Memories

It amazes me that it's been seven years without new memories of you.

I think that's what hurts the most... knowing that the memories that we made together are now the only ones that I'll have of you for the rest of my life.

Until I get to Heaven as well, that is.

Can't wait to see you again and make an eternity of memories.

I still miss you, Mindy Dawn.

H*I*L*D*A

One of my goals for this Christmas break was to laugh... hard!

And I did, mainly because of Hilda.

When I got home on Saturday night and went to hang up my coat, I saw a form hanging in the closet. With questioning eyes I dragged this being out into the light, and asked Mom & Dad for an explanation.

A dear woman in their church had made this blessing for them. The creation is about two feet tall, with blonde frizzy hair, blue button eyes, and a circle of bright pink rouge on each of her cheeks. Her hips are v-e-r-y wide, and get wider when you stuff plastic grocery bags in her skirt. She's a bag lady, of course.

We dubbed her Hilda, and she started popping up in various locations all over the house to the shock/surprise/horror of all. She was waiting for Mom in bed on numerous occasions, and then would strangely make her way to my bed minutes later. She appeared in chairs when the original sitters had moved momentarily, lurked in closets, sat patiently outside numerous doors, and even waited for us in the car when we did errands. Last night she came to the front door, ringing the doorbell and making all three of us double over in laughter.

Perhaps Hilda is a "had to be there" moment, but thankfully I was, and she sure made me laugh!

A Threefold Cord

Happy Birthday to my two best girls!

I thank God every day that He brought our lives together, and I'm trusting that this year your lives are filled with everything good from His hand.
Love you both, Drewey & Amy!

It's Pretty Much Balmy!

Greetings from a place that's supposed to be covered in snow, but where we had the heat turned down and the front door open this morning, to keep from being too hot while we cooked!
I remember one Christmas where a friend from CA (peek-a-boo, Janice!) came home, and it was so far below zero that it couldn't snow! We went to the beach to show her the red Nova Scotia sand and the waves were frozen solid. Not this year... Could practically go swimming.

Merry Christmas, friends of mine! Have a wonderful day basking in family, friendship & God's love for us all!

Jiggity Jig...

I left Chestnut Hill this morning a little before six, and drove like crazy to get to Nova Scotia for Christmas!

It rained the entire way, sometimes a little bit freezing, but the border guard was nice, and I made the trip in really good time, until...

I was less than a mile from Mom & Dad's exit when my car started doing weird things - chugging and such. Then it quit. Despite careful calculations on my mileage counter, I had run out of gas. (Garsh!)

How embarrassing to, instead of showing up on the parent's doorstep singing carols & bearing gifts, have to call them and say, "Um, I'm a mile away and can't seem to get home. Want to come rescue me?"

Thankfully, the answer to that last question was yes, so I was safe and at a gas station in less than 15 minutes!

The house is beautifully decorated, we just ate a wonderful home-cooked meal, and now it's time to hunker down and play the spoiled kid for a bit!

Tucker Therapy

On Monday night Tucker came to spend the night.

We listened to Fernando.

Lit candles.

Snuggled for over two hours before falling asleep on the living room floor.

Woke up at midnight and went to bed. (Aunt Lindsay's body is not all that cool with floor sleeping any more!)

He slept right through the night... I became aware that the words a friend of mine spoke ("A queen size bed is only as big as the person you share it with") were very true. That child w-i-g-g-l-e-s!

We both needed.

We both gave.

And we both came away with mended hearts.

God bless two year olds!

Little Word, Big Difference

The scene:
My car

The players:
God & me

The soundtrack:
Barlow Girl "Enough"
"All of You is more than enough
For all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You
Is more than enough"

The script:
Me - whining, crying and generally "carrying on"
God- listening and eventually speaking peace to my heart

Scene 1:
Me - In pain, grasping to something I thought was my right to hold onto
God - letting me explain my side of the story

Scene 2:
Me - Being quiet and loosening my grip
God - Standing by, waiting

Scene 3:
Me - still crying, but letting go entirely
God - "I know what's best for you, but I also WANT what's best for you."

Scene 4:
Me - blown away by the difference of one little word... He doesn't just know, He wants what's best
God - smiling, I think

Curtain down on a peaceful scene:
Me - still crying, but what else is new...
God - still smiling and speaking peace, but what else is new...

So, laugh already!

I'm not generally a forwarded-emails fan, but this one made me laugh out loud. Hope it has the same effect/affect (take your pick - I'm too tired to figure out which one it is, or to call my editor sister-in-law.) on you...

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a
holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit.
In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately!
Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can... and quickly.
It's rare. You can't find it any other time of the year
but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000
calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to
turn into an eggnog-aholic or something.
It's a treat.
Enjoy it.
Have one for me.
Have two.
It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it.
That's the whole point of gravy.
Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on.
Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes.
Fill it with gravy.
Eat the volcano.
Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made
with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass.
Why bother?
It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in
an effort to control your eating.
The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat
other people's food for free.
Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between
now and New Year's. You can do that in January when
you have nothing else to do.
This is the time for long naps, which you'll need
after circling the buffet table while carrying a
10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good
at the buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies
in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them
and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming
the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of
shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to
see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat.
Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat,
have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three.
When else do you get to have more than one dessert?
Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake?
Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory
calories, but avoid it at all costs!
I mean, you have to have SOME standards.

10. One final tip:
If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party
or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention.
Re-read the tips; start over, but hurry.
January is just around the corner.

Aunt Lindsay and Miss Daphne

The Drama Queen Speaketh

Tonight, I watched Jed, Chloe and Tucker for a bit while Evan & Jill did an errand.

During the course of the evening, Chloe had her will cross a tad bit, and decided to ooze off my lap onto the floor. I was sitting in Evan's office chair, so on her way to the floor she scratched her back on one of the wheeled legs.

This created a flood of tears and gut-wrenching sobs... that lasted for almost 20 minutes. She stopped in order to ask me to read her a book, but would periodically start up again, declaring herself in need of a bandaid.

As we were walking to the bathroom to get one, she wailed, "I just want to DIE! I want to go live with God!!"

The Superman bandaid did some to appease that yearning.

Aunt Lindsay does VA...

For an in-depth look at my visit, see here :)

Holy Chocolate, Batman!

You know how there are times in life that are defining moments?

I think that there are desserts in life that are defining as well!

There have been some desserts that I've had that were amazingly delicious. (Jill's pumpkin pie comes to mind!) But there is one dessert-ing experience that forever changed my life.

Setting the stage...

It was May, 2004. Amy, Drewey & I were in California, visiting Roy & Lee. We had just spent the day experiencing San Francisco... boating to Alcatraz, walking the Golden Gate, laughing at (and being cussed out by) street performers, watching countless seals bark, etc.

Roy & Lee suggested that we finish out the day with a trip to the Ghiradelli Chocolate factory. They have an ice cream shop and large gift shop, and in we went.

I ordered a brownie sundae. And it came, in all it's glory. The brownie was freshly baked, the ice cream very creamy, and the hot fudge sauce newly made right there. Pretty much if Heaven is like that sundae, I'm all over going there! :)

You might wonder what brought this to mind? Why is she blogging about a dessert that she ate two and a half years ago?

I'll tell you...

Last night, I got home from school after 11 o'clock. I'd been gone since before seven that morning, so I was weary in mind and body. On my kitchen table lay two boxes.

One was addressed to Amy, and one was addressed to me. I searched the box for a sender, and then saw two things that made my heart leap! One said "Ghiradelli Tower"... but the other said "Leone."

Upon opening this treasure, I found a tower composed of five boxes, all tied together with a gorgeous bow. Gone was my weariness, and sleep could wait, as I started to untie the bow... and with great glee opened each box to see it's contents.

Tier 1 - four chocolate squares

Tier 2 - a bag of chocolate

Tier 3 - chocolate coffee (oh my GOSH!)

Tier 4 - hot chocolate and two more bags of chocolate

Tier 5 - a box of individual chocolates

Then, because I wanted to be surprised all over again when I woke up, I put everything back in the boxes, re-stacked them, and even re-tied the bow!

There was a card enclosed, filled with love and memories from Roy & Lee, which meant far more than the chocolate.

And this morning, I brought Amy's box to work, and watched her go through the same steps I did! Joy times TWO!

I have not tasted of the bounty, so enough typing - The time has come for action!

Happy Thanksgiving, All Buddies!

