An INteresting?? Xmas.

Without to much trouble Xmas 2014 will be better.  It's been an interesting one to say the least.  The weekend before Xmas we had a huge, huge rain storm and the lower level flooded again.  Uck.  Not as bad this time but it was wet.  The attention to spouting helped somewhat but not enough so...the house has been a mess.  First the smell and moisture which really hit us after coming home from church.  Sears came on Monday to dry the room.  Fan's running humidifier running...of course...no one works on Christmas Eve so all that continued through till Thurs. afternoon.  Currently the family room stuff.  Doug's really is in the livingroom, dining room so the house is currently a total mess.  See...2014 will be better.  Went to Christmas Eve services...All three because of worship responsibilities particularily at the second service.  Noah and Andrew sang at the first and of course we sang at the third.  In bed by 1 am...awake at 5 am...sick by 7 am which continued throughout the day.  Slept a lot.  So...See...2014 will be better.  Today, Thurs. soup kitchen in the morning and this afternoon the carpet has been cleaned and the machines are all gone.  Need to wait on moving everything back another day.  Mess, mess.  Visual person that I am it has not been plesant to look at!  Christmas 2014 has got to be better.  I've missed the kids terribly.  Eric/Kat etc. in California on vacation and Jared/Kimmy in Mich.  We will be together in January.   Continue to sew bags going through all the fabric again to find fabric pieces big enough for bags.  I'm working on things for the Kenya Carnival the first of March. 

Need to think of putting decorations away at church.  It's got to happen soon but the Sunday afternoon I was going to have folks help now has been canceled because of a program that afternoon.  So it looks at this point that it will be a solo job on my part.  Guess I need to think that slow and easy gets the job done.  That was the case with preparation but I started mid Oct. Gravity will be in my favor getting things down. 

Sleepy Sat.

It's a sleepy Sat. with the snow coming down wet and heavy.  We were to have around 4 inches but it's warm and the snow is really wet so it's packed itself and should not be a problem for us.  There's a good covering.  Made two aprons  for the Kenya bazaar coming first of March.  I should have a good bit of stuff for the market place.  I'm ready to empty the sewing room.  Church stuff is finished for a while with the exception of picking up at the green house Poinsettia each week.  This week is pink and the flowers are beautiful.  Next Friday I need to pick up 12...6 red and 6 white for Xmas Eve.  I'm starting to do a bit of decorating here with wonderful Holly from Georgia.  Don't think I'll do a tree this year.  Lights don't work and the kids are not coming home till New Years so I'm happy not to need to set up stuff that just needs to come down.  We can use the room where the tree would go.  I might be looking for a new tree for next year...smaller and thinner although our tree is not very big.  Maybe even a table tree.  I'll need to think about that.  Made scones today.  Yum, yum.  They don't last.  This time...bacon added.  Not much going on.  That's probably a blessing that I need to record as a blessing.  It's a good afternoon for sleeping and I'm doing that.  Should have done more last night.     

Dec. is here

Georgia trip is over.  I drove both ways stopping every 2 hr. for a stretch for Doug.  I love that kind of traveling.  We left at 5 and arrived in Conyers around 3 pm.  That was Tues.  The rest of the folks got there on Wed. So...those first quiet hrs were wonderful to say the least after a busy, busy weekend of Church stuff.  The rest of the gang arrived from Mi, Tenn, and Texas.  Rick and Dee and I went grocery shopping and did real damage to Rick's C Card.  Woo...thanks to Rick we ate like there would be no food coming.  But come it did.  We managed to put away 9 apple pies, Turkey, S. Joes, Beef Stew, Left over turkey meal thrown into the C Pot.  and more.  Tenn. folks left on Sat. after all of them have recovered from being sick.  Mi. folks left Sun. Tex. also left Sun. and we had another quiet evening leaving Monday morning early.  Again I drove the whole way with Doug sitting in the navigator seat. 
He had a heart doc. appointment Fri.  Stents are doing well but another blockage is appearing now at 50%.  I didn't go with him because I also have a horrendous head infection.  I will go to his next appointment with questions which is in about 4 weeks.   So...I was off to the doc also on Fri.  Started in Georgia with a sore throat as well!  So...it's more pills for me.  This is getting old to say the least.  Snow arrived yesterday.  Not much but all is white.  Today I'm feeling well enough to head to church to finish up all the decorating that wasn't done last Sun.  I'm feeling now like it's finished and looking good.  Of course no one would not have thought it wasn't finished before.  Now it's quiet time until we're off to Panera around 8:00.  I'm lovin my chair and blanket with hot coffee. 

My, My...

My, My...After finishing all the decorating ideas for church early, early and then wondering about what I thought would be some empty time before the grand "put up" day of decorating on Sunday...Doug managed to fill that void.  What I didn't know was that Doug would have a stress test this past Monday...Flunking it again...with Thursday being the day when stents would be placed where there were two new blockages.  He's spending the night at Saxony Hosp. and will once again be on a good mend to more days of living.  No symptoms but something his heart doc. is really agressive about.  Yahoo for the doc. You've got to love that Doctor!!!  Doug should be home later this morning.  Woo...Life is always interesting to say the least. 
Sunday is our Hanging of the Greens! afternoon with lots of folks helping, Monday I pick up the poinsettia for Church and Tues. we will be on our way to Conyers Ga. for the annual Russell Thanksgiving family time together.  Yup...Doug's been cleared with the instructions to stop every two hrs. along the way for breaks.  Woo...we're leaving early so that we can follow instructions hoping to get to Ga. in one day.  We will be home again Mon. evening Dec. 2.     On a sadder note, two of my good friends memorial services will be held while we're gone.  Neighbor Nancy Farrar and church friend Mary Vinkamulder.  Keep both of those families in your prayers. 

Wed.

Well, as is usually the case.  I'm working at the desk at church today.  Interesting place to be most of the time.  Today it's been a little quieter than usual.  Sr. Citizens are here as they usually are every Wed. with a great program and lunch.  Staff meetings have been moved from Tues. to Wed. and I'll be here until around 3.  And I just found out that I get a hot meal on the second Wed.  Yum, yum. 
This afternoon I'll be getting ready for Soup Kitchen when I'm finished at the desk and I'll also be changing one of the displays on prayer, getting ready for the big Advent push on decorating which will be after church on the 24th..  We had our first snow of the year but it happened at night.  Bummer.  Still doing the sewing machine thing.  Found an interesting book at the library yesterday.  Had to try the new thing out and I have a really fun pillow top.  Of course it helps to have wild fabric, thanks to Cindy's gift.  Tonight is handbell practice.  Tomorrow is soup kitchen, then choir practice and the weekend is here.  Grandson Andrew turned 7 on Tues.  Noah came to visit on Tuesday.  Again..what fun grandsons to have close by. 

Still spinning

Wild onions keep me busy but I t hink at this point I'm a bit ahead of them.  We'll see for sure in the spring.  Busy sewing and this past week it was aprons and more.  We're using some at soup kitchen.  We need them a whole bunch.  Noah continues to visit on Tues. morning.  He makes my day.  What a gem of a little guy.  Today is Thurs. and ofcourse it's soup kitchen day.  We had a ton of folks and the food stretch to the end...barely!  I'm spending the afternoon at the desk.  Lots of rain today.  ALL DAY.  We had the roofing material delivered yesterday but it will probably be Monday when the drying out is over.  Chimney is finished, new siding on the house and roof  and gutter covers soon.  The hail did us in last spring.  Halloween has been delayed because of the rain.  Weinie kids and parents.  Remembered being soaked and cold but  Holloween could not wait for  fair weather.  Now thinking of Thanksgiving in Georgia.  That's good thinking.  Ordered flowers for Dec. and Church today.  Check that off the list.  Woo, woo.  I cleaned up most of the flowerbeds at the beginning of the week.  Trash cans were full again.  Getting ready for winter! 

Busy, busy

This morning we leave of Indianapolis after a wonderful 4 days with Jared B and family.  The weather has been just perfect.  Low humidity days and temps in the low 70's at the most.  So...what did we do.  Jared cut down at least 30 trees in the three days we've been here.  And...the other three of us got those trees to the burn piles...huge burn piles and that has been most of the entertainment.  Woo...what a difference the second of two brush acres looks.  Big difference for sure.  I've been really impressed with the amount of work that has been going on clearing both trash woods.  Last night Kimmy and I raked and burned leaves and a huge amount of sticks from the east side of the house which they had been clearing for about a month.  We pretty much finished the west "woods" but I'm sure there will be some watching and trimming up of grapevines as well as other little, little stuff.  That Kimmy can work!  Jared is not much of a slacker as well.  The kids have been fun to be with.  They play in the barn for hours with their neighbor Nick.  I mean hours!  It's been a real treat being here.  The kids are off to school this morning...Jared back to work and Kimmy I'm sure will be outside with her rake and loppers with Eli along side.  We'll be on the road soon back to Indy where I can check on my onion crop with the weed killer.  Ugh! 

