I'm Back

We're back!  We had a wonderful trip to North Carolina.  It was a great get away with wonderful surroundings and temperatures.  There were day trips to the surrounding area and a visit to downtown Asheville on a rainy day.  Something that we hadn't planned to do was drive back straight through home.  Seventeen hours on the road with minimal stops.  Since I do all the driving, when we got home I went inside, took my medicine and fell into bed.  Sunday morning  I began getting things ready for a visit from a long time friend.  One of my friends from CBS and her son dropped by to pick up some dog and cat food going to a good cause.  And then Charles and Paula brought Mary Madeline to our home.  It was great seeing them.  I just got home from taking Mary Madeline to the airport.  She and I had a fabulous visit.  Dena came over last night and my two friends finally got to meet.  Peggy was occupied with other things, so Mary Madeline will have to make a return trip. 

I have missed writing on my blog and hopefully I soon will have some time to sit down and tell some of the stories from the past week or so.  I'm having difficulty even now because Buddy hasn't left my side since her return home from camp.  The first hour she was home she meowed and yowled like she was hurt but I think she was letting us know how unhappy she has been at camp.  She stayed in step with me most of the afternoon and never left my side last night.  Right now she is on my lap but she has been trying to wrap herself around my neck like when she was a kitten. 

A Little Post on a Thursday

Rancho De Five just had some significant rain, well at least at our house.  The doves were lined up on the fence with their wings up so the rain could refresh them.  I should have taken a picture because it was a beautiful sight. 

We had an incredible time at Bible study this morning.  We answered homework questions on Genesis 2 and 3.  The depth of wisdom and insights were plentiful.  It was good to have Jenea` with our group today.  So glad she signed up to attend in this in-between time.  What fun to be together again with Jenea` and Becky.  We worked together in the ED Suite at church and those were some rockin' good times. 

There is hope that I will finally learn how to tie a scarf.  I have so many pretty ones but I can do a knot or let it just hang there.  The fine folks at Coldwater Creek has a booklet with ten different styles.  I am looking forward to being fashionable and attractive this fall in my scarving.   Just an observation, I don't think there is ever a time that their clothes are not on sale.  No paying full price.  I wasn't even going to go there but stopped in a Get Personal Katy to pick up a flat iron cover.  Got a great deal on a retired pattern of Vera Bradley.  So I walked through CWC and saw a couple of things that needed to come home with me. 

Last night Dena brought over pizza and dessert.  It was delicious but the fun is being able to live close enough to do these kinds of things again.  We watched Toddlers and Tiaras and Duck Dynasty.  Roy joined us for DD, as he wasn't that interested in T&T.  I wonder why? 

Roy and I are getting away for a few days of R and R.  So Buddy has been a little suspicious that she just might be going to camp, although she probably calls it prison.  I tried to act all natural like I wasn't stalking her or anything.  She had gone under the bed on her blanket to the far uttermost part of underneath the bed.  So after watching a little TV to make her think...nothing new happening here, I went into the bathroom and turned on the shower.  She loves to get in the shower and that drew her out of her hiding place.  I kind of felt guilty picking her up and taking her to camp.  She was not happy to go to camp.  It always makes me kind of sad, well, really sad but not sad enough not to go on our get-a-way.  Oh, we have people here for our few days away, so don't get any ideas. 

I better take care of a few odds and ends.  I'm packed for the most part, but things like a reserve pair of glasses and charger cords always need all that last minute attention. 

All in All

Last night Roy got out his camera, which I don't think he has used since Thanksgiving because he hadn't downloaded the pictures from the Biltmore.  I think he has been occupied with other things like his Trek and work.  So, he downloaded his pictures and I've been looking at them today.  I had forgotten how he would get up before sunrise, pull out the tripod and take pictures of the sunrise.  Oh my, those pictures of the sky and mountains are beautiful.  I really enjoyed them because I hadn't been up at the crack of dawn to see the sunrise in person.  Even though we were there past leaf turning time, many of the trees still had fall colors.  When we would make a comment about the color all the native North Carolinians laughed at us, but when you get like three days of fall at home, the colors are spectacular. 

The fall season or rather the fall season that everyone imagines around here is my favorite time of year.  Love those mornings and evenings when the first hint of a cool breeze breaths hope that the sweltering temperatures will be gone soon.  Soon it will be time to get the fire pit going to roast hot dogs and make s'mores .  New this year is the chair I bought specifically for sitting next to the fireplace to read. 

