It's Never Easy...

Last Friday we received the news that we were clear to close. My realtor scheduled us to go to the title company right after the walk-thru Monday morning at 9:00. It seemed like everything was moving along like clockwork. Until the clock hit a glitch.

Originally the buyer had offered $5,000 above asking price. I thought that was odd, since there were no other offers on the table. Then I realized it was a technique he used to insure that I would accept his offer and no one else's. Once the inspection came in, he used it to drop the price down by $7,500. Since the new price was what I had anticipated the house to sell for, I accepted with the understanding that this would be the final sale price regardless of what the appraisal came in at. He accepted as well. The appraisal came in $5,000 below asking price, and the buyer agreed to bring $2,500 to closing. Well, sort of...

I think his realtor wanted to make sure she got commission for the original price her client had offered. To do this, she wrote up the new offer as his full offer with a seller credit of $7,500. My realtor told her this probably wouldn't be accepted by the lender, since it was $10,000 above the appraisal price, but his realtor insisted it had been done this way before successfully. Still, my realtor asked his realtor to verify with the lender so it wouldn't delay any paperwork. She finally agreed to, and found out my realtor was right. The lender would not accept this higher price as the selling price, credit or no credit. Another addendum was added to the contract where the buyer and I signed off on the final sales price and his realtor sent this in to the lender. Now everything was correct. Or was it?

I'm so thankful for my realtor. She received the settlement statement and went through it with a fine tooth comb. It didn't take long for her to find two mistakes: a charge from the HOA that should not have been there, and a credit for $7,500 that was never removed. She tried calling the buyer's agent but it was two hours before she finally got a hold of her. By then it was late in the afternoon and there wasn't a whole lot that could be done.

I didn't find out about this till Sunday afternoon. My realtor texted me to let me know there was a delay because, according to the buyer's realtor, "something happened with the loan." There needed to be revisions done, and she didn't know how long it would take, but we could still go ahead with the walk through on Monday morning. I was more than a little upset because I knew my realtor had told her from the start that what she was doing wouldn't work. 

Monday morning I was up bright and early, despite Daylight Savings Time. I couldn't sleep is more like it. I woke up before 6:00 am. I met the buyer and his realtor at my house at 9:00 and the walk through took less than 30 minutes. They looked around and saw that I'd left everything clean, which they were very thankful for, but other than the air conditioner and the hurricane shutters, they didn't really check anything else. I turned over the keys to his realtor, showed him where the mailbox is, and we left. At this point we still didn't know when the closing would take place.

Thankfully my realtor is on top of things. She emailed the title company trying to get an update. I guess she lit a fire under them because not long after she got the new settlement statement. She forwarded it to me so we could go over it, and what did I find? Two errors. They were charging me a ridiculous amount of money for some letters from the HOA, and they were also charging me March dues that had already been paid. This time I emailed the title company asking for an explanation. Within two minutes I got an email with a corrected statement. Y'all, if we hadn't checked this, I would have been out $555 that would have gone in the title company's pocket! It reinforced what I've always been taught, read everything carefully before signing anything! 

Once we'd looked everything over and agreed that it was correct, we scheduled my signing for 3:00 pm. As the seller, my paperwork is much less and quicker to sign. I got to the title company and the buyer was there, already getting his documents signed. I went in, and was out in about half an hour. The buyer was still there and probably had another 30-60 minutes left before he was done. But finally, all the papers were signed, and my house has a new owner. Hallelujah! I'm so thankful to God for getting me out of that painful and stressful situation. It's like a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders.

I have to admit, it's bittersweet. I really did like that house a lot. I like the floor plan, I loved how I decorated it, I enjoyed the neighborhood and the location...it was just one person that made it impossible to live there any longer. My prayer now is twofold. I pray the neighbor receives the help he needs. He is clearly disturbed mentally and needs attention, for his sake and for the sake of those around him. My second prayer is that he doesn't cause anymore trouble for the neighbors, especially the gentleman who just bought my home. I believe he will leave the new owner alone because he's a bully but he's also a coward (as one officer told me), but that doesn't mean he won't harass someone else. 

And now, I wait. I won't close on my new home until mid to late April. God is teaching me patience in this season, and I'm willing to learn. 

The Week In Review

I know I always say this, but this week really was a whirlwind. From day one it has been non-stop, and I won't lie, anxiety starts to creep in whenever I feel overwhelmed. Thankfully, God is with me every step of the way, calming my heart as He guides me and answers my prayers.

Let's start with last Sunday, February 21. We set out for Orlando because it was close to both my son and daughter-in-law, and not too far from where we were going to look at houses. We left home at 1:00 pm and arrived at our hotel at around 4:30 pm. We were pretty tired at that point, since we'd gotten up early and driven straight up, so we just stayed in the hotel. I'd made pizza for lunch and brought whatever was left over so we had that for dinner, then went to bed early because we were going to see the first house at 9:30 am. At around 4:00 am my Ring doorbell app went off. As I suspected, my neighbor had called in a noise complaint. This is the third time he calls the police complaining about noise whenever there's no one in the house, and I've figured out why he does it. We haven't slept in our house since January 26. We come to the house during the day, then leave around 10:00 pm and sleep at my daughter's house. He can hear the garage door open and close because my garage is attached to and directly in front of his unit. Whenever he doesn't hear the garage door open and close, he assumes it's because I'm still at home, so to annoy me he calls in a false report to the police. Little does he know that I turn around and call the police, letting them know that no one is home. Rather than hurting me, he ends up hurting himself because it cements the fact that he's lying just to be spiteful. I let the police know that we wouldn't be home till Wednesday so they could keep an eye out.

We were out bright and early Monday morning since my daughter-in-law was joining us for the day. I was so happy she agreed to come; we had some fun and good bonding moments. Day one we were in Lake County, a beautiful area of Central Florida where the town of Mount Dora is located. Most of the state of Florida is flatland, but Mount Dora is famous for having lots of hills (the Mount in the name is a bit of an exaggeration, LOL). I could just drive through there everyday to see all the natural beauty. We saw five homes, but the first one was the one that stole my heart. It was perfectly situated, not too big but not small, on a nice piece of land with a firepit in the back, very well maintained and nicely decorated. After seeing all the houses I decided to act fast and put an offer on this house. Sadly, I wasn't fast enough. The owner, who was also the realtor, really wanted to accept my offer, but she'd already countered an early offer and they accepted. I was so heartbroken! But then I remembered that God is the one choosing my house, not me. If this wasn't the one for us, I'd wait until He pointed me in the right direction.

And He did just that. The next day we were in Volusia County and we saw six different houses. Some were definite no's, some were maybe's, but one stood out from the crowd. Both my son E and my daughter-in-law raved over and over about the house, and while I still liked the one we lost more, I had to admit this house was not only super cute but fit our needs entirely. It was built in 2014 so it's very new, yet the neighborhood is established. That was something I had to consider whenever we looked at new construction; brand new homes have all the bells and whistles, but you can't find out anything about the neighborhood, and after my experience here I don't want to take any chances. This house is about 1500 square feet, slightly smaller than where we live now but laid out so well that the rooms are actually bigger. There's no formal dining or living room which is fine with me; we had both in our old house and they rarely got used. With three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a two car garage with plenty of storage, and a quarter of an acre of land (to keep the neighbors close but not too close), it was all we needed and then some. The only issue I had was the smell. The owners have two very large Great Danes plus a cat, and the house smells of animals. Like, kitty litter. Whenever I mentioned it to my realtor, she said we could ask them to do a professional cleaning of the house, especially the floors since they're all tile and the grout looked pretty dirty. I decided to go ahead with an offer and see if they'd accept my terms. 

There was one bigger issue, though. The owners of this house are having a house built. They have 3 small children along with all the pets, and they are bursting at the seams. Their new house is set to be completed by the second or third week of April. This would mean us staying with my daughter for over a month. So we negotiated terms and dates. I gave them two options: we could drop the price by $1,000 and they would have to be out of the house no later than April 23, or we could close on the 23rd and then do a lease back whereas they pay me $100/day for every day they stay in the house after the 23rd, and they have to be out no later than May 1. They decided to go with both. The price was dropped, they agreed to pay if they have to stay, and Thursday afternoon the contract was signed. Y'all, we are buying a house in Central Florida that is actually cheaper than what I paid for the condo where I'm living now! This is definitely God working His miracles as only He can! I'm so thankful for His provision!

We came back home Wednesday afternoon, and we've been packing ever since. The church graciously provided over 20 boxes for us to use which was an immense blessing.

These have already been filled up and I still need more, so I ordered some off of Amazon. So far I've boxed up all my home decor so the house looks bare. Next I'll be packing up the kitchen and bathrooms. Then next week the pods arrive. I've asked for help from the church to load up the pods as well. This church has some of the most generous and giving people on the planet, and I'm so thankful for each and every one of them. 

The tile removal began on Friday. After letting the association know that my lawyer would be only to happy to sue, the board voted to pay for the removal. That was a huge relief; I didn't want the tiles taken out, so of course I didn't want to pay to have it done. I was sure any damage to the man downstairs was not because of my tiles but they were insistent. So the tiles are gone, and over half of the grout and mortar is gone too. This is what it looks like.

Absolutely nowhere is there any sign of water damage, cracks, or anywhere that water could have leaked to the unit downstairs. I'm positive that any water coming into his house is from his kitchen bay window and not my balcony or my tiles, but there's nothing I can do at this point. The tiles are gone. They'll be coming back to finish the work this week and I'll be one step closer to leaving.

