What's On Your Winter Reading List?

Last year, er, at the beginning of this year (not meaning to rush the holidays at all here...) I challenged myself to read the entire Harry Potter series from beginning to end before the final movie hit the theaters in July. I had so much fun completely immersing myself in the magical wizarding world, I finished with time to spare, and now I long to reread the series again! I am completely addicted to Harry--not new news here...

Then I had to find something to read that could possibly hold my interest, trying to follow in JK Rowling's footsteps. Surprisingly, thanks to recommendations from several friends, I've had a great year of reading! I began GRR Martin's Song of Fire and Ice series with Game of Thrones, which I loved! I have the next three books already, but want to stretch those out until Dance With Dragons is released in paperback, which won’t be until next October (I think...) I'm too cheap to buy it in hardcover but, amazingly, the paperbacks cost less than the Kindle versions! Anyway...so to help fill in that time span, I plan to read the Lord of the Rings series beginning with rereading The Hobbit, which I have waiting under the Christmas tree--yay! So that's a healthy helping of seven good books to start off 2012!

Other excellent books I've read this year were Rob Bell's Love Wins (which I have to share if anyone's interested, just holler!), Garth Stein's Art of Racing in the Rain, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (awesome!!)and I just finished Todd Burpo's Heaven is for Real. I also read Don Piper's 90 Minutes in Heaven (been quite an afterlife reading year and Love Wins added another interesting level to what those two books offered...)

Three more books on my 2012 Wanna Read List are The Help by Kathryn Stockett, Nightwoods by Charles Frazier, and Ken Follett's Winter of the World-sequel to Fall of Giants and due out sometime in the later half of next year. I'm thinking it's going to be another great year of reading ahead! What's on your reading list?

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The End of an Era

"Santa's not real! I know he's not real!" The blatant declaration bellowed in my face as Michael climbed in the car after being dropped off by the school bus. "I'll tell ya' how I know, too!"

What does a mom say to that as her heart breaks silently watching another piece of her baby's innocence being wiped away?

He quoted his speculations, clearly repeating what other kids at school had fed him, stealing his childlike faith, rushing him ever closer to independence and adulthood. Sometimes I really hate that he goes to public school. But I can't protect him forever from the outside influences of the world-he'll have to face all the reality eventually. This is just the beginning of the crumbling, the conforming. I still don't have to like it.

Rather than plead Santa's case, I simply changed the subject. Privileges were hanging in the balance of his behavior in class that day. If he'd lost minutes, he'd lose bowling and time out and about with Sissie, who we've been counting the days until she'd get here (later this afternoon!! Yay!) At last, a day without a loss of minutes--again. That last minute's saving grace. Somehow he always manages to behave himself on Fridays when weekend fun is looming. Now I just need a way to make that threat more imminent throughout the earlier portions of the week and maybe salvage some of his teacher's sanity the rest of this school year...

So he's ready to let go of Santa. I thought we'd get one more year at least, he was so desperate to hold on to his belief earlier this season. It's also a little letting go of the apron strings and I'm oh so not ready for that. Isn't it enough he hit double digits this year? I look at my baby's sweet face and he's changing. Softer, younger features slowly disappearing as he gets a little more mature...round, chubby cheeks giving way to cheekbones, big adult teeth filling in his silly toothy grin, curling bangs dangle over eyebrows as he won't allow me to crop his locks to a quick crew cut anymore. He wants hair long, like his friend, Andrew, across the street. Fifteen year old Andrew--how fast five more years will go and I'll be looking at an almost man standing there in place of my sweet baby boy...

No more Santa. I've written Santa's name on some of his packages. Santa used to get all the credit. Then, was it last year? Michael said Dad and I didn't ever get him anything for Christmas, only Santa. Uh...hmmm...This year I did put our names on some of those tags, but still left room for some credit for Santa. I'm leaving it. Maybe there's a tiny shred of belief buried in growing boy's heart, a minute flame still kindled. I'm not ready to let go. Not just yet.

Long, Long Day...

I've been up since about midnight. I may have drifted back to sleep periodically-I seem to remember fragments of dreams, but whether they're from last night or a previous night, my brain seems unable to recall. All I know is I'm tired and it's gonna be a long, long day.

I've had this cold for going on a month now. Truly. I thought colds were only supposed to last seven to ten days but this bugger just won't quit! I've been stuffy and coughing, lost my voice for about a week. It appeared to clear up for a day or two, then my throat got to scratching again and it's not improved a bit. I've given up on my Alka Seltzer Plus fizzies and eat honey lemon Halls hourly throughout the night.

So, I looked at my clock just a little before midnight. Then it was almost one and then one fifty-five. Tucker jumped off the bed a couple minutes past three and started whining at the bedroom door. I tossed back the quilt and blanket, grabbed my purple leopard slippers from the dresser, and drug myself out into the dark too early day. Pea was waiting on the other side of the door, most likely the culprit who woke up Tucker. Ruby rolled her round white belly over and followed the other two out the back door for an early morning excursion. Back inside, I started the coffee brewing then began counting and sorting treats before rounding up the laptop and Bible.

Thoughts of an early shower and escape to Walmart briefly entered my mind, then realizing I'd only have to go back out later to grab Aldi's items, I wiped that thought away. Let the dogs back in, administered treats and chewies, then settled in for a little time in Isaiah and blog post readings. Leave it to Tucker to start the day's aggravations...

I always give Pea and Tucker the same chewies, otherwise they'll fight and argue like any brother and sister. Inevitably, same treats or not, there's still a squabble at some point every morning and on and off again throughout the day. Tucker just happened to be this morning's instigator. I know--you're surprised, right? Standing up on the couch, towering over Pea and Ruby on the floor below, he began barking his dissatisfaction over some self-perceived injustice. Pea, unperturbed under the coffee table, gnawed on her pig skin twist (aka Oinkie) Ruby, however, laid too close to Tucker's Everlasting treat ball and thought she might claim it as her own. Tucker would have none of this insurrection!

Mind you, two other humans are still trying to sleep this early in the morning, so I have to do my best to keep the canine childrens as quiet as possible. This apparently wasn't going to be an easy task this morning. I reclaimed Everlasting treat ball from Ruby, brought it to the kitchen and stuffed it with fresh Ol Roy biscuits, then quarantined Tucker into the kitchen with me while the other two entertained themselves silently and peacefully in the living room.

Too quiet for Tucker. He found his Nylabone (still in excellent condition after several weeks--a truly amazing feat for any toy at Tucker's disposal!) and thought it would be a fun thing to toss it around the kitchen, crashing and banging off the ceramic tile...Really Tucker? Took the Nylabone away, hidden on the top shelf of the bakers rack. He gave his best boo boo eyes as I sat back down to my morning busyness of blog perusing.

Tuck then climbs up next to me on the kitchen nook bench, I mistakenly take this as a ploy for ear scratches. His agenda, however, was to remove Christmas cards I have hung on and around the mirror behind me....

I'm out of chewies and Oinkies. He's bored with toys that don't squeak or crash when you toss them to the floor. I can't let him loose in the house, otherwise he'll go bed bouncing to wake up sleeping humans, or discuss the unfairness of still unchewed dog treats with the two peaceful ones in the living room...Finally, he does settle down and curl up quietly beside me, a mottled brown and black puddle, white paws tucked beneath him. If only I could find my way back to bed for a few more moments of sleep...maybe I will just head to Walmart after all and skip Aldi's this week...beat the rest of the pre-holiday rush for the day. Beats sitting here zoning in the dark...

Another Day Gone to the Dogs

Having three dogs, life is certainly never boring in our house. Mind you, it was considerably calmer before Tucker came along-one didn't have to worry about shoes or slippers going missing, or furniture suddenly sprouting gaping holes...And I'm sure some would argue those are surprises they'd happily live without. To each their own, I say.