I am so excited that my friend Mary Madeline will be in town the last weekend of September and that she will spend a night with us.  It has been a couple of years since we have seen each other but we keep up with one another.  She is my fruffiest friend and I love that about her.  We are opposites but when the Lord knits hearts together, He knows what He is doing.  I appreciate the gift of her friendship. 

Dena is bringing pizza over for dinner.  Roy is thrilled because he doesn't have to pick anything up and I'm thrilled not to cook but getting to see a friend.  Texted with Peggy, emailed with Becky K and talked to Emily...all in all it has been a good day, friend-wise.  Dena also let me know that it is a banner night TV wise.  New Toddler and Tiara, Duck Dynasty, and Honey Boo Boo.  I don't watch HBB very much anymore.  It just a flip over during a commercial kind of thing. 

In October I go back for an adjustment on this recorder thing in me.  The incision is healing quite nicely.  I haven't set off any security alarms but I am probably a suspicious person because I've been sweating up a blue streak again.  I had to go back to taking the Ultram ER two times a day which means many times during the day I look as if I have been running or working out.  Maybe this is when I should put on my faux workout clothes.  I was in Academy yesterday and there was a lot of commotion because they were filming a commercial.  They had all these people with radios barking out commands and requests.  Several were on the trail of a group of shoplifters.  I kept waiting for them to bark out, sweating woman leaving the store, paid for her purchases or better yet, what this commercial needs is a persperous woman.  No call back for me.  Oh well....



 

The Sounds of Daily Life

It's the sound of Tuesday, the trash men picking up the recyclable trash which means soon I will be hearing the sound of regular trash pick up.  The sounds of Wednesdays and Thursdays is the sounds of lawn maintenance on the green space and also on our own lawn.  Funny how we get used to the sounds of our days.  Today also had the sound of prayer and homework discussion and learning in our leadership time.  The sound of our servant team being that, servants.  Not afraid to get their hands involved in the physical side of ministry.  On Saturday morning for the welcome breakfast, the kitchen was a buzz with activity.  Peggy making pancakes, Dena making coffee and Roy frying bacon.  Someone asked me why I wasn't in the midst of the hub bub.  I told them this is one thing I learned being on a church staff....I cast the vision, a breakfast brunch and then I gave leadership to it by having others use their giftings in preparation.  I was there to answer any questions they might have and look good.  That's how you cast and give leadership.  Stuff like this seems to be more like a Ponzi scheme in the church world.  Cast and give, lead from rest...it's good if you are one of the first to discover this and not so good if you are on the bottom of the heap authority wise.  Sometimes no one cares that you worked really hard and your home life has a million responsibilities and a day of rest might be nice.  Oops, there is the sound of getting off track and distracted.  Did I just see a squirrel? 

Yes, the sounds of daily life.  I am enthralled with these passages from Galatians as paraphrased in The Message:

Galatians 5:16-18

The Message (MSG)

^16-18 My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?

^19-21 It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.

This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.
^22-23 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
^23-24 Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way.





Love reading this very familiar passage in The Message.  There is so much that jumps out to me in these scriptures but ugly parodies of community has my attention and legalism is helpless in bringing this about, has my attention as well.  This is out of the devo book Solo, that uses The Message and it goes through the New Testament giving things to pray through and to think about.  We've all seen ugly parodies of community...all the fakeness of community that isn't really getting along, but all parties know how community looks, so it is played out; it is a parody. 

Now I am hearing another sound of life...Buddy is meowing, so she must want a treat.  And really I need to be putting some stuff together for a future get a way.  Kathy in Brandon, MS, will you comment on this post with your email?  I won't publish it but need it to get in touch with you about our plans. 

Rancho De Five and Time in a Bottle

This past Saturday was such fun!  Peggy helped me with a 'welcome to the ranch' breakfast brunch for our friends who've made the oh so wise choice of moving out to the prairie.  With fall in the air, somewhere up north I'm sure, weekends become premium because there is a ton of things to do.  I was so happy that this many could celebrate and welcome on a Saturday morning.  Peggy made lemon blueberry pancakes, Roy fried up the Midway Market bacon and cut up the fruit salad, I made Biltmore grits and Kay's Tea Parlour made the rest of our menu, quiche and strudel.  We had so much fun laughing and eating and laughing some more.  You might be looking at this picture and wondering when Lisa and Claire moved out to Rancho, but we invited them to enjoy their friendship but also to Cincotized them thus insuring a move out this way. 

