Alayna getting her diploma

I could not be more proud of Alayna!!

Another wonderful day!

The hits just keep on coming around here! Last night Mom and I stayed home and enjoyed leftover hamburgers and/or hot dogs for our dinner. Kerry had already left to get back to Oshkosh in time for a wedding shower and Jill was in her apartment. Lynn had the two darling little boys overnight so they could join us for the church picnic today. Worship was held outdoors at 10:00 with the school band accompanying the hymns. They do a fine job of it, playing multiple stanzas of the hymns, in one case, 6. Not bad for grade schoolers!
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The readings were moving for me, two of them based upon the loss of a child and the return to life of each one. The widow at Nain and the boy living in the house with Elijah and the widow. Toward the end of the service, we had a prayer for a young Hmong mom who died at age 28, leaving two little ones behind. After the service, the congregation Chairman spoke to the assembly. Then pastor came back to announce they had just gotten word that one of the 4th graders had succumbed to his brain tumor and died this a.m. His teacher, Karen, was seated next to us and as soon as I could, I went to her to offer hugs and comfort. The other teachers came over as well and I saw many people wiping their eyes following that announcement. It was no surprise that he was dying, but it is always startling news to get.
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The picnic went on, as Pastor mentioned in his sermon, life and death co-exist in this world. It does seem somewhat odd, though, that we do simply go about our business when we know that in another household, hearts are breaking. It is a tough concept to embrace, that life is going on even as the world seems to be crashing down around us. Huh….The food was delicious, at least mine was, and it was so wonderful to see more of my friends and ‘family’ again. I visited the tables to see if folks needed anything, sampling their desserts as I went along. Pastor Rosenow saw me coming and threw himself over his plate like a live grenade…there was nothing there I wanted to taste anyway!
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The boys had a great time playing in the bouncy house and visiting the fishing pond. Lynn and Jill walked them down to the lake and back before Lynn took the boys home to their parents in Sheboygan. Alayna stayed for a bit and then left for more graduation parties. Hers is next week and we are so looking forward to that!
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After we were nicely stuffed and had laughed enough, sitting with Linda and others, Mom and I decided to come home. We arrived here about 2:00 0r so, which is so early for a church picnic. Not like the old days when we were kids! I do believe, however, that we did not have worship in the park beforehand, so would not have gotten there until after church was over at 11:30 or so. We would eat first, play in the creek until we ruined our new outfits bought special for the picnic, and then played the organized games with our grades. “Things are radically different now” as my cousin, Ronnie, would say.
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I took a rest while listening to the programs I downloaded in the park yesterday and believe I may have snoozed a bit. Mom likely did, too, in the living room. Lynn came over for a bit and we had some leftovers from the fry outs this past weekend before enjoying our blackberry pie purchased from the Amish booth at the garden show yesterday. We meant to take it to the picnic today but forgot so we enjoyed some this evening instead.
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Jill was coming up for a slice of pie, too, but thus far has not showed. Mom was covering it with wrap to keep it from drying out too much. It was “hot” today and I got some sun on my face---72 above zero at least!!! It felt jolly good, too! I was envious of Justin’s sermon he was going to hear today, referencing the movie “Pay It Forward”. Pastor Hoyer sends out a ‘teaser’ on Thursdays about his sermon for Sunday and I would love to have heard it. Ours heard today was good, too, but I have a special place for Pay It Forward and what it means. I wonder how Phil worked that into his sermon?? I wonder if it is available on-line????

Exhaustion is setting in

Yesterday's graduation event was moved indoors at the last possible moment. Mom, Kerry, Lynn, and I stood outside the fenced area to the bowl waiting to be allowed in, being ticket holders, we could sit on the bleachers inside the bowl. When it seemed like the right time to be allowed in, after a few brief rain showers had passed through, everyone was making a mad dash toward the JFK Building (gym). At first, Mom and I headed with the rest up the grassy knoll toward the building but we both realized this was foolish as she had her walker and neither of us would be able to climb that steep, wet hill in front of us. We turned around and headed back whence we came, to the flat area and hoped the others would save a seat for us.

