Random thoughts, spins on things, and strings of life's ongoing “happenings,” creating our own cobwebs of life wherever we may go.

Have you ever had a day where things just seem to go wrong one after another? About two weeks ago it happened to me. I was trying to compose a "to do" list for the day which was pretty long since small errands and jobs seem to pile up. I feel better if I list them and cross them off when they are completed. They were things like checks from Medicare and my insurance company which needed deposited so I could pay Mayo Clinic on the bill for my physical in late April, small office supplies which needed to be purchased for the home, bills which needed to be paid, calls to check on various things ... the list was fairly long and comprehensive. But early on, I seemed to run into snags which were time consuming.

As I progressed down the list, all of a sudden, my glasses (which I only wear for reading, otherwise they are perched around my neck), broke — I mean the bow, which is of the strongest steel made — broke! I took the glasses to the shop and they tried to order new frames and they were discontinued (that model was four years old) so they will replace with what they have on hand which is a blue frame, then a lens will be replaced which had become loose and could only be replaced by sending it in to the factory so they could insert into the frame.

Things seem so complicated anymore. I have now been without my prescription glasses over a week, and it will be at least a week more as they travel back and forth. I am stuck with wearing my previous glasses from about eight years ago. They are not quite right, and the spring is broken on this frame on one side. I can not have my eyes checked until November for a new prescription so I don't want to change glasses until then so the lens can be changed at the same time. I have been instructed to call to check on my glasses ... which I need before I go to a national meeting soon. Wish I had money to have extra glasses, but it is not in our senior budget!

Then, as my husband was parking our car in our garage under the house, a ladder fell on the car and broke the outside rear view mirror on the right side of our 14-year-old Cadillac. We have full coverage on this older car. The repairs, which must be done, come to $237. We have $250 deductible, so we get to pay for this accident!

One other thing happened, in the chain of unpredictable events. All of a sudden, our home was 78 degrees when we had the automatic thermostat set for 75 degrees, and the fan for the air conditioning (on the furnace) was making a funny noise. The coils were frozen up on the furnace and the air conditioner outside even though we had just had the service man add freon during a service call three weeks before. He said he thought we had a small leak, but if we had any further trouble, they would have to look further for the leak. When the service man came again, he said the coil on the furnace was leaking, which would be a costly repair (on our old Amana air conditioner), and he would have the owner call us to give us an estimate the next day. The cost proved to be several hundred dollars, so we are looking at replacing a central air or both air and furnace. Our furnace is O.K., but it is not energy efficient. It’s not an expense we had wanted just now!

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One of my favorite people ever died on May 27. Luella Hutchings, 90, was so brave

through her long fight with cancer, driving herself to church almost every Sunday, until the last three Sundays of her life. She lost her husband in January, and still struggled on, but seemed to lose a bit of her reason for living. Luella was one of the most genuine Christian women I have ever met ... always kind and wise in the ways of the Bible and enjoyed Bible study, sewing and quilting and the Lydia circle at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ottumwa and was active in the Fellowship of Churches as long as she was able. She put herself in Hospice House when she felt she was unable to be alone so she wouldn't be a burden for her beloved grown children and died peacefully one night surrounded by loved ones, as she planned. Even her funeral service was planned by her, and her spirit was there as the pastor read a personal letter from Luella to the congregation she was a part of so long. It was very moving!

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