Here comes the sun!

I can't express how badly I need the sun shine! My joy is being affected these days so between the sun shine and the approaching visit of my dear ones, I should return to full blown joy any time now. I may be having a bit of caffeine withdrawal, or at least, Diet Coke withdrawal, because I recently began incorporating water into my daily routine---again.

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Last year before my trip to Greece and Turkey, I was down to only one can of Diet Coke a day, which is simply amazing. Of course, being on the cruise ruined it for me, rather, I ruined it for me, got myself right back to where I was consumption-wise. Now, there really is no reason NOT to drink it, soda, that is, but I don't wish to exclude all other forms of hydration in the process.

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It appears I'm writing my Greek-styled run-on sentences again, probably because, as Robbie told me once, I write like I talk! Tarren sent a "Comment" last night from Janesville (thank you!!!) where they are gathered with family in celebration of her in-law's 50th anniversary. She reports Lucas is being the charmer of the event, making everyone in the restaurant smile! Funny, but one time Jackie, a member at the church, described Lucas' grandfather Vance as being "a charmer", in her Bronx accent. That only occurred to me when I typed it about Lucas! You guys know now for what you are in store!

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It is a busy day today with worship and Holy Communion, followed by the New Member Welcome which is my baby. I have to pick up the cake at 10:00 a.m. and pizzas are being delivered at 11:45 a.m. We usually run long on H. C. Sundays and I didn't want to stretch out the delivery until noon, in case the pizza man ran late or something. Pastor is having a meeting after church with the parents of the confirmands so has need of at least 3 pizzas for that group. One of our ladies supposed to be feted this morning is in the hospital due to a stroke so Pastor is going to take her a piece of the cake when he calls on her this afternoon. And I thought I had a busy day!!!!

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Once things are cleaned up after the Welcome (excuse me, I am NOT the fellowship lady!!!) I am coming back home to enjoy some poolside time with my lady friends. But only if the rain holds off. Seems we just get ourselves settled and it starts to pour! Last night I joined them, plus a few new faces, at a Jimmy Buffett Night event at OPCC. That's the second time I've been there this month, once for the Debutante party and now this. I hadn't been there since Pete and Tarren's wedding, I think, and now twice in a month's time!

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The McCauley's were there having dinner, too, and Rick commented he's seen me more in the last couple months than he has in 5 years! It's true! If you recall, he's the man who delivered Timmy on January 19, 1996 and attended his funeral on January 19, 2001. Makes you just wanna gulp, doesn't it?

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I left home relatively early yesterday morning, making a couple stops before heading to meet Justin. I'd hoped to be finished at the cemetery before the big funeral procession arrived but my timing was off, which I hated! There's not so much cleaning up to do anymore since our personal items have been removed, so I only swept the marker and plucked the dried fronds and dead gladiolas from the vase. The summer heat is brutal on the bouquets, then add to that the pounding rains, not good for the flowers.

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From there I headed over toward Regency Square where I was meeting Justin, actually driving right up to the place! I came in from the east rather than west which puts an entirely different prospective on the situation. Arriving about 30 minutes earlier than Justin (I thought we'd said to meet at 1:30) I did some farding before going to sit on a bench to wait for Justin. (Linda: are you rolling on the floor???). Oh, this is so funny!!!!! Tommy caught me farding at the Twin Fountains restaurant before going in for Alayna and Dustin's confirmation party, and called me on it!! Oh, that Rush anniversary brings back many fond memories for me!

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Justin and I saw "Mamma Mia" together, he treated me with a birthday gift card he'd gotten. I popped for the snacks. This theater had a smaller sized popcorn cup for me, which was still too big, but less wasteful than the small bag I get at my theater. We shared the big cup of Diet Coke and he enjoyed some Reeses' Pieces, totally off his diet. Justin never liked chocolate and peanut butter together but he seems to have gotten over that. I tried a couple nuggets but they just aren't my favorite, making it quite easy to refuse. Justin enjoyed the movie, his first time and my second, and darn it if I didn't cry again in the same spot! I was really trying not to but her song is about saying good-bye to people and it just moves me!

