DaisyRae's Reflections

Ireland, Day 3, June 11

2010-08-22T23:01:00.000-05:00

The second part of day 3 brought us to the Castle Blarney. This structure was built in 1446 and has had changed hands several times over the centuries.

These are photos of the great banquet hall. It was three stories and had decadent touches throughout the hall. Sometimes it was two stories and sometimes it was three, depending on what the occupants wanted during that current renovation. Apparently castles were always undergoing renovation...

Views from the top of Blarney Castle. The photo on the right is part of the formal gardens on the grounds of the Blarney Castle. The photo on the left is a photo of the county from the top of the castle. The 160+ steps to the top of the castle were worth it just for the views!

The Blarney Stone. You have to lean waaaaaay back and kiss the bottom of the rampart. And look over your head at the ground over 170 feet below you. Yikes! The reason there's only one photo of J is because I was still shaking too hard to hold the camara when he was actually kissing the stone. So, we bought the professional photograph they took for us because I'm a big weenie.

The Blarney Stone is said to be part of the stone that the kings of Ireland were crowned on. No one's sure of where the stone came from for sure. And no one's sure how it came to be part of the castle.

A very nice woman (from Texas!) took our photo on top of the castle. It sure was windy up there!

These are my two favorite pictures from the Blarney Castle. These views were amazing!! Definitely worth every narrow step and counter-clockwise staircase.

Ireland, Day 3, June 11

2010-08-19T14:07:00.001-05:00

So, I might still be writing this at Christmas.

The driving in Ireland was difficult for us. We were dropped off in the heart of Dublin with a car to drive on the wrong side of the road, with a driver sitting on the wrong side of the car, and driving a standard transmission. Poor J. It took both of us to drive while in Ireland. One to do the actual driving, and one to say, "YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!! THIS IS A ONE WAY STREET!! AAAHHHHHHH!" Guess which one of us did what...

This is a two way street. That's right. Two ways. I was glad I was on the other side of the car.

Another two way street. This was on the world's longest detour. Grrrr. J had quite a time driving through this.

Finally, a street wide enough to actually have two cars pass each other without lots of prayer.

Views from the car. It was lovely!

More views from the passenger side of the car.

A charming bucolic scene from the passenger side of my car. This is the south eastern part of Ireland.

More lovely scenery from the car window. It was so nice (being a passenger).

A major highway. The speed limit was 120 kph (approx 75 mph). It was so nice to be on a large road and not have to turn or worry about oncoming traffic.

In Ireland, they don't have stoplights like we do. We went for several days without seeing a stoplight. Instead they have roundabouts. J got better as the week went on, but they were still harrowing for us, especially the ones in Dublin that were three or four lanes. This is a simple two lane one, the most basic kind. These wouldn't work so well here in the US, they actually merge and take turns in Ireland. We're not so good at that part of the driving.

Ireland Day 2 - Rewind a little

2010-08-18T14:07:00.000-05:00

I didn't talk about our hotel. It was so good. We had a little trouble finding it, because the streets and houses aren't labeled as we're used to.

We were so tired by the time we got to our first hotel in Kilkenney. We watched a new sport called Gaelic or Irish soccer. It's awesome! Find it here on YouTube. It's the most athletic sport we've ever seen.

J fell asleep while I was in the shower, he was so tired. The bathroom was very luxurious. What a perfect way to spend a loooooong day.

I think this was J's favorite part of the hotel. They only gave us one key card. The key card had to be in the slot for the electricity to be on in the room.

This was one very nice hotel, but we only took photos of it before we gacked it all up with our dirty clothes and suitcases.

Ireland, Day 3, June 11

2010-08-09T16:19:00.001-05:00

After a much needed rest at our wonderful hotel, we hit the road again, this time to Castle Cahir. This was our favorite castle we visited because we were able to scramble all over the castle. No guard rails (well, just one), no off limits areas. The whole castle was available to us to run around on, ramparts and everything. It was so cool!

View from the upper walkway. Look ma! No guardrails!

We were able to run all over this castle and climb like monkeys. The guided tour was fantastic and we learned so very much from the tour guide. We also learned quite a bit about Irish history during this tour. This was our first exposure to General Oliver Cromwell. I vaguely remember him being a blip on our English history radar waaaay back in high school, but neither of us remembered anything substantial about him.

So, here is a brief history of General Cromwell. Just in case you're a history buff like me and haven't had time to peruse your history books recently or go to Ireland where he's a bigger part of history. Cromwell was one of the generals on the side that won the English civil war. He took over the Commonwealth of England after King Charles I was executed. (*Note: he was one of the men who signed the death warrant for King Charles.) He conquered Scotland and Ireland leading to the animosity between those countries and England to this day. Cromwell disbanded the Parliament in 1653, effectively making himself dictator. After he died, he was buried, but his corpse was later dug up, beheaded, and hung in chains.

Cromwell was (and still is) hated in Ireland. That may be why my history slant is negatively inclined toward Cromwell. I heard it straight from the Irish people. Anyway, Cromwell was only the second invader to bring cannons into Ireland. People had never seen cannons before and they did not understand the damage cannons could do to castles and other fortifications.

I say all that to say this, the occupants of Castle Cahir were smart enough to wave the white flag when Cromwell approached. The castle was undamaged and was preserved for posterity, unlike many of the other structures in Ireland. There were no shots fired by Cromwell on this structure, and it has been very well cared for over the centuries.

The castle was easily defensible, as it was located on an island. Two of the rivers have been filled in over the centuries, but two are still flowing. Cannons have been fired on this structure only once, in 1599, by the Earl of Essex. The Earl won that battle after the cannons arrived. There are two cannon balls still embedded in the stone walls from that battle. The cannon balls are the size of soft balls.

You can see one cannonball over my right shoulder near the corner of the building. It looks like a little black spot on the brick wall underneath the ledge. That's a cannon ball. Pretty cool, right?

The town of Cahir

One of the rivers that used to surround the island

The second of two rivers that used to make the castle an island.

Something you would never see in America. The steps were super narrow. Super narrow. Like barely wider than my foot. It was not so bad to go up, but it was much worse coming down. It makes my palms sweat just thinking of doing it again. BUT, the views from the top were amazing. The ledge was about 10 feet off the ground and you could see for miles and miles when you were on top. Pretty good spot for a look out when the castle was in use as a castle.

Hope you enjoyed the history lesson or skipped right over it. More to come!!

Ireland Day Two, June 10

2010-08-07T14:52:00.006-05:00

So this week I've actually had to WORK at work. Who knew?

When we were on top of the Rock of Cashel (remember it was high on a hill) we saw a cute little abbey in a field below. The name of it was Hore Abbey.

A hore frost is the usually the first frost of the season, and it's generally a light gray. The name Hore Abbey came from the color of the cloaks of the people who lived in the abbey. The color of the cloaks resembled the color of the frost.

Like many of the ruins in Ireland, this one was in a field where sheep and cows were grazing. We literally had to walk by cows and over cow patties to get to the abbey. Amazing. No one wanted this pretty little ruin.

The interior of the abbey.

These are photos from the abbey looking up toward Castle Cashel. It really was a steep climb! The views from Castle Cashel down were great, but the views from the town looking up toward the castle were also phenomenal. The path we took down from the castle to the abbey was called the Death Walk. It is the path people have been taking for centuries to carry their loved ones up to the castle for burial.

addendum to yesterday's post

2010-07-28T21:08:00.002-05:00

I went back and added commentary to the photos. If you read it before now, go back. There may be more fun facts you didn't know about Irish history. But there are no new photos added, so you didn't miss anything there.

Ireland, Day 2, June 10

2010-07-27T16:20:00.001-05:00

The bottoms of the cross bases were hollowed out and used as safes for valuables. The valuables would be tucked under the cross when the raiders drew near. After the raid was over, the inhabitants were allowed to return to the castle and they were able to retrieve the valuables. Below is one of the oldest crosses in Ireland. It's a replica, of course. The real one is inside the castle.

An old fresco. It's gorgeous in person. It has fallen off the walls due to the humidity over the centuries.

An old graveyard. This is also an active graveyard. There are a very few people allowed to be buried here because the ground is so rocky. Only a handful of people were able to sign up several years ago, and they have gradually been passing away and buried here.

The lady I asked to take this photo did not speak English. I only found that out after she had my camera in her hands. I think 'photographia' gets the point across, no matter what romance language you speak. But it does explain why we are teeny-tiny in this picture.

This lovely castle is the castle at the Rock of Cashel. Legend says that when God banished the devil from heaven, the devil flew over Ireland looking for a place to live. As the devil flew over this part of Ireland, he took a bite out of the land, and dropped it here. The Rock of Cashel is the result of this bite.

(See that rock on the ground? That chunk fell out of the tower to the left during a thunderstorm in the late 1800s. Some thunderstorm.)

The Castle Cashel was built at the zenith of the pile of rocks. The views from up here were amazing. It was easy to see why this spot was seen as an ideal place to build a defensive structure. This view is from the walls looking toward the city of Cashel below.

My sweet husband in front of Castle Cashel. Me by the sign at the bottom of the Castle Cashel. I said it was built on a hill, right? It was a pretty steep climb.

The majority of the structures were built in the 12th and 13th centuries. They are being restored right now due to damage from mold and mildew. The roof is made of limestone, and over the centuries the water has been soaked into the walls and roof structures. The frescoes popped off the walls because of this. They are doing (experimental) repair of the walls and roof.

I enjoy history, so hope you enjoy your history lesson(s). There's more to come. :)

Sorry about all the photos. There's too many good ones to cut out!!

Ireland, Day 2, June 10

2010-07-25T15:58:00.003-05:00

The City of Waterford

We were totally exhausted when we drove into the city. We had been driving around the countryside and had only slept a little on the plane. The last time we had eaten was on the plane before we landed. We were so hungry we couldn't sleep, and so sleepy we couldn't eat.

We were on a mission for food at about 2:00 pm local time. We were also looking for Waterford Crystal factory so we could see how the crystal was made. Food won out.

We found a yummy looking steak place. Closed. We found a yummy looking hamburger place. Closed. I was on the verge of tears and a major melt down (at age 31, I know). We asked some nice ladies what close food was available. They pointed us to a little cafe very close to where we were. We hauled our exhausted bodies up the stairs, and found a cute little cafe. I ordered lentil soup (what was I thinking? I don't like lentil soup!) and J ordered a ham sandwich. It was literally a slab of ham on bread. We had water - which the waiter called a 'gulp' of water. J thought that was cute.

I was literally sleeping in my chair with my head in my hands, barely awake long enough to bring a bite of soup to my mouth, then dozing off again for a few seconds. J was about the same. We were simply pitiful.

After our meal - lunch? dinner? we went out in search of Waterford Crystal Factory. We had, on complete accident, parked at the factory entrance. Unfortunately for us, the crystal factory part where they show you how they cut the glass was permanently closed. Boo!

At that point, me barely hanging on to consciousness and just a few bites of food in my belly, I decided that if Waterford didn't have a glass cutting demonstration, I wasn't gonna go. So there.

Photos of the town of Waterford. It is a pretty little town.

This picture might be of Cashel. I have it labeled as Waterford, but the castle looks like Cashel. Either my notes are wrong, or my memory of Cashel is wrong. Or both. Who knows.

This is definitely Waterford. It was so pretty!

Ireland, Day 2, June 10

2010-07-22T09:00:00.001-05:00

Our first tourist stop was Jerpoint Abbey. With the help of a very friendly native, I was able to pay for our tickets, return the tickets, and purchase an OPW pass - the equivalent of a National Parks and Monuments pass. Best purchase ever. We got a book with the pass of all we were eligible to enter for free, and little write ups about each of them. We got so much out of that book. I highly recommend it.

Euros are different than American dollars, mostly because the bills are all different sizes and colors, and their coinage goes to two dollars. I had the most trouble with the coins. I'm not sure I got better as the week went on, but we did manage to pay for everything we needed.

Jerpoint Abbey was a Cistercian Monastary founded in 1180. The Cistercian Monks were tired of the corruption of the Catholic church and the enslavement the church was under because they accepted money from those who, lets say, didn't have the interests of the church at heart. So the Cistercians developed to avoid the influence of those who influenced the Catholic church at large. Their main emphasis was on being self-sufficient and producing all they needed to survive, as well as focusing on manual labor as being pleasing to God.

This particular group farmed, with the help of local townsmen who worked on the abbey grounds without being officially monks. The lay workers had nothing to do at all with the monks. Their food was prepared in the same space, but they did not eat together nor sleep together. The lay workers received some protection, and stable job, and lodging. The monks received a steady supply of food and time to study the scriptures more fully and worship God.

At it's height, the abbey grounds were several thousand acres, and supported farming, sheep, and crafting. It was turned over to the state of England during the reign of King Henry VIII, after the Dissolution of Monastaries Edict between 1536 and 1541. King Henry was the supreme head of the Church of England, and was (disappointed, jealous?) concerned about the large amount of land and wealth all the monastaries, nunneries, and abbeys had appropriated for the church (which was tax-exempt). King Henry demanded and recieved all the lands held by religions organizations, as well as all the money in their coffers.

Jerpoint Abbey was turned over to the Office of Public Works in 1880 for restoration and preservation. It was a gorgeous site, and the tour guide was wonderful, pointing out to us old carvings of the 12 apostles and Irish saints, explaining the lay out, and giving us our first taste of Irish history.

The courtyard:

The main walkway. I am standing in the chapel, looking toward the secondary chapel.

An Irish high cross, very old. (I didn't write it down!)

The ceiling of the tower, directly above where the monks worshipped.

Jeremy looking at a sarcophagus inside the abbey. I believe it was the first abbot of the abbey.

The watch tower.

My husband

An Irish high cross inside the grave yard. These graves date from the 1700s, and those are the ones with headstones we can read. In Europe as a whole, people are not embalmed. They are interred in a simple pine casket and left to nature's work. Families would be buried in one hole, generation on generation. While we think that is strange, it is completely normal in Ireland. After one generation of being in the ground, all that may be left of your parents may be bones, or simply rich dirt. The head stones had lists of people buried there, added decades apart, that may include the great- or great-great-grandchildren of the original occupants. Jerpoint Abbey's graveyard was still active, with descendants of the original occupants (so to speak) continuing to use the family plot. New families were not allowed to start plots in the grave yard, however.

Jerpoint Abbey from the road.

Us after "sleeping" on the plane. We might look discheveled and tired, but we were excited to start our adventure!

Ireland, Day 1, June 9

2010-07-21T09:52:00.005-05:00

Hmmm. So one day turned into two...and three...

Without further adieu, hereee's Ireland...

Day 1: Wednesday, June 9th

We got up early and finished packing. Our dear friend was kind enough to drive us all the way to Intercontinental Airport, and we hauled our suitcases into terminal C, excited and nervous about our adventure. We caught our first plane to New Jersey, the Ewark International Airport. We were unaccoustomed to flying Continental Airlines, and we were shocked! at all the amenities we have been missing because we fly the cheap seats. Which isn't so bad for a few hour flight, but for a 19 hour flight (including layovers) we went with a different airline. And Southwest doesn't fly to Ireland.

They have movies in the seat back in front of you, and you get ear phones. Awesome. There were about 35 different movies, and 60 television shows to choose from. The time remaining on the flight was on the screen, so you could pick your in flight entertainment accordingly. You can tell this made a big impression on me!

We landed in Ewark without (much) difficulty. *side note: when the pilot gets on the overhead PA system and announces that there's extremely turbulent air in about 10 mintues, that all passengers should be in their seats with their seatbelts on and plan for some severe bumps, it's enough to give even the calmest passenger a mild panic attack. Yep.

