This morning, as every morning, I woke up to the music of K-Love. It's "Wow God Wednesday"--every Wednesday people call in and tell their stories about something that God did in their lives that would cause you to think or even say aloud, "Wow, God".
I laid there in bed thinking about the first time (and there have been many now) that I have actually said, "Wow, God".
It was 2 years ago this Christmas season--Dec. 2008. Chuck had passed away in March of that year. His death really caused me to question my belief in God. I couldn't understand why God would want to take such an awesome man from this earth--away from me and his girls and his grandchilren that he loved dearly. We had been through so much in our 40 years together and had just recently found a church home at
Woods Chapel United Methodist Church. I had never been a part of a church family--had never really even been a believer. But Chuck was--and he helped get me there. And then God took him away. Not fair, right?
Well, on one particular evening in December of that year, I was one of about 7 or 8 people (Santa's elves) that were to deliver Christmas gifts to families. We met up at WCC, picked up Santa and headed out with bags of gifts, Santa hats and bells. We delivered to a family over on Paseo first. It was nice--the children enjoyed Santa and we took pictures and then headed on to the next location over on Independence Ave. As we drove, Missy tells me that the place we're looking for doesn't really look like a house--it looks like a business. This reminds me of the time that Chuck drove me by the place he lived as a young boy with his mom and 2 brothers on Independence Avenue. They lived in an apartment above a business--a grocery store I think, and he used to always talk about how poor they were and that the only pets he ever had were cockroaches.
So, as we get closer to our next delivery location, I realize we are in that same area. I started getting a weird feeling inside. Suddenly Missy says, "Here! This is it." I'm speechless now--freaking out actually. It was the building that Chuck and his family lived in--I was sure of it. We turned onto a little side street and then parked in the back. Now I'm not speechless anymore and I'm going on and on to Missy and anyone that will listen that I KNOW this is where Chuck lived as a boy in the 1950s. We walk up a flight of stairs on the back to the apartment. I'm in some what of a shock at this point--taking in every inch of that place imagining my husband as a small boy and the Christmas' that he had there. This was a single mom and she had 3 children--one of them was a boy. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. At one point, I took the mom aside and asked if there was an elementary school at the end of the side street we had driven down. She said "yes". I knew I was right. I got so choked up. What an amazing thing this was for me. And it got better.
After leaving everyone at the church that night, and driving home alone in my car listening to the haunting song, Christmas Canon by the Trans-siberian Orchestra, I couldn't stop crying. I felt sad, I felt wonderful, I felt scared, I felt blessed. In my mind I kept wondering, "Is this some sign from God? Some gift for me to help me get over the loss? And at that moment--that very moment, the bells on the passenger seat rolled over just enough to jingle. I lost it. I could barely see the road through my tears. I got my answer. It was wonderful.
Merry Christmas!!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Bittersweet
How can a person be happy and sad at the same time? I don't think that it can be done.
I'm trying very hard right now to be happy for a person that has made such an amazing impact on my life and at the same time, created an outlet for me to do what I love to do--sing. And now he is leaving the area. He is moving his beautiful family to N.C.--nearer to family members and taking a position with a church there. It will be an incredible opportunity for him to do what he loves to do--lead people in worship via music and song. He will meet new people, develop new relationships, make an impact on someone else and they will all fall in love with him. You can't help it. The phrase, "To know him, is to love him", never fit anyone so well.
In a sense, I feel betrayed. And yet, this man would never do that. He is one of the most sincere, honest, faithful people I know. He lives to praise God and has a spirit that most people would envy.
I will miss seeing his big brown (cow) eyes, his torn jeans, the humble demeanor in his walk, hearing his voice and sensing his passion for what he does.
So, for the past two days, I've cried and I've cursed myself for feeling the way that I do. I'm so selfish. This isn't about me. I know I should be happy for him and I should be supporting his decision to make this move, which I'm sure was not an easy one for him to make.
We at WCC have had him for almost 6 years. We were blessed to have known him and his family. I/we need to share him with others. Gifts this good should be "passed on".
I'm going to be sad for a while--I can't help it. But I pray that Kris B and his beautiful family: wife Jennifer and five lovely children will enjoy their new home and God's abundant blessings eternally.
I know I speak for many when I say, we love you guys and we will miss you tremendously. ; )
I'm trying very hard right now to be happy for a person that has made such an amazing impact on my life and at the same time, created an outlet for me to do what I love to do--sing. And now he is leaving the area. He is moving his beautiful family to N.C.--nearer to family members and taking a position with a church there. It will be an incredible opportunity for him to do what he loves to do--lead people in worship via music and song. He will meet new people, develop new relationships, make an impact on someone else and they will all fall in love with him. You can't help it. The phrase, "To know him, is to love him", never fit anyone so well.
In a sense, I feel betrayed. And yet, this man would never do that. He is one of the most sincere, honest, faithful people I know. He lives to praise God and has a spirit that most people would envy.
I will miss seeing his big brown (cow) eyes, his torn jeans, the humble demeanor in his walk, hearing his voice and sensing his passion for what he does.
So, for the past two days, I've cried and I've cursed myself for feeling the way that I do. I'm so selfish. This isn't about me. I know I should be happy for him and I should be supporting his decision to make this move, which I'm sure was not an easy one for him to make.
We at WCC have had him for almost 6 years. We were blessed to have known him and his family. I/we need to share him with others. Gifts this good should be "passed on".
I'm going to be sad for a while--I can't help it. But I pray that Kris B and his beautiful family: wife Jennifer and five lovely children will enjoy their new home and God's abundant blessings eternally.
I know I speak for many when I say, we love you guys and we will miss you tremendously. ; )
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Camping in the "Burg"
I'm so proud of myself. After the little incident I had Wednesday where I had to hold on to Puc for about 10 minutes so it wouldn't roll into my car or the street, I made it all the way to Warrensburg, my camping destination, without any problems. Well, at least I didn't know I had one. When Terry, Maggy's husband, came to help me unhitch Puc and then hook it up to his tractor, we realized that I had plugged my trailer lights into the little plug cap instead of the socket. That would explain some of the gestures I was getting as people sped past me on the highway. Oh well...
I took Tillie with me this time and she had such a good time. Maggy has two kittens about the same age, but about half her size and they got along just fine. I did feel sorry for Tillie when we got home yesterday though. She had seen Gracie and Lily climbing the trees all around the camp site, but I never actually saw her try it. She waited until we got home. We were out in the yard yesterday afternoon and she took off and jumped on a tree trunk and just fell to the ground. She turned and looked at me like, "What the heck?" Sorry Tillie...
I had a wonderful time at the Austin's. Maggy cooked some awesome food and Terry never fails to do everything possible to make sure you have all that you need and you're having a good time. The only thing he couldn't do for me was help me shoot a squirrel. They were there. And I was shooting at them. But I never hit one. Terry set me up with a white styrofoam cup on a tree and I could just shoot the heck out of that, but not a squirrel. And yes, if I had shot one, I would have skinned it and eaten it. My dad and Chuck and I fished and hunted together a lot and we ate what we took. I used to actually be good at squirrel hunting--I really don't know what has changed. I would blame it on my eyes except for one little thing. I was so close to one squirrel that I could have literally grabbed it's tail and pulled it out of it's hiding spot in the knot of a tree--it was that low and that close to me. I opted to shoot into the hole and the squirrel was able to jump out of the hole and get away. That's when I gave up. I'm done. When a squirrel can actually dodge your bullets, it's time to throw in the towel.
Camping and getting close to nature is supposed to be so relaxing and wonderful. And for the most part it was. BUT, on my first night there, a pack of coyotes decided to have a little gathering somewhere close enough for me to worry about how many there were and what exactly they were doing. Puc is basically a couple of pull out tents on wheels and it's very easy to hear through that cloth--and feel the cold. And I think it was the cold that caused me to have to "go outside" 4 times during the night. Each time I aimed my powerful flashlight in the direction of the coyotes--hoping that would deter them from coming closer. And although I really didn't feel afraid of them, I had nighmares all night. And I know I was crying for help (more like mumbling) because Tillie kept jumping up on my chest and biting my face.
But other than that and the squirrel thing, I had an awesome time in the "Burg" with Maggy and Terry. I got to see the Stealth fly over a couple of times in addition to several other military planes. And at night, the sky was so black and just twinkling with millions of diamond like stars.
Fresh air, beautiful weather, great friends and furry little creatures--it was an awesome camping trip.
I took Tillie with me this time and she had such a good time. Maggy has two kittens about the same age, but about half her size and they got along just fine. I did feel sorry for Tillie when we got home yesterday though. She had seen Gracie and Lily climbing the trees all around the camp site, but I never actually saw her try it. She waited until we got home. We were out in the yard yesterday afternoon and she took off and jumped on a tree trunk and just fell to the ground. She turned and looked at me like, "What the heck?" Sorry Tillie...
I had a wonderful time at the Austin's. Maggy cooked some awesome food and Terry never fails to do everything possible to make sure you have all that you need and you're having a good time. The only thing he couldn't do for me was help me shoot a squirrel. They were there. And I was shooting at them. But I never hit one. Terry set me up with a white styrofoam cup on a tree and I could just shoot the heck out of that, but not a squirrel. And yes, if I had shot one, I would have skinned it and eaten it. My dad and Chuck and I fished and hunted together a lot and we ate what we took. I used to actually be good at squirrel hunting--I really don't know what has changed. I would blame it on my eyes except for one little thing. I was so close to one squirrel that I could have literally grabbed it's tail and pulled it out of it's hiding spot in the knot of a tree--it was that low and that close to me. I opted to shoot into the hole and the squirrel was able to jump out of the hole and get away. That's when I gave up. I'm done. When a squirrel can actually dodge your bullets, it's time to throw in the towel.
Camping and getting close to nature is supposed to be so relaxing and wonderful. And for the most part it was. BUT, on my first night there, a pack of coyotes decided to have a little gathering somewhere close enough for me to worry about how many there were and what exactly they were doing. Puc is basically a couple of pull out tents on wheels and it's very easy to hear through that cloth--and feel the cold. And I think it was the cold that caused me to have to "go outside" 4 times during the night. Each time I aimed my powerful flashlight in the direction of the coyotes--hoping that would deter them from coming closer. And although I really didn't feel afraid of them, I had nighmares all night. And I know I was crying for help (more like mumbling) because Tillie kept jumping up on my chest and biting my face.
But other than that and the squirrel thing, I had an awesome time in the "Burg" with Maggy and Terry. I got to see the Stealth fly over a couple of times in addition to several other military planes. And at night, the sky was so black and just twinkling with millions of diamond like stars.
Fresh air, beautiful weather, great friends and furry little creatures--it was an awesome camping trip.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
"The Rest of the Story"
Yes, we had an awesome time camping--my daughter Angela, my daughter Ashli and the twins, Payton & Marley. We gathered wood and cooked out, we told stories around the campfire, we left "raccoon bait" by the trees, we played mini golf, played on the playground, fished, went swimming and played "Go Fish" while we were cooling off in Bah Bah's camper. But, as fun as it all seemed, the trip was not without some slight glitches--hey, that rhymes with hitches and so begins my tale of all the little things that went wrong.
