Mystery solved!

Love to multi-task and am doing so now with this typing going on as the printer spits out newsletters. These are the newsletters which I send, if I am faithful, every other month to our members away from the congregation. Sometimes there is simply not enough newsworthy or I don't have photos to include with the letter. 

This newsletter is in addition to the monthly one they might receive via e-mail or have snail-mailed to them. One side of the page is text, and the opposite page has photos taken during the time between issues. Being gone during the holidays has provided me a lot of blanks where pictures should be! Might have to reach out to those who were in town to ask for pictures.

Yesterday afternoon I went to see my lady friends at Great Hang Ups. I saw Dee and Julia briefly at The Club Sunday when I was over there for the art show. Since we did not much time to just chat while there, I went up to the shop. Dee couldn't stay long, but before she ran off to feed her husband, she said, "I phantomed you..." 

I didn't know what that meant so she told me she was the one who brought me the box of cherries. I should have known!!! She gets me some every year, but the dark grey van Connie described did not match up with Dee. I forgot she had gotten a new vehicle. Mystery solved, and candy consumed!!!

                                                  

What is it about lunch that makes one sleepy? I am so ready for a snooze but it's too early in the afternoon for that. My morning sleep was fraught with nasty dreams including snakes and dealing with concrete pourers. Yes, I am back at work trying to schedule contractors, and no, the concrete guys were not snakes. Same dream, different problems!

Easter during Epiphany

Justin was out and about yesterday running some errands, including going on a soda run. CVS Pharmacy has Diet Coke advertised at 3 for $9 so he was on a mission! Then, he sent me the dreaded text message---complete with a photo---bare shelves in the soda department. Rats! Sold out!

                                             

He did say he had some good news for me though but I wouldn't find out until he got home again. He unpacked the bags of groceries from Winn Dixie, where he paid a bit more for Pepsi products than the deal offered at CVS. I asked him to get cheese and milk for a recipe I am trying (yes, you read that correctly!), and put them in the fridge. 

                                                  

He had me hold out my hand and he placed there three of my favorite dark chocolate coconut eggs! Oh my! Usually found at Easter, he found them during Epiphany. I only hope they aren't leftover from last year, but I am fairly certain I got them all....

What a week I am having----first someone dropped off a box of dark chocolate covered cherries (I still don't know who did it!), and now three of these eggs. Life is good!

Timmy's anniversary day

Justin holding baby brother on the day Timmy was brought home from the hospital. When we first told Justin I was going to have a baby he said, "I get my wish!"

 The boys needed a nap!

 Timmy with his playmate, Linda

 Timmy and his friend, Rachel, at VBS at church. He is wearing the lady bug outfit his grandma made for him

Posing for the camera at the Eagle Harbor pool. A funny story about his swimming lessons (ironic, isn't it?): I told Timmy to go to the bathroom before the class began. I looked up from my seat at the table and saw his white butt as he peed in the bushes. That is NOT what I meant, Timmy!!!!!

Ready for bed

Last night was a late one, and a disappointing one, with the Packer loss. Shoot! It's hard to win a game when the team is defeating itself. At first the teams would swap scores, tying it up four different times, but then the Packers lost their rhythm and ability to hang onto the ball.

If they were Jaguars, heads would be rolling, as happened in the past couple weeks. The General Manager was let go, and as soon as the new one came on board, away went the coach. He had been here only a year, "rebuilding", and now we will spend the next season rebuilding yet again, I imagine. 

The Packers, at least, made it to the post-season which is laudable in itself. Next year!!!!

Justin took this photo of me cheering for the Packers last night (and yet, they didn't win????)

My family!

....or some of them! 

Dad, Jill, Kim, Kerry, and Mom

Another treasure found in the box at Mom's house was this picture taken by a semi-professional photographer friend of our family. If memory serves me, this was taken New Year's Eve, in the late 1960's, at our friend's house. They were church members with us and we likely went to their house after church. 

My smile and Mom's look the same!  Plus, Jill and I have matching dresses, which we did often, though she is 16 months younger than I am. Even then she was taller! Love my cat eye glasses! I imagine my two older sisters were babysitting that night, being a big night for folks going out. 

Time spent in reflection

One of my pastor friends on Facebook posted the link to some articles in our Synod's monthly periodical regarding grief and loss. Since I no longer subscribe to the magazine I had missed reading these. The pastor who wrote the two articles I read had lost a teen-aged son to suicide. Fortunately, the boy had a chance to repent and profess his faith in the Lord before he closed his eyes for the last time. 

It is quite moving to read the words, the emotions they felt were too familiar. The second article in the series talks about how the father had changed since his son's death, changes for the good, how it became a blessing for him in helping others. Yes.

                                          

It so happens that I know this boy's mother, and his aunt, both of whom went to high school with me. In fact, the uncle of the young man sat at my table for ThanksLiving in 2011. The story was not new to me, reading it here, as I had heard about it from others. I give these parents, and the Lord, a good deal of credit for being able to carry on in the ministry like they are, and sharing "the reason for the hope that we have." 