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Next week we are going to see the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants II" which is filmed in Santorini. He is quite excited about this one because he wants to see all the places he's been to, perhaps even our friend, Jeanne's, shop and bistro! The previews show the donkeys climbing up the mountainside which really just brings it all back for us. Of course, each time I've been there we've taken the trolley instead of putting any donkeys in danger...I was always afraid they'd try to throw a saddle on me and make me carry people up the hill!!!

*This is Jeanne, working in the bistro across from her shop

Following the movie we headed over to Victory for church. Justin more quickly exited the parking lot than did I so arrived at church well ahead of me. We enjoy the Saturday evening services, get to see the same folks often and hear the grand piano being played. Linda O. and her daughter were there but couldn't stay to chat as they, too, were heading off to the movies. They chose "Mummy" since Linda had already seen "Mamma Mia", and longs to head back to that part of the world, as well. It affected me that way, too.

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Time to head over to church and get things ready for the big event. Other people not going to church this morning include those on the approximately 15 floating vessels in the river in front of me. Perhaps they worshipped last night, too!

I forgot to mention something......

My dear friend, Judy R., in Winona was going to attend the closing service at the Worship Conference on Thursday. I am excited to hear how it went, how beautiful it was, and who she saw there. I asked her to look for Pastor Hahm from F. G., Manitowc, and for Pete Prange and Robbie Douglas. What are the chances that she actually "ran into" them? For the average bear, I'd say slim to none, but with Judy, well, it's quite possible she found someone we'd have in common!!!!

I am stubbornly waiting for comments, you guys!

There, I just scolded my readers, that's always a wise move!

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Well, I no sooner wrote the title of my posting when a comment rolled in from Linda J.! Good for you, Linda, and thanks for sharing my sentiments.

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One of my readers in the Houston area, Rosalie, has troubles posting comments, as Linda just told me she had, and I can perhaps talk you through it. At the end of the posting, there is a line with the words "0 Comments" or another number besides "0". Simply click on the word Comments and a box will open on the next page where you'll type in your message to the posting. You can always check your spelling and grammar before sending it off. Toward the bottom, beneath the Comment box, there will be a place where you can either establish an account, putting in your name and a password, or simply click the "Anonymous" button and off it goes! If you sign your name in the Comment box, I'll know who it's from. Give it a try, please.......

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Jami, in Amarillo, told me about getting a blog visit counter but when I've tried to get it activated, it never showed up. I tried a couple times, and perhaps will try again some other time. She uses one on her blogsite, Cat's Meow, and I'm amazed at how many readers she has and from where they are, all over the USA!

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Where is the sun this morning? Last night when Lisa called from Sheboygan, she called to report how Jesus was smiling down on them, just after a thunder storm passed through. That's always "our" expression, when the sun's rays are peaking through the dark clouds, Jesus is smiling down on us. She reported the sky to the west was quite threatening with more storms to come, but told me they had candles and flashlights at the ready in case they lose power again. She has to keep the laptop fully charged in order to play videos for the boys to help them get to sleep, so they aren't upset about the blackout.

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One of Justin's favorite things to do when he was younger (and still today!) was speculate about how he'd spend lottery money if he won. His first thing was always to buy a pipe organ for our church. Pete Prange would remind him that we also would need someone able to play it! Of all the things we need now at church, a pipe organ would be way down on the list, but in his young mind, we needed one. Attending worship in Manitowoc at our "home" church, we would get tears in our eyes hearing the magnificence of that organ and it's playing of the hymns, particularly at Christmas.

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Not too long ago, Justin commented that if he won the lottery, he'd buy a security system and central air conditioning for Lisa and family. He's seen an advertisement where a man kicks the door in when the woman was alone in the house, or perhaps it was the one where the couple is sleeping in their new home for the first time and a bad guy comes to break in. The alarm goes off and all are safe. Justin wants that for Lisa and the boys, when they are home alone at night when Noah is at work. I think he also wanted to put air conditioning in Jill's house, too, but can't say for sure. He just cares so much about Lisa's boys------AND IT'S ONLY TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY WHEN THEY COME DOWN HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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There, I've collected myself--whew! I am more than a little excited and also a bit stressed because of my pledge to get my paper mess cleared away in my bedroom/office. I had to set a goal for myself and that is the one I picked. Ew!!! I'm going to guess it's more a matter of storage than anything else, but I have that lovely closet, re-done only last year, which I can incorporate into some storage for non-clothing/bathroom items, right? It's my closet, I can do whatever I wish!

