Sunday reporting

This evening is a quiet one spent at home with Mom. I made dinner for us using leftovers from our feast, a casserole.  No matter what, we can't be rid of our food!  After dinner I got busy with organizing the freezer for Mom.  I stacked the frozen meals up in two rows and fit the rest of the foods in where there was room.  Hopefully Mom can read the labels so she knows what is what! 

This morning Mom, Lynn, Jill, and I went to church and then Bible study. We celebrated a New Year in our service, the first Sunday of the church year, Advent. For the Bible study we watched a video, "My Son, My Savior", put out by our Synod as an outreach tool. It was okay, and hopefully will be a blessing for the recipients. 

After church Lynn came back to Mom's house before she and I drove to Sheboygan to meet Noah and the boys for lunch.  It was such a nice time, enjoyed my conversation with Noah. The boys were sweet, too.  Our seat was next to the wall fireplace which was perfect for me. I could not get perch but did find brats on the menu.  Served on a Sheboygan hard roll, too, and came with waffle fries.  Yum, yum, yum!!!

On our ride back we took the lake shore route past Whistling Straits where the major golf tournament was held this summer. As we were getting closer to home, we saw something in the road but before she could slow down, Lynn drove over pieces of firewood which had fallen from a truck.  Clunk, clunk, it went as it bounced around under the car. Hopefully no harm will befall her undercarriage.  The truck pulled off and I got his license plate number in case something does happen.  I pray it does not. 

I took a few photos from the car window of the scenery along the way back. Some are of birch trees and the lake. I will post them when I get on my regular equipment. My stuff has been vexing me here but things are looking up. I am thankful for the connections I do have and am glad to have them. Rejoice!!!

More giving of thanks!

On Thursday I had the opportunity to worship at First German on the national ThanksGiving Day. Lynn sang with the choir while Jill, Danny, Mom, and I sat with the congregation. The church band accompanied many of the hymns and it was wonderful to hear them again. They were blessed to have young people 'home' from college to bolster the numbers of the choir and band. Adding the brass and percussion to the pipe organ on these hymns is so beautiful, loved it!

  

The sanctuary was decorated as well, including this table of bounty.

We went back to Mom's after church because it was too early to go down for the ThanksGiving lunch in the school gym. Lynn's friend, Bonnie, was joining our family at the table. She feared being able to find us in the crowd but was hardly a problem. The high school Federation was involved in this community outreach event and were expecting about 175 diners. There were other congregation members dining but not many besides us. The meal was good, and I truly loved my cherry cheese cake dessert. Even got a piece to go home with me!

It was a quiet rest of the afternoon until it was time for the football game. Sadly, the outcome  was disappointing as the Packers lost yet another game. Something is terribly wrong with them! Or, is the problem with me---spoiled by them usually winning??  I really like getting to watch Packer football with my sister! It was a good day overall, for which I am thankful!

It's all about connections

Not long ago I wrote about what will happen after my mom is gone regarding my visits and family connections. I think back to Timmy's funeral and Justin's first real exposure to my sister, Carol. After everything was over and the family was gone again, Justin commented to me, "I really like Carol---we should get to know her better." This was his own aunt and he didn't really know her. I've reminded her of that on occasion, the most recent time being Mom's 90th birthday celebration. Sadly, he wasn't here for that, having gone back to FL already. In the past decade since Timmy's funeral I think I've seen Carol probably 4-5 times. Not for my lack of trying....

Lynn, Jill, and I went shopping Monday and had lunch together.  It was great fun, though exhausting. While shopping I ran into a 'girl' from my old neighborhood who is married to a classmate of mine. He was gone deer hunting with family and she was hunting in the stores!  Kathy's brother lived next door to my mom in the years prior to Mom buying the duplex. Jill asked how her brother and his wife were doing and Kathy answered that she was sure they were fine but hadn't talked to them in a while. How can this be?  They live in the same town and yet don't communicate. Interesting. She explained that her husband and she spend time with their own family....Is that how it goes?

Tuesday Linda and I were leaving Bible study and talking with Kathy, the leader. She comes from a family that has remained connected.  They are together regularly, if not in person, then by phone or online.  She even lived in Malawi for a time and remained in touch.  Her parents are the same age as Mom so the day will come when this large family won't have their parents any longer.  I hope they will stay connected when that time comes.

