My Cousin

I just got back from a visit with my family in Michigan. While there I got the chance to talk with my cousin Chuck White and he gave me one of his CDs that he has written with Morgan Cryar. I’m very proud of Chuck and all that he has done and all that he has become. If you are interested you can hear his music you can check it out at http://www.chuckwhitemusic.com/.

Be forewarned; Chuck does his recording in Nashville and it is country, but I guess you have to love family anyways.

Maybe some of his talent is in the genes, I can only hope so.

Chuck and Nikki: I love you guys, keep up the good work.

Moon Light

Two Great Lights – the Sun and the Moon- Set in the expanse of the sky to govern the day and the night.

The moon has no source of light, yet it governs the night, it is great and God saw that it was good. The moon is only reflecting the sun’s light back to earth. So is this reflective light of no power? Ask an infantry soldier in a battle about the power of moonlight. Ask a couple sitting at the waters edge about the power of moonlight. Yes, reflective light is the lesser of two lights, but God saw that “it was good.”

We are to be a reflection of Jesus. Just as the moon’s only source of light is the sun, our only source of light is the Son. In the nighttime we are to govern, we are to be that source of light during the “night” times.

WAIT

Wait is a four letter word. In or American culture we don’t like to wait for anything. We all use fast food restaurants, high speed internet access and express lanes on the freeway. We want what we want and we want it now.

We pray for instant miracles, we pray for instant changes, but what happens when God says wait? That’s what happened to me today. I have been praying for some changes in my life and today real clear God said ‘WAIT’.

Now I’m no stranger to God asking me to wait, I waited until I was 44yrs old to marry and God blessed me with the perfect man for me. I prayed to be sent out as a missionary in the mid-80s and God said wait and the very day I was to be in Sri Lanka the place where I would have been staying was blown up.

When God says Wait we have two options:

W = Walk in what I already have or Whine about my circumstances.

A = Accept that He has plans for good or get Angry

I = Initiate a chance for change or sit Idle.

T = Trust in the Lord or Turn away from Him.

Waiting doesn’t have to be a trial or a test, it can just be God getting everything in place including making subtle changes in me. So today I will WAIT on Him because I only want the best.

Friend, Sister, Twin

Today is a special day, we are celebrating the birthday of someone who is very dear to me and probably to most of those how know her.

I first called her friend the time we went to Puerto Vallarta Mexico on a mission trip together. It was there that she sat with me on the loading dock at the airport and I poured out my heart when I couldn’t contain all the emotions that trip unlocked. It was there that she and I would ride in the back of the van trying not to fall through the rusted out floor. It was there that the Lord knit our hearts together forever.

I called her sister for the first time when she took me to have a lumpectomy. I called her sister when she helped me move my mom out to Washington from Michigan. I called her sister when she stood by me when I thought my husband would die. I trusted her that first time with my life and probably will until the day I die.

I first called her twin this spring after someone stopped us in a restaurant and asked if we were twins.

I celebrate this day today, my friend, my sister, my twin. My life is more complete with you as a part of it, Happy Birthday.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggidy Jig

Yep, I made it home from Michigan the birth place of such musical notables; as Madonna, Diana Ross and Kid Rock. In fact to get to my older sisters house you drive past one of Kid Rocks current homes.

Coney Dog Final Tally:
- Footlong Coney Dogs: 2
- Regular Coney Dogs: 5

Highlights of the trip:
- I was able to get my mom successfully on and off the airplane with out either one of use getting hurt.
- Playing 18 holes of golf with my sister and her husband and playing pretty good. I shot 108 and beat her on three of the holes. Did I tell you my brother-in-law is a club pro and my sister just last weekend won the club championship and will play for the state championship later in August.
- Footlong coney dogs at the A&W drive-in at Ortonville.
- Getting together at my other sister’s house on the lake for a family picnic with most of my cousins in attendance.
- Returning home to my husband, extended family and friends in Monroe.

Yep, coming home is always a highlight. I may miss my coney dogs but I miss my family and friends more.

Sunset Cruise

The perfect ending to a perfect day. A cruise around the lake at sunset.

Lake Front

Sitting here relaxing on the deck. My sister and her husband live on the lake and it is early enough that all the weekend warriors are not out yet so it is still quiet.

We are having a family get together today and the weather is great.

