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Showing posts from 2008

no big deal

For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning- though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered. ~ from Psalm 90 This afternoon Bobby and I took advantage of the extended days for the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the NC State Museum of Science. It was a little disappointing, (an hour long exhibit for six pieces of a scroll?!?) but at the same time enjoyable and informative. One of the neat things was the English translation of the scroll or papyrus on display. This particular one listed several passages, so I made a mental note to look this one up when I got home. Sometimes I hate how quickly time passes and how little it seems I can accomplish. New Year's Goals? Yeah, maybe I'll actually get one accomplished, and if I do that's a tremendous accomplishment! I really like this passage from Psa

get your house in order

My grandmothers were very clean people. My mother thoroughly enjoys cleaning, though she doesn't quite hit the same level my grandmothers were on. I don't enjoy cleaning, but I do like things to be clean. I've almost given up on neatness. One thing that they all instilled in me is the crazy concept that your house must be in order before you go somewhere big - like a vacation or something. After all, you could die in a car crash or have to go to the hospital, and then people would go into your house and find it in a terrible mess. Who wants to be remembered by that? So up until this past year, I would sometimes be up almost all night not only trying to get things packed up, but also trying to totally clean house as well. Or should I say, make the house presentable? The Chinese had a horrible superstition that my mother and grandparents would have enjoyed. Spring Festival (the Chinese New Year based on the lunar calendar) required EVERYTHING to be cleaned top to

spoiled selfish

It's not often I get to go shopping (a.k.a. browsing), so when my sister called Friday and asked if I could meet her and the girls Friday I was thrilled. There were several things I wanted to look at, and thought this would be the great opportunity to have bonding time with my nieces. hahahahahahaha What was I thinking? Gone are the days when my nieces were predictable little people whose personalities were blatantly obvious and they were very easy to shop with and for. Deja vu to the '80's where I exasperated my mother to no end, only this time I was in the adult shoes. I didn't have any objection to anything the girls picked out or wanted to try on; they did a great job of choosing modest clothes that met their own personal sense of style. And there's part of the rub...I can't quite figure that style out. If I get the "look" right, the colors would be wrong, etc. They weren't rude or snobby about it, but I could tell by the facial exp

Christmas Eve Gift

A few years after my grandfather died, my grandmother stayed at our house to spend Christmas Eve with us (the entire extended family would come for Christmas day). She actually came up on the 23rd, and shocked me and my siblings by jubilantly waking us up Christmas Eve with a "Christmas Eve Gift!" shout. Come to find out, it was a tradition in my Mom's family when she was growing up, and evidently in my Grandmother's childhood home as well. There wasn't an actual gift given, but was just the game of seeing who could say it first. We thought it was funny, and it became a game we took on. The remainder of her life, we would always try to call her Christmas Eve, but she realized it had to be one of us or her other grandchildren, and started answering the phone with "Christmas Eve Gift!" It became a challenge to try and say it as soon as we thought she had the phone to her ear. Two years ago, like this year, it was our turn to have Christmas in NC i

the grinchies

Today is one of those days when I should be singing, "Joy, joy, joy JOY to the world!" My cousin Sharon is still alive and has shown rapid improvements: she's off the ventilator, has had dialysis cut back to 2x a day, is totally and fully alert, has her memory, and is off most pain medicines. The Bryan clan is going to Meadow restaurant and lights tonight. I have my tree up and 2/3 of the nativity set unpacked. 2/3 of the Christmas cards are done. 1/3 of the dogs' underground fence has been rerouted. I was able to work only one hour late to get everything I needed to get done finished. I have tomorrow off, and we'll leave for Myrtle Beach as soon as I get us packed tomorrow. A good chunk of the laundry is done. So why do I feel like the Grinch?

