Angelo all dressed up!

Poor Angelo---all dressed up and has no idea why! At least he looks warm in his dragon outfit. I cannot get over how much he resembles Gabe at that age!

Lisa reported last night that Manny came into her room and said, "Thanks for the plans for tomorrow, Mom..." Oh that guy! First they went to Whispering Orchard for breakfast and then Lisa and Noah took the boys Trick or Treating at Festival Foods (that's what she said...) When they got home, Angelo fell asleep for over two hours! All worn out after their day.

I am dog tired!

It happens every time I set my alarm clock---I cannot sleep! It is a matter of trust---I don’t trust my alarm to do the right thing. Justin stayed overnight last night because after he came to do the vacuuming for me, and went to leave, his car battery was dead. As a door nail. Of those in the building I called, none had jumper cables to try giving him a jump and even though we have AAA, decided to just let him stay the night and handle the problem this a.m. He needed some green shirts for work so we went to Wal-Mart and got two for $3 each, and a set of jumper cables! Burger King provided our dinner and we spent the evening watching TV in my room. He sprawled on my bed, with me at my desk. Nice!

I tried and tried to go to sleep but you know how that works---it does not! This morning I had a Meet and Eat and Play event at The Club but had to wait for the wrecker to come. AAA phone person wanted the man to try starting it (which it did with a jump this a.m.) but Justin and I wanted it towed in and not risk having it quit on one of the busiest streets in town, on a Friday morning! We would just hate that!

All went well with the tow truck coming for Justin’s car, which he successfully had started with a jump start and moved up the hill into more open space. But then, it would not restart. The tow truck driver had a portable charger along with him which he used to start the car and it stayed running after he disconnected the charger. This meant that the alternator was fine, or it would have shut off. He put it on the wrecker and delivered it to Sun Tire. They knew the car was coming, and, in fact, I called them several times today. Surely they grew weary of hearing from me, but loved it when I ordered the new tires. Yes, I bit the bullet and bought him new tires. He badly needed them, even the tow truck operator remarked about their poor condition. Justin had hoped his father would pay for the tires but when he got no answer on that, figured it would not happen. Since it was a safety issue, I decided to go ahead and replace them, and not let him know I did it.

When Justin and I got over there after he was done working, he asked if he should transfer his stuff from my car into his while I paid the bill. He did not notice the new tires but when I was paying the bill, I asked the man if Justin would get the same deal or warranty I got with mine. Oh, the look on Justin’s face….He got a bit misty eyed and was whispering, “Thank you, thank you…” under his breath. I had wept a bit when I gave the man the permission to put them on, because it scared me that the tires were unsafe. They were thread-bare. And the battery was extremely low and begging to be replaced. It’s like a new car for him---almost!

What a slave driver!

The Maestro, Robbie, worked us hard last night at choir, all six of us put through our paces. Our Reformation anthems will be well rehearsed and hopefully, well sung on Sunday. We have a group rehearsal on Saturday morning and then again before the special service the next day. Victory has more people in their choir but Robbie said we have it down pat. They are not accustomed to working as hard as Robbie does it, probably since most of them are music readers. Only half or less of our number do read music and I, for one, benefit greatly from the repetition. One anthem we are singing reminds some of us our former pastor who introduced us to “Gloria” by Haas, many years ago.

Yesterday (Wednesday) was a quiet one---no one came to the door and no place to be until choir time. I did venture to the mailbox in search of my letter from the insurance company and to mail some outreach letters. I had gotten stamps at Winn Dixie after Trivia Tuesday night so I could finish the mailing and restocked my soda for a day or two. The mail brought the sales flier from WD which has Diet Coke on special this week, so I will venture back over to fill my trunk. They also have Pepsi products on sale for a dollar less than the Coke ones, but my tendency is to drink the Pepsi products more quickly. Sweetness, perhaps?

