Thank you, Lord, for easing my pain!

I must write in between episodes of concentration-robbing mouth discomfort. Something in my teeth is acting up again, and why not? It has been a year, well, nearly, since my last root canal! Fortunately my dentist was able to x-ray me yesterday and found nothing amiss, but as she said, it might be too soon. Anyone who knows me knows I am keenly aware of my teeth and their antics, being no stranger to the dental chair. If memory serves, and x-rays could confirm, I am at 17 root canals in my last 40 years....hence, the genuinely 'million dollar smile'!

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My friend, Julia, wrote me yesterday to report she needed to take Cipro, a powerful antibiotic, for a kidney infection and told me she got it from Publix, FREE! Well, blow me down! Sure enough, when I went to get my penicillin scrip filled, it was free. Cool! Needless to say, it would take 15 minutes for it be ready for pick-up so: "do you have some other shopping to do?"...like someone is going to say "no"? I did manage to pick up a few things to use at home, like garbage bags, which we go through like nuts in our house. That is the problem with eating at home--garbage is produced in the kitchen! To say nothing of the foam boxes from the dining places that take up space in the cans. Joanne, an aside, had trouble sleeping last night so she was cooking pasta at 3:00 a.m.!! I never heard a thing, thankfully.

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The river is gorgeous this morning, with boats dotting the water, small ones, evidently fishing as they appear to be stationary. Shore birds are strolling around on the exposed yukky-looking sandbar which appears when the water level is low, pecking at unseen insects or fish. The other night I saw a raccoon scooting forth and back on "dry land" from our dumpster area to the island. My neighbor, Pat, said our BOD was contacted by the condo building next door, cautioning against feeding these "near-rodents" because they are getting too familiar and coming up the stairs at The Capri. That would certainly be unacceptable, I would freak if I opened my door to be met by a raccoon. They may be rabid but most likely diseased or equally filthy in some way. The 'coons might be fun to watch and all that, but I really do not want to meet them up close and personal!

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In between x-rays and grocery shopping, or non-grocery shopping, I did manage to work on the newsletter for church. I am yet waiting for information from the preschool and Lutheran Pioneers. Ever the multi-tasker, I washed the blankets from the end of my bed where Lynx used to lie. Joanne put them in the dryer and this a.m. when I went to get them out, I was greeted with a giant handful of lint! Mostly cat hair! And it is not as though these blankets are not washed regularly, either. Right now my room is trashed because the bed is stripped, washer doing its thing with my sheets and pillow cases. Unfortunately, I had to unpile my bed and stack my stacks elsewhere, precariously balanced on the bench, floor, or dresser top. One false move, and whoooosh!, papers everywhere!

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This Sunday is New Member Sunday where our most recent members are officially greeted with a cake and light refreshment social after church. When we first started to do this, I had served hot dogs (prepared by Rick P.) and potato chips with the cake, then pared down to pizza and cake, and now, just cake! This quarter, we have three new adult members and one infant, but we have decided to wait until the baby's mom finishes her instruction class and welcoming them as a pair!

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Sunday is also our Mother/Daughter Spring Fling, sponsored by the Ladies' Group. As of Monday night, Janet said there were 60 people coming from our church, plus two other area Lutheran churches! Judy J. is going to serve as my mom that day. I have purchased lady fingers and other "gourmet" cookies as the committee asked for finger-style desserts so no silverware is required. There is going to be a fashion show, comical in nature, but I won't give it away for those who are not familiar. I will tell you this much---Janet had to stop after our dinner Monday night to pick up assorted food wrappers from McDonald's, to use in the fashion show! I could come dressed as a whopper...........