IN Carmel

 The day is starting a bit damp with fog.  On the way to the mailbox, I spotted three deer in the yard.  That's not uncommon but just not seen every day.  They hang around lovin' to munch on the pussy willows in the winter. Big bummer. They need to change their diet or perhaps I never should have planted pussy willows.  Probably the latter option would have made the most sense.  I stick to natives with other things which usually are safe to the munchers.  The weather continues to be uncommonly warm.  Yesterday I decided to remove all the orange color from the covers over the bird feeders.  That meant a trip to Ace for green spray paint.  Lots of green in the yard now.  Past years have seen purple, orange, and pink.  Green matches the bird feeders.  Another excuse to cruise the yard!  I'm ready for flowers.  I think I'm in trouble.   The dining room Christmas Cactus is trying its best but I think is prog...

 Visiting with all of you again.  Blog time.  Breakfast over.  Cross word a success again.  I'm ready for the day.  So it's on to PT exercises that are certainly getting easier.  This afternoon a session with Ben.  Starting next week I'll see the "vertigo preventing teacher" Michael twice during the week.  Vertigo seems to be anchored.  I'm celebrating that currently anchoring event no matter how long that anchoring lasts.     This picture's label is  Friends for life, Eli, and Bo.  Eli has talked about horses for a couple of years and now Bo occupies one of the horse stalls on Cassidy. Life is good.  Kimmy and Jared were both horse owners who boarded their horses at the same facility where they met.  Adding a horse for Eli could be called an expected event.  Eli agrees.   The kitchen shelf along two walls holds a whole lot of family glass pieces from aunts and my mother.  The lights...

  2021 Christmas Celebration in person is done!  It's been cooked.  But the memories fill every nook and cranny.  Family time together has been wonderful.  But seeing all the grandsons together tells me that time is moving along quickly.  Their bodies are filling more spaces.  Boys are becoming men alongside caring parents.  They give me great joy knowing that good things are happening with this next generation of Russell's.   Again lots of card playing, cookie and chocolate pretzel eating, TV watching, and Chess games galore.  And of course gift giving.  The weather was a bit rainy with mud added to the problem of playing hide and seek in the dark so that was not a go this year.   The new bird feeder is hung in the yard  Other bird supporting gifts are hung in the kitchen until summer arrives.   This is a great picture of a great kid.  He keeps me entertained and now is glued into this hat. ...

 It's been a tornado of a morning with lots happening but no damage.  yahoo!  We made it to church...all 9 of us and we hit the ground running with put away Christmas activities.  Such great helpers.  The donkey is back in the "barn".  A ton of ladder work is finished. has been completed.  The attic has been visited with things stored in that area. The sanctuary has been freshened with hints of the Three Kings Sunday coming.  And once again the banner closet containers are all back to where they should be.  Little containers on top shelves.  Big containers lower make life a bit safer, thanks to Jared and Jacob.  It is a gift for this Visual Arts Lady that is well received and even more appreciated by her committee.  Ladder work will be at a minimum not absolutely gone but lessened.  The family visited with Sunil, our associate minister.  The nativities are still about for people to enjoy for one more Sunday.  ...

 Today is the beginning of a very busy household of people  So preparation is almost over.  Last-minute cleaning is finished and the stockings are filled and hanging at the window.  Presents are wrapped and late afternoon should see a whole lot of difference at this address.  The Carmel grandsons are anxiously waiting for the Michigan grandson's arrival.  And the grandparents are ready for all 5 with their parents.  And I can't leave out the grand dogs.  All three although we'll probably see more of Wyatt on this visit.   Sleep was a bit sparse last night and this morning's work tells the body that chilling out for a bit is in order.  So I will.   I continue to work on balance and moves to correct vertigo still continue.  What a pain, bummer, and more!  I'm not planning on this to be a long-term affliction but this year's experiences have taught me once again that some things are not mine to control but to work t...

