The Clock is Ticking

Please excuse my crappy video skills. This was taken on Phoebe, my cell phone.

We finally have an answer. However, this is at 7:18 in the evening. I stopped drinking coffee at noon.


Free quizzes, widgets, and gadgets at OnePlusYou

I found this over at Sharon's blog, Reservoir.

Is this not the best quote for my month? (Okay, I know you don't all know what my month has included, but I'm happy..that's all you need to know.)

The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes.
~Frank Lloyd Wright

Here's a little challenge for whomever would like to play.

Tell me why this quote works for you today, this week, this month, this year (dare I say, this decade, century, millenium? heeeheeeeheeeeheeee!!!)

I'll share mine later today. Y'all go with you it. Post a comment here, and once I figure out Mr. Linky, I'll put make it available for this morning.

Today's "10 Things Tuesday" is brought to you by caffiene.

Or maybe by Advil.

Actually, I think it's brought to you by a totally off the wall sponsor--Gold Bond Medicated Anti-Itch Cream. If you'll just read my list, I'll 'splain that one.

1. ONLY 3 days left with students before the school year ends. YAY!!!! I love my job, but OMG I need a break!

2. I get to stay late and earn some overtime (which never happens in education). I have to remind myself that this opportunity is a blessing...because I forgot I was scheduled to and really wanted to go home.

3. I've a new, geeky place to head when I need something to read. The Britannica Blog Yes, I found this because I like to read Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Hey.. I get free access from the state, why wouldn't I at least look?

4. I laid out Saturday, by the pool. (That's not the blessing.) I not only wore sunblock--SPF 30--I also made sure to reapply every 45 minutes or so. (Still not it.) I wound up horribly sunburned on my chest, which is apparently the fairest part of my body to ever be exposed to the sun. Yesterday, I awoke to itching on my chest so bad that I could not think straight and was crying--not just from the itching/pain but also from the frustration of not being able to do anything other than suffer. (Obviously, still not the blessing, wait for it.) Here's the blessing---Gold Bond Medicated Anti-Itch Cream took it all away. I didn't hurt, I didn't itch, and I stopped crying.

5. I'm feeling super-introspective these days. I think I get what my problem's been lately. I've really just been 'making it' in terms of my own understanding of my relationship with God. I'm starting to determine what that's really supposed to be for me not for the masses.

6. Some of my former students, and current ones, are coming by to tell me thank you. I didn' even know they were listening.

7. It's still beautiful out. And going to stay that way for a few days. I love it. The sun light (even if it burns me) just does me in.

8. This site is cool. Earthlab.com It really helps you figure out where you can not only "live green" but where you can cut back on some of your own costs. And the recipes from Mario Batali are amazing!

9. Did I mention there's only 3 days left with kids in the school year? Hallelujah!

10. I'm just happy lately. Don't know why, just am.

Visit XBox Wife for more blessings today.

Today, I'm feeling seriously blessed...

1. THREE days in a row that are just beautiful. Sunny days make me feel so good.

2. Doing some reading, and really enjoying the thought processes coming out of it.

3. Bought a new toy...meet Chloe. She's the silver one.

4. Sat in tree last night. Did not see one of these

(posted by anewperspective)

But I did see one of these


(posted by jpstanley)

and it was beautiful.





5. I just colored my hair, a la Miss Clairol. This may or may not be a blessing. It is, however, significantly cheaper than paying for it. (That is a blessing.)

6. The WonderDog is a darling. I think he grew up all of a sudden. He's just so calm the last couple of weeks.

7. Running, running, running....I love to go running...

8. Been writing a lot the last few days. Good to get words on paper.

9. Only 8 days left in the school year. Only 6 with kids, for me. Yeehaw! I'm so ready for a change of pace, even if it's just a week off before I start teaching summer school.

10. Speaking of a change of pace....I'm not really sleeping better, as far as longer, but the quality is better.

Hm....I'm sure there's others, but I'm holding my cards close.

To see other blessings, visit XBox Wife's Ten Things Tuesday Carnival this week.

This started as a hand-written journal entry today. And morphed into an email I sent an acquaintance. It was his email that sent me into a tailspin. I'm going to try to piece it together for you, here.

