The Year in a Brief Glance

Wow! This entry is my last blog for the year! I can't believe I kept it up for this long! Normally, I'm not one that looks back for long periods of time analyzing where my life was and where it is now. I just try to take a day at a time and learn from each day's lesson. I think God uses that way the most for times of growth. Sometimes, it takes Him several days to get it through my thick skull!

With that being said, however, I looked back briefly on my 2008 this past week and discovered some things that I will endeavor to correct in order to grow closer to my Savior. One is using more wisdom in certain areas of my life where I have a tendency to let my heart overrule my brain. The second is that I still continue to learn to not get uptight over most things in life. God is still in control and knows exactly how the whole quilt will look in the end. No matter how much one rants, fusses, gripes, and complains, the world will continue on until our Savior returns. Nothing at all escapes God's notice.

However, some things won't change. I will still continue to spoil my niece and nephew, make sure Kellie cooks at least 2 times in one year, see to it that my parents get a break in their daily lives, and try not to go over a day without eating chocolate. I will also continue to try to educate the masses (One must prevail against the glassy-eyed stares!) one person at a time. The all-too-common indifference to the ignorance drives me insane!

Well, it's been fun to keep up with this blog. I knew I could never match the level of my verbose sister, but I will try to keep plugging a long in the new year. I want to thank everybody for reading, laughing, disagreeing, commenting, and thinking about my rants and rambles. Here's to a brand new 2009!

Have a Blessed New Year!!

Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh

Yesterday’s sermon at church was about the visit from The Magi to the Infant Jesus. One of the points presented was about their three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. By these three gifts, we can learn how we should still honor our Savior today.

Gold is an obvious gift for the future King of kings. How can we give gold to God today? We can do that simply by giving Him all the nuggets of our faith. Faith in our salvation. Faith in our day-to-day activities. Faith in the care of our loved ones. Faith in everything we do. When we give our faith back to Him by trusting Him for our care and needs, we are giving Him golden nuggets of our lives.

Frankincense was and is used for incense and perfumes. Because incense was thought to convey prayers to heaven, it was a fitting gift for the future High Priest. How can we give frankincense to God today? Pray. When we offer up our prayers to God, they are a sweet-smelling savor to Him. He delights in our prayers to Him and desires a constant, open communication between us and Him.

Myrrh was used as an embalming ointment and was always associated with death. It was a fitting gift for the future Sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. How can we offer the gift of myrrh to God today? By dying to self. When we deny ourselves and take up the cross and follow His will for our lives, our lives show the world how to live a life overflowing with abundant eternal blessings.

Over 2000 years ago, The Magi gave three precious gifts to the Infant Lord Jesus. Today, we can still offer the same gifts through our lives and bring honor and glory to our Savior’s name.

Have a blessed day!

Consolidation

I guess every company goes through a time of cutting back and finding ways to streamline production. Now it's my company's turn. As of Wednesday last week, we are now the "proud" center for, not just our local DC, but another one from another state. And in the coming months, more and more DCs will be turning their customer service over to us. I find myself in the less than enviable position of being the only special order person for what will be a total of 12 DCs. Will I crash and burn? No, I don't believe I will, but it will not be easy at times, especially during the peak season. Can I get a "yee haa!"?

So far, the consolidating process has been relatively calm and without too much hassle, but then again, it's the slow time of the year. Naturally, the people that think up such grandiose plans for change and growth are never the ones that experience the growing pains. They have never worked in the customer service department and have no clue has to what it actually takes to be successful with each customer.

That being said, there are several areas that are not without their problems. One is how to use the online special order system. When the system was created, it was made to be used by each DC for their own customers. There is no way to order for all the DCs only from one local DC except by using the "back door" that the system support created for their own needs. It's a hassle because I will have to keep closing down the windows and resigning back in to a specific DC whenever I have to place an order for them. Brilliant planning, don't you think? Also, we have to email/fax any paperwork back to the original DC at the end of each day so that they will be able to keep up with what their customers are needing and ordering. Makes a lot of sense, right?

Now don't get me wrong. I am very thankful that we are not the ones that are closing down because that would mean I would be out of a job. But it would be better if the Dream Chasers would actually consult the Ditch Diggers before making a drastic change in the way business is operated. Most of the bumps in the road, train wrecks, and stalled cars would have been avoided with a little more consulting of the people that are actually sweating it out in the trenches. But I am just John Q. Worker. I don't have any ideas or opinions. :-)

Have a blessed day!

Boxed In

Humans tend to compartmentalize everything into neat, little boxes in order to remember and understand. Classification of life, organized closets, etc all speak to our propensity for dividing life into small compartments. Some people have such a “boxed-in” personality that they miss out on certain things in life. Hence the exhortation to “think outside the box”. However, there are some things in life that defy compartmentalization. One of them is God Himself. He is way bigger than any box our minds could conceive.

Oprah Winfrey is one of the latest in a long line of people that has decided that God isn’t the God for them because of some mental box in which they have placed Him. When some new “revelation” about Him comes to light, they dismiss Him or the idea as bunk because it doesn’t fit into their preconceived ideas. She has now formed her own “religion” because she says that she can’t worship a God that is jealous. How silly is that? God is indeed a jealous God as is any human is in a loving relationship where the spouse goes astray. Why would God be any different? He loves us with an unfailing love and the natural response, albeit without sin, to the spurning of that love would be jealousy. Who are we to question how God feels?

Another way humans compartmentalize God is by expecting Him to grant their wish like Aladdin’s genie. His plan for each human life and Creation as a whole is on a much higher plane than we as humans can ever hope to comprehend on this side of eternity. When we don’t get our way, we shake our fists at God, pout like a 2-year old, and blame Him for our woes, trials, and tribulations. Many times, the choices we make land us in a predicament that we don’t like. Other times, life itself is to “blame” for our circumstances. Whatever the reason for the situation, God already knew where we would be at that particular time in life and has a plan to lead us through if we only allow Him to lead. When we don’t try to place God inside the “box” that we think is the solution, blessings beyond measure will flow our way.

God is above our earthly box-mentality. Placing God in a box is not only minimizing God and His ability, but also is damaging to our spiritual growth. When we try to place God in a box, we ourselves become boxed in. But when we allow Him to work in our lives as He wants, we will not only receive His free gift of salvation, but we will grow daily in Him and become more Christ-like as the days pass by.

Have a blessed day!

Christmas Memories

This time of the year always brings times of reflection and turning back the years to gaze upon old memories. For me, memories are like the glue that connects the present to the past. We are able to look back and to see where we were and how far we have come in the intervening years. Memories are our “living” history because we can remember them as opposed to learning facts from a book. Below are some of my fondest Christmas memories...

1) Kellie’s Santa hat and blue robe combination--Christmas morning has never been quite the same since she retired the ensemble.

2) Christmas brunches--We have gone from the traditional ham/sausage/bacon/eggs to somewhat of a modern twist. But they have always been a welcome respite from the hard work of opening the presents Santa left under the tree.

3) Annual TV specials--a) Charlie Brown Christmas. Who doesn’t love the parental “wah wah wah wah” talk and recitation of Luke 2 by Linus?

b) Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer--Rudolph’s glowing-red nose!

c) Santa Claus is Coming to Town--Who can forget Burgermeister Meisterburger? And what about Warlock/Winter? All together now! “Put one foot in front of the other and soon you’ll be walking out the door-or-or...”

