A double birthday

On the way to Bible study this morning I stopped at the 'new' Dunkin Donuts and got myself a Diet Coke and bought doughnuts for the class. The bottle I got had the name Abraham on it which made me laugh. I'd expect something more common like Steven or Brian but I suppose in order to be inclusive, we have to throw in a different one once in a while. We are studying Isaiah so that would have been funnier yet if it said "Isaiah" on it!

Pastor Huebner did a good job with leading our class, filling in for Pastor Hoyer. Since he is not a usual participant in the class, he was not aware of the dynamic so really did his level best keeping us on track. When Harold and Lucy came in, they also had doughnuts. We had a mess of them and many in our group do not partake. I don't mind taking some home and sometimes Lucy sends goodies home with me. Today, though, she took me to the side and suggested I mark my calendar....on the first Thursday of the month she brings the doughnuts. It was all I could do to not smile because she was so serious about it. Of course, I promised to mark the calendar so I didn't overlap with them. They get their monthly check at the beginning of the month which allows them to treat us for Bible study. Sure don't want to take that away from them. She is so precious, that Lucy!

Because of going to dinner tonight I didn't go out to the pool after getting home. I hate to miss it but time was better spent indoors. Tonight I gathered with friends for two birthday celebrations. Maggie O., Pat G., Ellen P., Marissa, and I enjoyed casual grille night. Ellen had a birthday in July and Marissa's is this week. She is Maggie O.'s daughter, who is a former teacher and now an attorney in family law. Marissa and Ellen's daughter were good friends in school so these ladies have known each other for a long, long time. I am the newbie to the group but am the one to make the arrangements for our gatherings.  And, I am glad to do it! Not only did I bring home more than half of my meal but also half of Ellen's steak! It was a lovely evening and the leftovers will feed me at least twice more. I am so glad to have them!!

This was my view as I walked home tonight. Cotton candy clouds behind The Palace

Laughing with my boy

Pastor Hoyer sent me an e-mail to tell me which chapter of Isaiah we are studying tomorrow and that we are having a substitute teacher. This time it's not Cary but a retired pastor who is part of their congregation----Pastor Huebner. Phil and Anne are going to Sarasota to be with her parents as her dad is having a pace maker put in. Dolly no longer drives so Anne and Phil will be there to drive her back and forth plus be with Jim for his procedure. I am sure Pastor Huebner will do just fine trying to keep us reined in!

This morning I had an interesting conversation via FB with a friend who summers in Manty and lives the other 9 months here in FL. She was telling me how the local radio station reported Lake Michigan's water to be 68 degrees. She said she'd love to see me swimming in water that cold temperature. I related to her how Mom and I had just talked about how we kids would swim in that cold water and not worry about it. My mom also grew up living right on the lakeshore and swam in the ice cold lake. I am wondering if the water is colder now than it was back then or if people were tougher....

My pool water is nice and warm, at least high 80's, as was the air temp for our water exercise class. Clear sunny skies really make a difference for keeping the pool warmer and it feels so good on our shoulders which are out of the water during class. Some of us sat and visited poolside after class but others had places to be so headed on out. It's hard to go inside on so lovely a day, particularly since so many have ended abruptly with those goofy rain storms. 

Justin and I ate dinner at home tonight, polishing off some leftovers. I decided to not go over to The Club for Happy Hour, since my friend, Kathy H., is gone to Chicago. My poor guy is dead on his feet these days, the heat and trying to beat the rain really takes its toll on the guys. Anyway, while watching Jeopardy!, Justin looked up and said, "Oh, your boyfriends are here to watch you change clothes again..." Sure enough, there was the boat that pulls up around this time regularly. Justin thinks that is so darn funny and I think it's funny that he does. Pretty soon these guys should realize they are too early---I don't get ready for bed until much later and they have already headed for home. Their loss! 

Good 'scents'

This morning it was gloomy and overcast, not a good day for going out to the pool for class. Instead of suiting up, I went instead to the closet for real clothes. I had to go to the Island to drop off items off at a real estate office. When I walked into the office with my donations, I was met by the smell of drywall dust and compound, as remodeling was going on. It brought back all kinds of memories for me including being in business for all those years up to the repairs made in my unit after The Great Flood.

When I got back, I met my neighbors, Kathy, and her mom, Betty, waiting for Gary to pick them up to go shopping.  I got into the elevator, smelling their perfume on my face as we'd embraced in the lobby. Betty still wears Jean Nate and I only know this because Kathy told me. It is a distinctive scent, and it lingers. Unless I would wash my face, their combined fragrances would stay with me for hours, which is not a terrible thing.

