Fwd:

-There is a story to this bowl. On Saturday night, after stuffing ourselves with seafood, fish and/or steak at Kane's Restaurant; the SS class went back to the church for coffee, dessert and Dirty Santa. A precious lady from the church chose this gift to open; and as time went on it was learned that she had brought the gift herself.

When it was my turn, needing one of these bowls and having always wanted one of these bowls, but not willing to pay almost 20 dollars for one of these bowls, I chose to take it away from her (the dirty Santa part). There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth (grins) moaning and groaning; but all in fun of course.

Then when yet another precious lady from the church got her turn to choose a gift; can you believe that she took MY trifle bowl???? Of course down here we do NOT call them trifle bowls. They are called banana pudding bowls or rather 'nanner puddin bowls. Sure, we can put other sorts of decadent rich desserts in them...but banana pudding is the main thing.

Well, again, more moaning and groaning and gnashing of teeth. This time I was doing the dramatics...but this precious held firm and TOOK my bowl.

I chose another gift; not nearly as desirable, to me anyway, but highly useful around here. 

And on we went with the party.

Sunday after church, when I got into the car to go home, on the floor of the car, at my feet was a Christmas bag, inside which was this bowl and a card which said, I love you. The precious lady who had ended up with MY bowl, had graciously given it back.

Now...I feel led to bag it up and secretly give it back to the original owner, who is also a very precious lady. In my opinion, ownership of this bowl is not nearly as important to me as knowing I have done what I could do to bring fun, happiness and light into another's life. :D

--
One way to become enthusiastic is to look for the plus sign. To make progress in any difficult situation, you have to start with what's right about it and build on that.
-- Norman Vincent Peale

around the bend

A very smart friend of mine shared this with me concerning the move: ***

• At Ana's age it isn't unusual for her to want more independance and I feel that when she was at your house she could have that independance... more or less.... I don't think that even when you tell her straight what to do it brakes against that. Nor do I think you are giving her too much independance ... we have to grow up and out into the world around us. Therefore it must have been difficult for Ana at Stacie's ... I could understand it if she began to crave being back at Momo's. I think we both know that Shandi wouldn't feel this way. Shandi probably feels happier knowing Stacie's around. That's a feeling I get anyhow.***
• 6:17pm

  
  

  . While Ana originally put her stuff in the shed--I had told her that she couldn't move into the living room until after February because I have WMU (Women's Missionary Union) meeting here and I didn't want it messed up...but I could NOT stick to that. I had to give her the option of staying in the shed, which she likes and calls HER apartment or over here with us; given she says her mom basically told her to get out. My heart is just too soft to make her stay out in the shed right away when possibly she feels kicked out. She had given up the conveniences of laying in bed watching tv of her choice, being as she calls it the lazy kid to have a relationship with her mom only to be kicked in the teeth! Go figure. Now I just have to watch that I don't over-compensate.

--
One way to become enthusiastic is to look for the plus sign. To make progress in any difficult situation, you have to start with what's right about it and build on that.
-- Norman Vincent Peale

Another bend in the road :)

 Ana had moved up to her mom's, ...well she is back. She and mom got into a big row today over the rooms; which one she would have, which one Shandi would have. Stacie had promised Ana that if she, Ana, put her mattresses up on the frame, then they would put Shandi into the room Shandi painted for herself and Ana could have the front room which Ana painted for herself. Well today, Stacie decided she was done bending over backwards to accomodate Ana, and put her put her foot down; ana questioned her going back on her word, Stacie raised her voice, so did Ana and the rest is history. 

--
One way to become enthusiastic is to look for the plus sign. To make progress in any difficult situation, you have to start with what's right about it and build on that.
-- Norman Vincent Peale

Surprise gift

This waw given to me today by a lady at church. She said she thought it was ironic that my name was on the box and spelled the way I spell my name. She is one of those troubled souls...up one day and down the next. She has been teaching a children's class this year and it has done wonders for her. Thank you, Lord for this lady.

Last week's capsule

Well I don't know where the week or really what I did, but poof...it was the weekend. Oh yeah; trips to McComb to replace Shandi's glasses that broke yet again; trips to town to put money in the bank and pick up window panes; Al-anon, church, doing the financial statement and normal every day chores.

I bought the stuff to make washing detergent. Info was that it works as well as any of the stuff we buy already made and the cost is far below the other. I spent 24.00, more or less on the ingredients. One soap it called for I couldn't find so I substituted. Later I learn it will work but not as well. 

Wednesday I mixed it all up which included grating the one type of bar soap. Apparently somewhere along the line I inhaled a bit too much of the stuff because today, almost a week later, I can still taste the soap. I works though and the taste is slowly going away but I can surely tell I have exposed my lungs to something I should not have exposed them to. next time, I will remember the mask or let someone else mix the stuff up IF it turns out to be as $ saving as it is reputed to be. I need to save all the pennies I can.

Friday night we met with my sister, brother and their families at Stogners for fish and gift exchange. Sitting next to us was the youth group from the church...12 kids and the 2 adults. We had a good time, got nice gifts and later helped the young folks back at the church to play dirty santa.

Saturday night we had our meet and greet with our prospective pastor, Keven Newsome, DeAnna his wife and son, Aaron and daughter, Sara. Lots of food, wonderful turn out, and great fellowship. He handled the people's questions well and all seem to have a good time.

Sunday he preached his trial sermon following special music by Pat. He preached from Numbers 14 and following on the 'Wilderness Experience' and why we have wilderness experiences.

1..to teach us lessons about how to relate to God and others. We won't move until our lesson is learned.

