Weekend Review

The weekend is fast coming to a close as well as the year 2012. We settled back into our usual routine on Friday and went to the Rec Center -- the only time last week. With another Holiday this week, we'll have limited time since the Center is closed on Wednesday, but we hope to get there tomorrow and then again on Wednesday through  Friday and we'll be off to a great start for the New Year.

While in New Orleans I received an e-mail about the passing of a member of our congregation. The lady had been in hospice care for sometime. The family asked to have a meal after the service on Friday  and, since I've had lots of experience doing these meals, I sent an e-mail before leaving New Orleans. The funeral was scheduled for Friday but, after the blizzard that passed through Indianapolis on Wednesday, the service was moved to Saturday morning. We had an extra day to prepare.

During the overnight on Friday we had another couple of inches of snow. The drive to church was beautiful! The trees and bushes were coated with fluffy snow just as if someone had used frosting on the limbs and branches.

A great group of ladies helped in the kitchen and by 1 p.m. when the family returned from the cemetery  we were ready to serve. Then followed the cleanup and by 3 o'clock I was on my way home.

Today's early church service (8 a.m.) was sparsely attended probably due, in part, to this morning's cold weather and the fact that some families may still be out of town. Some schools have another week of vacation and classes don't resume until Jan. 7.

It's been a football afternoon at our house today. The Colts were at home to the Texans and Chuck Pagano was on the sidelines for the first time since his diagnosis of leukemia. The Texans weren't up to the standard of their performance of earlier this season and I think the Colts played with emotion and passion. The Texans have never won a game in Indianapolis and couldn't today either.

After the Colts game, Ray turned on the Minnesota-Packers game. It's been interesting watching Adrian Peterson (a former Oklahoma player) rack up the yards in pursuit of the all-time rushing record that is about 27 years old. Just now we heard that he was 9 yards shy of the record. The Vikings won and are in the playoffs for the first time in several years. Let the playoffs begin!

Returning home

We enjoyed two beautiful days in New Orleans but as we prepared to leave the Chinese restaurant on Christmas evening rain was coming down in sheets. Just as we thought we would get drenched running to the car, the rain stopped and all we had to do was avoid puddles. The predicted cold front was coming through. We knew about the prediction of snow in the Midwest and storms elsewhere in the South and Southeast and it appeared the weatherman made the correct call. The temperature began dropping and by 5 am yesterday (Wednesday) morning the temperature was 42.

We began our drive home at 5:41 CST and noticed that the farther north we drove the temperature kept falling and held at 33 most of the day. The entire trip of 820 miles took only about 30 minutes longer than last February and that was due mostly to some snowy patches on I-70 from Terre Haute to home. We didn't encounter any rain or falling snow the entire trip. As we approached Memphis we began to see a very light dusting of snow. Further on I couldn't help but think that the snow on the ground appeared like someone had dusted the countryside with powdered sugar.

As we neared Indiana, I called Nancy and she updated us on the state of the blizzard that Indianapolis had during the day. We were far enough behind the storm that we didn't have a problem, the roads were completely clear except for the patches of snow that we encountered from Terre Haute eastward. After hearing Nancy's report I was concerned about the status of our driveway. I knew that our street would be fine since the Homeowner's Association hires someone to clear the street whenever we have a snowfall.

My expectation of the difficulty getting into our driveway was realized. The snowplow had covered the entrance to the driveway, but even if that had been cleared away, we would not have been able to get to the garage. At places the snow was calf deep. We were stuck and Ray had to shovel to get our car off the street and I helped a little. The last 100 yards of our trip were the most perilous and difficult!

We carried in some of our bags and had a very restful night. After breakfast, the work of clearing the driveway began. For a few minutes even the tractor was stuck in the snow. I cleared the sidewalk and Ray the driveway. A few rays of sunshine finished the job of clearing the driveway. Later we went to the grocery store as the refrigerator was pretty bare.

Cleared by Ruth

Here's where our car was parked overnight

Ray is ready to move the car to the garage

A couple of weeks ago Ray put out reflective stakes to mark the driveway.

