creative confetti

focused on Glory (Valentines)

2012-02-14T18:02:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentines Day!

I really like Valentines Day, even though I'm single. As a matter of fact, I've never understood the disdain held by some of my fellow singles for this sweet day. Some go as far as to proclaim malevolence for the 45th day of each new year.

Really?

Yes this is a day of love, but who says it must be a couple-love only? Yes there is a lot of money made by marketing to couples, but I'm not prone to allowing advertising and marketing campaigns dictate my emotions.

One of the sweetest (and sometimes challenging) commands from God is to love one another.Valentines gives us a special day to celebrate those we love, and I love a lot of people. And shouldn't we celebrate each other? Of course it doesn't have to be only once a year, but it is fun to have a special day. (And any day with extra chocolate is okay with me!)

And speaking of advertising, there is a credit card commercial (here) that I don't care for too much. The message seems to be that marriage isn't ever necessary for couples. That's sad to me because I think strong marriages and families are a necessity to a strong community, nation, and world. That is all the more reason I am so blessed to have parents who have been married for over 45 years. Of course there isn't anything perfect about them or their marriage, but that hasn't stopped their dedication to each other.

This week's foG picture is of two valentines. I caught them as they returned from their early dinner date. (Daddy and I both look funny without glasses, but his were so dark you couldn't see his eyes.) What cutie pies.

Don't forget to check out Jennifer's blog here. She has had some really good stuff lately. I can't wait to see her next foG post.

focused on Glory (African Children's Choir)

2012-02-07T17:54:00.002-06:00

Last Wednesday I went to see the African Chirdren's Choir. I was still on meds for bronchitis and felt as if I could sleep 10 hours a day. As much as I knew I would enjoy the choir, I really wanted to stay home.

In my pajamas.

Under a quilt.

With my eyes closed.

But I didn't -because my mother wanted someone to go with her.

So I got dressed and went to church. We went early to get a good seat, which meant we also had a good wait until the show began. I sat with my head lolling and bobbing as I tried in vain to stay conscious.

Suddenly three little boys ran down the center aisle and up the stage steps. They took their positions in front of the drums and smiled!

I melted.

Then I heard whispers behind us. (We were on the second row from the back aisle.) Lining the back of the sanctuary were the other 12 children. I smiled at the little boy four feet from me and he smiled back. His eyes danced from me to the stage as he waited for the cue to run.

From that point on I didn't have any issue with drowsiness. In fact, I only had two problems. First, I had forgotten my camera, and second, my face was hurting because I was physically incapable of not smiling.

About an hour into the concert, when then kids ran off stage for another costume change, I ran out to the car and made a mad dash home for my camera. FINALLY, something I truly appreciated about living in such a small town. The round trip took 10 minutes and I had only missed one song and a testimonial, but it was so worth it.

The ACC has several choirs that tour simultaneously. This group of children was from Uganda. Oh the JOY that filled the room as they sang and danced.

We should all look like this when we sing about Jesus! And I will never understand why the SBC doesn't condone dancing. It's okay to have visiting groups like this dance, or a ballet at Christmas time, or even dancing at special events like Tiger Tunes (held on a SBC college campus), but we aren't allowed to dance for our LORD at any other time? (We interrupt this rant to get back to our previously scheduled blog post.)

This is the choir leader. Forgive me for not remembering her name -and added forgiveness for the picture quality. This lovely woman walked past me so quickly that I didn't have an opportunity to change any settings on my camera. I had one shot and hoped for the best. Regardless of technique, it is impossible to miss the beauty of this lady. It's a good thing this feature is focused on Glory, and not my abilities.

Be sure to stop by Jennifer's blog HERE.

focused on Glory (in recovery)

2012-01-31T11:11:00.001-06:00

There's pretty much nothing worse than an uninvited, unwelcome guest- except when that guest brings company of their own. My "friend" bronchitis has been visiting and brought sinusitis along too. This is their first stopover this year, and they've promised to call again. I thought I had removed that welcome mat. That said, I'd been stuck inside the house for five years and I was ITCHING to get out! (So maybe it was five days instead of years, whatever- it wasn't fun.)

Yesterday was the first day I felt well enough to walk out the front door, and true to form I did more than I should have. And I don't regret it one bit!

I needed to check on a friend's empty house and asked Mom if she wanted to take a drive with me. My friend's house sits on 12 acres, and the weather provided the perfect opportunity to walk somewhere besides to the kitchen.

There are about a dozen of these birdhouses scattered around the yard area. The simplicity is charming.

On the same post as the birdhouse was an empty barb- the wire long since removed. The moss growing on the post is so pretty.

It was clear and sunny when we arrived, but then the most amazing clouds rolled in to give the sky so much interest and character.

There were daffodils sprouting all over the place, as if it wasn't still winter. Mom decided to pick some along the side fence. (This shot is zoomed in. Mama was about 70 yards from me. It's a BIG yard.)

The sweet reward.

I am so thankful God made such a glorious day for me. And I am thankful for a healing body. What a loving, beautiful God we have!

Be sure to check out Jennifer's blog HERE. She has been catching up on her posting, and it's good stuff.

focused on Glory (relationships)

2012-01-24T16:05:00.003-06:00

Caitie and I had plans to go out last Saturday to capture this week’s foG images. As we drove, we brainstormed ideas for the theme. We even pulled over and parked to discuss a few of the ideas. (Caitie came up with an extraordinary idea that I will be revisiting later in this project.)

Even though I wasn’t sure about what I was looking for, nothing we came up with made my eyes widen with excitement. We both had cameras, so we decided to walk around and take a few pictures of different things and locations until we hit the sweet spot. I knew that if I opened myself up to God He would release my eyes to see what He was seeing.

The sun was finishing up for the day, and the wind had decided to flex its muscles, and it got COLD. I looked at Caitie and realized that she was done. Her sweet face was so pink from the wind, but she was hanging in there for me. I told her it was time to pack up and go home. She didn’t tarry. She was belted in, had the car started, and the heater cranked up before I closed the trunk.

As I drove home I wondered when I would have another chance to go out to get shots for this week’s post. Then I heard the sweetest voice tell me that I already had the shots. I looked at my Caitie Bug, smiled, and sighed.

Thank you Lord. I knew You would show me Your glory.

Until now, Caitie thought the post was going to be about one of the other ideas we’d considered. It’s funny how we can miss something SO obvious. God's glory surely shines in this child. She is growing into a phenomenal woman of faith, and I'm beyond proud of her.

I love this shot of Caitie. This is her personality in a nutshell. Smiling is her favorite, and she makes others smile too!

This place creeped Caitie out a little, but she did what I asked. I have to say that my kids are the BEST! No matter where I ask them to lean, sit, or stand they do it for me. (And yes, you WILL be seeing more of my niece and nephews in future foG posts.)

Be sure to catch Jennifer's foG post HERE.

focused on Glory (through creation)

2012-01-17T18:33:00.004-06:00

I am forever amazed at God's creativity. It's something I like to think I share with Him- on a much, much, MUCH smaller scale. Sometimes I stop and wonder about His thought process when He creates something. I am bewildered at His incomprehensible attention to detail. And nowhere is His creative design most evident than in man.

Last week I had the opportunity to spend time with old friends from out of state. I met the Thomas family in 1997 and loved them instantly. They welcomed me into their home and made me a part of their lives. I was thrilled when their oldest daughter Janie married Landon several years ago, and I jumped up and down when Janie's daughter Audrey was born last August.

One of the reasons I was so excited about Audrey’s arrival was because I know she will be raised knowing how much God loves her! Audrey’s family will make sure to teach her about her wonderful, personal God.

It was such a pleasure to meet Audrey, and to hold her, feed her, and rock her to sleep. I was also able to capture a few photos of that beautiful child.

I love her expressions in these photos. She is completely ignoring me and looking at her mother only. How perfect! There is so much wonder on her sweet face.

As an added bonus, check out the video on my friend Kecia's blog HERE. The gentleman speaking is a mathematician discussing all kinds of sciency stuff along with the development of a baby. It's not too long, and it's fascinating.

And don't forget to stop by Jef's focused on Glory post on her BLOG.

Monkey Cupcakes

2012-01-15T14:19:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I attended a baby shower for a little boy who should arrive any day. The theme was monkeys, so I thought I would attempt monkey cupcakes. (NOTE: This is the first time I had ever tried to make a character cupcake.)

Now I'm labeling this as crafty, but you must know there are much better instructions/pictures/videos to be found. If you stopped here and are too lazy to search further, you should still be able to fashion a monkey from a little cake. One more thing- this is a quickie tutorial, but it gets the point across.

Here goes.

Chocolate cake mix works well as a monkey color. Frost with chocolate, unless you are going for a rare albino monkey look,

but that's just weird.

(Gee whiz, this picture sure looks creepy!) Mix a little chocolate frosting with a bunch of vanilla to get the oddly tinted light brown. Pipe on some hair, because it's cute, and three circles for eyes and the mouth. The next step is to smooth the light brown circles with your spatula, but I found out that I have ZERO spatula smoothing skills. So I wet my finger with a drop of water and patted my circles down. They didn't look that great, but whatever! They still tasted good. Did I mention I had never done this before?

Now you add eyes and ears. I used jumbo chocolate chips (upside down) for the eyes and Junior Mints for the ears. You may have to glue the ears with a little extra frosting. (Notice the surgery to the monkey's right ear?) Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I melted some of the eyes (aka chocolate chips) to pipe on the mouths.

Five hours and 53 cupcakes later I was done. I am forever impressed with the peeps on Cupcake Wars for churning out 1,000 cupcakes in 2 hours. INSANE! If you take a closer look at the pan on the back, right side, you will see some of the monkeys are deaf because I ran out of Junior Mints. I'm sure it wouldn't take anyone else as long as it did me, and it was fun! You should try it.

Wise Words From a Young Heart

2012-01-13T11:50:00.007-06:00

What is this feeling, this pain I hold inside?

Is it fear? Is it something I once held dear?

Talking to the man from Galilee.

Let Him decide what’s best for me.

Let all my sorrow, all my pain, never run again in my veins.

Make the sting of anger leave my thought,

Before any fights can be fought.

Let the peace of life grace my heart,

Before it gets torn apart.

That was beautifully written by my nephew Matthew who is a college freshman. I won't share the turbulence behind his words, for it is his own. What I will reveal is how his thoughts touched me.

The words seem beyond the years that formed them. Probably because they are. I'm sure they were whispered by the Holy Spirit to ease a troubled heart. They whispered to me too.

Let all my sorrow, all my pain, never run again in my veins. Why do I look back so often? My past failures do not define me. And WHY do I periodically allow jealousy to race perversely through me? I have not been handed opportunities as I have seen many 20-somethings given that will forever enhance their lives. The opportunities are usually undeserved, and they would have been with me as well had I been the young recipient. Jealousy is a brewing sewer. I am determined to get over it and move on when it demands an audience.

Let the peace of life grace my heart, before it gets torn apart. LORD, touch my heart so that I allow Your peace to fill my heart at all times.

I am not writhing in sorrow and regret, but they do rear their ugly heads on occasion. My prayer is that I won't allow any footholds.

Thank you Matthew for your wonderful words. Keep talking to the Man from Galilee.

focused on Glory (through beauty)

2012-01-10T17:29:00.003-06:00

I am such a girl.

I love roses.

And not just the traditional looking roses. Although I must admit that my favorite is one of the "rosy" looking ones. It's an English rose, and I'm over the moon for it. It whispers its beauty in fat, heaping bundles. They make me think of charming, little cottages with decades of ivy on the exterior, and massive rose bushes engulfing the corners and windows.

God must have been smiling when He made roses for us. And I bet there weren't any thorns before we messed with His perfection in the original garden. I wonder if the addition of thorns made His heart ache. You know He had to DESPISE creating thorns... for so many reasons.

But we still got to keep the roses! What a precious God we have. Oh how He loves us. (That song is playing right now... such timing!)

Last week my mom had her 70th birthday, and Daddy gave her a bouquet of pink roses. They were glorious indeed. I know God smiles when we do, and I smiled at the beauty He had created.

Don't forget to stop by Jennifer's BLOG to see her foG

post this week.

Not So Much

2012-01-08T14:54:00.003-06:00

A long time ago I wrote a list on Things I Like. This is not that list. I am feeling the need to vent about a few things for which I'm not so fond. Here goes.

Bloody Noses. Par for the course in dry, winter air. (I keep forgetting to turn on the humidifier.)
Rude People. Common courtesy... HA! This afternoon a woman and her teen-aged son rushed to block me from a register. I was going to let it go and got in line behind her when a man walked past me and took my place. AM I INVISIBLE?
Underwear That Loses its Elasticity. Just keeping it real people. And to clarify, I'm talking about new-ish underwear that goes into the washer just fine, but it comes out looking like it phased with the Hulk.
Acne. Really?! Will this ever go away?
Short-circuited Turn Signals. My blinker only works when it feels like it, causing me to be the recipient of several honks and loud comments. Two mechanics have looked at the car, but neither could find the issue. One of them told me that he didn't know what was wrong, but he knew it wouldn't be cheap. JOY.
Missing Friends. I miss having friends around. (sigh)
Spiders. Enough said.
Inconvenient Bathroom Trips. Why is it that I have no desire to use the restroom at home, but I must go to the restroom when I enter a store? Just let me step foot in a Hobby Lobby and I'm headed to the (always disgusting) restroom.

So how about you? What do you dislike? Here is your chance to get it out.

70 NEVER Looked SO Good

2012-01-04T18:32:00.000-06:00

My adorable, little mama is 70 years old today, and I cannot wrap my head around that fact. She acts much younger than what you would think of someone her age. And talk about cute! Ladies everywhere are going to want to know her secret, because 70 NEVER looked SO good.

Seriously! There is NO way she looks her age.

(Forgive the unclear photo, it was a rush job as I dragged her to the sidewalk as we were getting ready to go out this afternoon.)

This is the birthday apple pie she made herself! I was going to bake something for her, but she was SO excited to combine her recipe with one from her Mitford cookbook. It was a MONSTER of a pie! That is a deep, 11.5" skillet.

focused on Glory (in others)

2012-01-03T19:53:00.000-06:00

There is a lady living at the retirement community where my daddy works that I had to meet. She and Daddy have a sweet relationship that has extended to include my mother, and now me.

Mrs. S. loves to read, and she began sharing some of her books with Daddy. At first she loaned her books to him, but she eventually began giving them "for keeps." I'm not sure if she asked or if Daddy mentioned that Mama liked one of the books, but that began another chapter in the story. Soon Mrs. S. began sending books home to Mama. The two ladies began a friendship without having met.

A few weeks ago Mom went to the company Christmas party with Daddy. Daddy just loves to show off his trophy wife. At 12 years his junior, she keep him young. Each year she attends the party, and each year Daddy is engulfed in compliments about his cute wife. This year was the first time Mama met Mrs. S. and they loved each other immediately. A few days later, Mrs. S. ordered a book just for Mommy. She learned that Mommy liked the Mitford series by Jan Karon, and Mrs. S sent the Mitford Cookbook to her. What a thoughtful gift! Mama has already tried two of the recipes.

