Hey, Girls! You won't believe this...

I thought I'd just totally throw my daughters for a loop. They think I'm pretty predictable (probably because I am!) and I can guarantee you that the LAST thing in this world that they think I would do is take the Harry Potter personality quiz. So I did it---and I'm Harry Potter! Pretty hilarious, if you want to know the truth :-)



Harry Potter Personality Quiz by Pirate Monkeys Inc.

The reality is...

...that the writing does not come quickly or easily and that I am so busy living my life, I don't have time to document it. So much has happened in the last few months that, as Inego Montoya says in "The Princess Bride"..."I just sum up".

I didn't get the job back in September, but they hired a wonderful teacher to come into our class. I have so enjoyed working with her, watching her style, picking her brains and getting more experience. The whole month of September I studied and studied and studied and in early October, I took the certification test for Special Ed. Had to wait a month for the results and was very pleased to find out that I passed. I figured I would need to finish out my year as an aide, but when I went to a workshop to learn how to write the TAKS-Alt tests, the teacher (who is the supervisor for Spec Ed for the entire district) told me in no uncertain terms that I should apply NOW. They have openings now and there is no competition for these positions. (And the aide positions are easier to fill, so they don't consider that a big deal.) So I scrambled around and got all my forms filled out and the letter of intent written and the resume updated and sent off and ...waited. Then I got an email saying that they DO want to talk to me! SO excited! That is big progress from last time. So I get to sit down next week with 3 Ph. D department heads/supervisors and strut my stuff :-) I'm so excited that it's a little hard to focus on anything else.

And as if that all by itself is not enough to totally absorb all my energy, attention, and time, I'm also studying for my Hebrew exam, getting settled in our new apartment and getting ready for the holidays.

So that's why I haven't written since September. (But this one's for you, Cathy!)

Thankful Thursday--on Friday

I filled out the application for the opening in our classroom and put it in the L-rd's hands as to what would happen. And I found out very quickly. The Asst. Principle stopped me in the hall as I was leaving school yesterday afternoon and told me that they had pulled my file and looked at it and that I wasn't far enough along in the process of getting certified for them to consider me as a candidate for this particular job. I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed. But mostly that is because we could really use the money. As for the job itself, there's a lot to it and the learning curve would be all consuming. So I'm thankful that I can trust the L-rd to protect me from getting in over my head. Now I have a year to study and learn in this class before I take the plunge.

And I'm thankful to have a daughter who sees the humor in the small things of life. :-)

Turn in the Road

The past two weeks, my life has not been cute little sound bites that make for quick, easy, funny (SHORT) posts. I have been through an intensive, week-long orientation to the building, the staff, and the procedures at my new school. That, in itself, was pretty tiring. There were two nights that week that I got in bed around 9:30 and slept all the way through the night til the alarm went off (very unusual for me!) Then the next week the kids came. And what an amazing, exhausting, exhilarating experience that has been!

I thought that this brand new job would be a totally new experience with a pretty big learning curve. In some ways it is. But, at its very most elemental, it is very similar to much of what I have done for the last two decades. (The biggest surprise to me is that virtually all of what we do is confidential--even to the point that we are not allowed to tell anyone, including the parents of the other students IN the class, who any of the students are. I can't even talk about them in public in case someone in the general vicinity might overhear and recognize who I'm discussing. So anything I share about the actual work will always have to be very vague and generic.)

Because this class has turned out to be much bigger than is reasonably manageable by one teacher, there has been talk from day one of adding another teacher for this bunch. Much to my surprise, I very much want the job! Since I'm already certified in another field, all I would have to do is take a test in this subject. I could even be given emergency certification and have a year to get all the requirements met. Two weeks ago, I would've sworn with my last breath that there was no way I'd be willing to put up with all the aggravation that comes with classroom teaching. And now, I'd jump through any hoop they hold up to get a chance to work with these kids. I totally trust the Lord to put the right person in our classroom.. So I'll be perfectly happy if they hire another teacher and I finish the year as the aide. And I'll be (extra!) perfectly happy if they, um, choose me. I've signed up to take the test next month so that either way, next year I'll be looking to hire in as the teacher. What an amazing development!

And that's just one unexpected turn in the road. There are others, but the time is not right yet for talking about them. There is a Chinese proverb that says, "May you live in interesting times." We do.

Liftoff

Last Thursday was my last day of doing home daycare. Friday morning, on our 36th wedding anniversary, my sweet hubby and I got up bright and early and jumped on an airplane to South Carolina. We had big fun, shopping and fishing, and flew home Wednesday. I got up bright and early Thursday morning for an orientation day at my actual school and then spent the rest of the day unpacking and cleaning up our room. And then last night, Hubby asked what time I wanted to get this morning and I realized that THIS is the moment that my new life begins. I do NOT have to get up bright and early, because I don't have to go to work today. Anywhere. For any reason.

It's like that moment on the plane ride to and from SC. The plane is roaring down the runway and then there's that bump and you feel the instant you are airborne. You know for sure that you are not on the ground anymore; you are in a different dimension. Liftoff.

