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Bring Back the Joy --- B B t J . O r g
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Updates for 2006Q3 can be found in http://www.bbtj.org/journals/vj2006Q3.html Updates for 2006Q2 appear below with the latest information at the top. If you are reading this, then my computers have gotten up and running. Not only did the big computer (mentioned below) which connects me to the web for posting this journal have an issue, my laptop computer froze. Therefore, please go to the July - Sept Journal link as shown above to catch up.Wednesday, June 28, 2006, 11:37am Home again. My computer is having a strange problem. I'll post this when I can get this figured out. But in the meantime, I can go ahead and write. I've been taking care of things one needs to do when one has been gone. I cut my hair this morning. Tomorrow I plan to pay bills and do laundry. As you know, I had left last Friday to go spend a long weekend at Breitenbush Hot Springs with Mark. He's been working there all month and wanted me to spend time with him there. I had an interesting time. Saturday afternoon we went on the Forest Hike. Harold took us down one of the easier trails, stopping to tell us about the flora and fauna of the area. After more than an hour he gave us the option of turning around to go back to the lodge or continue. The distance wasn't being a problem for me but I'm not into hiking with the hot sun beating down so opted to return. Someone later told me the next portion of the trail was difficult so I'm glad we didn't continue. Sunday afternoon Mark had me help him put the irrigation pump together. There were some wires that needed soldering and then we had to put the pump down the pipe. It was easier with more than two hands. I'm glad I could help him. Monday morning we got our showers and made it to the morning class which was billed as "inner self-healing." We weren't sure what that was going to be. Turned out to discuss stretching and breathing exercises that are supposed to aid better functioning of the organs. That evening Peter Moore, the business manager spoke on the history of the area and the Breitenbush community. He was one of the founding members in 1978. Plus his father had visited there pre-WWII when it was a resort. Peter has come and gone several times but obviously he enjoys the community lifestyle. I headed back Tuesday morning. Upon getting to Detroit, I was able to access my messages and return calls. Esther had called to verify where the CWC Planning Team meeting was to be. It is usually at her house but she's in the process of moving. I assured her that we weren't descending on her. Our meeting went well today. It was a small group but by telephone we were able to contact those who weren't there. We finished making plans for July; I've got to organize the order of the program. But the big decision was to take August off and not have the big monthly meeting. I'd suggested doing that earlier but didn't get much support so went ahead. But today when we started seriously making plans, the ladies decided they weren't so gung-ho after all. Esther's moving, Patty's daughter is having a baby, etc. So we called Pat on the phone to see if we could change the plan. She wasn't real happy, made suggestions of things to consider, but said that if the Prayer Coordinator who wasn't at the meeting agreed, then she'd give her approval and turn in the request to headquarters. We'll still need to have the September invitation printed before this July meeting so we can hand that out. And we'll still have the Prayer and Planning meetings. But it's a relief not to have a big meeting. The tentative plan was to have an evening Health and Beauty Fair--that might be fun but also a lot of work. Friday, June 23, 2006, 11:34pm Rushing around this morning. Time is going quickly. Mark wanted me to join him at Breitenbush for the weekend. They are having an energy conference which he wants to attend. So I'm trying to wind up some things so I can make the drive. Almost finished packing, will have a little lunch and then go. It's going to be a hot afternoon. My speech in LaPine went well last night. Attendance was low; presumably due to the onset of summer. However, the fettacini was delicious. I know some of the ladies fairly well but apparently they haven't heard all of my story. They seemed to really like it and said they'd like to hear more. One lady said my descriptions were so realistic she felt like she could just crawl into my speech with me I've had a fairly successful week. Have to say I owe it all to God and the Holy Spirit. To be able to overcome nervousness and tell my story in an open way that would attract people to Jesus. I expect to be back early next week. I'm going to be flexible since I don't have to be home until my meeting next Wednesday. Talk to you later. Wednesday, June 21, 4:22pm Since I wrote earlier, I've been reading the Comments cards that we collected after the meeting today. I was just awed at what the Lord did today. Several people wrote that something I said really touched them; I can't be more specific that that. Four people asked about our Stonecroft Bible Studies. I know that doesn't sound like much but in the 6 months I've been associated, to my knowledge only one woman has marked the box expressing interest. Plus another lady who is new to the area but worked with a group in Arizona said she would be willing to Guide a study. Wednesday, June 21, 2:21pm Just got home from speaking here in Bend. Thanks to any of you who might have remembered to pray for me this week while I'm on this speaking tour. It's been a good learning eaxperience. As I wrote on Monday evening, I had trouble with the sun and the podium Now I'm aware of that potential issue. One lady told me that she really related to my tale of how worry and fear has dominated my life and how to combat it. The Redmond group had women of varying ages. The Prineville Group had many older women. They were more reserved in their laughing; however, they all stopped on their way out to tell me how much they appreciated the message. Our Bend group today was about halfway in between. Pat had drafted the former Redmond Chair to come help with intros and take up the offering. I usually do the Intros but Pat said since I was the speaker I couldn't do any of the stuff that I normally do. We had a couple of women volunteered to do a skit and hand out doorprizes today; women who refused to be part of one back in February. On Monday evening I'd seen Kim taking notes. When I asked her if she had any comments about things I should work on since she was making notes, she responded she'd been taking notes of things she liked and ought to do when writing her speech. That sure was a compliment. I hope Kim will indeed get her speech finished as we always need availability of speakers. Today I had a number of people tell me how much they appreciated what I had to say. That fear is a subject to which nearly everyone can relate. A couple quizzed me about our RV lifestyle. I'd kind of worried that in the local group where I've been for several months, they might just say "ho hum." One lady told me because she'd seen me work so hard for the group, it was neat to hear the story behind the person and what I've overcome to be where I am today. I'm looking forward to reading the comment cards. Only the chairs/vice chair and speakers get to see them because of confidentiality. I was really excited about how well it went today. No problems with the microphone, the podium was nice and big and was a stand alone thing (not a table top one). I felt very comfortable, was able to focus on the crowd and not read as much. Jan (our Speaker Trainer) said that it was wonderful. Since we had a bigger crowd, it was more difficult to make eye contact. That was one thing I liked about the smaller groups. That's about all for now. I just wanted to let you know that all is going well. Monday, June 19,m 2006, 10:05pm Snore. I need to get to bed. Just thought I'd give you a quick update. Yippie! Made it through my first speech in Redmond--despite that the sun was in my eyes and my note book was bigger than the podium. We managed and the ladies laughed in all the right places. I was pleasantly surprised when they got my introductory joke and laughed after the first sentence. (It's designed to make people think.) Someone said I was inspirational and funny. Monday, June 19, 2006, 12:15am Today culminates a year of work on my speech for Stonecroft. I'll be speaking this week to the four Christian Women's Clubs in Central Oregon. Redmond this evening, Prineville Tuesday for lunch, Bend Wednesday for Lunch and LaPine on Thursday evening. I know I will do okay but will still be glad when this week is over. I invited a number of my friends and neighbors but I don't know if anyone will actually come. We're all so busy with other things. We got our registration tags for the cars and bus. Mark and I got them put on this morning so that's a task done. We checked the oil in Tracker so I'm ready for the driving I will be doing this week. Mark