I have two or three bits of posts saved on my now defunct laptop. Along with all the pictures from our vacation. I don't know if I can rescue any of it. Which means that some of the pictures on here are the only records I currently have of my vacation. Joy.
Apparently, 9 months ago when we got our laptop, it came with a pirate copy (or more likely a Volume License copy) of Windows XP. I don't know if the original got stolen from somewhere, if Windows noticed there were 20 machines using the same key code, or what... but yesterday and without warning, I can't even look on my own desktop, because Windows XP is non-functioning. I can't log on to the internet, I can't log into my user functions... the laptop is suddenly one very expensive paper weight. The last laptop had a hard drive crash that was basically irreplaceable. This one will likely be wiped when we install the new "Genuine" Windows XP copy we just had to buy online.
I haven't gotten over the grieving, and now I can't even blog about it the way I wanted to! Frustration. Lots and lots of frustration. We do still have the desktop computer in the office, so I am still blessed with access to the internet. The internet is such a blessing. I have so many friends now that I would not have known otherwise.
So... Do me a favor, please? Pray. Pray that I do NOT get angry and yell mean things to the phone help. They don't get paid enough to really handle that, and it isn't their fault the system stinks. (I have been on the receiving end of that, it is no fun. I know enough to ask for a supervisor, who can get me to the manager, who can get me Bill Gates himself if I have to...but the receptionist or the call center helper in Asia doesn't care that my laptop became a rock with no warning.) Also, pray that the money we spent this evening doesn't end up being down the tubes because of not being able to USE the fix we paid for.
There is purpose to everything, even if I don't see it right now. And I don't see it right now.
"Just like the shapes on my grandmother's rug,
You can't see the pattern when you're too close up.
From my point of view we are all far too human to see...
It's part of the mystery."
~~~ Song called Part of the Mystery by Dana Key (as in Degarmo and Key, if you are interested, but this was from his solo album called By Divine Design)
Also, this week I received some more bad news. I have another friend named Kim, who also died in a car accident, also on Friday last week, and also left a lot of family and friends behind. Kim McDaniel, a friend who lived in Farmington, New Mexico, was going with her family to Albuquerque to join a cruise trip to celebrate her daughter's High School Graduation. The family was in their SUV when they hit icy conditions, lost control of the car, crossed three lanes of traffic, and got hit by an oncoming vehicle. Kim died in their vehicle, and two people died in the other vehicle. So instead of going on a cruise, Jade is healing from her own wounds from the accident, and mourning the loss of her mom. I am crying just typing it here.
I can't fathom the depths of God's love, and I know that He holds both Kim McDaniel and Kim Whitlow in His hands... but I don't know how much more sorrow I can handle. I am weary.
On a brighter note (since we all seem to need one), my Dad has been by to read the blog, and said that he liked my writing. He told Mom that I am very detailed. That was a wonderful thing to hear. I told Mom that it is a fine balance between having enough detail to be interesting, and keeping enough anonymity to be safe. That "way with words" that MammaMia complemented me on came at the hefty cost of a college education I didn't even finish. As previously posted, however, I have finally paid it off. And then I bought another dictionary to read. I have thought about reading the Thesaurus next. Next year, after I finish the 888 Challenge this year.
Please tell your family you love them today. Give them a big hug, and make today count. We may not get a tomorrow.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Memorial Day Thanks And Thoughts
Memory is a newly hurt part of my anatomy today. The old wounds and new are blending to become a scar that I will boast as making me stronger, if only because it didn't kill me.
I am taking a pause today to remember many who are no longer with me, and those who have served and who are currently serving for Old Glory. Some of their actions have been small, but the effects have been ripples on the lake, impacting many areas of my life in small and large ways.
I pray that God blesses those who have served our Country in the past. I pray that God stands beside those serving our Country today. I ask compassion on the families of those of us left to mourn death. I pray that you have some measure of peace today.
IN MEMORY OF:
Phillip Thomas Sanders
Ervin Chee
Gary and Kim Whitlow
Charles and Violet Clarke
Bob Yarbrough
Jimmy Elijah Chaffin
Dean Garrison
Russ Lewis
Jim Moore
John Clark
Adam Langford
HONORING VETERANS:
Franklin Clarke
Roger Gaddie
D. C. "Mac" Macdonald
D. "Grumpy Old Veteran" Rich
HONORING SOLDIERS CURRENTLY SERVING:
Jonathan Hannan
Please do not think that this is a definitive list. If I have forgotten you or your loved ones, please excuse my lack of memory. This is the list that came to mind today.
~~~~~~~~~~
May your BBQ not burn, may your corn not pop (unless you wish it to!) and may your watermelon seeds spit the farthest!
I am taking a pause today to remember many who are no longer with me, and those who have served and who are currently serving for Old Glory. Some of their actions have been small, but the effects have been ripples on the lake, impacting many areas of my life in small and large ways.
I pray that God blesses those who have served our Country in the past. I pray that God stands beside those serving our Country today. I ask compassion on the families of those of us left to mourn death. I pray that you have some measure of peace today.
IN MEMORY OF:Phillip Thomas Sanders
Ervin Chee
Gary and Kim Whitlow
Charles and Violet Clarke
Bob Yarbrough
Jimmy Elijah Chaffin
Dean Garrison
Russ Lewis
Jim Moore
John Clark
Adam Langford
HONORING VETERANS:
Franklin Clarke
Roger Gaddie
D. C. "Mac" Macdonald
D. "Grumpy Old Veteran" Rich
HONORING SOLDIERS CURRENTLY SERVING:
Jonathan Hannan
Please do not think that this is a definitive list. If I have forgotten you or your loved ones, please excuse my lack of memory. This is the list that came to mind today.
~~~~~~~~~~
May your BBQ not burn, may your corn not pop (unless you wish it to!) and may your watermelon seeds spit the farthest!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
My Heart Breaks Today
There are times when news is just not real. It takes a while for tragic news to sink in. I got the phone call, and I still don't comprehend it. It can't be. It just isn't right. And yet, here we are.
I made a friend online barely a year ago. I met her in person on my recent vacation to Colorado. She was delightfully fun to talk to, and had so much love in her heart for others. She had a deep desire to be a woman of God, a wife of nobility (like the Proverbs 31 wife), and a true friend.
Her husband was quiet (at least during dinner), and so much like my own DH. A great love for the Lord was stored up in his heart. He was great with children (this is a crop of a picture I took of him holding one of MammaMia's girls), and cared deeply for his wife.
This afternoon, I learned that Suezque and her Hubby had perished in a tornado on Friday night, while driving to Kansas to visit family members for the Memorial Day Weekend. The car was picked up by the tornado, and thrown several hundred feet off the road. There is a video as well as the news story here. Please pray for both families.
I am grateful that Jayme and Sally thought to call me. They had noticed that Suezque and I had become good friends, and a daily part of each other's lives. She was a bright spot on my blog, and in my life. I have to trust in God, that He will keep her close to His heart, until we meet again.
While this is a profound sorrow for those of us who will miss them terribly, there is joy to know that they are now with the Lord.
I made a friend online barely a year ago. I met her in person on my recent vacation to Colorado. She was delightfully fun to talk to, and had so much love in her heart for others. She had a deep desire to be a woman of God, a wife of nobility (like the Proverbs 31 wife), and a true friend.
Her husband was quiet (at least during dinner), and so much like my own DH. A great love for the Lord was stored up in his heart. He was great with children (this is a crop of a picture I took of him holding one of MammaMia's girls), and cared deeply for his wife.
This afternoon, I learned that Suezque and her Hubby had perished in a tornado on Friday night, while driving to Kansas to visit family members for the Memorial Day Weekend. The car was picked up by the tornado, and thrown several hundred feet off the road. There is a video as well as the news story here. Please pray for both families.I am grateful that Jayme and Sally thought to call me. They had noticed that Suezque and I had become good friends, and a daily part of each other's lives. She was a bright spot on my blog, and in my life. I have to trust in God, that He will keep her close to His heart, until we meet again.
While this is a profound sorrow for those of us who will miss them terribly, there is joy to know that they are now with the Lord.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Opacity, Or My Lack Thereof
Word of the Post
Today's word is: tarradiddle
/terra'did"uhl/ noun
Pretentious nonsense, falsehood, fib.
I was intending to write a post before this, so much so that my promise became a tarradiddle.
~~~~~~~~~~
When last we saw our heroine, she was winging her way home in the dark of the night.
We arrived home pretty late. Mom and Dad were already asleep. Mom said that sometimes the noises of the house make it sound like there is a person walking in the kitchen. We had warned her that we would be coming home very late, and she did hear us, but she had no trouble going back to sleep.
Staying up late is pretty normal for me, but you have to realize that my body never did adjust to the local timezone. Getting to Mom's house at midnight meant that my body thought it was one in the morning. Ouch. But, I spent the whole vacation waking up at 8 in OK, 7 in NM. On Wednesday, I woke up later; I think it was almost 8. (9 in OK!)
While we were in CO, mom had told me that a close family friend had passed away on Sunday, and the funeral would be on Wednesday. I decided that I would go to the funeral. I know it doesn't sound so fun for a vacation, but it wasn't so bad. I got to be there, without an extra trip. I got to see friends that I would not have seen otherwise. (Even one from Colorado!)
