Tuesday, December 11, 2018

The Good, The Bad, and the Fun

What say we begin with the fun, shall we? Sunday morning reminded both of us of a winter day in Vancouver, albeit a little warmer. Driving to church there was solid rain and once there, it required umbrellas, which we'd not used since returning. I said to Bruce, "can you believe we walked the mile to church in the rain so many times while there?" Seriously hard to believe now. At any rate, the rain finally quit around 2:30, just in time to set up for the complex Christmas party featuring a dj, a toy drive, and Santa and his elf. By the time 5:00 rolled around, the tables and chairs had been dried, the chicken tenders were ready, and the folks began arriving with plates of appetizers or desserts to share. Michelle was in charge of decorating and brought in this fun photo op sign. She and David, well, they looked very festive.
I'd planned on wearing a silly Christmas dress, deciding at the last minute that it was too short, so I was delighted when Michelle brought a light necklace, like the one Dave has on, for me to wear. 

Tables are set up poolside.
Any party featuring dancing is a party I want to go to, although I'll admit I am terrible at the Electric Slide, which I believe is happening in this photo.
With a chorus of Ho, Ho, Hos, Santa and his elf arrived, passing out goodies to the children and little bags of coal to adults who they suspect have been naughty.
That fun light thing is great for a party atmosphere, but it does wreak a little havoc with photo taking, or at least when I am behind the camera. The donated toys were picked up by Orlando Rescue Mission yesterday. A good night for everyone.

Friday night, Bruce's retirement date, and where were we? At church being a part of the pageant, however, before leaving Matt and Tom called with good wishes for Bruce and the next chapter of his life. We are all just as excited as can be. There was a big turnout, at least 400 people came to "Walk Through Bethlehem" which featured live animals, a treat for the children.
 Oh wait, those are adults enjoying them, aren't they? Such a cute bunny.
Switching gears, but still on the animal front, late last week, before doing some grocery shopping, I drove over to Lake Davis to see if there were any new ducks there. Although I saw no new ducks,  much to my surprise and delight, while I was standing watching an Egret, an otter crawled out of the lake, and did some sunning on the bank, before running back to the water.
I was so freaking out! To date, all I've seen of "our" otters has been their heads, so seeing their whole body was such the treat.
Maybe I'll get lucky one of these days and see ours on land, or so I hope.

If there is one thing I don't mind it is laughing at myself and yesterday gave me an excellent chance to do so. Bruce was putting up some shelf brackets under the new pass-through bar and was ready to paint the area. Okay. He got down a can of paint from the high shelf in the closet, asking me if it were the right one. Looking at the name, I said, no honey, the color is Nonchalant White. No, it is not. In fact, the paint that I have told anyone who asked is actually Ancient Marble!!! No wonder it looks slightly green, something I have been puzzling about since we've been home! I actually had to do a search of my blog to confirm the color. Gee whiz, that was one funny mistake that still has me both shaking my head, and laughing.

I never did find any gold towels so I tried this and I think it will be just fine.
I now cannot recall why I wanted to try the flash on my camera, something I have never once done, but I did. It really helped matters when I put the right one on my camera, rather than the one that fit the camera that died on me in Vancouver. I did a few practice shots around the house and now I'm wondering why the heck I've never used it before.
The glasses have remained on the table because we've got guests coming tomorrow night. Why bother putting them away for a week, right?
Ok, I've shared the fun, and I've shared the good, and now I will share the bad. Over the weekend, Maureen's friend bought her a new loveseat which was to be delivered on Sunday. She asked if we would go over and make sure it was in the best location which we agreed to do. Plus Bruce was going to hang pictures to make it feel more homey. Maureen and I had a conversation on Sunday afternoon, agreeing that Monday afternoon would be best. I picked up a few pieces of art from her home, and once Bruce's project was complete, we packed up and began driving over to the facility. I decided to call Maureen and give her a head's up. There was no answer on either her room phone or her mobile. Maybe she is in the library reading the paper? With a big poinsettia and pictures in tow, we made our way to her floor, only to be told by the aide that she was not there, having gone to the hospital. Seriously? As it turns out yes, although at the moment I had no idea of the severity of her problem. Instead, we did what we do and made the small apartment both safe and inviting. There already is a nice view which is a bonus.
The loveseat fit nicely beside the window which is where Bruce waited while I went to talk to another nurse to find out what was going on.
I learned that she had fallen in the bathroom and could not get up until two people came to her rescue. I suppose you can guess the rest of the story, can't you? If you assumed she'd broken her hip, you would have assumed correctly. I cannot tell you what devastating news this is. For those unfamiliar with her trials, Maureen fell a bit more than two years ago, breaking the other hip and has never been the same since. Our hearts are broken. This morning I went to the hospital and saw her just prior to her going into surgery, staying until it was over so I could talk to the doctor. Maureen said that this time the pain was much more intense and from my conversation with the surgeon, there was a reason for her extreme pain--this fracture is far worse. At least this time she was discovered quickly, and in other good news, she will be able to rehab in the same facility where she is now living. Always a silver lining, I suppose. Bruce is visiting with her now and I await his report.

I am doing everything I can to be in the holiday spirit, but having two very sick sisters is sure putting a damper on things. When asked what I want for Christmas, well, that's what I want, my sisters to be well. In other words, I'm looking for a Christmas miracle.

your friend,

Gail

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