Bonsai Me

When Pilgrim was here in early December, he took one look at my bonsai tree and proclaimed that my life was out of balance.

As you can see in the above header picture, Ziah is just barely hangin' in there, though she is trying to look her holiday best. I guess entertaining and redecorating and change are a bit much for her.

Maybe now that the bathroom project is mostly done, and Christmas is pretty much past, she can concentrate on growing new leaves and nurturing their development. Maybe now she can get it together and stop worrying about everything and start doing something and quit wasting time feeling sorry for herself. Move forward and chin up.... Life goes on, Ziah. It does. The kids grow up, they move out, you move on. There's a lot of learning left to do and opportunity is just outside the door (and in the kitchen).

Come on Ziah, girl. You can do it!

The Bathroom Project Saga

If you've been a reader of my blog for a little while, you may have read a few posts and seen a few pics of our ongoing bathroom project here in our 1970's ranch, Suburbia, USA. If not, click here and have a lookie see.

Well, I.T. got the ceiling painted a nice bathroom white and he installed a fan, which is working very nicely, preventing moisture build-up during showers. I wonder why builders in the 1970's thought bathrooms did not need ventilation fans. Anyone?

Anyway, check out this ceiling and fan:

Now, I spent about two seconds of patience on trying to figure out how to adjust the lighting so my Nikon Coolpix could capture the color we painted the walls and cabinet doors. But that didn't work out so well. The walls are a coffee with cream sort of color called "saddle up your horses" or something like that and the cabinet doors and walking through doors are somewhere between "retro green" and "pennyroyal", which is also a shade of green. The trim is one of a million shades of off white.
In the above picture, you can see the butterscotch characteristic of the coffee on your saddle tan walls when the light hits just right. Unfortunately, you can also see the peachish tan with pee carpeting that is still in this bathroom. It will- one day- be tile or perhaps, linoleum, instead.

I.T. built a little medicine cabinet to hide the hole he had to cut in the wall, to do the wiring job for the ceiling fan (which he did not do- our electrician expert neighbor did the wiring). The cabinet door is one from our old kitchen. It just happens to be the same style as the lower cabinet doors in the bathroom. I.T. sanded the door, primed it and painted it with two coats of green paint. Then he proudly brought it in for me to see.

Above shot is with the hinges ON, but when I.T. first brought this little number in, he stuck the door up to the cupboard and just kind of set it in there. I held it in place and he stood back to check it out. Then I said, "will you hold it, so I can step back to look" and I.T. stuck a piece of blue painter's tape over the top of the door, slightly adhering it to the frame. "That'll hold it." We held hands and took a few romantic steps back........and watched.......as the little green cabinet door plunged forward onto the faucet of the sink below and banged a deep gash in its decorative molding. And in a couple of other places. (picture below is after the wood putty repair job and two more coats of green)
Jewel, my college blogger friend, posted about a corporate stress reliever scream that students participated in last night on campus. At midnight, everyone screamed at the same time out their open windows. This is a more than excellent idea and would work very well in my neighborhood at times (such as the one I am blogging about) like these when your freshly painted cabinet door decides to leap into your sink and become a train wreck, before your very eyes.
As for the doors, two days after he painted it, I.T. noticed a fingerprint on this one, near the doorknob, so he started to rub it out with a damp cloth and presto- the paint rubbed right off. If you can zoom in on the knob, you'll see it.

This caused me to blow a gasket. I gathered up the little, green cabinet door, the can of green paint, the damp cloth, my receipts and burned some rubber over to Home Depot. I demanded that the paint man mix me up a batch of green paint exactly the same color as I had in this can right here, but with a different kind of stick -to- itness. Then I demonstrated how if you wet a cloth (I spit on the one I'd brought along) and rubbed ever so slightly on the door, such as you would if you needed to clean off a mere fingerprint, poof- the paint rubs off! (The paint didn't rub off the little green cabinet door.) BUT. The paint man mixed me up a new batch, no questions asked and took back my easy-off can #1- breaking the rule of no returns on paint. As I think back on it now, I believe I may have been showing signs of anger and with all that spitting....well....I do feel bad now for the paint man.
I may or may not use this striped shower curtain indefinitely, but I found it in the pile of things that did not sell at the garage sale this spring. Since it looked kind of okayish for Christmas w/the red in it and all- I put it up, because the family was coming over for Pilgrim's homecoming party.

The trim around the window did not get painted, yet and I don't know what I'm doing for a curtain, but these Christmas napkins are the current solution for peeping Tom prevention. That's my neighbor's house out the window. Hi guys!

I have no towel bars hung and no toilet paper roll holder. The lower cabinets beneath the vanity did not get painted. But they are supposed to be green doors on wall color cabinet to match the rest of the room. I.T. says he thinks he has to scrape all the paint off the doors and repaint with the new and improved green paint.

My favorite comment so far is Pilgrim's. He took one look at the whole project and said, "Funny, mom, you've always complained about the green sinks and green tub and green toilet, but now you've added green doors on everything. It's all very green."

Corporate scream time. Everyone open your windows and let 'er rip....... !!!

Passing on a Good Message

If you haven't visited Karen today at Surviving Motherhood, you should. I could have made that video myself sans the rats. If I had one message to give, the one from her video today would be it:

Rest in God's grace and know that Jesus- knowing him, loving him, letting him teach and lead- is enough. Jesus Christ will accomplish in your life, what you cannot accomplish on your own (not talking about the trash under the couch). You can trust him for it.

