This makes my heart happy!

My young friend, Christie, daughter of my scrapbooking guru, Cindy, is working and living in Paris for a year as an au pair. While yet in high school Christie had worked at State Farm, continuing her education at UNF and working at the same time. Besides all that, she became quite an accomplished baker and cake decorator, does fabulous presentations when she does so. Over the years, she had taken a couple trips overseas and decided to try getting a position as an au pair, landing an assignment in Paris. 

We can keep up with her as she resides in France and is able to travel around the countryside. Her schedule is flexible enough to allow this. The photos she posts of the sights are incredible (add photographer to her list of accomplisments!) 

Christie's birthay was this past week and her parents flew over there to spend it with her, and take in the sights. Yesterday, Christie sent me a message via Facebook, reporting that her mom and she were thinking of me as they toured the fabulous "Opera Populaire' of "The Phantom of the Opera" fame. She posted the photos showing me the things I would enjoy seeing in person. How nice of them to think of me this way!!! Christie and I share a love of the movie and the play, and the Opera Populaire!

In the top frame the elegant staircase is shown, featured in the movie, where the song "Masquerade" was performed. In the lower left frame is "Box 5, shall remain empty for my viewing" as demanded by the Phantom. In the right frame, the crystal chandelier is hung from the frescoed ceiling in the theater. "Gentlemen, please, a little illumination!" (cue haunting organ music.....)

The best laid plans...

...are made! After some ado, I have finalized my travel plans to WI in May. Going alone this time, as Justin has to work, I decided to use my earned miles from Delta to purchase the ticket. In order to do that, I had to contact the Sky Miles department to find out how to transfer the miles from Justin's "account" into mine, since those miles are actually mine in the first place. 

Yesterday I got an e-mail from Delta directing me to their website and followed the step-by-step directions on how to go about transferring them. In the past I had done this but simply could not remember nor find out how without their guidance.

Of course, it costs money to transfer the miles from account to account (ugh!) but it was far less than the cost of a round trip ticket. This process took a bit of time, and I used it to make sure that I was doing everything correctly and not causing myself any mix-ups. 

Once that was complete, the miles showed up in my account and I was free to make the reservations. Well, from one day to the next, the amount of miles needed for the flights on the days I had chosen had increased!!! Those snakes!! I had to be in Manty on the 11th, for sure, so that day had to stay fixed but I extended my time by a day or two. Finally, I managed to find a schedule that worked with my miles.

Twice I went through the entire process and got to the page where I had to click "Continue to Confirmation" and twice, it went blank. Eventually I would get a message reporting "Unable to Process", and if this continued, I should contact them using a toll free number. At one point in my frustration Justin said, "I think you better call the number..." My cheerleader suggests throwing in the towel---but he was right.

That process had me repeating my selections into the phone to the mechanical voice asking me questions and then I was directed to a live operator. It didn't take long for someone to come on the line and she started working on this before I even said "hello"! I heard my name, and as I said "yes", she was rattling away with her questions. Where do you want to go? When do you want to come back? Are you flexible? (NO! I am as stiff as board, thank you!) She was able to maneuver things around to allow me to travel the day before I actually must be there (whew!!) and arranged for me to come home again two weeks later. 

I did make her laugh, though, as she was being strictly business with me. She asked if I wanted an aisle seat and I told her I prefer a window seat. Mrs. Singh asked if I wanted a full reclining seat or not, and I told her I did not recline at all. "I already look like a sack of potatoes in the seat, I don't need to lay back and make it worse!" Finally, the ice was broken, so to speak. 

Lickety split my itinerary was e-mailed me, after she had to charge me $25 for using her services to make the arrangements. Wait just a doggone minute!!! What? I explained to her how twice I tried to do it myself and the website threw me out, referring me to her department in the first place..She apologized that she could not refund the fee, and thanked me for my business. 

Well! I was glad to be able to inform Justin my arrangements for travel were made and he would be able to take me to the airport on his day off, a Thursday. This is good! When he heard I was charged for the help making the reservation, he agreed this was not right. I told him I was writing a letter, and off I went to do so. 

I wrote to the same man, Neil, who helped me with the miles transfer info, explained how I am usually not a grump but holy cow!, it was not my fault I needed to call for help. They could not process, but I could!! This a.m. I had an e-mail from another fellow/department telling me my fee would be refunded to my account and apologized for the problems I had making the online reservations. There! THAT, my friends, is called 'good customer service'!

