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Bring Back the Joy --- B B t J . O r g
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Updates for 2006Q4 can be found in http://www.bbtj.org/journals/vj2006Q4.html
Updates for 2006Q3 appear below with the latest information at the top. Friday, September 29, 2006, 5:15pmI walked to the nearest health food store (more like a vitamin store) for my exercise today. I've found there are a couple of things that I like to buy that I can get there. I had to wait until nearly 10 o'clock rather than starting my walk early because of opening time. I sprayed on sunscreen, put on my hat, etc. On the way home, I stopped at Dutch Brothers to ask why they had balloons out front. The answer was that it's someone's birthday. I had to give the "waitress" credit; she asked me if I had plans for the weekend and made conversation rather than just answering my question and sending me on my way. It was heartening to see a young person who is honing conversational skills. Thursday, September 28, 2006, 3:30pm I got back earlier than expected from my foray to LaPine. I had a meeting with Pat Abernathy concerning my upcoming retirement as Chair from Christian Women's Club. There have been a number of questions/comments that about which I've been wanting to talk to Pat all summer. I just hasn't happened. So this was my opportunity. Also we talked about some of the things we should do to make the transition from me to Cheryl go smoothly. I don't think I told you that. Cheryl Freese has agreed to take over the Chairmanship of CWC. A lot of the stuff is already organized for the next couple of months so hopefully we can ease her into it. Plus I'll be around to answer questions. When Linda and I took over the former chairman wasn't really available. Plus it took several months before we got her hardcopy files and nothing from the computer. Timing for my meeting with Pat was lousy; she couldn't get to the meeting place until 11:00am and I was supposed to be at a luncheon at noon. But called ahead and said I'd be late so missed the speaker and made it for the food. Sharon Wade, the speaker who is a pastor in LaPine, said she'd mail me a copy of her notes. Unfortunately she isn't a computer person. I did enjoy getting to see the ladies who were there at the luncheon. Had a good conversation with April who I knew through Girls' Night Out. Their business (which I don't understand but it's some type of outdoor stuff that requires big machinery) has taken off and they've been swamped. She looked tired but not quite as frazzled when I saw her in June. Tuesday, September 26, 2006, 4:14pm Every morning while taking my walk, I think of all sorts of things I could tell you. Once I finally sit down at my computer, my brain seems to be on hold and can't remember what I thought was so exciting. Yesterday morning I went to the Senior Center to sign up for a Walking Program. It's for people of all ages. The Parks and Rec program is doing it there because they are trying to encourage seniors. Plus one of the urban trails starts behind the Senior Center. Along with written material about health and exercise, each "walker" was given a step counter. It only counts steps. The idea is to get people to be walking more than they do. On Wednesdays they want people to turn in the number of steps they've walked. Yesterday, I ended up walking with an older lady who wants to lose weight. She's been walking since July so has been able to build up speed which made us compatible walkers. She was able to tell me about the trail going from the Senior Center up and past Pilot Butte. One of my goals for autumn is the climb the Butte. Today should have been a laundry day at Pamela's. But I just couldn't get my act together today. I left a message on Chris's cell phone; they regular telephone is having problems so I haven't been able to get through. After having a couple of mornings with 32 degrees, we are now having warm weather again. It's gotten in the 80s yesterday and today. I bought my container of portulaca inside and have put it on the dashboard. I guess I could put it back outside while the weather is warm. But I've been enjoying having them inside where I can see the flowers. Monday, September 25, 2006, 6:24pm It's been a busy day. I've been taking care of stuff for CWC getting ready for the Planning Team meeting on Wednesday. I tendered my resignation as Chair, Vice-Chair and Program Chairman this morning. I prayed about it all weekend. I've felt it was the thing to do. Yet I've felt guilty that I would be leaving them in the lurch since there was no replacement. Originally when Linda and I agreed to become officers, I made a mental commitment through October. That conviction hasn't changed. Last month I talked to Pat about my considerations. Naturally she wasn't wanting me to quit. But I called Pat today so we could reach an agreement on when I will leave my role. I know she was disappointed when I said I wanted to stop doing all the tasks. Invitations is one of the difficult tasks because a computer person is needed. When our name tag person quit, one of the women drafted her husband. They were out of town last month so I did the six name tags that were needed. Glad I wasn't doing that every month. I'm sure it's not hard once one figures it out but since it was my first time, I had to figure out getting it all lined up, etc. and don't want to do it again. I agreed to continue as chair during the month of October and will relinquish my duties after the October outreach meeting. The October meeting is mostly organized so it won't be too hard to do. I'll email Pat my notes after the Planning Team meeting tomorrow so she'll have them for next month. I don't know if I'll need to be at that meeting or how exactly that will work. I am going to meet with Pat on Thursday to discuss a few things. Stonecroft Ministries has an affiliated group called Village Missions that supports missionaries/pastors in outlying towns. We visited the church in LaPine last spring but hadn't yet been to the one in Tumalo which is north of Bend. We visited there this last Sunday. I called Saturday to verify the time. The pastor's wife told me that they were having an Open House at the Parsonage after church. So we were able to stay for that and then stayed around to talk to Pastor Tim and Barbara for another hour or so. She sent us home with homemade rolls and a loaf of bread. I'd met Barbara before at Stonecroft activities so was glad to learn more of there story. Thursday, September 21, 2006, 2:15pm Brrr. Mark says I kept putting my legs on him last night so I must have been cold. No wonder! It 32.9 degrees outside this morning and 47 inside. It did turn into a beautiful day. I did laundry this morning. I'd skipped a week so had four loads to take over. To be exact, I had done a couple of loads at our laundry here at the trailer park. It's just nice to do wash in a house and have a chance to see the relatives. Chris's wrist seems to be healing well. He's been going to therapy three times a week. Says he can move his fingers some. Wednesday, September 20, 2006, 3:51am The week is getting away from me. Today is the CWC meeting. I'm ready to print out things I need to take with me. I've been getting everything together. The person who agreed to do the name tags which Patty and Dennis are out of town got sick. At least it was only six to do; I hope never to have to do that job again. On Sunday my jaw was slightly swollen again under my tooth. I've been putting hot salt water on it so it's gone back down. I have an appointment on