Not quite ready to get up yet

Although I have been awake for just shy of an hour, I cannot convince myself to get ready for the day just yet. According the radio website, it is only 25 above zero outside and beyond my bedroom door I am sure it is about 68 since I do not hear the heat running. I do step lively when my bare feet hit the ceramic tile floor in the hall, which some would think is not really that cold. But it is! All relative....Judy R. wrote yesterday that they were having a January thaw but not according to the weather map. It shows a high temp of 28 for the Twin Cities and she is somewhat south of that. This Saturday I am invited to Linda O.'s condo for a gathering and bonfire so I do hope the temps do warm to the 60s as predicted.

*

Today is Gordy's funeral service at 10:00 so I must get myself going around here soon. A stop at Publix is needed as I agreed to bring a dessert of some sort for the luncheon. My thought is to get a variety tray of cheesecake, always a popular treat, especially for Joe Z., who loves cheesecake! Last night I promised the girls that I would sing out for the funeral service so will plan to do just that, except for, likely, "I Know That My Redeemer Lives". I get a break on this hymn. Kathy B. is taking off from work to play the piano, sharing those duties with Kurt who plays by ear. I think Suzanne is playing her viola, too, which means she will have to take off from work as well (I just thought of that). I heard we are having brats today, made by Mike C. as this was Gordy's favorite. Mike S. was at the funeral home last night, he is our member-chef who loved working with Gordy on the Fellowship Committee, firing up his smoker grille to make Boston butts and other creations under the direction of Gordy. I have a cool picture somewhere in my computer of Gordy and Mike S. and Mike C. at the grille for the church picnic---must look for that at some point.

*

On the way home last night, I heard a news brief reporting that Miep Gies had died at the age of 100. This was the woman who sheltered the family of Anne Frank during WWII, made famous through "The Diary of Anne Frank". Immediately I called Linda J. to tell her, as she just got the movie, "Freedom Writers" for CHRISTmas, a movie which uses Anne's diary to get the students to write. In this true story, the students go from street thugs to somewhat decent citizens. The kids read the diary, write in their journals, visited a holocaust museum, and realized that they are not the only ones with a rough row to hoe. The students go from lives of crime and fighting to bake sales and fund raising to get enough to fly Miep Gies to come speak at their school. Sadly, now she has died but I hope her story does not.

*

Once home, I stopped at the mailbox to see what it offered, and found a lovely card from Lynn. It offered support and comfort, letting me know she was thinking about me this time of year as they time grows closer. It came at just the right time, too, since I am feeling bad about Gordy. Nope, let me rephrase that----I rejoice for Gordy, feel bad for me, for those of us left here on earth. Kerry wrote a lovely poem which arrived via e-mail today and she gave me permission to use it on Thursday in my posting. This might get worn hearing, but when folks ask me how long it has been since Timmy died, I say the number of years, and then add, "Or it was yesterday.....". It is absolutely true. Yesterday was the anniversary of my abdominal surgery, a date I remember because I had my driver's license renewed the day before. Lynn had to wait in the car with the two boys while I went through the process of getting my license renewed----ugh! They were likely gouging each others eyes out while poor Lynn got rocked and rolled in the car! I always had a rule----if you pull someone's eyes or hair out, you had to put it back!

*

Last night on Leno, I just had to laugh----every now and again, starting with Kevin, the band leader, a cell phone would go off during the monologue. Jay would act all annoyed that they would answer the phone during the show, but it was part of the bit. All the men whose phones went off were black men, supposedly getting apologies from Harry Reid for his insensitive remarks. It was so funny, as the guys would say, "No, man, no, we're good, we're good..." and then announce the call was from Reid. Brought the house down! Bill Cosby was the guest star last night and he is as funny as ever. He was promoting a CD made with some rappers about young black folks taking the better road than continuing the generational pattern of living in the projects, never making anything of themselves, turning to crime. One of the lines of the "song" they did was something like, "choosing a criminal career instead of career as a lawyer". In other words, he is encouraging young blacks to get over it, get out, and make something of themselves, not to keep have babies they cannot afford to feed, etc. I wish he were younger and could be around longer to be a roll model for young people. Cosby is a great advocate for young black people making something of themselves instead of wearing their gang colors and turned around hats, but he does it in a humorous 'fashion'. His face is so animated, he does not even need to speak!

