A convention of sorts

Click on the photo to enlarge, if you wish!There seemed to be an ibis convention going on outside my windows. This shot shows more than a dozen birds but more were in the vicinity. The eating must have been good because they hung around a quite length of time before heading off for the next seminar site!

A good Bucket List night

Edward Cole: "The simplest thing is... I loved him. And I miss him. Carter and I saw the world together. Which is amazing... When you think that only three months ago, we were complete strangers!"

"I hope that it doesn't sound selfish of me but... the last months of his life were the best months of mine. He saved my life... And he knew it before I did." (One of the top items on the Bucket List was "help a perfect stranger for the good"....)

Man, I like that movie so much! I wonder sometimes how much my memory of the first viewing affects my continued appreciation for this movie. It was through the liking of The Bucket List that I connected with my blogging friend, Jami, in Amarillo, who has brought so much to my life through the written word. No matter where you go since the movie came out, folks are talking about their personal bucket lists, things to do or experience before they 'kick the bucket'.

Just last week when my neighbor's adult son and his friend were here from Chicago, they reported wanting to see the shuttle launch so badly. It was on their bucket list to witness up close and personal, and time is running short. Not only for the space shuttle program but also possibly for Denny, who has multiple health problems. As the gang sat on the sundeck that evening, my neighbor, Rose, mentioned something from her list. She is about 10 years my senior, a recent newlywed (around two years), and does lots of traveling and such since then. She asked me about my bucket list and I told her I really didn't have one, which surprised her. I have had, and continue to have, the time of my life, richly blessed, and cannot think of another thing I absolutely must do before I ‘kick the bucket’.

If anything at all, it does not require travel or jumping out of a plane or marking up my body. It would require me to sit at my computer with a big box of nose napkins as I would finish the book I have begun about Timmy. If 'we' learn anything at all from the movie it is that life is more than 'stuff' and 'adventures', it is about faith in the Lord, and it is about the people in our lives. "Edward, find the joy in your life. Close your eyes, and let the waters take you home..." quote from a deathbed letter written by Carter to Edward.

I am always like this after I see the movie...it feels good to me!

I really like this time of year....

...for a number of reasons, not the least of which is hot cross buns being available at Publix! And in my kitchen at this moment. Another wonderful thing found in the drug stores are the Russell Stover dark chocolate coconut eggs...oh, yeah....

As I write, I am watching "The Bucket List" on TV. I thought to myself, I should write the script before they say the words, and see how close I get to being right. Originally I had planned to have some friends over for Dinner and a Movie but Justin said he was coming after work to vacuum, so I made no such arrangements. And Justin 'forgot' to come. Even though we had talked on the phone only an hour or so before his scheduled quit time. As I said to him, "Hmmmm......" Perhaps I will see him tomorrow.

Earlier today I was so darn cold, my hands were like icicles even though I was sporting my fuzzy slippers, covered with the Snuggie Lisa gave me for Christmas, and the heat pad behind me. Now that I have taken a hot shower and am under the covers, I am warmer. It might have been the wicked wind blowing out there that made is seem colder, when the temperature was 68 above zero.

My dear friend, Twila, is in the hospital at this writing, waiting to hear when her bypass surgery will be performed. She went in on Thursday for a cardiac cath and the doctor found more wrong than he expected, planning to do the bypass. At first it was to be the next day (Friday) but then decided to run more tests before the operation. She might be able to go home over the weekend and then go back, they are waiting for final word on that. Twila called me this afternoon, "to check in", telling me she was bored, staring at the ceiling. Poor thing! There is nothing sick about her, this all started because she flunked her stress test!

Well, I had some excitement here again yesterday morning...after I woke from my crazy dream. Thinking back, it's interesting that Twila and her son, Kenneth, were in the dream, too. But, anyway, as I was lying here watching the news, I heard something strange. Leaping to my feet, I went toward the hallway and sure enough, there was water dripping through the ceiling vent in the half bath! AGAIN!!!! Quickly, I grabbed my phone and located Jessica's phone number as I also went to the laundry room for a pail to catch the water. Also got beach towels to throw down on the floor, while telling Jessica, "I got water coming through the ceiling again!!!!" I am getting wwaayy too good at this!! I told her the shut off valves are under the bathroom sinks...and hung up. I called Jeff, my downstairs neighbor who is Maintenance Supervisor but he was at the airport, waiting to fly for work. I next called Connie to let her know what was going on and she said she would check it all out when she got to work. Jessica had found the valve behind her toilet, shut it off and the water stopped. Meanwhile, I discovered the water was also dripping into the kitchen, like the last time so I got a hand towel to sop that up as it continued to drip after the faucet was shut off.

