So loving the aromas

It seems my neighbors and I are filling the air with the delicious scents of cooking for the ThanksLiving Day feast. Earlier I had the doors open and holiday cooking smells were sweeping through the room. Mmmmm…..Most of my preparations are done, all they need is to be reheated and/or placed on the table after the football game tomorrow. Whoo hoo! Go Pack Go!

Since most of my prep was done, including dressing the table, I had considered going over to Victory for church. Pastor sends an e-mail outlining the service coming up, and this week I got two of them. One is for Thanksgiving and the other for Sunday’s service. Justin discouraged me from going tonight though as his father and Janet were planning to attend. Just as well, I can stay put and rest my bones for tomorrow.

The cooking and such went so smoothly today that I also had time to write my CHRISTmas letter for inclusion in my cards this year. Somehow I found myself awake before 6:00 a.m. and because I have my downstairs neighbor, Cassidy, staying with me, did not get busy in the kitchen. That room is right off the kitchen and any noise I would make would resound in her room. A good hostess would not make all sorts of racket in the wee hours of the morning. I thought she was coming in much later as she was meeting some friends last night, but she told me that she was home by 11:15 or so. I never heard her come in at all, how about that!?

I had gotten a package from Amazon a day or two ago, and opened it when Cass was in my room. She might want to watch one of my videos so I was sharing with her. Inside the box was the book I ordered plus a couple videos. And another box…hmmmm. Inside that box were two unusual items, including a fancy cigarette lighter and something for sharpening bullets. I did not order these items and am not sure what they were doing in my purchase. I wrote Amazon a note to let them know, as I would certainly like to find out what happened to my purchase which was lost. Interesting!

Later this afternoon Randy popped by, fully expecting me to be in a frenzy with the meal preparations. He declared my kitchen far too clean to have meal prep going on, but explained I was mostly done and the dishwasher is handling the mess. More than once I have said I like the kitchen to look like nothing happened here, move along. He was also astounded to see the table dressed, for all except the food!

My back held up nicely today even after carrying the extremely heavy basket of wet towels from Jessica’s porch railing. I told Connie I would wash and dry them since they were hanging there since yesterday’s flood and were getting wetter from the rain showers in the morning. Connie gathered them up and put them in my basket, which I then carried to the laundry room. Soaked towels are incredibly heavy! They are now fluffy and dry, ready for the next water adventure!

Randy is making sure we have ‘regular’ cranberry sauce to eat with his turkey and is making sausage cornbread stuffing. Oh, and bringing his own wine since I don’t know what kind Larry is bringing tomorrow. All this talk about food is now making me hungry so I will go scavenge in the kitchen for something to eat. Food food everywhere but not a thing to eat!

Oh, not again!

As I sat at my desk this morning, after having removed the silver highlights from my hair, I heard it again. This time it was unmistakable---water! Overhead. Even though I had my computer sort of blaring at me I could hear the sound of rushing, more like showering, from my bathroom area. I could hear it best in the hallway and more clearly in the laundry room, although none was coming in. It seemed to be from the laundry room above mine, something I had talked about with Jessica just last week when she came down for a visit.

Frantically I dashed from room to room, sweat pouring off of me, as I tried to push buttons on my phone. My fingers were literally hopping on the keys, and since it’s touch-screen ‘dialing’, a more steady hand is needed. I got Jessica and all she said is “Get Connie to shut off the water, I got a leak!” I went outside and hollered for Connie but she was not to be seen. Attempts to call her went to voice mail, so I called Hugh. They were in CT but he did call back later to see how things were, wondering if we needed Butch to come by. (He is still a perfect stand-by!)

In the panic, I accidentally called one of my financial guys which to me was not really an accident, since we need to talk! But not now!!! I called Tracy downstairs from me to let her know what was going on and she came up so she could figure out where to look for water in her home. Connie was outside sweeping so I hollered and waved for her to come up. She went up to Jessica’s and I went into my unit to look for the dripping water. Fortunately, the water went into my 2 showers so no mopping was required. The railings upstairs are sporting towels used to mop up at Jessica’s house.

