Simply Norma

When we first moved to our house over 16 months ago, I noticed black plastic triangle, hmmm, for lack of a better word, thingamajigs.  There were probably 12 of them that were placed strategically around our property. I didn’t know what they were for until the pest control company we hired said “Did you want me to fill the mice baits?” “Uh, what?”

Yes, the plastic black triangles are mice baits that they put poison in.  The mice then eat and off they go to die some place else. I had not seen any mice though.

For me, the saying “out of sight, out of mind” works very well until, of course, the “out of sight” comes into sight.

I moved most of the wood from the woodpile in the back of our property to the new woodpile at the side of the house. Two more trips and I was done. I reached for a piece of wood to put in the wagon I use to haul things and then — something moved. I had seen spiders already but I think I’m getting used to them and just let them get out of the way then proceed with my work.

I picked up another piece of wood … something moved again. Looking to the left, I spotted them. Two small cute-as-a-button mice. Hmmm … they kept darting this way and that and I was wondering if maybe, just maybe, they had a nest in the woodpile that I couldn’t see. So, I did what any new-to-woodpile girl would do — I stopped what I was doing for the day. This will allow the mice to move elsewhere, or am I too hopeful about that?

Perhaps by tomorrow they’ll be gone and I can continue that part of my work.

But I am so proud of myself! In less than 1 1/2 hours I moved a whole stack of wood from one location to another. I must be getting to be a real country girl.  (laughing)

We are now ready for the cold and snow to hit. We don’t need the wood to heat our house but we sure do like having our fireplace going.

Weather predictions through the end of the year are calling for a dry autumn so we’ll wait and see what happens — dry means outside work will continue until it gets too cold. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy these dry crisp sunny autumn days.

It’s after 1 a.m. Sunday morning and I am awake. Before going to bed, I took a Naproxen because I had a slight headache. It hasn’t helped much, yet, and it’s been a couple of hours. Unfortunately the label says I can only take one every 8 hours.

The headache is one-sided which can mean the start of a migraine but taking an Excedrin For Migraine pill is not an option as they have caffeine which would keep me awake — but they do get rid of my headaches.

So I’ve gotten up trying to figure out why I’m still awake as the headache doesn’t seem severe enough to warrant a sleepless night.

Saturday started out easy enough but I much anticipated going to church because a friend, who I hadn’t seen in over 10 years, recently moved to Minnesota to look for work.

I first met him when he came to visit the church I attended in Seattle. I invited him home for lunch and the rest is history. He has an interesting background. He came to the U.S. seeking asylum from Liberia where he is from. He is currently a U.S. citizen and received a Masters of Divinity degree.

When my husband and I arrived at church he was not there yet. I kept looking back to see if I could see him amid the many faces in church. Once he spotted me (in spite of my now almost gray hair) he came straight for us. I was so happy to see him. We invited him over for lunch, we ate, talked then he went to his temporary home.

But surely that excitement wouldn’t cause a headache or have me wired that I can’t sleep. Thinking back to before the headache started, I remember having hot chocolate, small pieces of cheddar cheese and saltine crackers. I have heard that cheese can cause headaches in some people.  Hmmm …

Surely it can’t be the hot chocolate … that’s an almost daily ritual for me.

Perhaps my being wired (if I can call it that) and possibly the headache is from the stress my church is going through right now. They have started committees to discuss whether women should be ordained as Pastors. And, unfortunately, three Conferences have decided to pre-empt the committee process and have approved gender neutral ordinations. I’m not sure what the result of that will be.

What’s really interesting is that the church was co-founded by a woman. And even more interesting is that women have been doing the work as “commissioned” Pastors instead of “ordained” Pastors. They pretty much do everything the men do so why not give them the title?

For me, the missing piece is the study of what God wants us to do in this situation. What does His word say about it? Just because women have been allowed to do something for so many years doesn’t mean that God wanted it that way.

My head spins when I think of all the reading and policy deciphering that I need to do in order to decide for myself what the answer is.

Some people have not behaved humbly — men nor women — and that troubles me even more. This isn’t about “rights” — it’s about following what God would have us to do in spite of what we want to do.