Slacker

Call me slacker on the blog.  But not other places.  I am continuing to dig up wild onions in my front flowerbed.  It a uck job with what looks like no end.  That's an almost every morning job of about 45 minutes at the least.  I'm not planting anything in that bed which goes across most of the front of the house until I can see the onions gone.  Might take all fall and more.  The sewing machine is going again.  I found a pattern for visors and have made about 25 so far.  Giving some to soup kitchen workers and hope to sell some to school cafeteria workers through Beth G. who works at one of the Carmel Schools.  Church continues as well.  Xmas decorations are almost finished.  Other fall displays are around the church.  Blessing of the Animals is tomorrow so St. Francis is out and about.  Communion parts are in place for Sunday.  Made some Doc. calls this week and now have an appointment for knee fixin happening early in Feb.  I think I can hang in there that long.  Gardening will be finished for sure at that point and Xmas will be long over.  Shoulder got a shot.  Doc does not think that's it's a torn rotator.  Hope he is right.  Eye doc appointment is coming up next week.  Seems there is a growth over one of the eyes growing sometimes after cataract surgery.  Doug had one and guess it's my turn.  See...I've been busy!  I just decided to sit one day and make appointments and I did.  Mamlins are back in the states.  I spent a day cleaning their house.  It's BIG.  4 bathrooms and lots of rooms with a finished basement.  Took me three days to get over that.  Woo...Tomorrow I'm taking a friend to the airport.  She is leaving her car for Sarah Ellen to use so taking her to the airport is the least I could do to make this all work.  Daniel O. is coming to that same airport 2 hrs. later flying from Eldoret.  Daniel has been here many times with quite serious eye problems so there may be surgery this time.  Dick H. is meeting him at the airport.  Lots of trips going on tomorrow.  Spent time one evening at church with Umoja activities.  So...I'm always happy to be HOME!  Even though those darn onions are a problem I hate.   

Sunday afternoon

Football, nap, after church.  Fall must be here.  Cleaning up the gardens have started.  So...it's clip and dig and then clip.  Two more huge garbage bins are ready to move to the street.  Bells start this wed. evening and that's about all that is added to the schedule.  Noah will be here Tues. again.  This week should be less full of places to be.  I finished another Xmas wreath last week and I think there is one more very simple one to do.  Met with the knee doc last week and surgery is a go but I think I will wait till the last of January.  Life should be a little more simple at that point.  Holidays are over and my soup kitchen cook will be back from Florida at the end of January.  Great music at church today and tonight is one of those old fashioned hymnsings in the chapel.  They have been fun to attend.   

Sat. evening

Life is good.  Continuing to make scones...Yum, Yum.  There are so many things one can put in a scone that it is just a picnic thinking of something new.  I've also had a blast cooking from an old New England cookbook that I bought at Copper Harbor for 2 bucks.  Just good old...carrots, beets, beans, maple syrup stuff.   Oops...forgot onions.  Basic food found in early New England.  No mushrooms, and all that specialty stuff. I'm continuing on the war on ivy.  Another container ready for the garbage.  Today neighbor Judy and I  went to Tipton to a friend who raises plants to sell to retail nurseries.  She offers friends wholesale prices twice a year.  I have some beautiful things to start to plant in the front bed but need to get the soil ready.  I think I'm finished with the ivy war but will continue if the ivy doesn't stay in it's place!!!  Fun, fun.  Noah continues to visit on Tuesdays.  We just have the best time.  He loves to dig and there are many places now that he just does that.  This spring we had a great hail storm which did a lot of damage.  The car is fixed and now it's time for a new roof and chimney work.  I'll be happy when this is all finished.  Insurance folks just really did a long drag on coming through.  Church continues to keep me busy, busy.  I'm working on Christmas stuff and have a lot finished but more to do.  That's fun time just being in the groove and away from everything else.  Two more huge wreaths to go for sure and a few small things.  Early work is the secret.   

Groove...

I'm in groove and need to move on one of these days.  Filled two more huge containers with garden clippings.  One might think that there is no garden left but there is...More ivy, dead ferns gone and just a whole bunch of trimming.  It has been unreasonably dry so watering continues. The front of the house got it's final...I hope...tilling and I'm watching for anything coming up and so far nothing...so good.  I needed to do more digging with day lilies.  Noah's favorite thing to do is dig in the bare flowerbeds.  Keep it up kido. 
Thursday we had more people than ever...really ever...at soup kitchen. I would think over a hundred and we had enough food.  Busy, busy.  It's the end of the month and for some reason...I said let's take all of the pans out of the freezer so we had 4 pans( we usually use 3) with the last one emptied when the last person walked in the community room.  Woo...sometimes it makes me wonder...it's the 5000 we're feeding. 
Spend time that afternoon  making the two large wreaths for Xmas...moving right along.  So far I'm ahead of the game. 
Noah came on Tuesday.  What a treat.  He asked me if I was old.  Well, I gave him a none answer and then he said...Grandpa is old.  and then I told him I was older than grandpa.  Well, I got a very confused face looking at me.  Gave me a good laugh and something to remember for sure.  What a great little guy.  I love his visits. 
Making scones on a regular basis.  A bakery in Copper Harbor makes them and I found out how simple the process is.  So...we've had black berry, cheese, bacon and orange.  Yum, yum.  Doug is lovin it and neighbor Nancy is also. 

more stuff

I was a little brief in the last post...So...Yes...there were pancakes every morning.  What fun.  Needed to increase the amount this year.  Bigger boys.  It was a wonderful two weeks with family and friends from Novi and Copper Harbor.  Now home stuff.  Where to begin?  I'll start today and go backwards.  This afternoon I finished pulling out all the vinca, and ivy as well as some beat up hostas across the front of the house.  I also dug up all the day lillies in more than one place but I did that last week.  What a job.  Ucky flowers for sure.  That might have caused the final blow on the ailing knee.  So...one of these days I'll get the tiller out and move all the dirt, add some good stuff to the soil so that it's ready to replant next spring.  It's been one G Aweful  mess for some years now.  I think I have enough stuff from the back to move to the front with no problem but I'd like to add a few things as well keeping some of the sunny places for cut flowers.  I have some time to think about this.  When in michigan I gathered a lot of birch bark and drift wood and I'm using those things in the Christmas decorations at church.  Yesterday I made 4 swags, took one of  them to church, hung a banner, hung one swag and it's a go for one of the ideas in the sanctuary.  I added some burgandy and pink silk roses and a few other things.  Woo...that's the beginning of a huge project.  Next week I want to work on 2 huge wreaths and get that out of the way asap.  I've never started this early but I'm anticipating that after an appointment with the knee doc in Sept.  there may be some knee surgery to contend with.  We'll see but I want to be ready.  I had lunch with my good old teaching buddies as well as a great lunch with Doris D.  She is feeling so much better and is very much aware of that.  So...we had a good lunch and a lot of good laughs.  Tuesday Noah came to see me.  That's another morning of fun.  He is such a good entertainer.  We made a book, read stories and just had great conversations going. 

HOme

Back home again in Indiana.   The vacation was wonderful.  Cool weather, one or two sweatshirts...one afternoon of shorts for 2 hrs.  Smoked fish, Pasties, Grandsons, smores, walks, stones and rocks, and then it was doing it all over again.  Read 7 books.  And now it's the life as it is back in Indiana. 

Easy livin'

This past week seemed a bit easier.  Well, it was stinkin hot so that means...take it easy.  Went to the library on two of the afternoons.  Ate on the patio and just stayed quiet with the fan going at 100% which I think is what really happened before ac.  Doug has all the apple wood branches burned, flowerbeds look great and am trying a new trick for the deer.  Seems that we had a ton of tree branches because of Jared's apple tree project.  so I just made a big barrier around the tomatoes and beans.  Seems to be working!  Didn't cost a cent.  Today I packed my clothes for vacation.  Whoopie!  Food is gathering on the table to be packed.  That means pancake mix and syrup with just a few more things to buy.  I think all of my jobs at church are covered.  That is more than one job for sure.  Stayed with Andrew and Noah today at their place.  Noah has once again developed a horrible cough. Some day that won't happen but it's a regular visitor again.  Tomorrow they will come here for the morning.  Took a hearing test today and no change.  That's another blessing.  The aids now are at 100%.  Love it.  Wed. I'm having lunch with a long ago student teacher Moria.  She is such a gifted teacher and was that from the first time I met her.  Carmel has a gem.  Thursday is soup kitchen and we leave for Michigan on Friday...Doug's 74th birthday.  We are getting old or at least older.  Seems it goes with living.  We make it a two day trip to Mi.   Sunday night we'll be sleeping in a tent in Copper Harbor with JB, Kimmy and the grandsons as next door neighbors.  That's a winner for sure.  The packing is beginning. 

