NLFS Merch

Micah's New Life Family Services merchandise came yesterday, and boy, was it nice stuff!  She got a baseball hat, a stocking hat and a sweatshirt, all with NLFS logos.  In fact, it was so nice, I went on-line to see if I could get a sweatshirt like hers.  NLFS IS an organization I'm always willing to promote and/or support.  No such luck . . . and I can't borrow her sweatshirt.  It's a couple of sizes too big!😢  

Our Black Friday Tradition!

For the second year in a row, Micah and I have gone to donate blood on Black Friday.  Last year, my iron wasn't high enough so only she gave.  This year, her iron wasn't high even so only I gave.  But, because she tried and they pricked her twice, we now each have a pair of American Red Cross Holiday socks!  Eat your hearts out!

 I'll wear mine for laughs.  She'll give you hers for free!

BTW, if you ever catch us wearing our socks without our shoes on, you'll be encouraged to "Give Blood".😁

Thankful Thursday!

I was thankful we finally got to meet Matt's girlfriend yesterday when they joined us for dinner at Dad's.  She's a sweetheart and we enjoyed getting to know her!

We made . . .

. . . a quick trip to Iowa yesterday to spend Thanksgiving Day with my dad.  We carried an already cooked turkey, a box of stuffing, a pumpkin pie, a container of Cool Whip, a package of crescent rolls, the makings for cabbage ramen noodle salad, and 9x13 pan of sweet potato souffle in the trunk.  

The best part of the whole meal?  After we had finished eating, Dad said, "Well, I get to keep the leftovers, don't I?"  

You betcha, Dad!  Enjoy! 

A belated . . .

 

Bad, Bad Margo

At the Y, we have the lap swimmers, some of us who desire to stay in the water until the last possible second to get in as many laps as possible in the limited amount of time we have been given to swim.

Then, there are the Water Ex people who believe that when they arrive, we (the lap swimmers) need to leave.  Some of them literally jump into the water in front of us in an effort to get us out of the pool.  Well, today, I got them out . . . 

I asked the lifeguard when I arrived at 8:00 a.m. if he wanted a break.  I normally do not do this, but the short end of a long story is that the custodian asked me to ask him if he needed a break.  He did not.  When I finished swimming at 8:50 a.m., I asked him again, saying that I would love to kick all of these water ex people out of the water for five minutes because they irritate me!  Bad Margo.  Bad, bad Margo.

He said, "Yes".  So cleared the pool and got everyone out while I made sure no one got into the pool - I am still Y staff so I can - and he took a potty break. The water ex instructor came over and asked me what was up.  I said, "Well, he's been here since 5 a.m. and he needed a break to use the bathroom."  Not really.  But I wasn't giving up my real reason!  

The New Dishwasher.

There it is.  Our brand new dishwasher that arrived yesterday morning.  Our brand new dishwasher that remains in the box because it was just delivered yesterday.  Not installed.  Delivered.  Never mind that we have seventy-two hours after delivery to determine if the dishwasher works.  We can't use it as is - like in the box.

I spent over thirty minutes on the phone yesterday, trying to get that baby installed:

• Person One:  Let me confirm your information and then I will connect you to the right party for installation.  
• Person Two:  I'm sorry we have no installers in your area.  I can't help you.
• Me:  Then transfer me to someone who can.
• Person Three:  Let me confirm your information  . . . 
• Person Four:  Someone will call you within the next twenty-four hours to set up your installation.  If we do not, you can call someone and we will reimburse you for the installation fees.  
• Me:  Really?  And I have some great swamp land . . .  

Sam is back on the phone with Sears as I type.  All I can say is this:

• I need to thank God that I have water (and I don't have to go to the river to fetch it);
• I need to thank God that I have running hot water coming out of my faucet (and that I don't have to boil it);
• I need to thank God that I have a sink in my house that has heat (and that I am not homeless);
• I need to thank God that I am so much more privileged than most of the world.

This is a first world problem.  It's frustrating, but in light of all I have, I have no need to complain.  Besides, I have a brand new, albeit useless, dishwasher! 

She Wins Again!

You know, the next time the lottery gets really big, I think I'm going to have Micah buy a ticket!

Earlier this year, she entered an on-line drawing sponsored by two bakers she follows on Instagram and won a $50.00 Amazon gift card and a $25.00 Sweetapolitasprinkes gift card. 

Today, she tells me she's expecting a package because she's won another give-away!  She entered one by our adoption agency, New Life Family Services, on Give-to-the-Max-Day Thursday through Instagram.  She won two hats, a beanie and a baseball hat, and a NLFS sweatshirt!  

