I really don’t like dogs

my minister, laura, was married on saturday.  it was a beautiful wedding, and she was a gorgeous bride.

her groom, nathan just graduated from duke divinity school, while she still has 2  years to go before she can be a full time minister.  so they’ll be married ministers, who both come from minister fathers.

nathan has been given a small church ( a little bigger than ours) about 20 minutes from ours, and to save money, they’ll live in our parsonage until she graduates and has to leave us; then they’ll move to his church’s parsonage.

they left on their honeymoon on sunday, driving to florida, where they’ll both be in a wedding on saturday.  they have already stopped in charleston and savannah, then it’s on to st. augustine to go on a ghost hunt or something or other.

together, they have 4 dogs: laura bought versace about a year ago, then reese came to her house as a stray.  nathan has layla, and due to his allergies to cats, she traded her 2 cats to her parents for her childhood shih tzu, cheyenne.

they boarded cheyenne and layla with the vet for the honeymoon, but surrogate mama here has the other 2.  reese is extremely skitterish, taking FOREVER to warm up to people, me included.  and versace is so tiny, she didn’t want him to get sick or get hurt, so those 2 didn’t get to go the vet.  they got to come here and remind me why I love my kitties.

yeah, they look really cute all curled up next to me on this ugly couch, don’t they?  and they are cute, until they come in from a 20 minute walk out back and go right over to the corner and poo.  right then, they are not only not cute, but a pain in my ass!!

I borrowed some puppy pads from mama (by borrowed, I mean that she gave them to me, she’s not getting them back) and have put up the baby gates to keep them in the kitchen.  I hate not having them in the living room to snuggle up on the couch, but every time I bring them in there, EVERY. TIME., they crap on my floor.

that’s not even the worst part.  the very worst is that the cats are terrified, and they’re living upstairs.  their food is in the kitchen (where the stupid dogs are) and their litter boxes are in the laundry room, which is accessed through the kitchen.

at night, we crate the mutts in my work room, and the cats are finally free to run around their home.  I feel so bad for them, poor kitties.

laura and nathan should be home on monday, please pray that her dogs are still alive then. 😀

 

a great mother’s day

rich took last week off work, with a list of things he wanted to accomplish.  I’m not sure how many he actually managed to get done, but he worked his tail off.  he worked over the weedbed, and we planted several pretties

I can’t even remember all the things we stuck in there, but I know I wanted moss rose for my wagon, and tony really wanted that lilyish thing there in the right corner.  in the summer time, we have an air conditioner in that window, hence the latice.  it’s been there for more years than I’d like to remember, bare as a baby’s butt.  I planted jasmine in front of it once, but my black thumb prevented it from prospering.  then I planted something else a couple of years ago, and it also died.

the bush in front of it will only bush out, not vine.  then, last night, my very generous neighbor brought me some clippings of this beautiful weedy fern that takes over her fence every summer.  it has red flowers and the hummingbirds and butterflies just love it.  so, I think I’ll pull out the bush thing and plant the vining ferny weed.

the pump in the corner came with us when we moved down here.  it’s been buried under weeds by an outbuilding in the back yard for 11 years now.  when we capped the well at the old house, I decided this would look great either in a flower bed, or in a fish pond.  it’s been gone so long, I had totally forgotten about it.  rich uncovered it when he cleaned up the weeds by the building so he could build me a compost container.

see the mushroom he got me for mother’s day?  I’d seen it at walmart, and told him that I wanted it.  I just think it’s so cute.  on either side of it are the azalea bushes that my boy toy jerry bought me.

for mother’s day, rich took tony and I out to ruby tuesday’s for lunch after church.  jessica was going to eat with us, but her manager changed her schedule, so she had to start at 10:30 instead of 1 o’clock.  so instead of eathing with her, we sat in her section.

having the hubs home for the week, and having a nice, relaxing meal with just my guys (not the whole fam like last year) made this the best mother’s day.

I hope y’all had a nice one, too!

