Random Musings

Sigh... The following post is a clarification about list items found in a previous blog. My random thoughts: 98% of the time my husband is not a chore. I enjoy doing things with my husband, with the exception of making repairs on his wheelchair when he doesn't give explicit directions and then sticks his head in my way just so he can see what I'm doing. I appreciate the fact that he is disciplined in everything, especially because I'm only disciplined in a few things. One area where my husband has not changed since dating days is in his support and encouragement for my hobbies. and I would take the time to brag on him for being man enough to enter a craft store with me on occasion, except if I publicly bragged on him for that he might not ever do it again - a violation of manhood or some other obscure, nonsensical reason like that. While there are times it infuriates me to no end ( maybe because I know he's right? ), I like the fact that he cares enough to tell me I...

10 more months 'til Christmas!!! WHOOOHOOOO!

e-mail Blogs, blogging, blog-reading facebook cleaning off the kitchen table laundry cooking washing dishes sweeping feeding the animals finding stuff for Bobby reading' sleeping doing jobs for Bobby and anything else that doesn't have an immediate deadline Can you tell I'm a queen procrastinator?

For the fourth time in the last three years, on an upcoming calendar week when my schedule is full and my dream get done list is dinosaur size, my body quits on me. Just up and refuses to cooperate. It's an absolute nuisance . Now, I could say that either a) my schedule is too full, b)I'm getting old, or c)I need to get in shape {and my Dear Hubby might add d) all of the above}, but the reality is it's an aggravation regardless of the reason. I could tell the geese that they have to wait another week before they start laying eggs because my neck and shoulder muscles are tense from putting in posts and I don't feel like aggravating my muscles more by putting up the fence so they can have a safe and secure nesting area. (i.e, I don't want dead or half-eaten goslings in the yard or pond this year.) But seeing as the geese were all paired off this afternoon and have already isolated the duck from hanging out with them, egg laying season is soon to be upon us, if not alr...

I did some outside work Tuesday afternoon. Add that to the frantic quilting taking place at my house, being at a computer 6 hours a day, and my hands and shoulders are quite sore. Last night one of my hands was really hurting, and I was afraid the muscle had knotted up. It's strange how you can look at your hands all your life, but once you start hurting you're suddenly not sure if that's how they've always looked. If I hold both hands flat, they look the same. If I tighten them into a fist, one has a small knot/bump on it. It's very possible it's just a big wad of fat, or that it's been there forever, but given the intensive work I've been doing with my hands this week and the pain I had yesterday and some today it kind of makes me wonder. I don't mind doing physical labor, but I don't want muscular hands. And I find myself in the same dilemma at work. For example, I'm working on things for the Missions Revival at the moment, and after...

I'm not a Hebrew or Greek scholar, so I don't know how things read in the original language. I have studied Shakespeare, and the KJV often reminds me of the Shakespearean plays with its strange wordings and politely masked jabs. And yet, despite the translation, the distinctive tone of each author is clear in the books. Take Genesis, for example. We know Moses didn't want to be God's spokesman before Pharaoh, claiming a lack of eloquence. And that roughness comes through in the first book he recorded. It never ceases to startle me how abruptly he jumps in the story line. It's like talking to a southern male who matter-of- factly states what he thinks and jumps to the next thing. Why waste time on details? We know the books of the law were either written directly by God or directly dictated to Moses (I'm leaning more toward God carving them into the stones...can you imagine how many MONTHS Moses would have been on the mountain doing that?). And I think ...

Last year we gave our summer kids an allowance. The deal was that we would provide the necessities and they would buy the wants with their money, but everything was subject to approval. (In other words, no rap CDs or skull covered t-shirts!) And it became very interesting to see how we valued things differently. For example, at the cash register in Michael's are these ugly, small, kid-appealing in pens for $2.99 At first, the kids all wanted one, and I told them they would have to use their money. They thought that was a very reasonable price. I told them it wasn't. My "faulty" reasoning was that you can buy a whole pack of pens for that price! Their line of thinking was that this was a really cool pen, PLUS ice cream at McDonald's only costs $1. I guess if ice cream at McDonald's is a $1, then a small, fancy pen should certainly be more than that. Had the boys had the money, they would have gladly plunked down $200 for a cell phone, or an i-pod. I...

If I were one of those people who could care less what others think of me, here's what I'd post in my office at work: The Rules: No cutting in line. Your project will be done in the order in which it was received. (And yes, this applies to department heads!) 2. Color inside the lines. There are rules for design that are rarely broken. I know these rules. You don't. 3. Be specific. The words "contemporary" and "modern" mean different things to different people. 4. Turn your papers in on time. Do I look like your secretary? 5. Read the instructions FIRST! Yes, that little HELP button does help you, but only if you push it. Why ask me when you can read the instructions?!? But I won't post these in my windows. Maybe this fall I'll get around to doing a drawing I've been thinking about for ages...you know, that Bible verse that talks about God setting a guard before our mouth. As you can tell, I certainly need one!

Today in Junior Church we reviewed previous lessons before covering our lesson on Noah's ark. When we reviewed the fall, some of the kids started laughing. Evidently when we say "God kicked them out of the garden" the younger siblings interpreted that to mean God literally took his foot and kicked them out, like the cartoons. I think they were a little disappointed when I told them no, God just told them to leave. Then one of the picture cards showing the ark being built also had Noah making a sacrifice. They asked about it, so we briefly discussed why people had to make annual sacrifices before Jesus came. And since I try to give examples on their level whenever I mention the word sin, I said "For example, if Josh is tired and Jacob gets on his nerves and he snaps his brother's head off..." and they all died laughing and the boys start jerking their head to the side. So I explained the metaphor and on we go with the lesson about how that unkindness w...

