Celebrating 30 years

So, if you were going to celebrate 30 years of marriage what would you do? A big party? A special romantic dinner? A weekend getaway? Something memorable, right? That's what we thought, too. Finances are an issue though, so we planned a low budget day trip to a nearby historical town planning on a simple lunch and perhaps a stroll on the beach on the way home in the evening. Sounds so romantic and downright fun, huh? Yeah, we thought so too.

So this morning Beloved goes out to clean my car for the trip- a WONDERFUL gift!- and while I'm working on getting ready I hear a continuous mewing sound. Coming from UNDER the bathroom. Huh.

A little background. You may recall that I wrote about our cat population in this post:
http://mrsmomsblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/family-expansion.html

Well, Papa Tux's biology lesson was about oh, eight weeks ago. Our Mama Kitty has been having a hormonal week and giving 4 month old Socks a hard time about everything. Which was really rough since Skeered disappeared about a week or so ago and poor Socks has been lost without her playmate. (I'm skimming right over this part because I can't handle the sad when I think about what must have happened to Skeered. Sniff. Sigh. Moving on.)
Anyway, Mama has been a real pill toward Socks. Until yesterday morning when she suddenly decides that she not only LIKES Socks, but she is going to be all motherly toward her. Even to the point of trying to haul her around by the scruff of the neck AND allowing her to nurse- something that has been taboo since, oh, about seven weeks ago. Mama also looked much slimmer and cried a lot. So, we figured that she must have lost the kittens, was having postpartum blues and substituting the older kitten for the lost babies. Pretty smart kitty psychology, huh? Yeah, we thought so too.

A little more background. The cats have been spending a lot of time under the house. This is possible here in the south where we have mobile homes that sit up on blocks four feet high to keep them out of the flood zone. Now, we do have aluminum skirting around the bottom but cats are very good about digging right under that. The sandy soil here makes it less labor intensive. Plus, we have one panel that was damaged in a big storm and is the perfect size for a feline doorway under the house. The problem is that the kittens don't just go under and sleep. No, they seemed to think that the pipes and insulation and duct work all made a PERFECT playground. So, we would hear various clunking and thumping sounds under our feet. A little disconcerting. So Beloved decided that it would be best to close up the openings. Unfortunately he made this decision AFTER Mama Kitty had decided this would make the perfect nursery.

So, Mama Kitty has her baby. Beloved blocks off access to the nursery. Mama acts weird. The stupid humans think she's hormonal and go to bed. The next morning the baby starts screaming for it's breakfast.

I went out and told Beloved about the crying baby under the house and my Hero opens up the panel and crawls under the house to rescue the baby kitty. Who was up INSIDE the insulation. We restored the baby to its mama but mama keeps acting weird. She wants the baby but she doesn't. It looks like she's rejecting it. And the baby is obviously traumatized by the whole ordeal as well as hungry so it keeps crying. Nonstop.

At this point there is no way that Beloved and I can go away from home and think about anything other than our crazy feline family members. So we scrap the trip. And spend the rest of the day monitoring Mama and Baby in the makeshift quarantine nursery that we have created in a back storage room in an outbuilding. Big Fun.

Finally, Mama looks like she's going to accept the baby and feed her but she does. not. like. being closed in. At. All. By the end of the day we're convinced the she will take care of the baby so we let them back outside. Mama is still acting a little weird but we chalk that up to hormones. Again, brilliant psychology.

After dinner DD4 went out to check on the little family and discovered Socks had climbed Beloved's ladder so she decided to get a photo. While she was outside she visited with Mama and the baby and began to hear an echo to the baby's cry. Mama had moved the baby underneath the back porch steps right next to the house. Right next to the insulation that held the OTHER baby. So, for the second time today, Beloved took his heroic self and crawled BACK under the house (this time in the dark) and rescued the second baby kitten.

It only took three days and three not so bright humans to separate and reunited one Mama Kitty and her two babies. If only we spoke Cat.

So, this is how we celebrate 30 years of marital bliss around here. Life is NEVER dull. Here's to 30 more!

