WHERE DOES THE TIME GO TO????

It sure seems like a LONNNGGGG time since I have blogged.... Maybe it seems that way because it HAS been a LONG time!!

So much has happened to all of us in the last few months, I can't even remember all of it. Here is a sampling of things that happened:

0 After I got kidnapped in March, I found my way home, and was safe and happy.
On April 1st, we had a baby shower for Katrina and Pastor Lawson. The baby (Eirenee) remained in the hospital for a very long time. She weighed only 1.5 lbs. when she was born on Feb. 28, so she had to be in ICU for a long time. I went with her Mommy and Daddy and big sister several times to visit her at the hospital.

The shower was a BIG strong success! There were men, women and children there, and the children were all especially "active"! Whew! I am glad we all lived through it, and a good time was had by all.

0 Eirenee came home for good about 2 weeks ago and weighed 5 lbs. 10 oz.!! I even got to take care of her all by myself. I just held her the wholw time, and thanked the Lord for this beautiful young lady. She is very special, as you can imagine, and she continues to gain weight and grow stronger every day.

0 Katrina took her driver's test in April and passed it with flying colors. She used to live in England, so I imagine it was hard to learn to drive on the right side of the road. I am very proud of my new daughter-in-law!!

0 Shamey had his pictures taken in a place called Wheaten Park, and I did send them out to everyone. If you did not receive them, please let me know. They were beautiful, and Jules put them to music. (He is a natural model!!)

0 We got new patio furniture and a new BBQ grill. We are now ready for lots of Summer company.

0 I found a Calvary Chapel not too far from us, and have made lots of new friends. As usual, Calvary Chapel is very friendly and welcoming. I really do feel right at home now. Praise Jesus!!

0 We joined a "pool club"! It is in a parklike setting right in the middle of the metropolitan area! (Correct me if I already told youi this,,,please...!)
In fact we just got back from a "picnic/birthday party" at the pool club. There are lots of picnic tables, gas grills,and a huge adult pool, and a kiddies pool...They call it the "baby pool" there, and Shamey heard them say it, and thought they said "Navy pool". So it remains the "Navy pool" to us...

0 I worked for one day at the Art Festival, which is held in the Town Center, where the Farmer's Market takes place every Thursday. James runs it, and has lots of prospects for businesses to move into Riverdale. He is very good at his job, and soon we will be overflowing with new businesses coming in. This will lower the tax base for alot of people.(I am very proud of James also!)

0 Jules remains at her job at Westat. She is going on a business trip next week to L.A., California, and James and Shamey are going with her. (She makes me VERY proud also!!)I will be all by my lonesome, but plan on having lots of get togethers with different groups of friends.

0 I gave up on the Cafe ever being built. They have had their permit for months now and still nothing has been built.

0 I am now doing surveys for money. That is my home job. I don't have to go out, and when James needs me to take care of Seamus, I am available. Sometimes he just brings alot of his toys in my bedroom, and plays for hours, while I work at the computer. Alot of times we will watch one of his shows on T.V. or a movie we have received from Netflix. We do play games too, and go for walks to the park, which is only one block away from our home. (He always makes a new friend when he goes there!)

0 I really miss all of you up there, but don't hear from very many of you guys. Please drop me a quick note, so I can see if you are still around or not.

Love to all,
tootsie roll2

REVEREND BOBBI and SUE, my dear friends......

I have mentioned Reverend Bobbi several times to some of you. Here is a woman who loves the Lord with her whole being! She comes from a very different background than you could ever imagine. Her ministry is working with the homeless, poor, downtrodden, drug addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes, beaten women, people in jail, just out of jail,and anyone who needs help getting back on track. She knows no favorites. Whoever the Lord puts in her path, she will happily minister to. I have seen her find apartments or rooms for some people, when there were none to be found. She can get people in programs that no one else knows about! She has an inside track with the Lord and he keeps putting her with the right people at the right time, and they are getting saved by the dozens!! PRAISE JESUS!!

Many times when I am around her, she receives many many phone calls during the day or late into the night and early morning. She is constantly in touch with police, social workers, doctors, nurses, parents of run away kids, and anyone she can help. This woman is the most selfless person I have ever had the pleasure of working with, and calling her my friend is a priviledge, bestowed on me from above.

Reverend Bobbi's best friend is a wonderful lady named Sue. (I always say that they are attached at the hip.) Sue is the SECOND most selfless person I have ever met! She has a lovely home, and is always sharing it with people in need. She has a disease which demands extra oxygen at all times. This never gets her down, or stops her from helping others. Neither one of these ladies takes a salary for the work they do. They will get rewarded BIG TIME, later!

These two ladies are such a treasure to me. I thank the Lord for them every day. They have taught me humility, and compassion, above and beyond all that I have ever known.

