WfW ~ the coins continue...

  "Jack, are you sure you want to do this? I mean, this is a little on the edge our our licensing,  and I'm in no hurry to find out what the electric chair feels like."

 "Stop being a wet blanket, Simon, and for once in your life shut up with the sense and sensibilities preaching! I'm starting to get hypothermia from it."

 "Maybe you should listen to Simon, Jack. I mean, where there is smoke, there is usually fire, and I have to admit that breaking into the Loft is kinda like setting ourselves on fire. Not to mention the fact that if we get caught, I'll be exiled from the Beauty Salon, and it has taken me years to find someone who can do my hair like Addy can, and she swore to take the recipe for my color to her grave. And Bitty is the only one I trust to do my nails just right, and I wouldn't trust my toes, or Baby Dog's nails to anyone el......"

 "Shut up, Rose. Just shut up and stop making everything about you and your stupid yappy dog's toes. I should have never let you blackmail me into bringing you along on this. We are in here for one reason only and that is to try and find out who brought those coins in, and where they came from."

 "Don't you think the cops and forensics have already turned this place upside down looking for those answers?"

 "Maybe, maybe not. They were just looking for evidence of a killer.  I'm not so sure that it was the same person that brought the coins in."

 "What makes you think there is someone else involved?"

 

"You remember that case we took a few years ago in Staunton, Virginia about the ranch hand that went missing along with a half dozen or so cows?"

 "Yeah, we never found him. Or them. What about it?"

 "The guy that hired us was  a mutual friend of the man that was killed and he has a special interest in finding the killer. He told me that the art dealer had told him about the coins three days before he was murdered. He said that his agenda for the day he was killed included meeting with some 'government' agencies about whether or not the coins were authentic and part of some top secret spy project."

 "And he knows this how?"

 "The dealer called him the day before he was killed and told him that if anything happened to him, he could find his planner and tapes of the meeting hidden among some antique dresses from the Ming dynasty in the attic of the shop."

 "Simon! Jack! Tell me how I look in this adorable Reseda green Chinese empress dress I just found in this box! Isn't it divine! Think I could borrow it for the Halloween ball this year?"

Participating in Words for Wednesday where T. Powell Coltrin writes.

May ...

Click here to go to my fundraiser page.

 The evening of 26 August 2021, an oncologist whom I was to see the next morning called me at home to tell me that in his professional opinion and based on CT scans and an MRI, he believed I had Stage 4 colon cancer that had spread to my liver and lymph nodes.

 He wanted me to do three months of chemotherapy, then surgery to remove part of my liver and colon.

 And I would still probably die.

 Thankfully, all of the subsequent biopsies and tests came back negative for cancer.  I didn't have the chemo.  I didn't have any surgeries.  And I clearly didn't die.  

 But it wasn't until 7 October 2021 that I knew for certain that there was no cancer.  For nearly two months I was making end of life plans.  Calling old friends.  Asking for prayers.  Saying goodbyes.  Making arrangements for someone to take my fur-kids when I was gone.

 It was terrifying and depressing. When it all was over, I reamed the oncologist's head nurse and told her that while I'm sure the doctor I saw was very well educated, he should never, ever speak death over someone like that without having the biopsies to back up his words.  I told her that a phone call like that might put someone less determined to annoy their little brother for the rest of his life over the edge and cause them to make an irreversible decision.

 Everything that I experienced that year, and with that specific phone call, cannot even compare to what someone who actually has an accurate diagnosis must experience.  Not only them, but their family and friends.

 The American Cancer Society has been dedicated for decades to helping patients and their loved ones as they walk that path from illness, to diagnosis, to treatment, and hopefully to cure or remission.  

 To support their efforts, I have signed up for [link to click>]  a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, and this will be my writing platform.  I'm posting this today because there will be some other exciting things happening in a few days, and my postings may be done late in the night.  BUT there will be posts!  So please watch here for them, and if you feel so inclined to contribute to a wonderful organization, please do so.

promises and procrastination ...

The peonies I transplanted are coming up,
with a bud already.

