Friday evening, one of my voice students, Katie O’Neill, drove Jose up to the Stevens’ home so he could leave with Pastor Monte and three fellow confirmands for Camp Muwana, an hour or so north of Columbus.

Saturday morning, I woke at 8:30AM having been out with Chris Stevens until 1:15AM. I began balancing my check book, worked on my up coming sermon on Lincoln, cleaned my study, and completed my taxes. Chris called at some point and we talked for about an hour or so. She indicated Monte would be coming home early to avoid the approaching snow storm. At 6:00PM, Matthew and I went to a Chinese dinner and then headed downtown to see the musical, Hairspray. We had listened to the music often in the car, and we all loved the music. The show is fantastic, and definitely worth seeing.

Before leaving for the musical, I called Chris to see if Monte had made it back and she reported he was snowed in! LOL! Kristen would step in to preach again, and everything else seemed to be falling in place. I agreed to arrive early to shovel snow and salt the walks.

Today was a bitter cold that tore right through the coat. After shoveling and salting, I could not shake off the cold. Sunday school, as usual, was sheer delight. Kristen gave a great sermon, and the hymns were good. After church, Matthew and I went to eat and then headed home, thinking that Monte and the four kids would arrive later in the afternoon. At 1:15PM I laid down for my Sunday nap and Jose called to say they would be arriving around 2:00PM. I slept for 30 minutes and then hurried back up north to retrieve my joyful Hispanic son and returned home to continue the nap.

After the nap, Jason called, then Monte, then Jason, then Frank, and then Jason again. Brody left a message at some point to see if I wanted to walk the dogs and smoke the pipes.

Now it is evening. The boys are down in the basement watching television and I am finishing up items before settling down once again with notes I am making for the Lincoln sermon. Susan Pringle, the part-time executive director for the Muse Machine is returning to Dayton this week and we have a major marketing meeting on Wednesday. I have reviewed all the notes and made my own suggestions, for what they are worth.

Tuesday is a parent meeting on the high school musical, and Wednesday is a choir boosters’ meeting. Most of my extra time will be spent preparing the Lincoln sermon. Saturday Matt is taking the ACT next door at the high school. I am also working with several case workers on three different boys from Idaho, Washington and Texas. My sister is throwing a birthday party for my nephew, Andrew, and the Ball State Singers is having a formal dance to which alumni are invited. There is just no way I can make it to Indiana and back in Dayton to be fresh for Sunday. I will be up early Sunday to take photos of those leaving on the Katrina mission trip to Louisiana, and will return home to prep for church.

I hope to produce more blog entries as there are so many things floating around in the brain. I have been in a period of re-inventing myself, and I guess the Muse Machine position is a portion of that. The dieting is so-so, but I am at least making an effort. Finding time for the exercise is the toughest thing, and I hate taking power walks alone. Brody is terribly busy (and married), so that puts a cramp in his time to power walk. Jason works out at 6:00AM – no way. I guess I will just have to reinvent my physical shape at another time.