Friday, October 13, 2006
Making Adjustments
We tried to have a garage sale last month to scale down in preparation for moving and getting lean, clean and mobile. But we got rained out. Now, when you're living in drought conditions, you'd have to be a pretty narrow minded person to complain about one day of rain--even when it messes up your plans. And I am not a narrow minded person so I didn't complain. Heck, I didn't even feel like complaining, on account of I'm so good :-) But we have another garage sale schedule for next Friday and the 10 day weather report says--guess what! Yep, more rain. Again, I'm not complaining, 'cause we do still need the rain. However, 10 days notice gives me enough of a head start to be very resourceful. So garage sale is off the table and now...we're having an estate sale. Ha, ha! Estate sales are indoors and there is a whole different level of expectation for an estate sale vs. a garage sale. And we have sooooo much stuff that we can totally go there. Furniture, dishes, toys, clothes, sheets, towels, and with kep kicking in enough stuff to clear the spaces at her house...well... let it pour! We'll be inside, converting trash to cash--at our estate sale!
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
I Nominate My Own Self
Another Cool Meme. Really, I only do this sort of thing to entertain my daughters. They already know me and so the object is only to answer the questions in a way that will make them laugh. The rest of the blogging world is oblivious to my contributions.
Learn 50 things about your friends, and let them learn 50 things about you!
1. How tall are you barefoot? I maxed out at 5' 4 3/4" when I was in high school and have shrunk down to 5' 4 1/2". Until 3 months ago when I applied for a new life insurance policy and the agent told me to stand up as tall as I possibly could for the medical exam so that I could get a better height/weight ratio. So now...ahem...I am 5' 5" (with an eyeroll from the nurse).
2. Have you ever been unfaithful in a relationship? Over 35 years ago I started dating my DH while I was dating Machoboy (see post on September 15). But since we (MB and I)had no "understanding" about a relationship, I don't think it was cheating. That's it.
3. Do you own a gun? The answer that people who know me would expect would be "no", but we actually own several. We have land in the country and like to target shot.
4. Have you had a mental disorder? Aside from beating the daylights out of my terrified husband because he ate an avocado that I had plans for, I've lead a very respectable emotional life. Yes, I used my fists, but I was 9 1/2 months pregnant and I really wanted that avocado.
5. Why is a raven like a writing desk? I'm thinkin' it's the feathers.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Considering the fact that they're made from leftovers of the Very.Worst.Kind, you'd do better to eat squid lips.
7. What's your favorite Christmas song? These days, I'm kind of a Hanukkah girl, but I still LOVE my old bell choir's arrangement of "Ding, Dong, Merrily on High".
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? I make myself drink water, but then I end up with decaf green tea with half and half and vanilla syrup? Yum :-)
9. Do you do push-ups? I did some in high school. I think that is sufficient.
10. Have you ever done ecstasy? No.
11. Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend? I have my sweet hubby, who is also my boyfriend. This was "kelli in the mirror"s answer, but it cannot be improved upon.
12. Do you like the rain? Very much. Once you have actually lived through a drought that resulted in water rationing (as in sharing a tee-tee flush), you NEVER complain about rain. Not even if it ruins your garage sale.
13. Are you sweet? Why yes, I am, thank you very much!
14. Do you have A.D.D.? I have been told that having every cabinet door in your kitchen open all the time (even when your family members go around behind you closing them!) is proof of Adult A.D.D. In which case, I've been tried and found Guilty.
15. Full initials? KBKS
16. Do you like the snow? Oh, yes! Particularly after I found out that being dressed in the right kind of winter gear means you actually can stay warm and dry. (Snow in Texas back when I was a kid meant tennis shoes with bread bags over them, a sure way to end up with popsicle toes.)
17. Name 4 thoughts at this exact moment. Wondering what time hubby will be home. Wondering what I can make for dinner out of the chicken broth I boiled all day. Wondering if I can make it one more day on the almost empty can of baby formula. (I can't). Trying to decide whether or not to keep the shirt I just ordered in the mail, 'cause it doesn't fit as nicely as I hoped it would.
18. Name the last 3 things you have bought in the past week: $24 worth of salad fixings to take to a covered dish dinner; 2 Hershey bars (No, I didn't eat them both at the same time. I ate one whole one and three quarters of the other before I went to bed and then finished up the last quarter as soon as I woke up--after I drank my water, of course.)
19. Have you ever been arrested? No.
20. What time did you wake up today? About 3:00am. My husband woke me up when he came to bed really late (because he had a nap yesterday afternoon). I couldn't get back to sleep and then the alarm went off at 5:15. And yes, I was snarly and then had to apologize.
21. Can you spell? Sure can!
23. Current hate? Nothing comes to mind. I'll get back to you if I think of something.
24. Favorite place to be? Someplace cool. I like cool. If I get too warm, I have one of those annoying mid-life "power surges"--which you can now use as the answer to #23. Really hate those power surges.
25. Least favorite place to be? Someplace that makes me sweaty.
26. Where would you like to go? Israel. I've wanted to go there for a long time, but now it will eventually happen because my DH said to start a fund for the trip. (I've got $40 saved up at this point, so I'm thinking I don't need to start packing yet.)
27. Do you own slippers? Yes. But I might as well get rid of them, because not only do they make me too hot (see Questions 23, 24, and 25 on why that is a bad thing), but I also want to wear my Reeboks if I'm going to be standing around--even if it's to make breakfast. I look cute in a nightgown and sneakers.
28. Where do you think you'll be in 10 yrs? Living a very happy, healthy, debt-free life, waiting for Jesus to come back (very soon).
29. Do you burn or tan? I burn unmercifully. And it doesn't turn into tan. It peels off and stays white underneath. (I want my dad's skin. But my sister got it.) Again, this is "kelli in the mirror"s response. Her sister got the tanning skin from their dad. She got the burning skin from Moi.
30. Yellow or blue? Blue. Always. There is no bad time or place to choose blue over every other color.
31. Would you be a pirate? Nah, I'd be hanging over the side of the ship, barfing into the ocean.
32. When was the last time your phone rang? About an hour ago. A daughter with a question.
33. What songs do you sing in the shower? I have a boom box in the bathroom and it has had the same CD in it for over two years. I play it every morning. I love the songs and I tell time by them. If I'm in a hurry, I have to be out by the time the first song is over. If it's a regular morning, I can shower for two songs. And if it's the weekend, I luxuriate with 5 songs. The CD is Yeshua by Steve McConnell.
34. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child? I just had a general sense of unease about things that go bump in the night.
35. What's in your pockets right now? Denim capris with no pockets.
36. Last thing that made you laugh? I don't recall, but I make a point of laughing as hard as I can every chance I get. I read that laughing boosts your immune system for 3 days and I try to be very kind to my immune system (because I feed it too much chocolate).
37. Best bed sheets you had as a child? Back in those days, sheets came in white. Everyone in our family slept on white sheets.
38. Worst injury you've ever had? I fell off the monkey bars when I was six years old and broke both the bones in my left forearm. One was a green stick break (picture snapping a green stick in half--one side splinters and the other side just bends). The whole thing had to be set by an orthopedic surgeon.
39. Have you ever crashed a car/truck? No
40. How many TVs do you have in your house? Two. Living room and playroom.
41. Would you ever buy an iguana? Ick, not into reptiles
42. Are you attracted to your same sex? No
44. Do you wish on stars? No.
45. What is your favorite book? That's a little like asking which is your favorite child (and they know the answer to that!) I just read and reread. and read again.
46. What song did you last hear? Some little ditty off the Baby Song DVD
47. Do you think Mormons are hot? This question doesn't even make sense.
48. What is your favorite cereal? Cereal is pretty much off the radar screen these days. All glutened. I do miss my delicious homemade granola.
49. What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping, and assuming that my silly husband would be coming to bed at some point.
50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Bad day to ask that question. Usually, my first thought is "Good morning, sweetie!" We've already determined that I was not my cheerful self this morning.
Well, look at me, finished in less than a week. You know, of course, that that means we have no dinner. But I can't do everything!
Learn 50 things about your friends, and let them learn 50 things about you!
1. How tall are you barefoot? I maxed out at 5' 4 3/4" when I was in high school and have shrunk down to 5' 4 1/2". Until 3 months ago when I applied for a new life insurance policy and the agent told me to stand up as tall as I possibly could for the medical exam so that I could get a better height/weight ratio. So now...ahem...I am 5' 5" (with an eyeroll from the nurse).
2. Have you ever been unfaithful in a relationship? Over 35 years ago I started dating my DH while I was dating Machoboy (see post on September 15). But since we (MB and I)had no "understanding" about a relationship, I don't think it was cheating. That's it.
3. Do you own a gun? The answer that people who know me would expect would be "no", but we actually own several. We have land in the country and like to target shot.
4. Have you had a mental disorder? Aside from beating the daylights out of my terrified husband because he ate an avocado that I had plans for, I've lead a very respectable emotional life. Yes, I used my fists, but I was 9 1/2 months pregnant and I really wanted that avocado.
