Boy! It's been a week! A cousin of the Mister's came to visit us this week and we all sat around the table chatting for a couple of hours. It was so good to catch up and just 'chew the fat' as they say. We also spent a little time at a ball field watching our youngest grand do her thing. She was a shining star in our opinion. (Of course, they always are, aren't they?) The big thing is that she got the game ball. I don't know if it was because she made a double play or because she was a big hitter but I do know that we were clapping and cheering from the fence and the excitement for us was much like it must have been for her in the photo below where she is holding that game ball!
Time spent with family is always something precious. Then, another day this week we went to the insurance office to discuss some updates. There have been changes made in laws and changes in our community regarding property value. So, we spent a couple of hours sorting through all of that. The pesky birds worked through the netting that the Mister has zip-tied to the truck and he had to make some jerry-rigged updates there. I also added some reflective ribbon to the mirrors and radio antenna. We are not giving up the fight!
- What I've Been Reading -
One of the ways I volunteer in an effort to give back to the community in which I live is that I serve as the secretary of the local, non-profit perpetual care cemetery. It started as family cemetery and grew to be a little country cemetery that provided a final resting place for folks who lived nearby.
The list of folks on that marker includes a few of the Mister's relatives. So, when his father died, he promised that he would serve on the Cemetery Association and look after what his forefathers had begun. Then, last year, the fellow who had been serving as manager passed away and Mike decided that he was being called to step into the job. Now, a portion of his days will find him answering calls from relatives of loved ones buried there, or calls from folks who are wanting to purchase a final resting place, and sometimes calls for other various reasons. His duties include overseeing that the grass gets shorn, that the grave digger knows where to dig, that monument companies place grave markers in the proper spot, that fallen tree limbs are cleared away, that there are no fire ants setting up residence, and that sort of thing. His job is one of making certain that the landscape there stays presentable and welcoming to those who visit and maintaining a list of owners and 'residents' of the cemetery.
My volunteer efforts support his works and are to help maintain the documents of those who have purchased ownership, to keep a record of meetings held by the Cemetery Association Board of Trustees, and to record information about those who are buried there. When I volunteered to serve as the secretary and keep the records, I thought it would present tasks that needed to be undertaken sporadically. However, I soon learned that the records were an amalgamation of notebooks and loose papers documenting the information. There were some digital records but far more hard copy records than digital. So, with today's world, I decided to maintain the organization that was begun years ago in regard to the paper documents and to scan and upload a copy that would also live and could be accessed in the cloud.
This means that I have loads and loads and loads of pages that I have been reading, deciphering, and organizing. The tasks have sort of taken on a life of their own. I have learned an immense amount of information about the folks who are my neighbors and their relatives. The Mister has helped me to make connections and learn more about the history and original homeplaces of people in our community. It has truly been a blessing to me as I navigate and organize all this information. Together, we have learned so much about people, the cemetery, and our community. We have also learned an immense amount about people and their values. So, this past week I have been reading cemetery deeds and certificates of ownership. I've been scouring through spreadsheets and linking uploaded documents. I've been searching online and finding current addresses and contact information. What started as a curiosity about a year and a half ago has become a true pursuit. The spreadsheet that has garnered the most of my attention this week is a mailing list that I am preparing so that I can notify family members and owners of lots that there will be a public meeting for the Cemetery Association Board of Trustees to share all the news about what has been impacting the cemetery in our little town. This has not been leisurely reading to say the least!
- What I've Been Watching -
We've been getting our money's worth out of older series lately and getting our money's worth out of our Amazon Prime membership. Mike found the series Unforgettable last week. Poppy Montgomery plays the role of a NYPD detective who has a special ability to remember everything. I didn't realize it but there really is such a rare condition. This article is an interview with Marilu Henner who is one of the few people who has it. And here I am, I walk into a room and cannot even recall what my reason for going in there might be!
- What I've Been Working On -
I have been working on 'practice projects' with my new sewing machine. I've embroidered a tea towel for myself as I was testing out different hoops that I have to go with the machine. I've learned that placing the item in the hoop is the most difficult and frustrating part of any project. I followed a recommendation to try a magnetic hoop and the machine went wonky on me. I was afraid I had messed something up but when I tried a non magnetic hoop, it worked fine. So, now I'm not sure if the reason the magnetic hoop didn't work is because it is larger than my 5x7" hoop or because of the magnetic-ness of it. I'm debating on trying a smaller size magnetic hoop because that makes keeping things straight, centered, and taught so very much easier. Of course, the hoop is a bit pricey for me to just order it without putting some thought into it. Do I want to spend that much on a hobby?
I am just enamored with how beautiful the embroidery stitching is with this machine and I love the finished products even with some of the mistakes I'm making when I am nit-picking at my expertise. Now, that doesn't mean I don't appreciate a beautiful piece of hand-stitched work by any means. It just means that I like them both!
I hope we get some rain this weekend even though I have been enjoying these warm, sunny days. Of course, the Mister has said if it rains he wants to go to a cattle sale. Maybe I should hope for sunshine in order to protect our pocketbook...
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