I was so intrigued by this lady who had been so precious to my parents. I told Mama that I would like to go visit and meet her. Mrs. S. told us that she rarely gets visitors, as her family lives out of state. She was sad to see them go after Christmas and would love to have company. Mrs. S. has great difficulty and pain when walking and doesn't leave her apartment much. Thankfully, everything she needs is provided on the generous retirement campus.

It was SUCH FUN to meet this dear lady. She shared stories from her life and showed us pictures that were of importance. When she was young she fulfilled her dream of learning to fly, and she has crossed the US three times by train. Doesn't that sound marvelous! We hated to say goodbye, and we promised to continue the visits.

Here is the shot taken as we said our goodbyes. Aren't they adorable!

Don't forget to see how Jef is focused on Glory HERE.

Not focused on Me

2011-12-27T15:15:00.003-06:00

I've known all along that I wanted to have an foG post like this, but I'm still not sure if I can pull it off. This could very easily sound like it is focused on my glory, but I promise that isn't the intent. If anything, I hope to reinforce my gratitude to God for making me who I am. CBell is a friend of mine, and she has the BEST quote. "It's good to be me." I agree with her. She is the most amazing CBell evah!

And you know what? I like being me.

My life isn't perfect, and neither am I. (I can almost hear the "Amens!") Like everyone else, I KNOW I get on people's nerves, am sometimes rude and unsatisfied, and not always a great example to follow. But God's grace covers, and I am redeemed. Psalm 51: 1& 2

I love that God chose me to be me. I'm happy that He chose each of us specifically. One time I was standing in the kitchen with my dear friend Tina Jo and her husband. Ron is a forensic accountant. The job title alone makes my eyes cross! I remember turning to Ron and saying, "I'm SO glad God makes people like you. You make the world work." Ron smiled and answered, "Yes, but you decorate it." He told me that "people like me" make the world easier to live in. I loved that!

Am I the most creative person on the planet? Certainly not. Am I the most original. Of course not. But I do enjoy some of the silly things that pop into my head, and I recognize Who enables me to have those ideas. And being PERFECTLY honest, I love when people enjoy something I've created.

With that in mind, I want to show you a couple of pictures from the Christmas decorations I put together. My crafty ideas aren't going to win any prizes, but they sure were fun to implement.

This is one of the Christmas cone trees I made. It is sitting on the top of my grandmother's antique secretary.

What can you do with a little round Coca-Cola bottle? Cover it in glitter to make a sparkly ornament.

God is the giver of all things. Be pleased with who you are, and please Him with what He has given you.

And a little p.s.

As I was finishing this post, I turned and saw this image. I had left my camera like this, so I grabbed my Olympus P&S. Does anything describe this project any better?

Be sure to check out Jennifer's post HERE later today. Jef had a rough go last week, but she will be back this week.

Conversations With My Mother

2011-12-21T22:16:00.002-06:00

Background information:
* My mother can't hear
* My mother cuts or burns her hands/fingers at least once a week
* My mother makes up words (sometimes by accident)

Last week...
Me: "What did you use to press that down?"
Mom: "I used my frumbs."
Me: "Your frumbs?"
Mom: "I said thumbs!"
Me: "Uh, no you didn't."
(We both laughed until I had to use an inhaler.)

Today...
Mom: "Durn. I burned my finger."
Me: "Of course you did."

A little while later...
Me: "How's your frumb?"
Mom: "Is it ringing?" As she races to find her phone.

focused on Glory...

2011-12-20T16:00:00.001-06:00

There is a large field across the street from our neighborhood. At the far end sits an old shed and two dilapidated buildings. From a distance it looks like an old barn and out buildings, and I enjoy looking at them as the Sun sets behind them each day.

Once I got curious and drove around until I found the road that connects to the far end of the field. The road in front of our neighborhood dead-ends into the corner of the expanse. I found the other road, and it too is a dead end. (Funny how dead-ends keep coming while I'm foG.) I saw the buildings up close as I turned around and headed home. They are quite interesting.

Yesterday looked like it would produce a little color for the end of the day. I've always enjoyed sunrises and sunsets. They make me think of God's endless creativity. That may sound hokey, but I'm someone that delights in making something over, and over, and over, but doing it differently each time.

I grabbed my camera & tripod and put on my rain boots (which was SUPER SMART). I stuffed three plastic grocery sacks in my coat pocket and set off across the field. Is trespassing forgivable if it is in search of God's beauty and glory?

The field was muddy! More than once I was sucked down past my ankles and had trouble lifting myself out of the thick muck. Boy am I glad I had those plastic bags. They were real leg-savers for my tripod.

I can't promise this won't be the only sunset to show up during this year-long project. I love them. It's as if God is winking at me and saying, "What do you think of this one?"

Every time I see an old decaying building, I wonder what it was like inside those walls way back when.

The sky was constantly changing, and so were my settings.

I wish you could see more of the hot pink on the right side.

It was so pretty!

Be sure to catch Jen's foG post here.

Super Simple, Super Sweet

2011-12-18T12:19:00.000-06:00

My mom needed an idea for Christmas gifts for her Sunday School class. She needed the gifts to be inexpensive because there are 24 ladies in her class, but she also wanted something sweet and personal. I suggested making sugar scrub. It's perfect for dry winter hands.

I had received homemade sugar scrub from a lovely lady I know, and she told me how easy it was to make. She made several types of scrubs but pointed out that a simple scrub was best to give as a gift. By simple I mean there are no scents or extra exfoliate ingredients added. This cuts down on possible allergic reactions. Personally I think a peppermint scrub sounds divine. You can also add a drop of food coloring to the sugar for extra adorability.

Mom bought two dozen half-pint jars, and they were a great deal. Each jar was under 75¢. The ingredients needed are sugar and olive oil. I told you it was simple. (Disclaimer: The pictures are frightfully bland, with bad lighting and lacking color. This was a last minute idea. Please forgive me.)

The jars came with a red gingham pattern printed on the lid. It looked pretty cheesy to me, so we covered them with thick scrapbook paper. The before and after are below.

Into each jar, I poured a 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of olive oil. I found that using a little less that 1/4 cup of oil works better. Let the oil seep into the sugar then use a fork to dig up the mixture. Don't get too excited when you are plowing through the sugar, or you will have to run a paper towel around the inside lip of your jar to clean it up. No one wants a messy gift.

If you don't chop your sugar, it looks like you are giving

a jar of oily glob.

And voilà!

24 inexpensive jars of Christmas love.

(I moved the jars outside for better lighting.)

Unexpected Encounter

2011-12-13T17:14:00.004-06:00

Here are a few of the shots mentioned in the post below.

I told you! This tree is magnificent. The bottom most branches were about seven feet off the ground.

I wanted to climb this tree SO badly. Even if I had asked permission, I still would have needed a ladder.

There isn't anything spectacular about this photo. What made it special was the sweet moment of peace

I had sitting at the edge of the pond.

This sweet horse got spooked from the click of my shutter and ran away from the trough. If you click on the photo, you will see the mismatched "lawn chairs" I mentioned.

Here is the little one as he is about to invade my bubble. It's the best shot I could get before he got in my face. I think he is a pony.

Don't forget to check out Jenn's focused on Glory post HERE.

Saturday With a Stranger

2011-12-11T14:51:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I packed up my camera and my Bible and headed out to take pictures for this week's focused on Glory post. I figured if I was seeking God's glory, the first place to look was in His Word. We had a sweet visit with each other, and I set off. I had asked God to show me His glory, and not just for that afternoon. In fact, this project is prodding a desire to dig deeper into the glory of God, and I'm just a little bit excited about that.

I decided to drive down a rural road I've never taken before. After several minutes, a sign indicated it would dead-end. It was a long dead-end, so I eventually turned around. Within seconds I saw something amazing. Something I had just passed.

Sitting inside a white horse fence, in the middle of a pasture, was a stunning, majestic tree. It was glorious indeed.

Now I have long been a lover of trees. Take a road trip with me and you'll hear, "Oh! That's a great tree," from time to time. I think trees are beautiful. They are magnificent creations, and I love how they spread their limbs as if they are trying to catch glory from above.

The tree I spotted wasn't alone, but it was certainly the aristocrat of the field. I contemplated taking a picture from the road near the fence, but I noticed someone walking on the other side of the pasture. So instead of trespassing like a creeper, I decided to ask for permission to shoot my pictures.

I pulled into the driveway just as the older gentleman was sitting down in his carport. He was keeping an eye on a burn barrel nearby. He was also eying me as I got out of my car. I walked up and asked if he would mind me taking pictures of his tree. He nodded. "Sure, sure. Go ahead." He pointed, "The gate is just past there." I grabbed my camera and took off, making sure to watch my step. (Come back Tuesday to see the shots I got.)

One thing is for sure. The next time I go out to capture a glimpse of God's glory, I'll be sure to throw my hiking boots in the trunk. Yesterday wasn't exactly perfect for my adorable pink and grey Nikes (made even cuter by the FAB deal I got on them).

As I was traversing the mine field, er- pasture, I noticed the owner had decided to walk over. He leaned on the gate to watch me, and we began a conversation. It was a loud conversation, as it had to travel the field. He told that he too loved the tree, and how there had been two more like it at one time. His story was peppered with bits of juicy gossip of how a neighbor had the road commission remove the other two during a dispute around 40 years ago.

As I was walking back, I asked about the unseen horses that must occupy the field. The gentleman told me he had four horses out back. He waved me toward the gate and said, "Let's go get some feed and see if we can't get them to come around."

I smiled.

We walked back to the carport, and I asked him his name. He whipped a business card from his pocket and presented it to me with an introduction. It turns out he is the retired owner of a long established business. I commented on the John Wayne images hanging on the wall of the carport and he said, "Well you need to come inside. It's a veritable showcase in there." Just then his wife came out and introduced herself. I explained the reason I had stopped, and told her about the purpose of the pictures.

Mr. R. ushered me into the room addition between the kitchen and carport. It had been made into a cozy den. Think man cave for a 70 something John Wayne fan. I have to say it was pretty sweet, and my daddy would have loved it (especially the large flat screen). I also got to meet Debbie, the dachshund. (smile)

We headed out to the back pasture with the feed and a jar full of dog food. After dumping the feed in the trough, Mr. R hurled the dog food in a substantial pond. He sat in one of three mismatched lawn chairs at the edge of the water, slumped down, and stretched out one leg.

"It's too cold. The catfish have gone to the bottom, but maybe the bream will bite."

I sat down and aimed my camera at the water, waiting for the ripples. I so wanted to take a picture of my host, but it didn't seem appropriate to ask. The ripples from the food pellets were dying away just as the fish came to munch.

What a treat. Along the back of the pond the water was smooth and solid, with perfect reflections. Near us were soft, overlapping circles. There was a pleasant liquid plop each time the surface broke and created a new wave. Such a sweet place.

The horses strolled to the trough behind us, and we went to join them. There were three "normal" horses and one smaller variety. I guess it was a miniature. I got a few shots of the horses eating, but couldn't get many great shots because they moved too much. Horses don't listen if you ask them to stay still. The little one walked up to me and actually sniffed my camera. That made me giggle. Then he put his face up to mine about 5 inches away, and kept it there for several seconds. We were the same height. I bet it was pretty comical.

Pretty soon the horses realized we didn't have anymore feed, got bored, and wandered away. I thanked Mr. R for the delightful time and we made our way back to the house. We chatted and shared a bit of our stories with each other until we reached the back gate. I said goodbye and drove away smiling.

I had asked God to show me His glory, and wow. He definitely gave me a glimpse, but He didn't give me a picture. He gave me an encounter.

Already Cheating

2011-12-06T17:41:00.003-06:00

It's the first week of focused on Glory and I am already a cheat. After posting the announcement on Thursday, I woke up the next day feeling ill. By the time I got home from work I knew it was bad. Bronchitis Round Three. And let's not forget Bronchy's best friend Sinusitis. I guess it could be worse. I once had this combo four times in one year.

Jennifer has had it rough too. At least I didn't end up in the ER. Anyway, I haven't picked up a camera since we made our project announcement. I wonder if the enemy is trying to discourage us from focusing on God's glory? Well give up buddy, because YOU DON'T GET TO WIN!

I decided I would delve into my archives and look for photos. An obvious choice was the Haiti folders. I found several that reminded me of God's love and power. Here are three.

The hand of a beautiful child sitting on my lap during church. Does anything shout Glory more than a child?

When our rooms filled to capacity, there were children and adults hanging on the windows and doorways to hear the Word of God.

We were able to feed an entire village for a month.

And my God will meet all your needs according to the

riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Phillipians 4:19

Don't forget to check out Jennifer's pics here.

focused on Glory

2011-12-01T19:27:00.001-06:00

from Jennifer @ Poderings of an Elect Exile

A while back, an idea began brewing in the back of my mind. I love photography. But some days I love it more than others. There are days that I find myself rather frustrated at the lack of progress I'm making in the technical aspects. There are days that I'm actually going backward rather than forward. And there are days I think I just need to put my camera away and be done with it completely.

Those days don't happen all that often, but lately I've had a few more of them than usual. I've learned that the best antidote for those days is to take my camera out and shoot something I love to shoot...something I don't have to pose or direct...something that gets me back to the "why" I'm doing this photography thing in the first place.

The "something", more often than not, is the birds and squirrels in our yard. A session or two shooting our resident wildlife usually gets me back in a better frame of mind and reminds me of the "why"...why I love photography anyway, and what my goal is in walking around with this thing strapped around my neck all the time. :)

There are actually many reasons I love photography, and more than one goal in my shutter-clicking. But I've realized over the past year or so that the major "why" behind my photography is this...I want to be able to capture a little glimpse of God's glory through my lens. Whether photographing nature, people/relationships, or events, I want to show God's glory through my photos. Even in capturing our family memories in photos, I want to leave a heritage for our children to remind them of the work God has done and is doing in our family "from the first day until now".

So...back to my idea, and our announcement. :) After one of those, "I need to pack up my camera and be done with it" bouts recently, I thought about advice I'd seen from more than one photographer I admire. Over and over I have read that one of the best things you can do to improve your photography and prevent burnout is to get involved in a 365 or 52 project....a photograph every day or week for a year. I don't tend to do well with those things, and I didn't know of any groups starting soon, but I really liked the idea, and began to ponder starting a personal 365 or 52 project on my blog.

I worried, though, that I needed accountability. Unlike my "Oven-Free Friday" feature, which I'm still planning to continue, but which has been on hiatus for the last few weeks, I wanted to be consistent with this. I needed someone to prod me and motivate me a bit. And then during a chat session one night, the thought hit me that I needed a partner in this venture. And who better than my friend Tauna? She is an incredibly talented photographer. She is one of the most creative people I know. She has a really cool blog called Creative Confetti. AND...she has recently opened an Etsy shop, where you will find these adorable little doo-dads...(perfect for Christmas presents for the girls and ladies on your list! :))

To make a long story a tiny bit shorter, we are teaming up to bring you "focused on Glory", a weekly joint blog feature which will appear every Tuesday on both Creative Confetti and Ponderings of an Elect Exile. We will each share our favorite "glimpse of God's glory through the lens" from the week before, and perhaps share a bit of the story behind the photo.