5. Why is a raven like a writing desk? I'm thinkin' it's the feathers.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Considering the fact that they're made from leftovers of the Very.Worst.Kind, you'd do better to eat squid lips.
7. What's your favorite Christmas song? These days, I'm kind of a Hanukkah girl, but I still LOVE my old bell choir's arrangement of "Ding, Dong, Merrily on High".
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? I make myself drink water, but then I end up with decaf green tea with half and half and vanilla syrup? Yum :-)
9. Do you do push-ups? I did some in high school. I think that is sufficient.
10. Have you ever done ecstasy? No.
11. Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend? I have my sweet hubby, who is also my boyfriend. This was "kelli in the mirror"s answer, but it cannot be improved upon.
12. Do you like the rain? Very much. Once you have actually lived through a drought that resulted in water rationing (as in sharing a tee-tee flush), you NEVER complain about rain. Not even if it ruins your garage sale.
13. Are you sweet? Why yes, I am, thank you very much!
14. Do you have A.D.D.? I have been told that having every cabinet door in your kitchen open all the time (even when your family members go around behind you closing them!) is proof of Adult A.D.D. In which case, I've been tried and found Guilty.
15. Full initials? KBKS
16. Do you like the snow? Oh, yes! Particularly after I found out that being dressed in the right kind of winter gear means you actually can stay warm and dry. (Snow in Texas back when I was a kid meant tennis shoes with bread bags over them, a sure way to end up with popsicle toes.)
17. Name 4 thoughts at this exact moment. Wondering what time hubby will be home. Wondering what I can make for dinner out of the chicken broth I boiled all day. Wondering if I can make it one more day on the almost empty can of baby formula. (I can't). Trying to decide whether or not to keep the shirt I just ordered in the mail, 'cause it doesn't fit as nicely as I hoped it would.
18. Name the last 3 things you have bought in the past week: $24 worth of salad fixings to take to a covered dish dinner; 2 Hershey bars (No, I didn't eat them both at the same time. I ate one whole one and three quarters of the other before I went to bed and then finished up the last quarter as soon as I woke up--after I drank my water, of course.)
19. Have you ever been arrested? No.
20. What time did you wake up today? About 3:00am. My husband woke me up when he came to bed really late (because he had a nap yesterday afternoon). I couldn't get back to sleep and then the alarm went off at 5:15. And yes, I was snarly and then had to apologize.
21. Can you spell? Sure can!
23. Current hate? Nothing comes to mind. I'll get back to you if I think of something.
24. Favorite place to be? Someplace cool. I like cool. If I get too warm, I have one of those annoying mid-life "power surges"--which you can now use as the answer to #23. Really hate those power surges.
25. Least favorite place to be? Someplace that makes me sweaty.
26. Where would you like to go? Israel. I've wanted to go there for a long time, but now it will eventually happen because my DH said to start a fund for the trip. (I've got $40 saved up at this point, so I'm thinking I don't need to start packing yet.)
27. Do you own slippers? Yes. But I might as well get rid of them, because not only do they make me too hot (see Questions 23, 24, and 25 on why that is a bad thing), but I also want to wear my Reeboks if I'm going to be standing around--even if it's to make breakfast. I look cute in a nightgown and sneakers.
28. Where do you think you'll be in 10 yrs? Living a very happy, healthy, debt-free life, waiting for Jesus to come back (very soon).
29. Do you burn or tan? I burn unmercifully. And it doesn't turn into tan. It peels off and stays white underneath. (I want my dad's skin. But my sister got it.) Again, this is "kelli in the mirror"s response. Her sister got the tanning skin from their dad. She got the burning skin from Moi.
30. Yellow or blue? Blue. Always. There is no bad time or place to choose blue over every other color.
31. Would you be a pirate? Nah, I'd be hanging over the side of the ship, barfing into the ocean.
32. When was the last time your phone rang? About an hour ago. A daughter with a question.
33. What songs do you sing in the shower? I have a boom box in the bathroom and it has had the same CD in it for over two years. I play it every morning. I love the songs and I tell time by them. If I'm in a hurry, I have to be out by the time the first song is over. If it's a regular morning, I can shower for two songs. And if it's the weekend, I luxuriate with 5 songs. The CD is Yeshua by Steve McConnell.
34. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child? I just had a general sense of unease about things that go bump in the night.
35. What's in your pockets right now? Denim capris with no pockets.
36. Last thing that made you laugh? I don't recall, but I make a point of laughing as hard as I can every chance I get. I read that laughing boosts your immune system for 3 days and I try to be very kind to my immune system (because I feed it too much chocolate).
37. Best bed sheets you had as a child? Back in those days, sheets came in white. Everyone in our family slept on white sheets.
38. Worst injury you've ever had? I fell off the monkey bars when I was six years old and broke both the bones in my left forearm. One was a green stick break (picture snapping a green stick in half--one side splinters and the other side just bends). The whole thing had to be set by an orthopedic surgeon.
39. Have you ever crashed a car/truck? No
40. How many TVs do you have in your house? Two. Living room and playroom.
41. Would you ever buy an iguana? Ick, not into reptiles
42. Are you attracted to your same sex? No
44. Do you wish on stars? No.
45. What is your favorite book? That's a little like asking which is your favorite child (and they know the answer to that!) I just read and reread. and read again.
46. What song did you last hear? Some little ditty off the Baby Song DVD
47. Do you think Mormons are hot? This question doesn't even make sense.
48. What is your favorite cereal? Cereal is pretty much off the radar screen these days. All glutened. I do miss my delicious homemade granola.
49. What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping, and assuming that my silly husband would be coming to bed at some point.
50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Bad day to ask that question. Usually, my first thought is "Good morning, sweetie!" We've already determined that I was not my cheerful self this morning.
Well, look at me, finished in less than a week. You know, of course, that that means we have no dinner. But I can't do everything!
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Do You Run?
I was raised in a mainline denominational church. We were one of the ones that allowed music (opening hymn, hymn in the middle, the Gloria Patri after collecting the offering, and the hymn after the sermon--right before the altar call). I still love the old hymns. But when I went off to college, I left "church" behind. It wasn't til I married and we had our first sweet baby that the stirrings of hunger for God came back into my life. After all, we were responsible for the spiritual life of this little person. It was almost five years before we acted on that hunger, but when we went back to church, something was different. I wanted more than the 3 hymn Sunday morning experience. I didn't know what it was, but there had to be something more.
We had been back in church for about 3 months (same mainline denomination; different city) when a new family moved into the area and joined the church. Our five year old DD and their six year old DD became instant best friends (and still are!) and the mom and I became best friends, too (and still are!) When she started a Tuesday morning women's Bible study, I jumped at the opportunity. And together we went to seminars and prayer meetings and crafting clubs--anywhere that women of faith were gathering.
I began to notice that at least part of the "something" I was looking for was in the way the women at these meetings worshipped. They raised their hands, they wept, they knelt or laid face down on the floor as the Spirit moved them. Let me tell you, we did NOT do that sort of thing in my mainline denomination church! My parents referred to that kind of people as "Holy Rollers". It was not a complimentary statement. At our church, your hands were only high enough to hold the hymnal in front of your face. Nobody evah cried!
One night at a prayer meeting, a women went around the room and prayed for each person there. She had a word from the Lord for me--that He was going to set me free to worship Him the way I wanted to. Wow. It didn't happen quickly. First, I realized that I couldn't stand still when the praise music started; I had to sway back and forth. Then I raised my hand! True, it only went as high as my waist but it was a beginning. Then up to my shoulder, then oh my goodness, all the way up over my head! I took a sign language class and that new skill gave me "permission" to praise Him with my hands during the entire worship service. Then came handbells. And now worship dance with the Messianic community. Every cell in my body loves to be involved in worshipping the God of the Universe, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God who redeemed us with the precious blood of His Son.
There is a scene in the movie Chariots of Fire, where one of the main characters, Eric Liddell, is reassuring his sister that he has not been sidetracked from God's call on his life to go to China as a missionary. He will go, but first he has to train for and compete in the Olympics (0f 1924). In that wonderful Scottish accent he tells her, "I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure."
Doesn't that statement just melt your heart? Are you running? I'm not talking about the crazy rat-race-not-enough-hours-in-the-day-to-get-it-all-done kind of running. I mean the flowing-in-your-destiny-who-He-created-you-to-be kind of running. The kind that gives Him pleasure. Let's run that one as fast as we can.
We had been back in church for about 3 months (same mainline denomination; different city) when a new family moved into the area and joined the church. Our five year old DD and their six year old DD became instant best friends (and still are!) and the mom and I became best friends, too (and still are!) When she started a Tuesday morning women's Bible study, I jumped at the opportunity. And together we went to seminars and prayer meetings and crafting clubs--anywhere that women of faith were gathering.
I began to notice that at least part of the "something" I was looking for was in the way the women at these meetings worshipped. They raised their hands, they wept, they knelt or laid face down on the floor as the Spirit moved them. Let me tell you, we did NOT do that sort of thing in my mainline denomination church! My parents referred to that kind of people as "Holy Rollers". It was not a complimentary statement. At our church, your hands were only high enough to hold the hymnal in front of your face. Nobody evah cried!