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Just as we got through the doors, a man came running up and announced that the gym was getting quite full and folks would have to show their tickets to get in. We had tickets but no one asked us about them, and we pressed on. Kerry came running toward us, having reserved seats for us on the same side where Alayna would be marching in. Lynn had also gotten seats for us on the opposite side of the gym so she came over and sat on the lower level next to Mom, who had her walker for her seat. Kerry, Jill, and I sat three rows up, but not next to Randy (Alayna's daddy) who had gotten separated from us. He had others in the group with him so he was fine. We had the best seats, especially Mom and Lynn as all the flower girls came past them, as did Alayna, as the graduates marched in. The doors were open, however, and they about froze to pieces in their 'good seats'. If we had known, we could have taken our blanket down to them for wrapping around their shoulders.

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It was so amazing to see the hustle and bustle of the 'team' getting things moved from outside to inside as quickly as they did. Amazing! Groups were hauling in the folding chairs for the kids, others were wiping them off as the heavens opened during the moving thereof, men were attempting to run cords for loudspeakers and setting up the musical instruments for the small group performances....a flurry of activity. I believe, the whole event was only delayed by 15 minutes from the original start time. Of course, the kids were disappointed to not being able to march into the bowl, this being only the 2nd time since 1934 that it had to be moved indoors. While it did stop raining and the sun came out during the ceremony, all of us, including these beautifully clad students, would have been soaked through and through and miserable!

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Alayna was about the first one in our side of the gym, and was seated in the front row on our end, so we could make eye contact all through the event. Many of her friends received special awards for high grades and International Baccalaureate status...wow! Afterwards, we congregated on the gym floor to congratulate our girl, except Mom and Lynn had gone outside through the side doors and missed much of that ado. I was in tears congratulating her, being weepy at various portions of the graduation already, the pomp and circumstance of it all! At one point, I sobbed right out loud, and apologized to Jill if I embarrassed her, but she was fine, kept offering me tissues.

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But when her daddy and grandpa got to Alaya and THEY had tears running down their faces, all bets were off. We all hugged each other and her, and took turns. I went outside to find Mom and Lynn and eventually we got back inside the gym so they could greet Alayna. There was much walking and standing and then sitting done that day and we still had a nice walk back to the car. I half expected to see my friends, Karen and Jan, there since their granddaughter graduated but did not. At least, NOT until I was at the car!! I heard this familiar voice calling, "Kim? Is that you???" and sure enough, parked right behind us was Karen and Jan!!! It had been years since we saw each other and winter does not count since we are covered head to toe, but their daughter, Kelly, pointed me out to them. And today again, I ran into them at the garden show across from Mom's apartment building. She has family in Jacksonville so plans are being made now for them to come see me and them, of course!

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Today's garden show was absolutely fantastic! Beautiful floral baskets, lawn ornaments, craft items, food tents, and soooo many people that I knew! It was like going to Copp's and Wal*Mart to see people, all rolled into one! People I used to work with at Shady Lane, some from church, some from high school, old neighbors, and Late's Restaurant serving perch and cheese curds! Kerry had a blast and so did the rest of us. Lots of walking and standing these past few days, time to rest at home a bit. This morning, very early, the air was filled with sirens and more sirens (AGAIN!!! Another fire!!) With the windows open, it sounded like they were coming through the parking lot so Kerry got dressed to follow them. This time a vacant house was ablaze three blocks west of Mom's. And then the noisy birds and the train whistle and Kerry's coming and going....I need some sleep!

It's raining cats 'n dogs!

