I made it through!

In the pouring rain, I trundled off to St. Catherine's church for the annual event of Senior Presentation. I had not been there since 2005 when Justin was 'presented' with his class to the student body in this official manner. According to the school calendar, the time for the service was 10:00 a.m. but mass was still taking place. Another lady and I were there, waiting, when the photographer told us she just called the school and they said it began at 11. 

I know I was not mistaken and the other lady also said she saw 10 a.m., saying her son had to be at school at 9:00 a.m. for rehearsal, as he was in the choir. Oh well, I just went back out into the rain and listened to the radio in my car until I saw people streaming out from mass, and other people began to arrive. Back in I went through the raindrops. So glad my hair adapts well to being wet!

I sat in the back, as was my plan, and watched the kids stream in and go through their rehearsal. This was the upper grades to begin with, as the buses had to go back to school to reload. One of the faculty members came over immediately to speak with me, giving me a warm hug as she watched my tears fall down. She was so glad I came and spent a good deal of time with me. We had built her home many years ago, when Timmy was one year old, and her youngest was two. He graduated last year, and remembered me, somehow. Probably because we lived in the same community and my kids were in school with them...

A little bit later, Amy came back with a gentleman in tow, saying he wanted to meet me. It was the new headmaster, Mr. Ellison. I was so flattered that he wished to meet me, and put a face to the name. He was most gracious. A while after him another teacher came over and sat down with me. She told me that there is going to be a function in May sometime where Timmy will be remembered as part of something done for the Seniors. She asked me if I had some special photos or anything to share with them, she promising to take very good care of them. I said I did have some taken in his classroom, where his shoes are on the wrong feet (as usual). 

In addition to those, I am going to do something with the piece of artwork which Timmy had begun but his classmates completed, and signed. Dee might be able to help me with that part of the project. The teacher told me that after New Year she will get in touch with me, or one of the others on the committee will, with a firm date, in case any of my family wanted to attend. That sort of startled me, because I never even thought about the fact that otherwise they might be coming down for graduation....I weep....

I recognized only a couple of the names from the program, and some of them appear on the perimeter of Timmy's artwork. Some of the kids would have been in another class and not signed the piece. One young man had left St. Johns for a few years but came back for his Senior year. He had attended Childtime with Timmy and lived in our neighborhood in The Preserve. My friend, Jen, worked as the nanny for this young man and his brother, so I got to spend time with him when he was growing up. That was nice.

See the girl in the front row looking at Justin's shoes?

I knew the couple in front of me through my neighbor, Travis. Rob is our State Senator, and Travis is the State Representative for our area. It was nice to see Rob and Jennifer again (I frequently see them out and about). Their son was among the Seniors, and it appeared had grabbed the wrong blazer this morning, as his shirt sleeves stuck out two inches below his jacket. Jennifer was horrified, and was going between laughing and crying as he walked down the aisle. Afterward I told them about Justin's white shoes for graduation mishap and had a good chuckle over that. I cautioned them to pay special attention to the paperwork that comes home for graduation tuxedo requirements, and note that zoot suits are NOT among them! 

I am getting confused!

On Thursday, after helping in the classroom at the preschool, Betty, Judy, and I arranged to meet at Steak 'n Shake (I have coupons!) for a quick lunch. Judy had errands to run and had to be back to Suzanne's to await the kids after school. Well, silly me, I automatically moved into the lane to turn into Sonic, instead of at the next light, where I was supposed to be. Nuts! Fortunately, I could pull back out and get in the right place. Judy teased me that my car goes its own way, by habit. I had just been to Steak 'n Shake the day prior so know it well. Giggle, giggle.

                           

Well, today, after Bible study, 9 of us headed to the Dairy Queen to take advantage of the $5 lunch deal. Judy had her two grands plus Michael joined us so we had more people. Off I went merrily down the road, only a few blocks from 'my' DQ when it occurred to me that the DQ we were going to was back on Blanding Blvd.!! A brand-new (nearly) place and I drove right past it, not even thinking. I called Michael and told him I was coming, but had to work my way back that direction. That's it! Time for me to go to the HOME!

Left brain, right brain

Or is right eye, left eye? Justin set up his 16" laptop with monitor in the family room in front of the TV for our football viewing. We were watching the Jags on the TV and the Packers on the laptop. I had my laptop in front of me as I sat on the loveseat, and Justin, in the chair, had a hand-held device while we 'watched' both games at once. A typical Sunday in this house since Justin got this program which allows us to watch the Packer games no matter where they are playing!

Michael asked me why we didn't just put the Packer game on the TV and skip the Jaguars but they were actually the team that won. I had sent this photo to both Mikes as we had begun watching the Packer/Viking game at Chili's during our post-worship lunch gathering. Mike S. is a Viking fan so this was a fun match up. It ended up in a tie, after going into overtime. Mike said, "It's like kissing your sister..." Not a win, and not a loss, it's a shrug.

