Thursday, May 18, 2006
Cherry Picking Change
For those of you who work and would like to go cherry picking, bring the kids and a cup of coffee and we will go on Saturday, June 10 instead of Friday, June 9. Plan on being to the area about 9:00am. Let me know if you can make it. Will give more details as we get closer.
Another one bites the dust...
We caught gopher number two yesterday. Yeah for us. I am not normally so ruthless toward God's creatures, and I can see how gophers are good as far as irrigating the soil and such, but I can't help doing the little "I Won" cheer when I catch one. This one started in on my lawn and now I have two holes in my lawn. And I have been working so hard at that! So, he had to go. Set the trap with gloves again and Scott found him yesterday. So the score is Amy 2, Gophers 0. Plus, I don't want gopher snakes or rattlesnakes looking for lunch. Last year a mojave green rattlesnake got in our back yard and bit our then two month old german shepherd puppy. After close to $2000 of treatment, she was fine. The year before, my neighbors caught and killed a mojave green on my slope, right where the gophers are hanging around now. So I don't want to invite any more snakes into my yard.
I think the worst is over and now at least I know how to catch them. Hopefully this is not something that happens every year now. I wonder if they are attracted by all the flowers I worked so hard to plant this year...
I think the worst is over and now at least I know how to catch them. Hopefully this is not something that happens every year now. I wonder if they are attracted by all the flowers I worked so hard to plant this year...
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Cherry Season
So, cherry season is almost upon us and I have a list of people who want to go cherry picking this year. So I figured I'd put it on here and whoever wants to go with us when we go, can. Cherries should be ready either June 3 or June 10 this year. I will know more the closer we get. As warm as it has been, it just may be June 3. We will probably go on a couple of Fridays. So figure if they are available June 3, then we will go Monday, June 5 and also Fridays June 9, 16 and possibly the 23rd. I will find out soon what day they will open. Most of the places open on the same day. For anyone coming from Santa Clarita, you can take either San Francisquito Cyn and turn right on Elizabeth Lake Road or Bouquet Canyon and turn left on Elizabeth Lake Road and it will take you to 80th Street West, which is where most of the cherry orchards are off of. Except for one BIG new place that is a little further east. There are about 18 cherry orchards, some better than others. The earlier you get there, the cooler it will be. Tennis shoes or hiking boots, clothes you don't mind getting stained, in case they do. And a hat if you think you will need it. Sunscreen if you use it. And some paper bags and possibly a cooler to take your cherries home in. Oh, and cash to buy them with. They are sooooo good, sweet and yummy, you will want to pick a whole bunch! I have a bunch of cherry recipes, too, in case you don't know what to do with them.
If you are interested in going with us, let me know. Or if you want the info on where to go, so you can go on a Saturday or a Sunday, I can provide that to you.
If you are interested in going with us, let me know. Or if you want the info on where to go, so you can go on a Saturday or a Sunday, I can provide that to you.
Friends
I have been thinking about my friends lately. My friend in New Jersey - I talked with her the other day. She is thinking about moving to North Carolina. I have known her for 33 years. Wow, that is a long time to know someone considering I am only 29. Yeah. She has three boys, 6 1/2, 3 1/2, almost 2. She's done. She must be a saint! I don't know how she does it! When I speak with her on the phone, it doesn't seem that we haven't talked in ages, it seems as though I talked to her a week ago. She told me that a girl in our high school class died three months ago. Had five kids, four girls one boy ages 12 to 2. Brain tumor. How sad. I haven't been out of high school long enough for people to be dying already! I can't imagine what her kids are going through, though.
Another friend just announced she is pregnant. Eight weeks. I am SOOOOO happy for her, I can't contain myself. She has that "glow". It is not just a myth, people. She is radiantly beautiful. I am sure her husband thinks so as well. And I hope that we grow even closer, as now we will have one more thing in common. What fun!
Another friend is going to have a baby next week. She has been on bed rest because her blood pressure is too high. She, too, looks beautiful. Just totally at peace. She has a six year old son and she is having a baby girl. She wanted a girl. She has bought things for my girls on occasion because she just couldn't put down the cute little pink item. Well, now I have had a chance to buy her a few little pink things! She is a wonderful person and a joy to be with and I am so happy for her that she gets to have another baby.
I have a new friend. Jess and Bekah go to a gymnastics class and one of the mothers I found out lives on the street behind me. In the same house as me! They came to Jess and Bekah's birthday party. She is so nice! One of the nicest people you could meet. I hope that we become better friends.
My very good friend, who helped me with my gophers, took me to the dealership the other day to get the windows tinted, has watched my kids when I am in need and would do anything to help. She is one of the nicest people I know. I enjoy her company immensely and am so glad that we are friends. And she has a great laugh.
My dad is becoming a very good friend. We never spent much time together before, but we see him about once a week now. It is very nice. We can talk and laugh and joke and he is so much more relaxed now than ever before. And we have this gopher thing in common.
My sister-in-law's sister. She is always positive and upbeat. She always has a smile on her face. If you are feeling down, she is the one you want to have around. She has a three year old daughter with white blonde hair and she is so cute. Rebekah's best friend. They have a good time together and so do Mary and I.
My aunt, who reads this blog to get a laugh. So I write, hoping she will. I can't think about her without smiling. She is one of the most generous and genuinely nice people I know and especially since my mom passed away, I have become closer to her and I am glad she is in my life. She is a wonderful person.
There are other people I have become close to lately and I am so thankful that I have these people in my life. Aren't we blessed to have close friends that we can talk to, share with and that understand us? At different times in our lives we become close to different people and sometimes we don't talk to someone for a long time, but friends, unlike relatives, are chosen and they are the people who we spend time with because we want to. You can be yourself with your friends and they still like you! I thank God for all my very good friends.
Another friend just announced she is pregnant. Eight weeks. I am SOOOOO happy for her, I can't contain myself. She has that "glow". It is not just a myth, people. She is radiantly beautiful. I am sure her husband thinks so as well. And I hope that we grow even closer, as now we will have one more thing in common. What fun!
Another friend is going to have a baby next week. She has been on bed rest because her blood pressure is too high. She, too, looks beautiful. Just totally at peace. She has a six year old son and she is having a baby girl. She wanted a girl. She has bought things for my girls on occasion because she just couldn't put down the cute little pink item. Well, now I have had a chance to buy her a few little pink things! She is a wonderful person and a joy to be with and I am so happy for her that she gets to have another baby.
I have a new friend. Jess and Bekah go to a gymnastics class and one of the mothers I found out lives on the street behind me. In the same house as me! They came to Jess and Bekah's birthday party. She is so nice! One of the nicest people you could meet. I hope that we become better friends.
My very good friend, who helped me with my gophers, took me to the dealership the other day to get the windows tinted, has watched my kids when I am in need and would do anything to help. She is one of the nicest people I know. I enjoy her company immensely and am so glad that we are friends. And she has a great laugh.
My dad is becoming a very good friend. We never spent much time together before, but we see him about once a week now. It is very nice. We can talk and laugh and joke and he is so much more relaxed now than ever before. And we have this gopher thing in common.
My sister-in-law's sister. She is always positive and upbeat. She always has a smile on her face. If you are feeling down, she is the one you want to have around. She has a three year old daughter with white blonde hair and she is so cute. Rebekah's best friend. They have a good time together and so do Mary and I.
My aunt, who reads this blog to get a laugh. So I write, hoping she will. I can't think about her without smiling. She is one of the most generous and genuinely nice people I know and especially since my mom passed away, I have become closer to her and I am glad she is in my life. She is a wonderful person.
