Laugh, laugh, laugh

That is all that is going on here! Friday, Linda and I went to Scrap 'n Stuff where we met Kelly T. to scrap. We were scrappers!!! That name will come up again later, watch for it!

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Kelly was working on the decorations for the Ladies' Group brunch, pasting hearts onto lace paper placemats. She just adores my tag punch tool and used it to make tags which she attached to goody bags given to all the attendees. She did a fabulous job with the decorations and special centerpieces. Her daughter helped her out last night and again this morning.

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Linda made some Easter cards which her friends at "Ladies' of the Evening" group at First German will make for their shut-ins. They are simply gorgeous, with double stamping, multi-layered mattes, and pretty ribbon tying it all together. Nice! She makes up a couple prototypes of each card and then the ladies take their pre-cut kits and assemble the cards. Such a neat idea and thought-filled, too!

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The time just flew by and before we knew it, it was time to head home to rest up before going to the movies. We had chosen the movie at 4:50 pm and left home in plenty of time to allow for the great difficulty in finding a parking place. I dropped Linda off and she got the tickets while I parked the car. There was no problem finding seats in the theater and we got settled in to enjoy "New In Town". The premise was an up and coming female executive is called upon to visit a plant in none other than New Ulm, MN! Of course, the accent and mannerisms are largely overdone, but darn it, it was us! The opening scenes show four women sitting around a kitchen table doing what? Scrapping!!! The secretary at the corporation, as they drove down the road, asked the executive, "So, are you a scrapper?" We lost it, we just lost it! We noticed another pair of ladies alongside of us as we were leaving the theater and they asked us if we are from MN. We said we were from WI and she was from MN and knew we knew what was so funny. You had to be there, or be from there!!!!

Now I am comforted

Justin checked my tire when he went home on Wednesday night and called to tell me that it was getting pretty low again. This was not a surprise to me but it did make me sad because I absolutely need to have the utmost confidence in my car and its tires! I decided that in the a.m. I was calling David Victor back again to have him refill the tire and then head over to the dealership to get the tire checked out. I had asked Jen where her brother-in-law worked but his shop was more toward the airport so I decided to just stick with my dealership for the tire exam.

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I called Griffin Ford and they said to just come in when the tire is re-filled, that I did not need to fixed appointment (but I did need a "fix" appointment!). Linda decided to come with me and wait while the repair was being made so we could just go out and stay out. We had a nice chat while watching Fox News in the waiting area, but it did not take long for them to figure out that the culprit vexing my bliss was a nail in the tire. They plugged the hole and made it good again, for a slight cost of $10, out the door!

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I felt confident again in my car and off we were on our adventures. We took a ride through some of the areas where I had considered town houses IF I would have to sell my home in The Palace someday, and the headed for Wal-Mart. Earlier in the week I knew I would need a trip up there and asked Linda if I should wait until she got here to do that shopping. She wished to go, too, so we went together in order for me to replace some of my dainties. I also found a red sweater on the sale rack (see that, Mom???) as I did need something more to keep me warm these days. We got our recipe ingredients for the French toast we are making for Saturday's function plus a few other things Linda was hungry for, like yogurt raisins and fresh fruit.

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After our shopping adventure, we stopped in at Great Hang Ups to say "hi" and see who was available to have a bite with us. Dee and Julia took turns joining us at the table, which was the first time Linda had eaten tappan-style at Koko's. It seems the previous times were Sunday buffet or something, and she REALLY liked the meal. We ordered the dinner veggies for lunch and my personal chef always makes me an onion instead of veggies. They looked so good that I shared some of my onion with Linda. We took food home, of course, and Linda is eating her leftovers as I write.

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We spent some time with the ladies in the shop afterward and then headed home, forgetting totally about our planned stop at Scrap 'n Stuff. Once getting the majority of our purchases upstairs, we again wrapped in blankets and watched some more "Seinfeld". Occasionally my outbursts of laughter would shake Linda from her cat naps, but that was okay, too. There are just some things that really tickle my funny bone, the more outrageous the moment, the better. That is one reason I find "Apples to Apples" such a fun game---it begs the absurd!

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Before leaving the house yesterday morning, I had put my country-style ribs in a bath of bbq sauce and plugged in the slow-cooker to do its thing for our comfort foods dinner last night. We were expecting mac 'n cheese, mashed potatoes, my ribs, meatloaf, chicken 'n dumplins', and brownies. Yummy! Linda felt no dinner was complete without dinner rolls so we bought a couple tubes of biscuits which were fresh baked just in time to serve. Sadly, late afternoon, Betty called to say she was not feeling too great and had to miss the dinner. Too bad! Brenda N. had already given her regrets and then called me Wednesday to request prayers on behalf of her brother who was ICU. Ah, now it made sense.