 A cold front has moved in and it's raining.  I'm doing ... or rather procrastinating ... household chores.  Rainy days are good days to do a little weeding.  I love the promises of Spring.  The sneak peeks at what is coming up out of the ground, especially this spring because it is my first (and hopefully not last) in this house. 

I was given some lilies-of-the-valley
and am extremely excited that they
not only came up but are also
budding!

The irises are getting ready
to explode!

These I think are going to be allium.
But not positive yet.

This fern, I thought was lost
to the winter, so I was glad
to see it fighting back today.

 The procrastination part has come in the little dodotodo list of things I have put off for future days.  One of them has been cleaning up an antique jewelry box I was recently given.

 On the right side is the brass that I've cleaned already on one of the drawers.  Each drawer (there are four, but this is the fanciest) has been lined in silk so I'm trying to be careful in cleaning the wood and brass.  I believe that it also has genuine ivory [UPDATE!  It's actually jade!] on it, so I'm trying to figure out how to clean it without damaging it.  I did take off the one little piece on the right to see if I could gently remove the jade but think it has been glued in, and don't want to break it by forcing it out [NOT glued in, just a tight fit.  I was able to get it out and cleaned and it looks amazing!]  I may wind up taking all of the brass off to clean it so it won't hurt the wood, then do a deep clean of the jade.  There were originally two little doors that fit on it, and I have the hinges for them, so may also see if there is a wood craftsman who can help me make them.

 Enough procrastinating.  Things have to get done today!  I hope you have a blessed weekend!

                                                                                                        ~ Ci

WfW ~ the artisan's coins continue ...

 "Simon, do you think the coins are artificial?  Don't you have some type of metallurgy test or skill or some whatnot?"

Image Source: Bing

 "I'm not sure, Jack.  I mean, they sound like they are made from some sort of metal, but that doesn't mean they are authentic coins from the future.  It just means that someone created a mold, or a stamp and was able to create them. It's also possible that some sector of our financial operations that mints coins could have made a typo.  In this case, they would be just as valuable to collectors as if they were made in the future.  For example, what was that stamp of the airplane that was upside down?  Wasn't that worth a lot of money just because someone ran a few upside down?"

 "Can you test them to see what kind of metal it is?  Then if it turns out to be something that normal coins aren't made of, that would be a good indication that they are just some sort of prop for a movie or counterfeit and we can warn the local businesses."

 "I would think that local law enforcement is already doing that since they are aware of the coins, and I'm not sure they would be willing to involve us since the coins are now part of a homicide investigation."

 "True, but ..."

 Jack was cut off by a horrific scream coming from outside the office door.  We both jumped out of our chairs and rushed to the door, flinging it open to see Rose standing in the hallway, still screaming and jumping all over, waving her arms about her head frantically.  He grabbed her, pinning her arms to her sides, and dragged her back into the office.

 "What on earth is going on with you, Rose?  You nearly gave us both heart attacks!"

 "Where is it?  Where is it"

 "Where is what?  Rose, calm down!"

 "A spider!  A bug! A flying insect of some sort!  It has been following me for hours, buzzing around my head, then it finally got caught in my hair!  I think it is some kind of robot spy!  Some AI!!"

 Jack and I looked at each other over her head and smiled before Jack fell to the floor laughing so hard he was crying.

 "And so ... [hahahahahahaha] and so ... [hahahahahahahahahaha] oh my gosh, my stomach hurts ... [hahahahahahahahaha] and so the descent into chaos and lawlessness begins as ... [hahahahahahahahahaha] the midnight hour of humanity has come ... [bwahahahahahahaha] and the AI rise to power!"

 Rose looked down at him, glaring as if daggers could shoot out of her eyes.  She turned, stomping her feet, and slammed the office door behind her so hard that the glass panel with our names on it shattered.  Jack immediately stopped laughing and stood up.

 "Well, I don't think that was necessary."