One night at a prayer meeting, a women went around the room and prayed for each person there. She had a word from the Lord for me--that He was going to set me free to worship Him the way I wanted to. Wow. It didn't happen quickly. First, I realized that I couldn't stand still when the praise music started; I had to sway back and forth. Then I raised my hand! True, it only went as high as my waist but it was a beginning. Then up to my shoulder, then oh my goodness, all the way up over my head! I took a sign language class and that new skill gave me "permission" to praise Him with my hands during the entire worship service. Then came handbells. And now worship dance with the Messianic community. Every cell in my body loves to be involved in worshipping the God of the Universe, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God who redeemed us with the precious blood of His Son.
There is a scene in the movie Chariots of Fire, where one of the main characters, Eric Liddell, is reassuring his sister that he has not been sidetracked from God's call on his life to go to China as a missionary. He will go, but first he has to train for and compete in the Olympics (0f 1924). In that wonderful Scottish accent he tells her, "I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure."
Doesn't that statement just melt your heart? Are you running? I'm not talking about the crazy rat-race-not-enough-hours-in-the-day-to-get-it-all-done kind of running. I mean the flowing-in-your-destiny-who-He-created-you-to-be kind of running. The kind that gives Him pleasure. Let's run that one as fast as we can.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Tagged!
kep tagged me for this one. Short and sweet!
1. Are you craving anything and if so, what? Not really craving at this point, but I wouldn't mind a trip to Chick-Fila.
2. What is the weather outside and do you wish it would change? The weather outside has finally changed to something nearer to what I like. I wouldn't wish Texas summers on a dog--every year I just grit my teeth and wait it out. The heat wave has broken for this year. Hurray!!
3.What two websites do you think you will go to next after you are finished here? I don't have many links so I usually run through kep's or ksl's links.
4. Do you wish you were somewhere else, and if so, where? This time of year, I always want to be in New England. Only to visit, though. Where I live right now is the center of my universe.
5. Do you wish you were someone else, and if so, whom? It's been a really long time since I thought about wanting to be someone else. Right now, I'm too busy trying to be the best "me" that I can be. (Wouldn't mind having someone else's clothes, though!)
Wasn't that fun? Only 4 people know me on line and one of them tagged me. So, just jump in, all the rest of you. This one is easy.
1. Are you craving anything and if so, what? Not really craving at this point, but I wouldn't mind a trip to Chick-Fila.
2. What is the weather outside and do you wish it would change? The weather outside has finally changed to something nearer to what I like. I wouldn't wish Texas summers on a dog--every year I just grit my teeth and wait it out. The heat wave has broken for this year. Hurray!!
3.What two websites do you think you will go to next after you are finished here? I don't have many links so I usually run through kep's or ksl's links.
4. Do you wish you were somewhere else, and if so, where? This time of year, I always want to be in New England. Only to visit, though. Where I live right now is the center of my universe.
5. Do you wish you were someone else, and if so, whom? It's been a really long time since I thought about wanting to be someone else. Right now, I'm too busy trying to be the best "me" that I can be. (Wouldn't mind having someone else's clothes, though!)
Wasn't that fun? Only 4 people know me on line and one of them tagged me. So, just jump in, all the rest of you. This one is easy.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Oh, by the way...
Wow! My 4th post this week. My two readers are going to go into blog-shock! Just wanted to mention that there is a contest at Bluebird Blogs for 2 people to win a free web design. Please don't enter. I don't care who you are, you know more about doing something with your blog than I do. I want to win the fancy design. But go look--they're really cool.
How Did You Meet Your Honey?
Oh, sweet! I ran into this topic when I linked from Rocks in my Dryer to A Chelsea Morning.
DH and I have been married for decades, so I haven't gotten to tell this story in a very long time. But it's a fun story! ~~(Although I guess it would be reasonable to say that everyone thinks the story of how they met their honey is a wonderful story.) And this is long; you may want to go get a snack.
We were in college. It was my sophomore year. I had been in one of those stormy, up-and-down traumatic relationships since September with an outdoorsy, macho guy. Who, the first time he told me he "loved" me, then clarified by saying, "after my horse, my truck and my way-of-life". (I am not making this up.)
Fast forward to April and Dr Nichols' "History of the New South" class. Monday. Tiny room, lots of people, chairs squished real close together. My third class in a row. Tired of sitting. I cross and uncross and cross my legs trying to get comfortable. Then I swing my leg too wide and kick the guy in front of me right square in the bum. I lift him out of his chair. He screams. Really. Every head in the room turns, including the professor who stops talking to see what in the world is going on in the back of his tiny classroom. Red-faced, I mumble an apology. With a huge grin, the cute guy tells me sternly, "Don't kick me! I'm goosy!" Everyone roars with laughter. When class dismisses, I watch him leave the room with my footprint clearly visible on his white jeans.
Tuesday when I go to my geology lecture class, who do I see in the back of the room but the cute guy! He grins and waves me up to sit by him. I hear nothing that the professor says the entire hour because the cute guy is drawing pictures of little moon men all over my notebook.
Wednesday, back to History class. As I squeeze into the very tiny space behind the cute guy, he turns and tells me, "I would've call you last night, but I don't know your name or your phone number." I'm cool and nonchalant and nearly fall out of my chair into his lap telling him who I am and what my number is. Then, right there, he asks me out for Friday night.
In 2 1/2 seconds, what flashes through my mind is that Machoboy and I might already have plans. As in, if he doesn't go hunting over the weekend, we'll go out. I decide to take the chance and say very sweetly, "Love to!"
Thursday, Machoboy calls. He's decided not to go hunting. What would I like to do on Friday night? Uh....uh....I have plans. Long silence. He wants to know, do I have a date?! Now, my long silence. Yes, I do. Break it, he says. No, says I. We have a BIG fight.
Friday, I don't get out of bed. I skip all my classes and lay quivering under the covers like a big weenie. Late in the afternoon, my suitemate drags me out of bed. She brings me chicken noodle soup and tells me I have to go out with Cute Guy. She's been hanging out all year with a bunch of his friends and he's a really nice guy and I will be eternally sorry if I don't go out with him. So I eat my soup and get dressed and try to calm the butterflies in my stomach.
Then the girl down the hall, whose boyfriend lives down the hall from Machoboy, comes running in to tell me that her boyfriend has been talking to MB. He's not mad, he's just so hurt. He thought we "loved" each other, how could I be so heartless. I run straight to the bathroom and throw up my chicken noodle soup.
Now I'm really a mess. How can I go out if I'm throwing up? My suitemate tells me, just don't eat! You already have an empty stomach so there shouldn't be a problem. We fall down laughing. And I go.
Six months later , Cute Guy and I are engaged. 10 months after that, we are married. Several years later , I tell him about what happened the week of our first date. And I asked him, "If I had broken our date, would you have asked me out again?" His reply, "Absolutely not. I was going through a bad time with one girl after another just jerking me around. If you'd bailed on me that night, I would've spent the evening getting drunk, and you never would've heard from me again."
Oh my goodness. I didn't know the Lord then and neither did my suitemate, but I'm so thankful that He used her to shove me out the door. And into the love of a lifetime.
DH and I have been married for decades, so I haven't gotten to tell this story in a very long time. But it's a fun story! ~~(Although I guess it would be reasonable to say that everyone thinks the story of how they met their honey is a wonderful story.) And this is long; you may want to go get a snack.
We were in college. It was my sophomore year. I had been in one of those stormy, up-and-down traumatic relationships since September with an outdoorsy, macho guy. Who, the first time he told me he "loved" me, then clarified by saying, "after my horse, my truck and my way-of-life". (I am not making this up.)
Fast forward to April and Dr Nichols' "History of the New South" class. Monday. Tiny room, lots of people, chairs squished real close together. My third class in a row. Tired of sitting. I cross and uncross and cross my legs trying to get comfortable. Then I swing my leg too wide and kick the guy in front of me right square in the bum. I lift him out of his chair. He screams. Really. Every head in the room turns, including the professor who stops talking to see what in the world is going on in the back of his tiny classroom. Red-faced, I mumble an apology. With a huge grin, the cute guy tells me sternly, "Don't kick me! I'm goosy!" Everyone roars with laughter. When class dismisses, I watch him leave the room with my footprint clearly visible on his white jeans.
Tuesday when I go to my geology lecture class, who do I see in the back of the room but the cute guy! He grins and waves me up to sit by him. I hear nothing that the professor says the entire hour because the cute guy is drawing pictures of little moon men all over my notebook.
Wednesday, back to History class. As I squeeze into the very tiny space behind the cute guy, he turns and tells me, "I would've call you last night, but I don't know your name or your phone number." I'm cool and nonchalant and nearly fall out of my chair into his lap telling him who I am and what my number is. Then, right there, he asks me out for Friday night.
In 2 1/2 seconds, what flashes through my mind is that Machoboy and I might already have plans. As in, if he doesn't go hunting over the weekend, we'll go out. I decide to take the chance and say very sweetly, "Love to!"
