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 |  Fibro fog, pain, writing sandwiched in between. Quotes. Sermon notes. Encouragement. |
A Texas Sunrise  A friend, William Taylor, took this picture. He visits Surfside Beach with his dogs almost every morning, watching the sun rise while the dogs prance about at the water's edge. This is only about ten miles from where I lived in Lake Jackson, Texas. Sadly, I only visited this beach about four times in the six years I lived nearby. Each day is a challenge. A challenge to get by without thinking about the fibromyalgia pains. A challenge to stay awake when chronic fatigure wants to take over. And a challenge to navigate through fibro fog. I haven't been writing as much as in the past. For years, I wrote at least 500 words a day. Now, I'm lucky if I write 500 words in month. Sigh. For more information about what my day (or life) is all about with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, chronic pains, IBS, depression and everything else thrown in, check this out:
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| Shorthand version of things so far. Maybe a longer version later. Trip down was pretty uneventful. We stopped in Memphis to see Allison (Derek's former long time girlfriend). I'm glad we did. Our motel in Texarkana was fine. Well, except for the lousy coffee in the morning.  Mapquest, Google and Yahoo maps all sent us from Cincinnati through Memphis, through Texarkana and down 59S to Houston. That's why we picked Texarkana for our first night's stay. Unfortunately, 59S is NOT an interstate highway and it IS under construction in quite a few places. AAA doesn't have an office anywhere near Lake Jackson, but their web site does provide a very different route and that's probably the one we'll choose for going back. Whenever that is.  There was water damage in my storage unit. It looks like there might have been 2 inches or so. So, all the boxes on the bottom were squished and, yes, there is some moldy stuff. Pretty smelly. So far, most of what we've thrown away has been clothing, sheets, towels. We've lived without them for 4 years, so I don't think that's much of a tragedy. This is quite a job, though. I'll explain more about that later. If we can get done with the storage unit today, then we'll be on the way again on Friday. If not, it will be Saturday before we leave lovely Lake Jackson. It is a nice place. Some changes after 4 years. But just being back makes me remember the good stuff. It's a town of....well, I guess I don't know. When I lived here there were about 25,000 people. Still, it has a good sized mall, a wonderful college, great libraries and museums, even a planetariam. And it's only about 50 miles from Houston and 45 from Galveston. Now...it's time to get back to packing and sorting and throwing stuff away. Yippee. |
Hey, y'all I'm gonna miss ya. All y'all. (Just practicing talking to Texas friends.  )Be praying for our trip. But while you're it, put in a few for our kitties. The issues they both had have not been resolved. Now we're concerned about their kidneys. Yes, they were eating the canned foods that were recalled. Our news last night said even more foods had been recalled, and if your pet ate these foods take him/her to the vet. We really need to get on the road bright and early. In case you've missed this one, these foods have been decided to be the cause of kidney failure in pets. Some dog foods were also recalled, but I haven't paid much attention since we don't have any dogs right now. Hopefully my son will be observant about the cats' activities. Now, I'm off to finish getting me ready and stuff packed (foods). We'll be on the road by 8 a.m. (earlier if I have my way). I'll tell you all about trip in about a week. Probably won't be around before then, unless just to peek in to say howdy. |
| For some reason, I thought about the phrases "traipsing around" and "prancing around" today. When I was a kid, those phrases were used quite a bit, and usually interchangeably. They aren't really the same thing. According to dictionary.com, traipsing means, "to walk or go aimlessly or idly or without finding or reaching one's goal, to tranp, or a tiring walk." Prancing, on the other hand, means, "to cavort, to move in a lively or spirited manner." I wonder why those two words popped into my head this morning...and have refused to leave. We're leaving in the morning for that trip to Texas to finally empty out my storage unit. Are we going to traipse? Or prance? Not likely. We'll be driving - and observing the speed limit all the way. One of Dad's phrases also came to mind today. Mom used "traipse" and "prance" more than Dad did. Maybe I was thinking about words that they each used. Perhaps I was remembering a bit about the months I spent with my parents before hubby and I married. I don't know. But I do know that Dad - for years even before I lived with my folks - always talked about eating "snick-snacks" in the evening. I thought it was something peculiar to him, but not long ago I discovered that lots of Pittsburgh folks say "snick-snacks." Now, I really do have to get back to packing. |
