Buckle Up!

So yesterday I was driving to work. I was listening to my new favorite song and singing along. All of a sudden I felt a THUD, as if I had run over something. I was sure I hadn't seen anything in the road, so I couldn't understand why it sounded as if I had run over something.

I slowed down and looked in my rear view mirror, and much to my horror, I saw a cat darting across the street. It didn't look injured, but I must have hit it. There was nothing else in the road behind me, except the cat.

It made me gasp and clasp my hand over my mouth in unbelief. Where did the kitty come from?!? I love cats. I've owned five. I cannot believe I hit one, but I never saw it. He must've been a fast runner to get under my van and back out without major harm. As I said, it ran off and didn't appear injured. I'm hoping it simply got off with a scrape.

It's an obstacle course out there on the roads these days. Between the few dreaded intersections near my home and cats running out from nowhere, it's a wonder I can venture out there.

Buckle up, people. It's dicey out there.

So This is What 39 Looks Like

Well... my birthday was on Thursday. I'm now the big 3-9! Thirty nine years old. How did that happen? I really don't feel 39, although, I'm not sure exactly how 39 is supposed to feel.

I remember being in my 6th grade classroom and daydreaming about getting older... like being 30. Honestly, I never thought I'd see 30. I have been expecting the imminent return of Christ. I truly thought that He would rapture me out of here before I ever experienced age 30.

Yet here I am at 39.

So as I was saying, it was my birthday. The funny thing about it was I woke up at 5:30 AM. I had the opportunity to sleep in, but my body seemed to think I had sufficient sleep.

I walked into the bathroom, turned on the dimmer of the two lights, and looked in the mirror. I never look in the mirror the minute I get up. I was shocked at what I saw. Right between my eyebrows were two crease lines. They're the ones that crease whenever I scrunch up my forehead when I'm worried or upset. And there they were, as if I had been scrunching my forehead ALL NIGHT.

Seriously? This is how I look first thing in the morning? I had no idea! And if I look like this at 39, what will I look like in 10 years?

So... this is 39. It looks to be an "interesting" year.

Church Camp Adventures 2011

I've been home from camp for seven days, and I don't think I'm quite back into a routine. Of course, summer changes my routine anyway.

One thing that's been wonderful this week is the weather. Nothing but sun and pleasant temps. Wish we could've had two weeks at camp just like this, but for whatever reason God didn't see fit to give it to us. We still had a good time, in spite of the rain and several days of cool temps.

So let's talk about camp a little. I woke up with a stuffy nose the first day we were heading out. I have frequently been sniffly in the mornings but not stuffy. Thinking the congestion would just clear up as the day wore on, I didn't worry much about it. I popped a Claritin and went on with my day. Only it didn't just go away. It made me miserable. And I was staying in a cabin among a lot of trees and grass and growing things that... you know... create pollen.

I woke up in the middle of that first night with my sinuses miserably congested and couldn't breathe. That warranted a trip up to Walmart first thing Wednesday morning before the kids even were up. Thank goodness that the state park is only about 25 minutes from the Walmart. I grabbed a couple packages of sinus meds and some throat drops and headed back to camp. Let's just say I sneezed a lot and used up almost an entire box of Kleenex all by myself over the next five days.

I just want you to know that although I never would've anticipated having an allergy issue during camp, God's grace carried me through it. It's not what I would've chosen for myself, but I managed and still had fun in spite of the discomfort.

So what do you want to hear about next? The volleyball games, the snake, or the nicknames the kids gave me?

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Busy Busy!

Hello. I'll bet you've been wondering where I have been. Or not... and that's okay.

I haven't been doing any book reviews of late. I needed to back away from any review commitments because I'm going to help at our church camp for two weeks in June.

Otherwise, I haven't written anything else simply because I haven't felt inspired. I guess this is a dry writing spell.

On the flip side of that, though, I started a prayer journal in January, and I have been keeping up with journaling almost every day. You might say I was challenged after reading A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller and also reading Jim Elliot's biography The Shadow of the Almighty. My desire to journal over spiritual things got kicked into high gear.

So as I mentioned, these next two weeks are going to be full and challenging. Next week I leave for teen camp, in which I will strive to keep up with a handful of teenagers (and their fearless leader) for 4 days.