Having to do all this moving work is stressful, not to mention tiring. It's also bittersweet; I really do like this house, the community, the city...it's just the one neighbor that has ruined it so bad that I can't stay here anymore. But I know that God has a plan, and this was just a stepping stone on my way to wherever it is that He's prepared for me (Jeremiah 29:11). The countdown has begun!

Another Update

 I'm currently in Central Florida getting ready to look at homes. But let's go back some.

After the mold inspection report I prayed for us to hear quickly one way or another. Within a couple of days the answer came: they found some mold, but not black mold. Here in Florida it's not unusual to find mold, what with the high humidity we have, but it wasn't what I wanted to hear. However, the buyer didn't walk away from the sale. Instead, he asked for a price decrease. Considering he'd offered above asking price, what he was offering was what I expected to house to sell for. I decided to accept, but my realtor went the extra mile. She told the buyer this would be the final price, regardless of what the appraisal came in for. He accepted. I praise God because things are moving along, not because of me but because of Him. 

My daughter and son-in-law went to Disney World for the Valentine's Day weekend, and my son E and I stayed at her house dog-sitting. The neighbor called in noise complaints that weekend. Twice. I called the precinct at 4:00 in the morning because I saw on my Ring video when the police officer came by my door. I asked why an officer was there, and when the dispatcher told me about the noise complaint, I told her no one was home. She had the officer call me at that hour so I could explain that we were away for the weekend. He made a note of it but that was it. That week he was blasting his television again, and I called the police yet again. He was given a citation, and the officer almost begged me to press charges. Instead I asked the officer to give him a warning. A final warning. If it happens again, I will have no other choice but to file charges for harassment. It's not what I want to do, but it will be what I have to do. 

At times I've wondered if this is the right course of action. Selling after just a year and a half, packing up my life and getting ready for another move...but whenever the harassment continues and intensifies, when he accuses me and calls the police when I'm not even home, I know it's the only option.

So here I am, for the next three days, fixing to see houses and praying that God will lead me to the one He has for us. He's brought me this far. I trust He will do what only He can do. 

House Update

Good morning y'all! So much has been going on I didn't realize I hadn't posted any of it. Let me try and backtrack so I can remember everything from the past couple of weeks.

Inspection was done quickly. Contract was signed on Friday January 29 and the inspection was the following Tuesday. The inspector took about two hours. The report was ready by Friday, and most of the things on the report were minor. The only troubling issue was the possibility of mold. Now, it's not uncommon to find some amounts of mold in older homes here in Florida, due to the heat and humidity. But it still made me weary. My realtor had already explained to me that, more than likely, the appraisal wouldn't be coming in at the higher price the buyer offered. He'd offered a higher price to secure that no one else would get the house, then he would find ways to negotiate it down. We both felt that's what he was doing with now. 

He ordered a mold inspection report, stating that his mother had mold in her house and it had turned into a major problem that he wanted to avoid. This inspection was done on Tuesday February 9. We got the results yesterday. Yes, there's small amounts of mold, but not black mold which would be a real problem. He said he also found some water damage though no current leaks. So it wasn't the best news, but it wasn't the worst either.

At the same time this was going on, I was going back and forth with the association. There are tiles on my balcony that, according to the association, are not allowed and are causing leaks in the unit downstairs, where my harassing neighbor lives. They want me to have them removed at my expense. I told them if they need to remove them they can but at their own expense. I've read and reviewed the bylaws and nowhere does it state that tiles are not allowed on balconies. Whenever I bought my home the tiles were already there; the previous owner put them in. It got pretty ugly on Monday when the association emailed me stating that would I please let them take out the tiles, so as to appease the neighbor. I was so angry I could scream! They have ignored my complaints but now want me to have work done to "appease" my abuser?! I felt disrespected and insulted, and I let them know it. Then they told me if I didn't do it the new buyer would have to. Now I also felt threatened and let them know that too!

I spoke to my realtor about it, and she said she would handle it. We agreed to offer the buyer a credit towards doing whatever he wanted to do on the balcony in the future, but that the tiles would have to come out to do repairs in the neighbor's home. This was the day before the mold report came in. So the buyer, using this to his advantage, asked for a pretty big price reduction, that at first had me sick to my stomach. But as I sat down and looked at the numbers, I realized that his new offer was within the parameters that we'd hoped to sell the home for anyway. It's probably what the house will appraise for, so I'm not out any money. My realtor and I agreed that we would accept his counter-offer on the condition that this price would hold firm regardless of what the appraisal comes in at. In other words, if the appraisal comes in $1000 less than his offer, he can't ask for a price adjustment, and likewise if it come in higher I can't ask for more money. I feel like this is fair and I'm hoping he will accept.

If you read my last post you know about the stalking and harassment I've been enduring from my neighbor. Just yesterday I spoke to the officer in charge of my case. I was happy to hear that the neighbor had indeed been served the noise violation though, as I told him, the noise hasn't fully stopped. It's not as loud or as frequent but he still plays his music and tv loud enough for me to hear. The only difference is that I'm not always there to hear it. I told him that since the day of the last episode I no longer sleep in my home. He sounded sad to hear it but I also told him my home is under contract and I plan to leave the area. He wanted to know if he should close the case but I said no. Until everything is complete I want to keep open the option to file charges against him; if for any reason my home doesn't sell, I don't want to continue sleeping in my daughter's house. I hope it doesn't come to that but if it's necessary I will do whatever I have to in order to keep myself and my son safe.

We haven't gone to Central Florida yet. My son E is finishing up an economics class this coming week, and if the buyer accepts our terms on the house sale then God willing we will be heading up next weekend. This weekend we're staying at my daughter's house. She and her husband are spending the long weekend at Disney World and we get to dog sit for her in her house. It's like our own little vacation!  The appraisal is scheduled for Wednesday morning; once that's done, I can begin packing in earnest. I've already reserved the pod containers so I have to be ready when the day comes, which will be in less than a month. 

All this has caused lots of anxiety. Between the harassment, stalking, selling, prepping, inspections...it all takes a toll. I've lost 15 pounds in the last 6 months without even trying. I'm praying that the Lord would give me peace help me to stay strong. I know He is in control and that I'm not alone in this. I will trust in my God, for He holds the future in His hands.

 

The Week In Review

It's February 1st and I'm still trying to recuperate from last week. Hold on tight. It's a doozy.

Monday January 25 my realtor came over and took pictures of the house. We had a nice visit; she hadn't been back to the house in a year. I became a bit sad as she was complimenting everything I'd done to the house. I've decorated and made my house a cozy home and it seemed unfair that I should have to leave it through no fault of my own. I actually started to question if this was the right decision.

Tuesday morning my neighbor got up at 6:00 am and turned on the news. It wasn't extremely loud, just loud enough that I knew it was on. Suddenly, at 7:04 am, he turned the volume up full blast. I could hear CBS News blasting in my bedroom, hallway, kitchen, all the way into my living room. Then I heard his garage door. I was livid. I immediately called the police and reported what was going on. I got dressed quickly, then when I walked out into the living room I heard music. Not only was the tv on full blast but he also left his stereo on with a rap song on repeat. The song he was playing was absolutely vile; there were F-bombs being thrown left and right, and as my son said that wasn't even the worst of it. I went to his next door neighbor and asked her if she could hear the noise, and she confirmed that it could be heard in her house as well. I was so angry I was shaking.

The police officer arrived about 30 minutes later. He couldn't believe the music was coming from the neighbor's house downstairs. He acknowledged that the music and television were beyond loud. I then showed him the Facebook message he sent me where he threatened to report me to child protective services because I was abusing my autistic son. E was standing behind him, and the officer asked him his name. Whenever the officer asked if he was autistic, it was noticeable by my son's face that it upset him. He quickly answered, "No sir, I am not." The police officer looked perplexed and went to his patrol car to look up the history on this gentleman. Next thing I knew there were two more patrol cars and police were in my home listening to all the noise and asking questions about the harassment that has been going on since I moved here.

After two hours the police told me they wanted to go to the school where my neighbor works and serve him with a noise violation, but the principal of the school refused to have them do this while children were present. They explained that all they could do was give him a citation (which is $35) unless I wanted to file charges for stalking. At this point I was in tears. I was so upset and confused. I told them I'd speak to my lawyer and see what he recommended. 

I could tell the officers wanted me to file charges; one of them said if I did he'd arrest my neighbor immediately and most likely he'd be suspended from his job. Sounds like the best scenario, right?  Not according to my attorney. What he explained to me is this: first off, there have been 44 complaints between my neighbor and myself in the last five months - 26 of those from me - and yet only now were they ready to issue the first citation. This citation could make the neighbor leave me alone, but more than likely it would make him mad. He's already shown himself to be vindictive and evil, so there's no telling what he might do if he is arrested and loses his job. He also explained that it was not likely that the judge would issue a restraining order since this neighbor can't be kicked out of his home. There would be an order for him to stay away from me, but would he abide by it? There's already an order for him to stay off my property, but it hasn't stopped him from harassing and stalking me. My attorney's advise was simple: Get out. Use the money I would have spent on court fees and get a nice air BNB and stay away. I've spent that night and every night since at my daughter's house.