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This does not mean simply moving from pillar to post, however. I will file what needs to be filed, sort what needs sorting (mostly church papers) and put books on the appropriate shelves, etc. I won't recognize my room without the extra table piled full, since at least May of last year when my remodeling was completed and I moved back into my room. The table came with me and stayed pretty well piled, almost as though that's where the "stuff" belongs! I go back and forth on this issue, as some of you have already heard, because, on the one hand, it's a wretched mess and needs to be dealt with.......but, on the other hand, I'm the only one I need to answer to, so............................................My motivation is, other than my pledge to have it done before Lynn, Lisa and the gang get here, is that I'd hate to leave such a mess for Justin and others to dig through in case something terrible happened to me. I am sooooo considerate of others, aren't I?????????????

I'm having a great trip down memory lane!

For those of you who are not Rush fans, you will probably not appreciate this post so much, but for me, it's a hoot!

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Rush is celebrating his 20th anniversary in syndication and we are being treated to highlights of shows over the years. On the way home from lunch with Justin, I even got tears in my eyes when he mentioned and then re-played the show which started "Dan's Bake Sale" back in 1993. Dan had called in to sort of ask for a free subscription to the newsletter since his wife wouldn't allow him to purchase it himself. His friend photocopied his newsletter and then mailed it to Dan, which is really not lawful, copy write-wise. At this time in our nation's life, it was all the rage to have a bake sale, especially kids, and then send the money in to Pres. Clinton to help pay down the national debt. A real "feel good" movement. So, when Rush heard this poor man's lament about not having money to buy his own subscription, he encouraged Dan to have his own bake sale!

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Well, this opened a wellspring of calls, supporting the bake sale in Fort Collins, CO, including printers in NJ offering to make posters and T-shirts for the event, a billboard company in CO donated a billboard, a famous restaurant in New Orleans offered the services of their chef to go to the bake sale and make his delicious foods. It simply mushroomed and became a huge success, with folks from all over the USA and other countries showing up for his bake sale. Estimates were upwards of 80,000 people and Rush even flew out there to make an appearance. Dan sold out his personal baked goods in less than 5 minutes but there was plenty available to purchase, being donated from all over the place. Rush presented Dan with his very first legitimately obtained issue of the newsletter. It was awesome at the time, to hear the reports about it and such, and it was stirring to hear it replayed today.

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The part which actually brought tears to my eyes was when "Mick from the hills in New Mexico" a regular caller, called in to report he was going to the Bake Sale and taking roasted poodles, 2 cats, 3 goats, and a small pony. Of course, he was only fooling around, but he did offer "mother" to make some Indian bread to sell at the sale. I remember when Mick died and how moved Rush was when someone from his family called to let him know Mick wouldn't be calling anymore....but told Rush how important his program was to Mick.

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He is also playing clips of when Calypso Louis had his so-called "Million Man March" in Washington and ended up far fewer than a million. The clips flash back to when Farrakhan was going on and on about everything adding up to 19 (I can't help but chuckle even thinking about it!!!) and the faces of the audience wondering what in the world was he talking about??? 19??? What is the connection with anything? How tall are the presidents' statues? 19 feet tall. If you add the third president's number to the 16th president, you get 19! What????? It was so weird, so very out there, and no one really understood the significance of his speech. Supposedly Obama was there for the speech--I wonder if he knew what it was about?????

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This is so fun to listen to the accolades pouring in from different folks, some dignitaries, some are from politics, many are sports people who have been friends of his for many years, all sorts of connections. I wonder if Benjamin Netanyahu called in with a greeting. He was given a personal tour in Jerusalem by him several years ago.