On the drive to choir last night, I called Mom to make sure she checked her e-mail for my itinerary and such. Since I was driving I could not look at my copy, but tried to recall for her the times, etc. She wished I came earlier or a day sooner, but I explained I had to take the times and dates available for using my miles. I did the best I could so as not to miss my friend, Christin's, appearance in a show on Friday evening. She is singing the lead in "The Sound of Music" and I am going with a group, including several from my family, and Linda J.!                                                                         
                                               
My sister, Lynn, is being feted at a special banquet, celebrating her retirement from LTC on the same night that I arrive in MKE. Because of that, Lynn is not available to collect me. I told Mom that was fine, I would ask someone else or use the shuttle service. Mom offered to treat me to the shuttle ride and I accepted her offer. That is so nice of her! Mom will be Lynn's special guest at the banquet, which I find incredibly wonderful---for them both! 

I am also going to miss attending Mom's Ladies' Aid banquet that same afternoon (is that all they do up there is eat???) and while I would enjoy seeing the ladies and all that, it just won't work out. I am not doing one thing to mess with my reservations, now that I have them!!!

The smoke and ash situation

The sun is making a futile attempt to shine through the layer of smoke which hung over the river this early morning. As you can see, or not see, the land on the opposite side of the water is not visible. Later in the morning, the wind moved the smoke away and it was bright and clear until the cloud of smoke moved in. The sky went then from this pinkish/blue haze to more orange/brown looking. 

Here comes the spooky smoke blanket which moved in late morning, which caused alarm for Connie. Since the sky was so orange in color, coming from the south/west, she was concerned that fire was not far behind. She had me check the Internet to make sure everything was okay, plus I checked the weather reports which did not indicate any fires in the Orange Park area. This heavy blanket moved in and lasted well into the evening, leaving its stench to choke us. 

 This was the view from the courtyard as I left to go to choir at 6:15. The sun was trying to push its way free of the smoke cover but just looked bright orange instead. The colors inside the house all afternoon were foreign ones, sort of casting an eerie glow to the rooms. Even Justin noticed how 'weird' it felt, having this blanket of smoke rolling around us. 

Click photo to enlarge

When I got down to my car, making my way through the "flurries", I discovered an accumulation of ashes on the sill of my car window. This had taken place since late afternoon after I got home from giving Randy a ride back from his storage unit after he parked his motorcycle there. So, in less than 4 hours time, the ash rained down all around us. Hack hack cough cough....

Things didn't work out

Another smoky morning, no sign of Mandarin across the river or even the palm trees at the end of the breakwater. And talk about stink! Justin described it as being the smell of vomit but I am not too sure about that. He worked out in that heavy air all day on Monday but said it didn't really bother them too much. I was concerned for their eyes and lungs, but mainly the smell bothered them. By the afternoon, when the winds came, the smoke moved off the river and I could see!

Last week my friend, Chris N., with whom I used to paint and scrapbook, contacted me via Facebook. She wanted to have lunch! I am so in! We made plans at first to meet on Monday since there was no Bible study that day, but then she remembered a doctor appointment which would interfere. We settled on Tuesday, before she goes to play bridge, and decided to eat at Pengree's, which is a bit closer to her bridge game place. 

I went the few blocks to Pengree's and was surprised to not see her blue Beetle parked out front. She wasn't inside either, so I told the hostess I would wait outside in case there was a mix-up. Chris's cell phone number was no good anymore and Martie didn't answer her phone to get me a better number. I could have gone in to eat but it was 'only' 11:00 a.m. and I was not quite ready to eat. We planned to meet early enough so we could talk before her 1:00 pm card game, whether we were hungry or not!

I didn't mind waiting for Chris under the boughs of this ancient, enormous oak

I waited about 15 minutes and then decided there must have been a mix-up, maybe she thought next week Tuesday or something. I left another message on her home phone and went to church to get Timmy's Easter lily. I had forgotten all about it on Sunday, being in a rush to get from church to The Club for our Easter buffet. As I waited at the light to turn onto Kingsley Ave., I saw Martie driving through on her way to work. How funny is that! She is coming over for dinner on Friday, I finally pinned her down! I met Chris through Martie, and we really hit it off.

