I have been busy this morning....

.....and have not even gotten out of bed! Besides chatting on Facebook with WI friends, and the telephone, I have been reaching out and touching people! Or been touched! Or am touched!!! There was a "Seinfeld" episode where Elaine broke up with her perfect guy because he did not put an exclamation mark after what should have been an exciting phone message he took for her. She then went on a rampage as an editor, using exclamation marks at every opportunity. It seems I do that as well!

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Today I am helping in the kindergarten classroom to give the teacher a little break over lunch and recess, and she called to let me know that two of the kids are out with the stomach flu. Laurie thought I might not want to be exposed to the germs which may or may not be in the air but I told her I will go into battle! Using good hand washing procedures and plenty of Clorox wipes (love those things!) will certainly be my defense.

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After I am done in the classroom I will go in to the church office next door to review the Policy and Procedure book in case I am ever called upon to work in the church office again, as I did last fall when Lynne went to Hawaii. It was really last minute when she asked me and the retraining I had was cursory at best. Things were handled adequately although likely not as in the same military order as Lynne was accustomed. She is going on a cruise at some point in the summer so I am on board to grab the reins once more. Her hours were reduced in order to save money on the budget and since I have the time to donate, well, there must be something in the office that I can do. Even if it is folding or making copies or organizing....maybe even dusting!

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My sister, Jill, called me this morning on her way to work. She said Danny, her son, had mentioned something to her as she drove him to school and she needed my help in remembering. It seems he was thinking about them coming down here for Timmy's funeral and he remembers seeing a wall or balls with people's names written on them. Jill asked me what he could be thinking of, saying he thought it was next to a building somewhere. He was eight when they were here for that. In my vague recollection of those days, I asked Jill if he was at the funeral home at all and she said he did come at first. One of the assistants from Eagle Harbor Realty then took him back to my house to babysit him. I think what he saw, then, when outside walking around with his mama, were the crypts in the mausoleum next door to the funeral home. I think they are black with people's names engraved or plaques on the marble, behind which are the urns of the deceased. He also mentioned the creek behind the funeral home and the pond at the cemetery. Jill does not remember seeing these things but, as I told her, her mind was elsewhere under those circumstances. Hmmm......what things kids notice! And what made him think about it today?

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Pastor also called to see if I was still coming in today and might have some busy-work for me to take care of. If not now, he will in the future when it gets busy mid-month in February when Lent begins. I want to stop at Publix on the way through to get myself a sandwich to enjoy with the children and a gift card for Mike C.'s birthday today. My friend, Suzanne, and her family will be having dinner at Judy C.'s house for the birthday celebration tonight. Yummy! Ssshhh, they are having a beef roast as his special dinner and I think that sounds so good, I am going to get myself a roast, too! Love the smell of roast roasting!

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On the way to Bible study yesterday, I swung by the cemetery to put the flower vases back up after the storms in the wee hours. Sure enough, everything was a mess down there, but neither glass vases were broken. The Thomas balloon was deflated and wind-whipped so I took it away. In the afternoon, it got quite windy yet again so I might have to go check the vases once more as I head toward the church this a.m. The radio reported Monday that power was out in certain areas of Orange Park and the Westside due to the terrible storm and in fact, radio reports had it that we were under a tornado warning when I pulled the covers back over my head! Oh well.....

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It is 55 above zero with ten more to go until we reach the high predicted for today. My friend in Tulsa said they are in store for more serious winter weather with ice and snow accumulating, so I can tolerate the 65 degree mostly sunny weather. Last night we had our annual Owner's meeting at The Club and it had its moments. Some of the more contentious issues discussed included the budget for the coming year which adds 2% to our monthly fees. Yikes! I told the people at my table that I will only eat every other day now to make up the difference. They did not believe me.....The good news is that we had enough people step forward to serve on the Board for the next two years, I think, and I am not one of them! There are always some who make waves and listen with their mouths open instead of closed, so miss half of what is being discussed. Others demand presentation of past year's Minutes to either prove or disprove that some matter was voted on and discussed. I felt badly for the newest couple to the building, although the husband had lived here before with his previous wife. Bob and his then-wife, Jan, were quite gracious to us after Timmy died, invited us to their home and such. That is when I first saw The Palace and it never left my memory. As they took us on a tour of their home, I couldn't believe how it just went on and on....and now, I live here! When I saw a place was available in the building, I snapped it up!