Yesterday was already geared up to be a financially challenging day with two of our pooches having veterinary appointments late that afternoon for blood work to test for heartworms. After discovering Tucker's case of whipworm, the vet recommended all three dogs be put on Interceptor, a monthly worming preventative treatment, since whipworm is so difficult to eradicate. The eggs can lay dormant in the soil for up to five years and continually reinfect your pets. So just treating them once with a dewormer would be useless without some form of continuous follow up treatment. And since Interceptor is primarily a heartworm preventative, the dogs must first have a blood test done to see if they are infected with the parasite before beginning treatment. Interceptor also controls a variety of other worms, including the dread whipworm, so that was the route would we go to help protect our precious pups.

And so our day began with this appointment looming overhead. I was at least happy that Bill had the day off and would be home to help me take Ruby and Sweet Pea to the vet's. One I can handle on my own, but two is a little tricky. While hubby was home, he took some time to attend to a few things I had on his Honey Do List. We'd put off patching the bathroom door where Tucker had stripped quite a chunk of wood one day while home alone (pre-crating days), not quite sure how to fix this dilemma. But, over the weekend, Bill had applied a coat of spackling to fill in the uneven spots where the wood had been stripped away. Then yesterday morning, sanded the spackling and gave the whole door a new coat of fresh white paint.

Door decor ala Tucker

Meanwhile, in the living room, Tucker had discovered another spot where Bill had also spackled the wall where Michael had left a huge gash from trying to climb over the baby (er, puppy) gate one morning only to have it fall under his weight and leave a nice curving dent as the gate gouged the wall on its way down. Curious as Tucker always is, he had to 'taste' a sampling of this patch of white standing out so invitingly against our rhino grey wall. Spackling apparently is quite tasty to Tucker and he proceeded to chew a good tennis ball sized hole into the drywall. Bill, discovering this new cavity, lost his patience and spewed, rather loudly, a mouthful of curses and shooed Destructo Dog out the back door and into the rain. Dug out the bucket of spackling and patched up the wall once more.

A little later, figuring Tucker's time out had expired, I let the chew hound back inside. Bill and I both busy with other distractions of showers and phone calls and normal day to day demands, Tucker quickly found an interesting smell coming from the bathroom door--paint! At first, he simply stuck his nose in it and I wiped him off with a wet washcloth, then proceeded myself to touch the wet paint-twice, aggravating Bill just a little more for the morning as he tried his best to smooth over both of our boo boo's. Then, a little after that, I noticed Tucker's nose and more around his mouth were white again...oh no. He had licked a nice little spot on the door clean of paint. Bill threatened to evict my Tucker from our home and family as I ushered the trouble maker into his crate for another time out and, once again, Bill applied another coat of paint to the bathroom door then reminded me every few minutes that the paint was wet so I wouldn't go and mess up all his hard work yet again. Yes dear....sorry dear...We've certainly had better starts to our days.

Finally, off we went for our weekly lunch date and to peruse the mall for a few last minute Christmas gifts (for me! Yay! Checking off that wish list from the other day! Haha!) Tucker was safely tucked into his crate and the other two, no doubt, snoozed the afternoon away, unaware of their upcoming appointment with Dr. Lombardo. Home in time to wrap up these last few gifts before buzzing up to the bus stop to pick up Michael after school. The paint had finally dried on the bathroom door and Bill made sure the living room wall was blocked from any more sampling attempts of Tucker's. Some semblance of peace was at last descending on our home once more...

Michael quickly finished his homework, lured Tucker back to his crate with a handful of treats, and we rounded up Pup One and Pup Two, Sweet Pea immediately protesting. She hates going in the car and works herself up into such a frenzy, she always throws up, usually all over me. I at least remembered to give her a ginger snap prior to heading out as the ginger helps soothe frantic tummies, and we avoided the usual vomitting this trip (thank goodness for small favors on days such as these!)

The doctor's office was unusually crowded. I'm normally there first thing in the morning which is much quieter. There were our two, two kitties, an adorable Westie sporting a tartan Christmas jacket and festive red painted toe nails, and a nervous, balding German Shepherd, all waiting to be seen. Tellulla Belle, the Westie, was first. Ruby sat calm and quietly while Sweet Pea fussed and moaned, nervously pacing between Bill, Michael, and me. Finally it was our turn and we scooted our babies into the doggie room.

Two quick vials of blood were drawn and sent over for the heartworm test. Bill smartly suggested Sweet Pea should have her nails trimmed while we were there--another task she vehemently abhors, as do Bill and I because she makes it so unbearably difficult. I have to hold her in a wrestler's death grip, feeding her treats continuously, while Bill tries to clip her nails as she fights my hold on her, wriggling and squirming with all her might. Somehow we've only managed to clip a nail too far and make her bleed just once in her five years. Last night, I think more than half of her nails bled from her fighting the tech so bad, and I cried as she fussed and fought and baby blood dripped to the floor. Ruby sitting so patiently and still, oblivious to the trauma afflicting her sister.

Finally she was done as were the blood tests. Heartworm came up negative for our two girls but Ruby tested positive for Lyme disease. Ticks have been simply awful this year. In spite of having the three of them on Frontline, I've still pulled five or six ticks off each of them through the summer and fall. Leave it to my Ruby to be the one to get sick. A prescription was filled for doxycycline for her that she'll have to take every day for the next six weeks. The rest of our bill tallied and paid, we wished the front desk girls a merry Christmas, wishing ourselves to not have to see them again until well into the new year (shots come up in February!) and whisked our little brood out into the night to head home for dinner.

Doors painted, walls patched, blood tests drawn and nails clipped close...it was all a little more than any of us anticipated or needed yesterday. But, we all survived our trying day and hopefully today will seem all the easier in light of yesterday's difficulties.

What is Your Favorite Holiday Movie?

The must see movie of Christmas for me has to be A Christmas Story. I even cue up the TV every Christmas morning for the twenty-four hour Christmas Story marathon on TNT and just let it play all day long. I've fallen so in love with Ralphie and Randy, I gathered up the entire family and we made the trek to Cleveland to tour the actual house from the film! It was a little disappointing, though, with obviously no snow in July, and then, upon entering the house, learning that only the exterior had been used in the filming. All the interior rooms had been filmed on sets. The schoolhouse is up in Canada somewhere, and even the Chinese restaurant and Higbees no longer exist. Still, we did get to meet Randy, or rather Ian-his real name, and copped his autograph while we were there. The backyard and garage were indeed where Ralphie shoots Black Bart's band of outlaws with his Red Ryder BB gun, with the compass in the stock and this thing which tells time, so we lingered there a while, soaking in the nostalgia of movie memories indelibly burned in brain matter, imagining the Bumpus hounds tearing a mad getaway through the yard after scarfing down the Parker family's Christmas turkey. Of course, I now own the DVD and have been known to pop it in the player throughout the year as well--why limit a classic to a such short viewing time during the holidays??

You'll shoot your eye out, kid!

What I Want for Christmas

Isn't that the worst-trying to figure out what YOU want for Christmas? I have no trouble shopping for others on my list and when I'm out I do see lots of goodies that I would love to have, but do I need them? Most likely not. But when someone in the family asks what I want for Christmas, I always come up blank. I don't know...I don't need anything...I don't even really want anything other than for the kids to enjoy Christmas. And snow. But I haven't figured out a way to buy snow for Christmas morning...look out when I do! Blizzard!! Hahaha!

