Thursday's Thirst for Knowledge

[BookSaver]

Good morning, villagers ~
Sorry to be MIA so long. I've been trying to keep up with reading posts, but then run out of time to write anything.

However, this morning I ran into a Betty Boop cartoon that made me think of our village. At youtube there are several choices for "Betty Boop House Cleaning Blues" so I won't attempt to link to any particular one. The one I watched was a little over 6 minutes long. Lots of fun. I'm sure we all wish our household machines would work like Grampy's in the cartoon!

I have been trying to cultivate the habit of living in and enjoying the present moment. That's easier for me to do in the spring than in any other season. I love seeing all of the trees and flowers wake up after winter, and the return of several colorful birds. Even on gloomy, rainy days the temperature is comfortable for working. I especially love all of the different shades of green in the yards and fields. Iowa in the spring is just beautiful.

Yesterday I had lunch with a good friend in The Big City, then did some shopping and tried to find ideas for Mother's Day gifts. I did not have any luck with mothers, for either cards or gifts, but did find a hostess gift for DSis.

We're gathering at DSis's house for lunch on Sunday. I've seen her use a lot of post-it notes and I found a pretty set in a small artsy gift shop. The pad is in the shape of a flower and the notes are individual petals. I don't know how practical this will be, but it sure is pretty.

In addition to today's 3D's, here's the 5x5:
1: figure out and send out the agenda for sewing group board meeting on Tuesday
2: start typesetting sewing group's newsletter (editor recently had hip replacement and cannot get to her computer in their basement office)
3: process a stack of mail
4: write checks and take them to post office
5: update book inventory with recent found treasures (because I need an easy item on the list!)

Oh no, it's already after 10 and I need to get supper started in the crock pot! off to the kitchen ...

[Elizabeth]

Good morning everyone! My house is clean thanks to maids. I went to the board meeting, I am secretary. It was late by the time I ate and worked with the cat. So, I got to bed late and am tired this morning. Tonight, I have a church meeting, so I will get home earlier than if I had art class. I hope to get to bed early. I have lunch with a friend today. Tomorrow the swamp cooler repair people will come, sometime between 8 and noon. Today at payroll i will be updating a document. I don't know what I will be learning.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Meeting with the accountant was just 30 minutes. There were two copies I forgot to make (dh did it for me and I added them to my to-do list for next year.) Everything else went completely smoothly. YAY!!!!!!!

I'm making arrangements for Sunday. My friend knows I'm coming and let me know when the service is. I'll have to leave here around 6:45 a.m. to get there in time. Long drive but it is a really pretty one in places.

The kids were funny in their response to my FB post. Ds asked which version of a song I wanted and my daughter just emailed me an iTunes card. Then ds posted, "Here I am trying to figure out exactly what she wants and you just swoop in a deliver it before she has a chance to respond. You know what I'm going to do? Nothing. Until Sunday. Then I'll give her a hug." He found the perfect way to stick his tongue out at his sister!

[Harmony]

Kathryn, Happy for you your meeting went well.

Norma, I hope your DH continues to make swift recovery at home.
Indiana, that's too bad about the food and nurse issues. Both sound bad, but the nurse one especially. I hope they get it all worked out.

Harriet, schools are dissolving into the technology world aren't they. DGSon's schools will be using IPads next year, which the parents must buy. One DGS already turns his reports, etc., in on an electronic devise, and makes presentations via projection screen.

Well, friend called. Doing the ministry over the phone didn't work, we both worked off the same list...and I know when we talked what I was thinking about the names so I don't know who got it wrong, me or her. I didn't say anything, I just sat down and wrote out all the ones she didn't do, and put everything in the mail. Some kids got doubles this month...but who knows, maybe God had an idea and those kids needed double prayer/encouragement?

I am back to puttering around.

[OKay]

Alrighty! Nothing I planned to do this morning was done, but that's okay. DMom called and asked for some help so I dropped everything and out the door I went. LO went with DH this morning so I had undivided attention for DParents. I treasure time spend with DParents and am thankful for the opportunity to do something for them. DDad said his ear was hurting but DMom couldn't find a reason why. I found a swollen place on the back of his ear and put a sponge thing around his oxygen tube that will hold it away from that part of his ear. Problem solved. DDad was frustrated because he now has to wear a diaper so we sat and thought through all the advantages he now has. Some were a bit silly, but he seemed to like those reasons the best. His oxygen level drops into the mid 70's and his heart rate goes HIGH when he walks more than 10', so we discussed some possible changes to the furniture in their home which would put DDad most used items together. DMom is always against any change at first, so I've learned to suggest something and drop it. Usually in a few days/week then she will bring it back up and ask me what I think about "this" idea. I planted some more tomato plants for DMom in her garden and watered it good.