Without the stakes we couldn't have found the driveway

Anyone for some cross country skiing? I have some skis in the attic that I haven't used in several years, but this may be the year that I get them out again.

Christmas Day 2012

Christmas in New Orleans can be a lot different than one in Indiana. For one thing, the weather is more temperate. We enjoyed a short walk after opening all the Christmas gifts under the tree. The temperature was probably in the mid-70s. And then we were under a threat of a tornado -- but at least we are on the fringes of the warning area.

Overnight Santa visited leaving Persephone's stocking filled with assorted candy and other gifts. Then she began unwrapping gifts. We enjoyed a breakfast of sausage and hash browns and later some sweet bread, Bart's homemade Ginger-Apricot Panettone.

In the tradition of A Christmas Story we'll be going out for a Chinese dinner this evening.

Christmas isn't complete without photos to document the day. Click "slideshow" if you wish to see that version or on an individual photos and then click on next.

And if you don't have time to look at all the photos, here's one of my favorites.

Princess Cinderella

Christmas Eve

Yesterday during our drive south we listened to a continuous stream of old Bing Crosby radio shows. As you might guess, Bing sang White Christmas in all his programs so we heard it sung at least six or more times. Jingle Bells was another favorite as was Adeste Fideles. We took a break from the Christmas shows to listen to parts of NFL games. Even though we couldn't get the Colts game we heard scores occasionally.

One of the Crosby shows was recorded in 1942. It was mentioned in this show that the young girls were hanging their toys on the fireplace hoping to get stockings from Santa Claus.

We had a leisurely day and in the afternoon went to nearby City Park. It was shirt sleeve weather and very enjoyable to walk around. Persephone spent a few minutes in the playground. Later we wandered to the sculpture garden. Just a very pleasant day all around. The windows are open to enjoy the fresh breeze--probably was about 70 degrees today.

Bart, Susie and Christy are preparing dinner for us this evening. The theme is Caribbean with roast pork, sweet potatoes, beans and rice plus some egg nog. My contribution is the fruit cake that I brought along.

Destination reached!

The alarm was set for 5 am and today we didn't waste any time and quickly finished last minute packing and ate breakfast. By 6:19 we were backing the car out the garage and on our way. We took what we call the "western route" through Illinois, Missouri, and passing through a corner of Arkansas and Tennessee and then through the entire state of Mississippi and then Louisiana. Halfway through the trip we were driving through some off and on light showers. Our cheapest gas was $2.95 for unleaded compared to $3.25 at home.

We arrived at Bart & Christy's home about 7 pm CST -- actual driving time was 12 hours and 30 minutes. Persephone and her other grandmother, Susie Paxson greeted us too. Later we had a glass of Wassail and mince pie that I had brought with us. We played a game of Suspension and soon it was time for bed.

Christmas shopping

Two days ago I made real mincemeat for the first time ever. Mincemeat pie was a favorite of mine growing up and I think that my mother made it from scratch. Using a recipe that called for lean hamburger, apples, raisins, brown sugar and a few other condiments, I found myself enjoying the scent of the cooking mincemeat. I didn't have time to make a pie then, but this morning I rolled out some dough and added the mincemeat and baked it. We're planning on taking it with us tomorrow when we leave for New Orleans.

The weather was a little iffy yesterday with strong winds and some snow so I didn't get my last-minute Christmas shopping done. After lunch today we headed out and were fortunate to find a convenient parking spot in the crowded lot. The store was also crowded with a long line for checkout. I think today was called Black Saturday. We wandered around not sure exactly what gifts we would buy but eventually found something for everyone. Even though long, the checkout process moved along fairly fast. The register receipt showed that we had saved more dollars than we spent! How can that be? I think merchandise is deliberately priced high so the customer thinks he is getting a 60% saving when they have a special sale.

Getting out in the crowds just a few days before Christmas helps make the season real. Purchasing online gifts may be convenient but you miss out on the crowds, the hustle and bustle, the decor inside the store and Christmas music played for the shoppers.

