Two Cents & Nonsense

Continued Documentation

2012-01-31T21:58:00.003-05:00

I apologize to my readers (all two of you). My blog has become more of a journal where I'm documenting things I don't want to forget. I give you permission to skip this post.

Saw Dr. Lane today for a post-op. Sinuses were very inflamed and swollen again and he did a lot of cleaning out. I told him I've been fighting a cold and that my stent was scheduled to be removed tomorrow. He said this was not a good combination and was concerned that the swelling would close the opening that surgery had provided. After much discussion, he decided to put me on major antibiotics and eye drops quickly and let me continue with the stent removal tomorrow. I can now move my follow-ups to every 4 months for a year.

Looooooooong wait for Dr. Tufano because they forgot about me. As for the thyroid nodules everything I heard was what I expected. Repeat sonogram in a year. If any new nodules over 1cm appear they will be biopsied. If current nodules increase by 20% then we will discuss surgery. If I have any new symptoms, repeat sonogram.

When he felt my neck he hit the painful area near the salivary gland and I winced. I told him the CT showed an enlarged gland but no mass or blockage. Both Drs in the room suddenly had a sense of urgency. I gave them the radiology report but he really wanted to see the films which they couldn't find. He wants the films and report to be sent to Hopkins radiology. I heard the same thing from Dr. Gourin 4 weeks ago and they still haven't made that happen. He mentioned auto-immune again like Dr. Gourin did.

See family doctor for a sleep study.

Reminders

2012-01-30T20:39:00.003-05:00

There have been so many amazing God-provisions on this journey that I wanted to take some time to document them so they wouldn't be forgotten. I tend to remember the BAD instead of the GOOD. This is an attempt to permanently capture the GOOD. Or should I say, The God!

The Cards:
In the midst of the anxiety of the past few weeks, our Women's Ministry was on a card writing kick. They were challenged to send notes of encouragement to our staff. One day, I received 5 cards in my office mailbox. FIVE! I carried them to my office in amazement. The timing was unbelievable. I knew the senders well and they didn't just write random, general notes. They wrote heartfelt, sincere words. I couldn't believe it. They had no idea how timely their encouragement was. I just shook my head in amazement.

THE Card:
Just before Barb and I left to go for my biopsy, Jim grabbed some staff members to circle around me to pray in my office. There was one person in the group who had no idea what I was going through. But she prayed with us anyway. As soon as we were finished she scooted from my office. I felt so bad because I thought she was offended because she was left in the dark. But a few seconds later she reappeared and I quickly said, "I'm sorry, you probably have no idea what is going on." She smiled and said, "No, but that's okay" and handed me a card and said with complete wonder on her face, "My card is late. I wrote it just this morning not knowing anything you were going through." We exchanged shocked glances and I briefly told her the details. We were both in awe of God's timing.

The Shared Burden:
On Monday, Jan. 23rd, I finally told my Small Group about the anxiety I had been hiding. I asked them to pray that I would stop obsessing about this mass and that it would stop invading my every thought. By the time I went to bed that night, I was already feeling at peace. Tuesday was my biopsy and I had a totally different outlook. I realized I wasn't obsessing about it and I was also starting to sense that it was benign. For the next several days, I was experiencing peace. Friday I received the benign news and since I was going to see my Small Group that night for dinner before Girls' Weekend Out I decided to hold the news. That night I offered to pray for our meal and I closed the prayer with "Thank You for answered prayers like giving me the news of benign nodules." My girlfriends screamed in surprise. It was such a fun way to break the news. But the best part was yet to come.

One friend, Kathleen, was in tears upon hearing the news. She's not one to cry so I was rather shocked. After we processed the news a bit she shared that on Monday night when they prayed for me she specifically asked God to take the burden of anxiety away from me and give it to her. She was asking to bear my burden. She said He did exactly that...she was feeling heavy all that week! Which is why the news came as such a relief to her! She said that the news felt like it was actually about her. I think this may be the coolest thing that has ever happened to me.

Disney Bound!
For two years I have been dying to go to Disney. My family has had a trip planned for next week and I couldn't commit to going because of health. Now that all is clear, I'm headed to DISNEY! I have so little time to get ready (and I shouldn't be spending time on the computer!) but somehow it will happen.

Un.Believe.Able

2012-01-30T18:16:00.004-05:00

Benign.

'Nuff said.

HOPE - Part 3

2012-01-24T06:15:00.001-05:00

My wake up texts from "Texting Friend"...

Jan. 17
Romans 15:13 - May the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jan. 18
I Peter 1:3 - In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Jan. 19
II Corinthians 1:10 - He has delivered us from such a deadly peril and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our HOPE that He will continue to deliver us.

Jan. 20
Hebrews 6:19 - We have this HOPE as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

Jan. 21

Micah 7:7 - But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

Jan. 22

Psalm 119:114 - You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in Your word.

Jan. 23

Psalm 25:5 - Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.

Jan. 24

Romans 12:12 - Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Bonus verses: Zephaniah 3:17 - The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.

Psalm 27:1 - The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?

Progress

2012-01-20T18:35:00.002-05:00

Making baby steps on the process...

Found out that a normal thyroid is 4cm. Mine is 6cm.
Still haven't received lab report but Hopkins inquired and found out my TSH is low.
Biopsy this Tues, Jan. 24th. Results a week later.
Appointment with thyroid surgeon, Jan 31st.
Picked up sonogram films today and was able to see them. Didn't learn anything new.

HOPE - Part 2

2012-01-18T18:51:00.001-05:00

Monday morning, January 16th:
The Carroll County Times headline: "HOPE Continues"
Yes, it's about the Ravens, not me, but hey, whatev!

A facebook friend posts this article:
"Living with Hope: Optimism and hope are radically different attitudes. Optimism is the expectation that things-the weather, human relationships, the economy, the political situation, and so on-will get better. Hope is the trust that God will fulfill God's promises to us in a way that leads us to true freedom. The optimist speaks about concrete changes in the future. The person of hope lives in the moment with the knowledge and trust that all of life is in good hands."

Texting friend sends me this: "I'm on a mission to find you every hope verse that I can! Lamentations 3:25, 'The Lord is good to those whose HOPE is in him, to the one who seeks Him.'"

HOPE - Part 1

2012-01-18T18:50:00.001-05:00

After many considerations, I've landed on my word for 2012...HOPE.

Balance, Persistence, Joy didn't survive the cut. Here is why HOPE beat them out.

This past Sunday I was searching in my jewelry box for something purple (Ravens' playoffs). I came across a bracelet I had purchased to support cancer research many years ago. It has multiple color beads representing each type of cancer. It also has a charm which says, "HOPE." My heart skipped a beat. I've never worn the bracelet. I put it on.

Just a few hours later in the middle of the busyness of church services I received a text from a sweet friend. She has been texting me a verse each day. Sunday's verse was Hebrews 10:23: "Let us hold unswervingly to the HOPE we profess, for He who promised is faithful." Yes, my heart skipped another beat.

Fast forward just a few more hours. It is the 4th quarter of the Ravens' game and I'm getting nervous. A fellow gamewatcher says to me, "Jodie, I think your word for the year should be HOPE." My jaw literally dropped. She had no idea what had already happened that morning.

That sealed it. I no longer had a choice.

Not So Peaceful Week

2012-01-06T20:46:00.002-05:00

I can't say it's been a roller coaster because there haven't been any highs. Many lows and mostly level ground.

I had an appointment with my endocrinologist on Wed. Ended up being a meeting with yet another dismissive, rude, uncaring medical professional. She didn't want to see any of my reports, she didn't care what the CT showed, she questioned why I had surgeons involved. Basically, she was threatened that she didn't find this first.

She has her own process so she sent me for an ultrasound today. The tech took 15 minutes to take all the pictures. I'm pretty sure I fell asleep for a bit! She took so many pictures on both sides. I could tell she was seeing definite findings. I had slight pain/discomfort when she was on the left side and some of the time I couldn't breathe because she was pressing so hard on my windpipe.

The Dr said she should know results in 3 days and would only biopsy nodules that were larger than 1cm.

Working at living in the peace again.

A Peaceful Default

2011-12-30T21:39:00.002-05:00

I'm afraid that my circle of friends and family are tired of hearing about each new chapter of my very long medical bio. So when the latest chapter started being written a few weeks ago I kept it to myself. I wanted to wait until I got more information before I shared. Today was very informative.

A few weeks ago as I was approaching my first post-op appointment I decided I needed to inform my surgeon that the pain on the right side of my neck had been increasing. I made an appointment with the throat specialist which didn't go very well...she was rude, dismissive, defensive, etc. Treating me as if I hadn't told her correct information 7 months ago when she first saw me. But she examined me differently and she made a direct hit on the painful area. She diagnosed an inflamed salivary duct and enlarged salivary gland and began describing surgery. She ordered a CT to look for a stone, tumor or other cause of the blockage.

Multiple phone calls, insurance denials, labs, roadblock after roadblock delayed the testing and thus the results. What I thought I would know before Christmas was put off until today.

The short version: NO stone! NO tumor! The gland is definitely enlarged probably due to overuse and isn't functioning properly. The only treatment is surgical removal.

But that was the good news.

The Dr, who had been completely rude a week ago, was suddenly compassionate. She proceeded to tell me that the CT also showed an incidental finding. My left thyroid has a very large mass. I would need bloodwork and a needle biopsy. We talked over the details and at my request, she showed me the pictures. I returned to the gland issue and asked what the next steps were for that problem and she said that all that needed to be put aside for now so we could address the thyroid.

I left the office in a total state of peace.
Should I call someone? No, not yet.
Should I cry? Nope, didn't need to.
When I got on the metro, I began reading my book as if nothing had even happened.
I was completely shocked at my reaction. This wasn't typical Jodie.

God continues to completely amaze me! Peace is an incredible provision.

My New Favorite Christmas Memory

2011-12-26T18:12:00.012-05:00

I love Christmas. But I don't love the gatherings. Yes, I'm a true introvert.

My family gathering was on Friday, the 23rd. We held Part 1 at my parents' new (small) house. By the end I was tired, hot, grumpy, claustrophobic...done. We were holding Part 2 (dessert) at my sister's. When it was time to head to her house, my sister told her son, Drew (age 10), to go with me. My grumpies were about to disappear.

Drew and I walk outside. Ahhh...fresh air! It was actually quite chilly which just added to the holiday-ness. I had parked quite a distance away so we started down the street enjoying the Christmas lights in the neighborhood. Unprompted, Drew wrapped his arm around my waist. Comfort and joy! I love his sentimentality.

Being our youngest, he is our only remaining kid who still has that Christmas excitement in his eyes. You know...the kind that makes you want to jump out of your skin in anticipation. I had spent a few days with him and knew how excited he was for Christmas morning.

As we strolled down the street I squeezed him and said in a high-pitched enthusiastic voice, "Only two days 'til Christmas! Are you excited?"

"Yeah!" he replied. Then I asked, "What's your favorite thing about Christmas?"

There was about a 3 second pause (which surprised me) and then he replied...

"The giving."

I just about burst into tears. He was sooooo excited about giving his presents to his parents, sister and brother. He had picked out a PERFECT gift for each of them, paid for them with his own money, ordered them online (with mom's help), watched for the UPS truck daily, wrapped them all by himself and hid them secretly. And now he couldn't wait to give them away.

I hope I never forget this Christmas walk.

Drew and I the night before.

A little healthy competition, Romo/Flacco style.

Tendonitis

2011-11-13T15:16:00.008-05:00

My plan for Saturday was to 1) winterize my yard/deck and 2) start my Christmas decorating. I only completed 1) and here's why...

BEFORE...

AFTER!

BEFORE...

AFTER!

BEFORE...

AFTER!

BEFORE...

AFTER!

BEFORE...

AFTER!

And the final total...11 bags. All dragged through the house, of course.

Icing the wrist today.

Asheville, 2011

2011-10-01T16:25:00.012-04:00

I just realized that I never blogged about my vacation to Asheville, NC!

My favorite part of the trail was the tunnel. It was breathtaking!

Entering the tunnel was somewhat eerie. Alone. Dark. As I entered the blackness, the quiet was beautiful yet mysterious. Clammy, dank, musty. At the midpoint the temperature dropped drastically adding to the drama. I dismounted because I wanted to take some time to enjoy the experience.

Surrounded by rock. Cold. Water. Overwhelming silence. A spot of light in both directions. Exits I didn't want to take.

Tigers on the loose in Hampstead!

2011-09-14T19:34:00.006-04:00

While sitting on my deck at dusk today, I was visited by several mosquitoes. I finally saw one land on my arm and thought it looked different than your average mosquito but I didn't think much of it. But after a few more landed on me, and I had a chance to really look at them, I noticed they were black and white. That was definitely unusual so I googled them and discovered that this was my visitor...