left early so he could go by the Sprint store on the way out of town. We'd been wondering when his new phone would arrive in the mail. We finally sent a message to the seller who responded yesterday with a UPS tracking number. It was delivered on Friday in the office and no one told us. Which was disappointing because he could have gotten the phone activated on Saturday. He dropped back by a few minutes ago. It took a long time to get the phone working. Apparently this phone has some differences as to the set up; since the model wasn't in production for long, they must not have to deal with very many of them. Fortunately they weren't busy so could get most of the functions going. Saturday, June 17, 2006, 8:58am Mark called that he will be home some time this afternoon. He has several hours of work that needs to be done before he can leave. I've been taking care of errands around there this morning. I need to make bread this morning. Also, Pamela gave me some rhubarb so I want to make a pie for Mark's dinner as a surprise. Since he's been eating vegetarian meals all week, I plan to serve red meat; I found a lean steak at Fred Meyer. The good news is that I woke up feeling good this morning. It dawned on me that I was around a sick child earlier this week. While I wasn't really sick, the last couple of days...I did keep falling asleep. My body was probably working hard to throw off the illness. So I'm glad to be feeling normal again. At least normal for me. Now I can commence with practicing my speech for next week. I've been doing it halfheartedly since I felt so tired. I was going over it in my mind while walking this morning and felt pretty good about it. I've already dumped the sewer tanks and have been working on some of my Stonecroft stuff. I need to run up to Esther's house to pick up some lists she forgot to give me on Wednesday. While it technically could wait, she's so busy trying to pack and have a garage sale, I didn't want to put her on hold. I've organized myself to put my skis in our storage truck on my way "out" this morning; they've been taking up space on my side of the bed. Friday, June 16, 2006, 5:56pm This week has gone quickly. The last couple of days, I've been so tired. I've been listening to the Da Vinci Code on tape; every time I sit down, I find that I fall asleep. Therefore, the listening has been slow going. I'm glad that I didn't have much scheduled to do this week. I've been trying to stay home to catch up. Tuesday morning I went back over to Pamela's to do laundry. I may have mentioned that someone had given us a couch cushion that smelled like dog. Mark took the cover off and took the foam pad to Breitenbush with him. The dry cleaners said that as there was no tag of laundry instructions, my best bet was to wash it myself with cold water in a front loading washer and air dry it. So that's what I did. It came out with the smell much diminished; we won't know if it shrank until we try to put it back on the foam. That evening I went to the weekly Bible Study we often attend. It's pretty casual with a lot of visiting before people settle down to a discussion. Preacher Bob is going through the book of Hebrews (slowly) but allows the discussion to mutate for the needs of the group. He's big on historical events and how they tie in with Biblical events. For instance, persecution of the Christians in Rome and Nero accusing them of burning Rome. One of the big discussions this time was old vs. new covenant. Also there was a discussion about marriage, divorce, adultery, etc. You can imagine that was lively considering so many people have had difficult marriages. Wednesday was the monthly Prayer Connection. The big news was that Esther has sold her house. We've been meeting there for years for both Planning and Prayer. We'd been hoping to start having various people host and nobody has been motivated. We'd already arranged to the the July Prayer meeting elsewhere. Some others have now volunteered. I told them if we couldn't find a place to meet, I'm going to call up Round Table Pizza to reserve their party room and we'd all have to chip in for some refreshments. I was surprised nobody strongly objected to that idea. Monday, June 12, 2006, 4:42pm The RV/trailer park has been having a summer turnover. Last week a trailer moved in a couple of spaces down, leaving one empty in between. although fairly large, I could still see out some so that was okay. The girl next door is leaving; Al on my other side had said the rumor was that she was unhappy because they wanted to do a background check on her boyfriend who stays over a lot. A couple of weeks ago space 29 vacated; it filled this past week. Robert in the big 5th wheel that was next door (but moved into the space of the man who died) has bought a house so will be closing in a couple of weeks. Tony moved up to East Lake just after Memorial Day. He rents his space year round so it is empty. Other than that, the two next to us are the only ones vacant. Several of our empty spaces filled because the RV park in Redmond closed. Yesterday was a little different day. We visited a group that was having the 3rd anniversary of their meeting together. The minister called himself a preacher and stressed that this group was only one unit in the body of Christ. He spoke about prophecy and the upcoming return of Christ. This group meets in the restaurant part of a biker bar. It's a little odd but actually quite refreshing to have everyone visiting together beforehand in a relaxed manner. I took invitations to CWC inside. Several ladies were interested in attending; that would be neat if they do come. One of our friends asked me to talk to one of her friends who was upset about something. Both of us ended up talking to her over lunch. Mark is actually better at coming up with things quickly; which gives me time to think. It was flattering that Cher thought I/we might be able to help her friend.I just hope this lady will think about some of the things we discussed. Mark left about 1:30 this afternoon to head back to Breitenbush for another week of work. I washed his clothes yesterday. Fortunately I'd forgotten to pack only a couple of things so I did good. We replenished his dental floss and deodorant. Just after he left we had a brief hailstorm. Some of the stones were the size of a penny which is pretty big. The ground was covered. Then the son came out; it is drying quickly. I walked over to the mailbox in the parking lot next door. It's a nice temperature outside. Our electric bill reflects the moderate temperatures we've been having. It's nice to have a time period where we aren't using our heaters or airconditioning. We only turned on the AC once this past month. A couple of mornings, I turned the heater on my feet while eating breakfast. Mostly I make myself do without because the metal house heats up quickly once the sun comes out. Overcast days or difficult because it warms up more slowly. Saturday, June 10, 2006, 3:25pm We had a nice day today. Mark wanted to spend it with me, relaxing. For the "what would you like to do today?" I opted to take the walk around Drake Park. I assume it's the Deschutes River that goes through Bend. There is a nice park just off of downtown with a walkway right along the river. Coming back, we went through what looked like an older but ritzy neighborhood. Several houses were for sale for 1M or more. We were surprised; especially since the lots were tiny. We also went over to Costco for their kosher hot dogs. Probably
not the best of meals but the price is right. Then we came home to
watch a movie; we've been doing that some since there seems to be nothing
on television. The problem still is picking out one that is worthwhile.
Thursday, June 8, 2006, 5:58pm I got an email yesterday
that our friend Lynn Tyce has had a book published. It's called He
Wrote that When..., ISBN 0-849919-23-1. Lynn says it is the Psalms
that David wrote, set in the context of 1 and 2 Samuel. He expects
it to be both in secular and Christian book stores. I will have
to look for it.
Tuesday, June 6, 2006, 6:01pm I went by the dry cleaners. We were given a cushion that we want to use as a mattress for camping. It smells like dog. We couldn't find a cleaning label. The cleaners said dry cleaning wouldn't take out the smell and suggested that I just carefully wash it myself because if that works, then it would be better about taking out the smell and cheaper for me to do it. Besides the fact that if it shrinks or something, they take no responsibility so I might as well do it. Mark called me with the bad news that his phone has been ruined. Sprint doesn't have that model any more. The good news is that if we find one on Ebay or from a reputable dealer, they said they'll activate the new phone and elminate the old one at no extra charge as long as we have the old one to turn in. Otherwise, his work at Breitenbush is going well. I've had a stiff upper back today. Not that it's kept me down. But
I'm trying to relax and pop it. I've been hunched over the computer
working on sending out advertising for CWC, plus making up future invitations.