I was asked what I really want. Well..I have to tell you that question is what sent me into a spin. I thought I knew, though I haven't voiced dreams or desires in some time. I can't think 2 years down the road right now, much less 10. And maybe that's because right now I feel secure in my job (which means I feel secure in the things that go along with being employed, like financial security). I mean, they've let me be in on a big project--it would be a cruel joke to not let me continue that. And my district is full of politics, but they aren't flat out mean.

I've been struggling of late with my faith. I'm not concerned that it's ailing--I'm quite a joyous Presbyterian, thank you. I even feel like, for the most part, I'm living an active and what I call a "naked eye" faith. Meaning that Christ in my life is visible to the naked eye. I know, quite certainly, in Whom my salvation lies. Moreover, I am a rejoicing Christian

I'm just feeling disconnected. Out of touch with my own personal faith. A 'medicine head' kind of feeling. I feel a little lost and like I'm doing things by rote, not by desire.

Church on Sunday, grace at the table, prayers at bedtime. Yeehaw.

I read something this afternoon that feels like it applies to me. The guy was describing a 20 year old leaving for his first away from home college experience. The kid is in a questioning place, and the big question is whether to keep hold of the faith that he was taught by someone else or to create his own relationship with Christ that may not look like his parents. In other words, drop the one-size-fits-all model for one that is tailor-made.

I feel like, after 25 years of the one-size-fits-all, I've outgrown it. So, I'm praying for the ability to define my relationship with my Savior, not the Savior.

By the way, the book I was reading today is Surprise Me: a 30-Day Faith Experiment. It's by Terry Esau. Yesterday I read Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture. I'm not done with Surprise Me, yet. But I have to tell you that if there's any book (other than the Bible) I'm liable to tell people they MUST READ, it's Pausch's book. I am completely humbled by his words.

Destinations have actually been on my mind a lot this week. My brother and I have been discussing our not-so-annual vacation to celebrate our birthdays. (We haven't gone in 2 years, but we had gotten together for several years before that.) It's always a long weekend, usually the weekend in between our birthdays in October. And it's just us, much to The Mother's chagrin, disappointment, consternation--pick one, or add your own!

And, I reason to think we'll try to continue this as we move into relationships. I think it's going to wind up being very healthy and important for us to do it.

Anyway, the Friday Five at RevGalBlogPals is about destinations this week.

Name five places that fall into the following categories:

1) Favorite Destination -- someplace you've visited once or often and would gladly go again
Honestly, DisneyWorld. I love being there, it reminds you to be a kid, even when you are
fighting to be an adult (can you tell I went as a teenager?).

2) Unfavorite Destination -- someplace you wish you had never been (and why)
Hmm..Tulsa. For those of you long-time fans, you know I think Tulsa in July makes an
appearance in Dante's work. Otherwise, I don't really have an answer. I've always enjoyed the
places that I go, destination-wise. There are some situations I wouldn't visit again, though.

3) Fantasy Destination -- someplace to visit if cost and/or time did not matter
Spain. Specifically the Tarragona area. I'm seriously jealous of my parents for going.

4) Fictional Destination -- someplace from a book or movie or other art or media form you would love to visit, although it exists only in imagination
Oh, I thought this would be easy! It's not--totally a drew a blank. Narnia is a first, beloved
choice. Hazzard County (of Dukes of Hazzard fame), I've always been in love with Bo and
Luke Duke. *grin* And, also...because I've always liked the way life seems to move slower
there, Greenbow County, Alabama, from Forrest Gump. (As a librarian, I feel like I should
be picking more "literary" places. Oh well.)
5) Funny Destination -- the funniest place name you've ever visited or want to visit
I'll be honest, I can't think of any place. I'm sure there is one, but it's escaping me. I'll update
if I think of one.

For more ruminations about destinations, visit this week's Friday Five at RevGalBlogPals.

I just came across this on Mrs. Brownstone's blog.


It's just a beautiful performance piece. Do enjoy it, and have a blessed day!

Over at RevGalBlogPals, Sally reminds us that

Prayer is a joy to some of us, and a chore to others, waiting likewise can be filled with anticipation or anxiety....

Geez..this is SO true. Both that, and knowing that from day to day, I have a different experience with both prayer and waiting.

So how do you wait and pray?