4) Waking up bleary-eyed on Christmas morning (as an adult) and wondering how you had the energy when younger and where the twins get the energy today but still having a sense of excitement and suspense under the obviously very subdued exterior.

5) Watching a loved one open the presents you have given him/her with an expectant hope that it will be loved and then seeing the expression when it’s revealed--Steve’s wide-eyed look upon discovering a banjo in the large gift bag and Kellie’s slack-jawed expression when they uncovered the fish tank and accessories are definite standouts.

6) Dad’s “HO-HO-HO-HO” and crazy antics/poses right from the beginning of each Christmas morning. Christmas would not be the same without them.

7) Christmas Eve oyster soup at Aunt Ree’s house. Mmmm mmm good!!!

8) Sitting under the glow of the Christmas tree lights and listening to Christmas music over and over.

9) Attending the local production of A Christmas Carol. I never know what to expect each year.

10) The twins first clueless years of Christmas and now to see how they have changed through the years.

Have a Christmas-memory-filled day!

Religious Reindeer

Quick! Hand me my gun! I’m heading out to the North Pole to hunt down the most dastardly creature of all--Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. Because of the well-known song written about him and his life story, a woman was offended that her kindergarten-age child would sing the song at a school Christmas show because the word Christmas is in the lyrics. How dare he allow the use such a word? Doesn’t he know that that word is a foul stench in the nostrils of many people living today?

The New Hanover County woman objected to the "religious overtones" in the song. Religious overtones?? In a song about Santa and a red-nosed reindeer leading a sleigh of flying reindeer?? What's religious about that? Please spare me all of these politically correct histrionics! If people would just listen to what they are actually saying, they would wonder to where their senses have fled!

In this modern world, it seems that Satan's grip is getting tighter and tighter. He has blinded the vast majority of humans and nothing but the Light of God will be able to break through the darkness. Sadly, it will only get worse.

Now, where's my gun?? I have a varmit to kill before he offends any other poor soul!

Have a blessed day!

Christmas Poem

I found this poem and thought it was very fitting for the modern era. The author is unknown. Let's be like the person at the end.

T'was the night before Christmas
and all through the town
Not a sign of Baby Jesus
was anywhere to be found.

The people were all busy
with Christmas time chores
Like decorating, and baking,
and shopping in stores.

No one sang "Away in a manger,
no crib for a bed".
Instead, they sang of Santa
dressed-up in bright red.

Mama watched Martha Stewart,
Papa drank beer from a tap.
As hour upon hour
the presents they'd wrap

When what from the TV
did they suddenly hear?
'Cept an ad.. which told
of a big sale at Sears.

So away to the mall
they all flew like a flash
Buying things on credit
and others with cash!

And, as they made their way home
From their trip to the mall,
Did they think about Jesus?
Oh, no... not at all.

Their lives were so busy
with their Christmas time things
No time to remember
Christ Jesus, the King.

There were presents to wrap
and cookies to bake.
How could they stop and remember
who died for their sake?

To pray to the Savior
they had no time to stop.
Because they needed more time
to "Shop til they dropped!"

On Wal-mart! On K-mart!
On Target! On Penney's!
On Hallmark! On Zales!
A quick lunch at Denny's

From the big stores downtown
to the stores at the mall
They would dash away, dash away,
and visit them all!

And up on the roof,
there arose such a clatter
As grandpa hung icicle lights
up on his brand new step ladder.

He hung lights that would flash.
He hung lights that would twirl.
Yet, he never once prayed to Jesus...
Light of the World.

Christ's eyes... how they twinkle!
Christ's Spirit... how merry!
Christ's love... how enormous!
All our burdens... He'll carry!

So instead of being busy,
overworked, and uptight
Let's put Christ back in
Christmas and enjoy
some good nights!

Merry Christmas, my friends!

Have a Christ-centered day!

Freedom

There has always been a lot of talk in the western world about freedom. Different peoples the world over are struggling to be free from oppressive regimes. Independent countries fight to maintain their freedom. And now more than ever, the talk is about personal freedom to do whatever one wants. But sometimes I wonder if, deep down, we really want it. When I look around, I don’t see as much freedom as people believe there is.

One of the areas in which I see a lack of freedom is in the job. Many people are tied to their job all the time with no downtime or break. The All-mighty Dollar is controlling their lives and they are in bondage to their work and to greed.

Another area is fashion. Everybody wants to be their own person but they end up looking like everyone else. The latest styles and the latest fads drive this sameness that keeps everyone imprisoned in the Fashion Jail with a full sense of self.

People are also enslaved by addictions. Drugs, alcohol, food, etc. all keep people in their clutches. Many of these today are called "diseases" but they are really Satan sinking his evil claws in a person's weakness and exploiting it to their ultimate end.

With all this lack of freedom, can one really be free? The answer is a resounding YES! The only freedom can be found in Jesus Christ and His atoning work on the cross of Calvary. When one puts his trust in the finished work of Jesus, he is now free from sin and all of the consequences that come in its wake. Why would anyone want to live in bondage to sin and destruction when he could have all the liberty ever wanted in Christ? The simple answer is that men really don't want to be free. Until the Light of Christ illuminates their darkened craving for bondage, men will continue to be satisfied to live as a slave while under the illusion of being "free".

Are you free?

Decorations of Red....

On a green Christmas tree..ahh, ahh, ahh, ooooo. Sorry! I couldn't help myself! HAHA

That pretty much sums up my weekend. My mom, dad, and I decorated the house for Christmas! Of course, Mom used mostly gold and white with a touch of red. But other than that, the lyric fits! The only thing left is the mantle. The lighted garland has quit working since last year and Mom has to come up with something else for the mantle. I have no worries since she is Queen Decorator!

This weekend was gray, dismal, and rainy all weekend long! But we still had the Christmas music playing while decorating. The wet weather seemed to bring more birds to my feeders. I was glad about that situation. I was beginning to wonder if they had all flown South for the winter!

That's about it for the end of November. Can you believe it's December already?? Where does the time go??? (I used to roll my eyes when adults asked me that question when I was a kid. Now I ask it all the time!!)

Have a blessed day!!

75 Thanks

Yesterday, my pastor was preaching on Thanksgiving and asked if anyone could list 75 things for which he is thankful. He then said that most people can’t even come up with 15, let alone 75. So I began thinking and my list (in no particular order) is below. For what are you thankful?

1) My salvation
2) A God who loves me
3) Heaven
4) The Bible
5) My church
6) Being an American
7) The love of family
8) My crazy Dad
9) My selfless Mom
10) My determined sister
11) My steady brother-in-law
12) My farmer nephew
13) My chatty niece
14) Noel
15) Good friends
16) Fresh air
17) Countryside
18) A full pantry
19) A house
20) A loving home
21) A warm bed
22) A hot shower
23) A garden to till
24) Beautiful trees that supply oxygen and color
25) Diversity in nature
26) Pets
27) Chocolate
28) The ability to love
29) Love
30) Grace
31) Hope
32) Faith
33) Both natural and man-made music
34) A job
35) Creation as a whole
36) Laughter
37) The opportunity to travel
38) A reliable car
39) Sight
40) Hearing
41) Taste
42) Touch
43) Smell
44) Humor
45) Extended family
46) The ability to get out of bed and move
47) The ability to think and reason
48) The sun
49) The stars
50) The moon
51) Animals
52) Rain
53) Growing up on a farm
54) Good health
55) Wetlands
56) Carrion/refuse/dung recyclers
57) The ability to play the piano
58) Closet full of clothes
59) Snow
60) Memories
61) Sunrises/sunsets
62) Being a Southerner
63) The ability to read
64) The ability to learn
65) Prayer
66) Answers to prayer--Yes, no, or wait
67) A godly pastor
68) An exuberant youth pastor
69) Medicinal drugs when needed
70) A good doctor
71) Rainbows
72) Trials and tribulations
73) The Constitution
74) The US Flag
75) American veterans and servicemen/women

Have a thankful day!

