SUNDAY November 3 , 2024 through SATURDAY November 9th, 2024

 SUNDAY:  I got plenty of sleep last night because I went to bed earlier than usual since I skipped my Saturday nap and also getting an extra hour due to pushing the clocks back an hour.  I was getting ready for church when Peggy called to remind me that I had a small batch of cookies in my freezer that I agreed to take to the reception for Nina Leong after church.  I took it out of the freezer right away.  When I got to church first I dropped off one of my Operation Christmas Child boxes and then I took the cookies  downstairs to the room where the reception was going to be held, and I asked Peg if she needed any help.  She suggested that I come down right after church and maybe I could help.  When I got into the sanctuary, I encouraged several people (Glenda, Carol, Maggie, Catherine, Marlene and I think a couple of others) to come to the reception.  Church was very good.  Marlene's daughter, Christiana, surprised her by arriving a couple of minutes before the service began.  Marlene, Maggie, and Catherine came to the reception and I was so glad that they did, since it was a rather small group, I think maybe twenty people.  Nina and her husband both spoke about their ministry in Jordan and it was really interesting.  I was only able to help by making sure the large pizza pieces were separated enough to make it easy for people to get the pieces, and also by getting a drink for Beverly, who has some mobility issues. After the reception was over, I went to DOLLAR TREE and purchased some more items for the Christmas boxes.  Shortly after I got home, I took a nap.  When I got up, I worked on my Christmas boxes and completed THREE and I have some items left over, so I think I will make another box for a girl aged two to four years.    I finished reading this book:

I now understand Rob Schenck better, although I do not agree with some of the conclusions he has come to during his epiphany!

MONDAY the 4th: Connie called first thing this morning to tell me that she will be moving into THE PLAINS (an assisted living place in Oneonta) at the end of next week.  She seems at peace with this and maybe even a bit happy about it.  I went to the TRAVEL MEETING at the Dale Association.  Lois went also, which surprised me. I met a woman named Frances Kidney who has also joined the Lockport Travel Club, and she has not been able to find their facebook page.  So, I told her I would go to the page and invite her.   After that, I met up with Jan at the Y and we walked thirty minutes.  I told her that I can ride along with her and be at the hospital during her surgery on Thursday.  She said she will call the transportation company and make sure that is OK.  Then I went to the FIELDSTONE to meet up with Pam since today is her birthday and I told her I will treat her to lunch.  When she didn't show up, I called her and she was waiting for me at her place.  I was a little upset because I stressed "12:30 at the Fieldstone", but I got over it before she arrived.  She was upset, but I told her that I was not upset and I did not want her to be.  After lunch, I went to the Dollar General further out the Transit and purchased items for the final Christmas box I am working on, and my final stop was at ALDI. When I tried to find Frances Kidney on FB, I was unable to.  Maybe I will see her at a meeting of the Lockport Travel Club.  I worked on the possibility of going on a cruise with the Barker Seniors and will have lunch with Sue _________tomorrow and we will discuss the possibility of sharing a room on the cruise ship, if this works out.  I did some rearranging and now have the three boxes for a girl age two to four ready to deliver to Freedom Church.  Jan made arrangements with the Medicaid transportation service for me to accompany her to the hospital in Buffalo where she is going to have surgery on her wrist on Thursday.  I will be allowed to ride with her as her "aide".  

TUESDAY the 5th of November:  In the morning, I did my homework for next Tuesday's Life Group, and organized my sheets of paper with the words to the worship songs on it, that is AFTER I located it.  I did a couple of other things around the house before leaving to meet up with Sue at Denny's.  She is going to be my roommate when we go on the cruise next March with the Barker Seniors.  I had the Seniors salmon dinner and she had a HUGE Cobb salad.  I went to TOPS to see if I could find some cans of three bean salad.  I found both three bean and four been salad and purchased three cans of each.  I looked for lactose free ice cream without success.  I called the tour company for the cruise and made a deposit, and will complete the transaction tomorrow after whoever is in charge makes sure that my roommate has signed up.  I called Sue and she told me she did so right after she got home.  I called AAA and asked for information about trip insurance.  Whoever I spoke with sent me a couple of policies to look over by email.

Since I had a full meal for lunch, I had a light supper.  I watched the LIVE election coverage on the Daily Wire, and off and on went to CNN and FoxNews.  I went to bed at ten thirty p.m.  A couple of hours later, I woke up briefly long enough to hear that DJT had been declared the winner. 

I went back to sleep for a but woke up again a little before two a.m. and this time I got up and turned TV on.   I can hardly believe it!!!  I am so happy. 

