Hopeful Signs on Thursday

[Harmony]

LadyM, be careful of jumping in helping. That's how you get a permanent job!

At church once there was nobody at 2 of the doors and the guy in charge that morning gave DH a stack and said stand here and hand these out. DH gave me half and said stand over there. The leader came back and saw us both and talked us into signing up. Now we're on the schedule the 4th Sunday every month!

But it's a nice volunteer job to do. We just hand out programs, assist people sitting / finding chairs, fetch things like tissues, etc., help collect offering and organize that for the safe; usher people out doors in case of fire and be eyes for the security team (hopefully never need any of that); and go through our section afterward and pick up stray coffee cups and stuff people leave behind. It's the easiest job I've ever done in church!

Took a couple hours to go through big statement this morning. I've had a headache and my eyes are tired and sore (was like that when I woke up this morning and I don't know why). Fielded another couple phone calls. Scanned a paper and emailed off. Not really feeling great, I think I'll lay down for a bit.

We did that big win update a week ago. Tried to put it off and did that for a while until it kinda forced the computer to accept. I suppose I could have set it up differently. But it went in without issue and I can't tell the difference.

[Twins' Mom]

My bottom seems to be stuck down. I've got a bad case of "I've got all day."

-take care of basil
-cut up fruit in refrigerator
-take annuals down to M's house and plant in her planters, and get rid of the dead flowers
-thank you notes
-packing
-what else?
-info for dog sitter etc.
-note for dcleaning lady and ck

I only need to write four thank you notes to be done with the memorial contributions for mother. I'll wip those out now.

[LadyMaverick]

Having plenty of volunteers makes everything go easier. And it gives everyone an opportunity to be a part of the event (IMHO).

I'm pretty much permanently in volunteer mode. When I see something that needs to be done so I just do it. I do know how to say NO to some volunteer opportunities and am totally fine with walking away and not helping when I don't want to.

I sometimes wonder what it would be like to just attend church and not do any volunteer things. I see people just walk in the door, sit down and be a part of the congregation without doing anything. Apparently I don't know how to do that. I found myself volunteering to help when we were visitors at a church last month.


DH is home from the hospital. DMIL insisted that she was doing fine now and told DH to go home. DH stayed until DMIL fell asleep. After being up most of the night DMIL will probably sleep the rest of the day.

The new windows update installed with no problems that I can detect.

[lucylee]

Thank you, Harriet, for such a bright start to the day!
Spontaneous... Lighthearted... Optimistic... Beloved...
Yes, I shall strive to be all of the above. I'm having a little difficulty at the moment, but I'll be okay.

Am I being petty about something at church? I am NOT in volunteer mode...
We have two paid nursery workers, but one of them has decided she will drop the 9:00 service and only come for 10:00 Sunday School & 11:00 service.
Up till this point, we have had a nursery volunteer list for 10 & 11 but no one for 9 because with the two paid workers, and often only 1 child (MY dgd), there was no need.
Then, when the paid worker quit, children's director sent out an email saying if you were listed for 10, check to see if you were needed at 9.
WELL... doesn't that mean if you ARE needed, you're stuck for 2 hours? And isn't that a little unfair?
So... I wasn't going to bother myself about this until my time came up, hoping it would work itself out and someone would realize the problem before me.
Then today, ddil tells me children's director has texted HER, asking if I would be able to keep the nursery this Sunday at 9, because NEITHER of the paid workers can be there. I will likely only have 2 kids, but could possibly have 5, if the organist's children show up (which they do, infrequently.)
So -- I sent the children's director an email telling her I could, but also told her who has the 10:00 service already listed, and asking isn't this a problem and shouldn't we re-work the list?
* sigh *
I don't want to be whine-y about it, but I am NOT really good with a bunch of little ones on my own.

As it is, I am listed to work the last Sunday of September, and I won't show up again until the first Sunday of January, so that's an idea of how many "volunteer helpers" we have, doing two services. And with the two paid workers, I'd guess 90% of the time, NO ONE stays to help during the 10/11 slots. But it could become a real problem, because those people who attend the 11:00 service are NOT going to want to come an hour before their Sunday School time when they are listed for SS. For a few of us, we are already there at 9:00 anyway, so I fear we'll bear the brunt of it.
* sigh *

[Nancy]

I am back from errands. Yea! Got Rx, groc. And some fun finds at the thrift shop I did not get to on Tues. Cleaned up those and food is put away.
Saw a friend at the store that I went tyo high school with. We had a great chat.

[LadyMaverick]

I am NOT in volunteer mode...

IMHO that is perfectly okay! Not everyone wants to volunteer and there is nothing wrong with that.

We don't have paid nursery help. On the rare occasion when there are no volunteers to stay in the nursery then the child stays with the adult that brought him/her.

[lucylee]

(((Cathy))) SO sorry you had such a miserable day with the accountant. I would be the same way. I sooo dread the day I have to deal with dmom's financial business -- but I am thankful she has a good accountant who is familiar with her various accounts and everything and hopefully, he will outlive dmom and be able to steer me right when the time comes.

Dmom is actually doing pretty well right now; she came to my "party" last night, but left as soon as cake and ice cream were done. She was very tired, but yesterday was the first day she had been out except to the drug store since last Thursday.