 Here's what really convinced me that I need to leave this place. The officers told me they would wait for my neighbor in the school parking lot and serve him the citation there. At 2:30 pm I see three patrol cars in front of my house; clearly they hadn't gone to the school. They waited about a half hour and he didn't show up. About 5 - 10 minutes later, I was in my son's room talking to him when I glanced out the window and saw my neighbor walking into his house. His car wasn't there. I ran and called the police to report that he'd finally come home on foot, either leaving his car somewhere or after having been dropped off. We could hear him slamming doors left and right in his house. Before the police could arrive, he left and walked away. I'm sure he parked his car in another area of the community in a guest spot. He has cameras all around his house, so he probably sat in his car waiting for the police to leave so he could come back. He left with a messenger bag and didn't turn any of the noise off. 

Wednesday E and I came back to the house and I realized he was home. At 12:30 he started playing music, though not so loud as he'd done before. I imagine he didn't go to work because he feared the police were gonna look for him there. I called the police and let them know he was home and playing music so they could add it to the existing police report. Did they come to serve him with the citation? No. To this day I don't know if they've been able to make contact with him. I feel let down because the abuse has been going on for so long and everyone knows about it but he continues to get away with it. Anyway, I began packing things like decor that I don't use on a regular basis, when my realtor called to let me know she had a couple of showings already scheduled. The listing had gone live late Tuesday night so to have showings that fast got my hopes up. Both were scheduled for the next day.

Thursday afternoon my realtor called again. She was coming over earlier because now she had three showings. She lives about 45 minutes away from me so she tried to get all the showings back to back; this, she says, also helps get people who are interested to move quickly. I got the house ready and left her here to do her work. Thanks to my Ring video doorbell I could see the people who were coming to view the house, and I prayed God would send a man to buy my house. I don't want to sell to a woman; I don't wish this harassment and abuse on anyone. The last gentleman who came seemed very interested. After his realtor left he asked if he could take another look at the house. He asked my realtor not to show the house to anyone else because he was very interested. She told him she doesn't work like that; until she has something in writing she is obligated to continue to show the house. We both believed he was the most likely candidate to put in an offer.

Friday at 8:30 am I got the call from my realtor. Just by the sound of her voice I knew it was good, but I didn't know how good. I got an offer above asking price! That was totally unexpected! I see God's hand all over this. Everything I asked for He did, then went above and beyond to show me that nothing is impossible for Him. I signed the paperwork Friday night. We are now officially under contract.

The buyer has seven days to do the inspection so I'm anticipating that will be done this week. In the next couple of weeks I'm gonna have to head up to Central Florida to start looking at homes as well. Part of me is excited but another part of me is getting anxious about the whirlwind that is coming. Homes in Central Florida are being snatched up quick. As a cash buyer I have an advantage, but my cash is limited and homes start to get more expensive as sellers see more movement. I have faith that God will open the right doors for me and I trust in His timing. My problem is that I like to take things slow and think things through; I may not have a lot of time to do that. But we shall see. As the song says, 

"I've seen You move, 

You move the mountains, 

and I believe I'll see You do it again." 

A Difficult Decision

I haven't been posting as I'd promised myself I would because the last couple of weeks have been an absolute nightmare. It's also been a time of prayer and seeking the Lord's will. 

I don't want to go into a long detailed explanation now; there's too much that needs to get done right now and I don't have the time for lengthy posts. Suffice it to say that the harassment has intensified. I've turned to my attorney for advise. He told me I have 3 options: 1 - I can file charges of stalking and harassment and have this neighbor arrested (this is the route the police want me to take); 2 - I can sue the neighbor and the HOA for intentional infliction of emotional distress and failure to enforce the association rules (making me the hero); or 3 - sell my home and get out ASAP. After discussing this with my attorney, my best friend, and my children, I've made the difficult decision to go with option 3. 

I've tried through every possible means to resolve this problem amicably but my neighbor only gets worse. My attorney explained that with options 1 & 2, I would probably win a court case, a court order would be issued, but there's no guarantee he would abide by it. If anything, his behavior shows he wouldn't, and I would be in court every month trying to force him to obey the court order. I don't have the desire to go through all that, nor do my children want it for me. 

I have prayed and prayed asking the Lord for guidance and clarity. He has shut every door, so that the only clear option is selling and leaving. It's not what I expected nor wanted; I've made this a comfortable and pleasant home for my son and me. But God has other plans. 

My home is now on the market, and it looks like the Lord is going to grant me what I've wanted for many years. I have a realtor looking for a home for us in Central Florida. I've wanted to move back to Central Florida for years, decades really. If that is the door God is opening, then I will obey and be thankful.

That's it for now. I'm off to start packing. I'll try to post but life is on the fast track right now. Prayers appreciated.

The Week In Review

The past week has been a such whirlwind that my head is still spinning. Let's get right into it.

January 3 began with a police visit at 2:00 am. I was sound asleep whenever the doorbell rang, and the officer asked if everything was okay because they'd received "multiple" calls about fighting. The only people in the house are me and my son E, and we don't fight with each other in our sleep. I told him that there weren't "multiple" people complaining, just one person complaining over and over. The officer said he knew the history and left it at that, but my sleep was disturbed the rest of the night. I was not happy.

Imagine then my surprise when the police came to my door yet again, this time at 12:15 in the afternoon with the strangest request. My neighbor called them and asked if they would do a mediation, because he didn't want any more problems with me. He admitted to them that he played loud music and would leave both the music and the tv on all day to annoy me. I was originally hesitant, but the officer said she and her partner would be present, and since he was "extending the olive branch" I should give him a chance. I reluctantly agreed, telling her that I didn't trust him. She told me they weren't there to hash out the past but to try and find a way to move past it and have peace.

At first everything seemed legit. He said he wanted us to get along and not have any more problems. He said he had done things wrong but he wanted to stop. I told him I wished him nothing bad, that I didn't care if he played music or watched television so long as I didn't have to hear it, and that I was willing to forgive and move forward. There was one thing I would not do, however. I would not lie and say that I was banging on his ceiling or causing any of the noise that he insisted I was doing because I wasn't doing it. I even said to him that if I'd done it on purpose to annoy him I'd have no problem admitting it to his face, but I hadn't done it. That upset him. He pulled out sheets of paper where he'd written when I'd supposedly made all the noise but the officer told him to put it away. She reminded him that the intention was not to go over what had been done but how to move forward. I said that maybe the problem was the plumbing; I'd had to run out of the shower twice because the police were at my door, so maybe the shower was making the noise. He said no, it's not the plumbing. I asked that we try an experiment: one officer in his house, one in mine, and we'd try to figure out where the noise was coming from. His answer was, "This is ridiculous, she refuses to admit anything," so that once again the officer had to tell him that wasn't what they'd agreed to. 

One of the officers asked if I would be willing to exchange phone numbers with the neighbor so that if there were noises or anything we could communicate with each other. I was not willing to, but my son E said he would. They exchanged numbers, then the officers agreed to split up and see where the noise was coming from. The results were inconclusive; while it was true that if someone walks across the laminate floors with shoes on it can be heard in his house, it doesn't explain why he hears the sound when no one is walking on the floors. Neither the shower nor the toilet could be heard in his home. I told the officers we would do our best to keep the noise down to nothing whenever he was home and we'd see where it went from there.

The next three days were wonderful. There was no noise, no police, no complaints. My son and I tiptoed around and made every effort to keep the noise levels low. I was cautiously optimistic. Little did I know how quickly the honeymoon would be over.

Thursday January 7 my son received a text message from the neighbor at 5:00am asking if I was upset because he'd turned off his fan. My son came to my room and asked me if I was okay. I was asleep and said yes. He asked if I'd heard the neighbor turn off his fan. I told him I couldn't hear his fan on or off because I was sleeping. My son texted him back and went to sleep.

Around 10:00am my son looked at his phone and realized the neighbor had sent multiple text messages stating that he'd thought we could work things out, that he couldn't do his teaching job if he didn't get any sleep, so on and so forth. My son texted him and apologized for not getting back, but explained that we were both sleeping and weren't making any noise. He sent a barrage of text messages saying that he had a new recording method that the officer had recommended and that he now had proof of all the loud noises we were making. He said he would start calling the police daily so that they could begin to issue tickets for noise violations. My son told him he was sorry that there were noises but they weren't being done by us and left it at that.

I called the officer he mentioned and found out he'd tried to get her to come and "do something" the day before. She told him that there was no criminal activity so there was nothing she could do. She suggested he record the noise but that was pretty much it. I told her I was going to buy myself a video camera to record myself at night while I slept to show that the accusations were false. While we both agreed that I shouldn't have to go to those extremes, I could see no other way. I ordered the video cam. That night my son went to visit friends and stayed over their house, and I stayed with my daughter because I didn't want to stay home by myself.

Saturday afternoon my son received more text messages, this time with threats. He sent pictures of some recording apparatus and stated that he would be downloading all the noise going on and was forwarding it to the Department of Children Services. I was absolutely livid! My son was beside himself. He told me, "This man is the lowest of the low. He's despicable." I took my son's phone and answered the man that we would be following the officer's recommendation and blocking his number, since he clearly had no intention of fixing any problems and insisted on continuing his harassment of me and my son who is 21 years old and not a child. Communication with him ended immediately.

I could hardly think straight at that point because I was so angry. I began asking my friends to pray for me. We went to church that night and I asked for prayer there as well. It helped immensely to lay this at the Lord's feet and ask for guidance.

The next day I called the police and made a formal complaint. The officer I spoke to let me know that it is in the history that this man admitted to the noise he made and that he did it to annoy me, which is to my advantage. It's intentional infliction of emotional distress. I sent a long email to another attorney friend and I'm waiting to hear from him. The first lawyer I turned to told me he was busy with a court case and would get back to me. That was over a month ago and I don't feel like waiting any longer. If this friend of ours doesn't get back to me soon I will seek another attorney. 