Our plane from New Jersey to Dublin. It was raining pretty hard, as you can tell from the photos. I suppose that's what made for the bumpy flight.

Our sign from the terminal announcing our flight information. Doesn't it stir excitement in your heart?

Our first view of Ireland. It's just a preview of tomorrow's post.

Well, hello there!

2010-07-08T20:52:00.002-05:00

I've been absent for a while. You may have noticed. I have received some comments about my absence on the internet. So, I am doing my best to re-establish this blog and keep it up to date. I think that the first thing I will blog about is Ireland trip. Tomorrow.

Hope you all have a good night!

New Poll Results

2009-10-08T13:31:00.002-05:00

Attention everyone.

The question has been answered. No more sleepless nights.

The most annoying phrase or word in the English language is "whatever." In case you were wondering, Marist College did a poll on 938 adults, and they were the ones who picked the most annoying word or phrase.

Apparently my top annoying word didn't make the cut for the five annoying phrases the adults picked from. Hmmm. Maybe I should conduct my own poll. Surely I can find 938 adults to ask.

What is your most annoying phrase or word?

For the record, if I never hear the (non)word "tumped" again, I'll be okay. I think it's a hybrid between "tipped" and "dumped," but I'm not sure.

There. Now your day is complete. You now know the most annoying word. Be sure to sprinkle it liberally in your daily conversation.

One person can make a difference...

2009-09-28T15:56:00.002-05:00

I recently read an article (online, of course) that described 50 things that the internet is killing. You can read the entire list here. It's kind of an interesting little article, and a great commentary on how things are changing around the world because of technology.

Any-hoo. It seems that I am guilty of helping the culture to kill #5 (punctuality) and #50 (lunch break - seriously, when was the last time I left my desk to eat???). I found one thing that I simply cannot let pass without comment.

#43. Solitare, and it's counterpart, Minesweeper. The internet is killing solitare and minesweeper. Let that sink in a moment, shall we?

How in the world would I have spent (or wasted) hours upon hours of my precious time in high school, college, graduate school and beyond without these two games?

So, today, take one for the team. One person can make a difference, you know. Double click on the deck of cards, just once before bed tonight. See how many mines you can find before you blow up. Practice makes perfect. If you fail, then try, try again.

Just a note: I'm definitely doing my part to help clean up the mines of America. And save Minesweeper. Maybe we should have t-shirts made...

The End of the Story

2009-09-21T13:27:00.006-05:00

So I'm in a bloggy-funk, but I've gotten enough snarky comments from the three of you people who read me on a regular basis to protect myself from further snarks, and go ahead and post.

I was waiting until I got pictures up and going, but that's going to take too long, and this (non-photo) blog as been rolling around in my brain for a few days now.

I love good endings. If I invest a few hours of my life reading a book* or watching a movie, it's got to end well. That means: the guy gets the girl, the wedding happens, the baby is born, the family lives happily ever after. If it's not happily-ever-after, I don't wanna know about it. I see too much of the not happily-ever-after in real life. I read or watch movies to escape.

So, having the former in mind, I'm switching lanes. Fear not, I'm still on the mountain, I'm just meandering a little.

A girl I knew in college lost her younger sister to cancer about a week ago. The sister shares a birthday with my brother. I don't know why, but that made this hit closer to home. I knew the sister in college (it was a really small college). I didn't know she was sick until after she had passed away. Her story was too brief. The end of her story was unexpected and tragic. And crappy.

And yet, the ending was victorious. It truly was happily-ever-after for her. (See, I told you I was still on the mountain.) We are all to finish the race well. We are all to strive for the goal. She just beat alot of people to the finish line.

Our victory is assured. We don't have to wonder about the outcome. We don't have to be anxious about the end. The battle is won.

There is a happy ending here. Even in the midst of feeling unhappy.

*If you're not like me and let your books end not-so-happily-ever-after, Sea Glass by Anita Shreve is good. It's just not happily-ever-after. Definitely not.

Same Ol', Same Ol'

2009-07-17T07:26:00.002-05:00

There have been no posts for the last month. It's because there's nothing going on. It's too hot to do anything but stay inside and work the same two days a week, pay the same bills, do the same laundry (or not), dust the same furniture (or not) and think about hitting the eliptical.

I will post photos of Project Wednesdays at some point, we've gotten lots of work done.

Kim and I are headed to Austin today and we're thrilled. We'll be learning more about teaching kids the Bible. Can't wait to get to Austin and start learning!

Hope your summer is going smoothly and the air conditioning bills are not too high! Thank God for rain!

Happy 9th Anniversary to US!

2009-06-24T18:22:00.003-05:00

9 years

108 months

468 weeks

3287 days

78894 hours

4733640 minutes

284018400 seconds

of happily married bliss.

I love you, sweetheart. I love planning to spend the rest of our lives together. It's been a ride, and I don't want to be on it with anyone else! I love you!

My 30th Birthday!

2009-06-21T16:22:00.004-05:00

For my 30th, we kept it low key.

I went out to a new (to everyone else) restaurant. It ended up being new to me, too. Their menus are different in the restaurant than from catering, apparently. It was yummy, though, and different from our regular fare.

The following weekend, J and I went north to Dallas to celebrate with the Dallas family. We had a good time, and got to enjoy a wonderful evening together with lots of cake and ice cream.

The next 3,654 days will be more fun than the previous decade, I hope. I can't wait to see what the 30's hold for me!

Tim says it best. Enjoy, and enjoy your next 30 years!

Thoughts on Life

2009-06-15T16:04:00.002-05:00

Recently I have seen a few things that made me think...

When you pick up a dog to puppy-sit for a "little while" and they give you a 20 pound sack of dog food, what exactly does that mean? How long will we be keeping this dog?

I recently saw a television show in which the main character figured out the physician in the show was an imposter because she cared about her patients and she had readable handwriting. He called the FBI, she was arrested. I may be in trouble.

I recently saw a news article (okay, more tabloid-y than news-y) that asked if Someone Famous was pregnant because she just traded in her teeny-tiny purse for an extra large sized purse. Really?? I'm glad no one's commenting on the new extra large purse I just got. I'd hate for anyone to think that I'm pregnant just because my purse is big. My purse...I don't know why non-mommies can't have big purses. So far I've carred a Bible, wallet, lipstick, notebook (full sized), a stethescope, bottle of water, yogurt, a spoon, sunglasses, keys, cell phone, 3 pens, business card holder, and 20 hours of continuing education in my purse. And there's still room.

So there are my thoughts. Not really deep or noteworthy, but there they are.

What I did on my Memorial Day vacation...

2009-06-01T19:20:00.002-05:00

Memorial Day was super busy for us. I had plans that included J working Friday, but earlier in the week J told me he was thinking about taking Friday off. Ooookay. And what would we do with the extra day, you ask? Something romantic for our 4 day weekend, you ask?

No.

J decided to use his 4 day weekend to add value to our house. He wanted to landscape. Major landscaping.

Here's the before pictures of the west side of my house:

First, we take up the grass from the side of the house. Can you tell whose job it was to stack the grass?

Second, we went to the nursery (nurseries, actually) and picked up the plants we were going to plant. All 45 of them.

Step three is to plant these plants in the ground.

Here's a secret - plant the plants, then have the dirt delivered. Then you don't have to dig through it when you're digging the holes for the plants. For our reference, one yard of dirt is as much as our truck can hold. Literally.

We got the dirt spread out and the sprinkler system installed and the mulch put out. It only took us three days to do all this. It looked GREAT!!

There were a few rain delays - like 5 - but we didn't let it stop us. That's right, we worked in the rain. It's dedication, or maybe just getting tired of working and ready to be done with the project. Let's go with dedication.

And, while we're at it (he says) let's start on the east side of the house, too. Ya know, since we're working on the west side and all.

West side finished product.

Oh yeah, and adding a few gardenias to our front bed, too.

We (He) decided that a 3 day weekend was a great way to spend landscaping. I don't know if he got a memo that the weather is HOT that time of year. I do think that by the end of it, he remembered.

The new flower beds are very lovely and we can't wait a few years until they grow up and we can really enjoy them. J has already started asking about when we can finish the east side of the house. I did promise his mother that I would wait and have some gardening for her to help with when she came next, whenever that may be, so maybe she can help with that. The more the merrier!

Having a Mary Monday in a Martha World

2009-05-22T08:25:00.002-05:00

Monday I drove to B, about 100 minutes from here. This was a special trip, a fun trip where I got to spend the whole day with a dear friend who had moved far away (but, thankfully, not too far). I got there about 10 in the morning.

That's when the fun began.

When I got there, she offered me water, which I gratefully accepted, and we headed out to her back porch. Where we stayed all day, leaving only to grab sustenance (which we ordered to-go and ate on her back porch) and grab her daughter after school. I love my friend, and I love her back porch. The weather was just right, even a little chilly initially, for a day in the shade.

Over the 10 hours I spent with this wise and wonderful friend, we touched on every subject you could think of. I left her house encouraged, refreshed, and energized. We had laughed, shared heartache, struggles, and victories.

What did I cross off my to-do list Monday? Nothing. Not one thing. I had also monopolized my friend's day, and she didn't get much done, either. Was it a wasted day? No! I know if I'd been at home, I would have had plenty to do. But instead, I was able to slow down and be still.

I need more days like that...

Weight Watchers, the bootlegged version

2009-05-13T14:02:00.003-05:00

Weight Watchers, Week 1

Well, we decided to do it. Take the plunge. We're both ready to really watch what we eat and get rid of this extra poundage. We're just not ready to pay WW to do it with us.

Sooo, we got some help on line (you really can find ANYTHING on Ebay) and planned a menu. We were ready to jump into this WW thing full force. Except actually attend WW meetings.

So, by day 4, I had lost 3 pounds by conscienciously counting points. Wow. Not so hard to do. Then the weekend came. Lets just say things didn't go as planned. At least I was still down 0.6 pounds by the time Monday came. Down is the right direction. Homeboy lost 6 pounds. Eating the same foods, making the same bad decisions. Oh well. At least we were both down.

His snoring is better, which means I'm sleeping better :)

I am giving myself the same peptalks I give my patients - don't give up; you put it on slowly, it will come off slowly; if you fall off the wagon at lunch, don't wait until the next day to get back on, get on now; if you fall off the wagon, exercise 10 more minutes that day. Hmmm. They are much more motivating when I say them to other people than when I have to internalize them.

And also we signed up for a half-marathon in November. The training has not started. Which is a bad thing. I'm trying to remember (as I'm craving chocolate) that it's easier to do a half-marathon with less junk in my trunk.

Stay tuned for further updates. I'm looking for more weight loss than 0.6 lbs, but at least it's going down!!

Call me a cheater...

2009-05-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

I realize I have been absent from blog-world for a few months. My friend and I have been caught up in a never ending project for the last three months. But, contrary to it's name, this project did have an ending. I will pass the project off this evening. So I have spent some time today to catch bloggy world up on what I've been up to. Since I know you're wondering.

So, please feel free to link to the following blog posts to catch up on the previous three months. I feel like I'm coming out of a hole... and there's sunshine!

Feburary: MasterFollies, Lubbock
March: Spring Break, LC
March: Teacher's Workshop, LC
April: Bible Bowl, Abilene
April: AB visits, LC
April: The weatherman said there would be some storms, LC

Enjoy! And hopefully I will be a more regular presence in bloggy world again!

Two Victories

2009-04-30T18:37:00.002-05:00

I wouldn't call them large victories, at least in the cosmic sense, but they were a big deal to me. So here I share:

Those of you who know me, or have read some previous posts, may know that I get lost easily. Very, very, very easily. I am the reason Garmins and Magellans were invented. I don't have a GPS system, so hand written directions are my only navigational guides. I still get lost alot even with those. Even with places I've been alot.

BUT, yesterday I went to two new places and once old place a new way, and I didn't get lost twice. Whoo-hoo. Yes. I don't know if I was really lost getting to my first new place, but I sure didn't know where I was. Turns out the exit is named Monroe, but if you turn right, the street name changes to Winkler. Whatever. As soon as I figured out that I was on the right street, and all I had to do was turn around, I stopped hyperventilating. I'll definitely call that a win!

And, for the first time in more than a decade, I have a sunburn. I know this seems strange to be a victory, but I have had a skin condition for more than 10 years that prevents me from spending more than a few minutes in the sun before I start getting hives. Over the previous month, I could tell that, for whatever reason, my condition was going away. So I have done trials in the sun, and have had success. So yesterday, I took the plunge. I sat in a hot tub with a friend, and got crispy. NO HIVES!! I know I should still be using my big floppy hats and my shirts with SPF 75 in them, etc. But I have spent 10 years trying (and failing) to convince myself that I liked being whiter than snow (my skin, not my soul!). I think I will smile as I go slather aloe on my crispy skin now. It feels good to have a little color on me.

Just a preview: we are taking a television fast this week. So far, it's been a success, and we have enjoyed it alot. But you're only getting one point of view - the one who wanted to do it. We'll see how it goes this weekend with no television. And in case you think we're going too far, realize that all our shows are being Tivo'd, so we can catch them next week. HA!

Why I'm Glad to be a Texan

2009-04-17T18:19:00.000-05:00

Fields of Bluebonnets

Dublin Dr. Pepper

Blue Bell Ice Cream - Yummy!

Governor Rick Perry

I Have Never Done This Before,

2009-04-15T16:58:00.003-05:00

but there's a first for everything, right?

I protested today.

When you watch(ed) the news tonight, you might see TEA parties there. There were some already being covered at lunch today. I was at a TEA party - Taxed Enough Already. We were protesting excessive taxes with excessive spending by our federal government. We were protesting federal government programs designed to take the autonomy away from individuals. We were protesting federal government infringement on states rights.

I was woefully unprepared in my first ever protest, except for my camera. No home made sign, no American flag, no bull horn, no American Revolution-era costume. Just my body, giving silent support for those who did come prepared.

We were set up right across from the post office in a little community not far from where I live. There were approximately 70 people in the parking lot when we got there, which was late. Very late.

We saw upside down American flags, being waved and wielded by young children.

*side note: Upside down flags mean distress. Whether on a ship, in a state, or waved by a child, it means distress.*

We saw multiple home made signs, decrying one or another government program meant to make us safer, healthier, happier, but that will ultimately be burdensome to the American people, and infringing on our personal rights.

We saw people with newspaper cameras there, but no news crews.

We saw many, many people drive by and yell words of encouragement or support. The community was obviously in favor of this particular protest.

And what protest would be complete without John Phillips Sousa playing in the background? I can't make this up.

Apparently those of us who protested in any state, in any way, were classified as right wing extremist radicals, according to a report out today from Homeland Security. I am now a terrorist, I guess. Middle class, tax paying, law abiding terrorist. It's a label I've not had before. I'm not sure I believe it, but it was on the radio. It's got to be true.

My friend (who went with me) called her husband to let him know we were protesting. He gave us 3 rules: 1. No violence. 2. No cursing (that's so like us) 3. No breaking the law. (I added 4 and 5, No calling him from jail, and No television cameras, respectively.)

My friend's husband also gave us our sound bites: We're interested in protecting the city and state government from infringement by the federal government. We're here to draw attention to the message that the American government cannot just print more money to fund its projects. There must be accountability and transparency.

So that was part of my afternoon today. You can go here to see what another local community did yesterday as a part of their TEA party, organized much differently than ours was. You can also go here to see where ongoing protests near you are taking place.

I never saw myself as a political activist. But there's never been something that's been so big to me. Please keep our government covered in prayer. That's being an activist, too. And God can affect change in sweeping ways we cannot even imagine.

