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?
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
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.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Old People
I like old people. I don't mean old like, they think they are old, I mean old old. Like Scott's Grandma Alice. She's 94. That's old. Old like when you are proud of your age again and tell anyone who asks! That's cool. Tuesday is my Aunt Amy's birthday. My Grandma Aurlette's sister. Grandma was born in 1922 and Aunt Amy is, a couple years older than Grandma was. I think she will be 85. She still lives by herself. She does not seem old, though, but she has the stories. She doesn't trust doctors. She told the doctor she was going off the medicines he prescribed and she did. She made her next appt. to see him and he said, "What's the point? You don't listen to me anyway!" Maybe that's why she is still doing so well...
Aunt Amy has stories to tell. Grandma Alice has stories to tell. I would love to go to a nursing home and just go from room to room talking to the people there. That would be fun. Grandma Alice told me about how she broke her big toe. The car ran over it. She didn't say anything to anybody. Because they were going to town in the car. Had she complained, she would not have been able to go. Her big toe still sticks straight up.
Before my Grandma Aurlette died, my Aunt Sandy did an audio tape of a conversation with her. It is very cool to listen to them talking about things. I did the same thing with Scott's Grandma Alice. She talked about living on the family farm, the car, her husband dying in a plane crash on the farm, having to raise two children herself, all kinds of stuff. We don't always take time to realize what we have to be thankful for. Our children are not hungry. I have to remember this when I throw out food that we didn't eat from the fridge. We have several pairs of shoes. And clothes that we don't have time to wear.
Several years ago I saw a picture of my dad's school class in Germany. He was born in 1941 and this was post-war Germany. I asked him why only a few of the kids had shoes. They couldn't afford them. And lederhosen (sp?) must have come in handy because leather pants don't wear out very quickly and you only need one pair! Dad also told me about his dad the other day. He would go out to the forest to pick out a Christmas tree. If the branches were not perfect, he would cut a branch off the bottom of the tree and graft it into the empty spot, so the tree would look perfect! Amazing! Opa was 64 when he died. The same age my dad is now. But he was not healthy at 64 and dad is.
I know I will not have Aunt Amy or Grandma Alice around for much longer. And I miss my Grandma Aurlette. I miss my mom, too, but her passing away is bittersweet. There was so much suffering at the end. For her and Dad. Grandma Aurlette was full of life. She didn't want to die. Ever! She always had a smile on her face. I have only really gotten to know Aunt Amy since Grandma Aurlette died. Aunt Amy lives in Sylmar. We are going out on Wed. for her birthday. She stayed with me for a week after Rebekah was born and helped me. Rebekah is her baby. She loves the girls and they love her. It is so sweet to see the little ones hugging and kissing the "old ones". We try to visit as often as we can.
Stories. We all have them to share. We need to listen to the stories of those who have come before us and share them with those who come after us. The story of the crybabies was inspiring. I think they were called crybabies because you feel like crying like a baby after doing all that stirring and your arm feels like it is about to fall off!
Have a wonderful, Merry Christmas.
Aunt Amy has stories to tell. Grandma Alice has stories to tell. I would love to go to a nursing home and just go from room to room talking to the people there. That would be fun. Grandma Alice told me about how she broke her big toe. The car ran over it. She didn't say anything to anybody. Because they were going to town in the car. Had she complained, she would not have been able to go. Her big toe still sticks straight up.
Before my Grandma Aurlette died, my Aunt Sandy did an audio tape of a conversation with her. It is very cool to listen to them talking about things. I did the same thing with Scott's Grandma Alice. She talked about living on the family farm, the car, her husband dying in a plane crash on the farm, having to raise two children herself, all kinds of stuff. We don't always take time to realize what we have to be thankful for. Our children are not hungry. I have to remember this when I throw out food that we didn't eat from the fridge. We have several pairs of shoes. And clothes that we don't have time to wear.
Several years ago I saw a picture of my dad's school class in Germany. He was born in 1941 and this was post-war Germany. I asked him why only a few of the kids had shoes. They couldn't afford them. And lederhosen (sp?) must have come in handy because leather pants don't wear out very quickly and you only need one pair! Dad also told me about his dad the other day. He would go out to the forest to pick out a Christmas tree. If the branches were not perfect, he would cut a branch off the bottom of the tree and graft it into the empty spot, so the tree would look perfect! Amazing! Opa was 64 when he died. The same age my dad is now. But he was not healthy at 64 and dad is.
I know I will not have Aunt Amy or Grandma Alice around for much longer. And I miss my Grandma Aurlette. I miss my mom, too, but her passing away is bittersweet. There was so much suffering at the end. For her and Dad. Grandma Aurlette was full of life. She didn't want to die. Ever! She always had a smile on her face. I have only really gotten to know Aunt Amy since Grandma Aurlette died. Aunt Amy lives in Sylmar. We are going out on Wed. for her birthday. She stayed with me for a week after Rebekah was born and helped me. Rebekah is her baby. She loves the girls and they love her. It is so sweet to see the little ones hugging and kissing the "old ones". We try to visit as often as we can.
