Yes, it's a good thing I've got "Seinfeld"....

...or I wouldn't be able to ask the question: What's up with those little seed things on the outside of English muffins? They really irritate me, especially when they get on my clean sheets! Worse than sand in the bed!

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It started as a clear blue sky but, as morning progressed, the clouds rolled in. My plans were to go do a little shopping but am not too crazy about driving out to the Town Center Mall in the rain...let me think about that. I'd have to go there because that's where Coldwater Creek store is located. They nicely sent me a discount card to use for my purchases and I need some new drawers and maybe a pair of blue dress pants.

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That silly silly cat, Lynx! She acts like she's never seen her tail before or something. No matter how fast she turns or high she jumps, the tail eludes her! I am always concerned when making those hustling sounds that Lynx is going to bring me something captured, which will turn my stomach. Even if it's the end of her tail!!!

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Well, I decided to hold off on my shopping until another day as I got busy with some work on the computer and such. Oh, it got frustrating as my Internet was fluctuating all stinking day long! Just when I needed to look up something or whatever, bam!, it was gone. I know, I know, I haven't made the phone call yet to set up the new service. Apparently I am not frustrated enough.............

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This early evening I went across the street to the Pompeii Restaurant my neighbors were talking about, to have a little bite to eat. Only a few people were inside and no one outside, but I took care of that. The waitress washed the table and got me situated with a Diet Pepsi. Since I had a narrow window in which to eat, I ordered the caprese salad for my meal. After a few minutes the proprietress of the restaurant came out and sat down at my table to visit with me. Isn't that sweet? She asked if I was from New York (had I been rude???) and we talked about traveling overseas, packaged deal vs. planning your own trips, etc. I just thought it was wonderful to have her come out and feel so comfortable talking with me as a long lost friend.

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Before doing anything else this a.m. I put together my top 35 favorite hymn list for Favorite Hymn Sunday and e-mailed it to church. On the bottom I wrote that I had to quit adding hymns because as I read through the stanzas of these "favorites", their message caused tears to roll down my cheeks, which accounts for their being included on my list. And not one of them were even "End Times" hymns--I'm saving those for our next 5 Sunday month! I usually wait to the very end before submitting to give others a chance to put their two cents worth in. Don't want to tip the scales, as it were, with my suggestions.

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Jami and I had a little give 'n take today about the so-called "reality TV programs" flooding the air waves these days. Justin thinks the reason there are so many right now is because of the writer's strike, holding up production on the not-so-real programs. I don't know, but my rose-colored glasses are off when it comes to presenting these TV shows as being the real deal---starting years ago with the wrestling shows and ending with people vying for a prize by frosting a cake. Indeed! Next it will be the wrestlers frosting cakes for prize money......

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There was even a series of programs propagating witchcraft and the like with The Battle of the Psychics on USA. As St. Paul told the sorcerer: "You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you." Whew, where did all that come from???? Besides Acts, that is.......

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Tomorrow bring my memoir writers to work on their projects, as we move through "When I Was Young on a Mountain". Hopefully we'll be done by July so I can begin the Reading Club with those interested parties. Justin called to invite me to have dinner together tomorrow night before my Bible study class and we are going somewhere near church to keep me close to my destination. He can just hop onto the freeway to get home, as he is bowling tomorrow night as well. Oh, to be young and keep hours like he does!

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Dolly told me about her daughter, home from college for the summer, working upwards of 70 hours a week between two different jobs. Wow! In the daytime she is a greens keeper on a golf course and then goes home to shower and change, then to work in a grocery store. I give that child a lot of credit for putting her nose to the wheel! Again, I say "wow"!!!

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Sunday after church I ran out to Publix on the Island for a few things and ran into the owner of my favorite new restaurant, Blu Grotto. I told his wife and he how much I enjoy coming out there and that I tell my friends about it, and drag them out there, too! I explained that usually I'm on the patio and he said to tell my server the next time I'm there and he'll come out to say "hi" to me. I never wanted to bother him or his folks when there at lunch. Justin and I love the mom and dad, they are also so tickled to see us, and fuss over how grown up Justin has gotten. Tonight, the lady from The Pompeii said something that reminded me of Rosaria---I think it was the way she said the city name "Napoli".