*

There is going to be a shake-up in the comedy shows on NBC which I will watch occasionally. Leno is being moved back to after the news at 11:30 pm, but, what will happen with Conan?? His show is in question, if he wants to move back to the after midnight time or move to another network. I guess his ratings were equal with Letterman's which was not what NBC was looking for. On Leno's show, he kept the feature of "Headlines" from his late night show, and is always good for a chuckle. Last night there was one from Oconto Falls but I cannot remember what it was about. And the stupid criminals he always finds, who use their own deposit tickets to write bank robbery notes on! Funny!

*

My pastor's wife had more surgery performed yesterday and by some reports, was doing fine as of last evening. Her parents flew back in after having just returned to WI after CHRISTmas, to help with the kids while Lynn is in the hospital and through her recovery. Prayers for her are appreciated as are prayers for the surgery my friend, Jami, is having today in Amarillo. Sadly, her hubby had to come here to Florida for a business trip that he could not get out of but her parents and sister will be with Jami through her procedure. I hope all have good news from their surgeries, that's enough for this week already!

The bed feels so good right about now

Oh, what an evening it was! I just got back from the funeral home visitation for Gordy. Our church family was well represented, offering hugs and support for the girls mourning their daddy. And their brother, although he got more handshakes and back slaps, at least from us. Gordy was a guy who loved to have a good time, was a party waiting to happen, yet was devout in his Christian faith. No one there would ever question or wonder if he was a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, they all knew because Gordy shared this with others.

*

When I arrived at the funeral home, I pulled into the space behind an SUV with the back flipped open. There was a cooler on the bumper, as it were, and men standing around with plastic cups. Beer! What is this---Wisconsin??? As I got out and walked toward the guys, I said, "That had better be Miller Genuine Draft!" The one man laughed and said, "Oh, you knew my dad!" I said I did and greeted Gary and the other fellas taking a break, having a toast to Gordy.

*

It was good to see so many people, some of which I knew through Terri, and many of Gordy's grandkids and in-laws. Around the coffin were picture boards, four of them, photos of Gordy as an infant up to Thanksgiving Day where he posed with the family from his wheelchair, holding a beer. The ones which had both Gloria and he in them were the ones that hit me, and Kathy B. insisted I not look at her so she would not cry too! I just loved this couple and am going to miss Gordy deeply, but am glad his suffering is over. I am so glad, too, that I got to plant a kiss on his head Christmas Eve when he got to church one last time. Tomorrow his grandsons will be playing their instruments, his instruments, playing his compositions of familiar hymns, in glory to God and in recognition of their grandpa. I promised Terri and Kim that I will sing out tomorrow at the service to help lead the singing and pray I can keep my promise!

Amazing Grace

Many couples getting married find themselves deeply emotional at their rehearsal in the church, their first time hearing and repeating the vows they will make at their actual wedding. Some claim the rehearsal is helpful with getting it all out so that when they are in front of family and friends at the service, they can hold it together better. My friend's husband-to-be cautioned her not to start crying at the altar during the actual service because he would cry, too, and his entire persona of Mr. Cool would be ruined! Well, that is how I felt today after worship, like this was the wedding rehearsal and I should get it out of my system. The children and grandchildren of my friend, Gordy, whose funeral will be held on Tuesday, were meeting with The Maestro. Two of the grandsons play the same instruments their grandpa played, the saxophone and clarinet. Terri, his daughter, had found musical arrangements for hymns which had been written by her daddy many years ago, and that is what the boys were using for their rehearsal, so they can play at the funeral service. We are having an orchestra!