Way to much happening.

I can't remember all of it.  Memorial service for brother-in-law Phil on the 13th.  Dinner at church and Supper at neice Beth's house. 
Brother Jim here...Jared and Kimmy here...4 huge projects completed by Jared...Apple tree bit the dust, patio power cleaned, dishwasher fixed and one more I forgot.  See...to much stuff going on.  The battle continues in the garden with the deer.  Sort of gave up on them...But...we piled tree branches over the beans and then the deer ate the tomatoes.  Can't win I guess.  So...the plan is now to pile tree branches all around the tomatoes to see if that discourages the tomato eating binge.  Flowers look good.  Things are starting to look a bit dried up.  So...started to water today.  Andrew and Noah spent the morning.  Big event was filling their little swimming pool.  Lots of fun on an extremely hot day.  Sunday afternoon I decided to work again on the ivy growing on the house.  A few weeks ago I cut all the ivy so the vines were dead so I wire brushed the entire front and back brick of the house getting a ton of little stuff off.  Woo...wore me totally out.  Monday I was NO good.  Such a bummer to experience a body that can't work hard two days in a row.  The north side of the house remains to be finished but not during our hot week of weather.  Tomorrow morning I'm working on the desk at church and Thurs. is soup kitchen day.  That's enough for this week. 

4th of July.

Once again garbage day saw three huge containers filled with stuff pulled from the flowerbeds. It's the darn ivy.  It just goes on and on.  Lots and lots of rain which brings the good with the bad.  Planted a second tomato plant.  The cantalope hit the mud, the deer are eating the beans and they even got into the corn a bit.  I decided at one point to skip the garden  but today got more deer repellent, squash seeds and I planted another row of g. beans.  Seems the seeds got wet in one of the storms so I thought what the heck.  The deer love them.  I am on a roll with sewing 30 inch square baby blankets for Kenya.  I have so much fabric gifted to me so I just keep on sewing.  My back needs a break.  Between yesterday and today I've got ten ready to go with Dr. Lemons...I think he's in Kenya right now with about 30 I made as well as others made by the ladies at Sec. Presb. Church.  I can just imagine these blankets washed and drying on a bush somewhere in the country. New mothers get one after delivery at the Mother Baby Hospital in Eldoret.  11 empty trunks are back at the Mamlin household.  SEM will probably bring 4 more when she comes in Oct.  So...I can scratch buying trunks off the to do list.  Woo, woo.  First time that's happened in I would say 15 years.  That's the Kenya news. 

Today is the 4th.  It's a none holiday for us.  Doug HATES to be in crouds so the house is where he wants to be...No people but us.  Can be sort of boring. 

Busy at church as usual.  Did two bulletin boards, one on Kenya and one with great softball pictures,  as well as a table arrangement in the west entrance.  Sat. I'm taking flowers to church for the altar on Sunday.  No one has signed up to do this.   The garden is just really exciting at this point with lots of flower options.  No soup kitchen today...Yahoo!!!!  That's about it. 

Thursday.

Tired in Carmel.  Busy day with Soup Kitchen.  It's the last one of the month and we were swomped.  Lots of food and ofcourse the bad manners came out when seconds on chicken became the challenge of the day.  Uck...I hate it when grown men try to abuse the system they well know lying about whether they have been through the line  and are back for more.   Chicken does that to them.  So...the brain needs to remember the good times at the beginning of the month.  Slept for an hr this afternoon.  Replanted a tomato plant.  The first one bit the dust yesterday.  I bought more deer repellent.  I have more money at this point in repellent than what we might get with produce from the garden.  Doesn't make a bit of sense.  Tonight we are meeting the Smiths at Stake and Shake.  We do this about twice a year.  Always good conversation.  Bible School is over.  I helped serve food and ate three good meals.  Not much cooking for me this week.  Tomorrow we are going to the airport to collect 12 trunks returning from Kenya empty.  Woo, woo.  that's something to celebrate.  I'll not be buying trunks in the fall for their return trip to Kenya filled with things for the Sally Test program.  Still pulling ivy from the front of the house.  One huge garbage container is filled and it's time to start on the north side of the house.  Woo...that's something that wears me out as well.  Pull, pull. pull. 

Another Sunday

Well, two nights ago the deer took out half of the bean crop.  Watered it well and I think they will come back slowly.   More repelent is now in the garden.  Everything looks very good and now it's wait.  Once again I started pulling up stuff across the front of the house.  What a chore.  Not finished with it.   Not to much other stuff going on.  Helped Doris D do a banner presentation at church this past Wed.  What a remarkable 92 year old lady.  After helping with three presentations I told her that the next one needs to wait for a bit.  Today the church said good by to our associate minister and a grad. sem. student who has been working at church.  Both of them have been assigned churches of their own.  So...there is a huge hole in leadership at church.  And the office staff has been messed with big time.  Ugh!  I hate changes but that's the name of the game for now.  Tomorrow I'm having lunch with my three teacher friends of many years.  Always good to see them. 

A few things this week

Woo...Tuesday Noah and Andrew came to visit while Kat was working at the apartments.  Busy kids till around 1pm and then on to church to change out the sanctuary banners and create two banner standards for Sunday.  There is a wedding Sat. so couldn't finish the project but will do that early Sun. morning.  Wed...big whop!!  .  We moved the final 10 Sarah Ellen trunks on to the airport to be transported to Kanya by the Brebuf students.  What a relief to know that all are on their way.  We packed a total of 14 trunks in May.  Sem took 4 back and we now have cleaned out her garage,  NO more trunks until they are back in Oct.  What a blessing...believe me!  No bell practice tonight for the summer!!  This morning was B and Bowl and it went very well.  Great people coming.  Conversations are good and the food is enjoyed by many.  So...that's all the current stuff.  Oh, yes...tilled the garden yesterday and now have beans, corn, tomatoes, pepers and cantalope planted.  Also added some zinna flower seeds.  The plan is that we will be eating from the garden after we get back from vacation.  That's the plan unless the deer beat us out.  We are working with  good deer repelent from the hardware store.  Great soaking rain last night.  We don't need rain soon.  No choir tonight!  That's it for the summer.  Another lazy afternoon and evening and the Spurs are going to beat the Heat!!!!!  Go Spurs. 

Good Grief!

Where has the time gone.  I last posted in May.  So...here goes...Graduation parties...kids from church.  My dear little Maddy who I have known since she was at least 3.  And...she and her mother are leaving for Kenya tomorrow, tuesday for two weeks with a great group of kids from Sec. Presb. visiting the Umoja Project.  Wed. I helped Ellen D H. with an Umoja presentation at St. Lukes.  We set up a huge bulletin board with info in the early afternoon after I worked at the front desk and then in the evening heard Ellen talk and dismantled the board again.  Thursday was our big rehearsal for Haydn's Teresa Mass which we sang Sunday morning with a small orchestra.  Lots of work but soooo worth while.  It was a great big busy Sunday for sure.  Then Sun. afternoon there was a blow out Choir picnic.  Woo...on to summer choir which most of the regulars do but I DON'T.  Even though its only a Sun. morning practice, I choose to sit in the pew!  Another thing I've been working on is getting trunks to Eldoret.  There are 10 to move on and the wonderful Brebuf group of students are taking all 10.  That means that we delivered 4 to Mary TO this afternoon.  Her daughter is going with the group and Doug and I will take the other 6 to the airport Wed. morning to meet the rest of the group.  Woo...that's a miracle in the making.  Tuesday was Eric's 43rd birthday and we met them at the Dairy Queen for icecream and gift giving.  So...tomorrow...Noah and Andrew are coming for the morning and we will play in the creek, I am sure.  In the afternoon the plan is to go to church to take down musical banners that were hung for the mass and put up some other stuff for Sunday.  This part of my life should slow down soon.  It's been something different for every Sunday so the sooner the slowdown comes the better.  Garden is getting the time inbetween all of the stuff that has happened.  The rain has come at the right time and the plants really look great.  Pretty soon it's time to till the garden space.  It's later than usual but hopefully if the deer cooperate we will get some vegetables after we get back from Michigan.  Later is better.  Deer have been passing by almost every morning.  I chased one out of the yard this morning.  Munching has been their chief occupation. 