Connie came in to check out the situation. She offered to repaint my ceiling with Kilz if I wanted her to, but we shall see about that. It's hard to see the discoloration from the previous leak but it is definitely there. Owen H. suggested lightly spraying the edges with bleach, so no painting would be required, and I am willing to have Justin try that some day. Owen is the one who came to the rescue the last time we had a leak from above us. I told him about it today when we met for lunch. His response, "Again?!"

Today I went to Middleburg to get my toes done at Lisa W.'s new salon. Very nice digs! She is alone in the space, not sharing with the beauty shop like she did in the other building. I really liked it, and got my royal treatment of having my feet pampered. It is so good to have my nails trimmed (she complimented me on their condition!) especially since the last pedi. I had was with Linda in Manitowoc. No rough edges remain on my heels or anywhere...just plain nice, and pretty! From her shop I drove up to Bee's Restaurant to meet my friends, the Hilchey's, for lunch. Olivia is home on spring break so we took advantage, as long as I was already out in the 'burg!

A disturbing yet important dream

I have to write it down before I forget it---yes, another dream! My hands were both asleep when I woke up, which is odd...

In the dream, my family was yet intact, with Timmy sort of coming and going. We were living in a building, like my condo or it could have been a hotel. Outside we were watching lots of aircraft as they came and went, when all of a sudden, a weird looking plane sort of swooped low, and dropped something which turned out to be a timed-bombed, which sunk into the ground. Everyone started moving away, and my family, including Mom, found our way down a hill which turned out to be toward the little creek which was across from our house when I was growing up. Cool!

The explosion did not occur immediately. As we made our way toward the creek, Mom, Justin, and I were telling people about Jesus. I met people that I knew for years, stopped them to ask if they knew Jesus was their Savior, made them look into my face. (Right now my tears are flowing here.) On the bright side, all that we talked to said they did know their Savior.

Only a little bit prior to this chapter in the dream, I was choosing from vinyl samples for my new kitchen floor, and said I wanted wood instead! That seemed, in the dream, to be a radical choice...There was construction going on in my home, and I was careful where I put stuff down in the house, as though that mushroom cloud coming would not make a huge mess, or that I could return to this home! Funny, even in the urgency, I was concerned with leaving things somewhat tidy.

We decided to make a run for it, before the mushroom cloud developed. Somehow we were able to pack up our luggage, or was it already packed?, and as I left the house, rode alone in a small elevator to the ground floor. I noticed tons of ants and some other bugs on the walls in the elevator car, and thought momentarily that they could be food in case I was stuck in there. I got downstairs to load my stuff in the car, and it seems to me that there were people in the third row of seating, perhaps Twila and her son, Kenneth. Mom and Justin were in the middle row, and my former spouse and me up front. We had to find room to put in Timmy's portrait in the back of the car, (silly me for thinking I would ever have a place to hang it again!), and the boys' scrapbooks, which would tell me now that Timmy must have already died. I also remember my then-spouse muttering about the insurance on the rental car, saying that by the time we finally left, the insurance would be expired. Really?

As we drove away, we were praying, trying to make our way out between the buildings, as we seemed to be in the loading zone for this structure. When I woke up this a.m., my hands were clenched together in prayer, under my pillows, and fast asleep!

Nothing like a good night’s sleep!

Man, I feel so much better today after sleeping with few interruptions until 7:30 a.m. today. Waking to the sun across the bed is wonderful and thankfully the winds are quieter today. Still moving the palm trees around a bit but not wild like yesterday. In fact, my sliding glass doors and kitchen door are open to allow the air to move through. Nice! The washer and dryer are busy taking care of my bed clothes and even my fuzzy slippers are being freshened up. For some reason, they get funky smelling, and I was blaming it on my wastebasket!

I am not sure what I am so happy about this morning, being that I have to write a sizable check to the Tax Collector’s office for my real estate taxes. Ugh! Yes, I should have paid them before the end of the year in order to get them deducted from the income taxes for 2010 but somehow, being sick much of December and then traveling, I simply put them on the back burner, and might have to pay the price this year. If I pay the taxes for this year before the year is out, I will get twice the deduction on 2011’s taxes. Is that prudent? Probably not but that is the way it is, for now.

