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.