My girl will be home in 9 days! Christmas in 11 days! And vacation after that... woohoo! :-D

I got the Christmas tree up a couple of days ago. Can't convince they boys to help any more, so I ended up doing it myself, but Robbie chatted with me while he played a video game, so that was alright. A few weak moments, but for the most part.... okay.

I got a very welcome financial "bonus" yesterday, which was awesome. And I may have an extra hour a week at work starting in the new year. That is nice, because I don't work full time hours, so anything extra would be much be much appreciated.

I need to go eat supper and then make a couple of loaves of sandwiches for the Advent service/lunch tomorrow. I love the Advent noon hour services -- which all 6 of our churches host ecumenically -- but I ended up missing two out of the four this year. Tomorrow's service is the last one.

Sorry for such a brief update, but I can't think of anything else at the moment..... lol.

"Remembering You" added to my videos

I added Steven Curtis Chapman's video "Remembering You", from the Music Inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia to my playlist (scroll down to the bottom to see). Great song! The movie looks really good, I hope to get a chance to see it. Waiting for a review from you, Slicer! ;-)

Robbie and I went to Saskatoon yesterday and finished up our Christmas shopping. Yay! I even wrapped a few presents last week, so I'm ahead of the game there. The tree isn't up yet, but we usually do that just after my birthday, so maybe on Sunday or Monday. Seems like I'm the only one interested in doing the actually decorating of the tree anymore, so it's not quite the same. Oh well, I'm going to enjoy it whether the boys want to help or not. Put on some Christmas music, have some eggnog.... ;-)

I received my first Christmas card the other day... thanks, Joyce! I should really get a few sent out. I was thinking about it a few weeks ago, but it seemed too early to do them, and now of course it's only a couple of weeks until Christmas!

Okay, off to get a few things done before I have to go to work this afternoon. Have a great weekend everyone!

*~*~*~*
Currently playing: Do You Hear What I Hear? ~ Third Day

You know, I always feel bad when I turn down those young people who come into the library trying to sell merchandise (especially after reading about eVe's experience with the job on the SCC boards). I know they are only doing their job, they need the money, and they probably get turned down soooo often. But I don't want to get suckered into buying stuff that I really don't need at "a great deal!" I still feel bad, though.

Speaking of money, I got a cheque in the mail today -- from the government, no less! It was back payment on a tax rebate, and not a real large amount, but definitely welcome! :-)

I'm hoping to finish up my Christmas shopping next week. I'll likely take Thursday off and Robbie and I will go to Saskatoon. Not alot left to do, just need to get there to get it done.

And I should get started on a bit of Christmas baking soon. I don't do alot, but we have our favorites, and Chantelle has a few requests in.... haha. Not just for baking, but other things, too. Things she only gets when she's "home". ;-)

Is it Friday?

I decided to go with your recommendations, Joyce. ;-) I got both Third Day ~ Wherever You Are and Music Inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia. I had a 25% discount coupon, and a $25.00 gift certificate, so it was a good deal all around. I've only listened to the Third Day one, and I am pleased with it. Am just about to put the Narnia one in for a listen.

Our day of shopping went well. God bless Sheldon, he was pretty patient.... lol. I didn't get all my Christmas buying done, but a good percentage of it. Will likely make another trip to Saskatoon in the next couple of weeks or so to finish up.

Yikes, only 37 days till Christmas!!!

Random update

Well, the snow we had last week melted, and we had some really nice days. Today, however... I woke up to about a foot of snow. O.O Nice and fluffy, though, and easy to shovel. Sheldon's been out there working his butt off... lol. (I did shovel a little bit, but he's done most of it.)

The election of the new bishop went well on Saturday. It was an interesting process. It didn't go as some of us had thought it might, but I'm sure it is as it is meant to be. ;-) Our new bishop-elect is Gregory Kerr-Wilson, from Edmonton, AB.

I'm going to Saskatoon on Thursday to start on my Christmas shopping. I have one gift certificate for Parable Christian Store left from last year, and I have to use it up right away before it expires. I'm not sure what to get, though. As much as I love SCC's first Christmas album, I'm not really leaning toward the new one yet. I heard that Third Day's new CD is really good... I guess I'll have to take a listen in the store and see what strikes me. I'm still finding that I'm not really struck on any of the new Christian music lately....

"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" opens on November 18. I am so excited... lol. Planning to see it over the holiday season. Yay! I'd love to see "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", too, but I'm not sure if that's gonna happen. Might have to wait till it comes out on video.

I'm going to have watch some movies with Chantelle when she's home. The boys and I just don't like the same kind of stuff generally, so it will be nice to have someone to watch "my" movies with. ;-)

It's almost time for my favorite TV show for this fall, "Prison Break". At least this is one thing that Sheldon and I both like... lol.

ttyl

~*~*~
Currently playing: Better Days ~ Goo Goo Dolls

It's beginning to look alot like... winter!

Yup, it's been snowing since sometime during the night, and is still coming down a bit. It's actually fairly mild temperature-wise, and the snow is melting a bit. It's very wet and sticky. Snowball fight anyone?! :-D

Still don't like winter, but it's inevitable. I'll try not to complain today, but no promises for the rest of the winter... LOL.

I think that Sheldon and I are going to go to Saskatoon on Monday to do some Christmas shopping. I actually have 3 gifts purchased -- all online. One was a great eBay purchase that I'm pleased about -- not only the product, but the price! ;-)

On Saturday I go to Regina for the election of our diocesan bishop. There are 6 candidates, and 2 of those are women. I have a strong feeling that one of those women could get elected -- and I think that would be great. She would be wonderful. I think if she is elected she would be only the second Anglican woman bishop in Canada. We shall see how it goes.

You guys just don't let up, do ya?! :-P

Fine, I'll attempt an update. ;-)

On Tuesday, as I opened the door at the library, the first thing I noticed was an ominous ticking sound coming from under/near my desk. Not a good sign. Turns out the network hub had fried over the weekend, so no Internet. Now, in order to circulate, I need Internet. Long story -- that involved numerous phone calls to try to locate a switch (all but impossible in a lil place like this) -- but in the end, someone from HQ drove all the way out here (an hour) to bring me a new switch. Took all of about 3 minutes to connect it and get us up and running again, but she stuck around for awhile and did some updates on the public computers, etc.

Now the reason I'm telling this story... The woman that came out from HQ is someone who I know only through work, and who I only see a couple of times a year and talk to on the phone/MSN/email for work-related stuff, but I've always liked her and we get along well. Back at the beginning of this year, she had emailed me, saying that she hadn't heard from me in a long time, and was everything okay?

About this time, I'd been going through a whole lot of stuff, and sometimes just functioning at work and getting through the day was a real challenge. I had emailed her back and explained -- very briefly -- some of my situation. She replied with understanding and support, and in turn she opened up and told me about some major stuff that she was dealing with -- multiple miscarriages and all the sadness, depression, etc. that goes with that. I had no idea that this had happened to her. Having experienced miscarriage/loss, I was able to empathize with her and we talked back and forth some. It was very good.

Fast forward to Tuesday.... It wasn't real busy at work that day, so as she went about doing work on the computers, we chatted. She asked how I was doing (good) and we talked a bit about that, about how things were going, and I asked how she was doing, and she shared with me. And it was just really, really good to talk with her.

I'm pretty sure that the whole thing was not about needing a switch for my computer networking..... ;-)

*~*~*

(for privacy reasons, this is kinda vague... bear with me... lol.) Today, someone asked me to do something for them. At the time (for various reasons), I hesitated, but then reluctantly agreed to do it. I did not feel good about it all day, though, because it was something that was not my responsibility and that this person needs to take care of themselves. Not only for them, but for someone else. I didn't do what I was asked, but instead decided that I would talk to this person later and explain why. Before I had a chance to, this person called me at work late this afternoon and asked if I had done it yet. I said "no", and they said not to now.... that they would take care of it themselves -- and in a way that was exactly in line with what I was thinking I would tell them.... but I had not said a word. I hung up the phone quite speechless.... lol.

Yeah, God, I know You're still there. Thanks. ;-)

*~*~*~*

Happy Birthday, Chantelle!

It's my girl's 21st birthday today. :-D

Hmm, I guess it's been awhile...

I've been pretty slack here.... but then things have been relatively quiet. Work, a Bible study, a couple of meetings, and just the day-to-day stuff. Quiet is okay, though. ;-)

So this may be just alot of randomness....

My grandma was back in the hospital again last week. You may remember that a few months ago, her hip went out (she had hip replacement surgery some years ago). She had the option of having the replacement completely redone, but because of heart problems there are some risks involved, and she had not made a decision about it. She had done some physical therapy and that helped for awhile, but last week it went out again and she spent several days in the hospital. She's back home now, and she has made the decision to go ahead with the surgery. Hopefully she gets a surgery date fairly soon, and that all goes well. (She has the heart problems, plus she had a mild stroke last year.)

This is Saskatchewan Library Week. Even if you're not in Saskatchewan (which covers all but 2 of you.... lol) -- go out and visit your local library this week! :-D

Suprisingly enough, I am actually starting to think about Christmas shopping. When my kids were little I used to start my shopping early, but every year it got to be later and later. Last year was a one-day whirlwind shopping day in Saskatoon, a couple of weeks before Christmas (not a good day for several reasons.... ugh). Not recommended!!! I'm hoping to get started earlier this year, and spread the spending out a bit. Things are alot tighter this year.

I came across a link on another site yesterday, http://organizedchristmas.com/ -- now this is just FAR too organized for me.... lol. I could only dream... :-P But looking over the site kinda inspired me a bit. It feels good to look forward to Christmas, as the past number of years I haven't felt that way. It should be a good holiday season. ;-)

I'll be attending the election of our new diocesan bishop on November 12. I am the "alternate delegate", so while I won't be voting, I will be there to discuss the options with our voting delegate. It could be very interesting. There is alot going on in the Anglican church at this time, and it will be interesting to see who the people (both clergy and lay) elect.