Phone Etiquette

A lot of my job centers on the telephone making calls or answering it when it rings. Over the years, I have noticed a trend in phone etiquette that baffles me. It seems to me that people in customer service are being required to be overly proper when speaking to a customer. Below are several examples that I have experienced during my daily work.

1) When I am calling a certain place and I ask to speak to a certain someone, the person that has answered the phone asks “Can you hold?” or “May I place you on hold?”. Aren’t those questions absolutely silly??? How can I speak to the person I am calling if I am not placed on hold for them to be able to pick up the phone? I think that the statement “Certainly. Hold one moment, please” is sufficient.

2) Another question I get when I ask to speak to someone other than the person that answered the phone is “Who, may I ask, is calling?” or something similar. To me, that comes across as a bit arrogant. Who does he think he is? The President?? It smacks of call-screening, and in my opinion, a person in customer service should never have his calls screened. He just needs to come to the phone as quickly as he can when the call is for him.

3) The overuse of “I’m sorry you are experiencing problems” makes me cringe. The whole statement screams “FAKE!!” Usually, the person with whom I’m speaking isn’t really sorry because he is not responsible for the problem. Naturally, the mistake needs to be corrected to make the customer happy and to keep his business, but in my opinion, the simple act of correcting the problem in a timely, efficient manner and with a pleasant attitude is good enough without all the meaningless apologizing.

4) The frowning upon on the use of certain words and phrases like “OK,” “all right,” “uh-huh,” etc. seems a bit excessive. Why would these words offend anyone? They are a normal part of the English vernacular. When they are used with me, I certainly do not care.

To sum up my opinion on customer service phone etiquette, if a person is courteous, professional, and takes care of the customer, he is doing what should be expected of him. He shouldn’t need to ask silly questions, offer excessive apologies, or use so-called “professional” words. Based on my experience, the customer does not really care about all the “niceties” (especially when he’s upset). All he wants is for his needs to be met.

Have a blessed day!

Chocolate

You have given me so much splendid bliss;
A day without you would certainly be amiss.

You provide me with so much guilty pleasure
And delight my senses beyond all measure.

You lure me into your presence at first sight
So that I dare not even put up a fight.

You caress my nose with your heady aroma.
Come to me now, O Theobroma!

Your velvety darkness inspires my palate;
It slams my tongue with the force of a mallet.

You vibrate my nerves straight to my brain
Which causes sensations through my body to rain.

You complete my upward journey to the sky
When my ears receive a most contented sigh.

Thank you, oh, thank you for your glorious enchantment.
See you tomorrow for more wondrous entrancement.

Veterans

Growing up, I never had any interest or inclination to join the armed services. Kevin and the military are like oil and water. There would need to be “a whole lotta shakin’ going on” to produce a final product and I was never interested in the shaking process. Can anyone really picture me running in midday heat with a hundred-pound pack on my back or practicing maneuvers for battle preparation or actually being in the middle of an armed conflict? No, I don’t think so! With that being said, however, I am extremely thankful for the men and women that voluntarily enter into military service for our country. Without their self-sacrificing service, our country wouldn’t be where it is today. From the time of the Minutemen to today’s armed forces, they have fought for our freedom and the freedoms of others, secured our borders, protected and defended our interests here and abroad, and have generally been there for us whenever called upon.

Military families also deserve a rousing standing ovation for their sacrifices as well. Making frequent moves, being separated from loved ones for extended periods of time, living with the fear of a soldier returning from conflict less than when he/she left or not returning at all are some of the issues they face every day. My thankfulness goes out to them for their sacrifices in the support of our country.

Being in the military is usually a thankless job. Most of the time, the military is taken for granted and expected to serve at a moment’s notice. On this Veterans Day, let’s give a rousing cheer for all of our men and women in uniform who have sacrificed so much for us and for the United States of America and extend the thankfulness throughout the whole year.

Thank you, Veterans, for all that you do in service for our country!!!! God bless each and everyone of you!

Project Feeder Watch

This weekend started my latest season of Project Feeder Watch. I joined the project not long after it's beginning and have been doing it every year. It is a citizen-based scientific research project started by Cornell University 22 years ago. Basically, the people from Cornell invite average-Joe citizens to collect data from their backyards and send the data back to them to study population changes in bird species over the years. It has also become important in finding out new information about the individual bird species. Some populations have decreased in an area, while other species have expanded their range in the last 22 years. Without the gathering of this data, none of this knowledge would have been possible.

The basic concept is to count the highest numbers of any species of bird that you see at your feeders at one time. For example, if you see two Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) at the feeder at the same time, you would put down a count of "2" on your list. If another cardinal comes later, you don't add that one to the count and don't change the count because it's not higher than the original "2". But if the third cardinal arrives while the other two are still feeding, then your count changes to "3". It's not hard for the average person without a science degree to acomplish. All ones needs to know is how to identify a particular bird species and be able to count them. Once you have counted for two consecutive days, you are finished until your next count period.

I really enjoy collecting the data each year because it gives me a chance to contribute to science since my job has nothing at all to do with my degree. Besides, I just like watching birds! I had a pretty good start for this season. Two Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cistata) and two Red-bellied Woodpeckers (Melanerpes carolinus) visited my feeders during the course of the weekend. Based on my past observations, these two species don't visit in pairs until later in the season. What does this bode for this year's season? Stay tuned!

This weekend also saw the cleaning out of the garden debris. Dad pulled up the okra stalks Friday evening (It took a shovel to pry them out!), and I pulled out the peppers and cut down the beans on Saturday afternoon. Mom helped me with the tangle of bean vines that had amassed on the trellis we had built. The only items left in the beds are cabbage and collards. After they are gone, we will put lime in the beds and start to prepare them for the next growing season.

Have a blessed day!

Celebrityville

Have you ever wondered why some people want to be celebrities? I have. All of the glitz, glamor, money, and status acts like a magnet for some people and bids them to live into Celebrityville. But as my grandmother used to say, “All that glitters ain’t gold”. In fact, most of the time, the glitter is emanating from iron pyrite (fool’s gold) and isn’t worth the time or effort it took to reach it.

One aspect of living in Celebrityville is the fact that the media is following their every move. Paparazzi, gossip rags, and TV newshounds are all out to get the latest gossip and pictures of all residents living in this coveted town. I certainly wouldn’t want my picture taken every time I ventured out in public and nor would I want to be stalked in my own home just for being famous and because “the people deserve to know about their favorite celebrities”. Life can be stressful enough without some two-bit Walter Cronkite wanna-be/Maury Povich, Jr. chasing someone down the street with camera in tow.

