To change the world....
Topic: People/Family stories
Today I was reading the blog of a person who is upset with the injustices of our world (no arguement....there are many)...and our country in particular. So what is our response? Can we make a difference or would it be a futile attempt, like a trying to count the sand on a beach or trying to drink the ocean?

How would you change the world if it were up to you.....in a realistic or attainable way?

I hate to tell you my answer....because I do not think it is possible. I know how it ends....or should I say how it really starts to Begin for us. I've read the Book.

It's encouraging to know that some Day the striving against evil will be over, but for now we live here on planet Earth. And it is not a pretty sight as far as justice and truth. And I am no crusader for world change or lobbyist for justice.

Here is what I left as a comment on that blog:

Oh my....erm, I'm sorry? ;) I'm not really mocking you, I just never know what to say when you rant. =)

Praying for you and your finals and stuff!!
I love you.....and although the world is not an example of human compassion and it is so very hard to think about how change could ever happen, YOU can be (compassionate) and I know you will make a huge difference in numerous lives over the course of yours. And that is GREATNESS chicky."

A lot of you know I'm talking about my daughter's blog. She is a social work major and is constantly (!) confronted with all manner of societal injustice and she is processing it. It is the kind of blog post that she will probably erase tomorrow, but I hope she doesn't. It's true. And it is informative...and hopefully it will be inspiring to many to put on our compassion and parade it around. We CAN make a difference in many, many lives. We should never give up. We should stay informed and righteously angry and actively pursuing justice in our nation.

But here is my thought (my realistic, practical and attainable thought)...... it is in the day to day contact we have with real live people that will make the greatest impact. I may not have the opportunity to change the world, but I do have countless opportunities every day to show compassion, mercy, grace...oh and don't forget "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

Tonight I was at Walmart doing some shopping. Why is it that they always have a gazillion checkout stations, but only a few open at any given time? Even when there are 5-6 customers with baskets loaded with groceries waiting and waiting? Whoops, sidetracked...here we go back again: The checkout girl in charge of our lane looked nervous and frustrated. The woman 2 people ahead of me had scads of little children's clothing and each piece had to be scanned. Some were on sale and she had to type in the special numbers. It took FOR EVER....and I said so to my daughter Emma, as we stood in line, examining all the new chewing gum flavors.

I made eye contact with the checker one time and I think I was either sighing visibly or rolling my eyes, because it was conveyed to her that I was annoyed. It showed in her face....it gave her discouragement....what a gift. That second of eye contact did something to my heart though....it softened, it pulled me into check. She was doing her best to keep things moving, she was embarrassed and sorry. I suddenly felt like a real jerk (for good reason), dropped my glance, and gave myself a little talking to. I determined I would show this girl some compassion and let her know it was okay and that she was doing just fine. (and all this was before reading that blog post.....gotta be a God thing)

Next in line was a quiet but aggrivated woman. She showed her frustration very passively, yet as clearly as if she had said it verbally. There was mome confusion and frustration for the checker when a gift card the woman was trying to use was not going through on the computer and a manager had to be called over. Her face got beet red. She looked at the woman and said she was so sorry it was taking so long. To which the woman only responded with silence....very loud silence. She looked at me and appologized. So I seized my opportunity and smiled at her....genuinely this time...and said it was okay. It's funny how deciding and taking action to show compassion actually stirs it in your spirit, and it did. I wanted to help her in some way or take her on break and buy her a coke or at least give her a hug...when a few minutes before I was rolling my eyes at her.

My order went through quickly and she beat me to the "have a wonderful evening" part. I think she meant it. I think just a smile and friendly countenance did wonders for her spirit, as well as mine. And I thought to myself on the way out....why can't I do that for more people I run across every day? It would really encourage people and I feel better too. Face it, when you act like a jerk, you feel like one too. When you act compassionate, you become compassionate.

It's kind of along the 'pay it forward' idea. Show kindness, have some compassion and understanding.

It goes a long way in today's fast paced, agressive, cold world. People are craving it.

Warm afternoons
Topic: People/Family stories
This afternoon's temperature: 97?. Time spent standing out on the playground watching children play: 1 1/2 hours. It was a good day though (didn't have to blow my whistle once), after a rough one yesterday. My temporary crown fell off yesterday while I was at work, then I had a run in with one of the kids, who I had to do a 'write up' on and then talk with a parent....not fun, very stressful. I was bummed.

