A Lil' Of This; A Dash O' That

I miss blogging.

There has been so much happen in our family the past few months that has changed and grown us both as individuals and as a family. I miss recording all of the ups and downs that are making us who we are at this very moment. Of course, giving up this habit temporarily has also allowed me to continue to be PRESENT for my family while I'm having to devote so much more time to other areas that I wasn't before. And it's paying off. I am so much happier and lighter this holiday season than I was last year. God has done great things and even the burdens I have been able to view mostly as worthy lessons.

Despite a failing economy, hard decisions, and a lot of tiring work - life is good. I hope to be able to write again about it all soon. And by soon, I mean maybe Spring. Things like my youngest son and I losing a tooth on the same day. (Hee hee - mine was a baby tooth that has no permanent underneath; his was from riding off the end of a drainage tunnel he didn't see - that's his 3rd tooth lost in 3 separate accidents. The neighbors were almost appalled at my sense of calm, but I'm just used to it. :) He is all boy for sure!)

We also took our first week-long vacation EVER as a family! We have NEVER had that many days off before. We drove to the top of Pike's Peek, my favorite spot on planet Earth!! (However, I did not DRIVE it last time! I just wish I could show you a picture of how DEATHLY TERRIFYING that is, but my hands were absolutely melded to the steering wheel and could not be pried off. Let's just say that it made coming back down the mountain with hot brakes and no low gear to speak of seem like a piece of cake!) And I'm not even afraid of heights. My fear is more about thin, unpaved roads with no guardrails and no peripheral vision because of the steepness of the incline. But anyway.......

Let's see. There was the lesson of letting go as my children mourned each of the 9 puppies we gave away. Many tears. Sweet hearts. And some joy at getting to be used to bless others and look upon their grateful faces. We kept the "second runt." (The one who grew the slowest, but not the one who was left alone at first because she was attached to the afterbirth. He is exceptionally smart!) Then we traded him for the big dumb lovable loaf that was promised to our next door neighbor because it just seemed to each of us that we had each other's dog. You know how you just know? So, officially our new black lab puppy (who weighs in at nearly 20 pounds already!) is heretofore known as "Sampson," because he's super strong and blind (not medically, he just misses a lot) and favored. We love him so much.

Also we've been to visit Focus On The Family and the Air Force Academy (my oldest was in fully-saturated Heaven!), praising God because we love our school SO MUCH, getting EXCITED about Christmas hoopla for the first time in 4 years!, cleaning out files we've waited to organize for 5 years! (YAAAAAY!!! I'm getting my life back!!), hosted my son's UTTERLY CRAZY AND ABSOLUTELY CHAOTIC "very best Birthday Party EVER!", visiting a WONDERFUL new church, doing consulting work and researching steps to begin a photography business, re-establishing several really old lost friendships, and I've been getting much closer to two women I previously only knew casually after I prayed and prayed and pleaded and begged God for a "Jonathan friend." There have been lower moments too, but today I'm feeling too hopeful to care to recount those.

So, I'll just get these out there because I thought they were so good and I don't want to forget:

Not sure where I read this but it certainly stuck -

"If the mountain was completely smooth, you couldn't climb it."

Good, huh?

And lastly, I heard today on the radio about a company CEO, who in the midst of the this economic mess, while other CEO's are having to relearn what's realistic in a recession (i.e. - driving a car as opposed to flying a private jet), did something entirely different. He chose to spend a big hunk of his company's regular advertising budget to air a national television ad that reminds us all to Love God and Love One Another. That's it. It doesn't even mention his products. We have long had a phrase in our home "People Over Projects" meaning to remember to stop your to-do list when someone else is hurting, even emotionally. It matters more. And after Black Friday's events at the New York Walmart, I guess this guy was really hurt by those events and decided to spend his ad budget to declare "People Over Product" as well. So, if you have to replace that old car battery because you can't afford to upgrade in this down turned economy, think about buying an INTERSTATE BATTERY from this CEO with a big ole' heart.

Have a Very Merry Wonderful Christmas and a warm Winter as well!

The Right Stuff

Our son has had us in stitches for a large part of the afternoon, and without even trying.

First was his nonchalant play by play of the puppies frolicking in the perfect afternoon breeze.