Pressure's off.

Later today: How the bathroom project is shaping up- with photos....

The Homecoming

Six months after leaving for California on the Greyhound bus, the beloved middle son came home for a ten day visit. Here's a piece of my heart:

Small kitchen, big fun. The family welcomes him home:

Fash effortlessly kept the nieces and one nephew (her cousins) entertained during the party. The other nephew was playing Othello with I.T. Here is the zebra shoot:
Here is the nerdz shoot:

Divas and their manager shoot: (wardrobe provided by Fashionista's closets)
Too cute shoot (check out the ponytails):
Another night, this longtime, wonderful friend surprised Pilgrim with a ticket to the Skillet concert for his birthday. Pilgrim turned 20 while he was here!

That's all for now- hope your holiday season is bright.

The House Without a Christmas Tree

Andrea, at Under Grace and Over Coffee invites bloggers and blog readers to share their favorite Christmas films today. Click on over to her place to participate and find out who's watching what.




In 1972, when I was 9 years old, a new Christmas movie made for t.v. arrived on the air. The House Without a Christmas Tree, set in 1946 small town, Nebraska, became my new favorite and remains so to this day.


In the opening intro., the now grown up, Addie Mills, begins to narrate the memory of her most special Christmas, as we watch her cut and paste windows on a construction paper house that fades into the real house where she lived years earlier. The story begins in the kitchen, with a grandmother made, pancake breakfast , on a typical day, as her friend stops in to walk with Addie to school.

I love the simplicity of this film, including the cut- out, construction paper house in the intro. and later, the homemade paper chains and foil star that Addie uses to trim her tree, as well as, the pancake breakfast that Addie's grandmother is serving up in the first scene- all reminders of a time when homemade was best.


I haven't had to experience a life without a mother or a hard hearted father, left that way from grief too heavy to bear, but I do relate to Addie's bubbly personality, persistance and ingenuity in coming up with a reasonable explanation for why she should have the forbidden thing, in this case, a Christmas tree.


Addie is just a regular kid living a pretty ordinary life in a small town, but the effect she has on the people who surround her life is extraordinary.

Though I enjoy other bigger budget Christmas films done with actors and actresses much more well known , this is still one of my favorites. This is the first year I have seen it for sale on dvd at the local department store. I'm off right now to see if I can find it today, so I can buy it!

Pilgrim, my definition

pilgrim- traveler, wanderer, one who journeys to foreign lands, on the road to the Holy place, where Love abides, where Hope resides, and noone is denied a home with Him.

I know a pilgrim. I love him. He is my son.

We've spent the past few weeks killing the fatted calf in preparation for the homecoming of our son, Pilgrim. I can't express the joy I.T. and I have had spending time celebrating Pilgrim's presence in our home during this 10 day visit with him.

Pilgrim loves California and is doing a great job of making it on his own out there. We lavished love and affection upon him. Tomorrow we will say a tearful good-by and wish him all the best, as we return to our knees and wait......patiently....the Lord is good to all.

New Post Coming Soon!

It's snowing! We are having a wonderful visit with Pilgrim! I look forward to my return to Blogville very soon. I miss reading and writing here.

Hope everyone is well!

Peace and Love,

Happy Day After Thanksgiving Everyone!

Happy Day After Thanksgiving, blogland friends and readers!

I have missed reading blogs and writing posts and have every intention of getting back into the swing of it.

I finally admitted to myself that my nightly routine of sipping half caff with cream and honey from my uniquely Charleston mug in front of my computer- reading I don't know how many blogs, commenting to my heart's content and posting into the morning light was taking a serious toll on my morning routine of rising early to read the word of God with Fash, then study some psychology etc. together and prepare for the responsibilities of my day and week. I decided I had to go cold turkey for a while, until I could get myself, my home and my life back together.

I am happy to report that Fash has been accepted at the university we recently visited and loved! She was so excited....though she has one more application to make, before she will decide for sure. It's all been very emotional for me, as the school that accepted her is nearly 4 hours from our home- much farther than what I had in mind. But I do not want to deter her w/my feelings, for God gives these precious gifts for a short time, really, and he means for us to send them out to live and love and spread the good news. I know it in my head. My heart lags behind.

My son, Pilgrim (who left for CA on the Greyhound bus in May) arrives here for a 10 day visit on Tuesday. I am anxious to see him and hoping the visit will go well. We have a couple of family celebrations planned in his honor and I have been busy making those arrangements and getting ready for a second Thanksgiving here, with him, next weekend.

The holidays always seem to find me focusing on one day at a time- just get that food made and to that function on time, then sleep, rise and be on time to work, with a smile. Shop, make dinner and go to the next event, etc. And I just keep doing this every day until the parties are over, somewhere around the second week of January. It's a blessing to live within an hour and a half of each side of our extended family, thus be able to get together with everyone for Thanksgiving, homecomings, Christmas and New Year's. It is likewise a blessing to have a job at a local bookstore, thus the opportunity to work extra hours during the bread and butter season for retailers- black Friday through Christmas.

I am also pleased to tell you that I.T. has the bathroom walls painted and is working on the trim, as I type! Pictures will be forthcoming. But please keep in mind, it is a 1970's bathroom with olive green sinks, tub and toilet and we have worked around that. The carpeting will not be out by the time Pilgrim comes, but it will be replaced soon after by tile or linoleum, whichever makes the pocketbook happiest.