| Grrr. I decided that a bit of sleep was required at about 1 p.m. My body was gradually doing its "automatic shut-down" thing. That "bit of sleep" turned into about four hours. I really didn't have time for that, but I guess I needed it. I have been having to wash laundry that was waiting in the basement when the hose broke the other day. Whatever was down there got wet and no matter what else needs washed, those wet things took priority. Fun. While I was sleeping I had a dream...that woke me for a few minutes. (Usually only nightmares wake me!) Perhaps if I had stayed asleep it would have been a nightmare. I mean I did wake up because both bees and flies were swarming - together - and a fly ended up in my nose. It was a strange dream. In it were my family, my church friends, and some WDC friends as well. Some of the folks who are WDC "friends" don't show their pictures in the ports, so in my dream those folks were just a bunch of suitcases (in various colors) with legs. I laughed in my dream, realizing that I had entered a kind of cartoon world, or something Alice in Wonderland-ish. We were on some kind of field trip or vacation together. We visited museums and amusement parks and zoos and concerts. I think it was at the zoo, in a picnic area where were eating, that the swarming bees and flies arrived. They were following some WDC friend (a yellow case). First we were concerned for our friend, then we were all being chased, and that's when a fly went up my nose and I woke up. Okay, now that I think about it, I guess that was a nightmare. Or the beginning of one. What's weird, though, is that I'm pretty certain that the sound of the swarming insects was actually the sound of our kitty purring loudly next to me. My dream thoughts have the ability to change with the noises I "hear" while asleep, which, obviously, makes them quite interesting. Our kitty, at some point, had joined me in the bed. After making sure there really wasn't a fly up my nose, and talking to hubby and kitty, I was back to sleep. But I didn't continue where I left off. I guess that's a good thing. I have probably said these kinds of things before. In fact, I think I have one or two items in my portfolio that talk about how our words can impact the world around us or far from us. But in an email exchange today, I said: The written word can be so many things - an introduction to love and friendship, a rebuke, kind, angry, confusing. Without the benefit of facial expressions and voice tone, our written words strike out on their own and sometimes, as hard as we have tried, they don't really impart the message of our hearts. True, huh? Sometimes, even writers, have a difficult time writing just the right words or conveying the message just like they would like it to be received. I am sure that's why if we're Dad's kids we sometimes are just allowed to take dictation from the Master and not allowed to venture out on our own. Not when the words are meant to be about Him, anyway. And that important. Don't forget. Bright and early on Monday morning, hubby and I are beginning our trip to Lake Jackson, TX. That's about 60 miles south of Houston. Start your praying engines now, okay? That we have a safe trip. That the weather is good (warm would be nice!). That we don't have to stop every two hours for potty trips. Once we get to my sister's house, we may be able to check in. Or we might hop over to the library so we can both log on at once. But that's starting Monday and, thankfully, it's still Saturday now. I really need to get to the store to buy a few things for the trip. I just hate leaving the house IN THIS COLD. The weather really teased us the other day, getting up to 76 or something. Then the temperatures plunged back down to the 30's. Grrr. I mean BRRRRRR. Okay, I'm off to make list of what I need to buy... |
| Some folks think I'm Irish, but I'm not. Mackenzie is Scottish. March 17 is special for me (and my family) because my brother was born on this day in 1956. My grandmother also died on this day in 1980. The one who lived with us for most of my young life. I'll probably come back later to write something. Or maybe not. My baby sister and her hubby stopped in Friday afternoon. Knowing that she was coming then instead of today meant that I TRIED to get some cleaning done. (Both of my sisters are clean freaks. I call each of them Mrs. Clean.) But, boy oh boy, our kitty didn't want to let me get much done. I put the cats' food and water bowls on the floor so I could clean off the mess Opera had made of their normal feeding place - the bay window. She was running around the house, as usual, but when she tried jumping over the bowls, she caught her tail in the water bowl. That made her jump a bit, which knocked over the food (dry) bowl and scattered it all over the living room. Then she decided to play hockey with the scattered pieces. When I tried cleaning the bathroom, she was right there trying to help. I swear, she's worse than having kids around. Today and tomorrow, I really need to get my act together to make sure we have clean clothes to pack, food to take with us, maps, etc. Plus I need to make sure hubby has paid things that need paid before we go, since we'll be gone for almost a week. ********* Remember a few posts (or more) back when I was lamenting people respond to questions by asking a question? In my pretend converstion, I mentioned that blueberries are supposed to be the best food for us. Well, that was what I read. They're chock full of anti-oxidants. But here's a new list of 6 superfoods. Guess what's #1. Pomegranate. http://www.prevention.com/article/0,,s1-3-71-108-7834-1,00.html?cm_mmc=Spotlight... Some "facts" about milk: http://site.vocalpoint.com/milk/thefacts.html How about this. The headling says, "Literary Legend Learns to Type at 92"http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,2025178,00.html You know...if he can learn to type at the ripe old age of 92, what can we learn to do at 30, 40, 50, 60??? |