  Not sure about the Sunday after Christmas but I know that the Sunday after Easter is called Low Sunday.  Today was a low slow after Christmas morning at church.  One service and it was pretty slim pickings in attendance with Diane G in the pulpit. . It was a Jesus in the temple Sunday.  Fewer people made it all the better to sit apart but I did miss people.  Met up with Leigh Mamlin and family.  What a treat.  I call Leigh's parents long hauler friends of many, many years. Seeing Leigh and her family was the best that could happen on any given Sunday here visit parents from Columbus Ohio.  Lunch is over, football is playing, knitting is the pass time event needing to be finished by tonight.   Today I'll share with you the mother of all Christmas Cactus owned by my friend Kathy.  It's a very, very, old plant.  Much older than me.   It's very old.   I think there are two huge pots supporting this pictur...

There have been 83 of those now.  So many different ones and they still don't get old but always are anticipated.   Doug and I  look forward to many more to come. Our Christmas mornings are quiet now as you might expect.  Texts were rampant from the grandsons.  Who was up and who wasn't up kind of talk.  I need to tell the grandsons how to conduct a Christmas morning.  Arriving home after the midnight service, wrapping gifts, and then to bed around 2:30...We were lucky to get 3 or 4 hrs of sleep before Eric and Jared were up and ready for the morning. The boys always started their night early, falling asleep on the church pew.  I guess those gifts could have been wrapped early in the month come to think of it.   Last night's service didn't disappoint.  The church was full with all comers masked and in marked pews.  Pews were filled.   The Silent Night and Joy to the World moments.   Andrew read scriptur...

 before Christmas.  Some years I make my preparation deadline a day or so just before the family Xmas on New Years' weekend.  This year not so.  I'm ready before Christmas but this time family time will be the MTWed just after this weekend.  So READY NOW is better this time.  I had a blast at Goodwill yesterday finding just the right something for stockings.  Yes...I fill 9 of them with mostly good stuff and a little junk that fits each person.  My story is that Santa adds the junk!  I'm lovin' the stocking stuff this year.  It's 9 am and a batch of cookies is ready for the freezer.  A little more baking and I'm finished.  Usually, the kids are full of cookies before they arrive.  That's usually a given when we do Xmas after Christmas.  Here are Chocolate chips with half of the chocolate melted and the other half of the bag added unmelted.  My favorite way of doing the baking cookie thing.  Later this m...

  Mid Morning and there is good news and not such good news.  The not such good is that the cookies now are in the garbage.  They needed to go.  I really like or perhaps liked oatmeal cookies. My last two attempts have been disasters.  What could be so hard?  Yesterday's cookies flowed all over the pans so I refrigerated overnight.  Same outcome.  That's not such good news.  Garbage Can Oscar will get a second snack.   The good news from  PT this morning.  I've had a bit of vertigo again and my diagnosis was that it was gone.  My PT Michael's specialty is working with vertigo people and this morning we discovered that it was not gone. I'm not a very good doctor it would seem.  Crystals were still not cemented to their home.  It's so rewarding to have Michael walk alongside who understands vertigo and has solutions.  So it's a take it easy day for this Thursday keeping my head in a good place.  No s...

 Yesterday morning was a creatively fun morning.  Christmas Eve at North makes that happen.  Visuals are in place.  North is combining 3 services into one. The donkey is in place.  It usually appears at 5 o'clock for the children's service and then goes away.  Taken from the 7 o'clock service is the contribution of the Sax. quartet that is a must-hear group of players.  They will continue their contribution.  From the 11 o'clock service are the lessons and carols experience taking us through the Christmas story in music.  All the services ended with candle lighting and that will be the case again.  This year it's one combined service at 7 with Covid restrictions we have been observing since the church reopened.    Heidi and I talked through possibilities swimming in my head and we got to work.  One beautiful addition is a new to us nativity at the altar donated by K and J Hacker.  Such a  feeling of renewal ...

