Love Birds

This little couple sits right outside my front door.   I could actually reach out and touch them, yet they don't move an inch...unless they see the dogs.    So, when I walk outside there the two of them sit just nesting each day. 

I did a little research on this little dove.  Suitably named the Common Ground Dove they are a heavily populated bird here in the south.  They nest on the ground - just like they are pictured here.  They build a minimal nest ON THE GROUND (where snakes and rodents live) and often lay unfertilized eggs.   

It makes me wonder how they are so heavily populated?  Hmmm....things that make me go hmmmm.   

They also mate for a season or some for even life.    That makes me just love them.  That and their sweet little cooing sounds. 

The other day I walked out to find them nested in some cord that I've pulled up for landscape lighting.    I've yet to bury it again and now, here they are in the middle of it.   I guess I'll wait a little longer. 

I just love how they were sitting in a heart.    Sweet, huh?

Snow Hats

 

I loved this second round of snow we got so much better than the one a few weeks ago.  This one was "lighter".  The flakes just seemed to sit on the branches outlining each and every one. 

 

  Last week when I was sick, I remember waking from nap one day and looking out my window at the bare trees.   I like the trees to be green - they seem lonely without their leaves.  It made me feel very melancholy for Spring.

 

So, when I woke this past Saturday morning and looked out my window, I rejoiced to see each and every branched lightly covered in snow and these little gumballs with what I thought looked like winter hats. 

Lonely no more. 

One Word For 2010 - Join Me, Jan 4

Last year, a good friend of mine summed up her goals for 2009 in one word. She got the idea from someone who works with Compassion International. So yeah, I'm not original. BUT, I loved the idea then and I love it now.

So, on Monday January 4, I will talk about my word for 2010 and why I chose that word.  I'd love for you to join me in the comments or post something of your own.  If you want to do that, I can post a Mr. Linky.

Okay, so be thinking of something!
One word. It's harder than you think!
Here is my post from last year if you want a better idea of what I'm talking about. 

Slick Pages, Endless Possibilities

I love the internet.
Obviously.
I think it's pretty safe to say if one has a blog that they have embraced the use of a computer.

But there is nothing like a brand new magazine.

Not an e-Mag but a real-life, hold-in-your-hands magazine.  

Opening the mailbox to see one in there makes my heart skip a beat.
A spring now in my step as I head to the house to read my new treasure.

Stuffed to the brim with slick, colorful pages that are full of promise.

Recipes yet to be cooked!
Ads of things that I will never buy!
An article written from someone's heart!
Crafts beckoning to be created!
Tips waiting to be used!

Sigh...

I received my Real Simple magazine today - Thanksgiving edition.

10 Fresh Ideas for My Leftover Turkey, How to Entertain for Less and new columns on organizing! The possibilities are endless really. 

Gloria Steinem said that most women's magazines just try to mold women into bigger and better consumers.   I guess I can see that.    I often see something in one and end up spending some money.    I still love them - they smell good. 

So, how about you? Do you have a favorite mag? 

Collections

Are you a collector of something?

I've never been much of a collector myself.  Unless, of course, you count my laundry.  I collect plenty of that!

I usually get bored with what I'm collecting and then move on to something else.   I have a lot of the beginnings of collections but not a complete set of anything.  Even my china, after being married for 12 years, is nowhere near being complete.  

I guess I have accumulated quite a bit of FiestaWare, but I use those as my every day dishes.   I have most of it in white, which is pretty rare now, my favorite red and some green.   I pick up a new piece here and there and if I see an vintage piece that matches my stuff and is reasonably priced, I usually try to get it. 

I also like to collect some cut glassware and I am particularly fond of an old piece.    It's actually a pretty inexpensive thing to collect.  I just don't have the room for much more of it.  One of my good friends likes to buy me this as gifts and I always think of her when I use those pieces.

I've realized that whatever I collect, I need it to be useful.   You will most likely not find me collecting figurines of some sort.  They are usually beautiful and lovely and I enjoy getting them as gifts, but it's not something I would actively collect.