Listening to clips from Paul Ryan’s speech from yesterday, what a powerful one it was! That man has a future, perhaps as someone’s VP choice in 2012? I just ate my leftovers from Monday’s lunch, half a bbq beef sandwich and the fries. Somehow the fries don’t translate well to leftovers so they got dumped out but the sandwich was good. Next week I will switch back to the soup/sandwich option as I like the new baked potato soup they are offering at Longhorn.

Justin is coming over today to do some vacuuming but wants to meet me at the bank where I do my business, actually a credit union, so he can get his coins counted. He is not an account holder there so cannot do it himself. He needs his mama! Since I have to go out again anyway to restock my soda for the weekend, we can take care of it then. He is working on Fleming Island so it’s convenient for us both.

Bible study at Victory was good again today, especially with the give ‘n take that happens. The lesson, about the Keys, was addressed more toward Pastors as they prepare for worship, remembering that the Word is inspired, God-breathed, and not to be messed with. I paraphrase, of course. Another section talked about how people expect to have a certain ‘feeling’ realized either in worship or when reading the Word. If one does not necessarily feel something does not mean that the Word is ineffective, or empty. We can be slaves to our sins, as found in John 8:33, which is also the sermon text Pastor H. is using this week.

We talked about how we carry things around that we don’t need to such as bad memories, grudges, guilt, or cruel talk. As this section was read aloud from the booklet, as we later discussed, many of us could insert our names in the various spots! Funny how it works out that way sometimes---probably far too often! We must live our lives as lights to others and not bring darkness where we go.

*

Since Mom was at her church (FG) this morning working on the newsletter with Linda J., I made prayer chain calls on the way to Victory. One of our elderly members, a charter member I understand, is going to have heart surgery early next week following a cardia cath. procedure yesterday. It sounds like Twila’s case when she was not urgent enough to do the surgery immediately but was too tentative to send home…so she had to wait, just as Arlene does. She is 90 years old but keeps on truckin’ along. One lady I will contact by e-mail as I did not have her correct phone number in my phone and is extremely hard of hearing. It works better for her to do via e-mail.

I did get Mom at home as I drive back to Orange Park and we got talking about the presidents and who served during the Korean War and such. Once I was home, I could look things up to answer our questions about Douglas MacArthur and Harry Trumann and Eisenhower, all brought about by a crossword puzzle stumper she had earlier in the day! So glad to have the Internet to solve these mysteries!

Today's earworm...

When darkness veils his lovely face,

I rest on his unchanging grace.

In every high and stormy gale,

My anchor holds within the veil.

On Christ the solid rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand.

Oh, I hate that Dukakis!

Well, hate might be a bit harsh---rather, I hate that I scratched out my first answer, Dukakis, and changed it to Rockefeller. I was right the first time but another member of the team, Nothing Tips Like a Cow, suggested Rockefeller as the answer to “who was GHW’s Democratic opposition in 1988?”. I can still see pictures of ole Mike standing in the tank with the helmet on, and how he lost ground in the debates over the capital punishment question. Rats! I scratched out his name when I should have let it alone! That answer did not break us but I am beating myself up for changing it! At least I did know the answer "Vienna Boys Choir", the very first question out of the starting gate! (Started by Emp. Maximilian in the 1400's). Good guess!

Last week the owner of the Diner introduced prime beef burgers and I had hoped to have another one tonight, but nope, had to settle for less than prime. It was still delicious, no worries, but last weeks’ sandwich set the standard from that time forward. Jesse was able to join us part way into the game as he got out of class early, but did not arrive in time to help us with a baseball question.

I stink at the sports questions but sometimes surprise myself, like knowing the name of the guy who slugged a football player on his own team. Woody Hayes! Tonight’s question was the name of the manager of the team who won the World’s Series in 2002 but lost it in 2006 (I think…) We didn’t know but Cary and Nancy, in talking between themselves, actually did mention the name of the right answer, some guy from the Pirates. They are from IN and PA so have some knowledge of this. If they had said it aloud, it would have been right!