Because of the heat lately (which is here to stay now and will only get worse in Phoenix), we walk around the playground misting kids with garden spray bottles. Well, I should say, we mist some of the children. For others, we set the bottle on the long, streaming setting and pummel them. It's fun because they do not have spray bottles and we do. >=) If they had spray bottles too, it would not be fun. (and I hope they never get a hold of one while I'm out there)

We have the same kind of bottles for cleaning in the room....but they have different labels. The bottles for cleaning say: BLEACH in huge letters. The bottles for spraying kids say: CHILDREN. When we broke out the spray bottles on Wednesday, the kids kept asking, "Are those the bleach bottles?" It was so tempting to look at the bottle after spraying them in the face and gasp, "OH NO......it's BLEACH!!" heehee

But I didn't! A few of the older ones tried to scare us though, by yelling, as if they were in pain, after we squirted them in the face. =) I am humbled (quite well) by the fact that the middle school kids have the same sense of humor as I do.....*ahem*

B.C.
Topic: People/Family stories
One of my favorite cartoonists passed away Saturday. Johnny Hart, creator of B.C.comic strip was a thought provoking and honest cartoonist. Sometimes political and always true to his faith in Christ, his comics were sometimes controversial in the mainstream. I remember having talks with my dad about some of the comics he wrote.

I chose one of his latest comics, from last Palm Sunday to share here. It is so timely for me because our Bible study group just finished our in depth study of the book of Daniel, a dvd equipped study from Beth Moore

.

Good Sunday
Topic: People/Family stories
Today’s service was very different for me. The service was very moody and somber. We did more of a Good Friday service instead of Palm Sunday because we're having a busy week there. We have regular Wed night service, the on Thursday we're having a Passover Seder. There is someone coming from Jews for Jesus to present it. Then Saturday we're doing a huge community outreach egg hunt and spring carnival. We get hundreds of people from the community for this....as well as one on halloween night, a fall carnival, not an egg hunt, silly. People want a fun, wholesome event to take their kids to, so we offer it and are getting to know our community...and they're getting to know us. Hopefully they see that we care about them and that they feel welcome there.

So anyway, in the service today I helped in the dramatic readings. I was a theater major in college and have done quite a bit of ministry type dramatic stuff in the past. But I had not done it in YEARS and especially not in this church. It was the first time anyone there had even seen me up on the platform. So that was fun and growth-ish for me. We had a big cross at the front that 3 men held up and stared at for the entire service!! (i think they had the hardest job) We were all dressed in black and most of the songs we sang were accompanied by iWorship dvd's up on the screen. Those are so inspiring! We also had communion, spread out in parts during the service.

Just before I had to go up on stage to read the dramatic prayer parts, Dianna was beautifully singing Via Delorosa, while scenes from the Jesus movie presented Jesus walking the Via Delorosa, then being put on a cross. And just before I had to head up on stage, the little girl behind me got hit with the impact of those scenes from the movie, that she started sobbing, grievously. I found out later that she had just given her life to Christ the previous Wednesday! So I was fumbling up the steps, trying to choke back the lump in my throat.

At the end, pastor hubby asked people to come and pray at the cross if they wanted to (the 3 men had laid it down in front of the Lord's supper table) or to come talk to him about decisions they wanted to make if they needed to. The drama team lead the way to kneel and pray there.

So I was there praying, when I felt my 9 year old Maggie sidle up to me and laid her head on my lap. When I was finished, I went to take a seat and she stayed there. My sight was blocked from seeing her because of the piano's positioning. My sister leaned over when Charles started to end the prayer time and told me Maggie was still there and she was crying hard. Another lady (the pianist actually) had gone to sit by her. My sister told me that Maggie had really taken hard the scenes of The Passion that were played during a few of the readings or songs. So it really got her grieving. I had forgotten about those scenes…I had to put my eyes down during them so I wouldn’t be too choked up to say my lines. I told her afterward that we hadn't let her go see The Passion a couple years ago because it was so realistic and hard to see. But she told me she really wanted to see it this week, before Easter. I guess that will be our Friday thing. This will be a memorable/meaning-full Easter for her.

It is interesting how adults can prepare a moving service, carefully rehearsed and appointed, but what moves you the most is seeing someone else, especially a child, experience the gut-churning grief of realizing for the first time what Jesus actually went through....for us.

