Another busy weekend is behind me. I have to admit, I did virtually nothing today until about 7 PM…because I desperately needed some downtime. Saturday was our yard sale for workcamp…we only made $68 but I guess that is better than nothing. And people got to get rid of some of their stuff. We took all the “leftovers” to the local thrift store, so no one had to take their stuff back home.

Then I ran up to my parents house. My dad was out of town so my mom and I went out and bought him a father’s day present, went shopping, had dinner and then went to get ice cream. It was a fun night – the highlight was the two of us making him a father’s day card to go with the gift. My stomach hurt from laughing so hard – it was hysterical!

Today I taught our elementary class. They were really rammy with school just being out but we had some fun. At the end of the lesson, I gave them some affirmation statements. First, before I let them read them, I talked to them about how sometimes people can be mean and hurt our feelings by saying things that aren’t very nice to us. But that what other people say shouldn’t matter – it’s what God thinks about us that is important. I talked to them a lot about God having a plan for their lives. They were all very quiet when they read their affirmations and I hope that it hit home with some of them. Sometimes it is hard to tell – but I pray that what we are doing there each week with these kids, in their lives, is making a difference. That when they have a bad day or are in a tough situation, they remember a verse or story we studied and it helps them get through and come out stronger on the other side.

I ran around on the way home taking down the yard sale signs (gosh, it was HOT) and then came home and checked on my dad’s flight status for my mom. It’s cool – on Delta airlines, they have a feature that will show you on the map where a flight is!

After lunch, I read and watched the race (and was happy Carl Edwards won so his poor bus driver could finally shave his beard off!) and just about the time my mom was supposed to head to the airport, she called and said she’d been bitten by a spider. Spiders, as you may know, are my arch enemies. But she was worried about it and didn’t know what to do so I suggested she put benadryl cream on it and take benadryl tablet with her to the airport in case she needed it and my dad could drive her home (or to the hospital!) But then I decided to google the spider based on her description.

BAD BAD BAD IDEA.

I’m sure I am going to dream about these gruesome creatures tonight. And I never did find the one she described. Apparently, though, she is ok and didn’t have any serious adverse reaction. The benadryl probably helped.

I went out and put more soil in my flowerbed and watered the plants. My neighbor no longer lets me use the hose closest to the flower bed because its hers and she doesn’t want to pay the extra for the water bill, which is fine…except the hose from my side of the house (completely around the house) doesn’t quite reach. So I’m standing about 8 feet away, trying to aim the stream into the bed and pots. It’s really quite an amusing sight. But it does the job…and those poor flowers need it – we are going to have temps in the mid 90s all the live long week. Ick.

Then I had to run around and do dishes and litterboxes and such. I do this ever Sunday – I sleep or lie around and then at about 8 PM I become a lunatic, trying to get things done around here that I didn’t do all weekend. And then I lament, why oh why do I always do this??!?!!?? And yet I do it again.

And now it is time for some much needed shut-eye.

TTFN.

What I’ve Been Up To…

My first baseball game…with mi amiga!

A rained out race…but I got to go the Dale Jr. Experience!!

And the graduation circuit. The first of my “kids” from our youth group graduated this month. I am so proud of them – I can’t even begin to tell you. It’s been such a blessing to be a part of their lives and watch them grow into the beautiful, amazing young women that they are today.

Liz & Maria

Kendra

and Danielle – I love this picture!

Friday’s Feast

Appetizer
Fill in the blank: The best thing about where I live is _________________…

The best thing about where I live is being able to see a sky full of stars on a clear night.

Soup
Create a new name for a deodorant (like “Flower Fresh” or “Shower Scent”).

I’m not that creative…

Salad
What was the last piece of software you installed onto your computer?

The Weather Channel

Main Course
If you were to receive a superlative award today beginning with the words ”Most likely to…”, what would the rest of the phrase say?

Most likely to take on too much (!!)

Dessert
What two colors do you like to wear together
?

Pink & grey

Fundraising Fun

Tomorrow, we’re having a yard sale at my house to help raise money for workcamp. We haven’t done fundraising this way before and I’m hoping it’s a success. It’s supposed to be a nice day and so far, alot of stuff has been dropped off for it, with more to come tomorrow morning. I’ve slated it for only three hours because most of our kids are working or away – but hopefully we’ll have success in that time!

More to come…it has been graduation season – the first four of our original youth group members are now officially high school graduates. I am so proud of them all and so excited to see them moving into the next stage of their lives…and sad, all at the same time.

Thirteen Random Things on My Mind

1. I can’t believe that the hot topic on the news is Paris Hilton getting out of jail. I’m not sure I agree with it but I also know I’ve not walked in her shoes – and I know that I would probably have just laid in my cell and wept, too. But, that said, I don’t think she deserves 45 minutes on Larry King, while the family of the girl who was kidnapped from the Target parking lot and killed were only on for about 5 minutes. Something is very wrong with that.

2. I really need to clean my house.

3. I really need to post my photos from the Organizing Challenge last month. I did do it – and did it well – and on time – but with all my travel last month, I never got to post the photos!

4. I have been a reading fiend. I haven’t read two of the books on my list (actually, there may be more but I’ll have to double check) but I’ve read A LOT that weren’t on the list. I’ve read almost everything Karen Kingsbury has written. I love her!

5. I wonder if Karen Kingsbury has a blog?

6. We’re finally starting a Beth Moore study at my church this Sunday. I’m leading it with my friend Cindy and I’m very excited. I really think this could be life-changing for people…myself included.