Last Saturday Bobby and I went to the Convention Center downtown for the International Auto Expo. It was a blast. The only thing I regretted was not taking my camera. At the entrance was a monstrous Rolls Royce that cost way more than our house, and we found a three wheeled, two- seater Harley Davidson with white siding and red flames for the price of Bobby's van. Today we headed to another show at the Fairgrounds, as they had the companies that bailed out of last week's show, and this time I did remember to take my camera! Here's some of the cool vehicles we saw today: The back seats in this van fold down to make a bed! Who needs a camper when you have a vehicle like this? AND, it had a sun roof, PLUS above each seat was a brown compartment (look toward the roof). It opened up into a storage area that would hold quite a bit of stuff. And I've never seen a full-size television MOUNTED into the ceiling of a van before. We joked about this being the car for me, but fina...

1. Sweet tea (if you get the large it's only $1) 2. Fish Fillet 3. Grilled Chicken Sandwich 4. Salad with grilled chicken 5. Fruit and Walnut Salad and if I'm feeling really wild and adventurous I'll get the fries with my fish fillet. Some days a girl just needs some salt!

The moon is full. The weather is warm. The animals are stirring. My dogs are driving me crazy. What kind of ball is this that has them barking non-stop? Ahh , a heinous 'possum...the creature that had it no feet could easily have been the serpent that deceived Eve. I honestly would not be surprised if such a creature is the wormwood found in hell they are so repulsive. Mutant rats is what they are. Last night the dogs stayed at the trees by the pond barking, possibly at this same creature or its relatives (though it could be for a raccoon). I'm hoping tonight they hear or smell nothing.

I knew that trees had rings inside their trunks. But today I discovered a certain root also has rings inside it. Who would have thought that carrots contained rings inside? And if a baby carrot has this many rings, how many rings does a large carrot have?

This morning our church was blessed with "preaching through music". Our music man, Dave Mincy shared with us not only songs he has written and recorded on his new CD, but also a few that he's written since the CD's compilation. One of the songs, titled God's Plan (I think that's the name of it!) ended with lines about what we'll sing in heaven. I couldn't help but think about those we love who've already gone before, and I must admit, it was a bit funny trying to put their actions as I knew them on earth with a celebration scene in heaven. I have no problem picturing Rea-Rea (my grandmother) throwing up her arms and shouting or whooping or dancing. Whereas when I think of my father-in-law rejoicing, I see him with a contented smile, closed eyes, and then him grinning real big and saying, "Hm, pretty good, ain't it?" Grandma White will be nodding her head and saying, "That's just the purtiest thing!" with joyful t...

Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports... let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle . ~ George Washington, in what became known as his farewell address, as recorded by Noah Webster It's the simple truths that continuously astound me. Lying is a sin, and according to Revelation 21, liars go to hell. And yet, we live in a nation where lying is commonplace. No one is surprised that the Obama administration has already reneged on a few of its campaign promises because we don't expect politicians to tell the whole truth. High school girls quickly learn that when a boy says "I'll call you." he doesn't really mean it. A...

Observation is not my strong point, or so I've been told. The first three years of my college career, I paid my college bills by working in the school cafeteria, babysitting, and cleaning house. (I think it goes without saying that I had very little social life.) The cooks in the cafeteria were older women of African-American descent, and one of them had, for lack of a better word, curly chin whiskers. I had never, ever seen this before, and was never sure whether I was simply befuddled by them or repulsed. Fast forward ten years, and the church I was attending had an older lady who had LONG hairs sticking out of her chin. Not only were they long, but they really stood out against her pale skin. I was appalled. It wasn't that there was so many of them, but they were just so prominent. I decided then and there that if it should ever happen to me I would either pluck them or cut them. Not long after that I ran across several magazine articles about women who had taken ho...

In response to Sara M's blog , here's my crazy answers: My best writing/drawing ideas come to me when: I'm in church I'm in the shower I'm supposed to be working on something else that has a deadline I'm asleep and if I don't forget and have time, I'll post on the bearded ladies conversation tomorrow.

January was a nice, calm month, and February has blown in like a whirlwind! Thanks to Mary Booth and her get-together Saturday, I did get all the pieces for the baby quilt cut out and I have two strips sewn, so that's progress. Maybe tomorrow night I can sit down with the sewing machine and finish off the top. The baby shower has been planned for the end of Feb instead of in March, so that means I really have to get busy! It might be later in the week before I post pictures, though. Also on the agenda for this month is a nesting area for the geese. The boards I painted last year have now been somewhat assembled, but I'm just waiting for a semi-nice day to dig out a spot for them (don't want the wind blowing them over!). The fence I think I'm going to need help with. That's one part I'm not looking forward to. Hopefully this will be the year that they can successfully hatch their own and we won't need our incubator. But I have this dreadful feeling t...

It's here. God has graciously brought us through the first month of 2009! And as we embarq on the second phase of this year, my heart is heavy for a dear, small friend as she begins yet another battle at the hospital today. Her name is Lauren, and she's a feisty but feminine child facing another surgery in her fight with spina bifida . Our prayers are with her and her family. Two weeks ago today, I passed Lauren and her friend in the hallway at church and they stopped talking. They looked up with wide eyes as if they were in the middle of a conspiracy. Lauren sweetly smiled and said, "We're talking about MOVIES. I'm telling her about Prince Caspian, 'cause there's two girls, and in the end of the movie the big girl..." and at that point I started thinking "Oh, no...she's going to talk about the kiss." when she continued "...had on the most beautiful dress. It was white and had little gold ropes here and here and had a fl...