1. How do you pray best, alone or with others? Mostly, I prefer to pray alone. Others wind up being a distraction for me. Not because of anything they set out to do, but because I notice things about them. Like, a sniffle, wiggling a foot, etc.

2. Do you enjoy the discipline of waiting, is it a time of anticipation or anxiety? It really depends on what I'm waiting for. I'd love to say waiting is easy for me, but I have very little patience.

3. Is there a time when you have waited upon God for a specific promise? I am right now. I'm also struggling with the notion that the promise isn't what I want it to be. (Long story short--I'm single and don't like it much.)

4. Do you prefer stillness or action? Again, it depends. Sometimes, I want an answer yesterday. Some days, I'm content to be still and wait until He opts to make a move.

5. If ( and this is slightly tongue in cheek) you were promised one gift spiritual or otherwise what would you choose to receive? I should probably say patience, but then He'd be all about TEACHING me to be patient. I'd like courage, I'd like wisdom. I'd like a deeper knowledge and understanding of Him.

And time..I never feel like I have enough of it and I often fear that I'm not devoting enough to Him.

For more thoughts about prayer and waiting, visit RevGalBlogPals this week.

Hm...I haven't posted a 10 things in a couple weeks. Not that I haven't had plenty to be thankful for, I just haven't had time to sit and tell you what I'm thankful for. That's okay, I'll keep going to night until I run out of things to share (that'll make up for it, right? *grin*)

1. I met a man who knows what to do with these when he sees them:




For the record, it is not say "Ooo, look! A piggie!"




2. He makes me giggle ;).


3. The WonderDog has no fleas. Did you know that vinegar and lemon juice diluted with water can be sprayed on your dog and it will either kill or run off fleas? Then, if you put salt down on your carpets and leave it overnight, it'll dehydrate the fleas who are mostly water. So, when you vacuum in the morning, they all go bye-bye. Do it again in a week or so to catch any new births from eggs laid.

4. I survived 4 days in Dallas. And the car trip that got me there.

5. I've inherited my grandmother's stoneware dishes from the 60s, maybe the 50s. I had no idea she owned these, but they're mine now. I've often felt like she's watching me since she passed four years ago. Now I have a little bit of her in my home.

6. I'm losing weight! I won't ask how or go into details. Just say YAY!!

7. The old-lady creams and potions I got from Avon are WORKING!

8. I got a replacement phone in the mail Friday. It's so nice to discover it working better than the first one EVER did.

9. I'm sleeping through the night again. I bought one of those noise machines. I set it on the ocean wave noise, and I'm out like a light.

10. It's been pretty and warm lately. I love this time of year, I get to feel pretty in my little sundresses and skirts.

11. Pedicures are heavenly. Right up there with new socks.

12. Read several good books lately. All for teenagers.

13. WonderDog is sleeping through the night, too. I guess the noise machine drowns out all the outside noise for him, too.

14. Go to YouTube. Search for "canine freestyling." You will laugh. I promise. Anything that makes me laugh is a blessing.

15. I've just been happy lately. I smile more, and fewer things annoy me.

"It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know and I feel fine."
--R.E.M.

I've always kind of laughed at the lyrics to the R.E.M. song. I laughed freakin' hard when I saw the movie "Independence Day" in theaters (on, ironically, Independence Day). Pay close attention, the song playing in the opening sequence in the room where they're monitoring the skies is R.E.M.'s "End of the World as We Know It."

I've always laughed because I happen to think that phrase pretty regular. Like this year, at work. Things have been happening there that I don't like. Things involving the students. Since it's been in the news, I don't feel bad saying we've had a loaded gun on campus.

It scares me. Quite a bit. Since Columbine, either I'm more aware of things like that, or they actually are happening more often. I don't know which it is, and I don't guess that part matters. It's a huge problem to me that it's happening at all. I realize that lots of people see it at as a huge problem, too.

And really, after Columbine, I really had the words "it's the end of the world as we know it" go through my head.

I think we're on a downward spiral. We're outraged when something like a school shooting. But, you know, there were days and days and days of coverage after Columbine. After the Virginia Tech shootings, it was a week-ish. We're becoming desensitized and it's really rather sad. Evil should shock us, should make us stop and feel anger and fear. It shouldn't be one of those "oh my gosh, again? okay, what else is on?" deals.