Asian Tiger Mosquito

Asian tiger mosquitoes were first found in North America in a shipment of used tires at the port of Houston in 1985. Thank you, Texas!

They carry diseases like every other mosquito. "Evidently, mutated strains of the Chikungunya virus are being directly transmitted through tiger mosquitoes particularly well and in such a way that another dispersal of the disease in regions with the Asian tiger mosquito is feared." Yippee! But I don't think I got bit. Will definitely be using bug spray regularly from now on.

Just thought my blog audience of two should know what killed me if found dead.

Would you like frogs with that?

2011-09-09T10:05:00.007-04:00

Yesterday I saw the cutest little frog board book. It must have been written by a local author because google doesn't have a picture of it. I debated about buying it. Now I wish I had.

I am reading this book by John Ortberg, one of my favorite authors. In today's chapter he uses the story of the plague of frogs. Go figure. Pharaoh has an entire labor union of slaves, the Israelites, at his disposal. When he has finally had enough frogs in his cereal, in his bed, in his chariot, and in his bath, he asks Moses to remove them. Moses says, "You name the time." Pharaoh replies, "Tomorrow."

WHAT??!! Crazy, isn't it? Why wouldn't Pharaoh say, "Immediately!"

Ortberg puts it, "Pharaoh has learned - he can live with frogs. He can tolerate a frog-saturated life. It's not great. There's not much joy in it. But he can survive. He prefers it to the change that would be required by surrendering to Yahweh. 'I'll try another night with the frogs.' "

The most dangerous word is "tomorrow." We choose to stay with the frogs because we aren't willing to submit to God's presence available to us right here, right now.

"Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts...but encourage one another daily, as long as it is called 'today.' " Hebrews 3:7-8, 13

Am about to go on a hike. I'll let you know if I see a frog.

2011 Cycling Stats

2011-08-31T18:28:00.008-04:00

After a frustrating, health-plagued 2010, I hesitantly hopped back on my bike in the Spring of 2011. I was anxious to see how this season would go. After my first few rides I was disappointed. I wondered if I had lost my biking fervor forever.

Then in May something clicked. I got my groove back!

2011 Goal: 500 miles
2011 To Date: 346 miles

April Total: 17 miles
4/8: 5m
4/14: 5m
4/28: 7m

May Total: 85 miles
5/1: 10m
5/8: 14m
5/12: 14m
5/21: 20m
5/22: 16m
5/25: 11m

June Total: 66 miles
6/3: 40m THE ENTIRE NCR!
6/14: 14m
6/18: 12m

July Total: 59 miles
7/1: 22m
7/4: 30m
7/27: 7m

August Total: 48 miles
8/18: 20m
8/22: 8m
8/30: 20m

September Total: 71 miles
9/2: 26m, New River Trail, VA
9/10: 22m, Virginia Creeper Trail
9/16: 23m with Tricia

October Total:
10/9: 8m with Kathleen

November Total:

Love My Fridays Off

2011-07-01T21:29:00.016-04:00

My day started with an eye appt. Got the unusual news that my eyes have actually IMPROVED! Significantly! Crazy! Of course, that means a new script for my glasses. Cha-ching!

I left the office with pupils dilated, of course. Fun times running errands on a bright, sunny day.

But this glorious day couldn't be totally spent being productive. So I headed to the trail and was grateful to have eyesight for all these little unexpected blessings.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of blue and quickly turned to see a beautiful blue bird. I'm pretty sure it was an indigo bunting. I'm familiar with our other local blues, bluejay and eastern bluebird, and this was neither of those. I've never seen an indigo before.

I was riding along and happened to look down at the stream at one point. Along the bank were three men painting at easels much like this one. They all wore wide brimmed hats. It was so cute! You never know what you'll see on the NCR.

It's berry time on the trail! An unexpected treat! I ate as many as I could find which wasn't much after the birds got 'em.

Another first...a one legged cyclist. He looked like a pro in full gear. Btw, you'd be surprised how many pics google can provide you of one legged cyclists! Apparently, they aren't rare.

I went further north than I have ever gone. Don't be impressed. I also started further north so I didn't set any records. Just an average 22miles. In New Freedom, PA there is a cafe which has two of these cabooses (caboosi?) parked at it. They were awesome!

The closer you get to PA the steeper the incline. It's rough. But the reward is the return trip. DECLINE! IT'S AWESOME! The trail was so empty today so I decided to gun it and see how fast I could go on the way back. My max was 18.9 mph. So I didn't break any laws! It was so awesome! If I had hit a rock, or a deer, or a stick, or a chipmunk (which somebody did cuz Mr. Chip was belly up on the trail), I would have been thrown from my bike. I stayed above 15mph the entire 11 miles back. And my legs will tell you I'm not lying.

I retract my previous statement. It was a productive day from beginning to end.

First Fruits of the Season

2011-05-13T20:24:00.004-04:00

I decided to try growing some herbs this year as seen in this pic from my previous post...

I knew if I didn't start using them they would go to seed.
So, having no plans for dinner, the basil made its way to the kitchen and voila!
The most delicious bruschetta ev-uh!

I think I can get used to this.

A Few of my Favorite Sights

2011-05-08T21:01:00.007-04:00

See? I knew as soon as I wrote that last post it would start to work. Not kidding.

I love my backyard. It is finally maintenance free and is already gorgeous at the beginning of May. I am going to be so spoiled this year. I had caption ideas for each of these pictures but blogger really isn't "format friendly" and I've already spent over an hour trying to write this post. So here you have it...nothing fancy, simply pics.

The last pic is my first attempt at growing herbs: basil and cilantro. Guess I better start cooking!

Epic Fail

2011-05-08T20:57:00.002-04:00

Took loads of beautiful pictures of my backyard paradise in hopes of putting them in a long overdue blog post. I CAN'T UPLOAD PICTURES!!! I HATE BLOGGER!!!

Strangers in the Family

2011-03-18T20:47:00.007-04:00

I got the call yesterday.

"The biopsy was positive for inverted papilloma."

You know those phrases you read in novels?
"The news sucked the breath out of her."
"The world seemed to stand still."
"She didn't hear anything that was said after that."

They are all possible. true. 100% accurate. happened. yesterday. 1:35pm. st patrick's day. maybe if I had worn green...?

Hours later I recalled that the Dr's office and I had agreed on an appointment date but I didn't remember the appointment time. I don't even remember discussing options. But somehow I had entered a time into my calendar.

I had been in the middle of a phone call with a complete stranger when my cell lit up with my surgeon's number. This stranger was a staff member from a church I'd never heard of. She had contacted me to compare notes in our ministry areas. We had only talked a few minutes when my cell rang. I told her I was really sorry but I had to take the call. A few minutes later I had to call her back to tell her I couldn't talk. Today, she sent me this email...

"Dear Jodie, I'm sorry you received bad news while we were on the phone. My heart goes out to you so much. May the peace of God be with you, giving you courage and wisdom. Blessings, Tanya"

Written by a stranger.

I guess there are no strangers in the family of God.

Finally Growing Up

2011-02-05T22:04:00.006-05:00

In my previous post I mentioned some new purchases. Well, uh-hum, I've continued my shopping spree. Basically, I'm just catching up with 21st century technology. I tend to be five years behind the current trends.

Okay...in regards to the digital camera, I know I'm about 15 years behind. Now I can post my OWN pics on my blogs and facebook. Finally! I really wanted this before heading to Seattle this week. Beware. You're gonna be inundated with videos of Maks in a few weeks.

I like to read but I just don't take the time. A friend convinced me that her NOOK has been the catalyst to get her reading so I decided to try it. Who knows. I might be stuck in an airport somewhere this week. But I'll be prepared. I love the way it works so far. As I was reading it last night, I actually forgot once that it was a computer and tried to turn the page manually!

The Nook cover I chose has a "window" for inserting a picture. I spent some time making various inserts for myself and another friend who bought the same cover. I think they turned out pretty awesome.

Signing off...and headed to bed to read.

Family Funny

2011-01-30T23:59:00.005-05:00

My father wears hearing aids.

One evening, after feverishly cleaning up the kitchen, my mother said to my dad, "The kitchen is closed."

Dad replies, "What?"
Mom: "The kitchen is closed!"
Dad: "Huh?"
Mom: "THE KITCHEN IS CLOSED!!"

A few minutes later, my father comes out of their bedroom with a duffle bag in his hands. Mom says, "What are you doing?"

Dad replies, "I don't know, but I got my clothes."

He had no idea where they were going but he did what the boss had instructed.

Some Wishes Granted

2011-01-30T18:44:00.000-05:00

I was able to refinance which means I'll get to skip a mortgage payment. So this month's mortgage payment went towards two items on my wish list.

My FIRST computer. Yes, I've never owned my own computer. Have always used my work computer. I decided I should join the adult world and purchase my own. I'm a bit technically challenged so I hope I'm able to work out the bugs.

A trip to Seattle with a side trip to Vancouver (if I remember to pack my passport!). One of my "Seven" goals is to visit seven new places. Here is #1 and #2! I am going to see my niece Lauren and her family. My goal is to teach Maks to say "Jojo."

Oh and, my mortgage payment also went toward the heat pump repairs. Thankful for available funds for the necessities.

A Few of My Favorite Things

2011-01-28T18:23:00.004-05:00

Here are my two favorite Christmas gifts which I bought for myself...

My Starbucks travel mug. LOVE it!
I bought it on clearance for about $6. It took me forever to find a picture of this exact mug to include in this post. I finally found it on Amazon. You are not going to believe what it is selling for.....$44.96. Are you kidding me? It's jeweled but not made of jewels!

My griddler! It's a grill and a griddle in one. I use it all the time!

Things to DO on a Snowy Day

2011-01-26T14:34:00.010-05:00

It's been awhile since I've done a list...

eat breakfast with the neighbors (eggs and french toast)
reserve airline tickets (to visit these guys)
shovel slush (in the rain)
check work email (and respond)
laundry (and run the dryer twice per load, grrr)
purchase a new computer (actually, my FIRST computer!)
call for lab results (negative!)
spend $400 for heat repair (grrrrr)
blog (check!)
vacuum (since the vacuum has been sitting out for 3 weeks)
facebook (too much)
clean bathrooms (don't ask when I did that last)
clean stove (yuck)
be amazed at the thunder snow (crazy!)
do a puzzle (tonight)
make homemade donuts (YUMMO!!!)

What to Eat on a Snow Day

2011-01-18T18:20:00.007-05:00

I made this awesome crockpot recipe tonight for my neighbors and me. It was an improvization of a recipe I found in my Fix It and Forget It cookbook. I had to use what I had on hand because, as you know, no grocery shopping allowed this month.

1 1/2 lbs ground beef or sausage (I used 1 lb beef, 1/2 lb sausage)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jar spaghetti sauce
10 oz jar of mushrooms
8 oz shredded cheddar (I had misc bags of sharp, mild, white, yellow that I used up)
1/2 box elbows, cooked
4 oz shredded mozzarella

Brown meat with onion. Build two layers in the crockpot in this order: meat, mushrooms, pasta, cheddar, sauce. Repeat (uh, of course...that's what "build two layers" means).

Cook on low 3-4 hrs. I miscalculated and cooked it the full four hours. It was just about to get to that "mushy" stage so stay close to the 3 hr mark. Sprinkle with mozzarella and let melt for 5 minutes.

We had garlic bread and salad with it and it was scrumptious!! We've already planned on eating the leftovers for dinner tomorrow night.

Just wish I had remembered to use a crockpot liner! Grrrr....I swear by those things but always forget to use them!

Dessert? Brownie sundaes at their house shortly. Yum!

Did I mention we started our day with pancakes?
LOVE my neighbors!

Charm Card

2011-01-12T09:15:00.014-05:00

Things you don't want to hear your surgeon say to his resident...

"This is Jodie. We will be seeing her indefinitely."

"See this area of regrowth? It's too early to tell if it's papilloma but we'll have to keep our eye on it."

"Her stent isn't working."

"This is exposed bone. It should be developing new lining but it's taking longer than expected."

"Usually at this point we can stretch out appointments but we still need to see her weekly because there is so much buildup that needs removed."

I decided it was time to buy a metro fare pass.

2011 Snuck In

2011-01-08T11:47:00.006-05:00

Yes, it is January 8th. One week of the new year has gone by and I'm just getting around to doing the annual blog kick-off. But let me back track a bit...

Can I just start by saying how incredibly glad I am that 2010 is OVER!? Been-there-done-that-never-wanna-do-it-again! CHECK!

So what does 2011 hold? Who knows? But I know Who's facing it with me.

I love to blog. You wouldn't know it by my lack of posts this year (uh-hem, thanks to Courtney for pointing that out to me). So, yes, I'm going to once again commit to doing better this year. But this blog may suffer a bit because of its competition found here. I'll probably be writing more over there than here but you can still follow me anyhow anywhere. (My great-nephew's infatuation with Dr. Seuss is rubbing off.)

