1. A dear, dear friend who has invited Renae and me for a "real" dinner one night each week before we move.
2. My condo is officially "for sale by owner".
http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/reo/3534601194.html
3. A comment by a friend on fb that made me almost cry but reaffirmed what good friends I've made here in Michigan tha I will miss very much.
4. Amtrak that can bring a friend right to Dallas over spring break!!!
5. Good results in Monday night's football champioship game for me. Roll Tide!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Aa Random Saturday
Miscellaneous thoughts from today:
You do have to put baking powder in cornbread. I had it but forgot to add it with the other dry ingredients.
My friend's son will be getting married this summer. Yesterday he and his fiance had their first meeting with their minister and his wife. He is about 80 miles from here and the fiance is living in Texas. Between now and the wedding the minister, his wife, and the couple will meet by Skype every two weeks and for the year following the wedding as well. I haven't been through that process but that certainly impresses me as a minister who sees his responsibility as much more than pronouncing a couple husband and wife and collecting his fee. Oh, there's no fee either for this.
Today I sold my table and chairs. They had no real sentimental value to me, but I liked them. I found them at a garage sale about 5 years ago and had them refinished. Renae recovered the seats on the chairs for me. For some reason I don't like selling those or the hutch for the big move. The younger couple that got it were obviously happy at how nice they were and said they would take good care of it.
Thankfully I'm not as sick as others, but this cold has pretty well wiped me out. I slept hard for over an hour late this afternoon which means I didn't get to Hobby Lobby Appreciation Day.
My parents are the best.
You do have to put baking powder in cornbread. I had it but forgot to add it with the other dry ingredients.
My friend's son will be getting married this summer. Yesterday he and his fiance had their first meeting with their minister and his wife. He is about 80 miles from here and the fiance is living in Texas. Between now and the wedding the minister, his wife, and the couple will meet by Skype every two weeks and for the year following the wedding as well. I haven't been through that process but that certainly impresses me as a minister who sees his responsibility as much more than pronouncing a couple husband and wife and collecting his fee. Oh, there's no fee either for this.
Today I sold my table and chairs. They had no real sentimental value to me, but I liked them. I found them at a garage sale about 5 years ago and had them refinished. Renae recovered the seats on the chairs for me. For some reason I don't like selling those or the hutch for the big move. The younger couple that got it were obviously happy at how nice they were and said they would take good care of it.
Thankfully I'm not as sick as others, but this cold has pretty well wiped me out. I slept hard for over an hour late this afternoon which means I didn't get to Hobby Lobby Appreciation Day.
My parents are the best.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Weekend Trip
Friday I left work to pick up two friends, Jayne and Renae, to make a weekend trip to the Creation Museum. Thanks to Mom and Dad's membership and generosity for sharing passes.
We joked about being "Friends of Lynn" throughout the day since it said we were his guest on the back of the passes.
The museum is very interesting and very well done. We also great enjoyed seeing one of my very special friend's portray Anna in a Christmas Town drama.
Another highlight was seeing her daughter and her family and going out to eat with them. So hard to believe that the sweet little junior in high school when I first met her is now the amazing mother of 3 children. Just because it was so cute I asked him to tell his joke several times:
How do you keep a spider to keep from stop (sic) smelling?'
He then sweetly plugged his nose and said, "Hold his nose."
If you are in the Cincinnati area in the near future and eat at LaRosa's I highly recommend the Montgomery Inn pulled pork pizza. Mmmmm, very good.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Thankful Thursday 11/29/12
1. Cell phones that let me talk to family often and long.
2. Craigslist--made a nice deposit of cash at the bank today from goods I've sold in the last week.
3. A co-worker gave me the last flower of the summer for me to have at my desk. What a nice surprise when I came in Tuesday morning. Apparently it pays to move the pot into the garage for the flowers to last longer.
4. A back massager at my desk. I found one for $8 at a local thrift store and I let the balls roll up and down my back almost all day long at work. So glad my co-worker doesn't mind the noise.
5. What a beautiful full moon last night. I've been enjoying my friend's hot tub quite a few nights recently, and last night the moon was so bright it was almost as if there were lights on outside.
2. Craigslist--made a nice deposit of cash at the bank today from goods I've sold in the last week.
3. A co-worker gave me the last flower of the summer for me to have at my desk. What a nice surprise when I came in Tuesday morning. Apparently it pays to move the pot into the garage for the flowers to last longer.
