Busy week. Attended an Illinois Education Association Retired planning meeting at the Old Dairy in Macomb on Monday. That is an interesting place. I had not been there for years and was really impressed with all the customers and the food. Cute place.
Got the book work done from 3rd Sunday Market also on Monday. After that started on the box woods on the east side of the house. Got them half done-hope to get back to them soon.
Had several customers at the store on Wednesday. That was nice. Also had a friend stop by-that is good too.
Thursday finished unloading the van and had dinner at the Buss Stop with Sam Meek and Chad Derry. Still love the Buss Stop chicken livers. I have no idea how they learned that chicken livers and cocktail sauce would be good together but they are.
Friday evening loaded Limabn and headed for Monmouth for a dinner with Collectors of Illinois Pottery and Stoneware friends. The meal was well worth the drive and being with friends was even better. The meal was provided by Ray and Cindy Brinkman from Monmouth. Headed back to Monmouth by 6:30 am on Saturday for the Swap Meet. If you are not sure just what that is, you need to come next year. The entire north half of the Monmouth Square was lined with cars and trucks backed up to the curb. All those vehicles were filled with stoneware. Stoneware quickly spilled out on to the sidewalk or on to tables set up behind the vehicles. There were hundreds of crocks of all sizes, jugs, stoneware animals, bowls, commemoratives and more. The weather was perfect. No rain, not too hot or too cool. Think everyone had a good time. The “Bible” on Western Stoneware was written by Jim Martin and Bette Cooper and Jim Martin was there. I sold enough to be interesting and bought a very cute stoneware bucket for myself.
After the meet, headed to Ray and Kathy Goodell’s in Vermont for a great lunch and more stoneware talk with friends.
When I finally got home, Harold walked up the walk to meet me. For those who don’t know Herald, he is a now large beautiful kitty that someone tossed out uptown last fall. Took him in and had him neutered. He had been missing for 8 days. I don’t know where he was but I do know that he was glad to be home again. He is normally catlike aloof but today day he did not want to be too far from me and he did not object to “going to bed” which means being put in a kitty house with two others for the night. So glad he is home again. If any of you helped with his return, thank you.
Church was great today. We had two baptisms and everything seemed to fall in place perfectly. After church the Plymouth Women’s Circle fixed lunch for the Carle Family Reunion held at the PCCC. Good lunch and good “fellowship” with the other ladies as we cooked, served and cleaned up afterward. We need some younger ladies to join our group or this ministry cannot continue.
Read a devotion each morning. Good way to start the day. Sometimes the reading resonates with me and one did this week. “The caring of radical of listening, of presence, of nonjudgment can be like coming face to face with God. Connecting to others connects us to God.” Have you thought about the fact that just listening to someone can be so important? That is something which I have had to learn. People come into the store and sometimes I have things I think I need to get done, however over 37 years at the store, I have learned that stopping and listening can be more important than any other job which I think I need to get done. Tomorrow will be time enough to get the task done. One may only get one chance to listen or just be present for another’s needs.
Have a good week. “Do no harm”. Scatter Kindness.