Random Musings

There's only one cleaning characteristic I obtained from my mother...instead of spot cleaning, I roam from room to room, or else I deep clean - every niche and corner of a room. I guess that's two characteristics. My mother is very neat and tidy, and I think she's a bit aghast sometimes that the child who was so OCD and nitpicky about everything being just right is now so ...messy. Three months ago I pulled my large sewing machine (the one I can quilt on) into the dining room so I could tackle a quilt top that's been hanging in the closet for quite some time. I figured having the space of the dining room table would make all the bulk easier to handle. When I finished, I flipped the quilt over to measure for binding, and was horrified to realize the last 6 rows ( SIX!!!)  would have to be taken out. The bobbin tension was messed up and had made the most awful mess I had ever seen. That was a month ago. I've managed to pull out one row. ONE.  At this rate, I may nev...

Another farm is up for sale in our neighborhood. Funny thing is, it hasn't been used as a farm in many, many years, and yet I still think of it as a farm. I truly understand the hows and whys of such things. I know about the taxes, the upkeep, and the amount of time involved in maintaining a small place (and can't imagine what it would be to do 12x the amount I do now). I know that for such places to remain a farm, someone must be willing to actually...farm.  And most Americans today do not have a love for the soil and a love for plants or farm animals, much less a desire for long, hot, hard working hours with a wild card called nature that can upend it all. So even if I don't like it, I do understand that at some point, farms must be sold, and when that happens, they will grow a development instead of crops. But what bugs me beyond belief is that there is an old house with lots of character and charm, that would make an awesome home for a small family, that will be tor...

Every time I see the insanity happening in Baltimore, I think of two things: one, lessons my parents taught me. Two, I wish I could buy one way tickets to North Korea, China, Russia, Ivory Coast, Singapore, and Vietnam for every single one of those protesters.  Pull a stunt like throwing bricks or trash cans or moltov cocktails at police in China? That won't be a nerf bullet they shoot in your direction. Damage someone's property or loot a store in Ivory Coast? You better pray the police get their fast. Sometimes the police take their sweet time and sit back and watch, only intervening right before the owners beat the vandal or thief to the point of death. The whole scenario in Baltimore both disgusts me and breaks my heart. But it also makes me appreciate my parents. Had these kids been taught the following simple lessons and seen it modeled out growing up, there's no way they'd be participating in such selfish vandalism and greedy and self-serving acts of anarchy. ...

Today marks the 4 year anniversary of my hometown being hit by two tornadoes, killing 4 people and demolishing Main Street. The first two years of recovery seemed to be nothing but meetings and paperwork as FEMA and the Alabama Historical Commission could not seem to get their requirements in line with each other and a tiny town with no insurance and little initiative seemed to find meeting the basic necessities of a town all it could handle. Today, I'm happy to report that things are still slowly improving, though there's still many miles ahead. The new City Hall is under construction. ( www.cityofcordova.org ) And the new Piggly Wiggly (located where the Hardware Store used to be, due to the 100 year flood plain guidelines), which opened last year (I think).   www.cityofcordova.org I was thinking about it this morning as the news was showing coverage from Nepal. We are SO blessed to live in a country that can provide humanitary aid in times of crisis, and that no ...

This past weekend a young mother-to-be from a small town in Wake County was shot to death behind the Party City where she worked. Her boyfriend has now been arrested and charged with her murder. So far the baby is surviving. The day after the arrest, the media interviewed several of her friends from high school (her family is not talking to the media). They talked about her singing in praise band and how much she loved Jesus. So in the back of my mind, I'm thinking "What changed?" The news article in the paper the next day described her as being "very active" in her church and that she was planning to move in with her boyfriend soon. And that little voice in my head is saying "It's not a Bible-believing church." Today, in her obituary in the paper, it listed the name of the church and that she had a "passionate love for Jesus".  And the church she attends? It is Bible-believing. Which leaves me asking "How? Why?" There...