tales you don't tell your Dad

Once upon a time and not so long ago, there was a very shaky pier. It was so shaky in fact, that at least one of its owners feared instead of fishing for fish, she might one day have to fish for her husband. So they called the people with magical tools and knowledge of pipes, wood, and water to come and majestically replace the battered and worn pier with new wood and a different platform. The work began, and the waters receded from the sides of the pond. The old majestic pier was chopped down, and tree roots and empty fishing nurseries appeared also known as old tires and barrels . Deer tracks became prevalent in the mud, and the scooped pools of renowned fishing beds were brought to light, revealing the hatcheries of numerous eggs from days gone by. And the waters subsided some more, to the point that the building of a new and glorious pier could begin. With the recession of the waters came a wondrous discovery: the stream that fed the pond. Now mind you, this is not just any old st

Monday Morning Reflections

There's times when I don't have a camera, but there are certain images ingrained in my brain. Here's my mental scrapbook from yesterday: Photo #1: Jessica Reese standing and rocking Baby Jesus backstage to the beat of We Three Kings Of Orient Are. Photo #2: Josh McLean grinning, looking at his costume, then drawing his arms back into a karate stance. Photo #3: Justin turning his head left and right to see what's happening around him while I'm trying to place his headpiece on his head. Photo#4: Jasmine asking me for a candycane because my "daddy" wants one. I asked her if it was for the guy in the wheelchair, and she nodded and said, "yes, for your Daddy." I laughed and told her that was my husband. She then insisted that he eat it, which he couldn't because it had paper on it. Josh McLean stepped in to help, and then got in trouble for having sticky hands! Serves Bobby right for picking on kids about their candy! Photo #5: The

Sunday Sharon update

The dr met with my cousin's family today, and is thankful that the hemorrhaging has finally stopped. They are stopping the sedatives and since she has shown some signs of alertness he is going to try and stop some of the pain medicine in hopes that will help. The infection has moved into the bloodstream, and the dr has warned that she will be in critical condition for some time. Her sister took little Jake home from his hospital yesterday, and made a recording of his cry. When the played it for Sharon today, her eyes snapped open and she grinned very big. She's also motioning that the ventilator is uncomfortable. They are still giving her blood, and she is still on dialysis. Please join me in praying for a complete recovery, and in rejoicing that the prayers of God's people have prevailed when the doctors were saying she would not survive through Friday.

time

It's strange how one minute you can have a frantic to-do list checking off in your brain, feeling both exhilarated and exhausted at the never ceasing tick of the clock, and then in one minute it can all change. Yesterday was one of those days. I was pleased with how my to do list was continuously getting checked, feeling as if I were headed in the right direction. Then I called my Mom, and as I heard her tears, my heart lurched, and ever since my head and my heart have been riveting from one bunny trail to the other, feeling as if so much of life is so unimportant. Thursday my cousin went to her doctor, and was told that due to an infection they were going to induce that afternoon. Hours after giving birth to a healthy baby boy, she was airlifted to B'ham , her husband being told at departure they didn't expect her to make it. She is still in critical care. All last night while listening to people talk about babies and pregnancies, my mind is pondering if Sharon

Hawaiian Pie

Crust: 1.5 sticks of butter 1 tsp sugar 1.5 c crushed graham crackers Crust Directions: Melt butter. Add sugar and crackers, firmly packing in 11x13 pan or dish. Pie: 3-4 bananas 1 can Eagle Brand Milk 1/2 c lemon juice 2 T sugar 1 large can crushed pineapple 1 large cool whip Optional: chopped nuts and cherries Pie Directions: Slice bananas onto the crust. In a bowl, mix milk, juice, and sugar. Spread over bananas. Drain and spread pineapples. Put cool whip on top. If desired, decorate with chopped nuts and cherries. Refrigerate. Eat!