Friday to have it checked. It's breesy and somewhat chilly out. It's 54 degrees which was quite comfortable this summer with the sun blaring down. But today the sun is out. I went to do laundry at Chris and Pamela's house. I'm glad I took my windbreaker. I almost didn't, thinking that it would warm up. The sad knews is that their older cat Smokey was run over. He couldn't see any more but liked going out. They knew it was a risk to let him out--but it's still sad to lose a family member. Tuesday, September 19, 2006, 10:15am We got a blessing when we went to the grocery store over the weekend. I'd wanted to go to Safeway as the one near us remodeled and they now have a lot of organic items. I went to the open house a couple of weeks ago. We ended up going to the Safeway over by Costco. They had remodeled earlier in the year so I figured they'd have the same stuff. If not, we could always come back to "our" Safeway. Normally I haven't shopped there because they didn't carry organic produce. Fred Meyer has quite a supply plus the health food section so I've preferred to go there when shopping for produce. The health food stores are further than my normal driving area. I've been going to Natures a little more often because it's just further up 3rd street which isn't too far. Wild Oats is on the northeast side of town and is expensive compared to the Wild Oats I shopped at in Aurora. Robert pulled out yesterday. I got myself finished up and ready for my walk at the time he'd said he wanted to leave so I could help direct. He'd expected to leave about 8am. So it worked out well. I had to move the pickup. The neighbor had been asked to move his car but evidently he didn't understand and moved it one space over so it was still in the way. So it worked out well that I was home. We moved our pickup and Robert pulled out to the right instead of the left as he had originally planned. Friday, September 15, 2006, 4:20pm We had a little excitement a few minutes ago. You will remember the large RV that was parked next to us in May. Robert purchased property and left the trailer park in June. However, he is still making his winter trek to Arizona. Therefore, he got his 5th wheel out of storage and brought it over here. They put him in the space across the street. Robert knocked on the door asking me to move the pickup which we have parked out front. Kathryn who lived briefly next door to us before they moved to the space Robert vacated when he bought his house...was home today for a while. She does accupuncture downtown. She's rarely home so since I saw her, I went over. She showed me their fancy RV. She indicated interest in seeing Bussie once her husband gets back from Florida. They have had their house up for sale. Wednesday was the Prayer Connection. We had a good turnout. Afterwards, Cheryl, Pat and I practiced the skit we will do to advertize next months meeting which is the annual fundraising auction. Wednesday, September 13, 2006, 6:44am I've been sitting here making my to-do list for today. There's always more to do than is possible in any given day. Especially since I tire out and use that as an excuse to sit down to read and recharge rather than pressing on. I need to go to Postal Express and get the copies of the CWC invitation printed today. That way we can fold them at the Prayer Connection. I'm printing less these days. Linda and I were putting out a lot but I can't do it by myself. Our other ladies are willing to hand them to friends and the occasional chance acquaintance but between advanced age and health, most aren't able to do a lot of walking. And it is somewhat scarey to walk into a store and ask someone to put up the flyer. I figure I don't ever have to go in there again so nothing tried is nothing gained. But I don't have the time to put out lots of flyers. I have certain places that I do it. On Friday I went to the dentist. It turned out that the front root where the root canal was done in April isnt' healing. Dr. Timm had a term for it that I can't spell or explain. After debating over the weekend about the correct course of treatment, we agreed to try redrilling and putting in calcium hydroxide. That sometimes reverses the situation. While it may not work, he felt it worth a try rather than going to the more extreme of taking out the root which compromises the integrity of the tooth. I've got an appointment for a brief checkup on the 22nd. My Portulaca flowering plant is finally blooming. The first flower came out two days ago and another yesterday. I have been waiting all summer. That's a stretch since I didn't plant them until mis-summer but I looked for the seed. The first bunch I planted, most of the plants looked like they came up and then next time I looked out they weren't there. Maybe a bug got them. So I had to replant. Lest you are picturing a flower bed, these are in a small square container that originally held frozen strawberries Yesterday I ran errands. Today I need to go to the library before doing the copies and Prayer Connection. Always too much to do. Plus I need to remember to get the stuffed animals out of the big truck to take with me today. Louise is going to take them over to the place we are going to have the CWC Basket making party for the October auction. The news was filled with 5 year recaps of the World Trade Center disaster. I know 9/11 is a sad day in many people's lives. My mother died on Sept 11, 1997 and we'd just learned of the death of Mark's mother in the middle of the night just prior to the tragedy. The day is certainly one that will be in the history books. Friday, September 8, 2006, 9:42am The last couple of days, I've been a little concerned that my mouth didn't feel right where I had the root canal earlier this year. My jaw is swollen this morning. I have a Noon appointment with the dentist. Which is great except that I've used the dental insurance allotment for this year. For my walk, I walked down to the dentist to make the appointment in person. I'm debating on if I should walk down to this next appointment. Guess it depends how hot it is in a couple of hours. We're having a hint of fall in the air; it's beginning to feel crisp in the morning even though it warms up to hot in the afternoon. The sun is shining brightly. Received a phone call last night from the Chair of the Puget Sound Christian Women's Club. They are having a snafu with providing housing the night I'd planned to be there. She wanted to alert me to the problem and that it might be possible to stay two nights in Olympia. I've made a call to my friend Darla who lives in the general area. Maybe she could put me up for that night. I've been wanting to get in touch with her anyway to invite her to the activity. Thursday, September 7, 2006, 8:15am Can't believe it's already Thursday. Of course, with Monday being a holiday and being gone, it's been a short week. I made arrangements to go do laundry today. The laundry is all sorted and ready to load into the car. I'm hoping to get another "kitty fix" today. I'd been wishing I could visit with a cat; Pamela has several but they don't warm up to strangers. Smokey, the aging blind cat, is friendly but has his own agenda. Last week, he must have sensed that was needing a friend. He picked his way over to where I was sitting and managed to climb on my lap. I had to grab his hind end when he flopped himself down. He's bigger than my lap so was in danger of sliding off. I'll have to tell my friend whose 6 wk old baby I was holding the other day. We'd laughed that my lap isn't as big as hers. Well, my guess is that Smokey is bigger than her