Let’s see…

I’ve already been to the ATM and back, because I checked my bank balance to see if the car payment had been deducted and what to my wondering eyes should appear???

No, it hadn’t been deducted yet, but I was 50 cents shy of being able to cover it!! And the bank would be opening in 45 minutes. And that would mean a $34 overdraft fee. For being 50 cents short on the car payment.

So out of bed I got; got dressed I got; and while I was heading downstairs anyway, got the laundry started, and then off I went to put more money into the bank. (And it’s another really beautiful morning out there!)

And you know, I’m feeling really blessed around here this morning, because something told me to look at that bank balance!! (No, I don’t keep much money in the bank — only enough to cover bills.) (And did you see the price of GOLD this morning??? $3,800 per troy ounce!!)

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Before I forget —

Look what il donaldo trumpo posted last night:

“WE’LL DEFINITELY NEED MORE POPCORN THIS WEEK!!!😎🇺🇸🍿🍿🍿”

(Like we can handle any MORE of this movie!! I guess we’ll see!)

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And also.

I thought this was interesting, gang.

And I hate to always be prefacing stuff about Richard Grenell by saying that “he’s gay” because he probably has other things going on in his illustrious life that are more important to him than his sexual preferences, but anyway.

You know how people are always trying to say that Trump is against gay people…

Okay, from Grenell’s Truth Social account last evening:

“Where are the Arts reporters now?

This group of wokesters have spent decades not understanding finances or budgeting – pushing for more radical programming for the elites at the expense of the rest of us.

@realDonaldTrump asked us to make changes to the Kennedy Center in order to save it. He was right!

Last year, the Kennedy Center NSO Gala raised $1.3 million.

🚨🚨🚨
Last night we brought in $3.4 million – more money than we have ever raised.

We are saving the Kennedy Center and showing Arts institutions across the country that commonsense programming and responsible budgeting will bring in many more donors and corporate sponsors.”

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Okay, well, speaking of feeling blessed around here.

My shift last evening with the retired Minister and his wife (and cat), was rather remarkable.

During the final hour of my shift, we were all sitting outside (well, not the cat), because it was a really lovely evening. Just perfect. And for that entire hour — for whatever reason — the retired Minister spoke in detail about what it was like when he was in his teens and got the calling to become a Minister. All the various emotions that entailed, and what he did about it, and the schools he attended and why. And his feelings about being a young preacher and then how to help his various parishioners over the years, etc.

And I was spellbound. Because – yes! — I realized that these types of thoughts and feelings were currently missing from the Minister character in my novel and I suddenly saw that I needed to add that whole layer to his character. (The Minister is the primary character at the end of the book.)

I left the shift feeling a little speechless. Like, where did all that come from?? So suddenly? And it wound up being so helpful to me.

And today, I’m guessing I will take a walk. Do yoga. Study another lecture in the Protestant Reformation series. Probably study a little more French before the evening is over.

But other than that!!!

Yay. A whole day to myself to work on the NOVEL!!

My mind is already doing that thing it does when something new is getting ready to hit the page.

I really have to make good use of my 3 days off this week, because not only is October loaded with difficult shifts, the Agency slipped 2 more shifts in at the end of the month. (Meaning, the last 2 weeks of October, I will only have one day off each week.) (But it’s with that woman I really adore, who lives in that huge split-level home, behind the Bryn Du Mansion, that you need a map to find the bathroom in.)

Anyway. I feel like a lot is riding on this week.

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(I can’t tell you how much I want to put in a request for a few days off in November and just go to NYC and hang out by myself in Midtown for a couple of days.)

(But soon enough, I will need to go there to work with Sandra, so I kinda need to save my $$ for that.)

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Okay.

Here’s what 1988 looked like, in case you were too young to experience it!!!

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And I guess that’s it! I’m gonna get started here.

Enjoy your Monday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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I leave you with this!

Yes, more from the playlist of songs I was playing a lot back in 2022!

(And who wouldn’t play this song a lot if they could???) (Preachers seem to feature heavily in my world, don’t they?)

Dusty Springfield, “Son of A Preacher Man”, 1968. Enjoy, gang!!

“Son Of A Preacher Man”

Billy-Ray was a preacher’s son
And when his daddy would visit he’d come along
When they gathered round and started talkin’
That’s when Billy would take me walkin’
All through the backyard we’d go walkin’
Then he’d look into my eyes
Lord knows to my surprise

The only one who could ever reach me
Was the son of a preacher man
The only boy who could ever teach me
Was the son of a preacher man
Yes he was, he was
Ooh, yes he was

Being good isn’t always easy
No matter how hard I try
When he started sweet-talkin’ to me
He’d come and tell me everything is all right
He’d kiss and tell me everything is all right
Can I get away again tonight?

The only one who could ever reach me
Was the son of a preacher man
The only boy who could ever teach me
Was the son of a preacher man
Yes he was, he was
(Ooh…) Lord knows he was
Yes he was

How well I remember
The look that was in his eyes
Stealin’ kisses from me on the sly
Takin’ time to make time
Tellin’ me that he’s all mine
Learnin’ from each other’s knowing
Lookin’ to see how much we’ve grown

And the only one who could ever reach me
Was the son of a preacher man
The only boy who could ever teach me
Was the son of a preacher man
Yes he was, he was
Ooh, yes he was

The only one who could ever reach me
He was the sweet-talking son of a preacher man
The only boy who could ever teach me
I kissed the son of a preacher man
The only one who could ever move me
The sweet-lovin’ son of a preacher man
The only one who could ever groove me
Ahh, ooh, ahh….

c – 1968 John Hurley, Ronnie Wilkins