I'm going shopping.

Thankful Thursday

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. I Chronicles 29:11

I am so thankful, not only to have had a wonderful time with our family in South Carolina, but to have been able to go to the beach early on Sunday morning. The guys fished and I just sat there near the water and had my quiet time. The sound of the waves and the breeze off the ocean were such powerful, yet gentle reminders of the awesome sovereignty of God.

And oh my! Thankful! Today is the first in-service day for my new job as a special ed bridging aide. I'll learn where everything is and what we're all about doing and meet some of the people I'll be working with. That old slogan "Today is the first day of the rest of your life" takes on new meaning right now. Such a BIG new beginning!

Wordless Wednesday

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N in the summertime :-)

Oh, my yes, here we are in balmy South Carolina, breathing in the salt sea air. (Well, not really, but I could if I were willing to go out into the nasty humid South Carolina heat--which I'm not). But we're here being lazy (guess who didn't get out of bed til 10:30) and just generally enjoying the whole vacation mindset.

Thursday was my very last day of daycare and even then, I left for 2 hours for a "meet-and-greet" with my principal which, delightfully, turned into an hour meeting with the teacher I'm going to be working with. I'm beginning to get a sense of what I'll be doing when school starts. And I know the names of some of my students, so now I can pray for them, individually, by name. I'm totally amazed at how my experiences all these years--4 years as a Girl Scout leader, 22 years of home daycare and all those years of childrearing--have prepared me for this job. I'm really getting excited!

And just to make this post worth looking at, here are the pictures I took the morning I left. I wanted to have something fresh to show Mom and Dad and, without thinking, I had emptied my camera the night before. So this was the best I could do for them, but it's not half bad, don't you think? :-)

So, KatieBug, email us some good pictures while I'm here so I can add them to Grandma's file.

Thankful Thursday

I found this link the other day and just love the idea. I don't know whether it is supposed to be like a Thursday Thirteen, but tonight I'm pressed for time and I just have one big "thankful" on my mind right now.

I am SO thankful to live in a place and time where women are allowed to be educated. In other parts of the world, RIGHT NOW, that blessing is routinely denied to females. And in other eras, education for women was universally believed to be a waste of time.

I was the kind of kid who got in trouble at least once in every year of elementary school for bouncing up and down in my seat, frantically waving my hand to be called on and then blurting out the answer. I loved the process of learning.

And now, over forty years later, I'm so blessed to have the privilege of taking Hebrew classes. My teacher is a woman. Over half the students in the class are female. I don't yell out the answers anymore, but school is just as much fun as it ever was.

The authors of our textbook think it's fun, too. One of my homework assignments was to read aloud several sentences of Hebrew. I wish my computer had a font for the Hebrew letters so you could see what it looked like. And I wish you could have heard me stumble through this--sounding just exactly like a first grader who has to sound out every word. My lesson said,

"See Betty eat. Eat, Betty, eat. See Betty eat quiche. Eat quiche, Betty, eat quiche. See Bab eat Betty's quiche. See Betty beat Bab."

My husband and daughter were in hysterics as I read to them. And so was I. What fun!

TGIF

Have you heard the story about the mama who always gave her little girl ice cream after lunch for dessert ? One day she checked the kitchen freezer, and the ice cream had all been eaten. So she was going to have to go down to the big freezer in the basement. But little Janie wanted her ice cream right away, like usual, and started banging her spoon on her high chair tray and screaming, "ICE CREAM! ICE CREAM!" Mama said, "Be patient, Janie" and went downstairs. When she got back, Janie was stiff as a board in her high chair, eyes scrunched shut, cheeks puffed out, face all red, not breathing. Mama rushed to her side, dropping the ice cream carton on the floor, and began frantically trying to revive her daughter as she cried, "Janie, Janie, what's wrong!?" At that, the little girl opened her eyes, took a deep breath and explained, "I'm having patience."

Right now, I'm having me some patience. I have 2--count them--2 more days of doing daycare. (It was supposed to be 3, but it was out of my control that we got booked on a Friday morning flight out of here instead of an evening flight, like I asked for. But that is neither here nor there.) The hard part is not in working 2 more days. I have loved my job and the families that I'm working with are sweet people and I'm blessed that I will continue to have contact with them. The hard part is in not saying, "I ONLY HAVE TWO MORE DAYS!!" I have not done the countdown thing. I have not said I only have 8 more, 7 more, 6 more, 5 more...well you get the picture. I have not told a screaming toddler that I only have to listen to this nonsense for X MORE DAYS. I've stayed in the moment as much as is humanly possible. But people, I have 2 MORE DAYS left til I finish a job that I've been doing for 24 years. I'm almost done.

And Friday is looking really good to me.

It's not my agenda anymore

When I made my 101 Goals in 1001 days, the first thing I put on my list (after making the list itself) is to read the Bible straight through, cover to cover. In my own special, hyperfocused, one-track minded way, I was thinking I would need to figure out how many chapters there are and how many days there are and how much I would have to read each day to get it done in the time allotted!

