Having a Mary Monday in a Martha World

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

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...

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

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

Fields of Bluebonnets









Dublin Dr. Pepper






Blue Bell Ice Cream - Yummy!





Governor Rick Perry

I Have Never Done This Before,

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

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.