"Oh, ah, there goes Harley - she's chasing the boob."

This experience with 10 puppies has made him such a veteran of the whole nursing process.

Then later I was explaining to the kids that we would be bringing home two different friends tomorrow whose moms needed me to pick up their kids from school. "Why?" asked my daughter. "Where will Mrs. M. (her friend's mom) be going?"

"She'll be at home," I answered. "But she's having a party she has to set up for and she didn't want all of the other ladies alone in her home while she left to come get M."

"What kind of party?" my 6-year-old son asked.

"Several other ladies are coming over so they can all show their stuff off to people who are coming to their open house."

My son's eyes got wider than he was hoping they would as he tried to hide his surprise.

"Mom?! Why would you be a part of that by helping with their kids while they do that?!!!"

I laughed and laughed.

"No, Honey! They're all SELLING stuff. Some of them are selling makeup; some purses; some clothes. That's why I just said STUFF! Their showing off what their selling - not their........STUFF stuff!"

"Oh."

Hee hee hee.

Please Pray

www.ashleyadamsjournal.blogspot.com

Dear Lord, in areas both personal and political, may my knees and my Bible stay well worn.

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!

Today, our precious Lollipop turns 9 years old! How blessed I was to sit in her classroom this morning and hear child after child offer heartfelt compliments to my daughter. I have to admit, I agreed with every single one them. I expected to hear such pat answers as "she is nice," but the kids truly made her feel special. One little girl even said "She is my best friend. I wouldn't be who I am without her. She is everything to me." Wow! This blew me away. And I feel the same way. What a blessing children truly are! And I am so VERY BLESSED to have this particular one!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FAITH!! I can't wait until lunch and then until this evening!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let's party! What fun it will be to celebrate YOU!

A Time To Stand Up

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Saturday was rainy and humid as we made our way across town to my niece's 9th birthday party. It was going to be a girly affair, and my daughter and I were both quite excited. Since then, I have pledged to never return to this particular mall. IT WAS A ZOO!!! The parking situation was WAY BEYOND ATROCIOUS and we witnessed, I kid you not, three separate arguments IN the parking lots over parking spaces. And then we got caught up in one of them.

We teach our children in our home that as Christians we are to be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. (Mathew 10:16) We teach that most of the time, it is preferable to be falsely accused that to prove your point. (I Peter 3:16-17) We teach that we are to return nasty and unkind comments with a warm and forgiving smile, even though we don't ALWAYS do it. (Proverbs 25:21-22) And we also teach that God never intended for Christians to be doormats. (Mathew 5:13) We are to do all these former things so that people will know we are serious when we do have to stand for something that is important. Is a parking space really that important, even when your quest to find it has already made you 15 minutes late? Of course not. But my children's safety most definitely is! Honor and doing the right thing is. And that is what we faced from a roughly 200 lb. bodybuilder with a serious attitude problem.

Oh yes I did.

Let's just refer to this "man" - and by that I mean probably in his early thirties - as "Steroid Boy," because that is as apt a description as any other. Seriously, if you have ever seen the movie 50 First Dates and recall the character that plays Drew Barrymore's brother, the one so ramped up on steroids that he talks with a lisp and walks like his cheeks are glued together, that was this guy! He OBVIOUSLY values rock hard muscles and his ego first and foremost. He looked like a cartoon, because his muscles were so unnaturally defined. Honestly, he didn't look strong as much as he looked ridiculous. But anyway.......

I was trying so unsuccessfully to find a parking spot when I saw one straight ahead of me across the adjacent lane. Unfortunately, I also saw two cars closer by who spotted it also. "Steroid Boy" arrived there first and waited for the current car to back out. As soon as it did, a little black Honda swooped in and took the spot. As of now, I was on "S.B.'s" side. But what happened next had me incensed! As I had approached the area, I had started to turn left around "S.B." to continue on somewhere else to find a spot, in the lane next to him and going the other direction. But as I started to make my turn, he cut his vehicle into that lane diagonally, blocking both his lane and mine, in order to get out and scream at the man in the black car. This left me, with three young children sitting in a busy intersection in a parking lot full of mad and irrational drivers. We were not in safe place. But this hypocrite didn't care. There he was, using his size and benching ability alone to convince this guy who's boss. I understood his anger, but his arrogancy and hypocrisy made me cringe. "Hey" I called out the window to him. "I understand your anger, but by blocking us here in the thoroughfare, you're keeping me from going anywhere just like he's done to you AND you are leaving me where a car could hit us."