Friday was the big day--I cancelled a hair appointment so that I could get all of the last minute items for the camping trip purchased and loaded into my car and get to Lake Paradise by 4:00. There is limited space in Puc (pop up camper) so the back of my car was ridiculously loaded with stuff. Too bad I didn't get the ball mount for the trailer hitch out of the little compartment under the cargo space in the back. Yep, I had to partially unload to get it out. No big deal, I'm ready to go. I start backing my car up to the trailer and the neighbor's handyman decides to help me--very nice. But, I wanted to do it all myself so that I can learn. Once I told him how to hook up everything right, I really was off. Yippee!! My first camping trip with Puc. We're on our way to Oak Grove.
The Lake Paradise "gate keeper" tells me I'm on site #670. Just take this road that way and make a left and go up the hill and there you are. Yeah, right! I took the wrong road two times, which took me up two steep hills which meant I had to come back down two times, but luckily, I never had to back up--my greatest fear at this point.
Finally I find the right site--or so I thought. I pulled into it, saw it was the wrong one and then I had to BACK OUT! "Just back up straight Sharon--that's all you have to do." And, I did it!! Then I just pulled right into the next one which was also the right one. I set up little Puc in no time and was even told by my camping neighbor that I looked like a "pro" doing it. Yes!!
The girls and the twins arrive and the fun begins. My only concern was the little trek to the "comfort station" we have to make every time we had to "go", but we all agreed it wasn't too bad. Actually, it was awesome in the middle of the night. Angela, who is about 3 months pregnant and has to go at all hours of the night, would wake me and we'd walk together in the moonlight. She and Ashli saw a shooting star on our first trip to the bathrooms--somehow I missed it, but the stars out in the country like that are just amazing. Last night I went to sleep listening to my favorite songs on my iPod and looking out at the stars--it was awesome!
So, today we have to pack up and leave by 11:00 a.m. I fixed my famous French Toast and sausages for breakfast and then we clean up and start preparing to fold Puc up. I was so meticulous about everything--a little O.C.D about tucking in the canvass and doing everything just right. We got her done and hooked up and said our good-byes and I get in my car and it won't start. Dead battery. I left my cell phone charger plugged in--which I always do here at home, but I drive my car every day and I guess that makes a difference. I never drove my car or started it during the entire camping trip. Luckily nearby campers had some jumper cables and Ashli and I got it started. Whew! One more lesson learned--I've got a list, and it gets bigger by the moment.
Now, we say more good-byes and start down the hill. I hear some crunching noises associated with the camper trailer, but I heard some on the way out too, so no big deal, right? WRONG!!!!!!
I make it out of the Lake Paradise area and up to the highway--F Hwy. in Oak Grove. I'm moving right along with Ashli and her bunch right behind me, when all of a sudden I feel a huge jolt and hear a horrible noise. I immediately slow down and look in my rearview mirror and realize that there is a huge problem. I pull over as far to the right as I can possible get and stop and get out. I see that the tongue of the trailer is on the ground and I think I'm looking at a trailer hitch that has broken off of my car. Nope. The problem was that the ball mount had come out of the hitch adapter and I immediately know why. I had forgotten to put the pin that holds it in there, in there. Probably one of the biggest mistakes I could have possibly made today and one of the most dangerous. The first thing I thought of was how fortunate I was that I hadn't caused some horrible accident that could have involved my two daughters and two of my grandchildren. Once that wave of relief was over, all I could think of was what do we do now? We can't lift this thing and even if we could, is it broke? Within moments I see a truck pulling a horse trailer begin to pull over to see what's up. This man and his daughter were able to use a wooden block as leverage to lift the tongue high enough for the girl to get the trailer jack in place to crank it up and align it with the hitch on my car. The man inspected everything and said that nothing seemed damaged and told me that I had been blessed. Like he needed to tell me that. I know I was blessed today and the song "Jesus Take The Wheel" has been on my mind ever since I arrived home safely.
I thanked the man and his daughter and I know that they will be blessed for their kind acts today.
So, that is "the rest of the story". ; )
Friday was the big day--I cancelled a hair appointment so that I could get all of the last minute items for the camping trip purchased and loaded into my car and get to Lake Paradise by 4:00. There is limited space in Puc (pop up camper) so the back of my car was ridiculously loaded with stuff. Too bad I didn't get the ball mount for the trailer hitch out of the little compartment under the cargo space in the back. Yep, I had to partially unload to get it out. No big deal, I'm ready to go. I start backing my car up to the trailer and the neighbor's handyman decides to help me--very nice. But, I wanted to do it all myself so that I can learn. Once I told him how to hook up everything right, I really was off. Yippee!! My first camping trip with Puc. We're on our way to Oak Grove.
The Lake Paradise "gate keeper" tells me I'm on site #670. Just take this road that way and make a left and go up the hill and there you are. Yeah, right! I took the wrong road two times, which took me up two steep hills which meant I had to come back down two times, but luckily, I never had to back up--my greatest fear at this point.
Finally I find the right site--or so I thought. I pulled into it, saw it was the wrong one and then I had to BACK OUT! "Just back up straight Sharon--that's all you have to do." And, I did it!! Then I just pulled right into the next one which was also the right one. I set up little Puc in no time and was even told by my camping neighbor that I looked like a "pro" doing it. Yes!!
The girls and the twins arrive and the fun begins. My only concern was the little trek to the "comfort station" we have to make every time we had to "go", but we all agreed it wasn't too bad. Actually, it was awesome in the middle of the night. Angela, who is about 3 months pregnant and has to go at all hours of the night, would wake me and we'd walk together in the moonlight. She and Ashli saw a shooting star on our first trip to the bathrooms--somehow I missed it, but the stars out in the country like that are just amazing. Last night I went to sleep listening to my favorite songs on my iPod and looking out at the stars--it was awesome!
So, today we have to pack up and leave by 11:00 a.m. I fixed my famous French Toast and sausages for breakfast and then we clean up and start preparing to fold Puc up. I was so meticulous about everything--a little O.C.D about tucking in the canvass and doing everything just right. We got her done and hooked up and said our good-byes and I get in my car and it won't start. Dead battery. I left my cell phone charger plugged in--which I always do here at home, but I drive my car every day and I guess that makes a difference. I never drove my car or started it during the entire camping trip. Luckily nearby campers had some jumper cables and Ashli and I got it started. Whew! One more lesson learned--I've got a list, and it gets bigger by the moment.
Now, we say more good-byes and start down the hill. I hear some crunching noises associated with the camper trailer, but I heard some on the way out too, so no big deal, right? WRONG!!!!!!
I make it out of the Lake Paradise area and up to the highway--F Hwy. in Oak Grove. I'm moving right along with Ashli and her bunch right behind me, when all of a sudden I feel a huge jolt and hear a horrible noise. I immediately slow down and look in my rearview mirror and realize that there is a huge problem. I pull over as far to the right as I can possible get and stop and get out. I see that the tongue of the trailer is on the ground and I think I'm looking at a trailer hitch that has broken off of my car. Nope. The problem was that the ball mount had come out of the hitch adapter and I immediately know why. I had forgotten to put the pin that holds it in there, in there. Probably one of the biggest mistakes I could have possibly made today and one of the most dangerous. The first thing I thought of was how fortunate I was that I hadn't caused some horrible accident that could have involved my two daughters and two of my grandchildren. Once that wave of relief was over, all I could think of was what do we do now? We can't lift this thing and even if we could, is it broke? Within moments I see a truck pulling a horse trailer begin to pull over to see what's up. This man and his daughter were able to use a wooden block as leverage to lift the tongue high enough for the girl to get the trailer jack in place to crank it up and align it with the hitch on my car. The man inspected everything and said that nothing seemed damaged and told me that I had been blessed. Like he needed to tell me that. I know I was blessed today and the song "Jesus Take The Wheel" has been on my mind ever since I arrived home safely.
I thanked the man and his daughter and I know that they will be blessed for their kind acts today.
So, that is "the rest of the story". ; )
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Out of the Mouths of Babes
I'm sure that everyone has been surprised, shocked, amused and embarassed by something they've heard a child say. Unless we can actually remember how our little minds worked way back then, it's hard to figure out what is going on in these little heads. I have gotten so much pleasure out of my grandkids and the things that they have said. And I just have to share with my friends the most recent conversation that Ashli, my daughter, had with Payton, her 3 1/2 year old son.
Ashli was explaining to the twins on Thursday about my next door neighbor passing away recently. Payton and Marley both would run to hug George when they'd see him outside--and his wife, Julie.
So, upon hearing that George had died, Payton asks his mom "Why did he die?" Ashli explains that George was very sick and just could not get well. Payton then asks if George is in Heaven with PaPa. Ashli assures him that he is. Then Payton asks how George got there. At this point I'm sure Ashli was sorry she'd ever started this conversation, but she told Payton that Jesus had come and taken George up to Heaven. Payton looks a bit confused and then says, "But how did he do that? Jesus is just a baby".
I love it! Payton likes to sing a song that I sing at church called, "What Did You Say Was The Baby's Name?" and of course, most little children know the story of Christmas, the birth of Jesus. So in his head, Jesus was just a baby. Is that sweet, or what?
Keep 'em coming Payton!
Ashli was explaining to the twins on Thursday about my next door neighbor passing away recently. Payton and Marley both would run to hug George when they'd see him outside--and his wife, Julie.
So, upon hearing that George had died, Payton asks his mom "Why did he die?" Ashli explains that George was very sick and just could not get well. Payton then asks if George is in Heaven with PaPa. Ashli assures him that he is. Then Payton asks how George got there. At this point I'm sure Ashli was sorry she'd ever started this conversation, but she told Payton that Jesus had come and taken George up to Heaven. Payton looks a bit confused and then says, "But how did he do that? Jesus is just a baby".
I love it! Payton likes to sing a song that I sing at church called, "What Did You Say Was The Baby's Name?" and of course, most little children know the story of Christmas, the birth of Jesus. So in his head, Jesus was just a baby. Is that sweet, or what?
Keep 'em coming Payton!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Practice makes perfect, right? WRONG!!
Okay, so I drive over to Shawnee Mission, KS this morning to pick up my camper and it all goes well. I back my car right up to the tongue of the camper, Griff hooks it up for me and gives me my paperwork and some other extras for the camper and I'm off. Pulling it was a breeze, switching lanes and starting and stopping were no problem, but then I get to the church parking lot--lots of room, hundreds of parking spaces and a little drive way at the missions building for me to practice backing up into. This is going to be great....or so I thought.
OMG! What is wrong with me? I'm a great backer-upper. I pride myself on that and yet, trying to back that little camper where I wanted it was next to impossible.
I tried the theory of turning the steering wheel the opposite way of where you want the trailer to go. Nope, I couldn't do that. So, I try the tip about holding on to the bottom of the steering wheel and turning it in the direction of where you want the trailer to go. Nope, that didn't work either. I know...both ways should have worked, but not for me. I was there for like 45 min. to an hour. I just about jack-knifed the thing several times. I got so stressed out I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Thank goodness there was no one around the church today. Oh geez, I just remembered that there are cameras mounted on the buildings now. Please tell me they weren't on today.