Reverend Bobbi goes out into the woods and ministers to the homeless. (She calls them her "babies")....Some of them are fortunate enough to have tents, and others just sleep on the ground. She has done so much for these people with no expectation of anything in return.
She ALWAYS gives each baby a good dose of the bible, and prays with them.

A few weeks ago they both told me to keep a certain date on my calendar open. I did. They told me that they were going to "KIDNAP" me, and they did. We just drove and drove for a long time, and finally wound up in West Virginia someplace. There, they introduced me to one of their "babies", who was getting physical therapy at a V.A. hospital. He was a man who had just lost his wife in death, and had overcome his grief by prayer, and also by teaching the Word of God to many other men in that hospital. I was honored to make his aquaintance, and will not ever forget him, and how he helped me to understand my own loss of my dear best friend, my hubby.
God bless these 3 friends, and keep me in their company.

University of Maryland in COLLEGE PARK

A lot of you out there do not realize that we live minutes away from a college town. It is just "right around the corner" from us. I love to drive through and see all of the students on their way to and from classes. It reminds me of a time LONG AGO, when I was a student myself. The reason that my daughter, Julie (Jules to us...) came here to live, was because she was on vacation with her dad and brother one year in Washington D.C. When she came home she told me she was going to live there some day. I never doubted that she would do it. She was 8 years old at the time. Every goal she has set out to accomplish, she has attained. She is a very confident young lady, and makes me proud every day, just seeing what she has done with her life, and her role as a Mom is her greatest accomplishment!!

Jules came here for a certain job offer, but the company closed soon after she arrived. She applied at the University for a similar statistical research job, and she got it right away. She worked there for about five years, and then when that job was dismantled because of financial cuts, she found another similar job at a large company, which was also a better position for her.
She has been there ever since.

A couple of weeks ago I wanted to go over to the college and take some pictures of the Winter scenery, so when the cherry blossoms come to bloom, I can go back and take more pictures, so you can all see the contrast in seasons that we have down here. They are beautiful to see, and are in great abundance on every street you drive down.

I love the small town of College Park. It has many different kinds of shops and restaurants to choose from. I am including some of the pictures of the campus and town.

EMILY'S BIRTHDAY-POLKA PARTY!!!!!!

Two weeks ago we attended a wondeerful birthday party at a dance hall/restaurant. It was the most fun I have had since we moved down here!

A couple of blogs ago, I wrote about the BLOCK PARTY in our neighborhood. It was there that I met Emily and Del. This is the couple who travels all over the world, and rides on elephants! Emily loves Elephants. She actually was able to have her own elephant to take care of for 3 whole day and nights! They were in Thailand, this time. I think Del loves her so much that he will do anything to make her happy...sort of like the relationship Terry and I had for 27 years.


Emily turned 70 on March 2nd, and of course Del threw a big party for her. He even wrote a love song for her, and got up and sang it to her from the orchestra pit. They are avid dancers, so of course it had to be at one of their favorite dance halls. The place was called "BLOBBS". (Quite an unusual name, but then, Emily and Del are very unique too..)

There was a live band and the majority of music played was the polka. (when I told our "adopted son," Lawson, about doing the POLKA, he said, "you went to a dance hall to play cards?"--He thought we were playing POKER!)

I remember doing the polka at all of my aunts' and uncles' weddings when I was a small kid up through teenagehood.
I always enjoyed the polka, and danced the night away many times with my uncles. They always gave up way too soon. (You might say, they "cried UNCLE"!!!) Ha Ha...

We danced with Seamus almost every dance, and he really picked it up very quickly. For a 3 year old young man, he was excellent. This time I HAD TO CRY UNCLE!!!

There was good food, birthday cake, and we danced the night away! A good time was had by all!!

MY "ADOPTED" FAMILY STEPS OUT IN FAITH!

I HOPE YOU HAVE ALL READ ABOUT MY "ADOPTED FAMILY"........
Our assistant pastor from our previous church actually "adopted" Terry and myself about three weeks after we met him. Pastor Lawson is from Nigeria, and he has a wonderful wife named Kathrina, and a 3 year old daughter, Zoe. It took a long time, and lots of red tape to get them over here. I could say that we took him "under our wing" while he was waiting for his family, but actually it was quite the opposite! He was the one who reached out to us, helped us move 3 times, and was there for me when Terry was hospitalized so many times. There were several people who helped us of course, but only Lawson became our "son"!

Almost a year ago now, Lawson's family arrived and we were so excited to meet them. The first thing that Kathrina said to us was: "Hi Mum, Hi Dad"!! Zoe calls me "Miss Donna". It is tradition I guess, because wherever I go, I become, "Miss Donna".