| I had something really cool to share with you about Monday, March 19. I had the link to prove that I'm not crazy too. Silly me. I had it right here in this little box when the computer froze. Now it's lost. But here's the deal. Monday is (and now I'm not sure of the "official" name) Wash Your Coffee Cup Day. Years ago I worked with a guy who never, ever washed his coffee cup. This day is for him and others like him. Some DJ in Indianapolis, IN started this once a year Wash Your Coffee Cup Day (or whatever it's called). What really makes me mad is that the link was from a site with all kinds of weird holidays and celebrations. And I've lost it.  Oh well... How about this. This link is for an article called, "A Conservative Who Could Win" by Doug Patton. Does the name Fred Dalton Thompson ring any bells for you? Today, he plays District Attorney Arthur Branch in NBC's “Law and Order.†But from 1994 to 2002 he was a TN. Senator. And a long, long time ago - three decades ago, in fact - he worked behind the scenes to investigate the corruption and deceit that became known as "Watergate." Thompson was a conservative Republican and a Southerner. He worked along side a liberal Democrat, Hillary Clinton. Word has it that Thompson might run for President. Wouldn't it be neat if Hillary and Fred, who worked together on the Watergate issue would be running against each other in the 2008 election for President? http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=19689 I may add something more later. I may not. I really need to be getting ready for that trip to Texas. Meanwhile, I think I have to squeeze in a trip to the chiropractor first. Having that knee bother me HAS made my other parts scream out in pain. And I think my sacroilliac joint is all out of whack. Grrr.  |
| Absolutely Incredible Kid Day® - Camp Fire USA suggests that adults write letters to children about how much they are loved and valued. (since 1997). http://www.campfireusa.org/a_i_kid_day/mainpage.html |
| Seriously, I don't do a bunch of whining. Or at least I try not to. But today, I have set aside to do a bit of whining. So...if you dont' want to hear it, run for the hills.......... N O W !!!! Okay...as we wait for THEM to leave, I'll try to be nice first. So THEY don't catch a word or two of whining that THEY don't want to hear. I now have two, count them, TWO, Easter baskets. Nanny-nanny-boo-boo.   I got one from intuey of House Lannister   and one from winter - both very, very special ladies. Thanks again!  ya both!Okay. Are THEY gone? Are you sure YOU are up to hearing me whine? Rememer, it's not something I do every day, so once the flood gates are opened, I might not be able to stop. Well, that's not true. I can stop. But I want to start right now... Some days, I'm really tired of hurting. Oh, I know. I won't die from hurting. I guess that's what keeps me going. I know this isn't anything serious that I have. It won't kill me. And when there are others - here at WDC, even - facing life-threatening illnesses, I feel like such a wimp for even bringing it up. That's why I don't often complain. Much. Maybe it's the flip-flopping weather that's getting to me. Yesterday it got up past 70 and today it's back down to the 30's. What's up with that? And it's damp outside, so my muscles and joints are just screaming. Grrr. If you've never hopped over to my hubby Incurable Romantic  's port you might not have discovered his/our disabiltiy forum or the blog he's keeping of his/our aches, pains, doctor visits, sleep habits, etc. So, maybe you've never heard me say this.If you see me here late at night, it's because I'm avoiding going to bed. One would think that lots of rest would be good for me. And it is, since with the chronic fatigue aspect, I can often just shut down with only ten minutes notice. BUT...the worst pains I experience are when I'm getting into bed at night and trying to find a comfy position and first thing in the morning as I try to get out of bed. Just getting into bed and easing myself into the best sleeping position or sitting up in bed at the beginning of the day makes my whole body scream with pain. If you've ever been to a doctor who inquires about the level of pain you're experiencing, they usually use a scale of zero to ten. Ten is the worst pain level of all. When I'm getting into or out of bed, I think my pain level reaches about a 12 to 15. Seriously. During the day, my pain level is always between three and eight. It never, ever goes away completely. (That's why I've said that I'm probably the only person around who looked forward to having a colonoscopy...because now they drug you so that you not only don't feel what they're doing to you, you also forget what they did. It works on my fibro pain too for that time.) My worst pains are in my left lower back and my left knee. Both of those were places I injured in the past. It figures that my fibromyalgia pains would migrate to there. That doesn't mean I don't have pains anywhere else. I DO! In my right hip, my right knee (not quite as bad), my ankles. That's just the bones. I also have pains in my muscles in my legs, arms, neck and back. My ears. The outer portion of my ears feel like they are on fire, or maybe like they've been frostbitten. Even in yesterday's 70+ degree weather, they pulled that on me. You know they weren't really frostbitten. My stomach hurts almost all the time, and they can't find anything wrong. I guess we - the doc and I - are going to just accept that it's the fibro and forget about it. Easier for the doc than for me. Those knees? The left one - the one I injured in 2002 - actually it was on 3/16/02, so it's almost 5 years (surgery was 4/22) - is now not only hurting but each time I put weight on it I feel like I'm going to throw up. That, of course, makes me tread lightly on my knee, which causes me to put more weight on the other one. That will probably have a negative effect on my other knee and my back. Yikes. Yes, I know that God has the power and ability to heal me. God and I have spoken about this quite often, in fact. But... ...okay I'm going to leave the rest of my aches and pains and whining for another day. Because, I have something else good to share. Y'all can come back now. I'm done whining. Whatever the reason that God is allowing me to experience this malady, I do know that people have been and are being helped. Just today I heard from Nada about my Wednesday Wisecracks entry. Remember that one? I included the link to the Spoon Theory. Nada thanked me and said that sharing that helped her understand what someone close to her is going through.That, I'm sure, is why I'm here sharing the good times and the bad. Because along the way, someone is going to learn something. Someone is going to be touched. Someone is going to be helped. And that's what sharing is all about. Okay, I'm done. Later gators. |
