Mercy Delivery

In our small group at church we have been discussing the attributes of God for the past six weeks, and examining how we can emulate those outside the walls of the church into our daily lives. One week we talked about mercy and the kind things we do for one another out of Christian love - as we discussed this the EMT in our group got paged and had to rush out to his ambulance and go save someone. We laughed and said he was on Mercy Delivery - someone must have ordered a large to-go! What a great concept, we thought - Mercy Delivery. We all had a good chuckle.

Tonight I was the recipient of Mercy Delivery. As you may have guessed from my previous post, it has been a difficult week at our house. Tonight was the visitation for Hubby's Grandpa; tomorrow is the funeral. We have dealt with a tremendous amount of stress this week, both funeral and non-funeral related. Enter Mercy Delivery. Tonight my small group brought a meal to our house - a simple act, you would think - I expected one person to show up with something yummy to take the burden of preparing a meal off of me tonight. Instead I opened the door to SIX women and FIVE children, all bearing plates of food - everything from tamales to chicken salad on croissants to cookies and pecan pie. I was overwhelmed by the love. Everyone came in with a hug and a smile and the laughter and love overflowed from the windows and doors of my house. I don't have the words to describe that feeling - knowing that these people LOVE us and PRAY for us and genuinely CARE about us. I was moved to tears.

Perhaps this Mercy Delivery thing is a good idea. Ironically tonight as I browsed thru the blogs I read, I found another sort of Mercy Delivery here - take a minute and check it out. It'll make you feel all good inside. I know I do.

Three Funerals and a Wedding

This week Hubby and I will be going to our third funeral in as many months; his Grandpa passed away this morning (well, yesterday morning, since technically it is Tuesday now). Since the end of June we have said goodbye to my grandmother, Hubby's boss, and now his Grandpa. The funeral will likely be Thursday. Then this weekend we're headed to a more joyful event - Cousin Wendy Bird's wedding! I promise not to wear the same dress.

Denise? No! Denephew!

Oh boy!! Katie Lady is having a baby boy!! I am so excited about my new nephew, who will make his debut in February! Time to start buying little boy stuff!!! Gotta spoil him rotten, you know.

Rita Remembered...

A year ago this week we were keeping all eyes on the Gulf and Hurricane Rita. We eventually decided to pack up the things we love most, secure the rest, and head for Dallas - an evacuation we now refer to as The Runaway Scrape. Everyone around here has an evacuation story - ours is worse than some, but not as bad as others - still, it was a Living Hell. Nineteen hours to Dallas with two kids and two dogs is no picnic, let me tell you. We saw things that absolutely shocked us. Basically, it sucked.

This year Hurricane Season has been kinder to us - we are only up to the letter H instead of R, and only one or two of the storms have even come into the Gulf. Most seem to meander around out at sea. While the season isn't over, we are certainly relieved at our fate thus far. Today it is a beautiful day here - a touch of fall in the air - woke up to temps in the high 60's and will only top out at the high 80's today! It's sunny and breezy and beautiful. Not a hurricane in sight! Here's hoping there won't be any in sight for the rest of the year........

Is this fair?

Let's say there is this hypothetical junior high school that, in the spring, will be accepting applications for National Junior Honor Society. And let's say that the hypothetical rules for admittance to said Honor Society require the cumulative average of all classes taken for the year to be 93 or better. Let's just also say that the hypothetical school does NOT give extra consideration in grade points to G/T (Gifted/Talented) OR Advanced classes. Therefore, a student who is working very hard in the G/T Program, which is quite rigorous and not easy to get into, and is making high B's and low A's could be denied admittance into said Honor Society, while a student who is taking regular-level, less-challenging classes (which there's nothing wrong with that) and is making mid-to-high A's would be in. Does this seem right? Especially when there are hypothetical parents who say, "I would rather my child make straight A's in regular classes than B's in advanced classes." Am I the only one who would have a problem with this?

Navy Son

Everyone welcome Navy Son to the blogging world!


*Disclaimer - Navy Son's comments do not necessarily reflect the opinions and/or attitudes of his parents. Side effects may include dizziness, dry mouth, or nausea. Consult a physician if you have any symptoms that last longer than four hours. Read all comments at your own risk.

Never Forget

You know you're getting old....

...when you're browsing thru an Antique Mall and you're seeing things you remember from your childhood! Like this and this and this, and these. I also had one of these and some of these. I carried this lunchbox to school (Bubba's Mom still has the thermos)!! Also a lot of old dishes and pitchers that I remember being in either our house or my grandmother's house, record albums (um..are those really antique now?), and old typewriters (my Granddaddy had an old typewriter that he threw out with the trash!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). When I was a child I thought going to antique stores was B-O-R-I-N-G because it was just a bunch of old stuff........now it's more like a trip down Memory Lane! Look! There's Nanny's dishes! Hey! Maw Maw had this in her kitchen! Hey - Granddaddy used to have THIS PICTURE hanging on his wall! ::sigh:: I guess I really AM getting older.

LOL

Sometimes I see something in the funny papers that just makes me laugh out loud.....

Calendar Girl

One of my favorite favorite things to get during the year is a new calendar (see # 23 on my 100 Things About Me list). This week Bubba's Mom found my 2007 calendar (the one I love) and bought it for me. For the past few days I have been in heaven getting it all ready for next year - writing everyone's birthdays and anniversaries, special occasions, etc. in my very neatest handwriting with my very favorite pen (did I mention that I'm a little compulsive about it?). It looks so pretty and clean and fresh - just like the new year will look on January 1. I don't know why I love calendars so much - maybe it's the hope it instills in me when I see the next 365 days laid out before me like a blank slate....maybe it's the compulsive planner in me.....maybe it's my need to keep my world in some type of order and control. Whatever it is, getting my new calendar is my most favoritest thing this time of year!!