Stories. We all have them to share. We need to listen to the stories of those who have come before us and share them with those who come after us. The story of the crybabies was inspiring. I think they were called crybabies because you feel like crying like a baby after doing all that stirring and your arm feels like it is about to fall off!
Have a wonderful, Merry Christmas.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Just busy being a mom...
Went to the gym again. Only walked for an hour, but that's an hour more than normal! I feel a little stiff and sore. Was going to get off the treadmill and get on the bike, but just never did.
Then we went to Toys r Us to look for Matthew's trains. Gordon and Henry. Try taking a two year old and a four year old to Toys R Us. They were pretty well behaved.
Rebekah is doing really well at the potty training thing. She stays dry for long periods of time. Good thing, cuz I don't like spending so much money on pullups! Those things are expensive. $15.99 for 40. That's 39 cents each after my coupon! That's a lot of money. About six a day, so roughly $70 per month in pullups!
So, here are the top ten things I can buy when I no longer have to buy pullups!
10. Start a coffee habit and get one starbucks per day
9. One nice meal out per month.
8. Monthly payment on a jacuzzi.
7. I can pay off my gym membership.
6. Scott can work fewer hours.
5. Two extra tanks of gas in a month.
4. Pizza delivery twice a month.
3. New clothes for my new figure.
2. New clothes for Rebekah.
1. Pay off the Christmas presents!
So, I am so proud of my little girl! :-)
Scott is sick of turkey. We had to make another turkey on Monday night. I had two in the freezer from the beginning of the year, so I had to take those out when I got the buy one get one free turkeys this year. But the one I took out for Thanksgiving didn't thaw out in time, since Scott's mom was supposed to get it and she didn't tell me until Monday before that she didn't get it. So, he had to buy a fresh one on Wednesday night. So, we had three turkeys in addition to Thanksgiving's bird (which leftovers we left at Uncle Bud's house!).
I don't know how else to use the turkey. I have a whole bag full of turkey still. I made turkey enchiladas last week. Those were good. He doesn't want any more of any of it. Any suggestions on how to use all the turkey? It is cooked, boned and sitting in the fridge.
We are having meatballs and ham for Christmas eve. That will be here. Thanksgiving was at Uncle Bud's house. Scott's uncle. They live about 5 miles from here. I brought all the food there. Turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole, jello, pumpkin pie, chocolate pie. At least for Christmas I won't have to transport everything. I am not making everything for Christmas, either! I have to have time to clean my house! And I am throwing them out at 5:00pm so we can go to church! Then, we will come home and have birthday cake. Should I make chocolate or lemon?
I guess I will be going to the gym a lot between now and Christmas. Lot's of future calories to work off. Plus, I hear that it gets pretty crowded after the first of the year...
Then we went to Toys r Us to look for Matthew's trains. Gordon and Henry. Try taking a two year old and a four year old to Toys R Us. They were pretty well behaved.
Rebekah is doing really well at the potty training thing. She stays dry for long periods of time. Good thing, cuz I don't like spending so much money on pullups! Those things are expensive. $15.99 for 40. That's 39 cents each after my coupon! That's a lot of money. About six a day, so roughly $70 per month in pullups!
So, here are the top ten things I can buy when I no longer have to buy pullups!
10. Start a coffee habit and get one starbucks per day
9. One nice meal out per month.
8. Monthly payment on a jacuzzi.
7. I can pay off my gym membership.
6. Scott can work fewer hours.
5. Two extra tanks of gas in a month.
4. Pizza delivery twice a month.
3. New clothes for my new figure.
2. New clothes for Rebekah.
1. Pay off the Christmas presents!
So, I am so proud of my little girl! :-)
Scott is sick of turkey. We had to make another turkey on Monday night. I had two in the freezer from the beginning of the year, so I had to take those out when I got the buy one get one free turkeys this year. But the one I took out for Thanksgiving didn't thaw out in time, since Scott's mom was supposed to get it and she didn't tell me until Monday before that she didn't get it. So, he had to buy a fresh one on Wednesday night. So, we had three turkeys in addition to Thanksgiving's bird (which leftovers we left at Uncle Bud's house!).
I don't know how else to use the turkey. I have a whole bag full of turkey still. I made turkey enchiladas last week. Those were good. He doesn't want any more of any of it. Any suggestions on how to use all the turkey? It is cooked, boned and sitting in the fridge.
