Around the Loop

Changing hosting packages

2009-06-25T08:45:00.002-05:00

I recently decided to move my website to a new hosting company - the customer service at my old host had gotten pretty bad. I wasn't getting emails regarding renewals on sites, I wasn't able to contact the customer service department, sometimes for weeks on end, and when I did, I wouldn't always hear back from them.
So last week I moved my site over to another hosting company that I've used with other sites - Globat. I've been very happy with their service and will probably move all my sites over to them throughout the next year, as they come due.
I've also changed my domain name from rogerswebnet.net to aroundtheloopdesigns.com - I'd had this new domain for several months, but at this point I'll only be using it; the rogerswebnet.net domain will go dormant.
My site is currently down, because of some problems with the DNS servers, but I hope the site will be back up by first of next week at the latest. When it does come back online, I'll also be moving my blog over to aroundtheloopdesigns.com/wp, so this will probably be my last post on this blog. I'm moving all the posts, comments and other information while I'm waiting.
Make sure you change your bookmarks and check out the new blog - the look will change slightly on both the site and the blog - there will be many more similarities between the two. Hope you like the new look!

Share a Smile Thursday

2009-06-18T11:46:00.003-05:00

I've been challenged by Angelika over at Angelika Heart Talk to share a smile today, so here goes:
When my older kids were little, they enjoyed watching Disney's Sing a Long Songs videos. One of our favorites was Figaro and Cleo from Pinnochio.

Anytime I want to visit those days again, all I need to do is catch one of these video clips on Youtube and I'm there again, on the sofa with my kids, all of us singing along.
I have four favorite grandsons, Hunter, Dyllan, Reid and Talan, as well as six favorite granddaughters, named Chloe, Khloe, Destiny, Laynie, Nevaeh [read hers backwards!] and our newest one, who will be born sometime this fall.
Here's a story about Reid:
This last fall, I was talking to Reid (who is 2 1/2 and helps his dad farm and take care of the cows), and asked him about his newest surprise. He looked at me and said, "I got a trike-cycle!" I said, "Well, my goodness! What color is it, red?" He looked at me with these big solemn eyes, and said, scornfully, "No, it's GWEEN!"
I should have known- what self-respecting John Deere-tractor-riding farmer boy would ride a Massey-Ferguson red trike-cycle?
And just so I represent the girls as well, here's one from Laynie:
Laynie, who is four, has a nice fenced in back yard with a trampoline. Once when we were visiting her, I talked to her while she jumped. When I asked her if she jumped a lot, she said, "Yes, I like to, but the neighbors don't like for me to because sometimes I jump over their fence." All this was said with a straight face and no thought beforehand. If she doesn't work in the entertainment field, I'm going to be surprised.
These are just some of the reasons I love talking to my grandchildren- they educate me in so many ways, I can't even count. If I don't learn something from them, it's because I'm not paying attention.
If you need a smile, and can't find one, just hang around a little kid for a little while- they'll loan you one of theirs.

I'm so Thankful...

2009-06-16T08:54:00.002-05:00

Just a short note today about how thankful I am.
I'm so thankful that my work allows me to be with folks who need me. I've got friends who need someone to drive them to their doctor's visit today, and because my schedule is flexible, I'm able to do that.
I'm also thankful about my schedule, because some of our younger granddaughters may need to come stay with us this summer, because their parents both may have to have surgery during the same time. I'll be able to take care of them while their parents are recuperating; their parents won't have to worry about doing the things that little girls need and can get well quicker.
I'm glad I work from home, so I can do these things - the things I lose because I don't work in an office are nothing stacked up against the blessings I get from being at home with my family.

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

2009-06-10T10:02:00.004-05:00

I was recently challenged by another blogger (30 Things) to read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I picked it up at our local Books-a-Million store (my favorite) and started in.
I wasn't sure what to expect- the clerk who waited on me asked if I was buying this for a class assignment; when I told her no, she said that she had seen more copies of the book sold in the last few weeks than she'd ever noticed before.
I think I understand the reason for it- someone who's read the book, sees the parallels between something in the book and today's news, and suggests it to a friend. The cycle goes on and on...
At one point in the book, someone states that all personal land should only be held for the public trust- in other words, land that you inherit from your grandfather should be made available to all who are interested in using it; instead of it being yours to do with as you wish. (Sound familiar?)
Or how about one character who ruined a factory. They purchased the factory by suing a bank who wouldn't give them a loan (they had no collateral and no experience in running a factory). After buying the factory, they changed several things: they paid all workers, maintenance crew, unskilled and skilled labor, all the way up to the president of the company - everyone received the same salary. Twice a year, everyone in the factory was able to ask for things as they needed it. Those whose need was voted on as being worthy got the money they needed. They also voted on whether folks were doing as much as they were capable of - those who did not meet expectations were forced to work overtime with no extra pay, or they paid fines. Money that should have been invested in labs and research on newer and better products, was instead put into redecorating the factory so the workers could be more comfortable in their surroundings (play room, rest areas, etc). The factory collapsed within a very short time - no surprise there. The man who was in charge of the factory complained because he wasn't given everything he needed to succeed.
There are so many parallels between this book and today's society, that I'm not able to read it as quickly as I'd like. I tend to read a passage several times, to let everything sink in.
Now don't get me wrong- I don't think money is the be-all and end-all of everything. But I do think that folks ought to be able to work as hard as they want, and to be rewarded for their work at whatever the free market will allow. That's the key though- the free marketplace will work itself out, if the government will stay out of it. If someone doesn't know how to run a business , the business will either fail or flounder- hopefully the owner of the business will learn from mistakes, and also hopefully get help so they can improve their business and be successful.
I know this sounds harsh, but it's the only way our country is going to succeed- we have the right to pursue happiness, but happiness itself is not guaranteed by the Constitution.

New Babies

2009-06-10T09:25:00.004-05:00

Several months ago, Randy added an outside wall to our carport - probably I should say bikeport, but that sounds funny. We park our bikes under the carport, and he figured closing it in would help protect the bikes during bad weather, and it would also give us some more storage space, since he added shelves to the inside of that wall.
A few weeks later, he was changing out some parts on the bike, and left an empty box on the top of one of the shelves. Then one day, I was working in our living room and looked out the window onto the carport and noticed a bird was carrying twigs and leaves. As I watched, she went into the box, the box shook a bit, and then she popped back out. I kept watching over the next day or so, and she eventually finished the nest she was working on.
I've worried about the nest, because we have two cats who like to play in and around the bikes; one actually takes a nap on one of the shelves. At one point, we thought the nest had been abandoned, but when Randy picked the box up to throw it away, the bird came flying out of the box - I don't know who it startled more, Randy or the bird.
Then over the weekend, Randy picked up the box to see if it was still being used, and guess what he saw? Three little mouths open wide, waiting for lunch.
I'm still a bit nervous about the cats- they are champion hunters, and love to go after noisy little animals. But hopefully the mama bird is watching them, and the box itself is in a spot that would be hard for the cats to reach. I'm just going to trust that God will keep His hands on the babies until they can get out on their own.

Food, glorious food

2009-06-05T11:02:00.002-05:00

What trip review would be complete without talking about the food you ate? So here's a breakdown of the best places we hit while we were on the road.
We took in several nice places - the two best were Mel's Diner, which was right across from our hotel, and Flapjacks, a hunting-lodge type place.
Mel's Diner looks like a real diner from back in the 50s - lots of movie posters and ads, blue and white leather booths, coat racks on each booth... items on the menu were named after characters on Happy Days and other 50s-related personalities.
For example, I had the Abbott and Costello Jumbo Wings, with mild sauce. There were six on the plate, and there was more than enough for me for lunch; it would make great appetizers for two or three folks. Jenn had the cheeseburger with bacon, mushrooms and chili; she said hers was great as well.
The wait staff was very friendly and helpful without being clingy; they made sure our glasses stayed full, and quickly moved dishes out of our way.
Flapjacks is a pancake house that's decorated like a hunting lodge. It was hard to make a choice, but I decided on the Wild Mountain Blueberry pancakes- six huge blueberry pancakes that overflowed the platter, topped with powdered sugar and more blueberries. They brought blueberry syrup and warm maple syrup. Less than $7, I made it through about half of them. They were the best pancakes I think I've ever had, almost floating off the plate. Jenn and Randy had breakfast skillets, which consisted of eggs, grits or hashbrowns, pancakes, biscuits and gravy and sausage or bacon. There were several different ways to order a skillet, each with it's own choices.
The wait staff at Flapjacks were also very friendly; our waitress kept a close eye on how we were doing, without standing over us.
There are several Flapjacks restaurants in the area- we ate at the one on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge, and for me, it was the best meal of the trip.
We also stopped at Mama's Farmhouse. A huge airy building, with gingham curtains and old-timey ceiling fans, was very welcoming. The staff all wore overalls and were very friendly. It was all-you-could-eat, served family style. Fried chicken, pork roast slices, country-fried steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, buttered corn, peach cobbler and banana pudding were available as well as vegetable soup, biscuits and corn muffins. The food was good, but $17 a plate was a bit steep, especially sincce the food wasn't outstanding.
One night, we ate at a small local pizza place (Geno's?) that was also good. The crust was handmade and was delicious, with plenty of toppings, cooked to perfection.

Turns, Twists and Treasures

2009-06-04T13:40:00.004-05:00

If you're looking for some gorgeous scenery and nice roads to ride, a trip through the foothills of the Smoky Mountains is a great place to start.
On our recent trip, we took mostly state and county roads; riding the interstate can help you make good time, but it's the most boring thing I can imagine. All those miles, with hardly anything of interest to see - just mileposts, billboards and gas stations. If I've got time to make up, I use the interstate; otherwise it's the regular roads. To quote Daniel Meyer, "sometimes the journey is the destination".
The final leg of the trip on the way up was from Townsend to Pigeon Forge on Highway 321. It's about 18 miles, and there are some very nice twisties, plus one switchback, turning sharply to the right and climbing an incline at the same time; if you've got time to really look, you can see that the vehicles ahead of you are almost over your head. I always get my heart in my throat during that kind of switchback, so I really had the adrenaline going.
There were lots of long slow curves as well, which are just as much fun to ride, even if it's not so exciting. Lots of other bikers have discovered this little piece of road, so we were meeting them regularly. Even as tired as I was (at that point we'd been on the road for most of 12 hours), it was enjoyable.
During Friday's ride, we headed out from Pigeon Forge, planning on riding up towards Rutledge, TN. We had found a route on Motorcycle Roads and Trips that sounded great. The description was very good, and the directions were wonderful, but we made a few changes and ended up seeing some other lovely country. We rode about 70 miles on that ride, and saw some very nice curvy roads, hilly country and lots of beautiful water and trees.
Our last stop before heading back to PF was at a combination general store/deli/parts store/garage. We just meant to stop for a minute, take a bathroom break, get a drink and head back out, but as most bikers know, it hardly ever works out that way.
When we first pulled up, we noticed a beautiful old car sitting near the entrance to the garage. I got my Elph out and walked towards it to take a few pictures, and the mechanic came out of the shop and asked if we'd like to see the engine. Of course, we said yes, and he popped the hood. While we stood and talked, he told about buying the car from it's original owner; it had less than 8,000 miles on it. He also had several other antique vehicles that he'd gotten from other local folks over the years - he maintains them and works to improve them, but he uses them as transportation too. These cars don't just sit up somewhere to be admired- they were designed and created to carry people from one place to another, and they're being used that way.
The owner and some of his buddies also told us about several other good rides to make, on another day; it's always nice to have local folks tell you good places to ride and see things, so we'll keep that in our ride idea list (getting longer all the time).
When we went inside the store to get a drink, we had some more pleasant surprises: I found a Sunkist Orange (one of my favorites) in a real glass bottle, not the plastic kind we usually get. The decor inside the store was one-of-a-kind: someone's old toy trucks, cars and machinery had been set up along the counters in the deli area, and it brought back lots of childhood memories - I saw some of the same toys my brothers played with, as well as some that looked like the ones my sons played with.
There were also all kinds of "kids treasure" on the walls - some still in it's packaging.
We finally dragged ourselves away and got back on the road - another 30 minutes or so and we were riding by Dollywood. Dolly Parton has really done a lot for the area - it's grown up beautifully, with lots of nice businesses serving customers. The small-town kindness is still there, even in three and four-lane traffic- I don't think I ever heard someone blow their horn in anger at another driver, and I never saw someone giving the one-finger salute. And southern courtesy was in evidence as well- several times when we were trying to get back on the road in heavy traffic, someone would motion for us to come on out, even though it held them up for a minute.
It was an enjoyable day all the way around; I'd suggest a trip to the area for anyone who wants to see beautiful country, ride some fun roads and get treated with some of the best southern hospitality you could ask for.

Interesting/odd/weird things on the road

2009-06-03T16:51:00.006-05:00

Between the time we left Rutledge and the time we got to Pigeon Forge, we had seen all kinds of great/interesting/odd things.
We saw:

a full-sized horse statue on top of someone's house
a combination adult bookstore and fruit stand (I don't even want to think about it)
more carved bears than I would have though imaginable
Elvis' white Caddy (at least, one of his white Caddy's)
a lighthouse sitting on top of a garage overlooking a lake
old tricycles used as garden decorations
a 'Dam Store' (general store near a hydro-electric dam - can you imagine what you'd find in a store owned by someone who has that sense of humor?)
a Bush's Baked Beans factory (didn't see Duke the dog though)
some type of farm equipment that was tall enough to easily drive my bike under it- hubby says it's used to spray corn - we met it on the road
an upside down building (Wonderworks)

Sixteen years ago today...

2009-06-03T16:29:00.003-05:00

Today's my baby girl's birthday- she's sixteen years old, and she's one of my heroes. She stands by her friends, no matter what; she believes in them and encourages them. And she won't stand for someone putting them down- woe to you if you 'dog out' her friends, because she'll cut you off at the knees.
She goes her own path, and she marches to her own beat. She does things her way and doesn't care if anyone else likes it or not. She's not disrespectful, or mean, but she stands by what she believes in, and she'll go toe to toe with anyone over it.
Jenn, I'm proud to be your Mama, and I'm glad to be able to watch you grow up into a beautiful young woman. I can't wait to see what God's got in store for you!

Gum can be hazardous...