The situation brings to mind a similar problem within the Catholic Church. Some priests wanted to marry but the teachings of the church prohibited it. My stance on that was — get out. If you don’t like the teachings you don’t have to belong to that particular organization. Instead, priests tried to change the system and were angry and accusing of the church in spite of their agreement when they first joined.

We seem to live in a world where we demand what we think is rightfully ours. But that’s not the way of a Christian. Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek yet the world says defend yourself. (More on that another time …)

Our calling is different than the world’s.

So, I’ll listen to the pros and cons, I’ll read, but mostly I’ll pray. We have Someone higher than ourselves who cares about the direction of His church. We must do what He wants in spite of what we or others want.

So many things in my head — no wonder I’m wired.

Looking out the window into the moonless night, I see so many stars. I pick up the binoculars, look again and see so many more stars. I’m reminded of the Scripture that says that God knows the number of hairs on my head. Quite a detailed God He is.

There is truly nothing to worry about. In the end everything will work out. It’s just that humans are so unpredictable and I don’t like seeing power plays in the church among my brothers and sisters.

Okay … time to try to sleep again.

Yesterday we received a package from the dealership where we recently bought our car. They had called and told my husband that the “date” had to be corrected on the forms we signed so they needed new forms.

Upon reviewing the documents, I noticed they had sent us the credit application for dealership financing that we did not use. I had called the afternoon that we were going to pick the car up and asked if they needed to process our credit since we were going to finance part of the costs of the car through our own bank and pay cash for the rest. The answer was no.

I was a little surprised to see the dealership finance forms that we filled out (but not signed) with the line “sign here” highlighted for us to sign. I called the dealership and spoke with the woman who had sent us the forms. She told me that they had processed our credit because the government database that they were supposed to check to make sure we weren’t terrorists was down when we went to pick up the car.

Uh, what was that? Apparently when you pay cash (even though ours was partly financed through our bank) they have a database they have to check to make sure your name is not on the terrorist list.

That was news to me. Our bank was kind enough to deposit the funds they loaned us directly into our checking account so we could pay by personal check but apparently that caused a red flag to go up even though the bank is listed as a lien holder on our title by the dealership.

In re-reading through the form we initially filled out for financing (but didn’t sign) I noticed that we would not only be signing to give them permission to run our credit (which we hadn’t) but also for them to contact us through whatever means they chose even if WE incurred costs.

I explained to the finance woman that I did not feel comfortable signing this form as I did not consent for them to check our credit nor did I want them to contact me later. The woman said that they had to check our credit instead of the government database because the credit agencies check the same information and they can then state that they ran the background check.

At this point, I told the woman that she could run our name through the government database now instead of my having to sign a form that I didn’t agree with.

Then, the strangest thing happened … the finance woman told me that they had already run our name in the government database and we were not on their terrorist list so everything was okay. So now, she said, I didn’t need to sign the form.

Frankly, what I believe happened is they ran our credit without permission and now needed to get permission to do it.

How odd.

Anyway, I’ll be returning the forms tomorrow with the finance forms unsigned.

Did you know that the government requires the dealerships in the state of Minnesota to check your background on their database in case you’re a terrorist? Further, the credit agencies also check the same database on you.

I wonder if this applies every time you sign up for a new credit card also? What else could it possibly apply to?

Uncle Sam is indeed watching …

New car!!!!

Before we moved to Minnesota, almost two years ago, we sold our second car and started the hunt for a new car here. I test drove a couple of cars shortly after arriving but we decided to wait until we bought a house. It’s hard to believe we’ve lived in our house almost 16 months. A second car wasn’t needed too much as my husband’s work isn’t that far and I didn’t mind dropping him off and picking him up.

But … in November 2011, Ford announced a smaller SUV that my husband showed much interest in. The 2013 Ford Escape was supposed to be shown at the 2012 Minneapolis show but alas! they only had the outer portion of the car there and it wasn’t on the showroom floor.

We waited patiently until we received a call in early June from our local Ford dealer, Tousley Ford, letting us know that one model had arrived that we could test drive. Although it was not the SEL with the larger engine that we wanted, we test drove it and told them were were interested in waiting to test drive the SEL or Titanium once it arrived.