~*~*~ Two Hours Later ~*~*~

 "Damn it." Jack slammed down his phone.  "The soonest any glass company within 50 miles can come to fix the window is going to be two weeks from next Wednesday! And... our insurance isn't going to pay for it because there was some kind of complaint against them so they are freezing all of their policies until it is resolved."

 "What?!?!  When did that happen?  Were we notified?"

 "No, because when it happened a month ago, they had to lay off all their office personnel until it gets resolved so no notices have been sent out.  The only reason I managed to reach someone on the phone was that the auditors are in there today going thru the books, and the manager thought it was the building security desk calling to tell him that the pizza he ordered was there."

 "Great.  I guess I'll head to the Lakeshore Lowe's and see if I can get a piece of plywood cut to fit the opening.  Can you work on making a sign to put on the front of it with our names on it so any prospective clients can find us?  I might also stop by the police station to see what the latest is on that murder, and whether or not they have any update on the authenticity of those coins."

 "Sounds good.  Let me know what you find out.  In the meantime, I got a lead on a missing biker who goes by the name of Moon that might somehow be involved in all this."

 "Really? How so?"

 "Well, don't laugh because we can't afford to replace any more glass windows, but one of his buddies called and said that for the past month or so he was acting pretty squirrely and talking about some strange men in black who were from the future being in town. Now he's been missing ever since the murder at the loft."

 I stifled a laugh. "Next we're going to get a new client that is a little talking pug named Frank who is wearing a black suit and sunglasses, right?"

 I could still hear him laughing on the 4th floor as the elevator hit the lobby.

Participating in Words for Wednesday, found here where T. Powell Coltrin Writes.

Cheddar ...

 Someone is being loved and spoiled.

In a warm house for the night, 

watching movies on TV,

and getting snuggles on laps

where he sleeps safe and sound.

Sunday's bits and bobs ...

My lilacs are beginning to bloom!

And the dogwood is just exploding!

Cheddar went to a new home on Saturday, 

and will have a safe and healthy future with lots of love and cuddles!

it's about perspective ...

 An interesting thing happened this week.

 Two friends from a previous church family reached out to me about my blog post on Easter morning [<click there to read it]. And both of them were offended, but for very different reasons.

 The first person thought that the post was all about me 'judging' them.  Which it wasn't.  That person never even crossed my mind when I wrote it.  

 I wrote it while watching a Maundy Thursday service which portrayed the Last Supper in play form with each of the attendees talking about their role in Christ's life ... before, during, and after He was hung on the cross.

 But there was something that person read from their perspective which convicted them.

 The other person who messaged me today also wrote from the perspective (their conviction) that I was taking a public stand against ONE person and the church and that my "public display of displeasure hurts the Church of Christ."

  I cannot control how words that I write will be perceived by someone else.  It is the most dangerous thing about writing or texting, and something that I am very cautious about.  There have been times when I deliberately have written in anger or hurt, and those words ~ just like words that are spoken with the same emotions ~ they can't be taken back.  I know that the things I wrote and spoke to my brother contributed to why we are estranged, and it is something I will always regret.

 But that post on Easter morning had less to do with any one specific person or church, and more to do with how Christ must have felt that week.  Knowing He was going to be betrayed, knowing that someone He loved was going to lie to Him.  How alone He must have felt.  It was also about how even as alone as He was in those days, God was still with Him.  As He is with all of us.

~*~*~

 What I will say now, about ALL churches, is that when a member cannot voice their concerns, displeasure, or questions about the leadership without being condemned and shunned as being misled by the enemy, it opens up the door to deception, corruption, and abuse, whether it be sexual, emotional, or the abuse of power.  Pride.  Arrogance.  Bigotry.  Gossip.  It all adds up to what destroys a church.  

 It's not the enemy on the outside that destroys a church, it is the enemy on the inside.  The one that sneaks in on the "nudge, nudge" or "wink, wink" conversation over coffee or lunch about other members, whether it is true or not.  It's the one that slides up the aisle like a snake and becomes the example in a sermon that details everything about your confidential counseling session except your names.