| Wisecracks? Well, maybe so, maybe not. But you know me. I love titles and using the same ones each week would get boring. For me, anyway. It's turning out to be quite a week and it's only half over. Or as hubby pointed out when he called and I commented that the day was only half over, "You can look at it from the other direction. It IS half over." Right. The glass. Half full? Half empty. I got it. Anyway, today's adventure involved the washing machine. When Derek came home from work, he promptly started doing some laundry. Not long after that, he yelled, "Mom, I need help!" When I opened the basement door, the sounds of the washer and water just weren't right. Turned out that the hot water hose had broken or split and it was spraying hot water all over the basement. It seemed like lots of time went by, but you know it didn't. We had to put a bulb in the overhead light fixture and I handed him a flashlight so he could see what was going on. He turned off the hot water and then we started mopping up water. It covered his turn tables, his TV and lots of CD's and DVD's. What fun. Once we had that under control, he restared the washer, using only cold water. But he commented that the cold water hose appears to be rather brittle too. Probably so. It's probably been there since the washer and dryer arrived, and I have no idea when that was. Wonder if hubby remembers. I'm just glad that Derek didn't toss the laundry in the washer and head off to bed. Thankfully, he was still in the basement when water started spraying all over the place. I probably would have noticed a different kind of sound coming from the basement...eventually. But the mess might have been greater. ******* I was trying to catch up with my Yahoo emails today. I have not finished. I think I still have 177 in my inbox that I have not yet opened or tossed. Serves me right for not checking there daily. I think I get about 120 in my inbox there each day and about 600+ in my bulk mail. With that many in my bulk mail, I just empty it, even though some "good" mail may end up trashed. ******* One of my newsletters, The Rick Scarborough Report on the War on Faith, mentioned something that happened at William and Mary College. They reported last October that the new president of the college ordered the removal of the 18-inch cross which had been in the Wren Chapel for 75 years, based on the complaint of one student. Readers of this newsletter, plus most likely other Christian media (like Focus on the Family), plus alumni bombarded the college with letters, phone calls and emails. Some of the alumni threatened to withdraw donations, including one individual who had pledged $12 million in donations. The president changed his mind. That same college president allowed the college to partially subsidize an exhibit of paintings produced by "sex workers" -- prostitutes, strippers and porn stars. He thought the cross was offensive, but the art exhibit showed tollerance. Right. ******** From another email/newsletter I received today: Over the past 52 weeks, fewer than 15 percent of the books on the New York Times non-fiction best seller list were authored by women. Since the majority of non-fiction books (up to 70% by some estimates) are purchased by women, this disparity led eWomenPublishingNetwork and Content Connections to launch a national, comprehensive study on the reading, recommending and book buying habits of women. The study also investigates the factors that can help more women become successful, published authors. Women, click here to find the survey: http://www.womenandbooks2007.com/ It will take a few minutes, but it's worth taking. ******** From 48 Days Newsletter: The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both. - James Michener And... John Wesley was an Anglican priest and leader of the great Weslyan “Methodist†revival of the 18th century. In his lifetime he rode 175,000 miles on horseback to preach 40,000 sermons. As his health failed near the end of his life, Wesley complained that his doctor would only allow him to preach 14 times weekly. He wrote in his journal, “I fear laziness is creeping in on me – there is a growing desire to sleep in until 5:30 AM.†Hey, I was raised a United Methodist. I love John Wesley...******* Someone commented the other day that I seem to be “better.†No, I’m not really better. I just don’t always complain. If it appears that I have been online for most of the day, it’s more likely that I just forgot to log off while I went to take a nap. I probably provided this link long ago. I know I’ve shared it in our disability forums and hubby shared it in his fibro blog. But it’s worth sharing again. It’s the Spoon Theory. The woman who wrote it has Lupus, but what she experiences (and explains really well) applies to many people who have chronic illnesses. http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/2007/02/the_spoon_theory.php#more  |
| Click here for a list of anthologies seeking submissions. Paying $0 to $300. http://www.absolutewrite.com/freelance_writing/anthologies.htm |