Christmas goodies

Realistically I won't have time to bake any this week, but these are some of my favorite goodies my Mom or Grandma always made at Christmastime. tea cakes - I LOVED making these at my Aunt Linda's because she would let us eat the dough. Mom would only let us eat the tiny portions of scraps left over at the very end. And speaking of scraps, evidently most people don't roll them out and cut them into various shapes. Most pictures I found online were circles or were not what I remember as tea cakes. Instant Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies Ritz crackers & peanut butter coated in chocolate - both white and dark! FUDGE! Hawaiian pie - Pineapples, bananas , nuts, cool whip, sweetened condensed milk - all on a buttered graham cracker crust.... YYYUUUUMMMM ! chocolate covered pretzels fried apple pies (individual size) - This was my Grandma's speciality, but something I haven't quite mastered. My big apple pies are okay, but not these small ones. sausage balls Mom also m

so very very true

It's been a LOOONGG but very good week. Between all the craziness of life, in the middle of the current whirlwind, I had an unexpected break yesterday. A trip that some of us planned months ago happened up on the calendar. I looked at my to do list, and thought about canceling. And then I thought about why I wanted to go, how long this date has been circled in its square in PEN, and said "I'm going." We left at 7am, arrived at the Concord Mills mall at 10am, shopped until 5pm, then headed home, stopping for supper, of course. So this morning I'm sitting in church, not only tired, but VERY sore from all that walking and evidently carrying my too heavy purse and bags (I'm not kidding...even my arms were sore this morning!), thinking about what needs to be done, how I don't have any Christmas decorations up, and a myriad amount of other things, all the while trying to pay attention and ask God to settle my chaotic mind. And then lyrics from a song

it's all in the genes

My Mom claims that I had normal sleeping patterns as a baby until the dr gave me an antibiotic when I was sick. He told her it might make me sleep more. It didn't. What it did do, according to my Mom, was confuse me as to when it was night and day, and she claims I've never been straight since. All I know is that I am not, and have never been, a morning person. I never quite know how to answer someone when they ask me what time I get up. Our alarm goes off at 5:45am Mon-Fri, at 6am on Sundays, and Saturdays depends on what we have to do. Note I said our alarm goes off. That doesn't mean I wake up. It's not uncommon for me to wake up with a very bad pain in my shoulder or neck where I've (unknowingly, of course) turned off the alarm clock then scooted as far away from Bobby's pointy elbow as possible, meaning I'm about to fall off the bed. I've even been known to get up and answer the telephone, and a few times even talk to the person before I

so much to do....

If I quit my job, quit cleaning house, quit doing laundry, here's what I'd do with all my free time: Art -all those little idea starters in that drawer? On canvas or paper. Who knows? I might even try one design in every single medium I could think of! Read - that pile of books on my dresser that I keep thinking I'm gonna get to... :O) They'd be replaced by new ones (because I'd have time to finish those, of course!) Quilt - Not only would I finish Bobby's quilt, but every single quilt idea I have sketched out, or tucked away somewhere in my brain, or have actually bought material for - they'd all be finished. Yeah, dear, I know....there's not enough time in a year for all my project ideas. Sew - the only sad part is that 2 of my 3 nieces would no longer be thrilled with home-sewn clothes. Create - I've always wanted to make a dollhouse...how cool would that be? But since I can't quit laundry and I only clean now when I have time o

one of many reasons why I'm not a girly girl

My brother and I share the same sense of humor. We both immensely enjoyed Calvin & Hobbes growing up, and I imagine if he reads the comic strips now, Pearls Before Swine would be on his reading list. Get Fuzzy is also at the top of my list. And sometimes that sense of humor poses a dilemma...like buying presents, for instance. My brother is engaged to be married on June 13, 2009. My older sister and I discussed having an outdoor shower for camping, fishing, or tailgating gear since those are all things Andy & Amie like to do. My little sister opposed. Mom just shrugged. Then after taking a realistic look at all of our calendars and remembering the distance factor, there's no way we can throw them a shower at all. Which is really sad. When asked if there was anything she needed (keep in my mind they both have apartments/trailers), Amie smiled and said they were going to register somewhere. So I go online to Target, and find several household items that both my brother