Do I think there's hope for our future? Of course there is. There has to be. It can't keep going down without hitting a bottom somewhere. And once you're there, there's only direction to go--up.

Actually, the Sunday Scribblings prompt is about the future of the planet. Check it out to see other takes.

I never expected to have a spiritual 'ah-ha' moment in a room full of librarians, at the largest state conference of them.

But I did.

I never realized that a prayer for peace in my soul and sense of humor about a situation that would be fraught with annoyance would be answered in a foreign language.

But it was.

Fanga Alafia, ase, ase.

We were being entertained by a rhythm duo and were taught what we were told was a Liberian welcome song (I've since been researching and can find a similar form in Nigerian, and then listed as just a West African chant. Whatever. That part isn't pertinent to my moment.)

Fange Alafia, ase, ase.

They told us that it means "Welcome to peace, so be it."

My gosh, or--more accurately--My God! These dang goofballs making us hum on kazoos (because you don't blow on them) were God's agents to my heart. To my mind.

I joked as I dealt with my frustration over a particular situation I was put in, that I had not under any circumstances prayed for patience on this trip. I'm not stupid. I don't ask for patience because God doesn't grant virtues like patience. Rather, he provides teachable moments. Because I know that and I don't take well to force-fed lesson, I don't ever ask for patience. EVER.

No, no, I asked for peace. Did you know, as I now do, that those moments and things (and people) that try our patience are the things that God will sue to teach us peace.

Welcome to peace. So be it.

Peace doesn't always look like a pastoral scene. Or a white dove. Or a sleeping baby.

Remember, Jesus on the boat? Sleeping soundly though the storm raging around Him on the Sea of Galilee? That's peace--the ability to be calm when surrounded by a world that would have you be frantic, angry, frayed at the edges. To be calm when all inside you wants to be anything but. Because there is no point in falling prey to those feelings, they will not remedy the situation.

Fanga Alafia. Ase, ase.

Welcome to peace. So be it.

Over at RevGalBlogPals, the Friday Five is up. Certainly some good things to think about, I actually looked at it this morning, But wasn't able to stop and write because I was being bombarded! But I kept it in the back of mind.

1. What modern convenience/invention could you absolutely, positively not live without?
My laptop, Emily. And my cell phone, Phoebe. Yes, they're named. And they're synced. They get along quite well, thank you.

2. What modern convenience/invention do you wish had never seen the light of day? Why?
The alarm clock. Because it interrupts a perfectly good sleep cycle.

3. Do you own a music-playing device older than a CD player? More than one? If so, do you use it (them)?
Personally? No. But we do have tape recorders at work.

4. Do you find the rapid change in our world exciting, scary, a mix...or something else?
A mix--I love technology and really do enjoy learning the new stuff and being able to actually make my day more efficient. It's so exciting! On the scary side, we're training ourselves and our kids to not be self-sufficient without relying on the technology. Not to sound all Y2K here, but what if?

5. What did our forebears have that we have lost and you'd like to regain? Bonus points if you have a suggestion of how to begin that process.
The ability to live without all these tech pieces I am so reliant on. Easiness in silence--you know what I mean? You read about families sitting together on Sunday afternoon, not working, just resting quietly. Maybe reading the Bible, or whatever. But they weren't wired into noise makers. How do we get back to that? It's going to take concerted efforts to just enjoy God presence and realize that it's not at all related to the machines around us.

For more musings, check out this week's Friday Five at RevGalBlogPals.

Assault by Carrot

Thirteen Things about Jayne--Words I Love




1. Molybdenum

2. Aluminum

3. Grace

4. Plum

5. Coffee

6. Dale, Jr.

7. Blush

8. Breakfast

9. Pillow

10. Seep

11. Nap

12. Mint

13. Grrrr



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Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. (Albert Einstein)

Just doing a lot of thinking today. Ok, so I've been up for all of , oh, 30 minutes. Lately, I've been thinking about simplification. I think, sometimes, I complicate things because I can. That doesn't work, huh?

It's one of those things I need to work on. I say that I appreciate simplicity, and then I rework the things that I do or think. Not intentionally, it just happens.

Really, all that matters, is loving my God and being happy in my world. It really doesn't get any simpler than that, right?

