Failed the Bulletin Test

I’ve been to grandson David’s church a number of times, and I still haven’t learned how to use the bulletin of the day. It is always better when daughter Kate is with me, because she is better at understanding what is going on. Reminder – I wear hearing aids and reading glasses. On Sunday I saw some numbers on the hymn board, but there was no indication when music fit in the scheme of things. I did see the scripture readings for the day and could follow as they were read aloud. Beyond that, I was totally lost. I thought people in the pew ahead had music in their bulletins, but I couldn’t be certain of that. Mine had no music.

After the service, I told David how much I floundered. He looked at the bulletin I was still holding, as I said I had checked the date. He agreed the date was correct, but he pointed out that it was for the early service, not the late service I had bumbled through. Aarrgghh!

I know what happened. I rode with David, and therefore was quite early, since he had to get robed to sing in the choir. Because of repairs being made outside, I had to enter through a side door rather than the front door. I picked up a bulletin from a stack on the table. No one had removed the freshly redundant ones. When ushers saw me sitting in a pew, several checked to see if I needed a bulletin. I said I already had one, not knowing I needed the kind they were holding.

There are still things to conquer, though. Next time I’ll make sure I have a guide for the proper service. I will also attempt to understand numbers with S or T before them. I think the S stands for Supplement, a booklet found at the ends of pews. I always sit in the middle of a pew, leaving the aisle seats for late-comers. I do hope to someday feel comfortable with that service.

Rainy Hurricane

The day before the remnants of the hurricane were to arrive in the mountains, I received several very severe warnings on line. It seems emergency sirens had been placed all around my county. These devices also have voice announcements, and I would be told where to go to evacuate. I think the forecasts for Hurricane Helene truly missed the mark, and the weathermen would not be caught short again. I could expect severe flooding and must leave my home on foot at a moment’s notice. I laughed, because the nearest siren would be at the fire station about a mile away. That building is right beside the creek, which would flood before anything else. Nevertheless. I had been notified to expect flooding in the area. I live on the lower slope of a mountain, and it would take a catastrophic amount of water to reach my house.

It was already sprinkling when I got up on hurricane day. There was no wind, so I quickly used the washing machine and dryer before the electricity went out. Once I saw the bushes whipping about, and all the garden wind spinners were whirling. That lasted all of five minutes. The rest of the daylight hours were the same – light rain and very little wind.

Grandson David was dog-sitting in the next town for two nights. After he fed the dogs and got them ready for the day, he went out to lunch with me. We ate barbecue just down the road, shopped for a few things in Dollar General, and came back to my house. I asked him to help me use the burrito method to get my winter duvet ready. He has helped me do this for a couple of years. I had the fresh cover laid out on the bed, inside out, and the duvet lying on top of it. We just had to roll it up, turn it, and unroll it. I always get stuck in the middle of that operation. David doesn’t even have to watch the video, he just figures it out every time. I don’t know what I’d do without him. Tonight I will be warm, even if the electricity fails.

The photo shows a pile of pulled pork, fries, and David’s most favorite mac and cheese in the area.

As David was leaving, we both noticed blue sky above white clouds right above us. The radar still shows rain coming through the night, but that should be over in the morning.

Water Torture

One evening I felt the water pressure in the house was quite low and thought about it every time I woke up. The next day I was having an injection in my eye, and that took up the worry time. I didn’t know I needed to worry about the bus, since with a 15-second delay, I would have missed it. Get your priorities straight, Anne! Deal with house problems after you see the eye doctor.

After I came home from the eye appointment and ate lunch, I turned on the water and knew I had to do something. Neighbor Bob, the resident Mr. Fix-it, had moved and could be anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours away. Thankfully, he was only 15 seconds away by text. I wanted advice, knowing he could not come and look under my house. Was it time to call a plumber? He texted a few questions and said he would call neighbor J. I knew that was the best thing, but I didn’t want to bother J. He had told me on several occasions that he was not good at plumbing. Nevertheless, in a few minutes J was at my door. He turned on an outside tap and agreed that I had a problem. I grabbed a flashlight and my phone, following him under the house. I pointed out the wonderful steps Mike had installed, so that I no longer needed to jump a ditch to get in the crawl space. I was looking and listening for leaks, but there were none. J went straight to the pipes where the water comes into the house.