Surfing through music tonight
Topic: People/Family stories
My husband is out camping under the stars on Table Mesa tonight. Some men from church have ATV's (quads) and they plan these outings once in a while. They always invite Charles along and he comes home all dusty, windblown, sunburned and sore, saying he's had a great time.

So I am surfing around the net, not able to sleep.

I put in an order with Columbia House...so look for CD reviews soon. I've been listening to some songs from the CD's tonight, here is what I've found:

Michael W. Smith
Stand
He's always got great songs and Charles loves his music.
Okay, here's a new one by Smitty: It's all in the Serve
And here is a reeeeaaalllly old one: I am Up
I'm just gonna say...he's come a long way. =)

Jars Of Clay
Good Monsters
I'm finally getting their new CD. I've been listening to their new songs on youtube. If you want to hear a very moving song of repentence (personal, or as the Church or country...or world), this is it....(Hannah, you will really get charged up about it)
Oh, My God
Oh and they have a blog, I discovered tonight while I was out surfing. Listen to the podcast on there of the Swedish chef singing GL's Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald.....very silly.

Chris Rice
Short Term Memories
It's not his newest CD, but it's got a song on it that makes me think of my dad. If I could sing, I would have sung it at his funeral.
Chris Rice singing it: Come to Jesus
Here's a ballet to the song, performed at Saddleback church:
Come to Jesus worship dance
And he has a blog too.

Starfield
Beauty In The Broken
I don't know anything about this group. I wanted something new though. It was between this and Leeland.
Here is a sample though: Filled with your Glory

Newsboys
Go
I love the Newsboys.....they rock. (dude)
Here are clips from this new CD, Go.

Adie
Don't Wait
I don't know why, but this girl grabbed my attention from the first time I saw the Benjamin's Gate video with her in a quilted pink satan bathrobe and moonboots. She's mellowed out now in her music and it's beautiful!
What have I done?

Birds and Bees...it's nice outside
Topic: People/Family stories
It has been perfect weather in Phoenix lately folks.

Sitting in my screened in porch in the mornings with a cup of strong coffee in a long sleeved, cotton shirt over my jammies is perfection. I read my Bible and I try to listen. I have to try hard, because I find the mockingbirds howling at the mourning doves (who are making a spectacle of themselves with the male doing the hoochy coochie dance of love while the female totally ignores him and walks along under the mockingbird's nest pecking at invisible specks) and woodpeckers tapping on the palm trees and pigeons eating my dog's dry food very distracting. I am reading in Psalms and have gotten to the Psalms of Ascent. It makes me long for the New Jerusalem and makes me wonder about future things. (I heard that Beth Moore is preparing a new Bible study on these Psalms and I can't wait!)

By mid-morning it is warm enough outside that you want to be in the shade. That is, unless you are a senseless teen who wants a tan. Last week being Spring Break, 2 of my girls went out to broil themselves several times. Hannah went home with at least 3 different tan lines on her back...actually burn lines. This is somehow supposed to make her look better in a halter style bridesmaid dress in May. (remember Hannah, lighten up lol) I had a dream last night that she was walking down the aisle at the wedding with a perfect tan, except for one streak of white, the size of a bathing suit tie. I woke up half alarmed for her and half cracking up.

The evenings are perfectly cool, just right for eating outside and lighting the fire in the chiminea. It's also perfect for inspiring this blog post as I sit by the pool with my laptop. (It's kind of dangerous too. A HUGE, orange blossom glutting, black bumble bee just flew by, wondering if I was an orange tree and swooped in front of me. My first reaction was to swing my open laptop around at him, because he scared the bejeebers out of me! But I came to my senses and just tossed my hair around wildly....pretty stupid-looking, but it worked!)The scent of orange blossoms is so strong this time of year that you literally smell it ALL the time, except when you are in a building with no windows open. There are so many orange trees in Phoenix that it wafts in and out of every neighborhood, in your windows on the highway and even in parking lots when you get out of your car. I love that smell...no artificial 'orange blossom' scent has ever come close to the actual smell I think. I am so glad I never developed an allergy to it, because believe me, if you have allergies to orange blossoms, you are in deep, deep misery for several weeks every March!

Then all night long, weve been sleeping with a fan in the window, bringing in the scent of orange blossoms and fresh rain. Three days of wonderful rain this week! My chamomile plants are very happy and ready to be plucked.