Have a wonderful day basking in the blessings that have been bestowed on each one of us!

RIP Yente

September 12 - November 12

VOTE!

Please :)

Not very PC, but wicked funny!

Oy Vey!

As rehearsals get later and later (last night we didn't get out of there until after 11 pm), Chad will say "Tomorrow's going to be a coffee morning."

Today is definitely going to be a coffee morning. But who am I kidding?? Everyday is a coffee morning!

It's getting closer... tomorrow is OPENING NIGHT!

Balloons in Heaven

Happy Birthday, precious friend of mine.

Can't wait til we can celebrate together again!

I miss you.

Yente's Yammerings

Some of the wonderful lines that Yente says:

* What's the use complaining? Some women enjoy complaining, but not Yente. Not every woman in the world can be a Yente!

* I'm loosing my head! One day it will fall off completely, a horse will kick it in the mud, and goodbye Yente!

And my favorite :)

* I'm going to the Holy Land to help our people increase and multiply! It's my mission!

A Crowd of Strangers...

... thousands strong, winding along over a mile of city streets. All for one purpose. To say farewell to a man that many of them, including myself, had never seen until his picture flashed on my TV screen with dates under his name.

This morning, as Evan, Jed & I stood in front of the Manchester police department with many others, I was proud of our little state, and grateful that so many people had given up sleeping in on this Saturday, to show solidarity in the face of senseless violence.

Officer Brigg’s funeral procession started with hundreds of police motorcycles riding by the station in tribute. The line seemed to go on forever, and each time I thought it would end, more kept filing by.

There was a lull after the motorcycles. Then off in the distance a bell tolled, and bagpipe music began far down the road. The sound crept closer, and then a cruiser came into view. It’s astounding to be in a large crowd, and have it be so eerily quiet. There was a hushing sound that went down the line of observers, as parents stilled children, and already quiet conversations became non-existent.

Following the cruiser was a drum and bugle core, with bagpipers who began playing the Marine anthem. Following them was the hearse, and the car carrying Officer Brigg’s widow and two little boys. His wife was leaning forward in the backseat, desperately trying to grieve in private, while a multitude of strangers looked on, tears flowing freely down most faces.

For the next forty-five minutes, we silently watched thousands of public servants march by. There were policemen and women from towns throughout Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont and Rhode Island. Hundreds of firemen, correctional officers, ambulance crews, Red Cross workers - on foot, bikes, horses, and in cars, all paying homage to one of their own.

Each group would pause in front of the station, then pass under a gigantic American flag, suspended between two fire trucks.

As I stood on the sidewalk, I wondered why I was shedding tears for someone I’d never met. But I realized, you don’t need to know someone to mourn their death. He was a person who served and loved greatly, and as such, deserved my respect. And he left behind people who will miss him, and they deserve my prayers and support.

It was surreal as the last cruiser passed. What had I just witnessed? We walked back toward the center of town, and the procession was passing our way again, on it’s way to the stadium where the service was being held. Those who marched were now passing in front of Manchester’s arena, where a circus was in town. Evan, Jed & I paused again to watch, and I heard family’s on their way to the circus hushing their excited children out of respect. I heard one mother say “They’re here to say goodbye to their friend.”

My precious nephew, who changes passions, career options, and costumes more frequently than I get my mail, said as we walked away, “I’m back into police guys.” “So am I,” said his dad. “And so am I,” thought his deeply moved aunt.

A Fallen Hero

It amazes me how the death of a stranger can affect me.

Here in NH, we are mourning the loss of a police officer killed in the line of duty. All week, I've been following the news, praying for his wife and children, and feeling a certain sense of loss.

Tomorrow there's a funeral procession, and the service is going to be in our local baseball stadium, because they're expecting such a large crowd.

Sure, this is a downer of a post, but I figured, the more people who read about this, the more prayer support for his family.

True? Of course true!

A Real Live Friday the 13th

If Friday the 13th is supposed to be a day filled with weird & scary things, well then, it lived up to it's name yesterday.

I got out of bed and stubbed my toe... hard!

Thankfully, I made it to work without incident.

Once at work, there were MAJOR computer problems. Not everyone's. Just mine.

Then, I forgot to bring my lunch, so I bought it from the cafeteria, and there was a hair in my sandwich.

In the afternoon, one of the people in my class quit. They got a job with less hours and more pay.

Then, work was finally over, and I dragged my weary bones out to my car, only to realize that my lights had been on all day, and my battery was deader-than-dead.

On the way home, I was thinking sarcastic thoughts about the only way this day would improve was if I got stopped again because of my tail-light, (which I bought the bulb for, but when I tried to install it, saw that the auto parts store had given me the wrong one) when low-and-behold there were the blue lights in my rearview mirror.

Good thing Friday the 13th only happens periodically.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This entire post is not true. Seriously - who would read a post regarding Friday the 13th that said, "Yesterday was a great day, and nothing interesting happened?"

Blue Light Special

Before last night, I've only been pulled over once.

Now it's twice.

On the way home from school, I was happily chatting away with my West Coast Friend, (who posted about it on her blog) when suddenly there were blue lights flashing in my rearview mirror.

I knew that I hadn't been speeding, and didn't think I'd been swerving. What had I done to warrant this??

It was just a rear light missing, and the gracious Amherst policeman let me go with a warning.

And that is the extent of my run-in with the law.

I'm Me!

Do you know how good it feels to be me again?

Yesterday I got up, dressed, and put on my makeup for the first time in a l-o-n-g time.

I had an appointment to get the staples removed, and was petrified with the prospect of being in more pain.

It didn't hurt at all, which made me incredibly thankful!

And we ("we" being Jenna & I) stopped and got drinks from Starbucks, which OF COURSE improved my mood!

I'd been conserving all my energy to go to rehearsal last night, so off I went... and made it through just fine.

So, my heart is full of thanks - to the friends who have faithfully prayed, and to the God who has faithfully answered the prayers.

Stapled & Bored

Well, I'm on the upswing... to the tune of not taking the pain meds every six to eight hours - now it's every 10 - 12!

I sit in my living room for awhile, and then think I have energy. So I decide to use the energy. And I get up, and come over to my laptop (which gets better wi-fi coverage in the kitchen) and see if anyone has emailed me or commented on my blog.

That checked, and having used all my accumulated energy, I slink back to the chair in the living room.

It's really hard to sit in the living room and listen to the kids playing outside. I want to be outside playing with them as well! Yesterday Tucker was crying and I didn't care if it popped every staple out of place as I pulled him up on to my lap. (Thankfully, it didn't :)

Lest I think of all the things that I wish I could do, I keep trying to think of thankfuls:

* Four get well cards sitting on my table
* Two bouquets of flowers
* Season One of House on DVD :)
* Emails and phone calls
* Jill popping in during quiet time
* Walking a-l-l the way to the mailbox today!
* Sleeping on my side last night

There are more, but my energy tank just started dinging, saying I needed to get back to the chair.

"Sanka, Ya Dead Mon?"

"Ya, Mon"

Well, here I am... not quite dead, but not the liveliest I've ever been.

Even though the pain was a lot more than I expected, God's fingerprints were all over yesterday' proceedings. And then I saw all the comments of people who had prayed, and it became apparent why things went so well.


(FYI - Mayhaps it would not be wise for queasy peeps to read on)

Sue picked me up at 10:30 and we arrived at the hospital. The nurses took me in to prep, the anesethesiologist came and told me all the bad things that could happen (All the way from loss of voice to death) and the surgeon stopped by. I think the worst part was they took me into the OR before I was asleep. It's so sterile and scary, but then they put a mask on me and said, "OK, Lindsay, start taking some breaths," and then I woke up in recovery.

The nurse who took care of me was a doll, and she gave me lots of drugs and didn't freak out when I thought I was going to throw up. (Thankfully, I didn't! And yes, you're welcome for the details :)

Sue was a trooper and she stayed for the entire time. She was with me in prep and in recovery, and then when I got home (much later than we expected), Drewey was here and waiting to take care of me.

I have four little incisions on my stomach, that I stare at peridiocally - not like I can forget they're there, as they pinch a little...

So, that's all for now, because the drugs are kicking in.