Since DH didn't know this man, or much of his family, he was not comfortable going with me. He drove around the city, window shopping and exploring my hometown. I had the extra key, and I had the parents with me, so he couldn't get back into the house. We brought DH a plate from the potluck lunch after the funeral, and we called him once we got back. I went with Dad and Mom, helped drive and sat with Mom (she in her wheelchair) in the back of the sanctuary, while Dad led the singing at the funeral. Dad does this a lot. He is willing, and able, and it seems to be his service for the church. It is sad to think of all the funerals that have happened over the past 22 years they have lived in Farmington.
We spent the rest of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday morning with Mom and Dad. Thursday night, we went to dinner with Mom and Dad, my Bro, and his girlfriend. Apparently, my transparency is renowned. Bro said he wasn't sure who was whiter, me or girlfriend. We sat together at dinner, and compared whiteness of arms. I am still not sure there was a clear leader.
Mom wanted family pictures. We agreed to take them on Thursday night, after dinner. Bro works very early in the morning, so he was fading and wanted to get this over with quickly. Girlfriend agreed to take the pictures with my camera. Mom and Dad copied the pictures onto their computer, and Dad printed a few copies, just to prove that he could. This one is Dad, Bro, Mom and Me.
See? My paleness is reflective. Bro works outside some, but he has always been able to tan, where I burn, peel and stay white. I joke that he could walk outside, and come back into the house two shades darker. I am older, but I think Mom and Dad reserved the height and color for Bro.
I am sure I will get yelled at for this one hitting the blogosphere, but I have to share. Bro and girlfriend wanted a picture together, and girlfriend jokingly said something about the "foot pop", and so we had to have a picture of it.
We had to have matching pictures. I hadn't noticed it before today, but it looks like DH is strangling me. How funny! He would never. And... do you know how hard it is to hold this pose? I was waiting for DH or Bro to fall over into the next room, through that curtain.
To make up for the previous picture, I have to show you the posed and really good picture. This is Bro and Girlfriend. I like her. She is quick-witted, funny, and she really cares for Bro. She is thoughtful about Mom, and reminds Bro that he needs to visit sometimes. He is happy to have her around, and that means more to me than she probably knows.
On Friday, we left later than I wanted to, but we were planning only to go to Albuquerque, so it wasn't so bad. I took DH down to Gallup first. I used to live there, before Farmington. Get your Kicks. Yep, that Gallup. In order to get there, we had to drive past Shiprock, NM. The actual Rock is the core of a dormant volcano. This is as close as we got.
The highway from Shiprock to Gallup used to be 666. I had a friend who couldn't go with me to youth rallies in Gallup, because her Mom was superstitious. Gallup once had the unique intersection of Rt. 66 and Hwy. 666. You know, maybe there was something to that superstition. (I am joking here, but it is funny to think about.) The Highway number has been changed since then.
I used to live in this house. If memory serves, it used to look nicer.
The big window there on the front left (the side facing the tree) was the picture window in the living room. The window to the right of the door was my bedroom. Bro and I were pretty young, and had to share the room. That is the window he threw a hammer through. That poor falling stop sign was a bus stop for our neighborhood for a semester. Our porch got destroyed by jumping children, and the school system moved the stop almost half a mile away, past a bar. We didn't have a fence. The new owners built an expansion on the back of the house, and put up the fence. I remember the house being white, with green trim. There was a long staircase up to the back of the house, which is fully enclosed now.
I have a lot of memories from that house. My BFF and I used to walk around the house three times in one direction, planting clues for ourselves, and then we would walk three times in the other direction and find the clues to solve our mystery. She was reading the Nancy Drew books, and got me addicted too. I remember the dark shag carpet, the dark panels on the wall in the living room, and the mirrored bookshelf in the kitchen. I miss most that bookshelf, and the huge bathtub with feet.
Every time we watch The Princess Bride, I get ill when it comes to the part where Billy Crystal (as Miracle Max) talks about a good "M.L.T". He goes on to describe a Mutton Lettuce and Tomato sandwich. When we lived in the house pictured above, I used to ride my bike to the local store to check our mailbox. There was a post office in the back of the store. I had to walk past the meat lockers, and the whole store was permeated with the smell of raw mutton. I tried to give DH that delicate experience the last time we were in the area, but the store was closed. This time, they were open.
Inside, it looks very much the same, but the meat lockers have been moved. The meat counter has its own alcove now. The store smells like a store, not like a slaughterhouse as I remember it. The only freezers or coolers in the walkway now belong to the ice cream, right by the registers. I showed DH our old mailbox, and bought some roasted salted pine nuts in the pawn shop in the very back of the store. I bought a couple of bracelets for Jelly Bean. I don't know that she will like to wear them, because she has so much fun with stretchy bracelets, and these are pretty sturdy silver.
We drove into town, and caught a few views of the things I remembered, as well as a little coincidence.
A few years ago, we saw this sign. I couldn't get a picture back then, and I was really hoping it was still there. Chelle is the way I spell my name when I am nicknaming myself, and think that Chelf will be a bit... childish or strange. There are only two people who actually call me Chelle in person. That is special and odd at the same time. Auntie Chelf is still the preferred title.
I once thought about starting a Bed and Breakfast with a friend. Look how nice the name shows on the storefront! We then went along the road parallel to the train tracks that run through town. I took quite a few more pictures, but they weren't really that good. Schlitz distribution center (yep, Beer), Butler's Office Supplies (used to be in downtown in a cramped little building, now in what was once a huge grocery store), El Rancho Hotel (was cool in the 50's, but has lost its grandeur in recent times), and stores that only exist in memory.... Big Cheese Pizza!
I don't want to frustrate anyone, but I am going to play the game show host, and say our tale will continue.... after these messages.
Today's word is: tarradiddle
/terra'did"uhl/ noun
Pretentious nonsense, falsehood, fib.
I was intending to write a post before this, so much so that my promise became a tarradiddle.
~~~~~~~~~~
When last we saw our heroine, she was winging her way home in the dark of the night.
We arrived home pretty late. Mom and Dad were already asleep. Mom said that sometimes the noises of the house make it sound like there is a person walking in the kitchen. We had warned her that we would be coming home very late, and she did hear us, but she had no trouble going back to sleep.
Staying up late is pretty normal for me, but you have to realize that my body never did adjust to the local timezone. Getting to Mom's house at midnight meant that my body thought it was one in the morning. Ouch. But, I spent the whole vacation waking up at 8 in OK, 7 in NM. On Wednesday, I woke up later; I think it was almost 8. (9 in OK!)
While we were in CO, mom had told me that a close family friend had passed away on Sunday, and the funeral would be on Wednesday. I decided that I would go to the funeral. I know it doesn't sound so fun for a vacation, but it wasn't so bad. I got to be there, without an extra trip. I got to see friends that I would not have seen otherwise. (Even one from Colorado!)
Since DH didn't know this man, or much of his family, he was not comfortable going with me. He drove around the city, window shopping and exploring my hometown. I had the extra key, and I had the parents with me, so he couldn't get back into the house. We brought DH a plate from the potluck lunch after the funeral, and we called him once we got back. I went with Dad and Mom, helped drive and sat with Mom (she in her wheelchair) in the back of the sanctuary, while Dad led the singing at the funeral. Dad does this a lot. He is willing, and able, and it seems to be his service for the church. It is sad to think of all the funerals that have happened over the past 22 years they have lived in Farmington.
We spent the rest of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday morning with Mom and Dad. Thursday night, we went to dinner with Mom and Dad, my Bro, and his girlfriend. Apparently, my transparency is renowned. Bro said he wasn't sure who was whiter, me or girlfriend. We sat together at dinner, and compared whiteness of arms. I am still not sure there was a clear leader.
Mom wanted family pictures. We agreed to take them on Thursday night, after dinner. Bro works very early in the morning, so he was fading and wanted to get this over with quickly. Girlfriend agreed to take the pictures with my camera. Mom and Dad copied the pictures onto their computer, and Dad printed a few copies, just to prove that he could. This one is Dad, Bro, Mom and Me.
See? My paleness is reflective. Bro works outside some, but he has always been able to tan, where I burn, peel and stay white. I joke that he could walk outside, and come back into the house two shades darker. I am older, but I think Mom and Dad reserved the height and color for Bro.
I am sure I will get yelled at for this one hitting the blogosphere, but I have to share. Bro and girlfriend wanted a picture together, and girlfriend jokingly said something about the "foot pop", and so we had to have a picture of it.
We had to have matching pictures. I hadn't noticed it before today, but it looks like DH is strangling me. How funny! He would never. And... do you know how hard it is to hold this pose? I was waiting for DH or Bro to fall over into the next room, through that curtain.
To make up for the previous picture, I have to show you the posed and really good picture. This is Bro and Girlfriend. I like her. She is quick-witted, funny, and she really cares for Bro. She is thoughtful about Mom, and reminds Bro that he needs to visit sometimes. He is happy to have her around, and that means more to me than she probably knows.On Friday, we left later than I wanted to, but we were planning only to go to Albuquerque, so it wasn't so bad. I took DH down to Gallup first. I used to live there, before Farmington. Get your Kicks. Yep, that Gallup. In order to get there, we had to drive past Shiprock, NM. The actual Rock is the core of a dormant volcano. This is as close as we got.
