Formal protest!!

Today I issued a formal protest because, once again, my Sunday afternoon at the pool was not to be. NUTS! No pool time this entire weekend makes me quite grumpy. Well, at least, momentarily so. The good part of the day, the examination and confirmation rite, went well, with lots of visitors in church for this important occasion. This year the examination was set up in the Fellowship Hall for some reason with rows of chairs set up facing the confirmands and then another two rows somewhat behind them. I got there early enough to have a good visibility seat. 

Not a good day for the organist to call in sick, though. The ushers were hustling to change the hymn boards as different hymns were being loaded into the MIDI at the last minute. Instead of using the hymnal supplement for the order of service, it was printed out in the giant-sized folder, a source of great contention among the congregation. That's what I get for just telling Mom the other day that they were a thing of the past. Not only is it expensive to print but it's large to handle (my friend said it makes a good umbrella, though!) during the service and noisy when folks try to turn the pages. Oh, what I am fussing about? People are always trying to re-invent the wheel some way or another.

Gretchen and Michael after church

After the service was a reception, the cake being picked up by Terri T. I guess she got a couple phone calls expecting the Ladies' Group was getting the cake for confirmation, but 'we' were not, so she just went and got one. She almost didn't make it to church due to recovering from bronchitis and went straight home afterward to go back to bed. She is a trouper! and today, saved the day by getting a cake. Thanks to Terri and her best friend, Publix! Judy and Betty took care of serving it and a bunch of us cleaned up afterward, before heading to Chili's for our regular scheduled lunch!

We had far better service this week than we did last week at Chili's, a smaller group this week, as well.  Judy allowed me to treat her today, because the previous two times we ate together someone else grabbed her bill, as it was her birthday on the 4th. She said she liked having people fighting over her like this. By the time we got out of the restaurant, it had begun raining and I wore my sad face all the way home. Jacquie and I had planned on spending time together this weekend, poolside, and because I was gone to Arlington all day Saturday, she stayed home and re-did her closets! She'll show me! That is a good project for Mark and her, though I missed seeing her. Glad we had lunch on Thursday and spent time in the pool that day!

Justin and I had a nice, quiet balance of the day at home, after he had busy Friday and Saturday evenings already this weekend. (It's so sweet that he worries about me finding something to eat when he is going away.) All in all we had a very nice day of Pentecost and made the most of missing out on pool time. Sunday nights stink on ice most times as far as TV viewing goes, so, you'll never believe what is on while I write this---Matlock! Yes, I could get a video out to listen to as I write but it's cozy under my covers so Andy Griffith it is!, at least for a while. Trust me, I will NOT make a habit of this!

I did it!

My trusty GPS got me all the way to Arlington and back again today, and I could not be more thrilled. The very day I received the invitation in the mail for young Michael's (formerly known as Mikey) confirmation celebration, I printed off the driving directions. My worst fears were not realized----somehow thinking I had to go through downtown to get there. Nope, it was I-295, known exits, and then some curving around once off the main drags. The very well versed GPS could have put me in their garage if it wasn't full of tables and chairs!

My cell phone served as the GPS, so contrary to what some people think, making mock of these smart phones, I can't imagine how people got to their destinations without them. It was after I had a rough time trying to get a carload of ladies to Fran's house for a Christmas party one year that caused Justin to absolutely freak out. We ladies in unfamiliar territory, not knowing where we were....The very next opportunity we had, he spirited me to a Sprint store to get an upgraded phone with the GPS built into it so THAT would never happen again! 

I did have one shaky moment when getting onto I-295 (now called the east beltway, used to be 9A....whatever it is!) from St. Johns Bluff on the way home. I had to get over, coming up the ramp, and a car somewhat behind me was not willing to allow me to get over. We were close to each other, WAY too close for my liking, before I finally eased into the lane, halfway on the shoulder to do so. 