So, I decided to just take little Puc home and do what I could. I worried all the way home. I live at the end of a cul-de-sac so I really don't even have that much space to maneuver in anyway, but I was going to have to do something.
I get to the cul-de-sac and I see my neighbor's daughter walking with two guys. I rolled down my car window and told them that if they really wanted some entertainment, they should stick around and watch me try to back the trailer in my driveway. The girl says, "Do you want him to do it for you?" as she pointed at the young man. She told me that he backs boat trailers up all the time. I looked at him and he smiled and said he'd be glad to do it for me, so I let him. I couldn't believe the way he just backed it on in there, close to the wall and as straight as a string. Unbelievable! Again I say, I'm an idiot! Why can't I do that?
So, I popped up my little camper, turned on the A/C, opened up all the little cabinets and drawers and found all kinds of nifty things--a microwave, a space heater, clip on fan/lights for over the beds, a built in cooler and a stove you can hook up on the outside of the camper. This is the cleanest camper I've been in that wasn't new. It even smells new and it's 11 years old. I really lucked out--this is a sweet little camper.
It fits perfectly in my garage and except for about 6-8 inches, I can raise it up all the way. At least I thought so until I went to shut the garage door. Oops! Bad noise! No big deal though--I just had to lower it a smidge--which meant unhooking brace bars, pushing the beds back in and practically taking the whole thing down again. Ugh!
Except for the stress of backing the darned thing up, I really enjoyed my day with Puc. Oh, and Tilly enjoyed it too. She snooped around inside the fridge and in every nook and cranny and then stretched out on the king-sized bed. We're going to be great camping buddies. ; )
OMG! What is wrong with me? I'm a great backer-upper. I pride myself on that and yet, trying to back that little camper where I wanted it was next to impossible.
I tried the theory of turning the steering wheel the opposite way of where you want the trailer to go. Nope, I couldn't do that. So, I try the tip about holding on to the bottom of the steering wheel and turning it in the direction of where you want the trailer to go. Nope, that didn't work either. I know...both ways should have worked, but not for me. I was there for like 45 min. to an hour. I just about jack-knifed the thing several times. I got so stressed out I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Thank goodness there was no one around the church today. Oh geez, I just remembered that there are cameras mounted on the buildings now. Please tell me they weren't on today.
So, I decided to just take little Puc home and do what I could. I worried all the way home. I live at the end of a cul-de-sac so I really don't even have that much space to maneuver in anyway, but I was going to have to do something.
I get to the cul-de-sac and I see my neighbor's daughter walking with two guys. I rolled down my car window and told them that if they really wanted some entertainment, they should stick around and watch me try to back the trailer in my driveway. The girl says, "Do you want him to do it for you?" as she pointed at the young man. She told me that he backs boat trailers up all the time. I looked at him and he smiled and said he'd be glad to do it for me, so I let him. I couldn't believe the way he just backed it on in there, close to the wall and as straight as a string. Unbelievable! Again I say, I'm an idiot! Why can't I do that?
So, I popped up my little camper, turned on the A/C, opened up all the little cabinets and drawers and found all kinds of nifty things--a microwave, a space heater, clip on fan/lights for over the beds, a built in cooler and a stove you can hook up on the outside of the camper. This is the cleanest camper I've been in that wasn't new. It even smells new and it's 11 years old. I really lucked out--this is a sweet little camper.
It fits perfectly in my garage and except for about 6-8 inches, I can raise it up all the way. At least I thought so until I went to shut the garage door. Oops! Bad noise! No big deal though--I just had to lower it a smidge--which meant unhooking brace bars, pushing the beds back in and practically taking the whole thing down again. Ugh!
Except for the stress of backing the darned thing up, I really enjoyed my day with Puc. Oh, and Tilly enjoyed it too. She snooped around inside the fridge and in every nook and cranny and then stretched out on the king-sized bed. We're going to be great camping buddies. ; )
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Almost Paradise
Yep, it almost was--paradise, that is. Gorgeous weather, beautiful sunsets, fabulous food, ocean, sand, palm trees and an awesome friend. Perfect!
Except for: arriving at my condo where the a/c was not on and the place was covered in mildew, getting caught in a torrential down pour while leaving the grocery store after purchasing cleaning supplies, dropping our dinner (pizza) on the dirty oven door while removing it from the oven, spending the better part of the next 7 days cleaning or making trips to Home Depot, having a seagull nab your friend's sandwich right out of her hand as she's eating it and feeling bad because most of what I could have shared with her was already eaten, the rental car not starting after a hot day at the beach, having to wait for the jumpstart in 90+ degree weather, having to drive from the beach to the Tampa airport to pick up a replacement car and then being told I was paying for an upgrade I didn't have and then putting me in a compact car without remote entry keys (that's a real bummer, trust me), having to drive back to Tarpon Springs from the airport (a 35 min. drive), suggesting one of my favorite dishes at a restaurant only to have it served without the delicious sauce and then having to wait 15 min. to have it corrected, having the a/c go out on a Saturday and the repairman can't come until Sunday, being told my a/c unit is 31 years old and should be replaced, paying for a new a/c unit and having it installed on Monday morning and it's not working Monday evening, being told my cushion covers won't be ready at the dry cleaners for 5 days and then when I go to pick them up, they weren't even done and can't be done before I leave on Wednesday, arriving at the library in plenty of time to get online to get a boarding pass and then discovering that I don't have my flight information with me, finding out the sheets that we put in the washer prior to leaving the condo did not go through a spin cycle and we have to wring them out by hand before they could be put in the dryer, being disappointed by the last piece of Key Lime pie we'd eat at Bahama Breeze that is usually to die for, getting charged a $15 late fee for returning the rental car 4 min. late (which was removed) by Thrifty who never even gave me any consideration for the inconvenience they put me through a week earlier, Maggy leaving her purse at the Thrifty counter after we had left with all the attitude two ladies could muster, and sitting on a hot tarmack for 30-40 min. while they removed a truck that had broken down from behind our plane.
Other than those little inconveniences, we had a wonderful time. We've even laughed ourselves to tears within the past few days. Funny how that works--tears of frustration one day and tears of laughter once it's all over.
Although I've never seen an episode of Golden Girls quite like our story, we kind of thought of ourselves as Blanche and Dorothy. And the theme song, "Thank You For Being A Friend" ran through my mind many times during this vacation--Blanche, (Maggy) you're the best!
I only hope that I can repay you for all that you did to help me get through our trip to Paradise. ; )
Except for: arriving at my condo where the a/c was not on and the place was covered in mildew, getting caught in a torrential down pour while leaving the grocery store after purchasing cleaning supplies, dropping our dinner (pizza) on the dirty oven door while removing it from the oven, spending the better part of the next 7 days cleaning or making trips to Home Depot, having a seagull nab your friend's sandwich right out of her hand as she's eating it and feeling bad because most of what I could have shared with her was already eaten, the rental car not starting after a hot day at the beach, having to wait for the jumpstart in 90+ degree weather, having to drive from the beach to the Tampa airport to pick up a replacement car and then being told I was paying for an upgrade I didn't have and then putting me in a compact car without remote entry keys (that's a real bummer, trust me), having to drive back to Tarpon Springs from the airport (a 35 min. drive), suggesting one of my favorite dishes at a restaurant only to have it served without the delicious sauce and then having to wait 15 min. to have it corrected, having the a/c go out on a Saturday and the repairman can't come until Sunday, being told my a/c unit is 31 years old and should be replaced, paying for a new a/c unit and having it installed on Monday morning and it's not working Monday evening, being told my cushion covers won't be ready at the dry cleaners for 5 days and then when I go to pick them up, they weren't even done and can't be done before I leave on Wednesday, arriving at the library in plenty of time to get online to get a boarding pass and then discovering that I don't have my flight information with me, finding out the sheets that we put in the washer prior to leaving the condo did not go through a spin cycle and we have to wring them out by hand before they could be put in the dryer, being disappointed by the last piece of Key Lime pie we'd eat at Bahama Breeze that is usually to die for, getting charged a $15 late fee for returning the rental car 4 min. late (which was removed) by Thrifty who never even gave me any consideration for the inconvenience they put me through a week earlier, Maggy leaving her purse at the Thrifty counter after we had left with all the attitude two ladies could muster, and sitting on a hot tarmack for 30-40 min. while they removed a truck that had broken down from behind our plane.
Other than those little inconveniences, we had a wonderful time. We've even laughed ourselves to tears within the past few days. Funny how that works--tears of frustration one day and tears of laughter once it's all over.
Although I've never seen an episode of Golden Girls quite like our story, we kind of thought of ourselves as Blanche and Dorothy. And the theme song, "Thank You For Being A Friend" ran through my mind many times during this vacation--Blanche, (Maggy) you're the best!
I only hope that I can repay you for all that you did to help me get through our trip to Paradise. ; )
Monday, June 14, 2010
Why Not Me?
Have you ever had so many things happen to you in a short period of time to where you start wondering, "Why me?" Over the past month or so, I have had two very painful injuries to my hands (each one of them), I've been suffering with kidney stones, I've had a lingering sinus infection, every joint in my body was aching about a week ago, a bush that I planted at church was stolen, I dropped a pile of heavy games on my foot last night and thought I had broken some toes. And today my box lunch was stolen at a charity golf tournament--a church sponsored tournament, no less.
So yeah, I've been wondering, "Why me?" "What have I done to deserve this?" Why wouldn't I?
Well, when I got home just a while ago after a long day at the golf course--a gorgeous day I might add, I had a message from a neighbor on my answering machine. My next door neighbor, George, had a ruptured aneurysm and is in intensive care at St. Luke's hospital on the plaza in very serious condition. This actually happened last Tuesday, but I'm just now hearing about it because I haven't been home--I've been fishing, boating, having Girls Night Out with friends, celebrating things like my dad's birthday, going to church and enjoying the company of great people. (and one trip to the ER).
So, now I'm thinking what a big wuss I am for complaining about anything. I'm not in the hospital fighting for my life, I haven't been diagnosed with some life threatening disease, I've got all my limbs and fingers and toes, they're just banged up a bit. I'll pass the kidney stones sooner or later and the sinus infection is almost gone. Why shouldn't those things happen to me? Heck, I caused most of them. ; ) I should just be happy that I'm living, breathing and enjoying life. Be thankful for your health and enjoy life.
Please pray for my friend George--he is the sweetest man and he and his wife are wonderful neighbors.
So yeah, I've been wondering, "Why me?" "What have I done to deserve this?" Why wouldn't I?
Well, when I got home just a while ago after a long day at the golf course--a gorgeous day I might add, I had a message from a neighbor on my answering machine. My next door neighbor, George, had a ruptured aneurysm and is in intensive care at St. Luke's hospital on the plaza in very serious condition. This actually happened last Tuesday, but I'm just now hearing about it because I haven't been home--I've been fishing, boating, having Girls Night Out with friends, celebrating things like my dad's birthday, going to church and enjoying the company of great people. (and one trip to the ER).