Thursday, Machoboy calls. He's decided not to go hunting. What would I like to do on Friday night? Uh....uh....I have plans. Long silence. He wants to know, do I have a date?! Now, my long silence. Yes, I do. Break it, he says. No, says I. We have a BIG fight.
Friday, I don't get out of bed. I skip all my classes and lay quivering under the covers like a big weenie. Late in the afternoon, my suitemate drags me out of bed. She brings me chicken noodle soup and tells me I have to go out with Cute Guy. She's been hanging out all year with a bunch of his friends and he's a really nice guy and I will be eternally sorry if I don't go out with him. So I eat my soup and get dressed and try to calm the butterflies in my stomach.
Then the girl down the hall, whose boyfriend lives down the hall from Machoboy, comes running in to tell me that her boyfriend has been talking to MB. He's not mad, he's just so hurt. He thought we "loved" each other, how could I be so heartless. I run straight to the bathroom and throw up my chicken noodle soup.
Now I'm really a mess. How can I go out if I'm throwing up? My suitemate tells me, just don't eat! You already have an empty stomach so there shouldn't be a problem. We fall down laughing. And I go.
Six months later , Cute Guy and I are engaged. 10 months after that, we are married. Several years later , I tell him about what happened the week of our first date. And I asked him, "If I had broken our date, would you have asked me out again?" His reply, "Absolutely not. I was going through a bad time with one girl after another just jerking me around. If you'd bailed on me that night, I would've spent the evening getting drunk, and you never would've heard from me again."
Oh my goodness. I didn't know the Lord then and neither did my suitemate, but I'm so thankful that He used her to shove me out the door. And into the love of a lifetime.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Thursday Thirteen
THIRTEEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THIS SEASON OF LIFE
1. Being Married--actually I have loved being married for 35 years, but this season is just so sweet. We've successfully raised two lovely daughters (all glory to God who redeemed all our mistakes!!!) and now we can just relax, enjoy each other's company and share life. Browning was right! "Come, grow old with me; the best is yet to be".
2. Grandparenting--one of the reward's of growing older, the grandkids are DA BOMB!
3. Dancing--I've always like to dance, but in our Messianic congregation, we worship in dance. It is so awesome!
4. Hebrew school--I loved school when I was a kid, and now I am loving learning how to read and write in Hebrew. I'm excited about being able to read the Bible in the original language.
5. The Internet--before the Web, whenever you wanted to know something, you had to go to the library and check out a big ole pile of books to find what you were looking for. Now, the world is at your fingertips!
6. DVDs--we were the last people in America (according to our children) to get a VCR. And I would've been happy with that forever. Movies on demand! But with DVDs you get to watch your favorite parts over and over without rewinding AND you get all the background documentary type stuff.
7. Fresh fruit out of season--did you see Victorian House on PBS? The vegetarian participant had the choice of potatoes, cabbage and rutabegas. That's all that was in season in winter. Not even a hothouse tomato. Look around your produce department in December. We can have anything.
8. Hot showers--I love 'em. Best way to kick off a morning. We have land in the country and a half built house with no running water at all and spending the night out there is a real eye opening reminder of how easy life is with water on tap.
9. Air conditioning--how can you live in Texas and not spend the entire summer on your knees thanking God for the blessing of cool air. I remember, as a child in the 1950's, when we got our first window unit. It went in my parents' bedroom. We all lived in that one room!
10. Gift certificates--what a great present! Right now I have one from Outback and one from Central Market, just waiting to give me a good time whenever I'm in the mood. (And DH can take me to the movies again with the rest of his AMC gift card.)
11. Cell phones--not too many years ago, long distances phone calls were an expensive luxury. Now we have more minutes than we can use in a month, even talking weekly to friends and family all over the country.
12. Big plans--when I was younger, I thought 40 was old and that anything older than that was heading for the rocking chair. But we have all kinds of exciting possibilities on the drawing board and are looking forward to putting them into action.
13. He's coming back!--I believe with all my heart that we are the generation that will see that happen. It doesn't get better than that!
Say Wha'?
My DH's name is Clifford (known as "Cliff" to other people, "Honey" to me--all irrelevant, but just to let you know that no one actually calls him "Clifford"). And he has a friend/employee named Antonio. This is all just background...
Shortly before they moved into Newbighouse, ksl brought Firecracker to me and said, "Tell Grammie what these are." She held up toenail clippers. And with a huge grin, he very proudly announced, "They Antonio Cliffords!"
Wow...personal hygiene will never be the same for me...
Shortly before they moved into Newbighouse, ksl brought Firecracker to me and said, "Tell Grammie what these are." She held up toenail clippers. And with a huge grin, he very proudly announced, "They Antonio Cliffords!"
Wow...personal hygiene will never be the same for me...
Monday, September 11, 2006
Remembrance
One of the things that ties our hearts together over 9/11 is the desire to tell our part of the story, where we were, what we thought and how it made us feel. That's why blogs all over the country have the events of that day 5 years ago as their topic for the day. And I'm no different.
I was home working that day, as I am every week day. Taking care of little babies. I never have the TV on because babies don't need to have the TV on. My sweet son-in-law knew that I never knew when something was happening, so he always called me when he felt like there was breaking news that I needed to know about. That morning he called and his voice was tight and tense as he said, "Go turn on the TV." I asked him what channel and he said it didn't matter, that it was on all the channels. And there it was--fire and fire. The second plane had already hit by the time I tuned in and they were playing the film clips over and over. No one could make any sense of what was happening.
DH and I are homebodies with local jobs and local lives, but I have two brothers who travel all over the place with their jobs. And I had to know if they were safe. I called them both and was vastly relieved to learn that they were nowhere near NYC. (One was stranded in Atlanta when all the air traffic was grounded. He grabbed one of the last rental cars in the city and drove home.) And one of my daycare babies' mom worked for American Airlines and she got stranded in Ohio. Also grabbed a car and drove home.
I've read a lot of blogs of people who were nowhere near a TV and watched very little of the news because it was too difficult. I was just the opposite. Home all day, I couldn't tear myself away from the extensive coverage. I watched for 16-18 hours a day. Even when it got to be too much to bear and I would leave it for a few minutes, I would be back almost immediately. The people who lost their loved ones couldn't leave their pain. How could I just turn it off and go back to my happy life? It was days before I could stop--eleven days to be exact.
We had tickets to fly to Denver for vacation on September 22. We talked about cancelling, but we had only taken ONE other vacation in 30 years of marriage. We had free reservations at a resort in Colorado. So we went.
I really expected to see armed guards all over the airport. My parents have traveled all over the world and have talked about how weird it is to see soldiers with machine guns on duty in airports. That's sorta what I was expecting. So extra checkpoints with very little increase in waiting time was a pleasant surprise. Flying itself is something I enjoy. Flying at this particular time was not scary or alarming. But I cried anyway, thinking about what it must have been like for the passengers on those four hijacked airplanes.
When we reached the resort, I made the conscious decision to stop watching the news reports. Again with guilt. But I needed to stop. I had seen all I could handle and I was already praying. I couldn't do anything more.
I was home working that day, as I am every week day. Taking care of little babies. I never have the TV on because babies don't need to have the TV on. My sweet son-in-law knew that I never knew when something was happening, so he always called me when he felt like there was breaking news that I needed to know about. That morning he called and his voice was tight and tense as he said, "Go turn on the TV." I asked him what channel and he said it didn't matter, that it was on all the channels. And there it was--fire and fire. The second plane had already hit by the time I tuned in and they were playing the film clips over and over. No one could make any sense of what was happening.
DH and I are homebodies with local jobs and local lives, but I have two brothers who travel all over the place with their jobs. And I had to know if they were safe. I called them both and was vastly relieved to learn that they were nowhere near NYC. (One was stranded in Atlanta when all the air traffic was grounded. He grabbed one of the last rental cars in the city and drove home.) And one of my daycare babies' mom worked for American Airlines and she got stranded in Ohio. Also grabbed a car and drove home.
I've read a lot of blogs of people who were nowhere near a TV and watched very little of the news because it was too difficult. I was just the opposite. Home all day, I couldn't tear myself away from the extensive coverage. I watched for 16-18 hours a day. Even when it got to be too much to bear and I would leave it for a few minutes, I would be back almost immediately. The people who lost their loved ones couldn't leave their pain. How could I just turn it off and go back to my happy life? It was days before I could stop--eleven days to be exact.
We had tickets to fly to Denver for vacation on September 22. We talked about cancelling, but we had only taken ONE other vacation in 30 years of marriage. We had free reservations at a resort in Colorado. So we went.
I really expected to see armed guards all over the airport. My parents have traveled all over the world and have talked about how weird it is to see soldiers with machine guns on duty in airports. That's sorta what I was expecting. So extra checkpoints with very little increase in waiting time was a pleasant surprise. Flying itself is something I enjoy. Flying at this particular time was not scary or alarming. But I cried anyway, thinking about what it must have been like for the passengers on those four hijacked airplanes.
When we reached the resort, I made the conscious decision to stop watching the news reports. Again with guilt. But I needed to stop. I had seen all I could handle and I was already praying. I couldn't do anything more.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Three Meme
I've watched this go around with the kids' answers..really cute! Now they're tagging grownups and I get to play :-) ! Thanks, loni!
