pizza luncheon with 2 little girls!

 

Here is that sassy duo!

We were waiting for Christina to step away from the register at NCG Cinema and, when I asked them to pose, that sassiness came bursting out in full force!

Glad to know they take after me through nurture, since they cannot by nature.

We are linked forever by love!

(smile!)

And we were linked together at this viewing of "Clifford, The Big Red Dog", with the four of us sitting in the front row and laughing at the antics of the 12-year-old girl and the pet she received from Mr. Bridwell!

 

Yes, I had just seen it yesterday, but I had not seen it with them... and that makes all the difference!

Getting to laugh at the dog playing 'fetch' it in their company -

getting concerned when the corporation tries to take the puppy away -  

getting misty-eyed when the girl has to say goodbye at the ship -

yes, much better with Miyah and Chloe there with me!

As for Christina, she had a little nap in between scenes.

Hahahaha!

Then, off to Cici's Pizza for our luncheon!

I must say, this summer has really shown how much the girls have grown emotionally - they will be so much more ready for school this fall!

They both listen better, for starters.

My first niece even says they do well at entertaining themselves on rainy afternoons or hot evenings when the weather prompts them to stay indoors.

Good for them!!!

I am so proud of how much they have matured!

That's not to say they don't have their silly moments...

but so do I.

Good for them!!!

(smile!)

movie here, movie there, mileage in between

First thing this morning, I was off to see John Cleese!

I do so love that man with the twinkling eyes!!!

NCG had "Clifford The Big Red Dog" as their Summer Camp movie this week and so I knew the Brit would be there!

Surprisingly, Peyton's clone was in that movie, too!

Long curly red hair, pale skin, 6th grade - well, I guess Darby Camp is a year older than her.

I'm so glad the screening room was full of others who enjoyed the movie!

Although being the sole audience member doesn't detract from my enjoyment of a movie, I admit to getting an extra hit of merriment when others are there who are as actively engaged as I am.

Right place, right time, as confirmed by my odometer when home.

I was striving for a palindrome, but didn't quite make it.

Still, that mileage of 242042 was good enough to make me smile!

Encouraged, I checked Georgia Gateway about my Medicaid application.

It still lists mine as awaiting the caseworker's determination of my eligibility for those Medical Benefits that I had until April.

While the caseworker works on this, I have to pay the Medicare Part B premium, which means my Social Security check has been $185.00 short for three months.

That's a pretty hard hit to my budget.

Hopefully, that will be straightened out soon.

Thankfully, I had free entertainment tonight... and with my brothers!

When I called Smitty earlier to sing to him, he mentioned that he and Mary were going to Compassion Christian East for the "At The Movies" kickoff.

Most excellent!

Tony and Laura had spoken of that on Sunday, telling me that the movie selected to be sermonized was "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring".

I knew that story well, as I once owned that trilogy in paperback form.

So, I made a plan to show up and surprise my brothers and their wives!

That worked out perfectly, as Laura spotted me at the door and waved me over to where they sat - hooray!

Very well done, the sermon was, inferring a comparison of the mysticism of the Ring (in the movie) to the mysticism of the Holy Grail (in the Christian Bible), though the inference was not direct.

Afterward, I was able to give Smitty a birthday hug and talk about his left eye.

Then I got big hugs from Mary, Tony, Laura, and Peyton - fabulous!

And after a bit of a chat about the movie and life, more hugs!

(smile!)

Bonus points to me for coming out on a rainy night, too.

i Thank You, God.

welcome to medicare, my biggest little brother!

 

I have flowers for you, Smitty!

This is the gorgeous bouquet that graced the right side of the stage Sunday.

Perhaps I should have brought them to you?

You are still recovering from surgery to your left eye for a torn retina.

As you know, I had the flowers given away to folks in recovery or grief.

I know how much that can mean to have a gift like that.

Hmm... maybe I'll surprise you with a floral spray after your doctor appointment on Friday to check the progress of the healing.

Isn't it a hoot that the eye surgeon in Hilton Head is the same one that treated Daddy when he had eye issues?

That sounds like some great joke from the Universe!

I'm glad Bonnie said it wasn't a torn retina that he had; at least it wasn't a genetic problem that you might have passed on to Zach or Kobe.

Such a relief!

Happy 65th birthday, my dear brother!

I love you so!

third place! twice!

Ah, yes!!!

Just after 1 AM today, I was in the top ten for "Family Feud"!

That was with AARP Games, not the TV show.

I caught my score by chance.

Perhaps I could get on the leader board for a different game?

Holy cow, I did it, too!

At 2 AM, I made the top ten for "Right Again! Trivia"!!!

Content with those bragging rights, off I toddled to dream.

After breakfast, I checked in to AARP.

Did I still have third place for the trivia game?

Not only did I not have third place, I was not even in the top ten.

In fact, none of the folks who had been on that early morning list were still there at 10:40 AM.

Might the same be true for "Family Feud"?

Almost so.

None of the early morning leaders were still on board, save one.

That was MichelleP3257, who had slipped from first place to 4th, but was still there.

Did I try to win my way back on either list?

I did not, as I had an appointment at Savannah VA.