When Connie came to my unit, she told us plumbers had been at Jessica’s earlier in the morning and did something for her washer but neglected to put the hose back into the drain hole. NO!!!!!! I told Connie how Mike K. had secured my hose tightly to the drain area in the wall and she went to see what he did. She went downstairs and came back with those plastic straps to do the same thing for Jessica’s hose so it won’t pop out. The obvious damage in my home is minimal, but the less obvious damage remains to be seen. That water had to go somewhere, besides my two showers and fan/lights. I always feel like I’ve just been through a stress test after these water events!!!!

Connie also informed Tracy and me that Herzer’s plumbing, the ones who replaced my water heater just a year ago, will no longer service our building. They were also the ones who, after the Great Flood, conducted the forensic check of the control valves in the lower units, doing the locate and checking the operation thereof, and now they refuse to come back. Not a good sign. Joanne????? Are you out there????

Once calmed down and the dust having settled, as it were, I returned to my desk for a bit. It occurred to me it might be wise to go to the store before I got very involved there, and before Marlena came to finish cleaning. I also stopped at the mailboxes to see if perhaps something was in there for me. Around the corner came Randy to check his mail. He asked where I was headed and when I told him the grocery store, he said, “I just came from the store and was thinking I should call to see if you needed anything…” He rattled off what he bought, in case he bought what I needed but nope, I need a can of deodorant and dish washer soap. Randy said he bought stuff he didn’t even need just to get the price up to the $50 amount in order to get $5 off! Even bought an 18 pound turkey which he can live off for some time!

Instead of going to Publix, I opted for Winn Dixie, right around the corner from us. I bought pumpkin pie, pecan pie, Cool-Whip, deodorant, dish washer soap, and many more things than I expected. Nothing foolish, just things I actually do need. I really like that wrap which acts like wax paper but has adhesive qualities like ‘Saran’ wrap. Only easier to manage! Of course, soda, which was on special, a wise move on WD’s part. In case my feast guests do not like Diet Coke, I bought a bottle of ginger ale to serve.

More work was done, once home, on the Flock Talk including some research for the Advent wreath. It seems that last year’s information was no longer pertinent since it described using the pink and purple candles and referred to the candles by different names. The dangers of cutting and pasting. I wrote my own, then, and found Bible passages to match the names of the candles in the order they are to be lit. I enjoy doing this, it is a good exercise. In my mind I was revisiting my lengthy phone conversation from the night before and putting a little extra effort into my work. I do so hope folks will read what I write!

Besides the description of the Advent wreath, there is an article about the upcoming season in the church calendar, The Christmas Season, which begins on December 18 and continues through Epiphany. Of course, last month’s article was about the season of Advent, which explains why ‘we’ do what we do and when ‘we’ do it. Also included is a description with graphics of Chrismons and what they mean, as these alone decorate our chancel tree. The newsletter will again be lengthy this month and thankfully, Justin showed me how to save the letter to a pdf file and e-mail it that way. So there you go, the story of my newsletter writing for today!

Before Marlena arrived, I also printed address labels to use on my CHRISTmas cards, in hopes of somehow personalizing them with information other than only name and address. I failed but that’s fine, I can be personal inside the envelope instead. She finished the French door polishing (I remember when Lisa used to HATE with a red-hot hate wiping the leaves on my plants! She also strongly disliked having to dust the wrungs on the dining room chairs, which the Prange's now have) and the other dusting. Marlena, who can sing operatically, wrote a song about my house and me, and performed it while she worked. She sang about my pretties, my art work, and described my home as being a museum. Like the Addams Family!? She evidently hated my tchochkies less today than she did yesterday, and in fact, sang about them in a joyous fashion!

For dinner I defrosted a container of chili which Randy, my neighbor, had given me. I did not like to eat while Marlena worked but it was about THAT time, since I had no lunch. Besides, I do that all the time at The Club when she waits on me! In the meanwhile, my downstairs neighbor, Cassidy, arrived with her belongings as she will be my houseguest for a few days while her sister and bro-in-law are visiting downstairs. Since MamMa moved in, they are short one bedroom and instead of sleeping on the sofa, Cassidy can sleep up here. No worries! She will let herself in and out so nothing is required of me, she can come and go freely.

