The Fall Retreat

On Oct. 2nd I had the joy of going to a women's retreat at Spencer Lake Campground in Waupaca. I rode up with Jean and Pam in Jean's Prius and the ride was fun. I hadn't known Jean very well and thought she might be stiff. Far from the truth actually she was a kick and her mom joined us from Milwaukee and it was great having her along.

We shopped and ate and I rested while they played games and put together puzzles in the evening. I was bone tired when I went and getting over being very sick so an opportunity to melt down in my bunk and read the word of God and journal while I took supplements and just rested was so welcome to me. Fortunately the ladies didn't question my right to take this time and it turned out well for all.

The speaker had a wonderful testimony and there were additional highlights including prayer up front for those of us who wanted it. I welcomed it and received peace. Angel met me at the front and prayed "Peace" and "Bulldog" over me. I do know I am tenacious. I hang on for dear life to the promises God gave. I only wish I could hang on to my money a bit better. Sigh. So did I mention we shopped?

Once again I put a "Doris Weed" painting on lay-away. This one is for the dining room and it is just delighful! I adore her style. It is so funny and full of whimsey. I alsobought a few small gifts for the Thanksgiving get together at Nashrock. I love getting gifts for others. Heck I love getting gifts for me too! I got myself a glass nail file of all things and a purse hanger. They just may be too specialized for me and others may receive them. I usually have a messy and heavy purse with tons of junk inside. I buy the kind that can hold 50 # and then overload it. So finding what is in there is a chore. I want to be organized and strive for it but fall a bit short on account of over-booking and not setting time boundaries on what others take from me. Needy people will always take all the time you have if you let them and then soon you are one of the needy ones. I struggle with time boundaries.

So Jenna had some problems with Jack falling while I was away and she was highly stressed when I was on the way home. I still took time to stop for a last dinner, had two glasses of Chardonnay and a tray of nummy appetizers as a treat from my new friend Jean. It was so fun that Pam, Jean and I plan to go to Minneapolis for a special weekend after the first of the year. If that happens I will need Jamie's old direction notebook to find the wonderful antique store and boutique we used to go to so I can share it with these ladies. When I arrived things had settled down a bit and he had less falls after that but still one really different one where he fell on the walker and gouged his hand really deeply, bruised his hip and hurt his neck. Sigh!

What was the best part of the weekend? Coming home with more peace and feeling refreshed and ready to face the next task at hand. I will go again next year if God allows.
What am I looking forward to now? Thanksgiving (of course) And spending tomorrow with Mike cleaning the old house. Then Girl's night in tomorrow night working on the books we are building of our authentic selves. Oh and Jesus coming again in the sky for His church!