A Week Later.

Our Georgia trip went off with not a hitch.  Left Tues noon...overnight in Manchester Tenn.  and then on to Georgia Wed.  Big trip to the grocery with Uncle Rick.  What a generous guy.  And then 4 great days of family time.  Played lots of card games.  Watched some movies and did a bit of walking with a visit to the bakery and gift shop.  Lots of monks came to see us.  Such good friends.  Rick left on Sat. to visit with son Jason in Nashville before going back to Tex. on Monday...Jared and family left early Sunday morning arriving home in 14 hrs.  Woo...that was impressive.  And we left early Monday morning and home after an 11 hr trip.  So...it's time to get back in the groove which I hope will be next week.  I'll be churching from Tues to Fri. this week.  Yup...it's Advent decorating.  Tues...it was getting ready for the six member crew that arrived today to get the banners up...wreaths up...west entrance taken care of...outside doors taken care of and the chapel ready among other spaces that needed attention.  It's always a huge job that seems to come together every year.  We're ready for the first Sunday in Advent...that is after the poinsettia arrive on Friday.  Tomorrow is soup kitchen...choir practice...Fri.  poinsettia time and time with visiting grandsons.  This morning started with a last trip to the dentist to get the crown on my tooth.  Woo...do we have bills.  And another one coming the first of the year for a furnace repair.  When it rains it pours. This week is draining the energy tank for sure.  So...looking forward to next week already although Tuesday is the day that the Mamlins and some trunks are sent on their way to Kenya.  Our car will be loaded.  And trunks will move to our house that don't make the plane.  So that's about it.

 For Georgia pictures go to rockin-r-ranch.blogspot.com.  Jared has posted a bunch! 

Mon. evening

Sunday was a block buster.  Had many things to remember to do at church and I remembered them all.  Then to St. Luke's Meth. Church for decorating.  The dinner was wonderful with about 200 folks eating together and celebrating the Umoja Project in Western Kenya.  This morning I unloaded the van getting all the decorations back where they belong.  Then lunch with my teacher friends...a bit of packing for Georgia.  And Doug says we are leaving tomorrow instead of Wed.  I'll go when the van goes so I need to get it together tomorrow morning.  I hope we leave by noon with the thought of getting to Atlanta Wed. at a time when the traffic isn't at it's worst as it would be if we left on Wed.  Doug is NOT an early riser...I am so getting him out of bed early, early Wed. for a day of driving is something he will do but hates.  So...tomorrow pack the ice chest with frozen stuff.  Add the mixer and electric skillet along with a good pan for cooking potatoes.  The farm house has lots of room but the kitchen accessories are not the best.  I would think no visitor cooks like we do for the number of days we do.  So...that's it for this Monday evening. 

Friday.

Well...everything I said on Monday happened...with one exception.  Went to Sarah Ellen's Thursday after soup kitchen...Repacked some trunks that were over 50 lbs...and now there are 12 trunks.  Woo...The plan is for Sarah Ellen and Joe to take 5 trunks back to Kenya with them and I with some help will deliver the rest of the trunks to folks who will be traveling there.  Lots and lots of B Babies for Chirstmas 2018 along with toys/books/games/craft supplies for sick hospitalized kidos.  It's the least I can do for children so far away.  Tomorrow...Sat.  Hum...grocery stop for hospitality time at church...visit with weavers/spinners at St. Luke's church.  First meeting I've gone to.  Looking for wool selling places for Kimmy/JB.  Don't have a weaver or spinning machine!  So..should be interesting.  Sunday morning...church and lots to do there as usual and then early afternoon back to St. Luke's church at 1: 30 to decorate for a huge fund raising Thanksgiving dinner for the Umoja Project in western Kenya.  Then the dinner in the evening.  Then...clean and get all that stuff out of the way.  Work on Georgia stuff and then we're out of here early Wed. morning for days in Georgia with family.  NEVER a dull moment. 

Monday...

Packed trunks...Eleven of them.  Woo...SEM is in great shape to move on to N. Carolina at the end of this week to be with family for another two weeks.  I'll see her again Dec. 4 for a final packing and then they are off to Kenya again on the 5 th.  Here again and then gone for another year.  This week...knitted again...laced a bit of the braided rug...bought a turkey for Georgia this morning.  Thinking about baking it here and then slicing etc. freezing and then taking it to Georgia DONE.  I'll miss the smell on Thanksgiving morning.  But...less mess for sure.  Bone scan this afternoon just to check how bones are doing.  Wed. is the next step in making a crown for the root canal tooth.  Thurs.  B and B.  So...the calendar is full enough for me!  Thinking of baking two apple pies before we leave for Ga.  I'll freeze them...easier life on Thanksgiving day.  Grandson Andrew turned 11 Sunday...HUGE Henry Potter Birthday Party Sat..   I mean Huge.  Kat's been planning for over a year Eric tells me.  It was fantastic theme party.  Some true POT  heads...Potter heads. 

Even more stuff.

Busy morning at church once again.  All Saints Sunday with candles and names read.  Woo...we named 18 new folks who have joined those not with us this year.  It was a very good service with lots of tears and memories.  Colts won...well they almost lost but they won.  Then today had a doc appoint with my Lauren Baker...diabetic doctor.  Sort of an OK report but I can do better.  I love her.  Took a pair of knit little house slippers for her little girl.  Then to Trinity Greek Orth. Church to talk about candles and then to church to clean up the Sunday service.  It was a sand and candle job.  Ordered food for Soup Kitchen and then home to make Deviled Eggs for the Herb Society meeting tonight.  See...even more stuff.  Tomorrow and Wed. packing trunks with Sarah Ellen.  That will be a busy time.  That's it for now. 

More stuff.

Rehearsal Sat. with orchestra for the Dan Forest Sunday event.  Wooo...this piece of music I think was the most difficult thing I've ever song but the outcome on Sunday was the most awesome event.  Woo.  More comments from people I never heard from before and it was just a most worshipful experience.  Sooooo Good.  Monday I met Sarah Ellen to do shopping for Kenya.  Tues. met Sarah Ellen for shopping for Kenya.  Wed. I sewed 5 lined cloth bags for her to use in Kenya.  Plastic has been outlawed in Kenya...Yahoo.  So...she now has 5 bags that will NEVER wear out. Today was Bread and bowl with the usual running around and meeting needs.  Then it was hanging banners and getting the sanctuary ready for All Saints Day Service Sunday.  Candles to light...Sand trays to use for the prayer candles...It's a service that really draws a lot of folks.   Members who have died during the year are remembered and their families are usually with us as well.  So...this afternoon...bushed in Carmel...but as usual...a bit of sitting and napping will get me ready for choir rehearsal this evening.  Tomorrow...and tomorrow and 8 am appointment with the dentist for maybe a crown and cleaning.  Who knows...but I'll know tomorrow.  Then it's a day with the grandsons.  Got to get some hotdogs.