Well, the sun is gone from the sky, the dusk is settling in and I need to go throw some frozen pizzas in the oven for my kids who keep peeking out here and asking if I'm going to make dinner tonight. =)

A break from my break to bring you Passover ideas!
Topic: People/Family stories
So, Spring Break is half way over and we haven't even had a chance to sit down to a meal all together yet! It's just been a busy week with teenagers and their social lives, pastor husband with weddings and funerals to do, and me trying to jump through all the hoops to get approved by the school district for a part time job. (more on that another time) I feel stressed out and not rested at all.

Thankfully the next 2 days and part of the third day, are all our own as a family. I seem to feel most rested when we've all been together....falling back from the busyness of life into our simple nest, we find the comfort that is there in each other's company.

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh, nice.

Now here is an assignment for you....should you choose to do it. Go over to Chrysalis and read e-mom's wonderfully simple ideas to bring the full, rich meaning of Passover into our modern, weirdly bunnyish Easter. (yes, we do bunnies too, but it's still a weird way to celebrate a wonderful holiday) It's a simple start to making Easter so much more....sooooo much....

Now back to my break.....

I am From
Topic: People/Family stories
Some friends I know are doing the I am From poetry on a forum I go to. This is mine....I kinda got into it! lol Here is the template if you want to do one too. Let me know if you do and I'll come read yours!


Where do crickls come from?

I am from orange popsicles, dripping down my chin and elbow,
from hula hoops, roller skates with keys and a purple Huffy ten speed
From the influence of hippies and the 60’s and 70’s,
The Beattles, Monkees, James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkel.
From air raid drills and the Viet Nam War.
Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan.

I am from the suburbs of a growing desert city,
loving homes and big families, neighbors talking and borrowing,
playing hide and seek, football and kickball under the streetlight.
From a friend dying in the night in her bed.
From go-go boots, peasant tops and bell bottom jeans.



I am from the dust storms and cactus and grit in hair and teeth,
from toasting in the sun, floating on the Salt River,
neighborhood swimming pools, Dr. Pepper and fresh blue skies.
From Bonanza, the Beaver, the Brady Bunch and Charlie’s Angels.

I am from camping in the mountains and brown hair, from Bob and Jackie,
From far off grandparents and relations,
And the reputations of 4 older siblings.
A wayward sister, a far off brother in the navy.

I am from spoons balanced on noses at holiday dinners and loud laughter.
Inside jokes and practical jokes. What are nose pants?

From don’t talk to strangers, do unto others and stand up straight.

I am from a small Baptist church full of love and mercy. From a large
Baptist church that drew people in with love and mercy.
From FSBC, big G, youth group, choir tours and busses full of kids.
The tunnels, the pink sidewalk and Slide Rock.

I'm from Scots and Kilts and bagpipes in my imagination,
from the South and the Northwest and the Southwest.
Beef stew and chimichangas, biscuits and tortillas.

From the death of a brother in an airplane crash,
the silence of grieving parents.
Looking at old photos and slides, trying to remember.
From the disillusions of older siblings’ divorces.
And the 60 year marriage of my parents.

I am from looking through the cedar chest at memories,
sitting in a dark, cool closet and imagining.
I could never have imagined all that God has brought me through
And all that life has put me through
…..but I am thankful for it all.

Crime doesn't pay....unless you do car repairs for a living.....
Topic: People/Family stories
Victim: an aggrieved or disadvantaged party in a crime or disaster.

Living in a big city after life in Small town, USA is a learning experience....to put it mildly. To put it honestly: I want my mommy!!!!

Two weeks ago, I was pulling out of the driveway to take the girls to school when I noticed our other vehicle, a Ford F150 pickup, no longer had a tailgate. We finally reasoned that it was either stolen in our driveway during the night, or it was taken while my daughter was working at the mall the night before until 10pm. We filed a police report and priced the replacement......EEEgads! Even with our car insurance, the deductible would be $500. A used one is several hundred too. So we are currently tailgate-less. I don't know what we'll do during football season...beg off of someone else's tailgate I guess. It was infuriating that someone would just take a part off our car for their own benefit. It's evil...it's selfish and criminal. I wanted to hurt someone. *blush*

Crime tip number one: If you have a pickup truck, please lock the tailgate. It makes it much harder to steal....so we have since been told.