7. I am in need of some life change. I say that all the time, I realize….

8. I finally gave up on the ink stained clothes. I salvaged some of them but some will become workcamp clothes.

9. We’re having a yard sale for workcamp next Saturday. I keep forgetting!! Since it’s at my house, I’d better remember!

10. Melatonin is a beautiful thing. I’d fallen into a very bad habit during all my recent stress and travel of taking my prescription sleep aid or Advil PM virtually every night. My friend’s doctor recommended melatonin for her so I decided to try it again. I had used it years ago; not sure why I stopped. But it does seem to help. So does staying off the computer late!

11. I don’t like conflict. I don’t like people being upset or disappointed in me. But if I feel strongly about something, I will stick to my guns…and deal with the consequences, even when I don’t like them or feel they are just.

12. It’s going to be 93 degrees tomorrow. This makes me ill.

13. For some reason, why I try to type in my email on the laptop, they keyboard doesn’t seem to work right. I type letters and have to hit the keys over and over to get them to show up. It takes forever and it’s annoying. Why does this happen??? It is typing fine here and in Word, but not in email.

Today we went here

and it did this
all day.

Generally, I love rain. I do not love that the rain caused the race to be cancelled and rescheduled for tomorrow, when I have to work…

We did get to have our picture taken with the Nextel Cup (I have to download that) and got to see Dale Jr.’s car and go to the Dale Jr Experience, where we saw his Daytona 500 trophy (it’s huge) and saw a short video about him. That made me happy. And we went shopping and I got a cool Nascar t-shirt, which also made me happy. So all was not lost…

Grrrrrr


Mamacita called tonight to tell me of some thievery in the night. Some…well, I can think of no better word than JERKS stole some of her plants and planters last night, including some pots my Grammy gave her. They tried to steal a wrought iron plant stand that I believe was also my Grammy’s but thankfully, my mom had asked my dad to cement the base. It proved wise and too difficult for these thieves. Apparently, they also stole 90 (yes, 90) hanging plant baskets from a greenhouse a few doors down.

I’m fairly certain this was an inside job by somebody local who knows the routine around there. It was trash night, so some things that might have been cues to my folks, the greenhouse owners and other neighbors (dogs barking, driveway alarms going off, car doors slamming), were just written off as the trash men coming & going. It bothers me that they came right up to their house – on a VERY busy road, mind you (so where was their vehicle???), and stole these things from the front yard. The FRONT YARD, for Pete’s sake. I’m not concerned about someone breaking in or anything because frankly, the three ginormous dogs who reside there would literally rip someone limb from limb if someone came in unexpectedly…but I once again find myself disappointed in humankind. This is a small, quiet almost rural community. My parents take great pride in their landscaping and planting makes my mom very happy – in fact, we spent all of last Tuesday driving from nursery to nursery looking for just the right flowers. The whole thing makes me mad and sad at the same time.

Ink Blots

Today was an odd day. I was the only one in our suite all day, which makes me a bit paranoid and slightly lonely. By the end of the day, after eating what I suspect might have been a bad corned beef sandwich, I was feeling pretty poorly. I came home and laid down a bit before home group and since I go home have been catching up on voicemails via email (because, of course, it’s too late to call people back) and drowning my ink stained clothing in Lestoil. This stuff is wicked. It smells like I am pouring some high octane solvent on them. I will say that the 100% cotton clothes came out fine but some of the mixed blends are still struggling. I’ve doused them a second time and had them sitting in the washer for about 20 minutes now – soon to wash AGAIN in hot water in hopes of getting out the fateful ink stains for good.

I don’t think I am drying anything tonight – I’m still somewhat afraid of blowing up the house since I used nail polish remover IN THE DRYER to remove the ink stains, even though I rinsed it out well and it in no way smells like nail polish remover any more. Although, technically, the Lestoil may have killed my sense of smell for all time. I think my eyes are still watering from it.

Egads.

Because I Promised

I can’t believe the long weekend is coming to a close. 😦

It’s been a hectic weekend to some degree (and really, it wouldn’t be MY life if it wasn’t!) but I had some downtime yesterday and today. Friday night Michelle & David came over for dinner on the grill then we drove up to a nearby campsite to see how much it would cost them to camp there. I said I loved it because I could come up and hang out all day but then sleep in my own bed! On the way home, we caught the annual fireworks in my town and as usual, they did not disappoint!

Saturday AM found me at a pastoral management team meeting. I ran some errands and took care of some things at home and in the evening, went with David, Michelle & their daughter Sarah & her friend Nina to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3. Gotta love Johnny Depp…and Orlando Bloom is quite pretty too! I liked this one better than number 2 but number 1 is still my favorite.

Yesterday we had Fun Day at church for all our Children’s Ministry classes – moonbounce, water ice, chicken chuck, facepainting – the works! My friend’s dad who is a firefighter came out as well to talk to the kids. He was a big hit! I had a nap in the afternoon and then settled in to watch the Coca Cola 600. Yay, Casey Mears!

Today got off to a slow start. My upstairs neighbor is an EMT and keeps odd hours and has, as of late, been doing his wash in the middle of the night – complete with the dryer buzzing time and time again. It’s really quite maddening, especially at 4:30 AM. So I stayed in bed late this morning and then started on my lengthy to do list. I got my flowers planted, finally, and took care of a few other odds and ends. In the midst, I got another added – I left a pen in my pocket and it went through the wash and left INK all over my clothes and the dryer. I used nail polish removed to get most of the ink out of the dryer but the clothes aren’t fairing as well. Mamacita said lystol is the answer, so I’ll have to snag a bottle and give it a try.

Tomorrow, it’s back to the grind for me. I really need a vacation – a real one!

It’s not…

…that I don’t have anything to write.

It’s that I haven’t had a free moment to write. I keep thinking oh, if this happens or that, things will calm down. But then this or that happens, and it doesn’t calm down – in fact, sometimes a whole ‘nother maelstorm comes my way.

So, I hope I have not completely lost my five readers. I am out here and I promise a longer post soon.