Celebrating in Song

This is the song our ladies group sang this morning. It was awesome. Now, we only had six ladies in our group today but they can surely sing! DD4 played the part of David Phelps in the second verse and then switched to Sandy Patty mode for the final chorus (translated: she hit all those through the roof notes, including a few that aren't in the video!) The final harmonies were absolutely beautiful! Enjoy this Gaither Homecoming version. It's almost as good as ours! ;D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6L0do1lkVE

Adjusting Focus

Something I ate yesterday is not pleased with me, so I adjusted my plans for the day to accommodate the situation and came to my computer for a bit of encouragement. (And, because I can sit here and not feel like the whole day is being wasted because I don't have the energy to move around.)
Yesterday and today, Nancy Leigh DeMoss at Revive Our Hearts broadcast excerpts of a talk given by a young Canadian woman named Rachel Barkey. Rachel was a breast cancer survivor who has recently found that the cancer has returned with a vengeance. This time there is no cure.
Her courage and candor are truly inspiring. Makes my tiny trial seem insignificant by comparison.

You can watch or listen to her complete talk here:
http://deathisnotdying.com/


Or read or listen to the excerpts here:

PART ONE:
http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid=10243

PART TWO:
http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid=10245



I promise it will be worth your time.

One Day Vacation

DD4 and I took a "vacation day" on Friday and ran away for an adventure. Our plan was to go to Rainbow Springs, float around on the water, relax the afternoon away, possibly with a book (if we stopped talking long enough) and have a picnic lunch. It was a great plan.

You do know what happens to great plans, right?

The floats weren't allowed. The water was too cold to get more than our feet wet. The only shady spot we could find for our chairs was on an incline that was steeper than it looked so the chairs kept tipping, slipping, sliding and finally collapsing. DD4's sinuses decided not to cooperate with her so her energy was taken up with breathing and trying to clear her head. We forgot to bring the books.

So, when we hit somewhere around Plan Q we changed out of our swimsuits into comfy clothes and walking shoes. She took an antihistimine and we found a beautiful spot on a park bench and ate our lunch. Then we took the camera and hit the walking trails. Only to discover that I had removed the card that stores the pictures and we only had enough memory for about 6 shots. It was just enough to get this one, though.

Pretty much a perfect day.

What a Difference a Day Makes

Sometimes a little attention goes a long way. Yesterday I snapped some photos of my poor neglected plants who were dying of thirst. I gave them all some Miracle Grow and then we had a rainstorm last night. Today I went out after church and took some more photos.

24 hours and a little water later and here are the before and afters.













































I was wondering how many other areas of my life this principle might also apply. What have I allowed to "dry out" in my life?


Relationships?
Ministry?
Skills?


I think I'm going to take a little time this week to do some inventory and see what looks a little droopy, yellow or crunchy.
A little watering might be in order.

Sin of Omission

If you know me or have read this post you know that I do not have a green thumb. In fact I have had very little long term success with plants. This is probably why Beloved has been eyeing me a bit strangely since February when I bought perfectly good seed packets and brought them home. And it has been nothing short of a miracle that the seeds have gone from this (in March):

To this (in May):

We have all been amazed.

Now I must say that like all new projects this one drew my attention quite regularly in the beginning. It was fun, it was novel and it was unbelievable! I actually harvested one squash and two servings of green beans as well as some herbs. Seriously amazing. Then, as happens with all of my projects, the rest of my life began to encroach upon my gardening time. It was ok for a while. We had rain almost every day and the bugs hadn’t all found the plants yet. Also being in pots there were very few weeds to contend with. I could check in every few days and it was fine.
Fast forward to this past week.

I have been busy taking care of other life necessities. We have had no rain. The temperatures have been in the nineties. All the rain we had the week before has brought out all the weeds in town. The bugs are hungry.

When I walked out to the garden this afternoon this is what I found:

This photo is deceptively green. The problem is that most of that green is grass or weeds. And all that green growth in the square pot? Yeah. Clover. Great crop, just not what I was going for. And that spindly thing in the tomato cage at the center back of the picture? That really is a tomato plant. A sad, shriveled two dollar tomato plant. (the one plant I bought instead of starting from seed)

However, on the bright side, I am growing a great crop of plastic spoons.