 

finding that I’m biased, and not really liking it…

getting my nails done yesterday, I was watching cnn on the mondo screen tv. the sound is always down, so I have to rely on the ticker to know what’s going on.

one of the main stories was the miss usa pageant. based on the headlines, and statements printed across the bottom of the screen, I assumed that miss california lost the pageant because she answered the question wrong. I decided that perez hilton (I’ve heard of him, but I’ve never really been sure of just who he is) must have asked her how she felt about same sex marriage. I also assumed that she was for same sex marriage, being from california, and that because of that answer, she lost the pageant.

this upset me, and I thought to myself, ‘you go, girl! stand up for what you believe in!’

then, after several minutes, the headline finally read that she was against same sex marriage, and that’s why she thinks she lost the contest. I found that when I read that statement, that I was glad she lost.

this got me to thinking, and wondering about my beliefs/opinions/stance, what have you. I’m not sure I like myself, being the person who cheers for people who agree with me, and jeering the person who doesn’t. what do you reckon it says about me?

I have friends who have opinions who differ from mine. I accept their beliefs; why shouldn’t I? I have a friend who voted for (gasp!) mccain/palin…and she’s still my friend. in fact, she’s my very bestest friend. so, why is it that I accept her stance, but consider miss california wrong?

I like to think that I’m open minded and tolerant, but how can that be, when I get irritated with people who aren’t open minded? isn’t that a tad bit contradictory?

you know, there is a blog that I used to read on a regular basis, I even had it on my blogroll for awhile. I like this lady’s writing style, and I loved to look at her pictures and read about her family, but after she wrote a negative post about a popular 70’s disco song, I quit reading her. she mentioned the homosexual connotations of the song, and how it was being played at a youth event and it really bothered her. I thought about how I work really hard with my youth group, trying to teach them tolerance and acceptance (which is not always easy in the bible belt) and how I’ve played this particular song numerous times and they all love it. in all honesty, they probably have no idea of the meaning behind it, but still…

here’s what I now know (I probably knew it before, but didn’t acknowledge it) I’m biased toward people who agree with me, and antagonistic toward people who don’t.

but that’s not quite right, either. there’s another blog I read regularly, written by a woman who doesn’t believe in God. she doesn’t even question His existence, she just believes that He doesn’t exist. now, I consider myself a christian, I believe in God, and I know that I’m here, because it’s in His plan for me to be here.

and yet, I respect her, and even feel like we could be friends in real life if we lived closer.

I am also heterosexual, very much so. but I have many friends who are not, and I believe they should have the same rights as me. so, these are a couple of examples of people who don’t believe the same things I do, yet I’m not antagonistic toward them.

ugh. what does all of this say about me?

 

susan boyle rocks!!

this gal has the voice of an angel. I think I’m probably the last person on the planet to hear about her, but she rocks!!  I don’t watch television, and I only listen to regular radio in the early AM when the midgets are waiting for the bus, because at that time npr is talking about all the violence going on around us and I don’t like them to hear about all that junk.

so, thursday I’m listening to the lite station (ever notice how the lite/delilah station is always in the 99’s?) and the AM dj was talking about this frumpy lady who blew simon away.  I came in and played the video.  then I played it for rich, then jessica.  when I called mama to tell her about it, she informed me that it’s been all over the news.  so, I’m sure you’ve seen it, but just in case you haven’t, scoot on over there and see for yourself, she’s got skillz!

 

of headbangin rock, and kind hearted children

last night, we took a few of our youth to the winter jam concert.  I haven’t gone for a couple of years, and it’s gotten right much bigger since then.  there were a little over 20,000 people there last night, they turned people away because they didn’t know just how many seats were left until later.

Family Force 5 was very frenetic and bass heavy.  those boys jumped around on the stage like mexican jumpin beans, and the screams from the crowd were deafening.  I felt like my mama, when she used to ask me why I was listening to ‘that’ music (ozzy, ac/dc) when she couldn’t understand the words.  I could, and that’s what mattered.  well, I apparently can’t anymore.

I enjoyed Brandon Heath muchly, there were a few other artists, and then THE MAN, Toby Mac, performed a handful of songs.  I’ve never been much of a fan of his, but last night he was awesome.  Tony enjoyed the concert, but loved Toby Mac.

right before the intermission, the tour pastor spoke~what a powerful speaker!~and urged people to become ‘bridges of hope’ for orphans thru Holt International.  these children are waiting to be adopted, but in the meantime, they need financial assistance, $30 a month.   so, we discussed  with the youth, the option of sponsoring a child as a group.  if everyone were to contribute $3 a month, we’d have it covered.  don’t you know, those girls weren’t sure they could come up with $3 every month!

