Party hearty

I had a fun night last night wwaayy over at Queen's Harbor near the beach. Rita was the hostess for the Pampered Chef party which was attended by all Victory people plus me, and a lady she knows from her son's school. The consultant joked about Rita's need to widen her circle of friends...I disagree! I like this circle!

Instead of me driving to Rita's, I made arrangements to go as far as Stephanie's house, which is about 25 minutes away, and share the ride to the Harbor with her mom and her. Just the week before Rita hosted a welcome back party for Wayne and Suzanne who are wintering here from WI, having moved back up there last year. I was invited to that party as well but just couldn't get myself to drive all that way by myself on a Saturday night. It's an hour away, nearly so, depending upon the traffic. Justin had other plans so wasn't able to be my driver. I guess I could have ridden with Stephanie then, too, but was also content to stay home. 

So, anyway, I drove to Stephanie's house, arriving a tad early. They are getting their house ready for having ceramic tile installed in their formal rooms. How exciting! Erica got a last minute invitation to a soccer game at Everbank Stadium so had to miss this fun. I chuckled regarding Stephanie's comments about having trouble seeing at night and fear of running into the medians in the Harbor. Yikes! We did fine, with the help of the GPS. It is quite dark in the community so it was not easy to see the signs and some of the curves in the road. 

In the foreground is a chicken salad served in pastry cups and the back tray holds the brie bites. I can't wait to make them again, so simple and quite tasty!

The party was nicely attended and instead of having a demonstration of the PC tools, etc. we gathered around Rita's island in the kitchen. There we divided into teams to work on the foods to be served. I joined two other ladies in making brie bites which were absolutely delicious. I must have had a half dozen of them! Using pre-made phyllo crust cups, we put a cube of brie and then a teaspoon of jelly on each one. Popped them in the oven a few minutes and then, deliciousness!  I ordered a couple items Justin can use, usually to my benefit. I like it!  Great time spent with friends---can't be beat.

Testing, testing 1-2-3

Yes, I've been put to the test today and I must say, so far so good on the results. I had to go the long way around to get them done, but the ride to Starke was pleasant enough. Knowing I was running low on my blood pressure medication and needed to see the doctor before she would refill them, I still dilly-dallied in making the appointment with Lifeline Screening to have my blood work done. This is the company I use for the lab work because they are cheaper than going elsewhere. Lifeline offers many more tests than only the blood work but initially I just asked for that portion of their services.

The closest I could get to home was a 45 minute ride into the next county on a Saturday morning, after an 8 hour fast. I had offered Justin the opportunity to take me but he had made plans already for the day with his friend, so I drove myself. Me, and the GPS built into my phone. I left home about an hour ahead of my appointment to allow for travel and some margin for error, my own, not the GPS's. With no problems I found the place, the Women's Club of Starke, which was on a quaint bricked street 'in town'. A nice building, too. 

I got myself situated with the paperwork to complete, where I promptly missed a page and had to go back to the desk for the clipboard again. Nuts! The receptionist up-sold me on another test or two which I did wish to get but didn't know they offered. With my blood draw they could check my kidney and liver function, which is good information to have.  As I waited my turn, it occurred to me that I was messing up by not having the complete work up done as long as I was there and had fasted. I went to the desk once again and asked her if it would be problem for me to have all the tests. Assured it would not be problem, they had only 25 patients scheduled, she told me I would simply be there longer, which was okay with me. I up-sold myself!

So, I had my barrage of tests, checking arteries all over my body for good flow, checking on the density of my bones, and the blood work. The rest of the tests I had plus the liver/kidney tests will come by mail, but the blood work printout was given to me before I left. I was a smidge high on the blood sugar test but the nurse assured me it was low compared to everyone else she'd tested that day. Good! My other readings for cholesterol and such were well within parameters (yay!). I had my printout to share with my doctor for my appointment on Monday so I was good to resume normal activity. I'd been watching my consumption more closely for the week prior, though had some wonderful beef brisket yesterday. Thankful that didn't show up on my triglyceride numbers! 

When I got to my car about two hours after arriving, I immediately popped open my Diet Coke to enjoy during my ride back to town. I will still be watching myself until my appointment on Monday is behind me. But I sure was hungry when I got home. Leftovers take care of it. Glad to have passed my tests thus far and pray for good results on the rest of them when they come. 

I'm a winner!

One of Justin's favorite things to do is speculate on what he'd do if he won the lottery. He's been doing this since he was a kid. One of his plans was to buy a pipe organ for our humble church. Our friend, then pastor, Pete, told him he'd also have to hire an organist! Can't really have one without the other. Another idea he had, once older, was to put a security system and central air/heating in his cousin's home because her husband worked nights and he feared for the safety of my niece and her boys. Always thinkin'...

