Always A Mom

INFIDELITY

2010-03-18T15:39:00.000-07:00

There have been SO many stories in the news recently which focus on the subject of infidelity.
We are constantly bombarded with pictures in magazines and on television of celebrities and political figures who have been caught in the act or have admitted to being adulterers. And ,by all means, YES, adultery is a sin! But personally, I am not particularly interested and don't feel the need to be informed of each and every infidelity connected with a public personality. ENOUGH ALREADY!!!
I certainly can sympathize with the pain inflicted upon those people who have been affected by this sinful act.
Most of us have felt the sting of infidelity in some way at some point in our lives. Whether we have seen our married friends deal with it or relatives or even suffered a more close up, personal experience with it. Any way you look at it.....IT'S UGLY! People are ALWAYS hurt! The worst among these are the children of those involved. Their lives are forever changed. In most cases their parents will separate and eventually divorce leaving the children with lifelong, irreparable damage to their sense of stability in their lives.
AND I am just TIRED of seeing the pain and embarrassment of celebrities and their loved ones who have their dirty laundry being aired on some tabloid clothesline! I hope that I am not alone in this way of thinking.
I wish that people would just stop purchasing magazines with these stories and stop watching television shows pedaling this kind of smut! This stuff should NOT be news. Do people really want ring-side seats to watch the pain and suffering of others simply because they are famous or related to a celebrity? I hope NOT!!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another,
just as God also forgave you in Christ.
EPHESIANS 4: 32

TREE OF LIFE

2010-03-02T11:02:00.000-08:00

Above is a photo of the Tree of Life, which is the heart and central focus point located within the
Animal Kingdom theme park in Orlando Florida. I feel these days as if my life is a lot like the branches of this tree. Stretching out and being pulled in many different directions all at once. There simply are not enough hours in the day to get everything done. I know there are many of you who can relate to this. And... OH YEAH it just keeps getting better! THIS JUST IN.....NASA says that the Earthquake in Chile has moved the planet on its axis and Yippie! Now our days have gotten even shorter! Just what I need!
I always swore that I was not gonna be one of those "Soccer Moms" whose kids were extremely over scheduled. Kids should have time to just BE kids. Well...I should have known better than to look down my hoity toity nose at those other moms...cause here I am...in their shoes! My two oldest(1 & 3rd graders) are on soccer teams with practices two days a week (6:30-7:30pm) on school nights. And of course the practices couldn't happen to be on the same nights! OH NOooo! So we are left driving 4 nights a week to and from practices. And to top it all off, my 3rd grader is taking part in a school play with practices after school 1 day a week, and has two additional musical auditions/performances for which they practice two days after school.
My first grader takes piano lessons 1 day a week. And then there's the HOMEWORK! Oh and let's not forget the third child. No classes or practices....but it's still early. This one's a toddler. But a toddler who STILL doesn't seem to know how to sleep through the night.And what a glutton for punishment I must be....I started taking a "Boot Camp" exercise class 2 mornings a week. IT IS KICKING MY BUTT! But atleast my bottom should be firmer soon. LOL
Put it all together with the fact that I am 43(which=OLD) and now you see why my blogging has diminished significantly in recent months. I have considered calling it quits because I can't seem to find the time to write and although I have 60 followers(yay), the loyal number is quite a bit smaller. But for now I will try to stick it out in hopes that my schedule and/ or my kids schedules will ease just enough to allow for some creative release.
SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
There is an occasion for everything,
and a time for every activity under Heaven:
ECCLESIASTES 3: 1

What A Trip

2010-02-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

Readers: If I still have any followers left...I thank you for returning....As you may have noticed, I took a break from blogging. No illnesses can be blamed for this, just LIFE!!

O.K. So We FINALLY did it!! The BIG TRIP TO..........DISNEY! Our kids had been bugging us for ages to take them to the "Magic Kingdom". Our daughter actually had the nerve to insinuate that she was suffering abuse because she was the only child in her 3rd grade class who had not yet been there. Of course, my husband and I both have to laugh at this, since we both grew up in families who couldn't afford such luxuries as a Disney vacation. I personally didn't get to go to Disney until I was in my teens. And we lived an hour from ORLANDO!!! It is an 8 hour trip from our home now and 5 times more expensive!! BUT.....we went!
Let me just say....it was MAGICAL! The kids had a ball! And of course we enjoyed watching them having so much fun. My wonderful hubby splurged for some very nice accomodations while we were there...suites the whole time...which made a week in hotels with 3 small kids a little more bearable. BUT....believe me when I say that the trip was not without its share of nightmarish chaos . First of all....THERE WAS SLEET & SNOW FLURRIES the day we arrrived in Florida! That's right! SLEET!! IT was FREEEZING! I swear it was warmer where we live, several states to the North! The whole time we were at the Disney parks we had coats, & hats & gloves on! YAY! The up-side to that was that the lines were probably shorter than if it had been warm. But there were still lines.
Besides the weather issue, there was the behavioral metamorphosis which took place in our family while we were there. Let me explain. It went something like this....
Our normally mild mannered, somewhat well behaved and fairly intelligent children turned into little whining, complaining,disobedient,snotty & spoiled acting little BRATS!!! And my husband and I, in turn, became two very irritable, short-fused ticking timebombs! At one point we were in one of the parks and my hubby was so fed up with the misbehavior of one of the kids he was verbally reprimanding them and people were staring! I was mortified with embarrassment! I have never seen my husband lose his temper to this extent. Certainly never in public. All I could do was look the other way and pretend I wasn't with this noisy group!
Needless to say, when all was said and done, I was ecstatic to return home and get the kids back into their regular routine and back to their normal behavior. I am sure that I will get to be subjected to the "magic" of Disney at some point again in a few years. Can't wait!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
All the ways of a man seem right to him,
but the Lord evaluates the motives.
PROVERBS 21: 2

Never Never Land

2010-01-04T05:04:00.000-08:00

Well....I am finally back from Never-Never Land. You see, this.....is where I spent my Christmas Holidays.
We drove to our favorite spot in the mountains of North Carolina for Christmas and there was a foot of snow on the ground. We don't really get snow where we live...so this was very exciting for us! My kids had a blast, of course. I mean...this is what people dream of at Christmastime isn't it? A white Christmas?
Well....we got it, alright! It was AWESOME!!! The kids made 6 snowmen. Just because they could.

Then the third or fourth day we were there. It rained. Freezing rain. I was disappointed for the kids because I figured this would melt all of the snow away and ruin their hard work on the snowmen. But instead we were surprised to find everything still where it had been ,only now it sparkled and glistened. It was breathtakingly beautiful!! The cabin we stay in when we are there has a wonderful, flowing creek with hundreds of cascading waterfalls. The outter edges of the creek were covered with snow, of course and after the freezing rain there were beautiful icicles everywhere too. But the most fun part of our holiday was when the kids discovered they could use a knee-board for a sled to slide down the hills nearby. Before the freezing rain where our feet had sunk into the deep snow with every step....now it was hard, solid & slick! It was like a luge!
The kids took turns sliding down the hill on the board with my husband and I grabbing them at the bottom each time as they can flying by, because the bottom of the hill happened to drop off into a road. This of course just made it all the more exhilarating! And yes.....in case you are wondering....the adults tried it too!
At least that was until I smacked into a tree with my ribcage and decided to call it quits BEFORE having to see the inside of the local ER      .Oh YEAH....You Bet! I was sore the next day. But I survived!
For Christmas I had printed out the months worth of blogging I had done in my husbands honor and made a book which even included the comments from all of my faithful fans. I think I lost some of my blogs following by having done such a long....sappy....bunch of posts. But ...I don't care! It was worth it. My husband enjoyed reading it. And I enjoyed writing it. For those followers who have stuck with me...I thank you!

         SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
      I have asked one thing from the Lord;

it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking Him in His temple.

PSALM 27: 4

30 Days Of Christmas In Love (The Finale)

2009-12-19T09:27:00.000-08:00

Whew! At Last!
This post completes my month long series on the reasons I love my husband,
titled "30 Days Of Christmas In Love".
I have really enjoyed creating these posts! With the beginning of the New Year I will probably focus on some things other than my spouse, now that my readers are well acquainted with ALL of his wonderful attributes!
Happy Holidays All !!

For anyone who hasn't followed the series, for days 1-26: see previous posts.

Day 27

He Loves Sushi.

We both do, actually. He introduced me to it though when we were still dating. And even though it was

definitely the ugliest food I had ever put in my mouth....I loved it! We have shared sushi together in many different cities throughout this country and even across the globe in Australia and New Zealand.

Day 28

He Enjoys Fine Arts.

My husband has a learned and diverse knowledge in most things relating to the arts. Although he is not artistically talented himself. He is however a natural born musician. He can play songs on both piano and guitar having had little to no training.We both have very similar likes and dislikes when it comes to music or art. Neither of us is drawn to hard rock, rap, or alternative types of music. Nor are we fond of

unrecognizable or unrealistic works of art. Spray painting done in splotches by an animal is not ART to me, no matter what type of canvas it is on! Luckily we both agree on this too!

Day 29

He puts up with me.

This is perhaps the most important reason, "WHY" I love my husband. I am not the most difficult woman ever there was to live with. But I sure have my fair share, and then some, of skeletons in my past. No criminal records or anything like that, but I am somewhat insecure and touchy in certain areas, due to events from my childhood. I tend to direct most of my anger toward him, frequently. Sometimes he deserves it, but many times he doesn't. MY biggest misdeed however is that I have put the needs of our 3 children way ahead of

any attention given to my husband. It has been a progressive unintentional effort since the children were born and I often wish that I could turn back the hands of time so that I might change this awful reality.

I have never been overly fond of New Years resolutions, but I now know what mine will be for 2010!

Day 30

He is my Prince.

Every girl dreams of a night in shining armor to carry her away from the wicked step-monster or from her life of certain misery.I was surely no exception! Although , as I was a flight attendant for many years prior to meeting my handsome prince, I was not exactly living a life of emptiness or doom. But all the same, I do feel in some ways that I was rescued when I met my husband. I dated plenty of ugly toads along the way...BELIEVE me!! Now, I cannot imagine what my life would have been like without him in it. And I pray

that I will never find out!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY

Marriage must be respected by all,

and the marriage bed kept undefiled,

because God will judge immoral people and adulterers.

Hebrews 13 : 4

30 Days Of Christmas In Love (continued)

2009-12-19T06:17:00.000-08:00

Readers: This is a series which ends with Christmas.

For days 1- 22 see previous posts.

I love my husband because.....

Day 23

He is a Captain.

My husband LOVES boats, boating and everything in between. He has always loved being on the water.

He enjoys fishing, but his real love is just being out there, seeing everything and enjoying the beauty of nature

in the wild. Our first born child even sports a name which correlates to his love of boating. I won't disclose this name for safety sake...but needless to say it is a cool name and very original.

Recently my husband completed his certification for a captains license and has plans to start a business doing what he loves to do. Can't beat that huh?

Day 24

He kills for me.

O.k. ...Now that I have your attention back.....get your mind out of the gutter! No...my hubby is not a murderer. Let me explain. We live in a home that is in a very wooded area. Over the years we have had HUMONGOUS spiders in the house. I mean like tarantula size monster spiders. A neighbor says they are called fruit spiders.All I know is that they are fat and hairy and GROSS! AND.... I can't stand 'em!

My hubby just calmly walks right up to them and squishes them like the pests that they are! I don't know how he manages this but I am thankful. Then....one night...we had a snake in our master bathroom. Normally we see lots of harmless little green garden snakes and some black rat snakes(one fell out of a tree while eating a squirrel...right in the middle of a group of people at my childs 2nd Birthday party)YAY! Right? I am sure you can imagine the chaos that ensued.
Anyways...back to the snake which got into my house. It was an upstairs bathroom. Don't ya just love this!

And...no it wasn't a cute little garden snake OR a rat snake. It was red,yellow and black striped.....like....

a Coral snake, which is very poisonous!!! So I was FREEKING out!!! But luckily our neighbor told us the way to tell.... if red touches black....not poisonous, if red touches yellow....RUN LIKE heck!
Our snake was red on black.We were safe.

Needless to say he removed the snake. And about six months later I finally stopped looking over my shoulder for snakes in every corner of my house.

Day 25

He is the Garbage man.

Yup...that's right! Sort of.

Because we live in a rural area we don't have public trash pick-up.

So a couple of times a week my hubby takes all of our trash and our neighbors trash to the dump. Not

a real fun chore. Somebody has to do it though. This is why I love my guy!

Day 26

He leaves the toilet seat.... DOWN.

He is very considerate that way. He doesn't do alot of the gross things that some guys seem to always do.

I had two platonic male roommates for 7 years before I got married. So...BELIEVE me...I have seen it all!

Since I was like a sister to them both they felt comfortable to act naturally around me.You know, they weren't trying to impress me with their manners. Of course I don't know that my husband is still trying to impress me after all of these years either, but he still remembers his manners. And I love him for it.

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
But a married man is concerned about the things of the world--

how he may please his wife--.

1 CORINTHIANS 7 : 33

30 Days Of Christmas In Love (continued)

2009-12-18T07:51:00.000-08:00

Readers: This is a series which will end at Christmas.
For Days 1-18 See previous posts.

Due to the fact that we are going out of town for the Holidays I
will need to consolidate several days worth of entries into the next few posts. I hope that you have all enjoyed reading these posts as much as I have enjoyed creating them. I have enjoyed reading your feedback as well!

Day 19

He is Nosey!

This is not misspelled and does not refer to a character or personality flaw. It refers to the fact that he can smell a person smoking a cigarette a half mile away. His nose could challenge the best bird dog or drug sniffing canine.We can be stopped at a stoplight and he will say that he can tell someone is smoking a cigarette in another car...and sure enough...I will peep over at the vehicle in the lane next to ours....

and there you have it....a smoker! (my apologies to any readers who partake in this act)

I can be cooking something in our kitchen and the minute it begins to burn, which with my cooking is frequent, he of course takes notice. I love his nose!

Day 20

He Devours Books.

No...he doesn't actually eat them! But he sure LOVES to read them. He has even been known to read the dictionary! I kid you NOT!! We have a library filled with books in our home...most of which he has read at some time or another. It is a great example for our kids..who are at the ages where they don't want to HAVE to read even though they are both excellent readers ...well ahead of their grade levels in their lexile scores.

I keep hoping my husbands love for reading will eventually rub off on them!

Day 21

He is a Chamelion of sorts.

My guy looks good whether he is clean shaven or sporting a five o'clock shadow. I call this his mountain man look. One minute he is wearing jeans and a raggy t-shirt with hiking boots or sneakers and driving a tractor through our neighborhood to smooth out the roads which are unpaved and often filled with potholes.
The next time you see him he is wearing a fancy sport coat and hobnobbing with the towns upper-crust.
Handsome either way!

Day 22

He is a clown.

My husband must have been voted "CLASS CLOWN" when he was in school.
He has always had a strong sense of humor. And even though I am not always amused at what he finds
humorous.....I still love that child-like quality about him which never fails to keep things interesting and
more importantly, keeps him young at heart !

   SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
   Many plans are in a mans heart,

but the Lords decree will prevail.

