Saturday while we were in small groups we were asked to think about what season of our life we are in.
Well, it didn't take one friend and I long to realize we are in the Winter of our lives. But...we both agreed that's O.K. We have pretty good health, have both had some rough spots in our lives (who hasn't) but all in all we had both had good lives.
I was interested to hear the others that are in the Summer of their lives talk of what they wanted to do from now on. Goodness, when I was their age I didn't think of such things and it pleased me that these young (comparatively speaking) women had such plans and hopes, yet it saddened me a bit I had never thought much about it.
One young woman is a new member to our Prayer Shawl group and she shared a little of her life with us last Monday at Prayer Shawl meeting. The new leader and I both had felt she had more to share and was very sad and very lonely. We'd like to give her a prayer shawl but really didn't want to embarrass her.
However, Saturday she was in my small group and so much of the pain she's had over her life came out and I realized she really IS very sad and very lonely. I have a feeling we will be having lunch with this young woman before too long and hope she feels safe enough to share some of her pain with Elaine and I.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
WOMEN COMING TOGETHER
Yesterday we had a one day Women's Retreat at my church - WOMEN COMING TOGETHER. We had about 80 women and what a great day.
Got there and had breakfast foods all over, then made a really big circle and gave our names. The we got into groups of 3 or 4 according to where you grew up and this went on to change to groups of your birthday MONTH, so on and so on. The whole idea being to get to know someone you did not know.
Then we had a worship service for an hour with a visitor that sang like no one I had ever heard before. She was so good and turned out to be a knitter.
At lunch time we had assigned tables and they put us with people we knew but also with some we had not had contact with. After lunch, which was home made soup and salad, we broke up into our classes we had signed up for. I was asked to help with the beginning knitters and we had 11. One poor lady does all kinds of sewing, counted cross stitch and other things but knitting just isn't going to be her thing I'm afraid. She had a terrible time.
The experienced knitters had about 8 and are planning on starting an evening Prayer Shawl group. This will help us a lot, especially when they need a lot of shawls at Dover. Surprisingly we have not had to send so many there and that's a GOOD THING.
We closed with a report from each group and so many ideas came out of yesterday. We are going to start a group called "Ladies Night Out" to go out and eat once a month, one group yesterday visited shut-in's and one lady offered to head up a team to do that on a regular basis, banners were started to use for Lent, greeting cards were made to send to shut in's and other various reasons. All in all we had a good time and got to meet new women we see at church but really don't have time to visit with.
Got there and had breakfast foods all over, then made a really big circle and gave our names. The we got into groups of 3 or 4 according to where you grew up and this went on to change to groups of your birthday MONTH, so on and so on. The whole idea being to get to know someone you did not know.
Then we had a worship service for an hour with a visitor that sang like no one I had ever heard before. She was so good and turned out to be a knitter.
At lunch time we had assigned tables and they put us with people we knew but also with some we had not had contact with. After lunch, which was home made soup and salad, we broke up into our classes we had signed up for. I was asked to help with the beginning knitters and we had 11. One poor lady does all kinds of sewing, counted cross stitch and other things but knitting just isn't going to be her thing I'm afraid. She had a terrible time.
The experienced knitters had about 8 and are planning on starting an evening Prayer Shawl group. This will help us a lot, especially when they need a lot of shawls at Dover. Surprisingly we have not had to send so many there and that's a GOOD THING.
We closed with a report from each group and so many ideas came out of yesterday. We are going to start a group called "Ladies Night Out" to go out and eat once a month, one group yesterday visited shut-in's and one lady offered to head up a team to do that on a regular basis, banners were started to use for Lent, greeting cards were made to send to shut in's and other various reasons. All in all we had a good time and got to meet new women we see at church but really don't have time to visit with.
Friday, January 28, 2011
BOY CAN I SMELL A BARGAIN
I'm not a poet or an author or artist, but by golly I can shop. One time I went to a garage sale for a swimming pool for Jill. What I ended up buying was a Walnut Sideboard for $60 and eventually gave it to a daughter - AHEM. She couldn't keep it so asked if I wanted it back but I had moved on by then too. I think she made a pretty good profit on that little purchase.
Another time I was at a garage sale and got a practically new garage door opener for about $15.
Yesterday I had some errands to run and needed a new coat for everyday. Had seen a really nice coat last fall in a Peebles store in Lewisburg but it was $150 and knew that I wasn't going to pay that. Figured if I waited I might get lucky and get it for $50 or maybe less but probably not much less.
So...yesterday I ran into the Peebles in Columbia and they had one of those coats left. But...there was no price tag on it. The clerk checked their computer and asked if I wanted it for $20, I nearly fainted. Then when she rang it up it came up $14.95.
My feet didn't even touch the ground getting to the car.
