Thoughts on Life

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.

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!

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.

Teacher Workshop

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.

With Apologies to Jeff Foxworthy

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.

I simply didn't have words. . .

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.

New Year's Resolutions

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!

How to Bathe a Cat

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.