| I'm sure I'll be back later today to add something. Seriously, though, what does 24/7 mean to you? About 3 or 4 days a week, as I pick up my son from work in the morning, he'll ask that I stop at our local Kroger store. He might want a fresh donut. Or he might be out of cereal. Or he just might have a hankerin' for something that we don't have. (He buys most of his own foods, thank goodness!) Kroger is supposed to be open 24/7. Today, people were standing around the doors rather confused because they didn't just open when they stepped up to the door. (It would have made a great Candid Camera show. )We did notice that someone was letting in a few people now and then. There must have been a bunch of employees who started at 7 a.m. and they were let in. While Derek was at the door, being told rather rudely, "Employees only!" I was calling the customer service desk inside. I very nicely asked why the store was closed to customers and inquired if they realized that they had a number of customers standing outside without anyone bothering to explain why they could not come in. Perhaps mine was not the first call this employee answered. Or perhaps she had been in the store all night and was tired and ready to go home. Still, her rude response to me on the phone was not good business. The employee informed me that there was a sign on the door. (There was not on the door where my son stood.) It turns out that the store had completely stripped all the floors and washed and waxed them and the floors were not dry yet. Now, I have never worked in a store that was open 24/7, but I have shopped in a few over the years. When THEY needed to strip and wax floors, they usually did just part of the store at a time and blocked that part of the store while they worked. Even if they really needed to do the entire floor at one time, wouldn't you think they would have arranged to have the job completed before 7 a.m.? Normally when my son runs in to the store, I sit in the car and watch people. One day, I counted the number of people coming out with Starbucks coffee. (There were 22 in a ten minute period.) I wonder how the Starbucks counter felt about losing customers this morning... If my son had known that the Kroger store would not be open, he could have purchased a box of cereal at his own store before he left (Target). But rather than go back, we proceeded on towards the house and he stopped at Walgreens instead. Of course, instead of spending $2 for a box of Kroger brand cereal, he spent at least twice that much for a box of national brand at Walgreens. But you know, he was hungry. That rude girl at the Kroger store had told me that theywould probably open in 15-20 minutes give or take. Did they really think people were going to stand around and wait? I'll probably have to drop a note to the Kroger store about this. Don't worry. I know how to complain nicely. What a segue, huh?
***************** Trying to be more serious now. I found this today on the public review page.
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| Check it out! See the awardicon on my blog? Isn't it pretty? Turns out that I won the Blog Ring's Rate 5 and Win Contest. Cool, huh? Click here for more details and to see the growing list of blogs on the Blog Ring. ** Image ID #1138290 Unavailable ** . |
| What a day I had yesterday. Busy, busy, busy. In the morning, of course, hubby and I attended church. Our pastor continued with the series about getting to know Jesus. His focus, and that of the small group I attended Sunday night, was about Jesus as the Shepherd. Did he really have to keep telling us that sheep are really stupid animals? After all, if Jesus is the Shepherd, that makes us the sheep...and stupid. But, I guess we are. We get lost just like sheep do, and we need our Shepherd to help us find our way home. As usual, the notes I made in the margins are the ones I really want to remember. God is love. Do we really get that??? People seek love through: performing, pity parties, positions of power, pleasure, possessions - none of which make us feel loved, at least not for very long. Our congregation includes: seekers, strugglers, and sold-out followers. Even sold-out followers of Christ forget about how deep and how wide God's love really is sometimes. If there was a notebook of all of your sins, how big would it be? Thankfully, our sins are forgiven and we don't have to keep carrying them with us! Do you wake up thinking, "Good Lord, it's morning" or "Good morning, it's the Lord"???? Turn on your light, reflect God's love, be an example to the world. Some of the Bible verses that we focused on in this lesson were: John 10:11 NIV I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:14 NIV I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me. Psalms 40:11-12 TLB My only hope is in your love and faithfulness. Otherwise I perish, for problems far too big for me to solve are piled higher than my head. Jeremiah 29:11 NIV "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." John 1:12 NIV Yet to all who received Him to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. John 13:34-35 TLB And so I am giving a new commandment to you now -- love each other just as much as I love you. Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples. The sermon points were: The Shepherd's Role:  God loves and knows me.God looks after me.God leads me.My Response: I receive God's grace and rejoice.I rest in God's protection.I resign myself to God's guidance.I will reflect God's love.Our small group focus on Sunday night was: John 10:10 NIV The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Acknowledge the rescue. Accept the rescue. Appreciate the rescuer. Announce the rescuer.After both the morning sermon and the evening small group study, I realized how little time we - Christians - spend rejoicing and showing the world how much joy and peace we have because we are loved so deeply by our Creator and Father. In between the church service in the morning and the small group in the evening, I was blessed with the opportunity to serve. A group of folks from our church - ranging in age from 10 to 60 - drove across the river into Kentucky and served a meal to the homeless (and working poor). The church we visited there serves food every Sunday night to their neighborhood poor. Somewhere between 125 and 225 people show up every Sunday to eat. What a ministry this is for that church. Our church, by providing the food (one of our members is an executive for one of our local eateries and they donated the food) and doing the preparation and serving last night, allowed the other church folks to spend time outside the kitchen and to be with the people they support