THREE NICKNAMES: Mom, Grammie, Honey
THREE PEOPLE THAT MAKE ME LAUGH: My goofy DH, the grandkids, my brothers
THREE THINGS THAT I LOVE: Worship dance, sleeping late, foot rubs
THREE THINGS THAT I HATE: Throwing up, Texas summers, conflict
THREE THINGS THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND: People who won't forgive you when you say you are sorry, married people who would rather get divorced than stay and work out their problems, people who want to save the whales and abort the babies.
THREE THINGS ON MY FLOOR: HA! There are not very many places where we can even see the floor right now! Three of the PILES are: stuff from the linen closet that we're selling at the garage sale this weekend, stuff from the bedroom closet that we're selling at the garage sale this weekend, and tons of toys (some we're selling and some that the grandkids are playing with.)
THREE THINGS I AM DOING RIGHT NOW: trying to finish this quickly before the napping babies wake up, trying to distract CreamPuff while her parents do the final walkthrough on NewBigHouse, and wondering what we're going to have for dinner.
THREE THINGS I CAN DO: Read in Hebrew (on about a Pre-K level--if the vowel markings are included), drive a stick shift, knit with three different colors of yarn at one time
THREE WAYS TO DESCRIBE MY PERSONALITY: intense, upbeat, optomistic
THREE THINGS I CANNOT DO: remember where I put my ____ (keys, shoes, purse, important papers--fill in the blank) without a great deal of hyperfocused backtracking, eat foods with gluten, d0 some things quickly (I clean slow, I sew slow, I cross-stitch slow, I write blogs slow...)
THREE FAVORITE FOODS: avocado, brownies, my potato salad
THREE FOODS I DO NOT LIKE: liver, seafood, lamb
THREE BEVERAGES I DRINK REGULARLY: tea, kefir, Perfectly Protein
THREE SHOWS I WATCH: Numb3rs, History Detectives, PBS American Experience
THREE NICKNAMES: Mom, Grammie, Honey
THREE PEOPLE THAT MAKE ME LAUGH: My goofy DH, the grandkids, my brothers
THREE THINGS THAT I LOVE: Worship dance, sleeping late, foot rubs
THREE THINGS THAT I HATE: Throwing up, Texas summers, conflict
THREE THINGS THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND: People who won't forgive you when you say you are sorry, married people who would rather get divorced than stay and work out their problems, people who want to save the whales and abort the babies.
THREE THINGS ON MY FLOOR: HA! There are not very many places where we can even see the floor right now! Three of the PILES are: stuff from the linen closet that we're selling at the garage sale this weekend, stuff from the bedroom closet that we're selling at the garage sale this weekend, and tons of toys (some we're selling and some that the grandkids are playing with.)
THREE THINGS I AM DOING RIGHT NOW: trying to finish this quickly before the napping babies wake up, trying to distract CreamPuff while her parents do the final walkthrough on NewBigHouse, and wondering what we're going to have for dinner.
THREE THINGS I CAN DO: Read in Hebrew (on about a Pre-K level--if the vowel markings are included), drive a stick shift, knit with three different colors of yarn at one time
THREE WAYS TO DESCRIBE MY PERSONALITY: intense, upbeat, optomistic
THREE THINGS I CANNOT DO: remember where I put my ____ (keys, shoes, purse, important papers--fill in the blank) without a great deal of hyperfocused backtracking, eat foods with gluten, d0 some things quickly (I clean slow, I sew slow, I cross-stitch slow, I write blogs slow...)
THREE FAVORITE FOODS: avocado, brownies, my potato salad
THREE FOODS I DO NOT LIKE: liver, seafood, lamb
THREE BEVERAGES I DRINK REGULARLY: tea, kefir, Perfectly Protein
THREE SHOWS I WATCH: Numb3rs, History Detectives, PBS American Experience
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Into the Home Stretch
I've been doing daycare for over 20 years and because my favorite age is the babies, I "graduate" my young charges when they hit their first birthday. And because it really is a little to0 difficult to let go of a sweet little person you have known all their life, I have unconsciously developed a little mind game. A few weeks before they are set to go to an exciting new toddler program which is more in keeping with their big grown up selves, I begin to allow myself to be annoyed by certain behaviours which had previously not been a problem. This one cries so darn loud or that one doesn't nap worth a flip. As I focus on what a pain these things are, I begin to look forward to how much better it will be when they move on. So by the time they actually leave, I can kiss them goodbye with a big smile and be ready to embrace the replacement baby.
Well, my sweet daughter and her husband and 3 fabulous children are just about ready to move to their new big house. It's all finished, the walk through is this week, papers to be signed next week. And last week, I found myself just a little huffy about the noise, the mess, the stuff layin' around. It's been like that from day one, so I was a little annoyed with myself for suddenly having a problem with it. Then I realized that my "disconnect" mode had activated itself.
Had to go into my brain and turn it off. Even so, I feel a little guilty that any part of me will be happy to be back to our quiet existance. I will miss them so much.
Well, my sweet daughter and her husband and 3 fabulous children are just about ready to move to their new big house. It's all finished, the walk through is this week, papers to be signed next week. And last week, I found myself just a little huffy about the noise, the mess, the stuff layin' around. It's been like that from day one, so I was a little annoyed with myself for suddenly having a problem with it. Then I realized that my "disconnect" mode had activated itself.
Had to go into my brain and turn it off. Even so, I feel a little guilty that any part of me will be happy to be back to our quiet existance. I will miss them so much.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Anniversaries all around
Well, I'm late, but that's old news. But it has been said that I NEVER blog and I can't let that pass. Actually, we went on a real live, "out of town, stay in a resort, see the shows, sleep in, go shopping" kind of vacation. (At DH's suggestion and encouragement, I bought this outrageously theatrical looking garment--velvet with peacock feathers beaded onto it--ksl promptly dubbed it "the sultan's bathrobe" and said that when I come to my senses and get rid of it, she wants it for CreamPuff's dress up trunk). Anyway, we came home to "need to get ready for work but the main sewer line in the house is clogged so you can't do the mountain of laundry or wash the dirty dishes". So this has been a busy week of catch up. DH worked hard this week, too, so, apart from a very sweet two dozen roses, we haven't yet celebrated. But this year was 35. 35 years of happily ever after. Made sweeter by the fact that it was also 10 years and 5 years of happily ever after for our two sweet girls and the wonderful men they picked to marry. I love my wonderful husband. I love it that we made the two sweetest little baby girls in the whole wide world who grew up into amazing, strong, beautiful women who are living lives of purpose and passion with husbands they love and are giving us grandchildren that are delightful beyond description. We have the best lives in the world and we give the Lord all praise and glory for His incredible goodness to us. Happy (belated) anniversaries to us all! :-)
Sunday, July 23, 2006
and Kathy wants...
Picked this up from KEP . Google your own name plus the word "wants" and see what comes up. A little silly, but funny.
1. Kathy wants...a Tablet PC.
2. Kathy wants...to drive a race car.
3. Kathy wants...to quit smoking for good.
4. Kathy wants...to make sure local councils have the right and power to plan reasonably.
5. Kathy wants...to get her hands on some black caulk!
6. Kathy wants...to look good, but thinks of herself as more of a whole person.
7. Kathy wants...to purse the task of learning the steps to post.
8. Kathy wants...to lose 12 pounds.
9. Kathy wants...to get all the boxes out of storage.
10.Kathy wants...to make sure you know that she wouldn't ignore Mr. Right if he ever shows up!
The "rules" (are there any?) don't say you have to take the first ten, so I skipped a few that were too creepy for my taste. Oh, and Mr. Right actually showed up about 35 years ago. I don't ignore him, but occasionally I make the mistake of taking him for granted. :-(
1. Kathy wants...a Tablet PC.
2. Kathy wants...to drive a race car.
3. Kathy wants...to quit smoking for good.
4. Kathy wants...to make sure local councils have the right and power to plan reasonably.
5. Kathy wants...to get her hands on some black caulk!
6. Kathy wants...to look good, but thinks of herself as more of a whole person.
7. Kathy wants...to purse the task of learning the steps to post.
8. Kathy wants...to lose 12 pounds.
9. Kathy wants...to get all the boxes out of storage.
10.Kathy wants...to make sure you know that she wouldn't ignore Mr. Right if he ever shows up!
The "rules" (are there any?) don't say you have to take the first ten, so I skipped a few that were too creepy for my taste. Oh, and Mr. Right actually showed up about 35 years ago. I don't ignore him, but occasionally I make the mistake of taking him for granted. :-(
Friday, July 14, 2006
...and it's ALL YOUR FAULT!
ksl and I were sitting at the kitchen table after work yesterday and suddenly there was a scream of genuine pain and distress from Firecracker in the playroom. He was in there all alone and there had been no crash so she leaped up and raced in there to see what was wrong. She brought him back to the kitchen (stopping at the frig for one of those frozen things to put on boo-boos) and then held him in her lap while he sobbed. I asked him, "Sweetie, what happened?" He stopped crying and glared at me in fury. "YOUR ARK pinched my finger!!" Wow. My bad. And there was really nothing anybody could say to him to make it not my fault. Obviously, I need to be more careful.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
It's so quiet!