He looked confused. He apparently didn't realize anyone else has basic rights on this planet. Or else he was trying to bring one of his seven brain cells to the surface. Whatever. Having successfully bullied the man in the black car to go find another spot, he turned his attention to me, walking to the front of his car where his girlfriend sat completely blank-faced behind the windshield. "Back up!" he literally growled at me, bugging out his eyes and sticking out his chest. I almost burst out laughing, but my anger intruded. He wanted me to reverse back into the lane I was leaving, which was clearly impossible with a line of cars sitting just behind me. No matter. I wouldn't have given in to his demands anyway. I had my children to consider. "Or what?" I said with my stare. "Are you going to beat me up in front of three children?" I postured flatly. So instead I pulled forward, causing him to wait on his spot, and requiring a backing up in order to straighten up enough to continue past him since he had cut his car so far in. And I did it in my own sweet time. I wasn't going to reward his demands with even any implication of compliance.

Now I DO NOT ordinarily opt for or reccomend confrontation. But I don't regret my actions one iota since coming home to more fully think through these events. I want my children to learn that they are OBLIGATED to stand up against bullies who threaten their safety or especially others. Obviously, I am not going to teach them to sass off to a guy with a gun or anything, but we have had issues with bullies in the past. In fact, in the pretty recent past, since some new neighbors moved in. I have told the children and I believe THIS: If you give in to a bully, you have only rewarded their behavior, their demands, and especially their egos. I believe it in the schoolyard, the mall parking lot and yes, even in war and terrorism. And just as I expected, and by God's grace on me, he backed down. We ended up, no kidding, with THE absolute closest parking spot to the front doors of the entire mall. And as we by Providence "happened" to walk into those doors at the exact same time as "Steroid Boy," he gave me his best mad face, but he didn't say a word. I wrestled to force a smile back at him and gave thanks that God offers protection from he who is in the world. (I John 4:4)

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

Mmmmmmmm

A three-minute microwaved meal, Benadryl, the ceiling fan on medium and BED.

They have never felt so good!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm A Puppy Grandma, With Hearing Loss And Everything!

First off, I want to give an update on my friend that several of you have prayed for and asked about. Thank you so very much for your sincere concern. Unfortunately, I have not heard from her all week. I am going to assume it is just because she is in the middle of moving into their new home (very near where the suspect was first seen, unfortunately) and because they are very busy with their many family issues. I think she WOULD have called if she felt like things were too out of control, so I guess I would just ask that anyone who thinks of them please continue to pray. My friend did tell me that the suspect was taken into custody later in the evening of the incident, but every web report I can find says that he was never caught. So many questions I have for her when the time is right. I'm assuming the boys are back in school, but that is only an assumption. No update on the family members either. :( I'm sure I'll try to call her again this weekend.

On a nicer note, here is what I wrote on a list of events happening earlier this summer:

"The neighbor dog coming over (and over and over) to "call upon" our lady yellow lab (through a hole he dug under our fence.) Explaining some things to our kids as a result."