I guess the thought of someone having to clean out my house, full of something like owl figurines, when I die is enough to scare me out of collecting too much of anything.   Plus, I'm not fond of clutter.  I wouldn't want a collection to become the focal point of my home.


So, all of this talk about collections gets me thinking.  Which is normally dangerous in itself.

Did you ever notice how some people collect bad stuff?

I mean, they collect the bad experiences that happen in their life and even in the lives of others.   Then they clutter up their own life with all this bad stuff.  Actually, they even carry it around with them and it certainly becomes the focal point in their life.   

It's like if they let go of their collection of bad stuff something even worse might happen.   They become used to seeing this collection of bad all around them and they keep adding to it.    They are the ones, who when you share a fear about one thing or another, always have a bad story to tell you that relates.  I especially love this when it comes to my children.  For instance, I might express a concern about my child riding the bus and this person has about 5 or 6 terrible bus accident stories to tell me.  Um yeah, thanks for sharing.

They tell you the stories with the best of intentions but it really just seems to make them feel better. 

They are always quick to listen to the most wretched events of your life but not so interested in the amazing story of how you lost 10 pounds or how you just won $100 in the state lottery. 


Like the darkness that is afraid of the light.

Who knows what might happen if they just laid that collection down?  Let it go.  Let the light in.   It might be a whole new uncluttered life. 

It reminds me of a story I watched on one of those news shows of a woman who suffered from the mental illness, Hoarding.  She had so much stuff in her house she could barely move and it even covered her windows.  When her family finally intervened and came in to clean her house out, the sunshine actually came in through the windows for the first time in years.  

Can you imagine?   I can't even bear to have my blinds closed in my home.

I continued to watch as this woman just broke down when the light came through her windows.  It was so hard for her to let go of everything she'd collected.  But for the first time in years, she felt as if some weight had been lifted.  She felt free of all of this STUFF she had collected. 

Is there someone in your life that you could encourage today?  Just shine a little light on?   Maybe they just need a little help letting go of their stuff.  

Asking For A Gift

From my post yesterday you might have been able to sense that I had a conflict of sorts with someone.

No, it wasn't you - don't worry. 

It's family.  It's always family, is it not?

So, this morning as I was walking, I was thinking to myself that this person who is going on acting like we never even had this conflict should apologize to me.     They definitely owe me an apology. 

Then I would forgive this person.  (saying this with my chest all puffed out)

Because for me, when a person asks for forgiveness, it's very easy for me to fall into a puddle and forgive them.  I'm just a softie like that.

Except that is not what forgiveness is really all about is it?

Asking for forgiveness is really like asking for a gift, isn't it?  And we don't normally ask people for gifts.

But to forgive without them asking for my forgiveness?

It's just hard to do.  

Because now were just messing with my pride here. (did someone say pride?)

Jesus tells his disciples, when they ask how many times to forgive someone, that they should forgive them over and over.    Just as God forgives us over and over.

Did you ever notice that the things Jesus asks us to do are sometimes really hard?  But always what's best for us. 

I know that the person that hurt me, truly loves me and has the best of intentions for me.  I also know that apologizing is difficult and that it would be a great gift for me to surrender my anger so we could move on.  And because this is not the the first time it's happened, I know that eventually, we will talk about it.   I know that I would also feel so incredibly loved if someone did the same for me. 

So, that's where I am.  I doubt that I will air any more of this on the blog but I certainly appreciate you letting me work it out here.

The Elephant In the Room

I'm always intrigued by a person who can just ignore the proverbial "elephant in the room."   You know how when something pretty significant has happened between you and a person and then the next time you see them you just act like it never happened.

Except it did happen. 

And it was never resolved.

And all these feelings are still quietly floating around.  

I have a hard time with that.

Do you think people do this because they are afraid of confrontation?  Or they are afraid if they talk about it or face something messy then it will somehow hurt them more?  Maybe they really feel like they have dealt with it.  I wonder if they are hoping it will just go away.  That would be nice.