With the Maryland parents allowing their two children to "free-range" and having their children abducted by social services for the second time, there's been a lot of discussion and debate (though nowhere near enough) about the differences in helicopter parenting and free-range parenting, between government oversight of child-rearing and the authority of parents, and obedience to the rules of judges and social workers vs. obedience to the personal beliefs of parents. But I can't help but think about another facet of this saga that I've not heard mentioned...the people filing the reports. Despite all the animosity and fear I've heard when people talk about social services, I've yet to hear anyone badmouth the neighbor or friend who called in the report in the first place. And I find that interesting. Without the first report of abuse or neglect, social services would never investigate or send out police in the first place. So what would the scenario be ...

Yesterday I read a disturbing article in the News & Observer  about adults taking (abusing) ADHD medicine for the sole purpose of being able to work more/sleep less. For example, people working in the corporate world, Wall Street is specifically mentioned, do not "have time" to sleep more than four hours a night. Some of them get less. The article also high lights that this is a common practice in colleges around exam time and when many projects are due. I attended a Christian college. And yet, there were several students in the girls dorm that would buy caffeine pills or stimulants to help them focus when they "needed" to pull an all-nighter. I had a roommate that used them so much her sleeping habits were altered, forcing her to use sleeping pills, which opened up a whole new can of worms. So here's one thing that baffled me after reading the article. If places of higher education are full of people who are not disciplining themselves to maintain a man...

I took this pictures 2 days ago, and as I downloaded them from my camera, they already seem out of date. The side view of the educational bldg, from Clifford Rd. I was amazed at the walls going up. As of today, the scaffolding is down, it loos like the stairwell is completed, and the roof is totally on. This shows the corner view of the education bldg (near Pat's house on Clifford). Sorry for the blind up in the back of the van. The metal framework was what you saw last week. Today, all of the bldg on the left is now walled and roofed in. They're in the process of walling in the wing of the bldg in the far right. and a closer up of the metal structure of the right wing of the bldg What I didn't get a shot of was the new building (or wing) going up between the educational building and the gym. I think it's the cafeteria, and I'm not sure whether or not it will connect to the gymnasium. Like the gym, it's currently cinderblock. For a view of it, you...

Last month I shocked a friend by saying my mind was still thinking it was February, and I was NOT ready to admit that March had arrived. She looked at me and responded "You know April will be here in 2 weeks, don't you?!" And then we both laughed as she shook her head. This morning I had many errands to run. I was hoping that the opening crowd of the new Cabela's would have slowed down and we might stop there as we made our loop, but that was NOT to be. This is the sight we saw leaving Bojangles (heading from Jones Sausage Rd back toward White Oak/Hwy 70). The far ends of the overflow parking lot (the old ConAgra plant). and the entrance to the parking lot. This doesn't show the line of 50+ people waiting for the shuttle bus. and the far corner of the parking lot (which circled around to the far end of the property) These vehicles were NOT there thirty minutes earlier! I was trying to get the traffic backed up at White Oak and Hwy 70, but...

A few weeks ago Bobby told me he saw an eagle. I missed it, but did see the shadow on the ground as it flew overhead. This morning I got a glimpse of it. It soared like the hawks that frequently hover, but it also dove into the pond. I've never seen a hawk do that. Grabbing the binoculars, I was even more baffled. Its feathers were mottled (a mixture of brown and white), but but the center of its head was white - like a mohawk. The rest of its face was brown, like a golden eagle, but it clearly had the short, hook nose. Its tail, in flight, showed stripes, but when perched on the tree appeared to be a solid dark color. I'm not sure but the underbelly was also lighter colored, like that of a hawk. I spent some time reading this morning on wikipedia about birds in North Carolina. I don't know if golden eagles and bald eagles mix breed or not, but at this point we're leaning more towards a young bald eagle. The last five years we have seen more wildlife than I have eve...

