Mews from Meowmix

………..or I could call it “A Different Slant on my Wonderful Church Family I Keep Talking About!” 

You know how you avoid using certain words and use others to describe something.  Words that mean the same thing but are a little less colorful or, perhaps, offensive or, perhaps, in better taste?  Yeah, that’s the phrase.  In better taste!

Let me back up just a bit and lay background for the story.  We are refurbishing the auditorium/sanctuary at our church with paint, lighting fixtures, carpet and new pew padding.  The old padding has been removed from the pews, leaving just the wood to sit on.  Okay?

Now, this morning after church I had something I wanted to share with my friend, Cheryl, who is the church secretary.  She was headed to the office, and I told her I’d just walk with her.  She’s as big a nut as I am, so she said,”Okay, walk this way!” and started sashaying down the hall.  This is where the term usage comes in.  (She already knows I have arthritic pains in all kinds of places.)  I told her I couldn’t “walk that way” because (picture me lowering my voice so only she could hear) my “b__” hurt.  Now normally I would not have used that word.  I would have said “bottom” or “seat” or……….something.

About that time I was about to walk by another friend who slapped me on the arm and told me not to just walk by her!  So I stopped and hugged Millie (she’s very much on my side when it comes to a particular person and situation in my life who shall remain unnamed, so I couldn’t not stop and hug her) and briefly told her I was sorry but I was making a joke with Cheryl about my “b_____” hurting.   Millie laughed and opined that “……and we only have two months to go!”  Meaning it would be two months before all the padding would be replaced and the seats would be soft again.

Later, crossing the parking lot, I hollered at her (I brought every bit of this on myself, admittedly).  She was about to get in the car, as her husband was going around to the other side.  I walked over, still joking (even tho the pain is very real) and asked her what she was talking about and did she mean I only had a couple of months left because I had pain.  That’s when she told me she thought I was referring to the hard seats and I told her that, no, I really did have a legitimate pain.  We laughed.  I walked to my car.  As I was about to get in my car, Millie and Avis drove by.  Avis (husband) rolled down the window and yelled, “Where did you say you had that pain?”

Yikes.  Was I embarrassed!?  Yeh.  But I recovered quickly and told him to basically, “shut up!”

Then tonight, coming from the nursery around the hallway, I bounced my shin off a pew that sits out in the foyer.  Ouch!  Avis’ good friend and a new elder, Jack, came over to see if I was okay, all solicitous and everything.  Being accustomed to bouncing off things, I laughed all that off, too…………but then I encountered Avis in the aisle as I entered the auditorium!  He wanted to know if I was still hurting!  Man, man, man!  Me and my big mouth.

Then I had to run into Millie again and Peggy, Jack’s wife.  They all think my pain is enormously funny.  Millie told me she DID apologize for not realizing my pain was real, and I told her yes, but that was before she told AVIS and that she needed to go down front tonight and answer the invitation.  (She didn’t go!)

Our small congregation is a happy, safe haven for me.  It’s not without issues and problems (because there are people there), but I’ve never been in a church where I felt so much genuine liking, love, and acceptance.  And I’ve been in some places with people I dearly loved………and still do.  This is just the best.  They are full of encouragement.

But…………..never let it be said that a bunch of 70 and 80-year-olds can’t be monkeys while they pick on the 60-year-old kid in the group!  I won’t outlive this story………….and NOW I’ve told YOU about it.  Who knew you could have so much fun at church???

Speaking of fun at church.  This morning, as we were singing a rather spirited song, I was reminded of Greg’s comment on Cecil’s blog the other day and my tongue-in-cheek response to that comment.  I was patting my foot to the point my leg slightly shook all the way up, yes I was!  But I looked down at my hands, and guess what?  They were clasped in front of me!  But not for long.  I unclasped them in a hurry.  Now, no, I didn’t raise them in the air or start clapping……………but I DID most certainly unclasp them! 

Hope you’ve had a good weekend.  Much love and joy from me to you.

TODAY’S SMILES:

1. Barney won’t nap in the recliner with me anymore.  He wants the whole chair to himself!
2. Doris felt rotten the first part of the day but felt well enough to go to church tonight.
3. Getting into another Agatha Christie novel.
4. Enjoying the new layout of our computer room.  New layout because I broke a promise to myself and shoved some more furniture around yesterday.  I know I promised, but if I’m going to hurt whether or not I do the things I want to do, well…..
5. Spring cleaning.
6. Seeing how good Hailey is getting on Facebook, posting pictures of her and her sister and her bb team!

See  you tomorrow night.  Gotta go watch Cold Case.