There are other people I have become close to lately and I am so thankful that I have these people in my life. Aren't we blessed to have close friends that we can talk to, share with and that understand us? At different times in our lives we become close to different people and sometimes we don't talk to someone for a long time, but friends, unlike relatives, are chosen and they are the people who we spend time with because we want to. You can be yourself with your friends and they still like you! I thank God for all my very good friends.
The Gopher
Okay, apparently what we have here is a pocket gopher. Other people's gophers are huge! This one is slightly larger than a hamster, but not as cute. Not really cute at all, when you get to see it up close, which we did when I pulled out a trap with the little bugger in it. Yeah! I got him! Scott was home that morning and I went out to check the traps. Not expecting to find anything. Well, the trap had been sprung, so I went back in the house and told him to come out and get it, "Cause I think I got a gopher!" So, he comes out and we both got to look at it. "What if it is just knocked unconscious?" So Scott smacks it on the head about five or six times with the big metal thing we had attached to the trap so it wouldn't run away. No, it's dead. But look at those claws and teeth! For such a little guy he had huge claws and teeth. Good thing I didn't have to deal with him while he was alive!
Jess came outside and we showed him to her. She went "Aaaaah!", then took a closer look. She's not afraid of this stuff!
Well, I reset the traps just in case and figured I was done. Then I came inside to announce to the blogging community that we had caught our gopher.
I wasn't. Yesterday I went out there to water and found a new patch of soft dirt. !#@*!@ gophers! Two new holes on the slope. SO, I set the trap in one of these and we'll hope for the best. My gopher troubles are here to stay...but I will get him eventually.
Scott watched a few minutes of Caddyshack last night on TV. It's funny when it is happening to someone else.
Friday, May 12, 2006
Me Vs. Mr. Gopher
Me vs. Mr. Gopher
Well, Mr. Gopher seems to be winning. I haven’t caught a single gopher. I have lots of new holes in my yard, though. I did get one of those sonic things. It beeps every 28 seconds. On Wednesday, Dad and I went to Lowe’s and he and I both got one. $19.95 each. Such a bargain…if it works. Dad has a gopher, too. His showed up about the same time mine did. His driveway circles in front of the house and there is an area in front of it that he has planted lilacs, pine trees, birch trees and flowers. He has bulbs and wildflowers there and he started to water it more lately. Here comes Mr. Gopher! He is happily setting up shop there. Pretty soon he’s going to bring home a wife, have babies and then they will put up the “Santa Stop Here” sign! Where does it all end?
So, Dad and I both got the sonic things and he put mine in before he left on Wednesday. Yesterday morning, I had two new holes on the slope and one next to the fence. He had eaten two gladiolus shoots, about six inches high and the new hole was right next to one of the eaten ones. Little bugger.
I went out yesterday afternoon and discovered that my irises are in bloom. Much more so than the tulips. So far the freesia and irises are doing the best. I have mostly the kind of irises that they put in flower arrangements. Not the big kind. Well, the first to bloom was the typical dark blue, yellow center. Yesterday I found a white with yellow center and a lavender with yellow center. Really pretty! And Mr. Gopher has not touched those. Yeah! Thank heaven for small miracles!
Speaking of miracles, Scott had gotten a ticket a couple of months ago. Running a stop sign and 70 in a 40. Problem is, this time he didn’t do it. He doesn’t run stop signs and he doesn’t go quite that fast. The officer came up behind him with lights flashing, at 4:30am, and Scott speeded up to get over so the maniac behind him flashing his high beams could get by. Well, it was the Sheriff and he pulled him over for speeding. Go figure. So, he paid the fine and pleaded not guilty. His court date was yesterday and we were praying that everything would go well. God listened and the deputy didn’t show up! So the case was dismissed. Yeah! Praise God! We will get the money back and, believe me, it was a lot of money! Thank heaven for big miracles!
So, anyway, we shall see if there is any new gopher activity today. I pulled one of the traps and the other one is still set, but I haven’t caught any gophers. Well, the only good part of that is that I haven’t had to clean out any traps!
Dad hasn’t caught any yet either. He said he set traps, but they haven’t used his either. Well, he was sitting on his front porch yesterday, waiting for UPS to arrive (picture the two old guys from Secondhand Lions – great movie, highly recommend!), when the gopher sticks his head out of the hole! So Dad goes and gets his shotgun and puts some kind of little tiny shot in there and shoots at the gopher. He doesn’t know if he got it or not, but I guess if the gopher doesn’t come back, then he did. So, dad is using the traps, sonic thing and shotgun. I don’t think I put shotgun on my top ten list, but maybe it will end up being up near the top of the list!
See, it is a good thing he lives in the mountains. The city couldn’t handle him! You gotta love a person that goes after a gopher with a shotgun!
My gopher (getting kind of possessive, I know) so far is only interested in destroying my yard. I would love to hire a professional, however, it is not in the budget right now. Unfortunately. I am trying to cut corners everywhere and I can’t spend money to have the little buggers eradicated. Hopefully I don’t regret that one.
The other thing I did on Wednesday was to mow my lawn. I never mowed a lawn before. Dad pulled the spark plug from the lawnmower and it was wet. He held it over the flame on the stove and I guess that dries it out. Well, we got the mower started. Apparently it wasn’t working right when my mother in law had it. They couldn’t get it to stay on. The part that sucks up the grass was blocked and the sparkplug was wet. Anyway, so we got it running and I pushed it around the front yard. It looked so nice! I was so proud of myself! It was hard to do, though. Dad told me at first to go from the bottom of the yard to the top and then we decided side to side would make more sense because it was hard to push from the bottom! Well, I also did the bottom of the slope on the side of the house. That was hard work! I couldn’t do any more. I brought the mower back to the driveway and Dad started the mower up again, I’m not sure why. Well, that is when he realized I hadn’t been holding onto the bar underneath the handle. The one that makes it go forward by itself. I was pushing the entire weight of the mower myself! No wonder I could not also push it sideways on the slope! I sure got my exercise, though! It was much easier to do once he showed me that! Well, I was so tired after mowing that I sat down with a drink and Dad had a beer. I won’t drink the stuff, but it sure seemed like someone ought to have a beer after mowing the lawn. Dad was happy to accommodate me! Good thing he was there!
Can’t wait to see what damage this little guy has caused today. He seems to only work at night. Must be underground during the day. Busy little thing. Go do your digging in someone else’s yard! Can’t you see you aren’t welcome here? Go away! Leave my yard alone. Or I am going to come after your little furry butt!
Oh, yeah and the dried fox urine, apparently they have foxes in cages with a sloped floor and when they urinate, it rolls downhill into this little collection thing and then they bottle it! I guess it crystallizes or something. Thank you, internet!
The dried blood you can get at Lowe's in a like gallon size container. It doesn't say what type of blood it is (type O or AB or just plain old A) or what type of animal it comes from. It does come from Washington State. Really, I am not making this stuff up! Sounds like one of those old gimmicks where the guy sells the elixir from the back of his wagon for like $2 a bottle (such a deal!) and you are stuck with a bottle of stuff that doesn't do anything. What are they called?
Well, Mr. Gopher seems to be winning. I haven’t caught a single gopher. I have lots of new holes in my yard, though. I did get one of those sonic things. It beeps every 28 seconds. On Wednesday, Dad and I went to Lowe’s and he and I both got one. $19.95 each. Such a bargain…if it works. Dad has a gopher, too. His showed up about the same time mine did. His driveway circles in front of the house and there is an area in front of it that he has planted lilacs, pine trees, birch trees and flowers. He has bulbs and wildflowers there and he started to water it more lately. Here comes Mr. Gopher! He is happily setting up shop there. Pretty soon he’s going to bring home a wife, have babies and then they will put up the “Santa Stop Here” sign! Where does it all end?