each week. It was good for all of us. Normally, folks line up at the door of this church just before 4 p.m. The serving begins at 4 and ends at 6. Last night, there were about 30 people waiting to get in at 4 - about 20 less folks than usual. They trickled in after that, and around 4:40 it dawned on a bunch of us at about the same time that, DUH, some of these folks that were regulars were really homeless. Perhaps they didn't realize that daylight savings time had changed 3 weeks earlier than usual. Sure enough, at 5 p.m. a bunch of folks showed up at the door. Perhaps we served about 125 people last night. There was enough for everyone to get a hefty plate of food and for seconds for those who wanted more. There was even enough for take-out plates for those that requested them. What little food was left, we put in the freezer for them to use later. Serving the homeless is something I like to do. My brother is homeless in PA and by serving where ever I am, it somehow gives me a connection to him. Besides, just hearing the stories of how people end up on the streets is a good reminder that so many of us are just one pay check away from being in the same situation. That's rather sad for a country as "rich" as ours is supposed to be. When I went to bed last night, I was thorouthly exhausted. And, yes, there were pains everywhere. Still, it was a good exhaustion and I knew that the pains would disappear as I drifted off to sleep. And as I did - drift off to sleep, that is - I was comforted knowing that God always takes care of me. I need that, because, I guess I am as dumb as the sheep sometimes. Often, actually. I almost forgot. Many thanks to shleprock for making my Easter basket and to intuey of House Lannister for giving it as a gift. |
| My Sunday is jam packed. I'll be sharing everything that happened...real soon. Meanwhile... Have you dropped in at
There just might be something new! |
| Country Woman - poetry contest - Summer Verse (picture prompt) - deadline March 20, 2007 http://www.countrywomanmagazine.com/2007/MA07/subFeature03b.asp?RefURL=&KeyCode=... Creation Illustrated - for submission information: http://www.creationillustrated.com/article.php?id=8&PHPSESSID=474877b3ac09eedbcc... I know you've been eager to see pictures of our two cats. Here's Opera with her face in the food bowl. That's her usual position.  This shot shows her face.  And here's one of Piewacket, being the serious cat.  Having to get up early to pick up my son at work has its merits. I get to see the sun come up, and in nice weather, that's not such a bad thing. Speaking of nice weather...it was 57 degrees when I got up this morning. Another strange Cincinnati weather day, I guess. The temperature will neither go up nor down today, or so the weather folks say. Just a few weeks ago it looked like this:  That's hubby - Incurable Romantic and his daughter Tiff. I think he had his back turned so he could avoid being hit by a snowball. (But he'd probably say he was making a snowball of his own. )Today the birds are really getting ready for that first big Spring concert. As I sat on the porch, I heard six distinctive bird songs. I don't know which birds belonged to which song, but I did hear six different songs. Yippeeee! Next we'll be seeing some of God's beautiful Spring colors. And I cannot wait! A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby, excitedly discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. "But why?," they asked, as they moved on. "Because," he said, "I can't stand watching chess nuts boasting in an open foyer...." |
| I don't know. I was looking for a word beginning with "f" for my Friday title. Nothing seemed funny or unique enough. So, I made up my own word. Like it? I was going to call it...family speak. Hubby wanted me to mention some of the weird family sayings that he's discovered that my family uses. I already had one entry about some of them. Umquie (my brother's word for water) and azoo (his word for another). Aaayeeee (my sister's answer to what time is it - when she was just a toddler and unable to read time). Some of my cousins said, "I can't want to" instead of "I don't want to." And...well hubby and I talked of another one, but I can't remember. Maybe he'll leave a comment here to jog my memory. Hint to hubby: It was not one of my dyslexic mouth utterings - like, "That's very not nice." Anyway... Do you know a young writer - age 8 to 18? Here's a contest just for them. The young writer has to write about a 50 year old who is not his/her parent. (The 50 year old can be a grandparent, aunt, uncle, friend, mentor.) The deadline is March 31, 2007. Here's the link for more information: https://http//www.legacyproject.org/contests/ltalrules.html Hey! The temperature reached almost 60 today. I still don't understand how the temperatures work here. I mean the highs for the day. The other places where I have lived - PA, MI, MO, FL and TX - have the high temperature in the middle of the day, somewhere between noon and 3 or 4 p.m. Here in Cincinnati, the high temperatue is usually between 5 and 6 p.m. What's up with that? Sadly, it should go back down into the low 30's tonight again. But it surely was nice this afternoon. My car's heater doesn't work very well, so my car never really gets warm. Just mildly warm, not like other cars....like hubby's for instance. Of course, he doesn't like or need the warm. One day when were getting ready to go somewhere....maybe for our anniversary dinner....I discovered that he had his car heater turned to the blue side (AC!) instead of the red side (heat). Yikes. I forgot that my air conditioning doesn't work at all. I commented about that to my son as I was driving him to work. Something like, "Pretty soon we'll be complaining that the a/c doesn't work." His response? "No we won't. We both can handle heat more than cold. Remember? There were how many days in a row - 18 - of over 100 degrees in Texas without a/c in the car? And