You know it's February When...

 That's me alright...I volunteered to do a craft for children's church because this is missions' month and a missionary from Vietnam is coming and they needed a craft the kids can do having to do with that country, so I volunteered and chose to make a hat the farmers and regular people wear in the fields and around town. This is my first try at figuring out how to do that!!! 

This month of February is packed full of things to do and I'm already exhausted! Not only the craft that I will help the kids within March (it's in this mix because I started working on it in February). 

I also volunteered to organize a support group for widows in my local church and I started that last month, and it actually starts in March. However, guess who busy figuring it is all out and getting volunteers to help and writing and copying and handing out copies and keeping the leadership advised and holding meetings weekly.... on and on and on.

Not only am I doing the organizing and meetings but will be speaking most of the 10 sessions when it starts in March. Of course, that means writing 20-minute presentations for possibly 6 total of the 10. The thing is I absolutely love the challenge and the process, though it does have challenges now and again. I believe the outcome is going to be great. 

And then there's the back surgery scheduled for the 17th in the mix of all the above of which I may be laid up for 3 days but not driving plus using a walker for some time. And not picking up more than 5lbs. Ugh! While attending the sessions and giving presentations every Tuesday for 10 weeks. No worries with the surgery though, the arrangements are made to feed the cat Joey and pet him a while. Family will be with me in the hospital through however many days I stay. Hoping if any it's 1. Plus checking in on me at home until I'm self-sufficient. Oh, forgot I'm not supposed to drive either. 

BTW just so you know the name of the group is "A Widow's Window". I just passed my 19th year and thought it would be a piece of cake. Silly me! It does bring up memories, but I think they are helpful in this process. Nothing I cry about, but I do remember and actually it's helping as I work with other volunteers who will be facilitating with me and also in writing my own presentations. This is tough though for those I hope will attend as well as those of us who are also widows and are preparing our testimonies of how through God, we are alive and well.

I must admit that in my effort to start from nothing except my own clerical experience along with past organizing many different kinds of people gatherings I just jumped in and started typing. It's just now that I came across an article about how to start a widow's group for the purpose of support and helps for those like me. I have new information to add to what is already in place and one thing is that I can see that the group I have envisioned is much too limited and someday will be lengthened to more than just one hour. But though I didn't see that, I've kind of figured that would come in time. I do believe that what will be the first attempt at such a ministry at my church will grow into the kind of group I just read about, and I hope that it does. In the meantime, I'm geared for what has evolved in the planning and team building stage and hope it will be the start of a fruitful ministry for the widows in our congregation today and those in the future.

Hope with me, will you?  This is Judy at my computer working on getting ready for tomorrows team meeting for "A Widow's Window". God Bless you One and All.

Marching Orders-proof 80 is not too old for new things!

 

A new selfie!

2025 and new is happening. I'm so thankful! Change is everywhere and seems to be a really good thing.

I get to help build a widows ministry at the small church I go to and I'm very excited about it. In fact it's an answer to prayer for me. I lost my footing when I lost my husband and thus my life. Everything in my life was put in a brown paper grocery bag and severely shaken and when the contents were poured out it has taken years to re-organize all those bits and pieces.  It's actually been 19 years. I've made several attempts to get back into some semblance of normality but it just hasn't happened until now.  In 1987 my beloved and I began life in full time ministry as pastors. We were in our very early 40's at that time and our family was grown and on their own so it was just the two of us.  I lost all of that in the beginning of 2006 when my husband left this earth.

It wasn't as though we had life long friends in the ministry so I really didn't have any ministerial connections to continue life as a licensed minister. Therefor it just fell off the world and me with it. Just didn't seem to be a place for me and I felt like a has-been/never-to-be again. No matter what door I knocked on no one answered. Time. I believe it was all about time, and now it's time! 

One problem I see is that I'm not really outgoing or a self starter in the manner needed to be bold enough to push and push for something.  Even if I truly believe in it when it comes to getting positive encouragement versus negative results. So I've tried a little here and a little there throughout these years and finally I appear to have a green light that will use my giftings and abilities in the church. I'm delighted and hope I actually get it done with the help of others. Leadership is a funny thing ya know...if no one is following then guess what? You aren't a leader!

I'm in the early stages and am building a team to get the ministry done by early Spring. So much to do and so much information to gather and all the ways and means need to be in writing pretty quickly and ready to go in just a few short weeks. But...I believe it can be done and there may be things that need to be tweaked along the way but I truly think it's gonna be a really good addition to this small church, and even the community.

