A Relaxing Day

Yesterday there was some snow on the ground, but it didn't really amount to much. So Dee went to exercise and I stayed home and did my vacuuming and house chores. When she came home, we went out to Eat'n Park for lunch. I like their chili and soup there. Afterward, we picked up some groceries for Thanksgiving dinner and headed home.

I continued reading the book about FDR's first 100 days. It's called The Defining Moment. Good stuff. Later in the evening we watched the movie, Charlie Wilson's War which we rented from Giant Eagle for a buck. And we heard from Kerri who traveled to Florida for a meeting today.

We're excited to see Kerri and Pat at our place for Thanksgiving and will be going to help them move into their new place the week of Christmas. We found a kennel to leave Bonz in while we're gone. The place we usually leave him was filled as were two other places we tried. We're going to check this place out today. We anticipate it will be fine, but we'd like to see it first.

Kerri says, "It's a GIRL !"

Yep, Kerri called to tell us the news. It's official. The doctor said all is well and that she was doing yoga. Current weight 10 oz.

Dee worked yesterday, so I fussed with my new microphone and the computer. I tried to record my Bass notes so I could sing along and get the words and notes right. It took a while, but it's coming along.

I picked up some a couple of items like hot tub test strips and throw rugs for the bedroom and a color cartridge for my wireless printer. I always stop to say hi to Dee at work, and that's when I told her that Kerri had called with the news. She was as excited as I was to know what the doctor said. They're looking at a due date between April 14-18, 2009.

When Dee got home we went out for dinner at a new place. It was okay, but the menu was mostly pizza and Stromboli stuff. The price was reasonable, but likely we won't be going back any time soon. Afterward, we picked up a large rubber made type container for storage and headed home to watch the Steelers beat the Bengals. During the game, we usually watch something we've taped as well. flipping back and forth from time to time.

Funeral (s) and time with Old Friends

Yesterday when Dee went to work, I went to an old friends Memorial Service. The service was for the wife of a pastor friend who preceded me at my very first church, the Mooncrest Community Baptist Church. The newspaper said that he had served that church for 10 years and that it was his only pastoral congregation. It seems he and his wife eventually founded a personal care home here in Gibsonia just 5 miles from my house. The service was very nice. It was packed with friends and family. It was interesting to watch another clergy lead the service and make the connections with the family. Tim did a good job.

One of the reasons I went was in hopes of seeing some of the members of my former church. As it turns out there were 6 people from my first congregation there. Four of them I hadn't seen in 35 years (they are now in their mid 70s)and the other two we looked up shortly after we moved here earlier this year. It was really nice to see them. I recognized the husbands. I said quietly, "Is your name John?" and John said with a smile on his face and an outstretched hand "Hi Paul." And to Parker I said the same to Parker. Their wives saw us shaking hands and then recognized me I guess. There were hugs all around. Since they were on their way out of the sanctuary to the cemetery, we didn't get to talk much. I showed them Dee and Kerri's pictures. I didn't go to the cemetery. But it sure was nice to see them after all those years. The four had moved to Sandy Lake.

I left the church in the North Hills and went to Rotary for lunch. To my surprise Ron, Rita and Madelyn Campbell were there. (Earl and Marilyn's son and family). Maddie was being honored as an outstanding student along with 5 other students from Mars High School and Pine Richland High School. We had a nice chat. It was good to see them. I hadn't seen them for many years, although Dee sees Rita at the gym almost weekly. I enjoy hearing the high school seniors talk about their activities, various ways they do community service through the schools and also their hopes for the future.

After Dee got home, we went to Butler. We dropped off some things at Ruthie's, had pizza and salad at Russ and Kathy's and got to see Marissa and the new baby, Conrad, now four months old who was born on my birthday this year. Afterward we went to the funeral home in Butler to see an old friend of Dee's at the funeral home. She was able to reconnect with the daughters of the man who died. She'd grown up with Patty and Bev in their old neighborhood. Plus, a man named Joe K. had returned to the funeral home in the evening because he wanted to see Dee and say hi.

Quite a day really. We saw people we'd know for at least 40 years plus. That sort of thing could never have happened in NJ. We were just too far away. It's nice to be here. We are blessed.

A Snow Squally Kind of Day

Since Dee worked yesterday, I was in charge of running around to pick up items we'd seen before in stores and decided to get, However, I began the morning by creating a flier for our Bogmeister show on December 15 at Pine Richland Elementary School. I made a couple of rough drafts and then sent them to the director so she could tweak them as she saw necessary.

I also began reading through old sermon files to see which ones I thought were good for future use and updating. I rather enjoyed reading my old sermons. They had stories in them and illustrations I'd taken from life and so reminded me to things that had happened to me over the years. It's funny how some of them I recalled instantly just by the titles.