Sorry about the picture quality lately, but I have been doing my post from my phone.

A&W Footlongs - Yahoo

Todays highlight is a trip to Ortenville to the A&W drive-in for footlong chili dogs and rootbeer in a frosty mug delivered by a carhop.

In case you haven't figured it out I love chili dogs. Not those things that they serve in the Seattle area but a true coney dog, one where the topping doesn't have beans and you can pick it up in the bun and eat it without a fork.

So Chili dog tally: 2 footlongs, 3 chili dogs and counting.

Having fun here in Michigan.

Ate a footlong chili dog for lunch and then played 18 holes for the first time this year.

Above is our score card. I didn't play bad and my foot doesn't hurt to bad either.

Riding Coach

It doesn’t matter what it is that you are talking about it is harder to go backwards than to go forward and continue to grow. This was really brought home to me traveling with my mom on the airplane to Detroit. A couple of years ago I traveled extensively for my job and had top status with two airlines allowing me to travel in First Class almost all the time. What’s nice about First Class is that the seats are wider, they serve you a meal and in general it is a much more relaxing and comfortable experiences. Since I haven’t traveled much in the last couple of years I get to ride with the normal folks in coach where the seats are too close together and you GET to purchase a ½ can of Pringles for $4.00 if you are hungry.

I really don’t like riding in coach any longer, but do I really want to travel 70% of the time again? There is a price for everything we do. I earned my right to ride in First Class and it is just hard to go back to coach, some day I will return to First Class and probably appreciate it all the more.

In The Motor City

Just arrived in Detroit. I brought my mom out to spend a few weeks with my sisters. I will be coming home on Sunday.
Yep back in my old stomping grounds for a quick visit and a little golf.

The Happy Dance, what is yours?

I was talking or should I say texting a friend today about doing “the happy dance” because God provided the perfect seats on the airplane tomorrow for my mother and I. She texted back that she too was doing “the happy dance” over something in her life.

I’m sure we all have a happy dance and if you are like me, you figure yours is graceful like a flamingo. If truth be told and knowing how sore my body is from last Fridays adventure my dance right now is more like a duck or even a cow.

So what are you doing the happy dance over today and what would it look like?

Thank God for Flat Tires

A little over a week ago I had a flat tire on the way to get my mom to bring her to church Sunday morning. So there I was on the shoulder of 522 changing the tire, good thing that I was headed towards Kenmore at the time and not heading back to Monroe, at least the shoulder is wide enough especially since it was the driver side tire that was flat. Apparently I had hit something in the road that cut the tread of the tire.

Now when we bought the van all four tires would need to be replaced before winter. I had one of the back tires go bad about six weeks ago so I replaced those two then. At least it was one of the front tires this time. New tires all around before winter was the goal and I guess that even though we didn’t budget for it yet, we met our goal about three months early. Another real important part of having new tires is that remember my adventure on Friday? There is no way on that wet road would my van been able to climb the steep streets of Seattle without a whole lot of slipping and maybe not at all.

Some times we have “flat tires” in our lives also, we are busy cruising down a road and all of a sudden we are forced to pull over and fix something. In every case in my life when I have had a ‘flat’ it has always worked out for the best. I was reminded again this weekend that when I was dating Kyle before we married I had “kicked him to the curb” twice. Now that is a real flat tire. In both instances we were headed on down the road to marriage and something just came up and stopped our little journey causing one or both of us “fix” the flat tire in our lives. Today we have successfully completed the first couple of legs of our journey and have now joined up and are traveling in the car pool lane of life making better time and not getting stuck in traffic as often.

Yes flat tires slow us down and may even cause us to change our plans, but they also help us to fix areas that are weak and worn in our lives. Thank God for flat tires.

I'm Praising God Today

I’m praising God today for the weather; it may not be sunny and hot but at least I have a nice home to live in that keeps me warm and dry and eyes to see the clouds with.

I’m praising God today that I could fill my gas tank up; gas is still too expensive but at least I have a car to drive that I can put the gas into.

I’m praising God today for my job; but I have the ability and freedom to work and it is a good job.

I’m praising God today for my family; we may not always get along and it is difficult to be who I am and not what they expect me to be but I have a family.

I’m praising God today for the ability to walk; it may hurt when I walk but I still have the ability to get someplace on my own and I’m not dependent on someone else to take me there.

