Brown do for me???

William! William! William! That's the name of our Team Brown guy UPS said was assigned to deliver the Weider.

Okay, my dear friend was blessed for her patience with an answered prayer; so I am not about to blow mine (patience or blessing) now. But check this out -

• Thursday UPS tracking reported our package was out for delivery. The giant stayed home and waited. In response to the husband's call, the center stated it wasn't on the truck; they'd have it put on that night and it would be delivered the next day.
• Friday, UPS tracking reported our package was out; would definitely be delivered. The giant stayed home and waited - didn't happen; possibly, they stated, wasn't even on the truck.
• package dropped at front door with no indication of delivery although the giant was there, package box marked fragile is damaged, parts falling out of it. William!?!!! Okay, *sigh*!.

So now UPS (you think it will happen today as stated?) is picking up the package - they wanted us to repackage it - responded "this is what you delivered; this is what you pick up". Costco, who we purchased it through (and for an excellent price), has already arranged for it to be replaced.

So, we wait; but I'm still excited! Meanwhile, I'm watching what I eat and, by the way, that weight gain spurt I mentioned is going down. God is good!

August things - Bea Watson, Fontana and I will miss you!

She left us to be with the Lord the 12 of August

Bea Watson is home with the Lord. For the most part my experience with Fontana is Bea - full of heart and a ready smile. I’m happy she’s home, but she will be sorely missed. One of the articles I read referred to her as 'Mrs. Fontana" These Press Enterprise write-ups give light to who she was as well ...

Ex-Fontana Councilwoman Bea Watson dies
Article By MARY BENDER

Former City Clerk and Councilwoman Bea Watson, a tireless community volunteer who organized the city's Christmas and Fontana Days parades, died Sunday and will be remembered in a funeral service Monday.

She was 83.

Mrs. Watson was elected to two terms as Fontana city clerk, completing her eight years in office in December. She also served one term as a city councilwoman, from 1992 to 1996, losing her re-election bid to Manuel Mancha by 68 votes....

Mrs. Watson's successor, City Clerk Tonia Lewis, said she would recruit friends and colleagues to help out with civic events. "It's hard to fill her shoes because she was so active in everything," Lewis said. "She didn't take no for an answer."...
One of Mrs. Watson's passions was the Fontana Historical Society, which was established in 1974 but in recent years needed an infusion of volunteers to replace its aging roster.

"She got me involved with the Historical Society because the society was failing for lack of membership. She hated to see things fail, so she would gather together people she knew who could handle those things," Lewis said. "We had no choice."

Mrs. Watson was active in several other local organizations and events, including the Fontana Woman's Club, the Fontana Exchange Club; American Legion Auxiliary, Post 772; and the Fontana Chamber of Commerce.

She served on committees to commemorate Fontana's 50th and 75th anniversary celebrations, and organized the city's annual Community Prayer Breakfast since 1990. She also was an active volunteer for the Fontana Days Festival, the annual summer celebration of the city's 1913 founding by A.B. Miller, and organized the city's annual Festival of Winter.

"The Christmas parade was her baby. She felt like she was doing it for the kids in Fontana," Lewis said.

Born July 1, 1924, in Ashtabula, Ohio, Mrs. Watson came West in 1944, living in San Bernardino before moving to Fontana. She attended San Bernardino Valley College and was a retired telephone company administrator with Pacific Bell.

Recalling Busy Bea
Column by CASSIE MACDUFF

Fontana was a small, rough-edged steel town when Bea Watson moved there in 1960. By the time she departed on Aug. 5, it had grown to a city of 182,000 with sophisticated suburbs, a new freeway and big-city shopping centers.

Along the way, Watson served as an elected councilwoman and city clerk, Women's Club president and Historical Society officer, and organizer of the annual Fontana Days, Christmas parade and prayer breakfast.

As the city's unofficial mayor, goodwill ambassador and head cheerleader, she almost single-handedly got Fontana to retain its hometown feeling, even as it grew to the second most populous city in San Bernardino County.

I got to know Watson in the early 1990s when I was a reporter covering City Hall.

City officials can be impatient with the turnover in city-hall reporters every few years. They tire of breaking in newcomers they fear won't understand their cities.

But Bea Watson wasn't like that. With her kind, bespectacled eyes and grandmotherly smile, she greeted you as just the latest addition to the Fontana family.

She'd take you by the arm and steer you in the direction she thought you should go -- a signature Bea-Watson move.

At a memorial Monday at the First Assembly of God, Rep. Joe Baca, D-Rialto, described how Watson persuaded him to ride in the Fontana Days parades.

"She would wrap her arms around me and walk along with me," he said, and she wouldn't stop asking until he said yes. The remark brought laughter and nods of recognition from scores of dignitaries, clergy and residents paying their respects.

Watson was a tireless organizer and worker, earning the nickname Busy Bea, Baca said.

