Advent Bible Study

I wanted to share with you this wonderful Bible study we did before Christmas called, "Awaiting the Already" by Magrey R. deVega. 

 

The introduction had an illustration that was helpful for me:
The author went on a wild and wet roller coaster ride with his daughters.  He didn't want to get his camera wet so bought a throw-away camera.  

When he got home, he had to search to find a place to get the pictures developed.  He waited impatiently and when they were finally ready, he enjoyed being able to re-live the fun of the ride through the pictures.

So it is that we can study the birth of Christ every year and re-experience this joy.
**Matthew wants us to slow down to confront this hurting world, looking for Jesus, who is already here. 
**Mark wants us to trust God - slow down, turn around, and prepare the way for Jesus. 
**Luke would want us to sing of the power of this good news.
** John would want us to see the light in the midst of our darkness and become a gift for others.

I thank Rita for opening her home on Monday evenings, for being our leader, and for including me in this special group. 

Rita Cole, Her daughter: Rita Etherington, Carol Shnayer, Pat Necklen, MaryMay Angelil, Rich Necklen, Jeanette Owens, Alan Etherington.  Unable to be with us that last night:  Doug Owens, Sarah and Len Green, Donna and Stephan Lambert, Rich Lambert, Elaine Draus

It is always a blessing to share and learn with others who are striving to live our lives in a Christian way.

Our Circle Celebrity

The UMW (United Methodist Women) in a church is divided into small groups called Circles.  We meet monthly to study, fellowship, and serve.  My Circle in Florida has about 15 members..... or shall I saw it used to have 15 members.  Our group has welcomed a new member and her name is Honey.  She is our Circle Celebrity!

Let's go back to the beginning. Gail, Honey, and her husband, Art, sat near me in church.  Gail always had her little service dog with her.  Naturally, people were abuzz wondering why she had the dog but no one would ask.  I had chatted with Gail several times.

After a few weeks, I gently and quietly (but boldly) said,  "If I may ask, why do you have Honey?"  Gail responded enthusiastically and that opened the door to a new friendship and a lot of fascinating information.  A simplified version is that Gail has very severe asthma attacks.  Honey can sense when one is coming on before Gail has a clue.  She lets Gail know so she can grab her inhaler.  

I invited Gail to our Circle.  She said she thought people would feel uncomfortable with her bringing Honey.  Our leader discussed it with the group ahead of time and, as I thought, there was no problem. 

It worked out that Gail's first meeting was our Christmas Potluck luncheon at a member's home. Gail introduced herself and Honey and held everyone's full attention.  She told us all about how they discovered that Honey could do this and the red tape she and her doctor went through to get her certified.

We learned that a Service Dog is working and should not be petted, although Gail is very patient with people who don't know that and want to pet her.  When in public, Honey wears the Service Dog vest and ID tags.  There have been a few incidents in restaurants that were cleared up because Gail always carries her paperwork. 
The one time Honey's attire varies is Sunday mornings and we are always eager to see what "Sunday dress" she will be wearing that day.  

 Art, Gail, and Honey Whitmarsh 

Honey's Easter dress

One of our Circle members proudly informed the Women's Executive Board that we are the first Circle to have a dog as a member..... our very own Circle Celebrity! 

p.s.  Honey has never made a peep in church in the two years I've known her.  But I saw her "non-working" side when I went to Gail's house.  She is barking and chasing the cat like any normal, frisky little dog!   

Honey is a poodle but Gail doesn't have her groomed with the traditional cut.

Fall Fun in 2015

Fall here at Savanna Club is always busy and includes fun fellowship with friends.

Hoedown
Local residents put on this show and I am always amazed and proud to think that these singers and dancers are my neighbors!  People in the audience are encouraged to wear Western attire and you know how I enjoy dressing up!

Halloween

I am on the Social Committee so went early to finish decorating.  My friends, Sue Bruschetti and Joan De Planche.

Here are a few of my favorite costumes this year.

Wonder how this Minion got the yellow to stay on his beard?

Pizza, anyone?

I wasn't sure if the grapes and Gangstas were together or just standing together.

The Nerdy Physics Professor

"The Kiss" group had some scary make-up that stayed on all evening.

My gypsy wig and scarf were from Glen's Fair Price store in Virginia.

Cotton Candy and Popcorn.  THE most creative costumes I've ever seen! 

