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It was off to the Honda dealer today. I had to take my check and title for my blue honda. They will come and tow it away. I still have to get Maryland inspection so I can get my tags and title for the new car. I bought it in Delaware so their inspection is not good in Maryland. The dealer will handle the tags and title but I have to take the paperwork for the inspection to them.
I have to get out the manual to find out how to work things such as adjusting the clock. It was on daylignt time. Also, the CD player and probably some other things.
I have to take the tags off the blue car and I almost forgot my EZ pass.
I went to the church and Cindy and I did some computer work. I still have to do a few things for 2013. Maybe I'll get to it tomorrow but I may go to my brother's for New Years'. I'll want to go early so I won't be caught in rush hour traffic. People may be getting out of work early so I don't want to be on the interstate with drunks.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I wondered what in the world we were going to sing for choir. The organist couldn't make it so we didn't have to sing. Then while we were practicing for the Contemporary Service, I was told not to sing Soprano for "O Little Town of Bethlehem." I had a hard time singing alto. I don't know what that was about. Then Jammie and I were told that Jack and Jen would be singing a duet for "O Holy Night." Jammie and I were dissapointed because it is one of our favorites. I don't know what that was about either because "O Holy Night" has high notes. Jen sings alto and Jack sings base.
Now, I feel like I'm all ready to go to the Prom and have been stood up. It is raining so hard that most of my family won 't be coming. It will be just 4 of us; my niece, her husband and their little boy. They only live a few minutes away. One can't control the weather. It could be worse, it could be snow and with a northeaster' it would be bad news. There's only a little over a half inch in the rain gauge but there are two inches of water laying in the yard. Maybe the gauge is leaking again.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I had some shopping to do so went to the Dollar Store for a few things and then to the Acme Super Market to get some food for my family dinner tomorrow and some groceries for the week.
I did some laundry and got the home ready for my dinner. Chairs brought out of the shed and the leaves put in the table. I cut up the veggies for my pot roast so they would be ready to put in the crock pot first thing in the morning.
News from the Vorlon Wife
New Wheels! 2012 Honda Accord.
I went to look at a few cars I saw online and put down a deposit. They let me bring it home. They took care of everything including changing the insurance, tags and title, even returning the rental car and sending a tow truck to tow my 1999 Honda away. It's sitting next to my new car in the driveway.
Brr! It was cold walking Sparky this morning. The thermometer read 17 degrees on the deck. I feel sorry for all the people without power. Colder temps are coming down from the Arctic.
I saw on the news that electricity prices are going to skyrocket in 2014. It's a Happy New Year present from Obama. EPA regulations are going to crush the coal industry putting more people out of work. Coal fired power plants will not be able to afford the scrubbers needed to comply with the regulations. There are also going to be stricter controls on natural gas. I fear the future for our country.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Up early again. Sorting out my presents and finding I gave my niece my book and I have the one I got for her. They were written and autographed by a local authur and the one I gave Cheryl said, "To Karol...." She must have thought I re-gifted her. I had to go to the church and make out the deposit, then to the library to drop off my DVD, then to the bank to make the deposit and get the envelopes to take back to the church, next to my niece's to swap our books. They are both anxious to read about a mystery that takes place in Chesapeake City by David who works at the library. Me, too. Then it was back to the church to take the envelopes and receipts back.
Home again to walk Sparky and have some lunch. My good friend, Phyllis called. It was good to hear from her. We had hoped to get together for lunch but I have the rental car and am not thrilled about driving on the Interstate with it. We keep up on each other's blogs. Phyllis and her husband, Len invited Ted and I to share his last Christmas with them when Ted was not feeling well enough to travel to my neice, Tina's. They also helped me when my hot water heated ruptured when I bought this mobile home. They have been wonderful friends.
My neighbor, John and his cousin are going to work on my car and get it running well enough for me to take it to the dealer to trade it in. I am so grateful. I am in tears over how helpful my friends have been to me.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Up early again. Baked some cookies, wrapped more presents and off to my niece's to go to my other niece's for Christmas Dinner with the family. Tina and Sean live out past Coatesville, PA almost in Lancaster County. My neighbor, John, took Sparky out wihile I was gone.
