Pool-y Challenged

You've read about the pool before... that I got stuck inside it while we assembled it.

However, there is a new development.

I'm beginning to wonder if I am the butt of some cosmic joke... if the pool gods are truly against me.

This has been a storm-filled summer here in NH. We've had countless rainy days, varying from short little showers, to severe thunderstorms that wreak havoc.

And these storms have ALL been at times that I've wanted to get in the pool!

During the work week I try and get outside at every break and lunch, just to see the sun, and remember that there is more to life than what happens inside those big walls. And when I go out, it's so hot and sunny, that I spend the rest of the day, back at my desk, thinking about going home and getting in the pool.

For the last few weeks, almost without fail, by the time I get home it's either already raining, severely cooled down, or threatening to rain.

Today was very hot and very sunny. I went to my river spot after church, and got so hot there that I came home to get in the pool. Chatted with Jill for a bit, and changed into my swimsuit. By the time I got into the pool, the grey clouds had completely obliterated the sun, and there was a pretty steady (read: very chilly) breeze.

I quit!

My New Wheels - Insert Loud HURRAHS!

Love Those Kisses!

Diary of a Me

Inspired by the loquacious and bullety format of her cousin, our blogging heroine will now regale with what's been going on in her life since her post l-o-n-g ago....

Buckle seat belts, and... GO!

Sunday, last - Flew home from trip-of-a-lifetime with four of my nearest and dearest. Was so happy to be home that I giggled while crawling into bed that night.

Monday - Slept in, and then got a new car.

(Oh, do you want more details? It's true! I will no longer be writing posts about windows unzipping on the highway, rain pouring in, or how much fun it really was to drive with the top down on the way to the ocean. I will now be writing posts about having a reliable four dour with a hard top that I can actually take through a car wash! For those of you who know or care about car-ness, it's a '00 Pontiac Sunfire that had only 69,000 miles. Yay Paul! PS - it's gold)

Tuesday - Woke up feeling as if I'd been tossed against a wall repeatedly. Jetlag is an amazing thing. Slogged around for most of the day, then took a friend out for dinner.

Wednesday - Went back to work, and my email box was full, full, full! Sorted through that, chatted up my peeps, and got not much else done.

Thursday & Friday - See Wednesday... only add in a couple meetings, a little more productivity and a little less fullness of the email box

Saturday - Went to Panera with Evan and the kids, and the beach with Amy.

Sunday - Church, phone call that makes me smile every time I think about it, and Martina McBride concert (yup, it was amazing!)

Monday - Went back to work, along with a skeleton crew. This week is the week to be on vacation, boy howdy. Guess I jumped the gun by being out last week.

Tuesday - Worked a full day, and was interrupted by people going my desk on their way to start the holiday early, whispering, "Just leave early... I wont tell." Clung on by my fingernails until 4:15, when I leapt from my chair and flew to my car. Went to an amazing fireworks show in Portsmouth with Amy, and my face is still hurting from smiling so much. They were STUNNING!

Now, you have been updated on the events of my life, and I no longer have guilt.

PS - Happy 4th!

The Long Awaited Journey

On Wednesday, Drewey, Amy, Craig, DJ & I flew out of Boston at an ungodly hour to the great state of CALIFORNIA!!
Our trip has been a wonderful success! We've seen the sunset on the ocean twice, laughed so hard we cried way more than twice, been to San Fran, hugged the groom, met the bride, prayed together on the beach, taken more than 700 pictures (and that's just Drewey!), eaten at the best taqueria on the planet, put many miles on our rental Jeep Liberty, made fast friends with the Starbucks folks, and have had many other memory-making moments.

YAY for friends! YAY for weddings! YAY for California! YAY for God's very evident fingerprints on this trip!

Thinking It Through

This afternoon Evan, Jill & I assembled a pool for the backyard!

As we were putting it up, in my ultimate wisdom I had the idea to get inside the pool to straighten out the bottom while they raised the sides. It worked like a charm! The bottom of the pool was nice and tidy and smooth, and then...

HOLD THAT THOUGHT!

I was STUCK! The sides of the pool were completely raised, coming up to my chin. There was no way out!