At Monday night’s meeting, we voted to begin a Reserve fund for capital improvements. Over the years, it might accumulate enough that we will not be assessed so much every time we have a major project around here. Next up is likely the repairs to the sundeck, which leaks when wet, and drips a white solution (concrete and grout?)onto the cars parked below it. Some of the Owners who park under roof use car covers to protect their vehicles, or park outside when rain is predicted. Those with less ‘valuable’ cars will trade spaces with those who do have quality or newer cars, etc., to protect them. We have put it off for years, this is an on-going problem but the other projects took precedence.

We are also facing paving and repairs of the road down to the condos from the street, a cost to be shared with The Club and the other condo buildings on that end of the property. To start this Reserve, however, it needs to be fed, so therefore, besides the increase as of January for our monthly fees, we will now have an additional monthly sum charged to us based upon our square footage. Having the Reserves in place will help folks who are trying to sell their units because if the Buyer is getting a mortgage, the finance people like to have a Reserve in place before making the loan. Our last three sales in the building were cash buyers so the mortgage companies did not have to be involved, but now with tightened lending, more criteria have to be met. Hopefully this will help us all, hurting up front, help us later.

Friday my mailman brought me the recent book purchases, one which I have already cracked open, reading here and there. One of the titles is: “Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled---and More Miserable Than Ever Before”. Whew, a long title there! Let’s leave it at “Generation Me”. Another one is titled “The Entitlement Free Child” about raising today’s kids in the “Me, Mine, Now Culture”, and the last one is “The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupifies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future”. Further down the cover of this last book is a stamp that states: “Don’t trust anyone under the age of 30.” This is in contrast to the 60’s rant of not trusting anyone OVER the age of 30. Should be some interesting reading, not sure the “Me, Mine,Now” book though since I do not have little ones anymore. Might donate to the library or see if one of my friends with kids would like it. Hate to offer it to anyone, in case they would take it the wrong way.

Yesterday I had a lovely exchange with Robbie (a.k.a. The Maestro) who sent me the link to a biography of Paul Gerhardt, the German hymn writer. I love it that he thinks and knows I would like to watch/listen to this. He was telling me about the research he is doing of the lectionaries, trying to coordinate with Pastor regarding which source is being used for our services so that Robbie can more easily select pre- & post-service music as well as anthems for the choir to sing. We learned about this at the SoWE event last fall, some pastors planning up to 6 months or better ahead for this very purpose. Robbie was talking about his love for the hymns and ancient liturgies, doing the research. I am so excited for him!

Well, my sheets are dry and smell just like they were on the drying strings, as Justin would say. The soap I use is the Publix brand called Spring Fresh and I just love it. Even the dryer sheets are scented the same way. I will make my bed, nice and slow and easy plus perhaps fold some of the towels from the overflowing basket. That is all I fold, the rest is either bundled into the drawers or hung on a hanger. After I have died and folks have to come and sort through my belongings, they will be simply horrified at the condition of my drawers---in more ways than one!

Trying to find something to chuckle about

Today is a grumpy day weather-wise and post condo association annual meeting-wise. Ugh! After the remarkably contentious, and at times, dramatic meeting last night, I had trouble getting to sleep, and then staying asleep. In a little while I will lie down for a bit before going to Trivia tonight. Today I worked on the church newsletter, getting the finishing touches last night via e-mail after 10:30 pm. Good thing I was still up! Jim B. sent me some info to include in the newsletter regarding a Listening Sunday planned later this month.

When I said it is a grumpy weather day, it is only because of the winds and temperature drop. No fog or overcast skies today, but the winds are causing problems for the firefighters a county or two south of here, battling roadside fires that threaten closing I-95 again. The coolness of the air surprised me this a.m. when I went upstairs to Jessica’s house with scrapbooking supplies. She is having Beckham’s birthday party this weekend and her guests will each be making a page for his scrapbook. She was just about to leave on a walk with him in his stroller and I suggested she put some shoes on his feet because it was chillier by more than 10 degrees than yesterday. It was a fake out day on Monday, I guess!