home again

There's absolutely nothing like going home...except maybe returning home and settling back into a routine. This Thanksgiving reminded me of the many things I have to be thankful for: parents who not only love me, but taught me how to walk in Truth family who practice the story of the Good Samaritan, and not just hear it my church family the rich life of America - adequate roads, vehicles, hotels, restaurants, well-stocked grocery stores, houses with extra bedrooms & heat, etc. police & EMS crews - who actually respond to calls in a timely and mannerly fashion my job - I'm part-time but still have vacation hours! Dr. Pepper the diverse beauty in our nation the small smidgen of artistic talent humans receive from God, as we display in architecture, design, artwork, etc Alabama winning the Iron Bowl! my brother-in-law graciously allowing us to crash at his house to watch the Iron Bowl on his nice tv my brother-in-law allowing me to quickly use his

little by little

Little be little, inch by inch, by the yard it's hard, by the inch-what a cinch! Never stare up the stairs, just climb up the steps - little by little, inch by inch! The first time I heard that song I thought it was silly. But as we sang it often on Wed nights, I began to appreciate the fundamental principles that it teaches - Never, ever give up. Or, as the Bible says, Be ye not weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. or at least it goes something like that. Early Monday morning we will begin the never-ending journey to Alabama. Okay, so it's not really never-ending, but it feels a lot like it. And somewhere between Thanksgiving Day and the Iron Bowl on Saturday, my family will celebrate Christmas as we won't be together on Christmas Day. That means all Christmas stuff for my family needs to be finished by TOMORROW, and my Mom's birthday present (for Tuesday) also needs to be ready for departure. Somewhere along the way, I got this brilli

Rest

A friend of mine in college often talked about working on a car with his Dad in high school. Invariably, they would be temporarily stumped by a problem. My friend would be exasperated, and then his father would sigh and say, "We need to go get a piece of cake." My friend always thought that was ridiculous, but his father would not be swayed. After cake and coffee, they would go back out, and find a solution to the problem. While I'm neither a coffee drinker nor a mechanic, I do think there's a lot to be said for resting our brains. I had one of those brain rests tonight. A few friends joined me for a purse party, and it was neat just talking and sharing. I needed the break from all the computer problems and busy to do list that I have. :O) I guess I could say I needed a cake break. So tomorrow its back to the grind, and while I like to think everything will once again work like clockwork, the reality is some things will click, and other things I will have re

realistically out of sight

Sigh... to successfully complete NaNoWriMo , from now 'till the end of November I would have to write 6,500 words a day. Realistically, I don't think it's going to happen. But on a brighter note, I've written 3,200 words more than I would have done had I not started this endeavor. So while I won't reach the 50,000 mile novel mark, I'm a whole lot closer than I ever thought possible. Who knows? Maybe I'll have a creative burst of energy in December and finish the thing. (HA!)

the grumblies

Today should be a Monday. I was up late last night unsuccessfully attempting to load our scanner and printer. Then today, a new brochure I had designed decided it was NOT going to fold properly. So after researching folds and measurements and templates, I have once again worked before I thought and ended up with a useless product that I must now re-design and re-create. bah HUMBUG! On a happier note, I JUST SAW SNOW! It was beautiful, and I was about to inform our Human Resources person that in Alabama we go home where we belong when it snows and then it stopped. But it was neat to see. So now I'm going to fold up this stupid little non-working 2009 Read Thru the Bible brochure and work on business cards. Maybe I'll have a better idea tomorrow.

brain surgery

Well, the lobotomy on our computer is almost complete. I've re-installed half of our needed software (I've been questioning how much of this is really a need), installed a few e-mail addresses into the address book, and am about to call it a night. Tomorrow morning or after work I'll tackle the rest of it. It is so good to be back in my world of cyberspace!!!