So, now I'm thinking what a big wuss I am for complaining about anything. I'm not in the hospital fighting for my life, I haven't been diagnosed with some life threatening disease, I've got all my limbs and fingers and toes, they're just banged up a bit. I'll pass the kidney stones sooner or later and the sinus infection is almost gone. Why shouldn't those things happen to me? Heck, I caused most of them. ; ) I should just be happy that I'm living, breathing and enjoying life. Be thankful for your health and enjoy life.
Please pray for my friend George--he is the sweetest man and he and his wife are wonderful neighbors.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Funk
That's the term I've used in the past to describe a period in my life where I just don't feel like myself. Perhaps a mild form of depression. I did get a prescription for an anti-depressant, but I will not take it.
I've tried to pin-point this most recent bout of "funk", but I'm sure it's a combination of things--poison ivy on my ear, whacking my hand so badly that I still have bruising and some pain, watching old home movies and seeing loved ones again that are no longer with us, feeling my age, or, is it just the weather? Who knows? But I decided to look up the word funk in the dictionary. Here's what I found:
The word funk basically refers to a strong, generally offensive odor. It is alleged to have its semantic roots in the smell of tobacco smoke and was commonly regarded as coarse or indecent.
Uh...that isn't what I'm experiencing.
So I read on:
Funk is an American music genre that originated in the late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, soul jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music.
Nope. If this were the case, I'd be loving it! I'd be dancing all over the house. But, there was no other definition for the term I've been using most of my life to describe a listless, depressing, mood.
So, I've been wrong all these years--what else is new?
But, I know I'm right about this--spending time with children, loved ones and being told you're wonderful and loved can bring you right out of it. ; )
I've tried to pin-point this most recent bout of "funk", but I'm sure it's a combination of things--poison ivy on my ear, whacking my hand so badly that I still have bruising and some pain, watching old home movies and seeing loved ones again that are no longer with us, feeling my age, or, is it just the weather? Who knows? But I decided to look up the word funk in the dictionary. Here's what I found:
The word funk basically refers to a strong, generally offensive odor. It is alleged to have its semantic roots in the smell of tobacco smoke and was commonly regarded as coarse or indecent.
Uh...that isn't what I'm experiencing.
So I read on:
Funk is an American music genre that originated in the late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, soul jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music.
Nope. If this were the case, I'd be loving it! I'd be dancing all over the house. But, there was no other definition for the term I've been using most of my life to describe a listless, depressing, mood.
So, I've been wrong all these years--what else is new?
But, I know I'm right about this--spending time with children, loved ones and being told you're wonderful and loved can bring you right out of it. ; )
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Pictures are worth a thousand words--or more!
I know that Missy really counted on me to be all full of humor as I created this blog for her and Christopher, but I'm really running out of funny stuff. I'm just going to let a few pictures speak for themselves--with a tiny bit of help from me. ; )
Around 7:00 a.m. this morning, Christopher discovered that he had sprouted those "hair wings" and it was all that Tasha could do to hold him down to keep him from taking flight. Which is what Missy wanted to do in the first place.
Somewhere in the middle of Indiana, Christopher decided he wanted to make a photo journal of their trip--while he was driving.
Christopher surprised
his mom with a picture
of me--apparently he couldn't find one of Wendy.
Around 7:00 a.m. this morning, Christopher discovered that he had sprouted those "hair wings" and it was all that Tasha could do to hold him down to keep him from taking flight. Which is what Missy wanted to do in the first place.
Somewhere in the middle of Indiana, Christopher decided he wanted to make a photo journal of their trip--while he was driving.
Christopher surprised
his mom with a picture
of me--apparently he couldn't find one of Wendy.
Little did he know how just the sight of me would affect his mom. Poor baby, she misses me so much. : `(
You've got to hand it to Christopher, he's been planning for the day that he could proclaim proudly that he is officially a "hokie". Or possibly a "dorkie". ; )
Hmmm...look what I found--fancy frame and all. Wouldn't you know....
So, the last I heard from them, they were lost on some back roads, possibly full of locals--or as Christopher lovingly calls them, "hicks". I'm sure they'll be just fine--they were only about 3 miles away from their hotel.
Wish them luck!!
It's not nice to mess with the ETA
Okay, so while all I've done is go to church and eat today, Missy and Christopher have now traveled through 5 states ( Mo, IL, IN, KY, & VA) on their way to the 6th one, WV. Incredible!
Of course, Christopher's goal was not just to get there, but to shave off as many minutes as he could from the ETA which the Tom Tom calculates constantly. Soon after Missy gave up her spot behind the wheel, Christopher had shaved off 29 min. I'm not good at figures like that, but he must have been going at least 100 MPH. I'm thinking that's about right. Missy probably didn't notice as she was having a God moment. One of many I hope.
Here is the devotional she read today:
It would be nice to be told, when we leave on a long car trip, something like this: "I want you to know that you are going to reach your destination safely and on schedule. Regardless of what happens en route--you may get lost, you may encounter a fierce rainstorm, and you may have a flat tire--don't worry. I am here to promise you that you will arrive.
Is that awesome or what? Now if God would just help her with bladder control (and other types of control) issues. Wait, was that bad?
They will be stopping to eat soon and I'm sure she'll be fine. Only 170 miles to their final destination. Wasn't there a movie with that title?.....never mind.
Of course, Christopher's goal was not just to get there, but to shave off as many minutes as he could from the ETA which the Tom Tom calculates constantly. Soon after Missy gave up her spot behind the wheel, Christopher had shaved off 29 min. I'm not good at figures like that, but he must have been going at least 100 MPH. I'm thinking that's about right. Missy probably didn't notice as she was having a God moment. One of many I hope.
Here is the devotional she read today:
It would be nice to be told, when we leave on a long car trip, something like this: "I want you to know that you are going to reach your destination safely and on schedule. Regardless of what happens en route--you may get lost, you may encounter a fierce rainstorm, and you may have a flat tire--don't worry. I am here to promise you that you will arrive.
Is that awesome or what? Now if God would just help her with bladder control (and other types of control) issues. Wait, was that bad?
They will be stopping to eat soon and I'm sure she'll be fine. Only 170 miles to their final destination. Wasn't there a movie with that title?.....never mind.
"I Can't Drive 55"
Okay, either they're driving really fast, or Illinoise is one skinny state. I'll have to look it up later on a map--wasn't good at geography. Anway, they're in Indiana now and it's only 12:53 PM.
It's really kind of fun following them like this--it's almost as if I'm in the car with them, but I'm not. Whew!
So anyway, I finally got that picture I was waiting for.
Here's Missy and Christopher on their road trip. Could they look any sweeter?
Here's Missy and Christopher on their road trip. Could they look any sweeter?
Oops! Sorry. How did that get there? I'm telling you, this new technology has it's problems, huh? I'll see what I can do to fix this in the future.
So, I'm reading comments on my status just moments ago and I see that Tasha is not ready for her brother to move so far away. Is that sweet or what? But look at it this way Tasha, you could be enjoying that 14-hour ride with your mom a couple of times a month or more. I think road trips can be a lot of fun. I've never been to Blackburg, VA or any other town in Virginia. Maybe instead of dinner, we could all hook up for a road trip someday! Yes!
Okay, I've got to do something today besides sit here waiting for my cell phone to ring.
Later peeps!
Hokie! They're on their way!
Yes, they're on their way. Unfortunately, they're already lost. Surprise, surprise! Missy and Christopher are officially on the road and headed for Blacksburg, VA--home of the Hokies, which is apparently something Christopher has a hankering to be. What is a "hokie" you ask--besides being an unusual word. Well, this is the explanation I got when I looked it up online:
In 1896, the Virginia General Assembly officially changed the college's name to Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute, a name so long that citizens shortened it in popular usage to VPI. The original college cheer, which made reference to the original name of the institution, was no longer suitable. Thus, a contest was held to select a new spirit yell, and O. M. Stull won the $5 top prize for his cheer, now known as Old Hokie:
Hoki, Hoki, Hoki, Hy.
Techs, Techs, V.P.I.
Sola-Rex, Sola-Rah.
Polytechs - Vir-gin-ia.
Rae, Ri, V.P.I.
Stull later said that he made up the word as an attention-grabber. But alas! The word "hokie" did exist. According to Johann Norstedt"[Hokie was] a word that people used to express feeling, approval, excitement, surprise. Hence my blog title. ; )
This little jaunt began this morning around 7:00 I've been told. As I'm typing this, it is 11:41 a.m. and I just got a text that they've entered Illinois. They have decided (at least one of them has) to accept the direction of Christopher's phone GPS over that of Missy's Tom Tom. Oh, the thrill of being in the "cockpit" with Missy again--NOT!! Oops....I'm supposed to be nice this time. Sorry Missy.
According to Christopher, I guess they could have flown this morning rather than drive. He apparently sprouted "hair wings" this morning and didn't have time to comb them out before Missy urged him (in the nicest, sweetest way I'm sure) into the car. I'm expecting a picture of that anytime now. Actually, I could probably Skype him. He apparently has the ability to multi-task like no other person I've ever known. He currently, in the car mind you, is online on his laptop, listening to a "hokie" baseball game via his phone(I think), texting and I don't even remember all the other capabilites that he has. They lost me at "he's online" on his laptop. How do you do that in a moving car? The things those two can do in a moving car--I wonder if they've thought about doing the "hokie-pokie". Yeah, I know, that WAS lame.
Seriously peeps, keep Missy and Christopher in your prayers as they make their way across the country.
Until I hear from them again.....
In 1896, the Virginia General Assembly officially changed the college's name to Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute, a name so long that citizens shortened it in popular usage to VPI. The original college cheer, which made reference to the original name of the institution, was no longer suitable. Thus, a contest was held to select a new spirit yell, and O. M. Stull won the $5 top prize for his cheer, now known as Old Hokie:
Hoki, Hoki, Hoki, Hy.
Techs, Techs, V.P.I.
Sola-Rex, Sola-Rah.
Polytechs - Vir-gin-ia.
Rae, Ri, V.P.I.
Stull later said that he made up the word as an attention-grabber. But alas! The word "hokie" did exist. According to Johann Norstedt"[Hokie was] a word that people used to express feeling, approval, excitement, surprise. Hence my blog title. ; )
This little jaunt began this morning around 7:00 I've been told. As I'm typing this, it is 11:41 a.m. and I just got a text that they've entered Illinois. They have decided (at least one of them has) to accept the direction of Christopher's phone GPS over that of Missy's Tom Tom. Oh, the thrill of being in the "cockpit" with Missy again--NOT!! Oops....I'm supposed to be nice this time. Sorry Missy.
According to Christopher, I guess they could have flown this morning rather than drive. He apparently sprouted "hair wings" this morning and didn't have time to comb them out before Missy urged him (in the nicest, sweetest way I'm sure) into the car. I'm expecting a picture of that anytime now. Actually, I could probably Skype him. He apparently has the ability to multi-task like no other person I've ever known. He currently, in the car mind you, is online on his laptop, listening to a "hokie" baseball game via his phone(I think), texting and I don't even remember all the other capabilites that he has. They lost me at "he's online" on his laptop. How do you do that in a moving car? The things those two can do in a moving car--I wonder if they've thought about doing the "hokie-pokie". Yeah, I know, that WAS lame.