2009-06-02T12:48:00.003-05:00

This is one of the toughest posts I've had to write- but I have to. As much as I've been frustrated and even angry because of someone else's driving distracted, I have to tell this so hopefully others won't get into the same situation.
***************************************************

At one stop on our way home, I must have stepped in some gum. It stuck right at the ball of my left foot and I didn't notice it until we were on our way. By then, it was warm enough to stick my boot to my floorboard, which was very aggravating while trying to change gears. I could move my foot, but it was more of an effort than usual.
Since we were still in the foothills, we were going up and down hills, and around curves. I know I should have stopped as soon as I realized how much trouble it was giving me, but I decided to just wait until we stopped either for gas or a rest break, but I didn't. That was my first mistake.
As we rode along, we gradually fell in line behind several vehicles. Since the road was only a two-lane local road, we didn't get a chance to pass them, so we were going along about 50 mph or so. That ended up being a blessing. As we were riding along, meeting bikes and waving, (and me still worrying with the gum on my boot) the first vehicle in line needed to turn left, so they had to stop for oncoming traffic.
Since I was distracted by the gum (and the bikers we were meeting) I didnt' start braking quite quickly enough. When I did, I got on the brakes too hard - my back tire was squealing and it started sliding around to the right. The road conditions didn't help- it was a local road that had lots of tar poured on top of breaks and cracks, which made it more slippery.
I let off a bit, which stopped the sideways slide, but I was still too close to the car ahead of me, so I had to get right back on the brakes; I did finally get it stopped without going into the other lane, which still had traffic in it. If I'd laid the bike down, it would have gone under the SUV in front of us, or into the oncoming traffic, which was still mostly bikers. I'd hate to think I caused other bikers to go down because of my being distracted.
I've talked it over with Randy- we were pretty much riding axle to axle so I wasn't going too fast; I just didn't start braking the second I should have- only a second or two, but that's all it took...
I'm still not sure if I ended up using the front brake as well; if I did, it was God helping me do it, because I didn't jerk it. I do know at one point I was thinking 'did I let off the gas' but I knew I wasn't because the engine wasn't racing- guess you have crazy thoughts go through your head at times like that.
We couldn't pull over immediately because of the road and traffic conditions, which was even harder for me- I wanted to stop and lay down and cry right there. But believe me, I stopped at the very next spot I could find and got the goop off my boot and the floorboard. I also was super-careful not to follow too close until I could take care of it.
I will not make that mistake again- I'll check my boots just like I check my tires, and if I notice something that feels 'off' I'll stop as soon as I can, to correct it.
I know the good Lord was right there with me, because I didn't panic, I got the bike stopped without laying it down, I didn't immediately faint from fear, and I didn't throw up all over my bike when it was over. (and oh, did I want to).
I'm just thankful I had some help to get the bike stopped, and I didn't hurt anyone else. I'm also thankful the folks behind us slowed up and gave me plenty of room - they could see I needed some space and they gave it to me.
I've learned several lessons on this trip, but this was by far the most important.

Wild and Crazy

2009-05-29T17:23:00.009-05:00

It's always fun to add to my list of people who know I'm crazy.
We left out for Pigeon Forge around 7 am, and stopped in Montgomery at the Waffle House for breakfast. After we ate, we got back on the road, and as we stopped at a light, I started cutting up at my daughter, who's riding behind my husband on his bike. They're to my right - I'm waving my arms, 'dancing', making faces, pretending to talk on a cell phone (my hand), just generally acting crazy. I hear laughter to my left- I didn't realize we had company. The guys in the pickup truck in the next lane were enjoying my little show... they asked where we were headed, and we told them Pigeon Forge. They wished us a safe trip, and we were on our way!

The Perception of 'Bad'...

2009-05-26T21:24:00.007-05:00

It always amazes me to watch someone make a snap judgment about a person, simply by the way they look: if a person is overweight, they're lazy; if they wear glasses, they're smart; and if they're bikers, they're obviously in a gang that's just robbed the church.
For some reason, black leather, doo rags, tattoos and biker boots means bad news, to adults, at least... a little kid usually has a totally different take on things. For example, while on our way home from Pigeon Forge, we stopped for a rest break. As we were walking towards the bathrooms, a little blonde cutie-pie came out holding her grandmother's hand. She took one look at my husband (big ol' teddy bear of a guy: full beard and mustache, dark glasses, gloves and boots, a smile as wide as the horizon and of course, a doo rag) and said "look, Grandma, a pirate!" with a big smile. Then she spotted me and said, "oh, another pirate!" She then made fast friends with my husband and talked to him for several minutes. We almost always get smiles and waves from kids.
We've had a few negative responses as well, usually from adults. They either don't like how we look, or that we're riding motorcycles. They look like they smell something bad...
But those folks are in the minority - most folks are about as friendly as they can be - I smile and they smile back. One little old lady at a bank patted my arm just like my grandma would have, and said, 'honey you just have air conditioning all the time, don't you? you be safe out there!" and then walked on with a smile.I always try to smile and be friendly towards other folks, to reach out to them and show them it's OK to smile at me and say hello.
I think the folks who judge me and mine harshly are those whose deepest heart's desire was once to ride, but something kept them from it - either fear, whether of judgment or of an accident; or someone with authority over them refused to let them ride.
So, I guess I should pity those who look down on us - they either want to be where we are, but don't have the strength to do it, or they think we're less than them because of who and what we are. Maybe we look like we're having too good a time to care whether our hair is combed, or that I'm not wearing makeup; maybe they can see on our faces that we're doing something enjoyable and don't care what others think; or maybe they just never learned to be happy. Either way, I'm sorry for them...
In the end, my newest patch says it all: Judge me all you want, just keep your verdict to yourself.

What Will You be Doing on Memorial Day?

2009-05-23T16:03:00.000-05:00

Our county has truly served her country well- we have many veterans living among us, from World War II, Korea, Viet Nam and all the way to current-day conflicts.
I read a statistic that our country, on average, is losing over one thousand World War II veterans every day, and that’s not counting vets from other wars. What are we doing to insure that the history within those men and women doesn’t die with them? And more importantly, what are we doing to make sure all veterans know we hold them in honor and respect?
Whether we agree with the wars they fought in or not, we owe these men and women a debt of gratitude we can never repay.
I’d like to challenge you to do two things. First, if you know of someone who is a veteran, spend time with them. Get to know them- at some point, they may want to share their experiences with you. Whether they do or not, make sure you tell them how much you appreciate the sacrifices they made for you and your family.
Second, remember that we have many veterans who are buried in cemeteries in our area- and many of those cemeteries depend on the family members for maintenance. I’ve seen some graves that have gone untended, either because the family has moved away or died, or because family members are no longer able to keep them clean. If each one of us adopted a grave and made an effort to keep it cleaned up, what a difference it would make! The simple act of placing a small flag on the grave would be another way to show honor to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Someone once said we live in the land of the free, because of the brave. Please remember to thank those brave men and women who answered the call of their country.

Kids, Trains and Motorcycles

2009-05-13T07:40:00.004-05:00

My friend Chessie has a great post on train clubs, trains and motorcycles; it reminds me of how much I love trains (and of course motorcycles) as well.
How many of you remember hearing the train whistle when the train came through town? We always wanted to be in a spot to see it when it came by. It was even better when it crossed the street to the school- you had an automatic excuse for being late!
My dad and brothers had a train set when we were young; as much as I enjoyed watching them play with it, I never got to run it as much as I'd like-after all, I was a girl!
One of my favorite places to visit is Chattanooga - besides Rock City and Ruby Falls, they've got a great train museum downtown, complete with a miniature version of Chattanooga and the trains that run through her. You can also have lunch in a train car, or buy gifts in the gift shop.
And that brings me back around to motorcycles- as much as I loved trains as a girl, I loved motorcycles more. My older cousins always had bikes, and if I begged my mom enough, I could ride behind them.
I love to see kids' faces when I'm riding my bike. They almost always want to wave and smile (unless they're afraid of the noise) and of course, I wave back. The parents aren't always so friendly, but the kids are! One little boy in a Wal-Mart parking lot just kept yelling "hey motorcycle!" as I rode past.
Last year, when several of us were on a ride together, we stopped at a small gas station for a break before heading home. There were about ten of us, all in one corner, standing by our bikes, drinking water. A very small boy, about 3 or so, and his Nana, came out of the store, and started walking across the parking lot towards their van. All the way across, he kept yelling "Wild Hogs, Nana, Wild Hogs!" I walked over to them and asked if he'd like to come see our bikes a little closer, and he did. He wouldn't get too close (guess there were too many of us) but he did seem to enjoy looking at them.
I wonder what it is about our chemical makeup that makes us so drawn to bikes and trains? Do you think that maybe, even at that young age, we recognize that those things are outside "normal" for most folks? Or is it the sense of wonder and adventure we all have as children - when we see things that are different, we're drawn to it.
As we become teenagers and adults, most of us fight to fit in- we want to be just like everyone else, so folks don't think we're weird.
But for those few of us who want to be different... ah, the freedom to be who we want to be, no matter what anyone else thinks. Ride on!

About my Mom...

2009-05-09T16:01:00.004-05:00

Someone twittered a request for memories of our moms; here are some of mine.
* When my youngest brother was about five, he did something to get in trouble, and Mama was going to spank him. He decided he could outrun her, so he started down the hall and into his room, which had slick wooden floors. He hit the floor and slid under his bed to get away - when he turned around, Mama was right there behind him. His eyes were big as saucers!
*The first time I was pregnant (1978), my mom found out before me- I had to go out of town for the day, so I took my little specimen cup to the doctor's office. I asked my mom to call for me to find out the results. Since she had to leave before I got home, and she wanted me to be the first to know, she cut a picture of a baby out of a magazine and put it in an envelope and left it for me.
*The day she held her first grandchild for the first time- my daughter Mary Beth - May 21, 1979. In September 2007, she held her first great-grandchild - Mary Beth's son Reid. My baby's baby...
*When I was pregnant with my youngest daughter, my husband and I didn't want to know whether she was a girl or boy but Mama did, so when we had the ultrasound done, the tech printed a picture and wrote "it's a girl!", sealed it in an envelope and we gave it to her. During all those months, she never let it slip to us what we were having. I know it had to be hard for her, but she did it!
I have a great Mom- she's made a lot of sacrifices for me and my brothers, and I think she and Daddy did a great job raising us - they taught us how to be honorable people. If we've failed in doing that it's through no fault of theirs.

What a great day!

2009-05-09T14:30:00.003-05:00

I got up with some riding buddies of mine and we headed out over to the Pioneer Museum in Troy, Alabama. They were having their second annual "Butter Churnin, Syrup Soppin' Saturday" today and I knew we'd have fun.
They were finishing up the butter churning when we got there so we sat and listened to some old-fashioned music and checked out the displays in the main building. We saw some awesome quilts including one which was older than the US- it's been certified to have been quilted the country was formed. The pattern is a "Princess Feather" if I understood the lady at the museum.
We finally made it back down to the cabins where the food was being served- delicious homemade biscuits (by ladies in bonnets and aprons!), hand-churned butter, Carson Anne syrup, and smoked sausage - mmm, delicious!
Afterwards, we visited the other cabins and stores, including a military memorabilia place.
When we finally got ready to come home, it was a beautiful ride- enough wind to stay cool and sun and clouds made a beautiful picture to watch coming home.
And then...when I got home, the excitement really started. You see, I'd forgotten to take my house keys with me.
I tried the back storm door- it was hooked. I knew the front door was locked, but I knew if I could get on my backporch I had a way in the house (secret key and all that). But I couldn't get the door open. I decided to try to yank the door open using a large pair of pliers; I got very enthusiastic about it, but never got the back door opened.
Of course, Cookie's in the house barking- he heard the bike drive up and couldn't figure out why I didn't come on in.
I finally pried the screen off a window and climbed in using a ladder - Cookie barking all the time. Of course he never did anything brave like run up and lick me in the face, but he did bark from under the table.
I finally got in, and laid on the sofa to cool off a bit; then I went back out to put the screen back on and get the rest of my gear inside.
Nice to know my house is fairly secure and that my dog will at least bark when someone tries to get in.
I'm headed out in a bit to get another key made.

Just a little brag on Boss Bags...

2009-05-06T13:40:00.003-05:00

My husband bought a 2000 Yamaha Roadstar about 2 1/2 years ago from a local bike dealer. It was dressed out, including good pipes, Corbin seats with backrests, and a set of Boss Bags.
When he bought the bike, one of the buckles was missing, but he didn't worry about it too much; the other buckle was there, and the lids are heavy enough to stay down even unfastened, unless he's REALLY moving.
Over the weekend someone mentioned to him that he might be able to get a replacement buckle from the company, so he came home, found the website (http://www.bossbags.com/) and emailed customer service for a catalog or part number so he could order the part.
On Sunday he emailed back and forth with a CS person, who found out what size bags he has, and whether they're a new design or an older one.
Last night, he got an email from customer service saying the new buckle was on the way; it came in today's mail.
Nowadays it's very unusual for this kind of customer service, especially since Randy wasn't the original buyer of the bike or the bags. I don't know who the young man was who worked with my husband, but I'd say he deserves a salute - great job!

Looking for Between-Bike Communication system

2009-05-06T13:03:00.004-05:00

Last year, Randy and I bought Midland handheld radios for our bikes - we use a system that puts earphones inside our open-face helmets, wires run to radio and to 'talk' button mounted on handlebars.
I know we've got them wired correctly because they work - sometimes. Mostly it turns out that I can hear him, but can't talk to him. We've swapped radios and it seems to be in the wiring on my system, but there are no breaks in the wiring, and everything's connected completely. Another problem is that even when the system works, I can't always hear clearly what he's saying. The headphones are sitting as close to my ears as possible, without getting in the way when I'm putting on the helmet, and the sound is turned up as loud as possible.
My true preference would be a piece actually in my ear, rather than outside it - but then I'd run into it getting pulled out when I put on my helmet.
I'd also prefer to be using my half helmet, but after a friend of ours hit a deer, I've been thinking more helmet is better...
I like the Midlands - we also use them off-bike as well so I'd like to keep them. Any suggestions on a system that will work?

Escort Ride for the Wall that Heals

2009-04-29T15:50:00.004-05:00

Viet Nam Memorial Bike
Originally uploaded by bethmrogers

I took a ride yesterday I will never forget - I saw things on that ride that made me proud to be an American (I know how corny that sounds but it's true). I'm also proud to live in a part of the US where it's a normal thing to show pride in our country and it's heroes.
We met in the parking lot of the Travel America truck stop in Marianna, Florida. Bikes were everywhere- I don't think I've ever seen that many in one place.
The local high school jazz band was there and made a very nice addition to the day. They played a nice mixture of patriotic tunes and songs from the 60s/70s. One young man did an excellent job with his solo in "What a Wonderful World".
There was a short briefing for the riders, then we started out about 10 - the trailer hauling the wall itself was led out by the bike pictured here. I don't know who the bike belonged to but it was amazing to see- it was covered with scenes related to the Viet Nam war. After the trailer rig got on the road, it was followed by several dignitaries.
The local LEOs made sure we all got out in one group, which I'm sure was an undertaking- someone said there were over 300 bikes, but Randy said he felt there were closer to 500. I also heard that the line of bikes was 2 1/2 to 3 miles long and it was a pretty steady line with very few big breaks.
There's no way I can tell you everything I saw, but here are some of the things that stick out in my memory.
We'd been seeing folks stopped on the side of the road, waving at us, all along. But at one curve in the road, a man stood by his bike, standing at full attention- I have no doubt he held that until every last bike went by. I don't know whether he was wearing sand camo or whether it was very worn olive drab, but I do know he held himself like a hero. That's where I first broke down...
The ride took us through several small towns- most every town had people standing beside the road in groups; some were waving flags, some were holding 'thank you' signs to the vets in the crowd. Flags were everywhere- from the very tiny ones stuck in the ground along the road, to the HUGE ones hanging from cranes over the streets we were riding.
Entire schools of children were standing by the roads, wearing patriotic shirts, waving flags, yelling and cheering. Some groups were even standing in the street, holding out their hands, wanting to 'slap' hands with us.
Vehicles pulled over while we drove by- one lady sat with her hand over heart while she smiled.
A whole group of veterans from the nursing home, sitting in their chairs, but sitting up straight, wearing their red, white and blue shirts, waving flags and cheering.
Policemen, state troopers, sheriffs and deputies at every intersection, holding traffic and saluting.
Junior ROTC from the local high school, in their uniforms, standing at attention on every corner of one town.
Drivers and passengers in every vehicles giving us a 'thumbs up' or a peace sign as they watched us drive by.
Whole families standing in groups, holding large signs with their military hero's picture and name on it. Some of those pictures were very old...
Fire department members standing on their rigs, waving flags and saluting.
A very old gentleman, standing in his yard, saluting us while he held onto his walking stick with the other hand.
This went on for ONE HUNDRED MILES. For a hundred miles, people cheered, waved and saluted the Viet Nam veterans who were riding among us, saluting the flag they'd defended, saluted us for being a part of that great ride, but mostly saluting our country and the great place she still is. She's got her faults, she's got her problems, but she's still one of the few places you can still live like you want to. We've still got the freedom to speak out against her when we want to, without worrying about who might hear.
I know how much taking this ride touched me - I'm not a vet and neither is my husband. Our middle son is serving in the Army, and so is one son-in-law. My husband's dad, my grandfather, an uncle, at least one cousin, my brother and several brothers-in-law have served, but Randy and I did not. I cannot imagine what it must be like. I do know what yesterday did to me, and I hope and pray that the vets who were there were able to receive comfort from it.