The weather man said there might be some storms

2009-04-14T08:00:00.002-05:00

April 11 we had some doozies sweep through here. Apparently these weren't on anyone's radar, they just popped up. We knew slight chance of rain, but we didn't know how much. Here's the damage...

This was about 20 minutes after the rain started. We had three cars in the driveway because we had Bart's there, too. Hmmm. We had to do something...

See the truck down the street? And in the next one, too.

See the fire hydrant?

This photo has my neighbor's SUV in it at the back of their driveway.

The moat behind our house...

J has been telling me for 5.5 years that there is no way to get a car in our garage. But let me tell you that when threatened (by nature's storms and his wife) there is a way!

See AB in the photo? (She's the tiny head). She wanted to go to the beach. We obliged. What gracious hosts we are.

The water in my back yard was half way up Bart's calf.

We had neighbor kids swimming in the street. I guess it was safe, at least from cars. But, ewww.

We did have some roof/ceiling damage from this. Same place as the hurricane, if that tells you what the wind was doing. Regular rain doesn't make it inside my house, but driven rain does. We had more flooding with this storm than we did with Hurricane Ike. Puts it in perspective.

AB came to visit!!!

2009-04-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

We finally talked AB into coming!! We've been badgering her for months to come, and finally wore her down! Yay!

She loved it here. She really wanted to go to the beach, but she wasn't able to, because of the weather. So we brought the beach to her. Photographs of that amazing sight later.

Hannah helped her eat. Both of them were pleased with the results. We forgot to keep an eye on the dog while we were feeding the baby. Ha!

AB started crawling 4 days after she visited. Stinker. She's mobile now, and that means mom and dad are on their toes alot more these days!!

Sunday...

The life saver swing... Our dear friends J&K S let us borrow a baby swing and a pack and play for AB while she was here. Let's just say her pampered tush didn't touch the pack and play. She's a swinging kind of girl... We did really get alot of use out of the swing. She even slept in it!

Laugh with me: J told AB's mom and dad, we'll take the baby for the night and come get you if we can't console her. Ya'll sleep. Seems sweet... Somehow the baby ended up on my side of the bed in the swing. Hmmm. Then, when she got up in the middle of the night who did not stir one eyelash? My sweet husband, who volunteered for this mess. Ha! He says he stirred, but saw that I was up with her, so he just stayed asleep. No sense in both of us being up with her...

Sunday, we were watching AB while her mom and dad napped. She was a little tired and cranky, so I put her to sleep. J coughed riiiight when AB was juuust asleep - at that golden moment when anything can wake them. And it did. Grrr. Fuzzball just ran away. I was stuck putting the baby to sleep again. Which didn't happen, despite my best tricks.

Our next door neighbor came out to see what that awful racket was (we were outside to give my bro a break with the noise). Literally, as soon as S got AB, AB stopped crying. As soon as S gave AB back to me, AB was crying. It was so TV show, it was funny. So S and her two daughters came and had a picnic on the front lawn with me and AB. We hung out together for about 2 hours, which was the first time that's happened in a long time.

We love grass!!

We loved having her come visit. I hope to get a photo of me holding AB, but the only one J took I was in my jammies and not looking too hot. So, I'll post one later.

AB, we can't wait to see you again!

Bible Bowl

2009-04-06T08:00:00.004-05:00

There's not alot to say about Bible Bowl this year.

We took a great group of kids to Abilene for ACU's final Bible Bowl. I've been going since I was 12 or so, taking a few years off for my college education. Now, I'm taking kids.

It was a good year for us. Our group was really cohesive, and got along well. We did have fun.

We stopped at BlueBell Creameries on the way up to Abilene. Yummy! We got to tour the plant, and got a sample of their ice cream at the end.

After the test, I give whoever beats my score $5 cash. I try to make a big production out of it, and the kids seem to like it, especially since I'm a little competitive and it means they beat me. One girl beat me this year; she was the one who tied last year and she was a little upset that tying didn't rate the $5. This year she beat me (by two points) and earned her $5. Her sister tied me this year. I think I may be out $10 next year...

We let the kids stay up as late as they want on Saturday for two reasons: 1. so we can give them a bedtime on Friday night before the test, and 2. it makes it so they sleep all the way home on Sunday. Devious, I know. Here we are playing a game I don't remember into the wee hours of the morning. We didn't even get half way. 14 people is alot for this particular game.

We had church in the hotel conference room with some other Houston churches. It's wonderful to worship with new friends, knowing Christ binds you all together.

Big thanks to the V family for making our rockin' Bible Bowl shirts. We all look great!

Since ACU has shuttered its doors to Bible Bowl after years and years, the Houston churches have gotten together and are trying to start up a Bible Bowl of our own. We're looking for churches who have been participating in Bible Bowl for years, as well as churches who would like to start a program that encourages Bible study. If you know of any that would be interested in starting this program, with plenty of help from us, of course, please let me know!!

We wanted to thank the elders for allowing this trip, and for supporting us through this ministry. They've been great! We pray it will continue into the future as a ministry that encourages memorization of the scriptures.

Bible Quiz

2009-04-03T09:23:00.000-05:00

This link was e-mailed to me by my great aunt and uncle. It's pretty interesting. Every time you take the quiz, the questions change. Try it. See if it challenges you!

http://teachingtruth.org/quiz.php

Thoughts over the last month

2009-04-02T10:19:00.003-05:00

I will do an updated blog with photos, I promise. I don't have my camera at work, today, so all there is to post about is my random thoughts over the month. There's nothing deep, I promise.

1. No matter how much (or little) you are carrying around, a bra is *not* an appropriate place for a cell phone.

2. At the Rocket's game this weekend, I saw alot of girls in really tight jeans. Hmmm. I'm working on getting my jeans to NOT fit like that. I'm just sayin'. Maybe I CAN eat the ice cream after dinner, after all. It seems to be the style...

3. I learned something about a dear friend of mine at the Rockets game this weekend. She is such an encourager. At the point in the game when the Rockets were up more than 30 points, she started cheering for the LA Clippers. She is not a Clippers fan, she just wanted them to not feel so discouraged. I'm not sure anyone heard on the court her, because we were wwwaaaayyyy in the nosebleed seats, but it was cute to hear her cheer anyway.

4. At the Rockets game (seems like I learned alot from them), when the announcer called the baskets by the Clippers, he sounded like Eeyore. It was a hoot, and I laughed through the entire two hours whenever the Clippers scored (It was not very often, unfortunately.)

5. If you ask a parking attendant where to eat, you will get pointed to three bars. No restaurants, just bars.

An update: my employers wife has been officially diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, with distant metastases. She will start in a chemotherapy trial as soon as her radiation is over. Please keep her in your prayers.

We leave for Abilene in the morning. Please keep this little group in your prayers. The kids have studied hard and are very excited.

Teacher Workshop

2009-03-28T08:00:00.002-05:00

Kim and I hosted our first teacher's workshop! It was called, "Powerful Presentations and Practical Products." Yes, we are alliterative nerds! The elders have blessed us with the opportunity to teach other teachers. We've been working hard on other projects, and this kind of dove-tailed with those projects.

So on Saturday, Kim and I met with 14 women and discussed strategies to teach Bible classes. The most rewarding part of the workshop was when the next morning, we saw 4 teachers use strategies we had discussed the day before.

Kim blogged more about it on our other website. Check it out. She does a good job detailing it more. And she has cute pictures.

I was married to the copier for several days.

Kim doing a venn diagram with the ladies. Flash back to bad geometry lessons, I know...but it's good for comparing and contrasting.

We learned alot about how to prepare for these, including the fact that we had twice as much material prepared as was presented! Better to have too much, right...?

We enjoyed doing this workshop for our teachers, and hope to be able to continue doing these workshops for the teachers here.

Spring Break

2009-03-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

So, Jeremy got a Spring Break week off exactly 2 months after he started working at CCISD. Really? Really? So, I worked all week. We've learned, through this unemployment thing, that too much togetherness gets on my nerves. Well, really, he gets on my nerves. In a nice way. So, I worked, he played. With a to-do list.

Here's what he did...

refinished the door...

redid the lock on the door...

mowed the lawn...

trimmed the bushes...

My only request when I heard the power bush wacker in the background on the phone was "Don't touch the ginger!!!" Too late. Thanks whoever gave him the bush wacker for his birthday (mom. We need to talk before the next birthday event...)

Here's my boy after a week of slave driving...

He did good work, and also managed to get some rest in there, too.

Thanks, beloved husband, for all that you did during your Spring Break to make the house and yard look great!! I love you!

With Apologies to Jeff Foxworthy

2009-03-09T20:51:00.003-05:00

If your working tv sits on top of your non-working tv,

Yoooooouuuuuu might be a redneck.

Welcome to the Deep South. We are the rednecks.

Wedding Food

2009-03-06T14:35:00.000-06:00

Some of you have asked how our poletarian did while she was here. She did well, I think. There was a constant stream of all things chicken while she was here. Some of you have asked what I fixed. Well, I'll tell you.

Every day for lunch, chicken salad. My brother-in-law didn't know chicken came in cans. My mother-in-law didn't know grapes could go in chicken salad. Happily, they were both pleasantly surprised. My good friend OM said the secret to her chicken salad was celery salt. I used it liberally in my salad. I think she's right.

We had feta cheese chicken Thursday night. Yummy!

We had lasagna Friday night. There was vegetarian lasagna for the resident poletarian. I had the real deal. I fixed what my friend Hope calls Hostess Roulette for dessert. An untried recipe for a group. Here's what I fixed:

It's called Blueberry Sour Cream Cake. Here's how it went over:

I'd call it a keeper.

When I was in Lubbock a few weeks ago, Megan introduced me to GrillMates for chicken. It's easy, and it's grillable, which means less heat in the kitchen. Sounds good to me. We had the GrillMates Herb and White Wine Vinegar (or something like that) for dinner Saturday night. It was yummy, with only half a chicken breast left. Thanks, Meg, for making me look good! We did have left over wedding cake and blueberry cake for dessert.

We never did get to the strawberry shortcake I had made. Guess J and I will have to take care of that on our own. I think we'll manage!

Thanks to those who sent or gave me recipes for chicken. I really really appreciate it! I do think it's time for some beef now, though. Maybe pork. Anything but chicken.

The Wedding

2009-03-03T13:19:00.006-06:00

This weekend was the wedding.

We did this:

and this (My mother -in-law made the wedding cakes)

Not much of this:

Lots of this: (My sister-in-law was the wedding photographer)

Late nights doing this: (I was asked to help make the party favors. I conscripted Bill.)

FINALLY, this!

Then more of this.

Update on J's grandmother. She was to go home from the hospital yesterday for a few days, then fly out to Seattle on Sunday. We have not heard anything different.

My bosses wife had some bad news yesterday. She had a scan done and there are more spots on her liver and lungs where the cancer has spread. We are all beseaching God for healing and wholeness for her, on this side of heaven.

Now, for two of my favorite photos from the wedding.

This is The Wedding Weekend

2009-02-27T09:02:00.002-06:00

This weekend is Chris's wedding. We have lots of wedding stuff going on, and lots of family activites. We're crazy busy, but it's all with family. I don't know if that makes it worse or better. :)

Last night we had the bride and groom over with the kids. We had dinner for 8 - impromptu style. Fortunately, I had fixed a dish that I love (feta cheese chicken), it really does leftovers well, and it's one of J's favorites. So I invited everyone over for dinner. There are no leftovers. It was yummy, and made the house smell so delicious. We had spinach, a green salad, and a fruit salad. I got rave reviews and it was so very simple. Thank you, mom, for making me look good!!

Mama T had extra wedding cake. It didn't look good. It sure did taste good, though. She totally came through on dessert. And we all got a preview of what the wedding cake will taste like. Yummy!

The kids, my niece and nephew, played and played and played. Hannah, our lab, was the focus of most of their attention. She, of course, loved every second of it. It's been a long time since she's had an 8 year old boy to wrassle with. Ha! They also tried to play with Edgar, our 35 pound big mean kitty. He did not appreciate it as much as Hannah did. We had to put him in our bedroom to protect the kids. I know he looks pretty, but those teeth are razor sharp. One of the kids told me, "He's not mad. He just high-fived me with his paw." That's when Ed got put up. We took pics of the kids roughhousing over here. Those pics were cute. I may be posting those later, I want to check with thier parents before I post photos of the kids.

My sis-in-law, W, is taking photos of the wedding this weekend. She is quite an accomplished photographer, but her usual subject is nature. Before she took photos of the wedding, she wanted to practice on some live, moving, non-instruction-taking subjects. Enter my precious critters. She got some FABULOUS pics of them. They will be posted later, when I get a copy of them. She even made my big mean kitty look nice. Very serious, but nice. And I promise, Hannah was smiling in all the photos.

Something that Burt (Bill, Brad, Bob...Brad!) Brad Harrub discussed with us is to vocalize our goals in life. 1. To get to heaven. 2. Take as many people as we can with us. That really resonated with me, and J and I have been really thinking about that and we have a date to discuss that goal as it relates to our family. With those goals in mind, I would like to relate a short-ish story.

Christopher and his new bride came with her kids yesterday, as above. Now, you must understand that my craft room is in total disarray. I'm serious. You need shots to go in that room. Yesterday, while my sweet nephew and niece were here, they wanted to see pics of Chris when he was younger. So, out came my scrapbooks and wedding album. How fun! Then, they wanted to see what else I had done. Um, my works in progress are in my craft room, the room that has already been mentioned is in total disarray. I can not stress that enough. So, hesitantly, I open that door. And in rushed the kids. They looked at everything they could look at - which was fine. That's why the projects are there. And my 8 year old nephew's eyes landed on a pot. A clay pot painted red, with a ladybug face drawn on it and lady bug spots drawn on it. A red pot with a jingle bell inside, foam feet dangling out of the bottom, and a crack around the middle. A red pot with the words, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6" written on it. H pointed to it and said, "It's broken. Your pot is broken." I said, "Yes, it reminds me that God loves me even though I'm broken." He looked at me and said, "Aunt Daesha, I want this. Can I take this home with me?" Ya'll, it was all I could do not to cry. OF COURSE, I am now one red clay pot short at home. I don't think I'll replace it. I think the absence of the red clay pot will remind me to take as many people with me to heaven as I can. I cannot wait for VBS this summer.

There will be posts updating our February and the wedding coming later.

Please be in prayer

2009-02-19T23:46:00.002-06:00

More news. . . Just talked to J's mom. Sounds like J's grandmother is having a congestive heart failure exacerbation* and is hospitalized in Amarillo (or Lubbock, we're not quite sure where). We don't know much else at this point, and will give updates here when we get them. J's brother is getting married in 9 days, so we've all already got full plates. Please pray for that situation.

Also, my boss found out today that his wife, who has a history of breast cancer, has a brain mass. The plan right now is that they will try to do surgery early next week. We are assuming this is a new metastasis from her breast cancer. She is in her 50s - much too young for this.

I have not heard back from biopsies done on Tuesday. Things here are status quo.

I will post more about our comings and goings later, but I wanted to give you a chance to pray for others.

Thank you!

*J said I needed to translate that into "words the rest of us know." His grandmother sounds like she has water around her heart and lungs. It's a chronic condition that has gotten worse suddenly. This is all translated through non-medical people translated back into technical jargon and back into non-medical people language. We might have lost something in the translation.

I simply didn't have words. . .

2009-02-18T08:56:00.004-06:00

Let me set the scene.