Seriously peeps, keep Missy and Christopher in your prayers as they make their way across the country.
Until I hear from them again.....
Thursday, April 15, 2010
News Flash for "Flash Mobbers"
Once again, Kansas City just can't get it right. I don't know all the details about the "flash mobbing" that took place over the weekend at the Country Club Plaza because I try not to watch the "bad" news. But from what I've heard from others, it wasn't a good thing.
Here's the news flash for people/kids of KC: "flash mobbing", "flash freezing" and any other organized large gathering in a public area which, by the way, has been done all over the world, has typically been an event--a source of entertainment for others. What appears to be apparent spontaneous dancing, or instant freezing in mid activity. Not terrorizing the community. You can go to YouTube and entertain yourself for hours watching the videos of young (and old) all over the world participating in "flash" activities for the enjoyment of others.
I'd love to be strolling on the Plaza some evening and be pleasantly surprised by a large group of young people who have dedicated some of their free time to choreograph a dance routine to some awesome music. Wouldn't that be fun? But no--we get thugs, hoodlums, angry young people that just want to make others as miserable as they must be. How sad....
Hey, are there any adults out there that would be willing to get together and "flash dance" on the Plaza one of these beautiful spring weekends? Let me know--I think it would fun. ; )
Here's the news flash for people/kids of KC: "flash mobbing", "flash freezing" and any other organized large gathering in a public area which, by the way, has been done all over the world, has typically been an event--a source of entertainment for others. What appears to be apparent spontaneous dancing, or instant freezing in mid activity. Not terrorizing the community. You can go to YouTube and entertain yourself for hours watching the videos of young (and old) all over the world participating in "flash" activities for the enjoyment of others.
I'd love to be strolling on the Plaza some evening and be pleasantly surprised by a large group of young people who have dedicated some of their free time to choreograph a dance routine to some awesome music. Wouldn't that be fun? But no--we get thugs, hoodlums, angry young people that just want to make others as miserable as they must be. How sad....
Hey, are there any adults out there that would be willing to get together and "flash dance" on the Plaza one of these beautiful spring weekends? Let me know--I think it would fun. ; )
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Butt Dancing
Oh yeah! Love me some "butt dancing". And after two days of not feeling so hot and having a bug wake me from a nice little nap by crawling across my face, it was about time I had some fun!
We, Ashli, Angela and I, started the day by getting pedicures this morning. Then Ashli and I shopped for a while and then met up again with Angela and Patrick for lunch at Jason's Deli--ummmm, good stuff.
Then we headed back here to lay out on the dock and catch some rays. I grabbed my iPod docking station, a big towel and a pillow--I was serious about resting in the sun.
I knew this group was not going to want to hear my gospel music--not that they don't enjoy it, they just hear it all the time. So we start out by listening to 94.9. It was okay--some boring 70s & 80s music. And then I remembered that I had some good dance music on my iPod. Man, I couldn't lay there without moving. I was doing some serious "butt dancing" on the dock. I was about a beat away from jumping up and just letting go. But, after discussing the merits of doing something as simple as butt dancing for exercise, I catch a glimpse of Patrick doing pelvic thrusts to the music. Ummm...not on the dock. Not in broad daylight. Not ever, actually. ; )
It was fun though--I love music. I love to dance. And I love being outside. I'm very happy today. ; )
We, Ashli, Angela and I, started the day by getting pedicures this morning. Then Ashli and I shopped for a while and then met up again with Angela and Patrick for lunch at Jason's Deli--ummmm, good stuff.
Then we headed back here to lay out on the dock and catch some rays. I grabbed my iPod docking station, a big towel and a pillow--I was serious about resting in the sun.
I knew this group was not going to want to hear my gospel music--not that they don't enjoy it, they just hear it all the time. So we start out by listening to 94.9. It was okay--some boring 70s & 80s music. And then I remembered that I had some good dance music on my iPod. Man, I couldn't lay there without moving. I was doing some serious "butt dancing" on the dock. I was about a beat away from jumping up and just letting go. But, after discussing the merits of doing something as simple as butt dancing for exercise, I catch a glimpse of Patrick doing pelvic thrusts to the music. Ummm...not on the dock. Not in broad daylight. Not ever, actually. ; )
It was fun though--I love music. I love to dance. And I love being outside. I'm very happy today. ; )
Monday, April 12, 2010
Wasted Day
Man, I wasted a beautiful day today. I got up with every intention of getting the important stuff done and then enjoying this beautiful weather.
But, things went downhill fast. I couldn't shake this ridiculous cough and I got a terrible headache as a result of it. I "caved" and decided to take the antibiotics that had been prescribed for me by my doctor almost a month ago when I had bronchitis. And, I took a couple of ibuprophen for the headache. Then I decided to take a pillow, my gospel music, a glass of tea and a book out on the deck to relax and let the meds work.
While I was getting comfortable, I noticed wasps flying around looking for just the right spot to start building their nests--which is usually up inside of my patio table umbrella. So I decide to nip their little plan in the bud. I opened up the umbrella--the wasps seem to like to sneak into small little spaces and this would eliminate that.
Now I'm ready to take a little nap and enjoy the warmth of the sun and the smell of fresh air. I put my book over my face and fall asleep. I'm not sure how long I slept, but I know I did. I was awakened by the sounds that the wind was causing. My patio table was on the verge of tipping over because the wind was blowing up under the umbrella. No problem. I'll just crank her down--or so I thought. She wouldn't go down. I could crank it up until it wouldn't go any further but I couldn't crank it down. Now mind you, I didn't feel good to start with and I had just woken up. I didn't feel like fighting with this umbrella--especially with wasps flying around my head. But that's exactly what I had to end up doing. I got down on my hands and knees and tried to unscrew the set screw that was holding the umbrella pole in it's holder and that wasn't going to happen. So I started yanking with all of my might to get the stupid thing out of the middle of the table.
Yea!! I did it. And then the wind caught the fully opened umbrella I was holding in my hands and almost lifted me off of the deck. I dropped the darned thing, knocking over my drink which immediately started spilling onto the deck. Oh yeah, I'm real relaxed now--NOT!
So, long story short (or is it too late for that?) I did not enjoy my time out in the fresh air on my recently cleaned up deck. I came in the house, decided to go to the bank and on the way home get me something to eat. And that's exactly what I did. Then I sat down and ate my Chinese food, fell asleep, woke up and watched Jeopardy, e-mailed friends to cancel out on dinner tonight and now I'm sitting here depressed about wasting an absolutely gorgeous day.
In my defense--I feel guilty about not getting anything done or having any fun today, but I don't feel good. It's depression over not feeling like myself but I know I will feel better soon. It's just the getting there that sucks!
But, things went downhill fast. I couldn't shake this ridiculous cough and I got a terrible headache as a result of it. I "caved" and decided to take the antibiotics that had been prescribed for me by my doctor almost a month ago when I had bronchitis. And, I took a couple of ibuprophen for the headache. Then I decided to take a pillow, my gospel music, a glass of tea and a book out on the deck to relax and let the meds work.
While I was getting comfortable, I noticed wasps flying around looking for just the right spot to start building their nests--which is usually up inside of my patio table umbrella. So I decide to nip their little plan in the bud. I opened up the umbrella--the wasps seem to like to sneak into small little spaces and this would eliminate that.
Now I'm ready to take a little nap and enjoy the warmth of the sun and the smell of fresh air. I put my book over my face and fall asleep. I'm not sure how long I slept, but I know I did. I was awakened by the sounds that the wind was causing. My patio table was on the verge of tipping over because the wind was blowing up under the umbrella. No problem. I'll just crank her down--or so I thought. She wouldn't go down. I could crank it up until it wouldn't go any further but I couldn't crank it down. Now mind you, I didn't feel good to start with and I had just woken up. I didn't feel like fighting with this umbrella--especially with wasps flying around my head. But that's exactly what I had to end up doing. I got down on my hands and knees and tried to unscrew the set screw that was holding the umbrella pole in it's holder and that wasn't going to happen. So I started yanking with all of my might to get the stupid thing out of the middle of the table.
Yea!! I did it. And then the wind caught the fully opened umbrella I was holding in my hands and almost lifted me off of the deck. I dropped the darned thing, knocking over my drink which immediately started spilling onto the deck. Oh yeah, I'm real relaxed now--NOT!
So, long story short (or is it too late for that?) I did not enjoy my time out in the fresh air on my recently cleaned up deck. I came in the house, decided to go to the bank and on the way home get me something to eat. And that's exactly what I did. Then I sat down and ate my Chinese food, fell asleep, woke up and watched Jeopardy, e-mailed friends to cancel out on dinner tonight and now I'm sitting here depressed about wasting an absolutely gorgeous day.
In my defense--I feel guilty about not getting anything done or having any fun today, but I don't feel good. It's depression over not feeling like myself but I know I will feel better soon. It's just the getting there that sucks!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Life--The Most Precious Gift
I don't want to bring anyone down today--especially on such a gorgeous day, at least it is here in Missouri. But, since I haven't felt that "whoopie" over the past couple of days, I decided to stay in and get some much needed organizing done. It would have been nice if I had taken advantage of the cold, yucky winter days to do this but, alas, I don't always do the smart thing.
I started my project in the laundry room where I have a built in shelving unit. This is where most anything that doesn't go somewhere else ends up. It's also where I keep all of our family photo albums. There was lots of dust and lint all around them and I wanted to be thorough, so I took them all off of the shelf to dust. I'm so proud of myself. ; ) Before I placed them back on the shelf, I decided to take a little trip down memory lane. I started with an album of Chuck and I when we were first dating back in 1968 and worked up to 1984 before I just couldn't do it anymore.
We lived in a nice home with a pool back then and every weekend in the summer was "pool party" time. We all enjoyed it so much. I especially liked the fact that the girls wanted to spend their time at home and have their friends over to our house. It was a fun time. But, as I looked at pictures taken in July of 1984, I began to realize how many people that were there then are gone now. Six people on one page: my mother, my step-father, my grandmother, two old friends and of course Chuck.
Yes, it's nice to have the photos and remember them as they were--healthy and enjoying life, but I miss them so much. The good news is, I was reminded (once again) how precious life is and why we should all give thanks every day for this awesome gift. We can't know how long we have to enjoy our loved ones or our own time on earth so we must take time in our busy schedules to spend quality time with family and friends.
And this is going to sound real "cheezy", but I don't care because this is my blog and these are my thoughts. Whenever the song "If Tomorrow Never Comes" by Garth Brooks would come on and I'd hear the last line which went "..would she know how much I loved her?", I'd look at Chuck and say "Yes". He did good--I always knew how much he loved me and he knew how much I loved him.
So, while we're here, we should also let our friends and loved ones know how much we love them. It feels good--trust me.