It's funny living in a small town.... Here at work, I get people bringing me all kinds of little things.... from fresh flowers from someone's yard, to baking, fresh fruit, chocolate bars (at least once a week from a regular... lol), even elk sausage and bison jerky from one patron. Hardly a week goes by that someone doesn't bring in something. It always makes me smile and brightens my day. There are things about small towns that sometimes make me a little crazy, but there is much that is good about them, too. :-)

Okay, enough randomness for now. I hope everyone is having a great week so far! Catcha later.....

Yesterday was rather a blah day. Not really a specific reason for it, just blah and totally nonproductive in any way. Some days are like that.

It was Worldwide Communion Sunday yesterday, and during our service we each lit candles and prayed for countries of our chosing. As I was sitting there watching people light their candles and watching the candles flicker and burn, I was suddenly reminded of some things from several years ago -- and how "on fire" I was then. And how different I feel now. I have never doubted that God was with me, and I've never lost my core faith... I'm just in a different place than I used to be. I'm not exactly sure just where that is some days. The only thing I am sure of is that He is still there... waiting...

So I guess that spun my thoughts off into a million other different directions yesterday. Reflective thinking.

Sometimes thinking is exhausting.... LOL. :-P

Anyway, today was a much better and more productive day. Well, it was only housework, but it had to be done. :-P

Went to sign papers at the lawyer's today. Had a bit of a knot in my stomach for awhile -- not because of doubts, but still some of that fear-of-the-unknown-future stuff. On the flipside, also a certain sense of empowerment in that I have made decisions and have moved forward with them. And I believe that I am going to be okay. Kind of a weird day in that way...

Yeah... so not much else happenin' ... :-P

I haven't responded to all the prayer requests on the Pirate Ship, but know that you are all in my prayers. *Big hugs* to all!

Saturday update instead ;-)

I'm thinking it's time for an update, although I'm not sure I have much to say.... lol.

I was watching some of the coverage of Hurricane Rita last night. I finally stopped -- it just made me worry even more about Carrie & Kent and the kids. Praying that they are all okay. I haven't watched anything today, just checked a few reports on the Internet.

Set up the Pirate Ship this week... that's been fun. :-D I love this stuff, and haven't done any website-related creating since I did the Teens Encounter Christ site a few years ago. This was minor compared to that, all I did was sign up for the board and then make some changes to the skins -- color schemes, etc. But still fun. I'm a dork.... lol.

I'm glad you guys are enjoying it. It really does feel more like "home", like the "old days". I'm very happy with it.

Talked to my girl earlier in the week -- that's always good. She makes me laugh. :-) The kids and I have talked about Christmas, and we all feel that we want to spend it by ourselves this year. Just us, no extended family. I think we need that. I'm sure that they will spend Christmas Eve with their dad and his side of the family (which is when they always celebrate), although Chantelle did mention that she still wants to go to church that night -- that is important to her. Christmas has been kinda rough for me for some time now... I don't know how it will be this year, but I think it will be okay. I actually feel better about it now than I have for a long time.

Had to go over some legal stuff this week, and have papers to sign next week. It went fine -- things are okay -- I'm okay. :-)

Well, once again I'm posting at work, so I should get back to it. I hope you all have a great weekend!

(Please keep Carrie and her family in your prayers.)

EDIT: Received an update from Carrie, and they are fine. Heavy rain and high winds, but no major damage.

Hurricane Rita... praying...

Please pray for all of those in the path of Hurricane Rita. Some of my friends will be effected, and I'm especially worried about Carrie and her family, who have not evacuated. Praying they will be safe....

The Back of a Smiley

Ever wonder what the back of a smiley looks like? ;-)

Find out here. :-D

Photojournal of Katrina

This is a very cool photojournal from a New Orleans resident -- before, during and after. It's long -- 197 photos -- but along with the descriptive captions is very interesting and worth the time to view.

Alvaro's Gallery

EDITED on Sept. 30/05: I believe this link should work now. The original album looks to have been moved, maybe because of so many hits. Dallas found this new link and posted on the Pirate Ship. Thanks Dallas!

Flash presentation for Cry Out to Jesus

Thanks to Joyce for this link to a presentation of Cry Out to Jesus .

(A nice presentation, but I found Emi's to be much more moving. Just MHO.)

Update

I suppose I should update with something other than songs to download and videos to watch. ;-)

So yeah... on Monday Sheldon and I went to Regina to see Chantelle before she headed back to Calgary. Picked her up about 1:00, and went to the closest mall. We were going to have something to eat, but decided to see what was playing at the cheap theatre. The only show that worked for us time-wise was Madagascar. What a great movie! Fuunnny! We quite enjoyed it.

Afterward we went for a late lunch, and spent considerable time yakking. ;-) A few stops in the mall, then we drove her to the bus station. Made a 7-11 run, then sat in the bus station coffeeshop and visited until it was time for her to leave. It wasn't a long time (a little more than 5 hours), but it was so great to see her and to just be able to relax and enjoy. Only a few months now till she's home for Christmas. :-D

Yesterday I got a wonderful surprise at work! My friend Joyce only lives about 3 hours from me, but we haven't seen each other in..... I don't know how long, but several years. She stopped in to see me yesterday! Totally unexpected. I was in the back shelving videos, and I turned around and there she was walking toward me! :-D It was a very brief visit as her and Fred were just passing through, but it was awesome! Joyce has been my rock and my sounding board and one of my main sources of encouragement in the past couple of years, and I've missed her so much. A real live hug was long overdue, and much appreciated. ;-)

That's about my excitement for the week... lol. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Praise You in This Storm

I want to share with you a moving tribute to the Katrina victims that a young member of the SCC boards has created. Thank you for sharing it with us, Emi. It is wonderful.

Praise You in This Storm

Cry Out to Jesus

I got an email from Third Day a few days ago, but didn't read it until tonight. I want to post it here. Check out the free downloads of their new single Cry Out to Jesus -- the album version as well as the extended media version. Good stuff....

~~~

Three weeks ago we all decided our first single from Wherever You Are would be a new song called CRY OUT TO JESUS. Little did we know at that time there would be a larger purpose. Originally scheduled to go to radio September 16, we want to let everyone know that the single, "Cry Out To Jesus," was rushed to radio stations earlier this week in the wake of the tragedy throughout the Gulf states. The band, the label, management and everyone involved have been shaken by the devastation that has occurred to our brothers and sisters in the south. Â Our hope is that this song will be like salve on the wounds of those who are hurting"We can't turn on the news without our hearts breaking for the people suffering through the devastation left by Katrina. Our sincere desire for this record and "Cry Out To Jesus" is to offer hope to hurting people. We know people's lives will be forever changed by the storm that hit this week. Our prayers and thoughts are with our brothers and sisters and their families in the Gulf States. We hope this song can bring even a small amount of hope and light to this dark hour." - Mac Powell
Third Day and Essential Records are happy to allow you to download the song 'Cry Out to Jesus.' free of charge. If you are at all inspired by this song, we hope and pray that you would translate those feelings into acts of compassion for those that are suffering on the Gulf Coast. Please consider making a donation to an organization such as World Vision or the American Red Cross that is already on the ground responding to this crisis. None of us will ever look back and wish we had done less to help those suffering at this horrible crossroads.

Click here for download information and links

Mac, Tai, David, Brad and Mark
http://www.thirdday.com

Not much to update, things have been pretty quiet. Which is okay -- no complaints here... lol.

Sheldon and I are leaving shortly to go to Regina to see Chantelle. Yay!!! :-D

She was able to meet up with her dad in Moose Jaw on her way down on Saturday, and they went to visit my grandma, which is good. I imagine Grammie was quite thrilled. He then drove her to Regina. Robbie went to the football game with a bunch of friends yesterday, so he and Chantelle will have hooked up there for a bit. And we're going down today. So, even though this trip was to see her friends from Winnipeg and she wasn't able to make it home, we all get to spend some time with her. Kind of an odd way of accomplishing it maybe, but it's working and that's all that counts. ;-)

I hope everyone has had a great weekend!

~~~

Currently playing: Lightning Crashes ~ Live

Pray for all those affected by Hurricane Katrina.... :-(

http://wnharrell.com/hurricanekatrina/katrinadocumentary.wmv

(Thank you, Carrie, for this link.)

Today had the potential to be a difficult day, but so far so good. ;-)

Thanks for the chat this morning, Carmel. :-) Thanks for the email this afternoon, Joyce. :-)

I even got rid of the noisy cricket that was driving me crazy this morning with his chirping.... lol. Actually, once I located the lil guy, a patron who was in the library goes "Do you want me to get rid of that for you?" Sure! So the lil guy has a new home in the grass outside. Oh great... he's likely to be back! LOL! She thinks that there is a Chinese or Korean superstition regarding crickets so she didn't want to kill it. ;-)

~~~

Currently playing: Life Is ~ Sarah Kelly (great voice!)

Spammed

Arrgghhh.... my comments got spammed.

I still want to allow anonymous posting, since not everyone who reads is a Blogspot member, and I want them to be able to post. So I've added word verification for posting, which is a bit of a nuisance, but will hopefully stop the spam. If it doesn't, I may have to turn off the anonymous comment posting. Blah.....

Don't people have better things to do?

~~~
Edit: I took the word verification off because some people couldn't post with it on, and I got spammed again, right away. So I've left it off, but disabled anonymous posting. Sorry... I know that most of you have accounts, those that don't can comment in the Tag Board I guess. ;-)

2nd Edit: Still getting spammed... grrr... Will leave it as is for now.

Back to school... summer is gone again...