We had rain much of the late afternoon into evening, starting just when I came home with my purchases. I hope Justin was able to get his lawns done in time, plus the one where he resides, which was on the list. Since we are not going to Trivia tonight, he was going to do that lawn. But likely not in the rain!

Big night tonight as another debate is on, hosted by the Heritage Foundation. My kinda night!

I smell lemon!

Monday was one of busyness, yes, that is a word in my dictionary. Right after 7:00 am, when I was already awake, I got a text message from Anne H. to call her when I woke up. Immediately I called her, curious for the early morning summons. She was surprised I called so quickly and I explained that I was awake since right around 6:00 for no apparent reason. Anne was delighted to have someone to talk to for a change for her morning commute! I did send her the address information for Stephanie’s parent’s home in WI, but after our lovely phone visit!

It would have been nice to spend more time under the covers while using the laptop but Marlena was coming to do the dusting today. As I do with Justin, a list was prepared detailing what was expected, establishing priority. My formal rooms were primary, of course, but I also let her know when I would get home after Bible study and lunch, so my room could be ready for me to sit in there, out of her way. Marlena had come last week to size up the project and told me how much she loved my pretties.

When I came home from lunch she met me at the door and asked, “Remember how much I loved your tchotchkes???” I laughed and suggested she hated them now and she said, “Yes, I do!” Then she said, “Not really, but they sure take a lot of time and they are so delicate…” I am glad we bid the job not on an hourly scale! One thing she did say, though, was she found everything to be quite special and inspirational, which is a good thing. "Every time I turn around, I see the words "Be Still..." so I took a break!", she joked. She also got choked up reading some of the things in memory of Timmy around the house.

Marlena did not get done today but will come back tomorrow to finish up. She needed to leave in time to stop somewhere to catch up a past-due bill so of course I was sure to get her on her way in plenty of time. This lady is such an ambitious worker and I really hate to see her struggle. Her mom lives with her, Marlena is retired military, and works circles around the other staff at The Club. As I said last week, if I still had a business, I would want a roomful of Marlenas! She used lemon scented cleaners, which is how come my home smells this way.

At Bible study, Ethel shared some lemons from their tree which last year bore none, and this year has 500! I took one to cut up in the water pitcher to serve for ThanksLiving---yum! Class was full as Betty brought her three granddaughters, grade 5 and older, who used to come to church with her before they moved away. Every chair was full and Judy C., who arrived late, had to squeeze in on the corner.

We are still in Nehemiah, with today’s subject matter being how the Israelites rededicated themselves to the Lord’s ordinances, after they remembered all the times He delivered them from tribulation when they turned their backs on Him. Joseph, our guest participant, remarked about how these people keep doing the same things over and over again, and never learn. I told him, as he sat closely next to me, that this book could have my name on it, and Donna said it could have all our names on it. “…for I daily sin much and indeed deserve nothing but punishment…”(Luther) Our advantage is that no one on earth is writing it down and sharing it with the world, as is happening with the children of Israel!

We had a large group for lunch since the three girls were with us, but Judy did not come since her two grands were at her house with Uncle Mike, waiting for her. Clay County schools is out all week for the holiday (yikes!) so she has her hands full, at least until Wednesday night! Jason, our waiter, took good care of us, anticipated my drink order and even knew I was having potato soup for my meal---somehow. Kristi came with us today, too, only her second time since joining the Bible study. Nice!

My phone battery had quit so when I got to the car, I listened to a phone message from Carol, who is in NC right now. She was wondering if there was any news on the missing banners, and since I had none, she was going to call Pastor to let him know. This has been going on since last week Thursday with probably about a half dozen people involved in the dilemma. When she called him, Pastor had only a moment before been informed by the secretary that the banners were missing. He told Carol he was perplexed by the situation, as we all were, but agreed we should use the ‘old’ purple colors, formerly used for Advent.