Now it's my turn to play the 'what if I win the lottery?' game. Justin and I each got a ticket last week when the prize was up to $186,000,000.  We knew we didn't win the Powerball when the prize went up to over $200 million but yesterday he scanned my ticket to see if I won anything. It turned out I did!!  I won---$4!!!  I speculated I could get almost two 12-packs of Diet Coke with the winnings, or turn it around and reinvest it this week for the drawing tonight. Instead of just one ticket like last week's drawing, this time I'll have two, purchased with my winnings from last week. How exciting!

Already I am making plans for the work I will do in my condo, renovations and redecorating, including, gulp, replumbing the place. Yikes! I could do all this with some abandon due to the huge amount of the prize but can't overdo it and affect the valuation for the rest of the building. Like Justin has told me in the past, no matter how much money he could win, he still couldn't get me any more parking for my building. That is a problem here---the lack of additional parking spaces for guests, and I do enjoy entertaining. Unless he'd build a parking garage....hmmm?

A tragic loss

Yesterday I was talking on the phone with my friend and she asked me if I heard the horrible news from Eagle Harbor. I said I had not. Earlier in the morning a young girl was struck by a car and killed while on her way to school. This is particularly hard on my friend because she is helping to raise her granddaughters and has one nearing that same age. Hits close to home in so many ways for my friend as she lives in this community not far from the grade school. I think at this point the age of the young lady had not been released. 

It was yet dark, before 7:00 and initial reports were that the high school student crossed between two cars, the driver in the 2nd car not seeing her, or the teen not seeing the car. Whichever, the driver is mortified, the young lady is deceased, and families are mourning.

In reading the reports and listening to the local reporters, many refer to this young lady, Gianna, as being beautiful or lovely. I wonder to myself why this matters, why does her appearance even come into play? Such is local news reporting (perhaps even national reporting) and yes, from her photo, she was a lovely young lady. I guess they don't really know what else to say. 

According to the stories, this family moved here recently from another state, the father serving in the Navy. Gianna was already established in her new school and seemingly popular. There was a candlelight vigil held at the high school where she was in her first year with hundreds of folks turning out. A fundraising site has been established to raise funds for the young lady's funeral, and is already near $10,000. I read through the names of the donors, recognizing only a few. I guess lots has changed since I left EH, now over 10 years ago! 

That made me sad, too, because years ago (14 of them!) when my son died, this same community rallied for us. We were not new to the area, had lived in 5 of the neighborhoods in Eagle Harbor already, built many of the homes, and had attended the developer's parties celebrating the 100th family, the 200th family, and so on over the years. If there had been a fundraiser for our situation, I believe I'd have recognized most if not all of the names. At least, my heart tells me that is so. What is special for this family is that even though they are new to the area, they are being embraced by their community. May God bless them at this time of great sorrow in their lives....

A million dollars

I got a million dollars today---at least I feel as though I did. On this rainy and damp day, it felt appropriate for Justin and me to venture out for lunch to Cracker Barrel. We chose this place after sorting through other choices which would satisfy his hunger. Justin was so hungry that his stomach hurt. Last night we ate several leftover cheeseburgers including mine from The Club that day so I suggested we go there again so he could have one. He didn't want to get dressed up (change his pants) so Cracker Barrel it is!

At home, on the ride there, while dining, and riding back home we talked about his plans for me to host a luncheon for some ladies with him doing the food portion. We are both excited about the prospect of it, and hope to make firm plans once he knows his work schedule. Justin was hungry for the chicken 'n dumplins' and I had my usual of meatloaf with mashed potatoes, green beans, and corn. This is also my funeral luncheon menu, oddly enough. We both enjoyed our meals with each needing a to-go box for our extras. 

At the register, Justin paid for his share of the bill, and then stepped aside for me to pay mine. I mentioned how I used to always buy a large Hershey bar at the register when I came with Martie and the cashier pointed out the location of several chocolate choices. She also showed me some salt and pepper sets which were quickly flying off the shelves. Quite the friendly girl, but not persuasive enough to sell to me! 

As she rang me up and showed me where to sign, she leaned in and asked, "So, is that your son?" I said it was, expecting her to tell me how handsome he is or ask for a date, or something. Instead she said, "Well, I've worked here for a while now but before this I worked at the McDonald's on Blanding. He came in everyday for coffee and was always so polite and sweet...You did good with him." Wow, just wow! I was blown away, but I managed to gush my thanks to her for telling me this, more than once. 