we survived." He's right. My car's air conditioning quit in June, 2003. I guess we've survived so far. But boy...I hope we can get the heater working better before next winter. I've been searching and searching for something I wrote to my mom at the end of 2001. I ran across it - on my computer - a few weeks ago and thought, "I should copy this or print it out, 'cause I'll never remember where this if filed." I was right. I don't remember and I tried searching myself and getting the computer to search, to no avail. Grrr. But, the good thing is that in my searching I found a few other things I had written and forgotten all about. Plus... I found this quote from Erma Bombeck, "My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first, hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint." I wish I had written that one! I always loved Erma Bombeck. Loved her sense of humor and wished I could be like her. She is missed... |
| It's not often that I make three entries in one day. I could have, certainly, just added to the others. But I wanted this to stand by itself. And when I'm finished, I'm going to retreat for the day. At least until much later. I really have things to do! Anway, in the last post, I mentioned that http://www.crosswalk.com had been reorganized and enlarged. Boy has it. Here's an excellent starting place for anyone who wants to know more about Jesus - who he is/was, who he isn't/wasn't, who he said he was, etc. It's an excellent resource. http://www.crosswalk.com/whoIsJesus/1346092/ And for those who want a good article refuting the claims that the bones of Jesus were found: http://www.probe.org/commentaries/tales-from-the-crypt-do-we-have-the-bones-of-j... I'm tired now. Exhausted, really. And I think I'll just go and take a nap. Nighty-night. |
If you have never visited "Invalid Item"  , perhaps now is the time. I admit, we don't often have a real give and take there. And sometimes it gets rather tiring answering the same questions over and over again. (Accusations, often.) But at least once a week, I feel a nudge to go there. This morning, I didn't have any questions to pose for our Muslim friends on the forum. Nor did I have any answers. But I did feel like I needed to share. Here's what I posted there:I was just feeling so loved and cared for and at peace that I just wanted to share some of that. I hope that's okay. Today I discovered that Crosswalk.com has been changed, reorganized, and enlarged. It's a great place of reference to find out about God and about Jesus. It also has a place for searching the Bible - with many translations. This morning the devotional there used these verses: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." I wish that everyone in the world could come to know my God, this God. Why would I ever want to trade my God who gives me hugs and holds me when I need to be held, for one for whom I have to prove myself day after day after day. I know that I am not worthy - alone, that is. But Jesus made me worthy. He made me whole. And because I don't have to prove myself worthy day after day after day, because I don't have to prove anything, I want to show my love - to God, to my neighbor, to the world. I want to share the peace, the joy, the love that surrounds me and engulfs me each and every day. Even as I write these words, tears of joy trickle down my cheek. Thank you, Father God, for giving me such joy and peace and love this morning. You always know when I need it most. |
| Now I understand what my mother and grandmother told me when I was just a kid. Time really does fly. Sometimes it seems as if the hours and days just speed by without much participation on my part. I wonder where the time goes. I wonder what I have accomplished. Nothing? Some days and weeks that's just the way it seems. Like I'm just treading water. Like life is going on all around me, but I'm just standing still. Hmmm. ******** Yesterday, the news local evening news was on in the other room. I was half-way listening to it, but not really. I heard the news anchor mention a school shooting in Michigan and I figured it happened either in northern Michigan (where one of my sisters lives) or in the Detroit area. I was surprised to hear that the shooting took place in Midland, Michigan. That's where I lived! That's where my parents had lived. That's where my other sister and her ex and her two kids had lived. I wondered if any of them knew the girl who had been shot, or the boy who did the shooting. I called my sister, who now lives back in Texas. She said that things were rather tense at work yesterday. There were quite a few parents of Midland teens attending meetings in Texas. They were all concerned about their kids. The school was in lock-down for a while. Fortunately, most kids had cell phones and most used text messaging to inform their parents and friends that they were okay. My sister told me some details that had not appeared on the news. The news said that the girl had broken up with the boy and he went to school and shot her. What it didn't say was that the girl was not in school yesterday. Her mother drove her to the school to meet the boy to talk. Mom waited in the car. When the fight started, the mother drove her car in between them. She watched as the boy shot her daughter once in the arm and three times in the chest, then put the gun to his own head. Can you imagine how that poor mother feels? She drove her daughter to meet this kid. And she watched, helplessly, as her daughter was shot. Supposedly, the girl's condition was changed from critical to serious yesterday afternoon. Hopefully, prayfully, she will be okay. But, then again, will she ever really be okay? Will the mom? Or the families of both kids? Their friends? What a different world this is than the one in which I grew up. Personally, I would gladly give up cell phones and text messaging, even this very computer, if we could have just a bit of those Ozzie and Harriet days back again. *********** On a happier note, here's my bunny. I know lots of folks have them now, and so do I.  This was a gift from gardengirl and made by AntiBarbie .*********** By the way, here's a rather different contest:
