Hello friends, here it is already the last of January; my how time does fly when you are having fun. This is the last column of January and by the time you are reading this, it will be February. Guess it is time to take the rest of my Christmas decorations down but I hate to; they look so pretty besides I am already ‘swamped’ with chores – so maybe they will just stay up for awhile.
It seems strange to be writing the column on a Sunday evening; the printing company has changed their schedule – so we have to change our news ‘deadlines’ from Tuesday noon to Monday noon. I am fully committed on Mondays elsewhere, hence the Sunday chore.
I will have to wait and see how that works out; of course if I could get organized, I could write it on Saturday – I just hate to give up my Saturdays (the ‘get organized’ sounded like a good excuse though.)
This past Saturday, several men of Markland Baptist Church came out to the house to cut down some large dead trees (considering the high winds we had this afternoon Sunday), it was a ‘just in time’ thing.) The winds howled around the corners of the house like a bunch of drunken coyotes – naturally I slept through most of it (remember, sleeping is my favorite ‘participating’ sport.)
There is a large dead tree left standing but it is near the power lines and it was too dangerous to take it down in the winds we had on Saturday – no one wants the potential of being out of power in the winter. The guys are supposed to come back later and take it down for me. We have a great ‘family feeling’ in our church members and I thank God for their loving spirit.
MBC had a ‘Fifth Sunday Dinner’ this past Sunday and when I got home, my belly was full of lots of good food, so it was ‘nap time’. In some small defense of self, I felt rotten (no matter how I feel, I can always eat. I am one of those people that never lose an ounce – even when I had cancer I never lost any weight. I eat whether I feel good or bad; I even like hospital food.
I don’t know exactly why but over the weekend (started Friday night), I was dizzy as a loon in a peach orchard…in August (in the deep south, peaches [and some other fruits] left on the trees ferment in the hot sun and the dizzy loons have been known to even fly upside down – in mid-Florida, it is migrating robins after eating Brazilian pepper berries)
I don’t know if it was sinus or maybe I ‘picked up’ a little touch of virus or just what it was but I am feeling better now – course I slept for five hours in my big ‘comfy’ chair when I got home.
Karen Nickell had a ‘surprise’ visit from family Sunday; many of them came gathered together at Karen’s house to celebrate Karen’s daughter’s birthday and they all went out to dinner. I am sure Karen enjoyed her ‘surprise’.
Ana and Bob Slover had dinner guests Friday evening; a couple from their ‘old’ church in Madison came in to visit. Ana said they really enjoyed their visit. She said they spent a couple of hours over dinner just talking, catching up on each other’s news and happenings. Ana fixed a big pan of manicotti; she used ‘wraps’ instead of pasta – it sounded delicious. Some people can think ‘outside the box’ successfully – Ana is one of them.
Last Tuesday evening, the Haven of Hope in Carrollton (they serve our county too) held a ‘Mommy’s Night Out’. The United Methodist Church in Carrollton helped sponsor it. It was a pamper ‘Mommies’ night: they had childcare, a Chinese dinner, had their nails done (all by volunteers), got their hair fixed, and enjoyed Christian fellowship. Young mothers got a chance to discuss problems, and solutions, to their problems, to relax and enjoy themselves in a social atmosphere. Mary Martin said it really turned out great; Mary was a volunteer ‘helper’ not a ‘young’ mother – just thought I would throw that in, haha.
Friday Mary had a luncheon at her home for Betty Stafford and Marci Leap; the three of them worked together and became good friends that have stayed in touch after the company relocated in Mexico. Mary said they came early and stayed late and had a wonderful time yakking and catching up with each other.
Wednesday Debbie Turner hosted the Bridge Club meeting and it was, as usual, great. Besides her lovely luncheon (it looked as good as it tasted – Debbie has a real talent for gracious entertaining), we were able to ‘field’ two tables. We had three extra people and with our regular five, that gave us enough players for two tables. That made it even more fun than usual.
Debbie picked up Lucinda Mangold (Lucinda’s doctor gave orders that she isn’t allowed to drive for six months) and a great couple from Carrollton joined us, Mary and Gary Corbeill. I met the Corbeills at the ‘Y’ during Water Aerobics and when I found out they played Bridge, naturally I invited them to join us. We had a fantastic time…soon to be repeated.