Naturally, the “news people” wouldn’t be so obsessed with their prey if the primary user of their bird-cage-liner would quit being obsessed with finding out the latest gossip on the residents of the town. Who cares if a certain movie hunk wears “mandals”, carries a “murse”, or has left his wife for another pretty face? Who cares if the latest ingénue has blown her lips (or anything else for that matter!) up to twice their size, what country the starlet-of-the-week is adopting a child from, or why either one of them went out in public without makeup and dressed in something not even close to the glamorous Versace outfit she just wore on the red carpet last week? Who says that they aren’t entitled to a little down time? And we all know that the residents are usually devoid of any moral standards. Why try to imitate someone of such low character? As my momma says, “They put on their pants just the same as you do...one leg at a time.”

Yes, the money is nice and the perks would make a coffee pot boil over, but life isn’t all about money and perks. Life is about loving and enjoying your family and friends, a quiet night under the stars listening to crickets sing and Spring Peepers trill, and worshipping and serving the Lord above with a thankful heart. The next time you are tempted to tune into the latest gossip on TV or in the papers, think twice about what your habit ultimately does for the residents of Celebrityville and how it can undermine your moral fiber when you dream of being in their place. Instead, try a heart-felt conversation with your family or friends and leave the glitter to your diamond ring or children’s artwork. I think you will see how good you already have it.

Have a blessed day!

Government

Romans 13:1
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

I Timothy 2:1-2
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

Governmental Help?

Do people really understand what they are saying at a particular moment or do they honestly believe what they are saying? The other night on the news, a story about the candidates (what else is on????) was talking about the needs of the American people and how they are suffering and how the government bailed out Wall Street with their recent financial fiascoes. One lady interviewed was sharing how she needed help herself and couldn’t understand why the government bailed out “big business” but didn’t help her. She ended with, “The government needs to help me too”.

No, Sister. The government does not need to help you anymore than it already does. Why do you think that you deserve help? If the government helped all Americans with all that they thought they “needed”, it wouldn’t have the time nor the money to do anything else. What ever happened to personal responsibility? Of taking care of one's own needs and living within your means and not above them? I know that people do need help at times, but expecting the government to help you out all the time for is asking for a bit too much, in my opinion.

Have a blessed day!

What Is A Southerner?

When one is asked the question “What defines the South?” I am sure that there would be more answers to that question than Carter’s got liver pills. Here is my opinion as to what makes a Southerner a Southerner. I am in no way saying that all of these aspects are exclusive to the South, nor does every Southerner exhibit all of them. But together, they have created the unique Southern culture that the area is known for.

1) Slow-paced life. This aspect is seen in numerous ways throughout the South, i.e. people enjoying a porch swing or rocking chair, sipping afternoon tea or lemonade on a hot summer day, or checking out the scenery while driving slowly down a two-lane road. Balms for the soul.

2) Outgoing dispositions. Southerners actually take time to talk to their neighbors and find out how they are doing. Other people brush through the day without so much as looking at their neighbor, let alone having a conversation with them.

3) Unusually descriptive language. Have you ever been as “nervous as a whore in church”? What about as “busy as a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest”? The way Southerners use words and phrases can bring about startling mental pictures that lend humor to any situation.

4) Tender, slow-cooked food. There have been many people of Northern persuasion that I have heard say that Southern food is cooked to death. Well, that may be true, but it sure is good going down! There’s nothing better than barbecue (pork here in NC) cooked over charcoal for several hours, ham hock-smothered black-eyed peas, chicken pastry, and collards. There is also no one way to prepare many Southern favorites. Each region of the South has its own method of fixing its slow-cooked goodness.

5) Hospitality. Southerners tend to show genuine concern for their fellow man and will help anyone that has a need. They are very welcoming to strangers and do their best to make them feel as comfortable as possible and even provide them with the best of their provisions while doing without. They are also very polite and maintain their composure even under the most trying of circumstances.

The South has undergone a lot of changes, especially recently. More and more people are moving here everyday and try to change it into something "new and improved". I completely understand why they come. But I hope that the above facets of Southern culture will remain strong and forever.

I am proud to be a Southerner. I have traveled enough to realize that no where else in the world holds a candle to it. No, the South isn’t perfect and it has some dark, dark periods of history, but I wouldn’t live anywhere else. It’s my home.

Now, pass the cornbread, please!

Have a blessed day!

And the Winner Is...

One thing I have learned since I began entering contests at the fair is that one can never know what a judge is looking for and what it will take to win a ribbon. It's mostly a gamble. You just enter and if you win, great; if not, try again next year. The reason I keep entering is for the sheer pleasure in making the entries and trying something new. I am no chef by any stretch of the imagination, but I do love to cook.

Last year, I decided to "force" Kellie and the twins to enter items in the culinary division. I know Mikayla has an interest in cooking and I want to encourage her in every way possible. This year, I let each child choose their items and how many they wanted to enter. I chose Kellie's for her because, well, because she's Kellie. As I mentioned in my last blog entry, Mikayla chose 3 items and Wesley chose 2. Unfortunately, Wesley's entries failed to place. Mikayla, however, won first place for her truffles!!! I was so proud!!! Just look at the picture to see her face!

Her layer cake placed third! She did a wonderful job for her first try at making a cake from scratch. I will ingrain in her head early on that, for the most part, scratch is the way to go...no box mix for me or her! Now she just has to continue to improve in the skills she is learning.

My entries did pretty well. I knew that some of them wouldn't have a chance at winning. For instance, my Orange Marmalade looked more like thickened orange juice with orange peel than actual marmalade. But I turned it in anyway. Also, I didn't think my Strawberry Jam and Cherry Jam would place because they separated after processing. I have no idea what happened there. Oh well! I will keep trying and learning. I was pleased with what I won, but the best one was the blue ribbon for my Banana Nut Bread. I have entered it for several years now. I won third place 2 years ago, second place last year, and now first for 2008! It will now be retired and I will move on to something else.

Concord Grape Jelly won a blue ribbon.
Chow-chow received a blue ribbon.
Zucchini Bread and biscuits won a red ribbon.
Blackberry Jam placed third.
The Fish Peppers placed 6th.
Besides all the ribbons, we also had a lot of fun and good food at the fair. One of my absolute favorites is a fried PB&J. Here I am enjoying it! I wasn't able to find the ostrich stand. I hope they returned this year! I will look again next Saturday! I have to have my ostrich fix!

We also had a lot of fun riding. This picture is of Wesley and me riding the Traffic Jam. He was dizzy!!
These last pictures are of us having fun on the bumper cars. Dad and I seem to be very competitive while enjoying this attraction! HAHAHAHA!OK. Now I feel like I have turned into Kellie! I have never had so many pictures in one blog entry! We had a wonderful time at the fair and will go again next weekend. The fair is one of the highlights of every year because we all go together as a family and have a wonderful time with each other, ribbons or no ribbons.

Have a blessed day!

