No more spy signal

Yes, I was at it again. My covert experiments. Where I submerge myself in everyday tasks with the public with my own agenda just to see what will happen. I picked this.....driving within the rules of the road. Not my rules, or yours, but the rules according to the handbook for drivers. Yes, I know, you're impressed with my skills to continually live on the edge and take risks. If you lived here you would know that every time you get into a car and decide to get on the interstate you are livin' on the edge, spittin' in the face of death, laughing at fear!

I learned really quickly that the best way to tick off your fellow man is to drive the speed limit. It would seem as though I had a horse and buggy on the I and was pulling a donkey to boot. I came to appreciate things like a full stop at a stop sign that nearly sent one car careening into my back bumper. He was trying to draft me anyway maybe to save on gas, IDK. How long has it been since you've stopped, really stopped, threw your head to the seat back stopped? Ok, I guess it's just me then. It was rather invigorating.

Next I moved on to the ever unpopular turning on of the turn signal when actually making a turn. This has always been something I have tried to do on my not so risky days. I have noticed that most of the newer model cars have "spy signals" in them where they aren't allowed to divulge the direction of their destination or they'd have to kill ya. It's only for them to know....sssshhh......

Needless to say, I did not make any friends on the road today. Quite disappointing, really. I did however realize that I can do it. Obey the speed limit, use appropriate driving behavior, etc. My heartrate slowed, I didn't seem to feel as though I was in such a hurry. I wasn't having to look over my shoulder to see if the cops were sitting there watching me roll through the stop sign.

I know this may seem so meaningless to some of you. It's just a way for me to put to work my obedience in my every day tasks. Knowing my limits, boundaries and rules and then knowing that I can respect them all. Maybe this will rub off in other parts of my life. My eating, exercising, devotionals, studies, housework, God's work, marriage........you see where I'm going with this? You know, God laid out those rules in that handy dandy book that we can use as reference at anytime. I know I've rolled through a few of His Almighty stop signs and sped through those school zones of heavenly commandments. I've got a lot to learn about restraint and how to apply it better. I'm working on it. 'Til then, when you pass the crazy lady on the interstate going the speed limit, don't just wave with one finger as most do, give me a thumbs up so I know you might be praying for me.

Heavenly Father, I'm yours. Take my life and order my steps daily. I want to walk in YOUR ways not my own. I want to do YOUR work and YOUR will. Gently remind me who is in the driver's seat, but please don't revoke my license. I love you Lord!

I'm with child! No....not that way silly! Literary baby!

I'm going to write a parenting book of some sort. Haven't decided if its going to be a "how-to" a "faq" or just here's what worked for me and add in my stories. Hmmmmm.....

What I have done is thought about writing this book for so many years that my friends just tell me to "do it already!" My son, 19 yo, has come up with one title so far:
"How to Raise Your Children in 3 Emergency Room Visits or Less"
And for the life of me I can't come up with anything better.
Any suggestions?
Maybe this book writing thing will lend itself to a title as it goes along.
We'll see if I can actually start and finish something. It may be more like a Reader's Digest short story that I get a few bucks for.
I am a parent, I have kids, I don't beat 'em and they still say "please" and "thank you". That qualifies as something, right?

Pray for me. This will take years. It will be the longest gestational period for printed material. Maybe my grandchildren will be able to glean some words of wisdom for my great grandbabies!

It's a hate/love thing

Things I am detesting right now:

1. The new Hardee's commercial with the chick from Iron Chef or whatever it is. Yea, lookin' at her lick herself makes me want a freakin' cheeseburger.....NOT!

2. Pollen....need I say more. Although, I must say the neti pot is an amazing invention and if my nose wasn't so stuffed up so that it would work, I'd be on it!
Try it!

3. Gas went up. Price per barrel is down, gas is up, I guess we'll blame.... it..... on....um....well.....?????? Yea, that's what I thought!

4. My ever inflating waist line. I blame strawberry pickin' time and homemade jam on that one.

5. My laptop has some terminal illness that is not treatable, thus inhibiting my online access and blogging abilities. (I sit back in my chair with my toddler frown and cross my arms with a "hmph".)

Things I love right now:

1. My blogging friends who constantly renew my faith in humanity by their inspirational stories of everyday, so real, so strong....you all amaze me!

2. Someone with a working computer that I can sneak on to blog.....shhh....oops..got caught!

3. My husband who works like a dog ALL the time and loves me unconditionally! And he's hot! Hardee's couldn't use him 'cause he'd blow the tv's across the world!