We are having meatballs and ham for Christmas eve. That will be here. Thanksgiving was at Uncle Bud's house. Scott's uncle. They live about 5 miles from here. I brought all the food there. Turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole, jello, pumpkin pie, chocolate pie. At least for Christmas I won't have to transport everything. I am not making everything for Christmas, either! I have to have time to clean my house! And I am throwing them out at 5:00pm so we can go to church! Then, we will come home and have birthday cake. Should I make chocolate or lemon?
I guess I will be going to the gym a lot between now and Christmas. Lot's of future calories to work off. Plus, I hear that it gets pretty crowded after the first of the year...
Tired
Went to the gym tonight. Walked four miles in 85 minutes. Read an entire magazine during this time. How often does this happen? Like, never. I left when the kids were in bed, but not yet asleep. Hubby was asleep, though. Doesn't like it when I am gone at night, but, I really want to go to the gym.
So, I have been thinking lately, and this may not come out the way it does in my head. Christ is with us always. He is with us when we see something we shouldn't look at. He is with us when we mutter something under our breath. He is with us in the car when we get angry at another driver. So, why do we not talk to Him as though He is standing right there. Why do we not treat Him as though He is at our side? Why do we think we can "get away" with things, when He is right there watching our every move? I don't mean like a surveillance camera, smile, you are on film, but more like when you are walking around the mall and just relaxing and you turn to your friend, Jesus, and talk to Him. He isn't far away. He is with you, right NOW. We can just call out His name any time, any where. Neat.
Jessica was praying over her breakfast. She asked God to talk louder so she could hear Him. She said she doesn't always hear what He says to her. I don't think she knew I was listening. It was very cool.
I don't know how I am going to get through this whole Christmas thing. My house is such a mess and I just can't seem to get ahead of it. Laundry, stacks of it. Dirty dishes in the sink. Not done emptying the dishwasher. And I HATE junk mail. I can't seem to get rid of it all. Christmas cards to finish. Living room to clean up. Carpet to shampoo. Play room to clean up. Junk to hide. Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way...
So, I have been thinking lately, and this may not come out the way it does in my head. Christ is with us always. He is with us when we see something we shouldn't look at. He is with us when we mutter something under our breath. He is with us in the car when we get angry at another driver. So, why do we not talk to Him as though He is standing right there. Why do we not treat Him as though He is at our side? Why do we think we can "get away" with things, when He is right there watching our every move? I don't mean like a surveillance camera, smile, you are on film, but more like when you are walking around the mall and just relaxing and you turn to your friend, Jesus, and talk to Him. He isn't far away. He is with you, right NOW. We can just call out His name any time, any where. Neat.
Jessica was praying over her breakfast. She asked God to talk louder so she could hear Him. She said she doesn't always hear what He says to her. I don't think she knew I was listening. It was very cool.
I don't know how I am going to get through this whole Christmas thing. My house is such a mess and I just can't seem to get ahead of it. Laundry, stacks of it. Dirty dishes in the sink. Not done emptying the dishwasher. And I HATE junk mail. I can't seem to get rid of it all. Christmas cards to finish. Living room to clean up. Carpet to shampoo. Play room to clean up. Junk to hide. Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way...
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Little known facts
I liked Julie's blog entry. Here are some little known facts about me.
I love Star Trek Voyager and Twilight Zone from the 60's.
I am a night owl. Will stay up till all hours of the night.
I passed out on the table delivering Rebekah (after the spinal) and don't remember her birth. It still bothers me.
A lot.
I love to tell people about things I have found. I hate making money off of it.
You gotta love a husband who buys you flowers for no reason. He did this today.
WYSIWYG - no hidden agendas.
I used to be a lot thinner. I am going to be there again soon.
I am diabetic. And I hate it when people treat you differently because you tell them so. My blood sugar will be within normal ranges soon.
I love See's Candies. The pecan turtle ones and the walnut squares.
I hate shopping for clothes and shoes.
Jessica, and now Rebekah, is praying for a baby brother and has been doing so since the beginning of the year. Maybe they will get their prayers answered. (No, I am not pregnant.)
I am a pack rat. I hate getting rid of things. I might need it someday!
I love shooting, but I don't get to, 'cause, who would watch the kids?
I have pretty good aim.
I love doing lists. To the point of overdoing them. I like the challenge.
I don't think my house will ever really be clean.
Welcome to my life.
I love Star Trek Voyager and Twilight Zone from the 60's.
I am a night owl. Will stay up till all hours of the night.
I passed out on the table delivering Rebekah (after the spinal) and don't remember her birth. It still bothers me.
A lot.
I love to tell people about things I have found. I hate making money off of it.
You gotta love a husband who buys you flowers for no reason. He did this today.
WYSIWYG - no hidden agendas.
I used to be a lot thinner. I am going to be there again soon.
I am diabetic. And I hate it when people treat you differently because you tell them so. My blood sugar will be within normal ranges soon.
I love See's Candies. The pecan turtle ones and the walnut squares.
I hate shopping for clothes and shoes.