The highway from Shiprock to Gallup used to be 666. I had a friend who couldn't go with me to youth rallies in Gallup, because her Mom was superstitious. Gallup once had the unique intersection of Rt. 66 and Hwy. 666. You know, maybe there was something to that superstition. (I am joking here, but it is funny to think about.) The Highway number has been changed since then.I used to live in this house. If memory serves, it used to look nicer.
The big window there on the front left (the side facing the tree) was the picture window in the living room. The window to the right of the door was my bedroom. Bro and I were pretty young, and had to share the room. That is the window he threw a hammer through. That poor falling stop sign was a bus stop for our neighborhood for a semester. Our porch got destroyed by jumping children, and the school system moved the stop almost half a mile away, past a bar. We didn't have a fence. The new owners built an expansion on the back of the house, and put up the fence. I remember the house being white, with green trim. There was a long staircase up to the back of the house, which is fully enclosed now.I have a lot of memories from that house. My BFF and I used to walk around the house three times in one direction, planting clues for ourselves, and then we would walk three times in the other direction and find the clues to solve our mystery. She was reading the Nancy Drew books, and got me addicted too. I remember the dark shag carpet, the dark panels on the wall in the living room, and the mirrored bookshelf in the kitchen. I miss most that bookshelf, and the huge bathtub with feet.
Every time we watch The Princess Bride, I get ill when it comes to the part where Billy Crystal (as Miracle Max) talks about a good "M.L.T". He goes on to describe a Mutton Lettuce and Tomato sandwich. When we lived in the house pictured above, I used to ride my bike to the local store to check our mailbox. There was a post office in the back of the store. I had to walk past the meat lockers, and the whole store was permeated with the smell of raw mutton. I tried to give DH that delicate experience the last time we were in the area, but the store was closed. This time, they were open.
Inside, it looks very much the same, but the meat lockers have been moved. The meat counter has its own alcove now. The store smells like a store, not like a slaughterhouse as I remember it. The only freezers or coolers in the walkway now belong to the ice cream, right by the registers. I showed DH our old mailbox, and bought some roasted salted pine nuts in the pawn shop in the very back of the store. I bought a couple of bracelets for Jelly Bean. I don't know that she will like to wear them, because she has so much fun with stretchy bracelets, and these are pretty sturdy silver.We drove into town, and caught a few views of the things I remembered, as well as a little coincidence.
A few years ago, we saw this sign. I couldn't get a picture back then, and I was really hoping it was still there. Chelle is the way I spell my name when I am nicknaming myself, and think that Chelf will be a bit... childish or strange. There are only two people who actually call me Chelle in person. That is special and odd at the same time. Auntie Chelf is still the preferred title.
I once thought about starting a Bed and Breakfast with a friend. Look how nice the name shows on the storefront! We then went along the road parallel to the train tracks that run through town. I took quite a few more pictures, but they weren't really that good. Schlitz distribution center (yep, Beer), Butler's Office Supplies (used to be in downtown in a cramped little building, now in what was once a huge grocery store), El Rancho Hotel (was cool in the 50's, but has lost its grandeur in recent times), and stores that only exist in memory.... Big Cheese Pizza!I don't want to frustrate anyone, but I am going to play the game show host, and say our tale will continue.... after these messages.
Friday, May 16, 2008
May I Have Your Attention?
Word of the Post
Today's word is: caprine
/cap"rine/ adjective
Being, pertaining to, or speaking of a goat. Related information: the Zodiac sign of Capricorn is named so for the stellar constellation that is said to resemble a horned goat. DH was born a Capricorn.
The little field stickers coated my socks, their caprine horns reaching through the cotton to pierce my skin.
~~~~~~~~~~
I have to put this edit in a new post. How crazy is that?
Ever since I put in that last thing... the Google Map made the last post go hokey, so I can't edit in there. I am so happy I was finished. Glad I didn't call anyone an ugly name!
MammaMia (if you didn't see the comments) clarified that her hubby, in fact, did NOT attend school at Oklahoma Christian. His friend did. I am sorry. Guess I just lumped it all together in my memory. It was a month ago, so I am losing the detail I so crave. But all the boys knew mutual people from O.C. So at least I had some of the detail right.
Graduation Season is upon us. (Does this mean we can shoot them?!?!) I know at least five High School Seniors, and I had hoped to give them all some denomination of money. Life is terribly expensive, no? Wedding Season also quickly approacheth. I am attending a Shower for one bride-to-be from church this Saturday. If I give a small gift or a card without money in it, I feel cheap. If I give more, well.... you multiply any given amount by 6 for this weekend alone, and you get the small fortune I wish I had. Truth be told, the bride and my graduating cousin will get the most bucks, because Brides need stuff and Cousins who send announcements deserve more than the kid I barely know at church. Sounds harsh here, and I am not trying to be. Two of the local grads are going to Europe in the next few weeks. Oh, the jealousy is threatening to show it's ugly green head.
This weekend, I shall be playing the Final Round of the Scrabble Tournament. My final game will determine 3rd place. I am in the Losers Bracket. There were four siblings in this Tournament, and the oldest and the youngest are also playing this weekend, to determine who is 1st from the Winners Bracket. I play early on Saturday morning. Good thing it is happening at a coffee shop!
There are sugar ants in my kitchen. I have a rather large cleaning plan ahead of me. I think there are still critters in my ceiling, too. Things that make funny noises in the dead of night at our house. I have trouble sleeping when the little scratching noises commence. It was better to have a child running across my ceiling in the apartment above me. At least that stopped sometimes. The mom of that kid used to threaten to get me to come up and yell. That always made me laugh. I figured that they were quiet enough, especially late at night. The kid was a child, and needed to run off some of her energy sometimes. I didn't mind so much. I am a night owl, and she was in bed when I was sitting up doing my thing. I was at work when she was running. Or I was downstairs, listening, and laughing at the fear the mom was trying to use to teach her baby girl manners. I never did tell the mom that she was doing a good job.
I am so far behind on reading for the 888 Challenge, I may never catch up. But, I am valiantly making an effort anyway. I have finished reading two more books this week, and have two small study books that are almost finished as well. Then, on to the Blog Friend Writers. I have a stack of books from writers that I have met on the Blogs. The hard part will be deciding which to start with. I also plan to re-read the Christoper Paolini books (Eragon and Eldest), since his third (Brisinger, according to rumor) is coming out this September. I think I shall probably re-read the Harry Potter books, too. They are entertaining, and I can read them pretty quickly. I am trying very hard to not use all children's books that can be read in five minutes. I could have a section for that, but it can't be the entire list.
For the 888 Challenge, I have my categories started:
1. Here There Be Dragons
2. Blog Girls Writing
3. Autographed Collection
4. Political Opinion and Satire
5. Books of THE BOOK (Bible books as well as study guides)
6. I Missed That (High School Reading I never got to)
7. Ooo, Hoo, Witchy Woman (Occult fantasy/sci-fi)
8. Miskolc, Mish-mash, Miscellaneous (Catch-all Category for Leftovers.)
So, does it sound as if I will be reading interesting things this year? I probably should put the Bible category first, but that isn't the order it popped into my head just now. I have a written guide list, and this may change as the year's reading progresses. Since I need to be held accountable for actually reading some, I thought I would put this out there, for you all to help me with. Hopefully, I can have a completed list in November or December. I actually hoped for a full list, not the shortened list with the 8 overlaps I am allowed. If I am going to do this, I should do it right. Keep me honest!
I hope you all have a wonderful Friday. I will work on the Vacation Chronicles this weekend, and hopefully add a new segment before Tuesday.
Today's word is: caprine
/cap"rine/ adjective
Being, pertaining to, or speaking of a goat. Related information: the Zodiac sign of Capricorn is named so for the stellar constellation that is said to resemble a horned goat. DH was born a Capricorn.
The little field stickers coated my socks, their caprine horns reaching through the cotton to pierce my skin.
~~~~~~~~~~
I have to put this edit in a new post. How crazy is that?
Ever since I put in that last thing... the Google Map made the last post go hokey, so I can't edit in there. I am so happy I was finished. Glad I didn't call anyone an ugly name!
MammaMia (if you didn't see the comments) clarified that her hubby, in fact, did NOT attend school at Oklahoma Christian. His friend did. I am sorry. Guess I just lumped it all together in my memory. It was a month ago, so I am losing the detail I so crave. But all the boys knew mutual people from O.C. So at least I had some of the detail right.
Graduation Season is upon us. (Does this mean we can shoot them?!?!) I know at least five High School Seniors, and I had hoped to give them all some denomination of money. Life is terribly expensive, no? Wedding Season also quickly approacheth. I am attending a Shower for one bride-to-be from church this Saturday. If I give a small gift or a card without money in it, I feel cheap. If I give more, well.... you multiply any given amount by 6 for this weekend alone, and you get the small fortune I wish I had. Truth be told, the bride and my graduating cousin will get the most bucks, because Brides need stuff and Cousins who send announcements deserve more than the kid I barely know at church. Sounds harsh here, and I am not trying to be. Two of the local grads are going to Europe in the next few weeks. Oh, the jealousy is threatening to show it's ugly green head.