When Justin was learning to drive, I would stress to him the importance of not being cocky on the road, expect people to be less than kind, and to be the most kind. I needed that driver to me more kind and gracious, and not put our cars and lives at risk. Thanks be to God for sparing us from a collision and possible injury (besides jarred nerves!). I also have added compassion for this family in Arlington, making the long trip to GS at least once a week, sometimes more than once!

Before I headed that direction, I stopped at CVS Pharmacy to pick up a confirmation card for Michael. Nothing like waiting until the last minute! Well, the racks are full of cards for every occasion, including birthday cards for pets, dance recital acknowledgement, and even a bar mitzvah card, but no confirmation cards. I got a very nice "Thinking of You" card and wrote my own message in it for him. I am no Hallmark writer but think I did okay. 

I was the first guest at the party, except for Fran, who was busy in the kitchen. Soon, others arrived, including my friend, Judy, who was so surprised to see that I drove all by myself. She had picked up Gretchen, and had the two Mike's with her as well. Cliff and Carol were there, and some others from church, as well as classmates of Michael's from his school, neighbors, and friends. The actual confirmation rite is tomorrow, on Pentecost, and I am confident that he will do great during the examination portion and the service. He attends a Lutheran grade school now which really helps with understanding and grasp of the material. He is really a sweet kid, with an enormous passion for Nascar! 

When I got home from the party, Justin informed me that he was going with his friends to a new restaurant/brewery place, and was concerned that I wouldn't have anything to eat. At that point I could not even consider dinner, but I assured him I would be just fine. He went in search of stuff in the kitchen which could make suitable dinner food. It was then he suggested some frozen soups I have and the idea of chili really appealed to me. Justin paid me the compliment that I make good chili, and few other things which are good. I can stand it!  

There was no Jeopardy! for me to watch while I ate tonight as some sporting event was being aired from Everbank Field, non-American 'futbol'. I guess I shouldn't say non-American, because it is a team from the USA playing against one from Nigeria. It's just NOT football, is my point. The man who owns the Jaguars also owns a 'futbol' team so those games can be held here as well. People are determined to get the USA to accept this sport and it seems great headway is being made that direction. My bro-in-law, in the sport paraphernalia business, says futbol is a very large portion of their market. That, and Nascar, imagine that! 

Typing by lightning

As I am writing, thunder is serenading me and flashes of lightning brighten my room. This is not the first storm of the day, however. This later afternoon another came through, complete with rain, the thunder beginning just after 4:00 pm. That was okay with me since I'd been outside the better part of the afternoon. Today, I was able to get outside well in advance of the weather changing from wonderful sunshine to overcast. But this was not to happen until after we pool dwellers enjoyed the company of cigarette boats roaring up the river, the sound of helicopters, and then, a blimp!

Fun with Jacquie

This morning I drove to Victory for Bible study, taking Mom with me over the long distance air waves. Not over the wires any longer. It was an uneventful drive, thankfully, with me arriving in the lot before anyone else except for Pastor. Some folks are traveling up north, while others had previous commitments. Only five of us today, but still an excellent class. We covered another 'woe' of Isaiah's, and it fell to me to play Justin's role of researcher, having to look up the Battle of Carchemish. Pastor wanted me to confirm the date, and, in case you are wondering, it was 610 BC. Justin trained me well on the iPad!

Because we were short on attendees, we did not get the bulletins folded before class began. I apologized to those I was leaving to do the chore, but I had to be back at The Club to meet my friend, Jacquie, for lunch. The menu for the quick lunch appealed to us both---you can't go wrong with pizza and pasta. Jacquie was picking up some rings she'd had reworked, rings from her great grandmother. I was excited for her to see the finished work, and for me to see them as well.

Because Pastor had a meeting right after class, we got out sooner which allowed for me to get over to meet Jacquie sooner. She met me on the sidewalk near the pool to show me her treasures, and they were just beautiful. She was so so happy! Our meals were delicious, and I even had some of the salad today, Caesar salad, of course, with the Italian fare. We could have sat longer and chatted, but the pool was waiting!