This is Keely, Peggy's granddaughter who made a fun little fort and watched her movies after she ate.   

Thank you Kathleen and others who cleaned up the kitchen for me.  I think Roy was surprised and then most appreciative because he had committed to helping with the clean up. 

On Friday, I got my hair highlighted and cut and had a little down time between that and my pedi appointment.  Chris was at our home cleaning, so I called Dena and went over and hung out with her for about thirty minutes.  She fed me a delicious peanut butter sandwich.  At the salon several of us were trying to decide what colors we wanted.  On the left was a woman looking for maroon polish.  I asked her if she was an Aggie and she said yes.  On the right hand side the woman who was looking for school color polish said, I am an Alabama alumni.  Wow, stuck in the middle but that is when I told them I rooted for LSU because I married an alumni.  We were representing the SEC well in the salon.  They even set us by each other for our pedis. 

Which brings me to this point.... we do not root for Alabama in our home.  When you are married to a Louisiana boy and LSU graduate , who has a long memory and not a whole lot of love for Alabama, you learn to pull for the opponent Alabama is playing.  I do get confused though if Alabama and Notre Dame play because the hubs doesn't like them either.  When I played tennis, my partner in doubles graduated from Alabama and she and her family are huge financial donors with a long line of alumni coming before them and her sons were for sure going there when the time came.  She brought me back a really cute Alabama t-shirt and I wore it one Saturday.  Roy was all, why are you wearing that shirt?  Who gave you that shirt?  You know how I feel about Alabama...and he asked me to put it in the Good Will bag and so I did.  So you know this before reading the next paragraph, we are not in the Alabama camp and I have many good, good friends who are Aggies.

Like many of y'all, we watched the Alabama/Texas A&M game.  It was an exciting game, no doubt.  By the score it is obvious that defense wasn't a friend to either team.  The game and Johnny lived up to the hype.  After the game even Nick Saban gave proper respect for Johnny Football and the A&M team.  On Facebook, so many Aggie status updates said "our team just ran out of time," implying if there had been more time, they would have pulled off the win.  Twitter updates again and again repeated the lament of the lack of time.  Blog post...if we had more time....Someone from church took a point from the pastor's sermon or either he said this...we weren't at church and haven't watched the webcast yet; "yesterday, dear friends you did not lose, you simply were not provided ample time to show your talent on the field."  WHAT???!!!!  I am sure going in Kevin Sumlin knew both teams had sixty minutes to play.  His mismanagement of the clock in the last few minutes might have factored into this not having ample time to play.  But what a crock....not enough time?  What if last year Alabama had said the same thing about their loss to Johnny?  Really, you cannot discount the fact that the number one team in the nation played on your field and I am sure if they had more time or ample time, they could have scored more points as well.  The loss came down to the two interceptions.  It was a brilliantly played game by both teams, so don't cheapen the whole thing with this rationalization about time.  That statement, not having ample time is up there with these kinds of statements that plague our conversations with things that sound good but are so false; "God couldn't be everywhere, so that's why He created Mothers."  Here's another one; "God was lonely so that's why He called her home to Him." "Heaven needed another angel or another member of the choir."

I'm pretty sure if this week your kid doesn't get an assignment in on time or has a less than stellar grade on a test, you or the teacher would not accept the excuse, but mom, I didn't have ample time to show you my talent on the paper or test. 

I promise you when Alabama and Texas A&M play LSU and if and when they beat the Tigers, I will not use the 'if I could save time in a bottle' excuse.'   

It's Almost Friday

This morning I was up with the sunrise and even though I didn't really have the time to linger watching the sun's rays begin their journey through the house, I made the time.  So what if my make up was half way done this morning for Bible study.  The study is the first room that receives the rays and they make their way through my reading room, and then into the kitchen and family room.  The illusion of the rays and the direct way they hit the windows can make you think that every light is on.  I love seeing mornings come like this even though I am not much of a morning person.  I'm so thankful to see this beautiful sight a lot of mornings....then there are the other mornings where sunrise, diffused rays through the windows have happened and I am a late comer to the display but on those mornings I am thankful for the extra sleep. 

