The flood waters receded

9:40 p.m. Today's project was to welcome our friend and plumber over to put an end to the veritable flood of water that has poured out in a steady, and then steadier, stream over the past several months. We've used gallon and 5 gallon pails to catch it and pour it out on the trees, plants, and into Jada's water bowl on the back patio, but we'd have to be running out to the front of the house all day and through the night to keep up with it all!

Lou came over at 8:30, just before Steve boarded the bus for Care Connexxus. While he got his things, I did some last minute water-requiring activities like brushing my teeth, and then he shut off the water to the house. I set the alarm, gave him a check for one-third of what the fancy plumber from last week was going to charge, and headed over to the Canyon Crest Centre's Rite-Aid drugstore.

I needed the print-out of all of Steve's prescriptions for 2011, in case they should add up to 7% of our income  when combined with both of ours at CVS. He needed to be present, however, so we'll have to go back another time. Even though he wouldn't have any inkling of why we were there, just seeing Steve enables them to know that he is in agreement. That's showing good diligence and protecting customer privacy in my view.

Next stop was Starbucks, to make phone calls, follow up with customers, and meet ladies by offering them free facials. I've never left a Starbucks with less than two leads. And when the Lord is really smiling upon my efforts, I even book appointments on the spot with the women I meet! I mentioned the way my unit members are amazed by this to our dinner hosts later in the evening (and later in this post). I laughingly told them,  "The only reason as to why this works for me is that I guess I just look harmless!" Praise the Lord for creating me and making me, what Jesus exhorted His disciples to be in Matthew 10:16:

Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

The lady I made an appointment with appeared to be working on a Bible study in a nearby corner. I waited for an opportune time when she put away her materials, I introduced myself, we chatted a little, and it became obvious that we were sisters in the Lord! She's headed off to New Zealand with her husband at the beginning of March. She shared quite a bit of her testimony and we just encouraged one another in the Lord, with some of our favorite scriptures.

She decided to make the appointment because she has a serious concern about finding makeup for her very dark skin in New Zealand, so having a tube or two of foundation with her is a shrewd plan!(And Mary Kay has the most extensive lines of makeup for women of color in the beauty industry). "I'll find your match--I keep good inventory!" She was very happy with our visit. It was a God-thing, a real day-brightener!

Along with the beginning of rain came the realization that I needed to hurry on to the Riverside County Office of Aging Caregivers' support group at 11:00. I'd packed some sliced banana and cranberry bread to share, so I didn't have to run back home.  We had an extensive time of sharing, making me realize how blessed I am that Steve is not nearly as lost, combative and physically compromised as the 85 to 98-year old parents most of my peers there are caring for. Whereas I am already an owner of everything my husband has, the middle-aged children of elderly parents in denial about their dementia have to really struggle to help their parents make sound financial decisions. A couple of the Alzheimer victims are about to lose their homes because they "don't want outside help." Meanwhile, their "children" are having physical and emotional breakdowns from the stress and hard work of care giving.

The group was very encouraged by my appointment with Steve next Monday, and want a report back about the new Alzheimer's injection treatment, and to hear whether Steve will get accepted into the study. I was glad to have something uplifting to report to the group, because those other caregivers are exhausted, some barely hanging on.

On my way home from a subsequent facial appointment with a gal I met on Monday at the Moreno Valley Starbucks, I took a call about our alarm system signal not working! No one had been in the house the entire day. After turning the house water back on, I ended up having a very tedious conversation with the alarm company which included  setting off the alarm at about a million decibels, ugh, hearing Jada in the garage howling in her crate! The upshot of that ear-splitting commotion? The alarm's digital system was fine...I look at this as good diligence and customer protection!



Our plumber came back as we returned home, re-glued and duct-taped the fissure, and will be back in the morning to permanently attach the final section of pipe. But for now, I've done a load of wash and I'm about to joyfully scrub the kitchen sink!