 That word brand or is it bran.  My dad always added that to a whole lot of things. A brand new day was one of them.  What does brand add to the new day is my question?  I'll just say a new day. Every day is brand in my book. My early morning work is finished.  Breakfast was eaten, new suite block hanging outside, frozen water in the birdbath now thawed, seed thrown for the birds that are "ground" eaters, and the crossword puzzle stumped me this morning.  Grr.  I hate that.  Didn't consult Siri.  What's another word for an adobe house?  Haven't a clue.   Thinking of church this morning.  The poinsettias are moving off the dining room table to church.  They look wonderful after a few weeks' visit with me having been ice cubed every day.   The palms plants used last Palm Sunday will be added.  I'm thinking Middle Eastern setting of Bethlehem.  Still thinking about other possibilities at church for de...

 Yes.  Even when I'm retired from the working world where a paycheck is part of life, I think of the workweek.   Life begins again.  All things church happened yesterday. Darren preached the Mary Story.  It was good to see him "take the Plunge".  From the first minutes starting at 11 o'clock ending at 12 o'clock, visuals, music , and words supported the morning's experience with Mary.  It was an emersion event.   We were home for the rest of the day with football and a bit of knitting.  So a slow Sunday to prepare for the week.  Doug would like/ a few more pretzel/kiss/M and M treats.  I have an urge to do some sweet roll baking.  I wonder how long that urge will last.  The grandkids love those cinnamon rolls.  A pie or two in the freezer would be good.  The brain is working but it needs to bring the doer part along.   Tomorrow, Heidi and I are meeting at church to change the chancel area of t...

Yes...It's Sunday again.  Happens every seven days I have noticed.  And to alleviate the suspense, the Colts beat the Patriots.  Woo...I lasted until the third quarter and then chose to discover the truth this morning.  My nerves were beginning to frazil.  Woo...a great win for sure.  The son of a good church friend who lives in Boston is visiting here for the holidays.  Collin is a HUGE bar none, obnoxiously patriotic, (in my opinion) Patriot fan.  He and his mother posted a selfie on Facebook sitting in the arena.  Humm...poor thing.  Not a good Christmas gift for Collin but a huge boxcar of a gift for Colt supporters.  I always like to keep track of Collin, a very animated, outspoken, enthusiastic guy that is worth following.  I predict that at some point his impact on the political world will be great.  Yesterday's decision to work at church was a good one.  There were things to do that leaves no need to invade to...

 Today is here.  Happy to know that happened again. So far it's dark and rainy but like today appearing again, the light will prove to be a gift again.  My wake-up clock has been stuck on early, early morning all my life.   Later this morning I hope to work at church setting up the chapel space for the Longest Night Service tomorrow at 5.  It's a wonderful service of comfort remembrance and moving on to take up the task of living.  So that's on the To-Do list.  I thought of working tomorrow morning but better to not have time pushing to complete the work.  Tomorrow is our Mary Sunday and we will sing a beautiful Ava Maria.  The grandsons are playing bells in the Gathering Place as well.  Their dear California friends will be in attendance. It's a special Sunday.   The dates are set for the family Christmas celebration, those being the 27, 28, and 29th.  Another major decision made.  So the Russell celebration pla...

 Yes..I have many, many friends.  They are collected from many places.  They listen, laugh, and support through thick and thin, good and bad, the ups and the downs, delightful and not such delightful times.  I'm having lunch with one of those groups of friends.  We met and worked together 40 years ago.  They are my long-time friends I could say.  We were first-grade teachers, a great awesome team of four.  And we have continued to meet and eat through the years.  Now we can be called widows, grandmothers, church ladies, remarried, travelers, and successful recovers from serious illness, persistently tough ladies.  Our titles are just a bit more descriptive in these retirement years.  Little did we know.  We call ourselves the Muldoon gang, the name of a restaurant in downtown Carmel a  place that became our oasis outside of the classroom.  So no matter where we eat or go these days we are Muldoon's.  Yesterd...