I started my project in the laundry room where I have a built in shelving unit. This is where most anything that doesn't go somewhere else ends up. It's also where I keep all of our family photo albums. There was lots of dust and lint all around them and I wanted to be thorough, so I took them all off of the shelf to dust. I'm so proud of myself. ; ) Before I placed them back on the shelf, I decided to take a little trip down memory lane. I started with an album of Chuck and I when we were first dating back in 1968 and worked up to 1984 before I just couldn't do it anymore.
We lived in a nice home with a pool back then and every weekend in the summer was "pool party" time. We all enjoyed it so much. I especially liked the fact that the girls wanted to spend their time at home and have their friends over to our house. It was a fun time. But, as I looked at pictures taken in July of 1984, I began to realize how many people that were there then are gone now. Six people on one page: my mother, my step-father, my grandmother, two old friends and of course Chuck.
Yes, it's nice to have the photos and remember them as they were--healthy and enjoying life, but I miss them so much. The good news is, I was reminded (once again) how precious life is and why we should all give thanks every day for this awesome gift. We can't know how long we have to enjoy our loved ones or our own time on earth so we must take time in our busy schedules to spend quality time with family and friends.
And this is going to sound real "cheezy", but I don't care because this is my blog and these are my thoughts. Whenever the song "If Tomorrow Never Comes" by Garth Brooks would come on and I'd hear the last line which went "..would she know how much I loved her?", I'd look at Chuck and say "Yes". He did good--I always knew how much he loved me and he knew how much I loved him.
So, while we're here, we should also let our friends and loved ones know how much we love them. It feels good--trust me.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Where did my blog go?
Just a little test to see why my blogs aren't posting to Facebook.
Have a great day all!!
Have a great day all!!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Hallelujah! I've Been Redeemed
Finally we have found some free WiFi in New Orleans and we have a break in our duties, so I can blog for just a few minutes.
Just a little back ground for some who may not have any idea what has been going on down here since we left on Monday. I am a navigator in the van for Missy as we deliver tools to work sites here in New Orleans. Dee, Missy's mom is now, officially, Missy's PA and doing a very good job I might add. But, because of the way the traffic lights are set up, and the road construction that is wide spread here, and a TomTom with a mind of it's own (Missy also has a mind of her own) it can get quite stressful there in the cockpit. At one point yesterday, Missy was driving with her left knee, and talking on her phone while holding the TomTom she had jerked from my hand. I decided to eat an orange--trust me, this becomes an important part of this story. We're sitting at a stop light or stop sign--I don't remember which right now, when Missy realizes she needs to go. She takes off rather suddenly, and I hear her mom, cry out from the back of the van. She had been sitting on a bucket (oh, there are no seats in the back of the van) and during our "take off" it flipped over and so did Missy's mom and luckily, she landed in a box that was behind her, or she may have tumbled clear out the back of the van. It was pretty scary. So scary, that when I realized what was happening, I almost choked on my orange. Literally! It felt like it was going to come out of my nose. Poor Missy (yeah right) she didn't know whether to attend to her mom in the back--lying on her back, or me, who was gagging and choking in the seat next to her.
I need to speed up--my battery is getting low and I really have to post something before I lose my job. I've written tons, but haven't been able to get it posted--will do that later. It will be old news, but worth the read--I hope.
At the end of the day, the 3rd day, Missy was ready to pack me up and ship me back to Missouri--Wendy apparently knows how to navigate, eat, sleep, drink and everything better than I do.
But today, March 18 (I really need to mark this date) thank God (literally), I've been redeemed. We had a God moment and it was because of my lousy multitasking skills--or lack of them, completely.
Earlier this morning, she wanted me to enter an address in to that darned TomTom just to see how far away we would be from that point to a church that we will be visiting on Sunday. In all of the chaos of getting directions to the place we were going at that time and what we would be delivering and a dozen other instructions, I typed in the wrong address--not knowing it at the time.
We begin our day, fighting traffic and road construction in an effort to get badly needed tools and supplies to the correct teams at the correct sites. That is a job I would not want every day, even if I were being paid.
At some point, we begin looking for an address across town and we can't seem go find the right house--numbers don't look familiar, houses don't look familiar and I'm more concerned that the cars on this street (Joliet) are parked going the wrong direction. I even make the comment--at home, we would be ticketed for that. After a few blocks, Missy decides to stop at an intersection and try to figure out what is wrong. When Dee repeats the address we are looking for, Missy says, "But that's not the address that is in here (the TomTom)". Suddenly, I remembered that when she had given me the address for the church that morning, I had just put in the 1st two numbers that I could remember and the last two, I kind of made up. Yes, I do that sometimes. I was only trying to get a measure for distance at that time, not knowing we would have a delivery on that same street later.
Missy gives me the LOOK. And almost immediately, she shouts, "OMG, there's the church we're supposed to go to on Sunday!!" It was right across the street from where we were sitting. The address was not even 1212, the number I had put in the TomTom--close, but not the number. And we were supposed to be at 2730 or something like that. Missy is freaking out. "Sharon, how did you do that? That's amazing!" I'm like...uh, I don't know. So she tells me to get out and have my picture taken in front of this church, that we may not have ever found because we didn't have the right address--and weren't suppose to be where we were at all. AND, here's the clincher--we realized as we turned around to go back to where we should have been, that we had driven all the way down a one way street going the wrong way!! We never would have noticed the church otherwise. I hope this is making sense to people, but it was truly a God moment for us and just what I needed to boost my morale at that moment. Missy hasn't mentioned Wendy in several hours now. ; )
She has however, dropped me off at a coffee shop to blog and I'm a bit concerned that I may never see her again. Surely she hasn't forgotten about my shining moment....
Just a little back ground for some who may not have any idea what has been going on down here since we left on Monday. I am a navigator in the van for Missy as we deliver tools to work sites here in New Orleans. Dee, Missy's mom is now, officially, Missy's PA and doing a very good job I might add. But, because of the way the traffic lights are set up, and the road construction that is wide spread here, and a TomTom with a mind of it's own (Missy also has a mind of her own) it can get quite stressful there in the cockpit. At one point yesterday, Missy was driving with her left knee, and talking on her phone while holding the TomTom she had jerked from my hand. I decided to eat an orange--trust me, this becomes an important part of this story. We're sitting at a stop light or stop sign--I don't remember which right now, when Missy realizes she needs to go. She takes off rather suddenly, and I hear her mom, cry out from the back of the van. She had been sitting on a bucket (oh, there are no seats in the back of the van) and during our "take off" it flipped over and so did Missy's mom and luckily, she landed in a box that was behind her, or she may have tumbled clear out the back of the van. It was pretty scary. So scary, that when I realized what was happening, I almost choked on my orange. Literally! It felt like it was going to come out of my nose. Poor Missy (yeah right) she didn't know whether to attend to her mom in the back--lying on her back, or me, who was gagging and choking in the seat next to her.
I need to speed up--my battery is getting low and I really have to post something before I lose my job. I've written tons, but haven't been able to get it posted--will do that later. It will be old news, but worth the read--I hope.
At the end of the day, the 3rd day, Missy was ready to pack me up and ship me back to Missouri--Wendy apparently knows how to navigate, eat, sleep, drink and everything better than I do.
But today, March 18 (I really need to mark this date) thank God (literally), I've been redeemed. We had a God moment and it was because of my lousy multitasking skills--or lack of them, completely.
Earlier this morning, she wanted me to enter an address in to that darned TomTom just to see how far away we would be from that point to a church that we will be visiting on Sunday. In all of the chaos of getting directions to the place we were going at that time and what we would be delivering and a dozen other instructions, I typed in the wrong address--not knowing it at the time.
We begin our day, fighting traffic and road construction in an effort to get badly needed tools and supplies to the correct teams at the correct sites. That is a job I would not want every day, even if I were being paid.
At some point, we begin looking for an address across town and we can't seem go find the right house--numbers don't look familiar, houses don't look familiar and I'm more concerned that the cars on this street (Joliet) are parked going the wrong direction. I even make the comment--at home, we would be ticketed for that. After a few blocks, Missy decides to stop at an intersection and try to figure out what is wrong. When Dee repeats the address we are looking for, Missy says, "But that's not the address that is in here (the TomTom)". Suddenly, I remembered that when she had given me the address for the church that morning, I had just put in the 1st two numbers that I could remember and the last two, I kind of made up. Yes, I do that sometimes. I was only trying to get a measure for distance at that time, not knowing we would have a delivery on that same street later.
Missy gives me the LOOK. And almost immediately, she shouts, "OMG, there's the church we're supposed to go to on Sunday!!" It was right across the street from where we were sitting. The address was not even 1212, the number I had put in the TomTom--close, but not the number. And we were supposed to be at 2730 or something like that. Missy is freaking out. "Sharon, how did you do that? That's amazing!" I'm like...uh, I don't know. So she tells me to get out and have my picture taken in front of this church, that we may not have ever found because we didn't have the right address--and weren't suppose to be where we were at all. AND, here's the clincher--we realized as we turned around to go back to where we should have been, that we had driven all the way down a one way street going the wrong way!! We never would have noticed the church otherwise. I hope this is making sense to people, but it was truly a God moment for us and just what I needed to boost my morale at that moment. Missy hasn't mentioned Wendy in several hours now. ; )
She has however, dropped me off at a coffee shop to blog and I'm a bit concerned that I may never see her again. Surely she hasn't forgotten about my shining moment....
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Clutter
For the last two mornings in a row, I have woken up way too early and then could not go back to sleep for thinking about all the "stuff" in my house. I think it's actually called "clutter"--that is, if you can see it taking up space. Otherwise, it's just my "stuff" because it's all hidden away. Hidden in places where most people wouldn't even know there is a place. Seriously...this house has several cleverly disguised hiding places that people other than my own daughters, wouldn't even know about.
And where there is space, there must be stuff. At least that's what I guess I've been thinking for years. And now it's overwhelming to me. I can't sleep for thinking about it. And, you'd think that since it's on my mind like this, I'd be eager to do something about it. But no. I can't get motivated. I've prayed about it--that's how serious it is to me. When my mother died, my sister and I had an unbelievable mess to go through--worse than I have right now, but I'm well on my way to catching up with her or possibly even surpassing her. I'm getting so upset with myself. Granted, my stuff is put away neatly--pretty much organized. But, it's still a bunch of stuff I do not need. Some stuff I haven't seen in years! And what's funny about this is that when I have taken the initiative and thrown something out that I had finally decided I didn't need anymore, it felt so good. Okay, this is really silly, but one of my daughters gave me chocolates in a large, heart shaped, clear plastic container for Valentine's Day. I thought my grand daughter would think the box was cool. So, I washed it out and tried to soak off the Russel Stover's label. I couldn't get it off--I just messed it up. But I had that darned thing on the kitchen counter for 5 days before I picked it up and tossed it in the trash. It felt so good.
I must mention that most of my stuff is not trash. I've got some good stuff. ; ) Most of it collectibles and nostalgic stuff that I'm starting to think I could live without. And the crafts! It's so sad...