Thank goodness, the girls get to stay in a cabin. With a toilet. And beds. What we're all praying for is that we get to keep our power this year, otherwise that toilet will only be a pipe dream. Last year we lost power during both weeks of camp. None of us camp veterans want a repeat of that.

Then I'll return on Saturday to do laundry, go to church, repack my things, and turn around to do it all again with the junior campers. They cut that week down by a day. I'm still not certain whether they do that for the young campers or for the adults.

But lest I forget to tell you... before all the camp fun begins I will be attending my 20-year high school reunion this Saturday. Did I just say 20 years?!? How did I grow old enough to even get here? I've been reading on Facebook of late about some of my classmates having children graduating from high school this year. One gal's daughter is going to make her a grandmother very soon. Yipes!!! How did this happen?

So wow! A lot happening around here, for sure. Hopefully I'll get a chance to fill you in on all the details later. Whenever that is.

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Trouble

I'm choosing trouble as the word of the day. It sums it up for me. Granted, there weren't any terrific tragedies, but events of the day weren't quite how I would've planned them.

I had some frustrating struggles at the office this morning. Between the copy machine not operating correctly for no apparent reason, having to deal with an office supply return over the phone and explaining to the very nice man that I don't like their remanufactured products so don't send me an exact replacement, and also finding an item in my work tray that should've been taken care of last week... it just didn't make for a good morning.

In fact, forgetting things has become my greatest irritation lately. I'm growing weary of not remembering whether or not I've taken care of something, and if I did take care of it, I have to remember where the proof is that I did take care of it.

The afternoon didn't bring relief from trouble, either. It just followed me home. Rich discovered in short order that our debit card was hijacked just this afternoon. He ran to the bank and was able to get those false transactions stopped before more damage was done. The banker said we were lucky. I'd say God was taking good care of us.

I'm hoping that today's trouble is behind me and tomorrow will look different. Yeah, different would be really good.

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DST: Let's Try This One More Time

I've had a non-stop Saturday, and it started with oversleeping. Would you even believe that after my Friday experience with my clock changing to DST two days early and my alarm getting me up an hour too early? At least it was only 25 minutes of oversleeping.

After my husband had fussed with the clock yesterday to get the time corrected, he had inadvertently turned the volume down for the radio. My eyes popped open at 6:12 AM today, not 5:45 as I had desired, and I realized that it was all wrong again.

So tonight I'm going to bed with the semi-confidence that my clock is going to function properly and spring forward an hour. This time I will have my husband's clock within view, so I can do a double-check before leaping out of bed in the morning.

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Daylight Savings Time. Twice.

photo © 2009 Denise Mattox | more info (via: Wylio)

I've mentioned previously about how much I love Daylight Savings Time. I've just been itching for it to arrive on Sunday. I'm sorry for those who don't enjoy it like I do. I love those late evenings of daylight.

But I've got to draw the line of love somewhere. You see, I get to experience that lost hour not once, but twice this week. My atomic clock must have a defect because it switched TODAY. Um, hello?!? This is Friday. Not Sunday!

Of course, I wasn't aware of it until after I had arisen and taken a shower. My husband popped his head into the bathroom and said, You're up an hour early. I knew right away that my clock had changed because it did exactly the same thing in the fall. Only that day I was up an hour later and was 45 minutes late for work. It's a good thing I have an understanding boss.

Aaah, there's nothing like waking up at 4:45 AM for no reason. I think that alarm clock is going in the trash.

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Just Roll With It

I decided to simply share a sprinkling of the highlights of my week today. I realize it's just now Friday morning, which means the week isn't technically completed, but this is what came to me. So I'm rollin' with it.

First I have to say that I'm surprised I've blogged five days in a row. Yay, me!

I have been enjoying this engaging novel by Chris Coppernoll titled Screen Play. It's about an actress who catches a break when she's hired as an understudy for a Broadway play. I am fascinated with the theater and drama, so I've been downright giddy for much of the story. I read Coppernoll's first novel Providence several years ago, and he had me pondering for months. Somehow that man knows how to touch tender places in my heart. You should read him if you haven't yet.

Hey, did you hear that Keith and Kristyn Getty had a baby girl on Wednesday? They named her Eliza Joy Getty. I must say I'm a bit partial to her name, as we share the first five letters of my name.

