Seems so odd...

...to not have Bible study today, throwing my routine out of whack this way. Pastor has suspended the class until some time after New Year due to the busyness of the season. We were having such a good flow, too, with our Fellowship study, just getting into the application portion of what we have reviewed. Oh well, we can pick it up again next year.

But, I was not without plans as my friend, Kathy, had asked me to lunch. Her mom, Betty, was out with her other daughter so Kathy and I enjoyed our lunch at Koko's. It was quiet, only two tables of hibachi diners while the rest of the folks were having table service on the other side of the dining room. Kathy gave me all her rice and I gave her all my vegetables---fair trade. The chef made me extra onion and in no time at all, I was full. The to-go box would be sufficient for our dinner, with the added food ordered but not eaten from Ming Moon on Sunday night. 

Justin had hauled all the Christmas bins out the night before so we tackled them tonight. Originally my plans were to start decorating while he was at work but time got away from me after Kathy and I got back from lunch. Anyway, he took care of the tree, with me helping him to fluff the branches, his least favorite part of the job. I untangled the star garland, did some dusting and moved my every day pretties to make room for the seasonal stuff. What a team!

With about 6 bins of decorations and one case for the ornaments, only very few pieces were actually incorporated into our decor. It is quite different than how it used to be 'back in the day' when we would entertain regularly. Now, I am gone much of the time and don't usually host unless it's for  the Ladies' Group. I think it's about time to thin out all those ceramic pieces I've moved from state to state and house to house over the years. It seems I am more easily contented with the simple stuff now days!

Sleep in heavenly peace...

This photo was taken during the Lakeshore Lutheran Chorale's Christmas concert at First German in Manitowoc tonight. The weather outside was frightful but the concert was a blessing, according to my mom. Notice how the chorale's robes are the liturgically correct color for the season.

My sister and niece are in the church's choir which also participated, but unfortunately, my niece couldn't make it to the concert due to the inclement weather. As I said to Mom on the phone as I drove to Victory, I am sure glad I am not the one having to plan these events in the upper midwest during the winter months because one simply cannot depend  upon the weather's cooperation. 

This is the table at which I was a guest of my friend, Erica, at Victory's Ladies' Advent Service this evening. One of the members has written a lovely service based on the history of the familar hymns and carols we sing, this being the second time this service was used. One particular line from the narration that struck me was how the Israelites lived most of their lives in the Advent season, awaiting the coming Messiah. Very poignant to me. We are yet in Advent in our lives, as well, as we await the return of our victorious Savior King!

I got my wish!

At the end of summer, I lamented not being able to enjoy time with my friends around the pool. Today, I got my wish and sat outside with three of my friends for an hour or so. It was 84 above zero and just a lovely day. Meanwhile our families and friends were suffering in unseasonably (or unreasonably!) cold weather in the upper Midwest as we appreciated our unseasonably warm, even record setting, temperatures here in N. FL. 

This is the bird's eye view of my friends seated at the pool waiting for me to get home from my morning/afternoon outings today. Bob is in the shade, while Nancy and Bill get some sun. As Debbie and I walked up the building and noticed them out there, I told her I doubted anyone would get in the water....

....but I was wrong! In fact, Bill had gotten in several times before I got down there and several more after I arrived. The teen's pool is 'warmer' because it is more shallow but it is certainly NOT warm enough to swim in. Not too cold for this brave North Dakotan, though. Such a guy!

Emotional day today

Sunday I have planned for Justin and I to decorate our rooms for Christmas. I am more excited about than is he, of course, as he hates to do the tree. I will be glad to do the tree, but I can't put it up myself (I tell him...) and cannot reach the top, etc. It is a two-person job. He doesn't like the pulling apart of the branches part of the decorating, so that will be my job. One good thing about our tree location is that it is not the center of attention in the room, but nicely set in a corner, offering ambient light and decor. I don't do much 'for a grade' any more, less performance pressure the last decade or so. Wow, it's almost a decade already!