I'm planning on participating in the Annual Lakewood Garage Sale in June--wish me luck in getting rid of my clutter--the stuff in my house and in my head! : )
And where there is space, there must be stuff. At least that's what I guess I've been thinking for years. And now it's overwhelming to me. I can't sleep for thinking about it. And, you'd think that since it's on my mind like this, I'd be eager to do something about it. But no. I can't get motivated. I've prayed about it--that's how serious it is to me. When my mother died, my sister and I had an unbelievable mess to go through--worse than I have right now, but I'm well on my way to catching up with her or possibly even surpassing her. I'm getting so upset with myself. Granted, my stuff is put away neatly--pretty much organized. But, it's still a bunch of stuff I do not need. Some stuff I haven't seen in years! And what's funny about this is that when I have taken the initiative and thrown something out that I had finally decided I didn't need anymore, it felt so good. Okay, this is really silly, but one of my daughters gave me chocolates in a large, heart shaped, clear plastic container for Valentine's Day. I thought my grand daughter would think the box was cool. So, I washed it out and tried to soak off the Russel Stover's label. I couldn't get it off--I just messed it up. But I had that darned thing on the kitchen counter for 5 days before I picked it up and tossed it in the trash. It felt so good.
I must mention that most of my stuff is not trash. I've got some good stuff. ; ) Most of it collectibles and nostalgic stuff that I'm starting to think I could live without. And the crafts! It's so sad...
I'm planning on participating in the Annual Lakewood Garage Sale in June--wish me luck in getting rid of my clutter--the stuff in my house and in my head! : )
Friday, February 12, 2010
Life's Little Reminders
Just when I thought I had nothing to write about today, BAM! Life tosses me something.
I was all excited about going to the Kansas City Remodeling Show at 10:00 this morning, but wanted to have my Gospel music in the bathroom with me so that I could practice my song in the shower--great accoustics in there. ; ) So, I go out to the garage to get my purple choir folder out of my car where I left it Wednesday night. I can't find the folder. I find the clipboard that I had with me that night, but not the folder. I remember moving it all out of the front passenger seat yesterday before my daughter and I went out for lunch. So, I knew it was out there--somewhere. I looked around the garage thinking that maybe I had taken it out of the car and just never carriede it into the house. I even checked the trash can--you never know. Not there. Now I'm having flashbacks to October when I lost my entire set of keys. Oh no!
Okay, it's cold in the garage, I'm going back in. I will practice my song later. What? The back door is locked! How'd that happen? No problem, I'll get my keys out of the car. I had new house keys made when I lost my others so, no problem. Uh....where are my keys? Oh no...they're in the house on the counter. I carried them in yesterday when we got back from lunch. No problem...I'll just call Angela and she'll come right over and use her key to let me in. Yes! My phone is in my purse in my car where I ALWAYS leave it. Uh....where's my purse? Oh no....it's in the house too. What is going on?!! God, why is this happening to me?!! What have I done to cause this?
Now I'm crying. Not just sobbing...crying hysterically. I'm losing it. Why? Because over the past year or so, it has been brought to my attention on more than one occasion by my children, that I'm losing it. And at this moment, I'm convinced they're right.
I try to calm myself down by talking to myself--another recent development in my life. I decide that I'd better look for a coat in the closet out there because I'm freezing. I hadn't gotten dressed yet. I'm in my slippers and PJs. I find a KC Chiefs hoody. It looks real nice with my black & blue print PJs and my gray slippers. Oh yeah, and my hair. Not pretty. It NEVER is in the morning. There is no way I'm going to open that garage door and walk to a neighbor's house looking like this. So, I start kicking the door. That's how crazy I was at that moment. Kicking the door down seemed like a better idea than going to get help. Funny how kicking a door down always looks so easy to do on TV and in movies. I'm thinking it's because those big burly guys aren't crying while they're doing this. Just a thought... Now I start hurling my body at the door. OUCH! Nope, that's not going to happen. I decide to start looking for something I can use to slip into the small opening by the lock. You know, like a credit card--also something I've seen done on TV. Plus, that's how my daughter got in the last time I got locked out. BTW--I did NOT lock myself out then or now. It was the twins. Yes, it was the twins. They mess with that lock almost every time they come over and they were here yesterday. I will NOT take the blame for that. No luck finding a credit card lying around the garage. And my purse is in the HOUSE!!!!! I do find the rubber mallet I got for Christmas last year and decide to beat the hell out of something. I start banging on the door. Nothing. I decide to whack the knob. Oops, those things dent easily. Somewhere along the way, I hurt my hand. My knuckles are swelling up and it hurts.
I'm defeated. I have to go get help. I reluctantly push the button to open the garage door and head over to the neighbor's house. No one answers the door. I'm afraid they've looked out the window and saw the condition I'm in and the look in my puffy eyes and they're afraid of me. I sulk back home and beat the door again. No luck with that. I head over to a different neighbor's house. They let me in. I call Angela, knowing she's the closest and she has a key. No answer. I leave a voice message. The neighbor starts suggesting that I leave a key somewhere in the garage from now on. Thanks lady--just give me your credit card and shut up! She does---well, actually I didn't say that and it wasn't a credit card. I was just thinking that. The neighbor gave me one of those little cards with the hole punched in it that you carry on your key ring--that's what Angela had used before.
I go back to my garage and I try to figure out how this is done. After about 5 minutes, I'm in! I almost fell into the kitchen when it opened. I can't believe it!! Angela called me moments later and I relayed this story to her. She swears she's never claimed I'm losing it, but she may be rethinking that now. While I've still got her on the phone, I go back out in the garage to look for the purple music folder. I open the back passenger door and I see nothing--at first. Then I see the folder up under the driver's seat. I shreak with joy! Instantly I'm happy.
This is how life (God) works. We are brought to our knees until we cry Holy, and then we're full of joy when our prayers are answered. BTW, that is the song I was going to practice this morning for choir--"I Bowed Down On My Knees And Cried Holy". He works in mysterious ways, for sure.
I was all excited about going to the Kansas City Remodeling Show at 10:00 this morning, but wanted to have my Gospel music in the bathroom with me so that I could practice my song in the shower--great accoustics in there. ; ) So, I go out to the garage to get my purple choir folder out of my car where I left it Wednesday night. I can't find the folder. I find the clipboard that I had with me that night, but not the folder. I remember moving it all out of the front passenger seat yesterday before my daughter and I went out for lunch. So, I knew it was out there--somewhere. I looked around the garage thinking that maybe I had taken it out of the car and just never carriede it into the house. I even checked the trash can--you never know. Not there. Now I'm having flashbacks to October when I lost my entire set of keys. Oh no!
Okay, it's cold in the garage, I'm going back in. I will practice my song later. What? The back door is locked! How'd that happen? No problem, I'll get my keys out of the car. I had new house keys made when I lost my others so, no problem. Uh....where are my keys? Oh no...they're in the house on the counter. I carried them in yesterday when we got back from lunch. No problem...I'll just call Angela and she'll come right over and use her key to let me in. Yes! My phone is in my purse in my car where I ALWAYS leave it. Uh....where's my purse? Oh no....it's in the house too. What is going on?!! God, why is this happening to me?!! What have I done to cause this?
Now I'm crying. Not just sobbing...crying hysterically. I'm losing it. Why? Because over the past year or so, it has been brought to my attention on more than one occasion by my children, that I'm losing it. And at this moment, I'm convinced they're right.
I try to calm myself down by talking to myself--another recent development in my life. I decide that I'd better look for a coat in the closet out there because I'm freezing. I hadn't gotten dressed yet. I'm in my slippers and PJs. I find a KC Chiefs hoody. It looks real nice with my black & blue print PJs and my gray slippers. Oh yeah, and my hair. Not pretty. It NEVER is in the morning. There is no way I'm going to open that garage door and walk to a neighbor's house looking like this. So, I start kicking the door. That's how crazy I was at that moment. Kicking the door down seemed like a better idea than going to get help. Funny how kicking a door down always looks so easy to do on TV and in movies. I'm thinking it's because those big burly guys aren't crying while they're doing this. Just a thought... Now I start hurling my body at the door. OUCH! Nope, that's not going to happen. I decide to start looking for something I can use to slip into the small opening by the lock. You know, like a credit card--also something I've seen done on TV. Plus, that's how my daughter got in the last time I got locked out. BTW--I did NOT lock myself out then or now. It was the twins. Yes, it was the twins. They mess with that lock almost every time they come over and they were here yesterday. I will NOT take the blame for that. No luck finding a credit card lying around the garage. And my purse is in the HOUSE!!!!! I do find the rubber mallet I got for Christmas last year and decide to beat the hell out of something. I start banging on the door. Nothing. I decide to whack the knob. Oops, those things dent easily. Somewhere along the way, I hurt my hand. My knuckles are swelling up and it hurts.
I'm defeated. I have to go get help. I reluctantly push the button to open the garage door and head over to the neighbor's house. No one answers the door. I'm afraid they've looked out the window and saw the condition I'm in and the look in my puffy eyes and they're afraid of me. I sulk back home and beat the door again. No luck with that. I head over to a different neighbor's house. They let me in. I call Angela, knowing she's the closest and she has a key. No answer. I leave a voice message. The neighbor starts suggesting that I leave a key somewhere in the garage from now on. Thanks lady--just give me your credit card and shut up! She does---well, actually I didn't say that and it wasn't a credit card. I was just thinking that. The neighbor gave me one of those little cards with the hole punched in it that you carry on your key ring--that's what Angela had used before.
I go back to my garage and I try to figure out how this is done. After about 5 minutes, I'm in! I almost fell into the kitchen when it opened. I can't believe it!! Angela called me moments later and I relayed this story to her. She swears she's never claimed I'm losing it, but she may be rethinking that now. While I've still got her on the phone, I go back out in the garage to look for the purple music folder. I open the back passenger door and I see nothing--at first. Then I see the folder up under the driver's seat. I shreak with joy! Instantly I'm happy.
This is how life (God) works. We are brought to our knees until we cry Holy, and then we're full of joy when our prayers are answered. BTW, that is the song I was going to practice this morning for choir--"I Bowed Down On My Knees And Cried Holy". He works in mysterious ways, for sure.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Happy Thoughts
I was inspired to write this post today by our pastor, Jeff. I read his blog every morning before I start my day. He has some great tips, thoughts, experiences and some very funny stories.
Today he talked about "happy thoughts". How sometimes we let the bad thoughts take over our minds and ruin our day--our happy thoughts are pushed aside. It really made me think about all the times that has happened to me--especially recently. Why is it that we can dwell so long on bad things in our lives, but we never really celebrate the good things like we should? It's kind of like, why can't ice cream and sweets and all the good fried foods be the stuff we should eat instead of the stuff we shouldn't. Maybe it's not like that at all, but that came to mind for some reason. ; )
So anyway, yesterday someone said something at church that bothered me. It shouldn't have and the person that said it, meant no harm. But I didn't take it well. Bad thing. I sang in the Gospel Choir at 11:15 and my heart just wasn't in it. And the ironic thing about it was, one of the songs we sang was "Oh Happy Day". It was the last song we sang and I realized as I was walking off the "stage", that I didn't feel happy at all. I had let the bad thoughts in my head affect something that usually causes me so much joy. Bad thing.
So I come home and I sit down and turn on the TV--I did not have the motivation to do anything else. Bad idea.