PROVERBS 19: 21

30 Days Of Christmas In Love (continued)

2009-12-16T05:35:00.000-08:00

Readers: This is a series ending on Christmas. For Days 1- 17 see previous posts.

The reasons I love my husband are:

Day 18
He is Andy Griffith, Charles Ingalls & Mr. Mom all rolled into one!

My husband is a fairly firm disciplinarian. He manages to always

be sure to mix in just the right amount of tenderness and understanding while opening up a can of whoop*ass on whichever child is being unruley.

Don't worry there is no child abuse involved in the opening of the can. Just the tone he uses when angered is usually enough to spur them into behaving. But sometimes plan B comes into play. He will take away their allowance or their favorite video game or some other privilege. And of course they have PLENTY to lose.

He is fair in his punishment. But most importantly he almost always follows through with whatever he says he is going to do if they don't behave. The results of this are sometimes quite amusing . Often now when one of the children has disobeyed and is called to task for it...they will go and get the money from their piggy bank and bring it to him before he can even ask for it. Ya gotta love it!!!!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY

Teach a youth about the way he should go;

even when he is old he will not depart from it.

PROVERBS 22: 6

30 Days Of Christmas In Love

2009-12-14T07:23:00.000-08:00

Readers: This is a series. For Days 1-16 see previous "30 Days"
posts.

Day 17

He is Thrifty.

One of my favorite blogs is titled "The Cheapskate Mom".

It is written by another blogger mom who is always able to share various nifty, thrifty ideas with her readers. My husband, however, could have written the book on being "THRIFTY". Otherwise Known As: CHEAP! He has SOOO many tricks up his sleeve,it's almost embarrassing.
But he is not entirely to blame for his obsession with bargaining and scrimping and saving . His Father

was known for his thrifty ideas like: splitting one roll of toilet paper into two for double the wiping, and coasting his car into a parking space to save on gas. My husband is not nearly this cheap, but he can haggle the pants right off of a haggler! His thrift tricks are not just relegated to monetary ventures though. If there is a waiting line somewhere....you'd better believe he'll find a way around it. If there is a back-up in traffic....he's finding his way through like a bird-dog on its prey! But at least I KNOW that we won't be waiting in line at the bank when that rainy day comes that he's been saving up all of those scrimped pennies and dimes for!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY

The rich and the poor have this in common:

the Lord made them both.

PROVERBS 22: 2

30 Days Of Christmas In Love (Continued)

2009-12-12T07:54:00.000-08:00

Readers: See Previous posts "30 Days"
for Days 1-15

Day 16

He is a GREAT Uncle.
My husbands nephew is being raised in a single parent home. Unfortunately, there is not a father in this boys life. So in many ways my husband has taken over the male parenting role for his nephew. Before I entered this post this morning my husband was sitting at our kitchen table trying to figure out how to attach 6 patches to his nephews Boy Scouts uniform for him and attempting to put a hem in the bottom of his uniform pants too. You might wonder why my husband was doing this instead of me....he is stubborn that way sometimes! Believe it or not, I think he actually enjoys doing things like this. It may sound funny, but I am sometimes jealous of my own children for having such a great Father! But I am touched by his devotion both to his own children and to his nephew.

Scripture Of The Day
But you Yourself have seen trouble and grief, observing it in order to take the matter into Your hands. The helpless entrusts himself to You;
You are a helper of the fatherless. PSALM 10 : 14

30 Days Of Christmas In Love (Continued)

2009-12-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

*First... I must tell my readers that the image used in this post (although a little grainy) is a digital photograph (taken by me) of an old picture of my own mother in Santa's lap at the age of 6. Isn't it awesome! She passed away in 1997 before I married my wonderful Husband.

*Readers: This is the half-way mark for a "30 Days" series
on the reasons that I love my husband.
For Days 1-14 see previous "30 Days" posts.

Day 15

He Still Looks Good at 50.

My husband celebrated his 50th Birthday today. O.K. well...
maybe he didn't exactly celebrate it....because ....well you know....he's a "senior" now. But lemme tell you...
He looooooks maaaaavelous!!
No gray in that, still full, head of hair he has. No Dunlap Syndrome. For those of you who haven't heard of this...it's the condition some men have where their belly has done lapped over their breeches so they can't see their toes. He doesn't even need the bi-focals .....yet. But...of course..
he got 3 pairs of them as gag gifts at his 50th birthday surprise party. But you can bet there won't be any shuffleboarding by my guy anytime soon!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
Do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit
who is in you, whom you have from God?
1 CORINTHIANS 6 : 19

30 Days Of Christmas In Love (Continued)

2009-12-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

Readers: This is the continuation of a 30 Day series on "the reasons I love my husband". I am not gushing about him for the sole purpose of making anyone jealous, but more as a sort of self-imposed penance to balance out all of times when I have felt the need to vent about him in my blog. For those of you who are married...you should know....this is not as easy as it might seem! But I am finding it more fun to write than the complaints.

For Days 1-13 see previous posts "30 Days"

Day 14

He Drives The Carpool.

Now this is actually almost comical. We have 7 children in our carpool....yes I said...7.
Two of them are our own children. But when they are all present there is a Kindergartner, a First grader, a second grader, 3 third graders and a seventh grader. You can imagine the noise!!!
Luckily we take turns driving the route to the school and back...a 20 minute drive each way....with three other families. So it works out to only 1 day per week, sometimes two.
And ever since our third child was born last year, my Super-Dad husband has taken over this role of driving the carpool when it is our turn. If you knew my husband and the fact that he is just a tad-bit impatient and HATES to wait in lines of any kind....you would see how this is both comical & amazing!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY

I waited patiently for the Lord,
and He turned to me and heard my cry for help.
PSALM 40 : 1

Lemonade Award

2009-12-07T18:10:00.000-08:00

This award was passed to me and I wish to thank Being Me whose blog
http://mothersalways.blogspot.com is always like a breath of fresh air.

The rules are as follows:
1. Thank the giver of the award and link their blog.
2. List 5 things about yourself
3. Link 5 new recipients and notify them.

***************************************************************************************
5 Things You Never Wanted To Know About Me
(but I'll tell you anyway)

* I highlight the brunette hairs on my head now to hide the gray ones coming in*

* I HATE folding laundry!*

* I am a fan of Nicholas Sparks novels.*

* My favorite t.v. shows: Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Flash Forward.*

* I love my Honda Pilot (I know...it's a gas guzzling...not-so-"GREEN" SUV...but I love it!*
*************************************************************************************
5 New Recipients

* Tamara- Mad Boastings Of A Cheapskate Mom @ http://proudtobecheap.blogspot.com
(for being such a fun site to browse)

* Ali-Thoughts From The Written Universe @ http://thoughtsfromthewrittenuniverse.blogspot.com
(for always giving an interesting read)

* Prayers Go Up, Blessings Come Down @ http://prayersgoup.blogspot.com
(for thinking of so many with your blessings and prayers)

* Daily Doses Of Mama Drama @ http://mamaswithdrama.blogspot.com
(I just love the title! But it's always fun to read your posts too)

*John Deere Mom @ http://johndeeremom.blogspot.com
(Great photos and stories)

30 Days Of Christmas In Love (Continued)

2009-12-07T12:30:00.001-08:00

Readers:
This is a series which began just before Thanksgiving and will end on Christmas. It is a sort of self-imposed penance. To see
Days 1-12 Please read previous posts "30 Days"

Day 13

He is a Thinker.

My husband knows a little bit about A LOT of things.
He is one of those people who is really good at "JEOPARDY". He follows the news and the world markets, religiously. So he is always knowledgeable and well informed on most things. He likes to quote statistics and probabilities and things of that sort which I guess can seem kind of nerdy to some. In fact most of his friends and even some relatives pick on him for this, but I find it endearing.
I think that they are all just jealous!

Scripture Of The Day
This extraordinary knowledge is beyond me.
It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.
PSALM 139: 6

30 Days Of Christmas In Love (Continued)

2009-12-06T13:54:00.000-08:00

Readers: for days 1-11
(See previous posts "30 Days")

The reasons I love my husband......

Day 12

He is Old Fashioned.

My man was born in the 1950's but one might almost think he was from a different era.
He has some very old fashioned principles and beliefs. For starters what I am doing right now...
the whole "computer" thing....he doesn't get it, doesn't want to learn about it, & just generally can't stand it. Most days he would like to throw our laptop in a river....I'm not kidding! I am afraid that one day he will do it. He hates everything about them. And while I am not exactly a pro in the modern technology realm, I can at least usually work my way through these things.
My husband, however, would much rather rely on books and newspapers as his source of information. He would rather waltz than boogie or break-dance or whatever dances they do these days. If we are on a formal "date night" he remembers those good old fashioned gentlemanly manners like standing when I excuse myself from the table and holding my chair or holding the door open for me. And if someone else is in need of assistance my guy is the one you may see helping them. This is yet another reason I love him.

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity;
leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
ROMANS 12: 8

Circle Of Friends Award

2009-12-06T07:30:00.000-08:00

I received an award from Andrea, whose blog "Arise 2 Write" @ http://arise2write.blogspot.com is always a GREAT read. What an honor!

As I understand the rules, I am supposed to list 5 things that I like to do
and then pay it forward (so to speak).

MY 5 Favorite Things To Do
1. Travel to places that I have never been to before.

2. Spoil my children (in a good way) with all the things that I never had.

3. Eat Sushi.

4. Stay in pj's on a rainy day watching good old movies with yummy snacks.

5. Play tourist in my own home town on a date night with my hubby.
************************************************************************************** New Recipients

*Arlee @ http://tossingitout.blogspot.com

*Julie @ http://47andstartingover.blogspot.com

*"Alice In Wonderland" @ http://thewondersofalice.blogspot.com

* Noelle @ http://asgodintended.blogspot.com

*Sannita @ http://livingartwork.blogspot.com

30 Days Of Christmas In Love (Continued-And The Plot Thickens)

2009-12-04T18:53:00.000-08:00

Readers: For Days 1-10 (See previous posts "30 Days" series)

Day 11

Martha S. aint got NOTHIN on my guy.

As I am typing, it is 10pm the night before my youngest childs 1st birthday . I know at this point many of you are finding it hard to believe that my guy is real, but he is in the kitchen right now baking a cake for the party tomorrow. This has been his special gift to each of our 3 children
every year on their birthdays. He bakes and decorates their cakes. Now..... are they perfect? No. But they are the best cakes in the world to the kids of course! He always asks them how they want their cakes made...and what type... white or chocolate?Color of icing, etc.? And then he tries to oblige to the best of his ability. Over the years he has become quite the pro at this.
The thing that I find the most endearing about this labor of love of his is the fact that he is not overly fond of desserts himself. But he can sure bake a mean cake! And...as Martha would say...
"That's a Gooood Thing."

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
Love must be without hypocrisy.
Detest evil; cling to what is good.
ROMANS 12: 9

30 Days Of Christmas In Love (The Gushing Continues)

2009-12-04T04:46:00.000-08:00

Readers: For Days 1-9 ( See previous posts--"30 Days")

Day 10

He Doesn't Act His Age.

My Hubby turns 50 this week. But you'd never know it by his looks or his behavior.
He really doesn't look much over 40. And he is like the energizer bunny! He never stops! Some of this is due to what I am sure today would be diagnosed as ADD-HD.
But I just love the fact that he is always ready to go & see & do just about anything.
When I was a kid my own Dad didn't care much about "playing" with me or doing fun things like going to the park, or the fair etc. I always thought it was due to his age. But my husband has shown me time and time again that the old saying
"You're only as old as you feel" is very true!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
Teach a youth about the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22: 6

Overjoyed To Be "Over The Top"

2009-12-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

O.K. This is just a brief respite from "30 Days" of gushing about my Wonderful Husband. I was passed this awesome award by Christie Jolu whose blog "Tales from my head" @ http://christiejolu.blogspot.com
is always a great read!

The rules as I understand them to be are simple:

1. Post the award in your blog.

2. Thank and link the person & their blog who gave the award.

3. List five awesome bloggers to receive the award.

4. Notify the recipients.
*************************************************************************************
NEW RECIPIENTS

1. "White Dove" @ http://ibwhitedove.blogspot.com

2. Andrea--"Arise 2 Write" @ http://arise2write.blogspot.com

3. GAIA---"Journey Of A Single Mum" @ http://journeyofasinglemum.blogspot.com

4. Peggy--"Little Things In Life" @ http://tyme2spare.blogspot.com

5. Dayne--"Coach Your Mind" @ http://coachyourmind.blogspot.com

CONGRATULATIONS!!

30 Days Of Christmas In Love (Continued)

2009-12-02T12:07:00.000-08:00

Readers:
(For Days 1-8 , See Previous Posts---Same title)

Day 9
He turns the page.

By this I mean he never stays angry for long.
We have always had the type of relationship where we, fairly often, have small squabbles over the little things. Hardly ever do we have huge arguments and never over anything serious like
money, child rearing, or religious beliefs. No..... we disagree about things like....how to properly load the dishwasher, or how much laundry is too much at one time in the washer or dryer.
But when I get mad....I tend to want to raise my voice and throw a fit, while he usually remains somewhat calm & collected....NATURALLY! Which, of course, just makes me all the madder!
And I can stay mad for hours after we have a disagreement. He...on the other hand...is already
on to some new topic as if nothing occurred. While this infuriates me in the moment.....I also love it about him, because..... if he threw a fit and stayed mad too...I am sure we'd never get anywhere together.

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
A fool gives full vent to his anger,
but a wise man holds it in check.
PROVERBS 29: 11

30 Days Of Christmas In Love (continued)

2009-12-01T04:01:00.000-08:00

For anyone who is reading this post .....you must read the previous post, first--same title---"30 Days Of Christmas In Love".

I love my husband because.....

Day 8
He is MAPMAN.
My husband has a very Very inquiring mind. He also has a photographic memory when it comes to remembering directions. Put those two things together---and---Whatta Ya Got?--*MapMan*
EVERYwhere we go, he has his face glued to a map....learning every little detail about the surrounding area for a hundred miles or so. Now....the upside of this is that we are hardly ever "lost". But it also has a few drawbacks. Many people, upon arriving at their intended travel destination, like to kick back....relax a bit....lay by the pool...or maybe get a massage.
NOT my MAPMAN! He's already rented a car, got a map(of course), spoken to half of the locals to find out the best sights to see, and seen half of them before most people have unpacked their belongings. And what I love so much about this quality of his(even though I don't get to lay by the pool sometimes) is that there is never a dull moment!

Scripture Of The Day
Happy is a man who finds wisdom
and who acquires understanding,
PROVERBS 3: 13

30 Days Of Christmas In Love

2009-11-23T23:57:00.000-08:00

O.K......So...Yes I am now feeling just a little bit guilty about my last post which was
for me nothing more than creative venting, but for my readers may have seemed
more like a barrage of negativity towards my loving husband.
Therefor I have decided to balance the scales, so to speak. Over the next 30 days before Christmas I will write at least one reason for each day that I love my hubby.

Of course I have one small snafu in my plans already, we are
leaving today to spend Thanksgiving in a place where there is no signal for my computer.
Soooo...I guess I'll have to think of & share the first 7 reasons in this post. But will share the rest, daily ,on my return. And here goes...................