I’m praising God today for my friends; they may not always call when I need it or sometimes they say things that hurt, but I know they would do anything for me just as I would for them.

I’m praising God today for children, even though I have not had my own; I have two wonderful step sons, a grand daughter and many nieces and nephews at church so I can love them with my God given mother’s heart.

I’m praising God today that I can look forward to tomorrow; it may only be another day in the routine, but I know my friend Cynthia would love to have just one more day where cancer is not consuming her body and life.

I’m praising God today for my life; it may not be story book perfect but it is my life and it will only end with Heaven.

I’m praising God today and every day.

Preventative Maintenance

This morning I found it a little ironic as I could hardly move from my adventure yesterday that I go out of my way to do PM on my cars, but avoid doing any on my physical body. So why is that? Preventative Maintenance makes sense, not only for our cars, heating systems, and dishwasher, but for our bodies and our spirits.

I am really good about getting preventative maintenance on my vehicles, getting the oil changed every 5000 miles taking it in every 15,000 for a look over and replacing the belts, fluids and such as recommended. It is always cheaper in the long run than a car payment.

I think I am pretty good about doing the spiritual preventative maintenance. First, I make it a priority in my life to spend time with the Lord daily. That time is spent with reading the Bible, writing in my journal, reading devotionals, praying for others, praying for myself and just sitting to listen to Him and what He would like to say to me. I really try and do it first thing in the morning, but there are a few mornings that I don’t make it first thing, but I make sure I get it in for the day. I just hate it when I miss the first thing in the morning. I just don’t feel right until I get it in. I relate it to getting a caffeine headache when I don’t have my morning cup of tea. Just as my physical body craves the caffeine, my spirit craves that time with God.

Preventative Maintenance for my body should be a simple thing. I take vitamins daily, I try and get at least six hours of sleep each night ( six is good considering that my husband gets up at least by 4am each day). I eat pretty healthy, but I’m a fan of McDonalds cheeseburgers and fries. I guess the only thing healthy in the way of eating I do is that I don’t eat the deserts, candy or soda (that way I really don’t gain weight). What I don’t do is exercise.

Exercise is such a simple thing; just a walk around the block each day would do it. I know that when I do exercise I feel better and I sleep better. I know I have the discipline to exercise. I know that if I would exercise I wouldn’t be in as much pain on those days when I do have adventures like I did yesterday. I guess it is just starting and that is the problem, I know that when I start I will need to keep it up and I hate not finishing something.

So maybe now that I have told everyone that I need to exercise, I will get started? I’ll let you know in a week or two how it goes.

An Unexpected Adventure

Today was just one of those days. I should update my list of bottom characteristics that I posted yesterday to add the fact that I sometimes wait until deadlines are near to actually act on them. At times it makes my life very adventurous like today. Next week I will be escorting my mother who is in a wheelchair back to Michigan to spend a few weeks with my sisters in Detroit. To get on a plane these days you need valid photo identification. Here’s where the adventure starts, my mom’s Michigan driver’s license expired last year. She is unable to drive any longer so why get a new drivers license? No problem, just get a Washington State Photo ID. That’s what I thought six weeks ago when I took her to the Dept of Licensing and there starts the adventure.

Because her Michigan license had expired she would need additional documents to prove that she was who she was and that she in fact was a resident of the state of Washington, again no problem, yeah right. There are very specific rules on what documents the DOL will accept and I did my research and thought I had that. I was really trying not to wait until the last minute so I took her to the DOL in mid-June to get her ID. Now because my mom lives in a Senior Assist Living facility she pays no utilities, because she doesn’t drive she doesn’t need Auto Insurance, because she is retired she doesn’t have a business license, because my other sister who lives in Michigan does her taxes the IRS thinks she has a Michigan address, bottom line she didn’t have the right documents when we got there. They told me that if I got her a WA Voters Registration card I would be ok, so that is what I did thinking that I would get that back in 2-3 weeks and still have time.

We have been watching the mailbox daily for the last two weeks and no card in sight. Last night I went on line and found out that you can type in a persons name and birth date and find out if they are registered. Sure enough my mom was not in the system. I was going to have to take her to a get one in person.

