Ludke-ville 2/26/09

Just getting home from work at 8:30 pm -- for every action there is a REACTION – but more on that later!

First, HUGE congrats to Debbie Ludke Bauleke – PUBLISHED AUTHOR!! I think that is amazing that your article was accepted for publication. Do you know what edition it will be in? (Being published in a middle school teacher publication – “Middle Ground”.) Kudos!

And the nice pen Gary gave you sounds great too! As someone who can literally get lost in the pen aisle of my local office stores … current favorite pen is Office Max’s FORAY 0.7 in BLUE ink… that sounds like a wonderful gift! Rhiannon knows what I mean. You can’t have too many good writing utensils (other office supplies too!)

There are two things in my life that I would have liked to be … don’t laugh (some of you wish you’d been astronauts or something like that – you KNOW I’m right) – but I would LOVE to have been a motivational speaker and/or published author (expert in some field). So I’m extremely happy for you!

Cousin Kathy I love FRENCH! I took it in 9th grade (elementary French I know) – but I can still hear the French national anthem in my head from time to time! I thought Jaime meant “to love” – but I’m sure you have it closer with “I love!” Anyway I loved taking that class. Actually that teacher was “so mean” – but when I look back at all of my teachers I loved HER classes the best … Miss Keith! She had a literary side to her that appealed to me, tho I didn’t know it at the time.

And to the Petersons – SO glad to hear Kirk is working again. What a relief for you all. This economy is so tenuous! And also on the discovery that your little one is going to be a GIRL!! Think of all the recycling of little girl things that you are going to get to do!! Got a name chosen yet? ½ way there!

Okay – for every action there is a REACTION? As I listened to the radio at work early in the week – they talked about what a beautiful day Wednesday was going to be. Sunny. Warm. With a winter storm possible on Thursday or Friday. So – all of a sudden I decided that I was going to take off work and drive to Coralville to see my little pink sweetie!

It’s end of the month and there are absolutely TOO many things on my “to-do” list for work and in our church lives, etc. But that little girl is only going to be a newborn for a short time and those other things are always going to be there. So I decided I’d just have to stay late on Thursday night – and so that is why I was there until 8:30 pm tonight. (Very worthwhile trade, if you ask me!)

www.vondasvine.com/photo/jaimee.htm Here is my recording of that superb day!

I went today to have my eye exam by the surgeon. Yep – I have a cataract. A fast growing type that is “not uncommon in a younger person” (he DID TO say ‘younger person’, quit laughing!). I am on his surgery schedule for March 18. Still can’t wear my contacts for a few weeks as they want to do some monitoring of my eyes in another week and then another week – just to see if it is changing or something. I dunno!

Sounds like they can really make my eyes almost ‘perfect’ if I wanted to do that. I wish I could –but when they said “discuss a payment plan” for the part the insurance doesn’t cover … well, like I said earlier “the economy is tenuous” – and this is NOT the time that I can figure out how to work a “payment plan” into the mix. So I’ll take the basic whatever the insurance pays for and be thankful for it! (And believe me – I AM thankful for it!)

I also have a cataract on my other eye – but right now they will concentrate on the one that bothers me. (And believe me – it DOES!)

I have a project to cut with my vinyl cutter. A really super nice guy at work asked for and got my help last year when he made a cornhole game set for an auction for his community (Wapello/Louisa County). I helped him by cutting vinyl lettering for it. When he was doing it last year he was doing it at the very last minute. I told him I’d be glad to help in the future, but he HAD to tell me sooner. So here he comes on Tuesday I think – with another project In mind. Clocks this year.

He thinks I’m the craft wizard – and so this week we’ve designed and printed and discussed and fussed – because the auction is THIS WEEKEND. When he finally knew what he needed in vinyl for it – it turned out I had to do it last night. It all went well except when I got it to work this morning I realized that part of it was cut from the wrong color. Oh brother. I had hoped to cut the replacement pieces during my lunch time today. But my dr. appt. took way to long – so I had to do it tonight. I will AGAIN tell him “next year … EARLIER”. *LOL* I didn’t really have time for him or his project, but he is a really nice guy!

Keep in touch all – remember to thank God for every little thing – MUCH LOVE to all! One of the greatest blessings of life is our family (and friends who are in a way – family). I think I was talking with my brother Mark last week (might not have been him – tho I think it was) and we talked about how you always love your family. Maybe not LIKE them always so much, but always come back to the love part. I look at our baby and I know each of you have had a tiny person at one point or another to say “ahhh” at. God is good to give us a lesson in how much HE loves US. I’m so glad. I know Jesus is coming soon and what a happy day that will be!

V