I had forgotten how quiet my house can be. And clean at the same time :-) The timing for this day is just fluky. The cleaning lady came yesterday and then last night we had a birthday party for Bubby (I'm sure his mama will post about it later when she has time.) And as soon as the party food was put away, Bubby and all his family loaded up the car and left for a visit with out of state relatives. Leaving me with a clean house. And today, my only daycare baby who can walk (and who is, therefore, capable of making any kind of mess--if you don't count spit-up, which is something they all do very well) is out of town. The only folks here just eat, sleep, poop, grin and play for just a minute, then sleep some more (and poop some more). No one is screaming "NO" because you breathed on him, no one is slamming doors on his brother's fingers, no one is promising you that "I ready to obey" when obedience is the last thing on his mind, there is no "KISS ME, I'M GLUTEN FREE!" Just quiet. It's really nice.....and yet......oh, my, I do miss them.
Last night, while they were packing the car for the trip, I sat and held the Cream Puff for awhile. And she decided she would kiss me. A lot. She grabbed my hair (ouch!) and pulled it really hard so she could get up close to rub her slobbery mouth all over my cheeks and chin and neck. It was so gross--slimy and wet. I would wipe my face dry with her dress and she would kiss me again. We were both laughing so hard. Sweet, sweet, sloppy, precious baby kisses. When she goes to live in the pink room in her big new house, she will be mad at me for disappearing. And I will miss her.
Last night, while they were packing the car for the trip, I sat and held the Cream Puff for awhile. And she decided she would kiss me. A lot. She grabbed my hair (ouch!) and pulled it really hard so she could get up close to rub her slobbery mouth all over my cheeks and chin and neck. It was so gross--slimy and wet. I would wipe my face dry with her dress and she would kiss me again. We were both laughing so hard. Sweet, sweet, sloppy, precious baby kisses. When she goes to live in the pink room in her big new house, she will be mad at me for disappearing. And I will miss her.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
The Happiest News
I doubt that there is anybody in the world who reads this blog who doesn't arrive here through a link from KEP or KSL But I still have to do the "happy dance" here, too. There isn't any news in the world better than hearing that a new baby is on its way. A new little grandson or granddaughter. And we got that glorious news yesterday. My heart is so full of joy and gratitude. Such an answer to prayer--many prayers. Blessed are you, O L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, who created joy and gladness--and poured an oceanful of it over us.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Back to Basics
I haven't posted in awhile--not because there's nothing going on, but because there's so MUCH going on. I'm currently emptying out my backyard of the large plastic play equipment--turning clutter into cold, hard cash. My first auction just finished and I made $61. It's ridiculous how pleased I am about that. I read an article many years ago (I think it was Erma Bombeck) about how you could get so sucked into selling stuff at your garage sale (old timey, lowtech, less effective version of eBay) that you would sell your brand new iron that you just bought for $20 and had never used for $5 just because somebody asked for it. I'm now looking around my house at almost everything I own, wondering how much somebody would pay me for it. We've already been through the years of accumulating and acquiring and raising kids and saving the stuff for posterity (DH and I are both first children of parents who lived through the Depression and the inclination for pack ratty-ness has been very strong in both of us). We gathered and inherited and saved the little treasures of our children's childhoods for the day when we would pass on the memories of all the generations into their hands. And I assumed that that day would be when they were talking together in hushed whispers about what to do with Mama.
But I am finding, to my amazement, that the day is dawning when I'm still relatively young. I'm tired of dusting. I want freedom. I want to be able to live in a little IKEA efficiency apt. Why not give them the stuff they like now? They're going to get it eventually anyway and I can visit it any time I want to (if I behave myself :-) This is such a new point of view for me--and the more I think about it, the better I like it.
Over ten years ago, DH and I got a word from the Lord to streamline. We didn't know what that meant or what we should do. But now, it makes sense. We need to be able to move freely wherever He directs without the anchor of lots of possessions. Yesterday we heard about a mission trip to Colorado to work for a week in the ministry of a friend of ours. Right now we're not free enough to pick up and go. But we will be soon. And the thought of that gives us more joy than our stuff ever did.
But I am finding, to my amazement, that the day is dawning when I'm still relatively young. I'm tired of dusting. I want freedom. I want to be able to live in a little IKEA efficiency apt. Why not give them the stuff they like now? They're going to get it eventually anyway and I can visit it any time I want to (if I behave myself :-) This is such a new point of view for me--and the more I think about it, the better I like it.
Over ten years ago, DH and I got a word from the Lord to streamline. We didn't know what that meant or what we should do. But now, it makes sense. We need to be able to move freely wherever He directs without the anchor of lots of possessions. Yesterday we heard about a mission trip to Colorado to work for a week in the ministry of a friend of ours. Right now we're not free enough to pick up and go. But we will be soon. And the thought of that gives us more joy than our stuff ever did.
Sunday, May 28, 2006
"G" Whiz
I got nominated for being assigned a letter of the alphabet for which you pick ten words and explain their significance in your life. My letter is "G", so here we go.
1. GOD--first, foremost, and most amazingly, personal, real, and available to us through His Son.
2. GRAMMIE--the newest season in my life, which I totally and absolutely just love. And being "grammie" is especially sweet to me because my daughters called my mother "grammie" and she called her grandmother "gram". And as my sweet Gilly tells me, "We love each other SO much!!"
3. GIGGLES--it has been my very great joy to have so many days of my life seasoned with the laughter of children. My own babies and other peoples. And my mother told me that hearing my children laugh reminded her of me as a little girl.
4. GLUTEN FREE--I learned last March that I shouldn't eat wheat, rye, oats and barley--ever again in my whole life. Do you have any idea how many places in the food chain wheat is hiding? And that spontenaity flies out the window when you can't eat something you can't verify is safe?
5. GENESIS--one of my favorite books of the Bible. Not only does it have lots of the wonderful stories we all learned in Sunday School, but it is a gold mine of wisdom and understanding as we grow older. The foundation of God's plan for His creation and the promise of His Messiah are in this amazing book.
6. GOING--I love going. I love the process of traveling to someplace else, I love being someplace else, I love coming home to the comfortable and familiar. We spent 4 years traveling 2 hours each way to worship with a congregation that some very dear friends of ours were establishing in another city and I never got tired of the journey. And I love our dependable little workhorse of a car--VW New Beetle Diesel (50 mpg, thank you very much!)--which keeps driving affordable in these day of $2.75 per gallon fuel.
7. GREEN--not my favorite color. It's my brother's favorite color. But my favorite color is blue and that doesn't start with a "G". Blue is beautiful; green--not so much.
8. GRIEG--I don't know that I would call him my favorite composer, because I like so much of what so many other people wrote, too. But his Peer Gynt Suite is not only really good listening but also the source of a favorite memory. (See post) And the beginning part of his Concerto is some key or another is great.
9. GENERATIONS--the older I get, the more I love the connectedness of life. The memories of my childhood in the 1950's, the stories my mother told me of growing up in the 30's, and my children's memories of growing up in the 80's are a part of our family history. As I watch my grandchildren grow, I am more aware of the importance of building a legacy in their lives, of sharing with them the love of God who sees from the first generation to the last. Deut 7:9
10. GIT R DONE--Our lives have been greatly enriched by the wonderful young men our daughters married. They are bright and funny, good husbands and fathers. And, since I don''t get out much :-) , I hear much of what is current in the world through one of them. The first time I ever heard this expression was from Clay. And it cracked me up. So even though it belongs to culture, I think of this as his own personal funny.
1. GOD--first, foremost, and most amazingly, personal, real, and available to us through His Son.
2. GRAMMIE--the newest season in my life, which I totally and absolutely just love. And being "grammie" is especially sweet to me because my daughters called my mother "grammie" and she called her grandmother "gram". And as my sweet Gilly tells me, "We love each other SO much!!"
3. GIGGLES--it has been my very great joy to have so many days of my life seasoned with the laughter of children. My own babies and other peoples. And my mother told me that hearing my children laugh reminded her of me as a little girl.
4. GLUTEN FREE--I learned last March that I shouldn't eat wheat, rye, oats and barley--ever again in my whole life. Do you have any idea how many places in the food chain wheat is hiding? And that spontenaity flies out the window when you can't eat something you can't verify is safe?
5. GENESIS--one of my favorite books of the Bible. Not only does it have lots of the wonderful stories we all learned in Sunday School, but it is a gold mine of wisdom and understanding as we grow older. The foundation of God's plan for His creation and the promise of His Messiah are in this amazing book.
6. GOING--I love going. I love the process of traveling to someplace else, I love being someplace else, I love coming home to the comfortable and familiar. We spent 4 years traveling 2 hours each way to worship with a congregation that some very dear friends of ours were establishing in another city and I never got tired of the journey. And I love our dependable little workhorse of a car--VW New Beetle Diesel (50 mpg, thank you very much!)--which keeps driving affordable in these day of $2.75 per gallon fuel.