So, I stayed in there for 45 minutes while they assembled a ladder to rescue me.

Good times!

PS - Happy Father's Day, Daddy! I think you're pretty much the bomb diggity, and I'm a lucky little girl to be your daughter!

So, Last Wednesday...

Craig, Drewey & I spent the day in Boston...



And that night, I went to Fenway for the FIRST TIME!

How was that day spelled?

H-A-P-P-I-N-E-S-S!!



(my first glimpse of Fenway)

My "ER" haircut

This past week I got an ER haircut.

I went shortER and blondER.

In fact, I went so blonde that I felt my IQ drop several points.

It Only Took Me 28 Years!

This weekend I ran into someone who I haven't seen in several years. It took them about three seconds to notice my nose ring.

Their comment:

"Well, that's the first cool thing you've done!"

WOW!

The rest of the weekend I was making mental lists of other "cool" things I've done, to try and validate my existence for the last 28 years.

Then, in a rash case of insecurity, I wrote them all out in bullet format to post on my blog.

But then I realized, I don't need to rationalize my life so that I'm marching to the beat of someone else's drum.

I love my life... except, of course, when I'm being mocked by "cooler" people.

So, I'm not going to post the "cool" things I've done in my life, but there was one that I thought of this morning that I never blogged about, and it makes me laugh every time I think of it... so below, for your viewing pleasure, the one thing that made me "cool" before last weekend's piercing!

Attempting to drag race (yes, in my Tracker) two strangers in their souped (you're welcome, Drewey :) up Honda in the middle of Manchester. Through the open window, as I gunned my accelerator, I heard them shout in disbelief, and then fly past me. Amy & I were laughing so hard we were both in tears for a good ten minutes afterwards!

And tonight, I got to put ice on Spiderman's boo boo, and I bet not even the aforementioned mocker has gotten to do THAT!

Ocean's Thirteen

Hmmm... I was disappointed.

I really liked Eleven, laughed out loud a few times at Twelve, but Thirteen was not what I would call a favorite... at all.

If you find it worth it to spend money for a ticket, popcorn and a soda to see a few shots of George Clooney's exceptionally long eyelashes, by all means go.

But if you don't, in my humble opinion, this new one in the series is certainly a renter.

Sad me.

Tales From A Swamp Rat

Yesterday was SO hot at work. I don't know what was going on, but the AC was not really doing it's job.

So, today, when I saw that the sun was shining, I dressed for it to be very warm outside and in. The sun was deceptive, and the AC had begun working.

No worries! I have a jacket in my car for such emergencies. Over break I ran to get it.

I forgot that my car sometimes leaks when it rains, and my new found warmth came with a bad surprise.

It smelled like swamp! Therefore, I smelled like swamp.

Because You Asked So Nicely

This is seconds after it happened... you can even see a little fuzz left over from the cotton ball she used to clean it.

Let the record show I was NOT CRYING. My eye was merely watering...

Things I Never Thought I'd Hear My Nephew Say

"Have fun getting your nose pierced!"

But, he did.

And, I did.

Pollyanna Is Not Dead

Generally, I try and see the good side of life. I try to make a conscious effort to focus on the "pro" side of a graph, rather than the "con," referring to it as my Pollyanna side.

Today was a day where I just couldn't rise above it. Work was so heavy, and I couldn't focus on anything positive. I sent an email to a friend stating "Pollyanna died in her sleep last night."

But, she didn't die... she just decided to stay home from work today.

She met me as a little blonde two year old, running to me with lit up face, so happy I was home from work. She wrapped her dirty-from-being-outside-all-day arms around my neck, and held on for dear life.

She was also in a wonderful summer-is-almost-here dinner of corn on the cob and salad.

And my precious apartment, that stays so cool when the weather is turning warmer.

No, Pollyanna is not dead!

Hurray!

Thoughts On This Tuesday

Today I had a conversation with a friend at work, and came out of it more convinced than I have been in a while that waiting for the one that God has for me is really what I want to be doing... not settling, not jumping the gun, not whining... just being patient.

I'd lost focus these last few months, and had been struggling with major feelings of discontent. And I wasn't used to that. In the last five years, I felt like I had a corner on the contentment market. Of course there were days where it wasn't fun to be single, but for the most part, I was living my life to the hilt, regardless of my status.

