I think I need to have you start calling the office and threaten me.

(Thankful Notes #358)

I had a couple of favorite moments/encounters at our Sunday Campfire Service last night…

It’s been five months since I’ve last seen mother and son Betty and Billy (who, before the pandemic, came to the church every Friday to help with various projects—Billy quietly serving as a custodian and Betty helping in the office while making loud threats to the staff). It was such a joy to see their faces, even behind masks, at the church last night! I told Betty, “I’ve missed you and your threats. I think I need to have you start calling the office and threaten me.”

She said, “Oh, I’ll just come and whoop your ass!”

This was church gold, a treasure of treasures.

I was talking with a mom after the service and I noticed her face mask. I said, “Denee, your mask has Prince all over it. That’s fantastic.” She is a Prince superfan. And I get it.

Today was my day off with lots of domestic stuff… doing laundry, dishes, taking care of my dad, an HVAC appointment for a bid, mowing the lawn, watering, and grocery shopping. When I made lunch for my dad, I noticed the big umbrella on his deck had blown out of its stand beneath the table and was sitting in the corner against the railing. I picked it up and put it back into the stand, checking to make sure it was secure this time. The next time I went over to my dad’s, he said something about hearing a big crash outside. I looked on the deck and the umbrella was gone.

I couldn’t see it anywhere. I even walked outside and around his house to see if I could find it. My best guess was that it either floated down to the lake and is at someone else’s shoreline or maybe it landed in the neighbor’s yard somewhere I can’t see it.

About an hour later, I was sitting outside on my own deck and I heard a big crash next door. I went over to my dad’s house—he was on his deck looking at the big umbrella that had just arrived (apparently from the roof of his house). All my searching before was looking down. I guess I should have been looking up.

Also, for a brief moment, I thought that last line might be a good sermon illustration before coming to my senses and realizing just how corny it is.

A friend came by to go on an adventure with Shari—and also to leave some flowers for me and my dad with a note commemorating the 5 year anniversary of my mom’s death. I’m thankful for friendship like that, friends who keep remembering even when they don’t have to.

This afternoon, an Alexa device on my kitchen counter said, “I’d love to be able to place your voice with a name” and then proceeded to ask my name and requested that I repeat a few lines so she could learn my voice. Maybe I’m lonely, but I actually enjoyed the conversation. It’s nice to be known.

“I love when you can hear age in voices – whether it is childlike or old croaky style. This over-importance that everything has to sound teen-age is a bit boring, a bit anti-life.” —Björk