I do hope this post finds every reader healthy, full tummied and choosing joy! Thank you, Greg and Edie for coming to find me. It is good to know that if I am ever lost or alone, my blogland friends will seek me out- wonderful! Thankfully, as it is, I am not lost or alone, but am, by the grace of God, safely in the fold and surrounded by faithful followers of Jesus Christ- including many friends in blogland.

Blessings and peace,

Random Dozen

Linda from 2nd Cup of Coffee comes up with these questions and interested bloggers may copy, paste and answer them on their own blogs. If you click on "Linda" above, you will be transported to her blog where you may scroll to the bottom of her Wednesday post and click on Mr. Linky to find more bloggers who have participated in this- what we bloggers call- meme (rhymes with dream- unless it is a carnival, I do not know the difference). Explanation for my sister, who asked me two weeks ago, "who writes these questions".

1. If you could master one sport, what would it be?

Mari, may I please borrow that YouTube video you posted a couple of days ago to help me answer this question? Thank you!

Okay, friends, if you don't have time to listen to this entire clip, just move the arrow to about 1:14 and begin there and watch it up to at least 2:27. This is the only way my answer to this question is going to really permeate your understanding.

Here is my answer: When I was in high school I was on the gymnastics team. I suppose I was on the team because: I was built like a rubber band- I could lay on my stomach and bring my feet up around my neck and hold them there with my hands, I could do a one handed cartwheel and sometimes (but not often) a no-handed cartwheel, I could do a back walkover on the balance beam- during practice (during practice is the important part to remember here) and I could leap. But when the time came for "the meet" and people- people I knew, cute guys I liked-were seated in the stands and the big mat was rolled out on the gymnasium floor and the equipment all set up and judges were sitting on the sidelines- when that time came- I became living rigor mortis. I froze. When the person in the sound booth called my name signaling my turn on the balance beam, I was seriously A LOT like Francis Chan in this video demonstration. Now you may watch it and see what I'm talking about.

We did not win a single gymnastics meet that I am aware of (all thanks to me) but then again, I was basically the same as unconscious at these meets, so who really knows.

If I could master one sport- it would be gymnastics- for old times sake to make it up to the team.

2. When you make a major purchase, do you go with your gut instinct, or do you do research to make an informed decision?

I don't really make super major purchases without I.T. and I.T. is a researcher. He spent 10 hours on the computer looking for the BEST cell phone plan earlier this year and then interviewed the employees at two different stores, before finally purchasing a plan and three phones. If I could in good conscious, make a major purchase right now- I'd buy a new stove. I looked up a couple and I know which one I'd buy. I'd buy it online right now. But I'll wait for my financier to give the final approval.

3. There is an old kids' game that says you can find out what your movie star name would be by using your middle name as your first name and the name of the street you grew up on as your last. What is your movie star name?

Jo Hillcrest. Never heard of her. But she sounds like a wimp.

4. Would you rather give up your favorite music or your favorite food?

I'm not sure what my favorite food or music even is. I can live on buttered Health Nut toast and half caff with honey and cream , while listening to castanets and bongo, so I guess I can give up either one and barely notice.

5. There are two types of banana preferences. One is pristine yellow, almost to the point of being green; the other is spotty and more ripe. Which is your preference?

I like my banana ripe, not green at all and not spotty and definitely without the big black part, which inevitably marks a mush spot on the inside- blech!

6. Your favorite tree is?

Big trees. Sycamore. Birch. Maple. Oak. Little baby pines. I love trees. I really love just about all trees. I would not want to live on a lot with no trees. Now raking leaves, that is an entirely different story.

7. On a scale of 1-10, how tech savvy are you?

Rounded off, 3.14, which proves that, for me, computer technology is NOT "as easy as pie". This answer dedicated to my math professor, Mary DY.

8. Has H1N1 touched your family?

Perhaps it has, but we are hand washers- Purell everywhere, in the car, in the purse, on the counter- so that may be keeping it at bay. I haven't seen it in our house.

9. Are you an analytical person, or do you just accept things the way they are without questioning or scrutinizing? Question everything! That's my motto. And I do.

10. Is your personality more like that of a dog, cat, or Koala?

I am more like a cat, slinking around here like I own the place and asking purr- ty please will someone pay attention to me, kinda doin' what I want and have even scratched a few eyes out when I was in "a mood"- but I am not proud of it. I'm working on not being so catlike.

11. Do you keep in touch with friends you made years ago?

Not really, but I sure have unearthed several via facebook- that site continues to bring the blasts from the past. It's been interesting.

12. You are checking out at a grocery store. In the express lane, there are more people than the regular lanes, but of course, their load is less than those in the regular lanes. Which lane do you choose (assuming you qualify for the express lane) and why?

I wouldn't assume I qualify for the express lane just because I'm in it. Usually I do not cheat, but the express lane....well.... In the case given, I might just go to the do it yourself lane- the unlimited one where you scan and bag to your heart's content all by your little lonesome. It's my exercise plan.

the simple things

Joining Christina over at Soul Aperture and reveling in the simple things:

can of Marzano tomatoes

under cabinet can opener

recycling service

WJQ99- my station

kettle corn from Kregel

fried eggplant

dates confirmed

venison coming soon to my freezer

miceless trips to the garage

clear verbal instructions

diagrams

my GPS

right turns

slow roads

back roads

"You have arrived."