Fair Entries

This week has been another busy one. In addition to going back to work (deep, deep sadness), I had to finish making this year’s fair entries. The process actually started on Saturday. Kellie and I went to the fairgrounds and turned in my jams/jellies and her picture and scrapbook pages. After a visit to the grocery store, we went back to her house to make the twins’ cakes. Mikayla went first because her layers wouldn’t take as long to bake and did pretty well with the directions when I gave them to her. She learned how to cream butter and sugar, how to measure and sift dry ingredients, how to crack an egg without it exploding all over the kitchen, and how to safely put cake pans in the oven. Her layers turned out beautifully. Wesley was next with his pound cake. He learned the same basic techniques of baking. He still needs to work on keeping the flour in the measuring cup or bowl instead of on the floor and table! HAHAHA

On Monday afternoon, I made my Banana Nut Bread, Zucchini Bread, and Sesame Brittle. I had to make sure those were finished before I went back down to the Fowlers because I would have no time to make them Monday night. After finishing there, I went down and began round two at the Fowler Mansion. Wesley had the night off. Mikayla started off with her Truffles (Yes, she chose Truffles!). She learned how to heat the cream, combine it with the chocolate, and scoop out appropriate-sized balls. When it was time to finish them, she rolled to cooled balls and I coated them with the cocoa to prevent her from getting chocolate-club hands. While rolling the Truffles, she, at times, became absorbed in what was on TV and didn’t quite create a ball of chocolate. HAHA During the time that the Truffles were setting up, she made her Blueberry Bread. It turned out well and I think will be a contender. Kellie made her Macadamia Brittle and I had to coach her in between Mikayla moments. Sometimes I felt as if I was being pulled into two different directions.

Tuesday was back-to-work day. A wide array of items greeted me on my desk that morning. After working my way through the pile, I left on time and went back down to the Fowlers for round 3. This time, I was divided into thirds. Wesley was making his Honey Muffins, Mikayla was making her frosting and then frosting the cake, and Kellie was making her Blueberry Muffins. Mikayla started with the frosting. She measured the ingredients and waited for them to boil. In the meantime, I was helping Wesley with his muffins. He did better with the flour measuring this year. After Mikayla’s frosting had boiled, we added the confectioner’s sugar and beat it until it was spreadable. It took a little longer than I had thought but it finally came out looking like frosting. I then helped her assemble her cake and she frosted most of it. I frosted the sides because I didn’t want the cake to be pushed onto the floor! It didn’t look half bad for a 8-year old that had never done it before. Wesley’s muffins turned out pretty, but I will change the recipe for next time because after this second try, I found that the recipe is seriously flawed. Both times, I had to make last minute adjustments to even get the batter into the pan. While helping Steve and Kellie arrange and tag their entries, I also helped Kellie with her muffins. She did pretty well and almost came across as if she had made them before! HAHAHA After finally finishing with their items, I went back home and made my Buttermilk Brownies in record time. I also plated my entries and made sure everything was tagged correctly.

I woke up early Wednesday morning to make the Buttermilk Biscuits. While making the first batch, I added too much buttermilk and ended up with a gooey mess. I just threw it out and started all over. Of course, that little faux pas put me behind and I was rushing to finish the second batch of biscuits. After getting ready for work, I went outside and picked the jalapeños, habaneros, cowhorn peppers, fish peppers, and okra for the produce entries. I then went off to work. A big thanks goes to Mom for taking all of our entries to the fair for us!! We would have been in a pickle without her!!

Until next time, have a blessed day!!

Adiós, Sra. Toral

Adios is the Spanish word for "good-bye". It originated from the phrase "a Dios vais" which means "you are going to God". I think it is an appropriate send off to a wonderful lady. Señora Toral, Noel's mom, went home to be with the Lord last night after battling cancer for over a year and a half. She has left behind all the pain, suffering, and sickness that has plagued her for so long and has entered into a place of eternal peace and rest.

I first met her in late 2003 and was immediately struck by her beauty and her lady-likeness. She was always very proper and made me feel at home every time I visited. Her family all loved her and she was the hub of the family. Everybody radiated out from her central matriarchal position. She will be missed greatly by her family and by me as well.

Adiós, Señora Toral. Descanse en paz. Tu fuiste adorado por todos. Hasta nos encontramos de nuevo en el cielo. Te quiero. Tu hijo-gringo americano.

Emotional Roller Coaster

This last two weeks have been a roller coaster ride of emotions without experiencing the thrill of the ride. Noel’s mother has been fighting cancer for a year and a half. Noel has been looking after her in addition to working full time. He wasn’t able to take a vacation last year and with the added stress of his mom’s illness, he was in need of an extended period of rest. But alas, that was not to be…

Señora Toral’s kidneys had stopped working efficiently before he left, but they were treating the problem and her body was responding to the treatment. The doctor’s had stopped the chemotherapy until her kidneys resumed working. Not long after Noel arrived here, he received word that her kidneys were working again and she was looking and feeling much better. We went on to New York and had a wonderful time. However, even while he was enjoying his visit, his mind was not 100% there. While we were gone, the oncologist decided to go ahead with a half-dose of the chemotherapy in order to keep the tumors under control. This past Sunday, Noel’s family called him while we were eating dinner. He talked to them and was able to speak to his mom. She told him that she was feeling good and not to worry about her.

Unfortunately, the situation quickly went down hill after that call. She rapidly declined in health and her kidneys quit working again. All of this past week until yesterday, he has thought about nothing else but his mom and how he wasn’t there to help her. He kept in constant communication with his family by text, chat, and phone calls. After a lot of thought, my family and I decided that he needed to get back to Mexico early. We took care of the arrangements and I took him to the airport yesterday morning to catch the first available flight out. He arrived there late last night and went straight to see his mom. This morning I received and email from him telling me that she had changed so much physically from when he last saw her. He could tell that she was enduring much suffering. That information is the last I have heard from him for now.

We went from the high of seeing each other again and taking a trip to New York to the low of dealing with this latest news about his mother’s sickness. There were moments of levity but for the most part, worry and wanting to be there consumed all of his moments here. She is in God’s hands now. He is in total control of her situation. All of the family knows it’s only a matter of time before He calls her home. Please pray for them. They need all the support they can get now.

New York

We made it back in one (or should I say two?) piece(s). Wow! What a busy place! I knew that already from visiting there before, but I was reminded again on this last visit. We had a great time and as usual, the time flew by at warp speed.

The first two days were blissfully beautiful in the weather department. We made it to our hotel from the airport in a shuttle van. Thankfully, our hotel was the second stop. After getting semi-settled in our room, we took in the scenes around us. We were right smack in the middle of Times Square. Our first meal there was a stromboli. After finishing, we just walked around taking pictures and looking at the sights (And there were some sights too! After all, it is New York). Noel was soaking it all in as best as one can in a sensory-overloaded area. That night, we went to see Mary Poppins. What a show!! It was absolutely wonderful and we were on the 5th row center!!! When we came out of the show, the streets were even busier. We made our way back to the hotel and slept the night away.

Wednesday was Empire State Building day. We walked all the way from Broadway and 47th Street to 5th Avenue and 35th Street, a distance of about 3/4 mile. We didn't mind (Besides, Noel didn't want to use the subway!) because we were able to see more of the city. We went right inside the ESB and made our way through all the security. The place has changed a lot since I was there my senior year in high school. They are still in the middle of a "re-building" of the ESB. We also opted for a virtual ride that was discounted for the day. It was OK for the $12 we each spent, but definitely not worth the normal $35 per ticket. After that was finished, we were elevated up to the 86th floor and walked out onto the Observation Deck. The wind wasn't too strong and we had a nice, but slightly hazy, view of the surrounding area. After returning to earth, we ate a quick lunch and made our way to our next Broadway play, The Little Mermaid. Noel was very excited and had already learned the new songs written for the play. It was very good as well. When we left the theater, we went to the Disney Store on 5th Avenue and 55th Street. While we were inside, a light rain started falling and we had to walk all the way back to the hotel in the rain! It wasn't too bad, however and we then ate a quick supper before seeing the next play, The Lion King. What another good show! This time was my third time seeing it and I never get tired of seeing it.