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We had a nice full table of dear friends, though, all ladies except for one very handsome young man....as always, Justin! He loves all these ladies dearly and especially wanted the time with Linda before he left for his pirate adventure this weekend with Jesse and friends. Supposedly they are meeting his friend's fiances' parents down there who will house these creatures and provide seating for a pirate event that takes place annually. When I asked him for the names and phone number of the girl's parents, he said, "Mom............." just like I would say it!

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Back to the table----we ladies laughed and laughed and talked over the top of the others, and laughed some more. It was great! Not to worry, I had plenty of towels to go around in case we laughed too hard..........inside joke there.

As always happens, though, some people had to leave and then soon all were heading out the door. Like I told Linda, it makes me sad when the ladies go home because I want the party to go on and on. But, as Jimmie expressed to Brenda, it is a "school night" so they all had to go home and prepare for the last day of the week. The last day for those NOT in real estate, that is!

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One tragic thing did occur though----just as we were about to sit down to dinner, my phone rang, showing the name of my sister-in-law, Barb, in Green Bay. Thinking it may be about Arno, I took the call. She was calling to tell me that my nephew, Tommy, who is in the Army and stationed in KS, had killed himself. This was so surprising to me as I had just communicated with him at CHRISTmas and he was planning his marriage, and landscaping and such, seemed like he was settling down at bit. Evidently his father had contacted my former spouse with this information, informing him that Tommy had killed himself on or about the 27th of January. Yes, this info was shared on the 5th of February. Not what I would call a close family situation there....

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To my knowledge, I was the one on his mom's side of the family who had semi-regular contact with him any longer which his father most likely did not know. They were estranged since his mother died in late 2002, with minimal contact. Tragedy upon tragedy in that household. While I was talking with Barb, Justin got a call from his father, filling him on the same story. Justin said he did not know if his father knew I had been in communication with Tommy or not, but Nancy, my sister-in-law, knew it, as she called this a.m. to make sure I had heard the news. Her kids wanted to go to the funeral, once the body was returned to Detroit, under the guise of him "being family" but if he had walked in the front door of their home, they would not even know him. I took the opportunity to expound on the value of "living" family and instead of making the trip to Detroit, that they go visit the family that they do have (i.e. Sharon and Grandpa) and re-connect with their siblings/aunts/uncles/cousins!!! I cannot stress it enough, and I have done this in person as well as via e-mail how valuable it is to keep your family around you, physically if possible, every other way available!!!!! Hear me, and hear me well............

Drama and excitement just to get Linda here!

Oh, mercy me! Such drama trying to go to the airport! I shooed the window cleaner out the door and made my way downstairs to go get Linda. Oh, I was so excited about finally getting out the door after all the commotion in the morning! Justin and his co-worker were coming on their lunch break to put the glass shelf back in the window (too heavy and clumsy for me to do alone) and put my office back to rights. Good!

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As I pulled away and up the driveway, it sounded as though my car was running roughly which I attributed to being cold outside. Once I made the turn onto the street, something just did not sound right and I turned off the radio to hear better. Hmmm, what is that noise? As I got down to Kingsley and made the turn, I realized, finally!, that I should pull over and take a look at what was going on. Much to my dismay, I discovered my front right car tire was flat!!! Oh, no!!! First thing I did was call Linda's cell phone and left her a message about being late picking her up. Next, I called Judy J. to see if she could give me a lift to the airport to get Linda. Not to be, she was with another of the members at the Social Security office off Philips Highway. Nuts!

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Fortunately, I had signed up for AAA last year at the urging of my friend, Julia, and am so glad I did. The nice lady informed me that help was on the way and would be with me in less than 45 minutes. I had to stay with my car, however, which meant I would not be able to go get Linda until after my repair or spare put on. In the meantime, I called my friends, the Douglases, and sure enough, they could help me out. The car dealership said they could not "advise" me that it would be safe to use the spare for an airport run, so once the tire was changed, I was going to drive to Douglases & get Carol's car, leaving mine there. Perfect! Linda called to ask what the status was and I told her it would be at least one hour from when my car was fixed to when I would get her. Nuts again!

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I asked Linda to sit tight, or, if she did not wish to wait, she could look for a taxi. The next phone call I got from her, she was in the taxi and heading for my house! Yippee! The AAA guy was just great, made me laugh, telling me the travails of being a Puerto Rican, ending up with two first names! His parents could not decide, so he got both! David Victor, or Victor David, it didn't matter, it was still confusing. When he took my info from the AAA card, he questioned my two last names and I laughed, saying, "And I'm not even Puerto Rican!!" All he did was re-fill the tire, checked thoroughly for leaks and found nothing amiss, then sent me on my way.