A Quote

Still spending an abundance of time sifting through the contents of recently emptied closets, but I am happy to report, the bathroom is now primed. Primed around hundred year old (well, might as well be) carpeting, olive green sinks, toilet and tub from the 1970's and a row of big, round light bulbs across the entire top of the mirror- BUT primed, just the same. And ready for paint. Now for the color choice.....Hmm. I wonder who gets to sit around all day and come up with those names for paint colors. That could be an interesting job. I read about 137 really good ones last night before bed. Kind of like a rainbow of flashcards. I think I could match the correct name to its color on a pop quiz. But can I pick the perfect color for the bathroom??

Who knows how long it will take me to figure out the paint color, but somehow I am reminded of a quote from Shane Claiborne, whom I heard speak in person just a few hours ago. He said,

"I'm looking forward to eternity, where I'll party like there's no tomorrow- and there won't be."

Until tomorrow or eternity, whichever gets here first-

Thankful Thursday

I have twenty-one minutes left to join hostess, Sonya, and all the other thankful bloggers in sharing thankfuls on Thursday.

#1. I just returned from an Avalon/Selah concert. I wasn't sure if I would like the new female singer for Selah, who actually joined the group in 2006. I haven't been paying much attention to the new albums. I love the older ones with Nicol, sister of lead male vocalist, Todd Smith. Well, I found that not only can Amy Perry sing, she had something to say that carried a message just for me.

She shared about her lifelong struggle with her weight and how her family and a particular old boyfriend had always made snide remarks about how she really needed to drop some pounds.

Hard stuff. Hurtful. Wounding.

She talked about how, with the encouragement of love from her husband, she learned to believe that God created her in His own image and gave her special gifts and talents that she could use to praise and worship Him. So, though she does the torturous workouts in an attempt to battle the bulge- she lives with confidence, in joy, knowing that the God who created all things good, loves and cares for her just as she is.

Her testimony challenged me to think about it. All people are created in the image of God, are his handiwork and loved by him. I cannot say I love Him and then have prejudices against those, whom he created! I want to love, just as I want to be loved, not for how I look, but for what is inside of me- a heart that yearns to follow Jesus, to love and care and show compassion for others. I want to share the hope I have in Christ- just as Amy did so beautifully tonight!

Thanks, Amy!

#2. God is challenging me to consider the truth of his word, the whole word and nothing but the word. A friend of mine recently shared about a ministry she is involved with, whereby she and others pray with people who are troubled by demonic activity. Wow. It sounded like something out of a sci fi flick.

BUT. I go to the word of God and I read about Satan and the forms he takes in the world.

I grew up in a denominational background that did not discuss Satan or hell, but rather talked about these words as being universal language that just stood for anything evil. Nobody from the church of my youth went to hell, because if there was such a place (and the teaching was there wasn't) Jesus would be the first one there to catch that poor, unfortunate soul and carry it off to heaven.

Very confusing, in light of the word.

So, I'm thankful for the challenges that cause me to think and re-think and read, read, read the word of God!

#3. I'm thankful that the blog meme's allow for a little leeway. Because I'm not posting five today, but 3.

It may be a broken road, but if it leads us straight to Him- it is one worth traveling.

Out of Sync

Not writing on my blog feels like a very bad thing, but somehow my life fell out of sync. It all started one day last week when, while in the shower shaving my legs and washing my hair, shampoo suds mixed with too much water and slid down my forehead onto both of my eyes. In my left hand was a bar of soap, in my right- a razor. I could not find a leg to shave and with my orientation now gone, I also could not find that built in soap holder on which to deposit the bar of soap. I reached my right hand to my eyes to wipe away the blinding bubbles, but the razor was not facing outward. The swipe to free my sight became the death to my right eyebrow.

With all that water and falling suds, I did not notice right away, but when I glimpsed my razor's blade and saw it looked as though it had been shaving the fur off a beaver, I caught on quick to my missing eye-piece.

Once out of the shower, dried and clothed, I dragged my hairy legs upstairs to the kitchen. Fash was there. She took one look at me and queried, "Something's different, did you trim your bangs?" It was all I could do to stay a safe distance from the knife drawer. "No. Fash." my teeth were gritted and I was growling, "I shaved off an eyebrow!!!"

"Oh!" "Why?" She'd regret replying.

After all that chasing her around with the meat cleaver, I am actually happy to report that Fash still lives.

First of all, I never shower in the lower level bathroom. That was the boys' shower and now it is Fash's. But our upstairs bathroom is that same Nightmare on Elm Street that you've seen on this very blog before and we can't use the shower, because the new plaster job might get damp or for some such I.T. logical reason. And of course we can't prime and paint the new plaster job, because I.T. likes to supervise and own projects he has taken charge of and he has been gone, being the professional world traveler and great white hunter that he is. Not to mention our enormous leaf raking project- yes the picture was my yard- that he tackled pretty single handedly, while I stood in the yard with my rake and stared.

Secondly, Outside the Box moved out of our home and into his own in the next town over, which caused me to start pulling out the contents of every closet to check for things that should go with him. In doing this, I found so many spare parts I can't even begin to count. There is no way I am putting that stuff back in those closets, so not only can we not use our upstairs bathroom, we cannot sit in our upstairs living room either, until this has all been sifted.