Another time I was at a garage sale and got a practically new garage door opener for about $15.
Yesterday I had some errands to run and needed a new coat for everyday. Had seen a really nice coat last fall in a Peebles store in Lewisburg but it was $150 and knew that I wasn't going to pay that. Figured if I waited I might get lucky and get it for $50 or maybe less but probably not much less.
So...yesterday I ran into the Peebles in Columbia and they had one of those coats left. But...there was no price tag on it. The clerk checked their computer and asked if I wanted it for $20, I nearly fainted. Then when she rang it up it came up $14.95.
My feet didn't even touch the ground getting to the car.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
CONNECTING WITH AN OLD FRIEND
We had more snow yesterday. Not much, but it snowed from about 3:30 a.m. to around 10. It was really wet and would of made a great snowman...IF I had not been such a wimp.
I sewed most of the day. Made school bags for Sager Brown but found that is not near as much fun sewing them alone as it is in the sewing room down there. We are always laughing and telling jokes and just having a good time.
SO...after about 4 hours of sewing I decided to call my friend in Alaska, Elaine. She has had MS for many years, is a cancer survivor, and about a year ago discovered she now has diabetes. Last fall they discovered a sore she had developed from sitting in her wheel chair for so long and not being able to shift her weight. Over the years she has grown very large.
In November she was admitted to a specialty hospital in Anchorage for treatment of bed sores and they thought she was getting better. But not so. A couple of weeks ago they did an MRI and discovered she has infection in a bone now from this. SO...she has to stay another six weeks and is taking more medication.
She was really surprised when she answered the phone and it was me. Truth is she was almost asleep but I woke her. That's O.K. I think she was glad I called and we had a good old fashioned "remember this" call.
She was a member of the same church I went to in Indiana and we used to do some ornery things. That poor minister never knew what would happen next.
One Sunday he was going to give the Children's sermon and no children came down but Elaine and I walked out of the choir with our choir robes on and sat beside him.
Then there was the Farkel game and since I was a winner I "tithed" my winnings in a little brown envelope marked FARKEL. The poor lady that counted the money (beware of card players, Kim) just didn't know what to do with that. She approached Drexel and asked what she should do with it.
We had a 40th birthday party for him with a belly dancer and it's a good thing YOU TUBE wasn't popular then. We made the girl promise she'd tone her act down for him, which she did. A few months after his 40th birthday, Elaine's husband turned 50 and she had a party for him with the same belly dancer only this time she didn't tame it down much. I think the minister took as much of a teasing that night as Jim did.
BUT...the funniest time we ever had was when I was getting ready to move to Tennessee and they all took me to Happy Hour at some fancy restaurant in Indianapolis. Man, I could of had the kids taken from me that night.
I got pretty HAPPY and we ended up at the mall about 8 p.m. and I got my ears pierced. We found one of those stands in the middle of the Mall and I got on a stool to get the earrings. I saw about 10 very wild looking people hanging over the counter laughing. I asked the girl that was doing the piercing if she could tell we'd been drinking. "ONLY WHEN YOU BREATHE" she said. Elaine accused me of not remembering much of that when we talked yesterday but I do remember. I'm not proud of it but I DO remember.
What fun we had. I would just LOVE to be able to walk into that hospital room and stay with her for a few days. At least we both had a good laugh and renewed our friendship.
And we are both surprised that our minister from Indiana is still a good friend.
I sewed most of the day. Made school bags for Sager Brown but found that is not near as much fun sewing them alone as it is in the sewing room down there. We are always laughing and telling jokes and just having a good time.
SO...after about 4 hours of sewing I decided to call my friend in Alaska, Elaine. She has had MS for many years, is a cancer survivor, and about a year ago discovered she now has diabetes. Last fall they discovered a sore she had developed from sitting in her wheel chair for so long and not being able to shift her weight. Over the years she has grown very large.
In November she was admitted to a specialty hospital in Anchorage for treatment of bed sores and they thought she was getting better. But not so. A couple of weeks ago they did an MRI and discovered she has infection in a bone now from this. SO...she has to stay another six weeks and is taking more medication.
She was really surprised when she answered the phone and it was me. Truth is she was almost asleep but I woke her. That's O.K. I think she was glad I called and we had a good old fashioned "remember this" call.
She was a member of the same church I went to in Indiana and we used to do some ornery things. That poor minister never knew what would happen next.
One Sunday he was going to give the Children's sermon and no children came down but Elaine and I walked out of the choir with our choir robes on and sat beside him.
Then there was the Farkel game and since I was a winner I "tithed" my winnings in a little brown envelope marked FARKEL. The poor lady that counted the money (beware of card players, Kim) just didn't know what to do with that. She approached Drexel and asked what she should do with it.