This week's Friday Five is about moving. I don't enjoy moving. In fact, I don't plan to move again until I get married, whenever that may be. I keep saying I'd like to get out of apartment living and find a rent house, but the fact of the matter is, I won't. Unless rent gets much more ridiculous.

1. How many times have you moved? When was the last time? Um, counting in and out of dorm rooms in college, 7 times.

2. What do you love and hate about moving? I hate the packing, unpacking, lifting, carrying. Hm..pretty much all the physical stuff. I love getting organized and discovering new spaces.

3. Do you do it yourself or hire movers? I've done it both ways. I've also recruited family and friends. Pretty much I try to find others who can do the heavy lifting, because I'm not supposed to.

4. Advice for surviving and thriving during a move? Try to be organized and don't leave off packing until the night before. I also try to have a firm plan about where things need to go. I also learned to have the movers put the big stuff in the new place first--you can use that to stack boxes on afterwards so that you can still see the floor.

5. Are you in the middle of any inner moves, if not outer ones? Yeah, trying to remind myself to simplify things. Not just things that I do, but the way that I think.

Bonus: Share a piece of music/poetry/film/book that expresses something about what moving means to you.

Oh, this is easy. I wrote this poem in high school, and I think it applies to so many different situations.

Things are not as they
teach us--the Earth is hollow;
I have touched the sky.


**To see more posts about "moving" posts, check out this week's Friday Five at RevGalBlogPals.

Ok..this week, I'm actually feeling thankful for a lot of things. So, I'll play again. *grin*


1. I changed The WonderDog's food 10 days ago. Apparently, what I'd been feeding him has been tearing his stomach up for oh...3 years. Now, he gets excited about me putting supper down.

2. And we've had no instances that require a gas mask! (You probably don't want to know that, TMI and all that, but you have no idea how wonderful that is.)

3. I've been reading a lot, which just feeds my soul.

4. I got some new clothes this week. Including NEW SOCKS!

5. I think I've lost some weight. The clothes definitely fit differently, in a good way.

6. I really haven't watched my television this week, and that's really a good thing. Especially since nothing good's been on.

7. My insomnia hasn''t been too bad this week. Knock on wood.

8. I'm still loving my coffee.

9. Mrs. Brownstone is a new blog pal--YAY!

10. It was quiet at work today, so I put some CDs on and sand along...loud.

11. Heading up to see my aunt and uncle this weekend. Gonna stop in and see Ms. Judy on the way.

12. My Avon order came in today--all old lady stuff, but I'm so excited it's here!

OOOOOO...LOOK! I was an over-achiever! Mark it on your calendar, it won't happen again anytime soon!!

To see what others are thankful for this week, check out Ten Things Tuesday over at XBox Wife.

HEMA is a Dutch department store. The first store opened on November 4, 1926, in Amsterdam . Now there are 150 stores all over the Netherlands . HEMA also has stores in Belgium , Luxemburg, and Germany. In June of this year, HEMA was sold to British investment company Lion Capital.

Take a look at HEMA's product page. You can't order anything and it's in Dutch, just wait a couple of seconds and watch what happens. Don't click on any of the products pictured, just wait and see what happens. And be sure you have your sound turned up.

This company has a sense of humor and a great computer programmer, ya?

HEMA

I love to look at pictures. This morning, as I was blog shopping, I landed on one that has some pictures that just do me in.

The Daily Coyote

I love to look at pictures of animals just enjoying life. Charlie is doing just that. I've always believed that when animals and people come together and it's a obviously a good thing, the animal has chosen them. I think Charlie's done that with Eli the cat and his human.

That's what I think about The WonderDog. He chose me. I didn't want a little boy dog. I actually, I wasn't picky at all. When the guy at work brought the puppies up, knowing I wanted one, he dropped them off in their laundry basket with one of the ladies in the front office. She called to tell me they were there and to come pick mine out.

He was sitting in her lap when I walked in, the only boy of the 5 puppies. I came through the door and he stood up and chirped at me. I patted his head and knelt beside the basket, a few feet away, looking them over. He walked to the edge of her lap, and she put him on the floor where he tumbled over and crawled in my lap. I think it took 2 seconds for him to curl up and fall asleep.

Now if that's not choosing me, I don't know what is.

And I tell you what, I wouldn't choose anyone else.