My sister-in-law's parents, Harvey and Clara, who both  are now passed away, would get together weekly with their siblings who lived in the area to play cards and just hang out. Nieces and nephews came to see them in their apartment and later at the Home. Perhaps not every week but at least folks knew they had relatives, and the family knew what was going on in each other's lives. 

While I am here visiting my family I am also thinking about my friends and church family back in FL. And, of course, my boy. Last night I did FaceTime with him and he got to see his Grandma and his aunties, and they could see him. Mom loves that! He was able to show me the new slacks and shoes he got, plus the wax warmer for his room. His room smells now of pumpkin pie! He was getting ready for church, and on his way there he called me one more time to report about the giant full moon on the river. We could not yet see it here, as there is no view from Mom's apartment to the east. Tonight I will have to go out and look for it. During the football game? NO! Go Pack, go!

It's "Linda Day" !!!

Linda just dropped me off at Mom's after our day together. First order of business was to pop in at Rose Colored Glasses to see the newly remodeled salon. Oh, it looks so nice and open in there now. Nicole was busy doing hair so we couldn't chit chat too much with her but we got to roam around and look it all over. The neatest feature of the remodel/renovation was their stripping the floors down to the original wood. Beautiful!

Next Linda and I went across the street to Harborside to have lunch but found the lights off and door locked. Nuts!  We determined they were not open for lunch today, much to our chagrin. Plan B was lunch at The Courthouse Pub, just a block from church. We had a wonderful lunch and split a dessert. I had all French food, including a dip, onion soup, and side of fries! 

From the Pub we went to church for Bible study. What a wonderful class this was. We finished a review of Joel and moved into Amos. Kathy, our leader, is using her husband's notes on the book which is most helpful in understanding the prophesy of these men for Israel. I look forward to returning next week and continuing this study. 

Linda had to get some gas so I went into the convenience store and got a couple bottles of Diet Coke because Linda wasn't sure she had any for me at home. There I ran into the husband of one of my classmates, the same man whom I met on Sunday at Perkins. How fun this is!  Love running into folks I know. 

At Linda's home she allowed me to use her laptop so I could work on my church newsletter. I was able to do some but am still awaiting content before going to press. I am thankful for her allowing me to use her equipment.  I just couldn't figure out how to make the iPad do what I wanted it to do. Linda gave me an early Chirstmas present of a pillow perfect for my bed, with a Philippians 4 passage on it (I love it!) and a book "The Prodigal God", a recommended read by Pastor Schaefer. Can't wait to get into it. 

For our dinner, Tommy made his famous cheeseburgers which were as wonderful as I'd heard. I will taste the onion all night long, I'm sure. We had to rush off from the dinner table so Linda could drop me off before heading back to church for Evening Circle.

Next week Tuesday will again be "Linda Day"! and I can't wait! 

I am here!

Michael picked me up before 7:00 am this morning for the airport ride, with Justin getting up long enough to wheel my luggage down and say good-bye to his mama. He'd had a long night with very short sleep after the wedding plus his buddy was coming home with him which is why he wasn't driving to the airport. God bless Michael and his kindness! 

I had a long wait at the curbside check-in and a guy told me it was just as long inside. Everyone leaving at once, I guess.  The line for the security was long, too, over 30 minutes. I had plenty of time but was nervous for the couple in line with me who were afraid of missing their flight due to the long lines. I hope they made it. 

Once again I set off the alarm by forgetting to remove my phone. I did all the rest of the stuff right, but forgot the phone. That is the 3rd time I've done it and pretty soon you would think I'd remember. About an hour after being dropped off at the curb, I was seated in the waiting area. I do well at the Jax airport, far better than at the MKE one. MKE has such a long hike from the plane to the baggage claim area. Yikes!  The shuttle people assured me they would wait for me so I did not have to rush. 