Then we waited and waited. The Ford plant in Louisville, Kentucky had some damage due to a severe hailstorm in April 2012. Ford has also had three recalls in two months on the 1.6 four cylinder engine 2013 Ford Escapes. That doesn’t bode well for customers but the company has been very quick in responding to any complaints.

In July we were finally able to test drive the 2013 Ford Escape Titanium that has the 2.0 engine that we were interested in.  The car drove smoothly. It is very pretty (speaking from a female perspective). The lines on the car are quite different than the 2012 Escape which is why we wanted to wait for the newer model.

We placed our order and this week we received the call that our car had come in. It sure is a beaut!

Besides the cup holders between the driver and front passenger seats and the ones in the back, the doors also have a place to put drinks.

The rear seat area has its own air flow with a place to plug in a laptop or other device.

The back door has the “liftgate” feature that allows you to put your foot under the car and the door opens (as long as you have the key on your person).

You also have the option of touching a button (on the left) to close the door or using the pull handle (on the right).

The steering wheel allows you to touch a button so that you can “speak” to the navigation system or negotiate the radio (the speakers are fantastic!).

I have yet to drive the car (we took possession Wednesday night) because I want my husband to figure out how to work all the bells and whistles plus I like to take my time in getting acquainted with a new car.

I am sure looking forward to it though.

Thoughts on how it looks?

I woke up this morning, rolled out of bed and headed downstairs to — no one. My husband had left for work and for the past week my mother would be downstairs waiting for me to start the coffee pot. But she and my two aunts left recently. The house sounds empty.

The visit went very well in spite of my concerns that I couldn’t entertain three elderly women but it was a lot easier than I thought.

Mornings started off sitting around the table drinking coffee. One aunt slept upstairs so when she came down she was already dressed since she didn’t want to go up and down the stairs. The rest of us sat around in our pajamas or whatever we came out in. After coffee, my mother and one aunt took showers while I prepared breakfast.

These “elderly” women don’t normally eat much for breakfast so I would prepare a fried egg, toast and juice. Sometimes I would make breakfast links or add some sliced cheese to the mix but for the most part, keeping it simple was the best plan.

After everyone had eaten we would sit and watch The Price Is Right. It started at 10:00 in the morning. I don’t know of three other women who can have so much fun watching this show. They would guess the price of each item, comment on why the players bet so high or so low, and act as if they had won the prizes themselves. So much enjoyment of this game.

Afterwards we would head out to shop (although one aunt insisted she didn’t like to shop) or visit a local attraction. We went to Aamodt’s Apple Farm in Stillwater, the Sea Life Aquarium at the Mall of America, walked the Mall of America (most of it) and even headed to the Treasure Island Casino in Welch, Minnesota.  This is the first time I’d been to an actual casino (besides walking through them on cruise ships).

It was a little disheartening to watch all these (mainly) elderly people sit at slot machines, add money and push a button hoping to win at a game. It seemed quite boring and a waste of time (not to mention money) to me but my aunts wanted to go so my husband and I agreed to drive them. And my mother, while not a particularly gambling person, played also. We had two winners in the group: my aunt won $580 and my mother won $160.

Even with people winning, I still felt the sense that most people were getting ripped off.

Our trips to the local stores like Cub and Big Lots were eye openers to me. All three women took shopping carts but not because they were going to put anything in them. All three needed the shopping carts to help balance them as they walked.

I hadn’t realized how fragile my mother is until she came to visit. She uses a cane almost all the time now. For most of the visit she had mouth pain because her lower dentures weren’t attaching to her gums properly.

Growing old is not for the faint of heart. It requires dependence on other people when independence is what one has known all their lives. My mama and aunts are no different. They do the best they can with arthritic knees, emphysema, asthma, high cholesterol, blood pressure problems and don’t want to ask for help as everyone is “busy.” What I explained to one of my aunts is that because everyone is busy they sometimes don’t realize the needs of those around them yet they would stop and help if asked.

I was sad to see them leave as they are so full of life and laughter. I will always cherish the stories they shared about their lives (and my own life when I was younger).

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Today didn’t go as well as I planned. My mother and aunts were supposed to arrive from Chicago at 11:05 a.m.

