Customer Service-or the lack thereof

Many times I have experienced good customer service when dealing with things on the phone. However, this week it wasn't quite as good. Let me explain.
We decided to make some changes in our phone service, which would mean that we could have the luxury of caller ID. That way, we will know who is calling, who has called etc. and can even screen our calls if we want to.
Well, on Thursday I called our local phone company and talked with this charming gentleman. I explained that we wanted Caller ID, we went through the propper steps etc, and he assured me that it would be all set and in place before midnight. Ah, the joy of the anticipation. I kept checking my phones, even resorted to calling my number from my cell phone part way through the afternoon. Nothing. I did keep hearing this strange beeping before the dial tone though, and I couldn't quite understand that.
Well, yesterday I was away from home for several hours, so couldn't call to find out what this beeping was all about, and why the Caller ID had not kicked in. I did call home though and got this message that I had reached my number, and would I like to leave a message. Now, why would that be on my phone.......lights began dawning. Had he somehow set us up with Voice Mail instead of caller ID????
Yup, that is exactly what happened. When I finally got home and called the phone company again, this lovely lady assured me that is what he had done. (I can see how easy it would be to make that mistake....Caller ID, and Voice Mail sound so much alike.......)
She switched it over for me, and sure enough soon the caller ID was in place. I even called our number so I could see it in action. Impressive. But....I was still getting this annoying beeping. So, I finally called the phone company--- again. That beeping was just letting me know I had some voice mail waiting!!! OK, why didn't somebody explain that to me sooner, and why didn't you tell me on Thursday how to access said Voice Mail!!! The kind gentleman this morning assured me it takes awhile for things to be processed and that eventually this beeping would go away. I then politely asked if there was someway to get rid of it sooner.. Well, if you really want to....just punch in these 3 numbers and you can delete the messages, and that will stop the beeping. He seemed to think it would be quite normal and acceptable for the next several days to listen to about 15 beeps before the dial tone started, and I could make a phone call. Hmmmmm.

Ah, well, it is all fine now, and is all working the way it is supposed to work. And all three were really just trying to help me- I think. And, three cheers for all the wonderful Customer Service Representatives there are out there...somewhere. I just happened to run into 3 this week that were probably all having a bad day. I will be praying for them.

The Lost is Found

For several years we have enjoyed a lovely prism hanging in our kitchen window. We have had the pleasure of enjoying many rainbows splashed all over the walls etc, and it has been a source of much joy. The fact that said prism was a gift from an illustrious FBI grad of several years past made it even more special.

Well, about a week ago, Max decided that he needed it in his business. I came out one morning to find that it was no longer hanging at the end of it's lovely purple ribbon, up on one of our bay windows. I found the ribbon, the pin that was holding the prism, but alas, no prism. It was with great sadness that I relegated the ribbon, the suction cup etc to a drawer, thinking that maybe someday in the far, far distant future it might show up again. But, knowing how much Max loves to bat things around, carry them to other parts of the house etc, my faith was not too great at that point. So, no more rainbows, no more visible reminders of said grad.

Imagine my delight when I opened the pantry a day or so ago, and lo, there was our lovely prism! So, it is now back up on our kitchen bay window, catching the sun, and ready to send forth more rainbows. And, hopefully I have affixed it in a such a way that Max will not be able to reach it, or to separate it from the cord that it is hanging on.

So, three cheers for the lost that was found! (And the never ending delights and unexpeted problems connected with living with a cat who loves to play with things)

Some Blessings of the Past Week

• Celebrating 33 years of marriage to my wonderful God given husband.
• The lovely sweet/spicy scent left on my hands after cutting off the old blossoms of our purple rose. And enjoying seeing that the rose bushes are now looking much better since I fed them in the right proportions.
• Reading blogs of friends.
• The sight of the beautiful morning sun coming up and looking forward to a new day wondering what new blessings from the Lord will be unfolding.
• Fresh food for the soul from the Psalms.
• The fun of watching Max hide behind things and then jump out to attack us when we walk by.
• Knowing that the Lord has a job for me to do, even if it hasn't shown up yet.
• Our Crepe Myrtles are almost in bloom.
• Helping with a garage sale for the local PRC- being held at my daughter's home, thus having the delight of spending extra time with her, and other friends.
• Being able to talk on the phone to my mother almost every day.
• There are still some blossoms left from the flower arrangement we brought home from Jeff and Fritha's wedding. What a joy to be still enjoying them, and remembering the day.
• Krispy Kreme chocolate iced Kreme filled donuts.