Thirdly, my parents downsized and their extra belongings were divided among my sisters, brother and me. This had me hiking the neighborhood and knocking on doors until I found someone around here who needed a piano, so that I could give them ours and house my mother's, because one day a grandchild may want it. Little Megan across the street is so excited to be the new owner of a Betsy Ross spinet. Now she can take piano lessons! My mother's piano now sits where the spinet used to be and waits for the grandchildren to grow. It's a beautiful piano and has a wonderful, mellow sound.

Finally, Fash fell in love with the university we last visited, which is about four hours from our home. This is not the distance I had in mind when I signed up for birthing Fash. I rather like the Walton's approach- Nobody Leaves the Mountain! But, of course, that dream fizzled when Pilgrim boarded the Greyhound bus with his sign: California or Bust!

Speaking of dreams- Sara, from ....make music from your heart to the Lord... asked me about my recurring dream that I mentioned in the previous Random Dozen question set. Well, Sara, my recurring dream, which I haven't actually had in a long while now, used to be that I was dating I.T. and doing my best to keep him interested in me, but in the end, he married someone else. It always felt very real, but when I woke up, there he'd be snoring away next to me. And I'd sort of think out loud, "well, what da ya know...huh". I've probably dreamt this at least 500 times over the past years. But, as I said, I haven't actually dreamt it in a good long while now.

Anyway, I am just not myself what with all these kids up and flying the coop, and me having to wade through strings of beads from Mardi Gras among other fabulous closet finds just to get to the kitchen, being forced to use a bathroom where my toothbrush does not have a permanent home and walking the city streets with one eyebrow- ringing doorbells- ding dong does anyone here want a piano?

I love my faithful readers and your comments. Believe me, by them I am sustained.

Be back soon....

Hey, has anyone seen my fall colored spots that were on my background? They are missing!

Random Dozen #10

1. It's early morning, about 2:00AM, and you're driving home. You come to a red light and sit there. There is no one in sight for miles around. Do you wait it out or run the light?

I'm a first born, rule follower- I'd wait.

2. If you had the chance to re-do the last 24 hours, would you change anything?

I'd contact my fairy god-mother and have her bippity boppity boo on over here to poof this house in order. Outside the Box moved to his new place two days ago, but only after turning our house upside down and shaking it. The remaining treasures he didn't take with him are still scattered around the whole house.! Clean up in aisle one, two, three, four, five, six, seven....

3. When you reply to someones comment on your blog, do you reply in your comments or go to her blog and comment? (Or email her)

I've wondered about the best way to reply to someone's comment. I usually go to his/her blog and comment there. I figure people mostly do not return to see if I replied to their comment in my comments. Do people return? Mostly.

4. Your favorite Disney movie is: Old Yeller

5. Do you recycle? Yep. I.T. takes the recycling to work and separates it out there. Free.

6. Games of strategy or games of chance? Strategy is way more fun. And gratifying if I win. I love to win and hate to lose. Especially to I.T.

7. Do you have any recurring dreams? I used to. I haven't had that dream in quite a while, but now that you asked and I might be thinking of it, I will probably dream it. Nuts! I don't like that dream. I will have to do extra yoga tonight.

8. What did you learn from your first real job? How to count back change. Have you noticed that kids working in stores these days don't really know how to do that? Mostly.

9. Do you buy or borrow most books? I have the best deal on this one. I work in a Christian bookstore. We can take books home on consignment (free), read them and return them to the sales shelf. Unlimited! We do have to be extra careful with them. This way we get to know our product, can recommend books to customers better etc. It is a win/win if ever there was a win/win. Am reading The Silent Gift by Michael Landon Jr. right now. The store has really good deals on books quite often, too- then I buy one.

10. What fashion trend of the past did you say you'd never wear again but did? Cat-eye glasses.

11. When do you start Christmas shopping? Oh, about two hours before I need to give someone a gift or, if it's for the family, on Christmas eve, about 9:48 p.m.- at Walgreens, the only store open then. I give a lot of miniature crock pots. You know, those little potpourri burners and curling irons.

12. Have you ever been so happy that you literally jumped up and down for a few seconds? If so, what was the occasion?

I do this all the time. Last Thursday night at work, I thought I'd given a discount when I shouldn't have, but we looked into it and I actually gave the correct discount! I did it right! Yes! I jumped up and down with glee. The customer I was waiting on at the time (not the one getting a discount, she was long gone) started looking around to see what he was missing. It really is the little things. If you read my cousin, K.D.'s answer to #12, you might see that this quite possibly is a genetic thing for me.

Thanks for coming by. I've thought of the blogs every day, but too much life is happening here. I haven't been able to justify time in front of my computer. My son moved out, my parents' furniture moved in, I actually made it to my dentist appointment this time, we're off to Ohio to tour another college with Fash, my yard was full of leaves....you get the picture.

Friday Faves and God Talking

Visit Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for more Friday Fave Five's.

I post late. That's because the responsibilities of home educating a senior in high school begin at the beginning of the day and end at the end of the day, which for us encompasses a wide time variance- and because I am not an early riser. Otherwise, I'd be whipping out these posts before any of yas were out of bed and you could eat yer breakfast by 'em. As it is, you pretty much have
to wash the dishes by 'em or switch on the night light to read 'em. Hope you don't mind.

5. Sometimes it feels like God is kiddin' around with me. I think he knows I like to laugh and crack a few jokes here and there. At 4 o'clock it was still raining cats and dogs like it had been all day. It was time for me to go pick up Fash from her volunteer job at the retirement villa. I saddled up my horses and pulled out of the garage into the pelting rain, as the radio blared the Newsboys:

"...all God’s children singing Glory, glory, hallelujah- He reigns, He reigns... It’s all God’s children singing Glory, glory, hallelujah He reigns, He reigns...."