Blessed -- your video link yesterday had me following squirrels for a couple of hours last night, LOL!!! I LOVE Kimmy in her apron... and I watched several of those... debating whether or not to forward to ddil. Kimmy almost kinda reminds me of ddil, actually, just her attitude of "keeping it real" and everything, and how she talks about life happens so give yourself grace.
But then, after her, I started watching that girl that lives in her car, and I was kinda fascinated with that. There has to be a little more to her story. I can't believe anyone would really want to be at the mercy of truck stop restrooms and showering at the gym 24/7/365. But like you have said before, different people have different experiences, so who am I to judge her lifestyle?

I certainly should be doing something more right now... slept really late again -- got a phone call at 8:00 a.m. (telemarketer). Didn't answer it, but it awoke dh and he was grumpy and then complaining that he couldn't go back to sleep... having pain again... so I was trying to be quiet and hoping he would go back to sleep and of course he/we both finally did... but he still feels bad physically and mentally.

He and I went to the post office and the bank, talked to ddil on phone and got the aggravating message in my previous post... started emailing friend at church (the children's director) and of course, worrying that I should just say nothing and do my duty. Maybe the extra nursery time will be a blessing? I do very little to contribute to my church, I have to admit. I am the council secretary and that is about it. Nursery duty approx once every 4 months. We don't do Sunday School or Sunday nights, I don't belong to the ladies sewing/mission group, I don't help with the Wednesday night meals, or the summer children's meals. I'm pretty much a slug, I guess, but part of this is because I fall in with dh's routines. I have to cook for him on Wed. nights... Sunday night is his preferred time to buy groceries... and I don't want to get up early to do the ladies group. I shouldn't complain about the nursery, I guess. I just don't want it to become ME that is always the go-to person for the worship service I attend.
* sigh * I'm the very person LadyM is describing that just comes in and sits down.
HOWEVER -- in the past, let's see... I have
* helped with children's choir
* taught Sunday School
* substituted for other Sunday school teachers
* taught Bible school
* served on the parsonage committee
* served on the nominations committee
* sung in the choir
* attended Sunday School and Sunday night services (when dinlaws were living and dh could ride to church with them)
I guess I am just tired, and dh's health and energy level is influencing my activity and involvement level also.

What Harmony said --

be careful of jumping in helping. That's how you get a permanent job!

That's what I'm afraid of. Exactly.

Still, that was very nice of you and ds to help out, LadyM! I hope your dmil improves soon and gets to go back home without this causing too much upset in her newly regained independence! (((HUGS)))

Good for you two, Nancy & Twins -- getting out and getting an early start! WTG!

DH serves as an usher for the months of March and September, I believe. We have a schedule for that too, and his duties are much like you described Harmony.

I MUST get busy.

Top Three for today:
[ ] vacuum
[ ] type council minutes
[ ] clean bathroom (dh's shower)

[LadyMaverick]

Prep for tomorrows parade is about done. DS11 has decided to not ride with a DFriend in their 1947 chevy. Instead, he wants to drive his go-cart in the parade with a friend riding along. DGD8 will be with her classmates in the parade. They made and decorated elephant mask to wear and I have her a gray shirt ready. Small towns parades are a big deal around here. We only have 2 parades a year and most everyone attends or participates.

DD is picking up DGD8 from school today. This is 2 days in a row. I'm not expecting a big change but am always pleased to see a shift in the right direction.

[Twins' Mom]

-take care of basil
-cut up fruit in refrigerator
-take annuals down to M's house and plant in her planters, and get rid of the dead flowers
-thank you notes
-packing
-what else?
-info for dog sitter etc.
-note for dcleaning lady and ck

Dh came home early and is beginning packing and pulling things things out. I wrapped up the thank you notes, I believe. I went ahead and did the last two for people who brought food. I may find something that I didn't cross off later, but I think I have it. I do believe there's a possibility I send two notes to one person.

Ds is coming for dinner, dd ended up with up a temple event again tonight I think. We'll have grilled steak, broccoli and fruit. I still need to do fruit and put basil in the freezer still.

I'm still agonizing over what to take on this trip. There are four "dress" nights, plus any that we want to dress for. We will be there eight full days with two travel days.

[Harmony]

I came here a bit ago and reading all about volunteering duties prompted me to think Oh NO I haven't checked email... so I did that and sure enough there were prayer request cards at the church office for me to pick up. I do that one week a month, so there will be at least someone praying for requests that they want to keep private and not put on the prayer communicator which gets emailed to everyone. So I drove down there, wondering what was wrong with the traffic it was so crazy.

I made the cabbage soup earlier, the one Cathy gave us her recipe for. I thought, oh a loaf of crusty bread to go along sounds good, so stopped at the store... and there was NO parking. Parked in the outer limits and walked in to a mob inside and some empty shelves... Apparently I've missed an update to our storm reports... and they're up to Cat 4, and the "cone" comes over whole state again... so people are panicked. The clerk said it started when they opened because our Governor has declared a state of emergency...

Good Grief. So I'm watching the reports and if this continues we will have to put up our shutters. All day Saturday I'm guessing. Oh my goodness. I don't want to do this. Sheesh. Traffic coming home was nuts too. Gonna TRY to rest up in case this happens...

And our friend has offered to come help DH fix one of the fluorescent lights in the shop, it was sorta dark in the back corner where they were working. I think he's trying to help us because we helped him. So, I'll just bet he'll come by dinner! Fine, I don't mind, it's just funny. Nice he likes our company.