being bad

I've never allowed myself to check blogs at work before, but our computer at home is dying and I figured I could do it just one time until ours is fixed. If you don't hear from me in a while, you'll know why. BUT, there are some very momentous things happening in and around the Bryan household (besides our computer dying) and I just thought I'd share them: I AM A GREAT AUNT!!!! as of 5am this morning. OUR ROAD IS GETTING PAVED or at least the part up to our driveway. They surveyed one day last week (and how many times have they done that in the last 2 years?) and when I came home Tues night there were "Road Closed" signs up. When I came home from work yesterday I had to take a detour because there were huge machines tearing down trees along the right of way. YEAAHHHHHH!!!!! I was very pleased to hear on the news this morning that the man President-elect has asked to consider being Chief of Staff has family members who live in Israel; AND CALIFORNIA PASSED

Sat morning

http://www.nasher.duke.edu/elgreco/ Saturday morning we joined Jay & Betty Mashburn in Durham to tour the El Greco Exhibit: Art During the Reign of Philip III of Spain. I found it very interesting and enjoyed it thoroughly , though I would have preferred there not been quite so many people there so we could have taken our time and moved through the gallery without saying "Excuse me" for every step. The historical slide presentation made all the artwork even more interesting, as it gave the historical background for the time, as well as the pieces themselves. I think that was Bobby's favorite part. I was going copy my favorites from the website listed above to paste here, but it won't let me. And they only show two of the ones that I really truly liked. Ah well, life goes on! Don't forget to go vote tomorrow if you haven't already. I am just SO excited this election is FINALLY almost over and that I will come home from work on Wed and not here ANY

Saturday afternoon/evening

I'm going to do this backwards and post Sat afternoon first, and tomorrow I'll share about Sat morning. For this post we're traveling to the NC State Fairgrounds... First you had the lines: It started at the Jim Graham building, went up beside the Dorton Arena, curved down the midway and toward the little round building (as seen above), turned and went back up and around the Dorton Arena (as seen to the left), looped back down to the Mid-Way and was still growing as the doors opened. Once inside, we were treated to good 'ol bluegrass music. Every single Republican fundraiser or rally I've attended in NC has had either bluegrass or country music played by local musicians. Inside the Jim Graham building, there were no seats except for three small sections of bleachers, and everyone stood for nearly two hours waiting for the lines to pass security and the lady of the hour to show up. John McCain's nice saying that plays up his military background, but one that also

the race is on

When the frost is on the backyard, and the hulls start opening wide; It's time to harvest pecans...watch those dogs' deep dive! Wednesday's Pecan War Totals: Monica 15 Linus 4

edification

2 weeks ago at work, we had to send files of graphics we had created to another church. It took almost 2 days to pull everything they wanted and then condense it to a sendable format. I was also a little frustrated by the whole concept. It's common practice that anything you design for the company you work for is considered their property. So if you design a logo for a business, you charge a higher rate because hopefully that logo will be in use for years and years to come. If you simply design a letterhead, it doesn't cost quite so much because that gets updated periodically. Anything you know that will get multiple uses has a higher fee. Then you have my situation, which is an hourly rate, and because it is a church, is substandard pay for the industry. Again, a common practice. Yet it frustrated me a little bit that something I had spent weeks creating was being given away for free. I agree with the principle. Ministries should share resources. And I totally ag

to write, or not to write

NaNoWriMo starts Nov 1. If you're reading this and thinking, HUH?, NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month. You sign up at their website, and on Nov 1 you start an entirely new piece of work and write like mad for the entire month. Your target goal is to have an entire novel, or 50,000 words written by midnight on November 30. Not a polished novel mind you, but a rough draft. You can work on an outline or character chart before Nov 1, but the novel itself cannot be started until the first of November. I signed up last year, and was all pumped and excited, only to tell Bobby and get this response "And when do you think you're going to have time to do this?" I was able to fit in daily writing for about a week, and that was it. I'm still in a quandary over whether or not tackle it. A part of me says go for it, the other part of me says it would be absolutely insane. I mean, Nov 3-5 is out. By the time I get home from work on the 3rd, set-up for election d