What I would like...hmmm. All right, if I have to come up with a wish list, here it is:
~Nightwoods by Charles Frazier (or an Amazon gift card-one can never go wrong with books...)
~The Hobbit by Tolkien--I want to start the Lord of the Rings trilogy but think I ought to start by rereading the Hobbit first, it's been way too long...
~Candles-I love candles, especially vanilla and buttercream or spicy cinnamony pumpkiny scents
~Painting goodies--I'm totally digging these watercolor pencils, more of those and good heavy, watercolor paper tablets! And drawing supplies, too--yeah!
~A wonky, funky scarf that looks like it should belong in the trash rather than wrapped around one's neck. You know the kind, the ruffled, fringy, twenty different kinds of yarn twisted all together (yeah, I'm weird...big shock there)
~Hallmark has the most incredible looking bootie slippers called Snoozies---aaahhhh, yes!! I would never take them off!!
~The Inspirational Study Bible by Max Lucado, but it's out of print--woe is me...
~A new, thick, plush, soft fuzzy bathrobe to go with my thick, plush soft fuzzy Snoozies (color coordinated or not...I'm not that picky)
~Christmas earrings...though I don't wear earrings much...but I like cute snowmen and snowflake earrings...it's a snow thing....
~A new blender-mine is cracked and leaks...a little...messy...No one likes a mess, especially moms who have to clean it up...
~An Ugly Doll--wanted one for YEARS but hubby won't buy me one 'cuz he thinks it's juvenile--his point??
~Oh! A milk frother thing for homemade cafe au lait's---joy!! Okay, a cappuccino maker would be pretty awesome, too...with oversized Christmas mugs to drink them from! Love Christmas mugs....

So there you have it, my Christmas Wish List 2011. I will gladly message you my address if you want to mail me any of these goodies! Haha! I hope you all get whatever it is you're wishing for this Christmas and more!

What Movies Make You Cry?

My husband would laugh at this question because the answer pretty much has to be: All of them. I’m a sap. A great big giant sappy cry baby. I’ve been known to cry over commercials! Yes, I’m a sobster, so if we’re ever planning on going to the movies together, heed this warning: I am going to cry. Not loudly. I try to contain some semblance of dignity. I sniffle to myself, silently wiping tears from my cheeks as inconspicuously as possible. But yes, I most certainly will cry.

Titanic. This is a funny story. I went to see this with a friend from work and her dad. Vicki sat between me and her father and we whispered and munched popcorn, adoring, drooling (slightly…slightly) over the beautiful Leonard DiCaprio. Yummy. Anyway, we were all good, taking in the glory of the ship, the luxury of the staterooms and the dining halls, the beautiful Victorian wardrobes, all the splendid details, until that ship hit the ill-fated iceberg and started going down. People jumping overboard, the old couple holding hands in bed in their cabin as the waters began to rise. Women clasping children, babes to bosom, trying to get to the upper decks and the not-enough lifeboats, but the gates are closed, locked, and the mean, heartless stewards threaten to shoot them on the spot if they don’t go back below. Oh! The tears! I was sobbing relentlessly and Dad! He was right there with me in the throes, crying uncontrollably. Vicki, not a tear. Not one drop. You might think she could’ve auditioned for one of the stewards in the film. She actually began to get miffed at her father and me for being so overemotional. Passengers at this point are sliding helplessly as the Titanic now sits vertical in the water, legs and limbs snapping like so much tinder as they crash carelessly against furniture and railings, dropping broken into icy currents below. That movie haunted me for weeks after-I swear my legs almost felt the jellylike wobble of sea bearing….Yeah, I think that’s the most I’ve cried at any movie…until…

The Deathly Hallows, Part Two. The scene when Harry views Snape’s tear drawn memories in the pensieve and learns at last the truth of how deeply Severus loved Harry’s mother Lily, was crushed to his very core, finding her murdered at Voldemort’s hand, her babe, Harry, left behind, orphaned, alone. How Snape vowed to Dumbledore to protect Lily’s only son until it was time for Harry to face Voldemort and defeat the evil wizard at last….Oh, how I cried, heartbroken for Severus to have lost his only love…silent tears falling as he unleashes his doe Patronus in a final confession of his love of Lily to Dumbledore. I’m such a sucker for love.

Deathly Hallows, Part One: The death of Dobby. I can’t even read that part in the book…

But, I’ve cried buckets at Disney movies. Bambi was one of my first big crushers, when his mother dies. The Yearling about killed me—I’ve had to block that one out. Wall-E, when he loses Eva. Cars, when Mater doesn’t get to say goodbye to Lightening. Finding Nemo, when Nemo and his dad, Marlin, are finally reunited. I’m almost thankful that Michael’s outgrown Disney movies—they tear me up! Another big tear jerker was the second Narnia movie, Prince Caspian, when Lucy first sees Aslan again—my heart about burst! Michael got mad at me for crying then, his first experience of maternal embarrassment…only the beginning my love, only the beginning. Now he’ll lecture me as we go into movies to please NOT embarrass him. Sorry…I can’t help myself. I cry. A simple fact of my life. I’ll be bringing a box of tissues with me to War Horse later this month…

One Small Victory

So I stuck to my guns yesterday and didn't let Michael bowl for his misbehaving in school all week. He was a mad little hornet, repeatedly proclaiming that Ms. Lutz (his teacher) needs to be more patient, it's so not fair, on and on all morning long. When it was time to go pick up the hoagies we had sold for the scholarship fundraiser, he actually thought I would let him bowl (wonder where he would get that impression...hmmm) But, alas, it was way too late, already after ten and bowling begins at nine. I had won. This time. At least he got to see his friends for a little bit while we waited for the hoagies to get sorted out, and seeing them bowling without him I hope might sink in a little lesson to remember to behave so he can bowl next weekend...

We also had a Christmas party to go to last night and Michael knew since he'd lost bowling already, he'd have to behave in class on Friday if he wanted to go see his friends at the party. Lo and behold, he didn't lose a single minute! Amazing! Still, I kept on him that he had to be good at home as well if he expected to be allowed to go, and fearfully he would ask me over and over, "Did I lose it? Did I lose the party yet? Can I still go?" He fussed and fretted all day, but behaved well enough that we did all make it to the party. He was thrilled. His two best buddies, JJ and Shane, from bowling were there, along with a bunch of their cousins. When the boys weren't busy building Legos, it was a mad round about chasing game of It. They wore me out just watching them!

I wonder how he'll do in school this week. I know he's getting excited about Christmas so quickly approaching (though how it seemed to take FOREVER to get here when we were that age, remember? Now there's barely time to clean and decorate and shop and wrap and bake....December flies by in the blink of an eye for grown ups!) And he's counting down the days (six!) until Sissie arrives. It's hard to sit still when there's so much anticipation!! Little boys...so full of wild, endless raw energy. A frenetic tornado wrapped tight in long, lanky limbs, only wanting to be unleashed, ravishing on the world around them. It's hard to sit still. I know. Please just try your best. All a mama can ask...

Change is Gonna Come

It is. It always does. Just when you get comfy in a situation-with work, a group of friends, wherever you find yourself settling into some comfort zone, know one thing: Change is gonna come. Are you prepared? How will you respond?

I try to think I’ve gotten good at adapting to change these past eleven years I’ve been married. My husband is not one to sit still. I swear he has gypsy blood running through his mostly Italian veins. We’ve moved from job to job, state to state. Our first move to Ohio, I was a brand new mom with a colicky baby left alone in a land of total strangers and a husband who was gone traveling at least four days out of every seven day week. The next move we struggled under the strain of two mortgages for over a year, and then fought to find our way out of the credit card debt we accrued trying to keep food on the table that year. We spent almost six months apart on our last move so we wouldn’t end up in the same financial mess again.