As we walked to the car, I asked him if he heard me talking to the cashier and he said no. I told him she used to work at 'his' McDonald's and he said, "I thought she looked familiar!" Then I told him what she said, he smiled shyly and said, "Of course!" That's my guy!

A reprint of a posting from 2011

FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011

A look back to January 14, 2001

Ten years ago today, about this time, my family was at church, likely listening to the sermon by Pete Prange (10:22 a.m.) Before Sunday school began, which was at 9:00 a.m., Timmy would have given Pastor the pretty picture he painted the night before (lots of P’s in that sentence!). He painted one for me and one for Pastor, announcing he would give it to him at church. I have a photo copy of that painting in my dresser drawer; saw it yesterday when Justin was looking for my headphones. Several years ago I had the picture framed for Pete and it hangs in his office in Morton Grove.

Yes, it is sort of ‘fun’, though that’s not the right word, trying to retrace every step of that dreadful night when Timmy died, but that gets one very very close to dangerous territory of doing the ‘what if’s’ and ‘if only’s’. We do not want to go there, it is of no value and battles against our knowledge that nothing takes place out of God’s handling. 

Many blessings have occurred in our lives and the lives of others since this happened to us. I say it happened to ‘us’ rather than Timmy because it is our loss that we mourn---we do not mourn Timmy’s gain. He shared the Good News faster than I did, and in a different manner in 5 years than I have in my 55. Psalm 31 says it so well, ‘my times are in your hands’. Sometimes I am broken pottery, as is the Psalmist, but the Lord promises to be the glue to hold me together.

Rosalie and Timmy on our front steps

One thing I am so glad about is that my friend and financial manager, Frank, made DVD copies of the funeral service for me, as I no longer have a working VHS player. I believe the ‘old’ TV in the back bedroom does have a working player so if I really need to play something on VHS, I will have to sit in there on the old desk chair to watch it! That particular TV is too heavy to carry into this room or any other room. Frank re-did the funeral video as well as Lisa’s wedding for me. 

Overnight the temps fell to the low 20’s but are expected to climb back up to the mid-50’s today. As I recall, on the day of Timmy’s funeral service, his 5^th birthday, the weather was lovely for January but the next day was horrid, windy and nasty. We were so blessed with good weather that week, all who traveled from distances arrived and departed safely and on time, with Rosalie often being the transportation from and to the airport. She has called me already this a.m. and sent several Facebook comments. I love it, love her, love my family and friends, and miss my little boy like crazy!

Unidentifiable

Justin and I have had some interesting discoveries recently in our refrigerator. The other day he was eating my leftovers from Chili's which included potato skins. He grabbed the container from the top shelf marked "Sour Cream" only to discover it contained green bean casserole from our ThanksLiving feast. Yikes! They were even more green and quite hairy. It really grossed him out, and made him sad because if he'd know they were in there, he'd have eaten the leftovers long  before they grew fur!

Today I was sorting through some things in the fridge, reaching down a container from the top shelf. In it I found some more fur had grown over what was once ricotta cheese. The cheese, originally white and creamy, was now yellow/orange and soupy with fur on top of it. Justin could not even recall which recipe he'd made calling for ricotta cheese so we couldn't actually tell how old it was. The expiration date had not yet been met but I explained that date is good for unopened items only. 

While I was at it, I reached down from the top shelf (we have to stop putting stuff up so high!) a container, a Rubbermaid one, with something else in it which was unidentifiable. I 'thought' it was sliced apples which was perhaps leftover from the crock pot apple crisp Justin had made. Now that I think about it, this would never happen, not with a tasty delight like apple crisp. I threw it out because it was beyond usefulness, so Justin was not able to help me identify what it was at one time. He speculates it might have been onions 'n butter he's kept so it's okay for it go into the disposal. From now forward we are using clear containers only for our leftovers so this won't happen again, or at least for a long time.

The other day I was talking with Mom and she told me she discovered some food in her fridge, in the drawer where the oranges are kept. She tried to describe it to me, thinking it was vegetables of some sort. Her eyes are not good anymore so it was hard for her to make out exactly what she's got there. I don't think it was anything that Justin or I were using to cook with while there. My suggestion was for her to show it to Jill when she comes up to do her eye drops and let her decide if it's keepable or tossable.  Justin did use some Italian meats and peppers in his Christmas Eve sandwiches but I didn't think he'd transfer the remaining peppers (if there were any) into a plastic container. We shall see, or hear, what the mystery food is in Mom's container, a Tupperware-styled dish. Can't wait!