It's truly a new opportunity in so very many ways.  A New year, New President, New possibilities for this year both in my world and in my life and I hope that's true for you. It's good to dream and it's good to have aspirations and hope for the rest of today and tomorrow. The beginning of a new year is perfect for all the ideas of the past and maybe it's time for old hopes to be refreshed and take this opportunity to consider new possibilities for old dreams....Just a thought.

Happy January 2025...I'm still Judy and still writing. God bless you and your new endeavors whatever they may be.  

2025 changing of the year!

I Was Tricked by Fraud at Christmas...again!

                                                            5 Target gift cards at $250 each...

This is Judy in the Cottage and I fell for an elaborate fraudulent setup. It cost me  $1250. This is real and it's now and very scary and I was clueless until this morning at 10 am.

It started yesterday morning. I opened my laptop and was in process of downloading a KJV Bible from a reputable website. All of a sudden the screen changed and a voice along with flashing headlines that said things about "Your IP address has been compromised along with your cell phone and financial data. Do not close this window or turn off your computer. Immediately call Micro Soft fraud department at....................... 

I looked at the screen over and over again, turned the sound off trying to decide what to do. Several times the statement "do not change the screen or turn off your computer, immediately call ...................................

After a few minutes I called the number on the screen. I talked with a female who introduced herself as a representative of Micro Soft Fraud customer service. She asked me several questions about why I was calling and what was on my computer screen. She went through the scripted description of what had happened to my computer and that all my personal information had been compromised including my phone which means the conversations were being listened to but she had isolated my call and we were on a secure line. She talked about the IP address and all that had that address was involved in the compromised. My IP address would have to be changed and she was already working on that and asked about the name of my bank which I told her. She told me that she was not allowed or authorized to ask me for information regarding my bank account and I would be transferred to the fraud department at my bank.

My call was sent, or so it seemed, to a man introduced himself as Travis Johnson, and h gave me his ID# and his phone number in case our call dropped I could call him back or if I had questions he would be happy to answer them.  I made note of all the information he gave me.  He told me what would have to be done and first there would have to be a duplicate transaction at the bank. In other words another withdrawal from my checking account in the same amount as had already been made and that was necessary for the bank to get the original deducted amount duplicated so that that amount could be recovered.

He then gave me instructions on what to do. I was to go to a grocery store that sells gift cards and buy 5 cards from one of the 3 merchants he suggested. Amazon, Target, and Soma. I was on the phone with him in the grocery store and told him I found Target cards. He asked what denominations they were for and I told him what the card said $10-$500, He directed me to get 5 cards and go to the register and put $250 on each one of the 5 cards using my debit card. Be sure not to tell anyone what I was doing and if asked the cards are for gifting to family. So I did what he said and left the store with the purchased cards.

When I got home I was to call him. I did and he asked me for the numbers on the back of each card which I gave him after scratching off to reveal the numbers.  He then told me that it would take until in the morning for the bank to process the second deduction to get my money back in my account and that he would call me at 10 the next morning which was this morning 12-30-24.  I waited for 10:00 am and the call didn't come so at 5 min after the hours I called the number I had been calling to talk Travis and the number rang and then went to busy and then some other sounds. I hung up and tried again and the same thing happened again.

I hung up again and called my local bank and talked with the mgr and he said it was fraud because the bank would never direct anyone to buy gift cards. He asked if I had given the numbers off the cards and I said no. After I got off the phone I remembered that I did give Travis the numbers off of the gift cards.

The bank mgr had told e to call the fraud number on the back of my debit card and I did. I spoke with Crystal R and she described the process and asked questions for the claim she was taking for me. She told me that it would be 5-10 business days before a determination would be made and whether or not money would be returned to my account!

The balance left in my account is what I spend on groceries in a month. Nothing left for rent or any living expense bills, gas for my car and the amount I had budgeted for Christmas.

Part of me cannot believe I fell for the scam. I say that because about 4 Christmases ago I was scammed for $4000.00 through my Discover charge card. I reported the fraud but did not recover any of the funds. The set up was entirely different then. This time it was much more elaborate involving Micro Soft and hijacking my phone call from MS and presenting as my bank. I got names, ID#'s, phone numbers and full names in some cases.

The part that was the same was the purchase of gift cards and the giving of the numbers off the cards to the man of the phone. And not telling anyone what I was doing but to say I was purchasing the gift cards for family gifting.