Home for a Bunny

2009-04-24T17:38:00.003-05:00

When my older daughter was a little girl, she had several books that she really loved. One of those books was Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown. We had it in the Big Golden Book version, and we read it until the spine turned loose and the pages fell out.
I loved reading to her as much as she loved hearing it- after a while we had it memorized: "Down the road and down the road he went. He was going to find a home of his own. A home for a bunny, a home of his own..."
Now my own sweet little girl is a grown-up girl and has a sweet little boy of her very own. He loves books as much as his mommy did.
I've been looking for another copy of that book for several months now, but none of the bookstores carried the Golden Books anymore. I finally decided to go online and of course I immediately found it on the Books-a-Million site, along with another book my daughter had loved: The Golden Egg Book which features another bunny and a pretty egg.
I also found a book called Seven Little Postmen - a sweet little story originally written in the 1950s, about a little boy who sends a special letter to his granny.
I ordered copies of each book, including an extra copy of the Postmen book for my house. They came in today's mail and I can hardly wait until I can take Reid and his Mommy their new books.

Playing catchup

2009-04-23T13:56:00.003-05:00

Lots of things have been going on around here, so here's the 'cleanup'.
I went back to the doctor yesterday, fully expecting him to say I didn't have to go back- nope, not yet. He says everything looks good, incision is healing nicely; he said to stop using tape on the dressing since it's causing some irritation. Works for me- now I can shower and wash my hair without waiting for hubby to come home and help me change the dressing...I go back in two weeks - hopefully for the last time (not that I don't like Dr. Daley, but I'm ready to move on -LOL)
A very good friend of ours was involved in a bike wreck on Monday night- he was leaving a meeting and hit a deer. Not nearly as bad as it could have been- God had His hand on his shoulder. A few broken bones, some nasty road rash, scrapes and bruises, but he'll hopefully come home this weekend.
Another friend of ours is in the hospital with double pneumonia, so a friend and I went to visit him. We didn't realize how bad he'd been feeling until we saw him at the hospital this morning. He was joking with us, asking about our husbands and what they were doing. He looks so much better than just a day or two ago.
Our town's homecoming is finally here- we'll start things off on Saturday with an arts and crafts fair, then a singing lesson by Ms. Regina, then a bluegrass jam festival that night. Sunday will start with a community church service at the Primitive Baptist Church, dinner on the grounds and singing in the afternoon.
My folks' 50th anniversary is coming up and we're working towards getting everything done for the celebration. We're hoping lots of folks come and visit that afternoon.
Okay, back to your regularly scheduled blog. Thank you for your time.

Books are Treasures

2009-04-10T09:12:00.004-05:00

I had a meeting in our Community Center last night, and while I was waiting for the others to get there, I looked through the things left over from the Relay for Life yard sale on Saturday.
Several large boxes of books caught my attention, and of course, I had to dig through them. There were quite a few books by Francis Parkinson Keyes, "Great Lion of God" by Taylor Caldwell, "Night of January 16th" by Ayn Rand, and "Glittering Images" by Susan Howatch. I enjoy all these authors, so I loaded them in a box and brought them home. (I'll find out how much they were selling for and send a check to the RFL team.)
I love going to yard sales and estate sales- you never know what hidden treasures you're going to find. I think I really racked up last night- I may go back today and see if I can find some more goodies!

Dixie Regional Gathering of the Guard

2009-04-07T10:07:00.004-05:00

What a great weekend! Randy and I left out around lunch on Friday, trailering his bike with us. (I wasn't sure I could handle riding mine that far yet.) While I helped with the registration table, Randy went with the group to the state capitol to hear Gov. Riley proclaim Friday as Patriot Guard Day in Alabama. Here's the story in the Montgomery Advertiser.
That night we all broke for supper- some went to the American Legion hut for steaks; Randy and I sneaked away for supper at O'Charleys; we had southwestern twisted chips, which were awesome!
Saturday morning, we rode to the Prattville Walmart to ride in the Relay for Life poker run. The run was done in memory of Officer Darryl Mangrum, who died of cancer last year. Before we started the run, Mayor Byard greeted the riders and thanked us for all we do. He told us we were always welcome in Prattville and called us American heroes - not a dry eye in the place. Imagine big ol' bikers, made of hair, leather and chrome, being called heroes... Wow.
Before we started the ride, the police officers escorted us to Officer Mangrum's grave, where the family laid a wreath in his honor. Then we started the ride, which was great! About a hundred miles long, we saw all kinds of beautiful country. Since I was riding behind Randy I was able to get some good pictures of some of the ride.
We finished up at Pratt Park - lunch was served by Moe's, and it was delicious! A band was performing some very good music and we rocked while we ate.
Saturday night we all met up at one of the local members' home, who graciously opened his house up to us. We had burgers, hot dogs, chips and all the fixings. Great food and GREAT fellowship.
Sunday morning some of the members of the Christian Motorcycle Association hosted a bike blessing; everyone there received a book of Bible promises and a blessing sticker.
All in all, it was a great weekend- we met some new friends, who quickly turned into 'old buddies' - one in particular was Papa Bonehead. He was constantly carrying on some foolishness, which fit right in with Randy and I. I can tell he's going to be great fun to get to know. We also saw some old friends that we don't get to see often.
It was a great way to spend a weekend - riding funeral missions is an awesome privilege, but it's also very stressful, so this was so good for all of us. We were able to relax, cut loose, and just be ourselves without worrying whether someone would misunderstand.
I can't wait to see these folks again; the Georgia folks will host next year's regional gathering and I know they'll do it up right.

Book Review- The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers

2009-04-02T16:36:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite authors is Francine Rivers. I discovered her about twelve years ago, when her book, The Scarlet Thread, was a featured book in the book club to which I belonged. I ordered the book, but wasn't able to start on it for a couple weeks. When we took the kids on vacation, I took it along to read while we drove at night and the kids slept.
I decided to start 'just the first chapter' as we left the house, and was never able to put it down after that.
For those not familiar with the story of Rahab in the Old Testament: Rahab was a prostitute who lived in Jericho. When Israelite spies came to Jericho, she hid them in her home, to save them from the authorities. Even though she was not an Israelite, and was a prostitute, she recognized that the God the Israelites served was the true God.
The spies left under her guidance; they told her to hang a scarlet cord from her window and they promised her when the Israelites took Jericho, she and everyone who was in her household would be saved.
Rahab's story is a story of faith and redemption- and Francine Rivers uses those themes to tell the story of Sierra Madrid and her ancestor, Mary Kathryn McMurray. Both women are strong, stubborn women, who feel they know best for their families; but as their lives unfold they realize that they've tried to 'help' God to do the things that need doing.
I like this story because it reminds me that God is in charge, and that I don't need to help him do what needs to be done; I just need to be obedient...
I enjoy reading this story again and again, because it's a story of romance and love, with a lot of adventure thrown in.
It was published in '96, so you may have to look a bit for it, but trust me, it's worth it.
Some other great books by Francine Rivers are The Mark of the Lion (series of three books set in early Christian times), The Atonement Child, Leota's Garden and The Shofar Blew. She also has a series titled Sons of Encouragement, which tells the story of different men in the Bible.
Try any one of these books, and I'm sure you'll love them. Mrs. Rivers is a great author and I know you'll enjoy getting to know her and the people she writes about.

Back in blue jeans again...

2009-04-01T12:15:00.004-05:00

Over the past few weeks, I've been gradually recovering from a small bit of surgery - I've lost 15 pounds (I need to lose a good bit more, but that's a start). I've been wearing lounge pants, sweats and track pants, because they're roomy and the waist is elastic - much more comfortable than a zipper.
Well, today's the day- I got my jeans out of the closet, where they've been hanging for the past five weeks or so, and slipped them on. It doesn't matter that I'm wearing the larger size (I'd just bought some a size smaller); right now I'm just happy to be in something different.
Now to keep using good eating habits to take some more weight off. One thing I'm trying to change is how I look at sweets- it's helped that I don't really have such a sweet tooth anymore. I've found a great dried fruit mix that hits the spot and seems to be better for me than candy - at least I feel a bit smarter eating it.
By the way, according to my blogger dashboard, this is my 100th post... woot!

How Thankful I am...

2009-03-26T15:36:00.003-05:00

My doctor's visit went well yesterday- this was my first followup after my surgery two weeks ago. Home health nurses have been coming in to change out packing/dressing in the incision, but my husband's been handling a large part of that task.
It's about a 45 minute job twice daily, and it's been pretty strange for both of us- I tense up expecting things to hurt (they do sometimes) and Randy is tense not wanting to hurt me.
The doctor checked everything yesterday and we can now stop doing the packing, which was a great relief to both of us- I don't think either of us realized how much stress it was putting on us until we could stop.
The tests have come back negative - the doctor said he had no idea what caused the abscess, but he thinks it could have been staph. I'm off all meds, just keeping everything clean and dry. I can now drive, and in a few weeks I'll be back completely on a normal schedule.
I am so thankful for so many things- first of all my husband, who has done some pretty amazing things over the past few weeks, and done it with a sense of humor. He hasn't let all this stuff gross him out and he hasn't let it change the way he looks at me. He's just a great guy all the way around, and I wouldn't take anything for him. (Don't get me wrong - if he'd told me he couldn't handle it, it wouldn't have bothered me at all - we would have worked out another solution).
I'm thankful for lots of good friends who have kept up with how I've done and followed up with me; I'd have calls most every day, just checking on me and reminding me that they love me. We had offers for meals, errands - most anything you can imagine.
I'm thankful for a great doctor who took good care of me.
I'm thankful for the home health nurses who came out and took care of me- it takes a special person to do what they do, and I admire them greatly.
I'm thankful that I'm in good health.
I'm thankful that God has shown me that even when I can't do the things I normally do, I can still do something - this time has really increased my prayer life, and it's also made me realize that I need to stay in contact with the people I love, so they know I love them.
Thank God for the good times and the bad times- we can learn from both!

Cool Breeze

2009-03-18T10:11:00.003-05:00

Last week I had minor outpatient surgery, and when I got home, I still had traces of the anesthesia in my system, plus they'd given me some pain meds. Trust me, I was feeling GREAT!
A friend of ours dropped over to see us, and he and my husband had a good laugh at me; I don't know why they were laughing because I sounded perfectly fine to me. Of course, the next morning, I asked hubby what was so funny, and he said I sounded drunk... (well, duh! I was!)
Anyway, I now have a new nickname, "Cool Breeze"...

Time sure flies!

2009-03-10T08:01:00.004-05:00

I haven't been online much lately - so many things going on. Some ongoing situations here at home have been keeping us busy, both on our knees praying, and talking with others in the situation to get things taken care of.
I'll be having outpatient surgery on Thursday, so it will be another day or two after that before I feel like posting again- your prayers are appreciated!

Is having more than two kids being selfish?

2009-02-26T07:56:00.004-06:00

Check this story - http://www.onenewsnow.com/Blog/Default.aspx?id=424030.
My husband and I have a blended family of six children- my first husband and I had three children, a daughter and two sons. My husband and his first wife had two children - a daughter and a son. And Randy and I have a daughter together- that's right, six kids... just like the Brady Bunch (NOT).
And it doesn't stop there - our oldest daughter has a daughter and two sons; our oldest son has three daughters and a son; our next oldest daughter has a son and a daughter. Our next oldest son is expecting his first child this fall. And that's not counting how many children our two youngest will have when they get married. Ten grandchildren so far, and still counting... and I love each and every one. Some of our children we got the regular way, and some came as a package deal (some people call that steps, but we call them bonuses!) We love our grandchildren, and we don't make any differences in them.
So this story really hit a sore spot with me- I get grief from all kinds of people (including a lot more Christians than you might imagine) because we have a large family.
Now don't get me wrong- I think it's totally wrong to bring children into this world when you have no desire to take care of them, and your only reason for having them is to add to the number of checks you receive from the government every month.
But I have looked through the Bible, and I have yet to find any scripture anywhere that says God punished people by giving them children- quite the opposite. In some times, God punished people by withholding children from them.
Psalm 127 says:
3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
They will not be ashamed
When they speak with their enemies in the gate.

My husband and I are very blessed by our children- sure, they've messed up sometimes, just like we have, but I would not trade anything for them.
And even if you don't want to consider things from a biblical stand, consider this: the more children we have, the bigger the work force twenty years from now. As there are more workers, there are more wages to tax, and more services and products to sell.
And as far as there not being enough land or food for the people we have on earth now- that's a bunch of hogwash... if we're running out of food, why is the government paying farmers not to raise certain crops?

Oh, and as a balance on stopping life from beginning, check what Arlen Specter has to say about older folks who are at the end of their lives- http://www.onenewsnow.com/Blog/Default.aspx?id=426486 - nice huh?

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T10:52:00.003-06:00

So hubby leaves out early this morning for work (5:45) and I sleep in a bit. I get up a little later (6:30) because I've got a ride planned for today with some friends. While in the kitchen I find a lovely velvet box of candy on the table with a note from him. I notice the lid is sorta bulgy, but I don't think too much about it, because I'm trying to get ready.
Well, the rain moves in instead of passing over us, so I come back home, and decide to treat myself to a piece of candy- guess what? the reason the box was bulgy was the Canon Elph he'd stuck under the cover. All the other goodies to go with it were hidden beside my desk.
Wow, what a great husband, and what a nice gift! I have a Canon Rebel DSLR that I love to use, but when I'm on my bike, it's too bulky to take pictures; I'd also mentioned to Randy that I'd read an article about how the vibrations of the bike can cause the insides of the camera to work loose, so I knew I didn't want to strap it on my handlebars for extended periods.
So now I have a great little 8 MP camera that fits inside one of my coat pockets, I can take it out, turn it on and shoot with one hand, (just tried!) and put it back in my pocket with a minimum of wasted motion.
I've got such a good husband.

The road called today...

2009-02-12T18:47:00.004-06:00

It's been a long week or so, and between the weather and my stuffy head, I haven't ridden like I wanted to.
But today, the road called and I had to roll with it. The weather was nice: mid-60s, with a light wind, and plenty of sun. I did a short run to the closest town with a Wal-Mart (I had to think of SOME excuse to ride, right?). The road has long slow curves and beautiful scenery, so it did my head and my heart good.
Doesn't matter that I'm still sniffing and coughing- I'd be doing that either way, and at least I got to ride. Picked up some beautiful red thread and some crochet hooks to make myself a set of 'gauntlets/fingerless gloves' to keep the wind from running up my coat sleeve when I wear my light gloves. These will be handy, but they're as much for looks as for warmth. I just love to wear red...
I ride quite a bit by myself; I prefer it most of the time, because I don't have to worry about anybody but myself. It often works out that I'm riding alone anyway; I have worked things out so I can be ready in as little as 5 minutes - just slip on my boots and put my wallet in my back pocket. Then out the door with my leathers, strap on my helmet and I'm ready to ride.
And when the road calls, I don't want to have wait for folks to gather or get ready.
I'm riding again tomorrow- apparently today only made the need to ride stronger; I've got an appointment in another town, so I'll just strap on my backpack and pack my camera and stuff in it.