Following directions

We planted a couple of rose bushes several months ago, and have been enjoying the blossoms, but noticed that they were not really very healthy looking. I have been faithfully applying a powerful, (and expensive) 3 in l plant food/insect control/disease control product, so I wasn't sure why they continued to be not very healthy, and why the Japanese Beetles were enjoying them as their primary food source.
Well, this morning when I went out to feed them, I figured maybe I better reread the directions. Sigh....I had been using 2 Tablespoons per 1 gallon of water- the directions said 4 Tablespoons per 1 quart of water. I was undertreating the poor babies! How humbling. Now, I am sure I read those directions way back months ago, and thought I was doing the right thing. Guess it is important to keep rereading the directions and make sure I am doing what I need to do.

Sort of like continuing to reread the directions my Heavenly Father gives to me and to not proudly assume that I remember what it said several months ago.

Weddings and Such

We just returned from attending the incredible wedding celebration for Jeff and Fritha Turner. It was on the water and so lovely...and HOT! One of the special things for me was the gorgeous flower arrangements on the tables at the reception. They were so much fun to look at, enjoy and drink in the beauty! Each table had one of two different displays, both of which you see here. And, I was able to bring home one of the ones like the one at the left. I am enjoying looking at it as it resides in all of its elegance on my coffee table and remembering all the great things about the day. The friends, the yummy food, the water, the joy of seeing Jeff and Fritha, having fun parasol's to use to keep the sun from making us too hot....fun day!

Congratulations to the happy couple!

The Marvelous Sounds of Trains

Now, I understand that not all will agree with that title. But, I was realizing recently how very much I am enjoying the Marvelous Sounds of Trains. (Seriously)
We live less than a mile from a very heavily used mainline. I am guessing there must be between 50 and 100 trains that most likely use it during a 24 hour period. And, I love to hear them! I love the sounds of the engine, the cars rattling over the tracks, the whistle that blows, especially in the middle of the night! Nights are the best time to hear all the sounds, and it is so comforting to hear that wonderful whistle.
Maybe it is because of the train trips we have been on, and I associate all the sounds with what we heard when we were riding the trains. Maybe it is because of the influence of a certain somebody in my life who has expressed a casual interest in trains one or two times in the past. I don't really know the reason. But, I just want it to be known, I really like the sound of trains!
And, I think that it was wonderful of the Lord to put us in a house where we can hear them so clearly, all day long! So, PTL for the Marvelous Sounds of Trains.

More Sabbath Day Praises

• A wonderful daughter-in-law, who celebrates her birthday today. Happy Birthday Claire.
• Head colds do not last forever.
• The job interview that didn't take place last week, might next week.
• The freezer is now running again, and partly stocked again.
• My talented hubby who fixed the sqeaks on our garage door, so it no longer sounds like a dying animal when it is being opened and closed.
• When my mother fell last week-twice- she didn't injure herself too badly. She is sore, but mending.
• With Mother's Day coming, I am reminded to be very grateful for my mother and her Godly wisdom and example to me through the years.
• Hearing of a young lady who found Jesus as her saviour this week. PTL
• A beautiful moon last night, seen through one of our half circle windows, which made the sight even better.
• Keeping up with friends via blogging.
• The fun of watching Max enjoy faucets...and ice makers.

Ah, yes, another busy Monday. My Monday's are usually busy with doing laundry, shopping and all the other things needed to keep things going. Today is no different, other than we are having company in for dinner, which we are looking forward to, but does involve a little extra thought and effort.