It is Christ the King Sunday and I expected singing some wonderful hymns. We did, in fact, sing "Crown Him with Many Crowns" and a couple others I liked. We had a couple 'mishaps' during the service with the incorrect psalm being printed in the service folder than was programmed into the MIDI and was on the hymn board. After a bit of fumbling, the psalm was played and sung. Also, one of the readings was different than what was in the bulletin. I think one of our members is being trained to fill in when the secretary is away and that might be what happened there. 

Something really cool did happen though. Before church began, a young lady came in and sat toward the back of the church. I went over to introduce myself and find out who she was. As we talked she told me she was in the Navy, lived on the base, having just moved here. I asked where she was from originally and she said, "Wisconsin..." What are the chances of that happening??? I said, "I am from WI, too. Where in WI?" She said, "From the Manitowoc-Sheboygan area.." to which I replied, "Get outa town! That's where I am from!!!" 

Angel's brother married the daughter of the family who owns the meat market at School Hill

Angel is from the Kiel area, went to church at Louis Corners and has a brother presently at the area Lutheran High school. I invited her to my ThanksLiving dinner but she has already accepted an invitation to join a fellow Navy person at their family's home in Daytona. She is coming back next week, she said, feels right at home already. I love having someone from home among us!

Got me thinking...

...after I accidently came upon a game show I thought was long gone. I was waiting for a movie to begin so tuned in ahead of time. There, believe it if you will, was "The Newlywed Game". Not an old version either, but a seemingly present day show. Who knew? I know some people do very much enjoy the Game Show Network, including Betty S., but I found it appalling.

The host, a black woman, was asking the ladies the typical questions they do on this show. One of the wives said she makes a list of chores for her husband and he is sometimes slow with completing his list. Really? These are newlyweds supposedly and she is making him a list of chores? Like she would do for her kids? Horrifying!

Advertising and TV shows more often than not present men as idiots or mindless goons to be treated as children. Makes me put my mad face on to see that. What does that tell children about their dads? No wonder they do not respect adults and act up like they do. I get upset when I see "Everybody Loves Raymond"---he behaves like he is Debra's fourth child OR he is treated as though he is. Which is it?                        

This afternoon I got word that my friend's husband was taken to the hospital with a mysterious pain in his calf. It turned out he has a blood clot. Karen's spouse is a runner, training for a half marathon and is physically fit. No explanation as to why he would develop a clot, but he's got one. 

Another of my friends, a lady with whom I used to scrapbook, recently moved to her hometown where her husband is serving in the Navy. Russ has had a couple of strokes, has no strength on his right side and has difficulty speaking. He has been hospitalized for three days so far, undergoing tests and such. He is extremely frustrated that he cannot communicate adequately, but can form some words. 

Kim and Russ just moved this summer to a new home in Pensacola, did some redecorating, plus had a pool dug. Just now getting everything situated and this happened. I don't think he is more than 45 years old, with two young kids at home. Thankfully Kim's parents live in the same town to help out with the kids while she is at the hospital with Russ, whom she always calls 'my prince'. He is no Ray Barone, not by a long shot! 

Today the nurse made her go home and freshen up. Hint hint, I guess...So many folks are offering their prayers and good wishes for Russ and Kim, as she is quite concerned about her husband. Love to see this type of outpouring of Christian love and concern for this lovely family. Mine have been added to those of the others, for healing for Russ, and comfort for Kim. 

Catching up on some things

Wednesday night Justin and I were at The Club for Trivia Night. This time no one fought to buy him dinner or drinks except me. We started out sitting with Bob, Bill, and Nancy, enjoying the buffet with them. Again I had wanted the tapas menu but it was not available, so I think I am catching on to the routine. No tapas menu on buffet night!

Once the game got under way, we moved back over to The Palace Team table where we again ended up in 2nd place by a sizable amount. We won't be able to play if it's offered in December as Advent begins and I won't be going over there. I guess that was my big finish---2nd place.

Bob thanked me again for inviting him to join us for ThanksLiving. He has plans to dine with Bill and Nancy, who have sort of adopted him, and he them. Bob was telling Justin about how I know everyone and what's going on around the place, and Justin said, "I know...she is like an ambassador!" Bob had to laugh because that is what he calls me. Justin knew that so fed him the line. Funny! Bob told me he wants to take me to eat at The Club after I get back in January and I think that will be just dandy.  My guess is that Bill and Nancy will come too. I make him clean up his langauge around me, just like my neighbor, Randy, had to do!

Kindly notice the blue lantern hanging next to my chimes. It was a treasure found at the Victory yard sale, even though I was determined to NOT find anything...I got it washed up and Justin hung it where my other wind chime used to be, the one that kept falling down in pieces. Then, Stephanie got me a new one and it didn't hold up either. I wish better for this one!

Justin is gone to a birthday party at the house he used to live in a few months ago. Tomorrow his whole gang is going to a football game in Tallahassee. Friends from the Tampa area are joining them for this game. I am unsure exactly which teams they are going to watch but some of them attended Miami and some FSU. Hmmm...So, anyway, Justin will be spending the night in Mandarin and they will leave from there in the morning. 