I Love my husband because.....

DAY 1
He is a softie.
(Let me explain) When we first met, the umpteenth remake of the classic love story "An Affair To Remember"was in theaters..this one I believe titled "Love Affair" with Annette Bening & Warren Beatty. We had both seen the movie. And then one night the old original version was playing on the television. So...we watched it. Only he was watching from his
home (300 miles from where I lived) and I was watching in my home. So of course it played out like a scene from yet another classic romantic movie, "When Harry Met Sally". Because during the commercials we would call each other on the phone to compare notes on which we liked better, the original or the remake.
And at the end of the movie when Nicky Ferrantie ( Cary Grant) opens the bedroom door of
Terri McKay (Deborah Kerr) and spies the portrait hanging above her bed, thus proving that she
of course had a "very good reason " for not meeting him atop the Empire State Building, .....
I spoke to my honey on the phone and ....Yes, you guessed it.... he was crying!
He still does...cry when watching sappy movie scenes, or at weddings, and of course at the birth of each of our children. That first time though was when I knew... he was a keeper!

Day 2
We have A LOT in common.
We were both raised in the south under similar circumstances. The main ingredient: dysfunction.
We both were children of divorce.Luckily we are both committed to rising above our pasts and giving our children the stability neither of us had.
Both love music(all except rap) & arts. Both love traveling. Both spontaneous types. Obviously both enjoy good movies. Both Love Sushi--this is important!

Day 3
He is generous.
He will quite often leave a very large tip to someone who has provided a service just to brighten their day. He gives his time(not just $) to charitable causes. He gave up 6 0r 7 Fourth of July
holidays with his own children, to volunteer at a summer camp for children with cancer. He spent a week each time taking these sick little ones for boat rides. Of course most of them would want to be pulled on tubes behind the boat, which would make him a nervous wreck every year,
because most of them would have medical devices & tubes connected to their torso's which were NOT supposed to get real wet!
Also a few years in a row he was a "Secret Santa". He spent the wee hours of the night before Christmas anonymously delivering presents to children who had recently lost a parent.

Day 4
HE COMPLETES ME.
I know,I know. Sounds corny. Tom Cruise aint got nothin' on my man though!
He honestly knows ALL of my likes and dislikes and knows what I want...BEFORE..I want it.
He finishes my sentences quite often & steals the thought from my brain before my mouth can say it.

Day 5
He is a GREAT DAD.
He spends lots of time teaching our children lots of things. He teaches them math by asking them questions which inspire them to solve mathematical equations. He is good at this. He finds creative ways to help them learn. He will take them out to play ball or ride bikes. He lets them steer the boat--which they just LOVE--when water is smooth & traffic is slow. He gives them all the attention they desire and need ,mixed with just the right amount of structure and direction.

Day 6
He Pampers Me
He gives me just about everything a girl could want(within reason).
A nice faithful husband, a nice place to call home, lots of clothes, lots & LOTS of shoes---of course, jewelry, a nice car to drive...ok it's actually a gas guzzling SUV,but the best thing he gives me is the ability for me to raise our children without working outside of the home.

Day 7
He is a fantastic cook.
He actually cooks more than and better than me. This was the clincher for me when we were dating. One year for Thanksgiving he cooked for me. And I meeeaaan COOKED!!
See I was a flight attendant who had to work on all holidays. My holiday meals were always spent on the run either in an airport restaurant, a Cracker Barrel somewhere, or worst of all...
on the plane! So one year he invited me to fly to his hometown to eat Thanksgiving Dinner with his family. As I devoured the scrumptious meal with every one of my favorite dishes....even my favorite dessert...at first I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, but then as I looked around I noticed he wasn't eating much and neither were any of the others. Why? You might ask.
Well as it turned out, they had all eaten their Thanksgiving dinner much earlier in the day.
But because I had to fly in so late after working.....this wonderful man had prepared this entire meal, by himself, JUST FOR ME! And he and his family sat and ate again, just for me. So that I wouldn't dine alone on Thanksgiving. Can you imagine? What a gem he is!!

STAY tuned for more to come....after THANKSGIVING.

Scripture Of The Day
Marriage must be respected by all,
and the marriage bed kept undefiled, because God will judge immoral people and adulterers.
HEBREWS 13 : 4

Does The Thought Count Any More?

2009-11-22T09:50:00.000-08:00

In this post I would like to share with you a much debated issue, which has been an ongoing
source of tension for my husband and me. It occurs with every birthday and anniversary, as well as on Valentines Day, Father's Day, & most of all at Christmas. It goes something like this....
when these occasions approach, as any loving wife would do, I try for weeks before-hand to figure out just the right gift to show my husband that he is loved. Actually, I usually give several smaller ones as opposed to just one. Perhaps this is due to the fact that in my own childhood presents were often scarce, due to financial hardships. So I like to shower my loved ones with presents on special occasions. But over the years it has gotten increasingly difficult to give anything to my husband.
He pretty much has just about everything ,"materially" speaking, that he wants, except maybe a 70 ft. Trawler boat. And so he just tosses things aside after opening them, usually. Doesn't even pretend to be excited or surprised or even interested in whatever the gift may be. Oh sure...he smiles and says thank you, but 9 times out of ten the gift goes unopened, unused and evidently unappreciated. He even told me last year that he would rather I only give things which have some "special" emotional meaning behind them, like a collage of pictures of our kids, or a picture I have painted, or a CD with his favorite music..... you get the idea. And YES I know that it is better to give something from the heart with personal time invested to create it. But it is also much MUCH harder to do than to purchase some bobble or trinket from a shop somewhere.
And this is where we have a problem.
My hubby has a double standard. He LOVES to give....not so much- to receive! He has spoiled me over the years with wonderful gifts....all bought in stores, of course. Clothes, jewelry, gadgets, my favorite fluffy socks & pj's, and even a new car(3 times). And B_E_L_I_E_V_E me.....I love being spoiled....in a good way!
My problem is compounded too by the fact that his birthday....falls just 2 weeks before Christmas! Last year, after he had tossed aside his birthday presents without bothering to take them out of the store packages. My feelings were hurt for the umpteenth time and I was actually considering just giving him a letter for Christmas that year. I spent hours awake at night thinking about the letter's contents, and of course seething more and more with each composed word. The letter explained how I felt that while it is a great thing to be blessed with a giving nature, It is actually...I feel...just as important, maybe even more so, to be able to receive. Otherwise, how can we truly RECEIVE our heavenly Father's love if we are not able to do so with others?
What did he think of this heartfelt present? You may wonder.
Well....of course.....his loving wife never gave it to him. And...Yes....I am taking a good gamble that he won't read this post! If he does....what can I say....LOVE YOU HUBBY!! :)
SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning.
JAMES 1: 17

In A Skinny Minute

2009-11-20T12:32:00.000-08:00

So I was watching t.v. this morning and in between all of the stories about or advertisements for "Twilight", they touched on another topic in the news....Kate Moss' statement on her preference to be "skinny". And all of a sudden there is all of this feigned shock and disgust that she may be influencing young minds with such a statement. Well.....EXCUSE ME....but who do they think they are kidding? The press and media have done nothing in the last 30 years but propel the idea that any woman wearing anything greater than a size 2 is pudgy and sizes 4-6 downright FAT.
After that I guess we're all apparently grotesque! I have had to struggle for years now to stay in my size 6 jeans. And I can fit in them alright, which isn't half bad if you consider the fact that my youngest child is not yet a year old. But like many who are in denial, truth be said...I am really a size 8. I was size 6 when I was 18. I have had 3 kids.....and have gray hairs sprouting from my scalp....but I am made to feel ,by the pressures of the material world we live in, that I'd better keep a small waist. And then you have to worry whether or not your husband is gonna trade you in for the newer SKINNIER model. O.K., well I don't think that I need to worry so much about my husband, but I have several friends who are dealing with their straying spouses mid-life crisis.
I think that I touched on this in an earlier blog post but, I watched a YOU-TUBE clip a few months ago which was appropriately titled "Evolution" it had been posted by Dove.I believe it was part of their campaign to help change the way women see themselves. Kudo's to Dove !
The video focuses on a model who is being prepped for a photo shoot. And in the beginning she has 0 make-up on her face. She is just an ordinary looking girl, has some freckles on her nose and a zit or two. Probably wouldn't turn many heads if you saw her walking down the street. They brilliantly capture, in time-lapse format, every detail of the miraculous transformation of this young woman. Which includes hair extensions,added by a professional stylist, of course, a perfect ton of makeup,followed by touch-up after touch-up to expertly erase any imperfections and add just the right amount of 'beauty' which hadn't been given by God. By the end of the video she is what many would consider striking and some might even say...gorgeous. With 0 flaws. The final scene as the camera pans away shows the finished product, a full size Billboard...not Times Square I think...but just as well could be. There are plenty of them there which began just like this one. (To view the video clip use this link)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U

I just wonder what we are saying to our children? My son is 6 and is as thin as a rail, but worries that his belly is too big. I know that there are health risks to being overweight. But I don't think this is the reason for this skewed sense of what is considered attractive in our society. I can't say enough good things about a company like Dove who is willing to go beyond the norm to create real change, important and needed CHANGE!
As for people like Kate Moss....Go EAT!!!!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting,
but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.
Proverbs 31: 30

BLUSHING

2009-11-19T06:58:00.000-08:00

If You could see me now....my cheeks are red. I cannot believe that yet another one of my awesome and very faithful followers has again nominated me for this award.
I am sending my most sincere THANKS for this award to:
aynzan "Musings of Mom2Four" at http:aynzan.blogspot.com/

As with every award there are rules to be followed:

* Thank person who gave you the award.
*Copy award.
*Post it in your blog.
*Tell us 7 things that your readers don't know about you.
*Link 7 new bloggers as recipients.
*Notify winners of award with comment on their blog.
*Keep being awesome.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7 Awesome Blogger Nominees

*A Book With A View* http://abookwithaview.blogspot.com/
*Because It's Family* http://becausefamily.blogspot.com/
*Girl Talk* http://aimee-girltalk.blogspot.com/
*Making A Change* http://makingachangeonestepatatime.blogspot.com/
*Politics, What?* http://politicswhat.blogspot.com/
*The Choir Girl* http://thechoirgirl.blogspot.com/
*Writing4Heaven* http://writing4heaven.blogspot.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7 Things You Still May Not Know

*Purple is my favorite color
*I am a fan of Audrey Hepburn films
*My mother resembled Ms. Hepburn in her 20's
*I hate to have to blow my nose when I am sick
*I have been on 5 of the 7 continents on Earth
*I get embarrassed to pray aloud
*I pray every day that I will break the curse of bad genes in my family
and live long enough to have grandchildren!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly
and the pride of sons is their fathers.
PROVERBS 17 : 6

Twilight

2009-11-18T06:28:00.001-08:00

What on Earth is all this hubbub about Twilight? I went for a power walk with a girl friend yesterday and she was telling me about how she had noticed all of these soccer moms reading
this book. O.K...... they were actually baseball moms but you get the idea. I told her that I had seen some preview for a movie coming out soon about werewolves or vampires or some silly thing like that. And she informed me that it is actually a sequel and that I should rent the first movie and MUST SEE this new release when it comes out. I said "Okeedokie". End of subject. I had no intention of course of renting the movie and could take or leave the sequel. But then I turned on the radio this morning and the topic of conversation on the local morning talk show.....Twilight (the book series). They had a male listener on who was telling how his wife had read the series and was nagging him to do so. And he had laughed inwardly, knowing that he wasn't gonna be caught dead reading some chick-flick worthy book. Then he was at work recently on a construction job site, and was surprised to see all of these big burly, MANLY men reading and talking about....Twilight. He said they were actually taking turns on their lunch break reading the book aloud to each other! What a sight that must have been!
Well.....I return home from dropping the kids at school and the t.v. is on with a morning show and ...YES ...you guessed it...they were talking about Twilight ! I have never been one to crumble under peer pressure but I don't wish to be one of these stodgy people who turns their nose up to anything they are unfamiliar with either. My dilemma though is... do I rent the first movie and make my friend happy or do I buy the book and read the series first? You know what they always say about the book being 100 times better than the movie. Any Opinions?

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
Listen! I am telling you a mystery:
We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed,
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
1 CORINTHIANS 15: 51

SLEEP BEAUTIFUL SLEEP

2009-11-15T05:10:00.000-08:00

Is it just me? Or is anyone else out there
SERIOUSLY deprived of sleep?
My husband and I both share this problem.
It is amazing to me at our ages that we manage to make it through most days. I mean....We aren't
spring chickens anymore. My husband can qualify for free checking in a few years and I will
have the dreaded "M" word to look forward to.
Menopause.....there I said it!
And between the two of us, we maybe get 8 hours of sleep on a GOOD night.....4 for him.....4 for me. We have different reasons for our sleep
issues though. My problem is almost a year old, sucks on a binky, and wakes me up to swig milk from a baa-baa several times each night! OK....She's not a "PROBLEM" but her inability to sleep through the night for almost a year now......IS!!
My husband on the other hand can't sleep because.........
.LET ME COUNT THE WAYS.......
1. His back aches
2.He started watching t.v. and then couldn't fall asleep
3. He was reading a book too good to put down
4. The neighbors dogs were barking
5. Someone was having a party two houses down from ours
(WE ARE AN ACRE from the house next door)
6. and my personal favorite....HE.....heard the baby cry.

So needless to say when HE wakes up each morning complaining about how TIRED......HE...is....
I just want to scream!!!!!! If I didn't have to wake up with the baby e-v-e-r-y night I would be sleeping like.....a baby! YEAH what a silly phrase that one is.
WHO SAYS BABIES SLEEP SOUNDLY?

I have seen all of the stories in the news about how "MILLIONS of Americans" have trouble sleeping. Although I find it hard to believe that sleeplessness is just an affliction on this continent. I am sure the Britt's and Aussies and everyone else is counting sheep too!
What do people in countries without sheep count? I wonder.
.
AND...YES .....BELIEVE ME.....I know that sleep deprivation is unhealthy over an extended period of time.
The good news is......I think....we may be be turning a new leaf. For the last two nights......
I have been blessed with a full nights sleep!!! The baby F_I_N_A_L_L_Y slept!!!!!
I am a NEW woman! Now I just need to figure out how to get my other baby....my hubby....
to sleep. STAY TUNED!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest, PROVERBS 6: 10

THE WAY IT IS

2009-11-15T04:32:00.000-08:00

If you came to my site today because you were passed an award by me. First let me say......

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was passed the "FROM ME TO YOU" flowers award two times this week AND now the Superior Scribbler Award for the second time. That's 2 awards 4 times in 1 week! WOW!

If you were passed the "FROM ME TO YOU" flowers award...see the post "Speechless"

If you were passed the "Superior Scribbler" Award....scroll to bottom of this post.

[ Thanks to " Better Man" at http://becomingthebestpersonicanbe.blogspot.com/
for the "Superior" award!]

If you are not here about anything to do with an award, but you get all fuzzy and warm inside
just thinking about things like that and you are really curious to know
7 THINGS ABOUT ME THAT READERS STILL DON"T KNOW

then you too need to scroll to my last post "SPEECHLESS".