And on Alayna’s graduation day yet, too! I became fully awake when I heard the roll of thunder and the raining pouring but was sort of wakeful from the song bird choir in the tree outside my opened window. Yes, an open window in what feels like the winter here. Today’s high temperature is predicted to be 66 above zero, and the location of the graduation ceremony is yet to be determined. Ordinarily, the graduates at Lincoln High do a magnificent entrance processional from their high school doors, down long steps in the ‘bowl’ where the chairs and bleachers are set up. The girls wear beautiful gowns, often their prom dresses and the boys generally wear suits or tuxedos. With there being hundreds and hundreds in this class, the processional is quite something to behold. The last one I viewed was my nephew, JR, in 2005, and the weather was good enough to hold it outdoors. When I say ‘viewed’, I mean that Justin and I were not ticket holders for the bleachers so we could watch from above, as it were, and I got great photos using my telephoto lens. This year, not likely to happen as I realized too late that my camera was on the table at home, not quite making it to the suitcase after the preschool graduation service! Rats!
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My travel to WI was nearly without incident. While waiting for my flight in Cincinnati, and alarm and flashing lights went off, a voice telling the pending passengers that an emergency has been detected and we were to proceed to the nearest exit in an orderly fashion. At first, no one really moved, and I watched to see what the woman at the gate desk was going to do. She was closing drawers and locking them, securing things, it seemed, so I began gathering my things to proceed orderly to the exit. An older lady sitting near me asked, “Does that mean us?” and I told her it did, but just then another loudspeaker announcement came on, reporting a false alarm, no need to evacuate. The lights and sirens kept going for a long while yet after the all clear but at least we didn’t have to go outside and then likely come back in through security again! I think someone burnt some toast in a restaurant which set off the alarms initially. Good thing I don’t work in a restaurant in an airport!!!
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Linda and I made our connections perfectly timed as I pulled my suitcase out the doors of the terminal as she pulled up to the curb. The sun warmed the air and the wind was strong but it felt very good. The night before it was in the 50’s when we spoke and I had 85 degrees, quite the difference in temperatures! Linda and I stopped at a family restaurant for a light lunch (and so she could use the bathroom!) before we headed to Northwestern Publishing House to pick up, among other things, some wedding bulletins for church. She was using her Garmin GPS to navigate with but it was sending us on all backroads and not the most efficient way. I asked her if perhaps it was programmed to avoid highways and freeways, but she didn’t know for sure. It certainly seemed that way! Later, we asked Tommy about it and he sort of laughed, remembering he had programmed it that way for their ride home from northern IL last weekend, wanting to take a scenic route home…oops!
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Eventually we did find NPH and managed to shed a few tears while reading the beautiful wall plaques and hangings, with the Bible verses special to us. We did each find a thing or two to buy, including something for Alayna’s graduation, a book or two, and Linda even got water bottles with Bible passages printed all over them. The Garmin again wanted us to roam through areas of Milwaukee we should not be driving through so we did an override and followed Good Hope Road to the freeway, killing the GPS once we found I-43. “Recalculating….Recalculating….Recalculating….Oh, just do what you want, I give up!!!”, it said to us ladies.
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As we got closer to Manty, plans were made with the appropriate parties to have supper at the Green Street. Linda and I swung by to pick up Mom, Jill, and Lynn who fit rather snugly into Linda’s backseat. Tommy drove himself to the tavern and worked the barroom prior to our being seated. We knew people there, some of them related to my bro-in-law, David. Always, always we know someone at the Green Street Tavern! Linda dropped us off again at Mom’s and I finally got my stuff hauled upstairs and got settled in. My Dramamine had kicked in, making me quite drowsy so Mom and I both went to bed early. I slept until 8:00 a.m. central time, which would be 9:00 my time, so I guess I was tired! Judy J. had picked me up Wednesday a.m. just before 6:00 which meant I was up at 5:00 with a disturbed sleep, as usually occurs when I set the alarm. My neighbors were also going to the airport and offered to take me along but Judy said it was okay, she was up and already had me loaded in. If only we’d known though….
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Yesterday Mom and I went to Wal*Mart to pick up some scrips for her and I bought a box of silver remover which I applied last night. Alayna needs us all to look our best for her graduation today! At least, I will. Kerry cooked our food on the grille last night after she arrived, in the rain. We managed to preserve the lighted grille by putting the trash can cover over the coals to keep them dry. Once the coals were nicely and white, she put the meat on and then covered them again with the same cover. It was certainly sterilized from the heat and flames, not actually touching the food. Lynn and Mom had the table dressed by the time Jill, Kerry, and I got upstairs with the food and we enjoyed our picnic supper together. Danny even came up and had a hot dog with us.
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Alayna came over after 9:00 pm with the tickets for graduation seating and visited with us. She said to watch the news this a.m. and listen to the local radio station for news on the event, whether it will be moved indoors or not. This gov’t. high school does everything they can to hold the graduation outdoors, only a few times having to move it inside due to bad weather. I told her that the orchestra will have to play the processional song really fast in order to keep things moving along in case it clouds up again. We pictured the girls running with their lovely gowns, pushing and shoving down the long stairs to beat the rain. Not too much pomp and circumstance in that case! No moving along in an orderly fashion at all!!!