So...visit us on Tuesday for our first "focused on Glory" post!

from Tauna

Aperture, ISO, white balance, metering, filters, actions- it’s easy to get bogged down in the mechanics of photography, especially if you are still learning. As much as I love photography, and learning how to make beautiful images, I often feel overwhelmed with trying to get everything just right- usually to little avail. Rarely does a shot come out with the crispness, or effect I hope for. That’s not to say I want to give up, I know I will get there someday.

But if my entire aim is on getting that just right, artsy, stunning shot, then maybe I need to take a breather. Perhaps I need to pay more attention to my focus. No, not the cross-hairs in my viewfinder, but the pinpoint of my attention.

My fabulous friend Jennifer proposed a 52 week project that hopefully will sharpen our focus. She and I are going to try to capture a hint of God’s glory through our lenses. We want to concentrate more on composure than exposure, wonder over white balance, and interest instead of ISO.

That’s not to say we are going to throw what bits we know out the window. And we aren’t going to set everything on AUTO. What it means is that we are hoping to find our shots through a God filter. We want to be focused on Glory.

To tell you the truth, Jennifer is a beautiful photographer. You can see the evidence on her blog Ponderings of an Elect Exile. I've told her a few times that her wildlife photos remind me of Thase Daniel. I love seeing what she is able to capture.

If you want to catch our glimpses of glory, join us each Tuesday on our individual blogs as we post our pictures for the week. I can’t wait to see what He shows us.

Something Exciting and New

2011-11-29T18:51:00.002-06:00

First of all, I know that I utterly stink at blogging lately. Well, longer than just lately. I haven't been consistent since I moved back to AR.

But that is going to change. Seriously. Not that I expect my 5 or 6 readers to return. I would have given up on me too.

I (along with my amazing, fantastic, brilliant, outstanding friend Jef ) have a fun announcement coming Thursday. Something that will actually be true to the title of this blog, which I admit isn't always creative.

So if you haven't completely abandoned Creative Confetti, stay tuned.

And while you wait, check out that cute little pink button to the right.

Finding My Place

2011-10-23T17:10:00.001-05:00

I miss my church family from Nashville. TRBC (now The Fellowship at Two Rivers) was home. Now I am in a place that isn't home. This town has never been my home, and unless God works BIG, it never will be. The best way I know to describe it is that it's like putting on a jacket that is too small.

It doesn't fit.

Today I visited a new church. The one I've been attending isn't a fit, but I've been trying to wear it for almost three years anyway. The new one came with several good recommendations, so I thought I'd give it a go. I got there a few minutes early in order to ask questions. Unfortunately the questions made me a tad late to the service, and I had an awkward time finding a seat.

My main question was about Bible study groups. The precious lady at the information station asked what type of class I thought I would like. She showed me the list of classes, and honest to goodness, her finger kept tracing all the women's 50+ listings. They were plentiful.

Really?

She took one look at me and decided on 50+. I don't have ANY thing against being in a study group with people older than I, but I was hoping to find something more in line with my interests at this stage. Not that I fit into ANY category.

Ms. Adorable Lady once again pointed out the AARP list before turning to say, "I don't know how old you are, so you might like one of these."

I blinked a few times a stood staring. How bad did I look? Finally, she pointed to another class. It was described as being for women aged 30-40. That was better, but it made me wonder. Was there NO woman at that church from 40-49.

Armed with my new knowledge of classes, and wondering if I need to apply more moisturizer at night, I headed into the sanctuary. I finally found a seat in the near empty balcony.

I was a bit dismayed by the music worship. It was a bit bland, but that wasn't the issue. I am not going to choose a church based on how hip the music it, even if I am a bit of a bounce and sway, raise my hands, praise with abandon, and rock out for God kind of girl. The issue here was that the congregation reminded me of chapel services in college. People went because they were supposed to- to get credit. With the exception of one man, I didn't see any passion on the faces. I did see an eye roll when we were asked to stand.

When the pastor took the stage for the sermon, I had to guess who he was. He did not introduce himself at all. He just started speaking to those he knew, in a low key voice that was half a step away from being monotoned. Again, there was no passion.

I found myself daydreaming. (Just keeping it real.) I looked in the bulletin to see if there was any information about the pastor. There wasn't. Neither is there any information about the ministry staff on the church website. That is odd to me. Churches can do better than that. I think it's kind of nice to know a little about a man when you are trying to decide whether or not you want to sit under his teaching.

After the service, I walked to my car. It was a grey, misty day, but it was beautiful to me. There was an intensity about the weather that I didn't get inside the church. Inside everything, from the music to the message, was beige.

I wonder where God will lead me, and I'm excited to find out. There is one thing that is certain. This is not my home.

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ

Philippians 3:20

Jake

2011-10-16T15:20:00.000-05:00

It'd been a long time coming, but I finally got to take Jake out for pictures. I really enjoyed hanging out with him, and he was such a good sport. I hope he had fun too.

These were taken in Burns Park. I LOVE this face!

The next few shots are in the old building mentioned

in an earlier post.

This is the chair I got from Ouachita.

We had to have a couple of goofy pictures mixed in.

Alright, so this one is pseudo-serious. There was a LOT of poo in that old building.

This is a great 100 year old building in downtown Little Rock. We met the owner when he poked his head out of the front door to see what we were doing. He was cool with the pictures and invited us into the foyer to see the renovations underway. While the graffiti was cool for photos, it was sad to learn the owner had previously restored the entry only to see vandals destroy his efforts. The door windows in the shot below are painted over, so you can't see that they are both cracked.He wants to install a gate,

but the city won't allow it.

While I feel bad for the property owner, I can't deny

this is a cool shot of Jake.

TaterBug & Tiger Tunes

2011-10-09T19:41:00.001-05:00

Caitie and I just had the best TaterBug Day to date. Considering all TBD's are pretty stinking FAB, that's saying something. It was our first overnight trip, and we did it right. For starters, we drove while wearing big, red, wax lips, and plastic Mater (from Cars) teeth. We were quite a hit on the highway.

Every year during OBU's homecoming, the Ouachita Student Foundation (OSF) hosts Tiger Tunes. There are really no words to describe Tunes, but I'll try. The men's and women's social clubs, along with Campus Ministries and the freshman class, pick a fun theme and perform a six minute medley of songs with choreography. The lyrics of the songs are changed to match the theme, and it's usually quite amusing.

This year we saw Lunch Ladies, Truckers, Professors, Zookeepers, Nerds, Housewives, Astronauts & Aliens, Pioneers on the Oregon Trail, and Anchormen. To get a better idea of a Tunes act, check out the men of EAO from 2010 here. The most amazing part about Tiger Tunes is that it is a fundraising event. OSF raised $85,000 for scholarships for students, and their largest money making event is Tunes. Their goal this year is $100,000! As a former OSF officer, and scholarship recipient, I'm pretty proud of the current crew.

I was fortunate enough to be a judge for one night of competition. That allowed me two additional tickets, so I invited Bug and my friend Kristi, who works at OBU. Kristi's birthday was the same weekend, and it was a bonus to treat her to Tunes.

Caitie and I stayed at the McNutt House. It was delightful. Our room was spacious and comfortable. The decor isn't my personal choice, but it was tasteful and clean. Clean is good!

There was a charming garden area behind the inn, and we took advantage of the beautiful venue. I got a few darling shots of Caitie the next day.

After a few pictures we had a late breakfast at the inn then relaxed until check out time. After check out we headed to campus to meet Kristi. Miraculously we found a great parking space right behind the library. Kristi and I met while doing work study in the archives of the library. She is now the circulations librarian.

I had the opportunity to introduce Caitie to a dear lady I worked with while I was a student. We also got to troll through the basement in search of treasures. Being a history buff, Caitie really enjoyed looking at old books (100+ years old). I scored a great wooden, arm chair. It dates to 1965 or before according to the sticker under the seat. The sticker says, "Property of Ouachita Baptist College." OBC added a graduate program and changed its name to OBU in 1965.

I also got an old card catalog. It has nine drawers, is solid wood, and insanely heavy. It's kind of sentimental to me because it's a piece of Ouachita's history, and it's from the library where I worked. Oh the fun we had in the back of the library. I worked in Special Collections with a great group of students, and a wonderful archivist. There were lots of laughs, an X-Files shrine, a wall full of photocopied faces, lots of 70's music, and tons of pranks. It's a good thing we were kept in the back of the building.

We ate lunch at The Honeycomb. It was packed, and we left stuffed. We went back to campus, said goodbye to Kristi, and walked around. It was fun to show Bug some of the campus. We didn't have time to tour everything, but I did take a few more pictures of Caitie.

I like the vintage action on this photo. Isn't she stunning!

These were taken at the McClellan aamphitheater.

Just before time to leave campus, I was able to see old friends Kecia and Angie for a few minutes. It was so good to see those sweet girls. What beautiful souls. Once we left campus, we headed back downtown where Caitie took a few pictures. I'm hoping she will post them, along with others, on her blog. The girl has a good eye.

The last stop was at Cracker Barrel to meet my cousin David and his family (minus one). We were literally meeting his family for the first time. It was so fun to spend the short time with them, and Caitie met her second cousin David for the first time.

We said goodbye and headed home. To my surprise Caitie Bug stayed awake the entire trip on the road - coming and going! That's quite a feat for her, and quite a treat for me.

It was a wonderful time.

New Stuff... Finally

2011-09-26T18:55:00.001-05:00

I took my new camera out for a spin last week. While I am still learning (and will be for eons to come), I had lots of fun. The fun factor was ratcheted up because I had a camera buddy with me. Catherine and I made a three hour escape to take photos. It was SHORT, but it was FUN.

A friend told me about a cool old building missing its roof. When we got to the location, we discovered the site was completely grown over. BONUS! I think it would be such fun to take portrait shots here. What do you think?

Here are a few from another location.

I like this one in B&W. I also like how some of the letters are wonky.

Is it just me, or does this look like a model town (like from Mr. Rogers)? Even with the boarded up window and bent strip of awning, it looks more like a toy set from this angle.

It was a beautiful, overcast, fun day. Thanks for going with me Catherine. We should do it again!

Homemade Camera Bag

2011-08-21T14:10:00.004-05:00

I mentioned on facebook that I was in desire of a cute, affordable camera bag. Alas, that combination is pert near impossible to find. Most medium sized bags start around $50 and are U*G*L*Y black nylon.

A few of you may have seen the adorable, insulated lunch bag I decided to use as temporary housing. While it was cute, it was too small and didn't afford enough protection for my new camera. So I went on a hunt to find a stylish bag that I could convert into a camera case.

Here is the result.

It's a big bag. Probably too big (20" long), but I'm cool with that. Besides being super cute, the best part was the price. It's a $70 Liz Claiborne tote, but I got it for $21! (I added the LOVE key chain.)

One more thing- the colors above are true. The colors in the remaining photos are a little off.

That's because I'm still learning how to use my camera.

This is the inside (it's really raspberry, as you can catch a glimpse of it in the first picture). I made a foam box and covered it with taffeta (because it is slick and all the ripstock was in UGLY colors). The bottom layer is 2" foam and chipboard. The outside walls are 1" foam and chipboard. I also made a foam insert to fit inside the top of the box. The cute, dotted ribbon is a handle to make removal easier.

This is a view with the top insert removed. I sewed Velcro onto the walls of the inside fabric so I could attach my dividers. The dividers can be moved around, just like a "regular" camera bag.

This is the top of the bag showing the height difference between my foam box and the bag. By making the box this height, I am able to still use the pockets and zippered compartments of the tote, as well as snap it shut. Win-win!

Now the pictures don't show what a truly amateur project this is. I laughed and told my mom that I'm positive that either my bff Jef or my S-I-L Karen could have whipped this out in a couple of hours, but I'm not a sewer and it took me a day and a half. HA! (I also coated all fabrics with a water repellent spray... important!)

Still, I'm pleased with the outcome, and I didn't have to spend $150 - $200 for a stylish bag. My total cost: $45!

Design Idea

2011-08-08T22:15:00.001-05:00

A while back my mom found a metal wall hanging she liked. Her obvious choice for display was the bathroom. Unfortunately the sign is rather small (about 11X14).

Too small for the preferred wall.

The solution? Hang the small, metal sign inside two empty, wooden frames. It not only fills the visual space on the wall - it also draws your eye to the center (which is the point).

I think it is a charming solution. What do you think?

Flowerbed Friend

2011-08-01T12:19:00.000-05:00

Everyday there have been hundreds of dragonflies in the front yard and flowerbed. I saw this beautiful guy resting on a fern.

I've ordered my "grown-up" camera and am waiting for it to be delivered. Then I'll just have to learn how to use it. HA! In the meantime, I'm still going to use my P&S. It did alright here. You can see the hairs on the dragonfly's legs. (It is obviously a boy dragonfly!)

Big Lips and Mater

2011-07-29T18:21:00.000-05:00

I hadn't seen my Caitie Bug in a couple of weeks. I missed her. She missed me too (YAY!). So we decide on a spontaneous trip to the movies. YAY again! It was a Light TaterBug Day.

Just one little problem. I poked something into my eye.

Pain... check.

Tears... check.

Late for our last minute movie... check.

Oh well. We were still going to get four hours together. Since we were hungry we went to one of our FAVIE places - Pei Wei. (We also hit The Container Store since we were in that shopping center.) Next up was a thrift store for items for a craft project I'm working on.

Our last stop was the Brown Sugar Bake Shop for cupcakes. Bug got strawberry - her favorite. I got chocolate Oreo (and a red velvet to take to my mama). If you are in the LR area you MUST stop by. The goodies are delish, and the shop is too. stinking. cute! (Please forgive the lack of a photo. I forgot to take my camera. I could have taken a photo with my phone, but it was raining outside, and we were too busy noshing to take a photo inside. Next time, I promise!)

We decided to have fun on the drive home. I broke out the big lips and Mater teeth. Unfortunately we laughed for a good five miles, so we were useless. We finally got ourselves under control and rode down the road like this.

Very few drivers noticed, but those who did were fun to watch. We had such serious faces, and we caused a few double takes. The best reaction was from an airman on his way home from the LRAFB. We passed each other a couple of times in both lanes. When he went by on his second pass we waved at him. He kept turning around and looking back as he passed. He never stopped smiling!

Honorable Mention

2011-07-28T08:50:00.002-05:00

This sweet girl got an honorable mention in a photo contest. She placed in the top 20 (not counting the three winners). I am so pleased with that result, especially since there were thousands of entries. I'm also excited because it was taken with a 5 mp, point and shoot camera! It is from 2008.

This beautiful child was a seven year old from Tibukon, Haiti. She attended the New Mission school on the top of the mountain in Tibukon.

Little Rock/North Little Rock

2011-07-11T21:35:00.000-05:00

Early Sunday morning, a friend and I went to shoot a charming neighborhood in North Little Rock. It's called the Argenta District, and it is delightful. I plan to return as soon as I get my big-girl camera. (I giggled when I learned that my cousin Casey used that phrase. I have said that for a while now and wasn't surprised when I read her use it too.)