But a funny thing happened. I kept getting "bogged down." I'd be reading along, and a verse would grab my attention. And I'd just have to search out more about it. Read a commentary or look up the other verses with the interesting word or check out the Hebrew. And I'd be so busy doing something extra that I didn't have time to finish enough chapters. The next day, it would happen again. And yet again. I was not getting the job done!

It finally dawned on my rock brain that This was the point. Not to rush through the words, but to let the Spirit set the pace and the agenda. So even though "Read the Bible cover to cover" is still on my 1001 day list, how long it's really going to take is totally out of my hands.

This is what the Lord showed me a few days ago. I'm in Numbers right now, the 40 years in the wilderness book. I can remember reading these stories when I was a kid in Sunday School and VBS. And I can remember thinking what jerks the Israelites were. If I had seen God send the plagues to smite Egypt, if I had seen God part the Red Sea, if I had been promised the land flowing with milk and honey, well now, I would've been the bravest of the brave, the most faithful, the most trusting, the most believing. Honey, my bones would not be bleaching out in the desert, 'cause I would've been marching right alongside Joshua and Caleb to claim my inheritance. Can anybody relate?

I had similar misconceptions about the story of Balaam. Balaam asked God if he could go and get paid for cursing God's people. God had already said over and over and over that these people were His people and that whoever blessed His people would be blessed and whoever cursed His people would be cursed. So when Balaam asked for permission to curse them, God said no. Balaam asked again and this time, God said yes. So Balaam went and God was angry. Made no sense to me. That seemed to be one of those situations that cause people to say that the Bible contradicts itself. Why would God say yes and then get mad? What's up with that?!

And then I began to see exactly what's up with that. How many issues are there in my life and in the culture around me where the Lord has clearly stated over and over again what His standards are and yet I/we want to live as though He hasn't said a word about any of it. Please, Lord, Please Please Please! So He stands back and says, "Go ahead!" That's not permission and blessing. That's giving us enough rope to hang ourselves. When things go south, as they always will when we live in violation of his Word, then we're like Balaam. We say, "IF you displeased..." uh, we'll do something else? Much to my shock, there I am again. One of those clueless people. Wandering out in the wilderness with no idea how I got there.

What joy and comfort and security to know that I belong to the One who calls me back when I get off track. Who knows that my righteousness is as filthy rags--so He gives me His own. And what a pleasure it is to find this reassurance tucked into the stories of the people whose promises we are allowed to share.

Lovin' on my boys

DH and I went over this afternoon to visit with the Bug family. When it got close to going home time, I read the kids a story. When we were done, the boys were playing right near me. I reached over and put my arms around Firecracker and started whispering in his ear, "I love you. I love you. I love you" I said it very quietly and slowly over and over. After about 15 repetitions, he grinned hugely and said, "I love you, too!" And we giggled for a minute while I kissed his neck.

Then I grabbed Bubby and started the same routine. "I love you, I love you, I love you" whispered against his check. He let it go for awhile, then he pulled away and with a pleasant look on his face but with a very serious, no-nonsense tone in his voice (like you would use on a 2 year old who had asked for ice cream one too many times), he said, "OK. That's enough."

KatieBug and I fell out, shrieking with laughter. Bubby was quite pleased to have been so funny, even though he wasn't exactly sure what he had done that was so hilarious. Somehow, though, I have a feeling that it'll be a cold day in a hot place before I get an "I love you, too" out of that boy.

How's it coming?

Well, I know I'm supposed to be modest and let someone else say, "OH, this is nice!" But I spent all day picking a picture and getting it put in and I love that Scripture and I found several other cute things that I plan to add as soon as I can. (Being the queen of slow has its disadvantages.) So I'm pleased with my small beginning. And the Bible says we are not to despise small beginnings, so there you are.

I Want A New Look

I'm tired of being boring. I've been reading a lot more blogs lately because of things the girls have linked to. And I want more focus...and some bling. I'm not sure what to do about it, but I'm open to finding out. It's interesting to read some of the blogs whose writers have a very clear focus in what their purpose is. I started out being vague and random and haven't wandered very far from my humble beginnings. I'm getting ready to move into a new season and lots of things in my life are changing. I think this blog should be one of them.

Let's just run her legs off :-)

While Mama and Daddy have been partying in Vegas, we've been playing with the kids. And to keep little miss from bogging down in the pity party of "I miss my mama and daddy", we've kept her moving. Bike riding, running in the rain, an evening trip to Wendy's for a vanilla frosty. And today her GiGi came in from the farm and picked her and her cousins up for an afternoon at Planet Pizza. They were gone for over 4 hours and when she came home, the girl had--to quote me old mother--"cross marks for eyes". That is to say, really t.i.r.e.d. She asked to watch the movie I keep for her in our Tivo. I turned it on, left the room for a second and when I came back, she was stone cold unconscious on my bed. I figured, at that point, that my evening was up for grabs. This girl HATES to be waked up. So my choices looked like, wake her up before she slept too long and hope that she wouldn't cry too long and would then be willing to go back to sleep before midnight. Or let her sleep til she woke up and hope she didn't wake up at midnight ready to stay awake all night. Thankfully, her folks called early for the nightly iChat because they have dinner and a show. So I woke her up for mama and daddy and she was groggy but cooperative. Then she wanted her picture taken with her brother, so here they are. Aren't they just so fine. Hi again, Mom and Dad! See you tomorrow!

