It's All In God's Plan Anyway

Another beautiful day in the State of Michigan.  We have had such a wonderful summer.  In fact, I think I have turned on the furnace, to take the morning chill off, more than I have run the A/C.  Quite unusual, but a lot of unusual weather around the USA.  I am pondering on what this winter will be like.  Is it going to be another humdinger like last year?  

I set the alarm and got up this morning to go to church.  I guess there is a new movie called "Moses" coming out--kind of like the "Noah" movie and our minister is having a month long series on Moses REAL life, so we know before we go to the movie.  Well--I won't be going to the movie.  I WAS going to see Noah and then my friends that did, said it was weird and strange and not at all like the Bible story, so...................it's hard enough to read the Old Testament and figure it out--I don't need a movie confusing me more, LOL.

Anyway, my heart said I was going to church, but my body said, "Nah.", so I took a nice long bike ride around the park and down by the lake.  It was peaceful and sunny and cool (72), and I hummed a hymn as I rode along.  I do like church--once I get there--it's just the getting there that I have a problem with.

A friend posted on the last page that it was nice that I got to see Jen and that she talked to me.  Well--no she didn't--not exactly.  She didn't engage me in conversation, unless I asked her a direct question.  She was pleasant, but....she is acting strange right now, it seems to me.

I haven't really seen her in 18 months, but she seems very hyper--talking fast and a lot with arms and hand gestures.  I noticed too, at least it seemed to me, that she acts more like her kids older sister than their Mom.  Alex got stung by some ground Yellow Jackets--Karen was slathering him with baking soda, I was wiping his tears away with a cool cloth and Jen was standing there and said, "C'mon Bud--suck it up.  Remember when you broke your arm--this isn't that bad."  Perhaps, as a Grandmother, it hurt me to see him in pain, more than it would if I had been his mother--I don't know.  I was trying to remember how I reacted when one of my kids got hurt--yeah--I was probably as causal as she was.

Then something was mentioned about the middle east conflict and Andrew said, "It's all in God's plan anyway," and Jen said, "Don't start spouting that Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran stuff!"  Andrew said, "Well, it is." and looked at me and I nodded my head "yes."

This is the church they went to and the school the kids went to for five years.  It was the "be all to end all" for five years.  The one place they poured their extra money into.  Jennifer was on the school board.  Eric played on the softball team.  They never missed a Sunday.  The same place where I had misgivings about the minister years ago.

Now--apparently, this place is not to be talked about, referred to, and if the kids learned anything about the Bible or religion there--they are supposed to forget it all?

Jennifer was brought up in the Methodist Church.  She was very active there at one time.  Then, when she was a rebellious Junior in high school, she decided to convert to the Catholic church BECAUSE, she thought it would upset me.  Her exact words, "Your church is stupid!  I am going to become Catholic!  The true church."

So--being the kind of person I am, and knowing that daughter Karen converted and is a lovely, spiritual woman, I encouraged her to be Jen's sponsor.  I was wonderful.

Eric is 2nd generation German and is not Catholic--he's not really anything.  Jennifer wanted to find a church that they both could attend comfortably and raise their children in.  She and Eric have attended five different churches in the 11 years they have lived here.  They finally settled on Shepherd of the Lakes because it had a Christian school.

They are now going sporadically to the 2/42 church up the road.  A non-denominational, Evangelical church.  I think Jen would be better served if she attended Karen's Catholic church in town and took the kids.  If Eric is uncomfortable with it, he doesn't have to go, but can attend if and when he wants.  

Anyway--Jen did not make any statements about them moving--I only heard from Pam that they looked at property last weekend and that Eric's Dad will pay for them to build a smaller house--only 5,000 square feet at $600K, instead of the million dollar 7,500 sq ft mansion they now live in and can't keep up or afford.

This is the fifth time they have talked about moving.  They have spent a month each year, in New Jersey, talking with Eric's father.  Eric doesn't want to move--I know that.  Eric doesn't want to take over his father's business because he can't work with his father and father doesn't want to go with any of Eric's newer ideas.  

Jennifer has often said she can't stand his father.  Eric's Mother and sister are Jehovah's Witness, which Jen deplores and his sister's kids are "wild brats".  They specifically moved here so that Jen's kids would grow up around Karen's kids and their good influence. 

Neither one of them can tolerate his father's wife--a much younger Asian lady he married six years ago.  However, Jen has stated that the "Will is clear on who inherits the business.  She gets a certain percentage to live on."  Seems like something like that was in my Dad's Will?

Jen and Eric and the kids went out to New Jersey in May and when they came back, Jen told Pam, "There is no way we are EVER moving out there!"

Jennifer hates her job and I don't blame her.  She worked on a case until 2:00 a.m., Thursday.  From 6:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m. the next morning.  Those hours aren't unusual for her.  She wants to quit.  

Eric has gone as far as he can in his job.  He can't start his own Prosthetics business here because there is a two year "no compete" law with Hangar (the company he works for.  They made the prosthetic tail for the Dolphin at Sea World).  

His father has a HUGE Prosthetics business in New Jersey which covers a lot of work with hospitals in that area and New York city.    

Pam told Karen and me that either Eric is moving to New Jersey and get the kids in school out there and Jen will stay here with the Baby, or Jen is moving to New Jersey with the kids and Eric will stay here with baby Evan and Pam will still have a job until they all get moved.  Which means, I probably will never see those grand babes again--unless they come home occasionally for Christmas.

AND I AM AT THE POINT WHERE I AM ABOUT TO SAY:

because it is way out of my control!!!

  

 Karen and Mark raised five children in this house.  It cost $250K to build.  Plenty of room.  8 rooms with a finished basement.

Jennifer and Eric's house.  It cost $750K to build just a few years after Karen's was built. Plus now, there is another 1,000 square feet addition to the left.
13 rooms with a finished basement.

Tell me that Jen and Eric couldn't stay here and downsize to something they could afford!!!  Eric could keep his job and Jen could go with a smaller law firm (she has had many asked her to work for them) where she could work 9-5.

Sorry--I'm just truly upset!  

Oh well--after they move, Jen will probably communicate with me more because she will need someone to complain to about Eric's father/mother/sister/sister's kids/New Jersey/Eric's job--whatever!!

and I can sit here and worry about terrorists releasing bombs/anthrax/ricin/small pox/and/or the Atlantic flooding all of the east coast!

If I close my eyes, I can see a day--Jennifer was in Kindergarten.  She was in front of the house, waiting for the school bus.  I turn and can see it, coming down the road, a quarter mile away.  All of a sudden, she walks back toward the house.  

"Jen, what's wrong?  The bus is coming!"

"I changed my mind.  I am not going to go to school in this dress.  I want to change."

"Honey, the bus is right there.  Get back out there!"

She puts her hands on her hips..."NO!"

I wave the bus on, she comes in, goes upstairs and changes to another dress, comes back down and I drive her to school.  I did manage a nice slap to her bottom on the way passed me, but..................

I should have gotten the hint then that she was going to be a strong willed, know her own mind, "this is what I'M going to do", type of person.

Perhaps, as Andrew said, "It's all in God's plan anyway."