The next two days were drastically different weather-wise. Thursday was mostly cloudy and very windy! We started our bus tour and sat on the top deck with the cool wind whipping everywhere. We took the Downtown Loop and saw all the famous buildings and other sites. At 1:30, we took the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. We took several pictures there and walked around the island and inside the Monument. After returning to Battery Park, we got back on the bus and saw more sites before departing at the Waldorf-Astoria and walking back to our hotel. We ate at Roxy's Deli (very expensive!) and then went to our last play--an encore performance of The Little Mermaid. Even better the second time around!

Friday was more of the same weather except even more cloudy and windier. This time, I was finally able to take the Uptown Tour! We saw the many famous residences including Michael Douglas, Tom Hanks, and the late Paul Newman. We also went to Harlem and saw the famed Cotton Club and Apollo Theater. We were going to get off at Central Park, but we were too cold and decided to ride the bus the short distance back to the starting point. From there, we went to a Thai restaurant on Restaurant Row and had a good, cheap lunch. After that it was time to walk around for a few more last minutes and then head back to the hotel to await our shuttle. Since they scheduled us four hours before our plane left, we had to wait in the airport for 2 hours. But we made it back just fine and will always have good memories of our time together in the Big Apple.

Until next time, have a blessed day!

Start Spreadin' the News...

We're leaving tomorrow. We're gonna be a part of it. NEW YORK! NEEEW YOOOORK!! (Doesn't it make you want to kick in line like a Rockette?)

Noel and I are flying out tomorrow morning to New York City for four fabulous days. I have been twice before but never for this long. This trip will be Noel's first time there. He is very excited because he has always wanted to see The Big Apple. I originally planned this trip as a surprise for him, but he doesn't like to wait for surprises and bugged me until I told him what it was. He's so demanding!! hahaha

We will take a bus tour of Manhattan, walk through Central Park, visit the Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty, and dive into some wonderful ethnic cuisine that can only be found together in New York. The highlight of the trip will be the four Broadway shows we will attend. Tuesday evening will find us watching Mary Poppins; on Wednesday, we will see The Little Mermaid matinee and The Lion King evening performance. The last show Thursday evening will be a repeat performance of The Little Mermaid. Noel is a huge fan of the movie and wants to see the play twice while he has the opportunity. I am equally excited because I have seen a few Disney plays here in Raleigh and know how good they are.

I am sure there will be lots to tell when we return. I will do my best to take copious, detailed notes. Until I return...

Have a blessed day!

Noel

Tomorrow will be a good day. My best friend, Noel, will be arriving from Xalapa, Mexico, and I will be picking him up at the airport tomorrow evening. It's been almost a year since he and I have been together. We chat frequently on the computer, but it's not the same as being together in person. We met through a Christian pen pal website where I replied to his ad in February 2003. At the time, he was living in Puebla and working for Coca-Cola. A short time after we met, he moved back to Xalapa and began working for McDonald's as a restaurant manager trainee. We instantly made a connection and it has only grown as the time as passed.

After several weeks of emails and chats, he invited me to visit him in Xalapa. We agreed to meet in Mexico City and met in person for the first time in November 2003. When I exited the airport terminal, I found myself facing a sea of Mexicans. I had seen pictures of him but wasn't sure how I would find him in such a large crowd. Thankfully, he saw me first from his position in the back of the crowd and walked away from the crowd to get my attention. I was easy to spot since I was the only "gringo" exiting the airport doors. From the moment we met, it was like we had been friends for years. We immdiately started talking and began a lifetime journey of friendship.

Since that time, we have spent many great moments together. There are many memories welling up inside me now...

1) Our time at Catemaco and Salto de Eyipantla. I saw my first Northern Jacana (Jacana spinosa) here and quickly found out that Noel would have no interest in watching birds! (I keep trying!)

2) My first Coatepec-style hotdog and his first Carolina-style hotdog.

3) Walking around Juárez Park and drinking cappuccinos at the Italian Coffee House.

4) Attending Carnival in Veracruz and sitting out in gale-force winds waiting for the next parade to start only to find out after 2 hours that it had been canceled because of the wind!

5) Exploring Acuario de Veracruz

6) Going to the North Carolina State Fair together

7) Having fun at Disneyworld and visiting Ariel at least once a day.

8) Visiting Zempoala and imagining what it was like there while Noel wished he was somewhere else! He doesn't like history! :-)

9) Eating lots of wonderful Mexican food!! My mouth is watering right now for taquitos, esquites, chilaquiles, arracheras, and tacos al pastor!

Each of these moments has allowed us to get to know each other in several different scenarios and has made our friendship that much stronger.

Noel is a very special person. He makes me laugh, and I feel very welcome in his company. He works hard in all he does whether for McDonald's (He's a supervisor with four restaurants now!) or sleeping or looking out for his gringo friend in a foreign country. We are also very different from each other in some ways. He is always in a rush, worries about many things, and doesn't like to be outside of the city limits for very long (He's a city-boy through and through!). I, on the other hand, don't rush, rarely worry about anything and relish being out in the country. I think these qualities make us perfect friends. We mesh with each other in a very complimentary way.

Welcome back to North Carolina, my friend. I am sure we will have a wonderful time together. Get plenty of rest and relaxation and return to Mexico a new man.

Seven About Me

One of the blogs I read posted this list about her and I thought I would do the same for my blog. It's a list of seven topics of my personality, each with seven thoughts underneath. Is this National Get-to-know-me Month? :-)

Seven Things I Love:
1) Chocolate
2) Music
3) Travel
4) My family
5) Cheesecake
6) A good novel
7) To learn

Seven Pet Peeves
1) Stupidity
2) Bad grammar/spelling
3) Obnoxiousness
4) Non-drivers
5) Whiny people
6) Machismo
7) Fake people

Seven Things I Can't Do
1) Use tools efficiently
2) Paint/draw
3) Back a trailer
4) Play sports
5) Work with wood
6) Decorate tastefully
7) Out-talk my sister and niece

Seven Things I Can Do
1) Play piano
2) Use sarcasm to the hilt
3) Spout off "useless" information
4) Laugh at myself
5) Cook/bake
6) Research
7) Educate the masses

Seven Characteristics I Want To Have
1) True happiness
2) Love
3) Humor
4) Contentedness
5) Christ-likeness
6) Peacefulness
7) Patience

Seven Things I Can't Live Without
1) Bible
2) Laughter
3) Music
4) Computer
5) Good friends
6) Open space
7) My family

Seven Things You Might Hear Me Say
1) Hellooooooo????!!!!!
2) Sientete, por favor.
3) Don't let the door knob hit you where the Good Lord split you.
4) Build a bridge.
5) Raising parents is tough these days.
6) He/she must bathe in Crisco...they are too flaky.
7) Girrrllll....don't make me take you out!

Now you know a little more of who I am. Until next time...

Have a blessed day.

Ponderables

"Ponderables" are small thoughts that come into your head and make you go "hmmmm". Most of the time they arrive unbidden and usually don't last very long, but they do leave an impression. Today's blog contains some of my most recent ponderables...

