Day By Day By Night By Night By Day By Night

When I woke up this morning, it occurred to me that life is just passing by, marked by minutes, hours, nights and days, projects, assignments, holidays, work. For some reason this morning it seemed to me that there is no purpose in life. We do the same things over and over again, never completing. Is this what life is suppose to be? The sad part is that while I am doing mission work on the home front, I still see life just passing by. Is it me? Do I need an attitude adjustment? Am I still suffering the effects of the allergy? Am I like my Chia pet--great expectations but short lived?

Baby It's More Than Cold Outside

It is so cold!! So how cold is it? Zero and falling. With 4 to 5 inches of snow on the ground, there is not much hope of a warm spell. How are people up North or on the East coast able to tolerate this weather and the snow? Staying inside with the heat cranked up, watching tv, and reading facebook sound so inviting today. Nothing can entice me to leave my house today. Well, I hope nothing tries.

Life Update

I have no excuse for not writing except that I have been busy. Since I had some routine tests done under anesthesia, I've been sleeping 8 hours a night. While that sounds good to most of you, it is not for me. I am so groggy as if I didn't have enough sleep. And I do not have enough time in the morning to check or write much on my correspondences. Did you know that an excuse is a skin of a reason stuffed with a lie?? And furthermore, did you know I have been missing? LOL

Fall Back an Hour Means Go to Bed an Hour Earlier

Ok, I know we are suppose to fall back an hour. But how do you train your body to fall back one hour? My body has this internal clock that keeps very good time. My body did not fall back one hour. My body got up very early today, because my body didn't change time. Where is that switch? How do I turn it back? If I don't find it soon, my body will be going to bed at 8:00 and arising at 3:00.

Six Years Gone

Yesterday was the sixth year anniversary of the passing of my brother, Joe. I miss him so. It doesn't seem possible that he has been gone so long. He would be so proud of the accomplishments of his family, and the character of his children. I guess his legacy shows in their lives.

Mold Defeater

I read about a new mold control product that is environmentally safe and actually works. It contains no bleach or ammonia. Its called Concrobium Mold Control. Can't wait to try it. It suppose to work on fabric and wood by encapsulating the mold and suffocating it.

Sleep, Sleep, Sleep

Eight hours of sleep! What's the matter with me? I wake up groggy and disoriented, as if I have had no sleep.

You Start Monday

After being laid-off for about 6 months, my son-in-law got a job. It's not with his former company, but it is a job. At least now he can also do some of those part-time jobs that he wants and enjoys. And the health insurance will be good. No more Cobra and the high payment now!! Way to go JSS!

You Are What You Eat

Would you be willing to eat in this restaurant if you saw this posted with the menu? While vacationing in California this summer, we saw this posted in numerous restaurants. While trying to get the snapshot of the poster, I was being watched by the chef on duty in the place. I was willing to explain that I had never seen this warning and that I was not going to hold him responsible, I was just curious. He didn't come after me though.

Meet Minnie on Vacation

This is another shot I took at Disneyland for the sake of my granddaughter. The line to meet Minnie was very long and the temperature that day was much too hot. So I took this from afar, used the settings on the camera and brought it into a respectable shot. I have no idea who the small child is, but I just love the look on her face. She truly believes she is meeting the real character. If I were playing Minnie, I would gain so much satisfaction knowing what a difference I could make in a child's life by just being friendly.

But then that is the opportunity I have everyday at school as a teacher. I can make a difference in a child's life just by being friendly. And those opportunities begin this week!

Vacation Pictures

Remember that picture a few blogs back at the Sequoia National Park? The one from the 1960s with my family? Well, here is an updated one, this time with hubby, same park, same tree just many years later.

Vacation Completed

Hubby and I are home from California where we enjoyed 7 days of sun, ocean, huge trees, Disneyland, Universal Studios, and relatives. Pictures soon.