He made a pasta dish on Tuesday night while I was at a Building Committee meeting but we just don't care for it. Too strong a flavor or something, perhaps the shallots, not sure. I added a can of golden mushroom soup in an attempt to fix it. He tried adding some pork we had in the freezer but that didn't really help much. I might use the pork in baked beans instead for my dinner tomorrow night. 

Earlier I was at my desk to work on the church newsletter which was pretty far along already. But, alas, it somehow was unsaved when the computer did a reset (I vaguely remember it doing that in the middle of the night) and my work was gone. I tried to sit here and put things back in but it's too late at night for thinking. That's why I am writing my blog!

Saturday is expected to be a hot day, in the 80's. That will feel so good to me. We have had a few days of sunshine, and what seems like many more with winds and dreariness. I have the doors open when it's not raining so the house is aired out nicely. It might also be a bit damp but when it's windy, it keeps the damp from settling. That's my story and I am sticking to it!

Fun in the classroom

This morning I had the opportunity to again pitch in to help with crafts in the classroom at our church's preschool. At first I was going to have to decline since Justin was expected to be off work and would attend Bible study with me at Victory. But, then, his work schedule was changed and he was going to be working so I told Michael I would be there. And then, Justin's schedule changed again, and is off, but it's too late now, I'm going to preschool!

I just love the look on Betty's face as she watches the kids do their painting with Q-tips. Both Judy's table and Betty's were working on the same type of project while my groups worked on lunch bag turkeys. I had to re-work some of them because their helper messed up stapling the turkey heads to the bag (me!!!). "Oh, Miss Kim..." They have a nice system of keeping the kids moving from 'center' to 'center' to complete the various items. 

This is almost looks good enough to eat! 

The thank-you gift from them was a bean-coated candle holder. We volunteers were not required to help with this project, thankfully, because it looks complicated! Lots of glue, mixed dry beans and corn shaped in a plastic cup, with the candle stuffed down into it. Cute!

Some sort of sad news

This is a recent photo taken of Mickey the stupid dog, as Justin so lovingly called him. He was given to Timmy for Christmas in 2000, after I gave in and agreed to having a pet. Justin was going to get a kitten, his pet of choice, but the one we were going to adopt did not work out in time for Christmas. He later did get Boots and enjoyed him until Justin went to college. Boots now lives with the Lawcock's, our church friends, and they love having him in their pet family.

But, anyway, back to Mickey. He was born in September of 2000 so when we got him on Christmas Eve that year, he was about three months old. Timmy loved him, I have video tape of him running around in the front yard chasing that dog. On Christmas morning, Mickey fell into the pool and my former spouse had to fish him out. Yeah, I know....

That dog was nothing but trouble. We were warned by our friends from church, the Roys, about the barking and yowling, but we were committed. And should have been committed for trying this pet business!!!  Using baby gates, we coralled Mickey in the pool bathroom and would let him out on the patio for his potty. A good deal of time and effort was exerted to clean up the concrete after the dog. Sometimes he was outside the enclosure, but the fear was always that he'd go running off. We had plenty of trees to tie him to but that Houdini of a dog could escape.

He barked in the house, he barked in the yard, he barked on the patio, even if he wore a barking collar which was to shock him when he raised his voice. Numerous electric collar sytems were purchased to keep him from running off. While he was on the patio and not barking, he gnawed on the legs of our furniture...our expensive furniture. But Timmy liked him....

Then, only weeks after getting the dog, Timmy died, and that was that. No real training or anything happened with the dog other than scolding. Mickey would ignore the shocks of the collar and go running around the neighborhood, with neighbors calling to report our dog in their yard. We'd have to drop what we were doing at work and go round up that stupid dog. One time, Michael, our 'house boy', had to chase Mickey all the way around the pond in the neighborhood, and when he caught him, told me he was never doing that again!!

After our separation, Mickey went to live with my former spouse. Justin would still get to enjoy time with the dog, even being the official dog sitter when his father was out of town. More than once Mickey was hit by a car or hurt in some other way (our former employees even finding Mickey tracking mud into their nearly completed homes under construction!!). 

Justin would come home with stories about that 'stupid dog', and how he is regularly being taken to the vet for one malady or another. Ever since Mickey chewed through a cord and got shocked, he had a drooling problem (ask me again why I don't want pets!) and had to take medication disguised in food items. Ugh! When his father was married, a couple more dogs were introduced into the mix, the dustball looking kind, which Justin would also have to dog sit. Fun fun fun! I always said that if that dog had not been Timmy's dog, he would have been gone a long time ago. 

A couple weeks back, Mickey had to be put down, which Justin found out on Facebook. He had some sort of cancer and had lost weight, so it was time. At the age of 13 calendar years, 70+ if counted in normal dog years, he was put to sleep. I felt kind of sad, but mostly because he was Timmy's pet. Sort of the end of an era...