I go into work early because I am going to be gone for a couple of hours. I head on over to my mom’s place at about 9:30 and pick her up. We take a little detour to the Woodinville Branch Office where we found out they can’t do them in person before we head to downtown Seattle and the King County Administration Building on James and 5th. We get there easily enough, but where to park? Where to park a wheelchair van and get someone in a wheelchair out of it without them flying down James or Jefferson straight into Puget Sound? Oh and yes the “unloading zone” was full of two parked cars. I found a parking garage on James and 6th only one block down James and we will be there. Only problem is that but we are talking about being on First Hill in Seattle and that road is very steep.

How do you wheel some one in a wheel chair down a very steep hill ---- Very Carefully. In fact I walked her down the hill backwards making sure that she had her hands on the brakes and that I planted each foot to make sure they would slip. One slip and I was going to be run over by a wheelchair. To make it all the more adventurous it was raining. No not the normal mist we see, but an honest to goodness rain and of course since it wasn’t raining when I left home this morning I didn’t have a jacket on.

We get to the building and use the buttons to open the automatic doors only to be greeted by six steps up to the lobby. No ramp, just the step and a wheelchair lift that was broken, now what? My mother can’t stand on her own let alone climb a stair and since she out weighs me by 70 lbs there is no way I am going to carry her up the stairs. Just then God provided an Angle. This gentleman came down the stairs, saw our problem and went and got someone from Voters Registration to come and do my mom’s paper work right there in the entry way.

We get her registered and her card in hand and now it is time to get back in the van that is one block UP that steep hill. Nope, I didn’t push her up the hill. I left her in the lobby (taking her wallet with me) and ran up the hill or at least tried hurried, drove down and double parked on 5th Ave then ran in and brought her out and loaded her into the van. Now as I’m getting her wheelchair strapped in place I step off the curb into the gutter in the street, remember now that it is raining. Yep, I stepped off into about 4 inches of water and now not only am I wet from running in the rain, but both feet are wet.

From there we went back to Bothell and the DOL and there were only three people in line in front of us. My mother is now an official Washington resident with a Valid Photo ID. I am back at work after only a short 3-hour adventure. I guess I could have waited until Tuesday to make things a little more exciting, but I think I had enough excitement for today.

The Bottom Five

Earlier this week I had someone ask me one of the most thought provoking questions I have been asked in a long time. I haven’t figured out why this question is still rattling around still but it has been something that my mind has been chewing on for days and yes it has even invades my sleep. Now I could go on and on and not tell you the question but I figure if I share it maybe I will get some relief and possibly get the rest of you stirred up a little. READY?

What are you top five characteristics and what are your bottom five?

Ok on the surface it seems pretty benign and shouldn’t be any big deal. I have had to answer questions like this before, but I think what is different about this time is that the individual was very specific and wanted the full complement of the bottom five. Often people will only ask about the bottom one or two and it is pretty easy to point out what we feel our bottom character weakness is because we are usually dealing with it on a daily basis to correct and improve upon it. But sit in front of someone that is asking the question because they are evaluating you and will judge you on your answers and then come up with five.

How honest can we be with ourselves let alone exposing these to someone with the power to ultimately help or hurt you? How honest can we be with our friends and loved ones? I have seriously thought about asking my closest friends to tell me what they see as my bottom two or three just as a base line to make sure that I am working on the right ones but I really didn’t want to make them feel like I was putting them on the spot. I even went so far as to ask my husband last night and that brave man gave me honest feed back and yes, he said two of the ones that are on my list as well.

How honest can I be, well here goes, this is the list I gave and it is in relation to my job and are not in any order:

Top Five
* Intense
* Passionate about doing the right thing
* Able to translate technical Geek Speak to every day language
* Organized
* Love to deal with People

Bottom Five
* Intense – not everyone likes intensity.
* Impatient with people that don’t want to do the right thing.
* Need to have change, can get bored.
* Sometimes interrupt people because I think too far ahead.
* When I get really angry I have tears. (Now this one is not a good thing in my profession, it would be more expectable if I punched the wall and when I am that angry, as a woman the tears are uncontrollable)

So there you have it, I challenge you to look at your bottom five and see where you are and ask God to help you address them as you can.

How I Would Communicate

If I had my way I would be able to sit across the table from you and talk. We would talk for hours back and forth about today, about the past and about tomorrow. We could look into each other’s eyes and truly connect. But that not being possible, I would call.