This weekend, I shall be playing the Final Round of the Scrabble Tournament. My final game will determine 3rd place. I am in the Losers Bracket. There were four siblings in this Tournament, and the oldest and the youngest are also playing this weekend, to determine who is 1st from the Winners Bracket. I play early on Saturday morning. Good thing it is happening at a coffee shop!
There are sugar ants in my kitchen. I have a rather large cleaning plan ahead of me. I think there are still critters in my ceiling, too. Things that make funny noises in the dead of night at our house. I have trouble sleeping when the little scratching noises commence. It was better to have a child running across my ceiling in the apartment above me. At least that stopped sometimes. The mom of that kid used to threaten to get me to come up and yell. That always made me laugh. I figured that they were quiet enough, especially late at night. The kid was a child, and needed to run off some of her energy sometimes. I didn't mind so much. I am a night owl, and she was in bed when I was sitting up doing my thing. I was at work when she was running. Or I was downstairs, listening, and laughing at the fear the mom was trying to use to teach her baby girl manners. I never did tell the mom that she was doing a good job.
I am so far behind on reading for the 888 Challenge, I may never catch up. But, I am valiantly making an effort anyway. I have finished reading two more books this week, and have two small study books that are almost finished as well. Then, on to the Blog Friend Writers. I have a stack of books from writers that I have met on the Blogs. The hard part will be deciding which to start with. I also plan to re-read the Christoper Paolini books (Eragon and Eldest), since his third (Brisinger, according to rumor) is coming out this September. I think I shall probably re-read the Harry Potter books, too. They are entertaining, and I can read them pretty quickly. I am trying very hard to not use all children's books that can be read in five minutes. I could have a section for that, but it can't be the entire list.
For the 888 Challenge, I have my categories started:
1. Here There Be Dragons
2. Blog Girls Writing
3. Autographed Collection
4. Political Opinion and Satire
5. Books of THE BOOK (Bible books as well as study guides)
6. I Missed That (High School Reading I never got to)
7. Ooo, Hoo, Witchy Woman (Occult fantasy/sci-fi)
8. Miskolc, Mish-mash, Miscellaneous (Catch-all Category for Leftovers.)
So, does it sound as if I will be reading interesting things this year? I probably should put the Bible category first, but that isn't the order it popped into my head just now. I have a written guide list, and this may change as the year's reading progresses. Since I need to be held accountable for actually reading some, I thought I would put this out there, for you all to help me with. Hopefully, I can have a completed list in November or December. I actually hoped for a full list, not the shortened list with the 8 overlaps I am allowed. If I am going to do this, I should do it right. Keep me honest!
I hope you all have a wonderful Friday. I will work on the Vacation Chronicles this weekend, and hopefully add a new segment before Tuesday.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
God's Country, No Matter What Those Cowboy Fans Think
Word of the Post
Today's word is: lupine
/lu"pine/
Noun: A flowered herb, producing legumes; cultivated for erosion control. Available in White, Field, Wolf and Egyptian varieties. The seeds of the lupinus albus variety have been used for food throughout history. Thought to exhaust the soil.
Adjective: Of or relating to a wolf; wolfish, ravenous.
I hesitate to admit this, but it took me three readings of the books and two viewings of the Harry Potter movies to realize (the light finally came on!) that Professor Lupin was a werewolf.. and that lupine meant wolfish. It was truly a "duh" moment for me. And one of the varieties being Albus (as in Dumbledore) cracks me up.
~~~~~~~~~~
A few small updates. Zipper didn't really break a rod, but the doctors were checking into the screws that hold them, and decided to do the stretching now, while they had her open. She is home now, and doing well. Pop got the pacemaker/defibrillator implanted, and got to go home on Saturday. Laura said his color looked good, and he was in great spirits. He is permanently on oxygen, but that means he is breathing better. Please continue to pray for his health. And last, but not least, my car with the "check engine" light on was a stupidly small problem. It was the after-market gas cap letting air into the system, and making the (used replacement) engine and computer confused. We paid a terribly unreasonable amount for the new cap from GM, and paid way too much labor (even at half) for them to put it in... and I got a 27 point safety check and an oil and fuel filter change. So, I paid a little too much for each of those things, but it didn't cost me half of our Stimulus Package, and my car is running great again. The sigh of relief is still reverberating in the house.
~~~~~~~~~~
Now, back to our story.
On Monday afternoon (we are now up to the second half of April 7) of our Colorado Vacation, we came back to Niki's house, packed up our stuff, and said our goodbyes.
We proceeded south, leaving Denver behind. When last we saw our heroine, she was napping while her DH drove. The only questionable weather we saw in either direction through Colorado was the snow and rain we passed under in Colorado Springs. We were planning to drive through a bit of the Garden of the Gods, and did see the first and smallest loop. This is a rock formation commonly known as the "Kissing Camels". Honestly, I can only see one camel, but it is kissing something.
We got to the gift shop/visitors center at 4:58 pm, and their gates had signs that said they would close and lock the gates AT 5:00 pm, so we did not go in. I wanted to go up to Pike's Peak, but we didn't bother. It was snowy and probably closed up there anyway, and we had a goal in Pueblo.
We were visiting as many people as we could possibly fit into the vacation. The experience of meeting people in person that I had as yet only seen online was a joy for me. We met Suezque and MammaMia at Black Eyed Pea in Pueblo. Suezque had given me a long list of restaurants in the area, near the highways we were going to use. We thought that Black Eyed Pea had closed all the stores outside of Texas, but there were still several locations in Colorado. There are no franchises left in Oklahoma, and DH had been craving their food. I had been picking most of the destinations, and I am related to the family that we were visiting, and I am friends with the bloggers that we were meeting in person. I thought it a good idea to give DH a choice about something.
I was feeling for the hubbies, watching three little birds twitter on about bloggy subjects. I should not have feared. DH is usually quiet, but he contributed to the conversations, too. All three of our hubbies went to Oklahoma Christian, and know some of the same people. The world is so small, especially among the believers of Christ. This plan of mine to have a meeting of friends actually felt more like a family reunion. We had a really good dinner, and a fun visit.
MammaMia's hubby shares the same name as our brother-in-law, and their little daughter has the same name as our niece. She has a beautiful family. The kids kept moving, as kids do, so I didn't get very many good pictures. Suezque and I sat next to each other, and traded hugs for Sally and Lil' Major. G said that DH and I looked familiar. Here are the three Bloggy Friends. Left to right; MammaMia, Chelf, Suezque.
After too short a visit, we all went our separate ways. MammaMia had to get home to put the little ones to bed, and Suezque had to drive back out to her home. DH and I went to my uncle's house in Canyon City. (I can't figure out how to put the ~ over the N to spell it properly.) We had a good visit there. We got to see pictures of cousins I have not seen in almost 20 years. Here are Uncle Paul and Aunt Kathy.
Paul is one of my Dad's brothers. He and dad have several hobbies in common. They both make excellent pancakes. They both have great memories of their childhood, and both tell interesting stories. He even made a quilt to keep in their camper when they travel! (Dad used to sew kites, so I think they both just do whatever strikes them.) Kathy is a crafty person, a seamstress, making dresses for her granddaughters. She works in the office at their church, and she really enjoys being able to go on month-long trips. Ah, retirement at it's ideal. Young enough to do, old enough to appreciate.
Paul called me over, while he was cleaning and preparing for their next camper trip, and had me listen. It took a moment to realize what I was hearing. Thousands of bees, floating around their four or five Bradford Pear trees in the front yard. Here is the up-close picture I took, not knowing until later if I had really caught the bee in the picture.
We left Uncle's house a lot later than we expected, but after a relaxing and lazy morning. We spent the rest of Tuesday driving. Not far past Canyon City, we were listening to a new CD~Chicago's Greatest Hits. Along the road, we saw some construction. I said, "Hey, look, they are crack-filling." At that precise moment, the song played the lyrics, "Fill in the cracks, hit you when you least expect it." I have had impeccable timing before, but this time made us both laugh out loud. (The song is called Love Will Come Back, and on the album XXX (their thirtieth) it was a duet with Rascal Flatts. This version was Chicago only.)
We stopped by a rock shop. I love the rock shops; sparklies in every color you can imagine. This one had local rocks, and imported rocks too. We bought a piece of Peridot for MIL, because it is her birthstone, as well as both of the grandchildren. I got a piece of what was called Chevron Amethyst. It is not nearly as crystalline as Amethyst that comes in what looks like Geodes. It is a beautiful purple rock, with white lines in a Chevron pattern through it.
We went from Canyon City through Gunnison on our way to Montrose. There is an area that the road crosses a lake. We took pictures of the frozen lake, covered in snow.
DH thought it would be interesting to show on the map where we were. Look to the left of Gunnison, and we were near Sapinero. This is the picture of the map we had.
We went through Montrose, Ouray, Silverton and Durango to get back to Mom's house in Farmington. We arrived in Montrose later than we hoped. Mom wanted me to bring her seconds from the Russell Stover factory there. She wanted sugar free chocolate. It was closed an hour before we got to town. Sad. I would have loved to buy some cheap chocolate for myself. At least I know it is there. I will go back someday.