We had our first week of homework discussion this morning at Bible study.  We had a lively discussion that was fun and rather deep at times.  Almost everyone of us said we learned something new about the creation story.  I love how God reveals Himself anew in those passages that we feel like we have a grasp of. 

I just read an interesting article and with the news of the demise of the mini van, I am feeling more confident about the future in the Target parking lot. 

But it proved a passing fad. Minivan sales that once regularly commanded 8% of the market up until 2000 have been sliding for over a decade to their present low of 3.7% thus far in 2013. Forever associated with soccer moms, minivans have always been regarded as purchases of necessity, not aspiration. Since no vehicle shaped like a breadbox and designed to haul people could ever be stylish, their appeal was based on functionality -- and when cupholders and seven-passenger seating began appearing in crossover SUVs with greater sex appeal, their fate was sealed.

The above is from a CNN/Fortune article.  I know that the mini van isn't going to vanish as quickly as Twinkies did last year, but it gives me hope.  Now I will have to find another arch nemesis.  Nah, I'm certain that "it" will find me. 

Roy caught the second to the last bus of the Park and Ride this evening.  His Thursdays usually run late.  I made Taco Salad last night for dinner, so he will be happy because there are leftovers and it will take no time to get it fixed.  Peggy and I traded Consuela days, so I am putting things away in preparation of her early morning arrival.  So thankful to have a hair cut appointment and pedi on the books.  I'll probably stop at BWC for breakfast to get away from home earlier.  Roy said he would pick up the stuff from Kay's for Saturday's breakfast tomorrow afternoon.  Then we will get the last minute stuff tomorrow evening.  So glad to have married a plan man.

Tomorrow the steri strips come off my incision.  I think it is healing up nicely although it creeps me out to feel that recorder under my skin.  Yuck!  My official card came yesterday that identifies why I might set off security in stores and in airports.  No third world country travel for me anytime soon. 

Guess I will go to the rather large stack of to be read books and find something to occupy me tomorrow while getting highlights and a pedi. 

September 11

Every year since 2007 when I started Monablog, on September 11th I post this.  Then in 2008 on September 11, I posted this.

If you ever doubt that you have purpose.  If you ever question what am I to do.  Know this, if you are still here on this earth, God has something for you to do. 

We lost too many on September 11, 2001 and yet there are those stories of being late to work or having something come up where people did not get into New York City at their regular time. 

Patriot Day.  God saved me both times on September 11th.  I am so grateful and thankful to Him. 

Tuesday Because I Can't Think of a Title

Buddy and I are waiting for Roy to get home.  Buddy is watching the birds and I am in Roy's study.  We had a very nice and quiet anniversary yesterday.  Roy knew he would be later getting home from the office and a friend from work asked him for a ride home from the Park and Ride.  Since we have a breakfast thing coming up, we decided that this would be the best evening to try out the bacon from Midway Market and try a cheese grits recipe.   The bacon was divine, need to find a better grits recipe.  Breakfast for dinner is one of my favorite all time meals, so what a treat.  Then Roy put together a laundry/ironing board kind of thing and don't laugh....a craft drawer thing on wheels.  Yes, when I am crafting, I like to move all about the house.  No, but I do use it for artful journaling so the craft drawer thingy is going out into the casita bedroom.  So this bacon...we rarely have bacon and even rarer, frying it up.  Oh my, the house this morning still had the fragrance of bacon lingering and I was a bit worried that I might smell like bacon at Bible study. 

After leadership council, which I think Genesis is going to be a fabulous study, I had to make the dreaded Hobby Lobby trip.  I think it is all over me that I am really uncomfortable being there.  So anything and everything that could possibly go wrong does and I'm not even talking about all the mini vans in the parking lot.  I did find what I was looking for and I picked the wrong check out line.  Price check on lane 8 for Dora the Explorer ribbon.  Then the lady didn't have her receipt for some high density glue that she bought accidently instead of low density glue.  Who knew?  I believe I only know about Elmer's and paste.  While waiting ever so patiently, reinforcing what I learned this morning about being created in the image of God and being Christ like, I casually looked at the worship CDs and on time...I began to sweat profusely from some medicine I'm taking.  I have it timed now that this will happen about every three hours.  Probably on the hidden camera to catch shoplifters, this doesn't look good.  Really?  Who would shoplift praise and worship CDs?  I was glad when they said unto me, let's get out of the house of the Hobby Lobby. 