(The gals used 65 yards of tulle for their dresses and used hula hoops to hold their skirts out.)  They also have very cooperative husbands!

Christmas Golf Cart Parade
I've always enjoyed seeing the decorated golf carts.  This year we had only about 45 entries because of impending rain (it waited until the afternoon).  The sheriff led the parade as they went throughout the streets of Savanna Club.  I tend to see the "gray" in many things but as a judge, I had to make decisions!

Decking the Halls
The Social Committee decorates the clubhouses and grounds around Savanna Club.   .

 Wendy MacArthur and Judy Pagenkop have found their calling!  (You just saw them as Cotton Candy.)  They worked all year, hitting yard sales, thrift shops, and sales so as to get the most for the social committee's budget.

It took a whole crew almost a whole day to put up all their beautiful creations.

What a privilege it is to live in a community that is so active.

Monumental Memory Book

One of the most monumental tasks I've ever taken on was compiling a book for my 50th Class Reunion.  Classmates were asked to share what has happened in their lives since we graduated from Turner Ashby High School in Dayton, Virginia in 1965.

Some aspects were a bit beyond my computer skills so I met with the man in Savanna Club (my 55+ community in Florida) who runs our computer lab.  He showed me how to accomplish what I was after and encouraged me.
 
Next was getting people to send in their 300 word biography and a recent photo.  It was not an easy task to summarize 50 years in 300 words!  There were 150 class members with 30 deceased.  After nagging, nudging, and begging from me and others, we ended up with 76 contributions! 

This wasn't accomplished alone!  There were many people who helped me greatly and their help was invaluable. 

 

 I have shared the book with friends and relatives.  They have read every word, even if they didn't know the people.  I continue to be fascinated with what happened in people's lives AND in the variety of entertaining writing styles!!

 

 The evening of the reunion, Sue Shull-Miller, Mildred Funkhouser-Lynn and I checked people in, gave them their nametags, and gave them their book.

 

The high school photo and recent photo were included with each write-up. 

(If you want to read mine, click on it for an enlargement.)

 

Sometimes in life, we cannot help but be pleased with the result of hard work and effort.  This Memory Book is one of my most challenging projects ever.  I was delighted at how well it was received and appreciated.  Naturally, that made it all the more satisfying and worthwhile.

50 years!! How could that be??!!!

My "save the day" invitation arrived in the mail and I was shocked to realize it really was 50 years since we graduated!  How could that be??!!!
 
The Reunion Committee put in many hours of work behind the scenes and it paid off.  The day of the reunion, we met for breakfast and then had an evening event.
 
Things were different - it seemed we all came together as one.... the cliques were issues of the past, which made our time together all the more enjoyable.

5oth Reunion of the Class of 1965
Turner Ashby H.S. Dayton, Virginia

October 10, 2015 

(Click on photo for a larger view.)

 What a great day and evening!  Here's to 50 years and many more!

Social Life in Virginia 2015

It is always a joy to share my home in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with friends from out of town.  I sometimes find it very lonely and isolated but as I look back over the summer, I realize I had several guests and local friends this summer.
 

Jane Pinson, Diane Dickerson, MaryMay Angelil

Jane lives next door in Florida and is from Harpers Ferry.  Diane is her long-time nursing friend and has become my friend, too.

 

I call this group the "TA Girls."  Mildred Funkhouser-Lynn has kept this group of 1965 Turner Ashby graduates alive for many years.  They meet 4 times a year - sometimes there are 5 gals and sometimes 18  -  whoever shows up is welcome.  This summer we had dinner at the CrossKeys Vinyards.

 

My dear friend in Florida is Norma Pennie.  This is the second summer she has come for a visit!  It's always fun to show a city girl the country way of life.

 

My new local friend is Judith Stroop who lives in Singers Glen.  Sometimes you just "click" with someone and Judith is one of those people!

 

Marty Stover-Barlow, Linda Steele-Suter, and I got together and had lunch several times.  I enjoyed their company!

 

Marty Barlow volunteered to help me drive to Florida and it was a special time for us to get to know each other better.  We went on one of the local boat rides and enjoyed getting out see the local flora and fauna.

 

The time with my brother, Phil, sister-in-law, Maribeth, and nephew, Levi, and my various cousins were always fun.  I also enjoyed time spent with my friends from church.  I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of them.  Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the moment that I forget to get out my camera - but that's a "good thing"!

