Now it's jewelry.

Last year when I was in the market of the Old City of Jerusalem, I bought this pretty replica of an antique coin for about a dollar. The obverse has a elegant, cameo-like profile, and the reverse has some letters and symbols. Maybe it is Greek, but I don't know. Last week I had a hole drilled through a spot near the edge and got a silver thingamajig so I could hang it on a necklace chain. I like it.

Peer Pressure

Last week I refused on principle to engage in Black Friday or Cyber Saturday, but today I succumbed to peer pressure and no doubt threw away six dollars on two lottery tickets. Until I got wind of it yesterday, I had no idea that this was the biggest week of all with a more than 500 million dollar windfall. I had bought a lottery ticket only once before and felt like a criminal. I didn't want to repeat that experience! But today at work it was talked about, and as I was leaving I heard, "Don't forget to buy your lottery ticket before nine!" So on the way home and right after hearing a radio ad for getting help for your gambling problem, I stopped by the gas station and told the patient attendant with the gold tooth, "I want whatever everybody else is getting." Now I have the tickets on my refrigerator, and like everybody else, I am mentally spending my millions. At least it is a fun thought.

With Gratitude

When I go to work, I have to park in the parking garage, usually not finding a space until I get to the far corner of the fourth floor. Though I try to be grateful that I have a job and good legs to carry me the long walk to my office, I really do not like that parking garage or the far corner of the fourth floor.

As I came in to the hospital one day recently, I drove as usual up the slight ramp into the side entrance of the garage first floor. Starting from the outer lane, I circled through each row of parked cars, my eyes darting from side to side as I looked at every spot, hoping to be lucky enough to find one on that floor. I started to silently beg...please please let me find a parking space here. I so didn't want to carry my stuff from the far corner of the fourth floor. As I rounded onto the last (and closest to the hospital) lane, I saw one. Yippee. But was there a Mini Cooper or VW bug hiding there to taunt me? Nope. Great! It was all mine. But as I started to pull in an ugly thought kicked in, I am sorry to say. Waaah...I don't want to be all the way at the end of the best row in the entire parking lot. I want to be in the best spot of the best row.

I caught myself and had to laugh. I am such a human! Here I was, getting my wish met, but it just wasn't good enough. I was thinking like a little kid not happy with anything. I hope I learned a little lesson from that!

Tomorrow is not just a day to recognize thankfulness for our country and forefathers, family and friends, turkey and dressing and a full tummy, but all the little things that we take for granted each day, like finding an almost perfect parking spot once in a while.

What insight!

iPhone pix of the kids

assimilating

This morning was a piece of cake. After the first day of driving the kids to school, and after going the wrong way on a one way drive, I have gotten the hang of it. I knew how long it took for the two lights to change, trusted the quick arm motions of the awesome crossing guard, and waved to the young neighbor who was putting up the flag. And to top it all off, my sweet grandchildren got to their drop off spots five minutes before the bell was to ring. How quickly we humans can adapt in a just a few days.

Now I am having my mug of coffee with cream. Since I couldn't figure out how to use their coffee pot and definitely needed my morning potion, I had to adapt to that also. I found a strainer, placed a double layer of paper towels in it, brought water to a boil in a saucepan, placed the strainer over the mug, and slowly poured the water into it being careful not to get grounds in the finished product. This was actually an old trick that I remembered. Now I have a few hours all to myself.

Jacob said I was having a vacation, but I said...oh no. I am coming here to work. Maybe I am adapting to the idea it can be a vacation after all.

Hump Day

Wednesday is the traditional hump day of the week, and it happens to coincide with my mid point with the grandkids. Such good children. Right now John is cooperatively doing his written homework, and Ashley is involved in looking up her favorite entertainers, Taylor Swift and One Direction, on the computer. Today the time went by quicker while they were in school as I kept myself busy by dragging out laundry chores. I realize I could be shopping, but the trip to the grocery store reminded me of the high sales tax here, highest in the entire nation. The thought of it sticks in my craw making shopping something I can wait to do after I get home. Grandmommy duty calls. I must look at homework.

Peace and Quiet

John asked me what I like to do when things are quiet, when I have time for myself as I was going to have this week while they are in school. hmmm...When do I ever...? My overactive brain does not offer that option. But yesterday, with the kids gone, and not knowing how to turn on the television in this large and quiet house, and with no obligatory activities, I adapted. Though I did bring some books from home, I decided to follow Ashley's advice and read a book she liked and wanted me to read, Soul Surfer. I took it to the screened in porch, turned the big rocker to face the autumn splendor of the wooded backyard, and started to read and rock. Pretty soon nature distracted me. In the breeze, yellow leaves from a silver maple were being blown off their branches, and were gracefully swirling to the ground. At that rate, how long would it take for the tree to be stripped bare, I wondered. A tall oak was hanging on tighter to its orange leaves. A botanical difference, I surmised. Then as if relaxation music was beginning to play, I heard the gentle sounds of a few raindrops. They soon got bolder, forcing me inside, and continued throughout the day. I didn't mind. This morning over coffee and another eclair, I finished Ashley's sweet book. Now I am beginning to look forward to the remaining three quiet mornings.

The Day

Early this morning I left for Tennessee where I will stay for a week with my grandchildren while mom and dad are far away celebrating their twentieth wedding anniversary. It has been dreamed of and then planned forever, and I hope they will have a fantastic time. My first duty was getting Ashley to Nutcracker practice at the dance studio downtown. It ran over the scheduled time and gave me a chance to see the sights along the cute and eclectic Main Street of Morristown. I have disengaged from my camera somehow - maybe the photo bug ran its course - so I have no interesting pictures to show. After a stop at Food City, we came home. John went out to play with his friends and we girls hung out. Jacob came home from work at suppertime, and brought with him three boxes of frozen chocolate eclairs (144) and one box of maybe a hundred patties of frozen pizza dough. (You ask how he got it? Longish but normal story.) Now that was exciting, but what were we to do with it? After filling the freezer the best we could and giving some to a neighbor, we still had an unopened box of eclairs and most of the dough pucks. I said to the kids, "Let's see if we can go find some needy people and make their evening." We rode up and down Andrew Johnson Hwy in the dark and back into town, but there were no such folks. Ashley suggested we drive to New York City, but I wasn't up for that. Maybe it will be cool enough tonight in the garage to keep the eclairs chilled and we can take them to church tomorrow, but I have visions of the pizza dough expanding exponentially as it thaws.

Tomorrow the election. I do not know who will be declared the winner after the votes are counted and neither do the polls. Today it looks like a toss up. Whether my choice Mitt wins, or the narcissist without a valid social security number wins, I do not put my faith in any man but in the Lord Jesus Christ. "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." Psalms 20:7