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Instead of driving to the airport, I was relieved to just go to the store to get my food for dinner and then head home. While I fully expected to get back well before Linda, I also knew that Justin and Ross would be at home to put things away before we arrived. No worries! But then, Linda called to ask if I was home yet because she was there and my car was not. Nuts! Justin reported that he had been there already and left so poor Linda was standing on the porch waiting for me. I was already in the checkout and knew I would be home in a few minutes so she patiently waited for me---again!

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I was sooooo happy to see Linda and to be home after my wildly frantic morning! Justin had everything nice and tidy, so, good! I carried up my bags and got things put away after helping Linda find her room and get situated. Whew! We spent the rest of the afternoon watching "Seinfeld" while wrapped in blankets! Baby, it's cold outside!!!!

I have to remember that it is all worth it....

....but right now, my house is somewhat torn assunder. The window cleaner is here and has no idea how to wash the outside of the patio doors, and declines the opportunity to climb out onto the edge and hang on for dear life....

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My stuff is all pulled away from the windows like we did when TS Faye was here but somehow it seems worse. I know why! Because it did not look like this when Lynn and Lisa etc. got here, they got to see it all cleaned up first! Justin is coming back at lunch time to put things back as the window man will still be here when I go to the airport to get Linda! Yeah!!!!!! I so 'cited about Linda coming today, I should not be getting bogged down by the mess now!

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Last night I had the privilege of attending with Joanne at function for a local group that supports Daniel, an organization for kids at risk. Whew! What did I just say???? The Daniel people were there, at this women only event, and most of those attending were in real estate or related businesses. I met some new ladies and was reacquainted with some others, one lady who had a cameo roll in my video of Timmy's funeral service. She now sells for the real estate company led by the woman who hosted the event last night. Made me wish I had a bigger house (what???) so I could take a turn hosting this quarterly function. Joanne was right, I was swayed! Their current project is to furnish a library for the kids with certain books which will help them learn to read. One boy, aged 15, was determined to be reading at only the second grade level and through the literacy program, was brought up to 5th grade reading level and incorporated back into the school system.

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The host home was situated in Epping Forest Country Club in Mandarin, a gorgeous area riverside, directly across the river from the landing strip at NASJAX! It has a magnificent view, faces the marina and while I enjoy sunrises, they enjoy the setting suns. The hostess, Mary, is a military wife and had spent many years in the Orient which began her passion for Orintal art and collectibles. It was simply a gorgeous home, complete with baby grand piano. For this I am thankful because, after some prompting, one of the ladies agreed to sing for us, as she recently sang for another function and the ladies wanted to hear her again. One of the attendees, whom was not personally known by the singer, played the piano while the singer performed The Lord's Prayer. She nearly rattled the windows with her glorious voice, not a high soprano, and all were dabbing their eyes when she was done. She gave the praise to the Lord and not for herself for the gift He gave her, which she uses to praise His name. Wow! For this, I blew off Art Guild.....wise choice!

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My bedroom/office windows look fantastic, which is primary to me. Justin, as I mentioned, is coming back to put my window shelf back in place and rearrange my desk, as I asked him to put it perpendicular to the window again. I missed having the shelf to my right in order to stack more stuff....Oh wait, that is not really a good idea! I should be filing more, not piling! I like to face the river room as well as look north down the river, plus have the TV facing me rather than being over my shoulder. The downside is that it sticks into my room vs. being up against the window wall. Not that I am short on room or anything, and it would help if I got my paperwork filed and out of the way.....another day.......

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Well, I guess I had better dress my feet and get ready to pick up Miss Linda. The window man is nearly finished so I will not be leaving here until he is complete. Justin will be back and make all look lovely (right!) but he reminded me that he'll be here for dinner tonight and a movie with Linda and me. He is getting time with her on the front end as he asked my permission to go to Tampa this weekend with his friends, and I said it was okay. He felt badly about going away when Linda was here but if he with us tonight, tomorrow night, and lunch on Friday, it will be just fine. Saturday is a full day for Linda and me so he wouldn't be part of that fun anyway!

Some profundities from my friend, Betty

Remember.. Once you get over the hill, you'll begin to pick up speed.

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If it weren't for STRESS, I'd have no energy at all.

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Whatever hits the fan... Will Not Be Evenly Distributed.

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Everyone has a photographic memory.Some, like me, just don't have any film.