There were extra cars in the church parking lot since work is going on in the Fellowship Hall. I got my keys out to admit myself to the church but found the door unlocked. Before yanking it open, I tapped first and then went in. Cliff was meeting with some fellows, looking over the situation in the sanctuary, which is next on the list of areas to be rejuvenated. It was okay for me to come in and get my lily, but I tried not to be intrusive. On Friday night Justin and I noticed one of the drywall cracks seemed wider and darker near where we generally sit, and I wondered if that happened when the cross was erected on the exterior side wall of the church...ooops! No worries, though, these guys are on it!

I took the lily to the cemetery and then headed for home. It was getting hot out, in the low 80's but it seemed the smoke had mostly thinned out. Justin had eaten dinner at his father's house on Monday night and brought home a wonderful mini-loaf of homemade walnut bread. He wanted me to have some that night but I was too full, so he left me a piece to have today. That was what I had for my lunch, and oh my!, was it ever delicious! 

The afternoon was spent watching the printer as the 'members away' newsletter was spitting out of it. Since there is one entire page of photos, I only print three at a time because they need some time to 'dry' a bit before feeding them through again for the text on the reverse side. I know what you're thinking----do the text side first. Next time, I will! I also have to wait to fold them up for insertion in the envelopes. Guess I will need more ink again soon!

Justin had a shorter day today, getting home right after 2:00 pm, just in time to hear that Rick Santorum dropped out of the race. Rats! I rather expected it, especially since it looked like he would have an uphill battle for his home state. Add to that the health problems of his daughter, Bella, and yes, it was just time. He fought valiantly and brought up issues, well, some of them needed to be talked about. Others were a distraction and brought negative attention to our fight, but anyway, I am sure we have not heard the last from Rick. To support Mitt is not a tough thing to do, as I have the utmost regard for his abilities to turn things around. I only wish he were more conservative in his thinking, more small government...Sigh....

Chris called and left me a message, apologizing for the mix-up. She had gone to Panera Bread instead, and then realized her mistake. By the time she would have gotten to Pengree's, I would have been gone already, and she had no phone to let me know. I reminded her we chose Pengree's for its proximity to her bridge club, and she said, "I just saw the "P" and got mixed up!" Next week, we will try again and hopefully hit the mark!

For dinner Justin and I had the pot roast I had made for us on Monday night (I did not know or did not recall his plans to eat at his father's) but pot roast is just as good again the next day. First, though, we had to go upstairs to Randy's unit as he is moving out and wanted us to have his refrigerator foods. We got numerous bottles of salad dressing, sauces, ketchup, and so on, plus his cleaning supplies except for the Soft Scrub. He is a big box shopper so I now have plenty of Cascade for the dishwasher! It will be so sad to have him gone but he kept much of his belongings here in a storage unit so he promises to be back! His lady friend still lives here which will serve to keep him somewhat attached to this area as well.

Tonight I watched the pilot for the TV show "The Big Bang Theory" (TBBT) and it was interesting and fun to see how the characters have developed since that first episode. The brainiest of the characters with no social skills to speak of was almost flirtatious in the pilot. He is more amusing now without much humanness at all, like Mr. Spock, his idol. He (Sheldon) is the one Justin compares me to, with his needs for order. The show has far too much focus on the humanness of the other characters, sickeningly so, which annoys me greatly, but I enjoy Sheldon and his quirks, or what others consider quirks...

At one point, Sheldon went into his new neighbor's apartment and discovered a terrible disarray. She had given the two guys, Leonard and Sheldon, a key to use to admit a furniture delivery. Having little sense of societal propriety, Sheldon used the key to go in to clean her apartment in the middle of the night. He could not sleep, knowing there was disarray with only two doors separating him from it. "This is not a messy apartment. No, this is a swirling vortex of entropy!" I used that very line on Justin when I went to his bedroom door. I won't go in and clean while he's sleeping, but he said I can maybe help him tidy up in the morning. There are only two doors between my clean room and his disarray....

P.S. I just thought of something my friend, Carol, said the other night at choir. I used one of Sheldon's expressions, and she looked at me, and asked, "Oh, has this (TBBT show) taken the place of the other show?" She means "Seinfeld", of course, and no, not yet!

What must they think of me?

I had an interesting experience today, when at the booty shop. Not like that ever happens but today was strangely different. Usually it's a bee hive of activity, with clients coming and going, some under the dryer while others are getting their hair styled. Today, though, it was more quiet. 


Normally conversation flows smoothly as Barb tells me what her grandson is up to, her daughter getting a job, or her own cancer battle going on. It might have been the time of day which affected the 'room'..but it was hushed, for the most part. Not me, of course, though. One lady was under the dryer and then was styled out by Susan, leaving just us three ladies in the shop, with the two operators interested in the soap opera on TV. Aha! That's it!!! That is what was distracting them....