Justin reported that his boss lost one of the all-day lawn projects they do on Wednesdays so now, sadly, has less work at the moment. He figures he can work for his father on Wednesday instead of the Thursday, freeing him up for Bible study. I mentioned that Pastor H. said just last week that he missed having Justin in class, and before I could finish my sentence, he said, “Me, too…”, meaning he missed the Bible study. I rejoice he feels that way!

Late afternoon, I got a message from my upstairs neighbor, Randy, asking me if he could bring me my chili. He had put it in his freezer the day it was made so it was frozen when delivered. He was feeling a bit punk health-wise, and he claims it was unrelated to losing money on the Jaguar game. Randy said that when he placed his bet, he had drunk “the Kool-Aid” for the hype for the game. Justin, when he heard this, was upset that Randy bet against the home team but I reminded Justin that he is a college football guy, and not emotionally tied to any professional teams other than who is going to make money for him. Not like I understand it either, but it is all very methodical, like a job for him. At least, this is my deduction.

*

I was roused from my bed this a.m. by the ringing doorbell, so I hastily grabbed my caftan as I headed toward the door. It was well after 10:00 but I had just not put my feet on the floor yet, only to get a soda first thing when I woke up. When I got to the door, no one was there except a box left for me. Inside was a book that had been on back-order for some time, and when my order from Amazon failed to arrive a month or so ago, they offered to send my back-order overnight at no extra charge. And they did it!

The book is a Hemingway writing titled “On Paris”, articles written when he was a correspondent living there. I became interested after seeing the movie “Midnight in Paris”, which is now on pre-order from Amazon, due out toward the end of the year. On Facebook, I mentioned that something must be wrong with me as I cannot wait to tear into it! But I cannot, I admit it, yes, I cannot read and listen to my programs at the same time. Must be getting old!

Good thing I slept late this morning

It is going to be a late night tonight as I am watching the football game, not blacked out as was predicted. Apparently the last of the unsold tickets were picked up by the visiting team’s fans and spared Jacksonville the embarrassment of a black-out on national TV. The announcers said more than once that the local fans have really taken it on the chin this year with the team doing so poorly. Right now the Jags are ahead 6-0 against the Ravens at half time. This is not quite the same type of ball game as yesterday’s Packer/Viking game, nothing ‘edge of my seat’ about it---yet.

The days have been beautiful here recently---bright blue skies, mostly cloudless, and star blankets at night. This evening is no different, a starry dome instead of the dome the Packers played under Sunday. I kept my eyes and ears open for the Goodyear blimp but did not see it. Nor did I hear the fly over, which makes me wonder if there was one at all since it was dark out when kick off took place.

Last night I made dinner at home, consisting of pork chops, baked potatoes and creamed corn. For my dinner tonight, I cut up the leftover chops, even used my blitz hacker from Pampered Chef to mulch the pork. Then, I cut up the remaining potatoes and placed them over the top of the mulched pork, popping the casserole into the oven. I had added some sangria to the casserole before reheating it so that added extra good smells to the kitchen, and taste to the meat. I still have a couple more meals-worth of food after eating my dinner and fear I will grow weary of the pork before it gets too old.

My to-go boxes have chicken tenders and a baked potato from Longhorn on Sunday, as well as half a bbq beef sandwich from today’s Longhorn lunch! I should just put it all in the blender and whip it up, drink it with a straw! That won’t make it any less food, I guess…

I am so enjoying the Bible study about Nehemiah as it seems I knew nothing about either Ezra or Nehemiah aside from memorizing the names of their books of the Bible. Nothing ever stopped me from reading this book or studying it and am glad to now have the opportunity. We have this man who joins our studies, Joseph, who is someday taking custody of my old TV. Today, as he likes to do, he attempted to add some of his personal stories to the mix in the midst of the class. Pastor is adept at redirecting when he sees it coming. As we read about how Nehemiah kept a low profile at first when he got to Jerusalem, waiting until he had surveyed the project before speaking up, Joseph piped up that he thinks he is like Nehemiah….Pastor remarked, “Yes, I believe that Nehemiah considered himself a very humble man…” and left it at that. Whew, that was close!

