Lunch at Carrows

Last Monday, on the 16th, the local "Golden Girls" went to lunch at Carrows in Merced. We had our usual 3 hour lunch that we've been doing once a month for the last 13 years. We started at the beginning of 1999, after we retired. Bev was still working part-time, but Claudia and I were enjoying full retirement.
January 16 used to be my birthday, but when I found out it's actually the 12th, I changed to that date. I have received many wonderful birthday cards this year. They are displayed on the piano. Nice to have such good friends and wonderful sisters.
It rained last night finally, so it is definitely a "stay-at-home" day. I think I will make the fruitcake that I was going to make before Christmas, but then didn't feel like it with the cold and crud. I bought the candied fruit just before I got sick. I've never made this before. My husband always made this fruit cake. The recipe came from his grandmother and he said it was a family secret recipe. Well, one day I found the same exact recipe with an advertisement for molasses. Some secret. I submitted the recipe to our first little recipe book (with John's reluctant permission) and so the secret has been out for a while. The Winton Historical Society's "Hometown Recipes" has been sold out for quite some time, but we do have some of our second (and last) recipe book, "Winton Centennial" available.

Thursday morning I went to Bible Study at the Atwater Methodist Church. They are about half-way through a small book titled "Matthew, Being Discipled by Jesus" written by Stephen and Jacalyn Eyre. There are questions in the book to be answered along with reading the Bible passages. It's a small friendly group of people. Two or 3 people had a study Bible, so although I have a new, large print Bible, I decided to order a NIV (New International Version) study Bible from Cokesbury. It's published by Zondervan. The one I ordered is here. It's large print, so of course it had to be a hardback. I'm sure it will be a large book. I hope not too big and heavy to carry to Bible Study. lol
Study Bibles are not cheap, but there is so much more added information before each book of the Bible, maps, and other references.
Cokesbury carries the supplies that the Methodist churches use.
I can't wait to get it and see what all it offers.
It was shipped today, from San Diego, I think. So it should be here soon.