I was just at the liquor store (where'd the silly term "package" store come from, anyway?) buying a bottle of vodka.  Upon leaving the store, a man clearly not of means approached me, saying he's an alcoholic and just needs fifty cents to buy a bottle of vodka.  After gaping at him for a second in open-mouthed astonishment, I rather forthrightly told him no, I wasn't going to give an alcoholic any money to buy alcohol.  

Points for honesty, yes....money, no.

Afterward it occurred to me what I ought to have done was offer to call the non-emergency police number so they could give him a ride to the Union Gospel Mission or Presbyterian Night Shelter, in hopes he'd hear the gospel plus receive counseling for his acknowledged addiction.  Unfortunately I'm not good at thinking on my feet, so this better option didn't cross my mind until later.  

The past couple of days....and today especially....we've been working to switch rooms and clean closets (explaining why the dining room is full of stuff again), so that I'm back in the master bedroom, and Zhenya is in the middle bedroom.

Dmitry's been enthusiastically rearranging his furniture, so moved his TV and plugged it into a different plug a few minutes ago.

Whereupon, according to both him and his friend, Taylor, there was a flash and the power went out to that room. I threw on a robe and slippers to go see if I could find a blown fuse, which I did, but it didn't make a difference.

Guess I need to call Kenny tomorrow, as presumably the plug shorted out.

Nothing's easy, is it?

IOW, my apologies for the extended silence, yet again.

On Sunday was my grandson, Benjamin's, first communion at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and I regret to acknowledge I didn't get a single solitary usable photo from the service, barring this one of his father, Matt, reading to the congregation:

  

After Mom, Dmitry and I scooted up to Roanoke to fetch fried chicken (and creamed corn and mashed potatoes and gravy and salad and biscuits) from Babe's, we headed back to Kirstin's house to open it and set up.  After a few minutes others began to arrive (we'd left right after Benjamin took communion), and the feast was on.  Here's the Boy of Honor:

What a handsome guy. 

As you can see, his paternal grandmother, Velma,  was also there (as was his paternal grandfather, but I didn't take a photo of Ben Ed), along with his Gigi, my mother:

And here is my precious poppet, Brielle, with her equally precious Mama, Kirstin:

Okay, that was Sunday.  Monday night was a busy night, with a regrettable conflict!  7 p.m. that evening was the starting time for both Brianna's Casa Manana performance, winding up her CPAC class, as well as Meredith and Margaret's homeschool end-of-year event.  There wasn't any way I could make it to the latter, sad to say, though my heart was there, and I certainly hope to see photos and video just any minute now. 

Brianna was one of the children wired for a mike, so she could generally be heard:

I've tried to embed the Motionbox videos of her performance, but it's simply not working.  Very frustrating. 

I'll try again in it's own post.  Anyway, here is a picture of me with my three eldest granddaughters, Kirsten, Bethany, and Brianna:

And a charming one, if I do say so myself, of Jessica and Bethany:

Brianna was really good, and we were pleased Mom was able to be there for her primary performances, then was able to leave and walk into the M's event right as Meredith was introduced! 

May is a crazy busy month, what with end-of-year events, and closing luncheons, and birthdays.

Speaking of which, today is my sister, Jeanne's, birthday!  Happy birthday to Jeanne!