A Wonderful Sunday

Justin had spent the night on his friend's sofa but came home at 7:00 a.m. to ready himself for church. Linda is an early riser so she was ready well ahead of me this morning. When I woke up, instead of dilly dallying in my night clothes, I jumped into the shower and got myself ready for the day. 


We were leaving for Palm Coast at 8:30 in order to allow time for any delays including wrong turns or traffic problems, which also allowed for visiting once we got there. The ride down to Christ the King was flawless, the only traffic 'problem', if one can call it that, was the great number of motorcycles on the roads. There was a bike event in Orlando over the weekend, and if we saw one motorcycle, we saw 100! Some bikes were being trailered but most ridden. Extra head's up needed on days such as this. 


We were greeted on the sidewalk by young people handing out the service folders. Just inside the doors was Bonnie, waiting to greet us, as she heard we were coming. Linda, Bonnie, and I had a quick Church Secretary's Association meeting (we changed it from Union, since we don't wish to use that moniker!) but then she had to get ready to play for the service. Pastor Huebner greeted us, I got my hug, and also one from the Vicar. I was surprised and impressed that he remembered my name. After I asked about his new baby, born 6 months ago, he informed me that his wife is expecting their second baby, due in October. 


The service was exceedingly well done, with the Vicar serving as liturgist and Pastor giving the sermon. He preached from the position as being Nicodemus, vying to hear from this great teacher that draws so many people in and knows the Law backward and forward. Even Justin remarked at what a good sermon method that was, told the story well.
http://vimeo.com/38728611 (Click here to watch the sermon being delivered)
The service had no gimmicks or anything included, but they did welcome about nine new members. CTK also has the practice of dismissing their children after the readings, bringing them back after the sermon. Justin likes that idea, which is also done at Victory, but I am of the thought that children need to be in church and actually can learn something. They do have a Bible lesson while they are out of the church, but one thing they don't learn is how to sit nice in church.


Bonnie plays the baby grand piano beautifully, with the closing hymn being, appropriately, "Beautiful Savior". She played the 3rd stanza more softly which allowed us to hear the harmony being sung---love it! Since CTK has a school, there are teachers and they likely can read music and sing it, too. Possibly it was choir members or simply a member who can sing the harmony, but it was fabulous to hear. When we were dismissed, the Vicar called Justin by name, which was pretty cool. I didn't think I introduced him nor did Justin meet him at Marian's funeral, so I bet Bonnie filled him in!


We couldn't stick around as we were going to The Columbia for lunch. Justin was our driver from that point on, as he was dropping Linda and I off at the street in front of the place so that Linda wouldn't have too far to walk. He managed to find a place eventually, watching as someone pulled out and he could pull in, like a rock star! I loved my meal, the breaded veal Milanese, and Justin finally got his long-awaited 1905 Salad for which this restaurant is known. 


The waiter was somewhat new, so we broke him in well. The 'bad' news was we could not have our Mojito's before 1:00 pm, so opted for sangria, which was allowed. Hmmm....Linda ordered the shrimp Creole which ended up being too spicy for her to entirely enjoy. She said it was not their fault, she should have known it was spicy by its name. Justin and she had some bread pudding for dessert, eating half of it. Three boxes came home with us.


In the little gift shoppe adjacent to the restaurant, I snooped around a bit as Linda bought a bottle of water. At the register I saw a display of interesting items including ornate drawer pulls. I have pulls everywhere I need them with the exception of the door on my desk storage so I snapped one up. It is bejeweled  and I know I will love it, once installed.


We got home right after 3:00 pm and put our feet up. Justin went to his room and took a long nap, and then, in his words, putzed around in his room. Linda got hungry so she munched on her leftover chicken wings from Saturday's lunch from Mojo's. I told her after she arrived that she should remember that I don't eat at regular times so if she gets hungry, she should let me know. That works! Later she had more wings and the remainder of the bread pudding. I ate about half of my leftover potatoes and corn from Mojo's. I wish I could just order the brisket and corn, and be done with it!