We went south through Ouray and Silverton. I have been to both of these many times over the years of my youth. I had never paid attention to the roads that got us there. They are both in very high valleys in the Rocky Mountains.
View Larger Map
This is a rather straight looking line of Hwy 550 between Ouray and Silverton. It is all just little switchbacks. Once in a while, you can go a whopping 40 mph. Most of it, if you are going faster than 25 mph, it is scary. You can fall off the mountain. The road is only wide enough to have two lanes of traffic, one in each direction. For most of the road, there is no guardrail on the "down the mountain" side, and there is a huge mountain on the other side. The mountain side was covered in snow. The road had only been open once the trucks had pushed all the snow off the road. There were NO shoulders on either side. I was happy to let a semi truck pass me, using a runaway truck pullout. Seriously, I would not have been happy to drive more than 1/4 of a mile with that dude riding his brakes behind me down that road.
Most of the time we were driving, it was dark. The sun can light the area, but sunset is seriously early in the mountains. I drove from Montrose to Silverton. I told DH it was stressful driving, and I couldn't do it anymore. He drove from Silverton to Durango. I am not sure now which was more stressful, driving or riding. DH didn't know what was beyond the headlights, but I did. I want to let everyone know that DH is an excellent driver, but this was crazy scary for me. I like to be in control of the car in scary situations. It is my nature to be in control.
On a side note, when I was younger, I would not ride in the passenger seat of my own car. In the early days of college, I couldn't bring myself to trust anyone to drive me in my own car. I could ride with anyone, and see that they were a great driver, but in MY car, I was ALWAYS the driver. DH didn't notice this, until I told him. While HE was driving. On a long, straight highway to visit my parents. Now, it is still odd to have someone else drive my car, but DH owns them too, so I don't mind his driving. And it had nothing to do with the car. I loaned my car out without fear. Several people drove the car, but I was not in it. Yes, I know, I am strange. But hey, you know that if you have read for any amount of time here.
More on the trek home in the next installment of this adventure!
Today's word is: lupine
/lu"pine/
Noun: A flowered herb, producing legumes; cultivated for erosion control. Available in White, Field, Wolf and Egyptian varieties. The seeds of the lupinus albus variety have been used for food throughout history. Thought to exhaust the soil.
Adjective: Of or relating to a wolf; wolfish, ravenous.
I hesitate to admit this, but it took me three readings of the books and two viewings of the Harry Potter movies to realize (the light finally came on!) that Professor Lupin was a werewolf.. and that lupine meant wolfish. It was truly a "duh" moment for me. And one of the varieties being Albus (as in Dumbledore) cracks me up.
~~~~~~~~~~
A few small updates. Zipper didn't really break a rod, but the doctors were checking into the screws that hold them, and decided to do the stretching now, while they had her open. She is home now, and doing well. Pop got the pacemaker/defibrillator implanted, and got to go home on Saturday. Laura said his color looked good, and he was in great spirits. He is permanently on oxygen, but that means he is breathing better. Please continue to pray for his health. And last, but not least, my car with the "check engine" light on was a stupidly small problem. It was the after-market gas cap letting air into the system, and making the (used replacement) engine and computer confused. We paid a terribly unreasonable amount for the new cap from GM, and paid way too much labor (even at half) for them to put it in... and I got a 27 point safety check and an oil and fuel filter change. So, I paid a little too much for each of those things, but it didn't cost me half of our Stimulus Package, and my car is running great again. The sigh of relief is still reverberating in the house.
~~~~~~~~~~
Now, back to our story.
On Monday afternoon (we are now up to the second half of April 7) of our Colorado Vacation, we came back to Niki's house, packed up our stuff, and said our goodbyes.
We proceeded south, leaving Denver behind. When last we saw our heroine, she was napping while her DH drove. The only questionable weather we saw in either direction through Colorado was the snow and rain we passed under in Colorado Springs. We were planning to drive through a bit of the Garden of the Gods, and did see the first and smallest loop. This is a rock formation commonly known as the "Kissing Camels". Honestly, I can only see one camel, but it is kissing something.
We got to the gift shop/visitors center at 4:58 pm, and their gates had signs that said they would close and lock the gates AT 5:00 pm, so we did not go in. I wanted to go up to Pike's Peak, but we didn't bother. It was snowy and probably closed up there anyway, and we had a goal in Pueblo.We were visiting as many people as we could possibly fit into the vacation. The experience of meeting people in person that I had as yet only seen online was a joy for me. We met Suezque and MammaMia at Black Eyed Pea in Pueblo. Suezque had given me a long list of restaurants in the area, near the highways we were going to use. We thought that Black Eyed Pea had closed all the stores outside of Texas, but there were still several locations in Colorado. There are no franchises left in Oklahoma, and DH had been craving their food. I had been picking most of the destinations, and I am related to the family that we were visiting, and I am friends with the bloggers that we were meeting in person. I thought it a good idea to give DH a choice about something.
I was feeling for the hubbies, watching three little birds twitter on about bloggy subjects. I should not have feared. DH is usually quiet, but he contributed to the conversations, too. All three of our hubbies went to Oklahoma Christian, and know some of the same people. The world is so small, especially among the believers of Christ. This plan of mine to have a meeting of friends actually felt more like a family reunion. We had a really good dinner, and a fun visit.
MammaMia's hubby shares the same name as our brother-in-law, and their little daughter has the same name as our niece. She has a beautiful family. The kids kept moving, as kids do, so I didn't get very many good pictures. Suezque and I sat next to each other, and traded hugs for Sally and Lil' Major. G said that DH and I looked familiar. Here are the three Bloggy Friends. Left to right; MammaMia, Chelf, Suezque.
After too short a visit, we all went our separate ways. MammaMia had to get home to put the little ones to bed, and Suezque had to drive back out to her home. DH and I went to my uncle's house in Canyon City. (I can't figure out how to put the ~ over the N to spell it properly.) We had a good visit there. We got to see pictures of cousins I have not seen in almost 20 years. Here are Uncle Paul and Aunt Kathy.
Paul is one of my Dad's brothers. He and dad have several hobbies in common. They both make excellent pancakes. They both have great memories of their childhood, and both tell interesting stories. He even made a quilt to keep in their camper when they travel! (Dad used to sew kites, so I think they both just do whatever strikes them.) Kathy is a crafty person, a seamstress, making dresses for her granddaughters. She works in the office at their church, and she really enjoys being able to go on month-long trips. Ah, retirement at it's ideal. Young enough to do, old enough to appreciate.Paul called me over, while he was cleaning and preparing for their next camper trip, and had me listen. It took a moment to realize what I was hearing. Thousands of bees, floating around their four or five Bradford Pear trees in the front yard. Here is the up-close picture I took, not knowing until later if I had really caught the bee in the picture.
We left Uncle's house a lot later than we expected, but after a relaxing and lazy morning. We spent the rest of Tuesday driving. Not far past Canyon City, we were listening to a new CD~Chicago's Greatest Hits. Along the road, we saw some construction. I said, "Hey, look, they are crack-filling." At that precise moment, the song played the lyrics, "Fill in the cracks, hit you when you least expect it." I have had impeccable timing before, but this time made us both laugh out loud. (The song is called Love Will Come Back, and on the album XXX (their thirtieth) it was a duet with Rascal Flatts. This version was Chicago only.)We stopped by a rock shop. I love the rock shops; sparklies in every color you can imagine. This one had local rocks, and imported rocks too. We bought a piece of Peridot for MIL, because it is her birthstone, as well as both of the grandchildren. I got a piece of what was called Chevron Amethyst. It is not nearly as crystalline as Amethyst that comes in what looks like Geodes. It is a beautiful purple rock, with white lines in a Chevron pattern through it.
We went from Canyon City through Gunnison on our way to Montrose. There is an area that the road crosses a lake. We took pictures of the frozen lake, covered in snow.
DH thought it would be interesting to show on the map where we were. Look to the left of Gunnison, and we were near Sapinero. This is the picture of the map we had.
We went through Montrose, Ouray, Silverton and Durango to get back to Mom's house in Farmington. We arrived in Montrose later than we hoped. Mom wanted me to bring her seconds from the Russell Stover factory there. She wanted sugar free chocolate. It was closed an hour before we got to town. Sad. I would have loved to buy some cheap chocolate for myself. At least I know it is there. I will go back someday.We went south through Ouray and Silverton. I have been to both of these many times over the years of my youth. I had never paid attention to the roads that got us there. They are both in very high valleys in the Rocky Mountains.
View Larger Map
This is a rather straight looking line of Hwy 550 between Ouray and Silverton. It is all just little switchbacks. Once in a while, you can go a whopping 40 mph. Most of it, if you are going faster than 25 mph, it is scary. You can fall off the mountain. The road is only wide enough to have two lanes of traffic, one in each direction. For most of the road, there is no guardrail on the "down the mountain" side, and there is a huge mountain on the other side. The mountain side was covered in snow. The road had only been open once the trucks had pushed all the snow off the road. There were NO shoulders on either side. I was happy to let a semi truck pass me, using a runaway truck pullout. Seriously, I would not have been happy to drive more than 1/4 of a mile with that dude riding his brakes behind me down that road.