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So, after my quick dinner, I drove over to the Orange Park Town Hall as a supporter of my upstairs neighbor, Travis. He was in a debate of all the Board of County Commissioners running for office this year. Travis held his own, without any name calling or finger pointing. His opponent is also quite qualified, and as I told Justin earlier, I could support her if Travis wasn't running. The next event is Saturday afternoon and I am really looking forward to that one---a free bbq! Bet there will be a lot of "pork" conversation that day!

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Thanks to all who have left Comments on my blog! I just love hearing from folks who visit my site!

Back to the subject of joy...........

I just watched an episode of Frasier celebrating the end of his first year back in Seattle. The entire episode takes place at Cafe Nervosa where Frasier simply cannot get the perfect cup of coffee. While waiting, Niles asks his brother the deeply reflective question, as they discuss his first anniversary of Seattle living, "Are you happy?" Well, many many things occurred preventing him from answering his brother's query, people coming and going, rain pours on them at the outdoor table, the waitress put cinnamon in his coffee......such drama!

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That reminded me of a posting my new friend, Jami, did a while back where she put up a list of the things which brought her happiness. Top on her list was Family, an excellent choice. She also included having a clean house, her pets, and having a pain-free day! Only a week or so ago Jami had surgery to alleviate some of that pain, so a list revision will be in order!

At one point in my TV viewing, I had to go out to the kitchen, which makes for the first item on MY list of joy-making things:

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1. Being able to put the foot rest on my recliner down in one try! (More often than not I have to pump it a couple times to get the proper momentum going----short legs, you know

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2. Having my downstairs neighbor home from college and playing her grand piano for my listening and dancing pleasure. Sometimes she even plays "Finlandia", the tune used in "Be Still, My Soul".

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3. Hanging out at the pool with my neighbors and meeting new people. One of Pat's friends owns a skin care shop on Kingsley and wants me to come have a facial one day. Not that I need one, the ladies say I'll be hooked on having facials after that!!! Oh, good, another thing to be hooked on!

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4. Being invited to play Rumikube with my new friends---poolside!

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5. Meeting the wife of my downstairs neighbor for the first time---at least formally. She is so thin, I could read a newspaper through her!

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6. Getting special treats from the young man in the cabana at the end of the weekend---ever hear of white watermelon? Me neither!

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7. Sleeping in my bed with clean sheets---but NOT the toe stubbing which takes place when I go side to side to pull my sheets up!

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8. Hearing Robbie play the piano and/or Suzanne playing the viola on Sundays

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9. Getting/giving hugs at church with my church family

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10. Knowing that Justin made it back from his weekend away, safe and sound!

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And, having my sisters call me to find out what the poor people are doing, when they are sitting around the river in Oshkosh, enjoying brunch while I suffer sitting poolside with my friends! I think I had nearly 20 degrees on them, though, but they have me beat with those two adorable little boys!

The sea was angry, my friends......

.....but do the boats leave the river? No! Open boats pushing their way back to the dock in the middle of a storm....smart! I'd be scared out of my wits bouncing on the wild water with lightning all around me. Yes, thanks for the boat ride, dude!

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Prior to the storm rolling in, some poolside sitting was enjoyed. My neighbor, Ellen, decided to come down for a bit, with another neighbor, Pat, coming out later with her granddaughter. Brenda N. was going to look at some bougainvilleas she saw advertised on Milwaukee Street and then popped in to join us poolside. Jeff, from downstairs, came over to try one of those much-heralded Angus burgers and was quite delighted with the flavor. A real nice group fellowshipping around the pool!

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I saw the guy who runs the cabana shop heading out with a roll of CAUTION tape, crime scene tape, toward the teen's pool. Actually it's for kids up to age 18, so not only teens use it. A lady came walking through with two little kids, heading toward the pool, and saw him taping it off all the way around. I told her perhaps someone had an accident in the pool so she went to check it out. Sure 'nuff, someone must have gone stinkies in the pool and now it had to be closed for 24 hours. That's the first time I'd seen that happen here, but it happened often at Eagle Harbor.