Jessica, and now Rebekah, is praying for a baby brother and has been doing so since the beginning of the year. Maybe they will get their prayers answered. (No, I am not pregnant.)
I am a pack rat. I hate getting rid of things. I might need it someday!
I love shooting, but I don't get to, 'cause, who would watch the kids?
I have pretty good aim.
I love doing lists. To the point of overdoing them. I like the challenge.
I don't think my house will ever really be clean.
Welcome to my life.
Star Trek
I started watching Star Trek Voyager when it first aired. I don't know what year. I watched it all the time. I have never before and never since watched a show as often. I would even record it when I wasn't home to see it. I missed the final episode.
I have been waiting all these years to see the final episode. I was not home the two times they showed it, what, about four or five years ago.
I never really got into the other Star Trek movies. Too predictable. Too something. Didn't like the old ones. For some reason, Voyager was it for me.
I watched the final episode last night. Then I watched it again. That little something that was missing is now gone. What a relief!
It was good, but also disappointing. Anticipation of what it would be like is over. Now I know. And I no longer have something to look forward to.
Thanks, Netflix.
I have been waiting all these years to see the final episode. I was not home the two times they showed it, what, about four or five years ago.
I never really got into the other Star Trek movies. Too predictable. Too something. Didn't like the old ones. For some reason, Voyager was it for me.
I watched the final episode last night. Then I watched it again. That little something that was missing is now gone. What a relief!
It was good, but also disappointing. Anticipation of what it would be like is over. Now I know. And I no longer have something to look forward to.
Thanks, Netflix.
How was that?
I remember years ago a friend and I came up with all these questions. Some of them were common knowledge, but I can't remember too many of them any more. Ponderables, or something, I think.
Why do you drive in a parkway and park in a driveway?
Why do shipments go by land and cargo goes by sea?
A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk I have a work station...
I believe five out of four people have trouble with fractions.
If quitters never win, and winners never quit, what fool came up with, "Quit while you're ahead"?
I was thinking that women should put pictures of missing husbands on beer cans.
I noticed how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older, then it dawned on me . . . they were cramming for their finals.
I thought about how mothers feed their babies with little tiny spoons and forks so I wonder what Chinese mothers use. Perhaps toothpicks?
Employment application blanks always ask who is to be notified in case of an emergency. I think you should write . . . A Good Doctor.
Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do . . . write to these men? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen could look for them while they delivered the mail?
Before they invented drawing boards, what did they go back to?
Does the Little Mermaid wear an algebra?
How do I set my laser printer on stun?
How is it possible to have a civil war?
If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?
If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest have to drown too?
If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2?
If work is so terrific, how come they have to pay you to do it?
If you ate pasta and antipasto, would you still be hungry?
If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?
Is a castrated pig disgruntled?
Why are hemorrhoids called "hemorrhoids" instead of "asteroids"?
Why is it called tourist season if we can't shoot at them?
Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song?
What happens when none of your bees wax?
If the black box flight recorder is never damaged during a plane crash, why isn't the whole airplane made out of the stuff?
Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?
If most car accidents occur within five miles of home, why doesn't everyone just move 10 miles away?
Whose cruel idea was it for the word "lisp" to have an "s" in it?
Since light travels faster than sound, isn't that why some people appear bright until you hear them speak?
If it's zero degrees outside today, and it's supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be?
Why do you press harder on a remote control when you know the battery is dead?
Why do banks charge you a "non sufficient funds fee" on money they already know you don't have?
Does the reverse side also have a reverse side?
If the universe is everything, and scientists say that the universe is expanding, what is it expanding into?
If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to see it, do the other trees make fun of it?
Why is a carrot more orange than an orange?
Why are there 5 syllables in the word "monosyllabic"?
Why do they call it the Department of Interior when they are in charge of everything outdoors?
Why do scientists call it research when looking for something new?
Why is it that when a door is open, it's ajar-but when a jar is open, it's not a door?
How much deeper would the ocean be if sponges didn't grow in it?
Why buy a product that it takes 2000 flushes to get rid of?
Why do we wait until a pig is dead to "cure" it?
Why do we wash bath towels? Aren't we clean when we use them?
Why do we put suits in a garment bag and put garments in a suitcase?
Do Roman paramedics refer to IV's as "4's"?
What do little birdies see when they get knocked unconscious?
Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?
Should you trust a stockbroker who's married to a travel agent?
Is boneless chicken considered to be an invertebrate?
Do married people live longer than single people do, or does it just SEEM longer?
If all those psychics know the winning lottery numbers, why are they all still working?
Isn't Disney World a people trap operated by a mouse?
Isn't the best way to save face to keep the lower part shut?
Why do you drive in a parkway and park in a driveway?
Why do shipments go by land and cargo goes by sea?
A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk I have a work station...
I believe five out of four people have trouble with fractions.