He touched various things, saying aloud the purpose for the levers and knobs. I was extremely impressed that he knew what he was looking at. Bob had taught him well. J couldn’t see anything wrong, but he turned things off and on. He thought one handle had not been fully on, and we both agreed it should be straight. We didn’t know it, but that must have fixed the problem. J tested an outside tap, and we went into the kitchen to turn on the water there. Yes! The water pressure was good. I was so grateful. I’m still alert every time I turn a tap, but the water torture is essentially over this time. Thousands of thanks to Bob and J!

I Almost Missed the Bus!

I’m always a bit on edge the days I get an injection in my eye. I try not to worry, even though I’m really good at worrying, but that is not the way to live. Anyone who says they trust God to take care of them should trust him with EVERYTHING. I was ready for the bus that would take me to Sylva. I did a few things at the back of the house, and as I came to the front, I saw the bus already in the driveway. It was at least 20 minutes early. I was ready the required one and a half hours before my appointment, and he was earlier than that! I grabbed my pocketbook and rushed to the door. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The bus was backing out of the driveway!! Thankfully, he saw me and pulled back in.

As I climbed into the bus, I said he was earlier than I expected. He said he had another passenger, and I saw a woman in a wheelchair behind me. She was going to the same office, though she was having an evaluation rather than an injection.

If the driver followed the usual procedure, he would have called the dispatcher, who would then have called me. I looked back at my phone record, and there was no call from Haywood Transit. The driver felt he had done his duty, but I would have been left behind with no way to keep my appointment.

At the doctor’s office, the receptionist couldn’t find my papers, I said the bus got me there very early. The wheelchair woman rolled up and said, “And the bus got me here late.”

When I was finished, I went outside and spoke to the bus driver. I told him I’d wait inside for the other woman, so she wouldn’t have to call the office. As she rolled toward the desk, I told her I was the one who had been in the bus with her, because she kept saying she couldn’t see anything. We went outside together, and the driver pulled in to get us. It all ended happily.

Welcome to the New Neighbor

The following was hand-written on an 8×11 piece of paper and hung on the back of a porch chair that I took across the street:

Words of

Welcome!

because I’ve already waved at you.

You can use the chair to sit on the front porch, on the back porch, or inside.

My name is Auntie Moron. 987-654-3210

Please text if I can help you with anything. I usually don’t answer a call if I don’t know who is calling.

I knew the house across the street had changed hands, but I saw only a woman driving a car from behind the house. I had waved at her as she waited for the real estate agent to join her. Call me crazy, but the only way I could think of getting her attention was leaving something large on the front porch. She texted me, and we then sat on my porch for a little while. It was wonderful to know her first name and to begin to get to know her. Her husband won’t be here permanently for a while, but at least we have made a start at being neighborly.

For those of you who think I stalk people with a camera, I want you to know that I did NOT take her picture. I would ask first and snap only with permission. I will find out eventually if she is allergic to cameras.

My Overnight Guest

Gradually the people who helped move neighbors Shawn and Bob went home, and all was quiet. Shawn said she and Bob noticed some things that needed attention when the furniture was out of the house. They were going to fix those things and go spend the night with family. I didn’t look outside until I went out to walk the next morning. My guest was there in the driveway! Bob had asked for permission to park his truck and the trailer there. They couldn’t be left on the property that was no longer theirs.

Bob did a great job of parking, getting the truck and trailer well to one side. It’s likely both will be gone before I need to get my car out. Meanwhile, my property looks like busy people live here. That’s not a bad image to project if nosy people come looking at houses that were/are for sale on this street.

I just realized it’s marvelous that I didn’t have to feed my guest. Can you imagine how much it would cost to fill up that truck?

Countdown to Moving Day

The day before the move, I took this photo of a clock in my bedroom and a solar light on the deck. That little light came from Dollar Tree and is the best solar item I’ve ever had. It soaked up the afternoon sun and was still giving out light the next morning.