So, Dad and I both got the sonic things and he put mine in before he left on Wednesday. Yesterday morning, I had two new holes on the slope and one next to the fence. He had eaten two gladiolus shoots, about six inches high and the new hole was right next to one of the eaten ones. Little bugger.
I went out yesterday afternoon and discovered that my irises are in bloom. Much more so than the tulips. So far the freesia and irises are doing the best. I have mostly the kind of irises that they put in flower arrangements. Not the big kind. Well, the first to bloom was the typical dark blue, yellow center. Yesterday I found a white with yellow center and a lavender with yellow center. Really pretty! And Mr. Gopher has not touched those. Yeah! Thank heaven for small miracles!
Speaking of miracles, Scott had gotten a ticket a couple of months ago. Running a stop sign and 70 in a 40. Problem is, this time he didn’t do it. He doesn’t run stop signs and he doesn’t go quite that fast. The officer came up behind him with lights flashing, at 4:30am, and Scott speeded up to get over so the maniac behind him flashing his high beams could get by. Well, it was the Sheriff and he pulled him over for speeding. Go figure. So, he paid the fine and pleaded not guilty. His court date was yesterday and we were praying that everything would go well. God listened and the deputy didn’t show up! So the case was dismissed. Yeah! Praise God! We will get the money back and, believe me, it was a lot of money! Thank heaven for big miracles!
So, anyway, we shall see if there is any new gopher activity today. I pulled one of the traps and the other one is still set, but I haven’t caught any gophers. Well, the only good part of that is that I haven’t had to clean out any traps!
Dad hasn’t caught any yet either. He said he set traps, but they haven’t used his either. Well, he was sitting on his front porch yesterday, waiting for UPS to arrive (picture the two old guys from Secondhand Lions – great movie, highly recommend!), when the gopher sticks his head out of the hole! So Dad goes and gets his shotgun and puts some kind of little tiny shot in there and shoots at the gopher. He doesn’t know if he got it or not, but I guess if the gopher doesn’t come back, then he did. So, dad is using the traps, sonic thing and shotgun. I don’t think I put shotgun on my top ten list, but maybe it will end up being up near the top of the list!
See, it is a good thing he lives in the mountains. The city couldn’t handle him! You gotta love a person that goes after a gopher with a shotgun!
My gopher (getting kind of possessive, I know) so far is only interested in destroying my yard. I would love to hire a professional, however, it is not in the budget right now. Unfortunately. I am trying to cut corners everywhere and I can’t spend money to have the little buggers eradicated. Hopefully I don’t regret that one.
The other thing I did on Wednesday was to mow my lawn. I never mowed a lawn before. Dad pulled the spark plug from the lawnmower and it was wet. He held it over the flame on the stove and I guess that dries it out. Well, we got the mower started. Apparently it wasn’t working right when my mother in law had it. They couldn’t get it to stay on. The part that sucks up the grass was blocked and the sparkplug was wet. Anyway, so we got it running and I pushed it around the front yard. It looked so nice! I was so proud of myself! It was hard to do, though. Dad told me at first to go from the bottom of the yard to the top and then we decided side to side would make more sense because it was hard to push from the bottom! Well, I also did the bottom of the slope on the side of the house. That was hard work! I couldn’t do any more. I brought the mower back to the driveway and Dad started the mower up again, I’m not sure why. Well, that is when he realized I hadn’t been holding onto the bar underneath the handle. The one that makes it go forward by itself. I was pushing the entire weight of the mower myself! No wonder I could not also push it sideways on the slope! I sure got my exercise, though! It was much easier to do once he showed me that! Well, I was so tired after mowing that I sat down with a drink and Dad had a beer. I won’t drink the stuff, but it sure seemed like someone ought to have a beer after mowing the lawn. Dad was happy to accommodate me! Good thing he was there!
Can’t wait to see what damage this little guy has caused today. He seems to only work at night. Must be underground during the day. Busy little thing. Go do your digging in someone else’s yard! Can’t you see you aren’t welcome here? Go away! Leave my yard alone. Or I am going to come after your little furry butt!
Oh, yeah and the dried fox urine, apparently they have foxes in cages with a sloped floor and when they urinate, it rolls downhill into this little collection thing and then they bottle it! I guess it crystallizes or something. Thank you, internet!
The dried blood you can get at Lowe's in a like gallon size container. It doesn't say what type of blood it is (type O or AB or just plain old A) or what type of animal it comes from. It does come from Washington State. Really, I am not making this stuff up! Sounds like one of those old gimmicks where the guy sells the elixir from the back of his wagon for like $2 a bottle (such a deal!) and you are stuck with a bottle of stuff that doesn't do anything. What are they called?
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Cool Site
WheresGeorge.com
You can put the serial numbers from your money in there and track where it goes around the world (or around town). Pretty cool.
You can put the serial numbers from your money in there and track where it goes around the world (or around town). Pretty cool.
Can't get me down
Rebekah just got up.
"I got mine Elmo and I got mine horsey."
I picked her up and said "And you got your mommy."
She looked at me so matter-of-factly and said, "You are too big for me to hold!"
So, ha on you, stupid gophers. I can still be happy.
"I got mine Elmo and I got mine horsey."
I picked her up and said "And you got your mommy."
She looked at me so matter-of-factly and said, "You are too big for me to hold!"
So, ha on you, stupid gophers. I can still be happy.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Caddyshack Part Two (or *!#*@!* gophers!)
They're mocking me.Okay, my yard looks like crap. Huge mounds of dirt all over the slope. I went out there this morning to find three new holes. I moved the trap from one place to the other, only to find the little bugger had blocked the hole in front of the trap. So the trap didn't do anything. To make me feel even more frustrated, my friend who came over to help me set the traps set one in her front yard this morning and caught one today. Apparently I have the more intelligent gophers, while hers don't understand that they can circumvent the traps. I put one trap on the slope and then moved it to another location later because there was a fresh hole right next to the chewed-down-to-the-dirt gladiolus. (side note: I thought these things ate the roots. They aren't supposed to eat the plants from the TOP!) Well, he went around the first hole and dug another hole within 4 inches of the first one. WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE FIRST BLEEPING HOLE? I had taken the trap out of it before he made the new hole!
Went to Lowe's and got a different trap. Couldn't figure out how to use it and it didn't come with instructions.
Hubby came home. Sat down for a while to figure out the trap. No luck. This one didn't come with directions and cost $8 something. The other ones were two for $10, but they don't catch gophers, so what difference does it make. No bargain on either of them. Took it back to Lowe's along with the Castor Oil granules (said for moles, not gophers, so hubby said take it back). SO, now what?
6am - Went out there with Scott at 4:30am. No gophers. Well, they are there, just not in the traps. I must have gophers with PHD's! Two new holes next to the tomato plants. Gonna try flooding them out. Sister in law said that worked for them. Then they sat and waited and popped em with a BB gun. Can't do that. The neighbors would complain. Hmmm. Lady up the street said they used ultrasonic things in the ground and they went away. Yeah, they came to MY house.