Anyway, after 7 years of serving at that church, Pastor Lawson got a calling to go to Washington, D.C. (3 miles from us..), and evangelize the whole city, "one person at a time". He started a small church with the help of some good friends and family, and he is doing God's work each week by ministering to the people in the area where his church resides. He was "given" full use of the building for Sunday worship. He has made me so proud, not because he started the church, but because he followed the Lord's plan for his life.

Last week Kathrina gave birth to another baby girl, named Renee. Kathrina was only 6 months pregnant, and she had to have a Cesarean section, in order to save her own life. The baby weighed only 1.7 lbs., but came out yelling and breathing on her own. Please put this family, especially Renee in your prayers as soon as you read this, and please put her on all of your prayer chains. Thank you. I will keep you posted.

You may ask why I left the other church, because we were so happy there. All I will say is that it was necessary. I felt like a "man without a country" for several weeks, but I knew that the Lord had prompted me, in a unique way, to leave, so I did.

I do know that we were sent to that church for a reason, and that reason was to meet our wonderful new family, Pastor Lawson, Kathrina, Zoe, and now baby Renee. Praise God!!

STARTING OVER!!

Alot has happened in the last couple of months. I left the church I was attending since we arrived in Riverdale in Oct., 2007, and went shopping for a new one. I was praying for a Calvary Chapel that would be close to drive to, but did not think it was possible. Of course "all things work to the good for all those who for all those who know God, and and are called according to His purpose." Romans, 8:28... I actually did find some very nice churches around here, and went to their services. Everyone I met was so friendly, and welcoming, but my heart was set on a Calvary Chapel after attending one for over 24 years. I finally found one which was 20 minutes away from my home, and I was so happy when I walked in there. I knew I had found my new home!! I met several wonderful people right away, and am going to a home bible study which is near my home on Wednesday nights. When Terry was well, we travelled quite a bit after we retired, and wherever we went, we ALWAYS found a Calvary Chapel! It was so comforting knowing that they were all the same, and we were always warmly welcomed.

I thank the Lord for giving me direction, and know He put me in a Calvary Chapel for a reason. I wish Ter could come to this church with me, but he is smiling right now, knowing that I am happy with my new church family.

I have even signed up for the ladies retreat coming up in July. I was never able to go to it before because of Ter's illnesses, and now I only live an hour's drive away from it, since it is located in Sandy Cove, Maryland. I am so anxious to see my Rochester friends when I get there. Ladies, if you are reading this right now, please look for me at the Cove, in July!

THE OPEN HOUSE!!!

On January 3, 2009 we held an Open House at the Coleman/O'Donnell home. We invited many friends and relatives. All in all we think about 45 people took part.

The day before the event, James and I went to do the grocery shopping. Huge lines and crowds of people were everywhere we went. It was quite a challenge, with lots of calls to Jules, at home with Seamus to check and make sure we were purchasing the right items, as she had requested.

Finally we both came dragging our bodies into the house, and after several trips to the van and back, we opened all of the bags and while they put the groceries away, I started to cook. Soon Jules was cooking too, and then James. James' brother Rick arrived from Pennsylvania. He was very helpful in entertaining Shamey while we cooked. We had a good time making the preparations. Everything had to be just right. Finally we were almost done, and we decided to call it a night. We all dragged ourselves to bed and said "good night everybody!"

On Saturday morning we had MORE food to cook, and we were busy, busy, busy... clean the house, clean off the porch, make the horsdouvers, make the desserts, make the dips, set up chairs, make the punch...pick up the toys... Just before the first guests arrived, we all got dressed in acceptable attire. The first guests at 4:00 p.m. were Pastor Lawson and his family. Shamey was so happy to have Zoe for a playmate.

Soon more and more guests arrived. Most of them were bearing either gifts for us, or some kind of food. Thank goodness we had put all of the leaves in the dining room table, because it was pretty loaded before they even started arriving.

Jules and I would take turns giving tours of our new home, even including our new laundrey room, which we all love to use. (We used to have to take the laundry to the basement...now it is wonderful to have it on the first floor.)

Many people kept showing up, even our architect Marc, and our builder, "Frankie"! (Shamey named him that. His real name is Fran.) We hoped that once people saw how beautiful and unique it was with the skylights and the moving walls, etc. that they would get some ideas of hiring them to do some work for them. Frankie gave out a few of his flyers, explaining his business, and I saw Marc give out a few business cards too.

All in all, it turned out to be a very nice evening, and I think everyone had a good time. At church people are still talking about it, and Jules and James have workmates who just loved it.

We are pretty happy with our new space too.

I wish Ter could have seen it. He would have loved it. After all, there are many "handicap accessible" features specifically built in just for him. He is probably looking down on us right now saying, "way to go!"

[Wish you were here, Honey. We all miss you and love you very much. It would be so much better with you here....]