Later, when I had taken occupancy of my desk again, my phone rang with a call from Carol. It was a blessed day!!!! She excitedly told me the dilemma was solved---there are NO blue banners. WHAT???? If the police came to me and asked me about them, I would absolutely swear we had blue Advent banners, but, it seems, we do not! No wonder neither Judy nor I could remember what was on them. Carol said she had a senior moment and then it came to her that we actually use the cross-stitched banners for Advent and only had the blue paraments and superfurnal(sp) for the altar. What a relief and what a laugh on us all! And Carol had thought about checking area pawn shops to see if anyone had tried pawning these banners…um, no.

Justin kindly stopped at the store on his way home from work and brought me a 12-pack of Diet Coke so I would not have to venture out immediately tomorrow morning. He stayed to visit, which I liked, with plans to come back tomorrow before Trivia to do the vacuuming. We might have a skeleton team since several of our players are traveling for funerals or family visits. Anne and Pastor might be joining us, depending upon his schedule, about which Justin is excited. We shall see.

My day ended the way it began, with church friends on the telephone. One friend and I talked for over three hours tonight, until my phone battery was exhausted for the second time in one day. Lots of words and I hope good counsel was shared, and I also hope, a good sleep for us both!

Hurray for the sunshine

Now, that’s more like it! The sun returned today, very little fog that I noticed, but plenty of moisture on the car windows from the heavy air. The temperature got up to 79 which was nice, but hardly seemed like November football watching weather.

I had the challenge this afternoon of switching between games as the Jaguars and the Packers were playing at the same time and were aired here. The Jags, sadly, lost by four points but it easily could have gone the other way. The Packers fought a mighty battle and came out victorious in the end. I was “watching” with my sister, Kerry, who is in Oshkosh, and she was having a fit from the closeness of the game. I won’t get to see the Packers play again until Thursday!!!

When I sat down here at this desk’s computer, I started to watch my Internet show which required more of my attention than I was able to give at this moment. There was a man being interviewed, a graduate of Penn State who works as a reporter with the Defense Department. He is a graduate student in Chicago but I sure had a tough time listening to him. At the first question, he began his answer with, “So, blah blah blah…” This is such a terrible habit people have, beginning sentences with the word “so”. I see it on Facebook and hear it in conversation often, and I have even done it myself!

Another bugga-boo I have is “I mean” and “you know”. This same fellow being interviewed used both of those expressions regularly as well, as does one of the guys on the radio program I watch. Ugh! Those are space fillers, I realize, but how much space does a reporter or radio personality need? Saying “I mean” is nothing new, as there was a woman at FG a very long time ago who used that in nearly every sentence. By the way, there is an ‘n’, or even two of them in the word “sentence”. If you listen to people use that word, the first ‘n’ is often omitted. I must sound like “Frasier” now, you know???

I am having a pounding head ache, the kind one gets after crying. It is Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday of the church year. For Bible class we studied Advent, had a sort of worksheet, testing our Advent knowledge. Our table team did well, especially since I had only spent the night before writing about Advent for the newsletter! The questions were some false/trues about the history of it, the order of lighting the candles on the wreath, what type of services does our church body use (reflective, meditative, etc.).

After class we recessed to church to practice singing some of the parts of the Compline we are using the first midweek service. We had practiced some of the portions at choir and have two Sundays to go through it ahead of time. Robbie is such a good leader for this! Since it was a special Sunday, he had the choir wear the robes when we sang our anthem. It went well, no mess ups, even though we sang part of the refrain in the form of a round.

The Sunday school kids were set to sing last week but only two of them showed up. Today they had a good number of kids although a couple do not sing due to being too shy. They were incorporated into the service as well and did a nice job singing their anthem. The sermon hymn today was “Jerusalem the Golden”, which explains the head ache I have now, but I did plow through with only a couple of sobs breaking free. Any time the readings or hymn texts discuss the glory waiting for us, and what others are already enjoying, my cheeks get wet. Today was a rough one in that regard!

It was sweet that two different people, one on each side of the church gave me ‘the look’ before we sang “Jerusalem….”, the knowing look, as they both appreciate the value of the message therein as well as how moving it is. Not only for me, as I noticed that Jayne was dabbing a bit, too. Mike K. sort of heaved a great sigh as he heard the opening chords playing and Terri T.’s face spoke for her. After church she came in search of me to give me a hug, saying, “Rough one today…” Say no more!