Here is a little joke to share. A husband told his wife to make a pot of coffee. She said no because it says in the Bible that a man is supposed to make the coffee.
The husband says, “No way. You show me where it says that.” The wife said, “It says all the way through the Old Testament, He-brews, He-brews, He-brews. So you ‘brew’ the coffee.”
Okay, so it doesn’t take much to tickle my ‘funny-bone’.
Saturday was a wedding anniversary for Mindy and Roy Otter (Patty and I had trouble remembering which one – but we knew when.) Mindy’s sister Jeanne Bragg kept the boys, Keegan and Traiten, Saturday night so Mindy and Roy could ‘go out’ (greater love hath no sister); Jeanne brought them to church Sunday morning. They were good boys. At the dinner, Jeanne told Keegan that there was chicken, mashed potatoes, and brownies; Keegan said he would just have a brownie – I saw he had chicken and veggies later.
When I stopped at Patty and Mike’s place last Friday (after aerobics), she was sick (not down in bed sick but definitely feeling rotten), daughter Jennie Simpkins was just leaving (she was even more sick) and Jamie Miller, P. and M.’s son, was so sick, he went for emergency care. I told Patty that was taking ‘family sharing’ a step too far but that is the way it usually happens – stuff gets a start with one family member and they ‘graciously’ share it with the rest of the family. You know how it goes.
We want to send out birthday greetings to Aaron Byrum on the 31st and to Michael Martin on February 1st, two of my ‘grandsons’. We sincerely hope that both of you young men will have a day filled with happiness (and lots of good food) and that the years that follow will be abundantly filled with God’s sweetest blessings; Happy Birthday Aaron and Michael.
This Monday evening will be the last of the Ladies’ Bible Studies at Markland Baptist Church, until March anyway. I believe Melissa Park said this week would focus on Ephesians (one of my favorite books – yeah I know, whatever one I am reading at the time is my favorite but Ephesians is especially good…and short. Read it; you might like it.
Talked to Carolyn Green Saturday evening and she sounded terrible. She told me she had called some family member earlier and they thought she was her husband, Ivan.
There is so much illness going around the county this winter (a lot of which is due, in my opinion, to the crazy weather) that it is difficult to stay well. You know the old saying, “Green hillsides, fat graveyards” and it does seem to work out that way. With one day in the twenties and the next day or two in the fifties, it is hard for the body to acclimate that quickly to the changes. Point being, try to guard your health as much as possible.
Last Friday’s Spanish class was confusing for me; I just couldn’t grasp the grammar changes. Sometimes I just get muddle-headed and can’t focus on the subject for good understanding. Maybe I was already coming down with something (and maybe that just sounds like a good excuse – I will have to study harder.)
We had a wonderful surprise at church Sunday morning, Miss Mattie Anderson came forward for baptism (she had accepted Jesus earlier and was now seeking to follow Christ in baptism.) Mattie is young in years but much older in wisdom. Cindy and Tully and sister McKenzie couldn’t have been more proud of her than the rest of us. Congratulations Mattie.
There were several on our church prayer concern list this week most especially the families of Reggie Rieman, Donna Turner, Norma Lee Brindley, and Jake Scott (they passed away this past week), Betty Williams and daughter Susie Chatham, Karen Nickell, Carolyn Green, Miller family (half of them down with something or other), Chester Meisberger and Maxine, Jessica Ledbetter, Those trying to overcome undesirable habits, Unspoken requests, Unsaved loved ones, Tully Anderson’s mom Jo (surgery coming up), Nancy Craig (hip replacement), Gayle Rayles, Judy Adams, Danielle Blower (auto accident), Emma Noble (Mike Miller’s sister – Hospice called in), Nora Gross (doing better from her fall – in a leg brace but still worried about her twin great-granddaughters with birth complications), and Christian teachers everywhere.
We offer our praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God for answered prayers and blessings (we often take for granted not remembering it was God that provided them; forgive us Lord and thank you! It is reassuring to remember that, “Everything is possible with God.”
Until next week, may the Lord cause His face to shine on you, to bless you and keep you safe from harm; may He lift up His countenance and give you heart-peace. Amen.