Another week and more!

Busy, busy as a bee.  I knotted or sewed 15 comforter/quilts for the Indianapolis Quilters Guild in about 4 days.  I am determined to get their
stash caught up.  Rainy weather has been very beneficial to the project.  Can't be outside so what better way to use the inside while the Pacers are trying to punch out the Heat!!!  So I sit and sew sometimes on the machine and sometimes by hand.  I think there are about 10 more to do and I'll get them this afternoon.  Sunday was Trinity Sunday and the church looked splashing with lots of signs of the Trinity throughout the church.  And...Tues. I came in to change the sanctuary into Youth Sunday stuff and a huge delegation of folks from the Fellowship of UM in Worship and the Arts arrived and they seemed to be blown away with the visuals.  Well, at least some of them.  Their Convention is coming to Indy July of 2015.  What a treat.  Many of us have been to conventions through the years.  It's an awesome experience.  North hopes to host a worship service or organ concert.  So that was the excitement of the morning.  I got the church in shape for Sunday and then on to Sarah Ellen's to pack trunks.  We have about 13 ready to go.  SEM is taking 4 and it's up to me and her to find other ways to get the trunks to Eldoret before they arrive back here in Oct.  It was a busy day.  Today is work at the church desk, a stop at the grocery and then home, and on to Kat's to plant some flowers, then delivering the 15 finished quilts and then picking up more to sew and then on to a bell party pitch in and somewhere in between somewhereI need to make two pies.  Gosh...not bored to say the least.  Packing the day full.  Tomorrow is Soup Kitchen cooking and then we will take Sarah Ellen to the airport at noon.  Then rehearsal for Haydn's Teresa Mass which we are doing in two weeks on Sunday morning.  It's wonderful. 

Gosh...times really flies!

10 days...Hello everyone.  Monday I went to church to put Easter away and get out Pentecost.  Woo...my favorite Sunday of the year.  Everything was hung by the afternoon and RED against the gray stone just puts the best side of anything hung in place.  Tuesday back to church to put away Easter and Dee came in the afternoon for Supper and overnight.  We went out to Chili's for supper with Kat and Eric and family and Kristen and family.  Lots of good visiting.  Wed. I worked at the desk in the morning and Dee left for Atlanta in the afternoon.  Bell practice Wed. evening.  Thursday was Soup Kitchen and then Choir in the evening.  Friday was a continuation of working in the gardens which really also happened during the week at every spare minute.  Today was Pentecost Sunday and the service was full, full and lots of fun.  Liturgical dance, bells played, choir sang, confirmation for 6th and 7th grade students, reception after service for two of our staff members who graduated from seminary.  Woo, lots going on.   Tilled in the gardens today where it was needed, continued transplanting some hostas among other things and need to do some seed planting as soon as it gets a bit of shade.  When I have a spare minute I'm also finishing some quilts for the Indianapolis Quilters Gild.  Many will be given away next month so need to get my bag full finished.  Sleeping continues to go sooooo well.  I am blessed.  That's about it for now.  Life is full and fun

Time flys

Can't believe it's been a week since the last post.  Hummm...let me think.  Two good friends unloaded their fabric stashes on to me...one sat and the other sun.  Woo...some I kept and some I moved on to the Lutheran Ladies.  There is a fairy tale about spinning straw into gold.  I'm spinning the sewing machine with fabric into something.  First to get finished are 10 baby blankets needed in Eldoret at the Mother and Baby Hospital.  It took some time to sort through all the fabric and find places for the stuff I'm keeping.  Tuesday Dee stopped by for lunch on his way to a conference in Michigan.  Had a good visit on the patio and did a bunch of talking.  Monday I filled 1 1/2 garbage container full of weeds and stuff from the front of the house.  Woo...that was a huge energy sucker.  Dug lots of wild onions...my least favorite.  The front is finished and now more to do on the north side of the house and then I think I'm finished for a while.  Moved all of Andrew/Noah playground stuff to the garden area and it now is sitting on a soft bed of straw.  I hope the kids like it.  Need to till the garden soon.  The back yard is beautiful.  The front yard...so, so.  Today I spent about 3 hrs with Sarah Ellen and two other friends packing trunks with stuff she purchased for Kenya and tonight was handbells.  Got the car back with all the hail damage fixed this afternoon.  Woo...it was a whirlwind kind of day.  Tomorrow starts with Bread and Bowl.  Then maybe finishing the north side of the house and then it's choir.  I'm ready to plant flowers!!!!   We could use a bit of rain. 

Wed. at church

I posted on Monday but yesterday Noah came for the afternoon and we were busy, busy, busy.  So...here goes the day. 
I started the day with pulling weeds, digging dandilion and Johnson grass and pulling up ivy.  It's a fighter.   Then Noah arrived...we had lunch on the patio...It's warm enough...barely.  Not in order but what follows happened.  Playing in the sandbox.  Watering the garden with lots of water which left him soaked...(everything in the drier except Noah)  planing flower seeds, digging in the dirt for a long time and playing with earthworms...lots of them, playing with marbles, playing with dominoes, paper, colored pencils and scissors, watching just a little bit of Daniel Tigar, walking to the creek and throwing stones and sticks and finally playing hide and seek with Andrew when he arrived to get Noah.  I was bushed...he was going strong but I bet he was in bed before me!!!  Woo...i'm at  church this morning on the desk which is really simple. 

Dried out in Indy...

Don't know why I identify with Indy when I live in Carmel!!!   Life is a bit more doable at this point.  Carpets are dry, car assessment has been completed with a repair date...$5,340.000 hail damage.  Roof, guttering and siding assessment finished and all will be replaced or repaired or what ever insurance co. do.  Doug still needs to get his area back to some semblance of order.  The order has never been exactly known to me and never will be.  Sarah Ellen has returned to Indy and so happy to see her once again.  We have way to much church/ Kenya history together that will never be forgotten.  She talked at church yesterday for an hr. of information to a rather large gathering of people during the Sunday school hr.  That hasn't happened in a long time so it was good to hear stories again to the old timers as well as the new folks who came to the session.  Sylvia McNaire even came.  What a sweet person with such a wonderful gift of singing.  Sylvia went to Kenya to check out the IU program and came back a convert to the program and such a supporter of SEMamlin.  Hope to do some shopping with Sarah Ellen at some point this week.  Today I'm meeting for lunch the old retired teacher group from Smokey Row.  Woo...they have been meeting for years and this is my first lunch meeting with them.  Hope it goes well. 

More bummer news this past week.  Two of my best staff friends at North are leaving.  Nancy Jo and Brian Williams.  Bad news for me but for Brian...a new appointment as Sr. minister at University Heights Church here in the city.  Brian has been the BEST community outreach person ever at North in the 45 years I have attended and is a big part of Bread and Bowl Soup kitchen....Gosh...I'll miss him a bunch.  Have no idea who will fill his position at this point.  Such an understanding person about the neighborhood folks!  Great mission minded person.  I hate to think we will have something less than Brian but it probably will happen.  How many ministers have I see leave North?  A ton!  It's the Methidist way!!!! 

Monday evening

I managed to keep all 9 H. School kids busy on Thursday with a lot of different jobs that needed doing.  Soup kitchen was once again a success with good quiet appreciative eaters and workers as well. 
Friday...big rain storm.  Flooded the basement again.  Had a roofer look at the roof and there is hail damage as well as gutter damage.  So...making a claim to get that fixed as well as the hail damaged car.  Gosh...lots of trouble lately.  The carpet is being cleaned tomorrow.  Worked a little in the yard today but cleaning the lower level adds to the work level as well..  Went to Kat and Eric's house this morning to stay with Noah while Kat went to volunteer at school.  Always fun.  I didn't want Noah here while we have the carpet problem.  He continues to have breathing problems and our house is not a good environment until it gets a good cleaning.  Tomorrow lunch with my good retired teaching friends.  Love it. Thursday, picking up Sarah Ellen Mamlin at the airport.  Another good afternoon after B and Bowl.  