Because it was a gloomy day, I guessed no one would show up for water exercise class. When I came back from my errand run, I saw a couple ladies standing in the parking lot. Pat A. had sent me a text message asking if I'd heard from Marlena as apparently the participants were there but no leader. I hope she did show up for these braver ladies and gentleman. 

For his birthday, Justin had requested a batch of Chex party mix, with no nuts. A little after the fact, I got busy in the kitchen today and made a couple batches---one for him, no nuts, and one for me with mixed nuts. Our upstairs neighbor, Debbie, had given us a lovely gift box of nuts for Christmas and this was the end of them. I am surprised at how much I loved the macadamias in the mix. Less pleased with the almonds, because they put up a fight when eating them. In the process of making these batches, our cabinets are now freed of three cereal boxes and the fridge free of the nuts. 

My batch is on the left and Justin's in on the right

When I got done with this project, not all that time consuming, my rooms smelled wonderfully from the aromas used in making the mix. The Worcestershire sauce and the seasonings blended together and filled my nose and memories as well. On Facebook I wrote that my house now smelled like Christmas. It did not smell of chestnuts roasting or of pine trees, but it did have the memory-bearing aroma of party mix. When Justin got home from work, he announced immediately that the house did indeed smell like Christmas. Being such a gloomy day, you'd have sworn it was winter! And now it smelled that way, too. 

Pizza by moonlight

This morning I enjoyed water exercise class with the group and spent some time afterward with the ladies, basking in the warm. Today was buffet day in The Club so a couple of us partook. Marlena gave us foam boxes to venture into the buffet area to fill our boxes and then come back outside to dine. We couldn't eat inside due to being 'out of uniform' for the dining room. Meatloaf day is my favorite, followed closely by fried chicken day. I love their meatloaf, and was able to load my box sufficiently with the meatloaf and mashed potatoes!

This afternoon I put the finishing touches on the church newsletter and got that sent off, not a moment too soon! My printer was busy making the copies for my chosen few who don't have computers and like to have the color copies. The others in the congregation who don't have computers get copies printed off black on white, an abridged edition, with the photos and graphics removed.  It's not quite the same, but serves the purpose.

Justin and I had a delicious pizza delivered for our dinner tonight. He had a coupon for the salted pretzel crusted pizza from Pizza Hut. I loved it, great taste. Justin is okay with it, but I am definitely the more pretzel-minded fan in this house. He prefers the thin crust pizza while I am pan fan. Ha ha, a pan fan! But it was delicious and most reasonable with the coupon. We enjoyed our meal as it poured down rain outside. Oddly enough, the moon rose, full, over the river, while it was yet raining. I looked for a rainbow but it was sooo dark, couldn't make one out. 

Feeling Grumpy today!

This was a dandy way to begin my day, this gorgeous sunrise greeting me. Sometimes the sky makes it worthwhile getting out of bed!

After water exercise class, I joined Maggie O and Pat G at Grumpy's. They are both in the water exercise class, too, so we timed it perfectly for us all three to get our clothes changed and on our way to dine. I have a gift certificate from the CO kids to use, which will last me a long while, as they are generous. I got my usual cheeseburger and fries, and Maggie got her usual which is quiche. She LOVES their quiche. Pat had the mixed salad plate with chicken salad, egg salad, and tuna salad on it. All of us happy!

The ladies were going shopping after we finished, as they are in charge of obtaining props for a play being put on by a local theater group. They have the most fun job, but it can also be frustrating if they can't find exactly what they are looking for. They will hit the thrift shoppes and resale stores, much like Nancy W. does. She would be a good one to take on such a hunt!  

This afternoon I got myself busy putting the finishing touches on the church newsletter, as always, waiting for the last minute submissions. While I was doing that, I was also watching/listening to the Synod convention proceedings going on in Saginaw, MI. I sure do know how to have a good time!!  

Justin made me laugh again today---he came into the house and announced that he won a bet today. I asked how much he won and he said $300. And with whom did he bet? Himself!!  He bet that he would find a half of a cheeseburger in the fridge when he got home and sure enough, there it was! I must be predictable or something. He said he didn't see my check-in on Facebook that I was at Grumpy's either, so this was a legitimate bet. Good for him being such a safe better!