1) With the price of gas as high as it is, why do people that live in the same house and go to the same destination at the same time drive separate cars? Why do people drive short distances that they could certainly walk without using gas? Why do people sit in their cars for lunch while the engine is running because they don't want to be too hot or too cold? Not only do these actions waste gas, but they cause these people to have to spend more money to replenish their tanks. They are usually the ones that complain the loudest and most frequent about high prices. Hmmmmm.

2) Where do people learn how to speak? I'm not referring to the many different American English accents that enrich our land but rather to how people incorrectly pronounce certain words consistantly. Following are several examples that I hear frequently...

a) "Could you be more 'pacific'?" Isn't that an ocean?
b) "Turn the 'sternin' wheel." What is 'sternin'?
c) "That's 'twicet' I've had to do that" Where did the "T" come from?
d) "Did you have to disect any 'orgasms'? Any what????
e) "He's having 'prostrate' trouble." Is that like sleep apnea?
Hmmmmm.

3) Why do people that never cook nor have any desire to cook have a kitchen in their houses? Wouldn't it be cheaper just to have a small pantry and enough space for a refrigerator? Hmmmm.

There are several more that I could include, but I will save them for another entry. Until next time...

Have a blessed day!

Labor Week

Labor Day is a day off for most people. The following week is therefore shorter and most people heartily look forward to the break in their hectic schedules. For Labor Day 2008, I was no exception. What I didn't know was that the rest of the week would definitely make up for the labor "lost" on Monday.

Tuesday morning dawned bright with the promise of a wonderful day. However, by 8:30, they day had clouded over and I was inundated with a storm of phone calls and paper work. All day long I battled the elements, and at times it looked as if my chair was caught in a whirlwind. The end of the day finally arrived, and I was able to leave with my work finished for the day and my desk cleaned and waiting for a new day.

Wednesday morning arrived and quickly went downhill. I tried to open a document only to discover that it wouldn't open. Upon contacting the IT department for a little support, it was discovered that my computer was infected with the virus that had been plaguing the campus for a few weeks. I was immediately instructed to unplug the cable from the port and that the PC guru would come for my computer shortly. True to his word, he arrived not long after the call and whisked my computer away for the exorcism. Now I was computer-less. For the rest of the day, I was forced to rely on my phone for orders or wait till someone else wasn't using their computer and sneak in to accomplish a few quick orders. It was a challenge I was able to successfully negotiate. Later in the day, I was given a new computer because the other one was outdated. I rejoiced because I was ready to finish the day and having my own computer would make it easier. Alas, it was not meant to end easily. When they gave me the new one, one program I had on there for doing most of my work wouldn't function. I called technical support again. The guy was new and didn't know how to fix my problem. He ended up having someone else talk him though it. Unfortunately, they turned the program into something that was not what I required. I decided to finish the day with what I had and leave.

Thursday morning started off with the leftover problem from Wednesday. I spent the first two hours of the day with a partially handicapped computer on the phone trying to get it working properly. After all was said and done, the reason for the the failure was a low connection speed! That was it!! Once it was connected at the correct speed, I was in business. For the rest of the day, I had to play "catch-up". However, the day ended nicely.

Friday was the day when Tropical Storm Hanna came knocking. The morning was spent calling the stores to let them know the trucks would leave early. The rest of the day was normal until after lunch. When the early cut-off for special orders arrived, we still had people calling in trying to order parts. Don't you just love how people do that? "Yeah, I know there's a cut-off, but I really need this part. Can't you just bend the rules for me???" Not on my watch! I just love customer service! :-)

Today was a nice break from the short week! I was able to attend a few hours of the International Festival in Raleigh. I just love trying new food!!! I was able to eat Ukrainian varenyky (potato dumplings), Swedish meatballs, Turkish baklava and coffee (strong!), French crépe, and Nepalese momo (turkey dumplings). I wanted to try more from the other cuisines, but didn't have enough time nor belly room. All of the food was fantastic! We also saw different cultural items and several dances. The most raucous were the Iranians and Palestinians. Who knew they could bring down the house? For a moment, I thought I was at an American rock concert! I enjoyed all of the dancing except for the Argentine tango. The couples lacked the passion and fire that I know the dance to have. All in all, a very enjoyable evening.

Have a blessed day!

Tagged!!!!!

Don't you just love family? My sister has tagged me to list 6 unique traits about me. Oh well! It's all for fun, so here it goes:

1) Don't you dare borrow a book from me and bring it back in worse shape then when it left me. There will be consequences.

2) Traveling anywhere in the world makes me very happy.

3) I could dive into the middle of a genuine (Not that in-a-box fake dessert!) cheesecake everyday of the week.

4) I collect the names of birds and mammals in all languages of the world I can find.

5) Mexico is my favorite foreign country. Why you say? The food, the scenery, and my best friend, Noel.

6) My favorite bird is a crane and my favorite mammal is an elephant.

Well, there you have it. Alas, the blogs I read are also the ones my sister reads. I have no one else to tag. But hey, don't cry for me; I still had fun.

Have a blessed day!

Update

I know that you, my avid reader fans, have been chomping at the bit to get an update on my everyday life. It's been riveting action and crazy melodrama all around. There is never a dull moment in the Franks family daily life.

The ongoing saga of my vehicle never seems to end. Earlier this summer, I had to have the battery replaced. Two weeks ago, I was trying to leave work, but the engine failed to crank. I had to have it towed to the shop that was actually able to get my "new" engine working properly. I will never return to the place that installed the engine. Total incompetence. After test and such, the fuel pump was bad and had to be replaced. I picked it up, payed out more money, and drove it for almost 2 weeks. This past Monday, I filled up with gas. When I tried to leave the station, it wouldn't crank again!!! I tried several times to no avail. I had to have it towed again!! I am glad that the tow-truck driver wasn't as chatty as the last one. I was in no mood to hear lips flapping. As things turned out, it seems to have been just a relay and I didn't have to fork over any more Georges. For the rest of the week, everything has been fine with it. Stay tuned...

Rolly and Molly, Daisy and Duke, and the rest of the gang have returned. During their absence, they seem to have learned a thing or two. They don't arrive when Dad is here because his "Goose Dance" actually does a number on them. They arrive during the middle of the day when he isn't here. Mom has moved on from chasing them with the broom and banging tin pans out the door. Her means of getting rid of them? Driving the car across the pasture while blowing the horn. Of course, the geese look at her like she's crazy and I am sure that the neighbors are craning their necks and giggling behind their hands at the action. So far, she has been successful with her actions. Stay tuned to see what will happen next. I am sure it will be interesting come bird-feeding time.

I have been preparing for winter during this last half of summer. So far I have put up strawberry jam, cherry jam, blackberry jam, apple butter, and pear preserves. This Monday, I plan on making chow-chow and apple-thyme jelly. I will also make Concord grape jelly (if I can find Concord grapes!), orange marmalade, and banana jam. All of these goodies will be entered into the fair in October.

That's about it for now. Besides work, not much else is going on. Rain finally fell yesterday and last night. That was certainly a blessing.

Have a blessed day!

Selfishly Unselfish

At first glance, today's title seems to be an oxymoron. But I believe that my parents exhibit that attribute every waking moment. Today's blog is a tribute to them. I am 100% sure that I would not be the person I am today without their guidance and influence while growing up.