This has gone beyond simply being an annoying neighbor; this is defamation of character, harassment, and abuse. I've found out since then that he did something similar to the previous owner. Whenever she began complaining of his noise he said she was an alcoholic, which was a lie. I'm shocked at how a person, a school teacher no less, can be so filled with evil. 

I'm thankful that God is with me. I still pray daily for this neighbor in hopes that God will do a miracle in his life, but I'm also preparing to prove my innocence and stand against the lies and falsehoods. God has not given me a spirit of fear but a spirit of power, love, and a strong mind (2 Timothy 1:7). I will stand up for the truth, clothed in the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). If you believe in the power of prayer, please pray with me and for me. I appreciate it more than you know.      

Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

Welcome to 2021! A new year has begun with hope and promise. Expectations for this new year are high. Yet, does a new year mean the end of a bad year and the beginning of a good one?

The year 2020 has been a struggle for the entire world. COVID-19, coronavirus, pandemic...words we wish would go away once and for all. Folks are expecting a vaccine to fix the problem, but will it? Only time will tell if this virus or one of its strains will finally disappear into oblivion and be nothing more than a mention in history books, or if the situation will worsen and wearing masks becomes the "new normal" (I hate that phrase). 

The 2020 hurricane season is over - thank God! This season has been called "hyperactive" for a reason. There were 25 named storms, nine of which were hurricanes, 10 storms hitting the U.S., five just in Louisiana. I've prayed year after year for protection from the storms, but never had I wanted a hurricane season to end like this past year's. Yes, it's finally over, but what will 2021 bring?

And let's not forget the 2020 elections. You know what? Never mind. Let's forget it. 

Personally, there have been painful moments as well. The passing of my ex-husband's younger brother, then his mother just two months later, has been devastating. His sister's double mastectomy was a shock as well, though thankfully she is recovering well, physically anyway. Emotionally she's a wreck, understandably.

The biggest and most pressing issue in my life right now is the decision I have to make regarding my home situation. My neighbor's harassment has hit an all-time high. He called the police on me five times in the month of December (that I know of); one of those times he told the police he heard gunshots in my house. Gunshots?!?! Really?!?! The lies he tells are off the charts. My only comfort is that the police in our city don't believe him. They've told me the complaints have been shown to be unfounded, which is a huge relief.

I also had to call the police on him five times this past month. One of the times he was banging on my front door like he wanted to knock it off its hinges. He was ordered to stay off my property for 90 days, but that hasn't stopped the incessant noise. These last two weeks have been horrible. As a school teacher (yes, he's an elementary school teacher) he's off from work, so he has lots of time to make a nuisance of himself. Calling the police on me, playing excessively loud music and television, pounding on the walls, and revving his motorcycle in the garage, causing our walls to shake. He often will just go into the garage to rev the motor on his car or motorcycle without actually going anywhere. 

Wednesday he started playing his rock music at 10:25 am, and played it on and off for hours. By 2:30 I was sick of it. I stepped outside and realized I could hear it across the street. I called the police. They tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't answer his door. Instead, he raised the volume on the music. Finally he did turn it off when he saw the police weren't giving up, to my great relief. Of course, that relief wasn't going to last.

New Year's Eve I planned to stay home. I'm not a party person anymore; just give me a peaceful night at home and I'm happy. At 3:00 the music started up again. I tried to ignore it but it was too loud. I turned on my air purifier to see if I could mask the sound; it wasn't working. I ran the clothes dryer and could still hear it. Even the vacuum cleaner didn't mask the noise. Then at 5:14 he went into his garage and began revving his motor. To our shock he took off, leaving the music blaring so loud my floors and walls were shaking. I lost it. I called the police in tears and told them what was going on. The officer has been to my house multiple times so he knows the situation. He waited around for my neighbor, but when he spotted the officer he took off. I know the officer went after him, but I don't know if he was able to catch up with him at any point. I was a wreck; I called my daughter and asked if we could go to her house. My son-in-law not only told me to come, he said I didn't even need to call. We are always welcome at their house. God has blessed me with the best son-in-law I could ask for. We stayed at their house till almost 1:00 am. My daughter wanted me to stay over but God has not given me a spirit of fear. I came home.

I have tried so many ways to get this problem resolved, but I feel like doors continue to be slammed in my face. I don't know if I should fight this, or sell my home and leave. My son wants the latter, but after living here only one year, I would lose a considerable amount of money. There's no way my little townhouse has appreciated enough for me to sell and make a profit; I can't say I'd break even in such a short time. But my son tells me we aren't safe here, and I'm starting to think he might be right. 

Today I spoke to my best friend and realtor. I hadn't told her what was going on because I didn't want her to feel bad knowing she's the one that helped me buy this property, but I needed to vent. I'm convinced God sent her to encourage me. She's a spitfire, is what she is. She is gonna call our attorney next week and the three of us will brainstorm what can be done. I say our attorney because we all went to the same church years ago, and we both have used him in the past. I had emailed him earlier to get advise but he was busy with a court case and said he'd get back to me. She said that's not good enough, and we will speak to him. This way I hope to get a clearer answer from the Lord, whether I should stay here or sell. If I sell, I'd have to move out of South Florida. It's gotten way too expensive to live here. My oldest son lives in Central Florida, and I would head up that way. It's not what my daughter wants to hear, though. She depends on me so much and likes that we are close by. It doesn't make my decision any easier. Ultimately I want to do God's will and not my own. I'm seeking Him for the answers I crave.

God extended His grace to me today. The neighbor played his music on and off all day, but I was able to keep busy and ignore it. I noticed that he turned on his vacuum cleaner and left it running in his entryway or garage (not sure which), thinking it would bother me. It didn't. I only realized what he was doing because I had to get storage containers from my garage to put away the Christmas decor and I heard it then. He was also blasting his television in his bedroom, but I closed my bedroom door and couldn't hear it. 

If there's one thing this situation has taught me, it's to depend on God even more. In my own strength I can't handle this; I would've lost my mind by now. "The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him." (Exodus 15:2). This verse is my reminder each and every day that I have to put my trust in Jesus who redeems me, in my Father who comforts me. I know God will provide a way where there is no way. I don't have to figure this life out on my own, and for that I can be truly thankful. I'm ready for you 2021. Well, my God is ready, and that's enough for me.

The Week In Review

It's been a week of ups and downs. That's fine if you like roller coasters. Me, not so much.

Monday we were awaken at 5:35 am to the police at my front door. Apparently, they'd received an "anonymous" call stating that there was furniture being moved around in my house and the sounds of a domestic disturbance. Both my son E and I were asleep and there was absolutely no sound coming from my home. I had to explain that my neighbor continuously accuses me falsely of making noises when in fact he is the one making all the noise. Thankfully, one of the officers has come on several occasions whenever my neighbor has called, and said the complaints have been determined to be unfounded. Nevertheless it was unnerving, especially considering what was coming up later that day. 

My son E had his dental appointment to remove his wisdom teeth that afternoon at 2:00. I am so incredibly thankful for the group of women in my Bible study class who prayed for my son's surgery. Everything went well, and while he was in a tremendous amount of pain that first day, it has lessened to the point where he is no longer in any pain. There is still some swelling inside his mouth which prevents him from chewing anything too hard, but he is able to eat. Good thing too - the medicines he is on (antibiotics and anti-inflammatory) make him sick to his stomach if he doesn't have any food in his system.

Sadly, just before we left for the dentist, I received a frantic call from my ex-husband J. His mother is dying. Back in October, J's brother succumbed to a brain tumor that was first detected in December of last year. Surgery, chemo, radiation, all tried but none worked.  He was a month shy of his 49th birthday. It was an extremely painful time for the family, but none suffered more than his mother. She had been told just a couple of months before that her kidneys were starting to fail (she is diabetic) and she would have to start dialysis. She refused. Her children begged her to reconsider, but she said if her son died she wanted to die as well. I believe that, having lost her husband in September of last year and finding out her son was dying of cancer, while her daughter had a double mastectomy in July, was too much for her and she was suffering from severe depression. At 77, her body can only take so much. Late last week she was vomiting and couldn't hold any food down. Her oldest daughter took her to the doctor, who told them her liver was only working at about 4% and she needed to go to the emergency room. Once in the hospital she was put on dialysis, but within a couple of days she suffered two strokes and a mini heart attack. As of today she is on a respirator, her vitals are stable but she is in a coma, and doctors don't know how much brain damage she's suffered or if there is any brain activity at all. She has been completely unresponsive since the strokes. The family is devastated. It's easy to say that the cause is her kidneys or the diabetes or the strokes or heart attack, but I believe she is dying of a broken heart. It has broken my own heart; no one can understand her pain unless they've experienced it themselves. We are all praying for a miracle, or for the Lord to take her away from her suffering. 

I did some more Christmas shopping on Friday, just last minute items and stocking stuffers. I was happy to go out. My neighbor left his tv set blasting from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm in his bedroom (which is directly below my master bedroom). While it's easy enough for me to close the bedroom door and not have to listen to it, I knew it would be the prelude to more harassment. I was right.