I'm trying to get a jump on the future since we've been making plans
for upcoming meetings. We also have decided to make a flyer to send
to the other groups who won't be meeting in July and August or September
to advertise our meetings in case anyone wants to drive over. I've
got that one done (except for finalizing a couple of details) and sent to
the other team members for input. I'm almost finished with the July invitation. Monday, June 5, 2006,1:20pm I'm almost finished posting invitations. I need to go to a couple
of places while I'm out the next couple of days. Seems like Monday
is a favorite day to be closed. I emptied the sewer tanks this morning. That's a weekly chore. I was thinking the other day that I should check our propane levels. Cooking is about the only thing that uses it. When on the road, the fridge runs on gas but normally we are hooked into electricity. Last spring we filled our propane; it lasted all summer. We filled prior to relocating to Bend because I could get the employee discount. Mark is indeed working this week at Breitenbush. They head guys of
the department are out of town but the one left in charge wanted him so got
it cleared through the business manager. Saturdeay, June 3, 2006, 9:27am Mark has driven back over to Detroit to check in with the Breitenbush people They hadn't gotten back to him with specific information. They are a little haphazard as they work with less people as they really need and summertime is busy. As June 3rd had originally been discussed, Mark thought he would enjoy the drive and get to see some people even if they weren't counting on his arrival. He can hang loose, come straight home, go see see our friends near there or something. We did pack him some clothes in case he needed to be come overnight or if they put him right to work. In the meantime, I have a day or so that I don't have to worry about fixing meals for him. Yesterday evening I went to a writers' meeting at the Newberry Eagle. The
new editor, Kim Feer is wanting to encourage those who have been volunteering
their services to the paper. She's big on empowerment, wanting to encourage
people in their writing. I don't anticipate that I will drive down
to LaPine every month. Hopefully she will tell us the planned topic
in email. For instance, one of the meetings will be about photo-journalism.
I want to attend that. I did ask questions about that since I
send in pictures with the articles about Girls Night Out. We spent a busy day. Mark's still trying to get the little truck
not to overheat. So we was still working on that when I left for
the evening. He thinks he got the problem solved; I hope so since
he's out there driving right now. We also ran the bus motor for a while.
We had hoped to take it for a drive about now. But it has been
raining so once again we just ran it. We plan to take it in for work
some time this month so that should help. Wednesday, May 31, 2006, 5:00pm We did have a good planning meeting. The ladies are finally beginning to relax with the new officers. Pat, our area rep, had missed the last two meetings. She's good at taking action off the top of her head whereas I have to think about it first. As the ladies were mentioning different ideas, she was able to add to their suggestions and turn it into a plan. I need to go through my notes and make sure that I knew what I'm supposed to do. The decorations for this month is what might be a little lacking. The ladies were more excited about the July meeting which is a Teddy Bear thing. That doesn't "crank my chain" (as one of my friends says) but if the ladies get excited about a theme, then they are more enthused about spending time and energy. I'm not going to complain. Last Thursday I told you about Wednesday's CWC meeting and that I had had
to do the closing. I overheard Pat telling the Redmond chair that I'd
done a great job. That made me feel good and I thank God for helping
me through it. I need to be practicing on my speech. The 19th
when I go to Redmond will be here before we know it. Saturday, May 27, 2006, 5:56pm Mark said he wanted to take the truck for a test drive so we could return some parts to Home Depot. When almost there we were overheating. Mark pulled into the Target parking lot and I walked on to Home Depot and then went into Food For Less. I was pleasantly surprised to find Organic Salsa at a reasonable price and got the cream and green chiles. I'd figured they'd have something I could buy since I wasn't going to be picky about "organic." (We go organic as much as we can but I can't always get to the health food store. I like Fred Meyer since it's only .8 miles from us and has a good organic produce section.) Since that store was in the same shopping center, it was an easy walk even if they are on opposite ends. I needed the exercise anyway. Mark had figured out the truck issue and we made it home. The
tortilla dish is baking. Mark is on the roof replacing the vent cover.
I look forward to a relaxing evening and hopefully early to bed. 20 years ago, Mark and I were on the first real day of our honeymoon. We had spent the night in Jefferson and were on our way to Alaska in my car filled with the stuff we hadn't shipped. Our friends near Salem invited us to come spend the day on the farm and then go out in the evening to the Olive Garden. That turned out to be a good choice. We were able to get their before the after-work crowd. The menu had changed since we'd last been to an OG; the dishes we had were abundant enough that we happily moaned our way through the leftovers for brunch this morning. It was so nice to relax as two couples. We don't see each other that often so this day was special. After dinner, the rain slacked off we went down to the river and walked along the sidewalk overlooking the river and down to the dock where the Willamette Queen comes and goes on their lunch and dinner cruises. We'd considered doing that but realized the timing didn't work very well. Our friends also blessed us with some chai tea, potato chips, frozen strawberries and organic yogurt. I managed to get all that into our little refrigerator and freezer. I need to go buy some whipping cream. He loves fruit on waffles. He has the holiday off so I want to make a special breakfast for him. I don't make waffles very often although I do enjoy them myself. We opted to drive home late last night. Apparently just before we got to our friend's house, we ran over something. One of the boys noticed that a tire was hissing. How fortunate that they were able to repair the slit in the tire and put in more air. We were pretty tired but made home it without incident or accident. So glad Mark didn't have to go to work this morning. We did sleep in. Although when one is used to awakening at 5:00am...we'll be ready for bed when nightfall comes. I was blessed in doing my laundry today. The lady using the drying before me evidently had put in an extra set of quarters to finish drying her load but didn't use it all. Since I was standing there waiting to move my second load to the dryer, I was able to use the rest of her time and then use my quarters so for once I came home with totally dry laundry. Normally I refuse to use a second set of quarters so come home to spread damp clothes around the bus. I'll hold off a couple of days before doing a jean load. Mark is working on the truck some more and also plans to go on the roof to replace the vent cover of the Fantastic Fan. That came the other day--they have a lifetime guarantee so as least we didn't have to pay for fixing that. So we have some more dirty jeans by Monday to fill up a load. Now it's time to get started with dinner. I want it to be ready when Mark gets finished with the truck. I like having just two meals on the weekend. I've been planning to make a tortilla/ground meat dish so those have been thawing. Thursday, May 25, 2006, 5:15pm It's been a busy several days. Mark stayed up at the mountain late to do some work on the little pickup. A friend had a couple of canopies that fit it; he let us take them to combine to see if we could combine parts get one "good one." Mark's been wanting a topper so we can carry stuff and also, we'd like to take some trips this summer which we could "camp out" in the back of the truck. With fuel prices so high, we don't want to take our RV every place we might like to go. Tuesday morning I went over to Jan Mather's house to go over my speech. I'd arranged to give it at the Ladies Luncheon in LaPine today. It hadn't worked out to get in a group setting to give it. We were supposed to today but the other ladies didn't get their speeches ready; they decided to wait until July to get together. So I gave my speech to Jan. She was really excited about it, admitting she'd had some reservations about how impacting it would be. But she said my delivery was really good and just made the speech. Jan said I had good emphasis and was very funny. That's always amazing to me that people think I'm funny. I don't intend to be. I'm not the kind of person that makes jokes all the time. But I guess I say things in