Except that it seldom goes away.  Time does not rewind.   Then later when you least expect it, "the elephant" that you tried so hard to ignore is running around crashing into things and destroying everything in it's path. 

I think it runs through generations.   It starts with one big thing in a family and the parents choose to ignore it.  They teach the child that is how to deal with things and then that child becomes an adult and does the same thing in his or her own relationships.  

Just my thoughts for today.  What do you think?

This is My Desk

Right now.

Today.

It sits behind me as I type this post ready to swallow me up in it's mess.

Cleaning it has been on my list of things to do all week.

Hello Friday and the desk is not clean.

So, instead of cleaning it, I took pictures of it.

For two reasons.

1. Because I am a blogger and bloggers take pictures of everything.

2. Because my life is kind of happening, or is at least on my list of things that should be happening, right here on this desk.

Right here in this house.

In my corner of the world.


Thank you notes waiting to be written from my birthday. I have great friends who give me presents and make me lunch - love them. (check! Got this done!)




Dog needs to be walked. Several.Times.A.Day.



Need to call my best friend in Mid-MO to tell her how much I love her new house! Seriously, isn't that gorgeous?!?



Oh, I should hang this picture that Bubby drew me. Normally his pictures of people don't have bodies - just legs from the head down to the feet! Progress, I tell you!




Reading this awesome book called Secrets of Social Media Marketing that another good friend from Mid-Mo sent me. Thanks, KTI! Oh, and sitting under that book is a media kit that I need to be showing to people that are totally going to love advertising on Triangle TRACKs. Which also reminds me that I need to write a post for her.




Oh yeah - find some tranquility! (note the name of the candle pictured here) I actually brought this candle from my bedroom so that I could light it while I cleaned the desk off. Um, yeah. We can see how far I got with that.

Maybe next week....

What Else Are Ya' Gonna Do?

I really didn't have much for the What I Learned This Week carnival. Well, I do but it is turning into a post that needs some editing and I just wasn't ready to publish it. But as luck would have it...life just happens.


So, I learned in 10 minutes today that...

If you have a puppy and are not taking him outside to go to the potty about every 5 MINUTES he will pee on your living room rug.

AND while you are fetching the Nature's Miracle from upstairs where he peed earlier that day, you will discover the two piles of poop in the corners of the play room that he left there sometime.

I suppose you'll never know if one belonged your older dog because he's decided that why should he be the only one going outside in the snow to pee and poop. Do you think he is smart enough to know that the puppy will most likely get blamed? hmmmm.

So, you will head back downstairs to let the scolded puppy back in the house from the cold outside and while you are cleaning up the pee from the beginning of this story, your new puppy WILL knock over the TV tray that holds your sick son's chicken and dumplings and Sprite all over the living room floor where the pee is anyway.

About this time - okay at this exact moment - your sweet husband will call to ask how things are going and what you made for dinner.

You will learn at this point to just laugh. Because what else are ya' gonna do?

Well, you could blog about it. It definitely helps me!

My friend said I should have named this post "If you Give a Mom a Puppy." Dang. I am going to have to consult her before publishing anymore - that would have been such a great title!

Anyway for more great lessons learned hop on over to Musings of a Housewife.

You are not invisible in your car.

An open newsflash to all people driving.

You are not invisible in your cars.

Specifically to you, a fellow mom who works at my daughter's school sometimes.

I am really sorry that I was not moving fast enough for you this morning. I was in deep conversation with my 8 year old about her displeasure over missing the bus and having to be in carpool at all. I was also trying to consume my first cup of coffee for the morning and probably should not have even been legally driving.

Anyway, you seemed to be in a hurry and I was trying to be nice even though I had the right of way. You apparently were very upset with me. I hope your child had some earphones on or something. Mine got a huge kick out of your hand gestures.

I hope your day is much better. Really, I do. See ya' around school!