This past week I've been very sick, and for most of that time, I was really afraid. There were doctor's appointments, ultrasounds, phone conversations with doctor's offices, and no one knew what was wrong with me. Thankfully, they ruled out tumor and leftover gallstone from last fall's surgery, but then I was left with, "Sorry you're in pain, but we don't know what it is, so track your symptoms and keep us posted."

Thankfully, with the help of WebMD, I was able to figure out that my pain was coming from side effects of a medication that I'd been taking for several months. Yesterday was the first day since last Tuesday that I thought I might actually live!

As I was telling my co-worker this story, explaining my fear at two different appointments when they called in second opinions, he asked, "And were you all by yourself for this?"

"Yes," I replied, "but I was ok with that." (In fact, for the ultrasound, several people had offered to go with me, but I chose to go by myself)

He kept saying how sorry he was that I had been by myself, and the more I tried to reassure him that it had been ok, the more I felt myself being reassured. It almost felt like I was saying the words to myself, and he was just eavesdropping.

Then he began asking the whole, "Have you found someone yet?" questions, and then "Well, is there anyone on the horizon?" followed by "Would you be open to seeing someone outside of your faith? No... well, you do know that narrows the field, don't you?" (YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT??)

This unwillingness of me to open up myself to other faiths caused a silent shaking of the head, and he wanted to know why. When I explained a couple of the reasons, he still shook his head, and explained that he and his girlfriend are making it work. Fantastic! My heart is abounding in joy for them! However, I think theirs is a much-in-the-minority relationship in that aspect.

This type of conversation happens so frequently at work.

"He's cute - you should date him." (Sure cute would be nice, but far from my highest priority)
"He's nice - you should go out with him." (Yes, nice is something that I'm looking for, but once again, not the only characteristic)

But during today's conversation I finally got to use the sentence I've been wanting to for quite some time... "You know, people are actually capable of being happily single & content."

And this evening, my heart is thankful, because in trying to convince my friend that my life was still worth living, I saw that it really is... regardless of what's on (or not on, as the case may be) my left hand.

If You Think...

... that because I got tagged by two people, I'm going to list FOURTEEN random things, you're wrong. However, here are my seven.

1) I just had the opportunity to listen to the story of Jonah being put on in skit format by my niece & nephews outside my bedroom window. (The trampoline was the boat... Pastor Daddy was directing)

2) Lilac season makes me so happy that I tend to get a little teary when I smell them!

3) Topping the list of things I never want to hear my doctor say again: "Um, I'm going to get another doctor in here, because I'm feeling something I shouldn't & I'm not sure what it is." (That happened this morning, and after being convinced for five minutes that I had the-word-everyone-dreads-to-hear, the other doctor confirmed I have "low ribs" and they were just feeling the tip of my lowest one)

4) Last week I had an epiphany that I no longer hate my job!

5) Though I've been an avid "American Idol" fan for several years, this year has just not grabbed me, and I couldn't care less whether Blake or Jordin wins.

6) My free piano is in the midst of being fixed... bringing the cost of it's free-ness to over $1300.

7) I am so very, very rich in the friends that God has given me!

And if you like this type of thing, consider yourself tagged :)
If you don't, well then, consider yourself un-tagged!

Of Kilts

I like kilts! A lot!

When Darren & I were in Scotland (ten years ago this month) we saw lots of them, and I loved it! Never had something so boring as going to a grocery store been so much fun! I mean, I never see kilts in the Bedford Hannaford's!

Today as I was upstairs at work, out of the corner of my eye I saw a guy in shorts. "Not legal!" thought I. But then I looked closer... and he wasn't wearing shorts. He was wearing a kilt.

And he should not have been!

Some guys can pull that look off. He can't/couldn't/didn't.

Shudder.

Happy Feet!

Aaaaaaaaahhh!

Once a Big Brother...

... always a big brother.

My big brother flew up from VA this morning. And flew back this evening.

He and Evan went out for lunch. I got to leave a little early from work to spend time with him.

All of us took the kids to the park before I drove him back to the airport.

The four of us adults chatted while the kids played.