Do children really need cell phones?

2009-02-11T09:37:00.003-06:00

Check out this blog post about children and cell phones- http://www.christianity.com/11599436/ - this guy is on the money- if we don't have time to monitor our children's phone and texting history, we don't have time for them to have a cell phone.
We sometimes tend to treat our kids like they're grownups, when they aren't. I saw a family movie a couple years ago, where the 15 year old daughter told her dad she had the right to date who she wanted, and the mother was standing there agreeing with her!
My fifteen year old is a very bright, loving, caring person, but she's still only fifteen, and she doesn't always have the wisdom or discernment to know that people can be other than what they seem- and it's my job, and my husband's job to help her find the right path.

I did it again

2009-02-11T08:26:00.003-06:00

I found another blog to follow - Motorcycle Travel America - the author is in the process of developing a biker website that should be very cool and useful.
I'm watching and waiting - she's promising lots of very good information!

Whatever happened to our right to protect ourselves and our property?

2009-02-10T20:39:00.004-06:00

Check this story out - http://www.therant.us/usa.htm#0210.
When did it become a crime for us as US citizens to protect our families, property and homes from those who would destroy it?
This really gets my goat... our country is quickly turning into a socialist state, and this type of lawsuit is just the thing to start a drive to take property away from folks who have worked hard to get it, and give it away to anyone who wants it.
How long are we as citizens going to sit by and let our government destroy us? we need to remember that the main reason we were granted the right to bear arms, was to protect ourselves from our government.

The Dragonmaster is HERE!

2009-02-09T09:09:00.003-06:00

http://www.the-dragonmaster.webeden.co.uk/
Nigel sent me some copies of the Dragonmaster, fresh from the printer and they came in Friday's mail. They look GREAT! Even though I read the manuscript on my computer, I'm re-reading it as a book- somehow it's different.
This is a great book, and I'd recommend it for most anyone. It's exciting, and would appeal to fans of Frank Peretti, as well as fans of any fantasy authors, I believe.
You really need to check this book out - it will catch your attention immediately, and you won't want to put it down.

Caleb is at the Rainbow Bridge

2009-02-05T18:04:00.004-06:00

Seven years ago this spring, our basset baby Caleb came to live with us. We adopted him from the basset rescue group here in Alabama. At three years old, he'd had a pretty hard life; he had been diagnosed and treated for heartworms while at the rescue group; before they picked him up, he'd been on his own for a while. He was afraid of brooms and sticks, he didn't like coming through doors, and he jumped at most loud sounds.
The wonderful folks at the rescue place got him over his heartworms, helped him put on some weight and 'fixed' him so he didn't want to roam. We brought him home and immediately fell in love with him.
He was always a very humble dog, loving everybody, whether it was boys and girls who came over, to the other dogs he met. He loved cats, dogs, squirrels and even the two rabbits my youngest daughter had for a while. They would climb all over him and he just loved every minute of it.
He also loved to ride, like most dogs. One of his favorite trips was to the school to pick up the kids with me. He'd hang his head out the window and 'arooooo' at anyone who would look at him, and wag that big ol' stick of a tail, and smile at everybody.
He even loved going to the vet's office. I guess he had seen such hard times on his own that he'd learned to appreciate everything.
Caleb taught me a lot of things:
*he helped me remember to always greet my loved ones with a happy face when they got home- Caleb always recognized the sound of each vehicle we owned and even could tell Randy's bike from any other bike in the county. As much as he hated loud noises, he loved to hear Randy's bike come roaring around the yard - he'd run towards him, every part of his body quivering because he knew his Daddy was home.
*he never discriminated against anyone- he loved EVERYBODY and expected them to love him, slobber and all; his best animal friend of all was Ricky Bobby, our cat; they loved snuggling on the sofa.
* he reminded me the quote from Seabiscuit - "You don't throw a whole life away just because it's banged up a little." Caleb had a pretty good bump on his nose where somebody hit him, he elbowed out on his front left side, and he had a lot of baggage to work through when he came to us, but his life was worth it.
Over the last few weeks, he'd gotten noticeably weaker, both physically and mentally. Several times he'd get in the bushes around the edges of our yard, and I'd have to talk to him to help him figure out how to get back out. He'd get a lost look on his face. He'd also started having trouble coming back up the steps into the house; several times I had to pick him and bring him inside. He'd also started breathing harder more of the time.
His favorite place to snooze was in the dining room, out of everybody's way, where it was quiet and he could sleep. Late this afternoon, he went into his little 'cave' and laid down. I knew things were getting close, so I'd go in the check on him often. Each time he'd lift his head and wag his tail a time or two. Our little shih tzu came and barked at me, and I think I knew - I went and checked and sure enough, he was gone. He'd left like he wanted, not bothering anybody. He just slipped away.
I already miss hearing the clicking of his toenails on the tile as he pranced in to see me. He always reminded me of Bustopher Jones from Cats... as chunky as he was, he was always so prissy too.
I may have other dogs in my life, but I'll never have another one as good as Caleb. He's gone to the Rainbow Bridge, and since he's always been a good dog, I guess he'll see me coming when it's my time, and run to greet me when I get there.

Super Bowl Ads

2009-01-31T12:37:00.003-06:00

There are always some very good Super Bowl ads; but there's one we apparently won't get to see this year.
Check the video out on youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2CaBR3z85c - it's a very thought-provoking comment on how we view life. How many abortions are performed every year with no though to the third person involved- what that person could do if given the chance?
It's worth a look. Let me know what you think.

Can you believe it?

2009-01-27T17:46:00.003-06:00

It's already the end of January, and I just don't get it. I look back over the things I've done in the past 27 days, and there's been a lot of activity, but it certainly doesn't seem like it should have gone this fast.
How about this for a fact? "Life is like a roll of toilet paper- the closer to end you get, the faster it goes..."
One twelfth of the year is now behind us... and as they like to say around Christmas - only 11 more months until the holidays!
Hope you're making your days count!

Injured Police Officer Dies

2009-01-26T09:36:00.004-06:00

About ten days ago, a Montgomery police officer was injured in a wreck; his car was struck by another vehicle and pushed against a light pole. His car hit the pole hard enough to wrap around it. Then on last night's news, they announced that the officer had died.
His mother did a very short interview, and said that she wanted the family of the other driver to know that her family loved them, and was praying for them all and held no hard feelings towards any of them.
Can you imagine having the ability to do this, so quickly after losing a family member? It can only be the grace of God helping them through this.
My prayers go out to both families.

http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=9730565

Show Me Your Way

2009-01-25T22:08:00.004-06:00

Show me your way, I want to walk with you.
Show me your way, I have my hope in you.
The cry of my heart is to love you more,
To live with the touch of your hand.
Stronger each day, show me your way.
Our new music/worship leader taught us this chorus a couple weeks ago, and it's hung in my head. I find myself singing it all the time- walking the dogs, taking a shower, driving - it's an awesome song and I love how it makes me feel.

Blog list....

2009-01-23T11:47:00.004-06:00

I know, I know- the list of blogs I'm following is pretty long. And it probably won't get any shorter. I don't read every blog every day, but I do keep them handy, because there's always something interesting going on.
For example, I was just referred to my newest blog (http://paulmisner.com/wp/) on Twitter - the title of the post is "Jesus is my Sales Manager"; I know from that post that I'm going to enjoy reading this blog.
What blogs are you following?

A New Life

2009-01-22T08:49:00.004-06:00

We had two young women make life-changing decisions this past weekend in our church. One young woman came back to God, after a long time away. Without going into details (those are hers alone to share), she's been living her life the way she wanted, instead of following God's leading.
She found her way back this last Sunday, and God swept her up into His loving arms. I know God is always happy when His children come home, and I'm sure He was overjoyed about this young woman. The angels rejoiced with us all...
I spoke to her a few minutes last night after prayer service, and gave her my numbers. I told her that I would be there for her when and if she needed me. I also made sure she understood that I'm not going to judge her, because I've messed up plenty of times myself. I think that's one place we Christians fail our new members, or folks coming back to God. We don't let them know that we fall down all the time; new Christians may think that once you get saved, you don't mess up anymore. Nothing could be further from the truth- and we need to make sure they know it. I mess up everyday, just like everybody else does. The only difference between me and someone who isn't saved is this- I've turned my life over to God, and He helps me when I do fall down. He brushes me off, reminds me that He loves me, and sets my feet back on the path again.
There's a song on Mark Lowry's "But Seriously" album (thanks to Bob Carlisle):

Cursing every step of the way, he bore a heavy load
To the market ten miles away, the journey took its toll
And every day he passed a monastery's high cathedral walls
And it made his life seem meaningless and small

And he wondered how it would be to live in such a place
To be warm, well fed and at peace; to shut the world away

So when he saw a priest who walked, for once, beyond the iron gate
He said, Tell me of your life inside the place...
And the priest replied...

We fall down, we get up
We fall down, we get up
We fall down, we get up
And the saints are just the sinners
Who fall down and get up

Disappointment followed him home; he'd hoped for so much more
But he saw himself in a light he had never seen before

Cause if the priest who fell could find the Grace of God to be enough
Then there must be some hope for the rest of us
There must be some hope left for us

We fall down, we get up
We fall down, we get up
We fall down, we get up
And the saints are just the sinners
Who fall down and get up

Isn't it great to know that when we fall down, God's there to pick us up? Thank God there are no limits to how many times...

you left the open door...

2009-01-21T07:35:00.002-06:00

you left the open door...
Originally uploaded by mirakingat

This is such a beautiful photograph- it's almost like a painting. It really should be viewed at full size to see all the detail.
this is the kind of work that inspires me, and makes me try harder in my photography. It just invites you to go right through the door, and into the world beyond.
Absolutely lovely. I just had to share.

Somebody has a great mind for marketing...

2009-01-17T16:59:00.004-06:00

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,479835,00.html

Found this story on Fox News yesterday- Steve Cohen, who's the general manager for the Brooklyn Cyclones, a Class A affiliate of the New York Mets, came up with this great idea. Even though they're a smaller team, they've made national news just by coming up with a great hook to last year's history-making elections, and the upcoming inauguration on Tuesday.
They've got enough ideas to make it interesting for everyone, no matter who their presidential choice was; they're giving 'equal time' to both sides, they've got their own Economic Stimulus Package set up; they've even got their own Health Care Package ideas.
You really need to check this out- and let it inspire you to come up with your own ideas for marketing YOUR business, no matter what it is.
This idea should really make the next edition of "Off the Wall Marketing Ideas".

Foxnews reports baby's body thrown away with trash...

2009-01-14T16:35:00.005-06:00

This is not going to be for the faint of heart, so be warned before you read further.

The young woman in the story says she went into premature labor and delivered her baby alive on Dec. 21, but problems due to the early birth caused his death; doctors had worked with him for about 20 minutes before he passed away. The hospital is maintaining that the baby was stillborn.

The mother’s sister says that she accompanied a nurse who took the baby’s body to the hospital’s morgue. On Jan 2, the hospital contacted the mother, stating that the funeral home had come to pick up the baby’s body, but it couldn’t be found. Police say that the baby was thrown out in the garbage; searches have been underway, but the body hasn’t been found yet. The hospital hasn’t admitted that the baby was thrown away, but they aren’t disagreeing with the police report either.

This is a horrible thing to happen; the hospital says the baby was stillborn, but is that really an issue? Either way, the baby’s body is missing, and the hospital isn’t denying that they threw it away.

Of course, this brings to my mind another story in the news- a young teenager gave birth to a baby at home, and when it died, she threw it away. A body has been found but they haven’t determined whether it’s this girl’s baby or not. What does it say about our society that we find the bodies of thrownaway babies, and they have to run DNA tests to determine whose baby it is?

And as horrible as that is, consider this: the bodies of aborted babies are discarded in our country every day- where is the fine line that makes it OK to do this to an aborted baby (I refuse to call them a fetus, they’re babies) and a baby who was either born dead or died after birth? At what point is a baby a baby and not a fetus? At 6 months along in the pregnancy? At 8 months and two weeks? And if that’s the line, what about one day before the line? Or even one hour?

Our society has grown complacent about life itself – if abortion weren’t such an easy thing and so accepted a practice, I don’t believe our young people would feel so flippant about the rest of life. Abortion has become a form of birth control – if you decide that you don’t want to lose your waistline right now, then go ahead and abort that baby. It’s no one’s business but yours, right? And it’s certainly not hurting anyone, is it? I know, some of you are probably jumping up and down, screaming about rape, incest and the life of the mother… but look at the statistics – most abortions are performed on women who are ‘just not ready for a child’.

When we as a society decided that some forms of life aren't sacred, like the unborn babies, or those who are old and unable to care for themselves, or those who are ill and need assistance in their daily lives, or those who are mentally disabled and need some supervision - when those people aren't living a life that's worthy enough to save, then we've gone too far. Whose responsibility is it to say whose life has quality, and whose doesn't?

My sister in law had ALS for the last several years of her life. Although near the end, she couldn't do anything for herself, she was a wonderful gift to us all. We helped her when she needed help, and she helped us- she encouraged us, she lifted us up in prayer, she taught us so many things- how can a life as full as that not be a life of quality?

I would hate to think about a daughter of mine being raped, and becoming pregnant by that act. But the lasting effects of an abortion, both physical and mental, should be weighed against the effects an unwanted pregnancy might cause.

God help us- we're going down the road to hell and we don't even realize it.

What's News - A little bit of everything...

2009-01-09T18:56:00.004-06:00

*My middle son, who is home from Europe, has been stationed at Bragg, so he's home for a short visit before he reports for duty. We drove into Bigtown today to let him get a car; he had in mind what he wanted, and happened to find almost exactly what he had in mind, and also seemed to get a pretty good deal on it. He's walking around with a grin on his face so big, I'm afraid the top of his head will fall off. Boys and their toys - nothing like it. Not that I can say anything- I'm pretty crazy about my toys too!

*I'm so glad it's Friday- the first week back at school is always tough- everyone has to readjust their schedules, get used to getting up early and to bed on time, and none of us seem to have gotten as much sleep as we needed.

*A situation that's been on my mind seems to be working out, so hopefully that stress area will go on the back burner for a while.

*My slogan for this year, Big Things are Coming, seems to be already fulfilling itself. I've picked up two new clients, with prospects of several more in the works.

*I'm still redesigning my site, with some good input from Nigel Portis, and it should be poppin' pretty soon.

*Besides reworking the publishing section, I'm adding galleries of my portrait work - I'm anxious to see how it looks online.

*I've come up with several new projects to work on, including a writer's group for some area folks who need the encouragement and help that I can give them. More on that later...

*I've been encouraged to write a column for a local paper regarding tips for writers. I'll be working on that in the next few days.

*My photo entry for the League of Municipalities statewide contest won 2nd place; I was contacted this week for permission to use it in a book to be published by the Alabama Department of History and Archives.