To call takes less time but I might miss you and would need to leave a voice message. To call you might be interrupted by the kids or a call on the other line. To call I can’t see your eyes so we have to trust that the words and tone get through. But sometimes a call is not practical, so I will write.

To write a letter allows me to take the time to tell you everything that is going on in me. It allows me to proof read and rewrite until the right message and feeling is captured. To write a letter doesn’t allow two-way communication and may take days to get to you. To write takes time, but that not being quick enough I would send an email.

To send an email is quick and arrives within minutes. To send an email can be impersonal. To send an email allows for a faster response. To send an email can become a habit. To send an email allows the ability to hide the true feelings. To send an email can mask the hurt and pain. To send an email is temporary, but when that is not on the schedule, I will send a text.

To send a text allows the ability to connect and show you that I care. To send a text allows for the communication lines to stay open without interrupting the busy schedules. To send a text is only a tool until there is time. But now that there is time I will sit across the table with you and talk.

A Mother's Love

Most of us have heard that you shouldn’t get between a mother bear and her cubs. The depth of the power and love in a mother’s heart is pretty phenomenal. It says in the Bible that the eyes are the window to the heart and if you look into the eyes of a mother when it comes to their child this becomes clear.

Look at the intensity in a mother’s eye as she watches her 3 year old take her first ride on a water inner tube. She looks as if she could walk on water if the tube were to tip. Look at the pride as a mother watches her 9year old over come his fear and jump from the tower into the water below. She is at once extremely happy for her son and yet totally relieved that he was not hurt. Or the realization in the eyes of the mother who’s 6 year old just told her that she wants to jump from the tower next year. She is proud that her daughter has no fear and at the same time wanting to protect her daughter.

Then on the other side look into the eyes of a mother of a sick child and see the agony of not being able to ‘kiss it and make it better’. She knows that her daughter will struggle and she will be there to support her all along the way. The look of grief as a mother sits and holds the hand of her daughter as cancer ravages her body knowing that death will not come soon enough to bring relief to her daughter and yet create a hole in her own heart that will never heal.

The capacity of a mother’s heart is incomprehensible. The capacity for joy, for dreams and for pain, the capacity for pure love.

Why Do We Do It?

I have today off because I have a few appointments this afternoon so I just finished taking care of the lawn. I am thinking that the folks that live in places like Albuquerque and Phoenix have it right, they just pave over the areas where we would have lawn. Think about it. At this time of the year if you have a lawn you need to water it about every three days since we don’t get rain. Then at least once a week you need to mow it because when you water it grows. Then I just put ‘weed and feed’ down because with all the watering it needs nutrients. The more you water and feed the more it needs mowing. It is just one vicious cycle so why do we do it?

We do it because it is the American Dream to have the house with the white picket fence with the manicured lawn and flower beds. We do it because that is what mom and dad did and it wouldn’t be home without it. We do it to keep our homes looking good because they are a reflection of who we are. We do it because we want to take care of what the Lord has given us. We do it so that we can enjoy a walk through the grass in our bare feet. We do it because we get satisfaction for a job completed. We just do it I guess.

Weekend Warrioritis

So yesterday I told you about The Tower, then on Friday I rode the Jet Ski, swam around in the lake for a while pulling the kids around in a tube and then taught a couple of teen girls how to drive the wave runner. For those of you that don’t know, to me a Jet Ski is the original Kawasaki stand up personal water craft as pictured above.

So today and probably for the next few days I have a case of Weekend Warrioritis. I put everything I had into yesterday and then some. Back in the day I used to ride a Jet Ski and look like the woman in that picture. Too bad that day has come and gone and no matter how much I try the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak and I just can’t even get the strength to stand on one any more so I rode it on my knees and almost drowned doing a few tricks. The wave runner, or sit down craft, is more my speed now especially since I don’t take the time to exercise.

How many times do we try and just make it through the day to day stuff and then when the opportunity comes to do something more challenging we find that we just haven’t stayed in good enough shape to pull it off and then after the fact we are in pain and ache all over for a few days.

I hurt in places that I haven't in years but regret none of what I did this weekend and given the chance would do it all again. That is the price worth paying for some fun. Who knows this may just be the motivation I need to get back into exercise.