Since I am talking about history here, I have more to add. This a.m. I had The Breakfast Club with some ladies, Ollovan and Pat. Pat used to be a volunteer fire fighter which is how she met her husband, David. They both served at the station which which responded to our emergency back in 2001, but neither of them were among the responders. I told her about the letter one of the EMTs had written to me after Mom, Justin, and I dropped off Honey Baked Hams at the two stations. Pat wondered if she knew the lady who wrote the letter, so I am making it my mission to locate that letter in my archives. Wow!

This has been an eye-reddening day, and an eye-opening mission for me to be on. Long and short, I did locate the letter and realize I must re-type it before it is no longer legible, as it has faded a great deal. It was hand-written on a paper with clouds on it, and the writing is hard to make out. I can staple it to the original but I want to make sure I can read it in another 10 years, if I need to. I gave Pat bad info, however, as the lady was at the other station and not hers, as I had originally 'remembered'. 

As I read through many of the multiples of a hundred cards and notes from people, it saddened me to realize I didn't recall who some of these people were. Their notes were so touching and intimate, yet their name rang no bell for me. And I thought "I'd never, ever forget these people" and the events. I am sure this part of God's healing for us, to put these memories aside so we don't dwell, but I feel badly about not storing these names and faces in my heart and memory. One lady stuck in my mind as I struggled to remember who she was...and all of sudden, later, it came back to me that she was our neighbor on the street we lived on where Timmy was born. 

There was a lovely poem which was not signed but I attributed to my niece at first. But that didn't ring true either as another card revealed a girl named Becky had written us a poem. Okay, so who is this Becky? Searching and searching my memory banks----ah, yes! She worked in Peggy's dental office and would often babysit for us. That was why she remembered tucking him into bed, reading stories to him and his curly hair and his laugh...

When Justin came home from work I sort of put the stuff to the side because he used to not like it when I did stuff like this. When I wrote a piece for my high school's alumni newsletter many years back, he asked me how long I would be yet in getting it done. At that time my office was just off the family room at our lake house and he could see/hear me at work. I sort of learned a lesson from that...which is why I likely put the 'book' aside as long as he was around. 

Speaking of the book, after reading through the lovely notes people wrote to us upon Timmy's death and the weeks afterward, I am rethinking the format of the book. The messages in the book can tell the story for me, if I let them.

Linda touched base with me throughout the day as she vacationed in the winter wonderland of MN at our friend's home. She knew of my project and sent me encouragement and comfort as I went through the basket. 

Tomorrow I have a seminar at my financial planner's office about Medicare. I know, I know, not old enough yet but it never hurts to get the scoop well in advance, plus have a lovely 'brunch' with the other folks. Plans are being made to lunch with my neighbor, Debbie, Saturday as well, depending upon how long the seminar lasts. I'd like to dine alfresco if possible and make the most of our sunshining days. In the low 80's again today---yay!

It's a hot day!

We reached 82 above zero today in North Florida and for this, I apologize to those of you who read this blog and are suffering from the terrible cold temps elsewhere. More than terrible, potentially life-threatening if much time is spent out in it without adequate clothing. Now, if it was a football game, folks can do it, but then again, they are usually wearing layer upon layer of clothing---or, a bikini, as I saw at a recent Packer game! Brrr!  It's so nice out that Justin and I enjoyed lunch on the patio at Bahama Breeze today after Bible study.

As I write, I see a very colorful barge moving up the river. When they travel at night, the barge and the tugboat are covered in lights which make them look like they are decorated for Christmas. So friendly looking, and very hard to miss.

I don't think I mentioned my quick trip to the dentist on Monday afternoon. My temporary bridge is holding up nicely and I thought I was keeping the area nice and clean. Well, Sunday morning when I brushed my teeth, I hurt myself, thinking I nicked the area where the extraction was and caused it to bleed. I thought at first I had another abscess and was fearing having some other procedure done to this area. Like it's never going to end, you know?