4. My children, because they continue to let me hang out with them and watch them grow. They're cool that way.

5. And last but ultimately not least......My God. He's cradled me through my stress and kissed my forehead in spite of my behavior. Thank you God! Thank you for my life and my loves. I count it ALL joy!

Bark....bark......bark,bark,bark,bark,bark,etc.

I have determined that my neighbors must suffer hearing loss of some sort. They may be totally deaf, I'm not sure. Their dog, however, is bound and determined that they can hear him/her because it starts early in the a.m. as the sun comes up in the attempt that maybe today they will hear it bark. Alas, to no avail, and the barking continues. As I lay in my bed praying for the dog and it's owners.... yes, praying is better than what first came to mind, which included a high powered rifle, sniper goggles, black face paint and a camoflage ensemble. I have no shoes to wear with that, so that was out. Anyway, I was in constant conversation with the good Lord himself about the reasonings why some think they should have dogs, which inevitably led me to my favorite question, why some people have children, which led me to a synonymous comparison between the dog and other people's kids. Be careful, you have just been down the road of my mind and how my thoughts lead me through my day. That could be dangerous or just down right confusing.

Although my analogy has lots of stark contrasts, obviously, I still decided it was worth some cerebral banter. Some people want dogs and want them now and get them immediately no thought to it. They jump into a responsibility that they have no concept of. Someone should be counseling people on this decision. Then they bring the dog home and love it for a time and then it becomes a burden. So from this point where do you go with the dog? Of course, tied up in a kennel on the far corner of the property where it is closer to the neighbors house than your own. I understand a safe place for the dog when it cannot be left in the house, but have never understood why the kennel cannot be placed as close to the house as possible, maybe even attached. Because if it does rain and you go to get the poor thing...... Ok, so the dog then commences to shout out to tell you what it needs...love, food, pet psychic, etc. But in such a way that now the whole neighborhood is privy to it's desires, while the owner is tucked away sound asleep ignoring the dog and it's rantings. Turning up the tv, the radio, blending a few more margheritas, whatever the case may be, but in utter denial that the dog is trying to get attention from whomever will listen.

Here we go... this is where it turns to the human barker. I watch so many children bark at their parents about everything..."I want that toy!" "I want a happy meal! I don't want that!" "I need a new car!" "I need a new dress!" "I need my hair done!" " I want......I want.....I need.....I .......!!!!!!!!" "Bark, bark, bark, blah, blah, blah, bark!" Parents have become out of tune with what their kids are asking. My experience is that kids just want their parents. They want their attention, their love, their presence in their life. Watching those who raise their kids by bribery has led them into a teenage life of get me this, do that, go here, do it for me. Here is the deal kids. It ain't about you!!!!!!!! Shocking, I know. If we could, as parents, start giving our kids what we know they truly need, their appetite for the wrong type of attention would halt. Lives will be much simpler if we nip it in the bud quickly, making it a process of lifelong relationship building instead of a life of discipline and kenneling in the back of the property only pretending we don't hear them. I love my children so very much. I take my responsibility to raise them the way God intended, not me, very seriously. I only have one life to live with them and want to do it without the kennel in the yard and without my neighbors being the only ones hearing them bark.

Dear God, free us from our kennels we've put ourselves in, break us free from the chains around our necks that hold us down. Stop the barking and open our hearts to those around us who are barking. Free us from ourselves. The hold we have on us is a strong one, keep us focused on You! Thank you God for the barking dogs in our lives. May they keep us aware of your work and will. Thank you God for your life in mine. Thank you God!

Ah, Spring

Things I love about it:
Flowers, like my almost black but really purple Iris
Garden is growing, we're already eating radishes and lettuce, yummy!
The weather here is Gawgeous!
People are relatively happy.
My Confederate Jasmine is going to bloom!!!!!!!
I had a bday and got things, like my quilt square sampler from my awesome blog amiga in OR!!

Things I don't like:
Pollen....excuse me....AAAAAACCCCCCHHHHHOOOOOOOO!
Bugs in my garden, the bad ones, not the good ones.
Prom....oh, how I loathe this one.....I'm not going.....but I have one who is........ARGH!

You see, I love the fact that the sky is becoming crowded with foliage from our surrounding trees and plants. We are camouflaged behind such beautiful greenery as we sway on the porch swing. LOVE IT! The trees are swayin' in the breeze and it's wonderful!

