Hi. Just thought a new thread would be better. Not much to add. Went and spent the day at the lake. It is soooo hot here. I am NOT used to this really hot stuff and I feel not so good. I do MUCH better in the really cold, dry air.

Mima - glad you got your house back. It is nice to have company but also nice to see them go. Have fun tomorrow.

Hi Tammy and Joanne.

Here is something for you all to watch. It is really nice.

http://www.thedashmovie.com/

No rest for the wicked! Everyone left at (:30 and then I madly cleaned-took a nap-got in the whirlpool and heard voices. Brad's grandaughter and her 3 year old came to the party a day early. She and Brad talked while I took care of Isaiah-he's cute but not what I wanted. Did manage to bake while they were there-it's 6 o'clock and no one is leaving. Finally-Brad ate old beans and hotdogs and I ate soup/ The good thing about all of it was that she really needed some spiritual direction-it's that the timing was off. They are coming back today along with 35 others. Party at 2 and VBS at 6-the rest of the week I am going to veg-at least for 2 days. Life is what happens while you make other plans.
Rain again. I think it will clear up.
Thanks for the new thread , Anne, Joanne, I remeber when I was waiting for the rotator cuff surgery-it was awful. Then it;s over. Finished Black-have to have library order Red and White. Too good!! Bye Mima

Happy- that is so nice. I sent off to my son and daughter...Joanne

Mima, you'll enjoy those books too. Hard to put down once you start them.

Anne, thanks for starting the new thread.

We are leaving for Michigan in the morning. Took Kramer to the doggy hotel tonight. We'll be home sometime on Thursday. I have my pedometer out, because I know we'll be doing some walking. Also have pain meds packed just in case!!

Have a great week everyone!

Have a good time Tammy. My son went to Ferris State so I have been to Michigan to his graduation.
Life lesson-even though you put regrets only on an invitation, mostly no one calls to say that but they don't show up. Consequently, you get 2x as much food. Lesson: don't expect people to respond???
Anyhow, I got saved form exhaustion yesterday because I listened to my stress tape in the morning and fell asleep/ Party went well with lots of food left over so I brought some to VBS-gone in a minute-they will get some tonight too-Brad's baby picture on the cake. Brad's grandaughter entertained kids drwaing pics-payback for day before. My son was upset because I wasn't serving real food-just desserts. I guess that's what old people do. Brad was playing a DVD of Gospel music and daughter ran out to Walmart. Guess our lifestyle is different for them . And Brad had a fit because he poured Hazelnut creamer into his coffee-he hates it. Ha!
VBS went well-very fast paced. I had 10 5,6,7, and 8th graders-only to walk to different activities. Good kids.
Not leaving home til I am unwound. Bye for now Mima

WOW ... you guys have been busy.

I went to the Rheumatologist in Nashville today. Same old same old. He wanted me to start Enbrel but I nixed it. Too risky for me. There have been a number of people died from infections taking that and I have a history of getting all kinds of infections. I have mouth ulcers right now just from using an inhaler the doctor gave me last week for allergies. Only 1 in a 1000 was supposed to have that side effect. He said if the Arthritis keeps getting worse, I may not have a choice but to try the Enbrel. I said there is always a choice.

A couple from church invited us over for dinner tonight. I barely made it home from Nashville in time ... came inside for about 40 minutes then left again. I was really tired. When we got there they had invited the pastor and his wife and two other couples. She had cooked so much food and it was delicious. So much for my diet (again today!) and she had peach cobbler and ice cream for dessert! We made some new friends and had a great time. I still can't believe how friendly all the people at this church are as opposed to the last church we went to and how different everything is. There doesn't seem to be any cliques or just one or two people running things. Everybody works well together and gets along like one big happy family. I've been threatening to go to Staples and buy an 'Easy Button' and put it on the table in the foyer! I just hope we get a new pastor & wife half as good as the one we have now! All eight of us that left the other church joined last week so we could vote.

Mima ... I thought it was "no rest for the WEARY!" I need your stress tape!!! I envy you reading those books. I didn't want them to end.

I'd kind-of like to go back to MI for a visit. I haven't been back there in years. I need to start walking. Maybe I will when I get my ankle swelling down. Doc. said I need to get off my feet and do that now. It's pretty bad.

Well ... off to bed I go. Loooong day.

Weary is better. VBS is a bit overwhelming. One kid is special ed but he is just active. He and his sister were adopted into this nice family!! But the evening ended with one of them picking up the grate, climbing into the hole, getting bonked with the grate, all the while I am telling him to get out of there. I need to talk to him tonight about his disobedience. Don't know that student but he sure seems impulsive. But we picked Debbie up and I told her she had to ask permission for everything she wanted and she did so I guess she is teachable. 2 more nights-we get home late and I don't unwind so I woke up before 4 am with all of that on my mind. I will do something different tonight. I ordered 2 more Dekker books from the Regional library.
Meme, I am so glad you found that nice church. That's how it should be. Brad wants me to go with him to look at retired pastor's house to put air in-they are the nicest couple-she taught the same thing as me when she worked.
Maybe it will be a 2 nap day. Mima

My house is so clogged with junk. Gonna try to make a dent in some of that today. Hope I have enough trash bags! I had hubby bring some boxes from where daughter moved to put yard sale stuff in. Hope I have enough of those, too. I'm getting down to the simple 'Bear Necessities' of life!