Hi, Mama & Daddy! Love, G & L

Well, as you know, because you read my daughter's blog, she and Cletus are in Las Vegas right now on a much looked forward to, much needed (and oh, by the way, never had a honeymoon!) trip. Which means that DH and I have the kids to ourselves on the home front.

There was some concern that Gilly might have a bit of a hard time letting her parents go. (She told me quite firmly, one day last week, that mamas were not supposed to leave their little girls!) So I was all prepared to do the "sing and dance and aren't we having fun!" routine at the drop of a hat.

Yesterday afternoon, she wanted to go out in the backyard for a little while and noticed her bike sitting on the patio. So we left her papa at home to be with Baby Luke and she and I hit the sidewalks for a big bike ride. I was quite impressed with her endurance. Riding a bike uses different muscles than walking and she really had to work hard in the areas that went uphill a little bit. Every time we got to a corner where we could take the short way home, she said she wanted to ride more. So at every corner we took the long way.

I was watching it get darker and darker to the east of us, and then when we were about 2 blocks from home, the wind picked up and the temperature began to drop noticeably. Just as I opened my mouth to tell her that we'd better head home because we might get some rain, I felt a splat--about the size of a silver dollar--on my back. And the skies opened. I yelled at her to hold her feet away from the pedals, that we were going to make a run for it. She stuck her legs straight out and I hunch over this little tiny bicycle and we ran down the street, laughing like maniacs. And it rained like it can only in Texas, from nothing to cloudburst in just seconds. By the time we got home, which wasn't more than just a few minutes, we were both soaked to the skin. I had raindrops dripping off my eyelashes and mascara running down my face. But it was so much fun and the rain changed an ordinary bike ride into something we will both always remember.



















And, oh that sweet baby, he went to bed about 10:00 and didn't wake up til 6:00. Gilly didn't go to bed til 11 and I didn't climb in til close to 12, but then we all got to sleep til morning. A GOOD first day! And we all woke up cheerful and rested.















So, have a good time in Vegas, Mama and Daddy! We love you and miss you, but we're doing just fine :-)

Bliss!

I'm the happiest grandmother on the face of the planet. All of my grandkids (and there are 5 of them, and they are STINKIN' CUTE!) live close to us. Last night we went to spend the night with the 3 we don't live with, so that their mama could go out with friends. (Daddy works nights). We had such a great time with our sweeties. I fed them GF cookies and rice pudding for bedtime snack. And I asked CreamPuff, "Whatcha eatin' there, girlfriend?" So she showed me :-)








We spent the night because Mom and Dad were going to be home so very late. This morning, I was deeply. DEEPLY asleep and I felt little fingers poking me in the shoulder. With every ounce of energy in my sleep drugged body, I dragged my eyes open, and there was the grinning face of a grandson one quarter inch from each of my bloodshot eyeballs. And they said, "Grammie, it's time for you to get up now!" And God bless 'em, I love 'em so much that I didn't kill 'em. I just lay there and woke up slowly and then took pictures of them being goofy with their Papa C.



And in the afternoon there was a birthday party at a jumping place for a little boy who was so happy to be one year older. You wouldn't know it by the pictures I took, but there were about 30 kids there. I took pictures of my own kids and here they are.


Gilly really got into the jumping cage. Most of the pictures I got of here were in here.












I didn't get many picture of Birthday Bubby because he was having too much fun to stand still for dumb old photo shots. And Luke showed off a brand new skill--sitting by himself for the very first time.
















CreamPuff and Daddy go down the big slide.

The whole shindig was SO MUCH FUN!!

Life loops

Have you ever had one of those unexpected moments when you meet up with someone or go somewhere and realize that there is a major connection to your past? My dance team went to a multi-cultural extravaganza in Garland last weekend to contribute some really cool Israeli/Messianic dances. The streets were closed around where the festival was being held, so we parked a few blocks away and walked to the dance site. We came around the corner and walked straight into the building. There were pictures on the walls of the way the town square had looked back in the olden days and I realized HOLY COW! The civic center used to be the Plaza Theater! My mama walked me to this very theater when I was about 5 years old to see Walt Disney's Cinderella. Just the two of us. And she bought me a great big huge lollipop. It's the first movie I ever remember seeing. We walked forever to get there. (I googled it when I got home and found out that we lived 1.25 miles from the theater in those days, which is a pretty good hike for a little kid.) And on the corner of the square is where the Nicholson Memorial Library used to be. I so wanted to be able to do the time travel thing and BE there 50 years ago. And I so wanted to be able to call my mom on the phone and say, "Guess what just happened to me!" I can't do either one, but the delight of the moment stayed with me for the rest of the day.