Well, the little products of our paramour stray made their debut last night while we slept. Actually, the rest of the household slept. I was up much of the night stifling some unflattering language while my STUPID DUMB ear infection of three weeks raged on. I haven't had one since I was like, maybe seven, and I was already ON antibiotic for the staph infection when I got it, but I digress. Anyway, I am nearly fully temporarily deaf and wasn't able to hear the little buggers being born. I wanted so badly to let the kiddos stay home from school for the day, but wouldn't you know it - they had their first major tests of the year today. We studied for over three hours last night, which I would never normally tolerate for an appropriate amount of homework on family time, except that most of it was for Bible class and to me, that's the most important and most undertaught subject. It's probably for the best that it's working out this way. It gives Momma a little bit of time alone with her brood before the kiddos get their curiosity all up in her face. They are SO EXCITED to get home for the day. My oldest reminded me to "PLEASE run all of your errands BEFORE school is out........we want to go STRAIGHT HOME after school!" It is so fun watching them admire new life. Ten pups, all black, the color of their long lost Dad. (Our dog is yellow, but both are labs, so the pups are full blood - at least to our *nake*d eyes.) I was so proud of my little girl, who was willing to hold the afterbirth covered in dirt so it didn't pull on the belly of the little runt while we coaxed Momma to carry it over to the warmth of the doghouse with the others. (Sorry for all the bad grammar on that sentence.) She birthed them in a hole dug under my husband's tractor. So far we have named two of the puppies - Mudball and Ranger. The kids came up with them and I think they did an outstanding job. I'd love to hear your suggestions as well! We don't know yet how many boys or girls. I've never been so anxious for school to end though. God answered our prayer for the event to take place on the weekend! Seriously, the kids asked this of the Lord so they would have a lot of time to enjoy it when it took place. How grateful I am to be able to point out to them that God hears them and cares about the desires of their hearts, not just on our behalf, but personally.

And in total randomness, because I regret how much of life I am failing to record in recent weeks (my new prayer group, the bird in the garage, jealousy and happiness for my friend invited as a delegate to the GOP convention!) this last night from my little boy in response to his poor unwitting dad:

Hubby: Hey, J, I need to ask you something and I need you to be completely honest with me when you answer me.

J: Oh brother, I don't like where this is going!

Ha ha ha ha ha! At age six!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Little did Dad know the kids had been grilling each other earlier on "if you HAD to pick a girl in your class that is the coolest, NOT for a girlfriend, O.K., but just the coolest, who would it be?" That kind of stuff. Oh, but his answer just ki*lled me!

Last week he asked me when I met a particular friend that I have become reaquainted with after many years of lost contact. I told him she had attended our church before he or his brother or sister were ever born. His response?

"Was that in the NINETEEN'S?!"

Me: What do you mean?

J: Like in the year NINETEEN something?

Me: Yes, it was about 1996 or 97.

J: (Giggling) Oh, wow! You knew her a LONG time ago! I can't believe you knew her WAY BACK in the NINETEENS!!!!"

Oh. Boy.

And lastly, if you've made it this far -

Wow.

Thanks.

You probably need to get out more.

No, really. I miss the back and forth of blogging that I simply haven't been able to tend to responsibly the past couple of months. Please know that I certainly don't wish to ignore anyone and I still pray for you as I read your blogs. Toni, for your hubby's job sector instability and your baby cousin, Denise for Fletcher and your whole family, Sniz for your son in school for the first time, Sky, Michelle, Tirzah (LOVE your new blog look!) for your beautiful new babies, Gwen, Susie, Sunshine, Susan, Calissa, Ashleigh and others - you are on my mind and in my prayers as often as I am able to read, even if my comments have become so rare.

I hope you each have a restful and wonderful weekend! I suspect we'll be spending a giant chunk of ours in the back yard.

Prayer For A Friend

Update: My girlfriend was able to pick up her son only at the regular time and under HEAVY security. She said she only became SO freaked out AFTER retrieving him and driving away. All of the measures she had to go through to get him left her both scared and relieved. What a rush of emotion that still shocks me though it's sadly become all too common. He has described a rather chaotic time inside, but he is fine. The threat was never TO the school, but they were quick in taking precautions just in case. We are grateful. Thank you SO MUCH for your prayers. If you don't mind, when you think of this family, please continue. They still have a long haul this weekend. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I would like to ask anyone who is dropping by here today to please pray, just real quick, for a dear friend of mine who is blowing my mind with her cool. Her son, my son's best friend, is on lockdown in his school right now while a suspect with a rifle is sought somewhere in the vicinity. I called to check on her when the news came on and she had not heard from the school. Now the lines are jammed. The school is surrounded by law enforcement and the children are fine. This precious family has just had so many issues with schooling and this seemed like the most promising resolution they've ever had. My prayer is that her son's memory of this will not be vivid or disturbing. This change was a big leap of faith as they were at a private school last year that financial changes have made impossible to attend again. In fact, they are set to close Tuesday on a new (different) home that will be more affordable.