I do believe I'll have to enter this one. |
| Grrrrr! I never took any debating classes in school, nor was I ever a member of a debating team. But...I think I know that debates or discussions require a give and take. Well, don't they? I really hate (okay, my mom said never to use the word hate...so I strongly dislike) it when two people - defined as me and one other person - are engaging in a discussion or debate when he/she says, "I can't believe you said that!" Looks over shoulder to see what it was that I said that was unbelievable. Finding nothing, I respond, "Is there something I said that you don't understand?" "No. I just can't believe you said that." With a bit more give and take, it is determined that the person with whom I am discussing/debating has a different point of view. Well, duh! That's why we're having this discussion!" The other person is stuck in the, "I can't believe you said that" mode and cannot climb out. I am left scratching my head, wondering what went wrong. And the other person is left feeling that he/she has somehow won the debate. Huh? Another thing that really gets to me is the person who refuses to answer quesitons I pose while discussing/debating and, instead, asks a question of me. I calmly and accurately answer the new posed question, then head on back to the original discussion. What is his/her next commnent? "I can't believe you said that." Grrr. Imagine if you will: I have just given an illustrious speech about the importance of eating blueberries, for instance. The most recent studies have found that this is one of God's best foods, because of the anti-oxidants found in blueberries. Etc., etc., etc. Second person: "Hmmm. Interesting. Do you like oranges?" Me: "What???? We were discussing the benefits of eating blueberries." #2: "Yes, but I don't like them." Me: "Surely you understood the importance of eating them, though, right? You did hear what I had to say about blueberries?" #2: "Yes, but I don't like them." Me: "You know that.... Oh, never mind. Why don't you like blueberries?" #2: "Well....they're blue. But not really. And I just don't like them." At this point, I might back-pedal and repeat what I've already shared about how we should be thinking about food as being the fuel to feed our bodies and be searching for the best fuels. (After all, we do that for our cars!) Blah, blah, blah. #2: "Hey, how about apples?" Me: "What about apples?" #2: "Do you like them?" Me: "YES I LIKE APPLES! And they are a part of a good diet as well. But we were discussing blueberries." Again, I retreat a bit and mention all the benefits of all fruits and veggies, of eating a limited amount of red meats, etc. Again I bring up the fact that Americans are way too fat and unhealthy and why that is. Etc., etc., etc. #2: "I can't believe you said that." Me: "Said what?" #2: "What you just said." GRRRR!!!!! The above is not a real discussion. It's just being used as an example of what has happened to me in recent months - on a number of different issues and in a number of different locales. By the way...do you like pomegranates? Hey, watch your mouth. I can't believe you said that. ********** Okay, on an entirely different matter... Most of you have probably gotten one of those scam emails supposedly from someone in another country wanting you to deposit sales moneys for them, keeping your share and sending the rest back to them. The scam is that the checks you deposit will be no good, and you'll be sending your own money. Most folks look at those emails and know right away that they're trash. But did you know that there are some "companies" preying on people who have resumes posted on some of the Internet resume posting sites - like Monster and Yahoo Hot Jobs and others? I only found this out because I still had a resume out there somewhere that I had completely forgotten about. The company writes to you and praises your resume. Then they ask that you fill out one of their online applications so that you can be scheduled for an interview. They seem to have jobs that match your job skills, because they search your resume for key words. If your resume says something about training, the job is about training. If it mentions sales, the job is about selling. Etc. The money they are proposing to pay is just a bit above what might be normal for the area, but it's not so outrageous that you would laugh at the money. Or run the other way. I got one of those emails a while back and something about it just didn't "feel" right. For one thing, I have not been actively looking for a job - at least not a responsible high-paid full time job - for quite some time. But it was more than that. Instinct just said that the email and the company was probably bogus. Still, I clicked on the link and was sent to a job application. Again, bells and whistles went off in my head. The name at the top of the application didn't match the name in the email I received. I thought that was strange. I hit the "about us" link on the home page and discovered that this outfit supposedly provides professional Internet applications for lots of companies. Hmmm. The application appeared to want just a bit too much information. So, I decided to Google both the name in the email and the name at the top of the application. What I discovered what that both of them are bogus. They're using the information they collect to solicit, to send spam emails, perhaps even to steal identies (since one of the application pages wanted way to personal information). What I find as odd is that while there are pages and pages about this particular scam on the Internet, I have not heard it being reported by any major TV networks or newspapers. |
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