The first day back to school, and now the weather gets nice again... lol. Isn't that always the way. :-P

Sheldon is in grade 11 this year. Man... it's hard to believe. Every summer seems to go so fast, and every year... before I know it my baby will be graduating. Yikes.

I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, the whole "empty nest" thing is sad -- letting your children go is tough. Life changes so much, and you miss them so much, even while you are excited for them. And yet... at the same time, reaching that stage in life is.... liberating (good word, Joyce). I love my kids beyond words -- they have been my life -- but in the natural progression of life, as each child grows up, I become more comfortable with that time when they will have all left home and made their own lives. And while I certainly don't want the next years to go quickly, in a sense I do look forward to it. To what life holds in store. This probably doesn't make much sense to alot of you (as most of you reading this are much younger than me or don't have older kids), and it's kind of hard to explain.

Anyway........

Last year around this time, I had alot going on, alot of uncertainty and confusion and pain, especially for several months. During that time a friend from church got cancer and died very shortly after, and there were just so many other things... The past few days have really brought alot of those memories up, and I'm working through some of that. I'm okay -- I am in a much better place now -- I just have some difficult moments now and then. But life is good. :-)

Okay, so something less depressing..... lol. Gonna see my girl next Monday! :-D

Chantelle is going to Regina for the Labour Day weekend, to spend time with some friends from Winnipeg that she hasn't seen for a year. Labour Day weekend is the traditional Saskatchewan Roughriders/Winnipeg Blue Bombers football game, and her friends are going and invited her to join them. She has very little time so she won't be able to make it home, but Sheldon and I are going to go down on Monday and hang out with her for the afternoon before she heads back to Calgary. Should be fun! :-) (and then it's only a few months till Christmas and she comes home for a longer visit! Woohoo!)

Yikes! Christmas!!!!! O.O

~~~

Currently playing: Everything Changes ~ Staind

Thought of the Day

Yesterday's "thought of the day" in my inbox:

For every step you take toward God, God takes two steps toward you; and if you come to God walking, God comes to you running.
~ James Martin

Blah... kind of a bad day, on various levels. Wishing I didn't have to be at work today.

~~

ETA: No worries, I'm fine. Just one of those days. ;-)

What is REAL?

An excerpt from The Velveteen Rabbit:

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"
"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

~~~~

One of my favorite children's books. It was an excerpt in a book I was reading a few days ago. This is a quote from that same book:

"... we find that we are most 'real' in connectedness to others. At the core of our beings -- our innermost selves -- we long to feel special, understood, cared about. Loving and being loved makes us feel recognized, that we matter, that we're real."

I've been thinking alot about that recently, having had a recent exchange with a good friend on the topic, and including the above in a group email yesterday. Yesterday was again a reminder of just how much my friends mean to me, and how -- even though so many of them I know only through the medium of cyberspace -- they are the friends who are Real. They are the ones who have allowed me to be Real. Allowed me to be me... not who I think people want me to be or expect me to be. They are the ones who accept me for who I am, and don't "put me in a box". They are the friends who have taught me to trust, and with whom I have grown in so many ways. They are the friends that I know I can turn to when I need a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on or someone to pray for me, and they are the friends I can laugh and be silly with. And they know that I am here for them in the same way. Always...

And all but two of these friends I met in the same place. Is there a purpose in that? I believe so. :-)

To my friends: Josh, Alan, Amy, Carrie, Carmel, Trish, Christy, Ruthie, Sherry, Susanna, John, Matt, Dallas, Shauna, Lana, Joyce....

You have each touched my life in ways you will never know, and I am a better person for having known you. Some of you I've met {and you were just as Real in person ;-) }, others.... not yet. But maybe one day. :-)

Okay, enough sappiness for one day... lol. Have a good one. Much love to you all!

~*~*~
Currently playing: Wherever You Will Go ~ The Calling

Got it!

Yup... the Todd Agnew CD arrived today! :-D

That's all for now... lol.

EDITED:

First listen, still not through the whole CD yet. But I have to say that I think "Always There" is going to be my always-makes-me-cry song of the album, just like "Still Here Waiting" and "Wait for Your Rain" were on the last album.....

My favorite is still "My Jesus". Love that song.

Well, I tried... but the nice guy at Parable wouldn't sell me the Todd Agnew CD a day early... lol. Perfectly understandable, he had concerns about the store being sued. I didn't really expect to get it, but thought it would be worth a try. ;-) So instead, I prepaid it and they will mail it out. Unfortunately it cost me an extra $5.50 (!!!) just to get it mailed out. Now, another CD I would have just waited until I was in Saskatoon again, although it could be awhile. But I really wanted this one. Should be here in a couple of days. Yay! :-)

After a few glitches, Sheldon has his car. We took Robbie's car to S'toon yesterday and his dad picked up his car and brought it back , so it was here when we got home last night. Well, technically it was in the garage cuz the brake pads needed to be replaced -- and he freaked when we got home and it wasn't here -- but he was able to pick it up, go cruising for a bit, and all is well. He's a happy camper. ;-)

So we went to S'toon to get some clothes, etc. for Sheldon. What does he come home with? One pair of jeans and a belt.... lol. He couldn't find anything else he liked. I tried... dragging him around to several places, but nothing interested him. He said he'd get something another time. Okay, whatever works... haha. Silly boy.

I got a few things for myself -- jeans, two pair of pants, couple of long sleeved t-shirts, a pair of shoes. I needed new pants quite badly. Some of my old ones don't fit, but some of them are just old and out of style. It was time for something new.

Chantelle called last night and we chatted for awhile. She always makes me laugh. She was telling me how she'd gone to Safeway on her way home from work to get the ingredients for this salad she wanted to make, plus some fruit, etc. She got off the C-train near her house and was walking home, and was thinking about how hungry she was, and all of sudden she realized that she'd left her bag of groceries on the C-train!!! LOL. Poor kid. Fortunately only about $9.00 worth of stuff, but still.... that's enough when you're on a tight budget, plus she needed that food for supper. She said she hoped someone who really needed that food found it. ;-)

Someone just returned a copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to the library. Everyone keeps telling me that the ending is sad and that they cried. Oh no..... :'( I'm only about halfway through, I haven't been spending enough time on it. But I'm sort of trying to make it last, too. It's always so long till the next one!

Well, I'm at work so I should get something done. ;-)

~~~~

Current weather: Cloudy, rainy, cool. (blech)
Currently playing: Numb ~ Linkin Park (on Launchcast)

Okay, so the new Todd Agnew CD comes out on August 16. Yay! Trouble is, Sheldon and I are going to Saskatoon on the 15th!!! That day works out for us to go do some shopping for clothes, etc. for school, cuz he's not working and it's my usual day off. Blah... Maybe I can convince the nice staff at Parable to sell it to me a day earlier. They did once before when I was in a day or two before a release. I forget what CD it was, but I had asked if I could pay for it and have it mailed out to me since I was from out of town (they charge $3.50 shipping), and the guy goes "Well... we're not supposed to do this... but don't tell anyone... " and he slipped me a copy. ;-) If I tell them what a HUGE Todd Agnew fan I am, do you think that would help? LOL

Oh, and I have a number of gift certificates to use up at Parable. I'll have to figure out what else I want to get. There hasn't been alot in Christian music that has really caught my interest lately. We shall see... I might wait and use them another time.

Anyway, back to work... ;-)

~~~~

Currently playing on Launchcast: Holy Is the Lord ~ Chris Tomlin

New SCC single for Chronicles of Narnia

Check out the new single from Steven Curtis Chapman for the Chronicles of Narnia movie:

mms://66.186.0.101/allaccess/stevremb.wma

Good stuff!

Okay, fine.... I'll see what I can come up with.... lol. My life just lacks any kind of excitement. :-P

The Homecoming weekend in town seemed to go well. I didn't attend the festivities, other than the fireworks on Saturday night. They were awesome!!! The guy that did them is a professional who has been in many competitions, and it was just excellent.

I skipped the school reunion, too. I felt bad the next day when I got an email from an old friend (who only lives an hour away but that I've only seen 3 times in the last 25 years). She had come down for the reunion, and was very disappointed because the few people that she really wanted to see weren't there. I think she was quite hurt. And she went on to say that I need to give her a call when I'm in Saskatoon or maybe she needs to come down again because she really would like to see me, etc. Which is nice.... but on the other hand, I've been here all along and she's known how to get in touch with me. So why now? Just because a reunion sparked a temporary need to get in touch? Don't get me wrong, it would be good to see her, but I think it's just a passing thing, you know? Maybe I shouldn't be so cynical... :-P

Sheldon has been busy trying to locate a vehicle to buy. It's hard to find something that is decent and will be reliable within a reasonable price range. (Thankfully his uncle is a mechanic and can check out potential purchases for him.) If he can find something reasonable, he will need to take out a loan -- his dad is willing to co-sign for his first one, as he did for Robbie. Sheldon is very organized and efficient and has been checking things out quite thoroughly as far as what it will cost him for loan payments, insurance, gas, etc., and what he can expect to earn at his job once he goes back to school in the fall. Right now he has quite a few hours, but that will be cut back once school starts. He's already put some money away, and overall he's done quite well... I'm pleased with his initiative in handling it.

Speaking of co-signing.... Chantelle called last night. She's been talking for some time of going to school this fall, and has been tossing around a number of ideas. She is looking at going to Mount Royal College and taking a course in Reflexology Therapy. The classes are 2 evenings/week + Saturday mornings, which would work well because it would allow her to keep her current job (which she loves). She's applied for a student line of credit, but as she has no credit rating she needs a co-signer -- thus the call last night.