Several weeks ago when straightening up our closet, I found a devo that I have used in the past and love it.  SOLO, a devo using The Message.  Instead of going through one a day, I go through them at a week or longer time.  The one I have been reading since last week on Galatians 5 is blowing me away. 

Well, Roy just walked in the door, so guess we better go heat up our lovely dinner from the fine folks at Sprouts. 

Happy Anniversary Sweetie!

The company where we met has changed its name several times.  The church where we were married has changed its color scheme, the pastors that married us have passed away, the hotel where we spent our first night as husband and wife has been torn down, thankfully that money pit of a car has been long gone, Aquarena Springs hotel where we honeymooned no longer exists as it did back in the day, Roy's parents, my mom, and all our grandparents at our wedding, they too have passed away.  There has been a lot of changes in the past 36 years of our marriage, but the most profound change is; I don't love or feel the way I did about Roy on that day we took our vows.  I love him even more!  Remember saying, we won't be like everyone else, we will never have difficulties with one another.  How could we ever be mad at each other?   Well, sadly we were unrealistic in those ideals, but we did set ground rules early on, we never would joke, tease or in anger say we wanted a divorce because we believe that divorce is not an option.  Don't get me wrong, we had words, heated words but never in any of those...um...discussions, did we utter or bring up divorce.  We also would not go to bed mad and there my friends I am so glad we married young.  Because only the young can stay up all night hashing out reconciliation and forgiveness and then go to work.  There is the old cliché that anything worth having is worth fighting for and once we saw that, instead of fighting one another, we turned a corner.  Roy turned the corner before me because I was good at arguing and didn't want to give up that skill but I eventually turned the corner too because of Roy, his love and his example. 

My roommate introduced us at a noon Bible study held once a week in a conference room at Pennzoil.  Roy was an auditor and I worked in the treasury department.  So, he was on the 19th floor where treasury was located a lot on official business...but then he came around a lot to stop and visit with me.  After he returned from six weeks in Brussels, he took me out to lunch at Charlie's 517.  After that lunch, neither one of us was too impressed with the other; I thought he was arrogant and he thought I was shallow.  But then, he asked me out to a concert but I already had a date to it.  He asked me out again and I had other plans, but I changed them and went out with him.  And as it is said, the rest is history.  Work Roy and Regular Roy are two differently entire things and I know that now. 

We both brought baggage into our marriage and after years of lugging it around and after unpacking and packing it right back up, we've found what love is all about and finding love means ditching the baggage and traveling light.  In recent years many young single women would say to me, I want to marry a man just like Roy and I would respond, he didn't come this way.  We have learned so much from one another.  His kindness, generosity, spiritual guidance and leading, his heart...Oh, I love that man!  He once asked me never to refer to him as 'my man' because he thought it objectified him, rather than personalized him.  He is not macho in his appearance but he is tough when and where he needs to be.  "Man Up" describes him through all these years and he man upped before it was a cool term to throw around. 

 Through these last five years he has carried the load of so many things I was physically unable to do and never once complained.   

So today as I am everyday so thankful for Roy.  I appreciate, love and respect him.  He thinks I'm funny.  He thinks I am deep.  He thinks I'm beautiful.  He keeps me from going to my fearless zone.  I think he's handsome, pretty dang cool, smart, spiritual and mine. 

Love you Roy!  Here's to 36 more years!!!

Friday...A Catch Up From the Week

This is our latest addition from the Amish Craftsman.  One Sunday after church Roy and I stopped in the store just for a looksee.  We were thinking of adding another bookcase in the study.  It's always fun to look at the interesting decorating pieces they carry, prints, clocks and candles.  As we looked around we came across this piece in the picture and we really liked it.  We've been looking for something for the hall entryway.  We picked our stain and wood and the store sent the order to the little ole Amish man that makes this type of furniture.  Talk about Made in America.  I was really surprised when they called to let us know our piece was in and Scott would be out this way on Thursday.  We weren't expecting this until October, so of course I said come on.  It was probably their easiest delivery of the day since they came in the front door and put it against the wall.  When I was at the Biltmore in May, I bought this Wendy Whitson print and brought it home and had it framed.  I've been holding onto where it would hang.  Yesterday, it found its home.  I think it looks really good over the sideboard.  I have already moved the candle lamp on the right back to its original place and have been playing with what should go on the top.  This piece really reminds me of my grandmother, my mom's mother.  She had a piece like this only it was much darker wood and one of the doors leaned precariously against the hinge or where the hinge should have been.  I've written before how this style of furniture reminds me so much of my grandmother although she never had arts and craftsman style furniture.  Her furniture was a collection of handed down chairs and couches with the assorted pieces she and my grandfather had bought.  But somehow I imagine that just maybe this would have been her style.