She changed her clothes in the cabana bath and I ran upstairs to get my suit on. Somehow I managed to get back out there before she got changed, but, as I said to Jacquie, you don't want to see my bathroom floor! The clothes just went flying in my great rush. We were alone part of the time, save for the cabana staff, but then one of our newer members, Bernie, came out. That was sort of fun, as he knew the story of the cupcake fiasco. Jacquie presented me with box of cake mix, which was NOT expired. Devil's Food, mind you---ha, ha!

Jacquie had to head back to the 'Burg and I came back up here to take a rest before leaving for Bible Information Class. Justin got home earlier than usual from work and offered to make dinner for us, even though it would be late. He didn't mind and I sure did not either! He made breaded chicken tenders for us, with a side dish of angel hair pasta with sauce. Hmmm...today I got Devil's Food and angel hair!  When I walked up to the door, Justin pulled it open, hearing me coming, and I said, "Oh, does it ever smell good in here!"  He said, "That's what I like to do..." I am so glad he does like it, sure works out for me!

Preschool graduation

Last night I hurried over to church to be there in time to set up the Fellowship Hall for the preschool graduation reception. I had talked with Betty about a few days ago, telling her I was bringing mini-cupcakes and that I was going to put tablecloths on the tables with some centerpieces. And, I would be there at 5:30 to get things taken care of. But, when I walked in, the room was all set to go. So, instead, I called Mom and chatted with her until Betty arrived. Judy and she had been there earlier in the day because Judy wasn't sure what time she'd get there in the evening. It's okay, I like talking to Mom!

Instead of the cupcakes I brought store-bought cookies which I'd picked up at Publix on Monday, BO/GO. So glad I did because I had a disaster with the cupcakes. Monday night I used a mix from the cabinet, a yellow cake mix, for which I'd gotten chocolate frosting. As I put the mix in the bowl, added the water, oil, and egg, I was surprised at the consistancy of the batter (soup!) and the aroma it had. I smelled the egg shells I'd cracked and they were fine. The oil smelled fine...what the heck? I added some vanilla to try to fix it but nope, they stunk. Still, I ladled the soupy mess into the little cupcake papers and baked them. 

When Justin came out of his room, he said, "Oooh, they don't even smell good..." and immediately I said, "I know! I even added vanilla to help them smell better."  He tried to unwrap one and it came apart, hollow in the middle. Yech, just yech! 36 mini-cup cakes went in the trash. I should not have wasted the paper wrappers or the heat from the oven besides the other ingredients on these wretched things. The box had no expiration date on that Justin or I could find, but the box in the cabinet did, and it was expired as of last year. We tossed that box in the trash right after the failed cup cakes. Store bought cookies it shall be!

Back to the graduation----the kids did a marvelous job, their teachers leading the graduates through the lessons they learned in the classroom. No, not about math or the alphabet, but what they learned about Jesus and His story. Miss Lisa would ask them a question and one of the kids would answer, every time getting it right, and then they sang a little song about the topic. They even sang part of the liturgy and recited The Lord's Prayer. Hard to find sweeter words than those...The parents and grands were very good about not interrupting with applause and most remained in their seats for the program. The students did a very good job and enjoyed the slide program that Michael put together for the night. I even got 'credit' in the program as being the photographer! I love being able to help out with these preschool events and seeing the kids grow this way, in Christ!

Successes and failures

This late afternoon and evening I spent time in the kitchen, something which I rarely do. I invaded Justin's territory, as he refers to it, and made our dinner. On Facebook I had seen a recipe for potato puffs using the pre-made or leftover mashed potatoes, cheese, eggs, and sour cream. We already had the potatoes on hand, just about to expire so this was a good way to use them up. I also made some more chicken thighs, using the recipe Linda gave me. Both items turned out nicely, the thighs much better than the first time I tried it. The potatoes were good, too, but Justin suggested less parsley and more cheese, much more!  A true Wisconsinite!

