With Wes' new work schedule, Sunday is my new "Monday." So, I've got a second load of laundry in the washer and the bed is stripped. I'm going to clean the downstairs shower, shower myself, and then vacuum and wash the west wall in the living room. I did the south and east walls yesterday. I'm removing the baseboard as I go. Next week I'll be priming and painting the living room. The ceilings were done a couple weeks ago. Once the walls are painted, I'm arranging for someone to make the built-ins (coat/broom closet, and window seat, flanked by two book shelf-cabinets) along the south wall. Then, I'm taking the bedspread and blankets to the laundry mat; that's easier than washing them at home. While they wash I'll have my "break" and read a book...or just zone out. Once the bed is remade, I'll be finished for the day. Wanna come help do the living room walls?

Well, at this point, the day's half over So far, we were up early, had breakfast. I hemmed a tablecloth while DH puttered with something out back or in the garage. Then we headed out to Walgreens because we had a good coupon ($5 off $20), then to a couple of garden centers. Came home, planted the forscythia bush we bought, met some of the neighbors, moved some bulbs, made and ate lunch, tilled part of the vegetable garden, planted Vidalia onions, lettuce, spinach, cabbage. Hemmed another tablecloth. Straightened up a bit. DH just popped his head in and needs me to come outside and show him what plants I want to dig up to take back to the other house. Need to pack up here, and close the place up, then we'll be heading home, planting those bushes there. And, with any luck, will be going out for dinner (and maybe we'll pop in to visit Aunt in the care facility). Not sure what I'll do this evening--haven't gotten that far yet.

After napping in the car during the 24 hour jaunt down to NC from Ontario, beginning Fri. evening, I had a good sleep last night (after doing some email stuff and posting here after most Korea missionary reunion folks had gone to bed, I was up rather early (for me), waking at 7:20 a.m. (didn't know how to set the alarm on the bedside radio). Had to be in the dining hall for breakfast before 8:00 ... and I'd neglected to bring my razor from the car prior to lock up, so it was a fast clean-up. After breakfast there was a presentation for upwards of an hour about the various international and voluntary organization activities to help the people of North Korea have food (there was terrible flooding last fall, with three plantings of the crop that they use to make one of their staple foods - kim-chee, for those familiar with Korean cusine, and the final planting only growing to about a third normal height). They were telling also of bringing medical and educational supplies, capital goods, as well as food - generators to bring light to hospital operating rooms, and power the equipment, as much of it did not last long on the low-voltage current from the mains. There is increasing trust and cooperation among the foreign-based agencies working there, and a build up of it between them and their Korean counterparts - North Korea has been substantially isolated from most of the rest of the world for so long. When various missionary agencies agreed to work in various areas of the country about a century ago, the Presbyterians in Canada (later the United Church, after several denominations united), were assigned the north-east section of the country and some in Manchuria. Though none of us who were there 50 years ago had ever been to the North, we havbe long held a soft spot in our hearts for that area, and we are especially pleased to see the thawing that is taking place there. Then we had a hynmn sing for a while and a worsip, including reading the names of colleagues who had died within the three years since the last gathering - two pages, smallish print, with two or three descriptive lines for each. The offering to go to assist the various upgrading projects in North Korea. I was able to meet several of my friends, though I was only here for a short part of the program - with some of the Canadian group having come whom I hadn't expected. A good supper last evening, breakfast this morning and a delicious lunch has fuelled me for a time ... and I'm crying the blues over gas being $3.99 and $4.00 in this area - but not too large tears, as I filled at lower prices earlier and my little Mazda sort of sips gas (enhanced by my turning off the key and coasting sometimes on downhills - when there's no one close behind). And they have quite a few of those downhills in Kentucky and NC ... I felt a sense of respect for the folks who'd chopped off the large volumes of rock in the hills to dump into the vallies to build the roads, years ago. After yakking to you folks, I'm off across country to visit my niece in n-w GA ... and, leaving hastily, I forgot to bring her address, but I do remember the name of the street. I wrote her family in Alberta to ask them to send it ... but they appear to have not received the message. Anyway - missionaries (and former ones) have to learn to fly by faith (don't we all have to do that, a good deal of the time?). Last trip, I had a bit of a job finding their location, as Gainesville seems to be spread all over the map. Anyway - wish me luck. Plan to return to Ontario just before next weekend ... and Pooh Bear's to be vacationing, so won't see him. Have a lovely week, everyone. Start planning for your retirement - remember, every retired day is on (hopefully, prepaid) vacation. If it isn't prepaid, and one chooses to retire, or has the choice made for them, there's likely a problem down the road, for lack of food tends to make one seek re-employment at an advanced age (unless one plans to die within a few months/years of retirement - improbable with clergy or missionaries, as they tend to live to advanced ages. ole joyful

I got up this morning, took a bath, washed my hair, made a peach cobbler, cooked the meat loaf and Swiss chicken, set the table and then went to church. After church I got everything else out of the fridge and heated it up and fed 10 people. I never make enough deviled eggs, so I'll have to remember that. My SIL and GD#2 just about did all the cleaning and dishwasher loading. He'd never really helped like that and it was wonderful! He helped my pack up some stuff for the old gentleman at our church that just went home from the hosp. I know he'll enjoy some home cooking. They've all gone home now and DH has taken the food out to Mac. Peace and quiet and a dishwasher running. This is the life!!!! We're going to visit another friend that just had surgery and I guess that'll be it for the day.