Tina and Sean had a wonderful dinner and we all enjoyed a wonderful time. Lots of gifts for everyone including the dogs. My brother, Don recorded an old video tape from Christmas 1988 onto DVD and showed it. I was choked up when I saw my parents and Ted enjoying Christmas so long ago. Also, my uncles, Bud and Vernon were on it as well as cousins and their children. All of my family looked so young and slender. We laughed at the hair styles. I was wearing a skirt that I haven't been able to fit into for years. Uncle Bud was singing his own rendition to Christmas Carols. Making up words to rhyme with names of family members such as "is the turkey burnin', Vernon. Fa la la la la, la la la la and Hark the Harold Angels Singing." (His name's Harold)
I talked to my sister-in-law, Mary and my mother-in-law, Phylis. It was good to talk to them. Phylis lives in Michigan and has been without power due to an ice storm. She is staying at her son-in-law's house and will be having Christmas dinner there with her grand daughters.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I was up early, wrapping gifts, making my Waldorf Salad, and delivering a gift next door to the new neighbor. Sparky new something was up. He was all hyper following me around and getting all upset everytime I went out the door without him. I didn't have the heart to leave him home so I took hime to my nephew's with me. I had to get his pillow and seat belt out of the honda and put it in the rental, Toyota. I figured because I was going early, it would be OK to take Sparky. He likes to run around in my nephew's yard.
My nephew had to go to work at 3:30 so many of the family came early, too. Some neighborhood children left the front door open and Sparky ran out. He met my nephew's in-laws so we figured he'd come in with them. We thought wrong. He took off across the street and explored and sniff around all the neighbors houses with me trailing after him. He ignored me and I hoped I could head him off before he got to the field and woods beyond. Luckily, he wondered into someones garage. It was the last house before the field and I was able to get him and carry him back to my nephew's. I headed home around 3:30 so I could walk Sparky before I went to church.
When I drove up to the church, it started snowing and blowing. The wind blew over the Luminaries and some of the bags caught on fire. We had to put them out. They looked so beautiful along the walk and my friend, Tina and her husband, Dennis, spent a lot of time and effort getting them ready.
I sang in the choir for the Traditional Service and then off to the Town Point Church about 20 minutes away for the Contemporary Service. Our church owns the Town Point Church but the two congregations merged together. We have occassional services there. Both candle light services were beautiful. Cindy and I had to count the offering but we had we had no supplies at Town Point. We used a paper plate and pen to write down the amounts of the money and I took the money to Trinity Church to put in the safe. The pastor met me there so I wouldn't have to go into the dark church by myself.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
When it rains, it pours. I went to pick up my prescription yesterday afternoon and stopped at the dollar store to get a large bag for my grand niece's Christmas present, then to the grocery store to get a few things. When I got to Chesapeake City, I started having trouble with my transmition. I could hardly get through town as it wasn't shifting properly. When I got onto Bethel Road, it was OK but I didn't know what to do. I had to cancel plans to go to PA. Then I figured I'll have to rent a car until after Christmas as I have some running around to do on Christmas Eve. Dinner at my nephew's and then Church at 5pm and out to Town Point Church at 7pm. I called everybody to cancel my plans and then called my niece's husband to see if he could take me to the car rental place. He asked if I check the transmition fluid. I hadn't. He said if its the slightest bit low the transmition won't work right. Hopefully that's the problem I've been waiting for it to get light out so I could check it. It is raining so it was dark at 7am. It finally started getting light around 7:15 when I took Sparky out.
I had better check it now before it starts raining hard. i am having trouble with hackers so you may have to scroll down to find a place to leave a comment.
News from the Vorlon Wife
I've been busy doing computer work at the church. It seems never-ending. I went to my grand niece, Ryleigh's birthday for dinner on Wednesday. On the way home, my brake light was on and my brakes were low and spongy. I called the garage on Thursday morning as soon as they opened. He said, "How soon can you get her." I said, "20 minutes." I had my sweat suit on over my pajamas from when I took Sparky out. I ran out the door without finishing my breakfast. The right rear caliper was leaking and it cost nearly $400.00 for the repair. What a bummer right before Christmas.
I was not feeling up to par. I'm coming down with another cold. Another bummer! I ran out this morning to do some last minute shopping. I still have a couple gift certificates to get.
It took me three days to do my Christmas Cards. Actually it took longer if I count getting the address labels printed and updated. I was glad to get them in the mail.
I had hoped to go to my brother's and to the family cemetery and then to visit my aunt tomorrow. I'll have to see how I feel in the morning. I am the lay reader on Sunday and sing at both services. Monday will be baking day. Tuesday, I'll visit my nephew for Christmas Eve dinner and then to church to sing with the choir and on to the Town Point Church for the Contempary Service where I will sing the soprano part of "O Holy Night."
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I lost this little holly tree during the drought last summer. I didn't realize how dry it had gotten. I also lost an Alberta Spruce. The little holly tree is one I had brought from Vineland. I hated to lose it. I even had put mulch around it but it got awful dry back in July. I have another and there is one in my neighbor's yard that is close to my yard.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I had a busy day today and it was 18 degrees this morning. The cold tires me out when walking Sparky. I guess truding through the snow doesn't help either.