The sun was shining, the kids were laughing, my heart was full, and...

He even pushed me on the swings. For old time's sake.

I don't know that a girl ever out-grows her adoration of a big brother.

I sure haven't... for either one of mine.

Just Another Normal Tuesday

So, I was driving home from work.

And I had my foot peeking out the window to catch the breeze.

And I caught a bug in between my toes.

But then it stung me.

Wonder if I'm the only one that happened to today.

So, This is Kinda Funny

I heard of this quiz from one of my friends, who shall rename nameless, and thought it would be funny to do :)

Lindsay -- [noun]: A real life muppet 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

PS - want to know the definition of the aforementioned friend's name? "A person who falls into an outhouse and dies." I guess I should feel lucky to only be a muppet!

The Fate of My Knight

I finally met my knight in shining armor... we were happy, as you can tell!
Then Craig's stupid dragon ate him.

The end.

Yay For Filled-up Love Tanks!

This past Sunday, I went to see a play that several of my peeps from "The Boys Next Door" were either performing in/directing/stage managing... and we got PICTURES! The cast has stayed close, and have made it a point to support each other when we're performing.



John, Mary, Jason, Me
My beloved director, Tim
MARY!!! She was the Sheila to my Clara! :)

Just the Three of Us

The Real Me

Yesterday, Amy, Drewey and I were talking about recent events that have occurred in our country.

We started off laughing about silly old Don Imus and the remarks that got him fired.

Then, Drewey said that she had heard some radio commentators saying that one of the girls who Imus had referred to stated she had been “scarred for life” by what he had said. Sure, it was offensive, inappropriate and rude, but enough to scar someone for life?

And hearing that on the radio made Drewey think that the events of VA Tech were of a proportion to scar someone for life, not an insensitive racial slur.

All last evening and today I couldn’t stop thinking about that. There are events in life that can scar, and there are ones that hurt, but need to be looked at as just that… hurt, not scars.

In the last couple of weeks several things that have happened that caused my last blog post. A past relationship had resurfaced bringing much confusion and sorrow, someone I love had been hurt, and I was reeling with pain.

And I decided that my blog was too open for speculation, and I didn’t want to be scrutinized while dealing with the pain. So, I stopped writing. But I dreadfully missed the outlet that writing brought.

Several of my close friends closed ranks and sent me messages, reminding me of God’s faithfulness. When I mentioned on another website that I was struggling to remember that God knows what He’s doing, one of my world traveling friends wrote,

“God DOES know what He is doing! Always! Way to choose to believe it yet again...
And remember:

Give to the winds your fears; hope, and be undismayed,
God hears your sighs, and counts your tears.
God shall lift up your head.
Through waves and clouds and storms He gently leads the way!
Wait for His time, so shall the night soon end in joyous day!

Still heavy is your heart? Still sink your spirits down?
Cast off the weight! Let fear depart and every care be gone!
He everywhere has sway, and all things serve His mind;
His every act pure blessing is:
His path, unsullied light.

Leave to His sovereign will to choose and to command;
With wonder filled you then shall own how WISE, how STRONG His hand!

Thought maybe you could use a refresher course, my friend!”


Another friend, who knows me all too well, wrote saying, “Don’t retreat, Lindsay.”


So, this morning as I was thinking about events that do or do not scar for life, giving my fears to the wind, remembering that God “everywhere has sway”, not retreating, and missing the outlet that my blog brings, I thought, “Events in my life can only steal my joy if I LET them. And I don’t want to let them.”

And so I’m back… choosing to not be one who says “This little thing scarred me for life,” choosing instead to revel in the joy of being one who knows, that regardless of life’s experience, that my God is on the throne.

To Be Continued

My blog will be on hiatus for a little while.


"Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will joy in the God of my salvation."
Habakkuk 3:17-18

Toosday

"You can't help respecting anybody who can spell "Tuesday,"
even if he doesn't spell it right;
but spelling isn't everything.
There are days when spelling Tuesday simply doesn't count."

-Winnie the Pooh (A.A. Milne)

Yesterday...

... we said goodbye to Melo, who's on his way to Iraq.

We played and we prayed, and now can't wait until the welcome home party a year from now.