 

My summer wasn't quite so lonely this year, thanks to the company of family and friends.  It is challenging to "re-invent" myself as I learn to live alone.  Friends make such a difference in this process.

The Skunk Scored

I was coming down the hill, almost to my driveway, when my headlights caught something, which I saw out of the corner of my eye.   It was a  skunk!!! 

I knew I didn't hit him because there was no "klunk of a skunk."  By the time I reached the top of my driveway, I knew that, even though I didn't hit him, I had made him MAD!  Oh, what a smell!!!

 

I left the car outside for the night but that didn't help much.  I drove to and from Charlottesville (60 miles one way) mostly in the rain the next morning.....  Do you think it helped?  Not much!

Someone stopped by the next day to visit and, with watering eyes, suggested I leave the car outside in the sun.  After the whole afternoon in the hot sun with the doors and windows open, there was a slight improvement.

 

I would definitely say it was one point for the skunk!  He scored, for sure!

Cruising in the Country

My winter cruising is on my golf cart in Florida but my summer cruising is quite different.

My 4-wheeler is far faster than a golf cart.  I invested a few shekels last summer to get the motor serviced and to replace a few pieces of the bumpers.  Having the seat recovered made it seem like a new machine to me. I mostly just go from my house to my brother's, which is on the "next hill."

This is me and my friend, Norma (from Florida) cruising' the country the fast way.

The young couple who bought the family farm have become friends.  I grew up in the Shenandoah Valley where there are many Mennonites but never knew anyone well enough to ask about their beliefs and way of life.  Amanda and Jason are very open and have answered many questions for us.

I've seen horse and buggies my whole life but had never had a ride in one.  Amanda invited Norma, Maribeth (my sister-in-law), and me to go with her to Rocky Cedars, a store out in the country that has a little bit of everything.  It would take about 15 minutes by car to get there and it took us an hour and 15 minutes by buggy. 

It was a very calm and pleasant ride.  (Norma, being the city girl that she is, was upset about the fact that Bob the horse was sweating.)  What a thrill to finally experience a unique way to cruise.  Thank you Amanda! 

So, there are fast and slow ways to cruise in the country and both are cool. 

Heebie-jeebies!

I've heard of a guy being a "chick magnet" but I must be a "tick magnet."  The way I dress to garden is downright comical (and UGLY).

I wear jeans tucked into tall socks and tick spray where they meet, long-sleeved shirts buttoned to the neck, gardening gloves to my elbow with tick spray where they meet, a sweat band with a big  sunhat and spray on the hair between the hat and my collar, AND a wide  neck bandanna sprayed with tick spray.  Doesn't it sound like that should protect me from ticks? 

I still sit down to weed and it is still necessary to tether my tools to my apron because I keep losing them.

My photographer (Maribeth, my sis-in-law) thought the back view was amusing, too.  It rained so weeding is easier and muddier (is that a word?).

 

Today I came in and took my usual shower with major scrubbing all over, especially my scalp. 

 

Much to my shock and horror, about an hour later, a tick crawled down my neck.  I scratched my head like crazy and two more of those nasty creatures appeared.  They're tiny and don't die easily.  I smashed them but with great difficulty and washed them down the sink with boiling water.  

I am pretty sure they were not deer ticks. They were small and did not have the red on their bodies.

My 13 days in the hospital in 2010 with Lyme's Disease is not something I wish to repeat! 
http://angeliladventures.blogspot.com/2010/10/bullseyes-everywhere.html
http://angeliladventures.blogspot.com/2010/10/home-sweet-bed-o-mine.html

Since the 3 ticks showed their ugly little selves, I've got the heebie-jeebies, itching and feeling like more ticks are going to show up.  Do you think it's my sweet blood? 

Block Party 2015

It took a new neighbor to get our "Meet Your Marlberry Neighbors" Party going.  Vickie Peterson got things organized and almost everyone on Marlberry Court came!  We'd lived near each other for several or many years, yet hadn't met everyone.

Our street has about 24 homes.

 Our cul-de-sac was the logical place but it was in the sun. 

Umbrellas appeared and that saved the day.

Nor for the good stuff --- There was lots of tasty food.

Hip-hip-hooray for meeting our neighbors.  Thank you, Vickie!