I'll be seeing my PCP, Susan Barker, on Friday and she had ordered blood and urine tests from the lab.

That worked out fine for me to catch the new movie, "Jurassic Park: Rebirth", timing my arrival perfectly for as it began.

Very good summer-fare flick with lots of jump scares!

I had just enough time when I got home to watch "The Princess Bride", which I'd taped from ABC last night.

As I told everyone at Music Bingo tonight, it was wonderful to be able to zip right past all the 'mercials!!!

I was able to watch it in very nearly its 98-minute running time!

As for the Music Bingo at Midtown Sports, Sandy was the only one of six of us to win any of the five games.

She took both the first game ('Songs that start with A', requiring a single Bingo line) as well as the third game ('TV Themes', requiring two lines of Bingo).

She gave the first win to a guy named Mark, who had tied with her.

Elyssa usually wins one, as does Marcia, but they didn't this time.

Marcia's daughter, Amanda, was there, as was Sandy's longtime friend Kelly.

My favorite game was the second one: 'BEERS'. 

That acronym stood for 'Beatles, Eagles, Elvis, Rolling Stones' - very nice and quite location appropriate!

I was treated to hearing six by Elvis Presley!!!

Heartbreak hotel, don't be cruel! Suspicious minds, return to sender! Jailhouse rock, hound dog! 

Oh, yeah, right place, right time!

My odometer confirmed that when I got home.

The mileage read: 242020.

I had to read it three times to make sure that was correct!

Very nice!

Just in time for "The Quiz With Balls"!

(smile!)

happy bday63 to my middle brother

"Happy birthday to you,

happy birthday to you,

happy birthday, dear Ronnie,

happy birthday to you!"

I admit, I was a little lost when I came to sing to you.

A young man was sitting on your pier and I hadn't wanted to disturb him.

He was obviously enjoying the sunny day and the sweet breeze as he fished there.

I hope you steered a fish to his line!

Such a lovely day this has been...

I was so busy looking at the water that I almost missed the heart-shaped cloud.

By the time I snapped the photo, the heart was missing part of the right side.

Mine, too.

I miss you.

flowers for two brothers

I have two brothers with birthdays in July, though one has stopped aging.

Ronnie is forever 58 years old.

At the beginning of this year, when Asbury Memorial posted the Flower Calendar, I checked the dates to see if any might be important for me...

and there it was...

July 6th.

The exact day of Ronnie's birth.

I immediately wrote my name as the donor for that Sunday's sanctuary flowers.

The first thing I did with my tax refund check was pay that $70 fee.

By that time, I had decided that act would be a gift for Smitty, too, as his birthday would be on the 9th, the following Wednesday.

Perfect.

The wording on the program today was as I wanted it.

Reverend Billy Hester, there for his last sermon before his summer break, was the one who read those words during the 'Announcements', looking at me as he did so.

Very nice.

 

"The flowers for today's worship service are given by Faustina Smith

in memory of her brother, Ronald Allen Smith,

and in honor of her brother Harvey Goodwin Smith's birthday." 

 

Thanks, Randy, for making that happen.

 

After the sermon, we had communion, as this is the first Sunday of July.

That's me, in my purple "Cancer shirt" that I wore specifically for today.

Ronnie's name is on that ribbon, as are those of Daddy, Grandpa Lee, Great-Uncle Sam, stepbrother George, and mother-in-law Pat.  

That represents five decades of loss to lung and intestinal cancers.

 

Candace sent an email to me early this week to ask what was to become of the flowers after the service.

Did I want to have them?

I told her I would rather they be part of the Flower Ministry and given to people whose day needed brightening.

Here are some of them, waiting to be delivered to folks recovering from surgery or illness, to folks needing loss adjustment, or people with special birthdays.

I am so grateful to be part of that blessing to others.

i thank You, God.

razzin' a phone 'mercial!

 

"Can ya see me now?
New eyeglasses!!!
Cream and brown, like buckeye caramels!
Happy birthday to me from the VA!!!
They actually arrived on time, but I just started wearing them.
Literally eye candy!!!"

 

That's what I posted on fb this afternoon, all caught up in making a change there!

Yes, it's out of focus, but it's supposed to be.

That's part of the joke!

 

Here's another joke: I cannot recall what phone company had that series of 'mercials.

All I remember is the catch phrase.

Guess that really wasn't what they were selling!

 

As for my glasses, it's just the frames that are new.

My sight hasn't changed for the last four or five years, so Dr. Urban just used the same prescription once more.

How about that?

When I checked out all the frames the Savannah VA would give me for free, I wanted to make sure I got something that looked very different from what I've had since the pandemic.

I almost ordered tortoise-shell frames, but then I saw these...

ah, yeah!

I think Cameo can speak for me about these!

 

"It's like candy (Candy), oh
You sure are sweet, sweet (Sweet)
You're so dandy (Dandy)
You're taking my appetite, but it's all right"

 

Back in the mid-80's, I danced every time "Candy" hit the turntable!

The music video always had me out of my seat, too!

That song was all over the radio, as it was a Top Ten hit.

Good times!

 

And now I have these lovely glasses to go with that memory...

and that song...

happy birthday to me!