Last night I was picking up our daughter from the mall, about 10pm. We no longer let her take the truck and park it there if she is working evenings. She was waiting there, two of the other employees waiting with her until she was safely picked up. (I really appreciate that!) She plopped into the car and I circled around between rows of empty parking spaces. *CRUNCH pop pop pop pop* (It seems that even if you don't let the teenager take the car to work, you can still be a victim of vandals.) She got out of the car and looked at the tire, thinking we'd run over glass. But there were domino-looking plastic things stuck into the tire. They were security tags off of stolen clothing! Four of them, poked into my back tire.

She pulled them off and exclaimed, "OH, I'm bleeding....am I bleeding? ....is that blood?....What IS that? ewwwww, it's all over me!"

It was then that we realized, while listening to that hissing sound of air escaping a tire, that the were ink tags. Yeah, my daughter is now at school with ink stained fingers, probably causing lots of suspicion among peers and teachers. And I reeeeeally want to hurt someone. I'm getting extremely vivid mental pictures of ways to punish vandals. =( I guess the shoplifters were angry about the ink, which ruins the stolen merchandise, so they left the tags sharp side up, in the parking lot among some paper trash from a fast food place.

Crime tip number two: never, EVER run over trash in a parking lot. More often than you may think (or not be thinking much at all) it is disguising all sorts of tire popping devices.

So the car repair place is getting some business today, patching holes in our tire. At least someone benefits from this.

I'm disgusted with humanity today. (including my own)

Good movies
Topic: People/Family stories
We are enjoying President's Day. Thank you to all you presidents who gave us a day off! My 2 teenagers invited a group of kids over to watch a movie and I made a big pot of pinto beans, along with tortillas for them to munch on....brownies will be ready in a few minutes. I love days like this and I don't mind the extra work (usually) while my teens have company. I like to know their friends and I like to know exactly where they are and what they are doing on days like this. So they have the living room, watching Radio, while I am hunkered down in Maggie's room finally adding a post here after almost a week!!

Many times this week, I've thought about posting something, but couldn't get inspired. It's feast or famine in my brain!

The Blogging Chicks have a carnival of blogs every Sunday, so I was browsing there yesterday, when I found some useful information! Michele, who runs the Blogging Chicks sight, has a movie review of Bridge to Terabithia, a new movie that began in theaters last weekend. Now I can't wait to see it! The story is about a boy and girl who begin to write a fantasy story together, which is why you see fantasy scenes when you see the previews. It is mostly about relationships and friendship though, and that is why it interests me.

Does it seem to you that kids these days are different (scary different) than they were just a few years back? I want to see a movie that depicts the innocence and wonder of childhood without the kids becoming rock stars or over-glamourized symbols. So I will let you know what I think in a few days....or a week. We are planning on seeing Amazing Grace when it comes out next weekend too! *can't wait...it looks very good*

In a world where you can't turn on a television without seeing the minute by minute reports on what misled, very sad superstars are doing to themselves or others, it's exciting to have some good things to view....to take your kids to and just enjoy a good movie.

And remember, just go to Plugged in online to see Christian movie or television reviews on any little thing that may be offensive in today's entertainment industry. They really do write about every little thing that could offend someone, so you can decide for yourself if it is worth paying to see!

Happy President's Day!

Hit me baby!
Topic: People/Family stories
I am tracking something with my sitemeter. A sitemeter shows you when someone visits the sight (called a 'hit'), where their server is located, and how they got there. For example, if they do a search, it will say google search and show you the search words. Or if they are clicking in from another blog or an email it will say the email server's name or the blog name. It is cool to see where people are coming from.

Ever since I wrote about the Chris Tomlin concert, I have been getting numerous hits on my blog from people in the cities the concert has just gone through. The hits are all from people doing searches on msn, google or other search engines with the words laminin or Louie Giglio. I can literally tell you where he had a concert the night before! It started with my own city, where the tour actually began, Phoenix. Then I got hits from all over California, then Las Vegas, Colorado and now Texas. Next week they go to the midwest, starting with Wisconsin.

Hello Wisconsin! *waves*

And I can tell you why they search. It was an amazing concert and such a thought provoking sermon from Louie Giglio. I was driven to find out more about this scientificly based information including evidence of Jesus in the outter reaches of the universe and also in the most intimate, smallest detail of our bodies....the very protein that holds our cells together.