And for the record...I read every entry of your blogs!

A Simple Wish

2010-12-24T10:29:00.007-05:00

For unto you is born this day, a SAVIOR. Period.

Overlooking Coincidences, Seeing Miracles

2010-11-18T18:58:00.008-05:00

I wish I had the time to explain in detail all the amazing miracles, yes, literal miracles, I have witnessed in a week's time.

Last week it had to do with turkeys (262 turkeys to be exact). Yesterday, the rest of the Thanksgiving meal (150 of them). Today a check for $200 to provide a family with Christmas gifts for their kids. I knew immediately who should receive it.

Even though the above mentioned miracles weren't direct provisions for me, they greatly influenced me. I was able to watch God working through His people. Because they were obedient. Because they listened and heard His voice. But I didn't have to wait long for my own personal miracles. Mine came today.

I needed to make a phone call. Didn't want to. It would be uncomfortable. Besides, the person is impossible to reach. I'll just wait to see if I bump into him this weekend. Not ten minutes after having this conversation in my head, HE called ME! We got everything accomplished in a 10 minute healthy conversation. Awesome conversation. Yeah God.

Shortly after that, I checked out our planning website to see who I would be serving alongside of this weekend. I noticed a name of someone who had wronged me and had never asked for reconciliation. As I saw his name I realized that I didn't feel an ounce of negativity towards him. I had no hard feelings and I had totally forgiven him and didn't even realize it. This was an absolute first for me. Totally not in my nature. NOT TEN MINUTES LATER (I'm not making this up!) HE CALLED ME! To apologize for the situation! I was able to tell him what had just happened when I saw his name and that I had NO hard feelings. I told him that he probably had to make this call more for HIS sake than mine. I don't think I've ever experienced such a hands-on picture of grace. What was even more shocking is that it was extended by ME! Because extending grace is certainly not on my resume.

Oh, speaking of resumes, I'm working on mine. For this.

It Was a Sign

2010-11-03T17:27:00.005-04:00

Seven years ago I told my Dr, "I can't breathe out of the right side of my nose. At all!"

After saying this repeatedly to previous doctors, this one finally believed me and sent me to an ENT. The ENT couldn't even get his instruments into my nose. A benign tumor had filled every sinus cavity on the right side of my face. Here is the fast forward version of the next seven years...

Surgery #1, April 2003...didn't get it all
Surgery #2, July 2003...didn't get it all
Surgeon says he needs to cut open my face to access it...I say "no, thank you" and "goodbye!"
Surgery #3, October 2003...Hopkins ENT accesses it through my mouth and guts everything in my right cheek.
Annual follow-ups...at the five year mark I'm declared "clear" but still have to have annual check-ups for life.
Check-up, April 2010...recurrence. sigh.
Switch to a new Hopkins ENT who specializes in the tumor and begin surgery plans.

So he's giving me his routine run-down of risks of this surgery and says, "damage to tear duct." I stop him and say, "Could this be why my right eye constantly tears?" He got a strange look on his face and says, "It sounds like it has already been damaged." But I think about the timeline and say, "But my eye was tearing before I even knew I had the tumor." To which he replies, "Then the original tumor probably caused the tear duct damage. We need to find out if your duct is damaged so we can have my ophthalmologist colleague join me during the surgery to repair it."

Fast forward once again:

See an Oculoplastic surgeon...duct is slightly narrowed
She opts to do a minor procedure...a silicone tube is inserted in the duct to keep it open.
If the duct is too narrow and she can't insert the tube...come back for another surgery to go through the bone and perform a drainage bypass.

NO THANK YOU! I've lived with a leaky eye for 15 years what's another 20 or so?

Surgery is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 16th. Merry Christmas to me! Don't judge me if I put up my Christmas decorations next week. That only give me five weeks to enjoy them.

Moral of the story?
If your eye leaks, it may be a sign of an underlying bigger problem that should be address immediately. Whonnu?

Small Town, USA

2010-10-27T18:09:00.008-04:00

Things I love about Hampstead...

Snickerdoodles
The bypass
Rita's
Bulk trash pickup
Santa on the firetruck
Mane Street Manor Salon
Roundabouts (yes, I like 'em)
Being within walking distance
The church bells playing hymns on the hour
That there's nothing to do here

Thanks for the Tag!

2010-10-12T16:19:00.003-04:00

I usually hate these "tag" things but I really wanted to blog today and didn't have any idea what to say. Now I don't have to think about it thanks to Lauren! Well, I guess I kinda have to think but these were easy.

1. What is one "little thing" you have to do for yourself occasionally to keep from going insane?
Put away every misplaced item in my house.

2. What is your biggest pet peeve?
I have so many I don't know where to begin.

3. Where would be your dream place to live, and why?
Somewhere in a mountainous area that is year round cool but still gets a taste of all four seasons. Not asking for much, huh?

4. What is your favorite movie, and give us a summary of it and an explanation of why it is your favorite.
Ever After: the TRUE story of Cinderella. The score is beautiful, the acting is awesome, the storyline is timeless, the setting is gorgeous.

5. What is one thing you would like to change about yourself? Not about how you look... something about who you are.
That I'd be less self-centered. This has been on my mind a lot lately.

Things I Did Because Mama Did 'Em

2010-09-22T15:08:00.010-04:00

We all know that we model our parents and "learn" how to do life by their example. But over the last few years I've realized that some things I do have no logic to them. I simply do them because my mom did them that way. Allow me to explain...

1) Storing cooking oil under the kitchen sink with the cleaning supplies
For many years I did the same. Until one day I made the logical choice to store my oil with baking supplies. It just made more sense. I'm going to give my mother the benefit of the doubt and claim that she stored it under the sink because it's a tall bottle and won't fit in most cabinets. This past year, I helped my sister move and had to smile when I discovered her oil next to her 409.

2) Storing pancake syrup in the refrigerator
Now for this one, I have to admit I did the same until my sister-in-law pointed out the oddity to me. "Why does your mom put the syrup in the fridge? It doesn't have to be refrigerated and it just makes the pancakes cold." Hmmm...good point (as I snuck home and removed my syrup from the fridge).

3) Leave the cleaning sponge on the edge of the tub
Now this is actually not a bad idea. The sponge is handy and ready to use at any time. But I found that is just stays slimy from soap running into it and it collects hair. And then there was the time my 3 yr old nephew was taking a bath and I found him sucking on the sponge. Ewwwwww!

Year of Wonders, Geraldine Brooks

2010-09-21T13:48:00.002-04:00

“How do we tumble down a hill? A foot placed incautiously on an unsteady rock or loosened turf, an ankle twisted or a knee buckled, and all of a sudden we are gone, our body lost to our own control until we find ourselves sprawled in indignity at the bottom. So it seems apt indeed to speak of the Fall. For sin, too, must always start with but a single misstep, and suddenly we are hurtling toward some uncertain stopping point. All that is sure in the descent is that we will arrive sullied and bruised and unable to regain our former place without hard effort.”

Things I Can Do From the Couch

2010-09-20T14:13:00.008-04:00

smell the Fall air
make phone calls
pay bills
pray
computer tasks
read
take pills
worship
write grocery lists
facebook
shop online
watch TV
obsess over indoor and outdoor projects that need accomplished
type with one hand (with tea in the other)
drink tea (while typing with the other hand)
sleep
think encouraging thoughts
think discouraging thoughts
lead group Bible study
bird watch
smell my Fall scented candles
text
plan menus
email
hear my neighbor screaming at her 2yo
watch the leaves fall
visit with friends
play games on my phone
watch dust build up
talk to doctors
listen to sermons online
trace and cut scrapbooking paper (for women's retreat)
listen to acorns fall on my neighbor's deck
update and organize phone apps
think about Christmas
view pics and videos of Maks and Teo!!!

Rubies of Wisdom

2010-08-25T23:08:00.001-04:00

In her book, "A Lifetime of Wisdom," Joni Eareckson Tada shares lessons she has learned about pain and suffering. She calls these lessons "rubies of wisdom" based on Job 28:18, "The price of wisdom is beyond rubies." They were so meaningful to me that I wanted to document them so I can refer to them often. Scattered among the "rubies" below are other great truths from the book.

Ruby #1: "Your imagination about God - especially in the midst of tragedy - isn't reliable. We must run to the true portrait He gives us in His Word."

Ruby #2: "If you find yourself in a confining situation, it is God who has confined you. He is the One who has surrounded you and hemmed you in."

"Paul wasn't fixated on his chains, he was focused on his Savior."

Ruby #3: "Just knowing He's with me give me peace, hope, and comfort. I may be confined, but I am not cramped. I have freedom to move when there is no freedom to move. I have breathing room when I'm about to suffocate. I stand in a wide, spacious place when I'm impaled by a thorny, encircling hedge of pain."

Ruby #4: "When nothing seems to be happening, when loneliness settles over your spirit, when pain and grief and anxiety conspire to push you to the edge of despair, remember God's mighty deeds in your life. Remember His kindness, His special, tailor-made graces that fell out of the sky like a gentle spring rain."

Ruby #5: "There is no more important moment in your life than this one."

"If our enemy can keep us occupied with our past or with our future, we lose the grace, blessings, and opportunities in the NOW. And when you lose the present, in a sense you lose everything. Why? Because now is all we have."

"To live with your 'thorn' uncomplainingly - that is, sweet, patient and free in heart to love and help others, even though every day you feel weak - is true sanctification. It is true healing for the spirit. It is a supreme victory of grace." J.I. Packer

Ruby #6: "As we wrap out hands around a problem and in faith press on, strive, and stand firm, divine energy surges through us. We experience the fullness of His grace."

"When I speak of a person growing in grace, I mean simply this - that his sense of sin is becoming deeper, his faith stronger, his hope brighter, his love more extensive and his spiritual-mindedness more marked." Bishop J.C. Ryle

Ruby #7: "My enforced stillness has led me into a deeper firsthand knowledge of God through prayer.

Ruby #8: "We don't wait to live. We have to keep living while we're waiting. Wait patiently and eagerly. But in the meantime get busy with what you know to be your responsibilities."

Ruby #9: "God hasn't promised me happy endings to every life situation, but He has assured me of greater faith. And that's the best ending, anyway."

Ruby #10: "When God denies your dearest desires, get ready to open up your heart even wider, for He will become that desire Himself."

Ruby #11: "What He has taken back in one currency He has given back - a million to one - in the currency of heaven."

Ruby #12: "It isn't thinking about a Place that will lift your heart and make your sorrow easier to bear. It's a Person."

Ruby #13: "God deals with His children as He wills."

Ruby #14: "A faithful response to affliction and hardship and pain accrues a weight of glory."

Ruby #15: "Why does God allow some of His deeply loved sons and daughters to go through trials of body and spirit? Because if they receive that suffering with faith and joy, that supernatural "chemical reaction" (suffering = joy) will supercharge the message of His Son's love."

Keeping Up with the Joneses

2010-08-25T17:38:00.003-04:00

Wow...what a productive blog day! THREE fellow bloggers updated in one day. That's unheard of! So I felt the pressure and decided I should, too.

There.

(Sorry, I don't have a...son turning 20, a 3yr old with a bottomless stomach, or a 2yr old who looks like Elvis)

The List...

2010-08-18T19:31:00.005-04:00

bald on top
crammed in the back seat of a car with multiple Jr Highers
left in the woods on a flatbed trailer
shopping for something bizarre with Willie Lieberman (don't remember what it was)
Jayden Fullen fighting against her timeout
a six foot bald eagle
mini monkey-like people crawling out of a giant red velvet bag while I was rolling it in a grocery cart

...just a few of the things I've dreamt about in the last few days.

No, I don't eat before bed.

Maybe

2010-08-14T14:18:00.003-04:00

Was hoping for a productive vacation but I've really been dragging. So glad I don't have to be back to work until Monday. Didn't get out of bed until 11am today and it was 1pm before I even had the energy to start getting anything done. Maybe I need to put coffee back into my morning routine.

I've been on a weird cooking spree. Freezer is full of ready meals. Never cleaned up so many cooking messes and ran my dishwasher so many times in two days. Maybe a kind of a nesting phase getting ready for the upcoming crazy, busy two weeks.

The weather has been great for riding but I've had no desire to. Maybe tomorrow.

My hip joint inflammation has returned. Maybe if I had been doing those PT exercises I wouldn't be in pain again.

I've been wanting to work on my "word for 2010" but have had no interest in picking up a book. Maybe by the fire tonight.

My grass is knee high, the weed wacker is sitting on the sidewalk. Maybe I'll do it when it's cooler.

Really need to go pick up my iron script before 4pm today. That's a must, not a maybe.