so, laura, our oldest ~and way mature~ youth, jessica, and I decided to do it between the 3 of us.  so we went to the booth, accompanied by tony, and picked out a 5 year old chinese girl with down’s syndrome.  then we realized that neither laura or I had any cash and jessica didn’t have enough.  we would have to sign up online.  so, that was that.

until back at our seats, tony started asking questions about the girl, like ‘what are verbal commands?’ ~the paper said she understands them~ and ‘why can she only bounce when held in a standing position?’  and ‘what if nobody else picks her because of how she looks, mama?  what if she doesn’t find someone to take care of her?’  and finally, ‘what if someone does pick her and she’s not available when we sign up online?’  his eyes grew wetter with each question.

my heart broke, thinking that she may not get picked, and that this boy, flesh of my flesh, was so worried about her.  so, I told my skinflint husband that I needed his debit card.  and tony and I went back downstairs and filled out the paper work.  he was over the moon, and carried yue yun’s picture back upstairs and showed his daddy and laura.  then he held onto that picture until the end of the concert.  when jessica woke up this morning, he told her all about yue yun, glowing all the time.  now he’s wondering if there’s a way that we could adopt her ourselves.

 

99 things…

I happened upon this post, over here, and decided to try my hand at it:

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (does Disney World count?  when I was 12, so long ago, I can’t remember it!)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors -if I had one wish, it would be to go to Scotland and trace my heritage
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason -early in our marriage, not anymore!
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial -Tony & I will in April, on his class field trip, I can’t wait!
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car -well, Rich did a couple of years ago…
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House -Tony & I will in April
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club -I just started one in January, with my 2 best friends
93. Got a tattoo -sadly, just one so far…
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

notice none of the ones which require travel to exotic locales are in bold 😥  maybe someday…

please forgive the gaps in the middle, wordpress has acquired a new format, which I find very user un-friendly, and I haven’t figured out just how to use it right.  so…

I’d love to see this posted by the few people who read here, so I can peep into your lives!

 

Wow, long time no see!

Merry Christmas, everyone.  I hope you and yours havea joyous and blessed birthday of Christ.  (and I hope Santa was good to y’all!)

 

I know it’s a little past due, but I just found this and wanted to share it. it’s pretty cool/funny/thought provoking

 

moving too fast

as a kid, it seemed like christmas only came every 2 years, now it comes like 3 times a year.  how is it possible that it’s already the middle of november?  I have a blue million things to do, and I don’t feel like doing any of them.  and now my time is shortening.  ugh.  where has the time gone?

 

what will tonight bring?

well, today’s the day…the day we decide who our next president will be. rich and I just got back from voting, the first time in our marriage (even in our lives, actually) that we voted for the same presidential candidate. I sure hope our votes help.

I have always been liberal, that’s no surprise to anyone who knows me. I have, though, become more conservative over the last decade. however, this last year or so, I’ve seen my liberal roots come back. when I started going to church and really feeling the spirit move, I stepped back and looked at things a little differently. I have changed some of my opinions, mildly, but overall, I’m still the same girl at the core.

I have to say that it bothers me that christianity is so closely related to the conservative party. I try to live a christian life (I have yet to succeed, but I’ll keep trying till I die) and I don’t think that because I’m a liberal minded person that I can’t possibly know God. it feels to me that’s the message being sent by conservatives.

years ago, I decided that I wanted to know God, and I had a great minister who really helped me. he answered any question I had, and when he didn’t have the answer handy, he asked around and got back to me. I told him of my experiences with ‘christians’ and how I felt that if someone had to tell me they were christian, then I didn’t want to be around them. I still feel that you can tell more about how a person lives their life and treats others, than you can from what they say.

in my opinion (I don’t want to start a debate, but I don’t think I have enough readers to worry about that 😀 ) the conservative/republican party is trying awful hard to tell us what christians they are, but not showing us enough. I don’t want to be the christian who leaves behind a crippled spouse and children; who uses taxpayers money to make repairs to my house or fund trips for my family; who preaches abstinence and then forces my pregnant teenage daughter to marry out of some archaic belief that one mistake should be compounded by another; who starts a war because I can, not caring who will suffer for my decisions….

sorry, I’ve gone a little off track. I know that liberals make mistakes, too. but I think God is more forgiving than most of the conservatives I know. my friend’s daddy has a bumper sticker that sums it up for me:

‘Jesus was a liberal’