*********
Now before you go thinking I don't get upset while driving, let me assure you - I do. I hate that I do, but some days when I am in a hurry and the cars are not driving like I think they should I get upset. But I try to remember something that happened to me a long time ago. It usually fixes my attitude.

When I was in high school, I was driving to school one morning and this lady cut me off. I proceeded to yell something at her and make a not so nice hand gesture. I was a teenager after all.

So, in one of my classes later that day the teacher came up to me and whispered in my ear that she was really sorry about the traffic incident that morning. Apparently, she was the woman that cut me off. Nothing like needing to improve your algebra grade and giving your teacher the bird instead.

So, the lesson - you just never know.

Bird Brains - What I Learned This Week

I came home about a month ago to find this sweet girl just sitting on my deck right outside the glass door from my house. She is a female Cardinal and we get a ton of them in our back yard. They are so fun to watch.

The feathers stuck on the door told me she must have been in mid-flight to the inside of my house before she realized it was not a clear landing but glass.

So, I called the wildlife center because I just could not leave her there and let some neighborhood cat have her for lunch.

This is what they told me to do. It was news to me. It might be to you also. Useful information anyway.

Get a box.
Get a towel.
Pick the bird up and place it in the box.
Close the box.
Place the box with bird in a dark place like a closet for about 15 minutes.
Take the box outside and open it.
If the bird is okay, she will fly away.

AND. SHE. DID. JUST. THAT.

Apparently, when they hit their little bird heads, their little bird brains get a bit shaken up and they become very disoriented. They just need a little while to get back on track. Just a little rest.

So, there you go.

For more great lessons learned this week, hop on over to Musings of a Housewife.

Does This Bother Anyone Else?

Is it just me or does it bother anyone else that when you go to early vote you don't have to show in identification in North Carolina?

All you do is tell them your name. They look you up and say your address back to you. You agree and then you vote. THAT'S IT! No voter card. No id. Nothin'.

Is it like that in your state?

Why why why is it like this?

Facebook

I joined Facebook today. My neighbors all joined and got me in on the fun. It seems pretty cool how you can connect with people all over the place.

And kinda weird how all of a sudden people are sending you friend requests that you haven't seen since...well, your high school reunion a couple months ago. But before that you hadn't seen in years!

Anyway, it is pretty cool. I feel so hip. My friend Kent is helping me with the lingo since he has a teenage son.

Any advice from fellow Facebookers out there?

Weekend Randomness

Well, we did not end up seeing a movie because people were running late and it just didn't work out. So, maybe next weekend! Thanks for all the recommendations. Especially, Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Neither of my kids have wanted to go see that since the second it was released and begged me every day. So, I am glad to hear it is good since it will most likely be the next movie I do actually end up seeing.

Hubby is finishing a project in our room this weekend. A shelf that we had someone custom install and then they went out of business and never finished it.

9 years ago.

It has just been a junk collector since then and I had enough the other day. I really want my room to be more peaceful and retreat-like for us, so I have determined some things need changing and updating.

Like the shelf.

I am also reupholstering a chair that must seriously be 100 years old. When I pulled it apart it was layered with 5 different fabrics and stuffed with straw! Yes, indeed.

So, I am working on that. I threw the straw away because, well, it was 100 year old straw and now they have heavy duty cushy foam that you can put in your chairs for stuffing.

It only costs $34.99 fpr a smallish square. Dang, that stuff is pricey.

But being the bargain shopper that I am, I brought my 55% off coupon and saved...well... 55% off of that $34.99.

By the way, the fabric store?
It is not my favorite place.

I am sooo intimidated in there because I really do not know the first thing about sewing and everyone else seems to know exactly what they are doing there. I love looking and feeling all the fabrics and all the trim but then I am just clueless what to do with it.

Also there are not enough people working there.

And patience is not a virtue of mine.

So, you have to take a number to get anything measured or cut before you actually wait in line to check out. So, two lines to get one thing? hmmm. This does not seem so efficient to me, but whatever.