This photo is taken with Justin's cell phone, Linda and me at The Columbia

Justin and me at The Columbia, basking in the sunlight coming in from their skylights

Linda closed her eyes for a bit as we sat in the family room and once she was awake, we watched "Midnight in Paris", her first time. No tears were shed in the watching of this movie. How funny that is!  We also watched the news for a while before the movie, and then caught a portion of "Pride and Prejudice" which played in the background as we yakked 'n schnuddered. 'Twas a good night, talking until almost 11:00 pm!

Awesome day!

My eyes feel like pokers from all the crying, which means, yes, Linda and I are having a good time! Thursday we attended the concert at Victory and I cried there from the beautiful singing and equally lovely pictures of what awaits us in heaven. As the concert wrapped up, Judy J. leaned passed Linda to say, "I'm not going anywhere with you anymore!", as she mopped tears from her own eyes. Good times!


Friday began for Linda and I at The Club, being joined only by Mary for the breakfast club. We enjoyed our tasty meals, me with my ala carte breakfast. Linda and Mary both had The Continental from the menu which was a poached egg with tomato and bacon crumbles on toast. I think. Not something I would order, but the fried red potatoes were amazing once more. Mary talked with Linda about perfecting her walk, suggested using the cane in the other hand to help straighten her gait, and other such helpful counsel. Mary is going to Boston for some additional training in the school of posture, which is highly important in her field. What ever aids the spine is going to have an overall positive effect on the extremities and back, obviously. 


After breakfast and our visit, we came back here and sat around, talking and typing. We managed to change Linda's profile picture to the one taken by Ed at Victory last night so her Facebook page and mine now match! At 11:30 we left for the Tea Party, as I wanted to be there ahead of time to stake my claim on a seat and make sure all was arranged. We were minus one because Kristi had a medical appointment come up at the last minute. Rats!


Everyone else was there and it was great for them so see Linda again, or meet her for their first time. Terri T. and Betty were new faces for Linda, although Linda has been at GS a number of times. The ladies, especially those who were experiencing the tea for the first time, LOVED the whole thing. We grew from 5 people for the first event to 14, almost 15, the second time. Many of the ladies thanked me for putting it together, this time promoted only via word of mouth!


As we went to our cars, Betty came up to me with a gift bag and handed it to me. I thanked her and opened it in the car. It was a tea towel with a bunch of bling on it, including a picture, and text that stated "Hostess with the Mostess" on it. Very nice! I looked at her in her car and mouthed 'thank you!' to her. What a sweetheart she is!


Linda and I spent the rest of the day at home, catching up on some GBTV on the Roku, one of us watching through her eye lids. It's fine, though, to snooze in the afternoon in this warm room, particularly since my friend is the one who awakens the sun in the morning!! Justin came home from work, exhausted, but still asked if he could borrow the car to go downtown for a concert. Sure! We were in the for night anyway.


I threw together some beans 'n hamburger which we ate over baked potatoes for dinner, and then settled in to watch a new movie for Linda, "Cinderella Man". Afterward, as we mopped our tears, she said she never would have picked that movie, not realizing what a treasure it was, because he was boxer. The life lessons in it are priceless. When asked once at a press conference why he was going back into the ring, he said, "I am fighting for milk." His family was going hungry and he needed this fight to get them milk, and bologna, during the Depression. Wow! 


Linda has been enjoying my book about Johnny Cash, written by his son, John. She bought the same book for Tommy for CHRISTmas but had not looked at it as intently as she had mine. I had not either, so she read me many special parts, especially where he expounded about his Savior. Very powerful stuff from The Man in Black.


Saturday brings us a shopping trip to Kohl's as we have coupons to use. We are hoping to stop at Walgreen's to get Linda's photos off her camera, as we have no cord or system to download them to the computer. She has the tea social pictures and I want them! 
                                                     

We are having Dinner and a Movie tonight, planning to watch "Courageous" with Judy C. She has not seen it yet so I hope she is prepared to watch with a couple of cry babies. Linda asked me to make some of my famous chili so that it what is on the menu for tonight. Justin is going to his friends' house to make a traditional St. Patrick's Day meal of corned beef and cabbage. I do hope it turns out for him, for them!

