Random Musings

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...

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...

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...

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...

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?

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...

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...

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.

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 ...

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!

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...

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 ...

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 ...

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...

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...

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 ...