a madhouse

On my way home from the ladies' get together, I had a few errands to run at White Oak Shopping Center. As I make the first turn, I see sign after sign after sign: 10%, 20%, 30% off! Going out of Business Sale! Linens-N-Things Linens-N-Things is one of those places I shop when there's a really good sale or someone has a bridal registry there. At holidays and special sale days, you can get nice tablecloths for a great price, and sometimes sheet sets as well. So I went, and SLOWLY maneuvered my way through the crowded aisles to browse. The sale prices aren't knock-down- dragout sales, but I am a little sad to the store go. Part of that is because I hate to see empty buildings, though. Now, if they will only put a quilting/fabric store or a bookstore there. Wouldn't that be awesome?

holiday birthdays

December 23, 1972 had a full moon -a perfect night for a young adult Sunday school class to go hayriding and Christmas caroling. After the music, they congregated at the pastor's house for a potluck meal: ladies in one room, men in the other. As my Dad took his first bite of dessert, a lady came in and told him he had to go - my Mom was in labor. After everything was cleaned and put away, a group of men followed the hay from Dad's truck to a nearby hospital. I've been told they managed to get to the nursery and sang, "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" though my Mom disputes that. All I know is that has never been my favorite Christmas carol. As a child, I sometimes hated having a birthday so close to Christmas. Parties could never be held on your birthday, and sometimes you had to accept Christmas goodies in place of a birthday cake. On the other hand, I never had to go to school on my birthday, and many times my Christmas and birthday present got combined, a

things we do for love

Saturday we had a baby shower for Bobby's niece. As I was making the mints, Bobby asked what else was on the menu. After I recited off the litany of items, he responded with "No peanut butter?! This shower is for Hannah! What's she going to eat?" (Hannah has had stomach problems over the years and has been unable to tolerate many foods, but peanut butter has been her staple.) Despite my assurances that she would enjoy the foods we were having, he was adamant that I needed to make peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for the shower. Even though I protested that NOBODY took that to a shower, he persisted, and informed me I could make them dainty with my little cutter. And so I did. To my surprise all but 3 were eaten. Who'd a thunk it?

my warped mosquito theory

For some bizarre reason, there are some of us placed on this earth to be mosquito food. Mind you, that is not our sole purpose, but it is definitely high up on the list. I've met a few others like me - you can go outside in almost any weather and within seconds hear the buzz. Sure enough, when you go inside, little red or white lumps are amassed any place skin has shown. Meanwhile people like my dear husband can be outside the same amount of time, at the exact same time, exposing the same amount of skin AND NEVER GET A BITE. My little sister was the same way. Which leads me to my very unscientific and untried theory. Naomi and Bobby both are salty over sweet eaters. Given a choice between potato chips and chocolate, they'd both take chips. Well, Bobby might take both. Present them with either buttered popcorn or chocolate, they'd take the popcorn. Me? Chocolate. Anyone who knows me wouldn't even ask, they'd just offer the chocolate. So my warped mosquito

little girls and dresses

Next to sponge rollers, I can't think of anything I disliked more as a child than wearing a dress. I was reminded of that again on Sunday. As always, a certain young tot needed to use the restroom, and seeing as Middle School toilets (our church is renting a school building on Sundays) are NOT easily accessible to two-four year old little bodies, lifting a child up onto the seat is required. It's one of those times when you want to be an octopus. There's this tiny little person with a beautiful, frilly dress and a long sassy bow - that takes both of her hands to hold up, and she could probably use a third. About the time she manages to get her dress out of the way, she looks up at you with one of those deer caught-in-the-headlight looks and lets go with one hand as she attempts to maneuver her tights and undies. So I hold the dress and bow while she shimmies, then she wads her dress into small bundles. About the time I get her on the seat I realize her bow is coming

motivation

There are days when I reach a point when everything seems futile. Then the smallest thing happens and makes me realize just how blessed I truly am. Today was one of those days. My cousin sent me a forwarded e-mail, and I decided to google it and see if the story was true. It's not only true, it was even more amazing than the e-mail suggested. To read and see the works of an amazing artist who overcame numerous obstacles, visit this website: http://www.paulsmithfoundation.org/ It's well worth the browsing.