Just some thanks before I go:

*Jill brought flowers last night, as did Drewey, so I have so many beautiful yellow flowers in my house. Jill also was wonderful during this past week, checking in on me, letting me come over and get some socialization, etc.
*Evan brought the TV down to the living room, so that Drewey and I can watch movies without going upstairs. (I did three stairs and that did me in)
*The kids are all loving, and like to look at the bandages, and it kills me to not be able to pick them up!
*Mom and Dad have stayed in constant touch via phone with many verbal hugs, and boatloads of prayers
*Amy's been stopping by in the evenings
*Sue has sent daily emails to take my mind off things, and put an addition on her heavenly mansion by taking me yesterday
*Drewey gave me hourly backrubs last night, and even rigged up her cell phone so that if she didn't hear me when I called, I could call her cell phone... she was on a mattress at the end of my bed :)
*I've gotten so many other voicemail messages, and each one means so much
*And the comments from the various posts this past week have also meant the world

I am rich!

At 12:45 This Friday

My gallbladder and myself will be forever parted.

Any prayers that you want to send my way would be much appreciated!

The end.

Option B Sucks!

So, Option B in the last post is what happened on Friday night... or Saturday morning.

I hadn't been feeling well Thursday or Friday, but just assumed that my back was out. It goes out periodically, and because it's been bad for years, any time my back hurts, I just attribute it to the scoliosis.

On Thursday and Friday, it hurt between my shoulder blades, and started affecting my stomach. This has happened before as well, so I just tried to ice/heat/and ibuprofen my way through it.

Friday night I went to bed wicked early, and woke up at 12:30 in severe pain. I tried to do all the things I could think of to relieve it, and stuck it out until 3:00, when I called Ask-A-Nurse. In describing my symptoms, she suggested I go to the ER, because it sounded like a gallbladder thing. (My words, not hers :)

Evan graciously drove me there at 3:30 Saturday morning, and after blood tests and an ultrasound it was decided that I had gallstones, and should contact a surgeon. That's on my to-do list for tomorrow. (Please pray for wisdom on their part, and my part, and a quick decision to be made)

The meds they gave me have me in a pretty altered state personality-wise, but take care of the pain. I'm also on a strict no fat, no fried food, no coffee (kill me now!), no caffeine diet. Pea pods, applesauce and fat free saltines have been my staple for the past 36 hours. Yum!

As we were leaving the ER, there was a middle aged man sitting in a mini van parked next to us. His window was rolled down and as I got in Evan's van, he said to me, "Morning - it sucks." Made me laugh pretty hard in the midst of all the pain!

Choose Your Own Adventure

Did any of you read those books when you were smaller? They'd start out, and then you got to pick different options for the way the book would end.

Let's do that now for my life...

You've learned in recent blogs that I just started school! (Insert many happy noises here :)

Then, in the most recent post, you learned that I got the part of Yente in "Fiddler on the Roof!" (Thanks to all who left such encouraging comments for me! I'm thrilled at the opportunity!)

Now, I'm leaving it up to you, my dear readers to choose/guess what happened last night.

Here are the options you're presented with:

A) Slept quietly through the night and woke up oh-so-rested this sunny morning

B) Woke up in the middle of the night experiencing extreme pain, and spent the night in the ER

C) Stayed up all night long reading "Crime & Punishment" to cross the silly book off my 30-by-30 list

I'll give the answer in a day or two...

I'm Legally Changing My Name

Consider yourselves informed that I am changing my name.

No, this is not an announcement of that kind. It's my first name that's changing, not my last name.

I'd thank you all if from now until November 12th, you refer to me as Yente!

Yes - this is my way of telling you that after auditioning on Sunday for a role in Fiddler on the Roof at the Majestic Theatre in Manchester, I received word that landed my first choice role as Yente, the matchmaker.

HURRAY!!!!!

Now I need to start working Yente's charms on my own life...

I Wonder if the Pioneers Played "The Camping Game"

On the way to Nova Scotia (having left at 4:06 Friday morning) Evan, Jill & I amused ourselves by playing a rousing rendition of the camping game.

By the end I was laughing so hard it hurt, and I claimed the rights to blog about it. Perhaps it was a "had to be there" moment, but you try saying all of these from memory as fast as you can, with three children hollering at you from the backseat, and see if it doesn't make you laugh!

Without further ado, I offer you our list of what we'd bring if we went camping. Maybe this is why we don't do it very often!

Aborigines arrayed in Abercrombie & Fitch apperal (Way to start us off, Evan!)

Beautiful baboons

Celestial Seasonings tea

Dunkin Donuts

Egg salad sandwiches

Frankfurters

Gnomes

Happy, Healthy horses

Italian Ice

Jellyfish (this was Jed's contribution from the backseat)

Klutzes

Legs (after this Jill burst out laughing at what our RV would look like filled with all of this stuff - and a special seat just for the legs)

Mango smoothies

Nine ninny nincompoops (thank you, Evan!)

Orange ogres (apparently this person has not seen Shrek)

(A) Pleasant Princess

(A) Quintessentially quaint queen

Rapid roadrunners

Slinky

Ten tufted titmouse's in tuxedos

Ucalalies on unicycles (nothing I put in spellcheck will accept that word!)

Vicious velocaraptors (at first I typed velocaraptures, and this conjured up all sorts of heavenly flying dinosaurs, rising from their graves at the end of time!)

Willy Wonka's wacky waffles

Xavier's extra xylophones

Yaks from Yemen

Zany Zebras from Zimbabwe

Of Church Picnics

Yesterday was about as much fun as a barrel of monkeys - maybe even more so!

Instead of a traditional church service, we had our annual church picnic down at "The Base."

There was a fabulous scavenger hunt (prepared by the pastor himself), free throw competition, soccer ball juggling, lots of yummy food, a rain storm that dampened everything but spirits, softball, volleyball, and fellowship to beat the band!

Here's a picture that I gleaned from Melody's blog - thanks, Mel :)

J-6 has arrived!

I'm an aunt for the sixth time!!

Congrats to Darren & Sara on the birth of little Daphne Michele this morning!

God is good!

Lindsay's Ark

No, this post has nothing to do with the kittens being born, or about me seeing a snake last week. It has nothing to with animals at all.

It does however have to do with vehicles (hence the word ark), water (that made the ark float), and me (Lindsay).

On Saturday night we had amazing amounts of rain... So much rain! And each time I would wake during the night to either the pouding of raindrops, or the boom of thunder I'd think, "I sure hope I rolled up my car windows," and then go back to sleep. (In my heart of hearts, I really thought I hadn't, but I was trying to maintain a steady REM pattern)

Finally, at seven o'clock Sunday morning, I got up (it was still pouring!) and went to the window. There, to my major gritting of teeth, was a very rolled-down window. So, I ran out (need I reiterate, STILL POURING!) and when I opened the driver's side door, I was met with almost two inches of rain on the floor of my car... and there was about that much on the passenger's side as well.

I scooped out large amounts of water with my hands, and then rolled up the windows. By this time I was more wet than I sometimes am when I've taken a shower. The floor still had water on it, and the seats were sopping, but I'd done what I could while the deluge was still coming down.

Later that afternoon, I got out the shop-vac and (with Jill's help, as the "on" button doesn't keep it on unless continually pressed) took care of most of the water.

As I travelled to work Monday morning I sat perched on the very front of the seat, covered with a towel, and couldn't lean back for fear of getting wet. And evidently there were pools that I hadn't discovered with the shop-vac, because whenever I'd come to a sudden halt, a tidal bore formed around my feet.

And, as Nanny McPhee so succintly puts it, "hmmh."

Dreams Becoming Reality!

It's been about 12 years since I first began dreaming of being a massage therapist. I was in high school, and dreamt of starting school after I went to Bible School. After I graduated from Bible School, I began working at HSLDA, but the dream was still alive. When I moved back to NH four years ago, it was partly to start school.

To make a 12 year story very short, there were several times when applications were actually filled out for various schools, but God would close the door, and I'd have to deal with the death of my dream. I'd put the desire on the back burner of my mind, but it kept re-surfacing.

Last week I did some further research, felt like I got a green light from God, and sent in an application.

And last night in my mailbox was a letter of acceptance to the NH Tech massage therapy program!! I'll be taking it slow, but I'm on my way! I'll be starting classes Labor day week!

My Evening of Rest That Turned Into Not That

So, on Monday night, after the weekend I just described in the last post, I was excited about going home and playing with the kids a little, cleaning a little, reading a little, and going to bed a LOT!