*

They were playing/practicing while many of us scampered about taking down the tree, Nativity set, wreaths from the doors, etc., and vacuuming up the mess from the tree removal. I heard portions of "Amazing Grace", "I Know That My Redeemer Lives", and "How Great Thou Art" being played, and as I took apart the Nativity scene, tears were running down my cheeks. I saw one little boy looking at me, and I just smiled at him, saying how much I love those hymns. He just sort of nodded and walked away. Most people at church are accustomed to my tears flowing anyway, but today especially, since we were preparing for the funeral service of our departed friend and family member.

*

On the up side, many of us were thinking "Packer game" today, with Cindy wearing every piece of Packer apparel she owns...well, maybe not, but she was dressed to the nines! Their pipes froze overnight due to the cold temperatures, so her hubby had to go outside with a towel which he had preheated in the dryer to defrost the pipes so he could make coffee. And it worked! It never occurred to me that our pipes here could freeze, which would be a disaster, but our elevator is doing funny things instead of showing the numbers for the floors--showing instead double letters of the alphabet! First in ascending order and then descending order, thankfully not showing "XX" when it gets to my floor! I was concerned that it might not be operating properly but it picked me up and dropped me off at the correct floors. Fine with me!

*

Last night was awesome with a blast of culture, beginning with dinner at Juliette's. Justin got there well before me, somehow arriving nearly 30 minutes prior to our reserved time. I arrived in the dining room right on the money so I did not have to feel badly about him waiting there. We ordered from the quick serve menu that they use on "show nights', with each of us having the roast pork with raisin sauce, sweet potatoes, and julienne veggies. He ate half my meat, half the potatoes, and all the veggies, plus half my cheese with broccoli soup. What a guy! I ate half my cheesecake but he did not finish it off. We made our way across the street to the symphony hall and waited for the doors to open so we could find our seats.

*

Rachel, from Victory, had ordered the tickets for us wwaayy back in June, as she had privileges due to being a season ticket holder. Justin and I were not sure if we would sit with Rachel and her hubby or not but we found ourselves in the second from front row, right side, just below where my box seats used to be. Justin teased Rachel when she came that we had to sit down the stairs now instead of up above. Her brother, Joel, came with her, since her hubby opted to stay home with their little guy and watch TV. Joel appreciated the offer of being able to see and hear Itzhak Perlman play with the orchestra, or the orchestra play with him. Justin was not blown away but, as I told him, some day he will appreciate what he experienced. He is often like this, like his mama, with high expectations. Mine were met---his, well, he did not know what they were in the first place! Perlman played divinely, totally by memory, not one piece of music in front of him. He walks with canes or braces on each arm, and the Concertmaster, Phillip, held his violin and bow for him as he made his way across the stage. Wow, what a show and what a talented man! Once I got home and under the covers, I was still wound up and took a while to get to sleep, going over the events and fine time spent with my favorite guy, two of my other favorite people, and Itzhak! More amazing grace!

To complain or not complain?

That is the question....I guess I will not complain but simply mention that once more my part of the world is facing record cold temperatures this morning. And will continue to do so through the weekend. The only outside activity I performed yesterday was to walk down to the lobby to get my mail since at the beginning of the month, I expect a check. It was worth the walk yesterday but my pace was quicker than usual. Not only was it cold out, but also wet. Fortunately it was not slippery.

*

Jen and Memrie came by in the afternoon so Mem could pitch her Girl Scout Cookies to me. When they came in, the little one was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt and a windbreaker, which surprised me. Jen said she had a sweatshirt in her backpack but Mem assured me she was warm enough. They were not playing outside at all so I guess she was alright. I ordered a couple boxes of Thin Mints, like a good friend would. I showed her how to play the new travel version of Scrabble that I have which kept her busy while her mom and I chatted. They had to pick up Chris at school, having stayed after for Game Club. Board games only in this middle school club and has such great attendance and involvement that storage for the games became a problem. I like to hear that, and it also helps the kids develop their interpersonal skills, with which Chris has problems. Recreational therapy, I believe it is called.