 Nothing special about that title.  Just marking the fact that it's happened once again and I think probably will happen again.  I think I'm catching on to the plan.  Yesterday afternoon at the PT event that almost didn't happen, I was handed my assignment sheet.  I'll spare you the story. The plan is to keep the ship afloat, the train on the tracks and the plane in the air sort of thing that needs a bit of practice just like a whole lot of other things.  I have a homework  plan to accomplish with sessions through January meeting with Michael whose proficiencies include vestibular corrections.  What a gift that will be.  Dizzy is not helpful to staying afloat, on the tracks, or in the air.   Wed. is one of my favorite days of the week.  I can't believe I forgot to write about it yesterday.  But I did!  It's senior discount day at Goodwill.  That's the best excuse I can think of to take a walk through a few stores...

A trip to the dentist once again is on the calendar of events for today. I did not look forward to this visit knowing that the last one was one that was strange and unsettling. Yes... A new dentist and even worse a new hygienist. It was not a good hygienist visit being nearer to all of the first part of the year health issues. Those two together did not make for the best experience. Today's visit was much better. I'm in a better health place and my now next new hygienist has 15 years of experience. She listens well and that is a gift to me.  Radiation of the head can bring a whole host of problems and there are something to keep tabs on and will need to be fixed.  Thank goodness it's not bad enough to cause pain currently.  I'm looking at two new crowns in the future.  One is scheduled for Feb and the other one's time is still to be determined.   This morning I started more knitting. Another hat came off the needles last night.  I put together circle ...

 Another gift received with the need to regift.  It's a beautiful sunny morning.  The ice has been broken on the birdbath.  Their food once again is out and ready for them.  Although their numbers seem to be smaller than a month ago, we are enjoying the visitors who come alongside.  The Palm Sunday palms have been watered, the Poinsettia have received their icecubes for the day and the Christmas Cactus has a few buds beginning to appear.  All of those daily checks are finished.  It's Doug's morning for health checks.  I'm happy to pass that along. So I'm home alone!  Those checks seem to be our big-time events in our 80th decade.  Bummer!  They do seem to be working when I think of it.  Enough said!   Yesterday I had my big anticipated visit with James, my PT guy.  Woo!!!  Two months in the planning!  But...yes BUT, James is leaving the PT world, looking for something new.  Yes...My 5th h...

Yesterday was church day and the choir sang words from Isaiah 11.  Surely it is God who saves me, I will trust in him and not be afraid.  For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, and he will be my savior.  I heard those words for the first time at a Conference supporting Music and the Arts more than 25 years ago.  I remember singing them on the way back to Indianapolis.  My, how those words have supported me through the thick and thin times of this past year.  I have a stronghold and I have been defended.  My thanks is beyond measure.   At church, the third Advent candle. noted as the candle of Joy was lit. The sermon about Joy suggested that the following seven points might be anchors of support for Joy in our lives.  1. Table the heavy stuff. 2. Be surrounded by positive people.   3. Enjoy the little things.  4. Pause for beauty.  5.  Praise daily.        6.  Give weekly....

 Words, Howard Thurman's particularly keep swirling around in my head.  The storm pictures, those who visit the church for food, those living in shelters because of husband abuse.  December has brought all of those experiences to us again.  To heal the broken, to feed the hungry to release the pris'ner.  The work of Christmas.   A story of yesterday.  As we were waiting for folks to stop in for food, near the end of the hour a man appeared at the door, bent over almost to his waist, his face barely visible, nearly hidden with a hoody.  He staggered up to the table with few words.  We asked if he could use two meals and he nodded yes with no words being heard.  It was evident to us that this man was physically struggling.  The degrees in temperature had dropped at least 40 points since morning and the wind was in its dagger mode.  A surprise change in temperature for all of us.  This was a Thurman moment.  The man...

 Today is Bread and Bowl morning at church.  I look forward to seeing our community folks again.  Their visits are not long but still enjoyable.  This mission work started at least 35 years ago by church ladies has evolved from a soup and sandwich ministry to now supported by Second Helpings providing a main dish casserole.  The church adds a vegetable and some sort of pastry and bread donated by Kroger grocery store.  The portions are huge and folks usually can take two dinners home with them.  Our days to serve are Tues. Thurs. and Sat.  Other churches in the area provide food to fill out the week.  Feed the hungry is our mission.  We ask no questions. After a second trip to Lowe's, our dining room table now supports 4 beautiful huge white poinsettias that will eventually go to church for our Christmas Eve service as well as the two Sundays after that evening.  I started with two and now it's four.  Four will cover the space ...