After getting home from lunch, I made some prayer chain calls as one of our members had leg surgery today, and came through safely. Fran has had surgery once already on her veins which was not entirely successful and there was hope of trying again to open the clogs. The doctor was not able to open them wide but did improve the flow which will hopefully reduce the pain and discomfort she experienced. Tomorrow they will know more when she gets up and tries walking. Please keep her in your prayers, too, if you don’t mind. She is a dear lady and I love her.

After the calls were made, I worked some more on the newsletter, and was getting information for the letter as I wrote, from the congregation president. He was gone over the weekend but returned today and sent me more information regarding our financial situation. I was not able to translate the images from Power Point into Word but was able to do it in Excel. An extra page for the newsletter which required some more text from Jim. Once I add the information from the preschool, I am ready to go to press. Oh wait---still need Bible study information for November!

Wow, this football game is taking a turn for the worse here! A player from the Ravens’ team was just ejected from the game for punching a Jaguar in the face, nearly clipping the ref in the face too! He is out! As the announcer just said, this has been a very physical 3^rd quarter. Lots of flags being thrown, almost all on the opposing team. I just came back in the room after checking outside for what could have been the sound of a blimp. I think it must be a helicopter but it’s too dark out to see shapes. My downstairs neighbor was outside with his flashlight, probably looking for the alligator. Tommy claims to be able to see his orange eyes at night when he shines the flashlight across the water. And people wade around out there---not me!

Oh, oh, oh! I almost forgot to mention my good news---the insurance adjuster, Greg, called me last week Thursday to inform me that the insurance carrier for the people directly below me has decided to not pursue the lawsuit against me for The Great Flood of last year!!! He told them how he found no negligence on my part, the pipe broke in the wall while a leak was being repaired (technically speaking, the pipe is actually owned by the Association since it’s in the wall), and I was “held harmless” in this mess. A letter stating this is forthcoming but Greg said it might take up to 10 days to get it since his company outsources the letter writing. What? Really? What used to be done in a day or two, basically quickly, now takes three times as long by someone else. Perhaps in India or Indonesia?

What is going to happen with Iraq and Iran now that our troops are coming home? My upstairs neighbor, Randy, mentioned this to me when he brought the chili, how now there is nothing between the world and Iran’s nukes. Yikes! He is a Marine and has much knowledge of this volatile region. His son is active duty in the Marines and I wonder where he is stationed. My nephew is soon to leave Afghanistan and return to Germany so he will be somewhat out of harm’s way. Oh my, oh my! But not tonight---tonight is football and the unidentified sounds from outside. Blimp? Or just my reflection in the doors???

We have a good and gracious God!

A year ago, Angelo was born in Sheboygan, a few weeks early, so after being baptized, was transported to a Green Bay hospital to the NICU. Lisa could not travel due to her C-section so could not be with him until a few days after his birth. Notice Noah's thumb holding the pacifier for Angelo...

After a couple weeks, his lungs were strong enough to do what they are intended to do, and he joined his brothers and parents at home. His special formula helped to beef him up and allow him to fit into his older brother's Christmas outfit! In this photo, he is not crying but yawning, as his favorite aunt bores him to sleep.

Lisa keeps us updated with photos of the boys and especially Angelo's as he grows by leaps and bounds. He is nearly always cheerful, although his parents beg to differ. The dimple in the chin makes me weak in the knees!

And, here is the birthday boy! Celebrating his first birthday with a cupcake. His older brother, Gabe, is sneaking up behind him and one can certainly see the resemblance between these two boys. As I told someone today, I am a much better auntie than mother...these boys own my heart!