Besides the drama and bad news in our country and around the world, it comes closer to home than I would like. Last night’s meeting erupted into arm waving and filthy language being spewed, primarily by a pillar of the community, a woman, mind you! I got up and left the room, refusing to be subjected to such vulgarity and animosity in such an unexpected environment. You know, really? A condo meeting? And what exactly generated this vitriol? Someone put in casement windows rather than sash-style windows required by our documents. One person started it, and as far as I know, only this one ‘lady’ used the foul words, but many got into the accusations and personal attacks. It definitely was personal. As I told Justin’s landlady last week, I have the most wonderful neighbors, and I wish my neighbors had wonderful neighbors! Justin told Jackie that I was the hub on the wheel that kept things together but I fear that is no longer the case. All I can do is remain a good neighbor and not flood anyone again, or break the rules of the association, bringing down wrath upon myself!

E-mails and such have gone forth and back this a.m. including an ‘apology’ from the arm-waving filth spewing woman, though it was hard to find the apology in the paragraph as she further pleads her case. Ugh! If I wanted to hear language like that, I would simply have to watch the news reports coming out of my home state, the protests and squatters at the Capital. And other states where the protests are going on, the reports include much of what I witnessed last night, only with signs bearing socialist or communist slogans. Love it, right? I wonder if the news reports in other countries report that “America is on fire” like we report about them…You know, in the big picture, this window issue is extremely minor and yet, horribly upsetting!

It seems one can go nowhere without being exposed to the language of the streets. Even when dressed in gorgeous evening gowns and draped in diamonds, on the world’s stage, lovely women find these words falling from their lips. That would not happen “by accident” if it was not already part of their vocabulary. Looking classy without having any. Even the cooking shows Justin is so fond of have to do the bleep bleep bleep thing…Now, I am not all that crazy about being in the kitchen and doing cooking, but it would not occur to me to call down the Lord or use filthy words to describe my situation! Only those on the receiving end of my meals would!!!!

Monday when we were gathered around the table at Longhorn, the groups separated by a space between the booths, Twila and I were talking about current events. I told Twila about my stocking up at Winn Dixie’s 10 for 10 sale the other day. We discussed the length of shelf-life of the food stuffs we are storing and Twila remarked that even cat food would serve as food for humans if push came to shove. Our poor friend sitting next to us asked, somewhat quiveringly, “What are you talking about? Is there something I don’t know?” This lady is all about saving animals and worries about polar bears, etc., but does not really follow the news the same way others do.

“What is going on???” she asks. Some of us began recounting the events around the world, primarily in the Mideast and the oil producing nations (only last week this same lady told me she was going to gas up before the price jumped!), I mentioned about the devaluing of our currency and the inflation already affecting food prices and supplies. Others in our group jumped in with evidence of the coming distress and this lady said, “Well, I guess the ***** have it right with their stock piling, if their food is not out of date already.” One of our former members began to stockpile a year or more ago, and one could barely walk through the house due to the cases of food stacked around, so I am told. I am not that bad, and consider it my hurricane supplies, if nothing else. If I see baby wipes on special, believe me, I am stocking up. As Cliff and I discussed at church on Sunday, we know the Lord is in charge and has these matters in His control, but as faithful stewards, we are obligated to also be active participants in the world around us. And to be prepared! The good news about stockpiling incandescent light bulbs which are going away is that they are not so heavy to carry upstairs!

That's it---no more annual Owner's meetings for me this year!!!! I affects my spirit badly....Perhaps tonight we will win again at Trivia and all will be right with the world once more. Smile!

Monday, Monday….

To make this easier for me, I will work backwards. As I am looking out my window, the wind is pushing across the water, making fan-like patterns with each gust. Thankfully, it is warm out today, highs in the mid-80’s----it’s getting there, it’s getting there!!!

Today is Joanne’s birthday. I sent her an e-mail extending good wishes on her special day but have not heard back from her. She lives on the Westside again and is working many hours in real estate, trying to make a living in this dead market, so we seldom get together these days. Besides the working many hours, she also tends to her father who is living on Fleming Island in a facility geared to his illness. He is irascible, and was so even before they moved him down here. Knowing him now, I cannot even imagine what those girls went through to get him to relocate. His respiratory problems worsen, but in his stubbornness, refuses to use the oxygen to help with his breathing. Anyway, I do hope Joanne has a great day today!