Rain, Wind & Snow

First, I need to catch up on the last few days. Two days ago I thought it was time to play some of our Christmas CDs -- we have a fairly nice collection and enjoy them a lot. When I began playing them, I could hear something else in the background. After a few moments I realized I could still hear the audio from our TV even though the TV set was turned off. We have a whole-house speaker system and when  we push the button on the tuner for CD we are supposed to hear music if we've turned on the CD player at the same time. That's the way it has always worked. Thinking back a few months ago, the system was changed when we had to dispose of our old TV--after 18 years it was dead. I can't recall exactly what wires were changed but, obviously, the wiring is no longer correct and we are unable to listen to our CDs without interference. On another vein we can't open our DVD recorder/player though we can play the DVD that is in it. I think the age of technology has caught up with us and we're going to have to enlist the help of someone who has more knowledge than we do.

That brings me up to yesterday. We attended the free lunch at the Rec Center at 11 a.m. and then headed home for an afternoon of playing bridge with neighbors from down the street. Lots of crazy cards and laughs.

About 30 minutes after the game was over we headed to Indianapolis to the Milano Inn to meet the Walkers. Our eventual destination was the Landmark Center for their 2nd annual The Holly & the Ivy concert. The Landmark Center was a former church built in the 1800s and beautifully restored about two years ago. We sat in the balcony and had a marvelous view of the main stage. The original pipes (more than 1,800) from the church were restored so this was mainly an organ concert. But, first on the program, was the Indianapolis Children's Choir. The choir was founded in 1986 and now has 3,000 children enrolled in numerous choirs! The choir numbers were beautiful.

Then came a series of performances by different organists. I particularly liked the combination of trumpet and organ. Another organist had a violinist accompanying him. The program also included a sing-along. By the way, even though the pipes were restored, we were told that the console was brand new and was build two years ago by an Indianapolis company. There weren't many empty seats in what is now called The Grand Hall, formerly the church sanctuary with original pews also restored.

Today began with a mild start at close to 50 degrees; rain fell off and on during the morning and afternoon with many heavy gusts of wind that we heard were as high as 50 mph. Then, about 7 p.m. the rain turned to snow and we may get up to an inch or so which isn't as bad as the central part of the country that has endured blizzard conditions. The electric company has notified us of a Beat the Peak for tomorrow from 7-9 a.m. and 6-8 p.m.

I spent an hour in the dentist's office today and have a new crown! Just in time for Christmas.

Saving a few dollars

Last Wednesday I wrote about visiting the Nissan dealership after the "Service Engine Soon" light kept appearing. Nissan was too busy to take us that day but we did stop at an auto supply store and purchased a $9.95 gas cap. In the intervening days, the light still displayed every time we drove the car.   It seemed that we'd have to make a return trip to have a technician figure out the problem. Before leaving for the Rec Center this morning, Ray called another dealership which wasn't as far away and we had an appointment for 10:30.

We finished our workout and made a quick change and soon were on our way with only a few minutes to spare. Suddenly, Ray shouted "Oh my goodness" and I couldn't figure out what was wrong. In a few seconds I learned that the "Service Engine Soon" light was no longer showing. We turned around and used the phone at the Rec Center to cancel our appointment. Ray was in a hearty mood -- rather than spend $95 to find the problem it was solved by a new gas cap.

I made some date bars this afternoon and they are cooling in the pan. They need dusting with powdered sugar and I'll have to watch carefully or DH (translation: Dear Husband) will be nibbling when I'm not looking.

A warm December morning

When we drove to church this morning, the temperature was in the low 50s. Incredible! Six weeks ago on Nov. 3 when I began the Monumental Half-Marathon, the temperature was in the low 30s. Apparently another Half-Marathon was scheduled for today that I hadn't heard about it, but the promoters were very lucky to have such mild weather.

Today's sermon began with the question "What do you do when you get frustrated with God?" Sometimes when we get frustrated assembling a new household item, for example, we realize that we need to check the instruction manual that came with the item. The same holds true with our relationship with God--we need to check the instruction manual: God's Word. When we have questions what will we do with them? We need to take them to the Lord.

The Colts visited the Texans today but this time they couldn't mount a come from behind victory. Actually, I wasn't that surprised by the outcome as Houston has been dominant all season and has lost one game. In two weeks, the Texans play the Colts again in Lucas Oil Stadium. The outcome might be different the second time the two meet.