I started my Christmas cards and started to get some packages ready for the mail. I realized I didn't have the correct addresses so had to put in a call to my mother-in-law to get the right addresses.
I went to the church hoping to get some work done on the computer but someone was using it so I left. I went to the post office to get a couple boxes for my packages, then to the bank, and then to the computer store to see if my computer was done. They didn't realize I had given them the information for the Carbonite and it was still sitting there. She apologized and went to work on reloading my info.
Back home to get the wreaths out of the shed. That's always a chore as the Christmas stuff is in the back with other stuff piled in front of it. I put wreaths on all the windows and the two doors. I had to bring them in, cut the tape, (everything has to be sealed up because of the stink bugs; they crawl into the smallest hole or crack) put the red bows on, and hang them around the house and one on the fence. Next, I finally got my candles in the windows. I have to move plants out of the way to get to the windows. The windows are old fashioned windows and storms so I put the flameless pillar candles between the two windows. They are battery operated and are timed to come on at 6pm and off at 10pm
I went to Praise Band practice at 6pm. We were practicing for a while and Bob came in to hang the Advent Banner. First we had to find it. The sanctuary had been cleared for the pre-school program earlier in the day. A short time after he left, I went to the office to make copies of our music and I heard a siren. I wondered what was going on outside and as I walked toward the kitchen, I heard it coming from the social hall. I thought maybe it was a fire alarm so I ran down and told Jack. We all went running up and then looked at the burglar alarm. It was armed. so I unarmed it. I wondered how it could have gotten armed and Jack thought maybe Bob set it when he went out. It probably went off when I entered the hall.
The state police called when I was in the office and told me to call the alarm company. When I did that, they wanted the password which I didn't have so I had to call Tucker and the call the alarm company back.
Anyway, after Praise Band, I had choir practice and then home. I fell asleep watching "Doc Martin." He has such a rude bedside manner that it is funny.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
Sunday: I went to church at 9am. The bell choir performed so the choir did not sing. I counted the offering after the service and when I was almost finished, I heard someone say, it's starting to snow. I sang with the Praise Band at 11:00 and by the time the service was over, there was 4 inches of snow on the ground. When I got home, I put on the weather channel, they showed the heaviest snowfall is where the big snowflake was on the map. It was right over Chesapeake City. We got a total of 8.5 inches before turning to rain. The rain was more of a misty drizzle but enough to clean off the roads.
Of course, our Choral Society Concert was cancelled.
Monday: I went to the church office to work on the month end reports. I made a couple corrections and ran the reports again. They were ready for the finance meeting but then I found that the meeting was cancelled. I did a little work on the spred sheets and then went home.
Tuesday: Snow was predicted so I went out to the shed first thing to dig out the Christmas tree and its trimmings. Before I got out of the shed, it started snowing. It was supposed to be a repeat of Sunday but we only got about an inch and a half. I tired myself out by moving furniture and vacuuming where it had been as well as the rest of the carpet. I used white vinegar to remove the stains. It seems to work better than shampooing them.
I put the tree up and put my new angel on the top. It is rather top heavy. I bent the top to straighten it up but I might have to tie it to the curtain rod with some fishing line. I put the lights on but had to rearrange them. I have some lights that blink randomly between blue and clear. The two sets I bought last year have a remote control that has eight different patterns: all blue, all clear, blinking blue, blinking clear. fast blinking and fading from blue to clear. The last one is the one I like best. I put had the blinking ones at the top of the tree and the newer ones at the bottom. It didn't look right so I rearranged them with the blinking lights inside and the fading from blue to clear on the outside of the branches.
I put some sweet potatoes in the oven and had them with ham and Brussels Sprouts for dinner.
The snow cancelled another concert and rescheduled it for Sunday, however more snow is predicted for Sunday. What a bummer of a year for our concerts. We start practicing in September and now this.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
went to Praise Band Practice at 3pm. We practiced our songs for Sunday until around 5pm then started practicing Christmas songs. There was supposed to be an open house for the Dickens Carolers but no one showed up. It's a good thing because it takes a while for the guitar players to get the right cords and harmony. They go over and over the music. Us singers don't know what's going on half the time. We start to sing and the guitarist stop and start again. Jammi had to leave at 5:20 and Carol had a phone call so I was left to sing the soprano for "O Holy Night". I enjoy singing that Carol and can reach the high notes but may squeak afterwards. The first couple times it went well but we did it over and over and over again.
Poor Sparky. with me going out to concerts and band and choir, his schedule is all messed up.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I went to go on my computer this morning and my modem was missing. I thought, "Oh no, Sparky got a hold of it. I looked around wondering where he would take it. I found it on the floor with chew marks in it. Luckily, it works ; it is very expensive. What a little mess he can be.