We got to the neighborhood around 6:30. The Sun was still on the rise and the clouds were perfect.

The Argenta Drug Company. It makes me smile.

The Starving Artist Cafe (just as the sign reads).

A typical sidewalk. That morning there was a city worker driving around in a little cart with a huge water tank.

She was watering all the hanging plants.

The baskets are all over the area, so she had a big job.

See! I told you. Perfect clouds.

Next we moved to the river (the Arkansas River of course). There is a great walking/bike trail along the river. There is also plenty of seating along the trail, in case you want to watch the barges go by.

This is the bridge that leads to the River Market (just behind the amphitheater with the blue tent) on the Little Rock side. There was a healthy breeze blowing that kept us cool. God was all over us!

We crossed over the river and went downtown to Capitol Avenue. The clouds were even fabulous on the buildings.

And we ended at the Capitol.

It was a fun morning. We took pictures for about an hour and a half then headed home to get ready to go to church. It was a delicious day!

$5.99 Worth of Cuteness

2011-07-06T11:41:00.002-05:00

A while back I found a darling set of napkins at Tuesday Morning. Deliciously large, 20" square napkins. I loved the colors and the floral print especially. The combination of size, color, and coordinating prints required me to make the purchase. My only regret was that it was the only set.

The napkins (shown folded in half) came in these two cute fabric patterns.

I decided to use the napkins as chair covers for my mom's kitchen chairs. She had been looking for chair covers for some time and hadn't found anything she liked.

I knew she would like these.

Mama and I both adore the Shabby Chic look. Rachel Ashwell has been my favorite designer for years. You can find out more about Rachel and Shabby Chic here.

The napkins fit the chairs perfectly! The only thing left was to sew on a few ties. Easy schmeasy!

I cut strips from a blue sheet, sewed simple tubes then attached them to the napkins. Of course I placed the napkins on the seats and pinned where the ties should go.

And voila. Simple sweetness. You can't beat a $5.99 happy!

Now tell me your ideas for a set of napkins.

A Southern Happy

2011-06-24T14:47:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a good day. There were several ingredients that went into that good day. Here are few:

Vacation Bible School
Great conversations with a couple of friends
Sweet tears of camaraderie
Fabulous lunch with fabulous friends
Laughing over silly stuff with fab friends
A new (much thinner) cover for my phone
More silliness
Baby wrens and bluebirds
Picking fresh, FAT blackberries and blueberries
More laughing

One of the good things was a conversation with Candace, an amazing lady from my SS class. Candace has a great heart. Moreover, she is a good listener and generous with encouraging words. What a wonderful combination. We made a connection, and it felt good to know someone else knew how my heart felt.

Later I met up with another friend, Jack. She invited me to lunch with her and her husband. Oh, what a treat. We had yummy food and a seriously fun time. I just love when you are your silliest and your friends are in on the antics.

After lunch we went back to J & M's house to do a little work. They are getting ready to sell and move away. J & M have magnificent berry bushes, and the most unbelievable fig tree I've EVER seen. (It is over 2 stories tall and over 20 feet wide!)

Thankfully, I got to take a TON of blackberries home. And since I was so blessed I thought it would be fun to share. I took a large jar and filled it with berries for Candace. It was supposed to be a "thank you" for the needed encouragement. But honestly, I think I got more joy from picking and packaging the gift as anyone could have gotten from receiving it.

Seriously, is there anything better than giving someone a happy? I think not.

TaterBug Day (Episode 6.13.11)

2011-06-17T21:52:00.001-05:00

TaterBug Days are the best! Any time spent with Caitie Bug is precious. We have a special day about once a month. This week we decided to have a little artsy fun. Unfortunately it was SO stinking hot, so we only got to do about half of the things we had planned. Bug and I decided to save the other activities for cooler weather. So stay tuned for a TaterBug Day later in the Fall... and all the TB Days in between. (BTW, the picture quality isn't the best... but we were using an old camera... and we weren't that concerned.)

We started out with breakfast at Chick-Fil-A. It wasn't hot yet, so we ate outside. There's nothing better to start the day than with a straw wrapper moustache.

After breakfast we ran a few errands then made our way to the River Market. We had fun drawing each other with bright sidewalk chalk. I wasn't sure we were going to get finished. We were laughing so hard I almost had to use my inhaler.

This is James, the FABULOUS River Market security guard. He came outside to tell us we couldn't draw in the Farmer's Market (even though it was a weekday and empty). I told him it was chalk and offered to clean it up. He was so sweet. He said he would have someone spray it off. I think he thought we were a little silly. He was right!

So we decided to draw on the actual sidewalk. A gentleman, with one of the property management companies in that area, smiled and asked if we were having a good time. We were!

This was meant to be the Sun, but it looks a lot like a sunflower. Either way it's cute, and we hope it made someone smile.

We also had fun with a few friends on our outing. By this time we were melting, so we decided to save our other ideas and head indoors. We stopped at a mall and bought cute, skinny, bangle bracelets. CB got a set of green and I got a set of pink. Then we traded half of each set, so we each had two hot green and two hot pink. (I didn't get a picture. You'll just have to trust me that they are super cute and super fun.)

After the mall we went to the $1 theater. The movie wasn't nearly as much fun as the company. Since the movie was so cheap we shared popcorn and a soda. After the movie we did a little window shopping and met more adorable friends.

Next up was a trip to Pei Wei. Bug and I love the Orange Peel Chicken. It's a little bit spicy and a whole lot yummy. We also went to Francesca's and bought mini bottles of fingernail polish. Finally we bounced into The Container Store where we picked up a few items for our next outing. I think you guys will get a kick out of that idea when you see it.

The last stop was to give Mama and Daddy a smile. The best part was not being able to see when we walked in the door. We stood by Dad's recliner and waited for him to say something. We couldn't hear anything and thought he must have been out of the room. After about a minute, Caitie peeked out from under her glasses to find Daddy staring at us and shaking his head.

We made our way down the hall and knocked on Mama's bedroom door. Between being blind and giggling hysterically, we almost didn't make it. Mama opened the door and actually yelped out loud. When she collected herself she started laughing too.

What a splendiferous day! I don't know what the next TBD will hold, but I know it will be FUN!

Bug

2010-10-10T15:40:00.000-05:00

I had so much fun with this georgous girl. She is amazing. And the best part? Her heart is beautiful too! Yeah, she's a Jesus Girl.

Fabric Pumpkin Tutorial

2010-09-27T18:47:00.003-05:00

This is my first tutorial so please forgive any neophyte mistakes.

What you will need:

fabric (I think prints look best.)
scissors
needle & thread
rice
fiber-fill
twig
hot glue gun (a girl's BEST friend)
silk leaf (autumnal colors of course)
large plate

Step 1

Lay plate on fabric and cut about 1" from edge. (This is a 12" serving plate, resulting in a 14" circle.)

Step 2

Sew a loose running stitch 1/2" from edge of fabric. Leave needle attached and gather fabric to form a bowl. (I know I should have used a dark thread for the tutorial, but I am going to keep this pumpkin and I didn't want to have to sew it twice.)

Step 3

Pour a 1/2 cup of rice into bowl.

Step 4

Add fiber-fill.

Step 5

Hot glue twig (at an angle looks FAB) and cinch opening.

Sew closed. Make sure to hide your knot in a fold.

Step 6

Glue silk leaf to stem or at the base of the stem where

it meets the pumpkin. I added a coil of green

florist wire to up the cute factor.

Hint: If you are using a thick fabric you will need to make your stitches long (farther apart). Otherwise you will end up with a LARGE opening after you've cinched it together. The opening will be better suited for a branch rather than a twig.

Bonus Hint: If you have an actual pumpkin stem that would be the BEST THING EVER!

I hope you have as much fun making a patch of pumpkins as I did.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-09-27T11:56:00.002-05:00

My friend Heather sent a link for adorable pumpkins made from coffee filters. You can find the link here. The pumpkins are quite cute, but rather small. I think I will make them as place card holders for Thanksgiving dinner. Won't that be cute!

I started thinking about all the fabric I have in storage, and decided to go shopping through my own goodies. I just love that kind of shopping - it's FREE!

The large pumpkins are made from a circle with a 20" diameter. The small pumpkins are made from a circle with a 14" diameter. And there was total cheating with the circle cutting. I took the face off an oscillating fan, laid it on my fabric and cut about an inch away from the edge, ending up with a 20" circle.

The small circles were cut using the same method above but with a large serving plate. You get an idea of the size you end with if you look at the pumpkin sitting atop the teacup.

If you want I can take pictures of the next pumpkin in process and post a tutorial. That would be so exciting. It would be my first tutorial!

I Can Change it to T-A-U-M-A

2010-09-23T18:09:00.006-05:00

I like my name. Really like it.

That hasn’t always been the case. I remember slamming the door after I had gotten home from the 2nd grade and yelling to my mother, “You just had to name me Tauna!”

You see, almost everyone in my class had their names printed on their stuff. All kinds of stuff –pencils, notebooks, bracelets, stuffed animals.

Guess who has NEVER found her name printed on mass-produced products?

Now I don’t care if I can’t find my name on a key chain. I like having a unique name. However my name is proof that people do not listen to one another.

Here is a sampling of some of the names I’ve been called after being asked my name.

Shauna, Fauna, Lana, Hauna, Hannah, Tonya, Tanya, Taxna (I really think that person was drunk), Tuna, Tanna, Taupa, Tronna, Trina, and Connie (this one happens a lot!).

When giving my name for an official reason I first pronounce then spell my name. Even that doesn’t help. Nine times out of 10 people will spell my name however they feel like it. Unfortunately, that doesn’t cut it when the government is concerned. I’ve had to fight to get my name spelled correctly on checks and my first passport. Um, “little things” like that matter.

Today, I had to visit another government office and found myself on the “Tauna” merry-go-round. It’s a fun little ride in which you pronounce & spell, pronounce & spell, and pronounce & spell.

Here’s how it went.

Lady at Anonymous office: "How do you spell your name?"
Me: "T-A-U-N-A" (Said v e r y slowly.)
LAAO: "T-O-N..."
Me: "No. T like Thomas, A like apple, U like umbrella, N like Nancy, A like apple
LAAO: "Well I can't find you in our system."
Me: "How are you spelling it?"
LAAO: "T-A-N-Y-A"
Me: "Would you mind putting MY name in you system?" (I was laughing, but she wasn’t.)
LAAO: "What's your name?" (I spelled it TWO more times.)
LAAO: "What's your address?" (I gave her the information.)
LAAO: "I found it, but someone spelled your name wrong in our computer. That's why I couldn't find you."
Me: "How was it spelled in the computer?"
LAAO: "It’s spelled T-A-U-N-A, but I can change it to T-A-U-M-A."
Me: "No, no, let's leave it the way it is. I think it will be easier if I start spelling my name T-A-U-N-A."

I finally convinced her that T-A-U-N-A was correct, but I may find out next year that I'm really Tauma.

Fresh Tears for Worn Memories

2010-09-13T21:09:00.001-05:00

The worst day of my life, to date, happened 17 years ago. I lost someone dear to me, and my heart stopped beating.

Not the physical heart that supplies life giving blood. It was my loving heart that renders and receives life dependent commitment. For a while I felt numb. Heavy. I thought my chest would collapse from the pressure. I begged God for sleep so I wouldn't have to feel the vacuous pit that engulfed me. Everything was black.

Soon my heart began to drum with such raw force I thought I would collapse.

But I didn't.

It pounded so hard I felt bruised inside- tender and so fragile. My heart and my mind wanted to escape.

But I couldn't.

Someone was holding me in place. Holding my heart. Hiding me in the still blackness. Clutching the pain that I couldn't contain as it seeped from me.

How could I have endured without Him? What would have become of me? How could I have survived without my Jesus?

And never did I ask, "Why?" I'm not sure how that is. Maybe He shushed my heart with His love to the point of understanding. Not understanding why such things happen, but understanding that He is in control of all things.

It has taken 17 years for me to attempt words about what that day was to me. My heart has healed. Well, mostly. There will always be some acreage dedicated to the love and memory of Andy.

I told my sweet friend Jennifer that as I am now in my 40s, I wonder if I will ever have the impact on this world that Andy had in his 22 years here. Oh what a heart that boy had. And wise beyond his days. It was always amusing to him that men, many years his senior, often sought him out for coffee and study time. He was so in love with Jesus. His faith was infectious. If you didn't know Jesus before Andy said hello, you had been introduced to Him by the time Andy said goodbye.

He was my iron, and he kept me sharp. He was my encourager, and he made me try harder. He was my clown, and he made me LAUGH! He was my friend, and he made me love.

I miss Andy, and I'm jealous of him. He has met our LORD face to face. Nothing compares to that. And truth be told, I'm a little jealous of God too. He has our Andy.

This Day Keeps Getting Better

2010-09-03T12:41:00.001-05:00

I haven't even delved into my quiet time of Bible study and meditation, but God is already speaking! I love it when He does that.

(SMILE!)

So far He has encouraged me with His word and several words from others. I am bathed in love and hope.

Then, as if my day wasn't already beautiful despite SEVERAL things, He added another sparkle! Remember a post from a few weeks ago titled I Can't Be Bothered? Well I think I may be winning that person over! And by I, I mean God. The best part is that I'm not trying to win said someone over. I have just been acting the same.

Isn't God FAB!

This person has extended an invitation to teach me something I have long wanted to learn. There could be some sweet bonding time in our future.

So Much Love

2010-08-23T12:07:00.000-05:00

You are so amazing. The capacity of your heart is astounding. More people need to love like you. My life has exploded with blessing since you entered it. Oh, how I can't wait for Heaven so I will be able to tell you what you are to me, because our words aren't worthy.

You need to know that your heart is precious to me. If I could hold it and protect it I would. Anytime you need comforting you MUST come to me. And never think that I can't handle it. I have amazing sister shoulders on which you can lean. I'm practically Popeye in that category!

If you need someone to laugh with, you know there is no one better. We share a humor that only sisters could understand. Being silly with you is one of the greatest joys in this world. We laugh so hard that we can no longer speak and yet we continue to communicate with snorts, hiccups, nods, and flailing hands. And we know exactly what the other means, even if we've forgotten what was funny in the first place!

When you hurt my heart breaks. When you smile my heart soars. When we giggle I stop breathing.

I love you.

Wuv, Twu Wuv

2010-08-21T18:31:00.000-05:00

I was going to post these pictures on my parent's anniversary, September 19th. Instead, I'm taking my own advice, and I'm not going to wait. I love you Mama. I love you Daddy.

Why Wait?

2010-08-15T19:10:00.006-05:00

We've all heard "Save the best for last." My question is why?

I must confess that I've long held a subscription to this line of thinking. If I'm eating fresh fruit salad, I will make sure to save one of my favorite pieces for the last bite. It's nice to end on a good note...er, bite. If I have errands or chores I try to get the most unpleasant ones out of the way first. But does that really make sense?

Just today a friend posted on fb that she ate dessert before lunch. HURRAY! You go K! I'm proud of you.