Today there was this nice lady in front of me with 99 bolts of fabric.
Well, maybe only 25 but anyway - it took her forever.
At first, I was thinking, "Oh good only one person in front of me."
Except that she has 99 bolts of fabric.

Luckily she also had a cute dog with her. Yeah, in the fabric store.

So, I was admiring her dog (because I LOVE little dogs) and then she told me PetSmart right next door to the fabric store was having a pet adoption day.

I thought I would just go look.

Sweet little babies. I wanted to take them all home.

Most especially this little feisty Pomeranian that had a lion haircut. I was so prepared to deal with how to explain it to my husband and my sweet Buddy why this little barking lion was going to live with us now, but they would not let me have him. He apparently was not ready for adoption because of some skin condition. We both cried and I said goodbye with a note to call me if they figured it out.

I also filled out an application to be a foster mom for small non-shedding dogs that will not bite my kids. We'll see what happens.

Okay - I am off to stuff my chair. I know you will want pictures and I would so love to give them to you, but I am having camera issues again. As in, I don't have one. I know I need to work this out and tell you the story of why I don't actually have one but since this post has about 7 different subjects already and is getting too long, I will save it for later.

Clothing and Toy Swap

This is one of the coolest ministries we have at our church. It is a Clothing and Toy Swap.

For several weeks we have those PODS set up in our parking lot. People from our church clean out their attics and closets and bring any clothing and toys they are not using anymore. This year we filled 2 HUGE PODS and many many more donations came in the day we sorted through it all.

A large team of volunteers comes in Friday before the actual event and sorts through all the clothing and toys. Men's, Women's, children, teens, coats, shoes (holy moly - the shoes!), baby stuff and the books and toys.

We then open the doors at next morning at 8:30 am.

300 people were waiting by 8 am!

All in all 1252 people came through the doors to collect clothing and toys that they needed. For FREE! The photos above are of the event.

What is most unbelieveable to me is the amount of clothing that was donated.

In just this little corner of the world.

One church.

Tons of clothing and shoes for a community in need.

What could all of our communities do? Really, no one should be in need of clothing and shoes in this world. After this past weekend, I realized there was enough just in our church to supply shoes for a small town!

Now This is Funny

I was over visiting Rebecca and she did this little test to see what reading level her blog is.

So, I decided to give it a shot because, well, I have about a million other things I could be doing and this seemed like much more fun.

You have to know this is a joke.
Genius level?
Reeeaaally.
Maybe you would have to be a genius to figure out what I am talking about half the time!

But what does it say about all of you? You are all a bunch of Geniuses!
I always knew it.

Overheard

Today while I was at the gym, I overheard a conversation.

It was in the locker room.

I was not really eavesdropping as much as I was just trying to get dressed next to these two women and they were talking.

I really couldn't help but overhear.

So the one woman asks the other if she should call to cancel an appointment with this guy or just send him an email.

The second woman says that if she thinks he will get the email in a timely manner to just send the email. Then she says that she prefers to get an email from people rather than a phone call.

The other woman agrees and in my head I also agree.

They go on talking about how when people call on the telephone that they just go on and on. That an email is so much easier because you can keep it short, reply when you want and not be interrupted in the business of life.

Yeah, I get that.

That gets me thinking about something I heard the other day.

Go with me here...

We have become this society of people that follow Twitter conversations, text message each other and email back and forth. ALL. THE. TIME.

Most of these interactions are short and sweet. They are usually not deep and rarely intimate.

We are so busy that we seldom have time for real live conversations.

Because we are so busy, we actually seem to desire the short snippets of peoples lives via email and text messaging.

But, real live conversations lead to real live relationships. Ones that are intimate.

It really is amazing to me how we feel so connected because of these modern advances in technology, but so many people are really very lonely because they don't have any real live deep relationships. Because they don't have the time to invest in them.

I really felt this after returning from my high school reunion. I remember sitting up the last night in one of my old friends hotel rooms. There were a group of us just hanging out on her bed and talking. I caught myself leaning my head up against one of my friends. A friend I have not seen in almost 20 years.

