Maybe this is practice time?

Is there such a thing as "practicing for retirement"? If so, today was the day.

I woke too early for my day off, had an early cup of coffee and cereal. Therefore, lunch was going to be early - or I'll need a mid-morning snack.

Bill and I cleaned the patio, in prep for the kids coming in TWO DAYS!!! YEAH!! Then we each ran an errand of our own choosing. I to the grocery store, cuz the kids are coming in TWO DAYS!!!!

Bill went to administer meds to the mom of a friend.

We reconvened at home and that's when we had the snack.

Off we went to Lowe's for a picnic table umbrella and stand for the deck, because the kids are coming........

Stopped for lunch out. Identical choices from the menu.

Home for a nap. Me in the library, he in his man cave.

Then off to Christmas Tree Shoppe - futile trip as they did not have the chairs we wanted for the patio. So back to Lowe's and got the chairs, because the kids...........

You got it right?

So now we'll have a light dinner, get in our comfy close and watch Antique Road Show, American Pickers, Pawn Stars or Storage Wars. Hey, at least we've outgrown the Weather Channel.

Yep, I think this is Retirement Practice. We'll see if I get it right before the kids.........

Nighty night. Wait it's only 6:30pm you say? No worries, Bed time is right around the corner.

YAWN!!

Bill's Adventure

As I rest in my very sunny library nursing a serious headcold I am truly "reminded of a time....".

Bill has embarked on an adventure. I guess we can call it an adventure.

I must preface. The current financial recession's effect on the construction industry in NJ has given Bill his first opportunity to collect unemployment and sign "the book" at the union hall. The possibility of being called to work within the foreseeable future is slim, so my husband has retired. As of March 1st, he is a man without a time clock to punch, crew to manage, pipe to fix.... you get the picture.

I can think of at least two dozen honey-dos to give him right now. But, "Patience", I hear the Lord say and patience I will employ. Silently, I wait.

Now on to the adventure and it's reminding me of........

Additional preface. Our Floridian grandaughters have spring break next week and at the same time our daughter (their mother) is required to pick up extra shifts due to a staffing shortage in the cath lab at the hospital. Hey, maybe Bill could become an RN and do catharizations? Pipes are pipes, right?

The girls will need to go with their dad to his office, in his parent's home. BORING! I mean for a day it may be ok. But when you have this perfectly free POP POP with nothing but time on his hands and nothing to do in NJ until the grass starts growing, problem solved.

So the plan, as originally laid, was for Bill to drive down to Florida alone. I set him up with CD's, GPS and he packed his Rand McNally atlas, a few snacks and...again, you get the picture. I am still working and unable to schedule time off on short notice, or at all. And that's ok, more on that later. I am not the retired one.

And then one morning this past week Bill met with "the boys" and the other guys in his crew that were let-go on with him on December 30th, coincidentally that's Bill's birthday. Bob, an electriction, now retired, same scenario as far as employement possibilities go, heard Bill say he's headed to Florida. One thing leads to another and yesterday Bill & Bob take off. Bill will drop Bob in Tampa for him to enjoy time with his sister, a son on spring break and the Phillies at spring training. Then Bill will head south to Sarasota to our kids.

Finally to the "REMINDS ME OF THE TIME" part

Several years ago, 2002 to be exact I made the reverse trip with a friend, Susan. But I think that's where the similarity ends. Susan & I, old pick up. Bill & Bob, 2009 Impala. Susan & Carole - AAA Triptix. Bill & Bob - Garman GPS. Susan & I took a week, Bob & Bill 24 hours. Susan & I stopped at Wycliff Bible Translators Headquarters, St Simon's Island, Cyrpress Gardens, a friend's house, my company's corporate office, shopping. Bob & Bill? - nuttin.

It's not new. Men, travel to reach a destination. Women travel, filling in as many destinations as possible.

Susan & I read a great novel to each other. Bill says they talked the whole way down, never even turned on the radio. I believe him. And I am sure they shared 30 years of JOB stories. Woohoot!

Bill is now down with Ashley, Emily & their parents. I continue to nurse my cold, in the sunny library reading my second book this weekend, making that honey-do list - mentally only - PATIENCE did you say Lord?

If you'd like to read about the trip I took with Susan find my blog of September 2008.

See you next week Honey??? Bill, Helllooooooooooo????