Saturday he got up at 10:30 am and began randomly punching the walls. I ignored it. Then around noon, he began blasting the tv set in his bedroom again while punching the walls. I was able to record him on my phone, then I called the police. My son needed to take his math test and he needed a quiet room to take the test in. My bedroom usually fits the bill, but with all that racket it was impossible. The police came, heard the noise and the recording, then tried to talk to him. Again he blamed me, said I was the one making all the noise, then told them I'm attacking him because he's Jewish. I had no idea he was Jewish. The man has a life size Buddha outside his front door; why would I think he was Jewish? Even his last name isn't Jewish. Once again, the Lord opened the eyes of the police and the sergeant recognized that the man is suffering from mental illness. He told me they would be investigating him to see why there are so many reports and complaints against him.

I'm so thankful for the gift my son R gave me for my birthday.

Monday morning I installed the Ring video doorbell beside my front door. It's been working like a charm. It allows me to see what is going on without having to run downstairs which is a huge blessing. 

And that brings us to today. We got home just a little while ago from having lunch with my daughter and son-in-law. They took me out today because tomorrow is my birthday. I didn't want my daughter to rush home from work to take me out to dinner, so instead we went out today. We had a lovely and pleasant afternoon walking around the mall after lunch and enjoying the gorgeous weather that December brings to South Florida. I am thankful that the Lord has seen fit to grant me another year with my loved ones. I pray that this next year I can live even more for Him, glorifying the Savior for all that He has done.

Have a blessed week y'all!

The Week In Review

I'm sitting in my living room listening to the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving soundtrack, while outside my window the wind howls and pouring rain continues to fall. I'll get into that in a bit.

This week I found out that my neighbor has been calling the police on me, accusing me of doing construction in the early morning hours and throwing things on the floor so he can't sleep. I found this out because on Tuesday a police officer came to my door to ask if there was any construction going on in my house, and when I said no he explained why. I had to tell him what's been going on and that in fact it's my neighbor making all the noise. Thankfully the officer told me they'd already determined that the complaints were unfounded. Still, I had to call the police twice that day. The second time he was apparently playing some kind of racing game on his Play Station. It sounded like the Indy 500 in my dining room. The officer who came the second time was a woman. She told him she could hear the noise outside it was so loud. He called her a liar and began yelling at her, and ultimately slammed the door in her face. He's never done this to the male cops, which says a lot about him. What the officer told me was that the HOA needs to get involved. The police can keep coming but it's a temporary fix. The HOA needs to come up with a long term solution. I emailed the management the very next day. Their response? The HOA contacted their attorney, who told them this is a civil matter and they couldn't get involved. So now I've contacted my attorney. I'm hoping and praying we can come up with a solution to this situation. In a strange twist, his next door neighbors on the other side are remodeling their master bathroom, which is connected to his master bathroom, and they've made lots of noise this week with their demo and tile cutting. Poetic justice? Perhaps.

I've started on Christmas shopping and wrapping presents. Most of the items I've purchased through Amazon. On Thursday I had to go to Walmart and Costco for groceries, and while I was at it I figured I'd stop by Ross to see what they had. I went to Ross whenever the stores began opening again but it was bare. I hoped it would be a little better this time round.

I bought my normal fill-in groceries at Walmart plus a few fresh herbs to have on hand for Thanksgiving. Then I headed to Costco to get some allergy medicine. They have the Zyrtec knock-off for a good price. I also wanted to see if they had any cooking utensils. Mine had seen better days. They were not only old and dull, since they were plastic they'd melted in a few spots. I didn't find any cooking utensils, but something else did catch my eye.

Y'all, I got so excited whenever I found this pillow! Last year I got a new tree skirt, throw blanket and table runner, all in the black and red buffalo check pattern. My eyes went straight to the stocking on this pillow, but the plaid and the green check are also gorgeous and perfect for my very traditional decor! The sherpa fabric is cozy and soft. The best part is the price. $9.99 y'all! Now I want to hurry up and decorate for Christmas!

As happy as I was to find this sweet pillow, I still had the dilemma of not finding cooking utensils. I really hoped Ross would be my answer. They did not disappoint.

I got a set of cooking utensils, a set of tongs, and a set of rubber spatulas, and each was $6.99 and under. I needed the rubber spatulas because the one I had for years finally broke in half. 

Since I was already there, I looked at the bathroom decor. I've been looking for some bathroom rugs that aren't too pricey. 

This pretty set of two rugs were $9.99. I would've spent more than that on one rug at Target so I was super pleased. But it was the last item I was most excited about.

I've been eyeing some shelves at Hobby Lobby for the guest bathroom, but they were so much money. Even when they're on sale, the ones I liked were $30.00 and over. I'm glad I waited, because I found this at Ross for $19.99. That's more along the lines I was hoping to spend! I haven't put it up yet but when I do I'll be sure to post about it.

Saturday was a special day. Some of the ladies in our women's bible study group met for breakfast at Panera. This group is from my old church, which is a 40-45 minute drive, but my sweet friend who organized the breakfast chose a city that's more central, so it took about 30 minutes to get there. We had the sweetest time of fellowship and catching up. You don't realize how much you need that time together till you've been isolated for months thanks to a pandemic. I'm so hoping we can do it again soon.

Of course, soon won't be this weekend. If you've watched the news, then you know Tropical Storm Eta is heading towards Florida. As of right now, it has gone over Cuba and is in the Florida Straits, where they're predicting it will head west towards the Florida Keys, but most of South and Central Florida are gonna feel the effects. The system is massive! I think of the people in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala, who took this on as a category 4 hurricane earlier this week, and my heart breaks for them. It's a real rainmaker, and we're looking at local flooding all over South Florida. We've had so much rain the past month that the ground is saturated. An additional 3-5 inches can be dangerous. Schools have been ordered closed for tomorrow and so have a lot of businesses. We are praying for safety and that this storm doesn't intensify nor slow down.

And that's what my week was like. The coming week will be a wet one: we're expecting the rain to continue into Tuesday, and after that we'll get a better idea where this storm is headed. Weather channel says it's supposed to swing back around to Florida whenever it gets into the Gulf. Pray for Florida y'all. It's been a rough year all around. God bless.

The Week In Review

And just like that, it's November. I know we always say that the year has gone by quickly, but somehow this year seems like it's not only flown by, I haven't accomplished near as much as I thought I would have by now. That's what pandemics do.

I meant to post yesterday, then I just forgot. I have no other excuse. I wasn't too busy, I was home all day, I just plain forgot. I'll try to make up for it today.

Monday started off on the wrong foot. I was awaken at 5:57 am to the news. No, I didn't turn on the tv in my bedroom. I don't have a tv in my bedroom. My neighbor does, however, and it was so loud I could hear it like it was in my house. He'd been punching walls and playing music off and on all weekend, and I tried to ignore it, but now I'd had enough. I called the police again. He didn't turn the tv off till he left for work, but he's been more cautious now. If he turns on the tv he keeps it low so I don't hear it. We'll see how long that lasts.

I've begun doing my Christmas shopping. This is actually late for me; I used to start Christmas shopping in September. My kids are grown now, and I don't buy them a lot of little toys and games anymore.  I try to get them things they need, or things they really want and will use. So rather than having a bunch of stuff in my closet, I have a few large items that I know they will appreciate, and I don't have to start shopping near as early. I was also waiting to see if my income tax return would get approved. And finally, it did. On October 30. When they told me they'd get my tax return approved in October, it didn't occur to me it wouldn't be till the very end of the month. I should receive my refund this week. Yay.

My youngest son E needs to have his wisdom teeth taken out. I'd taken him to the dentist two years ago, and was doing everything possible to get this taken care of, but his father's dental insurance was giving me a hard time. I went back and forth repeatedly with the oral surgeon's office and the insurance and couldn't get them to agree on what was covered and what wasn't. Ultimately J cancelled his dental insurance and nothing got done. Now the wisdom teeth are bothering him again, but thankfully he has some insurance now. He tried to schedule an appointment with the dentist that was assigned to him. They no longer take his insurance. I went online and found another dentist close by, made an appointment, and when we got there we found out they wouldn't take the insurance if he was over 18. They referred us to another dentist, who also said they no longer take that insurance. So he called the insurance company and explained the situation. They gave us three more dental offices to call. I tried the first one, and was happy to hear they actually do accept his insurance. There's just one catch: it expires on his 21st birthday, which is less than two months away. We knew we needed to move fast. He's scheduled for his first appointment on November 9. They will do the initial exam, then refer us to an oral surgeon. Hopefully this can all get done in time. 

This past week was my big grocery shopping week. November is a tricky month; it's shorter than October or December, but it's got Thanksgiving, meaning a lot of food for just one day. I'm super excited because my oldest son and my new daughter-in-law will be coming down to spend the holiday with us. I did get a few things that I'll be needing, though most of the items on the menu will be purchased later in the month so it doesn't sit around the pantry or fridge for a month. 

I buy the Kirkland brand chicken stock from Costco because 1 - it's a great price considering it's organic (the box brings 6 - 1 quart containers for $9.99, or $1.67 per container), and 2 - it's the best tasting and best quality on the market in my opinion. I use it to brine my turkey and also for soups. Crescent rolls are a must have on the Thanksgiving table, and Costco had the box of 5 on sale for $4.49 so I couldn't pass that up.

I'm gonna do a separate post on the monthly grocery shopping trip. Right now, laundry is calling me. Be back with more soon!

When Life Isn't Perfect

There is so much I love about my new home. The size, the layout, the view...location, community, and most of my neighbors. But nothing is ever perfect, is it? Except that what was at one time slightly annoying has become harassment and unpleasant.