The Tower

Here it is as promised, The Tower. This picture doesn’t really do it justice, especially since it was over cast when I took it. The Tower is an old ski stanchion from Stevens Pass Ski Resort that has been stuck in the ground next to the lake. The first step is the hardest both on the climb up and the drop down. On the way up the latter on the stanchion starts about 3.5ft up from the ground so I had to lift myself up with my arms to be able to reach the first step with my knee. Then on the way down the platform is 30ft about the water surface so there is a real point of letting go and trusting when you make that step.

So we get to the lake on Thursday and I’m am talking to one of my friends who is willing to try just about anything and she is telling I really need to do The Tower, she had done it twice the day before and really enjoyed it. She told me I really needed to go off of it with her. I told her that with my bad foot I just didn’t know if I wanted to take the chance. From that height the water is hard, so you need to be able to point your feet and go in toes first. I knew that would be very painful with my foot. But sure enough after a quick trip to our hotel and then back out to the lake, I put on my suit and there is a group of others up on The Tower preparing to jump off. I climb the tower step up onto the platform and without stopping to think about it I took off the tower.

So did I feel a rush of adrenaline, or a feeling of flying like one of the other kids was talking about? Nope it was no real thought at all except protect my foot. I hit the water and instincts took over and I swam to the surface. I came up did a quick inventory and hadn’t hurt my foot, “Yahoo, I had jump from The Tower.”

Let's Have Fun

We loaded up the mom-mobile and headed to the eastern side of the mountains to Lake Chelan for the annual church staff retreat. There were seven of us in two cars traveling over together. On the way over we stopped at Zeke’s drive-in. That was the first time I have every eaten there after hearing about it for years and how I really needed to try it. All I can say is I am not disappointed that I haven’t tried it before. I guess you need to enjoy onion rings to really appreciate Zeke’s.

The next stop was “The Alps”, a candy store just outside of Leavenworth. They have great homemade taffy, brittle and other sweets as well as the all important bathroom. It is a must stop for just about everyone I know that is heading east.

We arrived in Chelan just about 3:30pm and spent the rest of the evening hanging out at the lake and jumping off the tower. I’ll get pictures and write about the tower tonight or in the morning.

It is nice to be away from the daily grind, but even better being with friends and family with a common purpose. It is about having fun.

Missed a Post

I missed posting a blog yesterday, sorry about that, I wish I could blame it on the weather and maybe I still can considering that it is suppose to hit the mid-90s today, but the truth of the matter is I couldn’t come up with a topic last night and I am working on completing a big project at work so I can take a few days off for some fun.

Fun is a good thing and I know for myself I just don’t get enough of it. I tend to put off the fun because of the list To Dos. Problem is I sometimes don’t do the To Dos because I can’t have fun. Does that make sense to anyone else?

So I have made a choice to finish up this project at work and to go home tonight and get a few of the To Dos done and then I will be fresh and come up with better material.

Billiards and Bifocals

Yesterday a group of us got together and there happened to be a pool table, so of course we had to take advantage if it. It is interesting for us baby boomers to get together, especially now that our children are adults and join us in these little adventures. We play pool and have fun and you will see flashes of the former glory, as when Bob ran the table from the break, but then the next game you can hardly see the ball at the end of the table.

Three out of the six of us playing now have progressive lenses and it is very difficult to play pool with them. I love my progressive lenses, they allow me to see without needing to take my glasses on and off for reading to driving. But when you are bent over a pool cue and trying to focus on the cue ball near you and the ball and pocket at the other end of the table it is almost impossible to find a spot in focus on both and not getting yourself seasick. I just can’t do it so I take the glasses off and thank God that I am far sighted and the cue stick is longer than my arms so I can see all of the balls fairly well.

We had fun yesterday, all of us thinking back to the days when we could actually make a few buck around a pool table, but the best part of it is that today we play as friends are comfortable cheering and jeering each other as we have our visions of grandeur and a good time just being with friends. Billiards and Bifocals just don’t mix, but friends can always find a way to enjoy being together.

Because of You Lord

Becasue of You
I can love, I receive love, and I can give love.

Becasue of You
I can be healed, I am healed, and I bring healing.

Because of You
I can prosper, I am prosperous.

Because of You
I can trust, I can trust others, I can be trusted.

Because of You
There is peace, I have peace.

Because of You
There is faith, I have faith.

Becuase of You
There is victory, I have the victory.