Today's football game wasn't very exciting but yesterday's IU vs Butler basketball game was just the opposite. The Bulldogs pulled off an upset win over #1 IU in OT. Since IU probably wouldn't have had a perfect season, I was glad that Butler could pull off the upset. I'll be pulling for IU in just about every other game they'll play this season.

Friday night movie

We had very tentative plans to go to the Zoo this afternoon but that didn't happen so we opted to see Lincoln instead. The movie has been nominated for several Golden Globe awards. Even though I didn't live in that era, the drama and action seemed believable, the dress representative of the time and I learned more about the passage of the 13th amendment abolishing slavery. Lincoln needed 20 additional votes to pass the amendment and he and his allies used every means they could think of to convince undecided congressmen to vote for the amendment. Just like today, it isn't easy to get the votes needed for passage of important measures.

On another note, our daughter Nancy has been in my thoughts quite a bit today. Yesterday she learned the results of her surgery and biopsy on Nov. 30. Even though her doctor was happy with the condition of the bladder, they did locate some more tumors and in six weeks Nancy will have another scope after which they will decide which option is next.

12/12/12

I don't have a lot to write about today, but couldn't resist posting something because of the date -- 12/12/12.

Several days ago the "Service Engine Soon" light came on in our Nissan. After reading the manual, we determined that the light indicates an emission problem. One of the possibilities is not tightening the gas cap when refueling. Since we needed gas, Ray filled the tank and made sure the gas cap was tight. The manual said it might take several drives before the light would go out but after several days it still is on.

We drove to the Nissan dealership this noon but they were very busy and couldn't look at the car today. On the way home we stopped at an auto supply store and picked up a new gas cap hoping that it might be the problem. If the problem isn't solved in a couple of drives, we'll have to make an appointment and return to the dealership where they'll charge $95 to assess the problem.

I made a dental appointment today to get a crown for a molar that was damaged many years ago. It was repaired but the filling has fallen away. I'm not looking forward to spending time in the dental chair but eventually I should have an improved chewing surface and since I still have insurance benefits left this year it seems like the right thing with the year fast coming to an end.

I guess it is kind of appropriate that on 12/12/12 I am publishing post #300. Maybe there's no connection, but I thought I just mention it just the same.

Church, Football, Movie & Football

The weather was as predicted -- rainy! However, the drive to church even though dark at 7:15 did not have any rain. For the second Sunday in Advent the choir sang a beautiful anthem. The pastor began his sermon mentioning that we all put a lot of effort into preparing for Christmas. He then posed the question of what would happen if we made no preparations to meet Jesus. The meaning of Christmas can be lost in the midst of all the celebrations. In our lives we all have rough patches that can take us off the course to be with Jesus. Thankfully, Jesus has prepared the way for us to be with him in his eternal home.

After lunch we began watching the Colts game against Tennessee at Lucas Oil Stadium. Luck wasn't having a great game and before long the Colts were behind. We had talked about going to see "Skyfall" the newest James Bond movie after the game. The Mooresville movie theater recently reopened under new management and were having a grand opening of sorts with matinee tickets this week for $4 each. When it was close to half time in the game, Ray suggested we turn on the DVR and get to the theater for the 3 p.m. showing. We even had a few minutes extra and stopped at Kroger to get two items we needed.

It's been a long time since I've seen a Bond movie. I can't believe the first one was 50 years ago! The special effects, fight scenes, etc. are spectacular. With as many people going down from bullets I wonder about the PG-13 rating. The language is pretty clean and sex scenes are very minimal. I'm used to having closed captioning when watching TV and I missed that during the movie. Some phrases completely escaped me. Age is creeping in on the old auditory nerves.

We drove home in the dark and rain and began fixing supper and playing the second half of the Colts game. I can't recount all the plays that went good and bad but in the end the Colts again came from a double digit deficit to win 27-23 and their record is now 9-4.