So, after carefully planning out my day, enlisting my hubby's help by having him doing the vacuuming, etc. all things seemed to be going smoothly. As I was getting things ready for breakfast I meandered out to the garage to get some things out of the chest freezer that I needed for dinner. That is when I made some observations which I would like to share with you.

• When the GFI outlet that the freezer is plugged into pops off, that means there is no power to make the freezer keep running.
• When a freezer is not running, it no longers keeps things frozen, or cold.
• When the frozen lasagne is no longer frozen, or cold, it is probably not wise to serve it for company.
• When ice cream is no longer cold, the above mentioned rule also applies.
• Rotten hamberger does not smell very good.
• There are benefits to putting off stocking one's freezer- less to throw away when the power is off for a couple of days.
• When most of one's menu for company dinner was residing in said freezer, it now becomes important to add a few more things to the grocery list.
• There is value in having an abundance of room in the side by side freezer/fridge that resides in the kitchen.
• There is always time in one's busy day to clean out a smelly freezer, even if one does not think so.

End of observations.

Sabbath Day Praises

• Mocking birds that sit on our chiminey, singing their hearts out. It sounds like they are right in our living room and such a delight to hear.
• A lovely new flowering dogwood planted in our back yard.
• Learning a new card game this week, and playing the game all afternoon with my husband, at our breakfast nook table, and enjoying all the birds at the feeder while we were playing.
• The probability of a good job interview next week.
• Pepperidge Farm turnovers.
• A cute little chipping sparrow enjoying the fallen seeds on the ground under our bird feeder.
• The beautiful soft muted colors of the mourning dove, and enjoying watching them resting underneath the new dogwood tree.
• Homemade chicken alfredo pizza.
• Spending time with my daughter.
• The charming southern custom that has me being called "Miss Ellie".

Three Cheers for the birds

One of the first things we did when we moved in was to install the bird feeder that you see here. I knew it would take a few days for the birds to find it, so waited....and waited....and waited. It was literally months, and I was about to give away my bird food, thinking the birds would not arrive, when lo and behold they started coming!

Of course it was just cow birds for awhile, but we did enjoy seeing them. At least they were birds! And, little by little we are getting more. There are not many trees close by which probably is the reason we don't get more. But, house finches, mourning doves, red winged blackbirds, and meadow larks are frequent visitors in our back yard. And, of course mocking birds, and lots of swallows. Yesterday morning while we were eating breakfast it was great fun to look out the window and watch the cute little house finches enjoy their breakfast. The feeder is placed so that it is right outside the bay window breakfast nook in our kitchen.

So, waiting patiently and not giving up has its rewards!

Kick It Up a Notch

Interesting anecdote from Friday. My hubby went in for his quarterly pacemaker check, and remarked that he had been experiencing lightheadedness on exercise.

No problem for the tech. Using a few keystrokes on his computer the tech changed some settings from "low" to "high" on the pacemaker, and now he should be all set. Weird. My bionic hubby.

Our New Red Rose

For Valentine's day, I bought my husband an Olympiad rose. It is a beautiful red rose, with a lovely smell, and makes a good rose to pick and enjoy in the house. Our friend Stephen planted it for us, and we have been eagerly awaiting the first red rose of the season.

On the right you will see a picture taken this morning of our first red rose......

Somehow methinks that the label on the rose bush was not exactly telling the truth.....

Our first rose of the season

This rose, called Blue Moon, is our first rose in Georgia. It has been great fun watching the bush grow, start buds, and now bloom. Little by little we are getting our rose garden going here in our new home.

We have a second bush, that I plan to get a picture of and post as soon as the bud opens up a little bit more. But, meanwhile, you can enjoy this one with us. There are at least 6 more buds coming on this bush. Yeah! God's creation is so wonderful!

Coloring Eggs

We had such a lovely Easter celebrating the Lord's resurection, and enjoying family. As noted on Claire's blog we had fun coloring eggs, as you can see. The first picture shows the place where all the fun took place, then a closer picture of the ones I did. A great time was had by all.