Because of You
I can have joy, I am Joy.

$8.95

What will $8.95 get you? A super sized meal at McDonalds, 2 or 3 trips to Starbucks, less then 3 gallons of gas. How about a care package shipped to a solder serving in Afghanistan. Yep, this box is filled with items for a group of guys that are currently deployed in Afghanistan for 15 months. This box is filled with things like tuna fish, Excedrin, Fruit bars, Cheezits and cough drops. Every day things to us, but are real special treats for them.

Tonight I met with a few other folks at Susan Locke’s house to work on special packages for her son Christopher and his men. He leads a group of six guys; Adam 27, Joshua 24, Westley 19, Richard 19, Kristopher 19, and Cody 19. We are going to make up these care packages with the things that the guys request and a few extra cards and letters so that they have some contact with home. Things like Hot Rod magazines, Beef Jerky and energy bars; stuff that young men enjoy and make a very tough environment livable.

Susan had a stack of packages already made up just waiting to send them when she had the money in her budget. Just in the last few weeks she has sent over 20 packages and at $8.95 each that is no easy task. On our way out tonight we each grabbed a couple of boxes and will skip the McDonalds or a few Starbucks and for $8.95 the Flat Rate Package from the USPS will arrive to the guys in a week or two.

Maybe you too could come up with $8.95, or you know of a company or business that would like to include a care package in their daily postage I know that Susan and all of the other mothers with children serving in the military overseas would appreciate anything that can help.

If you know of a business that might help let me know and we can provide some of the details.

I just don't get it.

What is the attraction with firecrackers, bottle rockets and M-80s? Ok I have used them all but why the big draw? And if you take it a step further what is the big deal with fireworks? This is a question I often ask people that tell me they are excited to go and see the fireworks and as of yet I haven’t heard anyone that really can say why they like them so much.

Last night I was sitting at home working on a couple of post for my blog when the neighbors started lighting off fireworks. It was hot in the house but cool outside so I had the windows open to get the breeze going. Finally after an hour and a half I had to get up and close the windows, it sounded like a war zone and was only getting worse. Three hours later I was starting to really get tired and annoyed the noise that was still going on. Now I’m not a prude and think people can have a little fun but I also think you could find something just a little quieter after 11pm. I gave up and went to bed hoping that I was tired enough to get to sleep. Well guess what it was 12:30am before the firecrackers stopped. I have a question, how much money do you need to spend to have enough fireworks to light them off for 4 ½ hours without stopping? How much hearing loss is there after 4 ½ hours of lighting bottle rockets? How much trash is in the street from thousands of firecrackers?

I guess I’m just a little cranky today because the noise last night kept me up, I just don’t get it.

It's Alive and Well

This is proof that I can actually NOT kill an indoor plant. This is a plant that my mother bought with her “bingo bucks” and has in her room and I am horitculturally challenged. My mother loves flowers and when she had her own place my sisters would tend massive flower beds around her condo. Both of them have amazing green thumbs and can grow just about anything.

I get there one day and here is this pretty little plant all in bloom and my mother is so excited. Now please note that she had one once before and I killed it so I was not to excited to see another one. After a few weeks the flowers wilted and I thought, “oh no not again”. I picked off the wilted flowers, moved it over to the window sill and watered it every time I am in the apartment. This last Tuesday when I was there I noticed it had all these new flowers on it and wasn’t dead. Praise God I didn’t kill it.

Don’t ask me why this one is still alive, but for now everything is right in the world.

I love a Parade

I don’t know what it is about parades, but I do really love them. My brother in-law Kirk always is surprised when I sincerely ask if I can be part of the parades he does during his campaigning. I look forward to BPD (Big Parade Day) each year here in Monroe. When I was in the Majorette and Drum Corp most of our competitions were during parades and then of course we marched in other local parades. I don’t know what it is about being in a parade that I love but I know that it probably started back when I was in grade school.

Today in our housing development they had their annual July 4th parade. The kids in the neighborhood get their bikes, trikes and strollers decorated and then when the streets are blocked off they make the trip around the block. It may not seem like much but I remember when I was in grade school that our subdivision had a July 4th parade and to me it was a big deal. We would either decorate our bikes or dress up in a theme costume. One year, along with my younger sister and brother we dressed up like the Fife and Drum painting and we won 1st prize, I still have that ribbon packed away in a box.