Book Review

Once again I have found myself reading a couple of books that have inspired me to blog and let you know the wonder of God's working through foolish men.

same kind of different as me and the follow-up book What difference do it make? are a wonderful, inspiring set of books.

same kind of different as me is a story of a very unlikely friendship between two men of enormous diverse lives and backgrounds. Denver Moore, a sharecropper on the run to a new life and Ron Hall, a wealthy art dealer quite content with the status quo, would probably never have crossed paths had not God intervened through the life of a godly woman. Their interactions, although tentative at the onset, show the reader how God can and does work through common, everyday activities.

The power of God through these three individuals is evident by the changes in one community in Fort Worth, Texas. A heartbreaking turn of events solidifies the friendship between these two men.

The second book in the series, What difference do it make? continues the story revealing example after example of the results of this friendship.

Oh, that this reader would actually become the hands and feet of Jesus just as Mr. Moore and Mr. Hall and that one woman that loved them and God. That I could step out of my comfort zone and reach a people that God may place in my life and path. That I would look for the opportunities to touch lives.

Rex, by Cahtleen Lewis. Thomas Nelson Publishers

Now this is a book I absolutely love and highly recommend. REX is the story of love and hope and determination and so much more. And quite frankly, in my estimation, the hero of the story is not Rex, the boy, but his mom. Cathleen is amazing! Her energy and love for her son is something that any woman CAN posses but many don't.

As a reader, I found myself rooting for Rex as I have my own children through their struggles and accomplishments in life. Until recently those struggles for my children were small potatoes to Rex's. Recently my adult son became a quadraplegic from an IED explosion in Iraq. The tasks that my son has learned to accomplish show the determination that one must possess to overcome obstacles and live a full live. Fuller than full actually. Ms. Lewis, Rex's mom, needed to be his determination as his autism kept him from expressing his own for a long time.

This reminds me of the time when I was speaking with Andrew on the phone, he was in California and I in New Jersey, when he suddenly let out a "soft" expletive. I asked what happend and his reply was that he had dropped a handful of shaving cream on the floor. Shaving Cream? Why was my son bothering with shaving cream and a razor when he could have simply grabbed an electric razor and been done with the job. After all, he has no finger movement, necessary for blade shaving. Why? Because he wanted to!

Rex's mom helped him avoid the easy way out and try and accomplish the more difficult, to live a fuller life. Skiing? Blind and Austistic? Rough stumbling blocks but not impossible ones. I wonder if I would have half the energy and will that she continued to exhibit on her son's behalf.

Rex's sweet personality will captivate your heart and Cathleen will inspire you to hold on and let go of your children all at the same time.

This book is a real blessing. Think I'll read it again, very soon.

Enjoy.

Day after Christmas Reflection, 2008

This is nice, having the day after Christmas off and no where to be until about noon. I plan on having lunch with Bill & getting the oil changed in my car. And that is it!! No shopping and taking advantage of Black Friday II. I paid cash for every single gift and grocery item for Christmas and don't intend to break that record today. Plus there is absolutely nothing to be added to the gifts I received this year.

You may know we celebrated Christmas twice this year. Once the first weekend of December when the Florida kids were up and then again yesterday with just the locals. And one day was just as special as the other, just different.

Some of the highlights from yesterday:

Our oldest granddaughter, Ashley (FL) sent a package to NJ with gifts purchased with her very own money. Her economics class at school (3rd grade) held a Holiday Bazaar stocked with merchandise made by the students. Each student was to earn "investment capital" at home, purchase supplies, consider man hours etc to determine the retail price of the item. Whew! What are they teaching kids these days? To become productive, contributing citizens or what? We received a decoupage patriotic plate - perfect for the mantle in our Patriotic Christmas Tree room! We also had a great phone conversation earlier in the day with both Ashley & Emily. Always a neat tradition.

And then, our local kids arrived and we had an early dinner. I missed the 3pm sit down time by four minutes!!! And all the food was hot and no burned rolls!! Amazing.

We gathered around the kitchen table, all 11 of us. Oops 10, Brayden (6 mos) took a nap during most of the meal - good boy!

We served sparkling cider in wine glasses, including a shorter glass for Mackenzie (3 yrs). She looked so cute picking it up by the stem and taking sips. And picking it up again and again. Monica (mom) had to move it from her reach and work out a deal. Bite of food, sip of juice. It was really cute. Sorry no camera at the table, darn!