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Last week I heard from an old friend, Jim, who was our draftsman and became a superintendent later in his career with my company. He is mentioned in one of the repeat postings I made, the guy who called Timmy "Hurricane Hank". He is now a married man and quite happily so. I told him I did not feel bad about not being invited to their Keys wedding since it was only his wife and he, plus the minister, their dog, and a homeless man who wandered through during their vows! That figures! Jim did my home inspection before I moved in here, arriving before I did. He was wandering aimlessly, claiming he got all turned around inside my condo! It can be intimidating at first, as Mom will attest. She got turned around herself when she stayed with me here after we moved in. Jim said he got into a closet and ended up in the bathroom, which is true! I changed that situation after moving in, so my guests can enter their bathroom without going through the closet.

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Whenever I travel, I think of Jim---he told the story about his mom who, when he was flying somewhere, would ask him, "Do you have your tickets?". In those days, we had paper tickets to use, not e-tickets. Frustrated, he would say, "Yes, I do!", except once, he did not!!! What a great lesson he learned! Good for you, mom! So, as I approach the bag check area at the curbside, I think to myself, "Kim, do you have your tickets??"

Oh, I hate having those kind of dreams!

We all have them, just some folks do not recall their dreams. Me? Unfortunately, often I do remember mine and today was no exception. The dream took place after being awakened by the thunderstorm which moved through here in the early hours of the morning. I went back to sleep, of course. Dreams seem like they last for hours but according to experts, are only moments long. Mine went on far too long and got more frustrating as it went. Frustration is often the theme of people's dreams, running to catch your ride to work, racing against time to get something done, and so on. I was getting ready for a party (go figure!) and running out of time!

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Mom likes to mention helping us get ready for a party many years ago in WI when we (former spouse and I) had moved into a new house in Indian Bluffs, not quite finished, but were having our contractor party anyway. While Mom ironed the curtains for the family room, I think, others were scurrying about to make things ready, including mounting the bar top in the kitchen. It was just too much for Mom, all the hustle and bustle, thinking we would not make the deadline for the party, that she had to go home! And guess what----we made it! We had our party and it was wonderful!

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My dream this early morning ended before the guests started arriving but was pretty much the same scenario---getting a house ready for a party. After I woke up and was thinking about it, no mention was even made of food and drinks at all. Just everywhere I turned there was dust, layers and layers of it, my nemesis. My former spouse was in the dream as was Justin, who was not the least bit helpful in conquering the mess. There were piles of clothes around, with no hope of getting the piles removed, it seemed. I spent most of the sequence in my nightie, and even though it was nearly time for the guests to start showing up. I am like the bride who gets married with her hair in curlers so she looks nice for the reception!

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At one point my former spouse said he was going outside to tidy some things up and I insisted we get the inside ready first because you can't see outside at night! In one hallway in this house which I did not recognize, Justin had taken my painted canvases and stood them on end along the wall. And the dishwasher tray for silverware strangely enough was on the outside of the door, where obviously they could not be washed. But the tray was packed tightly with plastic ware with what appeared to be icing on them, and looked gross. Just before I woke up, it was time for the party, I was in my nightie, battling to get the forks washed for the party! Whew! My heart is pounding and I am still tired!

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These days when I have a gathering, it is much less stressful because, I believe, I am the one in charge. If I want to prepare things ahead, I will and do. Even the feasts for holiday dinners, I make as much ahead of time as possible to avoid the chaos. No one ever complains or is critical, to my knowledge, and it makes for an easier time for me. This I love to do---having the feasts in my dining room. Which brings to mind Linda and Lynn's upcoming visit! We have plans to hold a dinner, a "Julie and Julia" dinner where the guests bring menu items from Julia Childs' cookbook! This was Twila's idea and I hope it will fly...I had better get busy putting a bug in people's ears so they can make their plans ahead of time. My idea was to make the raspberry creme dessert as seen in the movie but I might have to tackle the meat dish so Twila won't have to try to transport it. No worries, I can do it!

The Party's Over!