Tuesday morning

The schedule today.  Noah is coming later this morning while Kat does volunteer work at Andrew's school.  Then to the knee doctor this afternoon.  I full think that the right knee which has the repair is just fine and the question will be...what's up with the left knee.  Big fall in the community room two months ago did nothing good for that knee.  Could need a repair this fall.   Then it's off to somewhere downtown with neighbor Judy to have supper with old neighbors and then to a butterfly evening meeting.  Don't have a clue about this meeting except it's butterflies.  Judy wants someone to go with her.  She hates driving downtown and I think I'll offer  her a ride.  I have no problem with downtown.  Tomorrow is desk work at church, Thursday is bread and bowl and 9 kids are coming from University H. School to work for two hrs.  I really need to be thinking about keeping them all busy.  Might make a trip to church today to order food for the pantry.  Some could unpack cases of food.  That would be helpful.  Did a bit of sewing yesterday and will do a little this morning.  Noah always likes to watch the sewing machine do it's thing while he watches TV.

Another week almost

The Michigan trip was wonderful and taking care of the sheep, playing with the grandsons and seeing Kimmy and Jared was awesome.  And the fact that I got out of Dodge came in second best.  One thing that wasn't so good was missing Noah's birthday party which I heard was awesome.  Hope to see Noah next week again.  We drove home Monday afternoon.  Compared to Mi.  the weather was warm.  So...immediately looked at all the stuff coming out of the ground and really noticing that I had lots of flowerbed work to do.  So...jumped right in...continued Tues and a little more on Wed.  So...most of that is finished.  I decided to make a "children's" garden where my herb garden was last year.  I'm moving the climber, sandbox, bird bath and bird feeder and other stuff., to that area and adding some interesting things for the boys to observe throughout the summer.  Well, that's the goal.  Wed. evening was Ministries Council and Handbell practice.  Today was soup kitchen...Way to much work with to few adults but mission accomplished again.  Then a visit with Jim at Mary Kathryne's and then off to Choir practice after a supper of soup.  Weather has been crazy.  Big hail storm yesterday and MY car is full of Hail damage.  Got to make a claim tomorrow  but interesting enough, friend Debbie said she had the same things  a few years ago and when the hot weather came the hail dents just popped out.  Could that be true.  Maybe so if Debbie said so.  So...tomorrow I hope to clean this house a bit.  It's really been neglected because of all the other stuff that has claimed my time.  Sleeping with the Cpap machine continues to go well.  Lovin' it but still wake up sometime pulling it off for a few minutes...then back on and back to sleep.  Yahoo. 

Easter is OVER!

Well, till it appears next year.  Woo...didn't realize how tired my brain was till about Monday, then Tues, then Wed.  when I just sat.  I did run the sewing machine which was a total change from the past weeks.  We had planned for a few weeks to go to Mi to see JB and family and the sheep so Thurs. after Soup Kitchen we headed north.  It's a good brain recharger which I need desperately.  So.  this message is written from Mi.  The big kids, little kids and all the baby sheep and their mothers are doing well.  All the babies have arrived.  The smallest one, one of triplets(7 pounds)  is being neglected by her mother so she is a bottle feeder every 4 hrs.  So cute and just follows one all over the place.  (Mary had a little lamb) Especially if one has bottle fed her.  So cute and so little.  Kimmy said Number 22  has been known to crawl through the fence and stand crying at the back door for her bottle.  They have plugged the fence as of today.  Two of the babies are sick now so they are getting extra attention with antibodies, electrolytes and pepto bismo.  The hope is that they will survive.  Such fun to see how the grandsons get along including little Eli into almost everything.  JB was home from work today getting his bee hives ready for their delivery on the 25th.  Three pounds of bees are coming.  And the rest of the time it's back and forth to the barn to check on the sheep, taking care of the sick babies and feeding no 22.  It's been "warm" today...Michigan words...and the kids have played in the sandbox a whole lot.  Even though it's not very warm.  Jacob was in shorts for a while.  Brr.  Jared found three snakes.  Kinzie is here helping just about everywhere.  It take at least two and sometimes three people to treat those sick babies.  Today Jacob and worked on a sewing project of making a bag for his teacher gift at the end of the year.  He did a great job.  Adam made a sheep hate.  And I also brought some extra fabric for Jacob to use.  It's been an entertaining day, the first of more to come and I'm not asked to do a thing.  Yahoo.  Just what I needed.  Sleeping continues to be a wonderful thing that continues to happen.  Yahoo again. 

Friday afternoon

The weather is beautiful.  Sunshine all day.  We'll take it because rain they say is on the way.  Cpap machine is working beautifully.  I love it because I'm sleeping soooo well.  Not a problem at all.  Mandy Thurs. service last night.  Tonight Good Friday...tomorrow decorating and then Easter.  Seems that happens every year.  Today I went to church early and got yesterday and last night things put away and started on some Easter stuff and then covered things with black cloths, ready for a faster tomorrow.  At least that's the hope.  92 year old friend Doris is suffering from Shingles.  Poor thing.  She is miserable.  Early Supper tonight and to church by 6:15.  We're singing the last 7 words again.  That seems to happen every year as well. 

Wed.

Snow storm...Huge, Huge.  But...I got to the Doc and he got there as well.  Very good meeting and learned a whole lot of things about the sleep test.  Stopped breathing 25 times in 1 hr.  Uck...not good among a few other things.  CO2 really increases when that happens.  Then on to the resp/sleep technician who got me set up after a two hr. explanation on what the machine will do and how to use it.  Woo, woo.  Got it plugged in and ready for time to sleep.  The first night...Around 12 am...woke up and torn the darn thing off before I thought...NOT THE THING TO DO!  Slept till 5 the next morning.  Could have slept longer but I've been waking up so early for so long that I thought ...time to get up.  Last night...bed by 9:30...Early...slept till 6:45...Woo...that's a very long time but sometime during the night I unhooked the hose...Can't remember doing that for sure.  Figured that out around 2am when I discovered the machine wasn't working!   I must say that it is much easier to breath at night.  Sleep more restful I can tell already.  So happy to have some good sleep already. 

Yesterday I went to church and stripped everything down to boring...for sure.  Ready for Holy Week.
Hope all goes well for Easter decorating on Sat.   It's crunch time. 

Made two baby quilts yesterday for my two Detroit Mi. sisters both expecting babies at almost the same time.  And finished a stole for Darren C Wood.  One more to go for Brian W. but won't be finished I'm certain for this Lent.  There's another one coming next year for sure.  That's about it.  Should be in the 50's by the end of the week.  Yahoo. 

Starting Sat.

The reception for Jo and Kent was a grand success.  Kent plays with a trombone group and I never heard so many trombones play together providing entertainment at their reception.  Great music.  Doug and I arrived at 2 to get food ready for the reception.  Lots of food came in from the choir members. About 100 people were there.  Jo and Kent will be moving to Atlanta on the 3rd of April.  I  used up all the energy buttons for sure.  Home around 6:30.  Woo...then off to Paneras to get pastries for Sunday. 

Doug woke up Sun. morning and said he was tired.  Well, add me but I told him...can't give in till after church.  The everready bunny needed to keep on going and we did.  Lots of hype on the March Snowstorm coming our way and IT started around 5 in the evening.  We've been slammed again.  I think it's around 5 inches but the roads seem to be passible if there are not crazy people driving. 

The PROBLEM...Doug and I both have rescheduled Doc appointments this morning...His at 8.   Doc. Goens called at 6:30 and said he would not be in the office.  So...it's another reschedule for Doug.  Mine is with the Sleep Doc at 8:30.  and I hope that he doesn't call because I want to see him.  Now can I get there?  Hope so.   And I hope he is there as well.  Crazy weather for sure.  Pretty but crazy. 

This week...lots to do ofcourse at church.  Holy Week.  Snow...bah humbug. 

Finished up the 1% Palm Sun. stuffwhich was a bit more than 1%  Funny how that happens.  But...it's finished.  Then Monday it's tear down day.  No bells this week.  Yahoo.  Soup kitchen went well.  Next week I'm the cook and more since Diane is going to Ohio for a long weekend visiting her mother.  Choir practice was busy with lots of music.  Today I'm getting the Palms ready for Sunday and we're having a going away reception for Jo and Kent who are moving to Atlanta on Sat afternoon.  Such good long time faithful  members who both sing so well even though they are near 80 years.  So...if I set that up today tomorrow will be EASY.  I have time today.  Sometimes I think how easy life was when I was teaching.  Well, maybe that was the case.  Something go to the forgotten file.   

I survived.

The sewing machine is back home.  Happy Days are here again.  Grandchildren's
 pants are patched, church flags have been altered, and two communion cloths have been added to the stack of finished stuff.  More to do.  Funny Noah last week was standing in his usual spot by the sewing machine that wasn't and told me to sew.  I said...what's missing...He figured it out.  So...he will be here late morning and we will sew. 