Thank the Lord for such a marvelous family, and fun times together.
 

He Lives

"He is not here, for He is risen"

Praise the Lord for an empty tomb.

Six Months Ago

It is hard to believe, but it has been six months to the day since we moved into our home. It has been a busy time-settling in, developing new routines, new friends, experiencing good times, and hard to understand times, but, God is good.

We continue to enjoy this lovely home that the Lord gave to us- all the space, the conveniences, the quiet, the time to get refreshed. And it is a great source of joy to see more and more birds- we saw a pair of bluebirds this morning while we were eating breakfast!

So, happy house anniversary to us!  

Fire Ants

1. Fire Ants Exist.
2. Fire Ants Exist in Georgia.
3. Fire Ants Exist in my back yard.
4. Fire Ants bite.
5. Fire Ants leave ugly pimple like swellings at every place they bite.
6. Three guesses how I know all of the above are true.

Pretty Flowers

Our azalea's are gorgeous- this picture does not do them justice, but it gives you a little idea of what we are enjoying. We have quite a few of these along the side and back of our home and they bring great joy. Cheer up those of you who live in the north- your spring is coming!

Meanwhile you can enjoy this spot of color and be encouraged while you wait.

New Neighbors

Some new neighbors are moving in behind us! Construction has started on several homes in the fields in back of us, and we have of course been wondering what our new neighbors would be like.

Well, there is a nice couple moving into the home that is being built right in back of us- I haven't met them personally but from watching them it would seem they would be very congenial.

The interesting thing is that the home is still under construction, so this couple has decided to do their own decorating and building on the side- literally.

This new couple is Mr. and Mrs. Phoebe, and they are happily building a nest on the side of the new home under construction, inside a hooded vent! It has been extremely interesting to watch the progress- and the patience they demonstrate as they take one stick at a time into the vent. They enjoy sitting on the branches of the dead tree currently taking up space in our back yard. They will sit there and preen and sing and just plain enjoy life and the sunshine around them.

I have been encouraged and blessed watching them fly around, and doing all the things that phoebe's do. After going several months without noticing many birds in our area, it is a huge blessing to be noticing new ones each day- now I just trust the construction workers don't notice this little bit of nest building going on in the home they are building!

Max, I might add, really enjoys sitting on his perch watching all his feathered friends flying around. He would love to interact with them on a more personal basis, but since he is an inside cat, he has to be content to just observe.

My Overflowing Jam Jar

After reading a friend's (aka niece's) blog this morning about the abundance of her jam jar, I was greatly encouraged to take a better look at the state of my own chipped jam jar.

I was sort of thinking that my poor old chipped jar was way less than half full and leaking out at a very rapid rate- my husband has not felt well this week, I have had no phone call back from my job interview, I only had cow birds at my feeder, etc, etc. etc. whine, whine, whine.

Then I started thinking about things a little differently, and realized that my own chipped jam jar is so full it is overflowing.

• I had the joy this morning of planting some creeping phlox in my "Jan Garden"
• There were two mourning doves feeding on the ground outside my bay window in the breakfast nook- enjoying the seeds that those stupid cow birds knocked off, so maybe they aren't so bad after all. It was such a pretty sight to enjoy watching them as they poked around beside azelea's and pansies that are blooming so profusely at the moment.
• We had wonderful freinds from NH pop in for a visit this morning. Yeah!
• We had dinner last evening with my father in law, my daughter in law, and my son outside on the wonderful and nicely decorated deck of my daughter's home.
• It is now warm enough so that I can enjoy eating lunch out on our patio.
• There was a red-winged blackbird on mybird feeder this morning.
• We have lots of meadowlarks on our back lawn several times a day. What a lovely bird to see up close.
• And the list goes on and on. My heart is full of thanksgiving for His wonderful goodness. Thanks Lori for reminding me to count my blessings. They are truly abundant.