Barb asked me how Justin was doing, so I said he was doing well, working now four days a week doing landscaping and one day for his father. I also told how we went on a date to the movies Saturday, going to the cheap show. Susan wanted to know how I liked the movie, once I told which one we saw, but didn't want to me ruin it for her. 


What I did share with the two ladies was how the camera movement made me motion sick so I cautioned them to use a medication first in order to watch with more than only their ears. It was more intense than I would have expected for being geared toward teens and older, but I guess they would know what was coming if reading the books first. 


Then, I told Barb how I called my toes lady in Middleburg, Lisa W., to see if she is still working. Nope, she can't do feet right now because she can't bend over. Barb wondered if it was due to a back injury but I assured her it was a baby in the way of her bending. As I told Lisa, 'Welcome to my world!', not bending in the middle anymore!!! The ladies laughed, knowingly, having been pregnant themselves at one time and not being able to bend. Barb suggested I lift my leg way up so Lisa wouldn't have to bend over, and I said, "If I could do that, I would do my own feet!"


THEN, Barb asked me if I ever saw the movie, "Bridesmaids". Quickly I replied I had not and likely never would, hearing reports that it was 'vile'. Both ladies responded that they found it funny, especially when the heavy set 'star' put her foot up six feet into the air in a doorway, blocking someone's path. It was the being heavy yet able to swing her leg up like that which made Barb think of it. 


My response rather stunned them, I guess no one ever said they did not see a movie due to its content before. They defended it, sort of, indicating that was the female version of "The Hangover" which I also indicated I would never see. I told how my friend went by herself to see "The Hangover", then told me never to see it because it was so vulgar and "stupid". She also reported she laughed her fool head off, in spite of it.


This probably had them feeling a bit uncomfortable but I did assuage them somewhat by saying I made an exception for "The King's Speech". Neither of them had seen this movie. I was informed by my dear church friend that it would be okay, and only in a 'necessary' fashion was foul language used.


As I was paying my for my haircut, I mentioned to Barb how shocked and disappointed my sister and I were when we went with the church ladies on a bus trip to see "The Jersey Boys", finding out only as we handed our tickets that there was foul language AND smoking in this show. If anyone knew about this, I was not aware. But smoking on stage? What? Are you serious? I'm appalled!

Saturday report

On Saturday morning, Justin and I went on a date to the movies. First, he surprised me by showing up at church on Good Friday without my even suggesting or asking him about it. Since Thursday was his 'easy' day, working for his father rather than doing landscape work, worship on Maundy Thursday was a given. On Friday when I left for choir rehearsal ahead of the service, he was sleeping, worn out from the day. I knew he had plans to go with his friends later on, so I left him snoozing. It was good to have him with me at church!

Justin and I went to Steak 'n Shake for a quick dinner after church on Good Friday. We had coupons, and ate for about $5 a piece! He remembered the time many years ago when our family met Joe Z. and Robbie at Chili's after church on a Good Friday, and Joe had an Oreo cookie shake. How does he do that, remember those details???

While we were eating, Justin asked me to go to the movies with him on Saturday, his treat. Nice! Not that I really wished to see "The Hunger Games" but hey, why not? It was not a comic book cartoon-type movie so I was sure it would be okay. Going for the 10:50 a.m. showing got us in for $5 each, and, sadly, my soda cost $5.50! But it came with free refills...We shared it, but he wanted less of it so he wouldn't have to get up to go potty. Wait, what?? 

The movie did not actually begin until well after 11:00 with the previews and pre-movie showings going on. When it did finally begin, Justin leaned over and whispered to me, "Do you have any Dramamine in your purse? I forgot to mention all the movement..." My bottle was empty, used up my last flight home from WI. Oh oh! Worse than watching our home movies---all the swinging, swaying, and swooshing with the cameras to indicate the action of the movie brought my stomach closer to my throat. Rats!

Okay, here's the plan---I would watch with my ears, and Justin would nudge me when it was still or something I should really see. In the meanwhile, he put up the arm rest between us and asked me to lean against him so he could whisper in my ear to tell me what was happening. What a sweetheart! He felt so badly not remembering the camera motion in the filming. At one point, he asked me if perhaps a salty pretzel would help the urpiness but I refused, knowing I would be okay if I did not watch until nudged.