Exciting Vacation

2010-08-12T15:16:00.006-04:00

I am spending my last four days of vacation at home trying to catch-up on personal stuff and to prepare for surgery which is three weeks from today. Had a very slow start this morning because I wasn't feeling great. But meds kicked in and I finally got moving. Today's accomplishments were...

cleaned out closet to find clothes to donate
cleaned inside of car
opened and sorted through vacation mail
called in prescriptions
picked up labwork script
got labs completed
stopped at eye Dr to select new glasses and clarify contact confusion
ran through Target for a few necessities
completed major grocery shopping
cooked up a storm: shrimp pasta salad, winter barley, chicken pot pie, egg salad, English muffin bread
blogged! (Happy, Lauren???!!!)
...and am about to take a nap. I ran out of iron a week ago (thanks to stupid Dr's office) and I'm starting to feel the effects. Ten hour nights and naps are back. grrr.

Tonight's agenda:

Inception
Watch the meteor shower

And thanks to new DVR(!!), I can watch the Raven's game tomorrow.

Happy vacation to me!

A Year Later!

2010-07-14T13:15:00.007-04:00

A year ago my daddy left for Afghanistan. We were very sad.

Yesterday he returned home safe and sound!

I'm showing him how cool his hat is...

Spending the Holiday...

2010-07-05T15:56:00.009-04:00

I have a very busy week ahead so I knew today would be my only opportunity to be productive. And BOY HAS IT BEEN!

cleaned every inch of the bathroom
four loads of laundry, ironed and put away
bed stripped, washed, remade (I hate that job)
dry and wet mopped all hard floors
vacuumed carpets
shampooed carpet stains
washed some windows (I can see!)
attacked STUFF: put away stuff, cleaned stuff, donated stuff, filed stuff, trashed stuff, organized stuff, dusted stuff
cleaned kitchen: oven, fridge, 2 loads in dishwasher, and more stuff
scrubbed window fan
watered flowers
cooked for the week

It's a very, very good thing I'm still feeling okay. Last night I had a 10 hr night of sleep which isn't supposed to happen anymore but I'm thankful it fueled me for the day.

TWO IMPORTANT THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:

1) This cleaner, plus a cheap Walmart window squeegee, made the window washing a breeze! I bought this at Bed Bath and Beyond years ago and LOVE it. They still carry it. WORTH the $5.

2) I'm a great aunt again! Matteo Medini entered the world today! 9:49am, 8lbs 2 oz, 21 inches. Born to my niece, Shari. She was induced Friday and finally had a c-section this morning. Whew! Talk about a looooong weekend! Ain't he adorable?

I think I'm gonna crash tonight. No more STUFF. Well, except for maybe a movie.

Just Another Sunday Evening

2010-06-28T14:21:00.004-04:00

So I'm supposed to be off my feet, right?

water flowers
fill kitchen sink to clean a large item
go to basement to get computer
hear water running
find it pouring down laundry room wall and onto storage shelves
run upstairs and check sink
run downstairs and unplugged cable/modem/power strip which are filling with water
turn off water main
water doesn't stop
examine the wall to find the cause
go to neighbor's to ask her if she has a leak
wait for her to check her basement
YES! four inches of water in her basement!
relieved it isn't mine
frustrated it isn't mine!
plea for help on facebook (thankful for my phone cuz I have no internet!)
grab towels, fan, trash bags
call my mom and she laughs
help arrives with shop vac
begin removing and sorting through boxes and boxes of soaked supplies
shop vac, garbage, dehumidifier, wet towels in washer
all cleaned up with cable and modem revived at 11pm!!

Monday morning:

empty dehumidifier
call friend to haul away the garbage and mow my lawn
re-run washer cuz I forgot to put towels in the dryer at midnight
run to Walmart with a helpful friend to get tubs
repack supplies and restock shelves
crash on the couch

Last week I looked at that area of the laundry room and told myself, "I really needed to go through all that and clean it out." Thanks so much, Dale/Jodie Binkley, Marc Held and Cassie Fritz!

Good grief...those towels are STILL in the washer.

Delinquent Blogger

2010-06-18T21:50:00.007-04:00

A friend recently asked, "May I have your blog address? My computer crashed and I lost all my saved info and I always enjoyed staying up on what's happening with you by reading your blog." UH OH! PRESSURE! I quickly admitted to her that I don't blog much anymore but she still wanted my info. I know blogging is "so yesterday" but I'm not one to be "hip" anyway. I'm always about 2 years behind the lastest trend. Yesterday there was a discussion amongst coworkers how facebook is so old school and twitter is IT. Yeah, well...I'm not on twitter. And I honestly don't ever plan to be.

Besides, blogging is for ME not for anyone out there. I don't care if nobody reads ME. It's my diary of sorts. A way to archive ME. So maybe it will only mean something to someone when I'm gone.

Okay...done with the disclaimer. All that to say, I've been offline for awhile...due to the topic of my last post. Since the anemia discovery, I've been inundated with doctors appointments, stabbed with needles eight times, paid a boatload of copays (I don't even want to add them up), spent two days in the hospital, been buried in insurance paperwork, and laid in bed for a week doing absolutely nothing. And I must say, of everything on that list, the last item was the strangest of all. I literally laid around with zero capacity. Couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't read, couldn't pray, couldn't even think. It was the strangest feeling laying around, without pain, but completely helpless. I was even too tired to get bored. I was too tired to even feel any emotion. One would think with all that time on my hands, my mind would race. Nope...it was useless, too. At one point in the hospital I said to friends, "I just want to go to sleep and never wake up."

Well, I "woke up" on Sunday night. What a change! I knew I had turned the corner when I was HUNGRY. Like, really hungry. And I wanted to eat anything. I went back to work this week but every day has been a chore. I get tired very quickly. It is very frustrating to not be able to function at capacity. I struggle with: guilt for not doing enough; selfcenteredness because the enemy tells me that I'm suffering "alone"; impatience because it is a slow process; anger because health issues have been piling one on top of the other and I just can't seem to get a break.

Midst all the chaos of the last two weeks, I had a scheduled procedure that was just "routine." It was the one medical appt in the last month that I didn't give a second thought to because it was just to be a normal annual thing. It ended up being anything but. A few days ago I was told I have to return this week for further testing because of "findings." ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Once again I face a new medical issue with more doctors, more copays, more insurance forms, more anxiety and more decisions. I never imagined I would be handling three major health conditions at once.

So a few days ago I decided to post scripture as my facebook status every morning. Instead of posting something about ME, which usually ends up just being self-absorbed, I decided I needed to focus on God's truths. And boy, has that helped! In just a few short verses I've been reminded of God's presence, strength, deliverance, help, peace and care for me. I am certainly not alone and none of this is a surprise to Him.

But if I'm going to be totally honest, sometimes I still really do just want to go to sleep and not wake up.

Anemia Sucks

2010-06-05T11:22:00.002-04:00

(sorry...I never use that word)

Walk up five steps...gotta lie down
Go get the mail...gotta lie down
Take a shower...gotta lie down
Get dressed...gotta lie down
Water flowers...(you get the picture)
Load the dishwasher...
Walk to my car...
Move bike to the basement...
Walk to my neighbors...
Etc etc etc

Can't do the slightest physical activity without my heart racing and my head spinning.

I keep thinking "tomorrow the iron will kick in."
"Tomorrow" please come quickly!!!

Oh...is it "lie" or "lay"? JEN?

Not my Ordinary Tuesday...

2010-06-01T16:02:00.006-04:00

Emptied my car of firewood (1.5 hours of lugging wood through my clean house)
Shower
Bank
Pharmacy
Picked up lab and radiology scripts
Emissions test (which was a month overdue because I misplaced the original paperwork...$15 fine!)
Bloodwork completed
Inhaled an apple since the labwork required fasting
Full service car wash due to firewood and crawling critters in my car (total waste of money!! I could have done better!)
Returns to Lowe's and Kohl's
Called bank about missing credit card (still haven't found it!)
Panera
Chest x-ray (btw...Advanced Radiology in Westminster has MOVED!)

Now I'm ready to start my day.
After I take a nap.

I Got Nothing...

2010-05-26T17:35:00.002-04:00

...done today. Nothing.

A bear interrupted our day; running from the front of our property to the woods in the back.
Now, every time a bird flies by my window, I flinch.

I Have No Words

2010-05-24T13:51:00.005-04:00

Yes, I work at a church.
Yes, I just overheard this statement...

"The ringbearer's a dog."

Dear Diary

2010-04-17T22:33:00.009-04:00

Weekend 180:
Our Student Ministries had a weekend event which included being involved in a service project. Saturday I got to take nine sixth grade girls to my favorite place: NESAP Food Pantry! They worked so hard checking expiration dates, stocking shelves and filling bags for distribution. Not a single complaint and they even asked to come back! It was amazing to watch them in action.

Restored!
Three months ago this happened. After much frustration my house is 95% healed! I spent hours and hours working on it these past two weeks and with the help of some great friends it was completed Friday night. Totally!...cleaned, furniture back in place, supplies away. I can walk through my house without tripping over something. It's been 3 months! I actually woke up this morning wondering what house project I was going to work on then realized I didn't have any! The remaining 5% includes carpet repair and painting the stairwell which two amazing friends are coming to complete this week. And I still have a few things to rehang. I can't explain the relief I feel having my life back.

It's Baaaaack!
In 2003, I was diagnosed with a rare benign sinus tumor which took three surgeries to remove. It is described as "destructive, aggressive, highly recurrent and transitionally malignant."
After seven years of dormancy, mine has lived up to its description. It has returned but fortunately a sample that was removed at an office visit still tested benign. Surgery is pending. Praying that the biopsy of the entire tumor will once again be clear.

A Weekend at LifePoint:
We are in the midst of a sermon series which is tackling some tough topics and this week's content was amazing. I was service host which is no surprise because I inevitably have a tough week leading up to the weekend that I host. However, the enemy did not reign this week. Defeated! Put in his place! I made it through. Well, until the 10:45 service erupted in passionate worship during the final song and I was overwhelmed.

No relief:
Six weeks ago I began having horrible pain in my lower back. Two cortisone shots, two weeks of physical therapy, too many copays and I'm still hurting. Praying for an answer.

There you have it. A little piece of what's been going on with me. What's up with you?

"Overwhelmed"

2010-04-06T22:52:00.002-04:00

"Overwhelmed" has been a reoccuring word on my mind in the past few days.

Overwhelmed by the cross.
Overwhelmed by the undeserving free gift of life.
Overwhelmed by the generosity of friends.
Overwhelmed with the amount of work to be done at my house.
Overwhelmed that I get to work at such an amazing place.
Overwhelmed by the heartbreaking pain friends are enduring.
Overwhelmed by the brokenness of this life.
Overwhelmed by the weakness of my body.
Overwhelmed by the sinfulness of this earth.
Overwhelmed by the patience of my Father.

Interesting how one word can be both positive and negative. Provides for quite a roller coaster.

It's A Good Friday

2010-04-02T22:32:00.007-04:00

I built a fire this evening and decided to read through the crucifixion story. There really IS indescribable power in the words of the Word. Kinda hard to stay self-absorbed and whiney about my menial problems while reading about the "problems" HE had.

Several years ago I wrote a letter to our children's workers at church in response to a reoccuring complaint I was hearing from them..."My class has already heard this story. Why do we have to keep repeating the stories they already know?" In a nutshell, my response was that I don't ever want to stop being able to learn from a shepherd boy who killed a giant no matter how many times I hear the story.

So tonight I read an old story that I've heard hundreds of times. Literally. Yet, I still learned some news things...

"And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put him to death; for they feared the people." They were afraid of the PEOPLE! Being driven by fear can never lead anywhere good. Well, except maybe in this case because it led to ULTIMATE good.
"For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves." Goes against everything we know about levels, ladders and leadership.
"And He said to them, 'When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?' So they said, 'Nothing.'” The power of God alone is all we need. Sadly, I don't live that way.
“Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me." Hmmm. There is no record of their reply.
"That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other." I never realized this.
"And Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.'" One of my favorite verses. Proof that salvation is faith alone. The thief had no time to do good works!
"Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two." Another favorite verse. I wonder if there was a priest in the temple at that time. I just might have to find him someday and ask him what he experienced at that moment. I guess he lost his job that day!
Joseph of Arimathea gave his tomb for Jesus' burial. I wonder if Joseph ended up using the same tomb. Afterall...it was available again!

Happy Good Friday, everyone! We'll be saying "He is risen" very shortly!

Saga Continues

2010-03-24T22:22:00.004-04:00

Last week plumbing got replaced.
Tomorrow the drywalling begins! The messy part.

I'll be leaving for vacation tomorrow evening. That is, if I can drive. Two weeks ago my lower back went out. A cortisone shot helped for a week but today the pain returned with a vengance. My vacation plans are to go to PA to help my sister move and then to VA to help a friend move. I'll be a lot of help since I can't lift a thing. And driving aggravates it so I'm not sure I can tolerate a 3 hr drive to VA.