a way that bring forth a chuckle and make things memorable. Today, the ladies really entered in, having a discussion about what I'd said. Several told me that I really spoke from the heart which in turn spoke to their hearts. I will definitely need to go through it more times before I speak next month. I decided today to just eyeball each paragraph and try to say it rather than reading. So I know what came out of my mouth wasn't always exactly what was written. But I could see that I did know the material. Wednesday was a monthly Christian Women's Club meeting. It went fairly well. Linda and I had been uncomfortable because we'd been unable to really have good contact with the speaker who was also supplying the music. And they got there late so we had some miscommunication, and then Pat changed the music around and that didn't get communicated correctly. At least the audience didn't know all those details and it worked out. I'd been warned that our Special Feature always goes long. So I'd made arrangements to be on stage with him to help plus keep his aware of the time. That worked out real well. He really needed someone to help hold the mike while he dug in the dirt. putting together a planter. He gave a number of hints and also answered some questions. We did go a little long but because of the mix-up in the music and starting time, we did have the spare minutes. Since II was already up there, we could go directly into the door prizes. Virginia Zimmerman had suggested we do Mother's Day trivia; unfortunately she won't get up in front of a crowd. But having received the suggestion, I was able to go with it. We gave the planted Doug put together to the mother with the youngest child. And CDs from our musicians to people who knew the trivia. Like what month they celebrate Mother's Day in England and who was the president who made the day official in the US. They didn't know that Julia Ward Howe originally suggested it. Fortunately I had an extra question which was had anyone had breakfast in bed for Mother's Day. I'd been handed the job of doing the closing of the meeting. Which should just be a few reminders about turning in the dinner tickets, etc. However, at the last minute I'd been informed that the speaker wasn't going to do an "altar call." I don't like using that term--but I mean giving people the opportunity to say the "Sinner's Prayer." (I don't like that term either.) So that became a part of my job. Part of the speech is to present "Gospel" about Christ's death and resurrection, etc. Our speaker wasn't one of the regular Stonecroft approved speakers; we're allowed to have others on occasion. Fortunately, I'd brought a copy of my speech with me so I was able to whip it out and tie in what the speaker said with the message and altar call. Linda was relieved that she'd asked me to close because these unplanned situations tend to freak her out. I did all right and it was good practice for Thursday. Although I cut off the altar call part of today's speech. The focus of that group isn't to address non-believers. And knowing these ladies, I was able to relax and just give the testimony part. That did include the gospel message but this group is made up of Christian women and is to encourage them in their walk with God. Whereas CWC is an outreach to those who don't already know Jesus. Monday, May 22, 2006, 12:46pm Mark has posted the April/May 2006 News Letter to the website. If you with to receive the notification of it's publication directly to your email, click on the email link in the coupon portion of the newsletter. We send a brief notification with a link to the webpage. For those of you who have requested a printed copy, I am in the process of getting those out. They should be in your mailbox later this week. We've been having a series of brief showers. I'm grateful for any rain; it's been pretty dry here. Western Oregon is more rainy but Central and Eastern Oregon are dry. I just got off the phone with my father's cousin Ila. She's the daughter of my 105 1/2 year old great uncle. She says her parents are doing well considering their age. I aim to take after that side of the family and live for another 40 or so years Sunday, May 21, 2006, 12:39pm We had what I'd call a norther if I was in the south on Friday. It cooled off in the evening fairly fast. Yesterday was a delightful day, temperaturewise. It rained today but now is drying off with the sun out. I just opened the windows again now that it is warming up. We were invited to a wedding reception yesterday. A couple of months ago, a woman moved to town from California because she was going to marry someone up here. Her sister-in-law invited them to the Christian Women's Club Guest Night in March. Cheryl has joined the Planning Tea and frankly has been really an encouragement to me. I hope she can stay involved. Next month Cheryl and her new husband are going on a mission trip to Kenya. They had a quiet wedding but brought all the family in for the reception. I was honored to be one of those invited to attend. It was the greatest an an example of how Christian relationships should be. Everyone was really friendly, circulating and talking. The eating took place outside under tents. We sat with two other Stonecroft ladies who were able to be there. When things started winding down, Cheryl invited everyone inside for music/singing. Which meant with a piano and two guitars, people sang some of the old-time hymns for a couple of hours. They sang with gusto and at a tempo that was uplifting rather than dragging. While I didn't know most of them, I did enjoy it. Then our host said they should pray for people (me included). So that was interesting to see how everyone jumped up and entered in. Mark mentioned that I know how to play the piano. they insisted I try their 1859 piano. So I trotted out the two pieces I can do off the top of my head with both hands, Battle Hymn of the Republic and How Great Thou Art. Then I played Old Susannah with my right hand and Laura jumped up and started belting out the words. Apparently she was part of a family singing group when she was young. So that was kind of neat and unexpected. Made me think I need to start practicing again. Then the various people kept talking. It was all so spontaneous. Many of the people who hung around had been involved with various aspects of ministry for years. It was so neat to swap stories and encourage each other. I really enjoyed myself. We saved a piece of cake to take to a friend (that's another story) and found several people at her house. So we got to hang out with another set of people for a bit talking about what God has been doing in our lives. It was a beautiful day and an illustration of one of the ways that God intended people to hang out with Him and with each other. Thursday, May 17, 2006, 3:40pm Yesterday, by the time Mark got home from work, it was 95 degrees inside Bussie. Mark hooked our front air conditioner so we cool the house down. We try not to run it too much as it has problems; but it is difficult to work when it is so warm. I try to get things done early so I can sit at the computer when it is hot. We're having a rain shower this afternoon. It has cooled things off to 87 degrees inside. Amazing how cool that feel with the breeze coming through the window. I washed my hair a while ago; the collar of my shirt got wet. As the air hits the wet shirt, it makes me feel cooler. I remember a friend in Hawkins, TX writing me that she would soak her T-shirt in order to feel cooler. I'll have to remember that tip. I also let my hair dry naturally because of the warmth. Yesterday I went to the Stonecroft Prayer Connection. Only four of us were there. It reminded me of the small prayer group in which I participated in Aurora. Smaller numbers make for a more intimate setting. I like that because we were able to share some personal stories and more easily express our faith. I just posted a review of The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel. Tuesday, May 16, 2006, 6:50am It feels like I already have put in a full day. On the days that the sun shines, it can get pretty warm in Bussie. So I like to get a bunch done so I don't have to be moving around a lot when it's warm inside. Not warm enough to justify using electricity for the air conditioner but warm enough to feel blah. I dumped our black tank this morning. I spent yesterday working on the June invitation for Christian Women's Club and our BBtJ newsletter. I'm hoping to get them both done at the same time so I can use a 3 cents a side coupon. Every cent helps. I went next door to buy mushroom soup and found they still had miniature roses on sale. I'd bought one at Fred Meyer the other day but took it back as I decided I was settling for second best instead of what I really wanted. So I was pleasantly surprised to see exactly what I wanted for half the price. I prefer house plants because I can see them to enjoy. I don't spend enough time in the "yard" to enjoy anything that may be outside. The trailer park allows people to landscape as they want. However, the