I called the dentist Monday morning and the young lady got me an appointment for that afternoon, well before I had to be ready for the Ladies' Group party. (Thinking ahead, I had stopped at Publix and got my food for taking to the party, plus my gift was already wrapped. I was so ahead of the game this time!) Heidi took me back to the suite and got me situated in the chair while I waited for Peggy. Heidi gave it a quick look-see and determined, indeed, I did have a boo boo. I knew it!

                         

Well, Peggy looked it over, and then tried pushing some tracer stuff into the owie to see how far into my head it would go. Once packed in there, she x-rayed it and found the wound was mostly a surface injury. She used an antibiotic to rinse the area and sure enough, she flushed out a 'foreign object'. That is enough detail, but will say I was VERY greatly relieved to know my bone is healing nicely after the extraction (yay!) and no further procedures were needed. 

I have to be extra careful when eating green food apparently, or any type of food, it seems. She gave me the remainder of the bottle of antiseptic stuff to take home with me, plus a syringe thing, to rinse the area at bedtime, making sure no 'foreign objects' cause me a problem. I was so so glad. I get my permanent bridge installed in January after I get home from WI. A nice, early start to my tax deductions!

Mission Accomplished!

It's been a long time coming but there it is----the top of my desk! I worked several hours on this project, tearing open envelopes, filing papers, shredding some stuff, and in general, going through the accumulation of debris stacked on my desk. And here is the result---a cleaned off desk. All that remains is a napkin for my soda can, and a case from a CD (music from Greece). Otherwise, all the stuff is handled as is appropriate and the slate is clean. Now, to the mailbox to see what more I can bring up to sort, file, or shred!

I never thought I'd say this...

...but I am getting tired of leftovers. Not just any leftovers, however, but the ones from the ThanksLiving feast. I have one serving of mashed potatoes left (I am NOT tired of them, ever!), and there are containers on the refrigerator shelves with gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and carrots remaining. Justin polished off the combined orange Jell-O salads and I had the last of the cranberries. The green bean casserole went fast, and in fact, yesterday, I bought ingredients to make another batch for us. I do have leftovers from Koko's to eat but don't feel like I should eat that before the other foods. Justin did not share my thinking on this matter and ate his, plus my leftovers from Sunday's Chili's lunch!

Another time our family got 'tired' of leftovers and eating at home was after Timmy died. We had enormous amounts of food which had been provided us, and continued coming after our relatives had gone home again. Justin even made the remark that he never thought he would get tired of ham, but he did then!  We just had to go out and get some other types of food, just for a change of scenery and pace.

****

The other night Justin and I were sitting around talking and he made the declaration, "You know, we are the 'goingist to church' religion there is, besides Catholic." Well! Where did that come from? Evidently his boss said something about going to worship, or not going, for ThanksLiving Day, at his non-denom church. 

He began telling me about talking with his boss regarding church/religion stuff, which I find interesting. Now, my boy is fast talker, so I have to run to keep up sometimes. He said he couldn't remember something from confirmation class, and by the way, why do we have confirmation in the first place? Where does it say that in the Bible? And how come you have to be confirmed to take the Lord's Supper? And how many times a month? Wow! That must have been some conversation!

I explained to him the differences between doctrine and practice, hopefully in a way he can relate to his boss, then located Bible passages to reinforce our church's practice of being fully prepared to partake in the Lord's body and blood. I also told him that frequency of communing varies from congregation to congregation, a 'practice' established by their history or agreement in the leadership. Also, I reminded him how Victory does not have worship on Christmas Day, as is their choice. I can't imagine not having worship that day, as the services I attend at FG when I am there are so wonderful and edifying. 

I remember having the Lord's Supper served once a month at FG, and those not partaking were dismissed before the communion portion of the service continued. That was when I was a young girl and when the new pastor came, the man who confirmed and married me, it was changed to twice a month without dismissing anyone. But it was the history and practice of this congregation to do things differently, not as a Biblical mandate.

                             

I sure do enjoy these types of things, being asked the what and why, and have the opportunity to look up what needs to be substantiated with Bible passages or other resources. I think Justin enjoys the challenge as well. More than once he has referenced what his confirmation pastor told them in class...hey, they really were listening and learning!