(Picture provided by Drewey)

My Life is Worth The Living

Just because He lives!

This day I've been reminded that:

• God is a God of second chances
• We have Hope
• Jesus lives to make intercession for me
• My risen Lord does a better job of carrying my burdens than I do
• He is a personal Savior who loved surprising Mary at the tomb those many years ago - just like He loves to surprise me with His nearness when I need it most

Happy Easter - enjoy basking in the joy of this day, and all it stands for!

Aunt Octopus

This morning Jed, Chloe, (sporadically) Tucker & I had a coloring party.

It was interrupted by a squalling Jack, who needed some lovings.

As I sat on the floor holding the baby, Jed kept making please-come-back-and-color noises.

I let him know it was still a coloring party, as I was only three feet away from him, and that he could continue, and then he quietly said,

"I wish you were an octopus."

Yup - I Quit

Not my job... not life... just photo week :)

Reason being:

1) How does one surreptitiously put one's cell phone in a stranger's face and ask them to stand still for a picture?

2) I didn't have three Claires to photograph in my home!

Since Lindsay Doesn't Have A Digital Camera

She is doing this picture week with her camera phone.

And because her camera phone is far from being color & black/white compatible, she had to think outside the box.

Hence, this picture! (Does she get any points for creativity?)

Count Me In...

... on this photo week. (See Liane's blog) Sorry that I'm a day late.





Here's a corner of my house & my self portrait.

Thirty-Five Years Ago...

... two people whom I love and respect said two words that would change their lives.

"I do."

In a world where marriage is now often scorned, and commitment is something that many don't seem to comprehend, these two have weathered the storms that have come their way.

And if you ask them, it just gets better every day.

Thank you, Mom, for respecting and honoring Dad. Thank you for teaching me, by example, how to stay under authority without losing who you are as a person

Thank you, Dad, for cherishing Mom and loving her as Christ loves the church. Thank you for giving her wings to fly, and for supporting who she is.

Thank you both for showing me what a real partnership looks like - for making marriage seem like a desirable option, and not something to fear.

I love you both so much!
Happy Anniversary!

Basking in the Joy of Friendship

God has given me an incredible network of friends... and I'm grateful!
This is one of my favorite pictures of all time!

And Then There Was The Time...

... I woke up at 3:45 one Wednesday morning, and couldn't get back to sleep.

That was a good time.

Remember That I'm In The "Adult Education" Field

Each Monday I have my classes fill out goal setting forms. They are composed of four sections...

1) Last Week's Successes...

2) Last Week's Challenges...

3) My Goals for Next Week are...

4) Where I need help/support from the Trainer...

Tonight as I was going over them I read this under one participant's number four:

"Nothing yet. Just understand if I look bored and not paying attention it's not true, that's how I learn."

(This from the person who was in their email so much today, that even after I addressed it about six times this afternoon, there was no change. I resorted to my secret weapon. I sent him an email asking him to close his! He shrunk down in his seat with red ears, and practically ran from the room when I dismissed them several minutes later.)

Somehow I don't think that "Bored & Not Paying Attention" is going to make it big as the fifth adult learning style!

More Fun In Target

Cute us!!!

We were trying to strike a pose, but instead the pose struck me... as incredibly funny!!

Tiny Morsels

My new class is really smart and a lot of fun... with the exception of one dear soul.

On the second day of training (this past Tuesday) she said, "Um, could you please use smaller words, because it's the afternoon and I'm tired."

The End.

Spring Has Spru... NO It Hasn't!! This is NH!

Yesterday was so beautiful... for a few hours! I opened my door to see the sun shining and the air all Spring-ish. I walked to my car to retrieve some items and said aloud to myself, "It smells so good out here," and made very many I'm-happy-it's-almost-Spring noises.

Then, my feet found a patch of ice, and my happy chantings changed instantly to an enraged Lindsay, sprawled on all fours howling about how much I HATE Winter!

I am now sporting bruises, scrapes & bumps on BOTH KNEES & BOTH HANDS!

PS - I was telling Mom & Dad about this over the phone, hung up, and promptly shut my finger in a kitchen drawer. Good GRIEF!

RSV-less Jacksteroo!