WEDNESDAY:    I didn't have a good nights sleep due to wanting to know the election results.  At two thirty a.m. I watched Donald Trumps victory speech.  I went back to bed at three fifteen or so and stayed there until eight thirty.  I got up and got ready for my chiropractic appointment with Dr. Kurbs.  It went well,  he is happy with the election results, too.  I went to the Dale for the LIVING WITH ARTHRITIS CLASS only to find out that it was cancelled.  I went home, and shortly after I arrived, Peggy and David arrived.  David put a new alarm system in, which I think will work well.  Peggy found this picture in the garage. 

That is our brother Mike directing traffic.  Peggy thinks it may have been before or after a funeral.  
After they left I had lunch and then called Grand American Tours to pay for the remainder of my upcoming cruise in March of next year.  I still need to work on getting trip insurance. After my nap I started planning for tomorrow when I will accompany Jan to a hospital in Buffalo where she will have her surgery on her wrist.  I want to have everything I might need for the wait, however long it might be.  So, I will use a larger BAG instead of my usual purse.  I did a load of laundry so I can wear my favorite jeans tomorrow.  

Thursday:  I met up with Jan at her apartment and a few minutes later, the Medicaid transportation arrived and took us to the surgical center.  The driver obviously does not know the area well, since the route he drove was a bit crazy and probably took at least ten minutes longer than a direct route would have taken.  When Jan went to check in, she was told that her surgery was cancelled due to the anesthesiologist deciding that her surgery should be done in a hospital due to her being HIGH RISK.  So, she called the transport office and they sent our driver back.  When he arrived, he drove right by us even though I was attempting to wave him down  He did not look either left or right.  Jan called again, and the dispatcher caught him before he got too far, and he returned.  When we got back to Jan's place 

 we decided to go to the Y and walk since we didn't go yesterday.  On the way back home from the Y I stopped at Lil Caesers and got the lunch special which I had for lunch.  I spent the rest of the day at home.  I decided to prepare a real supper of sausage  (left over from the cousins gathering in September), salt potatoes and butternut squash.  Then I settled in for my favorite television programs.  

FRIDAY:  In the early morning, I spoke with Gwen from GRAND AMERICAN TOURS and finalized my application and payment for the March, 2025 cruise.  I mostly emptied the shelves between my living room and the back bedroom where Carrie used to sleep and got rid of some stuff and reorganized the rest.  It looks somewhat better and there is some empty space.  Then I went to the Y and met up with Pam and we did the STABILITY class.  Terri Ackerman was taking the same class.  I went home and had lunch and then engaged in a conversation about politics and who and why I voted for DJT, and then I took a nap on the couch, while I waited for a return phone call from Greg Stenzel regarding the survey that I completed a few weeks back.  He did not call.  I opened up an emailed receipt from Grand American Tours and was dismayed to learn that I will probably have to renew my passport even though it will still be good in March.  Apparently, it has to be valid for six months after the cruise.  I wish they would have mentioned that to me when I gave the information for the application over the phone a few days ago.  

Pam came over and we watched the latest episode of MATLOCK, and a couple of short items on YouTube.  She brought gluten free peanut butter cookies which she baked today but they were awful, even she agreed.  She left them here and told me to throw them away. Lori called and we arranged for her to pick me up at nine thirty a.m. tomorrow to go to the bazaar at St. Andrews Church in Newfane.  Later on she called back and said she changed her mind.  

SATURDAY:  I decided it was a good day to go to farmers markets and get squash for Thanksgiving.  First I went to Schwabs and purchased two squash, and then I turned north on a road which I figured would take me to 104.  It did, but I was beyond Millers and I realized that, but decided to drive down a bit further east.  I came to a sign saying to Knowlesville, and I remembered that Betty and Elaine V. told me that there are a lot of Amish in Knowlesville, so I decided to do a bit of exploring.  I saw an Amish school but I did not see any Amish farms.  I turned onto Presbyterian Road and it took me to a beautiful large pond.  I think it is the pond where Betty and Elaine saw an eagle.  There was an eagles next.  When I got back to 104, I turned right because I wondered why all the cars were parked.  It turned out to be an auction house, there were a LOT of Amish buggies parked there.  I turned around then I went to Millers where I purchased a sandwich, a drink, a green pepper, a zucchini, a pork chop  and a black raspberry pie.  I had my small cooler with me, so I was able to put the pork chop in it.  I decided to find HUMAN FARMS in Appleton hoping to get a couple more squash.  I put the address into my cars GPS system and it took me right there AND it was pretty much on the way home.  I found HUMANS and purchased several squash, and then I went home.  When I got home Peggy was working in the garage.  She told me that the Amir Tsarfati Alaskan cruise is fully booked.  I suggested she just fine another Alaskan cruise.  She came in and we each had a piece of black raspberry pie, and she took a slice home with her.