Linda is in the house!

This photo was actually taken at the house of the Lord, last night at Victory, as we joined the church families for a concert by the WI Lutheran College choirs. Some of it was secular but the majority was sacred. I had the pleasure of sitting between two of my favorite people--The Maestro and Linda! 


Robbie was reading the Bible before the concert began while the rest of us socialized. It was great great great to see everyone again, since it's been a long time since we worshiped at Victory. Having Justin live back on this side of town again takes us to Good Shepherd so I only get to see the Thursday a.m. Bible study people now, and those who come to Trivia. Many asked how Justin was, as they had not seen him in some time. I explained about his living back at home now and going to GS, but told folks I would let him know he was missed.


I think it's great that Victory held this concert just so that I could get together with my friends from there. They now have two services on Sunday, so no matter what, I would miss seeing someone. 
***
I also had the privilege of catching up with my new friend, Ellen, who recently moved to Florida from TX. We will see each other again on Sunday at Christ the King, as Justin, Linda, and I are having lunch at the Columbia in St. Augustine. Very much looking forward to dining there again, as it's been a couple years since I joined my friends made on the 2007 cruise for dinner there. The Hulses' enjoyed a vacation in the area and we got together there for a reunion. What a delight that was!

Lynnette and Cynthia flank me at the fountain at the Columbia. Cynthia's husband was the photographer

Linda arrived a few minutes later than expected on Wednesday night and I was getting more excited by the moment. People were checking in with me via text message and Facebook, wondering if she arrived yet. Finally, I was able to report to Justin "NOW!"

When we got home, I made Linda a bagel as she was hungry from her travels. We schnuddered a bit before going to bed. I managed to eventually fall asleep only to wake up at nearly 9:00 am the next morning. I was pooped, I guess! Linda had had some coffee and breakfast before we got our selves ready to go. Our day entailed lunch at Whitey's on the deck, enjoying the lovely weather. We stopped at the booty shop so Linda could replace her hair mousse which had been damaged in her luggage.

Justin joined us for lunch, having wings to my potato skins. Linda had cat fish nuggets and we all shared the dill pickles. It was such a lovely day, but Justin couldn't sit and relax as he had to get back to work. Linda and I went to Great Hang Ups so I could pay for my framing and for us to spend time with Julia and Sarah, who was helping out. 

After lunch and our visit we came home to rest and watch Roku before leaving for Victory. We went a bit earlier because of taking the large coffee maker for their use. Judy J. rode with us and she liked being a passenger for change. We enjoyed having extra time to visit because an enormous traffic back-up, taking us nearly an hour to get there. There must have been a wreck on JTB or somewhere holding us up. We did get there in plenty of time to hand off the coffee maker and to chat with folks. 'Twas a grand night!

One more photo

Marlena brought me flowers last evening when she came over and did up this arrangement in my family room. Just what the room needed---some color!!!

Photos from my rooms

Click the photos to enlarge as you wish

 Saturday was so incredibly windy that white caps showed up on the river, seeming to blow the water the other direction than it usually flows. The skies remained grumpy most of the day, the date of the Gate River Run.

 Tuesday mornings' sky before the sun came up

It is getting lighter and lighter out there.....

"I love the smell of Pledge in the morning..."

A take-off on the famous line from "Apocalypse Now", Justin and I were greeted with the scent of Orange Pledge when we came in after our humble loss at Trivia. Marlena eventually showed up to do the dusting when The Five was on TV so it was after 5:00! She had said she'd be here 'after work' which should have been closer to 2:00 pm but one thing after another delayed her. No worries, though, she was going to get it handled, taking her over three hours from start to finish. Marlena left a note for me on the counter, detailing her efforts and such. 
                          

Even though she was later in arriving, the other two expected visitors did make it. Mike K. showed up with his ladder in hand to hang the temporary lighting in the guest bath for Linda. I was so thankful for his doing this for me, for her. When we got back to the bedroom, he first tested the drywall with the moisture meter and voila!---perfectly dry!!! Not even iffy, it was entirely dry as in bone dry. With 1 being the first level of dampness, the drywall was testing at less than one, which is utterly amazing after last weeks' reading of 16 and 20 per cent. Wow! His idea to remove the can lights and put the blower on the sink was genius and he is a genuine hero in my book.