*

When they left, I got busy putting away about three loads of laundry done since my guests left, one of which was towels from those two bathrooms. It upset me a bit because I am still mourning their departure, but then got cheered up again knowing in a month, people will be back in those rooms and beds again! Justin is already slated to come and remake the beds next week sometime so they will be set for the guests and out of my laundry room. Last night Justin and I took the tree down, implementing my new ornament case bought at Joann's before CHRISTmas. It held all my ornaments, plus the blue ice garland. Since we are having a yard sale at church in the spring, he will need to come back to go through my remaining decorations and help decide what to keep and what to sell. Gulp! This will be killer for me because I have deep emotional attachment to some of these things, including a table top musical snow globe from my first married Christmas (keeper!) and a ceramic nativity set given to me by Jimmie W. one year. My heart says to keep it all, but my good sense says I need to clean it out, let go. The good news is that I have a few months to steel myself for this clean out!

*

At Wal*Mart the other day, the main aisles were piled full of the plastic bins in all shapes and sizes, as usually happens after the holidays. I should have grabbed some, and still might do that, because Justin, Martie and I have a huge project to take care of after Lynn and Linda are gone home. We are going to tackle what we call the "Timmy" closet in the guest room. Those boxes and such were packed for me by Tinker, a church member and housekeeper whom Joanne paid to pack up The Preserve house when Justin and I were on a cruise in 2004. That spared me the agony of having to go through Timmy's things myself, and the fact that she did almost the entire house for us was an extra blessing! But, the boxes and containers are not uniform and therefore do not stack as well as they could. I also think that we can use some of those shrink bags for fabric items and stuffed animals, making more room in the bins, making for fewer bins. I already have the bags so that is no worry. Martie knows this is a tough one for me and has offered to help, and we especially need Justin for the lifting and toting, as well as some of the decision making. He is a great hugger!

*

You know I have been housebound too long when I start talking to the TV! This a.m. on the news, a 911 call was being replayed about some actress who died recently, and the caller is her mother, begging for help. As they replayed the call, the Mom told the dispatcher that her daughter is passed out and they are doing mouth-to-mouth, please send help. The 911 operator asked if someone was with her, and the mom screams, "Yes!!". Then the operator asked how old the daughter was and the mom says, "She's 30!!", frantically. The nice male operator told the mom, "You don't have to yell..." He then asked, "Is she awake? Is she breathing?", where, at that point, I said aloud, to the TV, "You idiot!!" because the mother already told the 911 operator that her daughter was passed out and someone was doing CPR. Ugh! This might be a device they use to keep people focused or what have you, but from my perspective, it sounded idiotic. I need to go out! Next I will be throwing a shoe at the TV, or worse!

*

Some might think the radio would be better, but I get frosted at that, too, sometimes. I listen to the radio from about 9 to 5 most days, over the Internet primarily, which means I do not get the same type of advertising as heard over the air. Instead, I listen to tons and tons of PSAs, (public service announcements) with well over half of them being sponsored by one organization or another that ends in 'dot gov'. Not good, not good by any means! It is incredible to know that tax dollars are being spent to promote these programs for what??, after school boxing lessons or sports training to keep kids off the street. Or, adopt a foster child, or become a child advocate, or make use of one government program or another. Do we really need a PSA to tell us that families who eat together three nights a week will have better communication? I don't think so, and that is not the government's job to tell us that, either. Ugh! There are programs upon programs out there, advertising on the radio via these PSAs and the stations have no option but to play them, to balance the paid advertisements. Not to be a conspiracy theorist or anything, but in listening to these PSAs, one could think about all the many ways that the government already infiltrates our homes and lives, and it is more than a little frightening!

*

I might get in trouble for this, but one of the paid advertisements about drives me coo coo---a local jewelry store with several stores located in elite areas, has the owner come on and do the ad. His Southern accent is so annoying that I claw at my eyes when it comes on, but to turn it off would be a pain, too, because I would have to pull it back up again to hear the program! I am getting too crotchety in my old age, I guess. Would this be called 'my last nerve'??

