Alive?

Well, just when I thought I was alive I headed on to choir practice and good grief...the bottom fell out. It takes so many neck muscles to sing and that was a new revelation for me. So...Sunday I'm in the pew. No need to rush out and do it all. I have one sore neck. Not pain in the neck but sore in the neck. Today I met with the ladies and got North Notes in the mail. We were finished in about 2 hrs. So glad I did a whole bunch of preparation earlier in the week. It could have taken us till afternoon if I had not. I took North Notes to the downtown postoffice for bulk mailing. Got the poinsettias on the altar for Sunday and did a few other things. Home by 3 and I've been sewing on the new banner. Whoopie. I love to sew.
The banner is all together and now I'm glueing mirror pieces to make stars tucked in various empty places. Need more glue that I'll get tomorrow. Doug's doctor appoint was changed to next week. I'm ready to sit and watch some basketball.

Alive and Well

I think I'm back to being alive. Wooo. That's good. Today was Soup Kitchen day. We had a bunch of left over turkey from a church near us and the soup was great. Turkey, mashpotatoes that thickens the soup, veg. and noodles. Tasty and thick. I said it was casserole instead of soup. Not many people came. Strange because it's the end of the month. One never knows. This afternoon I worked for a while on the North Notes church news letter. 8 people help me on Fridays get that letter in the mail each month and the preparation in getting things in place for the workers is a must. Makes tomorrow's people much happier. Then off to the fabric shop. I'm making a banner for the west entrance at church for Advent. That is so much fun. Found some tapestry CHEAP. The letters Star Child...referring to Jesus are cut out and I'm just about ready to sew some things together. I'm using mirror pieces to form stars all over the banner. I'm a little behind the times because it should be up by Sunday. I've had a few other things to think about. The rest of the church looks fabulous thanks to a ton of workers. I love Christmas when I'm at this point in the work month.
Bell practice last night. Choir tonight. Looking forward to seeing friends since I had surgery and then off to Conyers and haven't been at practice for a few weeks.

Tomorrow, Doug is seeing a Nephrologist concerning some blood tests that didn't not meet our internists standards for good health. This should be interesting. Maybe a trip down another health issue road. Hoping that all goes well. It seems that there is always an issue up in the air. Might be AGE!!!! Yeah Rick! We're the oldest. Get ready.

4:40...End of day!

I'm calling it quits for today. Church advent decorating is finished. Thank goodness Christmas comes only once a year. We had 12 people show for work today and that was another thankful thing. We kept them busy for about three hours and the place looks great. Lots of gold and green with a tweak of color. The place is big but the church bones are very good so a little goes a long way. I feel like we did a lot but finishing at 12:30 is not bad. That's another thankful point. Andrew came with Kat which made me think once again of Eric and Jared church decorating with me. Andrew spent some time in Kat's back pack which I didn't do. He was a very happy little boy. We have at least 50 nativity sets out all around the church. They are such fun to look at. One is all mice. One has an elephant replacing one of the camels. One looks like the little dough boy holy family. Doris Douglas stopped in to check on things. Tomorrow I'm helping her with a banner lecture for Shepherd Center folks during the day. I'll fit that in while working at the church desk. I'm off my feet with a cup of coffee coming real soon. Judge Judy is over. Bummer...I missed it.

Looking forward

I'm looking forward to the end of the next two weeks. That's when the healing process should be completed with my salivary gland surgery. Today was a "feeling very slow" day. I did get the Christmas tree up after running the sweeper and doing a little pickup. I spent some time at church working at my own pace getting ready for the Advent/Christmas decorating day tomorrow. It's always a big day of work. Patty H. also came and I think we will be ready. We've had difficulty getting the number of workers we need so after writing some North Net letters and making some phone calls my hopes are up. We never, never have to many people. The goal is to be finished by noon after just three hours of work. Doors needing decorations, west entrance needs banners and nativity sets and the sanctuary needs swags and bows, banners, nativity sets of which we have many and our traditional angels. I'm praying for energy and will keep track of how full the energy well is. Football night might just need to be shortened.

Back home again in Indiana.

Seems like we've been gone a long time but 4 days in Georgia can make you forget a lot of things. We had a wonderful time. To make this really easy...visit http://rockinrfarm.blogspot.com Jared really has put together what the whole four days were all about. No need for me to try because I'll forget more than I'll remember. The monistary is bigger than I had imagined with acres of woods, ponds, trees, magnolia trees and great southern greenery along with many deer which will become fewer in a few weeks when bow hunting starts. Our accommidations for families of monks guest house were wonderful. Lots of rooms which could sleep 12 people along with a working kitchen large dinning room and livingroom. We had the place to ourselves and Dee was with us for much of the time. Seeing candy made in bulk was a new experience. The shop selling bonsi also was a new adventure. Kimmy, Jared and I are trying our hand at that one starting small. Small enough which might include a plant death that will not break the bank. We've got to think our project through to success. Good to be home...a bit tired...jaw continues to ache but I think that is normal at this point. There is a whole bunch of tissue that needs to heal. I'm spending some time at church today to get ready for our big work day tomorrow decorating the church. Back at it in Indiana.

Slow Tuesday

I went to church to freeze the food coming from Meridian Street. We had a super donation. But got trapped there with people wanting this and that and I said I'm trying to escape. It was just one thing after another. Got home around 11:00. Not to bad. Did a bit of grocery shopping to take to Atlanta. I'm fixing pies for the Russell's but decided to make them there. I hit the new Goodwill Store late afternoon. It's opening day and looks like a fun place to get bargins. Chili for supper...washed come clothes and the packing is finished. Kimmy and JB are also all packed so we should get a good start tomorrow morning. That is if I can get Doug stirred up.