From the first month after we moved into our new home, I noticed that one of my neighbors would play music pretty loudly. Not overly obnoxious, but loud enough that I could hear it throughout the day. At first I thought it was a teenager, because it was one rap song playing all day on repeat. It was just the kind of thing young kids do whenever they really like a song. In time, however, I realized there was one person  living there: a gentleman, in his 50's in my estimation. It seemed odd that a grown man would be playing one rap song over and over, even when he wasn't home. I attributed it to him wanting it to sound like someone was home whenever he went out, though it continued to play even whenever he was home.

One of my neighbors saw me one day and asked how I was liking my new home. I told her I was getting used to living in a townhouse, since I'd lived in a single family home for over 19 years. I mentioned not being accustomed to the sounds and music, and she immediately stopped me. Turns out the lady who sold the house to me had problems with this same gentleman because of all his noise. Apparently the problems escalated to the point that she decided it was better to leave her home of 23 years than to put up with a troublesome neighbor. She had thought his problem was mainly with her. I wanted to believe the same thing. I don't like judging people based on their experiences with others. I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

As time progressed the music became louder and would go on longer. Other neighbors also asked if I'd met or had problems with this gentleman like the prior owner had. I resisted any gossip and simply said I had not met him. Even the air conditioning technician who came to clean the lines for my air conditioner asked if I was having issues with this neighbor. I couldn't believe how many people knew about this situation! Still, I didn't want to take his behavior personally.

In January our church did a 21 day prayer and fasting. We were asked to give up something and use the time to pray for different things. We had a list of options but of course we could pray for anything we felt called to. I decided to pray for this neighbor. I put aside all social media and began praying earnestly that God would give this man peace and heal him from any hurts. He seemed to me to be very angry and bitter, and I prayed that God would take his pain away from him. Whenever he played his  music loud I would play worship songs. It was an ordeal; I felt like the more I prayed the more agitated he became. Then during the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, the music stopped completely. I figured he had gone away for the long weekend, but even when he came back he didn't play his music all day long, and when he did it was for a short amount of time. I praised God for this breakthrough and continued to pray for him. Life started to calm down and I was enjoying my home more and more. Then the pandemic hit.

My neighbor is a school teacher, so whenever our state issued the stay at home orders he stopped working. Since he is a physical education teacher he doesn't have a classroom per se, so he wasn't teaching from home like many other teachers. It wasn't too bad at first; the music became more frequent but not as frequent as it had been whenever we first moved in. As time went on, however, things began to worsen.

One Sunday in August I was in my kitchen preparing breakfast when I began hearing pounding on the walls. My first thought was that my neighbor was fixing something in his home, though why he would choose Sunday at 9:00 in the morning was beyond me. The pounding was not consistent with hammering, though. It was just a strong, rhythmic pounding that went on and off for about an hour. At 10:00 I sat down to listen to my old church's service. At 11:00 am there was a loud knock at my door; actually, it wasn't a knock, it was pounding as loud as what had been going on earlier on the walls. I jumped and ran to the door, thinking there was an emergency, or maybe the house was on fire. No, it was my neighbor, telling me to stop making noise. I looked at him in total confusion. I answered, "That wasn't me, I thought it was you!" But he'd already turned around and stormed away before I was finished speaking. I called out to him that it wasn't me but he ignored me completely. I was so shaken after that, it took almost an hour before my nerves calmed down. I sat in my office playing solitaire to try and relax; then at noon the pounding at my door returned. He told me he'd heard it again. I tried to nicely explain that, while I was sorry he was upset, whatever he was hearing wasn't coming from my home. I was sitting in my office and not even walking around. He tried to blame my son, who was sleeping. It was like he didn't listen to a word I said. Instead he threatened to call the police and report me to the HOA if he heard the noise again. I told him to go right ahead because I knew I wasn't making the noise.

I began to pray even more for this man because I was convinced there was something wrong with him. He proved this to us about a month later. Again on a Sunday morning, this time at 7:30 am, he came pounding at my front door demanding that we stop "banging". My son came to the door with me and I told him we were sleeping and no one was banging on anything. Just as before, I hadn't finished my sentence when he turned and stormed off. At that moment my son E and I both said, "He is disturbed."

Never in my life had I been in such a situation with a neighbor. I talked to my daughter and son-in-law and said I was going to talk to the management company. My son-in-law told me they wouldn't do anything because this is a civil matter; if he showed up at my door again I should call the police. I took his advise and said nothing. I wish I'd spoken up then.

Last week I received an email from the management company stating that it had come to their attention that I was making loud noises after 10:00 pm and I was to stop. I was absolutely furious. Not only was this a bold faced lie, this neighbor was the one that would bang on the walls at all hours of the day and night, play loud music, turn his television on at 6:00 am and leave it on after he left for work, and I had not complained. Yet here he was making false accusations about me! I immediately answered the management office back and told them the whole situation. Since it was later in the day I decided I'd call in the morning, which I did twice but got no answer. I left messages, sent an additional email, but I heard nothing. I was determined, though; I would not let this man malign me with his lies.

Sunday morning I got up at 8:00 am. My son and new daughter-in-law were coming down to visit and I was so excited! At around 8:30 I hopped into the shower to wash my hair and get ready. I began to hear what sounded like very loud music, which surprised me because not only was the shower running but I had the exhaust fan on which makes noise. At first I figured it must be outside, but as soon as I shut the water off I realized that it was coming from my neighbor's house! I got out the shower to brush my teeth and the pounding began in full force. At this point I was done. I called 911 and reported the harassment, asking that an officer be sent over immediately. The 911 operator told me they would send the officer to my house first, then they'd go over to the neighbor's house. As I waited, I heard the volume go down on the music. I was a bit upset because I thought the police wouldn't hear how loud the music was. When the officer came to my door I found out he'd gone directly to the neighbor's house because the music was so loud it could be heard in the street. He was told to stop blaring his music. What was his response? He told the police officer that he was playing his music that loudly because I'd been making noise at 6:00 am. Another big fat lie! I said so much to the officer and told him we were asleep at 6:00. I also told him that this had happened before and that I believed the gentleman to be disturbed. The police officer was sympathetic and told me to call anytime if it happened again.

I emailed the management office a third time. Then I found out from another neighbor who had also heard all the noise that the association managers were working from home. So I called Tuesday morning and left a message. I received an email (finally!) from two different managers stating what my son-in-law had already told me: that this was a civil and not an association matter, and that while they were looking at what could be done, it would be necessary for me to call the authorities if it continued to be a problem. The senior manager did say to document everything and keep them informed.

Monday was quieter and calmer; I had strong hopes that this episode would be the last. No such luck. Tuesday he turned his television on very loudly, then left for work. He turned it off when he got home at 2:50 in the afternoon. He was quiet for the most part after that, and I was thankful for it. However, I was awakened today at 4:08 am to pounding on the wall. It happened once that I recall so I said nothing. Then at 6:00 am the television turned on. I thought about calling the police at this time but decided to wait. At 7:10 I could hear the music start. I got up and could hear two different kinds of music coming from different areas of the house, along with the television set blaring. I called the police, but he was very sneaky. He bolted out the door, so that when the police officer arrived he was gone. The officer told me he could hear the music playing and that yes, it was loud, but no one answered the door. I informed him that the gentleman had left for work and the officer was surprised that he had left the music on. All he could tell me to do was wait until the neighbor got home, then I could call the police again if the music continued.

Sure enough, my neighbor got home at around 3:30 pm, turned off one stereo but raised the volume on the television set. I called the police again. The wonderful officer that came spoke to him and quickly realized where the problem lies. He could tell that my neighbor was being childish and spiteful, and he did not believe the lies that were told to him about me or about my son. Then he checked his records, and was appalled to see that they've been receiving complaints about this gentleman since 2017. He has been warned, and if there are any further complaints he will receive citations for each one.

Does this make me feel better? Not at all. My desire is for this man to find peace, and freedom from his anger and bitterness that can only be found in Jesus Christ. If you are reading this and you believe in the power of prayer, would you please add this man to your prayer list? Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) I believe this promise is for anyone and everyone who will believe. 

Mid-Week Update

This past Friday I purchased a weed eater/blower combo.  I needed both of these to tidy up my yard.  I know we had both a weed eater and a leaf blower, but everything points to J having taken them with him when he left, and I've been in need of both ever since.  My friend IV gave me a $10 off coupon from Lowe's, so my daughter and I trekked over to see what was available.  They had this combo by Worx on sale for $119.  It's lightweight and battery operated, which is good because the other options are electrical (power cord being dragged everywhere), or gas.  The weed eaters we've had in the past have been gas powered, and they're good, but they are a pain to get started.  This one should be much easier to use.

I intended to do some backyard trimming on Saturday to test the weed eater out, but it poured.  Our rainy season has begun; mornings are clear and sunny, while afternoons are torrential.  There has been some flooding in areas of South Florida already, and we're just getting started.  Sunday was church and I'd just done my hair, so I wasn't going out in the heat and humidity.  Besides, it rained again.

Monday I figured I could get my son R to help me out, since Mondays he doesn't leave for work till 4:30.  I pulled the weed eater out, easily put the parts together that needed assembling, then realized the batteries had to be charged.  Somehow I knew that would be true, but at the moment I didn't think about it.  By the time the one battery was charged it was time for me to go to work.  So it didn't happen.

I charged the second battery as well, but yesterday I got busy vacuuming, putting away laundry, cooking, and getting ready for work, so I didn't even think about doing outdoor work.  It looks like it might be today.  Let's hope that it's today.