May I present the beautiful taco ring! Rachel brought the garnishments to go with it but most just dived in without the enhancements. Truly a wonderful treat! Wish I could make one that pretty!

Lonnie and Renee are quite entertaining as they shared stories about their lives in the Navy. Emily is listening intently, as Paul joins in with his stories (he is out of the frame to the right)

Brian (nearly out of frame), Kathy B., Rick and Jen, are listening to Lonnie tell another funny story!

The room is empty but ready for the guests to arrive. The lights were dim which makes for the darker picture. Justin carried the chairs into the family room for me and I wonder if he will come back to put them in the dining room....I guess if I asked him to, he would!

Brian took a picture of me at the table, but the flash jumped up and caught the rim of his hat. Quite amusing! In the front we have assorted cheesecakes on my lovely cake plate, hot dog wraps on heated tray (wedding present!), taco ring with condiments, meatballs in the mushroom dish (wedding present!), and nacho chips with dip. The red tapers are in my mom's candle holders from many many years ago. Thanks, Mom! The taco ring was made by my friend, Rachel, from Victory, and she delivered it to my house in time to bake and serve. Her son and she took the tour quickly as she wanted to be gone before anyone arrived. It was delicious and moreso because she so graciously made it for me!

The table was loaded with food incrementally, keeping the hottest foods to the last so it would be good for serving. The mushroom dish has a candle underneath to keep the meatballs hot, and you can see the flame in the photo!

This photo was taken on the morning of what would have been Timmy's 14th birthday. Truly the day the Lord has made! As Carter says in "The Bucket List" when viewing the Northern Lights from the private jet: 'truly one of God's good ones!' Amen, Carter!

Before the party

It is time to rest already after a busy, by my standards, morning of preparations. Justin popped in momentarily to bring up some more stuff from my car and to take a light bulb to the garbage for me. It is a tube fluorescent bulb, about three feet long so it is not the simplest trash I have to get rid of. Hopefully he put the tube alongside the trash bin and not inside where someone might toss their bags on top of it and have a huge mess. Justin is on his way to his father's house to finish taking down the outdoor holiday lights, including lifting a 75# flag pole which is draped in lights. Neither of those two have decent backs and I jokingly asked if I should come along to help. We would likely end up in the river and the pole would remain standing. I should have mentioned the pole is on the dock....

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Thus far today I have made a mess, mostly from trying to make my ham salad but once I got the machine put together properly after several tries, I have a bowl full of Honey Baked Ham salad! Yummy! Too bad Janet won't be here to enjoy any this time. Another time I served it for a gathering and she doubted that I could make such a delicious treat! It might be expensive to buy up front, but it is so "no muss-no fuss" delicious and the meals just keep coming after the feast is past. My freezer holds three containers of the bean soup made from the bone and remnants, and now the ham salad for tonight. A bit more dusting was done, just some finishing touches, and serving dishes gathered for the hot foods. My friend, Rachel, from Victory, has offered to make me a Pampered Chef taco ring for tonight. What a sweetheart!

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Yesterday when Justin came, he walked into the dining room and asked, alarmed, "What kind of party are you having??!!??", as he held the grass hula skirt in his hands. He saw the cactus cut-out and hula skirt and John Deere paper plates----yeah, you know those church folks do like their parties!!! I explained both were church-related but two separate events. Martie is coming Wednesday to help me assemble the hula skirt thing which will help to gauge the donations to our lawn mower fund. Nothing to do with the party at all, just left out on the table where I dropped it when getting home. What a laugh we had over it, though!

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I had another belly laugh with David, my bro-in-law in WI, this morning. Wanting to talk with my sister as I took my break, I called their house. He was the only one up and it was 10:00 a.m. already. David asked if he should wake her up and I told him not to because I need her fully conscious to discuss my travel plans for March. She will call me when she's had a cup of coffee and can think coherently. What made us laugh though was when he asked who was coming to the party tonight. I told him I invited the Called workers and teachers and those elected to office. And then I said, "I invited the elect, and am dying to see who shows up!!!" A little biblical humor there....hopefully not too sacrilegious. I just crack myself up sometimes, and cracked him up too! Justin came in as I was roaring with laughter and was hanging up with David, and he asked, "Seinfeld??" Of course, what else would make me roar like that??