I have a version of the old hymn C ount Your Blessings  on my ipod that I love but makes my husband wrinkle one side of his face when it plays. I've thought a lot about that song the last few months. When I was a child, my Mom would sing as she did housework, and that was one of the songs she often sang. In middle school, whenever I complained about things I didn't like or that made me unhappy, she would gently chide me to be thankful for the things that were good that I did have/experience. A few years ago I read Ann VosKamp's One Thousand Gifts, and it made me think of my Mom so much. So today, in honor of my Mom and my many aunts who were almost always positive in their outlook, here's my thankful list: a family that loves me that God truly knows what is best, even if it's not what I like Dr. Pepper M&Ms the children in our church a husband who faithfully worked and saved for years that God gave me a husband whose philosophies and practices match ...

We've lost two hens already this year - one to a hawk (we think), and one to Buster. If the summer plays out like summers' past, as the young chicken hawks learn to soar, we'll lose a few more. And if the coyote that shows up some nights, driving the dog's (and me) crazy, gets more adventurous, we'll could experience a widespread slaughter. That has happened before. Those are the sad things. But here are the good things: The four larger ones against the back wall are the ones we got 2 weeks ago, so they're not quite 3 weeks old. I was a little uncertain about getting so many, but Bobby reminded me they won't all make it through the summer. That is the part of raising hens I do NOT like. But I'm happy with the breed selection, and I'm looking forward to watching them grow!

Well, the picture usually posted on the tax portion of the county website has been deleted, so I only have the new picture. But the old version of this house was red brick, and very small. Our new neighbors (the daughter of the original owners) have upgraded it quite a bit, and moved in yesterday. Welcome to the 'hood Cindy and Earl!

Someone asked me a while back about the house across the road from us. I had posted pictures as they were building, and the family has now been in it for several months. I finally got a shot of the completed house yesterday: The builder is also renovating the farm house to the left of our house, and the change is outstanding. Hopefully I can find a before picture from tax records and then get a picture of it today. And, in today's newspaper is an update on the school situation in Garner. It mentions that Bryan Road Elementary, like south Garner High, will house students of other schools the first two years so those campuses can be renovated. Seeing as Bryan Rd Elementary (which will be our next door neighbor) is schedule to house students in the fall of 2017, I imagine construction is going to start soon. So change is coming.  Maybe we'll get our road paved soon! The solitude was nice while it lasted. Tomorrow I'll try to get pictures of the progress they'v...

It's easy to go online (pinterest, facebook, google searches, even Youtube!) and find how to prepare soil, ideas for location (pots vs ground, etc), how to place the seeds, and even WHEN to plant your seeds when you want to garden. But what I seldom find, is how to know when the plant is ready to harvest. I've planted some onions and even though it's a week, pushing two weeks late, I hope to plant some garlic. I've planted both of these items once before without any success. This time I actually have some shoots coming up out of the ground (okay, up out of the pot). Whoohooo! But I don't know when to harvest it. Pull it up too soon, and you have a tiny, almost non-existent onion bulb on the bottom. Leave it too long, and it rots (or if the ground, a mole/vole eats most of it).  So what don't all these wonderful sites that teach you how to get started teach you how to finish?  I imagine that when harvest rolls around these people are too busy to blog or video...

I had planned to post this yesterday, but due to both expected and unexpected life events, that didn't happen. I think I was in high school before I had ever heard a sermon or emphasis placed on the linen cloth Jesus was wrapped in (both as a baby and in the tomb), specifically from John's account of the resurrection. "The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first;   5  and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying  there ; but he did not go in.   6  And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying  there ,   7  and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the   linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself." ~ John 20:4-7 (NASB) I remember my younger sister and I discussing this passage, and pondering whether or not the wrappings from the body were left in a heap an...

27  Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into  the Praetorium and gathered the whole  Roman  cohort around Him.   28  They stripped Him and  put a scarlet robe on Him.   29  And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “ Hail, King of the Jews!”   30  They spat on Him, and took the reed and  began  to beat Him on the head.   31  After they had mocked Him, they took the  scarlet  robe off Him and put His  own  garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him. ~ Matthew 27:27-31 Somewhere between sixth and eighth grade, I read Corrie Ten Boom's autobiography The Hiding Place. In the chapter where she and her sister were forced to strip with the other prisoners as they entered the Nazi concentration camp, she talks about the embarrassment she felt, and how mort...