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!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Share a Smile Thursday
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
I'm so Thankful...
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
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.
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
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.
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.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Food, glorious food
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.
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.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Turns, Twists and Treasures
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Interesting/odd/weird things on the road
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:
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...
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!
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!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Gum can be hazardous...
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.
***************************************************
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.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wild and Crazy
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!
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!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
The Perception of 'Bad'...
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.
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.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
What Will You be Doing on Memorial Day?
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Kids, Trains and Motorcycles
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!
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!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
About my Mom...
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.
* 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!
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Just a little brag on Boss Bags...
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!
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
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?
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?
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Escort Ride for the Wall that Heals
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.
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.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Home for a Bunny
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.
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.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Playing catchup
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.
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.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Books are Treasures
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!
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!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Dixie Regional Gathering of the Guard
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.
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.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Book Review- The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Back in blue jeans again...
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!
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!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
How Thankful I am...
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!
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!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Cool Breeze
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"...
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"...
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Time sure flies!
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!
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!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Is having more than two kids being selfish?
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?
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?
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Happy Valentine's Day
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.
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.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
The road called today...
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Do children really need cell phones?
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.
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
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!
I'm watching and waiting - she's promising lots of very good information!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Whatever happened to our right to protect ourselves and our property?
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.
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.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Dragonmaster is HERE!
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.
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.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Caleb is at the Rainbow Bridge
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.
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.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Super Bowl Ads
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.
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.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Can you believe it?
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!
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!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Injured Police Officer Dies
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
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
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Show Me Your Way
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.
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.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Blog list....
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?
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?
Thursday, January 22, 2009
A New Life
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...
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...
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
you left the open door...
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.
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.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Somebody has a great mind for marketing...
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".
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".
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Foxnews reports baby's body thrown away with trash...
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.
Friday, January 9, 2009
What's News - A little bit of everything...
*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.
*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.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
How Great is God?
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.
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
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 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.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Our new worship leader
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...
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...
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Moon in the Trees
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.
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.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Foggy morning...
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!
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!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Lucky Me...
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.
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.
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