Randomness

Another Windy Day

We’ve been having more than our usual share of wind lately. It’s unsettling.  It swoops in and stirs everything up, ripping petals off tulips and branches from the trees. What a mess to clean up these days. It’s one thing to have to rake and bag the sorry remains of a stormy night, but how to deal with the winds of emotion is another thing. The mighty breeze seams to stir up the mind as if the havoc it causes outside happens on the inside too. The trash cans blow over and the lids roll down the street like beheaded chickens. We run after them, picking everything up and putting it all back in place just as we’re always struggling to do with our lives. Put everything back in place, where it belongs. I feel the battle to hang on to our country as the United States of America according to The Constitution is raging. We have leadership that refuses to listen to the people it has been elected to listen to. We have a politically correct system that is so terrified of offending Islam that it slams Christianity and the Jews. What happened to us? I’m wondering these days,…

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Randomness

Sleep; How Long Must I Wait?

Humm… Is it just me, or does anyone else get up in the morning, look at the clock and sadly observe that it will be fifteen or sixteen hours before sliding back between soft cool cotton sheets, fluffing up a pile of cloud like pillows, and tucking an airy, billowy down comforter up under the chin? Then, the really good part–the great surrender. The eyelids drop, a sigh like there’s no tomorrow, and a swan dive off the precipice of consciousness into sweet deep sleep. I hate to admit this, but the thought of a good nights sleep is what gets me through my days. My bed is my sanctuary.  Just thinking about it makes me want a nap. Sometimes, I have to purposely avoid so much as walking by our bedroom so I don’t give up and dive through the door, throw myself onto the mattress, wrap up in the afghan and drift off to dream land. Sometimes,  I wonder if this is normal. Does everyone love to sleep like I do? Do others view their bed as some kind of a nest? I gather things around my nest. A reading lamp, a stack of books, my glasses, a…

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Randomness

Happiness Is…

Happiness is getting on the scale first thing in the morning only to discover a tenth of a pound weight loss. Yes! And having my husband say how beautiful I am regardless of morning breath, mangled hair, smeared mascara, and puffy eyes. Happiness is having a big family dinner and seeing everyone enjoy each others company, eat good food, play cards and take walks together in the not so great weather. I love it! Happiness is when the phone rings and the news is good.  And when the annual physical reveals no surprises, just another year of good health. And when you put the boat in the water for the first time all year and it starts right up. Happiness is having no plans for the weekend.  Just R & R.  And when it rains at night but sun-shines all day. And when the dog finally understands not to pull on the leash or chase cars or poop in the house. Happiness is a good nights sleep, a day without hot flashes, and being able to read labels without glasses.  And finding a new pair of jeans that don’t make the butt look big and a bra that is both…

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Randomness

Easter Creaster

My daughter’s pastor has made the decision not to do Creaster. That’s Christmas and Easter combined. His point is, he’s not going to go all out to put on a Hollywood style Easter pageant or a Christmas play to rival the Nut Cracker. He’s not banking on a once or twice a year attendance making much of a difference in peoples lives. I agree with this philosophy. People that show up at churches twice a year rarely bother to go any other time, so why bother with a costly, time consuming production?  I’ve never known anyone to attend a Christmas play and be so blown away that they magically become a regular attendee. But I’ve known a lot of them to say how nice it was with a nervous strained smile as they hurry to their getaway cars. It’s either in a persons heart to worship God on a regular basis in the company of other believers, or it’s not. Why try to impress them with a show? I think it’s much more effective to invite non-believers to a regular service with the sermon centered on the holiday. Presenting our church services are they are on a normal basis is…

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Randomness

Island Life

Admittedly, living on an island comes with a unique set of disadvantages. It’s far away from everything, there’s no place to shop, getting on and off is a problem especially with nothing more than a two lane bridge, and sand is as common between our sheets and in our hair as it is on the beach. Yet, I believe the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.  Life here is different than living on the main-land, where the synergy of city life generates constant motion.  There is an attitude on the island that commands a slow and easy pace of everything and everyone living here. We go by what’s affectionately termed, “island time.” Time is slower here. Minutes drag out and hours linger on the clock, each reluctant to give way to the next. Island driving takes getting used to. Most folks drive slowly, a little under the speed limit, usually because it’s nearly impossible to tear our eyes from the snow capped mountains and sparkle’s dancing on the water. Consequently, we slow down and enjoy the view and arrive late everywhere we go. Eating out here, is always fun. We have a few nice places to enjoy a good meal without…

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Randomness

What’s For Dinner?

