Mon.-Ran out to Farmville. Said good bye to Missi, stopped at church for tickets, went to see the notary at Hill and Davis, quick trip to Walmart. Made peach scones with Weaver's Orchard peaches. Phil read 'The Bait of Satan' under the porch roof while it stormed and rained. Angel huddled against the door, Lucy crouched under Phil's legs and Ollie watched the rain from the top step. Animals love Phil. Lucy was devastated earlier when Phil walked right by her without saying a word. I went out to get him to come back and he said, "I'll be in later to talk to her." I said, "You'd better come right now or I don't think she'll ever be normal again." He good-naturedly got up and came in and fussed over her.
Tues.-Washing, mending, packing. Made bruschetta for supper. Remembering Johnny. July 24, 2005-killed by a drunk driver in Thailand while riding his motorcycle to church to preach his first sermon in Thai-'The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life for His Sheep.' I've missed him dearly this year. I've missed him every year. Why? I still ask sometimes. It's also Lucille Z's birthday. She was at church in Thailand when they got the news. She said she'll never forget this date. She's going back to Thailand in the fall. We are planning to visit her sometime this year. Phil wants to meet Pastor Joi and the others. He wants to walk the streets that Johnny walked.
Wed.-Up early. Men went to Crewe to work on church roof. Then Phil went to Pa to finish roof up there. Visited with Tom T. and Mom and Dad and some of the others on the farm. He got some flowers and a card for them in memory of Johnny. He came home the same day. Susan and I headed towards Kentucky around 7:30. We are surprising her friend, Makenzie, for her birthday. At a Travel Stop in W.Va. we parked beside Melva and Marvin Zook, and their grandson, Nick. They were on their way to Ohio to visit their daughter, Becky, and then they were heading back up to Red Lake. I tell Nick that I went to Red Lake the year out of high school too. He is making me want to go back up. It gets in your blood. I remember wanting to live there forever. There is vast beauty against the backdrop of even vaster beauty. And there is poverty too. I worked in the children's homes where the effects of poverty were seen on a daily basis. I wonder where those children are today.
Susan texted Missi to tell her we saw Nick, etc. and Missi wrote back, "That's awesome." We thought so too. Susan and Lynn (Makenzie's mother) were texting back and forth during the trip. She had taken Makenzie to her mother's place to spend the night so she would be able to call us today without secrecy. Finally, around 3:30, we pulled into her mother's apartment complex. Lynn met us in the parking lot and we scurried upstairs. Susan walked into the apartment and Makenzie flew off the sofa and jumped into her arms. Laughing and crying. Then hugging me. Hugging Susan. Laughing and crying. Hugging me. All of us crying. Happy 15th Birthday, Makenzie! I got some nice pictures. We came back to their beautiful home in the mountains. Makenzie's German Shepherd dog, Jade, had a lot to say about Lucy. She 'talked' and 'talked' and got louder and louder. I think we'd have made some money if we had video taped it. we brought in all of our things, including Lynn's shopping excursion to Kroger. She has gotten into couponing and is going to teach me what she knows. 10 Sure deodorants for 10 bucks. 10 toothpastes for 10, etc. and you can interchange them all. She has shelving in her basement and is stocking up. Her husband works on the pipelines and his work is seasonal and she is looking forward to not needing to go to Walmart this winter. Their lane and mountain road is steep and windy and I don't blame them for not wanting to go out in the winter at all. The girls talked, ate, laughed, swam, watched movies, etc. I made up the peanut butter egg mixture and made a shortened version of pbeggs. I lined a jelly roll pan with foil, sprayed it, and spread melted chocolate on top. When it was hardened, I spread the peanut butter filling over it. After that was chilled, I spread more chocolate on top of that and chilled it. Then I turned it out onto a cutting board. I cut up several sections into little squares and froze 4 sections. This should last them for awhile.
Sam got home pretty late. He's working nearly an hour away and comes home every night which is a nice change for them.
I took a jacuzzi bath but could only leave the whirlpool on for a few minutes because I apparently put in too much body soap. Watched Jimmy Swaggart sing when I got in their big bed (they're giving me their bedroom and taking the downstairs apartment). I believe he knows what he's singing about. I think it won't be long until he receives that welcome home. I remember my mother watching him at home. He was preaching with such harsh judgment on those who committed sexual sin. My mother said, "Something's not right. Usually people who judge others this harshly are struggling with the same sin." Sure enough. It wasn't long until the whole world knew. Years later, she would watch him weep and sing and she would say, "Jimmy, don't you know. Jesus has forgiven you." I cried as I listened to him sing because I can tell that he knows for certain that Jesus has forgiven him.
Thurs.-Happy Birthday Sam and Makenzie! Makenzie was born on Sam's 30th birthday. I woke up at 4 this morning and the girls were still awake. They slept until nearly 11.Lynn's dad rang the door bell and knocked early this morning and half scared me. I didn't know who he was and he didn't know who I was. He asked for Lynn and I had to go wake her up. He warned us about a coming storm and brought some tomatoes and corn from his garden. Lynn left to go pick up Sam's gift and came back by lunch. I'm getting some quite time to drink tea, read, write, and munch on Wheat Thins.
Later we went to town to Kim's to give her some prescriptions we picked up and to retrieve Kenzie's gift that she had ordered to come to her place. Kim is president of their couponing club. Came home. I exercised in their pool for a good hour and husked corn to drip dry while watching and listening to the thunderstorm heading our way. We are surrounded by trees. Not a leaf moved and then suddenly, there were high winds, lightning, rain, and thunder. I had made baked potatoes and corn right before the storm so we'd have them ready in case we lost electricity. Sam drove home through the storm. Visibility low and lots of rain on the roads. Makenzie made steak on the grill and we ate late, wolfing down the steak, potatoes and corn. I counted at least 5 storms that came through the night. Checked on face book and others reported storms in their area-Ohio and Pa. I wonder if our corn at home got any rain.
Fri.-Took the girls out to town for 11:00 haircuts. I went shopping and drank coffee and read a book while they were busy. They were finished at the hair shop at 2:30 and then walked down the street to eat. We left Main Street around 3:30. When we got back, Lynn went out to town again with the girls to do some coupon shopping. Meanwhile, I went in the pool again and then made some supper. Was talking to Michael on the phone and he said the winds were high and suddenly we were cut off. Not long afterwards, we got a wild storm here, too. Some time during the night, we lost power. A tree fell on the lines.
Sat.-No power all day until nearly 8 in the eve. They still have water here when they lose power which is nice. We cleaned up porches, etc. to get ready for the party. I read, clipped coupons, and relaxed. The girls played in the pool, made some food on the grill, played with their puppies, did a number of jobs, and talked and talked. They are having such a good time. I go to bed earlier than everyone else and wake up earlier than everyone else. Lynn had a good day today. We think that she has more pain in her joints when there is a storm coming.
Sun.-Went out with Lynn and the girls to pick up the cake and run some errands. Came home and got ready for the party at 5. Sam and Lynn's families and some of Makenzies friends came. We had a nice supper together. My favorite part was when Sam and his sister's husband got out their guitars and played and sang. I sang some back up along with Kathy, his sister, and his mother, Mimi. Sam sang a song he wrote and I told him it would go to the top and he needs to record it. He used to open for Alan Jackson. He's written several songs. The girls had a sleepover and I didn't get much sleep again. I'd travel the distance again though, just to see Makenzie fly out of the sofa to hug Susan. Just to see her surprise. Just to make Susan happy. I'd do it again.
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