 For example, why else do you think there were so many decades of sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic and Southern Baptist churches?  Because members, and leaders, were discouraged from asking questions and voicing concerns.  Things were covered up, and hidden, and those who were doing things they should not in the eyes of God AND man, were enabled to continue their actions.

*~*~*

 The church of Christ was never about a building, a denomination, or any man other than Himself, His Father, and the Holy Spirit.  When a place, church, denomination, or a worldly man forgets that, then that is the reason to question whether or not it really is a church of Christ.

Image Source: Facebook

 That has always been my issue with "churches" and/or denominations.  They are created by man, and for man. They become large, powerful, and sometimes become less church and more cult when they try to dictate the lives of the members to conform to their needs, and the promotion of "them."

 If you want to find God, find Him in your heart.  Find Him in the beauty of nature.  Find Him in the glory of the galaxy.  Find Him in the fellowship of friends, in the words of the Bible.  God is all about love.  His love for us.  You can find God in a building filled with people who love.  

 But just be sure that their love is for God, and not money, property, and prestige. When the sins of man overtake the church, love is lost.

~*~*~

 After I wrote Trooper's Run, my ex-hubs called me, angry that I wrote a book "about" him.  I had to remind him that my life no longer revolved around him and aside from using some of the things he said and did to me as things one of the main characters Owen did to his wife, after the first few chapters, there was nothing Owen said or did that was related to my ex.  But people were asking him if he was as dangerous as Owen was because in their perspective there was a resemblance. I told him that if they thought he was like Owen, then he needed to check himself, and not blame me.

 My post on Easter, and this post, are the same thing.  If you see something in my words that makes you think of your church, or yourself ... take a look in a mirror.  Don't blame me.

WfW ~ the case of the artisan's coins ...

 

"Do you know how lucky you are right now that I don't just fire you?"

 "You can't fire me.  I'm your sister, and I don't even work for you."

 "My point exactly, ROSE."  If you worked for me, I would've fired you for barging in here and all the chaos you created with that notebook you found by the river."

 "Well if I worked for you, I would have quit a long time ago because of how shoddily you pay me."

 "I don't pay you!!!"

 "My point exactly, JACK!"

 "PLEASE!!!  CAN THE TWO OF YOU PLEASE STOP SHOUTING AT EACH OTHER?!?!  YOU ARE MAKING MY HEAD HURT WITH ALL THIS BICKERING.  I THANK GOD EVERY DAY THAT I WAS AN ONLY CHILD!"

 The two of them looked at me, mouths gaping.  I couldn't remember the last time, if ever, I had raised my voice in the office.

 "Settle down, Simon.  It's not necessary for you to shout at Rose.  In fact, it's downright inappropriate."

 "I'm sorry, but I didn't sleep well last night, and I've got a splitting headache.  Please.  Rose, what is it today that has you bursting in here in excitement?"

 Rose huffed.  "Well, not that you'd care, since you think you are some high and mighty college edumacated private investigator and all, but there was a man found dead in town."

 "This isn't another notebook you found, is it?"

 "No, it's not.  I heard about it when I was getting my nails done at the salon.  A man was found with a knife in his back at the Artisan's Loft."

 Jack and I looked at each other.  We'd heard sirens earlier in the day, but neither of us thought much of it.  It was Spring Break, and sirens were pretty common unfortunately as the college kids tended to get a little out of hand.

 "What else did you hear?"

 "Only that he had some rather peculiar coins in his pockets."

 "What do you mean by 'peculiar'?"

 Rose raised an eyebrow at me and turned to answer Jack.  I guessed I shouldn't have yelled at her after all.

 "They haven't been minted.  Yet."

 "Yet?"

 "Yet."

 "What do you mean, 'yet'?"

 "I mean, that the dates on the coins are from fifty years in the future."

 "Are you sure they aren't just movie props or something?  Like a remake of "Somewhere in Time" or something?"

 Rose stomped her foot.  "No, JACK.  I don't have my HEAD in the CLOUDS again if that is what you are really asking!  I know it sounds impossible.  I'm just telling you what I overheard at the nail salon when the CHIEF OF POLICE came in to talk to HIS WIFE about it!"