I don't have to worry about the front yard, though.  We have new neighbors that moved in about a month ago.  As I'd been doing before, I mow the grass that is on the side of their house that's attached to mine and swept up the grass clippings for them.  In return, they trimmed all the edges in my front yard and did a beautiful job.  As I tell my kids, kindness repays kindness, and if you want good neighbors you have to be one first.  I'm so thankful to have nice people living next door.  They're a nice couple in their 30's with twin girls and a golden retriever.  My daughter likes the golden retriever best ;-).

I hope to be taking pictures of some stuff I've done to the house; not a whole lot, but I did get rugs for the family room because the room felt empty.  Work has been a bit boring; I've gotten so caught up with my work it's like I'm constantly looking for something to do.  Tonight is children's ministry night, so I leave work early.  Our children's ministry is doing Summer Avengers - Heroes of the Bible.  We've studied Noah, Abraham, and Moses last week.  It's a good series, and so encouraging to see the kids excited about learning bible stories.  It's the highlight of my week.

That's it for now.  Happy first day of July!

My Not-So-Restful Saturday

Saturdays are typically busy days.  Finding time to rest on a Saturday is like finding a needle in a haystack - you might find it, but it'll probably hurt.

My boss MM decided to have a women's bible study class at work.  Her husband has been doing a men's bible study group on Thursday night for years, and he's been encouraging her to do the same.  I wasn't sure what to expect, especially since it was supposed to start Saturday morning at 9:30 and end at 11:30.  A two hour bible study?!  Sounded a bit lengthy, but I told her I would go so long as my son's eye was better.

I got up early and E's eye looked almost completely normal, praise the Lord.  There's still some irritation around the inner part of the eye but it's minimal.  I started getting ready but told my daughter I didn't think I'd go very early.  After all, Saturdays are cleaning day, and my yard needed a ton of cleaning!  As I was finishing my breakfast, I was telling my daughter something when we heard the sound of her dad coming.  I can't begin to explain how uncomfortable it becomes in my house when he comes over.  His attitude is one of negativity and complaining; he complains about his health, he complains about his job, he complains about his car, he complains about the kids, yada yada yada.  It's like he sucks the peacefulness out of my home.  He was here for about a half hour, which meant I was late to the bible study class, and quite honestly I wasn't in the best mood.  It's very difficult not to be affected by the atmosphere of negativity.  I could see, though, why God scheduled this bible study when He did.  It wasn't anything new, nothing I hadn't learned from studying God's word on my own, but just being in a room full of ladies who were encouraging, loving, and welcoming, lifted my spirits.  I was annoyed when I got there, but my heart filled up with peace as we prayed for the needs of others and I stopped focusing on myself.  I'll tell you what, when you're praying for the healing of a 12 year old girl with leukemia, all other problems become insignificant.

I left as soon as we finished so that I could attack my backyard.  With homeschooling, work, and everything in between, I hadn't had a chance to tackle the grass.  Add to that several days of on and off rain showers, and my yard was starting to look a bit Amazonian.  I started by clearing some boxes out of the garage - my son had taken a bunch of stuff to the dump, but he worked all day today so I just threw a bunch of stuff in the trash can.  I then had to go to the backyard and pick up several palm fronds and coconuts that had fallen yesterday thanks to the rain and strong winds.  I finally got to actually mowing the lawn, which took about an hour.  I did one side of the front yard, but not the other.  My neighbor on the left was having an open house and I didn't want to get her yard full of grass clippings after she'd cleaned it up.  My neighbor has had her house up for sale for a couple months now, on her own.  The neighbor on her left wanted to buy the house, and it looked like they would get it, but the deal fell through just a few days before closing.  All parties concerned were terribly disappointed, but as I told my neighbor, God must have something better planned.  As I was trimming some plants in the front yard she gave me the news: the house was sold.  I couldn't believe it - she'd only just given the house to her realtor a week ago!  What we found out was, homes in our area sell quickly.  It's a lovely neighborhood, right across the street from a park, the schools are excellent, and there is very little inventory.  Whenever a house goes on the market, it flies.  It'll be sad to say goodbye to them; we moved in at about the same time almost 15 years ago.  But I do understand her position: her marriage crumbled, she works far from the house, and taking care of her kids has become difficult when she spends so much time in traffic (and money on gas).  This is what is best for her family right now, so I know she's making the right choice.

Once I was done with the mowing and trimming, I came inside and ate some fish and chips with sauteed veggies that my daughter prepared before going back outside to clean the patio.  It had gotten so grimy thanks to the branches that had fallen on it last night and all the dirt from the wind and rain, it looked like the house had been abandoned.  I was out there for two hours cleaning, but I can say it looks a whole lot better.

I came inside and decided to heat up some frozen pizzas, which got devoured by my son E and my daughter.  It wasn't until my son R got home from work that I realized the significance of that:  today is 3/14/15, or 3.1415.  That's right, it's Pi Day, and my kids had pizza pie.  I had forgotten about it, so it was completely by chance that it happened the way it did.

Since it's the day before Sunday (and I was a filthy mess) I showered and did my hair.  I told my friend that I liked the Smoothing Therapy shampoo and conditioner except for the fact that they aren't very moisturizing like my OGX shampoo, and she recommended I use my regular shampoo first, then wash it a second time with the Smoothing Therapy.  I must say, it does make a big difference.  My hair feels softer and smoother doing it this way.  There is one thing though: I have to cut my hair.  I haven't cut it since October, and the ends are badly in need of a cut.  I'm gonna see about getting an appointment for this week, since my son is on spring break (Hallelujah!).

It was mani/pedi day as well.  I don't know why, but I find that giving myself a manicure and pedicure is relaxing.  Plus I like the way it looks when I'm done.

That was my day.  I had hoped for a slower paced day, but who was I kidding?  My to-do list was out of control, and needed to be tamed.  There's still plenty to do, but God willing I will make a dent in it this week.  As for now, I say, goodnight.

Thoughtful Thursday

My second work week is done.  I'm really getting the hang of it.  There's plenty to do in the short amount of time I'm there.  I think I'm gonna like it.  God knew what He was doing when He put me there :-).

I'm still trying to work out my schedule and make sure everything gets done in a timely manner.  It's been working out great, which I'm thankful for.  I get up most mornings at around 6:30, wash up, get breakfast ready, wake up my son E, then sit down for my bible study in the book of Daniel.  At 9:00 we start school, and go straight through till noon or 1:00.  When it's time for my son to take his online lesson, it's time for me to get some housework done.  I do laundry, sweep, mop, dust, cook, whatever needs to get done.  At lunchtime we sit down to eat, then it's off to makeup and wardrobe to get ready for work.  Once I'm set I sit down with my son for more schoolwork before it's time for me to leave.  I pack my dinner - usually a sandwich and a box of vanilla yogurt covered raisins, along with a bottle of water - and head out the door.  It literally takes me less than 5 minutes to get there, and I work from 3:00 to 8:15pm.  Then I head home, finish cleaning up anything that didn't get cleaned up earlier, shower, and I'm ready for bed.  Sounds simple, right?  Except nothing ever goes exactly according to plan.

Wednesdays are the only day I get off work early - 6:00pm.  We agreed when I started working at the tutoring center that I would leave early on Wednesdays for church and Awana.  I love the girls I serve with, and I also love the opportunities to teach.  Our leader asked me last week if I would like to teach this week, and I said I would.  All week I wondered, "What was I thinking?!  I just started a new job!  I can't get ready to teach this Wednesday, I have too much on my plate!"  I prayed and went through the lesson book.  Only one lesson stood out to me.  It was a pretty sad story, which I don't particularly like telling, but it was the only one I could see myself teaching.  All week I wondered if this was the lesson God wanted me to teach, because I felt like I wasn't learning it the way I should.  Ultimately I just gave it to God and asked Him to speak through me.  Did He ever come through!  The kids were excited, the leaders were excited, everyone enjoyed the teaching, and I was amazed at how God put it all together!  As I told the leaders, it was definitely a God thing - no way could I have pulled that off by myself!  To God be the glory!

This morning should have been smooth sailing, but I woke up late.  Or rather, I woke up early which made me wake up late.  For some reason, I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, then I can't get back to sleep.  Last night was one of those nights.  I woke up at around 3:30 in the morning and didn't fall asleep again till 5:30, so of course I didn't wake up till after 7am.  Still, I was able to get back on track quickly.  E had a few lessons to do, and he got them done in 3 hours.  After that he worked on his community service hours.  I was right on time, till I stepped out the door.  My neighbor's mother stopped me to talk.  Her daughter is selling her house, and it was supposed to be purchased by the neighbors on the other side of her house.  Turns out the deal didn't go through, and they're back to looking for a buyer.  I felt bad for them, and I especially felt bad having to cut her off (politely of course) so I could get going.  Thankfully I got to work right on time.  I hate being late anywhere.

It was a non-stop kind of day.  Phones ringing, appointments coming in, students testing...we had a little bit of everything.  I told my boss it's a good thing I only work 4 days a week - I need 3 days to recover!  Actually, it isn't that bad at all.  I like the work, I really like the people, and I feel comfortable working there.  I cannot express how blessed I feel that God would give this gift to me.  It still blows my mind!

Tomorrow is a school day but not a work day; at least not at the office.  I have grocery shopping to do, then I have to color my hair.  I can't believe how quickly my roots have sprouted!  No way do I want to get dressed up for a wedding with all these gray hairs creeping out.  Funny, I've been taking biotin pills to help strengthen my nails, but it looks more like my hair is getting stronger and growing faster.  As if it didn't grow fast before!  My hair grows like a weed, and now it's really shooting up!  I'm gonna have to buy stock in the hair colorant business.  Our women's bible study group meets tomorrow as well, at 8:00 in the morning.  That means I don't get to sleep in tomorrow either.  I guess it's true what they say, a woman's work is never done.  Off to sleep I go (or at least try to!).  Good night ya'll, pleasant dreams.  