Tuesday morning

Big Thanksgiving dinner last night with JB/Eric family. Great time at the table with Jacob and Andrew on either side of me. Adam slept through most of the dinner. The food disappeared and that's the way it should be. Not a piece of corn left along with mashpotatoes and dressing.
A little turkey and limabeans in the refrigerator. The pie is gone. Stitches came out yesterday and it will be about three weeks before everything is healed. Tylanol is my friend. This morning I'm making a quick trip to church to freeze food left over from Meridian Street Meth. Thanksgiving dinner. It's great soup making stuff. That should be the only trip away from home. Time to think about getting things ready for the trip to Atlanta tomorrow. I would imagine that the roads will be full of cars. Looking forward to the 8 lanes in and out of Atlanta. That's always a great attention getter. Eldoret, Kenya news!!! Check the website indystar.com to see what's new in Eldoret.

Big time happenings

Well, the computer is working again, thanks to Kat and JB's efforts. Thank you, thank you. JB, Kimmy and the boys arrived Friday night for a few days in Indiana. The grandsons are perfect as usual according to the grandparents. We're having a great visit. We'll be traveling on to Atlanta to see Uncle Dee and Uncle Rick who is coming from Dallas on Wed. This evening the Russell's on Hillsdale will be having their big Turkey dinner. Won't need to mess with it in Atlanta. Last weeks big event on Tuesday was the removal of a defunked salivary gland. That was a very good thing although I always have trouble with pain control. Would you believe that morphine never works! I decided to stay overnight in the hospital which was the smartest decision I've made in a very long time. Stitches come out today and tylenol is all that I need at this point. That's something to be very thankful for.
One more thing...in the process of getting the computer up and running I need to restablish my address book soooooooooooo if you read this...send me an e-mail at lruss71338@aol.com and you will help establish my address book. Lela

Friday

Another Friday. I remind myself that I don't have as many Friday's left as I did when I was 20. That's the way it goes. Bell practice was good. Laughed a whole bunch. Thursday Soup Kitchen was good. Laughed a whole bunch. Not so many visitors at Bread and Bowl but the kitchen help was good. Really bushed after the morning work and doing a food order for B and Bowl which will be delivered today. That means big time work. Did NOTHING in the afternoon except take a nap and watch daytime TV. That takes no brains. We did a lot of good Christmas music at choir practice. Christmas Eve services will be stunning. Doing a little Hodie...VonWilliams with orchestra. This morning is working at the church desk answering the phone and taking care of people who walk through the door. Hair cut at 1. Now the world knows my calendar of events. Pies in the Freezer is one of the events planned for the weekend. Got to work ahead.

Another Wed.

Thank goodness there is another Wed. Lots to look forward to. But some stuff could wait.
10 more sleeps till company comes! It's some of the best company in the world. I managed to stay on task yesterday. Makes me like my house soooooo much better. Changed a few things...cleaned a bunch of things...polished a few things...cooked a few things. We had so much fun with Andrew last night. He is such a great entertainer and is quite transparent in what he is thinking. He has decided that chunky food is not so bad after all. Cheese crackers are on his menu for sure. I think the coming birthday party cake will be something he really likes.
Now the stuff that can wait. If I remember and I really need to do that, blood draws and ekg and I don't know what else happens this afternoon for the coming surgery. It's getting up front and serious time. I'm just a tad anxious. Perhaps if I could deal with the pain I could avoid the events of the 13th. On the other hand the infections that come with this @%$&* really are not the best thing to be addressing over a long period of time. I'm still trying to talk my way into the 13th. There is just a dull pain in my neck most of the time. Sore glands. Enough on that subject. Don't want to think about it. Tonight is bell practice. Something I don't want to miss.
I'm enjoying ALL of the blogs. Starts my day off with good thoughts.

Recovering in Carmel

I think that's happening. I was so bummed out watching the football game. I think the Colts just ran out of corn/hay feed. Such good stuff for three quarters but it's the score at the end that counts. What a shame. But it's the same rules for all the teams. What's at the end counts. So...on to Monday. I had a three month Doc. checkup which I always dread because I fear the worst. I need a new brain. Well, the bottom line is that I'm just fine and some things are even better than fine. Calcium has improved which is very good since it was not three years ago. My sugar A1C is 6.7 which is a good number. I'm just cooking along. Cleaned the garden up and also pulled the corn stocks and found corn to feed the racoons. Burned some garden trash which is a no, no in this town. I still think we are country. I guess town people are never supposed to have garden trash. Doug and I took 5 trunks to the Med Center for transporting to Kenya along with huge packs of Bounty and thousands of donated toothbrushes. The Kenya office is so small and filled with Kenya trunks ready to be sent. I'm feeling a tug to do some volunteer hours for that office. It's a needy place. Tonight is Dallas...Can I watch one more game. Don't know at this point.

Beautiful Sat.

Another great weather day. Did a grocery run this morning and then moved the car SEM used for the month to our house and then tomorrow will return it to it's owner. Did some garden clean up this afternoon. Moved some plants, dug out some others. I also cleaned up the gourd arbor. We have about 35 gourds drying over the winter months. A heap of wrens will be happy for their new house.
Watching a little Michigan State and Michigan football. We'll do a Panara run later tonight. Tomorrow is the BIG game. Go Colts. Let's get this overwith!