Bookin' it

I did something tonight that I haven't done in years. I went to the library to check out a big ole pile of new books. Going to the library is an activity that is part and parcel of the foundation of my childhood. My first library memory was walking for what seemed like hours to get to the Nicholson Memorial Library on the town square of Garland, Texas. I can remember how cool the tiles felt on my bare feet, after pounding the hot pavement. And the smell of that place is still inside my head. It was an old building and the books were old and, even at five, I could feel the sense of history and life that was contained there. We moved away when I was nine. I came back years later just to see it again and was heartbroken to find that it had been torn down.

We moved around quite a bit during my childhood and, everywhere we went, we always staked out the library. I've read from the Chicago library and the library in Falls Church, Virginia and bookmobiles in a variety of locations. (You want to talk about a memorable place! Stepping up into that dim, cool book-smelling cave out of a hot, bright parking lot was like leaving the real world for a little while to explore a parallel universe.) Our family hunted out second hand book stores and bought huge boxes of books at garage sales. But we always had library books checked out and due back in 2 weeks. (The greatest annoyance of my childhood, aside from the fact that I was not allowed to eat all the corn on the cob I wanted, was that there was a limit to the number of books you could check out of the children's department.)

When I grew up, I fell in love with a fellow reader. Although his tastes are wildly different from mine, we were in total agreement that having your own books was the way to go. We (mostly me, actually) developed the attitude early on in our marriage that a book worth reading was book worth owing. At one point we were member of 3 book clubs. Hardly a week went by without the delivery of a box of new books. And we kept them all. Even moving half way across the country--twice--didn't cause us to pare down our collection.

The one mile move from our house to our daughter's house, though, was a different story. They didn't have the room (or the inclination) to absorb the hundreds of books that we had acquired over the years. And we had to face the fact that we hadn't read some of our treasures in more than several decades, and it wasn't reasonable to keep them. So we sold and donated our way down to the ones we really loved and couldn't do without. And for the first time in over thirty years, I've gone six months without buying any books. I've had plenty to read here, but it's been an unusual period of adjustment to stop buying a book just because I wanted to read it.

I have given myself some new reading goals in my 101 list, so going to the library is once again the thing to do. As I wandered around the rows of books tonight, I was amazed by a number of things. One was how many of the books I had already read and another was how many books I hadn't. The biography section seemed surprisingly small and the range of subjects was almost funny. Lots of books about John Wayne and Shakespeare and Hitler. Some people I'd never heard of, some people that I'd heard of that didn't seem to warrant a mention. The whole experience felt new and old, all at the same time. I came home with a novel by Chaim Potok that I read years ago. I didn't really get it then, but I think I might understand it a little better now. I brought home a biography of Elizabeth Barrett Browning because I remember being so enchanted by The Barretts of Wimpole Street when I was in 7th grade English class. Three novellas by one of my favorite authors. A biography of C.S. Lewis because my grandchildren are currently enthralled by the Chronicles of Narnia. I haven't had such a huge stack of reading material since I was a little girl.

It's all due back in two weeks. And then I can check out another big pile, as many as I want.

school and babies

GeeGee commented, about my last post, about how nice the days off and the holidays and the summer and the not-being-in-charge will be. And I'm not the least bit ashamed to tell the whole world that those were the exact reasons that I chased down a job at a school. I've spent 22 years working 10 hour days with no paid vacations and no benefits. The school schedule just totally fits what I want life to be. As I was praying about it, I came to the realization that I would be willing (except for lunchroom, because of the gluten) to do whatever was available. The first thing that came along was the position of special ed bridging aide in middle school. So that's what I am now.

The reactions to this announcement have been at the opposite end of the spectrum. Several people have looked at me with a look on their face that screams, "Are you CRAZY?" And one wonderful response was, "OH! You will LOVE it!" And that probably covers how I'm feeling about it. So excited...and a little nervous. But I think I would be a little nervous about any new job. I'm leaving a comfort zone of 22 years. So a few deep breaths are in order. The nice thing is, I feel like what I will be doing is work that really matters.

Interestingly, I have a sense that my plan to rock babies at the hospital is one of the most important things that will come out of this life change. I have an unshakable belief in the power of words. What you speak over a child helps to direct their destiny. To go and hold a child who may have been born to a crack-addict mother and pray love, blessing and protection over his or her life can, I believe, change the course of that life. I want to promise them that Jesus loves them and has plans to prosper them and not to harm them, plans to give them a hope and a future. I want to tell them that He sent me to tell them that and that He will continue to send people into their lives to help them. They will not remember me. But I know that the Lord's blessing in their lives is not dependent on that.

So, hurry summer and be over quickly. I've got things to do.

Goal No. 95--CHECK!

I didn't list my goals in order of importance and number 95 is a biggie. Life changing, as a matter of fact.

I've been doing daycare for 22 of the last 24 years of my life. I started when ksl had just turned 2. A neighborhood schoolteacher was looking for part-time care for her almost 2 year old little boy. We hooked up and that, as they say, was that. Even though there were times when I desperately wanted out, wanted just to take care of my two little girls, doing daycare was a necessary part of keeping a roof over our heads and food on the table. After they were grown, I stayed with it because it pays well and it was easy to just keep on keepin' on.