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Oh, oh, oh, President Bush is on the phone right now, live, calling with Bush #41 and Jeb Bush, "fixin' to have some lunch" and decided to call in and say congrats to Rush!! #41 just gave him some advice---slow down your back swing! Always good advice! They are up in Maine for the weekend, hanging out with "Mom and Dad" before heading over to China. #41 just said the whole family is lined up to speak with Rush and give him their best, fans all! Rush was just blown away by this phone call!

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I remember when my former spouse came home one day and said, "You just have to listen to this guy on the radio. He's a bit arrogant, but is right on." This was from the same man who commented, when WISN in Milwaukee was going to an "all talk" format, that it would never last. We started listening to Rush during the start of the first Gulf War and I've been a fan ever since. One day our lumber salesman called me at home to ask if I'd heard Rush's announcement about his hearing loss, and I said I was listening with "half an ear", no pun intended. This was in 2001 when I was no longer in the office every day but listened at home over the surround sound system, even outside.

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This makes me think about Justin and his sudden hearing loss, which is nearly a year old now. Every now and again we'll hear about someone else who's experienced this same thing as Justin, including a friend of Julia's who is a band instructor! Man!

A friend of mine, not in the ice cream business!

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/slideshows/072908/310639750/slide2.shtml

The above link is to an article in local paper which was discussing the use of more fuel efficient police cruisers in the JSO. The photo, although not really his very best "side", is of Mark Dorner, son of my dear friend, Martie. His son is Little Mark, whom I've pictured in my blog in recent weeks. It's just fun to see people I know in the newspaper, which I get on-line instead of in paper form, in a positive light. Mark used to be partners with our church member, Brad, for many years, but they've since been "repositioned" due to the increase in crime and task forces being established. They miss each other and it was comforting to us knowing they were covering each other's backs.

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In the mail today I found a lovely, hand-made card from my friend, Linda. She sent me two articles of particular insight she knew I'd enjoy, cut from periodicals. The first article is about a chaplain who in a weeks' time experienced numerous, numerous events and tragedies in his own family and extendeds. Sickness, crime, surgeries, eviction, failed business, problems were mounting all around him.

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As he was preparing himself for a worship service, he sat in the front row of church, realizing he wasn't "all there" for this. He states in reading his prepared text that the words seemed to ring hollow and held no meaning. Ordinarily he'd pray for guidance, support, comfort, praise to the Lord, but that day, nothing. He was blank. A parishioner noticed the chaplain was struggling with something and sat next to him, encouraging the chaplain to pray. Later, as the chaplain preached, starting at first choppily, and then more smoothly, he was considering a passage from Isaiah 40 where it speaks about the believers will soar like eagles, will have their strength renewed by Him, will run without getting tired and walk without feeling faint. Perfect!

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This man goes on to write about how some times we are better suited than other times to deal with crisis, facing it head on, running straight through it, or flying over the top of it on eagle's wings. The chaplain reports that he was relieved, under all these circumstances, simply that he did not faint! Sometimes, that's all we can ask for!!! Awesome story, Linda, thanks for sending it!

It's nearly time for me to leave but....

....a few lines before I exit the building! Just before I sat down here I went door to door with the The Palace Press newsletter, hot off the printer. Well, only some of them were, since I'd printed the majority yesterday. I stapled and folded them when Twila and I scrapbooked, of course, while it was pouring rain again! Every time she comes to crop, it rains like the dickens!

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I was still short a few copies of the newsletter so had to run some more and those are the ones I'll deliver before heading over to church for a meeting. It is also my opportunity to serve, this week as the church cleaner. It makes sense to do this when I'm already there rather than make another trip over just to vacuum. The meeting is about establishing a Christian elementary school with plans for a representative from the Synod coming down to speak to us this fall. He's a guy I went to grade school and high school with, and have offered to let him stay here if he wishes to.