 Yesterday was our first day of Community Bible Study and I got to meet my group.  So excited to get to know these ladies and to learn and study Genesis.  It is rather embarrassing that a side effect of some of the medicine I'm taking is sweating.  Sorry, a tad persperous.  No full on sweat and just like clockwork, sweat appeared right in the middle of core group.  Then I had to fan and explain which made some think menopause but no side effect of some pain meds.  Ugh!  It is worse than hot flashes. 

One of the quotes from Tuesday leadership council was this; " operational excellence makes the ministry."  It is all the behind the scenes work that makes the flow of ministry happen.  After working six years at a church, I certainly appreciate this and know that it is true.  Our coordinator for the Katy class is truly gifted and does her tasks well and with great humility. 

I stayed up way too late last night because I couldn't put the book down I was reading, Moonrise by Cassandra King.  This book held my attention from the first page.  It was the book of choice for all things waiting rooms.  The tension was building and the truth would finally be known and the big reveal, while interesting, was a little disappointing.  It's kind of like how I felt the first time I watched the movie Suspicion.  Big buildup and huge disappointment at the ending.  Later found out that most people in the 40's would not have believed that Cary Grant could be that mean and evil....so they changed the ending.  I reread the ending again this morning thinking maybe I had missed something.  No.  I would not hesitate to recommend this book, because it is really good.  My disappointment probably stems from knowing the book has Rebecca type themes and personalities, so I thought the ending would be dramatic like the end of Rebecca.  Moonrise has great characters and the relational aspects between them are very well written. 

Hope Falls Eternal in September

Today was my last in the series of injections in my knees.  This one hurt a little more than the other two but that's because I've got gel inside my knees from the previous shots and there isn't as much room in there.  I have felt good since the first shot but the doctor told me today that in about two to three weeks I will really begin to feel a difference, if it is working.  Sure hope that these injections do the trick so I won't have to have knee replacement surgery anytime soon.  The waiting room can be purely entertaining.  There was an older couple sitting behind me and the discussion they were having as the woman filled out the forms was classic.  When you're asked about ailments or surgery, she was diligently going through each choice.  Her husband told her, just check everything cause you have had everything or you have just about had everything removed.  They got into a little tiff and then in typical old person fashion, they became very concerned because people who had come in after them were being called behind the golden door before them.  They were an hour and a half early for the appointment.  It is hearing things like this that has been a constant reminder to me about attitude in the midst of illness and the need to depend on God because we can't do this in our own strength.  In those particular rough patches early on this journey, it had to be the Lord's doing because basically many times I was done.  There have been many I've observed on a tough, tough road in their personal lives but how they conducted their lives and how the words they spoke were not of despair or looking for sympathy, even in the great losses, with their hearts broken, they gave great testimony of the Lord.  So thank you Marge Caldwell, Carole Lewis, Beth Moore and Janet Taylor for modeling how we are to live when the course of life is not the course we would have chosen. 

This morning was leadership council meeting.  I had to stay afterwards for some training that I had to miss last week.  I grabbed a quick bite to eat and then called most of my group before heading to the doctor.

It is 111 degrees outside but hope falls eternal in September.  We are close to seeing fall that one day in November, but we know we have many more days of 90 and above temperatures to make it through.  Last year I waited until it was cool, like in the 80's to put out fall décor.  This year, hot temps be darned!  I'm putting out some fall foliage around the house.  On the way home I stopped at Home Goods and got a few more fallish type items as well as some Thanksgiving things for later on.  If you don't get stuff now it gets picked over.  Did you feel the world go a little off kilter this afternoon?  You can blame me because I went into Michael's for a couple of things.  Michael's and Hobby Lobby are not even on a regular rotation of stores for me. 