I was in a hospital stretcher wearing a hospital gown and my socks. I was breathing canned oxygen through my nose. I had an IV in my right hand, right next to my hospital bracelet. I had a blood pressure cuff on my left arm. I am a Patient.

My physician comes in, a woman who I have known on a strictly professional basis until this moment in time. Now, I am her Patient. This does not stop her.

She chit chats while the anesthesiologist mixes the drug coctail. We chit chat about work - the only thing we know about each other. She states that she is looking for a PA. She states that she knows I left my former employer. You know, she says thoughtfully, we would love to have you apply for our open position.

Ummm. Words failed me. I declined graciously (I hope), saying I had found a part time job. She countered with the fact that her position could be part time. Ummm. I am feeling a little naked right now (maybe because I am). I gently told her that my former employer was also having trouble filling the vacancy, that times are hard for physicians right now who are looking for good mid-levels.

When I came out of anesthesia, I laughed. She certainly did have a captive audience for a job pitch. Now that I am no longer the Patient, I can say that that opportunity was not a good one to pitch an employment opportunity.

Master Follies

2009-02-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

I went to a wonderful girls weekend in early February. My dear friend Marcey invited me up to Lubbock for a girls weekend and home coming.

I was able to spend a lovely, spring-like evening with my former roommate, her husband, and her two children. Even after all this time, MH is one of my closest friends. I love the enduring closeness we have. Like she said, it's like we never have been apart, even after 12 years of friendship, and 8 years of looonnnnggg distance!

Marcey and I spent alot of the weekend hanging out, eating, going shopping, eating, getting lost, eating... It was great. She is one person I am always excited to see. Our friendship has deepened over the years, and she is another one of my closest friends from college.

While I was in Lubbock, LCU had a wonderful reception for Dr. Estep, the Dean of Biology when I was a student. That man is responsible for my present profession. I remember being frustrated and discouraged at possible career paths. I talked to him, and he mentioned being a PA. He was completely honest about how little he knew about the PA profession, but he would help me do whatever I needed to do. And he did.

At the reception, I was able to see many former professors. Wow. They still inspire me. I am so very grateful for their strong influence on me in my early career, and their unwavering belief in me. These professors taught organic chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy and physiology, and other -ologies while also teaching about preserving their Christian faith while being a scientist.

Dr. Byron Rogers

Donna Harmon

Dr. Iona Baldridge

And, of course, the friends at alumni breakfast, the friends at the shows, and the friends we just ran into. It's amazing what changes after 8 years of being away, and what doesn't. Man, I miss these guys!

And at Master Follies Performance, I was NOT ashamed to be an alumnus. This is in stark contrast to last year. I was actually proud of my girls and the effort they put forth. They didn't win any prizes, but they had fun, and you could tell. (Man, I still hate kelly green...)

LCU's motto is "Changing Lives." It sure did change mine. It brought me and strengthened everything I love, an enduring relationship with Christ, my husband, my friends now scattered all over the world.

I will leave you with this clip, part of the Master Follies performance. You've got to listen to this. It was in my head for days. Who knew that Sweet Dreams acapella style would be so rockin'?

I wish mine did this. . .

2009-02-09T09:03:00.002-06:00

The Stethescope. It's worth 2:20 of your time to be reminded of a powerful truth. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Please be in prayer

2009-02-06T09:00:00.000-06:00

My college friend's husband passed away Feb 5 after a brief and sudden illness. Please be in prayer for Jennifer and her family as they go through this difficult time. Praise be to our Lord who assures us that death is not the end, but only a brief seperation from those we love.

Hug your children. Tell your spouse of your love. Time on this earth is short, and our days are numbered.

Lord, come quickly.

Five for Friday

2009-01-30T16:05:00.002-06:00

1. I really hate Walmart. I discovered this last week I think. THEN I WENT BACK!! Today. To return $3.87 worth of items. It cost me more than $3.87 in time. But then I would have had to store the stuff. I think it will be a while before I'm back in that consumer un-friendly store again. Hopefully.

2. I have been asked to work every Friday in February by the clinic by my house. Good and Bad. I took off the last Friday because we're having a family wedding, and my in-laws will be at my house. I have gone from a 2 day a week worker to a 3 day a week worker. I think it will interfere with my scrapbooking-cardmaking-nap taking-Sunday-School-lesson-writing-exercising whatever. I really like this job I have. The bosses are wonderful, the commute isn't bad to either clinic, and it's really well organized and well ran. If I have to work three whole days, at least my time is spent doing what I enjoy in offices that I enjoy.

3. It is kind of funny to see J working with mostly women in his new office. "Daesha they talk about each other. Alot." He said this after his first week at work. Um, yes, sweetie. We do that. And it's not all nice. Just stay above the fray. His boss has been out this week, and that hasn't helped the testosterone levels in the office. Hopefully next week will go better. Less talking about each other (and him) and more getting stuff done. It's hard to work with women, sometimes.

4. I posted a dresser on Craigs*List last week. It sold in 30 seconds. I'm serious. Now, if anyone out there would like a nice corner desk with a hutch, I've got one for sale. . .

5. I'm trying to decide what room I could paint a light turquoise. My friend is painting her kitchen a gorgeous color, and I totally want to copy that paint color. I am pretty sure, however, that all major rooms are out. Maybe laundry room? Closet? Linen closet? Pantry? (That might be interesting. . .)

6. (I know it says five, but I just remembered this.) I am starting to check out my chicken recepies for my sister-in-law (and the rest of the Seattle crew) to make sure they're good and I remember how to fix them. SIL is a poletarian - only eats chicken. I think it sounds like she belongs to a certain political party, but it's a food label. Last time she visited, I forgot this and accidentally fixed a (yummy) roast. It did not go unnoticed that she just ate the veggies and went to bed. I will not make that mistake this time. Any good chicken recepies out there that I can try?

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-23T10:00:00.000-06:00

I realize it's the middle of the month, for crying out loud. I have thought about these for a while, and wanted to share my thoughts. Based on our (recently) former employment scare, J and I have thought alot about all we've been given by God. All the physical blessings that have "landed in our lap" at just the right time strengthened our faith.

In light of that, our decision (J doesn't like resolutions) this year was to live as Stewards of all God has blessed us with.

Stewardship extends to:

Stewardship of our finances: This is probably the easiest to see. We're going to be smart about how we spend and what we spend our money on. We will remember to use our blessings for others. We pledge to remember to worship God, not things. We will prayerfully decide where our financial resources would best be spent.

Stewardship over our physical bodies: God has given both of us the blessings of physical health. We will make this year one where we care for the physical side of ourselves. We both will be eating healthier. We both have decided to move more, either in formal exercising or informal lifestyle changes. I will be using my free time to plan healthier meals, with plenty of fruits and veggies. I have accepted Ralph's challenge to lose 27 pounds this year, and I hope that my efforts in the kitchen will also help J get a little healthier.

Stewardship over time: This is the most difficult for me. I feel so scattered, so many projects!! My goal this week is to start whittling down some of the half finished projects I have. I am trying to juggle working with being a wife that's present mentally and physicially. (I figured out that I wasn't always a *present* wife while I was working in my previous position). J and I both have the same amount of time as everyone else, and we're trying to use it more for the glory of God and be less wasteful.

I hope that by posting these goals, we are more accountable to each other to keep these. I also hope that people ask us about these from time to time to help keep us accountable that way.

May God bless us this 2009!

On this historic day. . .

2009-01-20T10:00:00.000-06:00

we remember the words of Paul to the church in Rome.

Everyone should submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves. For rules hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishemnt but also because of conscience.

This is also why you pay taxes, for the authoritites are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Romans 13:1-7

Whether Obama was the candidate you picked, or whether you picked another man for the position, we are now in the position to pray for this man who holds this most difficult and stressful position. Please remember to pray for his decisions, those who would seek to offer counsel, for his family, and for his health. We should lift him to heaven continuously during the next four years.

How to Bathe a Cat

2009-01-19T15:42:00.006-06:00

We found out that Austin, the orange cat, is allergic to traveling. His tummy doesn't like the car ride. He complains most of the time when he's in his car carrier. We thought it was because he was hot, and we plan on having a battery operated fan installed on his carrier for future car rides.

The crying this time was not the heat.

The cat beat me to the bathroom.

Then he stepped in his *bathroom* mess.

I had left to go to church.

The carpets were generally ok. No major messes left.

The bathroom, not so much.

Ditto for the cat.

*Bathroom messes* left on several different posterior parts of a cat's body don't come off easily. Especially since I didn't try very hard. I had resigned myself. . . .

First, get the water a temperature you like. You will be bathed in it by the time the chore is over.

Second, get every towel you have and put them near you. You will need one for every structure in your bathroom, as well as several for you and a few for the feline.

Third, remove all clothes you don't want ripped to shreds. It's also a good idea to don both puncture proof and waterproof garments. Good luck.

Put plenty of soap on ALL AREAS of the cat's body. If the water is deep enough, it's like soaking the bits.

Rub, rub, rub him dry. Keep rubbing. Austin didn't particularly like this step, but let's face it, he didn't like any of the preceeding steps, either.

He's extra fluffy in this post.

Good news, he's finally talking to me again, and will sit in my lap again. There were a few hours where he steadfastly ignored me, even when I had food.

Next time you see me, ask me about bathing a 75 pound labrador retriever in the kitchen sink. I did that this weekend too.

God has answered prayers, again!

2009-01-14T21:13:00.002-06:00

I don't know why we're surprised when God answers prayers. I think, in this case, that I am surprised at how thoroughly God answered prayers, even the ones I didn't know to pray.

I am now gainfully employed again. Whoo-hoo!!

The office I now work for is owned by 3 physicians, all brothers, who are members of the c of C. 2 elders and a deacon, actually. They have good reputation in the medical and the church communities. Of course, I checked them out. They're published authors, and they have another book coming out this summer about the Biblical views on infertility, IVF, when does life begin, etc. Check Dr. Bo out!

The clinic is about 15 miles from my house, which means I appreciate the 3 mile commute I had with my last job. It takes about 30 minutes in AM traffic, but for the most part is not too bad. It takes 15 minutes to get from my house to the highway. . . . I do miss leaving after the traffic has cleared out.

They didn't have a full time position open, so I work part time - 20 hours or so a week. I get paid a little differently than I did my last position, but it still will about even out. Meaning, I didn't take a pay cut to work 30 hours a week fewer. HA! They said eventually they may move me to a full time position, but I would have the option to turn that down and stay part time if I wanted.

J is on board with the whole PT thing, which makes it that much better.

I am trying to get half a day at a clinic closer to home so I can try to keep some of my former patients. We'll see how that goes. That clinic is in flux right now, and I'm not sure anyone is making any staffing changes to that office. I'm not sure I want this closer clinic for the purest reasons, or if it's just to say, "Neener, neener" to my former employers. I think it's the neener reason. But it is closer to my house - about 3 miles again. And I would get to take the back roads. . . but I would not be working with these (wonderful) doctors. Please be praying about that clinic.

I haven't told many about this - it seems like it's too good to be true. I guess next week I will be letting patients know where I am. Some one needs to pinch me!

Please continue to pray for my father-in-law. He has a second interview set up with his dream employer soon, and is really ready to get back to work!

Thank you all for your prayers while we were unemployed. God has been so good to us, and you have all shown us glimpses of God's love while we were hurting. Thank you so much. Please continue to pray for us!

My First Blog Award,

2009-01-04T21:09:00.004-06:00

Or, Too Bad You've Read With Me This Far, This Might Get Boring. . .

I’ve received the Honest Scrap Award, from Shelly. You can thank her if you didn't want to know any of these facts about me. Part of the acceptance of this award involves posting 10 facts that not many people know about me, and the other part involves bestowing the award on 7 more bloggers.

So... here’s a list of 10 things that most people don’t know about me. (It had to me most people because my mom reads this blog, and that's kind of unfair.)

1. I am kind of addicted to this blogging thing.
2. In fact, I "write" many more blogs than ever get published.
3. I really love reading.
4. I can read novels really fast. Text books, notsomuch.
5. I am actually a Yankee (I know, I sound Texan)
6. I have lived in this city longer than anywhere else in my life.
7. I am a terrible band-waggon-jumper. It's part of the reason why I blog. Everyone else does. . . .
8. I am severely directionally challenged. It's a disability. Jeremy thinks it's cute, but only because I've never gotten lost with his children. Yet.
9. I don't believe in wearing boring socks. I have to be so dressed up all day, I think socks are for expressing myself.
10. I can quote most lines from old Scrubs episodes. It's a gift, really.

So, for those lucky 7 who have been tagged. . . hmmm. . .

1. Kisti
2. Amy
3. Kim
4. Angelina
5. Ralph
6. Lacie
7. Mama T

My New Year's Day

2009-01-01T09:00:00.000-06:00

The laundry is done. . . .

There are no dirty dishes in the sink. . .

The pictures are hung. . . (a long overdue chore)

I am going to curl up and READ!!

Christmas, in Three Parts

2008-12-30T21:00:00.006-06:00

I married into a blended family, with all the love and flexibility that comes along with it. I love all the in-laws that come with the extra families, and even my closest friends get confused when I talk about J's sisters. He has 4, you know, and 3 brothers. They just keep coming. I haven't even met them all (although, in fairness, the one I haven't met has unusual circumstances). So I say all that to say this: Here is our Christmas, in Three Parts.

Christmas, Movement 1

We went to Amarillo, where J's mother met us for an early Christmas. Both of us were glad we bought the tickets before we were laid off from work. It was good to see J's mom, step-dad, and grandmother. We were there for 4 short days. Amarillo tried to impress us by setting record lows while we were there. All I have to say is, Brrr. I don't remember it being that cold when we lived in Lubbock. But it must have been. . . .

While we were there we blew up grandma's old microwave. It was much less exciting than it looks in print. So, Merry Christmas, Grandma. You get a new microwave for Christmas.

While we were in Amarillo, we got to spend a little time with J's two uncles and aunts. We went over to Ronnie's house on Sunday, watched football games back to back to back, and talked all afternoon.

We celebrated early with this family, complete with a Christmas dinner. They know we're not huge turkey fans, so we had ham there, instead. Yum! Everyone was in the kitchen, getting in everyone else's way. It's my kind of holiday. We also had a small gift exchange, with just the five of us. Budgets were tight, since, of course, J had been told he had a job 24 hours before we boarded a plane, and J's step-dad was laid off just after I was. So Christmas was nice and low-key with this group. I can't wait to get my new clock J's step-dad made. The photos are lovely, and Bill does such good work.

We left Amarillo on the 23rd, and flew back to Dallas. The original plan had been for me to work on the 24th, but since my bosses decided I didn't have to work for them that day (or ever), we decided to stay in Dallas for a few extra days.

For more on this Christmas, click here.

Chrismas, Movement 2

For this Christmas, we went to J's sister-in-law's house, near where my parents live. This Christmas dinner was actually on Christmas. We had a turkey with all the trimmings, and all J's local family was there. We stayed several hours and got caught up with the kids and the grown-ups over dinner. The downer here, I forgot my camera. Grrr. So there will be no photos posted of this Christmas with J's dad, step-mom, and all the brothers, sisters, neices, nephews, and extended family. There were 13 of us there. Thank you, Lori, for being a gracious host to all of us, both for Thanksgiving, and Christmas. We really enjoy it!

Christmas, Movement 3

We celebrated Christmas on the 26th this year. Bartalie (that's Hollywood speak for Bart and Natalie, my brother and sister-in-law) came up with the AB-ster on the 26th and we opened presents and had Christmas dinner when they got there. Never fear, we celebrated birthdays on the 27th. Everything got bumped back a day, but we fit it all in. We're suckers for cake and ice cream.