There was nothing good on TV at 11:30 yesterday, but something caught by eye as I was "channel surfing". It was a show on the Discovery Health Channel. The name of the show was Truth Be Told and it was 3 different stories about 3 different people with very rare medical conditions that they had to deal with on a daily basis just to get through a day. All three of them were just heartbreaking, but one really got to me. It was a young girl, 14 years old, who had some kind of condition where the skin over much of her body would blister up and peel away causing infections (if not taken care of immediately) and obviously, a very embarassing sitution for her. She had had it most of her life, but as she came into her teens, it became more of a "social acceptance" thing rather than just the medical condition.
Her mother spent 40 hours a week popping the huge blisters on her body, giving her chlorine and vinegar baths, and then bandaging her body from her feet up to her neck. The girl had lost her fingers due to this condition so she just had little nubs on her hands and couldn't help with her own care. The family spent over $50,000 a year on bandaging supplies alone. One room of their home looked like a hospital supply closet.
It was almost unbelievable.
This particular show was about the young girl attending an 8th grade dance. She had a couple of very close girlfriends and a crush on a boy at school, so she was very excited about going to this dance. You can just imagine what kind of preparations had to be made for this and the show took you through the entire process. The girl was able to wear a "spaghetti strap" dress, but she was bandaged from shoulders to feet, where she needed to be. In addition to all the bandages, her mother also did her hair and make-up. The young girl looked so pretty and so happy. HAPPY. Can you even imagine someone in this position being "happy"?
OMG
Why do we complain about ANYTHING? I sat there and cried like a baby. I have 3 wonderful, healthy daughters, 3 beautiful, healthy grand children. I'm healthy--physically, some wonder about my mental health, but I have nothing in my life that could even compare to what this girl and her family have to deal with on a daily basis. And yet, they were happy.
The last scene in this show was the mother standing outside the auditorium doors peeking in at her daughter who had just been asked to dance by the boy she had a crush on. The mom was crying tears of joy. I was crying tears of guilt or possibly shame.
What a wake up call to see the good in everything--everyday. It's a challenge I hope I can meet.
Footnote:
AN EPIPHANY!! As I was attempting to re-read this post for editing, I realized that God spoke to me yesterday. He pointed out while I was singing Oh Happy Day, that I needed to realize that it really was. He led me to that TV show, which led me to a new way of thinking. Then he led me to Jeff's blog which, in turn, inspired me to write this. Knowing this makes me very happy.
Today he talked about "happy thoughts". How sometimes we let the bad thoughts take over our minds and ruin our day--our happy thoughts are pushed aside. It really made me think about all the times that has happened to me--especially recently. Why is it that we can dwell so long on bad things in our lives, but we never really celebrate the good things like we should? It's kind of like, why can't ice cream and sweets and all the good fried foods be the stuff we should eat instead of the stuff we shouldn't. Maybe it's not like that at all, but that came to mind for some reason. ; )
So anyway, yesterday someone said something at church that bothered me. It shouldn't have and the person that said it, meant no harm. But I didn't take it well. Bad thing. I sang in the Gospel Choir at 11:15 and my heart just wasn't in it. And the ironic thing about it was, one of the songs we sang was "Oh Happy Day". It was the last song we sang and I realized as I was walking off the "stage", that I didn't feel happy at all. I had let the bad thoughts in my head affect something that usually causes me so much joy. Bad thing.
So I come home and I sit down and turn on the TV--I did not have the motivation to do anything else. Bad idea.
There was nothing good on TV at 11:30 yesterday, but something caught by eye as I was "channel surfing". It was a show on the Discovery Health Channel. The name of the show was Truth Be Told and it was 3 different stories about 3 different people with very rare medical conditions that they had to deal with on a daily basis just to get through a day. All three of them were just heartbreaking, but one really got to me. It was a young girl, 14 years old, who had some kind of condition where the skin over much of her body would blister up and peel away causing infections (if not taken care of immediately) and obviously, a very embarassing sitution for her. She had had it most of her life, but as she came into her teens, it became more of a "social acceptance" thing rather than just the medical condition.
Her mother spent 40 hours a week popping the huge blisters on her body, giving her chlorine and vinegar baths, and then bandaging her body from her feet up to her neck. The girl had lost her fingers due to this condition so she just had little nubs on her hands and couldn't help with her own care. The family spent over $50,000 a year on bandaging supplies alone. One room of their home looked like a hospital supply closet.
It was almost unbelievable.
This particular show was about the young girl attending an 8th grade dance. She had a couple of very close girlfriends and a crush on a boy at school, so she was very excited about going to this dance. You can just imagine what kind of preparations had to be made for this and the show took you through the entire process. The girl was able to wear a "spaghetti strap" dress, but she was bandaged from shoulders to feet, where she needed to be. In addition to all the bandages, her mother also did her hair and make-up. The young girl looked so pretty and so happy. HAPPY. Can you even imagine someone in this position being "happy"?
OMG
Why do we complain about ANYTHING? I sat there and cried like a baby. I have 3 wonderful, healthy daughters, 3 beautiful, healthy grand children. I'm healthy--physically, some wonder about my mental health, but I have nothing in my life that could even compare to what this girl and her family have to deal with on a daily basis. And yet, they were happy.
The last scene in this show was the mother standing outside the auditorium doors peeking in at her daughter who had just been asked to dance by the boy she had a crush on. The mom was crying tears of joy. I was crying tears of guilt or possibly shame.
What a wake up call to see the good in everything--everyday. It's a challenge I hope I can meet.
Footnote:
AN EPIPHANY!! As I was attempting to re-read this post for editing, I realized that God spoke to me yesterday. He pointed out while I was singing Oh Happy Day, that I needed to realize that it really was. He led me to that TV show, which led me to a new way of thinking. Then he led me to Jeff's blog which, in turn, inspired me to write this. Knowing this makes me very happy.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
You've Got To Know When To Fold 'Em
Okay, so I was on my own today and at a loss as to what to do. I volunteered for a few hours this morning, did some shopping, dropped off some stuff at the Salvation Army, went to the cemetery and then, of all things, decided to go to the casino. I haven't been to a casino in KC for two years, except to eat at the buffets--the "all you can eat crablegs". But, for some reason today, I had the urge.
I went to the AmeriStar. I put $100, my driver's license and my cell phone in my pockets and went in. Boy did it feel weird--just me, alone, with nothing in my hands, walking into a casino. So, I go right to the 25 cent poker machines. I put in $20. I played for about 20 minutes, got down to $12 and got dealt 4 Aces for a payout of $100. Did I get up and leave with the $192.00? Nope. It was too early--I had just gotten there. I would have felt really stupid walking out after just 20 minutes--it took me longer than that to drive over there. So, I decide to cash out the $112, stick it in my pocket and continue to play with the $80 in my other pocket. Dumb, dumb, dumb. No, I didn't lose all my money, but I did put in another $60.
Yeah, I was still a winner--a dumb winner. You really do have to know when to "fold 'em"--even if it has only been 20 minutes. ; )
I went to the AmeriStar. I put $100, my driver's license and my cell phone in my pockets and went in. Boy did it feel weird--just me, alone, with nothing in my hands, walking into a casino. So, I go right to the 25 cent poker machines. I put in $20. I played for about 20 minutes, got down to $12 and got dealt 4 Aces for a payout of $100. Did I get up and leave with the $192.00? Nope. It was too early--I had just gotten there. I would have felt really stupid walking out after just 20 minutes--it took me longer than that to drive over there. So, I decide to cash out the $112, stick it in my pocket and continue to play with the $80 in my other pocket. Dumb, dumb, dumb. No, I didn't lose all my money, but I did put in another $60.
Yeah, I was still a winner--a dumb winner. You really do have to know when to "fold 'em"--even if it has only been 20 minutes. ; )
Friday, February 5, 2010
TGIF--How about TGIA
We all know what TGIF stands for--Thank God (or Goodness) It's Friday. I used to feel that way in my younger days, but now it's more like Thank God I'm Alive!
Fridays seem boring to me now. When you don't work and have no partner, Fridays are pretty much like the other 6 days of the week. I know, it's the beginning of the weekend for the employed, but I haven't been employed for 32 years now and there was a time when I did look forward to Fridays--if I had something planned. Now, about the only thing I plan is what I'm going to eat, and what time I'm going to bed. Unless I've been asked to watch grandkids. And then it's, what am I going to feed them and what time will they go to bed so I can relax? Now it may seem like I'm complaining, but actually I'm not. I'm just saying, Fridays are no more special than any other day--and we should try to make them all special.
Like Sunday, there's a day to look forward to. Getting cleaned up, going to church, hearing a great message, seeing awesome friends, singing and then usually going out to eat with some of those awesome friends. In fact, as I sit here and type this, I realize that the things I look forward to most in life involve my church in some way. That's definitely a good thing. Members of my family are even showing up at church more frequently--that's even better.
And TGIA to enjoy it all. ; )
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Where has my creativity gone? I used to be creative--at least I thought so. Now I'm just someone who never finishes a project. Okay, some of my projects are (years) old, so the word "now" is a bit misleading. Here is a list of some of the unfinished projects that are sitting around my house or that are actually a part of my house:
a wildlife needlepoint project
a denim rag quilt
more than 1 crocheted afghan
the artwork on a potting bench I started about 8 years ago (actually, I have several unfinished pieces of artwork)
a recipe scrapbook
a scrapbook for one of my daughters
a gazing ball for one of my daughters
a bathroom I started redecorating last year
the garage I started painting last fall
carpet and baseboard work in a spare bedroom
putting photo albums together
a couple of applique sweatshirts
And I'm sure there are dozens of other unfinished things in boxes that I choose not to open. Oh! And here's the best part. I've decided to start making my own jewelry. I have beads and wire and little tools and instruction books spread out all over a table downstairs. There must be a name for this besides just "procrastination". Something medical so that I can get a precription that will help motivate me to get it all done. Yeah right!!
So, until someone does find an answer for my problem, I will just continue to write about it. I usually finish what I start writing--no, that's not true either. I started writing my life story about 20 years ago. But I do have an excuse for that...my life's not over yet. ; )
a wildlife needlepoint project
a denim rag quilt
more than 1 crocheted afghan
the artwork on a potting bench I started about 8 years ago (actually, I have several unfinished pieces of artwork)
a recipe scrapbook
a scrapbook for one of my daughters
a gazing ball for one of my daughters
a bathroom I started redecorating last year
the garage I started painting last fall
carpet and baseboard work in a spare bedroom
putting photo albums together
a couple of applique sweatshirts
And I'm sure there are dozens of other unfinished things in boxes that I choose not to open. Oh! And here's the best part. I've decided to start making my own jewelry. I have beads and wire and little tools and instruction books spread out all over a table downstairs. There must be a name for this besides just "procrastination". Something medical so that I can get a precription that will help motivate me to get it all done. Yeah right!!
So, until someone does find an answer for my problem, I will just continue to write about it. I usually finish what I start writing--no, that's not true either. I started writing my life story about 20 years ago. But I do have an excuse for that...my life's not over yet. ; )
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