The Hidden King

Since we finished the book of Isaiah during the Lenten season, our Bible study leader suggested that we spend three weeks studying Saint Joseph.  I was very excited about that as I didn't know a lot about him besides being a carpenter and Jesus' father.  The video that we were using for our studies was divided in three parts and was titled The Hidden King. I thought that was very interesting as I had most often heard of him as The Forgotten Saint.  We listened to the first part last week which focused on the lineage of Joseph and his relationship to King David.  There was also a lot of discussion regarding Herod who was the king of Jerusalem.  He was a horrible person and was responsible for killing all male Jews under the age of two after he found out about Jesus' birth. It was very difficult to listen to at times because of Herod's cruelty.

This week's lesson focused on the story of Joseph and Mary's betrothal and marriage as well as Jesus' conception.  It was absolutely fascinating.  It not only gave us information about relationships during that time period but also gave Biblical verses that supported the Catholic Church's beliefs surrounding the lives of Joseph and Mary. There were verses that showed that Mary remained a virgin her entire life, it dated Joseph's age and it explained perfectly the question about Jesus' "brothers."  I thoroughly enjoyed the video and the discussion that followed.  I will miss the last session next week but should be able to finish on my own later.  If not, I am so happy with what I learned today.  It was truly enlightening.  

The Plant Debate Continues

Since Doug and I first bought our home in Naperville, we have always disagreed on how to trim our bushes.  He has always liked our landscaping to look natural with only minor trimming several times a year.  I one the other hand preferred to have all bushes shaped and kept small.  It made sense that our opinions differed.  The landscaping at his parents' home was large almost covering the front of the home.  Ours was always kept small so the house was in open view.

At first, we followed more of Doug's thoughts on the landscaping.  That seemed fair to me since he did most of the yardwork.  Once he started traveling more and I got involved, we changed to more of my way of thinking. I was very glad when we moved to Florida that Doug changed his opinion completely.  I didn't have to do much persuading either.  Once he saw that large bushes and brush near the house brough more bugs, lizards and snakes he agreed to minimal landscaping near the home and rock instead of mulch.

Our houseplants, on the other hand, have still continued to be a debate.  Doug likes to have them grow naturally, and I prefer them trimmed.  Since I take care of them, I agreed to leave two grow and prune the rest as I saw fit.  I had mentioned to him not to long ago that our angel wings plant was starting to take over the top shelf.  He wasn't quite ready for me to do anything about it yet but agreed to think about it.  I guess the plant had another idea.  This morning I woke up to it lying on the ground.  It had taken quite a fall from the top tier and lost many leaves and a few of the vines along the way.  I couldn't believe it.  The vines must have gotten too heavy.  I was able to replant what was left in another planter and get it back up on the shelf this afternoon.  After that mishap, Doug was fine with me doing research on all of the plants to see the best way to care for them even if it meant trimming a few more.  I was glad to hear that as I didn't want any more late-night free falls to happen to my beloved houseplants.  

The Masters

The past four days have been filled with Masters updates from our family group chat.  There were cheers, taunts, and disappointments shared among the twelve of us involved in the pool and many laughs as well.  Karen had chosen the fan favorite, Rory McIlroy, as her pick and was tied for the lead after three rounds.  The rest of us were cheering for other golfers and for a time it looked like my pick, Cameron Young, would be the winner as he started the day tied with Rory, but the pressure must have gotten to him as he couldn't make a putt. Maggie's pick, Justin Rose, climbed to the top before a few errant shots knocked him down to third.  Cora was the last lone one in our group to have any chance of catching Rory as her pick, Scottie Scheffler, came roaring back on the last nine, but unfortunately, he ran out of holes before he could send the tournament into a playoff.  

As a family we were divided on who were rooting for on the last few holes, some for Karen and others for Cora.  Either way it was a lot of fun and the closest Masters that I had watched in a long time. In the end, Karen was excited to have won our family pool, and I was thankful that everyone had a great time together even though we all lived miles apart.  