Lunch was quick sandwich with DH and LO. I've told LO we will play outdoors when he wakes up from nap. I've neglected the vegetable garden this week so I have plenty to do while watching him play.

[Nancy]

We've had lunch and made up muffins & got veggies in the crock-pot that worked so well that did more today yea!

Dgd is doing good today even with the cooler temps. and more inside time.
We did some art time drawing time doing that was more to get and keep in that part of the routine than anything I think. I drew a chicken w/ egg and fish in water w/ birds flying over head for her to color on two sheets.

Found an author I'm checking out some of her speaking on the web. Some of what I'm leaning today.

[helia]

Peeking in again. . . Even though I can't take the time now for individual greetings, know that I'm impressed by all of you and happy for your successes! Is Dee traveling today?

Dd16 stayed home from school to study for the AP US History exam, which is tomorrow. I do not really approve of this, but dh OK-ed it and he called in her absence since I said I wouldn't do it. She is an all-around excellent student so her absence won't harm her, but still, I don't agree with skipping. Oh, well.

I had moms group this morning, met with my dfriend and prayer partner afterward, got home around 1 pm. When I got home, the plumbers were here hooking up the new shower in such a way that it will get instant hot water. Not sure what that entails, but I do know it was a little complicated. They have left and the water is back on.

It is a beauty of a day today! Blue skies, sunshine, temps are a little on the brisk side in the low 60s. Perfect for a jog a little later.

I have a large thirst for knowledge, thus my 3? year adventure learning biblical Hebrew. I'm not sure what to do with that next. Perhaps one of the synagogues offers a reading group or class into which I could slip. There is one synagogue in our neighborhood, another not too much farther away. Dh would like for me to keep repeating my final project, translating and analyzing the grammar, clauses, and semantics, of other passages from the Old Testament. He has some passages in mind about which he would like to know more. If I could only be so self-disciplined. . . And I'm very aware that my knowledge is not complete by any stretch of the imagination. On another tack, today at the moms group, I re-learned spiritual truths that are hard to truly live out - but good. It was a deep morning. Some women were touched where they are raw with pain, leading to intense and emotional discussions in our small group. The teacher this morning was the trained counselor, of course.

Dfriend R is hosting the Thursday dinner crew tonight. I'm so thankful for that! Feeding people here every Thursday and Sunday(just S and R) evening plus small group every Saturday night, is starting to wear on me. Dfriend S, R's wife, is out of town.

So, I'm going to get some lettuce for a salad tonight. The lettuce I bought Monday is mostly rotten. I might just do my week-end grocery run while I'm out. I'll try to get in a jog in about an hour. Maybe some weeding too. I have a lot of yardwork that needs to get done.

[Indiana]

((OKay's)) ((Ddad))

You bring back memories of my Dmom - good ones and me.

[Emptynester]

Back from PT. Also DH had his evaluation and started PT today.

Had missed phone call from Sat. TV about setting it up in the MH. Unfortunately, I couldn't understand her as she talked like she had really bad false teeth. I returned the call and now someone will call me back in an hour - Yeah! Right! Like I believe that!! Maybe tomorrow.

Anyway, I have dinner in the crock pot in the garage as it is getting hot so I'm not cooking in the house. I really need to get a new stove in the kitchen as this one has pilot lights and gives off a lot of heat - next fall's project.

[Harriet]

Good job figuring out help for your ddad's skin, OKay. No fun having pressure against the same spot until it hurts! Have fun in the garden.

helia, don't beat yourself up about dd16's test prep. It's a hard choice, but it may be better than anxiety if she felt she needed more time to be prepared. As you say, your family doesn't make a habit of this - she's not wasting her time, but trying to learn.

I couldn't understand a customer service person the other day, either, Emptynester. It was as if he was just exhausted or something. It wasn't a language problem. Glad all the PT is working out. Does it make you sore?

BookSaver, I love gifts of stationery type items that a person wouldn't buy for themselves.

Ds' family came by and visited, bringing me a Gerbera Daisy potted in a watering can and a Mother's Day card that made us laugh. They stayed a nice long time so that was happy.