So once again, here are those links!

Louie Giglio's teaching

Chris Tomlin concert review

Oh, and welcome to all those who are searching for more scientific tidbits (the tip of the iceberg really) that build your faith.

Tangelos
Topic: People/Family stories
Smell is such a strong sense that one little whiff of some smell from our past can bring memories flooding back to us. My personality is extra-sensitive to the senses and I get very vivid flashbacks or mental images when I smell certain things. They are usually good things like the smell of certain colognes remind me of different people from my past, the smell of the pine woods reminds me of camping and a closeness of God's presence, the smell of a baby's sweet head reminds me of being a new mom and the sweetness of that new child.

A few days ago, I saw a neglected bowl of oranges sitting on the counter and weeded through them, having to throw out 2 because they looked iffy. Then I decided to eat one because they looked yummy......the good ones, not the squishy, shriveled ones. As I broke into that orange with my fingernail and the spray of juice from that fruit hit my hose, a flood of memories of my dad came into my head and heart and I stood there for a long time, hovering over my kitchen sink, peeling and eating the orange.

My dad was an engineer by personality. Everything had order and purpose and he loved that part of life. He lived in the house I grew up in, in Phoenix, for 30+ years and had many 'systems' that were not to be tampered with! The 2 car garage rarely housed a car. It was his shop, where he had every tool known to man. I know that because every man in the neighborhood stopped by to borrow things from my dad's garage. If one of them stopped by while he wasn't home, I'd say, "Well I don't know where it is." Which was usually responded to by, "Oh, I know right where he keeps it if you can just let me into the garage." I don't think Dad ever turned anyone away who wanted to borrow something. In fact, they often stayed to visit with him about their project and I"m sure they all got lots of advice from my dad, who could fix anything from a tiny watch to a washing machine. My dad was friend to all and everyone loved him.

While they lived in that house, he tried several garden projects. Once, he pulled out the huge bushes that shaded our backyard and put in a vegetable garden with asparagus, green beans, sometimes okra, tomatoes, and other assortments. Eventually his free child labor rebelled and he filled in the garden plot with grass and planted fruit trees. These were chopped down a few years later because the birds got most of the fruit and they got diseased. One of the first things he planted though, the things that lasted and he was never disappointed in were his tangelo trees.

Over the years, they grew higher than our house, which was 2 stories and produced hundreds, maybe a thousand or more tangelos....each! They were his pride and joy. He tended them, he pruned them, watered them faithfully, he even ordered preying mantises through the mail to let loose into the trees to eat the bad bugs. And they did, and they were fun to catch too. (he let us catch them as long as we put them back into the trees when we were done playing....which we actually did gently or we got in big trouble!)

THEN came January, February and March, in which time you were to make as many plans for Saturdays as you could so you wouldn't have to pick tangelos or worse yet....juice them! He finally got an electric juicer, but that was only in the last few years they lived there. Most of those years, those dreadful tangelos were juice by hand, the juice was poured into ice cube trays, transported to the downstairs freezer, then when frozen, popped into ziplok bags, labeled with date, number of cubes and set lovingly onto the freezer shelves.

After they were all juiced, the juice frozen into cubes, the cubes numbered and dated, he did his calculations. He actually numbered out how many cubes he had in the freezer until the next tangelo harvest! So he knew how many cubes he could eat every day. If ever a man was addicted to tangelos, he's your guy! I don't remember my dad having a selfish bone in his body. He was generous with his family and neighbors of his time and his possessions. But man, you didn't mess with his cubes!!!!

He knew if someone had been into them and we heard about it! Yes, he juiced them all, so they were HIS....kind of Little Red Hennish of him, don't you think? Well, none of us really cared much for tangelos anyway, so it was just as well. They smell much better than they taste. My husband though, was groomed by my dad to like tangelos and sometimes he looks for them in the store or threatens mentions buying a tangelo tree. Maybe it's because he didn't grow up having to pick them or juice them or clean up the kitchen after a juicing day!

So for a couple of months each year, our house smelled of tangelo juice. When the fruit was ripe, every morning, he would go out to his trees, pick a tangelo and bring it back into the house and peel and eat it methodically and thoroughly!