I drove down the driveway at work, thinking exhausted , yet happy thoughts about the evening ahead.

At the end of the driveway I came upon a sight that I hate more than almost anything... a car accident. And this one was extra bad, because I knew the person involved. She was a sweet lady whom I had trained about a year ago. I parked in the gas station at the bottom of the hill and ran to see what I could do. Thankfully, it had happened several minutes before, and all the people were out of the cars.

Pat* was standing up, but had a huge gash on her right arm, and was looking like she was going to pass out. "Is there anyone we can call?" we asked her. "No," she replied. Her husband was driving on his way home from work and she didn't want him worrying about her as he drove.

She hadn't been wearing her seatbelt, and when her car was hit, not only did the airbags deploy, but she was also knocked around a little. Her neck was sore and her shoulder hurt, so the EMTs came running with a neck brace and back board.

I stood around, answering any questions that I could, and digging through her purse for insurance information when it was needed.

The ambulance came, and they loaded her into the back, and I let them know I'd meet them at the hospital.

Knowing what I do about confidentiality in the health industry (I train it every class I have) I knew that if I was at the hospital, chances were they wouldn't even let me in to be with her, but at least I'd be there if she needed anything.

The nurse came and got me in less than an hour and I went back inside her curtained room to sit with her. We called her husband, and he said that he would come right over. Pat* was thirsty, so I went and got her water, and then tracked down a nurse to get the ok for her to drink it. I also knew that she was diabetic, so even though her stomach was still all shaky from the accident, I made a little picnic of crackers and peanut butter for her on the turnde-upside-down standard issue hospital barf bucket.

After a while she sent me to the waiting room with a picture of her husband, to see if he had arrived yet. I saw a man who was kind of wandering around, so I went over, held up the picture and asked if he was Richard*.

Alas, the door was locked and we couldn't get back in... I also couldn't get any of the nurses attention, so I just walked up to a door that I knew to be unlocked (I'd watched others use it while I was waiting) and just pushed it open. A tentative voice from behind me said, "Should we be going in here?"

"The key is," I said to Richard*, "to act like you belong in a place. If you look like you know what you're doing, people don't ask questions."

He placidly followed along behind me, and we found Pat* finally getting her arm taken care of.

I left soon after that, and can only imagine the conversations that the nurses had about me after I was gone. I'm sure they were very grateful that Pat* had a low-key husband...

And that was my Monday evening.

*names may have been changed due to confidentiality :)

Winter Coats in August

On Friday & Saturday night, Amy & I were outside for long periods of time, watching the sky for falling meteors. We saw several that were completely amazing, and many smaller ones. On Friday, we were out after midnight, and it was freezing! As we lay on the lawn the remark was made, "It's so wrong to be wearing my winter coat in the middle of August!"

This weekend was a whirlwind of a time. But really, busy-wise... it wasn't a weekend out of the ordinary for me - just events that were outside of ordinary.

Friday night Wesley & I went out for dinner and then to a Fisher Cats game. It was a pretty slow game, with all of the runs being made in the first two innings, but the end was worth it, as each Friday night that they play at home they have fireworks. I missed fireworks this 4th of July, but these ones were incredible! They probably lasted for about 20 minutes, and at least four times I thought it was the grand finale, but they just kept on going!

Then yesterday Amy, Craig, Claire & I went down to MA to see Sarah Lower marry Josh Crumlich. What an amazing ceremony! There were so many happy tears, as we saw the working of God's mighty hand come to fruition.

After the wedding and ceremony Amy, Claire and myself (Craig left w/ his family for vacation) went and walked around Rockport, stopping in shops, eating ice cream, watching taffy be made, listening to & laughing at this random man who was walking around the streets singing random babble at the top of his lungs.

We drove home through Gloucester, looking over the ocean, and even stopping to walk on the beach.. but it was SO cold, so we dipped our toes in, took pictures and got back in the car.

I hadn't been to church in two weeks, as my travels had taken me out of state, so it was wonderful to be back home with my family at Chestnut Hill today.

And then it was in the car to drive to Leominster to meet Aunt Jeannette for some Aunt/Niece time. It's been such an easy transition to be an Aunt of nieces, because I had such good examples!

I got home, called Mom & Dad to chat a bit, vaccuumed and swept, and now will do crash-y things for the evening... like read and such, before I get up tomorrow and take on the third week of this latest class.

Happy Birthday, Mom

B - best friend a girl could ask for
E - encouragement personified
V - very wise
E - enriches all the lives that she touches
R - ready to listen
L - loves to laugh
Y - yearns for a closer relationship with her Jesus

M - mom extraordinaire
A - always looks on the bright side
R - relishes her role of mom & nana
I - in love with my dad
E - england traveller

A Whale of a Tale.... (insert groans here!)

Here are the pix from the weekend.

We had such a great time!!

The seagulls rode on the heads of the whales while they were up feeding, and the guy on the boat said that periodically the gulls will get inside the mouths of the whale, the whale will dive, and they'll see it resurface in several seconds to spit the bird out.


Humpback whales eating and diving.

A Tid-Bit Sort of Post

* It's been WICKED hot here in NH... but work is so air conditioned, I feel cold most of the day

* Last night I went out to dinner with not one, but two good guys!

* Wrangler proved once again that she's not a boy, by having three kittens on Jed's bed this morning (she spends most of her time over at the other Joneses house now...)

* I had a guy in my latest new hire class who was 6' 7"... he quit yesterday :(

* This weekend is the much anticipated whale watch trip with Amy & Drewey!

At The Lake

I'm here in Maine, getting some rest, sun, boat rides, lovins', and all the things that being at Uncle Rick & Aunt Kath's is known for.

It's kind of like one big, happy sigh!

This Reminds me of the Quote...

"Don't bite the hand that feeds you. "

Somehow, I don't think these words were a great PR move.

And the band played "It's A Small World..."

Yesterday one of the participants in my class said that she was driving to Keene after work.

"Oh neat," I said. "Amy and I went to school in Dublin."

"Where?" she queried.

I gave her the name of my alma mater, and she said...

"I had a friend who went there. I went to visit her several times and I hated that place."

Um... speechless! Cool about the friend, thanks for the hate.

(Turns out she didn't like it because she thought it was chauvinistic. She wasn't all into the women doing all the cooking and cleaning. "I want to marry a guy who can clean and cook," she said)

"So who do you know who went there??" I kept asking, as she kept telling me about her lack of love for the place.

And guess who it was???

Our very own Betty the Jenkins!!

And that made me smile, and be amazed at how very small the world is.

PS - This morning I mentioned the school that I went to from 1st - 4th grade and this same participant piped up that her kids had gone there, and did I know Mrs. Carleton? The band keeps playing!

A Surefire Sleeping Pill

Once upon a time I heard my Aunt Pam say that if she was having trouble getting to sleep, she would go through the alphabet, reciting a Bible verse for each letter. It has the same effect as the traditional "counting sheep method," yet also gets one's mind in the right place.

I started doing it quite soon after I heard about it, and it works really well! But, there's a funny side effect when I do it. I can tell I'm almost asleep, because all of the sudden I'll start thinking of a random book or movie quote instead of a Bible verse... or it will be just a completely random statement put into King James-ish speak. I'll smile to myself, and drop off.

There are times that I spice it up a bit, and go through the alphabet using the first lines of hymns. Those times also, I can tell I'm about to fall asleep, because something really random will pop into my head.

The other night I was really tired, but just couldn't fall asleep. I knew that I couldn't do the Bible verse one, because trying to concentrate would wake me up more. I couldn't even think of hymns, so I decided to do attributes of God that I was grateful for.

Here's how far I go before I fell asleep...

A - Awe inspiring
B - Beautiful
C - Creator
D - Diabetic... and, she's gone!

Tales From the One-Eyebrowed Wonder

On Saturday I was getting ready to go to party where I would see people that I hadn't seen in several years. In preparing for said party, I was in front of the mirror working on my eyebrows. I plucked (Sorry for those opposed to saying/typing/talking about words like that in public - it's my blog and my life is an open book) until I was very happy with the shape.

Then remembering that when I get them waxed, the person generally trims them a bit, I got out my little scissors, and started to trim.

After the first snip, I took the scissors away, and there was a large chunk of very bald skin in the middle of my right eyebrow. I burst out laughing... then burst into tears. And spent the next several minutes going back and forth in beween the two emotions.