I am posting this as a warning. They were sneaky the first time and they got better at it this time and I fell for it. I truly hope the right people read this post this season. I don't know if I'm going to get the $1250.00 back or not through the bank. It was my Social Security check, the only money I get each month. I choose to believe that "no weapon formed against me will prosper..."Psalm 91 and that God will make a way where there doesn't look like there is a way today. I know He will.

This is Judy in the cottage on the last day of November of 2024 and I'm sorry to be posting this story but it's true and it happens so be aware and if it involves buying gift cards don't do it!!! no matter who they are or who they say they are.

UPDATE 12-18-24   I was not able to retrieve any of the money that was taken from me and here's why. The bank would not or could not get the funds back into my account. I HAD authorized the purchase of the cards I was told to purchase. Because I willingly authorized the purchase it didn't matter that I was tricked or that I didn't get what I was told I would get which was the money that had been debited to my account that showed on my online bank account at the time of the event. The fact I was scammed didn't make any difference because the fact is I purchased the gift cards willingly.

Milo

Such a cute little guy.

The daughter of a friend of mine caught this little fella between an access road and a major 6 lane freeway in a small grass area. He was scared and though several cars had stopped with people out and trying to woo him, he would not be caught. After all but one left, he finally gave in and was safe in the arms of someone who would in a couple of days bring him to me. 

That was a little less than 2 years ago. After a time of wrestling with my ability to keep him with me I called my friend to get the phone number of her daughter. I told the daughter my issue with keeping Milo and she was absolutely beside herself with the idea that she could have Milo. 

When she first met Milo there in that little grassy area of the freeway, she already had two small dogs and there just wasn't anyway to keep this little guy. Now, she had just one and so the possibility of her getting Milo was the very best thing she could imagine. Within a couple of weeks she had flown in to my town from halfway across the US to reclaim Milo. She had brought her other pooch with her so that the two could bond on the way home in a rental car.

It was a hard two weeks of anticipation between the phone call and her arrival to pick up my Milo. When the day came I had all Milo's things ready. A wicker suitcase filled with clothes and toys, dishes and food were sitting by the front door. Also, his bright yellow stroller. Similar to a baby stroller but specially designed for a small dog. 

I said goodbye to Milo that day and he could have cared less at the moment because he was in the back seat of the rental car with his new room mate Oliver, just about the same size but somewhat older. Getting to know each other and setting limits in the back seat. I must say, Milo was very happy.

I've heard just a little about him since which is the way I wanted it. He and Oliver are buds and Milo is too busy to miss his use-to-be home. I'm thankful and his new mom is very happy. 

So, that means I'm presently pet-less. I do miss him but, it needed to happen so I'm also relieved. I am a pet person so there will be another but it will be a kitten.  Not sure when but maybe before Christmas or for Christmas.  Something like that.  I found I am no longer able to take care of a dog's needs of which there were many for Milo, a young dog not fully trained whose needs were not compatible with the recent new living space we moved into. What I'm really and truly thankful for is the way things turned out for him to go back to the one who rescued him. She had wanted to keep him but at that time it just wasn't a possibility. She loved him at first sight. 

I look at in a good way I think and consider myself to have been his foster mom until his mom-in-waiting could keep him forever. I did not post this at the time of it's writing. I'm guessing it was harder than I thought but the time is right now.  Was recently looking into the cost and what all I want for a kitty and it is quite a bit of stuff. Of course, where will I put a cat tree? Hmm, things to consider. My rent will go up a few dollars but it's worth it. This is not the all in all on this subject...I'll be back on this!

It's Monday and a quiet day expected.  As always, this is Judy in the Cottage. Hope your day is an especially really good day! God Bless You.  Please leave a comment before you go.

 

There's been a breakthrough!!!

 

This a short post but I just have to make record of this breakthrough of my blog. I have a comment from a reader outside close friends. Someone I don't know has not only read a post but has commented on it and that's the breakthrough I've been working toward since I started blogging several years ago.  A totally encouraging comment was left on the post about turning 80. I'm so encouraged to continue writing the little bits and pieces of my thoughts and experience as Life continues. I love writing and it's rewarding when someone reads what I've written and also comments their thoughts.  I do give thanks.  

Yup, it's me, Judy sitting in my recliner this beautiful November day adding this note of thanks. Blessings to all. Leave a comment if you will, and thanks for stopping by.