*

I was thinking about this cold weather earlier this a.m., remembering a time back in 2002 or 2003 when we had record cold temps and high high winds, at about this same time of the year. My former spouse was gone to a convention or someplace, and our employee, Mike, was left in charge of covering the plants and trees around our pool. Mike, the house boy, as my auntie referred to him, had the queen palms covered and all the others, attempted in vain to hold the tarps down with rocks and concrete blocks, but the wind still got under the covers and damaged one of the expensive palms. My spouse was upset to lose the tree, but not being here to see or feel the wind, he did not appreciate that we attempted to save the foliage. I just remember that episode, and thought that now, it would be Justin, the jack-of-all-trades 'houseboy' who would be running about, trying to secure things during a storm or icy blast. Some doubt that it gets cold here, but I beg to differ. I do get to wear my red coat on more than one occasion and although we might not have to shovel, the cold still bites!

This was sent by my friend on my birthday:

HOW TO STAY YOUNG
*

1. Try everything twice. On one woman's tombstone she said she wanted this epitaph: "Tried everything twice, loved it both times!"

*

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. (Keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches!)

*

3.Keep learning: Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever...Never let the brain get idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's!

*

4. Enjoy the simple things in life.

*

5. Laugh often, long and loud...Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with this friend!

*

6. The tears happen: Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. LIVE while you are alive.

*

7. Surround yourself with what you love: Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge..

*

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it.

If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

*

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

*

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. Say: "I love you, my special friend."

*

11. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second chance. Remember! Lost time can never be found.

*

Again, this might not be perfect for everyone but most of it was perfect for me! As you read through these suggestions, not entirely about staying young, really, but about living a decent life, you will notice that the Lord Himself provided us with commandments to match up with many of these scenarios. Huh, go figure!

No wonder I have so many problems!

I have no "Normal" setting on my dryer! Linda! I have no normal setting on my dryer!!! AAAHHH! Really I do not have many problems at all, but discovered how limited are the features of my dryer, which was really how I bought it. Basic, give me a basic dryer, no bells or whistles, or fluff cycle for me---basic. No normal, either, it seems. The sweater I had worn to Bible study today and to church Sunday was leaving tumbleweed-like fur balls wherever I went. Even my car has fuzzies on the leather seat, car door where my arm rested, and on the visor above my seat. You know how I feel about dust in my room, and now the dust is purple and rolling along the baseboard in my closet!

*

Ugh! So, I decided to de-laminate the sweater by bouncing it about in the dryer on fluff. Only, there is no fluff cycle! So, I put it in twice on the shortest setting for heated dry, twice removing handsful of purple lint from the trap. Is the problem now solved? I don't know for sure, the sweater felt considerably lighter weight than when I tossed it in. This is the 2nd piece purchased in WI when shopping with Lori after ThanksLiving that went bad on me, and she has taken one piece home with her to see if they will either refund me or exchange. What the heck? It is worth a try, right? The sweater she took back had begun pilling already and obviously it was not overworn down here in Florida. It just really was not holding up for the price I paid for these sweaters. Go, Lori, go!

*

My eyes feel awful and my nose is running from crying this afternoon. As I pulled in the driveway after Bible study and lunch with Justin, my phone rang, bringing news that my dear friend, Gordy, had entered heaven. Only yesterday he moved into a Hospice facility and this early afternoon, he left there to be with the Lord. He is getting his wish, dancing with his wife in heaven. Most of my afternoon has been on the phone, making the Prayer Chain calls, arrangements to be made for taking down the tree at church and getting it cleaned up for the funeral service, whether or not to have Bible study on Monday......Plans are not yet finalized but seems to be tentatively scheduled for Monday late afternoon or early evening. I wonder if Gordy would give me a pass for the visitation on Sunday evening since the Packers are in the playoffs, which starts at 4:40 pm here..................bet he would!!!

Happy Epiphany everyone!

My family and some of the Facebook readers recognized today as being Epiphany, which also doubles as my youngest sister's birthday---today, her 50th! Wow! Now she could be a wise man, or woman, as the case might be! She is spending her day fishing (ooops!, I was not supposed to let our mom know that!) Certainly the lake is plenty hard to allow for ice fishing and I even think the St. Johns River would work for that, too, today! Kerry very much enjoys fishing and reported on her first outing this a.m. that she caught only one tiny perch (awww....I want some!!!), had come home to warm up, and was going out once more this afternoon. Good for you, kiddo, I wish you good fishing and a happy birthday!