I called Mom in a panic. She said, "Just use your eyebrow pencil, fill it in, and don't tell anyone, and it'll be fine." I used the first part of the advice, but only made it about an hour and a half without telling anyone!

The good thing is, no one started at my appearance, and there was a lack of staring at my right eyebrow, so I think that I successfully fooled the masses... at least the masses that I didn't tell!

Wowsah!!

Going to bed at 7:30 and not getting up until after 6:00 the next morning certainly revamps your entire outlook on life!!

Things That Make You Say, "I Hate My Life."

Yesterday, it looked like it was going to rain, so I needed to put the top back up on my car. Well, as those friends who have helped me before, zipping in the back windows is no walk in the park. Amy helped me get one of them zipped in, but the one of the driver's side didn't feel like cooperating, so we just tucked into the frame to keep the back seat from getting wet.

This morning on the way to work, the tucked-in window flew out on the highway. I pulled over and ran back, while watching all the on-coming traffic playing slalom with my window. I was about ten feet away, when a car came flying up in that lane, and ran right over it. Thinking I already looked like an idiot, I refrained from throwing an all-out tantrum in the middle of 293,but when I reached my window, it was evident that it had become a casualty of that lady's tires... there was a tear in it. NOT COOL!!! I was SO incredibly angry, but of course I thought only godly things towards the offender and her car!


Then I got to work, and I had to trade training rooms, so I had to move all my stuff into a new room. Well, once I got in their I discovered that the trainer's computer didn't work. So I tried to restart it. That didn't work either, so I called our I.S. dept. The tech guy came, looked at it.

"What did you do to it?"
"I just tried to restart it," I said.
"Well, how did you do it?" he asked.
"Um, I turned it off and turned it back on."
"Well, it's dead and I have to rebuild you a new one now," said Mr I.S. man.
More godly thoughts rushed into my head.

Then, I got a papercut in between my ring finger and pinkie.

ALL OF THIS WAS BEFORE EIGHT O'CLOCK THIS MORNING!

During the day, things continued in the same bent.

The class didn't really get what I was training.
Someone got their feelings hurt and spent the entire lunch break telling me all about it.
A biggish-wig came in to talk to the class, and one of the participants was on their cell phone the entire time. That made me look good!

But then, there are the things that make a hellish day a little better...

Talking to Mom & Dad on the phone on the way home from work
Hugs from little nieces and nephews next door when I get home
Cleaning my house, doing laundry & the dishes, so it will be sparkly when I wake up tomorrow
Playing the piano at the church
Jill saying "I love you"
Watching Evan & Jed play war with little army guys
Talking to Darren on the phone

But that's too much focusing on the positive! I must now go concentrate on sending bad vibes toward Evil-run-over-window lady!

There's this girl...

... in my current new hire class at work, and we really click. In fact, we've been doing things together in the evenings after work, we talk on the phone quite often, and yesterday we went to the beach. How fun is that?? It's almost like we're becoming best buds... oh wait! We ARE best buds! AMY IS IN MY NEWEST CLASS!

And yesterday we crossed another thing off our "Things to do Together - Summer Edition" list... Go to the beach with the top down!

Other things we've crossed off thus far:

• Eating gelato at a little cafe nearby
• Saw Ice Age II
• Picnic in the park

Things yet to do... with Drewey, too:

• Whale watch
• High Hopes Hot air balloon Festival
• Isabel Gardner Museum in Boston
• Go to Concord, MA - Porsmouth, NH & Kennebunkport, ME

Things That Go CRASH In the Night...

... and scare the bejabbers out of me!

So, I was out for a walk on Saturday night, and was almost home. It was starting to get quite dark (as opposed to the semi-dark when I had started out) and there in front of me I saw the shadow of a four-legged being cross the road. Kind of startled me, but I decided to not be too afraid.

Then I heard The Beast walking toward me through the field. (For those of you familiar with my surroundings, I was on the same side of the road as my house, walking by the Seven Acre Piece, right across the road from the church. For those of you not familiar, the time has come for you to visit me!) It was kind of like a LOST episode, but sadly, there was no Jack or Sawyer by my side. That always seem to make Kate a little less nervous.

SUDDENLY The Creature BURST through the grass about 20 feet in front of me, and my legs began to tremble. I stood frozen on the road, not sure whether to:

1. run into the church,
2. stay frozen,
3. wait for a car to come by and rescue me, (and pray it wasn't scary stalker man who gives out flowers to people on walks)
4. scream loudly and draw all the attention of the neighbors,
5. faint,
6. or give chase! (Yeah, um... that one never crossed my mind!)

There I was, knowing that the Dreaded Quadreped was in between myself and my home! I could still hear it crashing around, though now it was in the cemetery.

I bravely opted for Option Number One, and crept quietly over to the church, pulled out my cell phone and called my big brother to come and rescue me. Who needs Jack or Sawyer when Pastor Evan is around?!?

Phones And Such

Just wanted the masses to know that I have now disconnected my home phone and will be going wholly on my cell for now.
And that's all I have to say about that!

Boys, Girls, and the Differences Between Them

On the way home from Bugaboo Creek for Jed's birthday last week, Amy & I were driving the kids in the mini van. Chloe requested the chance to regale us with songs, so she began "singing" a song about a monkey with a pink ribbon who was in a tree. (It was rather like a Gregorian chant... multiple syllables on the same note, then going up or down periodically)

Then Jed requested a turn, and began chanting a song about a Minotaur (I have not one clue on how to spell that Narnia creature!) who killed a cow.

Not to be outdone in the Minotaur category, Chloe then began singing another song, but the Minotaur in her song came into the house and stole her makeup.

What incredibly witty lyrics!!

A Man Among Men

Things I love about my Dad...

* I don't remember a day growing up that I didn't hear "I love you" from him (and the only reason I don't now is because I don't talk to him every day)

* He prayed with me every night before bed - all the way up through high school

* There are several of my friends whom he has taken under his wing as his own daughters

* Because of his love, it's been an easy step of faith to believe that God's Father-love is deep

* He sleeps during movies, but if others are laughing at the movie, he'll laugh too... just to show us he's "awake" :)

* I'm always aware that I'm his little girl and that he thinks I'm wonderful

* He's made it very clear that there is nothing I could do to make him love me less

And so many more. How blessed am I?

Six Years Ago Today...

... A little someone came into my life, and taught me that it's very possible to love someone so much it makes you cry.

Happy Birthday, Precious Jed!

I Don't Think It's Just the Highlights!

So, today at work I was called in to do a little subbing for a trainer who's child was sick. I was talking with the class about various issues regarding when a woman is with child, and what our company's policies are that they would need to become familiar with.
Suddenly in mid-sentence I completely forgot what it's called when a woman has a child in her tummy. (BOTH my sister-in-laws are in that stage right now! HOW could I forget that word??) There I was, standing in front of 20 people, trying to get this important concept across, when I had to pause, and for lack of a better word say...

Maternity-ness!

Right after that, "pregnancy" came to mind. By then it was too late! I had 20 people laughing at my expense. Twenty-one, really, because I was laughing pretty hard myself!

And Then There Was LIGHT!

The sun was out for almost the entire day today... and lately, that's a BIG deal! (Amy, Wesley and I went to the park today, and it was such fun! I saw a snake... that was not much fun!) It's been raining so much lately, all my thoughts of "I think I could handle leaving my beloved NH if it was for Oregon or Washington" have flown COMPLETELY out the window. (I've been to those states several times, and each time I have been overwhelmed with their beauty!) I would never survive in a sun-deprived state!

But the more it's rained, the more I've wondered if I was blowing things out of proportion in my mind.. something that I've only done once or twice in my life! Maybe it just seems like it's rained the last 87 days straight! Maybe I haven't had to use my windshield wipers either on the way to work or on the way home, every single day since Christmas! Etc... you get the idea...

Then, as I was driving with Amy last night, we heard on the radio that in the last two months we have received 18 inches of rain! "If that had been snow," continued the announcer, "that would be 180 inches!" So, I began to put my math-brain to work, and figured out that if it had indeed been snow, we would have gotten...

16 feet in total over the last two months!
One foot every four days for two months straight,
or three inches every single day for TWO MONTHS STRAIGHT.

And that is a very lot of snow.
The End.

PS - If you find any math inconsistencies, please don't mention them. I'm very shy about my math skills.

I've Discovered the PERFECT Job!

And you might wonder what could this job be? I will tell you!