I finished another one!

Last night before I went to sleep, I finished reading yet another book for the year 2010. How many does that make for this year? I know I am behind schedule for my planned one book a month but let's see---I think this is #4. The title of this book is "Sweet and Sour Pie" written by a man who grew up in Manitowoc, WI in the 1950's. He lived on River Road near the Rahr Farm, went to school in what we know as "Rapids" where the school he attended still stands. Most of the places Dave Crehore wrote about are gone, the buildings might remain in some cases but the businesses are no more. I am taking the book with me to Manty to see if Mom or anyone else wants to read it. My Facebook friend (and friend of my sis-in-law, Marian), Marcia, went to the library and got a copy of the same book last week. Bet she finished her copy much faster than did I! Yes, I counted them up and this book is my fourth for the year, only a week into June. I am only one behind! I guess reading through the giant book about French cooking does not really count as a cover-to-cover read, but it is so beautiful, it should. Thanks again, Lynn!

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Today at some point I must begin the packing process as tomorrow morning I am on my way to Manty. Dee gave me a suitable box for transporting the painting I am giving Alayna for graduation (shhh......don't tell her!) and if I can get it into the suitcase and still have room for clothes, great! I would sooner use valuable space in the luggage and travel lighter clothing-wise than try to wrestle around with the box as a carry-on item as originally planned. If I traveled by car it would be a simple thing but when flying, not so much! So, it may seem as I am wearing the same things everyday when I am in Manty, but that might be to save room in the suitcase for the box. It transported a laptop computer safely to Dee and will hopefully allow for safe transport of a framed item without glass breakage.

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What is so nice about the Internet is that much can be accomplished or arranged without even throwing the covers off my legs. Thus far I have arranged for some final plans for tonight's event at church, the preschool graduation reception, put a hold on my mail delivery, and confirmed my flight information. Judy J. is taking me to the airport so that's all arranged. I do have to actually get up at some point since I am meeting Judy C. to do the initial set-up for tonight's event, in the fellowship hall. Twila Squared, Twila N.'s granddaughter, gave me a bunch of decorations to use for the reception tonight plus I have some napkins and paper plates with the graduation theme to take with me. A Publix stop will be needed to get the snacks for the little dishes in the shape of graduation hats that Terri T. provided from her son's party. Nice! Anything we can do to keep the costs down is great with me!

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'President Spock...' That is a good one! Some of the commentators are discussing the oil spill situation and accused PresBO of being like Mr. Spock on Star Trek, no capability of showing emotion. His interview yesterday resulted in having the bleeper thing put into action so now they say he went too far the other way in his attempt at demonstrating leadership. Ugh! I wonder how this apology tour will go when it's finally resolved and the clean-up can fully take place.

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Hopefully my dust situation is going to be somewhat resolved once my floor is replaced but I fear that the dust might only become more evident with a 'wood' floor rather than carpeting. I just glanced to the right and see a layer of dust once again on the glass topped table next to my bed. Only a week ago I dusted that table, and its lamp which was custom-made for me by Kevin Eagleton, whom I ran into at Great Hang Ups last week. A few years ago I was hostess for a trunk sale at Hang Ups featuring Kevin's work. Joanne came in and ended up buying the very same lamp that I had my eye on. A sale is a sale so I surrendered the lamp to her, but Kevin promised to make me my own lamp. Mine turned out to be extraordinary compared to Joanne's and Julia told me that it was worth FAR more than what he charged me for it. So there! But, the dust covers it faster than I can remove it, seemingly, with last week finding me sweeping cobwebs from between it and the bed-frame. Yikes! Please tell me cobwebs can form without the assistance of a spider...

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The day I get back from WI will be spent selecting the new flooring for the bedroom which Mike K. will pick up for me. He has to lay the boxes of material out for a couple days to acclimatize it. Justin and I will have to get busy moving the smaller items from my room and Mike and his brother, Andy, will move the rest when they start the project. The greatest 'issue' that concerns me will be the moving and set-up of the big computer with the printer so that I can work once I get home again, since it will be nearly time for the church newsletter again. Justin will take care of that for me, hopefully finding a suitable work location for me with connection to the Internet via the telephone line. Hopefully the entire project will be wrapped up in short order (i.e. a week's time) and I will be back in my room with the new flooring before the 4th of July! When I was talking with Mike about the dust complaints I have, he told me the bedroom is the dustiest room in the house. Add to that the electronics I have in here (Mission Control!) with two computers, two printers, and the paper shredder...plus the TV and me. Thankfully, I have no animals to blame for making dust bunnies any longer but this other dust simply annoys me no end!