I told Mike, who was feeling pretty good, that he could strut around with his fingers hooked in his suspenders the rest of the day because of this. He was so relieved, too, as I could now cancel Mr. Drywall's visit on Wednesday and not have to face having the mess of replacement, etc. Whew! The ceiling will need to be touched up a bit as well as some treatment on the stain in the bedroom where the water ran in. Kilz, anyone??? Mike and I did decide I should replace the can lights with new ones as the ones he put back in place look rather tired and aging. I know THAT feeling! But, that's another day!


After several tries, Dee eventually did get here, bringing with her the piece I had re-framed. It turned out lighter in color than the other three it hangs with, and if I want it darkened, she can do it. I will live with it a few weeks to see if I can bear it ("Yes, Sheldon..." as Justin would say to me). We had a very nice visit, making up for lost time since she's not at the shop much anymore. She is painting a mural in one of the guest rooms at The Club which is bringing her to my neighborhood several days this week. Today, she only had to add two boats to the mural, so that was going to be quick. That's how good she is!


This morning I had found myself awake before 5 am which left me feeling weary most of the day. Since I had to take my car in for servicing before 7:30, I made every effort to not go back to sleep and possibly be late. At one point, I could hear a phone going off, but it was not Justin's alarm nor was it mine. I was staring at my little laptop in front of me, and examined my phone, wondering where that sound was coming from. It was then I realized it was coming from upstairs! Wow, these bat ears of mine are going to be the end of me!!! I heard it twice so I know I was not imagining anything. Justin wonders if the young lady who sleeps above me had the phone on the floor, which would have made it so obvious to me. It could be in the bathroom, as well, since the sounds travel well through the empty space between the floors. That is where we store the water that leaks....


The morning commuters were clogging the roadways when I left for the car place and I was about 15 minutes late, going between my house and the area south of the dog track, before Wells Road. So glad I don't have to deal with that every day...The car place, Sun Tire, seemed to be lonely at the moment, as mine was the only car being worked on. I asked the fellow to please check everything over, explaining the occasional hesitation when pulling out and so on. My tires were deemed to be fine, being only a third of the way through their expected life. Justin and Randy, my neighbor, both thought they showed wear, but certainly the tire guys would be the first ones to jump on selling me new ones. And I got new wipers, always a good day for me!


Apparently my oil filter was filthy so it was replaced (I shall assume the filter he showed me was mine...) and another filter which takes care of the air coming into the 'cabin' of the car was absent. I assured him I did not remove it, so we don't know what happened to it. He told me that he has found small trees growing under some people's hoods, where acorns or similar fall into the open areas and spring up. I told him the only trees I wanted in my car was the scented one under the seat for making it fresh smelling. 
                                    
Because I was there alone, I decided to call my mom and chat with her. We had one interuption when the fellow came to discuss the things they found, but we had a good visit. By 9:30 I was on my way back home, to take a nap! More like a rest, I closed my eyes because of being awake so early, and expecting people spread out most of the afternoon. That felt good! 


Speaking of good, I am so excited for Linda to get here! Our plans are being made, the days filled, or not filled, with activities and visits. I still haven't decided if we will attend Bible study on Thursday morning or not, since we are going back there that night for the concert. This would leave us with an open slot in the schedule...wow!

A mixed up day

I am fine with mixed up days, as long as no dripping water is involved. The morning was relatively orderly, though, in spite of the fact that for some reason, I could not cut/paste into my e-mail. Hmmm....why would that change so abruptly? One should be able to cut/paste at any time, you'd expect. I was trying to send a link to an article via e-mail and for the life of me, no go.


Also, I was attempting to print from my mini-laptop to the printer on the desk using the "cloud" feature Justin put into place for me, but I couldn't do that either. I might have forgotten a couple steps but decided to just e-mail the list to be printed to the other computer and do it over there. Talk about lazy, right? I never hand-write things like this any longer, always use the printer for doing my checklists, etc.