The day started out as usual, ie, I took my husband to work then stayed at Starbucks for a little while until it was time to go to my Bible study which started at 9:30 a.m. When I left Starbucks at 8:50 a.m. I received a phone call from my aunt in Puerto Rico. I should have ignored the call but I like talking with this aunt so I picked it up and we discussed how we thought the visit with my mama and two aunts would go.

We somehow got disconnected and I hurried to the post office, got on the highway and arrived 10 minutes late for the Bible study. I quickly took my Bible from the back of the car, grabbed my phone and muted it and headed in. The study had already started but I hadn’t missed much. I was glad I was there. I am really learning a lot at these Wednesday morning Bible studies on the Psalms and hate to miss them.

The study went overtime about 5 minutes but I wasn’t worried as the airport was only 3 miles away. I gathered my things and headed to my car. That’s when the day went downhill. I looked in my purse for my cell phone and it was not there.  I went through every compartment in my purse but to no avail. The Pastor and one of the other members drove off. I stepped outside the car and looked on the ground thinking that perhaps I had dropped it between the car and the church but I had no luck in finding it.

During the Bible study I had seen another man at the church so I rang the doorbell and knocked on the door. No answer. I kept ringing the doorbell and in my frustration I felt like crying.

I went back to my car and thought “I shouldn’t have come to the Bible study but have gone straight to the airport and been early.” Then I took stock of my situation. More than likely the cell phone was inside the church where I was seated so I probably had nothing to worry about. Besides, I hadn’t had a cell phone for many years and I lived without it. What is the big deal?

I told my Garmin to take me to the airport and when I arrived I found that parking was very easy. I even found a parking spot right next to the handicapped spaces. Running inside a man saw that I wasn’t sure where to go and he directed me. Was this my guardian angel who saw me frustrated and led me to where I should go? I hadn’t realized this blessing until I walked across the bridge, went down the escalators and there sitting in three wheelchairs were my mother and two aunts.

It was so easy. I went up to my mama, kissed her then turned to my aunts and did the same. I apologized and explained I’d lost my cell phone. But, hey! they were early too. The Southwest Airlines escort was waiting with them for their suitcases and he told me to bring the car to the door and he would escort them out.

I went back to the parking lot, paid my fee and drove up to the baggage claim door and the escort already had them waiting outside with their suitcases. Another blessing. I tipped the man as I didn’t believe he was allowed to go outside with the wheelchairs. He helped all three women in the car and put the suitcases in the car trunk. I couldn’t have asked for better service.

The drive home was eventful. The women were talkative, laughing and enjoying the “treed” scenery. I even learned a new Spanish word for forest — monte.

Pulling in to my neighborhood the women were impressed with all the trees. Upon reaching the driveway I pulled in and jokingly said “If you don’t behave you’ll have to sleep in the tree house.” They all laughed until they noticed that I actually had a tree house.  (laughing)

I knew they were hungry when my mother took a slice of bread and started eating it. We made sandwiches and sat in the screened-in porch and enjoyed the quietness of the property. Well, we enjoyed the quiet but I’m sure the neighbors were wondering what all the laughing and talking were about.

We had such a great time catching up from when I’d see them last.

They kept reminding me to pick my husband up from work (like I would have forgotten …). Arriving home with husband in tow they showered him with hugs and kisses.

We were going to have a barbecue but decided that since they were so hungry we would go out to dinner at The Olive Garden. Dinner was good — the usual Olive Garden fare. I knew there would be a problem when the bill arrived. One aunt fought for the bill but my husband won that battle. We did let my mother pay the tip because otherwise we would have been in really hot water and we didn’t want to argue about every little thing.

Afterwards we went to a store called Home Goods and they shopped and shopped. One aunt has a really hard time walking so she clung to the cart for support — they all took a cart of their own to lean on. It must not be easy to be in your 80’s.

Upon arriving home at 7ish I noticed they were tired so we sat around and watched TV until my mother said “I think I’m going to bed.” Then everyone retired for the night.

A full day for three eighty year olds (well, one is going to be 79 but healthwise she’s the worse of the three).

Day two is coming quickly. Tomorrow (or should I say today) I hunt for my cell phone and we are going to … hmmm … haven’t quite decided yet. I think I’ll pretend to be 80 and be spontaneous.

I wonder what other blessings God has in store for us.

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