baby. Will leave in a few minutes to do that but wanted to say hello. Wednesday, September 6, 2006, 8:30am Didn't write yesterday. We made it home safely Monday evening about 5:00pm. Had a nice drive. The weekend was long but interesting. Mark worked all four days. He'll be ready for this weekend after 12 straight days of working. I walked a lot visited with people, napped and read. One afternoon Mark alerted me that a woman on the lodge porch was looking for scrabble players. So I joined the game. That was a lot of fun. Scrabble is my favorite game. This morning I walked to Fred Myer for a few groceries. Can't carry a whole lot. They had cage free eggs on sale plus ground meat reduced. I got the last package of organic chicken. I'd bought some a couple of weeks ago; it convinced me to quit saving money by buying the regular chicken. I've gotten lax since we moved here and Grocery Outlet is conveniently next door. Now that I'm back, I've got to start making plans for the upcoming CWC meetings. I've made a number of calls and now am waiting for the "call back." I play a lot of telephone tag. I did get the menu for the September meeting solidified. They asked us to order off the menu because of a change in chefs. I discussed the options with the ladies last week. Stacia at the Shilo agreed to change the meat to chicken and give us cookies within the same price. The women voted for burritos; I hope the main group won't object. But it's impossible to please everyone. Thursday, August 31, 2006, 3:55pm Another week almost over. People are gearing up for the holiday weekend. Mark has made arrangements to take tomorrow off. We'll leave when he gets home for Breitenbush Hot Springs so he can work over the long weekend. We'll get home in time for supper on Monday. I've spent the day puttering around packing and cleaning the kitchen before leaving. I put most everything in the truck. Mark had originally asked me to come pick him up but decided it would be better if he came home first. That way we can clean up his lunch box, etc. I have some fruit ready for him to snack on. We usually get to Breitenbush before dinner is over so can eat there but it's nice to have a snack. Wednesday, August 30, 2006, 4:30pm Just got home from our CWC Planning Team Meeting. Louise was our hostess; this was the first time I'd been to her house. Their lovely acreage is out in the country about 3 miles east of 27th which is the last large street that has businesses on it. Although in a few years, we'll be laughing about the time we thought 27th was on the edge of town. (30 years ago when our former house was built, people joked that it was in eastern Kansas or Saudi Aurora. We had a successful meeting, covering a lot of ground for the next several meetings. Because everyone will only get busier as the holiday season gets closer, we're trying to make our plans now so there isn't much left to do at the actual time. I realized that my speaking engagement in Washington State is during the week when we are making the Baskets for our October Auction. Pat and Jan will both be in town so they'll have to be the cheerleaders for that. The ladies are good about getting things done when they understand want needs doing but they also need encouragement. I understand that need. We're excited that we are organizing several Friendship Bible Coffees to start next month. There are two daytime ones and one evening study in Bend. Another one is in SunRiver. I do have a lot going on in my life. I don't know how much you care about the piddly things that I do. All housewives know how long those take. (I've been cleaning spots off the carpet.) When one does errands, they always take longer than expected. When I'm driving around, I think of all sorts of interesting things I could tell you but then forget by the time I get home to my computer. Monday, August 28, 2006, 3:55pm We had a miserable night. It didn't cool off until almost time to get up--which means it wasn't very cool. I went for my walk, tried to stay in the shade and was sweating by the time I got home. It's 97 degrees in the house and not much cooler outside. I feel for those who endure these temperatures or worse all summer. My father is visiting my aunt near San Antonio. She says they are "frying." I can imagine since I've lived in Texas. I have supper all organized with everything cut up and ready to cook. I don't look forward to turning the stove on. I'll probably have to turn on the air conditioner. Another RV came in a few minutes ago. Lacey moved out last week; since he turned down that row, I assume the newcomer is moving in there. Sunday, August 27, 2006, 8:17am Good morning! We're having a quiet morning before going out. It's nice to have a couple of weekend days without having to get up. And to be able to just chat about whatever comes to mind. They had a barbecue at the Maintenance Shop on Friday. Most of the workers still on the mountain (they don't have a lot of year-round employees) came so Mark got to visit with Tony. Tony lives a few doors down in our trailer park yet we rarely see him. Mark said he heard his department head tell someone else that this is the best crew he's had in years; that their skills might not be as good but there is peace and cooperation. I'd say that's a nice compliment. We watched the Horse Whisperer yesterday. I've read the book. Someone loaned us the movie once but the tape was messed up. The scenery was beautiful. In case you don't know the plot: girl and horse are in terrible accident; both are emotionally scarred; Mom takes them to Montana so man (horse whisperer) can work with horse; both horse and girl get better; Mom has passing romance with man. Seeing the movie made me want to reread the book. Although they did a good job in making the movie, I kept feeling that things were missing. It was a good study about getting past emotional trauma. Although my big comment was that the movie on the whole left God out of the picture. Friday, August 25, 2006, 5:13pm We had a couple of cool days with overcast skies. The promise of rain never materialized. I went over to Chris and Pam's to do laundry yesterday as planned. Their project for the day was weeding a portion of the yard where Pamela plans to have a wildflower garden. She'd thrown out seeds earlier but the weeds had gotten away from her; therefore, she's using this break from work to do some work at home. Provided with gloves, I did a little weeding to join in the "family fun." Chris was weeding with one arm. He seemed to be in good spirits despite the injury. He was to go to the doctor today to be checked and hopefully have a removable cast put on. I just finished reading The Case for Christ. I agree that either Jesus was who he said he was or else it is the biggest scam around--and one for which that people were willing to die. Lee Strobel's premise is that people today have an ongoing relationship with Jesus and that fact, knowledge and experience is what makes people believe in Him. Mark and I certainly agree with that. We have seen God/Jesus working in our lives and in those of our friends. Tuesday, August 22, 2006, 10:01am Time is getting away from me. Pamela just called asking if I had planned to come do laundry this morning. I'd decided to wait until Thursday which works for her since everyone is home today. Mark's brother Chris had an accident at work and ended up having surgery on his wrist. Since he's normally so active and is a hard worker, it's going to be difficult for him to not be out working. I lost an earring in bed last night. Forgot to take off these (with fishhooks). When I