FROLIC ON FRIDAY

[Emptynester]

We have dumped our tanks and hooked up the pickup. I've put away everything except for the things that ride on our bed. We will get up and get out of here early as there is supposed to be wind again tomorrow. It will be a south wind and we will be traveling mostly north so it shouldn't be too bad.

I'm not sure where we will be tomorrow night. If the wind isn't too bad - we might go to our SD camp. If it gets really windy we will pull off for the night and then go early again on Sunday.

DH would like to get to his hometown so we can go to church at his old church on Sunday. See how things go. It is only 274 miles but if the wind is blowing that will be hard driving.

[Twins' Mom]

Home again.

Lucylee, the Jewish tradition is to commemorate the anniversary of the death of a parent, child, or other relative. In the Reform tradition, we can use either the English calendar or Jewish calendar. The names of those being remembered are read during the service, and afterward, the Mourners Kaddish recited. Instead of being a sad prayer about death, it is a prayer which extols and sanctifies God's holy name; according to Wikopedia the Lord's Prayer has its roots in the Jewish liturgy and is a closing doxology. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaddish

[lucylee]

Thanks, Twins. That's interesting. And I think it is a good thing to commemorate the anniversary of the death.
We don't do that, of course, in the Methodist church, but we do recognize All Saints Day the first Sunday in November, which we did not do in the Baptist church. We just read the names of all the church members who have passed away during the last year, and allow people to name others, if they would like. I like that.
I guess I'll always be a little bit Baptist in my heart, and I miss my little country church where everyone had known everyone for generations, and probably 90% of them were related some way... but that church has increased its membership 10-fold since I left it. (That is NOT an exaggeration; that is a fact, and I fervently hope the two events are not connected.) But, saying all that to say, there are lots of things I do like about the Methodist church, also.

I hope things are okay @ Harriet's house... she hasn't been posting as much lately, seems like.

Y'all -- this is such an odd turn-around for me. Ddil is pretty much completely stressed out about the shower. She wants me to pick her up so she can go with me. (I'll be happy to do that, of course. Her house is within walking distance of the church, if you didn't have to carry packages with you!) She is really nervous about all the people whose names she can't remember and the fact that ds will not be there with her, and the fact that my big, loud family of cousins and aunts will be, I guess... and she probably wishes that we didn't even have to have this if it is not to be a "couples" shower like she had with her family & friends.
Honestly, I could have handled a couples shower, but dmil just flat out told her that "we don't do that here," and ds's schedule has just been impossible, anyway... so here we are w/the shower 48 hours away and for a change -- I'M the calm one! How odd.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Lucylee is the calm one..... hmmmm checking for ice where it shouldn't be!

I've been working on updating quicken. Got a bit behind with that. And a bit muddled. Just realized I have more to enter on the peg in the kitchen (my computer is in the dining room now for no good reason so I was just entering the chits from my purse.) Discovered I had made a mistake and owe more than I thought on the mastercard I share with ds. So made that payment and let him know. We are each paying our own way on that each month but I supervise to make sure it is paid in full each month. I'd stop using it entirely which would make his record keeping easier but it gives me 3% back on groceries and gas and they send the cheques out automatically. I only get 1% back on my visa card (plus I pay a fee for that card because it includes travel insurance.)

Only half the people showed up for choir practice but it went ok although it was long. I realized that we needed extra hymn books from the other church so dh and I got those after leaving our church. Tomorrow I'll drop them off when I drop off the slab cakes and the table top oven.

[Lynlee]

Kathryn - I hope your finger heals well.
salt water is good.
My mun bandaged 2 of my fingerpads back on when I was 2 and cut them when then db4 helpfully removed my hands holding onto glass luvors. Scars are interesting. I remember nothing. lol.

[OKay]

Home from FNG at DFriends home. We survived it without any mishap! It has been decided that LO is old enough to sit quietly for an hour and not disrupt other peoples homes. This VDFriend home is always immaculate......magazine layout beautiful. However, there is nothing for a little one to play with and plenty a little one shouldn't touch/bother. I have been delaying attending FNG in other peoples home because it just seems so chancy. However, VDFriends insisted that it is time for LO to learn so we have begun.