That's a great feeling! I am almost ther but then we have 3 places to live, if you include the rv! Which we are taking to the mission conference on Friday-it's going to be hot and there will be no air except in our camper and we won't have to share a bathroom. We need comforts in our old age,
VBS went great-I let the teen helper handle the boy who loves the great-there is a frog down there. Same boy took items from craft room-I made him put them back. Nothing much-but I told him it was stealing.
Going to get my acupuncture treatment. I wasn't achy until yetserday! Mike got back home at 2 am Mon morning-left MA at 9:30 on Sat. One night in a motel!
Picking up a script for Flonase-my insurance won't pay for much anymore. Hey Joanne, you have the most posts. Mima

Mima ... be careful with the little boy. He may come from a home where he isn't taught much and possibly taught by example that stealing is acceptable. I've been teaching in church for over 40 years and I've found that loving a child ... a hug and a kind word is more important than some little something they might take home with them - they probably don't get much loving at home. I agree that they need to be taught that stealing is wrong but we have to be so careful not to do it in such a stearn, admonishing way that it causes them not to want to go to church. They have to come away from church feeling as if they have had a good experience so that when they grow older they remember that and want to go back. When I had rowdy bus children I always tried to keep them with me and give them a 'special' task to do to 'help me out.' That usually kept them out of trouble and made them feel special and needed. I'd say, why don't you sit over here by me and help me do this. I remember one little boy that always caused a disturbance during story time so I'd hold him on my lap and let him turn the pages for me. I'd hold the book so the kids could see the pages and I told him I couldn't hold it like that and turn the pages, too. I always just look at these children as a challenge instead of a problem and usually love them into doing what I want them to do.

Christian book store going out of business in town ... think I'll go see what all I can buy!

You are right, Meme. VBS is so fast paced I don't have much time to do that but I did last night. I will see him again. They changed activities every 20 minutes so it was mostly transporting them from place to place with a little assistance at their activities. Last night they were extra active because it was the last night but they are such nice kids. I got them good because I joined in their game and got someone out-they said it wasn't fair!!Ha!
Little Debbie was off the wall-yelling at adults-I cannot stand that but she had been to court with her mother and saw her real father and it sure confused her.
A day off-I am going to try to get a massage last minute. My legs hurt but my back is better-acupuncture. We are going to a mission conference tomorrow. Anyone hear of Interserve? Awesome conference and people.
I am reading a John Grisham book about a lawyer who works for the homeless. Really good. Mima

Not much happening here. We are just trying to survive the summer.. It is really hot..In the 90's. We try to work outside but that is no use.. I walked to the beach the other even ing. Too hot.. I felt like I was floating on the way back. Good thing I took my phone. I called Louie and he came after me. I did get 2 miles though.
I had to break down and make an appointment with a podiatrist.. I have a couple toes he will probably take the nail off.. They may grow back but I don't know for sure.
Tonight is Tops night. I am up a pound. I have to try harder. I think I have actually lost a couple,but, still out of leeway.I told Eleni I was just going to bite the bullet and get on the scale. I was hoping to lose it and then get on. That hasn't helped.I hate the scale!!!I got on the T/M 3 times this week. I was thinking last night ,that, a couple years ago I was walking about 25 miles a week. Now, I am luck to get in 5 miles. Not good..Got to do better..
Joanne

We have a lot of kids at our church. Many of them come from broken homes and some are even practically homeless, living at shelters or with aunts who don't really have room - or elderly grandparents who can't take proper care of them. They don't dress the best in the world and often wear shorts or improper T-shirts but we accept them any way we get them and don't say a word. I think that's why they come ... they know they will be accepted there. They are not rowdy, though. Most are teenagers looking for spiritual guidance. They sit up front, go to the altar and pray and they get up in the youth group and sing. We had over 50 go to a teen youth rally in Pigeon Forge a couple of months ago. Our church is not that big but the pastor's heart has been set on the youth. I don't know where we are going to find another like him. He gets out in the parking lot and plays basket ball with them with his good clothes on! (Or he did before his Parkinson's got so bad.) The upstairs at the church is being given over to the teens as an activity center with a kitchen just for them. A place where they can come during the week to just hang out, play games and talk ... with adult supervision of course. They are going to put a ping-pong table and stuff up there for them ... have snack foods and just make it a home away from home. Their aim ... keeping them off the streets. Like I said ... I love that church!

Mima, we had so much food at Tim's graduation party just in case people showed up. We had soooooooooooooo much left over. Interserve sounds familiar, but I have no idea why.

Meme, I want to come to that bookstore and go shopping!!! What your church is doing for the youth is wonderful!!

Joanne, I know you aren't walking as much as you used to, but at least you are doing it sometimes. I'll be getting weighed in the morning since we're home from our trip. Not looking forward to the scales.

Our trip to Michigan was nice. I overdid it on Tuesday, and I've paying for it ever since. Too much walking and climbing hills that were on the island. I haven't slept much, so I'm hoping that being back in my own bed will help.

I read The Note by Angela Hunt on our trip. It was so good. I think someone on here was reading one of her books. I wrote down her name and found this one at the library. I am really enjoying all of the reading that I've been able to do this summer.

Tammy ... that was me. Read 'The Novelist' next. You won't regret it! I couldn't put it down.