And I'm laughing, because it's pouring down rain and I picture the words "....He rains, He rains....Glory, glory, hallelujah He rains, he rains...."

Good one, God. *wink*

4. On the ride home, Fash tells me that during jewelry making class at the retirement villa, Bea (names changed to protect the innocent) shared the story of the day. Bea says, "I was in the elevator and Zeke was in there and he asked me if I wanted to have his radio, because he wasn't using it and I said, yes, so he said, let's go back to my place." At this point, another retirement villa resident, Lila, interjects- "oh, you fell for that "let's go back to my place", that's an old line." And Bea continues, reminding everyone that Zeke recently upgraded his walker to a motorized scooter- "I was just walking down the hall to his room and I turned to see if he was behind me. He was. And he was coming up on me real fast. I went down and the scooter ran over my ankle, over my knee and I thought, if he runs over my head- I'm a goner..." Then the jewelry making club began their debate about whether or not Zeke would get his license taken away and have to go back to the cheesy walker. After that they all decided they'd trick or treat door to door- up and down the halls of the villa- wearing their bras on the outside of their shirts on Halloween night. And they told Fash to please advertise that the jewelry making club was, after all, open to men.

After telling me all this, Fash says to me, "Mom, you'd really like living there, I'm going to get your name on the waiting list."

You do that, Fashy. (I roll my eyes here)

3. The new Chris Tomlin cd "Hello Love"- it's wonderful! "Jesus Messiah", "Sing, Sing, Sing", "I Will Rise", "Love" with the Watoto Children's Choir. There are so many beautiful and worshipful songs on this cd. I highly recommend it. Been listening to it all week- cranked up!

2. Every once in a while, if I'm tuned in and have my epiphany eyes on, I catch the thing God is trying to teach me at a certain, particular time. Such has been the case this week. It's a Friday Fave Five, because I dig it when I get it that God is speaking to me about a thing. I'm not going to tell about the thing right now. I'm going to let it swish around in my brain a while and then I might post it.

1. I.T. has been gone on a business trip for two whole weeks and he IS BACK! Yeah! I love it that he is home. Home is where the heart is, as they say and Home is where they love you!! For me, happiness is having my husband home- safe and smilin'.

Random Dozen

Lid at 2nd Cup of Coffee hosts this meme. If you click over there you can read a bunch of other ones, because Mr. Linkey is there. Mine are short and to the point today.

1. Tell me something about your favorite teacher. She's a blogger from Easy Street, U.S.A.

2. Tell me about one pivotal moment in your life. I took 13 years of ballet, there were a lot of pivotal moments.

3. About favorite colors--a lot of people will ask you what it is, but I want to know why it is. What feeling or memory does it evoke? Mr. Green Jeans from Captain Kangaroo and trees.

4. What's a sure sign that you're getting older? Can't remember.

5. Please don't sermonize, but Halloween--is it a yes or no for you? Not really, but the candy is half off the day after.

6. What's your favorite musical? Fiddler on the Roof

7. Are you more of a city mouse or country mouse? Suburban mouse, who once longed for the country, but lately is content with home.

8. Did you know that it is possible, for a small fee, to name a real star after someone? (It's true! Google it!) If someone were to name a star for you, would you appreciate it for its whimsy and romance, or would you say, "Are you kidding me? For $19.95 we could have gone to the movie and actually bought popcorn."This question comes from Paula at His Ways Are Not Our Ways.

What happens if your star falls after you've paid the $19.95. Or shoots? I'd really need to have the answer to that first.

9. What's the craziest thing you've ever been doing and texted during it? I only thought of this b/c I was about to try to text during my walking video but I didn't.Paula, you do know that this blog is rated G, right? I've only texted while I was texting. I really can barely text while I'm texting, let alone while I am doing anything else.

10. "It's not a party unless _______." people show up.

11. When you're stuck in traffic or a waiting room, what do you do to pass the time? PS: There are no magazines available. The current book I'm reading is usually in my bag. I read it.

12. If you weren't yourself, would you be friends with you? I'm not quite myself right now, but yes, I think I would. No, I think we'd be too much alike- competing for attention. No. I don't think I would like me so much. But I basically like everyone. So. I'd give it my best shot.

The Assignment- Moments When the World Stood Still

To celebrate her one year blogversary, Mrs. E, a real live teacher from Midwest, U.S.A. has given an assignment- a contest. You can read all about it on her blog Easy Street.


Moments When the World Stood Still
by Heidi 2Thinks

We're walking beneath a sky full of stars in the clear, winter silence, holding mittened hands. When the steps are before me bathed in porch light, I advance one, then turn to look him in his gray-blue eyes. He reaches up and brushes a stray lock of hair from my cheek and tucks it back into my hat. Snowflakes fall- on his eyelash, on my lip. "Good-night," my words quietly ride on visible breath. "See ya later," he says through his smile.

"Until death do us part," says the minister. "Until death do us part," I repeat. "Until death do us part," says the minister. "Until death do us part, " he repeats.

At 6:30 a.m. he kisses me good-by and leaves for work. I sit in the rocker, singing to our newborn son. At 5 o'clock he rushes right home to kiss me. I am sitting in the rocker, singing to our newborn son.

