A night of reflection

It seems I can more easily capture the moon glow with the cell phone camera than can I with the real camera. Justin sent me a message from the Jaguar stadium simply stating: "How about that moon?" More of a statement than a question, as it was simply amazing, and grande.

Revising my routine

My ears and brain are struggling to accept my new listening routine. Since Neal retired earlier this year, my morning listening has been shuffled around a bit. While I am a fan of Herman Cain's, he is easier to take in smaller doses. I think he is where he needs to be right now, so it worked out well for him to drop out of the race for president. He has strong leadership skills, this few can deny. I simply choose not to listen to his program which filled Neal's spot. 

                                              

When I am in the car in the a.m., I listen to Laura Ingramm, but when I am home, I am now catching my Internet radio show LIVE in the a.m. vs. listening on the podcast later. At least the first three hours are caught live, with the next two hours caught up later on the SoundCloud. Whew! I know, right??? I still download the entire 5 hours worth of programs just in case I miss something. The podcasts are minus the advertisements so it goes by quickly. It is hard to listen and write at the same time.

This revised routine does 'free up' a couple hours in the afternoon, once Rush is done. I find myself often sitting at my desk longer, depending upon how the first part of the day went, instead of listening in my reclined position. Thus, it makes me seem more productive, with 'seem' being the key word here. Some adjustments are being made to my hearing schedule!

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Yesterday I was going to take a rest in the afternoon as my eyes were quite tired but I no sooner laid down when the equipment outside started up. It sounded like an engine idling, sort of a hissing sound, similar to air brakes being released, and then more hissing. At last I went outside to see what was going on, but all I could actually see was a machine attached a truck. No workers, but every now and again, the compressor, or whatever it was, belched out puffs of black smoke. Hmmm....

My next door neighbor was just getting back and his nurse told me the double doors to the elevator lobby were closed off. The guys had to stop their work to let Jack, who is wheelchair bound, and Shirley, get to the elevator area. It seems it was sandblasting equipment being used in the garage, on the ceiling portion, removing the areas damaged from the above leaks. It was these leaks which were causing the problems in the first place, dripping white calcium stuff onto the cars below. Now, they are being patched and sealed. 

Saturday I got a peek at the ceramic tiles being suggested to replace those chiseled out, including decorative medalions which will be spaced out the length of the sundeck. It seems the price for the tile is coming in less than expected. We Owners have one more installment due to the Association from this most recent capital assessment---sigh.

                                               

Saturday I attended a clothing party downstairs in Tracy's house. I love fashion and had a nice visit with the other ladies, but did not order anything. The key colors for this season were poppy and lime, much like one sees in the stores, but in more classic styles. It was a nice break in the day which was otherwise rainy, dull and dreary--- filled it with color and company!

Delaying the task

I have a couple choices here---to write or to vacuum some floors. Yes, I will sit and write for a bit. The vacuum cleaner isn't going anywhere, nor is the 'girt', as Timmy used to say. This a.m. was spent doing much writing as I wrote and sent notes to three different addresses plus readied a birthday greeting for my friend, Gretchen. I cannot WAIT for her to open my card!!!

My lunch consisted of the last of my wonderful sloppy joes made on Sunday (I think it was Sunday....). Got three meals from a pound of hamburger. I make a mean sloppy joe, and that is it! I have another portion or two left of the chicken and dumplings which will serve me well for my dinner tonight. 

                                    

Tomorrow my plans are to have lunch with Lisa B., who used to attend GS with me and now goes to Victory. I am so looking forward to our first time having lunch together. She said I get to choose the place so I think I will suggest we go to Longhorn on Fleming Island. The county policemen are serving and I like to go when they are doing the table waiting. Went last year with Betty and Robin C. for this same type of event. 

This a.m. I found myself awake far to early so after checking in on Facebook, I managed to turn over and go back to sleep for about an hour. It seems that was not quite enough, or was not sound enough a sleep for me. Once I remake my bed after washing the sheets, a nice nap might be in order. 

When I went to the laundry room to put my laundered sheets into the dryer, I found a load yet in the dryer. It seems the dryer stopped before the items were entirely dry last week. I put them in the washer on the rinse cycle to freshen them again, for another ride in the dryer. If there is one thing I cannot stand, it's smelly towels!

Another thing I had trouble standing was the accumulation of insects in the webs on my windows. Fortunately, against what I expected to happen, the wind the last two days has removed much of the collection making my view less buggy. For that I am most thankful. See? It really takes little to make me happy---which brings me back to having to run the vacuum cleaner...