I'm not personal friends of the Gettys or anything like that, but somehow it seems a bit personal to me. We sing their music often at church. I was privileged to see them at a True Woman Conference last September when they told us Kristyn was expecting. I suppose with Facebook, Twitter, and emails updating us on all their goings-on, it just feels like somehow I'm a part of all of it in some very minute way. So I feel excited for them.

The Lord has done some interesting things for me this week, like helping me overcome sin, encouraging me with words from friends, and teaching me through His Word.

Overall I'd say it's been a pretty good week... even if it isn't technically over yet.

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Feeling A Bit Behind

I haven't been such an avid reader in February, which is a bit of a disappointment for me. In January I was going strong and only missed maybe 2 or 3 days of reading in the entire month. So I'm feeling behind in my reading goal for 2011, which is to read 50 books. I've completed 9 so far.

It's not that I've been lazy about reading. I've either been busy with people or just too sleepy by the time I get to my reading that I can't keep my eyes open. If only I could read with my eyelids closed.

Currently I'm reading a novel for review, and I've been at it for at least a week, if not longer. It's been slow going, and it really shouldn't have been. Unfortunately, that means I'm not enjoying it. I would love to finish it today, but it depends on getting the other things crossed off my to-do list this afternoon.

I know it must be pretty bad when I have a dream about needing to finish the book and laboring at my computer over what I'm going to write in my review. It was definitely bothering me in my sleep. Ridiculous!

Hopefully, Thursday or Friday I can whip myself back into shape, into the reading fanatic I know I am.

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Blizzard 2011 - The Aftermath

                               

As forecasted, we were hit with a bonafide blizzard Tuesday night. I was doubtful of the warnings, but as the evening wore on I was convinced.

Thankfully, we never lost power, and the storm moved through fairly quickly. The lights flickered once before bedtime, and I prayed with every fiber of my being that we wouldn't lose power. It's one thing to be stuck in the house. It's an entirely different matter to be stuck in the house with no heat.

Our county declared a snow emergency, so we did stay in all day Wednesday. I can't say I used my time wisely. I could've been reading like a maniac, but instead I was catching up on my Biggest Loser episode that I had DVR'd and napping.

I managed to drive to church for Olympians Club, since our alley was plowed. I was super thankful to be able to get out of the house for a little while. We had fun with the only two clubbers who got to church. I was happy to be there, even if we were few in number.

So this picture is what the front of our church looks like this morning. You can see the snow is drifted up to the windows.

I'm so glad that it's back to the daily routine today. I really like routine.

Stay warm, people.

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My Christmas Vacation

I'm taking vacation time this week and the next, and it's a good thing.  My motivation to shop and wrap and make goodies has been sporadic.

Today will be the busiest day so far.  I "enhanced" my hair color this morning.  I'm in the middle of making Peppermint Bark at this moment.  (Hoping that turns out, as this is the first time I've made it.)  Then I'll go to lunch with my parents and a couple friends.  Upon arriving home, I will head out to an eye exam, which I hope to make on time by 4:00.  After that?  I think I'll crash.

Speaking of which... I have had a major change in my vision.  It's so dramatic in the last several weeks that I am having trouble seeing music when I play piano.  I have to push people's faces farther back from me, so my eyes can focus.  Let me tell ya, this is just weird.  In the past, I've never really noticed a change in my vision.  I just set up exams every couple years and would find I needed a new eyeglasses prescription.  I am anxious to find out how much my vision has changed this time.

So that's what is happening in my little world today.

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Aging

I’m getting older. Yeah. I know that’s no surprise to you. You’re getting older too. Ha!

I just turned 38, and… I’m not kidding… my body is already changing. It’s responding differently now than it did before.

I’ve noticed in the past two weeks that my eyes are not focusing well, especially when I’m playing piano at church. I have to use my bifocals to see the notes more clearly. I’ve also noticed if people stand too close to me, their faces are fuzzy, and it hurts my head to try to focus.

And let’s not forget the new aches and pains that pop up at various times for no apparent reason.

But the one thing that has been a total surprise to me is something no one warned me about.