Those experiences were hard. But definitely one thing has grown out of them: my faith and trust in God. That first move to Ohio-our realtor’s wife had organized a moms’ group that quickly became my family and my sanity for the two and a half years we were there. Clearly God knew I’d need a solid group of friends; He already had them ready and waiting for me.

Much harder was the year of two mortgages. I cried and prayed as I waited for God to come through for us, for news that we finally had a buyer, that light at the end of a very long, stressful tunnel of a year. I wondered what lesson I was supposed to be learning, but now I know it was to be patient and trust. That year was the most faith growing I’ve seen. We had found a wonderful church with a weekly family Bible study group. I completely delved into growing my relationship with God. Then finally, when I thought we’d just absolutely break under the financial pressure, we got news of a buyer. We still had quite a mess left on our plates even after that house sold, but one thing that came shining out of that darkness was faith. I learned God’s timing is certainly not our timing, but I also learned He’s always got our back. Had our house sold in a month or two, would I have grown the faith I now have?

When the next move rolled around and Bill headed home to Pennsylvania while Michael and I stayed behind to sell our house in Tennessee, I was much better prepared. I put every ounce of my trust in God that He would see us through, no matter how long we would have to wait. It wasn’t easy being separated for so long and certainly there were some issues that came up during the sale that would’ve gone much smoother had Bill been there with us. But, the timing couldn’t have worked out more perfect. Michael finished that year of school right before we closed. We met the five years requirement almost to the day to receive the seller’s tax abatement, which was a nice little reimbursement. And we moved home the same weekend Ashlee would be in town for her girlfriend’s wedding! God’s timing is always perfect.

So, here I sit. I find myself blessed with another wonderful group of friends. Close to family, which we hadn’t had at all for the past eight years. And I know change is gonna come. It always does. When is no longer an issue. It’s how will I respond? I wrote the other day God doesn’t want us to be stagnant.

Grain has to be ground to become bread.

~Isaiah 28:28

If we are the seeds planted for the harvest, the grain to become bread, grain must be ground up before it can become bread. We struggle and strain as God shapes and grows us-the grinding of the grain, the becoming of the bread.

In repentance and rest is your salvation,

In quietness and trust is your strength.

~Isaiah 30:15

So I trust. I know no matter what may come, God has me covered. He provides everything we need, exactly when we need it. I trust in Him to grow me, that I may become bread.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good.

~Thessalonians 5:16-21

The Making of a Monster

This topic has been floating in my head for a good week or so and I've avoided writing about it because to do so would be to admit I've been wrong, and, well, who likes to admit to their guilt? So, I've pushed it aside to blather on about other subjects this past week but I keep hearing this voice, nagging, every day, to write it out, get it down, so here it is so that stupid voice can finally shut up. Is a little peace too much to ask???

Anyway, so, the truth of the matter is that I have created a Michael Monster. There--are we happy now? I said it. He is my one and only and it's been very easy these past ten years to over-mother him. I do a lot for him that he can and, by now certainly, should do for himself. I remember years back, when we were still in Ohio, so Michael would only have been three at the most, a friend talking about her three year old twins making peanut butter sandwiches for themselves for lunch. Three! Making sandwiches! Michael is now ten and has never made himself a sandwich. Finds himself completely incapable of spreading peanut butter on bread without tearing the bread to shreds. So...I make his sandwiches for him. Why not? I mean, I'm his mom, what else do I have to do that I can't make my child a sandwich?

Then, last weekend, I hear whining from his room, "Moooooommm!! Can you pick out my clothes??" Really? Okay--I have laid out this child's clothes every day of his ten year old life. Mainly out of my own OCD obessions rather than trying to make his life easier. Justifying this in my head, I rotate his clothes: jeans, shirts, jammies, etc. so that everything gets even wear and not just his favorites. Not that I think he actually has favorites, but if he did, I tell myself that is all he would wear so I'm right in my own mind for doing this. I did tell him that morning he could actually dress himself, but he retorted he didn't know what he should wear. Play clothes. He didn't know where his play clothes were. Yeah, I gave in and went and put out clothes for him. He did say thank you.

So he's been having trouble at school keeping quiet and being attentive like he should and as a consequence he loses so many minutes of recess time, depending on how disruptive he's been in class. I only found out about this at the parent/teacher conference a few weeks ago, so I worked out a plan with his teacher that she was to write in his homework planner how many minutes he'd lost each day so that he would also have a consequence at home and hopefully realizing he had to be accountable for his poor behavior would stop misbehaving and shape up. Well, the first week into this plan, he lost a few minutes the first couple of days and when he also lost a quarter off his daily allowance, he actually stopped talking and drawing in class. For about a week. Then he started up again. He didn't seem to care so much about the quarters anymore, so I threatened to make him stay home from bowling on Saturday. Well, he continued to carry on that week, and unfortunately, we had to turn in fundraiser money at bowling that weekend, so I caved and let him bowl. He was happy as a little clam, proclaiming what a wonderful mother I was who always let him have fun. I could feel a sharp jab in my heart, knowing exactly where this was headed....

Every day this week at school, he's lost minutes not only for talking, but also for using inappropriate language, which he didn't want me to see written in his homework planner so he actually FORGED my initials for his teacher and conveniently 'forgot' to bring his planner home until yesterday. He at least confessed he'd lost minutes, though he always had someone else to blame for why he'd gotten into trouble: Sebastian made him 'fake talk' on Monday (they just mouthed talking, didn't actually say anything so he didn't see how this was disruptive...) Tuesday Lakota was poking him in line and he told her to stop, then lost minutes for talking to tell her to stop....Oh, he even lied about losing minutes on Wednesday. So, we have inappropriate language, forgery, and lying. And he's very definitely lost bowling this weekend.

You would've thought the world was coming to an end the way he carried on at the pronouncement of this punishment, even though every morning before he got on the bus I told him not to lose minutes or he'd lose bowling. Yeah right, Mom, I let him go bowling last weekend....So, I had to lay down the law with him and tell him that even though I was wrong to let him bowl last week, he had to face his punishment this week. Period. No caving. We do have to run in and pick up the hoagies that he sold for their scholarship fundraiser, but he most definitely will not bowl.

Maybe he'll get it next week and do better in class. Maybe I'll get it next week and stick to my word. Maybe one day I'll make him make his own sandwiches and pick out his own clothes. We're making progress. Slowly. Lesson by lesson. I know I don't need to be such an over-mothering mom. It's just he's my baby and it's how I love him. But is it love if it's not helping...?

The Gift of Giving

I was talking on the phone with my mom the other day now that she's safely lodged in her winter abode down in warm, sunny Florida. She told me she had spoken with my aunt and they had talked about Christmas. My aunt said to her that she wished no one would buy her anything for Christmas because she already has too much stuff. And Mom says to me she agrees--this after I had already bought, wrapped, and packed her gifts to take with her on the drive down so I wouldn't have to worry about shipping everything later on. Really? Wouldn't that make the holidays just a wee bit easier?

Then this morning I read the daily blog post on A Holy Experience about how they stopped giving each other Christmas gifts ten years ago and instead give donations through World Vision, Compassion, Samaritan's Purse, and a few other organizations. Their kids happily browse through these group's gift catalogs and choose what they want to give to someone else, rather than receive a Christmas gift for themselves. What a beautiful, brilliant idea! Isn't that really what Christmas giving should be about?

If I hadn't just about finished our shopping already, I'd definitely be making a few more donations. I did buy a family some ducks. But next year I know I'll collect the catalogs as they come in the mail and let each of us choose a gift to give in place of a gift for ourselves under the tree. We have so much already, it would feel so much better to give to someone who truly is in need. Maybe if there's still some money in your holiday shopping budget, you might peruse a catalog or two and see if you can give the gift of love this year...Or maybe begin planning shopping for next year.