Gardening tips of the week:

Plants are picky about having water.

Every day, not just when you remember that they exist.

Weeds are bad whether they are in the pots or on the ground all around the pots.

Leaves are not supposed to be yellow, limp or crunchy.

They also should not have holes in them.

Family Expansion

We have a couple of new additions to the family.

Meet Socks (front) and Skeered (back).

They were between six and eight weeks when this was taken.

Their mother adopted my husband last year and makes sure that he has a reason to get up in the morning and come home in the evening. You know, because he has to feed and pet the cat. She is CERTAIN that this is his purpose in life. She truly is the most affectionate cat I have ever seen. When we go out the back door, she comes running to meet us and fusses if we don't take the time to pet her sufficiently.

The kittens have been a joy and delight. We laugh as we watch them discover the world around them. They are about three months old now and exploring more and more each day. Socks has learned how to catch frogs. The other day she had one and brought it over to the one patch of concrete in the yard. I thought she was going to have a snack. Oh, no. She had captured a toy. And the smart little thing brought it to the one place in the yard where she could keep a close eye on it!

The other day we started to go outside and found this on the back steps:

From left to right: Skeered, Mama, Socks, Tux (aka Papa)

Tux actually belongs to a neighbor and probably has another name as well. He "visits" with Mama Kitty when the "mood" strikes. He was good enough to give the kittens some biology lessons last week. Funny, we haven't seen him since. Of course, once she visits the local Neuter Commuter he may not visit at all. Bummer.

Kickin' Writer's Block

Everything I think of to write either sounds stupid or sanctimonious. You have all been sooo encouraging. I WANT to write, the words just get all muddled up in my brain. Well, unless I'm up to my elbows in something else like cooking or driving or just about to fall asleep. THEN I can think of things to write. Brilliant things. Funny things. Inspiring things. But when I sit down at my computer, nothing. It is at this point that all becomes blank. Or stupid. Or sanctimonious. Now, please don't think I'm trolling for encouraging comments here. I'm not. I'm just being honest and trying to explain yet another LONG absence from my poor neglected blog.


So, here I am trying to break through.


This is where reading other blogs brings inspiration. I was reading a post by Carmen from Mom to the Screaming Masses that showed a photo of her blogging area and thought, "I can do that". So here it is:

First, the process. Take a photo. Take two. Review of photo shows VERY MESSY desk. Clean up desk. Take another photo. Take two. Download photo from camera to computer. Download a bunch while you're at it (cause I haven't done that in a while either). Save photos. Begin to write post. Attempt to upload image. Realize it is saved in wrong format. Go back to photo program and save in more friendly format. Go back to blog and attempt to upload photo again. Look at desk and realize I have photographed sensitive personal information that I would prefer NOT to broadcast into cyberspace. Quickly stop upload. Go back to photo program and remove personal stuff. Return to blog and attempt upload for the third time. Continue writing blog content. Accidentally delete photo. Attempt upload a fourth time. Write about the process.

See, that was easy.

Now, about the (now clean) desk. (OK, I confess, I just moved the clutter out of camera range but this part looks great, don'tcha think?) Anyway, this is command central. This is where I conduct all manner of desk stuff that makes Beloved ask things like, "What do you DO all day?" It could be because when he sees me at my desk in the evenings I'm either reading blogs or playing games but I really do actual work stuff here. Not that I get paid for it very often but it's work nevertheless.

And apparently, I REALLY like sticky notes.

In Search Of Peace

DD4 went shopping this week and found the cutest dress. Prefect color, adorable style and it was so… her. Until she put it on. It just didn’t fit. No matter how long she stared in the mirror or shifted, tugged and adjusted, it still didn’t fit.

That’s the story of my job. Or I should say the job that wasn’t. I REALLY wanted to take that job. But it didn’t fit, no matter how much I tried to tell myself that I could make it work. If only I had listened to the Lord. Or consulted Him first. It’s taken me two months to post this because I hate to admit all this.