One of the most outstanding characteristics that they both share (and they have many!) is that they are very unselfish people. They would give away their last crumb of bread if someone else needed it worse than they did. Mom has always short-changed herself in food, clothes, and other activities to make sure her family was well-fed, clothed, and happy. Their well being was more important to her. Not many of today's mothers can make that claim. Dad never says "no" to anyone. Anytime anyone needs help, Dad is there to lend a hand no matter how much of an inconvenience it is to him.

My parents also argue all the time. But it's not the normal "spat" between married couples. No, not at all. The topic of their disagreements? Who will do for the other before the other can do it for him/herself. Yes, you read correctly. They disagree on who will take care of the other's needs faster. One example happened last night. Mom accidentally spilled some water on the chair. Before she could return with a dry cloth, Dad had pushed his supper aside and was already cleaning up the spill. He took the towel from her hands and proceeded to finish the job. Their "spat" went something like this:

Mom: "Why are you doing that? I can do it myself. Finish your supper."

Dad: "You would break your neck to get over here if I had spilled something. Sit your tail down and I will handle the cleanup."

Mom: "But you need to finish eating."

Dad: "I will finish wiping up the water first!"

That was the extent of their spat. They have "argued" like that for as long as I can remember. Wouldn't it be a better world if parents took lessons from my parents? I think children would grow up feeling loved and a lot more secure. I know I did.

Don't get me wrong. My parents aren't perfect. But they have always shown me that demonstrative love that went both ways and that love was instrumental in making me who I am. In short, the world needs more selfishly unselfish people.

Have a blessed day!

Remember What??

There are several times in my life when I think I am the only one that can remember anything. I do understand that life is very busy nowadays for many people and several things can inhibit one's ability to remember, but people that consistently can't remember the past five minutes of their lives need a large dose of Gingko biloba!

Several times a day, I am called upon to access my memory banks for one thing or another whether it was 10 minutes ago or two months ago. Most of the time I can recall even some of the details surrounding the event in question. But when the shoe is on the other foot, they can't even tell me if the customer that just called wants me to order or just check part availability without squinting their eyes and crinkling their noses in extreme concentration. And one can forget anything past the 10 minute mark. No amount of concentration will bring it back. When I roll my eyes or make a comment, I am "given down country" because they "can't remember everything." Funny to me how I am never to forget anything and am expected to remember happenings from months ago while they barely remember how to fill out a PO properly.

In my opinion, some of the forgetfulness that people experience on a daily basis is because they either aren't paying attention to the task at hand or they just don't care. Perhaps if half the attention that should be applied is given to the present job, remembering would come a whole lot easier.







What is the topic of this blog? ;-)


Have a blessed day!

Evasive Sneaking

Today was a sneaky day. Sometimes I am forced to sneak around like a lion after its prey or perform an evasive maneuver similar to a zebra being chased by said lion. People can be so nosy and questions abound some days.

Where did you go during lunch?

What did you eat?

Did you take a nap?

All of these and similar questions are frequently thrown my way. If I wanted people to know the minute details of my life, I would write a book with a ghost writer complete with pictures. In order to prevent their Pinocchio-like schnozes from poking into my business, I sometimes need to be evasive or take other drastic measures.

One of my favorite drinks is a Starbucks frappuccino. When I can't get a freshly-made one, the bottled ones are my go-to choice. (Isn't the new dark chocolate variety heavenly?) One day, I brought one to work and a co-worker noticed it. She came over and asked me if it was good. She received one of my patented that-was-a-dumb-question looks. She responded with a request for me to let her know when I opened it for my moment of escape because she wanted to try it. I thought to myself...hmmm.....no. When it was time to pop the seal, I did so very quietly and drank it without anyone else knowing what was happening. Nothing else was mentioned about it that day. Now every time I bring one into work, I carry it in such a way that it's hidden by my hand without being too obvious. When I enter the office, I make a controlled mad dash to my cubicle to hide the booty. Sneaky.

At least once a week, I get the what-did-you-eat-for-lunch question. I do understand that it's an innocent question with no malicious prying intended. But will it really make a difference in that person's life to find out what my gastronomic intake was for that day? (Now if it was something worth mentioning like a grilled-to-perfection filet mignon or a make-your-taste-buds-dance piece of cheesecake, I would readily spout of its praises.) This kind of question demands an answer like "food." After supplying the necessary answer, I deftly maneuver the conversation to another topic or gradually make my way back to the desk. Evasive.

In short, I guess I am a private person. If I want you to know something about me, I will tell you. Pepper me with questions, and I will sneakily evade your moves. I'm not steak au poivre.

Any questions? :-)

Have a blessed day!

Franks Pet Tribute

Pets. Where would we be without them? They never give us any lip, listen to our gripes, celebrate our victories with us (although usually involuntarily), are always there for us whenever we need them, and generally supply us with a lot of loving. All they ask for in return is good, a place to sleep, and some tender loving care. How anyone can, in the very least, neglect one and, at the absolute worst, outright abuse one is beyond me. They don't deserve the love they receive. The actually need to be chained and whipped themselves.

Over the years, my family has been blessed with several pets. They have each in their own way contributed to our overall joy and happiness. Without further ado, here is the Franks Family Pet Tribute.

Bootsie, Bam-Bam, and Buffy--Y'all never complained about living in that little pen under the locust tree. Thanks for making our young childhood fun.

Scooter--You were the cutest Scottish Terrier. I remember when you first arrived and threw-up on my pillow because you were nervous. I forgave you long ago. You had the sassiest little swing in your rump when you walked.

Tiger--You were the sweetest tom-cat anyone could ever want. You would leave for days and return to your domain a little scruffy at times, but you always remained the same and never let life make you bitter.

Effie--You were the bluest cat I have ever seen. No one has ever been able to spread their back legs as you could while cleaning yourself.

Brenda--You were a bit different, but still lovable. I will never forget the night you came to Mom's Tupperware party through the window screen. What an exciting time you caused!

Sabrina--I never knew a more patient soul than you. What all you endured from Kellie feeding you with a baby bottle and pushing you around in a doll carriage dressed in the doll's clothes will never be felt by another cat. It's no wonder you ended up with a nervous condition. But believe me, you were very loved!

Monique and Bonkers--You two were the cutest black and white kitties. It's a shame that your lives were too soon cut short. If only you had learned that car tires are not the place to rest.

Smokey--You were the fluffiest gray/silver cat I have ever seen. I will never forget the time I tricked you into thinking I was a very large cat with a too small Halloween costume! Your fur looked as if you had been electrocuted.

Spunky--You were the dickens to raise! Maybe you should have been named "Mungojerrie." Even after pulling toilet paper all over the house and constantly splashing water out of your bowl, you were the love of Mom's heart.

And finally, but by no means, the least...

Misty--You were mine. I will never forget the day I took you home from the farm when you were ready to leave your mom Twinkle. I caught you behind the propane tank and all of you was contained in the palm of my hand. All that night, you cried every time you were scared and didn't quiet down until someone came to reassure you. As you grew, you would ride in my robe pockets just like you belonged there. You kept me company as I slept and would attach yourself to my lap whenever you wanted (Sometimes I thought you had suckers under your fur). The night you died was very hard for me. But I knew that you were not suffering any longer. I still miss you.



Now if Mom would just let me have a hamster or a ferret! :-)

Have a blessed day!