Tucker Love

Tucker is home from the vet's and recuperating from his surgery. The poor love has to wear one of those big cone collars to keep him from pulling out his stitches. He keeps getting stuck on the corners and furniture and doorways, not quite sure how to maneuver with this giant halo around his head. He usually just bounds wild and careless wherever he wants to go, he's not used to actually having to navigate...I'm sure the pain medicine he's on doesn't help either. He was up off and on through the night, crying and tearing my guilt ridden heart right out of my chest. Midnight found me fumbling in the kitchen for his pain meds and peanut butter. I kept dropping pills on the floor (now thankful for navy tiles that show up little white pills quite clearly even in the dark of night...) Finally dosed him once more for the night and curled up close around him, whispering love and comfort nose to nose until the medicine kicked in and he slipped off silently into slumber. Three o'clock had him awake again but I was afraid to give him more pills just yet, so kisses and scratches had to make do.

Today he starts his Interceptor for the worms. Ruby and Pea have their blood work done next week so I can get them started on the meds as well. Always something with these three. A couple friends asked me why have a dog since they're so much trouble and expense? Really? Do they never plan to have kids, who are a whole world more trouble and expense? The love you get back from dogs far outweighs the cost or inconvenience. I can't imagine my life without dogs--yes, plural, the more the merrier! No matter how rotten a day you might be having, the simplest remedy is one warm, fuzzy pup plopped in your lap, belly up inviting tummy rubs and chin kisses, tail all a-wiggle with happiness. Pure and simple joy oozing from every puppy pore.

So my heart might hurt while my baby is recuperating and my wallet that much lighter from the cost of surgery and blood tests and worm meds, but to live without those kisses and waggling tails and rumps, eyes all sparkling in hopes of treats and toys and scritches? No way. Not me--I need my babies!! They're worth every penny and sleepless night any day of the week!

Aaahhh...now THIS is the spot!!

Did Tucker eat the table or was it Michael?? Hmmm...

Route 66

My husband likes to move. A lot. I joked that when Michael was three, he had lived in three different states: born in PA, moved to OH when he was just over a year old, then to TN when he was three. Who knew we'd be moving home again in another few years. Yeah, we move. A lot.

The couple years we spent in Ohio, we lived right by Route 66. I didn't realize it wasn't actually part of the 'famous' Route 66, you know the one the song is written about and that's featured in the movie Cars? Ours was just a local Route 66 that ran through Ohio, never attaching to the one running from Chicago to Santa Monica...Maybe someday we'll hit the real Route 66 for a road trip--now that would be cool. We'd have to get the Cars soundtrack, groovy cruising tunes...

Anyway...I've been wondering lately what life would've been like if we had never left Ohio. Michael and I had a great circle of friends from the Moms' Group we joined there. Even though we've made more friends in Tennessee and back here at home again, there was something special about those women and their kids. Bill travelled so much in those days, gone four out of seven days every week, and the Moms' Group had become Michael's and my family. It was also the best school district we've lived in to date. I wonder where Michael would be academically now. I had a great painting clientele that I've never been able to pick up again since we left. So, sometimes I wonder...

But, God doesn't want us sitting still, stagnating. He has great plans for us, plans to change us, to prosper us. We're not to cling to yesterday. He wants us to trust and to follow. That's not always easy. Change is daunting, who doesn't like the comfort of the familiar? I've only learned to pray for God's will in His time. He always knows what's best and who am I to limit Him? Can you imagine all that you'd miss out on? Wherever You lead me, Abba, I am willing to go.

To Twitter or Tweet

I'm giving Twitter another try. I never fully understood or grasped exactly how it all worked but I'm willing to give it a new go. My main reason for this is because so many of the blog sites I follow offer giveaways and one way to sign up for these giveaways is to Tweet about it. So, since I'm over there tweeting trying to win something anyway, maybe I can learn something new as well. (In the back of my mind I hear some muttered grumbling--Oh, sure, just what you need: more technological distractions...as if I don't waste enough time on Facebook and Google, Amazon, and myriad blog stalking....) I'm just intrigued on how hashmarks work and retweets...A girl can try anyway--right?

I'm not a big celebrity following kind of person--I figure they don't care one whit about little ole me, so why would I want to bother with the ridiculous details of their gossip and drama ridden lives. But, I admit, I love Howie Mandel, and after watching him Tweeting on America's Got Talent, I started following him--the man is a nut. Of course, I never really kept up on Twitter but as I was signing back in this morning, there's Howie, Tweeting away! Along with the Dalai Lama, Luci Swindoll, and SparkPeople--I have quite the gamot of tastes! Haha! (Gamot, eclectic, neurotic, schizophrenic...it's all the same, isn't it??)

Oh, I've also started a sister blog for Life in the Trenches on WordPress since a few friends blog over there. It's only going to be copies of my blog posts here on Blogger, but if you'd rather follow on WP, here is the URL: http://lifeinthetrenchesorbeneaththecouchcusions.wordpress.com/ Hmm...more stuff for me to keep track of--and I was supposed to be paring down in hopes of accomplishing more....but I'm thinking what's wrong with a little coverage and exposure, right? Right?? It's all good.

So here's my tag if you wish to follow me on Twitter: @dawnmaurice (I know, so original, right?) And if you're on there, let me know so I can follow you!

I've Lost My Cookies!

Every site I've tried to access this morning that's supposed to keep me logged in seems to have dropped my cookies and I've had to (remember how to!!) log back in again. You know, if I had to login every day, I could probably remember my password and screen names a little better. Sad fact of aging (though, mind you, I've only just begun...barely!!) I can't remember things so well anymore! Well, there's just too many things I have to keep track of in a day to make brain space available for passwords and screen names! Schedules and menus and upcoming appointments and where shoes are and keys and hidden dog chewies, what book I'm reading, where I left off on the Zumba DVD, and when Harry Potter is coming on (Half Blood Prince today!!!!!) You think the computer could cut a girl a little slack...not so, not so...

Anyway, we've been enjoying our Jesse Tree devotionals every night at dinner this week and I took a couple pics to show our tree's progress. Dry erase markers aren't the easiest or most cooperative medium for young artistic hands but Michael's doing a great job:

Below is my calendar version for the Jesse Tree and a new postcard I designed this week for our Snail Mail Challenge. Michael wrote a letter to his sister for his weekly contribution and this postcard will get mailed out next week with my Christmas cards.



We have a busy week ahead of us: Tucker has his neutering surgery on Tuesday, poor love!! My heart is already aching for him--I hate for him to be in any pain...Please keep him in your prayers for a speedy recovery! Wednesday (snow in the forecast!) we're supposed to finally get our new kitchen countertop installed--it's only sat in our basement for the past year! I can't wait to see it in place. All good things come to those who wait, right? Then this weekend at the Old Stone House in Slippery Rock, they're having their Christmas Open House Friday evening and then Saturday and Sunday they are hosting the tenth annual Civil War Christmas. I can't decide which I'd rather do, or if we'll drive up for both...Hmmm....And! We have a Christmas party to go to Saturday night, so that should be a lot of fun!

I am just about finished with Christmas shopping, maybe one or two more things and I'll be done. I still have the greater portion of wrapping yet to do, hopefully I can get that tackled later this week. Maybe I'll even drag some of the decorations out and start decking the basement and getting ready for our company--hopefully that will get me more in the spirit, I need a little boost this year!

Rotten One and Rotten Three on cat patrol...I'll never have good furniture...*sigh*

(One Reason) I Believe in God

When I was a little girl, our neighbors next door had two daughters: Diane was my age and she had a younger sister, Denise. Denise had been born with spina bifida. She spent most of her young life either on crutches or in a wheelchair. I remember she’d sit and watch all the other kids playing, unable to participate, silent on the sidelines. She also spent a lot of time seeing doctors and going through different forms of treatment, which had to be incredibly torturous for a child.