Most of the time we were driving, it was dark. The sun can light the area, but sunset is seriously early in the mountains. I drove from Montrose to Silverton. I told DH it was stressful driving, and I couldn't do it anymore. He drove from Silverton to Durango. I am not sure now which was more stressful, driving or riding. DH didn't know what was beyond the headlights, but I did. I want to let everyone know that DH is an excellent driver, but this was crazy scary for me. I like to be in control of the car in scary situations. It is my nature to be in control.
On a side note, when I was younger, I would not ride in the passenger seat of my own car. In the early days of college, I couldn't bring myself to trust anyone to drive me in my own car. I could ride with anyone, and see that they were a great driver, but in MY car, I was ALWAYS the driver. DH didn't notice this, until I told him. While HE was driving. On a long, straight highway to visit my parents. Now, it is still odd to have someone else drive my car, but DH owns them too, so I don't mind his driving. And it had nothing to do with the car. I loaned my car out without fear. Several people drove the car, but I was not in it. Yes, I know, I am strange. But hey, you know that if you have read for any amount of time here.
More on the trek home in the next installment of this adventure!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Stimulating Happy Dance
Word of the Post
Today's word is: vulpine
/vul"pine/ adjective
Of or pertaining to a fox; foxy, crafty, cunning, artful; resembling a fox.
When running, she exhibits the vulpine agility necessary to evade the hunters.
~~~~~~~~~~
First of all, Happy Mother's Day!
To all the women in the world (like ME) who are not mothers... your place is equally honorable. Women are made to fill a void in the world. God put us here to complete and complement humanity. We bring beauty into a drab environment, and laughter and love into the home. We help others to raise their children, and we continually learn from our own mothers, sisters and friends who are mothers. We are created by the Grandest Artist, and we are Masterpieces. Do not let the world tell you that you are not worthy if you are not a mother. You are a Daughter of the King of Kings, and He knows your true Beauty.
~~~~~~~~~~
If it's not one thing, it's another. I have a few things I would like your help pleading to God.
~~~~~~~~~~
Zipper managed to break a rod in her back last week. She told Ferret that she had a "pokey" hurt in her back. They are getting her rod replaced on this Monday afternoon. They were going to stretch her in late June anyway, so this just moves up the job. Please keep the kiddo in your prayers. She did well with getting her tonsils out a month ago. She is such a brave little thing.
~~~~~~~~~~
I have heard no update on Pop since the last one I posted here. I would guess that he already has his pacemaker/defibrillator installed (makes him sound like a car or a computer, doesn't it?), and I hope he does NOT get the feeling of getting kicked in the chest by a mule when it works.
~~~~~~~~~~
My friend Lisa (the second one... Version 2.0...the impostor?) has a family friend that recently passed away. She is dealing with her own family issues surrounding this loss, and I want her to have strength and compassion. I don't want to test her patience, I just want the funeral and other family events to go smoothly, without any "episodes". It is never easy being the peacemaker in a family.
Her hubby, Jody, is a good friend of ours too, and it looks like he will have to start all over on his Doctorate...again. Yes, he has had to do this once before, and this adds yet another year to to his finishing goal. I am hoping that he just lets it go for the summer, because he is leading a group of O.C. students to Europe. I don't want this setback to cloud his travel fun.
~~~~~~~~~~
On a note of Praise, I have a friend from Texas who is going to go to work in a foreign country, with a group from "Let's Start Talking"... and he just got his full financial need funded last week. This group goes to other countries, and teaches people to read and use English by reading the Bible with them. It is an outreach for God, as well as for literacy education.
~~~~~~~~~~
Is it appropriate to say that God blessed us with money, when it is a refund from the thieving government? I would guess the answer is YES, because thieving governments are not in the habit of sharing refunds.
Another note of Praise: We got our Stimulus Package refund on Friday. The first thing we did was pay a bill. I had one final bill from my days at O.C. It was down to exactly $600. It is now paid in full. Yay! I am free of my financial burden to Oklahoma Christian. (If I get a call from them tomorrow asking for money, they are going to get hysterical laughter, but no money.) I am one step closer to total debt freedom! We still have about 10 to 15 years of payments on DH's loans, but we are ahead on those.
We have talked about different things to do with the remaining $600. We had wanted to get a new TV stand, a couple of shelves to match, a coffee table, and some low shelves to store shoes and DVDs. I had also wanted to save some of it. However, we have two cars to give minor repairs to (likely with major labor charges), so I don't know how much will really happen in our household decorating. This bill being gone frees up $100 per month to save or whatever, so that is going to stimulate the economy a bit. My economy. Ha!
Time to lock up the house for the night. I hope everyone had a good day. Enjoy Life!
Today's word is: vulpine
/vul"pine/ adjective
Of or pertaining to a fox; foxy, crafty, cunning, artful; resembling a fox.
When running, she exhibits the vulpine agility necessary to evade the hunters.
~~~~~~~~~~
First of all, Happy Mother's Day!
To all the women in the world (like ME) who are not mothers... your place is equally honorable. Women are made to fill a void in the world. God put us here to complete and complement humanity. We bring beauty into a drab environment, and laughter and love into the home. We help others to raise their children, and we continually learn from our own mothers, sisters and friends who are mothers. We are created by the Grandest Artist, and we are Masterpieces. Do not let the world tell you that you are not worthy if you are not a mother. You are a Daughter of the King of Kings, and He knows your true Beauty.
~~~~~~~~~~
If it's not one thing, it's another. I have a few things I would like your help pleading to God.
~~~~~~~~~~
Zipper managed to break a rod in her back last week. She told Ferret that she had a "pokey" hurt in her back. They are getting her rod replaced on this Monday afternoon. They were going to stretch her in late June anyway, so this just moves up the job. Please keep the kiddo in your prayers. She did well with getting her tonsils out a month ago. She is such a brave little thing.
~~~~~~~~~~
I have heard no update on Pop since the last one I posted here. I would guess that he already has his pacemaker/defibrillator installed (makes him sound like a car or a computer, doesn't it?), and I hope he does NOT get the feeling of getting kicked in the chest by a mule when it works.
~~~~~~~~~~
My friend Lisa (the second one... Version 2.0...the impostor?) has a family friend that recently passed away. She is dealing with her own family issues surrounding this loss, and I want her to have strength and compassion. I don't want to test her patience, I just want the funeral and other family events to go smoothly, without any "episodes". It is never easy being the peacemaker in a family.
Her hubby, Jody, is a good friend of ours too, and it looks like he will have to start all over on his Doctorate...again. Yes, he has had to do this once before, and this adds yet another year to to his finishing goal. I am hoping that he just lets it go for the summer, because he is leading a group of O.C. students to Europe. I don't want this setback to cloud his travel fun.
~~~~~~~~~~
On a note of Praise, I have a friend from Texas who is going to go to work in a foreign country, with a group from "Let's Start Talking"... and he just got his full financial need funded last week. This group goes to other countries, and teaches people to read and use English by reading the Bible with them. It is an outreach for God, as well as for literacy education.
~~~~~~~~~~
Is it appropriate to say that God blessed us with money, when it is a refund from the thieving government? I would guess the answer is YES, because thieving governments are not in the habit of sharing refunds.
Another note of Praise: We got our Stimulus Package refund on Friday. The first thing we did was pay a bill. I had one final bill from my days at O.C. It was down to exactly $600. It is now paid in full. Yay! I am free of my financial burden to Oklahoma Christian. (If I get a call from them tomorrow asking for money, they are going to get hysterical laughter, but no money.) I am one step closer to total debt freedom! We still have about 10 to 15 years of payments on DH's loans, but we are ahead on those.
We have talked about different things to do with the remaining $600. We had wanted to get a new TV stand, a couple of shelves to match, a coffee table, and some low shelves to store shoes and DVDs. I had also wanted to save some of it. However, we have two cars to give minor repairs to (likely with major labor charges), so I don't know how much will really happen in our household decorating. This bill being gone frees up $100 per month to save or whatever, so that is going to stimulate the economy a bit. My economy. Ha!
Time to lock up the house for the night. I hope everyone had a good day. Enjoy Life!
Friday, May 9, 2008
Free Friday
Thursday afternoon update on Pop:
~~~~~~~~~~
Change of plans! We got a call from Pop about 8:15am today that they were flying him to Albuquerque to have the pacemaker/defibrillator put in. Mom hurried up the hospital and then found out that she will be flying with him to Albuquerque. So Ellyn (my sister) and I to are flying around trying to get everything packed, animals and watering looked after by neighbors and etc for--we're not sure how many days. Those of you who know me know that spontaneous isn't exactly my middle name but there's not much else to do in this case! :)
As far as this pacemaker/defibrillator, I read the pamphlet on it last night about 1:30am and IF I remember right, I think they call it an ICD, which I just looked up and it is short for Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator. Basically the pacemaker regulates his heart rate. If the device senses that his heart gets out of rhythm, the defibrillator immediately shocks his heart back into rhythm. According to the pamphlet, some patients never need the defibrillator. Patients who do however report that some never feel the shock, some notice some sensation and others say it feels like being kicked in the chest by a mule. Hopefully Pop doesn't have the mule experience if he ever needs it, but it does sound like the best choice for him and should keep his heart from doing the dangerous ventricular fibrillation it was doing yesterday.