When I had my neck surgery and everyone sympathized with me, I always replied, "Thanks but I think those who suffer from back pain have it worse." I now wholeheartedly agree with myself.

It's About Time

2010-03-19T09:34:00.005-04:00

Remember this? It happened on January 27th. Now almost two months later...PROGRESS IS FINALLY BEING MADE!

All the plumbing in my entire house is being replaced today. Kinda difficult to clean and do yardwork when you don't have water. Next week the drywall should get started. Then the final step will be abusing my friends to work on all the finishes: painting, baseboards, padding/carpet. It would be really nice to have my house back in order before May.

It's Been Surreal

2010-03-12T13:45:00.016-05:00

In the summer of 1987, I spent three months student teaching at a MK school in what was then known as Zaire. I wish I had digital pics of my experience there. I'll have to do some scanning and describe one of my favorite memories of that trip in a future post. This is an aerial photo of the campus, Rethy Academy.

Ten years later, during a Civil War, Rethy Academy was taken over by Guerrillas and destroyed. Most of the buildings were torched. But since they were mostly brick, their shells remained. I found this pic of the destruction on facebook. It was taken in 1997 shortly after the takeover. I'm not sure if anything remains now.

In May of 2009, I had the privilege of traveling to North Africa on a vision trip to learn about an incredible work which I'll refer to as VoH. I won't even begin to describe our experience there. It would take volumes. In a word..."indescribable." SomeONE knows the details. Here is our team...

On March 8, 2010, ten months after our visit, VoH was raided by government officials. Twenty non-pat families were expelled from the country and were forced to leave 33 children behind...children these families had raised since birth.

The baby in the picture above is Simo. He has CP. We had a physical therapist on our team, George, who spent time showing Simo's mother, Julie, how to give him therapy. Watching George with Simo was one of the most spiritual things I have ever witnessed. I'm in tears right now just remembering it. George was a kid-magnet. He is seen below with some of his fans. You may recognize the tallest boy from the heart-breaking pic on the VoH website where a father is attempting to explain his departure to two of his sons.

The baby-magnet on our team was Ann. If she could have packed up all those babies in her suitcase, she would. And I don't think her husband would have minded. Even though they already have seven kids of their own!

Bill was the leader of our team and our official photographer. He had his own "magnet" named Hannah. A little Dutch girl who stole his heart and "just happened" to serve him communion during our last hour on site. That's another amazing story for another post. Bill's pics have now increased in value. Of such value to me that, once again, I find myself without words.

This has been a very heart-wrenching week. I think I speak for all four of us. We're stunned, shocked, angry, sorrowful, heart-broken for these families and children. I can't even begin to imagine how these families are dealing. There are no words.

New Experience

2010-03-05T21:48:00.003-05:00

Well, guess what I did on Friday. Here's a hint...

Definitely NOT this, but kinda...

By now you know, this...

A dear, sweet friend treated me to a spa day. It was my first time. OH MY!

I've been told...

2010-02-23T19:29:00.005-05:00

...I should blog.

Check.

What a Pleasant Surprise!

2010-02-02T00:06:00.004-05:00

Not sure why but I decided to go down memory lane and read through some of my old blog posts. I was shocked to discover a comment that I had never read before. It was in response to the second post on my blog which was raving about my new car purchase.

CarMax Chris said... "My name is Chris and I am the social media PR guy at the CarMax home office. Google Alerts notified me of your blog posting mentioning us. I love to read blogs from happy customers! I am glad you had a great experience at one of our stores and I hope you tell your friends to visit CarMax, too."

HA! It's been there for two years and I just noticed. Hmmm...I wonder if CarMax Chris just got google-alerted again! Hi, Chris! Or is it CarMax Carrie now?

Another Crazy Hump Day

2010-01-28T22:23:00.012-05:00

I know that everyone already knows this due to facebook. But since I want my blog to be my diary, I need to include this for the record.

It was Wednesday morning. I took a shower and as I was leaving the bathroom, I heard water dripping. It sounded like it was on the stairwell but surely that couldn't be. Must be an echo. I went back into the bathroom to see if I had turned off all the faucets. Yep, no problem. Exited the bathroom again and was sure I heard it in the stairwell. Went downstairs and discovered water dripping from the dining room ceiling. It had run all the way over to the main beam dividing the dining room and living room and was traveling over to the stairwell.

It would take too long to describe all the details of the hours that followed. In a nutshell:

a really nice plumber I'd highly recommend; he arrived in an hour
a burst supply line to the toilet
significant water damage in the dining room and basement
insurance company
water damage restoration company
torn out drywall
pulled up carpet
10 dehumidifiers and fans here through Monday
obnoxiously loud noise from equipment
hot house
nails left behind to step on

The rest of Wednesday was surreal. By about 8pm I was over the shock and trying to keep my head up. Today I was able to escape to work but faced a different kind of stress. Before this life-interruption, I was already so behind at work and now I lost another day. Add to that a mild headache all day. Tomorrow I meet the Insurance Adjuster to find out where we go from here.

My house is hot, muggy and noisy. I don't want to be here. To escape I made plans for Friday night and Saturday I'm going to go to work to make up for a lost day.

I am thankful for...

running water
a roof over my head on a 21 degree winter night
health, life and safety
insurance companies
people who care about me
being home when it happened
Psalm 139

Psalm 139

2010-01-26T18:44:00.003-05:00

Committing in front of 1600 people that you are going to read Psalm 139 daily for the next week provides some pretty amazing accountability. However, my closest friends know that I pretty much stick my nose up at accountability. It doesn't affect me at all to have to admit "nope...didn't do it." Maybe I'm so accepting of failure that success isn't a motivator. Don't try to analyze me.

HOWEVER...

...a friend said he was going to commit to reading it also, to which I replied, "I'll check in with you next Sunday to see how you did." And then the shoe dropped..."And I'll ask you," he said. Suddenly things changed.

So far so good. And the really cool thing is I'm not doing it to just check it off the list. Or to impress some friend who's going to find out if I'm a success or a failure in a few days. I really WANT to do it and look forward to it. AND it is really affecting my day. I have it in my email inbox so that I see it everyday.

Hope you are joining the challenge!

What's Up?

2010-01-22T23:42:00.003-05:00

My wonderfully relaxing Christmas break seems a lifetime ago. I thought 2010 would be different. Funny how life decides otherwise, huh? Three weeks in and here's what I've been up to...

WiiFit...love it! Was diligent for 2 weeks but was swamped this past week. Can't wait to get back to it.
Helping at NESAP food pantry. Can't get enough.
Haiti Relief: got to help a friend who coordinated an effort through World Vision. Packed supplies going on a cargo plane. Overwhelming. Hard work. Fulfilling. Sad. Amazing, miraculous provisions.
Meetings, meetings, meetings: and again this coming week...Mon, Tues, Wed, Thur nights.
Got to go home to PA yesterday and today for my parents' birthdays. Cuddled with Maks, watch Casie's hockey game, hung out with Melanie and had lunch with a great friend today.
ServePoint: very busy getting ready and now processing all the participants and getting them plugged into ministry teams. LOVE that!
Reading: done better than I thought but not as good as I'd like.
So this is minor but huge: things have been financially tight and I've been looking for ways to cut corners. And to top it off, this week I discovered a mistake in my checking account that I couldn't figure out. So I spent time tonight with a fine tooth comb raking through every detail and resolved it. Feel so much better! Finances are so stressful. It's gonna be another tight month but I love trusting in God.
Haven't been feeling too well. Trying to sort out which Dr to see next to get to the bottom of everything. Nothing new. Just the same old same old.
Miss my bike, miss my deck, miss the trail. But still want more snow.

Confession

2010-01-22T20:13:00.002-05:00

I have been blog delinquent. I have been overwhelmingly busy with work and outside commitments these past two weeks. Hope to catch up on personal stuff this weekend (even though I'll be working all day Saturday...ugh!). It's been fun catching up on all your blogs though! I've never been this behind...keep writing, friends!

Please NO!

2010-01-09T13:22:00.001-05:00

I have slept 14 of the last 24 hours and am just starting a headache. I can't get sick! I have SO much to do in the next two days!

In Desperate Need of Advice

2010-01-08T14:10:00.006-05:00

2007:
I subscribed to the Carroll Co Times for the coupon benefits. It ended up not being worth the cost since most of the coupons were for pet food, baby items and medicine. Not my lifestyle. SO I "CANCELLED" the subscription (sense the frustration yet?).

2008:
Exactly a year later, I started receiving telemarketing calls from CCTimes. "Would you like to renew?" NO. Repeated calls, repeated "NOs!" and finally in the middle of leading my ALG girls I forcefully told them to stop calling me and remove me from the list. They "did." You know where this is going don't you?

2009:
Exactly one year from the anniversary of the anniversary of the cancellation, I started receiving calls again. Every Tues and Wed night for the past SIX weeks I have received the same call. I have asked FOUR reps to not only stop calling but to REMOVE ME so they can never possibly call me again. The last person apologetically promised it would not happen again and if it did to ask for a manager. Exactly a week later, "It" did. I didn't answer the phone...believe me, I recognize the number by now.

What would you do if you knew you were going to receive marketing calls twice a week for the rest of your life because IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BE REMOVED FROM THE CALL LIST??!!

Can one get sued for causing the hearing loss of someone they've never met before? I own a bright shiny whistle.

A Few of My Least Favorite Things

2010-01-04T17:15:00.009-05:00

(1) My Dyson: I know! Everyone else LOVES theirs! To me it's just another vacuum that has average suction and has a roller brush that gets tightly wrapped with hair. It may be pink but it's still a lemon. Grrrrr!

(2) Shower Caddy: I searched high and wide to find the perfect shower caddy that would fit in my shower. Finally found one that I LOVED (but that wasn't cheap!) and a friend installed it for me. It was perfect! Until a few weeks later when it was covered in rust! Are you kidding me!? It's going in the SHOWER! it's gonna get WET! and it wasn't cheap! Good grief! (oh and it's still installed).

(3) Garden Hoses: I love their use but I hate everything else about them. The tangling, the rolling up, the draining, the cracking, the space they take up, their weight, etc. Uh...yes, both of mine are still outside covered in snow at the moment. Didn't have the energy to fight with them and get them winterized this year. I'm sure they'll be cracked in the spring.

(4) Purex Laundry Sheets: some time ago I was raving about these. Time to recant. They stained my clothes! They left dark marks on fabric. I returned them. Sorry to anyone I recommended them to!

(5) Being Ms. Fix-it: although for the most part I don't mind doing home repairs, there are times I'm very resentful that there isn't a man around the house to deal with the necessary evils. Like last week (ie: see post below containing to-do list). I attacked both of my ceiling fans thinking that if I just oiled them they would stop sounding like jet engines. First one went fine. Second one was just as easy until I went to put the cover back on. Didn't matter how hard I tried I couldn't get it back on. The frustration level sky-rocketed so high that I ended up bursting into tears. Yes, like a spoiled little girl. I found myself lying on the floor next to my vacuum and noticed the brush was full of hair (reread #1 above). I proceeded to clean out the brush which resulted in the vacuum being taken apart. And yes, you know where this is going...couldn't get that cover back on either. Okay, I'll stop now before I get to the swearing part.

Please don't buy this for me.

For the record, both bathroom fans sound like jet engines again. And a lightbulb shattered to pieces and blew a fuse when I hit the switch this weekend. Okay, I'll really stop now.

Working Vacation

2010-01-02T15:04:00.001-05:00

RE-POSTED on January 2nd. Almost there!

I'm on vacation but have no plans to go anywhere. I decided to make this a "catch-up" vacation and am planning to stay home and get lots of things checked off my to-do list. I've been creating the list for weeks. Anything from chores to fun things. I was probably a bit over-ambitious on the list but at least I have documented the things I need to get done at some point. Even if it's not completed by January 4th.

So I started accomplishing the list on Saturday thanks to a GREAT friend who spent 4 hrs attacking it with me. And today was meant to be work day #2. At 11am this morning I was ready to begin the list but here it is 2pm and I've only done ONE thing on the list! UGH! So I decided to create this post to motivate me. Here is my TO-DO list which I'm going to cross out as I get tasks accomplished. And I'll probably keep adding to it as the week progresses.

I AM NOW ACCOUNTABLE TO MY BLOGWORLD (all 3 of you!). Let's see if this works.

BOLD = to do
NORMAL = done!