Fun with my friends

It was a gorgeous day this morning with a cloudless sky, perfect for exercise class. We have had fewer of these type of days this summer which is most unusual. It's unfortunate that we are having too much rain when areas of the country, namely CA, are longing for rain. That is the way weather patterns go sometimes so we get too much and others none at all. But, today, we were able to have our class and have full sunshine. 

Immediately after class wrapped up, though, I had to bustle myself in and get my clothes changed. Nancy W. and I were meeting Maureen (Mo) for lunch at The Club and then doing our school supply transfer. Nancy brought her stuff to my house, pulling her gardening wagon behind her. Brilliant!!  We ladies had a marvelous lunch inside The Club, something new for Mo. She gets her meals out at the cabana otherwise, like I do all summer long. 

Following lunch, Mo drove her car over here and met us at the elevator. This was her first ever visit to my home, but not for lack of being asked. Whenever I've had something, Ro and she would be otherwise occupied. With both of them working and having 8 kids plus grandbabies, yes, they are busy!  Anyway, she was entirely blown away by the school supplies Nancy and I had for her. We loaded all of them into Nancy's wagon and they took the stuff down to Mo's car. Good thing Nancy kept those boxes so the items were corralled for the short drive home. 

This evening Justin and I were happy to eat at home, finishing off our leftovers from Mojo's and The Club, plus what he brought home from Pam's house Sunday. She made him an enormous cake covered with candy. There were gummy Lifesavers, Skittles, M & M's, and other decorative candies on the top and sides of the cake. It covered a glass serving tray, huge!!  We'll be eating on that for a week!  

Justin just tears me up sometimes!!  As we were watching Jeopardy! after dinner, he looked up and saw this boat pulling up outside our windows. He jokingly said, "Your boyfriends are here to watch you change your clothes..." Oh, how I laughed!!! I've said that in the past, how boats and helicopters come by, waiting to see me change clothes in my unshuttered room. These guys were a bit too early though, and by the time I was getting ready for bed, they were gone. Still makes me laugh, the deadpan way he announced this to me. Such a card!

Here's a hug from me to you!

Many many months after finally getting Justin's hug framed, it has been hung. It took a tiny man to do it, too. I will back up a bit with this....Last week I encountered by old buddy, Butch, who was on the property doing some work for one of my neighbors. For those who don't know, it was Butch who was working on my plumbing when the Great Flood occurred. Anyway, I had several fluorescent light bulbs out in the kitchen and asked Butch if he would have time to switch the bulbs out for me. Connie had given me the bulbs she had, extras, for him to use.

He came up after lunch and determined that the bulbs were not the correct size and that several of the ballasts were burned out. They were special sized ones and Butch told me he'd go to Lowe's and order the right ones plus pick up the bulbs right away. He'd come back when the parts came in. All of a sudden, he showed up at my door this morning to do the work. That was quick! He got busy switching out the ballasts and was having a dilly of a time of it, causing me to be nervous, of course. Changing bulbs and changing ballasts are two different things! He is only a hair taller than me and climbs around like a little monkey. At last he got the ballasts installed and the lights worked, all around the kitchen. That is the first time in years, I think!

Because Butch had his ladder with him, I asked him if he would please hang up a piece of art for me. He was more than glad to do so. Justin is not a fan of heights, despite being so tall, and therefore the art piece has been sitting in my room, propped against the dresser for months. Butch measured, marked, nailed and got the art piece hung up in a few moments' time. And I am so happy! 

This is Justin's hug from pre-k, where the kids were practicing their scissor skills. The poem written on the outstretched arms, traced by his teacher, says:  Here's a hug from me to you, wrap it around you when you feel blue." His even has an orange yarn bracelet on it for some reason which adds some flare to the hug. His brother's hug hangs above the door on the opposite side of the room so no matter where I am in the room, I am hugged!

For dinner Justin and I went to eat at Mojo's on Fleming Island, both of us hungry for their brisket and I love their onion rings. It was a wonderful dinner and we managed to get ourselves home in time for Jeopardy! He was exhausted from working in the heat all day so after Jeppy he retired to his room, and I to mine. When I checked my Facebook page, I had gotten a message from a friend who is a teacher and vocal coach back in Manty. She sent me a video taken of her little guy, age 5, singing at the kitchen table. She thought I would like to see and hear it. Yes, yes, I do! 

From my bed, where I am presently lying, I can see both my hugs and even feel them...