For several weeks I’ve been fighting the war of what I thought to be chapped lips because it’s turned colder here in Indiana. I kept applying Vaseline in the morning, in the afternoon, and at bedtime. Still… dry lips. I feel like I have an extra layer of skin that needs to be scraped off.

Uncertain why I wasn’t winning the fight, I finally asked my mother the other day, “As you age, is it possible to get dry lips?” She smiled at me and said, “Yes!”

Um… hello? Why is this the first I’m hearing of this? And why, oh why, is this starting at 38? I’m comparably young to… you know… OLD people, but my lips are already becoming defunct?

I don’t think I can handle this reality.

I hate grooming maintenance. Seriously. If I thought I could get away without brushing my teeth, I would. And now I’m being forced to look into lip treatments and moisturizers.

I guess I’ll have to work that in right after my lip tweezing.

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Chat Pack Vlog... or Not

It's Friday, the last day of my Chat Pack week.  I don't think the Chat Pack vlogging has gone very well this week.  I missed a day, then had trouble creating videos yesterday and answering questions.  I must say, today's should be more interesting, though. 

Thanks for hanging in there with me.

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Scariest Halloween Memory

The only thing I ever liked about Halloween when I was a kid is that I got lots of candy.  Dressing in a costume was sorta fun, but it was really all about the candy. 

In all honesty, I have always been fearful of people in costumes.  Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny?  Forget about it!  Our family had several shoe stores located at malls when I was young, and when I saw Santa walk past our storefront to go on his break, I would make sure I was waaaay at the back of the store, just in case he decided to come in to browse for a pair of shoes.

So you can see why Halloween would be all about the candy for me.  It became more like a reward of survival for trudging out into the dark night with all those maniacal people who wanted to jump out and scare a poor, defenseless girl just to get a laugh.

In hearing the buzz around the blog community about Halloween movies and candy and parties, I remembered the scariest Halloween memory I have.  Just to think of it now, it still ticks me off.

I don't remember how old I was.  Maybe 12 or 13.  I was probably in junior high at the time.  Halloween was approaching, and for some reason our Baptist church put on a haunted house every year.  (I really don't know why.)  Anyways... while I was in band practice, a couple of people dressed like ghouls opened the classroom door and came in.  They started wandering around the room and getting in people's faces as some sort of promotion to go out to the haunted house.

I don't recall how close one of those costumed people got to me, but I was utterly and thoroughly FREAKED OUT!  I was actually angry.  I felt angry at whoever let them come into the classroom.  I was angry at my band director for not kicking them out for interrupting our band practice.  I was stinkin' mad that our church even had a haunted house.

You have no idea what a relief it was when they finally discontinued putting on that haunted house.  It's possible it was the very next year because I don't remember it after that time.

What's your scariest memory?  Do costumes bother anyone else?

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Just a Few Odds & Ends

Thanks for the sweet words offered over our loss of Bailey.  I really am fine, although it's strange not finding him in his typical favorite napping spots.  I had been praying that he would pass shortly because we had known he wasn't thoroughly enjoying life.  So this is answered prayer.

My body aches have subsided, so I'm back at work today.  My throat is the real culprit of my discomfort.  So I've been adhering to a strict regimen of Airborne three times a day and two garlic capsules four times a day.  I'm gonna beat this thing down, whatever it is.

And on an entirely different topic, if you think of the True Woman Conference pray for the event this weekend.  The first session starts tonight in Ft. Worth, Texas.  If you're at all interested in following the event, I know Tim Challies is going to be blogging from the conference on his site challies.com  You can also find a "play by play", so to speak, at the True Woman site.

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We Had to Say Goodbye

 

Yesterday we had to put our cat Bailey to sleep.  He's had a thyroid problem for probably a year, and over the weekend he got sick and went downhill fast to the point he couldn't walk. 

We had him for 14 years, and he was the sweetest cat of the five we've had at various times.  Bailey was the only cat that was MY cat.  All the others gravitated toward Rich.  So it was an emotional afternoon, but it was more of a relief for me to know his suffering is over.

Meanwhile, I was developing a sore throat and congestion through the day, and overnight my sore throat became severe.  This morning I've got the sore throat, nasal congestion, and body aches and am staying home.  I can't believe how much my body hurts right now.  It's definitely time to lay down for a nap.