spaces were we are located are meant for short-term guests so the ground is all gravel except for a strip of grass at the rear. Sunday, May 14, 2006, 5:00pm We had a lovely trip. Mark was able to put in about 20 hours. That'll more than make up for the day he took off work. However, it was hard to get up this morning and go off to work this morning. He really enjoys the work at Breitenbush. We'll have further discussions about possible times Mark can come work there on a fill-in basis. While I enjoy living in a town, we certainly got used to the quiet over the past few days. It was so wonderful to be able to hear the river and the birds. When we pulled up at the light on the corner just over a block from "home," someone else pulled up with windows open and music blaring. It was a shock to our system. I guess that's one reason why I like walking early before everyone gets going for the day. It's finally warm enough to do that. I've been getting unpacked today. Went to Fred Meyer where I get organic produce. The health food stores aren't close so I appreciate that I can get basics in my neighborhood. I shop at Grocery Outlet (in the next block) for non-organic items that I would buy anyway. Also spent several hours doing laundry. Since I had Mark's coveralls that were dirty from the past few days, I took laundry over to the Mathers' house. Jan's invited me to do so several times. It helps when I have small loads or something that needs special attention. But it takes longer when one can only do one load at a time. I had a good conversation with a neighbor this afternoon. I see her outside a lot but it's usually when I'm dashing somewhere. So I decided I needed to stop to chat. I'd given her an invitation to the February CWC meeting. So she brought up the subject of churches in the area. Their son is getting married and the young couple wants to attend a non-denominational congregation. Wednesday, May 10, 2006, 2:29pm Mark will be home in a little over an hour. We're heading off to Breitenbush Hot Springs after he gets back. I slept well last night so was able to get packing done early. That's been nice so I'm having time to putter around in my home. I never like being rushed out the door I'm feeling pretty good about my "shopping" this week. I found out that Staples gives a $3 off coupon when you turn in your printer cartridges. It can be used for copies as well as product. Since we usually get our newsletters copied there, that will help bring down the costs of a future purchase. Also, ran over to RiteAid this morning and the item I wanted had a rebate. I should be expecting that in the mail. I also found a short cro-hook at the used store. Although I'm hoping to learn how to make them myself, I've been wanting a shorter one. Even though they aren't terribly expensive, they seem to be available only online; therefore, I got this one for a fraction of the price. This week has been interesting. I've had several opportunities to express my faith to acquaintances, old and new. Since the weather has been warmer, more people have been spending time outside. Most of the neighbors that we have met express a belief in Jesus; however most don't attend anywhere because of past bad experiences with organized religion. We like to encourage people in the relationship with God; it's been interesting to discuss this with our new friends. Well, friends, I need to finish loading the car. At this point, we expect to return Saturday evening. I'll be in touch Sunday!! Tuesday, May 9, 2006, 1:00pm I've been working through my list of things to do this week. Mark and I are leaving Wednesday afternoon for another 3-day interview with Breitenbush Hot Springs. We still aren't sure if this is the direction God wants us to go. But the opportunity seems to have opened up. So I've been running around trying to finish up Stonecroft stuff for the month (publicity and articles) so I can relax and enjoy the time away from home. This morning I ran errands. The dental hygienist had an unexpected cancellation for this afternoon. I'll pick Mark up so he can get his teeth cleaned instead of waiting for a couple more weeks. Sunday, May 7, 2006, 1:51pm Brr! I should be a warm 57 degrees but the sun isn't shining so with a breeze, it feels a little nippy. Mark will be home in a little bit; I've been doing laundry and organizing meal ideas for the next few days. I'm not wanting to use up some of the things I have. Mark wants to thank those of you who have clicked on the Amazon link from our websites and made purchases. He checked the records and we have received some small credits. Saturday, May 6, 9:00am Yesterday was the Art Walk again. At 5:00pm Mark and I went to the Old Mill District to make the rounds there. Then, as planned ahead, we met our neighbor, Mieke and a couple of her friends at the Bellatazza (it's like a coffee place.) It was interesting to hang out with others. Mieke knew about a new contemporary gallery which had just opened up. Mark and I would have missed that. Part of their show was by a elderly couple; he still paints (at age 90) and she sculpts. The Tower Theatre was having a concert of sorts. I don't know how to describe it except you could call them native instruments: drums and flutes. Just within the last couple of months, I've come to appreciate that type of music. That was early in the evening; about sundown, the group came outside to play while the fire dancers were performing. While it was still like, we watched a couple of belly dancers. After it became dark, the fire dancers did their thing. I believe there is a saying from earlier years that " if one sat by the banks of the Seine, all of the World would walk by"--or some such verbiage. That's kind of the way we felt while sitting outside the Bellatazza. We actually saw people we knew plus others of all shapes and sizes. It made me feel quite cosmopolitan even though I wasn't smoking a cigarette or drinking a liqueur Thursday, May 4, 2006, 1:11pm Back from putting out some of the CWC invitations. Also went by Cher's new hair salon. Was able to give my testimony by telling them about my healing from Multiple Chemical Sensitivities. Two ladies were there having their hair done. It was neat being able to meet some new ladies. One was interested in Christian Women's Club; she asked if her husband could come. I told her that most of the time it was just women but if he doesn't mind, we certainly don't. I was able to tell her that the speaker's husband is supposed to be there this month so he it might be nice to have another man there. Things are getting exciting. Yesterday before our Planning Meeting, I received a phone call saying that the June speaker from California had canceled. Pat had called the July speaker to see if she come come in June but the answer was no. So I volunteered to do the 4 group circuit in June instead of speaking only to Bend in August. The other groups in the circuit decided to take a break during July and August. It's very exciting to be scheduled sooner rather than later. Also, if all works out, I will be giving my speech to the Ladies' Luncheon down in LaPine at the end of this month for practice. Linda is organizing a meeting at her house so we can practice our speech in front of other people. So that'll be good to be able to speak a couple of times before I have a marathon week. Hayly who spoke for the first time in February said it was quite stressful to her to do four groups in the same week. At least it is the same speech each time rather than different ones. I got a compliment yesterday that I will pull out when I need encouragement. I called Linda Bennett who is the Bible Study coordinator for this region. She told me that when I've given announcements and other things, that I've seemed so relaxed and natural that it puts everyone at ease. That was a very nice compliment. I hope that will remain true when I have my speaking engagements. At least I'm already familiar with the Bend and LaPine groups and have met the officers of Redmond and Prineville. Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo. I don't know if they make a big deal about it here. We do have a Spanish speaking population in this part of town. I saw a sign about a special taco bar at one of the clubs when I was driving past this morning. Tomorrow is also First Friday. A group of us is going to meet at the Bellatazza downtown and walk around together. Mark and I will go over to the Old Mill District first and then meet them downtown at 6:00pm. Monday, May 1, 2006, 7:06am Yesterday afternoon, the movers finally came to haul away the trailer "down the street." The owner died last month. Robert, next door, told me last week that he would be moving over to that spot when it opened up. So Al (the man on the other side of us) and I supervised as Robert put everything away and got moved to his new spot. It was quite a long procedure but it was fun to be out talking to the various neighbors who came by to participate in this event. Without having a big RV three feet away, I am enjoying seeing the sun