This sucks. I am being totally proactive, but they just won't get in the darned traps. Perfectly good holes, and they make new ones next to them! Are they just bored or are they doing it to spite me? So, here is my top ten list of ways to get rid of gophers and, this will change order depending on what ends up working:
10. Dried blood
9. Poison
8. Dried fox urine
7. Castor Oil
6. Stupid trap we couldn't figure out and took back
5. Propane (but how do you get it in there?)
4. Water flood
3. Hose attached to car exhaust pipe and other end in hole
2. Flares
1. Stupid trap we could figure out but doesn't work
How many new holes will there be today? How many plants are eaten today? I need to get more traps. They aren't working. I need a new plan. I am losing sleep at night . Dumb gophers. Smart gophers. Dumb person. Smart person? I will be when I figure it out. Then they'll be sorry...
Beginning to know exactly how Bill Murray felt in CS. This is all-consuming. Don't want to go anywhere in case the trap ends up working. No, I do want to go get more traps and put them in front of every stinking hole they made.
And from what I hear, a lot of people have gopher stories. Feel free to share...
Caddyshack and Pink Eye
My yard is looking so nice. Blue wildflowers dancing in the breeze every morning. If you don't get up early enough, you will miss them. They only last a few hours. Pastel blue, quarter size flowers with paper-like petals that float away before noon. Beautiful. Two tulips have come and gone, the rest have not yet bloomed. One deep red, the other a pale, soft pink. I just love tulips. One iris, the small kind that come in flower arrangements, deep dark purple with the yellow streak in the center, with the petals forming in three distinct directions. My freesia are all in bloom. Yellow, bright as sun and purple, with a soft white center. Gladiolus starting to shoot out of the ground. Strawberries all in bloom, promising of a delicious crop of large, luscious red berries. Tomato plants with dainty little yellow blooms that will turn into dark red globes. My lawn is starting to turn a dark green. The weed and feed didn't seem to affect the surrounding plants and I fired the gardener. I asked him to come twice a month instead of every week and he said it would be ten dollars a month less. Such a deal! So, we got the lawnmower back from my mother in law and I will attempt to mow the lawn. Heaven help me! It has to be fixed first, so the hubby is working on that.
So, I have been enjoying days of warm breezes and beautiful sunshine when, out of nowhere, I find this big pile of soft dirt on the slope where the wildflowers are in front of the house. I start to sift through the dirt with my hands and there's nothing there. I am a little concerned, because I think maybe something is living there. Then again, it could be the kids who get off the bus at the corner and pick the flowers. Well, just one dirt pile, but a rather large one. I will keep my eye on it. So, Saturday night, I was outside watering the plants and I look up at the front porch to see this small, hamster-like creature with a stubby tail scurrying away from the corner of my front porch. It runs across the front porch to the other side. I am about ten feet away. I yell for hubby and he comes out of the house, finally, and by this time the little critter has run again through a little tiny hole, about one inch wide, two inches long in the bottom of the plastic fence next to the house. Gone. Into the backyard I assumed. Little bugger. So, now, it's confirmed. I have at least one gopher. So the next step is to get traps. So, Saturday night, I start thinking about the small rodent who is going to wreak havoc on my work in progress. My first real attempt at creating a nice yard. I tossed and turned all night. Didn't help that it was warm in the house and I couldn't sleep. Every time I turned and woke up, I was thinking about this little monster that was going to have a habitrail under my yard. Sixteen feet an hour is what they can supposedly tunnel. And once the tunnels are dug, they can travel something like seventy five feet a minute. That is impressive. So, I am lying in bed thinking about all the mounds I am going to have all over my yard, this little furry creep pulling my bulbs from the roots and chomping down on all my pretty flowers. I got up at 12:30am Sunday morning and looked up "how to get rid of gophers" on the internet. There are all kinds of things. Traps, castor oil spray, sonic repellers, high frequency repellers, dried blood, poison granules, dried granulated fox urine. This is big business. And a lot for my 2am head to take in. So, I attempted to return to bed, only now I was thinking of all the ways I could eradicate this little sucker. I woke up Sunday morning feeling mentally challenged. Not ready to face the day. Not ready to face the gopher. Feeling like he was going to win the battle.
Sunday after church the plan was to go get gopher stuff. Everything. Try it, see if it works. Well, that didn't happen. We decided to stop at the VW dealership to see what they had and if replacing the seventeen mile per gallon Suburban with a smaller vehicle would make sense. I guess it must have made sense. After five hours at the car dealership watching little girls run around collecting balloons, you will soon see the fruits of our labors. 32 miles per gallon is much more respectable. Almost double. That should save a large chunk of change. More money to buy gopher trapping paraphernalia. So, needless to say, we didn't get to home depot on Sunday. So, Monday morning I go outside and there are two more mounds of soft dirt next to the larger one and another along the bottom of my plastic fence that is about three feet wide. Just inches away from where he went under the fence. I use the word "he" but it may not BE a he. So, since the gopher has been busy at work, I figure it is time for me to step up to the plate. So, I call my friend who has a large piece of horse property. About two acres. Dirt in the back, grass and flowers in the front.
"Hi, I need to pick your brain for a minute. Have you ever had gophers?"
Oh, yeah!
How did you get rid of them?
Traps, it is the only thing that works.
Really?
Yeah, then you know for sure you got 'em. You don't have to wonder if they are still out there. But the hard part is setting the traps. They are a real pain to set if you don't know what you are doing.
Great. So, what, you just pick up the trap and throw it away like a mousetrap?
No, you can't throw it away, they are like ten dollars!
Oh, dear, you mean I have to get it off of there?
Uh huh. (laughing)
So, the spray and the sonic things don't work?
No, nothing else worked for us besides the traps. But you have to attach a wire to it and a pole or something otherwise it will take off with the trap attached.
Okay....So, umm, are you going to be around tomorrow? 'Cause I might need to call you. I am on my way to Home Depot now to get this stuff.
So, I go to Home Depot and find the traps. $10 for two. Such a deal. Hmmm, maybe I could just throw it away after....
We get the stuff home and Scott is busy attaching wire and such. He got this huge thing that supposedly screws into the ground. It is about a foot and a half long. So, he is trying to set the trap. Don't get your fingers in there! Warning on the box reads in part, "...Keep traps away from children and anyone not familiar with their use." That would be ME! Scott's mumbling that the instructions read like stereo instructions. Great.
"Hi, umm, you said you were going to be in and out tomorrow, right?"
Yeah, why?
Well, you know what they say about a friend in need.
(laughing)
We just bought the traps and...
(speaking to her husband) Is it okay if I run over to Amy's for a minute? They just got the gopher traps....I will be over in a few minutes.
Coooool! Thanks. I will see you then.
Turn oven with leftovers in it down to 225 degrees. Continue watching hubby try to figure this out.
Well, between the two of them, they figured them out. Turns out our traps are different than hers. But, hubby did eventually figure it out. Yeah, hubby. We took them outside and my wonderful friend poked around in the dirt a bit and very quickly found the hole! I looked for the longest time and found nothing. Oh well, she has the experience. Anyway, so we put the trap in the one hole and decided to look up near the fence for the other one. Well, it was there all right. But in the backyard. A den or nest-like hole with tons of weeds and grass stuffed inside. My dear friend (did I mention how great she is?) stuck her hand inside to clear it out so we could put the trap in and kept pulling out ALL THIS STUFF! So, like I said, the he might not be a he after all. Anyway, so she was able to get the other trap in this hole and we are "set", no pun intended. Okay, it was intended.