I went looking for a job out of fear instead of faith. And, since I have free will, the Lord let me do my thing. So I got a job. A really good job. But in getting what I wanted (or thought I needed) I lost my peace. From the day I got the job my spirit was troubled and I could not get settled. I tried to tell myself that it was just new job jitters or maybe it was the enemy trying to steal my victory. (Yeah, that’s it; it must be all the devil’s fault.) But it wasn’t. It was mine.

When I FINALLY listened to the Lord and gave up the job, a peace flooded my heart. I have committed myself to seek God FIRST, BEFORE I go looking for anything else to do. Right now, the best use of my limited physical resources is to continue putting our house in order so that it will be more accessible to potential buyers.

I have plenty of work and no lack of peace. Everything else I will take day by day and trust God to provide in His way and in His time.

I got a JOB!

My mind is still trying to wrap itself around this. You wouldn't think it would be so hard since I actually, you know, APPLIED for a job (or few). The part that keeps getting me is that they HIRED me!

AFTER, I locked my keys in my car at the interview site and had to go back inside and ask for help.
And AFTER I was THIRTY MINUTES LATE for the call back interview because I got LOST!


I actually worked for this same company over 30 years ago! My first interviewer figured out the math on that one pretty quick, seems he was BORN the SAME year that I worked for the company! Amazing!

So, I'm going to be a hostess for a major restaurant chain. Let me just say that their commercials always make me hungry! I've been working on getting my uniform pieces together - not exactly my style but PJ's weren't on the list of acceptable options, so...

And, I got my hair cut. I think Beloved had more angst about that part than I did. It wasn't a direct requirement of the job but it seemed like the best way to deal with a few job-related hair issues. The best part is that my hair is ALL my natural color now. Not exactly ONE color, mind you, but all natural nevertheless.

Anyway, I'm pretty excited about it all. At least when I'm not asking myself what in the WORLD was I thinking!? Basically, I'm in that place that is scary and exciting all at the same time. That place of totally depending on the Lord because I am in WAY over my head!

It's a good place.

2009 Catch Up

It's amazing how quickly days and weeks slip by. I have found that catching up takes twice as long as keeping up and reading blogs others have written is MUCH easier than writing my own. I know that you are all shocked by these revelations. Here is a quick catch up of the last TWO MONTHS!

Christmas was great!
The program at church was one of the best ever and an amazing blessing.

Christmas day was a nice QUIET, restful day which we needed.

Our family gathering on the 28th was so wonderful- we got to see 4 out of 5 kids and 7 out of 8 grandkids. And, oh yes, a lot of other, very special friends and family members, too! (Love you all!) A red letter day, indeed!

This was the spread of food that fed our group of approx 40.

New Year's Eve, which I had been looking forward to for weeks was not so great. I managed to have a major hormone meltdown at the last minute so even though our special service at church was wonderful, I had a hard time enjoying it. I passed my camera off to my friend JC and she got some great shots of our church family enjoying the food and fellowship. Thanks, JC! You're a doll!

I did manage to snap this photo of our dance team in action.

We had some REALLY cold weather (for FL) and our daughter caught this evidence on film, er, pixels:
OK, it was from the faucet dripping all night but still- this is ICE people! Outside. In FL.

On Valentine's morning, I heard Beloved rustling what sounded like papers at the kitchen table behind me before he headed out to work at the church. He came to my chair and kissed me goodbye as usual. I finished my Bible study and went to the kitchen for breakfast and found this.

He had gone out that morning and picked them! Not an easy task in our wild, woodsy yard. I LOVE the addition of the yellow vine! I'm so glad he keeps coming home every night. For almost 30 years.

This is what he was headed out to work on:

Our church steeple decided that after over 20 years it had completed its task. Beloved and some other dear men from our church have been working to fabricate a replacement. Beloved's task was to cover the base with siding to protect it from the elements (which apparently contributed to the demise of the original) and of course, to make it look pretty. I think he did a beautiful job! Anyway, he was headed out to help install this masterpiece on the roof of the church. I was so pleased that none of the men involved exited the roof in an accelerated or hastily assisted manner.

There's more but it will have to keep for another day. I have blogs to read.