unusual pm events

Monday: Precinct Transfer Official Training (and I FORGOT to take the dogs to the vet!) Tuesday: Greenville , NC - NC GOP Victory Rally Senator Elizabeth Dole (we were in the overflow section at the Stadium instead of in the Gym) Pat McCrory and Elizabeth Dole addressing the outside audience. Wednesday: Nursery at church Thursday: Hospital visit and housework and Survivor! Friday: choir clinic...and an afternoon visit from Robert! Saturday: housework, choir concert Sunday: church Monday: Statutory Election Training Tuesday: take the dogs to the vet since I forgot this week Wednesday: church Thursday: SURVIVOR and absolutely NOTHING!

conspiracy theories

It happens every election year, but given the high interest in this year's presidential election, I've heard more crazy theories than ever before. From election day training & the dr .'s office: the Democrats: 1. You know, voters will be showing up to campaign at the poles, and when they go in to vote all the Republican officials are going to tell them to leave because they can't campaign in the polling place (wearing t-shirts are buttons IS allowed in Wake County inside the polling place as long as they're coming in to vote and not mill around). We're going to lose all these votes because people won't know any better and will leave. They'll do everything they can to stop us from voting. 2. They keep calling him "Hussein Obama " to make people think he's a terrorist (we won't comment on the fact that IS his middle name). You just watch, they're going to get him killed. the Republicans: 1. They do it every time there's a b

hmmm

Who decides what goes in the news? Who decided that even though Russia has decided to conduct live missile tests from Oct 6-12 (the first time since the 1980's) in the Arctic Circle (across Belarus and near Alaska) and it's being reported in England, in Israel, and in many other countries, that it wasn't newsworthy for America? And why did we send a battleship off the coast of Georgia the day before Russia announced these tests? Are these tests retaliation for that act as Israel claims? Is it simply Russia flexing its muscles as England claims? And why are our presidential candidates keeping mum on this issue?

october weekends

Seeing as we have something EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND for the rest of this month, we spent this weekend very selfishly, and enjoyed every minute of it. Thursday night, while Bobby was away at a meeting, I watched VP debates and finished marking off his quilt top. Unfortunately, the material I have for the backing isn't quite enough, so I made a quick trip to Cary after work Friday to find something else. Then it's rush home so we can head to a Pat McCrory fundraiser. I'll comment on political fundraisers and whatnot later. Saturday, we headed to an "antique country auction" which was a bit of a joke. We looked around, and then headed home. On the way back we stopped at Clemmons and walked the tree trail. We were both a little puzzled by this tree, especially when we started seeing several like this. Then Bobby spotted a small one that had a vine wrapped around it. Evidently the tree finally outgrew the vine, but not without the vine leaving its mark. This is the stra

the artistic side of fall

One of the many artistic things I enjoy seeing in the fall is carved pumpkins. There are many detailed faces, carved smiles, unusual positions, but my favorite is the creative designs. Here's one that someone spent a LOT of time on: the death star from Star Wars! http://www.fantasypumpkins.com/2006-pumpkins/deathstar1.jpg there's many variations of this on the web http://www.productdose.com/phpwiki/uploads/Tyler/99927813144d5f02e14eb77a5a851015_pop.gif I love the fact that they used the stem for the nose instead of cutting the stem portion off...how creative! http://img.hgtv.com/HGTV/2007/07/12/halloween_carved_pumpkin_w609.jpg Very creative! I would have NEVER thought about carving the world into a pumpkin! www.coyoteblog.com/.../2006/11/my_pumpkin.html Now, I don't know if that is real food inside the pumpkin, but this is a VERY creative carving. I've found this on many sites in many forms without credit, so I don't have a link to post on this one. And for