BUT IF YOU DON"T CARE ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE'S STINKIN' AWARDS AND JUST WANTED A GOOD READ..............YOU MUST SEE THE POST PREVIOUS TO "SPEECHLESS" called "DIARY OF A GRUMPY GROWNUP".

SORRY.....BUT THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS : ) .........AND NO..... I'm NOT GRUMPY!!! TODAY.

*******************************************************************************************
As a recipient of the Superior Scribbler Award there are rules to be followed as always.

Superior Scribbler Rules :

*Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass the Award to 5 most deserving Bloggy friends.

*Each Superior Scribbler must link to the Author & name of the blog from whom he/she received the Award.

*Each Superior Scribbler must display the Award on his/her blog and link to this post which explains the award.

*Each blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler award must visit this post:
http://scholastic-scribe.blogspot.com/2008/10/200-this-blings-for-you.html

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5 MOST DESERVING BLOGGY FRIENDS

* "S. K. SAINI" at http://sksainitheauthor.blogspot.com/

* "R.A.W." at http://readingartandwriting.blogspot.com/

* "Reflections OF A Chocoholic" at http://petitepralines.blogspot.com/

* "Tales From My Head" at http://christiejolu.blogspot.com/

* " A Child's Dark Memories" at http://darkmemories-happy-go-lucky.blogspot.com/

Speechless

2009-11-14T08:53:00.001-08:00

O.K. ............That is what I am.......Speechless!!
I was so surprised upon receiving this award the first time, followed by the Superior Scribbler. But to have it passed to me again is truly AWESOME!!!
My sincere Thanks go to Better Man "Becoming A Better Person" at http://becomingthebestpersonicanbe.blogspot.com/

A few simple rules apply to the recipients of this award.

1.Thank the person who gave you the award.
2.Copy the Award.
3.Post it in your blog.
4. Tell Us 7 things that your readers don't know.
5. Link 7 new bloggers as recipients.
6. Notify winners of award with comment on their blog.
7. Keep being Awesome.
**************************************************

7 Most Deserving New Recipients:

1. "Petchildo" at http://petchildo.blogspot.com/ (GREAT PHOTOS)

2. "Don't Even Go There" at http://dont-even-go-there.blogspot.com/ (a Traveler's Guide)

3. "DIY Wedding Stationery" at http://diy-wedding-stationery.blogspot.com/ (Informative site for creative projects)
4. "Learning To Be Selfish" at http://learningtobeselfish.blogspot.com/ (Insightful posts)

5. "John Deere Mom" at http://johndeeremom.blogspot.com/ ( Interesting posts & Great Pics)
6. "Mommy's Kitchen" at http://www.mommyskitchen.net/ ( Fun Recipe's & Enticing Photos)
7. "2be4tunate" at http://2be4tunate.blogspot.com/
( Ideas & Information on Success)

************************************************************************************** 7 Things You Still Don't Know About Me

1. I am a "Roach-aphobic"! ....can't stand the little creepy crawlers!

2. My father died of Alzheimer's and I worry that I will get it some day.

3. I found the Sapphire rainbow 10 year anniversary ring(a gift from my loving Husband) which I wrote about having lost in a previous post. YAY YAY YAY! Whew!!!!

4. I have jumped from a plane....at 10,000 ft. with a parachute on my back before...but....

5. I have a fear of death. I worry about it all-- the--- time!

6. In another life I would like to be a piano playing photographer& missionary who happened to be a famous singer. (Almost sounds a bit like Angelina Jolie--- who my husband likes more than I do)

7. I am a CARB Addict!!! I confess!!! So sue me .

Scripture Of The Day
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God,
so that He may exalt you in due time,
1 PETER 5 : 6

DIARY OF A GRUMPY GROWNUP

2009-11-12T04:23:00.000-08:00

My daughter created this title recently when she finished reading the latest version
of the book series which apparently e-v-e-r-y pre-teen girl or boy is reading....."Diary of a Wimpy Kid". I told her she should think about contacting the author to see if he wants to start a new series using her idea! LOL. I have it on loan, of course, for use in my blog until then.
**************************
But it got me thinking......Are we just a bunch of whiny, bratty, spoiled & grumpy grownups?
**************************
The reason I am asking this is because I am noticing a trend within the current population of adults. We seem to think that we are "entitled" to receive things. We feel we should "have" what everyone else "has". Whether or not we have earned it or even deserve to have it.
I mean..... who were THE JONES' anyways? Because it seems that e-v-e-r-yone wants to keep up with them. A perfect example of spoiled or "Grumpy" grownups played itself out in my own family this week. With the holidays fast approaching, someone decided that it might be nice to have the entire extended family get together to celebrate over a nice home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner. But the idea had barely been formed when all of a sudden there began all of this conjecture over the WAY that things should be done.
My husband had kindly offered up the use of our vacation home in the mountains as a base of operation for the whole shindig. And arranged through a very generous neighbor the use of 3 additional vacation residences to house the whole gang for the weekend. But instead of sounding GRATEFUL.........there was all of this "whining" and "complaining" by some about how far the drive would be, and who would stay in which house with which relative(YES......RELATIVE....not strangers...GEEEEEZ) and could they bring their pets? And do the places have decent fireplaces? 'Cause you know we gotta have that! And what about the menu? Who will cook what? There can't be any free-loaders!
REEEEALY!!!!!! OMG! AND this is just my spoiled family!
I know there are many more out there just like mine. It is funny though because....we teach our kids to say "Please" and "Thank you" and to be kind to others, and be appreciative. But somewhere along the way many of us "Grownups" have forgotten our own advice.

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faith,
GALATIANS 5: 22

WHO NEEDS THE CMA'S? I GOT THE SSA !

2009-11-11T18:33:00.000-08:00

O.K. Double-WOW !!! Two awards in one week!
What's a girl to do? Well firstly, I must make a correction to my previous post "My First Award".
When I logged on today I had received a message on my site informing me that I had received an award. I thought that it was my first nomination.
But I later found out that I had also been awarded this Superior Scribbler Award ....4 days prior.....and had missed seeing mention of it on the blog site of the person who nominated me. So I must apologize for the oversight....and say THANK YOU so very much to Being Me at http://mothersalways.blogspot.com/
I am honored to have been chosen. As with any award in the blogger world there are rules to follow upon receiving the award. They are as follows:
*************************************************************************************
* Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy friends.

* Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & name of the blog from whom he/she has received the award.

* Each Superior Scribbler must display the award on his/her blog and link to This post which explains The award.

*Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post:
http://scholastic-scribe.blogspot.com/2008/10/200-this-blings-for-you.html
and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List.
That way, we'll be able to keep up to date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor.

* Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.
*************************************************************************************
And Now....The Award Goes TO......

1. Arlee "Tossing It Out" at http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/

2.Julie "47 And Starting Over" at http://47andstartingover.blogspot.com/

3.Denise "Prayers Go Up, Blessings Come Down" at http://prayersgoup.blogspot.com/

4.Andrea "Arise 2 Write" at http://arise2write.blogspot.com/

5.Lady Di/Amy "Daily Doses Of Mama Drama" at http://mamaswithdrama.blogspot.com

*************************************************************************************

MY FIRST AWARD

2009-11-11T09:09:00.001-08:00

YAY! What an unexpected yet pleasant surprise!
I logged on today...with the intention of writing a new post(and I was struggling with this), but instead found that I have been given an AWESOME award! MY First award of any kind related to my blog! I am truly honored to receive it.

It was given by Janice whose blog "My Diary" can be found at http://janmrp.blogspot.com/ . I am very thankful to Janice for passing the award to me.
As with any award it has a few steps or rules the recipient must follow after receiving the award. And they are:

1. Thank the person who gave the award to you.

2. Copy award.

3. Post it in your blog.

4. Tell us 7 things that your readers don't know.

5. Link 7 new bloggers as recipients.

6. Notify winners of award with comment on their blog .

7. Keep being awesome!

*************************************************************************************
7 THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME

1. I am shy.

2. I wish I were younger so that I could have more kids.

3. I have a God given ability to figure out, by ear ,how to play
songs on the piano.

4. I hate my hair.

5. If I won the Lottery I would hire a full-time housekeeper
(so that I could spend all of my time focused on my kids).

6. I drowned in a canal when I was 4 years old,
was rescued by a teenager,pronounced dead at the scene,revived by my mother
and lived to tell the story.

7. I am a certified scuba diver! (That's right... I Love the water)
************************************************************************************

Now for their very hard work as fellow bloggers, I have nominated the following blogs
as recipients of this award:

1.Peggy "Little Things In Life" at http://tyme2spare.blogspot.com/

2.Teri K "A Book With A view" at http://abookwithaview.blogspot.com/

3. Better Man "Becoming A Better Person" at
http://becomingthebestpersonicanbe.blogspot.com/

4.Aynzan " Musings of mom2four" at http://aynzan.blogspot.com/

5.Niqi "Niqis Nook" at http://niqisnook.blogspot.com/

6.Sannita "Life and Painthings" at http://livingartwork.blogspot.com/

7. Delwyn "A Hazy Moon" at http://ahazymoon.blogspot.com/

****GOOD LUCK****HAPPY BLOGGING******CONGRATS************************

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
The wicked man earns an empty wage,
but the one who sows righteousness, a true reward.
PROVERBS: 11 : 18

A BIT OF ADVICE ABOUT GIVING ADVICE

2009-11-03T09:23:00.000-08:00

I was reading another blogger's post recently in which the author shared an experience where they felt that at one moment, frozen in time(many years ago), they had made a decision. An important, life altering kind of decision which went against the advice they received at the time from others and more importantly went against that little voice in their head which was tugging them in a different direction. And in that moment....at that single moment in time....a huge part of the path their future life would take was formed. If they had only followed that faint little voice back then.....oh what a different life they might have today. A better life? Maybe. But who's to say?
I have a moment in my life just like this. Where a single event occurred, and I was faced with a decision which once made ,definitely had a big effect on where I am today. While I do feel that I may have made the wrong choice in that moment and it is one of only a few regrets I have in my life. I do not often dwell on it. I firmly believe that I am certainly where God wanted me to be right now. But after reading the other post, I came to one important realization after all of these years about my experience . "My decision" had in fact been made, based on the advice I received from a teacher. Someone I trusted and looked up to. This person , I am sure, felt that they were trying to be helpful to me at the time. And while their advice was not entirely off base. They failed to take into consideration some important ramifications which could occur if that advice was taken. Basically, this person, in a way... "changed my life". And so I feel the need to share....A bit of advice about giving advice. And since you can see by now that I am long winded today....let me start from the beginning.
When I was in the 7th grade in school, I decided to learn to play an instrument. So I joined the band. But I was a little late in making this decision and all of the sections in the band were already pretty full with other students. So I was given 2 choices of instrument to play. I could play the drums....or.....I could play something I had never even heard of called the baritone. Well you have to have the picture squarely in your head of what this meant. I was a girl. And one who could stand under a clothesline in the rain and stay dry. At least that's what I was told plenty of times. All of the students in the drum section(back then) were boys. All of the students in the baritone section? That's right .....boys. And in case you, too, have never heard of the baritone.....it is basically a baby tuba. Which means it is a H-U-G-E instrument! And it so happens to be the one I chose.
For the next 5 years through junior high and high school, everywhere that I went....it went too! I still have the calluses on my palms today from carrying that monstrosity around. But...it actually grew on me. I became the best darned female baritone player in the state at the time. I won lots of awards, was written about in several newspaper articles, and was included in the national musical directory book "Who's Who In Music" my graduating year in high school. I was then offered 3 scholarships in Music by Universities in my home state. I began my college
adventure that fall as most newly emancipated young adults do with much excitement , anticipation and just a bit of nervousness thrown in for good measure. I was a Music major and all seemed right with the world. But then one day...out of the blue...it happened. That one moment in time....which changed ....everything!! My private music instructor(The "teacher" I referred to earlier) stopped me after a lesson one day. He said to me..."You are a very talented musician." " But I see that you are majoring in Music performance." " Have you considered how you will use this degree to earn a living after college?" "ON this particular instrument?" " The Baritone." " They aren't really used in symphonies, it is primarily a marching band instrument." "Odds of becoming an accomplished artist like Wynton Marsalis, on trumpet or Kenny G on sax are stacked against you." " You might ought to consider changing your major." And there it was....like a ton of bricks. With that 1 single piece of advice....my whole world crumbled before my eyes. All of the years I had spent on that instrument, in music, working for a career in music. In shambles! He was right. I had no idea ...how...I would make a living in this field. I hadn't really ever given it much thought. All I knew in that moment... was I couldn't imagine starting ALL over...on yet another instrument. And I had no idea what ...if any other field of study I might have any interest in. SO......I QUIT! That's right. I quit the instrument and I quit school. I forfeited my scholarship. And went to work full time at ....Taco Hell. OH YEAH.
And all these years later, Do I blame that teacher for my decision to quit school? No. That was my mistake...all on my own...my biggest regret in life. But....I do wish that he had taken a closer look at the effect that this piece of advice might have ....before it came spewing from his mouth. If he was going to give such a life altering opinion about my future, he could have done a little follow up and provided further direction...as a teacher. But he left me hanging!
And this is my advice to anyone who cares...If you give advice to someone...especially if you are a teacher, be careful what you say! Your advice may have a bigger, broader effect than you may even realize. Sometimes it is necessary to follow up on advice that has been given. And sometimes it should not be given at all.
Now in case you are wondering......No! I did not retire as an employee of a fast food chain. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I had a long, successful career in the aviation industry
for many years. And now I am mom. A career in it's own rite. But whether I am giving advice to my children or someone else, maybe even in the blogging world, I will at the very least take my own advice and tread carefully!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
I possess good advice and competence;
I have understanding and strength.
PROVERBS 8: 14

ON THE WAR PATH

2009-11-02T04:53:00.000-08:00

Does anyone, besides me, have kids who fight like CATS & DOGS with their siblings? Of course... you all do! But I have to wonder some days if mine have taken it to a whole new level of sibling rivalry! Like the Cain & Abel kind of stuff.
This morning is a prime example. The two oldest(a girl and a boy), who are 17 months apart in age (could this be the crux of the problem?),were eating breakfast before setting off to school. They started throwing little insults out to each other for no apparent reason. I tried to redirect them back into getting ready for school. This worked for about a nano- second and they were right back at it! This time taking it up a notch...one shoved the other on the way down the hall to brush teeth. "HEY"!!! I called. " Cut It OUT"! "Just get ready for school!" Their doors both slammed in unison. Of course they share a bathroom though, so a minute or two later....here go the insults back and forth again. Finally ...I have had it! And I bring out my BIG GUNS...so to speak, the thing that I can "take away" that will have the biggest impact. "OK.....If you two don't STOP fighting...... N_O_W.... then.....Your Halloween candy goes away for a couple of days!!! ----------------------ALL IS QUIET for 1.....2......3.....4.....5.....6.....7....seconds......8......9....then
A big thumping sound followed by my son SCREAMING-BLOODY-MURDER "OWWWW" he cries. More screaming still. I go running to see what has happened. But of course ....I have a pretty good idea before I even get there. As I approach the scene, my son is laying on the floor next to the bathroom door, holding his head and YES...still screaming. "WHAT Happened?" I demand. "He Hit his head on the corner by the door" says my daughter. "And did you maybe help him hit his head?" I ask. Her answer....no comment...of course. "Get your books and Go Wait Outside!!" I tell her. I am of course furious with them both at this point. But I need to see if we might be on the way to an E.R. somewhere. Luckily...other than a huge whelt on the front side of his forehead, my son seems to be O.K. But it is time for him to leave for school, so I am praying there is no concussion. I walked him outside to wait for their ride to school and explain to them both how "wrong" it is for them to fight this way. My daughter.....is of course...crying now too...because she KNOWS she's in BIG trouble. "You need to apologize to each other." I tell them. Grunts and scoffing ensue....heads both down, looking only at the ground. "Sorry" says one of them. "SO--rryyyy" snips the other. You guess which one has the attiTUDE. So I tell my daughter she will go straight to her room after school--DO NOT PASS GO----and NO "candy" for 3 days! And then I give a big hug and say" I Love You". Their ride finally shows up and they are off to school.
Now I know some of you are maybe making judgements right now thinking that my children have learned this behavior... by examples set...perhaps from their parents. And to some extent...maybe you would be right. But hitting and pushing and shoving are NOT things they see their parents do in our household. Still.... I had to stop and think after they left...What if...he DID get a concussion and ended up in the hospital fighting for his life? It could happen. All because of sibling rivalry?
So what is the answer? Who is really responsible? Does it all go back to that same BAD apple that Eve plucked and ate in the Beginning? Was either she or Adam to blame for bad parenting when Cain killed Abel? I mean.... aside from _NOT EATING THE APPLE- was there something they should have done differently which could have ensured a more positive outcome for their children? I feel that my husband and I do about as good of a job as anyone else when it comes to our parenting strategies.
But we, as parents, can only do so much....and then hopefully our children will draw from some place deep inside their cores the "right" behavioral choices and decisions.