A couple of days ago I was eating an enormous slice of watermelon. I had cut the melon away from the rind and filled a large bowl (hee hee hee... yay for me!). The first piece I forked wasn't from the sweeter, succulent center portion. It was from the outer section. As I took that bite, I realized that if I stayed true to form I ran the risk of filling up before I could eat the sweetest bits. I changed my tactic and dived into the middle.

What a GREAT decision. (Yes silly, little decisions can be GREAT.) I didn't finish the bowl of watermelon, but I finished the best part.

So why do we wait for the good stuff? This is not the waiting we do in relation to hearing God speak. Sometimes we know what lies before us but we choose to wait on our own accord. Why?

Even my 15 year-old niece gets it. See for yourself here and here. As my blue-eyed Bug reminds us, "...only God knows if there's going to be a later." Pretty good wisdom from a teenager, huh?

So if you hear God speaking, calling you to action, don't hesitate.

And eat the center of the melon first.

Topher

2010-08-08T17:35:00.001-05:00

It was Christopher's turn to sit in front of the camera for me. I'm still working on my quality, but I think I captured some pretty cool shots of this amazing kid.

If Chris looks a little too serious in the shot above there is a reason. There was a pile of poo about 9" from his left foot (I pulled up a large weed to cover it.) Additionally, there was an oozing dumpster about 30 yards behind Christopher. It was starting to get hot by this time, and the air was circulating between the buildings enhancing the eau de dumpster. Chris looked at me and said, "I'm not enjoying this breeze right now." I bent over with laughter. He was laughing too, but he couldn't bend over because there was poo!

Two kiddos down and two to go! This is so much fun! YaY for ME! (Yes, that's 3 exclamation marks.)

What's in Your Well?

2010-07-30T15:02:00.006-05:00

I like colloquialisms, especially southernisms. (One of my favorites is "garbage in, garbage out." It's SO TRUE.) My daddy is famous for spouting some of the neatest things during a conversation. It is especially fun when I hear a new phrase -at least new to me.

Last Sunday at church the message was on effective communication. The scripture used was Ephesians 4: 29-32. I've been a big fan of E4:29 ever since I read Silver Boxes by Florence Littauer. Unfortunately I tend to forget things and need reminders as life goes along. If you would like a great reminder you can visit Greg Addison's blog for more. It also has amazing food from Proverbs included. Mmmm, good stuff.

Later, sitting in class, several people were discussing what we had just heard from the pastor. We talked about Matthew 5:18 (But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart...). One of the teachers said that reminded him of something his grandmother used to say, "What's down in the well comes up in the bucket."

That's a new one on me.

And I like it!

There's a whole lot of truth in that country sayin'. It sure makes you look inward.

So what are you filling your well with? And how is it going to sound, look, smell, and feel when it comes back out?

If this is what is in our well, the world will see it when it makes its way out.

We may not have complete control over the thoughts or images that enter our minds, but we can control how long they linger. I do NOT have to entertain unwelcome visitors.

It's a moment by moment decision to keep our hearts and minds pure. Will we ever win? Not here, not now. But we still fight. And my heart and mind are worth fighting for!

This is what I want coming up in my bucket.

So what's down in your well?

Morning with Matthew

2010-07-25T08:17:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday morning my nephew Matt let me take some photos. Here are a few shots from downtown Little Rock. Forgive the quality. I'm going to work on that during our next session.

The shots in the alley and this one are my favorites.

Childlike Wonder

2010-07-21T09:20:00.003-05:00

It feels good to let go of grown-up ideas and assumptions. Sometimes you need a break from what is expected. We don't always have to think like adults. In fact, I make conscious attempts to unleash my mind from the trappings of deliberate thinking. My hope is to capture some of the freshness of an unpolluted mind. Does anyone else do that?

So I've been a thinkin'. I've been pondering God. What is He going to look like? What is Heaven going to be like? What will my days be like? Will there be days?

Will my eyes still be blue? Will I be able to see colors that are incomprehensible here? Can you feel colors?

How will music feel differently? It will all be for Him. Will my entire body respond?

What about taste? And smell? And touch? (I love to touch!) How many more senses will I have?

What is it going to be like, the first time I bow my knee in His presence? Oh the anticipation!

What does God feel like? I can't wait to touch Him!

Do you ever wonder? Tell me.

Yummy

2010-07-17T12:35:00.000-05:00

I've been house/dog sitting for the last two weeks for some friends. The house is kind of in the country. It's not deep country, but it will do. The best part about this place is all the fruit! I've been picking and eating blackberries and blueberries everyday. (And the figs are just ripening!)

I started with both berries but the last couple of days have been all about blue. Here are some of the yummy treats I've made.

blueberry-pineapple smoothie

blueberry breakfast cobbler

blueberries on vanilla ice cream

It's a good thing I'm finished with my assignment tomorrow. If I stay any longer I'm afraid I will have to change my name to Violet Beauregarde.

Fun New Blog!

2010-07-15T16:12:00.000-05:00

My amazing, beautiful, witty niece (see post and photo below) has started her own blog. If you've ever wondered what goes through the mind of a 15 year-old growing up today, this is your chance to find out. I invite you to check out blue eyed bug. She is such a delight!

This is Joy

2010-07-14T12:59:00.004-05:00

This child is pure joy to me. I love everything about her. Caitie has such a sweet spirit and a heart that belongs to God. I took this photo on our girl's day out together. We went to fab boutiques and tried on fun things. I bet God is passing this picture around Heaven saying, "I made this."

Parents Say the Darndest Things

2010-07-12T00:17:00.002-05:00

My mom had a slight accident yesterday. As she was getting into the car, she pulled the door right into her face. The top corner of the door frame hit her near the temple. I got out of the car and we made our way back into the house. Mama sat down and we iced her head for the next 10 minutes. She was in some pain and had a nice little bump, not to mention an inch long purple mark, but decided to continue with our errands.

Mama's head is better today but she still has a swollen eye. And the lovely mark above her eye is now blood red and purple.

My dad looked up from the lunch table and and commented on Mama's injury. He noted the swelling and Mama replied, "I know, and that's where I usually put my eyebrow."

I Can't Be Bothered

2010-07-08T16:17:00.007-05:00

Have you ever met someone who doesn't know joy? A person that doesn't know how to be happy? Now before you say it, I know joy and happiness are not the same. And that's my point. I understand that unless you know (really know) this amazing guy called Christ, you cannot experience joy. So the next best thing, humanly speaking, would be happiness.

So how sad is it to meet someone that is incapable of owning any happiness -even if you handed it to them in a bucket. My heart hurts for these people. Really hurts.

Twenty years ago I worked for a major transportation company. At the tender age of 23 I was responsible for $15 million in marketing accounts. I was good at my job thanks to an amazing God that enabled me when I needed it. However, there was a problem. My supervisor didn't like me. She actually hated me. This person made it her mission in life to get me fired. When that didn't work she made herself content with making life miserable for me during working hours.

Nevertheless God prevailed. I continued to earn accolades from my clients, awards from the company, and recognition from the CEO. Unfortunately, the more I succeeded the more I was mistreated. And I didn't just take her abuse. I stood up for myself, without trying to be too obnoxious or disrespectful.

I grew very unhappy at work. I searched my heart to see if I could do things differently to please this person. When I was satisfied that the Holy Spirit had confirmed that I was doing as I should, I changed tactics. Since I knew that I was not the person in the wrong, I began to pray for my supervisor. I asked God to soften her heart toward me and tender her spirit.

I continued to pray for this woman everyday. One day I saw the difference I'd been requesting. No, my supervisor didn't stop her actions. Instead, I began to love her the way God loved her. It began with me not responding to her verbal abuse and escalated to me offering to help her when she looked frazzled.

One day this woman came to me and asked for my forgiveness. She told me that God had convicted her of her treatment of me, and it just got worse when I started being so nice to her. (Isn't God sneaky!)

Now I'm not telling you this so you will think that I'm an amazing person. I mean, I am -but I can post about that another time. I'm sure you guys have already figured out Who the Amazing One is in this story! So here comes one of my favorite things to say. Are you ready?

GOD IS SO COOL! I LIKE HIM SO MUCH!

So fast forward 20 years and I am now in a situation in which I am acquainted with someone that has no ability to see joy, or happiness for that matter. My first reaction was to be disgusted and ignore her.

But then I heard a whisper.

I took another look. This lady is a beautiful child created by my God. He loves her. He gave His Son for her. Whether or not she truly knows that is unknown to me. The fact that her entire life seems focused on stirring trouble and bitterness tears my heart to pieces.

Now, instead of being bothered by this person I have decided to try to love her. I don't know what the outcome will be, but that isn't going to stop me from listening to the whisper. It's doubtful that I will ever be close to this person, but I can pray for her and do my best to see her as God sees her. And I don't care what she says or does. It isn't going to bother me.

I am certain that I will see the LORD's goodness in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13

I'm Back

2010-07-07T12:54:00.002-05:00

It has been almost a year since I've been to the blog world. I've missed it, and so I'm back. I can't promise anything stimulating but at least I'll be showing up from time to time.

Another exciting thing for me is catching up on so many of you guys. It's good to be back.

I love you guys!

SOOO Overdue

2009-10-16T15:50:00.003-05:00

It seems like decades since I’ve visited my blog. It isn’t that I don’t have things happening in my life. I do have stuff from time to time but I still don’t have internet access at home. I KNOW! I’m officially the last person on planet Earth without internet service.

So let’s play a little catch-up.

I recently had a job interview in which I was asked to sketch the building I had just entered to determine my attention to detail. I thought it was awful but it was enough to satisfy the requestors.

I love any time I get to spend with my kids! Recently Caitie and I had another Continuation Day. A CD is an extension of her birthday last Spring. We decided that we couldn’t possibly do everything we wanted to do in one weekend, so we would pick up with a CD from time to time. The best thing is that CDs are limitless.
I’m substitute teaching again and really enjoy Pre-K and 5th grade. The Pre-Ks absorb what they are taught, and I have so much fun playing with them. The 5th graders are fun and tend to behave when I promise to bring squiggle doodles for them. (My squiggle doodles have evolved into some pretty cool designs if I do say so myself.)
I recently lost out on a temp job when I blew the interview. Would anyone like to guess what the losing factor was? It was when the interviewer asked me how well I would respond to being cussed out on a regular basis by salesmen I would be supporting. I replied that I didn’t take too kindly to being cussed out. After the interview, the placement agency that had arranged the appointment asked me if it would bother me if there was a lot of cussing going on around me. I explained that I didn’t think it was professional to drop F-bombs in the office. Additionally, it is personally offensive to me for certain words to be use as curses (JC and GD). I told the agency that I had explained this to the HR representative when he asked me this on two separate occasions. (It must be a prolific problem if he brought it up to me twice and to the agency once.) The agency told me that the HR rep said he wasn’t sure if I would be a great fit, but I was still in the running. The agency told me they would get back to me by the end of the workday with the final word. I didn’t hold my breath, and it was a good thing because the agency never called.
I am recovering from my 586,942,378,295th case of bronchitis and sinusitis. Honestly, I can’t even remember the last time I had the flu, old school or the new, panic-stricken swine variety. I just don’t get the flu. I ALWAYS get infections. Thank you asthma! I’m now in the disgusting phase of coughing up the infection. Seriously, there are some things I don’t want to see coming out of my body, and thick, yellow clots of rancid infection (yeah, I went there) is on the top 10 list. And as much as I want the infection out of my body, expelling it through my mouth is beyond disgusting. (So how many readers do I have left?)

That said, I have a cough that is beyond my size. I’ve often said that I have the cough of a Green Bay Packer. It’s true. Once in science class at OBU, I was coughing so hard that the professor turned from the chalkboard and asked the football player next to me if he needed a drink of water. Jeff was a friend of mine and started laughing. He told the teacher it was me, not him, making the noise. The prof said, “Do you really expect me to believe that sound is coming out of Miss Woodruff?” When I began coughing again the teacher’s eyes got big and he asked me if I needed to go see the nurse. Jeff asked why I got special treatment. The teacher said, “Because that isn’t natural. That sound shouldn’t be coming out of a 98lb girl.”

Well my weight may have changed, but my cough hasn’t. In fact, I’ve tried over 20 different OTC cough remedies with no success. A prescription for a narcotic cough suppressant is the only thing that can touch my cough, and I’m not a big fan of being knocked out by narcotic juice. However, I will take that over bleeding lungs any day.

Last week I was barking like a sea lion and my mom told me that she had bought a great OTC cough medicine. She said it really worked. Of course I was skeptical and reminded her of my OTC history. She urged me to try it, and I finally gave in.

Now I’m not going to give the name of the cough suppressant, but I’ve come to refer to it as Satan’s Kool-Aid. This has to be the nastiest stuff I’ve ever ingested. And the best part - the manufacturers know how bad it is. The packaging includes the phrases, “It tastes awful. And it works.” In fact, they've put that on the box more than once!

So I poured a carefully measured dose and knocked it back. The moment it hit my throat I doubled over with instant nausea. There was a deep burning running the entire length of my esophagus and into my stomach. All I could do was moan, “Ugh, ugh, ugh” over and over.

Those of you who know me know that I have an extremely high threshold for pain, but I have ZERO tolerance for nausea.

There was an odd moment of revelation that occurred during this ordeal. For the first time in 11 months, I was thrilled to have the nerve damage that resulted from my wisdom teeth surgery. The right half of my tongue has a constant tingling sensation and is approximately 85% numb. Added to that is the fact I am unable to taste anything on the right side of my mouth. This was a blessing I never expected. I simply cannot imagine how much worse this could have been.

I finally straightened up and made my way down the hall to confront my mother. With tears in my eyes, I stood in front of her trying to speak. When I was able to get words out I told her that she was a bad mommy, and I didn’t like her much at the moment. She stared at me as I was holding my stomach and asked what was wrong. When I explained she started laughing. LAUGHING! When I told her that my lip was burning she almost fell off the bed.

I told her that what I had swallowed tasted like Vick’s Salve schnapps. She started laughing harder. I asked if she had ever use this “medicine” and she admitted she had not. She asked me if it was working, and I told her that the very second it passed my mouth I lost all desire to cough. Mom seemed to think this was worth the cost. I think it was because my body was in shock.

And while the “cough mixture” (as it is called) did stop my cough, it only lasted for 15 minutes. I’m sure it is a great remedy for the general public, but it just doesn’t cut it for a Green Bay Packer.

And the two things I learned from this trial?
1. This stuff will be served like sweet tea in H**L.
2. I have a bad mommy.

My Thoughts This Morning

2009-06-29T09:28:00.004-05:00

I started reading about Joseph several days ago and, as usual, I had a lag of a few days in my reading. Maybe I will find a renewed desire to continue this afternoon. I think God wants to speak to me through this story.

Last week I was reading in Experiencing God and Mr. Blackaby said, "God works in sequence to accomplish His divine purpose." That made me think of Joseph and the events of his life that led to the fulfillment of God's purpose. This in turn led me to wonder how the events of my life would work out and to what purpose. I grabbed my Bible and turned to the concordance to find something. The point of my query has now been forgotten because my search ended up pointed me to Joseph. Him again.