If quitters never win, and winners never quit, what fool came up with, "Quit while you're ahead"?
I was thinking that women should put pictures of missing husbands on beer cans.
I noticed how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older, then it dawned on me . . . they were cramming for their finals.
I thought about how mothers feed their babies with little tiny spoons and forks so I wonder what Chinese mothers use. Perhaps toothpicks?
Employment application blanks always ask who is to be notified in case of an emergency. I think you should write . . . A Good Doctor.
Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do . . . write to these men? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen could look for them while they delivered the mail?
Before they invented drawing boards, what did they go back to?
Does the Little Mermaid wear an algebra?
How do I set my laser printer on stun?
How is it possible to have a civil war?
If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?
If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest have to drown too?
If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2?
If work is so terrific, how come they have to pay you to do it?
If you ate pasta and antipasto, would you still be hungry?
If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?
Is a castrated pig disgruntled?
Why are hemorrhoids called "hemorrhoids" instead of "asteroids"?
Why is it called tourist season if we can't shoot at them?
Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song?
What happens when none of your bees wax?
If the black box flight recorder is never damaged during a plane crash, why isn't the whole airplane made out of the stuff?
Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?
If most car accidents occur within five miles of home, why doesn't everyone just move 10 miles away?
Whose cruel idea was it for the word "lisp" to have an "s" in it?
Since light travels faster than sound, isn't that why some people appear bright until you hear them speak?
If it's zero degrees outside today, and it's supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be?
Why do you press harder on a remote control when you know the battery is dead?
Why do banks charge you a "non sufficient funds fee" on money they already know you don't have?
Does the reverse side also have a reverse side?
If the universe is everything, and scientists say that the universe is expanding, what is it expanding into?
If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to see it, do the other trees make fun of it?
Why is a carrot more orange than an orange?
Why are there 5 syllables in the word "monosyllabic"?
Why do they call it the Department of Interior when they are in charge of everything outdoors?
Why do scientists call it research when looking for something new?
Why is it that when a door is open, it's ajar-but when a jar is open, it's not a door?
How much deeper would the ocean be if sponges didn't grow in it?
Why buy a product that it takes 2000 flushes to get rid of?
Why do we wait until a pig is dead to "cure" it?
Why do we wash bath towels? Aren't we clean when we use them?
Why do we put suits in a garment bag and put garments in a suitcase?
Do Roman paramedics refer to IV's as "4's"?
What do little birdies see when they get knocked unconscious?
Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?
Should you trust a stockbroker who's married to a travel agent?
Is boneless chicken considered to be an invertebrate?
Do married people live longer than single people do, or does it just SEEM longer?
If all those psychics know the winning lottery numbers, why are they all still working?
Isn't Disney World a people trap operated by a mouse?
Isn't the best way to save face to keep the lower part shut?
Alaska
So, my aunt and I were lamenting the short days and early darkness and I said something about how in Alaska in the summer they have like twenty hour days or something (Carsten, you would be the expert here). Then I said, well, that is how their vegetables get so big. So, here, in no particular order, are the best things about Alaska that I can think of.
For like 20 pumpkin pies you only need one pumpkin.
Want to stock up your basement with strawberry jam? "I got 30 quarts from one strawberry!"
If you go on a hike, you don't have to worry about the sun setting and not being able to find your way home.
Fumi salad for 50 - from one head of cabbage!
But Mom, I can't go to sleep while it is light outside!
You never run out of ice for a party.
Fur is IN! Especially if it is attached to a nice warm dog sleeping in front of the fireplace!
Wanna make carrot cake? Get your carrot, shred it, and you've got enough for 3 9x13 size cakes!
Is this not the birthplace of bacon grease cookies? Okay, probably not the birthplace, but they have definitely been made there.
You don't need a refrigerator.
Or a freezer.
A good excuse to use the buddy system.
For like 20 pumpkin pies you only need one pumpkin.
Want to stock up your basement with strawberry jam? "I got 30 quarts from one strawberry!"
If you go on a hike, you don't have to worry about the sun setting and not being able to find your way home.
Fumi salad for 50 - from one head of cabbage!
But Mom, I can't go to sleep while it is light outside!
You never run out of ice for a party.
Fur is IN! Especially if it is attached to a nice warm dog sleeping in front of the fireplace!
Wanna make carrot cake? Get your carrot, shred it, and you've got enough for 3 9x13 size cakes!
Is this not the birthplace of bacon grease cookies? Okay, probably not the birthplace, but they have definitely been made there.
You don't need a refrigerator.
Or a freezer.
A good excuse to use the buddy system.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
ReTREAT!
Top Ten Things To Do While Your Husband Is At Retreat
10.Sit in husband’s recliner and watch an old movie and eat popcorn
9.Go shopping
8.Catch up on your reading
7.Clean the house
6.Spend the day doing absolutely nothing
5.Let the kids stay up late one night (and to bed early the next!)
