It's STILL winter

 

Last Wednesday morning I continued my tradition of reading in Hunter's classroom (as well as a few others) for the African American Read-In. When I was finished I got the teacher to take a picture of Hunter and me.  He wanted to sit on my lap, hahaha!!  He's the sweetest boy!

She also took a picture of me with his third grade class, but I won't post it in case any of their parents would not want their child's picture on the internet.   

When I came out of the school later I thought, "Wow, I gotta make sure I get into the right car!"  

That evening we had our bread baking class at church.  This time we made oatmeal bread and rolls.  It was raining and the temp was going below freezing, so we did not have as many participants as previously. 

Now that I've been taking these classes I'm thinking I'd like to try the recipe I had perfected back in the early 90's.  I was making the most beautiful, delicious loaves of bread, then we got a young sibling group of foster children, and I just got too busy to keep it up.  I never did get back to it.  

On Thursday evening we had choir practice.  I'm trying to not despair. It's hard to find people who have a good ear for harmony and can read music.  So different from my Mennonite heritage.  Of the ladies who have sung alto for me since I began directing the choir in this church, two have passed away, one is dealing with health issues, one has asthma, one is too busy with work, one just doesn't want to sing in the choir anymore.  So I pretty much have one or two altos left.  My guy who is my best tenor has left for Florida for a few months.  I know that most people in the congregation are not sitting there listening if they can hear all four harmony parts, but I am.  Hearing just soprano and bass is not ok.  Rant over!

On Friday evening we had a wonderful event at church.  A Valentines dinner for the ladies, served by the men!

Appetizers.

More appetizers.

The M&Ms were stamped with the initials of our church and of our women's group.  Greater Buffalo Run Valley UMC and Women United for Christ.  The daughter of one of our church couples works for M&M and she did this for us!! 

Main course - Chicken Cordon Bleu, homemade rolls, orzo, and green beans with bacon.

Dessert - Texas sheet cake topped with ice cream and chocolate syrup.  

My table.  The lady across from me is 92 and SO much fun!  What an inspiration she is!

Of course it was also Valentines Day.  I had to smile when I saw that Dick and I each got similar cards for each other.  Maybe when you're married for 53 years it takes more pages so say everything.  Or maybe the text has to be so big that it takes up more room, hahaha!

Unfortunately, Dick did not get to help the men with the Valentines meal.  He did not have a good week. In my last post I mentioned that he had gone to urgent care last Monday morning and got drops for his pink eye.  He went to work on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, but did not feel great.  Awful coughing, so much mucus, and the worst looking pinkeye we have ever seen.  So he stayed home again on Friday.  

By now his eye looks almost completely clear and he's not coughing as much, but he IS still coughing and his voice is still hoarse.   He's been going to work this week.  We are SO ready for him to feel all better!!!

Saturday was Jeremy's 45th birthday.  Such good memories.  We had a beautiful home birth in the wee hours of the morning attended by our doctor, his nurse, and my friend Elta Nissley who had been an obstetrics nurse.  We woke up Lisa and Anthony to see their baby brother when he was about an hour old.  They knew before they went to sleep that he would be born soon, but they just couldn't stay awake.  He is such a wonderful man and son.  He often calls me from Portland just to say he loves me.  But then there's usually more to talk about of course!

Next week I'll tell you the fun plans we have to see each other soon.

We had snow on Saturday and it was a good day to get caught up on some things here.  By the time we went to bed the temp was going above freezing, and we were SO GLAD.  

As I said in my last post, we had had to cancel services due to snow on February 9.  The band had been planning to come for their once a month Sunday, but thankfully it suited each of them to come on the 16th instead.  So we REALLY did not want to cancel again!!

There were not as many people present as a normal Sunday, but we still had a wonderful service. 

Later on Sunday afternoon we had a sister Zoom visit.  For two hours!!   In July we are planning to go Rose's house in Charleston for our annual sister long weekend.  So we were talking about flights and schedules and lots of other things.

Yesterday  (Tuesday) I had an appointment to get my hair trimmed.  In the evening we had our first session of a Lent Bible study - Give Up Something Bad for Lent.  It will be good.