Weekend, Day One

Something about today I wish would never end.  The weather.  Oh my word, it is such a gorgeous day!  We started off with 59 degrees and have stayed in the low 70's with the most scrumptious breeze imaginable.  The sun is shining, the sky is baby blue, the clouds are puffy white.  I'm so gonna enjoy this, because the weather forecast calls for rain for all or most of next week.  While the rain is needed and welcome, it doesn't trump a day like today.  This is the day The Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

I didn't get out of bed till 8:30 this morning.  Yet still, I was tired.  That's because the stupid smoke alarm decided to let us know, in the middle of the night, that its battery was running low.  Not during the day, nooooo.  At night, when we're too tired to get up and go rummaging through the garage for batteries.  Of course, after we got up it quieted down for hours.  I swear, these things are programmed to only go off at night.  I was so frustrated!

I had my breakfast, an English muffin with an egg and bacon, then I got to work on the floors.  With all the schoolwork we'd been doing all week, I pretty much neglected the floors, and they were nasty.  Our dog Molly sheds enough hair to build another dog, and even though I'd Swiffer'd them they were starting to get fluffy.  Not to mention that she drools.  A lot.  There were drool marks in all the places where she huffed and puffed after going for her walks.  Then there were the blood stains.  No, not that; she's fixed.  Molly has a growth under her belly that, according to the vet, is most likely a type of blood cancer.  He didn't look much at it, didn't touch it or anything, then said to be sure what it is it'll cost about $500 - $700.  He would remove the one growth but said she was going to get more.  He also said he wanted an additional $60 to test her for anesthesia reaction.  She'd just been spayed a few months before and had been just fine, so I knew this was unnecessary.  I told the vet we'd have to decide if we could afford this amount of money, and left.  I was so upset, and my daughter A was even more so.  She was heartbroken at the thought that Molly could have cancer; I was fuming at the vet who did no type of examination, just started spewing off dollar amounts.  We discussed our options: obviously, we could go to another vet and spend another $50 - $70 on another diagnosis plus treatment.  Or, we could wait.  Truth be told, she's been normal for the most part, just as active as ever and with a healthy appetite.  If this is cancer, I would not put my dog through treatment.  That may sound cruel to some people, but to me putting a dog through chemo and radiation is even more cruel.  Dogs don't understand what is going on.  Making them sick and suffer through greater pain than they're experiencing will only make them think they're being punished, and they have no say in the matter.  It was decided then, that we would take the best care of Molly that we could, keeping her happy and comfortable if the time came when she was suffering.  That time has not come.  She doesn't complain or act any differently (though today she had an upset stomach; I suspect she found something outside and ate it.  Not the first time).  But occasionally she scratches at the growth on her belly and it bleeds, leaving blood stains on the floor.  So I got the vacuum cleaner and vacuumed up a ton of hair, then mopped and dusted and cleaned till I was even more exhausted than when I'd gotten up.  My only consolation was having the windows open and having the breeze blow inside the house.  That part was sweet.

This morning I got an email from Ulta stating that there was an online special for today only: place an order of $50 or more and get 3 free Too Faced cosmetic items.  It just happens to be that last week I got a coupon for $10 off any $50 Bare Minerals purchase, and there were a couple of things I wanted to get.  I'd told my daughter I wanted to go to Ulta to redeem the coupon so I wouldn't have to order $50 worth of stuff in order to get free shipping, but then I wouldn't get the freebies.  Or as my daughter says, they're feeding my addiction ;-).  I decided I'd just place the order online, but when I totaled up my order it was $46.  I was $4 short of the coupon AND the freebies.  Thankfully my daughter wanted some Bare Minerals concealer, so she added it to my order.  Not only did I get the $10 off and the free Too Faced cosmetics, I also got a free Bare Minerals Matte foundation deluxe sample, which was a bonus.  Since I was ordering, I went ahead and checked the Real Techniques brushes that I'd wanted to buy last month but were out of stock.  They were in stock alright, and they were BOGO: buy one, get one half off.  I decided to go with the Core Collection which was what I had intended to get in the first place, then added a powder brush as well.  I had $3 off in reward points, so the 5 brushes with case totaled $19.99.  Real Techniques brushes are great quality - I have the eye makeup brushes as well as a blush brush, and they're really soft.  The order has been placed and I hope to see it in the next week. Yay!

I'd been looking at reviews for the Bare Minerals Bareskin foundation.  I have this foundation, and I like it a lot, though not as much as my Original powder foundation.  I found that my t-zone gets a bit oily with the liquid foundation, a problem I don't have with the powder.  One reviewer complained about the same thing, saying this makeup isn't ideal for people with oily skin.  Then a Sephora employee that works at the Bare Minerals counter said the key was not to wear any primer with the Bareskin foundation.  Bareskin is not a regular liquid foundation; it's a serum foundation that contains really good stuff for the skin and no binders or fillers.  The purpose of a primer is to fill in fine lines and wrinkles, and hold on to the foundation without it getting into the skin and clogging pores.  But since Bareskin is a serum foundation, you actually do want the serum to penetrate the skin, and wearing it with primer doesn't allow it to, so the makeup just kind of sits on the skin, making it feel greasy.  I decided to put this theory to the test.  I washed and moisturized my face, then put 5 drops of Bareskin foundation on my face (2-3 drops is for light coverage, 4-6 drops is for medium coverage, and 7-8 is for full coverage).  I've been wearing it all day since 10:00 am, and I have to agree.  Except for a small amount of oiliness on my forehead which I was able to lightly dab off, my skin has been oil free.  What's more, my skin looks flawless without it looking like I have makeup on.  Bareskin looks like the name: it's so natural, it's like it's your bare skin, but without blemishes or redness or imperfections.  My daughter even asked me if I was wearing makeup because my skin looked really nice but she couldn't tell if it was because of makeup or not.  That's what I want my makeup to do.  And I don't feel it on me.  Bareskin is very light and comfortable to wear.

For my daughter, switching to Bare Minerals has been a Godsend.  Since using the makeup and moisturizer in conjunction with Michael Todd's skincare products, her rosacea has diminished considerably, and even her serbo psoriasis spots have softened.  These dry patches on her skin can be annoying, because the makeup sticks to them and enhances them.  They have become considerably less noticeable with Bare Minerals, and now that they are softening and aren't as dry as before, she can use less makeup and her skin looks impeccable.  She's happier about looking at herself in the mirror every morning.  That makes this mama's heart sing.

I took down the outdoor Christmas lights and decor, finally.  I think our house was the last one on the block with lights still hanging from the rafters.  While I was outside, I saw my neighbors from two doors down.  They were looking at the house next door, the one between theirs and ours.  My next-door neighbor is selling her house.  We are sad to see them go; this was a new development when we moved in 14 1/2 years ago, and most of the original neighbors are still here.  I do understand, though.  She and her husband divorced, and she's working pretty far from the house.  She's spending a lot of money on gas, and a lot of time away from home.  She decided it was best for her and her kids to move closer to her work.  When she mentioned that she was planning to sell, the couple next door to her decided they wanted to buy the house.  When we first moved in, they were newlyweds moving into a small house.  Now they have two small children and not enough room, but they love the neighborhood and want to stay here.  Buying the house next door would be ideal for them: it's probably about 600 square feet larger than the house they're in now, plus it has a really big yard for the kids.  And it would be the easiest move in history!  We are really hoping they buy the house.  We love our neighbors, and having familiar faces next door would be great.

Dinner was a debate.  We were all hungry, but no one could decide what to eat.  I will eat just about anything, except for Papa John's pizza or Domino's.  As far as I'm concerned, both those "pizzas" should be removed from the face of the earth.  Domino's has the worst tasting sauce (even after they "improved" the sauce), and Papa John's is just plain awful in my opinion.  I'll eat Little Caesar's because it tastes okay, and what do you expect for $5?  I think it's a decent pizza for the price.  It's what we usually have when we eat out, but my daughter said she was tired of eating the same thing and wanted something different.  And that's where the debate started.  My daughter and youngest son went back and forth for over a half hour trying to decide what to get.  Ultimately, they got two pepperoni pizzas.  From Little Caesar's.  Kids.  *rolls eyes*

After dinner we watched a DVD I got for my son R for Christmas: Weird Al's Greatest Videos.  Oh man, did that bring back memories!  I've been listening to Weird Al since the early 80's when he got started doing song parodies, and I introduced my kids to him when they were little tykes.  We are all great fans, so when I found this DVD I knew I had to get it for my oldest son, who appreciates it most.  We had a lot of laughs and totally enjoyed oldies along with newer videos.  I'm pretty sure my son is happy with that gift.

Well, that's pretty much it for today.  I washed and exfoliated and now my face feels soft, silky, and clean.  Tomorrow is a big day: Winter Jam is coming to South Florida, and we are going!  I have to admit, I'd forgotten it was tomorrow.  For some reason I thought it was next weekend.  My daughter reminded me a little while ago, and I wanted to kick myself, because I was gonna help E study for his finals but I'd decided he'd already had such a full week that I would leave it for tomorrow.  Now it's probably not gonna happen.  But hey, Skillet will be performing!  That's something to look forward to!  Good night, sleep tight, God bless.