4.Sleep in the middle of the bed
3.Watch the O.C. (so I‘ve heard, I haven‘t actually seen this!)
2.Have 50-100 teenagers at your house for a party (This should only be attempted by a trained professional)
1.Blog! :-)
10.Sit in husband’s recliner and watch an old movie and eat popcorn
9.Go shopping
8.Catch up on your reading
7.Clean the house
6.Spend the day doing absolutely nothing
5.Let the kids stay up late one night (and to bed early the next!)
4.Sleep in the middle of the bed
3.Watch the O.C. (so I‘ve heard, I haven‘t actually seen this!)
2.Have 50-100 teenagers at your house for a party (This should only be attempted by a trained professional)
1.Blog! :-)
Scrapbook Pages That Should Never Be Made
AKA: Jessica, the 4 year old Beautician
I was in the kitchen assembling and putting potstickers in the oven. It was about 1:00 in the afternoon. Jessica wanted to go to the movies. But, we had to go to gymnastics at 3:30. She was brushing her hair, last I saw her. I finished up in the kitchen and was just about to go looking for her when, Rebekah comes out and announces that Jessica cut her hair. Keep in mind, she cut Rebekah's hair about 3 months ago and it has yet to grow back much. Rebekah still has a spot to the right of center in front that has a big chunk missing out of it. And I had to cut Rebekah's hair short in back to even it out because Jess had taken the scissors to it and whacked off all the curls (after putting detangler on it, of course).
I ran to my bathroom. There was hair all over the floor. Not that much, though. No blood anywhere. Thank God! Jess was hiding. She came out and I took one look at her and burst into tears. I couldn't believe it! She not only cut her bangs in front, to about 1/2 inch long at the shortest part, right in front, but also cut the sides of her hair to about an inch below the bottom of her ears. The back, about three inches across, remained intact. She looked like some kind of hare krishna. Or is it, hairy krishna? Anyway, it obviously needed some serious repair. I told her she looked awful, we couldn't get Christmas pictures done this year, cried, screamed, the whole deal. Go big. I did. I was so upset. I called Scott, I was okay until I started to tell him about it. I think he was more concerned because I was so upset. The night before, he was looking at Jess's beautiful hair and commenting on how pretty it looked, curled under, framing her face. It's all gone.
I took Jess to the beauty salon and, having never been to this salon before, I didn't know the beautician. The woman took one look at Jess and knew why we were there. I asked her if there was any way to do anything in the front that would look decent. She said no, it would just have to grow out. But that I could put a small clip in it or something. Have you ever tried to keep a clip in a very active four year old girl's hair? Not gonna happen. So, sometime next year, she will start to look like herself again. She's happy, she wanted to get the hair out of her eyes. It is nowhere near her eyes now. Not to worry. And she also wanted it short in the back so it would not get tangled. She won.
I shot a whole roll of film on what she did to herself and her sister for the scrapbook. Yes, she cut her sister's hair again. Only in the back, thank goodness, but it still had not grown out from the last time. I guess we will be putting all sharp objects in the safe. Good thing we have a rather large safe...I guess I will need to make a trip to the scrapbook store to buy some scissor stickers and such.
I was in the kitchen assembling and putting potstickers in the oven. It was about 1:00 in the afternoon. Jessica wanted to go to the movies. But, we had to go to gymnastics at 3:30. She was brushing her hair, last I saw her. I finished up in the kitchen and was just about to go looking for her when, Rebekah comes out and announces that Jessica cut her hair. Keep in mind, she cut Rebekah's hair about 3 months ago and it has yet to grow back much. Rebekah still has a spot to the right of center in front that has a big chunk missing out of it. And I had to cut Rebekah's hair short in back to even it out because Jess had taken the scissors to it and whacked off all the curls (after putting detangler on it, of course).
I ran to my bathroom. There was hair all over the floor. Not that much, though. No blood anywhere. Thank God! Jess was hiding. She came out and I took one look at her and burst into tears. I couldn't believe it! She not only cut her bangs in front, to about 1/2 inch long at the shortest part, right in front, but also cut the sides of her hair to about an inch below the bottom of her ears. The back, about three inches across, remained intact. She looked like some kind of hare krishna. Or is it, hairy krishna? Anyway, it obviously needed some serious repair. I told her she looked awful, we couldn't get Christmas pictures done this year, cried, screamed, the whole deal. Go big. I did. I was so upset. I called Scott, I was okay until I started to tell him about it. I think he was more concerned because I was so upset. The night before, he was looking at Jess's beautiful hair and commenting on how pretty it looked, curled under, framing her face. It's all gone.