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
How good and pleasant it is when brothers can live together.
PSALM 133: 1

NOT SO EASILY TRICKED

2009-10-30T03:58:00.000-07:00

I was watching an episode of "Desperate Housewives" last week which focused on how we all "judge" other people. We judge our neighbors by the things we see them do. And our judgments are sometimes right on the money, but are quite often misguided and WAY off base.
The show mentioned how we might believe that our neighbors are perfectly good and normal, upstanding citizens. When in reality they may have cheated on their taxes last year. And yet another neighbor may seem to have it all together, but the truth is that they are just one bad hair day away from completely falling apart. Perhaps they have just found out that their spouse, who has "tricked" the world into believing they are in a perfectly happy marriage, has actually been having an affair for years. Now the show specifically focused on neighbors, but in real life we judge everyone we see in some sort of way. And more importantly ....we are judged by others, in return. And we may never truly know what kind of person others deem us to be. Even our children make judgments. Theirs are usually guided by the set of morals which we, as parents, have instilled in them. And as I found out, one Mother's Day, a few years ago....we are not exempt from being judged by our children either. In school, one of my children created a booklet as a gift for me. I tried to photograph the pages so that it could be uploaded into the blog, but the writing was too faint to show up. But it read (misspellings included) as follows:
"MY Mother"
(page 1)
SOME MOTHERS LIVE IN....
1. on Bass Alley
2. the side of the road
3. apartmints
OR
4. Holly wood
MY MOTHER LIVES
" in the woods"

(page 2)
SOME MOTHERS WEAR.....
1. hi heels
2. pony tales
3. ugly gresses (dresses)
OR
4. flip flops
MY MOTHER WEARS
" alote of make up"

(page 3)
SOME MOTHERS HAVE....
1. lots of money
2. lots of gury (jewelry)
3. big bellys
OR
4. sharp nosis
MY MOTHER HAS
" strait hair"

(page 4)
SOME MOTHERS PLAY....
1. tag
2. soccer
3. tennins (tennis)
OR
4. Bolly Ball
MY MOTHER PLAYS
" tick tac toe"

(page 5)
SOME MOTHERS......
1. are mean
2. are grumpy
3. are follish (foolish)
OR
4. jellis (jealous)
MY MOTHER......
" is nice "

So what I learned from this was that even my child views me "MUCH" differently than I might have thought. I guess I should just consider it lucky that I don't seem to have a big belly and apparently I'm not foolish in my childs eyes, but most important of all...my child thinks that I am a "NICE" Mother. As you can tell ...We haven't gotten to the teen years yet!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
Teach me good judgment and discernment,
for I rely on Your commands.
PSALMS 119 : 66

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

2009-10-27T06:58:00.000-07:00

In the movie " The Sound Of Music", the list included things like; raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. But I suppose if I were to take the time to search the deepest corners of my mind, by imagining myself fully relaxed, maybe by the side of a warm and cozy fire with a pair of my most favorite fluffy and soft pj's, sipping a nice mug of hot cocoa & flipping through an album filled with memories, my list would be a bit different. I don't think it would work as a song, although anything sung by Julie Andrews always sounded angelic.

The first of my favorite things would be.....Babies Breath.
Not the plant used by florists to adorn the edges of their bouquets. I quite literally love to smell the air being exhaled by my babies, usually when they sleep. I love to lean in close, then even closer, just close enough to feel their breath on my cheek as I inhale their sweetness, taking it in as deep as my lungs will allow.
The next thing on my list would be....Summer Sunsets.
I love to sit in a nice wooden Adirondack chair feeling the warmth of the late afternoon sun, just before it falls below the horizon. The only sounds I can hear are the birds chirping sweet melodies, the wind softly rustling through the leaves of nearby trees and an occasional dog barking somewhere in the distance. My eyes are treated to a dazzling array of colors. Pinks, deep purples, warm oranges and golden yellows all mix together with the bluish grey clouds on the palette in the heavens above.
Another of my favorites on my list is.....Wednesday Nights.
Now, in my opinion, any good home cooked meal that I didn 't have to raise a finger to prepare is a wonderful meal! I am sure all of you kitchen- challenged, burn- everything- you- look- at moms can commiserate on this one with me. So this is why I love Wednesday nights because for almost 10 years now my husband and I have been in a Bible study group which meets at a neighbors home. We have about 12 regular members (all neighbors) who each bring a food dish.
We rotate the main entree to a different couple each week and everyone else brings a side dish or dessert. We never discuss, coordinate or plan ahead of time what to bring, but somehow it always ends up being a perfect meal. Amazingly, we hardly ever even have duplicate dishes. With a variety of ages among us, we have some very talented cooks in our group, present company excluded, of course! It is like having a Thanksgiving Dinner every week. But the best thing of all is that our neighborhood is like one big family.
Next on my list I would have to include my.......Travel Bug.
This is not an insect! But it is really more like an affliction or infatuation that I have always had for traveling. I L-O-V-E to travel! Anywhere...Anytime...Any mode of transportation...I love it all! I enjoy seeing new places. Where some people can't stand having to pack their belongings and don't like dealing with traffic on the interstate or all of the hullabaloo it takes to get through security at airports these days. I don't mind. BRING IT ON!!
If I am experiencing any of these things, bothersome as they may be... it still means I am goin' somewhere! I am one of those people who even gets cranky if too much time lapses between trips! Luckily for me, my hubby has the travel bug too! That's why I love him! And despite my ranting in last weeks post...I do!
Finally, on my list of favorite things(Oh--believe me I could think of more)......Christmas Mornings.
I love to see the joy and excitement in the eyes of my children as they creep from their rooms on Christmas morning and spot all of the presents tucked and stacked deep beneath the limbs of a nice 8 ft. tall Christmas Pine. My heart swells with love every time they squeel with delight at each new gift. Most of all.... I love to see them unwrapping a few of their favorite things!
You see.... it's no accident that I have a clock in the sidebar counting down the minutes to this favorite thing of mine!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
If you then,who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give
good things to those who ask Him?
MATTHEW 7: 11

My "Me" Time

2009-10-21T06:11:00.000-07:00

Ever since having kids, I have had one problem which just doesn't seem to get any better. Many of us moms have this same problem in common. No- time-for-me. NONE!! We can't go to the restroom without being interrupted for goodness sake! Can't even get dressed without- someone-barging in on us. And , take a shower....what is that? I haven't even been writing this post for two minutes and I have had to stop 5 times. But this blog site is one of only 3 things that I do on a regular basis- that is ---just for me! What are the other two things you might wonder?
Well...let me start at the beginning. A couple of years ago my husband and I couldn't seem to solve this issue which we were having with each other which often resulted in huge disagreements. You see, he is a stay at home dad,just as I am a stay at home mom. Our children are very lucky. But several days a week he would go into town to run "errands" ,you know.... important stuff like... go to the bank, post office, grocery store etc....followed by a few other stops to places like...Barnes & Noble, the movies, or to lunch with a buddy. And let's not forget the all important game of... GOLF! Meanwhile ...I had to beg....yes... B_E_G for him to watch our- then...2 ...children(now we have 3) so that I could go somewhere..ANYWHERE....it really didn't matter. And at first, I would go sit through some chick flick, by myself(and movies aren't cheap these days). Or go window shopping, which sometimes cost me more $$ than I had planned. And then my hubby would complain about the" expense" of my free time.To which I would respond(inwardly) "AND YOUR GOLF GAME COSTS HOW MUCH?"
So...here comes that other thing that I do -just for me. I joined the church choir. YAY! I was singing for the Lord ...for free!....and getting my "ME" time too!! I thought, surely this will work. Well, almost. See , the choir rehearses 1 time a week for their 1 performance each month. And somehow-without really complaining- my husband manages to let me know that this is an imposition for him to have to watch the children. AND>>> God forbid we have a concert performance too, with the choir.
The third thing that I sometimes do...go to the gym.BIG FUN!! SO..... it really REALLY PEAVES me that he actually has- the- nerve to complain about my blogging. He says things like..."don't worry kids, mom will get to making supper when she finishes blogging". And now my oldest child even says to me, "Mom, are you blogging... AGAIN??" (with attitude) Well to quote an old movie....."GOD AS MY WITNESS".......I WILL NOT QUIT THIS!! So , my followers, stay tuned.....pleeeeease!

SCRIPURE OF THE DAY
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our King, sing praise!
PSALM 47: 6

A FUTURE FULL OF ART

2009-10-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

Since she was a toddler, my oldest child, a third grader, has had a profound interest in all things artistic. She used to claim to want to be an illustrator when she grows up. But these days she simply wants to be an artist. Now I had mentioned in an earlier post that I have always had an interest in the arts. Specifically with drawing, painting and photography. I , admittedly, have had no formal training. My college major was in the field of instrumental music performance. While visiting another blog site recently I was fascinated by a sidebar post in which the author wrote about their "Bucket List". Just like the movie, it contained all of the owners unrealized dreams. To be an accomplished artist would be at the top of my bucket list if I had one. When I restructured my blog site recently some of you may remember that I added "My Art Endeavors" as a gadget in my sidebar. It contains photos of a few paintings which I have done in the past. A few are replica's of works done by accomplished painters which I have given credit to in the gallery. But my newest work of art was done in collaboration with my daughter on a rainy day recently. We picked a photo of a painting in an old magazine we found laying around the house. The painting (shown above-left) is titled "Whisper in the Garden" by an artist J. Michael Kennedy using oil on canvas. I had to take a photograph of it in order to use it in my blog and it is slightly blurred. I tried several times to get it to come out clear, but nothin doin'. You can see the replica versions , one by my daughter and one by myself , in the sidebar. Unlike the original artist however, we used watercolors. Your comments are welcomed on our little project. Who knows, maybe someday one or the other of us will have artwork displayed on walls other than our own.

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
To one he gave five talents; to another, two; and to another,
one--to each according to his own ability. Then he went on a journey.
MATTHEW 25 : 15

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES

2009-10-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

O K. So I was sitting here this morning getting ready to figure out what to blog about, and ....I KID YOU NOT...just as I started to touch the keys on my computer, my son, a 1st grader-who is home from school because he is sick with (THANK GOD) only a mild case of SWINE FLU, says to me "Hey Mom, I'll give you 1 guess who I am gonna marry when I grow up?!" Before I tell you his answer...I must add that we live in what is considered to be a "red-neck" state in the southern U.S. , but his answer came only from a place of innocence and love. Now ...I was trying real hard to remember any names of the girls in his school class whom he might have shown a recent interest in. And was feeling really guilty for not being able to come up with anything, when he looked at me and pointed to his baby sister (a toddling sweety for sure....but still his Sister). "I'm gonna marry her, mom , because then I will get to live at home longer." By now I was laughing (inwardly, of course) so darned hard I thought I might wet my britches! I had to explain that while it sounds so nice that he loves his little sister and likes living where we live....He cannot EVER _ marry_ his sister!! To make it even better....as I was typing this entry he started reading over my shoulder...he's quite an excellent reader....and he says to me "Mom, your neck is redder right now than mine!" ....."Alright buddy! Go draw a picture for Mommy and stop eavesdropping", I said.
I wish we could all keep our innocence just a little bit longer. It really is sad that we have to lose it and even more sad that it happens at such young ages these days. I mean, children....not even teenagers, but children ages 10, 11 ,12 years old are losing their virginity these days. What does that say about society? Where is that little thing called..Innocence? And what about Parenting? Yesterday ,we in the U.S. kept our eyes glued to our televisions for an hour or so because a 6 year old child was believed to be inside a balloon floating in mid-air across the state of Colorado. As it turned out, the helium filled mega- balloon had been let go and he went and hid from his parents, perhaps because he thought he might be in just a bit of trouble? Ya think? But who didn't do something they knew was wrong when they were a child? We all maybe took a candy bar from a convenience store or cheated on a test. And in some cases we graduated to bigger things like egging cars or rolling lawns in toilet paper. But these days some kids are carrying around weapons and plotting murder and having intercourse! It just makes your head spin! I don't want to keep my kids from growing up...but I hope they can atleast enjoy childhood as it should be.... until a proper age to reach maturity.

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
Your calf- idol is rejected, Samaria
How long will they be incapable of innocence?
HOSEA 8 : 5

IN THE "WEB" OF A THIEF

2009-10-11T06:12:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed...I have made several changes on the old bloggin homefront lately.
I am really striving to allow my site to continue to evolve into something that will be interesting
for the wide variety of the viewing blogger public who I am still hopeful to EVENTUALLY find "following" ME. The newest gadget on my blog page, which was added just today, is the subject of this post. It is a "realtime" slideshow of photos taken from other blogger sites. I have placed it just below the Santa clock in the sidebar. The interesting thing is...I wonder if the people who originally posted these photos to their sites... had any idea that someone else...like ME....would be displaying them on another site. So if you are reading my blog and see a photo of your kid in my sidebar gadget, all I can say is ...I hope it makes you smile...I didn't create the gadget. But I guess if I wasn't already paranoid enough about the photos and things I upload to my site...I will be even more so now! This whole topic reminds me of a story I saw in the news recently though, which the entire blogging, facebooking, twittering world NEEDS to know about. Apparently, there are some new, lowlife-dirty-rotten scumbag thieves in cyberspace these days. They "follow" you on your sites communicating with your friends and loved ones ,and they target you by hacking into your e-mail account where the thieves then send a message to a close friend or relative of the yours(posing as YOU). So now your friend or relative also becomes their victim. This nasty email message claims that you are stuck in another country and have had some sort of bad luck (mugging, stolen wallet, lost luggage etc.) and need money wired right away. Several unlucky people have fallen prey to these cyber-scamming criminals by sending money ( they thought....to help a friend). This just makes me sick!!! So I hope.... if there is anyone reading this post...this story is one thing you can feel free to "steal" and pass along.