4. A back massager at my desk. I found one for $8 at a local thrift store and I let the balls roll up and down my back almost all day long at work. So glad my co-worker doesn't mind the noise.
5. What a beautiful full moon last night. I've been enjoying my friend's hot tub quite a few nights recently, and last night the moon was so bright it was almost as if there were lights on outside.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Aunt Hulda
This morning my mother reminded me that our dear Aunt Hulda would have been 100 years old today. She was a single great aunt who was like an additional grandmother for me and my siblings.
She was well-traveled and brought back an infant dress for me from Egypt.
In 1968 she had a stroke that left her paralyzed on her right side. I do not remember her before the stroke. When we visited in Illinois we would help her in the morning get ready for work and in the evening we would help her get ready for bed. It was quite an accomplishment to remember the exact count of her pills every night. Included in all of the pills were two "Buffern", which how I still think of Bufferin tabs today.
Since there was a wonderful drug store up town that we loved to get candy and comic books from, Aunt Hulda allowed us to earn the money for these items by helping her. I remember negotiating with her that every thing we did would be a penny but anything to do with her feet was worth a nickel. (Remember we could buy a comic book for 15 cents or a big comic for 25 cents way back then!) On a typical day we would earn about 30-50 cents.
When we visited she would always give us money "to eat on the way home" which was of course her way of just giving us a few dollars since obviously our parents would get us food. We were torn between wanting the money and the look our mother gave us to not take money from Aunt Hulda. The life lesson I learned then was Aunt Hulda's words--"No one offers you money unless they want you to have it. If someone offers you money you take it and say thank you."
Her therapists recommended taking up a hobby so she and my dear Aunt Louise, another single aunt who was also another grandmother figure to us, took up ceramics. With her one good hand, Aunt Hulda would clean the greenware and then paint it after firing. They actually started a small ceramics business to sell their completed work.
Last Saturday at my annual pumpkin pancake breakfast I had these pieces as my centerpiece. I told my guests about how my paralyzed aunt and her sister had made these. Telling them about her made me wonder how old she was when she had the stroke. I told them I could only guess as she was always "old" to me. Today I realized she was only 56 when she had her stroke and then passed away 8 years later.
I've been thinking about her today as she passed away the Saturday after Thanksgiving which was 3 days after her birthday. I've thought about how young she was to have a stroke is by today's standard. And, I also wonder how different her treatment and life may have been if she had that stroke with today's medical improvements.
She was well-traveled and brought back an infant dress for me from Egypt.
In 1968 she had a stroke that left her paralyzed on her right side. I do not remember her before the stroke. When we visited in Illinois we would help her in the morning get ready for work and in the evening we would help her get ready for bed. It was quite an accomplishment to remember the exact count of her pills every night. Included in all of the pills were two "Buffern", which how I still think of Bufferin tabs today.
Since there was a wonderful drug store up town that we loved to get candy and comic books from, Aunt Hulda allowed us to earn the money for these items by helping her. I remember negotiating with her that every thing we did would be a penny but anything to do with her feet was worth a nickel. (Remember we could buy a comic book for 15 cents or a big comic for 25 cents way back then!) On a typical day we would earn about 30-50 cents.
When we visited she would always give us money "to eat on the way home" which was of course her way of just giving us a few dollars since obviously our parents would get us food. We were torn between wanting the money and the look our mother gave us to not take money from Aunt Hulda. The life lesson I learned then was Aunt Hulda's words--"No one offers you money unless they want you to have it. If someone offers you money you take it and say thank you."
Her therapists recommended taking up a hobby so she and my dear Aunt Louise, another single aunt who was also another grandmother figure to us, took up ceramics. With her one good hand, Aunt Hulda would clean the greenware and then paint it after firing. They actually started a small ceramics business to sell their completed work.
Last Saturday at my annual pumpkin pancake breakfast I had these pieces as my centerpiece. I told my guests about how my paralyzed aunt and her sister had made these. Telling them about her made me wonder how old she was when she had the stroke. I told them I could only guess as she was always "old" to me. Today I realized she was only 56 when she had her stroke and then passed away 8 years later.
I've been thinking about her today as she passed away the Saturday after Thanksgiving which was 3 days after her birthday. I've thought about how young she was to have a stroke is by today's standard. And, I also wonder how different her treatment and life may have been if she had that stroke with today's medical improvements.