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Another FB Friend, a pastor's wife, shared a couple poignant articles which I read. One was about today's moms being so distracted by their hand-held communication devices, not paying full attention to their little ones. I can see that! I have thought about that when taking pictures---how one can be more about the photo being captured than about the moment itself. As my friend, Judy R. would say, "things that make you go hmmmm....".       
                                                  

Another friend linked to an article about the things a child must learn or know before they leave home. I was reduced to tears! As one reads the article, there is music playing softly in the background, which helps to stir the emotions. My son has left home more than once, so I am used to it. I am being falsely brave when saying this. It sure does help to be reading the book about the effect a mom has on her son! Wow, no pressure there!

****

Tuesday before he and I went grocery shopping, we went to Hurricane's for lunch. He had a coupon to use from his Jaguar Bucks. Justin insisted we try the garlic parmesan fries, which I hated to tell him did not blow me away. His friend's mom can eat two orders of them in a sitting. She is a butter lover, like I am. But she is thin!

                                            

I ordered the chicken sandwich for my entree which came with homemade chips, but I ate none of them. In fact, I did eat the entire sandwich, no leftovers! It was fantastic, once I removed the lettuce and tomatoes from the bun. Next time I will order it more plainly, with pickles and mayo. It might have to be soon!!!

A marvelous day!

Before New Year, I saw an idea someone proposed on Facebook, suggesting putting slips of paper in a blessings jar each day for a year. On the slips would be something for which you are thankful or whatever cool thing happened to you that day. We sometimes get bogged down on the less than cool things that happen and remember those only. This exercise allows/encourages a person to find at least one good thing in the day that is worthy of note. I sent the idea to Linda and she thought like I did--let's do it! So we are!

This is my Blessings Jar which was given me for my birthday several years ago. It is now being more than just a pretty piece!

Thursday I was having trouble deciding which was the best thing in the day. I needed more paper! First of all was a return to Victory for Bible study, with my boy along with me. He loves the class like I do. (He made me laugh, though, because a few minutes before our 'aparture', I knocked on his door. He was still in bed! Instead of throwing clothes on, he got into the shower!!! We made it on time, no problem, but I prefer to not cut it so close!) Anyway, we were continuing our study of Advent, not finished from last year when I left!

Oh, it was grand to see everyone again, the conversation during the class was insightful and helpful, and the home-baked raspberry coffee cake served, divine! Rita was able to attend, having been laid out by the flu in recent weeks. 

                                         

Justin and I went to PF Chang for lunch, had to eat inside due to a shortage of servers for the patio. It was warmer outside than in, but he went back for my dinner jacket to drape over my lap. The waiter said he could tell we knew what we wanted, and I described myself as being "Sheldon", having to order the same thing every time. He got the joke, and mentioned how one of his co-workers looks like Will Wheaton, from Star Trek:TNG. He really did look like him! Will appears in cameo roles on Sheldon's program.

With leftovers in hand, Justin and I headed for home, with plans for him to go back to Publix for some more items missed on Tuesday. I didn't realize we were out of ketchup and mustard, and I finished off my raspberry sherbet, which was in the freezer since before I left for WI. He was making sausage, peppers, and onions for our dinner so needed the ingredients for that. My, was that ever good!

When I got out of the car, Connie yelled to me that one of my lady friends had left something at my door. She also said she didn't eat any of it, which meant it was food. Justin left with the car, and I went to the mailbox on my way to the elevator. I found a greeting card in there for me, and took the mail upstairs with me. On the window sill was a box of dark chocolate covered cherries, my favorite!!!

                                                  

Connie did not know the lady who dropped them off, but said she had dark hair and came in a dark grey van. Carol??? That rascal! I will have to ask her...Who else knows that the dark chocolate are my favorites? And makes the effort to bring them to me? I love it, and love them!

The greeting card was a thank you note from my friend, Brenda, and her family. She has her adult son living her, also, and last summer they took custody of his two daughters. They now have a houseful of people and things are not easy, shall I say? It was my privilege to help them last fall, and greatly appreciated getting their card, with the kids signatures on it, too. Warmed my heart!!!

My neighbor, Patty, had offered me free symphony tickets but I respectfully declined them, feeling the need to stay in one night. I hope she found someone else to use them. She offers them to me first, which I think is so kind of her. I have the best neighbors!

Further, I am so thankful that Linda is up and around again, after having had a bout of the flu, or something. She felt well enough to attend Bible study last night, and I know how healing that can be!

As I unpacked my stuff brought back from WI, the greeting cards Mom gave me came to the top of the pile, as did the photos posted the other day. Also, Mom allowed me to take custody of the small, black hymnal given to my aunt Ruth Ann for her confirmation, which would have been in the late 1930's or early 40's. There are no musical notes on the pages, only the text. Oh, I cherish this! 

I also got the front portion of Luther's Small Catechism, no cover, as it seems to have been printed this way. The staples are a bit rusty with the book going up to the Sacrament of the Altar, and ending with the personal prayers. No Bible passages like the little tan catechism used when I was in school. There is no publishing date either, so my guess is it pre-dates the 1957 issue I used in school. I cherish this also!

What I don't necessarily cherish is starting to get tax information in the mail. Already??? Every year I plan to start recording things right away and every year I don't! We so often make our own troubles, don't we? I won't write that on a slip for my blessings jar, but could write how thankful I am to have a great CPA waiting for my tax info!!!