Back to Christmas. We had a wonderful Christmas on the 26th. Mom out did herself with the yummy food and being with family is wonderful, even if it is my kid brother.

We all went to church together Sunday AM, which I love. This was the first time for AB to go to mom and dad's church, and both of them were introducing her to their friends. More like showing her off (and how could you not?) I called dibbs on her during church, and we rocked and patted together for an hour. She slept the whole time, and I wasn't cold at all in their church. Having a 3 month old heater really helps.

J and I came back home Monday. It had been 12 days since we left, and we were ready to come back. We have some last minute projects to finish up before he goes to work next week. I said, before he goes to work next week. If you want to see my husband smile, remind him he goes to work next week. He's pumped, and has himself motivated to finish projects around the house. It's easier to get stuff done when you have a deadline.

So that's our three part Christmas. We hope you had a wonderful holiday as well, and that your new year is blessed!

Long Overdue

2008-12-27T22:57:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, I inadvertently posted something that hurt a friend's feelings. I offered to take the post down, and she replied (correctly) that the damage had been done. I took down the post anyway, and apologized to her. However, I feel like I need to apologize in the same arena where the slight occurred. Friend, I never meant to hurt your feelings. I am sorry for the hurt my actions have caused you, and I appreciate your forgiveness. Thank you for calling attention to my thoughtlessness, and handling your hurt appropriately. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to apologize. I value your friendship. Merry Christmas. dc

Hands

2008-12-23T19:31:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking a lot about hands recently. I am thinking about them because I have been unable to wash my hands between patients and I have been using the alcohol based hand cleaner, which I hate. Anyway, hands can tell a lot about the person, I think. I like the way my hands look to patients. Usually they’re a little damp from the recent hand washing. My hands are often dry, again from the too frequent washing. The nails are short and clean, and usually I haven’t been chewing my cuticles. My skin is generally cool to touch.

I really think about these things when I do a physical exam. I try to touch my patients with compassion and tenderness. My hands are the only physical contact I have with most people.

I have had other important hands in my life, too. My husband’s hands, that hold mine. They’re comforting and reassuring, and strong. They’re my life partner’s hands. My parent’s hands were where love, playfulness, and discipline lived. They have taught me much about life, how to live, how to love, and how to raise a loving family. My grandparent’s hands were gnarled and wrinkled with years of work by the time I got to know them. But they were patient, showing me a new, exciting world, helping me explore, and tenderly showing me the value of family.

The most important hands in my life are none of these. The most important hands are the hands of Jesus. The hands that came to earth as an infant. They started tiny, grasping, new, just like yours and mine. They were human, warm, showing tenderness and compassion, granting mercy and forgiveness to those who were sinners. These hands were sinless, perfect, blameless. A perfect sacrifice for my sins - the sins my hands commit without a second thought. The blood on my hands was washed clean because of the blood on the hands of Jesus.

This season as we look forward to the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior, we realize his humanity. We look to heaven, searching for answers. And the answers are as close as the hands of Jesus, outstretched to us.

“[B]ut the angel reassured [the shepherds]. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!” Luke 2:10-12

Medical Musings

2008-12-22T19:29:00.001-06:00

So I have done a few shifts at the part time clinic downtown, and obviously I have lived to tell about them. So let me tell you about them.

My first day, I was early. That was good. Someone was waiting to let me in. That was also good. They showed me my very small office, and told me to settle in and explore the clinic. My sense of direction is lacking, so letting me explore is not such a good idea, even in a small clinic. Juan was my hero. Side note – his name is pronounced H-uan. Not W-aan, like us Texans pronounce it. So Juan was my hero. He showed me where the bathroom was. Most important.
I got to relax for a few minutes, then the crowd came in. One by one, they came in asking for healing. Most spoke English the first day, and most were acutely ill. I treated each as best I could, with the medicine they could afford. The doctor and I saw 82 (!) patients on the first day.
I didn’t write a single name brand prescription all day. I have literally never done that before. And it can be done. I didn’t feel like I had short changed anyone by substituting a generic medicine.

My Spanish was shaky the first day. I asked for Juan and Marta frequently, especially to explain the medicine.

My second day, clinic started much the same. Except. Juan and Marta and the rest of the nursing staff were discussing, get ready for it, How Many Times They Have Been Shot At. I had, of course, nothing to add to that discussion. So, I sat quietly in my office instead.

I had much the same experience the second day as the first day, except fewer patients spoke English. I am better at Spanish now than I was on day one. The doctor and I saw 40-something patients that day. Again, I wrote no name brand medicines that day. It still blows my mind.
The second day I was talking to a 217 pound 12 year old. I was discussing, in English, his weight and blood sugar. I was trying to discuss the urgent need for weight loss. The mom asked me which was better, diet or exercise. I answered that both would be appropriate for this young man. I urged the mom and patient to not think of it as exercise, but more like play. I instructed him to get out and ride his bike after school, to get out and skateboard more. Um. He doesn’t own a bike, or a skateboard. And his neighborhood isn’t safe enough to walk in, let alone bike in.
I accidentally wrote a prescription that was generic, but not on the approved Medicaid list. I overheard a man, the father of my patient, discussing the cost of this prescription with the pharmacist. It was $12. The man said to the pharmacist that the medicine was too expensive. The pharmacist offered to have me rewrite the prescription, but the man said that they would find a way to afford it, if the baby needed it.

These were sobering to me. I have never been in want, really wanted, that is. I have been poor, in graduate school, especially. But I have always lived in a safe enough neighborhood (except for when we got robbed at the apartment, and that was kind of a fluke.) I was really thinking about how much we, J and I, have. We’re so blessed. We have a full pantry, full freezer, full house, full heart. I can walk safely through the neighborhood. I have a bike I haven’t ridden in years. I have more friends than I can count. I am so blessed in so many ways.

I still have more clinic hours to do. I learn more Spanish every day, but I am really growing spiritually and emotionally. I plan on working there until I can find a permanent position. I really do enjoy it. As long as I leave before dark.

J Christmas Present

2008-12-19T13:34:00.003-06:00

A new job! J starts his new job January 5th at a school district here. He's really excited about working again.

God answered this prayer exactly 6 months after we started praying. June 18 through December 18 we had constant petitions and prayers lifted to heaven. God's timing is perfect, and we couldn't ask for a better environment for J.

More later, but yes, I have survived my time at the part time clinic I am working with.

A new opportunity to serve. . .

2008-12-14T16:11:00.004-06:00

I have accepted a temporary job with a company that specializes in temp jobs for PAs. I get paid on an hourly basis, and it's really flexible so I can also take a day off to interview if I need to. I start with this company tomorrow with my first assignment. I knew it wasn't in the best neighborhood. . . .

Because of my HORRENDOUS navigational skills, we drove to the clinic today after church so I would have some clue about where I was headed tomorrow AM. Okay, so the neighborhood degenerated quickly after we exited the highway. Really quickly. I didn't take a photo of the clinic, I thought better of getting out of the car at that point. Let's just say that when I asked J where I should park in the morning, he said, "Behind the 8 foot tall chain link fence with the three rows of barbed wire above it." He said this without even thinking. Sounds good to me. This is the kind of place where I would feel more comfortable if one of the clinicians was scary and mean looking. Or packing heat.

So, on the way home, I started praying about this job. I have committed to three shifts at this particular clinic. It came to me that God puts us where He needs us to be, and where our talents are needed. I can serve here. I can serve this population with the heart of Jesus. I can treat them with kindness, gentleness, respect. I can heal their physical ailments. I can also touch their soul.

I pray that this week you also find someone, somewhere you can serve. It may be at home. It may be at school or work. Please allow God to touch your eyes and your heart to stir you to good works. We are put here to touch others. And it may be at that very moment that God touches us.

We hope to have permanent job news for both of us at the beginning of this week. Please be praying about those opportunities.

Houston Snow!!

2008-12-12T13:51:00.002-06:00

Who knew that it would snow TWICE in five years here on the Texas Gulf Coast? It was practically a blizzard. And I know my friends and family in the north are making fun of us now, but it was a really big deal. They even had some school delays the next day. I saw snow men and snow angels. We had a blast. Here are some fun photos!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-10T14:59:00.003-06:00

P is for PASS!!

2008-12-08T12:16:00.002-06:00

Whoo-HOO! I passed my exam! I know not anyone else out there was worried, but I was, and I am so excited. So there's the news!!! YEAH. Now to find a job. . . .

Thanks for your prayers!!

Announcing. . .

2008-12-08T09:35:00.003-06:00

A new blog! Well, not new, technically, just revamped. Check out Teaching Kids the Bible to the right. It's a joint adventure between Kim and myself, posting our Bible lessons to that blog. We figured that if we're having trouble teaching Romans (and other lessons) to first graders, other people might be, too. So, we're restarting our posting to that site to help others teach kids Biblical truths.

Each entry (should) include the text, any worksheets we did, and activities. Photos will be included, when available.

We're so excited about this joint effort. If you have any ideas, please e-mail either Kim or myself. We'd love to post whatever wonderful ideas anyone else has. We try to give credit where credit is due, but if we forget, please let us know! We definitely don't want to take credit when it's not ours to take.

We both hope you're inspired and ready to teach little ones!

Photos of AB. Warning, Cuteness Alert!

2008-12-06T08:00:00.001-06:00

AB's First Halloween. She had two costumes, a lady bug and a kitten. I'm not sure who the 1980s rocker is that's holding her. . . . his mom must be so proud!

She was looking at her daddy.

Photos with AB's mom (not mine)

My mom took these photos of the girl while she was there the first part of November. I think that girl is so pretty! I may be a bit biased, however.

I dont' know how to get the spacing right on this thing, but here she is. Even if the writing is a little off.

Made me think of you. . . .

2008-12-04T15:56:00.002-06:00

There is a certain truth to this t-shirt I found at WDW. I thought about putting it as my photo, but I didn't. I still might. Enjoy.

We have angered the job gods. . . .

2008-12-03T21:58:00.007-06:00

Jeremy was let go from his part time position Monday.

Jeremy had two job interviews Tuesday, both with CC*ISD. One went better than the other. We're still waiting on those results.

My job interview was supposed to be for this morning, but they cancelled it yesterday. She said she will reschedule it. I am anxious for that. I also have a contact who has said she will give me "info" about a job I would like to get if I call. I don't have a good phone number for her. *sigh* Doin' the best I can, I guess. Still looking for work. Good news is, someone called me and wanted me to interview for their clinic. Bad news, clinic is about 100 miles away. It's in beautiful country, though. I didn't tell them no. Maybe I should have. I don't know. God's not being as clear as He was before.

A friend and I were talking today about being good stewards of what God has given us, in plenty or in want. It reminded me that our "poor" way of living is how some people live every day, and really, we're not so poor. We have what we need. Not to excess, as perhaps we did in times past, but we have enough. And God promises enough. He gives just enough.

Please continue to pray for J and his spirits. He's really getting into a funk because of this job situation, and I know he'd rather have some job, any job, than nothing. And so J sits around and pokes me with a pencil, or watches me type Bible lessons, or other equally boring tasks. He did make dinner today, while I was off galavanting with my friends. I'm glad that happened. He really is a good house husband. I know that he'd be really happy to be more than just a house husband, though.

Please keep my father-in-law in your prayers. Mama T is my mother-in-law (her link is on my side bar). My FIL is interviewing for a job tomorrow. He got laid off right about when I did. Please keep him in your prayers.

I know this isn't cute, or filled with baby photos (those come later), but this is what's going on in our house right now. Just job stuff. Sorry we're boring, but this is life. It's definitely not linear.

Boarding

2008-12-01T06:44:00.002-06:00

It's finally (and already) here. I take boards in 1 hour and 17 minutes. Please pray for this test and the results that will take two weeks to get! My friend called it a brain drain. Yep. I slept somewhere longer than 2 hours, shorter than 4 hours last night. I was anxious. Now I am going to eat eggs fixed by my sweet husband and get in the car in PLENTY of time to get to my test center. I will have my book in the car with me, so just in case I get there too early, I get extra study time! Whoo-hoo. Thanks for all the prayers.

Thankful

2008-11-27T23:58:00.002-06:00

Of course, Thanksgiving is a day when we all are given the opportunity to count our blessings. And our family is so blessed. We have the opportunity to talk to God whenever we need it, and we're going to heaven. The rest is just gravy. And there is ALOT of gravy to be thankful for.

I want to challenge you all to think of the verse from 2 Corinthians - Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! Spend a minute every day listing 3 for 4 things you are thankful for, from the little things to the big things. Do this for the rest of the year, and see what God brings to your brain, what blessings He reminds you of, what blessings you are more aware of.

We are in a holding cell right now. That's all this world is. With all its gravy, it's still just a holding cell. We're waiting for the next step. Faithfully waiting. Patiently waiting. Sometimes comfortably waiting. Counting our blessings helps me realize that the blessings aren't from some magic coincidence, the blessings are from God. And I shouldn't be comfortable here. This isn't my home. It's just a cell.

Hope your Thanksgiving found you with friends or family, love and laughter. We pray that this year will give you all lots of blessings to be thankful for.

Free At Last!

2008-11-18T07:18:00.003-06:00

So what does one do on the first day of "freedom" (also called unemployment)?

About 16 loads of laundry. Where did all these clothes come from?

Study. Alot. But I'm passing my practice tests. Less than 2 weeks to go until I take my boards again. I'm starting with the heartburn already.

Sleep in. But not alot. My brain woke me up with all that I have to do today.

Apply for a job. In northwest Houston. I don't think it's going to work out. For several reasons.

Call my old job. Twice. But it was mostly to see how things were going with my former co-workers. And gloat. Nicely. Yesterday was rocky for them. I feel bad for them. Not bad enough to come back, though.

Make sure my unemployment claim was processed and going through. The important things, right?

Realized I was low on my facial regimen. Panicked, and ran to CVS, where I purchased the "magic" facial serum that helps my skin be calmer. And paid about $437 an ounce for that stuff. I didn't remember it being that expensive. But worth it.

I leave tonight for WDW, and I will spend today packing and getting everything ready (read: making sure my husband has food to eat) for me to go.

J has an interview this AM, and we found out another one is being scheduled for December 2. Please be praying for these, and for God's direction in this matter.

God is still working in our lives and it's amazing to see Him work. Thank you for encouraging us and continuing your prayers on our behalf.

Cuttrell 2, Jobs 0

2008-11-05T13:47:00.004-06:00

Well, I guess there's some news to update.

As some of you know, Friday, October 31, I was informed that my contract with my current employer was not going to be renewed. I was assured that I had done nothing wrong, they were pleased with my performance, etc, etc. I have until November 14th to work here, then I am done. Do you hear God in this?

This is the job that I have been unhappy with for several months. I had discussed this with my bosses several times, as a grown up, not whining or complaining, but discussing what changes may improve morale here in the clinic. Laying off the PA was not on my list of things to do to improve morale.

So, on to the God part.

I prayed and prayed (and prayed more) for God's hand to be present in all this hoo-haa that is my current life. Monday AM, I asked God for a break. There's been so much pressure, and to walk back into a clinic that laid me off was mentally killing me. Monday AM, a friend from church came to me to ask if I would accompany her and her daughter to a conference, all expenses paid, to chaperone her daughter (who is a good kid, and I like hanging out with her anyway).

Where is the conference? Disney World.

That's right, the mouse with the most.

I leave four days after my last day at work for four days at WDW. While I am there, I will see another family there who have adopted J and me as surrogate children and get to hang with them for a while too.

It gets better.