Courtesy of Aunt Lindsay's cell phone, hence the non-stellar quality picture. At least the smile is stellar!

Somehow I Think...

... that clicking these shoes together wouldn't take me to a place like Kansas!

(Oh the fun that can be had in Target!)

If I Weren't Me...

... I'd be annoyed at my lack of postings lately!

HOWEVER, because I am me, and know the reasons* for the lack of postings, I'm too tired to even care!

(*reasons)

1)Jacksteroo in the hospital for five days
2)Playing Aunt Lindsay while #1 was happening
3)Getting over a very nasty cold
4)Working almost 50 hours both last week and this
5)Hosting a game night (which was SO much fun!)
6)Whining about how tired I am :)

And yet, also realizing that there is a lot to be thankful* for...

(*thankful)

1)Continued answers to prayer for strength
2)A good new hire class that started last week
3)A few warm (ish) days
4)Beautiful sunrise today
5)Friends who pray
6)Jack home from the hospital
7)Friends who still love me even when I don't blog faithfully :)

A Regular Old Whodunnit

I got home from work to a beautifully cleared walkway...

After dinner Evan said, "I didn't shovel your walkway. It must have been Amy."

("Oh yeah," I said to him. "I was going to thank you for that!")

So I called Amy and started leaving a message for her, thanking her for being a snow-shovelling goddess. She picked up in the middle of the message, and asked me why I was saying that... no, she had not shovelled my walkway.

The two of us decided that maybe it was Cherilyn, so I put in a call to that household. She answered, and mistook my question. She thought I was asking her to shovel my walkway. After I got done laughing so hard my stomach hurt, I explained the issue... She too was among the "didn't shovel Lindsay's walkway" crew.

We brainstormed and thought maybe it was Alden... when I called him, he stated it wasn't him, but suggested perhaps a guardian angel or my knight in shining armor had done it. Riiight. I have my doubts about that one!

So then I called the F-----s and spoke with the Dad. He said no, they hadn't done it, but with these phone calls I'd now have 15 people who would automatically shovel my walkway at the next snowfall.

And I called Wes, but he was in school.

And I called DJ, but he was still at Fernwood.

And I called Aaron, but he said their family hadn't done it either.

Here I was, trying so very hard to thank the person who did this, but instead just instilling guilt in all the people I asked who hadn't done it.

If you have any ideas of who I should call next, please let me know! Or if you are the do-gooder of a shoveller, THANKS! This has made my evening!

Screeeeeeeech!

That's my life, coming to a screeching halt, as I just got my hands on the fifth season of 24!

Adchay, a person who's identity has been changed to protect him, brought me the first three DVDs of the season on Wednesday. Of course, I had to watch one episode that night... and then a couple more on Thursday night... and more on Friday night... and then on Saturday I woke up really early, and of course, I couldn't be bored on a Saturday morning, so I watched more.

And then a favorite character was killed, and that was the last episode of the DVDs from Adchay. So, I called the local Blockbuster and scuttled over there for the last three DVDs.

I watched a very large number of episodes yesterday, and finished the season this afternoon. And I'm EXHAUSTED! For heaven's sake... the way I get into it, you'd think that Jack couldn't save the world without me! On Friday night, I was tensely curled up in my chair, watching it on my laptop when E & J's cats started howling outside my window. I about leapt out of my skin!

And then I thought of this list:

Signs That You Are WAY Too Into 24!

* You don't care if you're in jammies in Blockbuster

* You're grateful every time you start the car and it doesn't explode

* All of your dreams have to do with computer programming, schematics of buildings & people falling off things (sorry, Mom - you did fall off a v-e-r-y tall structure, but thankfully only sprained your ankle!)

* You start your phone conversations with "Is this a secure line?"

* You cry when a favorite character is killed & start yelling instructions to the other characters on the screen

* Every action that you take in real life (answering the phone, typing on a laptop, putting keys in your pocket) is followed by the thought, "Oh - they do that in 24!"

Good grief, I need to go take a nap before I file my taxes... "hmmm - I wonder if they file taxes in 24!"

Things That Make Me Give Happy Sighs!

A 45 min phone call with my west coast friend...