 

(Thank heavens for sunscreen and umbrellas.)

April First Fun

This little "adventure" came to mind this April Fool's Day.

In the early 1970's I was teaching first grade on Ft. Buchanan, an army base in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  My principal was trying an experimental program where the boys and girls were in different classes for first grade.  This was based on the fact that many girls are more mature and make the boys lose confidence.  By having all boys, the teachers could gear bulletin boards, games, etc. on football and other boyish interests.  (Some mother protested it using some amendment so classes had to be combined.)  Anyway..... on with my adventure.

I had a boy who had major temper tantrums.  It was set up that when a tantrum started, I called on the speaker and my principal, Mr. Corbin, came and took the child out immediately.

One year on April first, I told my boys about the day.  The boy who was known for the tantrums started yelling so it came through on the speaker.  Mr. Corbin came immediately and when he entered the room, we all yelled , "April Fool."  Mr. Corbin was a unique person and I never found out his reaction.  But I can tell you that my students and I got quite a kick out of our April First Fun!


Here I am with one of the classes during the experiment. (I was a traveling music teacher that year....I played a record player really well!)



Sweet Sweetheart Dinner Dance

Every year the Social Committee, which is under the Homeowner's Association,  and other volunteers put on an elegant dinner dance on Valentine's Day  to honor all the couples in Savanna Club who are celebrating their 50th Anniversary during that year.  Every year it gets more and more elegant.  I would never have believed how many hours we worked and how many people it took to perfect all the well-planned details.

This year we had 13 couples and it was like planning 13 weddings!  The couples could invite friends and relatives, some of whom flew in from all over the country.  This year there were about 280 people there and it was held in the theater of our community.

My first job was setting up the centerpieces.  We washed each mirror, each slim glass vase, filled them almost full of glass rocks, put in the tea lights (getting them level was challenging!) fluffed the bows, and put them on the 35 tables.

Every table had a number and the honorees' tables also had a gold bow so the caterer could serve them first.

Next, I helped set up the appetizer tables.  (Wish I'd taken a photo of the appetizers.....they were lovely.)  We put a white tablecloth and I thought that looked fine.  But, these busy bees decided we needed skirts and flowers.  That took several of us quite a while to set them up.

The gals who set up the bar spent most of the morning making the bar tables elegant with the gold trim and bows.  Some of the husbands of our committee were wine waiters in their tux pants, crisp white shirts, and ties.  Once the caterers started serving the food, people came to this back table for their wine. 

There were tables along the side where couples brought in their wedding photos and albums.  The gals who set up those tables worked a long time to get them "just so."

This was my favorite --- the cake table.  Besides the cake served to everyone, each couple was given a small cake to take home, as well as a basket with a small bottle of champagne, glasses, etc .

Upon their arrival, each couple was ushered backstage where they were served appetizers and wine.  Then each couple was introduced one at a time and the MC told a cute story about their dating days.  While "their song" was played, there was a short slide show on the big wall above them of highlights from their life together.   A photographer also took a picture of each couple under the arch.

Here is a sample below. This is my friend, Wendy and her hubby, not one of the honorees, but you can see what a nice photo setting it was.  Many hours were spent setting up and decorating the arch and getting the black curtains behind it to look right.

I wore a black outfit.  The pants had an overlay in the front that made it look like a long skirt.  The jacket was long, styled sort of like a tux jacket.  Then I added the sparkly blue shell and the blue earrings.

The back of my long jacket had criss-cross lacing.

They had the 13 honoree couples dance the first dance.  Then they invited all the couples in the room who had been married over 50 years to join them.  It was inspiring (made me choke up) to see that the institute of marriage is still alive in this country!

Someone's grandchildren caught our eye during the electric slide - such energy.  Later everyone gathered around and they agreed to dance one dance for us.  Wow!

The DJ lives here in Savanna Club and spent hours choosing music that drew people to the dance floor. I did join in the line dances such as the Electric Slide and the Cupid Shuffle. 

After all honorees were gone, everyone pitched in and we got a lot of the un-decorating finished.  The next day everyone worked again.  Various ladies took some tablecloths and wine glasses to wash. 

This Sweetheart Dinner Dance was a special tribute to sweethearts who are still sweethearts after 50 years.  In this day and age, that is commendable!  Congratulations!