This morning I awoke with a dream fresh in my heart. It was fresh to my heart because it was an encouragement to my spirit. In my dream I was walking in downtown Nashville after being away for several months. My mom was walking with me but she was going home to Arkansas soon. I was going to stay a little longer.

As we walked I pointed out some of the destinations from my Fall photo shoots. We turned a corner and a TRBC friend approached. We both smiled and threw out our arms for a hug. As we embraced my friend whispered into my ear, "I've helped arrange for you to be here for this time." I was still trying to form the words, "I've missed you," when I pulled back in confused surprise. That wasn't what I expected to hear and what did it mean? I had barely disengaged from the hug when my friend continued on around the corner.

Now, a few hours later I'm still not sure of what the dream means or if it has a meaning at all. It could be a manifestation of my thoughts and routine mixing with things to come. After all, I do walk with my mom regularly and I am going to spend a week in Nashville soon. Who knows?

A few minutes after waking I was nudged to pick up my Bible and continue reading what God has written to ME. I've prayed for a hunger for God's Word and I feel it each time my eyes land on my Bible. When I heard the invitation this morning I was SO ready to spend a little time with my Lord. (I hope my discipline catches up with my desire so this happens more often.)

Want to take a guess at what I read this morning? Yep, about Joseph interpreting dreams. Hmm, that's a coincidence.

So maybe my dream will reveal itself to be more than subconscious goulash. I don't know - yet. What I do know is that God is in control indeed and I believe He has more in store for me.

I See Me

2009-06-18T09:13:00.004-05:00

Every morning I encourage, push, and sometimes drag Mama for a walk. We started out walking under 3 miles and have gotten up to 4 miles each day. We wake at 5:00 and hit the road by 5:20.

I never complain as we walk because I want to stay upbeat as we exercise. If I didn't stay positive then Mama wouldn't walk with me. However, Mama isn't always positive. She vacillates between being upbeat and complaining. In fact, there have been a couple of days in which she moaned and complained for over half the walk. She is inconsistent with her pace and constantly walks with her head down.

I figured out that if I slow my pace she will also, even if she is behind. I don't think she even realizes she is doing it. So when Mama slows down I've learned not to break my stride to match hers. Instead, I reach my hand back behind me and call for her to catch-up. I remind her that I am where she needs to be. (Now before anyone thinks I am pushing a 67 year old woman too hard please know that we have worked for 3 weeks to slowly build her pace and distance. She has also exceeded my expectations of what she was capable of doing... Yea Mommy!!)

We are also working on her habit of walking with her head down. I've told her that she needs to look forward so she can see what is coming.

Yesterday's walk was typical of a less than positive day and I had reached my limit. Mama had been wishing, out loud and frequently, that she wanted to be back at the house on the couch. Honestly, with sweat dripping in my eyes and my glasses fogging I wanted to be on the couch too. However, I want to be fit (and able to fit into my clothes) more than I wanted to be on the couch. The couch was going to have to wait because I had added a few extra steps to our route that morning.

We were just over the halfway point in our walk when Mama said she didn't want to walk the extra bit and asked if we could take a short-cut home. I told her she could take the short-cut but that I was determined to take the longer route. Amazingly I was gentle of heart and tongue when I said this to her. That, my friends, was ALL God. (Thank you Lord for infusing my words with respect in a frustrating moment.)

I noticed that Mama slowed her pace considerably. In fact, I thought she had taken the short-cut after all until I looked back to see her about 40 yards behind me. I began thinking about how much I wanted both of us to be in shape. I considered how nice it would be if she didn't complain so much, even though it is only about half the time. I thought it would be great if she were more motivated and tried to keep pace better. She does well with her pace, especially for being in her late 60s, but I want her to be at her best. I also wished she would walk with her head up instead of down to her chest and off to the side a bit. It makes her look bedraggled, pitiful, and as if she is being led against her will at times. We've joked about this tendency and what it must look like to passers-by and she is trying to break the habit.

Then God showed me that I was looking at a picture of myself. I whine to God and don't live up to my potential half the time. The other half I'm in step with God, positive, and loving life. But half isn't good enough.

I realized that sometimes - okay, often times - I slow my pace and whine to be finished with this season in my life. I can see God a few paces ahead of me and I know that is where I should be. I feel Him reaching to me to help me get to Him.

God showed me that sometimes I walk with my head down - emotionally and spiritually. I need to walk with my head up so I am able to see Him and what is ahead. Otherwise I could pass right by what He has in store for me.

He made me realize that I have to want this healthy relationship with Him for myself. He already wants it but He can't want it for me. Finally, I have to push myself when I want to give up - just like Mama did yesterday morning.

Mama and I aren't always on the negative side but we could both benefit with gaining yardage in the positive sector. I pray that God continues to speak so plainly to me.

Lord, encourage Mama and me. Draw us closer. Give us a drive to work toward our goals. I want to surprise myself by meeting YOUR expectations of me. I want to shock myself with what You can do through me. Thank you for speaking to me. I promise to keep listening.

(My mother has astounded me with what she has been able to accomplish. I had to apologize to her for underestimating her. Now if I can just stop underestimating myself because each time I do I underestimate God.)

How Ya Like Me Now?

2009-05-06T10:18:00.013-05:00

YAY! I'm finally getting to post on my blog. (I realize I may be the only one excited about this but that doesn't bother me.)

Yesterday I had an interview with the Luis Palau Little Rock CityFest directors. They need someone to coordinate the 2,500 - 3,000 volunteers during the festival and I thought I'd check it out. It turned out to be a bumpy ride.

My interview was scheduled for 1:30, which was perfect because I had a substitution assignment that ended at 11:30. While at the school I made sure to print out the directions to the CityFest offices. I always use randmcnally.com because I find their directions to be the most accurate. (I figure if you are the guys who make the maps you should have great directions.) According to Rand McNally the directions were super simple. That said I left the house in order to have about 30 additional minutes in case I ran into a problem. I should have anticipated multiple problems.

Per my directions I only had to make three turns off the highway. The first two turns were a cinch but that last one stumped me. I drove up and down a stretch of road multiple times looking for Kirby Road. Kirby Road was not to be found. Finally I pulled over at a large convenience store to ask about the elusive location. No one, including a delivery driver, had heard of Kirby Road.

My time was quickly running out so I decided to call my contact and let her know I was lost and needed assistance. Unfortunately I couldn't find her phone number anywhere! How could I have left her number at home? ARGH! Okay, plan B. Call my BFF from high school and get the number from her. After all, the job lead came from Devin so I knew she would be able to help me out. Mission accomplished.

I then called my contact and told her my predicament. She was beyond understanding and told me that Kirby Rd is indeed difficult to find. She said the road was very easy to miss. Want to know why? It's because there isn't a street sign to mark Kirby Rd. In fact, the street changes names once it crosses the main road. So there was a street sign but it didn't say Kirby Rd. How convenient. (I learned this information on my own after the interview. It could have been a tad helpful beforehand.)

My contact decided to give me alternate directions. Unfortunately she didn't give me the correct street name on which to turn. She told me that once I was on Park Way Place I would turn right on Kirby. There is a church at the corner I was given as a marker. Well I got the the church but it was at the intersection of Park Way Place and Markham. Are you kidding me? Oh well, I decided to turn into the church and ask for directions again. A couple were talking on the sidewalk and offered assistance. The lady told me to pull out of the parking lot back onto Kirby. Excuse me? Kirby? She told me that the road I was on was Kirby. I just smiled and thanked her. Once I pulled out of the parking lot I looked up at the street sign and it said MARKHAM but I obediently turned left as instructed. A block or so later the street officially turned into Kirby Rd and I found my destination. I was only 15 minutes late... ugh... and I had been in the car for over any hour so I was crumpled looking.

Once I had met the two directors we sat, prayed, and began to talk. Oh, did I mention that the office was quite warm? It was. And I've been ill - again. About 5 minutes into the interview I began to cough. The warmer I get the harder I cough. The harder I cough the warmer I get. So I asked to excuse myself from the room and walked into the hallway where I continued to cough up a lung. I was hoping there was a water fountain in the hallway but that would just be crazy.

Finally I composed myself enough to go back to continue the interview. That lasted about 5 more minutes. The next coughing fit was worse. I barely choked out the word, "water" before I turned blue. One of the directors ran to get a bottle of water but I couldn't wait. I practically sprinted after her.

I then told her I needed to go to the restroom for a moment. By this time I had tears streaming down my face and snot was on the verge of flying. She began walking me down the hall to the restroom but stopped in her office to see if she could find anything to stave off a call to the paramedics. She told me she had some mints and I was truly grateful. In her desperation she grabbed a peppermint and a whole tube of mentos and shoved them at me. This perplexed me further. All I could think was that they probably thought I had swine flu and bad breath too.

I barely made it to the restroom in time to divert a disaster. I started coughing so hard that I was furiously grabbing at tissue to hold to my nose. My next fear was that I would cough and laugh (yes I was completely amused by all this) so hard that I would have an accident. Honestly, I think it was possible because it was obvious that I was not in control of my body at that time.

All the while I wondered what the directors were thinking because I knew they could still hear me. I just hoped I could clean up my face enough to continue. Finally with a peppermint in my cheek and water in hand I returned to the interview. I walked in, smiled and asked, "So is this the best first impression you've ever seen? How ya like me now?" We all laughed and started again.

At the end of the interview I was told that they had other candidates to see and would let me know something by the end of the week. Two hours later they called and asked if I would be available to take the next step and participate in a teleconference with their corporate offices in Portland, OR.

I guess they liked me fine.

I'm still praying about this position. I haven't heard the final word from God so I would appreciate your prayers as well. There are pros and cons to this job so I could go either way. I just want to make sure the way I choose is God's.

(As a side note, I sure love and miss everyone who reads my blog.)

A Short Update

2009-03-14T09:22:00.005-05:00

I really don't like being without a computer at home. I feel disconnected from so many and so much. Hopefully I will be able to get a monitor soon and re-attach myself to the world.

I began substitute teaching yesterday. Since there haven't been any job opportunities I thought this would be a way to make a little money while I continue my search.

There has been a lot of time to read as well. I have read 11 books in the last couple of months. Currently I am reading The AD Chronicles, a series by Bodie and Brock Thoene, The Alienist by Caleb Carr, and a biography of John Adams by David McCullough.

The plan for today is to get back to sewing. I want to complete the apron I started weeks ago.

Other than those few items there isn't much going on in my world.

No More Billboards

2009-01-31T15:21:00.004-06:00

A few months ago I listed several things I enjoy. "Five more minutes with my mother" made the list. While this is a sweet sentiment it's also the name of a favorite ritual between the two of us. Upon waking my mom would pop her head into my room and tell me it was time to get up. On cue I would pull back the covers in invitation and say, "Five more minutes." Mom would hop in bed with me and we would spend the next 10 - 30 minutes talking and laughing. "Five more minutes" isn't an everyday event so it's special.

This morning I was already up when mom came to my door. I just turned, walked back to my bed and began straightening up the covers. Mom joined me on the other side to help. Then together we fluffed the pillows and hopped back into bed. As we laid in bed I began sharing about today's lesson in Experiencing God.

I told Mama that I used to joke about past prayers in which I would ask God to speak to me. Not just speak to me but to speak with enough clarity so as to be impossible to miss. How many times have my friends heard me ask God for a billboard because I didn't trust myself enough to hear His message unless it was HUGE.

I was living with scared faith. It was so important to me to make the correct choices and stay in God's will. But if my faith is filtered through fear then it worthless. Fear of making the wrong decision paralyzed me and left me in a rut.

When I began praying about whether or not God wanted me to move home I told God I would do it if He sent me a billboard. I remember the night I was talking with God about this decision and as clear as could be I heard, "Girl, how big does this billboard need to be?"

Touche.

So this morning my mom came into my room but not to help me make up my bed. It is quite common for us to help each other make up the beds so that would have been expected. This morning I realized I'd never extended the "five more minutes" invitation but she still knew. And I knew she had come in for FMM and not merely to help make my bed.

I smiled at her and told her that I loved that we knew each other so well and were so good at reading one another. Then it hit me. I want that kind of relationship with God. I want to be so close with God that I can tell when it's time for FMM and when it's time to make the bed.

Lord I want my footsteps to disappear into Yours and my heartbeat to melt into Your rhythm. I want FMM with You Lord.

Radioactive Monkeys

2009-01-26T09:28:00.013-06:00

There comes a time in your adult life when you think you know the history of your immediate family. After this week I will no longer presume to know all there is to know about my parents. Not that I thought they were without depth. I just had no idea of what lay lurking below the surface.

I expected for there to be many challenges when I moved home, into my parents house. However it has gone surprisingly well and I'm going to walk away with a few gems - like radioactive monkeys.

A few days ago my mom, dad, and I were sitting with the newspaper talking about a fatal car crash reported in Friday's edition. My sister had told us of the accident the day before after she passed it by on her way to town.

(We interrupt this post for the following Public Service Announcement. The only person killed in the three car accident was not wearing her seatbelt. The two survivors were strapped in with belts intact. Please wear your seatbelt - EVERYTIME.)

This discussion evolved into accidents my parents had been in or had witnessed. It brought back a familiar story of my mom's accident with a drunk driver at the age of 14. My mom's neck was broken and she had to wear a partial body cast and neck brace for a year. Mama said she had to go through many X-rays and mused about having so many, wondering how much radiation she had been subjected too.

At this point in the story Daddy looked over and said, "You couldn't have had as much as I did when I was driving a truck hauling those monkeys."

I just stared at him with an expression of "Huh?" on my face. I didn't even know what questions to ask for explanation. Thankfully I didn't have to.

Daddy told the story of how he had been driving a truck and had been on the road for about three weeks and wanted to head home. He asked his dispatcher for a load that would take him home. The dispatcher replied, "There is a medical testing facility where you can go get a load of dead monkeys. You can pick up a load of monkeys and take it by the house before you deliver it."

I sat listening with the same expression on my face.

Daddy continued saying that he did not believe his dispatcher. He knew there was a load at the testing facility that would take him home but he didn't know what it would be. When he pulled up to the gate the security guard asked what he was picking up. Daddy said he laughed and said, "I'm here to pick up a load of dead monkeys, ha ha." The guard replied, "Don't laugh son, we got 'em here."

The monkeys were involved in radiation testing. When they died there were put into drums that were filled with water and frozen.

My expression had changed to disgusted horror. I didn't think the story could get any worse. Such a naive little one I am.

So Daddy hauled a truck full of dead, radioactive monkeys... home! Yes sir, he pulled his semi right up in front of the house and parked it for the night.

I couldn't believe my ears! "You parked it in front of our house? Are you serious?"

Daddy just laughed and said, "Nobody knew what was inside and they were frozen."

That wasn't the point!

Daddy went on to explain that he continued to haul radioactive material after that. This led to another story of a mishap on one trip. Daddy and his co-driver were at their delivery point going through a scan when a leak was discovered. Their clothes were taken and they were put through a chemical shower. The tractor-trailer was also cleaned. Daddy said that he was told his truck would be confiscated if it didn't pass re-inspection. When he asked what would happen to the truck he was told it would be buried in the ground with the rest of the radioactive material and the government would buy his company a new truck. Burial wasn't necessary.