Stay Tuned for More News About Your Camel

During VBS I play a news anchor who starts the program with lead-off stories before turning it over to our eyewitness reporter, Corinna. It's all set back in Jesus's time on earth. The two of us have a script to work from, but we are both good at ad libbing. Sometimes we come up with the same idea at the same time and just go with it. Yesterday, for the mock weather report, we decided to talk about the heat advisory and keeping their camels out of the sun until after 6:00 pm, ECT or Eastern Camel Time. Some of the children got the joke right away while others just looked confused. In the "off the air" segment yesterday, we, as the reporters, quiz the students about what they have learned or heard about Jesus. Because they are giving us so many stories, we joked about having extra newscasts or break-in reports. Corinna encouraged them to tune in throughout the day to listen. We must be believable because several wanted to know what channel to watch on their tv.

Just Like Dad

Went swimming with Toots yesterday, and she spent the night as well. If you ever want to see your mannerisms, how you cock your head when you are trying to make a point, just watch a little child that is around you a lot. When trying to make her point with me about the coloring page that we were doing last night, she cocked her head to the side, stepped back, and delivered her verbal blow, JUST like her dad! And the worse thing is, he will be so proud when he hears of it.

Lesson Learned and Applied

While watching the season finale of The Secret Life of an American Teen or whatever the long title was, my granddaughter made an observation about the character Tom Bowman. She said he sounds just like a friend of ours and also a girl at her daycare. Luke Zimmerman, the actor, has Down Syndrome. Just like our friend and just like the little girl at the daycare. When Toots first met our friend, G, we were riding to the airport together. When he talked, she couldn't understand him. I overheard her say, "If you are going to talk in that whiny voice, then I can't understand a word you are saying." This phrase is used often at her daycare with her as well as others. G wasn't whiny, but she couldn't understand him. After I reprimanded her, she tried to listen more carefully and was soon able to understand him. They became fast friends before the trip ended. Kudos to the show for including real-life characters in their show. For a child as young as 4 can relate fiction to life.

Celebration

Happy 36th Anniversary, Hubby.

Finally, the Repair is Done

I finally did it. I sewed the arm back in the suede coat. Took about 15 minutes counting the cleaning up the threads from where it had been ripped out. I've only had the coat since early summer. It was one of those things that I have put off, dreading it, thinking I couldn't do it. Now that it is done, I could kick myself (okay, I know I couldn't literally do that at my age) for procrastinating so long on it. Now I need to take on the child's size 8 winter coat with the broken zipper that my sister gave me to fix and pass on. It was size 8 when my nephew wore it. He is 6'2". So I've had it a while, too. Let's just say I don't get in a hurry.

Honey, Did You Pay the Light Bill?

Watching the news, I heard an unbelievable story. This man has not paid an additional hookup and usage on his electric bill, not one dime more, in 16 years. Now it has been discovered that an electrician friend hooked the guy up and bypassed the meter. The man thinks his friend did this as a favor. He can't believe that he now owes $17,613.34 which must be paid in one month! He lamented that with two kids in college, money is tight. Wonder what career the kids are pursuing with an example like their dad? Wouldn't you think that if you have not paid anything extra for more use of electricity that you are doing something wrong? His local government has agreed to waive the criminal charges. Some would say, "Fry the sucker." I say, "Duh!!!!"

Where Have All the Leaves Gone?

What happened to our leaves? I noticed on Wed. that the trees still had many of their beautifully colored leaves. Then it was like someone threw a switch and the leaves fell off all at once. Our backyard looks as if we have had a leaf storm, dumping 6 to 8 inches of leaves. Fire up the leaf blower and make a pile that we can burn. Or wait until the wind blows them away. When we choose that method, we are not very popular with our neighbors. But then I don't see our neighbors from the west scrambling over to our place to retrieve their leaves.

Before the leaves fell, I took a picture of our burning bush, fully ablaze in red. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Voting Booth

I voted early this week at our local courthouse. It made me remember that the first time I ever voted was in a barn with a dirt floor. I remember the curtains for privacy were feed sacks. So this year I voted in a closet. We've come a long way, baby.