Jeremy and I have decided (and I can't tell anyone this in person, it makes me cry) that we will put resumes out wherever. My very scary idea about getting a job outside of H-town is that we will have trouble selling our house. The market isn't great, but it's not terrible. I was telling God that's what I was most scared of. So, Saturday, less than 24 hours after learning my contract would not be renewed, a friend of a friend offered to buy my house. Sight unseen. Just hearing me describe it on the phone.

Wow.

I insisted that they at least come over and look at the house. They will be coming over next week to look. We have made it clear that we're not ready to sell just yet, but if they are interested after they see it, we'll offer the house to them first. And guess what they're preapproved for? Yep. Very, very close to what we're asking.

Does it get better? Of course.

We both have let go of the bitterness and anger that we felt initially. How can we be mad at someone who was just doing what God wanted? If it wasn't handled just the way it should have been, I can learn from that. Once I personally let go of the anger, God reached blessings into my life. I had asked for a few considerations, and was told, unequivocally, that there would be no considerations. No reason was given to me, but it was clear that they wanted as little to do with me as possible.

After the anger was gone, guess what? My boss came to me and apologized for his behavior and actions. He gave me everything I asked for. I told him that I didn't want him doing anything he was uncomfortable with, but he assured me he would be okay with what I had asked.

There are a few things that have gotten me through the nights.
1. If God wanted me to work here, there would be no way I could leave. If God wants me to leave, there's no way I could stay. I'm done here, and it's all in God's hands.

2. God promises me strength and faith for today. Not tomorrow, today. When I am laying in an emotional fetal position and thinking "I don't know how I can go to work tomorrow and face these people," I am reminded that I don't have to have faith for tomorrow. I will get that strength tomorrow from God. And he definitely provides. But enough for today.

3. Ralph said this Sunday and it stuck with me. If the apostles had known on Friday that Sunday was coming, would the joy have been so deep? Would they have grown? Would it have been as meaningful? We are definitely on Friday. But Sunday is coming. And it's gonna be cool.

We are praying fervently for Jeremy to get a job to replace our incomes. We want this prayer prayed specifically. Please put us on all the prayer lists you can. God is using this situation to allow both of us to grow enormously. We will keep you up to date on what's going on. It's gonna be a wild ride. I wish I was more patient, but God works in his time, not mine, and it will come when we're ready.

Keep praying!

Update on AB

2008-11-03T07:46:00.008-06:00

Several of you have asked for updated photos of AB. OF COURSE, we took pictures while we were there last weekend. Here are several of my favorite:

The face I love:

Special time with Aunt D:

Uncle J has the touch:

Open Letter

2008-10-24T21:21:00.003-05:00

This is an open letter to those who blew by me on my way to San Antonio this afternoon:

To All of You Who Must Have Missed the Speed Limit Signs:

I am in the right lane because I go 70 in a 70. Please do not zip up behind me and flash your lights. Where would you like me to move to get out of your way? The shoulder? No, thank you. I will piddle along at my middle aged pace in a futile attempt to obey the law (mostly) and drive at a safe rate of speed. And save gas.

So please pass me by in the left lane. Wave at me when I let you in, nicely, after you got close enough to lick the chrome off my bumper. I am patient and long suffering, I suppose. And I am not a rule breaker, including speeding.

And I think that I'm a safer driver than you. But just a little.

Daesha

Quilt Giveaway

2008-10-17T07:15:00.003-05:00

Go to the link on the right hand side of my blog to enter to win this beautiful quilt!

When Did That Happen? And Other Musings

2008-10-17T06:25:00.003-05:00

This is my Five for Friday, but I needed to ask a question of myself, and hopefully get an answer. Hmmm.

1. I think I'm getting to be an adult. At least, I am more adult than not these days. I actually had a converstaion about fiber in breakfast cereal last week. And said it was awesome. *sigh* But the cereal itself is really, really good, is that a mitigating circumstance? FiberOne Autumn Harvest is worth picking up. Yummy and full of fiber. Awesome. *sigh*

2. At what point does one just throw in the towel and resign? Probably when one has another job lined up, for starters. Some really petty things are happening at work. When my manager came to me to discuss how these things would be impacting me (and only me), she shrugged when I asked her what she wanted me to do, how she wanted me to work. Shrugged! Yeah, dusting off the resume. Perhaps.

3. I get to see AB next weekend. I am so excited. Of course more pictures to come from that trip. I made all my Bunko friends endure photos of her last night. Thanks O and K for the cute photo album. I get almost as many compliments on that as I do of her.

4. I can confidentally say that I can fix and serve 150 servings of spaghetti with bread and cookies. That is the equivalent of 5 of the LARGE pans of spaghetti. I can also confidentally say that it is way more fun with a friend, and that I do not want to eat spaghetti for a long time.

5. The most important news: Jeremy had a pre-interview this week that was promising. He's supposed to hear from the company themselves sometime soon to set up a *real* interview. He knows a little bit about where the job is and what he would be doing. The worksite is not too terribly far from us, considering where we live, and it seems to be something he would enjoy doing. Please be praying for the doors to open if that's what is in God's plan. And as much as it hurts me, if this isn't in God's plan, we don't want the doors opened.

This time next week I hope to be snuggling a baby! Yeah! And I just realized last night that my target date for taking my boards is 6 weeks away. Gulp. I gotta get cracking!

Party Animals

2008-10-10T06:42:00.000-05:00

When do you people find time to blog?!! I don't even have time to read all that I want.

August was filled with celebrations, and I promised pictures for those of you who couldn't be there. Or wanted to see photos of my brother intensely studying a pacifier label. It was cute. I know this is crazy late, but we had a hiccup called Ike in the middle of September, and this never got posted. So there you go. Parties from two months ago that were fun!

Wedding

Two handsome ushers!

Setting: metropolis of A. The guy getting married is my cousin's son. We drove around with the windows down in August because the humidity was under 80%. The wedding was beautiful and we wish both of them blessings on this marriage.

2 Year Old Birthday Party

Setting: metropolis of LC. The theme was Sesame Street and was SO CUTE!! Beware, I'm taking notes! The boys seemed to really enjoy themselves, and the rest of the kids did too.

Baby Showers! (I know AB's already here, but here are her parties!)

Setting: metropolis of SA. My brother and SIL picked ladybugs for the nursery, and it's SO CUTE. The theme of the second shower was ladybugs and was SO CUTE.

Jeremy is still looking for a job. He redid his resume and started sending it out again. So far there's been some interest, so please keep that in your prayers.

So now we're caught up. Work is back to normal, life is back to normal. For us at least. We're going to enjoy the calm before the holidays. Can you believe they're just around the corner! Now that I have instilled panic, I will sign off. Enjoy your day.

The Most Beautiful Girl in the World

2008-09-28T23:05:00.004-05:00

My brother and his lovely wife gave me a niece today.

The new family:

AB was born September 28, 2008 in the afternoon. She is 7 lbs, 6 ounces, and 21.75 inches long. She was born by cesarean section after a loooong labor by one tough mama (and her tough birth coach.)

I drove like a crazy woman, leaving here Saturday night late, and returning home exactly 24 hours and 42 minutes later. I didn't sleep much. But I did get to do this before I left:

So, thanks, to the wonderful friends who kept me company while driving by myself on the lonely highway, even into the wee hours of the night. Thanks to the makers of Dr. Pepper who allowed me to stay awake on the way home. Thanks to the NewsBoys, whose music played at top volume makes my ears ring and the time go by faster. And thanks to my brother and his wife for letting me get to be there for this wonderful occasion. It means alot to me.

And one more picture to make your heart melt before you click to someone else's blog. At least, it made my heart melt:

What we do when we're bored at work.

2008-09-18T11:49:00.001-05:00

The guy on the left is my boss. MY BOSS.

We really need patients here. Come to the doctor please. The head bands are from the Lord of the Flies children in our kitchen. We all have them. The headbands, not the children.

Working with Ike

2008-09-16T11:56:00.003-05:00

So today I'm working. Obviously not too hard, because I am writing on this blog. It's amazing to live in post-Ike. It's also amazing how quickly people become adapted to a new normal. Last night it got dark and I went to get a flashlight, even though our power was on. I had forgotten that our light switches worked again. It was dark, that means time for bed because there is nothing else to do. It will probably take a few days to get used to power again. The human spirit is resilient, and our brains are remarkably forgetful. At least mine is!

We were very blessed to make it through this terrible storm with our house mostly intact. And our yard was pretty much okay. I had a friend accuse me of cleaning my yard before I took a photo. We did have damage, but the plants are mostly okay. Two or three plants were uprooted. We staked them back down. They'll make it.

We are very blessed to have power back so early.

We are very blessed to have gorgeous weather this week. Low heat and low humidity; who can ask for more!

We are very blessed to have plenty of bottled water right now. We have our regular hurricane stash that we always have on hand this time of year, as well as plenty of bottles of water.

We are very blessed to have plenty of food to eat right now. Again, we have our regular hurricane stores of food, and the refrigerator was full of food. That may seem like a bad thing, but the office had power before we did, and we took our food to work and put it in the fridge here. Our pantry is overflowing.

We are very blessed to be working now. My office is open now, and we're seeing patients. Jeremy's part time gig is open now, and he's there helping them today.

We are blessed to be in a safe neighborhood, where, although we did sleep with the gun next to the bed one night, we didn't need it. There are still police everywhere.

We are blessed to know that our gas tanks are still quite full for the time being, and we don't have to wait in line for fuel. We still have several full cans in the garage, for when we start getting low.

We are blessed to know that when it was so hot and my dog had stopped eating and drinking because of the heat, we (and she) were welcome at a strangers home for the night for a hot shower and hot meal, cold air conditioning and cold refrigerators. We really needed that to recharge our batteries, and get her rehydrated.

We are blessed to have a water heater and oven that is gas powered so while we cannot drink the water, we can bathe in it, and allow the hot water to soothe our aching muscles.

We are blessed to know we still have the physical ability to clean yards that need it. I was wondering if my body could still do this kind of manual labor, and I can. Muscles are definitely complaining, and I have several new blisters to show for my efforts, but yards are clean and I was able to help those who needed it.

We are blessed with friends who will ask for help when they need it.

We are blessed with friends to work by our side as we clean.

We are blessed coming through this together as a family.

I am working in strange conditions. We have x-ray, but no lab. We aren't taking appointments, only walk-ins. Tetanus shots for everyone, including my sweet husband, who got his today. His injury included being bitten by our big cat, and now it's infected. The cat didn't do too well with the storm. Half of our staff has power at home, half doesn't. We're all a little distracted, and there are two single moms who nobody has heard from. I had to treat a guy today for broken collar bone, and I didn't have a DME store open for a brace for him. So I fashioned a figure eight brace out of ace wraps. For those whose eyes glazed over at that sentence, it's impressive, let me assure you. There aren't many places open for prescriptions to be filled. And, of course, I don't have a nurse. That pretty much goes without saying. Since all the schools are closed, the children of our employees are in the kitchen, and have turned it into a kind of pseudo-daycare. The portable DVD is fired up with free Willy, and they're cleaning out the ice cream that's left in the freezer. They set up rules for each other, and they posted them on the refrigerator. It's very Lord of the Flies. With minimal grown up supervising.

So there you go. We're very blessed and keep reminding ourselves that while it's mostly over for us for now, there are many people for whom this is just beginning. Please continue to keep those in your prayers. And thank you for your continuing prayers on our behalf. We really do appreciate it.

More Photos

2008-09-16T08:57:00.011-05:00

I'm home. We have had power for about 36 hours now. Funny, going for 40 hours without electricity really makes you love your AC. Which we haven't turned on yet. It's really, really nice outside right now, so we're taking advantage of it.

Here are a few more pictures of our neighborhood with house damage.

McK House

I think there was a tornado in their backyard/neighborhood. One of the limbs that was down in the back there was twisted in a circle before it snapped. One of their neighbors heard two tornados during the hurricane.

Im House

The back gate Pappa said needed a little fixing was hanging on by 1/2 a hinge. Jeremy took it off entirely and laid it on the ground.

Pa House

Sh House -

Apparently they also had water damage inside their house. They will have to replace their wood floors for the 3rd time, and I am sure they're excited about that. A's play house is on it's side. It's not really usable now, but hopefully will be as soon as they get a little cleaned up.

Sm House - gutter damage

Check out her blog here to see what else she had going on. Pray for her and their clean up tasks. They have alot in front of them.

My House - here's how we could see what was going on. Shine a flashlight through the gap and see what's going on in the little corner of my yard we could see.

This was a photo of the last of the storm. It was taken about 7:00 AM in tropical storm conditions, after we unboarded the back door. We could see the banana trees out the back fence through the night. They bent in half during the night, so we could see the top of the fence when the wind blew hard, and when the wind let up, we could see the banana trees lift a little. That was our wind gauge.

This is generally how my neighborhood looked on Saturday AM. Many trees down, most fences down. A few roofs damaged in the front part of the subdivision.

Church Sunday AM

It was raining pretty hard, but there were a few of us there. We had church outside because there was no AC or power, so we were under a breeze way. It was very surreal. We sang songs we all knew because we didn't want to get song books. We had communion on our brass plates, and some optimistic soul passed the offering plate. People wore whatever they had. Jeremy couldn't even think of wearing shorts to Sunday AM church, so he wore jeans. We did have to wade a little to get through the parking lot, because the drains had gotten clogged with debris.

The Impact Center had some roof damage. But no fire damage from the funeral home next door.

Neighborhoods on Saturday AM. They look MUCH BETTER now, with the streets passable.

Sorry, Heather. I know you're anxious about your home. I wasn't able to get to it over the last few days. I hope you're able to get information on your house.

More later.

Photos

2008-09-14T22:53:00.007-05:00

I am on a dial up connection and it is taking me forever to upload photos, but I know you're interested to know what your house looks like. I have uploaded one photo from each house - the worst case senario. One or two houses have two photos because of the damage. I hope to also include photos from church, but the building is alright. Jack Rowe's Dignity Funeral Home right next to church burned down to the ground this morning before church. LC finest tried to save it, but they couldn't.

Sm House

Sh House

Im House

McK House

Pa House

My House

Church

Jack Rowe Funeral Home

Surviving Ike

2008-09-13T07:05:00.002-05:00

This is Daesha's mom. It's 7 am Sat. She just called to say they don't have electricity but are okay. She'll post more later.

Hurricanes in Life

2008-09-12T20:30:00.001-05:00

Okay, you'll have to forgive another post on hurricanes. But they've been on my mind recently.

This is not a post on an actual hurricane, however. Just thoughts on life.

Isn't it funny that sometimes life throws you a hurricane? You're be-bopping along and you see it. A thundercloud on the radar. Perhaps it's just a storm, perhaps something bigger. And you start preparing.

The little rain cloud gets bigger.

Soon it is an overwhelming storm, buffeting you from all sides, dragging you from everything comfortable and showing you what REALLY matters in life. What you MUST have, at the barest minimum, to survive.

There are eyes in those storms, too. Pockets of peace where you're reminded that God is still in control. I'm in that eye now, just as a physical hurricane threatens my physical safety. In fact, it may be because of that physical hurrican that I am in a spiritual eye.

I'm not sure that the storm is over. But I do get a merciful break from the constant hammering for a little while, at least.

Thank you for your continued prayers for all this mess.

Update on weather

2008-09-12T17:39:00.007-05:00

At 5:20, 50 MPH winds started buffeting my house. So we completed the boarding up procedure, namely, sealing the back door and scouting the neighbors houses for stray litter they thought was harmless but I'm not so sure.