As of yet, we don't know when exactly they will be doing the procedure. Pop's doctor last night was saying that usually the first day they evaluate him and then do the procedure the next day. We're hoping then that they do the procedure tomorrow (Friday) because otherwise it will be Monday before they do it. I'd hate for Pop to have to sit in the hospital waiting for 3 or more days before they do the procedure, but I if that's the case there's nothing we can do about it.
I just spoke with Mom a few minutes ago and she said they would be flying them both to the Heart Hospital of NM (NM Heart Institute) around noon (MST) which is just about any minute now. For those of you that are out of state, Albuquerque is about 200 miles south of Farmington/Aztec. The Heart Hospital is off of I-25 near the downtown area, so it's basically in the (pardon the pun) heart of Albuquerque.
So I will try to keep you updated if I have internet access to do so. Keep us all in your thoughts and prayers!
Love,
Laura
~~~~~~~~~~
I think this means the prayers worked, and Pop won't have to have bypass surgery, since they are afraid for his chances of survival. But, he is still having surgery, so please keep him at the top of your list this weekend.
For another bit of danger averted, we had a small tornado fly-by on Wednesday. There were at least two confirmed touch-downs within five miles of our house. I had the cats in their travel boxes, all useless electricity turned off and unplugged, and the laptop with me in the bedroom near a huge heavy blanket, a battery-operated radio and a flashlight. We just had wind, which can sometimes be more damaging, and rain. Lots of rain. The circulation was visible from my front porch, moving due north. The whole storm was only an EF Zero. There were gusts recorded at one of the Television Stations around 120 mph, but most of the storm was moving near 55 mph. The Meteorologist was amazed, and said on the air that he didn't believe the measurement. But, the storm broke a tree in their yard near their building. Their own staff were hiding in the central bathroom.
For all that worry and preparation, nothing happened. I am thankful, don't mistake my meaning, but... I am a little disappointed. Not that I wanted our house to get hit. I just wanted to SEE it! I have missed so many storms that had awesome clouds, visible circulations, and moving funnels. I just wanted to see one! Up close, but not dangerously close. I suppose it is a craving for something dangerous. My sense of adventure was piqued, and I can't help but feel that cowering was the right thing to do, but I also feel I missed a great chase. How twisted does that sound? (I hadn't thought of it as a pun, until I read it again. Ha!)
DH was at work preparing to leave for the day when the sirens went off. He and others decided to stay at work, and save the computers, while not driving home in the storm. The line of the storm was bearing down on us at 5:00 pm, and was well past us, and weakening, by 5:30 pm.
I still have a few thoughts to type for the final installment (maybe two) of the Vacation story. I am doing laundry today, and building a paper budget, so it will still be a day or two before those get out there. I am truly sorry, because I don't want the people who were visited at the end of our trip to think that they are any less important than the people we saw first. Too bad, because the longer I wait, the less detail I get saved.
Happy Weekend!
~~~~~~~~~~
Change of plans! We got a call from Pop about 8:15am today that they were flying him to Albuquerque to have the pacemaker/defibrillator put in. Mom hurried up the hospital and then found out that she will be flying with him to Albuquerque. So Ellyn (my sister) and I to are flying around trying to get everything packed, animals and watering looked after by neighbors and etc for--we're not sure how many days. Those of you who know me know that spontaneous isn't exactly my middle name but there's not much else to do in this case! :)
As far as this pacemaker/defibrillator, I read the pamphlet on it last night about 1:30am and IF I remember right, I think they call it an ICD, which I just looked up and it is short for Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator. Basically the pacemaker regulates his heart rate. If the device senses that his heart gets out of rhythm, the defibrillator immediately shocks his heart back into rhythm. According to the pamphlet, some patients never need the defibrillator. Patients who do however report that some never feel the shock, some notice some sensation and others say it feels like being kicked in the chest by a mule. Hopefully Pop doesn't have the mule experience if he ever needs it, but it does sound like the best choice for him and should keep his heart from doing the dangerous ventricular fibrillation it was doing yesterday.
As of yet, we don't know when exactly they will be doing the procedure. Pop's doctor last night was saying that usually the first day they evaluate him and then do the procedure the next day. We're hoping then that they do the procedure tomorrow (Friday) because otherwise it will be Monday before they do it. I'd hate for Pop to have to sit in the hospital waiting for 3 or more days before they do the procedure, but I if that's the case there's nothing we can do about it.
I just spoke with Mom a few minutes ago and she said they would be flying them both to the Heart Hospital of NM (NM Heart Institute) around noon (MST) which is just about any minute now. For those of you that are out of state, Albuquerque is about 200 miles south of Farmington/Aztec. The Heart Hospital is off of I-25 near the downtown area, so it's basically in the (pardon the pun) heart of Albuquerque.
So I will try to keep you updated if I have internet access to do so. Keep us all in your thoughts and prayers!
Love,
Laura
~~~~~~~~~~
I think this means the prayers worked, and Pop won't have to have bypass surgery, since they are afraid for his chances of survival. But, he is still having surgery, so please keep him at the top of your list this weekend.
For another bit of danger averted, we had a small tornado fly-by on Wednesday. There were at least two confirmed touch-downs within five miles of our house. I had the cats in their travel boxes, all useless electricity turned off and unplugged, and the laptop with me in the bedroom near a huge heavy blanket, a battery-operated radio and a flashlight. We just had wind, which can sometimes be more damaging, and rain. Lots of rain. The circulation was visible from my front porch, moving due north. The whole storm was only an EF Zero. There were gusts recorded at one of the Television Stations around 120 mph, but most of the storm was moving near 55 mph. The Meteorologist was amazed, and said on the air that he didn't believe the measurement. But, the storm broke a tree in their yard near their building. Their own staff were hiding in the central bathroom.
For all that worry and preparation, nothing happened. I am thankful, don't mistake my meaning, but... I am a little disappointed. Not that I wanted our house to get hit. I just wanted to SEE it! I have missed so many storms that had awesome clouds, visible circulations, and moving funnels. I just wanted to see one! Up close, but not dangerously close. I suppose it is a craving for something dangerous. My sense of adventure was piqued, and I can't help but feel that cowering was the right thing to do, but I also feel I missed a great chase. How twisted does that sound? (I hadn't thought of it as a pun, until I read it again. Ha!)
DH was at work preparing to leave for the day when the sirens went off. He and others decided to stay at work, and save the computers, while not driving home in the storm. The line of the storm was bearing down on us at 5:00 pm, and was well past us, and weakening, by 5:30 pm.
I still have a few thoughts to type for the final installment (maybe two) of the Vacation story. I am doing laundry today, and building a paper budget, so it will still be a day or two before those get out there. I am truly sorry, because I don't want the people who were visited at the end of our trip to think that they are any less important than the people we saw first. Too bad, because the longer I wait, the less detail I get saved.
Happy Weekend!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Update on "Pop" - Please Keep Praying!
This is the email I got from my friend about her dad late last night (I actually saw it today). I said I would update you, so I am just sharing most of the email.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Everyone,
Mom finally got to talk to the cardiologist this morning, as well as Pop's regular doctor. The cardiologist explained the details of the angiogram to them. He told them that he was going to send Pop's case to a cardiologist in Albuquerque for a second opinion. He did mention however that this doctor in Albuquerque was aggressive, meaning that he will probably say it's possible to do a bypass on Pop but without necessarily taking his health and such into account. In the meantime I believe it has been decided that they will give Pop's heart about 6 weeks to recuperate and then a decision will be made about surgery.
We were hoping that he would be able to go home tomorrow but the doctor ordered some sort of cardio-therapy to hopefully strengthen his heart some. Now, what this therapy involves we don't know yet. So if the doctor has his way, Pop will stay in the hospital another day or so. If Mom has HER way, he's coming home tomorrow night. {Edit from Chelf: This means Wednesday night} Should be interesting to see who wins this one. ;)
Again, Pop (for now anyway) is at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington.
So that's the latest as far as I know. Pop looked good tonight, was in his usual good humor and said he felt OK. Please keep up the thoughts and prayers on his (and the family's) behalf! We're not out of the woods necessarily, but the news is a bit better today I think than yesterday.
Love,
Laura
~~~~~~~~~~
I have been busy the past few days, so I have accidentally (rather, purposefully) suspended the Vacation Chronicles. I hope to get back to it soon; the final installment is currently in the works. I believe that the joy of the journey is less important than the immediate, real needs of my friends. I am hopeful that many of you will agree, and join me in prayer.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Everyone,
Mom finally got to talk to the cardiologist this morning, as well as Pop's regular doctor. The cardiologist explained the details of the angiogram to them. He told them that he was going to send Pop's case to a cardiologist in Albuquerque for a second opinion. He did mention however that this doctor in Albuquerque was aggressive, meaning that he will probably say it's possible to do a bypass on Pop but without necessarily taking his health and such into account. In the meantime I believe it has been decided that they will give Pop's heart about 6 weeks to recuperate and then a decision will be made about surgery.
We were hoping that he would be able to go home tomorrow but the doctor ordered some sort of cardio-therapy to hopefully strengthen his heart some. Now, what this therapy involves we don't know yet. So if the doctor has his way, Pop will stay in the hospital another day or so. If Mom has HER way, he's coming home tomorrow night. {Edit from Chelf: This means Wednesday night} Should be interesting to see who wins this one. ;)
Again, Pop (for now anyway) is at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington.