7. GREEN--not my favorite color. It's my brother's favorite color. But my favorite color is blue and that doesn't start with a "G". Blue is beautiful; green--not so much.
8. GRIEG--I don't know that I would call him my favorite composer, because I like so much of what so many other people wrote, too. But his Peer Gynt Suite is not only really good listening but also the source of a favorite memory. (See post) And the beginning part of his Concerto is some key or another is great.
9. GENERATIONS--the older I get, the more I love the connectedness of life. The memories of my childhood in the 1950's, the stories my mother told me of growing up in the 30's, and my children's memories of growing up in the 80's are a part of our family history. As I watch my grandchildren grow, I am more aware of the importance of building a legacy in their lives, of sharing with them the love of God who sees from the first generation to the last. Deut 7:9
10. GIT R DONE--Our lives have been greatly enriched by the wonderful young men our daughters married. They are bright and funny, good husbands and fathers. And, since I don''t get out much :-) , I hear much of what is current in the world through one of them. The first time I ever heard this expression was from Clay. And it cracked me up. So even though it belongs to culture, I think of this as his own personal funny.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
ABC MEME
When our living room was so torn up and life was so chaotic, I just didn't have the emotional energy to blog. But some people (!) keep asking me when I'm going to get back to it and this is the kind of jumpstart I need. So here's my contribution to the ABC dialogue.
ACCENT: I was born and raised in Texas and sounded City Texan rather than Country Texan. Then we spent 14 years in New Jersey and I lost a lot of my accent and learned to talk WAY too fast for my husband who tells me to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n on a regular basis.
BIBLE BOOK THAT I LIKE: Isaiah and James
CHORE I DON'T CARE FOR: Dealing with clutter. Stuff that piles up overwhelms me.
DOG OR CAT: Uh...that would be someone else's dog or someone else's cat. My poor children pined for a pet but they never had one. (Oh, except Daughter#1 had a guinea pig once that she left with a friend when we went on vacation. It died while we were gone and her friend's mom didn't want to dispose of the body without letting our child say goodbye, so she put it in the freezer and returned the corpse-cicle to us when we came home. Gee, thanks!!)
ESSENTIAL ELECTRONICS: We have only the very most elementary--TV, VCR, DVD. I have a iPod which I like to use when I remember and a Palm Pilot that has my lists of gluten free foods. But I'm on my computer multiple times a day.
FAVORITE COLOGNE: I like Bath and Body Works "Moonlight Path"
GOLD OR SILVER: Yes. My wedding ring is gold but I wear my silver James Avery charm bracelet all the time (until the clasp broke and now I can't remember where it is).
HANDBAG I CARRY MOST OFTEN: Old, old black one that is so faded it looks navy, too, so I carry it with everything. Pretty pathetic, but no one has EVER suggested that I have any fashion sense.
INSOMNIA: Either not at all or half the night. And there seems to be no rhyme or reason cause that I can pinpoint.
JOB TITLE: Wife, mom, grammie, hyperfocused bulldog, researcher of whatever I find interesting.
KIDS: Two wonderful daughters, each married to a wonderful husband; each is a wonderful mother.
LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: Me and my sweetie of almost 35 years, with our younger daughter's family currently living with us til their new house is finished.
MOST ADMIRABLE TRAIT: That's a hard one. Some of the qualities that I happen to think are a gift from G-d are a little difficult for my family to put up with, like seeing things very black and white.
NAUGHTIEST CHILDHOOD BEHAVIOR: Refusing to take naps. My mother told me once that I would be sorry someday that I wasn't willing to take my naps and when I was a sleepy young mother with babies who wouldn't sleep, I was SO sorry!
OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAYS: Childbirth 1975, 1981
PHOBIAS: I won't sleep in our trailer in the country because it has critters.
QUOTE: "Worry slanders every promise in the Word of G-d"
RELIGION: Raised Methodist. Out of the clear blue sky, the L-rd dropped a hunger into my heart to reconnect with the Jewish roots of our faith, so now I'm also a Messianic Gentile.
SIBLINGS: Three brothers
TIME I WAKE UP: 5:30 am
UNUSUAL TALENT OR SKILL: I'm told that the ability to work in a roomful of crying babies and not be frazzled is unusual.
VEGETABLE I REFUSE TO EAT: I like a lot of vegetables, even the slimy okra and the dreaded spinach and broccoli, but there are some that shouldn't be allowed to take up space in the produce department-- eggplant, brussels sprouts,
WORST HABIT: I fall off the healthy eating wagon far too often. I eat healthy for months and then I'll wipe out a six-pack of Hershey bars in one day, along with a bag of Mission Tortilla Chips and a pint of Haagen Daz Coffee Ice Cream.
X-RAYS: Broken arm (had to be set by an orthopedic surgeon), regular dental stuff and chiropractic x-rays
YUMMY STUFF I COOK: Lasagna, Brownies, Creole chicken--all gluten free
ZOO ANIMAL I LIKE MOST: Haven't been to the zoo for my own pleasure in years. It's the most fun to take a child you love and see what a good time THEY have.
ACCENT: I was born and raised in Texas and sounded City Texan rather than Country Texan. Then we spent 14 years in New Jersey and I lost a lot of my accent and learned to talk WAY too fast for my husband who tells me to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n on a regular basis.
BIBLE BOOK THAT I LIKE: Isaiah and James
CHORE I DON'T CARE FOR: Dealing with clutter. Stuff that piles up overwhelms me.
DOG OR CAT: Uh...that would be someone else's dog or someone else's cat. My poor children pined for a pet but they never had one. (Oh, except Daughter#1 had a guinea pig once that she left with a friend when we went on vacation. It died while we were gone and her friend's mom didn't want to dispose of the body without letting our child say goodbye, so she put it in the freezer and returned the corpse-cicle to us when we came home. Gee, thanks!!)
ESSENTIAL ELECTRONICS: We have only the very most elementary--TV, VCR, DVD. I have a iPod which I like to use when I remember and a Palm Pilot that has my lists of gluten free foods. But I'm on my computer multiple times a day.
FAVORITE COLOGNE: I like Bath and Body Works "Moonlight Path"
GOLD OR SILVER: Yes. My wedding ring is gold but I wear my silver James Avery charm bracelet all the time (until the clasp broke and now I can't remember where it is).
HANDBAG I CARRY MOST OFTEN: Old, old black one that is so faded it looks navy, too, so I carry it with everything. Pretty pathetic, but no one has EVER suggested that I have any fashion sense.
INSOMNIA: Either not at all or half the night. And there seems to be no rhyme or reason cause that I can pinpoint.
JOB TITLE: Wife, mom, grammie, hyperfocused bulldog, researcher of whatever I find interesting.
KIDS: Two wonderful daughters, each married to a wonderful husband; each is a wonderful mother.
LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: Me and my sweetie of almost 35 years, with our younger daughter's family currently living with us til their new house is finished.
MOST ADMIRABLE TRAIT: That's a hard one. Some of the qualities that I happen to think are a gift from G-d are a little difficult for my family to put up with, like seeing things very black and white.
NAUGHTIEST CHILDHOOD BEHAVIOR: Refusing to take naps. My mother told me once that I would be sorry someday that I wasn't willing to take my naps and when I was a sleepy young mother with babies who wouldn't sleep, I was SO sorry!
OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAYS: Childbirth 1975, 1981
PHOBIAS: I won't sleep in our trailer in the country because it has critters.
QUOTE: "Worry slanders every promise in the Word of G-d"
RELIGION: Raised Methodist. Out of the clear blue sky, the L-rd dropped a hunger into my heart to reconnect with the Jewish roots of our faith, so now I'm also a Messianic Gentile.
SIBLINGS: Three brothers
TIME I WAKE UP: 5:30 am
UNUSUAL TALENT OR SKILL: I'm told that the ability to work in a roomful of crying babies and not be frazzled is unusual.
VEGETABLE I REFUSE TO EAT: I like a lot of vegetables, even the slimy okra and the dreaded spinach and broccoli, but there are some that shouldn't be allowed to take up space in the produce department-- eggplant, brussels sprouts,
WORST HABIT: I fall off the healthy eating wagon far too often. I eat healthy for months and then I'll wipe out a six-pack of Hershey bars in one day, along with a bag of Mission Tortilla Chips and a pint of Haagen Daz Coffee Ice Cream.
X-RAYS: Broken arm (had to be set by an orthopedic surgeon), regular dental stuff and chiropractic x-rays
YUMMY STUFF I COOK: Lasagna, Brownies, Creole chicken--all gluten free
ZOO ANIMAL I LIKE MOST: Haven't been to the zoo for my own pleasure in years. It's the most fun to take a child you love and see what a good time THEY have.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
House of Chaos
We're repainting the living room. That sounds fairly simple, but it is the last step in the rip-out-all-the-termite-eaten-paneling, replace-sheetrock, wrap-everything-in plastic, scrape-off-the-popcorn-ceiling, slather-joint-compound-all-over-everything, spray-texture-all-over, scrape the texture flat, paint-everything-with-Kilz, THEN paint the living room. It is a dusty mess that takes over everything. My computer has been under several layers of plastic and jammed up next to the television, which rendered both of them inaccessible. There will be pictures of the before and after, when after is finished. But we did get the painting done, which means we could put away the plastic and vacuum and vacuum and vacuum. There is still a lot to be done in terms of getting all the trim painted and installed--and the doorjambs and the crown moulding. So now I can get to my computer and we can actually sit on the couch and watch a little TV. And it does look lovely.