I had nice folks in the van with a very nice driver. One couple was just returning from a Caribean cruise, coming back to a snow storm!  The other man chose to ride in the back seat  so he could stretch his leg out, due to a recent knee replacement. I rode shot gun! The roads were clear and after we left Sheboygan, droppng off the couple, there was no more snow. I guess all the excitement was for naught, though the southern part of the State got over a foot of snow.  I as so happy to get here to Mom's. Lynn had delicious sugar cookies ready for me, which I needed because I was quite hungry. So good!

Later Lynn, Jill, and I had dinner at The Green Street Tavern. We all three had the perch with beer cheese soup. Oh, my, was that ever good. Thankfully the place wasn't terribly busy so we could sit and enjoy our meals. Mom didn't want to join us nor did she want any food brought home for her. She would have loved the cheese soup. I sure did. Looking forward to going to bed and get much needed physical rest. So much sitting and but the walking in the airport puts me away!

My travel was mostly uneventful, the worst part was a slight delay leaving out of ATL because Milwaukee could not keep up de-icing planes. That meant there was no place for us to park once we landed in MKE.  At first the delay was an hour but was shortened to about 35 minutes which was okay for me.  I don't know if anyone else was going to be connecting from MKE but it didn't seem like folks were getting frantic or anything. I did let the shuttle service know of my delay and they said they were monitoring the flights. Four total on my flight were using the same shuttle so I was going to have company. Good! Thanking the Lord for a safe flight and no snow and getting home to Mom's and for perch with my sisters! 

Words mean something...

...or they mean nothing. Sometimes they mean nothing and that's it. An example of such which comes to mind is my grandma, Lily. My mom was a gifted sewer, able to make dresses for her mother which were suited to my grandma's needs. The fabric was polyester, needed no pressing, was heavy enough to keep Lily warm. Mom made the dresses so they closed in the front for ease of getting on and off. The buttons were covered with the same fabric as the dress which was a very classy look, with a self belt. Nothing plain about these dresses but also nothing over-the-top either. (Ha ha, little joke there about how the dress went on and off...)

At the old folks home where Lily lived (and I worked) there were nurses or aids, one per floor in those days, and the one on 4th floor was Lorraine. Every time Lily got a new dress, she'd get compliments on it. Lorraine would say, "Oh, Lily, you look spiffy today..." and that would be the end of it. After many years, one day my grandma asked me, "Now, what does that mean--spiffy?" What!? She almost took it as though it was NOT a compliment. How did this happen? At what point did this favorable remark become tainted? What prevents people from accepting a compliment?  Of course, I explained that spiffy today is the same that it was for the previous how ever many years---that she looked nice in her dress. Nothing more and nothing less. Just take it, and run!

The reason I was thinking of this was because I had a conversation with my mom the other day about my pending visit. Our plans for ThanksLiving Day were being discussed and I mentioned getting some stuff to munch on for watching football. She questioned that idea (really, Mom??), thinking that 'we' won't be hungry after our big lunch. Some of us are dining at church for lunch that day, and I am sure it will be a veritable feast. However, when watching football, it is customary to enjoy munchies. This is so nothing new. I took Mom's bait and said, "I don't have to be hungry to eat..." and she sounded almost stunned to hear this. Now, I know that I have heard her make that same remark to me at some point in her life, but now it's foolishness. Maybe I will look spiffy doing it!

Today I had a very nice lunch with my friend, Terri T., at the former Spaghetti House, which is near her work. Justin and I used to have dinner there with Twila and her grandson, Mark, when the boys were in confirmation class together. We'd meet after school but before class and have sumptuous plates of Italian food. The same was true today at Joey Mozzarella, its new name. My calzone was as big as my head, as my friend, Julia, would say. I ate about half of half of it!

Over lunch I shared some stuff with Terri that I'd been writing about or pondering including how sometimes we need to tippy-toe around people, weighing and measuring even the most innocuous remarks. You just never know what will set someone off or cause wounded feelings. You think you know how far you can go, and then miss the mark. Or, what you said last week and was fine is not so fine this week. What changes? Is it tone? Lack of face-to-face exchanges, using electronics too much and missing needed inflection? Or, are emotions simply running high with the onset of the holiday season? Hmmmm.....

