Standing in the light

This morning began as a lovely, sun-filled day as I headed over to meet my friends for The Breakfast Club gathering at The Club. It was a bit windy but nothing unusual for along for the river. As Randy, Carol, and I, the only breakfasters, enjoyed our time together, the skies clouded and the winds picked up. In amazement we watched the loose branches falling or breaking off, and the Spanish moss rolling like tumble weeds along the walk ways. It was wildly crazy and I was so glad I wasn't wearing a dress when I walked home! Carol offered to drive me but I knew it would be fine. The temperatures have dropped from the 80's and with the wind, the coldness cut like a knife. 

Once home, I got busy at my desk, searching through files to find the name of the paint color for the Fellowship Hall. There is a group of fellows going to paint the exterior of the building Saturday which had been 'repaired' last spring and into summer. Since we have company coming, it's time to finish the job! The pastors' conference is being hosted at GS starting Monday, so not a moment too soon is the building being finished. Likely a deep cleaning of the sanctuary would have been in order, too, but it's too late now.

Anyway, the paint color being used is the one from the classroom building. I had the color selections on my computer but I was not sure if they were the final ones. We had actually done color selections more than once, varying shades of off-white, so it was hard to tell from my worksheet if this was the right one. I called Lonnie who is the maintenance chairman and told him I had a name but not certain it was the final choice. Lonnie said that Cliff had the paint already and had reported that Monday at a meeting. So, no more searching!

When I was on the phone with Lonnie, Connie was calling me. I let her call go past me until I was done with Lonnie, then called her back. She said Phil, the mail man, found a stack of letters to go out in the outgoing box with no postage. Since she couldn't reach me, he took them along. Ah!!!! I had dropped the non-enveloped mailings in with no stamps! Because he left already, while I was on the phone, she jumped in her car and chased him around the corner, his next stop, and rescued my unstamped outreach mailings. God bless her! Imagine sending mailings to prospects with postage due....That would be a huge no-no in outreach world! The other mailings were stamped, the enveloped ones, but somehow I grabbed up the whole stack in my excitement of getting them out the door.

The winds continue and it was interesting to watch the birds try to fly against it. Or are they making use of it and not having to flap so much? The clouds moved off and the sky is a pale blue, which looks cold. 

                               

Justin called me when I was at breakfast. He was working at house in Mandarin this a.m. and he asked if I was at my desk. I explained where I was, and he asked, "Can you see the beam of light coming down from the clouds from where you are sitting?" I said I could see it (I really could!) and he said, "I am standing in that light!!!" Yes, you are, my dear, yes you are!

Good friends and good food

I feel sort of sad for the football player with his imaginary girlfriend and his being 'found out' with this supposed hoax. Or was it a hoax, or a lie he just couldn't stop telling? Anyway, I have many 'Friends' via Facebook whom I have never physically met and I am going on trust that they actually exist. Most of them are shared with mutual friends who do exist, so I feel pretty confident about them. 

The ones I am Friends with off-line as well I know exist (at least in my world!) and it's great to get and give hugs when seeing them in the flesh. This happened for me when in WI and I got to see many of those FB friends, and sing with them in church, or sit across a table during Bible study, or share a meal with them. Or, wave at each other across a crowded theater before a sacred concert.

At The Club the other night I got to share a hug one of my local FB Friends who serves on the Board. We had our annual member's meeting and Kat greeted me when I came in. She had left a comment on my status the day before when I wrote about Brenda and I having lunch together, remarking we were two of her favorite people. Of course, being in real estate, these ladies know each other---again, shared friendships!

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After work Wednesday, Justin stopped at Walgreen's and got the 'cheap' soda, Diet Pepsi. Not my first choice but the price is right. When I came in from the meeting, he greeted me at the door and said, "Close your eyes and hold out your hand---palm down." This meant it was not more Easter eggs...He sprayed my hand and told me to sniff it. It seems he found this knock-off of Obsession, my perfume of choice. He was so pleased to have gotten it for $12 for 'this big bottle!' when I pay that much for the little bottle which fits in my travel case. The scent is very similar to the real thing as far as I can tell, and he was so pleased to have gotten it for me, I can't help but wear it sometimes! He is such a sweetheart...

Today we had a very enjoyable and beneficial Bible study. Using Advent yet as the theme of the study, we discussed intimacy in relationships. Each chapter usually begins with a hymn stanza or two, which in the past we have sung a capella, but today we did not sing it. The hymn was "Of the Father's Love Begotten" which may have been more difficult to do. The text is rich, however, and had more impact in reading it than singing, I believe.

To begin the 'conversation' we went around the table giving the name of the person we consider our best friend. First Judy listed Lucy, who was sitting across the table from us, and then it was my turn. "Linda!", and Pastor nodded, as he expected that to be my answer. 

My friend, Linda

One lady flatly and matter-of-factly said she had no one close enough to her (or she allowed close enough) to be considered her best friend, not even her husband. Gulp! One lady has a twin sister with whom she is most intimately connected, as Pastor said, they shared a womb! This tied perfectly into the story of when Mary went to see Elizabeth, and how John leapt in her womb upon hearing Mary's voice, the mother of his Savior. Very cool! 

We discussed the relationship between Mary and her cousin, and between the two pre-born babies who would forever change the world. One would preach repentance and the other bring salvation...Like Justin said the other day, he would come to this class every day if he could!

The folks, or many of them, were going to a bbq place for lunch and asked me to join them. Sometimes I do go along but today was not one of them. I decided to go home and eat my leftovers. Once home, I fired up the computer, and then reheated the last of my delicious (if I do say so myself!) sloppy joes for lunch. 

No sooner did I start scooping it into my mouth, I got an instant message from Lee. She said she knew I had been at Bible study and it was short notice but did I want to have lunch at The Club? Sure!!! I put my plate in the fridge and put my shoes back on. Away I went! There is a mini-buffet on Thursdays, and this week was home-made pizza, pasta casserole, and WI cheese soup. Heaven! 

My friend, Lee

Wednesday night was a meeting of The Club members where we could offer our input into happenings, events, and menus, etc. I had written to Chef last week about the sliders and he assured me they would be back. During the meeting, the staff circulated with trays of appetizers for the members. Nothing they brought around was something I would eat but after the meeting, Chef came to me and whispered, "I have some beef coming out for you shortly..." 

The waiter came through with tiny Chinese take-out boxes which had mini-meat loaves, cut up, with onion straws on top. Yum! I though this was what Chef meant and I had two of these little treats. 

I had started to say good-bye to those around me, refusing a refill of my soda glass. Well, here came Chef with a rectangular shaped plate holding several of the mini-meat loaves not cut up, covered with a wine-flavored gravy, and roasted potatoes. No one else got that, only me! When Julius saw that he asked, "You want a refill now, don't you?", and I did! Carol was seated next to me and I asked Julius to get her a fork, so she could help me. Talk about delicious, and talk about being spoiled!

Today, Chef had the Hostess send a large foam cup of the WI beer cheese soup home with me. That will be my dinner and I look forward to enjoying that later on. I have such good friends, real ones, like Lee, and the ones I have never met but extend their hugs and good thoughts to me through this sometimes difficult week. 

People can be nice even if they have no idea what is going with someone, and that matters greatly! Go, and do thou likewise!

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.