But now, this weekend, the dreaded dance....yea, right, like anyone actually goes to dance. It's a fashion show people! I tell you what, these kids spend more on their prom than I did on my wedding. And their parents are justifying it somehow?!?! Mine has decided a suit is better than a tux, because you end up taking off the jacket and tie anyway once you're there. His date bought her dress at an extremely affordable price, I love her, btw. Mom and daughter are doing the flowers themselves, b-you-t-ful! I tried to talk him into driving her there on a tandem bike, because that is just their style, fun but quirky. He declined. Some sort of over-priced, oversized, gas guzzlin', not very green limo is what they're hopin' to hitch a ride in. They eat and get there around 9:30 and its a big deal. The WHOLE town comes out to spot their young celebs in their couffes and clean duds to snap pictures like the paparazzi. It's quite surreal. I remember the proms I attended, the boys' worried about spraying their mullets.....let's just stop there. I hope they have a grand time, I think.

Happy Spring everyone!

Thank you God for this glorious day! Thank you for my wonderful children and the blessings they bring. But now, thank you God for you, just you. My trust is in you, not the blessings, but you. Help me to remember that. Thank you God!

H1N1 a.k.a. Swine Flu a.k.a. ICK!

Wow, the media really needs a new gig, huh? The economy was getting too boring, so let's send everyone over the edge by creating panic and mayhem! Woo hoo! Fun, fun, fun. I am so glad that I have a hope and trust in a God that assures me that no matter what happens, my everlasting life will be with Him in a place far away from NBC, CNN, Swine flu and the unemployment rate index. Actually, we'll all be unemployed, so think of this as training for your heavenly life.

So, even the doc on the news was belittling the story about the swine flu and giving some practical advice on how to deal with it. Ok, ya'll.....here goes....hold on....write this down...get a pen...don't forget the paper.....

WASH YOUR HANDS.

Yea, I know it's gonna be tough to deal with that one. If the reminder in the local fast food restaurant restroom isn't enough, then make your own.

"All inhabitants of this home must wash their hands for 20 seconds under warm water with soap. Then dry them and don't pick your nose!"

Ok, maybe not in those words.

The news doc gave a little suggestions on how to make sure you have spent the appropriate amount of time washing your mits.

Sing Happy Birthday.

What a lovely thought.

So here goes, I changed the words to make it more appropriate for the times:

Happy Birthday to you

I don't want swine flu

I'll wash 'til I turn blue

My germs will be few.

Sing it like you mean it!

Thank you God for our trust in you, not in the news. Thank you God for the hope and truth of your son Jesus who gave his life for ours. Thank you God!

Help Wanted?

Ok, so my son's girlfriend is home for the summer from college. She's the cutest thing since ..... IDK.... beanie babies! Anyway, all of those who are around her, me, Adam, her family, have been telling her to hit the pavement as soon as she gets home to look for employment. In any other year this would be a simple task, but not now. She has an advantage to most because her school gets out so much earlier than most.

So off she went, very trepidacious. She's never done this before because she's always had a "job" filing and such at her mom's work, but now it's time for a job with a little more hours and a lot more dough! I saw a place this a.m. with a "Help Wanted" sign and was so excited I could pass it along. Very cute boutique downtown! I passed it along and off they went. The owner asked her how old she was and Misstina let her know that she was 18. "Oh, no, no. That won't work. I have an 18 year old daughter and she just can't handle it. So I'm sure this won't work for you," she says. Misstina was very unsure of how to handle that one. As I would be. It says so much, though. First of all, wow, her daughter must be a winner! This boutique is no bigger than my living room with maybe 30 pieces of clothing and some accessories! Poor girl. Then I tried to console Tina and tell her that if the owner openly berates her daughter to the public without her daughter being present that maybe the owner's people skills weren't all that good. Plus, if you can't have faith in the way you're raising your own kids then maybe you shouldn't be working with the public. I mean seriously, she's had 18 years with her daughter and she is overwhelmed by a closet full of clothes? Somethin' ain't right there! Please if you have a business be open to the fact that not every young person is a dweeb like the ones in your home! Tina is an awesome worker and and awesome person and a great 18 year old well above her maturity level in so many ways! I hope she's not too discouraged on her first try looking for a job. Pray for her to find a place. Pray for her to find a safe place. Pray for all of our teens looking for employment. Pray for the store owner who turned down the best worker ever! Her loss!

Thank you God for putting us in the midst of the most wonderful people in our lives! Thank you for Tina and her life. Thank you for her cherishing of my wonderful son. Thank you God for the right job coming along, I know it's out there! Thank you God!