I'd talked with my mother on Monday and she seemed to be doing well. She went up to the senior center since the snow wasn't sticking to the street. She said she was glad she went as there were four students there for her line dancing class. (She told them to call her if it ever snowed and they were not going to be going out in it. That way she'd not make the trip for nothing.) I reminded her that she should be about out of medicine and that it is time to refill her prescriptions. She mentioned that the doctor's office called and asked her to come in for a check up. The appointment was for Monday, but she called and cancelled it because of her day at the center.

When Dee got home after work, we had a delicious pot roast (PTL for the crock-pot.) with baked potato and corn. Yummmm! During the evening we watched some of our favorite shows on television - "Eli Stone," and "NCIS". The temperatures were in the 20s all day blustery out, so I pretty much laid low for the day. Although it was good to get done, what I did get done.

We're looking forward to Kerri and Patrick's visit next week for Thanksgiving. She sent some pictures of their new condo. It really looks nice. It's in Ashburn, VA and had a fenced-in back yard as well as three bedrooms, and a finished bacement. It looks something like our place with hard wood floors. They plan to move the week of Christmas so we're planning to go down for that. We'll plan to find a place for Bonz while we're gone. We decided not to take him this first time since there will be lots of activity unpacking and moving. Kerri is due about the middle of April. We're to find out tomorrow whether it's a boy or girl.

Our First -- Hot Tubing in the Snow

Yesterday we took our time in the morning doing things around the house. I straightened my files of stuff I brought from NJ. I'll likely use them over the next years and so I wanted to put them in order. Dee went to Contours for exercise. After she came home we had some fantastic soup of beans we bought at the church's SERRV table. Dee added some ham to it and it was superb!

After lunch I took her car to the Saturn dealer for a 3,000 mile tire rotation and oil change. Later we continued our search for garland for the stair case. We decided on some really nice ones at Costco. They'll do the job just fine. Now I just have to order the "garland grabbers" from QVC and we'll be all set.

In the evening I went to Bogmeister practice. I'd been working with Bill, a new singer who can't read music. He's been coming regularly and making slow progress. Last night, we put the sheet music down, and tried it without looking at the words and notes. Just looked at the director. What a difference! Bill made a quantum leap forward in hitting the right notes with the right words. PTL! He still has a long way to go, but I know he enjoyed it much more last night and he now has hope that he can do it.

I decided to pass on the "milk and cookies" at Ol' Uncle Bob's with the guys. Instead I came home had Dee and I enjoyed a Merlot in the hot tub watching the moon rise. Although there was snow on the deck and ground and it was 28 degrees out, the hot tub was superb!

Preaching and Visiting in Penn Hills

Our first snowfall greeted us on Monday morning.

Saturday and Sunday just flew by... On Saturday we decided to go to the German Marketplace and festival in Harmony, PA. It was a rainy overcast day for the most part. Yet, we got so see some of the craft buildings and we ate at the Harmony Inn. It's a very old building with lots of rooms and the rooms were used for dining. It's the first time I ever went to a restaurant and had to walk up a long flight of stairs to our table. It was a very quiet place. As it turns out the food was okay but the service was below average. Later we walked around the town and found a place called Otto's that was an ice cream shoppe with lots of Christmas items and also a decent menu. We thought we might try it sometime.

On the way home we stopped at a couple of places looking for Christmas lighted garlands for our staircase Bannister. We found several, but haven't chosen one yet.

On Sunday I had to preach in Penn Hills and a nondenominational church. The service lasted about an hour and forty-five minutes so I dropped Dee off at the mall en route (where she met Lisa S. and Kathy N. for breakfast and gabbing. The service I participated in was nice. Lots of singing. They projected the words to the songs on a screen. There were about 8 musicians up front (clarinet, trombone, couple of guitars, drums and keyboard player in addition to two singers). My role was to give a children's talk and the sermon. I thought it went well.

My contact at that church handed me my little burgundy New Testament. It seems I left it at the Penn Hills Baptist Church when I preached there. And the pastor from that church gave it to him to give back to me. (I wondered where that little NT went. I like it because of it's compact size and yet larger print type.) It was good to get it back.

Later I met Dee at the Monroeville Mall with our friend Lisa. Eventually her husband, Dennis, arrived and we had a great visit right there in Barnes and Nobel. Time wore on and it was about 4 pm when we arrived back in Mars. Since I hadn't eaten lunch yet, we stopped at Smokey Bones, had a great dinner and one of the meals along with dessert were free. Aren't coupons the greatest! We also tried a short cut home and found that it was about 7 miles shorter. (We got off the turnpike at Butler interchange (instead of Cranberry), drove up route 8 and turned left at the big Methodist church, then right on Merriman, and left onto the red belt and then right on Babcock, left of Valencia-Mars Road to 228. It sounds confusing, but the latter part is a familiar drive for me as it goes past the Pine Richland Elementary School where my Bogmeister's practice every Monday (and where our Dec. 15 Christmas Show is going to be held.) We finished off the evening watch the Steelers eek out a vistory over the Chargers. GO STEELERS!

It was a blustry snowing day yesterday with no accumuliation. This morning (pictured above) there was snow on grass and cars. None on the streets. It's the first real snowfall of the winter season.