An affirming, I'm-still-here-for-you-when-the-world-stinks email from my favorite Navy guy

All the funny responses to Jerkopolis!

Seeing my friend's twins today - they've almost tripled their birth weight in 10 weeks and are looking mighty healthy!

Restarting our Bible Study this evening after a long hiatus

Knowing that God has my best interest at heart

Happy Sigh!!

Word of the Day

"Jerkopolis"

Noun - The imaginary city of residence of people that we're not too fond of.

Creator of word - Amy

Whole-hearted supporter of word - Lindsay

Phone Calls That Make You Say, "Count Me In!!"

On Thursday I got a message on my phone from DJ... "call me when you get a chance. I have a question for you about Saturday."

Now, Thursday was a v-e-r-y bad day in Lindsay-land, so I texted back, "Bad day - I'm grouchy - will call tomorrow."

Friday comes, I am officially un-grouchy, and I call the cousin. "How about Wes and I come over on Saturday and make you pancakes."

OKAY!!

So, this morning I had two blonde cousins come make me food. (Well, one made the pancakes, I fried the bacon, and the other one did the dishes later on... in fact the pancake-maker even pulled double duty by drying the dishes!)

Evan came in and said, "How much did this cost you? Breakfast and clean-up??"

Just cost a package of bacon!

Another Chloe Quote

She was showing me the shoes she chose to wear, advising me that they came to her from her cousin Addie.

"They came in a package that the CPV truck brought."

"Oh," said Aunt Lindsay, "UPS?"

"Yup."

"May You Please Honk!"

... heard tonight from my backseat, as my three year old niece decided we had been waiting too long at a red light.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most.
We ask ourselves,
'Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous,
talented,
and famous?'
Actually, who are you not to be? 
You are a child of God. 
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest 
the glory of God that is within us. 
It's not just in some of us;
it's in all of us. 
And when we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others."

- Maryann Williamson

And The Random Comment Award Goes To...

"You're so pure, you crack me up!"

A co-worker said this to me today, as I was expressing frustration about something, but refusing to swear.

Um - thank you?

All In A Night's Work

So, last night I was a taxi driver who was driving Rosie O'Donnell around, and had the opportunity to share the gospel with her. How about that?

Generally, I'm one of those people who doesn't dream. And when I say that, the people who facts are important to, jump up and down screaming, "Everyone dreams - you just probably don't remember yours."

Well, then, ok. I dream. I just don't remember them.

Since I've been sick, I've been taking Tylenol Cold & Flu both the day and the night formulas. The day formula has been great to keep me going at work. The night formula is AMAZING! I've slept incredibly well the last couple of nights, and the dreams have been out of control! I thought Sunday's was interesting, and then Monday's... but I think the whole taxi driver thing takes the cake!

From Abishag to Zebedee

What do you do when you've gotten three hours of sleep and are on a car trip that is taking fourteen hours when it should only take nine?

Play fun games, of course!

Me to Evan, "Let's play 'come-up-with-weird-names-from-the-Bible-for-every-
letter-of-the-alphabet.' I'm starting with Abishag... go!"

Or play multiple rounds of "Who Am I?"

Or listen to CDs... lots of CDs.

Or put diapers on your head to amuse the six & two yr old in the backseat.

Or pray that the trucks passing you and causing slush on the windshield that blinds for seconds at a time will go away!

Or keep checking the speedometer and seeing that we're still going half the speed we should be going.

Or eat all kinds of junk food... and subsequently become sick from said junk food!

And lastly (and most importantly) - daydream of the look on your Dad's face when he walks in from work and sees that you're here to surprise him for his 60th birthday weekend!

The trip was a major success, and thankfully the roads were clear on the way home, and we made it in nine hours! (In time to go to bed very unhappily, due to the outcome of "the game" last night - angry eyes at Caldwell!)

Icy Marauders

This morning at 3:30 I awoke because something was happening in my living room. Someone had just dropped something and it made a loud thud. I lay awake, my heart now doing the thudding, and it happened again! I decided I didn't want to be a statistic of someone murdered in their bed, so I got up to investigate. (Don't argue with 3:30 am logic... it's MUCH better to be in one's living room when one meets an intruder - everyone knows that!)

