What's New Friday!?

I guess I will cross this beefy bridge when I get to it, but I still have a while to go.  Will prolly start with Chili anyway.   Hope I still like that by then!

Hi Nancy and All,
I love doing crafts but I have no room in this house to do much. But I try!!!!!
Work is calling me at noon so it is another work day for me. I am off tomorrow.
Monday I am driving to Ft Lauderdale area to see my friend who lives there and so does my other cousin. It is the Jewish New Year on Monday and Tuesday so Ill go down to see them.
I rented the car to get to Frankenmuth in October and looking forward to going there to see Paulette my kid and the others.
Started my Christmas shopping a little. Got Lily a book already. Not sure of how much Ill spend this year but we shall see.
My daughter is comming to Florida with her boyfriend on Thanksgiving and we are taking them to Busch Gardens in Tampa and some other places. Not sure of if Ill be able to go with them or not because of work.
We are going surprize my daughter with a GPS for her birthday.
Well I better get ready for work.
Carla 

Sorry I missed ya, Carla, I was out shopping. Maybe tomorrow, I'll be home all day.

Good morning to you, Nancy and all my OFF family. Thank God that tomorrow is Saturday! Yea!!!

I am so excited since today the only things I have to do for the world is make a copy of my Sunday sermon and write my Stewardship Moment talk. That isn't going to take much time. I am going to have time to do what I want to do. Like finish some things around here and take some extra time to love on my Misty. She is missing that a lot.

I had to work at the office yesterday since Jeri called on Wednesday and she had really done a number on her knee. Bill and I had to go out to the church to help and then I went with her to the doctor. They are referring her to a ortho doctor and she goes to see him on Monday. Her doctor put her on steroids for a short term and they are helping a lot.

I am up in the air if I do the service on Sunday or not. The church got an e-mail from Pastor and he said that he would be coming home today unless if his Dad was critical. I don't understand that. He went back because Hospice is in the picture now and there was several other things that was happening. He said that about critical and then he finished the message with his Dad is not taking food and very little fluid. Well, they do that just before they pass. I would call him critical then who am I? I wouldn't want to leave my parent but then again that is me. I mean it isn't like either him or his wife (she has a church that she Pastor's also) doesn't have the services covered. Oh well. I just don't like the hanging part of it. I have seen a change in Pastor since he is leaving. One of my committee members said it the other night and I tend to agree with him. He said that with the new Pastor he has a calling and with Britt we were a "job". I wouldn't have agreed with that before but I think I was wrong not to.

I got my sermon wrote and finished yesterday. I am doing the whole service on "Staying In The Center". It is all about staying in the center and being focused on Christ. Doing what He wants for us to do. To step out of our safe spots and stepping out in faith that He is going to provide for us. To accept the things that different and the people who are different. Everything ends with the challenge of being true Methodists and having open, hearts, open minds and open doors. That is the Methodist Church and we have to do it.

I went to the heart doctor yesterday. He wanted to see me since the blood pressure is running so low. I told him that I won't go off all the bp meds like my pcp wants me to. I told him that I will not go back to what I was when they found the cardiomyopathy. He said that he is hoping that my weight loss is leveling off and I am not losing as fast now. He took me off one pill and cut the other one in half. I go back to see him in February and he is going to take another Echo to see where the strength of my heart is. Then we will go from there. With cardimyopathy they test with the Echo to see where the ejection fraction number is since that is what shows the heart muscle strength. Mine is now up to 54% and that is normal for someone with this disease. I just don't want to go back to the way I felt when it was down to 19% and was almost dead. Please say some special prayers for me on this whole thing. It scares me . I just refuse to go back. I would die of low blood pressure first than that h3ll I went through with the heart problem. I couldn't go anywhere, do anything, breathe or even walk across the room. It was terrible.
I better get to movin' now. I have gone on and on and everyone is probably saying "She is back to normal~she is never shutting up!". And to be honest I would have to agree with all of you. Have a wonderful and blessed day and I hope that you feel my big old hugs and all the love I am sending to all of you. I am sending up prayers for all and special ones for those in need of them. Remember this is the day the Lord has made and so let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Brenda,

Prayers being said and I, for one, never get tired of listening to you!

Hugs, L

 Nancy,  I don't know what mandalas are....  please enlighten me.  and What kits are your friend putting together?    Hmmm do you have feel good kits for adults too?  lol  just kiddin...  Millie

Hi Nancy and my OFF family:

Everybody is asking what mandalas are ... I think they are prayer wheels, am I right?