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I always know... God won't give me more than I can handle. There are times I just wish He didn't trust me quite so much.

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Never be too open-minded, your brains may fall out.
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Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian. Not any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

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If you look like your passport picture... you probably need the trip.
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Some days are a total waste of makeup.

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A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.

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Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.

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Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.

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Junk is something you've kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.

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Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.

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By the time you can make ends meet, someone moves the ends.

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Learn from the mistakes of others.Trust me... you can't live long enough to make them all yourself. I've tried!!

Heroes---Sung and Unsung

Because I was up so very early today, more morning news has gone through my head than would normally. After a certain point, like the second time through the same stories, I will flip to the reruns of "JAG" before coming here to the machine to listen to the radio until 3:00 p.m. Same stories, often different takes.

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This a.m.'s news stories were different today, though. Some elicited disappointment and some elicited relief. The extreme disappointment of seeing footage of America's hero from the Olympics smoking pot through a bong, published in national press and now TV.....The anchors were obviously upset about this, more so for this guy's mom, who gave up everything to help her son reach this amazing goal. She must be livid and more greatly disappointed than I could ever be. It will be interesting to hear the defense of these actions, the pot smoking and hardy partying, even saying he earned the privilege of acting this way. His future is on the line now as he was getting paid in the millions of dollars to endorse certain products like breakfast cereals and sport products. Maybe the bong manufacturers will step up and offer him endorsement opportunities! Not a hero any longer....

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There was later a clip of police officers making a gambling bust somewhere in the US, pocketing money confiscated from the bust. Ugh! What is the point of enforcing the no gambling laws while at the same time stealing the results of the broken law? Please tell me this is rare, please???? Not heroes any longer....

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My favorite story, however, was about the genuine article, a man who was "simply doing his job" and avoided an huge disaster in the course of his work. The pilot of the USAir flight that landed the aircraft on the water of the Hudson without loss of life, he is a hero! He is now free to make public appearances but is reluctant to do so, and in fact, insisted his entire crew appear with him at the Super Bowl. I wonder if they flew to Tampa or decided to drive??? Anyway, the story today was about how he made a phone call to the library from where he had checked out a book to report the book went down with the ship and would be late in getting it back. The library excused his late fee, and is replacing the book with a new one, dedicated to Sully. The subject matter of the book? Professional ethics. By any stretch, a genuine hero, through and through. I will just die if I see pictures of him at some point down the road smoking dope, because he earned the privilege to do so.........

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Its my blog, I can add a post script if I want to! We would not need to have the government growth package if more and more of the Cabinet appointees would simply pay the taxes they have not paid until being nominated! So far nearly $200,000 in taxes have been caught up with no threat of jail or other charges (because the head of the IRS won't investigate or charge himself!) facing them. This is change we can believe in!

Abundant Sunshine

Yesterday I finally made up my mind to have the window cleaners come to remove the filth from my windows, to give me some clarity of vision. You know how it is with your hair, one day it is fine and the next day it is an emergency run to the beauty shop? That is how it is with my windows, at some point I cannot bear it any longer! As I told my friend, Jen, last night---I have to give in and spend the money. She reminded me that it is not a regular or ongoing expense, and I said she was right about that, only twice a year to have the windows done. It is nothing I can do myself either, or even so, would not do well. These guys make such quick work of it, something which would take me an entire day to complete and end up breaking something in the process!

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The appointment was made for a window washer to come today but no fixed time set. I arose early to begin the process of moving my junque away from the windows and sliding glass doors, that which is in my reach. Only a few moments ago did Mike, the head guy, call me to say he thought it was going to rain today so told his guy he did not have to come, and wanted to schedule for Friday instead. I explained that my friend was arriving tomorrow at noon and that was why I wanted them done before she got here. We were both checking the weather and he called back to say he was trying to get a different guy to come as it shows "abundant sunshine" on the weather map with no rain forecast. Yippee! I am waiting to hear something firm before I clear away more stuff such as around my desk as I do not wish to do that twice!

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Okay, where was I?? Oh, yes, the window cleaner has since called back and indicated that tomorrow, first thing, I will have a man here to do my windows. Yippee! Nothing like last minute work, right? 'First thing' means 8:30 a.m. so not too early getting up tomorrow as all I need to do is clean the area around my desk and windows. Nuts, though, because I would so much have liked to have this over with and things put back to right before Linda gets here. Let's hope that is the case! I am not unreasonable, for sure, and when I called to make the appointment Mike had a guy lined up immediately due to a cancellation so it would have been perfect for today. Abundant sunshine to me is not what I would call a "rain day". Abundant sunshine works for me!