As you can guess, because I am writing this post, there was no one in my living room... or my bathroom or the hall closet. (Not that I checked or anything - I'm not neurotic!)

I went back to bed, and will freely admit I left the light on for safe measure.

My eyes were closed, I was almost asleep again when someone threw a rock at my bedroom wall! My eyes flew open, and my heart started that dumb thudding again. What was going on?

I calmed down, closed my eyes again, and had just gotten back to sleep when the pipes started screeching at the top of their lungs. (Please don't bother me with pipe anatomy details... I'm in the creative writing zone, and my heating pipes can have lungs if I say so!)

Now I was irritated. Not only was this marauder invisible, but it sounded like he was heating water for a cup of tea!

A minute later the same rock-thrown-at-wall sound came, except it was SIX INCHES from my head.

And then I realized what all these noises were. There was ice on my apartment from the recent storms, and it was cracking... and it continued to crack until I had to drag my exhausted, all nerved-up, hadn't really slept since 3:30 body out of bed for work this morning.

I'm sleeping in my closet tonight, where tea-drinking, rock-throwing, invisible marauders can't get me!!

Aunt Lindsay & Jackson

A good little snuggle after a long day!!

Tid Bits & Such

* I was thinking I'd be all clever and come up with a title called "A Tid Bit Sort of Post" and started writing that in, BUT it was already there.. as a title for another one of my posts. It's hard when my cleverness has already been used!


* Tonight at dinner:
Jed - "Do you know what amazes me?"
Aunt Lindsay - "What amazes you?"
Jed - "That you're not married yet!"
Aunt Lindsay (tongue in cheek) - "It amazes me too!"
Jed - "Yeah - I don't think you're ever going to get married."
Aunt Lindsay (in her head) - "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Bud-row!"


*At church last Sunday we put out a "Suggestion basket" for music. That way if people were wanting some new music, or hated what is currently being done, or had incredible ideas, they'd feel free to write it down and I'd pick them up weekly.
I went over to the church tonight to read through the suggestions.
One caught my eye... it read

"We need lots more drums!"

Funny that the handwriting looked so similar to my pastor's!

Weowd!

The trees have buds on them, because they think it's spring.

They should think it's spring, because yesterday it hit the 70s!!

And a friend just told me that their tulips are starting to come up. Poor tulips are in for a rude awakening if winter ever decides to re-visit NH.

Hmmm...

I Pose It To You, Dear Readers

Someone in my latest class at work identified with my horror/fear/life-stopping terror of snakes... only she raises snakes, and instead is deathly afraid of spiders. It bothers her that I am so afraid of snakes, and is constantly coming up with creative ways to help me get over my phobia.

She came to me this week and said that she is so afraid of spiders that she saw a shrink to help her deal with it. "Uh oh," said I. "Please don't tell me they made you face your fear and get up close with spiders." She replied that that was exactly what was done, and she held a tarantula in her hand. She also claimed it helped her with her dread of arachnids, but then admitted she's still afraid of most... just not tarantulas.

Therefore, she said that I should come to her house and hold her snakes. Even the mere thought of that made my heart start beating faster, and my breath become shallow. I loudly declined, and will continue to do so as many times as she invites me.

But it made me wonder... Does that really work? Facing ones fears in such a drastic way... Is it healthy? And it would only work with real fears, not ones that are ludicrous, like say being afraid of someone hanging from your shower head. If ANY of you try that to rid me of my fear, I will be very angry! Heck, if any of you bring snakes to my house I'll be angry to. I'm not ready for that type of "therapy!"

So what do you guys think??

Growing Pains

When I was little, I had horrible growing pains in my legs. Now how wrong is that?!? I don't even make it to 5'2" when I'm standing as tall as I can, but I had to deal with that kind of pain.

Now poor little Jed has them pretty bad as well. The other day he asked if when I did massage I did legs as well, and I assured him that the next time he had growing pains I'd work on his legs.

Tonight during dinner he asked if I would, and there I sat on the couch, having come full circle, rubbing my little nephews legs just like Dad & Mom did mine.

I hope his growing pains are actually worth something, and somehow I think they are... seeing as at the age of six he has several inches less than a foot until he catches up with me.

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