"In Heaven, she is organizing and getting the angels involved," he said. "And she'll probably ask God to be in the parade."

Until the 1990s, the city had sponsored Fontana Days. But after the recession hit, Watson took up the baton, recruiting volunteers and sponsors to keep the tradition going.

Former Police Chief Frank Scialdone, now a councilman, recalled that as her "assistant," he learned not to print the parade lineup until the morning of the parade, because Watson would keep adding entries.

She was happiest when 6,000 children were parading down Sierra Avenue amid floats, marching bands and equestrians. There was nothing she wouldn't do "for the kids."

You could tell your status by where Watson placed you in the parade, Mayor Mark Nuaimi told the gathering.

When they ran against each other for mayor in 1994, Nuaimi found himself behind the horses. As their rivalry softened over the years, he advanced toward the head of the parade.

Before becoming a volunteer, Watson was a career woman at a time when that was a rarity. She retired in 1982 after 36 years with Pacific Bell, where she helped develop the touch-tone dialing system, said her husband, Larry Watson.

Later, she turned her talents to community television, filming segments for KFON, the public-access channel, Larry Watson said. Before long, she was operating the cameras that televised council meetings. She was also instrumental in getting a performing arts center built.

Her loss will be felt dearly in Fontana for years to come.

Look at the time

"Look at the time " – I love that I gotta go phrase.

Where did it all go? I seem to have lost one-half month of my life even though, on the whimsical

daylight savings time,

I re-gained a whole hour stolen from me 6 months ago. A don't know who it actually helps; but I hope they don't take the hour back, if I say I dont like it.

Let me ramble in an attempt to account for where some of the time went. If I don't count the all-consuming 3 adult and one non-adult children living in the house and the usual demands of church ministry and a full-time job commute, what do I have left?

Parent teacher conferences

the little man having finished a quarter was reviewed by his teacher with us his parents. It seems he is quite easily distracted with his own preferred interests and just generally fails at being neat or constructing legible, intelligible writing. Some call this laziness or lack of focus or prioritization. I was um disappointed but Dad was really not happy! So while the little man is off-track he has assignments guaranteed to cure what ails him - can't be worse than castor oil!

Medical appointments

there have been various and sundry check-ups. I’ve found that while my blood pressure is better my cholesterol has crashed off the charts. Does health every really just improve?

Chloe's nightmare

a beagle

It's a fact - Dogs like to dig and the closer they are to being a terrier, the more they love it. In fact, just about all breeds of dogs who were developed to hunt are infamous diggers. So you think Fido's habits are the "pits" and you've tried to ban him from the area and scolding is a waste of breath?

crossed with American-staffordshire is a guaranteed recipe for an escape artist.

Many Staffords also like to dig, therefore these dogs may need a more secure environment than some other breeds. An "L" of chicken wire attached to the bottom of the fence can prevent persistent escape artists from successful getaways. Other Staffords are excellent climbers. To prevent vertical exits from the yard, you can top the fence with a horizontal overhang or choose an unusually tall fence.

Our Chloe took another mad dash around the square block but didn’t complete the trip this time. This time she encountered some sort of kill-joy beast that left her with gashes on her hip and a gnarled foot with a hairline fracture. While part of me was screaming ‘see what you get!’ I was so distraught at her condition. I sat beside her hand feeding her water and food (when she wore the ever-offensive cone around her head), dressed her wounds, took her to the vet while he set her leg and provided antibiotics (hidden in pieces of sausage), and cleaned up behind her little accidents in the house because of her inability to be outside as much. She is recovering quite nicely now and being coveted by the other dogs for all the attention she’s getting.

Hostel'ities

I don’t know if we are running a boarding place for ungrown children in the midst of finding themselves – but the food disappears (where is my microwave popcorn?) along with toilet paper and other valuable commodities, the washing machine has died-vacuum cleaner doesn't work anymore, stuff is borrowed and never find its way back, no one wants to do anything because so-and-so should do or doesn't it either, and when dishes and stuff get broken – its all a mystery (maybe we have a haunt

?). Whatever happened to grateful to have a roof over my head?

Adult School anyone?

the husband is pursuing higher education – so he's immersed midway through the Evangelism Training Program (an accelerated ministerial education) of the Christian Reformed Church - a quite intensive 3-year course requiring a lot of reading and resulting work assignments. Even though he is very smart and adept, on top of his already brimming plate, this additional involvement requires understanding and patience on my part, sometimes amounting to having a lot less of his company and requiring a lot more tolerance. At this point or any time soon I, myself, can't even imagine going back to school *sigh* - and time aint on my side!

Major appliance decisions

having to replace the washer and dryer – the husband and I have been scouring the world of Maytag, Whirlpool, Fridigaire, front loaders, top loaders to replace the slow assisted death of our own.