woke up I was wearing only one. I'm sure the other will turn up eventually. And it's not like I don't have plenty of earrings. I was given two bags full of stuffed toys for our ministry. I've been sorting through them this morning while it was still coolish. We'd left the bags in the back of the pickup so I opened the tailgate and crawled in. One of the neighbors came by so I asked if she wanted any toys so she took a couple for neice and nephew. I ended up with a bag of stuffed dogs, one of teddy bears, one of small children toys and one I thought would work for babies. Plus there were some that had hearts and I love you which would be suitable at Valentines. I'll give those to our Stonecroft group for doorprizes in February. Others we can use in the auction we're having in October. I hope to be able to put these bags in storage where we plan to have the workparty to put together the baskets we will auction. Monday, August 21, 2006, 4:15pm Mark will be home from work in a few minutes. I'm wanting to fix him a nice meal. His birthday was Saturday. We went off for the weekend but he didn't want to have a special celebration. Although we did get some ice cream yesterday afternoon after we got back into town. We had a lovely weekend. Visited our friend near Lyons and brought home a lot of fruit. We had the opportunity to pick blackberries and plums. I put on sunscreen so as not to get burned. I'd rather be safe than sorry. We've been giving away fruit to people here at the RV park since then. Nice that we have some things to share. I enjoyed spending time in the car with Mark; we were able to talk about some of the reading we've been doing. I've been reading different ideas about Jesus. I've been amazed to see how many "authorities" claim that he didn't even exist. I say that if he's a figment of our imagination, then lots of people have died for a lie. Those of us who have a relationship with Him and the Father know that he does exist. We've seen our lives change because of having Him in our lives. Friday, August 18, 2006, 1:46pm The sun is rising later each day. I got up early this morning. Thought I might go for my walk and still be able to get back in time to make Mark's lunch. However, it was still very dark at 5:00am. Whereas it was only a couple of weeks ago I was able to go out at 5am to feel comfortable. You may remember that I tried going out one morning at 4am and came home because it felt spooky. Not that I didn't think it would be safe but it just wasn't a comfortable feeling when I couldn't see well. Just got home from going to Stella's. There were six of us. I hadn't realized that Patty had a gift certificate for the restaurant so intended to treat the group. So that made the day additionally special. Stella's garden was beautiful. She had some vegetables sprinkled in among the flowers: morning glory, moon flowers, asters, dalia's, roses, gladiolas, portulaca, painted tongue, sunflowers, cosmo, and many more. I've never seen so many flowers in one spot. They had a fenced area probably 30 x 10. Crooked River Ranch has a lot of deer so they must take precautions against them. We're venturing out this weekend in the little truck. It'll be a tight fit for both of us to sleep but we'll manage. Hope to come back with a bunch of blackberries. Talk to you again tomorrow or Monday. Thursday, August 17, 2006, 3:05pm We had a wonderful 45 degrees this morning. The forecast is for 90 degree weather by the weekend. There's a fire to the west of us. It's causing a lot of smoke. We had a good Prayer Connection yesterday. Six women came. The devotional was good about expecting instant gratification. It was thought provoking and had questions for which we shared our thoughts and answers. Afterward, Patty and I worked on the inventory of literature. We wanted to get a payment off to Stonecroft. I've been invited to go see Stella's flower garden and to lunch tomorrow in Redmond. Stella (one of the CWC ladies) lives in Crooked River Ranch. I've never been there. It should be fun to hang out with some Christian women. Most of the ladies go to Eastmost Church; we've never visited there but that's where we had the CWC Tea last April. Stella wanted to have the ladies up during the Christmas season to see all her decorations but the timing just didn't work. Tuesday, August 15, 2006, 4:31pm It's been a busy day. After Mark left, I felt like I needed a long walk. So sprayed on sunscreen and headed over to the Old Mill District to walk along the Deschutes River. I had never been the entire loop so was checking that out. The maps didn't quite match the reality so I explored some additional areas. On the way home, I stopped at Grocery Outlet for a few items. Bought more than I could easily carry in one trip. So I got to be one of those people "stealing a cart." I promptly returned it after unloading--I always do. When Mark comes with me, he carries as much as I usually push in the cart. It's not the weight but the bulkiness that bothers me. Plus if I'm buying items in glass jars and eggs, I'd rather be careful. Last year I dropped a carton of eggs in the Walmart parking lot. I wasn't a happy camper but at least the mess was contained inside a bag. After putting the groceries away, I got the laundry together and went over to Pamela's. My estimate is that it costs (to do two loads) almost as much in gasoline costs to drive over there as it does to put the coins in the machines. But it makes me feel better and usually I get to see the "family" for a few minutes. Of course, when I have more than two loads, it gets less expensive. While waiting for the laundry, I spent some of the time calling the various CWC ladies to remind them about our Prayer Connection tomorrow. I sent out an email yesterday with the directions. However, I decided since I had access to a regular phone, I could quickly call people. Most of the ladies said they will be there. A couple need to leave early so so plan to start on time, going directly into the prayer time and then socialize afterwards. On the way home, I stopped at the fruit/vegetable stand. Mark has really been into the blueberries. I'd never realized he liked them so much. I've never understood why people liked them, especially messing up good muffins, pancakes and other foods with them. There berries today made a believer out of me. I can now understand the difference between blueberries and "good blueberries" which is what Mark likes. Mark just came home with dessert; one of the neighbors bought a blueberry/strawberry
pie at Costco--more than this bachelor needed so was passing out hunks
of it. I've made a chicken/vegetable pasta dish in the crock pot and
have rolls. So we've got a complete meal. Sunday, August 13, 2006, 7:16pm Thursday, August 10, 2006, 10:17am After saying goodbye to Mark, I went looking for McKay Park. They are supposed to put up a big screen and show family movies on the next 6 Friday nights. I'm trying to find out the time. The website only says it's happending and gives directions; doesn't give details about the actual activity. Bend has been having Music on Thursday evenings in Drake Park. I should have investigated into that. However, Mark doesn't usually feel like getting out again once he makes it home. I don't blame him. Two of my neighbors were outside so I was able to spend some time with
them before going in to start my day. Mieke wants to sell her truck
so was working on getting it cleaned up. She bought it to pull
her Airstream when she was traveling. But now that she has been
settled in Bend for two years, she wants to get rid of the extra vehicle.