Since it was also the time of day when the coffee was made, the smell of fresh coffee and fresh citrus fruit wafting together in the air became a sensory memory that was deeply instilled in my mind. And it is a very pleasant one. Each morning in winter, I would come down to the kitchen to be greeted with that smell and with my cheerful dad eating his oranges and reading his Bible or some devotional book. I can still see him sitting there, munching his tangelo and looking up to say, "Gooooood morning, cricket!"

Such a sweet memory. His birthday is on Monday. He was born the same day (different year) as Martin Luther King Jr. We'll be thinking of him this year, but he won't be joining us, as he went Home to be with the Lord last August.

And I'll bet he's in charge of the tangelo trees there. I wouldn't be surprised to get to Heaven and be greeted by him with a long fruit pickin stick in his hand and the smell of a tangelo on his fingers, "Well helloooo, cricket! What took you so long? Let me show you my trees."

Forget not His benefits
Topic: People/Family stories
Weather report:

Currently it is 72 degrees with a mild breeze, sunny and bright blue sky here in Phoenix.

Sure wish you were out here on the patio with me and my laptop, drinking ice water and watching the lemons on our little tree ripen and the Gerber daisies blooming. =)

The dog isn't even bothering me.....very nice day indeed.

You never can tell what the weather will do in January in Phoenix. It's been cold over the weekend, even breaking out my winter coat for the evenings, but today and the rest of the week it will be in the 70's....

......until Friday when the high will be in the 50's.

And it looks like the winter rains are coming. I love winter rains in Phoenix. I grew up here and it's the only time it really seems 'wintery'.

The dog is beside me now, bumping me with her food bowl, which she's been licking the tar out of. I guess I'll go get her some kibbles.

And I hope you're enjoying your Monday, January 8th, 2007! Each day is a gift, no matter how many trivial frustrations come with it.

Psalm 103:2-5 (NIV)

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Amusing stuff
Topic: People/Family stories
Things I was extremely amused by recently:

****One of my teens said something that made me fall off my chair. We were up in the mountains and the air there is very dry. Oh, I should also say that she went to a youth lock in the night before and stayed up all night. She turned to me and said, "Mom, do you have any chapstick? My lips hurt real bad." To a normal person, this is not funny. It's a legitimate request. But to us whacko's who have watched Napolean Dynamite more times than we want to admit, that is pretty hilarious. She almost had it exactly right. Because of the lock in, her eyes were half open, and she drew out her words just like he does. It's actually a line from the movie that my other teen regularly says to make me crack up. (otherwise I don't know if I would have recognized it) I'm sure Emma has heard Bethany saying it to me on numerous occassions...and me cackling because Beth does a good Napolean imitation. She shouldn't have been so offended that I laughed so hard. I couldn't breathe I was laughing so hard!

****My husband and I were sitting outside on the patio. We've been trying to find our dog Winnie a good home because she has shown aggression and nipped at 2 children since we have had her. Well, we cannot find anyone to take her, even though she is a lovable dog. So Winnie was 'standing' up, her front legs in my lap, face to face with me getting some snorgling. And Charles said at that moment. "We should just be resigned to keeping Winnie instead of constantly thinking of giving her away."

At that exact moment, a smile came up on that dog's face. She had her eyes closed, mouth closed, but as Charles finished that sentence, she opened her eyes and opened her mouth to pant, which looked suspiciously like a triumphant smile.

****On my way driving down Cave Creek Road to a friend's house, I saw a little cactus or plant on the very top of a distant mountain that reminded me of a person, standing with their arms up in a triumphant Rocky pose. As I drove closer, I realized it really was the figure of a man doing the Rocky pose, maybe a statue? I looked up as we passed that mountain and realized it really was a real man. He really was doing the Rocky pose and acting very silly. I think I grinned all the way to my friend's house!

****My little nephew sat with us for the Christmas contata, right behind his parents. He is 10 months old and really enjoyed all the Christmas music, sitting on cousin Hannah's lap. Every time the music would begin, he would raise his little baby arms up in the air and 'conduct' the choir along with our choir director. (it really looked like he was praising God, but then we realized he was watching and imitating her) He was also humming along with the songs, which was nothing less than delightful and extremely entertaining!

His favorite Christmas song at home was the Little Drummer Boy. He loved the rumm puh pum pummm part, joining in on the last 'pummm'.