rise over the trees. Even though there is someone two spaces away,
I can see a little more. Roberts rig was large enough that we couldn't
see anything but his RV outside our passenger side windows. It's quite
energizing to see the sun again. I plan to finally go out to rake up
pine needles today. Al is going to borrow the weed wacker today so
we'll do our back grass while he has it. So I need to get out this
morning before he gets going. Saturday, April 29, 2006, 3:46pm This evening we're going to have dinner with Chris and family. They've
been busy so I offered to take a meal over. Pamela has always
cooked when we've gone over so I wanted to give her some time off yet
still visit. We received some pictures and a letter from brother
Ron's wife Noelle so have that to share with them. Friday, April 28, 2006, 4:50pm Mark and I decided to go to the High Desert Museum this afternoon. It's a natural history and outdoor museum about this area. They were having day with special exhibits so it was a good day to go. We hadn't ever been there but Pamela had given us guest passes that she received with her annual membership. The museum is just a few miles south of town so we didn't have far to go. It certainly was warm; hard to believe we had 8 inches of snow just a few weeks ago. I put on sunscreen so as not to burn when viewing the outdoor exhibits. A women walking past stopped and said "I know you two; you came to the Gossamer one evening." I knew she looked familiar and identified that as one evening during the art walk. Thursday I went to the ladies luncheon in LaPine. They seemed so pleased to see me. Donna Hofman spoke about God's discipline and how God worked in their lives this past winter. They RV during the winter and this year volunteered at a Nazarene came in Texas. I'm scheduled to speak next month. On my way home, I stopped at Cascade Meadows and got to see Chris Rinehart
and Jan DuVall who were working in the office. Jan was the person
I mainly worked with last summer. Carol Shears is to arrive some
time next week. They're sorry not to see us back this summer.
But that hasn't appeared to be the direction we are to go. Tuesday, April 25, 2006, 7:10am It's going to be a beautiful day. Mark got off about 6:00am. I've taken advantage of fee minutes (prior to 7:00am) to make some phone calls to eastern states. I've showered and now am ready to put in a load of wash and go for my morning walk. But I wanted to take a moment to say hello to you. Yesterday someone asked me what I do I have to do? People somehow seem to think that RVers have severed all their ties with life and sit around doing nothing. Mark and I are anything but retired. One of today's project is washing out the windowsills. They've gotten cruddy and seem to be molding; we want to nip that in the bud. On Friday, Mark climbed up on top of Bussie to clean it off and opened our awnings to clean them where the pine needles and juniper berries have fallen. I need to rake up all the fallen pine needles and trash that's been blowing around. We're supposed to police our own sites. My desk is buried under mail and other paperwork. We still have various business things that we do so I need to work with that. And my Stonecroft activities do take up quite a bit of time. I've gotten it organized where it comes in spurts now instead of taking up so much time. As the end of the month approaches, I need to send out the publicity info for next month's meeting. I just realized that today is the deadline for Christian News Northwest. I have a number of phone calls to make as followup from the April meeting. Also, Wanda in LaPine reported that she didn't get all her pans back. So I need to call the ladies up here to find out who was on clean up--if anyone knows anything. I sure hope so. Just talked to a friend on the phone who plans to be in town today and
wants to drop by for a visit. That's good incentive for picking
up the house. I should probably clean the toilet as well. I
also should change clothes. I'm wearing brown plaid pajama bottoms
(great for lounging) with a pink T-shirt with a kitty face on it. Those
don't exactly go together. I'll say goodbye for now--hope you have
a good day! Sunday, April 23, 2006, 7:41am Friday, April 21, 2006, 3:49pm Yesterday was sort of strange day. I spent all morning trying to wrap up things after the Tea. We had 110 guests. Only 24 marked as first timers but I need to go through the list to see who hasn't been on our call list. We plan to call everyone to say thanks for coming and would they like to be on our reminder list. This weekend I'll be calling the people who marked that they had prayed with the speaker, making decisions for Christ. Linda already left to attend the Stonecroft conference which starts on Sunday evening. Pat is leaving tomorrow morning. With them being gone, there are various things I need to handle. Fortunately we agreed to postpone the next planning meeting until after they get back. The May meeting is mostly planned and we've already been working on the June meeting. I'll sit down and write down the detail to present to Pat and Linda when they get back so we'll all be on the same page. It was noon by the time I got finished with things and got my skis loaded into the car. Then I had to stop for gasoline. So it was "late" by the time I got to the ski slope. I didn't bother with the beginner slope but went down Marshmallow at the Sunshine part of the mountain. I don't know if it was my longer skis or the mushy snow but it was harder going than it had been the other day. So that was another learning experience. Rather than waiting for Mark to get off work, I headed home so I could go by the library and grocery store. I like getting dinner started so it's ready when he gets home. I'm beginning to comprehend why my mother liked having dinner early. It does get that out of the way so one is free to do other things during the evening. I also have some problem with reflux and it isn't as bad if I've eaten early. We've enjoyed having the sun go down a little later. We've used it
to take some evening walks. Tonight I hope to go to bed early as we
were up late on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Tuesday because we
went to a Bible Study. Wednesday because we went to the Mt. Bachelor
bowling party. I just realized I haven't mentioned that. I
don't think I've enjoyed a bowling party so much in my life. They
served pizza and soft drinks. Mark and I stuck to the cheese pizza
which had plenty of cheese. We ended up in a bowling group
with the janitor from the shop and two other men. We jumped around
and hollered like we were young people. The guys usually broke 100
but I made a top score of 71. It's probably been 15 years since I
last tried bowling. But it was fun even if I didn't do well. Thursday, April 20, 2006, 9:20pm This was billed as a concert. Anita Bacon played some background music first to warm up a little and tried the piano. Then after the welcome, Polly Roethe, played the harp. That was so beautiful! Then we announced the winners of the hat contest. Jan Mathers and Cheryl Freese were our judges. They came up with cute categories (making categories to fit the hats) like Most Flowery, Most Feminine, Boldest, etc. They did such a good job. Then for the Special Feature Anita played her 15 minute concert which was a mixture of classical and religious. It was so beautiful. Our Feature is usually secular in nature; however, if people weren't familiar with some of the old time hymns, they wouldn't have associated it with religion. After that, Linda and I got up to do the announcements. Originally she'd asked me to do them but thought it might be fun to both be up there kind of conversing about stuff. Announcements are about the next meeting, filling out the information card, etc. Linda is kind of shy about the microphone. After being up there several months in a row, I'm finding that I'm doing better about ad-libbing. When we were changing from one segment of the program to the next, Jan had commented that my cute outfit was flapperish so I had the spontaneity it do a few steps of the Charleston. I'm still pleased with myself about that. Those of you who know me probably are aware that I'm not a spontaneous person. So this has been good for me to have to get up in front of crowds while interacting with others. The last segment of the program is always the speaker. I've been asking the people on the program to supply introductions ahead of time. What Anita sent was way too long and had stuff that didn't fit the current Stonecroft guidelines. She'd said we could edit it so I did. I was gratified when she came up and asked if I could email her what I'd used so she could have it. After the program, Linda and I were able to circulate. The women really seemed to enjoy themselves. It was a lot of work, although Linda and I got off fairly easy. We'd nearly killed ourselves doing the Sportsman's Fair last month. When Pat had informed us we were catering it ourselves (that's what she does), we'd nearly crawled under the table. But the various ladies did come forward to help; there was a lot of pre-planning to be done which was tiring. Linda's husband and daughter who has a food handlers license came to help. So yesterday we were able to run around just making sure things were going smoothly. I wore a designer dress Mark had bought for me in Atlanta several years ago. We got a really good deal and I wear it when I need something striking to wear. It's loose so I've been able to wear it through "thick and thin." I'd forgotten about it; when I was rummaging though my overstuffed closet looking for my purple dress (which Aunt Colleen gave me), I saw this other dress and knew that's what I should wear. I tied the belt around my head and then stuck some flowers through the bow. Even I have to say that I looked adorable. And fortunately I found my bobby pins so it was securely anchored to my head. My navy blue pumps seem to go with lots of things. Those sure were a good buy. We had several women offer to help with future activities and one who offered to do a Feature. So that was good as well. I plan to go skiing this afternoon if I can get myself together. Seems