I agreed to co-sign for her -- which is kind of scary for me. At this point in my life I have no debts, and hope not to have any. I don't make alot, but it is enough to make ends meet. I have every confidence that she will find work when she is done and will be able to pay off her loan just fine, but still.... there is just that niggling "what if....." thought rolling around in the back of my mind. However... I will trust that it will all be fine. :-)

Have had to learn alot about trust in the last few years. God has been very good, and has provided some amazing people in my life, who have helped in ways they probably will never realize. Know that you are appreciated beyond words. :-)

~~~~~

Currently reading: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

As mentioned in the TagBoard, feeling a little better, although still not well. I'm coughing quite a bit (and yes, I am now taking some cough medicine... lol), and the sore throat is gone, but yesterday the headache came back and I was just really tired. Had a 2 hour nap in the afternoon and that helped. Aside from the cough, I feel okay today.

This weekend is our town's big Homecoming (as part of Saskatchewan's Centennial celebration). It's a big deal and the committee has been working very hard on it for a long time. I've lived here since I was 10, so this is home, but I have no great enthusiasm for attending the festivities. You have to pay to register in order to attend any of it, and it wasn't worth it to me... although I think that for those who are coming home for it, it will be good. The fireworks should be cool, but I can see that from my house.... haha.

There is a parade, and the library will be having a float. So guess who gets to ride on it? Oh yay.... lol. Since it's a "then & now" theme, we will have a former long-time librarian as well as myself and the assistant librarian. Oh joy..... :-P (Should I be practising my "queen wave"?... hahaha)

It's also my 25th high school reunion on Sunday, in connection with the Homecoming. I've pretty much decided not to go. (Don't I just sound like an old stick-in-the-mud!) The few friends I'd actually be interested in seeing aren't going to be there, and the rest of my classmates I'm not friends with, and after 25 years it really doesn't matter so much anymore. Our 10 year reunion was kinda cool, but after 25 years, if you haven't ever kept in touch with these people and weren't friends to begin with.... it's really not important. I thought it was just me, but I was talking to my sister-in-law, wondering if she was going, and she felt the same way (although she was a little hesitant at expressing her feelings at first, feeling like I was that "I shouldn't be so negative").

But yeah, I don't really have any desire to sit and spend hours trying to converse with people (not my strong point anyway) that I either haven't seen in 10-25 years, and/or don't really care if I do. I'm really not a negative person, it's just that some things in life are important, and some aren't. And I'd rather not spend my time on something I really don't enjoy just because "I should". Me, the "people pleaser", is trying to break out of that mindset of doing things "because it's expected".

~~~~~

Currently playing: You and Me ~ Lifehouse

Not much to update, but I did play around and added a Tag Board to my blog. ;-)

I was upgrading some software on my computer at the library today (Microsoft Office), and I thought I lost all my email. Yikes! Fortunately, I got it working. Man, what a mess that would have been.

I've had a cold the past few days and am just feeling really tired and blah. Blah, blah, blah.... At least it's the weekend, and tomorrow is my Saturday off. I also haven't been walking at all this week. Doesn't take much for me to start slacking off. :-P

Played a few games of Literati with Amy lately. She's good, people! Kicked my butt a few times... lol.

Well, work is almost done. I need to figure out something to make for supper. Hmmm....

Tonight's walking music: Jason Ingram (Self-titled).

Great CD. I've been digging out some of my old stuff that I haven't listened to for awhile. I don't know what ever happened to Jason, he wasn't really very well known, and it's a shame... good stuff!

BTW, if you're reading, Joyce... three great walks in a row. ;-)

My girl called tonight, right after Sheldon left on the bus, just to let me know he'd gotten away. They had such a good time -- I'm glad. Sheldon is more convinced than ever that he wants to move to Calgary when he's done school. He loves it there, and is very confident -- took public transit all over the place to shop, etc. (on his own, while she was at work). Now, you gotta realize that this is a kid coming from small-town Saskatchewan (population 1,100 on a good day), buzzing around a city of almost 1 million people (that he's only been to 3 times before). He did well. ;-)

I watched Big Brother earlier tonight. I rarely watch reality tv shows (used to be a big Survivor fan, but only for the first few seasons), but we started watching with Big Brother 2, and it kind of became our summertime thing (two of those summers Chantelle was home). So yeah, last week they said that the next episode was on this Thursday, and after that they'd return to the regular schedule. Robbie just happened to change the channel and it was on tonight! What was up with that? Yeah, I know it's kinda silly, but I watch it anyway. :-P

I hope you are all having a great summer. It goes by so quickly... make the most of it! :-)

It was a nice evening for a walk. Still fairly warm out, and the mosquitoes were only mildly annoying tonight... lol.

I did a bit of yard work yesterday (blech!), and spent much of this afternoon cleaning out cupboards/pantry. I've slowly been working at de-cluttering and clearing alot of junk out of my life... and that seems to relate not only to my physical surroundings, but mentally as well. They seem to go hand in hand. A couple of weeks ago I totally cleaned out a closet (I am such a packrat!!!) in my bedroom. Tossed some stuff, packed other stuff up to give away, and then had to reorganize what was left. Put up some shelving (that was an experience in itself), and then got all the rest of the stuff reorganized. It felt good, and of course I wondered to myself why it took me so long to do anything about it. Story of my life.... :-P

Sheldon comes home tomorrow night on the bus. Well, he leaves Calgary tomorrow night, gets home early Wednesday morning. I only talked to the kids once since he left, but they were having a good time.

I really want some ice cream. That kinda defeats the purpose of walking, doesn't it? Well, technically no... because I'm not walking to lose weight specifically (although that would be a bonus), but to be more physically active and fit. So yeah.... I have some Breyer's Strawberry Shortcake ice cream just calling my name.... maybe just a small dish... ;-)

Oh hey... anyone play Scrabble? I play Literati (which is the same as Scrabble) on Yahoo games with Josh. Last night we were playing with another friend, and my first word on the board, I used all my letters -- 53 points! Included 35 bonus points for using all the letters! I beat his all time single scoring of 43 points. Now it's on.... lol.

Okay, ice cream time.... ;-) Have a nice night peeps!

Currently playing: Alive in This Moment ~ Starfield (who are going to be touring w/ Todd Agnew!)

*waves* Nice to see you've joined the world of blogging, Amy! ;-)

So, I've just spent the past few hours playing a couple of online games. Arrrggghhh..... challenging, but frustrating, too. Unfortunately, I needed spoilers to finish. If you have some time to spare/waste, check these out:

The Crimson Room: http://flash.qbol.net/pl;p/youxi/images/04042203.swf

The Viridian Room: www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/viridian.php

There's another one, too, The Blue Chamber, but it looks kinda disappointing compared to these other two.

It's not even Friday yet!

LOL!

Not much to say, just thought I'd do a quick post. I just got back from a 45 minute walk. It is soooo nice out tonight -- well, except for the mosquitoes! I had to wear a light jacket -- it was really too warm for it once I got walking, but without it the mosquitoes were driving me crazy. But yeah, it was a hot day, and a beautiful calm night. Now, if you live in Saskatchewan, you understand that is rarely ever calm here.... lol.

Work has been busy, which is a good thing. Everyone's stocking up on their summer reading. It was funny, the last day of school, I had a number of teachers stop in. They loaded up on books and were heading for the lake as soon as possible. Lucky them!

Sheldon headed off to Calgary yesterday to spend his week with Chantelle. I know they'll have fun. They have a couple of concerts to see during Stampede Week, including the Stabilo concert tomorrow night {so probably only Alan has any clue who Stabilo is, but that's okay. ;-) }

Fortunately Sheldon was able to get a ride out to Calgary with his dad in the truck... that saved quite a bit on bus fare. It would be nice if he can get a ride back, too, but if not he'll be riding the bus.

I'm hungry, time to go find something to eat. *yawn* Such boring updates.... hahaha....


Currently playing: Heaven ~ DJ Sammy (cuz it's stuck in my head)
Currently reading: Monster ~ Jonathan Kellerman (only one of several books I have on the go)

Happy Canada Day!

LOL... yeah, Amy, it's Friday again. :-P

And I have the day off! It's Canada Day, so no work today. No plans for the day, either. I slept in this morning (yes!), and Sheldon and I are just hangin' out. Might barbecue if the weather holds out. It's really warm out, but is getting pretty cloudy and looks like it may rain.

We've had alot of rain this month, but at least we're not flooding like so many places. Calgary has been flooded and Chantelle's basement suite got wet -- she had to move all her stuff into the empty bedroom and the landlord had to clean up the water and dry everything out. Not fun. Hopefully next week will be nice when Sheldon goes out. Calgary Stampede starts on the 8th, and it would be nice if things were dry then... Chantelle is really excited about him coming out. They should have a great time.

Well, not much to update on at the moment. Maybe I'll be back later. :-P

Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadian readers (all 2 of you.... haha). Have a great day!

Currently playing: Last Saskatchewan Pirate ~ Arrogant Worms {just for fun ;-) }

What is it about Friday's that leads me to post? Boredom, mostly... lol. It's the end of the week, and I want the day to be done. Actually, what I'd really love is a nap! :-P

We had another wild thunderstorm a few nights ago. WOW! The lightning was incredible. I'm sure something hit here in town, you could hear it. And the thunder was awesome!!! :-D I love night-time thunderstorms, the only thing is that with "tornado season", it's kinda worrisome. At least during the day you can see the changes in the weather and have a better chance of knowing if something is coming, but at night... :-S

Sheldon started work this morning. He was tired at noon... lol. Not because the work is hard, but because he had to be up quite early (and didn't go to bed very early!), and it's just different than his usual day. He should be real tired by Sunday night. He goes shingling at 7:00 tomorrow morning, then works again on Sunday morning.