****During the Christmas season, I would end up in the early evening on the couch, zoned out by cold meds and congestion. We gave up satellite television a few months ago, so there wasn't much on except for the Hallmark Movie Channel. Every night in December they had some very sentimental Christmas movie. You know......the kind where the nice stranger in town turns out to be Santa Clause or where the orphans find a loving home. These are the kinds of movies I generally avoid like the plague, but there we were....might as well....it was Christmas, after all.

I love how my husband can't hide his feelings. While watching those movies, I would look over at him during some very sentimental part, thinking he'd missed it because his nose would be in his computer. But it wasn't. He loves things like that and when I'd look over, I would see him with a big grin on his face.....then our eyes would meet and we'd crack up. =)

Cold-hearted
Topic: People/Family stories
Things are filling my mind to write about on my blog lately. It's just really too bad that they go through my mind when I'm driving, when I'm shopping, when I'm at church, in the shower and not when I'm actually sitting at the computer! When I sit here, my mind goes...."derrrrrrr, huh?" Very frustrating, but probably a result of the cold meds I'm taking and the cold itself. So here are some blips, as they come to me, not necessarily in sequence. =)

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A few weeks ago, Maggie (my 9 year old, youngest child) came down with this cold virus too, but she got a very sore throat. I looked at it, went "eeeeeewwwww". She is quite precocious (note: that is not precious, but precocious....extra syllable there...whole nother word. Although she CAN be precious sometimes too.) ....looked at her throat..... yes, bright red, HUGE tonsils.....with a smattering of white spots.

Before I even had the flashlight put back in the drawer, she raises her eyebrows in the bossiest way, and says, "Mom, whatever you do, even if you give me 3 candies or pay me money, I am NOT going to gargle saltwater. So don't even ask me."

How.....did she know that was my next sentence?? So I just looked at her....she looked so serious....and I cracked up. There was no pretense of parent/child pecking order left here. My comeback (in true one-up-manship fashion), "Well, if you refuse to gargle with saltwater, then I don't want to hear any whining about your throat." Then I called the doctor. She hasn't been to this doctor's office yet since we've lived here less than a year, so we had to go to urgent care. I found out that new patients can't just make a sick appointment. We have to have a well visit first. (Well excuuuuuse us for being sick and not well...gee whiz.)

We sat in the urgent care parking lot (waiting room) for just over 2 hours. I was just about to order out for pizza when they called our name. *YAY* Everyone in the waiting room glared at us jealousy as we went into the inner rooms and after a short wait, we saw a young doctor. He looked at her throat...."Oh, very badly infected tonsils".....he felt her glands on her neck...."ooo, you can feel them from the outside!" A normal, good, kind, sweet mom would have been melting in sympathy for the youngster, so badly infected with germs. But me? The doctor told me that he would order a Zpack of antibiotic and make sure that several times a day, she was to gargle with saltwater.

My cold-hearted mom eyes met her disappointed, sicky eyes and all I said was one syllable....

A very told-you-so, "HA!"

After-thought: I hope the doctor didn't write that in her chart. ;)

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Did I mention I've been sick? Since Thanksgiving to be precise. I have gone through 2 bottles of Tylenol Nightime cold medicine, the last of my prescription strength guafasin from last year, a bottle of Mucinex with expectorant and cough suppressant, a small boat load of Ibuprofen, bags of cough drops, and I made quite an indentation in my bottle of Mentholatum ointment too. But by far, the most interesting cold medicine on the market today is Sudafed. I used to buy Sudafed once a year by the bottle and it would happily carry me through cold/allergy seasons. This year I had to get registered in order to buy it. There is a sign on the shelf of cold meds saying "if you're looking for Sudaphedrine containing products, please ask in the pharmacy. So I asked. And they asked for my driver's license, current address information, and pass a polygraph test. Okay, I made up the polygraph part, but it was pretty intimidating to have to go through all of that in order to decongest my sinuses. I realize it is to keep track of people buying sudaphedrine and using it to make illegal drugs. I'm happy to comply, as long as they don't pull it completely from over the counter accessibility!

The funny thing is, after taking all this information and reading warnings of criminal use of the product, etc.....the girl at the pharmacy desk asks me, "Okay, how many packages would you like?" I said, "Well, I don't know. I was going to buy one, but I may as well get 2 so I don't have to go through this again soon." She said, "Are you sure you don't want more?"

She was either trying to tempt me to see if I was going to use it for criminal purposes.....or she was not getting the purpose of limited accessibility!

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Okay, I'm tired...more stories later. =)