While I had her on the line, she explained that she has not called me this week because her husband's 24 year old sister (with a 3 month old new baby) had a stroke Monday and his brother's wife died suddenly on Tuesday of a major heart attack. She was 42. And oh, by the way, her other son has an unidentified rash that has gotten worse each day this week. That is why he is NOT at school today. Thank God - literally. This girl is not a drama queen of any kind. So obviously, any extra prayers for them would be a tremendous need and a blessing and I thank you in advance for your petitions on their behalf this weekend if they are brought to mind.

The family is having to split up. My friend's family will be visiting the sister in Texas on Saturday while others attend the SIL's funeral. Did I mention they are in the middle of packed boxes for a move on Tuesday?! God grant them so much grace today. And thank you for praying for a stranger in need.

Five O'clock Somewhere

It's been a wonderful summer! I feel like I had balanced amounts of progress in my projects and time with the family, plus the kids really gained a lot of confidence in themselves in areas they had long struggled. They also just exuded the innocence of childhood as we kept it simple. No organized activities outside of baseball, which was good fellowship for all of us. Other than that they did all the stereotypical summer stuff. Chased frogs and ate ice cream and stayed up late watching everything from Hannah Montana to the race for the White House. (My oldest is fascinated already.)

As usual, I didn't accomplish near as much as I would have preferred, but it most definitely was not for lack of trying! I worked so, so hard this summer to deal with some organizational issues stemming from things long ago. (Too lazy to go find that post to link it right now. :) ) And I still have several months of it to go. So just before school started, we decided to enjoy a weekend away to relax and pretend summer wasn't really ending.

Now, let me just set the tone for this trip and tell you that despite all the slapstick comedy that could have been written from it, we were in that "Que sera sera" frame of mind. I mean it literally when I say that we were not dwelling one iota on the fact that school would be starting in a few days. It was all about being in the moment. And we didn't waste a lot of time on any kind of an itinerary. We don't even plan our vacations any more. We seriously just pick a spot, throw some clothes in a bag and go. As long as we have a moderately nice hotel with a pool, we're good. In fact, we had originally planned to meet my husband's family in Branson, but all of the hotels within 20 miles of them were booked so we just drove over to Tulsa instead.

Since we had planned a week long trip that got cut to a long weekend, hubby decided to use the extra money to splurge on a five star hotel. Score! We were only a couple of hours from home but it FELT like a million miles away! We pulled away from home under an overcast dry sky and headed for our Paradise. The only problem was that both of our "normal" vehicles were out of commission and we were traveling in my husband's open-bed work truck. So when the nice cool air gave way to a full fledged raging thunderstorm, the clothes got soaked! The ones I had spent the entire day laundering and packing the day before. I spent the first six hours of our trip in the hotel laundry room re-washing five loads of wet, bleeding clothes. But hey, I figure I got the easier part. Just grabbed a magazine from the lobby and enjoyed the solitude. Hubby had to keep three kids occupied for several hours in a hotel that LOOKED like absolutely nothing should be touched.

Actually though, the atmosphere was very laid back. They didn't seem a bit phased when a kid would occasionally yell across the lobby or somone would come down for a newspaper in their PJ pants. My husband did remark though, with mocked annoyance, that everything in a fancy hotel is SLICK. "The valet drivers, the marble in the foyer I almost fell on, the sheets on the bed - how come in a really fancy hotel, EVERYTHING is SLICK!" He made this comment from the floor beside the bed he had just slid off of. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. Oh, it was hilarious. He mistook the many inches of fluff on the down comforter as mattress edging and plopped down unaware. And his comment made me think so much of my dad. I remarked to him that I never thought the old adage that you "marry a man just like your father" would ever apply to me because they are so different, but it just sounded exactly like something my dad would say. Then when I caught him watching The Learning Channel later, I KNEW it was true! Anyway, it cracked me up, especially the next morning at breakfast when they garnished our plates with some unidentifiable slick white gelled stuff. I guess I just AIN'T fancy enough to know what it was.