I don’t remember how old we were, but one summer week my family was going camping. We did a lot of camping since it was an affordable vacation option and we loved spending time out in the woods surrounded by nature. I was hooked on squirrels and raccoons, chasing toads, digging for salamanders under rocks and fallen logs, and scooping tadpoles and crawfish from ponds and creeks. My brothers and dad loved to fish. Mom would relax and read while the rest of us ran rampant through woods or swam and splashed in warm, sun sparkled lakes.

But this particular trip, while we were away, Denise was going to the hospital for surgery. I’m not sure if I was aware of that before or after the trip. I do know I was too young to really comprehend what ‘surgery’ meant and I had absolutely no reason to think Denise wouldn’t be home again when we got back from our camping trip or at least soon after.

One night during that week, I dreamed Diane, Denise, and I were playing; running around in this immense playroom, bright beaming colors filled this boundless sunny room. And it hit me: Denise was running! She wasn’t using crutches or watching Diane and I from her wheelchair-she was running around after us, perfectly fine, happy and healthy!

We carried on, chasing each other, laughing and giggling little girl giggles as this whiteness, this blinding bright light filled the air around us. I don’t recall a face or a figure so much as the light, and how it filled everything, but I knew it was God. We stopped and stood in awe: white bright wonder and peace. He said He had come to take Denise, it was time for her to go home. He lifted her up and she was just gone then, and the playroom seemed to melt away as the dream slowly dissipated…

I couldn’t wait to tell Mom when we woke up the next morning! I saw God! He took Denise and she was healthy! She was walking and running! She was happy! My heart danced in excitement of all I had seen.

Mom shot me right down, “You can’t dream about seeing God. That means you’ll die.”

Hmmph. I know what I saw, and I wasn’t dead. I played that dream over and over in my head the rest of our camping trip. Pretty cool to see God.

When we arrived home that Sunday, we were met with the news that Denise had passed away during her surgery. Our hearts were filled with the sorrow and loss of this precious sweet girl who’d lived next door for such a short, brief time. But, I also knew in my heart where she had gone. And I knew she was no longer bound to crutches or a wheelchair. She no longer knew pain or limitations, but was walking, running, dancing, spinning circles, laughing light and happiness. She was home. She was home.

So, no matter what happens in my life, how crazy bad things here in this world might seem, I will never doubt that there is God. That there is something so much better, so much brighter, yet to come. I’ve seen. Denise is there. My dad is there, my brother, too. I believe.

Re-Prioritizing...Again

I find myself waking up at three a.m. again this week, which hasn't been too bad until this morning. I'm feeling it in my back and a light fuzziness in my brain. It's been a busy week. Advent suppers began at church Wednesday night and we stayed for the Holden prayer service after. Yesterday morning I popped up to the vet's with a stool sample for Tucker, then running late, headed straight to the women's Bible study at church. I realized once I got home, I completely forgot to defrost the chicken for dinner and was about to run out the door again to buy something else to make and then scoot over to the doctor's office to pick up the paperwork for hubby's cholesterol bloodwork again, when my WonderGuy called and suggested fish stick sammiches instead (I love him!) I can run to the doctor's after Walmart and Aldi's this morning. Tonight is a Thirty-One Gifts party at my friend, Jen's house. Me, out three nights in a row!! It's unheard of! And I'm feeling it...the girl is getting old...er...older...Let's not get too carried away, 'kay?

So the past few mornings, my eyes peep open as I struggle to turn over from under Tucker's weight (yes, he not only sleeps with me but usually on me, which will be great as the nights get colder! Just...hard...to...move....and he's too heavy to shove off of you, and still not done growing...) I squint at the clock on the nightstand, a glowing green 2:58 lighting up the face. Soft sigh escapes the brain...do I get up or try to go back to sleep? Well, once the questions begin, it's pretty much over. One gives way to another, which, in turn, contemplates several scenarios and sparks more inner silent conversations...If I get up now, I have more time to write and read and draw before it's time to eat and then work out and I might even have time to get in the shower before taking Michael to the bus and do I have to go to Walmart today? Do I have dinner stuff in the fridge? What day is this? Is it payday? Which payday? Is it mortgage pay or car payment pay? Will there be enough to cover the vet on Tuesday? Am I running today or is it Zumba? Which do I want to do? What can I have for breakfast, cereal or yogurt or a peanut butter bagel? And mind you, I haven't even lifted the covers yet, Tucker still half sprawled across my twisted legs and Ruby snoring softly below us. I know once I move, the dogs will wake and want out and it's really cold out on the back porch so there's no going back, as if there was even a remote possibility of trying to sleep more at this point anyway...So, I scratch Tucker's soft warm cheek, tug a velvety ear, and scooch up to kiss his fuzzy forehead. He stretches long legs, then curls and arches back, cat like, waiting for the thought of morning treats to motivate his sleepy self from his toasty cozy nest on the bed. Ruby stirs but only to roll over. She won't get up until the treats actually come out. Too cold for arthritic bones to cooperate so early in the morning.

I suppose I need to reconfigure my morning schedule. My brain wants to prioritize the day's tasks and I could hyperventilate as I think about everything I want and need to do and now I have to hurry up and get it all done and I know I can't and then I get frustrated and feelings of failure leak in and the day's hardly even under way. I start to make sacrifice's in the day's to-do list and too often recently one of the first things to go has been my work out. That's simply not working for me. I'm trying to get my writing done, then Michael's awake and the TV's on, and he wants breakfast and I'm nagging him to get ready for school before I look at the clock myself and I need to get in the shower if I'm going to make it to Walmart before the rest of Butler and surrounding counties are there clogging the aisles (and it's twenty times worse now that it's Christmas shopping season! Where do these people come from??) Then if I don't write in the morning, my brain is buzzing with "I need to write! I need to write!" until I sit my butt down and get the day's blog post done--but is it so bad if I wait until the afternoon? I can't see that it is....other than my OCD brain going off relentlessly until I've actually got it written. I just need to get myself down to the basement and back into some sort of fitness routine again. Writing simply doesn't burn enough calories, people!

So, my morning readers, if the posts start running a little later, fear not, they'll be there at some point during the day. Or you could always catch today's late post in tomorrow morning's feed...I just want to say thank you for reading and hanging in there with me! Hey, it's Friday folks!! I hope you have a great weekend!

Happy December!

It's here at last: the home stretch to the holidays, and we're off to a chilly start! The furnace has struggled to compete all night with the frosty temperatures outdoors. I keep the thermostat set at sixty-five degrees. I like having to snuggle in sweaters and blankets. There's a reason we buy warm, fuzzy bathrobes and soft, fleece-lined slippers-it's winter! We're not meant to wear shorts and t-shirts year round. It's time to bundle up, slip under that snuggie, and wrap yourself around a dog, a kid, or both. I love close, cozy, cuddling. All the better if you have snow falling outside to watch, but alas, we may have to wait a while longer for that this year. Everything in its time.

So this portion of the year has its other issues: treats and parties and sugary sweets abound. I decided at last that I am not baking this Christmas. As much as I love giving tins full of homemade goodies to neighbors, friends, and family, I thought our own waistbands don't need the added temptation of a freezer full of cookies, cakes, and breads this season. I've been off my diet and workout schedule for the past week or so due to feeling like crud with this cold Bill and I are still fighting, and I can feel it in my clothes. We are a few short weeks away from Christmas and I'd like to make it into the new year at least wearing the same size jeans as I started this past year. So no cookies. Certainly Santa will get his fill at every other house come Christmas Eve...