It is a good story, creepy in its concept, and surprisingly, the books are geared toward the younger set. After Justin saw the movie the first time, on its opening day with his buddies, he either read or listened to all three books before seeing it again. Then he wanted me along to get my opinion on the political implications made in the movie. As I told him, the implications I would describe as being more cultural than political, but that's another posting!

After the movie, he wanted to stop at Old Navy as they were having a sale but was concerned about me. I told him I would be so happy to sit on a bench in the sun with my giant cup of Diet Coke, refilled for free, to wait for him. He said, "I know you're a good waiter but if you're not feeling good...", but I shooed him off, positioning myself with a man on a bench. As long as the sun was on me, I was good!

Before I sat down, I asked the man if it was okay for me to join him. He assured me it was, and scooted over a bit to allow me adequate room. For about 10 seconds we sat there without speaking...I now know where this man works, where he lives, why he moved from the beaches area, that he moved here from NJ after his 3 year old daughter was killed when a TV fell on her, how his girlfriend of three years and he 'are going through some stuff' ("I would think that after three years you'd have it pretty well figured out..") Oh, yes I did say that!

                                

This bench on the left is where I was situated, in order to get the full sun benefit

I asked him if his girlfriend was shopping or something, why he was on the bench, and he said, "No, I just came here for some peace of mind..." I busted out laughing and said, "..and then this magpie sat down next to you and talked your arm off!" He was a man of color and I am sure we looked a sight, yukking and yakking on the bench in front of the Mall! He said he was glad to have someone to talk with, and if Justin had not come out of the Mall, I could have offered some more unsolicited advice. Instead, I shook his hand and wished him the joys of Easter, and he said he was glad to share the bench with me. After the first couple minutes, we were no longer strangers...

Justin dropped me off at home, came upstairs really quickly to grab some Wal*Mart returns and off he went to the Island. He bought the shirts on impulse and decided to take them back. He had my debit card and a shopping list to buy the ingredients for a strawberry pretzel torte recipe Linda M. had sent me. It sounded so good and the picture looked pretty too! He also took advantage of the sale for Diet Coke at Walgreens so we are well stocked. 

Justin did not feel like making the torte on Saturday, instead took a rest before meeting his pals for wings, using up some Groupons they'd bought. Then, they were meeting at Jesse's mom's house to car pool to the County Fair, to save on parking. Originally they were going to see the Oak Ridge Boys, for which they had free tickets, but instead they went to see acrobats, aerialists, and something else, I cannot recall. He said it was pretty good stuff for a small-time Fair.

The problem with ride sharing is when one person with influence is ready to go home, the rest have to fall into step, so Justin and Jesse had to miss the pig races. "But I wanted to go, just for you!" he told me last night. When we first moved here, my sister and her hubby came down for a visit during Fair week. Lori and I were sitting on the bleachers to await the much-heralded pig races, having no idea what to expect. 

              

What we saw was absolutely hysterical---pig races, teeny tiny piglets, wearing racing silks, running through their paces for vanilla wafers. Oh my goodness! Lori and I were paralyzed with laughter, I believe the first time that ever happened to me. What a great memory that is for us, and Justin wanted it for me, in my absence. Of course, never again would it be the same, since we now know what's coming, but back in 1989, we never saw THAT coming!!! In Manitowoc, they have tractor pulls---in Clay County, pig racing!

Easter celebration

Somehow the photos got staggered in their position on the page but that's okay. Not chronological but all the same day!

From left are Betty, Chelsea, Terri T., Amber (blond hair), Gretchen, Ethel, and Darwin. Behind Ethel are Bonnie and her grandson, Nicholas, who gets confirmed this year. He took instructions via Skype, while sitting on his neighbor's porch for a strong enough signal for the Internet. He lives near Orlando

This is the chancel prior to the procession which returns the brass cross to its rightful place behind the altar and the carrying in of the Pascal candle

The congregation directed their attention toward the acolyte who will bring the candle to the front, as they sang the opening hymn 

Pastor is draping the brass candle with the white drape, which signifies light

Robbie, The Maestro, accompanied our singing at the Sunrise Service, which began with a full moon in the sky above us. He played beautifully, including two improvisational pieces during the offering and post-service. 

Our Resurrection cross dressed in flowers. The orange one in the very center is my Hawaiian flower from Julia.

Michael is carrying in the Pascal candle as part of the Easter Festival service processional

The patriarch of the congregation, Joe, greeting folks after church. He always give me a cheek kiss and calls me "Sunshine". I love him!