A day of wild emotions

Of course! Today was the sort of graduation event for the kindergarteners. The reason it is 'sort of' is because Laurie is not a big believer in having graduation per se from grades other than high school and college. BUT, this sort of grew from nothing into something today. A while back, she read the kids a book called "Hold the Anchovies", about making pizza. Mario's parents both work in the family's Italian restaurant in Orange Park, Sorbello's. Laurie said to Mario, "Maybe some day your daddy can come and make a pizza for us!" Mario got all upset, declaring, "Mrs. Langley! We need an oven!!" Laurie assured him that we have an oven, or even two, for making pizzas. The idea grew until it became a field trip to the restaurant on a day they were closed for business to make pizzas themselves, and today was the day! It was a hoot, with each child having dough in front of them, working it with the help of us grown-ups, and then making it pizza-shaped. The kids spread the sauce on the dough, added their toppings, and then Chris took the kids to the kitchen to pop the pizzas into the oven.

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While they were baking, Laurie presented a slide show with music in the background, pictures of the kids taken over the year. Well, needless to say, I totally lost it almost immediately for a number of reasons, not all of them because of this class. The first hymn in the background was "To God be the Glory", and the photos are of the first days of school. My, how they matured in those short months! Mario grew over two inches taller since school started, and we know this because Laurie kept a growth chart in the classroom where she tracked their heights. Eventually I settled down and could watch it dryer-eyed than the first portion. It must have been the 'shock' of how the music and photos just clicked or something. Later, as the slide-show kept playing, the kids would stop their fun and watch, singing along quietly to the little ditties behind the photos. The "B-I-B-L-E", "This Little Light of Mine" and other songs like that that I just cannot think of right now. No worries, Laurie promised me a copy of the DVD for my own so I can watch it anytime I need my eyes washed out....Add one more thing to my collection of eye-washing prompters!

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While I was talking with Mario's parents, Twila and Chris, they told me a sweet tale about Mario---when riding down the street the other day with the kids in the car, they asked Mario what he would like for his birthday coming up. He was quiet a moment and said he couldn't think of anything but added, "I know what we should get for Taj....." That guy! Instead of pondering what he could ask for, he came up with something to get for his older brother, and it's not even his birthday yet! They told about watching "The Blind Side" the other night and hearing the story of Ferdinand the Bull. Chris said that bull is definitely Mario, a gentle giant of a boy, caring so much about others, never angry unless provoked. At that point I was determined to find that book to buy for Mario's birthday which I am invited to attend but will have to miss due to my trip up north. Books-a-Meelyon, as Timmy would say, had one copy that the clerk had to locate for me. Bravo! I also found a Yahtzee Game made up of Toy Story characters for the Langley boys to play, when their birthday comes closer. Hopefully I can resist giving it to them ahead of time....

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This evening the sadness was turned to joy as the Ladies' Group gathered at La Napolera for a social outing. We had 14 show up and some of us shared a pitcher of margaritas, supposedly the cheaper way to go, according to Judy J. The waiters were very good, entertaining and playful, trying to keep us all straight and well supplied with chips and salsa and beverages. Judy was my driver and I made her cross by buying her dinner as my thanks for the all the driving around she is doing for me. Wednesday a.m. we meet again for the ride to the airport as Justin has an engagement mowing lawns in St. Johns county at the model and spec house. She loves her job of chauffeur and I appreciate her offer!

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Tomorrow I am meeting Judy C. at church to set up for the graduation reception for the preschool kids, one of which is my goddaughter, Sarah. She is moving on to kindergarten next fall, which unfortunately is not at Good Shepherd. Justin wants to get Sarah personalized school supplies so that when she gets to the government school she will not have to throw hers into the pile for all to share. He thinks that will prevent it but who knows? Nobody messes with Justin's godchild!

Click this link to hear the song...have a tissue ready!

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=5pfBUUZNbFM