Snow is predicted for tomorrow. I fear our concert in Cecilton may be canceled. This concert is the one my friends and family are coming to and my cousins are hosts at the Zion Methodist Church. I hope it stays warm enough for rain and not snow. But even if it rains, it may freeze over at sunset. What a bummer.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
It was a rainy miserable day today. When I got up at 6am, it was 61 degrees and by 10am, it had dropped to 48 with cold rain. I gave Sparky his bath. He was not a happy camper. Even worse than the bath, he doesn't like getting dried off and it terrified of the hair dryer. I cover the bed with old mattress pads and beach towels so he can roll around in them. Now, he is clean, white and fluffy. I had to put his sweater on to go outside so it would keep the muddy rain water off his chest. I kept him on the road. He likes to sniff around the grass but I didn't want him getting all dirty.
After his bath, I made a large pot of turkey soup. My niece gave me a turkey thigh and drum stick when I went to dinner at her house.
I tried hanging my coo coo clock with the piece of wood I had bought to go between the studs but it was too thin and the weight of the clock pulled out the screw. I'll have to get a thicker board. What a chore it is to hang something in this place. I don't have a place where I can hang it from a stud.
It was so dark and gloomy that my outdoor lights stayed on. They are plugged into a light sensor that lights them up at dusk and turns them off at dawn.
I met Joan at Baker's Restaurant and she drove us to the concert at the nursing home near Rising Sun, MD. She is more familiar with the roads here. The concert went well but the room deadens the sound and it is harder to sing and be heard there.
When I got home, I had a bowl of my soup. It hit the spot on this rainy miserable night.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I was up early and did a load of wash. I took Sparky out and then went to the church to work on the finances. There always seems to be a problem that takes me all morning to figure out and fix it. Sometimes I feel like quitting as Treasurer but that would leave the church in a mess. I wish Ursula were able to come back. Cindy works and can only come at night but with the holiday activities, neither of us have a night to spare.
Tonight, I have Praise band and Choir practice. Tomorrow, is Choral Society concert at the nursing home.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I did some more raking this morning and then went to Bible Study. I took a quick look at what needed to be done in the church office and then came home, walked Sparky and had some lunch.
I went to Middletown to WaWa for gas, Home Depot for another set of green lights, and to Walmart for some red lights for the globe arborvitea, a couple Christmas gifts, and some groceries. While at Walmart, my niece's husband called me and invited me to dinner. I was wondering what I should cook so I didn't have to wonder any longer. I got a pumpkin role to take for desert.
When I got home from Middletown, I walked Sparky and put the lights on the evergreen trees.
I had a nice dinner at Cheryl and Ed's. Ed made a delicious turkey dinner with all the fixings.
I took Sparky out when I got home. There was nothing on the TV so I went to bed and read my book.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I did a load of sheets this morning and then did some more raking of the leaves. I went to the church to see if there were any bills due and sorted some things out.
I had my first concert tonight at the Presbyterian Church in Rising Sun, MD. It went very well. It makes for a long day. I had to meet Joan at 5:20 and then to the church by 6;00. Kevin, the Chorus leader, arranges us on the stage and we warm up and go over our songs. The concert was at 7:30. The people attending seemed to enjoy it. Refreshments are prepared afterward and were delicious. It was almost 10 by the time I got home. I had to take Sparky out. He had a long wait from when I took him out at 5:00.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
It was a little warmer today; thirty degrees instead of twenty. I did a load of wash and raked some more leaves. I went to the church to do some work on the computer and then to the bank and post office.
We had our dress rehearsal for the Choral Society. Our first concert is tomorrow.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I sang in the Choir at Traditional Service, took care of the offering, sang in the Praise Band at the Contemporary Service. Today is Advent Sunday so we sang "Come, Thow Long Expected Jesus" at both services. It was cold today and I stayed in except for walking Sparky.
News from the Vorlon Wife.
I don't know what I did this morning. I seemed to be busy doing nothing. I did a load of wash and changed the sheets. I also got out the Christmas linens for the kitchen and changed them along with the Christmas table cloth.
I went to help with the Kanal Kitchen, a lunch program for the homeless people. A lady from the church, Bridgette made a turkey dinner. It was delicious. I did my part by drying dishes. I sat with one of the homeless ladies and asked her if she were keeping warm in this cold weather and she said, "No.". I felt sorry for her and others who are out in the cold. We gave all the people a takeout dinner when they left.
I kept taking Sparky out all day. He didn't do his business and I was getting worried. He ate that large piece of ham yesterday and I wondered if it blocked him up or something. I gave him more canned dog food along with some turkey, sweet potatoes and some peaches. He finally did his duty around 8pm. I worry about the little guy when he does something unusual.
News from the Vorlon Wife.