Today in Bible study we talked about how pastors and elders are to conduct themselves in this world and their congregations. We also discussed how the members can aid and encourage their pastor to be an effective shepherd to his flock. Our course of study is I Timothy at present and in this book, St. Paul is offering guidance and encouragement to his young fellow pastor, Timothy. Timeless advice offered in these chapters, for pastors, elders, and our own daily living, devoting ourselves to living Godly and God-pleasing lives!

It's all about together

Several years ago at the visitation for my father-in-law's passing, I was seated with my sister-in-law's parents, who were dear to me. Together we watched people come and go to view the coffin and greet the mourners. At one point Clara said to me, "I suppose youse won't get together anymore now that Arno is gone..." That stunned me because it never occurred to me that Arno was the reason any of us did get together. Immediately I assured her that we would continue to get together, but it turned out, she was right!

It was not deliberate, certainly, it just happened. The kids all have their own families to focus on and some of us are not living in WI any longer. Not living there certainly limits the family time. One occasion I was in WI after Arno died, and it was my niece's graduation from high school. My sis-in-law, Nancy, invited me plus my in-laws, H & B, to come to their house the day before for dinner. Nice! H & B picked me up and off we went. Their son, Kevin, came along, too, so we had a nice group around the table. On the ride back, H remarked to me that this was most people from the family he'd been with since his dad's funeral. Wow! So, Nancy, me, and her two kids made for a sizable family gathering (in more ways than one!). Clara's prediction had come true!

This comes to mind as I ready myself for a trip to WI later this week. I am taking with me good wishes from my church family to give to Mom and my family, and to Linda. Twice a year, at least, I make the excursion north and have a blast when I am up there. "Church 'n perch" is how I refer to my time spent in Manty. Already a few of the days are taken care of with places to be and people to see, and I've not even begun packing!! When I talk to my neighbors and friends about my pending trip some will ask, "Again?". I haven't been to WI since May but I guess for some it seems more recent. My reminder to them is that I still have my mother and then they nod, knowingly. What happens when I don't have her anymore? Will I still make the trip north a couple times a year?

Like I said to Clara, "Of course I will!" but will I? At this moment the answer is yes, because I will also still have my sisters and, of course, Linda. But, my family doesn't often get together for gatherings unless there is an occasion, like a holiday, for us to do so. Our ThanksLiving celebration is going to be such an occasion on Friday when my sister can be off work and my other sister will travel across the state to join the fun. Mom says it's all too much work which is probably true at age 90. Nothing is expected of her except to reserve the room for us. This will be the 2nd time this year we are all in one room, minus my sister, Carol, as we celebrated Mom's birthday in early January. This time we can actually sit around and talk with each other.

A month or so ago I talked on the phone with my sister, Lori, a rare event. She doesn't call often, I am the talker in my family. They know to hang onto their arms when I am around 'cause I can talk them right off! Lori called about coming here for my birthday party, so far the only one willing and able to make the trip. I am happy as can be that a family representative will be here to mark my 60th birthday with Justin and me. Lori was blessed to have a July birthday and had a great family representation for her 60th, in WI. Being away from WI and having a 'Christmas' birthday makes it difficult for folks. Justin was more concerned about this than was I since we'll have plenty of folks to invite to my party. My sister and her family will be the icing on the cake. 

As Lori and I talked she lamented that our family doesn't get together more than it does (I am not alone in this) and remembers all the time we used to spend with our cousins, etc. I reminded her that when I am in Manty, I often try to get the cousins together and she acknowledged that. But it only happens when I am there to facilitate it. My cousins live in the same town as my mom and a couple of my sisters, but they don't deliberately get together. 

Sometimes I wonder if I lived there yet, would I make those arrangements to see my cousins? Would I see the value in spending family time? Or has that occurred to Lori and me because we no longer live in our home town? We must take our proximity to each other for granted, being only blocks away instead of a state, or many states, away. My one cousin lives one street over from my sister, Lynn, having the same house number. But rarely are plans made and meetings are accidental. 

When my auntie was alive, I would make sure to get to see her and perhaps a cousin or two would be there, too. That would be so nice, seeing each other again, and spending the time together. Now, Auntie is gone, and the cousins go on with their lives. I will make an effort to gather folks when I am 'home' for these two weeks. Will have to go up against deer hunting season and such, but still, I can make the phone calls. It's time!