What's Zup? 

A New Song!

There are so many songs out there, like "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause" or "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer".  Well, today's new song is "Daddy Got Hit by a School Bus".

When I called (my almost ninety-year-old) Dad today, he said he wasn't very happy yesterday.  He had been driving home from downtown Lake Park (population maybe 900) and a school bus ran a yield sign and clipped the back end of his pick up!

Of course, there were children on the bus!  Fortunately, the only thing injured was Dad's truck.  The school representative and chief of police stopped by Dad's to look at the damage (it's a small town thing) and they thought it would be well over a $1000.00 to repair, but of course, the school will be paying for it!

Dad's just not happy because now he has the hassle of dealing with it all.  Meanwhile, we're just thankful that he wasn't hurt, he does have another vehicle to use, and we have a new song for someone to write!  We are giggle every time we say it!   

Thankful Thursday!

Some day there are so many little things to be thankful for . . .

• Like the two boys who picked up all the balls after recess.  They had spread out all over the recess area complements of one strong wind!
• A terrific long winter coat to wear that kept me warm during that wind.
• A lifeguard who actually looked at the pool while I was swimming and he was lifeguarding!
• The two students I proctored in their science test on Thursday PASSED! with scores  two points higher than mine (which the teacher did note I was never present for the science lectures so my score was based on memory?!?) 
• I am no longer doing our after-school program RISE, a mutually agreed upon decision due to low numbers - and I'm SOOOO happy!
• And then, there's always that possibility of a new dishwasher . . . 
  

The Dishwasher.

You remember.  The never-ending saga of our dishwasher, officially broken since mid-May.  It happened again on Monday.  The repairman came out.  Asked where the piece was to replace the basin.  Sam had already called Sears.  He had been told the repairman would have it with him.  Of course, he did NOT.  You will NEVER believe what happened next . .

He FINALLY declared our dishwasher DEAD, as in "it will never work again".  Six long months, multiple repair visits, too many parts ordered (right and wrong!), and now it was officially DEAD.

Sears called yesterday because we are on the "replacement plan".  After about an hour and a half on the phone last night, we are supposed to be getting a NEW (UPGRADED!) dishwasher next Tuesday morning.

I think I'll believe it when I see it.  

  

The Pea.

The other day at lunch, Savannah told me she had dropped her peas on the way to the waste bins.  I told her not to worry about it.  I would pick them up as soon as I was done wiping tables.  Savannah put her tray up, turned around, walked through her fallen peas, stopped, picked one up and ate it off, yes, the floor.😝  

The Holiday Craft Boutique

I would hate to name names, but one of our family members stayed up until close to midnight last night baking chocolate chip cookies and rose somewhere around 6:30 a.m. to begin frosting cupcakes for the "Holiday Craft Boutique" today at Cornerstone Community Church.

At 8:20 a.m. this morning, I tossed that same someone a banana and said "Eat" as we began our drive over to Cornerstone.  Bless the men and women who helped us carry everything in just before it opened!  We were set up in record time . . . and so began a day of fun and fellowship with old friends and new!

We were blessed to be at a table across from my college friends Deb and Jay and right next to my former roommate Heidi.  Oh, the people we saw and loved!  Heidi's friend, Becky . . . our Joyful Noise friends Deb and Kim and Sue and Marilyn . . .our family David, Jeanette, and Aunt Lenore . . . my swimming buddy Carla . . . my co-worker Julie . . . our neighbor Bernice and her daughter Donetta . . . a former co-worker Becky . . . Heidi's sister-in-law Ellen . . . I'm sure there were more!

Then there were the new friends . . . Heidi's boss John and his wife, who I did not know was a good friend of Carla's . . . Katelyn who made Micah and I the lanyards we wanted . . . Rachel who announced cookie discounts as the end drew near . . . and all the people who stopped by our booth.

I can't tell you how many people said to us, "Those cookies are a real temptation," to which I responded, "Go ahead and yield to temptation.  You're in a church where there is forgiveness."😁   

We sold out of all the chocolate chip cookies, all of the ginger snap cookies, almost all of the regular cupcakes, but not nearly enough of the gluten free cupcakes.  So Micah texted our friend Jane and asked if she'd be interested in some because she has purchased gluten free items from Micah before.  Bless Jane's heart!  She bought two packages of gluten free cupcakes from Micah for family and one package of regular cupcakes for small group tomorrow night.  We dropped them off on our way home . . . and Jane TOLD Micah she was going to pay full price because she wanted to support her business!  