So, before I went to bed, I went out there with a flashlight. No gophers. I went out with Scott before he left for work at 4:30am. No gophers. Now it is 5:30. I will check again in a few hours. Won't you all be anxiously awaiting the outcome? My dear, sweet friend, the Gopher Catcher Extraordinaire, said she has caught about 15-20 of these little critters. I would just be happy if there are no new mounds in my yard. So, I know you will want to come back for Caddyshack Part II.
Oh, yeah, and my sweet little blue eyed girl has pink eye. She started rubbing her eyes last night. Poor little thing. Don't know where she got it, but now she has it and we will just have to wait for that to go away. Bummer. She's not too happy about that. Hopefully, her sister doesn't get it, too.
Will keep you posted on the gophers...
So, I have been enjoying days of warm breezes and beautiful sunshine when, out of nowhere, I find this big pile of soft dirt on the slope where the wildflowers are in front of the house. I start to sift through the dirt with my hands and there's nothing there. I am a little concerned, because I think maybe something is living there. Then again, it could be the kids who get off the bus at the corner and pick the flowers. Well, just one dirt pile, but a rather large one. I will keep my eye on it. So, Saturday night, I was outside watering the plants and I look up at the front porch to see this small, hamster-like creature with a stubby tail scurrying away from the corner of my front porch. It runs across the front porch to the other side. I am about ten feet away. I yell for hubby and he comes out of the house, finally, and by this time the little critter has run again through a little tiny hole, about one inch wide, two inches long in the bottom of the plastic fence next to the house. Gone. Into the backyard I assumed. Little bugger. So, now, it's confirmed. I have at least one gopher. So the next step is to get traps. So, Saturday night, I start thinking about the small rodent who is going to wreak havoc on my work in progress. My first real attempt at creating a nice yard. I tossed and turned all night. Didn't help that it was warm in the house and I couldn't sleep. Every time I turned and woke up, I was thinking about this little monster that was going to have a habitrail under my yard. Sixteen feet an hour is what they can supposedly tunnel. And once the tunnels are dug, they can travel something like seventy five feet a minute. That is impressive. So, I am lying in bed thinking about all the mounds I am going to have all over my yard, this little furry creep pulling my bulbs from the roots and chomping down on all my pretty flowers. I got up at 12:30am Sunday morning and looked up "how to get rid of gophers" on the internet. There are all kinds of things. Traps, castor oil spray, sonic repellers, high frequency repellers, dried blood, poison granules, dried granulated fox urine. This is big business. And a lot for my 2am head to take in. So, I attempted to return to bed, only now I was thinking of all the ways I could eradicate this little sucker. I woke up Sunday morning feeling mentally challenged. Not ready to face the day. Not ready to face the gopher. Feeling like he was going to win the battle.
Sunday after church the plan was to go get gopher stuff. Everything. Try it, see if it works. Well, that didn't happen. We decided to stop at the VW dealership to see what they had and if replacing the seventeen mile per gallon Suburban with a smaller vehicle would make sense. I guess it must have made sense. After five hours at the car dealership watching little girls run around collecting balloons, you will soon see the fruits of our labors. 32 miles per gallon is much more respectable. Almost double. That should save a large chunk of change. More money to buy gopher trapping paraphernalia. So, needless to say, we didn't get to home depot on Sunday. So, Monday morning I go outside and there are two more mounds of soft dirt next to the larger one and another along the bottom of my plastic fence that is about three feet wide. Just inches away from where he went under the fence. I use the word "he" but it may not BE a he. So, since the gopher has been busy at work, I figure it is time for me to step up to the plate. So, I call my friend who has a large piece of horse property. About two acres. Dirt in the back, grass and flowers in the front.
"Hi, I need to pick your brain for a minute. Have you ever had gophers?"
Oh, yeah!
How did you get rid of them?
Traps, it is the only thing that works.
Really?
Yeah, then you know for sure you got 'em. You don't have to wonder if they are still out there. But the hard part is setting the traps. They are a real pain to set if you don't know what you are doing.
Great. So, what, you just pick up the trap and throw it away like a mousetrap?
No, you can't throw it away, they are like ten dollars!
Oh, dear, you mean I have to get it off of there?
Uh huh. (laughing)
So, the spray and the sonic things don't work?
No, nothing else worked for us besides the traps. But you have to attach a wire to it and a pole or something otherwise it will take off with the trap attached.
Okay....So, umm, are you going to be around tomorrow? 'Cause I might need to call you. I am on my way to Home Depot now to get this stuff.
So, I go to Home Depot and find the traps. $10 for two. Such a deal. Hmmm, maybe I could just throw it away after....
We get the stuff home and Scott is busy attaching wire and such. He got this huge thing that supposedly screws into the ground. It is about a foot and a half long. So, he is trying to set the trap. Don't get your fingers in there! Warning on the box reads in part, "...Keep traps away from children and anyone not familiar with their use." That would be ME! Scott's mumbling that the instructions read like stereo instructions. Great.
"Hi, umm, you said you were going to be in and out tomorrow, right?"
Yeah, why?
Well, you know what they say about a friend in need.
(laughing)
We just bought the traps and...
(speaking to her husband) Is it okay if I run over to Amy's for a minute? They just got the gopher traps....I will be over in a few minutes.
Coooool! Thanks. I will see you then.
Turn oven with leftovers in it down to 225 degrees. Continue watching hubby try to figure this out.
Well, between the two of them, they figured them out. Turns out our traps are different than hers. But, hubby did eventually figure it out. Yeah, hubby. We took them outside and my wonderful friend poked around in the dirt a bit and very quickly found the hole! I looked for the longest time and found nothing. Oh well, she has the experience. Anyway, so we put the trap in the one hole and decided to look up near the fence for the other one. Well, it was there all right. But in the backyard. A den or nest-like hole with tons of weeds and grass stuffed inside. My dear friend (did I mention how great she is?) stuck her hand inside to clear it out so we could put the trap in and kept pulling out ALL THIS STUFF! So, like I said, the he might not be a he after all. Anyway, so she was able to get the other trap in this hole and we are "set", no pun intended. Okay, it was intended.
So, before I went to bed, I went out there with a flashlight. No gophers. I went out with Scott before he left for work at 4:30am. No gophers. Now it is 5:30. I will check again in a few hours. Won't you all be anxiously awaiting the outcome? My dear, sweet friend, the Gopher Catcher Extraordinaire, said she has caught about 15-20 of these little critters. I would just be happy if there are no new mounds in my yard. So, I know you will want to come back for Caddyshack Part II.
Oh, yeah, and my sweet little blue eyed girl has pink eye. She started rubbing her eyes last night. Poor little thing. Don't know where she got it, but now she has it and we will just have to wait for that to go away. Bummer. She's not too happy about that. Hopefully, her sister doesn't get it, too.
Will keep you posted on the gophers...
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Part of the Revolution
Well, we have finally joined the internet revolution. DSL is not available at my house, but we have a cablemodem and we are now online! Yeah, no more dialup. Gee, I'm gonna miss waiting 5 minutes for my email to come up...
So, now we are going to be able to do things in the internet, like download stuff, upload stuff, etc. without it taking half the day.
I guess I have a little catching up to do.
My yard looks nice. Green grass coming in after a cold winter, wild flowers blooming, everything starting to look really colorful. My strawberry plants are in full bloom (that means lots of yummy strawberries!) and my flowering bushes and plants are all about to explode. I spent yesterday using the drop spreader on the lawn with weed and feed and ammonium sulfate to green it up. If it doesn't kill it, it should work. Never done this before. And part of this job was pushing this thing sideways on the slope on the side of our house. Wow, I never imagined it would be so strenuous to push a wheeled trough sideways on a hill. That was quite a workout. But, I figured, if the gardener can do it (and he never shows up when he is supposed to), then so can I. And I can do it when it isn't windy (three days per year), so it won't kill all my flowers in the process. Last time he put the weed and feed on it, all the plants on the perimeter of the lawn died! Let's hope I did a better job.