So every chance I get I will be in a parade, it’s just a special time for me.

Independence Day

Today as we celebrate our country's Independence we need to stop and think about what that really mean. We are celebrating our freedom, our capacity to exercise choice or free will, the right to enjoy the privileges of living in the United States of America. We only need to read the 1st three paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence ratified on July 4, 1776 over 200 years ago to realize that as it says in the bible:

ECC 1:9 What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

Today this country is free and today this country defends our right to be free and it supports and aids other countries that dream of this same goal.

So for today we celebrate, we celebrate the past, present and future.

Do you know how much impact you have?

I just sent flowers off to one of my co-workers, Cynthia McCrary. She is off on long-term medical leave and probably won’t return without a miracle from God. Just two months ago Cynthia was diagnosed with a Melanoma cancer and was not given a very good prognosis.

Cynthia chose to leave work and here is her explanation copied from her blog:
I have decided not to go back to work at SonoSite because of the pain I am having. I had hoped that chemotherapy would reduce that pain, but so far it does not seem to be working that way. The workplace at SonoSite is such an exciting and positive atmosphere with so much innovation and so many bright people with great ideas. It is not a place for someone who is in pain or not functioning at 100%. Perhaps that is one reason it has been hard for me to reveal this illness to my coworkers there. I have always presented my professional persona at the workplace-confident, professionally dressed, and proud to be one of the healthy, capable people working at the company. I don't think I could maintain composure with my coworkers now that they know what is happening to me, and I don't want to be tearful at work. I want them to remember the person they worked with when I delivered all I had, not the ailing person people feel they have to "tiptoe" around. The sadness of the changes I am going through has no place at work.

Cynthia’s blog is one that I have been reading pretty regular, it has made me think. First do we really know the impact we have on people around us our friends, family, co-workers and just the neighbor next door? Second, have we told those that are in our lives as friends, family, co-workers or neighbor how they have made an impact on their lives?

I am grateful for Cynthia’s web site because she is being very open; she is an example of strength, bravery and “grace under fire”. She has given people a chance to express their feelings, to keep up to date on her and to let her know how wonderful she is.

Today is the best day to let someone know just what they mean to you, tomorrow may be too late.

Thanks Cynthia.

http://www.cynthiamccrary.com/

One Million Dollars

This last Sunday Pastor Jeff asked the question what would you do with $1,000,000? Kyle and I looked at each other and new we had a plan:

10% - Tithe
10% - Offering
20% - pay off debts
20% - Invest
20% - Education Fund for Grandchildren
10% - Fun
10% - Families

Wouldn’t take long at all when you have dreams and vision.

Interesting Tid-bit

I ran across this little tid-bit this morning and found it interesting. I don't know why, maybe it is the engineering in me or maybe the facination with trains I have had since I was little, but in any case I decided to share it here. It makes me think about other things we do just because we have always done it that way.

The US Standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That's an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used? Because that's the way they built them in England, and English expatriates built the US railroads.

Why did the English people build them like that? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used.
Why did "they" use that gauge then? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing.

Okay! Why did the wagons use that odd wheel spacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing the wagons would break on some of the old, long distance roads, because that's the spacing of the old wheel ruts.

So who built these old rutted roads? The first long distance roads in Europe were built by Imperial Rome for the benefit of their legions. The roads have been used ever since. And the ruts? Roman war chariots first made the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagons. Since the chariots were made for or by Imperial Rome they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing.

Thus, we have the answer to the original questions. The United State standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches derives from the original specification (Military Spec) for an Imperial Roman army war chariot. MilSpecs and bureaucracies live forever.
So, the next time you are handed a specification and wonder what horse's rump came up with it, you may be exactly right. Because the Imperial Roman chariots were made to be just wide enough to accommodate the back-ends of two war horses.

We Are What You Eat

So am I the only one that has heard this saying, “we are what we eat.” As I was fixing my dinner this evening I thought about this as I reflected on what I have eaten today.

Breakfast: Blueberry Bagel and two slices of cheese

Lunch: Fish Tacos (at Canyons, really good if you add jalapeños).

Dinner: Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Tomato slices and Balsamic vinegar with fresh local raspberries for desert.

If I am what I eat, I guess I’m a not easily described, what do you think?