WHAT'S GOING ON

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Hello, friends!  Sorry I have been missing in action lately but I have been so busy.  Tomorrow we leave for East Stroudsburg to attend our denomination's Annual Conference.  Originally I wasn't going to go, but decided to tag along as Pastor and Joe attend meetings and help to make decisions.  It will be a little mini vacation for me.  Unfortunately there is no wifi there so I won't be able to read your posts or post myself.  I will catch you all up when I return.  And as usual I have a house sitter for the mail and our new little Jack.

I am so fortunate to have friends who will step in for me that way.

There is still so much to do before leaving.  We want to pack everything tonight so that we can be on our way tomorrow fairly early.  Well... early for us.  We are going to incorporate one thing I saw on Mrs. Erica's vlog.  She and her family just went on a cruise.  On the last day at sea they leave their packed suitcases outside of their door to be picked up to leave.  She brought an extra smaller bag to have her last minute things -- one change of clothes, toothbrush and paste, makeup, etc.  What a great idea.  When the conference is over on Wednesday afternoon, we are heading for a hotel where we will spend the night and go home the next morning.  This way we don't have to carry in our big suitcases, just the smaller totes.  You learn things all the time.

On Wednesday I put the car into the garage to have the oil changed and a trip check (belts, fluids, filters, tires, etc.).  It turned out I needed a new battery.  It's always something.  But better safe than sorry when you are 100 miles from home.

On Thursday I took my friend, Carol, to her doctor's appointment.  It was in Huntingdon Valley and I had no idea how to get there.  It turned out it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  The only problem I had was I thought I was supposed to pick her up at 10:30 and I was actually supposed to get her at 9:30.  Oops.  She was about 10 minutes late, but had called them and there was no problem taking her in.  She was having a short procedure done so was sedated and couldn't drive herself home which is why I was there.  So I had 90 minutes to read my book.  They also had free wifi so since I had my Kindle I was able to check my email too.  Nice!

Friday was our regular Wissinoming Crafters meeting at church.  I'm still working on the temperature blanket for Joe.  It is getting really big and I thought I would just end it at December rather than doing an entire year.  But when I put it over him while he was laying in bed, I realized I need at least two more months.  So I knit on.  I'm up to December 18th.

Saturday I made a peach long cake and a casserole for the Missions Sunday Luncheon at church today.  I made the cake gluten free and it still turned out really good.  I wasn't sure since I had never done it that way before.  The casserole was one I got from my Amish and Mennonite Cookbook.  It's called a Truckpatch Dinner.  It's made by putting a layer of bacon on the bottom, top with ground beef, add sliced potatoes, salt and pepper and then bake at 375* for 1 hour.  After that you add a layer of carrots and peas and a can of diced tomatoes and bake it for another 45 minutes.  Very easy and there was none left so I guess it was very good.  I liked it.  Joe says I have to make one for us when we get back.

Today, as I mentioned, was Missionary Sunday.  Unfortunately the guest speaker had a death in the family and was unable to make it.  So our pastor stepped in and continued with our series in Colossians.  And then there was the luncheon afterwards.  Everyone brings an "ethnic" food.  There was a fruit salad, Polish Golumpki, Polish Perogies, my casserole (Pennsylvania Dutch), and pork and cabbage (German).  For dessert there was cherry cake, raspberry cake, cheesecake, my peach long cake, and cookies.  Believe me, no one went home hungry.  Everything was so good!

I wanted to take pictures, but plain forgot.  I was going to put them up on our church's facebook page.  Oh well...  I guess that shows I was having a good time.

I am hoping sometime tonight I can get some posts put together and have them post while I am away.  I think this trip will be good for me because I will be forced to take things easy.

Back to packing and cleaning up the house.  Hope you all have a good night.

Kathy