I guess it comes down to making a list too long to finish.
What I accomplished:
Talked with Wendy on Skype Saturday and with each of our children this afternoon: a combination of between 3 and 4 hours catching up with some of the people we love most in the world.
Officially celebrated my birthday with dinner out at Trio's Bistro Friday night, using a Groupon I'd saved for the occasion. Ran by Stein Mart and bought a couple of things, one of them at a great savings with a coupon we'd received in the mail.
Welcomed and watched Jim Tompkins who brought a 2,000-pound stump grinder to our front yard Saturday morning and literally obliterated the stump to the Bradford pear that blew down last summer, almost a year ago. Dug up a clump of mums growing in front of the stump just before he arrived Saturday morning and transplanted them by the driveway by the garage door after he left.
Raked the wood-chip-dirt mixture out of the lawn and into a mound at the corner of the flower bed.
Sprayed Round-up on tree shoots had come up from the roots and got rid of quite a few of the weeds that had grown up around it.
Shopped at six different garden stores or departments for something to plant in its place. Finally settled on a four-foot dwarf Alberta spruce. Lugged it home in the front of the car along with some top soil and "Moo-nure" to amend the soil. Dug a hole in the mound and planted the tree.
Went out for Indian for supper at about 7:00 and then went with Evelyn to the grocery to divvy up the week's shopping. We weren't home till after 9:00.
(Mark Sullivan had an excellent sermon on Philippians 1. It was the first in a series from Philippians,
creatively titled "Paradox." Mark's sermon: "Chained but Free." He preached the sermon while presenting us with the visual aid of himself chained to his golf cart.)
Stopped at a nursery after church and bought a yellow Knockout rose bush to fill a hole behind the deck.
Planned the worship service for next Sunday morning; I'm leading the classic praise service for Dave Lautzenheiser, who will be on vacation next Sunday.
Paid bills and wrote our monthly donation checks.
Folded and put away some of my winter clothes and brought upstairs all my stored-away summer clothes. But they're not arranged in the closet well enough yet.
Mowed and raked grass in a little more than half the yard this afternoon, after talking with both of the kids on the phone. Trimmed down the winter-dead liriope beside the driveway. Raked up the mess I made. (Evelyn finished the mowing by cutting grass in the front yard.)
Packed my lunch for tomorrow.
Enjoyed "60 Minutes" and grilled cheese and bacon on rye sandwiches with Evelyn for supper.
It's helpful to see it all in print. I guess I don't need to feel guilty for not having accomplished anything this weekend! But, both at work and here at home, I have quite a long list of tasks that must be accomplished this week, and in the 2-1/2 weeks before we go on our 2-week vacation, departing May 31.