Looking forward to the girls' birthday party on Sunday. My house is not yet cleaned up. I guess I will do the 24 hour marathon clean the day before....or something. I will never be confused with Martha Stewart!
Hope all you all in cyberspace are doing well. Now that I can get on here faster, I will try to post more often. Plus, I can be on the internet without worrying about anyone trying to call. Isn't High Speed Internet wonderful?
So, now we are going to be able to do things in the internet, like download stuff, upload stuff, etc. without it taking half the day.
I guess I have a little catching up to do.
My yard looks nice. Green grass coming in after a cold winter, wild flowers blooming, everything starting to look really colorful. My strawberry plants are in full bloom (that means lots of yummy strawberries!) and my flowering bushes and plants are all about to explode. I spent yesterday using the drop spreader on the lawn with weed and feed and ammonium sulfate to green it up. If it doesn't kill it, it should work. Never done this before. And part of this job was pushing this thing sideways on the slope on the side of our house. Wow, I never imagined it would be so strenuous to push a wheeled trough sideways on a hill. That was quite a workout. But, I figured, if the gardener can do it (and he never shows up when he is supposed to), then so can I. And I can do it when it isn't windy (three days per year), so it won't kill all my flowers in the process. Last time he put the weed and feed on it, all the plants on the perimeter of the lawn died! Let's hope I did a better job.
Looking forward to the girls' birthday party on Sunday. My house is not yet cleaned up. I guess I will do the 24 hour marathon clean the day before....or something. I will never be confused with Martha Stewart!
Hope all you all in cyberspace are doing well. Now that I can get on here faster, I will try to post more often. Plus, I can be on the internet without worrying about anyone trying to call. Isn't High Speed Internet wonderful?
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Great Bumper Stickers! Pick your favorite!
Wrinkled was not one of the things I wanted to be when I grew up.
So many stupid people, and so few asteroids.
Never believe generalizations.
Avoid alliterations always.
Dyslexics are teople poo.
I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.
The control key on the keyboard does not work.
On your mark, get set, go away!
I didn't climb to the top of the food chain to become a vegetarian!
I am not infantile, you stinky poopyhead.
I have a degree in Liberal Arts - do you want fries with that?
Suburbia: Where they tear out the trees and name streets after them.
Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?
Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you weren't asleep.
Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it?
Cover Me! I'm Changing Lanes
How do I set a laser printer to stun?
The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on the list.
The trouble with the gene pool is that there's no lifeguard.
Old age comes at a bad time.
You're just jealous because the voices only talk to ME.
Without ME, it's just AWESO.
Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it?
As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in public schools.
Your kid may be an Honor Student, but YOU'RE still an idiot.
I took an IQ test and the results were negative.
To err is human, to blame it on somebody else shows management potential.
Driver carries no cash. He's married.
Watch out for the idiot behind me.
Don't believe everything you think.
Earth is full. Go home.
All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
My wife keeps complaining I never listen to her (or something like that).
Never miss a good opportunity to shut up.
If it isn't broken, fix it until it is.
What if the hokey pokey is really what it's all about?
So many stupid people, and so few asteroids.
Never believe generalizations.
Avoid alliterations always.
Dyslexics are teople poo.
I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.
The control key on the keyboard does not work.
On your mark, get set, go away!
I didn't climb to the top of the food chain to become a vegetarian!
I am not infantile, you stinky poopyhead.
I have a degree in Liberal Arts - do you want fries with that?
Suburbia: Where they tear out the trees and name streets after them.
Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?
Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you weren't asleep.
Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it?
Cover Me! I'm Changing Lanes
How do I set a laser printer to stun?
The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on the list.
The trouble with the gene pool is that there's no lifeguard.
Old age comes at a bad time.
You're just jealous because the voices only talk to ME.
Without ME, it's just AWESO.
Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it?
As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in public schools.
Your kid may be an Honor Student, but YOU'RE still an idiot.
I took an IQ test and the results were negative.
To err is human, to blame it on somebody else shows management potential.
Driver carries no cash. He's married.
Watch out for the idiot behind me.
Don't believe everything you think.
Earth is full. Go home.
All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
My wife keeps complaining I never listen to her (or something like that).
Never miss a good opportunity to shut up.
If it isn't broken, fix it until it is.
What if the hokey pokey is really what it's all about?
Wednesday, and all is, well....
Wednesday, and all is, well…
I wish it were better. On Sunday, the 12th, we went to Petsmart, which I used to think was Pet Smart, but not anymore. Stupid cat. Anyway. We went to see the pet adoption cats and the lady was in the room with us. She let me know the cat I was petting was not available but this other one, a gentle 3-4 year old male was. Large cat, grey and white, very nice. Purring, loving, reached out his paw to get petted again. I told Scott, “I want to see if he likes to be picked up. Well, when I did, Scott commented that, wow, he didn’t even put his claws out or anything! So, I am holding the cat, he is purring, when all of a sudden, he grabs my hand with both paws and bites down into my wrist as hard as he could! I have had cats all my life and have NEVER experienced anything like this! No growling, no ears back, no nothing. Purring to biting in .05 seconds! ¼ inch deep puncture wounds on the top and bottom of my wrist. It didn’t bleed much, it was right next to the vein. So I was able to see how deep the hole was. Well, little bleeding means that the toxins the cat deposited into my hand did not come out. So, the swelling and subsequent infection traveling down my wrist were no surprise.
So, the people at Petsmart told me to go to the Urgent Care covered by my insurance, which is in Van Nuys. Great. Pile the kids in the car and drive down there. It was 5:45 when it happened. Urgent Care dr. gave me a prescription for Zithromax. I was allergic to the first and second line drugs. Great. The doctor also told me that because of the diabetes, I run the risk of having a major infection. She was very concerned.
So, now I am supposed to go home and take care of it. Try explaining to a two year old why you can’t pick her up. Or carry her to bed. Why your four year old can’t hug your arm and make you feel better. The slightest pressure on my hand hurt. Still does, but it is a smaller area.
Then, the following Sunday, I wake up and can’t move. The muscles on the left side of my back were frozen. It took about ten minutes to get out of bed. I didn’t figure it out until about a week later, but this, I contribute to the cat bite as well. I was compensating. Lifting what I needed to pick up with my left hand, using my left hand when I would normally use my right hand. After a week of this, my back was out of balance and decided to throw in the towel. Another trip to the doctor. Took four days to get the prescription for muscle relaxants from the pharmacy. It still hurts. Not nearly as bad, but it does hurt. Very stiff and sore, especially if I am in one position for too long.
The asst. manager at Petsmart called me the day after this happened. The woman at Petsmart’s insurance company called me a few days later and told me that because the cat belonged to Claws rescue, the adoption company, that Petsmart is not responsible. So, wouldn’t you think that the people at Claws would call me? She hasn’t returned my phone calls or the Petsmart insurance companies phone calls. That is unbelievable! They probably think I did something to this cat! It bothers me that this cat may go to a home with small children because they think he is “gentle”.
I have had cats all my life. I have never been afraid of cats…ever. I am now. And I am angry that these people are more concerned with the life of a cat than the life of a person.