The apartment is perfect! Two bedrooms instead of one! And across the street from our landlords- our friends, the kind of friends who believe in you and love you for real and forever. They invite us for pizza and we eat it outside in the cool of the summer evening, while the baby sleeps.

"Look mom, the original woodwork! And the porch - oh, isn't it great! And right across from the park!" We buy it. Our first house. I hang homemade lace curtains, a gift from the new neighbor. He builds a swingset with my dad. We play and play and play...

We sit on the sofa in our new house with pre-school boy on his lap and marvel at the baby brother. Unwrapping the soft, blue blanket, we count fingers and toes and coo at his tiny smile.

Three days after baby brother is two days short of two years old, we sit on the sofa in our new house with pre-school boy on his left knee and baby brother on his right and gaze bleary eyed into the pink bundle in my arms. The brothers lightly touch her head, covered mostly with a pink, cotton cap. They gently squeeze her booties, knitted with pink yarn and love, to see if any feet are in there. We laugh. It's a lot of pink.

Our family sits on the dock. All is still. Suddenly a steamy fog rolls towards us from across the lake. The fog hits, overtakes us, blows through us like a ghost. The waves wash the shore. And it is gone, just as it came.

We're in the car, driving home from a wonderful weekend of skiing. It is dark and very cold outside. There's lots of snow. Watching out the window, someone realizes that every beam of visible light is pointing straight up to the heavens. Car headlights, instead of beaming forward- point up. Red light from the radio tower, emits a red streak straight up to God. Billboard lights all point long beams north. We focus on as many lights as we can see at once. The lights don't usually beam straight up to the clouds this way. It's brilliant and odd. A mystery.

All five of us pile onto my dad's bass boat we borrowed for our vacation to the cottage. It's nighttime in warm summer. Not a cloud in the sky. Millions of stars are dancing. We shove off from the dock and float in the middle of the lake laying on our backs on the boat, watching the stars glimmer and shine. It's marvelous!
__________________________________________________________

I've gotten carried away! I haven't counted the words. I know it's too long, but I can't delete it now, because these are some of the best I've ever lived- these moments when the world stood still.

God's word promises that eternal life is unsurpassed- better than anything we have ever known. I can't comprehend it- though I believe him. If I am offered one last look before I go, I'll step back into one of these moments, take my Savior's hand- and leave while the world stands still.

(I'm sorry I forgot about the word limit, Mrs. E. I just got going and it turned out like this. I've never been very good at following directions or staying within the parameters. I know I will be disqualified, but that's ok. It was fun remembering. Thanks for the assignment. I enjoyed it. At least my dog didn't eat it.)

Homeschooled or Homeschoolers

Life is full of choices. Twelve years ago we decided to figure out how we could educate our three kids at home, instead of continuing to send them to the local public school. Private school wasn't an option at that time. To afford private school would've meant me working way more hours than what I would ever have been able to handle and still keep house and take care of kids. I know a lot of moms do it, but I also knew I couldn't. But I wasn't so sure private school vs. public school was the issue for me. And it wasn't that the public schools here weren't good. We live in a blue ribbon school district. National magazines rate our schools at the top of the charts. After meeting a few families I admired, who home schooled their children, I made a pro/con list. Studying the benefits of educating our kids at home convinced me that I wanted to give it a try.

It's probably no surprise that when I approached I.T. with the idea, he was tentative about how it would work. His wife (me) had been known to come up with super incredible, amazing ,fabulous brilliant, ideas, jump in with both feet, but not a ton of thought, go after it like a wild woman, then stop dead in her tracks with a big sigh and walk away from the whirlwind she'd just created, because one little piece didn't fit perfectly into her plan. I'd say I.T. was justified in his initial reaction. So, I did about six solid months of research on homeschooling and got together a trial lesson plan for our kids- who were at the time 11, 8 and 6 years old.

Then we went on our regularly scheduled, annual vacation to The Cottage ( I posted pictures of this year's annual here and here) and I incorporated my lesson plans into the week's activities. For example: this was the year we discovered that an eagle was nesting on the lake. We paddled over to the tree where the giant bird liked to perch, as she scanned the water for tasty fish. It was exciting to see this national bird soar and dive. Later, back at the cottage, I handed out construction paper and colored pencils and challenged each child to draw their version of the bird and put it together with a poem or paragraph that described how they felt about her. I wondered if they'd do it or if they'd think, "hey, this is like school and we're on vacation, we're not doing this", but they did it and they enjoyed it. I still treasure their finished works. I tested out a few more "assignments" over the course of the week and all went well. I decided it would work.

When I got home I wrote a seven page paper titled, "Why I Want to Homeschool Our Kids" and I gave it to I.T. with a loving, personal cover letter that started: "Dear I.T., " That was the summer of 1998. We've been living the adventure ever since.

Outside the Box was home schooled 6th through 12th grade. By his junior year, he ran two home based businesses- he took senior pictures and did family portraits for pay and he taught approximately ten cello lessons per week in our home. He designed a website for his photography business, learning how by reading HTML for Dummies and one other book about web design. He drummed up business for cello lessons by visiting local schools and passing out homemade promotional materials and working with the orchestra teachers. He did the bookkeeping for both businesses. He did some AP coursework at the local public school and some AP coursework at home. His freshman year of college, he entered with 21 credits and he graduated cum laude with a double major in music and youth ministry. He works full time as director of youth ministries at a local church, is drumming up business for cello lessons again and just invested in a new, fancy camera.