A couple of years ago, I talked to a friend who had started working at a school. She had been a stay at home mom for a decade and a half and she got a job because her husband was out of work and they needed health insurance. And it got me to thinking. If I had a school job...I could go on the spring break mission trips. I could go to the training at the county hospital and be a volunteer to rock the indigent babies in the nursery. I could have the summers off!

I filled out an online application last month. I went to the Job Fair screening interview last week. I got the call last night. They offered me a job. OH MY. I have a school job. It doesn't pay much, but I don't care. I don't need much. And the trade-off is so huge.

Now, instead of saying, "if", I'm saying, "I'm gonna!" Go on the mission trip to Colorado next spring, rock those babies and tell them Jesus loves them, help with Camp Elijah...

And, oh yeah, I'm going shopping for school clothes, too.

Happy Birthday, Cute Boy!

We had our first date exactly 2 months before his 22nd birthday. We got married exactly 2 months after his 23rd birthday. We thought we were such grownups. Looking back, we both looked like cradle robbers. But Browning got it right when he said, "Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, the last of life for which the first was made: Our times are in His hand Who saith 'A whole I planned, Youth shows but half; trust God, see all, nor be afraid!'"

We talked this morning on the way to the worship service about the fact that it seems strange not to be young anymore. We used to feel strong and invincible. Now, most of the time, something on one or the other of us hurts. Everything is slower and weaker and grayer and wrinklier. But the journey from starry eyed youth to middle age to...what comes next is a sweeter trip when you have a companion who has been with you all the way. Our collective youth is in one shared heart. He still thinks I'm cute; I still think he's handsome.

So Happy Birthday to the love of my life, this year and for many more to come!

...and then there was MORE dancing...

I should have put something about dancing myself into a coma on my 101 list. Because once a month I do that. I did it tonight. Went to worship service this morning. We had practice for about 30 minutes before the service. Then we danced during the service for about 20 minutes. Then we have dance lessons in the afternoon for people who want to learn how to do it--2 hours long and after the lessons are over, the dance team practices Israeli dances just for fun--another half hour or so. Then in the evening, we have a fellowship called Chaverah--covered dish dinner followed by---did you guess? More dancing. Almost 2 more hours. When it was time to go home, I nearly had to crawl to the car on my hands and knees. I wish I'd had Kelli's pedometer on today. I feel like I logged about 26,951 steps--give or take a dance. Next month I'll have to borrow hers (or buy my own) to see how it adds up. Dance--it does a body good.

101 things in 1001 Days

I haven't seen much of this lately, but it was going around all over in January. I made my list and then did my disappearing act. When I came out of hibernation, I went back and found my list. I had to tweak it a little, but here it is now in all its glory. I'm just posting it to have some accountability. Once you say out loud that you are going to do something, there is always someone coming along later asking if you did it. And it would be real nice if I broke my pattern of putting things off until the last minute. I don't want to have to pull an allnighter to do the last 98 things on my list. (I just read where Kelli posted her list--I'm sure she must have been inspired by the magnificence of my progress!!) And She had the rules--so I shamelessly copied them from her blog and pasted them in here.

Here are the rules as stated from triplux:

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as new year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.

2. Stay Focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.

3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.

4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.

5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.



101 Goals in 1001 Days

THE LIST
1. Compile the “101 in 1001” list

BIBLE
2. Read the entire Bible, cover to cover (I'm up to Numbers)
3. Read through Psalms in one month, w/o missing a day (make-ups don't count)
4. Read through Proverbs in one month, w/o missing a day (make-ups don't count)
5. Memorize at least one song off of every DVD of Scripture Memory Songs
6. Listen to 10 sets of Joel Young teaching tapes (0/10)
7. Sign up for the Adult B’Nei Mitzvah program
8. Take the “Prayers and Blessings” class
9. Write a paper on Jamie Cowen’s History class
10. Take Biblical Hebrew 1
11. Take Biblical Hebrew 2
12. Write a paper on Biblical Hebrew studies
13. Memorize Proverbs 31:10-31
14. Take at least 3 more Yeshiva classes at BHS (0/3)
15. Learn to cant
16. Make aliyah to the Torah

MOVING
17. Finish moving out of the old house
18. Finish unpacking at the new house
19. Get the old house repaired
20. Get the old house sold Actually, we rented it out, but that's just as good

HUBBY
21. Give CG 10 oil-massage back rubs
22. Rub CG’s shoulders every day
23. Learn to close the cabinet doors after I open them (because it drives him crazy)
24. Plan a surprise evening for CG
25. Another special project for the love of my life

FAMILY/FRIENDS
26. Go to the zoo, collectively or individually, with all the grandkids
27. Take each of the grandkids, individually, for the day to do something special
28. Block out a weekend to go see Mark/Lucy
29. Send out Holiday cards with a newsletter
30. Get in touch with my ex-college-roommate who is so good about writing me every Christmas
31. Plan another complete family vacation
32. Spend the weekend with the children of Daughter#1 so she and her husband can get away (they went to Vegas for 4 days!)
33. Spend the weekend with the children of Daughter#2 so she and her husband can get away (they went to Houston for a wedding)
34. Something special