Yesterday Lent got put back in the visual box at church.  And...Palm Sunday is 99% ready to go.  Was surprised at how much I got finished.  It started with a trip to the wholesale green house and I bought 3 palm pots for 35 dollars.  Bargain, bargain.  West entrance has new stuff in it as well as the sanctuary.  I need to hang 4 flags and that pretty much does it.  Woo...Next week more changes and then it's Easter.  All is ready to go.  Busy time of the church year. 

Doug managed to share his chest cold with me starting Sun. morning.  Coughing is getting a bit easier but it's been a bummer.  I'm following his body improvement plan about two days later then he so there is hope. 

Cold but the sun is shinning at this minute.  March is always a mess.

Friday evening

Thursday was a good bread and bowl day.  Adults worked like crazy and everything came together at the right time.  I helped Ellen Daniels Howell set up a wonderful display of pictures for Umoja in the west entrance at church.  The Easter missions offering will help  fund the Umoja project in western Kenya  as well as a program in the Congo.  Sounds like African Missions Sunday coming up.  Then Doug and I went around the church once again taking pictures of more visual arts stuff.  Home for a bit and then back for choir.  This morning I went to Muffins with Moms and I guess...Grandmothers at Andrew's school.  Then home to  repacked a trunk that is going to Eldoret on Monday.  And then to church to meet a lady from Columbus Ohio who wanted to look at our visual arts items. After she left I got the flag banners ready for Palm Sunday and decorated the processional crosses we will use at Easter and I hope during Eastertide.  Later this afternoon we delivered the trunk to it's carrier.  Home for supper and an evening of basketball on my chair with my feet up and a cup of Tea !  Tomorrow...nothing much planned.  Still missing my sewing machine.  Things are stacking up.  Time to sew.  If it's warm enough I'll probably work outside.  Time to rake. 

Wonderful day

Today was show time with Doris and it was a very special day.  Anna B played old, old hymns.  Doris talked for an hr. none stop about the 8 banners that were hung.  And a bunch of North folks ate a very, very long lunch with Doris.  Talk, talk, talk.  It was a great morning.  Doug and I packed up all the banners and poles and standards and headed back to church with them.  All is back where they belong.  I worked a bit on the Palm Sun. processional.  Darren answered some questions and I started to really, really think what Palm Sun. is going to look like.  I really want to take down Lent.  It's over after the 17th so next week I'll be in the thick of things again.  It's an exciting time of the church year.  Now I'm vegging out watching the news and remembering good times today.  It's been a very good day. 

Monday evening

Do you remember how it felt after a 24hr. flight with no sleep.  How about staying up all night with no sleep in 24 hrs.  That's been the feeling today.  Just thick headed and sleepy, sleepy.  Just two more weeks till I see the doc and then at some point a cpap machine and GOOD sleep.  Might try some sleeping pills in the meantime.  Well, today we moved banner poles to the Forum again and I have 8 banners in the car to deliver in the morning.  It's show time. 
Went to the eye doc this afternoon for the yearly check up.  All is well with a secondary cataract growing but it's very slow.  Doc thought it could be taken care of next year.  Happens sometime.  That's the least of my worries at this point. 

Watched a terrific IU game but made me so nervous that I missed the last minutes when the win happened.  But there will be more games.  Noah was here this morning.  Lots of fun. 

Friday afternoon

Not to much happening.  I did visit North Church member Emily Robbins who is in the hospital today.  Taught her how to knit and pearl.    She is a Ball State Jr. having some issues with a spinal fluided leak.  Poor kid.  Big headaches which Morphine helps. She has been flat on her back for weeks.   Friend Marilyn S. starts cemo today.  Friend Kathy continues with radiation.  Cancer STINKS!  Yesterday was B and Bowl which was pretty easy for a change.  Last night choir practice.  Hope to eat at S and S tonight.  To tired to cook.  Getting parts together for the next Tues banner presentation that Doris will do at the Forum.  I hope this is the last one for a while.  Monday we will move the banner poles and stands to the Forum.  Tuesday morning we will be out of the gate with stuff around 9 am. 

Rescheduled

Well, the sleep doc has been rescheduled...first date they gave me when rescheduling was April 24th.  Uck...So I got on the cancellation list...and now it's March 25th.  Wish it were sooner but I'll live with it...I hope.  I'm beginning to drag! 

Bell Sat. was a hoot.  We worked our bells almost to death.  I was ready to leave at 4:30 and came straight home.  Rest of the bunch went out for supper.  Not me.  I needed to get my feet up! 
Yesterday I spent three hrs. with D. Douglas planning the next banner program she is giving at the Forum.  Had lunch with her.  Great, great food.  Took my sewing machine in to get it's yearly check up and then stopped at the quilt shop to get my Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt.  It looks great.  Woo...Now it's binding time but I can put that off for about two weeks until the sewing machine comes back.  Lucky me for sure. 

It's a gray day with the promise of a snow storm sometime soon.  Can't remember if it's tonight or tomorrow night.  Am I worried...NO.  They talk about 5 inches.  But the rest of the week should be warm so it's shouldn't say for long. 

Noah was here again this morning.  Such an entertainer!  Love having him.  He noticed that Grandpa was no longer in the kitchen reading the paper but in the computer room so he thought that I could get him a pop tart.  Funny boy.  I did and he loved it. 

Saturday Morning

I'll be on the road soon to have a fun day at Central Christian Church in Anderson, In.  Our bell choir is spending a day with another bell choir playing bells ALL day long with a program around 4 pm.  We'll be working but will be fun.  It's a gray day of travel but no snow. 

Today is Eli's third birthday.  Books are on the way but this grandma is just not very good about dates even when the calendar is right in front of me.  So...books will come early next week I hope.  

Lack of sleep continues to be noticable.  I made an appointment with the sleep doc but double booked so I will need to change that date.  Such a bummer when that happens.  Yesterday I spent much of the day at church working on the catalogue for banners.  Did a lot of typing and the book continues to grow and be more complete as time goes along.  The light is at the end of the tunnel but the tunnel is very long.  At some point it will be finished.  Patty numbered the banners yesterday and now I need to add numbers to the book.  At some point Doris will look at the book and decide if she wants to add more descriptions to banners not well documented.  Don't want to overwhelm her.  She is busy with preparations for her second...last lecture.  Could there be a third...last lecture.  Maybe. 

Got a call that Grandmothers Flower Garden quilt has been quilted.  Woo...will pick that up next week and then it's adding the binding.  The sewing machine goes to it's annual checkup on Monday.  So...no motor going for about a week. 

Sleep...where are you?

Woo...I'm ready for the cpap machine and have not heard from the Doctor yet.  I supposed to give him 2 weeks to contact me!  So...I'm waiting.  Spent some time at church yesterday working on more Easter stuff.  Fun, fun.  Last night watched two basketball games.  IU lost...boo hoo.  Pacers one.  Today I'm heading to church for front desk telephone stuff.  I'm taking my huge now three inch thick banner book and typing some entries for banners that need a bit of explaining.  It's coming right along.  Someday it will be finished???  Doug is coming also to take pictures of some stuff we missed on the last picture taking.  Then it's a long bell practice this evening.   Sat. we are all going to Anderson for a bell party with another bell choir.  Well, it's a day of practice and an afternoon program.  It should be interesting and a lot of fun as it was last year. 

Thursday...big day for friend Sharon Durm.  She suffered a brain aneurysm on the 27th of January while vacationing in Florida.  She was flown to Indy last week and will have brain surgery to fix the aneurysm on Thursday.  The aneurysm is huge and will not be an easy fix.  So...pray, pray. 

And Thursday is also B and B and Choir.  Busy, busy.  Now I'm going to attempt to go back to sleep.  Wish me luck. 

Good Sunday

Well, Good Friday is coming but this was a Good Sunday.  Great help in the Community Room.  Didn't do much but new helping person Tressa is a gem!  So...I hung out elsewhere.  Put some finishing touches on visuals.  Cleared out the chapel from the Thursday evening service and just sort of vegged!  Now isn't that something new!  Good music and very good packed filled sermon on reading the Bible from many perspectives.  A great liberal preacher with his feet firmly on the ground.   He can preach.  Such a wonderfully creatively thinking mind.   I thought he packed about three sermons into one.  Woo...kept the brain tracking for sure.  I packed up 100 wine bottle bags this afternoon to send to Ga. .  Now to the post office sometime tomorrow if I'm lucky.  Noah is here in the morning for a couple of hrs.  I want to go to church soon after that to fix more Easter wreaths and put away a Bible display table created for today's service and get the sanctuary ready for next Sunday...It's a communion Sunday.   Doris was at church today and gave me high complements for all the Lent displays.  Wooo.   Told her I had the best teacher meaning her.  And what a teacher she is.  Yesterday we planned her second "last" lecture she will give.  Funny lady always thinking all the time with her brain of 92 years.  We picked 8 banners for this "second last" lecture.  Watching basketball this afternoon.  Some good games, one being Ohio State and Michigan State. 