The first gift Brayden opened - with big sister's help - had a clear front on the package. Brayden was sitting on his mommy's lap at the time and when he saw the package he leaned forward and put his face right to the plastic mouth wide open. Inside was a set of teething keys we are sure he wanted to get to, right away. It was cute. Oh by the way, he got "two front teeth" for Christmas and he knows how to use them. Ouch!

Sometime later, after dessert, Pop Pop and Mackenzie retired to the library to do puzzles. Brian (Kelly's boyfriend & police officer) slept through dessert. He worked the night shift Christmas Eve and had to go back to work at midnight. Mom just needed her chair and ottoman, and I think she dove right into her new set of crossword puzzle books (gift from Kelly & Brian).

The rest of us started a game of Scattagories with Teams.
Team One: Kelly & Sara
Team Two: Andrew & Kevin
Team Three: Monica & me

Team One just about walked away with the win! Team Two came in second with some really weird answers. And poor Team Three. Me, 57 year old grandmother and Monica, exhausted young mother with infant in arms while we played. What were we thinking?

But it's funny to see the personalities through the responses to the different catagories. A dice is tossed indicating the letter to be used for the beginning letter of all answers in the round of 11 or 12 topics. My favorite: Companies using the letter G.
Team Three (mommy & grandmom)? Grayco (baby furniture & equipment).
Team Two(boys)? Goodyear (car tires).
Team One(girls, ie shoppers)? Gucci! DUH!!! I think they made a date to go shopping this weekend with thier winnings!

I chuckle even now.

Too soon, for me, the evening came to an end. I had a bit of closure loading the new dishwasher and visiting with Mom and Bill before we retired to our separate living quarters. And then to bed - at 9:30!

It was a good day! A really really good day.

Thanks Jesus for giving us a reason to gather and to give and to enjoy.

Visit Boomtown!

My third book for review for Thomas Nelson Publishers was a juvenile piece of fiction called Boomtown: Chang's Famous Fireworks Factory. Author Nowen N. Particualr has done a bang-up job of drawing a smile to the reader's face telling tales of the citizens of Boomtown, Washington, USA. The folks of Boomtown include everything from fireworks to Hen-Grenades and Rocket Reindeer at every event and celebration. You never know what will blast the town into a new day.

I did find the sub-plot, a mystery, is a bit vague during most of the story. Also, one character's participation in the mysterious events could have been developed a bit more, maybe to let the reader in on a bit of the secret.

I appreciate the author using a vocabulary above children level. Always appreciate the opportunity to expand kids' vocabs. Examples? Hortaculture, canopy, stoic, plundering marauders. See what I mean?

I can just see Adam Chandler as the pastor who is, I suppose, the main character of the story. I think it would make a good comedy. A Laurel and Hardy kind of film for the new millenium.

Size of snow storm? Irrelevant!

Our Florida grandchildren brought their parents to NJ for an early Christmas this year. Before arriving the girls, Ashley and Emily, had asked for and hoped for snow. They think once it's cold in NJ, snow is a given.

We had a lovely day with food, all our kids & grands and presents. What did we do for entertainment before children? They certainly kept us smiling. They are better than any game (video or otherwise), sports event or movie on TV. We just love them and their antics.

About the time we were done with the usual holiday activities, Bill took a look outside to discover it was snowing. Well, to be honest it was really just dusting or flurrying. Certainly not what we North-Easterns would call a snow storm. But to our girls, including Mackenzie from Philly, it was a bonafide, get-bundled-up, hurry-before-it-stops event. And that's just what they did. Their dad, Jeff, even changed out of his shorts into jeans to join them. Me? Oh I stayed inside with the camera, thank you very much.

Oh the joy! They ran, they gathered, they stuck out their tongues for a sampling. And then they did what a NJ kid might not think possible. They built a snowman. Uh, a snow mini-guy? We really don't know what to call it. They used our snowman kit, complete with wooden carrot-shaped nose and black pipe. Even a big red heart.

The inscription on the box that holds the snow man pieces says: "To build a snowman with somone you love, will surely warm your heart."

It sure warmed ours to see the girls enjoying themselves so much. Maybe the best Christmas present we gave this year. Thanks Accu-Weather for the surprise and God for the supply.

We are looking forward to Christmas 2008 II on Dec 25th with just our local kids. I'll have to get my boots ready and fill in for Ashley & Emily and give Mackenzie a hand should snow fall again.

Uh, maybe we'll do play-doh snowmen. They're always fun, right? Oh I am getting sooooo old.