*This post has encouraged me to add a section on my site of news updates regarding my business. I'll add it as a newsfeed across the front page with links to the full story.

How Great is God?

2009-01-08T08:19:00.004-06:00

Our family and a friend's family have been going through a pretty rough situation over the last few months, and it seems to be getting worse instead of better, over the last few days. I haven't slept well the last two nights, thinking about what's going on, and what may happen. (and I know I'm not supposed to be doing that, but you know how that goes...)
This morning during my prayers, I apologized to God for not staying in His word more, and for not trusting Him in all things.
Several months ago, I had signed up for a daily devotional called Oil Change (sign up for it here), but I don't always take time to read it. It always includes some scriptures and a very good devotional...
so after I prayed this morning, I opened today's devotional, and what do I find as the scripture?

"Psalm 18:1-6
I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears."

How is that for God being an on-time God? He knew yesterday that I'd start back reading the devotionals today, and He also knew that I'd be having trouble dealing with the situation going on... so He gave Rev. Rob exactly what I needed to read this morning.
I've seen this time and time again - God placing people and things in my path so that I come to them at exactly the time I need them. Friends, family, encouraging notes, money, an email with information I needed- no matter is too big or too small for God to help me with.
Now if I can just train myself to remember that when I need to. I can be a goober sometimes, but I sure am glad that God loves me, even when I am being a goober.

A Writer's Group

2009-01-08T08:03:00.004-06:00

I've been speaking about a new project with one of my clients, who has just published her third book. It's a novel called A Breaking Heart and it's the first book for my publishing company. She's been a great encouragement to me, and we've helped each other a great deal. I think that's something that's built into each of our spirits, a sense of purpose when we help others reach their goals.
Our new project is a group for women who are interested in learning how to write and publish their books. Our plans include having a very small group of women meet on a regular basis to brainstorm ideas and be an encouragement to one another. My client and I will bring resources to them, keep things moving along and offer any assistance we can, but the great thing about this group is they'll help each other- if someone has strong editing skills, she can lend those skills to others, while learning more about storylines or organizing information from another member.
This is yet another way I believe big things are coming; I'm glad I'll be there at the beginning to see how things grow.

Our new worship leader

2009-01-07T10:18:00.005-06:00

Hubby and I have attended the local Assembly of God church for the past six years or so; we both grew up in small-town Baptist churches, so it was a bit different worshiping in a pentecostal church. It's been an amazing thing to learn so much more about how the Spirit works- not that we weren't taught about the Holy Spirit in our earlier churches, but the attitude towards worship in our church is wonderful- no time constraints, just following the leading of God in how we worship and conduct our church services.
Since we've been at this church, our pastor has led the whole service, from start to finish. It's quite a job, working out the song service, helping the choir/worship team get ready, having a message prepared, and being ready to follow how God wants us to do the service each time.
We just hired a new worship leader and it's made a huge difference in the attitudes of everyone in church- our pastor is now able to worship along with us, and become refreshed and filled before he delivers the message God has for us. Our worship leader makes sure the service keeps moving, with no 'dead space', making sure we continue to sing or lead praise for as long as it's needed to get everyone in the place where they can feel His presence.
He's also doing something that I'd never thought about, but it's a great idea - he makes sure that our musicians are allowed at least one song where they don't have to play, but can worship freely too- sometimes he does this by leading us a Capella, sometimes we sing to pre-recorded music - but it's helped the musicians get in their worship mode as well.
He also encourages us to be ready to sing solo or small group songs as well.
I'm so glad that God moved our pastor to make this step, and I'm also very thankful that our worship leader agreed to come be a part of our church family- it's helped us all. Our pastor is able to worship with us, so he's more focused on his message, our choir is encouraged in what we're doing - we've already felt God's presence quicker and more strongly in the service, and I believe our congregation is being encouraged to worship more freely.
We've all been blessed by this experience, and I know it's going to help our church family grow.
My slogan for this year- BIG THINGS COMING! I believe a part of that is our church's growth into new areas...

Moon in the Trees

2009-01-06T07:58:00.003-06:00

Moon in the Trees
Originally uploaded by bethmrogers

I don't know why I'm so enthralled by the moon, but I will chase images of her for more time than my husband likes to think about.
I was walking Cookie the shih tzu last night before bedtime, and I looked up and saw the moon among the limbs of this pecan tree. The clouds were slipping over it, like the tide over shells in the sand. I spent about 40 minutes trying to get just a few images of the moon while she appeared from the clouds.
As I said in an earlier post about the sunsets I see most days, I have such beauty in my own yard. My sister-in-law, Linda, feels the same way- she's got a beautiful place in the county, and I'm sure she could spend hours just walking around her own yard, seeing beauty in hidden places within a stone's throw of her backdoor.
I found a lovely picture of the moon during a lunar eclipse and it's pushed me even harder to get good images of the moon and the night sky.; Phil Hart is extremely talented and I want to learn from his lovely work.

Foggy morning...

2009-01-05T08:57:00.004-06:00

It's a foggy morning- we had some rain yesterday afternoon, and it's warmer than normal for this time of year. I'm hoping to get to ride a little later this morning, but if the fog holds up, I'll probably stay at home. I love to ride, but I want other travelers to be able to see me, and this fog is thick enough to cause problems.
It's a beautiful thing, though. Makes some very lovely pictures, and that's another possibility for me- instead of my bike, I may load up the camera and go shoot some more of the countryside.
Even if things aren't like I hoped, I can still get a blessing from it!

Lucky Me...

2009-01-02T09:39:00.004-06:00

Water Tower #2
Originally uploaded by bethmrogers

I'm one of the most fortunate people I know. I live in a beautiful area of southern Alabama, and within a ten mile radius of my house, I have wonderful country to photograph. And this beautiful view is what I can see every afternoon, just by standing in the middle of my front yard.
I got this shot just last week; I was walking by a window while getting some work done, and happened to look out- and there it was.
The only thing that could make things better, would be to have a beautiful lake in my front yard. While that's not going to be possible, one of my dreams/goals for this year is to put in a small goldfish pond in front of my house, and turning it into an outdoor living room- I've got all kinds of beautiful plants that can be moved around it, including confederate roses, grapevine, hydrangeas, wisteria and all kinds of day lilies.
It will take some planning to get all this done, because I want to make sure we don't mess with any water lines, but I know it can be done.
If you've got dreams, write them down- and turn them into plans, by writing down all the details that will have to be done to make it a reality. The more real a dream is to you, the more likely it will become a plan.

Miscellaneous stuff

2008-12-29T21:04:00.004-06:00

On Christmas Day we had supper at my folks' house, with the rest of the family- it's always so much fun to spend time with kids, especially on holidays. They've got so much to say, and I just love listening to them say it.
For example Reid, who just turned two, is crazy about anything John Deere - his dad is a farmer and drives a John Deere tractor, so he has every reason to think they're great. When I asked him what he got for Christmas, he said, 'a trike-cycle'. When I asked him if it was red, he just looked at me and said, "no, it was gween". What better color for a trike-cycle?

Do you remember the Cosby show episode where Rudy asked Cliff what a bunch of letters spelled? he told her 'zrbrt' and then proceeded to give her a razzberry on her cheek. Ever since, I've given my grandkids and other beloved children 'zrbrts' on their cheek or neck; they've learned that if they hold their chin up, it gives me more room under there, and then watch out! the noise is great, and the look on their face is even better. Thank you, Bill Cosby, for helping me make good memories with these wonderful kids.

Why is it that we feel so much younger than we thought our parents were at the same age?

Of all the things I regret, one of the things I wish I could change would be to go back in time, and find out more about my grandparents' lives. I remember vividly so many things about my mother's mother, like watching her stand by the sink washing dishes, singing 'hey, good lookin' by Hank Williams. Or that she always loved to drink Dr. Pepper - I wish I could find a bottle that looks like the ones from my childhood.

Nothing like a little excitement...

2008-12-29T15:28:00.003-06:00

So I had to ride to Greenville to meet a friend/client for lunch, and to pick up some copies of her newest book, fresh from the printer. We'll be shipping complimentary copies out to newspaper religion editors and some other folks who might give us a good review and some publicity.
I love riding my bike, and I especially love riding by myself - very freeing to not have to worry about anybody else but myself, going at my own speed, whether it's 45 or 75, seeing what I want to, stopping when I want, and just being on my own. It's also a lot of fun when it registers with passengers/drivers in other vehicles when they realize that's a FEMALE riding that bike... most of them are not surprised, but every once in a while, you get some VERY funny faces. I don't care if it is almost 2009, it still seems to be a novelty for a girl to be riding her own bike.
anyway, we had lunch and a great visit; then back outside to pack everything in my bags (and pockets) and head back. To come back home, I have to take a bridge over the interstate; for some reason I got in the wrong turn lane, and only after there was no way out of that lane, did I realize I was headed onto the interstate, instead of back towards Highway 10, which is what I wanted.
I had two choices - either go into high panic mode and just sit in the middle of road, blocking traffic, or hitting the interstate and getting off at the next exit, about 15 miles away. Panic is not my usual way of handling things (well, maybe sometimes after everything is over), so I just tooled on down the ramp and onto the interstate, headed for Ft. Deposit.
Not really a big deal, except that was my first time on the interstate by myself, the traffic was very heavy, and there was quite a wind blowing. I did okay, except for one incident, when some traffic was merging onto the road, and I moved over into the left lane to give them room- some nimrod decided she needed to be my back bumper decoration and hung right behind me until I could get a clear space to move back into the right lane.
Not much a 600 pound bike and rider can do to a large sedan, other than scratch it up a bit in passing, and I don't do that kind of thing. If I could have told her a few things, I might have, but she was laughing and cutting up with her kids as she passed me- I still am not convinced she saw me, even though I was directly in front of her - I could have spit backwards and it would have hit her windshield.
I did get lots of smiles and waves from other vehicles, especially the three guys trailering their bikes somewhere - and it was a nice ride, anyway, despite some people showing their ignorance.
When I did get off at Ft. Deposit, a very nice clerk at a gas station gave me directions back towards home that did not include getting back on the interstate - I figure there's no need pushing things.
So now I'm home, got to see some new areas, got a very nice ride in, and still home in time to walk the dogs, get supper started and more importantly... GET BACK TO WORK!

Don't let someone steal your Christmas

2008-12-25T10:09:00.004-06:00

We were at my MIL's house last night for our Christmas eve celebration. My hubby's three sisters were there, along with most of the rest of the family.
I'm sure Christmas at most folks' houses was like it was at ours- not as much extra money to spend on gifts, and not doing as much traveling. I'll admit, I'd allowed that to make me feel like Christmas wasn't coming this year.
But after we got there, and I started talking to the kids, I felt much better. Tanner, 2nd grade, whose letter to Santa made the paper, had to decipher one part of his letter (they print them just as the kids spell them- so cute), and we discussed his wishes for an all Alabama Christmas (I'm a big Auburn fan).
Then granddaughters Chloe, Destiny and Neveah all had to tell me what Santa brought them (he comes to their house a night early, because of blended family issues). Granddaughter Lanie also told me her latest news - she has a wonderful imagination and she always perks me up.
Grandson Hunter, who is a teenager now, is one of the sweetest, most polite young men you'll ever meet. Even when I asked about the website I'd heard was devoted to his girlfriends, he went along with the joke, teasing me right back. He's so good with his little sister, and a natural when it comes to taking care of his new baby brother.
And speaking of babies - who can turn down a chance to cuddle with a baby? They always have a smile or a giggle for you. We were lucky enough to spend last night with two babies, both as cute as can be.
Don't let the economy or your surroundings steal your Christmas - remember that there are people out there who love you and don't care if you've got a bunch of money. They love you because of who you are to them.
And remember that the real reason for our celebration is a special baby who was born a long time ago, and who gave us all the best Christmas gift ever- because He made it possible for us to get past our own sinful natures and become a part of God's kingdom.
Merry Christmas!

2008 Review

2008-12-23T12:52:00.004-06:00

Okay, so looking back on 2008, what are the things I'd change? what new things did I try that are now favorites? what things need to be worked on? what things do I want to try for the first time in 2009?
I still tend to procrastinate, especially when it's things I'm not looking forward to- like most people. In '09, I plan on handing bothersome tasks better- do them as soon as possible during the day, then rewarding myself with a very enjoyable activity afterwards; this way I get them done quicker, and then I don't have time to build up dread.
I will be taking more pictures of my family - I take lots of pictures, but they tend more towards nature, and the kids around me; my brothers and I created a family calendar for our parents for Christmas, using family pictures - each person or couple will have their own month's page. Next year, I'll have more photographs to choose from, instead of having to 'borrow' some from the guys.
I will also be offering a photo session to any of the older couples and singles at church who would like one - they're on fixed incomes, and can't afford to have a good portrait of themselves; one couple's last portrait was done over ten years ago. I know they'll enjoy having it done, and their children will be glad of them later.
I'm a good bit heavier than I need to be - I will drink more water and walk more often during the week; even if I don't lose a lot of weight, I'll be healthier.
In 2008, I was more adventurous in my riding - I'll continue that, branching out even farther on my little jaunts.
I will allocate more time to writing and drawing/painting. I have some talent, but it needs to be practiced in order to improve. I am also going to schedule time several times a week to practicing and improving my guitar skills - I've got a very nice 6 string acoustic, and a lovely 12-string acoustic that are begging to be played- it's an awful waste and I won't do it any more.
I'll be more aggressive in pursuing my goals and dreams- I have lots of things I want to do and if I don't make my mind up to do them, they won't get done. When they involve another person, obviously I'm not going to jump ahead, but I will lay out my ideas clearly so they can see exactly what I'm expecting.
I've always heard it said that it's just as easy to ask forgiveness as to ask permission, but I don't hold with that too much. Too many times having to ask forgiveness for doing something that goes against someone else's wishes, will eventually hurt the relationship more than it can be repaired.
Last of all, and probably the most important, I'll cherish the time I have with my family and friends - the Bible says we aren't promised tomorrow, and I know that for certain. Several of my friends have faced very close calls, and are still with us, but that doesn't mean the next time won't be the last time.
Have a blessed Christmas!

"The Dragon Master" and Making New Friends

2008-12-16T14:27:00.005-06:00

Got off the phone earlier with a new friend in Wales - can you imagine a little town chick like me making friends across the Big Pond?
He had something about me on a blog list, and saw that I love to read. so he contacted me and asked if I would consider reading his novel and giving him some feedback- he said he'd use my review on his website and possibly the book cover.
I agreed and he sent a copy of his book - It's called "The Dragon Master"; I was drawn in from the very beginning. The characters in the story are very realistic - some of the things they deal with are tough, like adultery, pornography and drug abuse. He allows us to see how our choices affect us and those around us, and he doesn't pull any punches, but he also does it so the reader isn't wallowing in the gutter. It's a very fine line to walk, but he does it very well.
He's working on the sequel to the book now, while he's prepping this book for the printer's. Nigel has quite a testimony - his site is called Still Small Voice Ministries. Look it over - I'm sure you'll find some very good information there.