I've downloaded Spark People's December calendar for 31 Days to Healthier Holidays. I think it's a great place to start this month and hopefully a helpful reminder to avoid unwanted decadence and added fat and calories. I need to get back on track fitness wise as well, no more excuses. This cold is well enough behind me, just a lingering tickle in my throat. Certainly not a reason to avoid the treadmill and a round of Zumba! Time to get a-movin'!! Here's wishing you all a healthier, happier, holiday season!

Get out and play!

I Think I Found It!

The toy that can survive Tucker...Nylabone! I'd seen these at Walmart, rather unassuming dog toys, sort of bland, uninteresting. If it didn't appeal to me, I wondered what on earth would my dog want with it? They're hard nylon bones, plastic looking. Not soft or squishy. Not squeaky or chewy. Hard and uninviting, cold. A few people had recommended them, but Kongs also got great recommendations for serious chewers and Tucker can eat a Kong like I can eat cake. And the Nylabones are considerably less expensive than Kongs, so how could they possibly be better? But seeing we've run the gamot of every other so-called 'indestructible' toy created for dogs, I decided to give in and see what Tucker would make of these new hard, nubby bones.

I picked out the large rhino bone and didn't realize that they're actually flavored. The rhino is bacon flavored, other toys are chicken, beef, or liver flavored! There's a bunch of different sizes and styles of Nylabone toys-some almost resemble teething toys and key rings like you'd give babies. I may have been mistaken about this product line after all, but the true test was yet to be seen at home. What would Tucker do with his new rhino Nylabone?

So home I went with my groceries and Tuck's new toy. He'd been curled up napping in his crate, slowly stretchs out his front legs, pink tongue curling languidly in a big, teethy yawn. He ducks his head coming out the door, he really has gotten tall, and still bumps his shoulders, body wiggling hello as I scratch him all over, stumpy tail wagging butt and he pushes against me for more love. He follows me out to the kitchen, hopeful there's some sort of treats tucked in with the other groceries, something special just for him. He's spoiled and he knows it!

I unwrap his new Nylabone, doubt still lingering in the back of my mind. Surely he'll look at me like I've lost my mind, "What am I supposed to do with...with....this?" that look will say. He gives it a sniff, and another, then gently takes it from my hand. Instant head to stump wiggling and a throaty gurgle of puppy happiness, he bounds off down the hall to show off this new toy to Sweet Pea and Ruby. I have to dig out treats and chewies for them as well, now jealous that their nutball sibling has some great new prize he's rubbing in their faces...

Tucker spent most of the day with his Nylabone. He's made some minor scratches in it but nowhere close to chewing any part of it off in a chunk. He seems really happy with this new toy and I'm impressed with its obvious durability. I think I know what Santa's going to fill Tucker's stocking with at Christmas...maybe the house stands a chance after all!

Advent Begins

Life gets back to normal today, or at least as normal as life can get around here--haha. Thanksgiving break is over so Mr. Michael heads back to school. Hubby works late tonight and I'll be spending the greater chunk of the day restoring the house to some semblence of recognizable organization and de-dog hairing the floor and furniture.

I've been contemplating dragging out the boxes of Christmas decorations but find myself hesitant to offer up more indigestible chew toys for Tucker. He's gotten so tall, he can reach anywhere we might try to put up a nativity scene or a set of candles, hang a wreath or string lights. No where is safe anymore, except maybe the top of the fridge. It's a little disheartening. We may only stick to outside lights and decorations this year, with a late tree and stockings going up in the basement right before Ashlee and Kyle arrive the week before Christmas and baracading the steps with a baby gate to keep Sir Crazy Pup upstairs until Christmas is over and the tree and ornaments are safely packed away for another year.

I've managed to make great progress shopping and wrapping but haven't baked even one batch of cookies yet. I should have three weeks of baking under my belt at this point and a good stash of sweet treats stuffed away in the freezer, but nothing...A good dose of snow could possibly motivate me to head into the kitchen and begin Betty Crockering, but I can't convince this rain to freeze into flakes. Perhaps a revamping of the baking list is in order for this year, a paring down to just the favorite treats. We could all use a few less temptations this time of year anyway, right?

We start our Jesse Tree devotions tonight, I'm looking forward to that. I drew our tree on the dry erase board and Michael added a title and a few little drawings already, as excited as me to begin. I've begun my own Advent calendar doodles as well...at least we should be in for a colorful journey over the next four weeks as we look forward to the greatest gift ever given, the arrival of our Savior come Christmas Day.

Each day Michael will draw an ornament on a branch related to that day's devotion

His title =0)

The beginning of my calendar

So Loved

So much that I’ve been reading lately in books and devotionals confesses God’s amazing love for me, for all of us. A while back I read Francis Chan’s Crazy Love, then more recently, Rob Bell’s Love Wins. I’m currently in Song of Songs in my morning Bible time, which oozes God’s love. Devotional after devotional speaks of how much God loves us, how much He wants us to wake up and LIVE in the awareness of that love.

We run about, so busy in our day to day lives. We go to church every Sunday, attend Bible studies. We have our morning quiet time, reading Scripture and remembering our daily prayers. We volunteer and act the good Christian act. But are we fully living in God’s love? Do we really appreciate the immense intensity of how much He actually loves us?

If we could be more aware of just how much God truly, deeply, passionately loves us and opened our hearts to really experience that overflowing wash of love, released ourselves into feeling, soaking, breathing that love and actually living and enjoying the intensity of that kind of relationship with God-imagine how that would change the face of our world? Can you picture how others would view Christians then-these crazy, happy LOVED people…and to possibly embrace the thought that God loves all of us that much—not just the 'good' ones who show up for Sunday services every week…every single one of us.

You know how you feel in the first few months of a new romance? For those of us who’ve been married a while…try to remember those early days: the tingling, the excitement, the rush! You feel like you’re dancing on air, as light as a feather, everything sparkles and the world is so beautiful…remember? God loves us like that. Do you know it? Can you feel it? Imagine the world if we could all be aware of that love….

A couple videos from Francis Chan to really make you think:

A Few New Traditions

One thing that's hard to do when you move a lot is to settle into community traditions. I've done better this year with finding local seasonal activities for our family to enjoy with the help of Butler's Calendar of Events. Last night we went to Light up Night downtown and watched as they lit the tree in Diamond Park, then walked up and down Main Street enjoying the stores' decorations and lights, carolers singing, and soaked up some of the spirit of the upcoming Christmas holiday. It was a beautiful night and we brought Tucker along with us--it'd been a while since we'd taken him anywhere. He had such a great time being loved on by all the kids and grown ups! We definitely need to take him out and about more often.

Earlier in the day, I had dug out an old copy of A Christmas Carol and, like we did reading some of Poe for Halloween, Michael and I started reading Dickens before bedtime last night. The book I found even includes some of his lesser known Christmas classics-The Cricket on the Hearth and The Chimes, and a couple others to keep us reading all through December!

We're also going to start our Jesse Tree Advent Devotional this week. Since my printer decided to go on the fritz, I wasn't able to print out the entire sixty-eight pages (a little much...) But managed to pare it down to a more reasonable twenty pages and a wonderful friend offered to print it for us. For our tree, I plan to draw bare branches on our kitchen's dry erase board then have Michael draw on the ornaments every day. I think he'll get into the art aspect and I know I'll really enjoy seeing his creativity fill in our tree. I'll do my own Advent calendar doodling in my daily planner--yes, I'll post pics as they both fill in!

For our weekly letter/postcard challenge, I did send a letter off to my penpal, Janine, in the UK, then sat down and created a Christmas postcard to send out into the world via Postcrossing. I bought a set of watercolor pencils a couple years ago and never got up the courage to actually try them. I suffer blocks like that-totally psych myself into doing nothing. Well, no more. I'm deciding to be a little braver. It's a very simple design, but I colored it in then painted...it was fun! I have more ideas I want to try and having this little success under my belt definitely encourages me to try my hand at more!