HEALTH
35. Develop the daily discipline of drinking 8 glasses of water
36. Eat no sugar for one week every other month. (0/6)
37. Get my hair highlighted (not “healthy” but definitely a stretch!)
38. Get a massage~~twice (0/2)
39. Use my Central Market gift certificate YUM!
40. Eat 5 servings of fruits/veggies every day for one month (for the purpose of developing the ongoing habit)
41. Take a complete day off—no work, no errands, no responsibilities (0/3)


ORGANIZATION/CLEANING
42. Do a closet purge
43. Get the “rogue’s gallery” hung in our bedroom
44. Clean out the car and keep it clean for a month

COOKING
45. Learn to make a decent loaf of GF Challah
46. Develop 10 weeks of menus, including grocery lists, for doing recycle menus
47. Do a session of Once-A-Month-Cooking
48. Go through my stack of printed out, never tried recipes. Try one a week to either save or throw away (0/10)
49. Make a GF cheesecake

GARDENING
50. Plant and maintain a container garden: Tomatoes
51. Plant and maintain an herb garden

BOOKS
52. Read 10 classic books that I’ve never read before (0/10)
53. Read 10 biographies that I’ve never read before (1/10)
1. The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C.S. Lewis

MOVIES
54. Sit and watch a movie with CG w/o squirming or multi-tasking (0/10)

TRAVEL/SIGHTSEEING/ACTIVITIES
55. Get my passport
56. Go to Six Flags with grandkids
57. Go to St. Louis to visit the family
58. Take a 3 or 4 day get-away weekend, just the two of us (likely to the GF Bed & Breakfast in San Antonio)
59. Take a tour of City Park (not necessarily at Christmas)
60. Save $1000 toward our trip to Israel
61. Visit the aquarium at West End
62. Visit a state I haven’t been to (I had 31 when I was 9 and haven’t added one since then)
63. Spend a whole day at the Canton flea market
64. Spend a whole day at the McKinney flea market
65. Hang the hammock out at the land and spend the afternoon in it

SCRAPBOOK/MEMORY STUFF
66. Finish Katie’s graduation scrapbook
67. Scrapbook the Colorado vacation pictures
68. Scrapbook the Arkansas vacation pictures
69. Do one double-spread page per month in a scrapbook for us (0/20)
70. Start a scrapbook for Kelli
71. Get 10 double-spread pages done in Kelli’s book
72. Get 10 more double-spread pages done for Kelli
73. Sort through old family pictures
74. Get our 8mm movies converted to DVD
75. Make a special project, using the stamping stuff I have

CRAFTS/SEWING
76. Finish quilt top
77. Finish cross-stitch project
78. Make Gillian a plaid nightgown like her mother’s
79. Finish tapestry fabric vest
80. Finish pink/white flannel nightgown
81. Repair the beading on the red top I bought in Missouri
82. Mend the rip in my red tiered skirt
83. Alter my two denim vests myself (instead of sending them out)
84. Make a piece of bead jewelry
85. Get 3 pairs of jeans that really fit (0/3)

WRITING
86. Finalize the stories for the One-a-Day book
87. Write out 20 of the stories for the One-a Day book
88. Write out 20 more stories
89. Finish the “Grandmother’s Memories” book that Gillian gave me for Christmas several years ago
90. Blog at least once a week (I’ll check this off when I’ve done it 20x)

MINISTRY
91. Attend the orientation to qualify to rock babies in the nursery at Parkland Hospital
92. Get set up to go to Parkland once a month to rock babies
93. Mission trip to Hooper to work with Bill/Lisa
94. Mission trip to another place

WORK
95. Get a job in a school district

FINANCES
96. Pay off 4 credit cards and close the accounts (0/4)

MISC

97. Get my mother’s watch resized to fit me
98. Donate blood
99. Get a penny whistle and learn to play two songs

FINALE--Sunday, February 21, 2010
100. Do something major to celebrate the completion of my list


Make another list for the next 1001 days

...and then there was dancing...

On the grand highway of life, DH and I found an unexpected detour about 10 years ago when we went with some friends to a worship service at a Messianic congregation. (I fell in love instantly. It took DH a lot longer to get on board, but he did finally come around.) Our getting involved in this lifestyle has been a real gear-stripping experience for our extended family. I have frequently made the mistake of sharing what I'm learning with a little too much gusto, which has caused some folks to stick their fingers in their ears and sing, "LA LA LA!" at the top of their voices.

One of the things I love. Love. LOVE. about Messianic worship is the dancing. Worshiping the Lord with movement just reaches into the deepest part of my soul. And it's fun. And for someone who works at long hours at home and doesn't get out much, it's also really good exercise. I've started putting on some of the praise music in the playroom and dancing with the kids. They love it and it uses up some of their very high levels of manic energy.