I can finally say my hand has stopped hurting from last Sundays thump to the floor.  My knees still let me know they are around with pockets of fluid but not stressing them so much today was a good thing.  No ice at this point.  Yahoo.  Hope it continues.  I have an annual knee appointment sometime in April.  Good thing!  I was going to blow it off but I think not at this point.  Need to make an appointment with the skin doc.  I have a funny rough spot on my face.  Got to keep watch on those things.  This maintenance thing is a full time job. 

Fri evening

Thursday Soup Day was great.  The guys are so nice and the ladies all behaved themselves.  Laura wasn't there!!!!  After that was over I spent some time finishing up all the stuff needed for the weekly Thurs. eve Lenten services.  Darren is such a creative guy and loves visuals.   Yahoo.  Makes me motivated.  He gets it.  Then went to church for the 6 pm service and on to choir practice.  A big sleet storm awaited us in the parking lot at 8:30.  The word was out early and the salt trucks were noticable.  I said that Carmel was a green city with all the streets treated with green stuff even every street in our subdivision. 

So...today I planned to stay home.  But I didn't predict that I would be sleeping a lot of the day.  I have an idea that because I knew of the sleep problem, I just gave in.  I usually try to push through all the foggy feelings.  Well, today I didn't.  So...not very productive.  The more I think about sleep disorder, I think of my dad who never could stay awake in church and who was told repeatedly that he stopped breathing while sleeping.  Oooo...one gets used to feeling foggy so who would have guessed that he had a sleeping problem.  No idea in the 50's.  So...hoping for better sleep tonight although I was just aware of one wake up...That's aware of it.  Looking forward to the machine.  Just 4hrs. on it at the center made a big difference for the next day.  I will be delivered!  Cold and frozen in Indy.  No Carmel. 

Sleep Study

Flunk as I thought I would.  No amount of studying would have fixes that.  At one am Micki came into the room and said I met all the criteria for a mask!  Really?  Yes...Really!  The mask and tube delivers air pressure to my throat to keep it open.  Other wise I stop breathing, snore and more I guess.  At some point a Doc. appointment and then a little machine that will keep me breathing and take stress off of other parts of my body.  More maintenance.  There is a ton of it now and more is being added.  Well, the fact that my body will last longer is a very ok thing.  Yahoo.  Another miracle of medicine.  Church desk work and then maybe some work for Easter visuals.  We'll see. 

Tuesday morning

I just finished the 110th wine bottle bag and need to find a box to send them on their way to Georgia.  It's a wonderful way to use up fabric which I have what seems to be a ton of it all gifted to me.  Woo...keep that sewing machine going.  That 110 is in addition to about 60 or so I sent before Christmas.  I was working on finding a place for fabric now all over the living room and decided that the only way I was going to find space was to empty some fabric...so...wind bottle bags. 

Sunday proved to be very interesting.  One thing of interest was a giant merger with the floor in the community room.  Woo...cement is hard.  Anyway I think I made my point about unneeded floor mats with buckled edges which has been the topic of previous conversations with the building manager.  4 point landing...head, hand and two knees.  So...Sun. afternoon, evening and Monday was spent with the ice bags.  And amazingly so...I'm in pretty good shape.  I am assuming that by next Sunday I'll be just fine.  My poor knees really take a beating. 

This morning Noah is visiting.  Such entertainment.   Way to cold for a visit to the creek.  That's my favorite with him.  This afternoon I'm packing my bag for the overnight sleep test.  Woo.  Last night was interesting.  Two hrs. of sleep at the most.  Should do better tonight.  I hope to watch the IU Mich. St. game before I sleep.  Should be a good game.  At least there is a ton of hype about it.  IU has not won at Mi. for at least 25 years. 

That's about it.  I'll get back with the sleep study results at some point. 

The week went somewhere

This week we spiffed up the church for Lent.  Banners got hung, purple flower decorated crosses got hung, the gold cross in the choir loft got it's purple drape.  The west entrance table theme is prayer with lots of different items like Tibetan prayer flags on a curly tree branch, praying hands, prayer shawl, Catholic prayer beads, etc. etc.  Such fun to pull stuff together.  Makes me remember my bulletin board teaching days.  I was at church just about every day and I think the spaces are ready.  Rather do something every day instead of doing a one day killer day.  Wed. I worked at the front desk, bells that evening.  Thursday was B and B and Choir as usual.  I took Friday off...Joke, Joke!!!  This week I also finished up the sewing project of flannel baby blankets and have sent 10 on their way to Eldoret, Mother and Baby Hospital.  Thank you Cindy for the fabric.  I also have made a few wine bags (30 to add to the 20 of a week or so ago)to send to Georgia to be used in the book store at the monastery.  So...staying busy for sure.  Today...sewing, watching I U basketball and then our usual run to Panera tonight for pastries for church tomorrow.  Still keeping a sleeping/awake log.  I'm convinced that I'll flunk the test on Tuesday night.  I can fall asleep at the drop of a hat watching TV in the morning.  Maybe that's why I'm sewing most of the time.  Sleepy head today and other days as well.  . 

After Wednesday

Thursday was a good day.  Lots of friends are coming to eat at Soup Kitchen.  Again there were three nursing students helping with food preparation and serving.  They are appreciated.  Choir in the evening.  Friday was a day that felt like I was really sleep deprived.  Uck.  I probably was.  But I pushed on through.  It felt like my brain was walking through mud.   I'm having a great time at the sewing machine with all of the things that Cindy sent my way which includes fun colors of fabric and a bunch of unfinished projects that now are moving toward the finish line.  I'm working with flannel now.  Cindy has a wonderful gift with bright colors.  The fabric is in the living room at this point and I've got to find a place in the sewing room.  I'll need to unload my junk stuff for sure.  Busy day at church today.  Bells are playing for both services.  Plainfield UMChurch choir is coming to sing with us at second service.  Hospitality continues in the community room.  I'll need to find a miracle in the freezer.  Panera run was might sparse.  Doris D is coming to church and we will take her home after showing off the banner closet!  I'm excited  and Doris is also excited.    Off to church at 6:40.  Lots to do. 

Sleep study coming on the 19th.  I'll probably prove the doctor's prediction.  He always wins.  Bummer.  Smart man he is!!!

Wed. again

The big occupier of my time lately has been helping Doris D with her banner presentation at the Forum. 
92 yr. old Doris has moved to this retirement community and has felt a bit isolated even though there are many people there.  She wanted so much to share with those folks what her calling has been for about 40 years so...we did that Tuesday morning.  Doris was her old self with words.  Not so with her body but she did make it through in fine form.  She chose 7 of her banners to talk about.  There was a lovely group of about 35 folks who were very interested in her stories.  It was a great morning for her as well has her listeners.  Then a few of us North and St. Lukes folks stayed and had lunch with her.  All went well with new banner poles helping in a great way.  The banners went back in my car, the poles in Doug's truck and back to church we went to put banners and poles to bed again.   Now it's getting the church ready visually for Lent.  It's been great fun to pull out old but not used for a long time things that can be placed around the church.  Next Monday and Tuesday will be some work days at church getting things in place for Ash Wednesday and the next liturgical season.  Today, I'm working at the front desk, have a 5:30 Ministries Council meeting, and then bells.  Sometimes I think I'm majoring in church.  That's a good major. 

Wed.

Sunday was just fine unless one thinks about a two day recovery.  Woo...it was a busy one.  Then mondays big event was a yearly physical.  And...a sleep study is in the works.  I am NOT  sleeping well at all.  Doc wanted me to do this for years and I finally have given in.  Don't have a date for it yet but it's coming.  Took care of Noah Monday morning.  Tues. worked at the church again with banners.  Coming along and maybe I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I'm hoping that's the case.  I'm also helping Doris D with a banner presentation at her retirement home.  I think I know now what's going on.  Today...wed. I'm at the church again working at the front desk.  Doug is coming very soon to take about 4 more banner pictures that we missed or were not printed.  I also am getting things ready for communion Sunday/new banner/communion table paraments.  Weather has been warm and windy but should take a huge drop tonight back to almost zero.  Grr...Bells tonight Tomorrow is bread and bowl cooking.  And the cook is gone so I'm on duty.  Tomorrow evening is choir.  Sooo it just keeps on going.