 Thinking weekend.  When one is retired it doesn't feel much different than a weekday.  Just another day of stuff.  Yesterday saw a bit of a continuation of cleanout.  Not as much but continuing.  Today will be the same.  I did make a trip to Lowe's to pick up white poinsettias for Christmas Eve and Christmastide Sundays.  They are beautiful and the goal is to keep them that way until they are moved to the church.  I'm tempted to get two more.  Choir time was music about Christmas.  So many lovely anthems.  Our Bosto Ave Maria is one that fits that category.   Some other news.  Each summer for many years we've vacationed in the UP of Michigan.  A must-visit for many years during our two-week visit is to the Jam Pot, a small but summer busy store filled with jams, jellies, candy, and cookies providing income for the monastery.  Two men from Detroit felt called to establish a Catholic monastery of the Byz...

  The days seem to pass faster and faster and then the weeks seem to be doing another marathon.   Where have the years gone?  Down another one of those rabbit holes.   The holes seem to be winning.   Yesterday was one of those get'er'done days.  Doug watches TV in his "man cave".  I watch TV in my "lady cave" otherwise known as the sewing room.  If we were forced to watch TV together there could be a divorce. Both of our rooms are full of stuff.  Mine is driving me nuts so yesterday I emptied stuff I was given and never used that being more thread than I could use in 100 years, more buttons than I could use in 1000 years and just more stuff.  Things are going to the quilters, the trash can, and Goodwill.  There is more to do but that's another day.  The room isn't empty, just emptier.  My mind is in a better place.  There is one little chest that will be a doozie to empty but that's another get'er'done ...

 This morning I'm thinking birds! The birdbath water is frozen most mornings.  A pot of boiling water fixes that attracting surprise visits from a lot of birds.  I'm learning the importance of water to our entertaining feathered friends.  Doug said feeding them comes from our entertainment budget!  Now you know what simple things entertain us.   The Red Bellied Woodpecker is up and about every day with a song that would not allow him to participate in any choir that I know.  Red is a huge bully at the suite being an arch-rival to others who would like a snack while Red eats.    The finch is almost out of sight on the birdbath on the left side.  The garden pictured is a reminder of what was and what will become summer again.  One more reminder of my favorite Hosta flower.  This one has a wonderful aroma and grows alongside the patio.  Such a delightful queen.   Persistence succeeded.  I have an appointme...

  Yes, another song some will recognize.  Not Kathleen's favorite. It's 19 degrees this morning.  Let's get winter over with.  My goodness, patience is lacking this morning.  I'm very happy to report that the knees are back to their happy self.  Woo...what a lesson that will be forgotten as all the others have been.  That hole in the head remains there even with surgery that fixed one of them.  I should have asked for a two for the price of one deal.   The electronic machine continues not to alert PT James that I've been OKed for PT.  Two different doctors have flunked electronics.  Today I'm asking to transport the order myself.  It's a visit to the same building for my annual visit to my Sleep Apnea CPap doctor, Dr. Yang.  On the way home, James will get the order.  At least that's the plan I'm willing to try.  I am not giving up!  Some days are like this even in Australia.  So says Alexander of ...

 Slug stands for "I'm a bit tired".  Yesterday afternoon's Advent Festival was full of work. Lots of walking and moving stuff and then more walking and more walking.  The church is huge.  The 80 some nativities are placed on the window ledges on either side of the sanctuary and church folks made that happen.  Nativities reconnect folks with the Christmas story. Church folks look forward to seeing their nativity friends again.  The outside doors have their roping and bows, the advent candles are moved to another space for the Mary Sunday and banners have been placed in the chancel area to support Mary's song of My soul doth magnify the Lord.  Kits were put together for the woman's prison residents.  Cards were sent with messages to folks unable to come to church and to those who have been absent since the pandemic started. The church was busy with mission work.   So today is my Sunday on Monday, a day of rest for the knees!  They are...