I think that the perfect job would be a Professional Street Namer!

Here are three characteristics that to me make it seem like perfection...

* Get to utilize your creative bent

* Can honor those whom you choose to - what better way to say "You're special" than in naming a street after someone??

* There must be no expectations in this job! After I've driven past Chubbuck Rd so many times I could scream, it became clear to me that there really must not be a whole lot that would go into street naming...

Can you think of any others?

Things That Made Me Laugh Today

On the way home I saw a bumper sticker that always makes me laugh...

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons
For you are crunchy & taste good with ketchup

And,

This

Things I've Forgotten in the Past Week

* That I had a blog... really, truly, I forgot. So I wasn't not posting because my life is boring, or that I've been too busy, or anything else. I just forgot.

* Several days ago, on the way to work, I went in to get coffee at a little convenience store. When I came out and got in my car I thought...
"Oops - I left my keys in the car.
Oops - I left my keys in the ignition.
Oops - I left my car running."

* At work, I agreed to facilitate a training that would go Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week. I didn't remember until last Friday that I would not only be out of the office, but out of the state on both Thursday and Friday.

My hair has been getting darker as I've gotten older, but there was only one thing to do after a week like mine. I went and got my blonde highlights put back in!!

A Water-Logged Tribute

It's wet, wet, wet!

The floodgates have opened and water is flowing freely all over the state.

The sun hasn't been out in days.

I've seen pictures on the news of people in boats being evacuated from their homes and they live less than 15 minutes away.

Surreal.

But that's not what today is about. Today is about Moms, (and because this is my blog) mine in particular.

I have so much to be thankful for when I think of Mom. She's my...

Best Friend
Confidant
Sounding board
Shoulder to cry on
Person to laugh with
Mentor
Prayer Partner
Example
Biggest Fan

Thanks, Mom. I love you!

Do Angels Smoke?

Tonight on my walk, as I was going down the Hill, I was awe-struck by the sunset. The sky was a myriad of pastels, and the clouds were contrasted with the darker hills far away.

I was thinking about how beautiful it was, when a car came up behind me, slowed down and the driver rolled down his window. He pointed at the sky, and said, “Behold, what the hand of God hath wrought!” He then smiled, waved his cigarette at me, and left me staring wide-eyed at his retreating car and license plate... IS4319.

Turning around to head back, I was overcome with glee at the blog fodder that had come my way!

I was close to home when I heard a car pul up behind me again, and I turned to see my Smoking Angel back for more. This time he said that he had a flower for me. Warily I said, "Um - thank you," and he said, "NO! Thank God!" He then drove away, saying out the window "Womenhood is the flower of life."

By that time I was thinking that this wasn't quite the funniest thing that had ever happened to me, and I don't know what was pumping more... my feet or my heart as I tried to get home before he came back a third time, with his next gift of verse or flower.

Just another Saturday in the life of me :)

Drama In Fake Life:

In Which Our Heroine Is Kidnapped!

I almost never remember my dreams. In fact, it's a rare occasion when I do, and I get all excited. On Sunday night I had a dream, and was thrilled that I remembered it in great detail Monday morning. The strange thing is I hadn't been watching any intense TV, movies, or reading any thrilling books. And as far as rich food, Jill and I had gone to the 99 on the way home from Craig's concert, but I would hardly call what we ate rich food... or good, for that matter, but I digress!

THE DREAM!

I'd been kidnapped, but got on a plane to get away from my abducters.

Uh - oh... One of the kidnappers followed me onto the plane, so I was still in grave danger.

We landed in Montreal (b/c that's where ALL abductees go) and I ran toward the rental car place, but alas, I had no cash.

Conversation with myself, about the dilema, as I'm running, "I don't have any cash, but if I use my debit or credit card, they'll be able to trace me to which car I rented, and know that of course I'm driving home to NH." WHAT TO DO?!?

Then, I saw the kidnapper... and I KNEW who he was! His curly hair disguise didn't fool me! NPR, I'd know you anywhere... and why were you trying to kidnap me, anyway??

Because I couldn't pay cash, and wisely wouldn't put the rental on my credit card, I pulled a move that will put me in line to be the next Jack(queline) Bauer! I hid under the table of the rental car place!

And as much as I tried to go back to sleep, I couldn't, so we'll never know if:

A) I made it back to NH safely?

B) I did make it home, how did I get a car? Or did I find another way?

C) Whether NPR ever got his hair straightened after having it curly.

Transported to Another Realm...

... is pretty much the thought that keeps coming to mind when I think about Craig's recital.

The music made me laugh!

It made me cry.

It made me worship!

It made my throat hurt, because it was so beautiful!

And combined with the beauty of the pieces, there was the overwhelming realization that kept coming... Craig CREATED this!

Wow.

You've Heard of Multi-Tasking...

... but have you heard of Multi-Injuring?? It's the newest big thing! This happened while my old computer was being laid to rest, and before my new one came in... so if you've heard this saga, feel free to skip. If you haven't, enjoy! :)

You know Dick VanDyke in "Mary Poppins" and how he plays all those instruments at the same time? I felt like him, except with injuries several Friday nights ago.

I woke up in the middle of the night with my back hurting VERY badly! Sometimes when my back hurts, it effects my stomach as well, so not only was I in excruciating pain, but I was also nauseous. I tried to massage my back for a bit, but it didn't help, so I decided to get my pain meds. Only thing is, they were out in my car.

So here I was, wrapped in my bathrobe, out at my car at 2:30 in the morning, digging in the dark through my bag to find my ibuprofen. Imagine my relief when I found it! But, because it was late and I didn't want to wake up Evan and Jill with slamming car doors, I tried to close it quietly. I succeeded in closing it quietly, but I also succeeded in closing my thumb in the door as well. Haven't done that in years, and the pain was beyond intense!

As I stumbled into my apartment with tears streaming down my face, I thought about that whole thing of "if you're in pain, hurt something else, and it will take your mind off the original pain." And I thought very angry thoughts to the person who first said that, because it's not true. All that happens is that there are now three things that hurt instead of just two!

I was standing in the kitchen trying to pour a glass of water with which to take the pills, and my back was spazzing, my stomach was threatening to expel all of it's contents and my thumb was throbbing. On the microwave the time glowed 2:38 & I remember thinking, "I don't think I've ever cried at 2:38 in the morning before."

My queasy stomach finally won out, and I went running to the bathroom. After finishing in there, I grabbed my ice pack and went back to bed with ice on my back, a less upset stomach and a still-throbbing thumb.

When I woke up (later) Saturday morning, and was putting on my makeup, I saw that in my stomach's vigor of expelling all the contents from the night before, I had broken all the blood vessels underneath my eyes! And that just made me laugh out loud!

So, Dick Van Dyke - eat your heart out! I'm well on the way to being just like you... only different!

A Question to Ponder...

Today I saw a poster that said (in effect) "Drink lots of coffee, but do it in your own mug, not styrofoam, because styrofoam cups can sit in landfills for 500 years."

And I began to wonder... "How long ago was styrofoam invented?? Surely it hasn't been around for that long!" Being the resourceful female that I am, I Googled the subject, and the results are as follows:

Styrofoam was invented in the 1940's!

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? If something has only been around for roughly 60 years, how does this poster-maker know it will sit in a landfill for 500!?!?!?

What do you think??

Happy Resurrection Day!!

Not a word was heard at the tomb that day
Just shuffling soldiers feet as they guarded the grave.
One day, two days, three days had passed
Could it be that Jesus had breathed His last?

Could it be that His Father had forsaken Him?
Turned His back on His Son, despising our sin?
All hell seemed to whisper, "Just forget Him, He's dead,"
Then the Father looked down at His Son and said,

"Arise My Love, Arise My Love
The grave no longer has a hold on You
No more death's sting, no more suffering
Arise, Arise, My Love!"

The earth trembled and tomb began to shake
and like lightning from Heaven, the stone rolled away
And like dead men the guards stood there in fright
As the power of Love displayed it's might

And suddenly a melody filled the air
Riding wings of love, it was everywhere.
The words all creation had been longing to hear
The sweet sound of VICTORY so loud and clear!

"Arise My Love, Arise My Love
The grave no longer has a hold on You
No more death's sting, no more suffering
Arise, Arise, My Love!"

Sin, where are your shackles?
Death, where is your sting?
Hell hath been defeated!
The grave could not hold my King!