It's a dress up day!

Yesterday as I walked up to Chili's for our after worship lunch, I told the man holding the door how glad I was to not have worn a dress. Man, it was so windy! He laughed and said he was glad he wasn't wearing a dress either...Good thing he was not wearing a toupee or it would have gone flying. Whee!

                         This is what the parking lot looked like again today

Today it is just as windy, up to 30 mile an hour gusts, but fortunately, at this writing, the rains have ended. All the cars had to park on one side of the parking lot for Bible study as the lot was again flooded from all night's rain. Ethel picked up Gretchen which was nice as Gretchen doesn't care to drive in the rain. It was so very windy as well, which would have added even more excitement for coming across the bridge. 

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Yesterday's worship was so emotional again, as we recognize Good Shepherd Sunday. I knew the hymns were coming, and we had rehearsed some of them in choir, but yet, they caught me. The reading from Revelation 7 has been known to put me away and then we sang a canticle with the choir based on this Scripture. I told Robbie I had to sing it without reading the words in order to get through it! Those pictures of heaven blow me away..."how my heart yearns within me".

In chatting later with Linda, and with Lisa, I was not alone with the waterworks. Linda remarked that their sermon was so good and the hymns were especially moving for her. The friend she was sitting with wondered if she was alright and Linda assured Joanie she was fine, just fine. Linda told me she couldn't wait to tell Pastor today how much she got from the sermon.

My niece, Lisa, wrote about sitting in church where her sons go to school, as Manny had to sing with his class that day. There was a guest musician and right off the bat sang, "I'm But A Stranger Here". This put Lisa away as she recalled hearing our friend, Pastor Prange, sing this hymn acapella at Timmy's burial. 

A few years after Timmy's death Lisa presented me with a counted cross-stitched piece showing Timmy in Jesus' arms. On the back she had attached the text for the hymn mentioned above. When I had it reframed a year or so ago, Dee made sure to attach the hymn to the back of the new framing. Yes, Good Shepherd Sunday was a day for mourning, and for rejoicing in what awaits us in heaven.

It's been this type of day....

From a friend:

Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport as the daughter's departure had been announced. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the mother said:

"I love you and I wish you enough."

The daughter replied, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom." They kissed and the daughter left.

The mother walked over to the window where I sat. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry.

I tried not to intrude on her privacy but she welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?" "Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me for asking but why is this a forever good-bye?"

"I am old and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is the next trip back will be for my funeral," she said.

When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, "I wish you enough." May I ask what that means?" 

She began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone." She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail and she smiled even more. 

"When we said 'I wish you enough' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them". Then turning toward me, she shared the following, reciting it from memory,

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye."

She then began to cry and walked away.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person. An hour to appreciate them. A day to love them. And an entire life to forget them.

I wish you all 'enough'!

I need my windows washed!

Oh, I am so ready to have my windows washed!! UGH! As if the cobwebs were not bad enough, now the webs hold thousands of these dead, teeny bugs that were trying to get into my house. This is just so gross, right next to my head and in my view to the river. Not sure if even wind would move this web along. The rain has not even affected this drape of insects. What I need are some of those crazy birds which like to snack on just such tasty creatures, but the birds make me wacky too when they flap around my head!

This is not a picture of the river and grey skies but rather of the webs of bugs draping my windows! The insects are attracted to the lamp on my ledge, used when at the desk at night.

See the gob of bugs just below the horizon line? Gross!

A tense situation

For over 12 hours I have been glued to the set, figuratively speaking, or listening to the radio, following the news in Boston and surrounding areas. Starting early this a.m. Kerry and I were chatting about the events which had unfolded during the night regarding the two suspects in the bombings in Boston. Kerry, and as it turned out, two of my other sisters, were up well before me and watching this play out. That's what I get for sleeping!

It seemed that once their photos were flashed around, these two guys were easily identified. In the local paper here, a man from Jax Beach, who was in the race, actually provided one of the photos used in the press conference. He said it didn't occur to him at first how strange it was for that guy to drop that bag there until after it exploded. Just a few feet from the little boy who was blown to bits...

                          

People like this, these radical Islamists, if this proves to be true, have veils over their hearts, not allowing them to feel compassion or sensitivity for others. Their judgement is clouded by the mission, to kill the infidels (believers) or is clouded by the hatred they have for mankind. One thing about this event, the bombings, and the terrible fire in Texas, is that people are once again praying, hopefully to the one True God, who is our only hope and our only refuge!