like one thing after another keeps happening this morning. Tuesday, April 18, 2006, 5:32pm I've gotten together the introductions (of musicians and speaker) we'll be making. I was trying to print a document off the web that we are to read every month. For some reason it wasn't printing so they faxed it to me. Mark is printing it off now. This morning I changed my mind about what to wear tomorrow. When looking in my closet, I noticed a designer long dress we'd bought several years ago. It's quite striking as well as comfortable. I bought a silk flower bouquet at the dollar store. I made a bundle of the flowers that match my outfit. I plan to use the "belt" as a headband and stick the flowers through the bow. Someone had come up with the idea of having a "hat contest." So this will be a headdress of sorts--kind of a Roaring Twenties look. As part of the sponsoring organization, I don't expect to be considered for the contest anyway. We asked several people to be the judge and none worked out. This morning I called Jan Mathers who said she'd be happy to do it. She was Chair of this group several years ago so is familiar with how things are done. Between the music segments, we'll announce the winners of the contest. We'll give the door prizes during announcements. It's time to fix dinner so we can go to our study. So I'll say goodbye
for now. Monday, April 17, 2006, 1:54pm Mark and I are back from our travels. We got in yesterday evening in time for dinner. We turned the heat up some but after minor unpacking (and checking email and a few phone calls) we went to bed early. Mark returned to work this morning. They had a big snow on the mountain as well. It'll be a busy week. We will attend a Bible Study on Tuesday evening. The big Stonecroft Tea is on Wednesday. Then there is a bowling party (with pizza) that evening. It's a reward for the food drive Mt. Bachelor has been having. The department Mark works in won the most amount of food for the most points. There was a rating system; one of the girls in the parts department collected money, figured out what to buy to work the rating system. Mark helped her load and deliver one evening a couple of weeks ago. We'll have to figure out where the bowling alley is; that's not something we do very often.) I'm hoping I can go again go skiing one day at the end of the week so I can continue my learning process. Our days off were quite interesting. We've been considering if it was time to move on. A possible job opportunity has opened up at Breitenbush Hot Springs and Conference Center. It was a popular vacation spot in the 1920s and 30s. Ownership has come and gone over the years. It has mutated into an owner/member community that allows the facilities to be used for retreats and conferences. The hot springs are still popular and can be visited for Day Use. Many people come just to "get away from it all." Like other resort places, they hire extra people for the summer. When people apply for jobs, they are asked to come for a working interview to see if they fit in. The "community" is very unusual. This place is on the west side
of the Cascades but still in the mountains; the nearest town of 300 people
is almost 10 miles away. They make their own electricity and heat the
buildings from the hot springs. Phones are from a satellite system.
They are still using buildings and equipment from way back when. In
other words, it is somewhat primitive but they do have bathrooms. Guest
meals are included in the accommodation fee. Staff is allowed to eat
the "leftovers" at the end of the meal period rather than being thrown out.
The food is organic vegetarian. I loved the organic but as I'm
not adventurous when it comes to eating, I didn't enjoy the choices as much
as Mark did. I think he tried everything. I had plenty to eat--but
for once I didn't gain weight on a trip. My time was pretty much my own during the 4 1/2 days we were there. I talked to several department heads about doing fill-in work if we do go there. However, mostly I was able to relax. I went to one exercise class and walked when it wasn't raining or snowing. However, I mostly enjoyed being away from my normal responsibilities. It took a couple of days to get unwound. I recently started reading the Chronological Bible so made headway in catching up after my late start. I found a Hardy Boy book in the community library so read that after umpteen years. One of the ladies I met was the child care-giver. She's an ex-teacher and really loves being with the children of the staff members. I think that's neat that they pay someone to take care of children so their parents can work. Carol had decided to have something she calls "Morning Circle." Basically it's a kids activity (for guests) where they sing songs, beat on the drums, hop around and things. Most of the activities are geared toward adults. The children who came that morning with their parents seemed to enjoy it. I know I did even if I was a "bigger kid." On Saturday afternoon I went on a tour of the Geo-thermal and hydro systems. I was the only women who stuck it out the entire time as we looked at machinery while hiking up and down muddy trails with rain coming down. I was really pleased that I kept up with the men without any chivalrous help; especially since I thought I was probably the oldest in the group. I was also glad that I had my boots and raincoat. These were the same trails Mark ran up and down all week, diagnosing and fixing things--that's why I wanted to go on the tour, so I could see what he'd been talking about. I'm sure I could find more things to tell you about. We have no
conclusions if they will present a job offer or if we will take it. We
are asking God to show His desire for our lives. Tuesday, April 11, 2006, 7:15am Finished up the article for the next Newberry Eagle. Sent it off this morning. Last week I ordered a Vitamin-Mineral complex that I've been taking for years and really like. I ordered one bottle because it is fairly expensive. When it arrived on Friday, there were two bottles in the box. This morning I called the business owner who told me the second bottle was a "blessing from God." I'd call that a very nice blessing and really appreciate it. I do have to say that I've been enjoying many of the phone conversations I've been having lately. Mark and I have been networking with a number of ministries and friends. It's so great to talk to people who believe deeply in Jesus as our Savior and that we can be in relationship with Him on a daily basis. We've also gotten some encouraging emails in response to our last newsletter. When Mark gets home this evening, we'll leave for our trip. Tell you more about it when we get back. I'm looking forward to being away from the regular activities and spending time with Mark. I've got everything packed and will load the car as soon as I post this to the web. We'll return on Resurrection Sunday. So until next time. Sunday, April 9, 2006, 10:17pm I'm trying to do a number of things this morning so I can take a walk to the library this afternoon. They're having an author speak; that might be fun. I've been writing on articles about our Stonecroft activities for the newspapers. The Newberry Eagle didn't print our last one. The editor was ill with pneumonia and somehow my submission was overlooked. They were having trouble with their computer and had me send it to another email so I suspect the graphics person who was coping didn't look there. So I've been rewriting that article to keep all the good stuff for March and April and add May's information. I also got around to writing something for the Bend Bulletin. It will be interesting to see if they publish what I've written, re-write, or publishing nothing. Today, the family is gathering in Lubbock to celebrate the birthdays of
Daddy and Christy which will happen this week. Daddy's 80th
is tomorrow. Christy will be 28; I need to get a card off to
her. I'm glad that my sister is able to throw a little party.