Re: Wednesday night - the lady didn't have any children there and she isn't involved in any way with the child care at church.

It's past my bed time. Sweet Dreams!

[ellyphant]

Lucylee--My color is also Natural Instincts, but Malaysian Cherry, which has been discontinued. I did see some for sale online, but not for the price I want to pay. Found it last time at a discount store where we used to live for three dollars per box! Bought all they had, except for 2 boxes that were all beat up. Now I wish I had bought those too!

I've enjoyed following everyone's adventures this week. Must develop a better memory, so I can respond to you all.

Tomorrow is our once-a-month recycling day here. I love when that day rolls around and try to give them as much as possible.
When anything goes missing, I'm usually suspected of recycling it!

Goodnight all.

[helia]

Safely at our hotel after a quiet uneventful drive. . .

Twins --YES! I've heard that about forsythia bushes, but I really haven't figured out how to prune it correctly. I like the fountain-y forsythias better than the shaped one -- but I'm not sure how to do that, and it is probably impossible to do that with this bush b/c it has grown so large over time; if we let it have the fountain effect, which it sort of does now, it would be overwhelming. Actually, it is a set of 4 or 5 planted together. I would love to have a professional prune it; maybe we should invest and do that once. . . .

nancy, I've had the same thought about the forsythia - every spring I suggest that we just dig it up and get rid of it but dh really likes it. This year, my kids chimed in very strongly too; they want to keep the bush.

Nice to see you here, elly. It is hard to respond to everyone's adventures, but it is fun to keep up with them, at least a little.

Thinking of Kathryn's finger. thinking of all of you. It is late, way past my bedtime, so I'd better sign off.

[Harmony]

Reading all the above, I'm lead to say, "people are just odd".

I had a BIG forsythia bush up north. It had lots of room to spread out and it was like a fountain, covered with flowers and very very beautiful. I hadn't realized until right now that I miss it. Helia, if someone called me like that, I would just say, oh, sorry I'll check it out, we've been busy...very non-committal. Sometimes people give up their bad behavior when they don't get a rise out of us. I'm sure there is something else in her life troubling to her and she is taking it out on you and your bush.

Lucylee, people who never lived with pets in the house don't understand people who do. My DH is like that. I've never pushed the issue because he's short on patience. We kept DD2's first dog a bunch of times for them when they were getting settled into new house. DH was amazed that this wonderful dog would come bother him for attention. He was used to the concept of a dog chained outside - who he paid attention to when HE had the time and inclination.

Anyway, though you don't like the dog, he (she?) is a companion to your DDiL when she spends many days alone. And even a little dog's bark will scare off someone and be a comfort to the one alone in a house. I think your DDad is giving up a lot not visiting just because a dog is there. JMHO

Anyway, today was ok. I got through it. Helper who came here was not the best and I could see it wasn't going well so I had to jump in and I shoveled 4 big garbage cans full of heavy cement while he dumped it into the hole. My arms are super tired tonight, muscles shakey. I got the rental equip. up to them and stayed to help for a couple hours. It wasn't bad because we had ample help. The rain held off, big clouds and even thunder, but only a few drops until all was done and covered with plastic. We were definitely blessed. There was a big rain this evening. I'm so grateful it held off for us.

Gonna really enjoy my bed tonight!

[lucylee]

Harmony, if I were not allergic to the dog, I could tolerate it much better. She IS a sweet dog, and like you said, a lot of company and security to ddil when she's alone in the house. People are just odd... yep... you got that right, and my ddad is the chief of the odd people, LOL. Of course, ddad would be the first to say that dh and myself are odd.
DH LOVES the dog, btw. He would not like to have a dog indoors, either, but if we were home more, he would love to have a dog just like this one here in our backyard. But it is hard to give a dog the right kind of attention when it's outside all the time, I guess, unless one has children who play outside all the time.

Elly -- we should march on the Clairol factory and demand our colors be reinstated!