That evening we spent time swimming in the pool and watching the Olympics and the Stephen Curtis Chapman interview on Larry King (bless their hearts) while taking turns exploring the hotel just like our kiddos. At bedtime, I loved, LOVED laying there in the dark on the satin-y, fluffy, comfy bed, watching the lightning outside outside our window and hearing the giggles of our youngest two. They were torturing our oldest with repetitions of phrases they had concocted for the loop of advertisements on the electronic billboard across the highway. He was particularly annoyed that they didn't "get" who or what the Michelin Man was about. They thought he looked like a character built of toilet paper rolls. The ad immediately following that featured a look-alike of our pet dog. So poor kid. Every 23.2 seconds precisely, he had to hear "TOILET PAPER DUDE!.......LEXIE!!" Followed by unquenchable laughter. Then his growl-sigh. Maybe I'm mean, but I was laughing right with them.

The next day, we grabbed a brochure from one of those lobby racks and headed out to return to our favorite Tulsa attractions. My very first memories are made up of the landmarks of Tulsa, Oklahoma, where I was born. I can't remember the activities that accompanied these memories, but last year, I called to ask my mom about "the old-timey amusement park that had a giant metal man waving outside of it and the Mexican restaurant with different themed rooms and you raise the little flag to get the waiter to come." I had a great childhood, so I wanted to go back and see what had impressed me so as a toddler and hope it would do the same for my kids. My mom filled me in at that time and we went and it was every bit as magical as I hoped it would be. Not because there was anything particularly outstanding about these places, but because it DID bring back all those wonderful memories. And it DID make for a fun time together with our kids just like it had when I WAS the kid.

Well, I'm glad we did that last year. Because this trip, both those places were gone! So, we were now truly wingin' it.

I'm going to finish this in parts now, because it is SOOOO long. :)

Improvement Or Absurdity?

It would have been just about 31 years ago this very week. I can VIVIDLY remember standing in front of the built-in bookshelves of our brown paneled living room just SOBBING to both my parents about the pressures I expected second grade to bring. I mean - what if I couldn't see the equations on the board with the teacher standing in front of them? What if I had to go the the bathroom WHILE she was in the middle of an explanation and she wouldn't let me? And For The Love Of All That Is Good And Right In The World, what ON EARTH .....WHAT would happen if I didn't learn to read the BIG words as fast as everyone else? I would after all be forever left behind then, wouldn't I?

There IS a worry wart gene, I am convinced, and I was born with it. It has been present (along with the competitive gene, the excuse gene and the OCD gene that normally accompany it) for as long as I can remember. Which specifically is the day I MADE my mom reserve my first official potty poop to show my dad when he FINALLY returned home from his business trip. After all, I wanted enthusiastic credit for my Sweet Success. It also seems like this anal retentive habit crescendoed when my frustrated father forbade my continued studying for college finals for fear that my head would fall off! This propensity of mine to worry has never really applied to such things as elevators or heights or drowning or things like that (for which fear WOULD have actually served me quite well), but it has been exclusively reserved for areas of my life that invite the potential of - GAAAAAAAASP - FAILURE!

So when I heard a preacher tell me for the very first time at the age of 23 that I am a most imperfect creature but that God loves me exactly the same as he does all those higher performers who maddeningly kept me out of first place in all of life's thousands of potential accomplishments - well, I liked that. I liked that enough to trust my life to Him.

But not enough to change immediately. The cursing and the drinking and the those sorts of activities seemed to cease instantaneously. The perfectionism thing lingered a lot longer. And my parents, who have lived with it most of their entire lives and see me often enough to recognize only gradual progress, are probably witnesses to my many starts and trip-ups the most often. And yet, no one knows as clearly as myself how very, VERY, VERY FAR the good Lord has brought me in this particular area. Tonight my parents are here visiting. As I made the rounds to lock up after they went to bed, I pulled up the front blinds to look outside and I was able to laugh at myself. A mistake I've let linger since Christmas at least. The wind had apparently blown some flowers off of a plant stand that sits at the very corner of our home. It's an out-of-the-way corner that we rarely pass. Obviously. The plant laying there in front of our picture window as I gazed out at the night WAS A POINSETTIA.

So is that laid back enough for you now? I just have to wonder. Has God done a miraculous work in my heart in getting me to give up the sin of perfectionism that no one else was able to - or have I just gotten INCREDIBLY dingy or lazy?

Poinsettias in August! You know, it may just be easiser to leave them there since Christmas really isn't all that far away. And if I were a guy, I might just wear black socks with sandals.