Later, neighbors D and Jeff brought over the houseplants. No, I’m not moving, but Shawn and Bob are. Perhaps Shawn knew that former neighbor Joyce’s plants survived in my living room for several weeks before she moved. It’s not a reassuring thing to trust one’s plants to a neighbor who claims to have black thumbs, not green ones. The photo shows some of the plants with mine. The rest of Shawn’s got two windows of their own in the dining room.

Perhaps plants sense changes. The largest one peered over my computer and stuck out its tongue at me.

The day of the move, this is what the street looked like. There were five vehicles and a trailer. People were running about like ants.

After most of the vehicles left, Shawn was chatting with an old woman near my mailbox. The woman lost her balance and was falling. She would have tumbled over a huge rock and into the ditch below if Shawn hadn’t caught her! Oh! What a miracle! I am most thankful, because the old woman was me!! I have no idea what I tripped on. Shawn might very well forget that crisis – that on the day she moved, she also saved a neighbor’s life!

Thank you, Shawn. And thank you, God.

Car Repair

I dread car repairs, because I don’t really don’t know much about cars. I felt a bit better when the mechanic identified the squeaks as brake pads needing to be replaced. We made an appointment for five days later. I knew there was a space in the service station office where people sometimes sat, but would there be room for me on the appointed day? Would I need to walk around in the shop or outside for a couple of hours? I arrived about ten minutes before the set time, parking before the bay I thought he might use. Before I shut off the engine, I saw the mechanic coming toward me. “You are the nine o’clock appointment, right? I’m ready for you right now.”

I sat down inside, having the bench area all to myself. There was a constant stream of people coming to the service desk. Suddenly I recognized a man’s voice and got up to speak to him. I never knew his real name, but I called him Woodman when telling people about him. He reduced logs to firewood beside the road I walked on to get to the creek. I said, “I’m the one who used to walk by every morning.”

“Oh! How are you? Yes, I remember you. Your hair is lots shorter now.” He did recognize me! We established the fact that we both are fine and said our farewells.

I enjoyed the warmth from the wood-burning stove next to the bench. The photo shows the stove and an inviting rocking chair opposite the bench.

A man came and stood before the stove, and I remarked that the warmth felt good. He said, “Yes, I’m gonna put some in my pockets for later.”

With that he put his hands in his pockets to open them a bit to catch warm air before he walked away.

I certainly did not expect to see someone I knew or to have a mini-conversation with a stranger. I was surprised that only an hour had passed before the cashier said my car was ready. I told myself I should be ashamed of dreading something that turned out to be delightful.

Moving Houseplants

Neighbor Shawn and I sat on my porch one evening to watch the sun set behind the mountains. When the rays of the sun were no longer shining on us, it became chilly quickly. That may have been what prompted her comment that it was about time to take plants in for the winter. I knew I had been getting cool at night and finally switched the system from cooling to heating. If I felt it, I’m sure my plants were even more aware of it. Poor plants. All these years here I didn’t take them inside until temperatures were almost freezing. It just shows what a novice I am.

Still, I was in no special hurry. A day or so later I thought I’d at least trim the plants. That didn’t take long, so I began to move them to their winter quarters in the living room. It was as big a job as I remembered and promptly took a break half way through. It’s awkward to hold a big pot in front of yourself and navigate around furniture. I slept well that night and presume the plants did, too.

In daylight I took a photo, probably to congratulate myself on doing something I would rather have put off. I’m writing this in the same room with the plants, gladly exchanging my carbon dioxide for their oxygen. Thank you, plants.

Logan!

I hadn’t seen neighbor Logan for ages, but he bopped across the road to visit with me for a few minutes. I was so pleased to see him and talk to him that I never thought of taking his photo. He is 16 years old now, looking and sounding very mature. His favorite sport, basketball, will begin in a month or so. I asked if he still had a ball in his hands much of the time, and he smiled and said yes.

I remembered that Logan always ran everywhere he went. Did he still do that?

He laughed and said, “Yes, I ran over here just now.”

Most teenagers have a phone handy, and his rang. I asked, “Do you need to get that?”

He did need to answer. He was being picked up, and the car had just pulled up in front of his house. He gave me a quick hug and was off like a shot. Wow! What a whirlwind! It was marvelous to see him up close. His smile was as engaging as it always was.