We had a 40th birthday party for him with a belly dancer and it's a good thing YOU TUBE wasn't popular then. We made the girl promise she'd tone her act down for him, which she did. A few months after his 40th birthday, Elaine's husband turned 50 and she had a party for him with the same belly dancer only this time she didn't tame it down much. I think the minister took as much of a teasing that night as Jim did.
BUT...the funniest time we ever had was when I was getting ready to move to Tennessee and they all took me to Happy Hour at some fancy restaurant in Indianapolis. Man, I could of had the kids taken from me that night.
I got pretty HAPPY and we ended up at the mall about 8 p.m. and I got my ears pierced. We found one of those stands in the middle of the Mall and I got on a stool to get the earrings. I saw about 10 very wild looking people hanging over the counter laughing. I asked the girl that was doing the piercing if she could tell we'd been drinking. "ONLY WHEN YOU BREATHE" she said. Elaine accused me of not remembering much of that when we talked yesterday but I do remember. I'm not proud of it but I DO remember.
What fun we had. I would just LOVE to be able to walk into that hospital room and stay with her for a few days. At least we both had a good laugh and renewed our friendship.
And we are both surprised that our minister from Indiana is still a good friend.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
BUY NEW HOME AND GET A FREE TV
That's right!!!! The ad said if you buy a new home in Frankilin you will receive a 40" flat screen T.V. Man, I had to jump on that quick because I figured they'd all be gone soon.
So...I clicked on the designated place and it had a long list of interesting facts about Franklin, Tennessee. Then I got to the price and well, hell, Ted and I could both have a home up there. They start in the
****DRUM roll please, HIGH 300's. How much does a 40"flat screen T.V. cost anyway? I'm sure this is a really big deal, but think I'll pass this time.
Oh, if any of you have not seen "Harry's Law" the new T.V. show, it's pretty good. A little weak in some parts but it kept me up till 10 p.m. and it takes a lot to do that these days.
It reminds me of Boston Legal only not so sexy. She speaks my language a lot and I love her attitude. She has to be IRISH.
So...I clicked on the designated place and it had a long list of interesting facts about Franklin, Tennessee. Then I got to the price and well, hell, Ted and I could both have a home up there. They start in the
****DRUM roll please, HIGH 300's. How much does a 40"flat screen T.V. cost anyway? I'm sure this is a really big deal, but think I'll pass this time.
Oh, if any of you have not seen "Harry's Law" the new T.V. show, it's pretty good. A little weak in some parts but it kept me up till 10 p.m. and it takes a lot to do that these days.
It reminds me of Boston Legal only not so sexy. She speaks my language a lot and I love her attitude. She has to be IRISH.
Friday, January 21, 2011
SNOW AGAIN???
Tennessee got it again yesterday. It started snowing on the north edge of the state at noon - we didn't get any till about 4:30 and now only have about an inch.
I thought we left the snow in Illinois but maybe it got in our trunk somehow.
All schools are closed and the traffic last night looked like a parking lot on the T.V. I guess there was some sleet in with it.
Contrary to some in our family, I DO NOT like winter and I've seen enough snow the past month to last me forever.
BRING ON SPRING. I want to plant some flowers and get my garden in.
I thought we left the snow in Illinois but maybe it got in our trunk somehow.
All schools are closed and the traffic last night looked like a parking lot on the T.V. I guess there was some sleet in with it.
Contrary to some in our family, I DO NOT like winter and I've seen enough snow the past month to last me forever.
BRING ON SPRING. I want to plant some flowers and get my garden in.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Trying To Do Good for ALL
On my Facebook side bar this morning it said, "2/28 to 3/4 IGNORE SARA PALIN Week" and how to go about doing that.
Man, my first impulse was to jump on that band wagon and wave my flag as high as I could. Then I remembered last week and how I felt when we agreed not to say things that hurt or snide remarks about certain people we dislike.
What HAS happened to us to make us want to do these things? I remember when I was a child and election day was over it didn't matter if my parents choice won or not, my Dad would say "O.K., he's been elected now we all need to back him and work together". Wish I could be more like that.
ANYWAY...I've heard you get into Heaven by biting your tongue and so far I've done pretty well this month. I might make it yet or maybe not.
Man, my first impulse was to jump on that band wagon and wave my flag as high as I could. Then I remembered last week and how I felt when we agreed not to say things that hurt or snide remarks about certain people we dislike.
What HAS happened to us to make us want to do these things? I remember when I was a child and election day was over it didn't matter if my parents choice won or not, my Dad would say "O.K., he's been elected now we all need to back him and work together". Wish I could be more like that.
ANYWAY...I've heard you get into Heaven by biting your tongue and so far I've done pretty well this month. I might make it yet or maybe not.
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