Yesterday, as I began my fall tour in our home, I went about it in pure sanguine and ADD methods.  I started on fall, but soon diverted my attention to cleaning out the cabinet underneath my bathroom sink, which led me to finding a set of sheets in the linen closet I had bought and getting them into the washer, then taking all the old sheets and putting them away to cover plants if it freezes, then getting all the odd pillowcases that have collected themselves on a shelf and getting rid of them. which led me back to fall but first I felt I needed to go through a couple of boxes that are stored with the fall décor in the guest bedroom closet.  Most everything got done, except for putting everything back in the closet and finishing the fall decorating. 

Last night Bill and Peggy brought over pizza to Dena's and we were invited to come eat with them.  Such fun!  Dena is moving through those boxes lickity split and has most of the needed stuff organized and ready to roll.  Roy and I were going to introduce her to Burgers and More on Saturday but when Roy pulled up to order, there was a sign on the door that they are closed until October. 

The Amish Craftsman called today and the sideboard we ordered and was made by a little ol' Amish man in Indiana is here and ready to be delivered.  That is so exciting because it wasn't supposed to be here until October.  I've been reading several blogs that the authors are trying to buy American and make differences in people's lives and welfare.  We have contributed greatly to the Amish Americans.  I love that look because it reminds me of my mother's mom...who didn't have arts/craftsman style furniture but decorated in that warm, homey style of arts/craftsman.  The furniture is the closest thing I will have to living in a bungalow. 

I'm so thankful that the lovely people from Sprouts have prepared tonight's dinner.  It's rough being spiritual early in the morning, injected in the early afternoon and fall décor shopping in the almost unbearable heat of the late afternoon.   So thankful for A/C and a cold Diet Coke. 

Welcome Around Here

The last minutes of the morning on the Sunday before Labor Day.  Phil, the flag guy of Rancho De Five, got our flag set up yesterday and it will fly till September 12.  With me being kind of sore and not up to speed and with the lateness of the TCU/LSU game, we slept in and took another sabbatical Sunday.  This past week felt so jam packed that having a few days of easy and rest are welcomed.   This is the week that Dena became an official resident of Rancho De Five.  On Monday I helped Dena bring a Sequisha load of her things out to her house.  Wednesday, moving day, Peggy and I helped Dena at her apartment and then brought another load of fragile things out to her home.  Meanwhile in between all of this moving I am trying to confirm my Thursday morning procedure with the hospital and with the doctor office.  Finally, I got ahold of Earnest, the scheduling nurse, and found out there were six life and death surgeries on Thursday morning and my procedure would have to be moved to Friday.  That scrambled life a little bit.  So Thursday and Friday schedules were flipped.  I was happy not to miss Thursday morning leadership council meeting for Bible study.  Then Roy and I headed to Lupe's for lunch and then to Luke's Locker to get new tennis shoes for Roy.  We went to Target and Lowe's and then stopped at Dena's to see if her new furniture had been delivered.  Such fun, Dena's sister and brother in law were there and Peggy dropped in.  So we had fun rearranging furniture and helping think of different ways we could help Dena spend her money. 

So I finally sat down and read the info that came with my loop recorder.  I have to carry an ID card all the time in case the device sets of things in stores.  Really?  I cannot tell you how anxious I have been going in and out of stores. 

Last night, Dena came over and we had Midway BBQ and started watching the LSU game.  Since she roots for the Aggies, she probably felt like she should stop watching a future opponent of her team.  No, I think she has stuff to do and she is probably tired after a fun and eventful week.  Roy picked up the BBQ and even brought home cobbler, but LSU is on TV, his attention and conversation is turned to gold and purple.  Probably Dena was tired of the LSU talk. 

So now it is evening.  This afternoon we picked up Dena and made an afternoon stop at BWC.  They serve breakfast till 4:00 on the weekends.  I got the Napoleon French Toast and it was delicious.  Dena got breakfast and Roy got a hamburger.  He isn't a fan of breakfast food.  Anyway, we headed over to Lowe's.  She needed a ladder, trash can and a few other sundry things.  These things were not going to fit in her car.  Happy to help. 

Roy is excited that there is a Castle marathon on all day tomorrow.  I mean really, he has them all recorded.  I'm going to put out fallish décor hoping that inspires fall to come sooner this year.   I love that we can take it easy this weekend.  Rest is welcomed around here.