Clean bathrooms
Take down and store indoor Christmas decor
Mop kitchen floor
Iron
Clean car
Get guest room back in order
Redecorate house with everyday decor
Organize linen closet
Clean out purse
Write final 66books post
Wash new pots and pans (my Christmas gift)
Organize bookshelf
Clean fridge
Make shopping lists and run errands
Organize disastrous laundry room
Clean freezer
Replace furnace filter
Set mouse traps
Check mouse traps: WHEW!
Oil bathroom fans that are obnoxiously loud (WORKED! for about five minutes)
Put away deck decor from the summer
Block door drafts
Laundry
See movie
Organize recipes
Help friend organize her kitchen
Put bike and bike rack away
LOTR: Fellowship, Two Towers, Return of the King
Submit rebates (missed deadline)
Hand sewing
Help at NESAP food pantry
Call about missing contact lens from contact order
Shop for everyday supplies
Balance 2009 budget
Organize 2009 receipts to prepare for taxes
Bills, balance checking account, etc (#35-37 took 5 hrs today!)
Scrapbook (that will take an entire day)
Clean out vacuum (sooooo glad that's done)
Shopping trip to Columbia and Hunt Valley
Help a friend decorate a Polar Express cake CANCELLED
Spend a day at the MVA to renew driver's license
Do a puzzle
Prepare Bible study
Create table centerpiece
Refill bathroom wallflowers
Cover deck furniture
Take down outdoor decor
Secure wireless (I'm sooo bad!)
Set up Wii!!! Wheeeee!
Read, Read, Read
Freezer meals: 2 lasagnas, 2 chicken pot pies, taco soup, winter barley, chicken caruso, egg salad (not for freezer). All in a day's work...

A Few of My Favorite Things

2009-12-30T10:00:00.007-05:00

(1) My deck: which I miss so much!

(2) Insulated Starbucks cup: which I got for Christmas from the Fullens!

(3) My bike: which I also miss so much!

(4) Pampered Chef batter bowls: one of my best purchases ever. I use them all the time.

(5) "For Every Body" candles from Kohls: as good as Yankees but half the price!

(6) Coffee Grinder: I didn't know coffee was supposed to taste this good! (last year's Christmas present from the Fullens!)

(7) Tongs with silicone tips: I use them for everything!

(8) Ball stackable freezer containers: from freezer to lunch.

(9) Fridge water dispenser: LOVE this handy-dandy dispenser from Walmart. I'm drinking more water because of it!

(10) Snow!

(11) Magnetic Knife Rack: Target

(12) Sea Salt Hand Scrubs: my guilty pleasure. Bought this one at Wegmans but so far I've liked all the brands I've tried.

(13) My iPhone: I know, I know. You've heard it before.

The Other Half

2009-12-23T20:19:00.005-05:00

After making the recipe in my previous post, I had a half of a cooked spaghetti squash leftover. Tonight I mixed it with...

onion and garlic sauted in olive oil
sliced turkey kielbasa browned in above
1 can italian diced tomatoes
garlic salt
topped with parmesan

Oh my yummmmm!!

I also discovered a unique way to bake spaghetti squash casseroles. Right in the shells! Neat, huh?

After hearing everyone's horror stories of crowded stores today, I was surprised by the emptiness of Weis. In and out with no problem.

Few of the best deals:
Whole Roaster Chicken: $4.50 (my Christmas dinner!)
Poinsettias: $3 (didn't buy any but wanted to let everyone know!)
Clementines: $4.99 (lowest price I've ever seen!)

Watching a fourth version of "A Christmas Carol" at the moment. Never tire of this story. Wish I had the book to read on Christmas day.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Today's Menu

2009-12-21T15:15:00.011-05:00

You probably know I have Type II diabetes. Not proud of it. I don't usually check my levels but decided to this past week. Yikes...they've never been so consistently high. If my Dr knew the numbers he'd probably be doing something drastic, quickly.

You probably know I love to cook. But I've grown tired of my normal recipes. So I decided to look for some new ones. I LOVE allrecipes.com. You really can cook tasty, healthy food if you work at it. It's all about using spices and zesty vegetables (onions, garlic, peppers, etc). I'm just usually too lazy to bother.

So I'm going to try this tonight because I have most of the ingredients on hand. I'll let you know the result. Do you think this would freeze well? Should I also try the "Mock Coconut Pie" made with spaghetti squash?

Baked Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Ingredients
• 1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 1/4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Place squash on a baking sheet, and bake 40 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, cool, and shred pulp with a fork.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a casserole dish.
4. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until evenly brown. Drain, and mix in the green pepper, red pepper, red onion, and garlic. Continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.
5. Mix the shredded squash and tomatoes into the skillet, and season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until heated through. Remove skillet from heat, and mix in 2 cups cheese until melted. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.
6. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, and continue baking 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

What a Hump Day

2009-12-16T23:16:00.004-05:00

I know this is painfully long. But if you want to hear how I made a complete fool of myself, you'll want to read on.

I write for a read thru the Bible blog. A month ago I decided to write all three of my December posts so I wouldn't have to think about it during the holidays. Good intentions but I didn't quite complete the goal. Instead, I started the one that was supposed to post today, completely set it up but didn't finish it. Had every intention of getting back to it. I didn't forget about it. Remember this was a month ago. Bear with me.

The post was on the entire book of James. So all I wrote (a month ago!) was, "James is a book full of rich truths in every verse. It is impossible to do it justice in one day."

So yesterday I knew that I had to finish the post. It was written on my to-do list and I had my phone setup to shout reminders to me. I didn't forget. Well, until it was 8pm and I was still at work. I had woke up yesterday morning with this...

By 8pm it was really bothering me, even causing pain in my head. So I went to shut down my laptop and pack up my office and my computer wouldn't turn off...just sat there spinning. I finally decided, "I really don't need to take it with me (uh huh). I'll just let the battery die and reboot tomorrow." You know where this is going.

I go home and it never even crosses my mind all evening that I had forgotten to post. I went to bed looking forward to closing my eye(s). At midnight my phone alarm goes off..."BLOG POST"...AAAAAHHHH! One minor detail I left out was that posts must be completed by 4am so that West coast readers can see them in their morning hours. So here it is midnight, I realize I have 4 hours to finish the post and I don't have my computer (no, I don't have a computer at home). I realize there is nothing I can do about it and it really isn't the end of the world. So I adjust my alarm to get up a bit earlier so I can get to the office to post as soon as possible. Sorry, West Coast.

I wake up in the morning and my eye is now swollen and crusting. Yep, pretty sure I had pink eye. I also had two other physical symptoms but I'll spare you the details. Let's just say, I was feeling like crap. I get to the office by 8am and I boot up the computer...no problems. Until I read an email from a friend/pilot/fellow blog writer named Paul. He wrote, "??? Was that intentional? Either way, it made me laugh! I'm in Tampa. Be home later today. We'll talk." I immediately wondered what in the world he was talking about. How could he have read my post when I hadn't pos..............AHHHHHHHH! (for the second time that morning!). A month ago when I setup that post I had even scheduled it! Meaning that it automatically posted at 4am this morning even though it wasn't finished. And remember what it said?...

"James is a book full of rich truths in every verse. It is impossible to do it justice in one day." Period. That's all. Out there for everyone to see.

Well, I don't know if anyone on the West Coast read it but it certainly gave Paul a good laugh. I quickly "unposted" and set to work on finishing it. But first I shot Paul a quick email saying, "Computer issues, pink eye, female issues, intestinal issues...need I go on??? What I really want to say is, 'Shut up! You're in Tampa!' :P"

post finished. scheduled at 9:20am. done. sigh.

Now I was free to address the eye issue. Dr says it's not pink eye but he wasn't sure what it was. Said I had an abrasion and infection. But it's treated the same as pink eye anyway. So to end my Hump Day, I head to the pharmacy after work this evening to pick up my prescription that was called in at noon. They don't have it...out of stock but it will be in tomorrow afternoon. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? DON'T YOU OWN A PHONE? YOU COULDN'T CALL ME TO TELL ME THIS SO I COULD GET IT SOMEWHERE ELSE?

I leave for PA tomorrow and will just have to hope they have it in time. I was about to post a plea on facebook asking if anyone has drops on hand when a friend texted me and asked if I needed drops!

Happy Hump Day to me!

"We Need to Talk"

2009-12-13T21:21:00.004-05:00

A friend and I were talking about that dreaded phrase this morning. She's a principal and hears it from both teachers and parents. In my world it comes from volunteers, team members, family or coworkers. It never means anything good, does it?

I told her that I wondered if it's possible to change the trend. What if every time WE said, "We need to talk", that our talk contained nothing but praise, encouragement and appreciation. After awhile those who worked with us might actually look forward to the phrase instead of dreading it.

My friend even took the effectiveness one step further. She said if she took the time to call a parent to simply rave about their child, the number of "We need to talk"s may actually decrease! The power of the positive is so effective yet we tend to under-utilize it.

I'm hoping I can prevent "We need to talk"s this coming year.

Revision...

2009-12-13T20:04:00.001-05:00

Make that five headaches in a week. I've decided to do something I vowed I'd never do...get a massage.

A Week in Review

2009-12-12T21:45:00.005-05:00

Totally enjoyed last weekend's snowfall. My neighborhood was incredibly beautiful.
Was blown away by last week's message on Atonement. God's plan is mind boggling.
Wrapped loads of presents for two families this week...11 kids worth. Backache.
Spent four hours on Friday organizing the food pantry and bagging Christmas meals at NESAP. I'm totally hooked on this new found love. Had to force myself to stop. I apologize in advance for future posts repeatedly raving about this hobby.
Saw Disney's "A Christmas Carol" in 3D last night. Very awesome. Ate too much popcorn which wasn't even good.
Made pretzel kisses for a cookie exchange tomorrow.
Made two more batches of Baked Oatmeal (see below). Gave one away.
Attended a Christmas brunch this morning to meet a Moroccan woman. She never showed but we had a great time regardless.
Have had four headaches in a week.
DRYER FIXED!!! Doing laundry tonight at home for the first time in a month.
Garbage disposal fixed, too!
Made a return at Kohls. Wasn't in the mood to shop so didn't buy a thing.
Was doubly blown away by tonight's message at LifePoint, Part Two of Atonement.
Watching "It's a Wonderful Life."
Praying for snow.
Would love a Starbucks right now.

It's Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Christmas

2009-12-08T12:16:00.016-05:00

Bing's White Christmas
Tree lit
Candles burning
Presents wrapped under the tree
Snow covered lawn

The perfect setting for some holiday baking.

I've been craving warm chocolate chip cookies but really don't want a whole batch sitting around the house. But a friend, who is a mother of seven, is stopping by this afternoon (to drop off her kids' presents so I can wrap them!!!!). So I decided to whip up a batch of tollhouse this morning so I can send most (but not all) of them home with her.

As they were baking, I started cleaning out a cupboard and came across a container of oatmeal that was almost empty. Oooooooo! While the oven is hot, I'll whip up some Baked Oatmeal! If you've never had it, you are missing out on a wonderful Lancaster County comfort food. It is like a crumbly cake that you serve warm with fruit and milk for breakfast. Suggestions: raisins, apples, peaches, cinnamon, blueberries, etc. Great for Christmas morning. My favorite is peaches (with some of the juice, of course) covered in milk and warmed in the microwave.

Bing's White Christmas
Tree lit
Candles burning
Presents wrapped under the tree
Snow covered lawn
AND FRESH BAKING SMELLS...

...the recipe for a perfect Tuesday. Now off to work.

Baked Oatmeal

1/2 c oil
2 eggs
1 t cinnamon
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 c milk
1 c brown sugar
3 c oats

Mix all ingredients. Pour into 8x8 pan. Bake 350 for 30 minutes.

Thanking God for YOU

2009-11-26T09:48:00.010-05:00

There has been a plethora of thankfulness filling the web waves this week. I, too, wanted to start this day by pausing to reflect. I've been thinking about the themes I've seen others post: gratitude, thankfulness, gratefulness, attitude. The discussions usually include a form of the word "choice" such as, "Thankfulness is choosing to have a grateful attitude."

For the past few weeks I've chosen to post daily gratitudes on my fb wall. It has been a tremendous exercise which has truly affected my attitude. I shouldn't keep this idea exclusively for November. I think the word "blessed" is so overused in America and the church. But it is the only word I can think of to use today. I am truly blessed. Above and beyond.

My day's agenda is to decorate my house for Christmas then devour a Thanksgiving meal this evening at the home of friends. I wish I could see all the people I love today and wish them all a HUGE Thanksgiving wish and let them know how thankful and blessed I am to have them in my life. Instead I'll settle for wishing you, my small but faithful blog audience, a very wonderful day of giving thanks. May you choose to be thankful the remaining 364 days of the year as well.

A Lesson in Perspective

2009-11-23T16:58:00.006-05:00

The past few months God has been poking and prodding. The messages? Do something beyond yourself, get out of your bubble, use your time, use your gifts, you have too much, you are under-utilizing what I've given you. At MOPS I shared this journey that I've been on and how I've been convicted in these areas. But I admitted to the moms that I hadn't found that "thing" yet...what God was specifically calling me to do.