I wish it were better. On Sunday, the 12th, we went to Petsmart, which I used to think was Pet Smart, but not anymore. Stupid cat. Anyway. We went to see the pet adoption cats and the lady was in the room with us. She let me know the cat I was petting was not available but this other one, a gentle 3-4 year old male was. Large cat, grey and white, very nice. Purring, loving, reached out his paw to get petted again. I told Scott, “I want to see if he likes to be picked up. Well, when I did, Scott commented that, wow, he didn’t even put his claws out or anything! So, I am holding the cat, he is purring, when all of a sudden, he grabs my hand with both paws and bites down into my wrist as hard as he could! I have had cats all my life and have NEVER experienced anything like this! No growling, no ears back, no nothing. Purring to biting in .05 seconds! ¼ inch deep puncture wounds on the top and bottom of my wrist. It didn’t bleed much, it was right next to the vein. So I was able to see how deep the hole was. Well, little bleeding means that the toxins the cat deposited into my hand did not come out. So, the swelling and subsequent infection traveling down my wrist were no surprise.
So, the people at Petsmart told me to go to the Urgent Care covered by my insurance, which is in Van Nuys. Great. Pile the kids in the car and drive down there. It was 5:45 when it happened. Urgent Care dr. gave me a prescription for Zithromax. I was allergic to the first and second line drugs. Great. The doctor also told me that because of the diabetes, I run the risk of having a major infection. She was very concerned.
So, now I am supposed to go home and take care of it. Try explaining to a two year old why you can’t pick her up. Or carry her to bed. Why your four year old can’t hug your arm and make you feel better. The slightest pressure on my hand hurt. Still does, but it is a smaller area.
Then, the following Sunday, I wake up and can’t move. The muscles on the left side of my back were frozen. It took about ten minutes to get out of bed. I didn’t figure it out until about a week later, but this, I contribute to the cat bite as well. I was compensating. Lifting what I needed to pick up with my left hand, using my left hand when I would normally use my right hand. After a week of this, my back was out of balance and decided to throw in the towel. Another trip to the doctor. Took four days to get the prescription for muscle relaxants from the pharmacy. It still hurts. Not nearly as bad, but it does hurt. Very stiff and sore, especially if I am in one position for too long.
The asst. manager at Petsmart called me the day after this happened. The woman at Petsmart’s insurance company called me a few days later and told me that because the cat belonged to Claws rescue, the adoption company, that Petsmart is not responsible. So, wouldn’t you think that the people at Claws would call me? She hasn’t returned my phone calls or the Petsmart insurance companies phone calls. That is unbelievable! They probably think I did something to this cat! It bothers me that this cat may go to a home with small children because they think he is “gentle”.
I have had cats all my life. I have never been afraid of cats…ever. I am now. And I am angry that these people are more concerned with the life of a cat than the life of a person.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
She's Done!
Rebekah is officially out of diapers. Yeah! What a good girl. It wasn't as painful as I thought it would be. She was exactly the same age as Jessica was when she finished. Two months before she turned three. Day, night, everything. Well, Rebekah, having been in underwear for about a week and a half now, was the same age as Jess at the time. Yeah! No more diapers. Only, brilliant me, thinking it was going to be quite some time before she was completely through, bought all these pullups. Like the big box from Costco and two packs from Toys R Us (with discounts and coupons, of course). Well, now, she has not had a wet pullup in like a week and a half and I am re-thinking this whole plan ahead strategy. Seems like a waste of about forty bucks now. BUT, on the bright side, I definitely won't be buying any more!
Rebekah got to pick out a barbie from Toys R Us and she got dinner on the celebrate plate. When her Daddy asked her why, she said, "Cause I'm potty trained!" She was very excited.
Now where did I put that list of all the things we could do with the pullup money...
Rebekah got to pick out a barbie from Toys R Us and she got dinner on the celebrate plate. When her Daddy asked her why, she said, "Cause I'm potty trained!" She was very excited.
Now where did I put that list of all the things we could do with the pullup money...
Disappointed
Last night I went to the grocery store. Got $170 worth of groceries for $105. Coupons and specials. Scott stayed home with the girls. I told them if they cleaned up the playroom, I would bring back a special treat. Well, I got them the little valentines day candy hearts. Each box was on sale for 33 cents. Not bad, I thought. Jessica worked on the playroom and got it cleaned up. She worked hard. Rebekah didn't help, but her job was to root through the bags of groceries looking for the treat. She gave up when she got to the box of valentine cards. So, I found the candy hearts and gave them each a box. Jess will get something extra special tomorrow because she was the only one to really clean up. And she will get to have dinner on the celebrate plate. Anyway, the first candy Jess put in her mouth was a white one. Peppermint. Doesn't like peppermint. Spit it out. Next one, didn't like the taste of. Tried one more. Decided she didn't like the candies at all and promptly threw the entire box in the trash. I think I was more disappointed than she was. Here, I was trying to reward her for going above and beyond and the reward was a bust! And she LOVES candy. And sweets, and anything chocolate. I should have just bought her her very own Hershey bar and called it good. But I thought I was doing something good. What a bummer.
Of course, Rebekah was sitting on the floor with her box of confections going, "These are GOOD!" So, the one who should not have been rewarded enjoyed the reward. Best laid plans...
Of course, Rebekah was sitting on the floor with her box of confections going, "These are GOOD!" So, the one who should not have been rewarded enjoyed the reward. Best laid plans...
Six More Weeks?
Six more weeks of winter? Well, okay, but if we have to have em, let's have some good winter weather. We haven't had any rain to speak of, no snow, no fantastic thunderstorms, well, there was one, but really not too much except really cold. I want some weather! Like the torrential downpours of last year, when I was glad my car was higher up off the ground. Like when you can't tell how deep the puddle is you are driving through. Real puddles, that look like little lakes. Not piddles. Rain, like when all the streets around here were flooded and the gutters turn into rivers. And all the newly graded subdivisions have to re-grade because the lots have fallen downhill. Rain, the kind that makes the plants grow like crazy! And lightning, so at three a.m. I can look out over the entire valley and see huge flashes light up the night sky from one end to the other. Huge bolts of electricity that go straight down from the clouds and pop the transformers and make everything go black in a huge part of the valley until it cycles and the lights come on again.
Yeah, I am looking forward to spring, but I want to see some good winter weather first!
Yeah, I am looking forward to spring, but I want to see some good winter weather first!
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
You Want Me To Build a WHAT!?!
Imagine, if you will, being in Noah's shoes. Noah from the Bible, not Baby Noah, although he is SOOO CUTE! Okay, so you are lying in bed one night, drifting off to sleep and you hear a voice. You look around. Nobody is there. You say to your wife, "Honey, did you say something?" She's like, "Huh?" Okay, nevermind, go back to sleep. So, then you hear the voice again. You realize it is God talking to you! Imagine that feeling! I have seen angels, I have seen demons, but I have yet to hear the voice of God speaking directly to me. I know it is a possibility, but I can only imagine what it will be like! Awesome! Anyway, so you are sitting there, talking to God and He tells you to build a really big boat. You have never seen a boat before. You don't know how to build one! What is everyone else going to think? HOW are you going to explain this to your wife! They are all going to think you are out of your mind. What if they try to lock you up for being crazy before you are able to finish it? God tells you He is going to destroy all mankind, except you and your family. Talk about walking on eggshells! Boy, you don't want to make God mad, but are you really sure you want me to build this boat thing? Oh my goodness. Talk about a leap of faith! Noah had more faith than anybody! Oh, yeah, and after you are done, go and get all of these animals and bring them together into the ark. Yeah, like they are just going to come along willingly...oh, they are?