So that's the latest as far as I know. Pop looked good tonight, was in his usual good humor and said he felt OK. Please keep up the thoughts and prayers on his (and the family's) behalf! We're not out of the woods necessarily, but the news is a bit better today I think than yesterday.
Love,
Laura
~~~~~~~~~~
I have been busy the past few days, so I have accidentally (rather, purposefully) suspended the Vacation Chronicles. I hope to get back to it soon; the final installment is currently in the works. I believe that the joy of the journey is less important than the immediate, real needs of my friends. I am hopeful that many of you will agree, and join me in prayer.
Monday, May 5, 2008
I Have Now Been 17 Twice
Today, I woke up feeling... tired.
We stayed up last night watching Hockey. The Dallas Stars vs. the San Jose Sharks. Turned out that they played into FOUR (count 'em...4! That is two whole games plus another overtime!) overtime periods, and it went into the record books as the 8th longest game in NHL history. It wasn't over until almost 1:30 am.
I awoke around 9 am, and got my first Happy Birthday phone call by 9:30 am. My mom was the first call. I got lots of emails, and many more phone calls, as well as a text or two. Brightened the day quite nicely.
Roadrunner took me to lunch at Olive Garden. Soup, Salad and Bread Sticks. Yum. DH took me to dinner at Carrabba's. I had the Mezzaluna. It is a cheese and spinach ravioli in a tomato sauce. I got my favorite dessert tonight, the Sonya Chocolate Dream. It is a Kahlua Brownie in a layered stack with creamy fluff, and topped with a Chocolate Kahlua sauce. Are you hungry yet?
I have been living my boring little life to the fullest today. I bought a few new shirts tonight. I got to watch my two favorite shows on TV (DH recorded them while we were out to dinner and shopping).
Tomorrow, I will be going with Roadrunner and her kids to the OKC Zoo. Their school takes an annual trip, and they need all the adults they can find to help supervise. We will have her older son and two of his friends, and the younger son and one of his friends. We may get one or two more kids, depending on need. I hope to take a few pictures, and I hope seriously that I do not get a sunburn.
On a more serious note, I would like to request prayers from all of you for my friend's father. Pop had a heart attack 10 years ago, and it resulted in a bypass surgery that he barely survived. He has been living well, and even though his body is 10 years older and 10 years weaker, it isn't all bad news. There have already been tests during this stay in the hospital, and there will be more discussion with the doctors on Tuesday. I guess putting a stint in is out of the question, and they don't want to try another bypass, for the fear that he won't live through it this time.
My friend is almost a sister, and these might as well have been my parents for a few years. Pop is very special to me. While he is mentally and willfully strong, his body is getting old and failing him. Please pray that Pop gets the proper treatment for his heart, and that the family can have strength.
Thank you. I will keep you updated as I get word on what is happening. I love that I can come to my Family for my heart-aches. You all do me good.
All in all, it has been a good birthday. I don't mind yet telling people that I am 34. It is funny to me how people think I will be offended when they guess that I am 26. Ha! Thank you, clueless people. I LOVE being thought to be younger.... as long as I am still in the 20's, that is. I have also been thought to be older ("But I thought you were closer to MY age...!"), and that is OK too. I am thoroughly an adult now. I like being mature enough to pull off being 37. I am not mistaken for being 16 at Youth functions anymore. That is nice, in it's own way.
For the math geek inside me (who isn't really all that great at math, but enjoys looking at the pretty numbers), I am now on my fourth turn at being 8 and a half! (You know how that half is so very important to children.)
I share my birthday with Uda (Japanese Emperor - 867... this is the reason today is a Japanese Children's Day), Tammy Wynette (Country Singer - 1942), Michael Palin (Monty Python Actor - 1943), Shawn Drover (Drummer for Megadeth - 1966), Tina Yothers (Actress - 1973), and Seji Ara (Japanese Racing Driver - 1974... I picked this one because it was the only one who actually shared my year, too.).
Wikipedia (I know) lists that four Kings have died on this day. Notably, an inventor died last year on my Birthday. Sad day for some.
Today is a Mexican holiday, though not celebrated Nationally by obligatory federal law. It is to commemorate the Battle of Puebla, where the Mexicans defeated the French. It was a significant battle leading to the Mexican Independence, which is really celebrated in November. {Edit: First Nicki Friend corrected me. November is wrong, the correct answer is September 16. Sorry. I was typing too fast, and not thinking. That is all.} Oh, I think I want to make a dress (this is a link to the permissions for this picture) for next year! These are so colorful!
A very merry UN-Birthday to you!
We stayed up last night watching Hockey. The Dallas Stars vs. the San Jose Sharks. Turned out that they played into FOUR (count 'em...4! That is two whole games plus another overtime!) overtime periods, and it went into the record books as the 8th longest game in NHL history. It wasn't over until almost 1:30 am.
I awoke around 9 am, and got my first Happy Birthday phone call by 9:30 am. My mom was the first call. I got lots of emails, and many more phone calls, as well as a text or two. Brightened the day quite nicely.
Roadrunner took me to lunch at Olive Garden. Soup, Salad and Bread Sticks. Yum. DH took me to dinner at Carrabba's. I had the Mezzaluna. It is a cheese and spinach ravioli in a tomato sauce. I got my favorite dessert tonight, the Sonya Chocolate Dream. It is a Kahlua Brownie in a layered stack with creamy fluff, and topped with a Chocolate Kahlua sauce. Are you hungry yet?
I have been living my boring little life to the fullest today. I bought a few new shirts tonight. I got to watch my two favorite shows on TV (DH recorded them while we were out to dinner and shopping).
Tomorrow, I will be going with Roadrunner and her kids to the OKC Zoo. Their school takes an annual trip, and they need all the adults they can find to help supervise. We will have her older son and two of his friends, and the younger son and one of his friends. We may get one or two more kids, depending on need. I hope to take a few pictures, and I hope seriously that I do not get a sunburn.
On a more serious note, I would like to request prayers from all of you for my friend's father. Pop had a heart attack 10 years ago, and it resulted in a bypass surgery that he barely survived. He has been living well, and even though his body is 10 years older and 10 years weaker, it isn't all bad news. There have already been tests during this stay in the hospital, and there will be more discussion with the doctors on Tuesday. I guess putting a stint in is out of the question, and they don't want to try another bypass, for the fear that he won't live through it this time.
My friend is almost a sister, and these might as well have been my parents for a few years. Pop is very special to me. While he is mentally and willfully strong, his body is getting old and failing him. Please pray that Pop gets the proper treatment for his heart, and that the family can have strength.
Thank you. I will keep you updated as I get word on what is happening. I love that I can come to my Family for my heart-aches. You all do me good.
All in all, it has been a good birthday. I don't mind yet telling people that I am 34. It is funny to me how people think I will be offended when they guess that I am 26. Ha! Thank you, clueless people. I LOVE being thought to be younger.... as long as I am still in the 20's, that is. I have also been thought to be older ("But I thought you were closer to MY age...!"), and that is OK too. I am thoroughly an adult now. I like being mature enough to pull off being 37. I am not mistaken for being 16 at Youth functions anymore. That is nice, in it's own way.
For the math geek inside me (who isn't really all that great at math, but enjoys looking at the pretty numbers), I am now on my fourth turn at being 8 and a half! (You know how that half is so very important to children.)
I share my birthday with Uda (Japanese Emperor - 867... this is the reason today is a Japanese Children's Day), Tammy Wynette (Country Singer - 1942), Michael Palin (Monty Python Actor - 1943), Shawn Drover (Drummer for Megadeth - 1966), Tina Yothers (Actress - 1973), and Seji Ara (Japanese Racing Driver - 1974... I picked this one because it was the only one who actually shared my year, too.).
Wikipedia (I know) lists that four Kings have died on this day. Notably, an inventor died last year on my Birthday. Sad day for some.
Today is a Mexican holiday, though not celebrated Nationally by obligatory federal law. It is to commemorate the Battle of Puebla, where the Mexicans defeated the French. It was a significant battle leading to the Mexican Independence, which is really celebrated in November. {Edit: First Nicki Friend corrected me. November is wrong, the correct answer is September 16. Sorry. I was typing too fast, and not thinking. That is all.} Oh, I think I want to make a dress (this is a link to the permissions for this picture) for next year! These are so colorful!
A very merry UN-Birthday to you!
Friday, May 2, 2008
Little Things From The Back Of The Brain
Inspired by Jan's Thursday Thirteen this week... I give you a little Friday Five.
Memorable Things My Mother Said To Me:
1. Don't look at me in that tone of voice!
2. Hide and watch.
3. Because I said so!
4. You may want horns, but you'll die butt-headed. (She got this from a friend.)
5. Jo... MICHELLE! (Brother's name was "Miche.... JON!")
Memorable Things My Mother Said To Me:
1. Don't look at me in that tone of voice!
2. Hide and watch.
3. Because I said so!
4. You may want horns, but you'll die butt-headed. (She got this from a friend.)
5. Jo... MICHELLE! (Brother's name was "Miche.... JON!")
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