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
The thief must no longer steal. Instead, he must do honest work with his
own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need.
EPHESIANS 4 : 28

COUNTDOWN TO MAYHEM

2009-10-04T06:10:00.000-07:00

Well I added some new gadgets to my site recently! The newest of these is my countdown to Christmas clock. I had to laugh because I am the worlds biggest critic when it comes to the whole retail "Holiday" shopping frenzy. What I mean by this is....it drives me crazy that we are pestered earlier and earlier every year by retailers to buy gifts and nick-nack-paddy-whack holiday decorative junk! BAH HUMBUG! Call me Scrooge if you like, but I for one think it is ridiculous! Last year the Christmas advertisement extravaganza began before--I kid you not--before Halloween!!
Now instead of looking forward to the season with excited and eager anticipation, I am forced into being frustrated and just downright dreading the weeks and months preceding any major holiday.
And they play dirty too! Using our kids to get to us even... with all of the newest, coolest, gotta find it, gotta have it, gonna wait all night in line to buy it....TOYS!!
Now call me a mean mom, but if I can't go to the stores in the last 2 weeks before Christmas and find the things I need to buy to fill my kid's wish list then.... I DON"T WANT THEM!! So... I have just started telling my kids that "sometimes Santa just can't make enough of every single "popular" toy for every little girl or boy to have one, and he sometimes gives something else that he knows they might like instead". For example....last year my oldest child just couldn't stop talking about a toy that was seen in a commercial called Bendaroo's . They are colorful twisty twig-like sticks that can be bended every which way into artwork and they even stick to walls. YAY ! So....of course.... I did what any dedicated mom would do... I drove to every store in town looking for these Bendaroo's things for my little angel. Well 2 days before Christmas I finally found 1 person, a store clerk, who had even heard of them! And was informed that they weren't carried in retail stores and could only be ordered online! GREAT!! Just great! Had I known this earlier I might have been able to order them...but I was N_O_T gonna be pressured into paying an extra 50% above the purchase price for expedited delivery! So my Santa's switcheroo story came to life. Of course 6 or 7 months later while walking through a Michaels Craft Store, there the darned things were...right on the shelf.. Bendaroo's. So what do you think? I'm not that mean! Of course I bought them! And now....I hate them! Yes.... that's right H-A-T-E them! They' re everywhere all over my house, stuck in every corner and on all the walls. And now the F_U_N starts all over again! Ho! Ho! HO! UGH!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
It is a trap for anyone to dedicate something rashly
and later to reconsider his vows.
PROVERBS 20:25

BEGINNING OR END ?

2009-09-26T12:48:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I began hearing stories about how ancient Mayan calendars prophesied "The End Of Time" occurring on December 21, 2012. For months afterward, I lived in a sort of deep seeded fear day in and day out. The fear of just exactly "what" might occur on that day. Will we all be burned to smithereens by some meteorite? Or will we all drown in some phenomenally huge tidal wave? Will there be any advance warning or will it happen like a thief in the night as the Bible says? Will my kids be scared? Will I be with my kids when it happens or will they be at school? And just when I had somewhat recovered from my panicked state, I saw yet another show recently called THE NOSTRADAMUS EFFECT which once again has gotten me thinking about all of this apocalyptic mumbo jumbo..... all over again!!! But I am choosing to look at things from a different perspective this time around. For starters..... whatever may or may not occur on December 21 three years from now, there are a few things that I know for sure. I will be 45 years old then and have had---for the most part---a pretty darned good life. I have seen a good bit of this world that we live in. I am well acquainted with its beauty and diversity. I have known the true meaning of real love. I am lucky enough to be married---just once---to a wonderful man and am blessed with 3 beautiful children. My children are the light of my life! One can never imagine the absolute and all consuming love which comes from the blessing of children until you have had them. For me....this is the reason I was here in this world. And if this world must come to an end in 2012 then I will count myself lucky to have raised these 3 glorious souls for as long as God has allowed.

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
I am the Alpha and the Omega, The First and the Last,
the Beginning and the End.
REVELATION 22: 13

NOTEWORTHY

2009-09-21T04:02:00.000-07:00

Well it has seemed that for some reason lately I have lost A_L_L of my reader interest. I am not sure if my writing is to blame or if there is some other culprit keeping readers at bay, but needless to say I have decided to restructure my site just a bit. I wonder if in my search for simplicity, my site may have become a bit too basic. In other words....B-O-R-I-N-G !! So as you may notice, I have now added a video sidebar with YOUTUBE clips. I intend to try to only use links which relate to family values in some way. But may occasionally include some clips for nothing more than humor sake. I have also had the recent inspiration to add a section which I will call my "Notable Nods". This will be in a sidebar which will list and describe a few of my favorite finds...so-to-speak. They will all be items which can hopefully enlighten or enrich my readers in some way( should my readers choose to return).
I have also been inspired lately to take up a few "hobbies" in my life. I realized one day recently that there are several things which I have desired to do over the years, but for some reason have not gottten the gumption to try. Mind you, these are definitely attainable desires. So I said to myself, "Self....What's stoppin' you?" JUST DO IT!! So......For example....I have always loved the ARTS. I have NEVER had one minute of formal art training but somehow I have this "natural" ability to look at a picture which has been drawn or in some cases -painted by an artist and I can create a pretty good "copy" of it. (NOT FOR ANY ILLEGITIMATE use) But it is something I sometimes just feel an artistic yearning to do. So for all of my lucky followers I have decided to post photos(in a sidebar) of my creations as they come and will welcome comments on them. I plan to have these uploaded within the next week or so....So tune back in and take a peek.

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
"Follow Me," He told them, "and I will make
you fish for people!"
MATTHEW 4: 19

The Shoe Fetish

2009-09-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

I recently saw a television interview with a man who is a former Catholic priest, but is now happily married to a woman. I was amused by his admission that in the first days of his marriage, the one thing which surprised him the most about his "changed life" was the difference in closet space. He hadn't anticipated that (as he put it) there were his things on one side of the closet and ALL OF HER SHOES on the other. This gave me pause to wonder WHY sooo many of us women out there have shoe fetishes. Especially when you consider the sometimes exorbitant amount we spend on these prized possessions. But I have also come to the recent realization that I have taken things one....step......further! To a whole new level of FETISH. You see, having filled all of the possible shoe storage crevices in my closet, which is of course "shared" with my husband
(80% mine/20% his ). I have now apparently unconsciously passed my affliction on to my children. How? You ask. Well....my youngest child is still in diapers, and can barely walk yet, but is now the proud owner of about 20 pairs of shoes! The most embarrassing thing about this revelation is that they don't even all "fit" and probably never will fit. But, none the less, they are all jammed into a drawer...which now barely closes, just in case they might be worn....someday.
And ....I KNOW.....I KNOW....I "should" go donate A L L of my unneeded pairs of shoes- plus-
A L L of the babies ones to some needy soul somewhere. But I just CAN"T do it!! I can't bare to be separated from them. So there- it- is....my "addiction". Of course, we married housewives use the "polite" term...fetish to describe it. It just doesn't sound so bad that way. But, in truth...
it is an addiction! I AM A SHOE ADDICT. Well....at least I'm not yet in league with the Imelda Marcos' of the world. An essay written by Lance Morrow for TIME magazine estimated her collection at 5,400 pairs. Now.....that is not a simple fetish, my friend..... THAT is a sickness!!
As for the "reason" we are all compulsive shoe shoppers...?....Who knows? ...Maybe it's subliminal advertising that is to blame. I don't know. And truth be told..I don't really care. I just know that I L-O-V-E a good pair of adorable NEW SHOES!!!!!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
No temptation has overtaken you except what is
common to humanity
1 CORINTHIANS 10 : 13

Simplicity

2009-09-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

I have always enjoyed the simple things in life. I don't really buy into the philosophy of "bigger is better". It seems that everywhere you look these days, though, the common thread is expansion. Somewhere along the road to progress in this world, people have decided that more of anything is an improvement. But I , for one, believe that this is certainly a matter of opinion!
Call me "old fashioned" but I really don't enjoy a lot of the things which modern society deems to be necessities. For example, I saw a news story recently where random people in metropolitan areas were asked what types of "things" they regularly carry with them, either in a purse or a backpack etc. The results showed that most women carried with them(and said they couldn't live without) their daytime planner. Well....I have as busy of a schedule as the next gal, with three young children(one in diapers) and all of the extra curricular activities which go along with running a large household. But if I am ever "lost" and unable to function ,except with the use of a glorified "NOTEPAD"...someone just shoot me! Okay.... maybe not that, since my kids would miss me....but REALLY PEOPLE! Use Common SENSE. If you have soooo many things to do each-and-every-day of the week, that you have to have a book full of lists to remember it all....Why not consider downsizing your schedule???? If the reason for such a busy schedule in life is a career.... make some sacrifices and cut back so that you can afford the time to" stop and smell the roses". If for no other reason than ...YOU"LL LIVE LONGER!! Less stress.
If you are a parent..... the kids will survive with one less after school sports program or lesson. And you'll be able to give them much MUCH more of your time, which is really all they want and need. And...just think of all that you can buy with the money you'll have saved because you didn't need to buy a planner. (Today's scripture really made me laugh and it is so true!)

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
A beautiful woman who rejects good sense
is like a gold ring in a pig's snout.
PROVERBS 11 : 22

NO CHILD ALLOWED AHEAD OR LEFT BEHIND?

2009-08-26T09:55:00.000-07:00

For those of us who are parents, it can sure be difficult sending our children off to school each day! No matter how old they are or what grade they are in we have to trust that they are safe and being cared for properly by the teachers and staff members with whom they will now spend most of their waking hours over the next 9 months. These days we have to worry if they will catch some deadly virus while in school, be physically assaulted or get shot by some drug crazed lunatic.
Now let me just say that I am not the overly emotional kind of mom who cries at her child's preschool graduation(when did these start anyways?) I didn't even cry when they started Kindergarten. Instead I was filled with excitement and joy that they would be learning new things and making new friends. In fact, I love to see their faces light up with each new accomplishment throughout the school year. Where am I leading with all of this? Well.... let me start with the fact that my children attend a public school. The one they attend is a fairly new school with wonderful facilities, in an affluent area with a pretty good(overall) staff. And it has a superb amount of parental involvement. The teacher/student ratio is probably average for a public school, not great...but not bad either. My youngest child in school just started the first grade this year and is my little math whiz. This kid has always LOVED working with numbers! In kindergarten the rest of the class learned how to add single digit numbers (2+2=4 ) while my child was adding things like (124 + 547) and carrying numbers already. We of course spoke with the teacher about this and were told that because of "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND" they can only teach at the pace of the slowest student in the class basically. We decided to just keep working with our child at home and figured it was no big deal anyways....it was after all---Kindergarten. But now it is the First Grade and my math whiz can do simple multiplication already.(Our 3rd grade child is just learning this)
And yesterday my First grader came home and said(with a very deflated look) " Mom, during free time in class today I added 5 columns of 3 digit numbers ( example: 345+269+123+831+278=) and when I showed my teacher,the only thing she said was "Good for you!" She didn't even look at it." First of all..... What child do you know who CHOOSES to spend their" free" time doing math, while the other kids are busy coloring and trading Pokemon cards, and the teacher doesn't even notice? REALLY?
Now one look at the utter disappointment on my child's face just made me want to cry!!! And in the same moment I was seeing RED and knew that I would just like to strangle that teacher!(And the year has just begun) Of course, I told my child that she was probably just really busy at that moment.... with lot's of teacher stuff. (YEAH RIGHT) The problem now is that I can't see any point to charging in there and confronting her about her lack of concern with my child's excitement to learn (even though I obviously feel that she could have handled things MUCH better). I surely don't want to do anything to cause the teacher to dislike my child. But I feel that it is my child who is suffering because of NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND!!! I also feel that it is ridiculous that there is not any sort of "Gifted and Talented" learning for students in the public school system where we live until 3rd grade. Since we cannot afford private school and I don't have the patience to home school my children, I am not sure where this leaves me. I guess when my anger with the teacher subsides a bit, I will be able to figure out a strategy or solution for the whole issue. For my child's sake I hope so!!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
2 TIMOTHY 2: 2

Playing With Fire

2009-08-24T17:34:00.000-07:00

Why is it that some people, from the time they are very young, will tend to want to see just how much they can get away with? Exactly how far they can push the limits in life before there is a repercussion? While still others are able to be satisfied from an early age with following the rules they are given. These tendencies or character traits exist for many well into their adult lives and are often lifelong. Case in point: I have always been somewhat of a rule follower. The "goody two shoes" in the family who did what she was supposed to. Never skipped school, didn't cheat on tests, didn't do drugs, didn't even let a boy "past First base" until I was 19!
My younger brother, on the other hand, has always been an extreme risk taker. He has continually gone out of his way since childhood(which he is still in... at age 33) to break all of the rules with absolutely no fear of any consequence. He is always metaphorically "playing with fire". We are two completely opposite personalities! Don't get me wrong...I love him very much, but I sometimes wonder how we even came from the same womb! I mean... we definitely had the same parents and lived under the same roof with the same set of rules and the same punishments for disobedience. But after all of these years, I am still the one pretty much living life on the straight and narrow, while my brother lives his life on the edge. And I mean really REALLY close to that edge, where he may eventually fall into a hole so deep that nobody will be able to rescue him. I sometimes wonder if this is really what these types of people, like my brother, are secretly longing for. They feel that they just have to keep playing with fire until they get burned. And then of course...when they do get burned...it wasn't their fault....NO of course not! Someone else is to blame.
I guess the only thing that gives me some solace when I think of my brother's fate in life, is the knowledge that the Bible is filled with unsavory characters who managed to be redeemed. Several of which were even found right in the bloodline of Jesus. Amazing!! Who knows? It may just be all of those irresponsible, limit testing- rule breakers that get into heaven someday, while all of the prideful, brown- noser's are left behind!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
"Note this: some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."
LUKE 13: 30

Paradise Lost

2009-08-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

It is late in the day and unlike the serenity in the adjacent photo which was taken in Paradise(otherwise known as St. John, U.S.V.I.) the afternoon heat has sparked a few rain showers. Summer is nearing its end and this always seems to bring on a sort of melancholy mood for me. I believe the clinical term for this is
seasonal depression. Although the rain is not helping matters any! So in order to attempt to make myself feel better, I was flipping through photos of my kids. Most of which certainly brought a smile to my face, but then I started to notice how much they have grown. Which of course makes me sad that they are growing so fast and depressed that I am getting O-L-D and now I think I feel even worse than I did in the first place! But I paused to look at this picture which was taken on our last trip to St. John about a year ago. My husband and I were married there in 1998 and it is our favorite place to visit. So...normally...looking at any picture taken there or even one that reminds me of St. John cheers me right up. But not this time of course. For two reasons...(#1) We were married in a beautiful, "eco-friendly" resort on the island called Maho Bay. This is where we usually stay when we visit St. John. We have even taken our children there twice and they love it too! But....in 2011 Maho Bay will close....forever ! The property has been leased for twenty some odd years, the lease expired, and the property owners are selling. And if this isn't just about enough to make me cry...just wait 'til you hear the next part. reason (#2) When we last visited St. John, it was for our 10th wedding anniversary. And the night that we celebrated this, my husband surprised me with sunset dinner reservations to the same restaurant where we dined on our wedding night appropriately named Paradiso. Only this time ...we had our children with us and it was very special, as you can probably imagine! Well.....my husband usually finds it sort of difficult to do anything considered to be "romantic". But on this occasion....he went all out! He really surprised me after we had finished our meal by having one of our children hand me a card and the other one placed a small box on the table in front of me. When I opened the box, I found it contained a gorgeous platinum anniversary ring encrusted with beautiful ,colored sapphire stones. I never knew that sapphires came in all the colors of the rainbow! This was truly many-a-woman's dream come true. A week in paradise with prince charming, angelic children and JEWELS to boot!!! Here's the sickening part....the reason that I couldn't smile today when I happened to see the picture of my Paradise staring back at me from my computer....About a week ago.....I lost the ring!!! That's right!.....LOST it . Don't have the faintest clue where. Can't remember the last place that I might have taken it off. Have searched high and low and....no ring! And yes....then...came the real fun part.... I had to T_E_L_L my husband that I lost the ring. He was surprisingly calm about the whole thing. Probably because he could see how sick I was over it. UGH!!!!
So... for now, I can only hope and pray that my ring will eventually miraculously appear, and with any luck maybe Oprah or someone will buy the property at Maho Bay and keep my favorite spot in paradise from being lost too! Atleast it looks like the rain has stopped and the sun is coming back out.