Not to have to be shuffling her cars all the time. I've been a little pensive lately. It's never really bothered me that we didn't have kids (we won't go into reasons for that) but one just always thinks of stuff like that as being in the future. I got to hold a newborn baby recently. It just sort of hit me that I've had much to offer but haven't had children or even lived near relatives who had children. I've grateful that I've had a variety of friends with whom I could share my life. I really appreciate the friend who lives in Uganda writing me to tell
me how much she enjoys reading this journal. That it gives her a sense
of sharing in someone's life. I may not have paraphrased that correctly.
But it sure made me feel good Tuesday, August 8, 2006, 8:49am Grocery Outlet had Organic Brocolli (frozen) when we were there on Sunday. I'm hoping they will still have it today. I try to buy whenever I see organic items to encourage them to get them. We prefer to purchase organic produce whenever possible. Sunday, August 6, 2006, 6:46pm Mark and I took the big truck for a drive and to Walmart. He needed some fuids that go in our various vehicles. And bought me a headphone I need (all of 97 cents); my small ears don't do well with the last one we bought. We also took a little walk this evening. The RV park is continuing to fill up. Tony is back in his spot. Albert
graciously moved to another spot. I was told someone is coming in to
be across from us. After that fills, there will be only two empty
spots. Richard in 29 left this past week. That's a fairly large
spot. The other is 18, the little one that has a tree in the
middle is only used occasionally when someone very small comes in. I
don't know if you remembered the "mixup" when we first came in. The electrical
hookup behind our space was a 50 amp socket but was assigned to space 18--a
tiny space that most of the time would only be occuppied by someone using
110 power. Daralene switched the numbers on the boxes. We plugged
into that and called called up the electric company to hook up Space 3. But
nobody every explained to the electric company that we'd switched meters.
Fortunately, it wasn't too hard to straighten out with the electric
company. "They" have been cutting down a big tree on the other side of the 5th wheel next door. It has been fascinating to watch the process. I was glad that I've been home today to watch. I've been able to talk to people on the phone and still watch the process. Tonight is First Friday. I told Mark that I wasn't intererested in going tonight. I've been trying to lose the weight I gained the last couple of months. I've been careful about not eating sweets this last week or so. Every month I end up going to First Friday and blow my diet by pigging out on the wonderful refreshments. Safeway is having a Grand Opening after remodelling. I plan to go out to the library and will come back by there. Mark said he was okay with not going tonight. Thursday, August 3, 2006, 3:52pm We've been having trouble with communications lately. Juno seems to have blacklisted us so some of our emails to subscribers have been returned. We're attempting to work that out. Also, our phone signal hasn't been very good lately. My guess it that the fires in Central Oregon are causing interference. It is frustrating, to say the least. I enjoy being able to talk to and encourage people over the phone. I do think I get as much from it as they do. In other words, I come away uplifted. I think that's how God means relationships to work. Wednesday, August 2, 2006, 7:13am It cooled off nicely last night. We had a fairly good sleep. I've stayed close to home today except for a brief trip to Fred Meyer and the vegetable stand. We've been enjoying the fresh fruit. I hadn't realized that Mark was such a fan of blueberries. I've enjoyed the blackberries. I got an organic watermelon at the health food store on Monday. Have been thinking about the past couple of weeks. One of our neighbors was evicted. That was a little unsettling to me as this neighbor was someone we talked to occasionally. We don't really know the details. Then we've had our new neighbors arrive which so far has been okay. Last Friday evening the Napa store was having a special evening with a meal and vendors. Mark and one of his coworkers had signed up to go. Delvin couldn't go so I went in his place. They served steak along with beans, potato salad and other things. We enjoyed eating and then were able to visit with the vendors. Monday, July 31, 2006, 4:55pm Our second new neighbor arrived a few minutes ago. His vehicle is a small motor home. His front windshield is even with my window. So I've still got an adequate view from my window. I'm getting a ringside seat for seeing the men set up. Everyone has their own methods. I'm sure Mark and I are pretty humorous to watch, especially since Bussie isn't your average RV. I'm working on mailing out the newsletter to those of you still on our Postal Mailing list. Obviously, I'm rolling over into August--a little on the late side. We certainly appreciate all of you who read our online version. Sunday, July 30, 2006, 11:44am It's cooler this morning; it's still only 69 degrees at almost noon with the sun shining brightly. We forgot to check the high yesterday but it wasn't as unbearable inside Bussie yesterday which was good. I always hope for cool weather over the weekend so we can feel like doing something. Last Sunday we were melting people with no energy to do anything with temps near 100 degrees. One of our new neighbors came in yesterday evening for 2 spaces over. The maintenance man had told me a few days ago that the empty spots next to us will be filled; he thought they are construction workers. I'm hoping the rig that will be next to us won't be too huge so I can see a little bit out my window. You will remember that when Robert was parked next to us, his 5th wheel was tall as well as long. I couldn't see anything, not even the sky out the window over my desk. Being able to see out helps keep an eye on the park (neighborhood watch) plus gives a sense of not being alone in the world. Mark has posted the June/July 2006 Newsletter . We did only a one-page this time to give readers a break and me more time to work on other web-pages. I have added some new reviews and a couple of articles in Virginia's Views. Friday, July 28, 2006, 1:49pm I've had a busy couple of days. I felt much better yesterday, having slept well. Last night the temperatures were strange so I didn't sleep as well but I feel pretty good. One thing about having bad days--you appreciate the good ones so much more. I found out that Kathy Verboncoeur who is the LaPine CWC Chair went into the hospital for surgery yesterday morning. I felt bad that I didn't know about it. She came to our meeting last week but I was so busy that I barely hugged her. I called this morning and then went to visit. Got to meet her husband with whom I've talked on the phone. Daughter Camille was also there to help out. I'm glad I got to go since I probably won't make a drive down to LaPine. Yesterday was the monthly luncheon in LaPine. I had planned ot go. However, I opted to drive to Redmond (a much shorter distance) to get a book from their library that I really wanted. I could do that in the morning and be home when it's the hottest. I could have made it to the luncheon but felt it not a good idea to push myself. So I spent the afternoon reading the book and also took a nap. This morning in addition to going by the hospital, I called