Another ‘sweet’ thing was a bake sale sponsored by the Ladies’ Group. Before the sale began, as Betty was bringing her baked goods in, I nabbed a plate of frosted sugar cookies! They never even saw the sales table! Have no fear, I paid for them, dearly, but they had my name all over them! When Judy saw the sugar cookies she said, “Oh, Kim’s favorite!” Nearly I got a pie but realized it was sweet potato and not pumpkin. This means I will have to go shopping to get a pie or two for ThanksLiving day.

Joe snapped up the cherry cheesecake, also made by Betty, as we knew he would. He is a huge fan of cheesecake! I asked if he had plans for ThanksLiving as his family was either gone or spoken for, and he reported he is going to an area ‘retirement’ home he had checked out, for dinner. He told me they ‘interviewed him’ but I bet he is the one who did the quizzing! They called and invited him so off he goes! At least Robbie is coming here to share our feast with us even if Grandpa is not.

Brenda had a bad day Saturday, ended up having to sit down right on the floor in Kohl’s after suffering a dizzy spell. Her son, aged 35, had to drive them home, although he is not licensed to drive. Yikes! They live only a very short way, but what else could they do? Because of those episodes, she usually does not drive and I feel so badly for her with this never ending business. Her condition has something to do with crystals in her brain which will require on-going treatment that is nearly as awful as the episodes. I hate this for her!

If anyone remembers, I had made a fast friend of a visitor to our church during the summer. Her husband was my pastor’s mission counselor in the VA area years ago and now they live in Texas. Ellen was doing the flowers for her friends’ daughter’s wedding at The Club. After we met each other at church, Dick and Ellen came to my house in the afternoon for a quick visit before heading back to TX. They had decided to make Jacksonville their retirement area which I am thrilled about! We keep up with each other and she let me know that after the holidays, they will be coming to Jax to house-hunt. Joanne is on the job, and I think Christine, with whom I used attend the Writer’s Conferences years ago, is helping too. Yay! A new friend!

Resting my brain a bit

Much of the day, which was grey and overcast, was spent at this computer, working on the church newsletter, among other things. It seems so very odd to be writing about Christmas and Epiphany already, with ThanksLiving just a few days away. It also occurred to me today that I will be in WI when the next newsletter is due out so I will have to work ahead and then remember to e-mail it to myself so I can work on it at my mom’s house. While my telephone works well for checking e-mail and Facebook updates, I cannot really use it to write newsletters. Don’t tell Justin this or he will insist I upgrade! Mom's computer is on dial-up service so instead of logging on and tying up her phone line, I simply can use my Android!

Today would NOT be a good day to discuss upgrading!!! My trips to the mailbox have been without fruit this month thus far, but with some hope, midweek next week I will have something more for which to be thankful. Sadly, my table will be missing a few faces that I had been looking forward to seeing there. My friend, Stephanie, lost her father this week. On Thursday, when it was time to turn over and hit the alarm button, Dale was already gone home to the Lord, his heart now healed. Stephanie and daughter, Erica (my Trivia buddy!) are with Grandma Jean and other family. Erica, a student at WLC, had just spent last weekend with her grandparents and auntie. Several months ago, Dale and Jean had joined us for Trivia when they were in town visiting. I am so sorry for the family but glad that Dale is forever with the Lord!

Erica’s boyfriend, Justin S., was also going to join us at the table for the feast but now there is some question as to whether he will come without Stephanie being there. I let him know that I have a place planned for him and since he already knows my Justin and me, well, he should come! Tomorrow at church there is a bake sale and hopefully I can buy a pie or two there. Stephanie was making us two pies, one pumpkin and one raisin, I think, or was it sour cream apple???

While catching up on my Internet show, I addressed envelopes for the Advent cards I send to the kids of the congregation. Since I bought 25 last year, which came with envelopes, I simply repeated the order for this year. When the shipment arrived, no envelopes were included. I wrote to them immediately and expressed my concern. A lady wrote back and said they no longer include the envelopes since many people did not use them. For nine cents apiece she would send them to me, but I declined. Instead I used some too large for the cards, but a good way to use them up. And, I no longer need 25 cards for our congregation. The leftover ones I sent to some of the kids who have left GS, plus yesterday, I mailed some to my nephews in Sheboygan, before I even knew I would have extras!