Friday, November 23, 2012
A Few Favorite Stories
Yesterday I was reminded of three of my favorite stories from my nieces and nephews when they were little. Names have been omitted to not embarrass the speaker.
When visiting at my parents home one 3-year old nephew was sitting beside Dad at dinner. After the meal Dad complimented mother on what a good meal it was. The nephew turned to Dad and said, "She's a good woman."
Another time the nieces and nephews had all stayed at my parents so their parents could have a few days of quiet and we could all enjoy the kids. Grandma brought out a sweater to one of the nieces to put on in case she was cold--Grandma always thought they must be cold and needed socks and more clothes. One niece looked at Grandma and said, "Grandma, I'm not cold, but if you are then YOU should put on a sweater.
One Christmas a nephew and I helped the grandparents by washing their cars and then decided to go get Aunt Mary's car at work and wash it too. In the office Aunt Mary offered our services to others and the owner's wife let us wash her car too. Several times on the way to the car wash, while we were washing the car, and on the drive back I went through this with the nephew.
"It is very possible that she will offer us money for doing this for her, but her husband has been very sick so why don't we just do a nice thing for her and not take any money. If she offers money just say, "Thank you for offering, but we are happy to do this for you and your husband. We do not want any money for this." We practiced it several times.
Back at the office the lady came out with a dollar for the nephew. He began, "Thank you for offering, but we are just happy" and then looked at me saying "Now what was it I'm supposed to say?"
When visiting at my parents home one 3-year old nephew was sitting beside Dad at dinner. After the meal Dad complimented mother on what a good meal it was. The nephew turned to Dad and said, "She's a good woman."
--------------------------------
Another time the nieces and nephews had all stayed at my parents so their parents could have a few days of quiet and we could all enjoy the kids. Grandma brought out a sweater to one of the nieces to put on in case she was cold--Grandma always thought they must be cold and needed socks and more clothes. One niece looked at Grandma and said, "Grandma, I'm not cold, but if you are then YOU should put on a sweater.
--------------------------------
One Christmas a nephew and I helped the grandparents by washing their cars and then decided to go get Aunt Mary's car at work and wash it too. In the office Aunt Mary offered our services to others and the owner's wife let us wash her car too. Several times on the way to the car wash, while we were washing the car, and on the drive back I went through this with the nephew.
"It is very possible that she will offer us money for doing this for her, but her husband has been very sick so why don't we just do a nice thing for her and not take any money. If she offers money just say, "Thank you for offering, but we are happy to do this for you and your husband. We do not want any money for this." We practiced it several times.
Back at the office the lady came out with a dollar for the nephew. He began, "Thank you for offering, but we are just happy" and then looked at me saying "Now what was it I'm supposed to say?"
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Thankful Thanksgiving
1. Salvation. My uncle recently said he doesn't know how anyone can go through losing a spouse without God in their lives, and I have wondered how one faces job loss without faith.
2. Parents who have and continue to love and care for me.
3. Siblings and their spouses who no doubt shake their heads at my shenanigans but still love me and support me.
4. Nieces and nephews who are growing into responsible and mature adults who are just fun to be with.
5. I have so many possessions--some are needs, many more are wants, and some I look at and think "what was I thinking that I bought that?????"
6. Friends who include me in their holiday plans.
7. Friends who have reached out in the last couple of weeks in a variety of ways. Without realizing it they have been Omnipotence's helpers.
8. Health and knowing good healthcare is available.
9. A country that has had a "peaceful revolution" six times in my life. We can change presidential parties and while there will always be disappointment by almost half of the voters we don't worry about violence breaking out.
So many more . . .
2. Parents who have and continue to love and care for me.
3. Siblings and their spouses who no doubt shake their heads at my shenanigans but still love me and support me.
4. Nieces and nephews who are growing into responsible and mature adults who are just fun to be with.
5. I have so many possessions--some are needs, many more are wants, and some I look at and think "what was I thinking that I bought that?????"
6. Friends who include me in their holiday plans.
7. Friends who have reached out in the last couple of weeks in a variety of ways. Without realizing it they have been Omnipotence's helpers.
8. Health and knowing good healthcare is available.
9. A country that has had a "peaceful revolution" six times in my life. We can change presidential parties and while there will always be disappointment by almost half of the voters we don't worry about violence breaking out.
So many more . . .
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