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I related the story about when Timmy was taking swim lessons at the E. H. pool and as we waited for the rest of the kids to show up, I suggested he go potty before class began. Being a very obediant child, I looked up to see him with his pool pants down, peeing in the bushes right behind my chair! Oh brother! Guess I wasn't specific enough about the when and where.....that's how the shrub became varigated! All laughed about it, picturing the scene.....

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After the pool was all taped off like a crime scene (I never did spot the offending child!), a guy came walking down from The Club, carrying something in his hand. He looked like a chef or something, the type of shirt he was wearing, and got busy sprinkling chemicals into the pool all the way around the perimeter. I am so glad I didn't see the chef fishing anything out of the pool and then go back to prepare a feast!

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The dryer has stopped which means my sheets are done. Tonight I'll sleep in a fresh bed, will have to make sure my feet are clean! I heard from Justin that he's doing fine and is in the central time zone....Oh, this weather is making me sleepy, must be the drop in barometric pressure or waking up too early...Kerry and Lori called this a.m. to report that Mom is feeling good enough to go out for coffee so a mess of my sisters and nieces are going to enjoy bakery and coffee with Grandma K! Thank you, Lord, for helping Mom feel better!!!!

A fun day in the sun!

Martie and the boys have left for the day, since Little Mark's daddy is picking up the boys when he gets done working. Bubba came upstairs to look at my house while ManMan searched room by room for Lynx. He was quite disappointed to hear that Boots has moved. Mark wanted to know if those people were my friends, as though he wanted to go visit Boots or was concerned for his well-being. I didn't tell him the whole story of the cats using the beds as litter boxes......no need to dredge THAT whole mess up again!

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The pizza lady found us just fine pool side but had to run back to her car to get the sodas. She could have skipped the pizza but please don't forget the sodas! Not to worry, she came up with them. We had the Cheeselover's thick crust,nice and filling for the boys who are eating Martie out of house and home, but they seemed more interested in swimming than eating. It was hot enough outside to keep the pizza hot, not a problem if they wished to wait. We ladies had a great chat, poolside is perfect for chit chat, even with the occasional call for "MeeMaw" from the pool.

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While enjoying our time, Jen called to ask if I had plans for dinner tonight because she was soooo hungry for O'Charley's yeast rolls. Oh, yes, indeed, I am free and looking forward to having dinner with them. She was going to see if Rick's folks were available, too, since Grandma was feeling poorly on Father's Day, vetoing our plans for lunch. I hope I get to see them, at least Grandma. She is a cool old lady. Tomorrow is a special event at the MOSH Museum and Friendship Park, complete with visits from the Marvel comics characters. Ironman is one name I recognized. Jen was going to call for the tickets and I hope she got them, I'll find out tonight.

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My plans to spend Saturday with Justin got blown out of the water though and I am not only a little disturbed about it. He's been carpooling to work and also been out on jobsites this past week so we had no lunches together at all. If he was available, I was not or vice versa. So, we'd planned on a day together for tomorrow complete with movie, dinner, church....until he got a text message from his roommate saying "they" decided to go to Tallahassee after all. Which means absolutely nothing, since this was totally all news to me. He asked me for "permission" to go, and being the mother supreme that I am, said, in my best Jewish-guilt-inspired voice, "Go, have fun with your friends. Leave me here all alone....." Thanks, Mom!!! You're the best!!! On the bright side, he didn't ask me for any money!!!

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Jesse, Ron, and Justin are heading across the state to visit Jesse and Ron's friend, Daryl, and go diving. Justin said he won't dive but will find something else to do while they are out, since they can only dive once each day anyhow. Of course, I asked him who was driving, is he a safe driver, wear your seatbelt....He assured me that he always wears the belt, feels secure with the seatbelt on, and reminded me that he's "a very safe kid", adding, "You know why". Yes, I do, but he's not alone on this adventure so additional precautions must be taken. He said he's going to stay in touch via telephone which helps to ease my troubled heart.

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Well, Jen called to say they are ready to go so here I dash off again. I haven't talked to Mom yet today but might call her on the way to the restaurant to see how she did. Hopefully she felt good enough to attend the funeral service at church. Lynn said Mom was at 7 3/4 on the 1 to 10 scale so certainly today, with her new antibiotics, she'll be good as new. Mom found out she has some rare UTI infection only now showing up in the "elderly". Ouch! No one wants to hear that! It's called "aerococcis urinale" or close to that, so has to take amoxicillin to knock it down. Lynn's going to ask the doctor about the patches for motion sickness to see if she likes those better than Dramamine. Lynn is truly "The Good Daughter"--TGD, and I thank God for her!