Taking a break

A break? From what? Well, perhaps the scent of Soft Scrub from my hands will give it away....I began the process of cleaning for the party tomorrow night, and I do this in increments so as not to upset my back. Often I find that cleaning wears on me, so I will allow Justin the privilege of moving the chairs around when he comes to vacuum clean this afternoon. That is sometimes a back-breaker for me as my dining room chairs are quite heavy. Once the floors are cleaned, he can place the chairs in the family room so I can prepare the table for food. Later I will go get some items from the store including wine and soda, and perhaps some beer. Most are wine drinkers these days but I think I must have something for all, as a good hostess. Justin will tote it upstairs for me which saves me the job.

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This a.m. before getting in the shower, I stripped my bed and threw the sheets into the washer. The water seemed reluctant but did not do its usual spitting and sputtering which normally happens if it has been off. Huh. At least it was still coming out, right? I went to take my shower and as I stood under the lame stream, I scrubbed like mad to make sure I got done before the water quit all together. Now what? I did not even get to my hair but that's okay, mostly I wished to remove the soap from my skin. Once out, I called the maintenance guy, Hugh, to report the problem but got his answering machine. This made me hopeful that he was out there addressing the problem. I also called Tracy downstairs, as she is still the president of the BOD but she knew nothing of the situation. By the time we completed our conversation, the water pressure had returned to normal, and I restarted the washer. And I washed my hair in the kitchen sink!

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Outside my door I heard some racket and opened it to find Connie out there sweeping around the plants and such in the courtyard. This pleased me because I want it looking nice when my company arrives. She told me mine were the sole plants that survived the freeze. The only special treatment I gave them was using hot water to water them and not every day. No covers or anything, and mine lived! One pot contains plants from when Timmy died so I really wanted them to make it. Some look a bit weary but are otherwise alive.

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Again, a Jami story: just prior to her surgery, Jami had been training for a marathon, her first one. On the day of the marathon she found herself in the hospital, facing emergency surgery to remove part of her colon. The doctors are not exactly sure what happened there, whether it was from the training or if it just happened on its own. As she recovers now, she did a dramatic change of attitude, last night declaring in no uncertain terms that she was going to run a 'stinking' marathon!!! The 'stinking' is my word, not the one she used. Good for you, Jami, go get 'em!

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The party tomorrow is going to be fewer folks than I invited, as often happens, with Pastor calling this a.m. with his regrets. He had surgery earlier this week to repair a hernia and he is taking longer to feel like his old self than he expected. Sadly, his wife and he won't be able to make it to the party, and in fact, his dad is coming up from south Florida to help with the service on Sunday. What a blessing that is for us all! Having a spare pastor in your back pocket, so to speak. It is good that his dad, a former professor from the seminary, is a phone call away when needed. One can never predict how long recovery will take, as we all heal differently. My guess is he is not planning to run a marathon any time soon but does intend to see his kids' sporting events on Saturday and then turn in for the rest of the day!

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I called Hugh back a bit ago to let him know the water was okay again, and he said they were cleaning up a mess in their condo. It seems one of them dropped a bottle of chocolate wine on the kitchen tile floor and they had sticky wine and broken glass all over. Yes, they will need some water to clean that mess up! Yikes! I have a similar bottle in my fridge that I got from a wine tasting party so I think I will wander down there with my bottle to replace theirs. They are such good neighbors, and I will likely not serve it or drink it myself. Hugh can either drink it or pour it on the floor!

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Here is a PS to my posting: I just came back upstairs from Hugh's and observed there was water in the swimming pool on the far end. It has been empty and under repair since September. I guess with the horrific weather yesterday I just did not notice the refreshed and lovely blue from that end of the property. Another big news event this week was a group of men filling in the treacherous pot holes that made an obstacle course out of our driveway from the street down. We are guessing that is what caused my most recent flat tire, hitting the pot hole. This prompted the jokes from the Geico commercial and really made me laugh. K, bahy!

"....like smoke through a keyhole....."