Esther to see if I could stop to see her new house. She lives close to the hospital. We had a nice visit. I found out more about her family and what she and her husband did during WWII. Don't know two many women that were in the military. She drove trucks. I have to say Esther must have been a real gutsy lady. I did make a decision this morning that I need to let Kathy and Pat know. Although Kathy was doing fairly well, it was obvious she wasn't in any shape to talk about Stonecroft stuff, especially with her family there. I may do one article for October giving a preview of things to come as they return from their hiatus. But I don't want to do a monthly article. While not that hard to write once I get the info from the LaPine group (that's sometimes a challenge), it's one more thing pressuring me with a deadline. I'd rather just send the meeting announcements to the media. It's not hard to add those since I'm already sending one with the Bend info. Wednesday, July 26, 2006, 1:20pm Just got home from the Planning Team meeting. I didn't sleep well last night; had a good bit of pain and kept waking up. My ladies prayed for me so I expect a much better night tonight. We had 6 of us at the meeting today. It was nice not having to feel rushing with final details of a meeting just around the corner. We actually pretty much solidified the September meeting. We do need to figure out music; we don't have to have it but it is nice. October is the annual auction. It will be interesting to see how they do it here. In LaPine we muddled our way through last year so that's the only example I have. Nobody seems to be in charge here. Pat suggested a couple of people to contact. Also talked to Elisabeth, a past chair who gave me a name. So that meeting is fairly well planned and we started discussing November and December. I feel we're off to a good start for the rest of the year. Monday, July 24, 2006, 3:52pm It's not supposed to be as warm out today as it was yesterday. I hope not. One of the ladies in the park is moving today. She was tired and overwhelmed this morning so I went over to help out a little. She took a load over to the friends' house where she'll be staying temporarily. My understanding is she's moving away from Bend but needs to move out of her trailer now even though she's not quite ready to leave town. I'm glad I could help a little bit. I spent the morning finishing up a couple of reviews for this website--for whatever it is worth. Go to the Reviews Link. You will see the new reviews indexed at the top. Tony who worked at East Lake with Mark came by the RV Park today to make arrangements about moving back. He moved down to East Lake this year to help the new owners settle in but now it's time to move on. He'll be taking a year-round position at Mt Bachelor; he works in building maintenance. Tony has a shed in space 42 but someone's in there so he's going to be across from us in 7. If and when Albert leaves, then Tony can move over. He's been doing this coming and going thing for several years. Sunday, July 23, 2006, 4:52pm Pant, pant.... I used to wonder about my friends who would complain about it being so hot when it wasn't as hot as where I was living. I've been sypathizing; it is a matter of what one is used to plus factors like humidity. It peaked at 98 degrees today and was 101 inside. I turned on the AC. It worked for a while and then I noticed the cool air quit. So it may have bitten the dust. We've been fairly worthless the last couple of days because of the heat. I have made headway on books that I need to get turned in at the library on Wednesday. I need to get my reviews finished. I have worked on our newsletter; time for Mark to go over it. We're doing one page missal this time. People are too busy to do much reading these days. With something short, maybe they can read it in the bathroom. I did finish going through my Stonecroft paperwork (that was turned in at the meeting last Wed). I need to write a couple of letters and make followup phone calls tomorrow so I can report at our next planning meeting. I also called to talk to one of my friends in Florida; we've been through health issues together over the years and bolster each other as we continue to seek healing from various things. We don't have the same problems--which is kind of nice because we don't bounce off each other in negativity. Instead we encourage each other. Friday, July 21, 2006, 7:11am The heat wave is definitely here. Last night it cooled off where I put a second layer of cover on and then I woke up hot. When I got up it was 64 degrees outside and already 10 degrees hotter inside. That probably seems cool to most of you but that's warm for this area at this time of day. I plan to clean the kitchen this morning and just sit at the computer this afternoon so I don't have to be moving. I'm thrilled I don't have to worry about getting invitations for the next CWC meeting out while it is hot. I'll leasurely begin putting them out in late August. While it's been warm this week, I've been reading about Jewish History. The Jews were God's people; they have a place in his plan. I've especially been interested in the events that took place during the early days of the New Testament church and persecutions leading up to the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD. And of course, the gospel continued to be taught after that. It's interesting to see how the message of Jesus Christ continued despite persecution Thursday, July 20, 2006, 4:10pm Just got home. It's been a long day. Went over to Pamela's house to do laundry. That's up to date until Mark gets home tomorrow afternoon.I'm glad they had an airconditioned vehicle for the drive. I spent the afternoon with Patty from CWC. She's our new Literature Coordinator. The inventory didn't come match so we were trying to figure out what we really have. Several items are missing so we don't know what happened during the transition. Stonecroft sends each of the group items on consignment. We think we've gotten it figured out now and have arranged to get a new listing and payment to Stonecroft. It was 96 by evening in the "house." Those temps don't make for an active evening. Wished I'd had some place to go. Tuesday evening I attended a baby shower. They were shocked when people kept arriving. Guess people were in the summer doldrums and turned out for something to do. My last count was 43. I'm happy for Tonya that people came; she received a lot of nice gifts. This couple has wanted children for a long time but haven't had full-term pregnancies. So little Macy Jane who is due in a couple of weeks is a blessing. Tuesday, July 18, 2006, 7:51am Just got back from my walk. Went over to the Old Mill District. It's funny how I walked all around and it still was only 2.2 miles. It's deceptive when one is walking curvy streets. Also, Bend is somewhat hilly. Not really but it's not flat so one does walk up and down inclines. That's good for the health. All the walking last summer at Cascade Meadows was good but it was on the flat; I wasn't prepared for Bend. Today on my way home I walked over the Wilson Street Bridge which is the overpass over the Parkway. I remember the first time I did that--couldn't get up the whole incline without stopping to rest. Happy to say that I don't have to rest anymore. I enjoyed being able to get out early. Usually I'm making Mark's lunch and seeing him off between 6 and 7am. I walked down to the Deschutes River. The thing that struck me today was that I never realized Petunias