A Beautiful Change of Weather

Meg decided to leave for Orlando tonight after dinner, but we made the most of her visit these past two days before she left.  Last night, we picked up dinner from Publix and afterward sat outside on the back patio listening to vinyls. This morning, Meg and I went to the new thrift store by McAlister's.  I had been there on Thursday with Robbi, and I knew that Meg would really like it.  She found a few shirts for herself, and I even picked up two for me and a brand-new dress shirt for Doug.  

After lunch, Meg worked on her crafts while I helped Doug with a few things.  He left around 3 to meet Phil back at Hiatus.  They had just tapped the keg on their "beertini."  Meg and I weren't into the martini inspired beer and went for a walk at Sholom Park instead.  We were both thankful for the beautiful day.  It had been dreary and rainy in Florida this past week and sunshine was just what we needed.  The three of us went to dinner once everyone got back. I picked Las Margaritas so that we could sit outside and enjoy the end of the day.  We also did a little bit of shopping before we left Heath Brook Square where I found the perfect glasses for our game nights while Meg picked up duck ones for their collection.  Overall, it was a wonderful day, and we were very glad to have spent it with Meg.

Unexpected Turn of Events

Meg decided to come out today and hang out with us since Nick was flying.  It had been a while since she had stayed in Ocala, and it was very nice to have her here.  She and I went to Hobby Lobby when she first arrived to pick up crafting supplies for her and some front porch decorations for me.  It was packed, but we still had a lot of fun.

Doug was home early today as they had a company outing that got over at 2 p.m.  The three of us decided to ask Uncle Phil if he wanted to meet us at Hiatus in the late afternoon.  Neither Meg nor I had talked to him in a month and were surprised by his life change.  He had started volunteering at a local pet rescue where he would be walking dogs that were in need of a little exercise before they found their new forever owner.  He told us all about it and the dogs that he had walked so far.  It was neat to see the excitement in his eyes and nice to know that he really enjoyed it.  I had been very worried about him since he quit his job last year.  He didn't seem to have much interaction with others besides our family.  It was nice to know that he found something he loved that would give him a chance to get involved in his new community.  

Severance

Several months ago, Jim suggested to me that I watch the Apple TV series, Severance.  We didn't have the streaming service then, so I put it on the list for later.  The new iPhone that I just purchased came with a free two-month subscription so I decided that I would give it a try and I am so glad that I did.  

All I knew before I started the series was that it followed a group of workers that have their mind severed. Thus, their "innies" only know their work environment, and their "outies" only know the outside world. The show hasn't been as hard to follow as I thought it would be and I was hooked from the very first episode.  Sometimes it feels like I'm watching a car accident; I don't want to look but I can't seem to turn away.  I can never figure out what's going to happen next and each episode ends on a cliff hanger.  The fact that it was written by Ben Stiller makes it even more fascinating.  I have already finished the first season and am starting season two today.  I have no idea how this will end, but I know that I will enjoy the ride along the way.

Not What He Expected, But Maybe a Whole Lot Better

I talked to Cameron yesterday and found out that he did not get the position that he interviewed for on the Student Athletic Board - VP of Membership.  I knew that he was very disappointed about it, especially since he had not won the race for president of the group earlier in the semester as well.  For him the worst part was that all of his friends got the position that they wanted and it was hard to celebrate their victory while mourning his own loss.  We talked a lot about empathy and understanding.  Most importantly, we talked about how to handle rejection and acceptance as we both knew that this wouldn't be the last time he was turned down for something that he had worked hard to achieve.

The one topic that I had brought up to him multiple times before he applied and today after he knew the results was the belief that I had - "Everything happens for a reason."  This time it was very obvious to me what that reason was because as soon as Cameron told me about losing out on the position that he wanted, he followed it up with "but I will still be a director and they are opening it up to another sport, football." I couldn't believe it.  Cameron has been 100% Hoosier football for as long as I could remember pledging his loyalty way before he committed to IU.  He was the only one of our children who enjoyed the games even more than the tailgates.  He had stuck with them when they were 3-9 and sat through many rain drenched games even though the team had given up long before he did.  It was the perfect spot for him and even Cal said, "Do you know how much cooler it is to tell people that my brother is SAB Director of Football than VP of Membership?"  I hoped that me telling him how proud our family was of him and how awesome we thought his new position was helped him to see that the old adage "when one door closes, another one opens" is not just a saying but a belief system.