They'll have 9 for lunch. Then they've invited some of Daddy's
friends over for cake at 2:00pm. I wish I could be there. I
did call a few minutes ago to with Daddy a happy time and I'll call again
tomorrow. I put something in the mail the other day. We're getting ready to a little trip, leaving Tuesday. We've been
praying about moving to another area. Even though we like Bend,
it seems like it is time to move on. So we've been in touch
with a place that has seasonal openings and are going there for an interview.
We're not ready to give the details as yet. Will tell you about
if it does like we should pursue this opportunity further. Mostly
we want to be sure that we go where God wants. Since this is the
week celebrating Christ's death and resurrection, we will enjoy having
some quite time away from our normal pursuits. I'd planned to go skiing on Wednesday but instead went on Thursday. I'm still trying to pursue that. It was a beautiful day. When I took the class last week, they complained about my older style skis. We bought them probably 15 years ago. Mark suggested I rent skis next time to see if that helped me. I was able to get the employee discount and with using my own boots, that knocked the price down to next to nothing. At first it was difficult to get used to different skis but it got better. I've been staying on the beginner slope since I hadn't even felt totally comfortable with it. My thought had been to try the next level slope. As it turned out, I'm glad decided to get used to the skis on a familiar slope. After three runs, I went inside the lodge for a break. Talked to a woman at the next table who told me about the Marshmallow run. Nice to have someone who looked at skiing from a learning perspective. That gave me some confidence to "go for it." I got in the car and headed over to the Sunrise lodge and the lift that would take me to Marshmallow. It is a lot longer run which gives more skiing time. Plus is pretty wide. That's nice because you can stop without feeling that you are in someone's way. The sides are curvy up so there's no fear of falling off. After a couple of runs, I decided I was tired enough I'd better not push doing it again. So got in the car and went back to Home Run. That was a good move because I could see that HomeRun is an easier slope. Which felt good because I'd successfully gone down Marshmallow. I was able to relax and concentrate on practicing some things I'd learned in the class last week because I now had more confidence. So I made a few more runs before turning in the skis. The driver's door on Tracker had "broken" again; the fix didn't stay. The door would open from the inside but not from the outside. Mark suggested that he look at it as long as the car was up the mountain. With proper tools, he was able to put a fix that should be permanent. During the winter, I took the shuttle rather than driving in the snow. However, the roads are clear now so I chose to drive because of the timing. Mark is now off on Friday and Saturday. Yesterday we went to his appointment at the dentist. I have to go back on Monday for the root canal. I called the insurance people and they were able to tell me what the insurance would cover so that was a relief. Chris and Pamela went with us on the Art Walk yesterday evening. It was lightly raining which added to the delight of the evening. Mark put the umbrella up a couple of times but mostly people ignored the rain. So good to see C&P again; even though we are in the same town, we lead separate lives so our paths don't cross as much as I'd like. It was fun to laugh and walk around with friends for a couple of hours. I'm headed out for my morning walk. It's supposed to get in the 60s
today. Hopefully it will stay warm for the next few days. Wednesday, April 6, 2006, 7:05pm I may have already told you this. Last Friday, I went down the street to get my hair cut. I usually cut my own. However, we'd met a lady who seems to be struggling. The owner of the barber shop where she work died so she had to move. She did find another place to work but is having difficulty being the new person and having her customers find her. Sometimes it gives a lift to have a professional haircut (and talk to someone who cares about hair). When we met Cher and I saw unintentionally saw her again, it just seemed like divine appointments. Mark decided he'd have her cut his hair. Both to give her some business and also I could see how someone else cut his hair. We've been growing it out instead of buzzing it short with the clippers. I called and made arrangements for Tuesday afternoon. Cher usually goes home earlier but said she'd wait until he could get there after work. I picked Mark up at the bus and we zoomed over. She was kind of bummed because the landlord had given notice that they have to move. So I think it was good to have us there. We had a great conversation about hair and other things. After the haircut, we were headed to a Bible Study that Cher sometimes attends. She asked us to come to dinner before going. She said she wasn't much of a cook but served us great homemade burritos. While eating, she had on a Video of a conference in Jerusalem. One of the performers was Maurice Sklar who we saw in person while in Tulsa. We got to meet her three beautiful cats so I got a "kitty fix." We were a few minutes late to the study but they were still in the joking around stage rather than into the discussion. The study meets at the Round Table Pizza. They have a pot of coffee
and people are free or not to get food. The room is free without
having to purchase food. Some people do if they haven't eaten
before coming. It makes for a relaxed study. They are going
slowly through Hebrews. Preacher Bob believes in being led by
the Holy Spirit. His premise is to encourage people in their faith
and love for the Godhead. So it wasn't just reading in Hebrews but
looking up other scriptures in both the old and new testaments to learn
about the Love of God. Sunday, April 2, 2006, 6:28am Time change?? We almost missed it. When we were getting ready to go to bed last night, a friend called. During the conversation she mentioned about the time changing. Oops!! So we really weren't going to bed early like we thought. Mark said he'd known about it but hadn't focused on it (that was before he found out that he had to work today). I'd been wondering when it was going to be but hadn't looked it up. Usually my sister mentions it. But I didn't talk to her yesterday. Mark decided he doesn't want to get up earlier so we'll have to change
our routine a little. I made most of his lunch last night.
So this morning I put it together and made breakfast while
he was in the shower. He wolfed breakfast down and headed out
the door (after putting on the clothes that we'd set out last night).
Normally we've allowed 1 1/2 hours of morning time so he could look
at email and other things before heading out. Not to mention that
one has a few minutes to shake off the cobwebs before having to start
in for the day. We'll see how this works. It went pretty well this
morning since we'd planned ahead. We took it sort of slowly yesterday being that it would be Mark's only day off this weekend. We slept a little later (that means 7:00am) then lay in bed talking for a while. We don't get too many of those lazy mornings. Mostly we try to talk about things we've been studying in our Bible as a way to compare notes. Then Mark got up to do computer stuff while I fixed breakfast. After that we worked on our federal taxes. Then Mark walked down to Schucks, the auto parts place for starter fluid. Then we ran Bussie for a while, rather than taking it for a drive. After that we watched a movie that we rented. Something called The Transporter. It was pretty violent but it could have been worse. It was sure nice yesterday to stay home and not have anyone saying any
"April Fools" stuff. April 1st never has been one of my favorite
days. So we've gotten past that for this year. Above is the Journal for 2006Q2. Here is the previous Journal |
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