Friday morning was a busy one for me as I had the opportunity to drive my friend, Brenda, to work. Not only Brenda, though, but our shared friend, Edda, needed a ride as well. I loved having a bus route for my lady friends, who live very close to each other in Eagle Harbor. Edda’s office is near my home and we dropped her off first, then took Brenda. Both ladies are having a balance problem, with Edda’s being new since she took a spill in her kitchen.

Somehow or another our lovely blue Advent banners have disappeared from the sacristy. Carol called me Thursday to let me know and I was filled with disbelief. They just HAD to be there somewhere, so after dropping off Brenda, I went over to church to check for myself. Nope, no M & M blue banners to be found. How could they disappear like that? Michael C. had also gone in search of them after Carol had looked three times. I wondered if perhaps they were at the cleaners for a year, so I called the one Carol uses for church stuff. Nope, they did not have them either. This Advent, sadly, will not have our very special banners but hopefully, with the help of insurance money, we can have new ones for next year. Unless, somehow they turn up…

After the search I headed to The Club with my Scrabble board in arms, arriving in time to order my breakfast. I felt like having home fries so the nice chef made me an order, and Margie gave me one of her French toast slices (such a big order!). You will never guess who won the Scrabble game---before it was entirely over but due to time constraints, me!

Edda had a doctor appointment in the afternoon for which her daughter would drive, so I only had Brenda for my afternoon bus run. Stopping first at Papa Murphy’s for a pizza and cookie dough, I headed toward Wells Road, which was crawling along due to construction. When I got to her workplace, my dear friend, Jimmie, was standing outside by his truck. I loved seeing him and getting a series of hugs and a couple smooches!

Friday night was Dinner and a Movie, with Judy C. and Martie coming to watch and eat pizza. We watched “Water For Elephants” which was an extraordinary movie! For dessert, we had a special treat---Judy was experimenting with a brownie recipe where she dropped batter into muffin papers, added a teeny tiny candy bar, and then more batter over the top. And that’s exactly what they were---over the top!!!

From my friend, Linda M.

These are attributed to Andy Rooney, and while I am not sure he said them all, most are delicious morsels upon which to chew!

I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, "You've made my day!" makes my day.

I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one ofthe most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned.... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned.... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I 've learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned.... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I've learned.... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned.... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.

I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned..... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned..... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

"God bless you, you smell good!"

My perfume smells good to others, apparently, as several people in recent days remarked about it. I wear “Obsession”, by Calvin Klein, and have done so since 2000 when I discovered it when on a cruise in the Mediterranean with my former spouse. The gift shop on the ship offered samples. I loved the spiciness of it, light and not at all flowery. Yes, it is slightly more expensive than most pay, but a little bit goes a long way. I was in the elevator once with a policeman who had dropped off paperwork of Travis, my neighbor, who is a public servant. The policeman was in already when he stopped for me on my floor and after a second, he said to me, “God bless you, you smell good!”

When I was leaving the other day, I rode down in the elevator with Travis and he complimented me, saying I smelled nice. Well, thank you, Travis! When I got outside and passed Connie on the walkway, she said, “Boy, you smell good today!” I thanked her as well but then replied it was the same scent I wear every day. I don’t think I over did it at all, as I like to use it sparingly to make it last. Usually, though, I don’t go immediately from shower, to being dressed, to being out the door which is how my day was on Friday.

Monday I watched half of the Packer/Viking game with my neighbor and he asked me, “Is that Shalimar?” I said, “Is who Shalimar?” since I thought he was talking about football! No, it was a perfume, but he said mine was nice, light. Thank you again. I had not reapplied any since getting ready for the day and this was nearly 12 hours later.

Today again someone said to me that I always smell so good and I thanked them for the compliment. And Judy A. said that people from the Midwest have a hard time taking a compliment. Well, I accept!