I took Jess to the beauty salon and, having never been to this salon before, I didn't know the beautician. The woman took one look at Jess and knew why we were there. I asked her if there was any way to do anything in the front that would look decent. She said no, it would just have to grow out. But that I could put a small clip in it or something. Have you ever tried to keep a clip in a very active four year old girl's hair? Not gonna happen. So, sometime next year, she will start to look like herself again. She's happy, she wanted to get the hair out of her eyes. It is nowhere near her eyes now. Not to worry. And she also wanted it short in the back so it would not get tangled. She won.
I shot a whole roll of film on what she did to herself and her sister for the scrapbook. Yes, she cut her sister's hair again. Only in the back, thank goodness, but it still had not grown out from the last time. I guess we will be putting all sharp objects in the safe. Good thing we have a rather large safe...I guess I will need to make a trip to the scrapbook store to buy some scissor stickers and such.
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Frustrated
I read something recently that really upset me. I am not the type of person to normally confront anyone, so I usually just let things go. In fact, I tend to clam up and not say anything about anything. This is why I haven't blogged in days. I was just sitting here getting frustrated. It really bothered me, and I am still dealing with this. I get very frustrated when assumptions are passed around like facts. There have been many times when someone will email me something urgent, "you need to send this to everyone you know". I will do a search on the internet to see if it is legit. So far, none of them have been. But if more people did this, we wouldn't have so many bogus emails flying around. It seems "everyone" is making up numbers and information to suit their own purposes. The government does this, too. "35,000 people per year die from the flu." Yeah, right. It isn't true. They pull that number out of their, well, you get the picture. The number is somewhere closer to 700 per year that die from the flu, or complications thereof. Everyone is up in arms over this avian flu. IT HAS NOT MUTATED to humans. There is a possibility that it MAY, but it is slight. So, why all the scare tactics?
Why do we feel we can pull information out of the air, make things up, etc. without getting the facts straight? Without the facts, it is just opinion and assumptions and, like belly buttons, everyone has one. What is the old saying about when you assume? Wouldn't it make more sense to do a little research before you start talking about something? Just a thought.
I guess I just got my frustrations out and let it go.
Why do we feel we can pull information out of the air, make things up, etc. without getting the facts straight? Without the facts, it is just opinion and assumptions and, like belly buttons, everyone has one. What is the old saying about when you assume? Wouldn't it make more sense to do a little research before you start talking about something? Just a thought.
I guess I just got my frustrations out and let it go.
Top Ten
We haven't had any top ten lists lately and I guess Joann is probably going through withdrawals, so:
Top Ten Things I miss from My Childhood
10. No mortgage payment (do I hear an AMEN?)
9. My mom calling school to say we were sick (Yeah...of school) and we would go to the beach
8. Going out to breakfast with my dad before school - at Sambo's
7. Being able to fit in the back seat of a Porsche
6. Being able to sleep till noon.
5. Feathered hair.
4. Sav-On ice cream - a quart sized scoop for 25 cents and no guilt
3. Thinking people in their thirties were so OLD!
2. Three week vacations in the camper.
1. Three months off of school in the summer with nothing to do.
Please feel free to add your own...
Top Ten Things I miss from My Childhood
10. No mortgage payment (do I hear an AMEN?)
9. My mom calling school to say we were sick (Yeah...of school) and we would go to the beach
8. Going out to breakfast with my dad before school - at Sambo's
7. Being able to fit in the back seat of a Porsche
6. Being able to sleep till noon.
5. Feathered hair.
4. Sav-On ice cream - a quart sized scoop for 25 cents and no guilt
3. Thinking people in their thirties were so OLD!
2. Three week vacations in the camper.
1. Three months off of school in the summer with nothing to do.
Please feel free to add your own...
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
We Are ALL Saints...
We Are All Saints
saint [sayntin French names often, saN]
n (plural saints)
1. somebody honored by church after death: somebody who has been particularly holy in life and after death is declared by a Christian church to have a privileged place in heaven and be worthy of veneration
2. somebody in heaven: somebody who is thought to have gone to heaven after death
3. virtuous person: a particularly good or holy person, or one who is kind and patient in dealing with difficult people or situations
Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
I can think of only a handful of people I would deem to be saints, so it is nice to know that not I, but the Lord, decides who is a saint. I can, however, come up with quite a few sinners, self included. But it is not my decision to make. The Lord loves all of us. He wants us to come to Him, to worship Him, to love Him and to do things and live our lives in the way that He has planned for us. Is that too much to ask? He basically says, “Come to Me and love Me. I will provide for your needs and I will love you forever. I will not turn my back on you. I will not talk behind your back. You will forever live with Me and I will not leave you. Will you follow me?”
We get so wrapped up in the day-to-day things that we do, that we do not take the time to stop and just listen to God and what He is saying to us. It may not be a booming voice (I think very few people hear the Lord in this way). It may be a subtle feeling, something someone else says to you, an urge to do something that you hadn’t thought about before.