This morning was Bible study, and we are near the end of our study on the Kingdom of God. As Mike was wrapping up today, he went to get Pastor who wanted to speak with the class. It seems he is going to teach the class starting in two weeks, the last 5 books, I think, of Matthew. We will have a verse by verse study of the Passion, through Lent. We were surprised because most of us wanted Mike to continue being our leader, the give and take was fantastic, and it seemed we got so much more out of interactive vs. lecture learning. Oh well, I guess that is the way it is….Pastor has a video, sort of a movie called The Book of Matthew, which will accompany part of our study. I had seen parts of this video in Bible information class a few years ago, and it’s quite good!

We had lunch at Longhorn, of course, having to use two booths side by side today as they were so busy. Gretchen just tears me up!! We had to park behind the restaurant again, the 2^nd time this month, and as we walked back to our cars, Gretchen used a German expression for the trip to our cars, which sounds like “longa fart”, which means long distance, I guess. It is hysterical the way she comes out with that, so matter-of-fact.

Gretchen brought me a special present today, too. All wrapped in tissue paper, a wooden cutout of a woman with rope for hair, about 6” tall. Painted on her dress is the statement “Housework makes you ugly”. She had told me about this plaque at some point over the weekend and wanted me to have it. She made us all laugh, though, when she said it took her nearly an hour to get the dust off it!!! Twila said, “No wonder you’re so pretty!” which brought the house down.

Speaking of Twila, she is having a cardiac catheterization on Thursday, with the possibility of having a stent put in, if the cath. shows a need for it. She flunked her stress test from two weeks ago. I suggested we go this week to have our favorite lunch of loaded fries but she has too much work to do prior to the procedure, in case she is laid up. Supposedly the whole thing is ‘same-day’ surgery, and barring any problems, she will be free to leave at the end of the day. I pray this is true! Her granddaughter, Twila, is going with her though several of us offered. I just might go anyway to keep Twila Squared company!

Last night I was grumbling again about the lack of anything for me to watch on TV. Most people were watching the Academy Awards which I would flip to periodically to see how “The King’s Speech” was doing in the awards. Since I was reading blogs, it didn’t really matter much what was on TV. The reason I know folks were watching the Oscars was that they would post on Facebook, remarking about this dress or that dress, etc. as well as the musical numbers. On the pre-game show, I did not recognize even a quarter to the starlets, and I watch a fair share of movies. Guess they are not Oscar caliber, except for “The King’s Speech”!

When I came home from church yesterday, I was looking forward to resting my tired bones, feeling weary yet from the busyness of Saturday’s events. In the meanwhile, my upstairs neighbor had left me a phone message urgently requesting my assistance with her computer. Before I got too comfortable, I went upstairs to see if I actually could help her. She is secretary for the condo association and was busily readying things for the annual Owners’ Meeting, which is tonight. The printer was stuck in the “ON” position and would not budge. After trying several things, I asked her if she had shut down the machine and done a restart, and she had not. Upon doing this for her, the printer then was eager to print her 30 page document for reviewing before the meeting tonight. Kim to the rescue!! And now, to rest!

Bible study at church Sunday was yet following St. Paul’s missionary journeys, a Bible in a Year-type of study, but we are going to need more than a year to get through this. Some of the slides Pastor shows are actual photographs of the Mediterranean Sea, that gorgeous blue color that cannot be adequately described. It speaks for itself! Sadly, when it was time for church to begin, Paul was the acolyte as the young person whose turn it was did not come to church. He whispered to me, “This is sad…” as we surveyed the room. We had more folks at the dinner on Saturday night than were in church on Sunday morning. Granted, we had guests at the dinner, so it’s not a fair comparison, but still…it’s a fact! Our little choir sang the first two stanzas of a new hymn from the Supplement to introduce it, “When Jesus Came From Nazareth”.

Before worship began, Mike S., one of the chefs from the night before, came to get his hug. He said he nearly did not come to church, was so tired from the day before (and I think I am tired????) but then thought, “Get your butt out of bed and ready for church!” He said he so appreciates having the church there for him, telling me I would not have wanted to know him 8 years ago---he was scum---his words. He acknowledges that it is by the grace of God that he is here. Mike expressed that he so appreciates his friends, that they make him rich, which I jumped all over because I feel the same way. I told him we were singing a hymn about that today, where our treasure really is, not in our pockets, but what waits for us. Loved that brief exchange!!

Well, I guess I should ready myself for the ordeal, I mean, meeting tonight. My little job is to make sure folks sign in when they arrive because Nancy might get overwhelmed by the rush of folks when they come in. This, I can do! The Greeter!!!!!