Anyone seen "The Notebook"? I was kinda disappointed. I had decided at one point not watch it, cuz I'd read a couple of Nicholas Sparks' books, and while they weren't too bad and they made me cry, I found them kinda predictable and not really my thing. But then everyone kept saying how "The Notebook" was SOOO good, the best movie, etc., etc., so I broke down and rented it last weekend. It was okay. Not bad, I was just disappointed -- it didn't live up to my expectations.

I really want to see "Hotel Rwanda" -- it's supposed to be very powerful. Maybe I'll rent it when Sheldon's gone to Calgary and Robbie's working, since no one else will wanna watch it with me. We don't agree on many movies in our house... haha.

There's been some scandal at our high school -- a female teacher & and a 16 year old male student. :-S All I've heard is some rumors, I'm not really sure what is truth, but I do know that the teacher was let go. Although all this apparently came about a couple of weeks ago (at least), I only just heard about it -- which is odd in a small town where everyone knows your business practically before you do! I asked Sheldon about it, since I was suprised that he hadn't said anything. But he didn't have much to say, just that he'd heard lots of rumors and didn't know what was true. Considering that the student in this alleged situation is a friend of his.... I guess he'd rather not be involved....

On another note entirely, I'm thinking about letting my hair grow out a bit. It is actually kinda curly once it has some length, but every time in the past that I've considered growing it out, it has driven me completely crazy and I'd go and get it all chopped off again... :-P I don't want it very long, just "longer"... If I can just hold out during that in-between stage when it looks lousy and drives me crazy. We'll see how I do.... lol.

Is it 5:00 yet?! *checks clock* Apparently not... I still have an hour left. I guess I'll go shelve some books and try to keep busy. ;-)

Till next time... :-)

I got a lil reminder that I haven't updated in awhile.... :-P Doesn't seem like there's much to write about, but I'll try... ;-)

School's almost done, Sheldon started writing finals today. He has a couple more this week, then one more next week. Report cards are out on the 30th. And it's finally feeling like summer! I was beginning to wonder if it ever would!

We had an awesome thunderstorm a few nights ago! (I love thunderstorms!) Unfortunately, with the storm came some tornadoes. I didn't know until later the next day that one (some?) had hit around here. Some farmers lost barns, sheds, other buildings, even livestock (sheep and chickens). On one farm, several power poles were ripped right out of the ground, so some areas were without power for some time. I had been watching a movie and not even paying attention to any weather warnings... way to go, September! :rolleyes: I was just enjoying the thunder.... what a goob.

Sheldon applied for a summer job a few weeks ago, and he got a call tonight. They want him to start on Friday morning (pumping gas). He needs a week off to go out to Calgary in July, but other than that he should be available most of the summer. He was also asked to go help shingle a roof on Saturday -- one of his teachers was looking for a few students to help out, he'll pay them each $100 for the day's work, so that is pretty cool. He's going to enjoy having some spending money this summer, and hopefully a start on saving for a inexpensive first car. ;-)

I've been trying to keep up with my walking. I usually manage to get in at least 4 times a week, need to try for more. I don't know the actual distance I've been walking, only that it's usually about 40 minutes. Gonna see if one of the boys will clock it so I know how far I'm going. I've added in an extra bit to what I was doing before, but am now at the same amount of time, so I must have picked up the pace a bit.... lol. I was attempting to do an aerobic workout several mornings a week, but I have an even harder time sticking to that. :-P I like walking because I can put on my tunes and just go -- usually letting my thoughts wander where they will. It helps to work out alot of stuff in head, and I feel better both physically and mentally.

I work 4 or 5 days a week (it alternates), but only 2 of those days include mornings, so I'm looking forward to having some days for sleeping in just a bit this summer. We don't have any special plans for the summer, but I like the relaxed atmosphere and the temporary freedom from meetings, etc. I only wish it lasted longer!