By now I am sitting with my head cocked to one side, completely dumbfounded. I asked when all this took place. I wanted to know if I had been born during this time. Mama laughed and said, "No, you were born a few years before this happened." Then she smirked and added, "Do you think that could explain what happened with Mary?"

I was laughing so hard I was struggling for breath. My mama is funny! I couldn't wait to tell my little sister what was said! She would never believe I wasn't the one to say it.

Oh my. I have laughed so much since I've been home. I still don't have a job and I'm flat broke but I am so, so rich.

Update

2009-01-21T14:46:00.001-06:00

For those requesting an update, let's just say that I'm not a 5th wife kind of girl.

Love

2009-01-16T13:28:00.004-06:00

Everywhere I've turned this week I've run into love. Love in the form of old letters, a particular song that has played numerous times in my heart then at church and on the radio, and in God's word. I've also been reading about love in a book by Francis Chan titled "Crazy Love."

Francis mentioned his wife's Grandma Clara. He writes that Grandma Clara would say, "I love love."

Me too.

I'd like to share some beautiful words written to me a while back. I cried as I read these words from a box of letters I found during my move. Sweet memories washed over me as I sat with letters spilling over my lap. I love love. It was good to be reminded of those feelings.

Every time I turn around I miss you more. Every time I breathe I think of you. Any time I do anything you captivate my mind and my heart. Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for blessing me with you. This day is no exception.
I miss you more than my heart can stand.
~
Everyday I care for you more and more and more. Everyday I fall deeper and deeper and deeper... It's a scary thought but I can think of no other place I'd rather be.
~
I'm thinking of you. Thinking that someday your smile will be mine to cherish everyday, that someday your heart will dazzle in my eyes.
~
I walk out at night staring at the stars wondering if you are looking at them. I keep thoughts to myself that need to be shared with you. I have an empty space where my heart once was.
I miss you.
~
I promise to give you myself for as long as you wish. I am yours Tauna Marie.
Do with me as you wish.
~
My heart jumps when I think of seeing you. When you are on my arm your encouragement washes over me. I need your encouragement.
I miss you.
~
Tauna you mean the world to me. Someday I will take you there.
~
I just spoke with you and my heart is so light and my smile is so big. You are my best friend and I mean to take care of you always..
~
I've seen you a thousand times before but only in my dreams.

I never knew your name.
I never knew who you were but I always knew I would find you
and you would always be mine.

Now I'm walking with you
and you said you would never let me go.
I just smile thinking to myself
I've finally met my dream

I never knew your name.
I never knew who you were but I always knew I would find you
and you would always be mine.

I'm not sure how long it was,
an hour maybe more.
Time and distance had no place.
The world was only ours.

I finally know your name.
I finally know who you are.
I know that you are beside me
and you will always be mine.

I'm so happy to meet you,
my dream in real life.
All I have I give to you,
for now I hand you my heart.

Those words were written by an amazing young man that I loved greatly. His name was Andy and he died when he was 22 years old in a car accident. And while I do miss him it is his friendship I miss most. So I guess I was a little surprised when I read his words and was flooded with the sweet love we had for one another. As I said, it felt good to be reminded of that love.

I was reminded of another love this week. It's the love relationship I have with God. Sadly to say I don't think I've put the effort into spending time with God that I did with past relationships.

Francis Chan makes the statement that "when we are loving, we can't sin." I don't know about you but that gave me pause. I stopped to think about that simple declaration and I believe it is true. So what does it say about me? How many times must I stop loving in order to sin.

And how much effort am I really putting into my love relationship with Christ? I remember staying up to the wee hours of the morning to talk to my high school sweetheart on the phone. Of course my mom couldn't understand why. She would tell me to get off the phone if it was after 9:00 saying, "You saw him all day at school." That wasn't exactly true. We saw each other several times for a few minutes throughout the day but that wasn't the same as she thought!

I would talk to J after everyone had gone to bed in both households. I knew that if I were caught it would mean being grounded from the phone but I was willing to take the risk.

I remember talking my college roommate into driving me to see J one afternoon. The drive was 45 minutes each way. I was only going to get to spend 15 minutes with J before returning back to campus. An hour and a half driving to spend a quarter of an hour with my sweetie was a bargain to me because I was in love.

So as much as I say I love love I sure don't act as if I do. I have someone utterly in love with me. I don't have to risk punishment to spend time with Him. I may have to sacrifice some of my time but if it's love then it isn't a sacrifice.

True to my nature as a girl I want to be wooed. That is why the words above were so effective. They were meant to woo me and they did because I knew the emotions behind the words were genuine.

God wants to woo me too but I must let Him. He has written many beautiful verses to win my heart. I must allow my heart to be won. And I must respond in like. Mark 12:30 tells us to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."

People say that when someone is in love they glow. It does lend beauty to your life. God wants me to love Him with EVERYTHING in me. I'm going to open myself to His love. I want His beauty to wash over me.

Love is in the air...

2009-01-14T11:44:00.002-06:00

I bet that got everyone's attention.

Alas, no time for details now... hopefully tomorrow.

(But I bet you guess incorrectly.)

And Now For the Rest of the Story

2008-12-29T10:29:00.009-06:00

On the infamous "Day Eight" I spent the afternoon with my parents. We went out for a late lunch and then to a fun flea market. The weather was calling for freezing rain and sleet so Mom said we should stop by the store on the way home. She didn't want to drive the next day. We were in fact iced in for most of the next day.

Once we were at Kroger we decided to divide up to make the trip quicker. I headed down the baking aisle for syrup. As I was deciding on a pancake topping the lady behind me asked if I shopped at that store often. I giggled because it sounded like a pick-up line but for the fact we were in a grocery store and it was a grandmother asking. Little did I know.

The lady told me she was looking for one last ingredient for a dish she was preparing for a family meal. I explained that I did not know the store well or the town well. The sweet lady asked why I was so unfamiliar. I told her I had just moved from Nashville, TN (not to be confused with Nashville, AR). My new acquaintance smiled and began to tell me about a family from Nashville that goes to church with her. I told her I had heard of the family because I was visiting FBC with my family while I was in town.

We then exchanged a few more pleasantries before I left with my syrup. I asked for her name. Mrs. Burns. And what a delightful woman. As I was turning to leave she asked me if I was married. Since we had been talking about church I assumed she was still on that line of thinking. I told her I was single and that prompted her next question, "How old are you?" When I told her I was 41 she stared at me with wide eyes. (I have to admit that I LOVE that response.) She said, "Heavens child, I thought you were going to say 25. I have a grandson I wanted to introduce you to." Still smiling from her surprise I began to laugh when she told me she wanted to set me up with her grandson. She told me not to laugh because she was serious. She told me she thought I was cute and she wanted a cute wife for her grandson so she could have cute great-grandchildren. She then told me that what she wanted most was a godly woman.

I must say that by this time I was feeling quite good. This woman was full of compliments. We said our goodbyes and I left. Upon exiting the aisle I saw a manager and asked where Mrs. Burns missing ingredient could be located. I went back to tell her where to look and bid farewell again.

Once I found my parents I told them about my encounter. They thought it was amusing and sweet. A few minutes later we ran into Mrs. Burns and I introduced Mom & Dad. Mrs. Burns began to gush about meeting me to my parents. I just stood there, taken aback by her delight. Then she asked my mom a question out of left field. She wanted to know the name of Mom's doctor. She said her son was a doctor and she was always on the lookout for new patients for him. She then told us that Dr. Burns was an OB/GYN and practiced in the next town over (30 minutes away).

I wish you could have seen the looks on Mama's and Daddy's faces. This prompted the first words from my father since the initial introductions. He shook his head and said, "We don't need any of those kind of doctors anymore."

Mrs. Burns went on to say that what she really wanted was to introduce me to her son. She told me that he made several hundred thousand dollars a year. With a wink she asked if I thought I could live on that amount. She continued to tell Mama that she was impressed with me and thought it would be a great idea to get their two children together.

By this point I had been standing for several minutes without uttering a word and had gone through every shade of embarrassment visible to the human eye. Finally, I turned to Daddy and tugged on his elbow. Playfully, I said, "Daddy, this would be a good time for you to come to my rescue." Daddy, not sure of what to make of the meeting, just laughed and said, "Rescue you? I want to get rid of you."

My hero. (I may have to amend a previous post about this man.)

Mrs. Burns then turned to me and explained that several years ago arranged marriages were the norm. She continued by saying that many arranged marriages were not only successful but quite happy. Finally, I was invited to her home the following Saturday to help her in the kitchen. Mrs. Burns said she was cooking for her entire family that day and would love my company. She also thought it would be fun to have me. To be honest, I'm sure it would have been.

Then Mrs. Burns told my mom that she was sure she sounded as if she were a little crazy but that she just wanted the best for her son. She said she prayed for her son everyday, including prayers for a godly wife. She told my mom that she thought I was adorable and she would be proud to have me for a daughter-in-law. Mrs. Burns said that in those few minutes she was sure of my character and personality and she was convinced I would be a great choice.

WOW!

I must say that I've never had that impression on a person before. I wish I could figure out exactly what I did and duplicate it when needed. Not that it would do much good. As I explained to my mother, I'm great with seniors so I don't think the same would work with their sons. At least it hasn't so far.

Before we left Mrs. Burns wrote down her name, address, and phone number in case I was free that Saturday. She then asked me for my name again. Mom was johnny-on-the-spot. She smiled big and said, "Tauna. T-A-U-N-A."

As we walked away my daddy leaned over and whispered, "I think you were just proposed to... by the mama." He got a soft elbow to the ribs. Mama simply asked, "So which apron do you want me to iron for you to wear Saturday?" Funny.

A few days later we, along with everyone else on the street, received a flyer from the medical center in the next county. And guess who's picture was in the flyer?

I walked into the living room to see my parents huddled over something. They looked up at me and smiled from ear to ear. I knew something was up and asked what they were doing. Daddy laughed and asked if I wanted to see a picture of my fiancee.

I didn't help Mrs. Burns cook that Saturday. My brother and his family came for a visit.

So that's the story. I have a few more since moving home but not having a computer at home makes updating more difficult.

I love all you guys. I'll try to let you know what is happening in my new world as soon as I can.

Too much stuff, not enough time...

2008-12-19T12:36:00.003-06:00

Oh how I wish I had a computer at Mom & Dad's. I am SO behind on reading and writing blog posts.

So how about a little teaser...

On my 8th day back in Arkansas I received a marriage proposal - kind of. Oh is was quite serious to the party making the marriage suggestion. However, I could only stand with eyes wide, mouth open, AND NOT A SINGLE WORD ESCAPING. How often am I at a loss for words???

The funniest thing about this is who made the proposition. The SECOND funniest thing is that a couple of months ago my bff in Ft. Smith told me that I would probably move back to AR and find my husband. I bet she didn't think I could do it in 8 days!

But that's not all! There is a THIRD funniest thing about this as well. The morning of the pseudo-proposal my mother and I sat praying together and she prayed these words; "Lord let Your plan explode in Tauna's face so that it is obvious and can't be missed."

I'm not sure if this was what Mama meant.

When I have more time I'll give you guys the whole story.

Love you guys!

Lots of Updates

2008-11-20T12:19:00.005-06:00

Hi friends. Sorry I've been gone so long from the blog. As stated, there are lots of updates. Here's the bullet point version:

I lost my job last week. I had been working at the same temp assignment for a year and a half but they laid off all temporary workers and a few full time employees too. The temp agency has absolutely no assignments in sight and said it would be doubtful to find any work other than for a day or two between now and the end of the year. This news leads me to my next point...

I'm moving home to Arkansas. This is something I've known God has been calling me to for a while now. I must say that leaving Nashville makes me sad. I LOVE NASHVILLE!!!!!!! (too subtle?) However, I have to say that I love my family more and I've lived away for them for a very long time. It's time. So amazing friends I ask for your prayers for a great job and place to live in Little Rock or North Little Rock. Thank you.

I'm having my wisdom teeth cut out tomorrow afternoon. Typically this wouldn't be a big deal. I know it's pretty routine - but not for me. There are a few reasons this isn't so common for me. First, each of my two lower teeth have a serious infection and one is fully impacted to boot. Next, my top teeth are also fully impacted, turned sideways, and have invaded my sinus cavities. Nice. When the procedure is finished I will have holes in my sinuses that should heal fine but will add a little something extra to the recovery process! Yay!

However, none of that compares to the biggest reasons this is not so common for me. You see, I've never had stitches and I've never had an IV. I've also never been admitted to a hospital either. And before anyone wants to wish me soothing words of comfort allow me to reassure you that I'm not nervous about the stitches and IV. Honestly, I'm ready to get these things out of my head. The last 4.5 months of EVERYday pain is quite a motivator.

No, I'm not nervous. I'm irritated that I'm ruining my stitches & IV streaks. As the Queen of Clumsy, Clumsy Spice, or Clumsy Smurf I have had a great deal of satisfaction in the fact that I have such long running streaks... especially compared to my less and non-clumsy friends. I held on to my "no broken bones" record until I was 36. Pretty good eh? Oh well, at least they don't have to admit me. That's one record I can hang on to. (And don't tell me to knock on wood. I'm not the least bit superstitious.)

So that's the bulk of my news for now. Wait, there's one more thing. The computer at home is on the fritz. I am at the library to use the internet. That means I don't have great access to email or blogger.

I'll try to post as soon as I'm able. Thank you for your prayers. I sure love you guys!

Beautiful Weekend

2008-11-10T10:55:00.007-06:00

This weekend was full of fun and loads of amazing color. I want to share some of the photos with you. (Disclaimer: The camera I used is 5mp as opposed to the 10mp one used for the previous photo shoots. Still, the pictures are sweet and worth sharing.)

The 1st two pictures were taken Friday on my way to work. The color was beautiful against the stormy sky.

Saturday Stacy and I went for a walk on the greenway. The scenery was gorgeous. We walked for over 6 miles. I could have walked 5 more easily with the fun company and great venue.

This is an abandoned house. I wonder what dinner was like when this house was young and full of life.

Stunning yellow. I just adore God's creativity!

A great barn. There are more shots of this sweet building.

This is my favorite photo of the barn.

It looks as if we are meandering down a country road but we are still in Nashville just yards away from traffic and the clamor of retail and sports.

This is a small, fenced cemetery of a revolutionary soldier and his family along the "country road" we walked. You could see kids playing soccer at the YMCA from the opposite direction of this photo.

This leaf was about 9" in diameter!

Along the greenway.

The actual greenway trail. It's so pretty this time of year.

These next few shots were taken along McGavock Pike on my way home from church yesterday.

Near the Two Rivers Mansion on McGavock.

Two Rivers Mansion

Leaves from the Bradford Pear trees in the parking lot at church.

Leftovers

2008-10-30T09:00:00.012-05:00

Here are some leftovers from previous photo outings.

The Steam Plant at the Clover Bottom Development Center.