Kelli and I both are trying to be more healthy and one of the things she read about recently was making sure you take 10,000 steps in the course of your day. She got out a pedometer that she had and started wearing it. She wasn't logging enough steps so.....she started coming in for the dancing. I've known for awhile that she was actually paying attention, but neither of us had said a word about her hidden interest. This week she started dancing with us. A few days ago, she asked about some of the steps. And tonight, oh the wonder of it all! She and Gilly and I went into the playroom and just danced and danced for the glorious fun of it.

After we'd danced for about half an hour, Kelli started laughing. "You're just about to explode, aren't you. You just want so bad to say, 'Ha, Ha, I got you!!' " (And I did want to say, "Holy cow! Isn't this great! Don't you just love it!")

But see how much I've learned. I make no loud noises or sudden movements, no big "HA HA" so no one is scared away. And we just keep dancing, 3 generations of dancers. And it is so good.

another reason I was too busy to blog...

I borrowed my husband's cell phone last night to call my brother. Mine wasn't charged up enough and his was and he's really nice about letting me use his phone whenever I need to, despite the fact that he knows for sure that I can't be trusted with it.

By the time I finished my conversation, he'd gone to sleep. So when I came to bed, he wasn't awake to say, "Could I have my phone back, please?" (And he would have been sweet enough not to add, "before you lose it like you usually do!")

So when we woke up this morning and got ready for work, he picked up his EMPTY phone holster and asked the reasonable question, "Where's my phone?" Well, no problem! I have this system down pat. I don't even waste my time looking. I just find my cell phone and call his cell phone. Sometimes I can't find either cell phone and I have to use the land line to call them both, but that wasn't necessary this morning because my phone was on the charger. (Remember? I had to borrow his because mine had no energy...)

So I called and...we can't hear it. So I call again and it goes straight to the voice mail. So I find the house phone and call again. No ring. He goes in the bedroom, I go in the kitchen so we can hear. I call again. No ring. He has to go to work. I give him my phone with promises to look all day and relay all his messages. And I pray.

I say, "Lord, you must be tired of this prayer, 'cause you've heard it so many times. But, uh, I can't find DH's phone. Please help me remember where I put it." And I keep looking. I've already looked in the freezer. I look again. I sort through the laundry that was sitting on my bed. I check the carry-all I use to schlep my stuff to the shower. And then I check the frig. In the butter compartment in the door. Where I put the phone. When I went to put the milk away and needed two hands so I stuck the phone there out of my way.

And that's why I haven't blogged in 4 months.

Not really lying, just really wrong...

Yeah, I thought I was going to start over back there in January when I said I was going to start over...back there in January... And oops, I didn't. It was not a deliberate effort to mislead. I just didn't follow through. (I'd be lying if I said that isn't an issue in other areas of my life!) But in the last few weeks, I've had two people who are not related to me! tell me that I need to get off my duff and post again. Well, heck yeah! That's twice as many people as I thought were reading my ramblings. I have a public! So here I am. Active again.

I'm going to dig out my now 5 month old list and see how much progress I've made. BWAHAHAHAH! Haven't looked at it since I finished it so I've even forgotten what I said I was going to do. The things I do remember, like grow a tomato and sell my house, haven't happened. Hopefully, the house selling thing will happen soon. The tomato growing thing is probably a next year thing...or the year after that. ( After all, I have 1001 days! And I'm going to reset the starting date since I've already used up 150 of my days doing diddly squat.)

On to other things...speaking of granddaughters...oh, mine are quite fine. If you haven't read about Miss Creampuff's new state of being, you need to check this out . Hilarious...and very scary :-)

And Miss G is also in a new stage of life. I walked behind her as we shopped at Target last night and saw very clearly that she is not a soft, tender, pink little girly any more. She is a preschooler with skinned knees and long, lanky bug-bit legs and scruffy hair and...um...opinions. Lots of opinions. Reminds me somewhat of Ramona Quimby (who I like very much, so the comparison is not insulting.) It's just amazing to me that a human being can go from that fresh pink baby stage to the scruffy child stage so quickly. Luke is still a fresh pink baby. I have a feeling that won't last nearly as long as we would like.

It's just like starting over

It has been so long since I have posted that I might as well being starting over, in blogging and in real life. I live and work in a different place and we have made so many changes in our lives that we are almost unrecognizable. But we really like it! We've moved out of our house into our daughter's house~~our one bedroom is like a teeny, tiny efficiency apartment. We have given IKEA a lot of our money and have four cute tall skinny bookshelves to store our stuff, because there is no room for a dresser. Lots of storage containers in which to put our socks and underwear and jeans and T-shirts on account of we have one teeny, tiny closet (which I've pretty much laid claim to--because I'm the girl, ya know?)

And I'm doing day care at Kelli's house. And you know what? I'm not in charge. Can't TELL you how much I like that I'm not in charge. I like that a LOT! Her food program, her playroom, her kitchen, mmm-hmm. Very nice.

And I just spent 3 days compiling one of those "101 in 1001" list of goals. I'll post that tomorrow. Making the list was really fun; doing the list should be even more fun.