Hopefully we'll break out the decorations soon, though I'm not sure how well all that will do with Tucker the Insatiable. I'm afraid he'll eat everything we put up! We've decided to put our tree in the basement for a couple reasons: I don't plan to heat our back porch like we did last winter, save some on our utilities, and Bill spent a whole day downstairs finally clearing out leftover moving refuse and organizing everything else that couldn't simply be tossed or donated to Goodwill. It's a whole new world down there! We have this huge room, complete with our old TV and an electric fireplace-I think it'll make for a nice, cozy Christmas morning--if we can keep Tucker upstairs until then so he doesn't destroy the tree and all the trimmings! Life has certainly never been boring since he joined our lives!

Wishing you all a very happy and blessed Advent season. Take the time to enjoy some new family traditions and make great memories for years to come!

A Feast from Leftovers

I think one of the greatest things that comes from Thanksgiving, aside from family time and reminiscing, is the leftovers! Who doesn't love hot turkey sandwiches, slathered in gravy, turkey ala king over biscuits, or turkey potpie, and batches of heartwarming turkey stock? That was my mission yesterday. Mom gave me the carcass from Thursday's dinner, and since there were only six of us for dinner, that bird still had quite a good bit of meat left on it! How lucky was I?

I pulled out my big roaster (since my stock pot somehow ended up as a rain catching bucket that Tucker's drug from one end of the yard to another...so thinking soup in that might not be the best idea...) Parked it across two of the stove's burners, filled it with one carcass swimming in clear, cold water. I cranked the heat up to boil as I chunked in carrots and celery and onion, a couple bay leaves, a healthy heap of garlic, a smattering of peppercorns and--I'm so excited!!--a good palmful of Crazy Jane's pepper mix. A friend from TN, who's owned his own restaurants, shared that secret with me a while back, but I couldn't find Crazy Jane's anywhere--until this year! I happened upon it at Friedman's of all places! I had forgotten I'd run out of bay leaves a while back and there wasn't any chance of getting me into Walmart mid-afternoon on Black Friday! So I popped into the grocery store instead and, viola! There sat Crazy Jane--I could've sang a chorus of hallelujah right there, but Michael was with me and he's at that age where he embarrasses easily, so I did my best and contained myself until we got back out to the car and I bounced gleefully in my seat the whole way home! Yes, I am that retarded...it's part of my girlish charm...

After the roaster's goodness had come to a boil, I turned it all down for a nice, slow simmer for the next few hours. The house filled with the heavenly aroma of turkey-fied deliciousness. Tucker would sneak in the kitchen, his nose all a-quiver...Sorry puppy love, this soup is not for you...No soup for you!! Poor Tuck...

Bill and I are still fighting this miserable cold, but fortunately Michael seems to be over it. What better for a winter's cold than a steaming bowlful of homemade soup? The Mr. requested turkey rice. I had attempted to buy him chicken rice the other day, but it was cream based instead of brothy and he didn't like the wild rice, and complained that it was bland. So turkey rice I made after divvying up the simmered down stock into four more separate containers to stow in the freezer downstairs for future meals and cold care. He must've liked my version better than the canned, he ate two bowlfuls. Makes a mama happy.

We still have a fridge stuffed with more turkey, stuffing and gravy. Sounds like an easy dinner for tonight or tomorrow. I have no idea how the slice of pumpkin pie managed to survive this long...though it won't now that he's had a reminder that it's in there waiting for him. All I want is the whipped cream--mmm!! Aaahhh, next up: cookie time!

No Black Friday Here

One blessing of having a cold and dosing oneself with nighttime cold medicine is the inherent gift of a full night's sleep--aaahhhh....Even after waking up at two to let Tucker out, I fell right back to sleep with nary a second thought as to the midnight madness going on in the dark at Walmart, Target, and the mall...Nope, I soundly slept right through all the retail insanity this year. Mind you, Michael had different ideas and about quarter to four he flicked on the hall light to announce HE was up and ready to head out--for what? Nothing. We need nothing this year that would lure us out into the wee hours of the night, so I don't feel bad about not taking him this year. I admit, it was fun after we made it out of Walmart intact last year, even in the freezing cold, drizzling rain, splashing through dark glassy puddles, and winding our way to a hot breakfast at McDonald's, savoring victory over a caramel mocha latte and hot cakes swamped in syrup, eavesdropping on other shoppers stopped in for a warm up break and caffeine recharge, wondering where our next line of attack would take us. And we did hit up a few other stores, unsuccessfully, but only because we'd already bought the one thing we'd gone out for: Michael's DS at Walmart. There was really no need to continue, but lemming-like, we followed the crowds until the sun came up, then headed home to whisk Daddy out the door to work as we climbed back in bed to warm our weary wandering bones for a few hours until someone had to do something about starting the day normal...Aahh, memories!

Not so this year. My head is too stuffy to want to be out in the mad mobs, procuring more germs and spending money on unnecessary gifts...Most of my Christmas shopping is already done and anything I still need can wait for a much more reasonable hour of day, when the sun is up and the air is warm, and the crowds have taken their craziness home to bed once more.

I need to go grocery shopping later, swing by Petco to pick up peanut butter chewies, but that's the extent of my list for the day. Of course, Cyber Monday is just around the corner...now that's my kind of shopping--home, in my jammies, no crowds, no check out lines, just a quick click on the credit card--dangerous is what that is!! Better to double check those lists and budget bottom lines before hitting the laptop--happy shopping, all! May you find exactly what you need!

Winter Bugs

Early Thanksgiving morning and we're all under the weather with stuffy heads and scratchy throats. Bill and Michael have both been sniffling and sneezing for the past few days, I finally succumbed to the cold germs yesterday. We sipped on chicken soup both for lunch and dinner (well, I had stuffed pepper soup for lunch since I wasn't feeling the yuck until later in the day...but was quite happy for simple broth and noodles come dinner.) Everybody dosed with nighttime cough and cold medicine before bed, dragging weary, achy bodies to snuggle warm and cozy under covers. This creates a lose/lose/lose situation...

We could choose to keep our germs to ourselves and spare the rest of the family from getting sick, stay home and miss Thanksgiving dinner. No turkey, no gravy, no mashed potatoes piled high, no...pumpkin pie...buried...under a mountain of whipped cream...This option would also grant us the title of ungrateful, self-centered, and thoughtless to not attend the family celebration.

So, then, should we show up sick, germie, and contagious, thereby infecting my mother before she leaves for Florida, I will no doubt hear about it for the next several months. We're always sick in her book. Michael gave my dad a cold the Christmas they came to visit after he'd been diagnosed with cancer. It went into pneumonia and you would've thought I had intentionally injected him with the virus myself, the way my mother went on about it all winter long that year. I even heard comments from other family members about how we had gotten my dad sick...My mother is an eternal study in learning patience, peace, and forgiveness.

What to do? I guess for now we'll wait and see how everybody feels a little later in the day. I'm out of soup, but no doubt Walmart is open and most likely empty with everybody waiting until Black Friday begins at midnight. Not interested in any electronics this year, just a couple cans of Campbells Chicken 'n Rice...maybe a jar of Vicks to open the sinuses some. Meanwhile, there's always hot lemon water with honey and a bag of Halls lozenges to soothe sore, scratchy throats...

To offer thanksgiving and praise to the One from whom all blessings flow, I'm posting a video of David Crowder's "O Praise Him"--great song! Thank you Lord for all the blessings you have granted us this year--your love, your grace, your peace. Amen.



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