 Red Skies in the morning...Sailors take warning.  The sky this morning was red and we are landlocked so no sailors near.  Beautiful to behold.  Never lasting very long.  It's always a grade school MR. Vopal memory of an art lesson. We covered the paper with lots of red, purple, pink, and yellow crayon colors, then covered all those colors with black and then scratched off the black to make trees etc.  Such a reminder of this morning's sky.   My grade school years are still with me remembering many names of classmates and all of my eight teachers.  My community was one with very little movement.  Stability I could say was the word.   Church day again.  I still hear the Work of Christmas with words by Howard Thurman, a man of the cloth and a civil rights worker early in the 1900s.  To find the lost, to heal the broken.  To feed the hungry, to release the pris'ner, To rebuild the nation. To bring peace among brothers, T...

 The calendar would note that this is the end day of the week.  So it must be Saturday.   The weather yesterday demanded that windows be washed.  The kitchen one got a rubbing for sure.  Birds have been hitting that window lately leaving their mark so that was the challenge.  It took steel wool to get the stuff off which Doug said was wax from their feathers that help to waterproof them.  I never heard of that but it makes great sense.  The stuff was white and sticky.  That window is one that in past years the raccoon has climbed to.  That hasn't happened lately since we bring bird food in at night.  Those times were greasy events.   With a trip to JoAnn's, we have some new Christmas lights and those got hung by the windows.  A big tree just doesn't exist anymore at the Russell house.  Other decorations go up for the seasons.  It's keep is simple sweety for me.  Our  family time happens New Ye...

 Doing is what life is about.  Doing for yourself is important and even better doing for others is a good goal.  Doers make the world work.  I just read this morning on Facebook words from our friend Martin.  A great doer of the organ-playing kind even while living on the west coast.  My North readers will well remember the "Thank you Martin" that we heard for many Sundays in our sanctuary.  But really Thank you Martin for years of your organ-playing gifts.  Martin is a great example of a doer a person of many gifts given often.  What can I bring Him, poor as I am?  What are my gifts to give.  Another song in my memory bank.   Not much on the docket today.  Did groceries yesterday, Did doctor yesterday, Did choir yesterday.  Did my crossword puzzle this morning. I had a few clinkers on that one. The suit is hung for the birds and some seeds now are on the ground for all those ground-loving eaters. So what will th...

 Days that is.  More to come and that's a good feeling.  Yesterday was a quiet day at home until I remembered that it was the last day for my Kohls's discount card day.  So...to Kohls, I went for some Christmas gift shopping.  It's the usual gift if the family is reading.  And the choice was unbelievable low.  Guess the ships are still circling in the Pacific Ocean.  It was slim to almost nothing. But the stash of stuff is a little bit bigger at this point.  The  unforeseen finds its way into my life at this point in time.    Today I will meet our new Primary Care Doctor, Dr. Jolli.  I'm excited...another dr. in my life of which there have been far to many but will be happy to admit that a few have been put on the shelf with the hope that's where they will stay.  Dr. Jolli will not be one of those.  Primary Care Doctors are important and I'm happy to welcome her in my stash of Doctors.  Dr. Wyatt Horsel...

 Yesterday was one of those catch-up days.  And we did catch up on stuff.  Doug did the wash as he usually does.  He had a bunch of stuff.  I spent the morning at church with touch-up, not catching up.  The bookstore at the monastery is an awesome place to find unusual things.  And once again that happened.  I purchased for the church collection a painting on wood of pregnant Mary on the donkey with Joseph alongside.  Perfect for advent.  So the window just outside the sanctuary has that purchase on display.  I love it when I find something new that works for the church.  The advent candles needed to be moved a bit to accommodate communion this Sunday.  Got that done without a candle drop.  It's not a good thing when that happens.  So Iall is ready with visuals for the second Sunday in Advent.  Sunday afternoon the nativities in the sanctuary appear during the Advent Festival.  I LOVE this time of the c...