Now that’s a question I’ve been asked a few times. In fact, I bet that’s the number one most frequently asked question in the history of the world. What ‘s for dinner? After all, it’s the most important thing on our minds from the minute we’re born, right? So, what is for dinner, anyway? I for one, am all taped out on the menu thing. I have no idea what’s for dinner any more. I just can’t keep coming up with what’s for dinner. I’m a good cook; not a great one, but a good one. Yet, I’m tired of my own cooking. It’s been going on for about 35 years. That’s a long time. Going out helps, occasionally. But it’s a bit of a drive, and staying home is nice and the food is actually better than at most restaurants, and I can control the fat content. Eating low fat and natural foods is an issue in our household. We like it that way. In my dreams, a chef shows up every evening and surprises us with what’s for dinner. It’s healthy and fresh and delicious and served on fine china. Then, the chef does the dishes before leaving.…

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Randomness

The Art of Aging, Without Killing Someone

It has been said, women are aging more gracefully than ever. That women over fifty are still beautiful and desirable, and even better the older they get. Well isn’t that nice. I guess on the surface, most of us still look pretty good. But don’t let that fool you. It’s not what’s on the outside that counts, folks. It’s what’s happening on the inside. Underneath the smooth, wrinkle free, microderm-abrased face, and whitened, a million times over, smile, is the heart of a women sick to death of just about everyone in the whole world. Especially the freaks in our country that insist we not only look as good as we did twenty years ago; but better. It’s Okay, now days, to age, as long as the aging is done in the most appropriate and non-offensive manner. What does that mean, you young girls may ask? Well, let me be the one to tell you. Aging inoffensively means do it, but don’t let anyone know. Take all the anti-aging precautions available in the entire world, never stop moving, exercise like your training for a marathon every free minute of your life, eat all natural and in tiny portions. Get manicures…

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Randomness

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

It’s surprizing how many people become Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.  I’ve no Irish blood in me, but I love the whole St. Patrick’s Day celebration.  When else do we have the opportunity to cover ourselves in green spray paint, stick shamrocks on our faces, leprechauns in the closets and enjoy a cold Guiness to boot?  When else do we absolutely die for corned beef and cabbage? How did it all happen, this super hype over a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Maybe we just needed another excuse to have a party, something more to celebrate.  I think it’s important for adults to take the opportunity to be goofy, and applauded each other for it. We’re always so serious. We work, parent, clean, train, study,worry, and work some more.  St. Patrick’s Day is a day off from all of that; a chance to be a kid again. At least for a few hours, anyway. So, even if you’re not Irish, get Irish for the day! Put on a Leprachaun hat and some green nail-polish and go out for a green whatever.  Listen to some good ol Irish music, some bag pipes and Oh Danny Boy. Remember;…

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Randomness

It’s a Dogs World

I think my relationship with my dogs is a little out of whack. The other day one of my neighbors asked where they’ve been lately and I announced they were on restriction. I said this like I was totally disgusted, and I was. I know she thought I was nuts, but they’ve been very bad lately. My dogs had been disappearing, running off into the woods for hours at a time and coming home filthy. Consequently, they’ve been restricted to outside on leashes or outside locked in the yard. They hate it. They come in the house and follow me around all day whining to go out. When I let them out, they sit in front of the gate barking to get out of the yard. Finally, I get to the point where I simply can’t stand it any more, so I let them out and they disappear. Next time I see them, they’re filthy and they want back in the house.  It’s never ends. The sad thing is, even though they drive me crazy, I would be lost without them. They get me up and out the door every morning. They insist we walk for miles, regardless of the…

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Randomness

Just Thinking

I’ve been having a hard time deciding what to blog about lately.  I rarely have writers block, but this has been a long stretch, about 10 days, and I’m wondering what the problem is. There are unlimited topics to discuss, yet nailing one down and running with it appears to be a difficulty. Am I sick? I have been battling a tiny bit of a head cold lately. Am I just brain dead? That’s a possibility. It’s also possible that I have so much to blog about, it’s difficult to pick a topic. Moving into spring is always a mental boost. Our dark winters leave us craving sunlight and warm air. Yet, before we get there, we need to finish the business of winter. It’s as if we’re on the job and have been offered a promotion. We need to get the old job finished up and everything in order before we can walk away and take on something new. We need to finish up winter. We’ll wait patiently for the sun to rise early enough to be the alarm clock and the high tides to recede so Puget Sound isn’t quite so cluttered with debris. We’ll get serious and…

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