Is that enough randomness? LOL. Till next time... ;-)

~~~~~

Currently playing: Grace and Love ~ Kutless

Yay, it's Friday! :-D Well, I still have to work tomorrow, but still... it's Friday!

The week went by quickly. The month is going to go by quickly I am thinking. Sheldon only has a couple weeks of school left, then finals to write.

His grade 10 hiking/camping trip is coming up, they leave early Sunday morning. They camp and hike through Cypress Hills park -- their longest hike is 17 km. Through the forest and bush, with only a topographical map and a compass to find their way to their destination. Carrying all their supplies on their backs. Should be fun... glad it's not me! Hahaha. It's not a big deal to him at all, having been in Scouts for many years, but for some who never even walk anywhere let alone go camping/hiking, it could be very interesting to say the least. Some of the girls are freaking out already, and one of the teachers who is going has never been hiking either. She's like "what do you mean I can only take one pair of shoes?!" Good grief....

They are put into groups of mostly 3's. Sheldon ended up with only one partner, and of course it is with someone who he really doesn't get along with. Isn't that always the way? The thing about this trip is that it is a great learning experience for all of them, and a good bonding experience for the whole class, too. The teacher leading it has done it for a number of years, and always has great things to report. I'm sure Sheldon will have a wonderful time. :-) Now, if only the weather will be nice...

It's Robbie's birthday on Sunday. *Gulp*. He's going to be 25 years old. How did that happen?! Makes me sound old. I don't feel old... haha. It just makes me sound old. :-P No special plans. I'll bake him a cake (mmmm), but he's working this weekend and it will just be the two of us at home, so it will be quiet. I think he and Rachel should celebrate together... they are only 10 hours apart, her being the older one. 25 years... yikes..... seems like yesterday that I was there.....

Speaking of 25 years, my 25 year high school reunion is this summer, to be held the same weekend as the town's Homecoming/Centennial celebration. I haven't decided if I'm going yet. If a couple of old friends from out of town come back for it I might, otherwise probably not. Much of my class is still living here (or moved back), and I see them around all the time, but I'm not friends with them, so... We'll see....

Well, since you asked, Matt.... ;-)

The surprise was great! Actually, Sheldon was quite sick that day (and the day previous), but I didn't know that at first. He looked like he wasn't really enjoying himself and I was a wee bit bummed, but then when I actually talked to him I found out he was feeling really lousy. He had an awesome weekend, though -- and he was suprised and happy to see me ;-) -- and can't wait to see his friends again. He's already getting "So when are you moving to Calgary?"... haha. And he's talking about doing so. I knew this would happen. It was Chantelle's strong tie to her TEC friends that drew her to Calgary, and it is a big part of what keeps her there I think. I was quite certain that if Sheldon felt the same way about TEC and made the same kind of friends, he would feel that pull to go there as well. We shall see what happens.... he has 2 years of school left yet. ;-)

I had a good day in Calgary before going out to Closura. Kevin picked me up at the airport and we spent the next several hours hanging out at the zoo. It was alot of fun. . :-)

It was so great to see Chantelle, too. It was pretty brief, but good. I miss her so much. She's doing really well, working her two jobs, and she now has a new boyfriend. Scott is also a part of the TEC community, and she's known him for some time -- he was on the worship team on our TEC weekend 4 years ago. Nice guy. :-)

My grandpa passed away last week. I went to his funeral on Monday -- went down to Maple Creek with my sister and brother-in-law. It was a very déjà vu experience.... so eerily like 8 years ago when we went down for my grandma's funeral. It really struck me, the two days that I was there, how emotionally disconnected my family seems to be. I'm not going to get into all of that here, but it gave me alot of food for thought, as did a few other things. Every once in awhile I learn something that is kind of like a "piece of a puzzle" falling into place, helping to make the "picture" just a wee bit clearer. Okay, this won't make sense to anyone but me... but that's okay. :-P It helped to talk with a friend about it last night.

My grandma (on the other side of the family) has been in the hospital. She had hip replacement surgery a number of years ago (first one hip, then the other), and one of them went out on her last week. It is back in place, but it's temporary. She needs to have a whole new hip replacement done, however she has heart problems that puts her at a high risk. It sounds like she is going to risk it, as otherwise she will be completely bedridden. She is fiercely independent and does not that to be the case. I don't know what kind of a waiting list there is for the surgery... I'm just waiting to hear more. And praying that all will go well. She's 86 years old, had a mild stroke last year, and with the heart problems....... =
*looks at the clock* Oops... must get back to work. :-P Have a great day, all!

Sheldon went for his driver's test again this week, and he got it. He was very pumped! :-)

He headed out to Calgary on the bus this morning, to go to TEC. He was telling me how he wished he could have just driven out instead of having to go on the bus. I was like, "yeah, sure... you've had your license for 2 days and you think I'm going to let you drive 7 hours by yourself, to a huge city you've never driven in and don't know your way around in... not to mention that you don't have a vehicle!" Haha... oh well, he tried. ;-)

So yeah, he's on his way out to Calgary to stay with Chantelle and to go to Teens Encounter Christ this weekend. I hope he has an awesome time. TEC means so much to Chantelle and I, and we've pumped it up so much for the last 4 years. Now that he is finally going, I hope he enjoys it as much as we did and that he is blessed big time this weekend.

Now that he's gone and isn't gonna stumble across this post, I can mention the suprise that Chantelle has blessed me with! She sent me an email a couple of weeks ago with an early and suprise Mother's Day gift -- she had booked a flight out to Calgary for me, for Monday, May 23 -- so that I can attend Closura, the final service of the TEC weekend. Closura is a big thing -- the closing service and a time when the participants' family and friends attend (if possible), as well as the larger TEC community. The participants have no clue about it, so it is a fun suprise.

Because Chantelle knew how much it meant to me for Sheldon to go to TEC, and how much I would have liked to work TEC but couldn't and how much I miss it, she arranged for me to fly out for the day (Sheldon and I will come home together on Tuesday). A friend of ours from TEC -- Kevin (he was my table partner when I worked) -- will pick me up at the airport, we'll hang out a bit and go out to Closura together. I haven't seen Kevin for 3 years, so it will be good to see him. I'm glad that Sheldon will finally get to meet Kevin, too.

I'm excited -- I get to surprise Sheldon, I get to see Kevin and some other TEC folks, I get to attend Closura and an awesome time of worship (man, do I miss that) -- and I get to see my girl!!! Woohoo! :-D

So, what else is going on.... Monty and Heather (brother and sis-in-law) are coming this weekend from Vancouver. We only see them about once every two years, and they'll only be here for a day, but it will be good to see them. (In town for the day, in SK for several.) I have to work that day, but will join them for supper at my sister's after work. Should be a fun time.

I was invited to a Stampin' Up! party tonight which I think would have been really cool. I used to scrapbook, but haven't done the stamping stuff. However, I already had a Bible study booked for tonight. Maybe another time. Not like I'll ever actually get around to doing any of it even if I did break down and buy anything.... lol. You should see all the scrapbooking stuff I have that hasn't been touched in forever. And I can't afford another expensive hobby... haha.

Okay, I've wasted enough time at work now, must get back to it. ;-)

Oh, one more thing! With the upcoming release of Todd Agnew's album, I've been listening to the songs on the e-card -- alot! I'm really looking forward to this album! My favorite so far is "My Jesus" -- I love this song. If you haven't heard it, check it out at www.reflectionofsomething.com . Here's the lyrics: (lyrics updated August/05 for accuracy -- taken from the CD liner notes)

My Jesus

Which Jesus do you follow?
Which Jesus do you serve ?
If Ephesians says to imitate Christ
Then why do you look so much like the world ?

`Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant
So which one do you want to be?

Blessed are the poor in spirit
Or do we pray to be blessed with the wealth of this land
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness
Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sand

'Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins
He spent His time with thieves and sluts and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the rich
So which one do you want to be?

Who is this that you follow
This picture of the American dream
If Jesus was here, would you walk right by on the other side
Or fall down and worship at His holy feet

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion
Is how you see Him as He dies for your sins
But the Word says He was battered and scarred
Or did you miss that part
Sometimes I doubt we`d recognize Him

`Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and the least of these
He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable
So which one do you want to be?

`Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet might stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despises the proud
And I think He`d prefer Beale Street to the stained glass crowd
And I know that He can hear me if I cry out loud

I want to be like my Jesus

Not a posterchild for American prosperity,
But like my Jesus
You see I'm tired of living for success and popularity
I want to be like my Jesus
But I'm not sure what that means
To be like You Jesus
'Cause You said to live like You, to love like You
But then You died -- for me

Can I be like you Jesus?
I want to be like you JesusI want to be like My Jesus

Written by Todd Agnew © 2005 Ardent/Koala Music

I feel like I should be updating, yet there doesn't seem to be a whole lot to say.... which I guess is an okay thing, too.

Sheldon went for his driver's test yesterday. Unfortunately, he didn't pass. He was quite disappointed, especially since a buddy went for his right after him and did pass. So, he needs to get some more practise time in, especially with his parallel parking, and he goes again in a couple of weeks.

He's home sick today. He wasn't feeling very well yesterday, and woke up very sick this morning. Robbie's had the same thing, only not as severe... I think I'll try to keep my distance. ;-)

It has been so cold lately, even having snow last week. It's finally starting to warm up a bit this week. Hopefully spring is actually here to stay!

I need to go buy a new toaster today. It's funny... a few weeks ago, my mom asks my sister and I if either of us needs a toaster, she had one she was getting rid of. I said "nope", and so she gave it away elsewhere. Guess what? This week our toaster dies.... lol. Oh well, it's just a toaster... it's not like it's an expensive item to replace. :-P

Ahh, yes, such an exciting update this was.... haha. Now that I've bored you to tears, I shall go buy my toaster and shop for Mother's Day gifts. ;-)

I posted awhile back about one of my patrons at the library, an elderly man, who was recently diagnosed with liver cancer. Sad to say that he died a few days ago.. :-( I didn't even know until I was reading the Prayers of the People at church yesterday, and we were praying for his family... It's unusual in a small town not to know everything within a half hour of it happening, but for some reason I hadn't heard. I also hadn't known that his funeral is today. If my mom hadn't called me last night to let me know, I probably would have missed it.

I will miss Ray very much. He was the most sweet and gentle person. I'm glad that the cancer took him relatively quickly. He was 92 (I think), and it was his time to go. I hope he didn't suffer, but went quietly and gently -- as he lived life. Darn, I'm going to miss his frequent visits to the library.......

I spent much of the last two days doing yardwork -- mostly just raking leaves, etc. Bags and bags and bags of leaves... lol. The boys were gone on the weekend, so I worked by myself yesterday afternoon, but Sheldon was off school today so he helped me this afternoon. Our yard is so big and needs so much work... and I HATE yardwork. I really do. I used to have a garden some years ago, but finally gave up on it when I started working at the library. I never enjoyed it, and it seemed like I never had the time that was necessary to keep it from getting overgrown with weeds. I did NOT inherit a green thumb from my mom, that's for sure. Man, I even kill houseplants! It's so bad.... haha.

Sheldon sent in his application today for TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) in May. Yes!!! He's been waiting 4 years to be old enough to go, and for awhile there we didn't know if it was going to work out for that weekend. But it did work out, and he's going. He is going to have such a great weekend. I wish I could be there. I miss TEC so much. My TEC weekend as an adult observer was one of the most amazing experiences. I pray that he will be able to say the same. :-) I am so excited for him. I need to start getting wheat ready... ;-)

Chantelle called last night. She often phones when she's riding the train home from work -- she gets bored easily... lol. She's doing well, the jobs are going fine -- although she is very tired with working 2 jobs. But it's all good. She started team meetings for TEC last week, so that is exciting. Such fun. :-D

She wants Sheldon to come out to Calgary again this summer for the Stampede. They had such a good time last summer. If he goes out by July 7th, they can go to the Stabilo concert. Cool. Sheldon is planning to go to camp again this summer, too, so that's good. I wasn't sure if he'd still want to go. He's drifted away from so much of that stuff this past year.