In the movie, "The Bucket List", the two men facing their pending demises (is that a word???), were discussing the rapid passing of time, going by nearly unnoticed when it seemed there was still plenty of years before them. Now that it seemed more like only months left in their lives, they speculated how quickly that time will pass, and Edward sort of whispers, "...like smoke through a keyhole....". One of my favorite lines from the movie and I like to throw it out when I can in a conversation. Certainly I have used it in this blog but Mom said she does not recall hearing or reading that expression before. So I am using it tonight as I think about how next month we have Ash Wednesday coming up. Already??? We just celebrated Epiphany and now, working on the newsletter, I discover that Ash Wednesday is nearly around the corner. How did that time go by so quickly, ".....like smoke through a keyhole...."?

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My friend, Jami, whom I 'met' through The Bucket List, is home recovering from a rather dramatic surgery and is going stir crazy while at the same time feeling miserable. Movie watching is her past time because the medications do not allow her to read and focus. She asked today for suggestions for movies to watch and I sent her a list of my faves, not including the two we already share, besides "Bucket", we also love "Freedom Writers". In her blog she wrote that she roared her head off watching "The Hangover" and then added in parenthesis, "No, Kim, this movie is not for you!". She is not the first one to tell me that and I could tell from the previews this movie was not for me either. Joanne went and saw it alone one day, and told me it was horribly raunchy and vulgar, but she never laughed so hard in her life. What does that tell you???

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Thursday is usually the day Justin and I start together at Bible study but he sent me a sad text message this a.m. reporting he had to go to work on a house to prepare it for a walk-through. Evidently he had not finished it yesterday so had to go back in today. Rats! We needed him too as we had a skeleton group for class. Last week they set up extra tables and chairs so we could all squeeze in and today only three of us showed up. On the way to class I called Mom, as usual, and while we were chatting a phone call came from Martie. After class I called her back to see what was up. Normally she works on Thursdays but was off today and wanted to meet for lunch. What do you know? It worked out well that Justin was not available because Martie stepped in perfectly to take his place! Cracker Barrel it is!

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Because I was already up, dressed, and out on the road, I got there first and saved us a seat by the window where I could watch the rain come down and the lightning flash. Yup, a storm was brewing for sure! My lunch consisted of the veggie plate complete with fries, which I ordered for Martie to snack on as she waited for her apple dumpling to come. I had food, she had dessert-----that's what friends do! It was great seeing her again since she has been laid up with a terrible sinus infection and then family coming in from London and a new grand baby being born.....She is coming over Wednesday to help with my project for church and to work on some painting or cards or something. Chris, too, if she is not playing bridge next week. We need an appointment to get together with Chris, she is such a busy bee!

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Since the storm had intensified while we were in the dining room, Martie, who needed a birthday present for her granddaughter, and I shopped in the general store. It was just pouring down out there, and I thought I heard a customer telling about tornadoes somewhere but did not catch where exactly. We had been under a watch since morning until 4:00 pm but it seems a touch down occurred south of Green Cove and a possible siting at Doctors Inlet. I wonder if Twila had some excitement this afternoon??? Instead of Rush on the radio, the station went to weather reporting, have folks calling in to tell what they were seeing or experiencing on the area roads. Even on the interstate west of Jacksonville there was flooding and a huge mess from sand which moved onto the freeway where construction was going on. Glad I only had a few miles to go to get home, although going the back way was probably not the best idea as there was standing water on the street all along the river. One of the reports that came in made me laugh, because the man reported the wind was so powerful in Penney Farms, that a squirrel blew out of a tree and landed on his windshield. "We got cows!"---from the movie "Twister", only in this case, we have squirrels. Sadly, two construction workers were blown off an overpass by a gust of wind, landing on the road below. Hopefully their injuries will be minor and the squirrel recovers as well!

Here is a picture taken of hail stones which fell this afternoon. Wow, that's going to leave a mark!

Sun bathing in January

First of all, thanks to all who reached out to Justin and me yesterday, and on Timmy's anniversary day, which Justin calls his "death day". That is right, one is his birthday and one his death day, the day he entered eternal bliss!

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Finally the sun has broken through, burning off the fog which concealed Mandarin the first part of the morning. It feels so good roasting my back and shoulders, even making me squint a bit as it comes around my face. My desk is piled with my CHRISTmas and holiday cards, and, yes, there IS a difference. After I record the senders in my computer for the coming season, I will sort them according to their theme, and take the CHRISTmas ones to church for recycling. Booklets using parts of the cards are made at the end of the year for distribution to the shut-in members and when we go caroling. The rest, those that will not work for re-using, will go into the trash. It saddens me because I love my cards so much but some cleaning up must be done before my party on Saturday night!