We also entered the spa world of CalSpa, HotSprings, Caldera, Sundance (which we really like the product and the salesperson), even Walmart/Sam's and Costco along with others (many seen at the fair) and learned everything you'd want to know when purchasing one (you can even at some places arrange to try them out), encountering the good and the crafty sellers - to add a conducive relaxation element to our premises. Hey but we didn't have the electrical just right - sooo, getting that taken care of and then it's soak city!

The Dish on Direct - While we had Dish Satellite TV with HD which was conveniently through ATT (formerly SBC/PacBell), the customer service was horrible especially after they moved to the overseas system. Over and over we pondered switching to Direct TV – would it be worth the hassle? Wel,l it absolutely has been - a nicolishly ginormous improvement! The programming, extras, and picture quality (HD and non-), accommodation, are beyond compare. Customer Response is not only generally responsive (guess one can’t assume a correlation between those two words) but also generally quick.

Cingularly Sprinting - We also a little further back made the move from Cingular (also connected to ATT--formerly SBC/PacBell and thus the convenience) to fewer dropped calls on Sprint – yes, on Sprint! Again a great improvement in customer service - like night and day!

Fellowship

I really enjoy the women’s and couple's studies, praise team practice, and the monthly fellowships – they consume their own amount of time but are a profoundly great means of stress release and getting back in Christmindedness. Getting together with friends that are really family and seem to have a home away from home is the best medicine ever too - they know who they are!

Remembering to chil' lax

I of course take time when possible to watch movies, and take measure to de-stress my day, to stop and smell the roses, and just count my blessings and give God the glory in all things.

God's time

is His; not mine – no matter what clock I look at. He makes all things beautiful in His time.

Sometimes the time gets away from me, but I have to remember to live each day as unto the Lord for tomorrow is not promised. If I go to be will him tomorrow, I want to accomplish what today was due including sitting at and washing the feet of Jesus!

For I was hungry, and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in; I was naked, and you did not clothe Me; I was sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me. Then they will also answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to You? Then He shall answer them, saying, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me. Mat 25:42-45

“But one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her”. Luk 10:42

O - look at the time!
Let's call this an October wrap. Until next time ...

into February ...

A week into February - where did the time go? Life has been a many splendored thing!

• Well, thank you Brown, the package has finally arrived to stay - today! It wasn't in the best of condition, this delivery; but workable - so it gets to stay. The husband is at home and maybe the giant too - I wonder if it'll be put together by the time I get home. The giant didn't get the job from the last interview, but has some more set up - keep him in prayer. The floor is matted. The exercise bike is in place. And today I am a pound less than last week. It's time to step up the program!
• The 9/80 work week started and is going pretty well. I had my first Friday off last week. I used it to wait for people like housecleaners, service people, and school principals - oh joy. But more progress was made on the garage - and more things given to Goodwill and the Agape House. The next day off will be a 4-day weekend as the following Monday is a holiday - how kewl!
• The husband has wooed me to dinner a few times - we have patronized Tony Roma's again and also went to Chili's. At Tony's my eyes were so much larger than my stomach. I brought half of those ribs home.
  At Chili's I just love their Chicken Crispers. Again, I think the effects of working toward weight loss was reflected, as I couldn't begin to consume all of the food. But this time maybe it was because I over-ordered ;-). With a main course you can get a side of ribs for $5.99. Who could resist that? And then those onion blossoms! I couldn't even order their delicious mexican eggrolls sigh. But the good news is I dutifully packed up a lot of my meal for take home and dined on it over the rest of the week. Still maybe those bump ups on my weight loss progress chart are for a reason ...
  
• We had our annual superbowl party complete with tossing penalty flags into the middle of the floor and replete with food. And yet again, I did very well - one small plate of food even though I, yes me, made a dish myself - chicken nachos (recipe forthcoming). I was for the Colts, so very happy with the day's outcome.
• We must give homage to the youngest's godfather (picturing Marlon Brando in my head), a dear friend of ours - Happy Birthday Andre!
• Other dear friends of ours had an anniversary - Congratulations Aaron and Jody!
• The husband and I sensed a need to request a change for the youngest one's teacher. He had and absolutely wonderful teacher, Mrs. Zappe, in kindergarten. In 1st grade, Mr. Ferguson continued to challenge and stimulate him. But we are noticing signs of discouragement in the 2nd grade and not because the work is too hard. So after the principal did not return my 2 phone calls and a subsequent conversation I did have with the teacher (after 2 emails), dad took over the reigns and carried the baton from mom. They met today and if there is no improvement for the youngest, it'll be pressed even without relenting.
• The family room is getting a face lift - along with the TV the husband has been long wanting (no not a plasma!), I on the other had was able to adorn it with a lovely entertainment center. He was able to take advantage of 'after the bowl savings' and I snagged a no longer to be carried item before it disappeared into oblivion for a remarkable price that was only available until midnight the evening I spotted it. The wonders of the internet - I could still snatch it up even though the hour was late. It is now scheduled for delivery.

That's enough for a week into February; isn't it?