He goes for his driver's test on May 3!!! Yikes.... He's had some driving time in with the instructor through school driver's ed classes, but hasn't had any practise otherwise. Which has frustrated me. I can't take him out since I don't drive. It frustrates and makes me mad when others don't take up their responsibility...... Would it be that difficult? He's had his learner's now for almost 6 months. Instead, I had to make a call and make sure that it happened. Why is it always up to me? Grrr.... Ongoing theme in my head today. I had too much time to think while raking leaves.... and I'd better quit now before I say more than I should ... =\

It's Friday... and a beautiful spring day! :-D

I took the day off work, and am leaving in about an hour -- I have another workshop this weekend. The last one until fall. I had tons of Bible reading to do for this one... and umm... still not done. Yeah, it's that procrastination thing again... lol. At least I've done quite a bit, some people haven't even started. ;-) I dunno, this one looks a little "heavy", not sure if I'm up for it or not. I guess we'll see....

Things are pretty quiet otherwise. Chantelle's jobs are going well, she really enjoys working at the coffeeshop. The owner was even talking to her the other day about how much time she needs off over Christmas. Nice! Considering that last year at her old job they wouldn't give her anything other than Christmas Day and one other day.

Lots going on in my head yesterday/last night, one of the reasons for my procrastination on the reading -- couldn't seem to focus. But all is well -- just needing to work out some stuff for myself.

I've been get back into walking again, which is a good thing. I used to go on a regular basis for awhile early last winter, but got out of the habit over the holidays and never got back into it. Part of it was just wimping out due to the cold, and part of it was not being motivated or committed. But having someone to be "accountable" to helps. A friend and I try to do some form of exercise every day about the same time, and that makes a difference. I like walking because I can take my discman and listen to some music and, depending on my mood, either just enjoy the music along with the exercise, or sometimes use the time to think and reflect. Either way, it's all good.

I got my income tax refund back a couple of days ago. It wasn't alot, but hey.... every little bit helps!

Okay, time to get back to my reading. Have a great weekend! (to those who actually read this..... haha)

I am generally a pretty forgiving person. But sometimes, I let certain things really get to me, and I know I shouldn't. Not even big stuff, but stupid stuff that in the long run doesn't really matter. So why do I let it bug me? Why do I go back to it, letting it irritate me over and over again? I suppose because the situation never really gets resolved, just shelved for a little while. I should learn to step away. Blahh....

This next ramble is not about me in particular, but is more of an observation about self-forgiveness.

Forgiveness... not an easy concept alot of the time. Forgiveness not only of others, but of ourselves. I think that for some people, that is the hardest, forgiveness of self. Without it, there isn't peace. Without it, we only punish ourselves. Our wounds do not heal. Forgiveness doesn't mean that what was done or said or whatever was "okay". It means that we accept that it happened, we accept the consequences and deal with them, and we release the guilt we feel. And with it, the pain. But so often we don't feel worthy of forgiveness, and I think that we can withhold it as a way to subconsciously punish ourselves. We may think that in forgiving ourselves we are not holding ourselves accountable, that we are "letting ourselves off the hook", or that we are somehow justifying what we've done. We are still accountable, but we need to know that we are still worthy and loveable and acceptable -- that we are human, and we make mistakes.

Forgiveness is an act of love. It's hard to forgive ourselves if we don't love ourselves. Forgiveness is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it often takes great strength to forgive. Unforgiveness causes so much hurt, so much pain.

Forgiveness does not necessarily mean forgetting. It is about not bringing up the issue to yourself over and over again in a negative way. It is about letting it go so that you can move on in a healthy and positive way.

The negative energy involved in holding onto our guilt is draining, exhausting. And when we hold onto our guilt, we hold onto anger.... and often that anger is turned toward others. So we can end up hurting other people as a result. But most of all, we hurt ourselves -- physically by how it affects our health, and mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

When we cannot forgive ourselves, we carry this heavy weight with us all the time. If we can forgive, we can put down that weight down and leave it behind us. Like a piece of heavy luggage -- do we want to carry that around with us, to live with the pain of doing so, or do we want to release our grip on it and feel the weight lifted? Can we give ourselves permission to heal?

Sometimes we don't receive forgiveness from someone we have hurt even after we have apologized and done our best to make amends, but hopefully we can find it within our own hearts to forgive ourselves. For only through forgiveness can we find the peace we long for.

We can't change the past, but we can change how we deal with the present. It is not easy, but it can be done... and with others who love us walking by our side, the seemingly impossible may seem just a little bit easier.

It always amazes me how God uses the people in my life to remind me of His presence, to encourage me, to teach me, to love me... I shouldn't be surprised, I know, but it still amazes me all the time. It's that perfect timing... it's like "Yes! Thank you, God, you know I needed that today..." :-) Thank you, Alan, for sharing your gift and for the song. *hugs*

It's been a quiet day. I went to the ecumenical Good Friday service this morning. It was good, but for some reason not like other years. I don't know if it was the service itself, or if it was me. I seemed to be very distracted and couldn't focus. I dunno....

Sheldon went to the annual car show in Saskatoon with his dad. I hope they have fun -- it is good that they have some time together, there isn't enough of that. I think Robbie and Rachel went as well, at least they were talking about going. Since I don't have to work today, I have the house to myself and am just chillin'. ;-)

Chantelle called the other day. She got a job working at a coffeeshop downtown. It will be steady hours, 10:30-4:30, Mon-Fri. That's only 28 hours a week, though, so she asked if she could work evenings and weekends at Old Navy as well (she started there last week, different location than before). Her manager was very accomodating, so hopefully that will all work out well.

I miss her... I wish she could be home for Easter, or just be home anytime to visit. She lives too far away for me, but such is life. Thankfully we live in a time of telephones and email. ;-)

Laundry calls. I should get something done today.... lol.

Happy and Blessed Easter to everyone. :-)

Currently playing: Never Look Away ~ Building 429

The Passion

I watched "The Passion of the Christ" again today... I got the dvd for Christmas, but hadn't watched it. Haven't seen it since the first time, the week it came out in the theatre. Today is Palm Sunday, and we read the Passion account from the Gospel of Matthew in church today. The whole time, I'm seeing it in my mind. So I decided that today was a good day to watch it.

It was emotionally draining. Not as bad as the first time, but still draining.

It's been that kind of day... alot of things on my mind today...


Currently playing: Grace and Love ~ Kutless

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says...I'll try again tomorrow. ~ Unknown


Another email "thought of the day". I just liked it.

This was the "thought of the day" in my email this morning:

"True kindness presupposes the faculty of imagining as one's own the suffering and joys of others." ~ Andre Gide

Kind of interesting as I sat here this morning hurting with a friend, and wishing that there was some way to ease the pain, willing to take it on myself if only I could do so. Which of course I can't. All I can do is listen, and offer my love and support. When someone I love hurts, I hurt. And I feel so helpless. I hate that sense of helplessness. I want to be able to do more.

What is my role? I'm not a dispenser of great wisdom or advice (although I remember being told one time that my advice was better than I thought... haha). I don't have all the right words, or insight. My words seem futile a lot of the time. I get frustrated with myself because sometimes I know in my heart what I mean or what I want to say, but don't always seem to be able to express it.

But I care. And I listen. I seem to have a role of being a listener, and an encourager. And maybe that is enough. Maybe it's someone else's job to fill in with the other things that are needed. Maybe I have to trust that what I am doing is enough, and that the rest will be provided.



Currently playing: Calmer of the Storm ~ downhere

When everything is wrong
The day has passed and nothing's done
And the whole world seems against me
When I'm rolling in my bed, there's a storm in my head
I'm afraid of sinking in despair.....

(Not for me this time... this song got me through many a bad time, but this time, it's not for me...)

I had a wonderful time at the conference. Very interesting discussions, and it was so great to see my friends. I felt really bad because Lana was supposed to go with me, and she couldn't make it. But it was so great to see my other friends, and it was really good to have a chat with Elaine. She told me I looked like I was at peace. I'm glad that it is noticeable, because I am. :-)

I was so tired afterward, and ended up staying up really late the night I got home, talking to Chantelle. Had to nap on Sunday afternoon... lol. I love having naps on Sundays.

So, still no job yet for Chantelle, but she's waiting to hear back. They are hiring for 2 positions, but interviewed alot of people. If they are interested, she could get called back to work on either Friday or Saturday night, and be evaluated on her job performance, then wait again after that. In the meantime, she's still out looking.

She went to pick up her final paycheque from the PP job, only to find out that the guy hadn't signed the cheques and had left for the weekend. She was not impressed! What a screwy place...

Almost done with reports for work.... ugh.... I hate reports. Got my income tax done and mailed. Cross that one off the list.... lol.

Oh...... I almost forgot!!! I heard from some good friends a couple of nights ago -- a message saying "Call me ASAP!". They just got engaged! I am sooooo excited and sooooo happy for them!!! Congratulations, you two. ;-)

Not much else happening. Time to go play a quick game of literati online with a friend before bed. ;-)


Currently playing: Angel's Wings ~ Social Distortion

I wish there was some way to take another person's pain away. There isn't. We each have our own to deal with. I only hope that something I do or say can help to ease it, just a little.

~*~*~*~

Today is Chantelle's job interview. Praying that it goes well, and that she gets the job.

I'm going to a diocesan workshop/conference out of town this weekend. It was originally supposed to be a bigger conference last fall, but due to a number of factors including low registrations it was postponed till spring. Now the entire format has been changed. I'm sure it will still be good, but something different from what was originally planned. The Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada is the guest speaker (the primate is the bishop of highest rank in the country). I'm certain that at least some of the discussion will be surrounding the recent request that the Canadian and American churches voluntarily withdraw from the Anglican Consultative Council due to the issues of the ordination in the U.S. of gay bishop Gene Robinson and of same-sex blessings in Canada. I hope that the discussions can take place in a peaceful manner. There is so much division already...

It will be good to see some friends this weekend. The only time we see each other is at these workshops, and it's always a blessing to spend time together. :-)

So many struggles with my faith in the past few years... so many questions and at times frustration. Not that there is anything wrong with questioning and doubting, I think that is how we grow. But sometimes it leaves you feeling very lost. I read something last night that someone said on a message board: "God likes questions. If you don't ask, how can He answer?" I liked that. :-)


Currently playing: Treasure of Jesus ~ SCC

It's always interesting to see how things interconnect, how something I've been thinking about, talking about, reading about, etc. ends up relating to something that someone else has also been contemplating in some manner.

Last night, I was talking to someone about friendships and relationships that I have made online, through the message boards, and about how some people in my life will view that negatively. But I know, without a doubt, that those people, those friendships and relationships, have had a purpose. Both for me, and in some cases that I'm aware of, for them. I would not be the person that I am today, I would not be where I am today, if not for those people. I would not have the strength to deal with the things in my life, I would not have gotten to this particular place in my life, without them. A place that I need to be. They have taught me so much, and given me the love and support that I have needed.

If only some people could see things through my eyes....

Anyway, it was interesting, because I posted something on the boards last night in response to someone's thread. I almost took it down later, because it was fairly personal and I rarely talk about personal stuff in a public forum. But after some thought, I decided to leave it up. I'm glad I did. Because John found that it related to some of his recent thoughts, and his sharing of his thoughts related back to mine.... and well, it was just cool.

That used to happen alot. I suppose it still would if I was sharing more.

Anyway.....