An awesome day.  If you missed it this year, there's always next . . .  

Thankful Thursday!

Today, I am immensely thankful for the third grade boy who said to me in the lunchroom, "Mrs. Zupke, you're so young.  Why do you have gray hair?" because some days you just need the perfect "pick-me-up".😀

Round Up!

In fifth grade math, we're working on rounding numbers.  Anything with five or higher needs to be rounded up!

This morning, as I was driving to work, I was following a car dead set on going 38 mph in a 45 mph zone.  All I could think was "Round up!  Round up!"  

I'm thinking that may mean I tend to drive a bit close to that rounded up 50 mph mark than ever heading down to the 40 mph mark. 

Happy, Happy Birthday!

 

 

Micah needed a picture of herself with a white background, so the other day I was out taking snaps of her.  

This one is my favorite!  Totally useless for the purpose she needed, but so genuine.  So fun.  I love it!

Happy 

22nd 

Birthday, 

Micah!

 

Next Saturday . . .

Micah will be selling baked goods at this Holiday Craft Boutique!  

I'm going as her helper.

 

First Aid in First Aid?

 We were laughing hysterically in First Aid yesterday!  I had a group of ladies who worked together in the child care for CPR for the Professional Rescuer, First Aid and CPR at the Y.

During CPR, one of the students, who is a lead and I've know forever at the Y, got a blister on the palm of her hand from a wrinkle in her glove while doing CPR.  (We all thought it was weird, too!)

The blister, naturally, popped and we actually got to do first aid in First Aid!

A Chat with the Principal

I ran into our principal in the hallway today and I asked him if he knew _____ ______.  He said he did and I told him ______'s dad was Sam's first principal.  (Names are eliminated to protect the innocent!)  My principal then said he had met Sam's first principal when he applied for a fifth grade teaching job at Sam's old school in 1993. 

That got me to thinking and I was pretty sure I knew who had been hired instead of my principal.  A couple of texts later and I had the confirmation I needed.  My principal hadn't been hired, but one of Sam's very favorite co-workers ever had been.  Not sure my principal and Sam would have hit it off anyway.  He likes to golf.   

Thankful Thursday!

 I hate sitting around "doing nothing" at work, either because a teacher or student isn't ready for me yet, or a student is absent, or really, there is just nothing for me to do at that time. Unfortunately, that has been my story with first grade, mostly because of my "available" time frame.  It was more waiting than I wanted.

Thankfully, today, that story changed!  I will now be with second grade from 9:00-10:15 a.m. every day!  Those teachers are excited to have me and have all sorts of plans and ideas on how to use me, and if all else fails, I will be "an extra pair of hands and eyes in the classroom".  I will be busy - thankfully!

I had no idea!

We met Keith Brinkman aboard the Africa Mercy in 2007.  We've gone from being acquaintances to friends to supporters of Keith as he currently serves as Mercy Ships Country Director in Liberia.  I had no idea that lives were still being changed in Liberia through the ministry of Mercy Ships!  Read this excerpt: 

  

KRB Update 2254 Two Verses - Thanksgiving - Training Keith R. Brinkman                                     31 October 2021

Surgeries continue here in Liberia with one of our volunteer surgeons at a partner hospital. As of last Friday, 169 patients (100 women + 69 men) received their healing and all in-hospital costs paid for by Mercy Ships.  They do not need to wait for the ship's arrival but so many others I am meeting are waiting for the hospital on the Mercy Ships to open in early 2023.  Our training with healthcare professionals continue.  We are in the midst of our second Biomedical Technicians training and once finished in two weeks, all of the technicians in Liberia will be trained and equipped to do their important work.  Through our partnership with CURE International, we have welcomed three of their English-speaking biomedical technicians to come and receive this vital training also.  From the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery, "Universal access to safe, affordable surgical and anesthesia care when needed saves lives, prevents disability, and promotes economic growth."  By training these biomedical technicians they can be a vital part of safety in the operating rooms by having the equipment serviced, maintained, and ready for use in the provision of safe care for Liberians.    Prayer Requests:  *Patients recovering from their surgeries and those on schedule to come that they don't miss this opportunity.  We have some upcoming complex mandible surgeries, pray that all would go well and without complications - all of these surgeries are life-changing and for some, they are life-saving   *Health and Safety for me, my team, and the people of Liberia. *Wisdom and discernment and insight as I serve in this nation. Serving together, Kofa Keith