I would have to say that Noah was delighting in God's will. Despite all the things that others must have said to him while he was working on this huge project. Everyone around him must have thought he was nuts. And it would have been so huge that everyone around for miles would have been able to see it. Not like you could hide it in a garage while you were building it! The only thing he had going for him was that he knew it wasn't going to rain until he was done. No down time!
And he had faith that could move mountains, or animals, as it were.
Oh, if we could have such faith in the midst of adversity! To be able to say, "Okay, God, whatever you want me to do, I will do it without question." Gen. 6:22 "Noah did everything just as God commanded him." Gen. 7:5 "And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him."
Noah was six hundred years old at the time the floodwaters came. Would you have that kind of faith at an old age? That is a hard thing to do! Pretty set in your ways, ready to retire, and God comes to you and gives you this huge assignment. Okay, God, where do I start? That is faith!
They were in the ark for a hundred and fifty days. five months. That is a long time to be in there with all those animals and your family. Talk about claustrophobic! I get antsy if we are in the house for a couple of days! Five MONTHS!? You have got to be kidding! More faith. Okay, God, is this really going to end? Okay, I hope you are right!
Let's all have the faith of Noah and maybe God will give us some extraordinary job to do also. Or maybe we are already doing extraordinary jobs and we just don't realize it. Hopefully, when other people see us, they will see the love of Christ in us and isn't that what it is all about?
I would have to say that Noah was delighting in God's will. Despite all the things that others must have said to him while he was working on this huge project. Everyone around him must have thought he was nuts. And it would have been so huge that everyone around for miles would have been able to see it. Not like you could hide it in a garage while you were building it! The only thing he had going for him was that he knew it wasn't going to rain until he was done. No down time!
And he had faith that could move mountains, or animals, as it were.
Oh, if we could have such faith in the midst of adversity! To be able to say, "Okay, God, whatever you want me to do, I will do it without question." Gen. 6:22 "Noah did everything just as God commanded him." Gen. 7:5 "And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him."
Noah was six hundred years old at the time the floodwaters came. Would you have that kind of faith at an old age? That is a hard thing to do! Pretty set in your ways, ready to retire, and God comes to you and gives you this huge assignment. Okay, God, where do I start? That is faith!
They were in the ark for a hundred and fifty days. five months. That is a long time to be in there with all those animals and your family. Talk about claustrophobic! I get antsy if we are in the house for a couple of days! Five MONTHS!? You have got to be kidding! More faith. Okay, God, is this really going to end? Okay, I hope you are right!
Let's all have the faith of Noah and maybe God will give us some extraordinary job to do also. Or maybe we are already doing extraordinary jobs and we just don't realize it. Hopefully, when other people see us, they will see the love of Christ in us and isn't that what it is all about?
Monday, January 30, 2006
Emotional II
We sang How Great Thou Art in church today. There were not many people in the church today. Very light crowd. So, I really felt the need to sing louder than normal. Make up for the empty seats, you know. Hoping not to offend anyone by being off-key or anything. After all, it is for God, not for anyone else, right. Anyway, so I am singing at the top of my lungs and the next song is How Great Thou Art. And it hits me as I am singing the words.
Oh Lord my God when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed
HOW GREAT THOU ART. Truly. Our God is amazing. He does so much for us and what do we do for Him?
Tears were streaming down my face and I was kind of glad that the church was so empty, I didn't feel as though I had to look a certain way or be a certain way depending on who was watching me.
Then Sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee! How Great Thou Art. HOW GREAT THOU ART!
The few voices, combined with the AWESOME music (that guitar just gets me) and I just lost it. Well, I hope you all had equally earth-shattering experiences...I know I for one am glad I made it to church this Sunday.
Oh Lord my God when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed
HOW GREAT THOU ART. Truly. Our God is amazing. He does so much for us and what do we do for Him?
Tears were streaming down my face and I was kind of glad that the church was so empty, I didn't feel as though I had to look a certain way or be a certain way depending on who was watching me.
Then Sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee! How Great Thou Art. HOW GREAT THOU ART!
The few voices, combined with the AWESOME music (that guitar just gets me) and I just lost it. Well, I hope you all had equally earth-shattering experiences...I know I for one am glad I made it to church this Sunday.
Emotional
Psalm 37:4 "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
So, I came upon this in my little calendar and I was reading it and thinking about it. How many times have you heard someone quote this Scripture? Probably many times. Maybe at least once. Well, often, when people quote this, it is done thus: "...and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Forgetting, or omitting the first part. Maybe you have done this yourself?
What does it mean to delight thyself also in the Lord? DO HIS WILL. Live in His will. Be in His will. ACT in His will. I am picturing a parent (something I can relate to), having their child do what they know the parent wants them to do. May not like it. May complain about it, but does it because they know it will make their parent happy. Been there? We are all God's children. We sometimes, well, often, act like children. Children are notorious for testing their boundaries. "Jessica, don't touch that." So, while looking me straight in the face, puts her hand as close as she can get it without actually touching it. Just to see what I will do. Don't we do that? Okay, God, where is my boundary? At what point will I get in trouble? You already are. Why are you testing Him? It doesn't get you where you want to be.
If we remain in the Lord's will, He will bless us.
I am struggling with this whole "Let go, let God" thing. It's hard to do! We want to control, to be in charge and can't you just picture God up there going, "Aww, look, how cute, Amy wants to be all in charge." We just aren't. The older our children get, the more we give them the opportunity to test their limits. But it is controlled. We don't let them get hurt, get in a situation where they can injure themselves or do any serious harm. Let them test their boundaries but within limits. Isn't that what God lets us do? Test our boundaries, within His limits? So as not to cause harm to ourselves? Isn't that what we trust Him to do? Shouldn't we?
Maybe we should spend more time delighting in the Lord and less time wondering when He will give us the desires of our hearts. If we delight in Him, He SHOULD be the desire of our hearts and...problem solved.
So, I came upon this in my little calendar and I was reading it and thinking about it. How many times have you heard someone quote this Scripture? Probably many times. Maybe at least once. Well, often, when people quote this, it is done thus: "...and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Forgetting, or omitting the first part. Maybe you have done this yourself?
What does it mean to delight thyself also in the Lord? DO HIS WILL. Live in His will. Be in His will. ACT in His will. I am picturing a parent (something I can relate to), having their child do what they know the parent wants them to do. May not like it. May complain about it, but does it because they know it will make their parent happy. Been there? We are all God's children. We sometimes, well, often, act like children. Children are notorious for testing their boundaries. "Jessica, don't touch that." So, while looking me straight in the face, puts her hand as close as she can get it without actually touching it. Just to see what I will do. Don't we do that? Okay, God, where is my boundary? At what point will I get in trouble? You already are. Why are you testing Him? It doesn't get you where you want to be.
If we remain in the Lord's will, He will bless us.
I am struggling with this whole "Let go, let God" thing. It's hard to do! We want to control, to be in charge and can't you just picture God up there going, "Aww, look, how cute, Amy wants to be all in charge." We just aren't. The older our children get, the more we give them the opportunity to test their limits. But it is controlled. We don't let them get hurt, get in a situation where they can injure themselves or do any serious harm. Let them test their boundaries but within limits. Isn't that what God lets us do? Test our boundaries, within His limits? So as not to cause harm to ourselves? Isn't that what we trust Him to do? Shouldn't we?
Maybe we should spend more time delighting in the Lord and less time wondering when He will give us the desires of our hearts. If we delight in Him, He SHOULD be the desire of our hearts and...problem solved.
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