has such a nice smell. Now that the panzies are over, petunias seem to be the flower of choice. Naturally there are others but those were the ones that were really smelling this morning. Saw a big batch of roses by Ameritel; was disappointed that they didn't have a signifigance fragrance. Enjoyed my conversation with my friend last night. It's nice to talk to someone who has a similar history, both with health and the walk with the Lord. We were able to talk about scripture; things that we've been learning. So many of my conversations with people are about Stonecroft business. That's fun to have friends working together on a project like that. But I've missed my being able to go to the gym in Aurora with Connie and just hang out while exercising. I'm going to do some house cleaning this morning while it's still cool. My plan for doing laundry at Pamela's house has been changed to Thursday. Not that it matters since I washed last Thursday. I really don't have that much to do. But I thought I could I always have a few odds and ends waiting for enough to make a load. I'll just plan ahead for Thursday. In the meantime, I'm going to work on the cleaning. I've been trying to do the baseboards and corners that usually get overlooked. Monday, July 17, 2006, 2:36pm Greetings on this warm morning. The sun is already shining brightly. I'm up to get things done. I'm finishing up the Sept CWC invitation so I can get those printed later today. Just waiting for a phone call with a final piece of information before I print the master. Mark got off okay this morning. He called me about 45 minutes ago. He and Delvin had stopped for lunch at Boomtown. That was nice to have a call. Now that we have cell phones we talk more when he's gone; in the old days we wouldn't call unless there was a problem. I got the invitation finished for September. We opted not to go on hiatus during August. We'll still have the Prayer and Planning meetings but not the big meeting. So we need to advertise September in July. Fortunately, we'd already gotten the Special Feature so it wasn't hard to organize for the invitation. Pat did wish I had music planned. I told her that I just couldn't do that in time to put it on the invitation; she understood, of course. There are still several things I need to do before the meeting on Wednesday. I need to finish up the agenda. I'll leave that for tomorrow along with doing laundry. This evening I made plans to talk on the phone to a friend. We were both ill with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities back in the 90s and have recovered. We've recently reconnected; she's been supportive in my ongoing health issues. Sunday, July 16, 2006, 12:09pmMark and I have started working on our next newsletter. I hope to have it finished up to be ready for him by next weekend. I'm planning to only do the letter which is normally on the front page and not do the second page this time. I'd rather concentrate on getting more things on the website. Mark is off to Cat repair school in Lake Tahoe. Mt Bachelor is sending three of the vehicle maintenance men this year. After having worked on them for a number of months, in some ways, it seems kind of redundant to go to school. However, the flip side is that after muddling their way through repairs for months, the men also can recognize things they don't know and can ask appropriate questions. He's been enjoying his weekend off after having worked for 10 days in a row. I tried to be quiet, working on my own stuff yesterday morning while he sorted out email and did various things. I've had the program for our next CWC meeting hanging over my head. I opted not to have to rush around finding someone to do the Special Feature. Pat had come up with the theme of A Teddy Bear Picnic. While discussing what we could do, the ladies wanted to have history of various bears so we are doing Teddy Bear, Winnie-the-Pooh, Smokey Bear and Yogi Bear. The ladies are supposed to bring their favorite bears and we'll ask for a couple to tell why their bears are special. In between we'll hand out door prizes. We got several items that have something to do with Bears such as Note cards with Bear pictures, Gummi Bears, a stuffed bear, Teddy Bear Cookies, etc. Hopefully it will be a fun day, if corny. Our speaker has a prop that is a Teddy Bear so that's partly how we came up with the theme so the speech will tie in. So I've put all the info we will give, listed the order of the program, etc. It was nice to get that done yesterday. Tomorrow morning I'll time it to make sure it works and then print everything out. I still have one lady I haven't talked to; she's been gone on a mission trip to Kenya. Hopefully she's back, healthy and ready to go. Thursday, July 13, 2006, 8:45pm Plhhhr! That's a noise of tiredness. This morning was an adventure. So far my back is doing okay. It's gradually gotten better. I went over to Chris' and Pamela's to do laundry this morning. They were dashing out the door when I arrived; told me to make myself at home--which I did. Along about 11am, Mitch (a friend who is staying with them right now) came dashing in saying 10 tons of hay was being delivered and could I move my car. Of course, I dashed outside. So Mitch and I piled hay. Not that I was much help as far as lifting much...I used the rake to clear excess hay off the floor to level it. I felt I needed to be available for moral support if nothing else. Once my last load finished drying, then I loaded the car and left since I still had some errands to do before going home. After Mark came home, we ran an errand and then went back over to see if everyone was home moving hay. The pile outside the barn was much smaller when we arrived. Pamela said she'd gotten home and she'd helped Mitch for an hour or so before he had to leave for an evening commitment. She said they'd finish up in the morning. Mark did help take the canoe off the top of the Ford Expedition but he didn't have to get hot and grimy with hay. It was nice of him to want to help. Yesterday was the Prayer Connection at Carol Kaber's house. Pat's been wanting to have the different meetings a people's houses rather than always meeting at one location. Esther has been hosting for quite a while and doesn't mind doing so. However, she's been moving so this was a good opportunity to put Pat's plan in motion. Several volunteered for Prayer Connections. Patty McMahon had us to her house for the last Planning meeting but I didn't have anything lined up for our meeting on the 26th. I was shocked when one of the ladies suggested we meet at one of the parks. Considering we have two ladies in their 80s who regularly attend. We did change the time to morning and then we'll bring sack lunches. So I've got to figure out where this park is and get the information sent out. I decided not to rock the boat but go with the park the women had been to before, where they knew there was shade and a pavilion, etc. Tuesday, July 11, 2006, 5:27pm Had two surprises today. Heard the new neighbor start up his motor (or something) late this morning. I was surprised when they'd indicated being around for several months. Turns out they were moving to another space that opened up last Friday. Robert bought a house and moved Then Mark came home today with a couple pairs of slacks, a sweater, a belt, and a hat for me. They came out of the used clothing bin but they are in good shape and fit nicely. That was gratifying considering he was eyeballing the size. I'm excited about having a couple of new pieces