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
And He said to him, "I assure you:
Today you will be with Me in paradise."
LUKE 23: 43

FRIEND OR FOE?

2009-08-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

Friends.....this is what I am feeling compelled to write about today. I think it is funny that we are truly never completely sure who our real friends are. No matter how long they may have been in our lives. By "real" I mean the kind of friend who is always looking out for us...not just themselves. The kind of friend who not only doesn't get involved in idol gossip about their "friends", but isn't afraid step up and defend that same friend in their absence.
Now some people are lucky, they have friends that they have known all of their lives...they went through school together....survived the trials of puberty together....entered into the responsibilities of adulthood.... together... and are still the best of friends. These friends may be real. But they can still surprise us sometimes turning out to be our enemies, even after so many years. I was not one of those "lucky" ones just mentioned. My family moved CONSTANTLY! "Military brats" aint got nothin' on me. My parents were musicians during the 60's and 70's . They traveled from town to town and state to state looking for "gigs". Sometimes they took me with them. Other times I was left to live with "friends" for months on end, so that I could attend school. This kind of vagabond childhood made it impossible for me to keep friends of my own. I do, however, have a few "close" friends who have been in my life since my early adult years. One in particular has been a friend (almost like a sister) now for 20 years. Our friendship survived living together as roommates when we were young and single....moving to different parts of the country with our respective careers....each of us getting married( to men which we both thought were not good enough for our friend)....and now having children. But after all of these years we have come to a place where it is no longer guaranteed that our friendship will continue. This truly breaks my heart! I cannot believe it, even as I am writing these words. But ....to make a long story short...I was right! The man she married wasn't good enough for her. He's now divorcing her after 13 years for "the other woman". Inspite of the fact that they have a 5 year old child together. And my friend (understandably heartbroken) has decided to give up.....on everything! Life....her child...her family...and finally(this is where I come in).....her friends. I am sure that given time....she will probably come to her senses and regain her strength and will hopefully realize that she has driven away all of those who actually DO care because of the one who didn't. In the meantime I am left to ponder the fact that a friendship which once seemed unbreakable, may be at an end after all of these years. But then.... much to my surprise, I have recently become very good friends with someone whom I once considered a foe. Wonders never cease!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
The wounds of a friend are trustworthy,
but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.
PROVERBS 27: 6

BOUNTIFUL GIFTS

2009-08-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

I find it truly amazing the unexpected turns that our lives can sometimes take. As I sat this morning watching my two older children fishing from our dock, laughing and jumping with delight at each new catch and my littlest one was cheering them on from a cushy spot beneath the shade of our porch. It was like a scene straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Just good old fashioned fun and entertainment! My thoughts drifted to a day about a year and a half ago
when my spirits were at their absolute lowest. I had just completed a half marathon and achieved my personal best time in 10 years running a local 10K race. I was gearing up to begin training for a full marathon . Now for those of you who are the athletic, energetic type...this may not phase you. But I had never really enjoyed exercise of any particular sort. In fact my husband had been nagging me to join his gym for years. I emphatically refused!! My children were no longer babies, as my youngest then was about to start kindergarten. So I had plenty of spare time on my hands. But I would be the one to decide when I would lose the" baby" weight and where and how!!! Well ...I did it....I found a bridge nearby which I actually enjoyed walking over, joined my local Curves gym for women, and within about 3 months I lost 35 lbs. I was in the best shape of my adult life!! And I had so many friends who said that they had been encouraged themselves by my success. The funny thing is that I was so touched by the effect that I was having on others that I actually prayed for God to show me a "purpose" for my running. I thought perhaps a charity running event or the Susan G. Komen "Race for a Cure"....something like that. But His answer to my prayers was something else ....indeed! Three days after running in the 10K, I woke up not quite feeling like myself. I couldn't put my finger on it but I knew something was different. I went for a good 4 mile walk and when I finished it hit me. I had not had my menstrual cycle that month. I had been so busy getting ready for the race that I had not even noticed. I hurried to the nearest pharmacy, bought the needed test, and rushed right home to take it. And yes...my suspicions were confirmed..... I was pregnant!! My head was spinning! I began sobbing convulsively. How could this be? Another baby.. now...at my age...(41) which should definitely be too old for that! I mean there are women all over the world my age trying TRYING to get pregnant. And I did it by accident? I started crying even harder when I realized that the "running" thing was done...no marathon....none of the eagerly anticipated spare time I had been looking forward to with both kids in school. And the best part...puttin' back on the lbs. That day a funny thing happened though . I was so depressed and I just didn't know what to do with myself. I didn't yet have the nerve to tell my husband about our new "gift" and I wasn't comfortable with the idea of confiding in any of my close friends about this gossip worthy tidbit. But I remembered that a woman named Darnell, whom I barely knew from my gym and who also happened to be a member of my church, had been asking me for months if I would like to volunteer my time to help with some cause that involved making blankets for the needy. I had not really been interested but didn't want to seem impolite. However, on this day I figured "what else do I have to do?"-- " where else can I go right now?"So I agreed to meet her and help out. Now I want you to listen closely to what I can only say now was GOD working at his absolute best!!! When I arrived, there were about 20 or so women there.. of all ages.. working fastidiously. Making blankets in several different colors...but all were for BABIES!!! I couldn't believe it! As I sat there making blanket after blanket, I was suddenly feeling better somehow about my own little bundle of joy that I was carrying. I confided in Darnell that I had just discovered I was pregnant...at 41. She wasn't shocked or disgusted, however, as I had expected ,which also made me feel better. Now what were the odds that I would end up there, in that place, at that moment when I needed it the most? Phenomenal!! I still have a small blanket which Darnell insisted I should keep that day.
Fast forward....a year and a half later....A few weeks ago this story came full circle when I was walking through an arts and crafts fair with my family some 300 miles from where I live. I noticed a woman who I knew looked strikingly familiar. But I couldn't figure out for the life of me where I knew her from. Suddenly as she was walking away, I remembered....Darnell! I called out to her, and as she turned around her eyes flew open wide in surprise . She had a huge grin as she reached to touch my baby on the hand. No words were necessary. We both knew that God had worked yet another miracle.
So there I sat on the porch this morning, with my beautiful unexpected little gift from God just next to me in a high chair. My older two kids were fishing on the dock and the baby was smiling and squealing cheerfully at their activities. I am so thankful now that I have this wonderful child in my life when I had thought that I just wanted a medal for running in a silly marathon. With Summer winding down now and the kids starting back to school next week I am hoping to get myself motivated to once again begin exercising....with the baby, of course! I am running a marathon of a different sort these days...but who knows....maybe I'll run in a real one too someday. I certainly am now convinced that anything is possible!!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
"Follow me," Jesus told them, "and I will make you fish for people!"
MARK 1: 17

SPARE THE WHIP , SPOIL THE CHILD?

2009-08-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

As children we were all bound to have challenged the rules from time to time. Pushing the limits to see just how far we could get before our parents would react to whatever mischief we were creating. As I am now a parent myself, I find it very difficult at times to know how to discipline my children. My own parents were fairly strict and were never afraid to break off the nearest switch from a tree or bring out the belt. In fact, when I was a teen they used a paddle(2 x 4) made of cypress. It even had a name....BERTHA!
My step-dad would actually make me retrieve it from its place in the closet when it was about to be used. These days using any of the above as a means of punishment would definitely be considered by many as a form of child abuse. Let me make this clear right now...it is not the form of punishment used for my own children. My husband and I have tried just about every other means, however, to reign them in. "Time out"or "the naughty chair"--never worked for us. They would simply sit there with smug looks on their little faces, humming their favorite tune until the time was up. Taking away privileges like t.v. or playtime only seems to get us so far. These days we send them to bed early, which has some effect since they don't want to miss out on any fun that the sibling is having. But just this morning I was so frustrated by the behavior of my oldest child that I found myself threatening to throw away or donate every single toy or game in the house!!! I'd had it with the disobedience!! Of course the problem with this sort of threat is that my child knows that it's a punishment which would most likely not be carried out. So where does that leave me? I don't know, but I can certainly understand where my own parents were coming from , now. I guess I'll just have to keep praying that my children will eventually learn to follow the rules....before they drive me insane.

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
Lord do not punish me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath. PSALM 38: 1

We Were The Griswalds

2009-08-11T16:06:00.001-07:00

If you are reading this and have no idea who the Griswards are, then you have probably never seen the movie "National Lampoons Vacation" starring Chevy Chase as Clark Griswald. If this is the case, then you may not quite be able to picture the scenarios which were to unfold for me recently during my families own vacation. My husband and I have always been a "fly by the seat of your pants" type of couple. Impulsiveness is one of the many things we have in common. Through the years we have taken many a trip without any advanced planning...no reservations, no mapped agenda...we just go. It has made for some very interesting vacations. So when my hubby recently asked if I was up for a road trip to Cades Cove, an area we had both heard holds some of the most beautiful, unspoiled natural wilderness in the country...of course, I thought it sounded like a great idea! In a perfect world we would have dropped all 3 of the kids at Granny's house for a nice weekend away. But as this is not possible( all grandparents deceased) we loaded up the car and were on our way. O.K. actually we took my husbands truck, which we thought would be better for carrying the million or so items that are necessary ...really...with a baby on board. The smaller bags were packed here and there around the kids inside the cab, bigger stuff in the back(outside). We were loaded to the hilt!! All for what would only be a two or three night trip.
The plan as my husband laid it out was to take a nice relaxing drive(about 3 hours) through the mountains of North Carolina toward Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We would spend a night or two there, taking in the sights, before moving on to Cades Cove.
Things got off key right from the start when I realized that in the rush to pack I had forgotten several actual necessities... like toothbrushes and toothpaste. No big deal we could always stop at a grocery store along the way. We found the perfect place to stop after an hour on the road. And since the kids were already driving us both crazy ...bickering over toys, fussing, whining and complaining...we all unloaded and went in. I figured the two older kids could stretch their legs, release some energy and maybe get a snack. We put the baby in the cart and proceeded to load it with way more stuff ...of course...than we needed. When we got to the checkout line, my hubby realized he didn't have enough cash in his pocket to pay for it all. I volunteered to walk out to the truck and get some more money from his wallet. When I returned, the cashier had just finished ringing up our items, my husband gave her the money and he pushed the cart toward the exit. ( I know by now you are yawning...wondering where I'm going with this...you see this is where we had our best "Griswald" moment!) We were about half way to the truck when a man came running after us yelling "Maam, Sir.... Wait! Wait! You forgot something!" We both turned around to find that the item we had forgotten was.......THE BABY !! Yes, that's right. We each had thought that the other one... HAD the baby. It was an innocent mistake and the people in the store were laughing their heads off but of course it made me think. "What if " they hadn't noticed the baby there before we got in the car and left? I'm sure that we probably would have realized something was missing. But in the meantime maybe they would have thought we had purposely abandoned the baby. They could have called social services. I was just sick to my stomach at the thought! My husband of course tried to lighten things up by joking..."It's o.k. ....We've got 2 spare heirs". "Funny ha-ha" , I retorted.
So " The Griswalds" were once again back on the road. Headed toward Gatlinberg....only two hours to go. We were following a road map for North Carolina that my husband said should be able to get us there...even though our destination was in Tennessee. My husband took a scenic highway which was actually dotted with some incredibly beautiful overlooks. But somewhere along the way we decided that we had missed an important exit to get to Gatlinberg. We had driven for 3 hours and weren't there yet! As we continued driving along we noticed the "scenic" road didn't seem to have any exits... no gas stations, no restrooms etc. And yes, you guessed it.... the truck was now dangerously low on fuel...on narrow, sharply winding roads and the best part....it was almost dark!!! My husband had to literally "coast" whenever we were on any downhill curves in hopes of makin' it to a gas station. Finally we made it, by the skin of our teeth, to an exit. "Clark Griswald" had saved the day!! But we were now way off course and were actually closer to Cades Cove than Gatlinburg. So hubby decided we would drive through Cades Cove first. Now it was almost dark by the time we got there. Which is optimal time for viewing the wildlife, which consisted of turkeys, lots of deer, geese and black bears all roaming free . But it is an 11 mile drive through the Preserve and since it was a weekend, at the end of summer....the drive was bumper to bumper. Cars barely moving. People stopping to take pictures. Don't get me wrong....we truly loved seeing Cades Cove. But we weren't half way through it before darkness came upon us. And now, we were stuck... in a long line of cars... in the dark.. with nothing to see and no way out! Also... there was the fact that we had no reservations for a room and the nearest hotel.....miles away! By the time we exited the Preserve we had been in the car for about 8 hours...with a baby. And yes...baby finally decided --enough is enough!!!
So we spent the next hour or so listening to a screaming baby, praying that there would be a hotel around each turn in the road. Nope...no such luck!! And of course we had long since scarfed down all the snacks and the older kids were (understandably)whining once again about being hungry. After what seemed like forever and a day later, we finally found our way to Gatlinburg. It was about 10 o'clock at night by the time we found a place to stay that was decent and had availability. But we were O-U-T of that truck!!! And I refused to drive anywhere the next day. Luckily Gatlinburg is the perfect town for.....not driving. Plenty to see and do all within walking distance to any hotel in town. And the kids LOVED it!!! There were about 5 or 6 different Ripley's kids attractions, a bunch of toy stores, an aquarium, putt-putt(indoors and out) , a gondola ride up the mountain, and of course our hotel had a great pool!!
Two days later we were ready to attempt the driving thing again...back home. We made it in about half the time, of course.... with the proper directions.
Would I do it again? Probably....but next time hopefully with a little planning, at least, and a proper map!!!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
My people are lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray,
guiding them the wrong way in the mountains. They have
wandered from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting place.
JEREMIAH 50: 6

