Sunday PWYC

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

All my creativity has been spent on my services today.

Make today what you need it to be.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I'm up and at it. After barely 6 hours sleep.

Ds was home early (he'd been gone 33 hours but was off work 8 of those, attending a brunch but he promised me he'd nap before his 16 hour shift.) His morning replacement was late yesterday so offered to come in early today and he decided, since he had to stay up yesterday and needs sleep desperately today, that was a good compromise. He's home for 7 hours now and will try to sleep all 7 of them before going back. He's only scheduled for one shift and is off tomorrow so will have a chance to pick up some sleep. He told me he's trying to work as many double shifts as possible over weekends to build up his bank account.

My services are ready and the first is in a bag along with hymn books and bible. The second is in another bag. I'll load both into the car this morning although I need to come home between them to pick up dh since he's my musician at the second service. We are giving the usual organist at the retirement home a month off so she can just come and worship but not have to be part of the service.

I managed to bike, walk, do physio and s2s and I still have 10 extra minutes in my morning so I'm feeling accomplished today.

[OKay]

Kathryn - I started a threat with same title. I've deleted mine and moving this post here.

Helia - Welcome Home!! Glad you had a good vacation.

Yesterday was filled with family and friends interaction.

We arrived at the hospital just in time to hear the doctor give test results and recommendations to DSisIL. DMIL was comforted to know what was going on.

Before we left town, I stopped by and enrolled LO in drum lessons. The time slots are filling up fast with school starting in a couple of weeks.

Got home in time to change clothes and freshen up before leaving for LO birthday party with DD at bowling place. LO had a blast and I'm thankful he had that experience. Yes, the giant elephant in the room was there, but ignored by all.

Continuing yesterday conversation....

Perhaps it's because it's just not part of the tradition here that I find it confusing.

Since I have lived here my entire life, I only know how death of life long friends and family are responded to in our little corner of the world. I find it completely normal and comforting to both give and receive in time of great sorrow.

However, I think the death of a person is no time to expect his/her community to start working hard.

It is an outpouring of love to the family. A gift of service from friends to the family.

Were I the one whose family member died, it would make me a bundle of nerves to find out that so much was happening and so much had suddenly been expected of my friends, and that there was another event/time for my family to try to hold emotions together in front of the community. Plus, I'd start worrying immediately about reciprocating - both guilt over perhaps not having done as much for others in the past as others were doing for my family now, and thinking how much I "ought" to work in the future each time one of the many current helpers had a death.

I am 100% certain the family would have been devastated if they did not receive it. This particular death was extra hard in that it was a homicide (27 year old grandson killed his 54 year old grandfather). The news media was involved and were unwelcomed. They were told in very clear words by the family to "GO AWAY". Outsiders are not welcomed at all, however friends of the family are gratefully welcomed and clung to. Last Sunday morning, the mother of the deceased (killed on Friday Night) hung on my arm before Sunday service started. She was understandably stunned and grieving almost to the point of insanity. She was gently surrounded by community of friends and protected as she walked through the experience. She told me with tears streaming down her face that she came to our worship service last Sunday morning because that was where her son came to church and would have been if he hadn't been killed. She said it made her feel close to him to be there.

The community of life long friends surrounding the family is the only way I know. I don't know how it is done in other places. I think of where DSon lives in big city and can see how it wouldn't be done this way where he lives. There isn't a community of people who have known each other all their lives. There isn't multi-generations of family members living close together. There isn't families living close together for hundred years +. If they tried to do it our way where DSon lives, it would be acquaintances and strangers responding. I can see how that would definitely be uncomfortable and unwelcomed!

[Nancy]

Okay it's so good of you to be there for your friend to lean on in this challenging time for her.
The table needs cleared off after our beading adventures last night so I have the deck table set up for breakfast for the grand kids! the beads w/out holes dgdson said would fit in to his airsoft gun so we sorted those out and put 'em in a vit. bottle.

Watering is done and the morning chicken chores have been done. The broody hen has been here so I know she's fine. No eggs yet they do that mid morning one on the nest box in addition to the broody hen.

I've had my cocoa-coffee. By bs was great today love that.

[ellyphant]

Good morning!

I've been reading here, but not posting. We are missing church today as Dh is a little under the weather with a sinus/allergy type thing. Hope we can go tonight.

Have been reading a lot. Went to grocery store yesterday. They were not too busy for a Saturday afternoon. That was a nice surprise. Tomorrow is trash day, which is a good thing.

I think I'll "run the swiffer" and do some paperwork today.

Happy day to all of you!

[Ivy]

The boys and DH left at 8:30 a.m. The house is quiet, the cat is walking around trying to find the boys, and it's really nice, but our house seems to have the "lonely sound" to it.

It's overcast and cloudy, cool outdoors, and I don't know if the clouds will burn off or not. Hopefully they will. But we're in for cooler temps and clouds all week, so maybe there won't be sunshine at all.

I'm going to go write a "to do" list, to get my house back into order and cleaned up. It needs a good house blessing, too, but might wait until Monday for that. Want to wash bed sheets first.

Happy Sunday, Everybody!

[Harriet]

(((OKay's community))) What a devastating blow to a family and all their neighbors. Both a violent death and this terrible charge against the younger family member.

Here fellowship halls are busy, but just not at the time of deaths. The bereavement tradition here has been individual decisions on food/floral gifts to the door for the family, big turn-outs at service and visitation with so many people who hang around in conversation with each other, too, but by far the heaviest emphasis on memorials, in the form of monetary gifts to certain programs of churches (building, youth, mission) that the deceased might have cared about, or organizations.

Our situation here, though, is that we are both an out-in-the-country group who have known each other forever, AND a "growth" area now, where new subdivisions surprise you when you come around a curve in the road. Of our recent 4 deaths in 10 days, all were from multi-generational families here. Basically our church here is still very much "family", and I don't know if that is good or not. On the one hand, the comfort of old friends is so valuable, but the fact that we have not grown as population around us has grown, is troubling. Are we being who we should be to newcomers... ..

Today is an afternoon bday party for my green-eyed boy, ds28's toddler. Unbelievable that he is 2!

Know what else is unbelievable? Grandma and Grandpa don't have a gift! Dd14 does. We may have a quick shopping trip!

[DeeClutter]

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MR & MRS HELIA! Hope you have a wonderful day!

[Lilac]

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MR & MRS HELIA!

[OKay]

Happy Anniversary Helia & DH!

(((Harriet & community))) that many deaths in such a short time is so difficult. Very thought provoking words....Are we being who we should be to newcomers... .. Our pastor spoke about the same topic this morning (Hebrews 5:11 and following)

Church was good this morning. Followed by lunch at lake side restaurant and watching the boats.

Sunday afternoon nap time!