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Oh, there goes a red boat just like mine, zooming past the breakwater! Man! I am not sad to have sold the boat but do miss being out on the water. One of my neighbors has a pair of jet skis stored just down the river from here but hasn't had them out in ages. He's recovering from a knee damaging accident so is not about to go scrambling around trying to get them running. I never rode on the river with ours, always in the lake. On a night like this one, it's as calm as can be.

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There's a bit of a pall over the building/real estate community this week, with the death of an area builder. I've wondered aloud sometimes if the Lord ever grows weary of hearing from me about real estate and the building industry, and I pray the answer to that question is "NO!!". The market affects people we don't even realize being affected, as one lady told me today, families make the decision between having their kids' teeth straightened or take their pets to the vet. Hopefully, they take the kids over the pets, but you can see where this is going. At some point these same people may have to decide between the braces and perhaps education or medical expenses.......On the bright side, there is some indication that the market is picking up a bit so I think I'll continue speaking to God about the housing market and related industries, okay?

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More later.......

I'm falling down on the job here....

I've heard from a couple people remarking about the lack of a newsy post the past few days. Sorry 'bout that! Is it because there is no news? No news is good news.....Or is because I've been doing other things which kept me from my machine?

I've had some lengthy e-mail communications with peoples around the USA plus finished the writing of the newsletter for The Palace. It's sitting here in front of me, awaiting staples. I'll do that as soon as the ladies get here for scrap booking. I usually have some busy work to do when I am not in the midst of an album. My recent project, after adding the pages to Justin's album, is the trip to Greece and Turkey from last year. That reminds me, I need to print off some more pictures....

I purchased this carpet in Istanbul, simply because I loved it! I thought I'd use it in my bedroom since the colors worked but after I decided to move my studio junque into a spare room, the carpet works perfectly in the river room!!!

Twila just called to ask me about bringing sandwiches or something to nosh on while we "work". Yummy! Jen called to report she couldn't make it because she had too many children today, since her stepson's mom hadn't called yet about picking him up. It's too hard to work on a project like this with kids running around and getting into things, and she realized that. Jen did say it was thundering pretty good out Middleburg way so I hope Twila gets here before the heavens open!

Too late! It's pouring rain. I hope Justin isn't out driving in this, he is really hesitant about driving in the rain since he did his spin out. Yesterday he took his car in for detailing and it looks so very nice, almost like new! The good news was the cleaners found his missing set of keys so now he can get into my house on his own and into his mailbox. He thought they were lost in his messy bedroom and not in the car! He said he upgraded the oil change I bought him, having his fuel injector cleaned, too. They showed him the filthy smoke pouring out of the tail pipe when they put the additive into his car. It was black and then eventually became clear, so I guess that's a good thing.

He came after work, got showered and dressed. We met some church family at Cracker Barrel where he was able to have some grilled chicken fingers in keeping with his weight loss program. I got his green beans to bring home, love those beans! Half of my food came home too. Justin joined us at Bible study which was lovely and when it was over, he left to meet the guys for bowling. Busy, busy, busy! The first thing he says to me when I speak with him is that he's tired......why would that be??

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Pastor asked me to help write and distribute a letter to our VBS families inviting them to Sunday school when it begins in late August. He's going to get me the information and then I can go to work. Next Wednesday Leeane and I are going door knocking to some of the families of the VBS kids, encouraging them to come to worship, etc. This is exciting work to do!

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My poor niece, Lisa, took another tumble on her stairs recently and is doctoring for a bruised and swollen lower back and sit down area. I hope she's feeling better by the time they get here in August. Yesterday I was on the phone and e-mail with folks, making plans for a get-together of people that Lisa wants to spend time with and introduce her hubby. Over the years Lisa would come for visits both before and since she was married as well as for Timmy's funeral, and grew quite fond of our friends. Many of them worked for us at the time but are now simply heart friends. Lisa is so much like me, it's scary---no, it's not!!!!

We are planning on this being a pool party and hopefully the weather agrees.

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Tuesday I am going to Middleburg to have lunch with Brenda W. and then get my toe nails worked on by her daughter-in-law. They look terrible but I've been holding off on repairs until after our water aerobics class is wrapped up. The class is very hard on our polish, even with water shoes on!