Our Christmas Tree

We've had the same Christmas tree for many, many years. When we lived in Greenwood we often went to nearby Christmas tree farms and cut a fresh one. Then when we moved to our home in Morgan County we purchased a live Christmas tree the first year and it is now about 20 ft tall on the northeast side of our house. The following year we purchased an artificial tree and have enjoyed it every year since. The last several years we've developed a routine of Ray carrying all the branches up from the basement while I add the lights to each layer. This year I decided to document the process.

About 1/4 to 1/3 assembled

About 2/3 to 3/4 assembled

All lights and branches in place

Ornaments and ribbon complete the look

Maybe I'll do some Christmas baking tomorrow. It's going to be a rainy weekend so that sounds like a good plan.

Bingo Bonanza

After our workout today, we attended the Senior Luncheon at the Rec Center. No speakers were invited today since bingo was on the agenda after our pizza lunch. We each had two cards and the fun began. We've played bingo several times previously at these luncheons but have never come close to winning anything. Today was different. There were many prizes available all in gift bags -- no one knew in advance what was in each bag. I won one of the early rounds and picked a small bag which had a Rod Stewart Christmas CD. After the next game, the winner took my CD and I picked another bag as a replacement. Eventually I won four games of Bingo!!

The booty!

Truffles, Bobble (aka water bottle), Peppermint Bark, Weirdo Glasses,
Kitchen Towels, Cute Snow Covered Log House

Several people suggested that this might be a good day to purchase a lottery ticket (I did not follow through on this advice though). Later, at home, I was wondering if I was being greedy and should have refrained from shouting "Bingo" and let some others in the crowd take home some of the booty. I do have four nice gift bags that I can repurpose.

Advent Glow

Today is the first Sunday in Advent. For the last several years the women of Concordia have held an Advent Glow event. Several of us host tables, decorate them, provide refreshments and light candles. We started this evening with a devotion and then enjoyed some light food. Following that the Praise Band sang several favorite Christmas carols and we sang along with them.

My table

Concordia's Praise Band--A very talented group

Vicky, Sherry, Kylie, Nancy & Lynda

Advent Glow was the concluding event of my day, but earlier I went to the morning worship service. As Advent is also the beginning of a new church year we heard a sermon telling us that God is not an angry judge but a loving one who offers us forgiveness and eternal life. We were cautioned not to look at the world outside our window but instead at our eternal home--heaven. We need to be ready at a moment's notice as we may see our master today. Jesus has purchased our redemption and set us free.

After church I spent some time preparing my dessert for Advent Glow but listened and watched when I could as the Colts were playing Detroit in the Motor City. I started the drive to Greenwood before the game was over and turned on the radio. What an exciting conclusion. At one point the Colts were down by 12 points but came back to win with a 4th down touchdown and only seconds left in the game. I can't think of a more exciting climax to a game especially for a young team. Andrew Luck set a record for most wins as a rookie quarterback and he still has several games left. The Colts are 8-4 and I doubt that anyone thought they would play this well in their first season.

Murder Mystery Cafe Dinner

Last evening we met the Walkers for dinner at the Indianapolis Murder Mystery Cafe. The action took place in a banquet room of the Milano Inn. I was expecting something similar to the game of "Clue" and was a bit disappointed. The script and performance by the two actors was OK. In fact, the female member of the cast played her part very well. Diners were invited to participate in the performance with a copy of the script and invited to read their part. The dialog was filled with many puns; for example some of the characters in the play were "Okra Winfrey," "George Forkman," and "Rachel Raisin." I think you get the idea that this was a "foodie" play. 

We were served minestrone soup after the first act, salad and bread after Act II and the main course at the end of Act III followed by a scoop of ice cream. The food actually was quite good as the Milano Inn has been a premier Italian restaurant for many years. I was pleased that we had a table for four and had plenty of time to visit with Max & Pat. In fact, Max won a pair of handcuffs in a drawing at the conclusion of the performance. I'm not sure what he can do with the handcuffs but it's always fun to win something.

We had a gorgeous day for December 1 and Ray was able to set up our outdoor light display which has been in storage for the last several seasons.

Three Wise Men with a Star (not in the picture) Leading the Way

I guess the outside decorations are complete, but there is plenty left to do indoors.