I think I discovered it today.

There is an organization in my neighborhood that assists families in need. I can actually walk to it (or bike to it!). I've known about it for years and tell people about it and have even dropped off donations when I've cleaned out my closets. But I've never gone IN to volunteer. Until today.

In the basement they house their food pantry. It was an organizer's paradise! They already have a great system in place and are running things very efficiently. But with the two seasons of giving approaching, they were inundated with food donations today. I set to work. Too much detail to go into here. That's not the point of this post (I'll share info with you if you want to know).

I spent 2.5 hrs in my element. I felt like it was only an hour. They actually had to MAKE me leave because they were closing but I didn't want to stop. While there, several families arrived and were given food. I saw need. I saw gratefulness. I saw mercy. I saw care. I saw appreciation. I saw giving. I saw selflessness. I saw Jesus.

I came home and turned on the Food Network. Ironic, I know. As I merged back into my way of life I began seeing things through different eyes. I saw excess. I saw want. I saw waste. I saw extravagance. I saw frills. I saw selfishness. I saw me.

This incredible lesson in perspective emerged. How much different would my life be if I spent more time with those who have less rather than those who have more? Years ago a friend told me that when the Parade of Homes was scheduled in his town (a tour of incredibly beautiful mansions in your area) instead of attending the Parade, he would take his family on a drive through the poorest section of a nearby city. Wow! Talk about perspective! But I could totally see his point. I attended a Parade of Homes once and I found myself wanting MORE. Wish I had that, go out and buy this, I need that, etc. It was sickening. What if I saw how those who have so much less than I lived? Instead of wanting more, I'd be embarrassed at how much I already have.

Perspective. Who you hang around really does affect you.

I can't wait to go back to NESAP tomorrow. And Wednesday. Wish they were open on Thanksgiving.

Almost One!

2009-11-22T22:14:00.005-05:00

Copy and Paste

2009-11-18T18:53:00.000-05:00

I write for a read-thru-the-Bible-in-a-year blog here. Today's post was so convicting to me I thought I'd duplicate it here.

Scripture:

"I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them." (Acts 26:9-11 NIV)

Observation:

I'm not sure I ever realized the full extent of Paul's bloody past. Traveling from synagogue to synagogue looking for Christians to kill? Going to foreign cities with the intent to murder? He definitely was passionate about his cause. It sounds like he wouldn't let anything hold him back.

Therefore, his conversion was all the more incredible. How could a person do a complete 180 so quickly? One day he's slaughtering Christians, the next day he's championing them. Now that's unheard of transformation! Something so completely impossible to do with our limited human capacity. This had to be a supernatural, divine change of heart.

Application:

I think that we spend a lot of time "waiting" for transformation... depending on a "process" that takes time. We talk about baby steps and "time heals" and a gradual learning process. How many times have I heard and even said, "It's a process. Take one step at a time and God will teach you." I know all those have been tested and proven and I've personally experienced areas of healing through slow painful processes. So, yes, they're tried and true. And sometimes they work.

But why don't we ever expect complete, instant transformations? If God could instantly turn a cold blooded murder into a passionate cause for Christ, can't He do similar 180s today? Can't He remove my addictions instantly? Can't He heal my illness completely with no residual symptoms? Have we limited God? Maybe we expect too little. Maybe we ask for too little. Maybe we've become so accustomed and comfortbable with "the process" that we've neglected the Provider. Maybe we don't want to be transformed.

Prayer:

God, You are a God of miracles. You can breathe life back into a dead man. You could destroy this entire planet with a word if You willed. You are powerful. Yet I don't expect Your power in my life. I don't ask for Your miracles. I settle for human ways instead of expecting Your supernatural power to transform me. I'm sorry, God, for not permitting Your power to change me and thus be a testimony to Your greatness. Show me areas today that only Your incredible transforming power can change in me. Amen.

simply spoken (that would be me)

Catalyzed

2009-11-17T10:41:00.002-05:00

Some of our staff attend this conference yesterday. Here are some of my main take-aways:

How do we exist in the tension between staying current and staying committed to a vision that is being effective?
Overactive management is a momentum stopper. Managing to sameness and predictability stifles momentum.
Don't fund mediocrity. "Is this a significant improvement over what we've done before?"
We can reach more by doing fewer things well.
Find someone one or two steps ahead of you and learn how they THINK, not what they do.
What have we fallen in love with that's really not as effective as it used to be?
Over time, sustaining the model can become the mission.
Date your program, marry your mission.
"If we got kicked out and the board brought in a new CEO, what would he or she do? Why shouldn't we walk out the door, come back in and do it ourselves?" - Only the Paranoid Survive by Andy Grove.

Be Careful What You're Thankful For

2009-11-14T13:28:00.002-05:00

At a friend's suggestion (it's going around on facebook), I've been posting something that I'm thankful for each day during the month of November.

This morning I saw a man standing in the rain as he removed his laundry from a clothesline. I decided that today's post should be "I'm thankful for my washer and dryer."

I'm sure you've guess where this is going. I came home, sorted three loads and got started. I just went down to remove the "dry" load only to discover it sitting in the dryer still wet. The dryer runs but the tub doesn't rotate. I now have two loads of wet clothes sitting in my basement. Which, btw, are needed before church tonight!

I hope that guy is thankful for his clothesline.

Not My Normal Friday

2009-11-06T16:02:00.004-05:00

I had a very important medical appointment scheduled for 9:4o this morning and the Dr's office is about an hour away. I woke with a migraine, downed 2 Excedrin Migraine, dragged myself to get ready and left by 8:45. So far, so "good."

I got out to Rt 30 and got stuck behind a flatbed truck. One of the features that I love about the new Rt 3o traffic circles is that they are two lanes wide. So as the truck and I approached the circle I considered passing it. But I decided there was no real reason to...he wasn't driving too slowly and I wasn't running late. So I let him merge in front of me and continued to follow him on Rt 30.

About a half a mile later, it happened. The truck and I came to a ridge at a top of a hill and the cars in front of us had, unknown to us, slammed on their brakes for some reason. There was nothing we could do. The truck slammed on its brakes sending smoke and rubber flying as it crashed into a small white car. I slammed on my brakes, sending the contents of my car flying forward. As the truck swerved to the right into a lawn, I swerved to the left to miss both vehicles. An oncoming car had already swerved onto the shoulder so I had room to pass through and avoid the entire accident. Unbelievable! On the lawn where the truck landed were two little girls screaming their heads off as they were chasing the cause of the accident...

Yes, their stray dachshund donning a green coat was darting back and forth in traffic. Not kidding.

I pulled over to make sure everyone was alright and to wait for the police so I could offer to be a witness. The girls caught their dog and ran to their house. I never saw them again. I waited for about 15 minutes but when the police still hadn't arrived I told the men involved that I really needed to go. I left them my name and number if needed but I never got a call.

I got in my car, checked my phone and discovered a sweet message from a friend saying she was thinking about me (thanks, friend!). I headed to my appointment knowing I was now going to be cutting it close. As I replayed the accident in my mind (with my headache now raging) it dawned on me. If I had passed that truck at the traffic circle, I would have been the one to rear end the white car and I mostly likely would have been hit by the truck from behind. There was no way the truck could have stopped in time to avoid hitting me. I would have been sandwiched between the white car and the truck. Now I was shaking.

I turned onto Rt 91 and got stuck behind a John Deere tractor. Good grief. He turned shortly.

I approached Rt 32 in Gamber and a cop was following me. Now I had to drive slowly! Time to call the Dr's office. I explained, they understood and told me to take my time.

On Rt 32 in Howard Co I sat in construction...not moving. By this time I had "given up"...there was nothing I could do, everything was out of my control so I might as well be calm about it all.

I arrived only 15 minutes late.
I survived the medical procedure.
And I lived another day to tell about it.

And I'm still not a dog-lover.

Vacation, October '09

2009-11-03T20:28:00.016-05:00

Disclaimer: Kathleen took these photos (except for the one blurry fishermen one which is from my phone).

The view from "our" house at sunset.

A day at Assateague Island:

Ocean City, MD. Have you ever seen it so deserted?! We rode out onto a fishing pier.

We really DID bike a lot. Just didn't get pics!

Look Who's Coming to Town!

2009-10-11T22:40:00.001-04:00

Lauren and Maks are coming for a long weekend in October. I'm so excited!

What a Day

2009-10-08T18:45:00.005-04:00

This is how I look...

This is how I feel...

And I think I wore this dress in college.

Pumpkin Spice Mousse

2009-09-27T16:17:00.003-04:00

Now you'll find out how I cheated!

1 box phyllo sheets
butter
2 packages Pumpkin Spice Instant Jello Pudding
1 c heavy whipping cream
1 c milk
cool whip
pecans

Yields: 8

Phyllo Cups:
You can buy the preassembled pastry puff cups or make your own out of phyllo. One box of phyllo sheets will yield 20 dessert cups. Unused phyllo freezes well.

Follow handling instructions on the package. Brush one sheet with melted butter. Using pizza cutter, cut into quarters. Layer each piece into a greased ramekin or muffin tin pressing down lightly into the cup. Repeat with a second sheet of phyllo for a total of 8 layers per cup. Bake 350 for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly.

Filling:
While cups are baking combine pudding mixes, heavy cream and milk in a chilled bowl. Chill ten minutes. Fold in one cup whipped cream and refrigerate til ready to use.

Assembly:
I used my Pampered Chef decorating tool to fill the cups.
Top with toasted pecans and whipped cream.
Serve on a plate because crust will flake off.

Big Maks

2009-09-26T10:45:00.002-04:00

Brief

2009-09-23T10:47:00.005-04:00

Been swamped
Still been reading your blogs
Leaving for a conference in Granger, Indiana today
Get back early Sat morning
Stomach isn't feeling well
Having friends over Sat night
House is a mess
What was I thinking!?

Found a treasure
Amazingly effective
Neutralizes odors instead of masking them
Just bought more for car, bathrooms, closets
May be this year's perfect stocking stuffer
Thought I'd share...
Renuzit Super Odor Neutralizer Air Freshening Pearls

Swear Free

2009-09-08T20:27:00.003-04:00

I'm feeling introspective so decided it was time to post. I have no idea where this is going. So, yes, it will be random.

I'm feeling burdened for my sister. Husband needs a job, they need to sell their house, van broke down, kids start new school tomorrow in a district they have to move into by Oct 15 in order for the kids to attend school there. I can't imagine her life. I can only pray from this end. Can you please stop reading this and whisper a prayer for a house showing they have on Friday? And pray that someone would be burdened to drop them a huge check in the mail.

I'm back to biking now that I'm feeling better. Been trying to rack up the miles. The weather's perfect. Ran over two chipmunks on my last ride. I need to do more than biking though.

I started a serious diet thanks to an incredible iPhone app. It is totally motivating, fairly easy to stick to, and actually kind of fun. Can't believe I used the word "fun" in a description of a diet. The app tracks calories and exercise and does all the calculating for me. I'm grilling more, shopping wisely, drinking tea instead of coffee, planning ahead and saving money by not eating out. By the way, I started this BEFORE hearing this weekend's message at LP. A group of Lancaster friends started a Biggest Loser Club. They each pitched in $75 to join which ended up creating a winning pot of $2250!! Now that's motivating! Their weigh in finale is Dec 15. I guess they are all hoping to look hot in time for Christmas.

My woman's Bible study regroups next Monday. I need the discipline but I'm not a good Small Group Leader. We are going to study "Girl Talk" by Jen Hatmaker. A study on friendship. Ugh...something that's kind of a sore spot for me right now. God knew I'd need this study.

I'm excited about football season. Gonna enter all the Ravens' games on my calendar tonight. Hope I don't become too much of a couch potato.

I'm absolutely in love with my fire. I know...I've said it many times before. It is my sanctuary. However, it is a constant struggle finding wood. Every load I pick up is gone in one night.

I was attacked by a hummingbird today...three times. I don't know why he was attracted to me. I wasn't wearing bright colors. Maybe just curious. He kept hovering and darting around my head. I wish I could have snapped his photo.

My neighbors scream at their kids. I don't mean yell, I mean scream. This afternoon a two year old literally cried for hours as her mom tortured her with screaming. I don't know how people live like that. Oh, by the way, that family is "Christian."

As I was writing this my sister called. In a puddle of tears. Please pray.

So can you tell I never started that unpublished blog? I'm still talking here. Haven't started swearing...yet. Boy, could I go for some ice cream right now.

Square One

2009-09-01T12:27:00.005-04:00

Had my Dr follow-up yesterday after being off the migraine medicine for a week. Everything I predicted was true...Lyme's negative, Vit D low, thyroid normal (yay!), blood sugar too high (oops!). Still having a few flashing lights and tipping episodes but he predicts these will continue to subside.

So overall GREAT news...on the right track!