I used to “test” God. I would be worrying about something, thinking about something, trying to figure out the best way to go about it and I would pick up the Bible, close my eyes, open it up and stick my finger on the page. Open your eyes and read what is there. Amazingly enough, very often this would result in my reading a passage that fit the circumstance. I am not suggesting that anyone do this, but at the time I was not walking the walk and I think it was God’s way of showing me He was still looking out for me.
I hope and pray that someday I can be the person the Lord wants me to be. I don’t have a clean house. My children don’t always look perfect, my husband is stressed out, we don’t have money to spare, but in this house, we praise God and ask for His blessing on our lives. My husband has been on this amazing journey, although he doesn’t realize how far he has come. He still sees all his faults and where he has been. I pray that God will show him that he doesn’t need to know everything and that it’s okay not to be perfect. After all, he is not in seminary for himself, but for Jesus Christ!
I pray that all of us saints will realize that God is not expecting us to be perfect. After all, we cannot be so without Him. That we do not have to strive to be perfect, but just to be ourselves, to be open to how God wants to use us. To be available to Him, to be used by Him. It’s okay if we get angry or frustrated sometimes. But we need to submit to Christ, to allow Him to mold us and shape us the way HE wants us to be. And although we will go through trials, we need to ask HIM to walk through them with us, to be by our side. For we cannot do it alone. I had a teacher in high school who told us to pray for trials. I understand about needing to rely on the Lord during trials, about trials helping us to become more submissive to the Lord, etc. but I told this teacher he was whacked in the head. We get enough trials in our lives without asking for more! (This was a few years after my brother died and I was a teenager in 10th grade! I had enough trials!)
I thank the Lord that He provides for us, cares what happens to us and that He protects us. I don’t feel as though I am a saint, but I pray that, with God’ help I will become one. That others will see Christ through me and that I will become a virtuous person. This can only happen with God’s help.
saint [sayntin French names often, saN]
n (plural saints)
1. somebody honored by church after death: somebody who has been particularly holy in life and after death is declared by a Christian church to have a privileged place in heaven and be worthy of veneration
2. somebody in heaven: somebody who is thought to have gone to heaven after death
3. virtuous person: a particularly good or holy person, or one who is kind and patient in dealing with difficult people or situations
Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
I can think of only a handful of people I would deem to be saints, so it is nice to know that not I, but the Lord, decides who is a saint. I can, however, come up with quite a few sinners, self included. But it is not my decision to make. The Lord loves all of us. He wants us to come to Him, to worship Him, to love Him and to do things and live our lives in the way that He has planned for us. Is that too much to ask? He basically says, “Come to Me and love Me. I will provide for your needs and I will love you forever. I will not turn my back on you. I will not talk behind your back. You will forever live with Me and I will not leave you. Will you follow me?”
We get so wrapped up in the day-to-day things that we do, that we do not take the time to stop and just listen to God and what He is saying to us. It may not be a booming voice (I think very few people hear the Lord in this way). It may be a subtle feeling, something someone else says to you, an urge to do something that you hadn’t thought about before.
I used to “test” God. I would be worrying about something, thinking about something, trying to figure out the best way to go about it and I would pick up the Bible, close my eyes, open it up and stick my finger on the page. Open your eyes and read what is there. Amazingly enough, very often this would result in my reading a passage that fit the circumstance. I am not suggesting that anyone do this, but at the time I was not walking the walk and I think it was God’s way of showing me He was still looking out for me.
I hope and pray that someday I can be the person the Lord wants me to be. I don’t have a clean house. My children don’t always look perfect, my husband is stressed out, we don’t have money to spare, but in this house, we praise God and ask for His blessing on our lives. My husband has been on this amazing journey, although he doesn’t realize how far he has come. He still sees all his faults and where he has been. I pray that God will show him that he doesn’t need to know everything and that it’s okay not to be perfect. After all, he is not in seminary for himself, but for Jesus Christ!
I pray that all of us saints will realize that God is not expecting us to be perfect. After all, we cannot be so without Him. That we do not have to strive to be perfect, but just to be ourselves, to be open to how God wants to use us. To be available to Him, to be used by Him. It’s okay if we get angry or frustrated sometimes. But we need to submit to Christ, to allow Him to mold us and shape us the way HE wants us to be. And although we will go through trials, we need to ask HIM to walk through them with us, to be by our side. For we cannot do it alone. I had a teacher in high school who told us to pray for trials. I understand about needing to rely on the Lord during trials, about trials helping us to become more submissive to the Lord, etc. but I told this teacher he was whacked in the head. We get enough trials in our lives without asking for more! (This was a few years after my brother died and I was a teenager in 10th grade! I had enough trials!)
I thank the Lord that He provides for us, cares what happens to us and that He protects us. I don’t feel as though I am a saint, but I pray that, with God’ help I will become one. That others will see Christ through me and that I will become a virtuous person. This can only happen with God’s help.
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