My friend, Marlena, in dire straits financially due to having her work hours reduced, was coming today to do the dusting. Not for the faint of heart, dusting here is somewhat a big deal, at least to me it is. As I used to tell Martie---if I want it perfect, I have to do it myself. There used to be chairs in my home so slickly polished that one needed a seatbelt to sit in them! 


When we lived in WI yet, my niece, Lisa, for whom we babysat/watched over while Lynn worked, had the dusting job at my home as well. She HATED, with a white-hot hate having to dust/wash the leaves on my plants. Those, and the legs of my dining table and chairs. She mentions it yet every now and again when I lament about the dust problem here.


You'd think I lived near a foundry or a coal mine, but my dust, in the main part of the house, is pollen and such from when I have my doors opened. The breezes, which are lovely, carry in the junk and leave it on my tables and pretties. So, in that case, I am making my own trouble and will have to pay the piper, as it were, when Marlena eventually gets here to do the dusting! She got held up at work today but will try to come tomorrow after work. Just so it's done before Linda gets here on Wednesday night, that's all!


The day began with Bible study, which was an interesting class. We are covering the topic of the elect and predestination which always prompts much question and discussion. Joseph, our 'guest' participant (non-Lutheran) has many questions, and while this can be annoying, it is also interesting to hear where other folks are coming from. Today he mentioned the premise of "once saved, always saved" some denominations teach. Pastor handled him nicely, and well. Joseph likes to attempt to draw others into his thought process or show appreciation for his 'testimony', which happens on a regular basis. One or two ladies do bite, but it was obvious today how the crowd was getting restless. 


After class, Joseph came to me to report he had brought his 'buggy' to transport the TV to his home. It was in the back of my car at the moment and needed to be removed. Wonderful!!! I was thinking I had to drive him home (nearby apartment complex), but he brought a Publix shopping cart to take it home himself. He managed to get it into the cart and I hope it wasn't too rough a ride for the TV. 


He was so thankful and I am glad to be able to have it go to someone who needed it. This is the TV I was replacing because the picture went away. I went to Wal*Mart and bought a  32" flat screen model which Justin came by to install for me. When he jiggled the wires on the boxes attached to the TV, it worked again! Voila! I wrestled with taking back the new one but decided to keep it, as inevitably this aged one would fail as soon as I did! How much you want to bet it serves Joseph well for many years?


After Bible study we ladies went to lunch at Longhorn. My steak was simply delicious and the leftovers will be greatly enjoyed by Justin or me later. I told Jason, our server, to give my compliments to the chef, because it was such a tasty treat for me. I had left my door unlocked for Marlena to admit herself but still felt like I should be home when she came over. (She had called during Bible study to report she'd be later due to extra work at The Club). Connie was aware she was coming, so Marlena would not be bounced off the property. Connie keeps an eye on things, that's for sure!


Once home, I got busy at my desk, waiting for her to come, and then she called to ask if tomorrow would work out okay. Sure! I wanted to take a rest anyway so yes, Tuesday is fine. Tuesday is full---besides taking my car in for a check-up, making sure the tires are fine and all that, Mike K. is coming to hang those lights in the guest bathroom. He will come around noon. Once he is gone, I will take the car back to the car wash to have it spiffed up for our adventures. No, we won't go to the beach and get it all sandy, which is part of Murphy's Law. And I suppose it will rain as soon as it's waxed!
                                          

Justin came home thoroughly exhausted from his landscape job, thinking he walked about 5 miles during the day. His toes were just burning from the friction of his socks and boots. I suggested, after his shower, that he put powder on his feet and then little socks to keep the powder in place. I had gotten him medicated powder but he went through that quickly, it seems. He celebrated the National Napping Day (day after DST begins!) and rested before dinner. We had leftovers, still working on the veggie soup, plus he made a steak sandwich from my lunch remains. All I have left to eat up is my leftovers from Saturday's lunch of Ming Moon sweet 'n sour chicken, and we are ready for Linda!!!!