"Arise My Love, Arise My Love
The grave no longer has a hold on You
No more death's sting, no more suffering
Arise... Arise...Arise!"

"Oh no - Wrangler ate her kittens!!"

Was the first thought of my sleep fogged brain this morning, when I got up and saw the basket void of kittens!

But, no, cats do not eat their young as so many in the animal kingdom do. Wrangler had just cleverly hidden them in a cupboard that she accessed by crawling underneath the stove. Do the joys of owning felines ever end??

By the by - thanks to all for the warm welcome back to the blogosphere! It's been such fun to check the responses! To answer the question posed, I will now describe the minicats that now reside in my apartment. One is black and white (surprise!! That seems to be a Jones special. All of The Cuteness' kittens were a variation of that, as have been the kittens that Evan and Jill's cats have had) and the other one is all gray with a white head. So very cute!

Hurray for having a COMPUTER again!!

I'M BACK!!! Thanks to DJ's expertise, I have a laptop and am back in the business of blogging. I've sure missed it... more than I thought I would.

And how fun is it that I have a great story to come back with???

I went to bed on Monday night, but at midnight I was awoken by a cat who had something to prove. Wrangler wanted to set the record straight once and for all, declaring herself a female in a way that can’t be mistaken. There on the floor of my room, with myself as midwife and witness, at 12:54 am, Wrangler brought forth one small kitten into this world. (I will not be making any observations as to the gender of said kitten, as we all know how well the last guess turned out!)

I waitied for over an hour for more kittens to come, but Wrangler decided that one was enough, and was she ever proud! She purred loud enough I was surprised that the cops weren’t called for a noise violation!

So, last night I came home, exhausted from the midwifery of the night before and wanting to turn in early. That was not to be, because wonder of wonders, Wrangler (or -ah) had decided that after waiting 20 hours, it was time to grace the world with another one of her offspring! Yup - you heard me correctly! At 10:40 last night, she had another kitten.

I have a feeling that for the next couple weeks I will be constantly staring at her stomach, trying to decide whether she might produce another kitten for the heck of it!

And that's how I've re-entered the blogging world... Catch you all around :)

Call the National Enquirer!

So - even though I was sad when The Cuteness died, I was kind of relieved, because she had become a very mean, very fertile kitten making machine. I was so excited when her tenth kitten turned out to be a boy, and decided to keep him.
Wrangler has been a great cat. He's snuggly, unlike his mother. Nice, unlike his mother. Doesn't scratch people the minute he lays eyes on them, unlike his mother. A boy, unlike his mother... the attributes go on and on.
He's quite a sociable cat, so he spends alot of time over at Evan and Jill's, playing with the kids and his sisters from The Cuteness' previous batches. He'd spent so much time over there lately, that I hadn't seen him in a couple days.
I was babysitting a few nights ago, and called for Wrangler to come snuggle. As he walked toward me, I noticed that his tummy was becoming rather large. When he got up on my lap, and I began rubbing his belly, I noticed that he had additions that boy kitties shouldn't have. I looked closer and saw something MOVE inside him!

Aaaaaugh - my beloved boy kitty is PREGNANT!!

It took me a day or two to like him/her again. I had been so utterly happy that I didn't have to deal with kittens any more, and this just really messed with my mind. I mean, he's been a boy for almost a year. I can't just drop everything and think of him as a girl at the drop of a hat! And plus, there's the problem of a name! I loved the name Wrangler, so have had to think of feminine forms of the word:

~Wranglerette
~Wranglerina
~Wranglertoria
~La Wrangler
and my personal favorite... Wranglah! A feminine ending, with a New England flare!

So - there you have it. The saga of the he/she cat.

(once again, my thanks to E&J for the use of their computer)

Wonder of Wonders, Miracle of Miracles...

This tale was too priceless to not blog about, so here I am at Evan & Jill's computer...

I got hit hard with the cold-thing that's been going around. Started this weekend, and on Monday I felt like I'd been the casualty of a hit-and-run with a semi! Tuesday was some better, and I was able to drag myself out of bed for part of the day.
Today I went into work, but because of the two missed days, had to get there exceptionally early to prep for the class I needed to train today. At a little after 10 this morning, having already been at work for four hours, I was crashing badly. I sent my class to break and went back to my desk, not knowing how I was going to make it through the rest of the day.
I went back into class on faith that I'd make it through as much of the day as I needed to. Somewhere between 10:30 & 11:30, I became aware of a breath of fresh life that was coming my way. There really isn't any way to describe it, but I felt different... it was almost like a sugar high, and I was expecting to come crashing down, but I never crashed. I made it through the rest of the day, and even got to leave a bit before my scheduled 4:30.
When I drove in to the driveway at home, Jed & Chloe were getting the mail and Jill was watching from the front porch. I couldn't wait to tell them about how much better I was feeling. As I told Jill about the sweet life that had poured over me during the morning, she asked what time it had been. I told her sometime between 10:30 & 11:30. In awe she said, "That's when the kids and I were praying for you!"
God bless the faith of little children! I think that it's a pretty awesome God that looks after us!!

So, here I was all excited to tell you about my trip...

...and I got home to a computer which is more than dead. Wont even turn on.

So, the exciting details will have to wait until my computer is either raised from the dead, or replaced.

And PS - Melo, my favorite Starbucks drink is generally chai as well, but that day in Seattle I got a Cinnamon Dulche Latte and it was heavenly! :)

Another day in Seattle...

...and eating another round of the best Greek food I've ever tasted!! And we got coffee at the first Starbucks and watched the people at the Pike Fish Market toss fish, and, and, and...

And there she is, everyone!! It's Rachelle!! :) And how about that scarf, folks?? I got it in Cannon Beach yesterday.

I'm flying home tonight (actually leaving tomorrow morning at 1 am) and will write long and drawn out tales of all that we did once I get back to my own computer. Catch you on the down swing...

From today...

Today we drove down to the coast of Oregon and explored. There was amazing scenery! And, because the weather cooperated, I got to see Mt Hood, Mt Rainier AND Mt St Helens. We're headed back to Seattle tomorrow, so perhaps there will be a few more pictures (like ones with Rachelle in them - guess who's been behind the camera??) before I leave.

Ben & Aunt Lindsay

Guess who went to the Space Needle today?

Miss Jones Goes to Washington

Well boys and girls - I'm off.
Jill, Jed and I are leaving for Washington tomorrow. Jill & Jed will spend the weekend with her family, and I'll be with Mike, Rachelle & Ben. Can't wait!
God bless JetBlue and their $118 roundtrip tickets :)
We'll be back Monday morning... completely jet-lagged!
Until then,
Me

Window Down, Window Up!

On Thursday, it was so warm here in NH that I left work early in order to enjoy the Spring-like air! Knowing that it was HIGHLY unusual, and that we probably wouldn't have anything this warm again until July, I wanted to take full advantage of it. I rode the entire way home with my window all the way down, and it felt like a piece of Heaven! There were feelings of goodwill to all people as I happily saw that probably 90% of my fellow travellers also had their windows down. Once I reached my house, I changed and took a very l-o-n-g walk. Ahhh - it felt so good.

Then came Friday. It started relatively balmy, but dropped 30 degrees in the afternoon, and by the time evening was here, we were in the middle of a gigantic wind storm. Some of the surrounding towns still don't have power restored! Saturday was exceptionally cold, with snow squalls, and today was just as chilly. Guess we're back to being in the middle of a NH winter. Oh well - at least there was a glimpse of what's to come.

At LAST - A REAL Blonde Joke!!

A blonde walks into a bank in New York City and asks for the loan
officer. She says she's going to Europe on business for two weeks and needs to
borrow $5,000.00.
The bank officer says the bank will need some kind of security for the
loan, so the blonde hands over the keys to a new Rolls Royce.
The car is parked on the street in front of the bank; she has the
title and everything checks out. The bank agrees to accept the car as
collateral for the loan. The bank's president and its officers all enjoy
a good laugh at the blonde for using a $250,000.00 Rolls Royce as
collateral against a $5,000.00 loan. An employee of the bank then
proceeds to drive the Rolls into the bank's underground garage and parks it.
Two weeks later, the blonde returns, repays the $5,000.00 and the
interest,which comes to $15.41. The loan officer says, "Miss, we are
very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out
very nicely, but we are a little puzzled. While you were away, we
checked you out and found that you are a multimillionaire. What puzzles
us is, why would you bother to borrow $5,000.00?"
The blonde replies, "Where else in New York City can I park my car for
two weeks for only $15.41 and expect it to be there when I return?"
FINALLY, a Smart Blonde joke!
(Thanks, Rachelle, for passing it on!)