This is a photo of Kerry in Lori's kitchen in Holmen, getting things ready for Dusty's graduation party. Oh, we had such fun that weekend!

*

As for me, Justin recommended I not get out of bed today because it is terribly chilly 'round these parts. In fact, Kerry reported this morning that a quiz on the TV news showed that Jacksonville was actually colder than Sturgeon Bay, located on Green Bay. Now, that is just messed up, as Suzanne would say! Many are anticipating the possibility of snow falling here this Friday, as the weather situation looks like this could happen. I will not starve or thirst to death by staying in, because I have several pizzas in the freezer, some from my 'bonus' shopping at Winn-Dixie plus one left from my family was here. My "shopping like a rock-star outing" at WD the other day garnered me another fantastic deal--get this---buy two Tombstone Pizzas and get frozen cheese sticks, frozen garlic bread, Breyer's ice cream, and a 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke for the price of the pizzas! Wow, by any standard, wow! I must have about four containers of ice cream in there now from previous deals like this, plus some leftover from when we had dinner here in November with Linda J.!!! Lori had some when she was here but not nearly enough to make room in my freezer....

*

Justin came by quite early to carry up my purchases from yesterday, and told me he did not need to refrigerate the soda or water because it was already quite cold. He has to mow lawns today and that might help him to warm up some, at least, I hope so. I would think the grass would be crispy enough to just snap off rather than be mowed. We will be at Bible study tomorrow at Victory before his class in Local Governance. Sounds interesting to me, and he plans to talk with my upstairs neighbor, Travis, about this. Travis recently ran for and was elected to local office and certainly loves to talk! Justin's Earth Science professor is not a follower of the 'global warming' theory and spent their first class debunking the 'science' used to make the claims. Finally! Justin was quite excited about his "first day of school" experience in 2010!!

*

I was in school a bit today too, as I did not vacate my bed until absolutely necessary. I read an interesting article on the back cover of the January "Forward in Christ" magazine about the game of "Sorry" and a child's death. The author uses the example of playing this board game, moving the tokens around to get to "HOME" the fastest. This is how it is when a child dies, they achieve their place in heaven sooner than expected, but in God's time. How appropriate an article for 'this time of year' for me. Even Pastor K. mentioned it to me yesterday on the phone, about this time of year, and he was not even around here when Timmy died. That means a great deal to me, as one would imagine. Since Justin does not get the magazine, he asked me to make a copy for him and bring it along to Bible study tomorrow morning.

*

Mom sent me an e-mail today reporting that a former co-worker of ours had died, that her picture was in the local paper in Manty. I went on-line to read it and found myself reading more than I expected to read. There is a quilt show at the Rahr Museum until this weekend which I hope my family takes advantage of, since our family friend is a competitive quilter and might have one there. Also, I read through a couple discussion threads, one being about people's favorite bars around town (yes, this is beer country, folks!) and surrounding areas. Oh, how fun! While I did not attend these bars, my sister and Linda did, so many of the names were familiar to me. The only bar I remember going to was on 8th Street where my future bro-in-law was a bartender....can't recall the name, though. Of course, the Green Street Tavern does not count because I am not there to drink!!!

*

The other 'thread' I read was about the characters of old and now that roamed the streets of my hometown, and the neighboring community of Two Rivers. What fun that was!!!! Many I did not know, since we lived in the country, but many I did know, and one I know well---Tommy Drill! He got rave reviews throughout the thread, many kudos for his generosity and good nature. Others did not fare as well, mostly due to their being a few pickles short of a jar or similar descriptions applied to them. Many commented on Mike, the window washer, who took care of business' windows in any kind of weather, working off his bike. "Hector the Inspector" was the way he was addressed. I learned lots of Manitowoc history plus got a link about an area author who wrote about growing up there. Amazon will be bringing it to me in a less than a week, and can be my first book read in 2010!