Marketing Your Business Revisited

2008-12-15T14:19:00.005-06:00

How does your customer service stand up to comparison?
I've had plenty of experiences with both very good and very bad customer service - in fact, one of my favorite memories of sales seminars is the story one instructor told about bad customer service. He had a very bad experience with a company, and when he tried to work things out with them, he seemed to run into every person in the company with a bad attitude. It got to the point that he asked to speak to a department manager in the company. When he finally was able to speak to him, he told him in great detail how horrible the company's customer service had been, and when the manager asked him what he expected him to do about it.
The instructor then began to name what it would take to make him feel he'd been taken care of, and the manager said that was more than what he was willing to do. The instructor told him it would be the his job in life to ruin the reputation of that company. He's done a good job, too- I think he tells that story at every seminar where he teaches. Any time I hear the name of that company, I immediately think of the salesman's story.
I tell you this because we each need to remember that any time our customers or prospects have a bad experience with our company, they don't forget it easily. We have to take a pro-active stand on customer service; if it's possible, contact customers after any sale or service and make sure they're satisfied. If they're not, find out why, and do everything you can to rectify it. I've had several companies that didn't get things right in the beginning, but their follow-up was so great and so pleasing that I'll continue to do business with them, because they care about how I feel about them.

Marketing Your Business

2008-12-11T07:48:00.002-06:00

How 'linked' are you to related businesses in your area? Do you cross-market with them, to help each of you grow your business? I know this has been covered time and again, but it's still worth discussing.
As a photographer, I want to expand my business into weddings and events. One way I plan to do this is to market myself to the local florists and caterers. I'll approach one or two from each category and request a partnership with them. When I'm contacted to shoot a wedding, I'll suggest my partners as my preferred vendors, and my partners will do the same for me. I hope to also work up packages with my partners, so our clients can get a discount by using all of us together.
While it will build our business base, it will also raise us from the level of vendor to trusted professionals.
What businesses can you partner with to build your business?

Photography

2008-12-04T08:06:00.000-06:00

I love taking pictures in and around my community - it's not a very big place, but I sure am proud of it. Lots of lovely 'hidden' places, fields, lakes, swamps and all sorts of beautiful images.
I recently entered a picture of our newest water tower, with a beautiful sunset in the background, in a statewide contest geared towards communities. I received a notice yesterday that my photograph won second place. I'm very happy about it, because it was one of those shots that just presented itself. I wasn't even thinking about photography- I had headed out the door to pick my daughter up from band practice, and when I saw the sky across the road, I went back in and got my camera.
My picture will be on the cover of the February issue of the organization's magazine.

A Homecoming Event

2008-12-01T21:34:00.001-06:00

The Alabama Department of Tourism is sponsoring The Year of Small Towns and Downtowns in 2010. Each town that participates receives a free historic marker; Rutledge will be participating and we'll center the Homecoming Weekend around the Primitive Baptist Church in Rutledge. It's one of the oldest churches in Crenshaw County, and since Rutledge was once the county seat, the church is even more central to the county.
We've already set dates, and we also decided to have a homecoming weekend in 2009 as well - you might say it will be our practice run.
We've come up with several ideas on how to celebrate our town and it's roots - we'll be making videos of town members telling how it was to grow up in and around Rutledge; an art show is also being planned; we'll have activities for the kids on Saturday; and Sunday we'll wind up the weekend with a community church service in the morning, dinner on the grounds and an afternoon singing with local groups.
I've also come up with an idea to have a poster and postcard design competition among the residents of Rutledge. The winning posters will be used to publicize the weekend, and the winning postcards will be reproduced and sold during the weekend. Each winning designer will get a copy of all the winning designs. It will encourage the local folks to get involved, and any money raised will go towards maintaining the church building.
Check back for more details on how the plans are developing...

"A Breaking Heart" is at the Printer's

2008-11-29T14:26:00.002-06:00

A Breaking Heart, the latest book by Dimple McInvale, will be published by my company, and I'm proud to announce that it's at the printer's, and should be back in time for Christmas. This is Mrs. McInvale's first novel, but it's her third book.
The book tells the story of three women who leave abusive relationships and move into the home of a country couple; the safe home becomes a real home for the three women, and while it relates some bad situations, it's a very hopeful, uplifting book. It's based on real-life events.
If you'd like to read more information about the book, visit the author's website here, or you can go directly to the book's page here.

Thanksgiving thoughts

2008-11-29T13:55:00.004-06:00

Well, Thanksgiving has passed for another year. We had all the fixings at MIL's house, and got to see family members we haven't seen in a while; then off to my mom's house, where we had sandwiches, finger foods and a veggie tray, which was a very nice change. It's hard to eat two big meals in a day, especially when you're not used to it.
It was good to see everyone, but we missed a lot of loved ones... hubby's daughter couldn't come because her husband was on call and couldn't leave the base. She's missed seeing him the last two Thanksgivings, so we certainly understood why she wanted to stay home with him. She's a good daughter, mom and wife and we're proud of her. My daughter's family spent the day with her honey's family, so we missed seeing them too, but we understand - it's hard to get everywhere, when there's such an extended family to see.
Hubby's son and his wife came, but their kids were all visiting other relatives, and my older son is back overseas, so we missed about half of our family. It's tough having a blended family, and even more tough during the holidays.
But we have lots to be thankful for - our grandchildren are healthy and happy, they have good parents and good homes, they're intelligent and they're being raised by responsible people.
My husband's mother and both my parents are still living, and they're all in reasonably good health;while they may have problems from time to time, they have a good quality of life, and we all live near enough to see them often.
Hubby and I both enjoy life and have lots of interests to keep up going - besides our immediate family, our church family always has things going on, and of course our riding friends are ALWAYS up to something!
Last but not least, we're thankful that we live in a country where we've got to right to speak our minds, and to believe as we wish, whether it suits someone else or not.
What are YOU thankful for?

Insurance...

2008-11-21T08:35:00.001-06:00

I am always amazed when people say they buy life insurance 'in case something happens to them' - I have only ever heard of two people who left this earth without dying - Enoch and Elijah. Everybody else has to be prepared for the time when they die; which brings me to my point.
How is your business covered? I'm not talking about life insurance, because I'm sure you've got that covered.
I'm talking about the day to day things that happen in your business:
*what happens to your clients when you die or are unable to work? Do you have a plan in place to make sure they're taken care of?
*what about your current projects? will someone you trust be able to step in and complete the work, or will someone be able to help your current clients find a new partner to finish their work?
*have you already discussed partnering for this with a trusted person in your business? someone whose work ethics are on the same keel as yours, and who can work with your clients to their satisfaction...
*do you have your passwords and file backups in a place that someone can find?
*are you up to date on notes on your clients and prospects, so someone stepping in won't have to start from scratch?
After making sure my family is taken care of, I want to make sure my clients are cared for; I want the transition to their new designer to be an easy one.
Are you prepared?

Refracted Stripes

2008-11-20T09:24:00.004-06:00

Refracted Stripes
Originally uploaded by MacBern...(pimp my crutches!)

I love Flickr! You can find the most gorgeous images on there, and I'm always inspired by some of the things I see.
I found this amazing shot this morning that I'd love to share with you - it's called Refracted Stripes, and it makes me want to go out and shoot all day long- which is always fun, but it's hard to get anything else done, while I'm traipsing around the countryside, saying, 'oh look at that' and snapping everything in sight. Check out MacBern's photostream, and then get out there and shoot something!

Fluid Design

2008-11-20T08:31:00.002-06:00

For as long as I've been designing websites, I've almost always designed using a fluid design- one that is set up so that it 'fits' the screen of the viewer, as often as possible. Obviously you can't fit everyone's screen, because some people use a small portion of their monitor to view the internet, saving another portion for their other open apps.
However, I feel this is the best way to go for most sites. If I use tables in the design, I set them so that they only use a percentage of the screen size. I did have a client who had purchased a template online, and we made some adjustments to it to customize for their site - he actually pulled out a ruler and showed me that the lines on each side of the design were not the same width, even though I had them set at the same pixel width. He also wanted the site to be perfect on his monitor, which was a fairly large one...
The problem with making a site 'perfect' on your monitor? You're forgetting that your customer is who you should be building your site for. My goal for website customers is to make a site that visitors can easily navigate, will enjoy viewing, looks good on their monitor, and is easily readable to them. That usually means, among other things, that I don't set exact font sizes in the design, but rather set it at 'large' or 'medium' according to how the font looks.
I do this for one simple reason - if I am on a site with tiny print, I will hold my CTRL button and use the scroll wheel on my mouse to enlarge it - if that doesn't work, I usually don't hang around very long. Life is too short to strain my eyes trying to read something in microscopic print.
Any site needs to look good, but it's most important that viewers can use it easily - and if they can't, what is that saying to them? "If you're not cool enough to use this site, then we don't want your business" is what it says to me. And I don't want to be responsible for a site that's saying that.

Relax!

2008-11-18T14:26:00.003-06:00

Relax!
Originally uploaded by bethmrogers

The current assignment on the DPS forums is themed "Relax"; this is my entry.
My original idea was to have DH and L'il Red on hubby's bike, riding slightly behind me on mine. Red would take a picture using her P&S, catching her dad's shoulder and side of his head, framing me on my bike.
Well, you know what they say about 'best laid plans'... DH's bike is still in pieces in the carport, and the parts aren't in yet.
So... I just rolled my bike in front of my green backdrop and took some pictures.
Then I stepped out into the road in front of my house and snapped some more pictures. If you were one of the folks driving by while I was waiting to get in the road, no I haven't lost my mind, just having some fun.
Then I stepped back inside after breaking down the set (that backdrop support sure was very cost-effective, but it's not the quickest to take apart).
Photoshop is wonderful, and it wasn't too long before I had the shot I wanted (shown above). I've gotten several comments on it so far, and while it's not perfect, I'm pleased overall with how it turned out.
Now, if we can just get DH's bike back on the road- besides the problems he's already having, we got a recall notice in the mail this week, regarding problems with the gears - my favorite part of the letter refers to 'may cause rear wheel to lock up, which may result in a wreck, injury or even death' - four letters regarding this were sent to the previous owner, and I can't imagine why they didn't take care of this- there's no cost and it seems like a rear wheel lockup would put a serious dent in your riding fun.

Reflections of Gold

2008-11-09T17:08:00.004-06:00

Reflections of Gold
Originally uploaded by Jim Vail Photos

Some of our bike group leave out on Friday, headed for a long weekend trip to the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. We won't be going- hubby can't get the days off.
One of my favorite places to go is the mountains - I love to stop beside the road, where the river is running over rocks; barefoot, freezing my toes off wading through the shallows (even in the hottest part of summer); driving along the river, waving to those who are canoeing or rafting in the deeper parts, wishing I was part of it.
My retirement dream is to live in the mountains; maybe owning a small motel, where we cook for visitors in the summer and fall, and spend the winter snuggled up in front of a fire...

New bike???

2008-11-08T11:55:00.004-06:00

One of my sisters-in-law has decided she'd like to learn to ride, so she can get a motorcycle of her own. I'm very excited for her- since I've only been riding my own for the last two years, I can remember how much fun it is to learn.
She's asked me if I will help her learn a bit, and of course I told her I'd be glad to.
I can't wait to see what bike she gets!

Seasonal ideas

2008-11-08T11:22:00.001-06:00

If you have a website, do you update it for seasonal changes? Obviously, you don't want to do a total remake several times a year, but it is always a good idea to acknowledge the holidays and seasons of the year.
My favorite search engine is Google; if you've never seen the way they honor different holidays, visit this page - it's their 'museum' of logos.
I know you can't do something on the same scale, but you can support your favorite holidays. As an example, during the Christmas holidays, I make a slight change to my logo, then link it from my main page, to a retelling of the Christmas story from the book of Luke. Starting this next year, I plan to do something similar for the Easter season - after all, the main purpose of Christmas' gift is fulfilled in Easter.
Think about it, and see what ideas you and your designer can come up with to celebrate the holidays and seasons that are important to you.

New Year's marketing pieces

2008-10-28T07:45:00.001-05:00

Have you completed your 2009 marketing piece yet? This year I'll be giving away calendars to my best clients and prospects.
I've got several very nice photographs I've taken of the local area, so I'll have one photo per month, with a large monthly calendar opposite. I will add some dates that are important to my clients, and leave room for them to add their own information as well.
I want to make sure that I give something that is usable by my clients, and that will also remind clients of my business everytime they use it.
What will you be doing for the new year?

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

2008-10-28T07:35:00.004-05:00

My older son has been home for the past four weeks, and today he flies back to Germany. I'm so proud of him and all he does; he and all the other military make sacrifices that the rest of us don't even realize.
While he was home, we had 'Thanksgiving' at my folks' house and most everyone was able to be there.
Sometime after the first of the year, he'll be transferring stateside, so he'll be closer to us - we'll be able to visit him at his base. I'm so excited!

A Simple Thank You Note

2008-10-23T09:47:00.001-05:00

Last week, I had reason to send out several thank-you notes. Instead of picking up a package of small note cards, I decided to make my own.
I bought a package of half-fold greeting cards, and designed a 'thank you' header using a pretty font, and printed them. I printed out some of my favorite photos in 4x6 size, and mounted them to the front of the cards, then wrote a note inside.
I made sure to add the title and date of each photograph, so the recipient knew it was a handmade card, and sent them off. So far I've gotten compliments on three cards... I'm glad I was able to do this- hand-written correspondence has almost become a thing of the past; I love to get mail like this, and I'm sure others do too.
If you've got the time and patience to do this, it's a good investment of your time. At the very least, have some notecards designed for you, and handwrite notes to folks you appreciate. If you're trying to build a relationship with a business associate, what better way than to send something handwritten?

Pastor Appreciation Week

2008-10-23T09:42:00.002-05:00

Our church just finished up pastor appreciation week. Last Sunday, we surprised our pastor and his wife with a card we all signed and a lunch in their honor. The kids in children's church made posters telling them how great they are, and made signs for the church yard.
Then on Wednesday night, we had an old-fashioned ice cream social, which everyone enjoyed.
We also encouraged our church family to send cards and letters of appreciation to them during the week.
I hope you let your family, church and community leaders know how much you appreciate the work they do- it's a tough job, and a lot of times, a thankless job as well. Everyone loves to tell how bad a job someone is doing, but they don't always tell the good about folks. Build your folks up, and they'll work that much harder to do their job well!

My 'new' camera

2008-10-15T17:28:00.002-05:00

I love my 'new'camera- I bought a Canon Rebel XT from someone who was upgrading, and I've really enjoyed it. There were several things I've had to learn, to get the best photos out of it, but as I tell my friend Toni - "Google is our friend"...
I've found several good pages that show how to figure out which settings to use in different pictures: shade, night shots, football games, inside, etc... I hate having such a nice camera and not be able to get good pictures other than the automatic settings. Here's one page I found that has several good charts to help you learn how to be the 'ultimate exposure computer'. I've been taking pictures for a lot longer than I care to admit, but I'd never bothered to learn how the f-stop, shutter speed and ISO all work together. On my original 35mm camera, after I set the film speed, I knew how to adjust for different shots, but putting the film speed into the mix with this totally manually set camera seemed to throw a kink in my thinking. Anyway, I've printed out the charts, laminated them and have them in my bag's pocket, so I can check them for better starting places.
I'm confident that my pictures will improve, and I'll have to do a lot less post-camera work on them.