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Justin will be coming after work Friday to do the cleaning, badly needed since we took down the decorations. Lori had vacuumed on New Year's Eve but it still needed much more attention than she gave the rugs and floors. Those nacho chips are just so messy! Must add that to my shopping list for the party---chips and dips! At this writing only a fourth of those invited have replied to my invitation but today is the day the invitation asked for RSVPs. Until I know how many are coming, I am holding back on my food preparations. Much is already on hand but some will need purchasing, especially the adult beverages. Justin can help me with that tomorrow after Bible study and lunch.

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Justin and I met at the cemetery yesterday and placed a Thomas the Tank Engine balloon at Timmy's site. Some one had already placed a bouquet in the vase so the bouquet I brought was placed in a glass vase which was rolling about in my back seat, waiting to be dropped off at church. The wind wanted to blow it over but I secured it well enough to prevent that, I hope. Justin tied the balloon to the bench, as the lady applied extra length of string for me to make it easier to secure. As we stood there, we speculated what kind of boy Timmy would be today and I recollected that Pete had said, "Some kids will do anything to get out of my confirmation classes!". If I thought piano lessons were tough, I can just imagine getting the homework for confirmation completed!! I do better remembering and thinking of him as 5 and not a hard-to handle teenager! Justin figured Timmy would be interested in Pokemon or some type of game system, something his father would have had to buy for him since the mom in this household is too cheap!

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We enjoyed our lunch at Sweet Tomatoes, reminiscing about Timmy and discussing our usual politics and his TV passion of the moment. Now that "24" has started again, he is caught up in that, plus "American Idol". I know that any time now he will be sending me youtube links to listen to this singer or that artist doing an interpretation of a song he thinks I would like. He tries so hard to draw me into "Idol" but I am not a taker. Leave me with my old TV shows or hulu to entertain me if I need it. Oh, and Cash Cab is back on Discovery Channel which I really really enjoy because it takes place in NYC!

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He had to leave rather abruptly from our lunch, where, by the way, he ate the chocolate muffin with ice cream that his brother loved so much. Justin needed gas before heading back to the southside for his class and he was not sure his backpack was in the car. I gave him a pen to use for the class in case he was lacking his backpack and he would pick up a tablet at the bookstore if he had time. Parking takes the longest at school, longer than the class itself, so he needed to allow extra time for that. Hope he made it on time. I sent him a text message last night after the good news from MA broke and he replied to me but I did not continue the conversation, knowing he was deeply involved in his TV show. He told me the other day that his buddies warned him--No Talking!--during their programs. He was put out that they "shushed" him, which is a "Seinfeld" reference, of course, but he liked to say that about me at the movies! He talks more than I do, coming into that honestly, as the expression goes!

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The other day I mentioned the purple sweater that was bounced in my dryer in order to stop the lint mess. Yesterday, I was using my bathroom sink and thought, "My, this is soooo dirty in here!". When I wiped it out, the dirt was actually purple fuzzies from that same sweater which I wore on Sunday. Yikes! There are still purple tumbleweeds blowing about in my closet and bathroom, which connect. What a shame to have to clean up behind yourself after wearing a garment!

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Before meeting Justin for our time in remembrance of Timmy, Twila called, asking me what I had in mind for the day. Great! I told her about my lunch date with Justin and said I was open after that. The ladies had decided to go to the movies that afternoon, and before hearing what the movie was, I said "YES!" It was better to go do something than sit home and do nothing. Well, they were seeing "The Lovely Bones" which I had heard much about, with my friend, Jami, reading the book. When I told Justin what we were seeing, he asked, "Have you lost your mind??!!??" The movie really did get to me, but not the reasons you would think. Besides it being about a girl supposedly caught between earth and heaven, there was a great deal of soaring and swooping with the camera and images that made me more than a little motion sick. Jean, too, experienced it and I was glad to have taken a Dramanine early on to allow me to stay in the movie. Much of it was watched with my eyes closed, just like Linda watches movies!!!