This past week was a pretty good one, with the exception of Chantelle losing her job... man.... How stupid. Her and another girl approach their boss to talk about scheduling and some other issues, and get fired on the spot. He obviously can't deal with anything, and he's now on his own, so good luck to him! Let him handle the whole place by himself. Sheesh......

She got a telemarketing job, but hopefully it's just temporary... she just hates it. She has an interview on Wednesday at a good restaurant in a key area of the city (very busy), so hopefully she gets that. She would be hostessing, but with any luck could move to serving, which would be great for tips. Praying it all works out for her. I'm not in a position right now to offer her much financial assistance, as much as I would like to. Trusting that all will be well.

Otherwise, things are good. I feel more at peace than I have in a long time. :-)


Currently playing: Take Me In ~ Kutless

This and that....

It's weekend again. The week went quickly, and yet it seems like forever since I was away. I miss my friends.... :-(

This past week was winter break, so Sheldon didn't have school. I think he was bored for awhile cuz some of his friends were busy/away, but a bunch of them went to Regina on Thursday to help his friend's mom move and then to just hang out, and I think he's had a good time. Still not home yet... lol.

My mom took me out for supper last night, Chinese food. That was nice. Spent the rest of the evening alone. Which normally isn't a bad thing, I don't mind being alone, but it ended up being a bad night. The whole week had gone relatively well, but you know how one thing can just set you off? Well, I've been trying so hard to stay strong, but last night one little thing sent me crashing and burning. Not fun. Got through it, though, and both a very timely email (I don't know how you do it, Joyce!) and a chat with a best friend helped alot.

I had a great chat on the phone with Chantelle a couple of nights ago -- she is always so bright and full of life, always makes me laugh. Her job is going well and she's been getting quite a few hours in. She's a bit frustrated that her boss doesn't make a schedule more than a few days ahead, but hopefully they can straighten that out.

After I talked to her last weekend, she had talked to her ex-(but still good friend)boyfriend, and he later called Sheldon just to let him know that he was available if he ever needs to talk, and to offer him the money to go out and visit Chantelle if he ever feels like he just needs to get away from things here for a bit, maybe on his next school break or whatever. A wonderful gesture and one that means alot -- thank you, Mark.

So many people have been blessing us. :-)

I'm working today. Hmm... seems to be a pattern here of posting when I'm bored at work... lol. Not a real busy day -- steady, but not busy. That's alright, I'm not complaining. ;-)

The new boards sure aren't very active. They don't feel much like home yet. Maybe because so many of the "regular" members aren't there, I dunno. I have found that I'm not really missing the moderating, though. It's rather nice to just pop in now and again and not have the responsibility or the (sometimes) stress. ;-)

Time to end this senseless rambling and get some work done... :-P I hope everyone has a great weekend! Have fun at the concert, John. ;-)

Wow.... this last week and half has been a rollercoaster of emotions... I may post more on that at some point, but for now I'm just gonna say that I had the most amazing time on my vacation. Reunited with one friend, met several more, and just had a blast!!!! Some of us went to the SCC concert in Oklahoma City, and that was so much fun. We got to meet Steven afterward -- it was so awesome. I've waited a long time for that. But that was just a bonus -- the whole trip, the time spent with friends was what was important. I don't think I could even begin to put into words how much it meant to me.

It is the coolest thing when people that you have never met in person and only had cyber and phone communication with turn out to be exactly the way you expected them to be. That the connections are real and deep. Very cool.

I came home slightly sick, but am feeling a bit better. Dealing with alot of stuff on top of that -- stuff that is really tough right now, but I think will be okay in the long run. I have to trust that it will be.

I'm back at work today. I'm thankful that it's only for one day.... lol. I probably should have taken this day off, too, but at time I thought it would be good to get back and get caught up on all that I had missed, etc. Now I'm wishing I'd given it a bit longer, but oh well... This way I can hopefully clear out a bunch of stuff from while I was gone and start fresh next week. Going back to work after a vacation is always hard. Ugh...

Currently playing: Believe Me Now ~ SCC

Wasting time at work.... lol

I wish we had emoticons here, or could insert some. I was wanting that :hyper: dude from Hostboard smilies.... lol.

Yup, a lil excited today. Leaving tomorrow morning for TX! Well, actually I go an hour and a half to "the city", have lunch with a friend, and then fly out mid-afternoon. Will get to TX about 9:30 p.m., and apparently will be hitting The Waffle House after getting picked up at the airport.... mmmmm. :-D

I can't wait... It's going to be an awesome time -- wonderful friends, a concert... did I mention wonderful friends... lol. And yes, a bit of an escape. Temporary, but an escape all the same. Not really wanting to think about junk I have to deal with when I return, but am putting all of that on hold for now and am just going to enjoy myself.

I never would have thought, 3+ years ago, that I would have this opportunity. I never would have imagined making such amazing friendships, let alone actually getting to meet. It's been an interesting journey, without a doubt. My only disappointment is that I had hoped to meet a couple of board peeps who now can't make it... :-( Maybe one day in the future...

I heard from a couple of friends today. One who'd been kind MIA for the past little bit -- I learned that she's been going through a rough time lately. I feel bad that I didn't know -- not that I could have since I hadn't heard from her recently, but still. She's always been there for me, and I wish I'd known so I could have been praying for her. But now I know, and will. *hugs* for you, S.

Another friend I'm in frequent contact with but hadn't heard from for just a few days. She's been ill with what they thought were migraines, but she ended up at the emergency room and had a ton of tests done. Hopefully everything is okay, I'll check in with her when I get back. She's been my rock and my support lately. Get better soon, J.!!!!

Last night Sheldon was playing shinny with some friends and he fell onto both his elbows. He is so sore today -- both from the elbows and also just from skating for a couple of hours, he's not used to that. He has a basketball game after school, so that's gonna hurt.... ouch. :-(

Wow, Lent starts tomorrow. Hard to believe another year has gone by. We have our church's Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper tonight. Not sure if I'm going, we'll see how the rest of the day goes. I might go but skip out early so I can get some things finished up at home.

I'm going to miss the Ash Wednesday service tomorrow night. First time in a long time. It's one of my favorite services. In fact, I like all of the Lenten services. Some people think Lent is rather depressing, but I like it. It can be a good time for reflection -- not that it always is because I can tend to get too busy with life and neglect the spiritual, but overall I still like it.

I'm at work, but really not wanting to be here.... can you tell? Hahaha.... I guess I should get back to it. Things I should clear up before going. My assitant librarian just got back yesterday from 3 weeks in England (she even worked out her trip so that she could be back in time for me to leave --originally she had planned to be gone the same time I was, but her plans were more flexible than mine). No doubt she's jetlagged, but will be in sometime today to catch up on what she's missed, etc. I should make it at least look like I'm accomplishing something today.... lol.

Currently playing: Jars of Clay ~ Who We Are Instead

Good news

I got a call from Chantelle. last night, and she got the job at the Pita Pit. Yeah, it's not the best job, but at least it's a job for now, which she needed desperately. She worked 7 hours yesterday, training. She's going to keep looking for something better, but is very thankful that she has this for the time being.

I had been dreading our church annual meeting, but it went much better than expected. That's always nice. :-)

Doing a bunch of stuff around the house today and tomorrow, taking care of some things before I leave for TX on Wednesday. I don't work tomorrow, so I can pack and finish things up then. I am SOOOO excited!!!!

The boys are out today, watching the Superbowl -- Robbie. in the city with the gang, and Sheldon at a friend's house. It's quiet around here -- no Superbowl for me.... I am SO not a sports person. Just me and my music today, hanging out online and getting some things accomplished. It's been a fairly productive day. ;-)

I talked to Chantelle. last night -- still no job. She's frustrated with the place she interviewed at, because they've been stringing her along. She talked to a girl yesterday who told her that she had applied there one time and it took a month and a half before they got back to her to tell her she definitely had the job!!! In the meantime she'd given up and found a different one. It's frustrating because she's basically wasted this time waiting on this job, when she could have been out looking for another or possibly working at something else already. In the meantime, no money coming in. Arrghhh. Put some money in her account today so at least she won't be out on the street.... :-P She dropped off a resume at another place yesterday and has an interview today -- praying that this one will work out.

I leave in 5 days for TX... I'm so excited! We are so unorganized.... haha. Deciding whether to stay overnight in OKC, where to stay -- where is this place? Is it close to the venue? It's pretty cheap, is it gonna be a roach motel? How do you find out? Can't exactly call them up and ask them... lol. Anyway, sooner or later we'll get it together -- and we're gonna have a blast!

One of my best friends brought me flowers earlier this week... so unexpected, so thoughtful. I have wonderful friends. :-D

Just rambling thoughts....

We've lost a number of our elderly library patrons in the past few years. One of my favorite old fellows has recently become sick and was diagnosed with liver cancer. He's almost 93 I think, so they won't be putting him through any kind of rigorous treatment, he will just be made as comfortable as possible. I really hate to lose him, he is just the sweetest old man. I've noticed him steadily declining for some time now, both physically and mentally. He is almost blind, but still takes out large print books and reads them with a special magnifying glass. He was in the library today, with his granddaughter. I was suprised, I hadn't expected him to be out. He looks so fragile, his skin is yellow and he is so thin.... I hope he doesn't suffer, but goes quietly and gently, just as he lived life. *sigh*

Our church's annual meeting is on Sunday. Ugh. I've come to dread annual meetings and church government/conflict/etc. in general. The loss of Donna is going to be felt immensely. She was always our "mediator", the level-headed, diplomatic one who could handle the conflicts, etc. with such grace. I miss her......

Music is so powerful, isn't it? I have a bunch of songs from various CD's that I saved on my computer here at work, and as they play certain songs remind me of certain people, or situations, or just bring up various feelings. Joy, sadness, longing, a touch of God's love and grace. Music reaches me on a level that nothing else does, it is often my strongest connection to God. He has reached me so many times through music, bringing me healing and renewal, breaking me down and then lifting me back up again. Revealing His love to me. There are certain songs that I turn to when I am feeling down, knowing that they will probably make me cry, but needing that I guess, for a time. Some songs I associate with a specific time or place or event and the memories that surround them, others are ones that I share with certain people and in hearing them there is a special connection. I can't imagine living without music. What must it be like to lose that through the loss of hearing, or to never know it? So much that we just take for granted....

I think life changes once you hit 40, I really do. I didn't think so at the time, but looking back now on the past couple of years, I can see huge changes. Sometimes I'm not sure who I am anymore. Or maybe it's just that I never really did know who I was and am now finding out. Sometimes change is hard, but I have to trust that it is for the better.

I think I've caught John's ADHD.... lol. Talk about random thoughts........ :-P

Friends

Friends... seems to be a recurring theme amongst my blogging friends... lol.

Yesterday was a rough day... and yet, it was a good day, too. Rough because some of the stuff I'm going through is escalating, and is going to get worse before it gets any better, I'm certain.

What made it a good day was the love and support of friends. Online friends who take the time, no matter what, to chat -- to listen and encourage and try so hard to make me smile -- and who return emails even though it's late at night. "In the flesh" friends who know from one look at you that something isn't right and ask how you're doing and offer to listen at anytime. Who, upon receiving an email, pick up the phone and talk for 2 hours -- crying, laughing, encouraging, loving, supporting. Friends who are willing to listen to me vent, who see me at my worst, who know my struggles, my hurts, and my faults, and who still love me.

God, I thank you for friends. I don't know where I would be without them. Some of the most amazing people have come into my life, and each one of them blesses me in so many ways.

And I thank you for my kids, who are the best. They are going to have their own struggles, but I think they understand.

I love the Encouragement Thread on the SCC boards. I used to post there a fair bit, and have been very neglectful of that. Today there was a post for me, and the timing was perfect. I just love it when those things happen. :-D

---

Currently playing: Healing Rain ~ MWS