I am apprently a yard nazi, spying litter I fear may fly and harm my house and others. Today, I have stashed a for sale sign, front door mats (4), yard signs (2), hanging plant, sprinkler head, hose, and a potted plant. In other people's yards. So, no leaving junk for me to clean up. But if you're in too big a hurry when you leave, rest assured the Hurricane Fairy will finish cleaning your yard, and will stash your stuff nearby for you to find when you get back.

I made Hannah go potty one last time for a while. The only way out now is through the garage. Our mean kitty got out and we had to chase him down. Fortunately, he is about 400 pounds and never turns away a snack. He doesn't move all that quick, either. He was not too hard to wrangle. The small kitty saw the fate of his (much) larger brother and decided that he should obey his benevolent captors and get himself back inside of his own accord. So we have all 5 of us safe and sound in the house.

We will continue to use the good sense God has given us to be careful. We are entertaining many of you who call us and tell us what a bad idea this was of ours. We appreciate your concern. We will certainly get a photo of the wave that washes over our house, the sitting on the roof for evacuation, and, of course, we will take plenty of photos from the helicopter, as requested. I will post those later.

Back to cooking dinner. Thank you for your prayers.

Good things, bad things

2008-09-12T12:00:00.001-05:00

I love this style of posting. Come to think of it, the last time I saw it was written by first and second graders. So I'm in a simple mindset this morning, apparently.

Good thing: Contraflow (where they turn the south bound lanes into north bound lanes)

Bad thing: They're not using them. In their defense, we really don't need it right now, but that's not very comforting for those who are sitting in traffic, even for the 4 mile back up in Conroe.

Good thing: Opening toll roads for free to all for evacuation

Bad thing: Only the EZ Tag lanes are open like that. All the rest have the arms down. So only two lanes get through every time there's a toll booth.

Good thing: Storm shutters of corrugated steel

Bad thing: They get HOT when left in the sun. HOT!

Good thing: Storm shutters of corrugated steel

Bad thing: It's awfully dark in the house right now. Awfully dark. Which overnight isn't so bad. You sleep pretty good in a house with storm shutters on, blinds down and closed, and curtains. It's awfully dark. But during the storm I'd rather peek out the window occasionally and see outside. That is impossible with this system. Did I mention it was dark?

Good thing: Neighbors who are also staying

Bad thing: Neighbors who are staying but are freaking out. I actually said "This storm isn't so big. It's really not that big." Do I feel guilty about lying to them? A little. I did mean it wasn't as powerful as it could be. But Ike is big. Big. Those folks from California don't really understand a hurricane.

Good thing: Hurricane stores of food and water

Bad thing: Food is not Weight Watchers approved. But when you're looking in the store for food you can keep for 6 months in your pantry, food that can be opened with a manual can opener, and you don't have to heat or cool for it to be yummy, you're left with Dinty Moore Stew and Chili. We bought crackers at the store this week to help us get down the stew and chili.

Good thing: Evacuations went very, very well for those who left.

Bad thing: It took Rita to get us where we could say that.

Good thing: 24 hour Ike watch on all channels.

Bad thing: 24 hour Ike watch on all channels. Seriously, I don't need to see a reporter lashed to the pier as waves crash around him and his camera man can't stand. But it is cool to see Galveston with waves crashing over the Seawall Blvd on the south side of the island. How many times have I driven that? It's under water now, with every wave that comes in. Freaky. And it's low tide.

And now, I have to tell you of Ike's first morbidity. That's just where folks get hurt, not killed. I still get those confused. I think it's even used just for illness, but we're gonna use it for injury too, here. Go with it, people. Jeremy is sunburned on his neck and arms. Not because he had no access to sunscreen, but because he failed to avail himself of it. AND, I am sunburned. Only on my legs though. And my face. And my neck. I wore my hat! But apparently the sun bounces off that steel. . . . AND, I have a rash on my feet where I got into something in my yard. I think it's the weeds in my fern bed. I did actually board up in flip-flops. AND I have a HUGE blister on my right thumb from taking the protectors off the bolts and tightening the wing nuts to the shutters. It's pathetic really. I almost took a picture, but you wouldn't believe it was actually my thumb.

Keep praying!

Hurricane's Eve

2008-09-12T07:24:00.005-05:00

What does one do on the eve of a hurricane? Well, let me tell you.

I went to work, came home, ate, put up all my storm shutters (all by myself!), mowed the grass (because I want my lawn to be manicured on the insurance photos), cleaned out the yard, cleaned out the truck, calmed down the next door neighbor (who was freaking out!), fixed my exhausted husband a sandwich, and fell into bed exhausted after tracking the hurricane until 11:00 pm.

My husband went to purchase and cut plywood for a family with disabilities who weren't able to take care of this themselves. Then he took the extra plywood to some elderly folks house and did the best he could to secure the southside of their house. Then he came home and our (nonfreaking out) next door neighbor helped us to rethread the few bolts that weren't working well. He also tracked the hurricane until 11:00 and is still enjoying his well deserved sleep.

My plans for today, you ask? Laugh if you will, but laundry. Clean sheets and towels for everyone. Also, study for boards, continue some projects, scrapbook, keep watch at my doors with a mop for leaks.

For those who are anxious about our decision to stay, we're not crazy. And if we thought we were going to be in trouble, we wouldn't be here. The storm is weakening, I believe thanks to prayer.

I told my mother I wanted to live through, and see, the eye of a hurricane. I want to watch the eye go over me. This midnight landing is not conducive to that. Oh well. I'm sure she's just wishing I wouldn't have an apparent death wish.

We will board up the doors this morning. To be perfectly honest with you, I'm more concerned about pottying for our dog than the storm. We may have to deal with messes later. But that's okay. I think taking a lab on a leash in the middle of this may be more like flying a kite than a potty break.

I'm writing posts for future post time. So if I blog more after I sign off, I'm not lying. I am just that prepared. Keep praying!

About Ike

2008-09-11T11:53:00.003-05:00

We're staying. (insert your exasperated sigh here). There. We're weathering through a category 2-3 in our house and it's going to be fun. Just like camping. With 120 mph winds. And storm shutters. We're going to be fine. Plenty of food, water, and work to do. It's like a vacation. That's camping.

I know our God is bigger than a category anything storm. I know it can dissipate in an instant with just a word from the Big Guy. I am trusting that He will keep us in His hands.

Pray for those who are going and those who are staying. Traffic is already at a stand still down here in the WAY south, and there are more people trying to hit the roads later today. There will be deaths if these people can't get off the roads. And for those who are staying, pray that the storm goes away. Pray that electricity is maintained, and that tornadoes aren't a factor at all down here. Pray for the storm surge, that it is small, that creeks don't flood, and that rain has a place to go. Pray that the hurricane is timed for low tide (not that it matters too much, it's a big storm) so water can run off. Pray for our animals, that they will be okay. And pray for those who are left that there won't be a mob mentality like there was in NO 3 years ago. (We do have guns. And ammunition.)

One final thought. If we're this terrified of a hurricane, even a medium sized one, what should that tell us about what our attitude ought to be toward God. He's bigger than any old storm.

This will be my primary update site, since the phones are spotty at best now. I will keep this going as long as I can.

About Grief

2008-09-09T20:37:00.001-05:00

Well, if that isn't a cheery title. I've been thinking alot about this subject recently because my friend is losing her father, and I am losing my mind. Ever so slowly.

What is it about grief that sends us into a emotional fetal position? I think it's the unpredictability of the whole matter. There's no linear progression through the Kubler-Ross five stages of grief. You memorized it in Abnormal Psychology in college. Or maybe just experienced it first hand. Denial-Anger-Bargaining-Depression-Acceptance. There. Linear on paper. All loopy-loop in real life.

My friend got word 5 weeks ago that her father had 24 hours to live. (Note: he's still with us) I got really tired of listening to her explaining to acquaintances that her entire month of June had been spent with her father and mother, and she had her two teenaged boys and husband to care for here, and her mother was cared for, blah, blah, blah. Nunya business why she's not on a plane immediately to be by her father's side. Why does she need to explain to everyone who asks? Why do people feel the need to ask? Concern, I suppoose.

Then I noticed a trend. Those of us who know her better moved on to other subjects. Children, car wrecks, school, life. Oh, and by the way, how is your dad? No disrespect. Just simple acknowledgement that while her grief and impending loss were acute, we also knew that good things, normal things, everyday things were also happening. And we could comment on those just as easily as we could slip into chatting about her father and how this last phone call went.

I think, and here I am editorializing, that you can tell alot about a relationship by the way people handle stressors. Deep friendships know there's another side to a person besides that acute grief. Sometimes the griever needs to talk about it, and sometimes just needs to talk about the fabulous scrapbook pages or card she made today. And that is just as valid.

Take it from someone who has a brain around here somewhere. Some days I just need a normal day. Which is when I stalk around here and read posts, and catch up on old friends newly found. And some days it's emotional fetal position for me. That's okay. Because it's a loopy-loop life.

Top Five Reasons I Need Valium Today

2008-09-04T09:28:00.000-05:00

Now, ladies and gentlemen, here are the top 5 reasons I could use valium.

5. I have been up for almost 4 hours, and it's only 9:30 AM.
4. I haven't slept well in two weeks. Could have something to do with the two Dr Peppers I drank last night after 8:30 PM. And the stress.
3. New computer system at work starts today. Everyone here could use valium.
2. My nurse didn't show up for work today. Number 10. I'm tired of this.
1. And the number one reason: My husband lost the job he interviewed for because he was letting the dog out. No, you did not read that wrong. And can you see the steam from my ears from there?

So continue the prayers for a job, for God's will for our family, and for wisdom for both of us. We're really struggling emotionally with a whole host of things, and it's not getting any easier.

Houston, we have an interview

2008-09-03T13:53:00.001-05:00

There's a phone interview starting in 5 minutes. Please pray, even belatedly, for God's will to be done in this situation. There will be a more complete post later.

Regarding Gustav

2008-08-28T17:35:00.000-05:00

This was sent out by my office manager (as a joke, I think). This is how we tend to view hurricanes in this part of the country. Or at least at my office.

Office Procedures Concerning Storm and Office Closings

As we watch the progress of the storm, the following are this firm's guidelines based upon the hurricane's intensity:

Hurricane Category #1 No excuse for being late. Leave earlier to give extra time to avoid fallen trees and limbs.

Hurricane Category #2 Due to the horizontal rain, you may wear jeans.

Hurricane Category #3 Whereas most of the area will be flooded we suggest you avoid wearing open toe sandals when coming to work. Canoes will be provided to get to the building safely without getting wet.

Hurricane Category #4 More than likely there will be no electricity. Given that, we will have manual typewriters available to all staff members. Please take extra caution and wear water-proof make-up if Category 4 or above.

Hurricane Category #5 Velcro will be provided to keep you attached to your chairs when the windows blow out. We will have chocolate cake at 3:00 pm in the kitchen.

Pray for those who will be in the path of Gustav and the one after it. It's been an exciting hurricane summer so far!

Vanity, thy name is woman

2008-08-14T17:39:00.000-05:00

While Shakespeare never penned that famous line, it is toally applicable here. So we're gonna go with it.

My co-worker went to Mexico a few weeks ago and I requested a few tubes of Retin-A cream from the Mexican pharmacies. Retin-A is good for wrinkles, scars, and flakies (my primary reason for using, although the other two apply as well). It basically takes off the top layer of skin. When I prescribe Retin-A for my people, I give strict instructions: Start once a day for at least a week, then you may gradually increase to twice a day after that. I know how to use this medicine. I know the side effects.

That having been said, I tried Retin-A at night for two nights. My extremely sensitive skin did not revolt in any why to this new routine. So after two nights, I went to twice daily dosing.

Bad idea.

Chemical burn.

On the entire face.

Ow. ow.

So, because I didn't take my own advice, I have a face that looks like I'm sunburned. It hurts to put on makeup, including the now important base and cover up.

Serves me right.

And I stopped using the Retin-A. For now.

So, about that rain storm. . .

2008-08-07T13:50:00.000-05:00

The rain storm that was supposed to be a category 1 hurricane was fun, wasn't it? My friend's husband said it was like a snow day that was warm. I guess.

My mother. Some of you have asked about my mother. Well, she was okay initially because I was in Amarillo, where no one could ever accuse them of having a hurricane. So when I woke up Monday, there was a tropical storm aiming for my house. My first call was to Southwest Airlines. Get me home. Early. And they did. 3 hours early, which was not in front of the turbulence, but was in front of the rain. They were all very nice, and the plane to Houston was not quite full, so it wasn't too bad to get home early. I didn't call my parents until we were on the plane in Amarillo (but before it took off). That's when my mother found out her oldest child was headed from safety into the jaws of a hurricane!! She was resigned. Didn't try to talk me out of it. Which was good seeing as how I was already belted into a tube designed to carry me home at top speed. Am I sure this is a good idea? Really? Okay. (I think there was a sigh under her breath.)

When the hurricane turned out to be a big thunderstorm, she was better. I try to tell her that my house is rated for a category 3. Meaning that until a 3, if my roof goes, my foundation goes with it (Toto, we're not in LC anymore). I stayed wrapped in a blanket and slept through most of my Tivo'd shows. What a good day. Then I went to my friends house to do several loads of laundry (our washing machine is broken. The house smelled rotten when we got home) and watched Freaky Friday with her and her family. Jeremy did get to go on his business trip, and enjoyed it.

We went to the grocery store Monday when we got home. When I can figure out how to get photos off my cell phone, I will post them. I have NEVER seen a store with NO BREAD OR BANANAS. Until Monday. It's strange.

I will post photos of the wedding we went to last weekend. I hope to do that from my house, but it's not promising. We're still trying to get internet at home.

Jeremy should find out about his job this week or next. Please continue to pray.

quick updates

2008-07-23T13:54:00.000-05:00

Fast updates on previous posts:

1. Jeremy's job interview went well last week. He's pretty confident about it. No other interviews lined up yet, but he's starting to follow up on earlier leads. They will let him know in a month (!). We're still praying to be in God's will and for Him to open the doors that we need to go through.

2. Internet is still not a reality at home. *sigh* Apparently when we bumped (and it was a bump, not a full on hit) the cable box in our back yard years ago, it broke something important and we're not able to get internet until that is fixed. We're on the list again. *sigh*

3. J is working part time at a friends business and at some other friend's houses doing fix up kinds of stuff. He's keeping busy. I am still working, and this week is better than last week. Which is good.

VBS is this week. We're both looking forward to that, then it's off to the bustling metropolis of A for a few days of friends and family and wedding parties! We'll post photos (hopefully from home!) when we get back!

Hello, Dolly

2008-07-23T13:39:00.000-05:00

My mother has never gotten used to her daughter living on the coast of Texas. Hurricanes are not part of her life experiences, and she still isn't quite sure how to react to them. Especially after Rita.

Whenever one of these ends up hitting somewhere on the Texas coast, I can expect a call from my mother. Yesterday was no different. Here is how our phone call started:

Mom: So, when can I expect you up here? (Note the absence of a hello)
Me: (After a confused silence) Um, I thought I would see you next weekend. Why would I be up there?
Mom: Because of the hurricane, you know.
Me: What hurri- Oh, you mean Dolly.
Mom: Yes, Dolly. Aren't you evacuating?
Me: Um, no. It's, like, hitting somewhere in Mexico, right?
Mom: It's hitting in TEXAS. Tomorrow. So, you're not evacuating. Do you have storm shutters up?
Me: No. Why would I have storm shutters up? (Thinking of my neighbors laughing hysterically at me putting up storm shutters.)
Mom: (impatiently) Because there's a HURRICANE coming.
Me: No. No shutters
Mom: Well, what are you doing to get ready for the hurricane?
Me: (Sensing there is a Right answer to this question and a Wrong answer to this question) Um, well, we mowed the grass this afternoon so we wouldn't get rained on this evening when the outer bands start moving in.
Mom: WHAT!! You haven't done - well, I suppose you know best, living on the coast and all.
Me: (Sensing that I had given the Wrong answer). Mom, I promise we are going to be safe.