of clothing that are casual yet nicer. The ladies I've been hanging out with usually look nice so I don't like to dress too casually. Tuesday, July 11, 2006, 7:08am Hi, Friends. I trust it's a beautiful morning wherever you are! We're having warm weather here in Bend. Probably not as hot as some of you are having; I try to get things done in the morning before the bus gets hot. We keep the windows open and turn on our AC only when it gets unbearable. Which means that I get pretty sluggish in the afternoon. Today I hope to chain myself to the computer. I have a couple of reviews/articles that I'm wanting to get done so I can return books to the library tomorrow. I've actually missed the curve on the DaVinci Code. That made a splash for a little while but I don't hear much about it now; maybe I'm just out of the loop. Over the weekend, Mark went back over to Breitenbush to finish up a couple of jobs. He'll be tired and ready for this weekend after working 10 days in a row without a break. I don't think we have any big plans. We've been trying to take one weekend day off to have fun together. Saturday morning I went to Jan Mather's house for a Speaker Training Session. They'd asked me to come so I could tell the ladies what it was like to be a new speaker. I'd hope to slide in about lunch time but Pat wanted me to come earlier. Then things just didn't work out for me to put in my two cents until after lunch. So I was there a lot longer than I'd planned. Not that I had anything I had to do. But I just felt like I needed to not spend my whole day at the training when I'd already been through it twice. I did ask a couple of questions about doing a topical speech. We had new neighbors. They're moving here from Florida and are living here in their RV while their house is being built. I'm hoping some time to get to see inside their RV; it's top of the line so I'm curious. I love seeing those just like it's fun to go in any house--but I'm happy with Bussie. Although I'm on a constant mission to continue paring down. I've always been a pack rat and that just doesn't work well in a limited space. I've been going through the cupboards to see what else I can get rid of. Even getting rid of one thing is one more thing out the door. My back is continuing to get better. I still sometimes have a muscle spasm or my innards will feel pulled if I cough or move in a certain way. But I'm not sitting here in general agony; am mostly going about my business. I will be glad when it's totally back to normal. Those odd moments of pain still don't feel good. Friday, July 7, 2006, 9:09pm Just made it home from the First Friday Art Walk. It was different to go without Mark. Last month I went to the Writers' Conference and he went alone. Today, he left for Breitenbush after he got home. I had his belongings all packed and dinner ready. He checked the antifreeze in the truck and put the cover on the foam pad (I'd washed it.). After he left, I got myself together and headed for the Art Walk. Thre.e first stop as usual was the Lahaina Gallery. They've moved stuff around. It must be interesting to be a store owner. I understand that the merchandize is moved quite frequently so it is always in a new place. I moved on to the Markeplace at the Old Mill. I was in the Blue Spruce Gallery when the shuttle showed up. I'd debated if I was going to take it today as I wanted to take my CWC invitations with me to put at various downtown locations. However, it was so croweded at the Old Mill that I decided I'd better take the shuttle. So I went downtown and made the whole circuit there. It was interesting to see that chocolate wasn't the big draw this time. People seemed to have macaroons and various dips and breadstuffs. The only chocolate items were some small cupcake like brownies from Costco. Nobody had While Zinfandel this time. I skipped the Champagne at the Tiger Lily to try to white wine I'd never heard of. When I finished downtown, it was still light so I walked over to the Tumalo Art Gallery. Never made it there as I stopped at a Theater that was participating. The "clerk" came and got me when the shuttle showed up. I was talking to the wife of one of the artists. One of my friends once told me that I'm always talking about the food and rarely talk about the art. I guess the truth is that Mark and I go for the food and the buzz we feel from the wine. The Shelley Hall Gallery is a new gallery above the Tower Theatre. It's a contemporary gallery. I never thought I would like contemporary--but I guess the answer is that each piece should be judged for it's own merit. There were some pictures of trees that were intriguing. I ran into our neighbor Mieke at the Birkenstock. They usually have good artwork. Plus they usually have cages of cats or dogs from the humane society that are looking for homes. Thursday, July 6, 2006, 6:58am This recovery has been slow going but I slept better last night. So I'm cleaning house and defrosting the fridge/freezer today while hoping not to overdo. Trying to be energetic in the cool of the morning and then I can do quiet things once it gets hot. Our AC doesn't work well plus uses electricity so we only turn it on when it gets unbearable inside. Most days haven't been too bad. We keep the windows open and the fans in the roof vent upward and outward. I've got a roast in the crock pot and the refrigerator/freezer is turned off to defrost. That task is long overdue. Wednesday, July 5, 2006, 3:55pm It's been a long week since I was last able to write on the 28th. Both the big computer and my laptop were having issues. Of course, it took Mark only a few minutes to get them running. But I didn't want to just pull the plug without asking. Thursday morning I awoke with a terrible upper back ache. I've never had anything quite like this. It seemed to be connected inside where the tumor must be attached; when I had one of my coughing spells, it'd feel like my heart was being squeezed. Something finally popped on Friday evening and the pain shifted a little. I had planned to join Mark at Breitenbush on Friday. They were having a concert that sounded interesting. However, I didn't feel it was safe to drive and hoped I would feel well enough to go on Saturday. We'd made plans to visit our friends who live over by Lyons. Since I was feeling better on Saturday morning, I took it easy and drove over, stopping a couple of times to stretch. Mark met me at the intersection of the Highway and the smaller road into Breitenbush so that worked out. We had a lovely weekend visiting with our friends who despite having a new baby wanted us to stay overnight. I wasn't a very good guest since I didn't feel good but they made me feel at home and even provided three good back rubs that did help. My bones continued to pop and the pain moved upward some more. But the best thing was getting to hold the baby; I haven't had much exposure to newborns so that was a special treat. We came home Sunday evening. Mark wanted to relax at home for a couple of days before going back to work at Mt Bachelor. It was so nice to relax today. We lay in bed both mornings to chat, etc. It was nice to have Mark home to hold me when my body would have one of the muscle spasms as I am calling it. It only took him a few minutes to fix my computer problems. Maybe I needed the break from the computer. However, I feel behind on all the stuff on which I'd planned to work last week. Above is the Journal for 2006Q3. Here is the previous Journal |
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