Saturday I was putting some stuff away in my room including the cotton cardigan I got at Ross for Less when Linda was here. It was rolled in a ball yet in the bag and quite wrinkled so I decided to put it through the rinse with my swimsuit cover-up. Well, when I took it out of the washer and shook it to hang up for drying, I saw numerous stains on the cardigan. What the heck? The beach cover was okay, however. Hmmm...

I figured there was something in the machine that did this so I ran it with bleach in the water through a cycle. When it was done, I discovered a gob of something on the bottom of the machine. By putting a rag on the end on the fly swatter handle (hey, it worked!) I wiped it off as best I could, while standing on my tippy toes to reach all the way in. I sprayed the stains with pre-treat and put the top through a cycle one more time, this time sure the mission would be accomplished. Nope!

I could not say for sure if the spots were old ones, or different ones or even more, but regardless, it was ruined! Was it soil or grease?? From the machine somewhere or what?? I was resolved (ha, ha!, a little stain remover humor there) that the top was ruined and I was out 10 bucks. I had intended to use it for the Worship Conference in July in case the meeting rooms were air conditioned. Oh well, I can just use orange one from last year. 

Here I am in my orange cardigan, sitting with Betty

Justin came to my room last night, then, and said he was going to be soaking a load of wash overnight and asked if I had anything to be washed with towels. I said I had some clothes on the floor in my closet and sure, try the cotton cardigan one more time. This a.m. I washed the load which had been soaking in OxyClean over night and when it was done, pulled out the cardigan. Ta da!!! It was almost entirely spot free!  I did see a couple of teeny spots remaining but otherwise, it's good to go. I can hardly believe it, and am so very thankful!  

Stormy weather again

I have a bit of catching up to do---oh my!  First of all, I have to tell everyone about my Mother's Day present from Justin. He was busting at the seams to tell me about it, as he usually is prior to gift-giving time. Justin is in the process of preserving my blog to an e-book! Yes, I am quite thrilled at this prospect. It will be saved in a format which will store it for me away from blogspot should anything wretched ever happen to this site. It is a time-consuming process for him because it basically is converted verbatim. You may have noticed that in more recent postings the font is smaller and I have used fewer graphics. Actual photos are easier to deal with in the conversion process.  Plus, he claims, I am a bit verbose, but in a good way. Yeah, thanks, Justin!  

Today's sky as captured through the sunroof in my car

Every day we have been having storms of various sizes and duration, and, as always, some areas got it and some did not. Out to the pool I go and back in I come, except for the exercise classes. Mornings are usually free of the bad weather, so I get a nice work out. Today it wasn't really storming but it sure looked it would, with light rain ruining my afternoon with Bill and Nancy. We are going to try again tomorrow which is predicted to be clear.

Justin and I had breakfast at Grumpy's this a.m. with me using the last of my gift certificate from Hal and Rosalie. We had to wait for a table (timing is everything!) but it was worth waiting for. That place is just a gold mine! From there we went to Staples to return some ink I had bought to go with my new printer and then we went to the Mall. I had not been at the Mall for anything other than the movies 'n TGIF in many many years. I only had to go into the catalog entrance of Penney's to return some items I'd ordered and that was it. Not technically IN the Mall this time either.

Once home again, I worked at my desk as I waited for the storm to pass, instead of getting down to the pool and get whistled out of the water right away. When it thunders, we have to sit out for 30 minutes before the lifeguard says we can go in again. Got some work done at my desk and then decided it was time to go. Bill and Nancy were already down  there and we sat at the table talking until the rain started again. I enjoy their company and look forward to the next time we are together.

I sat out on the sundeck with my neighbors this early evening and then came in to have dinner with my boy. He'd made a wonderful spaghetti sauce which was served over pasta---lots of pasta!  We are whittling away at it, with probably one more meal left to go. Thankfully, it's THAT delicious!