Oh except that my headaches are back. Currently having my second one in four days. So we are back to square one...my new normal. Have to decide which Dr to pursue next. Thanks for your concerns!

Fireside Thoughts

2009-08-30T21:09:00.007-04:00

It's been a busy week. So glad the weather has cooled off so I can enjoy the fire again. I'll spare you the pictures.

Work week: My office days were packed this week as we headed into a new chapter at LifePoint...the addition of a 4th service. We now have 2 on Sat and 2 on Sun. More on that later.

Wed night: I met with my Serve Team which is always a highlight for me. So much fun working with new people who are excited and energized as we plow new territory. I always leave that meeting PUMPED!

Thurs night: the one fun thing I had planned for this stressful week fell through. Let's just say I was not a happy camper and I spiraled to a bad place. Those details will have to be saved for my unpublished blog. But God used an unexpected call from a friend (you know who you are!) to keep me out of the pits. And guess what she wanted to talk about...how to vent when you're angry! God has such a great sense of humor!

Fri and Sat: I attended a conference in DC on the topic of Social Justice (poverty, slavery, homelessness, etc). It was phenomenal. So much to think about. And personally convicting. Now I have to decide what I'm going to do about it.

I didn't have the luxury of my catch-up productive Friday and another week starts tomorrow. So I'll really be ready for this coming Friday.

Sat and Sun: Back to the topic of our four services. We were blown away by the attendance. With around 800 people attending on Sat night we thought we'd have a lighter crowd on Sunday. Nope...still full! Where are all these people coming from? And where are we going to put them next??!!

Sun afternoon: what a beautiful day. I vowed I was going to spend the day out in it. Instead I fell asleep watching the Food Network. Man, I'm addicted to their Sunday afternoon lineup. I was rescued from my couch potato state by two friends who invited me to go to the NCR trail. I walked, they jogged. Oh and I gathered firewood. Yes, I looked quite silly walking with my arms full of kindling. But I really needed it if I was going to have a fire this evening! Success! It was a beautiful cool evening. What a great way to end a busy week.

Oh...it's not over yet. Tonight is yard trash night. Gotta drive around my neighborhood searching for firewood. I'll be totally out in about 2 hours.

Taken along the NCR trail today.

Maks Moves to Lancaster...

2009-08-26T23:14:00.002-04:00

...and is fittin' in just fine!!

Justification, Pt 2

2009-08-25T20:49:00.005-04:00

Just thought I'd be consistent.
Fires two nights in a row.
Wow the bugs are noisy out here!

Working on my post for 66books.wordpress.com while enjoying the fire. I must say...I build a dang good fire (there's my first attempt at swearing, Sandy!).

Justification

2009-08-24T21:35:00.006-04:00

Is a luxury purchase a luxury purchase if the luxury becomes a necessity?

As a part of my deck renovation, I included a firebowl. It has become my favorite part of my backyard. And with the cool summer we've had, I've been able to utilize it quit a bit. So much so that I'm having a hard time keeping firewood stocked (and would welcome any dead wood anyone has to offer!). I'm looking forward to using it far into the Fall.

So what was first a "splurge" has now become an integral part of my day. And I'm thinking it is justifiable because afterall...

...it is therapy which is saving me hundreds of dollars
...it is FREE as long as I continue to scavenger for wood (my nieces and nephews are appalled that I drive around my neighborhood looking for wood after dark on Sunday nights...yard trash night).
...it increases social interaction because it has enticed friends over
...it gets me away from the TV (however, the laptop continues to stay glued to my lap)
...it motivates me. I can't start the fire until I've first completed all my priority tasks.

So wouldn't you agree? It was a very wise investment, right? Gotta throw on a log.

Friday Accomplishments

2009-08-21T13:48:00.005-04:00

I know that most of my blog readers are moms of young children. The very, very busy type who live a very, very different life than mine. So I completely understand that my posts are basically "un-relatable"...I know, I know, that's not a real word. Bloggers are permitted to create their own words. So when I get to Friday (which is my day off) and finally get the time to blog it is usually about all the things I was able to complete in that one day. I know, you regular readers have seen the pattern. Today was no exception...

yardwork
laundry
cleaned kitchen
emptied refridge
made grocery list
cleaned out car
paid bills (and am already out of money for September)
cleaned house to get ready for nieces and nephews this weekend
general pick up and organization
sat down and watched storm while I blogged

So back to that word "un-relatable." Being the only single adult in my blog community, my blog content is waaay different from everyone else's. Their blogs are filled with cute stories and photos of their kids; mine is self-centered. Their's are about adventures, craft ideas, cooking, decor; mine is about the housework I got accomplished. I've been wondering what my blog audience thinks about this consistent pattern in the content of my posts. I'm guessing they must think things like:

"Must be nice to have one full day a week without kids under your feet to get so much accomplished."
"What's it like to only do laundry once a week?"
"Wish I could run errands to 4 places in less than an hour."
"Is it really possible to empty fridge, clean kitchen and grocery shop all in one day?"
"She's got it made."

I was leaving the office one day this week and a colleague asked, "Whatcha doin' tonight?" My response was, "I have no idea." He answered with an awkward chuckle and asked, "Really?" Literally. No plans, no commitments, no schedule, no agenda, no responsibilities, not even an idea. Sounds incredibly wonderful doesn't it? In my world, it wasn't. Sometimes freedom is paralyzingly suffocating.

There are no two snowflakes alike.
There are no two people who look alike.
There are no two personalities alike.
There are no two lives alike.
We are all so very different. Yet we play this lifelong dangerous game of comparing apples to oranges.

"You'll never know how hard it is to..."
"But you don't understand what it's like to be..."
"You have no idea what I have to..."
"But I don't have a..."
"Yeah but you've got..."
"Yeah, but..."
"Yeah, but..."

We all may be different but I can guarantee we have this in one thing in common. We've all said, "No one understands what it's like to be in my shoes." I think I've just realized that this statement is 100% true. If we are all so completely different in our personalities, our characters, our economic statuses, our circumstances, our jobs, our homes, our lifestyles, our tastes, our hobbies, etc, when you mix those unique ingredients together you are always going to end up with a unique result. Can others relate to what you are going through? Sure, they may have walked in your shoes for awhile if they have experienced a similar life situation. But they will never have the exact same experience as you because your ingredients will always be different than theirs. The shoe may fit but it will be worn and tattered due to YOUR life not theirs.

So where is this rambling post going besides nowhere? (honestly, I just know that the longer posts are the less chance anyone will read them) Last weekend I saw the movie "Julie and Julia" and I refrained from bursting into tears many times. Julie "found" herself through cooking and blogging. I don't have the space or time here to go into how much I saw of me in her or how God used that movie to speak to me that day. My blog is self-centered because, uh, it's about me. And me is all I've got. Well, me and God. Period. As I watched Julie's transformation, I wondered if blogging could save me the way it saved Julie. No, I'm not going to be a better blogger. At least not here. I'm going to start an unpublished blog (the 21st century spiral bound journal). A place where I can talk when I'm suffocating. A place where I can tell someone about the traffic on the way home, or the nasty email I received, or rant about the price of gas, or complain about the way someone looked at me, or describe the strange phone conversation I had, or discuss menu options for the upcoming week, or tell about the person I saw fall flat on her face in the grocery store, or dream about things I've always wanted to do, or complain about the dead animal smell under the deck, or process the day's staff meeting. Process. Hmmmm, good word. It might just make it into the title. I won't have to worry about grammer, speling, or sentanse struktur. I can speak my mind and only offend myself. Hmmm......I might even swear.

So I don't know what this means for this blog. I haven't been keeping up with it very well anyway. I'll keep you posted. Ha. Not worried about staying connected because all of you are on facebook anyway.

I won't admit how long it has taken me to write this post. It would just add to your list of "advantages of being single."

Eight Months

2009-08-20T10:24:00.002-04:00

Lauren and Maks return to PA this weekend. I can't wait to squeeze these cheeks!

FoodBusters

2009-08-09T16:10:00.008-04:00

I love the Food Network show "FoodDetectives." It's kind of a Mythbusters for food. It takes common (mis)conceptions of foods and puts them to the test. Today's episode cracked the following cases.

Which beverage can help you fall asleep?

brandy
chamomile tea
warm milk
sugary drink
water

What is your guess?

Is it safe to eat an egg that has a spot of blood in it?
My guess was "YES" and I was correct.
But if it grosses you out, simply remove the bloodspot before cooking. Ummm...if you master the "simply" part let me know.

What foods contain hidden sugar? (btw: no surprises here for this sugar counter)

ketchup: ounce for ounce more sugar than ice cream
dried fruit: 3 dried mango slices have as much sugar as one can of soda
diet fat free salad dressing: 2 T sugar per serving
energy drinks: their citric acids cut down on the sweetness so you don't even realize how sweet they really are

Are raw vegetables more nutritious than cooked ones?
My guess was "YES" and I was right AND wrong!
Some veggies lose vitamins when cooked and others gain them. And in the case of carrots, they gain Vit A and lose Vit C (I may have gotten those backwards). Crazy! Who knew! Okay...maybe you did.

So back to the sleepy beverage.
Warm milk can be effective but it is purely psychological. There is no scientific proof. The only beverage that passed the lab tests and proved to be effective in improving sleep was chamomile tea.

So there are your Science lessons for the day. Gotta go. My stomach is growling.

Monday Morning Reflections

2009-08-03T13:00:00.003-04:00

I've been reprimanded for my lack of blogging. I liked Dave's "Sunday Evening Reflections" post yesterday so I thought I'd be a copycat. Afterall, imitation is the best form of flattery, right? You are about to see why I've been blog-silent. I lead a very boring life. Now you are so totally excited to read on, aren'tcha?

Friday is usually my day off but since I had off the Monday before to hang out with my nieces/nephews, I worked on Friday. Very busy day of follow-up phone calls for the MFG campaign (Mission From God). I wasn't very successful in reaching many people but had a few awesome conversations resulting in new placements. Then the storm came through in the afternoon and hit Finksburg hard. Result? Tornado pics here!
Friday night I had no plans so I did the "single" thing: frozen pizza and TV. I haven't watched TV in a long time so that was kinda a treat but I burnt the pizza so that wasn't. Suzie and I kept each other company thru texting cuz she was stuck in the Atlanta airport due to the ripple effect of the East coast storms.
Saturday I had no plans all day. So I got up early and wrote a list of 37 things I wanted/needed to get accomplished around the house. I vowed I couldn't do anything "fun" until I accomplished the list. I had a mild headache so took two Exedrine Migraine. Figured that would jump start my day. I began plowing through the list and then started getting weird dizzy spells. Was losing my balance and felt like I was going to pass out. Had to keep sitting or lying down. Figured it was the Ex Migr and coffee on an empty stomach. I slowed down a bit, ate, but worked through item #23 (nap! but only for 10 mins) and then it was time to head to church.
I had nursery duty in the 2's/3's class. They were adorable! A full house but so well behaved and great listeners. Some awesome parenting going on in those families! But I had four dizzy spells, including seeing stars, while in the nursery. So I began to think it wasn't the medicine. I thought I was going to faint in front of 12 preschoolers. With only one other teacher present, who is pregnant, and one child in a full leg cast, it could have been interesting if I passed out.
Got home and didn't feel like eating anything. Went to bed early.
Sunday I got to experience the awesome Orphan service. Mark did a wonderful job. The rest of the morning I spent my time listening to people's journeys (so cool!), assisting people when needed, leaning against walls when my head began spinning, texting my niece who was on her way to our NY cabin for vacation, taking the time to catch up with friends, grabbing the closest seat whenever I got lightheaded, answering questions, etc. I attended a lunch farewell for dear LifePoint friends who are moving out of state. As long as I kept seated, no one could tell I was on the verge of passing out.
Time to make this long story short. Got home and took a long nap. Went to friends' house for dinner and a movie. Continued seeing stars and walking off-balance and ended the weekend with a headache. No surprise there. Woke up with it worse this morning. Tried to make an appointment with a new neurologist but they only take referrals.
So I'm glad today is my day off. I'm laying low. Very low. And that list of 37 things is remaining unfinished.

July 23, 2009

2009-07-23T22:30:00.007-04:00

Maks turned 7 months old today.
And his daddy was deployed to Afghanistan for a year.
"Happy" birthday, Maks!

The Ham who Hogs the Stage

2009-06-11T19:54:00.009-04:00

Remember THIS?
Check out his latest GIG.

Confessions of a Confused Mind

2009-06-10T22:49:00.000-04:00

I like nail polish.
I don't get me.
I like birdsongs.
I fight with God.
I like chimes in a breeze.
I avoid.
I like mixing hot and cold foods (ice cream on warm pie).
I am a hypocrite.
I like flowing water.
I am selfish to the core.
I like holding a sleeping baby.
I am a captive.
I like fragrant flowers.
I live for me.