On Speaking Publicly

2008-10-13T13:10:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, I had to represent our town at a family reunion. Most of the family had moved away from our area, so the hostess asked me to speak on the history of the town.
I contacted someone from our historical society and got some great information, and sat down to write my speech. I'm sure that my speech wouldn't win any prizes, but I do think I did rather well, and most folks seemed to enjoy listening to what I had to say. Here are some of the things I did.
First I thought about how long I wanted to speak. I personally despise listening to long, dry, boring political speeches, and I hate to think about putting anyone else through that. I decided that 15 minutes was my limit, and I hoped to keep it less than that.
Next, I thought about all the things I wanted to say - I made about three pages of notes and ideas. My own personality is quirky, to say the least, so I knew I needed the speech to sound like me, and not a professional writer. I knew I wanted to bring some humor about living in a small town, but I didn't want to sound like I was making fun of our town. I also knew I wanted to pique the interest of those who were learning about Rutledge, so they'd be encouraged to learn more on their own.
You also need to know that the hostess found out I ride a motorcycle, so she asked me to invite as many of my riding friends as possible, to escort me in. The clothes I ride in (jeans, t-shirt, leather gloves and boots, etc) do not lend themselves to what you normally expect from a speaker, so I knew I had to keep things light.
Then I sat down and wrote what I'd like to say, adding things from my notes, and deleting things, until it flowed like my normal speaking pattern. I printed it out on half-sheets stapled together on one corner to keep them together, and read through it in front of my mirror until I was comfortable with how it sounded, practicing the parts where I tended to stumble over phrases.
I didn't memorize the speech, but I was so familiar with it, that I could work through it without looking like I was reading it, and I was able to vary a little on what I said.
By the time I was in front of the group, I was comfortable enough to make eye contact with different areas of the crowd while speaking.
I'm not going to say it was hugely successful, because only the listeners know for sure. But I was able to move through it, without my knees knocking too badly, and I did have several people tell me that they had learned something new about our town. That was my goal, so I feel good about it.
By the way, my friends sat in several areas of the group, so I was able to look at them while I spoke- it's amazing how a friendly face in a crowd can help you get through public speaking!

Turning Flips

2008-10-07T09:20:00.004-05:00

Don't you just love little kids? They're so open to most anything, and they have such wonderful imaginations.
One of our younger granddaughters, who is three, just had a baby brother. We went to visit them all, and she asked if I would come outside and watch her jump on the trampoline. While she jumped and showed off, I asked her some questions, just to keep her talking. I asked if she could turn a flip while she jumped, and without hesitation, she said, 'No, the neighbors don't like me to turn flips, 'cause I might flip over their wall (fence).'
She has a wonderful imagination, and always has something funny to say. I know that we adults don't need to walk around spouting whatever comes to mind, but wouldn't it be great if we could lift the weight that keeps our minds from coming up with these wonderful stories?

Are you ready?

2008-10-07T09:05:00.000-05:00

What would it take for you to move up a level in your organization? Would you need training of some sort? Is there information that you would need to let you serve in that position? Are there people you'd need to learn from, so you could do the job effectively?
If you want to move up, make sure you're prepared ahead of time. You never know when opportunity might strike...

Back into the sunshine

2008-09-30T12:42:00.005-05:00

Only two weeks ago, I was preparing myself to lose a very dear friend. We prayed over him, and trusted God that He would work things out for good, but I still traveled through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.
I know each of us owes a life, and I know none of us will get off this world alive, unless Jesus comes back first. It doesn't make it any easier to think about losing your friends and loved ones.
Well, today I'm celebrating! I saw with my own eyes how God handles things. My friend is up walking around, talking, seeing and hearing - even though doctors were afraid he would lose all those things. He spoke to us this morning about concerns for our town, and he was as sharp as ever. He came in to the meeting under his own power. He heard what we said, saw us, and was able to tell us what he thought about things; he remembered details from earlier discussions, and knew details about the projects we're currently working on.
I struggle each day to praise God in all things, good and bad;I have a song that encourages me to do just that - it's one of my favorite songs "I'll Praise You in this Storm" by Casting Crowns; here are the words:

I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus:
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away

Chorus

I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
(words by Mark Hall/music by Mark Hall and Bernie Herms)

What I learned

2008-09-29T16:40:00.006-05:00

I'll hit the half-century mark in just a few days - boy, that sounds old! I don't feel that old, but apparently I am, because my kids say so... they think some of my views on life are wacky and outdated, but I know why I feel that way.
Some of my favorite memories of childhood involve what's now called classic TV. I grew up when 'Leave it To Beaver', 'I Love Lucy', 'Bonanza', 'Dick Van Dyke' and 'Andy Griffith' were seen on television. I look at the world today through eyes that grew up on those shows, and I learned the truths of life watching them.
Uncle Jed was always as meek as a lamb, but wise as a serpent. He saw the best in folks, always tried to help out the less fortunate, but he didn't let folks take advantage of him, and he stood up for what was right. He didn't let all that money change him from the good man he was.
Laura Petrey always met Rob at the door, glad to see him, and she was sexy in her capri pants.
Lucy's hairbrained schemes rarely worked, but she always had good sense of humor when she messed up.
Ward wanted his boys to behave their best, and sometimes went too far in his expectations, but he also was man enough to admit when he'd messed up, and would ask their forgiveness when he did.
Pa Cartwirght expected his sons to work hard and play fair. He used the power his money and land brought him to help those around him, and make the whole community a better place.

My kids and I watched a movie called "Pleasantville" when it first came on television, and their response to the black and white section was 'that is so boring'... as a parent in today's society, I think sometimes boring might be a good thing. School shootings, teen pregnancy, drugs, and a general sense from most folks that there's no such thing as the sanctity of human life - those things might be exciting, but I don't think that makes them very good.

Time Management

2008-09-29T15:48:00.001-05:00

Last week I wrote about contact management- today I'd like to say a little about time management.
We all have the same amount of time each week to get things done. There are so many hours each day that are already spoken for - you have to sleep, eat and refresh yourself physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally.
So, you've got to make the remaining hours count. There are all kinds of time management systems on the market, so there's sure to be a system that meets your needs.
I use the Franklin-Covey paper system in combination with Outlook. My daily tasks go into my datebook, with recurring tasks set in Outlook to remind me. I've tweaked both systems until they work the way I want. I use some FC forms; some forms I've found on other forms on 43 Folders that I like, and other forms I've created on my computer to print as I need them.
Most every seminar or class on time management that I've attended has used the pickle jar story. The basic story is that if you've got to get a whole bunch of stuff in a pickle jar, start out with the big stuff, then move down the list; in other words, plan for your most important tasks, then work the others in as you've got time.
My point is that everyone should be able to find some system that works for them. Once you find it, USE it... it does no good at all to have a beautiful leather planner with all kinds of forms, dated pages and envelopes in it, if all you do is lug it around and show it off to people. It's kinda like those folks who own a gorgeous Yamaha Raider motorcycle that's completely dressed out with every chrome bling on it that's available; but they're afraid they'll get it dirty so it sits in their garage - it's basically a huge paperweight...
I have two planners I use - one has 1 1/2 inch rings, and the other has 2 inch rings. It depends on how full my life is at the moment - right now, things are very busy so I use the bigger rings to hold more 'stuff'. In a few months, things may back off and I'll move back to the smaller rings.
If you're not sure what system might work for you, check out some of the following places to get some ideas. Franklin Covey, 43 Folders, DayRunner, Outlook/Palm (if you're running a computer with Windows, you've got Outlook Express, which may work for you, but you may need more). And don't be afraid to ask others what system they use- they'll be flattered you want their input, and they may have some ideas you hadn't considered...

Contact Management

2008-09-26T11:45:00.001-05:00

I sometimes get mired down by 'pushy paper' - you know, those little notes,letters, ads and other things on your desk that you need to deal with, but somehow can't find time to do. They end up getting pushed around from one corner of my desk to another.
Most of the things in my little stack are things that could taken care of very quickly, but I put them off, and I rationalize that since they're such little things, I can get them done later.
I've made a conscious decision to set aside 30 minutes at least once a day to work through these items. For example, I had a stack of business cards sitting on my desk that I've collected on my runs around town -they've now been entered into my Outlook contacts list, with notes on who the person is and how I met them. I've also edited my list of categories in Outlook, so they're more effective.
I also make notes in any appropriate fields in Outlook - if I only know that the business manager's name is Jim, I enter that, sorting the contact to list it under only the business name, but I also add a task to find out a little more about Jim- last name, hobbies, etc. Then if I think he'll make a good source of assistance to someone else, I list him in that category, too. If I can get several of his business cards, I'll pass them along to folks who can use his help. I'll make any notes I can in in the miscellaneous field.
I'm not trying to sell you on Outlook; I love it and use it as much as possible, even looking for new ways to use it. But you might have a different system that works for you. The point is to use it for all it's worth.
Besides Outlook on my computers, I also use the Franklin Covey paper system (2 pages per day and sometimes that's not enough!); my cell phone is a Palm Centro which syncs to Outlook and keeps as much information as possible on it.
One other suggestion- no matter what your system, make sure you keep it safe. If it's a paper system, make sure you keep your planner with you; if you're using a computer-based program, back it up often. I speak from experience: several years ago I bought an external hard drive that I keep all my documents and files on and it's backed up onto another computer. However, I failed to back up my Outlook files, and when my system crashed, I lost all my emails, and even worse, my notes and contacts. Thankfully I had printed my contacts list to a pdf file, but the notes I had are gone. Some I could recreate, but not all.
Remember, if it's important enough to you to save in the first place, make a back up!

He's comin' home!!!

2008-09-23T16:20:00.003-05:00

I finally caught up with our middle son this afternoon. He's stationed in Germany, and will be coming home next month.
I knew he was scheduled for some time off, but we never know until a little before he leaves whether it's going to work out. He's finalized his flight in, and given us a pickup time.
He'll get to be home for about a month, so my mom is planning on cooking an early Thanksgiving so he can celebrate with us. He's always liked 'green stuff' (pistachio salad) so I'm sure that will be on the menu.
We really have an old-fashioned, right-out-of-Southern Living spread at Thanksgiving and Christmas - turkey and dressing (my mother's is always just right), sweet potato casserole, peas, butter beans, rolls, cranberry sauce (the kind that slides right out of the can), and usually some great salads and casseroles. Coconut cake and pies - who can argue with that kind of meal?
I'm so looking forward to seeing him - he's never met his nephew (whose birthday was yesterday) and he's only seen some of the other nieces and nephews a few times, so he's in for a real treat. I'm sure we'll have to arrange some kind of day just for the kids to crawl around on him and let him know how proud they are of him.
I'm very proud of my son and all the others who serve our country- even if they serve in peacetime, they make a sacrifice no one else can imagine, and they don't ask for any recognition - I remember the first time we picked him up at the airport - a group of folks from a military support group were there, and every time a few soldiers came through the gate, they stood and applauded. Most of the men and women looked slightly embarrassed, as if they'd prefer to just walk on without all the attention. Next time you see a soldier or other military person, say thank you...

Marketing Your Business

2008-09-23T08:07:00.001-05:00

You know your business more than anyone else - what is your marketing strategy? Starting today, I'll occasionally give you ideas to market your business that are will hopefully be quirky enough to get a prospect's attention, and isn't that one point of marketing?
Today's suggestion: seeds.
If you are in any business that can help another business grow, mail out small seed packets attached to a marketing piece discussing ways you can help 'grow your business'. To further personalize the pieces, gear seed choices to the prospect- a grocery store might get vegetable seeds, wheat seeds for a bakery and flower seeds for a florist's shop.
It's okay to have your marketing pieces mass-produced, but leave yourself a little leeway in putting those individual touches on them. I've designed some marketing postcards for my own business - the front is pre-printed, but I've left the back blank so I have the choice to hand write a message or print it from my desktop, then add my signature.
Make sure your prospects see that you've got time for them- that may be the deciding reason they choose to do business with you.

Customer Service

2008-09-22T08:40:00.000-05:00

We were at the local Verizon store on Saturday, because I've got to upgrade my phone. We looked around at the different options, and I spoke to the salesman a couple of times with questions.
When I decided on the phone I wanted, I told the salesman, who then told me that he would be glad to sell me a phone, but it would benefit me more if I went home and ordered it online- there were a wider variety of phones online, more savings available, the phone would be delivered the next business day, and my store credit would work online, so I'd actually get a better phone for the same price.
That's good customer service in my book. This young man acted very professionally, answering all my questions, besides working with another customer (and not making either one of us feel as if we were being too much trouble). He put my benefit above his own, so I plan on going back to that store for any accessories I need to get for my phone.
How do you live intentionally (see here or here) in your business? Do your employees know how to put the customer's needs first?

How thankful are you? part 2

2008-09-22T08:30:00.004-05:00

We had to go into Montgomery on Saturday for Reid's birthday party, then afterwards by to see my folks.
We had also planned on upgrading two of our cell phones, so when my husband got off work, we headed over to the Verizon store. I figured out what I wanted, then went up to the counter. The salesman there suggested that we get online and order the phones because of the increased savings (how's that for customer service?), so that's what we did.
I was anxious to get home, because I had some things to get done. When we stopped at a small convenience store so my husband could get a soft drink, a lady hurried up and asked if we had a bike tool kit (hubby was on his bike). Of course, we said yes, and walked over. Their lights weren't working, so we stayed with them while they figured out the problem (thankfully, only a blown fuse). Since we were all headed in the same direction, we rode along with them, in case of more trouble... they ended up staying at the hotel near our house and came to church with us yesterday.
When we first stopped, I was ready to move on because of chores, but I was really glad we got held up- not only were we able to help someone who needed it, but we also made some new friends (who by the way, are about as crazy as we are - LOL).
Whether you're a Christian or not, remember that things happen for a reason - what starts out as a problem often can turn into a blessing if you'll just let it!
On another note- happy birthday to Reid, who is two today, and to Talan, who will be born sometime today. Papaw and Granny love you both!

What's Your (tag) Line?

2008-09-20T10:03:00.001-05:00

Does your business have a tag line? You know, like "Coke- it's the real thing"; or "Pepsi- the choice of a new generation" (just to be fair, ya know.)
Sometimes it can be hard to come up with a tag line. It needs to be something that is catchy and tells a little bit about the personality of your business. One great way to come up with a tag line is to brainstorm with some of your trusted employees and customers. One person trying to come up with ideas can be difficult, but working within a group can be fun and inventive (and eye-opening, too).
One 'rule' to remember - there are no stupid ideas when you're brainstorming. Make sure each person knows that everyone's ideas will be considered. The junior stock boy's ideas will be treated the same as the boss's suggestions.
Jot down each idea - even if it sounds dumb, it might trigger a very good response from someone else. And in the worst case, if it's completely silly, the laughter can relieve stress.
And speaking of humor- if you're having trouble getting started, tell everyone to come up with the craziest idea they can. Sometimes thinking around corners can bring out some good ideas that will really work.
You can always bring in your professional designer to help, and he or she will have some great ideas too. Your designer can fine-tune things and give you some tips on how best to word things, but remember, you know your business better than anyone else, so you should have some input into the process.

I'll never be the same...

2008-09-20T10:01:00.001-05:00

motivator6737454
Originally uploaded by chevytruck542000

On Wednesday, Aug. 1 2007, I attended my first mission as a PGR member. We honored a fallen PGR member who was also retired Air Force. He was killed riding from one military funeral to another one.

Before we got to the cemetery, I kept thinking 'I can't do this' - since my son and son in law are both serving in the Army, I didn't know how to handle my feelings. But as I stood on that flag line, sweat running down my back, the sun in my face, gripping the flag pole, trying hard not to cry, suddenly I felt the flag on my left- it brushed my shoulder, and gently caressed my face. The vet who was holding that flag smiled at me and pulled the flag back towards it's pole. Then they gave the command for us to come to attention - they fired the guns, presented the flags, and the lone rider gunned his engine and rode away, his flag flying.