2. Cleanse us from things holding us back...habits, attitudes, etc.

3. To see God...God will show himself in the wilderness. We won't ever be alone

4. To test our faith...can we trust God to take us through the wilderness

5. To prepare our path...the direction God wants us to go

6.To repeat a lesson already given...a reminder of our calling, a getting us on the right path again.

After his sermon we voted and all but 1 person voted yes. I haven't a clue who voted no. Possibly a child. I noticed Shandi started to vote no. I know she didn't understand the ballot so I read it to her...yes, we want him; no, we don't. She then marked yes. Anyway, he will begin the 16th, but won't move to the parsonage until after Christmas due to his school and work at the seminary. We are all very excited about our new pastor and his family.

--
One way to become enthusiastic is to look for the plus sign. To make progress in any difficult situation, you have to start with what's right about it and build on that.
-- Norman Vincent Peale

meetings and meds

It's a rainy day here, one of those days I really love. I can snuggle in and do housekeeping/bookkeeping/game playing/plundering and not feel the least bit guilty for not being out and up at the nursery doing something. While I love the people; getting to visit with them during the spring months, lately every time I go up and work, the rest of the day is spent struggling for air and taking even more breathing treatments. I know the day is coming when I will have to shut it down but I am not quite there yet. :)

Our topic at last night's alanon meeting was criticism--the first page we read was on criticizing ourselves, and each page from there showed us a different angle...the moderator ( a school teacher) said she learned a lot; as did I...not to criticize ourselves, that criticizing can become habitual, it is a form of building up self while tearing down another and there are cases of justifiable criticism. I really enjoyed it and was reminded of how often I at least think critically about my daughter, ex-son in law and others in my path who do not do the way I think they should.

I am going to focus on being less critical this week.

We went by Walgreens to pick up a prescrip for hubby last night. We had picked up his other meds the 13th of Nov, but insurance wouldn't let this BP med be refilled until the first of the month. When we picked up his diabetes meds mid Nov, the check out person asked did I want to leave it on Express pay...I had accessed my account online and entered a credit card for our meds so that when/if I needed someone else to pick them up (we live 17 miles from the town) they wouldn't have to pay...I told him yes. Last night when we picked up the BP med, the lady said that is 35.00. I asked about the Express Pay and she said it wasn't listed. I questioned could it be listed for one set of meds and not another...NO...it's by person. I questioned why it was there 2 weeks ago...she didn't know. I questioned how it could suddenly disappear. She said someone had to remove it. I said I didn't do it so who did. She didn't know. I questioned if there was someone there who did know...no, there wasn't. Her attitude was of unconcern and I felt myself getting upset but kept saying to self...calm down, lower your voice, speak softly. I said to her...you don't seem to undestand, hon...this is MY CC info we are talking about. She says...but it only shows the last 4 digits. I say...but hon, you don't seem to grasp the seriousness of this...if I didn't remove it and I didn't, then WHO did. She didn't know. I would have to call today...so I am going to do that. 

And I did, and they are so unconcerned. No one can explain it. Must be a computer glitch. Am told repeatedly they are not software engineers, they are pharmacists. Duh...I always expect my software engineer to fill my meds.

Eventually I asked the pharmacist if the dude who checked my last mid Nov could possibly have clicked something that removed my EP from the system. Yes, he says...then why haven't you already admitted it could have been a mis-clic by one of your staff. Ugggg.

And such is life in the year 2012

--
One way to become enthusiastic is to look for the plus sign. To make progress in any difficult situation, you have to start with what's right about it and build on that.
-- Norman Vincent Peale

Sunday

Well I wasn't in church this morning to hear the sermon. I went into choir, but when we came down, I went into the kitchen to finish up prep for the food...warm the rolls, uncover all the many dishes, get the ice out, carve the turkeys...-oh man, you would have loved all that food. It was good and so was the fellowship.

I had to laugh...T, the guy  with whom I talked about his sighing while you were here is still stressing over his sighs and possible COPD. He thanks me every time he sees me, sarcastically of course. He thanks me because he says I have made him super vigilent over every sigh, every deep breath is COPD worsening. He also cornered me up and asked me how Graham and I REALLY met. He said he wouldn't ask while he was here because he didn't want to put you on the spot. He seemed to not want to believe that a single man, younger than me would want to travel to America and spend a number of with me and my family and there not be something underhanded (read that sinful) going on. I couldn't help but grin the whole time which probably didn't help his suspicious thinking the least little bit, but I found it be awesome fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, not hearing the sermon I thought I would give you a very brief synopsis of my SS lesson. Hosea chapters 1-3..focusing on the command the Lord gave Hosea to go marry him a promiscious woman, which he did. They bore 3 children, each named something that told a message--God Scatters, No Compassion, Not my people...then Hosea told his children to rebuke their mother...something the Bible explicitly teaches against, and then Hosea had to go buy back Gomer (his wife) as she had wandered off with her lovers and gotten into a bad fix.

All this was done to emphasis how the Jewish people constantly turned away from God, yet God still loved them...how people's sins will always find them out, regardless of how hard they try to hide them and that redemption is costly...it cost Hosea money to redeem his wife, it cost Jesus his life /God his son for us to be redeemed from the slave market of sin.

And that my friend, is it in a nutshell!!!

We had no Sunday nite service, Terry and Robby got the bush hog and bucket off the tractor and have decided it needs to go to the shop and I am on my 3rd color with the afghan I started during Thanksgiving.

--
One way to become enthusiastic is to look for the plus sign. To make progress in any difficult situation, you have to start with what's right about it and build on that.
-- Norman Vincent Peale