A Bold Creek Runs Through It

2009-08-06T12:48:00.000-07:00

Taking leave from the intense summer heat and humidity along the coast where we live, we often travel to our cabin in the mountains. Nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, above a nice flowing creek, dotted by waterfalls and rhododendron plants, it has become my favorite escape. It is located on a densely wooded parcel, in a somewhat secluded area, just
outside of the quaint little town of Burnsville, N.C. This town has just the right amount of amenities to offer and alot of old time charm to go along with it. You will often spy local folks there pruning their well planted gardens or just sitting for a spell beneath the cool shade of their front porches. But they always take the time to wave a friendly hello to passersby.
The thing that I have come to enjoy the most about our visits there is that everything is low key! There is no t.v., no phone, no nintendo ds, and the nearest neighbor is about 1/4 mile away so it is quite peaceful. It seems as though we are living in a different era when we are there. We sit in our rockers on the porch listening to and enjoying the quietness. The only noises are provided by nature. Birds chirping, squirrels jumping from limb to limb high above and the tranquil sounds of the waterfall in the distance. Now this is how God intended life to be.....peaceful. The kids have a great time too! They play cards, boardgames and enjoy going on hikes through the woods and along the creekbed collecting shiny mica stones which glisten up to them from beneath the water. My husband and I also find more time to enjoy these things
as well as reading books and listening to the radio. The local station that we receive there only plays a mix of country, bluegrass, and old Christian hymns. I find it amusing, however, that they also broadcast a "Lost and Found" for pets...saying " Black dog wearing green collar found yesterday up by Old Pond road." And they have a "Yard sale" listing..."Hey folks there's Two Queen sized beds and a tractor for sale...call 555-2078." But my favorite is the radio Obituaries.
" Emma Sweeting passed to the good Lord yesterday in her home town of Micaville. She was 82 years old. A lifelong resident she worked at the Clips and Curls salon in town for 40 years. She enjoyed singing in the choir in church on Sundays and is survived by......"
I have to smile at the charm and simplicity of it all. Perhaps this is why when I find myself quite often in the middle of something tedious or frustrating at home...(You know the normal 15 loads of laundry, kids fighting over t.v. channels, and the phone ringing off of the hook)...I begin to long to return to our place in the mountains.

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
A cheerful heart is a good medicine
But a downcast spirit dries up the bones.
Proverbs

Where The Grass Is Always Greener

2009-08-03T07:48:00.000-07:00

Why is it that no matter what kind of life we live, we always yearn for something more? Something bigger, better, easier, or just different than what we've got. And we always feel it's out there somewhere, waiting for us...just beyond our grasp. Are we really just one lottery ticket away from true happiness? Somehow, I don't think so.
Surely the person out there who seems to have it all is secretly longing for something too.
Personally, I am very blessed that I am living the life now that I had always dreamed of. I am happily married to a wonderful man( the first marriage for us both) and we now have 3 beautiful children.My husband and I both grew up in similar circumstances. I grew up as what many refer to as "poor white trash".He was maybe a step or two above at the lower end of middle class. Through a lot of hard work and some very sound financial decisions we both broke away from our meager beginnings. We now own a very nice home(paid for) in a good area with great neighbors. My husband works from home(a very relaxed schedule) and I am a stay at home mom. So our children have the full undivided attention of two parents....a rarity these days. We are basically living what some would say is the "American Dream". We live near the coast(20 minute drive to the beach).We actually live on a river. So we have a dock in our back yard where my husband can park any one of his 3 boats(paid for). He loves boats!! We also have a cabin up in the mountains on a bold stream about a 6 hour drive from the coast. This is where we flee to when the summer heat and humidity becomes too miserable. Oh and because I am a retired flight attendant, we have the ability to fly for free( space available) almost anywhere in the U.S. and some of Europe too.
Now I know that right about now you may be rolling your eyes....I promise I am not telling you this simply for the purpose of boasting about how great my life is. But get this.....a few nights ago on the drive home from visiting my husbands cousin, who is sick with cancer, we stopped for gas and hubby comes back with a lottery ticket. He only buys them when the Powerball jackpot goes above $100 million or so. He likes to play this game(so to speak) where we sit and dream about what we would do if we won. His dream ....to own a nice 70 ft. trawler( boat). Next we sit and think about all of the places we could visit on this newer, bigger boat. They all sound great to me as long as it is somewhere warm and tropical. I like beaches! The Virgin Islands is my favorite place to visit. We actually got married there with 22 of our closest friends and relatives 11 years ago.

But it hit me like a ton of bricks the other night, how sad it is that people ...by nature...just are never completely happy with what they are given in life. We always want more! The guy out there who owns the trawler that my husband salivates over is dreaming of the 100 ft. Nordhaven. But then he's also gotta have a bigger dock to park it at. Where does it end?

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY

Do not desire your neighbor's wife or covet your neighbor's house, his field, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
DEUTERONOMY 5: 21

WE DO ......UNTIL WE DON"T

2009-08-02T05:43:00.000-07:00

I would like to know when it is o.k. to exhale and say "yes....today after this number of years of marriage...we are safe from divorce". I have been married now for 11 1/2 years to my first and hopefully only husband. And even though we have had our fair share of trials to overcome, I feel that we are on pretty good footing these days. I might even say we are the closest now that we have been in years. Which surprises me because we just endured a rather large challenge to the foundation of our marriage when our third child was born recently. You see, as my hubby likes to tell everyone, we had two children... a girl...and a boy...and we were done""!!! But here we are with our third, quite unexpected" little blessing" and as my husband says "we can qualify for free checking soon"....he turns 50 this December. I had worried, initially that the stress from this pregnancy and all of the bills which came along with it, would possibly be our breaking point. Due to my advanced age, 41 at the time, we had to have all kinds of special testing done(we are still getting the bills from this), at the insistence of my OB/GYN, to eliminate the possibility of any serious birth defects. Everything checked out fine... and we proceeded. I can't honestly tell you what decisions we might have made if the results had been different. But with my perfectly beautiful youngest child sitting next to me right now, I can say that I am glad that we didn't have to find out. Marriage is not ever easy! But I always thought growing up that once two people had been married for a long time, they stayed that way! I didn't base this assumption on the example set by my own parents, however, as they had divorced when I was 10 years old. And this occurred to me yesterday ...my parents had been married for 12 years when they separated. So ....no... I guess I can't exhale yet! And the really scary thing is that a few years ago.... a woman that I know, who had been married for about 35 years shared fears that her own relationship had struggled in recent years. I mean....really... 35 yrs...and still not surely safe? Well maybe it's just me, but I think that if I manage to put up with my husband for that long(4 decades) and he then decides to leave me ...after that many years.... he'd better get some really good runnin' shoes! I can't say I wouldn't want to kill him!!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY

AND I TELL YOU,WHOEVER DIVORCES HIS WIFE, EXCEPT FOR SEXUAL IMMORALITY, AND MARRIES ANOTHER, COMMITS ADULTERY.
MATTHEW 19: 9

The Value Of A Buck

2009-07-30T07:38:00.000-07:00

Well.....I found myself frustrated recently when I realized just how much dirty laundry is being washed, dried, folded and put away by me in this house with 5 people. It sometimes feels as if I am cleaning the clothes of 5 families. And so I decided to start keeping a log book to track the number of loads amassed in a week. Don't ask where it I think it will get me. But I am still trackin'! I had also written in my old blog about the fact that back when we only had 1 child my hubby paid for a maid to clean our almost 4000 sq. ft home .... once a month
that's all.....but it was nice & REEEALLLY appreciated! And of course now that we have 3 kids ....NO Maid! However, today.....I came up with a new plan.
My two oldest children wanted to know how they could earn some money. In the past my husband has allowed them occasionally to pick up debris in our yard in exchange for a dollar or two. On went the light bulb in my head!!! Lets see..... there's some kids laundry needin' to be put away, floors need sweeping, a swifferer might be nice. I offered to pay them $5 each to take care of it. Bingo! Problem solved! They were soooo excited that they were getting a small allowance(well maybe not so small...but still cheaper than the maid) and I got, not one, but two little maids for the day. YEAH
That's what I'm Talkin' bout. Ok... well it wasn't done perfectly, of course. But score 1 for mom. And when they were done with their "chores" my husband offered to take them out for ice cream if they wanted to spend a little of what they had just earned. Their choice...spend or save. And of course ...which choice do you think they made?

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
Ill gotten gains do not profit anyone, but righteousness rescues from death.
Proverbs 10 : 2

THE BIG C

2009-07-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

CANCER

There...I said it!! The "C" word.
No I don't have it , that I know of. But every time I turn around there it is again. In the news someone else either has it or has died from it or is trying to raise money to fight against it...searching for a cure. Yes.... I understand that this is necessary. What scares me the most is that the extent of my knowledge about cancer, until recently, has always been through the media. News stories, warnings(like the latest: "stay out of tanning beds"), and the occasional movie. I just watched the movie " My Sister's Keeper" (probably should have read the book instead). It was a pretty good movie as long as you have about 4 boxes of tissues with you. It left me with a very graphic picture of what it must be like for those who are dealing with a close loved one suffering with cancer.
But now I am beginning to notice more and more of my friends......or friends of friends having one form or another of the disease. My husband has a cousin who has cancer and is about to undergo a bone marrow transplant. And most recently my own Aunt now has terminal cancer, consisting of several brain tumors(the inoperable kind..no less)and a tumor in her lungs. She was undergoing chemo and radiation but after a recent stint in the hospital with blood clots, they sent her home....to wait to die. Nothing more can be done.[ At the time of this posting, ironically, I received a phone call from my cousin informing me that hospice care had arrived and my Aunt is not expected to live for more than a day or two.]
This past year one of my son's teachers had to suddenly quit when her husband was diagnosed with a very aggressive form, which had already spread through most of his body. One day he was seemingly fine, then boom CANCER!! And another good friend who I was walking with several mornings a week, had to quit because her own sister( married with 2 small children) was losing her battle with brain cancer as well. She passed away a few weeks ago, which as it happens was probably a blessing in disguise. Her oh-so wonderful husband was suing her for divorce! And ...yes you guessed it...he wanted custody of the kids too! I hope if ....KNOCK ON WOOD...I am ever fighting a losing battle against a monster like "THE BIG C" that my husband won't turn out to be Satan in disguise too! I mean how low can you go?
P.S. Aunt passed away August 1, 2009

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
Then Jesus went to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues , preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness .
MATTHEW 9:35

THE AGE OF INNOCENCE

2009-07-29T05:58:00.000-07:00

My husband noticed a news story yesterday in which a 16 year old "boy" had been accused of raping an 11 year old "girl". If the ages involved in this tragedy weren't shocking enough, get this....apparently the mother of the "girl" was quoted as saying she did not feel the boy should be charged because...it was consensual sex!! AND "they had done it before". Now this just brings up a whole bag load of issues for me. First of all, it seems to me that it is the PARENTS of these two children who should be charged with something. I mean OBVIOUSLY the "mother" of this poor little girl thinks it is OK for her to be sexually active at 11!! And I am not so sure that she is alone in this truly sickeningly dysfunctional thinking. This type of story, sadly enough, isn't even front page news worthy any more. Young...very young kids having sexual intercourse. Am I the only one who still finds this shocking ? Really? I guess we've completely skipped the days when girls and boys were happy to just play hopscotch or hide-and-go-seek ....or to write little notes simply saying "johnny has a crush on you ... if you like him too...check yes" Does anyone remember those days? If you checked the box for "yes" ,you could bet all of your girlfriends would poke fun...saying" Johnny and Katie...sittin' in a tree K_I_S_S_I_N_G....first comes love.." But nowadays I guess this is all skipped and they just go straight for the "baby- in -the- baby carriage " part!! With their parents knowledge apparently.
I was a senior in high school before I had any heated make out sessions. 19 years old before I gave away the keys to my "vault". And even then I was probably the only one in my group of friends who hadn't already allowed a boy past second base. But come on ....11?
Well,God as my witness, no child of mine will be out doing more than just swappin' spit before the age of 16. And with any luck...even later than that!

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing in the Lord.
COLLOSSIANS 3: 20

THEY WILL COME

2009-07-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

Well I now think that it was not an accident that I am beginning anew with my blog.While some of my friends found the old entries humorous, in truth there was a lot more venting going on than anything else. With a fresh new outlook, I plan to take my blogging in a different direction! I am still probably going to be writing plenty about the joys and frustrations of my experiences as a mother. But I intend to focus more now on the positive things that God brings to light for me with each passing day. For starters I will now include (at the bottom of each entry) a" Scripture of the day" . And with any luck I will be able to put forth some relevant views and opinions which readers might find interesting and perhaps occasionally amusing. I am determined to not give up,as this is, if nothing else, a great creative release for me. Since I spend most of my waking moments in "mommy" mode, it is nice to do something that is just for me!
My husband picks on me whenever he knows I am blogging these days. His favorite comment goes something like this "So....let me get this straight, you are basically keeping a diary... online...and just who is reading it?" To this I of course don't have much of a reply , since I don't have a huge following....YET! But I am gonna keep on pluggin away, and as the old saying goes...
THEY WILL COME

SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
Lord, reveal to me the end of my life and the number of my days. Let me know how transitory I am.You, indeed, have made my days short in length, and my life span as nothing in Your sight. Yes, every mortal man is only a vapor.
Psalm 39

Not Everything Is Comin' Up Roses

2009-07-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

Well today I begin my second attempt to join the world of blogging. I have had a blog page for several months now. It held some of my most creative attempts at writing as well as the release of maybe just a bit of my pent up frustrations over various occurrences in my life. However as my bad luck would have it...I somehow managed to accidentally delete the entire blog!! My husband finds this quite amusing of course. Anytime I am using the computer for anything and one of the children starts whining for my attention, he always says sarcastically "Sorry honey, mommy can't help you now ....She's bloggin' ." I am so disappointed too , because my last post on the old site was about a story which I read recently in a book titled "When God Winks At You" by the author Squire Rushnell. It is a book containing various stories about the power of coincidence in each of our lives. These coincidences are referred to as godwinks . The story that I was reading was called "A Mutt Named Moe". Which in itself was a godwink to me because our new puppy(just 11 months old) had just been killed by a car. And although we had called him Snickers, when we first got him.... his name was Moe . My recent blogs on the old site had recounted how distraught I had been over Snickers death. And how I fealt silly for "grieving" over the loss of a dog. But when I read this story...and from a book which had sat for years on a shelf.... it contained a note from the author which addressed the fact that it is OK to mourn such a loss. I fealt as if it was not the author saying this but...God speaking directly to me! It was amazing!!! As for the loss of all of the material I had posted in my old blog...I am trying to look on the bright side ....I didn't really have any followers yet anyways. Maybe my new material will catch some interest.