Pilgrim was home educated for five and a half years. He went back to public school in the second semester of eighth grade- his choice. He played soccer as a freshman. After that, he spent almost all of his time working in the theater department and making short video promos for local companies- part of an internship offered by the school. He always had huge compassion for the kids in the special education program. At a high school awards ceremony, Pilgrim received a monetary scholarship for furthering his interest in the film making industry and two certificates of appreciation from the special education department for work he'd done with the kids. Pilgrim longed to be out on his own, to see the world and make his way in it- sans classrooms. He currently works three jobs and lives, on his own, with a roommate, in California. I know Pilgrim's post high school education has only just begun.

Fash has been home schooled first through twelfth grade. She's an artist and designer, so it's fitting that she is looking for the perfect place to study fashion and interior merchandising and design and all things art and be involved in theater. We've been touring the country searching for this perfect place and we're not finished yet. Every week she spends six hours working with folks at a retirement home- doing art related projects. The activity director and the residents adore Fash. She'll be on stage again soon, this year as Lily St. Regis in the musical, Annie.

Homeschooling isn't for every family, just as public school isn't perfect for every student and private school doesn't work out for everyone. It's okay though, because all three are valid options in this country and most kids can gain a great education from one or the other or a combination of the three choices. I find good in all.

Of course, stereotypes are inevitable. Some people think that home educated kids are a bunch of introverted, cling to momma's skirts, button your shirt to the top, societal rejects and because some of these people are outright verbal about their thoughts on that, a few home schooled kids have been motivated to defend their preferred method of education.

As for us, we've fared pretty well. Nobody has really bashed our decision to home educate- not to our face anyway. The roller coaster ride of home education is almost over for us. Would I do it again? I'm not sure. Was it the best choice? I don't know. All I know for sure is God met us in the midst of it and He was our ever-present help and guide. I have many examples, but the post is already too long. The point is: there are many choices, there is more than one way to do a thing, we won't always choose the best way or the right way, but if we ask him, God will meet us in the midst of whatever choice we make and show us a way to get through in one piece.

Gift of Song

This one is for MyADHDMe-Jo

(It's not perfect and there are a couple of typos, it's a little tricky listening to the words of the song and reading different words on the slide show, but I heard the song while driving home from a meeting at work, thought of ADHD-Jo and came home to search it out and post it up for her. I think this is a creative work and I like most of it.)

You are the sunshine in the blogosphere, MyADHDMe. Enjoy!

Never forget, God is love and Love came down. Love lives in each believing heart. Look for the open door, walk through- and dance.

Powerful only by the Life-the Holy Spirit within,

Remember?

Fash wore pumpkin.

(A real post coming tomorrow, I think. I mean later today. It's 1:30 a.m.- again.)

Project 365- my sixth

Project 365 is hosted by Sara at ...make music from your heart to the Lord... The idea is to capture your week in pictures, one picture for each day. I didn't exactly do that. I didn't get the picture of me sleeping in too late on Monday or the one of me finding the perfect "Happy 100th Birthday" card for a customer at the store on Tuesday. I missed the shot of me ironing 14 pairs of pants and the same number of dress shirts for a certain someone on Wednesday and the thing is, I don't know if it would've been right to take pictures of customers telling me, "thank you", "that's real customer service", "you were very helpful" at the bookstore on Thursday. But if you want to see Friday through Sunday, scroll on... and I do hope this is legal and ok with Sara.

Birthday Burger coupon arrived via e-mail, so Fash and I rushed right over to Red Robin. We even got a free ice cream sundae and the staff sang to me "how oh- old arrre yoooo?" Just kidding, they didn't sing that part. Whew!
I couldn't get the balloon to face the right direction and close enough to get us both in the picture without the static cling and apparently Fash couldn't focus. But besides that...

After the burgers, Fash and I went to an art show where she had a couple of pieces hanging around.

Nobody in our family has blue eyes. I don't know who this is, but Fash drew it.

I like this butterfly, another of Fash's creations.

Ever since she was three years old, Fash has been going to my sister's for a weekend in the fall along with her brothers. This year it was only Outside-the-Box and Fash, but they phoned Pilgrim in California, he's doing great. Weekend activities over the years have included apple picking and carving pumpkins- a race- boys against the girls through a corn maze and all that fall stuff. Here's my nephew carrying in Fash's sleeping bag.

Apparently I cannot handle focusing either.

I dropped Fash off and while I was there my niece made me a swift cuppa joe. They don't use a French press over there. This little baby has you sipping your java in about 3 seconds flat.

I believe my focuser is broken.

Saturday afternoon, I picked up Fash and we headed downtown for the first ever (in our city), New York style (sort of) fashion show brought together by all the local boutiques around here. On Sunday-another show for Fash and her friend (who took the picture below of hippie Fash)- I let Friend use my ticket. This was after a lovely church service this morning, no pic, sorry.

The green number was Fashionista's favorite. She wants to buy it for senior prom. I'm guessing $500+ and "no". Besides, she'd need a turtle neck underneath for coverage and so she wouldn't freeze to death.

I've posted this pic before, but tell me this girl shouldn't have been in the fashion show. Here, she is featured with selections from her own, real wardrobe. What a fun daughter.

And here we are enjoying the show. Can you guess who's who? Name those leggings.

clue: My leggings showed up in an earlier post a while back.

As for I.T., he skips fashion shows.