Okay, so mostly I was having trouble holding my head up. It was LATE y'all and I am getting too old to stay up that late.

But I thought about my comfort level with her which was so deep because of the time I had invested with her many years ago. As teens, we have so much more time to invest in relationships. I realized I miss that in my friendships now as an adult.


I do believe that we were created to be in relationship with one another. Jesus left us with 2 commands - Love God with all your heart and Love One Another.

Not so easy to do on Twitter.

Now I am not suggesting that we can't encourage each other via Twitter and email. I send emails to encourage and console almost every single day. I can reach a lot more people that way. It would be nearly impossible for me to touch as many lives with an encouraging word via the phone.

I am also not passing any sort of judgement. I am so guilty of not picking up the phone or hand writing a note or even making a lunch date with a friend.

So, this is my attempt to be more connected with people for real.

I started a list of a couple things I do that help me.

• Keep my address book updated and handy so I can address a note easily.
• Keep stamps handy.
• Buy cards in packages or bulk so I can send one when a friend comes to mind.
• Keep fun pens around to write notes with.

• Keep my phone numbers updated in my cell phone and home phone so I can just pick up the phone and call a friend when I have a few minutes to spare.

• Don't go to lunch alone so much. I cannot tell you the amount of times, I have been out and about and taken my kids to eat at one of those playlands only to be sitting there by myself! So, next time with my handy numbers - call a friend to come and meet me.

• Learn to say, "I gotta go now." This is the hardest part for me. I am a talker. Many of my friends are talkers and so I avoid the phone because I know it will be a marathon talk of which I do not have time for.

So, I should get over this. Talk as long as I can. Touch base, connect and hang up when I need to. It's better than no conversation at all, isn't it? Yeah? Isn't it? What do you think?

Okay, give me the ways you keep in contact with your friends and family. Ways you keep real live relationships going strong.

Yeah, and do that in a short, sweet, non-intimate snippet in the comments of this technologically advanced blog. Ironic, huh?

Fool Me Twice, Shame on Me...Part 2

"Mom, isn't that the girl we took to the bus station?" - continued from yesterday.

Indeed it was.

Here's a little background.

About two months ago after B's dance recital we were in our downtown area.
Not the smaller town that we live in, but our actual city.
Big buildings.
Where the symphony and professional ballet company perform.
That kind of downtown.

You might remember I mentioned a girl that stopped me on the street and was having a hard time.

Well, this girl about 19 or 20ish is crying. I have both my kids and am walking to the parking garage. She stops me and asks for my help telling me some terrible long story about the cops taking her car away and she needs to get to the bus station to get home.

Can I help her?
Oh, and she has no money to buy this bus ticket which costs $16.
She just needs $16 and directions to the bus station.

A few things you should know about me.
I never carry cash.
I am directionally challenged.
Strangers always tell me their life stories. Really they do. Not sure why, but they do.

So, I have no cash to give her and I no idea where the bus station is.

But I do have a GPS in my van and my credit card. So, I feel a nudge to help her and ask her if it would be okay if I just take her to the bus station.

I know.
Not the smartest thing.

But, she really didn't have that crazed killer look, so I decided to pay attention to the feeling that I could not possibly walk away from this girl and leave her standing in the middle of downtown with no where to go.

I took her to the bus station, bought her lunch and the ticket and told her I would pray for her.
I left her and thought I would never see her again.

Well, guess what? Guess who is leaning against the gas station wall crying two nights ago?

Yep, it was her.

So, after the mall, I needed to get gas. I pull in the gas station and my daughter is the first to recognize the girl. My van is between the girl and the gas pump. I think she sees me, but turns away.

And honestly, y'all. I did not know what to do. I kinda freaked out a little. So, since my car is between her and the gas pump, I just pump my gas and watch her through the windows.

I see her crying and talking to two guys paying for their own gas. She shows them money. They are pointing across the street somewhere. Maybe to the hotels. She is no doubt telling them a story of her troubles. But they actually just wished her well and left.