Monday, February 27, 2006
The phone...the grandkids
My phone rings. I love caller ID. I recognize my daughter's number, so I answer with a cheery, "Hey!" No one responds. Ahhh! This means I have a grandchild on the line. So I shift into Grammie mode. "Hi, sweetie! Who is this?" "Iss Ax!" "Hi, Alex. How are you?" "something unintelligible" "Did you have breakfast?" "YES!" "What did you have?" "something unintelligible" "Are you and Matthew playing?" "YES", then a long something unintelligible. "What are you--" "BYE". He's all done with me.
His mom comes on the line, laughing. "What did we just say" I ask her. She laughs again. "I don't know; I thought he was answering your questions."
So she and I start a conversation about the craziness of childrearing. We talk for about two minutes, then there is weeping in the background. "I'm sorry, sweetie, we don't have any plums. I offered you one but you didn't want it, so someone else ate it. You can have some tropical fruit if you're still hungry." Still weeping. "Ax" is not hungry for tropical fruit. He's only hungry for the plum he didn't want which is now in someone else's tummy. We talk for a few more minutes, and then..."ALEX! Get your tongue off that! Alexander, do not lick that! If your spit goes anywhere near that, I will put it away and you will not be allowed to play with it!" And there is more weeping.
We chat a few more minutes. The weeping is the background ceases. And we chat a little longer and then..."WHY ARE YOU NEKKID?! Mom, I gotta go." We hang up.
And I laugh and laugh. Being the mother of the nekkid child is serious work. Being the grandmother of the nekkid child is HIGH-larious!
His mom comes on the line, laughing. "What did we just say" I ask her. She laughs again. "I don't know; I thought he was answering your questions."
So she and I start a conversation about the craziness of childrearing. We talk for about two minutes, then there is weeping in the background. "I'm sorry, sweetie, we don't have any plums. I offered you one but you didn't want it, so someone else ate it. You can have some tropical fruit if you're still hungry." Still weeping. "Ax" is not hungry for tropical fruit. He's only hungry for the plum he didn't want which is now in someone else's tummy. We talk for a few more minutes, and then..."ALEX! Get your tongue off that! Alexander, do not lick that! If your spit goes anywhere near that, I will put it away and you will not be allowed to play with it!" And there is more weeping.
We chat a few more minutes. The weeping is the background ceases. And we chat a little longer and then..."WHY ARE YOU NEKKID?! Mom, I gotta go." We hang up.
And I laugh and laugh. Being the mother of the nekkid child is serious work. Being the grandmother of the nekkid child is HIGH-larious!
Thursday, February 23, 2006
I love naptime!
My sweet little babies have tag-teamed me for most of this week, but today for the first time in awhile they all went to sleep at the same time. So I can reasonably expect more than an hour of uninterrupted time in which to do something productive. And this is where I question the sanity of having added blog time to my already overburdened schedule. Am I cleaning? NO Am I trying to figure out what in the world we will have for dinner? Certainly not. Am I even treating myself to some channel surfing while I fold laundry? Anything that will dig us out of the end of the week pileups? ...sigh... You already know the answer to these questions. I sit at the computer...and...now what I will do with all this time is a moot point. I hear someone in the other room who wants to get up. Oh, well...
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
And now there is "fashing"
I've been too busy to post for awhile. We were preparing for the "graduation" of a marriage class that we were teaching. Getting ready for that involves massive amounts of cleaning (and prayer), and phone calling (and prayer), and then setting out chairs for a totally unknown number of couples to come and hear about how to have God's best for their marriage. As we tell the couples, then is the "hardest fun you will ever have".
The day after we finished with that, my DH told me that he wants to start a remodeling job in our living room. And I said, "Yes, we talked about doing that at some point and yes, what a good idea that is and yes, when we get this, that, and the other thing done first, then we will jump right into that project." And HE said, "Uh, no. I want to start now." And I said, "Now? Like, right this minute, now?" And he said, "Mmmm...yes." And he went and got his crowbar and here we are--in the midst of "fashing" which is our granddaughter's unique rendition of the word "smash". In the space of just a few hours, he very efficiently ripped all the trim off most of the room, tore the paneling off one wall and then smoothed the sheetrock underneath with joint compound. When he's all done, we will look smooth and clean and modern instead of 1978 chic.
This is a very new thing around here--his wanting to do something like this in our house. But 2 years ago, he started a home remodeling business and now he has all these new skills and he's fast and he enjoys the process. And he has all this joint compound and...stuff...from a whole bunch of jobs he's done. So to do our LR is just his labor (and he's promised me a discount!) Already one wall is all stripped and half prepped and could be ready to paint with one more layer of joint compound. One down, three to go. In the meantime, I have to decide on what color we are going to use (he's all excited about something called "spiced vinegar") and then figure out how to decorate my posh new room. I've never had a posh new room before and I have no clue where to start. (I'm told that someone I love who reads this blog is a Martha Stewart fan! Suggestions are welcome.)
The day after we finished with that, my DH told me that he wants to start a remodeling job in our living room. And I said, "Yes, we talked about doing that at some point and yes, what a good idea that is and yes, when we get this, that, and the other thing done first, then we will jump right into that project." And HE said, "Uh, no. I want to start now." And I said, "Now? Like, right this minute, now?" And he said, "Mmmm...yes." And he went and got his crowbar and here we are--in the midst of "fashing" which is our granddaughter's unique rendition of the word "smash". In the space of just a few hours, he very efficiently ripped all the trim off most of the room, tore the paneling off one wall and then smoothed the sheetrock underneath with joint compound. When he's all done, we will look smooth and clean and modern instead of 1978 chic.
This is a very new thing around here--his wanting to do something like this in our house. But 2 years ago, he started a home remodeling business and now he has all these new skills and he's fast and he enjoys the process. And he has all this joint compound and...stuff...from a whole bunch of jobs he's done. So to do our LR is just his labor (and he's promised me a discount!) Already one wall is all stripped and half prepped and could be ready to paint with one more layer of joint compound. One down, three to go. In the meantime, I have to decide on what color we are going to use (he's all excited about something called "spiced vinegar") and then figure out how to decorate my posh new room. I've never had a posh new room before and I have no clue where to start. (I'm told that someone I love who reads this blog is a Martha Stewart fan! Suggestions are welcome.)
Friday, February 17, 2006
Takes My Breath Away...
For most people, that phrase calls to mind a hot shot movie. But that's nothin'. What takes my breath away is bouncing my 6 week old granddaughter up and down in my lap and watching her wonderful chubby little face crinkle into the same goofy, cross-eyed grin that I got from her mother 24 years ago. It's watching her 2 1/2 year old cousin dissolve into hysterical giggles as she pours water into her Dora bath doll's face and I make sputtering, drowning noises. Matthew telling me very earnestly that "Ayaksa" is one of the fifty, nifty United States. The little grin on Alex's face when I come into the room, followed by the huge, ear to ear smile when he realizes that his Poppy is right behind me. I love it! Mmmmmm...takes my breath away....
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
The Learning Curve
Our children keep us modern. They are the reason we have 2 computers, DSL, and now, my very own blog. They make sure we update, modernize, and just generally have some forward motion in the technicological march to the sea. I learned from my daughter not to type my messages with the CAP key on, because that's SCREAMING.
Last night I learned, all by myself, not to blog right before I go to bed. Not to read my daughter's "100 Things About Me" post; not to get those creative juices flowing. Because I will go to bed and lay there making my own "100 Things" list (I just assume I'm going to need to do that--that's what blogging is for, right!) So, now I know that blogging is like caffeine--just fine during the day, but not for consumption after 6:00pm if you want to get a good night's sleep
Last night I learned, all by myself, not to blog right before I go to bed. Not to read my daughter's "100 Things About Me" post; not to get those creative juices flowing. Because I will go to bed and lay there making my own "100 Things" list (I just assume I'm going to need to do that--that's what blogging is for, right!) So, now I know that blogging is like caffeine--just fine during the day, but not for consumption after 6:00pm if you want to get a good night's sleep
Monday, February 13, 2006
What am I doing here?!
The obvious answer that springs to mind is either "I don't Know!" or "My daughter made me!" Part of me (a big part!) is very sure that I totally don't have time for this. But I really enjoy reading Kelli's blog. We live close enough to each other that neither of us has to go to WalMart alone, we talk on the phone a dozen times a day and yet...I still love to read her blog. She called today and (yet again!) told me I should blog. When I told her that I had gone so far as to sign up with a username and a password, which I could no longer remember, but that I had bogged down when I had to decide what to call it, she got right online, finished the set-up and told me to get busy! So here I am. It will be interesting to see where this takes us.
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