And so far we are. Please join me in praying for the safety of those who are being battered by the hurricane right now, and praising God for warm shelter that is strong when hurricanes come (or just rain bands).

What Hill?

2008-07-14T13:48:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I wrote a long, scathing post, and when my good judgement returned, deleted it. Good.

Anyway, a company J really thinks he would do well in call this morning. We have a job interview on Wednesday!!! Yeah! Keep this in your prayers and for God's will to be done. I didn't expect anything so quickly (although J says this isn't quickly. Guess it's different when you don't go to work every day.) So we're praying for doors to be opened if this is the right place, and closed if this isn't where we belong. Please join us in this prayer.

On other news, we are getting internet at home next week! Whoo-hoo! I mean real internet, without a modem. We're talking high speed. Jeremy and I decided to jet right into the 20th century. (I know we're in the 21st century. I did that on purpose.)

Also, we have new cell phones. Had to, my cell phone was literally in two pieces. It's hard to hold one piece to your ear and another to your mouth. Apparently, cell phones aren't meant to last 3 years. And be dropped frequently. Really frequently. But Jeremy's phone was the one in the washing machine and his did okay for 3 years. These phones are so cool. Hey, did you know you can get a camera on a cell phone? Got one! Everyone was in line for Apple phones. Yeah, I have my old school flip phone, and I'm happy with it. At least I didn't have to wait 3 hours at the store like some folks.

Hope your day is good. And I think my blood pressure is down. Some.

Four Things

2008-07-10T14:33:00.001-05:00

I got this from a friend, and I thought it would be interesting. Mostly because I want to see what the three people who read this blog answer. So here it goes.

Four things about me that you might not know:
1. I have climbed a mountain in Colorado over the course of a week and pitched a tent every night. It was cold.
2. I enjoy white water rafting.
3. I sing alto. I used to sing soprano. I figure at this rate, I will be a tenor before long.
4. I really love my job.

Four jobs I've had in my life
1. Physician Assistant in a family practice clinic
2. Office Max cashier
3. Teaching Assistant for biology labs
4. Babysitter

Four places I have been
1. New York City
2. Seattle, Washington
3. Walt Disney World in Florida
4. Omaha, Nebraska

Four places I want to go to
1. Australia
2. Europe
3. East Coast in the fall (or anytime)
4. Hawaii

Four things I dislike
1. People who call names
2. Nuts (both the people and the food)
3. Training new nurses
4. Bad table manners

So what about you? What are four things about you?

Favorite Things Swap

2008-07-03T13:55:00.000-05:00

I got my box yesterday!

It is 100% fun to get one of these. I got gardenia bubble bath from Bath and Body Works, a Rachel Ray Magezine (yumm-o!), and scrapbook doo-dahs. All of which I love and will definately use!

Thanks so much, Meagan, for sharing your favorite things with me!

My head has finally stopped spinning. . .

2008-06-26T13:38:00.001-05:00

from the news. J lost his job last week. So if you know of any bioinformaticist jobs in H-town, we'd be interested to find out about them.

Our big struggle right now is not money. Thankfully, God has provided me with a steady job, and since people keep getting sick, it's pretty much secure. Our struggle now is with how to pray.

J needs specific working conditions for his job, and I love to ask God specific prayers. Otherwise, how can we be certain there is an answer from God? However, as I was reminded by a wise Christian woman, I don't want to pray myself into a corner. How do you pray specifically without doubting God? How do you pray for what you want but be open to God's movement in my life?

If I do that, I do feel that I am not praying in faith, but rather in doubt. Like "if you can't make J's job in H-town, I guess we can move." Although I'm not saying those words, I feel like they're part of the prayer.

Anyway, I'm not ready to move from this town, from my church, from my friends, and from my work. But we may be asked to do that soon. Please petition God on our behalf for a good job for J where he's happy and productive, wherever that may be. We're waiting on some information from his former boss, and then we'll be able to get his resume out, right into the hands of people who need to hire him.

Thank you for your prayers and thoughts. We appreciate it all.

Happy Anniversary

2008-06-24T13:49:00.000-05:00

On this day, 8 years ago, I married a wonderful man, who has become a wonderful husband to me.

To comemorate this wonderful day, I have come up with 8 things I love about my sweet husband:

1. You listen to me go on (and on and on) about things that could not possibly interest you on their own, but they interest me, so you let me share my excitement.

2. You laugh at my corny jokes.

3. You understand how important Girl Time is for me, and you don't grumble about being left alone.

4. You keep me fed. I would be up a creek if you weren't my cook. Remember, I can't even make a grilled cheese sandwich!

5. We share the same dreams.

6. You have come to understand that my defination of "clean" and your defination of "clean" are different, and you've adjusted accordingly. Thanks!

7. You are a romantic at heart.

8. You love Scrubs and we laugh at all the silly Scrubs things together.

I love you now until forever. Happy Anniversary!

What do you have?

2008-06-18T13:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I was teaching a high school student. It was very interesting to teach someone who had NO IDEA about what I do. She wanted to see if she wanted to be a Physician Assistant when she grows up. So she followed me around all day to see if she could do what I do.

When last I taught a student, it was a PA student at the end of her rotations, and she was quite competant in seeing patients. So I am used to that level of comfort with patients. Yesterday, I was being followed by someone who is about 7 years behind the first one in school. It was quite an attitude shift for me.

If you have someone following you around all day, it opens your eyes to what you do, how you do it, and what you say about and to people. At least it did to me.

Teaching others opens my eyes to my own weaknesses, my failings, my short comings, and my strengths. It is a good time to evaluate what I really know, and what I just take for granted, because that's what I have always known.

Teaching others also opens my eyes to all that I know, and all that I have soaked up in 29 years on this planet. It reminds me of all that I learned, all the trouble I took to learn things, and how excited I was when it all "clicked" in my brain.

Teaching my two students reminded me that we all have something to offer, something to teach others. These two women certainly taught me plenty in the time we were a team.

So, on that note, what do you have that you can teach others? Bible knowledge? Career know-how? Home-y activities? Child raising tips? What advice do you have in your brain that you can share with me? The possibilities are unlimited.

Be sure and teach others. Your wisdom will inspire others to reach and grow, to try something new. And learn from others. We all stand on the shoulders of giants.

And on a related note, can someone tell me why my paragraphs aren't showing up when I publish the post, but they're there when I write it? What am I doing wrong!!

Everything I need to know, I learned from racket ball

2008-06-11T17:48:00.000-05:00

As mentioned in a previous post, I played racket ball with my parents and husband this weekend. I write blogs in my mind all the time, and this one I thought may be worth posting.

We were in Academy the other day, and I saw this wonderful pink bag that I had to have. Look at the wonderful racket detail. It's got flowers! J said he'd love to play with me, but my excuse is, I've had no stuff to play with. No more! So now that I have a cute pink bag with a cute pink racket, cute pink glasses, cute blue balls, and a cute white glove, I hit the courts. I love Academy. And here's what I thought about while in the court, dodging balls and laughing with my mom.

EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW, I LEARNED FROM RACKET BALL

1. Work as a Team: Although I think racket ball was meant to be an individual sport, it can be made into a team sport, even if there's only two people playing. Take turns. Share. One person doing all the hitting gets worn out really fast, and the other person is bored. You can't keep that pace up for long. But you can play much longer when you work as a team.

2. Give Other People the Benefit of the Doubt: I'm SURE my mother, the sweet lady that she is, didn't mean to smack me in the neck when she was fielding that ball from behind me. Likewise, I need to remember that other people have issues that may have nothing to do with their current actions. When people don't feel well, they don't act nicely. And we don't always know what's going on with the woman who just cut me off in traffic. So say a prayer, and wave nicely.

3. You Don't Have to Keep Score:The problem with playing some certain sports with boys is they like to keep score. Ruthlessly. My mother and I played for a hour without keeping score once. Did we have fun? Yes. Get exercise? Yes. In life, there are multiple opportunities to keep score. Don't. Thankfully, God doesn't keep score for us, and we should extend that benefit to those who are travelling this road with us.

4. Communicate: Adequate communication helps us all figure out what's going on. So two people don't go for the same target, sports players often tell their teammates what their intentions are. We should be so transparent at work and at home. Meetings go better when agendas are acknowledged to begin with. Chatting with one's spouse or friends strengthens bonds. Use your words.

4B: Encourage Each Other: Most communication, 90% of it, should be positive. You will be known by your words. Make them sweet. You can speak truth gently. Do so.

5. Use All Your Equipment: I started the racket ball game without my racketball glove on. I thought it made me look like Michael Jackson. I'm not used to sporting just one glove. But my shots were wild. All over the place. The racket was twisting in my hand when I hit the ball. I put on my glove, and viola! My shots were still wild and all over the place, but it had less to do with the racket twisting and more to do with poor technique. Why would you go through life without all your equipment? God's been there. He's been here. He knows. We are told that the Bible has everything we need for life and Godliness. For life. Why would you have this wonderful resource and not use it? Daily.

6. Be Flexible: Wow! My mom can move fast when there's a racket-ball-missile fired at her (by her daughter). We found out that both of us can contort into previously unknown and untried positions when we had to. Take that flexibility into your home. Eat pizza when the cauliflower burns to the bottom of a pot. Have breakfast at IHOP when a car accident ruins your chance at a good berry picking. Don't nix things just because we've never done it that way. Sometimes we can come up with wonderful outcomes if we just try new things.

7. Laugh: Laughter can cover alot of error. Don't be afraid to laugh at yourself. In fact, you should be the first to laugh when you did something humorous. Enjoy the laughter. It's good exercise. And enjoy a good, clean joke.

8. Drink Lots of Water: enough said

9. Say Sorry When You Hurt Someone: It's the little things that make society nice. It could be a car accident, a stray word, an angry outburst. Say you're sorry. It doesn't make you less of a person to admit fault. In fact, it makes you more. More compassionate, more full of a gentle and humble spirit, more like God.

9B: Right Wrongs. Give a hug when you nail someone with a ball. As much as you can, fix what you broke. Lamps are easy. Feelings are not.

10. Never Look Back: In racket ball, you are NOT allowed to look back. You'll shoot your eye out (said in a nasally 1970s voice a la The Chrismas Story). Or someone else will take your eye out. Not a great idea. The last time I played racket ball, my dad gave me a great lecture about Don't Turn Around, etc, etc. Um, let's just say I learn better from object lessons, and I left the court with quite a mark on my forehead. Just the size of a racketball ball. In Narnia, Lucy asked Aslan (who by the way is a stand in for God, just in case you missed that symbolism), "If I had trusted you, would the battle in the castle still have happened (that caused the deaths of many Narnian fighters)?" Aslan shook his head and said, "We will never know what may have happened. Let's just concentrate on what is." (Or something to that effect. The real movie line is better.) What's done is done. We can't undo the past. But we can trust God and allow His hand and guidance to lead our future. That is really the only way to live. With our eyes fixed on the Author and Perfector of our lives. Looking forward. Never back to the life we left, but with anticipation to what is to come, both here and beyond this world. I can't wait.

So, this is what I think about when I play racket ball. Who's up for a game?

HBD to ME!!

2008-06-10T17:21:00.000-05:00

I check this blog every once in a while and I think, "oh, no one's updated the blog." Duh. It's mine. Who else would update it?

So, this weekend I celebrated my birthday with my wonderful family in Big-D. We were up there for graduation, and it was easy to do lots of celebrating with the family. We did the traditional dinner and a movie for the birthday person - Bennigans and Prince Caspain, respectively for me. (A quick aside, Prince Caspian was very bloodless for all the fighting it had in it. I always forget how savage Narnia can be. More on that later.) We played racketball together, well, girls on a court and guys on a court. Guys can be too, well, guy-ish when it comes to playing sports. I met some of my parent's new friends on Saturday and Sunday. It was wonderful getting to sleep in for a few days and get some projects done.

We also worked on a wonderful idea of mine (if I can say an idea of mine is wonderful). I love family history, and we're losing alot of it all the time. All my grandparents have passed away, and my family has lost alot of that history. So, my mother and I spent untold hours this weekend photographing family treasures. We'll assemble the photos into a book with what family history we know. I plan on printing a book for my mother, my sister-in-law, and myself. We'll be getting these treasures one day, and I love knowing where I come from. So anyway, that will be my next project to get this off the ground.

It was a good weekend, and I have more to post about it, but I am hungry and I have to go to the grocery store before I can eat (I know, I know).

Holly's problem becomes my problem

2008-05-30T13:45:00.000-05:00

This conversation actually happened in my house this week:
DH: (excitedly) Did you see Holly's blog this week?
Me: Mmm. Which one?
DH: The TV one.
Me: (flatly) Oh, that one.
DH: (still bubbling over with excitement) Yes. Whadda think?
Me: About what?
DH: (slightly put out now) The television.
Me: What about the television?
DH: (in awe) Did you see how big it is? How big do you think it is?
Me: No, I didn't pay that much attention. Did you pay attention to Holly's reaction?
DH: No. I didn't. I'll bet she likes it alot, though.
Me: Riiight. Read it again.
DH: (excitedly again) Do you think WE could get something like that?
Me: (just to make him work, now) Something like what?
DH: Television. Huge. In our living room.

And on it goes. The short story is, we are now in search of a television. In our defense, both of our televisions are older than me. And neither are working. Anyway. Holly, thanks. :)

PS: DH also said, at the end of above conversation: Did you see the photo of A cleaning the baseboards? When do you do that?
Me: (about to strangle) Perhaps we should borrow A. She seems to like it.

A Reprieve Today

2008-05-30T13:35:00.000-05:00

I spoke with my boss this morning. I don't get to go sailing this weekend with him, a co-worker, a former student of ours, and our spouses. It's not that I don't love sailing. I do. I enjoy being on the water, with the wind in my hair, and only a slip of land visible (I don't want to go too far out). It's more that I turn into one big, hive-y blotch with uncontrollable itching for hours after only 15 minutes with Mr. Sun. So, to combat this, I wear Super-Duper High Power Sun Screen every morning (Because of the enormous grease factor involved with this, I console myself with the fact that I should NEVER get wrinkles. I am power-moisturized.) I have an SPF 50 shirt given to me by my wonderful mother. I have two, count them - two, wide brimmed floppy hats that go anywhere. Indeed, one lives in my car. So, when I go on the water now, it's not the idyllic photo in the magazines. Oh, no. It's me in linen pants and long sleeve shirt, with Jackie O sunglasses, SPF 800 on under my makeup, which is sliding off my face because of the oppressive humidity (the weather man calls it "air you can wear"). All this under my camoflage/beige hat that I have taped to my head because the sea breeze is trying to blow it off my head and I don't have an elastic chin strap. My co-worker said she would bring steroid shot to ward off the hive-ies, but I'll take a rain check on a shot like that.

So I did get a reprieve. And you'll forgive me if I don't show up to your pool party in a bathing suit. It's more like a coat of armor for me, thanks.

I'll trade my skin for someone elses. Any day.

This is true

2008-05-29T13:21:00.000-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXLHWmjA5IE

In my line of work, we see this all the time. It actually happens. I did actually laugh out loud. Thanks to Brite Cloud for calling my attention to this true life action adventure. It made my day. I was on call yesterday. Took care of about 40 of these. Just yesterday.