Futzing Around On A Friday Night

So, it's been awhile since I felt really moved to write something for this blog.  Ideas will present themselves, but at VERY bad times.  Like when I'm in the middle of work, with two customers waiting for me to go get their books on hold, and check them out for them.

So, while I'm goofing around this Friday night, let me tell you how this week has been.
Kinda crummy, actually.  Found out ALL of my friends got an item we had all ordered already, when mine didn't even have a ship date set.  (Turns out I hadn't ordered what I thought I had when I thought I had.  Have now fixed that, said item will be here next week.)  I felt irrationally left out and childish.  Then I realized it was all my fault.  I hadn't ordered mine from the same place after all!
Work was another source of weirdness, and on Tuesday, crumminess.   The building is technically closed because we are having some minor remodeling done.  We had a small version of our library services available in one of the meeting rooms.  By today, it was working pretty well.  Tuesday it was full of bugs.  TOO MANY PEOPLE showed up too close to closing, with inadequate staff to handle all their requests in a timely and efficient manner.  This was successfully communicated to our supervisor, who made some modifications, and by today, things were going pretty smoothly.  The folks who happened by were very grateful to us for having the services we had available.  Many hadn't paid attention to the publicity about the closing, and didn't realize we wouldn't REALLY be open.  To be able to check their email, pick up their holds, or make a copy of something or fax something was of immense value to them.  We were profusely thanked, even when it appeared that we didn't know if we were coming or going. (Truthfully, on Tuesday we didn't!)

All external factors aside, I've had the worst bout of allergies EVER. I almost lost my voice, I've been living on Muscinex and Chlor-tabs.  It is finally starting to get better, but it has been driving me NUTS!

On to other things:
Fall is finally in the air,though the equinox is ten days away.  I know that because our wedding anniversary is on the day of the autumnal equinox.  September 22.  My husband chose the date, don't look at me.  So, in 10 days we will have been married 30 years.  Does NOT seem possible.  We can't possibly be old enough to have been married that long. We still have a similar sense of humor, and that causes us to start chuckling about something long before others catch on, usually.  (We have many "in" jokes, just between us.)

I have no illusions about the cool weather lasting very long.  This IS Oklahoma, after all, but it was nice to be able to wear a sweater today.
This will have to be completed in the morning.  It has become rather late.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

So much for good intentions. Saturday was a day of good food, good friends, and football. 
So many things in this life we mean to do and never get around to.  In this case, I think I chose wisely.  Is it not better to choose to spend time with people you love than to spend time staring at a screen?  (Especially one with an annoyingly blank  page on it. )

Today was first filled with church, as Sunday usually is.  Bishop was there, preached a VERY good sermon.  Anthem went well, as did the descants on the hymns.
Next, we came home and I did laundry.  Yes, every weekend I must do laundry.  We do need clothes to wear all week, ya know. 
Next weekend I will no doubt be whiny and self-pitying.  I have to work both Saturday and Sunday.  Very rare that this should happen, but alas, it has.  Here's hoping my customer service skills hold up.  My job is very important, though it is but a small one.  I have had the rare privilege of being able to make someone's day better, and I take that very seriously.  Always want to live up to my faith and my ideals by being kind to all people, and being as much help as I can.  I fail at this more often than I would like to think about, but sometimes it is just because I don't know what to say or do.  Sometimes, my brain just shuts off.  I blame my age, but it's always happened to me.  My mind will wander off without me at the oddest times.  That's one reason I can't memorize piano pieces.  My mind wanders, and I have no idea what to play.  (For some reason, sung pieces are easier. )

Back to the Bishop's sermon.  Very interesting, and very challenging.  He spoke of a recent visit to the Holy Land.  He went to Jordan first.  Seems in Jordan, all faiths live in harmony with each other.  They all honor each other's faith, and celebrate many holidays together.  He said wherever he went in Jordan, he was greeted by friendly and helpful people, people of all faiths.  How different from our society, where anyone different is immediately suspect for some reason.  Our challenge is to obey those two commandments we hear every Sunday.  Really hear them, and really obey them. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your  mind, and your neighbor as yourself.  Every Sunday in our church's liturgy we hear these two commandments .  "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" ends the quote.  Perhaps we hear them so often because though they sound so simple, they are so very hard to keep.  We need the reminder.  Constantly and consistently.  I don't know about you, but many things get in the way of my "God time."  Constantly yammering at me from cell phone and computers and tablets, distractions abound.  If I can't make time for my love of God, how do I expect to be able to love myself OR my neighbor?  It's all connected, you see.   Anyway, this is what the Bishop's sermon has had my brain chewing on off and on all day.
The over-arching message of God to His people, in my experience anyway, is LOVE.  Love is what is most important, love is what lasts.  We are made to love and be loved.  We need each other, and we often forget this.  We isolate ourselves more and more in this world.  There abide in this world loving and openhearted people,and I have been very fortunate to meet many of them.  Both in "real" life, and online.  You can show others your love without being pushy, or mushy, or creepy.  It happens every day.  In small gestures, in shared smiles, in asking how it's going, opening a door for someone.  All small things, but think about how those small things make you feel, whether you're doing them for someone else, or someone does one of those small kindnesses for you.  It makes you feel good.  It lifts your heart.  Makes the day seem a little brighter, the prospect less bleak.  That's love.
Those little online hellos from far-flung friends, the gentle banter we share, the shared interests, all of those are little messages of love floating out into the world to multiply and make it better.
So, I guess that's one way of saying that even my distractions can be used for good.  Hmmm.