INTERESTING week!

Interesting week so far, to say the least!

On Sunday evening we were on our way over to Anthony and Lori's when my phone rang.  I did not recognize the number, so I left it go to voice mail.  The caller did leave a voice mail - it was Stephanie Graybill, a young lady from our home church in Lancaster County.  She is a grad student at Edinboro University near Erie, PA, had been home for the weekend, and was on her way back to school when her clutch started smoking as she crossed Seven Mountains near here.  She managed to get as far as the Trader Joe's Parking lot here in State College.  Her dad suggested she call Dick to ask where she might get it fixed.  Good question to ask him, hahaha!!

Well.  We have known Steph all her life.  In fact, we did the music at her parents' wedding.  There was no way we were going to have her walking to a hotel, calling a tow truck, etc, right here in our own town.  We went and picked her up, and she came with us to Anthony and Lori's for the evening.

Afterward, she and Dick went to her car, and Dick managed to drive it to his shop where he would work on it the next day.   Then they came home and she and I started a two-day talk marathon!  We shared our latest favorite Bethel worship songs at the piano, we sat here at the computer and watched an Andy Stanley message. In the morning we sat on the porch with our coffee for a long time and talked some more.  We had a scrumptious late lunch at Rey Azteca and talked some more.  In the evening we strolled through the arboretum and talked some more.

Anthony and Lori did not need me to do any food prep that day, so I had much more free time than on a normal Monday.  I did work at the office a couple of hours and taught piano lessons later in the afternoon, but it was an unusually relaxing day, just perfect for catching up with a kindred spirit.

Just LOOK at these succulents!!

On Tuesday morning I worked at the office.  Dick finished her car around 11:30, I took her to his shop to pick it up, and she was finally on her way back to school.  We will forever cherish this little unexpected window of time we had together.

Since the above picture is the only one I took of Steph, I'd like to share this lovely one I copied from her FB - Steph with her dear mom Tracy.  So many memories of our good times together at Grace Community Fellowship over the years.  Tracy has the BEST laugh.

After she was on her way, Dick and I went home and got ready to leave for Bjorn's grad.  Actually, I stopped at Macy's first.  I wanted to get a new pair of black dress pants, and in the process I also found a top on sale that I really liked a lot.  When I brought it home, I discovered that it perfectly matched a pair of earrings that Lori had given me.  I was so happy!!

We left around 2:00, and when we got to Lancaster County we stopped at Grandma Mary's first to change clothes for the grad.  I put on my new outfit, and when I was putting the first earring in, it fell out of my hand and I heard the "clink" of it landing on the floor.  But believe it or not,  after a THOROUGH search by Dick and Grandma Mary and me of that entire bathroom, all my belongings that were lying on the floor, and the clothes that were already on my body, that earring was NOT found!!  It was too big to have fallen into the drain.  It was a complete mystery, and I was really, really disappointed.  I sincerely hope that someday I will be able to tell the rest of this story!

We then went to Fred and Deb's to meet up with Miki and Kicki.  We took them with us to the grad, which was held at LCBC, a large church near Manheim.

We sat on the fourth row, not exactly the best view of the stage, but everything was up on the screen anyway.   This is Manheim Central's logo.

As we waited for the grad to begin, they scrolled pictures of the graduates on the screen.

Here he comes!

Our view of the stage!

A better view of the stage on the screen.

I had forgotten how long and boring graduations can become.  About the time Kicki and I were rolling our eyes and ready to sigh out loud, it was time for the main speaker who totally saved the day.  Dr. Dennis Denenberg, a 1965 Manheim Central graduate, delivered the absolutely best, most unforgettable graduation speech I have ever heard.  He had us laughing and crying in the span of 15 minutes.

There were 15 of my former MCDS students in the graduating class, so that was fun for me to see them all grown up.  Most of them were 6th graders the last I had them.  

Bjorn receiving his diploma.  

I like this video Dick took of Bjorn walking for his diploma, because you can hear them call his entire name - Bjorn Richard Lindmark, named after his two grandfathers.

After the graduation, the normal pandemonium took place, but we eventually managed to find Bjorn and get some pictures.  We didn't find Deb and Fred until much later, so I didn't even get any pictures of them with Bjorn.  

Bjorn with his proud mama.   (When I posted this on FB, one of Miki's friends from Sweden commented, "Is it a clone?")   They do look so much alike, don't they?

Bjorn with his proud Grandpa and Grandma (with her not-as-nice-as-she-planned-for earrings).

Bjorn with his girl Jess.  I knew her beautiful grandma, Kay Herr Lehman, and Jess has her same gorgeous smile.

We would have loved to go to Cat's Meow with Miki and Bjorn and Jess's family, but it was already late and we needed to drive home.

Dick drove until we crossed the river above Harrisburg, then I drove so he could hopefully get some sleep.  At 12:40 AM we were just a few miles from home, the only car on the road, when a police car sitting on the other side of the road turned his flashing lights on as I approached.  Sure enough, he whipped around and followed me.  He asked for my driver's license, etc and wondered if I knew what the speed limit was on this road.  I said I did not, that I was too tired to know, and that we were on our way home from our grandson's graduation in Manheim and I was just in a hurry to get home to bed.  He said it was 35 and he had clocked me going 53.  Thankfully he said he was not going to be giving me a citation, but he warned me that if I was too tired to know the speed limit, that meant I was too tired to be driving, and I was a danger to other drivers.  There weren't any other drivers, and I don't even know why I said that.  I was not falling asleep or anything.  I just simply had never noticed any speed limit signs on that road.  Yesterday when I traveled that road, I noticed those number 35's everywhere.  NOBODY drives 35, believe me.  

I realized that was my three-year anniversary of the only speeding ticket I ever got in my whole life - on my way to my niece's wedding in 2012.  Next year on June 9 I think I will just stay home!

We have lots going on this weekend, so I'll be back after things calm down.