Apparently I am drawn to rust and peeling pain. Especially in the form of windows and poles. This window is on 9th behind Christ Church Cathedral.

Another window. The next two are located at Clover Bottom

This is my favorite rusty, peeling window.

Yep. You guessed it. Clover Bottom again.

Back to Christ Church Cathedral on 9th and Broad. The next two poles are behind the church.

This pole is located across the street from LifeWay. The colors of the rust are amazing.

A closer view from another side.

This is a small, square door to a crawl space at the old Dodson Elementary School.

Looking straight up a column on the Baptist Sunday School Board building.

Part of the statue between the Parthenon and the lake at Centennial Park.

A park bench near the Hermitage library branch.

(Here is the original color. Blech! Don't you think they should be painted charcoal or black?)

I hope you liked the photos. I know I've always enjoyed leftovers.

Random Thoughts From My Day

2008-10-27T15:27:00.006-05:00

Josh Groban takes me to a happy, calm place.
Note to self: Don't touch your mouth after touching a tomato plant - your lips will tingle, and not in a good way.
My car smells like 190 mini, chocolate cupcakes.
I love being financially organized. There is such peace to be enjoyed.
I need to drink more water today.
I'm having a good hair day. If only I could get it to translate into a picture. Unfortunately good hair days and good picture days do not co-exist.
I'm loving the weather.
A corn maze and a bonfire cookout sure sound fun right now.
How many beaded icicles do I need to make this year?
Wait. Does anyone even want any icicles this year?
I need to get to work on the bookmarks that have been ordered.
I love my friends.
I despise filing.
I miss my dear, sweet friend Andy.
I wonder what tomorrow holds. Next week? Next month?
I smelled Christmas this morning. It was a mixture of scents that transported me to a particular time at home with my family.
I wish I could spend more time with Bug, Topher, Jake, and the Mattman.
Have I searched every inch of my heart to make sure nothing is festering? I mean a conscious effort to seek out anything that needs to be let go.
Where is my lip gloss?
Oh yeah! Tailgate partay at the BrickHouse (w/the youth group) tonight! GO TITANS!
There is joy in discipline.

Well, you get the picture. Obviously these haven't been my only thoughts, just a random sampling. So what has passed through your mind today?

A New Post for Posting's Sake

2008-10-21T12:45:00.004-05:00

I've been nudged by a few peeps to provide a new post. Unfortunately all I have to offer is the promise of a new post soon. Who knows what it may be about or when it will hit... maybe as soon as this afternoon.

I have a few things (ok, a bunch of things) in operation but will add a post soon. I promise. Until then enjoy this fun shot of my day at the mall with 3 wonderful, fantastic, brilliant, fun, encouraging, beautiful 15 year olds - MM, MW, & AB.

Trying on rings at Forever XXI. Such fun. Can you guess which hand is mine? Hint: it's the old one. HA!

I See The Moon

2008-10-14T09:07:00.012-05:00

Last night there was an exquisite, full moon. The photograph doesn't do it justice by any stretch. I wish I had the proper equipment (and know-how) to have been able to capture the beauty God placed in the sky last night.

For those that missed it, let me describe the view from middle Tennessee. Our sky was filled to capacity with clouds. But these weren't mountainous, corpulent clouds. Instead, the sky looked as if it had been covered in a thick, luxuriant down comforter. The clouds stretched over the entire sky and moved at a significant pace. There were a few rips in the fabric from time to time but the blanket remained intact for the most part. Despite the prominent cloud cover the moon was so brilliant it shone through clearly.

By now you are wondering why I spent so much time looking at the moon. Well, I've been watching the moon for the last 4 nights waiting for it to be full. You see full moons are special. And I don't mean special in the way my friend Cara would convey. (Cara is an ER nurse and full moons mean something altogether different to her.)

Each month, during the full or new moon my daddy and I call each other and look at the moon together. And since Daddy works nights we are able to do this rather easily. I don't remember how this little tradition got started but we have been doing it for years. When there is a full moon and the phone rings late in the evening we know who will be on the other end.

I know what most of you ladies are thinking. "Ahhhhh. That is so sweet." (I say ladies because I seriously don't think there are any guys, to which I am not related, reading this blog.) And you ladies would be spot on. It is sweet. This is a sweet, sometimes funny, always enjoyable occasion with my daddy. In fact, we've spoken on the phone for the last 4 nights in anticipation of our prize.

Somewhere along the way this little ceremony was no longer reserved for full moons. Now any time the moon is particularly nice or interesting we call each other. I remember once when the entire moon was visible but only 1/4 of it was actually bright and shining. I called Daddy and said, "Daddy you should see the moon. It looks like it has a French manicure." His response was, "What? I don't know that is!" HA! Do you guys remember the post about my Marine Corps Daddy? Why in the world did I think he would know what I was talking about.

So, last night I called Daddy at 11:04 to look at the moon. His shift ends at midnight so I had plenty of time to catch him before I went to bed. There was just one, itty-bitty problem. Daddy wasn't at work. He was in bed. I had gotten so wrapped up in watching our treasure that I forgot it was Daddy's night off. When he answered the phone I heard a small commotion. He had knocked all the pictures over on the side table trying to answer the phone. I felt dreadful. However, Daddy didn't mind at all. He was happy to talk to me about our moon.

The moon will be beautiful again tonight if the storm clouds allow. I want to encourage you to go out and enjoy a glimpse of God's creativity, and maybe start some traditions of your own.

Worth a Look

2008-10-10T08:08:00.003-05:00

Hi friends. I wanted to take a moment to direct your attention to a friend's blog. Recently Christa went to India on a mission trip and she has posted her journal online.

There are 11 entries but don't be scared because they are very quick reads with fabulous pictures. You can find a link to "Oh My Soul" on my list of "friendlies" to the right.

Enjoy! I know I sure did.

Fun Times & Family Photos

2008-10-07T16:36:00.012-05:00

Last Saturday I spent the day with sweet friends. We started the day by taking casual, family photos then we went to lunch, rode bikes, and washed cars. Good times! Here is a small sampling of the pictures.

Miss Grace at the Opryland Hotel.

Katrina

On the walk between Opry Mills and the hotel.

I love this candid shot of Jim & Kellie laughing.

And this one is just sweet.

On the greenway in Two Rivers Park.

Clover Bottom Development Center

The Steam Plant at Clover Bottom.

Thank you, my friends, for a lovely day.

You Asked For It

2008-10-03T11:21:00.018-05:00

You guys should have NEVER encouraged me. It your own fault. Ahhh. The Frist Center. There's nothing fab about this photo except that it is of one of my favorite Nashville locations.

For the non-Nashvillian readers, Nashville's main post office was built in 1933 & 1934 with a classicism style exterior and an Art Deco style interior. The post office moved to a modern facility in 1986 leaving a small branch open on one floor in the three story structure.

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts opened as an art museum in 2001. There is still a post office branch on the bottom floor, accessible from the outside. The Frist Center's logo comes from an Art Deco pattern inside. A notched edge was added to make the design resemble a stamp, paying homage to the building's origin. To see the logo and learn more about this wonderful place visit here. The building alone is worth visiting but then there's the art... such a happy place.

A column at the front entrance.

A corner of the ceiling of the front entry.

The Lobby

When the building was being refurbished into an art museum there was a lot of cleaning needed. When workers were cleaning the ceiling they found stars. The stars had been hidden from years of coal smoke from the old furnace.

The original lobby tables from the post office are still in place. The beautiful granite tables are accented with decorative metalwork. This is a view from the underside of the table.

This is a side view of one of the table legs. I really like the detailing coupled with the flag in the background.

More ceiling stars in sepia tones. The original colors are navy or black and white.
Standing under the stairs in the stairwell. I really like this shot.

An outside window of the Frist.

This star is on the base of the flag pole at the Frist Center.

The decorative bars on the post office windows on the lower level. You can see Union Station in the reflection.

One of the patio areas at the back entrance of the Frist. This is just outside of the cafe.

This is the covered patio. I've enjoyed several meals at these tables.

A magnolia at the back of the Frist.

This was taken near the covered patio area at the Frist Center. The marble ledge gives a beautiful reflection of Union Station.

Union Station

The back porch of Union Station.

A close shot on the back porch.

The back staircase leading from the porch to the old train yard and current parking lot.

A corner view from Broadway. Notice the archways on the bottom level - they are below street level.

The stained glass windows are exquisite.

More than the stained glass I enjoy the iron scrollwork all around Union Station. I couldn't decide which of the next two photos I liked best so I decided to post both.

The lower level archways. You can see the bridgeway in the background that leads from valet parking to the entrance.

Finally, the Batman Building. Okay, it's really the AT&T building (formerly BellSouth) but we all know it by its obvious knickname.

This shot is from Union Station. It's funny how short the building looks from this angle. It sure doesn't look like the tallest building in TN.

For The Love!

2008-10-02T12:11:00.007-05:00

Could someone please give me some drugs? I have a headache eating its way through my skull. Let me warn you that this post may suddenly drift into nonsensical keystrokes.

I've taken 1,500mg of Advil and have seen no ease in my pain level. This fact tells me that the medication is only keeping my headache from getting worse - as in migraine.

My headaches are almost always irritated by visual stimuli but I am able to handle auditory invaders much easier. Not so today. Not only do I want to turn off my office light but I would love to rip the phone from the wall. Now I have to admit that answering the phone all day has begun to be a constant irritation. However today is worse than ever. And it isn't the constant ringing and feigning politeness as I answer. You see the volume on my phone is stuck on LOUD. The callers on the other end sound as if they are speaking into a megaphone superglued to my ear. Even on a non-head splitting, eyes watering, crawl under my desk and die day the volume is ridiculous. I am able to turn down the volume ever so slightly from Heavy Metal Concert Level to Wind Tunnel Level. Unfortunately I can't turn down a call until I've picked up the receiver. I've been in a constant race all day to punch the volume button (3 times only) before the caller is able to speak. So far I'm losing.

And the light. Why, oh why, do we have to work under fluorescent lighting? It's harsh AND ugly. Not that anything in my office is even remotely attractive. The walls are covered in a sea-grass wall paper and EVERYTHING is brown - doors, metal desks, chair, table, and pictures, or grey - carpet, chairs, computers, file organizers. The office hasn't been updated since the early 80s. Gee, maybe this is why my head is hurting.

Anyway, I thought I would sit and write to my friends. And no, looking at the computer screen doesn't feel good. That is why I am typing with my eyes closed. Laugh if you want but it's true. (I hope I'm still making sense because I am not reading this as I type it.) So here I am writing for my friends and any random stranger that may trip over my blog. Writing through my pain.

I've had several people tell me that I sometimes go too long between entries. I'm trying hard to do a better job of posting. As the previous post stated, I am reading about Marines and they have inspired me. I mean if they can do what they do on our behalf then surely I can suck it up and sit at my ugly brown desk, in my ugly gray chair and write a few words while my head slowly melts before eruption. It's the least I can do. I love you guys.

Now, for the love, will someone please give me some arsenic or cyanide?

Keep Your Honor Clean

2008-10-01T09:45:00.013-05:00

Keep your honor clean.

Those words are part of the Marine Corps anthem. What a beautiful thought and respectable challenge to us all.

Recently I read a letter written on March 20, 2003 by Major General J. N. Mattis, USMC, to all the battalions under his command who were about to cross the border into Iraq. The letter is recorded in A Table In The Presence by USMC Chaplain Lt. Carey H. Cash. I would like to share the letter with you.

For decades, Saddam Hussein has tortured, imprisoned, raped, and murdered the Iraqi people; invaded neighboring countries without provocation; and threatened the world with weapons of mass destruction. The time has come to end his reign of terror.

On your young shoulders rest the hopes of mankind. When I give the word, together we will cross the Line of Departure, close with those forces that choose to fight, and destroy them. Our fight is not with the Iraqi people, nor is it with members of the Iraqi army who choose to surrender. While we will move swiftly and aggressively against those who resist, we will treat all others with decency, demonstrating chivalry and soldierly compassion for people who have endured a lifetime under Saddam's oppression.

Chemical attack, treachery, and the use of the innocent as human shields can be expected, as can other unethical tactics. Take it all in stride. Be the hunter, not the hunted; never allow your unit to be caught with its guard down. Use good judgment and act in the best interests of our Nation. You are part of the world's most feared and trusted force. Engage your brain before you engage your weapon. Share your courage with each other as we enter the uncertain terrain north of the Line of Departure. Keep faith in your comrades on your left and right and in the Marine Air overhead.

Fight with a happy heart and a strong spirit. For the mission's sake, our country's sake, and the sake of the men who carried the Division's colors in past battles (who fought for life and never lost their nerve) carry out your mission and keep your honor clean. Demonstrate to the world that there is "No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy" than a U.S. Marine.

(Thanks to my friend Cpl Wayne Rial, USMC, for loaning this book to me. I am enjoying this read.)

There Is No Stopping Me

2008-09-29T16:23:00.016-05:00

I found this charming patio at The Standard restaurant on 8th Avenue North next to the Baptist Sunday School Board building. I would love to have lunch at this darling establishment. If any of you have eaten there let me know what you think of their menu.

Click on the photo below to see the message on the bench.

Obviously this is the Berger Building. It is also on 8th Avenue North across the street from the BSSB building. I do not know anything about this building other than it has been on the National Historic Registry since 1984.

This metal plate is on the back steps of the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.

I'm not sure why this doorway caught my attention as I passed it by. It is to a club on 4th Avenue called Embers. I will not describe the putrid conglomeration of odors that assaulted me as I paused to snap this shot.

At first glance this may look like metal bars over a window. Actually this is an inverted plastic crate I saw inside The Arcade.

The Arcade. For those not in Nashville, The Arcade is an enclosed alley that runs between 4th and 5th Avenues downtown.
I promise this is the end for a while. Thanks for putting up with my little obsession.

Great Quotes

2008-09-26T15:41:00.004-05:00

I realize these are familiar but I like them. Besides, I think they are worth repeating.

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."...Will Rogers

"You can't hold a man down without staying down with him."...Booker T. Washington

"It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit."...Harry S. Truman

Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't."...Margaret Thatcher

A little more of Nashville

2008-09-22T10:30:00.026-05:00

So I think I may need a 12 step program. I am loving this. Taking photos is something I have always enjoyed. If I ever get any training and fab equipment watch out! Here are some shots I took this morning before work. Let's start with a couple of Cummins Station.

This is the back of Union Station as seen from Cummins Station. You can tell by the clock that I took this photo around 6:45 this morning.

The Hard Rock Cafe Gift Shop.

On the corner of 2nd & Broad. What an appropriate shot for the first day of Fall.

Another shot of 2nd & Broad.

2nd Avenue

The Customs House on Broadway opened its doors in 1882 and was home to the Post Office, US Treasury Department, and Justice Department.

The cornerstone was laid September 19, 1877 by President Rutherford B. Hayes.

I adore the character and detail seen here. How sad that it is so lacking from modern architecture.

The Customs House Tower. I think the tweaking I did to this shot gives it a vintage postcard look.

Hume Fogg Magnet School across from The Customs House.