I'm just sitting here waiting for my sugar to show.....

That is the first line of a Joni Mitchell song called "Car on a Hill", where she is waiting not-so-patiently for her beau to arrive. In the song she laments that "he makes friends easy, he's not like me, I watch for judgment constantly". Don't we all know people such as this? Because the song was dancing in my brain, I had to turn off the radio and put on music. I think Lori's favorite album is the one I'm listening to, Court and Spark. If I called her now and just said the words, "he makes friends easy", she'd reply "he's not like me"...simple amusements we enjoy!

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But, I truly am waiting for my sugars to show, as Martie and her two grands are coming over to share pizza and go swimming. Her older grandson, affectionately known as "Bubba" begs to live with her always, and she'd love to accommodate him, but he would be separated from his twin sister and the rest of his family. Poor Martie! Decisions, decisions to make in your "developed years". (You will get tired of that expression long before I will!!!) I introduced you to Little Mark last week when we had lunch at Cracker Barrel. His older cousin is a handsome young man as well, I just have known ManMan since he was a toddler. He owns my heart, what can I say?

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I put on my "pool pants" as Justin used to call them, first thing this a.m. so I am ready to go! Martie had to stop to get a pair of trunks for Bubba on the way over, since he didn't pack any for his visit. Tonight he is going home with Little Mark, to Bryceville, where they have a pool and hot tub to enjoy, so needs the trunks anyway.

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A few boats have made their way up or down the river already, and a helicopter or two have passed by. It's pretty quiet yet for this time of day. Twila's sister from Kansas is coming into town today and they are heading down to the beach house in Daytona for a week's stay. Usually Elaine is here in the winter so this is great for her to enjoy the very beginnings of our summer weather. She can stick her toe into the ocean and then retreat to the pool for the balance of the visit. We hope to get together before her entourage has to go back home, but it may not happen. We'd often discussed having a scrapbooking weekend at Twila's beach house, and I'd still like to do that. Fortunately she gets it rented out fairly often which is terrific for generating revenue for her. It's hard to know what to wish for sometimes!

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Martie just called to report that Little Mark fell asleep on the bed instead of getting his trunks on, so she's having troubles getting him to wake up. Guess he had a late night and it caught up to him. Good thing I held off ordering our lunch! I'm going to go down ahead of time to get started on the fun, because, you know what? You just never know what fun there is right around the corner!!!!

Further thoughts, not farther

Years ago before moving to Florida, we had a friend who was quite wealthy and was just short of being arrogant. I used to defend him by saying, "He's an acquired taste" but he did come off a bit, shall we say, 'confident'? After we built our home in Indian Bluff, his neighborhood, we gave him the 50 cent tour.

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On the half wall next to the potty in our bathroom was a book nestled between the spindles. He declared that to be 'tacky', to have a book next to the potty. Yeah, right, just because I can read!!! Anyway, I went and picked it up as we were talking and he looked at the title and scoffed, "Who reads an encyclopedia???" Obviously he didn't, or was he just being cruel? The book was an encyclopedia of little known facts, perfect for the bathroom library. I just thought of this story as I put down a book I've been reading called "Words You Thought You Knew", about usage and such. It covers proper usage of words such as "further" and "farther", that sort of thing. Who reads an encyclopedia?

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The video story I watched last night about Andy stayed with me and when I woke this a.m., it invaded my thoughts again. What must that be like, to birth a normal, healthy little boy and have him suffer brain damage by what started as a common infection?

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I was forty years old when I had Timmy, and prior to his birth the medical people were concerned about birth defects and other complications due to my being "developed in years"....love that expression! Tests were run, and caution aired about possible results. We couldn't help but feel the primary purpose of the tests so early on was to determine if the baby "needed" to be terminated. The only thing we'd acknowledge was: if something was "wrong" with the baby, we'd love him/her anyway. Pretty brave words, and I have to hope that this was exactly how we'd feel. In fact, we had a problem-free pregnancy, no missed work, and healthy baby boy, in spite of the dire warnings issued.