 "Again with the shouting?"

 Rose glared at me and stormed out of the office.  Jack raised his eyebrows.

 "You know, I heard the fumes from some of those nail products are pretty toxic.  Maybe she was high?"

 "Oh yeah, as the clouds!"

 It didn't help that I hit my funny bone as I fell out of my chair laughing.

Participating in Words for Wednesday here where T. Powell Coltrin Writes

the truth of being alone ...

 I'm writing this on Easter morning, listening for now to an [link to click>] amazing Maundy Thursday service at Shuck Memorial Baptist Church via YouTube.  

 Between yesterday and now, I've done a lot of thinking and praying, and talking to God.  I reached out to someone to get a ride to the church I previously went to this morning for the 11a service, but when I woke up I realized I wasn't going to be able to do it.

 I miss the fellowship there.  Tall Matt's ginormous hugs and his wife Pat's smile and gentle hugs.  Connie's and Missy's hugs just swallow you whole and made me feel warm.  Laughing with Mike about our shared goofy tendencies.  Bill's firm handshakes, his daughter, Gracie's excitement at whatever unique earrings I was wearing, or top.  We shared a desire to travel and be seen for who we were, not who others wanted us to be.

 There are many more, too many to mention.  Smiles.  Laughter.  Hugs.

 But to go just to see them, and to tune out the voice from the pulpit because I questioned the motive of the message, the morality of leadership, and the truth of what was being spoken ... felt just as dishonest.  There was just so much that I could not align with what I read and believed in the Bible.  James 1:26. James 4:11. Proverbs 11:9. Romans 1:32. Ephesians 4:29.

 My salvation has not changed since I left there.  I have not been deceived by the enemy.  My relationship with God has become more personal, and less promotional. I share my testimony with new co-workers and friends who are still strangers about how God changed my life, saved my life, and is in my life.  Not to promote a place on a map, but to share how God can also change their lives, save their lives, and be in their lives.

 The last few months of being away from the fellowship have been lonely.  I bump into some of that church family at times at the grocery store.  We laugh, sometimes hug and greet each other warmly.  They sometimes say they miss me.  Occasionally when I post something on Facebook, they tell me they miss me.  Or they tell my friend, Nancy, when they see her at church that they miss me.  

 But I'm still here, in the little house where I was before, with the same phone number I've had for a few years now.  I know for a fact that I miss them.  If I had a vehicle of my own, I'd be making plans to meet with them often for coffee or brunch before I started work during the week.  To get together on Saturdays for lunch, to thrift shop for craft projects to upcycle, or go to art classes or shows.

 But I spend most of my time alone.

 This morning I'm also thinking of how alone Christ must have felt in those last few days of His life before this morning.  He was surrounded by people who loved Him, and whom He loved.  Yet He must have felt so alone knowing what was ahead for Him, and knowing that there was not one of them who understood the truth of what had to happen.

 Matthew 18:20 tells us that where two or more are gathered in His name, He is there with us.  But then it goes on to say that He is always with us.  Look for the promises of never being alone in Joshua 1:9. Isaiah 41:10. Deuteronomy 31:6. Hebrews 13:5. Romans 8:38-39.

 God and I are having coffee this morning, and feeling blessed in the occasional aloneness of our fellowship.  I'm grateful for the rising of the Son, and the warmth of both the Son and the sun on my face today.  I'm also grateful that I'm never truly alone.

                     Be blessed.  ~ Cindi

bits and bobs...

This is Cheddar.

He was abandoned by his people across the street so I've been feeding him, and a feral cat I call Old Man.

Cheddar is stressed by the events of the past several months and suddenly being outside 24/7/365.  He's neutered, and unfortunately, has also had his front paws declawed.  

He loves cuddles but is afraid of my grumpy Charlie and won't come into my laundry room on cold nights.

Tonight I made a small bed for him on the front porch of his house, out of an extra kitty litter box that has a lid, an old pillow, and a fuzzy blanket.