Moving right along

More stuff done.  The banner closet continues to fill my days.  Yesterday, I numbered all the banner pole hangers with numbers 1 to 103.  I also put in place the sheet covers that will protect the banners.  Makes me feel like I'm putting them to bed when I pull the sheets over the banners.  And I rehung some other things with skirt hangers that have been donated. 

A few days ago Patty gave me a binder filled with lots of papers of information that Doris wrote from time to time relating to the banners she made. It was a mish mash of stuff that I really didn't look forward to going through and organizing but I started.  And it proved to be a most interesting two hrs of work.  I used clear plastic sleeves and inserted information about a particularly banner and a picture if we had one, into the sleeve.  There are now 36 completed sleeves matching 30 banners.  Those sleeves will be numbered to match the number on the pole of the banner hanging in the closet.  There are any more banners  waiting to be done soon when Rosie and I visit Doris with a laptop to talk about the banner.   And...we have someone who will be typing all the information in some better way of preservation since much of the work I did thus far was hand written by Doris.

Oh, yes...Doug and I were at church together Wed. and we photographed ALL of the banners.  What a job but again so worthwhile to pull stuff out and think about all the memories that came back over the years.  So lots of work continues.  Purchased an air filter for the room but discovered that the electrical plugs had been cut off from the source of electricity.  That will be fixed. 

Yesterday I spent about 2 hours with Doris looking at all the banner pictures and pictures of the room full of hanging banners and just talking.  We go back almost 40 years of friendship doing a lot of crazy and then meaningful things together. 

Now tomorrow, Sunday should prove to be interesting.  Peter Howe and I...mostly Peter are organizing the second annual Art Fair in the Community Rm.  In Nov. there was a photography contest with the goal of folks photographing something that might remind us of LIGHT.  Photographers really dig this kind of thing.  AND...Doug R won first place.  But all the photos submitted will be displayed.  Other folks who work with some aspect of art, being CD recording, painting, fabric art, re purposing something into an example of art will be on display.  The second A Fair is bigger than the first and it might be moved to Fellowhip Hall next year. 

Also tomorrow there is a dinner and birthday party as well.  That place will be hopping.  We thought we chose a Sunday when nothing else was happening.  Bum luck for sure.  Or maybe not.

So that's if for now. 

Celebrating

Well, for the most part, the Visual Arts Closets...yes with an s have been gone through.  Banners are all hanging, silk flowers as well as other visuals are all in their place.  Candle Closet is once again seen some attention and the attic room has been checked again and the old conference room is looking A-ok.  Woo...My mind is completely organized as relating to those places at church.  I know what's there!  That is until someone stuffs something else there.  Now I'm waiting for one more coat rack type thing.  Some items are hanging from pipes in the ceiling in the conference room.  Got to get that fixed.  It's on order...When will it appear?

 Last night I sewed some covers to go over the banners and today or soon I'm shopping for an air filter for the banner room.  It seems that people who know about that sort of thing say we need it.  Gosh...what will I do with my time?  I'll figure out something. 

Kat asked for two Super Man Capes...and the sewing machine had time to do that.  They are here waiting for two surprised boys who I'm sure will have a blast with them.  I used some blue corduroy that I found in our attic.  I think it might have been from Dee's old puppet theater.  There was red velvet as well.  Dee?  Fabric seemed pretty good!  Woo.  Could it be 45 years old or something like that. 

Had a great visit with Doris Douglas yesterday and reported to her that all the banners have found a home together.  What a great banner making lady.  Her body is failing her and it brings so much stress to her alert mind.  It is difficult for her to stand up straight now.  Her spine is deteriorating and she has a lot of pain.  So sad to see.  So I'll try to stop in more to see her.  She said it's very difficult and almost impossible to give life the old college try.  But she wants to. 

Wed. at church

Today I'm working at the front desk at church.  It's pretty quiet for now.  Time to play on the computer.  Woo...yesterday was a day to celebrate.  99% of the Visual Arts Closet is back where it should be...So much work but hate to say, worth it.  I've been feeling like I've been living in the closet for a month.  Most of the banners (over 100) are rehung.  I'm waiting on another rack to finish that job.  All of the silk flower cases have been examined and some thrown away with new containers added.  Shelves have been added and checked and revised. I found things that I thought were gone hiding in cardboard boxes.   What a job and so glad it's pretty well finished not setting on my mind as a to do thing.  I'm hoping to finish it completely next week.  Pressure is OFF.  Working with visual arts items here at church for at least 35 years has taught me a whole lot. 

This afternoon I'm working on the candle closet which really should be finished in about an hr.  Easy, easy.  Noah came to visit Monday.   What a fun kid.  This afternoon I'm meeting Celia to talk about an Umoja project for over 1000 students, their school year ending in Dec.  Tonight is bell practice, tomorrow is soup kitchen, and choir.  That's the same old same old with both groups starting up again after Christmas. 

Woo...the world keeps on turning and it's almost impossible to find where to get off.  I keep looking.  Maybe if I open my eyes it would help. 

Tuesday evening

Woo...the big event this week already.  We are remodeling the liturgical banner closet at church and the dates I was given to do this was the 15th through 17.  Well, a short trip to church Monday turned into a long day at church on Monday when I got the message that remodeling was from the 8th to the 10th.  So...get to work I did.  Thank goodness I started moving things a few weeks ago.  But Monday's work included moving about 50 banners into the sanctuary so banner hangers could be moved.  I'm a little fussy about who does something with the banners and I really wanted to do all the moving myself.  And I did!  Moved a few other things (10 lg. boxes of silk flowers) needed moving so the time at church was from 11 to 4:30...Woo way to much work but felt good knowing that banners were being treated fairly and the space was ready for the remodel today.  Woo...the body was hurting with all the stair travel involved among other things.  Now the sanctuary is littered with banners waiting to be rehung in their new space Friday morning.  This project should have been done years ago.  I guess better late than never.  I counted 74 banner hangers with many of them having more than one banner hanging on them.  So...best guess...over 100 wonderful pieces of work. 

Today Noah came for a visit.  Such a fun time with him.  I finished a liturgical stole for Danyelle D.  that she can wear for Communion Sun.  Lots of fun doing that because I can choose to embellish any way I want to.  This one is a white sheer over gold lame with some pearls stitched at different places.  Danyelle is a newly ordained  pastor and short on stoles. 

Tomorrow it's back to church to put Advent/Christmas away.  I started doing a little of that Monday because things needed to be changed out and I can do a better job of thinking up new stuff to do when I'm by myself.  It brings back memories of how I did things while teaching. 

Sunday service is structured around...Remember your baptism...So...there are some new things that I hope will support the service visually given my thinking time used on Monday.  Met with Pastor Darren and I had a blast thinking the service through visually with him.  He knows what it takes and is structurally sound. 

Thursday is B and B...For a couple of months I will have three student nurses each week from Marion University who will be volunteering during the morning.  Yahoo for us.  I love those nurses.  Gives me a chance to observe and not work so hard.  Delegation!!!!

House is still pretty quiet.  I spent a little time last week sewing a clown costume for Adam and two extra clown vests for Jacob and Eli.  Sent them on their way and Kimmy's blog pictures show complete happiness on Adam's face.  What a gift.  I found a clown wig at Goodwill along with some crazy socks that I thought were going to be mine but Adam thought they should be his.  So...from head to toe...Adam's a clown. 

The best thing

The best thing about getting up and out on the road in the winter when the temp is 5 degrees is a beautiful sun rise that would otherwise be missed.  This mornings was a treat. 

All is quiet

Celebration is over and the Michigan kids are back home again so the house is deadly quiet.  Lots of laughing, talking and just having a ball.  It was like music.  Kat and Eric family spent most of Sat. here.  Back again on Sunday to sled on the hill and then Kat and the kids dropped by Monday.  Cousins had a blast.  Kimmy and I hit Last Chance Goodwill Monday for a 3 hr. shopping spree.  Cooked a lot but always found the dishwasher either stacked full and running or unloaded and dishes put away.  What a good help from the Mi, kids.  Jared and Kimmy cleaned out the attic and now we have a ton of stuff to throw away.  Makes me feel good that the attic is fairly empty.  Never should have stacked stuff there in the first place.  We have major trash this week as well as next for sure.  Jacob spent a lot of time sewing on the sewing machine.  He loves it and did a wonderful job of listening and sewing and made a really well sown pillow with straight as an arrow sown seams.  The sewing room is back with my stuff and busy as well.  I finished another piece for the communion table to use on Sunday.  Tomorrow morning I'm working the desk at church.   Lots of snow, cold, a little ice.  It's winter in Indy.