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Weeklong Celebration

This Wednesday it's my birthday, so I'm celebrating by taking the whole week off work.  I hadn't used vacation time yet, so I figured I better get to it, seeing how it's already October and 9 months of the year have already passed me by.

It's October, people!  How can that be? 

Well, anyway, I'm glad it's October because it's my birthday.  We just won't talk about which birthday it is, or it will spoil the celebrating for me.  It's not the BIG one yet, but the BIG one is looming in the distance, a little too close for my comfort.

So far on my first day of vacation I have spent it washing and folding laundry and reading a book.  I did head out for an afternoon walk, though, because I thought I could use some fresh air, and I'm also trying to be proactive in fighting off those extra calories that I am sure to consume over the birthday celebration.  I've got big plans for Tuesday and Wednesday, and they do involve good food.

Have a great week.  I plan to!

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Back From the Conference

I really have no time today other than to just hop on my blog and say hello because I have a full day ahead of me.  No rest for the weary, as they say. 

The weekend at the True Woman Conference in Indianapolis was exhausting in every way... emotionally, physically, and spiritually.  They were long days with much information to process.

If you are able to go to the conference in Fort Worth, Texas coming October 14-16, you really should go.  In fact, do whatever you can to get yourself there because I don't know when they'll have another conference.  (I know one of my blog readers is already registered.)  You won't be disappointed.  The speakers are excellent, and getting to sing with Keith & Kristyn Getty is worth the price of admission. 

Be back soon...

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What's Up With That? - Irony

I'm starting to wonder if the Lord is trying to teach me something, or else I just can't explain something so fluke-like happening twice in a week.  Do you remember last week when I showed you the damage that the post office had done to my book?  It happened again.  I am not kidding. 

I ordered a study book for someone from the Amazon marketplace a couple weeks ago.  I was anticipating receiving it any day, and it was with the mail this morning.  I didn't know exactly what to expect because it is a used book, although the seller stated it was in very good condition with minimal underlining and shelf wear.

That's not quite what it looked like when I removed it from the package.  The cover had been folded in several places.  It was peeling in spots.  There were pages totally folded up inside.  I was so disappointed, and all I could think was, "How am I going to give this to my friend?  It looks beat up."

The interesting part of all this is that I didn't realize the damage had been done by the post office.  I just thought I had gotten a bum deal from the marketplace seller.  But then I noticed a small slip of paper in the bottom of the package and pulled it out.  After that, I realized that the label on the mailer had the United States Postal Service as the return address, and it had been stamped DAMAGED IN HANDLING IN THE POSTAL SERVICE.  That's when it all became clear.

It began... We regret the damage to your mail that occurred during handling....  What?!?  No, this just can't be.  I laughed out loud at the irony of my love for pristine books and the adversity the post office has cruelly set upon me with its careless ways.

Oh, but my favorite part of the note -- and mind you, this is a generic printed note for such incidents -- says this,

We are constantly... striving to improve our processing methods to the extent that even a rare occurrence such as this one can be eliminated.

C'mon.  You know you're laughing with me now.  Rare occurrence?  Twice in a week for me is not considered rare.

So I'm asking the question again... What's up with that?

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I Can't Bear to Look

I stared at the package and shuddered at the horror.  In order to know the depths of my grief you must understand that I'm a true bibliophile.  I treasure the feel of a cover, the smell of the pages, the pictures. 

As I cradled the marred and chewed book in my hands I could barely look at the pages now scarred and torn forever.  You see, I could never treat a book so carelessly.  I don't throw my books around.  I don't bend the covers or put creases in them. 

Apparently, the Post Office can!

This is how my book arrived today from a PaperbackSwap sender.  Totally the postal service's fault.  I think it got shredded in their mail sorting machine.  They put the damaged package in a plastic bag.  As if that would somehow salvage the package. 

 

 

Um... what about a note of apology or something?  Mr. Postal Worker, you could certainly see that my book was damaged severely, and you just sent it on its merry way, as if nothing occurred?

Now all I'm trying to figure out is how I'm going to endure reading this book.  Every time I hold it I will have to look at the wreckage.  All I'll be able to think about are the chewed up pages, and I'll read the same paragraph repeatedly because I can't concentrate on anything else.

Excuse me, please.  I think I need a tissue.

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