I Like Monday Today

Went to bed fairly early last night, around 10:30pm, which is very early for me.  Got up equally as early, around 3:00am, and I've been up ever since.  Well, mostly.  I did fall asleep at the laptop again, but at least this time I wasn't smoking when I did it.  Next thing I knew, th clock on the laptop said 4:30am.  I have pretty much been up for good since then.

Corri's alarm clock went off at 5:30am, but she didn't actually roll out of bed until 6:00am, but she was bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to start her day.  I had already made coffee, so we sat and talked a little and had a couple of cups each.  Actually, we drank the whole pot before we actually got out and about this morning, but I'm getting a little ahead of myself.

Corri is very used to getting up early from rehab, and then she and her friend Katie would go outside and have a couple of smokes, and do their daily meditation readings.  Corri has two of the three books she needs for meditation, but the third one is on order.  Mom had it shipped to our house, so hopefully she'll be getting that this week.

Anyway, at 6:30am, Corri called Katie, who is still in rehab, to do the meditation from the book she is missing.  The rehab center is making a special allowance for the two of them to talk in the morning until Corri gets her book.  When she called Katie, she put her on speakerphone, and the three of us did the meditation together.  Then Corri and I hung up with Katie and did the readings from the other two books.  We also added my daily devotion to the morning ritual and Corri and I each took turns reading from the books and the bible.

It was a wonderful way to start the morning.

We sat and watched a bit of the news, then got dressed so we could go to DHS about getting Corri's food stamps reinstated.  She basically just had to fill out some paperwork and drop it off.  From there we headed home, making a pit-stop at Ace Hardware so I could get Corri keys to the house. Then we finally made it home.

Another productive morning.  I love it when I have something to do, and I love even more having someone to do things WITH.

I just want to happy dance around at having my sister back home.  She is happy to be here, too.  Last night, she was thrilled with the special dinner Al made for her - pork tenderloin, broccoli and cauliflower, and mashed potatoes, along with a Louisiana Crunch Cake for dessert.  What thrilled her as much as the good food was the fact that she could use real plates and silverware again.  After two months of plastics and paper products, I can understand that.

She's going to a meeting tonight, and her sponsor's sponsor is going to be picking her up and dropping her back off here afterward, so I'll be home by myself for a little while, but only for a couple of hours.  And she's going to be making dinner tonight, so woohoo, my cooking reprieve has come!  If that's not another reason to happy dance, I don't know what is!

Corri is going to spend the day tackling putting her things away in her bedroom and getting herself set up again and I'm going to spend my day reading, I think.  I've also got to do a load of laundry, apparently.  Al claims to be out of whites.

Al made a comment about squaring away Corri's schedule, and in the same breath told her that he's not her keeper or jailer.  I looked at him and said, "I already have her schedule."  Then he pointed at me and said, "There's your jailer."

I had to tell him that was hardly true.  I haven't asked Corri about her schedule at all.  It's not my place to ask.  She's an adult.  She came to me with her schedule, especially because I'm going to need to drive her sometimes.  And Corri confirmed that to Al.  I just wanted to slap him.  Jailer, indeed.

That's pretty much what's going on for today.  Stuff, and yet, not a lot at the same time.  But that's okay.  She's home and I'm not alone, and all is good in the world for today.

My brother just called me, and tomorrow after we drop Corri off at her SAP orientation, Al and I will be driving to Burlington to pick up my new car.  It IS the 2009 Malibu.  So this will make three Malibus I've owned.  He got me a honey of a deal on it, too.

I'm so excited.  Money is going to be tight for me now, but having the second car will make it worthwhile.  All praise to God because He is so good to me.

I'm almost done with the book I started yesterday, so I'm sure I'll be back with a book review a little later on today or tonight.

I've been very blessed by God, in having soul-sisters in my life.  Of course, there's my own sister, who has always been a soul-sister to me.  We've been attached at the hip pretty much since the day she was born.  Then my next soul-sister was Amy, who is and always will be my best friend.  Linda, Diane, and Barbara were also soul-sisters to me, though more Linda than the others.  Corri and Amy, however, are the soul-sisters that have lasted.  They're the ones I will have for a lifetime.

I can't even begin to recount the number of ways my soul-sisters have blessed my life, always there when I need them, and vice versa.  They seem to know instinctively when to call or what to say when things are tough and I'm in serious need of uplifting.  I pray I always do that for them as well.

That's what todays meditational devotion was on - our Sisterchick soul-sisters who lift us up and enrich our lives in ways we never could've foreseen.  I'm grateful to God for bringing these women into my life, whether it was just for a season or a lifetime, each one of them have touched me in a way that will always leave an indelible mark on my soul.  I'm a better person just for knowing them.

Jesus fasted forty days in the wilderness, and He was sustained by His faith.  The devil came to Him and tried to tempt Him with bread, but He refused to give in.  This is a good image for us to remember when we are dieting.  Often we eel we cannot go on when we miss just one meal.  Christ proved to us that even after missing meals for forty days, there is still a source of strength other than food.  That source is God, and His strength is available to everyone who will ask for it.  Let us remember to follow in the steps of Jesus hrist and lean on our heavenly Father whenever we feel weak or tempted.

Today's thought:  I am facing nothing that Christ did not face before me.