorite sections of Scripture comes from Philippians 4 where the Apostle Paul tells how he knows what it's like to be in need and to know plenty. In all things he was content. These passages were the text of a Thanksgiving sermon preached many years ago that struck a powerful chord for me. "...having food and raiment let us be therewith content" St. Paul wrote to his buddy, Timothy. It is a learned process, and our society does nothing to encourage contentment. We are daily pushed, pulled, cajoled to have more or better, to compare what we have with what others have, and so on. Americans really have so much 'stuff', especially this American!

Just before Christmas some of my neighbors on the north end of the building experienced a flood. Justin and I were able to pitch in to help them rescue their items from the wet. We were privileged to take in some of the more precious items including a vintage Christmas tree and other decorations from the neighbor on our floor for safe keeping during the recovery period. Ironic that our place was considered a sanctuary as often as we've been leaked upon! As Joe was carrying items from his unit to ours, he remarked, "You know, we really have a lot of stuff...." Yup, we do, and that comes to light when you have to pack it up to move, as they did eventually into a different building on the property. "We really have a lot of stuff" was inclusive of everyone in this building, in the town, in the State, and in this nation.

Sometimes we look beyond what we have, no longer having a full appreciation of the contents of our homes. Last fall when I hosted the breakfast for PACE Center for Girls, the young lady student who came to speak to our group, Tay Tay, was blown away by my home. In her talk, she mentioned how someday she wanted to live in a place like this. Here comes that comparison thing again. By other standards this place would be a dump. To this young lady who has had struggles all her life and is trying to better herself and her situation, this was a palace. Yes, it IS just that, and I do appreciate it. 

"Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, His mercy endures forever"!

Dry conversation

The other day Linda and I were talking about what I witnessed at Cracker Barrel. We discussed how wonderful that gesture was of the younger man and his family toward the older couple, giving them some money toward their restaurant bill. I expressed to Linda how sad I was prior to this, seeing the aloneness in the lady's face as she warmed her hands on her coffee cup; how the man rested his face on his hand as if he was in misery. I wondered if they had had an argument or something that they weren't speaking or even looking at one another. And then it changed when the young man stopped at their table with his gift. Like a burden was lifted or something. I speculated to Linda that perhaps the young man told them they reminded him of his grandparents, maybe?? I'd love to think that's what he told them.

We wondered how that happens in relationships, in marriages. When did the words dry up? How could people not have anything to say? Both Linda and I are talkers which makes it that much more difficult to comprehend. There is lots to talk about, even if only about the menu, or how hot the coffee was. I remember an episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond" when Debra and Raymond finally went on a date and found they had nothing to talk about. Having watched the show on occasion I can certainly see why, but for the sake of this episode, it came as a surprise to them. Mostly to Debra, as Raymond is fairly unaware of things other than himself. All they could talk about was the butter. Now, I can hold my own talking about butter, but I am not limited to it! 

They struggled to think of anything they had in common to converse about other than their kids or families. It was supposed to be funny but it was also thought provoking. How did this happen to them? I would guess having three children including a set of twins is a distraction, as would the constant intrusion of Ray's parents. Without their family, they had nothing else to share. They tried to find a hobby to share including golfing but that didn't go well. Eventually they decided to just drop it, and leave things the way they were. Such a grey existence but then again, for them, it worked. I like to think grey is not my best color! 

Cool, in more ways than one!

Something cool happened at Cracker Barrel last night. I arrived ahead of my companions and was seated in the dining room. The table to my left had an older couple, lady in wheelchair and man with no teeth. To my right just behind me was a family with 2 active little boys, cute as buttons. I noticed the older couple did not speak, barely looked at each other, really, which made me sad to the bottom of my feet. As the young couple was leaving, the dad stopped at the older couple's table and laid a $10 bill between them, He leaned over and said something, then walked away. I caught the eye of the lady in the wheelchair and she said something to me which I could not hear but understood to be astonishment. The older man was smiling to beat the band, and seemed to smile the rest of his meal. And I think they spoke to each other a couple of times while they were there. I just love it!

Terri, OJ, and I enjoyed our meals, with me taking my 'Mom's Pancakes' to go. The understanding was every order of these pancakes would allow 20% of the sales toward the USO, and we are all about that. Sadly, at check-out, we found out that deal ended at 2:00 pm! I ordered my regular meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and corn. I brought more than half home with me, plus a nice biscuit. My 'boyfriend', Seth, took care of us. He brought a big bag for my pancake breakfast which included eggs and bacon and I was able to put my next to go box in that bag. Much easier to carry it this way than juggling!

We couldn't wait to get out of there, though, because it was so cool temperature-wise. My theory on this is the store is kept cold so people go into the gift shop and buy jackets and sweatshirts! 

Justin was home by the time I got back here, but he was so ready for bed after a long day at work. Our original plan was to watch the debate together but he was going to bed instead. He could watch it in his room from the comfort of his bed, which is what I did in my room. I managed to hang in to the very end, but I am guessing he pooped out well before 11:00 pm. 

Thursday morning I was to have a passenger ride with me to Bible study, Deanna. She is a family friend of the pastor and lives on Fleming Island.We were meeting at CVS and she would ride with me to the church. She called though to say she would drive herself instead as she had some place to go afterward. She got a bit lost but called me at church and got straightened out. It was nice to have her in the class. I hope she continues to come.

In the afternoon I had a lengthy visit with Frank, my financial guy. His retired assistant, Debbie, was working and it was fun to see her again. She joined The Club not long ago and I see her every once in a while. She is thinking of buying a place over here and I would enjoy having her for my neighbor. Frank and I did my annual review and he did some car research for me. Gave me lots to think about, he is so encouraging!

Momma's pancakes with friends

This morning started with this beautiful sunrise. My neighbor also caught a picture from her window. 

Here is my photo

Here is Anne's shot

The day went on to include going to Bible study at Victory, our study being in Titus. We had a good tableful of folks but were still missing a few regulars. Lucy treated us to doughnuts, as she has determined the first Thursday of the month is hers to treat!

I had thought that Terri would be available to meet for lunch but she had other plans. It would have worked nicely since I had to be back over in Argyle by 2:00 pm. I was glad to have a chance to close my eyes for a bit after getting home from Victory before going to my next appointment. Every six months I need to meet with Frank, a financial advisor, to review my investments, etc. Sometimes I can do this over the phone but this time I needed to go in the flesh. Today we talked about cars and my wanting to get a new one. He is a 'car guy' and has a brother in the business in S.FL. Always makes for an interesting visit!

I met Terri and OJ for dinner tonight at Cracker Barrel. We enjoyed our time together and our delicious meals. Had a good experience at the table next to ours, generosity displayed to an elderly couple. Puts smiles on our faces, and tears in my eyes. 

Now I am home and watching O'Reilly before the debates start. Justin doesn't think he can stay up to watch them with me, but can tune in from the comfort of his bed. I hope I can hang in to the bitter end. It's riveting stuff these days!