I could write ten pages, and it would never be enough to tell how that felt - to know I was there honoring someone I didn't know. The family walking by, saying 'thank you for being here' - and all I could say was 'it's an honor to be here'...

I'll never be the same.

How thankful are you?

2008-09-19T10:05:00.004-05:00

I've been reminded through several things this week that I am called to be thankful in all things- not just the good things, but the bad as well. The Bible says "all things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose". I've had a rough time over a situation going on, and I had just about given up on things working out, but God reminded me to pray and turn things over to Him. Almost immediately afterwards, I found out that things are going to work out, and will be better than I expected.
One of my favorite Bible stories is in Genesis, the story of Isaac's father wanting to find a wife for him. He sent a servant back to their homeland to find one from among his kinfolks; I was reading the story the other day and a phrase caught my attention: while the servant was looking for a wife for Isaac, he prayed, asking God to give him guidance. The Bible says "and while he was still praying" God answered his prayer (emphasis added). We're so quick to think God isn't listening, or that He won't answer us, that we forget how often He answers "while we were still praying"...
Please remember to be thankful for the good and bad things in your life- you never know what will come from them.

Johnny Appleseed

Oh, the Lord's been good to me, and so I thank the Lord
for giving me, the things I need, the sun and the rain and the apple seed;
Oh, He's been good to me!

A little girl I used to know, sang this as her blessing at mealtime. It's from the Disney short, Johnny Appleseed. I've always thought that was a sweet way to say thanks for what we have.

Are we thankful for what we have? That's something I struggle with every day. I want to let God know that I'm thankful for what He's done for me, but I let other things get in the way. And I have more things than ever to be thankful for- our family is doing well and growing (a new grandbaby due any time!) we're doing some much-needed work to our house, my business is growing. One of my goals is to stay in a thankful attitude and to keep the main thing, the main thing.

Like the old song says, when things get bad, start counting your blessings. You'll be glad you did!

The Accidental Salesperson

2008-09-19T09:46:00.001-05:00

A few years ago I was offered a short-term position as a radio ad salesperson; to prepare for that job I visited my favorite bookstore and found a copy of the book "The Accidental Salesperson" by Chris Lytle. It's been one of the best investments I ever made for my career.
Lytle uses unorthodox methods to make his points, including suggestions for movies to watch on how to NOT be a successful salesperson. And like a good preacher, he finds lessons in all kinds of situations, including an airport shoe shine man.
Make sure you read all the way to the end of the book - there's a special section on Chris' website that is accessible only to readers of the book.
And if you're thinking "But I'm not a salesperson", remember, everybody is a salesperson in some part of their life. While the book is geared towards advertising sales, it can be translated to other types of marketing.
This is a great system, and Chris also offers marketing emails several times a week, that are also helpful.
If you need a good boost in your sales career, find this book and buy it. At about $18, it's worth every penny. Buy it, read and study it, and get the system in gear. You'll be glad you did.

The Right to Life

2008-09-18T09:20:00.005-05:00

I wrote a post a few weeks ago about Obama's statement on when he believes children should be eligible for human rights. I still stand behind what I said, but I do have some thoughts that are related.
I read a devotional this morning from a young woman who had an abortion years ago, and suffered in silence for many years. She thought God couldn't forgive her, and she also thought that she was the only Christian who had ever had an abortion, so she felt others wouldn't accept her if they knew.
How sad that must have been- I cannot imagine going through something like that on my own. Part of her hurt and loneliness is due to people who are pro-life and don't carefully choose their words. When we speak out on our beliefs, we need to make sure that we're doing it in love. We are standing up for helpless children who can't stand up for themselves; when we do this, we need to make sure we're not stepping on those women who have decided to have an abortion because they don't think they have any other option.
I believe that a child is human at conception; I believe that all people have the right to live their lives, whether it' a child who may have health, physical or mental problems, or an older person who has gone past the point when they are totally self-sufficient, and need help taking care of their needs. I believe all people are valuable, no matter what their circumstances.
I'm willing to stand up and tell anyone what I believe; but I need to be very careful that while I'm trying to save one life, I'm not destroying another. I also need to make sure that when I ask a young woman to choose life for her unborn child, I am willing to step up and help her in whatever way she needs it, so she can choose life.
No matter whether we're pro-life or pro-abortion, we need to make sure we're ready to stand with these women when they make their decision, and be ready to support them afterwards.
I'm going to make sure I do this - are you willing to make the same choice?

Happiness reigns, even in sadness

2008-09-17T21:49:00.005-05:00

Our youngest grandson Reid's birthday is next week, and we'll celebrate his party this Saturday. He likes John Deere stuff, because his daddy feeds cows and drives a tractor (what better reason?); he'll be two.
We're also expecting another grandson next week, on Reid's birthday as well. This will be #9 for us: four boys and five girls. We're so blessed to have so many wonderful grandkids - they're all beautiful intelligent children (and I am NOT prejudiced a bit). Each one is a joy to be around, and I couldn't be more proud of them.
The happiness they give us helps out in tough times, too. We're facing the possible loss of two friends - while I'm trying to be positive and remember that God is in control, I'm human. I know each of us will die at some point, but when it's a friend or family member, it's hard to face.
I'm sad, because when we lose them, I'll miss them. I'm happy, because I know they'll be in heaven and I'll see them again one day. I know once they get to heaven, there won't be any more illness for them.
A word for you- if you've got loved ones, tell them how you feel. It may be your last chance... if you've got children or grandchildren, give them an extra hug and some sugar (that's what my grandma used to call a kiss, just in case you're not from around here). It will sweeten you up.
If you're not sure about heaven and whether you're going, please take the time to find out. I'd hate for you to miss such a good thing. If you don't have someone you can ask, you're welcome to contact me. I'd love to share the good news I have with you...

Thoughts on the Weekend

2008-09-15T11:58:00.005-05:00

It's been a long weekend... our town's mayor collapsed at work earlier in the week, and they found a plum-sized tumor near his speech center. Husband and I drove up to see him and his wife on Friday morning- things look pretty bleak, but we are all praying; and I believe that God is able to heal JD and bring him back home to finish the work he's started. Until that time, the rest of us are going to work as hard as we can, keep praying, and try to make sure that our little town is in the same good shape when he comes home as when he left.
Then Friday night our band/football team had to travel over three hours to the game (on the Mississippi state line). Whose idea is it to set these things up, and do they not care that gas is now $4 a gallon? Sure, we could have stayed home, but I want to be there for my child at every chance I get. We finally made it home and got into bed around 1 AM.
Up at 6 to get to the park for our bike group's poker run (this one benefits families in distress in our area). We had a very good turnout and raised about $600, which was VERY good- this was our first try at a poker run like this. We finished everything up around 2 and headed out.
After we left the park, we ran into some other friends of ours, who invited us to a wedding (yes, here in the south, that kind of thing happens). On the way there, we had a nice shower, so we sat in wet jeans during the ceremony (that's part of riding too). It was a sweet ceremony, and made me realize how fortunate I am that my husband and I have made a life together.
We finally made it home around 4 or so, got showered and cleaned up, and settled in for the night. I have learned/remembered some lessons that I'd like to share:

everybody has problems - if you can get past your own 'stuff' and make others feel welcome, or cared for, you're doing good.
some people are just naturally negative about everything- take it in stride when you can, but sometimes you just can't handle negative statements- when that happens, step away and regroup. Don't let a negative person make you doubt who you are, or what you are capable of doing.
you can do a lot more than you think you can.
for those of you who are Christians - God is in control, and His hands hold the future. Don't give up until the end.

Psalm 121
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help [cometh] from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD [is] thy keeper: the LORD [is] thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

We will never forget

2008-09-11T12:49:00.002-05:00

Today is a day of remembrance for me. Seven years ago, my older son was a senior in high school, and as the events of the day unfolded, we knew things were changing.
When he got home from school that afternoon, he said "Mom, today has made me realize what I've got to do." By Christmas, he had enlisted in the Army, and within a few weeks of graduation, he shipped off for basic training.
I know military service isn't for everyone - it takes a special person to make the sacrifices a military life requires. I'm proud that my son is willing to make that sacrifice.
I am not saying I want us at war, and I certainly want my son and his buddies to come home. I'd much rather know I can drive to where my son is, and give him a hug when I want to.
But I want them all brought home in a way that doesn't put them in more danger than they're in now.
Let's finish the job we started, and then get our guys and gals out of there...

Why are some people so heartless?

2008-09-10T16:51:00.003-05:00

I let my basset baby out this morning to 'take care of his business', and I saw a scrawny, dirty face peek at me from around my back corner. Caleb, who loves everybody and everything, barked and called the little dog around to us. She came around the house, looking as if she was expecting to be beaten, and sat at my feet.
I couldn't help it- I had to give her a good rub and 'make big' over her. She didn't look like she'd eaten in about two weeks, and her white coat is so thin that her skin is sunburned. You can see her ribs and her spine, and her behind looks raw.
I fed her and put out some cool water, and right now she's lying at the foot of my back steps, waiting for me to come back outside and pet her some more. Her belly is full, and there is plenty more food where that came from; for now she's content just to rest and (hopefully) put some meat on her bones. Every time I go out the backdoor, she 'grins' and whines at me, and she'll walk right beside me as I go around the yard.
I hope that she's just gotten lost and hasn't had the opportunity to eat, because otherwise, it means someone has intentionally starved and mistreated her. Our two cats have walked right up and sniffed her, and she hasn't so much as lifted an eyebrow at them. She just lays there and lets them sniff.
I've listed her in Craigslist, and at the local vet's office, in case her owners are looking for her - we had some folks come through after Gustav hit the coast. If not, I guess we've got a new dog... I've always said there's a sign in our yard that only dogs and cats can see - it says "free food -see lady at the door".
I think we'll call her 'Lucky'.

Drill Here, Drill Now

2008-09-10T09:59:00.005-05:00

Aaron Tippin's new song "Drill Here, Drill Now" is becoming the anthem for the American Solutions movement. Check out the song here - we as Americans need to step up and insist that our government leaders do what it takes to start drilling for oil on our own soil.
We can also start looking for other solutions to our dependence on foreign oil. Check out T Boone Pickens' site for other ways to be independent of other countries. There's no one way to do it, but if we all work together and find many types of energy, we can be the country we should be.

Days of Frustration...

2008-09-09T14:15:00.003-05:00

This weekend just ending has had some rough edges. Ballgame Friday night, up early and to the church to pick peanuts off the vine for our upcoming peanut boil (we got 3 large trashbags full!); Saturday evening we helped chaperone a teenage party for some friends' daughters. Sunday is always full, between Sunday School and church in the morning (I teach children's church), lunch at MIL's house, children's play practice on Sunday afternoon, then back to church for evening worship. Then last night's meeting left me feeling drained...
I know I shouldn't let things push me past my breaking point, but it happens sometimes, just the same. Too much drama from too many directions all at once, and I'm feeling overwhelmed. I'm still not back to my normal, happy self - I'm not claiming to be a happy camper all the time, but for the most part I operate on a pretty even keel.
I know there are some things that I need to do to prevent this from happening. First, I need to spend more time praying and studying my Bible, so I know where I'm supposed to be (I notice that when I get to this point, my mind tends to start worrying about things that don't come under my authority).
Second, I need to make sure I'm getting the rest I need - when I start feeling like this, I need to get away, either by walking, riding, reading or listening to music.
Third, I need to talk it over with someone - mostly it's my husband, but it can be others as well. The main thing is I need to say out loud what the problem is, so it loses it's power on me.
I feel better now, and I can get back to work...

Straightening out the curves...

2008-09-08T11:47:00.004-05:00

This spring, my husband and I, along with several of our friends, drove up to Seneca, SC, to attend a biker revival.
The revival runs from Thursday through Sunday; we headed up early to get in a few days of rest and mountain riding. I'd been hearing about the Tail of the Dragon for several months, and I knew I needed to ride it, because ever since learning to ride last year, sharp curves have been my biggest challenge.
I believe God gave me my bike (due to many reasons I may cover in another entry), and I know He has promised to take care of me in all circumstances. I just needed to learn to trust Him in curves... so one of my goals during the week was to ride the Dragon, if at all possible.
DH and I talked to some of the others in our group, and we decided we'd leave out on Friday morning and be on the road by 8 AM to get there and back by supper (about 120 miles one way, through curvy small country roads). We saw some beautiful country and I got a TON of practice on curves; we didn't realize it but the road we took to Deal's Gap is nicknamed Hellbender...
I was escorted on my ride by some very nice guys- besides my husband, I had Robert, Donnie and last but certainly not least, my riding buddy Byron.
Robert knew how nervous I was about the ride, so before we left, he told me he'd had his morning devotional and had found a verse that God specifically sent to me. Isaiah 45:2 says in part, "I will go before you And make the crooked places straight"; I spoke that verse to myself on a regular basis during the day.
The ride was exactly what I needed- by the time we got back that afternoon, I had perfect confidence in God's ability to take care of me, and confidence in myself, that He'd given me the knowledge to do something I'd set out to do.
You see, I knew in my head how to handle those curves:

keep your chin up so you're looking on out past your bike's fender to see what's coming up instead of worrying about what's right in front of you
use your clutch and brakes to control how the bike traveled through the switchbacks
keep speed as constant as possible- not so fast that the bike travels over the line, but fast enough to keep the bike moving smoothly
adjust your sitting position so you're giving the bike as much flexibility as it needs
relax on the bike so you don't wear yourself out

But what I needed was to know down in my heart that I could do what needed to be done, and that God was with me the whole time.
I'm a much better rider than I was, and it was all because I looked my fears in the eye, and took God at His word.
Keep your chin up!

Patriot Guard

2008-09-05T22:25:00.004-05:00

motivator6428669
Originally uploaded by chevytruck542000

I am a very proud member of the Patriot Guard Riders. I'm not proud of what I do, but proud that I'm able to ride with such a wonderful group of folks, who do the right thing, even when it's not comfortable or popular.
I could describe how it feels to stand at parade rest in the hot sun, holding a flag, honoring a fallen hero, their family and friends while they mourn, but words aren't enough.
The breeze brushes the flag against your face, tears well up and run down your face, your chest expands til it's ready to burst, from pride and sorrow and thankfulness to this person who has made the ultimate sacrifice.
My son serves in the military, my son-in-law serves in the military; I've had a brother, an uncle, cousins, grandfathers, brothers-in-law who have served in the past; I'm proud of each one of them, and I ride for them.
I'm not pro-war - I can't imagine anyone wanting to have a war. But, I am pro-America, and I believe the only way we will ever have peace is through strength.
If you're not familiar with the PGR, please visit the site and consider joining. All they ask is that you have a desire to show respect for our heroes and their families - they don't care what you ride, or if you ride- just be ready to show respect.

Psalm 121

2008-09-05T07:46:00.004-05:00

I love reading my Bible... I don't always read it like I should, but when I do, it's like having a cool drink of water when I'm thirsty.
One of my favorite chapters is Psalms 121:
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber .
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is thy keeper : the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
There are lots of different versions to read, some good, some bad (if you're not sure about a translation, check with your pastor or other trusted leader, and do some research on Google to make sure you're getting one that sticks to the original wording.) I usually study using the New King James, Young's Literal Translation or the English Standard Version.
But just to read it for the beauty of the language, I love to read the King James version. It's like poetry, and it just flows through me.
I hope your Friday is wonderful and blessed, and I hope you have some verses that comfort you and lift you up.