Some Funny Google-ness

I got this from Isaac's blog... Type "(Your name) is" into Google and see what you get. I laughed a lot looking at all the things I "am." As I got further down the page it deteriorated rapidly into a whole slew of unfavorable things to say about Lindsay Lohan. (Who thankfully, I am not!)

Lindsay is 5'10" tall

Lindsay is 100% not pregnant

Lindsay is having a craving for a McDonald's happy meal

Lindsay is hot

Lindsay is used to attention - she's been working since she was 4

Lindsay is considered one of the world's most respected poets

Lindsay is currently involved in two major research projects

Lindsay is cool - she is a good listener... she's patient... she's observant... she has a great sense of humor

Lindsay is believed to have detonated a bomb, killing at least 25

Lindsay is walking home because her car wont start

Lindsay is hard at work on a third book

Lindsay is a Council vice president

Lindsay is a philosopher of sound

Lindsay is currently a professor of art and history at Spelman College

And finally....

Lindsay is a great deal like her own mother! At least they got a few right :)

Winter Traveling

At work we have these little sheets of weird/interesting/informative facts in every bathroom called "Captive Audience," and they get updated twice a month.
This month they had something that made me laugh... it's a list of all the things you should have in your car during the winter to ensure safety if you were to ever get stranded. The list is so long I don't see how anyone could actually go anywhere with a family. There wouldn't be room for the kids! "Sorry Grandpa & Grandma - all of us wanted to come, but we had to leave two of your grandkids at home so we'd have room for all the stuff we'd need in case we were caught in a snowdrift."

Here are the suggestions of what every safety-conscious person should have in their vehicles at all times during the winter months...

~Shovel
~Sand or cat litter (for traction)
~Tire chains
~Booster cables
~Cell phone
~Extra warm clothing or boots
~Ice scraper
~Small tools (evidently you get to choose which small tools you want with you - choose wisely!)
~Winter sleeping bag or blankets
~Snack food
~Water
~Flashlight with good batteries (You get to choose on this one as well - which are "good" batteries??)
~Matches
~Newspaper
~Games & toys (If you don't have room for the kids, what good are the games and toys?)
~Ziplock bags (I will not put what they did next to this one!)
~A 12 volt adapter coil heater that can plug into the lighter to heat water

So, drive quietly and carry a full carload!

Scared Out of my Skull

I was watching some episodes of "24" this afternoon, and when I do that by myself all my nerve endings are in a heightened state. When I'm ready to go downstairs, I have to get off the couch gingerly, coaching myself on how to walk again... furtively looking right and left for people that might be ready to jump at me with guns blaring.

The last episode I watched ended dramatically with a large power outage. I was cautiously making my way to the stairs, and reached over to turn on the light. As I flipped the switch, the lightbulb blew, causing me great alarm which I showed in screaming at the top of my lungs. I then started to laugh, because it really was funny, but the laughing was kind of half-hysterical... the "assuring oneself that what just happened was really funny" laugh.

Create Your Own Clever Title - I'm Fresh Out of Ideas!

I heard a story about a little girl who learned this verse at Sunday school: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Gather which is in Heaven."

Later that day, she asked her mother the meaning of this verse. Her mom said, "Well, it means that when you are good, kind and thoughtful you are letting Christ's light shine in your life before all who know you."

The very next Sunday the little girl got into an argument with another student and created somewhat of an uproar... to such an extent that the teacher had to go and find the little girl's mother.

The concerned mother came and said to her little girl, "Sweetie, don't you remember about letting your light shine for the Lord before others?"

The child blurted out, "Mom - I have blowed myself out!"

Don't you feel like that sometimes??

Drama, Drama, Drama

No, I haven't gotten another part in a play. This is "Drama in Real Life" for Reader's Digest if I ever heard of some.

Yesterday was my first day back at work after eleven very spoiled days off. I started a new hire class, and it went surprisingly well. I was telling Mom & Dad this with much gratitude on the phone last night. I had been previously assured that the day was well covered in prayer by several people, and I definitely chalk up the smooth sailing to that intercession. In jest, Mom and Dad threatened that since the day had gone so well, just for kicks perhaps they'd not pray for me today. Even though I know that they did, I was beginning to wonder by the time I left work today!

I was looking forward to the day in the classroom, because there were two hours of the day that the class was scheduled for presentations from other departments, so I was off the hook for a bit.

The Vice President came in at the scheduled time to do his presentation, and I went upstairs to check with the next person who was scheduled to talk to the class. While I was up there, I heard my name being paged over the loudspeaker. Now, in some companies that's not a big deal. At Oxford, it's huge. The loudspeaker goes into every crevice in the building, and is only used perhaps once a month... sometimes even more time elapses between uses. It's pretty much only for extreme family emergencies or if you parked in the wrong spot and the receptionist is out to get you! The reason it's so infrequently used is because it's guarded by our front desk receptionist, who is a wonderfully cranky older lady, who is the extremest (yes, I know that's not a correct adjective, but I liked it in this case!) no-nonsense person I've ever met. I am one of the only people at work who thinks she's "wonderfully cranky" because she actually likes me, so I don't have many run-ins with her.

Panic coursed through my veins as I picked up a nearby phone to call the front desk. All my friends that were around stood up and starting razzing me, "Lindsay - did you park in the front circle??" I reached the receptionist after only one ring and she said, "Lindsay, someone from your class is down here having a gallbladder attack in the lobby. Just thought you'd like to know."

"Fantastic," I replied, hanging up the phone and running down the hall. "Fantastic" has become my new word for "Crap - the world is falling apart around me!"

(I later heard all the ruminations of the coworkers who heard me let out a loud "Fantastic" and then saw me running away. Some thought it must be very bad, but the others said it "can't be bad because she said Fantastic." They then decided I had probably gotten flowers delivered at work, which would explain both the happy explosion of words and the rushing away.)

Arriving in the lobby, I saw my poor new hire (only on day TWO of her job there at Oxford), doubled over and writhing in agony. The ambulance was called even though it wasn't life threatening, (because I was informed that I couldn't take her to the hospital due to company policy) and I sat with her, rubbing her back and waiting it out. (But first, because of company policy, I had to ask her permission to rub her back) I also knew that she was a friend of someone I knew who works there, who is a Christian, and that they attend the same church. While the receptionist had her attention on talking to the 911 operator, I whispered to the new hire that I knew she went to so&so's church, and would she like me to pray for her. She moaned a quiet "yes," and I sent up a prayer so quietly that only because God is God, could He have heard.

The fire truck came... the police came... and the ambulance finally came. And this poor girl got loaded into the back, having told me that there was no one for me to call to meet her at the hospital.

After they got her loaded in, Wonderfully Cranky Receptionist told me that I had done a great job of staying calm and keeping the new hire calm, and then I got all shaky and told said receptionist that now I was going to fall apart. I am not ok when bodies don't do what they're supposed to do! It's not a gift I have. But, I was amazed and grateful at how calm I was able to stay, and thought that maybe a new leaf has been turned over in this new year. Not that I'm going to go out and find a whole bunch of bodies that aren't acting right, but still, I guess God really does give grace for us to handle what we thought we couldn't. Amazing how true those verses can be :) After I got myself together, I had so much adreneline pumping through me that I felt like I could do about anything. Twenty minutes later it all left, and I felt like I'd never be able to stand up again!

So then, later this afternoon, the door of the classroom opened, and in walked our morphined-up gallbladder heroine! Bless her heart, she had been discharged from the ER and taken a taxi back to work, so she didn't miss all of her second day. I'm only hoping she stays on as an employee, because she's the type we need - desperately!

Move ahead to 4:15... class gets out at 4:30. I was just beginning to believe that the day would end on a quiet note, when another participant ran up to my desk, said, "I need to go to the bathro..." and continued to run out the door, vomitting as they went. OH FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE! After a few minutes I had to go and find her, and she met me in the hall, begging to go home early. "PLEASE DO," I wanted to holler, waving hand sanitizer all over the place, but instead I calmly replied, "Of course - don't worry about a thing!"

I stayed late tonight, cleaning the daylights out of the classroom...