I finish my pumping my gas and go to get in my car. I feel the nudge again. Dang.

So, I catch her eyes and lean over my car to ask how she is. She tells me she has been better. I ask her why she is back in town. She looks at me confused. I ask if she remembers me. She says no.

I ask if she remembered the day that me and my two little kids, one in a ballet outfit, took her to the bus station and bought her lunch and a ticket home. Remember, I hugged you and told you I would pray for you?

Nope, she said she didn't remember me.

She then looked away pretty quickly. I left. I watched her walk into the gas station and wipe her eyes not daring to look my way again.


I wanted to help her again. I wanted to go in and just ask what her story really was. I wanted to know why I have come across this girl twice in such a short time. I wanted to know if she used my bus ticket to go home or was she just trying to scam me.

The optimist in me wants to believe she wasn't trying to scam me. The person that lives in this messed up world sort of believes differently.

Not wanting to be fooled again, having my child with me and it being dark out made me a little more reluctant to help her again. And besides, she didn't seem to want my help this time.

I just can't get her out of my mind.
We all have a story.
I just want to know hers.

Fool Me Once, Shame on You...Part 1

This is a 2 Part story. Part one is pretty simple and fun. It starts out like this...

I took B shopping last night for some back to school clothes. Oh my!

The sales were awesome and I have to tell you that this kid...

She. is. my. flesh. and. blood. to. the. bone.

Oh yes she is.



She requested first off that we go to a different mall than our normal one.

Our normal mall is one story, close to our house and pretty lackluster to say the least. But it serves it's purpose and until last night, she never seemed to mind. Children's Place and Gap Kids seemed to always satisfy her.



Well, last night, she told me that she wanted to go to one of the bigger malls in our area. One with escalators and really cool stores.


Okay, twist my arm.


In this mall with escalators and really cool stores, she was truly excited.

At one point she declared the sun-setting blue sky that was shining through the mall skylights one of the most awesome sights ever.

I get it, sweetheart. I totally get it.

She squealed with delight, " Mom, this is the most beautiful place ever! I am soooo excited to be here!"
She squeezes my arm and finishes with, "I love you, mom. Thanks for taking me shopping tonight."


Okay, so this is when I opened my wallet to all her hearts desires. Yes, I even ventured in to Limited, Too and let her buy some earrings and hair stuff.

Oh, and the Hello Kitty store.
Which was all for her.
Really. It was.

Can I just tell you about the coolest eraser she got in there? It smells like coffee and caramel and it is squishy. I did not talk her into that purchase at all.
Really. I didn't.
It's all for going back to school. Every one needs a squishy Hello Kitty eraser that smells like coffee and caramel.

Oh, I digress...

When we finished getting her all the "keepers" she wanted, we finally left the mall.

The mall we seldom go to.
It was around 9:40 pm.

I needed gas.

I stopped and when I did, I noticed a young woman leaning against the wall of the gas station, crying.

My daughter noticed her also and says, "Mom, isn't that the girl who...

To be continued tomorrow.

Sorry to do that, but it is just too involved to do in one post.


Check back tomorrow.

Hello there

Sorry I have been so MIA the last couple days. You know how summer goes. Just lots of activities and less structure, so it is hard to get to the computer as much.

Honestly, I really needed a couple days to not focus on my blog and the computer. I get a little obsessed sometimes and need a reminder of why I am blogging at all.

Many people blog for business of some sort and that is just not where mine is at this point. It is simply a place to record my thoughts, our life and meet new friends. So, I think it was good to get some perspective on that. I have missed my conversations with you, though and look forward to catching up on those!

Also, it seems like so many sad events are taking place around me that it has been hard to write about them. While I always want to be authentic here on the blog, I don't want to be a downer in any way.

Here are some updates on some things that I have been praying about the last couple days.

Missing Woman Update and here.
My friend Heather here.

Who knows why this bad stuff happens. I try very hard to rest in the fact that what this world intends for evil, God will use for good. I know he is sovereign and will hold these people close in their pain right now.