Smell my breath! (by Naughty Little Boy Dog)

Hi Mommy! Hi Daddy! Guess what? While you were gone I found that great lip gloss again! You know? The chocolate mint one? I found it in The Girl's purse. She has all kinds of neat stuff in there, like a pack of Kleenex (do you know how much Kleenex they can get in those little packs??) and some pencils. But that lip gloss - yum yum! I offered some to Good Girl Dog, cuz' that seems like something girls would like, but she didn't care for any, so I ate it all up myself! Don't I smell good?!? Want me to kiss you?!? You've been gone so long - just give me a little kiss and smell my chocolatey, minty breath!

Transitions

Ever since my daughter was a baby I have bragged about how well she handles transitions. Crib to Big Girl Bed? No problem! Bottle to sippy cup? Easy, breezy! Giving up the pacifier (Nee Nee)? Well, the Nee Nee Fairy came and took it and that was that. On her second day of second grade she had to change to a different class - the teachers were concerned it would upset her but she just said, "It's OK. I handle transitions well." That's my girl!!! She is going thru another phase of transitions now as I watch her go from little girl to young woman. So far so good - she is breezing thru Junior High School with fabulous success, and she is wearing a bra and shaving her legs without complaint. She just doesn't want to talk about it. And she CERTAINLY doesn't want to talk about getting her....little friend....if you know what I mean. She knows all about it, thankyouverymuch, has no questions, and will let me know when it happens. I dread this. It will mean she finally IS a young woman and not my precious baby girl anymore.

I, too, seem to be in a phase of transition myself. I'm on the back-side of my 30's now - which is odd because I still feel like I should be 21. But, as my mother always promised, my body is changing. I've had to have parts removed. Other parts are shifting or changing shape. I plucked a couple of grey hairs today, and I'm getting crow's feet around my eyes. "Kids today" amaze me with the crap they do sometimes. And sometimes - only sometimes - music is too loud. But maybe, just maybe, PreTeen Daughter will still let me play Barbies with her sometimes.

Katrina - One Year Later

There's so much I could say about this disaster.....but the media is all over it today and frankly, I don't have anything to say that hasn't already been said. Bubba has some good posts on his blog about the levees and re-building New Orleans; and Wes has an excellent post reminding us all that it wasn't just New Orleans that suffered, but thousands of others in Louisiana, Mississippi, and even Alabama that don't get the publicity that The Big Easy is getting. So today, let's remember ALL the victims of Katrina - even the ones that the media forgot.

My New Friend

Had a fabulous lunch today with Bubba's Mom and cjh - our first time to meet cjh face-to-face. We had such a nice time - talked and laughed and enjoyed the scrumptious food (thank you again, cjh, for your croissant!). I found myself not wanting it to end so soon, I was having such a lovely time.

At one point in my life not many years ago, I decided I didn't need any new friends in my life - I now realize how silly that was because new friends are so much fun! I hope to get to know cjh better 'cause I think she's pretty cool (I hope she likes me too!).

Oh, and Bubba - we talked about you. Just to let you know. :-)

Lunch was the highlight of my day - the rest includes grocery shopping, shuttling kids here and there, and attending Open House at Brilliant Daughter's school. And it looks like I'll be doing at least some of those things in the rain. Ugh.

I hope my new friend has a good afternoon and stays out of the rain! Let's do lunch again real soon!

Welcome a new Blogger!

Everyone check out my cousin's new blog - Wendy Bird.

Welcome to the Blogging World, Wendy Bird!

Get out your pennies.....

A recent post by cjh reminded me of a fun game I have played at a couple of parties - everyone starts out with 3 pennies, then takes turns going around the room stating things they have NEVER done; everyone in the room that HAS done that thing must put one of their pennies in the pot; the last one with a penny wins! This inspired me for my new List - Ten Things I Have Never Done. Get your pennies ready!

1. I have never been arrested.
2. I have never smoked a joint.
3. I have never cooked a turkey.
4. I have never been to Europe.
5. I have never sang karaoke in public.
6. I have never given blood (other than for blood tests of my own).
7. I have never worn contacts.
8. I have never seen Napoleon Dynamite.
9. I have never had a passport.
10. I have never been to a professional football game.

Anyone have any pennies left?

Earworms

You know how you get a song stuck in your head sometimes? It seems I ALWAYS have a song in my head - it's never quiet in there. Sometimes it's a song I heard recently on the radio or on TV, but often it's just a random song and I have no clue why it has popped up to sing in my brain. Tonight, as I was folding and putting away the last load of laundry, Donna Summer was singing "Last Dance" in my head. Where did that come from?!? Was my subconscious trying to tell me something? Do you ever wonder that? If the random song in your brain is really a message to you? Why else would it just pop in there with no explanation? I think it's rather odd. Sometimes I wish I could just turn off the music and be QUIET. Where's the MUTE button?

Maybe I shouldn't sit up until midnight eating Fritos and bean dip so much.......

Too Funny!

Need a good laugh? Read this.

It's really hot here.

Yesterday I posted a picture of my van's outside-temp thermometer showing 98 degrees in the shade. Today it was hotter, so I attempted to update the picture, but for some reason it wouldn't let me. So I just deleted yesterday's post and created this one. As you can see.......IT'S REALLY HOT HERE!!

For my red-headed friends......

Redheads Have More Sex, Survey Says

This is NOT why I wish I were a redhead. Just in case you were wondering....