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Justin had a teacher at St. Johns who confided to us that he'd had a son who drowned and was resuscitated, only to have permanent brain damage. He had a heart beat but never regained consciousness, became a vegetable. His son lived in an institution for another seven years and then finally died.

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When I see parents with children who have challenges, my heart warms, because the parents see their child as just that, 'their' child. God looks at us that way, too, as filthy and wretched and defected as we are. We've been washed with His righteousness and He looks at us with loving eyes and a Father's heart.

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How would I have handled a case like Andy's? I would like to think I'd been up to the challenge but....now, as a single mom, I don't know, I don't know. The Lord was wise in handling our situation the way He did, taking Timmy straight home instead of allowing him to linger. This story really stirred something in me, I think Pastor knew that would happen!

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On a totally 'nother subject, I am looking out a manatee resting against the sandbar about 3/4 of the way out into the basin. The dredger is quiet and I think they have to be as long as the manatees are "in the house"!

The angels for children are ever seeing the face of God

http://streams.wels.net/video/andys-story3

Sighs too deep for words......

Forget what I was going to write about tonight---Pastor sent me an e-mail suggesting I watch this video. Wow! It was powerful in testimony and full of a mother's love for her son. In case you don't watch it, her son had a common infection as a child which grew into something much worse, and he ended up in a coma for a month due to encephalitis. When he came out of the coma, he was mentally handicapped, could hear but not understand the words. The mom speaks of the hope which allowed her to deal with this situation, and eventually find a facility which would take good care of their son when they could no longer. She speaks about the passage where God hears our prayers even when sighs are too deep for words! What comfort this sweet sentence gives!!!

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It's been a couple days since I've written for the blogsite, having no good reason why. Distracted perhaps? The memoir writers are doing such a fine job with our workshop, and it's so very interesting to hear what it was like for these women, growing up in such completely different environs. The contrast of New York and Cologne, Germany and add to that Manitowoc, WI. I'm quite pleased with how its going. One man has spoken to me about the reading group so I am planning to pursue a bit harder for later in summer. Tell your friends!!!

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Tonight was free, odd for a Wednesday. Our Bible classes were suspended this week as Pastor is working on a project of some sort so I made plans to have dinner with my friend, Brenda N. On Monday she called to report dropping a soda can, taken from the freezer, onto the arch of her foot, wounding her. Brenda said she saw stars and let lose with a howl, but then managed to work with clients making selections! What a trooper!!! Today it was still giving her a fit so we planned to try again next week as she's staying at her daughter's house to dog sit the rest of the week. Brenda and her feet, I'll tell you. Such a freak thing to happen and so very painful at that.

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Since I ended up with no dinner plans in place, I called Pam to see what she was doing. It turned out that she was meeting two of my downstairs neighbors for dinner at The Club and asked me to join them. Swell! A short distance to travel and great company, couldn't have worked out any better. We actually sat there yakking for nearly three hours, enjoying the piano player and his occasional vocals. Oh yeah, it was lovely! I watched for the moon to rise, but it was disguised by the clouds. It has since freed itself, looking more like a harvest moon than bright like its been this week. I'll take what I can get, even though I had to turn on a light to write instead using moonlight......

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My mummy is starting to feel a little better today, said she's about a 4 3/4 on the scale of one to ten. She is able to eat something now without feeling urpy (Kerry loves that word!!) and isn't quite so drowsy all the time. I really hate it that she's sick but the girls are taking good care of her, especially Lynn, and will see to it she has everything she needs to feel better. All I can offer her is prayers, phone calls, and encouragement, since she told me I didn't need to come up there....Friday is a funeral at church for a very prominent member and I hope she feels up to going. I think she'd really regret not being there, to hear the message and the singing, and to offer comfort to the family. Maybe by tomorrow she'll be an 8 on the "feel better scale"!

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As I was leaving the three ladies at The Club and heading for home, one gave me a big hug and said, "Thanks for sharing your joy tonight." What a wonderful thing to say! She is a bit disgruntled by the huge assessments and such going on in our building, but I told her I couldn't go there with her, so she had to come with me. Later, she gave me that hug and thank you. I hope it lasts!!!