Pillow Talk? Sleep Talk

This past Sunday was Number Five. But before we get to Sunday, I must address the topic of....

Stress.

Scott generally handles stress very well, and he should. He has had very high-stress jobs: working as a news videographer for WISTV-10, he has seen his fair share of BAD news: the Susan Smith trial, tornados, plane crashes -- just to name a few. He has also had other stressful work, such as shooting for numerous athletic events, editing a season-ending video over one weekend.....just to name a few. And this stress will sometimes manifest itself through an unusual, hysterical behavior -- sleep talking.

This past week, in the middle of the night, I am awakened by "hey! Hey! HEY!" and he's sitting up in the bed. He gestures with his hands, and says, "does the bulletin go this way, or this way?" He is sleep talking about how to lay out and publish the church bulletin. My general reaction is to laugh and to try and wake him up to tell him how funny he is, but I learned that you just have to answer the question so he'll go back to sleep.

"This way." I gestured back with my hands in some Helen Kellerish fashion that pleased him, and with an "okay" he laid back down........humming some kind of hymn-ish tune, and fell back asleep.

A while back I told my Mom about Scott's sleep talking. This was around a time that he was editing a football or baseball video for the University on a contract basis. Meaning: this was not his full-time job. It was extra. She knows he is a hard worker, and admires that in him a great deal. So as I try to relay my worry and concern (and probably irritation) that he is working way too much -- so much that he's "working" in his sleep, all she can say is "great, maybe he can get paid for it!"

No sympathy.

Today Scott visited a family from Heath Chapel whose granddaughter was having surgery at Richland. He stopped by on his way to the Lowman Home, and chatted and had a prayer. The little girl did well. Scott did well too.

This past Sunday was Number Five. Kate and I left in the morning, and met up with Daddy at church. She enjoyed Sunday School a little more this second time, and was warmly welcomed by the class. Her teacher, Miss Mary, is a dear....and one of her Washington Street UMC teacher's is also a Miss Mary. Heck, Jesus' Mom was Mary......I see a pattern here.

We sat in the same place for worship, but knew to slide down more to allow the Fords to sit on the front row. They were married at Shandon Baptist in Columbia over 60 years ago, when that church was actually IN Shandon, on Woodrow Street I believe. They are precious! I was able to hold Kate at bay during church until the final hymn, when she wanted to join her Daddy. Barefoot. Again. He was a tad flustered during the service since he had to pinch hit as the acolyte on a moment's notice, but even I didn't realize it.

After church, we had lunch at Wendy's with some church folks, and visited until 2 pm. We bought The Mimi a Mexican blanket there too. You see, it's a one-stop shop, that Hess Truck Stop: Wendy's, Dairy Queen, and the truck stop all in one. Mexican blankets: $7.99. Kate chose one with hot pink in it, and The Mimi was thrilled.

This past Wednesday, we all drove up for a Wednesday Night Supper.

Menu: BBQ chicken, potatoes, green beans, broccoli salad, rolls, and strawberry shortcake. Tea. Delicious! I sat with Jimmy and Susan, and Charles and Sara, and we talked about the University, and how Jimmy got his job at Tulane in the ChemE department, which he also ended up studying there as well, for a master's I think. Maybe a PhD, but I cannot be certain.

We ate, we visited, and although tired, we had fun. Wednesday Night Suppers ARE fun, and for $3, there's no way you could eat any better. A storm came up, and we were stuck, so we visited some more, until the rain petered away and we could run over to the parsonage. Kate took a shower there, put on PJs, and Scott did some CPE work in his church office a.k.a. The Pastor's Study. We left before he did, and as we drove back to Columbia, Kate read her visual dictionary the entire way back. A peace-filled night.

PS. Oh yeah, and BTW, Scott still does not have his car back.....July 3 to July 24. You do the math.