Putting food and water on his porch will keep him from crossing the street at night and risking getting hit by a car.  His people also owned the little white kitten I blogged about in October of last year, who unfortunately did get hit and killed by a car in November.

Finally decided on art for the bathroom.

The dogwood tree in the front yard is starting to bloom.

As is the crabapple tree.

This is the castle, of Castle Drive.

WfW ~ the case of the missing mignonette

 "Have you seen the news?"

 "What news?"  My partner's sister had burst into the office, and as usual, was speaking as if we already knew the topic.  When he and I started working together he gave me fair warning that she was overly dramatic and always had a bit of a "the sky is falling" personality.

 "Not now, sis!  We are right in the middle of an assignment."

 Angrily she threw herself into the chair next to his desk.  "Well, this is the assignment you should be working on!  It's all over the news.  There is a missing tourist!"

 We looked at each other and he raised one eyebrow at me.  "Missing from where?  What is there to see here that would attract any tourists to the area?"

 She huffed in annoyance at him.  "I wouldn't expect you to know about Reseda Odarata.  You are such an uneducated troll."

 Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow.  "Reseda what?  Is that like a painting or piece of art or something?"

 "No, you large, brainless slug.  It is an herb, also called a mignonette.  But because of its value in certain French recipes, chefs come from around the world to find it here.  In fact, it is so valued that there is even a paint color named after it.  Reseda Green #6011."

 Her brother rolled his eyes.  "I'm not so sure that having a paint named after you is an automatic indication of fame or value.  But whatever.  Tell us more about this missing tourist."

 "He apparently came here on some sort of quest..."

 "To find this Reseda Odarata?"

 "If you had let me finish what I was saying!  No.  He came here because someone was blackmailing him!"

 "So... this has nothing to do with the herb?"

 She stomped her foot.  "If you would stop asking questions and let me finish talking you might understand!  He came here looking for a French woman named Mignonette.  There had been some sort of blunder at his restaurant in Paris, and her husband died from poison!"

 Both of us exclaimed, "Poison?!?!"

 "Shush!  Let me finish!  Yes, he was poisoned and everything was pointing to the chef as the suspect, but it wasn't him!  So he came here to find her and prove that it was her!"

 "And you know all this how?"

 "Well, I found his notebook on a bench down by the river.  It detailed everything!"

 "Show me this notebook."

 She pulled a small leather notebook out of her purse and handed it to her brother.  He flipped through several of the pages, stopping to read occasionally before something on the last page made him start laughing hysterically.  Handing it to me, I looked down at where he was pointing.  I began to giggle as I read it.

This book is the property of Alvin T Hickner, and details my ideas for the next multi-million dollar blockbuster movie made by Paramount.  I've dated these pages and keep copies in a safe deposit box, so you slimeballs who keep stealing my ideas are screwed this time!  I can prove that these ideas were all mine and will sue the pants off of you!

Participating in Words for Wednesday here at T. Powell Coltrin Writes blog

manic monday ...

Haley @ Beards & Bangs

 The weekend was very busy, so busy that this morning coming into work felt like I was coming off a long vacation away ... without any relaxation.

 Saturday started with getting my hair cut and a little peek-a-boo color put in.  The green washed out to yellow, and the purple became pink, but the blue seems to have stayed the same.  I wanted to just get that "crazy aunt everyone warned you about" vibe going before the end of the month.  I like it and will probably do it again in the fall, maybe with reds, oranges, and yellows for the leaves.

 The rest of the day was running errands, some shopping, and getting a few things done at the house.  Which included a much-needed bath for Charlie, which was followed up by a hair trim the next morning.  Almost had enough hair cut off to make another puppy!

 

 For craft-elaxation, I've been working on some decoupage with paper napkins just for fun.

 On the left are some captured spring flowers on a wood cutout of a mason jar.  On the right, are sunflowers and chickens on a tobacco basket.

  All in all, it was a good and productive weekend.  I'm now sorting through items to donate to a charity that is fundraising to turn an old hospital into apartments for the homeless.

  Hope your weekend was wonderful, and your week is amazing!          Hugs, Ci