Your business and crafts are so great. I'm so proud of what you have accomplished. I knew when I met you you were such an outgoing person, that you could accomplish so much if you put your mind to it, overweight or not. But I know what you mean about how people perceive us when we are obese ... they see the outside and not what's inside. I was fortunate in many ways to have employers who saw what was inside ... however, I also feel I lost out on many jobs because of my weight. And that hindered my confidence, too. I know in college, I was the butt of many jokes in the sports department because of my weight. No one really took me seriously. It really wasn't until I got here that I got some confidence, and that's basically because of my boss, Andy. He has confidence in me, always has, even when I was obese. And my coworkers (except skinny Amy ... she didn't care for me until I lost weight ... so I don't really like her, either). And even my former editor, Wally, now deceased, who did so much for me ... he really boosted my self-esteem when I was in Montana. Unfortunately, he turned out to be a real asshole, excuse my language ... now that I've found out how he treated his wife (cheated on her twice ... that we know of). But I guess people are complicated.

George and Laureen, I understand how baseball teams can rip you apart ... I've seen how the Mets bullpen can make grown people weep. I've experienced the same ups and downs this summer with the White Sox ... more recently the downs. Last night was horrible ... here they had a 6-1 lead and they blew it. When their top reliever came in in the 8th and blew the lead, I knew we had lost the game. We lost it in the 10th. Now we're a half game out of first with three to play, and the Twins get to play the Royals at home with all the momentum behind them. The Sox play the Indians at home, but they're playing horribly and have so many injuries, it's going to take a miracle to get them into the playoffs. And even then, I don't think they'd last too long anyway. It was a tough night for me. I watched the end of game, then buried myself in "ER" and "Grey's Anatomy" to forget. Now I'll have to listen to those insufferable Cub fans for the rest of the year. Just have to hope the Cubs blow it in the playoffs again.

I had some errands to run this morning ... pick up prescriptions, get some birthday cards, a few extra groceries (you wouldn't believe how hard it was to find whole wheat fettucine!). This one gourmet store had a big sidewalk sale going on and I picked up some good bargains! Big bags of lite popcorn and sample bags of coffee, etc. They had other stuff too, but I only found the popcorn and coffee.  Then I gassed up the car and came home. I have my appointment with the rehab specialist today ... hope he can help my knee pain!

Well, should go have lunch and then get ready to go. Have to go to the doc and then off to work. Have a good day!

Well, here is my attempt to come out of lurkdom.  I promised Margo, if I could be in the Halloween exchange, that I would post more often.  Actually, I read the forum a couple times a day and everyone is included in my prayers whether they asked or not....but somehow, I think that I don't have much to say that anyone would be interested in.  I still have not edited my pictures from Greece.  I am still working in professional theatre as a Properties Designer.  I have one play on now and another coming up in October.  The one in October is a murder mystery and has a TON of props to get including guns and explosions and a life size laughing clown dummy.  My days are spent working for the Army as a travel specialist.  I am eligable for retirement in a couple of weeks and am torn trying to decide what to do...you know on good days, it isn't so bad and on lousy days...I just want to hand them my badge and say "seeya".

Nancy, you are so fabulous!!  I have a dear friend that paints mandalas.  Margo, good luck on your job hunting, WHEN you get your new job, don't forget to tell them that you are already committed to be out of town in October.  Judy, many blessings on your move and your new home.  Susan, you are such an inspiration.  Brenda, I am sorry that you can't come to Frankenmuth....maybe for Friday night??? Huh, maybe?  Bless all of our sistahs and brothers that are on the road.  Janet, are you better now?  Candy, hug Aime for all of us...oh, and keep some of that love for yourself, as well.  Have we heard from Terri in Galveston?  Welcome to newbies and cyber hugs to old-bees .  Take care, love, Diane

hey you!! thx for updating everybody!!!!
haven't heard anything from terri lately but i did hear from kathy franssen that she isn't coming to frankenmuth due to hurricane Ike...sorry to miss her too....anxious to see you and jackie again...edit those pics!!!!!!!

Hi Nancy and all ...
Tis Friday and I have a short day today. I am taking off early and going to the movies and dinner tonight with my sweetie and a group of other couples.
How was that muffin in a cup Nancy?  What all goes in it and is it as good as a baked one?
GOsh so many of you have busy busy lives. I am trying to find out just WHAT I want to do now that we have alot of free time . Kids grown and gone and now we can do what we want, LOL, just trying to figure out what that is :)

My mom is 72 and lives 3 hours away so lots of weekends are spent going to check onher nad helping her out as much as possible .

I am getting plastics (YEAHHHHHHHHHH ME ) in Dec ,,have waited ,saved, longed for since WLS 5 years ago ... Have any of you had any?

Have a great weekend

Shirley